Chapter 760
Go Now
John watched the camera feed from the drone. It was right next to Savannah. He saw Savannah with Cameron over her shoulder and then everyone was out of the view of the camera. The drone appeared to bounce along the ground as it struggled to lift off, it could not.
Savannah appeared back in the camera view.
"Go NOW." Savannah said.
The drone hesitated.
"It's an ORDER." Savannah said. "I'm ordering you to take Cameron to safety away from here."
John heard those words. It made him feel sick. He knew what it meant, even if he didn't want to accept it. He watched the footage from the drone as it departed.
Savannah now stood there on the ground alone as it left.
He wasn't sure what just happened. It looked like Savannah was left behind. He hoped there would be some type of explanation.
"What's happening there?" John asked.
John Henry didn't like what he just witnessed. It appeared Savannah traded her life for Cameron's life. He didn't see any way for Savannah to escape. She was on foot and all alone.
"The electrical build up has affected the drone." John Henry said. "Savannah got off so it could limp away with Cameron. It looks like a struggle anyway. It needed to happen before the next EMP blast, or the drone will be stranded as well. She made the only logical choice from her perspective. She wasn't about to sacrifice anyone in her place. Hopefully the drone and Cameron will make it. There's still no guarantee."
John was appalled at what he just viewed. Savannah was alone and stranded.
"I can't believe it." John said. "Now she's never going to get away from there in time. Savannah isn't going to make it."
John Henry wanted to spell it out to John.
"Savannah made the hard call, John." John Henry said. "Savannah is trading her life for Cameron's life. The drone didn't want to leave. She ordered it away to protect Cameron and it, as best as she could."
They watched as Savannah lifted her hand to wave 'bye' before the drone went around the back of another hill. She disappeared from view.
Savannah was gone.
Moments ago:
Anna and Young Allison watched the final moments at the bunker near Serrano Point. It was a little hard to watch and understand what happened.
"Go NOW." Savannah said.
The drone hesitated.
"It's an ORDER." Savannah said. "I'm ordering you to take Cameron to safety away from here."
Young Allison heard it too. She watched the same thing John did. She was as stunned as he was.
Savannah ORDERED the drone to leave with only Cameron on it.
The drone footage started to pull away from Savannah. It was very wobbly and erratic. It was clear the drone was struggling because of the energy build up.
Savannah stayed behind as the drone with Cameron on it limped away.
Young Allison could feel her heart sink. What she viewed couldn't be happening. It was. It was all happening right in front of her.
"NO!" Young Allison said. "This can't be happening. She's not going to make it. Savannah can't get away in time."
Anna explained to Young Allison why, as John Henry did with John. The drone could only leave with one of them. Savannah made the hard choice.
They both watched her wave 'bye' as the drone sought cover behind a hill.
"Savannah!" Young Allison said.
Savannah was gone.
Anna could see the distress it caused Young Allison. She understood her concern and the seriousness of the situation. Nothing was concluded, one way or another.
"It's not over yet." Anna said. "Savannah is very resourceful."
Young Allison knew it wasn't over. She wasn't going to let it be over. There was one idea which popped into her mind. She wondered about a temporal transfer.
"Will the energy build up there hamper an energy bubble?" Young Allison asked.
Anna thought it would. Since the energy anomalies were unknown, it was impossible to predict what would happen. The possible outcomes she could foresee were all rather grim.
"I believe the unknown energy could be a problem." Anna said. "The energy bubble could dissipate when it left and cease to exist. It would most likely end up with a temporal error, or end up in another timeline."
Young Allison could see the time now was too late for one of those.
She knew CamNet took control of the drones and brought them down into the danger zone to evacuate Cameron's team. She knew John ordered them away to a higher altitude earlier. She asked CamNet to help Cameron's team earlier.
Young Allison looked at her monitor. She wanted CamNet to do more. The drones were gone. Savannah was left behind. There was no way she could get away from the area in time on foot. There were no vehicles. Even if the team would have left the bulldozer, it wouldn't have been unable to travel fast enough to escape the area, if it would still be able to run with the energy buildup.
