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Post by peashooter on Apr 29, 2008 0:21:19 GMT -5
It is an idea that was tossed around by the Necrotech scientists that I worked with in the early days of the outbreak: a Zombie Workforce.
When the scientists started realizing that the reanimated dead could learn to open doors, gesture, and even re-learn a limited speech capacity, they got to thinking.
Why would these reanimated dead need to be 'revived' anyway? Sure they would just as soon rip out your throat as they would perform a dance ensemble, but what if those unstable behaviors could be managed? What if the zombies could be made docile?
Instead of reviving the undead, train them to perform simple tasks. Basically, they could become 'zombie butlers.' The dead, continually serving the living.
It was a fantastically inhumane idea. How could you think of spending all that time to find a solution, when the perfect one was already in needle form? Wouldn't it always be far better to revive the zombie back to their human state, allowing for higher brain function?
But still, the idea stuck, and now its festered. A simple workforce might be just what malton needs for the future. And what happens when we start making zombies that don't kill? That's one less target attacking us, and one less target that the zombies would attack. If used properly, reformed undead could act as herders, considering the zombies hoard mentalities as demonstrated by their groans. They could round up hundreds at a time if used correctly, and they all could be reformed too. And the chance of anyone dying who isn't already in a state of undeath, is far lower.
And what after the threat of the undead is out of malton? Rebuilding. A whole zombie workforce, thousands strong. Rebuilding the city after it was destroyed by a virus that they still would, technically, be infected with. The irony is not lost on me. And then into the workforce. A zombie crew would do your gardening, take your groceries out, do chores around the house. Of course, strict guidelines would have to be in place regarding the interaction with the undead still, however, with proper containment and management, there is no reason why 'every' citizen of malton needs to be breathing to make a positive contribution to society.
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Post by Tovarisch Khrushchev on Apr 29, 2008 0:51:00 GMT -5
a good, but shaky, idea.
For my medical training I had to observe the undead in their natural habitat, as well as capture, disect, stitch up, and revive one of the fallen. I've seen these creatures interacting amongst their horde, and I think we've all had the misfortune of become one of the fallen ourselves.
With that being said, I can safely, with great certainty, say that the only thing to successfully train a zombie is another zombie. Yes, we have made friends with the undead, but they have demonstrated that overtime they have gained free will. You're talking about a zombie slave force.
Their horde mentality is feeble. We see ferals all around the city, doing as they wish, even fighting their own kind. We also have the humble folks at the library, who have made friendly interactions with the undead, even to a point of having a living/dead partnership. It won't be long until we'll have cross-planar marriages.
You cannot force the dead to work. Though it would be...convenient...to make a workforce out of them, it would be wrong, and we as scientists must stick to a certain level of morality. Last time we toyed with our morality, we started this mess...
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Post by Agent Redemption on Apr 29, 2008 0:56:43 GMT -5
errr.... I honestly have no idea what to make of this.
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Post by Tovarisch Khrushchev on Apr 29, 2008 2:17:56 GMT -5
Thats because you're not a man of science!
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Post by asshole doctor™ on Apr 29, 2008 6:57:32 GMT -5
the undead are a plague. the Solanum virus cannot be contained or trained.
they always get loose, bite someone, etc etc. go look at every zombie movie evermade except for shaun of the dead.
army of the undead is just that.
they will pick your bones clean.
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Post by Agent Redemption on Apr 29, 2008 10:22:38 GMT -5
Assuming it is the solanum virus. It certainly doesn't behave like it. I've seen zombies rise after headshots and people rise as zombies after jumping from windows. Now if these windows are made from microsoft I could understand people getting a virus by going through them but they still shouldn't be able to rise after a headshot.
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Post by chicklet on Apr 29, 2008 11:21:17 GMT -5
Now if these windows are made from microsoft I could understand people getting a virus by going through them but they still shouldn't be able to rise after a headshot. I wish I could give you more than one Karma for that one. |
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Mitch All Together
Full Member
I used to do drugs. Well, I still do, but I used to, too.
Posts: 109
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Post by Mitch All Together on Apr 29, 2008 11:27:36 GMT -5
Isn't this, like, what they tried to do in Fido, man?
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Post by peashooter on Apr 29, 2008 20:03:18 GMT -5
Man, I hadn't seen that before, and luckily my cable company just got it on demand. Yes. EXACTLY like Fido.
I will willfully drop this proposition if through my own observation I realize that the zombies are in fact acting on free will, or are still acting upon their base instincts, utilizing what they have remembered from their previous lives to achieve whatever they intend to.
