Chapter 1131

I Will Do It Myself

Savannah sat on the tarmac with both engines running on the B-25. Bob returned to the Mitchell, he brought the duffel bag full of cash with him. There was a tracker inside the lining of the bag. He found it and crushed it.

They watched the jet take off.

Savannah imagined what was happening to the blonde Bitch right now. It still didn't sit well with her. She knew things like it happened to Vanna and Jesse. She only needed to remind herself the individuals on the aircraft all chose to work in the field of abusing females and some males. One of them would get a taste of what they subjected others to previously. It didn't make her feel any better everyone on the plane was going to die in a short while.

Cameron could see Savannah was troubled. She didn't want her to worry about anything related to the plane. It was really a moot point. The plane wouldn't be around long. The alternative action to deal with the plane and crew was much more risky from her point of view.

"It will be over in an hour for all of them." Cameron said. "The other alternative was for me to enter the aircraft myself and terminate all the individuals where they were on the plane. There was a good chance there might be some type of gunfire. Both Bob and Jim noted some of the aircraft crew were armed with pistols. There is the chance I might be damaged if I did. We would also need to do something with all of the bodies and the aircraft itself. It may not be the best choice, but it is better for us this way to get rid of all the evidence. There's less risk to anyone on our team to do so."

Savannah looked at Cameron and nodded. She didn't want Cameron or any of their Terminators to receive unnecessary damage. Everything would be taken care of the way it was being done. There was still an image in her head of some of the things Vanna and Jesse told her. She needed to concentrate on where she was at.

Jim left the airport in the van along with the woman's phone and laptop. They would be taken for evaluation. He would procure alternate transportation before he returned to the Resistance base. He might actually interact with one of Cameron's Terminators and give everything to them. Everything related to the operation they just took down would be strictly and off the books operation run out of Cameron's base and coordinated through CamNet. It wouldn't involve the Command Center or the Resistance.

Cameron wanted all the information and contacts the blonde Bitch was using. She would personally look into each of them with Ally and Sheila. Any of the other Metal girls could accompany them if they chose to do so. She was certain some of them, if not all of them who were targeted, would want to follow up on the operation in a personal nature. Savannah wasn't allowed to be involved in the side operations of the 'off the books' endeavors. The risk of her being injured or killed was great enough dealing with Skynet related matters. Savannah didn't need to face any additional risks to deal with future Scavengers. Sometimes one of the Metal girls was stabbed or shot during those operations. It could happen to Savannah just as easily.

She wanted Savannah to focus on Resistance operations. She didn't want Savannah to see how future Scavengers were dealt with. She was more inclined to look the other way when Sheila was with her if younger individuals were involved in a trafficking operation they took down. There was a sentence to be carried out for the crimes of the perpetrators. It was a sentence of their own creation by their own actions.

There needed to be some type of punishment and justice enacted. Conventional law enforcement did little to prevent those types of crimes even though they were rather prevalent. Almost nothing was done to stem the drug trade. There were often multiple street corners in every city where anyone could go and purchase illegal narcotics. It seemed the authorities did little to enforce the laws already on the books.

The biggest example was the lack of control of the borders. Drugs and females were brought across in broad daylight without recourse. The 'open border' policy was a complete failure against crime. Any reporter with a film crew could go out and capture footage of drugs being sold on the street, or coming across the border without any interdiction. If the reporter and the film crew could find the activity, why couldn't the authorities?

Cameron believed illegal narcotics were the root cause of much of the crime. People needed to steal to support their habits. Females were forced into sexual servitude to 'pay' for what they needed once they were hooked on a particular drug. It also seemed to be a major problem among the homeless. It all set the stage for future Scavengers. They didn't need to wait around for Skynet to take over if future Scavengers turned sections of the city into Wastelands in the current time period.

Savannah watched the jet disappear into the sky. Her thoughts bothered her again. She was well aware of what was going to happen to the blonde Bitch. It most likely was already in progress. She knew the jet was on a one way ticket to oblivion. She wondered if the blonde Bitch was able to equate what currently was happening to her with what she did to others. She figured it didn't really matter in the long run. The clock was already ticking, and so was the bomb.

