Chapter 1599
Time Of Your Life
Bob and Jim were further inside the building. They were displeased at what they encountered so far.
"Let's try to get a live Scavenger." Jim said. "I understand Sheila better now. Termination isn't atonement enough."
Bob nodded. He wanted retribution.
"Payback time…." Bob said.
The interior of the building was divided into a series of hovels. It looked as if the inhabitants lived in it for quite some time. They already went past seven of them. There were two more they could see.
Bob moved forward with his M4 ready. Jim was off to his side and back about fifteen feet. They approached the next hovel.
Derek and Kyle were at the front of the building still.
"It looks like there's a way around on the other side." Derek said.
Kyle looked over. He saw some movement.
"I have something." Kyle said.
Derek checked with Bob and Jim. They were almost to the back corner on the other side. They were catawampus from them at this point.
Jim would head in the direction of the movement they spotted.
Derek wanted to act. He didn't want any surprises.
"Let's go." Derek said.
Derek and Kyle headed in the direction of the movement. They moved unopposed towards the rear. They were about two thirds of the way to the back at this point.
A shot rang out. Derek and Kyle both ducked down as a bullet impacted against a steel roof support. It impacted between them in a shower of sparks.
They both waited to return fire. They didn't have a fix on the target. There was a rustle of clothing and a figure moved towards the front.
Another shot rang out and they dropped to the ground.
"I got one." Jim said.
Bob was in the far rear corner and continued along the rear of the building. He heard a door open as someone ran out.
"There's a target outside." Bob called out.
John Henry, Summer and Sarah watched the operation from the Command Center.
It was hard to tell what happened just from the body camera footage. There was a lot of movement.
They could hear the conversations.
They viewed the deceased females from the body cam footage of Jim and Bob.
"There's a target outside." Bob called out.
A drone at high altitude picked up a figure who exited the building from the rear. The drone prepared for a gravity shot of 'metal hail'.
John Henry was able to identify what the contact was. He quickly canceled the fire mission.
"It's a nude female." John Henry said.
They watched as a naked female staggered away from the building. She ran a few feet and fell to the ground. She got up and staggered away. She appeared to be hurt or drugged. It could be both.
John Henry relayed the information back to the team. She didn't appear to be a threat at this time. She looked like a victim.
Bob checked the last hovel. It was empty. Jim appeared with Kyle and Derek.
Bob handed Derek some clothes he'd picked up from the last hovel.
"You two go help the female." Bob said. "We'll sweep the building one more time. I want to make sure we didn't miss anyone."
Derek and Kyle went out the rear entrance.
Bob and Jim each went back the way they came for a second sweep. They hoped to find a live one still. It didn't look promising.
John Henry directed Kyle and Derek to where the female staggered off to. There were several sheds in the very back against a block wall.
She wasn't going to go anywhere. They still didn't know what her status was.
Sarah wasn't thrilled to see Kyle in pursuit of a nude female. She knew he was there to help.
Summer knew the female could be a victim or a participant.
John Henry didn't think a nude female posed much danger to two armed Resistance fighters.
CamNet's Terminator moved up to the zigzag and paused. He could hear the men further ahead. He went through the zigzag and peered around the corner.
The two men were a little relieved when they exited the zigzag and saw the passageway was nearly undamaged. It was noticeably smaller as well up ahead.
"This looks a little better to me." The first man said.
The second man didn't have a lot of confidence.
"We don't know where this goes." The second man said. "We still need a way out as well. If we feel any shaking, or hear any rumbling, the route we entered from will probably have collapsed. We need to find a way out from the direction we're going."
The two men moved along the passageway. When they reached the area where it looked smaller, it became evident why. There was a branch passageway which went off of it deeper into the mountain.
"I think we need to explore the new direction." The first man said. "It might lead somewhere."
The second man was pretty sure it would lead to their doom. He was worried they might end up in some type of a maze.
"We need to mark the walls or the ground." The second man said. "We could lose our bearings if we don't mark our path."
The first man frowned. He really wished they would have assigned him someone who had a pair, in this case, quite literally.
"I'll leave some bread crumbs on the ground." The first man said.
The second man understood the reference. He wasn't amused.
"More than likely there are rats in here." The second man said. "If it's all we put down, they would find them and eat them."
The first man became more irritated.
"It was a hypothetical." The first man said. "It was an analogy to a fairy tale."
The second man decided to deal with it himself. He took out a pocket knife and unfolded it. He made an arrow on the wall of the passageway they were about to go down. He made an arrow on the wall of the passageway they'd been in. He put the number one below the direction they were headed, and the number two below the direction they were about to go.
