What is the purpose of a Zombie Virus

[GeneTwo]

So I saw the thread about the cause of a zombie virus which got me thinking what would be the purpose of a zombie virus. Is it a terrorist strike against the US? Is it a apocalypse cult? Mad scientist plot of world domination?

What are your thoughts about this.

[GeneTwo]

The more I think about it, I like the world domination plot makes sense. The apocalypse cult seems too simple an answer. A terrorist attack just seems too half-assed a plan. By the time the terrorist released the zombie virus and is ready to take credit, the whole tv news infrastructure is destroyed and a zombie is chewing on the other half of his ass.

World domination is my bet. Evildoers find someplace to hide, fortified island with a skull shaped volcano or huge bunker somewhere with years worth of supplies. They release the virus that destroys nations. Wait till the zombies starve to death. Evildoers repopulate the world with supermodels.

[Cabbage Patch]

That sounds like the plot of the original Casino Royale movie, the one that was a Bond parody. The bad guy, Woody Allen, had his island fortress and his virus that would wipe out civilization. Except his virus killed all men over 5'7" and made all women beautiful.

But seriously, can you imagine how many seething conflicts and potential aggressors are held in check by American diplomatic, economic or military pressure? There's a great book by Charles Birmingham called "Without Warning" that explores a scenario, where America and Canada are suddenly wiped out. The rest of the world is untouched by the disaster, but quickly becomes a vey ugly place.

[7oddisdead]

I think I'd like the bob Ross approach to my apocalypse...a happy accident, not a mistake. While I could envision both the world domination plot and the cult plot..i have to question in some ways are they not the same?

To me the ultimate purpose being a zom/apoc would be a gigantic reset..humanity as a whole, starting over. The small caveman inside my mind dreams of that.

[yarri]

Eco terrorists did it

[yarri]

I think I'd like the bob Ross approach to my apocalypse...a happy accident, not a mistake. While I could envision both the world domination plot and the cult plot..i have to question in some ways are they not the same?

To me the ultimate purpose being a zom/apoc would be a gigantic reset..humanity as a whole, starting over. The small caveman inside my mind dreams of that.
I like the idea of a restart

[Bray]

If it isn't a natural phenomenon (which I don't think it is) I think the most likely human cause is a government(s) experiment gone wrong.

Perhaps there was some drug designed to cure cancer, make humans more resistant to infection, something along those lines, well meant, but with an unseen side effect, that it turns a small x% of the population into 'zombies' when breathing contaminated air the rest are only infected if it gets directly into the blood stream from an already infected human, and a very small percentage of humans are completely immune.

[jayhel]

Totally a gov't experiment gone wrong!
Who would develop a disease that destroys Hawaii? I mean, yea there are some shitty places in the USA. But Hawaii? Come on!!!!

If the rest of the world wasn't contaminated, wouldn't anyone have heard something by now via radio or foreign fighter jets flying over head?

[GeneTwo]

I never thought of a reset. You think if someone created a virus, they also created a way to turn it off? You know whenever they think enough people are dead.

[Osiris]

I think I'd like the bob Ross approach to my apocalypse...a happy accident, not a mistake. While I could envision both the world domination plot and the cult plot..i have to question in some ways are they not the same?

To me the ultimate purpose being a zom/apoc would be a gigantic reset..humanity as a whole, starting over. The small caveman inside my mind dreams of that.

I have to admit, I'm into the whole Bob Ross approach. An accident of some sort. The only issue I have with that is it smacks of Resident Evil and that pretty much turns me off. Perhaps a spontaneous genetic mutation against incalculable odds as a result of pharmaceuticals being mixed with methadone. I don't know if it would necessarily have a purpose, were that the case.

[7oddisdead]

I have to admit, I'm into the whole Bob Ross approach. An accident of some sort. The only issue I have with that is it smacks of Resident Evil and that pretty much turns me off. Perhaps a spontaneous genetic mutation against incalculable odds as a result of pharmaceuticals being mixed with methadone. I don't know if it would necessarily have a purpose, were that the case.

I always forget about resident evil...is that really how that went down there? Myself I'd rather see it as a good thing turned very bad..kinda along the lines your thinking.

