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Underground > Creation >

The Last Person on Earth

  
 
Saveloy
12:45 / 11.01.02
Imagine if all but one of the people on Earth dissappeared, all in the same instant, never to return. What would happen to the planet and the life that remained? What would be the human's chances of survival?

I've been idly daydreaming about this for a while now, thinking that it would make a great story (well f**k, it's probably been written a hundred times already) but you'd have to research it thoroughly. In fact, it's the research bit I'm most interested in. Can you guys think of any important events - both immediately after the disappearance and later on, throughout the character's life - that you'd have to take account of to make it realistic?

There are some obvious things that spring to mind - thousands of airoplanes falling out of the sky, millions of cars, lorries etc crashing all over the place, causing oil spillages, fires and so on. On a smaller scale, what about all those untended gas stoves? Would all of the stored gas eventually be used up, or is there some inbuilt mechanism in the system that would prevent that (or would the gas plant blow up first anyway?) Ditto electricity and water. Would household floods (caused by all the taps left on) lead to greater floods or would the reservoirs (or water tanks) dry up first?

On a larger scale - what happens to untended nuclear power plants? Weapons dumps? Research facilities?

Another thing you might like to think about - what would you do if you were that person, or what would you have the character do? What fantastic things might be achieved or experienced by someone with access to the whole world and everything in it (everything that remained after the initial disappearance!)?

Thoughts, please.

[I um-ed and ah-ed about whether this should be here or in the Help forum - if any moderators feel it more appropriate elsewhere, please move it]
 
 
Bear
12:51 / 11.01.02
There's actually a point horror story very close to want you mention although in the story there are a group of teens left over..

I used to think allot about this when I was in my early teens, just the usual stuff stealing sports cars, looking around people's houses...

I imagine without people maintaning the power stations the electricity would stop, I like the idea of the taps all still running, houses exploding - how about animals would there still be dogs who of course would resort to trying to eat each other, well at least in my world they would

I'd be interested to find out what you come up with and I'd love to reading your story if you complete it.. sorry I couldn't be more help
 
 
Saveloy
12:57 / 11.01.02
Thanks Bear. To be honest I doubt I'll ever get around to writing anything, partly because I'm dead lazy and partly because it's too big a task to do it justice (and I'm a crap writer anyway). It's just the idea of it that fascinates me, really, one of those classic 'what if?' things. That said, it would be great if someone else took it further.
 
 
grant
13:41 / 11.01.02
I think gas has a valve system from the supply (which is very finite, gets trucked in many places I think).

Nuclear generators I think just go and go, but would stop making power once all the water was evaporated. I think they'd overheat then and meltdown - but not explosively. Those cooling rods are automated. Hmm. It's an interesting question, actually, since with the water gone there wouldn't be anything to cool. But if the reactor got hot enough to vaporize the water, them rods would go in automagically.
I'm thinking out loud here.

Household floods wouldn't be a problem - they'd probably spill onto yards and get soaked up, or else down the storm sewer and out to the filtration plants. Until the reservoir dried up, which may or may not happen. The treatment plants would definitely stop working after a week or so, I'd guess (but that's just a guess).

I think weapons dumps just sit there. As well as research labs. It seems like most of them would default into a lockdown once the power went off. Might have emergency power from generators... until the gas got burned off. Be hell getting stuck in one of those places once the lights went off and the doors came down.

I'm trying to remember how closed a system a nuclear power plant is. Here: How a Nuclear Power Plant Works.

quote:a pound of highly enriched uranium as used to power a nuclear submarine or nuclear aircraft carrier is equal to something on the order of a million gallons of gasoline. When you consider that a pound of uranium is smaller than a baseball and a million gallons of gasoline would fill a cube 50 feet per side (50 feet is as tall as a five-story building), you can get an idea of the amount of energy available in just a little bit of U-235!

quote:Typically, the uranium is formed into pellets with approximately the same diameter as a dime and a length of an inch or so. The pellets are arranged into long rods, and the rods are collected together into bundles. The bundles are then typically submerged in water inside a pressure vessel. The water acts as a coolant. In order for the reactor to work, the bundle, submerged in water, must be slightly supercritical. That would mean that, left to its own devices, the uranium would eventually overheat and melt.
To prevent this, control rods made of a material that absorbs neutrons are inserted into the bundle using a mechanism that can raise or lower the control rods. Raising and lowering the control rods allow operators to control the rate of the nuclear reaction. When an operator wants the uranium core to produce more heat, the rods are raised out of the uranium bundle. To create less heat, the rods are lowered into the uranium bundle. The rods can also be lowered completely into the uranium bundle to shut the reactor down in the case of an accident or to change the fuel.


quote:Improperly-functioning nuclear power plants can create big problems. The Chernobyl disaster is the best recent example. Chernobyl was poorly designed and improperly operated, but it dramatically shows the worst-case scenario. Chernobyl scattered tons of radioactive dust into the atmosphere.
Spent fuel from nuclear power plants is toxic for centuries and, as yet, there is no safe permanent storage facility for it.


