Book - The Tipping Point

PROLOGUE

The city had once been a place of great beauty, greenery and life abundant. But now, Sydney had fallen into disarray, rubbish piling high throughout the streets. No longer were the days of high priced apartments, overpriced clothes and famous beaches. If one wished to see the sights of Sydney, they would find themselves sorely disappointed. The Opera House was reduced to small tips, right at the top. The once deep, glistening water was almost non-existent, poisoned and diluted over generations of pollution. The green, extraordinary pleasure of the botanical gardens, reduced to nothing more than a dumping ground, no drop of life apparent. Pollution had ravaged this city beyond recognition, far from how it had been so long ago. A small robot could be seen, floating above the clutter. New looking, shiny and sleek. As it approached a large building, a logo that blazoned across its body could be seen, replicated much larger on the side of the building. Echoing softly from inside, a woman’s voice could be heard, midway through a speech. “The City of Sydney is witnessing a time of disrepair that is at an unacceptable level. The new programme is our latest attempt to reverse this. As you may have already seen, our latest model, the WADE’s, have begun their efforts. Although this shall result in a loss of jobs, the WADE’s will carve a stronger path towards a future we all hope for.” A vigorous round of applause could be heard from the hall. At the same time, a different conversation was being held. In a separate part of the building, a man was standing in front of a large gathering of people in uniforms. “As most of you will know, our WADE experiment has proved successful. This has resulted in a nearly unanimous decision to relieve you all of your duties. Please return your uniforms and all council equipment at your earliest convenience.” The man spoke clearly, unaffected by any emotion or guilt. A teenage boy towards the back almost crumpled into himself. He was looking around at his co-workers and friends. Most of them had known this was coming. It was obvious. They hadn’t completed their jobs properly, often too lazy, too tired or simply found it too difficult to begin. When the council had introduced the WADE’s they had known time was limited. They had neglected their jobs and their respect for themselves. And now they had all lost their jobs in one fatal blow. In large lettering: W.A.D.E. Underneath, in a slightly smaller font, was We Are Defending Earth.