Cameron could see Savannah wasn't very content about what she orchestrated. She felt justified in her actions and the retribution she dished out. If it was an isolated incident which none of the humans knew about, she would allow Sheila to 'work' on all of the perpetrators based on the nature of their crimes. People needed to atone for what they did to others, especially if they were innocent of anything, other than being a female.

"Payback is a Bitch, for a Bitch." Cameron said. "She's hurt a lot of females over the last few months. I want you to remember all the girls who disappeared had family and friends. They were all people who mattered. They all just disappeared. Their loved ones will never know what happened to them. It's something to think about. I think you can only imagine what happened to them once they reached their final destination. If there was any way to retrieve them, I would try. I don't think there is."

Cameron previously tried to get some of the females back from some of the operations before. Most of those searches turned up a dead end. She only ever was able to recover a few of them. The majority of them were already dead. The individuals who 'purchased' them were too when she left. She knew the majority of females on the planet possessed dark hair. Those with blonde hair, or red hair, were always targets for other parts of the World. It was one of the things she made sure the Terminators who watched over Young Riley looked out for. It was the same way she looked out for Savannah.

Savannah did think about it. She understood what it was like to 'disappear'. It's what happened to her with any of her relatives and friends. She never saw any of them again. She needed to remain in seclusion because she was targeted for termination. Cameron made it very clear what would happen if anyone knew she was alive. If any of the Skynet offshoots even thought she was alive, her relatives would probably be beaten to death to find her whereabouts. None of them knew where she was or she was even still alive. If they were scanned, it would show they weren't lying if they said they didn't know.

There was a lot to think about and unfortunately it was all she could think about. Maybe it was just the idea of someone being abused against their will, even if they deserved it for their past actions. It cleaned up the 'crime scene' if nothing else. She didn't think she made a big deal about it.

"I didn't say anything." Savannah said. "What's done is done."

It seemed the best thing to do was to move on.

Derek and Kyle didn't have much to say about what happened. They hated Scavengers as much as Cameron did. There was no lost love on their part. They would just as soon have killed everyone on the plane with firearms. Either way, everyone on the aircraft was going to die.

On patrols in the Wastelands they found the bodies of females Scavengers dumped when they were 'done' with them. Some of them were in really bad shape. They knew most of those deviations carried over from before Judgment Day.

Derek wanted to redirect the conversation.

"Savannah, are you going to have any trouble flying at night?" Derek asked.

It was a clear night with good visibility.

Savannah quickly refocused her attention. She didn't want to make any mistakes while she was flying.

"No." Savannah said. "There are four individuals whose 'natural ability' is far superior to mine in many ways. I will rely on them to assist me when it's necessary. Cameron, Cammy, Gail and Bob will all watch for any hazards. John Henry will clear the airspace. Cammy will take control if it's necessary for anything which may become dangerous."

Savannah knew it always pleased the Terminators to have their 'natural ability' recognized for what it was. She didn't think it was an issue, because it was an undeniable fact.

Cammy smiled at Savannah. She knew Savannah could do everything herself.

"You won't have any trouble at all." Cammy said.

Savannah wanted to keep Cameron out and away from the base as long as possible. She would give Cameron the option to do it, or go back to Van Nuys now. She didn't want to put her in a bind for time for anything. She also didn't want her to go looking for more individuals involved in the group they just took down. There obviously were more. There was surely some type of 'holding pen' the group used for other females before they were transported to the plane.

"Where do you want to go, Cameron?" Savannah asked. "Do you want to go back to Van Nuys? It's a short hop. You said you didn't need much time to get ready, but what about John?"

Cameron was very content in the company she was with. She didn't think it would take John long to get ready either. Anything they needed they would be able to procure on the ship.

"It's up to you." Cameron said. "John shouldn't have any difficulties."

Savannah knew she needed to get Cameron back to the Resistance base to be with John and prepare for her cruise tomorrow. She didn't want Cameron to head out on any 'follow up' operations on any of the days 'activities'. It's what Cameron would normally do. She needed to consider Cameron was aware of what Young Allison didn't want to happen, as well as her, but she did it anyway because she felt it needed to be done. They didn't press the issue, or 'order' her not to do what she did.

