Chapter 1148

Maybe So

Cameron and John left the buffet behind and made their way down the stairs to the main dining room at the rear of the ship.

John thought it would be a little easier going down the stairs. He wasn't so sure about it after the first few floors. He already consumed more than two full lunches with his activity on the pool deck and in the buffet.

"There sure are a lot of stairs." John said.

Cameron tilted her head slightly.

"We can always take the elevator." Cameron said. "Every time we go down a deck, it's right across from us. I could always carry you."

John quickly looked around at the last part of Cameron's statement. They were in the stairwell. He would later find out it was something few people tended to use. He could understand why.

"I don't think it will be necessary at this time." John said. "I think it's more of a psychological thing going from one of the top decks down to one of the lower decks where passengers are actually allowed."

Cameron didn't see it as a problem.

"We'll be there in a very short time." Cameron said. "I think the thought of doing it doesn't correlate with the actual time necessary to do it."

They continued their journey down the stairwell. John picked up the pace a little bit. They soon reached Deck 5.

There was a small lobby type waiting area on one side, and a small bar on the other side.

Holly was already there. She looked at a menu posted inside a glass case on the wall in the short corridor of the entryway.

Both Cameron and John thought there were a lot of bars and drinking establishments on the ship. They hadn't even been to the Promenade Deck yet or some of the other decks where there were even more places alcohol was sold. The majority of those wouldn't even open until the ship departed.

John was impressed with the outside of the main dining room. He hadn't even seen inside the main dining room yet. He wasn't normally around any of the finer things in life. He did know style and elegance when he saw it. Everything on the ship he saw so far radiated the feeling. Currently he was only on the fourth deck of the ship since his arrival. He hadn't even seen much on any of those dicks either, other than the pool deck.

"Wow! This is really fancy." John said.

There were several other guests waiting for the door of the main dining room to open. They would notice later on there were always a few people waiting to enter any dining area before it opened. It didn't matter if there were reservations or not. It was usually the same group of people. There always were some people who liked to be on time and ran early to do so. There were always other people who consistently ran late no matter what the event was.

He wouldn't consider himself as a very precise person. Not everything he did was on time. The nature of the Resistance business as it concerned him wasn't tied to a specific time table. It took him a little while to understand some people, even if they were on vacation, expected timetables to be followed. He did know Terminators were very precise in most of their actions as well as anything which involved timing. He was fairly certain when it all came down to it those who consistently ran late were simply lazy. It didn't really matter what the excuse was.

Cameron was very pleased with the impression John was able to express about his first visual encounter with the main dining room. The elegance of the main dining room is what she wanted him to experience along with any others of the Resistance who came along on the cruise. Sure all of the other culinary venues were fine and fancy in their own way, but they still lacked the sophistication and charm of the main dining room. She didn't want to compare it to what may have been available on the Queen Mary, or even the Titanic which preceded it. There was something special about fine dining on a ship at sea. She believed the atmosphere and experience was conveyed in numerous movies which dealt with the subject.

She was aware on a seven day cruise there were two nights where the guests in the main dining room were expected to dress up. The men were supposed to wear a tuxedo, but a suit was acceptable. The women were supposed to dress in an evening gown. From some of the pictures she viewed, anything seemed to go including a pantsuit. She thought the type attire would fit some of the former female presidential candidates quite well.

"Wait until you see inside." Cameron said. "The door will open in about one minute."

She was going to remind him they were only there for lunch and the setting was much more informal than it would be at dinner time. She thought she might save the surprise until later on when it was actually dinner time.

Gail came down the stairway but sat down on it half a flight up from Deck 5 as if she were waiting for someone. It wasn't uncommon for individuals, or even groups of individuals, to become separated from each other while they were on the ship. The ship was a very large floating building which contained multiple floors and thousands of patrons.

There were four elevators arranged with two on each side of the entry hall to the dining room.

The door opened on one of the elevators and an elderly couple walked out. They looked around. They seemed to like the look of luxury they saw all around them.

Cameron led John over to the menu as Holly moved away from it.

There were five choices listed on one side. It stated those changed daily. On the other side were five choices which were served everyday. There would be a little variation to those each day. There could always be changes or additions per a diner's request.

Right away John spotted several items he wanted. There was a brief description as to what they actually were, even if they were listed with a fancy name. They sounded very good. Maybe it was the variety. Maybe it was something different. Maybe it was something new. Maybe it was everything.

