Chapter 773

I Heard That

Cammy and Sheila moved ahead of Bob in their SUV. They wanted to make sure the path was clear for Bob and the big rig. Now, with the unknown vehicles spotted, there may be a new threat. There was no good reason for anyone to visit the old granite quarry unless it was for illicit purposes of some type. There was no shortage of things which could fall under the definition.

Bob drove the big rig full of HK drones they captured from the Grays. He was told about a stand of trees up ahead where he could conceal the big rig behind. The Metal girls checked it to make sure it was unobservable from the road.

"I see the grove of trees I can park behind up ahead." Bob said. "It is just like the girls reported."

With the possibility of Skynet forces in the area, John wanted Bob to get off of the road until Cammy and Sheila could check it out. He didn't want to lose the load of HK drones if they could help it.

"Do it." John said. "Let Cammy and Sheila scout out the quarry and determine the nature of the threat."

Cammy wondered if there were any conversations John Henry picked up which would be related to any Skynet activity, or what they were doing. She knew he monitored all the communications in the area where they operated. The location was rather remote, but it should still have some type of coverage, even if it wasn't continuous.

"John Henry, what do your phone records indicate?" Cammy asked.

John Henry monitored all forms of communication which included radio frequencies in addition normal cellular activity. So far nothing seemed to indicate anything Skynet related.

"I haven't detected any cell traffic in your area." John Henry said.

Cammy immediately saw it as a plus. They were about to face a group of Gray's no one specifically would know where they went. They may know the general area, but they wouldn't know exactly where they went.

"Then no one knows the Grays have taken the road to the quarry." Cammy said. "It's even better."

John Henry understood what Cammy's intentions were. She wanted a kill zone which would remain undetected. The granite quarry was the perfect place. There was only one way in and only one way out. It was isolated and off of the main road. The granite walls would contain all errant ordinance. There wouldn't be any collateral damage.

"It would seem to be the case." John Henry said. "We do need to consider the possibility where they're currently at, may be specifically where they were headed. Whoever is associated with them may know exactly where they're at, or where they will be. It's possible they were sent to a defined place."

The 'Cameron' in Cammy was ready to act. Her targets would be consolidated. It would make their termination much easier.

"Jam all the cell traffic in this area then." Cammy said. "I'm going to take them down."

Sheila could see Cammy was determined.

"Make sure you jam everything, love." Sheila said. "We don't want any surprises."

John was a little worried everyone was in too big of a hurry. They still didn't know who the people in the cars were. It could be a group of kids out to do some drugs, or some lovers looking for a secluded place to share a sexual liaison. If they were Grays, then someone would have sent them. They would have a general idea of the area they went to search. If they lost contact or suspected hostile action, an HK drone could be dispatched to search for them. It was about the last thing they wanted to encounter at this point. It certainly wasn't what he wanted to happen.

"Someone has to know they're out there." John said. "It will pinpoint our area of operation. We still don't know who they are. No doubt they're supposed to check in at some point along the way. If they don't check in, or don't arrive, the rest of the Skynet group knows where to look. They may move the other big rig before we can intercept it."

Sheila saw it differently. It would be a little too coincidental for anyone but a group of Grays in search of their comrades going specifically to the spot where they dealt with two carloads of Grays previously. She was itching to get her hands on a few more Grays for some enhanced interrogation. She already conducted a number of those in relation to the current operation. The personal thrill she derived from the interrogations made her crave the opportunity to do a few more. The thrill wasn't quite as intense as it once was. The more she 'interrogated', the more the intense feelings returned. She held back for far too long and deprived herself of some extreme pleasure.

"I think we have a pretty good idea." Sheila said. "We'll know more as soon as we take a look. I think we all know what we'll find."

Cammy wanted action. She wasn't about to let any Grays leave the area. They were going to be in a specific area with only one way out. The only way out would be through termination.

"I'm taking them down." Cammy said.

John leaned over towards John Henry in the Command Center.

"Once 'a Cameron', always 'a Cameron'…." John whispered to John Henry.

CamNet made sure Cammy picked up on the transmission. It was done for several reasons. One was to make a point about it being true. The other point was so Cammy would use a little bit of caution.

