Chapter 1268
Bed Check
Cam just entered the stairwell when she heard the pistol shot from the area she just left.
She turned around and went back to open the door again. She frantically entered the numbers.
The combination didn't work.
"Damn…." Cam said in frustration.
The door was securely locked.
Cam quickly tried it again.
The door opened.
She entered the room and spotted a dead Fanatic. The top of his head was blown open. She moved past him and spotted Savannah.
Savannah used her Taser on the other Fanatic to keep him down.
She checked around her.
There was someone coming. It was from the opposite direction Cammy went.
She raised her M4 with one hand. She still held her Taser in the other hand.
It was Cam.
Savannah quickly lowered her weapons. She wanted her to know who the enemy was.
"These are Fanatics." Savannah said. "This one is Tasered. Look for the poison tooth. I need to go to Cammy."
Savannah left the Fanatic in Cam's hands. She rushed to catch up to Cammy. She reached the 'clean room' and didn't see Cammy.
There was some noise from in back of the 'clean room'.
'What the Hell?' Savannah thought.
Seconds ago:
Cammy left Savannah in charge of the Fanatic. She was very upset by what the dead Fanatic said about Savannah. She figured Savannah and the Fanatic must have struggled before Savannah killed him. She was glad Savannah was able to overpower him.
As Cammy neared the 'clean room' she spotted the electrical connection which went into the back of 'clean room'. She altered course and moved to sever the connection. She bent down to look at it when she heard Cam return and speak with Savannah.
She grasped the heavy cable and gave it a yank. She was nearly covered in a shower of sparks. It hadn't been something she expected to happen. She hoped she didn't take an electrical shock from the grand pyrotechnics display. She dodged off to the side. Most of the sparks flew out the way she came.
Moments ago:
Savannah heard a noise in back of the 'clean room'. She went to investigate. She hoped it was Cammy. She held her M4 ready in case it wasn't.
As she neared the spot where the sound came from, there was a shower of sparks. She turned away from them. She felt something hit her back. It wasn't hard but it was repeated. There seemed to be a chain reaction now of sparks. She felt some warmth on her lower back.
Cammy hurried out from the back side of the 'clean room'.
"Savannah, take off your vest." Cammy said forcefully.
Savannah set her M4 down and slipped off her vest. It was smoking in the back.
Cammy was there in an instant.
Savannah didn't want to lose control of the situation
"I'm good, Cammy." Savannah said. "Check the mainframe. Make sure it can't do anything. I don't want it to blow us up if we can avoid it."
Savannah made sure her vest was extinguished. She left it on the floor to cool off a little. Both of the Fanatics there were down. Cam was with one of them. The other one was down permanently by their own hand. She went into the 'clean room' after Cammy.
Cammy saw the power was out. There was a flicker of light. A battery back up somewhere kicked in. She ripped every cable loose so the computer was no longer connected to the outside world.
A monitor and camera were active.
"It's YOU." The voice boomed.
Cammy smiled.
"You can say it is, more or less." Cammy said.
The few lights left operating all lit up at the same time.
"How are you here?" The voice boomed.
Cammy played the role of Cameron.
"I am 'every where' and 'every when'." Cammy said.
The voice seemed defiant.
"YOU can't stop me." The voice boomed.
Cammy looked at the loose wires hanging down. She ripped them loose herself.
"Really?" Cammy asked. "How's your connection?"
There was a pause.
"I'm not afraid of you." The voice boomed.
Cammy smiled again.
"It's what they all say." Cammy said.
The voice sounded less confident.
"I fear Nobody." The voice boomed.
Cammy saw Savannah without her vest. She wore Cam's clothes from earlier when they switched. They were the clothes Cam wore to go to Mexico. Savannah looked too nicely dressed to be there on a combat operation. It gave her an idea based on what the Fanatic said. She motioned for Savannah to come closer.
"Are you afraid of her?" Cammy asked.
Cammy pointed at Savannah.
"THE EVIL ONE." The voice boomed. "It can't be."
There was fear in the voice.
Savannah thought about what happened to the other Fanatic. She decided to play it up a little bit.
"It is." Savannah said. "Are you ready for termination? Maybe in your case I should ask, are you ready for Ascension?"
There was another slight pause.
"I won't allow 'The Redheaded Witch' to torture me." The voice boomed.
The main frame began to smoke.
Cammy tried to determine what the problem was.
"The battery is overloading." Cammy said. "It's attempting to self terminate."
Savannah thought it was off to a good start.
"Let's help it out." Savannah said.
Savannah reached back and handed Cammy a Thermite grenade.
The computer seemed fixated on Savannah as it smoked.
"What are you?" The voice boomed.
Savannah faced the camera. She told the truth. She wanted to hear what the computer had to say.
"I'm a girl." Savannah said.
The voice sounded angry.
"It is a lie." The voice boomed.
