Chapter 1166
Ready To Go
Cameron kept track of what was going on behind them as they waited to go into the main dining room. She did it without looking. She received constant updates from CamNet. She was a little surprised it wasn't from anyone in the Control Center on the ship. She wasn't sure if CamNet just wanted to look over her shoulder about what was going on at any particular point in time. She understood CamNet controlled the elevator system for them. Maybe her current participation was a carryover from the moment they entered the elevator.
None of the Resistance team members on board the ship looked back. They knew there was a crowd behind them. They didn't want their faces to be seen. It was actually a little difficult for all of them not to look around more than they did. All anyone got was a look at the back of their head.
Sarah looked through the glass doors into the main dining room. The waiters and assistant waiters were all lined up on each side of the main aisle. All of their uniforms were very neat and orderly. It was their goal to look perfect. They did.
There was a last minute flurry of activity in the background.
"I think they're going to open the doors." Sarah said.
The three couples formed into pairs side by side. They were the first ones at the door waiting for it to open.
John wanted his parents to go in first followed by Derek and Riley. He wanted them to have the best look at everything before it became crowded with people.
Both couples yielded to them. They urged John and Cameron to be in front. There was a lot of respect in the gesture.
The doors opened Cameron was the first one to enter the dining room with John right next to her but slightly in back of her. She showed the Maitre d' her card key.
His head snapped up and he looked at Cameron. He informed her all her needs and the needs of her group would be taken care of and given top priority. He told her the Captain's pantry was open to their group for anything they wanted if it wasn't on the menu. All they needed to do was ask and it would be provided. She thanked him. He called a specific waiter over.
The waiter introduced himself as 'Bruno'. He led them to their reserved table.
All of them were given a spectacular view of the two level dining room. The giant chandeliers only made it more awesome. They knew to keep their verbal comments to a minimum.
Sarah thought the outside hallway and foyer was fancy. What she saw when they entered was very elegant.
Riley was somewhat at a loss for words as she looked around. She knew some people lived like what she saw currently all of the time. It was so far removed from life in the Wastelands it was almost unfathomable.
Derek and Kyle were extremely impressed as well. John gave them a good overview on what to expect. From what they saw, he undersold it.
The assistant waiter was at the table waiting for them. He made sure everything was perfect. The glassware and silverware were all polished and spotless.
Their table was located in a good spot for viewing the outside. They could view out the back of the ship and out one side of it.
Sarah took a moment to look out the different sets of windows. She could see out two sides of the ship this way. There was no balcony to go out for the fresh air, but it did give them a wider perspective as to what was alongside of them and behind them. In this particular case it was all water. It was very panoramic. It reminded her much of the same view Kyle and her enjoyed at the rear of the ship as it left San Pedro. They could feel the vibration of the engines but the noise level of the churning water behind them was almost nonexistent.
"I love this view." Sarah said.
Their special table was next to the windows on the port side and at the rear. The sun was low on the horizon. They should be able to see the sunset clearly.
Cameron previously made sure CamNet would alter the ships course to the proper angle for them to view the sunset from their dining room table. It usually happened very quickly. The normal course could then be resumed. The more notable change was CamNet slowed the ship to half its normal speed while they dined. It would only be while they were in the dining room. The orders to the bridge would come through 'official channels'. The ship could increase its speed after midnight if it needed to make up any time. It was unlikely they would need to do so since the distance they needed to cover wasn't too great.
John suggested Sarah and Riley be positioned so they could see out through both sets of windows. Kyle and Derek would sit next to them. Cameron and John would sit with their backs to the windows.
The assistant waiter and waiter pulled the chairs back for the ladies to sit down.
There was fresh bread and rolls waiting on the table. Because of John's earlier suggestion about the butter being too cold, the bread was freshly baked, and the butter was spreadable at room temperature.
The assistant waiter took their drink order which was water for everyone. If he was a little surprised there weren't any alcoholic drinks ordered. He didn't show it. He was well seasoned with his job. His job was to make sure the dining patrons received excellent service and were pleased with everything they received.
