Some people think that life is unique because it is perfect.
They say that order from disorder can only happen because of a god.
They are wrong.
Look at a picture of a snowflake, how it is shows near-perfect symmetry.
Even the most strict creationist won't say there is some magic 'snow fairy' in
the sky that created the snowflakes. We know how they are formed, so the fact that
a supernatural deity made every single one is just insane.
Give that same snowflake picture to a man who has no concept of what a snowflake is,
a person who has never seen one nor knows how it. He will certainly say that the
snowflake in the picture was created.
Unfortunately, We know very little about life currently. We have a few theories on
how it formed, but no conclusive answer. With no current answer, creationists are
taking a leap of faith and concluding that life has been created by a god.
That is the argument from design.
We are in the same position as the man and the snowflake.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The Zombie Threat: Part 6
The combination of the banging on the door and the moaning was dreadful. The men knew they didn’t have very long.
“Dmitry! Take my shotgun and run. I’ll hold them long enough for you to escape!”
“Stepan! Don’t be a hero! You’re coming out with me!”
“I can’t. I’ll be dead either way. I’m infected.”
Stepan rolled up one of the sleeves to his shirt revealing a swollen bite mark.
Simultaneously, Dmitry grabbed the shotgun and the one of the barricades gave way. Dmitry removed the chair from under the doorknob at the other exit. He ran out as fast as he could. Right before the door closed he looked back and saw Stepan being torn apart by the zombies.
Dmitry limped down the hallway. The stairs were right ahead. This part of the building was still under construction. The handrails have yet to be placed.
Dmitry made his way to the stairs. He could see that he was not alone. He reached for his belt and grabbed a grenade. Seconds latter, the stairwell was clear. Once he was on the stairs, he was confronted by several zombies. He brandished his shotgun and released a slug at the closest zombie. Shrapnel bounced off of the wall and made a deep cut on his right arm.
Carrying the heavy shotgun was doing more harm than good. He tossed it over the edge of the stairs. Zombies were still ahead. His only weapons were his own two hands.
As he drew closer to the nearest zombie, he punched it in the jaw. It was stunned just enough for Dmitry to push off the edge. As it was falling, the zombie grabbed onto the bandage on his leg. Dmitry slid off, but at the last moment he grabbed onto the ledge with his hands.
Summoning up all his strength, he managed to pull himself up the ledge. He crawled up the remaining stairs and grabbed the last zombie by its foot. With his depleting energy he made the zombie loose its balance, and by complete luck the zombie fell to its death.
At the top of the stairs Dmitry pushed open the emergency exit and collapsed into the snow.
~~~~~
Dmitry was picked up by a rescue helicopter. He awoke from a coma two weeks after the incident. Because of the secrecy of the assignment, he was threatened to keep quite and never told anyone while he was in the USSR. He never went back to his old job as a biologist, and moved to America after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
“Dmitry! Take my shotgun and run. I’ll hold them long enough for you to escape!”
“Stepan! Don’t be a hero! You’re coming out with me!”
“I can’t. I’ll be dead either way. I’m infected.”
Stepan rolled up one of the sleeves to his shirt revealing a swollen bite mark.
Simultaneously, Dmitry grabbed the shotgun and the one of the barricades gave way. Dmitry removed the chair from under the doorknob at the other exit. He ran out as fast as he could. Right before the door closed he looked back and saw Stepan being torn apart by the zombies.
Dmitry limped down the hallway. The stairs were right ahead. This part of the building was still under construction. The handrails have yet to be placed.
Dmitry made his way to the stairs. He could see that he was not alone. He reached for his belt and grabbed a grenade. Seconds latter, the stairwell was clear. Once he was on the stairs, he was confronted by several zombies. He brandished his shotgun and released a slug at the closest zombie. Shrapnel bounced off of the wall and made a deep cut on his right arm.