She didn't want to make a big deal about it in front of everyone. She thought about chewing up some more time first. The longer Cameron was in the sky, the less chance there would be of her being damaged. She tried to think of a route she could take which would burn up some time, but not too much. It would also keep them in the general vicinity of where they were.

"I can head out to Avalon and then cut back in at Camarillo before we return." Savannah said. "It's if Derek and Kyle are OK with a couple more hours of flight time."

The Reese brothers were all for it. So far the day was one grand adventure for both of them. It was really a day unlike any other for them. At one point they didn't know if they would need to mix it up with the sex traffickers or not. They were ready if they were needed.

Derek didn't want Savannah to over exert herself.

"You aren't too tired are you, Savannah?" Derek asked. "You've done a lot of flying."

Savannah felt Cameron start to scan her right after he asked the question.

Cammy reached for Savannah's neck at the same time, but Cameron's hand beat her there. They briefly looked at each other for a moment. Cammy slowly withdrew her hand. Without a word spoken, it said a lot.

Savannah was used to it and expected it once Derek asked the question. If she didn't allow Cameron or any of the other Metal girls to complete the scan, it always seemed to cause them some distress. It was like something they needed to do. She wanted to put everyone at ease including the Terminators.

"I'm in my prime." Savannah said.

Cammy watched Cameron complete the scan. She was a little miffed she wasn't able to do it. She thought about doing another one anyway, but didn't want to upset Savannah.

"Let's go." Cammy said.

Savannah received clearance from the tower and taxied to the runway. She ran the engines up and released the brakes. The B-25 thundered down the runway and into the night sky. The view of the city at night was beautiful.

Cameron knew there were plenty of people down on the ground who would turn their heads to the sky, to see where the throaty roar was at above them in the darkness.

John was a little more relaxed because nothing else developed at any of the locations where there was action. It included both the Skynet related activity and the sex trafficking activity.

John Henry advised John of Savannah's new flight plan.

John felt a little upset. He wanted Cameron back at the base. He was worried the longer she stayed out. It seemed like the more chance she would get involved in a new operation.

"I thought they would come straight back." John said.

It was obvious to John Henry what Savannah's plan was. He understood if Cameron was in the sky, she wasn't on her way to revisit one of the sites where the 'activity' took place.

"Savannah is trying to keep Cameron busy." John Henry said. "There's not much Cameron can do while the Mitchell is in the air. You know as well as I do she tends to do things once you fall asleep. Some of those things are very dangerous."

John thought about it for a minute. Savannah physically kept Cameron out of any 'activity' as long as she was flying. He hoped she didn't have a parachute onboard. She could use it to jump out of the bomber and arrive at one of the target locations. It would be a rather unique way to arrive at one of the locations. It certainly wouldn't be anything anyone would expect.

"I guess it's an effective strategy." John said. "There's not a whole lot Cameron can do up in the sky."

John looked forward to spending some 'alone time' with Cameron tonight. He knew he would have an entire week to be alone with Cameron. Savannah was trying to look out for Cameron. If she looked out for Cameron, she also looked out for him.

John Henry followed up on some leads from the phones of the motorcycle riders. He was able to get a hit on a possible location from the data on both of their phones.

He debated whether to tell John or handle it himself. It was protocol to go through John for everything unless some emergency action needed to be taken. He knew Young Allison didn't always follow the chain of command when she directed CamNet to enact her plans. They were usually 'spur of the moment' plans so there often was little time to act. All of her calls proved to be good ones. Some of them were calls John, or any of the Terminators, wouldn't have made. The fact Young Allison felt she needed to do them herself was proof of it. He could actually understand why she didn't go through any other channels with some of the plans she came up with. He knew no one would have agreed to them ahead of time, including him.

