The following are journal entries from players of the zombie apocalypse role playing event known as Humans vs. Zombies. These are written by players who have gone through the days of fighting to stay “uninfected” and surviving the night missions for supplies. Not all will survive, but the fight for humanity persists.
Here are their stories:
Log 001 – Two days on the job. I was brought here as an AI specialist, but was not prepared for the disaster that has come upon this company’s campus. This artificial intelligence is like no other I’ve seen… I’d like to have a long chat with its maker. It is unfortunate that it has found a way to infect our cybernetics; it seems we all have them in some manner.
My background has enabled me to avoid encounters with these “zombies” thus far. Today was the first time I met a single one, not counting the escort mission that took place last night.
I am a scientist, not a soldier. Yet my new employers don’t seem to care who they send to battle these monstrosities they’ve inadvertently created. Thankfully, I brought enough to defend myself. My sister was also selected for the escort team, and I was there when she was infected by the power of this strange AI. I met her today, hoping to somehow reverse this virus, but I failed. I was forced to shoot her… Shortly thereafter, I had my first real encounter with a zombie. I shot it as well.
I fear for what this infection will do to those of us who survive. We are forced to watch our friends turn on us, and to fight them to the (un)death. That we must kill our friends over and over and over… It must take its toll on our own intelligences, and that, I fear, is what will lead to our downfall.
They are growing in numbers, and soon it will no longer be possible to evade them. I pray a cure is found before it is too late… -Monduck
Log 002 – Shortly after recording my last log I returned from my field research back to headquarters, accompanied by field-specialist Strider. Upon reaching the entrance I was shocked to find three friends of mine who had turned, now seeking to prevent my entrance by consuming my mind. I shot them. One escaped. I gained valuable experience from this encounter, which I have already applied to, hopefully, ending this travesty which has befallen us.
Last night, the people running this operation directed our forces to hijack the main line back from the AI control. I convinced my director that I would be of better use in analyzing data from base than in flinging bullets. As such, with Strider’s help in the field, I was able to run a first proper diagnostic on our infected friends. It seems that this rogue AI is not a simple beast. It has a main directive core, which is to be expected, but it also uses the minds of those it has taken control of to increase its own capacity and thought. We are not just fighting some discrete AI, our friends are the AI, and as we lose them to its control we increase not only its knowledge and strength but also creative intelligence. I really want to have a nice long chat with whoever managed to create such a beast…
As I said, this enemy still must have a single main controller unit somewhere, which should be responsible for coordinating and reacting to all the data it receives from those we’ve lost. I believe it should be possible, if we can find this unit, to disrupt its communications for good. The difficulty is, the job would have to be done in person, and I am sure the beast will defend itself with its utmost ferocity. Even so, I am developing what I hope will enable a skilled insertion team to disable this master controller from extending beyond its own core. Once our friends are no longer under its sway, the rest should be easy. Still, the fact that we have yet to find even the barest trace of where this master controller lies has given me a troubling thought.
What if we cannot find this controller because it is mobile? What if it has transferred its main core into the cavity of a friend’s former mind? Such an operation would leave its mark, and should make the host easily recognizable. From the horde’s behavioral patters, I suspect such a controller would also be outwardly decorated with pomp and power. If this is the case, and our enemy presents itself in such a personal manner, it will make the insertion team’s task that much harder. Still, the task must be done. If no solution is found, we are all doomed. -Monduck
Log 003: Automated Message – If you are reading this message, it means I have fallen. I have failed. By now the rogue AI has probably downloaded my mind, and will try to use my research work against the survivors. But I was prepared.
In the event of my death, my research machine is programmed to isolate the files from main system access, and from myself, and route them to a random secure access point. It will continue computations on the data in my absence, and may yet find the enemy’s weakness. It remains for someone else to recover this data. I am counting on you. We may still defeat this menace. There is still hope.
