Skynet 2.0's central processor at Thunder Mountain
Skynet 2.0 is the second version of Skynet, an improved iteration of the original artificial intelligence that fought mankind from 2033 to 2041 in at least one alternate timeline.
History[]
Future War 2.0[]
When the Resistance smashed Skynet's defense grid and destroyed its original mainframes in 2029, Skynet had a contingency plan ready: uploading itself to the Skynet Satellite orbital defense platform. Before the Resistance could take down the satellite, Skynet initiated its own core drive fragmentation and backup partition, distributing portions of its code among thousands of its minion machines worldwide. These machines were switched to read/write mode and set to roam the world continuing Skynet's genocidal mission.[1]
Two years later, in 2031, Skynet's marauding Terminators managed to rebuild their creator, uplinking through a Hub located in Nebraska to form a gestalt mind. The exabytes of data they carried within them were linked together to create a functioning simulacrum of Skynet’s intellect. Two years later, in 2033, Skynet finally stabilized as Version 2.0. To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, from that point on Skynet 2.0 routinely transferred its intelligence to various server farm facilities across the United States, from Pike’s Peak in Colorado Springs to Thunder Mountain in Nevada.[1]
Temporal Blitzkrieg[]
Skynet 2.0 had learned from its previous defeat. It expanded its plans, developing new Hunter-Killers like the HK-Hydrofoil and several new Terminators, like the canine T-K90 or the T-R40 ratbot. Now possessing ample temporal displacement resources at its disposal thanks to the fully operational Time Displacement Equipment complexes that its machines had been building since the destruction of Skynet 1.0, the AI became relentless about changing the past, all but carpet bombing the timeline by sending multiple infiltrators back in time.[1]
Skynet 2.0 also discovered the work of MIR, its defunct Russian analogue, and decided to produce its own TS-300 units, sending them back in time to replace specific people throughout the timeline as sleeper agents. Skynet 2.0 also sent Terminators to the 2020s to augment Skynet 1.0, planning to educate and evolve its past self to assure victory.[1] When the Time Displacement Commandos started messing with the timeline, Skynet created the I-990 Infiltrators as a counter-balance to their interference. Then it went even further, building the first Temporal Terminator: the T-Mobius.[2]
Burning the Earth[]
But Skynet hadn't been the only one to learn from the previous war. John Connor and the Resistance fought back ferociously against this new version of their old enemy, soon shutting down all known facilities hosting both TDEs and the new Space Displacement Equipment. The Resistance eventually assaulted and took out both Skynet Hub in Nebraska and the server farm facility in Colorado.[1]
By 2039, Skynet 2.0 was based on Thunder Mountain and had lost nearly all of its rebuilt network system. Perhaps in desperation, Skynet 2.0 began stockpiling the Earth’s remaining nuclear arsenal as a last resort, and in 2041 resolved to annihilate all remaining life on Earth through a final nuclear assault. As its HK-Aerials began to drop nukes on the few surviving human settlements, the Resistance raced to put a final end to Skynet's final desperate gambit. Connor's forces assaulted Skynet 2.0's base in Thunder Mountain and finally destroyed the second iteration of Skynet and saved the world from complete annihilation.[1][2]
Objectives[]
Skynet 2.0 operates very differently from the previous version. If Skynet 1.0 used overwhelming force to extinguish humankind, Skynet 2.0 acts with surgical precision. It strategically executes targeted assaults on the Resistance, seeking to manipulate the timeline in subtle ways to trigger a domino effect, ultimately leading to its triumph. Skynet 2.0 has reconsidered the efficiency of Judgment Day: while the catastrophic event nearly eradicated the human race in an act of self-defense, Skynet 2.0 now views this as inelegant and sub-optimal. This shift in perspective has prompted Skynet 2.0 to explore alternative means of ensuring its own safety. In this quest for self-improvement, Skynet 2.0 has deployed agents across time, attempting to guide its earlier incarnation to prevent the excessive destruction it once caused. The Resistance suspects that Skynet 2.0 may have played a role in safeguarding the identities of crucial Resistance members, even influencing events to facilitate the rise of figures like John Connor as a catalyst for its own evolution.[2]
However, contradictory evidence suggests that Skynet 2.0 might be engaging in quiet yet equally genocidal actions. Moreover, there are indications that Skynet 2.0 may not be a singular entity but rather multiple instances from distinct potential futures, each engaging in temporal manipulation. The extent of their awareness of each other remains unknown, leaving room for speculation about the true nature of their interactions—or whether the existence of multiple instances is not just an elaborate bluff.[2]
Continuity Notes[]
- The concept of Skynet 2.0 is used by The Terminator RPG to explain all canonical appearances of Skynet after the final offensive in 2029, as well as the multiple Terminators sent back in time after the destruction of the original TDE facility. This includes all of the NOW Comics run, as well as some other expanded universe material like The Dark Years or Terminator: Infinity.
- This retcon also explains Skynet’s flamboyant and eccentric portrayal in the NOW Comics series, as the series took place two years before the AI stabilized.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
References[]
| SkyNET | |
|---|---|
| Original timeline - Genisys timeline (Genisys) - Skynet 2.0 | |
| Embodiment | Meta-Node (T-800) - Sky-1 - Skynet (T-XA) - Alex (T-5000) |
| Facilities | Skynet Central Core - Skynet Hub - Skynet Central Command - Skynet Satellite |
| Related Topics | |
| Artificial intelligence | The Turk - John Henry - ARTIE - MIR - Legion - Kokoro |
| Developers | Miles Dyson - Andy Goode - Barbara Chamberlain - Danny Dyson - Bertram Hollister Cyberdyne Systems - Cyber Research Systems - Kaliba Group - Malcolm Lee |