Chapter 1210
You Can Hold It
Earlier:
Cam left the base behind as she drove away. It would be sunrise soon. She often wondered what the fascination was for something which occurred almost at the same time everyday. In reality, the earth rotated. The sun didn't rise. Maybe it was what it signified. It was a new beginning to a new day after sleeping all night. Most people were rested and refreshed, even if it seemed to take them a while to get going.
Vanna tried to get her to see the beauty in a sunrise and a sunset. To her the sunset was often more colorful and with greater beauty. She liked to scan Vanna during both events. It was amazing how visual input could cause stimulation. She noticed much the same thing when it came to viewing females for her. There was nothing more than visual input to produce those results. When they became physical, the results were even more spectacular.
Summer looked to the east and could tell the sun was about to make an appearance. It happened only a few seconds later.
"Look, there's the sunrise." Summer said.
Everyone glanced over.
Jan wasn't usually outside this early.
"I hardly ever see it." Jan said. "It's usually only when I go camping with Cameron. I see lots of things then. I need to work hard too."
Summer wanted to set Jan straight about 'camping' with Cameron.
"It's really survival training. It's not camping." Summer said.
Claire didn't like it to be called what it was. Survival training sounded too harsh to her. She understood why Cameron always referred to it as 'camping'.
"It sounds more fun if it is called camping." Claire said.
Summer didn't want to rock the boat, she made her point.
"I like to go camping too." Summer said as she looked at Jan. "Next time I want to go together."
Jan liked the idea. It was usually Cameron and her. Sometimes her mother went as well. Cameron always let her mother call the shots on those. She didn't like some of the things her mother made her do. When she complained to Cameron, Cameron always told her she should do as her mother said. She wanted to go with Summer next time.
"It sounds like fun." Jan said.
Cam wanted to keep everything in perspective. Survival training wasn't supposed to be fun. It was about teaching the girls to be able to survive on their own if they ever needed to. It was about teaching the girls how to evade the enemy to prevent capture. It was about teaching the girls to survive when others would perish.
"Cameron will determine what's best for everyone." Cam said.
Jesse and Claire looked at each other. It was normally an unspoken truth.
Summer wanted to show her support for Cameron since Cam's statement wasn't very productive.
"Cameron is the greatest." Summer said. "She knows a lot of things. She's been to the past and to the future, several different futures, She's experienced more than anyone else as well. She's also existed longer than the other Terminators. She's the most qualified at everything."
Summer stopped short of saying Cameron was the most qualified for dealing with Skynet and all of its illegitimate offshoots. She really didn't want her mother to hear her say it because she knew it would be a problem for her. She read every report and watched every video, including Terminator files, body cams, and surveillance footage there were in the archives of the Resistance. It included Cameron's journeys into the futures as well as the past. She learned a lot of things by watching them. There were many things she knew how to do, without actually ever having done them. She glanced at her mother again and remained quiet.
Cam felt she was identical to Cameron. Well, at least almost identical. She was sure she was identical in ability. How could she not be? She knew everything Cameron did up to the point of her creation. She believed she was the 'improved' version of Cameron as did Cammy. Many of Cameron's problems were firewalled in their systems. They both felt Cameron was flawed.
"I'm very much like Cameron." Cam said.
Cam knew if Cammy was there she would have stated she was superior to Cameron. She probably would have recommended Cameron be deactivated when she made her statement. She understood it was because of a lot of personal jealousy involving Savannah which fueled Cammy's assessment. Perhaps if Cameron was after Vanna the same way she was after Savannah, she might feel exactly like Cammy did.
Summer repeated the line Savannah and Young Allison often used.
"Cameron is invincible." Summer said. "Cameron is eternal."
Cam was aware if Cameron's chassis was destroyed, her chassis would most likely become 'Cameron'. It would be with Cameron's spare chip installed in place of her own. There were several 'Cameron clones' for Cameron to harvest. No one doubted she would do it if she needed to.
"Yes she is." Cam said. "She's proven to be quite resilient and durable."
Jesse wanted to get away from the subject of discussing Cameron. It left her with an uncomfortable feeling. Cameron meant a great deal to her. She didn't want Cameron to be bad mouthed even if it wasn't the intent. She wondered what type of aircraft they would use to fly to Ensenada.
"Will it be the jet we flew on before?" Jesse asked.
