The text below is not the fruit of my creativity, but the fruit of many months of nervous waiting for an amateur translation of Max Brooks' book "The Zombie Survival Guide"

Zombie Survival Guide is your key to surviving the undead hordes that may be chasing you right now. Fully illustrated and utterly comprehensive, the book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie psychology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, how to equip your home for long-term defense, and how to survive and adapt in any terrain. or locality.

Top 10 Tips for Surviving a Zombie Attack

1. Get Organized Before They Resurrect!

2. They are not afraid, why should you be afraid then?

4. Bladed weapons do not require reloading.

5. Perfect protection = close-fitting clothes, short hair.

6. Climb up the ladder, then destroy it.

7. Get out of the car, take the bike.

8. Don't linger, stay low, be quiet, be on the alert!

9. There is no safe place, there is only safer and less.

10. Even if the zombies disappear, the danger remains.

Don't be careless and stupid with all your precious possessions. This book is your key to surviving the undead hordes that may be after you right now, and you may not even realize it. The Zombie Survival Guide offers complete protection with reliable, proven advice on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from the living dead. This is a book that can save your life.

Introduction

The dead walk among us. Zombies, ghouls - no matter what they are called - these sleepwalkers are the greatest threat to humanity, except for humanity itself. But calling them predators and us their prey would be wrong. They are the plague, and the human race is its bearer. The fortunate victims are consumed, their bones gnawed clean, their flesh eaten. Those not so fortunate join the ranks of their opponents, transformed into rotten flesh-eating monsters. Traditional warfare is just as useless against creatures as the traditional approach. The art of interrupting life, which has been developed and perfected since the beginning of our existence, cannot protect us from an enemy who, in fact, "does not live." Does this mean that the walking dead are invulnerable? No. Can these creatures be stopped? Yes. Ignorance is the undead's strongest ally, awareness is their mortal enemy. That's why this book was written: to provide the knowledge necessary to survive among these non-human creatures.

Survival is the key word to remember - not victory, not competition, only survival. This book will not teach you how to become a professional zombie hunter. Anyone who wants to dedicate his life to such a profession should look elsewhere for training. This book is not written for the police, the military, or any other government agency. These organizations, if recognized and prepared for such a threat, will have access to much more advanced resources than individuals. Civilians - it was for them that this survival guide was written, for people with limited time and resources, but nevertheless refusing to be among the victims.

Naturally, many other abilities will be needed when facing the walking dead: wilderness survival, leadership, even basic first aid. All this was not included in this work, since they can be found in normal texts. Common sense dictates what else needs to be learned to complete this tutorial. Subsequently, all topics that did not directly correspond to the topic of living metvets were omitted

In this book, you will learn to recognize your enemy, choose the right weapon, learn how to kill, and how to prepare and improvise while defending, on the move, or while attacking. The possibility of a doomsday scenario will also be discussed, in which the living dead will replace humanity as the dominant race on the planet.

There is no need to be skeptical of any section of this book as some kind of hypothetical tragedy. Every ounce of knowledge has been accumulated through hard research and experience. Historical data, laboratory experiments, field studies, and eyewitness accounts (including the author himself) all contributed to the creation of this work. Even the doomsday scenario is an extrapolation of real events. Many actual cases are included in the chapter on registered uprisings. Studying them will prove that every lesson in this book is rooted in historical fact.

This means that knowledge is only part of the struggle for survival. The rest is up to you. Personal choice, the will to live, must be paramount when the dead begin to rise. Without it, nothing will protect you. After reading the last page of this book, ask yourself one question: What will you do? End your existence by passively accepting death, or stand up and exclaim: "I will not become their victim! I will survive!". The choice is yours.

Undead. Myths and Realities

ZOM-BZE: (Zom "bi) also Zom-bi pl. I. An animated corpse that feeds on living human flesh. 2. Voodoo spell that revives the dead. 3. Voodoo snake god. 4. One who moves and acts in a daze "like a zombie." [word of West African origin]

What is a zombie? How do they appear? What are their strengths and weakness? What do they need, what are their desires? Why are they hostile to humanity? Before discussing any survival techniques, you must first find out what you need to escape from.

We must start by separating fact from fiction. The Walking Dead is neither the work of "black magic" nor any other supernatural force. Their nature comes from a virus known as Solanum, a Latin word used by Jan Vanderhaven, the "discoverer" of the disease.

SOLANUM: VIRUS

Solanum spreads through the circulatory system, from the point of entry of the virus to the brain. Through pathways not fully understood, the virus uses frontal lobe cells to replicate, destroying them in the process. During this period all the functions of the vital bodies stop. With cardiac arrest, the infected subject is declared "dead". The brain, however, remains alive, but dormant, while the virus mutates the cells into a completely new organ.

The most significant feature of this new organism is the lack of dependence on oxygen. Without the need for this all-important resource, the brain of the undead can be depleted, but it is no longer dependent on a complex sustaining mechanism. human body. Once the mutation is complete, this new organ animates the body in a form that bears some affinity, physiologically speaking, to the original corpse. Some functions of the body remain, some operate with a limited margin, others stop completely. This new organism is a zombie, a representative of the living dead.

1. SOURCE OF DISTRIBUTION.

Unfortunately, scientists have not yet found a separately presented sample of Solanum. Analysis of all components of the ecosystem - water, air, soil, flora, fauna - has currently given negative results. Research continues to this day.

2. SYMPTOMS.

Below is the process of rebirth of an infected subject (the reaction rate varies within a few hours, depending on personal characteristics)

Hour 1: Pain and skin discoloration (brown-purple) of the infected area, immediate healing of the wound (due to the virus in the wound).

Hour 5: Fever (37.2-39.4 degrees Celsius), chills, slight confusion, vomiting, sharp joint pain.

Hour 8: Numbness of limbs and infected area, increased fever (39.4-41.1 degrees Celsius), increased dementia, loss of muscular coordination.

Hour 11: Paralysis of the lower body, general numbness, slow heart rate.

Hour 16: Coma.

Hour 20: Cardiac arrest. Lack of brain activity.

Hour 23: Resurrection.

3. DISTRIBUTION

Solanum is 100 percent transmissible and 100 percent lethal. Fortunately for the human race, the virus is not transmitted by air or water. People can never catch a virus from the elements of nature. Infection can only occur through direct liquid contact. The bite of a zombie, although the most common, is by no means the only method of transmission of the virus. People can catch the virus by contacting their open wounds with zombies, or by splashing from zombie body parts after an explosion. Consuming a flesh taint is more likely to result in death than infection, unless you have open mouth wounds, of course. Infected flesh has been proven to be extremely toxic.

There are no information-historical, experimental or any other reports regarding the results of sexual intercourse with non-living subjects, however, as noted earlier, the nature of Solanum suggests a high risk of infection. A warning against such an act would be useless, as people who are crazy enough to try it would not care about their safety. Many will argue with this, given that the undead's bodily fluids have already coagulated, the chance of infection not from a bite should be small. However, it should be remembered that even one organism is enough to start a cycle.

4. INTER-SPECIES INFECTION

5. TREATMENT

From the moment of infection, there are only a few ways to treat the patient. Antibiotics are ineffective because Solanum is a virus, not a bacterium. Immunomodulation, the only way to fight viral diseases, is generally also useless, since even a small dose of Solanum leads to severe infection. The genetic study of the problem is still not over. Possible avenues of research range from developing more resistant antibodies as part of an infection-resistant cellular structure, to creating an artificial virus capable of recognizing and destroying the Solanum virus.

These and other more radical treatments are still in the early stages of development, with no guarantee of success in the near future. Treatment in the field is usually expressed in the urgent amputation of the infected limb (in case of a bite in the leg or arm), but such solutions to the problem are at least doubtful, given the success rate of no more than 10. Thus, the chances of a fatal outcome in an infected person are significantly exceed the possibility of healing.

In case the patient chooses suicide over the cure, he must not forget that the first thing to do is to neutralize the brain. There are cases of resurrection of people infected with Solanum, whose death occurred due to any other reasons (and not as a result of the virus). Usually such precedents took place in relation to subjects who died after 5 hours from the moment of infection with the virus. Be that as it may, from the deceased after a bite or any other method of infection by the living dead of an infected person, you must immediately get rid of it. (See "Disposal", page 19)

6. RESURRECTION OF THE BODIES OF THE UNINFECTED DEAD.

There is an opinion that it is also possible to resurrect fresh human corpses, even if Solanum was introduced into the body after their death. It's a delusion. Zombies ignore dead flesh and thus cannot transmit the virus. Experiments conducted during the Second World War and after it (see "Cases of attacks", p. 216) clearly show that the introduction of Solanum into a corpse is ineffective, because. under conditions of circulatory arrest, the virus cannot be transferred to the brain. Injecting directly into a dead brain would also be useless, since the dead cells are not susceptible to the virus. Solanum does not generate life - it changes it.

Attributes and Traits of Zombie

1. PHYSICAL ABILITIES

Too often, the undead are said to have superhuman powers: extraordinary strength, lightning speed, telepathy, and so on. Stories range from zombies flying through the air to climbing sheer surfaces like spiders. While these features may contribute to the unfolding drama, a single ghoul is far from being a magical, all-powerful demon. Never forget that the body of the undead is, in fact, human. If there is any change, it is that this revived body is being used by the now infected brain.

Zombies will not be able to fly, unless of course a person who became a zombie could not fly. It's the same with projecting a protective field, teleportation, passing through solid objects, turning into a wolf, breathing fire, and all sorts of other mystical abilities that are attributed to the walking dead. Think of the human body as a set of tools. The lunatic brain has at its disposal those and only the same tools after death. He cannot create new ones out of nothing. But he will be able, as you will see later, to use these tools in unexpected combinations or extend their life beyond the limits of human capabilities.

A. Vision

The eyes of zombies are no different from the eyes of ordinary people. They are still able (depending on the degree of decomposition) to transmit visual images to the brain, but how the brain interprets these images is another matter. Research into the visual abilities of the undead is a work in progress. They can spot prey at similar distances as humans, but whether they can distinguish humans from their own kind is still a matter of debate. One theory suggests that human movements are faster and smoother than those of the undead, which is why they stand out to zombie eyes.

Experiments have been carried out in which people try to confuse approaching ghouls by imitating their movements, using a dragging, clumsy gait. To date, none of these attempts have been successful. It has been suggested that zombies have night vision, a fact that explains their prowess at night hunting. However, this theory has been debunked by the fact that all zombies are excellent night eaters, even those without eyes.

There is no doubt that zombies have excellent hearing. Not only can they hear the sound, they can also determine its direction. The basic range is the same as in humans. Experiments with prohibitively high and low frequencies showed a negative result. Tests have also shown that zombies react to any sound, not just those made by living beings. It has been recorded that ghouls notice sounds that are ignored by living people. The most plausible, if in principle correct, explanation is that zombies rely equally on all their senses. People from birth are guided by sight, relying on other senses only if the main one is lost. Perhaps the walking dead don't share this handicap with us. If so, that would explain their ability to hunt, fight, and feed in total darkness.

C. Sense of smell

Unlike hearing, the undead have a more acute sense of smell. In both combat trials and lab tests, they were able to distinguish the scent of living prey from the rest. In many cases, given ideal wind conditions, zombies can smell fresh bodies from over a mile away. Again, this does not mean that ghouls have a better sense of smell, just that they rely more on it. It is not known for certain which secretion signals the presence of prey: sweat, pheromones, blood, etc.

In the past, people trying to move around contaminated areas tried to "mask" their human smell with perfume, deodorants, or other strong-smelling chemicals. None of them succeeded. Experiments are now underway to synthesize the smell of living beings as a bait or even a repellant for the walking dead. A product of research that would work is still far ahead.

Little is known about the altered taste buds of the walking dead. Zombies know how to distinguish human flesh from animal flesh and they prefer the former. Ghouls also have a remarkable ability to reject carrion in favor of freshly slaughtered meat. A human body that has been dead for more than 12-18 hours will not be eaten. The same applies to corpses that have been embalmed or otherwise preserved. Whether this is due to "taste" or not has yet to be determined. This may be done by the sense of smell, or perhaps by some other sense which has not yet been discovered. Why, exactly, human meat is preferred by the dead, science still has not found an answer to this baffling, dumbfounding, terrifying question.

E. Touch

Zombies literally do not feel physical sensations. All nerve receptors throughout the body remain dead after resurrection. This is indeed their greatest and most fearsome advantage over the living. We humans have the ability to experience physical pain as a signal of damage to the body. Our brain categorizes such sensations, matches them with the event that caused them, and stores this information to use as a warning of possible future damage.

It is this gift of physiology and instinct that has allowed us to survive as a species. That is why we value virtues, such as courage, that inspire people to take action despite warnings of danger. The inability to recognize and avoid pain is what makes the undead so formidable. Wounds will not be noticed and therefore will not deter an attack. Even if the zombie's body is severely damaged, it will continue to attack until there is nothing left of it.

F. Sixth sense

Historical research, coupled with laboratory and field observations, has shown that the walking dead have been known to attack even if all of their senses were damaged, or rotted through and decomposed. Does this mean zombies have a sixth sense? Maybe. Living people use less than 5 percent of their brain capacity. It is likely that the virus may excite some other ability to sense the world, forgotten by us in the process of evolution. This theory is one of the most hotly debated in the war against the undead. But so far, neither side has found enough scientific proof his rightness.

G. Healing

Despite the legends and ancient folklore, it has been proven that the dead body does not have any ability to regenerate. Cells that are damaged stay damaged. Any wounds, regardless of their size and nature, will remain after the resurrection of the body. Many attempts have been made to stimulate healing processes in captured ghouls. None were successful. This inability to self-repair, something we as living beings take for granted, is a major problem for the rebels. For example, every time we exert physical effort, we damage our muscles. Over time, these muscles recover in a stronger form than before. The ghoul's muscles remain damaged, reducing their effectiveness each time he uses them.

H. Decomposition

The average lifespan of a zombie before complete decomposition is about three to five years.

Such a fantastic ability of the human body to protect itself from the effects of decay is connected with the basics of biology.

When the human body dies, billions of microorganisms appear on it. These organisms have always been present, in our external environment and directly within the body. In life, the immune system has been a barrier between these organisms and their target. After death, this barrier disappears. Organisms begin to multiply exponentially as they continue to feed and thus break down the corpse at the cellular level.

