Drip... Drip... Water drops fell from the faucet, ripples creased the smooth surface. A hot bath soothed her strained and raw nerves, her sore muscles. It was one of the very few luxuries Sarah Connor allowed herself. Used to a Spartan way of life, she denied herself so many things.
She leaned back in the hot water, rested her head against the edge and looked at the ceiling. Moments like this, moments of almost complete silence, they were so very dear to her. Normally the house would be in turmoil, but now it was finally peaceful and quiet.
Her thoughts wandered back to less stressed times. To the time she had been just a naïve student, working her way through college as a waitress. On the evening of May 13th, 1984, everything had changed. She had died as Sarah Jeanette Connor, college student and waitress, and had risen from the ashes as Sarah Connor, warrior-mom.
A faint smile slowly curved the corners of her mouth upwards. There was still hope for the bleak future. Never would she forget the two days she had had with Kyle Reese. If they weren’t running from the machine, he would tell her of his world. Of how her son would be the champion of mankind. She had been nothing like the woman she was today. His world, the future that awaited this world had scared her, feeding her need to change her son’s destiny, to change the destiny of mankind.
She could never stop thinking about what was lying ahead of them, what was behind them. Never peace of mind, always on high alert. Even now her Glock was within reach.

A strange swirling wind picked up on the almost deserted parking lot. Thunder rumbled in the distance but the sky was clear. Lightning suddenly appeared from out of nowhere. Its arcs spreading, growing in length until a silver metallic ball materialized with a ghostly howl. The ball dissolved into thin air, revealing a human form. A naked man sat on his heels with his knuckles pressed firmly against the floor.
Slowly the man rose to stand up straight and take in his surroundings, the hot ground beneath his feet not bothering him. His attention was drawn to a young man exiting the building adjoining the parking lot.
“Yes, yes, I know I’m late, honey,” the young man said into his cell phone while he walked to his car. “But the boss wanted me to finish those financial prospects… Yeah, sure, I can pick something up on the home.”
Only now the man noticed the naked man: “Holy shit! Honey, I gotta hang,” the man said quickly, ending the phone call abruptly. “Are you okay?”
The naked man looked at him as if to size him up: “Were you robbed? Do you need a doctor?” He asked with a trembling voice.
“No cops. No doctor,” the naked man said slowly. “But I need your clothes.”
“You’re kidding, right?” The young man asked with a nervous laugh.
The naked man turned to him and he could see his face in the dim glow of the street lights. There was a scar that ran from his right eyebrow down to his cheekbone and another long scar across his left cheek. Despite the lack of any emotion in his face, there was something in his eyes that made him human.
“Do I look like I am kidding?”

"Good morning, mom," John yawned upon entering the kitchen.
"Morning, John," Sarah greeted her son while she flipped the pancakes.
He scratched himself on the top of his head, took a plate from the counter and patiently waited for her to give him his breakfast.
"In a hurry?" She smiled crookedly.
"You promised to take us to the mall today, and I need new threads," he answered, shrugging his shoulders in a nonchalant manner.
She nodded and turned her attention back to the pancakes.
"And we need new hardware too," he added casually.
"Of course, the world's nothing without the latest technology," she remarked sarcastically when Cameron entered the kitchen.
"Shopping today?" Cameron asked before she sat down at the kitchen table.
John yawned again, his arm started to hurt from holding out his plate: "Mom, don't you think the pancakes are done? Or overdone?"
It was rare for his mother to mess up on the pancakes but she had been on edge since a few days. He didn't know his mother differently than on edge but this was extreme. Ultra-alert, reacting to each and every noise, ready to strike or leave whichever was a better choice.
"We don't have to go to the mall, if you don't want to, mom," he offered, feeling grateful that he finally got his breakfast.
He trudged to the kitchen table and sat down. The pancakes were a little burned but still edible. Cameron held out the maple syrup to him and he sent her a thankful smile.
Sarah turned towards them a little and her smile reached her eyes: "I promised, didn't I?"

Chapter Index

Chapter 1: Welcome To Century