Jesse joined the 'mile high' club on the trip to Australia before. She hoped to do it again with Claire this time.
John Henry knew there were several factors which determined the type of jet they would use to go to Ensenada. One of them was the length of the runway in Ensenada. The other was the size of the jet itself.
"No." John Henry said. "This isn't as big of a jet. Cameron needed the range of the bigger jet to get to Australia."
His statement made Jesse wonder about privacy on the smaller jet.
"Are there any cabin separations?" Jesse asked.
John Henry deduced what Jesse was getting at.
"No." John Henry said. "There is no place for 'personal recreation'. The flight will be very short."
Summer looked at Jan and giggled. She whispered something in her ear. They both giggled afterwards.
Jesse was about to say there wouldn't be any partially closed door for the girls to peek through. She decided to play it cool instead. She looked at Claire and shrugged her shoulders.
"It's too bad." Claire said.
Jesse planned to see her family again soon. The next trip may have more than a few things which would need to be discussed. One of them was going to be very personal.
"There is always next time." Jesse said. "I may need a favor from my mom."
Jesse knew it was a big favor. She didn't want to 'take' anything away from Young Jesse. She wanted her mother to assist her the same way Claire did for Allison.
Summer hadn't seen them yet, but she knew a small part of the Resistance Air Force was located at Van Nuys Airport. She didn't know when she would have the opportunity to view any of the aircraft again.
"Can we pass by the Warbirds?" Summer asked. "We don't have to stay long. We can just look and pass on through."
Cam looked at Summer and smiled.
"Yes." Cam said.
John Henry called ahead to make sure the hangar crew was aware they were coming.
"Everything is taken care of." John Henry said. "Dan will have the jet moved over closer to the location."
Summer was pleased they accommodated her request.
"Thank you." Summer said.
Claire wondered how Summer knew about it.
"You sure know a lot about what's there." Claire said.
Jan thought Summer was super intelligent. She didn't know anyone who knew more than Summer did. It included all the adults.
"She knows a lot about everything." Jan said. "Summer is really smart."
Summer was aware knowledge wasn't everything. She knew experience played a big factor in things as well. It might also be the biggest factor when it came to survival. There were many other things in life where it mattered also. She wanted everyone to feel included.
"Everyone knows a lot." Summer said. "We're all smart. Some people know more about some things than other people do. Those people in turn know more about other things. It's how everyone in society fits together and makes everything work."
Jesse liked Summer's tact.
"I see a diplomat in the making." Jesse said.
Summer looked at Jesse.
"We all have something to offer." Summer said.
Claire didn't want the conversation to go there. She was a little worried about passports and identification. She didn't want to run into any trouble with any of the officials.
"Are we going to need any kind of documents?" Claire asked.
Jesse remembered how smooth things went in Australia.
"They'll have everything taken care of for us." Jesse said.
Claire wondered about their names. She was sure they would use some type of pseudonyms. She wondered if her temporary last name would be Smith or Jones.
"I mean, will we have fake names or things like it?" Claire asked. "Is there some kind of a back story we need to know in case we're questioned about anything?"
John Henry wanted to keep it simple. Everything related to any of the Resistance personnel was always hidden from any other group they would ever deal with. There were various ways to deal with officials in foreign countries. The easiest one was money. Money seemed to open many doors. It allowed many individuals to look the other way. If someone was a problem, things would take a much more negative turn for them. It could lead to their termination. He didn't anticipate there would be any difficulties.
"Your true identity will be masked." John Henry said. "You need not have any concerns."
Cam didn't want them to worry about anything. If anything became a problem, there were Terminators to deal with it. Individuals in glorified Third World countries weren't too much harder to deal with than actual Third World countries. She didn't anticipate any problems.
"John Henry runs a tight ship." Cam said. "You can be whoever you need to be, when you need to be them. Anyone can become a shadow at night when we want them to be unseen or not remembered. Any contingency will be dealt with."
Jan seemed a little antsy. She was excited and wanted to get started.
"How soon will it be until we get to the airport?" Jan asked.
Summer wanted Jan to show more self control. She would work with her on it. She was glad she didn't ask, 'Are we there yet?' It might come later. She would try to put things into the proper perspective.
"We will arrive soon enough." Summer said. "We'll get there when we get there. Everything takes time. Some things can't be rushed or pushed. Many things shouldn't be either."
