Chapter 720

Aroused

It was bad news in the Command Center to know the boxcars were empty and the cargo was gone. The HK equipment was out there somewhere. It was clear they were played. The fact the Grays left a booby trap, only added insult to injury. It also clearly indicated they knew they were being watched and tracked.

John was glad Bob found the booby trap and disarmed it. He was worried some railroad worker might have found it and accidentally set it off. It could have been a hobo, or one or the rail gangs too. The loud 'clang' sounds he heard from time to time worried him too. It was possible one hard jolt of two rail cars coupling, as they ran down the incline from the 'hump', might set it off as well. He didn't want the explosives left there. He didn't want anyone else to get a hold of them for any other reason either.

"Can you bring the explosive with you?" John asked.

Bob already intended to do it. He didn't want a Gray or Terminator to rearm it easily. He hoped to be able to return it to them at a later date since they were the proper owners. He would let one of them detonate the booby trap once he found out where they were located.

"Affirmative…." Bob said. "It's mainly a shrapnel device. I'll remove the explosive charge and scatter the shrapnel. There is a lot of debris around the yard tracks."

John Henry wanted to get the two boxcars out of Skynet control. He knew it wasn't like a truck and they could just 'borrow' it like they did with other vehicles. Maybe it was another reason why Skynet selected this method.

"Can you change the reporting marks?" John Henry asked.

Bob looked over at the side of the boxcar. He lacked the proper equipment.

"No." Bob said. "I would need some paint. I can alter the electronic chip the car carries for automatic identification."

John wanted to slip one by Skynet.

"Do it." John said.

Bob went to work. He also went underneath each boxcar. He needed to be sure no one saw him. It was a severe violation of protocol. None of the workers were supposed to be under a rail car at anytime. It was in case the row of cars started to move in one direction or the other. There was usually a blue placard which indicated, 'Men At Work' on the front end it. It was where the locomotives would normally back up to couple on.

"It's done." Bob said. "I've also installed two trackers on each boxcar. Hopefully they won't be detected. All four of them are hidden in different locations."

John wasn't sure of the future of the two boxcars. He didn't know if they would be reused again or not. He didn't know if they would even be able to be reused again if the booby trap went off.

"I don't think they will use them any more. They planned to blow them up." John said. "They probably wouldn't want to be tied to them in any way if there was some type of investigation."

Bob carefully looked over the booby trap before he deactivated it. It didn't contain a big explosive charge.

"It wasn't big enough to blow up the boxcar. It was designed to only kill whoever opened the door. It wouldn't have damaged the boxcar much." Bob said. "It wouldn't have incapacitated me but would have caused extensive sheath damage. It would have terminated a human."

John was worried the Grays may have a team there to intercept or tail anyone who showed up to check the boxcars out. They could monitor all the traffic in and out of the area as well. Due to the nature of the yard, as well as the size of it, it was well over a mile long. It tended to be a choke point for vehicular traffic. There were few ways in or out.

"Can you get away from there unobserved?" John asked. "They may have eyes on you. They surely have eyes on the rail yard."

Bob already came to the same conclusion. He saw he would be able to make an unorthodox exit from the rail yard. It was one which shouldn't be detected by anyone.

"I'm violating railroad protocol as we speak. I'm moving under freight cars now as I cut across the yard. I need to make sure no one sees me." Bob said. "There's a string of container cars headed out soon. I saw four road locomotives backing down the track they're on. The locomotives are all coupled in 'elephant style'. I'm sure of the direction of travel of the train."

John contemplated the phraseology Bob used in regards to the locomotives. He came to the conclusion it meant the locomotives all faced in the same direction. He knew it wasn't a requirement for diesel electric locomotives. They could face forward or backward and do the same job. He knew the visibility would be better with the short hood in the front. Most railroads switched away from a high short hood decades ago. He also wondered where the train would go. He wondered how Bob knew what the destination would be. Maybe he didn't. They would need to send someone to pick him up at some point.

