Chapter 994

Cold Room

Cameron looked around the sleeping quarters in the room she was in. There was no visible sign the female was tied to one of the beds there. It was possible they kept her elsewhere. She did notice she was completely dressed, including socks and shoes. It was a positive sign. The female may have only been in the room as a human shield. It was another form of abuse the way she saw it. It was clear the female was going to have a lot of emotional and psychological baggage on several levels.

Being held captive with threats made against someone's well-being was just the start. The different types of abuse which were probably indicated multiple times would only add to it. Having a gun held against the side of her head was just more trauma to deal with.

Holly and her checked the rooms again on the way out. There was still no sign of where the female was held. They headed down the stairs. Cameron spoke with Savannah over her com as she did.

Cameron thought Savannah was the best qualified member of their group to deal with the female now and try to help her. Vanna would have been a better choice, but she wasn't present. She wanted to make her reasoning clear to Savannah.

"Savannah, I know you want to be here with me." Cameron said. "The situation is a little different this time."

Savannah was worried about Cameron. She knew she was shot at earlier, and hit several times. Cameron indicated she wasn't damaged. The revelation still left a little to be desired. She felt her place was at Cameron side.

"You know I do." Savannah said. "You know I want to be with you, especially after what happened to you earlier."

Cameron felt this would be where human empathy could play a bigger factor in understanding. She knew her 'emotions' and 'feelings' only went so far. She could feel 'anger' about what she believed was done to the female. She needed someone to show the female compassion.

"I want you to try and help her." Cameron said. "I think you're the best one here qualified to talk to her about 'everything'. Your true emotions and feelings are going to be much deeper than any of ours can be. In this situation, there's something more important."

Savannah's mind was flooded with thoughts and stories about Vanna, Jesse, and Allison. She could empathize with them, but she hadn't experienced what they experienced. All she ever knew was love. She loved all of the girls, and all of the girls loved her. She understood her duty. There was someone who was probably on an emotional cliff. Hopefully she could reach them before they went over the edge. Once they went over the edge, there would probably be no return. They would never have a 'normal' feeling again.

"I will, Cameron." Savannah said. "I know I'm needed elsewhere on this one. I'll help her."

Cameron was very pleased she was able to rescue the female. The question remained as to what damage was done to her mind. She wanted Savannah to do what she could. She was grateful Savannah was there to assist her with it.

"Thank you, Savannah." Cameron said.

Cameron learned from the girls from the future there was a cost for the physical abuse. When it became emotional abuse on top of it is when the lives would crumble to a point they could never be put back together again. Everything affected everyone in different ways, it didn't matter what it was. It applied to good things as well as bad things.

Once some things were done, there was no way to undo them. Life needed to move forward. People needed to pick themselves up and continue. Sometimes a bad hand was dealt, and someone was forced to play it.

Cameron watched the female depart with Hanna in the distance as Holly and her went back down the stairs. There was one last problem area to be dealt with there. It was the 'cold room' and whatever evil it contained.

She didn't know what they would find. So far there hadn't been a Terminator located at the port facility. She didn't believe there was one there. If they were there, they would have had a fight on their hands. If it would have been a Liquid Metal Terminator, they would have had a real fight on their hands.

Cameron and Holly arrived at the 'cold room'.

Gail and Sheila both kept watch over the 'cold room' and around it. Gail covered the door with her M4. It was equipped with an M203. There was an acid round loaded into it. Sheila backed her up with her M4 and several Thermite grenades. Everything was at the ready in case they needed it.

Cameron was about to make entry into the 'cold room'. There were still some unresolved issues. So far she hadn't located the female's father. None of the other teams spotted him either, or among the dead or dying. They also didn't know what they would find regarding any 'Liquid Metal'. This didn't look like a proper research facility. It seemed to be more of some rogue attempt to create something 'Liquid Metal'. She was unsure if a Terminator was what they were trying for.

She wondered if it wasn't a Terminator they attempted to construct, what was it? Maybe she should have tested the samples she gained access to earlier a little further. There wasn't time. She wanted to keep two of the samples for further study, but Savannah insisted they be destroyed. It's what she did. Maybe she was about to encounter more of them.

