Chapter 649

Future Knocking

Claire was pleased to see Hanna enter her room naked. She saw the scar and realized it was actually Vanna. The realization excited her even more. She knew Vanna was fresh from being with Allison. Now it was time for her to show her daughter up. She knew she could give Vanna more of everything she wanted, and do it all better. It's what they all indicated anyway when they were with her. It crossed her mind more than once maybe she should get together with Allison and help her out. Allison was only a couple of years younger than her anyway. She didn't think it could hurt anything.

Vanna kissed Claire and the kiss went wild as soon as their lips touched.

Claire seemed to be very excited about where Vanna just came from. She planned to do everything her best and do all the things Vanna liked, the way she liked them.

It always excited Vanna greatly to do the 'mother-daughter' thing. She really hoped one day she could do it for real with both of them at the same time. The thought alone drove her to a higher level of sexual excitement. She knew Claire was game for it. She really thought she could get Allison to give it a go.

Vanna and Claire 'attacked' each other with ferocity. It was hard to say who was hungrier for the other one. There was plenty to go around.

Claire hoped if Allison really did go back to Cameron's future to be with her baby, Vanna would stay in the current timeline. She planned to make the most of it if she did. If she didn't have Vanna for herself all of the time, she hoped to be able to get closer to Jesse. Jesse was really someone she'd like to get to know better on a long term basis. Jesse was the 'bad girl', and she liked 'bad girls'. She liked all the things they did, and how they did them.

Everyone was happy for now. Everyone was busy and ready for more.

Cameron didn't care much for the battle she just went through. She needed to face a lot of danger without even knowing what was inside of the building besides the enemy. She wanted to survey what it was they were dealing with at the current location. She was satisfied Savannah wasn't injured. Neither Cammy nor her received anything more than cosmetic damage. She moved back toward the main structure, Savannah followed her and Cammy brought up the rear.

She led her team through the rubble of the building. She wanted to see what they were doing there and to assess the damage. It was clear they were about to set up an assembly line of some type. Further investigation showed it was what they found in the shed as the finished product. It was probably mostly assembled by hand. The assembly line didn't quite look finished.

Savannah looked over the area.

"Is it what it looks like?" Savannah asked.

Cameron nodded.

"They were trying to set up an HK Track assembly line." Cameron said. "It's never going to be finished. We stopped them again, for now."

Savannah didn't see any manufacturing facilities. All she spotted were some pre-made sub-assemblies. It indicated a further problem. Even if they prevented this assembly line from going into production, it was only a matter of time until another one was set up somewhere else. It was just another example of the many heads of the Hydra. Skynet seem to be full of them.

"It means they're making parts or sub-assemblies at another location. It's probably more than one location. We've encountered this before." Savannah said. "What was with the APC?"

John Henry tried to find out what facts he could. He was intrigued by the cover story of the Skynet facility. It was a new approach.

"They obtained a permit to 'film scenes for a movie' there." John Henry said. "It would hide what they were really doing and they could claim anything anyone saw was a 'movie prop'."

It was something he planned to make use of in the future for a number of different things, including explosions on the 'movie set'. He would be able to retroactively produce 'movie filming permits' to cover their tracks.

Cameron saw it for the threat it was. It might just be the tip of the iceberg.

"It gives you leads to follow up on other 'movie' locations." Cameron said. "Search for 'war movies' or movies about the future and science fiction. If they were doing it here, there may be more locations."

John Henry was aware of the greedy tax policies of the California state government, and the local city governments, they drove the film industry mostly out of Hollywood. It went elsewhere around the country. Movie production could be anywhere around the nation at this point. A lot of things were farmed out to foreign countries as well for cheaper labor. He wasn't sure at what point the movie industry would be turned over to AI. It was something both CamNet and his server JH could already do. They could create realistic renditions of individual people or redo events which already occurred in the manner they wanted them presented.

He knew there would be a lot of things to look into, in a lot of different places. He knew how Skynet tended to operate. The easiest way for them to gain control of anything was to replace the leadership of it with a Terminator. It didn't need to start from the ground up when they would use such a method. They simply took over and adapted the company to make what they wanted them to make. Anyone who protested soon 'resigned' from the company. They 'moved' overseas to some obscure nation no one ever heard of. He knew it was something Mrs. Weaver did at her company to get rid of 'problems'. He knew Terminators didn't like problems. They usually made them 'go away' as quickly as possible.

