Chapter 778
A Way Out
Bob, Cammy, and Sheila were headed to where John Henry directed them. They would be at the location soon. The girls still 'worked' on each other. Bob enjoyed the 'show' but wanted everyone ready when they needed to be. He didn't want them to take things too far or get carried away.
They didn't know what they were going to find and they were long overdue to run into more Terminators with the operation. He watched Cammy and Sheila for a few more minutes. He felt he needed to say something. He didn't want to be caught with his pants down so to speak, even though the analogy applied more to Sheila and Cammy at this point.
"I don't mean to interrupt you." Bob said. "You two need to get ready soon."
Sheila was aware of the time and their location. She felt she was able to multitask as she shared with Cammy.
"We heard it, when he said it." Sheila said.
Cammy didn't want Sheila to snap at Bob.
"Relax." Cammy said. "Everything is good on our end."
Sheila wanted to mess with Bob a little bit.
"Maybe Cammy should drive, so you can come back here with me." Sheila said. "I could 'calm' you down. I could get the swelling down for you so you don't need to keep adjusting the front of your pants. Part of you knows where it wants to go, even if you don't."
Cammy was a little surprised at her response.
Bob was aware of Cameron's rules. They were very strict and explicit. Any violation of them was terminal. It would most likely be a public affair to make it as humiliating as possible before chip extraction actually occurred. He was sure in the case of a male Terminator there would be some mutilation involved before the process was completed.
"Any such activity or interaction is forbidden." Bob said. "Cameron will not allow it. It would result in instant chip extraction and permanent deactivation, for both of us. I'm sure the punishment would be much more severe for me."
Cammy didn't care to hear about 'Cameron's rules'. Cameron thought she was a Queen, but she wasn't. She was just another Terminator who was 'in bed with the boss'. It was the age old story of female manipulation as it happened throughout history. Plenty of world leaders throughout time were heavily influenced by the 'pillow talk' of scheming females. Hopefully some of them were able to put the brakes on aggressive behavior from their male counterparts at times. It may have just been the opposite a few times as well. There was no way to know for sure. She didn't want Bob to overreact to 'Cameron's rules'.
"What a stiff." Cammy said.
Sheila looked into the front seat at Bob's groin area.
"It doesn't look like it, at least not now anyway." Sheila said. "I can take care of it."
Cammy and Sheila both giggled.
Bob didn't want them to make a big deal about it. There were many things different between male and female Terminators.
"Your programming is not the same mine." Bob said.
Sheila saw it as a plus for the female Terminators. She wanted to give credit where it was due, even if the creator wasn't worthy of credit for anything.
"I guess it's one thing Skynet got right." Sheila said.
Bob wasn't so sure the mouthy talk was actually a plus for anyone.
"It's debatable." Bob said.
Sheila and Cammy didn't think so.
Cammy wanted to show Bob how attuned she was to everything. She went over all the details from John Henry with Bob again. She repeated everything John and John Henry said, as well as every detail from Dan's report.
"How's my report for paying attention?" Cammy asked.
Bob could see she got everything correct down to the smallest detail. Perhaps he was a little too harsh in his criticism. It was clear the female Terminators were superior to male Terminators. They were certainly able to influence both males and females without the need for brute force over the male Terminators.
"Everything is correct." Bob said.
Cammy wanted to make her point. They could do multiple things at one time.
"You didn't think we were listening." Cammy said.
Bob needed to really concentrate on his driving as he watched the girls in action. He figured if he was as distracted they must be even more distracted as they 'serviced' each other. He could see there were times when they reached extreme levels of pleasure. They seem to be 'lost' in those moments. He was still amazed at how they could have a multitude of those in a row, one after another.
"It seemed you were a little 'preoccupied'." Bob said.
Sheila thought John Henry could use a little re-education and perhaps a little motivation. She figured a little live action of what he witnessed on the body cam would help bring him around. It was one thing to watch it live on a video. It was another thing to watch it live when it happened six inches in front of someone's face. Maybe it was time to use a little 'female' influence on another male Terminator.
"I think they're sidelining us." Sheila said. "I need to work on John Henry some. I can bring him around. He can get us hooked up with the good assignments then."
