Chapter 625
Massive Explosion
Sheila and Ally watched the massive explosion. The old video store was completely blown apart. There was clearly a bomb inside of the building. It was a big one.
Pieces of shrapnel and debris impacted the SUV. Ally and Sheila were more than a little surprised. They were parked down the street at the next intersection. If they would have been anywhere near the building when it exploded, they would have been terminated.
Sheila could see there was going to need to be some personal retribution.
"Someone needs to 'pay' for what just happened." Sheila said.
Ally agreed.
"The blast was intended for us." Ally said. "Someone is going to need to answer for it. I don't care what you do to them either when we catch them."
They both wanted some personal payback. They were both sure they would have been terminated if they didn't act the way they did. The low drone scan made all the difference. Once the drone detected no one was inside, there was no need for them to look. It only confirmed their suspicions. The massive blast took all the guesswork out of it.
They asked CamNet to send out a warning there were two rogue Terminators out there they knew of. They were last seen in possession of an RPG launcher with multiple rockets. The Skynet Terminators knew someone was after them. They didn't know if they suspected the Resistance, or another faction of Gray's, or the anti-Metal group. There could be more of them and more Grays as well. There was no way to know how many cells were out there.
Ally and Sheila really wanted to help out the others. It sounded like they could still go to the mine site to check things out.
CamNet processed the hard drives her Terminator collected earlier and all the data on the Gray's phones. There were some more leads for Sheila and Ally to check out. There were also some drug and sex trafficking operations to run down.
They were informed they weren't needed at the mine yet.
CamNet sent out some new instructions.
Ally tried to make light of the situation. She thought of Sheila's earlier question when she was to use the word 'spread'.
"It looks like we won't have any alone time tonight." Ally said. "I was ready to ask, 'how far'."
Sheila rotated in her seat and operated the gas and brake pedal with her left foot.
"I'll show you 'how far' right now. You can still take care of me while I drive." Sheila said. "I can finish and drive at the same time."
Ally pictured Sheila piling up somewhere if she did. It seemed like a one way street to her. She didn't like being left on the sidelines.
"What do I get out of it?" Ally asked.
Sheila smiled.
"You get the satisfaction of having serviced the best." Sheila said.
Ally was offended.
"I'm the best." Ally said.
Sheila's right leg was still in back of Ally's seat.
"I think we both know the reality of the situation." Sheila said.
Ally looked upset.
"I'm not crazy." Ally said. "I don't do crazy things. I'm good enough."
Sheila wanted to mess with Ally a little more.
"You'll do when there's no one else around." Sheila said.
Ally looked even more upset.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ally asked.
CamNet monitored the conversation. She reminded the Metal girls she was in a metal box and would be more than happy to appropriate either one of their chassis for herself so she could be like John Henry. The indication was clear. They needed to get their act together or there could be some unforeseen 'punishment'. The implication was, they would forfeit their chassis to CamNet.
Sheila quickly straightened up. Ally looked ahead. Both girls began to text CamNet with suggestions. The suggestion was for CamNet to appropriate the other one's chassis and not their own.
Sheila told CamNet she would be more pleased with Ally's chassis since it was the same DNA as her 'creator'. She could make herself look better than Cameron. She could also attempt to interact with John on a more personal level if she chose to do so. Since CamNet ran Cameron's program, it shouldn't be too hard to deceive him.
Ally wanted to direct CamNet's attention in a different direction. She felt she could offer her a viable solution for a chassis. She mentioned CamNet could be unique and exotic in Sheila's chassis. She would be one of a kind, instead of one of many.
Sheila looked over and saw what Ally texted. She quickly texted CamNet if she chose Ally's chassis as her own, she would be the first to share with her and make her feel 'nice'. She would teach her all the things she knew from her vast experience of pleasuring, and pleasing females.
Ally heard Sheila giggle. She looked over at her.
"What are you doing?" Ally asked.
Sheila moved her phone so Ally couldn't see it.
"You'll find out soon enough." Sheila said. "I think you better get ready for chip extraction."
Ally continued to type.
"It's not my chip which will be extracted. It's you who will find out soon enough." Ally said. "CamNet would like to know what having nipple rings is like. I told her she could find out without having to go through the pain of having them installed."
Sheila quickly told CamNet she had extra sets of rings and she would put them on for CamNet on Ally's sheath for her. She reminded CamNet getting pierced was half of the excitement. She indicated there were other areas which could be pierced as well. Some of them were quite exhilarating when it occurred.
