Chapter 1214
I See It
The Metal girls were worried about Sheila. They needed to resign themselves to the fact it was going to happen. It most likely already did. They were all aware it wouldn't take long. What was done was done.
They knew once Cameron took control of Sheila's chassis, or theirs as far as it went, at that point any chassis was now 'Cameron'. Cameron, like them, was her program. The chassis or sheath didn't matter, they were interchangeable. It also meant they were replaceable. Their chip could be put into any chassis. It didn't matter if it was male or female. It could even be put into a metal box without a chassis.
There were times when the Metal girls switched chassis previously. All of them switched chips before or tethered and did the same thing with each other. It was like when John Henry's chassis, or Cameron's chassis, was connected to the server before, when they didn't have chips.
Ally remembered when she was in Sheila's chassis how exciting it was for her. Everything and every detail of Sheila's sheath was different from hers. She thought sex with the girls, both cyborg and human, was better in Sheila's chassis and sheath. She figured Sheila thought the same thing. It was the only reason Sheila traded back for her original chassis. Before Sheila traded back her chassis, she modified her sheath. It caused her a lot of concern and worry. She didn't care if people paid good money to have the same procedure done. She was glad when everything regenerated. She didn't think it was going to happen at first. She found out later when Sheila swapped chassis with Cammy, she did the same thing.
Jim felt it was pointless for the Metal girls to worry about it. Things were already set in motion and there was no turning back. Life moved forwards not backwards. They needed to get on with their lives. They also needed to get on with their jobs.
"I'm going back to the Control Center." Jim said. "You four need to pick up the slack for Sheila. I don't think we are going to see her for a few hours."
He figured they wouldn't see Sheila's chassis for a few hours anyway.
Holly wanted a smooth transition. She didn't want any additional difficulties for Sheila when she returned.
"I'll do it." Holly said.
Gail wanted to do her part.
"We all will." Gail said. "Ally and Hanna may need to console Sheila when her chassis is returned to her."
Ally wasn't convinced Sheila was at one hundred percent when she made her decision. She believed Sheila still suffered from the initial repercussions of the traumatic event she went through. Sometimes when someone looked like they were recovered, they often weren't. She believed the same thing applied to cyborgs experiencing a problem of some type.
"I still think there's something wrong with her." Ally said. "We all know Cameron has control of Sheila's chassis. It doesn't matter what we were told or led to believe."
Holly was intrigued with the idea. It seemed like a few steps could be skipped. She wanted to try it now since Sheila did. It was an opportunity to learn more. Cameron could even do it for her. It seemed like it would be less stressful or traumatic. She could always delete the file if she found it unpleasant. Technically, it wouldn't have been her who actually did it, even if her chassis was used by Cameron.
"I'll do it if Cameron asks me." Holly said. "I want to experience the same things Allison has experienced. I want to understand her better."
Ally shared the 'Neural Interface' with Allison. She didn't think there was anything positive about her physical interactions with a male. Then again, Allison showed a soft spot for John. It was different from how she viewed Derek and Kyle. Those were three males she respected and cared for in different ways. She did know Allison loved John ever since they were in the future together. She was also aware Allison tried to be with John on multiple occasions in the future, and the present. As far as the actual interactions with other males went, they were all negative. Even the attempts at breeding sex left her with a foul taste in her mouth. Well, so to speak anyway.
"I don't think they were all good things." Ally said. "I know."
Ally didn't mention Allison's feelings for John. Since she thought about them, she realized she possessed a desire for him as well. She quickly pushed the thoughts from her mind. She didn't want to think about them right now. She didn't want to get caught up in the web Sheila was stuck in. She also knew if John asked to be with her, she couldn't say 'no'. She didn't think she would say 'no' anyway. Allison's feelings for John were very strong because of the 'neural interface'.
Gail felt the need to get to work and assist with Sheila's duties.
"We should get started." Gail said.
Ally looked around and indicated the three suites. No one left their rooms yet. There were no indications anyone would be leaving soon either.
"How can we do it right now?" Ally asked. "Everyone is still in their suites. They're all doing the 'hanky-panky'."
It didn't matter to Gail. They would change the sheets as part of the room policy. She was aware when a human male was involved, the interaction didn't last long. It was one of the things Jesse pointed out to her previously. It was one of the things she wanted to experience first hand.