Cammy received the transmission. She was instantly irritated.

"I heard that." Cammy said.

John didn't want any animosity, especially with combat impending.

"I'm sorry." John said. "I just wanted you to use some caution. I know it isn't always the case when others are involved. I think you know what I mean."

Cammy didn't like to see John backtrack. Since she ran Cameron's program she thought the statement was quite accurate. She decided to push other things a little bit as well. She was the one about to be in combat.

"Don't be sorry, I take it as a compliment." Cammy said. "Next time we're alone, I'll let you see if this chassis performs the same as Cameron's. You said it yourself, 'once 'a Cameron', always 'a Cameron'.' Let's find out. I'm looking forward to some action."

Sheila wanted Cammy to take it easy and not push things too far. She decided to get some firepower ready for potential combat based on the weapons she checked earlier.

"Easy, love." Sheila whispered as she climbed into the back. "It's better to mess with John in person. You can observe his reactions and how he responds better. I make him extremely nervous whenever I'm around him. If it's in person, there's less chance Cameron will pick up on it and make a big deal about it. You know what I'm talking about."

Cammy did know what Sheila referred to.

"I don't know who Cameron thinks she is sometimes." Cammy said. "What a Bitch."

Sheila decided it was best not to comment on Cammy's comment. She armored up and moved back up front. She returned with an array of weapons.

"We're 'ready to rock', love." Sheila said. "Let's show them how we do it in the Outback."

Cammy was headed down the quarry road. She often needed to point out to Sheila she wasn't from Australia. Sheila used numerous Australian slang words and terms. She often referred to areas she never visited herself as if she was familiar with them. She knew it was from the 'Neural Interface' with Jesse. She went to give her an alternative instead.

"Let's show them how we do it in the future." Cammy said.

Sheila handed Cammy her vest and smiled.

"It's even better." Sheila said.

Sheila was pleased she would be armored up for the next encounter. She really didn't like facing the enemy with nothing on but her jewelry, and a smile on her face. Who is she kidding? It was exactly how she liked to face the enemy, especially if it was one on one.

Allison went to talk with Savannah. She hoped to set up a sexual liaison. She just was with Vanna, and would really like to top it off with Savannah. They were alone in the corner. Allison looked over and Young Allison was staring at her. She knew Young Allison was getting upset. She looked back at Young Allison and kept talking to Savannah. It was an unspoken challenge.

Savannah's back was to Young Allison.

Cameron saw what was happening and watched.

Young Allison left and returned with Vanna. She led her by the hand. She led Vanna to Allison and Savannah. Young Allison transferred Vanna's hand to Allison's hand. Young Allison faced Allison and took Savannah's hand. The two Allisons stared at each other.

It was the answer to the unspoken challenge. A statement was made without a word being spoken. It was a very powerful statement. The magnitude of it wasn't lost on anyone.

Cameron didn't want it to become an issue. She came over and stood in back of Savannah and Young Allison. She placed a hand on both of their shoulders.

"It's the 'Natural Order'." Cameron said.

Her face was blank.

Allison and Savannah looked at each other as Young Allison led Savannah away. It was clear there wouldn't be any further action today.

Cameron remained looking at Allison and Vanna.

"It's the 'Natural Order'." Cameron said again, and then walked away.

Vanna and Allison looked at each other. They weren't sure of exactly what all forces were at play in the strange encounter.

"What can you say?" Vanna asked.

Allison still looked in the direction Savannah went. She shrugged her shoulders.

"It's the 'Natural Order'." Allison said as she led Vanna back towards her room. "What else is there to say?"

Jesse suddenly appeared behind them. Cameron just sent her over to where Allison and Vanna were. She wasn't sure why. She didn't really need a reason. She heard Allison's question and believed she knew the answer.

"I know." Jesse said. "How about, 'Got room for one more?'"

A smile appeared on all of their faces.

The three girls disappeared inside of Allison's room.

"Always…." Allison and Vanna both said at the same time.

The three girls from the future giggled.

Cammy checked her image on file of the satellite map of the specific area she was in. She noted what looked like an old road which was reduced to more of a trail over the years. It ran up the back of the quarry to the top of it. It would give them the advantage of the high ground. It looked like their SUV could make it up there.