[Osiris]

I always forget about resident evil...is that really how that went down there? Myself I'd rather see it as a good thing turned very bad..kinda along the lines your thinking.

From what I remember of the movie (not the game, mind you because I don't play video games) some jackass in a white coat knocked a vial of T-Virus(?) off a counter and... bickety-BAM! The motherfucker was rubble.

[7oddisdead]

Yea...not what I was going for..more like this.

"hey look! We cured cancer!call all our labs around the globe!"

(a week later)

"you don't look so hot, why are you eyeballing me like I'm a turkey leg?"....aww..fffffffff

]all hyperbole, but hopefully makes my point[

[Osiris]

Yea...not what I was going for..more like this.

"hey look! We cured cancer!call all our labs around the globe!"

(a week later)

"you don't look so hot, why are you eyeballing me like I'm a turkey leg?"....aww..fffffffff

]all hyperbole, but hopefully makes my point[

wtfroflcopter

[Cabbage Patch]

Yea...not what I was going for..more like this.

"hey look! We cured cancer!call all our labs around the globe!"

(a week later)

"you don't look so hot, why are you eyeballing me like I'm a turkey leg?"....aww..fffffffff

]all hyperbole, but hopefully makes my point[

That's the back story for "I Am Legend"! Cancer cure causes zombie-ism among the trial group, then somehow becomes airborne infecting everyone.

[7oddisdead]

That's the back story for "I Am Legend"! Cancer cure causes zombie-ism among the trial group, then somehow becomes airborne infecting everyone.

people look like turkey legs?...all kidding aside, to me that's far more believable than knocking over a couple vials...labcoats=antibutterfingers...ok, so maybe I'm still joking.but seriously...id love to hear of a way this could happen that has never been thought of...really...I'd love a fresh idea

[GeneTwo]

people look like turkey legs?...all kidding aside, to me that's far more believable than knocking over a couple vials...labcoats=antibutterfingers...ok, so maybe I'm still joking.but seriously...id love to hear of a way this could happen that has never been thought of...really...I'd love a fresh idea

Plus the outbreak seems to have happened in multiple cities. Thats a lot of clumsy lab coats.

[Cabbage Patch]

The worst, most deadly viruses are the ones that mutate and jump species. Maybe this one started on computers, was spread via Facebook and then jumped to the human world via nerds. Think about it, the only nerd we've seen since the apocalypse was Lewis, and he was so anti-social that he probably didn't have a Facebook account.

[Osiris]

Plus the outbreak seems to have happened in multiple cities. Thats a lot of clumsy lab coats.

Or one patient that travelled. Consider the film Contagion.

[GeneTwo]

The worst, most deadly viruses are the ones that mutate and jump species. Maybe this one started on computers, was spread via Facebook and then jumped to the human world via nerds. Think about it, the only nerd we've seen since the apocalypse was Lewis, and he was so anti-social that he probably didn't have a Facebook account.

Ha! Internet STD's. I can see this working. Some evil corporation designs a new "interface" (hint, hint, wink, wink) to connect "you" to your computer. Then they release a computer virus to infect the world, thus resting the world.

[7oddisdead]

The worst, most deadly viruses are the ones that mutate and jump species. Maybe this one started on computers, was spread via Facebook and then jumped to the human world via nerds. Think about it, the only nerd we've seen since the apocalypse was Lewis, and he was so anti-social that he probably didn't have a Facebook account.

um....i don't have a Facebook account :(....:D

[7oddisdead]

ah...and internet infection/virus passing over into humans....read Neal Stephenson:snowcrash...great book and somewhat like what we are talking about here...so no...not altogether new concept.

[GeneTwo]

Maybe I'm looking at the zombie virus all wrong. Maybe its not an evil plot. What if the aim was to help people. So what we know of the zombies is, their are very strong big ones, ones that can jump, fast ones, super senses like smelling and even the regular zombies are stronger than your average person. Zombies seem to be resistant to viruses, bacteria, and infections. In the Stadium the live around the dead and eat them, how sanitary is that.

So what if there was a drug to help sick and infirm people. The drug companies tested on animals with no ill effects. Basically no zombie animals. Then the moved to human testing. To get the largest demographic of people they test in different parts of the US. They don't even need to test a whole lot of people. Say just one person in a city. Its not like they keep the test subject locked up. The test subject gets zombified attacks and infects someone, so on and so on. So this explains why the zombies all showed up at the same time.

