by Fran Lewis
POPULATION
Z
E
R
O
POPULATION
Z
E
R
O
STORIES OF THE WORLD’S END
by FRAN LEWIS
atmosphere press
© 2021 Fran Lewis
Published by Atmosphere Press
Cover design by Matthew Fielder
No part of this book may be reproduced without permission from the author except in brief quotations and in reviews. This is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to real places, persons, or events is entirely coincidental.
atmospherepress.com
Uncle Len was my book discussion partner for many years. I would send him copies of the books I was reviewing and each month we talked about them. He even helped me to create better and more meaningful reviews. I dedicate this book in memory of Uncle Len Lewis.
I miss you so much.
Your niece, Fran
A second dedication in memory of Aunt Frances Lewis, who was my mentor, book editor and critic, who guided me through the processes of making my books more informative, meaningful, and perfectly edited. We would spend hours talking about each point that needed to be fixed. I loved her visits.
Miss you so much.
Your niece, Fran Lewis
POPULATION ZERO
My name is Ella, and I will be your guide and voice as you take the journey with me into the future. I am an ethereal being that is not alive but has been chosen by those above to help you, the humans, understand what is going to happen if you do not work together, follow the guidelines for the virus, and learn to live in harmony.
Remember, these worlds are the imagination of the author, and she wants you to really think about what she has created. You can decide if you would want to live in any of the worlds she imagined in her mind. What if you were asked to be the only human to experience one of these worlds if you could travel back for a short while? Welcome to your future. Think about it and decide.
Sometimes I think the world would be better off without humans. For many reasons in the worlds created, people fled and abandoned their homes. Desert areas became common, providing people with the sand, the hot sun, and not even a trace of water. Recent scenes show nuclear exclusion zones, urban neighborhoods burned out, and nowhere to escape.
Think about this: A forest so dense and so filled with trees that you cannot see anything but darkness. The smell of the dead leaves, the creatures that lived there, and the stench they created are worse than the smoke from a five-alarm fire. Imagine a sandstorm that plows across a highway and darkens the daylight sky, making it hard for drivers to see even an inch in front of them.
Smashed windows and abandoned satellite dishes and blocks of plaster all over the ground. The world—Population Zero…a look into the future.
What if this really does happen?
WORLD ONE
THE DARKENED CITY
Darkness falls over the streets and the smell of rotted flesh from people that used to live in doorways and alleyways has left its mark. Bones are all around. You can barely walk without falling over someone’s dead body or skeleton.
The world is not good for humans. The air quality is dangerous, dank—no oxygen mask or COVID-19 mask could filter out the burnt smell. The animals that once lived in this world are no longer alive, and those that are walking around have rabies or other diseases that make them dangerous even to themselves. Many just attack the others for food, and some just wander around looking for something—but who knows what?
The sun is dull and the trees are so overgrown you can barely see the sky above them. Some of the trunks are so rotted that bugs crawl out of the holes in the trunks. The smell of mildew is all over. It is as if someone took a huge match and lit a bonfire.
The skyline is marred by clouds, a veil of fog so dense and so black that you can barely see, if you can live in this world at all. The darkness is all around all the time, and no matter what, it will never be the same. Very few, if alive or human, could live in this world. They would die just walking outside in the street and smelling the horrific smells caused by diseases that so easily spread. No hospitals or medical staff exist anymore, and the world is now overrun with animals, bugs, maggots, and disease—probably the only life left on Earth.
The world as we once knew it not so long ago will no longer exist. The cruelties of some people, the personal outrages and wars, along with poor judgement displayed by so many, caused the conditions in the world that you and everyone will now live in. It is a world of total isolation. It is a world where no one will be able to physically interact with anyone. It is a world where the air quality has so much CO2 in it that if you venture out, the masks you wear will have to have special oxygen filters to allow you to breathe clean air. Without it, you will suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning.
The gatherings, the bar groups, the people who refused to wear masks in the street or when going into stores, are just some of the people that you can all thank for what is NEXT!
WORLD TWO
THE WORLD WITHOUT
THE SUN!
The sun is gone, and if you lived in this world it would be dark. The sun provides warmth, so it would always be cold. Without it we could not exist, which is why we do not exist in this world anymore. Life would go out.
The light from the sun takes eight and a half minutes to reach the earth. If by some miracle you survived, you would notice it right away—after all, there would be total darkness—and you might need a flashlight or some type of object to see where you are going. The earth is now dark and cold, and any living creatures are frozen solid.
The temperatures are way below freezing, the air is frigid, and the land looks like a polar icecap. The ground is solid ice, the trees are dead, and the smell of decay is still there, even though it is so cold outside. The buildings have no heat, and the doors are frozen solid.