Cameron previously told them they could have anything they wanted to drink. She reminded all of them they were on vacation and it was a short one.
The menus were handed out. The waiter made several appetizer and entrée recommendations. The waiter and assistant waiter left while they decided what they wanted to order. They all previously looked over the menu behind the glass in the hallway outside of the main dining room. Many of the items they looked at carried a name unfamiliar to them. It didn't matter too much because there was a brief description of what each of the items was. The fancy name mainly denoted the manner or style in which the dish was prepared.
The sun was low on the horizon. It was about to set behind the ship.
"The sun is just starting to go down." Riley said.
Sarah glanced over at Kyle with Riley's statement. She remembered he wanted to see the sun set and rise every day if it was possible. They knew they were on a ship at sea and subject to cloudy or foggy weather at times. Neither was forecast, but it always remained a possibility.
The men all took the hand of the ladies as they watched.
They watched the sun go down. The sun set behind them in the churning wake of the ship. It was a beautiful shared moment. It would take some time until it was actually dark after the sun went down. It still gave them an opportunity to view the water on two sides of them as the ship continued along.
Kyle gave Sarah's hand a slight squeeze as he watched the sun disappear below the horizon. He remembered growing up and never being able to see the sun for years. He remembered back to the time when he returned to the past, the present. It was a thrill for him to go outside and look at the clear and cloudless sky. Southern California was noted for its good weather. The pollution levels were down from what they once were in the past. They certainly were nowhere near what they would be in a Skynet future.
They looked around at the rest of the dining room. The other guests were being seated. Some decorative screens were previously set up to give them more privacy. The decorative screens were the only ones they noticed in the dining room. It was possible there could be some on the upper level since it was impossible to view it in its entirety from where they were.
They took in the table setting with all the dishes and different types of polished silverware.
It was a level of luxury and opulence none of them were used to. In fact none of them ever experienced it before.
John was pleased to see his mother look happy. It wasn't something he saw very much growing up. The older he got, the more he realized how much his mother sacrificed and gave up specifically for him. He never appreciated it at the time. He often ridiculed her, or made fun of her about some of the things she did. He also berated her about some of the relationships she called off when she actually had a chance at some personal happiness. The example which always came to mind was Charlie. It was something he thought of only a short time ago. It always bothered him very much.
He couldn't help but feel responsible for Charlie's death. He understood now why his mother left Charlie. She didn't want to risk his life. It all changed. Charlie died for him. He remembered Future Derek's words in the truck as they returned from the military school. Future Derek said, 'We all die for John Connor.' He really didn't believe his life was worth anyone else's life. It was a very sobering thought. What he often heard was, 'Everyone sacrifices for John Connor.' He didn't look forward to the day when it would change from 'sacrifice' to 'die'.
It saddened him some to remember a few occasions where Savannah placed her body in front of his to protect him. On one occasion he didn't have a vest on because there wasn't one. When Savannah arrived, she even took off her vest and told him to wear it instead of wearing it herself. When Savannah went to confront the danger, he all but begged her to take it back and wear it herself. He needed to clear his mind.
He looked at Cameron and gave her hand a squeeze. She smiled at him. So far he experienced a really great time on the ship and they were actually only a few hours into the cruise. He needed to remind himself who the ones were to make it all possible. It was Savannah and Young Allison. They made it clear they received a lot of assistance from CamNet.
Cameron thought John looked a little distracted. In fact she felt they all looked a little distracted. She really wondered what thoughts were going through each of their minds. She asked them to look at their menus. She wanted them to refocus on where they were now. They didn't need to relive any past experiences. She knew how easy it was to do. She did it all the time.
Derek was able to look over the menu in detail.
"Everything on here sounds good." Derek said. "At least the stuff I know what it is. I don't recognize some of the names. I'm very pleased there's a brief description."