John watched John Henry. There was a far off look on his face. It reminded him of the look he saw on Cameron's face at times. It always disturbed him when she would have a look like it on her face as she lay next to him in bed after they shared together. He never knew where her mind was at. He doubted it was focused on him. He wondered where John Henry's mind was at right now. He decided to ask about it.

"What are you doing?" John asked.

John Henry looked around. He wondered who John spoke to. He didn't think it was him, but there was no one else in the Command Center, so it was.

"I was thinking." John Henry said.

John knew John Henry only needed a millisecond to think. He must be concerned with something else. He probably found a lead. He decided to ask.

"What do you have?" John asked. "I think you found something, spill it."

John Henry decided to come clean. Cameron was out of the picture for the next few hours. She wouldn't be able to act on the information. He could only speculate on exactly who the information applied to. He would need to investigate everything further.

"It's a hit on the Fanatics." John Henry said. "It could be some Grays too. It is hard to tell which of these groups is which until we actually interact with them. It's usually a very negative experience for everyone involved."

John thought there was some irony there. They didn't know how many different versions of Skynet there were, or from how many different timelines. They did know there was more than one. The one which seemed the most different was the one from the furthest future. It was where the Grays worshiped their version of Skynet - SkyMaster, as a god.

"Skynet gets to fight SkyMaster, a future version of itself." John said. "Each one seems to dislike other versions of itself just as much. It seems like one big unhappy family."

John Henry was sure every group other than the Resistance was a threat. It seemed the Fanatics were the greatest threat. They seemed to be the most extreme in the most willing to die to protect their secrets. If they couldn't blow themselves up, and everything around them, they attempted to take poison and kill themselves. Either way the enemy was the same thing. It was just a variation of it.

"They're both groups of Grays." John Henry said. "One is just from a further future. They're both a dangerous problem."

John wanted to know where they stood. The issue would need to be dealt with at some point.

"So what do you have and how big of a threat is it?" John asked.

John Henry was sure he'd found another location where the Fanatics must have a base of operations. There was something there anyway.

"So far it's a possible location where both of the motorcycle riders frequented multiple times." John Henry said.

John liked the gravity missile attack devised by Young Allison. He saw it as a way to deliver a weapon which wouldn't be noticed easily. It would be noticed even less if it was at night. There would be no telltale trail across the sky as there normally would be with a missile. He didn't want to risk damage to any of his troops and he wanted to deal with the problem before Cameron found out about it.

"If it's isolated and looks like it is related to either group, I want to hit it. I want to use a missile strike against it. I want it done the same way Young Allison did." John said. "The building should just explode for no apparent reason. Nobody will see it coming."

John Henry was going to ask about a recon first. It was the normal procedure. It would most likely bring Cameron to the location. Maybe the missile strike was the best option in this case.

"There will be a silent shape which 'falls' from the sky with a set trajectory and an armed warhead." John Henry said.

John was ready to dish out some death from above.

"Do it." John said.

John really began to wonder if they should find out some more as soon as he gave the order to take care of business. He was always worried about collateral damage. Maybe he was about to cause some himself. He didn't want Cameron to be damaged either. He didn't want her to go there.

Now John began to second guess himself. It was always a bad thing to do.

Earlier:

Young Allison monitored all the drone feeds and some selected com traffic.

She understood what Cameron was about to allow to happen to the blonde Bitch. She wasn't happy about it. It should have been a straight up termination like Gail wanted to do.

"I still don't agree with what Cameron is about to do." Young Allison said.

Anna wondered if Young Allison would stop it. She possessed the power to do it. She wanted to give her a reminder, just to see what she would do.

"You can stop her." Anna said. "Is it what you want to do?"

Young Allison felt it was what Cameron wanted to do.

"I don't know." Young Allison said.

Anna thought otherwise.

"You do know." Anna said.

Young Allison didn't want it to become her problem. She wasn't the only one who knew what was about to happen. She figured there were at least three humans with a good idea of what was about to occur. Two of those were the Reese brothers. The other one was Savannah. They were all there at the scene. There were also a number of Terminators who were aware of what was going to happen as well. It actually caused her some frustration.

"Savannah isn't stopping her." Young Allison said. "She knows what's happening too."