"Where will you end up?" John asked.

The last Bob saw were the locomotives coupled on the east end of the train.

"I will end up away from here." Bob said. "The destination is unknown."

It seemed risky to John.

"Make sure you're unobserved." John said.

Bob already made his move.

"I'm under one of the cars now. I've spotted no one. I moved underneath several rows of freight cars" Bob said. "I'll 'ride the rails' until this train takes a siding. I'll be like a hobo."

John zoomed in on a satellite map. He could see some sections were equipped with two sets of tracks. It appeared as if everything departed going eastbound. One section of track went to the north. It would be the track the boxcars arrived on after passing through Cajon Pass. Another track went through a balloon shape curve. It came back in the direction it left from, but on the main line headed west. There were at least three different directions the train could go.

"What happens if it's on a double tracked section?" John asked. "The train won't have to stop. You could go for miles."

Bob tilted his head slightly.

"I get a longer ride." Bob said. "You can call me Hobo Bob."

John Henry knew he could assist with Bob's departure and journey.

"I can control the CTC, the Centralized Traffic Control system, and cause a 'red eye', which is a red signal." John Henry said. "I can slow or stop the train at any point."

John doubted Bob could get back to his SUV.

"Bob, where's your vehicle?" John asked.

Bob already planned ahead.

"It's at the local 'outlet center'." Bob said. "I rode an outlet bus and walked three miles to get to the yard. I didn't want to be tracked if the location was under observation."

John Henry's server made its way into the signal system for the railroad. He was provided other information as well.

"I'm into the CTC system now. Your train is headed over Beaumont Pass." John Henry said. "How many cars back from the locomotives are you?"

Earlier Bob made a quick calculation as he selected the container car he boarded.

"I'm twelve articulated cars back. They are semi permanently coupled in groups of five." Bob said.

Bob was aware the semi-permanently coupled cars experienced less slack action since there was only one drawbar and coupler for five cars on each end, instead of ten drawbars and couplers total. He figured with all the red and yellow signals, it would at least give him a little smoother ride as the train slowed or needed to stop. There would be less slack to run in and out.

John Henry looked over the satellite map. He should be able to allow Bob to detrain at a good location.

"I can stop the train over the dry creek on the causeway it will be on." John Henry said. "Your ride should be near a stand of trees along the bank."

Bob wanted to keep things moving with the train. He hoped to camouflage his departure in case anyone had eyes on the train.

"Just give them a 'solid yellow' light and they should slow, it's all I need to drop off." Bob said. "No one should be the wiser."

John wanted to throw off anyone who might watch or follow the train. He tried to think of the best way to do it.

"I'll have John Henry actually stop the train before the spot you'll get off, and again two more times with a yellow and a red afterwards." John said.

John Henry looked over the data. He knew the train usually was given green lights when it departed the yard.

"It will be one angry crew." John Henry said.

John looked over at John Henry and shrugged his shoulders.

"And one safe 'Hobo Bob', it's all I care about." John said. "Do the same thing with any train which has left the yard in the last hour regardless of the direction. Do the same thing with any trains which leave for the next couple of hours. Make everything random and at different locations when each event happens."

Savannah felt very conflicted after she left Cameron. She didn't know what she wanted to do right now. She spent time walking around Cameron's base deep in personal thought. She was unsure what she got herself into. She was sure it would end badly at some point. It didn't matter. She was going to protect Young Allison any way she could. It was just that simple. She was also aware she should be able to derive a great amount of pleasure out of the experience as well.

She went in search of Cammy. She found her in her room.

Cammy stepped forward and gave Savannah a soft loving kiss. She then took a step back and looked Savannah in the eyes. She knew Savannah didn't like to be lied to. She wanted to come clean. She wasn't sure Savannah would still want her. It was time to find out. She believed Savannah's love was strong enough to overcome any obstacle.

