Chapter 1361
Paradise Cove
John finished all of his 'special espresso' earlier. He washed away the terrible aftertaste with a few cups of hot chocolate. It also helped him warm up. It seemed the morning air was usually quite brisk on their balcony with the ship at sea. The fact he wore minimal clothing probably contributed to the effects of the cold as well. A plush bathrobe didn't offer a whole lot of protection, especially around the legs.
There was one way to thoroughly warm up and have some fun doing it. They used the Jacuzzi tub in their suite.
Cameron added a lot of bubble bath crystals to the water. With the Jacuzzi jets on, the bubbles soon almost covered them over. They played around some in the water with the bubbles.
"Would you like to sleep more?" Cameron asked.
John collected some bubbles on his hand and blew them up into the air. They floated back down on top of both of them.
"I think I'm a little tired both physically and mentally." John said. "I guess we both pushed things a little further than we thought. We shared some extremely unique experiences with each other."
Cameron resisted the urge to scan John. She actually already did so several times since he woke up to see the sunrise.
"I wanted you to have the best honeymoon ever." Cameron said.
John was aware it would be a hard act to follow.
"It has been." John said. "Thank you."
John took the opportunity to splash some bubbles on Cameron.
Cameron realized the 'attack' was playful. She responded in kind.
Things picked up and soon we're carried away. The bubbles actually overflowed the Jacuzzi a little bit.
John and Cameron cleaned up any mess they made so Jim or Sheila wouldn't have to do it.
Cameron was ready to move things along. She looked at the mess they created.
"I think we can finish up here." Cameron said. "There are a few things I need to attend to."
It was something John was very adamant about. He didn't like for others to clean up after him, especially those in the Resistance.
"Maybe next time we won't need as many bubbles." John said.
Cameron wasn't sure she was ready to give up her source of abundant 'ammunition'.
"We'll see." Cameron said.
They playfully dried each other off. Cameron scooped John up in her arms and carried him to the bedroom. She wanted to give him the option of what he wanted to do.
"Do you want to eat in the buffet for breakfast now or wait for the main dining room a little later?" Cameron asked.
John looked at Cameron with 'hungry eyes'.
"I want to 'eat' now, and it isn't food." John said.
Cameron smiled and lay John on the bed.
"I think it can be arranged." Cameron said. "What about real food later on?"
John wanted to set his priorities.
"I can wait for the main dining room." John said. "There's still plenty of food on the breakfast cart if I need a snack."
Cameron indicated the phone.
"I can always order more." Cameron said.
Cameron still thought she could offer John a buffet of female chassis. She was pleased with what he told her earlier. She was the one he chose. She didn't want to push the issue.
John thought he was good for now. He looked at Cameron and patted the bed next to him.
Cameron smiled and lay down next to John.
John moved over on top of her and gave her a kiss. He backed up a little so he could see all of her face. He looked into her eyes.
"You're really beautiful, Cameron." John said.
Cameron gave John a kiss back. She did like the way he looked at her and touched her when she was in control of the other female chassis. John seemed much more vibrant when he did. She figured she would do for now.
"You're really handsome, John." Cameron said.
They both stared into each other's eyes.
"I love you, Cameron, and you love me." John said.
"I love you, John, and you love me." Cameron said.
John moved down along her sheath. He touched and stimulated all the high points along the way. He arrived where he wanted and started in. He hit the 'high' points along the way.
Cameron closed her eyes and went along for the ride.
Life was good in Paradise.
Right now her 'paradise' centered around a 'cove'.
Neither Claire nor Jesse was out yet, if they were even up. It was going to require some explanation as to why Young Allison was at the Resistance base if she was spotted by Claire.
Savannah and Young Allison were up and dressed. They headed for the commissary. Cammy and Anna were there to greet them. Anna offered to make them some breakfast unless they wanted to go out to eat.
Savannah gave Young Allison the choice.
"It's up to you, Allison." Savannah said. "You get to decide today. You're the decider."
Young Allison smiled. She was pleased with the thought. She didn't want to neglect her duties either. John was away and she said she would watch over things. Her actual participation in them was somewhat unexpected.
"It's just what I always wanted to be, the decider." Young Allison said. "Maybe we should find out from John Henry what's up first."
Young Allison always liked an update on the operations.
Savannah didn't want Young Allison out on another operation. She believed Young Allison was lucky late last night and early this morning. She wasn't opposed very much. She was able to strike with the element of surprise. She killed a lot of men.
Cammy already made sure there was nothing pending. If there was, she would have gone out on her own and taken care of it while they rested.
"I already checked." Cammy said. "He has nothing new to report."
Savannah looked at Cammy. She would have liked to have heard the information firsthand. She knew sometimes not everything was relayed. She was appreciative of something else.
"Thanks for washing our clothes." Savannah said.
Cammy didn't want to take all the credit.
"Anna helped." Cammy said.
Young Allison looked at Anna and smiled.
"Then we thank Anna too." Young Allison said. "I thank whoever cleaned my Model 66. I also noticed my Taser was new."