Cameron was able to tell them what some of the 'foreign' sounding names were. She was well acquainted with what each of the items specifically was and was composed of. She updated her database to cover the option. It was a file she specifically received from CamNet.
She reminded them they should try new and different things because the opportunity didn't happen often. She also presented them with a concept they weren't used to. She told them it was OK not to eat something if they didn't care for it. She knew none of the people from the future wanted to waste any food. The idea here was to explore and expand. There would always be more of something they did like.
Derek and Kyle saw plenty of food left on plates when they were in the buffet earlier with John. They understood what Cameron indicated and knew it was 'normal' for a lot of food to be left on a plate. It was just the past, the future, which nagged at them. Riley experienced some similar feelings.
Everyone chose a couple of appetizers.
They worked out various ways to divide and consume Cameron's food since she wasn't going to eat more than a taste or two of anything.
Cameron would give one of her appetizers to John, and the other one to Derek.
She said they could have two entrees, or save some room for a couple of desserts and reminded them they could hit the buffet after the show in the main theater.
John and Kyle would split her entrée between them.
The waiter took their appetizer order and entrée orders and left.
In just minutes the assistant waiter and the waiter returned with the appetizers.
John was a little surprised how quickly they returned with the items. It hadn't been as quick at lunch time. He also remembered the look on the face of the Maitre d' when Cameron showed him her card key. He could see how it made a real impact on him.
"That was fast." John said.
Sarah looked around at the other diners. It was clear no one else received the same type of service they did.
"I can see our level of service is superior to anyone else." Sarah said.
Cameron knew it was because of their special status.
"The Maitre d' saw we carried the special card keys. He thinks we're important." Cameron said. "The Head Waiter should be over here to check on us shortly and the Maitre d' will stop by once to check too."
She was fairly certain both the Head Waiter and the Maitre d' would be over at least twice as much as they normally were at any of the high end tables.
Riley wondered who the Head Waiter was. It sounded important.
"Is the head waiter one of the men in a suit?" Riley asked. "I saw a few of them directing some waiters before we came in."
Cameron spotted four of them when they entered. She saw two other ones on the far side of the dining room when they were seated.
"Those are the ones." Cameron said. "They'll be very concerned our entree is the way we want it in every way. They like to hear the word 'excellent' to know they did better than 'good'."
In the YouTube videos it was something John noticed as well.
"I saw it online." John said. "The personnel on the ship aren't satisfied until they hear the word 'excellent' in whatever it is they're doing. Try to use it whenever you can as long as you agree it was 'excellent'."
Kyle took one look around the dining room. He looked at his appetizer plate.
"How can anything not be 'excellent' with what I've seen so far?" Kyle asked.
Riley looked very thrilled as she took everything in.
"I don't think it could be but excellent." Riley said.
John looked around where they were seated. He could see the dining room was filled up at this point. There weren't any empty tables left except around where they sat.
"I noticed there is no one at the tables on either side of us." John said.
Cameron knew what the real reason was why there was no one at those tables. She didn't care to share it with the group at this time. She gave them a plausible answer instead.
"I requested a buffer zone around our table." Cameron said. "They added the decorative screens on their own."
She thought it was a nice touch. She wondered if CamNet was the one behind it, or one of the girls. She thought it was some type of response to the older couple who kept looking at them during lunch time. With the decorative screens up no one could get a good look at them.
Derek wondered what Cameron specifically figured into her seating plan. He couldn't help but assess the situation wherever they were at. He was aware their group always needed to be ready for combat.
"Was the extra room for privacy or room to fight?" Derek asked.
Cameron liked when the others showed combat awareness. She didn't think it hurt to always be prepared.
"It's for both." Cameron said.
The other empty tables were actually the tables for the Master Suite and the Honeymoon Suite. She wanted them held in reserve in case she was able to get more people on board the ship. The tables would be simply put together into a larger table. Since the Metal girls wouldn't join them for dinner. The other tables were empty.
Everyone was pleased with the appetizers and Cameron was able to slide hers to Derek and John unobserved. She tried a taste of both of them for future reference.