Anna decided there were other methods which would have been worse for the female.

"Do you know why Cameron is doing it this way?" Anna asked. "She could have allowed Sheila to go with them and look the other way as well. What the blonde Bitch did to the Metal girls was personal. This wasn't them interceding in their normal illegal activity. It was actually an attack upon them. I think everything which normally happens would have happened to the extreme."

Young Allison was aware Sheila wanted to mutilate the blonde Bitch. She wasn't onboard with it either. She was never in a future to witness some of the aftermath of Scavengers on her own. There were plenty of images on the internet of similar activity which occurred throughout the world anyway. Strangely enough, some of it was allowed to happen voluntarily.

"Sheila didn't." Young Allison said. "She was purposely directed not to go with Gail and Jim."

Anna knew the plane would crash into the ocean in an hour, or be blown up by a bomb, or shot down by a missile from a drone.

"The blonde Bitch is going to die one way or another." Anna said. "Cameron wants her to atone for what she's done to other females."

Young Allison wanted it over.

"I still think she should be terminated." Young Allison said.

Young Allison could only imagine what would happen to the female before the plane crashed. She could order CamNet to detonate the bomb in the plane's fuselage, or have a drone fire a missile and end it at any time. There were options open to her and Savannah which Cameron placed before them to use if they chose to intercede. There were other ways they could go around Cameron without needing to give her an 'order'. Maybe it was all a test. Maybe it was to teach them sometimes atonement was justified because of the suffering of others. Maybe it was nothing but standard operating procedure for an 'off the books' operation.

Anna pointed out some additional options. She wanted to see if Young Allison would pressure anyone else to intercede.

"John doesn't know exactly what Cameron is doing." Anna said. "You can discuss it with him."

It wasn't an option Young Allison wanted to explore. Somehow it felt a little too personal to her. Normally she was fairly confident about what she did. Somehow the subject didn't quite seem appropriate for them to discuss with each other. She didn't think she would have a problem doing it with Cameron or Savannah. She was doing it right now with Anna. She knew CamNet was listening as well.

"It's not a subject I want to discuss with him." Young Allison said.

Anna knew there would be many sensitive issues in the future.

"There will be many things you don't want to do but must." Anna said.

Young Allison wondered what some of them would be.

"I guess this is one of them." Young Allison said.

Anna nodded.

"It is." Anna said.

Young Allison went over everything again in her head. Since Savannah wasn't going to stop it, she would do nothing either. Maybe it really was a test by Cameron to see if they would stand up to her over an issue they disagreed on. Maybe it was something Cameron needed to do for her own piece of mind.

She was a little surprised when she began to receive a transmission. It appeared to be a private conversation between Cameron and Savannah. It was very brief but she heard Cameron point out about all the girls who were subjected to the short life ahead of them in the sex trade. It bothered her to hear they all had parents, family, and loved ones. Maybe it was the part about some of the females may have children which did it. It sounded like there did need to be some type of retribution before death in this situation. She was also a little dismayed the conversation wasn't played for her until she already made her decision not to intercede. It was obvious it was done like it was not to influence her decision.

"I'll let Cameron do as she sees fit." Young Allison said. "She's needed to deal with Scavengers first hand and I know what was done to Vanna and Jesse. I don't want it for any of the girls, human or cyborg."

Young Allison and Anna worked in silence after she made her decision to let things stand. There was really nothing to talk about. They searched for any new leads which would turn up.

Anna was alerted by CamNet of the new find by John Henry from the phones they confiscated previously.

"John Henry has a new lead on some Grays. They might even be the Fanatics." Anna said.

They listened to John and John Henry as they discussed it.

Young Allison saw this new threat for the danger it posed. It sounded to her like something Cameron would want to get involved with. If Cameron decided to get involved, she knew Savannah was going with her.

"I don't want Cameron or Savannah anywhere near there." Young Allison said.

Anna could see John was ready to act without a recon. She wasn't sure it was the wisest choice. They should know a little bit more before they blow something up.

"It appears John doesn't either." Anna said.