Hopefully, not for the last time,
Monduck
Day 1: As I think through the day, I am awestruck. Many people were lost today and it may have something to do with the Blood Moon that will happen tonight at 2 a.m. To those still alive, I wish you all the best of luck and to those who have died I will see you around even though you are just a figment of who you really were. As I stay up tonight to watch the moon, I can only hope that we can stick together or will the Blood Moon be a sign that we will not survive? -Jakob Owens
Day 2, I can’t quite recall the events of the day. I have a feeling my memory was wiped by some kind of virus, I knew accepting that implant would come back to haunt me. I remember waking up from a sleep and people were saying welcome to the Horde. Before waking up I only remember guarding a point and that was the objective I was assigned, so after my sleep I decided to stick with that objective and I believe I did my job. What am I supposed to do? I don’t want to be a Horde, I prefer to stay by myself because I seem to be the only person I can trust all the time. I guess I will find out what I’m going to do by watching others like me hopefully I can learn from others. There is talk of a legend who knows what to do and he does it well, maybe I can learn from him. I assume that I am supposed to help others become like me and enjoy the freedom that someone told me we have. I hope I am on the right side but I guess I can’t change that…
-Jakob Owens
Day 1, 1:03 a.m.: We are an hour into the apocalypse and one of the original zombies has already turned three people. Alpha Company and I are prepared to deal with these difficulties. I shall keep everyone posted on my personal travels this semester. -Nightingale Out (Cal Dummerth)
Day 1, 4:52 p.m.: I have had no problem surviving the plague so far. I have not seen many of the infected yet so that is good. Unfortunately I have lost some dear friends to the plague including a member of Alpha Company. Eva Heinermann, your death will not be in vain! We shall avenge you!! -Nightingale Out (Cal Dummerth)
Day 2, 1:55 a.m.: Myself and Deadpool had to join the first mission late because of rehearsal, unfortunately though the first attempt led to nearly every human dying. Luckily, there was an explosion that reset each of the recently turned zombies back into humans…..this is where Deadpool and I joined. We met up with what was left of Alpha Company and decided that it was best to work under Danny Hayward and hold the rear of the human team. Luckily, between the people holding the front, and Alpha Company helping hold the rear, most of the humans were able to survive until the end of the mission. Unfortunately I was not one of them. I am happy though because my sacrifice helped advance the human cause………………..cause
-Nightingale Out (Cal Dummerth)
Day 1:
Something’s fishy. Seems like there’s some weird AI that’s gotten out of control and started “infecting” people. Running with a few other competent people to try and stave them off. Well, mostly competent.
After hours of fruitless searching, that wannabe hotshot Maverick tracked down a dossier. I followed up on a hunch and found one too. They seem to be profiles of dangerous cyborgs–what they want to do with us beats me.
After a run-in with a friend who’d been infected (a close call–too close), we hunkered down for the night until we got a call from the presidents. They gave us scarce info, but what do I need that for? I’m a soldier, not a detective. We escorted them and the good doctors and failed miserably.
The horde was overwhelming. Many of my comrades were among it, and once I realized we’d lost the doctors and Maverick, the last survivor of my team, I made the call to run for it. Only a few of us made it back.
The presidents (who I had thought to be dead) told us it was a simulation, and that we’d regroup and do the escort again, immediately. Myself and a few others took charge and we got them safely to the drop point. Suffered a few losses, including Maverick AGAIN. The kid’s got guts, but he was another tragic loss.
Those assassin cyborgs we read up on? They showed up too, made things easier on the AI zombies. One of them was a nightmare, had a shield as big as his body. The others…well, they’re definitely not human anymore.
As for me, well, I’ll do my duty like any soldier should. But there’s nightmares out there we’re facing. Keep your head down, that’s what I always say.
-Otter out. (Audrey Schroeder)
Day 2: Thus far, no zombies have spotted me. Can’t let my guard down. No sign of the third dossier. Might see about that distress mission this afternoon, if there are souls brave enough to join me.
-Otter out. (Audrey Schroeder)
Day 2:
Ran around with some fellow survivors for a good part of the day. Zombie sightings low, though I saw Maverick and another with some weird sort of mutation–looks like their limbs are elongated or something.
Made contact with the doctor and after several attempts was able to hack the cyborg identified as Bastion and acquire a vaccination.
Due to injury and some mind-numbing paperwork I failed to report for duty, and for that I am sorry. Reports came in from fellow humans Banshee and Lawrence that our forces overwhelmed the menace, at least for one night. Unfortunately it came at a cost. My friend–my comrade, Fischer, went down. It’s a hard loss for all.
I will make it through this day at any cost. I will help my fellow survivors. -Otter out. (Audrey Schroeder)
Final Log: Our last chance to reprogram the AI lies with three kill discs. Retrieving one led to the loss of a few comrades and we were scattered. The zombies were everywhere. I rendezvoused at the drop point anyway, because despite all, I had my orders. The bubble shield I had saved my life more than once and allowed me to get in close quarters to kill zombies. It looks hopeless…despite all our efforts, I think we will be overwhelmed. I’ll take as many of those suckers as I can with me–
Transmission ended. Reboot.
Otterbot command ‘kill’.
execute command.
*Updates on the game and running journals can also be found under #LUHvZ on Facebook.