"The batteries in our phones are only going to last for so long." The second man said. "When yours runs out, I'm going to turn around and use mine to get out."
The first man didn't like the negative attitude. He was sure they were about to find something of significance. There was no reason for anyone to go to all the trouble to construct the system they were in, unless there was something valuable to be found.
"We're bound to find something soon." The first man said. "I can feel it."
The second man wasn't so sure.
CamNet's Terminator watched the actions of the men and the new direction they took. As soon as they went around the intersection, the passageway went into total darkness. It didn't bother him at all. He could still see what was there and where to go.
Tina joined Lena inside the bakery. She already heard the interrogation start.
Lena was aware the other man was terminated. She knew the same fate would befall the man she currently questioned. She used the same technique Tina used earlier. The man was bound and blindfolded. She spoke in a male voice.
The interrogation started out much the same way as they all did. The curses and threats were always issued. They produced a very negative response for the person being interrogated.
Tina watched the process. The man Lena interrogated, irritated her as much as the man she interrogated. Between what information they could get out of the two men, they determined they were a Skynet group from a different future. They wanted to find out about any other Skynet group, as well as the Fanatics.
Both of the men had been truthful when they reported they didn't know of any Resistance activity in the past. They believed all of the attacks were carried out my other groups of Skynet, or SkyMaster Fanatics.
Lena only needed to break half a dozen bones before she determined no more useful information could be learned. The man's neck was snapped without any prior warning. He was terminated without knowing it was coming.
The information gained from the men's phones would prove to be more useful than either of the interrogations were. They were able to obtain the list of locations the men were to visit. What they needed to find out was where the list of locations came from. The majority of them were all targets taken down by the Resistance or the female Fanatic. They didn't need anyone to 'dog' the Resistance group and their endeavors.
Lena and Tina were about to remove the man's body to the outside. One of the drones picked up a possible threat. A second drone picked up a different type of threat.
Camille-Hanna kissed Claire and lay next to her. She continued her scans as Claire slept. She would monitor her until she woke up on her own. She hoped Cameron didn't find out about what she did. She took things further than she should have.
Claire dozed off for a time before she opened her eyes. She could see 'Cameron' naked in bed next to her. It was what she always wanted.
Camille-Hanna smiled at Claire.
"How do you feel?" Camille-Hanna asked.
Claire felt tired. She felt drained. She remembered 'Cameron' was really Hanna in Camille's chassis. She remembered a few other things too.
"I think I was on one wild ride." Claire said. "It was my best time ever."
Camille-Hanna moved over and kissed Claire slowly as she scanned her. She wanted to make sure Claire was OK. It seemed like it.
Claire wanted to see Jesse. She didn't want to seem rude to Camille-Hanna. She wanted to tell Jesse about her experience and her journey to the 'other side'.
"I need to check on Summer." Claire said.
Camille-Hanna knew Summer wasn't to be disturbed yet.
"You can rest for now." Camille-Hanna said. "I'll check around. Jesse may be looking for you as well. I've monopolized a lot of your time."
Claire didn't want Camille-Hanna to sound that way.
"It's because we're lovers." Claire said.
Camille-Hanna threw on a top and some shorts.
"Jesse is your real lover." Camille-Hanna said. "I'm your Metal lover."
Claire didn't like her answer. It sounded a little limiting and cold.
"We can all share." Claire said.
Camille-Hanna looked back as she went out the door.
"I plan to." Camille-Hanna said. "Rest up. I'll check on Summer and find Jesse for you. You need to take it easy for a while."
Camille-Hanna took one look back. She was still a little worried she took things too far earlier. She wanted to find Jesse and have her keep Claire in her room for now.
Vanna, Allison, and Riley were together.
It was hard to say who was the most excited of the three.
Vanna didn't have a problem working on two females at the same time.
After a while they switched things around and Allison and Riley worked on Vanna.
Riley knew the time seemed to slip away from her. She wondered how long it would be until Derek returned back to the room. Right now she didn't really care, even if she did.
Life was good in Paradise.
Jesse worked on Cam-Holly.
John moved in behind Jesse.
Everyone was happy right now.
All three of them were on a ride of ecstasy.
Jesse couldn't help but think about Allison, as she worked on Cam-Holly.
