The sleek metallic bird-size drone whizzed through China's Tianamin Square. This was no ordinary drone, but the latest version brought out by Endemics Enterprises – a highly successful high-tech robotics developer that focused on advanced remote monitoring solutions. As it flew over the square, the place was eerily life-less. Not a sole was above-ground in any of the major cities. These drones would never be touched by humans again – although they had a rather large life expectancy, drawing energy from nature's resources such as solar, wind and hydrogen from water. Of course not contained within its own small frame, but on its landing pad which also acts as its re-charging pad – located on towers 100 meters tall. As they whizz through the air, they take samples into their filters, analysing on-the-fly the contaminants in the air. Every country owned at least 100 of these drones, placed in logical potential hot-spots - all for a price that couldn't be beaten – free. Part of the contract with each country was that they not release this information to any other country or be required to pay billions in penalties. Jacob switched from the China Drone to the Californian Drone and then onto the Washington DC drone – all very similar, and even for Jacob, very unsettling to be witness to the absence of humans everywhere. He could see the flashing icon appear for his video conference with the White House council. He clicked onto the waiting channel.
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