(On a fairly morbid topic, but one that fascinates me…)
Let’s lay the ground rules for this event; the extinction level event has taken 99% of the population of the earth, but left everything else intact, including all animal and plant species. The event that has taken the humans has run its course and is no longer a factor in the world after the mass die-out. There would, of course, be billions of bodies left in populated centres.
Where would be the best place for the North American survivors to go, taking into account factors like good soil for growing crops and feeding animals, well watered, easy winters, easily defensible against the inevitable bandits, few natural predators/poisonous snakes, etc.?
As a corollary, would it be better for the surviving humans to stay on their own and just grow their own food, or come together again and work as communities to survive? What is the best course of action for the average human being who has managed to survive this event? What are some other factors that you would have to take into account for long-term survival after an event of this level?
Okay, which coast would that be? I wouldn’t want to go to the California coast for fear of earthquakes. The other southern or eastern coasts have a lot of hurricanes, AFAIK. I also wouldn’t want to go to Hawaii for fear of not knowing how to take a boat that far. Getting males and females in close proximity was something I hadn’t even thought of - yeah, if we want to continue as a species, we would definitely have to do that.
I suppose you should go to whatever location wasn’t nuked or poisoned to death, but of course I cannot predict where that might be. I think it’s overly optimistic to believe that if 99% of the planet were dead, you personally would survive and be able to travel to a safe location.:rolleyes:
A big nuclear exchange? Head for a pharmacy to find something lethal.
A “killer” meteor impact? If it hits the ocean or a pole, head for high ground. If it hits the earth, head toward the equator – I’m assuming with a lot of dust, that the climate would get colder.
I’m not sure what else there might be… A rouge sun sailing through the solar system? Get into the deepest mines you can find. A drifting black hole? I think that’s another trip to the pharmacy, as would be the sun “going out”.
Lets assume thats its just some type of disease that infected 99% of the human population with a 100% mortality rate. So 99% of the population has died and took the illness with them.
So find someplace warm. Eastern coast of USA? Raid some stores and get everything you ever wanted. Also leave signs to show the date and which way you were traveling. Just incase anyone comes along. Once you find a place to settle down errect some type of signal. Like a big neon sign or one of those lights they have on top of airports. Run it constantly. Tv broadcasts will still work right? Find a station and figure out how to change the signal. Do the same for radio signals. Broadcast your location (lets just assume that no one out there wants to kill you). Stockpile and wait for potential mates. Its the good life.
Go to the nearest grocery store and stock up on canned food, bottled water, first aid stuff, etc.
Hit the gun store. Even if you are a bleeding heart liberal pacifist, you’ll probably need a good rifle, pistol and knife for hunting and defending yourself from looters, skinheads in black football pads, light sensitive muties, Postmen or talking apes.
Transportation - While it may be fun to tool around in that “borrowed” Porsche 911 GT2, but you may want something a little more rugged and practical. A HMMWV (Hummer) or V-8 Interceptor would probably be a better choice. Weld lots of chicken wire, rusty steel plate and a cow-ram to it. If you know how, rig it to explode if tampered with. And don’t forget a cool hood ornament or geer-shift handle.
Cell phones won’t work for long so find a good battery powered radio, extra batteries. That’s assuming you want to go the “rebuild civilization” route instead of the “lone wasteland drifter” route.
Find a secure place to hole up. Contrary to popular media, living out of your car in the desert is not that comfortable.
Stock up on some alchohol, books and magazines. You’ll have a lot of time to kill.
Clothes - Lots of old dirty leather and Kevlar.
Try not to do anything “ironic” like find a wharehouse full of cans but no can opener or a library of all your favorite books but then break your reading glasses.
Think up a cool nickname, or go by no name at all. Stubble is ok, but not a full beard. We’re going for “Bad Ass Warrior” not “Crazy Deserted Island Man”.
Find a good warlord - Few people make good bad asses like Mad Max or Snake Pliskin.
Now your ready to combine your love of helping people with your love of hurting people!
Mods, I’m realizing that I meant for this to be more of a Great Debate than an casual opinion swap - would you be so kind as to move this thread over to Great Debates for me? Thanks ever so much.
