I’ve been without internet quite a bit this week and it’s amazing how, when you are forced to live without the luxuries you are used to such as your computer and internet, your mind wanders and you find yourself thinking of odd scenarios or “what ifs” (aka: going crazy). I guess I do this throughout the day, regardless, but even more so when I have nothing to take my mind off of the craziness that could be today.
What if the zombie apocalypse really did happen? Let’s say it already happened and you are left to fend for yourself. You have limited resources, know very few people (if any), and have to try and survive in hopes that one day there will either be a cure, or somehow living humans will triumph. Surviving in itself would be a feat. Of course it would also depend on the type of virus it is, if the infected were undead or just infected, how it spreads, etc… but let’s just pretend they are zombies: undead, decaying, brain-eating monsters that, spread the virus through biting.
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Would this apocalypse be like in the movies and games that we play? I wonder this because I asked this question, in so many words, to my stream about a week ago. If the zombie apocalypse happened, would it be similar to DayZ? Would I not only have to be scared of the mindless, brain-eating monsters that aimlessly roam, but also be afraid of anything living? A lot of them said “yes” that I would have to fear living humans just as much, if not more.
In an idealist’s mind the answer would be “no, I don’t have to be afraid” and as much as I would love to say the same, I just can’t. I think something like DayZ, though an imaginary world shows a lot of the issues that humans would have in a real apocalypse. Think about it, there would be anarchy. Every man or woman for his or herself. These games really do capture human nature a lot better than I think people give them credit for.
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Do what you need to survive, to win, and to outlast anyone else. Even if that means posing as a “friendly” and eventually shooting them in the back and taking their weapons, gear, ammo, food, and medical supplies. Instead of banding together to make a stand against the threat, being at odds due to human nature and knowing that your chances of surviving are greater with fewer people. Not trusting others because you never know what their intentions are. Stealing, lying, and cheating to make sure you come out ahead.
I’m not saying it would be okay to be this way, I certainly wouldn’t want to live a life like this, but would it be the smarter way to live? Who knows? That is a hypothetical question that I can’t really answer, but I believe a lot of people would say that survival would mean not trusting anyone but yourself and those that were already close to you.
Of course, this isn’t always the case. I do believe it would be possible to have “strongholds” and new towns established. A new form of government would naturally arise amongst the few honest people and, hopefully, they would punish bandits and thieves. We see promises of these establishments in a lot of the apocalypse movies, but also we see the disappointment of the people when these places turn out to be myth, burned to the ground, run by the “bad people”, or overrun with the virus itself.
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All in all there was really not much of a point to this column aside from the fact that not having internet can really have some serious side effects including, but not limited to, taking the zombie apocalypse way too seriously. Falling short of actually preparing for the apocalypse IRL, I think it is safe to say I may be having some DayZ withdrawal. But at least I watched the new Batman movie twice.
- Hillary "Pokket" Nicole
- Twitter: @Pokketsays
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