Chapter 1224
Less And Less
John wanted to get a quick bite to eat before they got off the ship. He was in the buffet area with Cameron.
Cameron checked her phone and her com. She received updates from both Bob and Jim. She felt it was good news. She double checked the time things would start to happen.
"They'll begin to disembark in twelve minutes. We have priority status in all boarding or disembarkation procedures." Cameron said. "We can be the first ones off of the ship."
John wondered if it would be better to blend in with the crowd. The people getting off the ship should be low risk. It made him think about his earlier worry when they used the VIP entrance to get on the ship. He didn't want a bunch of passengers staring at them. He didn't want anyone on the dock to notice them.
"Maybe we don't want to be the first ones off and stand out." John said as he pushed his plate away. "I'm done here."
Cameron was pleased John was finished with his 'second breakfast'. Jim indicated to her what the status of the rest of their group was. She wanted to get things moving.
"We can go back and get our hats and sunglasses." Cameron said. "The others are about ready to head down to the gangplank. They don't want to be the first ones off either."
John wanted each group to have the independence to do what they wanted as long as there was a Terminator escort to accompany them. He was sure each couple could have more fun if they explored things on their own. It would be nice to be together as a group, but it wasn't necessary. He would leave it up to the others to decide what they wanted to do.
"They don't need to wait for us, as long as they have a Terminator with them." John said. "It won't take us long to get our things."
Cameron expected everything to be ready for them. She wasn't sure if They would be pressed for time or not. She made contingency plans. There were always contingency plans. There were contingency plans for contingency plans.
"Sheila should have everything laid out for us." Cameron said.
John thought Sheila already 'laid out' something for them. He previously asked, but he wanted to ask again to make sure. He was good with it one way or the other but he wanted to know.
"Was Sheila ever in control?" John asked.
Cameron smiled at John. She thought about giving him an ambiguous answer to make him wonder. She didn't want to cause him any distress or worry.
"It was always me, John." Cameron said. "I don't want to discuss it right now. We already talked about everything before we left our suite. Nothing's changed or is different."
John heard Sheila say she wanted to do the same thing, the same way, another time. It was something he hoped for. He wasn't really sure if he should bring it up, but it was important to him. He definitely wanted to try it again. He hoped it would be something which would happen for the rest of the cruise. It was a very thrilling experience for him. He wanted to make his desire known without seeming too greedy.
"Sheila said she wanted to try it 'again'…." John said.
John didn't think he missed anything. He wanted to ask if Sheila could be in control for at least a few minutes when they started out. He already claimed her chassis virginity. Now he wanted her virginity. He wanted to experience Sheila's reaction to everything he did. He didn't want to push it too far too fast.
Cameron liked the idea of a repeat performance. She found the experience very rewarding to herself. She could tell John enjoyed it himself. He was definitely more excited when she used Sheila's chassis than he was when she used her own chassis. It was something she specifically wanted to check for. It verified her suspicions. She didn't think it was the place to discuss any of it.
"I do too." Cameron said. "It's enough for this conversation for now."
John didn't want to wish things too far too fast, even if he did.
Cameron wanted to focus on their current objective. It was to retrieve their off the ship gear and take a look around the small town.
John and Cameron headed back toward their suite.
Cameron wanted to give John the choice of what method to use to go down to their deck.
"Would you like to use the elevator, or take the stairs?" Cameron asked.
John wasn't sure why Cameron didn't want to discuss it. It was what she desired. She always wanted to be someone 'different'. She was…. He needed to focus on the current subject. Going down, with the stairway, was a lot easier than going up.
"The stairs are good for going down." John said. "I like to go down."
Cameron quickly looked at John with the last part of his statement. She smiled at him and headed for the stairway. She didn't hear anyone in it.
"I think I would like to go down too." Cameron said. "The stairs it is."
John flashed her a quick glance. He didn't doubt for a moment she meant the same thing he did. He was still a little worried when she did, with Savannah, she might not come back up. He was sure Savannah's love for Cameron was much greater than his was. It seemed to radiate from every level love could radiate from with Savannah.
