MILITARY-ONE

Current Survivors (Left to right): 
(I decided to name everyone what they should have been named at birth because that's how the world works now)

Casual Jim

Captain Fuck-You

Doc Runts

Psycho-Bob

REPORT 100201 

DATE: 20/08/2011

KEY EVENTS:

We run out of cheese. I like cheese and I don't like running out of it. This must become PRIORITY ONE. Preferably those cheese slices in plastic sheets because they remind me of life on the farm and dew on the grass on a clear summers morning and all that shit. Doesn't remind me of ACTUAL shit because I don't like eating that and I like eating cheese. If I enjoyed eating shit I would be a very happy man because we have lots of shit. Technically we contain tiny shit-making factories inside of us. Might be useful if we ever encounter a trade situation where they want shit. Also sperm. 

Also discovered a civilian who calls himself Thomas on the roads heading out of Chelmsford. We took an instant liking to him because he had a bag of drugs. Drugs are almost as good as cheese these days. Didn't like his hair though - looks like a fag. Fags like shit don't they? Must make a mental note to see if he wants ours, might be a successful and prosperous trade relationship. Might make him take it anyway, something about a man carrying a bag of my shit which is hilarious. Another mental note.

Good news! Apparently fag-boy is with two more survivors near here. And guess what? One of them is a WOMAN. Might have to go 'rescue' her. If shes been around fags the whole time I'm sure she'll appreciate being around some real men for a while if you know what I mean. 

Scrap previous rescue plans - fag-boy left her with a bitten. She'll most likely be zombie food by now and probably less attractive (or more! Sometimes having a womans face bitten off is an improvement). Couldn't hurt to send some a couple of scouts and have a look. Plus, she might have some cheese! Tomorrow could possibly be the best day ever?

Signing off

Captain Fuck-You.

Entry 6 - Maslow

CURRENT SURVIVORS:

 
I've been thinking a lot about purpose lately. What exactly am I surviving for? What exactly am I living for?

This made me think about pre-apocalypse days; what exactly was my purpose back then? The more I think the more I realise I have no idea. A career? I had one because that's what I was supposed to be doing and everyone else had one. Money had no value to me - having things were nice but it wasn't important. Others were determined to be the best, reach the top, be the smartest. And why? Just for the sake of it I think, feeling important and powerful by affirmations from others. Successful for successfuls sake. It just seems so pointless in retrospect.

A relationship? Sure it was nice but I don't believe my personal value should be dependent on another person. Making the world a better place? I don't believe many people do that for reasons that aren't selfish. True altruism is questionable, as much as I want it to exist. If I were to have done it, it would have been for the status, the attention and the feel-good factor. Are results more important than motivations and intentions? When it comes to self-worth I would say yes, definately. I realise now I had no meaningful goals. I had goals, sure. But they were provided by the autonomous, self-valued society I lived in. Now that society is gone it all seems a bit odd.

Maslow was a psychologist who proposed we can't have motivation to seek things like purpose and self-worth without first meeting our basic needs, such as safety and food. Well, these post-apocalypse days are the perfect test for this, basic needs are in a bit of short supply. So, surely I should be focusing on survival and ignoring the bigger picture for now? In truth, I have been focusing on survival. In these days Maslow's pyramid of needs is up-side down. I know my purpose: survive. Survive to keep our species alive. Survive to keep alive culture, knowledge, morals, intelligence. Is that not one of the greatest purposes ever? I needed an apocalypse to truly realise myself. Or maybe Maslow was right all along? This is me focusing on what Maslow said was basic needs. I confuse myself.

Anyway, still no sign of Thomas. Maybe I was a little quick to assume he's abandoned me. I'm now worried he might have run into trouble. Still, I'm in no rush. I'm going to wait at least a few days longer, although I might need to go find some supplies soon. Still no sign of Chris yet either...

Still surviving,
Katherine

P.S. I found an old newspaper clipping from pre-apocalypse days. I'm thinking of collecting these things, we'll see.