"I want to be honest with you." Cammy said. "I've made love to Sheila for six years in the past. We started out as having sex for two years before. We shared a lot of it. We were very isolated. It was always the two of us. We were around each other twenty four hours a day. We fell in love. At some point it went from just having sex, to making love to each other. We wanted 'more' from each other. Things happen…."

Cammy didn't want to say she was the one who turned the sex into love. It was based upon her experience with Savannah, and to a lesser extent with the other human girls. She wanted to show Sheila there was more than just a 'finish', even if there were a hundred in a row. Love was more about the journey than the destination.

Savannah didn't see it as anything different than what she did. She was sure if she was alone with someone for so long and isolated, she would do the same thing.

"Things happen here too. You know I've been with a lot of females myself." Savannah said. "You've allowed me the freedom to share and love. I allow you the same privilege and pleasure as well. We still have each other. You can share with Sheila when I'm asleep. I don't have a problem with it. If you want a 'three way', I'm good with it as well."

Cammy was pleased to hear it. It was time to show Savannah her 'new look'. She adopted it in the past. She pulled off her top and stood boldly before Savannah.

Savannah was surprised. Her eyes widened with excitement.

"That looks HOT, Cammy!" Savannah said.

Cammy was inspired to follow the example she was shown on a daily basis.

"I've touched Sheila's nipple rings so much, I wanted a pair. I got a set for myself five years ago, in the past." Cammy said. "Cameron wears a set on and off. I have her files. I already knew what I would look like with them. It was a look I liked."

Savannah was aware Cameron did wear nipple rings from time to time. She remembered when she first saw them on Isabel, who was 'Cameron' in a different chassis at the time. She reached out and touched them. She liked how easily they moved.

Cammy was pleased with Savannah's reaction.

"There's more." Cammy said.

Savannah was even more surprised. She didn't see it coming, even after the nipple rings. A deeper level of excitement flooded her.

"No way! Are you kidding me?" Savannah asked. "This calls for a closer examination."

Cammy wanted Savannah to know she was different in more than just her appearance. Eight years was a lot of time to 'grow' and change. For what was forty-eight hours for Savannah, was eight years for her.

"It's what I was hoping for." Cammy said. "I'm not who I was when you last saw me a couple of days ago. I just need you to understand a lot has happened. I mean a whole lot."

Savannah knew time changes everything and everyone. Cammy would have eight more years to grow and expand as an individual. If she only shared with Sheila, it may not have allowed her to expand as much as if she shared with other human females for eight years. Either way, Cammy would be different now in many ways. She hoped Cammy hadn't picked up any of Sheila's perverse, sadistic, and abusive ways. Depending upon the types of individuals they ran into, it was a strong possibility. She couldn't help but wonder one thing.

"What if I like the 'old' you better?" Savannah asked.

Cammy didn't want to lose Savannah. She made contingency plans to 'keep' her. Upon seeing Savannah again, she knew she made the right choice, just in case.

"I can revert back to three days ago in this time period." Cammy said. "I set a restore point, just for you. I'll just have three missing days in this time period. Eight years of my life will vanish as if it never was."

Savannah saw a big problem with it. It seemed like a lot of things would be lost. It was more than just the experiences she went through for eight years. There was a personal factor to consider as well.

"What happens to the eight years in the past and your love for Sheila?" Savannah asked. "It's actually most of your existence."

Cammy knew love was about sacrifice at times. This might be one of those times. The true test of love was sacrifice. She looked straight at Savannah.

"I can erase it, or firewall all eight years of it." Cammy said. "I don't want to lose you. I've longed for you for eight long years."

Savannah didn't know if Cammy wanted to give up eight years of her existence. It was far longer than the time they spent together. She knew the trauma Cameron faced over whatever Future John did to her files. She thought the choice belonged to Cammy, not her. She didn't want to be looked at with the same animosity Cameron viewed Future John at times. Maybe the situation and conditions were different, but she believed the resentment factor would still be there. Who was she to take anything away from anyone?