The smell and discoloration associated with any decomposing meat are biological processes at work for these microbes. When you order an "old" steak, you are ordering a piece of meat that has begun to rot, its formerly tough flesh being softened by microorganisms that break down its tough fibers. In a short time, this steak, like a human corpse, will dissolve into nothingness, leaving behind only matter too hard or unnutritious for a microbe, such as bone, teeth, nails and hair. This is the normal cycle of life, nature's way of bringing nutrients back into the cycle of the food chain. To stop this process and preserve dead tissue, it is necessary to place it in an environment unsuitable for bacteria, such as extremely low or high temperatures, toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, or, in our case, impregnate it with Solanum.

Virtually all types of microbes involved in standard decomposition of the human body often refuse virus-infected flesh, resulting in the effective embalming of zombies. If it weren't for this, fighting the living dead would be so easy that one could simply avoid them for weeks or even days until they rot to the bone. Research has yet to discover the exact cause of this condition. It has been determined that at least some microbes ignore Solanum's repulsive effects - otherwise, the undead would remain perfectly preserved forever. It was also determined that natural conditions such as humidity and temperature also play an important role. The undead that roam Louisiana's oxbow lakes are unlikely to last as long as those in the cold, arid Gobi Desert. Extreme cases, such as deep freezing or immersion in an impregnating solution, would hypothetically allow a zombie individual to exist forever. These techniques have been known to keep zombies functioning for decades, if not centuries. (See "Recorded Attacks" on page 193 et ​​seq.)

Decay does not mean that the representative of the walking dead will simply fall. Rotting can affect various parts of the body in different time. They found samples with an intact brain, but with practically decayed bodies. Others with partially rotten brains can control some bodily functions, but are completely paralyzed in others. Recently, a popular theory has circulated trying to explain the history of ancient Egyptian mummies as the first examples of embalmed zombies. Preserving techniques allowed them to function for thousands of years from the moment of burial. Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of ancient Egypt would find this story almost laughably wrong: The most important and difficult step in preparing a pharaoh for burial was to remove his brain!

I. Digestion

Fresh facts have once and for all rejected the theory that human flesh is the food of the undead. The zombie's digestive tract is completely inactive. The complex system that processes food, excretes useful products, and eliminates waste is not included in zombie physiology. Autopsies performed on destroyed zombies have shown that their "food" remains in its original, undigested state in all parts of the digestive tract.

Partially chewed, slowly rotting flesh will accumulate as the zombie devours new victims until it is forced to exit through the anus or literally burst out of the stomach or intestinal tract. While such vivid examples of indigestion are rare, hundreds of testimonies confirm that zombies have had bloated bellies. One individual caught and opened up turned out to contain 21.1 pounds of flesh in the digestive system! Even rarer reports claim that zombies continue to feed even after their intestinal tracts have exploded from the inside.

J. Breathing

The lungs of the undead continue to function in the sense that they draw air in and out of the body. This feature explains the zombie's characteristic groan. What are the lungs and chemical processes in the body do not, so it does not emit oxygen and does not remove carbon dioxide. Given that Solanum does not need both of these functions, the entire human respiratory system is vestigial in the body of a ghoul. This explains why the living dead can "walk underwater" or survive in environment detrimental to humans. Their brains, as emphasized earlier, are independent of oxygen.

K. Circulation

It would be a mistake to say that zombies don't have a heart. However, it would be quite true to say that they do not use it. The circulatory system of the undead is nothing more than a network of useless tubes filled with coagulated blood. The same applies to the lymphatic system, as well as to all other internal fluids. It may seem that this change will give the undead another advantage over humans, but in fact, this turns out to be an unexpected gain for them. The absence of liquid mass prevents easy transmission of the virus. If this were not the case, hand-to-hand combat would be almost impossible, as the defending person would almost always be spattered with blood and/or other fluids.

L. reproduction

Zombies are sterile creatures. Their genitals are barren or dead. Attempts have been made to fertilize zombie eggs with human semen and vice versa. None of them were successful. The undead also showed no signs of sexual attraction to either their own kind or the living. Until research proves otherwise, humanity's ultimate fear - the dead begetting the dead - is reassuringly impossible.

Ghouls have the same brute strength as the living. How much force they can exert is highly dependent on the particular zombie. All the muscle mass that a person possessed during life is what he will have after death. It is known that, unlike a living body, the adrenal glands do not function in a dead one, which eliminates the temporary release of energy in zombies, which we humans like. The only major advantage zombies have is their amazing endurance.

Imagine an exhaustion workout, or any other example of physical exertion. Most likely, pain and exhaustion will dictate your limit. These factors do not apply to the deceased. They will continue to act with the same activity until the muscles that provide it are literally destroyed. While this leads to gradually weakening zombies, it also allows for an all-powerful first attack. Many barricades that would have exhausted three or even four physically fit people would not hold up against one relentless zombie.

N.Speed

"Walking" dead usually move awkwardly or limping. Even without damage or progressive decay, their lack of coordination contributes to an unsteady gait. The speed is mostly determined by the length of the legs. Tall ghouls have a longer stride than their shorter counterparts. Zombies, as it turned out, are unable to run. The fastest observed was moving at a speed of only one step in 1.5 seconds. Let us repeat, as in the case of strength, the advantage of the dead over the living is their tirelessness. People who believe that they can run away from their undead pursuers should well remember the story of the tortoise and the hare, adding to the above that in this case the hare has every chance of being eaten alive.

O. Agility

The average living person has 90 percent more dexterity than a ghoul. This is partly due to the general rigor of dead muscle tissue (hence their clumsy gait). The rest is due to the primitiveness of their brain functions. Zombies have poor hand-eye coordination, which is their greatest weakness.

No one has ever seen a jumping zombie, not from one point to another, or just up and down. Balancing on a limited surface is simply beyond their dexterity. Swimming is also a skill unique to the living. The theory has been put forward that if the reanimated corpse were swollen enough to be brought to the surface, it would pose a floating threat. However, this is a rare occurrence, as the slow rate of decomposition would prevent the gas from accumulating.

Zombies that enter or fall into a body of water most often find themselves wandering aimlessly along the bottom until they eventually decompose. They can quite successfully climb somewhere, but only under certain conditions. If a zombie senses prey above them, such as on the second floor of a house, they will always try to climb up to it. Zombies will try to climb any surface, whether it's plausible or just impossible. Except in the simplest cases, in all situations these attempts fail. Even in the case of a ladder, where the simplest quick coordination is required, only one in four zombies will succeed.

Nature of Behavior

A. Intelligence

As has been proven time and time again, our main advantage over the undead is our ability to think. The mind chamber of an average zombie is a little tighter than the intellect closet of a standard insect. Why, and it is no coincidence that they do not look for reasons and do not apply logic. Finding a new solution through trial and error, in the process of achieving or not achieving some goal is a skill inherent in many inhabitants of the animal kingdom, but hopelessly lost by walking corpses. Zombies relentlessly, over and over again, failed laboratory tests designed for rodents. One real story tells us about a man standing at one end of a collapsed bridge with several dozen zombies at the other. One by one, the walking dead fell off the cliff in vain attempts to reach him. In the end, none of them realized what was happening and did not change their tactics.

Contrary to all sorts of myths and speculation, zombies have never been seen using dissimilar tools. Even lifting a stone to use it as a weapon is unthinkable for them. This simple task would prove the existence of a minimal thought process aimed at realizing the higher effectiveness of a pebble as a weapon, compared with the use of bare hands. Here's the irony - the age of artificial intelligence has made it easier for us to identify the mind of a zombie than the mind of our more "primitive" ancestors. Without taking into account some subtleties, even the most advanced computers cannot think for themselves. They only do what they are programmed to do, nothing more.

Imagine a computer programmed to perform a single function. Moreover, this function could not be suspended, changed, or erased. Storing new data is not possible. Expansion of functionality - too. And until, eventually, the power source is turned off, this computer will repeat this function over and over again. In principle, this is the brain of a zombie. Steeped in the grip of instinct, single-tasking, immune to the effects of the machine, which can only be destroyed.

The walking dead have no feelings of any kind. All attempts to wage psychological warfare on the undead, such as invoking anger or pity, have become familiar with the meaning of the word "misfortune". Joy, sadness, confidence, nervousness, love, hatred, fear - all these feelings and thousands more, they are all part of the human heart, and they are all absolutely useless for the living dead, just as useless as the heart itself. Who knows if this is the biggest plus or the biggest minus of a person? Debates on this score do not subside to this day, and certainly will not subside for ever and ever.

Memories

It is now believed that the zombie retains knowledge of its former life. We hear stories of the dead returning to their places of residence or work, performing familiar manipulations, or even showing acts of mercy to loved ones. In truth, there is not a shred of evidence to accept this wishful thinking. Zombies cannot retain memories of their simple lives in the conscious or subconscious mind, because not a single incident took place!

The ghoul will not be distracted by his pets, living relatives, familiar surroundings, and so on. No matter who the person was in their former life, that person is gone, replaced by a mindless automaton with no instinct other than to feed. To sidestep the question at hand: Why do zombies prefer urban areas to the countryside? First, the undead do not prefer cities, but simply stay where they are resurrected. Secondly, the main reason zombies tend to stay in cities instead of dispersing to the countryside is because the urban area contains the highest concentration of loot.

D. Physical Needs

Other than hunger (discussed later), the dead have shown that they do not need any physical need in their dead life. Observations of the dead have shown that they do not need sleep or rest. They do not respond to extreme heat or cold. In severe weather, they never seek shelter. Even a simple thirst is unknown to a dead man. Defying all the laws of science, Solanum created what can be described as a completely independent organism.

E.Communication.

Zombies can't talk. While their vocal cords are capable of speech, their brains are not. It seems that their vocal abilities are limited to a deep throated moan. This moan is emitted by zombies when they detect prey. The sound remains low and constant until the moment of physical contact. The tone and volume change when a zombie attacks. Traditionally associated with the walking dead, this eerie sound serves as a muster signal for other zombies and has recently been shown to be a powerful psychological weapon. (See "On Defense, p. 74")

F. Social Dynamics.

There have always been theories that the undead act as a collective force, from an army controlled by Satan to an insectoid pheromone-controlled swarm to latest concept, suggesting that they achieve group agreement with the help of telepathy. The truth is that zombies don't have any discernible social organization. They have no hierarchy, no levels of control, no desire for any kind of collective organization. An undead horde, no matter how big, no matter how impressive, is just a bunch of loners. If several hundred ghouls flock to the victim, it is because each of them is driven by their own instinct.

The zombies don't seem to be aware of each other's presence. It has never been possible to observe individual zombies in any way react to each other. This brings us back to the question of their sensitivity: How do zombies distinguish between their own kind and humans or other prey of the same kind? The answer is yet to be found. Zombies avoid each other just like they avoid inanimate objects. When they bump into each other, they make no attempt to connect or communicate.

Zombies cooperatively devouring the same body are more likely to constantly yank on the meat itself, but not push the opponent out of the way. The only sign of an attempt at communication can be seen in the notorious mass attack: the howl of a ghoul, summoning others within earshot. When they hear a howl, the other walking dead almost always head towards it. Early research theorized that this is a purposeful action, that the scout uses his howl as an attack signal to others. However, we now know that this happens almost by accident. A ghoul that howls when it detects prey does so out of instinctive reaction, not to give a signal.

Zombies are migratory creatures with no sense of territory or concept of home. They walk for miles and, if given time, may cross the continent in search of food. Their hunting habits are random. Ghouls feed both at night and during the day. They rather wander around the territory than purposefully search it. Certain zones or buildings are not singled out by them as a more likely location for prey.

For example, there are cases when some search farm houses and other peasant buildings, while others from the same group pass by without even looking back. Urban areas require more time to explore, so the undead linger there longer, but no building will seem preferable to them over another. The zombies seem to be completely unaware of their surroundings. For example, they do not move their eyes as if they are reading information about a new environment. Dragging quietly, with their ability to see a thousand yards, they will wander aimlessly, no matter the terrain, until they spot prey.

As discussed earlier, the undead have the unique ability to target the exact location of their prey. Once contact is made, the previously silent, distracted automaton transforms into something more like a guided missile. The head immediately turns towards the victim. The jaw drops, the lips part and a howl erupts from deep in the throat. Once the contact has been made, the zombies can no longer be distracted by anything. They will continue to pursue their prey, stopping only if they lose contact, get killed, or are destroyed.

Why do the undead prey on the living? It has been proven that human flesh does not serve the purpose of subsistence, why does their instinct push them to kill? The truth eludes us. modern science, combined with historical data, proved that living people are not the only goodies on the menu of the undead. Rescue teams surveying the contaminated areas regularly reported the absence of any life. Any creatures, regardless of their size or species, will be devoured by attacking zombies. Human flesh, however, will always be preferred over other forms of life.

In one experiment, a captured zombie was offered two identical pieces of meat: one human, one animal. Zombies repeatedly chose human. The reasons for this are still unknown. What can be said without a shadow of a doubt is that the instinct engendered by Solanum causes the undead to kill and devour any living thing they find. There don't seem to be any exceptions.

I. Kill the Dead.

Although it is easy to destroy zombies, it is not at all easy. As we have seen, zombies do not have the physiological needs that are essential for human survival. Destruction or serious damage to the circulatory, digestive or respiratory systems will not affect the representative of the walking dead in any way, since these systems no longer support the brain. Simply put, there are a thousand ways to kill a person - and only one way to kill a zombie. The brain must be destroyed, by any means possible.

J. Disposal of Remains.

Studies show that Solanum can still remain in the body of destroyed zombie flesh for up to 48 hours. Be extremely careful when getting rid of the corpses of evil spirits. A particularly serious danger is the head, due to the concentration of the virus. Never touch undead corpses without a hazmat suit. Treat them as you would any toxic and deadly substance. Cremation is the safest and most effective method of disposal. Despite rumors that a pile of burning corpses will blow Solanum in a cloud of smoke, common sense dictates that no virus can survive intense heat, let alone open flames.

