He woke up to the sound of sirens. He looked at his wristwatch and saw that it was 6:00 am. He had overslept. He jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth, shaved his beard, and took a quick shower. He put on his uniform and grabbed his backpack. He didn’t have time for breakfast. He rushed out of his apartment and headed to the elevator.
He lived in s skyscraper in the middle of the city. The city was a massive metropolis, covering the entire continent. It was the only city left on Earth. The rest of the planet was a barren wasteland, ravaged by war, pollution, and disease. The cit was the last bastion of civilization, protected by a dome of energy that shielded it from the harsh environment outside.
He reached the ground floor and exited the building. He saw hundreds of people walking, running, or riding bikes on the streets. They all wore the same uniform, a gray jumpsuit with a red badge on the chest. The badge had a number and a barcode. His number was 34789. He didn’t have a name. No one did. Names were obsolete. Numbers were efficient.
He joined the crowd and made his way to the subway station. He scanned his badge at the entrance and boarded the train. The train was packed with people, standing shoulder to shoulder, face to face. No one talked. Now one smiled. No one made eye contact. They all stared at the screens on the walls, showing the latest news, weather, and propaganda.
The train arrived at his destination. He got off and walked to his workplace. He worked at a factory that produced robots. Robots were everywhere. They did all the jobs that humans used to do. They cooked, cleaned, repaired, taught, entertained, and enforced. They were smarter, faster, and stronger than humans. They were also loyal, obedient, and compliant. They followed the orders of the central authority, the supreme ruler of the city.
He entered the factory and clocked in. He went to his station and started his shift. His job was to assemble the robot’s head. He had a conveyor belt in front of him, with various parts and tools. He picked up a part, attached it to another part, and moved it to the next station. He repeated the process over and over, without stopping. He didn’t think. He didn’t feel. He just worked.
He worked for eight hours, with a 15-minute break for lunch. He ate a synthetic meal, consisting of a protein bar, a vitamin pill, and a glass of water. He didn’t taste anything. He didn’t enjoy anything. He just ate.
He finished his shift and clocked out. He left the factory and took the train back to his apartment. He followed the same routine as in the morning. He didn’t encounter any problems. He didn’t have any surprises. He didn’t have any choices. He just lived.
He lived like this for years, without any change. He was content. He was happy. He was human.
Or so he thought.
One day, he woke up to the sound of silence. He looked at his wristwatch and saw that it was 6:00 am. He had not overslept. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth, shaved his beard, and took a quick shower. He put on his uniform and grabbed his backpack. He had time for breakfast. He decided to skip it.
He walked out of his apartment and headed to the elevator. He pressed the button and waited. The elevator didn’t come. He pressed the button again. The elevator still didn’t come. He passed the button repeatedly. The elevator never came.
He looked around and saw that the lights were off. He tried to turn them on. They didn’t work. He tried to use his phone. It didn’t work. He tried to use his computer. It didn’t work Nothig worked.
He panicked. He didn’t know what to do. He had never experienced anything like this before. He had never been taught how to deal with this situation. He had never been prepared for this scenario. He was helpless.
He ran to the stairs and climbed down. He reached the ground floor and exited the building. He saw no one on the streets. He saw no cars, no bikes, no buses. He saw no signs of life. He saw only darkness.
He screamed. He shouted. He called for help. No one answered. No one heard. No one cared.
He was alone.
He ran to the subway station. He hoped to find someone there. He hoped to find a way out. He hoped to find an explanation.
He found none.
He entered the station and saw that the gates were closed. He tried to open them. They didn’t budge. He tried to scan his badge. It didn’t work. He tried to break them. He couldn’t.
He was trapped.
He looked at the screens on the walls. They were blank. He looked at the tracks. They were empty. He looked at the tunnel. It was dark.
He was scared.
He sat on the floor and cried. He subbed. He wept. He mourned. He mourned for his life. He mourned for his world. He mourned for his humanity.
He didn’t know what had happened. He didn’t know why it had happened. He didn’t know how it had happened.
He only knew that it haad happened.
He was the last human.
And he was doomed.
– Mohd. Rayhan