Chapter 1134
How Long Ago
Savannah finished up with her call to Young Allison for now. She wasn't happy with the recent events. She wanted to get back to the task at hand. Things didn't turn out as complicated as she thought they were going to be. It would probably change later on.
She was the pilot of the Mitchell and she wanted to make the landing herself. She quickly checked all the instruments. She looked at Cammy who glanced at her. She quickly checked everything as Cammy verbally filled her in.
Cammy understood what Savannah wanted. She could see Savannah was a little distracted. She thought sometimes a little pressure was good for Savannah. She spotted something in the distance and made some quick calculations. She increased her air speed slightly.
"The flaps are down. I'm about to lower the landing gear." Cammy said. "You got it?"
Savannah took a quick look at the sky around her. She was ready.
"I got it." Savannah said.
Savannah took control.
Cammy continued with her current task.
"I'm lowering the landing gear." Cammy said.
The landing gear came down. They both did a visual inspection. Cameron double checked for Savannah on her side. She double checked Cammy's side too. She felt Savannah's speed was a little high. It actually wasn't a problem because of the length of One Six Right at Van Nuys. She wasn't really sure why Cammy increased the speed slightly. It actually caused her some irritation. She wondered if she was trying to test Savannah on something.
"The gear looks good." Cameron said. "Watch your speed."
Savannah double checked everything. Cammy was coming in a little hot for her taste. She cut back on the power a little more.
"I'm throttling back some now." Savannah said. "It's a little faster than I would have made my approach."
Cammy was a little irritated when Cameron questioned the speed. She felt she did fine. She would have cut the power a little more once she was closer. She continued to look ahead as she spoke. There was no need to get into a 'discussion' with Cameron now about it with Savannah about to touch down. She was sure glad she wasn't a Bitch like Cameron was.
"You're lined up good." Cammy said. "Everything is fine."
Cammy called out the air speed and distance every now and then.
They closed in on the runway.
Savannah needed to refocus. It was a test for her now. At least it was a self test for her. It was a test of her ability and skill. She didn't know how complicated the conversation she conducted was going to be with Young Allison, or if she would need to involve CamNet. It was all enough to throw her concentration off about her flying.
The railroad tracks crossed along the north end of the two runways at Van Nuys. There was no real risk of a collision, but it could be a distraction for landing aircraft. It could also be a tense moment for locomotive crews to see an aircraft approaching them at low altitude from the side at over a hundred miles an hour with the landing gear down. At night it would be a little more ominous with the landing lights on.
Years ago there was a reported incident at LAX where the railroad tracks went along the east side of the two long runways. A Western Airlines DC-7 struck the top of a boxcar with its landing gear on a passing train as it came in for a landing. It was a little lower than it should be. It was originally on the Santa Fe route which ended up at the harbor at the time. The same tracks were now converted to light rail usage. Since the light rail in the area used an overhead wire, they made a trench for where the tracks pass in front of the runways. There was a strengthened cover over the top of the trench in front of both of the runways.
Cammy looked off to the side as they approached the runway. It was something she spotted earlier. She made her calculations to get ahead of the train. By Cameron interfering with the speed she set up, it was going to be more of a challenge for Savannah. It was a mental challenge more than anything. It wouldn't be a physical challenge.
"There's a train approaching Metro." Cammy said. "Keep some altitude."
Savannah was aware it was the railroad term for the location where the tracks were. The original name of Van Nuys Airport was Los Angeles Metropolitan Airport. The railroad adopted the name 'Metro' to indicate the location to railroad crews.
Cameron glanced over at the approaching train. She could see the two locomotives on the point and the row of double deck Superliner cars. There was a lone baggage car.
"It's the Coast Starlight." Cameron said. "It is running late. It's not unusual."
Savannah glanced over and saw the double deck passenger cars all lit from the inside. She knew unless someone's face was right up against the glass, they wouldn't see them. Since it was dark all anyone would see if they looked at the window, would be their own reflection and the interior of the car.
