Role Playing Survival

[American Patriot]

I guess this is as good a place as any to discuss that very thing.

Quick and Dirty survival tactics.

What WOULD you do in a real world, devastating blow to the planet, assuming you're one of the lucky survivors?

Anyone care to chime in or would you like me write the scenario first?

[Malsua]

Define the parameters further.

How much population is left? Is any infrastructure still working? Is any gov't attemting to assert itself?

[American Patriot]

Alright....

In 2014 a nuclear war is initiated in the Middle East between Iran and it escalates.

Russia and eventually China get involved, in all-out nuclear war. Biological weapons hit the scene and roughly 60% of the human race is wiped out.

You are one of the survivors - and it's four years AFTER the last nuke went off.

How's that?

[Malsua]

Two more questions...is ANYTHING working and probably tangent to that, any vestiges of the gov't(as we know it today) left...Fed/State/Local.

[American Patriot]

Government completely fell apart within a few days.

NO communications working, EMP took out the majority of anything electrical in the first few days.


And everyone, that means all of us here, can "play this game".

[American Patriot]

Here's the "Game Rules"... simple.


1) Everyone can "play"

2) Every person can post their own opinions, what they would and wouldn't do.

3) I'll set the parameters as I have already done so above. I and I alone know the "background material" this is based on (I wrote it after all) and you can respond to the material any way you see fit.

4) You can and SHOULD ask questions to clarify anything you don't quite see or visualize for yourself.

5) You can interact with each other "out of character" but not "in character" because you're ALL mostly in different areas of the country.

6) For the time being you may consider yourselves "the only survivors" of this disastrous war in your particular area. ( I will tell you if this is NOT true based on your locations... and indeed this isn't something I'm making up off the top of my head, the "situation" is already known by me.

7) Your decisions on what you do might save you, keep you alive or you might die during this "exercise".

We're assuming you all "come to" after "four years". You might have wandered, a blithering idiot for four years eating bugs or dirt, but you survived and have suddenly and inexplicably become "aware" that something happened. You know only that a war started, nukes were thrown, and you're aware the Russians, Americans, Chinese and some ME countries were somehow involved.

You can NOW use your own real world knowledge of what ever you know how to do to continue to survive... or do SOMETHING.... to help yourself, or others (if you find them).

Ready?

GO

[Malsua]

All out nuclear war means bombs dropped on USA, right?

Biological means whatever it was, has already run its course but still pops up every once in a while.

If you are sticking to reality, I'm in the fallout zone so here's my answer:

" '


Right. Nothing cuz I'm dead.

I have to be in "survived it town USA"

[American Patriot]

[quote=Malsua;40061]All out nuclear war means bombs dropped on USA, right?[/quote

Yes... but mostly it was the bio that got people. "Captain Tripps" type of virus.

Biological means whatever it was, has already run its course but still pops up every once in a while.

LOTS of things might crop up.

If you are sticking to reality, I'm in the fallout zone so here's my answer:

" '


Right. Nothing cuz I'm dead.

I have to be in "survived it town USA"

Sorry dude... you lived. You JUST happened to be "Out of Town" at the time and were on the highway. You "woke up" a few miles from home... mostly, it's still there. Mostly.

[zenbudda]

So, it won't be near one of the major texas cities. I'm going to assume that heading towards the Texas valley is not going to be an option since EVERYONE in texas would do that for the agriculture there. Plus, you didn't say whether Mexico was involved and being that there is a HUGE mexican drug cartel that has military training basically controlling everything near the border, i would venture to guess that i would have somehow made the decision to get far away from the mexican border. In my case, i'd have to start traveling north, north west. we have plenty of rivers (colorado is the one i'd probably follow). i'd follow those north, surviving along the way. depending on the time of year though would be an issue. if it were the start of spring, i could probably make 30 miles a day for 5 days at a time. jesus. 150 miles a week. so that means durable comfortable shoes would be a commodity! but my point is i'd want to get to fertile land that is near water. there are a few natural spring rivers in central texas. but then again, a lot of us know this. i would be paranoid out the wazooo on who to trust (i already have trust issues).

so here i am being a geek breaking this down in my head. there's the basics of survival aspect: food, clothing, shelter. there's the longevity aspect of survival: fighting diseases, repairing wounds, preventive medicine (if any!). social aspect: finding a community i can trust and be a part of and contribute to, finding a skill that i can use to be part of that community, pro-creation. spiritual aspect: finding an acceptable balance of surviving versus breaking moral code, building spiritual bonds with other people.

