Five weeks of preparation, fifteen months of development, manufacture, and integration and the first phase of project ‘DUST’ was done.
Cells of nanobots were manufactured by traditional means and packed in plastic boxes segregated by type. Half a trillion Brain cells were in one box. Half a trillion sensor and manipulating cells were in separate boxes. The boxes were kept in separate buildings to prevent communication until deployed.
The boxes were flown to the corners of the world. Technicians simply stacked one box of manipulator nanos onto a box of processor nanos and left them. In a few seconds, the processors would take control and the manipulators would start to dissolve holes between the two boxes and into the open air. The combined nanos flew out of their boxes like bees from a hive and began their work of exponential growth.
Manipulator macromolecules would twist and contort as they brought the proper atoms to bear at disassembling carbon dioxide from the air and reassemble it as long chain copies of themselves or processor molecules. Other nanos would forage for other atoms that were needed and would bring them back and distribute them where they were needed. When they had finished their work, the new macromolecule was cut loose to begin its life in the cell. When sufficient numbers had been added and memories had been copied the cell, splits in two and the two daughter cells separated and each began the reproductive cycle again. Exponential growth was slowed only by the process of moving one cell out of the way so another could be constructed. Otherwise, only a hundred hours would have been needed to blanket the earth. They put distance between themselves and traveled to blanket the earth.
They rode the wind and the ocean currents. They drifted down streams. They hitched rides on migrating birds and highway traffic. They stuck themselves to semi trucks and railroad trains and rode interstate. They went attached to cargo waiting to be loaded into planes and flew internationally. Their prime directive was to be fruitful and multiply and they did, and they did it invisibly.