"We'll put fresh linen down anyway when they're done." Gail said. "They'll all finish soon."
Hanna indicated the food carts outside the private area.
"We can take the food carts back." Hanna said.
Ally didn't feel like doing someone else's job on the ship. They needed to go down and get them to hurry things along anyway. Since things weren't ready when they arrived, it was unknown how long the delay would have been if it was left to the regular personnel. She didn't feel like doing them any favors.
It was one of the things she found irritating about humans in general. They would set a specific time for something and then fall behind schedule in many instances. If the individual was rushed for time to start the day out with, why couldn't they simply get up fifteen or twenty minutes earlier? It would avoid all the unnecessary rushing. Why should anyone need to spell it out for them? Where was the logic? Where was the common sense? The thought of slow people irritated her.
"They can come and get them." Ally said. "They get paid to do it. They need to learn to do their jobs properly, efficiently, and on time."
Holly didn't see what it could hurt. There was no need to stand there and do nothing and worry about Sheila. If they did other things, it should take their mind off of the current stressful situation.
"We have some time to kill." Holly said. "We can do it."
Ally figured if she needed to do it, Jim should assist them as well.
"Hey, Jim, come out and help us." Ally said.
Jim came back out of the Control Center.
"Bob is on his way here." Jim said.
It was fine with Ally. They were one person short. She didn't want to be the one who got stuck pushing one cart and pulling another. She certainly wasn't about to make two trips for the incompetent staff. It was time to put Bob to work.
"Good, he can help us too." Ally said. "There are six carts and only five of us with Sheila being 'ravaged'."
Hanna was a little curious as to why Bob was headed there.
"I wonder if someone called him." Hanna asked.
Ally didn't really care.
"What difference, at this point, does it make?" Ally asked.
Jim walked over and opened the door from the private area to the hallway. Bob walked into the private area. He looked concerned.
"What's happening here?" Bob asked.
Holly gave him a quick rundown of events as they understood them.
It sounded like bad news to Bob.
"This isn't going to end well." Bob said.
Ally wondered when it ever did end well.
"Does it ever?" Ally asked.
Bob didn't see why not. If there was a plan, it could be followed and executed. He didn't think minor variables along the way should change the overall outcome. Everyone needed to 'adapt, improvise, and overcome'.
"It should." Bob said.
Ally saw it as just the way it was.
"In the end, there is no happy ending to a 'happy ending'." Ally said. "Logic and rationality aren't part of any relationship. If they were, there would be no relationships. People would be smarter and avoid them."
Ally learned the hard way about feelings. The more one cared about someone, the more things could hurt one inside in regards to the individual. Nobody cared about people they didn't know, or strangers. It was only the ones closest to them which seemed to cause the most amount of trauma. The only ones who could truly hurt them, were the ones they loved and cared about.
Bob looked at the four girls standing in a row with their maid's outfits on. He found it quite appealing. He passed by and interacted with numerous female crew members since he was on the ship. He couldn't say any of them were as beautiful and appealing as the Resistance team was.
"I must say you all look quite impressive dressed like you do." Bob said. "It is worth admiring."
Ally remembered a line Sheila used once.
"Take a picture, it will last longer." Ally said.
It gave Bob an idea. He took out his phone. He already saved an image to his video files. He wanted one everyone could see.
"I will take a picture." Bob said. "It is a unique occasion."
Ally frowned. She didn't think now was the time for celebrating anything.
"Don't expect me to smile." Ally said.
Bob wanted to put things in perspective for Ally and the rest of them. He wanted to send it to the girls back at the base.
"It's for Savannah and Young Allison since they won't see you." Bob said. "You all looked very pretty. I think they will find it quite pleasant to view."
Ally liked the idea. She needed to think about the overall picture at times. She needed to remember Savannah and Young Allison wanted the trip to be about John and Cameron. She didn't want to cause any grief on their end because of Cameron's greed and uncontrolled lust.
"In that case, I'll smile." Ally said. "The girls deserve our best. I sincerely hope neither one of them will see us dressed like this on the ship either. If they do, it will be bad news for them. Cameron already has enough to steal."
Bob took the photo and sent it.
Ally wanted to have the photo represent something else.
"It will be a reminder to the girls where Sheila was at." Ally said.