New electrical equipment was something Cammy and Anna decided on. They didn't want to take any chances.
"Your Tasers are both new." Anna said. "We decided to replace all the electrical gear affected by the unknown energy field."
Savannah looked at her phone.
"This still seems to work OK." Savannah said.
Young Allison checked her phone too.
"So does mine." Young Allison said.
Savannah thought about what Cammy said. She felt it was a valid topic. It seemed it needed to be addressed. She looked at Cammy. She wondered if the Metal girls were going to 'replace' themselves.
"Weren't you affected too?" Savannah asked.
Cammy remembered having to crawl away.
"I was." Cammy said.
Anna was only mildly affected, but she still felt it.
"So was I." Anna said. "We all checked out."
Cammy wanted to give them a better explanation.
"None of us was affected to the point of a shut down." Cammy said. "All the other electrical gear was rendered non-functional at some point."
It reminded Savannah of the 'close one' with the unknown portal. She wondered if they were able to draw any connection between where they were last night and the night before.
"Has any more been learned about the portal?" Savannah asked. "We could have experienced a worse day."
Cammy remembered it was a close one.
"We didn't. It was due to CamNet pulling us out. She used both of the TDEs to do it. She sent the energy bubbles back in time so they would be able to pull everyone out at the same time. They were done one after another for her, but happened all simultaneously for us."
Savannah knew the TDE at the Resistance base didn't function to go back in time. It was because of the encryption on it from River. The encryption prevented it from doing it. It was to prevent Cameron from meddling in the past. She wondered exactly what was involved to repair it.
"Did John Henry or CamNet break the encryption on the TDE here?" Savannah asked.
John Henry wasn't sure exactly how he should answer her question. It seemed like it was going to create a problem for him later on.
Summer walked into the commissary. She wanted to keep some control about what happened.
"I did." Summer said. "I told John Henry I could put it back the way it was. He didn't want me to. I was going to make it harder to break the code for the next time."
Savannah and Young Allison looked at each other. Only River should have been able to break the encryption. None of the humans or machines were able to do it.
Anna and Cammy noticed their reaction.
"It was pretty much our reaction too." Anna said.
It was clear they all thought the same thing.
Savannah was impressed.
"Hi, Summer. It's an amazing achievement." Savannah said. "How did you figure it out?"
Summer smiled.
"I don't know." Summer said. "I just looked at it and knew how to fix it. No one ever showed it to me before. Maybe I could have fixed it earlier."
Savannah knew River told Cameron when the time came for them to need it; they would have the solution to 'fix' it. It was really something to think about.
It raised the unspoken speculation Summer was perhaps River, or River's offspring, or maybe River's clone, or even her sibling. It was often thought about Young Allison too. Cameron swore she never did anything like it, yet. It always left open the possibility Cameron did it in the future still at some point. She could do something in the future and make it retroactive in time. Then there was Duplicate Cameron and Metal Summer in River's future too. Who knew what they would do? They all ran Cameron's program. Anything Cameron would do, they would do.
Young Allison went over to her sister.
"We were thinking about going out for breakfast." Young Allison said. "Do you want to go with us?"
Summer previously made plans with Jan. She wanted to give Young Allison a reminder. She knew if she was gone when her mother came to look for her, it would raise questions about where she was at and who she was with. She didn't want to put anyone in a compromising position to offer an explanation. She made other plans.
"I was going to work with Jan." Summer said. "Mom doesn't know you're here yet. It's probably better if she doesn't start asking questions about anything. I know no one wants to lie to her."
Young Allison wanted to make sure.
"How do you know?" Young Allison asked.
Summer asked for all of the updates and where everyone was at. She didn't know if she would need to run interference for Young Allison later on.
"I spoke with Samantha earlier when I checked up on everyone." Summer said. "Mom and Jesse are still in the nursery."
It made the decision for Young Allison even easier. There were 'worse' things for her to face than the 'enemy' at times. This seemed like a lucky break to her. She really didn't want to face the wrath of her mother and for her actions.
"I think we should go out to eat then before they get up." Young Allison said. "It will probably avoid a lot of hassle for me. I don't want to get scolded for doing the right thing last night. I know Mom is going to flip."
She didn't want her mother to know she was in combat. She doubted it would go over very well. She was sure the fact she killed quite a few people would only make things worse. She didn't see her contribution as outstanding and was sure her mother wouldn't either.
They left Summer behind and headed out to the carpool. Young Allison's Detail was in a van ready to go. Savannah and Young Allison thanked them for cleaning all the weapons and replacing everything electronic. It seemed to please all three of them. The girls touched them on the arm or cheek when they thanked them. They always tried to share some physical contact with everyone.
They did the same thing to 'Coltan Overcast' and 'Cherry Bomb' before they took off after shutting down for the EMP blast. It was a personal connection the girls always displayed to the machines. It was greatly appreciated by all of them. Any personal interaction any of the machines could have with the 'Chosen Ones' was special to them.