It also explains why the first zombies were scarred. They were test subjects with horrible injuries like from a car accident or from war, something along those lines. The drug made them stronger, boosted their immune system, enhanced a persons natural abilities: strength, speed, jumping, climbing. But like with most drugs it had side effects, zombification.

[Osiris]

um....i don't have a Facebook account :(....:D

That's because you're a tool. ;)

HALAAAAAAAL I keed, I keed.

[Osiris]

Maybe I'm looking at the zombie virus all wrong. Maybe its not an evil plot. What if the aim was to help people. So what we know of the zombies is, their are very strong big ones, ones that can jump, fast ones, super senses like smelling and even the regular zombies are stronger than your average person. Zombies seem to be resistant to viruses, bacteria, and infections. In the Stadium the live around the dead and eat them, how sanitary is that.

So what if there was a drug to help sick and infirm people. The drug companies tested on animals with no ill effects. Basically no zombie animals. Then the moved to human testing. To get the largest demographic of people they test in different parts of the US. They don't even need to test a whole lot of people. Say just one person in a city. Its not like they keep the test subject locked up. The test subject gets zombified attacks and infects someone, so on and so on. So this explains why the zombies all showed up at the same time.

It also explains why the first zombies were scarred. They were test subjects with horrible injuries like from a car accident or from war, something along those lines. The drug made them stronger, boosted their immune system, enhanced a persons natural abilities: strength, speed, jumping, climbing. But like with most drugs it had side effects, zombification.

You might be on to something. They cured virginity. Everybody got fucked hard.

[GeneTwo]

I can see the commercial now. Buy Eibmoz (zombiE) the new wonder drug. Cure for all your viral woes. Makes you stronger, faster, boosts your immune system and gives you spidy senses.

*Then in a very fast voice states the side effects:* Side effects may include, insatiable hunger, loss of major brain functions, excessive body odor, irritable bowel syndrome, erections lasting longer than 4 hours please contact your doctor. If your doctor is already a zombie, please go to your nearest Locked and Loaded and buy the biggest gun you can afford. This drug company takes no responsibility for the end of world as we know it.

[Eviebae]

To me the ultimate purpose being a zom/apoc would be a gigantic reset..humanity as a whole, starting over. The small caveman inside my mind dreams of that.

I wish.
At some point I realized that as a kid, when I heard about Noah, I always assumed I'd be on the ship--not figuring out how long I could tread water.

Humanity is humanity. As a species, we've nearly snuffed it a few times and here we are. Better off in some ways; worse off than others. The factory presets on the tools we come into the world with--that help us survive even when we don't have access to Google or a lifespan longer than 30--can get in the way of where we want to be.

[Eviebae]

I think you could assume that how the zombies are, is what whoever created the apocalypse thinks humans truly are way deep inside.

[Osiris]

I wish.
At some point I realized that as a kid, when I heard about Noah, I always assumed I'd be on the ship--not figuring out how long I could tread water.

Humanity is humanity. As a species, we've nearly snuffed it a few times and here we are. Better off in some ways; worse off than others. The factory presets on the tools we come into the world with--that help us survive even when we don't have access to Google or a lifespan longer than 30--can get in the way of where we want to be.

Factory presets... there's something to that...

[7oddisdead]

I wish.
At some point I realized that as a kid, when I heard about Noah, I always assumed I'd be on the ship--not figuring out how long I could tread water.

Humanity is humanity. As a species, we've nearly snuffed it a few times and here we are. Better off in some ways; worse off than others. The factory presets on the tools we come into the world with--that help us survive even when we don't have access to Google or a lifespan longer than 30--can get in the way of where we want to be.

somewhat off-topic, but ill elaborate

solitude is almost a religion for me..when i say "reset" im reffering to a reset from a social/technology standpoint...yes many times we have nearly wiped ourselves out. but never before (that we are aware of) has civilization been as advanced as it is today...just the idea of taking everything we have done thus far and flushing it away..leaving a few remaining handfuls of people to start the whole mess over...i dunno, part of me finds that an attractive alternitive to the way we are going..now knowing that part of that equation would be killing half the human race, would i do it?....hell no..but would i have to think about it...yea, probly. looking back through it i think we are on the same page as far as feelings about the thing...hmm..this is a very big concept..perhaps somebody should write something up about it... :)

[GeneTwo]

I think we may need a sociologist to answer your question 7oddisdead, but it does give me a good idea.