John was aware he already ate at least what would be two normal lunches if not three. He needed to remind himself it was still the first day of the cruise. The ship hadn't even left port yet. They were only on it for a few hours. It was still easy for him to get caught up in the moment.

"I want like three of these things." John said. "I don't want to look like a hog."

Cameron didn't think it was a problem. There were various things she would need to work around anyway when she was in the dining room with John. In order for things to look right, she would need to order a full meal as everyone else did who was in the dining room. It wouldn't be a problem for her to order an item or two and then simply switch with John when everyone else was occupied with their own meal. If it was done in such a way, it would appear at least half of the items were eaten. She didn't think it would be too hard for anyone to look at her trim figure and understand why she didn't need to clean her plate. Anyone who cleaned their plate could never look like she did. It was very common for a lot of food to go to waste on a cruise ship. Whatever didn't go to waste, ended up on someone's waist.

"I'll order one for you." Cameron said. "It will provide cover to both of us if I do."

John was already fairly full from his first two lunches. He really didn't want to overdo it.

"Maybe I'd only better order only one other entree then." John said. "What time will we need to return for dinner?"

Cameron went over his options for food along with the timing.

"We'll have dinner in six hours." Cameron said. "We can hit the buffet again anytime. The pizza and burger stations are right there by it. The ice cream station is there as well. Food won't be a problem."

She was about to mention room service was available to them twenty four hours a day, but decided not to remind him. Not only was it room service with the standard menu available to all of the suite passengers, which was already a cut above the regular passenger room service menu, they could literally order whatever they wanted and it would be prepared for them very quickly.

John didn't think he ever saw so much food. He remembered his short time in the future. The food there was terrible. It was enough to survive on, but little else. No one ever tried 'seconds'. One ate what they needed to and moved on. He didn't want to think about his time there. It made him remember he almost was with Allison, and almost with Mrs. Weaver posing as Allison. At this point in his life, he actually wished he could have been with both. It would be interesting to compare Allison, a cyborg of Allison like Cameron, and a Liquid Metal Terminator version of Allison. It really made him wonder which one would be the best. Mrs. Weaver would be able to make parts of her 'body' do 'anything'. Some things could be made larger, other things could be made smaller. It certainly would offer quite a bit of variation.

He actually thought about the options open to Mrs. Weaver previously. She could simply move any 'body part' around wherever she wanted it to appear on her body. She could also make multiple versions with variations of the same body part. Not all of her body parts needed to be female either. He briefly wondered if she would actually choose to be like a hermaphrodite for a sexual encounter.

Wait.

Maybe it was his fantasy, not hers.

He wondered if it stemmed from when Cameron indicated she might want to become a Liquid Metal Terminator. He was very pleased with her current construction. There would be a number of options available if her construction was of a different nature.

John knew he was drifting. He was on a 'Honeymoon Cruise' with Cameron. She was the way she was. It wasn't going to change.

He needed to refocus. Where were they? They were discussing culinary options on the ship.

"It's an impressive amount of food service." John said.

Cameron decided to remind John about the one option she started to discuss earlier but backed away from. If John wanted more seclusion, it was definitely the way to go.

"We have room service too." Cameron said. "It's available any time of the day or night. You won't even need to leave the room."

John briefly leafed through the extensive menu for room service. Since they were in the Owner's Suite, they could request items which weren't on the menu. Anything the galley would be able to make with what they currently kept in stock was available to them.

There was some movement inside the main dining room.

The doors to the dining room opened a few seconds later.

John briefly looked around at the other patrons gathered at the opening of the main dining room. He thought about the items he wanted to try from the lunch menu he viewed. He wasn't quite sure how much attention anyone would pay to them once they entered.

"Maybe I better play it cool." John said. "I'm sort of full anyway."

There was also the option Cameron anticipated.

"Don't forget, there's dessert too." Cameron said.

John looked at Cameron and winked. He was ready for some dessert which wasn't on the printed menu. He already partook in some with Cameron earlier in their suite.

"I'm looking forward to it." John said.

Cameron tried to set John straight before he ended up straight.

"I meant edible dessert, this time." Cameron said.

John was still on the wrong track.

"I plan to do it." John said. "I know you like it."

An older couple overheard John and looked back.

Cameron smiled at them. They looked at each other and quickly turned away.

"I meant real desserts, John." Cameron whispered.

John looked a little embarrassed, especially after the elderly couple turned around. He wondered why they looked at each other and turned around so quickly

"Oh." John said. "I'll do both."

