Chapter 34-1 It Only Takes One

[Kc]

I've been taking a close look at Boulder, trying to figure out how an attack would have unfolded. Here's how I think it happened.

Datu and Hope are probably in the northeast area of Boulder, south of the airport.

I love this Just as a note, Datu and Hope are more towards the south of the city.

[BigBossMan]

Alright taking all bets!
What are the odds Boulder gets nuked?
And if it does what are the odds we just end up with radioactive Inklings?

I hope Boulder does get nuked. Smarmy ski-hippies...

[Litmaster]

A few more points....

Sound F-X, Baby!
Listened a few more times, and just love the sound-scape in the Boulder scene:

• passing cars
• the doppler effect of the passing army vehicle
• distant battle sounds
• snow crunching under their feet
• the Beastie busting in, then making his way closer in the house

Just really awesome sound work, guys. Must have taken a helluva long time. One thing that I couldn't place, though: what was that chirping noise when and Hope are running for new digs? Sounds like a squeaky ceiling fan or something.


A Robbinsean Slip
It occurred to me that Anthony Robbins might now know that Kimmet had no knoweldge of the 'bagging' of ol' Number 2 and might mention something about it to Kimmet by accident (e.g. "So did you guys learn anything from that body you brought back here?"). That would add a little fuel to an already burning flame...

Tanya's Find
Things are looking pretty grim for our heroes, especially if Boulder is going into meltdown-mode. I can't really see how they will ever win this Z-War, much less survive it. If there is going to be any ray of hope, it's got to be in Tany'a bloodline. She has got to discover what it is about her lineage that makes her (apparently) immune to turning. If they can somehow synthesize it and mass-produce it, that will at least help to turn the tides for the humans a bit.

BOOM!
This nuke business could be the dividing issue in the underlying power struggle between Michael and Kimmet. Kimmet and CJ would make a great couple, actually, since they both treat people like shit. If you remember, the first tower held off an impossible attack because they stuck together as a family and cared for each other-- unlike the 'cut n' run' attitude of those in Dunbar. If it comes down to Kimmet wanting to nuke the place even though Michael knows his friends are still trapped there alive, then that could set him over the edge...

[7oddisdead]

I hope Boulder does get nuked. Smarmy ski-hippies...

I thought that was aspen, all I know is beer comes from boulder....i would have a sad...

[Hoff4D]

I've been taking a close look at Boulder, trying to figure out how an attack would have unfolded. Here's how I think it happened.

The terrain around Boulder makes defense against a zombie threat challenging, but manageable.


• West—The dominant terrain feature in the Boulder area is the Rocky Mountains mountain range, which rises like a wall along the entire western flank of the city. There are a handful of roads and trails through the Rockies, with the most important being Canyon Road, that runs from the city’s hydroelectric power plants straight into downtown Boulder.


• South—This is the direction where the greatest threat would seem to lie. Denver is less than 30 miles to the south, and it is a source of potentially endless zombie hordes. Luckily there are only a handful of roads between Denver and Boulder, passing through a region of rolling hills. Assuming the zombies tend to follow the roads, it would be possible to build a strong defense by blocking the roads where it passes between hills, and covering these blockages with fire from military positions.

• East—This direction features a number of lakes and reservoirs, which channelize movement into the narrow areas between them. Once again it would be possible to build a strong defense by blocking these routes and covering them with fire from military positions.

• North—There are larger hills and more lakes and reservoirs in this direction, which provide a basis for defense. The Boulder Airport sits outside the main metropolitan area northeast of the city. The greatest threat from this direction comes from the zombie populations of small cities like Longmont, Greeley and Fort Collins, which are more than 50 miles away.
Because of the terrain the largest concentrations of military forces are probably going to be to the south and east of Boulder, with lesser forces to the north and very little covering the west.

Here’s how I think the attack took place:

1. Zombie Griggs comes over the Rockies from the Chinook crash site and approaches Boulder from the west.

2. It comes across the hydro-electric plants that support the city, attacking and turning the maintenance crews and guards and knocking out the power.


3. With its new posse, Zombie Griggs travels down Canyon Road into downtown Denver, just blocks from the City Council Building. The people at the command post learn of the attack when the zombies charge into their building.

4. At this point Boulder is effectively split in two, with zombies spreading out in all directions from the city center. Troops from the southern defenses attack into the city, retaking the City Council Building, and drawing the attention of the zombies in their direction.

Datu and Hope are probably in the northeast area of Boulder, south of the airport. This is where most of the medical facilities in the city are located, and it will facilitate their eventually making it to the airport and evacuation. Pegs and Kelly are also described as being in the north side of the city, so there is a chance they too will make it to the airport.

Wow. Kudos my friend. I think we found our Michael for when/if this stuff goes down.

[BigBossMan]

I thought that was aspen, all I know is beer comes from boulder....i would have a sad...

Hopefully the fallout will get Aspen then. lol

And I homebrew. I don't need their stinking beers!

[Witch_Doctor]

Alright taking all bets!
What are the odds Boulder gets nuked?
And if it does what are the odds we just end up with radioactive Inklings?

Good heavens, Please, NO! That's happening in another Zombie novel with mixed results. On one hand the Zs are stronger because the radiation kills the decomposition bacterias, which is clever. On the other hand the Zombies roam around spreading radiation to everything in proximity.

[ImPaul]

I don't trust Kimmet. My We're Alive theory is that Ink and Deri are (were) on the same team. They coordinated events to achieve their ultimate goal: Destruction of the human race. Now I'm beginning to think that Kimmet is in on it, too.

BTW: I was listening to chapter 33 and in the operating room Tonya recalls Lizzy's tape and the mention of the numbered Zombies. Didn't Saul find the tape...not Michael and crew?

[Witch_Doctor]

Recall the chapter art with the big jet leaving Ft. Irwin? Remember how it looked like it was flying towards a giant mushroom cloud? In your face foreshadowing! Also, I'm thinking Michael may have stumbled onto something when Robbins said, "These things are like the soldier versions of them." I'm think either of two things ran through Michaels head when he said, "What did you say?" He was either thinking, "Fuck, the Inklings made it to Boulder after all. Just as I had thought." or he was thinking, "Soldier zombies? Fuck, these things ARE created by something else? A general? Is that was the creature in the pinstripe suit is? " Datu seems to have shed his paralyzing fear and become quite the bad ass. Kelly...I hope getting laid hasn't made her soft. Put a semi-auto in her hands and I'm sure she could bring swift justice to the biters. As for Pegs....um, hopefully Lady survives!

I'm curious as to what the title refers to, aside from the one Inkling that infected a great number of Boulder's population. Possibly it refers to the nuke? It only takes one to destroy a city? Or does it refer to Datu, the hero who will rise up with his mighty pick-axe and decimate the entire Inkling population running rampant in Boulder? It only takes one...pissed off Filipino with a pick-axe! A Beneath the Planet of the Apes type ending would rock.

I have to spread the love before rep-ing this!

+1 Buddy. It's coming!

[Witch_Doctor]

My thought would be chapter three when angel amd saul distracted the zombies with the alarm, but i could be wrong."

It reminded me of the first episode when Michael is sitting in his car and the Zombies attack the honking driver. Might not be the same sound bites but the scene reminded me of the beginning and how everything started. There were elements of Michael in his car, Todd and Lizzie trying to get safety and I could imagine Kelley's and Tommy's escape to safety being similar.


A different topic here, but did anyone notice that Pvt Thomas 'revised' his report with new detail? Puck tries to divert suspicion by offering up an explanation that Carl probably remembered more stuff, but Kimmet doesn't even sound like he's convinced.