ABSTRACT
The last leaders introduced rationing plans, centralised the distribution of water and measured rainfall and temperature spikes; in other words, they offered bureaucratic solutions in response to apocalyptic events. The last leaders kept telling us it was part of a natural cycle, that the only way out was a technological fix. They continued pouring money into seeding clouds, building turbines to cool us down and fortifying sea defences – long after the absurdity of their efforts became clear. When those did not work, they distracted us by instigating ever more deadly wars. They told us it was 'the only way', that salvaging even a vestige of our former way of life necessitated completely destroying others'. Leaders throughout the world had stockpiled weapons of every kind. In the aftermath of it all, the few of us remaining have wondered about the sickness of mind that enabled us to continue to look to them for salvation.
