OUTPOST 24

"Commander, are recon team has just returned. They were being chased down by some T-1000s. Two of them," Lieutenant Velasquez told his superior, Carl Reubens.

Reubens scowled. "Are they within close proximity now?" This made the Commander nervous. He had just learned of the T-1000 that had attacked General Connor and his men only a week ago. If the story was true, these Terminators were tough suckers.

"The sentries haven't reported anything, but there's sufficient cause to believe that they are nearby, Sir."

Not good enough. I want cold, hard, facts not hunches! thought Reubens. "Lieutenant, I want as many troops on duty as humanly possible. General Connor is relying on us for surveillance; we can't afford to lose this outpost. I want four men per patrol with one armed with heavy plasma artillery. Five minutes!"

"Yes Sir!" Velasquez quickly ran off.

But before Velasquez could carry out his orders, an explosion sent him flying back. The back entrance had been breached.

"Terminator! Terminator!" people frantically shouted. Their screams were silenced by rapid plasma fire. The slender build of a T-1000 was all that could be seen in the ever-increasing smoke. Another T-1000 joined in the skirmish.

Dear Lord, Reubens thought. He tightened his grip on the plasma rifle cradled in his arms. He took aim at one of the Terminators.

A T-1000 turned and fired at the Commander, the plasma beam shattering his skull.

The two Terminators successfully eliminated the human presence in Outpost 24 within five minutes.

COLORADO

"They weren't prepared," Connor said to his wife who was sitting across from him drinking some rationed coffee. "Skynet knew it, too."

"What makes you think that?" Kate asked.

"Skynet was waiting until we let our guard down. Then it sent its bloodhounds after our recon team in Outpost 24. Our men weren't expecting a T-1000 to attack, let alone two. They weren't armed with enough powerful weaponry nor did they have any experience to deal with them. It was an easy victory for Skynet."

Kate took a sip of her coffee and frowned. "You think it's up to something?"

"As close as we are to winning this war, I'd say it's a certainty that Skynet is up to something."

Kate Brewster raised an eyebrow in thought, reluctant to make a suggestion. John could clearly read her. "What are you thinking?" he asked, a lop-sided grin on his face.

She swallowed hard for a moment before answering. "The time displacement equipment at Cheyenne was destroyed. Maybe Skynet is trying to reproduce that same technology."

It was John Connor's turn to frown. That was a suggestion he didn't even want entertain.