As they neared the private area, they saw Derek and Riley exit their new suite. They entered the private area. Derek spotted them coming and held the door for them as they hurried to enter.
"I'm sorry." John said. "We got off to a later start than anticipated."
Cameron was aware it would have been even later if John would have been able to continue to perform. He could only do so much. She saw it as a severe limitation with human males. She did know John was able to go two more times, doing the same things, than he normally could with her chassis. She thought about it a lot and determined it wasn't so much Sheila's appearance, which was definitely part of it, as it was the fact it was someone 'new'.
Derek didn't know any of the details. Based upon the smile on Cameron's face, he didn't think it was a good time to ask either. He knew there were times when everyone got into a bind.
"It happens." Derek said as he glanced at Riley.
John saw all the others all wore a hat and sunglasses. The Terminators were similarly adorned.
Sheila rushed over and opened the door to the Owner's Suite for them as they approached.
John noticed Sheila stare at him with wide eyes and a soft smile on her face. He saw the same look before on Future Riley's face. He knew what it meant. He smiled at her and went inside. He wasn't sure of what to do or say to Sheila. They both already 'thanked' her. He really wondered how you thank someone for what Sheila did and gave up. Sheila allowed Cameron to take over her chassis and share its virginity with him. She would experience everything which occurred and what Cameron felt, but she wasn't a participant. She was merely along for the ride. It was quite a ride.
Cameron noticed the look on Sheila's face too but made no comment. She smiled back at Sheila. She planned to use her chassis again. She wanted it to be done voluntarily on Sheila's part. She wasn't about to do anything to mess it up. If Sheila asked, how could she say 'no'? She was the one who directly benefited in every way.
Ally watched the whole thing. She didn't know what to make of it. She reached in her pocket and felt Sheila's two rings in it. She would give them to Holly or Gail. They could wear them if they wanted. They could be where they were on Sheila's sheath. She knew Sheila probably replaced them already. She didn't plan to be a part of any of it. Sheila indicated it was something beautiful and she wanted to try it again. She would gladly let Sheila have 'her turn'. Still, why was Sheila so thrilled to try it again?
John and Cameron emerged a very short time later from their suite with their hats and sunglasses on.
Derek, Riley, Kyle, and Sarah were all ready to go.
John looked around at the group. They all looked antsy.
There were a few Terminators around them.
"Let's go." John said as he looked at Gail.
Gail led the procession out of the private area. Jim was there now and held the door for them.
John and Cameron brought up the rear.
Sheila dropped back until she was right in front of them. She looked back at John and then at Cameron and smiled again.
John and Cameron both looked at Sheila from the back. There were many thoughts in both of their minds. John still felt a little nervous about the whole thing.
He knew exactly what it would be like to be with Jesse, or Young Jesse as far as their body went. He knew the individual response would be different on each individual. He would like to know what Sheila's response would be as well.
John glanced over at Cameron and could see the firm smile on her face. He wondered if maybe she got what she wanted, or if it was really all a state of mind.
He questioned the morality of the whole thing. There were no morals involved. It seemed more to be all about greed and lust. It was the very things he shouldn't have focused on. He did. Cameron did as well. The way events played out, he wasn't with Sheila first because he failed to deliver. He got 'cold feet' and started to slack off, quite literally. Cameron needed to take control of Sheila's chassis to continue the process. He really would have liked to have been with Sheila first on her 'first time'. His eyes continued to roam over the backside of Sheila as she walked in front of him. He still wanted to be with Sheila in her own chassis as herself.
Cameron glanced over at John and noticed he lightly moistened his lips several times. She saw his gaze was transfixed on the backside of Sheila. She smiled to herself. It was definitely a chassis she planned to use more often. She was sure he was more likely to be with Jesse now than previously. If he still hesitated, there was always Young Jesse. She was on the other side of the world.
Jesse and Claire 'shopped' in the gift store closest to the ramp which led off the ship. Jan and Summer were with them.
Everyone was excited about the adventure before them.
Jan and Summer looked at all the items for sale. Some of them were pretty. Many of them were tourist themed. It usually meant it was unnecessary junk. Maybe all of it was unnecessary junk.