with that in mind, i have no skills i could think of that would allow me to be the leader of any community. most of my skills are technology related (this is why i want to learn how to build things from the land, how to farm from the land, how to kill and skin animals and use ALL of their parts for something). i have good work ethic though. i can dig a ditch. i can cut down a tree. i can do anything if you show me. being that i'm 6'00" 160lbs and not much to look at, i would "most likely" not be a "favorite" for "rebuilding the gene pool". i'd probably have problems finding a partner if mine weren't with me. i'd pray, A LOT. i'd hug trustworthy people more than i do now. every glass of fresh water i get to drink would be preceded by a huge prayer lol. every freshly cooked meal would be preceded by a huge prayer. i'd have to find ways to defend myself that did not involve physical violence (unless the other guy is smaller than me, that's kind of rare lol).

I have questions that, if answered, would help. WHen a nuclear blast goes off, will ALL electronics (whether they are turned off or not) be disabled permanently? because if not, this is making me seriously consider buying a ham radio and finding some type of device that you would crank to charge it.

[American Patriot]

I ahte where that damned edit button is. I accidently "edited" your post instead of answered it. I hope it back to normal.

So, it won't be near one of the major texas cities. I'm going to assume that heading towards the Texas valley is not going to be an option since EVERYONE in texas would do that for the agriculture there. Plus, you didn't say whether Mexico was involved and being that there is a HUGE mexican drug cartel that has military training basically controlling everything near the border, i would venture to guess that i would have somehow made the decision to get far away from the mexican border. In my case, i'd have to start traveling north, north west. we have plenty of rivers (colorado is the one i'd probably follow). i'd follow those north, surviving along the way. depending on the time of year though would be an issue. if it were the start of spring, i could probably make 30 miles a day for 5 days at a time. jesus. 150 miles a week. so that means durable comfortable shoes would be a commodity! but my point is i'd want to get to fertile land that is near water. there are a few natural spring rivers in central texas. but then again, a lot of us know this. i would be paranoid out the wazooo on who to trust (i already have trust issues).

60% of the entire WORLD population was affected. That includes Mexico.

so here i am being a geek breaking this down in my head. there's the basics of survival aspect: food, clothing, shelter. there's the longevity aspect of survival: fighting diseases, repairing wounds, preventive medicine (if any!). social aspect: finding a community i can trust and be a part of and contribute to, finding a skill that i can use to be part of that community, pro-creation. spiritual aspect: finding an acceptable balance of surviving versus breaking moral code, building spiritual bonds with other people.

These are EXACTLY the kinds of questions you have to ask yourself!

with that in mind, i have no skills i could think of that would allow me to be the leader of any community.

Seriously? You think that? Everyone has skills that can make them leadership material in the right situation. In this case, you don't have to be a leader, or a follower, you just have to "BE". That is, survive. IF you find a community - THEN you can answer those questions.

Certainly you will eventually have to "fit in" if people survived. You don't know that for sure yet...

most of my skills are technology related (this is why i want to learn how to build things from the land, how to farm from the land, how to kill and skin animals and use ALL of their parts for something). i have good work ethic though. i can dig a ditch. i can cut down a tree. i can do anything if you show me. being that i'm 6'00" 160lbs and not much to look at, i would "most likely" not be a "favorite" for "rebuilding the gene pool". i'd probably have problems finding a partner if mine weren't with me. i'd pray, A LOT. i'd hug trustworthy people more than i do now. every glass of fresh water i get to drink would be preceded by a huge prayer lol. every freshly cooked meal would be preceded by a huge prayer. i'd have to find ways to defend myself that did not involve physical violence (unless the other guy is smaller than me, that's kind of rare lol).

Favorite for rebuilding the genepool... ? Ok, that's funny. If 70% of the people that lived are women... you're gonna be in damned good shape if you walk into an enclave with 40 women and one man... the guys there, they are gonna love you man. LOL

I have questions that, if answered, would help. WHen a nuclear blast goes off, will ALL electronics (whether they are turned off or not) be disabled permanently? because if not, this is making me seriously consider buying a ham radio and finding some type of device that you would crank to charge it.

Not all electronics will be fried. MANy will, anything that has semiconductors... especially certain types. Microchips, processors, anything with MOSFETs and similar types of circuitry... toast.

I wonder... how do vacuum tubes work? I wonder f they too would be fried? What about gear NOT connected to antennas? What about older cars and trucks, diesel engines? What about... well, the list continues.

[Backstop]

Man, I'd really like to get in on this - but I just started the Gift Exchange I mentioned in the Mod area. I'm gonna be stretched for time.

So what I can do...