So far the dinner progressed nicely.
Cameron looked at each of the people at the table. She didn't think there was ever a time when they were all together and everyone seemed so happy.
She liked it when everyone was happy.
Cameron was very pleased.
Savannah watched the sun disappear behind the hills. She knew it was almost sunset. It was a positive for them, but it was still some time until it would be dark. It would be a little longer until it was dark enough to bring the drones down into gun range. She didn't think they were going to have the luxury of so much time for the darkness to arrive.
Cam decided she wanted to move into a better position to intercept the man who they suspected used the telephone. She was going to need to leave the SUV in order to do it efficiently. It would also keep Savannah and Cammy out of immediate danger if something went wrong.
Savannah was a little apprehensive of the move. She would prefer to keep the team together. She also needed to look at the big picture. They still didn't know what else was in play other than the three men on foot and the two vehicles they spotted so far. There was still the possibility there were more individuals on the ground as well as more vehicles. They also needed to be mindful some of their vehicles may have been identified. It was one of the reasons why the drones were all hot and ready to fire a missile at a moment's notice if any suspicious vehicles began to approach one of their vehicles.
"I want you to seek cover if there's any gunfire directed at the man you want to apprehend." Savannah said. "Someone may wait to see if anyone approaches him and open up."
Cam hoped to act before there was any gunfire directed at anyone. She was aware of the measures taken to prevent such an occurrence. Everyone was in place and ready to act.
"I'll play it by ear when the time comes." Cam said. "Everything should be in place to make sure I'm protected when I make my move."
Cam exited the SUV. She left Cammy and Savannah behind. It was her goal to reach the man they believed used the pay phone without being spotted by him or anyone else. They still didn't know how many individuals or vehicles were actually in play.
Cammy and Savannah watched Cam leave. They were able to track her progress through several of the drones. So far she hadn't encountered any opposition or problems.
Cam needed to cross the main street. She did so at a traffic light. There was a boy and his dog. She used the new pheromones they developed so the dog wasn't disturbed by her presence. It actually looked at her several times and wagged its tail each time. She was a little worried they might go the same direction she needed to go. She was relieved to see them go the opposite direction. It would put them further away from any danger which would develop.
She moved into a parking lot of a grocery store. She was glad the man hadn't gone into the store. She would have needed to follow him inside, or stop him before he entered. It most likely would have triggered a reaction from the blue car which appeared to have him under surveillance. There was bound to be more collateral damage if gunfire broke out.
Cam moved closer to her target through two rows of parked cars. She kept her eyes on him at all times to make sure there were no fast ones pulled. She remained in contact with John Henry as to what the current status of the blue car was. She was unable to observe it from her current location.
She was now in a position where she was almost directly parallel to the man as he moved down the street. He still continued to look around him. She stayed low and kept the cars between the man and her. He still seemed to be more worried about what was behind him instead of what was in front of him or alongside of him. She was satisfied with her current spot. She would be able to reach him in a matter of seconds at this point.
Tom let Steve out of the SUV earlier with one of the LAW rockets. It was loosely wrapped in a towel. He quietly moved the SUV around several blocks to be able to speed to the location where the man suspected of using the telephone was headed. Cam would meet him there on foot.
The drone over the blue car detected movement. The blue car was now on a new path. It appeared to be on an intercept path towards the man they suspected of using the telephone. There were several assets they quietly moved into position for just such an event.
John Henry sent out an alert. The blue car was on the move.
"The blue car is making a run on the man Cammy's team was following." John Henry said. "Cam and Tom need to be on the highest alert."
The teams were ready for action.
"We're ready." Cammy said. "Cam has moved into position. Tom is ready to reinforce her."
Steve was ready to back their play with some close in fire support. The towel was now only loosely draped over what he carried. It could fall off in an instant.
"I have a LAW rocket ready." Steve said.
