Walkers (Ghost of the Dead)

== Walkers ==
Zombies (also known as Walkers, Super-Walkers, or least likely Biters) are the titular central antagonists of The Ghost of the Dead series.
They are formerly human beings that turned into ravenous, flesh-eating monsters upon infection with a bio-engineered serum.
== Overview ==
While not necessarily immortal, reanimated human beings (known as Walkers) will not "die" under typical conditions that would ordinarily cause the death of a living person. They do not appear to feel or respond to pain, can survive even the most brutal injuries, and despite their bottomless appetite for flesh, they do not need food, water, or sleep to survive.
They show no other bodily function that relates to a human, showing no signs of self-healing or response to extreme temperatures. The brain maintains limited abilities of the body, allowing for movement of the limbs (provided that they are not decomposed to the point where the bones are not strong enough to bend without breaking), jaws, neck, and even the use of its sensory systems. While the walkers are notoriously weaker than humans, the only way to kill one is to destroy the brain or sever the spinal column. Despite their severely weakened physiologies, they will continue to hunt for living humans and animals to consume.
Walkers are relatively weak and unintelligent as individuals but are dangerous in large numbers and tight spaces. They are the main antagonists in the post-apocalyptic world of the Ghost of the Dead series. The vast majority of the American human population (349 million) has been wiped out by zombies, which at their peak, outnumbered humans 5,000 to 1. This leaves about 87,410,469 survivors left.
== Infection ==
The pathogen is termed the "Midas" Virus (due to the unofficial term of the Midas' Touch). People in the United States somehow contracted the zombie pathogen that, most likely airborne, brings the recently deceased back to "life." It is unknown where the disease originated from nor is it known whether it's a natural or a man-made disease, but it's heavily implied that the virus was created by a US science team in an experiment that was meant to enhance the human physiology and stimulate the 5 senses to perfection. To the public, it was known as NVX-148, an experimental serum to help aid people with a slight enhancement of human senses to improve work conditions.
The exact taxonomy of the pathogen is also unknown. Curiously, the pathogen itself does not kill its hosts. Instead, it remains dormant, likely within neural cells in the brain, leaving its host visibly and physically healthy. Only when the host dies (unless the spinal column or brain is destroyed), does the pathogen become active, infecting and reviving neural structures in the brain stem and certain parts of the cerebellum, turning a human into a zombie. A zombie is thus a condition a recently deceased host enters when the pathogen is in its active stage.
== Transmission ==
The zombie pathogen seems to possess two separate, but parallel modes of infection: latent and fluid contact (i.e. bites/scratches).
* Latent: Most, if not every, human being on the planet is believed to be infected by a dormant strain of the NVX-148 pathogen. It is currently unknown how one contracts the dormant stage of the pathogen, though its apparent total infection rate worldwide suggests it is either air-borne, water-borne, or both. Once infected, the virus spreads throughout the body through the blood, likely concentrating in the central nervous system. However, so long as the host remains alive, the pathogen remains dormant within them and is asymptomatic to the host.
* Fluid Contact: Though physical contact with infected saliva or blood will not cause an individual fatal infection, any fluid contact with open wounds will lead to irreversible contamination of the individual. However, bites are not fatal because of the dormant zombie pathogen. Rather, one possible explanation is that through bites, the active pathogen carried within zombies induces a fatal and irreversible cytokine storm, further exacerbated by bacteria that reside in a zombie's mouth. Scratches could cause similar infections for similar reasons. While scratches and clawing rarely cause fatal infections, the deep gouges generally left by bites are almost always fatal; death can be potentially avoided if the bite is on an appendage, which must be immediately amputated. However, this does not always work, and bites on the torso, or veins or arteries are universally fatal. Even if an amputation proves successful at removing the infection, blood loss and subsequent infection are also extremely dangerous due to the generally unprofessional execution of the procedure.
== Physiological Symptoms ==
The pathogen seems to possess two stages: a dormant stage and an active stage.
