LJ Idol - Zombies II

[aggienaut]

   Daniel placed the last cinderblock in the wall snugly and stepped back to survey what had been accomplished. All ground-level entrance had been solidly sealed with cinderblocks and mortar. "Let's see the zombies get through THAT!" he thought happily.
   With just a little warning, secure protection against a zombie outbreak seemed shockingly easy. Bricks and mortar are not hard to come by, and zombies aren't exactly super-man. Combine this with a complete lack of problem-solving abilities and it's really no problem.
   At the first news of the spreading zombie outbreak Daniel had taken his family and joined several others to hole up in the local Wal-Mart. With only a few entrances to begin with and just about everything you could dream of already stockpiled on the inside, it was the obvious choice. It had taken very little time to procure bricks and mortar to make the remaining entrances into solid walls themselves. Those inside would be able to get in and out should they find the need simply by accessing the roof and lowering ladders to get down. They would probably even find or make a rope ladder for easier raising/lowering of the entrance.

   Daniel ascended to the roof to survey the situation in the surrounding area. Distant sirens could be heard wailing in several directions, but more immediately there was a constant blare of horns due to the jammed traffic on nearby roads. The occasional pedestrian would run by on foot in a mad panic.

   Ladders would be lowered to fleeing refugees down below who weren't in so much of a panic that they didn't notice those waving from the roof of Wal-mart. As time went on and more people gave up on the snarled automobile traffic, foot traffic increased. Presently an argument arose among those on the roof about "how many people can we rescue? we can't save them all, we'll starve!" Tempers rose as those who couldn't dream of leaving people to fend for themselves below got in shouting matches with those who feared they'd be overrun with refugees.
   "What if one of them is infected??" asked someone's wife with a gasp. There was a moment of silent contemplation and then the "save everyone" contingent silently relented and the ladders were drawn up for the last time.

   The flood of refugees steadily increased to a veritable torrent. One by one those on the roof retreated back down into the store to avoid the pleading eyes of those they would not save. Daniel and the last few were about to go below when another man held up his hand "wait!" he said with an uncomfortable look on his face, "someone should stay up here"
   "Why?" another man asked
   "What if... they throw a ladder up on the side or something? Someone should, you know, be up here" he said, squirming a bit. It was clear who "they" was and it wasn't the zombies.
   Daniel gratefully avoided ladder tipping duty and hastily retreated down below to check on his wife and kids.

   Initially they had all dreaded the time when they'd hear the moaning of zombies surrounding their fortress, but something they weren't prepared for haunted them first. Cries of "Let us in!" and "please help us!" could be heard through the walls and drove the families as far from the walls as they could get. They all huddled in the shoe aisle near the centre of the store.

   People took turns patrolling the walls making sure the newly erected walls were holding up. People were clearly banging on them on the far side. There had been no shortage of man-power and materials though so they'd been made several feet thick.
   The sturdiness of the walls didn't stop the horrifying psychological impact though of the cries for help and fruitless banging on the walls. It sounded like there was quite the multitude out there now. Daniel tried not to even think about what it must be like having duty on the roof.

   Suddenly there was an incredible crash and the wall in front of Daniel exploded into dust and shards of concrete. Daniel dove behind a shelf of cheap plastic trinkets to dodge the shrapnel. When he jumped to his feet in disbelief to see what could possibly have happened he beheld frantic mobs of terrified people streaming into the store from the gaping hole that had just been made by someone driving a truck through the wall.

---

   As a lifeguard in high school I was taught that someone who thinks they are going to die will do absolutely anything to save themself, not the least of which would be to pull their would-be-rescuer to their death. I experienced this first-hand on several occasions when my rescue tube slipped from my arms or for whatever other reason failed to be between myself and my rescuee. They look at you with this look of terror in their eyes that you'll never forget, lunge at you like a waterborne zombie, and shove downwards on you with all their might.
   In such cases I'd just go underwater and aim to re-emerge on the correct side of the rescue float, but one might not always have that option.
   In contemplating the coming zombie apocalypse, as I'm fond of doing, it occured to me one day that really, zombies ARE very easy to avoid. Disappointingly easy in fact. Build something strong enough that one can't destroy it with their hands alone that takes at least an iota of brainpower to get around. BUT, fleeing refugees, that's another story entirely.
   These frantic masses would be driven before the actual front line of the zombie outbreak like a shockwave of destruction, desperately overrunning anything defensible. Aside from their overwhelming numbers, add to the equation that they might be infected and thus liable to turn, and like a spark starting a wildfire, bring the infestation into the defended area. They would sow more destruction than the zombies themselves, and once entrenched defenders realized this, may actually be met with as much gunfire as the zombies themselves.
   And thus, in the Coming Zombie Apocalypse the hordes of refugees will be looked upon as utter pariahs.


(Part of a continuing series on the upcoming zombie apocalypse)

Comments

[theafaye.livejournal.com]

One of the reasons why I hate disaster movies is because they show human nature at its absolute worst. In a survival situation, truly horrible things are essential in order to live and whilst it's perfectly understandable to want to survive, I don't really like thinking about the darker side lurking within. For example, the army won't necessarily be on our side in this sort of situation (or a more likely equivalent) and that's scary.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Well the army is made up of very human people with children and parents, I don't know if they're even capable of acting as darkly as portrayed in some movies, at least on home turf.

But in the zombie uprising apocalypse I think there definitely will come a point, after initially trying to save anyone (even by the army, and I think individual army units WILL be resistant to the point of mutiny to change from this), they will have to come to accept that they're going to have to lock refugees out of safety, and eventually perhaps even fire on crowds of refugees that may threaten to overwhelm defenses.

