Ted decided to take his family of six including, and only two friends, Rodney Harvin and Eve Campbell, a friend of his wife. A quarter of the people would be scientists - astronomers, biologists, chemists, physicists - taken from all over the world. Some of them would have to be women; all of them would have to be young. Obviously scientists were necessary for the continuance of the race, to solve the many problems which were sure to arise when it was safe to go out into the world again. Next on the list were five doctors, ranging from the world's greatest surgeons to famous psychiatrists. The latter would be needed during the long period of confinement underground. All of the survivors must be kept in good mental as well as physical health. Also on the list were five sportsmen, all world-record holders in their various fields. Their job was to keep everybody physically fit and to use their strength in rebuilding the world when the time came.
Next were five painters and sculptors. These would keep alive Man's interest in Art. Then there were five musicians, including a violinist, an opera-singer, a jazz trumpeter, a pop star and a folk-singer, both with guitars. No pianists were included as a piano would take up too much room. Five famous writers would also be saved. Like the musicians, they would keep the people entertained and occupied and pass on the love of the arts. There would also be twelve intelligent children of different ages.
When the day came the last few people had filed down the long flight of stairs into the underground shelter, and Ted was just about to shut and lock the entrance when Rodney Harvin started raving and running up the steps.
"They're being saved!" he yelled, nearing the top of the stairs. "The people out there, they're the ones who will all be saved. We will be left behind. It's the judgement day, the end of the world! It's the second coming! Let me out! I want to be saved! Let me out!" As Ted pulled the lever which would open the entrance enough to let his friend out he realised sadly that he should have expected this. He had forgotten about Rod's rather extreme religious views. He had to be let go. There was no point keeping him there by force. As his friend ran wildly away Ted saw a crowd of people rushing towards him. Obviously they had heard of the shelter and intended to enter it by force. He was about to slam the entrance door down when he noticed one man running well in front of the rest. Now that Rod had gone there would be room for one more so Ted let him in, then hurriedly closed the entrance. The man turned out to be Peter Weber, a local scientist, generally regarded as a man of quiet wisdom.
It was quite a few days after the final closing of the large entrance door. The sixty people, by this time perhaps the only humans left alive, seemed to have settled in quite well, and Ted Wilson was surprised to see a group of men over the far side of the large room having a rather heated discussion. Suddenly Peter Weber, who had apparently caused the argument, stood up and yelled out that he had something to say. Everybody stopped what they were saying or doing and looked up.
Peter broke the silence with his cold, hard voice, as he told of his plan for what remained of the human race. "You people are all pretty well off down here, aren't you?" he said. "You're all safe and happy, while your fellow men above ground struggle in agony, fighting unknown and terrible dangers. While you're here playing chess and listening to music, millions of people like yourselves are having their life slowly and horribly squeezed from them. Maybe they are all dead by now, while you continue to live. But why? Why start the whole stinking mess all over again? You want to know who should be saved? I'll tell you who. Nobody! What right have you to live while the rest of the world dies? And nobody will be saved. Mankind has destroyed itself! This is the end of humanity!"
Fifty-nine people stood paralysed with fear as Peter Weber took a round object out of his coat pocket and threw it with all his strength against the floor in the middle of the room. There was an enormous explosion, followed by complete and utter silence.
* * *
When Adam Varley, M.D., awoke it was dark. He sat up and groped for his torch. As he stood up and walked, limping, around the large floor, by the light of his torch he saw dead bodies lying or hanging about in all types of grotesque positions. "The last man on earth," he though vaguely. "Everybody else dead." Then he flashed the torch beam onto something moving near the opposite wall. Hurrying over Adam fainted as he saw, in the ghostly light from his torch, that the other person who was still alive was Janet Wilson's friend - Eve Campbell.