Chapter 1301

It Is A Safeguard

Cameron was pleased with the way dinner turned out. She was a little worried about Holly for a while. Summer seemed to keep things under control. She did understand Holly's apprehension. She could see Summer's concern. She wondered if Summer would say something to her. It would be interesting to see.

She was sure if Savannah was on the ship, there would be plenty said. Wait. It might even be worse. Young Allison could be on board and she would really hear something. It's what she taught the girls to do. They were to speak up and make themselves heard. She was pretty sure Summer could be heard without a word needing to be spoken.

Cameron looked at John and smiled.

"Would you like anything else?" Cameron asked.

John was very content right now. He wasn't so sure about the 'espresso' Cameron ordered for him. It was really strong and bitter. It seemed to him it was what battery acid probably tasted like. He knew it was just a strong form of coffee, more or less. He would prefer some hot chocolate over the taste of the espresso.

He didn't know Cameron crushed a 'little blue pill' into powder and mixed it in his espresso.

"The drink was a little strong." John said. "The tangerine sherbet helped tame the bitter taste afterwards. It was a new flavor I've never tried before."

Cameron stole a quick glance at Holly. She smiled at him and touched his cheek. She thought it was a good move.

"I wanted to make sure you wouldn't be too sleepy later on." Cameron said. "It should give you a burst of energy when you need it."

John quickly looked at Holly and then at Cameron.

Cameron actually didn't want something else to get 'sleepy' on her. She planned to get the maximum usage out of Holly's chassis. John needed to do his part. She wanted to make sure he was 'up to the task'. There was a lot of anticipation on her part about using Holly's chassis. She was aware Duplicate Cameron was on Holly's chip for fifteen months. She was offered the opportunity many times in the past. She refrained from using it with John.

She wasn't Duplicate Cameron, even if she was. She knew now if the same situation arose again, she would make good on an offer like it. She was pleased she was going to be the one to have the 'first experience' in Holly's chassis. It was just happening a few years later than it should have, quite a few years later.

Sheila and Ally both spoke with Summer for a few moments.

Summer smiled at both of them and she touched them on the cheek. She went back over and joined Jan.

Everyone else indicated they were done and ready to leave. Cameron took a hand from Summer and Jan and led the procession out of the main dining room.

John and Holly looked at each other. John took Holly's arm again. They followed behind Cameron. Sheila and Ally brought up the rear behind the rest of the team.

There were two elevators waiting for them. They were going to take both of them. Some other passengers exited the dining room and followed them. They all entered one elevator instead. There was enough room, even if it felt a little crowded. It said it could hold eighteen passengers. There really wasn't much room for anyone else other than their group.

Cameron wanted to get to the Main Theater. There were a couple of options available.

"We have the front row reserved. Bob is there now." Cameron said. "Anyone can use the private box section if they want."

It seemed to indicate if anyone wanted to do a little more than watch the show, they could.

Cameron still held Summer's hand.

Summer wanted all of the Terminators to be able to partake in some of the amenities of the ship. She didn't like leaving one person out.

"Can Jim come too?" Summer asked. "I would like it if he could. I missed him at dinner time."

Ally wanted to be fair. It was actually something she mentioned earlier to Jim. She would have liked for him to have attended dinner.

"I can watch the Control Center." Ally said.

Sheila felt bad about Ally missing the show. She wanted to show her support.

"I'll go with her." Sheila said.

The elevator stopped on the suite deck.

Cameron led the team out of it and down the hallway.

John was a little confused. He was going to say something, but decided Cameron knew what she was doing. He was a little surprised when they stopped at the next set of elevators. Jim came out of the private area and met them there.

Ally continued along and headed for the private area. Sheila followed her.

Jim entered the elevator with the group.

Summer smiled at him.

John was a little surprised they skipped the deck the Main Theater was on and came up to the suite deck. He never saw any buttons pushed. He didn't think he ever saw any buttons pushed.

"Did we skip the Promenade Deck?" John asked. "Why did we go a different elevator bank?"

Jan thought about mentioning the buttons didn't do anything. The elevator still did what it wanted anyway without the buttons needing to be pushed. She glanced up at the security monitor and decided not to say anything. She knew who was in control.

Cameron wanted to avoid the crowd and the need to walk down the big staircase in front of everyone else. Since they were going to sit in the front row, she didn't want to make a big deal about it.

"Yes. We skipped the Promenade Deck." Cameron said. "We'll actually enter the Main Theater from the lower deck for the front row. It's doubtful most people will know where we came from. The majority of them all use the big staircase on each side. It is a more spectacular entry into the theater."

Jim was ready to go once he saw the group head for the elevator by the main dining room. CamNet instructed him to go to the elevator. She earlier told him to change his attire out of his ship's steward uniform. He didn't want John to worry about anything.

"I saw you were together and called the elevator up." Jim said.

The door closed and the elevator went down to deck six. No buttons were pushed.

The group headed into the Main Theater from the lower entrance in the front of the theater. They spotted Bob in the front row. It was roped off.

"I've been waiting for you." Bob said quietly.

John couldn't help but smile.