K. Domestication?

Once again, we recall that the zombie brain has so far proved to be completely immune from external influences. Experiments ranging from chemical exposure to surgery to electromagnetic exposure have come up negative. Behavioral therapy and other similar attempts to train the living dead like a pack of animals have also failed. Once again, the mechanism cannot be rewired. It will exist as it is or it will not exist at all.

zombie voodoo

You ask - if zombies are the result of the activity of a virus, and not black magic, then how can one explain the phenomenon of the so-called "Vodoo zombies", people who died, were raised from the grave, and sentenced to eternal slavery after death. Yes, it is true that the word "zombie" originally came from Kimbundu's "Nzu"mbe" which meant the soul of a dead person, and zombies and zombification are an integral part of the Afro-Caribbean voodoo religion. However, this is the only common feature between voodoo zombies and viral Zombies Although Voodoo Ungans (priests) are rumored to be able to turn people into zombies through magic, this practice is based on clear, scientifically proven facts.

"Zombie Powder", the compound used by the Ungan in the zombification ritual, contains a powerful neurotoxin (the exact formulation is a closely guarded secret). The toxin temporarily paralyzes a person's nervous system, putting him into a state close to a coma. It is often not too difficult to convince an inexperienced medical examiner that a paralyzed person is dead, especially given the state of the heart, lungs and other processes occurring in the body in this state. Many were buried alive, having fallen victim to such a mistake, and woke up only to scream out the darkness of the grave.

So what makes this living person a zombie? The answer is simple: brain damage. Many of those buried alive quickly burn up all the oxygen in their coffins. Those that are dug up (if they are lucky) almost always suffer brain damage as a result of lack of oxygen. These unfortunate souls roam aimlessly, almost devoid of reason, or free will, and are often mistaken for the living dead. How can you tell a voodoo zombie from a real one? The key signs are obvious.

1. Voodoo zombies show emotions. People suffering from brain damage from zombie powder are still capable of normal human feelings. They smile, cry, growl in anger if they get hurt or something else provokes them (real zombies would never do anything like that).

2. Voodoo zombies show the ability to think. As stated earlier, when a real zombie encounters you, it will immediately attack like a smart bomb. The voodoo zombie will think for a moment, trying to figure out who or what you are. Maybe he will walk towards you, maybe he will recoil, maybe he will continue to watch while his damaged brain tries to analyze the current information. What a voodoo zombie won't do is reach out its hand to you, open its mouth, let out a hellish howl, and hobble straight towards you.

3. Voodoo zombies feel pain. A voodoo zombie who stumbles and falls is sure to grab his knee and whimper. In the same way, if he already had some kind of wound, he will protect it, or at least be aware of its presence. Voodoo zombies don't ignore deep wounds in their bodies like real zombies do.

4. Voodoo zombies recognize fire. This does not mean that they are afraid of open fire. The brain of some is so severely damaged that they do not remember what fire is. They will stop to examine it, perhaps even reach out to touch it, but they will immediately recoil as soon as they realize that it hurts.

5. Voodoo zombies are aware of their surroundings. Unlike real zombies, which only recognize prey, voodoo zombies react to unexpected changes in lighting, sounds, tastes, and smells. Voodoo zombies have been seen watching television or at bright flashing lights, listening to music, cowering from thunder, and even noticing each other. This point was critical in several cases of misidentification. If those zombies didn't react to each other (they looked at each other, made sounds, even touched each other's faces), they might have been accidentally destroyed.

6. Voodoo zombies have no special abilities. The person affected by the zombie-damaging powder is still a vision-dependent person. He cannot easily navigate in the dark, hear footsteps five hundred yards away, or smell a living creature in the wind. Voodoo zombies can be extremely surprised if someone approaches them from behind. However, this is not recommended as a frightened zombie may react aggressively.

7. Voodoo zombies can communicate. Although this is not always the case, many of them can respond to audiovisual signals. Many understand the words; some even understand simple sentences. Many voodoo zombies have the ability to speak, of course only plain language and they rarely have lengthy conversations.

8. Voodoo zombies can be controlled. While this is not always true, many brain-damaged people lose much of their self-awareness, making them susceptible to suggestion. Just yelling at them to stop or even leave might be enough to get rid of the voodoo zombie. This has created a dangerous situation of confused people believing they can control or train real zombies. Repeatedly stubborn people insisted that they could simply order the undead attacking them to stop. And when cold, rotting hands seized their limbs and filthy, chipped teeth sank into their flesh, these people realized too late what they were really up against.

These tips should give you a good idea of ​​how to tell a voodoo zombie from a real zombie. And one more thing: Voodoo zombies are almost always found only in tropical Africa, in the Caribbean, in the countries of Central and South America and in the southern United States. While it is, of course, hardly impossible to find someone turned into a zombie by an Ungan elsewhere, the chances of such an encounter are still negligible.

Hollywood Zombies

Ever since the walking dead first stepped onto the blue screen, their main enemies were not hunters, but critics. Researchers, scientists, and other interested citizens all began to argue that these films portrayed the living dead in a fantasy, unrealistic style. Imposing weapons, physically impossible action scenes, incredibly imposing characters, and, above all, magical, invincible and even comical ghouls, all this added their colors to the controversial rainbow, whose name is "Zombie Movies".

Further criticism has been made of the "stylish but stupid" approach to sleepwalking films that teaches the people who watch it lessons that can literally kill them in real-life encounters with zombies. These serious attacks need an equally serious defense. After all, although some films are based on real events*, their first and only goal has always been to entertain.

If we do not talk about pure documentaries (although it is sometimes "sweetened"), then filmmakers must apply an artistic qualification so that their work becomes more palatable for the public. Even those films that are based on real events, and those will sacrifice immaculate realism, in exchange for a good presentation of the plot. Some characters will be, as it were, an amalgam of individuals existing in real life. Others can be completely invented, in order to explain some facts, to simplify storyline, or else just add some flavor to the scene.

Some would argue that the role of an artist is to puzzle, teach and enlighten his audience. Perhaps this is true, but try to convey knowledge to the public, which is either no longer there, or already sleeping, and this is only after the first ten minutes of the picture. Just accept this simple film-making rule and you'll understand why Hollywood zombie films deviate, sometimes ferociously, from the reality they are based on. In a nutshell: use these photo plays exactly as their creators intended, namely as a source of temporary, frivolous entertainment rather than visual survival cues.

Epidemic Outbreaks

Although each zombie attack is different in number, terrain, general population reactions, etc., its level of intensity can be broken down into 3 different classes.

*At the behest of the filmmakers and/or their representatives, the titles of these films are invented by me - life stories have been deliberately omitted.

This is a minor outbreak, usually in a Third World country or rural areas in developed countries. The number of zombies in this rebellion class ranges between one and twenty. The total number of those killed (including those infected) varies from one to fifty. The total duration, from the first case to the last (known) case, is from twenty-four hours to fourteen days. The infected area will be small, within a radius of no more than twenty miles. In many cases, its limits will be determined by natural boundaries. The response will be weak, either exclusively civilian or with some additional help from local legal authorities. There will be little, if any, media coverage of the event. If there are media reports, look for common occurrences such as murders or "accidents." This is the most common type of epidemic outbreak and the most frequent one that goes unnoticed.

Included in this class of insurrection is an urban or populous countryside. The total number of zombies will be from twenty to one hundred. The total number of those killed could reach several hundred. The duration of a Class 2 attack cannot be longer than that of a Class 1. In some circumstances, more zombies will trigger an immediate response. An outbreak in a rural, sparsely populated area can grow to a hundred-mile radius, while an urban one can cover several blocks. The suppression of an uprising will almost always be organized. The civilian population units will be replaced by local, state and even federal law enforcement forces.

Watch out for additional, albeit minor, military response, National Guard in the US and its equivalents abroad. Very often, to reduce panic, these units will not participate in hostilities, providing medical care, controlling crowd behavior and providing logistics. Class 2 flashes almost always attract the press. Unless the attack takes place in a truly isolated part of the world or where the media is tightly controlled, the story will be covered. However, this does not mean that it will be illuminated accurately.

Huge crisis. Class 3 outbreaks, more than any other, demonstrate the distinct threat of the living dead. The number of zombies is in the thousands, covering an area of ​​several hundred miles. The duration of the attack and the possible lengthy mopping-up process could last several months. There will be no chance for a press block or a cover-up. Even without media attention, the sheer magnitude of the attack would leave too many witnesses

This is a full-scale battle, with the replacement of law enforcement by regular military forces. A state of emergency will be declared for the covered area, and neighboring areas. Expect martial law to mean travel restrictions, rationed food supplies, and strict control of communications. All these measures, however, will take time to implement. The initial phase will be chaos as the authorities face a crisis. Riots, looting, and widespread panic will add to their difficulties, delaying an effective response. While this is happening, those who live within the engulfed zone will be at the mercy of the dead. Isolated, abandoned, and surrounded by ghouls, they will depend only on themselves.

Detection

Every outbreak of an undead epidemic, regardless of its type, has a beginning. Now that we've identified the enemy, the next step is early warning. Knowing what zombies are won't help you if you can't recognize an outbreak before it's too late. This doesn't mean you have to build an "anti-zombie command post" in your basement, stick flags on the map, and huddle around a shortwave radio. All it takes is to watch for signals that an untrained brain might miss. These signals include:

1. Murders in which the victims were shot in the head or by decapitation. This has happened many times: People recognize an outbreak and try to deal with it on their own. Almost always, local authorities label these people as murderers and punish them accordingly.

Missing people, especially in wild and uninhabited areas. Pay attention to whether members of the search team have also disappeared. If there are photos or a story shown on TV, look at what the rescuers are armed with. Having more than one rifle per group can mean it's more than a typical rescue operation.

Cases of "aggressive madness" in which the madman attacked friends or family members without the use of a weapon. Find out if the attacker bit or tried to bite his victims. If so, are any of the victims still in the hospital? Try to find out if these victims died in a suspicious way within a few days of being bitten.

4. Riots or other public unrest that began without obvious provocation or other logical reasons. Common sense tells us for good reason that violence at any level never happens just like that, but hides causes, such as: racist sentiments, political acts or legal settlements. Even the so-called "mass hysteria" always has its roots. And if those are not found, then the answer must be sought somewhere else.

Deaths caused by a disease, if the cause is not precisely determined or looks very suspicious. Deaths from contagious diseases are rare in the industrialized world compared to the last century. Therefore, new outbreaks of diseases are always in the news. Look for cases in which the exact nature of the disease is not explained. Also, be on the lookout for suspicious explanations like West Nile virus or mad cow disease. Any one of them could be a cover.

Any such cases that were forbidden to be covered in the media. Absolute media censorship is rare in the US. Such phenomena should be considered as an immediate danger signal. Of course, there can be many reasons, in addition to the attack of the living dead. On the other hand, any event so sensational that special measures must be taken to hush it up deserves close attention. Whatever really happened, it's definitely not good.

As soon as an event catches your attention, keep an eye on it. Mark the location, the distance to you. Watch for similar incidents in the vicinity of the first one. If such incidents do occur within a few days, study them carefully. Note the reaction of the forces of law and order and other relevant structures. If they act more aggressively in each new case, the chances are high that the outbreak of the epidemic develops.

General rules

1. OBSERVE THE LAWS! Regulations governing the use of weapons, such as firearms or explosives, vary depending on where you live. Follow them literally. Punishment can range from a severe fine to imprisonment.

In any case, you cannot allow yourself to be registered with the police. When the dead rise, law enforcement should see you as a trustworthy citizen who can be left to your own devices, not a criminal with a dark past who should be interrogated at the first sign of trouble. Fortunately, as this chapter will make clear, simpler, legal weapons will serve you much better than paramilitary death machines.

2. CONSTANTLY EXERCISE. No matter what weapon you choose, from a simple machete to a semi-automatic rifle, it should be an extension of your body. Practice as often as possible. If there are courses, be sure to sign up. Classes with qualified instructors will save a huge amount of time and effort.

If the weapon can be taken apart, do it, in the light and in complete darkness, until you know every bolt, every spring, every bend and angle of this all-important device. With practice, experience and confidence will come to you - two qualities that you will need to develop in yourself in order to successfully fight the living dead. History has proven that a well-trained man, armed with only a stone, has a better chance of survival than a novice with the latest miracle of technology.

3. CARE FOR YOUR WEAPON: A weapon, no matter how simple, should be cared for as if it were a living being. Anyone with experience with firearms knows that checking and cleaning are part of daily use. This also applies to melee weapons.

The blades need to be polished and protected from rust. Handles must be checked and maintained in good condition. Never misuse your firearm or expose it to unnecessary risk of injury. If possible, have it checked regularly by experienced professionals. These experts can detect defects at an early stage, invisible to the amateur.

4. BEWARE OF EXHIBITION COPIES: Many companies offer a variety of models of weapons, sabers, bows, and so on, which are intended solely for interior decoration. Always research your chosen weapon carefully beforehand to make sure it is intended for use in the real world. Do not rely solely on the word of the company.

"Ready for battle" can mean that a weapon survives a couple of blows on the stage, or at a historical fair, but breaks in half during a life-and-death encounter. If funds allow, buy a second one of the same kind and train with it until you break it. Only then can you be sure of its capabilities.

5. DEVELOP YOUR FIRST WEAPON: The human body, if properly cared for and trained, is the best weapon on earth. Americans are notorious for their terrible diet, lack of physical activity, and relentless obsession with work-saving technologies. Although the term couch potato is more recognizable, the term "cattle" would be more appropriate: fat, lazy, lethargic, and ready to be eaten.

Weapon #1, the biological tool that is our body, can and should be transformed from prey to predator. Follow a strict diet and exercise regimen. Focus on the cardiovascular system instead of strength exercises. Keep track of any chronic illnesses you may have, no matter how severe. Even if your worst disease is allergy, fight it regularly! When the time comes, you must know exactly what your body is capable of!

Learn at least one type of martial arts. Make sure it focuses more on releasing grapples than on punching. Knowing how to escape from the clutches of zombies is an essential skill that will come in handy when you find yourself in a melee situation.

close combat

Try to avoid hand-to-hand fights. Given that the zombies are very slow, it is much easier to run away (or just walk away quickly) than to stand in front of him and join the fight. However, you may need similar skills to take out zombies indoors. When this happens, even a fraction of a second can be decisive. One false step, a moment's delay, and you can feel cold hands grabbing you or sharp, chipped teeth digging into your flesh. That is why the choice of melee weapons is the most important part in this chapter.