* Dormant Stage: During this stage, the pathogen is asymptomatic. The host will thus remain healthy despite being technically 'infected' and will continue to remain so as long they are alive. After the host dies (unless the brain is destroyed), the dormant pathogen enters the active stage and will begin the process of reanimating the body through the infection and reactivation of neural structures in the brain. No matter how an individual dies, unless their brain and spinal cord was severely damaged or destroyed, they will reanimate into a zombie following death.
* Active Stage: The pathogen enters the active stage when an individual dies and is responsible for the host's reanimation as a zombie. When an individual is bitten by a zombie, the active pathogen is transmitted to them as well as a plethora of bacteria and other infectious agents that reside in a zombie's mouth. If amputation fails or is not possible, it is believed that the active pathogen then induces a fatal and irreversible cytokine storm, causing a high fever, muscle aches, extreme fatigue, loss of balance, and nausea/vomiting blood. As the infection progresses, the active pathogen invades and spreads through the brain, infecting synapses and other neural structures that are concentrated in the brain stem and parts of the cerebellum. At the climax of the infection, the adrenal glands hemorrhage, and the brain completely shuts down upon going into a seizure. All brain activity would cease, followed by the major organs and the body would be clinically dead: no measurable brain activity, no reflexes, and no respiration or pulse. The time between the onset of the symptoms and death, followed by reanimation is very dependent on the severity, location, and quantity of the bite wound(s) of individuals who cannot be saved. Those bitten experience the following symptoms as the infection progresses, ending in death:
* Dizziness
* Weakness and fatigue
* Fever
* Delirium/hallucinations
* Chills
* Nausea/vomiting
* Pale skin
* Diluted pupils
* Soreness
* Fluid discharge
* Spontaneous aggression or anger
* Hair loss and missing scalp pieces
* Dehydration
* Coughing up blood
* Pale yellow sclera
* Internal hemorrhaging
* Organ failure
== Reanimation ==
The corpse of anyone that dies for any reason (except for the destruction of the brain or spinal cord) will reanimate as a zombie, unless the brain of the individual is badly damaged or destroyed, or the person was dead before the outbreak. When a person dies, the active pathogen they carry enters the active stage, and reactivates critical areas of the brain that it infected, specifically the brain stem and some parts of the cerebrum and cerebellum that support necessary vital systems such as movement, resulting in reanimation after a variable amount of time. 
Since the active pathogen only reactivates the brain stem and not parts of the brain such as the frontal lobe and neocortex that are responsible for higher-order brain functions, the reanimated person retains only a physical resemblance to their former self.
it was stated by Dr. Walton that (according to all gathered evidence and research available at the time) a corpse can reanimate between three or eight minutes after death, though there are instances where reanimation seems to happen much quicker, depending on the host and their mood before their death.
== Intelligence & Behavior ==
Walkers can detect scents and can differentiate between the living and the dead; they prefer to feed on living flesh. Covering one's self in the scent of decay can act as a camouflage. They can also use sight to distinguish the living from the dead, although they seem to have poor eyesight as their irises fade and decay over time. They make up for this with heightened senses of hearing and smell. Darkness seems to have little effect on walkers' senses at close range, and in areas devoid of light they can still find their way around as they would in the day.
Individual walker strength depends on the physical makeup of the individual and on how long they have been reanimated. When attacking, walkers often become more lively, exhibiting full-body effort, and can produce enough force to quickly overwhelm an adult human. Walkers can rip open human and animal victims with ease, and they can even rip off human limbs with enough force. As they decay, however, their muscles, and consequently, their entire body, becomes slowly, but surely, weaker.
Walkers feel no pain. Although slow and seemingly unintelligent when not active, they can react quickly to sufficient stimulation, and can rapidly overpower a victim they have taken by surprise. Though their bodies are no more or less durable than a non-decomposed human body, they can absorb all manner of physical damage, even when badly decomposed. Anything other than a head attack, spinal cord severing, or dismemberment leaves them seemingly unfazed. As long as their brain and spine remain intact, everything that is attached to the brain can continue to function as normal.
