Zombie Survival Part 1

Unfortunately for the human race, zombies are not like any other threat, real or fictional. Murderers, kidnappers, even vampires or werewolves can be scared away or be escaped from. Zombies are not that simple. "Like Terminators, they can't be reasoned with, or bargained with, and they absolutely will not stop until you are dead" (Sacchetto, 6). Zombies receive no benefit from attacking humans. Sure, they eat flesh, but eating is not something they need to do to survive. They just have an uncontrollable urge to kill. For a moment, assume that the dead have risen and are attacking the living. What action should be taken? Most people would panic, run to the nearest gun shop, and ultimately get themselves killed. Survival depends on keeping calm and using your head. Knowledge is one of the best tool humans have against the undead. The best and only way to survive the zombie apocalypse is to know which weapons to use and which to avoid, how to fortify any building or establishment, and most importantly, know your enemy.
Before you can even think about adequately defending yourself, you must be able to identify what kind of zombie you are up against. All varieties of the undead can be separated into two basic categories. The first of the two classifications is Crawlers. These are the classic zombies, the kind you would see in old Hollywood films. They are named Crawlers because of their slow movements. They have the muscle but lack the mental capability to run, so they just walk or limp forward. This also means that they cannot climb over large barriers, open doors, or use equipment. There have been incidents in which a zombie has used a rock or large stick as a tool, hinting towards advanced brain function, but these occurrences are extremely rare (Twonmby, 114). Disposing of these creatures can be very difficult. The only way to kill them is by removing the head or destroying the brain. At first these beasts may not seem like much of a threat, but their strength comes from their persistence. Zombies never get tired and their muscles will never give out. They can chase prey for miles, and, with enough time, even break down a barrier that a normal human could not. The inability to feel pain is another of their advantages. If a zombie is shot, burned, or severely injured, it will not even notice. As long as their brain still functions, they will keep coming. The last attribute that sets Crawlers apart is their appetite. Crawlers will always set their sights on human brains; although, they will eat other forms of human flesh if that is all they can get their hands on.
Sprinters, equally as dangerous as Crawlers, are the more modern zombie. These are the ones that are seen in today's movies or video games. They are named for their fast movements and more advanced coordination. Sprinters can run as fast as or faster than the average human. Ladders and short walls will not protect against Sprinters because, unlike Crawlers, they have the mental ability to climb walls. Like Crawlers, Sprinters do not feel pain and will not get tired. This advantage combined with their quick movements can be a deadly combination. The only upside to Sprinters is that they are much easier to kill. Their survivability is only a little better than that of a human. Any kind of severe damage to a Sprinter, like a few shots to the chest or blowing of a limb of two, is enough to kill even the toughest one.
Zombies have been known to come from a variety of different sources. The most common and most plausible of these causes is a viral infection. Where the virus originates from is a whole different story. The virus could come from a government experiment like Solanium as seen in The Zombie Survival Guide or the infamous T-virus. Other claims include a mutated strain of an already existing disease like mad cow disease, shown in the movie Zombieland, a mutated food supplement, as seen in Zombies, a record of the Year of infection, or even a cure for cancer that had very nasty side effects on some patients, as portrayed in the film 28 Days Later. No matter where the virus comes from, the process of turning into a zombie is generally the same, though the process could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days depending on the strength of the strain. First, the victim becomes infected. The infected area soon worsens and the victim experiences severe flu like symptoms. The victim will then experience loss of memory, loss of coordination, and sometimes dementia. The victim then slips into the comma stage, where all body functions including heart beat and brain activity halt. This is when the virus takes over and reanimates the body. At this point, any traces of the original victim are gone. They are now a full blown zombie. Once the process starts it cannot be stopped. There is a theory that cutting of the infected limb will stop the infection from spreading, but the chances of that working are very slim. There are only two ways to stop someone from transforming into a zombie. The first, as grim as it may sound, is a bullet to the head. The other way is to just not get infected in the first place. The virus is spread through the transfer of fluids, like blood or saliva. In, Zombies, a record of the Year of infection, zombie blood was tested with human blood. When the two samples made contact, they reacted violently turning the once safe human blood into infected blood. The most common way a person becomes infected is by a bite, which transfers blood or saliva from the infected in to the victim.