Chapter 985
One To Go
John Henry and John monitored everything from the Command Center.
"Everything's a go." John Henry said as they watched.
They observed the body cam footage of the troops at the two locations as they advanced.
The drones above the old supermarket and the cryogenics lab searched for any threats which could approach either location. A drone stayed with the brown sedan, and with the truck which visited both of the target locations. They didn't know if there would be any additional stops on the way to the final destination. If there were, there would be additional targets to deal with.
They wanted to know where the truck ended up at. They knew it was headed for the port, but they didn't have an exact location. As soon as they were able to determine the location, they would have an additional target. The brown sedan was still an unknown. They came to the conclusion it was probably Syndicate related. They needed to deal with Skynet from several futures, as well as the Fanatics, and the anti-Metal group. The prospect of having to deal with the Syndicate as well was nothing but an additional headache.
John wanted to make sure the truck was still on its way to the port.
"Let's hope it goes well." John said. "What about the truck?"
John Henry monitored each situation. Everything seemed under control.
"The truck is still on the freeway." John Henry said. "The brown sedan is following it from a distance. It's far enough back it wouldn't be made as a tail by the occupants of the truck. With a tracker on the truck they don't need to get too close. They would probably only move up if the truck were to slow or stop."
John and John Henry continued to watch the drone footage and body cam footage as the operations unfolded. Things seemed to happen in their favor so far. It might change. The battlefield was always fluid.
The drones on wide recon searched for any enemy reinforcements which might approach either location. They also checked the air for any HK drones. They wanted to make sure none of them could approach any of their troops. So far none were detected.
It was always a worry of theirs one of the other groups they dealt with would attempt to attack the location they were at. So far it never happened. It wasn't just one enemy they needed to deal with. The multiple enemies all wanted to attack each other as well. They were more than willing to take a step back whenever it occurred and let them attack each other. When they finally moved in, after one side gained the upper hand, there were a lot less of the enemy to deal with.
Cameron exited the freezer. She left behind one Gray stripped of his warm clothing. He was bound and gagged. He was currently unconscious and would be dealt with later on.
She heard some movement in the direction Gail and Cam went. She heard some more suppressed shots from an M4. There was a single shotgun blast.
It wasn't what Cameron wanted to hear.
It was the first of any returned gunfire.
Cameron rushed toward the area to see what happened. She was worried either Gail or Cam may have been damaged. It wouldn't be enough to incapacitate them, let alone terminate them. It depended upon where the shotgun blast was directed. It could do extensive sheath damage, especially if it was the face. She continued to hurry to where the gunfire occurred.
Seconds ago:
Gail went past the freezer where Cameron went into. She continued on her own. She entered what was once the refrigeration area. It no longer functioned. It looked like it was used for storage. She noticed Cam moved into position to follow her.
Cam followed Gail as she branched off into what appeared to be the refrigerator section. She broke off and continued on to an open area where the restrooms were located and what looked like sleeping quarters. There was a crude kitchen area set up by several large wash basins. It consisted of a hot plate and a microwave. There was a small refrigerator next to it.
She looked at the trash can. It was piled high with dirty paper plates. She noticed there wasn't any food left on any of them. It was an indication the Grays were from the future. It was one thing they noted at multiple locations. Even with more abundant food, no one from the future ever wasted food. They all remembered what it was like not to have any.
She spotted movement near the sleeping area. Two men were over in the area trying to get weapons. One man jacked a round into a pump shotgun's chamber.
Cam hit him twice with rounds from her suppressed M4.
When the first round hit him, the shotgun discharged. The shotgun blast struck the other man who now held a pistol. He doubled over from the shotgun blast. Even as his body doubled over, a suppressed round from Cam's M4 slammed into his head. It was clear both of the targets were deceased.
Gail exited from the storage area once she made sure it was clear and secure. Cameron exited from the freezer and joined with her. They both moved forward to where Cam went and the shotgun round was fired.
Cameron and Gail passed by Cam and continued into an area originally used for storing pallets of incoming stock to be put on the shelves. There were two cars parked in the area. There was room for one more vehicle which could have parked between them. It raised the question if there was a vehicle with Grays, or a Terminator out. It would raise the threat level if there was. There was a large roll up door which was secured from the inside.