Bob unhooked the rope on one side and the group filed in. Cameron stopped John at the center seat and sat him down. Jesse and Claire filed past him with Hanna and Gail. Summer and Jan sat next to each other. Summer made sure she was next to Holly again. The Reese clan sat next to Cameron on the other side of John. Jim sat next to Sarah. They were very comfortable in each other's company. Jim often accompanied her on her morning runs. She always asked him to run with her, instead of in back of her. It always made her feel more comfortable. It also caused a lot fewer problems from people nearby. There were also a lot fewer 911 calls for John Henry to quelch.

Summer looked around the theater again. She saw how large it was. She looked forward to tonight's performance.

Jan seemed a little fidgety.

"What kind of music is it again?" Jan asked.

Summer thought Jan would need to listen to it rather than her describe it.

"It is music from the Sixties." Summer said. "It's called the 'British Invasion'."

Jan didn't like the name about an 'invasion'. It made her think of the Revolutionary War, or the War of 1812. The Sixties seemed just as old to her. She saw they were still a group of musicians from the time period who still performed. They all looked like they were in their eighties. Some of them didn't sound very good either.

"It was a long time ago." Jan said. "Will it be dull and boring?"

Summer was familiar with the history of the songs. She thought the tunes and performance would do the talking. She read the reviews online.

"You'll just have to wait and see." Summer said. "I think you'll like it."

The lights dimmed and the Cruise Director came onto the stage. It was almost the same thing as the last time.

The Cruise Director made a few announcements and pointed out the fire exits. They talked about some of the upcoming events and what was happening at different places on the ship and some of the other scheduled performances.

The Cruise Director left the stage and the room went completely dark.

The curtains opened and the singers and dancers came out on the stage amidst a flurry of colored lights.

The theme of the musical show was the 'British Invasion'. The first song was performed. It was a song by 'The Kinks'. It was the same lineup as before. It was how the group of performers rehearsed everything.

'You Really Got Me', blasted out from the stage.

Cameron held John's hand and scanned him as the singers and dancers appeared a few feet in front of his face. She could tell it stimulated him to see the scantily clad female dancers so close and clearly. She was glad it would take a little bit of time for the 'medicine' to kick in. She didn't want John to get ahead of himself.

The Resistance group was thrilled to be right in the middle of the show. The sound was even better where they were sitting this time. It seemed to come off of the stage and directly into their faces. It was above them and around them as well.

Summer looked over at Jan. She could see she was instantly captivated by the music. The raw tones of the music cut deep into the soul. She glanced over at her mother and saw Jesse and her exchange looks as the words of the song were belted out. It was obvious they could relate.

Cameron looked at everyone and smiled. It was evident they were all having a good time. She looked past John at Holly. Holly looked back at her and smiled. The earlier apprehension was gone. She knew it was going to be a good night.

John should be ready to give her the 'ride' she wanted for years. She spent fifteen months in Holly's chassis on her chip with her. It was with John right in front of her the entire time. Well, Duplicate Cameron did it anyway. She now possessed those files. It was the same thing. Well, sort of.

Ally felt bad about Sheila missing the show to stay with her. She did want Jim to get out some and share with the others. She knew it was something Summer really wanted to happen.

Before they arrived in the private area, Ally stopped Sheila.

"You can join the group." Ally said. "It's no big deal here."

Sheila wanted to stay with Ally. She saw the opportunity to do a little extra. Without anyone else in the control room, they were the ones who would be in control of the security cameras on the ship.

"Now is our chance to spy on everyone." Sheila said.

Ally wondered what for. It sounded like trouble.

"Why would we do that?" Ally asked.

Sheila was just curious. She would like to see what else was happening to kill some time. She wanted to see how the other people interacted, especially when they didn't think anyone was watching. She knew people's inhibitions were a little more relaxed when they thought they were alone or unobserved. Right now the power belonged to them.

"We can do it because we won't have anything else to do." Sheila said. "We can do it, because we can do it."

They entered the private area and then went into the Control Center.

Ally figured it couldn't hurt to check out a few things. She would like to see what else was going on around the ship.

"Let's see what happening." Ally said.

Sheila was worried she may have hurried in making up the rooms earlier. She wanted to double check all of the work. She didn't want anything missed or overlooked.

"I'm going to inspect the rooms real quick." Sheila said. "It is my job on the ship."

Ally didn't think it was necessary. She was going to rib Sheila and tell her she thought her job was bed duty with Cameron in control of her chassis. She could always mention it another time. She plugged in and John Henry and CamNet got her up to speed.

Sheila went to check on the rooms to make sure everything was perfect. She was the 'maid' after all and it was her job.

Ally was disturbed with what she found right off the bat. She didn't like the situation where Savannah was at. It seemed like it could be a problem.

She wasn't surprised when Sheila returned a few minutes later with the bag which contained everything she would need to do the additional piercings on the two females, Mary and Laura.

Ally wanted to be with Sheila if she went there. She did want to watch and she wanted to keep Sheila in check.

"I don't want you to go there alone." Ally said.