There were a few individuals who came off of the ship. Several of them got into an SUV and it drove away. It looked like there were official markings on the side of it.
There was some movement alongside the ship. A flood of passengers began to disembark.
Jan moved closer to the doorway to look.
"I see people coming off." Jan said.
Jan went to point with her finger.
Summer stopped her arm from rising all the way up. She moved Jan away from the opening so they wouldn't be so obvious. The adventure they were on was of little risk. It was still better not to take chances.
"Remember to play it cool." Summer said. "We never know who is watching."
Claire wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page.
"Jan, are you going to go on board the ship with us, or go with your parents and see the city again?" Claire asked. "They may go on a walking tour."
Jan wasn't thrilled with the idea of having to go back and look around the city, especially if she needed to walk around it. Being in the van was irritating enough as it was. She thought she saw enough of it already. She figured she would do what her parents wanted her to do. It's what would happen anyway. It's what always happened.
"I'll do what they tell me. I really don't need to see any more of the city." Jan said. "I know things are different, I didn't really like it. I would prefer to look around the ship. Just look at it. Even from the outside it looks fancy and domineering. I bet it's ten times better on the inside."
Summer hoped Jan would stay with Holly and her. She knew Jan didn't want to go out again.
"You can stay with me." Summer said. "Holly's going to watch over us onboard."
Jan looked forward to it as opposed to going back to see the city. She wondered if Summer would go back out or not. She quickly realized Summer was going to stay on the ship so they could be together and not need to go back out.
"It will be fun." Jan said.
Jesse and Claire looked at each other. The next question was about their cyborg girlfriends.
"What about Gail and Hanna?" Claire asked.
They were both surprised when Summer answered.
"They're going to escort Derek and Riley." Summer said.
Claire wanted to know more.
"How do you know they will, Summer?" Claire asked.
Summer held up her phone.
"I got a message on my phone from Bob." Summer said. "Ally and Sheila are going with Kyle and Sarah."
Claire wasn't sure she liked the new revelation. She wanted to know more about it.
"Why did Bob send you a message?" Claire asked.
Summer didn't think it was a big deal. She decided not to mention anything about the com she wore. CamNet kept her updated as well. She disregarded Cam's earlier suggestion and turned her com back on as soon as they got into the van at the airport.
"I asked him to keep me updated on what happened on the ship before he left." Summer said. "He's head of security and a special 'trouble shooter' for the cruise line. You know he likes to look out for me. It seemed like a good idea to know who would meet us here."
Claire knew Bob and Summer really hit it off and were the best of friends. Bob, next to Cameron, was Summer's favorite Terminator. She was a little uncomfortable with the idea, but liked the protection it would offer Summer in the future if anything 'bad' happened, especially if it involved Skynet.
She briefly wondered if Summer could end up with a Terminator boyfriend. It was a thought which crossed her mind more than a few times. She thought a male Terminator would be able to do what a human male never was able to do for her. She wanted to 'finish' one time with a male. She didn't think it was too much to want as a female. She hoped to be able to get a chance to be with him first. Just one time was all she wanted. She glanced briefly at Summer and then at Jan. She was sure events would play out for Summer a little differently. She really didn't know.
Jesse liked the special 'in' Summer seemed to have.
"If we need to know anything, I want you to be sure and tell us." Jesse said. "You know we don't like surprises."
Summer planned to do it anyway. Nobody liked surprises, especially if they were the bad kind. She planned to watch over everyone in their group. She wanted them to think about something else as well.
"I will." Summer said. "Safety first, I know the drill. Now we need to camouflage our arrival on the ship and look like returning guests."
Jesse understood Summer's drift. They could use a little 'in plain sight' camouflage. She gave the clerk some money and received four large bags with the gift shop name on them. She didn't want to make their carry-on luggage stand out as they boarded the ship. She didn't want it to look like they were boarding for the first time.
"Let's each put our carry-on bag in one of the bags. It will look like we bought whatever we're carrying in it at the gift shop. It will draw less attention when we go on board the ship." Jesse said. "It has the store logo on one side and the Mexican flag on the other side."