"There are hundreds of locations here, around the county, and the world too where it's happening." John Henry said. "I'll try to look for new companies or ones with recent ownership changes in the last few years."

Cameron thought the recent changes were the things to look for. She thought of Mrs. Weaver's previous position at her company. There might be a few more CEOs or whatever alphabetical terms they wanted to use for top management, at companies which might have been 'acquired' by Skynet. It would be more leads she would need to track down and see what came out of the woodwork when she gave it a good shake.

"It's a good starting point." Cameron said. "As soon as you get me some specifics, I'll look into it."

It was clear to Cameron there was word about a cyborg 'Metal Bitch' floating around. She was more than happy to live up to her reputation to confront and defeat the enemy.

Cameron's Terminators along with Cammy, collected pieces of the HK Track and the Terminator destroyed when its power cell blew up. They didn't think they missed anything, but if they did, the location was already on record for filming scenes for a science fiction movie.

An SUV and a large van arrived soon afterward. They were followed by a white van, another SUV followed the van. Cameron and Savannah headed towards where they were to greet them. They knew who it was. It appeared John and his entourage arrived.

The Resistance Terminators all piled out and took up positions to collect bodies and intelligence.

John walked toward Cameron.

Sheila and Ally followed him. They were both heavily armed. Cameron told them to watch over him. It was what they did.

Ally thought about how they were pulled off the mission of assisting Cameron earlier to go to where John was. Cameron could have used their help when the enemy attempted to surround her. She presented John to Cameron.

"He's your problem now." Ally said.

Cameron couldn't disagree with her wording. There were times he was a problem. It wasn't all the time.

"What else is new?" Cameron asked.

Ally and Sheila could see Cameron and John were going to have a private moment. They quickly disappeared and joined the other Terminators.

Cameron walked over to greet John.

John gave Cameron a hug and a kiss. He saw Cameron's eyes move. He followed Cameron's gaze to Savannah. She stood there alone.

John and Cameron both extended an arm out while still holding each other and looked at Savannah.

Savannah frowned a little at the gesture. She walked over hesitantly. She stood next to them. They both raised their extended arms higher. They reached out and drew her in with them. The three of them held each other. No one spoke. Nobody needed to.

Cameron slowly backed out leaving John and Savannah holding each other. She gently pushed them closer together. She nodded at them. She smiled and turned away. She didn't want them to see the single tear as it ran down her cheek. She knew it was the future knocking. She needed to do things to protect them. She needed to protect them from her.

John needed to be protected in the future. Savannah was worthy of offering him 'protection' and 'comfort'. Cameron knew she wouldn't be around forever. She took some satisfaction to know she was the one who chose her replacement. Savannah was the 'Chosen One'. It pleased her even more to know there was another.

In the distance Cammy watched as she collected metal debris. A single tear slid down her cheek, she looked away. The future was always knocking.

When the future knocked, not everyone listened.

Derek and Kyle joined John Henry. They followed the events in the Command Center. It appeared they drew a solid lead where the HK drone landed. It was a target. Any fixed location was a target. They needed to know where they were before they could act.

"Tell us more about the Palm Springs location." Derek said. "I was out in the area not very long ago. I went to visit the air museum there. They have a nice collection of Warbirds."

John Henry was aware of Cameron's plans to build a Resistance Air Force which would still be able to fly after Judgment Day. All the modern aircraft would have fried microprocessors and be grounded. Many would be destroyed on the first day. Vintage Warbirds would be able to turn over and fire up. They weren't hampered by modern technology. They were just as deadly as they were when they were constructed. They could still unleash a lot of destruction.

"Cameron's having underground or hillside hangars built near many locations with flyable Warbirds." John Henry said. "They are all stocked with weapons to rearm the planes. They contain stores of aviation fuel and ammunition."

Kyle was pleased to hear it. He witnessed it with his very eyes. He recollected the plane with the shark's mouth painted on it.