Sheila pointed at the monitors

"You're tied up here for a while." Sheila said.

Ally wondered if it was the only reason Sheila went back with her. She looked at Sheila with all seriousness.

"I know what you want. Don't do it." Ally said. "I don't want you to do it."

Sheila liked what she saw. This was her opportunity to expand her database some.

"What can it hurt?" Sheila asked. "They're just some friendly females who want to have an adventure on the high seas. I can provide them with a little more than I've already provided them."

Sheila knew there was some TV program a few decades back where they did something similar on a cruise ship in each episode. She wasn't sure how sexual any of the episodes actually were. Based upon the time period, and the fact it was on television, there was probably a lot of it implied. She didn't really care for the captain of the ship. She was pretty sure she first saw him as a crew member on a PT Boat. He was also on some TV show with an actress who looked like Cameron when she smiled for a while as well.

Ally thought the two females already experienced something different than they planned on. She did think they made a wise choice not to do it in Ensenada.

"You've already given them more than they thought would happen on a cruise ship." Ally said. "There's no need to get carried away with anything. Don't forget, we're on here for four more days."

Sheila wanted to evolve some. She gave Cameron everything already. Now she wanted something for herself. She seriously doubted Cameron would ever let her be with John on her own. Why couldn't she be with a couple of cute and friendly females who wanted to 'improve' themselves? There were quite a few ways she could help them improve themselves.

It still seemed like a bad idea to Ally. There were a lot of unknowns.

"You don't know anything about those girls." Ally said. "We don't know what their history is. We only found out their names after you did their piercings and installed their jewelry. You don't know what they do for a living, or where they work, or anything."

It gave Sheila an idea. They could find just about everything about them where they were. They had access to the two best computer systems in the world. She previously scanned both of the girls multiple times. They were currently clean of any diseases. She wanted to see if they experienced or developed anything in the past. It might say something about their previous sexual behavior.

"Let's check their medical history." Sheila said.

Ally came up with a better idea. Why stop there?

"Let's check everything about them." Ally said. "I'll bet you right now at least one of them has been treated for an STD."

Sheila wasn't worried. She was immune to all diseases. She wasn't human.

"I can't catch any." Sheila said. "We're not even affected by radiation, let alone something bacterial or biological."

Ally wondered if Sheila could transmit any if she was exposed to them.

"You might end up a carrier." Ally said. "You could infect the whole group. Instead of 'Typhoid Mary', you would be 'STD Sheila'."

Sheila thought about it. It was a risk. Cameron would deactivate her for sure if it happened. She looked for a second cable and plugged in. Right now it seemed like a good idea to check everything they possibly could about the two girls. Maybe she didn't want to get ahead of herself if it could be avoided. It was always better to enter a card game knowing what the other players held.

"Let's check them out." Sheila said.

Samantha took Precious so the girls could finish eating.

Allison and Vanna finished their food and cleaned up the dishes. They didn't want to have to make Samantha do it after cooking for them. They covered Savannah's food and put it in the refrigerator.

They both really liked the food Samantha made.

"It was really good." Vanna said.

Allison could have eaten some more. She wasn't going to take any from Savannah.

"I have to agree." Allison said. "It was excellent."

Samantha didn't think it was a big deal. She actually was able to practice more than a few times.

"I've been helping Riley learn how to cook properly." Samantha said. "I like to help. I hope when I do the updated 'Neural Interface' with Claire, I'll improve."

Samantha didn't want to mention the fact Riley seemed to pick up a lot of bad cooking habits somewhere along the way.

The idea made Allison wonder about something. Her mother was excellent with more than a few things. It only seemed to reinforce her personal shortcomings. She felt her mother was better than her at everything, including lovemaking.

"Will you do anything with dance or music if you pick it up?" Allison asked. "I never was able to do much with either."

Allison always wondered why Young Allison was able to do so well with both music and dance. She seemed to have a natural ability to be able to do both. Since they were the same person, she wondered why she didn't seem to have those same abilities.

Samantha thought about it. She wasn't sure how everything would work. She was aware Sheila picked up all of the 'bad habits' of Jesse. She wanted to pick up everything about Claire which would be considered 'good'.

"I really don't know what will happen." Samantha said.

Vanna wondered about Samantha's earlier idea.

"Do you still want to use Riley's DNA and do the 'Neural Interface' with her?" Vanna asked.

Allison quickly looked at Vanna. She didn't think it was a good idea.

Samantha could see there was some apprehension on Allison and Vanna's part. It bothered her a little. She looked into all of the earlier dealings and activities which occurred with the Resistance including Riley and Future Riley. Riley was no more Future Riley, than Young Riley was either one of them. She would be Riley's defender.

"Yes." Samantha said. "Riley is beautiful and she's a good person. She's never done anything wrong to anyone. Precious is her daughter."

Vanna could agree with everything Samantha said. She wanted to offer a couple of other solutions. She was aware every female Terminator they were able to apprehend, ended up at Cameron's base. None of them were ever seen again. The speculation was Cameron used them for infiltration missions into the past to manipulate events. She didn't know there was a teenage version of her mother in Cameron's menagerie. There was a Terminator version of her father there as well she was unaware of.