There are nice graphics on the page, too.
 
 
Saveloy
14:05 / 11.01.02
Ha, I knew you'd come up trumps! Excellent stuff, grant, thanks.

Btw, I love the phrase "a million gallons of gasoline" - band name? Difficult to read without turning it into "a million galleons..."
 
 
Ethan Hawke
14:13 / 11.01.02
Ohmigod, you mean the Rapture is coming? I hope I won't be Left Behind...

Anyone read those books? I promise I won't make fun of you if say yes...
 
 
Saveloy
14:18 / 11.01.02
I haven't read any books about it, but I know what you're on about. Remind me what the deal is - the good people lift off into space, and the naughty ones are left behind, right?
 
 
Ethan Hawke
15:02 / 11.01.02
Yeah, that's the basic concept of the Rapture, but I'm referring specifically to the 6(?) books in the Christian sci-fi series "Left Behind", that've sold millions of copies each in the US. Don't know if they migrated across the water. Anyway, I gather in the first book the Rapture occurs, and then the people who are left behind try to make their peace with God while fighting the Antichrist. For 6 books. It makes Harry Potter look like a cottage industry here.


(edited to add

There are 9 books, not six, and a movie of the first novel starrring Kirk Cameron from Growing Pains.


Amazon link to the first book

Also, apparently there are children's books about it too.

[ 11-01-2002: Message edited by: just todd ]
 
 
Ethan Hawke
15:08 / 11.01.02
Here's the Amazon Review of the first book:

quote: Piloting his 747, Rayford Steele is musing about his wife Irene's irritating religiosity and contemplating the charms of his "drop-dead gorgeous" flight attendant, Hattie. First Irene was into Amway, then Tupperware, and now it's the Rapture of the Saints--the scary last story in the Bible in which Christians are swept to heaven and unbelievers are left behind to endure the
Antichrist's Tribulation. Steele believes he'll put the plane on autopilot and go visit Hattie. But Hattie's in a panic: some of the passengers have disappeared! The Rapture has happened,abruptly driverless cars are crashing all over, and the slick, sinister Romanian Nicolae Carpathia plans to use the UN to establish one world government and religion. Resembling "a young Robert Redford" and silver-tongued in nine languages, Carpathia is named People's "Sexiest Man Alive." (This reviewer, a former People writer, finds this plot twist plausible.) Meanwhile,Steele teams up with Buck Williams, a buck-the-system newshound, to form the Tribulation Force, an underground of left-behind penitents battling the Antichris

Hee, Hee! I vote for this for the next Biblioteca barbelith selection.

(sorry for derailing your thread)
 
 
Captain Zoom
20:37 / 11.01.02
Issac Asimov editted a book called "The Last Man on Earth" a number of years back. Some were comical, some were chilling. And wasn't there a film called "The Quiet Earth" about this very thing.

I've thought often of this. I think I'd probably just boot around a lot. Check stuff out. Be a shame that there'd be no new comics.

Zoom.
 
 
Magic Mutley
20:54 / 11.01.02
M.P Shiel wrote a book - The Purple Cloud -about an arctic expedition that triggers a toxic cloud which wipes out the population of the Earth. The technology is dated (1901), but it's a damn good read.
 
 
ONLY NICE THINGS
22:40 / 11.01.02
Also, "Girlfriend in a Coma" has the human race dying out except for a small group of friends. There was a Radio 4 sitcom written by Luke Zorba called "The World as we Know It" or something along those lines where the entire human race disappears except for the occupants of one house...

Only one person is comparatively rare - "This Quiet Earth" pussies out - the schtick is that everybody disappears except for people who died at the very moment the McGuffin went off, so after some top-quality last-man-on-Earth transvestite lunacy the protagonist finds some other people. There is a Simon Armitage poem about it...
 
 
Magic Mutley
08:28 / 12.01.02
quote: Only one person is comparatively rare -

It's a tricky plot development - killing all your characters at the start of the book, & still keep interest going. The Purple Cloud has one survivor - most of the book is about his reaction - rampaging through the world burning cities, etc. plus a strange mystical theme running through.

[ 12-01-2002: Message edited by: Wheaty-G ]
 
 
rizla mission
08:41 / 12.01.02
My line of thought has always run more towards what if everyone in the world went mad?

which naturally leads to far more bloodshed, carnage and mayhem, ala 'Nightfall' (god, I used to love that book when I was a kid) or 'Dawn of the Dead'..

Aah, that's sent my off on a whole nostalgia trip about how much I used to love SF stories about the fabric of society falling apart.. maybe I'll start a new topic about it..
 