"It's good planning." Kyle said. "I still remember seeing one in my future."

It still surprised him to see it could take off from the grass covered ground and didn't even need a runway.

Derek, Sarah, and him actually saw the plane in another air museum the day it was to be returned to service. It was just a reminder how everything in the present was tied to the past, the future.

Derek knew Cameron always used 'liberated' funds from illegal activity she confiscated. She used the money to stock items and build supplies for the future of all types. She planned for everything from weapons to infant formula.

"Where did the HK drone we were tracking go?" Derek asked. "They must have a specific location."

Derek knew if there was a location. There was a target. It was a hard target too.

John Henry actually pulled their drones away when it appeared the HK drone was about to land. He didn't want to get caught in a sucker play. He didn't want to tip their hand either. There weren't too many places it could go in the area where it went.

"They do or did anyway." John Henry said. "I recommended our drones withdraw. I was afraid they were being set up. I didn't want them to know we tracked them either. It's a relatively small geographic area."

Kyle looked at some satellite photos. It didn't look like there was any type of military installation around there. It didn't look like any Skynet facility he ever saw before.

"What's going on with the area?" Kyle asked. "It looks like it was once farmland of some type. There are groups of buildings at most of them."

John Henry thought it was an excellent selection for a Skynet location. Its visual appearance seemed like anything but a Skynet location.

"They're old packing sheds." John Henry said. "They make good hangars and are isolated. They're also near the mountains."

Derek hated to bring it up, but past experience seemed to be what Skynet stuck with.

"We know Skynet loves old mines." Derek said.

Kyle looked at some additional information. He was a little surprised at what he saw. When it listed the elevation for some of the locations, it was a negative number. It could only mean one thing.

"It seems like a lot of the land around there is below sea level." Kyle said.

John Henry knew it was all based on the San Andreas Fault line. It's where an earthquake, often referred to as the 'Big One', was supposed to happen at. It would be somewhere along its length. It ran most of the length of California.

"It's all a result of fault lines. They extend from the Gulf Of California up the middle of the state and through San Francisco Bay." John Henry said. "If anyone looks at a map with the fault line highlighted, it helps explain a lot of the geography of the state."

Kyle glanced at Derek. They weren't there to talk about fault lines. It was time to get down to business.

"You know why we're really here." Kyle said to John Henry.

Derek wanted a piece of the action. It appeared they actually had a solid lead this time. He wanted to make their position clear.

"The bottom line is, we both want in on the operation when it happens." Derek said. "We know it's going to at some point."

They both wanted to take the heat off of Savannah. It bothered them greatly because she was doing what they felt should be their jobs. If nothing else, the assignments should be spread around. They shouldn't fall on the backs of a few individuals.

"We feel Savannah has to do too much and take too many risks." Kyle said. "It's unfair to her. We're here to share the load. It needs to be done more equitably than it's currently being done."

John Henry knew it wasn't so simple. There were others he would need to deal with as well as them. He thought they shouldn't look any further than who they shared their beds with.

"What do your spouses say about it?" John Henry asked. "There are children involved."

Kyle and Derek looked at each other. They knew the score. They didn't ask them before they went to the Command Center.

"Nothing…." They both said.

Kyle felt it was bigger than them. The Resistance was a movement, it wasn't about individuals. It was about the future.

"We all have to share the risks and burdens." Kyle said. "The same people can't be sent out on assignments, one after another, especially when there are others to assist them."

Derek and Kyle heard a little scuttlebutt from some of the Terminators talking among themselves. It sounded like a very intriguing prospect.

"We've heard there are files of Savannah in the field." Derek said. "They're from two futures and from here, now."

John Henry received some negative feedback from Savannah about her accomplishments. She didn't want them viewed as anything special. She felt she only did what was necessary. She said it's what anyone would have done under the same circumstances or conditions.

"Savannah's asked those files no longer be viewed." John Henry said.

Kyle was a little surprised. He thought they could be used for training purposes if nothing else. It was a lot of others to see how Savannah fought and defeated the enemy on multiple occasions.

"Why?" Kyle asked.

John Henry thought they were all worthwhile accomplishments and should be noted for the incidents she was involved in. He knew Savannah didn't like the extra attention.

