Last Call

March 28th - Day 681 since last human contact.

Rats have been plentiful this month. I still thank God when I am able to find food, but it feels silly sometimes. I haven't seen another human being in almost two years. Sometimes I feel like a new Adam, but after a while, God made Eve for Adam.

I have no Eve. I have no one at all.

April 23rd - Day 707 since last human contact.

Exciting find today. On my exploration to the south of the city, I've come upon a Cell Broadcast Center. Before the catastrophe, I was a Systems Engineer. While I spent most of my career working at a hospital, servicing and managing the network and medical equipment, for a short time, I did some side work for a cell phone provider, so I know the importance of a Cell Broadcast Center. CBC's are where cell phone providers sent mass messages to people within the service area of the CBC.

I'm going to make camp here to see if I can make a cell phone call to everyone on this network in the service area of the CBC.

May 1st - Day 715 since last human contact.

I have figured out how to make a call to everyone on the network. The challenge is trying to find the power to be able to make the call. I've been able to bring generators to the CBC, but I'm worried that I can't get enough power to make a call to the entire service area. I feel like I'm close, but I want to make sure I'm able to get a single call out. I need to reach another human being.

The food situation is not great here. I managed to trap a squirrel and a pigeon, along with some rats, but I'm not getting enough food. Working on what I've decided to call Project Last Call has kept my busy enough that the hunger doesn't bother me too much, but I'm definitely feeling it.

May 13th - 727 days since last human contact.

I last ate four days ago. A small rat. I am always tired now, I feel cold and my skin is dry and itchy. I know those are signs of malnutrition. Thankfully, I have a water cistern and the weather has cooperated, so thirst is not an issue. But I must spend more time trapping and hunting.

I was able to locate three more generators at a garage. It seems stupid to call it an "abandoned garage" because everything is abandoned.

I am abandoned. But I think I have enough power to launch Project Last Call.

May 14th - 728 days since last human contact.

In two days, I will have been alone for two years. The loneliness is crushing. I yearn to hear another spoken voice. All of the voices from my life before the catastrophe live in my head. But I have to be careful about my conversations with them. I can't let myself slip into insanity.

I made a quick excursion this morning and found a patch of wood sorrel. I harvested all of it and ate it raw. I know there's vitamin C and potassium in wood sorrel and the sour taste was a welcome change.

After my wood sorrel feast, I made my way to the console where I'll make my last call. I position the cell phone in front of me, and connect it to the network. I key in the number sequence and pause before I send the call. I can't seem to focus my eyes.

It's late and the malnutrition is making me tired. I need to be rested and my mind needs to be clear when I try to make this call. I close my eyes and immediately start to fall asleep.

I dream that I reach hundreds of people with my last call, they all talk at once, but it sounds beautiful - like a symphony. My head drops and I startle myself awake. I get up and shuffle to my cot, and immediately I'm asleep again. I try to get back into the talking symphony dream again.

May 15th - 729 days since last human contact.

I think my snoring woke me up, but I can never tell. I'm still a bit groggy, but I feel much more rested and I move back over to the console. All is as I had left it. The number sequence is still on the screen. I turn on all of the generatotrs. Now, I just need to send the call.

Surely, I'll be able to reach someone. Tears well up in my eyes and I shake my head, inhaling deeply. I press the green phone icon on the phone and wait.

The ring sounded strange - much slower than I remember, but I find myself again thanking God, because the phone is ringing.

A second ring.

A third ring. Some of the generators are emitting smoke.

A fourth ring. More smoke and one generator fails.

A fifth ring. Then a click.

I try to remain calm, but my voice is cracked and trembling.

"Hello?"

No response, but the phone isn't ringing anymore.

My cracked voice gets louder.

"Hello?"

Nothing.

"Hello! Is anyone hearing me? My name is..."

Two more generators fail and the phone's screen goes dark.

I start to laugh. My mind races. The idea that I may have just made the last phone call in human history crosses my mind. I start to get sad, then I start laughing again.

"Literally the last call made by a human being." I think.

"And no one's home."