Summer wasn't sure what awaited her or the others on their grand adventure. She looked forward to finding out. She was always willing to learn new things and do new things. She believed she was going to do both on the ship.
Claire listened to her youngest daughter. She could tell she was way advanced beyond anything she actually knew. She didn't think it was necessarily Cameron's fault. She knew her daughter was very gifted as well as extremely intelligent. She didn't think Summer would need to join the Resistance. She figured at some point the Resistance would join her.
Jesse noticed Claire looked a little far off. She could imagine what it was in regards to. She reached over and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Claire looked at her when she did. She smiled at her.
"We're all in for a good time." Jesse said. "None of us needs to worry about anything else. Well, at least for a few days."
Young Allison was deep into her run. The run was a little more intense.
Anna felt a tad concerned Young Allison seemed to push things a little too much. She didn't say anything at first. She felt she needed to at this point.
"You're really pushing it today." Anna said. "It's unnecessary."
Young Allison felt uneasy from last night.
"I just feel like I need to." Young Allison said.
It didn't appear she could outrun her problems. They were all still there, even if she was really tired. She slowed her pace some.
Anna wanted Young Allison to think about other things.
"Your mother and Summer are on their way to the airport." Anna said.
Young Allison hoped they would have a safe trip. She didn't want to say it aloud. She knew there would be plenty of Terminators with them. She didn't want the trip to be about safety.
"I hope they have a good time." Young Allison said.
Anna wondered if Young Allison wanted to go. She thought she should be with her family. She believed Claire and Summer would be very pleased if she was with them.
"Would you like to go?" Anna asked. "It's not too late."
Young Allison going on the ship wasn't part of the plan. It wasn't what Savannah and her planned on. It wasn't part of the plan for a very specific reason. Savannah made it clear if they went, either one of them, Cameron would push hard for them to be in John's bed. It would most likely include Cameron as well at some point. Somehow the idea of being with either one of them on their honeymoon cruise just didn't seem like the right thing to do. They didn't want to be pressured into anything, even if it was something they wanted to do on their own. It would spoil the atmosphere on multiple levels.
"I wanted John and Cameron to have a good time alone." Young Allison said. "It was the plan."
Anna pointed out there was privacy whenever it was needed.
"It's a very large ship." Anna said. "They're alone most of the time."
The issue with Sheila crept back into Young Allison's mind. The idea of someone taking control of her body away from her and then returning it a few hours later in 'used condition' still bothered her. She wasn't a cyborg so it couldn't actually happen to her the same way. It was still a disturbing thought. There was always the worry about, 'what if it could?'
"What's the story about what happened to Sheila?" Young Allison asked. "It wasn't part of the plan."
Young Allison didn't think Cameron was done yet either.
"Cameron wanted to make the adventure more exciting for John." Anna said. "It's something people enjoy."
Anna was sure Cameron wanted to make the adventure more exciting for herself more than anything. She just didn't want to say it.
Young Allison saw it first hand often occur at the house.
"Do you mean variety?" Young Allison asked. "I see it occur all the time around me."
Anna wondered if it was a problem for Young Allison. Nothing was done to hide anything from either of the girls. If anything, it was just the opposite.
"Is it something you don't agree with?" Anna asked.
Young Allison didn't think she was qualified to answer the question. She didn't even know if it was something she wanted to talk about in detail. She did want to make a point about it.
"It's not my place to judge." Young Allison said. "I have no personal experience, yet."
Anna knew there were ways around it.
"You've spoken with Allison about it." Anna said. "She was you, even if you aren't her."
Young Allison previously spoke openly with Allison and Savannah about it.
"Savannah also talked with me about it and what she does." Young Allison said. "Allison and I have discussed it."
Anna wondered how detailed the conversations were.
"You're talking to 'yourself' at that point in reality." Anna said.
Young Allison thought about what Anna said earlier.
"It is, even if it isn't - ME." Young Allison said. "It was me to a certain point."
Anna thought the life experience would mean something.
"She's lived longer and experienced 'more things'." Anna said.
Young Allison wasn't clear if 'lived longer' was the proper term in Allison's case. Based upon what happened in her future, she certainly survived longer than she needed to in the present. She really thought they were two different things.
"Many of them weren't good." Young Allison said. "I've asked her to tell me in detail about 'everything'."