The zombie virus is a sociology experiment to the extreme. A science experiment that proves the theory that humanity deserves to be at the top of the food chain and not just an accident of nature. Scientist, who may not be evil at all, release the virus and wait to see if their theory is true. That people can band together, form communities, and defeat the zombies. Proving that humanity belongs at the top. If humanity fails, and the zombies inherit the earth, it just leaves the door open for another species to take over. I don't mean the zombies either. I don't see the zombies living much past the end of humanity. Other than biting some one, I don't think zombies can procreate.

[7oddisdead]

Right...well if that was the game plan..that scientist is a *sshole! Heh, truly it could be said the only enemy of man is man..in not sure how the decision would be made to do such a thing..there are better ways..in closed off facilities for that...hmm..could be An option, but how would you explain the breakout happening simultaneously worldwide..im just thinking aloud now, but that's an interesting idea none the less...

[GeneTwo]

Don't ask me man, you gave me the idea. :)

[7oddisdead]

Very well...theres really only two answers..

Its limited to only a few areas..

Scientist group conspiracy

None of this, no socio-experiment..thats all I got

[GeneTwo]

So the sociology theory has been driving me crazy for the last couple of days. I've been trying to figure out some good examples of people experimenting on other people. The best example I could come up with was a 1983 comedy movie called Trading Places.

The story is about an upper class business man and a homeless street hustler who cross paths. The businessman's bosses make an elaborate bet that if the businessman were in the homeless man position, he would become a criminal and if the homeless man were in the businessman's situation, he would be successful. And the stakes made on the bet - one US dollar.

Watch the movie, you'll laugh a lot. Sorry, no zombies.

[Cabbage Patch]

So the sociology theory has been driving me crazy for the last couple of days. I've been trying to figure out some good examples of people experimenting on other people. The best example I could come up with was a 1983 comedy movie called Trading Places.

The story is about an upper class business man and a homeless street hustler who cross paths. The businessman's bosses make an elaborate bet that if the businessman were in the homeless man position, he would become a criminal and if the homeless man were in the businessman's situation, he would be successful. And the stakes made on the bet - one US dollar.

Watch the movie, you'll laugh a lot. Sorry, no zombies.

I don't know, Dan Ackroyd comes pretty close to zombie territory during parts of the film. The Santa Suit scene comes to mind.

[GeneTwo]

Lol

[Litmaster]

somewhat off-topic, but ill elaborate

solitude is almost a religion for me..when i say "reset" im reffering to a reset from a social/technology standpoint...yes many times we have nearly wiped ourselves out. but never before (that we are aware of) has civilization been as advanced as it is today...just the idea of taking everything we have done thus far and flushing it away..leaving a few remaining handfuls of people to start the whole mess over...i dunno, part of me finds that an attractive alternitive to the way we are going..now knowing that part of that equation would be killing half the human race, would i do it?....hell no..but would i have to think about it...yea, probly. looking back through it i think we are on the same page as far as feelings about the thing...hmm..this is a very big concept..perhaps somebody should write something up about it... :)

Ah, and see, I think you have touched on part of the reason why such zombie apocalypse stories are attractive to so many people nowadays. Think about most of our lives: the 9-5 workday, long hours stuck in traffic, daily routines and responsibilities, paying bills, paying taxes, buying groceries, dropping the kids off at soccer practice, changing the oil in the car, etc etc etc. Many of us guys, especially, are not really happy with this situation; we hear stories from the past of explorers going off on long, dangerous voyages, charting the uncharted--doing something that matters.....

