Chapter 629
Sound Of Silence
Vanna watched the events transpire at the mine. She could see how critical it was. It was completely unacceptable to her. She turned to Cam.
"I want you to go there right now." Vanna said. "You need to help them."
Cam figured if she didn't, Vanna would say she was going herself. She knew Vanna was very worried about Savannah and Cameron, as well as Cammy and Tom.
"I was about to leave right now." Cam said. "I'm going to meet up with Sheila and Ally".
Cam was painfully aware if both Cameron and Cammy were terminated, she would need to become 'Cameron Prime'. Cammy already assumed the role earlier, now she was missing along with Cameron and Savannah. She took one more look at Vanna. Her gaze drifted over to where John was at. She didn't want to think about how her 'duties' were about to become significantly different. She pushed the thoughts from her mind.
John Henry looked over when Cam made her statement. He knew it wasn't what John wanted. He also knew if the female Terminators didn't arrive soon, Young Allison would 'order' her Detail to take her there. She was going to bypass Anna and her mother. She would bypass the Command Center as well.
He quietly gave Cam instructions on where to meet Sheila and Ally.
Vanna nodded at John Henry to thank him. When she turned around, Cam was already gone. She figured it was so Cam wouldn't need to take her with her when she left, if she told her to. She moved over to where Jesse was at. They looked at each other with sadness in their eyes. Sometimes the comfort of another was needed, just to know they cared about the same things. They took each other's hand and continued to monitor the events from the Command Center.
Bob assessed the situation on the ground. It was clear they needed more equipment to dig out the steel tubing, if it was even still there. It could have been knocked apart into different locations. It was their only way in. If the tubing was crushed, or in a different spot, it was 'Game Over'.
He sent a team of Terminators over to investigate and retrieve the Skynet Terminator they took down from the RPG attack. They wanted to make sure the threat was neutralized. They also wanted to learn as much about them as possible. More than likely it was the same Terminator who Ally and Sheila were in a pursuit of as they went to different locations they uncovered from the phones captured from a previous operation.
Cam left the Resistance base. She needed to slip out before Vanna or Jesse wanted her to take them to the mine. She was actually worried it would be Sarah who would demand to go. She was a hard one to say 'no' to.
She headed towards where Ally and Sheila were waiting. They would meet up in back of a closed electronics store. She found it somewhat ironic most of the electronic stores went out of business because of online competition. It was the very thing they helped create by selling the electronics in the first place. Maybe it was something like Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. The creation destroyed the creator.
Cam was somewhat surprised to see them standing there. There was someone else in the shadows with them. She parked her SUV and got out.
"What's with the cloak and dagger routine?" Cam asked.
Sheila and Ally stepped forward. There was a male Terminator with them.
"He's going to take your vehicle to a different location." Ally said.
The Terminator stepped forward and held out his hand.
"Your keys, give them to me, now." The male Terminator said.
Cam looked a little bit offended. She dropped the keys in his hand.
"I can tell you're new." Cam said. "You're welcome. Maybe you better remember who I look like, for more than one reason."
The Terminator tilted his head slightly.
"Thank you." The Terminator said.
He got into her vehicle, started it, and drove away.
Cam was a little concerned about the neighborhood they were in.
"I passed through a couple of questionable streets to get here." Cam said. "I saw more than a few gang bangers."
Sheila looked over in the direction Cam came from. She glanced over at Ally.
"I wouldn't worry about them." Sheila said.
Ally looked at Cam. She wanted to give her a better explanation.
"In other words, we'll bust them up in our spare time." Ally said. "If they don't get the message, they'll be terminated."
Cam saw Sheila brandish her knife.
"With extreme prejudice." Sheila said.
The three Metal girls looked to the western sky.
"It sounds like our ride is almost here." Ally said.
The Metal girls all got a serious look on their face. They knew where they were headed, and what they needed to do. They weren't sure what they would find or even when. It was clear they were all on the same wavelength, without even discussing it.
"We don't stop looking until we find them." Cam said.
Sheila and Ally felt exactly the same way.
"We won't stop until our power cells run out, or we're terminated." Ally said.
The Blackhawk approached rapidly. The side door opened as it neared. The three Metal girls moved over rapidly and got in before the wheels even touched the ground. They closed the door behind them and the Blackhawk took off. It was headed to a construction site next to collect another bulldozer.
Another one of Cameron's Terminators met them there. He had the bulldozer already to be hoisted by the Blackhawk. He also delivered a number of weapons for the Metal girls to take with them.