Gail didn't like the comment. She saw it as part of their natural evolution and better infiltration training if it were necessary. Having files on what to do, wasn't the same as doing it. They all knew in their base programming if they needed to do an infiltration mission, it may require relations with a male or female or both.
"Let it go." Gail said. "What's done is done."
Gail actually saw it as a form of evolution for everyone. Everything on the planet was in a constant state of flux and changing every day. Sometimes it took thousands of years, or even millions, for a significant change to be noticed. Nonetheless, change and evolution occurred continuously.
Ally seemed a little combative.
"I still don't like it." Ally said.
Holly wanted to point out the obvious. There were ways what was happening could have been prevented or stopped if it was an issue in the future. There was more than one way events could have been changed or altered. None of them appear to be used.
"You don't see an energy bubble to stop anything do you?" Holly asked. "There's no one else here. The 'abandoned ship' alarm isn't sounding. Nothing is happening to prevent anything. There weren't any 'orders' given or issued to anyone."
The Metal girls all looked at each other. There was nothing done to stop any of it. They did know the call from Young Allison made Cameron back off her original approach. It seemed she still found some way to circumvent it anyway.
"They both make a good point." Hanna said.
Ally didn't like the lack of support.
"Oh, brother, everyone's a turncoat." Ally said.
The conversation was going nowhere for Jim. His assignment was as part of the ship's crew. He didn't think personal matters should be discussed.
"Let's return the carts and come back for the servicing of the rooms." Jim said. "It's our job to make sure the cruise is nice for our guests."
Ally thought the cruise would be extra 'nice' for some of the guests anyway, especially John and Cameron.
The six Terminators left with the food carts in the hall.
Savannah did her dishes after she finished her breakfast. She took one look around the commissary. Everything looked in order. She went to the Command Center to find Cammy.
Cammy was gone.
Savannah went to a monitor. She spoke to John Henry's server.
"JH, show me where Cammy is at." Savannah said.
'She is headed for the carpool.' JH typed on the screen.
Another monitor allowed them to view the security camera footage.
Savannah left the Command Center and headed towards the carpool at a run. She needed to get there before Cammy drove away.
She didn't know what Cammy was up to at this point. She wondered if something changed while she ate her breakfast. She knew she should have made Cammy come with her. No. She should have skipped breakfast and remained with Cammy. She needed to remember Cammy was no different than Cameron in her absence. She wanted to make sure she didn't become too reckless.
Savannah received a message on her phone. It was from Bob.
It showed Holly, Hanna, Gail, and Ally standing in a row all dressed in identical maid's outfits. She felt a rush of excitement.
'They look totally HOT.' Savannah thought.
Savannah forwarded it to Allison as she ran.
She entered the carpool.
Cammy was in an SUV.
Savannah ran up to the door.
"Where are you going, Cammy?" Savannah asked.
Cammy answered curtly.
"I'm going out." Cammy said.
Savannah wanted to go with her. She still needed to get her gear.
"Wait for me." Savannah said. "I don't have any of my gear."
It looked like Cammy was about to drive away.
Savannah quickly got into the SUV before she did.
"You won't need it." Cammy said.
Savannah didn't like the way Cammy was behaving.
"Cammy, stop this." Savannah said.
Cammy looked over at her. She didn't want to take out her frustration on Savannah. She wanted to say something. She didn't.
Savannah didn't want things to get blown out of proportion.
"I know you're upset. I am too." Savannah said.
Cammy didn't want to hurt Savannah. She felt bad about her behavior.
"I'm sorry, Savannah." Cammy said.
Savannah touched Cammy's cheek. She wanted to reach out to her. She knew Cammy experienced a lot of mixed emotions recently. She wanted to know what Cammy wanted to do.
"Do we need to back up the two teams at the old newspaper plant?" Savannah asked. "Is there really a solid contact?"
Cammy was still upset.
"I don't know." Cammy said.
Savannah looked firmly at Cammy. It was time to put her foot down.
"I need you to get it together." Savannah said. "Please fill me in."
Cammy could only repeat what she knew. Something was at the old newspaper plant.
"Some type of contact was detected." Cammy said. "It's a solid lead."
Savannah looked at Cammy and put her com in. Cammy was unstable at this point. She would need to deal with it on her own. She went straight to CamNet.
"CamNet, I need a full report on what is happening, everywhere. Don't leave anything out. I want every known or suspected detail." Savannah said. "Start with the teams in contact…."