Other than a mostly intact brain, walkers don't appear to require any vital systems or organ functions to survive, although their ambulatory functions do decrease as their level of decomposition increases. Sufficient physical damage can slow them down, or render them incapacitated.
Compared to humans, walkers have rather limited mobility. Unstimulated, walkers stand still or shuffle around slowly. When in this state they are sometimes referred to as "lurkers," as they can quickly activate, attack and kill. Walkers can also be found lying on the ground or in piles of other bodies and can appear to be dead until stimulated. If they are pursuing a possible victim, they can move somewhat more quickly, roughly equivalent to a very light jogging pace. They can also lunge very short distances to grab close prey. They are difficult to shake off if they do manage to grab their victims, often allowing their arms to be ripped off before they will begin to let go. 
Due to the enhancement of the virus, a reanimated body responds to stimuli such as light, scent, and loud noises. The body of a zombie does appear to be truly dead, which means that it does not feel pain, has no reflexes, and wounds to it will not heal; its rate of decomposition slows drastically but does continue.
There is anecdotal evidence that some retain vestigial elements of memory and personality and this is shown some repeating behavior such as clinging to possessions, attempting to open doors, using weapons, and even using large rocks to break through windows and doors. Even though most walkers are incredibly unintelligent and generally unable to use tools or understand the need for them, It has been hinted that newly reanimated corpses retain some basic sense of intellect and perhaps memory, and can perform very basic tasks such as opening doors. They have no sense of self-preservation other than eating, and will not react at all to the deaths of other zombies or to potentially lethal dangers to themselves. They instinctively bite whatever prey they come in contact with, but have also been observed clawing at, tearing, and even punching humans and animals to topple them. They are slow and have a hard time overcoming obstacles, but have on occasion been shown to perform tasks like running and climbing fences.
Though walkers retain a physical resemblance to the living, cognitive similarities are almost non-existent beyond low-level functions, though there are examples of behavior that suggest they may retain small fragments of memory of their past lives. Walkers have enough intelligence to walk upright, use their bodies to break objects, and climb around or over somewhat small obstacles such as chain-link fences. Walkers can ascend and descend staircases, albeit very clumsily and slowly. They cannot generally operate doors or gates and only attempt to do so when they are relatively "fresh"; they tend to bash through obstacles rather than traverse them.
Mostly, walkers are void of any emotional expression and thought. When stimulated, whether by noise, the sight of prey, or simply encountering a problem they cannot solve, such as being unable to open a locked door, they quickly descend into a state of murderous aggression. If they spot prey when stimulated, they can pursue them ceaselessly, showing ravenous hunger. They are not hunters, however, and take no concern in alerting their victims or trying to hunt them with intelligence, always seeming to roar, grunt, and growl whenever they are stimulated. They seem to only be drawn to noise (such as that of a gunshot), presumably because they attribute the source of the noise to be caused by potential victims, and the smell of any blood that does not belong to a zombie. They have however occasionally been shown to be able to catch their victims by surprise, notably the walker that attacked a RSC sentry which approached him silently and before pouncing him was only stimulated when he turned to see it.
Walkers also tend to form groups and stick together, and mimic the actions of other walkers, giving them a mob mentality. This can lead to walkers forming large hordes that are far more dangerous and aggressive than smaller groups. Walkers retain a further animalistic trait within their "hordes," appearing to "sniff out" or examine new-coming walkers before leaving them be, as they do to Jay and Jeffrey, which may indicate that walkers seem to be able to familiarize themselves with their kind and be cautious of ones they do not recognize. They lack any remaining speech capabilities, and can only moan, grunt, or wheeze, as well as roar and scream when alerted. Walkers are not shown to be able to "communicate" with other walkers by any means, though they will frequently copy the actions they witness the others perform, such as bashing on a door or moving in a group, eventually forming a horde.
== Disposal ==
Because a walker is practically a reanimated human, it is limited physically by many of the same constraints that a human has. Because the host is dead, it slowly rots and decays like other dead organisms. Over time, flesh and muscles deteriorate, and it becomes less and less formidable.