[American Patriot]

yu can spend 10 minutes

[Backstop]

yu can spend 10 minutes

Yeah...insomnia.

Does my truck start/run?

[Malsua]

It might, but do you have gasoline or is it a diesel?

[American Patriot]

It might, as Mal said... but... you can't find "YOUR" truck.... lol

[Malsua]

Boom + 4years

1 am. Bob wakes me for my watch. Not sure what I’m watching for. I’m stiff, it’s cold and the date should be December 21, 2016. I don’t keep track of time or days any longer. My eco drive wristwatch made it though the EMP but I traded it for a couple cans of creamed corn and 20 .22 rimfire rounds last year in February. I could have gotten more but I was really hungry.

I shoulder my shotgun and head out to the house we use as an outpost closest to the road.

Light snow drifts down and it’s cold here. There’s a half moon out, and in the silvery light I can just make out the old van that we use for an outer gate.

Nothing is moving it’s just too cold. Maybe no one will notice if I doze off…


6 am. False dawn seems to be moving in. The sun won’t be up for another hour, so it has to be a false dawn, either that or the stupid wind up clock stopped again. No, the clock is working. I hate these nights. It reminds me of all that I’m missing. We’re so alone here.

There was a guy who stumbled in from about 100 miles south a month or so ago. No word ever comes from that way. Some how he managed to stay alive in a super hot zone for almost 4 years only to get here and croak after a week.

He was so hot when he came in we forced him to strip naked in 30 degree weather. We used to get those all the time. Not so much any more. The first two years really weeded them out.


8 am. Folks are up and moving around. I think we’re going to hit a neighborhood over the next mountain today. Most of those people were evacuated into a Fema camp. It was tempting as they were offering food and water. Every damn one of them that went died of radiation sickness. I refused to go and hid when they came to my house. Everyone here did the same. Everyone who left is dead.

I hope we don’t find any more rotters. The smell is mostly gone when we find them now but in the first year it was pretty bad. I can’t forget the image of the corpse of a woman, mouth agape like she’s laughing at me while I loot her kitchen. Many of these folks were caught in the traffic jams right after the bombs fell and managed to get home only to die in a week or two. I know now why she was laughing. The joke was on me.


9am: Captain Havel rang the bell so we all shuffled over to the command post. It was a good turn out. 15 people are going today. I always go. I get an extra bit here and there and give it to my chick when she’s not feeling up to it. Many people get the trots constantly and that cuts down on how much we can haul back. I’ve been really strict about boiling water, washing and cooking the food really well and those on my team are rarely sick. I hope we can score some coffee and booze today. It’s been a few weeks.

Those poor bastards that couldn’t be bothered to be careful are dead. I told ‘em but no one wanted to listen to me. Now they listen.


Noon: Taking a break from the walk. After the first 8 miles or so we’re past our normal areas and we have to be real careful. There are no marked paths here. Fallout is a weird thing. You can be standing in a clear spot, move 25 feet left and be getting 5 rads from radioactive mud. I was adamant that we had to map out our local surroundings. We got it pretty light in this area but there are still hot pockets to avoid. In the spring we go out and remark all the safe trails. We also have a few obvious trails that tempt you into town but really take you through the hottest spots in the area. After getting our supplies raided a few times and remarks that they would keep coming back monthly for a “donation” we cleared some paths for those guys, just like we promised. They don’t come any longer.

I’ve heard word there are some towns out west that are completely clean, no radiation at all. Early on those places filled up quick and emptied out just as quick when that many people got together and passed around Naz. Everyone here got Naz but we just got the sores that went away after a few weeks. Those poor bastards that get it bad turn to jelly inside and outside. We haven’t seen that since the first year. Everyone I have ever known got full Naz and died. I think if we ever get any children that live past their first birthday they’ll be somewhat immune to it.

Patient Zero was a goat herder named Nazeer. He was a walking talking carrier, having the disease for months and no obvious symptoms. After it had been tracked back to him, he was examined at length there were scientists who claimed that one gene most middle easterners have provided full immunity from Naz. Naz was widespread a week and mutated. Full immunity turned into almost full lethality over night. Folks in former first world nations fared better than most but it was only through organization and quarantine. I think the overall rate was around 85% that die within one week. A small percentage turn into walkers. These poor bastards get most of their higher brain rotted away so they turn feral. Their sores never stop running and blotches of skin get necrotic. A brain shot ends their story pretty quick.

The Epidemic was in full swing when the bombs fell. We still don't know who pushed the button...probably someone who saw their family turn to mush in front of them figured to just put us all out of our misery.