It only took a minute to transfer the weapons and get the bulldozer secure. The Blackhawk lifted up and took up the slack in the cable. The pilot needed to increase the power significantly to lift the bulldozer. It wasn't a problem for their modified helicopter.
Bob tried to organize things as best as he could. Their main goal was to look for the steel pipe. It was going to take some time to find it. He hoped it was still in the same place.
The Blackhawk soon returned with another small bulldozer, as well as Sheila, Ally, and Cam. Young Allison volunteered to come to the rescue site in case a smaller body was needed. John Henry suggested to John to let the female Terminators at the base join the rescue effort for the same reason. They were smaller than the male Terminators who were there. With the recent developments, they may need smaller Terminators to go in, if it was even still possible. All the Terminators volunteered to go earlier, but John wanted to hold the number of personnel down. He didn't want to repeat the 'Day Of Loss'.
Once the bulldozer was released from its sling, the three Metal girls hopped out before the Blackhawk even touched down. They brought plenty of weapons with them, including LAW rockets and Stinger missiles. The damaged Terminator who was involved in the RPG attack was thrown on board, along with the six deactivated Terminators from inside the mine. The female Terminator would be handed off to Cameron's Terminators along the way. Nobody questioned it.
Free of its current load, the Blackhawk headed over and picked up the two cars still full of dead Grays and flew them to the gravel pit. They were placed there along the rest of the Skynet wreckage.
The Blackhawk then retrieved the three fallen HK drones and flew them away for inspection and disassembly, one at a time. Gail and several of their drones oversaw the rescue operation and provided security.
John grew frustrated at the time it would take to excavate back down to the level the steel tubing was at. They still didn't know if it was there. They didn't know if it was crushed or not, if it was even still there. Everything in the area may have been shoved aside as the interior of the mine collapsed. The needed to avoid causing another landslide. He wanted to make sure they were able to have all the resources they needed. He was willing to take a page out of Cameron's Playbook.
"What do you need more of?" John asked. "I'll send teams to obtain anything you need."
Bob looked over the landslide area. With the extra equipment and the Terminators already there, it was crowded. There was a limited amount of room. Since Skynet knew specifically where they were at, and what they were up to, it made them ripe for an attack. He felt they needed to use a certain amount of caution.
"There is only so much space to work." Bob said. "We run the risk of drawing too many of our forces out here and being attacked again."
John hoped they were a little better with security at this point. They were most worried about Skynet equipment in the air. They did a good job at keeping it all well away. They didn't do such a good job for the Terminator and Gray who were able to creep in on foot and launch the RPG attack. It was probably a good indication one of them was familiar with the location. It was probably the Gray, otherwise the Terminator would have traveled without him.
"You have four drones supporting you." John Henry said. "We know what to watch for. We've seen everything Skynet can send."
Bob knew it was true to a point. Skynet was full of tricks. He was sure they hadn't seen them all. He was focused on where the Metal girls were at now. They wanted to see if the tube was still in the same place and hopefully still intact.
"The Metal girls have joined the three Terminators trying to dig straight down with hand tools. They want to make contact with the tube." Bob said. "They have a ten foot piece of rebar they will soon be able to probe with. They hoped to find it in the same place. We need to be careful when we move in with the heavy equipment, we don't cause another landslide. Everything is unstable."
John watched the progress with 'night vision' from the various drones as they passed near the area. He hoped they could free up the other bulldozer to assist at some point. There was still no sign of it.
"How soon until you uncover the original bulldozer?" John asked.
Bob sent a team in to try and find it already. They could use its help. He also looked at the mass of land which slid down the hill and into a small canyon next to them. Everything could be buried down there. He remembered how the 'skip loader' was knocked around and sent flying like a toy as the earth moved. It was mostly out of the landslide zone when it occurred.
"I don't know." Bob said. "I was using it to support the end of the pipe, but the bulldozer may have been pushed back. The pipes may be gone as well. There might not be anything left there but dirt and rocks…."
John Henry took drone scans of the mountain and the displaced volume of earth. He came to a darker conclusion about the mountainside. He reported his findings to John.
"John Henry believes the mine may have collapsed inside, at least in the immediate area you're working." John said. "There's a distinctive sag in the surface of the hill at that point, even with all the dirt and rocks which slid down."
Bob could see it for what it was. He was sure the RPG attack after the natural landslide was what made the second landslide which followed even worse.
"It's bad news." Bob said.