Savannah wondered why the Detail switched to a van. She saw the other vehicles all looked freshly painted. They would do it when they could. If not, Cameron always was able to provide a fresh supply, or they would pick one up off of the street. They usually cycled through those fairly quickly.
Young Allison wanted some more wheel time. She figured it couldn't hurt to ask.
"Can I drive?" Young Allison asked.
Savannah watched Young Allison drive earlier this morning.
"You did on the way here." Savannah said. "It's daylight now. I don't want to ruffle any feathers."
Young Allison didn't think it would be a big deal.
"I look just like Cammy." Young Allison said.
Savannah opened the passenger door for Young Allison to get in.
Young Allison was less than thrilled as she got in and Savannah closed the door.
Cammy and Anna got in the back seat. Young Allison sat in the passenger's seat while Savannah drove.
"Where are we going?" Savannah asked. "Did you pick a place?"
Young Allison thought of several choices.
"I did." Young Allison said. "I want to go to Paradise Cove."
Savannah looked over at Young Allison.
"It's at the beach." Savannah said. "We can go there."
Young Allison still wanted some wheel time.
"I know." Young Allison said. "I can drive if you don't want to do one of the canyon roads."
Savannah could take Topanga Canyon to PCH, or Malibu Canyon to PCH. There were other road choices as well. You would need to go further north past it and come back with the other canyon roads. She wanted Young Allison to have a pleasant time, especially after the events of last night. She stole a quick glance at Young Allison.
"Paradise Cove it is." Savannah said.
Steve and Tom went back to visit the places they were at in the early hours of the morning. They used one of Cameron's 'official vehicles' as cover. This time it was a 'Gas Company' van. They quickly went through the wreckage of both buildings to see if anything was salvageable. It was not.
The location where the energy ball was in the south building was completely gone. It appeared the energy blast obliterated everything in the underground passageway as well.
They found the remains of the Terminator in the north building. They loaded it in their van. All the loose ends were tied up. They pulled out and made sure they weren't followed. Cameron's Terminators remained in the area and checked the surveillance equipment they set up. There was always the chance someone else would show up. Nothing further developed.
Allison opened her eyes. She was greeted with a familiar smiling face. It was the face she woke up to for half of her life. It would be the face she would wake up to for the rest of her life.
"Hello, beautiful." Vanna said.
Allison looked over and smiled at Vanna. They shared a soft kiss.
"Do you want to get up?" Vanna asked.
Allison looked around. There was no sign of the Metal girls.
"We could." Allison said. "We could start the day off right too."
Vanna moved over on top of Allison and kissed her. Both girls were naked.
"I hoped you'd mention it." Vanna said.
The girls began to kiss and touch. They soon melted into each other's arms. It was the comfort and love they both craved from each other. The long time love was the foundation of life for both of them. They may share sex with the other girls and sometimes even love with others. It was never the same love they shared with each other. Their love was a special love.
John Henry worked with CamNet to go over all the data they could about the 'further future' technology they encountered in the last couple of days.
They clandestinely discussed Summer and her potential as a weapon to bring down Skynet or SkyMaster with the encryption. Summer told John Henry she could 'fix it' to make it even harder to break. Depending on how a system was targeted, would determine how it was affected. It could be used to target both of them as well. It was decided CamNet would speak directly with Summer. They determined it was best to keep the plans to themselves.
Derek, Sarah, and Kyle both came in and made their reports as to what part they played and what they witnessed during the operation. It was established beyond all doubt the critical part Young Allison played in them getting out of the building alive.
John Henry brought up something he felt was important. Anna visited him again and mentioned Young Allison preferred her involvement remain 'need to know' at the present time. It was something they all chose to respect. If it came down to whether they needed to lie about it or not, Young Allison preferred if they would tell the truth at that point in time and not lie for her. She would face the music and be accountable for her actions. It was bound to come out sooner or later.
Sarah listened as Kyle and Derek told their story. She was as impressed as they were to hear how Young Allison acted. It was all on her own while holding her breath. There were no Terminators to back her up. It was a 'one girl act'. Even Savannah wasn't there for her.
Nobody was.
Savannah drove the 101 Freeway to Las Virgenes Road and exited. They would take it to Malibu Canyon road and then to PCH.
There was a solemn mood as they started south on Las Virgenes Road. They passed by the site of the helicopter crash of a retired famous basketball player for a local team. He was killed with his daughter and several other people. It was a tragic loss no matter how it was looked at. The burn scar on the hillside was still there. They didn't talk about it.
Savannah didn't want to dwell on the negative. She looked back at Cammy and nodded.
Cammy made the arrangements with John Henry and CamNet to make sure all law enforcement personnel would be out of the area. The CHP patrolled PCH and the Sheriff's department was responsible for most of the rest of the area. They didn't need to worry about the LAPD once they left the city limits.
Savannah pulled over to the side of the road. She moved the seat up a tad. She smiled at Young Allison and exited out her side of the vehicle. By the time she was around to the passenger side. Young Allison was already behind the wheel and buckled in. There was a giant smile on her face.