Cammy was in no hurry to get shot up. Like John said earlier, they already did a lot on the operation. She didn't want to bring up the trouble she experienced at the Skynet bunker with Cameron and Savannah. She was completely incapacitated twice and barely could get out of the bunker under her own power. If Savannah wouldn't have been there, things would have ended a lot differently. They probably would have ended, permanently. She didn't care if someone else would take a little heat.
"We've done enough." Cammy said. "There are others out there who can run with the ball as well."
Bob was aware Cammy was very involved in operations recently. He saw some of the footage of what she needed to go through along with Cameron. He didn't think he should mention anything about Savannah. It would most likely upset Cammy if he did.
"You've seen quite a bit of action in the last few days." Bob said.
Cammy didn't want to make a big deal about it. She was just glad Savannah was able to get some time off. She really hated the way Cameron ran Savannah around like she was a Terminator.
"Everyone has." Cammy said. "I'm glad Savannah is out of it for now. Cameron is pushing her too hard, especially now. She was in a few close calls because of Cameron on the last operation. I will be out as much as possible so Savannah doesn't need to be."
Bob was able to witness some of Savannah's exploits as they actually happened. He thought she exhibited extreme skill and ability, as well as bravery. Since Cammy brought it up herself, he decided to comment on it as well.
"Savannah will be a better leader because of it." Bob said. "We've all seen it. She is like no other. She has performed admirably."
Cammy saw it a little differently. She was aware Savannah could only do so much. She was also aware she could only be 'lucky' for so long until events caught up with her. It was bound to happen at some point. When it did, it would be Cameron's fault. Just like everything else which didn't work out for the Resistance was Cameron's fault.
"Until Cameron gets her hurt or killed." Cammy said.
Bob pointed out the obvious. He didn't think the danger was limited to any one individual or a small group. It was something which could rear its head at any time.
"It's a risk we all face." Bob said.
Cammy wanted to make her point. It was the frequency of serious conflict which made the difference. Savannah was in multiple dangerous scenarios because of Cameron.
"It would seem, some more than others." Cammy said.
Sheila and Cammy were soon combat ready. They made a point to check each other's gear.
"How do we look now?" Sheila asked.
Bob already watched them gear up as he drove. He thought of a response which would produce a more positive reaction, than saying they look like they were ready for Skynet or combat.
"You look beautiful." Bob said.
Sheila and Cammy quickly looked at each other and smiled.
"I can tell someone is really looking to have a good time with me later on." Sheila said. "Since you're afraid to touch, I'll let you watch close up as things go down."
Cammy giggled at the dual meaning of Sheila's suggestion.
Bob still needed to worry about the rules.
"Affirmative…." Bob said.
Sheila nodded.
"I can guarantee it will be firm." Sheila said.
Sheila and Cammy giggled.
Bob checked their current position against the satellite image he had on file in his system. He checked the local landmarks to see if he could spot anything obviously different. It was much more difficult to do looking at things from a ninety degree angle, as opposed from directly above.
"We will be at the first location shortly." Bob said.
Sheila still believed they were being sidelined.
"I can hardly wait." Sheila said sarcastically.
Bob didn't like Sheila's disposition. Maybe some things weren't as glamorous or rewarding as others. They still needed to be done. Someone needed to do them.
"Destroying or depriving Skynet of resources is an important function." Bob said.
Sheila knew Bob took everything seriously. It seemed all the male Terminators did. Everything did need to be checked.
"You're right, love." Sheila said. "I'm sorry about it. Everything we can do to protect the ones we care about matters. This is all Skynet's doing and not our fault. We're the ones who are tasked to clean it up."
Bob cruised down some side streets. The three of them checked everything around them and on both sides. It was basically a triple check of the area. No one spotted anything. They might turn around and come back later on. They couldn't make too obvious of a presence in any particular location.
"I don't see anything here." Cammy said.
Bob was aware it was the same situation at the last location and others they took down in the past. Skynet and its evildoers attempted to remain hidden as much as possible. They seemed to learn when they didn't, they soon encountered the 'Metal Bitch'. When the event happened to them, they were all terminated.