Carrying the heavy shotgun was doing more harm than good. He tossed it over the edge of the stairs. Zombies were still ahead. His only weapons were his own two hands.
As he drew closer to the nearest zombie, he punched it in the jaw. It was stunned just enough for Dmitry to push off the edge. As it was falling, the zombie grabbed onto the bandage on his leg. Dmitry slid off, but at the last moment he grabbed onto the ledge with his hands.
Summoning up all his strength, he managed to pull himself up the ledge. He crawled up the remaining stairs and grabbed the last zombie by its foot. With his depleting energy he made the zombie loose its balance, and by complete luck the zombie fell to its death.
At the top of the stairs Dmitry pushed open the emergency exit and collapsed into the snow.
~~~~~
Dmitry was picked up by a rescue helicopter. He awoke from a coma two weeks after the incident. Because of the secrecy of the assignment, he was threatened to keep quite and never told anyone while he was in the USSR. He never went back to his old job as a biologist, and moved to America after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Zombie Threat: Part 5
From there, he ran. He just wanted to get it all behind him. Unfortunately, he did not see the zombies in front of him until it was almost too late.
The sheer shock of seeing so many made him fall to the ground. One zombie is terrifying. Two-Dozen zombies are more frightening then anything you will experience in your life. Looking up, he could see the faces of all the people he had met during his several year stay. He was doomed. Dmitry covered his head and closed it eyes. And then… Gunshots. Everything faded to black.
Dmitry awoke with a gun pointed at his temple.
“Don’t move!” an unfamiliar voice demanded. “Don’t move or I will shoot!”
Dmitry stayed as still as he could. “First zombies and now I am being held hostage?” he said in a quite voice.
The gun lowered. The man behind it sighed.
“You have to be careful. You could have been infected. I just needed to make sure. I’m Stepan. Who are you?”
“Dmitry. Where am I and how did I get here?”
“We are in some sort of storage room. I was running away from zombies myself when I came across you. I came just in time. After I killed the rest of those things I dragged you in here.
“There are a few weapons, plenty of ammo, first-aid kits, and some water. Not much food though. I barricaded the entrances. It might not hold them for long, but fortunately they lost track of us.”
Dmitry sat up.
“Careful there”, Stepan said, “You’re badly injured.”
Dmitry’s left arm and both legs were covered in bandages.
“How did I get this?”
“You got pretty torn up out there. You would’ve been dead in ten more seconds. You have a family, Dmitry?”
“How did you know that?”
“Your wedding ring.”
“Ah, yes, I only wear it alone.”
“I thought the policy was that only unmarried people could work here.”
“I needed the money. I lied on the forms.”
After an awkward silence, the men heard the last thing they wanted to hear. They’ve been found.
The sheer shock of seeing so many made him fall to the ground. One zombie is terrifying. Two-Dozen zombies are more frightening then anything you will experience in your life. Looking up, he could see the faces of all the people he had met during his several year stay. He was doomed. Dmitry covered his head and closed it eyes. And then… Gunshots. Everything faded to black.
Dmitry awoke with a gun pointed at his temple.
“Don’t move!” an unfamiliar voice demanded. “Don’t move or I will shoot!”
Dmitry stayed as still as he could. “First zombies and now I am being held hostage?” he said in a quite voice.
The gun lowered. The man behind it sighed.
“You have to be careful. You could have been infected. I just needed to make sure. I’m Stepan. Who are you?”
“Dmitry. Where am I and how did I get here?”
“We are in some sort of storage room. I was running away from zombies myself when I came across you. I came just in time. After I killed the rest of those things I dragged you in here.
“There are a few weapons, plenty of ammo, first-aid kits, and some water. Not much food though. I barricaded the entrances. It might not hold them for long, but fortunately they lost track of us.”
Dmitry sat up.
“Careful there”, Stepan said, “You’re badly injured.”
Dmitry’s left arm and both legs were covered in bandages.
“How did I get this?”