Cameron looked at Holly. It was time to move the operation forward.

"Open the door and stand back." Cameron said to Holly. "Gail, follow me in, don't hesitate with the acid round. Sheila, be ready for anything."

Cameron was ready to move as soon as Holly opened the door.

It was Showtime.

Seconds ago:

Hanna carried the female down the steps away from the sleeping quarters. She wasn't sure what images were now burnt into the female's mind forever. She imagined they were all terrible. She looked at the drones across the room. They were very loud. There were dead men along the front side of the building. She didn't want any more images etched into the female's mind than were already there.

"I need you to cover your ears and close your eyes for now until we get outside." Hanna said. "It's going to be very loud and there may be some flying debris. Everything's going to be better in a few minutes."

Hanna hurried across the workroom floor past the two drones. They both covered the 'cold room'. She headed outside to where Cammy and Savannah were. She carried the female in her arms. The female was still crying and asking for her father.

"We're looking for him." Hanna said. "We need to get you to a more secure location. We don't know how many more individuals there are like the man who was mean to you upstairs."

The female looked at Hanna.

"They were all mean or scary." The female said. "Only one of them ever tried to help me."

Cammy was ready to get into the SUV. Savannah helped the female into the back seat when Hanna set her down.

"Cameron wants you out of the combat zone." Hanna said. "Get the female to a more secure and safer place. There's no way to know what else is going to happen here, or when it's going to happen."

Savannah wanted to make sure her area of responsibility was covered.

"We were watching the side and keeping the back door open for Cameron's team." Savannah said.

Hanna quickly assessed the situation. She knew there was drone support as well.

"I'll take over in back here." Hanna said. "The security will remain unchanged."

Hanna took up her station in the back and covered the side of the building as well.

Cammy received word Savannah and her would have dedicated drone coverage as they whisked the female to a safer location. The drone would make sure they didn't have a tail as they left the area. If any vehicle appeared and started to follow them, it would be dealt with. Anyone who tried to approach their vehicle would be terminated.

"We have drone support." Cammy said. "We will be covered from the air at all times."

It was reassuring news to Savannah. She wondered if it was the drone she spotted earlier with the markings from Young Allison and her on it. She figured it would be. 'Coltan Overcast' could live up to its name. With the improved and quieter power plants, the drones could operate within gun range in darkness, and not be heard or seen by humans. A Terminator would be able to detect it.

"Let's go." Savannah said.

Savannah started to talk with the female and reassure her.

Cammy could see Savannah held back tears as she comforted the female. It was clear Savannah's range of emotions were superior for dealing with the current task.

They didn't know what the female would say, or if she even could talk about what happened since she was taken as a hostage. They both expected the worst. The female may be unable or unwilling to speak of the events which may have occurred. It was a perfectly understandable reaction. Who would want to discuss bad things which happened to them?

Right now Savannah could only think about Vanna. Vanna was her from an alternate future. Whatever happened to Vanna, is really what happened to her. It was clear, even years later, Vanna still experienced difficulty speaking about some of the things. She was pretty sure in the case of Vanna and Jesse, in a way, because so many things happened to them, most of them had less significance than if it was something which only happened a few times. There was a certain callousness which developed with years of abuse.

She looked over at the female and understood whatever abuse happened to her would be significant because it would be the first abuse she experienced, and it recently just occurred. She swallowed hard and spoke comforting words to the female.

It seemed the thing which actually bothered the female the most was the whereabouts of her father. It was something else Savannah could understand as well. She wondered about the whereabouts of both of her parents, her real parents. It's bad enough when someone dies from an illness, or even old age. It's another type of trauma when they're killed by someone else. She had a personal score to settle with Skynet. Her reason was just as justified as anyone else's.

Moments ago:

John Henry watched the body cam footage of the Metal girls in action. He also monitored all their coms. There was some good news about the female. Just how good or bad it would be, was still to be determined.