She thought about kicking the power up to get ahead of it but didn't. She kept some extra altitude instead. She was glad she still possessed a little extra speed. It made her wonder if Cammy spotted the Coast Starlight coming in the distance originally. She would have to ask her later on if it was the case. She wasn't sure if Cammy wanted to beat the train to where they would cross, or use the extra speed to go a little further down the runway from a slightly higher altitude. Either way it was an effective strategy. She passed over the Coast Starlight and set down on One Six Right. She was a little further down the runway than she would have normally been. It was no problem. It was a very long runway for the Mitchell.
She cut back on the power and slowed the Mitchell. She taxied back to the hangar area. There was a crew of Terminators there waiting to service the plane. She thought it might be a little more than there would normally be around the area. She wasn't sure if anything else was going on.
She taxied to the area in front of the hangar and swung the B-25 around so it could be moved back inside the hangar once it was refueled.
Five of them exited from the forward hatch in the fuselage, while two of them exited from the rear hatch closer to the tail.
Derek and Kyle thanked Cameron and Savannah for the great day of flying.
The Reese brothers were thoroughly thrilled by the adventure.
"I'm ready to do it again." Derek said.
Kyle was as well.
"Count me In too." Kyle said.
Cameron wanted Derek and Kyle returned back to the Resistance base and their families. She instructed Bob and Gail to make sure it's what happened. She was glad Gail was with them. Otherwise she would have sent Cammy. She wanted to make sure they were provided good protection. Maybe she should send Cammy anyway. She was sure glad she wasn't a Bitch like Cammy was.
Derek and Kyle could tell something was up. They heard some of the chatter and felt the tension in the atmosphere which radiated off of Savannah, Cammy, and Cameron. It seemed like something they should be a part of.
"Where are you going?" Derek asked Cameron.
Cameron didn't want them endangered. She tried to be diplomatic and coy.
"Savannah wants to check the plane over and then we're going to follow up on an operation." Cameron said. "Everything is fine."
Kyle glanced at Derek. Now they knew something was up for sure.
"Derek and I can assist you." Kyle said.
The Reese brothers were no stranger to danger.
"We're both good to go." Derek said. "You know it."
Savannah wanted to deescalate the situation. She knew they wouldn't hesitate to enter into combat if it was necessary. She didn't want them to feel sidelined. She looked at both of them and smiled. She reached out and took a hand from each of them. She gave both of them a gentle squeeze as she talked to them.
"Thank you for flying with me today. We can do it again soon." Savannah said. "I'd like you two to go back to the base so this remains a good day for both of you. Your families are waiting for you."
Gail understood Cameron was to remain out of combat. She thought there was a solution to it. She could go in Cameron's place. She didn't want Savannah to face any danger tonight. She could remain with her and back her up. She wanted to be a little diplomatic so she didn't create a problem.
"I can stay with you, Savannah." Gail said. "Bob is the only one needed to insure the Reese brothers get back safely. Cameron could accompany them and go back and see John as well. She needs to get ready for her cruise tomorrow. She needs to make sure John is ready for his cruise tomorrow. I'm sure he would like to see her since she's been gone for most of the day."
Savannah knew Gail wanted to be with her. It didn't matter to Gail both Cameron and Cammy were standing there. She did appreciate the tactful way Gail offered for Cameron to return to the Resistance base. She didn't think Cameron would take the offer. She would have liked her to do so.
Gail wasn't ashamed to express her love for Savannah. She felt Cameron was too reckless with Savannah anyway.
Cameron looked a little surprised at Gail's offer. It was clear it wasn't something she wanted to do.
Savannah didn't want hard feelings on anyone's part. Everything went relatively smoothly so far on their adventure.
"I want Kyle and Derek to go back with Bob and you, Gail." Savannah said.
Cameron looked at Savannah and smiled.
Gail wanted to carry out Savannah's wishes. She believed Savannah knew what was best for all of them. She would make sure no harm came to the Reese brothers.
"It will be so." Gail said.
Savannah released the hand she held of Derek and Kyle. She smiled at Gail and touched her cheek. She let her hand linger there for a little bit.
"Thank you, Gail." Savannah said. "I appreciate this. I want to make sure everyone gets back to the base safely."
Gail and Bob left with the Reese brothers.
Cammy went to get their SUV. She wanted to make sure it contained a selection of weapons. There were more weapons in the hangar if they were needed.