“You got pretty torn up out there. You would’ve been dead in ten more seconds. You have a family, Dmitry?”
“How did you know that?”
“Your wedding ring.”
“Ah, yes, I only wear it alone.”
“I thought the policy was that only unmarried people could work here.”
“I needed the money. I lied on the forms.”
After an awkward silence, the men heard the last thing they wanted to hear. They’ve been found.
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Zombie Threat: Part 4
Dmitry was in the laboratory, cleaning up after everybody else left. Just before he went to the barracks, all the power in the faculty went out. The security doors to the laboratory automatically closed. The sound of the doors echoed off of the walls. Dmitry waited for several hours. He thought it could all be sorted out in a few minutes. After waiting for nearly an hour, he began to think that he was forgotten. He felt his way around the room and found a chair. He tore off one of the metal legs to pry open the door. After some substantial physical effort, the door finally gave in and opened.
Dmitry had never seen the laboratory without the lights on. He got lost on the way to the emergency stairway. As his eyes finally adjusted to the light, he found himself at a dead end. He was in a small room with a small light hanging from the ceiling. He tried a switch, but the light just wouldn’t turn on. His boots were making an audible splash, so he bent down and touched the mysterious liquid. The temperature almost made his fingers numb.
Having no idea where he was, Dmitry turned around and went back. A few hundred feet after he passed the laboratory, he saw a guard taking a nap on the floor. No, he wasn’t taking a nap; he was covered in bullet wounds! It was at this point that Dmitry realized the severity of the situation, but he still had no idea of what was happening. The only thing that came to his mind was that a foreign army had infiltrated the base. He picked up the AK-47 that was beside the guard.
He continued to walk in the general direction of the emergency stairway. Eventually, a faint silhouette of a guard caught his eye. He recognized the uniform. He was Russian.
“What the hell is going on here?” Dmitry yelled.
The guard did not respond. Instead, he turned around and slowly walked towards him. Dmitry pleaded again. No response. And then… a moan.
Dmitry froze in his tracks. He knew exactly what was going on. There is no time for thinking. He raised his rifle and aimed for the head.
Dmitry had never seen the laboratory without the lights on. He got lost on the way to the emergency stairway. As his eyes finally adjusted to the light, he found himself at a dead end. He was in a small room with a small light hanging from the ceiling. He tried a switch, but the light just wouldn’t turn on. His boots were making an audible splash, so he bent down and touched the mysterious liquid. The temperature almost made his fingers numb.
Having no idea where he was, Dmitry turned around and went back. A few hundred feet after he passed the laboratory, he saw a guard taking a nap on the floor. No, he wasn’t taking a nap; he was covered in bullet wounds! It was at this point that Dmitry realized the severity of the situation, but he still had no idea of what was happening. The only thing that came to his mind was that a foreign army had infiltrated the base. He picked up the AK-47 that was beside the guard.
He continued to walk in the general direction of the emergency stairway. Eventually, a faint silhouette of a guard caught his eye. He recognized the uniform. He was Russian.
“What the hell is going on here?” Dmitry yelled.
The guard did not respond. Instead, he turned around and slowly walked towards him. Dmitry pleaded again. No response. And then… a moan.
Dmitry froze in his tracks. He knew exactly what was going on. There is no time for thinking. He raised his rifle and aimed for the head.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
The Zombie Threat: Part 3
Soon after settling in, they were given samples of the still-frozen zombie. They were not told where the zombie was held, just that it was in a freezer somewhere in the base.
Work was slow. They needed to take all the precautions necessary. They had no idea of what nature the zombie was. It was here where most of our scientific knowledge of zombies came from.
Nearly five years into the research, they were ready to show the results to their supervisors. Oh, the results! They where astounding!