Cam-Holly was very pleased at how Jesse satisfied her. She thought Jesse was the best of the human females for sex. Allison and Savannah were the best for love. Claire and Vanna were good all around and Riley was new and added to the mix. The girls from the ship were all good for sex as well. There was a lot of variety now. It seemed everything turned into a 'free for all' with Cameron away in pursuit of Savannah.
John held out as long as he could, which wasn't long at all. He finished as soon as Jesse did. He was glad she was able to finish quickly when she wanted to. He was tired and spent. He needed another one of the 'energy drinks'.
Jesse gave him a kiss as he moved to lie next to Cam-Holly
"Relax, love." Jesse said. "We're almost finished here."
John watched as Jesse rotated around over the top of Cam-Holly. They worked on each other now.
John really wondered how he was going to be able to explain all of this to Cameron.
He was with all of the Metal girls and all of the human girls, except Riley, as well as the girls from the ship.
John dozed off. He was really beat.
The Metal girls worked Mary and Laura through all the same weapons Sheila and Leticia used earlier. There was a string of attendants there to bring and load ammunition for them. It almost seemed as if they were there to watch them shoot.
It took some time. Two of the Metal girls always did precision shooting, which amazed the attendants. They didn't know who the girls were, but they sure could shoot.
Cammy and Ally were satisfied Mary and Laura seemed very proficient and were quick learners. It was clear Mary was the better shot and handled the weapons the best. Laura was good too.
They finished up with the M60 and M249 on pedestal mounts.
It was only after Cammy showed off. She'd fired both of them freehand through the center of the bullseye on the target. She did the same things Sheila did earlier.
The attendants still found it a little hard to believe, even if they viewed it with their own eyes. One of them felt he needed to say something. It was almost so he could believe what was happening himself.
"You know it's impossible." One attendant said as he handed Cammy a fresh belt.
Cammy didn't want to upset the attendant. She did want to up the ante if there was a challenge.
"Apparently not…." Cammy said. "I can do it with the M134 if you want. How much money do you want to lose?"
The attendant would take the bet with anyone else, other than the group of girls. It was clear they possessed exceptional ability.
Mary and Laura just experienced the time of their life for an adrenaline rush with the various weapons. They were ready for a short rest.
Laura noticed there were two people missing.
"Where are Leticia and Sheila at?" Laura asked.
Cammy was in contact with Sheila.
"They are out in the parking lot." Cammy said. "They're waiting for us."
Mary thought it was a little strange. It sounded boring after what they just experienced. She wondered why they would wait out there. Maybe they wanted some fresh air, well, Leticia anyway.
The girls all thanked the attendants. Cammy gave each of them a few C-Notes. They were thrilled by it since they also were tipped in advance by CamNet to ensure good service. She almost told them it would have been more if they hadn't mentally undressed them every time they used a weapon.
She didn't know how Sheila asked each one of them to tuck a breast back in her top, after they centered the nipple ring for her.
All the attendants were eager to bring Sheila as much ammunition, or different weapons as she wanted. They were a little sorry it didn't carry over to the current group of females.
Cammy led Mary outside.
Ally was with Laura.
It was pretty clear who the girls were paired up with now.
Holly-Cam and Tricia brought up the rear.
They were a little surprised to see a tank sitting there. It started to move as soon as they were out of the building. Cammy ushered them behind some protective barriers as the tank began to roll.
Mary was a little surprised at who she spotted.
"It's Sheila in the tank." Mary said.
Cammy looked.
"Leticia is driving." Cammy said.
Laura noted the sedan in the tank's path. It seemed as if someone had been either careless or inattentive.
"What about the car?" Laura asked.
Earlier:
Sheila and Leticia were outfitted with some additional protective headgear. They contained communication headsets so they could easily speak with each other as the tank moved.
Sheila drove the tank around first. The girls were inside shooting so she spent a fair amount of time doing it.
Leticia moved into the driver's compartment.
Sheila worked with Leticia until she got the hang of how to control and drive the tank. She actually did quite well.
A passenger car was pushed out into the parking lot.
"Are you ready for some action?" Sheila asked.
Leticia looked at the car. She wondered if she would push it out of the way. After driving the tank around in the parking lot for a while, it was clear it would push a lot of things out of the way.
"Do I get to run into it?" Leticia asked. "Where should I push it to?"
Sheila knew it would play out differently. She believed it was going to be a little bit more spectacular.
"You're going to drive right over the top of it and crush it." Sheila said. "The girls will be out any second. They don't know what's about to happen. All of them should be impressed."
They watched Cammy lead the girls out and keep everyone at a safe distance.
"I see them." Leticia said.