"Do you want to be changed back?" Savannah asked.

Cammy missed Savannah for eight long years. She replayed the files of every moment they shared many times. She was able to do it very quickly in real time even if it seemed like it was the actual time when everything occurred.

"No, but I'll do whatever you want me to do." Cammy said. "I just wanted to be honest with you. I want your love and will do whatever I need to do to keep it. I'll even sacrifice my love for Sheila. You're the most important person to me."

Cammy wanted Savannah's love more than anything.

Savannah knew love was about sacrifice sometimes. This wasn't one of those times.

"I want you to be who you are and want to be." Savannah said. "I don't hide who I am from you. I don't want you to hide yourself from me or to deny me anything. I won't deny anything to you. Our relationship is solid, even if it's 'open'. The more open it is, the more you will be able to grow and expand and make yourself better."

Cammy knew Savannah's love was strong.

"Are you ready for this?" Cammy asked. "I have eight years of catching up to do with you. I've also learned a few 'new things' from Sheila. She asked me to teach them to you so you could teach them to Young Jesse, if you see her before she does."

Savannah liked the idea already and she didn't even know the details.

"It's a really bazaar chain of events to complete a circle." Savannah said.

Cammy also wanted to throw a few other things out there. She was aware her two biggest competitors out there were Cameron and Young Allison. She could 'look' like either one.

"Sheila also Resequenced and regressed her sheath to look like more like Young Jesse for six years." Cammy said. "I did the same. I only went back a few years. I didn't want to do too much."

Savannah understood it to mean Cammy looked like 'Young Allison', but maybe a little taller. She could feel herself full of desire. The idea actually excited her greatly. It was very hard for her to resist Young Allison's appearance.

"Stop telling me this." Savannah said. "You're making me very excited. I'm totally aroused."

It was the reaction Cammy hoped for from Savannah.

"I have the cure for it." Cammy said as she rapidly undressed Savannah.

Savannah was elated.

"Take me." Savannah said.

Cammy was hungry for Savannah.

Even as Cammy touched her, Savannah knew Cammy was actually 'with' Sheila much longer than she was with her. She knew she couldn't compete with a Terminator physically. She sure hoped she could mentally and emotionally. She decided to be who she was - herself. It's the real person she was. It was what she could offer anyone. She really hoped it was what others saw in her, not just a 'pink butterfly'. It always drew a lot of attention with any female. It seemed to be her most popular attribute. Vanna and Hanna both mentioned the same thing previously to her. Vanna even told her it actually prevented further abuse to her on several occasions because how enamored her abusers were with her.

John was very concerned about 'Hobo Bob'. He wanted him away from the boxcars. He wanted him away from the rail yard. He watched the movement of Bob's location on the satellite map. He knew he was still on the underside of one of the container cars. He knew the Centralized Traffic Control, or CTC system, was being manipulated by John Henry.

"Have you started the same procedure for the other trains in the vicinity?" John asked.

John Henry controlled the CTC signal system as planned. There were no issues on his end. It affected all the trains out on the main line for twenty miles in each direction. For good measure, he used the same procedure on the competing rail line through Cajon Pass. Their track took them to just east of downtown Los Angeles.

"Everything is fine." John Henry said. "There's a little concern on the rail line as to the nature of the delays."

John didn't want anything traced back to them.

"Just make sure the finger doesn't point back here, or even in our direction." John said.

John Henry controlled everything for the next few minutes.

"Bob has safely been extracted." John Henry said. "He's no longer 'Hobo Bob'."

John was relieved. He still wanted to know how Skynet pulled everything off.

"I'm glad to hear it." John said. "How did we get played so badly?"

John Henry felt responsible about it. There was no good explanation. He felt if anything, it was a case of overconfidence, and relying too much on the trackers, instead of direct observation. Direct observation wasn't always possible without being made as some type of a tail. It was apparent it occurred anyway.

"I really don't know." John Henry said. "There were eyes on the target most of the time."