John was a little surprised to see some of the guests were a little pushy. Cameron held him back a moment and let them pass in front of them. She smiled and nodded at each of them as they passed by them. Most of them didn't even acknowledge her. They all seemed to be focused on entering the main dining room. It was almost as if nothing else existed to them.

Cameron wasn't looking for any trouble this early in the cruise. She figured the pushy guests were long time 'cruisers'. They all knew how things worked and were set in their own ways.

They followed the other diners in. Waiters were lined up to seat them. There were no assigned to tables for lunch time.

Cameron quickly looked around the interior of the main dining room. She knew exactly where she wanted to sit.

"We'd like a window seat, please." Cameron said.

The waiter tried to place couples with other couples or larger groups. It was standard practice on a cruise ship. Many of the guests were very sociable and were willing to meet new couples. It was a way for them to brag about their personal opulence and perceived social status. None of them knew it would mean nothing in a Skynet future.

"Would you like to share a table?" The waiter asked. "It can be with two other people, or up to ten other people."

John and Cameron didn't even need to look at each other before they spoke.

"No!" Cameron and John both quickly said at the same time.

John looked up at the large open ceiling of the two level dining room. There were giant chandeliers which hung down. It was all very impressive. It made him wonder how they would do in rough seas. He figured there was probably some way for them to stabilize them to prevent them from swaying and becoming damaged. He knew there would be one big mess on the floor below them if they were to become detached and fall down. They would probably break into thousands of pieces of sharp glass. He figured if the seas were so rough, there probably wouldn't be anyone in the dining room anyway. They're most likely would be plenty of other messes to clean up.

The waiter took them to a window table and gave them menus.

John looked out the window. Right away he could see the different view the large picture window offered. The perspective of where they sat now as compared to their luxury suite was evident in the elevation they were both located at. The main dining room was very close to the water. It was actually only a few decks above the water. The nearest open deck was two decks above them. He wondered if they would be able to spot any whales or dolphins. It seemed enticing if they could see them up close. Maybe it wouldn't be too much different from an upper deck where they could actually be outside. He knew they would need to check everything out. Right now where they were protected them from the elements.

He really hoped they didn't spot any sharks. He recently saw on the news there were several Great White Shark attacks off both coasts. He didn't want to think about what would happen if the ship were to sink and there were thousands of people in the water when the sharks showed up and began to feast. Maybe he watched one too many movies about sharks. He wanted to focus on the positive side of what the ocean could offer.

"I think this will be a really spectacular view once we're out to sea." John said. "It would provide a very close up view of some of the creatures of the sea."

Cameron was sure what John indicated.

"I hope we can spot some aquatic mammals for you." Cameron said. "Those are the most popular ones for huma… people to see."

Cameron quickly corrected herself. She said people instead of humans. No doubt if anyone was listening, they would have turned and looked at her to see why she referred to other people as humans instead of people.

The assistant waiter came and took their drink order. John decided to stick with water. Cameron declined anything. They noticed many of the other patrons ordered alcoholic drinks with their lunch.

The waiter came back after seating another couple nearby and took their lunch order. He quickly departed and went to another table. He took their order as well before he headed towards the kitchen.

John looked around after they gave their order. There weren't as many people as he thought they would be.

"Will there be more people who come here for lunch?" John asked.

Cameron knew people were still getting on the ship. She doubted most of them even knew the dining room was open for lunch or where it was even at.

"The crowd will be relatively small." Cameron said. "Many of the passengers still need to get acclimated to their surroundings. When we're at sea, it will probably become extremely full. I don't know if they'll use the upper level or not for lunch. I do know they will for dinner."

John looked over towards the upper section. Since they were right up against the window he couldn't see much of it. He didn't notice there were quite a few empty seats. He felt bad about one thing.

"I noticed Gail and Holly didn't come in." John said.

Cameron knew they were doing their jobs.

"One will wait in the lounge area." Cameron said. "The other will sit at the small bar on the other side."

John figured it would probably cause less of a spectacle if they didn't enter the dining area. They weren't going to eat anyway.

"I'm surprised one of them isn't in the upper level." John said.

Cameron looked over toward the open center section to the upper dining room level. She couldn't get a good view of it from their current location.

"The upper dining area is closed for lunch." Cameron said.

The assistant waiter brought them a selection of bread and rolls to choose from.

John took a roll and some butter. He was a little miffed the butter was nearly frozen and not spreadable. All he could do was cut it into tiny pieces and scatter them across the inside of the roll when he cut it.

"The butter doesn't seem very user friendly." John said.

