“Who did this?”
Colin shrugged. “We may never know. Someone must have designed them, released them, and then they all triggered at the same time.”
“The Pulse?” Meghan had thought it was the Pulse that had destroyed everything.
“That was merely a signal to the machines, one that could reach to great depths and distances. Much of the world’s electronics had been hardened against destruction by an electro-magnetic pulse weapon. Not foolproof, but enough to not ruin the world. The pulse actually fired a signal to the nanotechnology machines to begin their destruction.” Colin shrugged elaborately.
“And they did. The heart of every circuit, every last holocrystal, every carefully laid trace of galenium arsenide was dissolved into a useless puddle of amorphous goo. The only escape was to be b