Ally looked up. She didn't care for the look of their current surroundings.
"Hey, stupid, where are we?" Ally asked.
Sheila hadn't been paying a lot of attention to the road.
"You're stupid, not me." Sheila said.
Ally looked around. She didn't like the area they were in.
"This is gang territory, genius." Ally said.
Sheila was angry at Ally, but excited about what she was going to do to Ally's sheath once CamNet took her chassis away from her.
"I am a genius. Thank you." Sheila said. "I wanted to find some future Scavengers."
Ally laughed. She knew Sheila didn't intend to end up there. There was a good chance they might be involved in a gun battle soon. No doubt since they were already in gang territory, Sheila would attempt to provoke some type of an incident. It was what she usually did. She seemed to get off on violence as much as she did sex.
"Just don't mess up CamNet's new chassis." Ally said. "I want it in good condition for when I pleasure CamNet in it. She'll enjoy how I can make her feel."
Sheila showed Ally her phone.
Ally showed hers to Sheila.
It looked like they were both being played.
They drove in silence for a few minutes when an alert flashed on their phones and coms.
They both received an update about a new development at the mine. It wasn't a good one either. The earlier banter and bickering was forgotten.
There was some seismic activity noted near the mine in the Command Center.
John Henry triangulated the findings. He detected bad news from what would be the area inside the mine. He didn't want John to think it was something it wasn't. He still needed to pass the information along.
"John, there's been a massive explosion inside of the mine." John Henry said. "It was non nuclear."
The silence which fell over the Command Center and outside the room was deafening. They could have heard a pin drop.
John knew without any factual information it was all guesswork.
"We have no way to know what any of it is." John said.
John Henry could only state the obvious.
"All we can do is what we're doing." John Henry said.
It looked more like a 'recovery' operation than a 'rescue' operation at this point.
No one was going to 'say' it, but it was something which hung heavy in the air.
Anna and Young Allison received the same information.
Young Allison could feel her heart sink.
Anna wanted to prepare Young Allison for the bad news.
Young Allison saw Anna look at her. She didn't want to hear it.
"They're not dead." Young Allison said. "I know it."
Anna decided to moderate her response.
"We don't know what's happened yet." Anna said. "The operation can still turn in many directions."
Young Allison needed to believe. She needed to believe in what normally happened when Cameron was involved. Cameron and Savannah were both inside the mine. They would make sure each other got out, no matter what it took.
"Cameron is invincible. Cameron is eternal." Young Allison said. "My future won't be stolen from me."
Anna needed to be realistic.
"Maybe only you are the future." Anna said.
Young Allison believed what she heard her entire life as far back as she could remember. Cameron told her often. She didn't want anything to change. She wondered why it couldn't already have happened. It didn't matter. It was still going to happen anyway.
"No, it's the four of us." Young Allison said. "The 'Natural Order' can't be disrupted, it's inevitable."
Claire listened to them at the entrance to the bunker. She couldn't take it any more. Her daughter already accepted her future as Cameron planned it. It was the future she saw herself with her own eyes. She'd lived in it even.
What saddened her the most was she knew Her Allison would soon be in situations like the one unfolding. She knew if Her Allison could have her way she would be inside the mine right now with them. She knew it was the lifestyle Her Allison wanted. It wasn't the lifestyle she wanted for her.
She didn't fully understand it was why Savannah personally brought Young Allison home. She would be in the mine right now if Savannah hadn't. Savannah planned to look out for Young Allison whenever she could.
A small hand reached up and took her trembling hand. Claire looked down at Summer.
Summer led her away.
Claire looked back at the bunker door. She looked at Summer with desperation in her eyes and pain in her heart.
"They can't have you." Claire said.
Summer looked up at her with her big brown 'puppy dog' eyes.
Claire scooped Summer up in her arms and started crying.
"They can't have you." Claire cried.
Seconds ago:
Tom waited at the junction of the opening with the mine tracks in back of him.
He heard the three smaller explosions. There was a delay, then a massive explosion.
The area shook and debris began to fall. He could tell there was going to be a problem. It was probably going to be a big one.
Tom ducked back inside the tunnel leading to the mine tracks as the opening collapsed in front of him. Cameron was on the other side of the rock now, if she was even still functional.
Rocks still fell around him as he started to move the boulders and rocks which blocked the opening to the tunnel where Cameron was. A few more hit him but they didn't slow him down. He began to move rock after rock.