Cameron noticed and would make sure they would have spreadable butter whenever they were in the main dining room in the future. She also thought it would be better if the bread items, which included various types of rolls, would be served hot, not just warm. She knew she would be able to have some influence over what occurred in the main dining room with a little help from CamNet. She could make it as a general order for the entire main dining room, or all of the dining rooms on the ship. She could also make it table specific for them. Right now none of the waiting staff was aware they were in the Owner's Suite. There was a lot of influence she could throw around if she wanted to. She didn't want to change the cruise experience too much from what it would normally be.

John looked at all the fancy dishes and the complete selection of silverware. There were fresh flowers on the table and a nice table cloth. The dining room was decorated with very fancy artwork spaced around it. Everything was very elegant as well as aesthetic.

"This is all really luxurious, Cameron." John said. "I see what you mean about the dining experience being different. It's certainly different from any place I've ever been."

Cameron offered a solution, which she was sure she used in a previous life, if she actually relived her life over and over. She really didn't know if it was true or not, but she believed it was. It was an option she wanted to remind John about along with any of the other Resistance members they could get to come along on the cruise.

"We can live like this all the time, John." Cameron said. "Every day can be like this. We can make love all the time and not need to worry about anything. We can live off room service. We don't need to fight a silent war. We don't need to worry about Skynet."

She wanted to point out no one needed to be injured or damaged. Nobody would need to die. They could live like real people if they wanted. They could be like normal people, or they could live like rich people. They could do whatever he wanted to do. She could make it all happen.

John was about to ask how, but he knew the answer. He wasn't really sure about how it would actually play out. It would play out well for any of the group who chose the option. How would it play out for the rest of the world? How would it play out for mankind? What would happen to everything and everyone? They could all simply 'walk away' from everything. It wasn't where they were now. It couldn't be in the present.

"In the past…." John said. "I understand."

John didn't want to seem selfish. He really didn't want to turn the world over to Skynet. He knew without the involvement of the Resistance sending operatives back through time to prevent Skynet from changing the past, Skynet would have taken over more than a quarter of a century ago. The world would already be wrecked. They already passed several Judgment Day dates thanks to their efforts to hold Skynet in check. Things would simply be the way they were in Future John's future. If Skynet would have successfully terminated his mother, whatever the world would currently be, would be something worse than any future any of them experienced.

Cameron wanted it to be the 'Natural Order'. She wanted Savannah and Young Allison with them and the things the two girls could provide for them, for her. It was children.

"Yes. We can do it." Cameron said. "It will be us four and our children, John, our family."

John didn't want to go there. He knew it would be something beautiful, but by the very nature of it, especially at this time, it could be quite contentious.

Cameron wanted more than ever for Savannah and Young Allison to be a part of their family. She didn't want to take one of their children away from them. She saw how it hurt Savannah and she saw how it hurt Allison. Allison's baby was the baby Claire carried for Allison, but went into the future to provide it to Future Allison instead. It was done at her urging. It was the only way for Future Allison to have 'her' own child. The same thing applied to Future Savannah.

John was glad when the appetizers arrived. He ate his and Cameron's. She didn't try any of them.

Cameron kept a casual watch around them as John consumed the appetizers.

John was impressed with the quality of the food in the main dining room. It was clearly A step above the food he tried in the other venues. No. It wasn't a step above them, it was quite a few steps above them.

"This food is all so good." John said.

Cameron was glad John enjoyed himself. She studied everything around the dining room. She saw an older couple glance over at them every now and then. It was the couple who turned around and looked at them as they waited to go in. They seemed to watch her. She made sure it wasn't John they watched. It was definitely her.

Her threat assessment levels started to rise. She needed to calm herself. They weren't a threat. They were there on vacation. Maybe they were just nosy. She was aware Blue Bloods weren't known for tact. They still looked over every now and then. It was somewhat intimidating to her. She didn't like to be acquired by anyone. She didn't like to be a target. She needed to refocus.

Cameron wondered why she hadn't heard from Savannah yet. She was sure Young Allison called her. She thought she would have heard something by now. Maybe this was Savannah's way of saying 'no'. Maybe Savannah was going to be angry and upset with her. She hoped Savannah wouldn't yell at her.

Wait.

Savannah was never mean to her.

She was sure if she would have made the proposal on her own, it may have produced a result like it. Currently she only acted on what John asked for on multiple occasions. She hoped she made it very clear to Young Allison. A quick review of her files established she did.

She felt a glitch impulse shoot through her left hand. It only did it once so far. She was able to hide it from John.