Sheila communicated with Cammy.
Cammy indicated everything was set.
"You're good to go, love." Sheila said.
Leticia started the tank forward. She headed right for the sedan.
Sheila didn't want her to hit it head on.
"Catch it with one of the tracks." Sheila said. "Just aim for it with one side of the tank. It doesn't matter which side. They'll both do the same thing.
Leticia made a slight adjustment. The car was right in front of her, but a little off to the side. In a few seconds there was a mild 'bump' as the tread rode up over the car. The weight of the tank crushed the car as they went over the top of it.
Leticia thought the tank would be good in traffic during rush hour. The way people drove, she would be more than happy to flatten their cars out, along with the drivers inside them.
Young Jesse wondered what some of the options were at the race track.
"You can drive a race car." Hanna-Camille said.
Young Jesse perked up.
"What kind of race car?" Young Jesse asked.
Hanna-Camille could see the suggestion hit home.
"There are several types." Hanna-Camille said. "It's just outside the city. We might even see a B-1 take off. The base isn't too far away."
Hanna-Camille showed Young Jesse on her phone what various types of race cars were available.
Young Jesse felt a little guilty about leaving the other girls behind. Maybe they could all join up again.
"I'd like to try it." Young Jesse said. "Where are the rest of the girls at now?"
They both looked at their phones and saw a tank driving in a parking lot.
CamNet provided Hanna-Camille with all the details.
"It's Sheila and Leticia in the tank. They're about to crush the car in front of them." Hanna-Camille said.
Young Jesse thought it looked kind of cool. They watched the tank go right over the top of the car and crush it a few seconds later. She thought she could broaden her training a little more.
"We don't have too much experience with armor." Young Jesse said. "Can you shoot the canon somewhere too?"
New information appeared on their screens.
"There is an outdoor range with various types of armor available." Hanna-Camille said.
They looked at the various packages.
"Some of those look like fun." Young Jesse said. "I'd like to drive a track or a tank."
Hanna-Camille knew it was where the girls were headed next.
"We can go there now and get a head start." Hanna-Camille said.
Young Jesse spotted something else she wanted to try. It was the same thing Sheila wanted to try. It wasn't something someone encountered very often. She pointed it out to Hanna-Camille. She didn't want safety to be an issue.
"How dangerous is it?" Young Jesse asked.
Hanna-Camille looked at the weapon. It was for very specialized use. It was quite effective against bunkers and caves.
"It might be a little heavy on your back. All weapons, if used properly, aren't too dangerous. At least for the user I mean. It's a different story for the recipient." Hanna-Camille said. "Look at all the traffic fatalities every year. If those vehicles were all operated properly, and the driving rules were followed, there would be very few traffic deaths annually. It would only be due to mechanical failure. People are the problem, not the machines or tools. The biggest contributors to traffic deaths are people driving too fast, or too fast for the conditions. Alcohol and drugs are big contributors as well."
Young Jesse didn't want to seem rude.
"Maybe we can meet up with the girls at the outdoor tank and artillery range." Young Jesse said.
Hanna-Camille headed in the direction of the outdoor facility. CamNet indicated everything would be available and waiting. She already contacted the range to get a lot of ammunition ready for the various weapons. They were to have a supply of rounds ready for the tank, mortar, and howitzer.
Young Allison and Savannah ran to each other and embraced. They both looked back. Cameron and Anna were gone.
Savannah looked at Young Allison as Young Allison looked at her. Their heads moved closer and they kissed. They both looked at each other again. They kissed longer and deeper. It was a soft and sweet kiss.
It was the kiss of love.
"I love you, Savannah." Young Allison said. "I want to be with you."
Savannah knew everything was about to change. She just lost her virginity, to a male, a few hours earlier. She was with Cameron before it happened. Now Young Allison was here and it was clear what she wanted.
Young Allison was more than ready.
Savannah was still a little hesitant. She didn't doubt her love, or their love.
"I love you too, Allison." Savannah said. "I want it too. I just don't know."
Young Allison could see her statement made Savannah a little uneasy. She still wanted more. It was something she felt she already waited too long to experience.
"Please, Savannah, it's what I want." Young Allison said. "I want to move my life forward. I want it to be you."
Savannah was glad Jameron was gone at this point. She figured Young Allison would want to try it too if the male chassis was still there. She didn't want Young Allison to go too far yet. She wanted to be honest with Young Allison about what happened so far.
"A lot's happened." Savannah said. "I lost my virginity earlier today." Savannah said. "I've been with Cameron too."