"I'm going to take the trail which goes around to the top of the quarry." Cammy said. "We'll be able to look down on them, especially if they start digging for the vehicles we buried. We'll have a good field of fire. They should all be exposed in the open area. We won't have to get into a stand up fight with them if it becomes necessary. It will be more of a slaughterhouse."

Sheila patted the rocket launcher. She figured she could knock another chunk off of the overhang where the two vehicles were buried.

"Let me fire this LAW rocket and see if we can bury them too, if they do." Sheila said.

Cammy didn't believe the warhead would pack enough punch against the granite. The rock was very hard. It was possible there were fractures in it which would facilitate its collapse. There was no guarantee. If they were going to bury them, she wanted to make sure they were buried.

"The warhead won't be powerful enough." Cammy said. "I can request a drone. It will do the job like it did the last time."

John still believed it was too early to determine if the unknown people would live or die. They needed to know more before they took any aggressive or terminal action.

"Maybe you should try to determine who they are before you have them killed." John said. "If they're teenagers, I don't want them bothered. They can do whatever they were there to do and leave."

Sheila didn't want John to worry about what hadn't happened yet.

"Relax, love." Sheila said. "We're thinking ahead. It never hurts to have a little planning. We don't all need to rush in cold and take a bunch of damage."

John was aware collateral terminations didn't bother a Terminator too much. The majority of the Terminators would follow his rules and instructions. Cammy was as big of a wild card out in the field as Cameron was. Having Sheila with her probably didn't help much either. Her own agenda of dealing with prisoners and detainees was in a category of its own. He did catch her reference about Cameron without mentioning her name at the end of her statement. He didn't want to make things worse, or a big deal about nothing.

"Use caution, but stay alert." John said. "Try to identify your targets if possible."

Cammy didn't care for the oversight.

"We always do." Cammy said. "It's why they aren't dead yet, or us."

John wondered exactly how much control he had over Cammy and Sheila right now. It didn't seem like much. The more he pushed the issue, the more they would push in the opposite direction. As much as he didn't like it to happen, he really wished Savannah would be there right now with them. He knew Savannah kept the brakes on Cameron. Right now there was no control over Cammy and Sheila.

"Beautiful…." John muttered.

Cammy was again provided with John's comment. It irritated her even further.

"I heard that." Cammy said.

Cammy was sure John needed an attitude adjustment. No wonder Cameron was such a Bitch. If she needed to put up with his negativity all the time, she knew she would be a Bitch too. She was glad she wasn't in a Bitch like Cameron was. She was very happy Savannah wasn't like John. Everything was always positive and upbeat. Savannah knew how to show her a good time quite often. She doubted John showed Cameron a good time very often.

It was clear to Cammy why Cameron liked being around 'happy people'. Now she understood it better. It was no wonder why Cameron wanted to steal Savannah away from her. It didn't matter if it was the 'Natural Order' or not. It was clearly better to be around Savannah than it was to be around John.

She was willing to bet Savannah could satisfy her sexually much better than John could. She planned to find out to prove her theory. She wouldn't mind pulling one over on the Bitch anyway. She smiled at the thought. She shouldn't have tried to impersonate Savannah before. She would just impersonate Cameron. John wouldn't know the difference until she told him. She would wait till she was pumped full of his 'little soldiers' before she told him she wasn't actually Cameron. The thought of it excited her greatly. She could pull one over on both of them. She smiled again at the thought. She couldn't wait for Cameron to find out, take THAT Bitch.

Sheila glanced over at Cammy. She knew she was smiling about dealing with the Grays, especially in an enhanced interrogation. She wondered what Cammy was smiling about.

Savannah looked back over her shoulder at what was going down. She watched the three girls disappear into Allison's room. Cameron moved up behind them. It looked like she was going to say something. Her face was still very blank. She knew Cameron was having some issues about what happened a few seconds ago.

Young Allison saw it too. She knew it was her fault for what she did. She saw Cameron back her play, even if reluctantly. She wanted to diffuse the situation.

"Let's go out." Young Allison said.