Dan, Frank, and Ken were near them in the gift shop. Dan and Frank would pose as Claire and Jesse 'boyfriends' if necessary. Ken would be the odd man out. He would soon return to the van to go with Lou. They could take some of the team or they could shadow them. They would try to keep a vehicle close by them for an emergency extraction if it became necessary. There was also plenty of firepower inside of the van if they needed it.
It was a short walk into the downtown area. There were shuttle buses too if anyone needed one. There were some tour buses that arrived earlier. They would take groups who booked tours to some of the various attractions around Ensenada. One of the attractions was the blowhole they visited earlier.
They watched without watching for their group to exit.
As the crowd began to pass by, there were soon other passengers in the gift shop. Now they could blend in even better. With their carry-on luggage concealed in the shopping bags from the store, they looked like any other passenger at this point. They really looked like tourists.
Savannah was ready to go to Cameron's base so she could spend some time with CamNet. She was still a little worried about the events which transpired at the old newspaper plant.
They decided they should do a 'drive by' before they continued on to Cameron's base.
Savannah watched the drone footage on her phone. She was worried the day's events weren't over yet.
Cammy noted Savannah's concern about what could still develop. She didn't want anything else to happen.
She thought how beautiful Savannah looked as she watched her. Savannah's safety and personal comfort were important to her. She didn't like the way Cameron always ran Savannah around. She wanted to give Savannah a few options.
"Do you want to grab a bite to eat or use the restroom?" Cammy asked.
Savannah smiled at Cammy. She always appreciated Cammy's concern for her. Right now things were fine. It was the unknown which was troublesome.
"I'm good, Cammy, thanks." Savannah said.
Cammy didn't want to bring Savannah back into a danger zone. She wanted to get Savannah away from there as soon as possible. There were a few other options that would soon be in play.
"We can head over to Cameron's base as soon as Steve and Tom are on station." Cammy said. "They should be able to handle any issues if they arise."
Savannah wasn't about to run out on the team. She didn't know what would unfold.
"If there's contact, we'll need to back them up." Savannah said.
Cammy tried to downplay everything.
"It's probably nothing." Cammy said.
Savannah considered the other security measures in place. Maybe it wasn't a big deal.
"I don't know." Savannah said. "We have the internal surveillance set up."
Cammy pointed out the problem area of the building was fixed. She knew all of the current events were because of a careless forklift operator at one time.
"Al and Ed fixed the loose panel in the wall." Cammy said. "No one's getting back in the building at the same spot or the same way again."
Savannah wondered about any other loose panels around the building, she was going to ask Cammy about it. She decided it might cause Cammy to worry even more. She believed the four Terminators did a quick inspection of the inside walls before they'd left.
Cammy didn't want Savannah to get sidetracked.
"The females were a random fluke." Cammy said. "It was a series of random events beyond our control and without Skynet influence."
Cammy's statement made Savannah think of the females. It seemed like a terrible life they led. Not all of it was their fault but some of it was. There were a lot of people who took advantage of them too. That in itself may have been the worst part. It was the 'wrong' some did to others when they knew it was wrong, but they still did it anyway. The worst part of it all was, they were abused simply because they were females. It troubled her to know it would even get worse in a Skynet future. She wanted something better for the two runaways.
"What is the latest on the two females?" Savannah asked.
Cammy was updated by CamNet.
"They were both examined by a female physician. There is minimal permanent physical damage to them. They both have some internal scar tissue. They should still be able to deliver children if they choose to."
Savannah wasn't exactly sure what Cammy specifically referred to. She didn't think the real damage would be physical.
"Most of the damage will be in their heads." Savannah said.
John Henry filled Cammy in on Vanna's reaction.
"Vanna was deeply troubled by what she witnessed with them." Cammy said.
Savannah was unsure why Vanna even checked on the operation. She would have preferred if those who were uninvolved directly with the operation, didn't follow it. There was no reason for them to, nor did it serve a purpose. Maybe there was more to it.
"I didn't know Vanna followed the operation." Savannah said. "Do you know why?"
