[ WP ] You wake up to only one person left in the world . There is a red button and a phone contacting both of you .

Riiiiiiiiiiiiing! I wake up from my nap, there ’ s a pool of drool where my face laid on my arm. Riiiiiiiiiiing! My eyes lock with the only other person in the room, Rodney, his eyes tell me everything I need to know. We ’ re alone. There ’ s no reason to answer the phone. Riiiiiiiiing! Rodney puts his head back down trying to ignore the situation. I don ’ t blame him. Riiiiiiiiiing! Three days ago the phone ringing meant a call from the president of the United States of America. Two days ago the phone ringing meant a phone call from a five-star general at the pentagon. Today? I don ’ t even want to think about it. 
 
 We ’ re twenty-three levels below Cheyenne Mountain in a secret Air Force base, in a conference room that overlooks one of the giant missile silos that housed a nuclear warhead during the Cold War. The phone has stopped ringing, I speak up “ Does this phone have voice mail? ” 
 
 Rodney doesn ’ t even lift his head “ I have no idea, it ’ s never been not answered. ” 
 
 I reply “ There ’ s a first time for everything. ” 
 
 Three days ago this conference room housed the top scientists and military strategists this country had to offer. The phone was constantly handed off from one high ranking officer to another. We had gathered here to save humanity. Two days ago, 95 % of the Earth ’ s population was wiped out, it was then that we realized what we were up against and the odds were stacked against any of us surviving. By then most everyone was in shock, some fled, some turned their weapons on each other, others turned their weapons on themselves. Ten hours ago there were ten of us left. Today it ’ s just Rodney, myself, and a phone that was set to call Cheyenne Mountain automatically every twelve hours. The last call we received was twelve hours ago and no one was there. Just like the one before it. No one ’ s at the other end. They ’ re all dead. 
 
 Rodney stands up and walks over to the window, staring into the pitch black silo. Staring at his reflection, “ Samantha, you know what we have to do. We have to… ” his voice trails off. I know exactly where he ’ s taking this. “ As long as they know we ’ re here, that we ’ re alive… ” 
 
 I have to take charge, “ We ’ re not giving up just yet. If we make it to the Alpha Site, we have a chance to survive. ” 
 
 Rodney turns, “ General O ’ Neil and a squadron of the Air Force ’ s best pilots didn ’ t make it, they didn ’ t even get off the ground. ” He walks over and slumps back into his chair “ Just my luck, I ’ m finally the last man on Earth and… ” 
 
 “ If you finish that sentence, I swear I ’ ll break this chair over your head! ” 
 
 Rodney smirks, the closest thing to a smile I ’ ve seen in two days. Just as quickly, his face fades back to despair. He pulls his handgun out of the holster, sets it on the table and looks at it. I can ’ t lose Rodney, I won ’ t admit it, but he ’ s the best hope we have, I speak up “ I ’ m the ranking officer, put that gun away. ” 
 
 “ Ha. There is no military, thus no chain of command, plus I ’ m a civilian. And! There is no hope of getting out of here alive. ” I have never seen Rodney like this before. 
 
 “ Rodney, it pains me to say this, but you ’ re our best hope. ” I grit my teeth, but he needs to hear it. There ’ s no way I can do this myself. 
 
 Still looking at the gun he replies “ I ’ ve done the calculations while you were napping. It can ’ t be done. ” He picks up the gun and checks the clip to make sure that it ’ s loaded. “ No one made it to the Alpha Site, there was a transmission that came through that got lost in the chaos, I found it, Russia and China ’ s joint operation failed. ” He loads the clip back into the gun and loads a round into the chamber. Gripping the barrel of the gun he says “ You and I are the only two people alive and we ’ re going to die today one way or another, would you like to go first or shall I? ” The butt of the gun is aimed directly at me. 
 
 “ Rodney! NO! ” 
 
 He puts his hand up “ OK! Fine! I just assumed ‘ Ladies first ’, I ’ d just like to say It ’ s been an honor working with you all these years Samantha, especially these last two days… ” Rodney puts the gun to his head and closes his eyes. 
 
 “ Rodney! NO! ” 
 
 “ I appreciate the sentiment, but you ’ re not going to stop me. ” He says opening his eyes one last time. 
 
 I point to the phone “ NO! The phone! It's flashing red, there ’ s a a voice message! ” 
 
 
 
 