If she went back further in time with an energy bubble, things wouldn't have played out the way they watch them. What they viewed would have been different because it's what would have happened already. She wondered if this is how history was changed.
Young Allison felt as if she watched her future evaporate before her very eyes. This wasn't how it was supposed to end.
CamNet could see the stress Young Allison experienced. She wanted to reassure Young Allison she was still working on a solution. One was already in the works. It just needed more time.
'I'm not done yet.' CamNet flashed across her screen. 'I will not fail.'
Young Allison was taught it was never over until it was over. It seemed pretty close to over now. In the end, it came down to winning. How far was one willing to go to win? Did it matter how the win was made? Somehow she didn't think so. It was time to play hardball.
'You have several options.' Young Allison typed. 'Use ALL of them if you need to. Do what you need to do to help them. Do ANYTHING you need to do to help Savannah.'
CamNet didn't want to lose Savannah any more than Young Allison did.
'I will.' CamNet responded. 'I swear it.'
Young Allison knew CamNet was her final hope.
'I KNEW I could count on you.' Young Allison typed.
CamNet wanted to deliver for Young Allison and Savannah. She was very concerned about the way events played out. She knew who the one responsible for the current situation was. It was Cameron. If Cameron would have come out when everyone else did, they all would have been away from the area. They weren't. Cameron stayed beyond the safe time necessary to escape. Now Savannah was the one who needed to pay the price. This wasn't the first time Cameron endangered Savannah. It was only one of many.
She already took Young Allison's first request into consideration and acted on it. Because it happened earlier, and allowed her to be in a better place to act now than she would have been if she would have waited until later. She knew when Young Allison or Savannah 'asked for' or 'mentioned' something, it should be acted on as if it was an 'order'. They always knew what was best.
'Always….' CamNet responded.
Young Allison was worried to death. It didn't look good and most of the options all seemed to be gone. Maybe she should have been more forceful when she first asked CamNet earlier in the evening to watch over Savannah.
She hoped her love could prove to be as strong as Savannah's love was. She knew Savannah risked her life, and probably would forfeit it now, for Cameron. She would gladly trade her life for Savannah's life. Would she do the same thing for Cameron? She was sure she would. It was the right thing to do. Cameron was necessary for the future. There were plenty of 'Allisons' to go around. She was just one of many.
Young Allison knew she was the 'original' one. It was how it started out for all of the other ones as well. Maybe there was some new version of her in another timeline already. She might already be insignificant, as well as redundant.
She wondered if the image of Savannah all alone, would forever haunt her. It seemed to do it already. She needed to trust in CamNet now.
John lost sight of Savannah once the last drone moved behind the hill. He hoped she wasn't going to die there all alone. She saved the three Terminators and gave up any chance of escape for herself so Cameron could be saved.
He didn't actually know what was going on or if anyone was even saved. Maybe none of them would be. He did know Savannah was in the situation she was in because Cameron didn't leave the Skynet bunker earlier. It wasn't a pleasant thought.
John Henry watched Savannah's selfless act. He wondered how many people would have done it. John's team encountered a new threat.
"There's nothing else we can do for Savannah right now." John Henry said. "John, one of the approaching vehicles is slowing. There may be contact very soon."
John needed to refocus on the immediate threat. It was very hard for him to push the image of what just happened with Savannah out of his mind. They might be mixing it up with Grays in a few minutes. There could be a Terminator with them. Maybe there would be more than one hostile Terminator. What happened next could turn into a major battle.
Al left the big rig and the structures behind. He checked for any anomalies or something which might give away the presence of the big rig where it currently was. The ground was hard packed and didn't show any tire marks, at least near the turnoff. He made his way to the turnoff and found Steve.
Steve acknowledged Al when he arrived.
"I think we are well hidden." Steve said.