Young Allison needed to think about all of what Savannah just said and indicated. It was a lot. She wondered if there was more at play than she knew. She quickly looked around. She wondered if she missed someone. Maybe she was going to get to do a little more than she thought.
"Is John here?" Young Allison asked.
Savannah looked a little embarrassed. She didn't want to lie to Young Allison or keep secrets from her. It was still of a rather personal nature. If they proceeded with Young Allison's desires, which were the same as her desires, it would be of a personal nature as well. In fact, it couldn't get much more personal.
"This is between us. We have a special bond." Savannah said. "It wasn't John."
Young Allison was speechless at first.
"Really?" Young Allison asked. "Someone else busted you?"
Savannah smiled. Young Jesse actually popped her. She had two children since. There was nothing to bust. She believed it was something even more beautiful. It was something to treasure forever.
"It was better than John." Savannah said. "It was Cameron in a male chassis."
Young Allison was still a little shocked. She figured Savannah and Cameron would share. She didn't think Savannah would go all the way. She wondered if her earlier conversation with CamNet played a part in any of it. It was the exact same thing she planned to do with CamNet.
"Really?" Young Allison asked.
Savannah absently mildly reached down and touched herself.
"I'm still a little sore from it." Savannah said. "I may have overdone it some. I tried every position too."
Young Allison was a little worried. She read a lot of online descriptions, as well as in publications like Cosmo.
"Did it hurt?" Young Allison asked. "I know it does for a lot of girls. I'm a little worried about it myself."
Savannah knew she was at an advantage as far as it went.
"It didn't hurt very much at all." Savannah said. "Young Jesse popped me when I got pregnant. I've had two children. It was just different, and I wasn't used to it, yet. I am now."
Young Allison thought about the T-33 with the mystery pilot. She noticed the way the male Terminators looked at Savannah. They looked at her the same way too. They didn't used to, but they all did now.
"Who was it?" Young Allison asked. "Was it Bob or Jim? I bet it was Steve or Tom. They're all sweet on you. Maybe it was John Henry!"
Savannah laughed. She didn't want to dance around the issue. She didn't think there was anything wrong with what was done, as well as the way it was done.
"It was Jameron." Savannah said. "Cameron controlled the chassis. It was a 'first' for both of us. I was Cameron's first for a female in both of the chassis she used."
Young Allison looked confused. She knew who all the Terminators were.
"Who's Jameron?" Young Allison asked.
Savannah looked around. Cameron and Anna were nowhere in sight.
"Jameron is a male Terminator with John's body and Cameron's face. The male chassis was based on John's DNA." Savannah said. "It was quite a beautiful experience actually because I was with Cameron both as a female, and then as a male."
Young Allison wanted it too. She was sure it revolved around her discussion with CamNet. She wasn't going to mention it. It was what she asked CamNet to do for her. There were two things she wanted more than anything. One was to be with a female. She wanted it to be Savannah. The other one was to get busted. She just wanted to try it once to see what it was like.
The majority of females her age already did. It wasn't a big deal. It was actually a societal norm. She found it somewhat irritating when people who already did so, didn't want others to do the same thing. She thought it was the classic definition of a hypocrite.
Savannah showed Young Allison around the cabin suite as they talked.
Young Allison looked around. She wanted to know where the missing Metal girls were. It was evident neither one of them wanted to be a chaperone.
"This is a really nice place." Young Allison said. "Where are Cameron and Anna at?"
Savannah led Young Allison to the giant picture window with the sliding glass doors. They looked out over the lake. The view was stunning. They could see the house boat-research vessel tied up at the small private dock.
"I think they're on the boat." Savannah said. "We can use this room or use the suite on the houseboat. They're both really nice."
Young Allison looked at Savannah. It sounded like her dream was about to come true.
"Will you be with me?" Young Allison asked.
Savannah knew it was time. She moved up to Young Allison and kissed her.
"Today is the day." Savannah said. "It's a new beginning for all of us."
Young Allison intensified her kiss. It all seemed so natural to her.
"I want to be with you more than anything." Young Allison said.
Savannah wanted to see if it was true. Her virtue was long gone.
"Cameron and Anna are here." Savannah said. "You can be with both of them first. You know I've been with, well, everyone."
Young Allison kissed Savannah again. Her mind had been laser focused on one thing, with one person, for a very long time.
"You'll be my first." Young Allison said. "It's what I've always wanted since I discovered my sexuality."
