You wake up and you're the only one alive. What do you do?

[Laggartha]

I've just started watching I Think We're Alone Now and this is the premise. I'm only 8 minutes in and we've just seen how our hero spends his time.

I think it's a fascinating idea so I had to pause it to consider what I would do. What would you do?

@Sideorderofchips

Get as far away from the nearest nuclear power station as possible as thst will meltdown after a while.

Nope- the rods automatically drop to stop the reaction.

Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon has sort of this premise: an older woman decides to stay behind when the rest of her community travels to a new planet. She spends her time gardening and crafting and not being pestered by other people.

Assuming that sort of situation, where I'm alone but not sad about it, I think I'd like to walk to all the beautiful mountains and beaches I don't make time for, camp wherever I like or sleep in empty houses, and move on when I feel like it.

In reality if I suddenly had to be entirely self-sufficient I'd probably be dead within a year

I had a really vivid dream once where everyone, everyone, on the planet left on a space craft to live on a new colony. But it was too far for radio contact. The planet was being deserted because we had reached tipping point and couldn't sustain the population any more. But they needed one person to stay behind to record how the planet recovered once humans were absent.

I was that person. The loss I felt when I realised that I would have no human contact stayed with me when I woke up.

The rest of my dream seemed to be me in a canoe with a dog. Paddling round Europe figuring out how to start noting down how earth recovered and wondering how I would get to the other continents.

Left to my own devices (I had been prepared by Authorities In my dream) I would hit outdoor shops and stock up some vehicles with supplies and fuel. And just... get on with life? Find a dog to keep me company assuming other life continues. Learn how to shoot rats. Find the self sufficient communities and base myself there at first. Probably would look for some weed. And drink. Plan where I want to go and what to see. Get a massive first aid kit.

Might wonder where everyone has gone.

@RiaOverTheRainbow - one of my favourite ever books! I love the image of this tough old woman just going “fuck it, I’m fed up of everybody, I’m staying here!” and then doing whatever she wants.

@RiaOverTheRainbow

Cross posted - I've never heard of that book! Sounds a bit like my dream!

I'd go to the zoo and eat my way through the different species:

Lemur bourguignon
Tapir tapas
Gorilla rump steak
Pangolin Wellington

Sleep

@donquixotedelamancha

I'd go to the zoo and eat my way through the different species:

Lemur bourguignon
Tapir tapas
Gorilla rump steak
Pangolin Wellington

You might find (briefly) that human tartare turned out to be the dish of the day.

i would go outside, and have a wander around, maybe near and far, and you might well find, a few little people, all inside a cave or whatever, and they will be the type of people, who have forward planned for such devastation,, and have a few tins of food, and a ready tin opener, and of course some long lasting toilet rolls.

Immediately start worrying about the nuclear power stations which will start melting down in 6 weeks and ponder how to get to New Zealand where I would be relatively safe.

It would be a Neville Shute "On the Beach" scenario

There's a book called "Alone" by TR Sullivan with this exact scenario.
Mostly in the Last Man On Earth stories there are actually other people out there somewhere, but in this one he never finds anyone else. It's a "cosy catastrophe" so nothing too bad happens, he just gets on with it, but it's a good read.a
Personally, as long as there aren't corpses everywhere, I would travel from place to place reading all the books - the Bodleian, the British Library, all the archives, explore all the stately homes. Then I would choose a castle, stock up, and end my days in a haze of tinned luxury food and alcohol

@en0la

Break into a book shop.

Too late, I got there before you and barricaed myself in. Now I'm digging a secret passage to the winemerchants next door.

@IsolaPribby

I guess I would start burying the bodies?

the entire planet of bodies? Really? You'll be busy!

I'm torn between staying put and becoming self sufficient and finding a luxury camper an and touring Europe. If there are no zombies and no gangs of bad men that normally roam distopia then I'd be safe. Obviously I'd take my dog.

@1forAll74

i would go outside, and have a wander around, maybe near and far, and you might well find, a few little people, all inside a cave or whatever, and they will be the type of people, who have forward planned for such devastation,, and have a few tins of food, and a ready tin opener, and of course some long lasting toilet rolls.

Haha. They'd be all the Mumsnet preppers probably.

I watched the film after I read the op.

It had the makings of something that could have been really good. It wasn't so bad that I turned it off before finishing but I kept waiting for something key and breakthrough to happen and it didn't really. Also, I was driven half insane with the volume. Extra loud music and ambient effects alongside almost constant inaudible mumbling. I had remote control permanently in hand vol up vol down vol up vol down.

Good post though, I'd like to think I would be able to make it in a post apocalyptic world, but I'm also pretty lazy

Having had some time to think more, I'd want to unearth all these conspiracy theories cos lets face it noone can stop me

I'd go to the oval office and see all the secrets, id also go to the FBI and see all the classified documents, travel to area 51 and really see wtf really is going on there

I could travel to North Korea without being locked up!

After looting Waterstones and enjoying my uninterrupted book, I think I might loot M&S and get a good supply of comfortable bras and pants. There’s no point trying to deal with a nuclear apocalypse when your underwire is digging in: got to think of the hierarchy of needs, folks.

I would then loot B&Q and load up the car with the sort of kit I’d need to break into the power stations, so I could ensure they were shut down properly (obvs after changing into the nice new comfy pants). After that I’d loot Waitrose for some nice Belgian chocolates that I could eat while reading some of my new books.

I would:

1. Go to the supermarket and stock up on the perishables first, firewood and alcohol.
2. Find the best house I could with a pool, gym, fast cars and best a library.
3. Spend my evenings watching Netflix next to the fire while indulging in items from the supermarket.
4. Sleep a lot.
5. Never give up hope of connecting with another survivor.

Another fan of dystopian literature here so I already have it all planned out. Lots of looting to start with:

Pharmacy for antibiotics, painkillers etc
Supermarket for water and tinned goods (and a few spare tin openers)
Decathlon for camping goods like gas burner and spare canisters, Dynamo torches and a radio etc
Bookshop for SAS survival handbook type books
Garden centre for packets of seeds to grow fruit and veg

The only thing I haven't worked out is where to live

Finally finish watching Medici without some wanker (DH) talking over the top of it.

Was just imagining my travelling through channel tunnel on foot and then dealing with tricks and fuel and food in France for the journey south. Realised my lack of language skills would not be a problem

I'm pretty sure Netflix wouldn't carry on working!

I have enjoyed reading this thread and got a load of books added to my Good Reads ‘want to read’ list!

There’s a secret radar thing in my town which was used as testing site owned by Marconi since the 1950s, but it’s shrouded in mystery and secrets about what’s in there. I would walk up there and have a proper nose round to find out. Although would it be super annoying to find out secrets but have no one to share them with? I guess I could also see if I can use any of the stuff to send out communication. I would also stock up on food, and make sure all the pets in the area were ok. It actually sounds exhausting!

Go to the pharmacy, steal a bunch of Fentynyl, take it and go to sleep.