Advice needed on zombie story I am writing!

[Debbieangel]

Its an interesting idea. My only question is whether the zombies are coming up out of the graves or just spillover from the mortuary slabs? If they're coming up out of the ground, wouldn't your community be overrun? Although I guess if only the freshies are coming up, then it wouldn't be too bad. An industrial spill accident - toxic ooze bringing the dead back to life. Oops, Grindhouse is still on the mind. When I've written about weapons I usually fudge it in the rough draft and do my research afterwards. Let's the writing flow a little bit better. There seems to be a good supply of "freshies" in the one cemetery it is a very large cemetery on a lot of acreage. Like I said, this is why I put the thread up for ideas...keep them coming guys THANKS ALOT!!!!

[wyvern1096]

What about just having walkways between houses? Think of the Ewok village in Return of the Jedi.

[Debbieangel]

What about just having walkways between houses? Think of the Ewok village in Return of the Jedi. Very good idea for a the houses but, most houses are on large lots which are pretty good space away from each other. Thanks for the idea, a few of the families would be able to band together that way good fortress..good places to run incase of a breach!

[wyvern1096]

Unless there is a huge forest near I think walls would be nearly impossible. Too much material required and too much time required to erect it. Unless a hasty partial barricade could be built. This would channel your zombies onto predetermined and well defended strongpoints for easier disposal. Bonfires would work wonders in the early stages of an outbreak as long as they were not allowed to spread. I would think individual fortified homes would be the rule of the day. Perhaps with sniping perches on the roof. Maybe a couple of home-built armored cars for patrol? These vehicles would be needed for eventual supply runs anyway.

[deadpunk]

Unless there is a huge forest near I think walls would be nearly impossible. Too much material required and too much time required to erect it. Unless a hasty partial barricade could be built. This would channel your zombies onto predetermined and well defended strongpoints for easier disposal. Bonfires would work wonders in the early stages of an outbreak as long as they were not allowed to spread. You're thinking UP when you should be thinking DOWN. Trenches would be more feasible and realistic of a defense than fences. A few local guys with backhoes could encircle a large area in no time flat. The deadies go in, but can't climb out. However, Debbie sems to have really set a scene where the local geography is it's own natural defense of sorts. If the hills are steep enough, I'd wonder that a traditional zombie could walk up them? And, certainly, any decent deer hunter could pick them off as they shamble up at a slow rate. As for weapons, I would stick with hunting rifles and small caliber handguns, if you're going for realism. The average joe couldn't load anything else, let alone handle it with any efficiency. I think families within the town would look to hole-up together. The local highschool (I think this was mentioned) would likely be the first shelter set up. However...on an interesting note; the town where I live is near a major railroad depot. We actually have an evacuation route that leads to the old Police Station where a fallout shelter resides. (Lots 'o chemicals being transported on them trains, it turns out.) And, alot of communities that were founded by the generation that returned from WWII also have such locations. Check into it. The Cold War built alot of such fallout shelters that aren't really publicized, but do exist. As stated above, I agree that personal fortification would be the order of the day. After the initial shock of the first night, people are either going to shore up, or run to a 'safe spot'. If your community doesn't have such a spot, folks are going to be inclined to stay put, until someone in authority drags them out and herds them like cattle.

[Debbieangel]

You're thinking UP when you should be thinking DOWN. Trenches would be more feasible and realistic of a defense than fences. A few local guys with backhoes could encircle a large area in no time flat. The deadies go in, but can't climb out. However, Debbie sems to have really set a scene where the local geography is it's own natural defense of sorts. If the hills are steep enough, I'd wonder that a traditional zombie could walk up them? And, certainly, any decent deer hunter could pick them off as they shamble up at a slow rate. As for weapons, I would stick with hunting rifles and small caliber handguns, if you're going for realism. The average joe couldn't load anything else, let alone handle it with any efficiency. I think families within the town would look to hole-up together. The local highschool (I think this was mentioned) would likely be the first shelter set up. However...on an interesting note; the town where I live is near a major railroad depot. We actually have an evacuation route that leads to the old Police Station where a fallout shelter resides. (Lots 'o chemicals being transported on them trains, it turns out.) And, alot of communities that were founded by the generation that returned from WWII also have such locations. Check into it. The Cold War built alot of such fallout shelters that aren't really publicized, but do exist. As stated above, I agree that personal fortification would be the order of the day. After the initial shock of the first night, people are either going to shore up, or run to a 'safe spot'. If your community doesn't have such a spot, folks are going to be inclined to stay put, until someone in authority drags them out and herds them like cattle. A lot of hills but, the terran wouldn't be too hard for the zomb's to shamble along...in parts yes..mostly no..in places it would be easy to run from them but also you would fall trying to get away. So, a two edged sword there! If I could describe the land really good in my story that you could see it..it is going to be a fantastic story! BTW: My community is a little village within itself..no schools, no stores, nothing just homes! Everyone would have to forge off of each other. I am telling ya this story hasnt been told yet...I just wish GAR would make a movie here it would be awesome! Just picture a horeshoe then a road at the end of it!

