Zombies

> *"They're **monsters**...goddamn **forces of nature**. They're everywhere...they're a **plague**. They rule the world now. We're the rats in the mud, they're the kings in their high towers...this is **the land of the dead** now,"*
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> -- Shane describes the zombies in his broadcast
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**Zombies**, often referred to as **walkers**, **strangers**, **lurkers, revenants, oppos**, **muertos**, **Infected**, **undead** and the **guardians**, are an antagonistic force that serve as the primary catalysts for the events within *The Walking Dead by EDStudios* universe. They serve as universal antagonists.

## Overview

How the zombies came about is unknown to this day, apart from the knowledge they originate from a bacterial infection that causes the body to decompose but the brain to remain active; zombies are literally walking rotting corpses.

Initially, everyone over the age of eighteen died and reanimated, leaving all the children to fend for themselves. A mutation in the disease eliminated this factor, allowing the surviving kids to grow up. The most important symptom of the disease is that, no matter how you die, if your brain is not destroyed you will eventually reanimate.

Zombies have an insatiable appetite for flesh, whether animal or man; as revealed by the Mitchell Family, the zombies consumed children due to the regenerative tissues that exist in those underage, which held back the effects of the disease; however, the rotten brains of zombies do not realize most of the children have grown. Upon death, reanimation can take between 30 seconds to 3 minutes to even an hour or several; typically, the younger the victim, the lesser time it takes for them to reanimate.

Zombies are attracted by loud noises and can only be killed by destroying the brain. Use of melee combat is only recommended when a quick escape is possible but the number of zombies is low; use of firearms should only be used if escape is possible and zombies are clustered.

## Naming

While the word "zombie" does exist in *TWDbEDS* universe, it is seldom used past the pilot episode. This is explained that the young survivors of the apocalypse are uncomfortable with using the term. Instead, they use different terms to refer to the zombies. A full list of nicknames used in the series universe is below.

Walkers
The term "walker" is the most prominent term used by survivors for the reanimated corpses that hunt them. The term was first used by Shane during his broadcast, and most characters in the series universe have referred to them using this term.

Runners
The term "runners" refers to those who have only recently reanimated and so maintain their speed and agility. Runners do not remain so for long, inevitably turning into the classic, shuffling walkers.

Herd
A "herd" or "horde" is the term used for large groups of roaming walkers who all act like a mob mentality. A herd can be started by as little as a single walker banging on a door, attracting another and another until a group is large enough to attract other large groups, assembling a herd.

Strangers
This is a rarely used term originally used by the inhabitants of Port Collier and resultingly by Shadowman. It is also used by the Hopeville Destruction Survivors. It comes from the wise saying "stranger danger" and was deduced when the city's kids believed that the dead were still living humans. It is occasionally used by other survivors.

Lurkers
There are two common uses of this nickname: both as the nickname for the walkers used by the Sanctuary Survivors and the residents of Hometown, and as the walkers who "play dead" until something comes across their way, albeit for the latter the term is rarely used. However, the members of the Ones Left refer to the zombies as lurkers.

Undead
This term for the living dead has only been widely used by the group known as the Storytellers.

Originals
"Originals" is a term used by the oldest groups of survivors for the small handful of remaining zombies that are the remnants of the original adults to die of the virus on the day of the outbreak. There are few originals left, their bodies so decomposed that some crumple and die, literally turning to dust. It can be assumed that, by 2118, there are no "originals" left.

Oppos
"Oppos" is a rare term - short for "opposition" - used by Albert's Group and the Michigan Militia.

Guardians
This term is used by the Living to refer to the dead; the Living wear the skin of the dead in order to blend in them and not get noticed, viewing the dead as a protective force, hence the name.

The Passed
This term is used by the people of Tombstone, albeit this is only a part of AJ's comatose dream.

The Scorched
"Scorched" refers to the undead that somehow survived the cataclysmic nuclear fire of the Great Collapse in *The Walking Dead: 'Cataclysm'*. These are one of the few unique zombies in the series, possessing a burned hide that acts almost like armour, making them harder to kill than the average walker. As Roger points out, the Scorched cannot be controlled by tribals such as the Living by simply wearing walker skin.

Shitai
The term "Shitai" - the Japanese translation of the word "corpses" - is used by the survivors in Japan in *Rising Sun*.

## The Zombies of *The Walking Dead by EDStudios*

Zombies are relatively weak and unintelligent as individuals but are dangerous in large numbers and in tight spaces. They are the main antagonists within the post-apocalyptic world of *The Walking Dead by EDStudios*. In 2012, the year of the outbreak, the population of the US was approximately 314 million people, with around 24% of that being children under the age of eighteen; this means that the US population immediately after the outbreak was around 75,360,000 people.

### Pathogen

> *"We call it the **Lazarus Virus**. Not that we know it is a 'virus'. It looks like a fungul infection, has a makeup like a bacterium, but the behaviour of a virus. Whatever it is, it invades the brain. It is waterborne and airborne. Thats why everyone has it. Look at this picture...it latches onto the brain stem. When the host dies, the virus, I don't know, 'wakes up' and reactivates the brain stem, all the essential parts...and BAM! You've got yourself a walking corpse with a taste for human flesh,"*
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> **- Henry Korvac explaining the mechanism of the virus**
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Everyone in *The Walking Dead by EDStudios* universe somehow contracted the zombie pathogen that, for reasons and through means unknown, brings the recently deceased back to "life." It is unknown where the disease originated from nor is it known whether if it's a natural or a man-made disease. Scientist Henry Korvac did not even rule out the possibility that the disease is of supernatural origin. The exact taxonomy of the pathogen is also unknown. Curiously, the pathogen itself does not kill its hosts. Instead it remains dormant, likely within in neural cells in the brain, leaving its host visibly and physically healthy. Only when the host dies, 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.