The source of reanimation was a virus. They called it Мертвые вирус, or the necrovirus. The virus is spread via either saliva or blood. Upon infection with the virus, even with miniscule amounts, causes death within 1-2 hours by cardiac arrest. Then… it acts. Once the victim is dead, the virus only has a few minutes until all the cells die. The virus then infects all the cells in the brain and the nervous system. The DNA itself of the infected cells is changed. A few minutes after that, reanimation occurs.
The reason why the virus is so deadly is that the host has an unappeasable hunger for human brains.
Why this is, we don’t know. Anything that the zombie eats is not digested. It just sits in the stomach until it bursts. Even after that, the zombie’s apatite is unaffected. The zombie doesn’t even seem to notice.
The survival of the zombie has nothing to do with any organs other than their brain. Even after severing all of the limbs of the zombies and removing all of the other major organs, the zombie still tries to feed itself.
After holding one of the zombies unfrozen in a cell for several weeks, they noticed something unusual. The zombie didn’t rot. They took samples and discovered that infected cells secrete a liquid that slows if not halts decay. The liquid is dense, and they made an observation that instead of floating, the reanimated sink in water.
Up until then the scientists had been told what they were doing was for peaceful purposes. But when it came to a point where they knew enough information to make a weapon out of it, they were told to do so. The few scientists who objected to the notion were removed. They were also never seen again. The rest accepted reluctantly.
Years later, they nearly had it ready. Unless something went wrong, the United States would be wiped off the map. Well, something went wrong. Terribly wrong.
Work was slow. They needed to take all the precautions necessary. They had no idea of what nature the zombie was. It was here where most of our scientific knowledge of zombies came from.
Nearly five years into the research, they were ready to show the results to their supervisors. Oh, the results! They where astounding!
The source of reanimation was a virus. They called it Мертвые вирус, or the necrovirus. The virus is spread via either saliva or blood. Upon infection with the virus, even with miniscule amounts, causes death within 1-2 hours by cardiac arrest. Then… it acts. Once the victim is dead, the virus only has a few minutes until all the cells die. The virus then infects all the cells in the brain and the nervous system. The DNA itself of the infected cells is changed. A few minutes after that, reanimation occurs.
The reason why the virus is so deadly is that the host has an unappeasable hunger for human brains.
Why this is, we don’t know. Anything that the zombie eats is not digested. It just sits in the stomach until it bursts. Even after that, the zombie’s apatite is unaffected. The zombie doesn’t even seem to notice.
The survival of the zombie has nothing to do with any organs other than their brain. Even after severing all of the limbs of the zombies and removing all of the other major organs, the zombie still tries to feed itself.
After holding one of the zombies unfrozen in a cell for several weeks, they noticed something unusual. The zombie didn’t rot. They took samples and discovered that infected cells secrete a liquid that slows if not halts decay. The liquid is dense, and they made an observation that instead of floating, the reanimated sink in water.
Up until then the scientists had been told what they were doing was for peaceful purposes. But when it came to a point where they knew enough information to make a weapon out of it, they were told to do so. The few scientists who objected to the notion were removed. They were also never seen again. The rest accepted reluctantly.
Years later, they nearly had it ready. Unless something went wrong, the United States would be wiped off the map. Well, something went wrong. Terribly wrong.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
The Zombie Threat: Part 2
Hours later, the plane was spotted again, this time on a military base on the Kola Peninsula. The payload was frozen for the time being.
The next summer summer, an elite group of scientists were summoned to duty. They would not be told their task until they reached their destination.
Once they arrived, they where each handed a manila folder. They were instructed not to share the contents of the folder to anyone, not even their fellow colleagues.
One of those men was my great friend and mentor who sadly passed away several years ago, Dmitry. I will not name his last name for fear of his family’s lives. He was the lead biologist. I do not know the contents of folder he received, and the secret died along with him. However, I do know much about his ordeal from talking to him about this subject.
After receiving the folders, the group was lead into a briefing room. The room was obviously used for military planning, as the table in the center at a map of the Artic Circle with lines sketched on it and the logo of the Russian Northern Fleet in the corner. They were told their objective: to isolate the cause of reanimation. At the end of the briefing, they were told to exit through a door opposite to the one they entered.
