So my mind has been wandering and I began thinking about the impending zombie apocalypse(heh, heh). And some few thoughts have really grown to the point where I wanted to share and get feedback and input on them. So in no particular order, here goes:
Would a zombie epidemic be an extinction level event, a historical horror show or just a population speed bump?
Determining factors (IMO) would be:
A) whether it was an epidemic, pandemic or just a localized outbreak.
B) how the infection was transmitted, bite, fluids, waterborne or airborne, insect or rodent carried, etc.
C) gestation period from contact to full on zombie and
D) speed and resiliency of the infected.
For instance, if patient zero is a perfect storm of factors which causes the spontaneous creation of an infectious zombie strain and he could only infect others by biting them. Then they were sick for hours or days before turning into slow moving, shambling zombies that were easily dispatched and stumped by door knobs and screen doors, then the zombie "apocalypse" won't last as long as a political speech(or be as exciting for that matter).
If, however, the initial infection goes undetected in a highly communicable, airborne state for a lengthy period of time before finally turning the first person into a hyper-kinetic, problem solving monster that can take everything an AK47 can dish out as long as the brain stem remains intact we are going to have a problem. Such a gestation period for the initial outbreak allows for a widespread base creating a worldwide pandemic before the world even knows there is an infection. Then the gestation period will seem rapid since the hosts will be PRE-infected, and gestating on the hoof. Finally, if the part of the brain that is in control of the zombie is small rather than needing the whole brain to function, then blasting away will have limited effect.
Anything in between, might be more of a culling event to a greater or lesser extent.
Would a zombie epidemic be an extinction level event, a historical horror show or just a population speed bump?
Determining factors (IMO) would be:
A) whether it was an epidemic, pandemic or just a localized outbreak.
B) how the infection was transmitted, bite, fluids, waterborne or airborne, insect or rodent carried, etc.
C) gestation period from contact to full on zombie and
D) speed and resiliency of the infected.
For instance, if patient zero is a perfect storm of factors which causes the spontaneous creation of an infectious zombie strain and he could only infect others by biting them. Then they were sick for hours or days before turning into slow moving, shambling zombies that were easily dispatched and stumped by door knobs and screen doors, then the zombie "apocalypse" won't last as long as a political speech(or be as exciting for that matter).
If, however, the initial infection goes undetected in a highly communicable, airborne state for a lengthy period of time before finally turning the first person into a hyper-kinetic, problem solving monster that can take everything an AK47 can dish out as long as the brain stem remains intact we are going to have a problem. Such a gestation period for the initial outbreak allows for a widespread base creating a worldwide pandemic before the world even knows there is an infection. Then the gestation period will seem rapid since the hosts will be PRE-infected, and gestating on the hoof. Finally, if the part of the brain that is in control of the zombie is small rather than needing the whole brain to function, then blasting away will have limited effect.
Anything in between, might be more of a culling event to a greater or lesser extent.