For some unknown reason, only those over the age of eighteen died on the day of the global outbreak, whilst all those under the age survived.

### Transmission

The zombie pathogen seems to possess two separate, but parallel modes of infection: latent and fluid contact/bites/scratches:

* Latent: In *The Walking Dead by EDStudios* universe, most, if not every, human being on the planet is believed to be infected by a dormant strain of the zombie 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 latent or dormant within them and is asymptomatic to the host.
* Fluid Contact/Bites/Scratches: Though physical contact with a zombie's 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, zombie 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. While zombie scratches and clawing rarely cause fatal infections, the deep gouges generally left by zombie 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 on veins or arteries are universally fatal. Even if an amputation proves successful at removing the infection, blood loss and subsequent infection is also extremely dangerous due to the generally unprofessional execution of the procedure.

### Symptoms

#### Dormant Stage

As mentioned previously, during the dormant 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, 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 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 into them as well as a plethora of bacteria and other infectious agents that reside in a zombie's mouth. In the event that 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, aches, extreme fatigue, and nausea. As the infection progresses, the active pathogen invades and spreads through the brain like meningitis, 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 haemorrhage and the brain completely shuts down. 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
* Dilated pupils
* Soreness
* Fluid discharge
* Spontaneous aggression or anger
* Fainting
* Hair loss and missing scalp pieces
* Dehydration
* Coughing up Blood
* Pale yellow sclera
* Delirium
* Internal haemorrhaging
* Organ failure

In the case of the original adults, the virus caused total brain death and organ failure, causing them to cough up blood.

### Reanimation

The dead corpse of anyone that dies for any reason will reanimate as a zombie unless the brain of the individual is badly damaged or destroyed, or the person was dead prior to 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.

The time it takes for a person to reanimate can vary from minutes to hours to days. According to notes taken by Carl McKenzie, the reanimation time usually depends on the age of the person: the younger they are, the faster they appear to reanimate.

### Zombification

Zombies have the ability to 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 zombies' senses at close range, and in areas devoid of light they can still find their way around as they would in the day.

Individual zombie strength depends on the physical makeup of the individual and on how long they have been reanimated. When attacking, zombies often become more lively, exhibiting full-body effort, and can produce enough force to quickly overwhelm an adult human. Zombies have been shown to be able to rip open human and animal victims with ease, and they can even rip off human limbs with enough force. As zombies decay, however, their muscles, and consequently, their entire body, becomes slowly, but surely, weaker.

Zombies 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 remains intact, everything that is attached to the brain can continue to function as normal, even if only the skull remains and is severed from the body.

Other than a mostly intact brain, zombies 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, zombies have rather limited mobility. Unstimulated, zombies 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. Zombies 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, zombies 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 arm to be ripped off before they will begin to let go.

### Behaviour

A reanimated body responds to stimuli such as light, scent, and loud noises. Oddly, even if the head is separated from the body, as long as the brain is intact, the head will still attempt to eat anything within reach. 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 behaviour such as clinging to possessions, attempting to open doors, and even using large rocks to break through windows and doors. Zombies though are incredibly unintelligent and generally unable to use tools or understand the need for them. It has been hinted at 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.

Zombies instinctively bite whatever prey they come in contact with, but have also been observed clawing at, tearing, and even punching humans and animals in order to topple them.

As revealed by the Mitchell Family, the zombies consume flesh as their confused brains instinctively hunt the regenerative tissues that exist in those under the age of eighteen; however, they continue to target adults as they do not realize their prey has matured.

### Death and Disposal

> **Hope:** *"...What do we do when the walkers come?"*
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> **Six:** *"We shoot them in the head,"*
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> **- Hope goes over the rules of surviving on the road with Six**
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There is only one way to kill a zombie: destroying the brain. However, they can be stopped by severing the head from the body - although the head remains alive - or by severing the spinal cord, although this again will not kill them.

### Eating Habits

Zombies are mindless vessels that eat compulsively; however, there is a reason for this: zombies instinctively hunt the regenerative tissues that only exist in those under the age of eighteen. Consuming flesh also appears to slow down the decomposition process of their bodies.

### Mutation

A few days after the outbreak, the virus mutated in those under the age of eighteen. As a result, as soon as a child reached the age the virus did not kill them, unlike the adults that preceded them. Instead, the children were able to grow up and mature in order to repopulate the world.

## Characters That Turned

* Mr Dawid
* Jess Black
* Harry Edwards

## Trivia

* Upon death, the virus reactivates the brain stem and the occipital lobe, explaining the zombies' strong sense of smell and hearing.
* Although zombies are active, they are still technically "dead". This means they continue to decompose even until after reanimation, albeit at a much slower rate.
	+ This is shown in the later parts of the series when Edwards witnesses several "originals" simply crumble and die.
* It is possible that the blood of a zombie being consumed directly or indirectly does not affect a human in any way. This is shown several times throughout the series.
* When zombies initially reanimate, they maintain a modicum of motor skills, walk almost at a light jogging pace, and have decent vision. However, as their bodies decompose they become more like the classic slow, lumbering monsters they are often portrayed as in other media. In addition, zombies eventually go blind and rely on their keen senses of smell and hearing.
* Zombies are shown to be heavily affected by changes in temperature:
	+ Whilst in hot climates, zombies seem to have weaker senses but faster and more active movements and they are also drawn to heat and light, especially fire.
	+ In contrast, during winter and cold temperatures, zombies are noticeably slow and lethargic but with heightened senses, which they require in order to find and kill prey.
* On several occasions throughout the series, zombies have been shown to be controllable. This was first shown by using the medallions created by the People and by wearing their skin, as demonstrated by the Living.