Chapter 981

Is That Wise Or Safe

John didn't care for the recent turn of events. He was worried Hanna and Holly might have a tail. He was also worried about the current destination of the truck. He wanted some firm answers.

"What have you found out about the cryogenic lab?" John asked. "It sounds like bad news."

John Henry was a little surprised at what he uncovered so far.

"It's been around for a few years." John Henry said. "At one point they were going to store human brains and heads there."

John didn't say anything at first. It sounded pretty strange to him. It sounded like something Skynet would do. The fact it could have been going on for years was even more worrisome. He wasn't sure if it was just a scheme to cheat people out of money under the false promise the brain, or even the head, could be reattached to some different individual later on. Common sense dictated it was never going to happen. Sometimes he wondered what was wrong with people.

"What would they do it for?" John asked. "Was this place legit? What's really going on?"

John Henry knew there were some prominent people who died who did the very thing, or at least looked into it. It was more common than he would have thought. There were already about a thousand people from brains, to heads, to their entire bodies already frozen. There were around four thousand people on waiting lists worldwide. Evidently there were quite a few people who couldn't accept the reality of life, death.

"It was for people who thought they could be brought back to life in the future." John Henry said. "Some died from an illness they hoped to find a cure for later on. It includes more than a few celebrities. Obviously everyone involved needs to have money."

It made him wonder if anyone who was terminally ill submitted to the process before they actually died. He was pretty sure if they did, they would actually be dead. The lab who froze them would have committed a homicide. It seemed to him there were plenty of celebrities who were worried about their appearance as they aged. What was going to happen once they were brought back to life from whatever afflicted them? They would continue to age and grow older. He wasn't really sure what the payoff was. What if the payoff was a Terminator chassis, instead of a human body?

John didn't think there was a cure for Skynet. Maybe Cameron was the cure.

"I guess with Skynet it didn't happen." John said. "The power grid would have been taken down. All of the organic matter would have thawed out and rotted in a very short time. It would have happened too early in the conflict for people to realize it could be a source of food if they were starving. They could at least feed animals with it, mainly dogs. They could be on the hunt in the search for Terminators."

John Henry wasn't sure if part of John's statement was in jest. It seemed best not to comment on it. He noticed there were several instances where things went wrong which prevented the lab ever getting started in the field. It made him wonder if there was anyone else involved who may have been responsible for it. He wasn't sure if there was some 'temporal manipulation' or 'temporal malpractice' involved.

"It never happened at all." John Henry said. "They experienced a system failure before they ever got started. There are a few places actually doing it. This isn't one of them."

John felt the operation reeked of temporal opportunity by Skynet. He wondered if Skynet tried to get a hold of the brains of some prominent scientists from the past. Perhaps with some type of 'Neural Interface' like Cameron developed, they would be able to glean and harvest information from the decedent's brains. He was sure it was impossible. Maybe there was future technology involved. The Fanatics were from a further future. They still didn't know much about them either. It was hard to get information when someone took poison or blew themselves up rather than be captured and questioned. He needed to know more.

"Are we looking at a recent change in ownership here?" John asked. "Does it look like someone is playing games?"

It reminded John Henry of some of the other things Skynet previously did. It reminded him a lot of what happened to Savannah's parents.

"Yes." John Henry said. "The firm's owners were killed in a traffic accident and the assets were recently sold."

John wasn't sure if it would be a good thing or a bad thing. If it was something recent, it probably meant Skynet didn't have its fingerprints all over it for too long of a period of time. The less time Skynet acquired control of anything, the better it was for them.

"Don't tell me, this all happened in the last few weeks or months." John said.

John Henry knew it meant he was supposed to tell John anyway. It took him some time to figure it out previously, even after John told him. It seemed as if someone didn't want to hear something, even if they did, maybe they really didn't. It always presented him with a dilemma. The information he uncovered also gave him more to work with to search for other things.

"Yes." John Henry said. "I'm checking to see if they own anything else at the port."

John remembered the last time they dealt with Skynet and some Coltan at the port. It made him wonder if anything like it happened again. If Skynet tried something once, they were more than likely to try it again.