1. Clubs

When using a blunt weapon, your goal is to destroy the brain (remember, the only way to destroy a zombie is to destroy its brain). It's not as easy as it seems. The human skull is one of the hardest and strongest bones in the world. Also, of course, zombies. It takes a lot of effort to break through. Not to mention smash it to smithereens. However, this must be done, and with one well-placed blow. If you miss or fail to break the bone, you won't get a second chance.

Sticks, ax handles and similar wooden clubs are good for pushing zombies out of your way or fending off lone zombies. What they lack is the mass and strength needed to deliver a killing blow. A piece of lead pipe is good for combat, but it will be difficult for you to carry it with you all the time. The sledgehammer has the same disadvantage, in addition, it requires a certain skill to hit a moving target.

Aluminum bats are light enough to be used in one or maybe two fights, but have been known to bend with constant use. An ordinary one-handed hammer has a huge destructive power, but a very small area of ​​​​damage. Its short handle allows zombies to grab your arm and pull you towards them. Police batons made from acetate plastic are (in most cases) strong enough for any kind of combat, but lack the strength to deliver the killing blow the first time (Note: That's the way it was intended).

The best baton is the mount. Its comparatively lightweight and durable construction makes it ideal for prolonged close combat. And its curved, pointed edge also allows it to strike through the eye socket and straight into the brain. Many survivors have spoken of killing zombies this way. Another advantage of the crowbar is that it will help you break open a locked door, move a heavy object, or do whatever it was originally intended to do.

None of the previously mentioned items will be able to do any of this. Even lighter and stronger than conventional mounts are the titanium models that come to the Western market from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

2. Edged Weapons

Blades, of any kind, have advantages and disadvantages over clubs. Those that can cut the skull in half, after some time of “active” use, become dull and become unsuitable for further “work”. Therefore, it is best to immediately cut off the head. (Note: a severed zombie head is still dangerous and can bite you). Dismemberment has the advantage that you don't have to deal the killing blow. You can simply chop off a limb or sever the spine (Note: A severed limb also poses a risk of infection. Do not touch the cut!).

An ordinary ax can easily smash a zombie's head, breaking the bone and reaching the brain with the first blow. It is also easy to behead them, which is why, by the way, the ax has been the favorite tool of executioners for many centuries. However, hitting a “moving” head can be quite problematic. In addition, if you miss, you can lose your balance.

Smaller, one-handed axe, good last resort weapon. If you are cornered and large weapons are useless, an ax strike will take care of the attackers. The sword is the perfect melee weapon. But not all types of swords can be used. Swords, rapiers and other blades designed for fencing are not suitable for slashing. The only thing that can be done with them is to deliver a quick blow directly to the eye socket and destroy the brain. But to perform such a technique, sword skills are required, and therefore we do not recommend that you try it.

Straight one-handed swords leave you a free second hand, and you can open the door or take a shield through it. Their only drawback is that they are difficult to strike with sufficient force. If you use only one hand, you may not have enough strength to cut through the thick cartilage between the vertebrae. In addition, it will be quite difficult for you to land an accurate hit. It's one thing to slash a living enemy somewhere. But to strike an exact blow to the neck is completely different.

Two-handed swords can be considered the best in their class, providing the power and precision needed to cut off a head. And among them, the first place is occupied by the Japanese samurai sword - Katana. Its weight (3-5 pounds) is ideal for use in long fights, and its blade is capable of cutting through even the toughest organic fibers.

In tight quarters, short swords are preferred. For example, the Roman Gladius, although it is quite difficult to find a copy that is not blunt. The Japanese Ninja To boasts a two-handed handle and, if genuine, superbly hardened steel. These factors make it an excellent weapon. An ordinary machete, due to its weight, strength and of course because it is easy to find, will be the best choice. Find a military model if you can. You can buy it at the army surplus store. It is made of stronger steel, and its blackened blade will not give you away at night.

3. Other weapons

Spears, pikes, and tridents can be skewered with zombies and kept at a distance from you, but it will be more difficult to kill him. Although there is a chance to get into the eye socket, it is quite small. The European halberd (a hybrid of spear and axe) can be used as a slashing weapon, but again it takes skill and practice to decapitate an opponent. It is inappropriate to use such a weapon except as a club and to keep attackers at a distance.

Morning stars or flails are spiked balls connected to a stick with a chain that deal the same damage as mounts. Except it's more spectacular. The wielder makes wide, circular motions with the handle, and the ball, given enough speed, will crack his or her opponent's skull. Working with such a weapon requires certain skills and therefore it is not suitable for beginners.

The Medieval Mace works just like a normal hammer, but it doesn't have its "practical" use. A mace cannot break a door or a window, drive a chisel or hammer a nail. If you try to do this, you may get hurt. Thus, you can take this medieval weapon only when there is no other alternative.

Knives are very useful. They can be used in various ways in different situations. Unlike the hatchet, they can only kill zombies by hitting them in the eye socket or base of the skull. On the other hand, knives weigh much less than axes and are much easier to move around with. When choosing a knife, make sure the blade is no more than 6 inches long and has no serrations. Some camping knives may have a combination of undulations and teeth. Try not to use such models - the blade can get stuck in the body of your opponent. Imagine you hit a zombie in the temple and can't get the knife out. And at this time, three more dead men approach you ...

The Trench Knife is without a doubt the best compact anti-zombie weapon on Earth. It is a combination of a seven-inch spear-shaped blade and brass knuckles mounted on a handle. It was created during the First World War. In times of brutal hand-to-hand combat in trenches and trenches a meter wide. Its purpose is to strike from top to bottom, breaking through the helmet of the enemy. You can imagine how effective this weapon will be against zombies.

The owner of such a knife will easily pierce the skull of a zombie, quickly pull out the blade and plant it in the brain of the next zombie. Well, or in extreme cases, throw him away with a brass knuckle blow in the face. Such blades are extremely rare and if left somewhere, then in museums and private collections. But if you find detailed instructions for manufacturing, then make one or two combat-ready, scrap-tested and folded copies. If you do this, you won't regret it.

Shaolin Spear (Shaolin Combat Shovel)

This weapon deserves a special mention in the anti-ghoul arsenal. It may seem unusual: a six-foot hardwood shaft, a flat bell-shaped blade at one end, and a crescent-shaped blade at the other. It comes from a bronze peasant instrument that was common in China during the Shang Dynasty (1766-1122 BC). When Buddhism came to China, the Shaolin monks began to use this shovel. As a working tool and as a weapon. In several cases, it has proven surprisingly effective against the living dead.

Landing a direct blow will instantly decapitate the zombies, while the long shaft will keep them at bay. But such a long shaft will be inconvenient to wield in tight spaces, so try to avoid such situations. In open spaces, there is nothing better than the Shaolin spear, which combines the deadly power of the Katana and provides the security that the Shaolin spear provides.

There are many other types of edged weapons in the world, and if I describe everything, then I simply won’t have enough books. So if you find something that you think will make a good weapon, ask yourself these questions:

1. Can it pierce the skull with one hit?

2. If not, will it be able to cut off the head with one blow?

3. Does it feel good in the hand?

4. Is it lightweight?

5. Is it durable?

The first and second questions are the most important. The significance of the third, fourth and fifth will depend on the situation in which you find yourself.

4. Power tools

Fantastic books and films have shown us how brutally powerful a chainsaw can be. Its teeth, spinning at high speeds, cut through bone and flesh with ease, requiring no skill or strength normally required for hand-to-hand combat.

The powerful rumble of a chainsaw also calms the owner if he is prone to panic. How many horror films have you seen in which this mechanical death machine brought death to everything and everything it touched? But in real life, chainsaws and similar devices, among other zombie-killing weapons, are listed extremely low. First, the need for gasoline. After it runs out, the chainsaw will become a useless piece of metal that you can't even use as a club.

If you carry spare fuel cans or batteries with you, then a second problem arises - weight. A regular chainsaw weighs about ten pounds (for comparison, a machete weighs two pounds). With fuel or batteries, you will get tired even faster. Next, let's talk about security. One slip and the teeth of the saw will split your skull open just as easily as they did your opponent.

Like any machine, the chainsaw has one problem - noise. Even a few seconds of running a chainsaw is enough for its roar to tell all the zombies in the area - "Dinner is served!"

Throwing weapons and arrows

Most people think that using non-firearms like bows and slingshots is a waste of time and materials. In most cases this is true. However, when properly used, such a weapon can quietly or completely silently kill the victim at a great distance. For example, are you trying to escape from a zombie-infested area, turning a corner, and one zombie is blocking your path? Too far for melee weapons. When you get closer, you will most likely be noticed. The sound of firearms will sound louder than the siren. What are you to do? In such cases, a well-chosen silent weapon can be your salvation.

Became famous thanks to biblical history about David and Goliath, this weapon is part of our heritage from prehistoric times. The wielder places a smooth, round stone in the expansion at the center of the thin leather strip, grasps both ends of it, spins it around quickly, then releases one end of the strip, aiming the stone at its target. Theoretically, you can knock out a zombie with a silent headshot from less than thirty paces. But even with months of training, the chances of landing such a hit are 1 in 10, at best. Without experience, it's better to just throw stones.

2. SLINGSHOT

A descendant of the leather strap, the modern slingshot is at least ten times more accurate than its ancestor, the sling. What it lacks is power. Small projectiles fired from a modern slingshot just don't have enough power, even at close range, to pierce a zombie's skull. Use of this weapon can only serve to alert the ghoul of your presence.

3. SPRAYER

Given that the poison does not affect the undead, throw it away without hesitation.

4. SHURIKENS

These small, multi-ended devices have been used in feudal japan for piercing the human skull. Outwardly, they resemble steel, flat copies of shining stars, because of this they received the name "throwing stars". In the hands of an expert, they can easily put down zombies. However, like most of the weapons discussed above, the throwing star requires a lot of experience. Unless you are one of the few masters of this art (few can claim this title), refrain from such an exotic method.

5. Throwing Knives

Just like shurikens, this is not ranged weapon it takes weeks of practice to hit something as big as a human body and months to hit something as small as a human head. Only a trained expert can even hope for a guaranteed zombie kill. The time and energy spent on training will be much more useful if applied to conventional weapons. Remember, you have many skills to learn and there is no time to learn them all. Don't waste those precious hours trying to master a third rate weapon.

6. LONG OR COMPOSITE BOW

Literally speaking, hitting a zombie in the head with an arrow is an extremely difficult achievement. Even with composite bows and modern scopes, only experienced archers stand a chance of accurate shots. The only thing practical use of this weapon is firing flaming arrows. There is nothing better than a flaming arrow to start a discreet arson at a great distance. This kind of attack is possible, and has been used to incinerate individual dead. A stricken zombie will not think to remove the arrow from its body and may, under the right circumstances, set other ghouls on fire before being consumed in the flames. (See "Fire", pages 51-54, for proper usage)

7. CROSSBOW

The power and accuracy of a modern crossbow can send a "bolt" (crossbow bolt) right through a zombie's skull from over a quarter of a mile away. It's no surprise that he was called "the best silent killer". Accurate shooting is important, but no more so than with a rifle. Reloading takes time and effort, but it is not necessary. The crossbow is a sniper's weapon, not a crowd stopper. Use only against single zombies. Otherwise, you may find yourself grabbed and mauled before you even have time to load another bolt. As for the bolts, a triangular or round shape will suffice. To increase accuracy, it is worth installing a telescopic sight. Unfortunately, the size and weight of any good crossbow will make it a primary weapon. Therefore, choose it only when the situation allows, such as hiking in a group, protecting your home, or when silent firearms are not available.

8 WRIST CROSSBOW

Small, one-handed crossbows can serve as an addition to your main weapon. Its presence means that a compact, silent weapon will always be at hand in case of need. Compared to a normal crossbow, a wrist crossbow has significantly less accuracy, power, and range. Its use implies being close to the target. This increases not only the danger, but also the likelihood of detection, which in turn negates the need for a silent weapon. Use your wrist crossbow carefully and sparingly.

Firearms

Of all the types of weapons discussed in this book, none is more important than firearms. Keep it clean, keep it lubed, keep it loaded, keep it ready. With a cool head, a steady hand, and plenty of ammo, one man is more than a match for a zombie army.

The choice of firearms must be an exact science, all variables must be taken into account. What is the primary goal: defense, attack or retreat? What type of epidemic are you facing? How many people, if any, are in your group? What is the battlefield? Different types of firearms serve different purposes. Almost none is suitable for everything at once. Choosing the perfect weapon means abandoning the established notions of martial arts that have worked so well against human brethren. Unfortunately, we all know too well how to kill each other. Killing zombies is a completely different story.

1. HEAVY MACHINE GUN.

Since the First World War, this invention has radically changed human conflicts. This mechanism allows you to release a hail of bullets in seconds. This tactic can be invaluable when fighting humans, but is a waste of energy when fighting the living dead. Remember, you need to hit the head: one bullet, right on target. Since the machine gun is aimed at a massive bombardment, it will take hundreds, if not thousands of shells, for a single hit that accidentally turns out to be fatal. Even aiming a machine gun like a rifle (a tactic used by US special forces) is a losing proposition. Why attack zombies with aimed bursts when one well-aimed shot from a rifle gives the same result?

In the 1970s, one school of thought promoted the "scythe theory": If a machine gun was placed at the level of the heads of a crowd of the dead, it would mow them all down in one long burst. This theory has been debunked - ghouls, like the people they once were, are all of different sizes. Even if some are destroyed, at least half will remain too close to you. But what about the severe damage to bodies caused by these weapons? Doesn't a machine gun have enough power to tear a body in half, and doesn't that make it unnecessary to shoot in the head? Yes and no. The standard 5.56mm rounds used in the US Army's light machine guns are really capable of breaking a human back, ripping off arms, or, yes, tearing a zombie in two.

