When
Skynet was originally installed by the military to control the national arsenal on August 4, 1997 no one could have suspected the impact it would have on the world. Becoming self-aware, Skynet disregarded the first two rules of robotics and a nuclear war was carried out that nearly destroyed humanity. Machines were created to terminate or herd the remaining population. For years, the Machines were able to carry their plan out with little resistance.
Enter: John Connor. The prophesied son of the Resistance, an unofficial military organization that eventually threw a wrench into the Machine's plan. Ultimately, although they managed to regain hope for humanity, they didn't manage to overthrow the Machines. Now, in the year 2068--50 years after the events in
T4--all of the major players, including John Connor himself, are long deceased in a war that never truly ended.
The Machines continue to hunt humanity and have taken to using sleeper agents among their ranks to discover Resistance Camps. While humanity has managed to take the majority of what was once Canada and Alaska, the Machines remain largely in control of the rest of the world. With John Connor just a legend, humanity is once more struggling to keep optimistic about their future.
But there are few who cling to Asimov's three rules and hope to incorporate them in a future where Machines and humanity can coexist. Over the years, Machines have been captured and reprogrammed to fight alongside the Resistance, testing the theory that the 3 Laws would make a difference.