Cameron watched John eat both of their appetizers.

After he finished both of them, the assistant waiter took the empty plates away and refilled John's water glass.

Within a minute, the waiter was on his way over with both of their entries.

"Here comes the main course." Cameron said.

The waiter set the plates down and asked if they needed anything else before he left.

John wanted Cameron to try at least a taste of some of the food.

"Are you sure you don't want to try something?" John asked.

Cameron would taste a few of the items at times. She thought of all the different types of foods she tried. She liked to try desserts the best. Maybe it was because she heard many people say dessert was the best part of the meal. If she was going to try something, she wanted what was best.

"I'm good until dessert." Cameron said. "I'll try a bite of it. I like dessert better than other foods."

Cameron thought back to the bloody Prime Rib John tried earlier. She would rather see a burnt roast from Sarah. Eating terminated creatures didn't really appeal to her. She was very pleased her energy came from a power cell. It was less messy too. She needed to remember there was a downside to her power cell as well. It could be damaged, rupture, or explode.

John finished his entrée and traded plates with Cameron.

Cameron noticed the older couple look at her again.

It bothered her. It bothered her even more because Savannah didn't call her. Maybe she needed to call Young Allison again and find out what happened.

She was 'afraid' to call Savannah. Maybe it was because of what she planned to do with at least one of the Metal girls' chassis, if not all of them. She didn't want the subject to come up or have Savannah put some type of restrictions on her about what she could or couldn't do on the ship. She didn't want it to turn into a problem.

Savannah was always there for her when she needed her. Where was she now? Why wasn't Savannah there with her? Maybe Savannah didn't know how much she loved her. Maybe Savannah didn't know how much she needed her.

It hadn't dawned on Cameron the reason Savannah wasn't there, was because Savannah did love her so much.

Savannah wasn't there, because she wanted what was best for Cameron and John.

Savannah wasn't there because sacrifice was the true test of love.

Savannah finished her call with Young Allison and hung up. She was ready to call Cameron.

She looked over to where Cammy was supposed to be and she wasn't there. She felt an initial rush of fear. She wondered if someone put the grab on Cammy. She was also worried Cammy may have gone 'Cameron' on her and set off in pursuit of some new objective alone. She needed to remind herself quickly that Cammy was a Terminator. Terminators could take care of themselves under most conditions. They were very durable, even if they were damaged. They were still subject to several different types of attack. Those were usually centered around electricity, and they weren't indestructible. She wanted to know where Cammy was at.

"Cammy!" Savannah said.

Savannah checked the electrical room door. It was still closed. She pulled her Taser out and started off to where she last saw Cammy. She held her other hand on her silenced M9 but didn't draw it.

She cautiously approached the closed off opening where the rail cars would enter the building to be spotted, or positioned for loading or unloading. She still hadn't located Cammy. She didn't want to call out again yet and give her position away if there was someone concealed she couldn't see. Cammy surely would have heard her earlier. There must be a reason why she didn't respond.

Savannah moved away from the building and took another look around. There was absolutely no movement around her of any type. She felt confident enough to contact John Henry. She was sufficiently out in the open if some type of drone strike were necessary, they knew exactly where she was. The problem was, they didn't know where Cammy was.

"John Henry, where is Cammy at?" Savannah asked.

Savannah remembered what Young Allison told her just a few seconds ago. She said she would drop a drone down into gun range if it became necessary. She hoped to find some resolution to the solution before the event occurred. She didn't think Young Allison would hesitate for a second to do exactly what she said she would do.

John Henry watched Savannah move around and check the building. He saw Cammy just a few seconds ago. Where she was at, there was nothing around her. Now she wasn't.

"She's gone." John Henry said.

"Where did she go?" Savannah asked.

"She's just gone." John Henry said.

Savannah wasn't convinced.

"She needs to be somewhere." Savannah said.

John Henry agreed, he just didn't know where.

"She was just there twenty seconds ago." John Henry said.

"She was, but not anymore." Savannah said.

John Henry reviewed the drone footage.

"I'm checking everything." John Henry said.

Savannah became very worried. She moved around more. She wanted a little better answer than what she received. She knew Cammy didn't just disappear.

"Where's she at now?" Savannah asked. "I can't see her or find her."

There were some sounds near where Savannah stood.

"I'm here, Savannah." Cammy said.

Cammy sounded close.

"Where is here at?" Savannah asked.

Savannah still didn't see her.

"I'm down here." Cammy said.