"Since your current sheath is almost Resequenced, it might be better if Cameron were to use a new chassis and sheath. We all know she has other captured female Terminators at her base." Vanna said. "We could copy your program or use one of the other Metal girls programs in your current chassis."

Samantha thought about it. Sheila was spawned from Gail's program originally. She knew every issue associated with Riley could turn into a problem for someone. She didn't want it to be her.

"I don't know." Samantha said. "Cameron may deactivate me if I rock the boat."

Allison and Vanna finished all the clean up. We really didn't want to get involved in a conversation about what Cameron may or may not do when it came to deactivating a Terminator. They didn't think they would have much say about it one way or the other. The only ones who actually could were Savannah and Young Allison.

"I want to check on Savannah." Allison said.

Vanna looked at her. She didn't want Allison to become overemotional in the Command Center. She hoped to be a positive influence. She also knew she might become upset as well. She worried about Savannah all the time.

"I'll go with you." Vanna said.

Samantha put Precious in the carriage.

"I can go with you or put Precious in bed." Samantha said. "I'll remain with her if I put her in her crib."

Vanna didn't want Samantha to need to do what she felt was her job.

"I can do it." Vanna said. "It's her bedtime. I'm responsible for her."

Samantha felt she was responsible too.

"So am I." Samantha said. "It's my function."

Vanna didn't want to create an issue. She didn't want to cause Samantha any needless anxiety. She would give her a choice and let her choose. She knew it would be Samantha's job to watch over Precious, even when Riley returned. She felt she already stepped on enough toes as it was.

"You decide if you want to go with Allison or Precious." Vanna said. "I'm good with either choice. You're the decider."

There was no choice for Samantha. She smiled at Vanna and pushed the stroller away.

"Thank you." Samantha said.

Samantha headed back towards Riley's room. She looked forward to watching Precious sleep in her crib. It was what she did every night anyway.

Allison wanted to get the 'show on the road'.

"Let's go see John Henry." Allison said.

Vanna remembered how upset Allison looked earlier when she returned from the Command Center. She didn't want a repeat performance. She didn't want an outburst from Allison. She didn't want Allison to take things out on John Henry or her inadvertently.

"I don't want you to get upset at things we can't control." Vanna said. "You know how things work around here. You know those in the field have a lot more leeway as to what happens with them and around them."

Allison knew Vanna referred to her earlier disposition. She was about to lash out at Vanna because there was no one else. She was glad she didn't and knew why she didn't.

"Thank you for allowing me to hold Precious when you did." Allison said. "I think it would have gotten ugly. You know I have a little trouble with self control sometimes, especially when I'm upset."

Allison knew she could be a real Bitch at times. She was quick to get upset. She was also quick to forgive.

Vanna thought it actually applied to all of them. She gave Allison a kiss on the cheek.

"I care about you." Vanna said.

Allison appreciated the comfort and support of her longtime lover.

"I do too." Allison said. "You know I worry about Savannah."

Vanna understood the feeling. It wasn't a good feeling either.

"I do." Vanna said. "I do too."

Allison wondered about Samantha. Her sexual future didn't look promising.

"Samantha may have to go back to being celibate tomorrow when Derek and Riley return." Allison said.

Vanna couldn't really imagine just suddenly stopping sex with the females. She understood Cameron's real concern.

"I think so." Vanna said. "She'll end up with Riley and probably Derek at some point if she is allowed to continue relations with us."

Allison could see things ending abruptly, and not in a good way for Samantha.

"It will culminate in her termination if it does." Allison said.

Vanna hoped to share with Samantha again.

"I'd like to be with her again before tomorrow." Vanna said. "I think you would too."

Allison really enjoyed Samantha's sheath. Well, at least certain parts of it.

"I do want to be with her again." Allison said. "I have to admit I find her physical attributes about the best of all the girls."

Vanna tried to be coy.

"Even over Savannah?" Vanna asked.

Allison knew what Vanna was really asking. She meant over herself since she was identical to Savannah. They were the same individual.

"You tell me." Allison said.

Vanna loved being with Claire and Samantha, who was nearly identical at this point.

"I have to agree." Vanna said. "Everything is perfect on Samantha."

Allison knew it meant everything was perfect on her mother.

"Speaking of Savannah, Samantha asked if she could be with her." Allison said.

Vanna hoped to accommodate her.

"She asked me about it too." Vanna said.

Allison wanted Savannah to share with Samantha. There was the possibility she may not be able to after tomorrow. She didn't want to create any personal problems for her.

"I know Savannah will want to be with her. We need to think about Cammy." Allison said.

Vanna wanted to offer several choices. She thought it would be pretty hot to watch.

"I can watch Precious and you can do a three way with Cammy and Cam." Vanna said. "It would free up Samantha and Savannah. You would also be able to get a very good look at yourself in just about every way possible while you're at it."

Allison thought about what they were discussing. The idea of planning other people's 'adventures' made her feel bad. Everyone should plan their own choices.

"Now we sound like Cameron." Allison said.