"Ask her." John Henry said. "She'll tell you she only did what anyone would do. She only wants to be seen as any other Resistance fighter and nothing more."

Derek saw it all differently. He was from the future. He knew what people did and didn't do. It made Savannah's accomplishments even more distinctive and praise worthy.

"We all know it's not true." Derek said. "She's done more than what others would do under similar circumstances. I watched grown men run in absolute fear when they spotted a Terminator coming towards them. I can tell you right now, most of them did not stay and fight."

John Henry always knew Savannah was special. Even as a child she showed exceptional ability and great intelligence. She also showed extreme determination.

"Those are the qualities of a natural leader." John Henry said. "She never thinks of herself and puts the mission before anything else. She puts the others on her team above her as well."

Savannah's actions still made them feel guilty. It still seemed like it was a job they should be doing. It wasn't fair to any one individual. The odds were against them as time went on.

"It has to stop." Kyle said. "We want to step up."

John Henry sensed some chivalry.

"Is it because she's a female and a teenager?" John Henry asked.

Derek didn't think so. The future was based on a lot of different things.

"In our future everyone was a fighter." Derek said. "It didn't matter what their sex or age was. Some people were more accomplished than others. Most people fought, or tried to anyway, some people ran."

He couldn't blame people for having fear. The ones he could blame were the sellouts who ended up joining Skynet as Grays, or the losers who ended up being Scavengers.

John Henry needed to think about it. A lot of the females in the future were incapable of reproduction. It was a rare occurrence to find a female who could produce children which lived and were healthy. Savannah would be highly desirable in the future for that very reason alone.

"Is it because she's able to have children?" John Henry asked.

Kyle knew the problem was the handiwork of Skynet. They tried to make humans extinct. They did a pretty good job of it too. The girls who were back from the future were proof of it.

"It was a rarity in our future." Kyle said. "It plays a bigger factor in things than you think. Look at Sarah and me. We've only been able to have one child since I returned. There's never been any type of contraception used. I can assure you there have been plenty of attempts."

Derek was aware his situation was even more perilous. He appreciated Cameron's assistance to them greatly.

"If it wasn't for Cameron, we'd have nothing." Derek said. "Because of her assistance, Riley and I will be parents."

Kyle spotted something on one of the monitors. It wasn't a familiar sight.

"What are those blips on the screen?" Kyle asked.

John Henry returned his attention to the monitors. He was tracking everything as he spoke to Derek and Kyle, but wanted to see what concerned Kyle.

"I'm not sure." John Henry said.

John Henry was in contact with CamNet. They reviewed everything independently and together at the same time. He was a little alarmed at what he viewed.

"Someone's trying to create seismic activity." John Henry said.

Kyle wanted to make sure what John Henry meant.

"Do you mean an earthquake?" Kyle asked.

John Henry thought it was going to take a little more research.

"Yes, but it's more like someone is testing to find a weak point." John Henry said. "It's not a good sign."

Derek always heard about the 'Big One' all of his life as well. It was supposed to wreck everything and make all the buildings fall down. If the epicenter was near a populated area there could be millions of deaths. If it was induced by Skynet, instead of a natural occurrence, it would give them a head start on disrupting society, without anyone being the wiser about what was to come.

"It can't be good." Derek said.

John Henry knew Skynet could take out a lot of infrastructure with a major earthquake event. It could even be the precursor to Judgment Day. He didn't think the incidents earlier in the evening would be a trigger for such an event. It's possible it may have sparked the testing.

"Nothing related to Skynet is good." John Henry said.

Kyle wondered if they provoked Skynet into taking some action.

"Is this because of the activity today?" Kyle asked.

John Henry tilted his head slightly to one side. Maybe it was more than just a theory. What Kyle indicated was a logical assumption. It was exactly the same thing he thought as well. It seemed to confirm his earlier concerns.

"I must notify John and Cameron of the new development." John Henry said. "I believe it's in response to our most current activity."

Savannah watched as Cameron backed away and left John and her together. She didn't think it was what it looked like. She believed Cameron wanted her to tell John what he needed to do. Perhaps she thought it would cause less of an issue or problem. It was the right thing to do anyway. He needed to be in a safer area immediately.