Steve was in a flanking position for Cammy's team. It was in case the blue car made it out of the trap they set up. It seemed unlikely the blue car would be able to avoid it, but they were ready in case it did.
CamNet's directives prepared a few surprises for the unknown assailants. Young Allison gave her specific instructions on what to do and when. Everything was in place and ready to go.
"I'm rolling." Ken said.
Lou was to back Ken's play.
"I'm following Ken." Lou said.
Cammy's team could see weapons come out the windows on the passenger side of the blue car. It was clear what their intentions were.
The man they were following seemed unaware of what was about to happen. He still looked behind him most of the time. He didn't have a clue death was about to greet him.
The blue car closed on him.
A dump truck came out of a side street at high speed. It didn't even slow down for the stop sign. It slammed into the passenger's side of the blue car. It was the side the guns protruded from.
Ken drove the dump truck. He noted the looks of astonishment on the occupant's faces as the side of their car was crushed. The blue car was now being carried sideways across the street on the front of the dump truck. The blue car's forward momentum was gone as it began its sideways journey. The passenger's side wheels were off the ground.
The driver of the blue car felt the impact of the passenger next to him being driven into his body as the width of the car was reduced by one third in an instant. He stepped on the brake and tried to turn the steering wheel, neither seemed to have any effect on his sideways travel. There was shattered glass all around him. His brain tried to process everything which just occurred in the last second. It wasn't what he thought was going to happen.
He looked at the passenger. He appeared dead. The man in the back seat wasn't visible.
The driver glanced in his left side view mirror and saw the man in the back's head sticking out of the shattered rear door window. One eye hung from the socket. He noted there was a piece of jagged glass embedded in the swinging eye.
He then glanced to his left side and saw the giant base support pole for a billboard rapidly approaching. There was a screech of metal and the dump truck was no longer blocking the passenger's side. It hit the brakes. The momentum created continued the sideways slide of the blue car.
So far what seemed like an hour to the driver, was actually only three seconds of time.
The driver's door impacted against the support pole. A fraction of a second later the driver's head impacted the steel support as the blue car continued to wrap around the giant pole. It crushed the left side and bent the narrow wreckage into a 'U' shape around it. If any of the occupants in the vehicle were alive at the point of impact with the billboard base, none of them would be alive at this time. The vehicle was only one third of its original width after the impact on the passenger's side and then on the driver's side.
Ken braked hard to clear the wreckage of the blue car. He continued up the street. He made a turn at the first side street. He pulled to the curb and parked. He hopped out of the dump truck. He went along the side of a closed business and over a gate into an alley. Lou waited there for him in their SUV. He hopped in the SUV and they took off.
The man Cammy's team followed tried to process everything he heard and saw happen. It all seemed to occur in a few seconds.
He froze up for those few seconds. He didn't know what was going on. He did know trouble when he saw it. He decided to go back the way he came. When he turned around, there was a beautiful girl standing there now. She blocked his path. Before he could do anything, she grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground. His world went black a few seconds later.
They watched the drone footage from the four drones over the target area in the Young bunker.
Young Allison was a little surprised to see the results of the action she wanted taken. She wanted to avoid the use of the drones in daylight since John Henry didn't approve of it. The sun already set, but it was nowhere near dark. She devised an alternate plan so the drones became a last resort. They would use a large vehicle. There would also be another Terminator with a LAW rocket ready to make sure nothing escaped past the ambush point.
"The impact and aftermath was rather violent." Young Allison said. "Cam has moved into position for the intercept. Tom is on the way with his SUV."
They watched Cam take the man down in a second. Tom arrived in the SUV two seconds later. The man would be removed from the area for further questioning.
"Cam has the man and is loading him into Tom's SUV." Anna said.
As soon as the man was loaded into the back seat of the SUV along with Cam, they watched the SUV move toward the flanking position where Steve waited with a LAW rocket.
"OK. They're clear and about to pick up Steve." Young Allison said.
Anna was impressed at how smoothly and efficiently the first part of the operation went.