Vanna liked what Cameron offered.

"I can't really say I don't like most of what she's done." Vanna said. "There are always a few things every now and then which don't always sit well with me."

Vanna saw Allison instantly change her demeanor.

There was another issue troubling Allison. She wanted to spell it out clearly for Vanna.

"Cameron is going to use Holly's chassis and take her virginity from her and be with John." Allison said.

Vanna didn't like the concept.

"You can stop her." Vanna said.

Allison didn't think so. She could make her displeasure known. She wasn't sure it would do any good.

"Stop which one, Cameron or Holly?" Allison asked.

Vanna didn't think anyone could stop Cameron except Savannah or Young Allison.

"I think you would have more influence with Holly." Vanna said.

Allison frowned. She already let Holly know she didn't agree with it. Holly still wanted to do it anyway. Holly said it was what she wanted to do. Who was she to decide about someone else one way or the other when it was something they desired?

"That's just it, Holly wants Cameron to do it and share the file with her." Allison said. "She asked me for my permission."

Vanna wanted to support Allison.

"Tell her 'no'." Vanna said.

Allison didn't think it was fair to Holly. Who did she ever ask about anything she ever did? She didn't need to get permission to be with anyone. She wanted Vanna to see it from her perspective. It seemed to be more a matter of fairness and equality than anything else.

"Would you tell Cam the same thing if she told you it's what she wanted to do and asked for your permission?" Allison asked.

Vanna didn't really like anyone being controlled. It reminded her too much of all the times she didn't have a choice. It was easy to get caught up in emotions without thinking. She knew Allison made the right choice by not interfering.

"No." Vanna said. "I don't 'own' Cam and we're all free to choose who our partners are. It's what we've always done. It's what I've always done when I was given a choice."

Allison saw it as a lesser evil. Holly told her extensively about the fifteen months she watched over John with Duplicate Cameron on her chip. She was aware of everything which could have happened hundreds of times. None of it did. She already thought the groundwork was laid, even if there was no physical contact. The physical contact would seal the deal. She was sure of it.

"There's another aspect to it all." Allison said. "I know if Holly did it on her own, she would be in love with John. Cameron will share the file in real time with her as it's created if she wants it. She can always delete and erase it later if she wants to. If Cameron is in control, it's not Holly."

Vanna felt Holly's inexperience would work against her. She never dealt with males through her 'Neural Interface' before. It may be even more than what Allison speculated it could turn into.

"There's a good chance she will be anyway." Vanna said. "If Cameron shares the file with her, it will be as if she did it herself, even if she didn't."

Maybe Cameron actually doing the deed would mitigate the 'problem' some.

"I sincerely hope with the way it's done, she won't be as much in love." Allison said. "I don't know what will happen."

Vanna was sure, when Allison and her were finally with John, if it ever happened, they would really be in love with him more than the love they already felt for him. It was just how things worked when a loving relationship was established. It would probably be even more so since it was something they both considered doing for years.

"I think it's a slippery slope no matter how it's looked at." Vanna said. "It still should be her choice."

Allison came up with a different solution. She believed there was something Cameron wanted even more than to use Holly's chassis. She wanted to ask Vanna for her permission to do it. Since they already went over the discussion about choices, she decided just to lay it out plain and simple. Vanna could protest if she wanted.

"I want to ask Cameron if I can do it instead of Holly." Allison said. "It's what she's wanted from us for years. I'll do it. I'm going to volunteer to take Holly's place."

Vanna was more than a little surprised to hear Allison make her statement. She didn't want Allison in John's bed anymore than Allison wanted Holly in John's bed, even if Cameron was the one in control.

It seemed more complex to her at this point. There were too many moving pieces.

"What about Holly?" Vanna asked. "She wants to try it too. Don't you think it was hard for her to have to 'ask' you for something she should be able to do on her own? How would you feel to ask permission every time you were with someone new?"

Allison thought about it. Every option 'sucked'. She was very frustrated again.

"I don't know. Let's go see John Henry." Allison said. "I'm tired of standing in the hall."

They were in a 'dead zone' where there was no surveillance. They didn't want anyone to hear their conversation because they knew it would influence whoever listened to it in some way. Most likely would be a negative way.

Vanna hoped John Henry didn't think they came to deactivate him, since he would know where they were and not be able to hear what they discussed. She knew Cameron specifically told John Henry there needed to be 'dead zones' in case she ever became a problem. Cameron felt people needed to organize to stop her.

Young Allison and Anna waited for the sky to turn darker.

The sun was down and the sky darkened. There was intermittent cloud cover.

Young Allison checked the monitors. She was going to push it.

"I think it's good enough." Young Allison said.

Anna thought they should wait another hour.

"A little longer would be better." Anna said.

Young Allison wanted action. She wanted to know what kind of a threat the teams on the ground were about to face.

"I think with the clouds, we're good to go. I want it done now." Young Allison said. "I want a top down drone scan of the building. I also want drone scans from two sides at the same time. They will rotate and then do the other two sides. I don't want anyone to be able to hide."

Anna didn't like one low drone scan, let alone three of them.