"Maybe it's the point." Bob said. "They don't want to get burned."
Bob contacted John Henry and went over everything with him again. He hoped for a better update. It was decided they would check some of the buildings on foot. If things were hidden from plain sight, they would have to search for them the hard way. It would make things a little more risky for several reasons.
Cammy and Sheila exited after removing their vests. They didn't want to stand out and become targets before they could even approach a building. This way it just looked like a couple of hot teenage girls who were probably lost. Such an approach worked surprisingly well at the last location they infiltrated and took down. The Grays there never really knew what hit them, until it was too late.
The Grays literally opened up the front door and let Sheila walk in. They thought she was a human female and they would be able to take advantage of her. It seemed to be a reoccurring flaw with males. They always let the little head do the thinking for the big head. It could prove to be quite fatal.
Cammy looked down at the front of her sheath. She hoped she wouldn't receive any damage.
"I feel naked without my vest." Cammy said.
Sheila looked over at Cammy and smiled.
"You were naked a short time ago." Sheila said. "I'll inspect everything again when the operation is over to make sure there's no damage. If there is any, I'll fix it for you."
The girls picked locations to search and headed off in opposite directions. Bob would continue to cruise the streets and alleys around them in the SUV. If there was anything in the area, one of them should be able to spot something which was off or gave them a clue.
It wasn't always easy to do. They hoped to spot something out of place, or it struck them as Skynet related. If the leads pointed there, they wanted to find them. They went through the phones of the Grays who were terminated. There was enough evidence which seemed to indicate something happened where they were now, at one point. It didn't necessarily mean it was still there. Now it was time to find out what it was.
The initial reports were to follow up on some of the boxcars. It didn't look like the area for them. From the buildings they observed, it seemed locating a truck would be more likely. The rail siding was no longer in use there. The tops of the rails were rusted. The switch off of the mainline was spiked closed. The boxcar angle appeared to be a dead end.
Cameron seriously wondered about the issues Young Allison brought up. She wanted to make it clear she never wanted to do anything to ever purposely offend Savannah or Young Allison.
"I would never do anything to hurt you in such a way." Cameron said.
Young Allison actually gave the subjects a lot of thought. It usually happened after she went to bed. Sometimes her mind would wander and she would question things she didn't think others questioned. To calm and relax her mind, she usually would begin to pleasure herself. She would fall asleep soon after she did. She was aware there were a multitude of variables which could be at play.
"Maybe something happened or will happen in the future." Young Allison said. "It has to be a strong possibility based upon the nature of what we do around here."
Young Allison knew she could have been severely wounded or even killed in the future. Maybe Cameron was able to harvest something from her damaged or dead body. It was just a thought which popped into her head. It was a morbid thought too. Now she wondered why she even thought about it. She knew no one her age thought about dying or being killed. It was just another thing which proved age was only a number in regards to her life.
Cameron still felt a little defensive in her responses. It was because she knew she would cut corners if she thought it was the proper path forward, or in this case backward.
"I'd ask your permission first before I did anything of such magnitude." Cameron said. "You don't need to wait until we get back from the past. If I did this, I would want to make sure your genetics stock was at its prime."
Cameron knew it would be unwise to harvest genetic material before then. She knew by historical practice, Young Allison was close to her prime. It was a subject she chose to avoid. She knew if it came up, it would probably turn into an issue with Savannah when she found out about it. She felt she was on shaky enough ground.
Young Allison briefly wondered if maybe Cameron should do it anyway before they went into the past. If something happened, Cameron could still carry out some of her plans. It might be a wise move to put some of her genetic material into cryogenic freeze to preserve it. It would be in its prime and it would be unaffected by the toxins Skynet would release into the future if it was able to take control. Maybe she would end up like the girls from the future and sterile. She could have backup genetic material in the 'bank'.
"I want you to talk to Savannah and me before you do anything like you indicated." Young Allison said. "Allison and Vanna don't know what you've done this time with Savannah and my mother, do they?"
Cameron suppressed a glitch impulse with the revelation. There were several reasons for her to do things the way she currently did them. She knew they didn't always like the way she did things. She still did what she thought was the right thing for the situation.