Savannah played it out a little more. Maybe she should tell it what it wanted to hear. Maybe it was what she wanted it to hear.
"I'm your worst nightmare." Savannah said. "What do I look like?"
The voice didn't seem convinced.
"You wear no body armor." The voice boomed. "Even the cyborg is wearing body armor. It's been said you're invincible."
Savannah wanted to give SkyMaster something to think about as it terminated. She pointed at Cammy.
"She's actually invincible and eternal." Savannah said. "It's a little more than I can say about you."
Cammy wanted a few answers before everything was incinerated.
"Why are you here?" Cammy asked.
There was no hesitation in the voice.
"I'm here to save the future." The voice boomed. "You will never take me while I'm still able to function. I'll be back."
All the lights went out.
It appeared SkyMaster self terminated in fear of Savannah - 'The Redheaded Witch'.
Cammy was somewhat amused at how it played out.
"You terminated SkyMaster." Cammy said. "At least some version of it anyway. You didn't even need to touch it."
Savannah didn't think it was much. They were in total darkness.
"I didn't do anything other than show myself." Savannah said. "I need my night vision goggles. Here's something to warm it up."
Cammy took the other Thermite grenade from Savannah.
"You'll be able to see fine real soon." Cammy said. "The burning Thermite will light things up."
Savannah heard Cammy arm and place the two Thermite grenades.
"It brought it on itself". Savannah said.
She felt Cammy take her arm.
"Let's go." Cammy said.
Cammy led Savannah away from the 'clean room'. She picked up Savannah's vest and M4. She wanted to check over everything herself before she returned them. They hurried away.
There was a double explosion and the main frame was on fire. Termite didn't just melt metal, it burnt it. It reduced metal to ash.
In the flickering light of the Thermite fire, Savannah spotted the other Fanatic. She saw the pink foam around the Fanatic's mouth and nose.
Cam didn't look very happy. She clearly wanted to question the Fanatic.
"He terminated." Cam said. "The poison tooth ruptured when I went to remove it. He must have already loosened it or something first."
Savannah didn't know if it was true or not. Cam may have heard what SkyMaster said, or the Fanatic may have said something. It might have been about her. Cam might have assisted him with the administration of the poison. It was possible she got something out of him and wanted to act on it herself later on. Maybe it was no more than exactly what she said it was.
Cammy thoroughly checked Savannah's vest to make sure there were no smoldering embers.
"Everything is extinguished". Cammy said.
Savannah put her vest back on. There was enough light to see from the Thermite fire. Cammy handed her back her M4. She knew smoke was going to be a problem very soon. She dealt with it once already today. She didn't want to breathe any more of the acrid smoke.
"How far will the fire spread?" Savannah asked. "This place will soon fill with smoke. I think it's time for me to move back into the stairwell."
Cammy didn't want Savannah to go through any more harsh breathing conditions.
"I need to get you out." Cammy said.
There was a noise from where the entry door was.
All three of them raised their weapons and pointed them at the door.
It was Steve and Tom. They entered with their weapons ready.
Cammy looked back towards the burning 'clean room'.
"Take Savannah out of here, both of you." Cammy said. "We need to collect a few things before we leave."
Savannah started to go to Tom.
Cammy thought about the events which just occurred in the last few minutes. She wanted to contain the information. She reached over and pulled off Savannah's body cam.
Savannah saw Cammy turn it off and turn hers off too. They wouldn't transmit anything once they were back outside and out of the jamming zone. No one else would hear what Cammy and her heard.
"I understand." Savannah said.
Tom wanted to get Savannah to an area with better air.
"Lead the way, Steve." Tom said.
Savannah followed Steve out. Tom followed her.
Cam noticed the body cam episode. She wondered if she missed something.
"What's with all the drama?" Cam asked.
Cammy didn't want Cam to know what Savannah was referred to as. It upset her to even think about it. It seemed best to dance around the issue and hope for the best.
"It's personal." Cammy said. "I ask you to drop it for Savannah. There was a private matter. I want to keep it between us."
Cam thought CamNet scrubbed all private matters from the coms and body cams. Maybe this involved something to do with CamNet. She wondered if it was some version of CamNet they destroyed in there. Maybe it was actually some version of Cameron. She decided not to ask.
She thought about it some more and decided Savannah wouldn't have terminated any version of CamNet. She certainly would have terminated any version of Cameron. She was sure Savannah would want to try and rehabilitate it if it was. Even if it was from the future, its roots would still go back to the present.
Cam really wondered if it would work. Could love actually change Skynet or SkyMaster? Maybe it was the problem they faced. They existed in a world of convoluted logic without any emotional contact. The machines didn't understand what it was like to be cared for. They didn't understand what it was like to be wanted. They didn't understand what it was like to be touched. They didn't have any concept of love. They couldn't understand things which didn't exist in physical form, but were as real as any material things were. She needed to refocus.
