Homework 10: More Zombies

Q1) We discussed in class how there is no such thing as a "scientific proof." Explain in your own words.

I missed the class during which we discussed this so perhaps I am missing the point, but I have to disagree with that statement. I can scientifically prove that one simple thing will happen in a given simple situation. For example, holding a ball over my apartment floor and releasing, right now, here on earth. The ball will fall toward the floor at a rate of about 9.8m/s. I can prove this tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. The ball will always fall, and it will always fall at about the same rate as long as all other variables remain the same. I can even show you proof from the past that when large things were released they fell. Now, I am only proving that things fall and that the rate of their fall is related to some other variable we define as a force. However, that is still a scientific proof. Physics is math. It is proven with math. If you can't have a scientific proof, then you can't have math proofs either. If you don't "believe" in either of those you don't belong in this modern world, but rather in a time period we know as The Dark Ages. Reading over this, I realize it sounds a little ranty, and I realize I am mildly offend by the suggestion. Kind of silly of me, I know. :)

Q2)#2: Who unstrapped patient zero from his gurney?! [During Initial Outbreak]

(The final format of our project is likely to be very much like 2100 in that we will explain what is happening to the world through the experiences of one person or a group of people. This is some of the beginning of that story.)

From the newspapers printed during the initial stages of the outbreak I gather that the disease spread in dense urban areas (cities, colleges, transport hubs, etc.) and disseminated into the surrounding countryside. It appears that quite a few people contracted the disease in health clinic waiting rooms (their compromised immune systems leaving them susceptible to infected patients coughing and sneezing), on buses, and in apartment complexes do to each locations enclosed nature.

As victim's fevers broke, and they began to act like zombies, victims would attack anyone nearby. Initially, law enforcement would capture them and doctors would try to cure the sick, but the numbers were untreatable and hostile. Normal citizens would constantly wear masks when outside and began to carry around weapons to protect themselves. As the disease spread, people with flu symptoms would exiled from communities for fear of being infected. The people began to loot for supplies as the zombies became too much for the law to handle.

The country waited for the government to take action, but none ever came. The sheer number of infected triggered the breakdown of law as protecting the public became less and less an option.

#3: Zombie Nation [Initial Outbreak Completed]

As the government broke down uninfected citizens began to form tribes. It was natural really. One person could not easily survive when in a one-mile area there are 4,000 people, more than half of who are zombies. The tribes were small (~20) so that the groups could move around relatively quietly and quickly. The first thing these tribes began to do was collect weapons (its a good thing we are in the south) because close quarters fighting will zombies is just asking to be infected. First on the agenda was getting to a defend-able location that had good food and water storage, climate, and close resources.

My group was formed on UALR campus among my friends and anyone else who could prove to be useful. My tribe chose to try to establish a base at the local Sam's Club. Sam's Club has few entrances, a large supply of canned goods and water, furniture, generators, clothing, an auto shop (tools), pharmacy, and kitchen. Sam's club does have a large suburban population around it, but with proper barricades and other deterrents (pieces of metal that are shot at incredible speeds into trespassers... bullets) this should not be a problem. Located within 2 miles of Sam's Club are a Home Depot (building supplies, gardening supplies), a Garden Center (gardening + building supplies), a Barnes N' Noble (because who really knows how to do everything?), a Walmart (guns, food, and clothing), Sport Academy and Sport Authority (guns and hand-held weapons), and many other useful stores.

After grouping up, making a convoy, and traveling to Sam's Club (wear your seat belts!) we first had to clear out Sam's Club, which was chalk full of zombies. We proceeded in, barricading the doors behind us (no more zombies coming in), and proceeded to systematically cull Sam's Club of zombies (I often wonder what I would have done if I had encountered humans already set up here. I think I would have joined if possible if not I would have killed the lot of them and taken the store by force.) After securing all the possible entrances we proceeded to take stock of the supplies in store. We estimated it would be enough to last until our crops could grow.