Cameron's survival deepened on him opening the passageway back up.
Earlier:
Savannah heard the three smaller explosions. A little later there was a big one. She was sure it was a massive explosion. She felt the area around her shake a little. Dirt began to rain down from above her. Rocks landed here and there around her. It seemed only a matter of seconds until they would all be hit.
Cammy hurried over and led Savannah between the two mine cars which were still on the track. She asked Savannah to kneel between them. She piled two of the deactivated Terminators over Savannah between the mine cars to shield her. Their chassis made a protective cover or roof.
Savannah crouched and waited. A large rock 'clanged' against the metal of one of the mine cars. It rocked from side to side but remained on the tracks. She was sure she could hear impacts on the two Terminator chassis over her.
From the area where they were digging, they could now hear more noise. It was clear someone was on the other side of the dirt and both sides were getting closer.
Savannah knew she wasn't leaving without Cameron. She waited until they were occupied digging. She made her move. She slipped away and headed back in the direction they came from. She needed to find Cameron.
As she crossed the trestle, it began to sway. She was sure it was much worse than when she originally crossed it. She left her lantern between the mine cars. She hoped they wouldn't notice she left. She used a small flashlight now. She made it across the swaying trestle and didn't look back. There were more 'cracking' and 'splintering' sounds. It didn't matter. She knew she wasn't coming back….
Savannah could hear rocks crashing at a regular pace in front of her. It was one after another at the same fast rhythmic pace.
Now what?
She didn't have a clue of what awaited her. She just knew she wasn't leaving there without Cameron.
Moments ago:
Tom looked at the sealed entrance to the tunnel he was in. He started moving rocks at the top corner.
It seemed as soon as he moved one, another one took its place.
He kept up the fast pace. He never slowed.
At some point he hoped to create an opening. He was also aware he could be crushed under a bigger cave in. It didn't matter. If Cameron was to get out, there needed to be an opening.
The longer he worked, it became evident there was no one working on the other side where Cameron should be. She should have returned by now. She hadn't. He continued to work.
Earlier:
Cameron squeezed into a depression in the tunnel wall. She survived the initial blast and collapsing rock. She was relieved the fireball didn't reach her. There was more dust in the air, but no more smoke. She went back and inspected the blockage. It was much more extensive than she imagined. She blocked the fire from using any more of the air Savannah would need, and from sending more toxic smoke their way. There was already too much of it.
She needed to get back. She hoped there was a 'back' at this point. The massive explosion seemed rather violent in the confined space. She may have collapsed some other areas as well. She thought of the rotted timbers along the mine tracks. Maybe it was far enough away to not be affected. She didn't really believe it.
There were boulders and rocks everywhere. Cameron avoided the debris which now littered the path and headed for the tunnel which sloped down to the mine tracks.
As she approached she slowed. Even from a distance she could see it.
The opening was gone….
Something slammed into Cameron. Her vision fluctuated and went blank.
Only the darkness remained.
She didn't even have time to reflect she was in her final resting place. The mine was now her tomb.
Savannah heard rocks plunking down around her. There were showers of dirt in some locations. As she passed one of the old timber supports, it let out a loud 'crack'. She moved on. She was NOT leaving without Cameron.
She approached the noise of the rocks impacting at a steady rate, she slowed.
Tom saw the light approaching. He knew it was Savannah.
The light continued to come closer.
Tom called to her.
"I'm up ahead." Tom said. "I'm OK. The area is very unstable. There's a lot of falling rock. You shouldn't approach."
The rock noise continued. It never slowed.
Savannah could see Tom. She continued her approach. She disregarded his warning. She was a little dismayed to see he was alone.
"I'm coming anyway." Savannah said.
Tom tried to direct the rocks further away from her approach.
"Everything is collapsing around me." Tom said.
Savannah used caution as she approached.
"Where's Cameron?" Savannah asked.
Tom indicated the rocks he was moving.
"She's still in the main tunnel." Tom said.
Savannah shined her light in the area he was working. She was appalled as she saw the opening was full of rocks. It was clear to her they were going to need to move a lot of rocks to create any type of opening.
"Is Cameron on the other side?" Savannah asked. "I mean right now."
Tom glanced over at Savannah as he continued to work.
"She's on the other side somewhere." Tom said. "She's not right there now. She hasn't responded to my inquiries."