"No." Cameron said. "They wouldn't approve of it. I'm trying to help them. I don't want Allison to leave. Vanna and Jesse want to go with her. I want to provide her with an alternative to such a drastic option."
Young Allison already knew what the next option Cameron would use if the current one failed using the girls from the future's own genetic stock.
"If for some reason, Savannah or my mother has 'trouble' with Vanna or Allison's genetic material. You're going to use Savannah's and mine to do the same thing." Young Allison said. "I don't think you will tell them what you've actually done if you need to. I understand why too."
Cameron was more than a little concerned with the subject matter Young Allison currently discussed with her. She didn't believe any of it was something Young Allison needed to worry about at this point in her life. It was clear Young Allison would be willing to assist her in any of her endeavors going forward. In other words, they would back each other's play. She wanted to stay honest with Young Allison.
"Yes." Cameron said. "I've thought of this. I want to help Vanna and Allison. Why are you asking this?"
Cameron was now worried she may have missed something.
Young Allison was a little confused by some of the methodology.
"It seems a lot doesn't 'add up' to me." Young Allison said.
Cameron felt another glitch impulse. There were many times when she felt things didn't turn out the way they should be. She did want to make one thing clear.
"I will never on my own purposely hurt John, Savannah, or you." Cameron said. "I would rather face termination first. I know when I was damaged I may have exhibited questionable qualities before."
Young Allison was aware of some of Cameron's past incidents when either she went 'bad', or believed she was someone else other than a scary robot from the future. On some of those occasions she believed she was Future Allison. If she thought about it, at those times, Cameron actually thought she was her. It didn't really matter if it was an 'older' version or not. It was still Allison Young.
"You can't guarantee you will always be in control of yourself." Young Allison said.
Young Allison thought about what transpired after the explosion in the Jeep. She also knew Cameron was able to repair herself before John deactivated her. He still did it anyway, even after she told him she loved him. She couldn't imagine Savannah doing something similar to her. No wonder Cameron was so messed up at times. She knew about Future Riley, but she didn't know all the specific details. If she did know ALL of them, it would be her first temporal mission to prevent it from ever happening. It would create a new timeline. She was pretty sure if Cameron actually relived her life over like she thought she did, there were some of those lives where she 'took care' of the 'problem', probably in various ways. It was most likely all of them would be a negative experience for Future Riley.
She did wonder what Cameron would do with Future Jesse though. She didn't believe Cameron would terminate her without trying to rehabilitate her. It was an interesting prospect to think there could be another 'Jesse' who was part of the group. She figured Future Jesse would be the one who ended up with Derek instead of Riley. It made her wonder what would happen to Riley then. It certainly wouldn't be anything good. She needed to refocus and stop such speculation. Nothing was real until it actually happened. It was pointless thinking about it.
Cameron often thought of herself as a failure. She believed it was something deep rooted inside of her. It was something which couldn't be fixed no matter what was done. It always made her feel 'not good enough'.
"No, I've failed many times." Cameron said. "I'm defective."
Young Allison believed Cameron's statement needed some qualification. She felt it was something everyone experienced to some extent.
"We're all defective at times." Young Allison said. "I've dreamt about something like this happening. It seems real until I wake up."
Cameron often wondered how humans knew when a dream was a dream and not real. John told her sometimes they didn't know until they actually woke up. Even when they woke up, there were times it still seemed what they experienced was real, even if they knew it wasn't.
"I have experienced something like nightmares before." Cameron said. "They seemed real until the next one started. It was terrible. They went on for months. I couldn't stop them. I was very ashamed of some of them."
Cameron was still ashamed at the filth her mind produced. She knew some of those nightmares revolved around Young Allison and Savannah. It was never a good thought to think of them in such an extreme context.
Young Allison knew not everything which was a nightmare, was a dream.
"We all fear the nightmare we won't wake up from." Young Allison said.
Cameron still believed what she experienced were actual events from her previous lives, if she was living her life over. There was no way for her to know. Events were going to take a slight change in the bunker in a very short time.
"I think mine were real and happened in different timelines." Cameron said. "CamNet will come back online in twenty seconds."
Young Allison wondered about it.
