Lunar Mechanical Turk

Hundreds of people were living in the lava tube caverns known as Water City due to the nearby water bearing ore mines.
Over the past year, it had grown from an initial dozen to now boast over three hundred full time residents.
The company I had originally been working for had gone out of business and I found myself doing odd jobs to make ends meet.
The best paying job currently available was two full days ride outside the city and I still had four days left before I could start the return trip.
The blinking amber light that greeted me when I got out of the bathroom was my first clue that something was wrong.
I played the message and found out that the entire Moon base was being abandoned due to intense solar activity predicted to potentially impact the earth moon vicinity.
They were going to have to leave without waiting for me.
They also had to take the backup ships to get everyone off in time, sorry.
The good news was that it wouldn't arrive even if anything came out of the sun for at least three more days.
I started back for the city right away.
They called it the New Carrington Event after some big solar storm of 1859.
This one put it to shame.
It destroyed most of the satellites that had been in orbit around Earth and several of the newer ones around the moon as well.
Unfortunately it also caused what everyone assumed was a dead satellite to think a nuclear war was in progress and for EMP weapons to be used over the Earth.
India, China and Australia were mostly unaffected by the EMPs.
They tell me that the orbits should be clear enough of debris to start launching again in a few more years.
Until then I am the only man on the moon and everyday I wake up to lists of things to do.
I have thousands of people deciding what would be the best way to spend my time each day.
I just follow the lists and keep a running commentary to all of my fans who are watching the live-stream.
Book deals, endorsements, movie rights and more just seemed to come out of thin air once I was the only person off earth for the foreseeable future.
I don't even remember saying it but apparently posters with one of my quotes is going to bring in more than a million dollars alone this month.
I kind of like it even if I don't remember saying it:
"Relationships are mostly you apologizing for saying something hilarious."
-- Brian Gaar

At least they spell my name right now most of the time.

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