Zone One

Mark Spitz is the protagonist and central narrative figure of the novel. Prior to the Last Night, he worked in New York City in Customer Relationship Management for a coffee company. His career counselor in college informed him that this job would be perfect for him, as it required no actual skill at all. He excelled at his job, earning commendations from his superiors in the company. Whereas his former life was marked by mediocrity, “the [post-apocalyptic] world was [also] mediocre, rendering him perfect” (183). When the virus spread, Mark discovered that while he was not particularly exceptional for much of his life, he had a special knack for survival, a latent skill prior to the Last Night but that eventually became utterly essential.

After the Last Night, Mark survived several months on his own, moving through various human settlements until he finally got picked up by the National Guard and was brought to Camp Screaming Eagle, and then Happy Acres. During his time at Happy Acres, he grew restless and experienced PASD (Post-Apocalyptic Stress Disorder), leading him to volunteer for more active field duties as a distraction. Eventually, this led him to become a sweeper at Fort Wonton, as part of team Omega.