"See if they have any links to the old supermarket." John said. "They're doing something. If they have anything at the port, they may be bringing Coltan in from some source we don't know about. I know it's something Cameron looks into all the time. She's very frustrated because she can't find the source the different Skynet offshoots are using."

It was a major concern the Resistance held about a few things. It was if something was discovered or found in the future, and Skynet sent operatives back in time to obtain or alter in the present. If they were unaware of it, they didn't know where to look, or for what. It appeared Skynet being able to attain Coltan still, was one of those things. The fact they came across plenty of Skynet equipment over the years, seemed to prove Skynet obtained a secret source of Coltan from somewhere.

"Cameron indicated in every future she visited, she checked for additional deposits of Coltan. There may be deposits of Coltan discovered in the future she doesn't know about now." John Henry said. "Skynet may be mining them and keeping it off the books. They've been very successful so far."

John wanted to stay away from 'what ifs' right now.

"I don't want to get side tracked here." John said. "This is the immediate threat. The Terminator at the old supermarket is a threat. The car which may be tailing Hanna and Holly is a threat. We have a lot of known threats, or potential threats already."

The new vehicle in the mix was the unknown threat. They didn't know if it was reinforcements or one of the other groups they were dealing with.

John Henry continued to monitor its progress. It was currently locked up with a drone for a missile strike. It wasn't an option they wanted to use in the city because more than likely there would be collateral damage.

"The brown car is still on Hanna and Holly 'six'." John Henry said.

John didn't know if they were made and it's why the car appeared to follow Hanna and Holly. If the operation was already blown, he wanted to hit the old supermarket and prevent them from getting ready to repulse an attack. The longer they waited once they were discovered, would allow the Skynet forces to set up booby traps or ambush points for their teams.

"I want Cameron to be ready." John said. "If Holly and Hanna turn off and the car follows them. I want Cameron's team to hit the old supermarket. We're going to take the two in the car down first."

John Henry felt there was an additional objective.

"What about the cryogenics lab?" John Henry asked.

John felt the immediate threat was to Hanna and Holly.

"Let's see what the car does first." John said. "Get everyone on the same page."

They still didn't know if the car tailing Hanna and Holly was actually after them, or was some type of chase vehicle for the truck. As far as they knew it could be additional muscle in case the truck ran into a scrape. It could serve both functions or neither. They didn't know yet.

Cameron and Savannah received the reports from John Henry. They were instructed to be ready to assault the old supermarket.

Savannah didn't like the fact they weren't going to wait until dark. Darkness provided them with cover to wear body armor and openly carry weapons, especially long guns. It also gave them better concealment unless the enemy wore night vision. Since they knew there was a Terminator at the location, it wouldn't matter as much. They would be spotted anyway.

"It isn't dark yet." Savannah said. "I think we need to wait a little bit and let it play out some. We don't need to rush things. Gail indicated the door was rather formidable."

Cameron didn't want to wait. Maybe there was a captive female in there. It was time for action. She went over Gail's report about the door into the rear of the building. It was something which would take a lot of effort to breach. It most likely would need to be blown open. It would make a lot of noise. She thought about some of the conditions around the area she viewed. It gave her a few ideas. She wanted to try a new method for entry. She understood Savannah's hesitation to act before it was dark.

"I'm going to try a different approach." Cameron said. "I'm going to have them open the door for us."

Savannah didn't think Cameron would take safety into consideration. She was a little apprehensive if Cameron came up with a new scheme. She wanted to evaluate it herself before it was put into effect.

"What are you planning?" Savannah asked. "Do you plan to knock?"

The intel from Susan and the three male homeless men indicated there was some 'bad blood' between the homeless community and the Grays. The Grays didn't like people going through their trash and trying to set up a homeless encampment in back of the old supermarket.

Cameron thought she came up with a plausible plan based on those facts. She would see what Savannah thought.

"I will go back to where we hid the Ogre and his two associates. Sheila can meet me there." Cameron said. "We'll put the clothing of the two men whose necks were snapped on over our clothes. We will start digging in their trash and make a lot of noise. Maybe we will make it look like we're setting up a homeless camp there."

