What if everything we’ve read about the zombie apocalypse is true? What if there is a dreaded undead virus that will render the dead as living corpses, what then? What about all those movies about survival in the end times? Does this mean it would be wise for us to heed their advice and treat everyone as an enemy? As part of my Monday Mayhem series, let’s explore zombie apocalypse assumptions and determine if we really do have a chance or not.
Let’s assume a zombie apocalypse is possible. That somewhere in this finite world we call earth, there’s a virus capable of turning ordinary humans into raging monsters bent on sucking the life out of humanity.
Let’s assume a science experiment can and will go horribly wrong. Or a culture exists in the nether-reaches of some forest somewhere that can raise the dead in some mysterious incantation meant to bring loved ones back from the grave with absolute terrible consequences.
Let’s assume those initial victims (patient zeroes, first fruits, etc.) begin to wreak havoc with society. That the whole thing might occur in a deserted place or a populated city somewhere, which then spreads from animal to human, human to human, curse to human, all in a wave of terror that sweeps civilization as we know it today to bring a catastrophic onslaught of destruction on everything we know and love.
Let’s assume measures we’ve taken to protect ourselves from the cataclysmic event fails. Our water supply dwindles, our food disappears, our homes become unlivable, and our culture vanishes before our very eyes, what then? After all, all it takes is one bite, one drop of blood, one secretion of saliva to spread the condition to someone else. Who’s to say we’ll be safe?
Let’s assume the government has an exit strategy in place for all those deemed valuable to bringing about the replenishment of humanity in a new society. Will it survive? What if the rebuilding process involves creating a walled city strong enough to protect the last of us from harm’s way? What if the city has checkpoints in place, guards at every corner, cameras to monitor residents, daily and weekly spot checks to ensure no one—absolutely no one—poses a threat to the rest of society. What then, will we be safe?
And let us assume we do have a chance at survival. That we do end up fostering the new birth of the ideal society. That we will lead those less resilient on a quest to bring about the change we so much desired before the zombie apocalypse occurred. Will we manage?
If society has taught us anything, it’s Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. No amount of planning will change the inevitable outcome we will experience at the hands of zombies. We may run, we may hide, and we may believe we’re safe behind walls of stone fashioned to keep the undead at bay, but if it’s going to happen, it will happen. Nothing can prevent it. It’s a law of nature to deceive ourselves into believing we can survive.
Then again, maybe it’s all fiction and we can laugh at those who believe otherwise. Just a thought.
What do you think? Can a zombie apocalypse occur? What are our chances at survival?
Looking to God 
Reblogged this on Jamalluckett's Blog and commented:
Things that make you think!
Thank you for the reblog!
No problem Jack I too appreciate the reblog. Looks like my WordPress blog is picking up steam. I’m going to move more content over soon. Keep up the excellent work!
No problem thank you as well.
I believe anything can happen and thats possibly my greatest motivation to do some cardio. After all, it is rule #1, right? 😉
the zombie apocalypse already happened. it’s called reality tv, youtube & twitter. didn’t you get the memo?
Ha! Apparently not! 🙂
I guess whether humanity survives or can survive rather depends a lot on how fast the disease spreads (which in itself is an argument if it is a disease at all because if it kills first then that’s a disease.. it’s not really a disease if it brings the dead back to life.). A space alien intervention or some evil incantation aside, nature itself is noted for being the greatest at mass extinction of most of the species that have ever existed. Nature and natural selection will find a way… or not. But if we assume there is some rapid proliferation of a death-to-walking-dead disease to the degree suggested in typical fiction (ala Night of the Living Dead, The Walking Dead, World War Z, etc.) my guess is that humanity as a whole hasn’t got a chance in hell of surviving. Now, you might assume that maybe the zombie disease might come up against an unexpected strain of the common cold (like what did the aliens in, in War of the Worlds) or something else occurring naturally to stop the spread of the disease. But I think by and large humanity would be doomed.
I think more than anything else the question all these fictionalized stories fail to address is… would you even want to survive? For example, the end of World War Z shows the family finally getting together in some “safe area” in Canada. That’s the nice warm fuzzy of hope for the future of mankind… right? We presume they will carve out a new existence from what is left of humanity. The reality is that these people have witnessed the horrors of what just happened so the emotional traumas just from that will be astonishing. Within a week it will set in that there is no government to bail them out.. provide them food; no going to the mall or supermarket; no more Big Macs. No Netflix. No smart phones. The bulk of humanity has just vanished in the blink of an eye. There’s no recovering from that by next Tuesday. Suicides will be common… and so will the resulting typical diseases we can’t manage anymore. My guess is that if man survives any battle with the zombies the greater battle will be afterwards.. amongst ourselves and the struggle to survive.
I think that’s a good point. It’s been that way since the dawn of time. Once one tribe defeats another tribe there’s always another waiting in the wings. Not the friendliest of scenarios, but surely the most common!
Murphy’s law rules. In case a zombie apocalypse occurred – my hope for survival: an outcome like in ‘Warm Bodies’… 😉
A Warm Bodies outcome would rule. But we’d still be the hunted, which I’m not to keen on becoming, given we’d probably have to come out of hiding to gather food–so, that would be an adventure!
For some reason I keep thinking of the bath salts drug, which was involved in the ‘Miami Zombie’ case in 2012. Maybe it’s a first step.
You never know, Charles. But the cause to that case was later investigated and ruled as not being predicated by bath salts. So, hmm…
I am a firm believer in Murphy’s Law and figure everyone needs a back-up plan of some sort. My father’s motto is “Trust no one.” lol