May 11, 2009 Issue

The Autobiography of J.G.B.

Last man alive in London
BY J. G. BALLARD

Onwakingonemorning,BwassurprisedtoseethatSheppertonwas
deserted.Heenteredthekitchenatnineoclock,annoyedtofindthat
neitherhispostnorthedailynewspapershadbeendelivered,andthata
powerfailurepreventedhimfrompreparinghisbreakfast.Hespentan
hourstaringatthemeltingicethatdrippedfromhisrefrigerator,andthen
wentnextdoortocomplaintohisneighbor.
Surprisingly,hisneighborshousewasempty.Hiscarstoodinthedrive,
buttheentirefamilyhusband,wife,children,anddoghad
disappeared.Evenmoreodd,thestreetwasfilledbyanunbrokensilence.
Notrafficmovedalongthenearbymotorway,andnotasingleaircraft
flewoverheadtowardLondonAirport.Bcrossedtheroadandknocked
onseveraldoors.Throughthewindows,hecouldseetheemptyinteriors.
Nothinginthispeacefulsuburbwasoutofplace,exceptforitsmissing
tenants.
Thinkingthatperhapssometerriblecalamitywasimminentanuclear
catastrophe,orasuddenepidemicafteraresearchlaboratoryaccident
andthatbysomeunfortunatemishaphealonehadnotbeenwarned,B
returnedhomeandswitchedonhistransistorradio.Theapparatus
worked,butallthestationsweresilent,theContinentaltransmittersas
wellasthoseoftheUnitedKingdom.Disconcerted,Breturnedtothe
streetandgazedattheemptysky.Itwasacalm,sunfilledday,crossed
bypeacefulcloudsthatgavenohintofanynaturaldisaster.

BtookhiscaranddrovetothecenterofShepperton.Thetownwas
deserted,andnoneoftheshopswereopen.Atrainstoodinthestation,
emptyandwithoutanyofthepassengerswhoregularlytravelledto
London.LeavingShepperton,BcrossedtheThamestothenearbytown
ofWalton.Thereagainhefoundthestreetscompletelysilent.He
stoppedinfrontofthehouseownedbyhisfriendP,whosecarwas
parkedinherdrive.Usingthesparekeythathecarried,heunlockedthe
frontdoorandenteredthehouse.Butevenashecalledhernamehe
couldseethattherewasnotraceoftheyoungwoman.Shehadnotslept
inherbed.Inthekitchen,themeltingiceoftherefrigeratorhadformeda
largepoolonthefloor.Therewasnoelectricpower,andthetelephone
wasdead.
Resuminghisjourney,Bsystematicallyexploredtheneighboringtowns,
circlingthemallasheapproachedcentralLondon.Hewasnotsurprised
tofindthehugemetropolistotallydeserted.Hedrovedownanempty
Piccadilly,crossedTrafalgarSquareinsilence,andparkedoutsidethe
unguardedBuckinghamPalace.Asduskfell,hedecidedtoreturnto
Shepperton.Hehadalmostrunoutoffuelandwasforcedtobreakintoa
fillingstation.However,nopolicemenwereoutonpatrolorintheir
stations.Heleftbehindhimanimmensecityplungedintodarkness,
wheretheonlylightswerethereflectionsofhisheadlamps.
Bpassedadisturbednight,withtheradiomutebesidehisbed.Butwhen
hewoketoanotherluminousmorninghisconfidencereturned.Afteran
initialdoubt,hewasrelievedtoseethatSheppertonwasstilldeserted.
Thefoodwithinhisrefrigeratorhadbeguntorot;heneededfresh
provisionsandameansofcookingforhimself.Hedroveinto
Shepperton,brokeawindowofthesupermarket,andcollectedseveral
cartonsofcannedmeatandvegetables,rice,andsugar.Inthehardware

store,hefoundaparaffinstove,andtookithomewithatinoffuel.
Waternolongerflowedinthemains,butheestimatedthatthecontents
oftheroofcisternwouldlasthimaweekormore.Furtherforaystothe
localstoresfurnishedhimwithasupplyofcandles,flashlights,and
batteries.
Inthefollowingweek,BmadeseveralexpeditionstoLondon.He
returnedtothehousesandflatsofhisfriends,butfoundthemempty.He
brokeintoScotlandYardandthenewspaperofficesinFleetStreet,inthe
hopeoffindingsomeexplanationforthedisappearanceofanentire
population.Lastly,heenteredtheHousesofParliament,andstoodinthe
silentdebatingchamberoftheCommons,breathingthestaleair.
However,therewasnottheleastexplanationanywhereofwhathad
takenplace.Inthestreetsofthecity,hesawnotasinglecatordog.It
wasonlywhenhevisitedLondonZoothathefoundthatthebirdsstill
remainedwithintheircages.TheyseemeddelightedtoseeB,butflew
offwithfamishedcrieswhenheunlockedthebars.
Soatleasthehadakindofcompanionship.Duringthenextmonth,and
throughoutthesummer,Bcontinuedhispreparationsforsurvival.He
droveasfarnorthasBirminghamwithoutseeingasoul,thendrovedown
tothesouthcoastandfollowedtheroadfromBrightontoDover.
Standingonthecliffs,hegazedatthedistantshorelineofFrance.Inthe
marina,hechoseamotorboatwithafulltankoffuelandsetoutacross
thecalmsea,nowfreeofthecustomarypleasurecraft,petroleum
tankers,andcrossChannelferries.AtCalais,hewanderedforanhour
throughthedesertedstreets,andinthesilentshopslistenedinvainto
telephonesthatneverrang.Thenheretracedhisstepstotheportand
returnedtoEngland.

Whenthesummerwasfollowedbyamildautumn,Bhadestablisheda
pleasantandcomfortableexistenceforhimself.Hehadabundantstocks
oftinnedfood,fuel,andwaterwithwhichtosurvivethewinter.The
riverwasnearby,clearandfreeofallpollution,andpetrolwaseasyto
obtain,inunlimitedquantities,fromthefillingstationsandparkedcars.
Atthelocalpolicestation,heassembledasmallarmoryofpistolsand
carbines,todealwithanyunexpectedmenacethatmightappear.
Buthisonlyvisitorswerethebirds,andhescatteredhandfulsofriceand
seedsonhislawnandonthoseofhisformerneighbors.Alreadyhehad
beguntoforgetthem,andSheppertonsoonbecameanextraordinary
aviary,filledwithbirdsofeveryspecies.
Thustheyearendedpeacefully,andBwasreadytobeginhistruework.