Savannah felt it would get the rear door open to the old supermarket. She could see it was an effective strategy rather than attempting to breach the door by blowing it open. The downside was it would also bring out a hostile force which included a Terminator.

"You think someone will come out to chase you away." Savannah said. "They may come out to terminate you instead."

Savannah thought they needed to consider the possibility they would be identified as females. The Grays may try to put the grab on them as well, rather than just chase them away.

Cameron wasn't sure what would happen. She believed since the Grays hadn't actually terminated any of the homeless people they were aware of, they may still be hesitant to do so. If bodies began to pile up around one location, it was bound to get the attention of the authorities, even if the decedents were homeless people. She felt they would be sufficiently protected and armed.

"We'll have our Tasers and pistols." Cameron said. "The clothes should be bulky enough to hide our vests and a few Thermite grenades. Cam and Gail are there to back us up. It should get them to open the barricaded door and save us a lot of effort. It will also prevent a lot of noise which would attract attention otherwise. We should be able to terminate any Grays, or even the Terminator silently. They won't be expecting a force of Resistance Terminators to engage them. What they think are soft targets, are going to turn out to be very hard targets. I don't think we're going to be targets at all, they are."

Savannah could see the plan was workable. It was clear to her they would otherwise need to blast the door off or a wall open to get inside where the Grays were. It would create a lot of noise and attract a lot of attention. The homeless people in the area would probably come to see what happened. They didn't need more witnesses. It could give them some surprise against the target too.

"It sounds risky." Savannah said. "If you think they'll open the door for you and we don't need to blast or shoot our way in, it may have merit. It seems there would be less damage to our personnel if things work out the way you plan."

Cameron wanted to lead the assault herself. She didn't want to leave Savannah unprotected.

"I'm going to have Cam come here to be with you." Cameron said.

Savannah could take care of herself. She didn't want to pull help away from Cameron. It would be Cameron and the entry team who faced the threat. It wasn't out in front of the building.

"If we think everything is in the back, I should be fine here in the front." Savannah said. "I can cover the front by myself. It will allow you four to enter the building once you get them to open the door. You still don't know what you're going to face once you're inside. The enemy is most likely going to try to fight. Hopefully you will catch them off guard if they think they're only dealing with a couple of homeless people out in the back. They won't expect a force of Terminators to enter the building. It's doubtful anyone would attempt to escape out the front once the assault starts. If they do, they won't be expecting anyone to be in the front since they have it walled off from where they're at."

Cameron was worried about Savannah's safety. She would like to have a stronger Terminator force when she entered the building. She also needed to consider what could happen to Savannah. She couldn't let anything happen to her.

"I don't want to leave you unprotected." Cameron said.

It was clear to Savannah there was always some danger in every operation. The current situation was no different. In a Skynet future she would more than likely need to face plenty of danger on her own. She could face a little of it now. She would give Cameron one other option and see how she wanted to play it then.

"If you don't want me to protect the front, then let me go with you. Cam or Sheila can come to cover the front." Savannah said. "I think they would better serve you going inside, rather than me. There has to be a certain amount of risk involved in what we do. I'm going to be alone at some point in the future. There have been other situations where I've operated on my own, and even combated Terminators. I think I can handle a few Grays."

Cameron instantly thought about the time she was knocked offline. Savannah needed to combat three Terminators on her own. She did and took all of them down. She watched the body cam footage thousands of times. Maybe it was less dangerous for Savannah to remain in the front of the building. If Savannah went with her, she would face a direct threat. She he didn't want to place her in even greater danger.

"Let me think about it." Cameron said.

Savannah didn't want Cameron to get ahead of the rest of the operation.

"It all depends on what the car, which may or may not be, following Hanna and Holly does." Savannah said. "We don't know if it's a direct threat or not."

There were always other unknowns which seemed to pop up from out of nowhere.

Cameron knew once they were inside the building they still didn't know what they would find and face. The prospect of anything Liquid Metal was a sobering factor.

She didn't think she would fare well in a one on one encounter with a Liquid Metal Terminator. She witnessed Mrs. Weaver in action in two different futures. She was aware there were some vulnerabilities for a Liquid Metal Terminator. In order for those to be effective, they needed to be prepared in advance. There was no such preparation where they were at.