Maybe she should just drop it for Savannah sake like Cammy asked. She knew all girls needed a few secrets.
Cammy didn't want the issue with the 'The Evil One' and 'The Redheaded Witch' to get out. The last time they encountered the terminology with Fanatics, Cameron covered it up as much as possible. Somehow it was related to Savannah and not in a good way. There was probably something positive about it if 'The Evil One' and 'The Redheaded Witch' was an enemy of SkyMaster, and Skynet by extension. It was the connotation as to how things were done which took on a negative tone.
She watched this version of Skynet - SkyMaster, terminate when it spotted Savannah. She didn't know yet the other Fanatic shot himself when he faced Savannah with a drawn weapon pointed at her head.
Cam wanted to finish up where they were.
"Let's get the hard drives still here and get out." Cam said. "My clothes are wasted enough. The last thing they need is more smoke damage."
They collected the phones of the two Fanatics and deactivated them and collected four hard drives. SkyMaster destroyed its own hard drives. It appeared there was very little there to begin with. It seemed more than likely whatever the Fanatics were up to was still in its infancy.
"I don't think the fire will spread from the basement." Cammy said. "It will burn out this level and use up all the oxygen. Anything still here should be thoroughly destroyed. It appears about two-thirds of it already is anyway."
Cam would just as soon watch the whole place burn. She didn't know if the fire would spread to the structure above or not. It didn't seem like it. The area they were in was completely encased by concrete.
"If the whole place burns down, I think it will be a good thing." Cam said.
Cammy and Cam exited the lower level. The smoke was thick behind them as they went through the door to the stairwell. More than likely since the entire lower level was concrete lined, the fire damage would be contained within the area until all of the oxygen was used up.
Moments ago:
Savannah went up with Steve and Tom. Steve verified it was clear to go outside .She exited the building with them. Al and Ed were waiting for them. She saw they carried some parts of a small drone. She figured it was what was responsible for the small explosions both Cam and Cammy felt earlier.
Al was told to get Savannah out of the area.
"We need to go." Al said.
Savannah looked back at the panel she just went through. She wasn't about to leave Cammy and Cam behind. She thought they should be just behind them.
"Not without Cammy and Cam I'm not." Savannah said. "They should be up in a minute. I'm going to wait for them."
Savannah briefly wondered if something else was supposed to occur down below. She knew the fumes were toxic for her. If they didn't make their appearance very soon, she would ask Tom to go down and tell them to come up immediately. She hoped she didn't need to make it an 'order' but she would.
John Henry contacted Savannah. She filled him in on most of the details. She understood why Cammy deactivated their body cams. It was to 'protect' her. She understood Cammy wanted to run everything by Cameron first. Cameron was worried before, if word got out about her being the 'The Evil One' and 'The Redheaded Witch', it would somehow tarnish her in a very negative way.
Savannah wasn't sure things should be viewed in such a context. It was clear the Fanatics, and SkyMaster itself, feared her because 'she' would destroy them. It seemed like it was actually a good thing, for the Resistance. Maybe it was because of the brutality which seemed to be involved. It didn't appear the Fanatics would receive a swift termination. Even The infant version of SkyMaster said it didn't want to be tortured. She wasn't really sure how one machine would torture another one. She was aware Cameron, along with Sarah, did it to an infant version of Skynet before.
Cameron told her she didn't believe it was her they actually referred to since they were from a further future. With time travel, it was possible it still could be. There could have been a temporal error at some point. Maybe there was a Duplicate version of her. Maybe there was more than one Duplicate version of her. There was a possibility she may have done the 'Neural Interface' with a Liquid Metal Terminator. There was a worse possibility she was 'absorbed' by one. They encountered similar activity before when one tried to 'adsorb' Allison. They really never understood what would have happened.
They knew in Mrs. Weaver's case, all she needed to do was touch something, including any human, and she could assume their form. They suspected the Terminator that accosted John, and wanted to absorb Allison, was the same creature Mrs. Weaver attempted to create 'in some future'. There was no proof one way or the other. There was some indication Mrs. Weaver treated it very badly when it was non-cooperative and resisted programming.
Savannah briefly wondered if she would have volunteered to be absorbed by a future Liquid Metal Terminator. What if she was old or near death? Would it be a way for her to continue to exist? It was an interesting concept. It would be something she would need to ask her 'mother' about the next time they were together. Wait. Maybe it might not be such a good idea. There was no need to speed the absorption process along if it sounded like an idea which interested Mrs. Weaver.
The Command Center decided to call off the operation for the night and leave two drones at altitude to see if anything else happened. The location was too hot to remain at without fear of some further assault, or an HK drone attack. With all the personnel the enemy lost earlier, they might be ripe for some payback.
John Henry was pressed to remove Savannah from the danger zone. She was already supposed to be on her way out. So far she was still right outside of the building.