However, I cannot take the same stance that zombies will not hoard together.
The direct correlation to a zombie groaning to the ferals heading straight for the source of the groan. They may not 'all' go to it, but it is quickly learned that when facing large groups of survivors, the zombies will also group up, as it becomes the best chance they have of getting in and serving their needs.
It is therefore, assuming these needs are basic, as previously assumed, the problem of altering these needs persists. The 'zombie shock collar' from the movie Fido seems like it could be a decent solution, however, far too expensive. I spent two weeks working with on of Urban General's pet zombies, attempting to teach it to go outside, fetch a paper, and bring it back, but I had numerous miscalculations on the searching capabilities of zombies as well as their speed and barricade climbing capabilities. The research was abruptly stopped when a roaming death squad came by and killed all of our test subjects. Stupid, Arrogant, Bastards. Thought they were doing me a favor... Don't worry, I did 'THEM' a favor that night. In the name of science.
So here I am now. I have once again reformed my theory of the zombie workforce in light of new data, referenced my iwitness reports of zombies dancing, and even attempting intellectual conversation in the limited speech they have formed. If these actions can be observed as genuine attempts at intelligence, it 'would' be slavery. So I 'will' continue my research in private, and hey, who knows? I could be dead wrong. (pun intended.)
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Post by asshole doctor™ on Apr 29, 2008 20:21:09 GMT -5
Assuming it is the solanum virus. It certainly doesn't behave like it. I've seen zombies rise after headshots and people rise as zombies after jumping from windows. Now if these windows are made from microsoft I could understand people getting a virus by going through them but they still shouldn't be able to rise after a headshot. sigh.. i'm done with this thread . this is pointless. |
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Post by Tovarisch Khrushchev on Apr 29, 2008 23:07:39 GMT -5
Believe me, zombies are just as intelligent, if not more so, as we are. I've been in this city for two years, and have experienced all sides of the fence. My first year and a half here were spent as a reporter, as well as a battle medic. I've experience zombie combat as well as zombie off time. I interviewed a zombie, though I had to revive him. Still, before I had revived him, he had organized an entire zombie strike, with terms, plans, and everything. I spent time with the RRF, sustaining the occasional nibble, discussing zombie life as part of a case study. Believe me when I say they are free thinking, intelligent beings. To force them in to labor, to train them to abandon such thoughts, would be immoral, and inhuman. Instead, we should be focussing our time on bringing them back, or working out a treaty, which is what I am doing all my research on.
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Post by Prisonner Of Today on Apr 30, 2008 0:08:09 GMT -5
I'm with Tova, zombie slavery is unethical. Some zombies are very intelligent (of course, some aren't, but isn't that the same with survivors?) Assuming it is the solanum virus. It certainly doesn't behave like it. I've seen zombies rise after headshots and people rise as zombies after jumping from windows. Now if these windows are made from microsoft I could understand people getting a virus by going through them but they still shouldn't be able to rise after a headshot. Well, you have trouble beliving that an undead monster will rise again after being shot, yet don't see the problem with a miracle needle that not only brings people back to life, but undoes any damage that occured as a result of being shot numerous times? The virus could possibly be retroactive. Everyone has it, but you need to die before it affects you. |
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Post by Agent Redemption on Apr 30, 2008 1:44:06 GMT -5
Well, you have trouble beliving that an undead monster will rise again after being shot, yet don't see the problem with a miracle needle that not only brings people back to life, but undoes any damage that occured as a result of being shot numerous times? That I think said needle makes even less sense, should be a given. sigh.. i'm done with this thread . this is pointless. Unlike all the other threads on this forum? |
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Post by Tovarisch Khrushchev on Apr 30, 2008 2:22:49 GMT -5
Our needle makes sense, if we stop looking at the virus the way we look at other similar cases(ie:Monroeville).
The needle isn't a cure, and shouldn't be treated as such. The needle is a stall, a gimmick of sorts. We're tricking death.
How is it so hard to imagine? We cured death! We created a virus that made us immortal. Surely it isn't so hard to believe that we are able to create living tissue and cells?
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Post by Sir Fred of Etruria on Apr 30, 2008 19:10:07 GMT -5
I feel that this is more aptly expressed as
what are the things zombie are good at that can have a commercial application.
1) product testing... just how stain resistant is this fabric
2) construction... they can effectively demolish old structures
3) communications... staple a note to the forehead and release like a passenger pigeon
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