 
Bear
21:26 / 13.01.02
This is on tonight on C4 UK - not sure if its the same thing but sounds quite like the stuff being discussed here - I haven't seen so i might be talking rubbish -

Phantoms
 
 
Rage
11:10 / 14.01.02
I wrote a story with the same title as this topic 2 years ago.

[u]The Last Person On Earth[/u]

"I want to fuck you," Rand told Fori. "I want to fuck you because I'm lonely. I don't want to be alone anymore."
Fori nodded. "You'll still be alone though. After we're done fucking you'll still be alone."
"I know. But what if we fucked reguraly? Then I wouldn't be lonely anymore, right?"
"Wrong. You'd still be lonely. You don't love me. You don't even love yourself."
"I know. I hate myself. But I've heard that fucking takes away loneliness. At least for however long it lasts. The fucking, I mean. Not the loneliness. For the moment that you're fucking, you're a part of another person. You're no longer alone."
"You're not alone, but you're still lonely. You'll be lonely unless you love someone. You don't love anyone Rand."
"I can't love anyone. I can't love anyone unless I love myself. I hate myself."
"I guess that means you'll be lonely forever."
"I guess so."
"Rand, do you know how to fuck?"
"No, of course not. I'm 10 years old. I want to learn though. It's suppose to take away loneliness. I know that it is. That's what my parents say."
"It's nothing great. I'm 37, and I know that for a fact."
"Maybe not. But will you kiss me Fori?"
"If you want me to."
Rand and Fori kissed.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. You know something Rand? You can't kiss very well."
"I know. Sorry."
"Don't be sorry. You're young."
"I know."
Rand and Fori were best friends. They did everything together.

Livey picked up the keys that were laying on the counter.
"Parent, I'm going to Ristal's house now. Can I take the car?"
"No. I need to pick up Rand in a half hour. You can walk to Ristal's."
"I don't want to walk. I want to take the car."
"What do you plan to do at Ristal's anyway?"
"Smoke pot and drop acid. Why?"
"I was just wondering. I wonder about you sometimes."
"Oh, ok. Well can I take the car? I'll pick up Rand if you want me to. I'll bring Rand to Ristal's with me, and you and my other parent can fuck each other. Take away each others loneliness and all."
"Well I would appreciate being here without you and Rand bothering me. You're both very annoying."
"Ok, then I'm leaving now. I'll be back when my acid trip comes down. Bye."
"Bye."

The doorbell rang at Fori's house.
"Who is it?" Fori asked. "Not that I care."
"Livey."
Fori opened the front door.
"Hi Livey. How have you been?"
"Mediocore."
"Hey Rand," Fori called. "Livey is here."
Rand walked to the door.
"Hey Livey. I thought one of our parents was picking me up."
"Plans changed."
"I didn't want you to pick me up Livey. I don't like how you drive. Every time I get into the car with you I'm afraid we're gonna get into an accident."
"I don't care if we get into an accident. I like driving that way. If we get into an accident we do. Oh well. Come on, I'm taking you to Ristal's with me."
"Whatever."
"Bye Fori," Livey said.
"Bye Fori," Rand said. "Call me."
"Bye."

Livey and Rand walked into Ristal's house.
"Hi," Ristal said. "How are you two?"
"I'm mediocore," Livey said.
"I'm lonely," Rand said.
"Oh?"
"Ya, I've been really lonely lately. I want to fuck someone so I won't be lonely anymore."
"But you're only 10 years old. You're too young to feel lonely. You're too young to feel. You're not suppose to feel. Nobody is."
"I know."
"Why did you have to bring Rand along?" Ristal asked. "I don't want to share my drugs with anyone except you."
"You don't need to. Rand can just watch TV or something."
"Ok."
"I don't want to watch TV. I want to fuck someone. I don't want to be lonely."
"Oh well. Go watch TV."

Mave and Wilme had just finished fucking.
"I'm glad we finally have some time without the kids," Wilme told Mave.
"So am I. Finally."
"I'm tired," Wilme said.
"So am I," Mave replied.
"Let's go to sleep now."
"I haven't been able to sleep. Something has been bothering me."
"Something has been bothering you? Weird. Do you know what it is?"
"No."
"Maybe it's Rand. Rand has been bothering me lately. Doesn't know when to shut up."
"No, I'm not talking about our kids. I'm talking about something else. I can't explain it. I can't figure it out."
"Oh, ok. Sorry. Well I'm tired. I'm going to sleep. I'm sorry that you can't sleep. Maybe you'll be able to soon."
"Maybe."
"Good night."
"Good night."