"So far everything has happened as you planned it." Anna said.
Young Allison needed to keep track of the time. It was less than fifteen seconds from the time the blue car started to make its run until the man was apprehended and loaded into Tom's SUV and Steve was picked up. She knew it wasn't over yet.
"Now we have the brown van to worry about." Young Allison said.
They watched the vehicles enter the mix.
"Al is rolling." Anna said. "Ed is backing him up."
Dan and Frank moved forward. They were both still on foot. They each had a specific target to apprehend.
"Frank and Dan are in position to put the grab on the two homeless men as soon as the brown van is neutralized." Young Allison said.
Based on the situation, Anna was aware the second take down needed to be handled differently. They still hoped to avoid the use of a drone.
"It should happen in the next few seconds." Anna said.
Young Allison saw half of her plan was a success. She hoped the other half would be as well. She was about to find out. She was very pleased with how quickly everything was implemented. Anyone else around the vicinity was still trying to figure out what actually occurred.
Jan pushed the baby buggy with Precious inside toward the commissary. She made a point of not going very fast with it. Vanna and Allison followed her.
Claire helped Summer with one of the dishes of food they were working on since Jan left.
Jan carefully pushed the baby buggy into the commissary.
"I'm back." Jan said.
They all spotted Precious inside of it.
Claire's face lit up with excitement.
"There's the little angel." Claire said.
Claire, Jesse, and Summer all came over to see Precious.
Vanna and Allison entered the commissary a few seconds later.
Allison heard what her mother said.
"I guess she wasn't talking about me." Allison said.
Vanna was sure with everything which happened to her, no one would ever consider her an angel. She really didn't believe most of it was her fault. The only thing she bore responsibility for was being born a female. It wasn't really her fault either. She didn't have any choice in the matter, nor did she ask to be born.
"She said angel not devil." Vanna said.
Summer and Jan giggled.
Jesse was glad they didn't refer to her the same way. She didn't want to think about some of the terrible things she did to other people. It bothered her more now about some of the things, but not as bad as she thought it would. She did some of those things at the time because it seemed necessary, even if it was unnecessary.
Allison tried to seem upset about what Vanna said. She really wasn't.
"Hey!" Allison said. "You're supposed to be on my team."
Vanna wanted to keep the mood playful.
"I am." Vanna said.
Jesse really hoped they didn't bring anything up about her, even in jest.
"I wonder what happens when she isn't." Jesse said.
Allison looked at Vanna for a moment.
"I don't think we want to find out." Allison said.
They all took seats while Summer and Jan served the food. The two girls then took their seats.
It was a festive mood for all of them.
Samantha waited until she heard everyone leave. She quickly entered Riley's room and looked around. Everything was spotless and in order. It was good to begin with, now everything was perfect. She heard Vanna go through every room at least twice to straighten things up.
She thought about what to do next. She could go to the commissary or go back into the nursery and go into standby. She debated with herself whether to go into standby where she normally spent the night next to the crib or remain in seclusion in the nursery.
Samantha looked in Precious room and the crib was gone. It caused her some alarm to see it missing. She did hear Vanna and Allison discuss moving it. They weren't going to move it back to Vanna's room. She went to where they originally indicated it would be. She looked in Riley's bedroom and the crib was in there now next to the bed.
She felt a sense of loss with a very deep let down. Vanna didn't need her like Riley did to help her. Allison was going to be there too. It was clear they were both much more capable than Riley. Then again, she already knew it. Now she could see the proof of it.
She contemplated moving the crib back into the baby's room and going to standby next to it like she normally did. It would send a clear signal. She was afraid it might cause a problem. Allison was going to spend the night with Vanna. It would give them more privacy to be alone together if she took charge of Precious.
She thought about leaving Riley's room and going elsewhere. She could go to the lab and always find something to work on. She could go to the Command Center and see what was happening with the current operations. She would have liked to have spoken with Riley when she called earlier with Derek and conversed with Precious. She could probably check and see what was happening on the ship. She knew it was dinner time for them now, much the same way it was for those in the commissary at the Resistance base. Maybe she shouldn't do anything.