It actually sounded like a good idea to Savannah.

"OK." Savannah said. "Do you want to bring your mom and Summer too?"

Young Alison saw this as her opportunity to make amends with Cameron.

"Not this time. Jesse, Vanna, and Allison will be 'busy'." Young Allison said. "I want it to be just the three of us."

Cameron's face instantly lit up.

"Really?" Cameron asked. "Do you mean me too?"

Cameron seemed to perk up at the thought of being invited to something BECAUSE it was her.

Young Allison reached back and took Cameron's hand.

"Of course, silly." Young Allison said. "It is the 'Natural Order'."

Cameron's face lit up even more.

To witness it, both Young Allison's and Savannah's faces did the same.

It seemed to make all of them happier still.

The earlier negative atmosphere was replaced with one of joy.

Claire was with Summer, they saw the entire chain of events.

Summer could see her mother looked worried. She touched her mother's cheek.

"Mommy…." Summer said. "It's the 'Natural Order'."

Claire looked at Summer and held her close. She didn't want to lose any more of her daughters to Cameron. She loved Cameron dearly, but she loved her daughters as well.

"You're not part of it." Claire said. "Summer, you're not part of it."

Summer knew a lot more than any of them thought. She knew which direction the future was. She understood her role was yet undiscovered. It was because she wasn't in Cameron's future. She however was in this timeline.

"No, Mommy." Summer said. "Not yet…."

Claire held Summer tighter. She turned her back to everyone as if to shield Summer.

"You belong to me." Claire said.

Claire didn't want to lose Summer too.

Summer wanted to make sure her mother understood how things actually worked. She figured everything out a long time ago. It was something the rest of them were yet to learn and understand.

"We all belong to the future…." Summer said. "It will collects us when it is time."

Claire was pretty sure it may have already happened at this point.

She hoped when she was done with carrying and delivering Allison's baby, Cameron would allow her to have another one for herself. She promised to give one to Cameron and John already. She would still do it. She did want to have one of her own though. She was pretty sure Cameron was going to steal both of her daughters. She wanted to have another one as a backup and hopefully keep. She didn't know if she wanted a girl or a boy. She realized it didn't matter. She just wanted to keep one of her children. It didn't seem like too much to ask for.

It was a rough ride up the trail to reach the rim of the canyon in the SUV. The vehicle struggled a few times but it was able to make the climb.

Cammy looked down from the top of the ridge. She took the new arrivals under direct observation. It was clear they were Grays. They did look in the area of the vehicles they buried earlier. There must have been some type of tracker they didn't know about.

"There are five of them on the ground." Cammy said. "I'm sure they are Grays. They're looking in the area where we buried the two Gray vehicles under tons of granite. They're not going to find much unless they have some serious muscle with them."

John Henry was a little concerned about who made up the group.

"Have you spotted any Terminators?" John Henry asked.

Sheila specifically looked to see if she could identify any.

"There may be one." Sheila said. "I have my eye on one bloke."

John was well aware when it came to hostile Terminators it was a two way street on what they could see or do in relation to the Resistance Terminators.

"Remember, if there are Terminators, they can spot you too." John said. "If you can see them, they can see you."

Cammy was well aware of the fact. She felt they took adequate precautions.

"We're well concealed." Cammy said. "We know the drill."

Sheila could see they carried some type of device.

"They're looking at something one of them is holding and have now moved to the pile of rubble the vehicles are buried under." Sheila said.

John was convinced they weren't a group of kids by this point. He didn't doubt the Metal girls' earlier assessment. The activity of the individuals confirmed what they were.

"You were right. They don't sound like stoners." John said. "They're Grays."

Cammy felt the location was so barren and desolate no one would go there for any reason.

"No one else would come here." Cammy said. "Not even dopers. The area is too drab. No female would want to be brought here to be plowed either."

John and John Henry quickly looked at each other with Cammy's latest statement.

John Henry wanted them to remain focused on what would be the main threat.

"What about the Terminator?" John Henry asked. "It needs to be your main concern."

Sheila kept her eye on the one individual in question.

"If he starts moving boulders, we'll know for sure." Sheila said. "There are plenty of them to move. It would take some time."

