Alternate Zombie history
Ever since a friend of mine lent me all the Romero movies plus the few non-romero zombie movies he had, I was hooked. Now I like a lot of the "unknown" elements that were never explained, partially because those that did explain, to me, took away from the special "something" that zombie movies usually have. It also got me thinking to what zombies could be like and how infections could spread.
I used to be big on realism when it came to gaming, but I later dropped that to believability. As realism isn't always fun but so long as it's believable, it's ok.
Now I don't mind the origin of zombies being a virus. It's better than the occult version in my opinion ;). But what I'm not big on are the fast zombies with bites that will turn you in seconds. To me, this wouldn't be hopeful at all for survival. The rate at which zombies would turn people would be too quick to respond. There's no hope. Because if a bite can turn you, the example someone else brought up about a mosquito would also likely turn you. If you can catch malaria with a mosquito, you can get the zombie virus.
So I got to thinking, what would be believable, and hopeful for a select few?
Perhaps:
I used to be big on realism when it came to gaming, but I later dropped that to believability. As realism isn't always fun but so long as it's believable, it's ok.
Now I don't mind the origin of zombies being a virus. It's better than the occult version in my opinion ;). But what I'm not big on are the fast zombies with bites that will turn you in seconds. To me, this wouldn't be hopeful at all for survival. The rate at which zombies would turn people would be too quick to respond. There's no hope. Because if a bite can turn you, the example someone else brought up about a mosquito would also likely turn you. If you can catch malaria with a mosquito, you can get the zombie virus.
So I got to thinking, what would be believable, and hopeful for a select few?
Perhaps:
- It's still a virus.
- The virus is airborn and likely everyone already has it.
- The virus is "triggered" with death. Upon death, you turn as your immune system is turned off when you die which keeps it at bay while you are alive (unless you're one of the unlucky few with a weak immune system)
- Bites will only kill you in the same manner as a komodo dragon. (Their mouths are filled with deadly bacteria, not poison, and it's that bacteria that will kill you ... triggering point #3) Strong anti-biotics, a strong immune system and quick administration can give you a good chance at surviving the bite.
- Being immune simply means that when you die, you stay dead.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Melvin "Chems" Nivlem on -
Hopefully it is not airbourne..then we are all screwed..
Points 4 and 5 make enough sense, i wonder,..
If you were bit on the hand, would severing your hand stop the infection, cut it off mid way up?!
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Permalink Reply by Kitty Chainsaw on -
I go with the bite,death then reanimation theory,but bite & then turning over a period of time also works.
If a bite turns you then Jordanx54R's question of removing the bitten area,if feasable,is a good question.
I think that traditional zombies it makes sense that they would shuffle.I'm not keen on the running zombies either & I think that maybe the runners would be more likely to be virus based.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Warren on -
I think it all depends on how regular infections can be stopped. HIV is likely not stoppable by that, unless you but off your hand immediately. A spider bite is likely stoppable even days after. I guess it all depends on the type of germs that you just got infected with.
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I was thinking more along the lines of all 5 being true.
To paraphrase: It would be an airborne virus with very limited cases of immunity, however, either it is dormant until death, or the immune system is very often strong enough to keep it at bay (until you die). Any bites likely are to contain other viruses / bacteria being they "live" on a dead body with no immune system and it is those nasties that actually kill someone, to which the zombie virus "kicks in" and turns them into a zombie at that point.
This is why I prefer to "hope" that any zombie outbreak would work this way. If it's too easy to fight off, then an outbreak wouldn't happen, if it's too hard to fight off, then there's no hope for humanity, save maybe 10 lucky souls. To me this sounds logical:
An airborne virus that stays airborne and infects everyone but stays dormant until death. Only a small percentage cannot fight off the virus and they then become zombies. This explains the following:
* How the zombie virus can start out-breaking in places besides quarantined areas. (either scenario below)
* How the outbreak can happen without a death taking place before hand. (weak immune system)
* How even the most locked down place can have an outbreak happen. (someone inside dies of natural or accidental reasons)
* Why they cannot contain the virus and kill anyone with it to prevent it from spreading. (everyone essentially has the dormant virus)
Bites only contain other viruses and bacteria and not the zombie virus ( as you already have it ). :
* How cutting off your infected area can sometimes save your life. ( assuming the bacteria didn't get too much into your bloodstream)
* Why people would get sick slowly after a bite. (if they don't treat the wound by cutting or drugs)
* Why the whole world wouldn't turn to zombies as there's still a chance you can survive bites and other attacks.
* Drugs and other things could keep you alive. ( why pills from L4D work :) )
I would say this zombie survival scenario would put humans in a 1-5% survival rate vs the 99-95% zombies. Versus the much much lower survival rate of the typical views of a zombie outbreak.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Warren on
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I've had the idea for a few months now to create a "journal" of sorts from outbreak to safety, or at least a calm break based on the rules I mentioned above. But procrastination got me again... probably why I wouldn't truly survive an outbreak.
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Permalink Reply by Sabah Love on -
* Maybe it started from the bacteria inside our body that triggering insanity and cannibalistic act and spreading like small tsunami wave wider and wider every minutes ?!?! ....
* Maybe it's the ancient virus or bacteria that dwelling inside the old trees which is cut down and destroyed by the forest devastation in every parts of the planet earth, released into this proud new modern world, infected the planet and change it into a savage and primitive place once again with Z's on the top of a food chain ?!?! ....
PS. if it's spreading - airbourne; then we're all definitely screwed up !
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Permalink Reply by biohazard on -
the virus infects upon contact, only infecting certain organisms,
it causes the cell it infects to die, then it is re-animated by the virus itself, the white blood cells do not fend it off because they believe it only a dead cell
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Permalink Reply by Fetters on -
Mosquitos dont bite zombies, because if they did theyd die, according to ZSG, hopefully thats true, or im screwed
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Permalink Reply by Paul Warren on
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I haven't made it all the way through ZSG... but the mosquito thing would definitely be a bonus to me. That was my fear, it would be too easy to spread.
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