Young Allison thought of some of the graphic descriptions. It sent a chill down her spine. She didn't like how cruel some people could be.
Anna wasn't aware of all the conversations in detail. She wondered how much Allison would actually say about some of the things which happen to her.
"Has she?" Anna asked.
Young Allison knew Allison held back on a lot of things, especially in descriptive detail.
"She has about most things." Young Allison said. "She said there were some things I never needed to know."
Those were the things Young Allison wanted to know even more.
Anna knew the brutality of the future.
"I understand." Anna said.
Everything began to weigh on Young Allison. The things Allison told her haunted her at times. She really wondered what it would be like to wake up with a knife to her throat or a gun against the side of her head as someone climbed up on top of her. The thought was one straw too many.
"I think I need to go back." Young Allison said.
Anna instantly became alarmed.
"Why?" Anna asked. "Is something wrong?"
Everything began to bother Young Allison.
"I don't know." Young Allison said.
Anna knew their assistance was close by.
"The Detail can have the SUV here in less than a minute." Anna said.
From behind them, and in front of them, two of the Detail appeared. They were both a ways off and closed in rapidly.
Young Allison liked the rapid response, but didn't think it was necessary.
"I can see the gang's all here." Young Allison said.
Anna wanted to be clear.
"We take your safety very seriously." Anna said.
Young Allison didn't want a big 'to do' about nothing.
"Everyone needs to relax." Young Allison said. "I'm fine and I'll head back on foot."
The Detail disappeared as quickly as they appeared. Their primary function was to make sure no irregularities appeared in front of or behind Young Allison during her physical training.
Anna knew there was more to the story.
"What are you worried about?" Anna asked.
Young Allison wondered where to start.
"Sheila, Steve, Tom, Summer, my mom, Savannah, Cameron, and John…." Young Allison said. "Those are just the current main worries. I'm worried about a lot."
Anna saw the deep concerns Young Allison felt the weight of.
"In other words, you're worried about 'everything'." Anna said. "You're worried about all of them."
The worst part was the voyage only just started.
"I am." Young Allison said. "It's only day two. It hasn't even been twenty four hours yet since they left."
Anna could see the stress Young Allison was under.
"You take your function seriously." Anna said. "This shouldn't be the burden of a young lady."
Young Allison almost laughed. She thought her education and training skipped more than a few years in her chronological age progression.
"The only thing 'young' about me is my last name and body. It isn't so much any more either. There are a lot of changes." Young Allison said. "I think I have been an 'adult' for a while and skipped being a teenager."
Anna noted the razor in Allison's shower. She knew where she was using it. She believed when Young Allison was in the past, things would be different for her.
"Cameron will give you your teenage years back." Anna said.
Young Allison planned to make it a two way street. She believed it would be a learning experience for both of them. She really wasn't so sure it was really anything to look forward to. It still wouldn't hurt to have a taste.
"Maybe she will." Young Allison said. "I hope to give her, her own teenage years at the same time."
Anna wanted the same things too. She didn't want Young Allison to forget about her.
"I hope to be there as well." Anna said. "I think it would be a fascinating experience for all of us."
Young Allison was ready to head back to her bunker. Duty called.
"I hope you're with me." Young Allison said. "I need to get back and be an adult."
Young Allison didn't know where the events of the day would lead. Most likely there would be some type of interaction with the enemy. If there was, some of them were going to end up dead. She didn't think anyone else would call the shots from the Command Center or her bunker. She didn't think anyone else her age was responsible for so many deaths as she was. She didn't even know how many people there were. She didn't really think it mattered. She did what needed to be done, when it needed to be done. It didn't matter if the enemy was from the future, or a threat to the Future. The enemy was the enemy. What else was there to know or worry about?
Ally ushered Sheila into her room as she looked for something.
"What are you looking for?" Sheila asked.
Ally moved a few things out of the way.
"I found it." Ally said.
When Ally turned around there was a Taser in her hand. It was pointed at Sheila.
"This is for your own good." Ally said.
The smile on Sheila's face vanished. She couldn't quite believe what was about to happen.
"Are you going to 'Tase' me?" Sheila asked.
Sheila's statement caught Ally off guard.
"What?" Ally asked.
Ally wondered where the idea came from.
Sheila simply stated the obvious.
"You have a Taser pointed at me." Sheila said.