After walking down a hallway made out of hastily constructed aluminum poles with nothing but a layer of yellow canvas and a humming space heater keeping them warm, an airlock on the other side opened with a hiss as a man dressed up in all white and wearing a surgical mask started walking in towards them. One of the scientists in the group greeted him, but the man said nothing. The scientist was then hit in the back by the butt of a rifle by a guard and reminded not to speak to anyone without expressed permission.
Once the scientists made it to the airlock, they were all instructed to strip down and put on white sanitary clothes. After some hesitation, they reminded themselves that they were in a communist state and even a slight complaint can be punishable by death. They gave their old clothes to another guard, after which he said that the garments would be incinerated. One man spoke up, saying that he had valuables in his pant’s pocket. He was taken away from the rest of the group and Dmitry never saw him again. What happened to him I don’t know.
After they were all searched, the other end of the airlock crept open. It took a moment for their eyesight to adjust to the bright lights. The building they entered was with much contrast to the part of the complex they had seen so far. All the rooms that they had passed through before were grimy. They seemed like they were built all the way back in World War II. The lab they just entered was pristine. It was as if it was constructed just days before.
The scientists were escorted onto a large lift where they were lowered many floors. After passing through the initial permafrost, all the walls were covered with rocks. They needed to be careful to stand in the center of the lift because a sudden lurch could cause them to stray close enough to the walls and make them to loose an arm. After about half a minute they reached their destination.
It was the largest and most complete laboratory Dmitry had ever seen. Every flask, test tube, and stirring rod was meticulously placed exactly where it should be. This is where Dmitry would work for the next decade.
(Copyright retrogamer 20XX. Any people that copy this will have their robot masters destroyed with my mega buster. I'm 100% serious.)
The next summer summer, an elite group of scientists were summoned to duty. They would not be told their task until they reached their destination.
Once they arrived, they where each handed a manila folder. They were instructed not to share the contents of the folder to anyone, not even their fellow colleagues.
One of those men was my great friend and mentor who sadly passed away several years ago, Dmitry. I will not name his last name for fear of his family’s lives. He was the lead biologist. I do not know the contents of folder he received, and the secret died along with him. However, I do know much about his ordeal from talking to him about this subject.
After receiving the folders, the group was lead into a briefing room. The room was obviously used for military planning, as the table in the center at a map of the Artic Circle with lines sketched on it and the logo of the Russian Northern Fleet in the corner. They were told their objective: to isolate the cause of reanimation. At the end of the briefing, they were told to exit through a door opposite to the one they entered.
After walking down a hallway made out of hastily constructed aluminum poles with nothing but a layer of yellow canvas and a humming space heater keeping them warm, an airlock on the other side opened with a hiss as a man dressed up in all white and wearing a surgical mask started walking in towards them. One of the scientists in the group greeted him, but the man said nothing. The scientist was then hit in the back by the butt of a rifle by a guard and reminded not to speak to anyone without expressed permission.
Once the scientists made it to the airlock, they were all instructed to strip down and put on white sanitary clothes. After some hesitation, they reminded themselves that they were in a communist state and even a slight complaint can be punishable by death. They gave their old clothes to another guard, after which he said that the garments would be incinerated. One man spoke up, saying that he had valuables in his pant’s pocket. He was taken away from the rest of the group and Dmitry never saw him again. What happened to him I don’t know.
After they were all searched, the other end of the airlock crept open. It took a moment for their eyesight to adjust to the bright lights. The building they entered was with much contrast to the part of the complex they had seen so far. All the rooms that they had passed through before were grimy. They seemed like they were built all the way back in World War II. The lab they just entered was pristine. It was as if it was constructed just days before.