Savannah looked down and Cammy was inside of a drainage culvert. The metal grate was off of it. She wondered why Cammy was in there.

"What's down there?" Savannah asked.

Savannah looked around. She turned around so she could watch the electrical room door. She put her Taser away but left her hand on her silenced M9.

Cammy spotted the opening earlier while Savannah was still on the phone. She felt it warranted a quick inspection.

"I saw the metal cover was loose." Cammy said. "It's the drainage system. I believe this is how they got in and out of the compound unnoticed. They would have been able to bypass all perimeter security."

Savannah didn't want to get side tracked. There was no way to know what hidden dangers were down below the surface of the ground, or where the drainage system went.

"Get out and put the cover back on." Savannah said.

Cammy wanted to investigate it further.

"I want to see where this goes." Cammy said. "I can follow it and see where they came in from."

Savannah wanted to check on the person inside the compound first. She didn't want anyone to get in behind them either.

"No." Savannah said. "Put something heavy on top of it and leave it. Let's go check out the person who went into the electrical room. Don't get dirty for nothing. We can follow up on it later on."

Savannah still thought about her call from Young Allison. She still needed to deal with Cameron.

Cammy climbed out of the drain. She quickly looked down at her clothing.

"I'm barely dirty." Cammy said.

Alarm bells went off in Savannah's mind. Thoughts popped into her head. She knew Cammy hadn't explored much of the system. She thought she would be a little dirtier anyway.

"Is it really a drainage system or an opening for something else?" Savannah asked.

Savannah briefly wondered if it was an escape tunnel to an underground bunker system. If there was some bunker system below ground they hadn't detected, there could be a multitude of things going on down there. There were important things they could have missed.

Cammy wanted to go back and explore things further. It was going to take a little bit more time and effort to do it.

"I would need to go on my hands and knees to traverse it." Cammy said. "I think it's just for drainage. Look how the land is sloped."

Savannah could see the area was built for everything to be sloped onto the drainage system.

"Everything is paved so the dirt or silt would be minimal." Savannah said.

Cammy moved the grate back over the opening. She looked around and came back with a large piece of metal and placed it over the top of it.

"It will take at least two men to move it." Cammy said.

Savannah reached down and shook the piece of metal. It didn't move. She saw there was a second piece of metal. She didn't want any surprises to develop behind them. If there was a Terminator associated with this group, they would be able to move the piece of metal as easily as Cammy did.

"Get the other piece and put it on top of it." Savannah said.

Savannah looked around quickly as Cammy went to get the other piece of metal. She kept an eye on the door to the electrical room as well. She found a discarded electrical fixture. She carried it over to the piece of metal on the ground over the opening.

Cammy went and picked up the second piece and placed it on top of the first piece.

Savannah placed the electrical fixture under one corner of the second piece of metal as Cammy put it down. If anyone were to touch it to move at this point from below, there should be a loud 'clang' as the second piece of metal dropped down on top of the first piece.

"It's over a half ton of weight now." Cammy said. "Only a Terminator could move it from underneath. I should be able to hear the second piece of metal if it drops down on top of the first piece."

Savannah wondered about the building's interior.

"Did you look inside the building yet?" Savannah asked.

Cammy previously took a quick glance.

"I peeked." Cammy said. "I didn't enter. I didn't see any movement and the security cameras are still in place. None of them have picked up anything all week."

Savannah I thought it was a good thing. Even if the individual was able to gain access into the interior of the building, it didn't appear they moved around on the workroom floor. They were still inside somewhere and they were there for a reason.

Cammy could see Savannah seemed a little troubled. She was worried her actions upset Savannah.

"I didn't mean to worry you by going into the drainage opening." Cammy said. "You were on the phone. I didn't want to disturb you. I came back as soon as I heard you call my name. I knew you were finished."

Savannah didn't want to take her mixed feelings out on Cammy. She touched Cammy's cheek.

"Your actions aren't the problem." Savannah said. "We're good, Cammy, just like we always are."

Cammy could see Savannah was still upset about something. She didn't want to interfere in Savannah's personal affairs or activities. She did want Savannah to have peace of mind.

"What else is wrong?" Cammy asked. "You're not yourself."

Savannah debated whether to even bring it up. She figured Cammy listened anyway. It was more than eavesdropping. The Metal girls were always searching for threats. It was something she was used to. She shared everything with Cammy, including herself.

She watched the electrical room still. She decided to fill Cammy in on what she knew. They didn't keep secrets. She laid it all out.