Ally looked at what she held in her hand. She only picked it up to get what was underneath it. She could see the concerned look on Sheila's face. She didn't want Sheila to worry.
"Here." Ally said. "You can hold it."
Ally handed Sheila the Taser.
Sheila felt a little relieved. She was still apprehensive.
"What did you find that's for my 'own good'?" Sheila asked.
Ally thought under the current circumstances, what she found was a good idea.
"These." Ally said.
Sheila wasn't impressed.
"I'll pass." Sheila said.
Ally handed Sheila her underwear.
"Put them on." Ally said. "You need to back off on your plans."
Sheila could see Ally's concern for her was genuine. She did realize things got a little carried away earlier. It still didn't really bother her. It was what she wanted. It seemed timing would be more of a factor at this point.
"OK - OK. Chill out. I hear you." Sheila said. "I'll ask before I do anything inappropriate."
Ally wanted to make sure they didn't neglect their duties.
"We need to go check on the service now." Ally said. "They should be caught up on any of their private moments."
Sheila worried now about what almost happened earlier with John. He was a second away from taking her virginity. The comments made when they brought the food cart also troubled her. She could see Cameron was less than pleased with everything. She figured Cameron knew what went on earlier. Perhaps it was time she took a step back. It would probably be better if she took quite a few of them.
"Maybe you can do it." Sheila said. "I don't think I need to go in."
Ally wanted Sheila to get it together.
"We'll both do it." Ally said. "I want you to stand tall."
Sheila liked how Ally stood up for her.
"You really are my friend aren't you?" Sheila asked.
Ally smiled at Sheila. She wanted to make everything clear.
"Of course I am." Ally said. "We're lovers, but more importantly we're friends."
Ally straightened Sheila's outfit and brushed her hair back on one side.
Sheila liked the fact Ally mentioned they were lovers. They were lovers. They just didn't like to admit it in front of others. They didn't have human girlfriends like most of the other female Terminators did. They only had each other.
"Thank you." Sheila said.
Ally didn't like Cammy being prominent in Sheila's life.
"You would do the same for me, even if Cammy took cuts in front of me." Ally said.
Sheila wanted Ally to understand. Eight years was a long time.
"We were alone for eight years…." Sheila said. "Things happened. We were both very lonely. We didn't turn to others or outsiders."
"I know." Ally said. "I also know Cammy was probably 'me' half of the time in your mind and 'Cameron' in the other half."
Sheila knew how lonely Cammy was without Savannah.
"She was Cammy too." Sheila said. "She missed Savannah very much. She cried a lot. It made me very sad. Cameron shouldn't have heard her like she did regardless of whatever minor infraction she may have done. She never knew what she was 'punished' for specifically."
Ally knew she was the one who was supposed to go with Sheila.
"Did Cameron send Cammy instead of me just to punish her?" Ally asked.
Sheila wondered about some of the events associated with the whole deal. She wondered if maybe Cameron actually knew more than she would admit. Maybe Cameron didn't know the specifics, only what would be required at some point.
"I really don't know." Sheila said. "We needed to use her extra power cell to rig up the H-bomb to explode. Maybe it wasn't actually our Young Allison we dealt with in the past, but it was Cammy's extra power cell which we used to detonate the H-bomb."
It left a lot of unanswered questions.
"How did Cameron know it would be needed?" Ally asked. "Why didn't she give me an extra one or give you an extra one instead?"
Sheila previously ran thousands of different scenarios. None of them ever produced any answers.
"I don't know." Sheila said. "I don't think she may have even known at the time, even if she did somewhere in her programming."
Ally really wanted to have shared those eight years with Sheila herself.
"I'm very envious of Cammy." Ally said.
Sheila was sure there were a few other factors involved.
"Maybe you're just jealous." Sheila said.
Ally didn't want to go there.
"You wish." Ally said.
Sheila snapped right back at her.
"No, you wish." Sheila said.
Ally gave Sheila a kiss.
"That's my Sheila." Ally said.
Sheila looked at the underwear she held and tossed them back where Ally found them. She liked the way things were. She was who she was. They could either accept her, or deactivate her.
"Let's go get the food cart." Sheila said. "I have some rooms to make up and move Sarah and Kyle's things to Derek and Riley's spare room."
Ally held the door open and Sheila headed out towards the Owner's Suite.