As I noted in my other zombie entry, I kind of want to write my own zombie novel (maybe a future nanowrimo?). It will be more of a Lord of the Flies than World War Z's fun little romp. ...you probably won't like it ;D

[theafaye.livejournal.com]

Never assume what I will or won't like!

However, I think you're wrong on the ability to behave darkly. If you look at true tales of survival in horrific situations, the ones that get through are the ones who are selfish to the point of killing others to get out. In an army situation, they will have been briefed to know what's likely to come and unfortunately, it does come down to numbers and how many can you guarantee safety to and at what point you just shut the door behind you. I think you'll find that the latter comes sooner than expected. However, having got insider knowledge, a lot of people will have their escape plans already figured out for their family. My husband has quite a survivalist mentality and stockpiles certain things (some of them rather peculiar to my mind!) because of the things he's heard from various contacts in the army.

[karmasoup.livejournal.com]

On this subject, if you haven't seen 2012, you totally should. It's not related to Zombies, but to the hard decisions that need to be made in apocalyptical circumstances. Oliver Platt plays a character who is able to see most of these best paths along the course of the way to maximize the greatest potential for the survival of humanity, and while he comes across as a heartless ass throughout most of the film, at almost every turn, I was elbowing my companion, and saying, call the guy a jerk if you want, but it's people who are able to think like him that would save us. Leave it to the bleeding hearts, and we'd all be extinct. Of course, towards the end, there is the mutiny you speak of, and, it is the first time I actually find that to be appropriate there, as it was not just heartstrings being tugged on, but sound and logical as well, as at that point the salvation of others was not only plausible, but would strongly advance the possibility of their overall success.

2012

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Hmm interesting. I'll try to aim to see it. I haven't heard much else either good OR bad about that movie

Re: 2012

[theafaye.livejournal.com]

I did a review of it on my LJ. It should be tagged as 2012. There are major spoilers in the comments though, so be warned.

[hightekvagabond.livejournal.com]

That is one of the things I liked about the move 2012, the main character was an author who wrote about people who take the noble path in horrible situations and while throughout that move there were defiantly people not taking that path, there were still those who did.

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

I never realized that contemplation of zombies would bring on so much introspection and human societal analysis. Perhaps you should teach a course. I guess it would have to be called Zombie Retaliation 102B.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Lolz! :D

[mstrobel.livejournal.com]

Very thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable. I've never given enough thought to the coming zombie apocalypse I must admit. Nor had I thought about fleeing refugees but it's true -- you could get trampled in that riot!

[rattsu.livejournal.com]

This very closely parallels my own thoughts about these things, it's just like in Dawn of the Dead. The undead is not the hard part, it's the intruding motorcycle gang. Humanity's greatest enemy will always be themselves.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

I think a book that actually reflects this would be so much more gripping than the jaunt in a park that is World War Z.

Also I'm not sure I've actually seen Dawn of the Dead (I know I know!), there's an intruding motorcycle gang?

[cacophonesque.livejournal.com]

This is the reason that I find zombie movies more terrifying than any other horror scenario--because it makes me realize just how horrific people can act in their own self-interest.

But I love the introspection you bring to the subject matter.

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

hmmmm. So I guess I'll need to turn to you when the apocalypse comes because I think little or not at all about coming zombies! hahahahah

[talon.livejournal.com]

Though I agree that humanity tends to show its worst in cataclysmic disasters, it also reveals its best - so stories of looting and robbing circulate about New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina, but also about the husband and wife that started rescuing all the stranded families around them and never gave up, even though it was more dangerous for them to stay around.

:P A well written entry, this.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I really liked yours as well.

And yes, no doubt in addition to people being destructively panicked there would certainly also be some great acts of heroism. (:

[beautyofgrey.livejournal.com]

Note to self: In case of coming zombie apocalypse, get to Wal-mart FIRST.

[shadowwolf13]

Thank you for thinking of something that few look at! :) Yeah, zombies are easy, it's humans that are difficult to deal with. :)

[sharya.livejournal.com]

Yay Zombies!

Loved this!

[kandigurl.livejournal.com]

Oh, zombie stories freak me out because they are always so depressing, everyone dies, and it's always from the most horrid circumstances. I'm impressed at the thought you've put into this, though.

[onda-bianca.livejournal.com]

This is one of the better written zombie stories I've come across. Although I've never seen such zombie fascination until joining LJ Idol!

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

I've heard rumours about other zombie LJI entries but as I've been traveling for pretty much all of LJI so far I haven't had time to read entries until now .. if you could point me in the direction of the other zombie entries I'd be pleased. (:

Also, thanks! (:

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Also, I've written two zombie entries so far this season, NEITHER of which actually features a single zombie :D

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

Actually my previous one was ALSO a zombie adventure without a single zombie appearance. (:

[joeymichaels.livejournal.com]

I imagine the best way to survive a zombie apocalypse is to either get as far away from other humans (and zombies) as possible with as few people as possible, or to play "Survivor" with your group of, well, survivors, and try to use them as human shields/bait without the rest of the survivors becoming aware that you're doing so.

[emo-snal.livejournal.com]

I'm jumping on a tallship is what I'm doing if I can. (:

We won't need gas, we've already got cannons -- just load them with ball bearings or marbles or something to clear docks when coming in to a port to look for supplies..

[heethen-crone.livejournal.com]

Good story. And very true observations about survival instincts.