NEW Infection Theory

[Witch_Doctor]

Going back through the episodes before Season 4 starts and something struck me....

How much time elapsed between Z-Day and the ambush of Saul, Lizzie, and Burt in the rain? I'm wondering because that was the first encounter with Runners. My gut tells me it was not even a week.

That makes me think that someone was already into "genetic engineering" before everything went down if we stick to the Intelligent Zed Design idea.

Otherwise, it points out a VERY rapid evolution of the contagion. Not sure I'm buying that since there are still so many regular Zeds along side the Little Ones (and Behemoth) in Chapter 36.

Just another observation that neither confirms anything or really rules anything out.... (still fun though)

I'm guessing probably a month.We know that Pinstripes attacked Paul the day befor July 4th because of Pegs. Counting that days backwards we ca guess that they left to follow the tagged bodies perhaps 3 days prior.
Day 1) Michael trapped at the waterworks in the morning and Datu captured that evening.
Day 2) Riley and Angel awaken from the the night in the freezer.
Day 2 or 3) After Riley and Angel trapped in the pile of bodies they are all rescued and return to the tower.

This puts us at June 30th or July 1st.
Now we can go back about another five days based on another post I made.

Now how long could have Randy and co. been at the water works? I'm guessing a time line could be as follows:

1. The rain storm prior to Saul's et al trip to the fuel depot was the same one in which CJ's missing convoy was hit. (My guess based on Samantha's assertion that the convoy was attacked in the rain AND that there was a rainstorm prior to Saul, Lizzy and Burt (S/L/B) going to find diesel fuel, and KC emphasized that it was raining.)
2. The same day, or the following day Sean sends Randy and the techies to the water pumping station.
3. 3 days later, CJ's tower is attacked.
4. So Randy may have been at the pumping station from the time Saul, Lizzy and Burt looks for fuel to the time AFTER they return, conduct the experiment and set off to track the tagged zombies.
5. Day 1 - End of rain storm. S/L/B go to find fuel, Kalani arrives at Dunbar, Techies go to water works.
6. Day 2 - Morning following Z attack on Saul in the hybrid.
7. Day 3 - Morning following Saul's escape from the Mallers. Angel discovers that the bodies are gone.
8. Day 4 - Lizzy implements the sweat experiment. Zombies tagged later that day. Latch and Scratch visit the Tower that night.
9. Day 5 - Water pressure finally fails. Michael, Angel, Riley and Datu leave for the water works and to follow the trackers.

Was he really there for almost a week? Did he know his Tower was attacked? Was he working on the plumbing for that whole time? Did he have plumber's crack?

This places us at around June 25th or 26th. The outbreak started on May 8th.


Man, I feel like a 10th Century monk trying to date Jesus' birth.

[LiamKerrington]

Man, I feel like a 10th Century monk trying to date Jesus' birth.

... with a slightly better chance of success ...

[scbubba]

I'm guessing probably a month.We know that Pinstripes attacked Paul the day befor July 4th because of Pegs. Counting that days backwards we ca guess that they left to follow the tagged bodies perhaps 3 days prior.
Day 1) Michael trapped at the waterworks in the morning and Datu captured that evening.
Day 2) Riley and Angel awaken from the the night in the freezer.
Day 2 or 3) After Riley and Angel trapped in the pile of bodies they are all rescued and return to the tower.

This puts us at June 30th or July 1st.
Now we can go back about another five days based on another post I made.


This places us at around June 25th or 26th. The outbreak started on May 8th.


Man, I feel like a 10th Century monk trying to date Jesus' birth.

Great job, WD!!!

I just had a "derp!" moment - went and checked the timeline on the wiki and it has June 25th as the date.

So, about 6 weeks from Z-day to the first contact with non-regular Zeds. Even if some were at the attack on Dunbar, the timeline is still pretty much about 6 weeks.

That still brings me back to someone being prepared to work with genetics/virology before the whole thing went down or a very rapid evolution/mutation of the contagion.

I'm sticking with the Intelligent Design of the non-regular Zeds. There is someone behind these special ones. Is it TOWTM or someone in cahoots with him? Is TOWTM actually Bill Roberts and is he working with a doctor from the hospital to create and control all of this?

Anyway, that's more origin theory and not really infection theory. The infection, or non-infection in Saul and Tanya's cases, is a mystery.

[PhysicsLB]

Going back to the "typhoid mary" thing:

Typhoid fever is bacterial in nature. So if our infection is bacterial, it would be possible to have an asymptomatic carrier. The "incubation period" of a virus can also be asymptomatic as well, so it doesn't really help us in identifying what type of vector is being used.

The liklihood of something like that seems pretty slim since carriers can usually still infect others and we haven't seen people randomly turning just by hanging out with someone. Also, infection seems to be predominately blood exposure so a carrier would still have to bleed all over someone.

So, possible, but unlikely. Fun idea though.

[Malador]

IF the infection came from the chasms in the ground, then it is likely bacterial, since a virus has to have a living host to carry it.

[PhysicsLB]

Things seem to be pointing that way. So maybe "Typhoid Mary" isn't as off base as I initially thought. Now my question becomes, why has Tanya found no evidence of bacterial infection?

[PhysicsLB]

Re-listening to chapters 16 & 17, and a few things jump out at me:

Under-water zeds. How do they fit into this thing? If the zeds are still living beings, how were they able to stay underwater for so long?

Behemoths: When Angel and Kalani arrive at the army base, they find the "dead" behemoth lying there. They also give us a few more bits of info: Thick leathery skin, weird veins, and ALOT of acne.

The weird veins and acne remind me of 'roided up bodybuilders...and this is LA...perhaps these guys were exposed to steroids, or were on them when they turned?

[Malador]

Massive changes in human physiology can cause acne, such as pubescent teenagers. I feel that the amount of mutation is based on the age of the host when they're turned. The younger they are, the more the infection causes them to mutate.

[Witch_Doctor]

Re-listening to chapters 16 & 17, and a few things jump out at me:

Under-water zeds. How do they fit into this thing? If the zeds are still living beings, how were they able to stay underwater for so long?

Behemoths: When Angel and Kalani arrive at the army base, they find the "dead" behemoth lying there. They also give us a few more bits of info: Thick leathery skin, weird veins, and ALOT of acne.

The weird veins and acne remind me of 'roided up bodybuilders...and this is LA...perhaps these guys were exposed to steroids, or were on them when they turned?

I keep thinking about the Big Muscled zombie Riley kept talking about when they were tagging them with the trackers. I just couldn't pick up anything on how they might be connected.

[Drogon Malice]

Sniff Sniff not been around for a while i'm gonna read up and catch up, sorry folks IRL stuff been holding me down