John was as disgusted as he was frustrated. It seemed like everything was stacked against them. They were so close to getting everyone out earlier. He almost disregarded Cammy's 'order' about no one else entering the mine. He was ready to send the whole team in. If he'd done so, they'd all be trapped or terminated right now. He was sure the interior of the mine was collapsed. He really didn't see how it was possible to ever get anyone out. Everything was bad news to him.
"Is there any good news in any of this?" John asked.
Bob thought it was more the nature of how events unfolded. He wasn't there at the start, but he was aware how it all went down and played out. It was a recon which turned into an assault.
"No." Bob said. "This was a surprise operation which got away from us."
John wanted to blame it all on Cameron, but he didn't really think it was all her fault. She was just there as it all unfolded. She originally arrived to come to Cammy's aid.
"You can say that again." John said. "Isn't it always?"
Bob almost repeated what he just said, but remembered what John said was just a figure of speech.
John Henry looked over all of the data and reports from the Terminators who did make it out. He was pretty sure John wouldn't like the conclusion he reached.
"John, I believe from the reports Al, Ed, and Frank made, Cameron would've used one of her warheads there." John Henry said. "There was no indication she sent for one."
John would have thought it was funny if things weren't so severe. Since it appeared the entire mountain already collapsed inside. At this point, what difference did it make?
"For the way it's turned out, she might just as well have." John said. "Would it be much different than where we're at right now? I don't think so. Maybe there is less of a radiation threat."
John Henry wasn't sure they were too far away from a disaster like it anyway. They didn't know what Skynet did in the mine, but they knew it was something big.
"We still don't know where all the energy Skynet was using was going." John Henry said. "The massive heat and fire could be whatever they were doing which actually started to 'melt down'."
John sat up in his chair. He really thought things already hit rock bottom. It might not be the case at all. It might be they only witnessed the fuse burning so far. Once the fuse reached its payload, there was usually an explosion.
"Do you mean like a nuclear power plant 'melt down' or explosion?" John asked.
John Henry was aware of what Cameron found in her future. It seemed like something in the making where the team was at inside the mine.
"Or it may be some giant power cell like the one Cameron reported on in her future." John Henry said. "If there's an explosion, it could be massive."
Now John was even more worried. He read the reports. The entire team was in danger now if it exploded. It was sure to cause additional landslides if not collapse the entire mountain.
"The energy source did almost as much damage as the warhead did from Cameron's reports." John said. "I think our troops are in more danger than we've anticipated."
John Henry knew there was no verification. There was only speculation.
"IF it's what they were doing." John Henry said.
John felt the entire operation was on a timer now. It was a timer they didn't know when it would go off.
"WE need to withdraw our people from there soon." John said.
John Henry doubted it would happen.
"I can tell you right now none of them will leave." John Henry said.
John figured as much. How could he leave Cameron and Savannah behind to an unknown fate? He knew Savannah stayed behind when Cameron faced certain termination because she promised never to abandon her. How could he abandon either one of them under similar circumstances?
"I already know it." John said. "If I were there, I wouldn't leave either."
John Henry wanted to remind John about what often irritated and angered him. There was a reason for it. It was a reason Cameron understood better than anyone.
"It's why Cameron wants to work alone and unannounced." John Henry said. "She knows her presence draws those she loves and cares about to their deaths. It's not something she can exist with."
John was still irritated by the prospect. It wasn't Cameron's war. It was the Resistance's war. The burden shouldn't fall on one person.
"Cameron can't fight this war alone." John said.
John Henry thought about the current situation, as well as past incidents.
"She isn't alone." John Henry said. "You know she would have been terminated half a dozen times already…."
John felt another twang of guilt. It was another problem he didn't seem to have any control over.
"I do." John said. "Cameron has a 'guardian angel'."
John Henry knew the burden fell on Savannah. She took many of the same risks Cameron did.
"John, Savannah's love is writing checks her body can't cash." John Henry said. "I should say, keep cashing anyway."
John didn't need to hear it to know it. He felt he should be the one out there with Cameron.
"Don't you think I know that?" John asked.
John Henry viewed Savannah as his sister. At least he did when she was younger and he was 'younger' too. There was a way for John to keep Savannah around the base. If they produced children together, Savannah was less likely to take as many risks with Cameron.
"John, I don't ask for much. I ask you to keep my 'sister'…." John Henry started out. "Contact…."
A new threat was detected. It was sooner than anticipated.
John was instantly alert. He knew whatever it was, it was going to be even more bad news. There didn't seem to be a shortage of it.
"What is it?" John asked.
