In The Back of The Fridge and Other Short Stories

The Empty Planet

It's been three years since the Migration when Alice was left alone. The last person on Earth. A fact that deep down she knows is true. Over the years she's used her knowledge and a good dose of common sense to keep herself alive, but it hasn't been easy. She walks through what used to be a beautiful city in a country that used to be called Italy. Back when things like that mattered. Before the Migration. 'Migration' an almost comical word to describe what happened. No, it was more like an exodus, followed by culling those who couldn't afford to leave. 

Most of the planets fauna and flora had died out long before the Migration. There wasn't much choice but to leave the dying planet. Alice's parents were among the masses who couldn't afford to buy their family's place on one of the a starship leaving Earth for Jupiter or Mars. In the end everyone who couldn't afford to go was gathered in the arenas on every continent to fight to win a spot on the last of the starships. But this was just a cleaver trap and her parents feel for. Simply put there weren't enough resources on the new worlds to keep everyone alive so instead every arena was bombed, and that's how the culling of humanity began.

By some trick of fate, destiny, or just freak accident if you prefer Alice wasn't there that day. She had stayed home to pack up their belongings and get their papers together for the trip. Over the next week, any survivors were rounded up as slaves for the new world. They were dragged away in pods to the last starship. Those were dark days and Alice only survived by staying hidden. She was still hiding when they left for the stars.

"Not much further now Scraps," She says to the stray cat that's been following her since she gave it a scrap of her dinner one night. "By this time tomorrow we should be on the ISS."

She's been travelling for twenty-eight months, one week, and four days looking for it. A rumoured space centre in Rome with a starship prototype with enough fuel to reach the ISS. 

Scraps just meows back at her.

"Good night, Scraps." 

In the morning light Alice wonders through the city looking for the space centre. 

"Hey, you!" A low voice calls and Alice turns to see him. "Who are you? Friend or foe?"

"I'm Alice. I'm friend...I think. Who are you?"

"Tyler." Scraps runs up to him, rubbing herself up on his leg. 

They're both staring at the other still in shock when Alice breaks to silence, asking the impossible question, "How did you get here?"

"Probably the same way you did. I walked." He bends down scratching Scraps behind her ears.

"No, I meant...I thought I was..."

"The only one?"

"Exactly...So what are you doing here?"

He looks back up at her, "Probably the same thing you are. I'm looking for the prototype."