No more Grays or Terminators were located. They would conduct a secondary search to make sure there were no cowardly Grays hidden anywhere. More than likely if a Gray was currently hiding, they would remain where they were until they thought they could escape. If they were going to engage the Resistance forces they would have done so already. It would be clear to them at this point they would be killed as soon as they engaged the Resistance forces.
The building looked secure. Then again, looks could be deceiving. They weren't sure about anything Liquid Metal involved with the operation, especially a Liquid Metal Terminator. More than likely, it would have made its appearance by now. Then again, it could choose to remain in whatever shape it took and gather intelligence about the team to see exactly how many there were, and exactly which group they represented.
John Henry informed Cameron's team where Savannah's team was located. The front of the building was secure too. No one attempted to breach the wall and escape out the front. They wouldn't have gotten far if they tried.
There was still some concern about the spot where another vehicle could have parked between the two in the storage area. The drones overhead would keep a special watch out for any vehicle which looked like it was headed specifically for the rear of the old supermarket. So far there were no hits.
With communications cut, any individuals in an approaching vehicle wouldn't be able to contact those inside to open the door. They could abort their trek, or show up in the back anyway to find out why they couldn't communicate.
Savannah's team did a final check of the store front. There were no targets. They decided to head around to the back rather than breach the wall. It would allow them to keep the area more secure. They removed all but one of the surveillance devices they placed there earlier when they left. It was doubtful any Grays who returned to the area would go anywhere but the back first. The remaining security device was well hidden.
Savannah and Bob drove around to the back with one of the SUVs. They told Cameron's team what they were going to do and were told they could park inside the building. There was a roll up door they would open for them.
Jim went on foot around the other side of the building. He went in the opposite direction Savannah and Bob took as they drove around to the back. They all looked for anything they missed previously. He wanted to make sure there were no stragglers lurking in the area. They also wanted to make sure there were no homeless in the area who may have heard the shotgun blast and start looking around. Everything was clear around the building.
Gail heard the vehicle approach in the rear. She looked at the drone footage and verified it was their vehicle. She opened the roll up door and Savannah backed inside.
As soon as Jim arrived on foot, it was closed and secured again.
The two teams at the old supermarket were all together now.
All of the bodies were moved inside of the structure earlier by Sheila. She threw the burnt trash back into the trash can. She made sure none of it would reignite. If anyone were to pass along the back side of the building, they wouldn't be able to tell anything happened. Any of the blood on the ground would be dry soon and look just like another stain on the pavement. There were already a lot of them.
It was one of the things the drones specifically looked for. It was anyone approaching on foot. More than likely they would be homeless. They figured because word spread the Ogre was back in the area, is why the foot traffic dried up. None of them knew the Ogre would never be a threat again. Justice was served. He was terminated along with his associates earlier.
Cammy and Ally moved from the front of the cryogenics lab toward the back. They cleared the rooms along the way. So far they hadn't encountered anyone.
They both felt a little concerned there was no one there.
Ally expected to find at least someone.
"Where is everyone?" Ally asked.
Cammy looked all around the area one more time.
"I don't know." Cammy said.
Ally wanted to go back and double check, but she knew for now they needed to keep moving forward. They needed to link up with Hanna and Holly and make sure there was no one hidden between them. It began to cause her a little more worry about where they were at.
"I hope this isn't a setup." Ally said. "I hope this building isn't going to blow up, especially with us in it."
Cammy hadn't spotted any explosives or booby traps. It was something she specifically looked for. She didn't think it was a setup. There was always the chance it actually was. Either way they needed to keep moving forward. She wanted to see how the other team was doing.
"Hanna, what do you have?" Cammy asked over her com.
Hanna was in the main part of the building. It faced the loading dock. There were a few store rooms, a utility room, and an electrical room.
"We've found nothing, so far." Hanna said. "Holly's checking a store room out."
Holly exited out of the store room. It was the second one she checked.
"It's empty." Holly said. "The other rooms were as well. I haven't located any explosives either."
Cammy was very dissatisfied with the information. There was no one in the front of the building, and apparently there was no one in the rear of the building. She didn't believe it was correct. The Grays didn't just show up on their own and enter an unoccupied building with whatever they were doing. The lights were on. It indicated there should be at least one occupant inside the building still.
"There has to be someone here." Cammy said. "They must be hiding in a very secure location. I want everyone to search harder."
Cammy planned to do a little enhanced interrogation when the individual, or individuals, were located. She didn't care for the fact they were hiding. She didn't like cowards.
