I filled my coffee mug for perhaps the tenth time since sunset and sat down at the computer again. Not for the first time, I wondered how much longer it would be until I disappeared. I was alone now... completely, utterly alone. I resumed typing what I thought could very well be my last report... Why? Because it was important to leave a written record... just in case someone ever wondered what had happened to us.
It's been five months now, since Ben went up into the hills. He waved and said he would be back in time for dinner. But he did not return for dinner that day... nor any other day since then... and I have no way of knowing what happened to him. To be completely honest, I am too scared to go up there.
"That's a habit I've developed recently - talking out loud... as if to reassure myself that I'm still here... that I'm still alive. There is no one else to talk to anymore, but in some strange way, the sound of my own voice is a reminder that I still exist. Sometimes I think it's the only thing that keeps me from going insane. Or perhaps I am already insane. How would I know? There's no one here to challenge that belief."
To begin with, I will explain what this is all about. Nearly eight months ago, there were seven of us who set up camp on this little island to study the plant life in the area. Our purpose was to study certain rare plants, which appeared to flourish better here than anywhere else, and to determine if they would do well in the controlled environment."
We were all part of the junior staff of the recently-formed New Earth Organization or NEO, trying to find the best methods of coping with global warming. One idea being tossed around was domed cities with the controlled atmospheres of a greenhouse. The main focus of NEO was on agriculture and finding ways to feed the ever-growing population, under the increasing instability of earth's suitable farming climate."
Anyway, as I said, that was nearly eight months ago and there had been seven of us. Now, seven months later, there's just me - all alone. A helicopter landed us, along with enough supplies to last until winter. More supplies were supposed to be dropped off before winter set in. We could contact headquarters by e-mail, but were only supposed to do so in case of an emergency. We did that once... hesitated to do it the next time... and now I can’t get any response."
The very first thing we had to do was set up camp. Everything was provided and all we had to do was put it together. Our seven-room living quarters, complete with kitchen and living room, was dubbed 'The Hotel.’ The storage shed, or ‘Supply’ as we called it, contained all our food supplies.