+ 2 NEWS PAPER CLIPPINGS FOUND

Entry 5 - Bitten (Day 4)

CURRENT SURVIVORS:

This was a huge mistake, but it's now too late. Thomas still hasn't returned and now I'm beginning to think he's abandoned me. I'm alone here.

Chris is gone. He started calling out for someone called Susan, he's never spoken about her before. He didn't recognise me at all, when Susan didn't come he claimed I had harmed her and in his confusion he turned violent. He hit me. I locked him in one of the bedrooms upstairs and hoped he didn't make too much noise. He didn't. When I checked on him a couple of hours later, he was just sitting there on the floor, dribbling and staring into space. About an hour later he turned. It was like nothing I've seen before. He was a zombie, but it was different. He didn't die. It would of been better if he had.

I now understand there is a difference between the zombies which are the infected dead, what we've seen so far, and the infected living. He was FAST. Actually fast. Not the shambling idiots I'm used to. Impossibly strong too, he tore through the bedroom door and then minced the barricaded front door. There were bits of wood and blood everywhere. He had bled. Normal Zombies don't bleed. If he had seen me I would be dead. I managed to hide in one of the rooms downstairs when I heard the bedroom door being smashed. I peeked through a slant in the window and saw him running down the hill. A whole more dangerous zombie. Why haven't we seen this before? Maybe because people don't usually survive a zombie attack. I've also been caring for him, keeping him alive.

I reblocked the front door with everything I could find, I'll use the back door for the time being. I'm going to wait a bit longer for Thomas. He's the only thing I have left now, I can't leave. Please don't let him have abandoned me. I'm scared. Whatever Chris has become is still out there somewhere.

Still surviving
Katherine

NEW ZOMBIE DISCOVERED

Entry 4 - Tips for the budding Zombie Apocalypse Survivor

There's currently no change in Chris, and no sign of Thomas - I'm hoping he hasn't run into trouble. So I've decided to pass the time by writing down some tips for any people in the future who might read this. Read and take heed:

CLOTHING

• Needs to be tight fitting and flexible, nothing for a Zombie to grab hold of. You should also avoid 'loud' materials on your clothes - those swishy trousers are hard to sneak around in.
• Conventional body armour is useless. However, you can protect the most vulnerable zombie bite spots: ankle, wrists, neck and shoulders. Ankles with high leather boots, preferably steel capped- Useful for those times zombies are lurking under things. Wrists with any kind of bite-resistant material, I again use a leather band that protects my entire forearm but stays flexible - a little itchy and sweaty but worth it. Thomas uses long hand wraps used for martial arts although any tough material will do in a pinch. Neck and shoulders are less easily covered, I've sown in extra material on the shoulders but neck is bare for the moment, will improvise if i find the right thing. 
• Unless you stick near a water source, such as a river or lake, you will have limited opportunities to wash your clothes. You will smell. Bad. Ideally clothes should be replaced whenever you get a chance.

WEAPONS

• As always, and not yet fully understood why, a zombie can only be killed by massive trauma to the brain. In other words, aim for the head.
• Unless you're outside the UK or live on a farm, the likelihood you have access to a gun is very limited. If you can, get hold of one. However, DO NOT fire guns unless absolutely necessary. Guns are last resort weapons used only in a pinch or if being overrun. Now society is practically gone, the world is silent. A gunshot will draw zombies for miles around, revealing your position and reducing your chances of escape. Noise tends to draw zombies together into groups. These groups then move together, making them more dangerous.
• Blunt Melee weapons (such as bats or crowbars) are first choice for single or small groups of zombies. Piercing weapons, such as axes, are also ok, but are more likely to get stuck. With melee watch out for blood splatter! Safety goggles are handy if available. 