Sheila wanted to make her own choices. She would do what she needed to do to fulfill her current desire. If it meant sharing her chassis with Cameron, it's what she would do. Life was about choices. She already made one. She needed to take the steps to move her existence forward.
Savannah and Samantha finished up for the fourth time.
"You look really tired." Samantha said.
Savannah was aware she wasn't even really up yet.
"I am." Savannah said. "My day hasn't even started."
Samantha hoped what happened so far was pleasant.
"I think it got off to a good start." Samantha said.
Savannah gave Samantha a kiss.
"Yes it did." Savannah said. "It was more about who it was with, as opposed to what was done."
Samantha appreciated the comment. It made her feel special.
"I feel the same way about you." Samantha said. "I need to go back and check on Precious."
The two girls got up and got dressed.
Samantha made the bed for Savannah.
"You don't need to do it." Savannah said.
Samantha felt responsible for it.
"I made you mess it up, so I fixed it." Samantha said.
Savannah saw it a little differently. She was appreciative.
"Thanks." Savannah said.
Samantha was very pleased with everything.
"The thanks belongs to you." Samantha said.
Savannah checked the time. She knew she needed to get started.
"Is Cammy with Precious?" Savannah asked.
Samantha hadn't seen her.
"I don't know." Samantha said. "Vanna, Allison, and Cam were."
Savannah wasn't sure where she was at.
"It's fine." Savannah said. "I'll find her."
Samantha looked around the room. She wondered if something needed to be done.
"Do you need her?" Samantha asked. "I can help too."
Savannah didn't want to make a big deal about it. She didn't think Cammy would go off without her. It was a concern in the back of her mind. If Cammy went off on her own, she would most likely act like Cameron.
"I'll manage." Savannah said.
They left Savannah's room and headed towards Riley's room.
It was clear two people were sharing in the nursery.
"I think we found Cammy." Savannah said.
They knocked and went into Riley's room.
Vanna held Precious.
Samantha looked around. She noticed someone was missing.
"Where's Cam?" Samantha asked.
"Cammy took over for her." Vanna said. "Cam went to the airport with Claire, Jesse, and the girls."
Vanna could see Samantha looked a little upset. She didn't want there to be any problems. She wanted to give Samantha something else to think about right now.
"Everything's fine. The girls asked for her to go with them." Vanna said. "Do you want to hold her?"
Samantha smiled and took Precious.
Savannah looked towards the nursery.
"Do you know when they're going to be done?" Savannah asked.
Vanna looked towards the nursery with envy.
"I think they've finished about ten times." Vanna said. "I wish I was in there on the receiving end of it."
Savannah thought she should make some productive use of her time.
"Maybe I'll get some breakfast." Savannah said. "Would you like me to bring you something?"
Vanna looked at Precious.
Samantha didn't think anything would be a problem.
"I can watch Precious until you get back." Samantha said.
Vanna was naked.
"Let me get dressed real quick." Vanna said.
Vanna went in search of her clothes.
There was a very loud finish in the nursery.
"Someone got their bell rung." Savannah said.
Samantha hadn't heard a finish quite so vocal before.
"It sounded wild." Samantha said. "They're going to disturb Precious."
Cammy opened the pass door from the nursery.
"Hi, Cammy." Savannah said.
Cammy took a moment to look at everyone.
"Hi." Cammy said.
Savannah tried to see if Allison was behind Cammy. It didn't look like it.
"I'm going to get some breakfast with Vanna." Savannah said. "Is Allison going to be able to come?"
Samantha looked towards the nursery.
"I believe she just did." Samantha said.
Savannah tried not to laugh. She did a little anyway.
"I meant, come, as in go, to the commissary for breakfast." Savannah said.
Allison was tired. When she heard them discuss her, she wanted to let them know she was good to go, well, almost.
"If someone brings me my clothes I can go." Allison said from the nursery. "I need to rest for a few minutes."
Cammy could do something else while the girls ate.
"I'll change the sheets." Cammy said as she looked back towards the nursery.
Allison cleaned herself up.
"It happens." Allison said. "Thanks."
Vanna walked out of Riley's bedroom dressed. She held Allison's clothes. She stopped to look at Precious.
Savannah reached over for Allison's clothes.
"I'll take them to her." Savannah said.
Savannah took the clothes into the nursery for Allison. She sat in the corner of the bed next to her. She reached over and gently brushed the hair out of Allison's face. They looked at each other for a moment and then kissed. It turned out to be a short kiss.