They didn't want to be attacked from an unknown location, or have the perpetrators slip away in some hidden tunnel. Their entry was very swift. It was relatively quiet as well. They should have caught everyone inside by surprise. Now it was only the two teams who were surprised by the fact no one was readily apparent.
John was mostly pleased with both operations so far.
"Cameron's operation went fairly smoothly." John said.
John Henry reviewed the drone footage of the truck. Both of the Grays went inside the building and returned a short while later with what appeared to be another cryogenic vat. They placed it inside of the truck and drove away. There was no third person who accompanied them. There should be somebody inside of the building. It seemed highly unlikely the building was left open and unattended. More than likely, the Grays would have secured the rear door when they left if it was.
"It seems suspicious where Cammy's and Hanna's teams are at." John Henry said. "I believe there should be at least one person there if not more."
John mulled several possibilities over in his mind. He didn't like any of the conclusions he came to. He wondered if the earlier incursion by Cammy was detected, or if it was the chase which followed through the alley with the two unknown men in the brown sedan. It was something which needed to be considered.
"It looks like they may have known we were coming." John said. "Perhaps there was some type of surveillance we're unaware of. The ordeal with Cammy may have been picked up."
John Henry didn't think so. The occupants of the truck would have been alerted as well. They didn't appear to be alarmed by anything when they left. He thought about the day of the week and the time. There was only one car in the parking lot. It didn't appear the building was staffed.
"All communications were cut." John Henry said. "It's Saturday night. Maybe there was only an attendant on duty."
John thought about it for a few seconds. If there was only one person, they were probably doing something fishy. He knew people in low paid jobs were always open to making a few extra bucks to look the other way at times. It was the same way over a range of industries and businesses.
"I bet they were dealing with the Grays under the table and off the books." John said. "It was probably actually theft in some form, and covered up with bookkeeping."
John Henry was aware it was a common flaw of humans. Even though they were in a position to serve their employer, there was very little loyalty involved with most of them. They were simply at the job because they needed money. Any extra money they could get, they were going to take. He believed it could afflict anyone, even someone who was generally honest and tried to follow the rules. The temptation of money was a very powerful force. It never ceased to amaze him what people would do for paper with green ink on it because of its perceived value. They would eventually learn what was actually valuable after Judgment Day. Well, the ones who survived would learn. It wasn't paper with green ink and numbers on it.
"Some people are always looking to make an easy buck." John Henry said. "It's a strong possibility if it's the case, we're most likely dealing with a future Scavenger."
John wasn't so sure it was necessarily a future Scavenger. He was sure it was just somebody trying to make a little extra spending cash. He doubted they knew anything about Skynet, or what the liquid nitrogen was being used for. He figured it was probably just a young man looking for some extra spending cash.
He thought back to his earlier years when his mother was in the mental institution. He was little more than a juvenile delinquent and did plenty of questionable things. Not all of them were for money, even though most of them were. He was sure he would have been viewed as a future Scavenger in some individual's eyes. People were often victims of their environment or situation.
He knew the Terminators would view the person as a collaborator. They may be helping the enemy, but they certainly didn't know who or what the enemy was. He wouldn't interfere with what the Terminators on site decided to do with the person if they were found. Most likely there would be some form of interrogation. The true nature of the individual would quickly become apparent.
He saw them load something in the truck earlier, but he didn't know what it was.
"What do you think the Grays did there?" John asked. "It looked like they did something specific."
John Henry noted an ever increasing disturbing fact. It appeared the Skynet forces attempted to keep all of their activities as clandestine as possible. There were several ways they could do it. Most of them were illegal. It didn't matter to them at all. Most of what the Resistance did was illegal too, especially when it came to terminating people.
"I would have to guess they were there to obtain liquid nitrogen. It could be some other chemicals as well." John Henry said. "The Grays kept everything related to this off of the books. They obtained supplies by stealing them, or back door dealings like I think we are going to find here. Everything will be done without any record of a transaction ever occurring. The payment will be in cash, or with something else of value the individual may desire. It could be anything from drugs to sex."
John Henry thought this group of Grays wanted to stay in the shadows and not have their activity picked up by any other Skynet related groups, especially the Fanatics.
John thought about what they uncovered so far with the current operation. Not only did the Skynet forces want to keep things off the books, they wanted to remain hidden. They tried to hide in plain sight at the old supermarket.