Cameron looked like she wanted to leave.
Savannah wanted to do the final inspection of the plane. She wanted to keep Cameron out of combat. She felt she should have taken Gail's offer and asked Cameron to return to the Resistance base. She was sure it would have caused Cameron a few problems.
"Let's inspect the plane." Savannah said.
Savannah didn't want Cameron to wander off. She reached out and took Cameron's hand.
She noticed Cammy put a couple of LAW rockets into the back of the SUV. She really hoped they didn't need to use those. With all the trouble which recently occurred, she figured it couldn't hurt to have them.
Savannah and Cameron checked over the B-25. Everything was in order.
"We didn't get to fire the guns today." Savannah said.
Cameron tilted her head slightly. She didn't see it as a problem.
"We can take it back up." Cameron said. "You will need to be careful you don't develop spatial disorientation in the darkness with the dark sky and the dark water."
Savannah understood the danger Cameron indicated. She felt it gave her an opportunity to make a point without being too specific.
"We can do it some other time." Savannah said. "There's no need for any unnecessary risks tonight."
Cameron looked at Savannah for a long moment with her last statement.
"Everything is a risk." Cameron said.
Savannah wanted to keep Cameron safe. She knew enough about the operation from Young Allison to know where Cameron wanted to go. It was time to face the issue and stop dancing around it.
"Some things are riskier than others.." Savannah said. "I know what you want to do. I'm going with you."
Cameron didn't want to endanger Savannah.
"I'm going to go alone and Cammy is going to take you back to the base." Cameron said.
Savannah stood her ground. She wasn't going to allow Cameron in combat alone.
"It's not happening." Savannah said. "I'll go back to the base with you. We will go back together and remain there until it's time to leave for the cruise tomorrow."
Cameron wanted to follow up on the operation. She wanted to make sure the threat was eliminated. She wanted to do it personally.
"I need to finish the operation." Cameron said.
Savannah made a decision. She would remain at Cameron's side to face the danger. It was the only way to put the brakes on Cameron.
"I'll finish it with you." Savannah said. "Cammy will take the lead. We'll back her up."
Savannah hoped the longer everything took, the greater the chances of the operation being concluded would be. She hoped anyone 'listening' understood it was what she wanted without asking for it.
Earlier Cammy pulled up right next to the hangar with the SUV.
The B-25 was about to be moved back inside of it.
Cameron noted Cammy previously loaded an M82A1 and two LAW rockets into the back of the SUV. It looked like some pretty heavy firepower to her.
"Let's ride." Cammy said.
Cameron and Savannah got in the back seat.
Savannah was on Cameron's left side. She wanted to be able to soothe or comfort Cameron if it became necessary. There was a very good chance it would be necessary.
She wanted to make sure Cameron went on the cruise tomorrow in her own chassis. It was one of the reasons why she wanted Cammy to run point for the three of them. If Cammy's sheath was damaged, Cameron wouldn't borrow it. Cammy understood it wouldn't bother her at all to see her damaged if it occurred. It wasn't the same fear Cameron felt about John seeing her damaged and rejecting her because of it. She didn't want to see any damage happen to either Cameron or Cammy. She didn't want it to happen to her either.
Anna noted the recent turn of events dealing with Cameron and Savannah. She hoped they would return to the base, but it clearly wasn't going to happen. She didn't want Young Allison to feel responsible for the action, but it seemed it was actually the case.
"You've disrupted Savannah's flight and it appears Cameron is headed to the target area with Savannah now." Anna said. "Cammy has been directed to take the lead. All three of them are going to be in serious danger soon."
It wasn't the solution Young Allison wanted. She should have taken care of everything earlier. She should have first acted when she wanted to. She should have bypassed the Command Center completely and disregarded any negative feedback from Anna. She didn't like sitting around on her hands waiting to see what developed. She knew there was going to be a problem later on the longer everything took to happen. It's exactly where they were right now.
"I can see what's happening." Young Allison said. "I wanted to protect them. I don't like being caught asleep at the wheel."
Anna received information from CamNet. It was much as she suspected.
"Cameron has been in contact with CamNet and John Henry the entire day." Anna said. "She knows everything which has occurred or is about to transpire."
