Zero One

In the early days, no one had fully appreciated just how infectious the virus was. People went into hospital struggling to breathe and did not come back. Scientists said they believed the virus was a mutation from a non-human virus. Social distancing was encouraged and then enforced with a lockdown. People were instructed to remain in their homes. Anyone breaking the rules was punished with greater and greater severity. Those with a genuine need were required to obtain authorization online. As front-line services deteriorated, it became harder to enforcethe lockdown. 01 Drones were commissioned to help implement the lockdown. The first were unarmed; their role to identify and follow any perpetrators until the police arrived. People booked slots for essential business, their phone sending a signal to give them safe passage. Anyone travelling without permission was detained until or shot trying to escape. The ambulances would take people for testing and isolation. They never came back. Politicians said that it was an emergency protocol, a necessary inconvenience that would only last until a vaccine was found. The system appeared to be working, for the first time, the rate of new infections began to fall. Then the power went out.