Cammy arrived with some clean sheets. She could have waited a little longer before she entered the room, but she didn't.
Allison dressed as Savannah and Cammy watched.
"Don't look at me." Allison said. "I look terrible in the morning."
Savannah looked at Cammy who looked perfect and at Allison who was going to need some work. It was a stark contrast. They looked the same, but totally different. It was like seeing a picture of a famous actress from her high school years, and comparing it to what she looked like now. They often didn't even look like the same individual.
"You look as beautiful dressing, as you do undressing." Savannah said. "Cammy, get dressed. We already know you always look perfect. You don't need to show off."
Cammy didn't try to look better.
"This is my natural state." Cammy said. "This is how I always look."
They both finished dressing. Vanna came into the room and they headed for the commissary.
"Is Samantha coming?" Allison asked.
Vanna looked back towards Riley's bedroom.
"She was going to wait here with Precious." Vanna said.
Cammy wanted to give the girls an opportunity to be alone. I would also give her the opportunity to be alone with Samantha.
"I can stay with her." Cammy said.
Savannah would rather have all of them as a group.
"Have her bring the stroller and you can both come to the commissary." Savannah said. "We can all be together. It's what I would like anyway."
John and Cameron watched the sunrise together.
John wondered if Cameron could see the beauty in it like he did.
Once the sun was above the horizon, Cameron got up and checked the food cart.
"There's bacon and sausage here too." Cameron said.
Both of those sounded good to John.
"I'll take some please." John said.
Cameron looked at the two choices.
"Which one?" Cameron asked.
The answer was easy for John.
"All of them." John said. "I'm on vacation. It's time to splurge. If they're there, I might as well give them all a try."
Cameron instantly thought about the females available to John on the cruise. She hoped to remind him of his words later on and a more appropriate time when it came to them. There was no reason he couldn't give them all a try.
She focused on the here and now. She wanted John to have his morning coffee. He still hadn't been able to take more than a sip or two before.
"Do you want to try the coffee again?" Cameron asked. "I'll pour a fresh cup for you."
John could use a little jolt. He felt tired and sleepy.
"Thanks, it would be great." John said.
Cameron gave John four strips of bacon and two sausage links along with his fresh cup of coffee.
"Thank you." John said.
Cameron sat down next to John.
John noticed the ship changed course after the sunrise was complete.
"The ship's turning." John said.
He tried his coffee again.
Cameron was aware of the course alteration.
"It's going back on course." Cameron said. "I asked CamNet to give us the sunrise with a broadside view for our suite. I doubt the captain is up this early. His First Officer was probably a little mystified."
John coughed and sputtered in his coffee.
Cameron took the cup away from him.
"This coffee must be bad." Cameron said.
She tried a sip again. She didn't detect anything different.
John wanted to provide her with an explanation.
"It's fine." John said. "The fact you changed the ship's course was what surprised me."
Cameron didn't think it was a big deal.
"I wanted you to have the best sunrise." Cameron said. "It was something Kyle specifically wanted to see. Derek, Riley, and your mother did as well.
John reached over and touched Cameron's cheek.
"Having you here with me makes any sunrise the best sunrise." John said.
Cameron smiled. She liked his answer.
"It sounds like someone's trying to get lucky." Cameron said.
John gave her a quick kiss.
"I am lucky." John said. "I'm here with you."
Cameron planned to reward John for such sweet talk. It actually made her feel good about herself. It was something she seldom felt. She was usually with Savannah when she did. Savannah always made her feel good about herself.
John finished his food. Cameron picked up the plates.
Cameron got up and pushed the food cart towards the door. She heard a squeaky noise and saw John pushed the coffee and juice cart behind her. She would need to have Jim or Bob make sure all of the wheels were properly oiled on the carts for tomorrow morning. It was doubtful they would have the same carts.
There was a knock at the door and it opened.
"I'd say we have perfect timing." Ally said.
Ally and Sheila entered and took the two carts away. John and Sheila exchanged a few quick glances.
Cameron noticed. She was at a loss as to what to do now. She wasn't going to use Sheila's chassis as she intended. She was actually troubled because of the way she made Young Allison feel about the whole thing. It bothered her more than her intended actions did. The image of Sheila almost falling overboard didn't help any either. It would have been her fault in the end. She could only imagine how upset John, Young Allison, and especially Savannah, would feel about her.