Samantha felt very insecure about herself and went back into the nursery without doing anything. She felt very unneeded and useless at this point. She went into standby.
Hanna and Ally were in John and Cameron's suite. It was the Owner's Suite. They already moved onto the bed and started kissing each other. Ally started to work her way down Hanna's sheath. She paused at her breasts to give each of them some equal time. She moved on past her navel. She slid down and repositioned herself. It was time to make things happen.
Hanna knew it was the same way Allison 'worked' on her too. She usually spent two nights a week with Allison when she would switch with Holly. Holly would spend two nights a week with Claire. It was an arrangement they all agreed to. Everyone liked the variety. She was sure she did the same things Vanna did when she was with Allison. They were the things which came natural to her after the 'Neural Interface'. She wasn't necessarily sure if it made them better lovers or not. If anything, it made them predictable. Then again, certain things produced certain results. It was a given.
Sheila returned wearing her highly modified maid's outfit.
She was a little surprised to see Ally at work. She didn't think things would have progressed as rapidly as they did. She hadn't been gone very long. She only made a quick trip to her room and back.
"Did you start without me?" Sheila asked.
Ally glanced back at Sheila. She knew Sheila liked to lead.
"I just wanted to get her ready for you." Ally said. "She's warmed up and ready to go."
Ally and Hanna looked at Sheila and her modified maid's outfit with a very, very short skirt.
Hanna glanced over at Sheila when Ally spoke with her. She was a little surprised at Sheila's current outfit. It didn't leave anything to the imagination.
"Wow!" Hanna said. "It looks like someone is ready for action."
Ally earlier wanted to wear Sheila's regulation uniform. She wanted to see how she would look in it. Now she saw something she wanted to wear even more. She knew where it was supposed to go next. She would need to wait her turn.
"It looks so Hot." Ally said. "I'm going to wear it when Riley's done with it."
Since everything clearly showed while Sheila stood upright, Hanna wasn't sure what the purpose of the outfit was at this point. It seemed more of a formality as opposed to a covering. None of the goods were covered.
Sheila figured the outfit would need to be cleaned before she turned it over to Ally. She decided to tell her why.
"It may need to be washed first before I can do it." Sheila said.
Hanna understood childbirth did things to the female body which could change it from its original condition. Claire confided some of her worries to her before. Claire always felt she was never the same after Allison and Summer were born. Having Allison's baby in Cameron's future didn't help any and now there was another one on the way. She was glad she wasn't a male. For the love they shared, it didn't matter at all.
"She recently gave birth. It happens." Hanna said. "It took Claire a few months to get back to normal after Summer. It's what she told me anyway."
Ally knew there was one more after it and another one on the way.
"What about after she had Allison's baby in the future?" Ally asked. "I think it's safe to say you had some 'first hand' experience in that regard".
Sheila let out a slight giggle with Ally's statement.
Hanna witnesses the changes. She was a little surprised at how different everything was at first. She was glad the recovery was relatively quick. She really didn't think it was a big deal. It was the way most mammals propagated the species. It was all part of the process. Everything was done as nature intended it to be done.
"Some things are slightly different than they used to be." Hanna said. "The next one will change everything even more. Some of the changes may be permanent. Overall, I don't think a human would be able to detect any difference."
Ally looked down the front of her sheath.
"I'm glad it doesn't happen to us." Ally said.
Sheila thought it would make some of the things she liked to do easier. She looked at her right hand as she opened and closed it several times.
"It wouldn't matter to me anyway." Sheila said. "I can put this wherever I want it."
Ally frowned at her. She disliked what Sheila did in every way.
"It's not about to happen to me again." Ally said. "Find a different victim."
Hanna wanted Ally or Sheila to get to work on her. Ally already took her about half of the way there. She didn't care for the interruption.
"Don't leave me hanging." Hanna said.
