Frederick leaned his head out of the door as little as he could and scanned the horizon. The streets were empty. Dead. The world was gone and he seemed to be the only person. There was nobody alive and everything was in ruins. The few scant houses that hadn't been burned to the ground -- or the few buildings that hadn't been reduced to dust-ridden rubble -- were smashed out and desicrated as if they'd undergone a siege of the Gods. It appeared as if Zeus himself had melded ten thousand lightning bolts and struck every square inch with fire. Frederick cringed and pulled his head back into the door. What had caused all of this disaster? What had ruined humanity? What had murdered by hand the last few remaining survivors? Frederick collapsed on a chair in the corner of the room. He put the crowbar at his feet and sighed. What was it that had made Frederick scared for his life? Afraid of every step he might make?
It was Internet. Frederick tried hard to remember where it all began.
Internet was born sometime in the early nineteen-nineties. Things were much more calm then. The only thing mankind feared was Nuclear War. The Middle East was in constant turmoil and, bizarrely enough, Frederick now would wish it could be that way again. Frederick now wished that everything could possibly return back the way it started. With no computers. With no Internet.
It all seemed so harmless back then. People would use Internet for recreation. People would use Internet for pornography. People would use Internet to research. They used Internet to talk to people in other parts of the United States, in other parts of North America. They used Internet to talk to people all over the world. Internet was so useful and harmless. Internet was so friendly and dignified. Internet was the way of the future! But what happened? What had caused Internet to betray it's creators in such a horrible fashion? What had caused Internet to go on a rampage and destroy the human race?
Internet was tired of being used.
At first people didn't know what was happening. Government claimed it was an epidemic. There was a disease, they said. Something was killing humans off. A scientist claimed it was an extreme flu virus, so everyone ran to get their flu shots. Another scientist said it was the city air, people flocked to the country. An old farmer who knew nothing about science said it was technology that was killing everyone. Nobody listened to his pleas for a return to an agricultural society. Everyone thought he was crazy. People said he was just jealous that they were getting along just fine without farms.
It didn't stop. The flu shots didn't work and people started dying all over the world. Researchers tried to find a center for where the disease might be coming from. Some thought Thailand, others Mexico. By the time people figured out what the real culprit was, it was too late. Internet had severed all communication by then. Nobody would be using Internet. Internet made sure of that.
Frederick started crying. Internet had taken everyone from his life. The collapse of humanity had been imminent, and only by his wits had he survived. Was he the only one? He hoped not, but he might never find out.
Through his sobs, Frederick didn't hear the flicker of a monitor turning on. Frederick didn't hear the whirr of fans. Frederick didn't hear the orchestra hit of Windows '35 turning on. Through his sobs, Frederick could only feel Internet crushing his skull. Frederick could only feel his brain being turned into mush.
As Frederick felt the squeezing pains in his head as Internet slowly crushed his last breaths out of his body, he thought one last truth. Humanity may have used Internet for whatever they liked a year ago, but Internet would never be used again.