Some animals rely on plants for food, but with none there and none about to grow, animals are hunting and killing for food or taking anything in sight, including rotted and frozen food. Some stores’ doors are open, and the smell of the rotten and spoiled food does not stop the animals or any other creatures from hunting and taking whatever they want.
This is one world without life. If it ever becomes inhabited again, would you want to live in this world?
What is next?
If one person lived in the worlds just described—the worlds of devastation—hear what S has to say, and envision yourself taking his place.
Just call me S. I am the only person alive and will live in one of the communities for twenty-four hours before I get sent somewhere to spend eternity. I have chosen the first world of devastation in the forest, where all of it is burnt out, limbs gone, darkness all around, and no sign of any life anywhere. Behind one of the downed trees is what is left of a cabin. There is no electricity and no food except for some cold cereal boxes, but bugs are crawling all over them, trying to get to the sweet treats inside. The stench is awful, and I am glad they gave me a special mask to wear to filter it out. It is horrific, but I will explain my day here and why you would never want to live in this world if you could come back.
This old forest is surrounded by dying and death. The trees, or what is left of them, have unusual overgrowths. This forest is filled with dead trees, live trees dying or dead from fungus infections, and smells that will make you sick. If we lived in this environment, we might have learned that dead trees are useful for heat, and fungi are specialized decomposers that decay the hardwood of trees. Most of the trees here are hollow, and I am trying to see if there is anything I can eat, or a place where I can sit. There
is total decay, and nothing is living that would help me survive if I lived more than the twenty-four hours allotted to me. It is often humid or raining, and at other times it is so hot your skin burns—and then you pray for death again. There is no water, no food, and nothing to shelter you from the elements.
Walking around I realize there is no place to hide from the smells, the stench, and the decay. Trying to figure out how I would create a safe haven is impossible. The silence is deafening, and the air quality forces me to place my gloves over my nose, leaving my hands uncovered. The ground is slick in some spots and dry in others. The fear that I might wind up here for eternity makes the alternative look better. In my pocket I find a mask that I wore when alive during the pandemic. I place it over my nose and replace my gloves on my hands. This is a sober reminder of why the world is devoid of people.
A WORLD WITHOUT THE SUN—
AND NO PEOPLE!
The sun is dying, and the frigid air is so cold that if anyone were alive their appendages would freeze and fall off. The temperature is about 130 degrees below zero. The plants and trees are frozen, and the limbs are falling off. The darkness is all around us. There are few living beings—the animals are like frozen statues. The chilling feeling you will get if you can picture this will send a shiver down your spine cold enough to traumatize you. The animals that are still alive will terrorize you and fear will overcome you. The dread—or fearful expectation or anticipation of doom—will loom within your mind.
Close your eyes and visualize blackness and darkness as I take you into the new world without the sun. The heat and warmth are gone, and all the winter coats, hats, gloves, and scarves will not keep you warm. Heaters and generators are a thing of the past, and no matter how hard you try—even lighting a fire in a fireplace—you will freeze. Our source of heat is gone. The sun is the only thing that could prevent our planet from being cold, and now it is too late.
The sun’s heat used to create a vast amount of energy for people that once lived on Earth—in fact, pretty much all energy created and used on Earth came from the sun. Once upon a time our planet and all the other planets in our solar system revolved around the sun. Our orbit around it lasted 365 days. It was the source of light so that we and other beings could see where we were going. If you were still here you would see that the sun no longer provides light, the plants are all frozen or gone, the cold is so cold that you would freeze just stepping outside into the air, and the world would look like a big blackout.
Imagine if people were no longer present anywhere on Earth. Think about this: exotics would battle with natives, fire ants might destroy all plants, the new wilderness would consume cities, and all places on Earth—even historic places like the pyramids—would be devoid of people. Think about it! Would you survive?
What would happen if this were one world you had to choose to live in?
IMAGINE LIVING IN THIS WORLD—
NO LIGHT ANYWHERE
Just call me R.
I cannot believe how dark it is and how cold the air is here. I have on three hats, four masks covering my face, thermal underwear, four jackets, and even several boots, and still, I can barely feel myself. My hands are frozen solid, and I cannot see where I am going. No stars or sun are visible.
There are homes here, but no electricity. I am going to look inside one of the houses. I have a flashlight that was given to me, but it is not exactly a beacon of light. You will not believe what I see inside. Skeletons, old rotted bones, and no sign of anything I could eat or drink. Would you want to live in this world?