Al needed to agree. He wanted to let John know they were in position.
"I've joined with Steve." Al said. "We're ready."
John didn't want anyone to jump the gun and tip their hand too early. With the drones and the troops on the ground, everything was covered. Based upon the known conditions, he felt they held the upper hand. He knew it could change very rapidly. It would make a difference if there were Terminators with the Grays if they turned in. He hoped to better assess the situation before they needed to act.
"Don't do anything yet." John said. "If they turn in here you'll be behind them, and the girls are in front of them. They'll be trapped between our forces. The drone is overhead and ready to back our play with whatever is necessary."
John Henry could do a missile strike at any time, or drop down and switch to the gun. If it was necessary to engage the vehicles, it wouldn't be a problem.
"I still have both vehicles targeted." John Henry said. "They can be terminated at any time."
John still hoped to find the other two trucks. He wanted the Skynet forces to lead them to the other trucks. It seemed like their best hope at this point. So far the other teams out searching in the areas where there were possible hits hadn't proven productive.
"I don't want them terminated yet. I want to know where they came from, and where they go when this is over. It will lead us to more Skynet related activity." John said. "Have they communicated with anyone? Are there any other locations we can identify if they have?"
John Henry was careful not to alert the two vehicles to anything out of the ordinary.
"No, I haven't blocked communications so they could follow the drone decoy." John Henry said. "I didn't expect them to slow down and actually investigate the location where you are at. The decoy is still moving ahead of them."
John Henry thought they should have followed the information from the truck which the drone carried on the same path.
John wanted the information to track them. Maybe something played out in their favor regarding the other trucks. With the situation involving Cameron and Savannah, he hadn't stayed on top of it.
"If they do, come up with a location." John said. "They came from somewhere. What is the status on the other trucks?"
John Henry received negative reports from the other teams out in the field as to any new info on the other two trucks. He didn't report it to John earlier because of the situation with Cameron's team. He didn't want to give John any more negative news than necessary.
"There's still nothing on the other trucks." John Henry said. "There's also been another energy discharge picked up from the bunker. We don't have any drones in the air to observe what occurred."
John was worried about Savannah's health and well being.
"We need to get Savannah out of there." John said. "Will the electrical discharges affect her or kill her?"
John Henry felt the electrical discharges were only a part of it. There was no way to know exactly what would happen. He was worried about the bigger implications. He knew what eventually occurred at the mine.
"It's possible the energy could have a negative effect." John Henry said. "We have to worry about the bunker, and what is under it exploding. It's the biggest threat to her. The explosion may bring down the mountainside on top of her. One of the vehicles is slowing."
Al and Steve took a step back further into the bushes. They could hear the two vehicles approach.
"One of the vehicles is turning into where the truck is. It's headed towards you." Al said. "The other has continued on."
Steve looked at the occupants of the vehicle.
"There appear to be only two individuals in it. They are probably both Grays. Neither one looked like a Terminator." Steve said.
John didn't want to lose the one vehicle which continued on. He didn't need to worry about losing the one which just turned in off the highway. It was headed towards them.
"Keep tracking the one on the highway with the drone, John Henry. Girls, get ready." John said and quickly added. "I mean get ready for combat."
John knew what their reply would be to 'get ready'. He wanted to get some additional help to Savannah. He didn't know what was available or how long it would take. He still needed to try something.
"Where is the closest drone to Savannah?" John asked.
John Henry thought the answer was self evident.
"It would be the three which are already there." John Henry said.
John was worried about how much time was left until things went catastrophic. John Henry's answer irritated him somewhat. He didn't think he was trying to be funny.
"I mean other than those." John said. "I meant another one from one of our other operations. I know the clock is running down. How much time do we have until the bunker explodes?"
John Henry didn't think there was much time left. There was actually no way to know for sure.
"It has to be down to minutes at the most." John Henry said. "Maybe it is only seconds away."
Steve and Al moved to a better vantage point where they could keep an eye on the vehicle.