Young Allison felt her gut get a little bit tight. It wasn't just because there would be contact with the enemy. It was because the enemy never seemed to die.

"None of this ever really winds down." Young Allison said. "For everything we knock down of Skynet's, there is always another one or more."

Anna felt the Resistance was doing its job. They kept the order and all versions of Skynet under control. She knew the situation could be worse than it was. She needed to look at the positive side of things.

"Skynet hasn't taken control yet." Anna said. "The Resistance must be doing something right."

Young Allison could see it was true. They still needed to stay ahead of Skynet and keep it from ever gaining control. Each victory still felt like a hollow victory. She remembered once Cameron told her not all victories were sweet. She understood the term 'victory' may be open to interpretation in those cases. She wasn't sure there really ever was a victory as long as the enemy was never vanquished.

"I guess so." Young Allison said.

Between Skynet and Scavengers, the future looked very bleak. Young Allison didn't want her first physical sexual experience to be at the hands of Scavengers, Grays, or even a single unknown individual. The thought sickened her. It's how it was for Vanna, Jesse, and Allison. In reality, it's exactly what happened to her. It was how all the girls from the future were treated. They were all taken by force, or the threat of death, as they became 'women' at an age younger than she was now.

Young Allison didn't want to dwell in the future, a future. She wanted to deal with the moment and what they could directly affect. She was ready to make things happen on her own. She didn't want John or Cameron involved.

"Let's move on." Young Allison said. "I want to know what John Henry knows before he knows it. I want leads on the Grays, Fanatics, and the sex traffickers."

Anna didn't want Young Allison to overreach. There were some things Cameron wanted Savannah and Young Allison insulated from.

"The slavers are outside the scope of Resistance operations." Anna said. "Cameron won't approve of you dealing with them."

Young Allison was going to step up anyway if she needed to do so. She didn't intend to let anything stand in her way. If there was a job that needed to be done, then there was a job that needed to be done. Things didn't get done by thinking about them.

"Cameron only needs to worry about John for a week." Young Allison said. "I'll work with Ally and Sheila on the slavers. They know best how to deal with them. I think it's something all of the Metal girls want to do for various reasons."

Anna saw it as a step too far. She believed the sex and drug trade should be off limits to Young Allison. There were certain boundaries she wasn't supposed to cross, even if she could.

"Is it how you want to operate?" Anna asked.

Young Allison felt Cameron and Savannah already faced enough to cope with. She believed the idea was to help share the burden. It shouldn't fall on one or two individuals.

"I don't want Cameron or Savannah to deal with them." Young Allison said. "I can always use myself as a lure."

Anna didn't want Cameron to hear such talk from Young Allison. She didn't want to hear it either.

"It's not going to happen." Anna said. "I won't allow it."

Young Allison knew she could always use herself as bait to draw out the slavers. She knew no one was going to agree to it. She knew someone who could go in her place. They would be a little bit more durable in the event something went wrong than she would.

"You can work with Ally and Sheila as bait." Young Allison said. "I think either one of us would draw top dollar."

Anna didn't look forward to the assignment. She thought Sheila and Ally did a pretty good job of handling all of it on their own. She didn't want Young Allison to do it. She wanted to make her dissatisfaction and disapproval known.

"If it's what you demand." Anna said. "It's not my choice."

Young Allison could see it was a problem. She didn't want to make someone do something they weren't comfortable with. She thought it would be better if someone would volunteer. She felt it fell back into her lap. She decided to go back to her original plan.

"It's a thought." Young Allison said. "Never mind, I'll do it myself."

Anna wondered if there was something wrong with Young Allison. It was clear this is where some of Cameron's problems originated from with the 'Neural Interface' with Future Allison. All of the Allison's started from Young Allison.

"It's unacceptable." Anna said.

Young Allison believed a leader should be willing to do anything they wanted anybody else to do in their place. It would make them think twice about what they wanted any individual to do. It included going on a risky mission. It was clear to her it was something Cameron not only was willing to do but did on a regular basis. It was true some people possessed specialized qualifications which would make them more survivable in certain circumstances. Terminators had a big advantage when it came to it. If the best qualified individual wasn't willing to do it voluntarily, the next individual willing to do it should step up.