Savannah was very pleased to hear it. She was Young Jesse's first and now she would be Young Allison's first. She looked forward to 'popping' Young Allison as she did with Young Jesse. It was actually quite a thrill. There was no doubt she was the first one there.
Young Allison was a little unsure what to do next. She didn't want to do the wrong thing or make the wrong move. She wanted Savannah's experience. She wanted to do everything Savannah did.
"Do we undress each other and start?" Young Allison asked. "I've never done this before."
Her statement excited Savannah greatly.
"I have." Savannah said. "You're in for the time of your life."
Cameron and Anna both slipped away from Savannah and Young Allison. It was the girls' time to be alone now. They went to the houseboat and made sure everything was in order and ready to set out again.
Cameron could see Anna was a little concerned. She wanted Anna to understand it was the way things needed to be.
"It's going to happen." Cameron said. "Today is the day."
Anna could see it. The true test of love was sacrifice.
"I want her to be happy." Anna said. "You know I love Young Allison."
Cameron smiled.
"I do." Cameron said. "You have 'Savannah' and 'me' inside of you. The feelings must be very overpowering."
Anna looked back nervously at the cabin. She wasn't sure how things would progress going forward.
"Will they use the cabin or the boat?" Anna asked.
Cameron wasn't sure.
"I really don't know." Cameron said.
She knew it would happen somewhere there. It didn't really matter.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Temporal Mission:
Past Timeline:
November 26 1963
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Cameron continued northbound on Sepulveda Boulevard. She glanced over to where the curved street of Parthenia Place joined Sepulveda Boulevard. It was the former right of way for the Pacific Electric.
Young Allison looked at the cross streets as they headed north. They soon crossed over Nordhoff Street, Lassen Street, and Devonshire Street. She spotted something familiar.
"I can see the sign for the Bear Pit on the west side of the street up ahead." Young Allison said. "I know this location is the original one for the small chain. Everything looks different without the 118 Freeway there."
Cameron crossed over Chatsworth Street.
"It's going to look even more different in a few seconds." Cameron said. "Look over to the right."
Young Allison glanced over and could see there were railroad tracks on the east side of the street.
"Those must be the Pacific Electric tracks." Young Allison said.
Cameron looked over at some buildings. There was a railroad siding which serviced each of them.
"The 118 Freeway will occupy the same space as those two citrus packing houses." Cameron said. "It will pass right along the south side of the Bear Pit. There were still several packing houses located off of Brand before the tracks connected with the Southern Pacific tracks in San Fernando. This segment of the Pacific Electric was an 'orphan branch'. It wasn't connected to the rest of its system after the tracks were ripped out on Sepulveda Boulevard and Van Nuys Boulevard."
Young Allison could see where Brand Boulevard curved off of Sepulveda Boulevard.
"I can see the track is already pulled out where the rails crossed over Brand Boulevard to go down the center of it on its own right of way." Young Allison said.
Cameron spotted a Bob's Big Boy Restaurant just up ahead on the east side of the street, on the north side of Brand Boulevard.
"If you don't want to stop at the Bear Pit, we could always go to Bob's Big Boy." Cameron said. "In a few years they'll build a new location just north of the Bear Pit on the west side of the street."
Young Allison could see the rails were still in place down the center of Brand Boulevard. They'd only been ripped out where they crossed over the street. She looked at the Bob's restaurant as they neared it. She thought a Big Boy hamburger would be good. She was familiar with the restaurants which took over the locations of both of the Bob's Big Boy locations later on.
Cameron's spotted San Fernando Mission Boulevard up ahead. It was right after Brand Boulevard.
"We could go by the San Fernando Mission if you want to." Cameron said. "You can see it from here."
Young Allison previously went there to visit it after it was repaired from several earthquakes.
"I think I've seen it in better condition later on, than I will now." Young Allison said. "I know the cemetery is right on the north side."
Cameron would be soon alongside the cemetery.
"Ritchie Valens was laid to rest there." Cameron said. "We could visit the grave site if you wanted to."
Young Allison didn't want to go into the cemetery.
"I'll play my copy of 'La Bamba' and 'Come On, Let's Go' when we get back instead." Young Allison said. "I think it's a better way to remember him, and the others."
Cameron remembered what she'd heard someone say in the restaurant in San Antonio near The Alamo.
"I'm not so sure Rock and Roll has been going downhill ever since Buddy Holly died." Cameron said. "He terminated in the same plane crash as Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. I think they're still a lot more good songs to come out over the next decade. It'll be after then when the music takes a turn for the worse. I don't even know if modern music can be called music any longer."