Savannah didn't want to leave Cammy alone if she went to collect her personal gear. She climbed over the seat to check what was in the back of the SUV. She pulled out two vests and an assortment of weapons.
Cammy could see her actions caused Savannah a lot of concern. She was going to say something but decided against it.
Savannah listened as CamNet continued her update. Some things were quite eye opening.
The group headed for Ensenada in a jet. It left Van Nuys Airport not too long ago. The weather was relatively clear, even as they climbed to altitude.
John Henry and Cam pointed out places of interest along the way. It was a short flight. It was less than an hour.
Claire could feel the nose of the plane dip. She figured it meant they were getting close.
"Are we descending already?" Claire asked.
Cam didn't think there was anything to worry about.
"Yes." Cam said.
Jesse was a little surprised as well. It was nothing like the flight to Australia. They didn't seem to remain in level flight for very long. It must be a short flight.
"It seems like we just finished climbing." Jesse said.
John Henry knew their level flight time at altitude was very limited.
"We did." John Henry said. "Even if we drove there, it would have only taken approximately four hours."
Jan looked around and out a window. She was glad they didn't drive. The flight already seemed long enough to her.
"Are we there yet?" Jan asked.
Summer touched Jan's arm to silence her.
Jan understood Summer's gesture.
John Henry wanted them to know what they would see momentarily.
"We'll pass over the ship in four minutes." John Henry said. "It'll be on our port side."
Jan wondered what side 'port' was. She only knew left and right, up and down, or front and back.
"Which side is it?" Jan asked.
Summer gave Jan an explanation.
"It is the left side of the aircraft." Summer said. "Remember 'port' and 'left' both have four letters."
It still didn't make sense to Jan.
"Why can't they call it the left side?" Jan asked. "Then everyone would know what side it was."
John Henry and Cam both tilted their heads slightly at her suggestion.
Summer tried to give Jan some of the history of the terms.
"Port used to be called 'larboard'." Summer said. "I learned it in a book titled, 'Two Years Before The Mast' by Richard Henry Dana Jr. The right side was always called 'starboard' and still is."
Summer was aware they passed by Dana Point earlier in the flight. It was named after the author of the book and his actions there on his voyage.
Jan thought it was all interesting but it still didn't explain why they just didn't call things left and right like everyone already knew. She decided to drop it for now. She might ask Summer about it later on when they were alone.
Claire remembered Summer reading a few thick books.
"I saw you with the book once. It was thick." Claire said. "It would have taken me a month to read."
Summer didn't think it was a big deal. It didn't take her long to read a book and retained most of the information. It was just something she was able to do. She actually read the book between her other studies and training.
"I read it in three days in my spare time." Summer said. "It was very educational, even if somewhat 'racist' by modern standards. It was published in 1840. Some of the attitudes are representative of the time period. They need to be taken in context for historical perspective. I don't care for it when individuals attempt to rewrite history. I like to go to the source and view things for myself. It doesn't matter if they were written several years ago, several centuries ago, or several thousand years ago. There are a lot of things people don't like, or attempt to hide, or even pretend like they never happened when they did. The only individuals they fool are the ignorant and themselves. They're actually one in the same."
Claire was a little surprised at her daughter's statement. She wasn't really sure if she should comment on it or not. She did know there were certain events in history she learned in school which more modern teaching tended to spin differently.
"People should be taught what actually occurred." Claire said. "They need to point out how things were at the time when they happened."
Summer thought it also showed how much modern thinking evolved from what it was less than two hundred years ago.
Jesse looked at her phone. She was a little surprised at the image she received.
"Did everyone get this Hot photo?" Jesse asked. "Check it out."
They all checked.
"I have it." Cam said.
Claire instantly liked the look of the outfits.
"I do too." Claire said. "The girls do look Hot."
Jesse noticed someone was missing.
"Where's Sheila?" Jesse asked.
Cam and John Henry looked at each other. They were aware of the details. They glanced at Jan and Summer as they looked out the port windows. It didn't seem like the right time to get into them.
Jesse and Claire noticed. They weren't sure what the situation was.
John Henry wanted to give them a plausible explanation.
"She was probably in one of the rooms." John Henry said.
Jan looked at the image on Jesse's phone.
"Maybe she's the one who took the photo." Jan said.