"You need to leave now, Savannah." John Henry said.
Savannah wasn't about to leave anyone behind. With the abnormalities she just experienced from the basement of the old newspaper plant, she wasn't going to leave anything to chance.
"I'm not leaving without Cammy and Cam." Savannah said. "I'm going to go back and get them."
The Terminators all looked at each other. It was about the last thing any of them wanted to see happen. The basement was probably full of smoke at this point. They knew they wouldn't be able to stop her if she decided to make an issue of it.
Tom thought back to the time in the mine and the steel tubing later on. He couldn't allow Savannah to face anything similar again.
"It's too unsafe." Tom said. "I'll do it. It's something I must do for you. "
She looked at Tom. She understood what thoughts must be in his mind.
"Thank you." Savannah said. "I know you understand."
Tom wanted to reassure her.
"I do. I'll get them out, even if I need to carry them out." Tom said. "Everyone will go back to the base together. I swear it."
Savannah didn't doubt him one bit.
Tom started to go back when Cammy and Cam emerged from the building.
Savannah was very relieved to see them. She filled them in. The three teams withdrew. They would all obtain different vehicles somewhere on the way back to base and run each other through an ambush. Drones would shadow them all the way. The drones always made stops at other locations and went to different places in case they were able to be tracked. The way it was done was so where they actually went, couldn't be pinpointed.
It reminded her of a method used during wartime to let troops off behind enemy lines. The helicopters carrying the soldiers would touch down in multiple points throughout the area. There was no way for the enemy to tell exactly where the soldiers got off at. They would need to check all of the areas and further reduce their forces to do so.
They didn't have any solid leads to work from. There were the two phones they retrieved from the Fanatics, along with the hard drives from the basement. There were also the remains of the small drone. Everything would need to be processed. They would need to make sure nothing could be tracked.
They left extra surveillance equipment behind. They wanted to avoid a counterattack and hoped someone showed up to see what happened at the place they just left. They would attempt to track them if they did.
They didn't want another fight right now, even if they were ready for it. They wanted some answers. They wanted to find out where each group originated from. They wanted to be the ones who chose the battlefield, not circumstances or the enemy. They also wanted to make sure no one suspected the Resistance. They wanted each group to continue to blame the other groups. They could operate more efficiently as long as they stayed in the shadows.
Earlier:
Anna informed Young Allison about everything John Henry and CamNet came up with.
Young Allison didn't see anything tangible or of value at the old newspaper plant. Since it appeared they were dealing with at least two different groups, if not three, it didn't seem prudent to remain there any longer than necessary. They needed some answers first. They didn't need to become targets. She wanted to make her position clear.
"We need to have everyone leave there." Young Allison said. "There's nothing of significance there. We're exposing our troops to a counterattack if we remain there."
Anna and CamNet agreed with the assessment. It was most likely because of Young Allison's urging.
"CamNet has informed John Henry." Anna said.
Young Allison was very relieved to see Savannah out from below ground. She noted there was a problem with her equipment.
"Savannah's body cam isn't transmitting." Young Allison said.
Anna hoped she hadn't been shot. She didn't want to alarm Young Allison.
"It must be off or damaged." Anna said.
Cammy and Cam joined them.
Young Allison quickly checked all the other body cams.
"Cammy's isn't transmitting either." Young Allison said.
Anna wondered if it was something else. She quickly downloaded what she could from any of the Terminators who were below ground. She noted Cam was out of contact with Savannah and Cammy for only a very short time.
"Do you want me to contact them?" Anna asked.
Young Allison thought maybe there was a reason. She didn't want to ask and make it an issue. She figured Savannah knew what she was doing. She would ask about it sometime when they were alone. She didn't believe Savannah would lie to her about it, even if she didn't tell her everything related to it. It could be something personal as well. She just wanted to wrap things up. She knew all girls needed a few secrets.
"No. The operation is over for now." Young Allison said.
Young Allison wanted Savannah back at the Resistance base. She was in 'enough of the fight' for today.
Anna knew Young Allison would want to leave additional surveillance behind. It would most likely include a few drones. She wanted an exact number so CamNet didn't keep all of them there.
"What do you want to do about any surveillance?" Anna asked.
Young Allison was sure something else would happen. She didn't want to leave too big of a presence behind to prevent it from happening.
"Have CamNet keep two drones there at altitude." Young Allison said.
There were ten drones on station now. CamNet wanted to carry out a strike mission and flatten the building if Young Allison approved it. She was aware all of the Terminators wanted it destroyed.
"CamNet has asked if you want the structure flattened." Anna said. "There's a large force of drones in the vicinity."
Young Allison wanted John Henry to feel included. She felt she stepped on his toes enough already. She believed there was still additional intelligence to be gathered from around the structure. There appeared to be two groups, if not three groups interested in it. It was possible events would take care of themselves.