Young Allison listened to some of the music Sarah turned her on to. She thought there were a few good songs. She also thought some of them left a lot to be desired. She thought of an upcoming current event.
"The Beatles will be stateside soon." Young Allison said.
Cameron tilted her head slightly.
"We can go watch them arrive and attend their first concert in the United States if you want." Cameron said. "We can attend all of their concerts. Don't forget, in the next few days we can go watch the Boys we spoke with perform in Indio or San Bernardino as well. There are a lot of things we can do. There are a lot of different groups we can see. I think I could give a few of them a few song ideas to write about. We've already done it once. I don't want to change too much."
Young Allison thought if Cameron wanted to change some history, she should look up and terminate the individual who wanted to get the 'fame' of one of the former band members. She might even encourage Cameron to do it. She could even stop him herself. No, they needed to leave things the way they were.
Cameron reached Rinaldi street. They were constructing the interchange of State Route 7, which was Sepulveda Boulevard, with Route 99. The road in front of them was being converted to a freeway. She elected to skip the interchange and stay on Sepulveda until she would reach San Fernando Road.
Young Allison spotted another cemetery on the north side of Rinaldi Street, and the east side of Sepulveda Boulevard where the freeway to connect to the interchange was being constructed.
"There's the final resting place for some more people." Young Allison said. "I'm sure there were a lot of good people who ended up in both of them."
Cameron glanced over but didn't comment. She elected to stay on the section of Sepulveda Boulevard which ran along the west side of the freeway being constructed. She soon spotted the water from the reservoir on the west side of them.
"The lower Van Norman Dam is on our left side." Cameron said. "It was originally known as the San Fernando Reservoir when it was constructed."
Young Allison could see there was a lot of water in it. In her time, the lower dam was only less than half of the size it currently was.
"There's a lot of drinking water." Young Allison said. "It's too bad they reduced the size of it."
Cameron knew there was a good reason for it.
"It nearly failed in the 1971 earthquake." Cameron said. "You would think after the failure of the Baldwin Dam in a few days, they would rethink earth filled dams and their integrity. Sloshing water, and ground movement, don't mix well with dirt. Well, I guess they do. It's called mud. Mud doesn't hold back millions of gallons of water. If the dam would have failed at the time of the earthquake, thousands of people would have been terminated. Many would still have been in bed."
Young Allison could see the cement top on the dam. She knew it was just dirt underneath.
"There wouldn't have been much to stop the flow of water until the reservoir was drained." Young Allison said.
Cameron knew what would stop the massive flow of water.
"The Sepulveda Dam would have contained most of it when it reached it." Cameron said.
Young Allison saw all the houses now. She knew there would be more by 1971.
"It's all the way on the south side of the valley." Young Allison said. "We're on the north side now. I can see why it would kill thousands. They're lucky it held."
Cameron questioned some of the designs of the chief engineer of the project to bring water to Los Angeles. Another dam collapsed in 1928. It was the day after he certified there was nothing wrong with it. Over 400 people died along the Santa Clarita River as a result. The dam was only completed two years previously.
"The level of the lower dam was raised nine times since it was first constructed." Cameron said. "Each time it was with compacted dirt on top of what was already there."
They soon spotted the upper dam.
"I'm going to stay off the new part of Route 99 which has been constructed." Cameron said. "Sepulveda Boulevard will end when we reach San Fernando Road. The Southern Pacific railroad tracks are next to San Fernando Road for most of its length from where it starts, to where it ends downtown. There's a disconnected segment which reappears where San Fernando Road ends where Route 6 deviates from Route 99. We should see the water from the aqueduct coming down the hill soon. It was named The Cascades."
Cameron turned left off of Sepulveda Boulevard onto San Fernando Road. They parallel the railroad tracks and Route 99 on the other side of them. The segment of San Fernando Road they currently were on, used to be Route 99 until the new freeway section was constructed. They soon reached Balboa Boulevard.
There would be a big bridge built later on to carry Balboa Boulevard over San Fernando Road, the railroad tracks, and the freeway to reach Foothill Boulevard on the other side. It would change the alignment of how Balboa Boulevard and San Fernando Road intersected. The junction would be moved further to the west. They continued west on San Fernando Road.
Young Allison was able to spot The Cascades. It looked a little naked compared to how she was used to viewing the area. It made her think of a musical group with a similar name. They produced one hit single. The group sounded very much like another singer of the time period. They started out on a TV show and graduated into being a singer. Unfortunately they died tragically in a plane crash. There was some controversy over what exactly caused the plane to crash. It didn't really matter in the end. It was still a tragic loss for everyone. She focused her attention back on the man made landmark.