"The vehicle is definitely headed towards the buildings." Steve said.
Gail tracked the target vehicle. She already spotted it before Steve spoke. It made rapid progress.
"The vehicle is almost to the barn." Gail said. "We're ready."
John wanted to wait until the men split up. They wouldn't be able to assist each other.
"Wait." John said. "One of them will have to get out to check the inside of the barn. We'll take them then once they're separated. Try to do it silently so the driver isn't alerted. If we're not going to be discovered by either one of them, I don't want to interfere with them."
John readied his weapons. It looked like it was about to be 'Showtime'.
This wasn't a good moment for him. Cameron was disrupted from proper operation by repeated electrical discharges. Savannah was trapped all alone at a bunker which was about to explode with nowhere to go. There was a hostile force moving in on his location. Neither of the two men appeared to be Terminators. It didn't mean one or both of them weren't.
Could anything else get worse?
Maybe he shouldn't have asked.
Savannah watched the drone with Cameron make it to the safety of the backside of the next hill. It should shield Cameron and the drone from any more electrical discharges. It should also protect Cameron from this section of the mountain she was on when it exploded. She figured it was probably minutes away, if not seconds.
She made her way back into the ditch before the next electrical discharge. She was in the ditch when the latest electrical discharge happened. It was even bigger than the last one. She hadn't suffered any of the effects as she did when she moved out of the bunker with Cameron. She was sure she went down because Cameron went down. She tried to keep her on her feet but she couldn't. Being out in the fresh air helped rejuvenate her somewhat. She was no longer sweating profusely. She stopped coughing a while back. Her mind seemed to be fairly clear now. She wasn't sure if she was at a hundred percent, but she thought she was pretty close.
She hoped Cameron and the others were safe. There was no way for her to know. She didn't know how long their recovery would take. It would take at least a hundred and twenty seconds. The drones all stayed close to the ground when they departed. Whoever controlled them, knew they could get knocked down with another electrical discharge. Low to the ground they would sustain less damage to themselves and their 'cargo'.
Savannah thought her best bet would be to head down the road. They might be able to recover her body if she didn't make it. She was unsure if she would. It didn't matter. She got the others to safety. She knew there was no future without Cameron. She protected the future. Protecting the future protected John. She knew she was doing what she was supposed to do. Now it was her turn to sacrifice for John Connor. Isn't it what everyone needed to do? Why would she be any different?
There was another electrical discharge. It was even stronger than the last one. It was at a shorter interval than the last one too. They were coming quicker and stronger now. She knew she needed to start moving as soon as the electrical charge dissipated. She didn't know what the exact timing was. She thought it would be best to be in the prone position whenever they occurred, or behind whatever cover she could find. They didn't affect her the same way they did a Terminator, but she was worried about a cumulative effect.
She was on her feet and about to run toward the road when she heard it.
There was the screaming sound of a drone rapidly coming down from the sky. Savannah thought it must have been affected by the last electrical discharge and was about to crash. It was above her. It rapidly closed on her position. The power plants were working hard. She looked around for a place to escape, there was nowhere to go.
She could see it now even in the darkness. The power plants were operating at their maximum output level. It was still coming down right on top of her. She was sure it was going to crush her. Maybe this way it would be quicker when she died. She really thought it was someone ironic of all the area around her where it could crash, it was going to be the spot exactly where she was at.
She was worried her body might take on too much energy and catch on fire. She knew when prisoners used to be electrocuted in the Electric Chair, it was a common occurrence. The Electric Chair was usually referred to as 'Sparky'. She didn't want to go out screaming in such a way. If she was able to, once she spontaneously combusted, she would try to use her pistol to speed things up. Being crushed like an ant would be simpler and quicker. Maybe someone was looking out for her. They didn't want her to suffer when it was time to go.
John and his troops waited in concealment.