FOOD AND WATER

• Bottled water, rain water and boiled water are ideal. Other water sources, such as streams or rivers, may be potentially contaminated from Zombies up-stream. If possible, boil water taken from rivers. In the early days, bottled water will be plentiful, once this becomes diminished switch to other methods. Luckily, Britain has a fair amount of rainfall, develop a system to use this to collect water.
• Hoard food whenever possible. Ration it, consume only as needed. Consume in order of expiry dates. Perishable goods should be eaten first, canned goods eaten last. Remember, if you get ill from expired/uncooked food, there is no doctor to help you.
• Raid empty homes for food stores. The apocalypse happened so quickly a lot of people didn't have time to store or take food with them when trying to escape. 

SHELTER

• When arriving in a new property ensure the entire house is secure.
• Temporary housing can suffice with simple hiding. Keep quiet and out of sight, block line of sight through windows and block doors. Remaining undetected is first priority. A quick escape route should be decided between survivors beforehand.
• Longer term accommodation should be secured properly. Boarding up windows, with backup measures should the zombies break through (e.g. easily blockable stairs).
• Dead bodies need to be buried to protect from disease.

GENERAL

• Remember: If you injury yourself or become ill, there is no doctor! Normal diseases or ailments we used to easily be able to cure and now life threatening.
• The key to survival is being undetected. Zombies have sheer numbers on their side, fighting will only result in drawing in further zombies.
• Travel only during the day. While the zombies are actually less active during the night, a lack of electricity means nights are now pitch black. Using a flashlight will make you a giant glowing interest for zombies. Seek shelter before night fall.

Well, that's it for now!  A snap shot of knowledge, I'll add some more in the future.

Still surviving,
Katherine

Entry 3 - Bitten (Day 2)

CURRENT SURVIVORS:

Chris got worse in the night. No signs of physical symptoms associated with regular viruses yet. Instead, Chris developed at am alarming rate another symptom just as bad - cognitive decline. He repeatedly lost his grasp on our situation; forgetting what we were talking about, not remembering our names and a couple of times seeming to forget the complete collapse of society as we know it. I've seen this sort of thing before - dementia.

Thomas has gone. He left for the nearest hospital to get hold of some medicine. I have no idea if it will work but I've asked him to grab some dementia drugs (Aricept is the only one I know), anti-psychotics (I know they're used for dementia, don't know what/why/how!) asprin and antibiotics (couldn't hurt!). It's a risk; the larger towns will be swarming, but Thomas is pretty sneaky. He should be back by tomorrow. I just hope it can make a difference. Dementia drugs are not designed to cure decline, rather slow it down or stop it, at least until the body adapts to the drug. A small voice of hope in me says if we can keep Chris alive and sane, his body will fight the infection and survive.

Meanwhile all we can do is wait. The Zeds are on the increase, a load appeared outside the house today. They don't seem to be aware of us yet. I just hope Chris doesn't break down any further. If he starts to call out in his confusion I might need to gag him, we're in no situation to be found.
The Zeds seem to have a natural migration between areas, outside the everyday commuting they do. I'm sure there's a pattern there if someone was interested enough to study it.

Commuting is what we call the times the Zeds are the most active and mobile; around the old commuting times, 7-8am and 5-6pm. I'm pretty sure it's a type of ghosting. What terrifies me most now about dying isn't the concept of death, but the idea I might still be damned to travel to fucking work everyday.

I'll continue to monitor Chris and hope Thomas gets back in time.

Still surviving
Katherine

Entry 2 - Bitten

CURRENT SURVIVORS:

Chris was bitten last night. He managed to hide it until this morning, but it became obvious very quickly. He cried. I cried.

We don’t know what to do. According to the rumours, those that have been bitten are infected and will die. This might not be true; there were a lot of dramatic stories in the early days. Everything from smoking zombies with huge tongues to zombies that can’t come out during the day- both which turned out to be false.

Chris, Thomas and I discussed what we needed to do. Chris wanted us to kill him. He's a bit dramatic for things like that. We don't have guns, it wouldn't be quick, and it would involve us basically beating him to death. Despite everything we’ve done, none of us are prepared to murder someone alive.

