Epilogue
Two days without any news from Mars. I’ve got an automated message set up that pings them every hour, but I’ve not had a reply so far. I wonder if they’re all dead. It’s a terrible thought but I’ve always been a realist.
Now though, I wish I wasn’t. My wife’s parents died yesterday and there’s no time to mourn them. There are friends and family dying everywhere. The hospitals can’t cope, neither can the morgues.
Instead of dealing with it all, I’m in the office, one of the few people who are here. My screen is blank, there are no emails in my inbox except for notices about who’s died.
A ping makes me look up. One of my previous messages has been answered.
Control>>Is anyone there?
Louise>>Hi, this is Louise. I’m a geologist and I’m the last person alive.
Cont