Jesse joked around.
"I hope she wasn't chasing down Derek and Riley." Jesse said.
John Henry didn't want to elaborate.
"I don't think it was the case." John Henry said.
Summer remained silent through the various exchanges. She developed a pretty good idea of what was going on without being told specifically. She remained looking out her window. She spotted the cruise ship.
"I see it." Summer said.
Jan looked. She didn't see anything but water and land in the distance.
"Where is it?" Jan asked.
Summer pointed.
"Down there. Up ahead." Summer said.
Jan still didn't see anything.
"I don't see it." Jan said.
Jesse and Claire moved to look over and see.
"I don't see it either." Jesse said.
Summer pointed again where the ship was at.
"It's right over there." Summer said.
Cam moved over to the window to look.
"I see it." Cam said.
Claire finally spotted something in the far distance a short time later.
"Is it the tiny white dot?" Claire asked.
Summer was glad she spotted it.
"Yes it is." Summer said.
Claire could hardly see it when she looked.
"I just barely saw it now. You spotted it almost thirty seconds ago." Claire said.
Jesse was still looking for it. She finally spotted it.
"I just saw it now." Jesse said.
Jan started to get frustrated. How come everyone else could see it but her?
"I still don't see it." Jan said. "Now I do."
John Henry was surprised Summer spotted the ship so far off. He looked at the same time Cam looked and spotted it then. It seemed Summer was full of surprises. Some of them he would rather not get into.
"You have excellent eyesight, Summer." John Henry said. "I'm impressed."
Cam was as well.
"If he's impressed, we all should be too." Cam said.
The jet continued its descent. They passed over the ship along the side of it at ten thousand feet.
Jan was excited to get a good look at the ship.
"Even though it looks small, I can tell it's big." Jan said.
John Henry knew she was going to get a much better look at it very soon.
"We'll be back around and pass alongside the ship at one thousand feet in a few minutes." John Henry said.
Jan didn't like being far away.
"Will we be able to see them?" Jan asked.
John Henry wasn't sure what their schedule was. They could be working. He let them know what the ETA would be for their lower pass.
"I've notified them of our arrival." John Henry said. "I'm unsure of their exact duties."
Claire hoped to see Hanna and the other girls in their maid's outfit later on. She wondered if there was any way to spot them when the plane flew by at a lower altitude.
"Can we see them?" Claire asked. "Where will we need to look for them?"
John Henry was given an update. It was positive news.
"The girls will be on the balcony of the Control Center." John Henry said.
Jan didn't know where anything was at on the ship.
"Where's it at?" Jan asked. "It sounds like the place where the captain drives the boat from."
Summer wanted to remind Jan of a few things.
"Because of its size, it's considered a ship, not a boat." Summer said. "The captain is on the bridge which is normally in the front of the ship. The Control Center will be something which was set up by the Resistance team to keep track of everything."
John Henry gave them a simplified explanation.
"The Control Center is set up in the spare bedroom of the Owner's Suite. It's something our team set up for themselves. It will be located right between the other suites where the group is staying."
John Henry gave a brief description on where to look. He gave them a couple of reference points to look at on the ship.
The jet circled as a descended and came in much lower.
Jan hoped she could spot them. She didn't know when they would see the ship again.
"Are we almost there?" Jan asked. "I want to see them."
John Henry wanted her to be patient. All of the maneuvers needed to be done in a controlled fashion.
"We'll see them shortly." John Henry said. "We need to follow the current flight plan.
Jan was ready to see them now. She already forgot the name of the location they were going to land at. She remembered it was something like 'enchilada', but it was different. She was sure if she said what she thought it would be viewed in a negative fashion, especially by the residents of the community.
"How soon will it be until we get to the place after we pass by the boat, I mean ship?" Jan asked.
Cam was anxious to see them as well.
"We'll land soon afterwards." Cam said. "Everything is prearranged and we are on a schedule."
Summer wanted Jan to remember the name of the city.
"The name of the place where we're going to land is Ensenada." Summer said. "It's a port city in Mexico."
Jan wanted to be on the ship already. She wondered why they couldn't have gone yesterday like the others did. She didn't ask. She thought they should call Ensenada something different as well so it would be easier to remember. She didn't mention it either. She tried to remember whatever the other names were for left and right. She decided to stick with what she knew. At least everyone else would know what it was as well.