John Henry didn't like what the drones spotted.
"Our drone on the furthest patrol, it's twelve miles out, has spotted Grays." John Henry said.
John thought twelve miles out was out of the immediate danger zone.
"Are they massing for an attack?" John asked.
John Henry could see it was now a bigger problem than they imagined.
"They're putting on radiation suits…." John Henry said. "They could be protective suits of another type as well. They appear to be radiation suits from the images."
It wasn't news anyone wanted to hear.
John swallowed hard. It meant any survivors in the mine were probably exposed to lethal radiation at this point. It meant Savannah was in more danger than she was before, if she was even still alive.
He really thought things couldn't get any worse. It was about the fifth time he thought it on the current operation. It was what he thought again. He knew he better not, because it was probably going to get worse before things were done. There was no way to know when they would be done.
Cameron gave Savannah a warning. Tom only fired twice an hour now. There was never any response. There was only silence.
Boom - - Boom - - - - - Boom - Boom - Boom
Savannah uncovered her ears.
Cammy wanted Savannah to be more comfortable with herself.
"You can turn the light on, Savannah." Cammy said. "If you want to see us."
Savannah did want to see them. She didn't want them to see her. She was covered in soot and dirt. She needed to wear a breathing mask. She knew she looked terrible.
"I don't want you to remember me like this." Savannah said.
Cameron felt terrible to hear it. She held Savannah closer and tighter. She was aware it was how she treated John when she was damaged. She didn't like him to see her less than perfect. She remembered Savannah told her, John would never love her less, even if she thought otherwise. Savannah told her she would never love her less either.
"Oh, Savannah…." Cameron said.
Savannah didn't feel good. She knew it was different from all her past pains. She felt she never lived up to Cameron's expectations for her. She was going to die a failure.
"I'm sorry I didn't do 'more'." Savannah said. "I did try."
Savannah's words tore into the very core of Cameron and Cammy.
"Please stop, Savannah." Cammy asked. "This isn't over."
Savannah knew it wasn't, even if it was. She knew there was one person out there who would come for her. She didn't know when or how.
"I know." Savannah said. "Young Allison is going to come for me."
Cameron tilted her head slightly in the darkness. It seemed like a bad idea.
"Here?" Cameron asked.
Savannah believed Young Allison would be there if they would allow her to be. She also knew she would use technology.
"She would, if she could." Savannah said. "She's going to use the TDE and stop me, stop us."
Cammy was confused. Things weren't like that currently.
"Do you mean now?" Cammy asked.
Savannah had faith.
"I don't know when." Savannah said. "I just know she will at some point in time."
Cameron and Cammy knew it was logical, but there was no proof of any of it. If it was going to happen, it should have already happened. They shouldn't be where they were currently.
"How can you know this?" Cammy asked.
Savannah knew what she would do. She believed Young Allison would do the same.
"I just do." Savannah said. "I'd do the same for her, Cameron, or John."
Cammy was aware she was left out of the 'lineup'.
"It's the 'Natural Order'." Cammy said. "It can't be disrupted."
Cameron felt there was a closer hope. The team knew right where they were, or where to look for them.
"We're all getting out of here." Cameron said. "You know they're here digging for us."
Savannah didn't know the scope of the attack. None of them did.
"We also know there was an attack." Savannah said. "Maybe there's - Nobody there."
Cameron, Cammy, and Savannah talked for a long time.
Savannah spoke with the face mask on. She needed to breathe the oxygen from the tanks.
They were in total darkness.
There was a darker darkness coming they all felt it.
The Command Center didn't care for the latest news about the Grays and radiation suits.
It looked like a new problem they didn't need. John wondered if any hazard was detected anywhere. There were no reports he was aware of. It could be more than one thing.
"Is there a radiation leak somewhere?" John asked.
John Henry sent a drone to do low altitude scans for any radiation.
"I haven't detected any." John Henry said. "No other toxins have been detected either."
John wondered if it wasn't a response, but some type of an attack.
"Are the Grays planting something?" John said. "Maybe it's chemical or biological."
It was a new prospect John Henry hadn't considered.
"It's unknown." John Henry said.
John didn't want to sit around and wait for something to happen.
"We need to take them down now." John said.
John Henry felt caution was in order due to the unknowns.
"We could end up releasing or causing whatever they're doing." John Henry said. "We would be the ones who caused it then, not them."
John looked at the satellite map with the overlay of their Terminators.
"We have an LP a few miles from there." John said. "Are they moving to intercept them?"