It seemed like a treat for the Resistance members to Cammy. She didn't see any reason why it shouldn't be done. She also knew the more people she could put between John and Savannah was a good thing for her. She was really glad she wasn't a Bitch like Cameron was. She also wanted Savannah to have a good time.

"I think it's a good idea." Cammy said. "If John asked for it, and Cameron promised not to push Future John's agenda, it would be good for everyone."

Savannah noted Cammy said 'Future John's agenda' instead of 'Cameron's agenda'. It reminded her Cameron herself wasn't to blame for all she did or tried to do. Maybe she was too hard on Cameron sometimes. Cameron was only doing what she was supposed to do. It was in her programming. She debated what to do.

"Maybe I should call her." Savannah said. "I can't believe how this has messed up our operation."

Cammy wanted the issue addressed.

"I don't think it's a big deal." Cammy said. "All we have is a homeless guy most likely. The issue with Cameron and John is time sensitive. It needs to be addressed one way or another. Cameron is probably about to glitch out because you haven't called her yet. She is very unstable, unlike me."

Cammy wanted to mention Cameron should be deactivated, but didn't think it was the right occasion to bring it up, again. If the conditions where they were at were different, she would have.

Savannah was still unsure. She also knew Cammy was right and Cameron was probably going to glitch out because she hadn't called. The 'dig' on Cameron didn't go unnoticed either. She was a little surprised Cammy didn't take it a step further and mention Cameron should be permanently deactivated, again.

"I don't know." Savannah said. "I'm not going myself, but I need to think about the others."

The statement confused Cammy. She wanted Savannah to get away from it all for a while.

"Why wouldn't you go?" Cammy asked.

Savannah frowned. It wasn't something she really wanted to discuss. She was actually surprised Cammy even encouraged it.

"You know why." Savannah said. "I believe other things are more important for John and Cameron right now."

Cammy wanted to push it a little further.

"Cameron won't match make." Cammy said. "You said so."

Cameron wasn't Savannah's only concern.

"I'm not so sure everyone else won't." Savannah said.

Cammy tilted her head slightly.

"Are you worried about the girls?" Cammy asked.

Savannah didn't want to get specific. She didn't want to put any ideas into anyone's head. She also felt everyone should have free choice. Even if everyone had free choice, it didn't necessarily mean they always made the correct decisions.

"I don't know." Savannah said.

Cammy figured it out. She didn't think Vanna or Allison would make a move on their own. She also needed to remember they weren't the only contenders. Jesse more than likely wouldn't mind giving it a go since she hadn't been with a male for some time. She didn't think Jesse was the problem either. There was a new problem Cameron specifically created regarding someone else.

"You're worried about Claire." Cammy said.

Claire was Savannah's biggest human worry. Claire was influenced rather forcibly. It was never a direct 'threat'. She didn't think Cameron was too overt about it, but she certainly made her wishes known to Claire. Maybe the way it was done is what bothered her.

"I am." Savannah said. "I know how hard Cameron has leaned on her. I know WHAT she leaned on her with."

Savannah was aware Cameron used the unspoken threat of taking Summer away from Claire too like she did with Young Allison. She understood a mother would do anything to protect her young. She could also see Claire was attracted to John. Cameron pushed on both of them enough where something could spontaneously happen at this point. She made them both want each other. Claire was very desirable among the females. If Claire and John hit it off, it would affect the 'Natural Order'. She wouldn't mind being part of it with Claire there. There was another worry. It was a big one too. Where would it leave Young Allison?

Cammy brought her back to now.

"Think of Sarah and Riley." Cammy said. "They never get out."

Savannah felt a little guilty about the mention of Riley. She was aware everyone, including herself, treated Riley differently than anyone else was treated. She never thought it was fair, but she never wanted to offend Cameron. Nobody did. She did know Cameron reached out to Riley whenever she could. Sarah and Riley weren't the only ones to consider.

"You're right." Savannah said. "Derek and Kyle never get a break."

Cammy still thought it was a good idea. She really didn't think John would have asked unless it was something he really wanted to happen.

"Jesse and Claire could go with them, or Vanna and Allison." Cammy said. "It's just for a few days. It will be fun for them. It will help them forget the future for a few days. It would be like a family vacation for John. It would be the family vacation none of them ever experienced."