Sheila decided to take the lead.
"I have that department covered." Sheila said.
Sheila moved into position where Ally was at with Hanna when she entered. She was on her knees. She didn't see any reason why she couldn't be taken care of as she took care of someone else.
"You get a rear view." Sheila said to Ally. "Take your place and get started."
Ally moved in back of Sheila. It was abundantly clear Sheila's short skirt was little more than a formality.
"I don't even need to lift your skirt." Ally said. "It's all right here in front of me. All I need to do is start."
Sheila looked back over her shoulder at Ally.
"What are you waiting for?" Sheila asked. "I'd say, 'Let's get crackin', but they already are."
Hanna wanted them to get started again. Once everyone was taken care of, there were other things she wanted to do. She also wanted to watch the big production show later on in the showroom.
"After everyone is done, I want to see the performance in the main theater." Hanna said.
Sheila didn't think Hanna needed to wait for anything.
"I'll give you a performance right here." Sheila said.
Ally wanted to see the production show as well.
"Let's get crackin'." Ally said. "I don't want to be in a rush."
Sheila looked back over her shoulder. It's what she just told Ally seconds ago.
"Does your view get any more crackin' than that?" Sheila asked.
Ally laughed and started in.
The three Metal girls would all take turns in the different positions.
Jim was supposed to watch the monitors and receive information from CamNet and John Henry. He volunteered to watch over the Control Center by himself so the Metal girls could be freed up to do other things.
He watched Gail and Holly more than he did to do his job. He needed to watch the monitors and see what was happening. There was action going down with the teams still in the port area. One threat was eliminated and one target was in custody. There was still one more threat and two more targets to take into custody.
He noticed Gail was more aggressive and assertive than Holly. He wondered if Gail learned the behavior from Jesse. Holly was more submissive and compliant to Gail's demands. He didn't know Vanna was dominant with Allison, and Allison wanted Holly to be submissive to her. The learned behavior carried over to the present encounter.
It was all very educational to him. It was a lot different than some of the videos he watched. He could almost feel the excitement the girls seemed to feel as they interacted. He really needed to be alone right now, but he was going to have to wait. There was something he really needed to do.
He knew next time he was issued pants he was definitely going to ask for a bigger size. There were only so many ways he could reposition himself. He seemed to have more involuntary actions occur than he was used to.
Jim could tell that Bob and John Henry both paid more attention to the females now. Even though Cameron kept it out of their original programming, they developed feelings and desires on their own.
Time seemed to have a way to change things on its own, even if nothing was changed. It was all part of their natural evolution to blend in better long term with human beings.
John Henry was in control of the operation for now. CamNet and The Young bunker both worked with him. He was notified again there would be a missile strike if any of the teams was threatened by the two vehicles they needed to stop. He was also mindful they needed to watch for any other threats which hadn't been detected yet. It seemed doubtful that all of the threats had been identified. They may not have arrived yet either. It depended on what the perpetrators would do next. It would determine what their reaction needed to be.
One threat was eliminated so far. There was still one more to go.
Al and Ed were about to engage the threat.
He was aware the planning of both of the take downs was from Young Allison, even if they were suggested and initiated by CamNet. Young Allison made it clear she authorized a missile strike at any time if one of their teams was threatened.
John Henry noted as it became darker the drones all dropped in altitude. The missiles on all of them were hot and ready to go. He expected the guns to go hot soon the darker it got and lower the drones went.
He checked for any new or additional threats.
There was always the chance that things could take a turn for the worse.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
Ready To Go
Many procrastinate and wait
They think things will improve
They look for a way in
They want to find their grove
There's always an obstacle
It's never that simple
Things they want to avoid
Seem to tower and trample
Hurry up and wait
The path is a dead end
Before they bend or break
False victory they spend
Life moves forwards
There's no turning back
What looks like defeat
Is the spearhead of an attack
It's time to grow a backbone
To let the world know
While everyone's asleep
Things are ready to go
Nobody