"I want to keep everyone safe." Young Allison said.

Anna wasn't sure if Young Alison was just messing with her or if she was completely serious. She thought it was a little of both. She wanted a different line of thought going forward. They were there to do a specific job.

"Maybe you'd better stick with Resistance operations." Anna said. "It's why we're in the Resistance."

Young Allison didn't like the rebuke.

"I'll think about it." Young Allison said.

She would quietly ask CamNet to keep her informed about any 'off the books' operations which needed to be taken care of. She was still dissatisfied with the situation around the local parks, especially at night. It was a problem she thought she could look into personally. She didn't like some of the reports she read on her local internet news. There were many things occurring which never made it to the regular news media. They didn't appear there because they didn't matter to anyone. What happened, didn't happen to them. They didn't care. She did. If she was supposed to help people in the future, she should be able to do it now as well. What was the purpose of standing around and doing nothing when innocent females were the ones who paid the price?

The Metal girls dropped off all the captured vehicles where they wanted them. They were dumped in gang territory. They were in two different SUVs themselves for the ride home. They made sure they changed vehicles twice after all of it was done.

Sheila and Ally were in one. Cam, Hanna, and Holly were in the other one. They were about to head back to the Resistance base.

Ally looked over at Sheila. Normally there was a wisecrack from her every now and then or some sexual overture. Often there would be a running commentary about the way people drove, or even about the way they looked. Sometimes there were comments about what she would like to do to a particular individual they passed while driving, or walking on the street. There was usually something. Right now there was nothing.

"You look a little steamed." Ally said.

Sheila was disappointed. She reached down and involuntarily touched the hilt of her knife. She really wanted to use it. She wanted to hear the blonde Bitch scream. She wanted to be the one who made her do it.

"I wanted to 'work' on the blonde Bitch." Sheila said.

Ally saw a different punishment. She saw it as a living Hell for the blonde Bitch. It wouldn't be what she wanted. The prospect of being 'taken' while she was immobile didn't appeal to her. The prospect of her being 'taken' at all didn't appeal to her for that matter.

"We know what Cameron planned for her." Ally said. "She'll have some 'justice' delivered to her on her short final flight."

Sheila really wanted to hear her scream a little first.

"I guess." Sheila said.

Ally was sure Savannah or Young Allison would have stopped Sheila anyway.

"Don't be so glum." Ally said. "You know the operation is way bigger than what we took down today."

Sheila smiled. It meant there were more future 'detainees' to be 'interrogated'. Some more of them were bound to be females. There was often at least one female 'handler' involved in a large operation.

"You're right, they're always bigger than they look and even when we rub one out, another one springs up in its place." Sheila said. "It's pretty much the same thing which always seems to happen with Skynet."

Ally could see Sheila felt a little more upbeat now as she thought about the near future. She also noticed Sheila continued to touch the hilt of her knife as she drove. Every time she did, she saw a smile appear or widen on Sheila's face. She really wondered what she was thinking. No, she didn't need to wonder. She knew exactly what she was thinking. She watched her in action before.

Cam drove the other SUV. Holly and Hanna were with her. So far the ride was relatively quiet since they made the last vehicle change.

Hanna looked at Holly and then at Cam.

"Are we going back now?" Hanna asked.

Cam looked at Hanna. She looked worried.

"Are you afraid you've been away too long?" Cam asked.

Hanna didn't like the question.

"No." Hanna said too quickly.

Holly wanted to quell Hanna's fears. She was aware once everything played out, there was always something which would be there for them.

"It took me a long time to accept it too." Holly said. "The girls all need each other. They still belong to us at the end of the day."

Hanna felt the threat was greater. She wasn't sure if Holly was paying good enough attention. She didn't think so. She looked at Cam and then at Holly.

"Don't speak too soon." Hanna said. "Allison and Vanna are really hitting it off and seem closer now than ever."

Holly didn't like what Hanna said.

"Claire and Jesse seem pretty tight too." Holly said. "They only have each other. It's all they want."