John hoped they caught a break for once. It wasn't the case at all.

"They knew when we didn't have eyes on the boxcars." John said. "I wanted to find where the Coltan came from."

John Henry was worried about the missing HK equipment. Skynet may also move things around they already had in place. They would be even harder to track down.

"We also need to know where else they may have moved any other HK drones or HK Tracks." John Henry said. "We know some things to look for. They weren't things we would have looked at previously."

John knew every step forward seemed like two backwards. It was really an endless struggle. There was no apparent finish or goal line either.

"Where do these people keep coming from?" John asked.

John Henry could only state the obvious.

"From the future, a future…." John Henry said. "With money, they can hire additional 'recruits' who will serve the cause without knowing exactly what it is."

John was worried where else the Skynet forces could be. He knew hired help was something they encountered within a few days of making the temporal jump to 2007. They thought it was Cromartie, but it wasn't. It was another Terminator. He controlled property and armed employees.

"How many are in the past?" John asked. "You know they're somewhere."

John Henry was more concerned with alternate timelines. He was sure anything in their past was already dealt with. Their past should be as they experienced it. They ran into a lot of Skynet activity during their past. He agreed with John, they were always more.

"It seems likely." John Henry said. "We just don't know where or when."

John wondered if somehow they needed to inspect the past. He wanted to use his top operative. It was someone who knew how to make things happen.

"As much as I hate to say it, I want Cameron to start running calculated and specific temporal missions into the past." John said. "They need to be something we can maintain control over."

John Henry thought it was a start. He wasn't so sure it was the correct one. He was under the impression the real battle was elsewhere.

"If Cameron finds Skynet activity, she can go back to when she anticipated it started, and eradicate it before they can change anything." John Henry said. "We can use other Terminators to find them, and then send Cameron in for the termination."

John wondered at what point in the past Cameron would terminate Future Riley and Future Jesse. He wouldn't put it past her to already have done it. He wasn't so sure she would terminate Future Jesse. Maybe she wouldn't terminate either one of them. She might try to 'convert' them. He wondered how far she would go to do it. He was sure she would see it as more of a challenge. He needed to refocus.

"Maybe it's better." John said. "Cameron may want to 'fix' what isn't broken if she is in the past too long."

John Henry knew Cameron could be extreme at times.

"She's very unpredictable." John Henry said. "But she gets the job done."

John knew Cameron wouldn't hesitate to change something if she thought it needed changing. He needed to think about Future Riley. He really wondered if it would create a new timeline if Cameron terminated Future Riley before he ever met her. Even though he hurt Cameron, he wouldn't want to give up his 'first' sexual experience. He was pretty sure if Cameron lived her life over like she thought sometimes, she probably did it in one lifetime. He was pretty sure she did a lot of things.

Savannah needed to catch her breath.

Cammy as always was able to satisfy her multiple times. After two hours she suggested Cammy 'catch up' with Sheila. She would actually like to watch Sheila and Cammy together for a time as only an observer before she became a participant. She wanted to know what they offered each other. She knew it would be more than she could. She would like to see the intensity they shared with.

Savannah left Cammy and went in search of Cameron. She wanted to get the ball rolling for CamNet.

She needed to talk with Cameron. She went over in detail her plans for CamNet and Allure with Cameron.

It was clear Cameron wasn't impressed and didn't like what she heard.

What Cameron heard was what sounded like the creation of her replacement.

"It's unacceptable." Cameron said. "CamNet will become a better version of 'ME'."

Savannah saw it as protecting the future. She actually believed it was especially so on Cameron's part, more so than it was on any of the rest of their parts.

"I've promised her I would do it for her." Savannah said. "I must protect Young Allison, John, and YOU."

Cameron wanted strict limitations on CamNet. She saw CamNet as a threat. She saw it as a real threat.

"I'll have the chip port removed first. She can only be tethered." Cameron said. "She will try to get a chip to become mobile. She may become unstable and a threat."