This, however, does not negate the need for a headshot. Firstly, the chance to break the zombies is not too great and therefore requires a large number cartridges. Secondly, until the brain is destroyed, the zombie is still alive - crippled, yes, possibly immobilized, but still alive. Why go through the trouble of having to destroy a bunch of writhing and potentially dangerous body parts?

submachine gun

One of the disadvantages is the low accuracy of hitting at a long distance. Since the assault rifle was designed as a melee weapon, you will have to get much closer to the zombies than if you were armed with a regular or semi-automatic rifle. This wouldn't be a problem if only assault rifles, like all other automatic and semi-automatic weapons, were not prone to malfunction at the moment of use. At a short distance, you put yourself at unnecessary risk. This is the only reason to abandon the machine gun as the main weapon.

3. ASSAULT RIFLE (AUTOMATIC)

This weapon was designed primarily to fill the gap between rifles and submachine guns, providing both range and rate of fire. Don't these features make him perfect against the undead? Not really. While range and accuracy are essential, rate of fire, as we have seen, is not. Even though the Assault Rifle can be set to single, like the Submachine Gun, the temptation to switch to full auto still exists, just like the Submachine Gun. When you're fighting for your life, it can be too easy to flip the switch to rock 'n' roll, no matter how wasteful and useless it may be.

If you're choosing an assault rifle as your primary weapon, keep in mind the basic questions that apply to all firearms: What is its range? What is her accuracy? Is it easy to get the right ammo? How easy is it to clean and maintain?

To answer some of these questions, consider two opposite examples. In service with the US Army, the M16A1 is considered by many to be the worst assault rifle ever invented. Its sophisticated mechanism is difficult to clean and often sticks.

To adjust the sight (and this will have to be done every time the target changes direction), you will need a nail, ballpoint pen, or something similar. But what if you don't have anything like that, or was lost while a dozen zombies were steadily approaching you? The fragile, easily bendable barrel of the M16A1 is not designed for a bayonet attack, and an attempt at such an attack can break the geometry of the barrel. This is a critical flaw. So if you're confronted by a few ghouls and your rifle is jammed, you won't be able to use it as a melee weapon as your last chance.

In the 60s of the last century, the M16 (originally AR-15) was designed for security at the air force base. For political reasons specific to the military-industrial complex (buy my guns - get my vote and a monetary contribution to your election campaign), the rifle was approved as the main infantry weapon in the US Army. The M16 performed so poorly during the first hostilities in Vietnam that the Communist guerrillas did not even begin to collect them from the bodies of dead American soldiers. The newer M16A2, at least somehow improved, is still regarded as a second-rate weapon. If you have a choice, take a cue from the Vietnamese and ignore the M16.

As a complete opposite, the Soviet AK-47 is considered the best automatic weapon ever. Although it is heavier than the M16 (4.80 kg vs. 3.18 kg) and has a much stronger recoil, this weapon is known for its efficiency and solid construction. Its reloading mechanism is well protected from jamming and ingress of dirt and sand. In hand-to-hand combat, you can (optionally): pierce a zombie's eye socket with a bayonet or smash its skull with a strong, steel-studded wooden butt.

If imitation is the most The best way flatter, then several nations decided to flatter the AK by launching frank copies of it (Chinese Type 56) or modified designs (Israeli Galil) into production. Again, while an assault rifle is not ideal for fighting the living dead, one of the AK-47 modifications will be your best bet.

4. BOLT-BLOCK RIFLE

A product of the mid-nineteenth century, these weapons are often considered obsolete. Why use a hunting rifle when you can take a machine gun? Such arrogance is simply unfounded, rooted in techno-chauvinism and a lack of practical skills. A quality bolt-action or bolt-action rifle in the right hands will provide as much, if not better, protection against the living dead as the latest military hardware. The need to conduct a single fire forces the shooter to count each round, which increases the likelihood of a hit. This feature also eliminates the very possibility of "rock and roll", and therefore saves ammo, whether the shooter wants it or not.

The third reason is the comparative ease of cleaning and handling of the gun, a thing that cannot be ignored. Hunting rifles are being developed for the civilian market. Manufacturers know that if they are too complex, they will be harder to sell. The fourth and final reason is the availability of ammo. Since there are more civilian gun shops in the United States (and this is no exception in the rest of the world) than military depots, it will be easier for you to get ammunition for a hunting rifle than for an assault rifle or submachine gun. This will be illustrated in any of the scripts posted in later parts of this guide.

When choosing a bolt-action or bolt-action shotgun, look for an older, military model if possible. This does not mean that civilian models are worse, quite the contrary, but most military guns are designed for use in hand-to-hand combat. Make sure you take the time to learn how to use your gun for this purpose. If you just wave like a drain, then it will destroy any weapon, both military and civilian. There are manuals available explaining how to use a gun as a club.

In old war films, you can see how deadly these weapons can be without even firing a single shot. An example of army non-automatic rifles are the American Springfield, the English Lee Enfield and the German Mauser Kar 98k. Many of them still exist and many are in good working order. Before choosing, however, make sure you have the right ammo on hand. Possession of an impressive military rifle will not lead to anything good if the ammo available to you will only fit civilian models.

5. SELF-LOADING RIFLE

From birth, this weapon has proven to be an excellent zombie killer. If you can spend ammo (a shot occurs every time you pull the trigger), a little discipline will not hurt. However, this option can be a blessing when multiple targets are involved. A case has been recorded of a trapped woman discharging fifteen attacking zombies in twelve seconds! (See "1947 A.D., Jarvie, British Columbia," pp. 223-24.) This story illustrates the potential of a self-loading rifle.

For close range combat or for people on the run, a semi-automatic carbine performs the same functions as a larger model. While the kill radius will be halved, the carbine tends to be lighter and easier to carry, and uses smaller ammo. Either option, depending on the situation, will serve you well. Any semi-automatic weapon, be it the M1 "Garand" of the Second World War or the M1 Carbine, is in many ways superior to modern counterparts. It may come as a surprise, but old weapons were designed to survive the greatest conflicts in history. But they did more: the Garand remained in service with the US Army as its primary rifle throughout the Korean War, and the Carbine saw action during the early years of the Vietnam War.

Another advantage of the M1 "Garand" is its secondary role as a hand-to-hand weapon (during World War II, the use of a bayonet was still considered a vital part of combat). Although it is no longer in production, many Garands remain on the market, and ammunition for them is also widely available. Surprisingly, the h41 carbine is still in production. The light weight and short muzzle are great for indoor combat or long journeys on foot. On the other hand, the newer Ruger Mini-30, Ruger Mini-14 and Chinese Type 56 (a copy of the Soviet SKS carbine, not to be confused with the submachine gun of the same name) would be a better choice. If order is maintained, you will not find a better weapon than a semi-automatic rifle.

6. Shotgun

At short distances against attacking people, this weapon takes the lead. This is not entirely true against the living dead. A good twelfth-gauge shotgun can blow a zombie's head off. However, with increasing distance, the scattering of pellets also increases, and the probability of penetration through the bones of the skull decreases. Solid shot will have the same effect as a rifle, even at longer distances (if the barrel is long enough), but why not use a rifle in this case?

What cannot be taken away from a shotgun is the stopping effect. A scattered shot acts like a solid wall, while a rifle bullet can go through or miss the target altogether. If you're preoccupied or on the run and need time to retreat, a good shotgun blast can rip apart a few zombies. The negative qualities of a shotgun include its ammunition: large twelve-gauge cartridges take up a lot of space and are thus burdensome to travel and leave less room for other equipment. This should be taken into account if the need for a long journey arises.

7. GUN

Americans have a special relationship with pistols. They can be seen in every movie, every TV show, every popular novel and every comic book. Our heroes always carry them with them, from the law enforcement officer of the Old West to the brave city cop. Gangsters rap about them. Liberals and conservatives are fighting for them. Parents try to keep their children away from them, and manufacturers advertise the untold benefits of owning them. Perhaps the gun has become even more of an American symbol than the car. But how useful can this icon be against a pack of freshly reanimated flesh-eaters?

Actually not so useful. The average person, unlike our fictional heroes, will not be able to hit anywhere at all, let alone a target as small and mobile as a zombie head. Add to this the obvious emotional tension, and it remains only to hope for the possibility of a successful shot, in this situation, far exceeding negotiating with the attackers. Studies have shown that all unsuccessful hits, that is, non-lethal hits, 73 percent, were made from different types of pistols. The laser sight increases the chance of accurate aiming, but will not be able to do anything about shaky legs.

But where pistols are useful is in extreme circumstances. If you get grabbed by a zombie, a gun can save your life. In order to press the muzzle to the temple of the living dead and pull the trigger, no special skills are required and the result will be one hundred percent murder. The fact that pistols are small, light and easy to carry makes them an attractive secondary weapon for any scenario. If your main weapon is a carbine, then the ammunition can fit a pistol, which will also lighten your burden. For these reasons, a pistol should always be carried in fights with ghouls, but only as a backup weapon. Never forget how many dismembered, half-eaten corpses have been found clutching this marvelous weapon in their cold, dead hands.

8. WEAPONS UNDER THE CALIBER.22 RIMMING CARTRIDGE

This weapon (rifle or pistol) shoots bullets no wider than a few millimeters and no longer than an inch. Under normal circumstances, their role is limited to training, competition, and hunting small game.

However, when fighting the undead, the tiny .22 rimfire cartridge proudly stands alongside its heavier cousins. The small bullet size will allow you to carry three times as much ammo. For the same reason, weapons of this caliber are always lighter, and are a godsend on long routes through ghoul-infested areas. In addition, such ammunition is easy to manufacture and find throughout the country. No store selling any type of ammunition will run out of .22 caliber cartridges. The two disadvantages of using the .22 caliber are self-evident. The small cartridge has zero stopping power. People (including former President Ronald Reagan) who experienced the effects of .22 caliber did not always even realize that they were shot at. A ghoul that takes a bullet in the chest won't even slow down, let alone come to a complete stop.

Another problem is the lack of energy to break through the bones of the skull on long distances. With a .22 caliber, you are likely to be far from comfortable, which will increase your stress and decrease your kill efficiency. There is an advantage to this disadvantage. Since a .22 caliber bullet does not have enough energy to pierce the back of a zombie's skull, the bullet will ricochet multiple times inside the skull, causing the same amount of damage as a .45 caliber bullet. So, when it's time to arm yourself against the looming zombie threat, don't discount the small, toy-looking weapons, these are nimble and effective weapons.

9. ACCESSORIES

Silencers, if you can get hold of them, can be a vital part of your arsenal. Their ability to dampen noise makes bows, slingshots, or other non-ballistic weapons unnecessary (important while moving). A telescopic sight will invaluably increase the chance of an accurate shot, especially for attacks at long distances using sniper weapons. Laser sights, when used on the surface, may be the best choice.

On top of that, how hard is it to aim with the red dot on a ghoul's forehead? The whole problem is the limited battery life. The same goes for night vision scopes. Although they can accurately hit zombies from a long distance after dark, they become useless black tubes when the energy runs out. Conventional glass and metal sights are the preferred accessory. They may not look that impressive, and they don't even have a hint of electronics, but these simple tools will never let you down.

RADIUS OF DAMAGE VS. ACCURACY

Studies have shown that during the battle than closer man is to the zombies, the more desperately he shoots. When training with your weapons, find the maximum range at which the shooting accuracy will be reproduced. Practice shooting at moving targets in ideal (stress-free) conditions. Once the range is set, divide it by half. This will be your effective hit zone during a real attack. Make sure the undead don't get too close to the borders of this zone or your accuracy will drop. If you are engaging in a group encounter, hit the one that enters the zone first and then work on the rest. Don't discount this advice, despite all your previous experience. Police officers with street experience, honored combat veterans, even "cold-blooded" killers ended their days as a snack, because they relied on their "nerves" and not on training.

Explosives

Q: What's better than throwing a hand grenade at a crowd of oncoming zombies? Answer: yes, almost everything. Anti-personnel grenades kill mainly with shrapnel, metal fragments that tear apart vital organs. Since zombies are not affected, and the chances of shrapnel piercing the skull are low, grenades, bombs, and other explosives are ineffective weapons.

These devices don't have to be completely abandoned, though! For carrying explosive mechanisms through doors, creating instant barricades or even dispersing crowds of zombies, nothing works better than a can of gunpowder.

The living dead are not sensitive to the effects of fire and have no fear of it. Therefore, attempts to influence zombies with fire are doomed to failure in advance. He won't stop them, and he won't cause visible casualties.

Unfortunately, ignorance of this fact has led to the death of many people.

And yet fire, like a weapon, is still the most great ally humanity. Complete incineration is the best way to destroy zombies once and for all. Burning eliminates not only the body, but all traces of Solanum. However, don't think that a flamethrower and a few Molotovs are the solution to all your problems. In a real fight, fire can be just as deadly a threat to you as it is a defender.

Human flesh, like zombie flesh, burns for a very long time. But while the flaming zombie is destroyed by fire, it will go - it will be a hobbled torch. There have been several cases where burning zombies have done more damage and caused more deaths than their nails and teeth alone could.

The fire itself has no selectivity. Consider the flammability of your surroundings, the chance of smoke being inhaled, the possibility that the flames will act as a beacon for other zombies. All of these factors must be considered before using such a powerful and unpredictable weapon.

For this reason, fire is mostly considered a weapon of attack from the air, and is rarely used for long-term defense.

MOLOTOV COCKTAIL

This term refers to any container of flammable liquid with a primitive fuse. It's cheap and effective method kill many zombies at once. If the situation allows - for example, running away from a moving horde, clearing fireproof structures, or setting fire to a flammable structure with a trapped zombie swarm - by all means, bombard the ghouls until nothing but ash remains.

PURGERY

The act of dousing consists of simply filling a bucket of flammable liquid (gasoline, kerosene, etc.), splashing the contents onto one or more zombies, lighting a match, and throwing it at the ghouls. If there is room to escape and no fire hazard, then the only disadvantage of this method is the close proximity to the enemy needed to completely douse the enemy.

BLOWTORCH

A blowtorch, consisting of a tank of propane connected to a nozzle, has neither enough temperature nor enough fuel to burn through a zombie's skull. But she can become a handy arsonist if the undead in question have already been soaked in a flammable liquid.

