I Need Advice With My Sci-Fi Script Please

[121]

Hi,

I going to write a graphic novel and need some help with my script please.

The story is about a virus that spreads through out the UK, turning people into violent killers. The infection is spread through a bite similar to the film 28 Days Later. I'm not sure how the UK Armed Forces would react to this.

In the story, 80+ people get randomly infected every hour across the UK. Its a worldwide epidemic. The infection would spread faster in the cities as they're densely populated.

How would the UK Armed Forces respond to this? It obviously wouldn't be a Police matter.

I know the story is sci-fi but I'd like the content to be as realistic as possible. Any replies are appreciated and would greatly improve the content

[Nero]

Curfews/patrols to stop the virus spreading

[121]

It takes 10 to 20 minutes for the infection to spread from a bite. What would the armed forces do with 80+ new outbreaks per hour 24/7? Even those that died from natural causes will be re-animated by the virus.

[KKOB]

Given that the military aren't on duty from about 2pm Friday 'til 2pm Monday it's got a pretty good chance of infecting most of humanity before they even realise it.

[121]

Thanks KKOB,

I didn't know that.

Please note. This is obviously just imaginary as there will never be a zombie apocalypse. I don't want to disrespect our forces in any way or form. I would just like the imaginary script to play out realistically.

If the poo really hit the fan and it was spreading too fast, what drastic measure would be taken?

[Tab]

Flame throwers to get rid of those infected and the bodies, frying tonight

[ofens]

So basically in your script what happens is the secure doors to the Jeremy Kyle studio get unlocked and the mongs escape...

[Amphibian]

So basically in your script what happens is the secure doors to the Jeremy Kyle studio get unlocked and the mongs escape...

[sportbilly42]

In the story, 80+ people get randomly infected every hour across the UK.

OK, I'll play for a bit.....
You might need to work on some of the finer detail. (Try bumping those figures up for a kick-off. 80 is pathetic)

A conservative estimate on the population of England would be around 56 million. (You mention UK, but let's not confuse things by dragging in the population of Scotland, Wales and NI here)

That's 56,000,000 people. Every hour 80 are infected. Well there are far more children being BORN every hour in England... It would take around 650,000 hours to wipe-out 56 million in that snails pace you've come up with. (That's around 27,000 days, or 74 YEARS!!)

Even at 8,000 infections per hour it would still be around 270 days to 'bump off' 56 million.

Howsabout you crank the infection rate up to 80,000 per hour? Then your 56 million people would all be infected in around 27 days and you'd beat that '28 Days Later' film by a full 24 hours......


As for a "virus that spreads through out the UK, turning people into violent killers." Well strangely enough, if I found that my next door neighbour had been infected by such a virus I'd do my best to kill him before he killed me. Would that make ME, a law abiding citizen who was only being proactive and protecting his family, a 'violent killer'?

"I'm not sure how the UK Armed Forces would react to this." They'd spread the lead...


Anyway this is all silly..... Get back to your homework...

[ofens]

All joking aside, talk to your maths teacher about this and you will have an interesting conversation about how diseases spread (the maths of it).
I like Science Fiction and films like 28 Days Later, good luck with it but like SportBilly says don't waste too much time on it, especially the details.
There are loads of zombie apocalypse / virus films already BUT have fun and enjoy the writing process and hopefully you will learn something

[121]

Thanks Ofens.

Sportbilly42,

I should have explained the story more so you knew were I got the figure 80+ per hour. After around 8pm on Friday Dec 2nd, everyone that dies re-animates as the undead so you don't even need to get bitten to 'turn'. That's how it starts.

I did a Google search on how many people die in the UK each day and found it to be around 2000 (give or take 300). If I divide that by 24 then there's around 80+ natural deaths per hour, be that by accident, illness or old age etc. All those people will re-animate as the undead. Each one will bite whoever is closest to them and the infection would grow exponentially at a fast pace. At that speed I figure it would take a matter of hours before it gets out of control. It would kick off first in hospitals, morgues, traffic accidents, hospices etc. No one would see it coming and it would be happening at random, continuously, throughout the UK.

Death is what triggers the virus.

The cities will be hit the worst. Say someone was to die at around 8pm in the middle of Oxford Street. That place is packed out with shoppers and commuters. The infected guy could probably bite at least 3 people in 10 minutes. Then they will turn 10 minutes later with each biting another 3 people. Every 20 minutes you multiply the size of the horde x 3 exponentially. That 80+ per hour is nothing in comparison. Multiply x 3 every 20 minutes and look at the figure after just 4 hours.

[sportbilly42]

Cor.... You're right, that's WELL scary!!

(you have however changed the basic '80 infections per hour' rate and chucked in the word 'exponentially', so congratulations)

Just think.... if this kicked off at 8pm on Fri 2nd Dec then there may be no need for me to go through the pain of Christmas shopping....


Anyways.... are you thinking of joining the military?
No?

Then why not put your sketched out plot to the members of this community, there's a good chap... You may get some better critique and ideas for your short story....
http://www.writingforums.org/forumdispl ... 0ef3d9136d

Coz we're really just hanging around in cyber-space waiting to speak to potential candidates joining the military...

[121]

Thanks,

I'm not really looking for critique or ideas for the story. Just some rough ideas on what action our military would probably take.

[KKOB]

Thanks,I'm not really looking for critique or ideas for the story. Just some rough ideas on what action our military would probably take.

Probably spend the first few days blaming it on the Russians, Chinese or the Taliban.

[iidesu]

sounds familiar? all the infected people are quarantined and camped in some highly-guarded facility, while medical staff and scientists try to study the virus. however, people die faster than these scientists could even have a clue about what this type of virus actually is.