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.
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.