Guns are useless in a zombie apocalypse. I followed some links off of a Cracked.com article the other night, and read up on real-life gunfights and bullet wounds. The Cracked article itself suggested that guns were not the all-powerful tools of death that Hollywood would have us believe. Several factors have led me to the conclusion with which I started this post.
This is Australia not the US-of-guncrazy-A. I do not own a gun. I do not know anyone in my area who I know for a fact has a gun. Don't get me wrong, Cairns is full of outdoorsy rednecks, and I guarantee that there are guns around here. If I asked around, I could probably find some. What would I do with them if I did?
Everyone knows the rule about headshots. Bullets to the body are a waste of time and ammo when dealing with zombies - if you want to stop them, you have to go for the head. If you watch The Walking Dead, you will see a whole group of survivors making headshot after headshot, mostly with handguns. Try playing a video game, though, and any decent one will make headshots far harder than TV portrays. The reality, though, would actually be far, far, far, far worse than even that.
Assume you actually find guns and ammo, and that you know how to use them, and are an expert marksman able to actually make multiple headshots reliably. So what? Bullets don't actually have the effect generally indicated by the media. The force of being shot won't knock somebody down. Bullets do not travel in straight lines directly through the body or head, meaning that there is a level of randomness about which body part takes the force. How much mashing of brain does it take to incapacitate a zombie? Is it the brain mashing? Or destroying the connection between the brain and the spine? How hard is it to hit that exact spot, time after time? These aren't static targets, they move around, and try and eat you. How many bullets do you have? More than there are zombies? There is no reset button when you miss. Failure lasts as long as it takes you to zombify.
What would be effective? Some sort of mortar, to rip apart multiple zombies with shrapnel? Accuracy isn't critical, you can take out multiple targets, and it works from a reasonable distance. But honestly, where are you going to get one of those? (Congratulations if you do!). Chainsaw or axe? Gotta get too close - far too risky. Molotov cocktails might be a more achievable solution. Scary as hell to implement though - you have to be close, and it wouldn't give an instant takedown.
I suspect that a combination of mobility and fortification would be the secret, with a combination of whatever long-range weapons you can actually find. Servo's will all be closed before too long, so the idea of driving off into the safety of the sunset is rather impractical. You need somewhere secure, able to be defended, to base yourself. An island, either in the middle of a river, or not far from the coast, would be great. Somewhere rowing distance - remember, fuel for power boats will run out eventually.
Travelling alone is a recipe for death. Find other survivors and hook up. Strength in numbers will increase your chances, within reason. Within that group, don't let people wander off alone. Alone, you die. Hopefully zombies don't eat horses - they would be the best way of getting around once the fuel runs out. Depending where you make your fortress, you may be able to save some. I'd rather learn to ride than try to outrun zombies on foot.
The Jules Verne story "The Mysterious Island" which I read when I was about 12, and which inspired a lot of my thirst for knowledge, highlights the importance of maintaining a variety of skills and areas of expertise within your group. When facing armageddon you can't pick and choose the members of your group - you have what you have. Find out what skills your fellow survivors have, though, and don't be afraid to use them. If you are writing a book or script, you obviously CAN pick the survivors! Do you go for the obvious combination of genius and have a doctor, an engineer, a mechanic, a munitions expert, and a survivalist? Or do you pick a random combination of useless skills as well, to better reflect reality, and introduce tension through collective weakness?
Rules and discipline would be critical. The personalities within a group of survivors (just as much as their skills and professions) have huge potential to kill, and under pressure could be just as deadly as being handcuffed to a couple of zombies. Remember that the enemy is the zombies, not the other survivors. Where do you draw the line with that though? What level of internal threat to the safety of the whole group is acceptable? What is the appropriate response - expulsion or death? Leadership is important - but needs to be collaborative, and inclusive, rather than arrogant and confrontational. Democracy is flawed under apocalyptic pressure, but dictators tend to get stabbed in the back - somewhere in between might work. A common commitment to survival, security, stability, along with recognition, acceptance, and buy-in to the sensible rules, will go a long way towards preventing the group from becoming zombie chow.
The rules should include things like the above-mentioned "never travel alone". Cover up when outside the safe area. Protect the safe area at all times - post guards at all times if there are enough resources. The first rule is survive - this means not taking unnecessary risks. Don't get sentimental - that zombie is not your mother or brother or wife or son any more. A practical joke (admittedly funny as hell, but for the response) killed Bill Murray in Zombieland - be careful how others may respond to attempts at humour. Don't take things personally. Enjoy life when you can; when doing so doesn't threaten it. Don't make unnecessary rules. Adapt to change - don't be afraid to change the rules if circumstances change. Consider the options, but make a decision. Communicate. And don't waste too much time hunting for guns!