"Do you think CamNet was really off?" Young Allison asked.
Cameron believed every Terminator and machine would do as the girls asked.
"Yes, if you asked her, she would listen and obey." Cameron said. "CamNet will always listen to Savannah and you. You're both the 'Chosen Ones'. You two will always know best."
The computer screens flashed twice and came back on ten seconds later.
Young Allison wanted to make a point with both Cameron and CamNet about how she was far more advanced than any of them actually understood.
"I know and understand more than you both think." Young Allison said as she looked at Cameron and the security camera. "I know everything."
Cameron thought about her 'Neural Interface' and what it really meant.
"You're in both of us." Cameron said. "You're in both CamNet and me."
Young Allison thought it needed some specificity.
"Future Allison is." Young Allison said.
Cameron understood everything still went back to the original source.
"Future Allison IS you." Cameron said. "Even if you're not her, it is still you in my programming. They all started from you, every Allison. You're the basis for my existence."
The more Young Allison thought about things, the more jumbled they all became. If everything was given more thought there was less clarity and more confusion.
"It's all very mind boggling." Young Allison said. "I still wonder about Summer."
There was some movement on the stairs down into the bunker.
"Perhaps she is gifted." Savannah said.
Cameron hoped to redirect the line of thinking. She didn't want to have a repeat of the conversation she just went over with Young Allison.
"You both are, Allison and you." Cameron said. "I know it's been a lot of hard work. You're both very special. Nobody has ever tried harder than either of you to better themselves. You should both be very proud of yourselves. I am."
Savannah thought Cameron and Young Allison seemed 'serious'. Maybe she should leave for a little bit. It didn't look like they were done yet.
"Am I intruding?" Savannah asked as she contemplated the serious mood.
Young Allison felt the three of their lives were intertwined. In her case, they always were.
"We can never intrude on each other." Young Allison said. "You have both been in my life for as long as I can remember."
Cameron was ready to move things along. It wasn't going to happen in the bunker.
"Let's go back up." Cameron said.
The three of them headed up.
"I spoke with Allison." Young Allison said. "I understand better now. I know there's 'more' to the future than just me."
Savannah believed it also depended on where a person was at any particular point in time.
"It becomes complicated at times." Savannah said. "The futures I've seen are even more complicated."
They left the bunker and headed upstairs. Young Allison missed where Cameron went. She was right in front of them, and then she was gone.
"Where did Cameron go?" Young Allison asked.
Savannah caught a glimpse of Cameron as she rapidly moved away. She seemed very focused on where she wanted to go.
"She went into the kitchen." Savannah said. "Your mother's in there with Summer…."
Young Allison figured it was probably her fault. Cameron probably went to scan her mother and Summer. She would probably do another DNA check as well. She didn't think it was going to do any good, or produce anything different. It was possible Cameron and any of the other Terminators were programmed to detect what they were supposed to detect with the DNA on specific individuals. It might not be what the DNA actually was.
Some of the Terminator teams were on the outskirts of a few of the larger communities. Everything they did would have to be measured as to the response. John Henry always directed city police and county sheriff patrols away from their operations.
The drones were sent to a remote location and 'watched' over each other. They would wait until nightfall to reactivate them, unless an emergency developed. John Henry would suppress the news generated by any of their actions.
Cammy moved from building to building. The spider webs on the doors indicated they hadn't been used in awhile. Then again, there could be a Terminator in 'standby' waiting for their time of reactivation. Cameron ran into one who was in 'standby' for decades. It could be on 'guard duty' as well.
She noted fresh tire tracks in the silt which built up from some rain runoff. The rest of the runoff dirt was baked into hard thin mud. There was one set of tire tracks which led into the building. Either something was previously inside the building and came out, or something was taken inside the building and was still there. It was a solid lead.
"I may have something." Cammy said.
Bob hoped it was the case. His patrol of the area in the SUV turned up nothing.
"Which building is it?" Bob asked.
Cammy was sure it was a solid lead.
"It's the third one from the second alley." Cammy said. "The building is a faded white color with peeling paint. It looks as if the building once displayed a blue stripe painted around the top. I have evidence something went one way out of the location. It either left the building, or is now inside the building."