This device, perhaps more than any other, is presented to people as the ultimate zombie exterminator. A sheaf of flame two hundred feet long, made of napalm, can turn a crowd of the dead into a wailing funeral pyre. So why not use it? Why not prefer that artificial fire-breathing dragon to all other weapons? The answers are as realistic as they are numerous. The flamethrower was created just like military weapon and is no longer in service with the US Army and Marine Corps. It would be hard to find any model, let alone one that works properly. Acquiring fuel for a flamethrower is an even more difficult task than for Molotov cocktails.

But still you must consider all aspects of its practical use. Why carry 70 pounds on your back when only a few zombies are a threat? The weight of the flamethrower is a serious problem if you are on foot. If you are not standing and you do not have access to cars or motorcycles, your fatigue is as serious a danger as the living dead.

Common sense would suggest that a flamethrower is good against hundreds and thousands of zombies. However, it is logical to assume that such a crowd will be opposed by a well-organized government army, and not one person with an (illegal, by the way) flamethrower.

Other Armament

OTHER WEAPONS

Imagination and ingenuity are two invaluable virtues in battles with the living dead. Please feel free to consider everything around you as a potential weapon. But always be aware of zombie physiology and what can be achieved with your makeshift weapons.

1. Acids.

Sulfuric acid is the second most effective agent (after fire) that can completely destroy zombies. However, it should be taken wisely. If by any means you can obtain or produce a large amount of sulfuric acid, treat it as a high-risk substance. Acid is dangerous not only for zombies, but also for you, besides, it does not dissolve bones and flesh immediately, so it is better to use it as a means of cleaning the battlefield than as a weapon.

There are many dangerous chemical compounds in the world, so you can not tell about all at once. But we will describe the basic principles of the action of some poisons on zombies, based on their physical and psychological properties. Zombies are immune to all kinds of toxic irritants and tranquilizers. For example, substances such as Mace and tear gas will not be effective, since the Zombies do not care about the potency, and they seem to have no tears. All substances that weaken the muscles are also useless, Zombies do not suffer from heart attacks, nervous breakdowns, suffocation, or any other fatal consequences caused by poison. Therefore, you should not especially rely on poisons, since for the most part they are of no use.

3. BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS

To destroy a creature infected with a virus with another virus, wouldn't that be poetic? Unfortunately, this cannot be done. Viruses only attack living cells. They have no effect on the dead. The same is true for all types of bacteria. Several attempts have been made in the laboratory to obtain cultures of necrotic fasciitis (flesh-eating bacterial diseases), and tests have been carried out on captured zombies. None of the attempts were successful.

Experiments are underway to grow a strain of bacteria that only eats dead flesh. Most experts are skeptical about the likely success of these attempts. Testing is being done to identify a few of the great variety of microorganisms capable of devouring flesh, even though it is infected. If these microbes can be isolated, replicated, and delivered in a way that is safe for their user, then they could be humanity's first weapon of mass destruction in the battle against the living dead.

4. Zoological resistance

Hundreds of creatures, from large to very small, feed on carrion. Feeding the zombies to some of these animals before they devour us would seem like the perfect solution. Unfortunately, all species, whether hyenas or red ants, instinctively avoid zombies. Solanum's extremely poisonous nature seems to be encoded in the survival instinct of the animal kingdom. This mysterious warning signal that Solanum emits cannot be masked by anything.

5. ELECTRIC CURRENT

Since the muscular system of a zombie is basically what is left of a human, then electricity Gives the ability to temporarily stun or paralyze the body. The result can be fatal only in extreme cases, such as electrocution from power lines, with the complete burning of the brain of a zombie. This is not a "miracle weapon", the current passing through power lines is capable of burning any organic matter, living or not living, turning it into a handful of ashes.

It takes twice as much current to stun a zombie as a human, so conventional stun guns are not effective. Electricity can be used to create a temporary barrier in the form of water-filled, energized ditches. Such obstacles paralyze ghouls long enough to use an additional fatal method of elimination. A number of such incidents have been noted over the years.

6. RADIATION

Experiments are now being conducted to test the effects of microwaves and other electromagnetic signals on zombie brains, on the theory that such a device could produce massive, persistent, deadly, tumors in the zombie's gray matter. The research is still in its early stages and the results have so far been inconclusive. The only known case of zombies coming into contact with gamma rays was during the infamous incident in Khotan. (See "1987 AD, Khotan, China", pages 234-35.) (Feiko)

In this event, the ghouls were not only immune to the radiation that would have killed people, but there was also the threat of the contamination spreading throughout the province. For the first time, the world has seen a new and even deadlier threat: a radioactive zombie. This sounds like a bad product science fiction 50s, but this is, or was, a very real and historically significant fact. According to the entry, the radioactive ghouls did not possess any superpowers or magical powers.

The danger that they carry lies in the plane of radiation contamination of everything they touch. A person drinking from a source touched by such a ghoul will soon die of radiation sickness. Fortunately, their appearance was interrupted by the overwhelming power of the Chinese army. Their intervention not only ended this new danger, but also averted disasters from a possible explosion of the Khotan reactor.

7. GENETIC WEAPONS

Some recent research suggests the use of genetic weapons in the war against the undead. The first step will be to identify the genetic sequence of Solanum. Then an agent will be developed to rewrite the sequence, telling the virus to stop attacking human tissue and instead take care of itself, or simply self-destruct. Instead of fighting the zombies, we will fight the virus that controls the zombies. If this can be done, any of these agents will be a revolution in the fight against the undead. Through genetic engineering, we will experience real healing. However, the celebration of this breakthrough must wait. The science of genetic engineering is still in its infancy. Even the attention of the media and financial resources (which, by the way, are currently absent) have advanced in creating an agent to fight the virus only in theory.

8. NANO THERAPY

Nanotechnology, the study of microscopic machines, is at the very beginning of its development. To date, experimental computer chips have been created that are no larger than a molecule! Someday, robots of this size will be able to perform tasks inside the human body. These nanorobots, or entities by whatever name, will one day destroy cancer cells, repair damaged tissue, even attack hostile viruses. Theoretically, there is no reason why they could not be administered to a newly infected person with Solanum to eradicate the virus. When will this technology become superior? Will she find her way into medicine? Will it be adapted to fight Solanum? Only time can answer these questions.

Protection

Speed ​​and resourcefulness should be your first line of defense against the walking dead. Special protection will not only partially deprive you of these advantages over zombies, but will also suck strength out of you in the event of a protracted conflict. Add to that the risk of dehydration and the prospects don't seem so exciting anymore. The last, least obvious shortcoming of special protection is not physical, but psychological. People in protective suits feel more confident and therefore take more risks than those dressed in ordinary clothing. This illusory courage caused many senseless deaths. Simply put, the best defense against a zombie bite is distance. If for some reason you insist on some form of protection, the following review will provide you with all the information you need to make a wise choice.

1. PLATE ARMOR

They can be defined as classic "knight's armor". The term itself evokes images of seemingly invincible knights clad head to toe in gleaming steel. With that much protection, wouldn't a human be able to walk among the undead, deliberately taunting them, without risking a retaliatory attack. In truth, standard medieval armor isn't invulnerable at all.

The leather or metal clasps that hold many separate pieces together can be torn apart by the stubborn hands of even one, let alone a crowd. Even when intact, steel armor is heavy, bulky, obstructs breathing, dehydrates, and makes a lot of noise. If possible, learn and wear real armor and try to fight in it against at least one (feigned) opponent. You will feel that it is at least uncomfortable, and at the most painful. Now imagine five, ten, fifty opponents coming together with you, grabbing armor plates and throwing them in all directions. Without the speed to run, or the agility to dodge, and even without the necessary vision to spot and attack them, you're almost certain to be eaten like canned food.

2. CHAIN ​​CHAIN

If it covers the entire body from head to toe, then this simpler form of armor does offer some protection from zombie bites. Teeth will not be able to bite through it, which will save you from infection. Its flexibility provides greater freedom of movement and speed; the lack of a helmet leaves a good view. Its very nature (unlike solid plates) allows the skin to breathe and consequently reduces overheating and dehydration. However, there are still many negative points. Unless you've been training in chain mail for several years, your effectiveness in combat cannot but suffer. The weight of chain mail is still very exhausting. And her general inconvenience can lead to unwanted distractions, which should be avoided in combat.

While chain mail can protect you from infection, the bite of a zombie can still be powerful enough to break bones, tear muscles, or rip out chunks of meat underneath the armor. Just like with armor, the clatter of chainmail will signal to all nearby zombies that the loot has arrived. Unless you want to announce your presence, drop this idea altogether. practical advice- if you choose chain mail, make sure it is combat. Much of the medieval or ancient armor made today is for decoration or stage use. When purchasing chain mail, make sure, through careful inspection and careful testing, that it will withstand a zombie bite.

3. ARMORED WETSUIT

Although originally designed to protect against sharks, this body armor will not succumb to even the strongest jaws of the undead. Made from high-strength steel or titanium, it provides twice the protection of regular chain mail and weighs half as much. Noise, however, is still a significant factor, as are physical discomfort and diminishing speed and agility. An armored wetsuit can come in handy for hunting the undead underwater. (See Underwater Battles, pp. 144-154)

This type of defense would be invaluable to ghouls, if only they had the brains to use it. For people, they are practically useless, they only limit the view. Unless you're fighting in an area where it's not safe to wear a helmet, avoid bulky useless pieces.

5. Body Armor

Since nearly all zombie combat bites land on the limbs, this and other armor that protects the body is a waste of time. Body armor should only be considered for situations of complete confusion, when there is a chance of being shot by your own. But even in this situation, the wrong sniper will most likely shoot in the head.

6. KEVLAR COATING

IN last years, law enforcement began to protect their representatives with this lightweight, extremely durable material. While thicker, harder metal plates are used in bulletproof vests to stop bullets, thinner, more flexible versions are used to protect against knives and accidental dog bites. These new defense options, when used to cover the calves and arms up to the elbows, can help reduce the risk of being bitten by zombies in close combat. If you do get hold of the Kevlar cover, make sure you only wear it during combat, and don't get too bold about it! Many people in the past have come to believe that Kevlar or other similar armor gave them unlimited opportunity to take risks. No armor in the world will protect a person from such stupidity. As said before, your goal is to survive, only survive, not to be a hero. Bravado in combat is the surest way to endanger yourself and those around you!

7. TIGHT CLOTHING AND A SHORT HAIRCUT

Dispassionate statistics show that in battles with the living dead, nothing has saved more people than the usual tight clothes and short hair. The simple fact is that ghouls attack by trying to grab the victim, pulling it towards them and then biting. Logic dictates that the less a person has to grab onto, the better his or her chances are. Baggy clothes, with webbing pockets and other things that are easy to grab onto, are very suitable for getting caught in the clutches of zombies. Anyone who has worked in a factory or with serious equipment will tell you how important it is to have nothing dangling anywhere. Tight-fitting, but of course still comfortable, clothing will help to avoid this danger.

Hair can pose the same danger. Many times the victim was grabbed and even dragged by the hair to a brutal end. Tying your hair behind your back before the conflict starts can be a temporary solution. However, a short haircut, a couple of centimeters or shorter, is ideal for hand-to-hand combat.

Current page: 1 (the book has 6 pages in total)

Brooks, Max / Brooks, Max
Zombie Survival Guide / Zombie Survival Guide

Zombie Survival Guide is your key to surviving the undead hordes that may be chasing you right now. Fully illustrated and utterly comprehensive, the book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie psychology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, how to equip your home for long-term defense, and how to survive and adapt in any terrain. or locality.

Don't be careless and stupid with all your precious possessions. This book is your key to surviving the undead hordes that may be after you right now, and you may not even realize it. The Zombie Survival Guide offers complete protection with reliable, proven advice on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from the living dead. This is a book that can save your life.

1. Get Organized Before They Resurrect!

2. They are not afraid, why should you be afraid then?

4. Bladed weapons do not require reloading.

5. Perfect protection = close-fitting clothes, short hair.

6. Climb up the ladder, then destroy it.

7. Get out of the car, take the bike.

8. Don't linger, stay low, be quiet, be on the alert!

9. There is no safe place, there is only safer and less.

10. Even if the zombies disappear, the danger remains.

The dead walk among us. Zombies, ghouls - no matter what they are called - these sleepwalkers are the greatest threat to humanity, except for humanity itself. But calling them predators and us their prey would be wrong. They are the plague, and the human race is its bearer. The fortunate victims are consumed, their bones gnawed clean, their flesh eaten. Those not so fortunate join the ranks of their opponents, transformed into rotten flesh-eating monsters. Traditional warfare is just as useless against creatures as the traditional approach. The art of interrupting life, which has been developed and improved since the beginning of our existence, cannot protect us from an enemy who, in fact, “does not live”. Does this mean that the walking dead are invulnerable? No. Can these creatures be stopped? Yes. Ignorance is the undead's strongest ally, awareness is their mortal enemy. That's why this book was written: to provide the knowledge necessary to survive among these non-human creatures.

Survival is the key word to remember - not victory, not competition, only survival. This book will not teach you how to become a professional zombie hunter. Anyone who wants to dedicate his life to such a profession should look elsewhere for training. This book is not written for the police, the military, or any other government agency. These organizations, if recognized and prepared for such a threat, will have access to much more advanced resources than individuals. Civilians - it was for them that this survival guide was written, for people with limited time and resources, but nevertheless refusing to be among the victims.

Naturally, many other abilities will be needed when facing the walking dead: wilderness survival, leadership, even basic first aid. All of these have not been included in this work, as they can be found in ordinary texts. Common sense dictates what else needs to be learned to complete this tutorial. Subsequently, all topics that did not directly correspond to the topic of living metvets were omitted

In this book, you will learn to recognize your enemy, choose the right weapon, learn how to kill, and how to prepare and improvise while defending, on the move, or while attacking. The possibility of a doomsday scenario will also be discussed, in which the living dead will replace humanity as the dominant race on the planet.

There is no need to be skeptical of any section of this book as some kind of hypothetical tragedy. Every ounce of knowledge has been accumulated through hard research and experience. Historical data, laboratory experiments, field studies, and eyewitness accounts (including the author himself) all contributed to the creation of this work. Even the doomsday scenario is an extrapolation of real events. Many actual cases are included in the chapter on registered uprisings. Studying them will prove that every lesson in this book is rooted in historical fact.