Young Allison was thrilled Savannah was going to allow her to drive. Whenever she drove in the Palmdale area, the Detail always made sure her seat was adjusted before she got in the vehicle. She adjusted the mirrors. She made sure Savannah was buckled in before she pulled away from the side of the road. She checked to make sure it was clear before she pulled out. There was very little traffic.
There were fewer curves on this road. They weren't as sharp as they were on Topanga Canyon. There was also less traffic. There were fewer homes located along it as well. There weren't any people pulling out of driveways with traffic approaching at fifty miles an hour, while they were going ten miles an hour. For some reason they didn't seem to know to step on the gas pedal to get their car moving once they pulled out into traffic.
The drive through the canyon was uneventful and the ocean was soon spotted after one last rise in the road. The biggest hazard would have been any fallen rock from one of the cuts the road passed through. There were none today. There were plenty of loose rocks along the side of the road in the cuts.
They passed a big local college and turned right onto PCH.
"The Paradise Cove turnoff is still a few miles up." Savannah said.
Young Allison looked over at Savannah.
"I know where it is." Young Allison said. "I've been here with Cameron several times."
Savannah wondered how many of those times Cameron let Young Allison drive. She didn't ask. What was the point? It was already done. It was probably most of them. She figured Cameron probably let her drive each of the different canyon roads which could access PCH. There were several. It was clear at this point, Young Allison was trained much more than she knew.
They waited at the light for Paradise Cove and turned left at the street. They went down a short curvy road and pulled into the parking lot.
There were only a few cars in the lot.
Young Allison liked the freshness of the air.
"Can we walk on the beach first?" Young Allison asked.
Savannah thought it was a good idea.
"I don't see why not." Savannah said.
Young Allison stole a quick glance at Savannah and at Cammy and Anna in the back seat.
"If we had our swimsuits, we could go in the water." Young Allison said. "I know it would be a little brisk."
Savannah wondered about it. She looked at Cammy and Anna. She thought they both looked 'guilty'.
"Something tells me we probably do." Savannah said.
Cammy looked at Savannah and smiled.
"I may have picked up a few items before we left." Cammy said. "It never hurts to be prepared."
Anna made a contribution as well.
"I made some alterations to one of Allison's bikinis for Allison. It will fit her perfectly." Anna said. "I don't sleep."
Young Allison thought it was totally unnecessary. She did appreciate the time and effort spent to make things nice for her.
"Thanks, Anna." Young Allison said. "You always look out for me."
Savannah always noticed Young Allison became rather shapely. She didn't have much further to go yet. She figured if anything, they probably removed about half the material to make the bikini even more revealing. Those were the type Cameron always purchased for Young Allison. It was the same with her underwear. It was almost as skimpy as possible.
There was something else which worried Savannah. It was something she saw on the TV.
"I've heard a recent report of a few shark attacks on both coasts." Savannah said.
Anna thought they took adequate precautions.
"If you go in the water, the Detail will be out along with us." Anna said. "Any threat will be terminated."
Savannah figured there would be a drone over them as well to act as an additional spotter. She didn't ask. If there wasn't one already, there would be if she did. It would probably be at a much lower altitude as well so it could provide a quicker response.
"We can walk along the beach a little ways first." Savannah said. "I don't want to go in the water before we eat."
Savannah knew the water would feel cold very quickly. She still remembered how cold it was when she' jumped in to 'save' the small child being swept out to sea. It was something she hadn't expected. She just knew, when she heard the cries and saw the child coming towards them, she could do it. It wasn't something she practiced or trained for. She knew she was a strong swimmer.
She was aware of the time when John needed to jump off of a pier as well. It was the Santa Monica Pier. His situation was different, but it could have proven just as deadly. She didn't think she done anything heroic. All she did was what needed to be done, when it needed to be done. She couldn't help but think it was exactly the same thing Young Allison said about the events of the previous night. She hoped to think of some more pleasant thoughts right now.
Savannah and Allison started down the beach.
Cammy and Anna dropped back.
Young Allison wondered if Savannah was behind it. Normally they would stay much closer to them. She was a little concerned as to what was about to follow. If it was what she thought, she just wanted to get it over with.
"I see Cammy and Anna are going to allow you to 'chew me out'." Young Allison said.
Savannah did want to say things to Young Allison about the operation earlier. She held her tongue about it. Now was the time to vent.
"You know I thought about it a lot." Savannah said. "I don't have to say a thing to you because you already know what I have to say. You know you overstepped, but I do understand. I don't want to make a big deal about it. I also need to say what you did was outstanding and admirable. I don't expect to see it again until you return from the past."
Young Allison wondered when it was going to happen. She was ready to go for a long time now. She actually wondered if it was ever going to happen.
"Cameron keeps putting it off." Young Allison said.
The whole idea still bothered Savannah. She didn't think any of it was necessary. There was no need to rush anything. There were others who could 'step up' if John needed immediate protection from the anti-Metal faction. She would 'step up' herself if necessary. She'd made a promise to Cameron. She intended to keep it.