"Cameron got the female out." John Henry said.

John was able to watch as Hanna took the female from Cameron. He was more than a little worried about what would happen next.

"Now we need to find her father." John said. "It's going to be what she's most worried about right now. Even if bad things happen to her, it's not what's on her mind right now. It's her loved one she wants."

John knew exactly what it was like to wonder about where your parent was at. He didn't know what was happening to them. He only knew it was bad things. Why did it happen? In his case, it was because his mother told the truth. Does it get more messed up than being honest and then punished? He pushed his personal thoughts from his mind.

He wondered if the female's father was already dead. How was the female going to be able to deal with it on top of everything else which may have occurred? He understood all the sacrifices his mother experienced to protect him. If something would have happened to her, it would have devastated him. There were a lot of things he didn't like about what happened, especially ending up in foster care. He reacted by becoming a juvenile delinquent for all practical purposes.

John Henry could tell John was troubled by both the female and her father. He could only reaffirm what they already knew.

"He wasn't spotted among the dead." John Henry said "They're about to enter the 'cold room'. If it was the project he was working on, there's a good chance he may be in there."

John was more than a little worried about what would happen next. What condition would the father be in? What if there was more than one individual inside there? Would they have killed him to prevent him from being captured or talking? There were too many questions without any answers.

"Who knows what we're going to find in there." John said.

John Henry wanted to offer him a positive thought.

"Perhaps he's inside the 'cold room', working." John Henry said.

John understood the influence of holding a loved one captive. He wasn't so sure Cameron would see things the same way. There was always the chance she was going to terminate him. He thought it was a pretty good chance. Savannah would have been a moderating influence if she was there with Cameron. She wasn't. She wasn't even in the compound anymore. She wouldn't be able to help the father. He was worried about the overall time frame as well. The team was on the ground for just over five minutes at this point.

"I think if he's working, it wasn't by his choice." John said. "We need to finish this up and get out with what they've collected."

John wasn't sure about what would happen if he made a recommendation to Cameron about the female's father. He would lean toward leniency. It was the same way he treated Future Jesse. Once her error was pointed out, there was no point in killing her, even if she was responsible for the death of Future Riley. What was done was done. It was time to move on.

John Henry kept progress of what the other Terminators at the port facility were doing. The MIKE Force was now the 'clean up crew'.

"The sanitizing of the compound is underway along with all of the intelligence gathering." John Henry said. "Our biggest concern is to get away from the area before anything else occurs."

They watched the various body cams and the drone footage from inside the building. It was clear Cameron was about to enter the 'cold room'.

"There they go." John said. "Holly is about to open the door."

They would find out soon enough how things would play out next. It was anyone's guess.

Holly opened the door to the 'cold room'.

Cameron went in with her M4 up. She searched for a target. Gail was right behind her with an acid round locked and loaded. Sheila moved into the doorway with a Thermite grenade. She was ready to throw it where it was needed, if it was needed.

There was a man standing there with his hands in the air. It was the female's father.

"I surrender. My daughter is being held hostage here. We're prisoners here." The man said. "Please find her. We are both here against our will."

Cameron wasn't about to take any chances on this one. She scanned the man. He looked human. He didn't appear to be a Terminator of any kind.

"Sheila, Holly, I want you to search him. You can then take him outside for questioning." Cameron said. "Watch him, until we know everything that's happened in here."

Sheila led the man away as Holly searched him. She scanned him as well.

Holly was satisfied the man was human.

The man appeared to be more than a little confused about everything. He looked around in the darkness of the workroom floor as he was led outside. There were only a few faint emergency lights which provided minimal illumination. It was very hard to see anything. Nothing could be seen in detail. He could see activity going on by the front of the building where the loading dock was. It looked like people were carrying things. He couldn't tell what they carried.

"My daughter…." The man said. "They took her upstairs. It's where they sleep…."

Sheila and Holly moved the man along. They didn't want any delays until they were outside.

"We have her." Holly said. "She's been taken away for evaluation. If she needs medical attention it will be provided."