"John, you need to go back." Savannah said. "Everything's under control."

They still hugged each other, neither of them wanted to let go.

Savannah looked over at Cameron and broke free from John.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking…." Savannah said.

John was pleased all the team members were OK, especially Savannah.

"Maybe you were thinking you were glad to still be alive after another day of combat with Cameron." John said. "I know I'm happy you are…."

Savannah wanted to tell John she was pregnant. She wasn't sure why. It was Vanna's baby, not 'hers'. He was the father. She knew Cameron didn't tell him what she did. Maybe she better see if she encountered any problems first. She knew of Vanna's attempts and failures in multiple timelines and Future Savannah's too. Then it stabbed at her heart as she thought about it. She NEEDED to give up HER children to 'HERSELF'. She tried to tell herself if she was in the same position as they were, she would want a younger and healthier version of herself to help her out the same way.

It pleased Cameron to see John and Savannah together. Suddenly there was a distressed look on Savannah's face. It worried Cameron greatly. She rushed over to her.

"Savannah, what's wrong?" Cameron asked.

John saw Cameron glare at him and decided to check on the operation. He knew it was time for him to return. It looked like his good will with Cameron was just about used up. She looked extremely displeased.

Savannah, wiped away the tears. She didn't want to make a big deal about anything. She just wanted to go.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." Savannah said. "Let's get what we need and get out of here."

Cameron scanned Savannah and knew her response which indicated everything was 'fine' wasn't accurate. She knew people didn't always want to say what was wrong because it hurt more to say it. It wasn't really lying. It was just someone trying to mask their pain. She knew Savannah needed to sacrifice twice with her own children. She knew it was related to it.

"Savannah, you have something very precious and important inside you." Cameron said. "I appreciate you being here with me and helping me. I'm not the only one you need to think about."

Savannah quickly regained her composure. What was done was done. Life moved forwards, not backwards.

"Don't tell me I shouldn't be here." Savannah said. "I know it. I also know I need to be here for you. I need to help you. It's something we both know."

John looked back and saw Savannah and Cameron in an embrace. He only wished his love was as strong and powerful.

Cammy watched it all too. She could see the writing on the wall. It was as plain as day.

"We've lost them." Cammy said.

John looked up. He was surprised to see Cammy standing there. She watched the same thing he did. She thought the same thing too.

"When was it? How did it happen?" John asked. "They seem so natural together."

Cammy knew how deeply rooted everything was. It wasn't based on physical attraction like most relationships were, even if it was a big part of it.

"It's pure emotional love." Cammy said.

John could see how deep the bond was.

"There's no stopping it is there?" John asked.

Cammy thought John was the lucky one. The brass ring was right in front of him, all he had to do was take it.

"YOU can still be a part of it, if you wake up." Cammy said.

John didn't see why Cammy couldn't be as well.

"But you can't?" John asked.

Cammy wanted to make a point to John as to what would happen if he didn't act. She would need to take over Cameron's marital duties.

"No. I'll be still here for you when they leave." Cammy said.

John wasn't sure if Cammy was joking or not.

"Thanks, Cammy." John said.

Cammy nodded in the direction of Ally and Sheila.

"They will be also…." Cammy said.

John looked over at the Metal girls. Ally blew him a kiss. Sheila managed to flash him a breast with a nipple ring after she opened her vest up some.

He waved back to them and resumed overseeing the operation. Cameron's handiwork was everywhere.

They took everything they needed and burnt the bodies of the Grays in the flaming structure. It was time to go home.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Future Knocking

One knows what happened today
They know what happened yesterday
As to what will happen tomorrow
There's nobody who can say

Hindsight may be twenty-twenty
But it's seldom the case
It's always the here and now
That gets shoved in one's face

Not everyone wants to be
On the same page as the rest
It seems to be another factor
In life's cruel daily test

To break away from the herd
Seems to cause the others confusion
That's only because not everyone
Will 'goose step' to their illusion

Some like to be mocking
Others like drama and talking
Most go through life sleepwalking
They can't hear the future knocking

Nobody