Cammy was able to close up on the target vehicle, the brown sedan. She was ready for the action to start.

"We have the brown sedan within striking distance." Cammy said. "Hanna can make her move and we will see what happens."

Everything was dependent if the brown sedan would continue to follow Hanna and Holly.

Hanna was ready to act. She didn't like being targeted. They would lead the brown sedan into an ambush. Everything was all set up and waiting. Cammy and Ally would be behind the target vehicle and make sure there was no escape for them. Their only escape would be the nothingness of termination.

"Everyone look alive." Hanna said. "We're turning off now."

Hanna swung her SUV off onto the street leading to the storage locker facility. Cameron's Terminators were waiting for them with an ambush.

The brown sedan passed the street and kept going. Maybe Hanna and Holly weren't their target. Maybe they were a chase vehicle for the truck. Maybe it was something else.

John watched it unfold from the drone footage. In this case it didn't unfold. He wanted Cammy to put some more space between the brown sedan and her vehicle. It appeared there was a little more at play here than they anticipated.

"Cammy, I want you to fall back." John said. "They look like they are still headed to the cryogenic lab. I don't want them to make you as a tail or a threat. They're more than likely concerned about what's in front of them rather than behind them. Let's not give them anything to think about."

Cammy was able to move close enough so they were able to view the occupants of the brown sedan.

"We're dropping back." Cammy said. "They didn't even appear to look in the direction Hanna turned. I don't believe they were even aware of her presence, other than just another vehicle on the road."

John was more than a little relieved they didn't need to trigger an ambush on a city street. The location they selected was remote, but still not far from where the rest of the traffic was at.

"OK, at least we are trying to keep everyone as safe as possible." John said. "I want everyone to take a divergent route to the cryogenics lab and set up for a strike when it's dark. There will be two teams of Metal girls, and Cameron's Terminators available."

They didn't know if the brown sedan was part of the Skynet team, or something else. They knew there were other groups in play when it came to Skynet. There were other versions of Skynet to worry about. The Fanatics and the anti-Metal group also both posed a serious threat.

Savannah voiced her concern to John about taking down the cryogenics lab with the truck still there. They still needed to know its destination. It seemed to her everyone wanted to strike too quickly. There was more intel they could gain by waiting a little longer.

"What about the truck and it going back to the port?" Savannah asked. "It's important too, John. We don't need to rush any of this."

John wondered what he was thinking. It was probably because of his association with Cameron. She didn't like to wait when there was a clear target. Right now there were three clear targets.

"You're right, Savannah." John said. "Maybe we're rushing things."

John Henry was a little surprised at the next turn of events. It wasn't what they'd expected but it also wasn't unexpected.

"Drone footage shows the brown sedan has stopped two blocks away from the truck at the lab." John Henry said.

His revelation indicated they weren't the only group who followed the truck and watched it. It was clear someone else did too. Most likely it was another 'player in the game'.

Cameron knew there weren't any other drones in the sky other than theirs. The brown sedan wasn't in visual contact with the truck for quite some time. It indicated they either knew where it was going to go, or they were able to track it some other way. It was probably both. The two groups she most likely suspected were both troublesome to her.

"I think this is another group." Cameron said. "It's either the Fanatics or the anti-Metal group. I bet they have a tracker on the truck."

John Henry decided he needed to look for something specific in the way of a signal from a tracking device.

"I'm checking now for anything we missed." John Henry said. "It's possible they have a device they can turn on and off."

John watched the drone image of the parked sedan. No one made a move to get out of it, or go check on the truck parked at the cryogenics lab. He was sure it was something routine for them. He wondered exactly what they were up to. If they were going to do something, what were they waiting for?

"It looks like they're waiting for the truck to leave." John said.

Cammy wanted to stick with the truck when it left. She was sure wherever the truck ended up was probably their prime target. She looked forward to taking it down.

"I'm going to follow the truck." Cammy said.

John Henry informed John earlier some more of Cameron's Terminators were about to arrive to help back up the operation. There were already two there who set up the ambush for the brown sedan if it would have followed Hanna and Holly.