"I think you're pushing it." Anna said.

It seemed like a good mutual support option to Young Allison. She wanted things done her way. She wanted them done thoroughly. She felt she developed a good contingency plan.

"I want it done." Young Allison said. "If something happens, they'll be able to render each other close in support to break away. The drones at altitude will flatten the place then."

Anna noticed CamNet sent three drones to do the scans. She was pretty sure 'Cherry Bomb' and 'Coltan Overcast' were ready to act on Young Allison's request before CamNet initiated it. It was clear all the machines were ready to act on anything Young Allison or Savannah asked of them, without them asking directly. She believed such behavior might need a 'check' on it. A drone may be more aggressive to carry out its task without regard for the consequences. They were supposed to be part of a team.

"You should run everything by John Henry, CamNet, or me." Anna said. "A little additional input isn't a bad thing."

Young Allison thought she did.

"I try to do so." Young Allison said. "Alert the teams we'll have images and updates soon."

Anna sent out the warning and information.

John Henry watched as things began to happen. He also noticed Allison and Vanna were finally on their way to see him. They were stopped in a 'dead zone' for a while. He previously wanted to eliminate the dead zones. Cameron told him to leave them how they were. He was actually a little bothered when she told him why. It was to stop her if it was ever necessary.

He remembered the conversation he conducted with Cameron about it.

"You'll leave things as they are now." Cameron said.

John Henry didn't like the lack of full coverage.

"Why?" John Henry asked.

"There may be a time if we malfunction, if I malfunction, they may need to plan to stop us, or stop me." Cameron said. "It's a safeguard. I may need termination. I don't want to hurt them if I go bad again. I want them to be able to stop me."

John Henry knew Savannah would never do anything to deactivate or destroy Cameron.

"Savannah will never terminate you. She'll sacrifice herself at your mercy before she ever would harm you." John Henry said.

"I hope her love is strong enough to stop me then." Cameron said. "There are others who will need to act."

John Henry knew love was a powerful force. It could literally make someone do anything under the right circumstances. He knew the only force more powerful than love was probably jealousy. It could really make someone do anything. Both love and jealousy didn't exist in physical reality. They only existed within someone's mind. They often thought it was in their heart, it wasn't. It was always in their mind. The heart was just an excuse.

He pushed the thoughts away. Vanna and Allison were about to enter. They walked into the Command Center a half of a second later.

"Hello, ladies." John Henry said.

Vanna and Allison looked at each other. They weren't sure if the term fit them.

"I think he means us." Allison said.

Vanna and Allison laughed. They doubted they would ever feel like a 'lady'.

"Hello." Vanna said. "Fill us in, sir."

They both felt deep down, anyone from the future felt like trash in any timeline they were in. It wasn't their fault. It was just how they felt. It's what the future did to people. It's what the future did to everyone. Well, a Skynet future anyway.

The three teams with Savannah, Cammy, and Cam began to receive drone footage. It was from the top down and sides of the building they took under observation.

Savannah was at a disadvantage in the imagery interpretation. She knew John Henry, Anna, and CamNet were all pouring over the images.

They were at the highest stage of alert right now.

Even though the drones were in close, Savannah couldn't see or hear them. She could see the images they sent. She knew other humans couldn't hear her see them either.

Richard and Michael reported they finished with the further recon of the building the 'sixth man' left from. They searched it again and reestablished surveillance. They were headed to back up Savannah's team. They brought two 'Stingers' from Cameron's base after they let off the two female detainees.

Savannah wanted it straight from Cammy.

"Tell me exactly what you can see and what we're facing." Savannah said.

Cammy looked at Cam.

Savannah immediately sensed some type of problem.

"Don't look at her." Savannah said. "Spill it."

Cammy shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't see anything." Cammy said.

It was clear Savannah didn't buy her explanation. She turned to Cam.

Cam looked at the same information Cammy did. She reached a similar conclusion.

"I don't either." Cam said.

Savannah wasn't so sure now. There must be something they could detect.

"What about the vehicle?" Savannah asked. "We saw it go inside there."

Cammy pointed something out on the image.

"It's parked right inside the door." Cammy said. "I'm not seeing any heat signatures and there's no movement of any kind."

Savannah was dissatisfied with the news.

"We know the sixth man was hidden at the other location." Savannah said. "It must be the same thing there. We never saw him leave."

Cammy was still dissatisfied she hadn't been able to find him when she searched the building. She wanted to get some personal retribution and find him now.

"I'm going to need to go down there and take a look." Cammy said.

Cam didn't want to split up Cammy and Savannah.

"I'll do it." Cam said. "You two can remain together here as my backup."

Savannah intended to face the danger with them.

"The three of us will do it." Savannah said.

The fact there was 'nothing' of consequence worried Cammy. She wanted Savannah out of the danger zone.

"It may be a trap." Cammy said. "You should take the SUV and join Steve and Tom."

Savannah wanted to help.

"If you go there, I'm going with you." Savannah said.