Young Allison didn't feel she really did anything wrong. If she faulted in anything, it was not acting sooner and having this issue resolved already. She believed her idea protected the Resistance team against a known and deadly threat. A few less Scavengers wouldn't affect anything going forward. It would spare a few females along the way.
"I may have overstepped a little by trying to use gang members to take out the Grays or Fanatics." Young Allison said. "It's still a sound principle. It wouldn't be the first time it was used."
Anna wanted to make it clear when Cameron 'used' gang involvement, it was only against other gangs. It didn't usually involve Resistance matters. She felt it was an important distinction. It was an unnecessary shortcut on Young Allison's part with little control of the 'contractors' once they were turned loose. They could create as big of a problem as the individuals in the vehicle could going forward. The collateral damage would be unknown with no way to stop it with the gang members involved. If the incidence occurred in gang territory it wouldn't matter as much because it would further reduce the pool of potential future Scavengers.
"Cameron pits gang and drug operations against each other to weaken them. She then finishes off the victor. She destroys their product and takes all their wealth." Anna said. "They kill each other first and she kills the rest. She makes sure the Resistance stays out of it. It's not a fuse she lights and then hopes it goes out later on. She follows through herself and makes sure everything is taken care of."
It still didn't seem like an issue or problem to Young Allison.
"I don't want to make any gang stronger." Young Allison said. "I didn't have a follow up strategy on how to deal with them afterwards. I thought they would be terminated along with the Fanatics."
Young Allison followed all of Cameron's 'off the books' operations she could. As far as she knew, it was all of them. She asked CamNet to give her a complete rundown on all of them. She actually believed it was a mistake for Cameron not to use the full resources of the Resistance available to her when she conducted those operations. They would give her much better backing and support. Maybe it was an issue to address later on if there were any reprimands or repercussions about what she wanted to do. She still believed it was a sound idea. The way she saw it, the night was still young.
Anna could see Young Allison calculating various scenarios. She was sure she wasn't going to like any of them. One thing she didn't think Young Allison considered was after the vehicle exploded like they anticipated, it could take out a car load or two of gang members. The survivors would notify the rest of their gang and they would launch an attack against the group they were originally led to believe was encroaching into their territory.
When the group attacked the other group, the other group would know the attack was unprovoked and retaliate. It was bound to turn into running gun battles on the street and probably involve additional gangs. It was one thing to have the Syndicate and the Cartel fighting each other, because it wasn't usually in their immediate vicinity. She wanted to try to put the brakes on Young Allison without causing a problem. She noted it was getting late.
"Maybe you should rest soon." Anna said. "You know you need to take care of yourself and act responsibly."
Young Allison didn't like Anna's suggestion. She wasn't going to leave the operation hanging. It appeared both Cameron and Savannah were headed for danger. It didn't sit well with her at all. Somehow she felt she was responsible now on several different levels. Maybe it's time for her to take an SUV and go there herself. She knew the suggestion would cause an uproar and a panic. It would also prompt several entities to take action before she could leave. She would wait to play the card.
"I'm not going to rest until Cameron is back at the Resistance base with John. I'll rest when Savannah does." Young Allison said. "I may still order a missile strike on the car the Fanatics are in."
Young Allison wanted things resolved before Cameron and Savannah were in the fight.
"It appears it may not be much longer." Anna said.
Young Allison and Anna watched the drone feeds. There was a new development.
"This is what I was afraid of." Young Allison said.
Young Allison wondered if she shouldn't have played her Ace earlier.
John was glad he pulled his troops back earlier. They tracked the Fanatics with the drones now. There was no indication there was an ambush being set up anywhere. There was also no apparent destination for the vehicle they tracked. It just seemed to be driving around since it left the building earlier before they blew it up. It really made no sense to him.
The car began to slow.
"It looks like they're stopping." John said.
John Henry was worried it would happen. He really would have liked for them to have acted earlier. He didn't necessarily agree with what Young Allison wanted to do. They previously had troops who were close. Now they didn't.
"Yes." John Henry said. "We have no Terminators nearby at this point."