"It explains why they left the front of the old supermarket abandoned and derelict looking while they sealed off the back and were using it." John said. "Anyone who looked in the front would see there was nothing happening in there and move on."
John Henry figured Cameron's team should have been able to conduct a detailed search of the old supermarket area inhabited by the Skynet forces. There was no indication they found anyone else hiding. There was no more gunfire either.
"Let's see what Cameron's team comes up with." John Henry said.
There was no report yet so John decided to ask the question. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer, but knew he waned to find out. He took a moment to think about it before he swallowed hard. He needed to know.
"Is there any sign of a female?" John asked. "Did they find any female captives either dead or alive?"
Earlier:
Savannah hopped out of the SUV as soon as she backed inside of the storage area at the old supermarket.
"Is there any sign of the female?" Savannah asked.
Cam was the first one to enter the sleeping quarters of the Grays.
"No." Cam said. "I checked."
Gail checked as well. She didn't like what she'd found. It only reinforced their previous belief.
"There is rope on both ends of one of the beds." Gail said. "There are dried traces of skin and some blood on the ropes."
Savannah went over and looked.
It appeared someone was tied up there at one point. It looked like they struggled in an attempt to free themselves. It appeared they only ended up abrading their skin the ropes were tied around.
Cameron came over to look. She pulled back the rumpled blanket.
There was a bare mattress underneath it. There were small spots of dried fluids with other discolored stains on the mattress. None of them were fresh.
Savannah and Cameron looked at each other. It was clear what happened there.
"A female, or someone else, was tied here at one point." Savannah said. "It looks like someone was abused here. There's prior evidence to indicate it."
It was evident Cameron was upset. She wanted some answers and she knew where to get them.
"I have a live one." Cameron said. "He'll tell us what we need to know."
Savannah looked back at the stains on the mattress. She wanted retribution.
"I'll assist you." Savannah said.
Cameron looked at Savannah and nodded. She could see Savannah wanted justice.
The team searched the area thoroughly a third time as they collected the Gray's phones, and the computer hard drives. The dead men were searched and the deactivated Terminator was loaded into the SUV along with the weapons they collected.
Cameron led Savannah to the freezer area. Sheila was in the freezer with the stripped man. She handed Savannah his coat to put on.
"You'll need to wear this if you're in this room for any amount of time." Cameron said. "It's well below freezing in here. It's very cold."
Savannah could feel the intense cold and welcomed the coat.
"What is this place?" Savannah asked.
Cameron looked around the freezer area. It was clear there was some type of testing and research going on. Exactly what the nature of it was and entailed, she didn't know yet. She also wanted to know what everything was that was currently in there.
"We're going to find out." Cameron said. "I'm going to empty these vats out and see what's inside."
Sheila looked around the freezer as well. She'd come to the same conclusion Cameron did.
"It looks like testing was done here." Sheila said.
Savannah heard enough. She pulled out a Thermite grenade.
"It may be some kind of Liquid Metal." Savannah said. "If we can contain it to a corner, we can use Thermite on it."
Cameron thought Liquid Metal of some type might be involved as well.
"Stay back, Savannah." Cameron said. "We need to know more."
Cameron moved Savannah to the open doorway. It was so she could make a getaway in case things turned wild inside of the freezer.
Savannah glanced over her shoulder and called to Bob.
"Bob, I need you and your M4 with the M203 and a couple of acid rounds." Savannah said.
Bob moved forward with his grenade launcher ready. He was a little concerned with Savannah's request. It sounded like there could be some trouble.
"I have everything ready to go." Bob said.
Bob entered the room. He removed the HE round from the M203 and put in an acid round.
Cameron welcomed the acid round that Bob could fire at any Liquid Metal target.
"Cover us." Cameron said.
The stripped Gray on the floor started to come around. He began to shiver uncontrollably.
Cameron started to go to him.
Savannah moved over and stopped Cameron. She looked into her eyes. She wanted justice.
"I want Sheila to deal with him." Savannah whispered. "You saw the bed."
Cameron nodded and went to the vat the man was working on when she first entered.
She was ready to open it. The threat of some type of Liquid Metal was enough to cause Cameron major concern.
"Maybe you better wait outside for this one, Savannah." Cameron said.