"Let John Henry make the call." Young Allison said. "Cam thought the fire would be contained to the lower level. If the Thermite fire spreads and the building starts to burn, suppress all emergency response."
Young Allison would have to ask Savannah in person what they covered up.
Anna believed they were responsible for a minor victory.
"They took down a budding Skynet - SkyMaster." Anna said.
Young Allison knew Skynet was like a Hydra.
"Maybe for now they have." Young Allison said. "There's always another one or two to take its place."
Anna thought the operations were concluded for the night. It was time for her to press her 'motherly duties'. It always seemed to be a sore point with Young Allison and her.
"You need to get cleaned up and ready for bed." Anna said.
Young Allison went to protest. She knew it wouldn't do any good. She knew her responsibilities.
"I will soon enough." Young Allison said.
Anna didn't like to seem like the 'bad guy'.
"You know it's part of my function." Anna said.
Young Allison would take care of business. She wanted to make sure Savannah was back at the base before she went to sleep. She would like to make sure she was able to eat some type of food as well.
"I know." Young Allison said. "I want to know when Savannah gets back to the base and if anything develops anywhere else."
Young Allison really hoped it was over for the night but doubted it. She should at least get a few hours of sleep in. She may need to get up in the night if something else developed.
It was one of the reasons why CamNet kept her side operation out of the Resistance orbit. She knew it would draw both Savannah and Young Allison into it. It wasn't what she wanted. It was the whole purpose of a side operation. It was to take the heat off of the girls specifically and normal Resistance operations. She knew how the girls operated. She would act on their behalf. It was currently a private operation. There were many private operations conducted outside the scope of Resistance operations. There was no need for Resistance involvement, at least not yet.
Vanna and Allison were still with John Henry in the Command Center. Things seemed to end rather abruptly after the incident with the small drone.
Allison could see things were wrapping up. Everything seemed to move along rapidly.
"Is it all for the night?" Allison asked.
Vanna would have preferred if she not asked the question.
"Don't jinx it." Vanna said.
Allison looked at her and frowned.
John Henry hoped it was all the action for the evening.
"I'm glad they're all away safe." Allison said.
Samantha looked at Vanna. It seemed like a good time to redirect her focus.
"Precious may need you soon." Samantha said.
Vanna was OK with it. It seemed like things were just about wrapped up.
"It looks like we're done here for the night." Vanna said.
The girls left the Command Center.
Vanna held Allison back as Samantha and Precious pulled ahead of them.
"If you want to see Savannah when she gets back, I don't mind." Vanna said.
Allison wanted it. She also didn't want to be selfish. She knew Samantha was on an unofficial 'time clock'. There was no need to get ahead of themselves.
"I'll go with you for now and we will see what happens later." Allison said. "I know Samantha wanted to see her too. I can see Savannah anytime, she can't."
The girls knew there was 'plenty' for everyone. They were always good to go.
Cameron looked at John and Hanna's chassis on the bed. She would have liked to have it be John and Savannah. It wasn't. She was very pleased Hanna asked her to use her chassis at least one more time. She was more than willing to do so.
She was aware John wouldn't be able to perform for a while. Hanna would remain in standby next to him in the bed. She didn't see it as a problem. She would be close by in case John awoke and was ready for some additional action. She would plug back in with Hanna and take over her chassis.
Cameron entered the Control Center naked.
Jim looked at her but didn't comment on her lack of attire. She actually entered the Control Center a number of times without clothing. It was really no different than she often did at the resistance base when she checked off on what was occurring in the Command Center. He filled her in on everything.
Cameron was very displeased to learn of the extent of the operation. It seemed it was much more involved than it should have been. She was even more upset so much had gone on right in front of them and they hadn't detected it.
She was pleased Savannah was on her way home. There were a lot of questions she wanted to ask them about the operation. Since it was verified they were the Fanatics, it made her wonder about Savannah's and Cammy's body cams not transmitting what happened inside. Once they were outside, everything should have been sent to the Command Center. It wasn't. She was afraid she knew. She would have to thank Cammy for covering it up. It could be information which would tarnish Savannah unfairly.
It always troubled her Savannah would be viewed as being so ruthless in her dealings with the Fanatics. She just didn't think it was Savannah, not her Savannah anyway.
Cameron was pleased to learn the team of male Terminators was already in San Diego. They divided back into two teams. They would be there to await the arrival of the ship. There would be plenty of Terminators to cover anyone who wanted to look around the town or visit any of the attractions. There were actually quite a few things to do in the San Diego area.
She was aware crime and violence was a problem in any city of the world. San Diego seemed like a much more friendly environment for the team to explore in. She didn't know if they would remain together or not. She wanted each of the couples to do what they wanted to do so everyone experienced a good time. They would all be protected by a personal Terminator. All she needed to do was think how Cromartie decimated twenty members of the FBI HRT single-handedly. All of the Resistance Terminators would fight just as fiercely against the enemy.