The vehicle approached the barn and drove around it in a circle. It stopped for a few seconds and they began to move again. It went around the barn much slower this time. It was clear they checked on something. The question was what?' Maybe there was a tracker they missed. They could only look visually when they checked. They didn't have any electronic detection gear with them.
It came back around to the front where the big doors were and stopped. The passenger door opened and a figure started to get out. They could hear a phone ring. From the dome light in the car, they could see one of them get a phone call. They spoke for a few seconds.
John hoped they would leave without a thorough inspection.
"Don't do anything until he comes to the barn." John whispered over their coms.
The Gray got out and proceeded on foot to one of the other buildings, not the barn. Sheila was by the old house. It was where the Gray was at currently. She wanted to wait until he passed and grab him from behind. He didn't hold a pistol, but there was one in his belt. She really wanted to get her hands on a 'live one' tonight and start an enhanced interrogation.
He tried the door on the house but it was locked. He didn't force it.
"Damn…." The Gray said.
He went next to the front porch and faced the wall.
Sheila could hear his zipper open. Her hand brushed against the hilt of her knife in anticipation. He stood there for about thirty seconds. She kept an eye out on the car and to see if the driver got out. So far they hadn't.
He walked past an outbuilding and headed for the barn.
Ally was next to the outbuilding. She could see the Gray, but he couldn't see her in the darkness. She moved around the back of the outbuilding as he passed. She wanted to come out behind him and snap his neck. She was actually surprised Sheila hadn't put the grab on him earlier. She heard what he did.
Gail watched him move towards the barn. She was scoped in on the driver. She held her M4 ready to fire if there was any warning or alarm raised. He would die instantly.
The driver looked impatient.
He honked the horn.
"What are you doing?" The driver asked. "Stop lollygagging."
The Gray looked at the barn and then at the car.
"I was going to check the barn." The Gray said.
The driver looked angry.
"You know it's not necessary." The driver said. "Get back here now or I'll leave without you."
The Gray was almost to the barn.
Bob was just inside the door which would open first. He watched the Gray approach towards his position. He would grab him when he opened the door.
The horn blared again. This time it was longer.
The Gray stopped. He looked at the barn door and back at the vehicle.
"Screw it." The Gray muttered. "It's probably full of bats anyway. I hate those things. They look like flying rats."
He hurried back to the car.
There was some arguing when he arrived. It was clear the driver was upset about the delay.
The Gray got back in the car and it sped off in a shower of dust. It headed back to the road to catch up to the other vehicle.
John still held his M4 ready. He wasn't sure if the vehicle would return. It could be a ploy.
"What happened?" John asked. "I thought for sure one of them would enter."
Steve and Al watched the vehicle approach and fishtail as it went from the dirt road onto the asphalt.
"The vehicle is in pursuit of the one which already passed." Steve said.
John Henry was pleased the plan worked, at least for now. Once the two vehicles caught up with the drone posing as the truck, they were going to see there was no truck. He didn't know if they would be able to figure it out or not. He would look for an alternate location for the 'truck' to go once they neared.
"They got a call the truck was sending out data down the road." John Henry said. "It looked like the ruse worked. It's only going to work so long, as they near the spot where the big rig is supposed to be. They aren't going to find anything when they get close."
John hoped they caught a break on any locations.
"Did you get a location on where the call originated?" John asked.
John Henry didn't think anyone was going to like it.
"I did." John Henry said. "It was from a shop in Avila Beach. It was the same one where Ally wanted to terminate the clerk."
John was a little confused. He thought the location was some kind of a set up the guy didn't know about.
"I thought the guy was just a 'Bozo'." John said.
John Henry knew they weren't the only ones who set him up.
"He is." John Henry said. "Ally reported there was new computer gear in there. Someone fixed him up to be a 'Patsy' before we did evidently. She left one surveillance camera behind. Based upon his current activity as he searches the internet, I don't believe he's aware of what's occurring."
John hoped they could find the original source or location. Maybe they would need to go through a progression of them.
