13140/Stakeout at Metropolis Park

Stakeout at Metropolis Park
Date of Scene:	28 April 2021
Location:	Centennial Park, Southside, New Troy
Synopsis:	John Connor and Cameron Phillips talk about the basement wall.
Cast of Characters:	John Connor, Cameron

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John Connor has posed:
A stakeout was something usually something that the authorities would do. Waiting in a parked car, or in the room of an adjacent building, police and other governmental agents would just sit, wait, and observe. A public park was a much harder thing to stakeout.

But piecing together clues from the wall in the basement, they Connor family had it on good authority that something of interest was to happen in regards to the Recreation Center, or the adjacent reservoir. Their information wasn't clear. It never was. Sometimes they went on wild goose chases because their interpretation was off.

But John Connor, as well as the rest of the family, had been observing in random shifts, so as not to be obvious. He was currently sat on a park bench; it was a good vantage spot. There were children playing, vendors selling Churros, hot dogs, ice cream, and pretzels. John reached up to run his hands through his hair, which had been growing longer. He could use a haircut, or just accept it, and let it grow out again.

Cameron has posed:
Although Cameron had pointed out she could just stay there and observe all the time, the others had explained that would be odd. For a young woman to be sitting in the area for a few days without leaving. It would be suspicious, even if it would be easier on everyone involved.

Thus the rotating shifts. Everyone taking on roles and positions. She had been here yesterday feeding the ducks. Which honestly, she had questions about. They never seemed to be sated, no matter how much she fed them. And so many people sat there to feed them. Why? They were not domestic so they were not being fattened up to butcher and eat. No one seemed to be hunting the birds at all. Perhaps the bread made them taste bad?

At her time, she walked through the park dressed in jeans and a tank top with a denim jacket tossed on to cover her arms since there could still be a chill in the air. So it was appropriate for the location and setting.

She sat on the bench John was already on, at the opposite end. "Good afternoon."

John Connor has posed:
John Connor hadn't been there when she was feeding the ducks, or else he might have pointed out that feeding them bread was not a good idea. Bread filled them up, but it didn't satisfy their nutritional needs. But while he had been with her at times, that had yet to come up.

Looking over at Cameron as she came and joined him, "hey, how're things?" Meaning, anything important going on at home, but he also liked to check in with her from time to time, even if the answers were sometimes fairly blunt. John still had some French fries on the bench, which he had been eating. Lifting the basket to her, he offered some. There were two dips in the basket, one of catsup, the other of mayonnaise. "Want some?"

It was also a way that she might slide closer, so they didn't have to talk so loudly. Sure, he knew she could hear his whispers, but he would strain to hear hers.

Cameron has posed:
"Thank you." The automatic response as she slid to the center of the bench, closer so she could reach the French fries. She picked one up, dipped it in the ketchup then popped it in her mouth.

After chewing and swallowing, she answered. "Things are well. Nothing going on though your mother and uncle seem to be arguing about something on the wall." She shrugs, more because it is a recognized action and they were in a public setting than out of a need to do so.

"I agree with your uncle." As though it mattered which side she fell on.

John Connor has posed:
It always mattered to John which side Cameron fell on. And it mattered to Derek when Cameron agreed with him. John took a fry himself, dipping it, and then eating. He was used to seeing Cameron eat. It was so common a practice that his mom often made Cameron meals along with John, although she didn't require it, it just, it was so convincing that everyone just accepted it.

Leaning his ear towards her so she could whisper, he asked, "and what do you think about it?" Wanting to know more about what they were arguing about, and why she agreed with Derek.

Cameron has posed:
"This is a waste of time. The thing she interpreted this as made no sense for anything to do with Skynet. There is no link that makes logical sense," Cameron states simply. Her voice is still low so no passer-by will be picking it up. "I have analyzed and see no link."

She turned her head, looking around the area and her eyes fell on the carousel. She watched it circling with people riding, children laughing. Even adults enjoying it. "Then she brought up the three dots. I agree they are smudges."

John Connor has posed:
John Connor thought about it. He had been thinking about it. He stretched, which gave him the opportunity to look around, checking the distance of people, and whom was around, for fear that there might be a Terminator listening in. He would lower his arm around Cameron's shoulders afterwards, playing the part of two teenagers at the park. He spoke softly, whispering, since he was relatively confident that no one was listening in.

"Everything on that... was intended to be important, but it was dying man who marked it in his own blood. What he left, was information that he felt was needed to be left with his dying breath, literally. Every stroke was... with purpose. I just don't know if we'll be able to figure it all out before it happens." John was taking a middle ground in this. It was important, it had to be treated that way, but it was up to interpretation, and thus, some of it may be of nose use. And who knows how much was lost in interpretation. "Just have to make sure we can still see the forest from the trees." And he took another French fry.

Cameron has posed:
"I agree it was written with purpose. But you pointed out the exact reason there may be errors. He was dying. While he was writing it with his own blood, his cognizant functions were suffering from the blood loss and state his body was in. He could not have been steady so touching the wall accidentally was not only posbsible but likely," Cameron is breaking it down even as she dips another fry and eats it, her eyes still on the distant carousel for a moment then turning to focus on him.

"Some of the things he shared could also be the momentary images that were flashing through his mind as he died, which had nothing to do with the message he was supposed to deliver. There is no way to know which is which."

John Connor has posed:
"Yeah, mistakes can happen. But his writing was pretty steady." Then looking to her as he bites into another French fry, "what goes first, mental faculties, or fine motor control, in a situation like that? Either way, we have to take it all seriously, and all with a grain of salt." And then he thought he saw something, a suspicious man who was... overdressed for the weather, wearing a big and heavy coat, one that reached down to his ankles. John would keep an eye on the fellow.

Cameron has posed:
"Both. The mental faculties can sometimes be more focused so the motor control is more likely to fade sooner. Less blood to the far appendages while the body tries to safe the brain." She wiggles her fingertips to make her point.

She glances off again, looking over the surroundings. "There is no way to know, of course. Until we investigate everything there. But it was simply to perfect in some ways, the lack of smudges or a resting of his hand on the wall to support himself."

John Connor has posed:
The suspicious man in the coat continued to walk, until he was out of sight, and John ceased his surveillance of the man. Turning back to Cameron, he nodded his head, having heard every word she said, and was just able to catch sight of her wiggling her fingertips. "We'll just have to muddle through, doing the best we can. We're only human... or, close enough," and he gave her a reassuring wink. He trusted her, despite her origin; perhaps too much. It was certainly how his mother and uncle felt. With the observation being a likely dead end, and the French fries eaten, he gave a long look at the ice cream vendor, "how about some Rocky Road?"

Cameron has posed:
As he decided they were done, as the alloted time for the event was long past and nothing had happened, Cameron glanced back to the carousel as she rose to her feet in one smooth movement. "Rock road? Please explain?"

Seemed that flavor was an unknown to the machine that looked like a person. "And why do people do that?" She pointed to the carousel. "They just go in circles. I do not understand why this is appealing."

John Connor has posed:
"Rocky Road, like the boxer. It's a type of ice cream." But as she moved onto to the carousel, he smiled, "well, only way to learn that is by doing. Come on." And he began to rise, offering her his hand. "Probably best to have the ice cream after though."