Cammy wondered the same thing herself. She wasn't sure if she did it in John Henry's absence earlier. It was possible she may have interacted with his server, JH.
"John Henry informed me of it." Cammy said. "It's all I know."
Savannah hoped Cam would comfort Vanna when she returned.
"Is Cam back yet?" Savannah asked.
Cammy was updated on Cam as well. She doubted Savannah would like the newest development.
"Cam took over Steve and Tom's task." Cammy said.
Savannah didn't agree with the decision.
"Cam is going after the truck?" Savannah asked. "She should have returned to Vanna. It sounds like Vanna needs her right now."
Cammy felt Vanna possessed a better option.
"Allison is her true love. She's there for her." Cammy said. "They will deal with any personal issues as they always have. I think everyone understands it's for the best, for both of them."
Cammy didn't want to point out what she knew as the truth. The human females all needed to be with another human female, even if they shared with a Metal girl. The same emotional link was impossible to obtain with a Metal girl. Allison was there for Vanna. Young Allison would be there for Savannah. She just hoped to be a part of it.
Savannah knew what Cammy said was true. Allison and Vanna were each other's true love. It was a time tested relationship from the future, into the past, to the present. There were multiple partners for both of them and they were still deeply in love with each other. They were able to separate the sex from the love. Maybe it was a byproduct of all the abuse they'd suffered, especially Vanna. She saw it for what it truly was.
"It's a very beautiful love." Savannah said.
Cammy tried again to get Savannah out of the danger zone.
"We can head to Palmdale if you want." Cammy said.
Savannah liked how Cammy slipped it in after pointing out Allison was Vanna's true love. The implication was Young Allison was her true love. She didn't disagree with the assumption. There were other things she needed to accomplish first.
"We will at some point." Savannah said. "There's only so much time."
Cammy tried again. It seemed she played all her cards at this point.
"We don't need to waste it at the old newspaper plant for something unknown." Cammy said. "There are more efficient ways to use your time."
Savannah could tell Cammy tried real hard to get her away from the old newspaper plant. Cammy was more than willing now to do the things she was reluctant to do before. It made her suspect there was more happening than she knew about. It was time to find out. Cameron wasn't always forthcoming with all of the information. It appeared Cammy wasn't either. It was a reminder the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
"Cammy, I need to know if anything is happening at the old newspaper plant." Savannah said. "I don't want it hidden from me."
Cammy tried to dodge the issue.
"I have nothing solid." Cammy said.
It sent up a red flag for Savannah. She tried a different approach. She wanted to know what was happening or about to happen.
"What do you have that's not 'solid'?" Savannah asked.
Cammy frowned slightly.
"There's someone by the flood control channel." Cammy said.
Additional red flags went up for Savannah. She remembered the layout of the land from the previous drone images she viewed. There were several places they could be. She wanted a more detailed answer.
"Are they in the flood control channel by the building?" Savannah asked.
Cammy felt the information she possessed was more than a little sketchy.
"They appear to have come out of the channel." Cammy said.
Savannah remembered Cam was in the flood control channel and the connecting drainage system of the old newspaper plant prior to the assault on it.
"Is it by where Cam was during the initial assault?" Savannah asked.
Cammy previously updated with Cam when they tethered.
"No." Cammy said. "I have those files from her."
Savannah hoped the information would be useful. She tried to remember all the details from before. It seemed like a dead end previously. She wanted to see things for herself. She took out her phone.
"There was no way inside the building from where she was, right?" Savannah asked.
Cammy quickly accessed the files she received from Cam about her adventure through the drainage system of the old newspaper plant.
"No. There was no way inside the building." Cammy said. "She could get right up to the building in several spots. There were large drainage grates for the water to run off."
Savannah now watched the drone footage of the person. She disliked what she saw.
"They look homeless or like part of a hobo rail gang." Savannah said. "If we approach them, we're going to need to use extreme caution."
Cammy was informed someone else would deal with them.
"John Henry is going to have Steve and Tom swing by and pick them up." Cammy said.
The timing on everything was off to Savannah. She was sure there was more than met the eye. She found it all a little too obvious as well as convenient. It made her wonder again if they may have stirred a hornet's nest.