"Was there anything else before the call came from his equipment?" John asked. "Do we know where it originated from?"
John Henry tracked a multitude of things and events. Each one needed to play out.
"I'm searching." John Henry said. "The vehicle which left your location is closing on the one that stayed on the main road."
The drone which went with the first vehicle slowed to the other one would end up in front of it as well. It soon was able to target both vehicles again.
"Both vehicles are locked up." John Henry said.
John wanted the captured drones away before Skynet sent more troops or HK drones to obliterate everything.
"Can we get the captured drones out of here now?" John asked.
John Henry was ready to take control. He didn't want any of their vehicles damaged if there was any trouble on take off.
"Yes I'm initiating the procedure now." John Henry said. "Open the barn doors and move the vehicles away from behind the truck."
Sheila and Ally joined John, as Bob and Gail moved the van and SUV out of the barn.
John looked at both of the girls in the darkness. Their beauty was stunning, even in the moonlight. They were all business right now. He was sure it would change soon enough once the drones were away.
It made him wonder what Savannah's fate was. She was all alone.
The drones which left with Cameron, Cammy, and Tom on top of them all departed to a safer area. They were shielded from direct blasts of energy, and hopefully from the side of the mountain exploding when whatever was inside of it exploded.
Cameron opened her eyes and looked around. She sat up. Cammy and Tom did the same thing.
Right away she knew something was wrong when she looked around.
"Where's Savannah?" Cameron asked as she stood up.
The three Terminators were all aware they were on drones and away from the danger zone.
Cammy frantically looked around. There could only be one explanation.
"We have to go back for Savannah." Cammy said. "She must have put us on the drones. There were only three drones. There are three of us here. There were four of us."
Tom didn't feel comfortable about what must have occurred.
"Savannah has sacrificed for us again." Tom said. "Savannah is truly the 'Chosen One'."
Cameron was off her drone. She went back to it and tried to make it work.
"Why won't the drones respond?" Cameron asked. "I can't make mine do anything."
Neither could Cammy or Tom. All three of them tried.
Cammy determined her drone was operational. They just couldn't control it. Someone locked them out. It didn't take long to figure it out. It certainly wasn't John Henry.
"CamNet has control of them and is holding us here away from the danger so we won't return to try to get Savannah." Cammy said. "I need to go back and get her."
Cameron put it together a little further. The drones responded to a command given by Savannah to keep them safe.
"I can't override the order." Cameron said. "It was given by Savannah to get us to safety and keep us here until the danger was over. It was an intentional act to protect us even further."
Tom was further troubled by the implications.
"Savannah's trading her life for all of ours." Tom said. "She needs to think of herself. We're machines. We're replaceable. She isn't. She's still trying to protect us, even as she sacrifices."
The answer wasn't good enough for Cameron.
"I sure hope not." Cameron said.
Cameron looked at Cammy. They both felt it. They knew what it meant. It was the 'end' for someone.
"I detect P-Waves." Cammy said.
Cameron knew what it meant.
"There's an earthquake coming." Cameron said.
Then they all felt it.
The ground around them rumbled and shook for a short duration of time.
Cameron checked her time from where they last were to now. There was no time for Savannah to have escaped in the time they were out.
Cameron and Cammy were both off their drones. They rushed into each other's arms and cried. They both knew there hadn't been enough time for Savannah to get clear. They feared her death must have been horrible.
Tom watched them as tears streamed down his face. He vowed to make Skynet pay for this grievous event.
Savannah was gone.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
Please Just Go
When all there was crumbles
Leaving only hurtful rubble
Nothing good will come
It will only lead to more trouble
Whatever once was
Will fade from something
Leaving even more pain
As it becomes less than nothing
Today means nothing
It will mean even less tomorrow
Happiness replaced by sadness
Joy eradicated by sorrow
The sun has set
Only darkness will remain
The stab to a heart
Endless emotional pain
There seems to be no point
To even say hello
You best leave now
Please just go
Nobody