Derek and Riley finished up. They took a quick shower together and got dressed.
Riley felt her lady parts were really getting a workout. It wasn't the simple 'in and out' she regulated Derek to during her pregnancy. They were full blown lovemaking sessions. She was really getting a lot of sensation and feeling. It was nice to get a reminder how good some things could feel.
Jim informed them the jet with the others would fly by in a few minutes.
Riley thought airplanes were usually high in the sky.
"Will they be able to see us?" Riley asked. "I think we should be able to hear the plane, if not see it."
Derek knew the people in the plane couldn't miss the ship.
"They'll see the ship. I don't know if they can see us as individuals. We'd be hard to pick out." Derek said. "We can go out and look."
Riley wanted to try to see them. She didn't think it would hurt to wave.
"I want to see the plane." Riley said.
Riley went to walk out on the balcony.
Derek stopped her. There was a serious look on his face. He looked directly into her eyes. He wanted her to know how he felt.
"I want you to know I'm having a really special time with you, Riley." Derek said.
Riley was pleased to hear him say it. She felt bad about being 'out of it' for so long.
"I am too." Riley said. "I know sometimes we drift with everything which occurs and now with Precious…."
Derek was very pleased with the way things turned out.
"It's all good and we'll make it all work." Derek said.
They moved out onto the balcony.
Derek leaned out and saw the four Metal girls in their maid's outfits on the balcony of the Control Center. He thought it looked Hot to see four of them at once. He looked for the others. He didn't see them.
John and Cameron weren't out and neither were Sarah and Kyle.
"Sarah and Kyle aren't out." Derek said.
Riley thought they would have been contacted too.
"Jim should have sent them a message." Riley said.
Derek could think of a few other things which might distract them.
"They could be out already or busy…." Derek said.
Riley giggled a little bit. She still hoped they made it.
"I hope they don't miss it." Riley said.
Derek saw there was a phone on the desk by the balcony door.
"There's a phone here. We can call their suite." Derek said.
Riley was afraid they were busy now based on what Derek said earlier. She didn't want to mess up anybody's finish.
"I'll let you do it." Riley said.
Derek thought they should see the plane their daughter was on. He knew he would feel excited if Precious was on the plane.
"I will." Derek said. "I think it matters."
Derek used the room phone to call their suite.
Sarah was about to finish.
Kyle was too.
Sarah was on top of him.
They both felt each other's intensity and finished together.
Sarah still tried to get pregnant if she could. She paused for a moment before she rolled over and lay next to Kyle. She knew she wasn't getting any younger.
"I'm beat." Sarah said. "I haven't experienced a workout like this in a long time."
Kyle was pretty sure Sarah hadn't been on top as much as she was recently.
The phone in the room rang.
Sarah and Kyle looked at each other. They were more than a little surprised.
"Where's it at?" Sarah asked.
The ring sounded closer, but the only phone Kyle remembered was by the balcony door in the main part of the suite.
"I think I saw a phone on the desk by the balcony door." Kyle said. "Let me get up."
Sarah leaned over Kyle and moved a pillow off a phone by the bed. There were six pillows on the bed. She moved two of them off earlier.
"There's one right there." Sarah said. "Answer it."
Kyle picked it up.
"Hello." Kyle said.
Pause.
"Right now?" Kyle asked.
Pause.
"Thanks, we're headed out there now." Kyle said.
Pause.
"No." Kyle said. "We were just getting dressed."
Pause.
"It's a suckers bet." Kyle said. "Thanks again."
Kyle hung up the phone.
Sarah was already up.
"Jan will fly by the ship in less than a minute." Kyle said. "We should be able to see the plane. It's a small jet. It's going to be on our side of the ship. It will be fairly low on its approach to its landing at the airport in Ensenada."
Sarah looked at their naked bodies.
"We don't have time to get dressed." Sarah said.
She reached in the closet and took out two robes.
"This will have to do." Kyle said. "Come on."
They threw their robes on as they headed for the balcony door.
Sarah pulled a couple of tissues from the box as she passed it.
Kyle tried to act like he didn't notice.
They both exited onto the balcony. They leaned out and saw the Metal girls and Jim on one balcony and Derek and Riley on another balcony.
Jim pointed up.
They both looked in the direction and soon saw the jet as it approached. It was rather low in altitude.