...and then we look at our own life working at the ad agency or supermarket or law firm and feel that life is just too damn tame and predictable. There are concerns--layoffs, gas prices, etc--but not on the same level as guarding the camp against man-eating lions... or a horde of zombies. I think a lot of guys secretly like the idea of a zombie takeover because that scenario would take us back to our primal, hunter-gatherer roots, where the stakes are real and the tasks are brutal and basic:

- fight, or die
- find food, or die
- fortify the tower, or die

A lot of us wonder if we would make it, if we have what it takes. We imagine ourselves as part of Michael's crew and not one of the millions of victims already turned, right?

The prospects of widespread devastation are terrible, but they are also appealing to our 'inner caveman' because many of us don't want a life that is all careful and controlled and tame and regulated...

[/philosophical dissertation]

[GeneTwo]

To add to the sociology experiment theory, look at the communities that are forming. The Colony is slavery based just like the Romans. The Mallers, which also have slaves, are a community looking for a home, your basic barbarians or Vandals to put it more historically.

You can make an argument that the reason the WA tower and the CJ tower fell, was they never made real communities. The WA tower was dysfunctional and the people on top barely knew anyone in their own tower. CJ's tower, the people were just numbers to her (ex:Kalani was 31).

[GeneTwo]

A Mothers Day theory of the purpose of a zombie virus.

Evil moms created the zombie virus. Zombies clean up after themselves (no bodies in the streets). I'm sure the streets of LA have never been cleaner. Zombies finish what they start eating. Zombies don't fight other zombies. Finally, zombies are getting a lot of exercise and ain't stuck in doors playing video games all day.

[yarri]

Very well...theres really only two answers..

Its limited to only a few areas..

Scientist group conspiracy

None of this, no socio-experiment..thats all I got


Eco terrorists! :D

[trubkir]

Maybe I'm looking at the zombie virus all wrong. Maybe its not an evil plot. What if the aim was to help people. So what we know of the zombies is, their are very strong big ones, ones that can jump, fast ones, super senses like smelling and even the regular zombies are stronger than your average person. Zombies seem to be resistant to viruses, bacteria, and infections. In the Stadium the live around the dead and eat them, how sanitary is that.

So what if there was a drug to help sick and infirm people. The drug companies tested on animals with no ill effects. Basically no zombie animals. Then the moved to human testing. To get the largest demographic of people they test in different parts of the US. They don't even need to test a whole lot of people. Say just one person in a city. Its not like they keep the test subject locked up. The test subject gets zombified attacks and infects someone, so on and so on. So this explains why the zombies all showed up at the same time.

It also explains why the first zombies were scarred. They were test subjects with horrible injuries like from a car accident or from war, something along those lines. The drug made them stronger, boosted their immune system, enhanced a persons natural abilities: strength, speed, jumping, climbing. But like with most drugs it had side effects, zombification.

Hey I like this. PED's are the cause of the outbreak. It started in May. Baseball season is a month old in May. Basketball and hockey playoffs are in May. Every city Kimmet listed has some sort of professional sports team. Barry Bonds is the answer.

[IrishZombieKiller]

A virus, pathogen that could reduce man kind to mindless violent muppets would be either a deliberate act performed with a religious byline or a mistaken side effect from something like (as mentioned) a wonder drug cure for something. I am going to throw this out there, but with the work on stem cell research do you think we could be getting closer to creating the end of civilization as we know it? I am not pushing any theories or beliefs here just posing a question.

[PuddleWhite]

I'd like to think that right now, we cant comprehend why and what the zombie virus is. I kinda see it like being the Black Plague of our times- It cuts down 2/3 of us because we are not mentally equipped to understand it, just like those 14th century people couldn't comprehend why was that happening to them. Lets not forget that they had their own theories- The church thought that its because people were sinful and adulterous (real original there, Church), and the Paris university concluded that it was caused by harmful fogs coming from the southern oceans. The Fogs themselves were caused by a bad planet alignment.
So yeah, for me the point of a zombie virus would be to make us open our minds to new possibilities. What if human apathy causes the virus, or anger? What if some formulation of ''being a dick'' generates the whole thing? You know kinda like Dr. Masaru Emoto's studies (the guy that researched water molecules in contact with different human emotion), only not pseudoscience, but actual real truth.

TL;DR The Virus should give us the opportunity to learn something new about ourselves, and let us correct our view of life.

Of course, if we just do what the Black death people do, we will simply survive it and learn the truth centuries later :D