They are only truly killed by destroying the brain, severing the spinal column, or using fire, acid, or electricity as long as the brain is destroyed. 
== Eating Habits ==
Walkers prefer to eat anything dead or alive: animals and people. They don't digest food. When their bodies are "full," the undigested meat will be forced out through the anus. As they are dead, their bodies will continue to rot even if they are well-fed. 
If the walker loses the ability to feed, they lose the desire to do so—a behavior observed in Maxwell's pet walkers. Their loss of desire for eating also comes with a loss of aggression and activity; unless present around other walkers, those who have lost the will to eat will remain quiet and lethargic, mindlessly walking in any given direction and paying no mind to humans.
The presence of many walkers being partially consumed or missing limbs also indicates that walkers, though they seem perpetually hungry, do not always devour prey fully, meaning that, at least for a short period, can feel "full" and not want to eat.
For example, the walker that consumed a fat man's body was lethargic, sated, and full, and did not attack Jay when he arrived on the scene. Still, they can be driven to attack and consume live prey due to the sheer aggression the serum seems to have given them.
== Camouflage ==
It's learned that when a person covers themselves in the scent of a walker or corpse, other walkers can't tell the difference between them and one of their own. According to Jay himself, there are 3 camouflage methods that the survivors use to avoid being infected or eaten.
* Guts Trick: By smearing parts of the body with walker blood and gore, a person can come across walkers undetected, thus rendering the survivor practically invisible. Unfortunately, there are two problems with this technique (despite being the quick and simple way). The first problem is that the blood can easily dry up or be washed off, leaving you once again being noticed by passing zombies. The second problem is that zombies will attack regardless of scent if the user draws attention to themselves such as causing extremely loud noises or start bleeding their blood. Due to the danger of getting sick from normal contagions within the blood, survivors tend to spread the blood and guts on a sheet or piece of clothing that they are wearing rather than direct skin contact.
* Pet Walker Trick: By being near a walker without being bitten, the other walkers will instinctively assume the human is also a walker. Although the survivor's proximity to the walker usually wards off the other walkers, they can still attract attention since their scent is still exposed.
* Walker Skin Trick: Similar to the guts technique, the survivor masks their smell by skinning the skin of walkers, curing it into human leather (which eliminates the danger of contagion), and wearing them as clothing. Faces and scalps are usually used to create a mask, which can be repaired by sewing in newer pieces from other zombies as desired or by necessity. When it comes to camouflage, this is the best of the 3 since it can't be washed off and doesn't leave a survivor exposed. However, they can still be attacked by walkers if they draw attention to themselves. Additionally, unfamiliar survivors may shoot camouflaged humans, thinking that they are walkers, which is a huge disadvantage.
== Types of Zombies ==
* Walker: The most common type. They're distinguished by their pale skin, skinnier frame, and sheer aggression and they're characterized by most survivors to be weaker because they're decayed and slower.
* Gas Walker: A new variant. They're distinguished by their pink boils, red eyes, and muscular frames. They are much quicker and more powerful than regular walkers and can spew acidic blood on their targets, stunning them for a short time. They also have increased strength, speed, agility, and aggression due to the NVX-148 gas mutating their bodies, able to withstand gunshots and blunt trauma with effort.
* Super-Walker: Another variant. They're no different than a regular walker, but they're more dangerous since their speed went from a slow jogging pace to a sprinting pace, and have increased strength, agility, aggression, and intelligence. They're shown to be using weaponry, forming hordes, carrying items, and opening doors and windows. While most roar and growl, some walkers can be silent or even talk (that's if they're freshly turned).
== Known Infected Individuals ==
* Michael Tolbert (bitten in leg)
* Chester Warner (scratched on the neck)
* Jacob Richardson (partially devoured)
* Rocky Raphael (bitten in the neck, half devoured)
* Matthew Copeland (scratched on the neck)
* Garry Whitaker (injected NV-14 in the neck)
== Trivia ==