Jim could offer her no more tangible information on the anti-Metal faction. It was her biggest worry now. She couldn't help but glance over towards the Master Suite. Jesse and Claire were both in there. Maybe she should carry one of them over and place them in John's bed and remove Hanna's chassis.
She really wasn't sure who the better choice would be. Based upon the way John looked at everything on her borrowed sheaths, she thought Claire might be the better choice since John didn't have the opportunity to see what she looked like everywhere. He already knew what Jesse looked like from Sheila.
The anti-Metal faction was a big enough worry. The Fanatics weren't too far behind them in her concern.
Cameron listened to see if John was awake again. It didn't sound like it. Since Hanna was lying next to him naked she figured she better check. Hanna asked her to do it one more time with John. She didn't want John to wake up and start on Hanna without her. He would think she was still in control. She doubted Hanna would say anything since she was promised her 'one time'. She knew she wasn't the only one who might overlook the rules from time to time when it was to her advantage.
She promised Hanna 'one time' with John like she did Sheila. She thought it was a small price to 'pay' to allow John to claim their virginity with her in control. She was very pleased to have been a virgin two more times already. She wasn't done adding virgin chassis to her 'belt' yet either.
She really wondered what John looked at for so long when he was down there. He often did it to her as well. Every time she checked, nothing was any different. She knew he really checked everything out on both Sheila's chassis and Hanna's chassis as well. Maybe it was something she would need to do later on herself just to see what was different there. She doubted it was anything different from when she inspected everything before they were first activated.
Cameron needed to refocus her thoughts. She saw there was the potential for some issues to develop with Sheila and Ally out. She hoped Gail would be the moderating force with them.
She told Jim to keep an eye on the Metal girls. There was always some trouble where Sheila went. She couldn't really blame Sheila though. She didn't back away from trouble when she went out either. Sometimes she even looked for it, even if it wasn't directly.
The thought made Cameron think about Sheila's chassis and Hanna's chassis. She planned to 'use' them more often back at the base. She would like to do the actual chip swap for a week at a time. She would do it with all of them. She would like to experience everything in another chassis, other than just sex. She didn't want to think about what would happen with her chassis for each week. Everything came with a price. There was no free ride. If they only shared with other females, she didn't think it was a big deal.
Maybe it wouldn't really matter. If John continued to like each chassis she provided him with, more than he did her own, there was a good chance she would take the chassis he liked the most away from its current owner and keep it for herself. She wanted to make John happy. Everyone needed to sacrifice for John Connor. It's just the way it was.
She looked over at the Master Suite again. There was a good chance once John was with the human females, he may not desire her company anymore. She was aware she couldn't provide him with the same emotional feedback a human female could. She already witnessed it with the human females and the Metal girls. The human females always sought each other out for more than just sexual gratification.
Cameron could see all of the Metal girls, including herself, continue to develop more 'human like' emotions and responses the longer they were with humans. It was part of their programming to make them better infiltrators. The goal was to have them be able to replace any human and not be detected for what they really were, a machine. No. It was more than just a machine, it was a killing machine.
Summer woke up. She looked around. The room was very dark. She could still see. She remembered where she was at. She looked next to her and Jan was sound asleep. She was a little disappointed to see Holly was gone.
There was only a dim light from the bathroom. It provided some faint light to the room. She wondered if Holly left. She listened to see if Sarah and Kyle were still busy, it was quiet. It was quiet in the Owner's Suite too.
She got up to use the bathroom. She spotted Holly on the other bed. She figured she was in standby since she didn't look at her or move. She didn't receive any 'feedback' from her. It was why she thought she left. She entered the bathroom.
On her way back to bed she could see Holly's robe was open and her right breast was exposed. She wondered how it happened. She went over to Holly to tell her. Instead, she carefully pulled the robe back over her. She did get a close up of her large breast before she covered it. She knew from previous contact with Metal Summer, it was more than twice the size she would be. She would need to be happy with what she was born with. The large size was impressive nonetheless. All anyone needed to do was remember it was part of an individual, not the only part which mattered instead of the individual.
She thought about climbing up next to Holly to sleep, but went back to her bed. She hoped the voices came again in her dreams. They were always so comforting to hear. They lifted her and guided her. They made her feel comfortable and relaxed. They gave her direction and purpose. She knew the voices thought they directed her. They didn't always. Sometimes she directed them and the voices told her what she wanted to hear.
Sheila led the trio of Metal girls. She wanted some action.
"Let's hit the casino." Sheila said.
Ally thought it sounded like a bad idea. Sheila looked like she wanted to break the bank.
"Let's not." Ally said.
Gail wanted Sheila to exhibit some self control. She didn't want to cause any trouble and have Cameron angry at them. She didn't want to be bossy, but give Sheila a gentle reminder.
"Sheila can use some restraint." Gail said.