Cam was aware what the real issue was. It was more than skin deep. It was about something very precious to all of the girls.

"Allison has something Vanna wants. Allison needs Vanna to help her." Cam said.

It seemed to upset Holly more.

"Look who's talking." Holly said.

Cam saw everything more as a distraction than anything. Everything would eventually 'fix' itself at some point. It was like there was a bigger selection available to everybody now.

"Everyone relax." Cam said. "There is plenty of 'everybody' for all of us."

Hanna saw it a little deeper beyond the current point in time. She believed the children would redirect the central focus of each of the human females. She saw it in both Claire and Sarah. No matter what happened, it was their children which always came first. All the sacrifices Sarah made for John were proof of it.

"You're just saying it because you know Savannah is going to have Vanna's baby. You know Vanna will be focused on the baby from then on." Hanna said. "It's something most female animals do."

Holly continued the thought process along the same lines.

"Young Jesse, or Jesse's mother can have one for Jesse." Holly said. "It will free Claire back up."

Cam wasn't so sure about it. It seemed like going from the frying pan into the fire.

"Claire may be headed right into John's bed." Cam said. "I believe it's a real possibility. It's clear she's ready for more, a lot more."

Hanna wanted to prevent it. She wasn't sure she could.

"I won't allow it." Hanna said.

Cam didn't think Hanna could stop it. She was aware of everything Claire volunteered to do on her own. It was everything.

"If it's what Cameron wants to get John to start touching the human females, then it's what's going to happen." Cam said. "We all know it."

Hanna wanted Young Allison in the mix. It would change a lot of things.

"Then Young Allison needs to get her temporal mission started." Hanna said. "I don't know what Cameron's waiting for. It should have happened years ago."

Holly was sure what Cameron was waiting for. She thought the answer was self evident.

"Cameron knows she'll be replaced by Young Allison." Holly said. "It's what she is waiting for. She doesn't want it to happen no matter how much she says she does. She's been on my chip multiple times. I think I know a little bit more about her."

Cam looked over at Holly and they stared at each other for a moment. She believed she knew what Cameron wanted or feared better than all of them. She ran Cameron's program. She saw the girls took a different approach and it wasn't with them.

"It's Young Allison and Savannah who are pushing for John and Cameron to spend time alone together on the cruise. They want them closer together." Cam said. "I don't believe either one of them is in a hurry to share John's bed full time. I believe they will try it, but I don't think it is going to be their preference. It's clear the nature of their true relationship is well established throughout multiple timelines."

The 'Vanna' in Hanna left no doubt in her mind. She agreed with Cam and wanted to spell it out even more clearly.

"It's because they want to be together with each other, as it should be." Hanna said. "Savannah Weaver and Allison Young, in any combination, is the true 'Natural Order'. It's the only constant in every timeline."

Cam knew there was one other thing the girls wanted. It was the 'prize' everyone wanted. The only ones with a true shot at it were the 'Chosen Ones'.

"They both want to be with Cameron too." Cam said.

Holly wondered about John.

"Why don't they want to be with John?" Holly asked.

Cam was painfully aware of what Cameron did to both of them from the time when they were younger. Cameron made both of them make promises no young girl should have to ever make or be forced to keep. She knew the girls would honor their promises and do what was needed to protect the future.

"They'll do their duty." Cam said. "They both have promises to keep."

There was a moment of silence as the three Metal girls looked at each other. They all knew what to say next. It all came down to one thing in the end. It never changed either.

"Everyone sacrifices for John Connor." The three Metal girls all said at the same time.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

I Will Do It Myself

When it comes down to trust and reliance
Is there ever more than me, myself and I
When it becomes the question
It's time to start asking why

Is it the way to live life
With an eye over your shoulder
It might work for now
What will happen when you're older

Is it so wrong to desire another
It's actually human nature
To seek comfort and joy
is more than nomenclature

Sometimes a wall exists
That's never really there
It can be as solid as a rock
When two forget how to share

It's the end of the beginning
When it becomes about the self
It's on the rocks when one thinks
I will do it myself

Nobody