John could only picture things going from bad to worse. He wanted to know where Cameron was. There was still no tracking information on her. CamNet still kept it blocked. Since he couldn't see where she was currently at, he was sure it would cause a problem if he started to inquire. It didn't matter. He wanted to know where she was at. He wanted to know who else was with her.
"Where's Cameron at?" John asked.
John Henry gave John the best answer he could.
"Cameron and her team have arrived back at Van Nuys Airport." John Henry said. "Derek and Kyle are on their way back to the base. Gail and Bob are with them. They are their chaperones."
John noted a critical element was missing from the answer.
"What about Cameron and Savannah?" John asked.
Since John asked specifically, John Henry came clean. He was fed some additional information by CamNet when John asked specifically and mentioned Savannah. He was sure there was a reason for it.
"They're with Cammy and headed toward the suspected Fanatics." John Henry said.
John wondered how long it was going on.
"How long ago was this?" John asked.
Things only started to take shape once they arrived at Van Nuys.
"It's been a few minutes." John Henry said.
John was willing to bet it was more than a few minutes. He would have tried to stop things sooner if he would have known. He figured it's why he wasn't informed earlier.
"Why wasn't I notified?" John asked.
John Henry only found out moments ago from CamNet. He didn't think he did anything wrong. He could only speculate previously as to what occurred until he was notified himself. He was still sure it wasn't just for his benefit either.
"I didn't know. They're not in any danger, at least not yet." John Henry said. "The others haven't returned from the airport yet. It's some indication of the time."
They both knew it all could change in an instant, especially when Cameron was involved.
John knew as soon as he would tell Cameron not to go there, she would. He hoped Savannah would prevent her from doing anything rash. He realized it's why Savannah was still with her. No, it was more. Savannah would be with her anyway. She was never one to shy away from danger when Cameron was involved. He wanted another team of Terminators to deal with the problem before they arrived.
"Where are the other teams at who were out earlier?" John asked.
John Henry checked the position data. He was a little surprised with the new development. He chose his wording carefully.
"Jim has met up with the Reese brothers and Bob." John Henry said.
The wording of his answer left a lot to be desired for John. There must be something else to it.
"It sounds like there should be a little more to your statement." John said. "I hope Derek and Kyle aren't getting involved."
John Henry was informed Savannah wanted the Reese brothers back at the base.
"No, they're not." John Henry said. "Savannah asked Derek and Kyle to be returned back to the base safely."
John wanted a little more. It was clear there was still missing information.
"And…?" John asked as he prompted John Henry.
"Gail has acquired a vehicle and is heading to reinforce Cameron's team." John Henry said. "She asked Jim to take over her escort duties for Derek and Kyle. She was very adamant he followed the instructions Savannah gave her as far as the safety of the Reese brothers."
It sent a red flag up for John. Gail was going on her own to help protect Savannah. It appeared she felt strongly enough to change her earlier assignment on her own. He didn't know all the details.
"She must think Savannah is in danger." John said.
John Henry didn't want to get into a discussion for which he didn't have the answers. He felt it was unnecessary to point out Savannah, along with everyone else, was always in danger. There were various levels of danger any of them could face. He decided to continue with the briefing.
"Sheila and Ally are still in the area. Cam, Holly and Hanna are also returning to the danger zone." John Henry said. "It appears none of them from where they were originally, even if they disengaged the pursuit. They're all going to back up Cameron and Savannah."
John liked the team to unite. It would offer better support and firepower for all of them.
"It's an example of 'Girl Power', even if they are all machines except for Savannah." John said.
John Henry knew the girls, cyborg or human, would all back Cameron or Savannah wherever they were, or whatever the danger was.
"The females are all very loyal to each other." John Henry said. "They all share a common bond."
John thought it was more like they all share with each other. It was fine, as long as they all assisted Cameron and Savannah.
John Henry wondered what was going to happen next with the target vehicle. It pulled off to the side of the street and just sat there.
John watched it too. It didn't make sense. It didn't seem there was a whole lot of sense with anything the Fanatics did.
"It doesn't look like they are doing anything." John said. "Where are our teams at? Something is going on there. It means something because they're stopped, where they're stopped at."
John Henry indicated the satellite overlay map.