Bob became more than a little concerned once he heard the Skynet group carried some type of electronic tracking device. He wanted to make sure he didn't get burned in case they missed one in the truck they just confiscated.

"I'm going back over the truck and trailer now." Bob said. "I want to make sure we didn't miss anything. We may have missed a tracker in one of those Gray vehicles before. They must be checking for something specific."

John was worried about Bob as well. He currently was by himself.

"It sounds like a good idea." John said. "Are you protected?"

Bob really didn't know how well protected he could be parked behind a stand of trees. He didn't want to cause them any unnecessary alarm in the Command Center. He at least wanted to get some of the drones prepared to fly away from the current location they were in if possible.

"I am." Bob said. "I'll get these drones ready to fly as well. We can do like we did with the ones we flew out of the barn."

John now wondered if they shouldn't have done it sooner. Either Cammy or Sheila could have ridden in the back of the truck as Bob drove it along towards the quarry. They could have had everything all ready to go at this particular point in time. It was still daylight but he didn't want those HK drones to fall back into the hands of Skynet.

"It sounds good." John said. "Keep an eye and ear open for trouble. We can scramble our drones if you want to have them above you to provide protection."

Bob felt but his biggest concern would be any hostile HK drones arriving in search of their captured brethren.

"Affirmative…." Bob said. "Let me get started first before we make any drastic decisions."

John quietly told John Henry to have their drones ready to go at the first sign of any HK drones headed towards their team. It didn't matter if it was daylight or not.

Anna was aware the situation was getting ready to go hot at the quarry.

She knew Cameron was going to go out with Savannah and Young Allison. She knew they all wanted to be together. She debated whether to say anything, or deal with it herself with John Henry. She knew Cameron would be upset if she didn't tell her.

"Cameron." Anna called.

Cameron immediately headed over in her direction.

"Is there a problem?" Cameron asked.

Anna looked a little embarrassed to disturb them.

"I'm sorry to intrude." Anna said. "Cammy and Sheila have five Grays under observation."

Cameron was a little concerned with the new development. She wanted to know something specific.

"Are any of them Terminators?" Cameron asked.

Anna knew Sheila suspected one was. So far there hadn't been any confirmation.

"They don't know yet." Anna said. "It is a possibility one may be."

It didn't sound like too serious of an issue yet to Cameron.

"Keep me posted." Cameron said. "I have more important things to do now."

Cameron turned and walked away

Anna thought it was 'different'. Any other time Cameron would have been all over the issue herself and probably would have made plans to go there herself to deal with the problem.

The 'Natural Order' really was asserting itself.

Young Allison was very thrilled the three of them were going out together. It was something which didn't happen very often.

"Can Savannah drive?" Young Allison asked. "I'd like to sit up front with her."

Cameron actually liked the idea. She would be able to watch both of the girls from the back seat. She enjoyed watching them interact with each other. She always thought it was something very special.

"Sure." Cameron said. "Savannah will drive and you can enjoy the ride."

Savannah turned and looked at Cameron for a few seconds. She wanted to see if she made a joke, it didn't appear so. She was still unsure. She was aware Young Allison looked at her when Cameron said it.

They all knew one day it would be a reality. It was something Young Allison looked very much forward to. Savannah would teach her the ways of love and she would reciprocate in kind. Right now the love and her heart was all she needed. She knew it was where the real love was anyway. It was something Savannah taught her. Real love wasn't physical. Physical love was just one way to express real love. The real love needed to be there first.

Cameron noticed and smiled to herself. She handed Savannah the keys. Savannah still looked at her and then at Young Allison again.

Savannah wanted Young Allison to pick the location. It was her idea so she thought she should have the opportunity to make the choice.

"Where would you like to go to, Allison?" Savannah asked.

Young Allison thought she could have some fun based on Cameron's earlier statement. She understood what it really meant.

"You drive, I'll enjoy the ride." Young Allison said she looked at Cameron and winked.

Cameron quickly looked away as she tried not to smile.

They all knew what was being hinted at. It was something all of them wanted to happen. They knew when it did, they were all going to get caught up in it.