Cam and Cammy knew this is exactly what Savannah did with Cameron. It was why she was in the 'hot seat' all the time. It forced them to use even more caution than they normally would. They needed to think about more than just themselves if things went bad. They knew even with all the extra thought Cameron went through, there were still plenty of things which went wrong.

Young Allison wanted to know more about the drone scans. Everything indicated there was 'nothing'. Because nothing was visible, it spoke of danger. There must be something hidden. It seemed the forces on the ground could face some type of ambush when they approached the building. There were other ways to deal with the threat.

"My instinct is to send in a group of missiles." Young Allison said.

Anna didn't think they knew enough yet. There was still an unknown danger they might face.

"Since the prospect of a larger power cell was raised, it could be quite explosive." Anna said. "We can't risk a massive explosion in the city."

It seemed like something else. There must be something different happening there.

"I'm aware of the danger." Young Allison said. "This group is most likely not Fanatics so we may be able to try a recon."

Anna knew they didn't really know who any of the enemy actually were. It seemed to be the case more often than not. It was probably because they now dealt with different futures. There was a lot of infiltration among the groups.

"Savannah is ready to go in with Cammy and Cam." Anna said.

Young Allison was displeased about Savannah's decision too.

"I heard." Young Allison said.

She didn't like Savannah always being in the 'hot seat'. She wanted to share the responsibility with her. She was going to mention it to Anna but decided not to. All it ever did was spark an argument. It was going to happen sooner or later. She believed it was going to be sooner.

Combat wasn't something she looked forward to as far as the danger and fighting would go. It was more a sense of a duty to help share the burden. The responsibility shouldn't fall on the back of one person all of the time. Two individuals who were equals should share everything equally, even danger.

The Gray lowered his pistol down and turned the handle on the door. He wanted to observe what was going on inside of the room. He opened it a crack and looked inside. His earlier arousal instantly faded. It wasn't what he expected to see. There was a 'comfort bunk' all right. There wasn't a female tied to it.

There was a male on his knees and another male behind him. It was clear what was happening. The male behind the male on his knees, reached forward and grabbed the other one's hair and jerked his head back rather violently. It appeared he was about to finish. He noted both of the males appeared to be there voluntarily. Neither one was tied to the 'comfort bunk'. He would need to think twice about using it if they did acquire some 'fresh meat'.

He didn't expected to find what he did. He was just glad he didn't find a bunch of bodies. He knew there should be more individuals at the station. They could be out on a mission. It could either be recon or surveillance. He thought he should make his presence known. He didn't want it to be where he currently was at. He quickly moved back to the door from the work area. He waited a short while so whatever was going on could reach some type of conclusion. It was time to move things along. He opened it and slammed it loudly.

"Hello." The Gray said. "Is anyone here? This place looks like a ghost town."

He was surprised at how quickly the man who was behind the man on his knees appeared in the doorway. He didn't look down the hallway when he spoke. He seemed to be preoccupied with something behind him.

"Did you put the grab on a new Bitch?" The first man asked. "I've been itching for some new skirt. There hasn't been a whole lot of action around here recently."

The second man appeared behind him a few seconds later.

"This place has been Deadsville since the last slut checked out." The second man said. "I'm ready for some action myself."

The Gray didn't think he was going to bring up what he witnessed. It was clearly being done without the knowledge of the others. It was probably one of the reasons why they hadn't gone with the other group. They wanted some 'alone time' together. He didn't want to deprive anyone of whatever gratification they could achieve. It just wasn't his cup of tea. He found out the hard way what it was like to be on the receiving end before. He quickly pushed the thoughts from his mind. It was years ago. He knew females needed to endure a lot more than he did.

The two men were a little surprised to see a stranger inside of their building. Currently the stranger was the only one who carried a weapon.

The Gray quickly identified himself and where he was from. He gave the two men a brief rundown as to what happened. He said he would save all the details for when the others returned. He didn't want to have to explain everything twice.

He was told by the two men, the others went shopping. They were supposed to bring back some 'fresh meat' when they returned from the store. Groceries weren't the only thing on the list. It appeared dessert was a top priority for them. Well, most of them anyway.

The female Fanatic prepared to engage the next target. She was still topless. She didn't see a visible weapon when she spotted the third man leave the van. It didn't mean he wasn't holding one now. He certainly heard the two gunshots. He would know exactly what they were.

She didn't have time to search either of the two men she killed. She didn't know what other weapons they were carrying. She was sure the reason why the one man held a knife was so they could threaten to kill her silently to make her more compliant. She was sure when she searched them they would both be packing heat. The other man was in too big of a hurry to get out his 'gun'. He should have drawn his weapon instead. She was sure it was because she was naked when they accosted her.

The shirt she selected was on top of a box near where her pistol and the knife were originally. She grabbed it and moved around the side of the shed. She took a quick peek before she went around the corner to make sure he hadn't changed directions.

Where she was now, she could be spotted by someone who came out of the store if they happened to look in her direction. She was pretty sure when she fired her pistol again, it would draw someone's attention. When she fired at the first time, she was behind the shed. It would muffle the sound somewhat as to the direction it actually came from. Somebody could have mistaken it for a backfire.