"Here they come." Kyle said.
Sarah looked lovingly at Kyle. The terminology was something she could relate to.
"So did we…." Sarah said.
Jim and the four Metal girls looked over at them with her statement. They all quickly looked back in the direction of the plane.
A short time ago:
Vanna's group was almost to the lab.
Allison checked her phone. She just received an image from Savannah.
"That's totally Hot." Allison said.
She showed the photo to Vanna.
"I'll say." Vanna said.
Samantha followed with the stroller and Precious.
Allison waited and showed Samantha the photo too.
"Maybe I'll ask Holly to bring her outfit home." Allison said.
Samantha quickly took in the dimensions and proportions of the Metal girls.
"I can make one." Samantha said. "It won't take long."
Allison was surprised. She also was willing to bet a couple of other people would soon be wearing the same outfit once they got on the ship.
"Really?" Allison asked. "I have a feeling my mom and Jesse will be wearing one of those soon."
Samantha liked the appearance and how everyone reacted to it.
"Based on the look, I'd have to say it's a good choice." Samantha said. "She quickly created an image of Claire wearing one. She knew it's what she would look like.
The group entered the lab.
A short time ago"
Young Allison and Anna updated on everything they could on the ride back. She opened a file sent her sent to her from the ship. She looked at the image for a moment. She concentrated on Ally.
"That's a really Hot photo." Young Allison said. "Those outfits seem to enhance their beauty."
She planned to look at a larger photo of Ally after she was back in her bunker. She knew it was what she would look like to others. She also planned to look at the one of Hanna in detail. She knew it's what Vanna, Savannah, and Anna by extension, would look like as well. Who is she fooling? She would look at Holly and Gail also.
Anna looked at the image and noticed someone was missing. She wondered if Young Allison would comment on Sheila not being in the photo. Nothing was said.
Young Allison received the photo again from Savannah a short time later. She was actually very pleased Savannah included her. There were a few other things she was ready to have Savannah include her in as well.
The SUV arrived back at the Young residence.
"You don't seem very happy." Anna said as they entered the house.
Young Allison thought the photo said it all. She knew where Sheila was at.
"I'm not." Young Allison said.
Anna wanted Young Allison to refocus. Some things mattered more than others.
"We're back to assist with the operation developing at the old newspaper plant." Anna said. "Get your priorities in order. It is now more than a 'test' of you and your abilities when our troops are in danger."
Young Allison wanted to get back to work. She knew the operation came first.
"It's not the only problem." Young Allison said. "I know John Henry is away right now. Some fresh eyes will help those on the ground."
Anna plugged in.
Young Allison sat down and looked at what CamNet provided her with on her monitors.
Anna noted the positive hit.
"They have contact." Anna said.
Young Allison wondered what the contact was since the building was still secured from the outside.
"Warn them to watch out for Liquid Metal." Young Allison said. "The building was secure before the first hit showed up and they reported everything was still secure when they arrived and entered. Someone or something was able to get in there somehow which wasn't their previously. If it was, it hadn't tripped any of the motion detectors before. They need to make sure they're not there now because someone wanted them to be there now for an ambush or some other nefarious activity."
CamNet confirmed they were ready to respond.
"They have acid rounds and Thermite grenades ready." Anna said.
Anna looked at Young Allison.
New information popped up for Young Allison. It wasn't what she wanted to see but it was what she expected.
"Great, Savannah and Cammy are headed there." Young Allison said.
Anna knew they would go there as soon as the contact was reported.
"You know they will assist where they are needed." Anna said. "It's one reason why we're back here now instead of out on the street."
Young Allison watched the body cam footage.
"I don't see anything on the body cams of the teams inside the building." Young Allison said.
Anna wondered about it too.
"They haven't found the target yet." Anna said.
Young Allison issued another warning.
"They need to make sure the target doesn't find them first." Young Allison said. "They should also consider there may be multiple targets since the threat is unknown."
Anna quickly sent out the reminder to check for multiple targets. They could find one target and become inattentive while the second one, or more, made their play.
It seemed like another battle brewing with the unknown.
Hank and Larry were in a loose pursuit of the van. A drone currently tracked it.
"The van has stopped one mile away from the hillside facility." Larry said.