"No." Savannah said. "They're to stay clear for now and not to engage them."
Cammy wanted some answers. They could be beaten out of the man.
"They can question the person." Cammy said. "They will find out everything the person knows."
It reeked of a set up to Savannah. It seems like another way to draw them out and identify them.
"I don't like the timing on this." Savannah said. "I think if someone is watching the place, they're watching to see if we spot this person and respond to them. They're probably even monitoring the response times. It would give them an indication of our proximity to the target area."
They watched the drone footage. The unknown man was out of the channel. He went up the sloping side of the smaller tributary channel to get out. He walked on the sidewalk now. It looked like he knew where he was going. It was clear it wasn't his first time with what he was doing.
Cammy calculated where he was going. She didn't know why.
"He's headed for the railroad tracks." Cammy said. "Since he is now out of the flood control channel, it gives him more mobility to move in any direction if he suspects anything. It will make him a little harder to apprehend if he chooses to run."
Savannah wondered why he didn't stay in the tributary feeder channel into the bigger flood control channel if he was going to go in the same direction along the railroad tracks. They paralleled each other. The only thing she could think was it would be harder for him to get out of it once he was in the larger channel. The walls were perpendicular instead of sloped. Cammy's idea actually sounded the most plausible. The individual was ready to run.
"Can you get any facial recognition off of him?" Savannah asked.
The drone zoomed in on the man.
"John Henry reported back it was negative on a positive hit." Cammy said.
Savannah liked everything about the operation less and less. She could tell Cammy expected trouble and it was why she tried so hard to get her away from there. The operations often seemed to bloom from nothing and escalated from there. The current one didn't appear to be any different.
Young Allison and Anna concentrated on the old newspaper plant. She didn't like the way it was going.
"I wish Savannah would go see CamNet." Young Allison said.
Young Allison's revelation surprised Anna.
"I thought you didn't like her to go there." Anna said.
Young Allison sighed slightly. She didn't like all the other females Savannah shared with either. It bothered her because one of them was her mother. None of it was the issue now. Given the two choices for Savannah, the answer was easy.
"I'd like it better than the direction the operation is headed." Young Allison said. "She would be in a lot less danger at one location over the other. There's no way to deny it."
Anna reassured Young Allison the team would deal with it.
"CamNet and John Henry are all over it." Anna said.
While it may be true now, it still left the main question unanswered for Young Allison.
"Where did the person come from in the first place?" Young Allison asked.
Anna worked on the question herself.
"Since the drones have been on station, the person didn't enter the flood control channel." Anna said. "They must have been in one of the inlet feeder pipes prior to the drone's arrival."
It made even less sense to Young Allison. Why were they in an inlet feeder pipe to begin with?
"What are we chasing here?" Young Allison asked.
Anna would like to have provided a better answer than she could give.
"We're chasing the unknown." Anna said. "It seems to be par for the course."
Young Allison picked up on Savannah's apprehension. She wondered if it was something specific. One of the group's they dealt with seemed more likely than the others.
"Savannah doesn't want contact yet." Young Allison said. "She may think they're the anti-Metal group."
They watched the drone footage of the man as he turned to follow the railroad tracks.
Anna reached the same conclusion Young Allison did earlier.
"They're now walking along the tracks." Anna said. "I would have thought to go in the same direction, he would have stayed in the tributary to the larger channel. It would have provided him with better concealment."
Young Allison wondered if the man wanted to be seen. It was bad news if it was the case. There was another possibility as well.
"I can see it. Most likely his observation or surveillance capabilities are limited. No one can approach him without being seen now." Young Allison said. "He couldn't see anything other than what was in the flood control channel previously. It also would be more difficult for him to get out of the flood control channel to go in a different direction. It doesn't appear he could climb out on his own, unless he wasn't human. There could be other options open to him we don't know about yet."
Anna was sure no one would be so exposed if they were up to wrongdoing.
"They're too exposed." Anna said. "I think it's a vagrant or a hobo. He will probably try to hop on the next train when it passes."
