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A New Kind of Zombie; Oh, we're screwed...
Topic Started: Nov 19 2013, 04:05 PM (1,456 Views)
Russwallac
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There's been a huge lack of creativity in the undead department in recent years. Zombies have been "locked down", so to speak, with a specific set of characteristics across virtually every form of media. Well, I had an idea that changes that. An entirely new species, if you will, of zombie that's very different from everything that's come before. It rectifies a lot of the issues with traditional zombies, and adds a new dash of horror to our favorite shambling corpses.

So, what are these "new" zombies? For starters, they're suffering from a virus that, among other things, inhibits their higher brain functions (not that this is anything new). They still need to eat and sleep, and they don't eat people unless they're really hungry. What they DO do is try to infect people- usually by projectile-vomiting on them. We'll call these guys "Pukers". However, Pukers aren't the real threat; they're just incubators for something a whole lot worse. When a Puker reaches a certain stage, its body begins to devote its available energy and nutritional stores to the development of tumor-like growths within the chest and abdominal cavities. Eventually, these growths mature into independent organisms, which emerge from the Puker's body. They're derived from human DNA, but certainly aren't human. It's these things that are the real danger; it's a zombie apocalypse where the zombies are only the first part of the life cycle of a much deadlier organism. Basically, think of the relationship between Ichneumon wasps and caterpillars- and we're the caterpillars.
"We've started a cult about a guy's liver, of course we're going to demand that you give us an incredibly scientific zombie apocalypse." -Nanotyranus

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citrakayah
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Interesting.
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Zorcuspine
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Sounds fun. Would be a great enemy for a video game, especially an fps
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lamna
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Sounds similar to the zombies from The Last of Us, but still unique and interesting.
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T.Neo
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You know the Max Brooks-type 'perpetual motion machine, doesn't metabolise yet magically stays in one piece and is able to function' zombies are really silly. You basically need magic to make that work, and if you're going for magical reanimation you might as well have skeletons walking around.

And then you can give them bows and they can be seriously annoying.

It isn't like the lack of muscle or connective tissue matters; severely decomposed, dead muscle isn't much better.

Bonus points if the skeletons start out as 'normal' zombies and become skeletonised through decomposition. Also raises the question of how to kill a magical skeleton, maybe it de-animates if a certain percentage of its mass is removed.

Another interesting idea would be a zombie outbreak where the main issue isn't infection or zombies eating people, but the biohazards resulting from the zombie hordes and the mitigation thereof...
Edited by T.Neo, Nov 19 2013, 05:18 PM.
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Russwallac
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It'd be like a flood, except the bacteria-filled water is walking around trying to eat you...
"We've started a cult about a guy's liver, of course we're going to demand that you give us an incredibly scientific zombie apocalypse." -Nanotyranus

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dialforthedevil
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So few zombie films properly cover the disposal of all those corpses. It is one of the few bits I liked in the new WWZ film.
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Dragon
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I think the walking dead has a pretty good idea with their zombies. For thise who haven't seen the show or read the comics, every human in that universe is infected with a virus that resurrects your body as a zombie when you die. It's pretty interesting as far as zombies go.

That tumour thing is pretty interesting, Russ. You should write a short story about it or something.
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Hey, their right to get freaky ends when it goes up my nose.


I think this describes what dinosaurs are like now

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whachamacallit2
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The Walking Dead zombies only somewhat worked. They don't seem to have any sort of any rot prevention system-which at least the Max Brook zombies have-so I really can't understand how they hadn't all rotted away within months of living in a Georgian summer. Also they still suffer from perpetual motionidis.

Now about your zombies, Russ. I like the idea, but I'm wondering whether a virus is the right choice for this. If this makes a new multicellular creature, I'm not sure if a virus would work, unless it was genetically engineered.
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trex841
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I still like my concept for a zombie.

Quote:
 
FUNGI!!!

This fungi's spores enter the body, and spread from the bloodstream into the brain! once there, they attach themselfs to the nerves, and slowly but sherly take over the host cell! then the spread to the next cell, then the next, then the next, until the untire nerveuss system is taken over! but the victem won't expect a thing, UNTIL IT'S TO LATE! the fungi still do the nerve job, sending signals to other nerves, and stays asymptomatic, until it's numbers grow! then the prey starts to have problems doing some things, it all depends on where the spores took root! then, different functions shut down, then coma, there being more fungus then brain left! then, once all systems fail, the fungus controlls the untire nervus system, and there's no more resistance, the body moves again! the fungus can now control the mussles in the body and the sensory system to locate new host's to spread it's children via it's spore ladin saliva! it feeds on the rotting corpes, so it has no reason to feed, just spread! even after the flesh is long decomped, the organisum can still move the bones by replacing the mussles are moving them independently! there only one way to kill these monsters! FIRE! It's the only way! hacking them to bits won't do it! the parts can still control them selfs!

*shrinks into corner and mumbles incoherintly*


Wow my spelling sucked back then.
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lamna
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The Walking Dead zombies are terrifying. Everyone is infected, so presumably all foetuses are infected too. So if someone has a miscarriage, which occasionally happens during stressful situations with no access to modern medicine, you can imagine the problems that would cause.

Birth is scary enough without a corpse trying to eat it's way out of you.

Oh and trex, a little thing called the blood-brain barrier might interfere with that fungus.
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Are nipples or genitals necessary, lamna?
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trex841
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The what now?
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Russwallac
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There are filters that separate our brain from our blood directly. It's a failsafe to protect the brain.
"We've started a cult about a guy's liver, of course we're going to demand that you give us an incredibly scientific zombie apocalypse." -Nanotyranus

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trex841
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Does it work on the rest of the nervous system?
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At the present time, concepts within are inconsistent and ever shifting.

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Mr Mysterio
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Trex, what you just described is The Last of Us.

Russ, I must hear more of these Pukers and the creatures that they spawn. What do the tumor monsters do? Tell me every gory, bloody, vomit-encrusted detail.
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