Savannah wanted the subject changed, and changed fast. She knew Young Allison was ready to advance her life forward. She just wanted her to have some more time to herself and remain a 'girl' for as long as she could. She wanted to keep Young Allison out of operations as long as she could. Once they started to share, she knew she wouldn't be able to stop her from going. They would be on equal terms. One of them couldn't tell the other one what to do or not to do once they were. She didn't like the situation, but she loved Young Allison dearly. She couldn't let anything happen to her.

"Have you been studying history for the time period of your temporal mission?" Savannah asked. "I have."

Young Allison thought it was something very important she should know. Her biggest worry was they would be on a temporal mission and change something they thought was 'wrong', but it was actually part of history. She knew there were plenty of things which needed to be changed during the time period they were going to go to. It actually bothered her they wouldn't be able to change any of them.

"Yes." Young Allison said. "I have Anna quiz me when we run everyday."

Savannah was also aware of another activity Young Allison increased her work on.

"I understand you're practicing swimming more now as well." Savannah said.

Young Allison wanted Savannah to know how proud she was of her for rescuing the small child the day Cameron and her were at the pier. Nothing was ever said about it, but she knew it was Savannah who was the one who rescued the child based upon his description of the red headed mermaid.

"I am." Young Allison said. "I may have to help someone in distress in the ocean one day. I know there are a few who would be very proud of anyone who did."

Savannah specifically asked John Henry to make sure no one found out about it. She didn't want anyone to make a big deal about it.

Savannah looked at Cameron and Young Allison but both of them ignored her. It only made it even more obvious.

CamNet was the one who informed Young Allison about the event at the pier. She realized she may have said too much. She didn't want to upset Savannah. She needed to change the subject quickly.

"I helped Anna swim today." Young Allison said.

Cameron heard about the adventure from Anna. She wished to try it herself at some point in time.

"She mentioned it to me." Cameron said. "It was good thinking and creative. I wish to try it as well. You can hold me steady in the water once the device is on and get me started."

Young Allison wanted to do it too. It would give her the opportunity to touch Cameron. To see Cameron in a bikini was always very beautiful. She really wondered if she could ever look like the same way. To watch her change was nice too. She so wanted to look just like Cameron. She really didn't think her body could ever look as good. She knew Allison's didn't. She wanted to point out there was a practical side to the flotation device for a Terminator as well.

"I know if one of the Terminators ends up in the ocean, it's a long walk home." Young Allison said.

Cameron thought of the time she took the F-16 for a 'joy ride' and bailed out at its maximum altitude over the Pacific Ocean. She knew if the winds would have changed, she would have faced a long underwater walk home…. Still, even the prospects of it would have been interesting. She wondered how the sea creatures would have reacted to her. Once her predator pheromones were washed away, she may have needed to fight some of them. What if she encountered a giant octopus or squid? She would like to see how she did in combat with them. She hoped there were no electric eels either. What if sharks started….

"…Cameron…?" Young Allison asked.

Cameron quickly replayed her files. They asked her about the malt shop and ice cream parlor. It was one establishment she didn't mind going to.

"It will be fine." Cameron said. "You know I always like ice cream. It just slides down."

Young Allison wanted to ask where it went, but didn't want to spoil the mood. She knew Cameron usually only tried a taste anyway. She figured she did a chemical analysis of it to determine how bad for their health it was. Anna told her the more 'warnings' which went off in her HUD, were usually an indication as to how well a human would like what they consumed. She was sure Cameron did exactly the same thing.

Savannah pulled into the parking lot of the Fifties and Sixties malt shop and hamburger joint.

The level of excitement in the SUV seemed to grow as they got out and headed for the front door.

'Rock Around The Clock' by 'Bill Haley' started to play as soon as they entered the malt shop.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

We Know When

You're in your bed
I'm by your side
My head on your pillow
There's nothing to hide

Where we've been
Where can we go
It's time to find out
Who don't think so

I can see your face
I know what you want
I'm right here
You don't need to hunt

I know you're ready
I've seen it before
It's why I'm here now
I've come back for more

It may have happened already
Maybe it'll happen again
I think it's safe to guess
We know when

Nobody