They both realized the van wasn't going there, to go there. The van was there to do something else. Most likely it was going to be a retaliatory strike. Perhaps the hillside facility was Skynet related after all. Now a SkyMaster operative was about to pay them a visit.
She wasn't the only one.
"I would have thought they would have waited for night time." Hank said.
Larry wasn't sure what they witnessed was planned out ahead of time.
"This may be a retaliatory strike based upon what happened at the other location." Larry said.
Hank was going to point out it was a typical human reaction to events. He thought otherwise when he realized Cameron often did much the same thing. He was aware Sheila also conducted herself with very 'human like' reactions at times. He knew she was very brutal in some of the 'off the books' operations. He was involved in the 'clean up' more than a few times. He was more than a little surprised at some of the items he would find which were no longer attached to a human body.
They were a little concerned where the van ended up at. It went behind some trees near the side of the road. It was concealed almost instantly from the drone image.
"I don't think the location where she just parked the van was a coincidence." Hank said.
Larry agreed.
"Since she knew exactly where to go. I think it's a safe bet she's probably been there before." Larry said. "I don't think it was from information recently retrieved from the deceased Gray who was in the vehicle when we arrived at the building."
They were both aware the different groups of Gray's and the Fanatics seemed to infiltrate each other at times. The anti-Metal faction was also involved on occasion.
The drone which followed the van couldn't come down to do a thermal scan because it was daytime now. It needed to remain at a higher altitude to prevent being spotted.
"She may stay at the van, or she may try to move through the trees and approach the location from the back side and come down the hill." Hank said. "We may need to do things the old fashion way."
Larry knew they would need to play it cautious.
"I think we need to take a closer look on foot." Larry said.
Hank pulled their SUV off of the road and behind some trees approximately half a mile away from where the van was parked. They would need to remain within the trees for the remainder of their approach to the location. They were fully armored up and carried long guns.
They waited for an update from the drone to see if the female was on the move. So far nothing was detected. If she made her approach from the back side of the structure built into the side of the hill, it would be a two mile hike.
They decided they would approach her vehicle first. More than likely if she was going to attack the location on her own, she wasn't going to survive. If they encountered her in her vehicle they would terminate her there. They would then continue their approach to the structure built into the side of the hill between the other two buildings.
Hank and Larry silently moved through the trees. They watched for sensors and trip wires along the way. Not only did they look on the ground, they also looked among the trees. So far none were detected.
Larry was in front of Hank. Hank was off to the side and back a ways.
"I see the van." Larry said.
Hank moved up next to him. They spoke in a low decibel level that only another Terminator could hear.
"I don't see any movement." Hank said.
Larry used several different vision spectrums to scan the van.
"The strongest thermal imagery I have is from the engine." Larry said.
Hank wanted to try everything from a different angle.
"Let me move to a flanking position." Hank said.
Hank moved off to the side and went around to the front of the vehicle.
They could observe all four sides of the vehicle this way.
Hank did further scans. They all came back negative.
"The female Fanatic isn't in the van." Hank said.
They wanted to approach the van for a closer look. They wanted to know if there was anything inside. They thought they needed to determine where the female Fanatic was at. They didn't want her to return to the van when they were in the process of inspecting it.
The drone on wide recon picked up movement. It was in the direction the female Fanatic would need to go to reach the hillside structure. There wasn't any positive identification.
"We don't know if it's an animal or the Fanatic." Larry said. "I'm going to move in for a closer look in the area where the movement was spotted."
Larry should be between the unidentified contact and the van.
Hank decided to move up to the van and look inside.
"I'm at the van now." Hank said.
Larry wanted to remind him who they were dealing with.
"Remember, we're dealing with the Fanatics." Larry said. "The van may be booby trapped. If nothing else there is likely a bomb in it or underneath it.
Hank checked the ground as he approached for any trip wires.
"I'm using as much caution as I am stealth." Hank said.
The drone picked up additional movement in the direction Larry was headed. The contact was still unidentified.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
I See It
Nobody wants to be viewed
As a fake or hypocrite
They don't want to fall short
Or seem shallow and unfit
There's a difference
In what one will permit
It happens when both
Decide to commit
They hope the future will keep them
Firmly in each other's orbit
They want to be together
Not quit or split
The past always follows
Some things are best to omit
Things may have happened
That nobody wants to admit
It all works out
When two hearts are knit
Can you see it's a perfect fit
I know I see it
Nobody