Livey had just come down from the acid.
"We're out of here," Livey said to Ristal. "I don't want to be here any longer. I'm not high anymore, so I don't see the point in staying here."
"Ok, bye. Thanks for coming over."
Livey went into Ristal's living room and saw Rand sleeping on the couch. The TV wasn't on.
"Wake up Rand. We're leaving. We're going home."
"I'm not going with you."
"So you're going to stay here? You can't. You can't stay here. Ristal doesn't want you here. This is Ristal's house. Not yours."
"I'll go to Fori's house then. I'm wanted there."
"Our parents will be mad at me then. I told them I would bring you home. You need to come home with me."
"I'm not coming, and you can't make me."
Livey sighed.
"Fine. Whatever. I'm leaving. Go to Fori's house. I don't care."

Fori heard the dorbell ring.
"Who is it? Not that I care."
"Rand."
Fori opened the door.
Rand was crying.
"What's wrong? What are those wet things on your eyes?"
"I don't know. But I know I can't take this anymore. I'm so lonely. Can I come in?"
"Of course."
"You're my best friend Fori, and I enjoy being with you. Can I live with you from now on? Please?"
"Why do you enjoy being with me? I don't understand. What does enjoy mean?"
"You know what it means. Stop hiding Fori. You have feelings just like I do. You're not alone."
"But I am. I always will be, unless I fuck someone. That doesn't last long though. I mean, I'll be lonely forever Rand. I hate myself just like you do."
"So what? Let me live with you. We can fuck reguarly. We'll be lonely, but we won't be alone. We can start a new life. I know that I'm 10 and that I've never fucked anyone, but it doesn't matter. I can fuck you. You're the only one I see truth in. Everything else is lies."
"Lies? No, everything is truth. Nobody can lie. Nobody is allowed to. Everyone says everything that's on their mind. Don't you know how the world works Rand? Don't you know how things are? This isn't the past. You act as if we're living in the past."
"What?"
"You... I don't know. You're scaring me."
"I think I love you."
"That isn't possible. It's not possible to love someone. You're really starting to scare me Rand."
"Yes it is possible. I love you. That's why I want to fuck you. It's not because I'm lonely. It's because I love you. I figured that out a few hours ago. I lied when I said I wanted to fuck you because I was lonely. I'm lonely, but that's not why I want to fuck you. I want to fuck you because I love you. I can lie Fori, and I did. I'm capable of lying."
Fori was now shaking.

Mave was staring at Wilme, who was soundly asleep.
"I wish I could sleep like Wilme could. I want to sleep. Why can't I sleep?"
Nobody responded. There was nobody else in the room.
"What's bothering me? What is this? I don't understand. There's something wrong with me."
Nobody responded.
"Someone help me. Can someone help me? What's bothering me? What is this?"
Suddenly the phone rang. Mave picked it up.
The voice said that there had been an accident involving their child.
"Both of them?"
"No, just the 16 year old."
"Oh, ok. Well is Livey alright?"
"No, the 16 year old is dead. I'm sorry to inform you of your loss."
Mave hung up the phone.
"Wake up Wilme," Mave loudly said. "Livey is dead."
"Dead?"
"There was a car accident."
"Is our car wrecked?"
"I wasn't told. Livey is dead though. Do you care?"
"No. I don't think I'm capable of caring. Something is bothering me though."
"I don't care."
"Well I'm going back to sleep now. Shit, I can't believe our car is wrecked. I can't believe this. Hey, wasn't Rand in the car? Livey was suppose to pick up Rand today."
"No. Rand wasn't in the car."
"Oh, ok. Well I'm going back to sleep now. Good night."
"Good night."
Mave nervously looked around the room.
"What's bothering me? Someone tell me. I can't take this anymore. I want to sleep. I want to sleep so badly. What's wrong with me? Someone help me. Please? Anyone?"

"Fori, will you kiss me?" Rand asked.
"If you want me to."
Rand and Fori kissed.
"Will you fuck me? I love you. I hate myself, but I love you. I'm sure of it."
"Fucking isn't that great. I would know. I'm almost 4 times your age. You don't need to fuck someone if you love them, I don't think. All it does is cure temporary loneliness."
"That's not true. I know that it isn't."
"I won't fuck you Rand. We're just friends. It wouldn't be right."
"Fori, please listen to me. I want to live with you. Can I live with you?"
"Yes. You can live with me Rand."
"Thanks. Thank you so much."
Rand gave Fori a hug.
"Fori, can I ask you a question?"
"I would assume so."
"Would you fuck me if I was the last person on earth?"
"Yes, I guess I would."
"Well I've figured something out."
"What have you figured out?"
"That I am the last person on earth."
Fori gasped. "I don't believe you. That doesn't make any sense."
"I'm telling you the truth."
There was a long pause.
Fori looked into Rand's eyes, and Rand looked into Fori's. They stared at each other for hours, in complete wonder and silence.
They fucked.
 
  
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