"I really don't want to talk about it." Savannah said.
Young Allison reached over and took Savannah's hand. Their fingers soon interlaced.
Both girls were happy to be alive and to have survived the combat. No one was hurt, injured, damaged, or dead.
They could both feel the future calling them.
The girls wanted to say they loved each other.
They didn't need to.
The feeling of love radiated from both of them. They could both feel it. To have been in combat together only accentuated the feeling. It was in the air and all around them. It showed on both of them, even if it was unspoken. It was the 'Natural Order'.
Cammy and Anna fell back further as they watched the girls interact.
Anna could see the bond between them grow.
"There's no stopping it." Anna said.
Cammy believed it was out of their hands.
"It was 'written' before either of them was ever born or we were constructed." Cammy said. "There's no need to stop anything."
Anna agreed with Cammy. She didn't think anything should stop it either.
"I think so." Anna said. "I'm sorry for your loss."
Cammy looked over at Anna. She knew it was a two way street.
"I'm sorry for your loss." Cammy said.
Cammy and Anna took each other's hand as they followed behind. They found comfort in each other at this time. It wasn't lost on either of them they looked exactly like Savannah and Young Allison. Well, there was a slight age difference on Anna and Young Allison from Savannah and Cammy's appearance. It wasn't very much. Maybe only a Terminator could tell the difference.
John felt pretty good about himself. He seemed to have a new strength to be able to perform better on the cruise. He really thought the fresh salt air did him some good. It seemed the espresso helped as well. He really didn't care for the taste, but he sure liked the results. He was a little more vibrant now. He felt completely rejuvenated.
He was able to do everything with Cameron. He let her finish on top. It was always something she liked to do. She did it in each of the chassis she 'borrowed' too.
Cameron leaned down and rested against him. She made sure her weight was mostly off of him. They held each other and kissed. She finally rolled off of him. They lay on their backs, side by side.
John liked Cameron this way. He knew she was her program, but he liked her in her own chassis. She accused him of only 'loving Allison's appearance' before. Maybe he did. The trouble with her theory was, he knew her before he ever met Allison. To him, Allison shared Cameron's appearance, not the other way around, even if it's how it actually was. Cameron's appearance came first. Allison's appearance came second.
He did have to admit he liked her sharing the other female chassis with him. It was a thrill for both of them. He was open to doing it some more. He thought it should be used with moderation. He didn't want her to do a full chip swap. He appreciated the sacrifice of the Metal girls for Cameron and him.
"Are you up for some breakfast?" Cameron asked.
It sounded like a plan to John. He thought it was the only thing he be 'up' to for a while. Cameron really worked him hard. He thought about their other guests.
"Should we invite Allison and Vanna?" John asked.
Cameron was unsure if they went to the buffet already or not. She wasn't even sure if they were up yet. She saw them at sunrise. They both looked a little on the sleepy side.
"Let me find out what's happening. You can get ready." Cameron said. "I'll be back."
Cameron left the suite bedroom naked and headed for the connecting door to the Control Center.
John got up and dressed. He figured casual clothes were good enough for now. He came back to fix the bed but gave up. He knew they would change everything anyway. He just straightened it up some so it looked a little neater. He checked in the area around the Jacuzzi tub and was satisfied they cleaned up the excess bubbles. He was sure they would clean the entire bathroom from top to bottom anyway. He just didn't want to leave a mess behind. He felt it would be disrespectful. He knew they would be doing their 'jobs' as part of their assignment. He still felt bad they needed to wait on them. It wasn't how it should be.
Cameron returned a few minutes later. She thought it was good news in more ways than one.
"They're already up." Cameron said. "They're almost ready."
She quickly dressed.
John wondered where they would join up at.
"Will we meet in the private area or in the main dining room?" John asked.
Cameron looked over at John and smiled.
"They told us to come over to their suite." Cameron said.
John wondered if they were naked. He hoped they would be. He didn't want to seem too anxious.
"Are they dressed?" John asked.
Cameron smiled at him again.
"Does it matter?" Cameron asked. "You've seen and experienced everything there is to see on 'them' from the Metal girl's chassis and mine. You know the secrets of both of them. I can say one of them quite extensively."
John wanted to point out it wasn't the same thing, even if the physical appearance aspect of it was. None of the Metal girls were Vanna or Allison. He didn't think he should mention it. He did like what he saw and experienced on all of the Metal girls chassis.
He was impressed with how pink 'everything' was on Hanna's sheath. He hadn't gotten very far with Savannah on the times they were almost together. He was always in too big of a hurry to be with her. They hadn't even kissed yet and there was never any foreplay. It seemed Savannah was as eager to have him, as he was her. They both were in a hurry to share and never did. Something always got in the way in the last few seconds. It always seemed to be Skynet related. It made him hate Skynet even more to think about it.
"I guess I have seen just about everything." John said.
Cameron knew it was more than 'just about everything'. It was everything. He didn't just see it either. He was able to experience it.