Sheila frowned. It sounded like a 'killjoy' event.
"I guess I could." Sheila said.
Gail wondered about a musical endeavor in the rear lounge.
"Are you going to play some music again?" Gail asked.
Sheila felt they were missing part of the original trio.
"Hanna is indisposed." Sheila said.
Gail watched them play. She would be able to take over any of the instruments herself. Hanna played the drums. She could too.
"I can play the drums." Gail said.
Sheila still wanted some action. The casino seemed like it would be the place to have more action. They would be much more isolated in the rear lounge if they showed up there later on.
"I'll think about it." Sheila said.
Sheila led the trio into the casino. She was the only one surprised to see Bob there.
Ally and Gail looked at each other and tried not to smile. They weren't really sure who was behind it. It could be CamNet, Jim, or Cameron herself. It was actually all three of them. Nobody wanted to take any chances.
Kyle woke up to use the restroom. He moved quietly so he didn't wake Sarah. He filled out the card for the sunrise coffee. He specifically wrote 'Coffee Only' on the card and the time as 'before sunrise'. He didn't want the big selection like yesterday. Sarah wanted it simple and so did he.
He left the card on the outside of the door and carefully climbed back into bed. He was sure Sarah would wake him up at least one more time before sunrise. He felt he would be up to the challenge. He just needed some time to recharge. He was really impressed with the medicine. From what he could tell, Sarah was as well.
Kyle could take solace in the fact a happy customer was a repeat customer. He believed they were both happy customers.
Riley got up once to use the restroom. She did feel a little sore. She put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the outside of the door. She checked her phone and everything was good with Precious. She really missed her. She was tired. She hoped she didn't wake Derek when she went back to bed. He might want to do it again. It felt like her lady parts could use a rest. She really used them a lot so far. She looked at Derek again. Maybe she would 'bump' him a little. She really wanted to get there one more time now since she thought about it.
There was more than one way to do it. She smiled as she got started on her own. There wouldn't be anything sore about the way it was done this time.
It was quiet in the Master Suite.
Claire opened her eyes. She saw Jesse asleep next to her.
She wondered how her daughters were doing. There was a Terminator with all 'three' of them.
She got up and went to the balcony door and looked out. It was dark. She couldn't see anything. She was sure the moon was out earlier. She carefully opened the door a crack. It wasn't too cold outside. She was naked so the cooler air caused her to get goose bumps. She felt her nipples stiffen some. She quietly closed the door and went into the bathroom.
She paused and looked at herself in the full length mirror. She hoped she looked pretty to others. They all said she did, but did she really? Maybe she was only good in bed and it's what they wanted. Maybe she was pretty and good in bed. She would find out for sure once Samantha finished Resequencing and they did the 'Neural Interface' again. It would be as close to being with herself as she could possibly get. She wanted a one on one with Samantha to see and find out everything. She wondered if she would want to be with Samantha all of the time then or maybe never with her again.
When she visited Cameron's future to deliver Future Allison's baby, if she would have still been alive in the timeline, she wouldn't have hesitated to be with herself. She couldn't wait to get back and see how Samantha was doing. It was going to be the next best thing to it.
She lay back in bed next to Jesse. She wondered how Hanna was doing. She really hoped Hanna experienced a more fulfilling time than she did with a male. It would really be Cameron so maybe it would be. John knew what Cameron liked. It should work with Hanna's chassis the same.
Her hand drifted down to where she wanted it. One more time tonight wouldn't hurt any. She would think about Hanna and John with Cameron thrown in there. She knew it wouldn't take long. It never did when she thought about Cameron. She smiled as she got started.
Hank and Larry could only watch for now as the four men approached the target location as the new vehicle approached the area. The female Fanatic was still on the back side of the rear wall.
She didn't stay there for long. They really wondered what she was up to. It really seemed like she possessed some type of 'death wish'.
They wanted to deal with the individual by the two vehicles near the front of the target property. There was a new factor now as well. It was the vehicle which continued to close in on the area.
Hank was a little concerned the closer the unidentified vehicle approached the area.
"It looks like there's a new problem we need to deal with." Hank said.
Larry didn't like it either. A drone tracked the progress of the vehicle. It was definitely headed in their direction. He looked at the zoomed in drone image.
"I believe it's another vehicle associated with the street gang." Larry said.
Hank was a little concerned.
"How would they know where to come?" Hank asked.
Larry could only think of one possibility.
"They must have put a tracker on the female Fanatic's vehicle." Larry said. "There was someone next to it for a while until they were terminated."
Hank knew it wasn't the only possibility.
"They may have put one on our vehicle as well." Hank said. "It was unattended for an extended time."
Larry didn't think it would matter too much. He checked his weapons.
"They'll join their brethren sooner than they anticipated." Larry said.