The sun was the largest object in our solar system. Its gravity at one time held the solar system together, which kept everything—from the smallest particles of debris to the largest—in its orbit. The sun and the Earth interacted, but from what I see, that does not exist anymore. I do not think there are any seasons—at least, I am not sure you can tell them apart anymore. The sun was our primary source of light, and more. The weather seems cold, icy, and the climate remains frigid. Without the intense energy of the sun no life exists. Think about this every time you walk out and feel her warmth.
The sun is a source of light and energy, and in this world even the stars are gone, and there is no form of illumination. The flashlight is beginning to dull and shining the light in front of me does not give me the ability to see more than two or three inches ahead. Walking carefully, I cannot see the huge mound of dirt, dead animals, and turned over garbage cans that add to the putrid smell causing me to choke. No place to hide—just walking aimlessly until my time is up. Wearing a mask, not being in crowds, washing my hands when coming home, and staying six feet apart from others when in a store for any reason was my way of protecting myself and others. Why did more people not think about that when they decided to congregate in large groups, hang out in bars, or just walk down the street in groups with no masks? Think about that!
Would you like to live in this world that I just described?
WORLD THREE
THE SCORCHING DESERT HEAT
The fight for existence is over. This world is comprised of sand, hot sun, no water, and vast wilderness. Close your eyes and imagine a barren area of landscape where there is little to no rain, snow, or precipitation. No plants or animals could live in this hostile environment, and the lack of vegetation has exposed the unprotected surface of the ground through the process of denuding.
Think about this: one third of the land surface of the world is arid or semi-arid. This includes polar regions, where little precipitation occurs. These are called cold deserts, which are classified by the amount of precipitation that falls and the temperatures.
This is the next world that has no people. Instead, it is comprised of dust storms and sand dunes. When it does rain, the downpours can result in flash floods. There is no water to drink, and there are no stores, shelters, or anything you could use to stay alive.
Smell the air—the dust, the odors of dead bodies left behind, the grit, the musty smells, and the dry, baked Earth. Torrid heat, nights that are frigid and cold, wind that grinds up and howls. Dry, extremely hot, sandy, uninhabited, treeless, hideous, and sweltering. Any animals still alive would either eat the others or be eaten.
The thought that anyone might want to live in this environment is hard to believe. The vast and inhospitable environment, immense and frightful at times, is barren and bone dry, without a trace of moisture, and covered with a layer of fine, powdery dust. If you lived there your throat would be parched and dried out from the dust and extensive exposure to the heat.
People would find it almost impossible to live on Earth, and anything in the desert, if alive, would need to go far and wide to find water, or an oasis or shelter to find safety. Humans would need water, and surviving would be difficult. There would be a horrible smell from the bodies of people that thought they would experiment by living in a different environment. Picture just sand for miles and miles—no rest stops, no shelters, nothing but sand. The heat during the day would scorch your skin, and who knows if even carrying an umbrella or pitching a tent would protect you. Of course, this is just my imagination, creating worlds to think about in case humans ever come back to inhabit Earth again. Would you live here?
SCORCHED AND BURNED
Life for one day in the desert, in the world just described:
It is so hot it would take about twenty air conditioners, or more than two thousand buckets of ice spilled over my head, to even create a chill. The sun is dying and has become a red giant; it is working overtime to heat the desert plants. Animals like snakes, scorpions, lizards, and other desert creatures have adapted to this climate, but at this minute they would love some water, too. My name is P, and this is what I experienced in the world comprised of sand, during my day in the desert.
Imagine living in this climate. At times it is so hot your skin feels like it is on fire, and at night so cold you will freeze. Right now, there is a sandstorm, and I have no idea how to hide from the
fury of the wind. There are no places to put up a tent, and the air quality is so rancid from the smell of the dead plants and animals that I am glad I have something to help me breathe. But if I had to live here, I doubt I would survive even one day. There is no oasis, nor any means of cooling yourself off. The ice that I had melted and the water bottles that were given to me are long gone. My throat is parched and my body aches. Walking in this type of environment is taxing and all I see is a sea of sand. At times, the air is so hot and scorching that if there were buildings here, I wonder if they would be set on fire. My clothes are sticking to my body and the smell that I wreak is hard even for me to stand. I do not think I would want to live in this world forever if I was the only person still alive today.
But the weather does change and when the darkness comes, the cold is worse than freezing, the sandstorm blinds my eyes, and then it all disappears as I do.
WORLD FOUR
A WORLD ENCLOSED
IN GLASS
Everyone lives in houses surrounded by a special glass processed to keep out the air from outside and create a cleaner environment with breathable air inside your home. No one lives in apartments anymore. They have all been destroyed and replaced with these specially created houses for individuals. However, if you have a family, each family member has their own space, and no two people—unless they are sanitized and properly suited—can ever be in the same room together again.