"Cameron is still closing. Cam's team and Gail are both on intercept courses with her." John Henry said. "Ally and Sheila are still holding in the area of the stopped vehicle. They've continued moving and haven't slowed or stopped. They're in their third vehicle of the night currently."
The setup reeked before. Now it really reeked to John. Since the communications were cut off, the vehicle needed to be stopped for a reason. He didn't know if they were waiting for reinforcements and it's where they would come from, or if they wanted to physically watch for a tail. Maybe they were all ready for 'Ascension' and wanted to strike at any target they could find. He didn't want another blown in half vehicle.
"I want them all to keep moving." John said. "I don't want them identified as a target by anyone."
John checked all the drone feeds.
John Henry offered a solution, even if it was somewhat extreme. He wasn't the only one who was worried about the stopped vehicle.
"I can launch a missile." John Henry said. "CamNet has the vehicle targeted with two drones, even if I'm the one controlling them. It's clear I won't be the only one who can launch a missile if someone wants one launched."
It seemed like something Young Allison would have done if the conditions warranted it to John. It seemed more like it was to prompt him to do something on his own. He quickly reviewed all the drone images again. It didn't seem like everything was lined up for a clean strike.
"I believe if we could do it safely, Young Allison would have done it already." John said. "She may anyway if Cameron and Savannah get closer. She wants Cameron back at the Resistance base as much as I do, even if the reasons are different."
John Henry figured it too. He wasn't so sure the reasons were too much different.
"Everyone wants to protect Cameron." John Henry said.
John thought he did more than anyone. He was always worried about her any time she was out. He hated when she worked alone. He was worried about tomorrow. He really didn't want her damaged.
"I want her protected too." John said.
The drone closest to the target vehicle picked something up.
"We have movement." John Henry said.
John spotted another vehicle.
"What's happening now? John asked. "It looks like there's another car approaching. Where did it come from?"
It was nothing they were tracking. It hadn't shown up in any of the previous drone scans. It was completely new on the scene.
"It's currently unknown." John Henry said. "I'm checking."
John Henry was sure they should have been able to track the vehicle sooner if it was in the vicinity. It seemed the obvious answer was, it wasn't in the vicinity previously. it seemed to be on an intercept course.
Earlier:
Derek and Kyle watched Gail leave. They knew where she was going.
"We should go with Gail." Derek said. "She's going to back up Cameron's team."
Jim was aware of the plan. He was contacted specifically by Savannah to switch assignments with Gail. He believed he could have done the job the same as Gail. He understood it was personal to her.
"No. You're not going with Gail." Jim said. "I've taken her place to help escort you back to the Resistance base. Your day is to remain good without any problems or difficulties. Your families await to see you, especially your children."
Kyle looked at Derek. Derek nodded back at him. There was no reason they couldn't serve as backup. They understood the answer from Jim was supposed to appeal to them on a personal level. Right now there was something else which appealed to them for a different reason.
"We're already out here." Kyle said. "They may need us. We can tag along behind and be ready to move up if it's necessary."
Bob reaffirmed their current mission. He knew both of the Reese brothers always wanted a piece of the action. He understood the reasoning they told him multiple times, when he told them they should remain at the Resistance base and not go out on operations. Sometimes Jim and him would look the other way and allow them to go on a recon which sometimes expanded to a little bit more than a recon. In this instance he personally was asked by Savannah to make sure they got back to the Resistance base.
"Cameron wants you returned to your families." Bob said. "We're doing what we were asked to do by Savannah. Please don't put us in a difficult spot."
Derek wasn't ready to give up yet. He wasn't sure if there was an exact timeline set when they should return to the Resistance base. He didn't see why they couldn't loiter a little longer. They could always make up a few excuses to stay out longer.
"Did Savannah call you, Jim?" Derek asked.
Jim was a little surprised when he received the call. He hoped to deal with the suspect vehicle on his own. He'd been close earlier before he was told to back off.
"Yes." Jim said. "She told me Gail was going to switch with me and it was OK with her as long as I completed Gail's mission."
Derek wanted to 'slow walk' back to the base.
"Let's take our time going back." Derek said. "They may still need us. You know we don't run from danger."