The scientists were escorted onto a large lift where they were lowered many floors. After passing through the initial permafrost, all the walls were covered with rocks. They needed to be careful to stand in the center of the lift because a sudden lurch could cause them to stray close enough to the walls and make them to loose an arm. After about half a minute they reached their destination.
It was the largest and most complete laboratory Dmitry had ever seen. Every flask, test tube, and stirring rod was meticulously placed exactly where it should be. This is where Dmitry would work for the next decade.
(Copyright retrogamer 20XX. Any people that copy this will have their robot masters destroyed with my mega buster. I'm 100% serious.)
Friday, February 13, 2009
The Zombie Threat: Part 1
What is a Zombie?
Good question. It is a question that not many can answer. However, I have spent time studding zombies in India (just about the only place where it is legal), so I am the person to ask.
Since the last zombie outbreak was in Russia over thirty years ago, many people think that the threat of a zombie outbreak is zero. However, it is now greater than ever. In today’s world of mass transit and large cities, one zombie can become hundreds in a matter of minutes.
I have spent many hours doing experiments with many zombies, which we preferred to call reanimated corpses, simply because it draws less suspicion and it differentiates real zombies from the public perception of them.
Now, let’s get straight to the point. What exactly is a zombie? Well, the scientific community was split on the cause of reanimation. Even paranormal experts tried to voice their opinion. It was not until nearly forty-five years ago until zombies were studied using the modern scientific method.
The year was 1965, the height of the Cold War. Both NATO and the Soviet Union were developing chemical and biological weapons. However, the Soviets had something NATO didn’t. They had a scientist that was in the Canadian Artic when nearly half of the Inuits died from a localized zombie outbreak. And he was ready to weaponize it.
During the next artic winter, when the sun ceases to shine for several months, a mysterious Russian Antonov An-12 landed on a frozen river near Grise Fiord, Nunavut, Canada, an area with a population of less than a hundred Inuits. The locals were told that if they investigated, they would be killed. One week later the plane left to an undisclosed destination in Siberia. The locals were astounded to find a neat cube of permafrost, (approximately 4 feet wide, 6 feet long, and 10 feet deep) neatly removed from the ground. The Russians left with nothing more.
(Copyright retrogamer 2009. Any unauthorized reproductions will be hunted down with the full extent of the law, and then burned at the stake)
Good question. It is a question that not many can answer. However, I have spent time studding zombies in India (just about the only place where it is legal), so I am the person to ask.
Since the last zombie outbreak was in Russia over thirty years ago, many people think that the threat of a zombie outbreak is zero. However, it is now greater than ever. In today’s world of mass transit and large cities, one zombie can become hundreds in a matter of minutes.
I have spent many hours doing experiments with many zombies, which we preferred to call reanimated corpses, simply because it draws less suspicion and it differentiates real zombies from the public perception of them.
Now, let’s get straight to the point. What exactly is a zombie? Well, the scientific community was split on the cause of reanimation. Even paranormal experts tried to voice their opinion. It was not until nearly forty-five years ago until zombies were studied using the modern scientific method.
The year was 1965, the height of the Cold War. Both NATO and the Soviet Union were developing chemical and biological weapons. However, the Soviets had something NATO didn’t. They had a scientist that was in the Canadian Artic when nearly half of the Inuits died from a localized zombie outbreak. And he was ready to weaponize it.
During the next artic winter, when the sun ceases to shine for several months, a mysterious Russian Antonov An-12 landed on a frozen river near Grise Fiord, Nunavut, Canada, an area with a population of less than a hundred Inuits. The locals were told that if they investigated, they would be killed. One week later the plane left to an undisclosed destination in Siberia. The locals were astounded to find a neat cube of permafrost, (approximately 4 feet wide, 6 feet long, and 10 feet deep) neatly removed from the ground. The Russians left with nothing more.
(Copyright retrogamer 2009. Any unauthorized reproductions will be hunted down with the full extent of the law, and then burned at the stake)
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