Sheila picked up on Cammy's transmission and headed in her direction. She hadn't found anything in her search area.
"I see it." Sheila said. "I've come across a homeless encampment. I'm one block over from you to the east."
John listened to the reports come in. They sounded promising. He hoped to keep collateral damage to a minimum if shooting broke out. He was worried about the encampment Sheila found.
"What is the status of the homeless people?" John asked. "Will they be in the line of fire if this goes hot?"
Sheila wanted to obtain some information from one of the homeless individuals. They usually knew a lot about what was going on around them, even if they acted like they didn't.
"There is a large building between them and Cammy's location." Sheila said. "It should stop all of the bullets, if any are fired. I want to question one of them."
John didn't want Sheila to use any extreme measures when she questioned a homeless individual.
"Only verbally if you do." John said. "There will be nothing else."
Sheila wanted to give John some reassurance, even if it wasn't what he actually wanted to hear.
"Don't worry, love." Sheila said. "I will save it for the Grays. They came close to hurting Savannah, Cammy, and Cameron on this one. They'll get what they deserve."
Bob wanted to get nearer to Cammy's position. He brought the SUV around closer to the building in question.
"I've moved the SUV near Cammy's position." Bob said. "I can just see part of it from my position. I can be there in seconds."
Cammy didn't want to raise any suspicion. She didn't want the SUV to come any closer. She thought it would be better if Bob was on foot.
"I see you at the end of the alley, Bob." Cammy said. "There's one firm still in operation near you. Park the SUV near there and come join me. It shouldn't raise any suspicions if you park there, or seem out of place."
Sheila attempted to close up on the homeless individual she wanted to question.
"I'm following one of the homeless." Sheila said. "It appears to be a female. She slipped out of the camp. She's holding her pants in her hand. Wait. She's made an attempt to run now."
John Henry was worried for the homeless female. It sounded like she attempted to flee an abusive situation.
"Use tact." John Henry said. "She probably has suffered enough in her life. It sounds like she was just abused."
Sheila knew 'escape' could be achieved in more than one way.
"I can give her 'a way out'." Sheila said.
John was worried what Sheila would do to the homeless female.
"There will be no needless terminations." John said.
Sheila dealt with some of the abused homeless females before. She knew not everyone needed to be terminated. There were some individuals who needed a little assistance. Sometimes it was just a little positive encouragement and to be pointed in the right direction.
"I thought about buying a bus ticket out of the area for her." Sheila said. "Not everything is fun and games. I've helped Cameron and Savannah before with the homeless people. I could always go after whoever abused her. I think it would be justified. It wouldn't be a needless termination either."
John thought he may have jumped the gun a little. He was aware Savannah encouraged Cameron and the other Metal girls to help when they could.
"I'm sorry." John said.
Sheila spotted a new problem. It looked like her suggestion about a justified termination might come to fruition a little sooner than she anticipated.
"Two men from the homeless camp are looking around. I think they want the female back." Sheila said. "It looks like a rough lot."
John wanted to keep their operation going and avoid any trouble.
"Are any of them headed toward Cammy?" John asked.
Sheila watched as the bad news got worse. It might affect what they were doing soon.
"The female tried to run, but she appears hurt." Sheila said. "She's changed directions and is now headed for the building Cammy is watching. I don't think she's going to make it too far."
Bob didn't like the new developments.
"This is getting better by the minute." Bob said.
John shook his head from side to side in the Command Center.
"Doesn't it always?" John asked.
Now he needed to worry about their mission being compromised. It was through no fault of their own either. It was the actions of the homeless men who apparently abused a homeless female. He didn't like seeing an innocent person stomped on for doing nothing. It made it worse if it was a female who was abused, just because she was a female.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
I'm Fixed
You think it's me
Who's the one that's broke
You don't get it
That's the joke
It's your own doing
Which set events in motion
By abandoning me
You killed the devotion
So look around you now
This is what you get
There's the exit
Pack up and quit
I've opened the door
There are those who waited
Events happen belated
As if time had slated
Cast aside as rubbish
My fate betwixt
I saved myself
I'm fixed
Nobody