"I'm used to seeing the even larger waterfall on the other side of it." Young Allison said. "I guess it won't appear for some time yet."
Cameron didn't think it would be too long.
"The larger and longer waterfall will be constructed within a decade." Cameron said.
Young Allison could see the big massive pipe which ran alongside the man made waterfall.
"When the aqueduct was built, I think the only reason why the water wasn't run through the pipe all of the time was so they could sell land." Young Allison said. "They wanted to show people there was water for the near desert like land of the San Fernando Valley. I remember reading how a lot of those officials lined their pockets by buying up land before the aqueduct was announced. I think it would be considered as some type of 'insider trading' now. I'm sure it was illegal then as well. I guess if they were all in on it, nobody would do anything."
There were mountains on both sides of them. Everything began to narrow into a canyon. San Fernando Road was on the south side, the railroad tracks were on the north side. Route 99 was on the north side of them. They continue to converge on top of each other. They would all almost cross over the tops of each other at the same point.
"We're going to take Route 6 when we reach the bridge." Cameron said. "It will be renamed as Route 14 next year. It'll eventually become the 14 Freeway. This segment of Route 99 will become Interstate 5. Route 99 will fade away in this area. It does reassert itself in the Central Valley when Interstate 5 deviates from Route 99's original course. Route 99 will continue to parallel the Southern Pacific railroad tracks throughout much of California on its journey northward."
Young Allison thought Interstate 5, after the split with Route 99, was the road through nowhere. She was on it for hours on end with nothing in sight but farmland which was allowed to turn back into desert. She had to question the intelligence of someone who thought it was better to run billions of gallons of fresh water into the ocean, rather than use it to grow crops. She wondered if they ever ate at any place other than a fast food joint, or a fancy French restaurant. She doubted they even thought about where food came from. It didn't just appear magically at the store.
She noted there were several bridges in front of them. The railroad tracks dipped down into a cut.
"Are those the bridges which fell down in the 1971 earthquake?" Young Allison asked.
Cameron knew it was a little more complicated.
"There were actually even taller bridges above them which were being constructed for the interchange with the 14 Freeway in 1971." Cameron said. "Those bridges were constructed with single column supports and failed miserably in the earthquake. Most of them were just completed when the earthquake struck. They collapsed and crushed the bridges below them. Strangely enough, they were rebuilt the same way and failed again in the 1994 earthquake, in exactly the same spots they did the first time. As you know in our time, many of them were rebuilt exactly the same way again. Sometimes I wonder if Skynet is behind some of the planning which goes on in Sacramento."
Young Allison could see a small bridge coming up. It crossed over the railroad tracks and went underneath the overpass. It was marked for Route 6.
"How did the old bridge do?" Young Allison asked.
Cameron thought it did pretty well.
"It was originally built in the Thirties. It survived the earthquakes of 1952, 1971 and 1994." Cameron said. "Tunnel 20, originally Tunnel 25, is just to the west of us. It was completed in 1876. It survived all of the earthquakes as well."
Young Allison thought they just didn't build things like they used to.
"It really does make you wonder about who the people are designing things, when things which were designed and built a century ago, hold up better than the new stuff." Young Allison said. "There was a lot of manual labor associated with them."
Cameron was aware the old technology prevailed after the disasters.
"All the railroad needed to do to get back into full operation, was bulldoze the collapsed bridges off of its tracks, and make sure the alignment was still good. They started running trains again as if nothing had happened for them. It was because it hadn't."
Cameron saw a place she could pull over as they were about to cross over the bridge onto Route 6.
"We can walk through Tunnel 20 if you want." Cameron said. "There are seventeen safety alcoves inside of it. It's a little shorter than Tunnel 26. It had twenty."
Cameron knew the length of Tunnel 20 was only 6,940 feet. Tunnel 26 was 7,369 feet. They were constructed just over a quarter of a century apart.
Time Of Your Life
It seems more than a few
Like to create opposition and resistance
It cuts to the very core
Of one's own existence
Few actually know the destination
Before they make the trek and arrive
When they make it
Are they even still alive
Sometimes it takes a lot more
Than touching and seeing
To confirm they are there
As a living and thriving being
When the road gets rough
There's no need for an attorney
Get up and get out
It's time for a new journey
It's time to wake up
Push aside the daily strife
Get ready for a new adventure
It will be the time of your life
Nobody