The man looked very terrified at this point. He also looked determined. He was able to use his influence to prevent harm from occurring to her before. He didn't want anything to happen now either.

"I want to see her." The man said. "I want to know she's OK."

Sheila knew they needed to know what the man knew. They were going to question him and he was going to be scanned for truthfulness as he answered their questions. Right now he was actually their prisoner. They didn't tell him it's what he was. He may never see his daughter again depending upon the depth of his involvement. To say he was a prisoner may not be exactly what the situation was. His own actions, and his words, are what would determine his fate. It was the same for all of those who opposed mankind and were an enemy to the future.

"After we get some answers you can." Sheila said. "You're in no position to negotiate. We need to know what's going on and what your involvement is."

The man looked at the two drones still inside the building as they searched for targets. He never saw drones of the same type before. He saw the shot up interior and some of the dead on the floor. It was very dark so it was hard to see any detail. He heard the short battle rage on the outside from where he was at inside of the 'cold room'. He'd hoped when they entered where he was, no one would throw a grenade in first. They hadn't.

They were about to exit when Holly stopped them. The two drones flew out of the building and disappeared straight up into the sky.

The man watched the two drones depart the building. He never saw anything quite like them ever. He was well versed in the scientific field and in aeronautics. It was clear based upon the technology he just saw, the group who now held him used very sophisticated equipment. It was beyond anything he knew. He figured they must be connected to a clandestine government agency. He was a little concerned he might end up at a 'Black Ops' site somewhere in a Third World country.

"Who are you people?" The man asked.

Sheila didn't think they were the ones who needed to explain themselves. They still needed to establish whether the man was a collaborator or not. It didn't matter if they held his daughter hostage. He may have worked with the Skynet group previously and there was some type of a dispute over money. The Skynet group may have put the grab on his daughter to have him finish whatever he agreed to start. All of it was yet to be determined. Things could take in ugly turn real quickly depending upon what was revealed.

She wanted to say they were the 'good guys'. She wasn't so sure it was the right answer. There were a lot of things she did which wouldn't be considered 'good' by anyone, not even her. Maybe an answer based in reality was the way to go.

"We're the people who saved you and your daughter." Sheila said. "It's all you need to know."

The man looked in the direction the drones left.

"Those machines, what were they?" The man asked.

Holly didn't want things to get complicated. They needed some answers from the man.

"They're the machines which terminated all the people inside." Holly said. "They're over us right now. Answer our questions and you will be unharmed. The sooner we know the truth, the quicker you can be reunited. You have to understand our position based upon where you were at, and what you were doing."

The man looked at Holly and Sheila. He saw two other females enter into the 'cold room' as well. So far all he saw were females. He couldn't tell who the people were who worked in the front of the building. He could only see shadows. He wanted to see his daughter.

"My daughter…." The man said.

Sheila forcibly urged the man along.

"Your daughter will remain safe, no matter what's determined about your fate." Sheila said. "Right now she's the only innocent one in this whole affair until we know the truth. We don't ask much. We just want to know the truth."

The man realized he was still in danger with her comment.

Holly was able to tell the man was even more terrified than he previously was. She wanted to give him some reassurance.

"We're not the animals these people were." Holly said. "We're not anything like them."

The man thought of the dead he saw inside. He was pretty sure it was a matter of interpretation as to exactly what the well endowed female indicated. He wasn't sure about anything right now.

Sheila looked away with Holly's comment. She knew many of her previous actions didn't quite live up to Holly's description of them. She didn't regret anything she did to the people who peddled drugs and flesh as if they were simple commodities. Maybe it was because she actually took pleasure in doing it is what bothered her. She was a little distracted as she thought about her track record.

The man tried to break away.

Sheila quickly refocused and held him firm. He wasn't going anywhere.

The man was surprised at how strong Sheila was. He could tell right away she was stronger than any man.

"You're super strong." The man said.

Sheila didn't want to divulge any details.

"I work out." Sheila said.

Holly moved over and held him as well.

The man could feel she was as equally strong.