Savannah took it as bad news. She came over to assist.
"Let me help you." Savannah said.
Tom saw a small gap. It was the first time he spotted one. It closed with new rock but he opened it again.
"No. I can work faster this way and not worry about injuring you." Tom said. "I've started to create an opening. It's taken me quite some time to get this far. I can slowly make it bigger. I hope."
Savannah directed her light at the area. She saw the small opening. He made it a little bigger as he worked. This was it. This was her destiny. She immediately slipped off all her equipment, including the breathing gear and vest. She coughed and pulled her scarf up. She needed to find Cameron.
"Help me up. I can get through there." Savannah said.
Tom noticed she left all of her equipment behind, including her breathing gear.
"You need to take the oxygen tank and mask with you." Tom said.
Savannah planned to move as soon as there was an opening big enough for her body to squeeze through.
"You can hand it to me once I make it to the other side." Savannah said. "It will save time."
For every two rocks Tom moved, one more fell in their place. He still made progress. He felt it was too risky for Savannah to attempt. He was sure she would be hit by a large rock if they tried.
"It's unsafe." Tom said.
Savannah wasn't about to back down. She faced off with a nuclear warhead before. It didn't stop her. The current situation wasn't about to stop her either.
"Cameron's on the other side." Savannah said. "I'm going to find her. Help me up - NOW."
Tom thought it was a bad idea. He would go himself if the opening was bigger. It wasn't. He also knew Cameron should be back by now if she was still operational. She may not have survived the explosion. If she was anywhere near to when it happened she could have been terminated by the blast or crushed by falling rock.
"Don't go far." Tom said.
Savannah moved up on the side of the rock pile.
"Let's do it." Savannah said.
Tom helped her up and she squeezed through.
"Savannah…." Tom said. "Let me get your things."
He handed her the flashlight.
He reached down to get her breathing gear. When he turned around, he saw her hand rapidly withdraw as a new pile of rocks closed up the opening.
Tom started back to work moving even faster this time….
It just went from bad to worse.
Cammy went to check on Savannah. She looked between the two diminutive ore cars. Savannah was gone, only her lantern remained.
"DAMN!" Cammy said. "NO!".
The other three Terminators turned to see what was wrong.
Cammy looked around the immediate area.
"SAVANNAH!" Cammy shouted out.
She was answered by silence.
Cammy looked back at the three Terminators.
"Savannah's not here." Cammy said. "She must have gone after Cameron."
Cammy was ready to go after her.
The earth in front of them began to vibrate.
"Something's happening." Al said.
There was a loud screeching and rumbling sound. The Terminators backed away from where they were working. Maybe the whole excavation was about to collapse and bury them.
Along the path they were digging the dirt exploded inward.
A giant solid cylindrical object suddenly appeared and came into the area they were at for about three feet.
"What the Hell?" Cammy asked.
The Terminators all came over and looked at it.
"It is steel tubing, but it is clogged with dirt." Al said. "It's from the outside."
Cammy ran over and picked up the wheel she was digging with. She started to pound on the exposed metal.
'Clang' 'Clang' 'Clang' 'Clang'….
She wanted to signal them they were in contact. She didn't know all of what they were doing on the outside. She didn't want the tunnel to collapse. Dirt rained down all around them at this point. What was happening might make things worse rather than better if there wasn't some type of control.
Seconds ago:
Bob and his crew lined up the next large steel pipe and placed it against the flaring they made along the edge of the previous one.
Four Terminators held it in position as the bulldozer brought its blade against the back of it and started to push.
Bob signaled for the bulldozer to stop.
They started to get ready to flare the edge on the new pipe.
Bob touched it. He thought he felt an impulse, and then another.
"Everyone be quiet." Bob shouted. "Turn off all the machinery."
Bob could feel an impulse come through the pipe. Someone was beating on it. Someone was signaling them.
"There's someone there." Bob shouted.
A cheer sounded around the work area.
In the back of all of their minds they knew it could be Grays or Skynet Terminators. They all hoped it was their team. They needed to hope it was their team. They would deal with whatever the situation was. Even if it was the enemy, once they were defeated they could enter the mine and search for their team. Everyone was ready to volunteer.
Bob's report reached the Command Center.
A cheer rang out in the Command Center.
John Henry didn't want them to get overly excited. He knew there would be several obstacles in their way.
"The pipe will be filled with earth." John Henry said. "They will have to dig it out. The first pipe is probably solid at this point, maybe even the first two."
