Essay of the Dead

I wrote this essay two years ago for Emily. It's still pretty awesome.

Essay of the Dead

As long as George A. Romero continues to make zombie films and Max Brooks
continues to write his theories of the zombie apocalypse, the question
becomes more common: “Is a zombie apocalypse possible?” Some would argue
that it's not possible, but the more you delve into the subject, the more it
becomes possible. If, say, “Patient Zero” is infected with a zombie-like
virus, whether it be a rabies type virus or the Solanum (the virus strain
that 'causes the typical zombie, for the non-horror fans) virus itself, said
patient could easily infect the entire hospital. Since most hospitals aren't
prepared for a zombie outbreak, would they know to kill and burn the
infected body? Would they know to constrain the patient and isolate them
away from other patients? If the outbreak happens, the zombie apocalypse is
inevitable.

A slightly mutated strain of the rabies virus, such as a rage virus, could
become a cause of a zombie apocalypse, which could cause more aggressive
humans who may not eat the flesh of their victims, but will surely attack
innocent bystanders. All victims will become infected and will continue to
attack and produce more strong, fast, and angry zombies. If, on the other
hand, the Solanum virus does develop, the threat may not be so terrifying.
The Solanum virus causes weaker, slower zombies who only know one thing: eat
flesh. The Solanum infected zombies will be much easier to defend against
and easier to destroy. In either case, however, the virus will spread
rapidly and each attack will create another flesh eating zombie.

What effects will this cause on modern society though? Besides the obvious
possibility of becoming infected yourself, the other main concern is the
publics reaction. Some may get so scared that they have no idea what to do
and will stay in their homes with out boarding up the windows or locking all
the doors. Others may try and be the hero and try to attack the zombies, but
will they know to destroy the brain or remove the head? The biggest concern
is that some civilians will rob and destroy stores which would be the main
source of supplies. I mean, isn't that what you would do? Who wouldn't want
to go steal all the food and money for themselves? Well, every person is
going to be thinking the same exact thing, which in the long run means that
supplies will deplete quickly.

Another main threat is how will the Government react? Will we have the
typical cowboy president who will decide to just bomb the infected city? Or
will major companies see a possibility of a major financial income in
selling some zombie free properties, weapons, and barricades? Imagine a
military controlled Costco selling razor wire fences and motion sensing
weapons. It seems that both are very possible and plausible, seeing as how
all natural resources will become harder to come by and all public services
will diminish. With no new source of supplies, groceries, and weapons how
will people survive? Farming would be an almost impossible task if the
zombies decide to munch on the brains of cattle and poultry. Farmers would
not be able to use open lands to grow produce. Impenetrable fences will have
to be built and pre-existing tools and vehicles will have to be upgraded.
Typical tractors wont be any use without some kind of defensive weapons
attached to them. A .50 caliber gun attached, maybe? Education will surely
come to a halt with the teachers trying to attack the students. So how will
our generation improve at all? All historic figures could be forgotten and
young children may not learn how to read and write. Reproduction may not be
possible in a zombie-infected environment, seeing as how infants would not
last long amongst a zombie horde. Surely infection isn't the biggest
concern.

All these effects could not only cause a zombie apocalypse, but the
de-evolution of man kind. Without education continuing, younger survivors
will not be able to learn the typical curriculum. Without major farming
companies, fast food chains, and food industries in general, starvation will
become a major concern. If more power driven survivors get their hands on
weapons, they may rob and possibly kill other survivors. So, is the virus
itself the biggest thing to worry about, or are there bigger concerns? Our
country for sure is not ready for a zombie outbreak and neither is any
country. So it's for you decide, not only is it possible, but are you
prepared for World War Z?