A cloaked flying saucer orbited Earth …
Nanobot-drones, invisible to the naked eye, roamed the planet and cataloged humans but intelligently marked only those interacting in groups of two or more non-household members.
“Progress?”
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“Yes, sir, I’ve cataloged billions.”
The holotube streamed faces in a carousel.
“So, have you found a way to rescue the wise ones along with all lower-tier lifeforms before the asteroid impact?”
“Yes, sir, it’s very straightforward.”
“Do share. What’s your plan?”
“Well, sir, to our advantage, there’s a worsening global pandemic. If we recognize a face, we don’t teleport them.”
“That’s fantastic! A brilliant strategy!”