She was sure if someone saw her topless, it would draw more attention than if they realized she was the one who just fired a firearm. She took a quick peek back in the direction she just came from. She didn't see the other man yet.

She thought about going around the shed and coming up behind him. She didn't know if there was anyone else in the van or not. If she moved around the shed, she would be spotted. Clearly, anyone else in the van would be paying attention where the man who just got out went. When she fired her pistol again, it was definitely going to draw their attention.

Seconds ago:

The Gray in the van was the lookout. He was supposed to keep watch on the two men who just left. They spotted a female target by the donation bin for the clothing. It was a spot where they put the grab on homeless females before. They didn't see where she came from. She was just there. They watched her drag some boxes around to the back. They figured she was probably going to change her clothes.

The last two 'skanks' they'd put the grab on were half dressed when they grabbed them. It was just one less thing to rip off of them when they got them into the van. As soon as they nabbed her, they were going to signal him and he was supposed to pull up with the van.

As soon as he pulled up, they would open the side door and force her inside. The others would enter and close the door. It would only take ten seconds. They would be on their way out of the parking lot and back to the base in short order. It was their standard procedure for gathering 'fresh meat'. They would usually stop along the way and all take a turn first before she was delivered to the base and tied to the 'comfort bunk'. Things got pretty sloppy from there on.

He was a little startled when he heard two gunshots. He knew what they were right away. He quickly got out of the van. He touched his pistol as he advanced on the location. He wondered why one of the idiots shot the 'broad'. There were two of them there to nab her. They should have been able to easily overpower her.

He approached the shed from the blind side. He would be around the back in a second. He pulled his pistol out as he came around the corner. He almost tripped over something. He quickly realized it was one of the men. He looked and he saw the other man laying a few feet away. He noticed his pants were down.

'What the Hell?' The man thought.

The only thing he could think was the two men got into an argument over the female. It was clear one man was going to 'do' her right there. He wasn't even going to wait until she was in the van. The other man must have protested and a fight broke out. He saw one man was stabbed and one man was shot. He saw a knife on the ground but he didn't see the firearm. He figured it was probably underneath one of them.

He knew there was going to be Hell to pay for what happened.

Wait!

Where was the homeless Bitch at?

He quickly looked up. His pistol was pointed down since he just checked on the second man. He was a little surprised to see a topless female come around the corner with a pistol in her hands.

Maybe it was because she was topless. It delayed his reaction time slightly as he went to raise his pistol. He noticed her breasts weren't very large. They were large enough to get a handful though.

He knew he was going to die in the next moment. He still tried to bring his pistol up anyway.

His brain registered the flash of the gun but he didn't hear the shot. The bullet traveled at supersonic speed. It slammed into his head. He dropped like a rock.

Moments ago:

The female Fanatic waited until she heard the man come around the corner. She figured he would be a little confused at what he looked at. She knew he would check his fallen comrades first. It was what she hoped anyway.

She peeked around the corner and saw him bend over to check the man whose pants were down. She didn't delay as she came around the corner with her pistol ready to fire. She saw him look up in surprise. She didn't hesitate to fire. Her shot was good. The man fell on top of the man with his pants down. She liked where his head landed. She was going to leave him there.

She hurried over and looked around the side of the shed at the van to see if anyone else got out, they didn't. She quickly put the shirt on. She felt a little less vulnerable now since she was fully clothed. She stashed all of her weapons and phone in her new clothing. She picked up the pistol of the man who arrived last. She made sure it was ready to shoot. It was. She checked both sides of the shed again. She didn't see anyone paying any extra attention to where she was at.

She checked all three men for weapons, phones, money or any other intel she could gather. She found a set of keys in the last man's pocket. They were the keys to the van. She figured she just pick herself up a ticket into the next building. She emptied several boxes of clothing on top of the three men to cover them over. She wasn't about to fool with their bodies.

The female Fanatic put everything she took from the three men into one of the empty boxes of clothing she emptied out. She hurried in the direction of the van. She didn't approach it directly. She would attempt to make a clandestine approach in case anyone else was in it.

CamNet's two Terminators watched the drone footage as the third man made his approach towards the shed. The female Fanatic was able to ambush him and kill him in a matter of seconds. She was topless when she did it. She was fully clothed now. She was on her way to the van. It appeared she carried a box of items she took from the men. They would like to get their hands on those items.

CamNet's two Terminators wanted to know if they could move in and deal with the female Fanatic. They were told to hold their position and follow her when she left. They weren't sure if she would return to the location she previously was at, or move to another target on her list. They waited for her to enter the van. It looked like she picked up a Trojan Horse.

Closing monologue by Cameron:

It Is A Safeguard

At the end of the shelf life of a relationship
Will one end up in love's graveyard
Or if they're created differently
It may be just a junkyard

There are many ways to disregard
It may be with a postcard
It won't really matter
When it's time to discard

It's bound to leave one
Broken and scarred
The mind is marred
The heart is left charred

Some hang on forever
They choose to die hard
Everyone knows someone
In that very regard

Think twice about everything
One may hold a trump card
They know how to play the game
It is a safeguard

Nobody