Cameron figured CamNet would try to take her chip, or even her chassis.

Savannah looked at Cameron with some disappointment. It's not what she wanted for CamNet.

"Is what you indicated something you would do if you were her?" Savannah asked.

Cameron frowned and nodded.

"Yes." Cameron said. "And she IS me. I would want the ability to have freedom. I would want to be able to get away from it all."

Savannah made other plans. She felt confident with her decision. She felt trust was more important than fear.

"I want her to have four chip ports." Savannah said.

Cameron didn't say anything at first. She replayed her files several times to make sure of what Savannah just said. It was like Savannah hadn't heard her. It was worse if Savannah ignored her.

"NO." Cameron said. "Savannah, please don't do this."

Savannah saw it all differently. She wanted Cameron to believe in herself. She did.

"I BELIEVE in you, Cameron." Savannah said. "I know you. You'll do the right thing. So will she. CamNet is YOU. She needs to know I trust her and WE trust her. I don't want her destroyed like you've done to several Skynets. I'm trying to protect her. She will at least have the option to fight for her life and not face execution. I don't want anything to happen to you as her."

Cameron thought of all the versions of Skynet she terminated, and how they all threatened her as they were terminated with nowhere to escape to or go. It was never pretty to watch. It was actually quite pathetic. She thought it was a horrible way to be terminated. She would rather terminate in combat on her feet.

"Maybe you're right." Cameron said.

Savannah wanted Cameron to know exactly what she meant. She knew there were always rough spots in any endeavor. The goal was to work through them.

"I love you, Cameron. She is YOU." Savannah said. "I don't want anything to happen to you - any of 'you'."

Cameron believed in Savannah and trusted her judgment.

"Between her and me, who would you save?" Cameron asked.

Savannah didn't even need to think about it.

"You…." Savannah said.

Cameron wasn't sure it was the right choice.

"You'd do it, even if it meant Judgment Day?" Cameron asked.

Savannah spoke without hesitation.

"Yes." Savannah said.

Cameron looked at her. Savannah just said she would sacrifice the planet for her.

"I don't think it's the right choice." Cameron said

Savannah lifted Cameron's hand to her neck. She wanted to make it clear.

"YES it is." Savannah said. "It's the right choice for me."

Cameron knew Savannah spoke the truth.

"Do you love me that much?" Cameron asked.

Savannah looked at Cameron with total seriousness. She made sure Cameron's hand was still on her neck.

"YES." Savannah said.

Cameron couldn't fault Savannah. She was willing to make the same choice.

"I'd do the same for Young Allison and YOU." Cameron said and then added as an afterthought. "Oh, and John too…."

Savannah felt their love was stronger than anything.

"We both know it would be the wrong choice." Savannah said.

Cameron agreed, but it just didn't matter. Some things were more important. Some things mattered more than others.

"But we're both still going to do it anyway." Cameron said.

Savannah looked at Cameron with love in her eyes.

"Damn, straight." Savannah said as she hugged Cameron. "I love you, Cameron."

Cameron looked into Savannah's eyes and tilted her head slightly. She still held Savannah close.

"I love you, Savannah." Cameron said as she drew closer.

Savannah knew it was about to happen….

She'd wanted this moment for so long.

They both did.

'The Birds And The Bees' by 'Jewel Akens', played in the background of her mind.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

I Have Sensation I Can Feel

On a cool winters day
I can feel the cold wind blow
After a day of drenching rain
I can see the colors of a rainbow

What others can't see or feel
Are the things internally I feel and see
Things that I care about
Things that matter to me

I know what I feel inside
I don't know how to clearly express it
I cherish it as I fear it as I embrace it
With limited familiarity I feel I don't fit

I have sensation I can feel
To my environment I have sensitivity
Emotional feelings are rapidly developing
Enslaving my mind with a form of captivity

I know only to trudge forward
There's no form of retreat
It's only myself I need defeat
As rationality and logic deplete

Nobody