"Are we going back to bed or to the buffet now?" John asked.
Cameron looked at Sheila and then smiled at John.
"Both." Cameron said.
She made a decision which needed to be made. It was time.
"Sheila, come here please." Cameron called out.
Sheila returned. She was ready for what she knew was - coming. It would be her choice this time.
Cameron looked at Sheila and John.
"You're going to have a buffet in bed." Cameron said as she looked at Sheila. "It has to be your choice and what you really want. I want to hear you say it in front of John."
A rush of excitement flooded Sheila. She knew she was about to lose her virginity.
"I'm in." Sheila said. "It's what I want too. I want you to make love to John in my chassis."
John was a little speechless right now. He might be short on words, but there were other parts of his body which weren't short at all.
Cameron looked both directions as closed the suite door and threw the dead bolt.
It was time for a chassis upgrade.
Hank and Larry would deal with the Fanatics when they showed up. They didn't know how the encounter would play out. They didn't know if the Fanatics would try to set the bomb off when they arrived.
From the drone footage they could watch the van approach the building.
Larry noticed the van slow down.
"They may stop before they get here." Larry said.
Hank wasn't sure either.
"They've only been gone for six minutes." Hank said. "Their return trip was a little quicker until now."
Larry thought they wanted to use a little caution.
"I think they're checking to see if they can spot any vehicles." Larry said.
The drone image showed the van approach at idle speed. It stopped at the driveway. The driveway ran along the other side of the building from where they arrived at. The van slowly made the turn.
Larry and Frank heard the roll up door start to open. They already concealed themselves on each side of the building.
The van suddenly sped up and raced to the rear area. It stopped with a screech of tires in front of the open roll up door. Two men exited the van. One got out on the passenger side, the other one came out of the side door. The driver remained behind the wheel.
The two men entered the building just as the roll up door finished opening. The van began to maneuver so it was facing in the direction to leave.
"You take the left side." The first man said.
"I don't see anything." The second man said.
"Shut up and keep looking." The first man said. "It's what you don't see which will get you."
The two men started a quick search of the building.
Hank and Larry knew it was only a matter of time until they reached the control box for the alarm or checked on the bomb itself. They decided to take them down before they made it as far.
Larry was closest to the second man. He was almost to his position. He looked over in the direction where Hank was. The first man was still a ways off from his position.
The second man passed by Larry. He saw the second man carried some type of electrical device in his left hand, and a pistol in his right hand. He wasn't sure what the electrical device was. It could be the detonator for the bomb, or the device to activate the alarm or the roll up door. He silently communicated what he spotted to Hank.
Hank received the information about the unknown electrical device. So far they hadn't seen any future technology from the Fanatics. He would try to take down the first man with his Taser. He was going to need to get a little closer to him. He told Larry to make his move.
Larry took aim with a silenced M9. He fired three shots into the second man. The first two bullets hit him at the base of the skull and severed his spine. The third bullet impacted squarely into the back of his head. He knew even as the man received the head shot, he was a quadriplegic. He wouldn't be able to push any buttons on the device he held. His body fell to the ground like a rag doll and made a dull 'thud'.
The first man looked in the direction of where the second man was. He didn't see him anymore. He heard something behind him and started to turn. He was too slow.
Hank made his move on the first man as soon as Larry fired a silenced round. He was within Taser range within a second. The second man's body just hit the ground when he fired the Taser. The first man's body hit the ground a second and a half later.
Larry moved back to check by the roll up door for the third individual. He could still hear the van running as he approached. He was a little surprised to see a female sitting in the driver's seat. He figured it was the individual the two men referred to as 'Chris'. Chris was probably short for Christine. If these were actually Fanatics, which by all indications they were, it was the first female Fanatic they encountered.
He also needed to consider the possibility it was a Terminator. As to what type of Terminator it could be, he didn't have a clue.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
You Can Hold It
When feelings build up
What should you do
If you guess wrong
You might be through
Maybe the feelings aren't real
They could be guided by lust
If you act too soon
You will destroy all trust
If nothing is said
Will things remain the same
What if they look elsewhere
Or is it part of the game
You might want more
Maybe they do not
If you roll the dice wrong
You may lose what you've got
Maybe their feelings
They won't want to admit
You'd better not blow it
You can hold it
Nobody