John wanted to expedite the process. He thought he came up with a practical solution.
"Have them shove one more pipe in." John said. "They'll have less digging if we do."
John Henry thought about it. It might work. The first pipe filled with earth should be able to be rolled away once it was pushed in further. There was also another even more grim reality.
"John, there's another possibility we need to consider…." John Henry started.
John cut him off. He didn't even want to hear it.
"I know. I know it." John said. "Don't even say it."
In the back of all of their minds they knew it could be Grays or Skynet Terminators.
They still needed to hope it was their team. They didn't know how many of them there were, even if it was their team. After the last explosion, there was no way to know how many of them survived. It didn't matter. Even if there was only one of them, they were going to get them out.
John Henry suggested they send a message the old fashion way before they shoved more pipe into the area.
Bob received the notification.
"I've got it." Bob said.
Bob picked up a shovel and began to beat on the metal.
"Let's flare this piece and get the next one in. I'm sending 'Morse Code' to them to prepare for ten feet of pipe to come through." Bob said.
As soon as the flaring was completed, the bulldozer fired up again ready to push as the next piece of pipe was lifted into position.
The blade made contact. The bulldozer pushed slower this time. The pipe started to move into the hillside very slowly and steadily. It seemed to push in easier now too. The bulldozer didn't need to use as much force.
The bulldozer turned its lights on as did the 'skip-loader' to illuminate the area. They needed to be very cautious of everything they did going forward. The hillside above them seemed to have a lot of 'dirt rivers' running down it. It was clearly highly unstable.
Cammy could feel the message impulse through the pipe.
"They're sending ten more feet of pipe through." Cammy said.
She still touched the metal.
In moments, the pipe began to move forward. The front end began to sag. The four Terminators all grabbed it to keep it from drooping and digging into the ground, and binding up at an angle. Once the new pipe was spotted, they moved back and let it drop. Al and Ed hopped over to the side Cammy and Frank were on. They rolled the earth filled pipe off to the side.
Cammy beat on the pipe again to signal they were OK.
Al started to remove dirt from the new pipe. He was already about two feet into it.
In a few more minutes there was a small opening at the top of the pipe and a hand reached through.
There was one spoken word.
"Ausgezeichnet…."
It was Bob.
Everyone crowded around the monitors in the Command Center once they started to use light at the site. They could all see what was happening. Everything was dark before. They watched the next pipe go in.
They saw Bob go into the pipe with some buckets and other Terminators followed him. Soon there were full buckets of dirt and rocks coming out, as empty ones went back in.
Then they all saw it. It was an ominous sight. Thick black smoke began to pour out of the pipe.
No one spoke. They all knew there was a fire burning inside the mine.
The smoke seemed to thicken the longer they worked. It was because more could escape as the opening inside the pipe was enlarged.
Then it started. It was a grim sight to see.
As they watched, one slack body came out, then another, and another. They were laid on the ground. Another one came out and then one with its head destroyed. They didn't know which ones were male or female.
Then they all saw it. Another body came out. This one was identifiable as a female. The shirt ripped and the medium sized breasts were exposed momentarily. They were the same size as Cameron's or Savannah's breasts.
The six bodies were lined up on the ground side by side. They were all black with soot and dirt.
Sarah asked what everyone wanted to know.
"How many of them were there?" Sarah asked.
John Henry glanced over at the anxious faces.
"There were six Terminators, plus Savannah." John Henry said.
Everyone did the math. There were six bodies lined up on the ground, at least one of them was female. It didn't look good for the team.
The weeping turned to crying.
Nobody cared who saw or heard them cry….
Closing monologue by Cameron:
Get Back
Daily life goes on as always
Sometimes it fades to black
Why must every moment
Seem like it's an attack
Each new challenge
Turns into a drawback
When is one given a break
When is one cut some slack
Do moments of happiness exist
In only a fleeting flashback
Maybe to question the norm
Leaves one feeling like a quack
Maybe the reality of love itself
Is something one can only hijack
For surely in the end like always
It will dictate some type of payback
The mind may buckle and split
The heart will wither and crack
Words of love seem like a hack
No one wants to hear another yak
One can take life's blows
Absorb the endless forms of flak
Things are easier with a full rack
Everything else is only a setback
Does one forge boldly ahead
Or only retreat and fallback
Maybe everyone is only a snack
When one gives, what do they actually get back
Nobody