"You have." Cameron said. "There's no guess work to it. You know every detail in every way."
John figured the only guess work was how each of the different human females would actually respond. He doubted the response would be identical on any two of them, even if they were the same individual.
Cameron looked once around the room.
"Let's go." Cameron said.
They left the Owner's Suite and headed to the Master Suite through the private area.
Earlier:
Jim wasn't surprised to see Cameron show up naked in the Control Center again. He feared what she was there for. He was relieved to know it wasn't him, at least not yet.
She wanted an update. There was none. She passed into the spare bedroom of the Master Suite and returned two minutes later. He was glad when she kept going.
He didn't like the look she gave him before she returned to the Owner's Suite.
Maybe he should contact Bob and see if there was some assignment he could do in the lower decks somewhere to assist him with something. He would be content to find a nice corner hidden away somewhere and go into standby.
Sheila was previously threatened with washing dishes or scrubbing the bilge. He was open to doing either of those things to get away from the Control Center. They were just some things he didn't want to be a part of. He knew Bob didn't either.
Earlier:
Vanna and Allison were both naked when Cameron knocked on their bedroom door. They invited her in. No one bothered to cover up. Cameron was naked too. It gave all of them a 'cheap thrill'.
Cameron went over what she wanted to do with John. She soon left.
The girls wanted to go with them to the main dining room. They weren't sure how fancy it would be, it would be better than a bowl of cereal or an English muffin. If they were lucky, sometimes there would be some peanut butter or jam to put on it. It would improve the taste greatly, but it was unnecessary. A plain English muffin or a piece of toast, was something people would have fought over in the past, the future.
Allison figured they were on a timetable.
"Let's get crackin'." Allison said. "Cameron will be back with John before we get dressed."
Vanna and Allison actually both would like John to see them naked. It never hurt to 'advertise'. Cameron indicated to both of them John was 'fair game' while they were on the ship and afterwards for that matter.
"At least we don't have to dress up for breakfast." Vanna said.
Allison knew there were only a couple of things off limits in the main dining room.
"I think we can wear anything as long as it's not shorts or a bathing suit." Allison said.
Allison still felt kind of cool.
She put on pants and a sweatshirt.
Vanna noticed she forgot something.
"No underwear?" Vanna asked.
Allison didn't think it was a big deal.
"No." Allison said.
Vanna wondered if she wanted John to see some 'camel toe'. She decided to dress the same way.
There was a knock at their suite door right as they finished putting their shoes on.
"They're here." Vanna said.
They both went to the door to greet them.
They exchanged pleasantries with John and headed out.
John was glad to see them. They both looked happy and vibrant. It wasn't always the case. He was aware many times the past haunted them, and they looked less than happy.
He looked around. He expected to see a few other individuals there.
"Are the Metal girls all in the Honeymoon suite?" John asked.
Allison didn't know for sure. She thought their attire was a little on the cool side.
"I think they went out." Allison said. "They were all wearing bikinis."
Cameron smiled. She knew where they were all headed.
"I think they all went to the nude sunbathing area." Cameron said.
John thought it was still early.
"I guess they wanted to get a head start." John said.
Allison was aware they needed to keep track of where everyone was at. It especially applied in her case.
"I guess Cameron and I won't be able to go if Ally and Cam-Gail are there." Allison said.
The idea intrigued John to see all the Metal girls naked at the same time. He remembered Cameron offered to bring more of them at the same time earlier.
"I guess not." John said. "I might check it out."
Vanna and Allison giggled. They were aware of John's exploits from the Metal girls. They knew Cameron was behind it, but John was also a beneficiary, a big one.
"From what we've heard, you've already 'checked out' everything." Allison said.
Vanna and Allison giggled some more.
John felt a little defensive.
"It was all mutual. In reality, it was always Cameron." John said. "Besides, there was nothing on them you two haven't already checked out hundreds of times."
Vanna and Allison giggled even more.
"We think you saw it a little differently." Vanna said. "Now you know what I look like everywhere. You already knew what she looks like. It was all old news in regards to her."
Vanna indicated Allison.
Allison shrugged her shoulders. She knew there were like twelve of 'her' with all of the players. Maybe it was more. It was too hard to keep track of. There could have always been more clones of Cameron created in some of the various futures. She was a little dismayed to know one of them was actually destroyed during a battle against Skynet. It bothered her more than it should have. She was her own person.
"I'm still me, even if someone looks like me." Allison said. "I don't want anyone to forget it."
Cameron wanted Vanna and Allison to go at some point and visit the nude sunbathing area.
"There should be other females there in the nude sunbathing area too." Cameron said. "There should be an excellent selection for everyone."
Vanna worried about one thing.
"Are there any men there too?" Vanna asked.
Cameron was aware it was an 'open' area.
"Yes." Cameron said. "There could be anyway."
Vanna didn't want men to leer at her. There would be all sorts of wicked thoughts in their head as they looked at her and the other females. She understood it was how things worked, even if she didn't care for it.
"I'm out." Vanna said.