John wanted to keep the Metal girls in the same area for now. There were other Terminators who could take over the chase.

"Cameron's Terminators will follow the truck back to the port." John said. "You and Ally will stay and assist Holly and Hanna when they enter the cryogenics lab."

Cammy wanted to hedge their bet. She wanted to try to get a tracker on both the truck and the brown sedan. There would be a drone with each of them as they continued their journey to the port area.

"If they get out of the sedan, I want to put a tracker on it." Cammy said. "If you can find the tracker they have on the truck, it's even better."

John Henry didn't think it would be necessary with the drone support. If they could find what they suspected was already there on the truck, it would save them the trouble of attempting to tag it. There was more chance of one of them being spotted if they needed to. Not only would they need to worry about the Grays, they would need to worry about whoever was in the brown sedan as well.

"I'm still searching." John Henry said.

Young Allison and Anna monitored all of all of the events as they unfolded from the Young bunker.

"How do you read the new developments?" Anna asked.

Young Allison felt the brown sedan representing an unknown threat. The truck and the old supermarket were obviously Skynet related. It was clear there was someone, if not the entire business, associated with the cryogenic lab, who was also involved with Skynet.

"The brown sedan represents an unknown threat." Young Allison said.

Anna believed the unknown was always a threat. They needed to find out more about who they were without raising any type of alarm.

"It does." Anna said.

Young Allison understood if the brown sedan represented a second group of players, they needed to be identified and dealt with as well. The brown sedan came from somewhere. Wherever the 'somewhere' was, there was a threat to the Resistance and the future. The location in return would probably produce other locations. It seemed everything was able to feed and expand on its own.

"One team needs to stay with the sedan." Young Allison said. "We need to get a tracker on it."

Anna didn't want to risk anyone having to approach the vehicle. It was still a possibility the unknown vehicle might be driven by Fanatics. If it was, it was more than likely rigged to explode.

"We can use one of the drones." Anna said. "No one needs to approach either vehicle."

Young Allison understood there would be plenty of drone coverage. She still would like to get a tracker on any of the vehicles they could. There was always the chance they could enter a mall parking lot, or some other covered parking structure and 'disappear'. At least the occupants of the vehicles could 'disappear'. It was a technique they used often when switching vehicles. It wouldn't be too difficult for anyone else to do the same thing.

"We have one drone to follow the truck, one with each team of girls, and one over Cameron's team." Young Allison said. "If the girls join up, it will free up one drone. There should be more on the way."

Anna knew Young Allison would act on her own.

"Did you request them?" Anna asked.

Young Allison glanced at the security monitor.

"This conversation should have initiated a response." Young Allison said.

Anna wasn't so sure having CamNet operate or act on Young Allison's 'thoughts or ideas' was a good thing without confirmation as to the intent and result.

"Do you want CamNet to act on what you're 'thinking'?" Anna asked.

Young Allison felt CamNet already did act on what she anticipated.

CamNet tried to act as an extension of Young Allison and her plans.

Young Allison did realize CamNet couldn't know for sure what she always thought about, or what she always wanted. She could see a potential problem. So far there hadn't been one.

"We'll work hand in hand." Young Allison said. "I see on my screen there are more drones ready for launch. Send the information to John Henry."

Anna saw this as an opportunity for Young Allison to work closer with the Command Center and specifically John.

"Do you wish to communicate with them directly?" Anna asked.

Young Allison would do it if it was necessary. She didn't believe it was necessary yet. She preferred to act through the normal channels she acted through currently.

"No." Young Allison said. "You know why. My input will be taken more seriously if things are forwarded through you and CamNet. I prefer to remain low key and in the background as much as possible at this time. I know I stepped on a lot of toes over the last few days. It was never my intent to force my way in, or act on my own. I simply acted when it was necessary. There have been a lot of distractions involving the Command Center as well as the Las Vegas Control Center."

Young Allison was made aware by CamNet of much of the activity which could have occurred recently. She didn't care for some of Cameron's manipulation involving Savannah. CamNet didn't get into any of the activity which did occur. Those were all private personal matters.

Anna believed Young Allison's request to remain 'anonymous' was a moot point. It should be obvious to anyone in the Command Center when CamNet acted, or made suggestions, they were most likely directly from Young Allison.