Young Allison considered the possibilities. None of them added up.
"I don't think a hobo would hang out in a storm drain. There's nothing to steal around there where they are. There are no restaurants to go through the trash for food around there. There's no logical reason for them to be there." Young Allison said. "The flip side is everyone else can see him now. I believe he wants to be seen."
Anna threw out another suggestion. There were other options open to them to deal with a hobo.
"They're trespassing on railroad property." Anna said. "We can call it in as someone with a pry bar, or even a firearm, who is tampering with the railroad tracks. The Coast Starlight will be by in a few hours. It should provoke a response from local law enforcement. They can deal with it."
Anna was aware of a derailment of the Daylight in 1963 not too far from their current location. It was a purposeful event where the individuals bent the indicator on the switch they threw so it appeared as it was still aligned for the main line. They even used a jumper cable to complete the circuit for the block signals when they threw the switch. They put a small tumbleweed in front of the joint in the tracks which physically moved. Strangely enough, there was a major fire in Tunnel 27 earlier in the same year. Most likely the events were related, even if no one else made the connection at the time. Vandalism was a sickness in the mind. The physical manifestations of it always caused problems for others.
Young Allison didn't want to risk innocent lives. I think it's more than likely anyone from the future would shoot first rather than answer any questions or be apprehended.
"I don't like to involve the authorities with any of the groups we're dealing with." Young Allison said. "The chance of them being hurt or killed is too great."
Anna didn't see they were left with any options.
"So we do nothing?" Anna asked.
Young Allison thought of a 'silent response' from a drone at altitude. It was something she thought about attempting to use before but hadn't voiced her idea. She wasn't sure how it would go over. It seemed like a big risk to her. It may not produce the intended results. It was a gamble.
"Can you calculate the 'Coriolis Effect' from fifty thousand feet on projectiles falling at terminal velocity to strike a slow moving target?" Young Allison asked.
Anna tilted her head slightly. She wondered what would be moving at terminal velocity. She figured it was projectiles from the minigun which would begin to slow down once their energy was expended. They would start their journey at faster than supersonic speed. Gravity would take over at some point. The Earth would continue to rotate underneath them. She was about to contact CamNet.
CamNet came back with an immediate answer before she could even ask the question.
"Yes." Anna said. "CamNet has a solution."
Young Allison made her own calculation.
"I calculate the projectiles will still have enough energy to be able to kill, even if they're falling at terminal velocity." Young Allison said. "I know it's a long shot. No pun intended."
Anna wondered where the idea was going. She didn't want Young Allison to get ahead of herself.
"Are you going to kill the person?" Anna said.
Young Allison wanted some options and some flexibility. She was sure the individual's actions would indicate what their fate was. It wouldn't be up to her to make the determination.
"I want it as an option. I know a burst from a minigun at high altitude would deliver a 'rain' of projectiles falling silently on the area the person is at. They'll have slowed to terminal velocity and be 'falling' by then. They may tumble and spread out as well. The person is isolated now. No one would hear a thing." Young Allison said. "It would be like a deadly 'metal hail'."
Anna didn't like the idea. Young Allison indicated she was willing to kill an unknown stranger in cold blood.
"I want you to call Savannah about this idea and see what she thinks." Anna said.
Young Allison didn't think Savannah would agree. She wanted the freedom to act and kill if necessary.
"We both already know the answer." Young Allison said. "I'm not going to ask her. I don't want to lose the option to use against the man. Nothing else we can experiment with the technique to get a better idea how things will work in a practical application."
Anna thought it was a novel idea to 'rain' down silent death. It would only work in an open and isolated area like this too. A minigun could put out one hundred projectiles per second. It was a lot of metal. It would be like 'metal hail'.
"You're worried about something else." Anna said.
It looked like a whole new can of worms to Young Allison.
"If this person is connected to one of the groups, it means we have a bigger problem than we knew before." Young Allison said. "It also means we may have found the tip of the iceberg."
CamNet indicated there was a drone update.
"There's new separate drone footage." Anna said.
Young Allison figured what it must be. They were looking for one other target.