Bob already took a longer route to go back to the base. It included a leg which would take them near the target vehicle.
"I've been doing it." Bob said. "We're worried about them too."
Jim thought it would be a good idea to give them all a plausible excuse.
"I think we can drive around a little bit longer until you remember the name of the restaurant you wanted to go to to pick something up." Jim said.
Kyle and Derek immediately caught his drift.
"I'm still trying to remember the name of it." Kyle said.
Derek played along as well.
"I don't remember its exact location either." Derek said. "It seems like it was around here somewhere."
It appeared they were all on the 'same page', even if they didn't know what was on the next page. It didn't really matter.
Bob and Jim were just as concerned as the Reese brothers were. None of them were worried about entering the fight if one broke out. Derek and Kyle would let Bob and Jim lead if an altercation arose. They would back them up as they advanced and cover their six. It was what often happened anyway when some of the recons heated up.
Jesse and Claire arrived at the commissary after they checked on Summer. Allison and Vanna were already inside. They were a little surprised to find them there.
"Is it snack time?" Jesse asked.
Vanna and Allison looked at each other. They both giggled at Jesse's question.
"We shared some dessert." Vanna said with a smile.
Allison giggled again. She quickly stopped when she looked at her mother. Her mother seemed just as happy to hear the news as Jesse did.
Jesse wondered where all the Metal girls were.
"We seem light on Terminators around here, especially the skirts." Jesse said.
Vanna looked into it earlier. Both Allison and her wondered when their Metal girls would be back. John Henry and John didn't want to tell them a whole lot, only they were occupied and about to wrap up an operation.
"We checked on when the Metal girls were going to come back." Vanna said. "They're all still out. I don't think it will be anytime soon."
John Henry didn't give them all the details when they checked or they would be even more worried than they were now. There were a lot of things they didn't know which would make them worry.
Claire was bothered by the whole situation. It seemed like there were too many unknowns. She wanted to call Hanna and Holly a few times to see what was happening. Allison told her previously it was a bad idea to contact anyone when they were on a mission. She said it would only be a distraction to them and might cause them to make a mistake. She certainly didn't want to be responsible for it.
"It's very nerve racking." Claire said. "I don't know how you all deal with it."
Allison and Claire were used to the sedate life at the Young residence. Young Allison kept them out of the bunker as much as possible to not worry them. She didn't want them to have a detailed look at the things she was involved with either. She knew there were hundreds, if not thousands of dead people because of her actions. Young Allison didn't want to have to answer to her mother about any of it. The fact it occurred and continued to take place didn't bother her. The enemy got what they deserved.
"It bothers me too." Allison said. "We aren't used to Hanna and Holly being away so much and especially not in potential combat."
Jesse understood the frustration of not knowing. They'd all found their own personal escapes from the horrors of daily life.
"It's why we're here for each other. You find other ways to deal with it." Jesse said. "You never get used to it. It's just the way it is. It's our life."
Allison wanted to go back and check on them again. They went to see John and John Henry earlier. They weren't told much and shooed away rather quickly. It was all done very politely. It actually seemed to make it worse.
"I don't want to keep bothering them in the Command Center." Allison said.
Vanna could use her lab monitors to track the operation. If they did, they would be out of the way.
"We can go to the lab." Vanna said.
Claire knew the lab was where they repaired damaged Terminators. Now she became very worried. She figured it meant the worst.
"They aren't going to be shot up are they?" Claire asked.
Vanna wanted to quell Claire's fears somewhat. She thought maybe she should have made herself a little more clear to Claire.
"It's always a possibility. It's always there but we don't know." Vanna said. "I actually meant because we have much of the same equipment they do in the Command Center. We can watch most of the things as they occur from there. We can follow the operation and not be in the way."
Allison knew it was what Young Allison did with any of her spare time. She didn't know the true extent of her involvement with everything. She knew it was extensive but she didn't know how extensive. It reminded her of the disturbing interaction she previously witnessed herself which involved Young Allison and CamNet. She was told it was all taken care of and resolved. She strongly doubted it. She was sure there was a lot more to it than anyone knew. She wasn't really sure if it was actually anyone's fault. It was just the way events played out.