Gail wanted Savannah better protected too. She watched Savannah re-enter the freezer to speak quietly with Cameron. She would prefer if Savannah were at a safer distance from whatever the freezer held inside. She walked in and took the Thermite grenade from Savannah.
"I have this, Savannah." Gail said.
Bob was worried about Savannah too.
"We don't know what this is, Savannah." Bob said.
Savannah could see the high level of concern all the Terminators inside the freezer expressed. She didn't want to cause them any more anxiety. They had acid rounds and Thermite grenades to deal with any threat. There was nothing she could add to the equation herself.
"OK, Cameron." Savannah said. "I'm not going far."
Cameron was relieved. Savannah would be a little better protected outside the freezer.
"Thank you, Savannah." Cameron said. "Close the freezer door."
As soon as Savannah walked out, Gail closed the freezer door.
Savannah looked at the closed freezer door. She turned back to the interior.
She saw all the bodies were now back where the two cars were parked. Cam and Jim were about finished and ready to do another inspection.
Cam came over to Savannah.
"I saw the bed." Cam said. "I know what happened."
Savannah looked at the pile of dead Grays on the floor. Their toll was already collected. They might be dead, but they were able to elude justice.
"They're all dead now." Savannah said. "There's only one to go. I asked Sheila to take care of it."
Cam gently squeezed Savannah's hand.
"Justice will be served. There's a price to be paid for the abuse of females." Cam said. "Sheila will collect the 'debt'."
Savannah glanced over at the bed. She wanted to collect the 'debt' herself. She wanted there to be some type of accountability for the actions of others. It didn't appear there always could be.
She was in two different futures. She saw the aftermath of what Grays and Scavengers did to females. It was actually what they did to people in general, but they both specifically targeted females. No one was safe in the future from abuse, especially females. It made her wonder if it really wasn't too different in the present. It was one of the reasons why she didn't normally watch the news. It was nothing but bad news about terrible things which happened to people.
The two teams searched the cryogenics lab.
Holly went back and double checked the storerooms. They were empty.
Hanna searched as she moved around the equipment in the lab, there was no one.
Cammy arrived in the rear area of the building from the front.
"The office area and break room are clear." Cammy said. "Ally is double checking."
Hanna and Holly removed the hard drives from all the computers.
Cammy took one last look around.
Ally exited out of the door which led to the front of the building.
"There is nothing I can find except these." Ally said.
Ally carried several hard drives.
"I want this place torched." Cammy said.
Ally took out a Thermite grenade.
Cammy wanted to play things up a little bit first. She received an update and a suggestion from CamNet. She was directed to look at the different types of chemicals, and anything else flammable in the interior of the building. She spotted several things. An idea popped into her head.
"No." Cammy said. "There's a lot of compressed flammable gas here in some of these tanks. Open the valves and we'll exit. I want it to look like an accidental explosion. The entire building should be leveled. There will be nothing here but a smoking pile of rubble."
Hanna wasn't sure exactly what Cammy was after, but she figured she was up to something.
"I think with the amount of flammable materials inside the building, the only thing which will actually be left is a giant crater in the ground." Hanna said. "We will need to make sure we're away from the building when the explosion occurs. We don't want to be hit by any shrapnel as everything around here is vaporized."
Cammy went over to a large tank and turned a valve.
The Metal girls were a little surprised at her choice.
Cammy looked at Holly, Hanna, and Ally and each nodded in turn as they understood what was about to happen.
There was a loud hissing sound as compressed 'gas' entered the atmosphere.
"Let's go." Cammy said. "This place is going to explode."
Holly wanted to stress the need for them to leave.
"Hurry everyone." Holly said. "I don't think we have more than thirty seconds. It will definitely be less than a minute."
Hanna and Holly made a noisy 'exit' out the back. Cammy and Ally did as well out the way they came from in the front.
They wanted to make it clear there was 'gas' venting into the room and they all left. The indication was it was only a matter of time until the 'gas' found an ignition source and was ignited. If the entire room was filled with the 'gas' there would be a massive explosion.
Young Allison was unaffected by any of the events. Much of it was routine to her now. Cameron wanted her 'hardened' for the future. She thought the task was pretty well accomplished at this point in time. Young Allison was responsible for plenty of terminations in various different ways. She knew Cameron would want her to get her hands dirty in the field. Maybe dirty wasn't the right word. It would be bloody, not dirty. She knew it was something Savannah continued to put the brakes on. It would never be a discussion where Claire was involved either. She wanted to stick with the current operation.