"Don't tell me." Young Allison said. "One of the drones has located the truck."
Anna remained silent.
Young Allison looked at Anna and frowned.
"You know what my statement really means." Young Allison said.
Anna shrugged her shoulders slightly. She was just following Young Allison's recommendation to not say it out loud.
Hank and Larry both took off down the passageway in pursuit of the elusive female Fanatic. They didn't know if she was armed or not now. She could have everything from a pistol to a long gun. They didn't know how many Grays they were about to face. They knew there were more inside of the complex.
The female Fanatic fled from the storage room and her near abuse. She left a dead Gray behind. She reached a junction and went around the corner. She paused and listened. She didn't know which way the men came from, or which way to go. She didn't have a clue as to where she was at. She held her knife in her right hand. She really hoped she would be able to stab one or two of them before she needed to break her poison tooth. It was clear to her 'Ascension 'was near.
She didn't want to be captured alive. She couldn't live through the pain and humiliation of being held down by a group of men again. She looked down at her ripped open shirt and exposed breasts. Right now she was glad they were small. At least they were partially hidden. She would really like to get another shirt if she could find one. She hoped if she was fully clothed it would delay any abuse. She would rather be questioned first so she could use her poison tooth.
She already regretted her decision to leave the van behind and try to investigate on foot. There was a sizable bomb in the back of the van she could have used against the two structures on the front side of the hill. She should have been able to damage both of them. If she drove into one of them first, she probably could have brought down the entire structure.
Now she was in the unknown and running for her life. She needed to remember her life didn't matter and was unimportant. She was there to serve SkyMaster. There was no higher calling on earth.
She needed a way out of wherever she was at.
Hank and Larry hurried down the passageway at a quiet run.
They spoke at a decibel level only another Terminator could hear. They needed to consider the possibility they may run into one at some point as well.
"There's a branch off to the side." Hank said.
Larry was sure the female Fanatic must have taken it.
"It would explain why we haven't been able to spot her yet." Larry said. "I don't believe she went straight."
They discussed if one wanted to go in each direction or not. Before they could make their decision, they heard some scuffling noise in the direction they believed the female Fanatic went.
The female Fanatic moved down the passageway. She wasn't sure how far she traveled. It seemed like quite a ways. Time played tricks on the mind during stressful situations. Everything could have happened in the last five minutes or it could have been an hour. She didn't even know how long she was out for. She wanted a way out. She wanted to be able to use the bomb in the back of the van.
She spotted some movement up ahead. She slowed down some and held her knife ready. It looked like someone pulled something behind them. It made a scuffing sound on the ground as they entered a doorway.
She looked in front of her and at the doorway. The door wasn't closed. It was left open. It most likely indicated the individual would come back out within a few seconds.
The female Fanatic crept up to the doorway and paused. She tried to listen to see how many people were inside. She could either enter the room and engage whatever threat was in there or she could pass by the open doorway and continue along the way she was going. She was sure she was close to the two buildings and whatever was built into the hillside at this point.
She carefully looked around the edge of the doorway into the room. She didn't spot the individual who was in there. She knew there were men behind her because she heard them run past the storage room earlier. If she left the person in the room and passed on by, it would be one more person behind her. She looked a little further into the room and decided to move on. She looked back in the direction she came from. She didn't see anyone behind her. She passed by the open doorway and continued down the passageway.
Hank and Larry continue to move at their fast silent pace. They both spotted the open doorway. They could hear some sound from inside of the room. They weren't sure if the female entered the room or not. If she did, she was in the process of moving something.
"Let's check it out." Larry said. "We don't need any additional Grays behind us."
They silently entered the room. Larry went left. Hank went right. They weren't sure what they would encounter. They each held their M9 and Taser ready.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
Less And Less
A relationship shouldn't be
Played like a game of chess
Both should know what's happening
No one should need to guess
The goal should be
For both to undress
Softly with each other
They should love and caress
No one wants to be
Put under needless stress
It's going to depress
While it creates distress
There are some things
One should suppress
When they're taken to excess
One may decide to egress
The more one learns
As another may confess
They actually know the other
Less and less
Nobody