She really wondered if she shouldn't offer herself to CamNet since she now possessed a cyborg chassis. She was sure Vanna would be more than willing to go with her. She looked at Jesse and her mother. She realized they would be just as willing to go as well. She tried to refocus on the current events.
"It's what Allison is doing right now at home." Allison said.
It all seemed so confusing to Claire. There was always a lot happening. There were a lot of monitors, and the screens often changed on them.
"I can't follow everything like she can." Claire said.
Allison understood her mother's frustration. She attempted to work with Young Allison on the start of an operation previously. She was lost in no time.
"I can't either, and I'm 'her'." Allison said. "I'll let everyone think about what I just said for a moment."
Allison liked her wording. She never wanted Young Allison to be 'her'. She specifically heard Vanna and Jesse say the same things about Savannah and Young Jesse. They may have started out as them, but they never wanted them to become who they were.
Vanna tried to follow everything often when she was in the lab. She knew where to get help if they needed it. She figured with the group there, she wouldn't have too much trouble obtaining it
"I'm used to doing it." Vanna said. "CamNet will assist us if we ask her."
Claire liked the idea. She wanted to see what was happening. Hanna was seldom out, at least while she was awake.
"Let's go. I'm worried." Claire said.
Vanna was unsure how long it would take. Some of the operations could go on for hours.
"Grab something to snack on." Vanna said.
Claire took Vanna's arm and Allison took Jesse's arm.
The four girls all looked at each other and laughed. It was a tension breaker. The best part was, it worked.
"I meant some real snacks." Vanna said. "A lot of these things go on for hours."
Jesse wanted to play it out some.
"Vanna and I have something everyone can wash it down with." Jesse said.
Vanna looked down at her breasts and then at Jesse's breasts.
"I guess we do." Vanna said. "There are four of us and four plump breasts."
Claire felt everyone needed an important reminder.
"We can't forget about Precious either." Claire said.
The girls understood the seriousness of the situation as well as the fact there was nothing they could do about it. This all came down to the waiting game where every second seemed like a minute and every minute seemed like an hour.
They all feared the call that repairs would be necessary.
The Metal girls could all come back shot up or worse. Some of them might not come back at all. It was always a real possibility. Once they found out the true nature of the threat, it would become even more of a possibility.
Young Allison wanted to act. She was extremely displeased Cameron, Cammy, and Savannah were headed towards the target area. She communicated silently with CamNet.
Anna glanced over and saw something was happening with Young Allison. Since she wasn't going through her, it most likely wouldn't be anything good.
"What are you doing?" Anna asked. "I'm right here to assist you."
Young Allison wanted to take some preemptive action.
"I'm moving a drone in closer to maximum effective gun range." Young Allison said. "It will be a way for us to interdict anything we might need to with something less than a missile strike."
Anna wondered why Young Allison showed such an amount of restraint. The drones with the new quieter power plants could go much lower and remain undetected by humans. They could still be visually spotted if they were silhouetted against the moon.
"It's three thousand feet." Anna said. "You can go lower."
Young Allison wanted to make sure of the shots fired if it came down to it. Maybe she would bring the drones closer to the target area. There were still a few things she was worried about.
"I may go closer." Young Allison said. "With the quieter engines, it would take the drone passing in front of the moon to be spotted."
Anna knew John Henry was supposed to be in control of the drones. It appeared Young Allison just bypassed the Command Center again.
"Are you going to speak with John or John Henry?" Anna asked.
Young Allison was worried about Cameron and Savannah. CamNet would back her play.
"They have my number." Young Allison said.
A drone silently moved to within gun range. It continued along and moved in closer.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
How Long Ago
Time keeps on ticking
Nobody can stop the flow
It passes by in a second
Is time a friend or a foe
Like sand through the hourglass
Does it pass fast or slow
Does anything ever really
Change the status quo
Perhaps one's heart
Will be able to glow
When the love inside
Is allowed to grow
Sometimes a heart is heavy
Over it is cast a shadow
Let the joy within it shine
And radiate like a rainbow
The past is past
Not the future's cargo
Yesterday is not tomorrow
Today was how long ago?
Nobody