Thomas said we could leave him. I’m not prepared to abandon Chris if there’s a chance he’ll survive. Thomas said we’ve survived by avoiding risks. We argued. It got heated. He lost.

It was agreed. We stay. We make this house a fortress, we gather supplies and medicine and we wait. We pray the rumours aren't true.

The cottage is isolated at the top of a hill, in a small hamlet of about eight houses. Half a mile down the road is the nearest village, Blackmore, population no more than a few hundred with limited services. About 10 miles North is Chelmsford, a much larger town with it's own hospital. We should see minimal zombies here in this isolated spot, so if we’re going to bunker down for a while this place is as good as any.

We started immediately. We salvaged wood from the furniture in the house, smashing up the wooden chairs, dining table and shed out the back, which contained some handy tools and nails. The windows and unused doors were boarded up.

Next we gathered all the food, water and batteries we had, which wasn't a lot. The three of us raided three of the eight surrounding houses - all abandoned - taking the food and bottled water we found.
Good thing about middle-class country folk is their strong desire to drink bottled water. I used to laugh at the pointlessness of bottled water, the ultimate consumer product, paying for something we get basically for free. Only idiots and the smug would buy 'better' H2O. Now I praise their very souls every time I find a stash in a dead fridge- life's funny like that. Gotta be flexible.

The final thing we had to do is bury Chris’s biter; our night time intruder. Despite the anger, I can only pity these things. It’s easy to forget every single one had a life; worries, goals, self esteem issues, love, bad habits... Everything that makes us human. Pictures around the house tell me she's a mother of two.

Even so, we buried her only to protect us from disease. Our faces were grim.

Still surviving,
Katherine

Entry 1 - 'Ghosts'

CURRENT SURVIVORS:

Last night Chris didn't block the door properly and a ghost got in.

We're held up in a countryside cottage just east of London. We've been moving slowly out of the capital, we figure the lower population will give us a better chance out here. The cottage was abandoned but I found some delicious canned goods in the pantry. We chowed down the cold beans (straight from the tin of course- don't want to seem too classy) and settled for the night.

Settling involves a process of covering windows with sheets. The zeds, or zombies for you folks keen on maintaining good English during the apocalypse, are pretty stupid and actually less mobile at night. However, they still see us moving around inside. The doors leading into the house are blocked with wood or furniture to stop the zeds accidentally stumbling across us. You see, they won't usually bother you if they don't know you're there - so keep the lights off and keep quiet. Then there are the ghosts.

When the virus, or whatever the hell this is, takes over your body, you lose who you are. However you keep some of our most basic instincts. Turns out we're stupid, violent bastards. You'll quite happily munch on your mothers face to quell a mild appetite. They can't figure out doors, walk in straight lines or keep up with current affairs. They're also not great at parties. Except the exceptions of course. When a zed is ghosting, it is repeating some ingrained routine or instinct it had during it's life. For us last night, this meant our vacant, decaying home owner returned, used her key in the lock and stood in the front room. Much to the surprise to the three of us.

Chris was nice enough to go bash out her brains with a cricket bat himself. For those unaware, England hasn't got many guns. Not that they would be much use, one shot would draw zombies for miles, curious and cuddly as they are. Luckily no other zombies seemed to notice the commotion. Anyhow, tomorrow we're heading further east to see if we can find a better spot, so I'll give an update then.

Still surviving,
Katherine

NEW ZOMBIE DISCOVERED:

Welcome to the world reader. This blog follows a group of survivors shortly after the start of the zombie apocalypse. Why am I doing this? Mostly for personal entertainment - I do love the zombie world, I have lots of ideas to write about. Do I expect anyone to read it? Not really, though that would be nice. One idea I'd like is for any readers to suggest scenarios/events for the characters in the comment section or emails, and I will write it into the story. Bit of interactivity for you. Go crazy. Anyway, lots of characters, pondering on life and, of course, zombie science coming up. Thanks for actually reading.