Something about zombies.

Well, define 'brain removal'. If you're talking about actually reducing at least 60% of their grey mass to mush, then yes,[[Understatement that'd give them pause.]]

However, there're many definitions of a 'headshot'. Let's go with 'a shot that, at some point, contacts the head'. Now, if it just scraped them, so to say, along the outer cranium, they'd be good to go, after they regain their balance. And, logically, a round in the middle of the forehead puts them down for the count.

You won't be seeing a lot of headshots in this story, though.

edited 15th Dec '09 1:42:30 AM by Mister Always

See, your targets are surviving a head shot, that means you need a bigger gun. Something in the fifty caliber range I think.

You won't actually die if it doesn't pierce the brain, I think. Assuming you don't bleed out, which these guys probably won't. You might get a concussion, though.

It depends on what part. The back of the brain, near the brain stem is where all the important life supporting and data processing bits are. The front is where the memories and personality are stored (people have survived these shots before). But I was assuming you were using a rifle, a fifty caliber rifle round isn't something that leaves a head as far as I know.

Edit: sorry misread. Yeah, the brain is the most important bit in the head. It's possible to bleed out from a head or neck wound though.

edited 15th Dec '09 10:02:08 PM by Deboss

...Crossed?

CELL?

>.>

Anyway, make it more like I Am Legend, even if the original used vampires - they were somewhat smart, but still dumb (compared to normal humans).

I'm not trying to write "I Am Legend".

"Oh, and is there a medical condition that causes you to start "rotting" while you're still alive?"

Certain types of spider bites. Gangrene (which is just an infection that kills some flesh while it's still attached to you). Various things like that.

Got an idea you may want to play with.

Throw out the whole "Ya gotta destroy the brain to kill the zombie." Wad it up and throw it away. Try this on for size: Destroying the brain removes their ability to think. But you've got to destroy the spine to really stop them. The virus lodges in the spinal cord, so that the brain processes sensory input, but motor control comes from the spine now. All muscle activity has been reduced to reflex, essentially. Hit him in the lower spine, and you get a zombie that can no longer use his legs, but can still use his arms and hands for movement. Sever the cervical spine, and you've just created a quadriplegic zombie. He's just gonna lay there in a lump.

Your idea is a good one, but it's been done before. The Crazies is one example, so is Garth Ennis's Crossed. Hell, in the zombie story I'm working on, there's an extremely rare sub-class of "Infected" that have the ability to learn and are fueled by pure sadism and a desire for chaos.

This doesn't mean that your idea isn't great, though. In fact, I think it sounds wonderful and you should totally run with it.