No one said anything after she mentioned it.
They exited the private area and started down the hall toward the rear elevator. It was time to hit the main dining room for breakfast.
Cameron was bothered by Vanna's statement. She would see what she could do about it.
The female Fanatic listened for any HK drones. It was quiet. It was time to get moving. If she was taken down, she was taken down. She was disgusted with her dreams. She really didn't know where those dreams came from. Maybe it was because she was so tired. She was tired of hiding. She was also very thirsty.
She cautiously got to her knees and looked up towards the hillside where she saw the HK drone carry out the strike. She was still between the two rocks. She didn't spot anyone. She looked back down the dirt road and didn't see anyone either.
If the HK drone was still around, it was still around. She figured it would take her out one way or the other. She looked back towards where her car was parked. She looked back up towards the side of the hill again. She figured she came this far, she might as well see what she was after and make sure it was destroyed. She couldn't imagine it wasn't. It wasn't she would be back to finish the job herself.
Once she stood, she took a moment to brush off all of the dirt from her clothing. She was actually able to cover herself quite a bit better than she knew in the darkness. Maybe it was why the HK drone did attack her.
The trek up the side of the hill was much easier in the daylight. She was able to make her way up in a very short time. She could see the object start to appear she detected on the satellite photos. She didn't know what it was going to be. When she looked at it, she could see it was very old. It was some type of machinery. It looked dilapidated. She originally thought it was brown. It was actually rusted.
There was a large flat area in front of the hillside. There was a lot of rock scattered around. She figured there must have been something there. It was most likely a mine. Whatever it was, it was completely blown closed. There were tire tracks all around the area. She figured the vans must be inside of the mine. She hoped one of them would have survived the attack so she could drive it away from there. It didn't appear so.
She spotted something on the ground near the base of the old machinery. She walked over and looked. There was a pack of cigarettes and half a bottle of water. She quickly drank it. She figured there must have been a sentry there at one point in time. She could see the dust on the foundation of the machinery was gone in a semi-circular location. She figured the sentry sat there. She didn't see any bodies. She wasn't sure how they got everything inside of the mine before the fireworks started.
It was possible they thought they were about to be attacked by a ground force. She was aware of what happened at several of their locations. She was responsible for most of them. She doubted they were prepared to repel a drone attack. Both drones came in right on top of the ground so they could fire directly into the mine. She figured death came swiftly. She figured they wanted to get the missiles as far inside as possible to collapse as much of the mine as possible.
There was nothing else there for her to see or do. She decided she would walk down the road instead of going down the hillside. She figured if the HK drone was still around, it would have attacked her by now.
There was clearly a new dimension to her activities. There was definitely some version of Skynet out there. She wondered how much of a factor it played in anything else. What happened there at the hillside location could have been pure coincidence. Somehow she didn't think so. Either way, there was no way to know.
The walk down the dirt road was much better than the climb up the hillside. She was at the base in no time. She could see the main road. There was some traffic on it but not much. She tried to keep out of sight of any of the passing vehicles. There was a good chance someone would stop to offer her 'assistance'. They would probably want a little more than she was willing to provide. It could get ugly. It would also give her the chance to obtain a new ride. She would look for a ditch alongside the road where she could dump the body of the previous owner. She took one more look around. It was still relatively early, even if the sun was up.
She made a wide circle around where she parked the vehicle. She didn't spot anything unusual or out of the ordinary. The closer she got, the more she looked at the ground. The only footprints she could see in the dust were her own. The only tire tracks were from her own vehicle.
There was no one else around. She took out the keys and opened the door. She got into the driver's seat and put the key into the ignition. She figured if it was going to blow up, it was going to blow up. She turned the key and the vehicle started. She closed the driver's door. She took out the original burner phone. She was able to look at the screen. She verified a few addresses and locations. She was able to look at several of the other phones from some of the Grays she killed.
There were two locations which seemed to pop up on several of the phones. One of them was also from the intelligence she previously gathered. She turned off her burner phone to conserve the battery. She used one of the other phones to look at the satellite map of the next two locations she wanted to visit. She drove through the dirt. She paused before she turned back onto the main street. There was no traffic. She headed back towards the city.
She didn't know if she would make it to both of them or not. She would at least make it to one of them. One target was closer than the other. She didn't know which one would have higher value. It was daylight now so maybe all she would be able to do is conduct some reconnaissance.
Her pockets were full of cash. She decided she was going to stop by a fast food restaurant, or convenience store, and get something to eat and drink. She still had a few of the anti drowsy tablets. She was going to take them now, but decided to wait. She would buy another package at the next gas station she stopped at. The little bit of sleep she was able to get seemed to help a lot. She would really like to dump the vehicle she currently drove.
The female Fanatic contemplated her next move. She looked at the gas gauge. It was close to empty. She tapped on it with her left index finger several times. The gauge didn't move. Her first course of action would be to get some gasoline. She doubted the previous owners ever filled the tank up. She could picture them putting the gas into the tank at maybe ten dollars a time it would only buy them just over a couple of gallons.