"They will still know they're coming from you." Anna said.

Young Allison wanted to keep things the way they currently were. It made her feel more comfortable if nothing else.

"It's fine." Young Allison said. "There's a difference between assuming and knowing. I don't want to step on people's toes any more than I already have."

Anna didn't think Young Allison would hesitate to do it again. She believed if Young Allison thought the Command Center was slow to respond to a perceived threat, she would act on her own, again.

"You have acted alone before." Anna said.

Young Allison knew they were times when she needed to act. She didn't want to get tied down in discussions or have someone else shoot down her idea when she knew it was sound. When she saw something needed to be done she made sure it was done and taken care of. It was just that simple.

"I needed to protect Savannah and Cameron." Young Allison said. "I want to be part of the team, not a team of my own."

Anna could see Young Allison wanted to do the right thing, even if she always didn't.

"You're very thoughtful." Anna said.

Young Allison didn't want any praise. If there is any praise to be given, it belonged to those who mentored her.

"I have thoughtful teachers who I'm relying on to make sure I don't make a mistake and do the wrong things." Young Allison said. "It includes CamNet, all of the Terminators, and you. I want to be told or stopped before I make a mistake or endanger anyone"

Anna was a little concerned with what could occur at the old supermarket.

"What about Savannah?" Anna asked.

Young Allison understood what Anna referred to. It was a concern of hers as well.

"Do you mean about Savannah being alone for a short while?" Young Allison asked.

Anna listened to the choice Savannah gave Cameron earlier. Everything was pointed out what would happen if she didn't remain where she was. Savannah would go with Cameron in one of the other Terminators would need to cover the front. It was illogical to do Under the current conditions.

"Yes." Anna said. "What's your read on what will happen?"

Young Allison doubted Cameron would want Savannah to enter the building with her. She also doubted Savannah was going to remain in the SUV. She believed Savannah would take pre-emptive action. She would want to be ready to confront the enemy so they couldn't attempt to flee.

"I believe Savannah will enter the front of the old supermarket when Cameron and Sheila unleash their ploy at the back." Young Allison said. "She'll want to make sure no one escapes out the side or finds some other place to hide."

Anna wasn't so sure it was a good idea. She wondered if Young Allison would intervene.

"Is that wise or safe?" Anna asked. "Savannah's not a Terminator."

Young Allison didn't think it was wise or safe. She wanted a better solution.

"I'm working on it." Young Allison said. "We need to remember Savannah is a trained and skilled Resistance fighter. She's proven herself in combat multiple times. She's been able to take the fight to the enemy and come out on top every time."

Young Allison looked forward to the day when she would be able to assist Savannah and Cameron in the field. She knew like everything else involving her, they would continue to hold her back. She was ready for the next step in everything.

Anna watched Young Allison act and bypass her.

"I see you've bypassed everyone, including me." Anna said as she checked her screens.

Young Allison didn't want to seem offensive or disrespectful. She also wanted action and results.

"I'm sorry. I was doing a little planning ahead." Young Allison said.

Anna reminded Young Allison of her earlier statement.

"What about being part of the team?" Anna asked.

Young Allison shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"I like to cover all the bases." Young Allison said. "They have enough to deal with in the field, and in the Command Center. I can organize some of the things in the background for them. They will be notified when it is appropriate. I don't want to make anyone feel like they're not doing their job, or they can't be relied on to complete it."

Anna believed it was something Young Allison was willing to do every instance.

"I think you have it covered." Anna said.

Young Allison quickly looked at Anna. She may have made some 'adjustments' and added a few safeguards, but it was never enough. There could always be more.

"It's never covered." Young Allison said. "It's never safe."

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Is That Wise Or Safe

There are times when one
From out of the blue
Seems to find another
Who is different and new

The new person is really
Just another stranger
With the unknown
There's always danger

Is the new person
Someone who one can trust
Will one be treated fair
Will they be treated unjust

When things are made to be broken
Can anything ever last
Maybe some questions
Are in the forecast

The new person soon
At the soul will chafe
Question should be asked
Is that wise or safe

Nobody