[wyvern1096]

Large logs rolled down the hills would be an interesting deterrent. It would also be a very macabre scene to describe.

[GhostWolf]

Cars, assuming they aren't larger variety trucks, aren't that hard to overturn. In a pinch, and assuming the members of the community were looking to stay long term, they could be used as a barracade. Overturning them between houses, and blocking any outward facing entrances might also give you a central area that people could hold up in. Spare fencing materials could be used to fill gaps. Cement aswell, which could be put in behind the hasty walls for a more permanant solution. It would turn the community into a sort of fortress. Supply runs would be neccessary from what you've described. Depending on the duration ofcourse. A gate could be arranged while setting this all up. Create hardend areas and post watches. Problem solved... kind of.

[Debbieangel]

The houses are basically on plots of land..lots..not a whole acre but, have yards in between houses, you probably could fit 4 to 6 cars between my house and my neighbor on one side of me...the other possibly more. The care idea would work for some families but not all for barricade. I like the idea tho. Ghostwolf keep em coming

[wyvern1096]

Can't believe I didn't think of this before. What about barb-wire fencing? The stuff is easy to string (I did some temp work at a ranch about 12 years ago. We got miles of the stuff up in two weeks) and would halt zombies long enough to be disposed of. Wouldn't be much good for huge numbers, but as a stop-gap until better barriers were in place it'd work great. It would also be a nice supplement to other barricades.

[Debbieangel]

Can't believe I didn't think of this before. What about barb-wire fencing? The stuff is easy to string (I did some temp work at a ranch about 12 years ago. We got miles of the stuff up in two weeks) and would halt zombies long enough to be disposed of. Wouldn't be much good for huge numbers, but as a stop-gap until better barriers were in place it'd work great. It would also be a nice supplement to other barricades. Didn't think of barb-wire fencing? good idea!! It would take alot of it to string out but, I can see it being done. Thanks for the idea!

[wyvern1096]

To add to the barb wire suggestion: The stuff is pretty easy to electrify. Some stories I've read have the zombies affected by electricity. Don't know if this applies to yours. Primitive catapults would be fairly simple to make. Molotov cocktails or improvised explosives hurled from something like this would be interesting, and sort of fun to describe. Likewise, a ballista (BIG crossbow, used as a seige weapon or shipboard weapon), while more complex, would be workable. And the ammo is free...

[GhostWolf]

To add to the barb wire suggestion: The stuff is pretty easy to electrify. Some stories I've read have the zombies affected by electricity. Don't know if this applies to yours. Primitive catapults would be fairly simple to make. Molotov cocktails or improvised explosives hurled from something like this would be interesting, and sort of fun to describe. Likewise, a ballista (BIG crossbow, used as a seige weapon or shipboard weapon), while more complex, would be workable. And the ammo is free... while the molotovs might be a good idea. Catapults and Ballista aren't. Yes, ammunition for either would be easy to produce, but they aren't accurate enough take down zombies. catapults fling large objects. Rocks and the like. so you'd crush some, and turn other's into crawlers instead of uprights. Ballista aren't accurate enough to do anything more than spear a zombie to the ground, if you manage to hit one. Thus producing a stationary target instead of taking care of the threat. Making either accuratly enough to be even mildly effective would also be a problem. I only know a handfull of people in the local SCA chapter who have managed to do so, and they weren't full size weapons. Good thoughts though.

[wyvern1096]

I was thinking of the catapults for flinging molotovs and improvised explosives. Accuracy would not be much of an issue. I knew a couple of guys who made a ballista but have never attempted it myself (don't have that kind of time on my hands...) so I don't know. With flammable ammo they could still be somewhat useful. I was thinking of a machine perhaps 5 or 6 feet long, not a huge trireme mounted one. You have to admit it would be a very interesting and vivid scene to write though.

[Graebel]

My husband built a small, but working trebouchet out of nothing but Legos. It threw things fairly accurately across the room. With real tools and equipment you could build larger models that threw scattershot/home-made napalm. It would give you a better distance advantage than fighting them up close.