was mature. It ispossible to produce this polymer using any source of hydrocarbons, even fromthe garbage. This kind of polymer is a perfect building material due to highresistance to traction, compression, and chemical attack. It also could be usedto special functions, like heat and light control and photoelectric conversion.Then, Its started up to construct enormous buildings, more than 1500m (5000feet), able to house more than 100,000 people. To avoid environmental problems,strict regulations defined a minimum distance of 2 km (1.2 mile) betweenbuildings. A natural extension of these well-spaced buildings was theconstruction of great cable-stayed bridges, freeing the soil for agriculture ornative vegetation. Thesetowers were fully self-sufficient in energy, water, and even materials; due tohigh efficient recycle systems and energy production using strong altitudewinds and solar energy. All exceeding were sold to industry, and residentsreceived part of the Tower operations income. Due to lowconstruction and operation costs, plus a significant income, an apartment on atower become cheaper than usual livings. This started the first urban exodus ofthe history. The great Towers and the integrated bridges integrated a highlycomplex and sophisticated transport system, including local lanes, roads andhigh-speed tracks, afterwards substituted by high speed vacuum tubes, allowinghigh speed trips (nowadays, a trip between Sao Paulo and New York takes only 40minutes). The adventof Diamond Towers caused the ascension of a new political figure: the Syndic.At the beginning, specialized companies were in charge of the Towers. However,people realized that it was a great risk to put so great power in privatecompanies hands. So they decide to elect local Syndics. Any people could be candidate to be Syndic(capital S), elected by common agreement, system that persists until today.Common agreement was adopted to avoid no ending disputes among residents. Thiskind of dispute could be a minor problem in small buildings. However, intown-size populations buildings, these disagreements could cause great loss ofmoney and resources. Thus, Syndics became an important person, performing realpower in behalf of his or her own Tower, but with no connection to the officialpower, and making the national governments weak. Thereby,Diamond Towers became the major humankinds living, working, and politicalunity. Until now,I omitted an important part of this history. My name is Lucio Freire, and mostpeople know me as the Father of the Diamond Towers. Certainly, this is anoverstatement. I just put together the puzzle pieces. I had a crazy idea, and Iwas lucky to find someone to believe in this idea. But I didnt tough about theconsequences of this idea, and how deeply would the humankind be affected. Today, Ilive in a Tower in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, 150 km (93 miles) fromManaus. From my window of the 457th floor, I can see several Towerslike the one I live. However, Im not alone here. I can be anywhere in theworld in less than two hours. Most people live like me. Poverty and ignorancewere eradicated. There are no more national frontiers (but this is anotherhistory), and generally speaking, the world is better than before. This year itis probable that the Artic glacier would not entirely melted on summer. But dontthink that the humankind