Savannah felt bad about the delay in the operation. She really wondered why this couldn't have happened an hour earlier. She thought about it a little longer and realized why it hadn't. If John needed to ask Cameron on several occasions about bringing others, it was most likely Cameron who sat on it. The reason why Cameron sat on it was because she didn't want to discuss it with her. Cameron was aware of her position and didn't want to do anything to go against it on her own. She didn't want Cameron to feel like it with anything regarded her. It was something they would need to talk about and discuss at a later date. Nobody should be 'afraid' of anyone else, no matter what the issue was. If they didn't work out the issues together, what was the point?

"Let me call Cameron real fast." Savannah said. "I'm really sorry about how this is interfering with things. I do understand the importance of everything and why. It is still somewhat embarrassing the way it is unfolding, and when it is happening."

Cammy tried to ease Savannah's concerns. They could simply pull out at any point in time and let a drone send a missile down to the location and destroy the building. It could be done the same way the building the Fanatics used was hit. The missile could be started on its own with a short burn to get it on target and then coast the rest of the way to the target. If nothing else, 'terminal velocity' would do the rest.

"Family comes before work." Cammy said. "I would have to say especially under these conditions on top of it."

Savannah knew there was a lot of truth in her statement.

"Maybe so." Savannah said. "Keep an eye on the electrical room and the opening into the building."

Cammy already did those things except for the brief time she dropped into the drainage culvert.

"No problem." Cammy said. "Take your time."

Savannah wanted to speak with Cameron privately. She didn't want there to be a problem where there shouldn't be a problem, especially since John and Young Allison were involved as well.

"I'll make this short." Savannah said.

Moments ago:

Young Allison finished her conversation with Savannah.

She looked back at the monitors.

"Where did Cammy go?" Young Allison asked.

Anna specifically tracked Cammy's movements when she moved away from Savannah.

"There was an open cover on the drainage system. She went inside to check it out." Anna said. "I don't think it's a big deal."

Young Allison looked at the image and asked CamNet to zoom in.

She saw Savannah come over and Cammy get out. She watched Cammy block off the drainage opening with two large pieces of metal. She was aware of some of the other activity which occurred in some of the storm drains on several of the operations. She realized the threat they posed if they were used for nefarious purposes. She wanted a heads up on what was going on.

"I want the past images from satellite or drone footage of the drain cover and if it was removed before on any of the images." Young Allison said. "See if there are any more on the property and let's try to figure out where they go."

Anna noted Young Allison's concern.

"It looked like Cammy was going to find out." Anna said. "Savannah stopped her."

Young Allison didn't like how this operation seemed to keep growing. It actually seemed to be what happened with all of them. It seemed something which should be simple, always continued to grow and expand.

"Maybe we should get more Terminators there." Young Allison said.

Anna tilted her head slightly.

"You already requested a team." Anna said. "They haven't arrived yet."

Young Allison wanted Savannah and Cammy protected.

"I want more." Young Allison said. "I don't want to take any chances."

Anna confirmed the backup force with CamNet.

"CamNet has dispatched two more teams." Anna said. "It's six additional Terminators on the way to back up Cammy and Savannah. There are two drones at altitude. No one has been pulled from the protection duty at the dock where Cameron and John are either."

Young Allison still hoped to come up with a little more information.

"Are there any construction plans for the drainage system or does it empty into the storm drain system?" Young Allison asked. "If it does, there are other drains connected to it somewhere."

Anna was aware it was already being looked into.

"CamNet and John Henry are both searching." Anna said. "There don't seem to be any comprehensive construction records about how any of those systems are connected, other than the fact most of them are in some way or another. It seems there were segments built by different contractors over the decades. There don't seem to be any set standards either."

Young Allison didn't like the direction things were going. There was nothing for her to base her feelings on she could put her finger on. She wanted to make sure Savannah was protected and Cammy as well.

She took one more look at the drone images and could see Savannah moved away from Cammy to speak on her phone. She figured it was finally the call to Cameron. She really wondered how the delay in time was going to affect Cameron. She doubted it would be in a positive manner. Maybe she should have called Cameron back and explained to her why Savannah was unavailable earlier. She didn't want Cameron to get off the ship either.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

Maybe So

What does it take
To set one's heart aglow
Will it happen fast
Will it happen slow

Those are the questions
That are hard to know
Will it lead to happiness
Will it be full of wow

Sometimes it's easier
To go with the flow
It's never the way
To find one's inner rainbow

It's always better to act
With truth and gusto
Than to tow the line
To follow the status quo

One can never own
At best they can borrow
Remember the rule
To prevent the sorrow

It's better to avoid
Receiving a veto
Did it already happen
Look around, maybe so

Nobody