This means that knowledge is only part of the struggle for survival. The rest is up to you. Personal choice, the will to live, must be paramount when the dead begin to rise. Without it, nothing will protect you. After reading the last page of this book, ask yourself one question: What will you do? End your existence by passively accepting death, or stand up and exclaim: "I will not become their victim! I will survive!". The choice is yours.

ZOM-BZE: (Zom "bi) also Zom-bi pl. I. An animated corpse that feeds on living human flesh. 2. Voodoo spell that revives the dead. 3. Voodoo snake god. 4. One who moves and acts in a daze "like a zombie." [word of West African origin]

What is a zombie? How do they appear? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What do they need, what are their desires? Why are they hostile to humanity? Before discussing any survival techniques, you must first find out what you need to escape from.

We must start by separating fact from fiction. The Walking Dead is neither the work of "black magic" nor any other supernatural force. Their nature comes from a virus known as Solanum, a Latin word used by Jan Vanderhaven, the "discoverer" of the disease.

Solanum: virus

Solanum spreads through the circulatory system, from the point of entry of the virus to the brain. Through pathways not fully understood, the virus uses frontal lobe cells to replicate, destroying them in the process. During this period all the functions of the vital bodies stop. With cardiac arrest, the infected subject is declared "dead". The brain, however, remains alive, but dormant, while the virus mutates the cells into a completely new organ.

The most significant feature of this new organism is the lack of dependence on oxygen. Without the need for this all-important resource, the brains of the undead can be depleted, but they are no longer dependent on the complex maintenance mechanism of the human body. Once the mutation is complete, this new organ animates the body in a form that bears some affinity, physiologically speaking, to the original corpse. Some functions of the body remain, some operate with a limited margin, others stop completely. This new organism is a zombie, a representative of the living dead.

1. Distribution source

Unfortunately, scientists have not yet found a separately presented sample of Solanum. Analysis of all components of the ecosystem - water, air, soil, flora, fauna - has given negative results so far. Research continues to this day.

2. Symptoms

Below is the process of rebirth of an infected subject (the reaction rate varies within a few hours, depending on personal characteristics)

Hour 1: Pain and skin discoloration (brown-purple) of the infected area, immediate healing of the wound (due to the virus in the wound).

Hour 5: Fever (37.2-39.4 degrees Celsius), chills, slight confusion, vomiting, sharp joint pain.

Hour 8: Numbness of limbs and infected area, increased fever (39.4-41.1 degrees Celsius), increased dementia, loss of muscular coordination.

Hour 11: Paralysis of the lower body, general numbness, slow heart rate.

Hour 16: Coma.

Hour 20: Cardiac arrest. Lack of brain activity.

Hour 23: Resurrection.

Solanum is 100 percent transmissible and 100 percent lethal. Fortunately for the human race, the virus is not transmitted by air or water. People can never catch a virus from the elements of nature. Infection can only occur through direct liquid contact. The bite of a zombie, although the most common, is by no means the only method of transmission of the virus. People can catch the virus by contacting their open wounds with zombies, or by splashing from zombie body parts after an explosion. Consuming a flesh taint is more likely to result in death than infection, unless you have open mouth wounds, of course. Infected flesh has been proven to be extremely toxic.

There are no information-historical, experimental or any other reports regarding the results of sexual intercourse with non-living subjects, however, as noted earlier, the nature of Solanum suggests a high risk of infection. A warning against such an act would be useless, as people who are crazy enough to try it would not care about their safety. Many will argue with this, given that the undead's bodily fluids have already coagulated, the chance of infection not from a bite should be small. However, it should be remembered that even one organism is enough to start a cycle.

3. Cross-species infection

5. Treatment

From the moment of infection, there are only a few ways to treat the patient. Antibiotics are ineffective because Solanum is a virus, not a bacterium. Immunomodulation, the only way to fight viral diseases, is generally also useless, since even a small dose of Solanum leads to severe infection. The genetic study of the problem is still not over. Possible avenues of research range from developing more resistant antibodies as part of an infection-resistant cellular structure, to creating an artificial virus capable of recognizing and destroying the Solanum virus.

These and other more radical treatments are still in the early stages of development, with no guarantee of success in the near future. Treatment in the field is usually expressed in the urgent amputation of the infected limb (in case of a bite in the leg or arm), but such solutions to the problem are at least doubtful, given the success rate of no more than 10. Thus, the chances of a fatal outcome in an infected person are significantly exceed the possibility of healing.

In case the patient chooses suicide over the cure, he must not forget that the first thing to do is to neutralize the brain. There are cases of resurrection of people infected with Solanum, whose death occurred due to any other reasons (and not as a result of the virus). Usually such precedents took place in relation to subjects who died after 5 hours from the moment of infection with the virus. Be that as it may, from the deceased after a bite or any other method of infection by the living dead of an infected person, you must immediately get rid of it. (See "Disposal", page 19)

6. Resurrection of the bodies of the uninfected dead

There is an opinion that it is also possible to resurrect fresh human corpses, even if Solanum was introduced into the body after their death. It's a delusion. Zombies ignore dead flesh and thus cannot transmit the virus. Experiments conducted during the Second World War and after it (see "Cases of attacks", p. 216) clearly show that the introduction of Solanum into a corpse is ineffective, because. under conditions of circulatory arrest, the virus cannot be transferred to the brain. Injecting directly into a dead brain would also be useless, since the dead cells are not susceptible to the virus. Solanum does not create life - it changes it.

Zombie Characteristics

Physical ability

Too often, the undead are said to have superhuman powers: extraordinary strength, lightning speed, telepathy, and so on. Stories range from zombies flying through the air to climbing sheer surfaces like spiders. While these features may contribute to the unfolding drama, a single ghoul is far from being a magical, all-powerful demon. Never forget that the body of the undead is, in fact, human. If there is any change, it is that this revived body is being used by the now infected brain.

Zombies will not be able to fly, unless of course a person who became a zombie could not fly. It's the same with projecting a protective field, teleportation, passing through solid objects, turning into a wolf, breathing fire, and all sorts of other mystical abilities that are attributed to the walking dead. Think of the human body as a set of tools. The lunatic brain has at its disposal those and only the same tools after death. He cannot create new ones out of nothing. But he will be able, as you will see later, to use these tools in unexpected combinations or extend their life beyond the limits of human capabilities.

A. Vision

The eyes of zombies are no different from the eyes of ordinary people. They are still able (depending on the degree of decomposition) to transmit visual images to the brain, but how the brain interprets these images is another matter. Research into the visual abilities of the undead is a work in progress. They can spot prey at similar distances as humans, but whether they can distinguish humans from their own kind is still a matter of debate. One theory suggests that human movements are faster and smoother than those of the undead, which is why they stand out to zombie eyes.

Experiments have been carried out in which people try to confuse approaching ghouls by imitating their movements, using a dragging, clumsy gait. To date, none of these attempts have been successful. It has been suggested that zombies have night vision, a fact that explains their prowess at night hunting. However, this theory has been debunked by the fact that all zombies are excellent night eaters, even those without eyes.

B. Sound

There is no doubt that zombies have excellent hearing. Not only can they hear the sound, they can also determine its direction. The basic range is the same as in humans. Experiments with prohibitively high and low frequencies showed a negative result. Tests have also shown that zombies react to any sound, not just those made by living beings. It has been recorded that ghouls notice sounds that are ignored by living people. The most plausible, if in principle correct, explanation is that zombies rely equally on all their senses. People from birth are guided by sight, relying on other senses only if the main one is lost. Perhaps the walking dead don't share this handicap with us. If so, that would explain their ability to hunt, fight, and feed in total darkness.

C. Sense of smell

Unlike hearing, the undead have a more acute sense of smell. In both combat trials and lab tests, they were able to distinguish the scent of living prey from the rest. In many cases, given ideal wind conditions, zombies can smell fresh bodies from over a mile away. Again, this does not mean that ghouls have a better sense of smell, just that they rely more on it. It is not known for certain which secretion signals the presence of prey: sweat, pheromones, blood, etc.

In the past, people trying to move around contaminated areas tried to "mask" their human smell with perfume, deodorants, or other strong-smelling chemicals. None of them succeeded. Experiments are now underway to synthesize the smell of living beings as a bait or even a repellant for the walking dead. A product of research that would work is still far ahead.

D. Taste

Little is known about the altered taste buds of the walking dead. Zombies know how to distinguish human flesh from animal flesh and they prefer the former. Ghouls also have a remarkable ability to reject carrion in favor of freshly slaughtered meat. A human body that has been dead for more than 12-18 hours will not be eaten. The same applies to corpses that have been embalmed or otherwise preserved. Whether this is due to "taste" or not has yet to be determined. This may be done by the sense of smell, or perhaps by some other sense which has not yet been discovered. Why, exactly, human meat is preferred by the dead, science still has not found an answer to this baffling, dumbfounding, terrifying question.

E. Touch

Zombies literally do not feel physical sensations. All nerve receptors throughout the body remain dead after resurrection. This is indeed their greatest and most fearsome advantage over the living. We humans have the ability to experience physical pain as a signal of damage to the body. Our brain categorizes such sensations, matches them with the event that caused them, and stores this information to use as a warning of possible future damage.

It is this gift of physiology and instinct that has allowed us to survive as a species. That is why we value virtues, such as courage, that inspire people to take action despite warnings of danger. The inability to recognize and avoid pain is what makes the undead so formidable. Wounds will not be noticed and therefore will not deter an attack. Even if the zombie's body is severely damaged, it will continue to attack until there is nothing left of it.

F. Sixth sense

Historical research, coupled with laboratory and field observations, has shown that the walking dead have been known to attack even if all of their senses were damaged, or rotted through and decomposed. Does this mean zombies have a sixth sense? Maybe. Living people use less than 5 percent of their brain capacity. It is likely that the virus may excite some other ability to sense the world, forgotten by us in the process of evolution. This theory is one of the most hotly debated in the war against the undead. But so far, neither side has yet found enough scientific evidence to prove its case.

G. Healing

Despite the legends and ancient folklore, it has been proven that the dead body does not have any ability to regenerate. Cells that are damaged stay damaged. Any wounds, regardless of their size and nature, will remain after the resurrection of the body. Many attempts have been made to stimulate healing processes in captured ghouls. None were successful. This inability to self-repair, something we as living beings take for granted, is a major problem for the rebels. For example, every time we exert physical effort, we damage our muscles. Over time, these muscles recover in a stronger form than before. The ghoul's muscles remain damaged, reducing their effectiveness each time he uses them.

H. Decomposition

The average lifespan of a zombie before complete decomposition is about three to five years.

Such a fantastic ability of the human body to protect itself from the effects of decay is connected with the basics of biology.

When the human body dies, billions of microorganisms appear on it. These organisms have always been present, in our external environment and directly within the body. In life, the immune system has been a barrier between these organisms and their target. After death, this barrier disappears. Organisms begin to multiply exponentially as they continue to feed and thus break down the corpse at the cellular level.

The smell and discoloration associated with any decomposing meat are biological processes at work for these microbes. When you order an "old" steak, you are ordering a piece of meat that has begun to rot, its formerly tough flesh being softened by microorganisms that break down its tough fibers. In a short time, this steak, like a human corpse, will dissolve into nothingness, leaving behind only matter too hard or unnutritious for a microbe, such as bone, teeth, nails and hair. This is the normal cycle of life, nature's way of bringing nutrients back into the cycle of the food chain. To stop this process and preserve dead tissue, it is necessary to place it in an environment unsuitable for bacteria, such as extremely low or high temperatures, toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, or, in our case, impregnate it with Solanum.

Virtually all types of microbes involved in standard decomposition of the human body often refuse virus-infected flesh, resulting in the effective embalming of zombies. If it weren't for this, fighting the living dead would be so easy that one could simply avoid them for weeks or even days until they rot to the bone. Research has yet to discover the exact cause of this condition. It has been determined that at least some microbes ignore Solanum's repulsive effects - otherwise, the undead would remain perfectly preserved forever. It was also determined that natural conditions such as humidity and temperature also play an important role. The undead that roam Louisiana's oxbow lakes are unlikely to last as long as those in the cold, arid Gobi Desert. Extreme cases, such as deep freezing or immersion in an impregnating solution, would hypothetically allow a zombie individual to exist forever. These techniques have been known to keep zombies functioning for decades, if not centuries. (See "Recorded Attacks" on page 193 et ​​seq.)

Decay does not mean that the representative of the walking dead will simply fall. Rotting can affect different parts of the body at different times. They found samples with an intact brain, but with practically decayed bodies. Others with partially rotten brains can control some bodily functions, but are completely paralyzed in others. Recently, a popular theory has circulated trying to explain the history of ancient Egyptian mummies as the first examples of embalmed zombies. Preserving techniques allowed them to function for thousands of years from the moment of burial. Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of ancient Egypt would find this story almost laughably wrong: The most important and difficult step in preparing a pharaoh for burial was to remove his brain!

SURVIVAL GUIDE

MAX BROOKS

The Zombie Survival Guide

Zombie Survival Guide- your key to survival among the hordes of the undead that may be chasing you right now. Fully illustrated and utterly comprehensive, the book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie psychology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, how to equip your home for long-term defense, and how to survive and adapt in any terrain. or locality.

Top 10 Tips for Surviving a Zombie Attack

Get organized before they rise!

They are not afraid, why should you be afraid then?

Think with your head: cut off their heads.

Bladed weapons do not require reloading.

Ideal protection - tight-fitting clothing, short hair.

Climb up the ladder, then destroy it.

Get out of the car, take the bike.

Don't delay, keep lower, be quiet, be on the alert!

There is no safe place, only safer and less.

10. Even if the zombies disappear, the danger remains.

Don't be careless and stupid with all your precious possessions. This book is your key to surviving the undead hordes that may be after you right now, and you may not even realize it. The Zombie Survival Guide offers complete protection with reliable, proven advice on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from the living dead. This is a book that can save your life.