"You too…." The man said. "What is this? What's going on here?"

He really wondered what was happening.

Holly was worried the man was going to be injured if he continued to struggle. They might need to terminate him if he became a problem and wouldn't obey commands.

"Stop struggling." Holly said. "We're not like them. We need your cooperation. Don't make things worse than they already are."

The man relaxed a little when he realized he wasn't going to be able to break free from the two females who held him. He wondered what kind of 'workout' they actually went through. There was only one thing which concerned him right now.

"My daughter…." The man said.

Holly tried to reassure the man as best as she could.

"She'll be given help and treated." Holly said. "No one is going to hurt her now."

Sheila conducted plenty of interrogations over the years. Right now it looked like the man was going to be a problem. She didn't want it to be. If the man was clean he would be reunited with his daughter. If he wasn't, he would be terminated. She wanted to make everything as clear as possible to him.

"It's what you tell us which will determine what happens to you." Sheila said. "We don't want to hurt you but we want answers. We can tell when you are lying."

The man was more than a little worried at this point.

They loaded him into Cam's SUV and drove off.

The man wondered if it was some type of International group he was in the custody of now. The one female was clearly Australian by her accent, even if her features were Asian. He knew whatever his original captors were up to wasn't anything good. There were things wrong with them on about ten different levels. He saw plenty of strange things. He saw things he knew were impossible. He just did again as well. He continued to ask about his daughter.

Cameron looked around the 'cold room'. There were more vats of liquid nitrogen. There was a work area and scientific equipment. There was a laptop and several notebooks.

Ally came into the room.

"We've collected all the hard drives and phones." Ally said. "I figured there was more in here."

Cameron amassed a small collection of items.

"Take these things out and add it to whatever else you have." Cameron said.

Ally picked up the items and left the 'cold room'.

"I got it." Ally said on her way out.

Gail watched Ally go. She looked at Cameron, and the vats of liquid nitrogen in the room. She wanted to make sure Cameron understood what needed to be done. Savannah made it clear earlier what they were to do.

"We need to destroy all this." Gail said. "Everything must be destroyed. You know what Savannah asked for earlier. It applies here just the same."

Cameron would like to study some of the material further. She knew she needed to follow Savannah's directive. She wanted to see what they actually had right now first.

"We will." Cameron said. "Start dumping the containers out. Use the insulated gloves, be careful and stay alert. We need to watch the time."

Gail was aware of the time. She felt they were running late.

"We've been here five minutes and twelve seconds." Gail said. "We need to go."

Cameron didn't feel they were too much behind schedule. She hadn't expected the upstairs part which was added to the building. It delayed her more than anticipated. The fact she was shot at and hit by two different Grays didn't sit well with her either. If they weren't rushed for time, she would have liked to have only wounded both of them and carried out a further discussion with them, 'Terminator Style'.

"Hurry and we can be out of here at the six minute mark." Cameron said.

She would have liked to have been out at the five minute mark. It wasn't going to happen.

Cameron was unsure what everything was, but she decided it all needed to be destroyed. She didn't want to torch the entire building yet. There must still be someone on the way there. The building in flames would keep them away. She hoped the drones would spot them. Whoever was supposed to arrive even suspected the building was compromised, they would never approach it. They may never know who it was.

She hoped there was a bigger prize to be found there or associated with The location. If there was a 'Skynet' somewhere, she wanted it. She thought this group was related to the mine they used the H-bomb on. It should have terminated whatever Skynet was there. She wanted to make sure there wasn't a new version of it somewhere else. maybe they should have tried to keep some of the Grays alive so they could be properly questioned. It was amazing what a little enhanced interrogation could result in.

Cameron couldn't help but glance at the vats of liquid nitrogen and think about how it was used earlier in an enhanced interrogation at the old supermarket.

Cam directed the clean up operation with the MIKE Force. The bodies were all piled into the refrigerator truck. All the computers were collected and loaded into some of the Grays vehicles in the parking lot. There were still a few which weren't severely damaged from shrapnel.

Everything they wanted was cleared out. The vehicles pulled out and took off.

