Electric Shadows

On Sunday March 29 2065 a military coup that started in Northern America, swept across the planet like an out of control wildfire. In a series of coordinated surgically precise strikes, power was wrested from the hands of the greedy and corrupt governments world wide by a force that comprised of a number of private paramilitary entities as well as a majority of the US Armed forces. This was bank rolled by a conglomerate of powerful companies that after years of lobbying for change decided to become the change. Word of this spread; it spread fast and was soon mirrored across every continent, - a new future was coming and resistance was being met with lethal force.

Twenty three months later and government as we knew it was no longer existed, we moved into a new age. What lay in store for us? Only our new masters knew, yet they were not about to tip their hand. Not until they had competed their current task: complete transference of power to the corporatocracy. Politicians had finally become redundant, a costly inefficient burden. Hard times called for equally hard measures; they were executed for their crimes and their greed. They would become the fertiliser required for the forward growth that then took place across the entire face of the planet.

We rarely notice them anymore; their presence almost fully accepted. It was strange and eerie at first. Every man woman and child on the planet got one and those that were off planet at the time of handout got an invitation they couldn't refuse upon their return to earth: "Please present yourself at the Department of Surveillance on such and such......" Only a few spots of minor unrest that were quickly put down, for the most part the population was agreeable to these new and bold changes. This mass acceptance of this new tech was attributed to the fact that this would level the playing field, the system was becoming fair - finally...real equality!

The Autonomous Citizen Surveillance Orb (ACSO) is essentially a remote self learning extension of the new system, the new way. Imagine a micro camera connected to every part of the internet all at once with a cattle prod that knows when you've done wrong! This eventually ensures everyone is where they have to be when they have to be. This is Clockwork Orange meets Phantasm in Nineteen Eighty Four. They are the linchpin for the whole new system that we are now an actual part of . Human run systems were ineffective, breakdown prone and corruptible. The companies have combined and with the help of The System Controlled Artificial Self Learning Intelligence software running on the latest in military hardware and programming this reality was spawned. From this point it evolved and is still evolving to this very second. It is learning; this is the application of this learning. It is here at this point that it either becomes a uotopian dream or a dystopian nightmare. They want our labour not our love.

If all goes well you will only ever need the one JS09 and that will simply power down when your life finishes. Until then it will be there following, recording, reporting every single second of every single day for the rest of your life. Once you get it all right in your head your mind will start to process the future you now find yourself in. We are now something akin to a digital hive, buzz buzz!

You might see yours peripherally but for the most part their presence is neither seen nor felt. They melt straight back into the background. The latest model doesn't even make a sound, no heat signature; an emission less flying eye: the Nagel JS09. It would fit inside a split tennis ball. They are fueled by a magnetically applied coat of specially developed paint that absorbs background radiation and converts it into digitally compressed sine waves. This generic energy is then stored in special stroage bays the JS's tiny hull where it is then drawn on as required The hull houses a multitude of state of the art sensors that control collision avoidance, illness and wellbeing scanning and onboard weapons and defense systems.

They have been engineered so it is impossible for any ACSO to come no closer than 10cm to any other unit, ever! Other onboard equipment comprises of but nowhere near limited to includes the Mid Range Urban Warfare Laser Array, a Target Acquiring Taser that can target ten people at once with either a lethal or non lethal charge and the latest version of Aural Mace, another non lethal crowd dispersal device (no tumors have been reported from one of these bad boys now for over six months due to critical hardware update and a minor software tweak, they are no longer called the "nosebleed megaphone"). The JS09's are completely immune to the most up to date signal jamming techniques and any other form of remote hijacking.

Another interesting aspect of the Nagel ASCO is that when it is in range of other units it is are able to switch to a full resource sharing mode, sharing everything thing from memory allocation to data storage and more. All ranged units are able to balance resources, recharge quicker and achieve higher data transfer rates. Each Orb acts as a remote backup point along with other nearby units constantly backing up and restoring data to each other as well as to dynamic storage arrays that cover the planet.

Global supply chains are reporting that the ASCO's are saving up to 12.5% of all transported goods; especially food items as over ordering no longer occurs. Overages and shortages are a distant memory as what is needed is shipped as it is needed and no longer susceptible to theft or embezzlement.

Hospital admissions have fallen for the fifth year in a row due to the illness and well being scanners in our JS09's. People are being treated in a timely and very efficient manner. In 2079 Herpes Simplex was eradicated for ever as the JS' were able to detect a microscopic fungal bloom that occurred before the full blown illness could take hold and the appropriate medication was applied. This prevented the invisible spread and reuptake of the microbe. Obesity is almost a distant memory due to strict diet rationing and diet control. The system is finally able to ensure that there is enough for everyone and that it is distributed evenly and fairly. You will never go hungry and you will never have to much too eat. Starvation and gluttony have been cast aside

The efficiency and longevity of our people and world has improved at the cost of a little bit of privacy. Our lives have been bettered and we will be the first generation in 200 years that will be able to say with all honesty and sincerity that we have left something good behind for our children's children.