"What do you make of the progress?" Anna asked.
Young Allison was pleased nothing appeared to be hidden from her during this operation. It was seldom the case. There were often various parts of the operation she was prevented from viewing. She didn't think it was fair to her, but it was done at the request of Savannah so she needed to abide by Savannah's wishes. She didn't want any problems between them. She usually reviewed everything anyway in the 'after action reports'. It just wasn't live when she looked at it.
"It was as I expected." Young Allison said. "CamNet hasn't filtered any content yet I'm aware of."
Young Allison asked for nothing, unless it was personal, to be kept from her.
Anna thought Young Allison might be a little more anxious than normal. She didn't appear to be. She wanted to verify her state of mind.
"Are you bothered?" Anna asked.
It was clear to Young Allison what events occurred at the old supermarket. What was done was done. The path was forward. It did no good to dwell on the past.
"We won and they lost." Young Allison said. "No, I'm not bothered by anything."
Anna wasn't so sure about it. She could 'read' Young Allison pretty well at this point in time. She wanted to know more.
"I can tell you're troubled." Anna said.
Young Allison frowned. She would have liked for there to be some resolution. Right now there wasn't. There was only the unknown. The unknown always left room for a lot of speculation.
"I hoped they'd find the female." Young Allison said. "Even if she was deceased, we would know her fate. Now there's nothing."
Anna didn't think all was lost yet. They were still the opportunity for them to get some answers.
"There is still one Gray to interrogate." Anna said.
Young Allison thought about it. She understood the real reason why Cameron wanted Savannah out of the freezer. It wasn't for fear of encountering anything Liquid Metal. It was what was going to be done to the Gray who was currently held for interrogation. She knew it's what it was.
"It's the reason why Cameron sent Savannah out." Young Allison said.
Anna wasn't so sure it was the main reason. Savannah was no stranger to the battlefield or some of the interrogations Cameron conducted previously.
"Savannah has witnessed many interrogations." Anna said. "Maybe Cameron wanted her safe in case there was some type of Liquid Metal Terminator in there or being constructed. There's something of importance involving the liquid nitrogen. It needs to be considered as a threat until we know otherwise. The Skynet group is trying to keep it immobilized for whatever reason there is."
Young Allison based her assessment on the evidence she witnessed so far. She understood the threat of a Liquid Metal Terminator was the secondary issue in this particular case.
"You saw the body cam footage of the bed." Young Allison said. "We all know what happened there."
It was a situation Anna didn't want to dwell on. She knew something happened there. They didn't have any facts. She turned her attention to the cryogenics lab. She was a little surprised at what she saw happen inside and what the valve Cammy actually opened on the large storage tank was.
"I see Cammy is being somewhat 'original'." Anna said. "Did you suggest it to CamNet?"
Young Allison flashed a faint smile. It was exactly what she did. She thought it was a good way to flush out anyone in hiding.
"I may have run a few ideas by her." Young Allison said.
Anna could see Young Allison continued to 'think outside of the box'. She always looked for a way to help protect the troops in the field. What Cammy did was one of them.
"Interesting…." Anna said.
Young Allison thought some of those ideas would present less risk for their troops and have the enemy come to them.
"I have a feeling they will produce the results they seek." Young Allison said.
Young Allison was concerned about what was going on inside of the freezer at the old supermarket. She felt the action at the cryogenic facility was minor at the most. She checked all the monitors for any possible reinforcements on the ground to either location or any threats in the air. Everything came back negative.
She was still left with a very uneasy feeling. It was probably because of what happened earlier at the old supermarket. She didn't think it was actually very recent whatever it was. She hoped the ploy at the cryogenics lab would force out another individual who could be interrogated. She wanted to hear some answers.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
One To Go
Some people light up
They can really glow
Those are the ones to whom
We want to say hello
They give hope and promise
They set the heart and mind aglow
There's a feeling of joy
It's almost like one won the lotto
Some move forward rapidly
They're full of gusto
They brim with enthusiasm
They turn clouds into a rainbow
Everyone wants to expand and grow
Some go fast, others go slow
There are things each must forego
Or the other they will outgrow
There is always darkness lurking
It casts its ugly shadow
Everything reaches a plateau
One down and one to go
Nobody