She still needed to consider the possibility the vehicle May have been stolen. The rightful owner may have been carjacked. They may have encountered the vehicle running in front of an ATM, or a convenience store. It was how she was able to obtain a vehicle earlier. She simply got into the running vehicle and drove off. She checked to make sure there wasn't a car seat in the back with a baby in it. She didn't want to turn Grand Theft Auto to turn into kidnapping if she was taken into custody by the authorities.
CamNet's Terminators waited to put their plan in motion. The delivery vehicle continued down the alley towards their location.
The original plan had been to take the delivery vehicle right after it arrived. With the change in its route, they figured they could take it beforehand.
The men in the delivery van headed towards the location. They were to collect the money generated the previous evening and let off some new 'supplies'. They were running behind schedule so they decided to take a shortcut.
The first man didn't like the deviation from the plan.
"I think we should have stuck to the route." The first man said.
The second man looked over. He was the driver.
"We need to make up time." The second man said.
The first man didn't think it was a big deal.
"We're only a half hour behind schedule." The first man said. "All we're saving here is a few minutes. We're still going to get there late."
The second man knew how uptight the boss got.
"You're not the one driving, I am." The second man said.
The first man looked back into the cargo compartment.
"You shouldn't have stopped to knock off a quick one." The first man said.
The second man didn't think it was a big deal.
"You knocked one off as well." The second man said.
The van was halfway down the alley. The sun came up a short time ago. Normally they finished the run before it was up.
The first man turned around and looked forward. He was more than a little surprised.
"Hey, look what just came around the corner." The first man said.
The second man looked up from his phone. He wanted to check the time.
"I see it." The second man said. "It looks like our day just got a little better."
The first man didn't want any more trouble.
"Where do you think she's from?" The first man asked.
The second man looked over and shook his head.
"She must have escaped from one of the back rooms." The second man said. "We can put the grab on her and say it's what delayed us. We can say we saw her running and turned around and went after her. It took some time to corner her and capture her. We didn't want to damage the merchandise."
What the two men saw was a topless female running towards them. She was waving her hands back and forth in the air in front of her. It appeared she was trying to flag them down.
The first man thought it was ironic. She was running towards her own recapture.
"I think she wants us to help her." The first man said. "She should have run the other way."
The second man made other plans.
"As soon as we put the grab on her, I want you to drive." The second man said. "I'm going to knock one off in the back of the van with her."
The first man thought it was a bad idea.
"Let's just grab her and take her back." The first man said.
The second man laughed.
"The boss will just be happy to get her back." The second man said. "It won't hurt anything to test out the merchandise. Look at her, man. She's got a set of jugs that just won't quit."
The first man did look. He noticed there was quite a bit of bounce, as well as sway from side to side, when she ran. The more he looked, the more enticing it became.
Seconds ago:
Tina could see Lena was already in place. She quickly calculated the speed of the van and where she would need to stop it at to achieve the maximum mission success.
She took her top off earlier and gave it to Lena. She was in the alcove where the lookout previously had been. She sprinted out of the alcove with a distressed look on her face. She started to run down the alley at a moderate speed. She began to wave her arms back and forth as if she was trying to flag down the van. It was what she was trying to do.
The van started to slow. She needed to increase her pace slightly. She moved into the center of the alley to make sure the van stopped. She doubted they would run her over. Even if they did, it would only cause some minor sheath damage.
The van stopped in front of her. She moved to the passenger side.
"You have to help me." Tina cried out.
Both of the men looked at her as she stood the passenger's door. She reached through the open window and grabbed the first man. She snapped his neck.
Before the second man could react, Lena moved up on the driver's side and snapped his neck as well. He never saw her coming. She reached in a little further and moved the shift lever into 'park'.
The Metal girls each opened the doors and pulled the dead men out. They relieve them of their phones and any other objects which might have some type of intelligence value. The decedents both ended up in the nearest dumpster.
Lena reached back and tossed Tina her top.
"They didn't last very long." Lena said.
Tina put her top back on.
"I told you, it was easy as it looked." Tina said.
Lena climbed into the driver's seat. The van was still running.
"Check out what's in the back." Lena said
Tina moved into the back of the van to take stock of what was in there. There was one thing in the back which bothered her greatly.
Lena let the van move forward at idle speed.
CamNet's Terminators were ready to finish the pickup and delivery. It was going to play out a little differently for the recipients then they'd anticipated.
Closing monologue by Cameron:
Paradise Cove
There are many rocks and stones
Few of them will be a gem
To think they will ever change
You will need to pretend
Don't dishonor or disrespect
The one you most cherish
If you fail and lose focus
The love will soon perish
Don't gamble with love
For you will soon lose the prize
Loneliness, emptiness and nothingness
Are the product of deceit and lies
Don't squander the beauty
Of a rare and shiny pearl
Your world will spin wildly
Everything will began to whirl
When you finally realize
You've found a treasure trove
Together we can face the future
As we share a special paradise cove
Nobody