I pause for a moment and look out over the silent landscape and I feel the hard object in my pocket. I've been saving this can of tuna for this trip. I don’t know how much longer these canned things can stay good. We’re growing stuff now and we’ll probably slaughter a cow for the Christmas feast but without these things from the past I’m afraid we’re all going to starve.


4pm. We’ve hit a few houses and I didn’t get much but I found some Levis in my size. It took the end of the world for me to hit my target weight. There’s some irony in that.

I wouldn’t even recognize who I used to be. That person is from a whole different world.

I see a fire started a couple blocks over. Someone must have found some rotters. We don’t stick around those places. If you mess with dead things you end up dead now. There is life in fire, it warms and purifies. I may go over and get warmed up after it gets really going. I hope they got the houses next to it first. One kid burned down a whole neighborhood by accident in the first year. Who knows what we lost in those places.

It’ll be dark soon and I think I’ve spotted where we’re going to stay tonight. There’s a two story house that commands a view around it pretty good and it looks fairly intact. Captain Havel sees me and I point. He gives me thumbs up and they head over to the big house. We don’t expect to find anything moving. We never do any more.

This town has been picked over but not completely. It looks like we’ve scored some things. If nothing else there’s always bedding. I had found an old phonebook that indicates there’s a storage facility on the other side of town. With any luck it’s still mostly intact, that’s really why we came. We may spend a few days going through it, but for now I’m headed over to the fire to warm my bones then hole up for the night.

It’s just another day in paradise.

[MinutemanCO]

Mal,

Excellent narrative. Ever thought of writing for a living? I thought of posting a descriptive narrative along the lines of novel prose but you beat me to it. I'll submit my perspective at any rate, but probably with a bit less creativity.

MM

[American Patriot]

Very good Mal..... very well done.

Survival mode my friends is, as we can see from Mal's very well thought out "diary" is precisely what you make of it.

Survival is above all, a "State of Mind".

That state of mind says "I am going to get through this, one week, one day, one hour or one minute at a time."

Sometimes it comes down to getting through the next 22 seconds, or 10 seconds.

In this diary we can that our Survivor, Malsua has resigned himself to day-to-day operations. In this case he has located or come upon a group of survivors. There's at least a "leader" in the group (he mentioned Captain Havel - obviously one of the survivors - and one can presume either a military person, police officer or fireman from his title of "Captain".) He could be the "leader" or simply another survivor (and Mal calls him Captain out of respect for his former position... at this point, we don't know).

Survival in this case is collecting items of use. The worst part is past though. Now it is simply "existing".

Things I learned from this.

1) Survivors have grouped together for mutual support.

2) Survivors are carrying weapons - most likely to defend themselves against other marauding survivors - those who would not feel welcomed with a group - or chose to remain alone, but dangerous.

3) People are trading items (obviously money is worthless now), like watches and bullets for food. makes sense.

4) People have lost weight.

5) Many people have traveled through "hot" areas - radioactive contamination, and biologically "hot" regions - lived and died. There is NO rhyme or reason why some people survive disease, and others die. You take your chances. Best to not catch something, but, if you do... you could die, or you might live.

6) The moon phase is right for that date (21 December 2016 will have a waning moon). So the survivor can, theoretically know the approximate date.

7) Areas have been "picked over" by survivors. Perhaps some people took things when they fled.

8) FEMA didn't help people. Everyone died. Why? Because the precautions taken were insufficient, the fema personnel (Not many trust me) were untrained - and mostly they were local "authorities" pressed into service at some point. FEMA, on the other hand would have been nearly non-existent the day after BOOM. I say this because for the most part, people are going home to their families when the SHTF. There will be some who remain for "duty" - but most will not. Command and Control will function for a few days after, perhaps weeks, but once the civil government ceases to function field commanders will be on their own to make decisions for their troops.

[American Patriot]

Mal,

Excellent narrative. Ever thought of writing for a living? I thought of posting a descriptive narrative along the lines of novel prose but you beat me to it. I'll submit my perspective at any rate, but probably with a bit less creativity.

MM

Do it anyway. When I get time, I'll do some copy/paste for the scenario (assuming I can find the whole thing in one place).

[Malsua]

While that was a completely original narrative, many of the ideas and things were from lots of different places, so it's a derivative work.

One thing that helps me write is music. I've been rejected by the best fiction houses. Somewhere I have all my rejection letters, heh.

I'll give you a link to the music I was listening to during this. Once you hear it, you'll see how it makes it easy to write depressing stuff

Here it is: http://thewellrats.com/malbor/fountain.zip

Most of the tracks are down right slit your wrists