This is Australia not the US-of-guncrazy-A. I do not own a gun. I do not know anyone in my area who I know for a fact has a gun. Don't get me wrong, Cairns is full of outdoorsy rednecks, and I guarantee that there are guns around here. If I asked around, I could probably find some. What would I do with them if I did?
Everyone knows the rule about headshots. Bullets to the body are a waste of time and ammo when dealing with zombies - if you want to stop them, you have to go for the head. If you watch The Walking Dead, you will see a whole group of survivors making headshot after headshot, mostly with handguns. Try playing a video game, though, and any decent one will make headshots far harder than TV portrays. The reality, though, would actually be far, far, far, far worse than even that.
Assume you actually find guns and ammo, and that you know how to use them, and are an expert marksman able to actually make multiple headshots reliably. So what? Bullets don't actually have the effect generally indicated by the media. The force of being shot won't knock somebody down. Bullets do not travel in straight lines directly through the body or head, meaning that there is a level of randomness about which body part takes the force. How much mashing of brain does it take to incapacitate a zombie? Is it the brain mashing? Or destroying the connection between the brain and the spine? How hard is it to hit that exact spot, time after time? These aren't static targets, they move around, and try and eat you. How many bullets do you have? More than there are zombies? There is no reset button when you miss. Failure lasts as long as it takes you to zombify.
What would be effective? Some sort of mortar, to rip apart multiple zombies with shrapnel? Accuracy isn't critical, you can take out multiple targets, and it works from a reasonable distance. But honestly, where are you going to get one of those? (Congratulations if you do!). Chainsaw or axe? Gotta get too close - far too risky. Molotov cocktails might be a more achievable solution. Scary as hell to implement though - you have to be close, and it wouldn't give an instant takedown.
I suspect that a combination of mobility and fortification would be the secret, with a combination of whatever long-range weapons you can actually find. Servo's will all be closed before too long, so the idea of driving off into the safety of the sunset is rather impractical. You need somewhere secure, able to be defended, to base yourself. An island, either in the middle of a river, or not far from the coast, would be great. Somewhere rowing distance - remember, fuel for power boats will run out eventually.
Travelling alone is a recipe for death. Find other survivors and hook up. Strength in numbers will increase your chances, within reason. Within that group, don't let people wander off alone. Alone, you die. Hopefully zombies don't eat horses - they would be the best way of getting around once the fuel runs out. Depending where you make your fortress, you may be able to save some. I'd rather learn to ride than try to outrun zombies on foot.
The Jules Verne story "The Mysterious Island" which I read when I was about 12, and which inspired a lot of my thirst for knowledge, highlights the importance of maintaining a variety of skills and areas of expertise within your group. When facing armageddon you can't pick and choose the members of your group - you have what you have. Find out what skills your fellow survivors have, though, and don't be afraid to use them. If you are writing a book or script, you obviously CAN pick the survivors! Do you go for the obvious combination of genius and have a doctor, an engineer, a mechanic, a munitions expert, and a survivalist? Or do you pick a random combination of useless skills as well, to better reflect reality, and introduce tension through collective weakness?
Rules and discipline would be critical. The personalities within a group of survivors (just as much as their skills and professions) have huge potential to kill, and under pressure could be just as deadly as being handcuffed to a couple of zombies. Remember that the enemy is the zombies, not the other survivors. Where do you draw the line with that though? What level of internal threat to the safety of the whole group is acceptable? What is the appropriate response - expulsion or death? Leadership is important - but needs to be collaborative, and inclusive, rather than arrogant and confrontational. Democracy is flawed under apocalyptic pressure, but dictators tend to get stabbed in the back - somewhere in between might work. A common commitment to survival, security, stability, along with recognition, acceptance, and buy-in to the sensible rules, will go a long way towards preventing the group from becoming zombie chow.
The rules should include things like the above-mentioned "never travel alone". Cover up when outside the safe area. Protect the safe area at all times - post guards at all times if there are enough resources. The first rule is survive - this means not taking unnecessary risks. Don't get sentimental - that zombie is not your mother or brother or wife or son any more. A practical joke (admittedly funny as hell, but for the response) killed Bill Murray in Zombieland - be careful how others may respond to attempts at humour. Don't take things personally. Enjoy life when you can; when doing so doesn't threaten it. Don't make unnecessary rules. Adapt to change - don't be afraid to change the rules if circumstances change. Consider the options, but make a decision. Communicate. And don't waste too much time hunting for guns!
posted by Rombles at 11:29 pm
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