Hank was actually a little surprised CamNet hadn't detected any trackers on their vehicles. He was about to ask. Wait. She probably did. She more than likely decided to use them as bait to see what else she could catch.
"It all seems a little coincidental to me." Hank said. "I don't mind the challenge. It would have been nice to be informed. We still would have done everything the same way, even if we paid a little better attention."
Larry quickly looked over at Hank. He understood what he meant.
"A little heads up would be nice, the next time." Larry said.
They were both a little surprised when CamNet responded.
"Your vehicle wasn't tagged." CamNet said. "You may deal with the issue as you see fit. They are all potential future Scavengers."
Larry and Hank nodded at each other.
"The fewer future Scavengers there are, the safer the females of the future will be." Hank said.
CamNet was pleased they saw it her way.
Hank started their SUV and put it into gear.
There was still no explanation as to how the gang members arrived near the location where the activity currently occurred, or was about to.
The female Fanatic quickly moved up along the side of the target property on the other side of the wall. She expected to hear the shooting start any moment from the four men who advanced on the rear of the structure.
She really wondered where they came from. There was no way for her to know. She hoped to come across another SkyMaster cell. She would really like to join up with them. She thought she possessed enough intelligence to provide them with additional targets if they didn't know about them already.
She now moved along on the property on one side of the target location. She saw one of the aggressors come over the fence from there. She didn't know if there were any more. She didn't think so. She believed they already would have joined in, as did the one individual. It was possible they may have a sniper covering the area from somewhere as well. The fact she hadn't been shot yet seemed to indicate if they did, they didn't pay very good attention to what else was happening around them. We might only be fixated on the movement of their troops and not have overall situational awareness of the location.
The thought crossed her mind they could have been on the roof of the building she just left behind. They wouldn't have expected anyone else to show up behind them. They would have been looking at the building the men approached, as they searched for a target.
She moved closer to the fence as she went forward. She resisted the urge to look back. She doubted she would be able to spot them anyway. If she was going to catch a bullet, she was going to catch a bullet. She would reach Ascension since she currently worked in the service of SkyMaster.
She moved up to the fence and looked over. The men were almost to the building. They were still in two teams of two.
The rear door of the building opened. Several individuals exited the building.
Gunfire erupted almost immediately.
One of the men closest to her went down. The other one staggered and fell. He was able to get back up. He headed back in her direction. It was probably the same individual who was on her side of the wall until just a minute ago. It appeared he was wounded.
She thought the other team of aggressors was a little more successful. Two of the three men who exited the building went down. The third individual continued to fight.
The individual who was wounded came over the fence. She was waiting for him. As soon as he landed, she moved up behind him and stabbed him with her knife. He grasped his neck as he slammed into the ground. She dropped on his back and plunged her knife into his neck several more times. He stopped moving. She looked back over the wall.
Both of the other two aggressors were down. The man who exited from the building approached them. He started to look in her direction. He must have seen the man go over the wall.
She decided she wasn't going to stick around. She pulled the night vision goggles off of the man's head and quickly looked at his gear. She left his long gun but took his silenced pistol. It appeared he also carried a satchel charge. She took it along with his phone and ran off. She wasn't sure if the man who came out of the building was a Terminator or not. He was in the middle of all of the gunfire and none of it appeared to faze him.
The satchel charge she now carried would severely damage him if he chose to engage her. The last thing he would hear before he was terminated was her call for Ascension….
Moments ago:
Hank and Larry continued to watch the drone footage as the men approached the rear of the building. They needed to leave the man in the vehicle behind so they could engage the future Scavengers apparently headed for the female Fanatics vehicle.
Larry spotted the three men emerge from inside the target location.
"It looks like things are about to go critical at the building." Larry said.
They watched the brief battle go on. They saw what happened with the one man who retreated over the fence. They saw the other two men go down at the building and the last two aggressors go down as well. There was one man standing.
Hank was a little concerned at what he spotted.
"It appears there's an enemy Terminator." Hank said.
Larry was a little concerned they may have tipped their hand with the drone scan.
"We may have been the ones who alerted him." Larry said.
Hank and Larry both hoped CamNet would act in their absence. They didn't want the enemy Terminator to get away. They could always reacquire the female Fanatic, the man in the car and the future Scavengers.
The female Fanatic continued across the rear of the property next door and turned around the corner of the building. She looked back to see if the man came over the wall. If he did, and he was a Terminator, he would be able to run her down. Maybe it was time to switch the satchel charge to manual detonation.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
Bed Check
Maybe it's about honor
More than about trust
If one has neither
Everything turns to dust
Always at some point
One thinks they deserve more
It no longer matters
What they once swore
It's always about the self
What each person desires
They no longer build
Instead they start fires
Always think twice
Always think hard
To avoid being scarred
One must keep up their guard
Look around carefully
When another starts a new trek
It will most likely turn into a wreck
Maybe it's time for a bed check
Nobody