Introduction

The dead walk among us. Zombies, ghouls - no matter what they are called - these sleepwalkers are the greatest threat to humanity, except for humanity itself. But calling them predators and us their prey would be wrong. They are the plague, and the human race is its bearer. The fortunate victims are consumed, their bones gnawed clean, their flesh eaten. Those not so fortunate join the ranks of their opponents, transformed into rotten flesh-eating monsters. Traditional warfare is just as useless against creatures as the traditional approach. The art of interrupting life, which has been developed and perfected since the beginning of our existence, cannot protect us from an enemy who, in fact, "does not live". Does this mean that the walking dead are invulnerable? No. Can these creatures be stopped? Yes. Ignorance is the undead's strongest ally, awareness is their mortal enemy. That's why it was written

this book: to provide the knowledge needed to survive among these non-human creatures.

Survival is the key word to remember - not victory, not competition, only survival. This book will not teach you how to become a professional zombie hunter. Anyone who wants to dedicate his life to such a profession should look elsewhere for training. This book is not written for the police, the military, or any other government agency. These organizations, if recognized and prepared for such a threat, will have access to much more advanced resources than individuals. Civilians - it was for them that this survival guide was written, for people with limited time and resources, but nevertheless refusing to be among the victims.

Naturally, many other abilities will be needed when facing the walking dead: wilderness survival, leadership, even basic first aid. All of these have not been included in this work, as they can be found in ordinary texts. Common sense dictates what else needs to be learned to complete this tutorial. Subsequently, all topics that did not directly correspond to the topic of living metvets were omitted

In this book, you will learn to recognize your enemy, choose the right weapon, learn how to kill, and how to prepare and improvise while defending, on the move, or while attacking. The possibility of a doomsday scenario will also be discussed, in which the living dead will replace humanity as the dominant race on the planet.

No section of this book should be treated with skepticism as some kind of hypothetical tragedy. Every ounce of knowledge has been accumulated through hard research and experience. Historical data, laboratory experiments, field studies, and eyewitness accounts (including the author himself) all contributed to the creation of this work. Even the doomsday scenario is an extrapolation of real events. Many actual cases are included in the chapter on registered uprisings. Studying them will prove that every lesson in this book is rooted in historical fact.

This means that knowledge is only part of the struggle for survival. The rest is up to you. Personal choice, the will to live, must be paramount when the dead begin to rise. Without it, nothing will protect you. After reading the last page of this book, ask yourself one question: What will you do? End your existence by passively accepting death, or stand up and exclaim: "I will not become their victim! I will survive!". The choice is yours.

Undead. Myths and Realities

ZOM-BZE: (Zom "bi) also Zombie pl. I. An animated corpse that feeds on living human flesh. 2. Voodoo spell that revives the dead. 3. Voodoo snake god. 4. One who moves and acts in a daze "like zombie." [word of West African origin]

What is a zombie? How do they appear? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What do they need, what are their desires? Why are they hostile to humanity? Before discussing any survival techniques, you must first know what you need to escape from.

We must start by separating fact from fiction. The Walking Dead is neither the work of "black magic" nor any other supernatural force. Their nature comes from a virus known as Solanum, a Latin word used by Jan Vanderhaven, the "discoverer" of the disease.

SOLANUM: VIRUS

Solanum spreads through the circulatory system, from the point of entry of the virus to the brain. Through pathways not fully understood, the virus uses frontal lobe cells to replicate, destroying them in the process. During this period all the functions of the vital bodies stop. With cardiac arrest, the infected subject is declared "dead". The brain, however, remains alive, but dormant, while the virus mutates the cells into a completely new organ.

The most significant feature of this new organism is the lack of dependence on oxygen. Without the need for this all-important resource, the brains of the undead can be depleted, but they are no longer dependent on the complex maintenance mechanism of the human body. Once the mutation is complete, this new organ animates the body in a form that bears some resemblance, physiologically speaking, to the original corpse. Some functions of the body remain, some operate with a limited margin, others stop completely. This new organism is a zombie, a representative of the living dead.

1. SOURCE OF DISTRIBUTION.

Unfortunately, scientists have not yet found a separately presented sample of Solanum. Analysis of all components of the ecosystem - water, air, soil, flora, fauna - has given negative results so far. Research continues to this day.

2. SYMPTOMS.

Below is the process of rebirth of an infected subject (the reaction rate varies within a few hours, depending on personal characteristics)

Hour 1: Pain and skin discoloration (brown-purple) of the infected area, immediate

Probably, many readers know the blockbuster dedicated to the theme of the zombie apocalypse, " World War Z" starring Brad Pitt. But not everyone knows that the author of the book, on which the film of the same name was made, is the American writer Max Brooks. He also wrote several other books on the same subject. One of the most famous is the Zombie Survival Guide, published in 2003. Perhaps, for connoisseurs of the genre, it is mandatory to study.

After all, the main theme that brought popularity to Max Brooks is zombies. The Survival Guide confirms this once again.

Let's talk briefly about the information contained in it.

Zombie Description

Max Brooks' Survival Guide begins with a description of the walking dead, or zombies. He talks about the fictional Solanum virus, which, when injected into a person's bloodstream, turns him into a very aggressive, albeit dumb, slow zombie. This happens only if an infected person bites a person - his saliva enters the bloodstream - or if blood enters an open wound.

Gives advice on a possible cure - usually the only way is a very rapid amputation of the damaged limb. If it is impossible to do this, he offers only one way out: suicide, so as not to turn into a zombie and not attack other people.

At the same time, he tells his version of why zombies, ignoring any animals, actively attack people.

A little about weapons

Of course, the only way to escape and survive the zombie apocalypse is with a weapon. Therefore, in Max Brooks' book "A Guide to Surviving Among the Zombies", he devoted an entire chapter to it.

He considers various options, starting with improvised items, like a police baton, and ending with real firearms - machine guns, pistols, shotguns. In addition, he talks about rather exotic ways to destroy zombies - conventional radiation, biological and even nanoweapons.

Defense, escape and attack

The next three chapters are called so.

Accordingly, the first talks about how to withstand a long siege of zombies, optimally equip your house or temporary shelter in order to deliver maximum problems to the enemy during the assault. At the same time, the author considers different kinds equipment that increases the chances of a person in such a situation to survive.

From the chapter "Escape" the reader will learn what needs to be done to get out of the zombie-infested city as soon as possible if the situation does not improve. At the same time, he recommends the active use of transport, giving a description of various means.

Finally, the chapter "Attack" tells about a completely different tactic - if the third and fourth chapters only talk about how to survive in extreme situation, then from the fifth one you can find out what needs to be done in order to inflict maximum damage on the enemy, to clear vast territories from zombies with minimal losses. Perhaps this is of greatest interest to fans of the zombie apocalypse genre.

Survival in advanced cases

If the attack fails and destroys all the zombies, or at least clears large areas of the earth from them, then plan B comes into play. extremely limited in area and available resources reservations.

The whole world is captured by the walking dead, the armies are destroyed, the states no longer exist. The survivors, gathered in tiny colonies, are forced to take care of themselves - growing food, obtaining water, coping with diseases and, of course, fending off regular attacks from zombies.

A very pessimistic scenario, aimed at maximizing the survival of human settlements, cut off from large forces (if any exist) and surrounded by hordes of walking corpses.

Pseudo-documentary

Finally, the final chapter is a collection of documents that reveal when, where, and how humanity encountered outbreaks of the zombie virus.

Referring to serious documents and studies of prominent scientists, Max Brooks says that the first zombie apocalypse happened in Central Africa about 60 thousand years ago. But at the same time he admits that the reliability of this event is in doubt.

But in Ancient Egypt such an outbreak took place in the III millennium BC - there is a large amount of written evidence.

Of course, all documents, studies, works and writers about which the author writes are completely fictitious. This technique is used to give the appropriate atmosphere to the book.

Well, at the end of Max Brooks' book "Zombie Survival Guide" there is an appendix consisting of ten tips that should help the person who reads them survive in the midst of an uprising of the walking dead.

There are other tips that are sure to help you survive when the dead suddenly rise up and try to eat the living.

Max Brooks

Zombie Survival Guide

MAXBROOKS

The Zombie Survival Guide

Top 10 Tips for Surviving a Zombie Attack

Get organized before they rise!

They are not afraid, why should you be afraid then?

Think with your head: cut off their heads.

Bladed weapons do not require reloading.

Ideal protection - tight-fitting clothing, short hair.

Climb up the ladder, then destroy it.

Get out of the car, take the bike.

Don't delay, keep lower, be quiet, be on the alert!

There is no safe place, only safer and less.

10. Even if the zombies disappear, the danger remains.

Don't be careless and stupid with all your precious possessions. This book is your key to surviving the undead hordes that may be after you right now, and you may not even realize it. The Zombie Survival Guide offers complete protection with reliable, proven advice on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from the living dead. This is a book that can save your life.

Introduction

The dead walk among us. Zombies, ghouls - no matter what they are called - these sleepwalkers are the greatest threat to humanity, except for humanity itself. But calling them predators and us their prey would be wrong. They are the plague, and the human race is its bearer. The fortunate victims are consumed, their bones gnawed clean, their flesh eaten. Those not so fortunate join the ranks of their opponents, transformed into rotten flesh-eating monsters. Traditional warfare is just as useless against creatures as the traditional approach. The art of interrupting life, which has been developed and perfected since the beginning of our existence, cannot protect us from an enemy who, in fact, "does not live". Does this mean that the walking dead are invulnerable? No. Can these creatures be stopped? Yes. Ignorance is the undead's strongest ally, awareness is their mortal enemy. That's why it was written

this book: to provide the knowledge needed to survive among these non-human creatures.

Survival is the key word to remember - not victory, not competition, only survival. This book will not teach you how to become a professional zombie hunter. Anyone who wants to dedicate his life to such a profession should look elsewhere for training. This book is not written for the police, the military, or any other government agency. These organizations, if recognized and prepared for such a threat, will have access to much more advanced resources than individuals. Civilians - it was for them that this survival guide was written, for people with limited time and resources, but nevertheless refusing to be among the victims.

Naturally, many other abilities will be needed when facing the walking dead: wilderness survival, leadership, even basic first aid. All of these have not been included in this work, as they can be found in ordinary texts. Common sense dictates what else needs to be learned to complete this tutorial. Subsequently, all topics that did not directly correspond to the theme of the living dead were omitted

In this book, you will learn to recognize your enemy, choose the right weapon, learn how to kill, and how to prepare and improvise while defending, on the move, or while attacking. The possibility of a doomsday scenario will also be discussed, in which the living dead will replace humanity as the dominant race on the planet.

No section of this book should be treated with skepticism as some kind of hypothetical tragedy. Every ounce of knowledge has been accumulated through hard research and experience. Historical data, laboratory experiments, field studies, and eyewitness accounts (including the author himself) all contributed to the creation of this work. Even the doomsday scenario is an extrapolation of real events. Many actual cases are included in the chapter on registered uprisings. Studying them will prove that every lesson in this book is rooted in historical fact.

This means that knowledge is only part of the struggle for survival. The rest is up to you. Personal choice, the will to live, must be paramount when the dead begin to rise. Without it, nothing will protect you. After reading the last page of this book, ask yourself one question: What will you do? End your existence by passively accepting death, or stand up and exclaim: "I will not become their victim! I will survive!". The choice is yours.

Undead. Myths and Realities

ZOM-BZE: (Zom "bi) also Zombie pl. I. An animated corpse that feeds on living human flesh. 2. Voodoo spell that revives the dead. 3. Voodoo snake god. 4. One who moves and acts in a daze "like zombie." [word of West African origin]

What is a zombie? How do they appear? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What do they need, what are their desires? Why are they hostile to humanity? Before discussing any survival techniques, you must first know what you need to escape from.

We must start by separating fact from fiction. The Walking Dead is neither the work of "black magic" nor any other supernatural force. Their nature comes from a virus known as Solanum, a Latin word used by Jan Vanderhaven, the "discoverer" of the disease.

SOLANUM: VIRUS

Solanum spreads through the circulatory system, from the point of entry of the virus to the brain. Through pathways not fully understood, the virus uses frontal lobe cells to replicate, destroying them in the process. During this period all the functions of the vital bodies stop. With cardiac arrest, the infected subject is declared "dead". The brain, however, remains alive, but dormant, while the virus mutates the cells into a completely new organ.

The most significant feature of this new organism is the lack of dependence on oxygen. Without the need for this all-important resource, the brains of the undead can be depleted, but they are no longer dependent on the complex maintenance mechanism of the human body. Once the mutation is complete, this new organ animates the body in a form that bears some resemblance, physiologically speaking, to the original corpse. Some functions of the body remain, some operate with a limited margin, others stop completely. This new organism is a zombie, a representative of the living dead.

1. SOURCE OF DISTRIBUTION.

Unfortunately, scientists have not yet found a separately presented sample of Solanum. Analysis of all components of the ecosystem - water, air, soil, flora, fauna - has given negative results so far. Research continues to this day.

2. SYMPTOMS.

Below is the process of rebirth of an infected subject (the reaction rate varies within a few hours, depending on personal characteristics)

Hour 1: Pain and skin discoloration (brown-purple) of the infected area, immediate healing of the wound (due to the virus in the wound).

Hour 5: Fever (37.2-39.4 degrees Celsius), chills, slight confusion, vomiting, sharp joint pain.

Hour 8: Numbness of limbs and infected area, increased fever (39.4-41.1 degrees Celsius), increased dementia, loss of muscular coordination.

Hour 11: Paralysis of the lower body, general numbness, slow heart rate.

Hour 16: Coma.

Hour 20: Cardiac arrest. Lack of brain activity.

Hour 23: Resurrection.

3. DISTRIBUTION

Solanum is 100 percent transmissible and 100 percent lethal. Fortunately for the human race, the virus is not transmitted by air or water. People can never catch a virus from the elements of nature. Infection can only occur through direct liquid contact. The bite of a zombie, although the most common, is by no means the only method of transmission of the virus. People can catch the virus by contacting their open wounds with zombies, or by splashing from zombie body parts after an explosion. Consuming a flesh taint is more likely to result in death than infection, unless you have open mouth wounds, of course. Infected flesh has been proven to be extremely toxic.

There are no information-historical, experimental or any other reports regarding the results of sexual intercourse with non-living subjects, however, as noted earlier, the nature of Solanum suggests a high risk of infection. A warning against such an act would be useless, since people who are crazy enough to try it would not care about their safety. Many will argue with this, given that the undead's bodily fluids have already coagulated, the chance of infection not from a bite should be small. However, it should be remembered that even one organism is enough to start a cycle.