Cameron and Gail worked to finish up in the 'cold room'. Cam and Ally joined them.

"Everyone and everything is away." Cam said.

Cameron looked through the supplies inside the 'cold room'. She selected a few to finish up her part of the operation.

"Help Gail carry the tub outside." Cameron said. "It has acid in it so be careful. We'll use some Thermite on it outside as well. It's the only way to be sure."

Gail was sure the last part of Cameron's statement could be viewed several different ways. There were always even more deadly ways for things to be 'the only way to be sure'. She was certain the H-bomb detonated in the mine in the Nevada desert was probably the ultimate way.

Cameron wanted to take one last look around.

Cam followed her.

Cameron looked at Cam.

Cam didn't want there to be any problems or issues.

"Savannah asked me to stay with you." Cam said. "It's just how it's going to be. I don't want to talk about it or discuss it."

Cameron knew why she was still with her. She knew Savannah was looking out for her.

"I understand." Cameron said. "I think we're done here for now."

Cam wanted to reassure Cameron the operation went smoothly.

"We got the female out." Cam said. "It was your main goal."

Cameron felt a mild glitch impulse but was able to suppress it.

"It was." Cameron said. "She's about the same age as Young Allison. All I could think is - what if it was her?"

Cameron needed to concentrate on what they were doing, not dwell on 'what ifs'.

"We'll figure it all out." Cam said.

Cameron didn't know what there would be to figure out. They still didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle.

"We need to get ready to intercept whatever was coming here. The attacking force wanted something or someone." Cameron said. "We still have six drones supporting us. The others went with the MIKE Force, Cammy's team, and Holly's team."

Cameron with Cam collected Hanna, Ally and Gail. They left the tub with burning Thermite to finish off what the acid turned to ash.

They piled into Cameron's SUV and drove away for a few blocks. There was a drone high up above them.

Cameron checked to make sure Savannah and the female were clear of the area along with her father as well.

"Now we wait." Cameron said.

Ally wondered what it was exactly they were waiting for.

"How long will we wait?" Ally asked.

Cameron would have liked to have known the answer to it. She didn't.

"I don't know." Cameron said. "I don't even know what we're waiting for."

John Henry and CamNet report nothing seemed to be headed their way, yet.

Hanna thought it would be a little safer if they were further away from the port complex. There were other factors to worry about as well.

"What about the authorities?" Hanna asked.

Cameron was satisfied they finished everything up in just under six minutes and were away from the location and now able to conduct surveillance.

"CamNet and John Henry have everything covered." Cameron said. "Any 911 reports have been intercepted and dealt with. There's no emergency response headed here. This area has been designated as a 'filming site' for a science fiction movie. All the permits were electronically filed. If anyone checks, it will show the permits have been there for months."

Gail wanted to know more about the female. She knew about what happened to Jesse starting when she was younger than the female was.

"What about the female?" Gail asked.

Cameron didn't know what any of the answers were.

"Savannah is with her." Cameron said. "She'll let us know soon."

A sad look came over Hanna's face.

"I know some of what Vanna went through." Hanna said. "It was terrible."

Ally felt the need for some additional justice.

"I have Allison's memories too." Ally said. "If we've missed anyone on this operation, I want to hunt them down with Hanna and Sheila. We all have special insight into what justice is."

Cameron understood the three of them carried the trauma of what was done to their human counterparts. She wanted justice as well.

"It will be so." Cameron said. "I'll assist you."

Were they done for the night or were things just getting started?

John Henry began to fill them in with new information.

They weren't done for the night yet.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Cold Room

Everyone hopes in the beginning
That a relationship will bloom
When two hearts click
It's fair to assume

Deep in one's mind
The other will loom
If they want to share
It's logical to presume

If the goal of one
Is just for the womb
They get lost in lust
Their soul it will consume

When one feels used
They're soon filled with gloom
The relationship itself
Soon radiates doom

In a short time the bedroom
Becomes the relationship's tomb
One can't make the love exhume
It's just another dark and cold room

Nobody