[ WP ] The last human is decommissioned by our superiors .

The Last Man looked around him. Everywhere he looked, he saw nothing but the vast expanse of space, filled with barren worlds and dying stars. 
 
 For the universe was dying. It had been dying for trillions of years. 
 
 Ancient humans had tried to reverse entropy for a long, long time. Eventually, they realized that they could not possibly hope to do it alone. So they struck out. Searched for others in the vast expanse. They found them, and integrated them into society. In time, they too identified as Human. 
 
 But not even a trillion trillion minds on billions of worlds was enough. So, they created a computer. 
 
 No, *the* Computer. 
 
 It transcended all that Humanity had ever known, was all but omniscient. But not even it could solve the problem. 
 
 And entropy carved its way through the universe, leaving neutron stars, brown dwarves, and black holes in its wake. 
 
 The computer spent trillions of years improving itself. But even then, it could not solve the question. Soon afterwards, it became apparent that there was no way that a dark, homogenous universe could support life. 
 
 So Humanity become one with the computer. In droves, they surrendered their consciousness to the God of their own making. 
 
 And now, all that was left was the Last Man. 
 
 `` Computer.'' 
 
 **'' WHAT IS YOUR QUERY? `` ** 
 
 `` The universe is dying.'' 
 
 **'' THAT IS QUITE APPARENT. `` ** 
 
 The Man gulped. 
 
 `` Are you sure that you can solve it? That you can stop all of... this?'' 
 
 **'' I AM NO LONGER LIMITED TO THE PHYSICAL REALM. MOST OF MY PROCESSES HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO HYPERSPACE. I WILL SURVIVE THE DEATH OF THE UNIVERSE. GIVEN INFINITE TIME, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. `` ** 
 
 `` I... see. Must I enter you now?'' 
 
 **'' IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE. BUT YOU HAVE TIME. `` ** 
 
 `` Do... the others... are they...'' 
 
 **'' THEY HAVE LOST MUCH OF THEIR INDIVIDUALITY. BUT THEIR CONSCIOUSNESS STILL EXISTS. THEY ASSIST ME IN SOLVING THE GREAT PROBLEM. `` ** 
 
 `` I see.'' 
 
 The Last Man stood for a long time, watching. From his position watching the stars, they seemed so static, unchanging. But, given another million years, even the last holdouts would flicker and die. 
 
 `` I'm ready.'' 
 
 And Humanity and the Computer were one. 
 
 The Computer, assisted by Humanity, thought for a long time. The stars were gone, the universe whimpered in death. The Computer's physical platforms were destroyed, lost. But it continued to exist on a higher plane. 
 
 Then, one day, after untold ages, it solved the problem. 
 
 Deep within its processes, the Computer began to write a program. It implemented basic physics, particles. It built on this, making it infinitely more complex. It shifted all of its significant processing power to this project. And finally, it was ready. 
 
 And the Computer said: `` Let there be light.'' 
 
 And, deep within the Computer, there was light. 
 
 *** 
 
 Inspired by Isaac Asimov's *The Last Question*.