John Henry already sent the closest team which was the LP.
"I've already dispatched them." John Henry said. "They should arrive in seven minutes, six minutes."
John was worried there was more than met the eye.
"Is there anything else happening around there?" John asked.
John Henry double checked.
"There's only the large black van the Grays have. They moved it closer to the mine after the suits were put on. They're still a mile out from the mountain." John Henry said. "One drone has the Grays 'locked up'. It's ready to unleash a missile."
John watched the Grays get out of the van on his monitor. They were there and then they were gone.
"Where did they go?" John asked. "They just disappeared."
John Henry witnessed the same thing.
"I watched two of them head into the brush before they disappeared." John Henry said.
John Henry studied the suits the Grays put on. He got a more detailed look when they got out of the van this time. They may be for a different type of 'total protection'.
"John, those may be 'flame suits' or some kind of fireproof suits." John Henry said.
John felt some new hope. Maybe the Grays just gave it to them.
"Perhaps there's another way into the mine." John said. "Some of the mines can have tunnels and shafts which run for miles."
John Henry was a little surprised.
"The van just left." John Henry said. "I only saw two people move to the hidden entrance with something."
John counted more earlier.
"There were two more." John said.
John Henry needed two drones for the new discovery.
"I've sent one of the drones on patrol over the recover… - rescue area to follow them. The other one is staying where the Grays went underground at." John Henry said. "I want to make sure they don't slip away."
John couldn't make sense of any of the new development. He also wondered who else may have slipped out of the mine while they all looked in different directions. None of them thought to even look where the two Grays just disappeared at. There could have been a number of Grays or Terminators slip away a few at a time with valuable pieces of Skynet in the form of hard drives.
"None of this adds up." John said. "This feels like a sucker play."
John Henry couldn't figure it out either. He only needed to remember one of the Skynet operatives inside of the mine is the one who blew the entrance closed. It was the only known way in or out of the mine. Whoever was responsible, may have known of another way out. The Resistance forces or another group of Grays would attempt to gain entry into the mine to find out what was in it. Maybe all it was right now was a big booby trap.
"They may be setting us up." John Henry said. "They may have already done it without even trying the first time."
John would need to review the files and see if the Grays took anything specific with them. He wondered what they were missing. Maybe it was something right in front of them.
"I think so, but for what?" John asked.
John was afraid they planned to do what Duplicate Cameron did. She used a nuke.
Tom was instantly alert.
There was something different. It was outside.
"Did you feel it?" Tom asked.
Tom remained silent the entire time. He only spoke to issue a warning before he fired his pattern of shots. He wanted the girls to share the time together. He knew it was important to them. He knew it was important to Savannah.
There was some vibration, it was very slight.
"More of the hill or tunnel could be collapsing." Cammy said.
They waited in the silence and darkness. Nothing else was felt or detected.
Savannah spoke, her voice sounded strained and weak.
"Cameron, I want my girls protected." Savannah said. "I don't ask for much…. I'm away from them. They're still MY babies."
The words stabbed Cameron's heart and mind. Savannah sacrificed greatly for the other timeline versions of herself.
"I've already made arrangements for it." Cameron said. "I know what's important to you. It's important to me too."
Savannah was still. Her voice was faint.
"Cammy, I'm assigning you to Summer." Savannah said. "You'll become her protector."
The words stabbed Cammy's heart and mind.
"Savannah, stop…." Cammy said. "Please."
Savannah's voice was little more than a whisper.
"I love you, Cammy." Savannah said. "I love you, Cameron."
Cammy and Cameron looked at each other in the darkness. Something was wrong. It wasn't how Savannah thought or talked - unless….
"I love you, Savannah." Cameron and Cammy both said softly at the same time.
Savannah could only be heard by a Terminator now.
"Thank you." Savannah said. "Thank you for everything."
The darkness was total.
The sound of silence was deafening.
Only the soft weeping of the three Terminators could occasionally be heard.
The darkness became darker.
Savannah was - quiet….
Closing monologue by Cameron:
Silence
Your silence is deafening
Its emptiness echoes in my mind
What is being left unsaid
Are actions very unkind
For what is important
You will MAKE time
Not act is if someone
Has committed a crime
Each new day
Is a meaningless as the last
It is sickeningly apparent
Happiness only exists in the past
Abandoned, shunned and cast out
Pretending nothing existed
Banishing their only true love
Devastation beyond twisted
Each night I hope and pray
That if I could actually sleep
I would never again wake up
Somewhat sad no one will weep
Nobody