Читать книгу The Zombie Book - Nick Redfern - Страница 49

In the event that a real-life zombie uprising really does occur, there is one agency of government—more than any other—that will likely play a major, leading role in trying to quickly find an antidote for the virus that brings back the dead in horrific, murderous form. Its name is the Centers for Disease Control, or the CDC. In a strictly fictional format, this has already happened. In “Wildfire,” the fifth episode of the first season of AMC’s phenomenally popular show, The Walking Dead, group-leader Rick Grimes leads his band of starving, exhausted survivors to the headquarters of the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia. After begging to be let in, they are met by the mysterious and cautious Edwin Jenner. He is the very last survivor of the installation and someone who seems to be, suspiciously, highly informed about the zombie virus, as well as its origins, nature, and history. As the episode comes to a climactic close, Jenner quietly tells Grimes something terrible. In a later episode, the group finally learns the awful secret.

Rick Grimes explains to his shocked comrades exactly what Jenner confided in him: “We’re all infected.” And we are. At some point before the apocalypse exploded all across the planet, Jenner revealed, every single person was already unknowingly infected by the zombie virus. Yes, a bite from the walking dead will kill you and bring you back. But, death under any and all circumstances—a fatal accident, old age, suicide, or a terminal disease—will bring you back, too. Jenner did not reveal how, or under what circumstances, the virus spread—or, perhaps, was allowed to spread—but that made very little difference to Rick Grimes and his friends, who now knew that even if they successfully avoided a deadly zombie bite for all of their lives, they would still, one day, ultimately transform into something hideous.

The headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control are located in Atlanta, Georgia.

So much for the world of television fiction, but what is the actual nature of the CDC? Would it take a leading role in combating an outbreak of marauding zombies? Certainly, without doubt, the answer is: yes, absolutely. The real world CDC is at the forefront of helping to lessen, and ultimately stop, any and all threats posed by deadly viruses. “Category A” viruses, for the CDC, are considered to be the most serious ones of all.

They are those specific viruses that, says the CDC, “can be easily spread or transmitted from person to person,” that “result in high death rates and have the potential for major public health impact,” that “might cause panic and social disruption,”, and that would “require special action for public health preparedness.” It practically goes without saying that all four of those criteria which fall into the CDC’s “Category A” could more than easily apply to the outbreak of a virus that returns the dead to some psychotic semblance of life.

Moreover, and by the CDC’s very own admission, its work is “a critical component of overall U.S. national security.” The U.S. government most assuredly recognizes the profound importance of the CDC from that very same national security perspective. Currently, the CDC receives yearly funding of around $1.3 billion to “build and strengthen national preparedness for public health emergencies caused by natural, accidental, or intentional events.” It also works closely with the Department of Homeland Security, and with FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

If, one day, the dead do return to cause chaos and carnage, our best hopes for survival may very well be wholly dependent upon the finest minds of the CDC.

It may sound like the ultimate April Fools’ Day joke, or a tall tale with which to terrify children on the spookiest night of the year: Halloween. Incredibly, however, it is not. The U.S. government’s Centers for Disease Control has a section of its website devoted to nothing less than how to deal with a zombie outbreak. Yes, we are talking about a real zombie outbreak. Not only that: much of the online data at the site was provided by Rear Admiral Ali S. Khan, who, in August 2010, was assigned to lead the work of the CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. Rear Admiral Khan is also the Deputy Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. He is, therefore, a prestigious and highly regarded figure.

In a May 2011 article for the CDC’s website, Khan gave a brief history of zombie lore. It encompassed Haitian beliefs on the subject, its links with Voodoo rites and rituals, and its place in the field of movies, such as Night of the Living Dead. Khan noted: “The rise of zombies in pop culture has given credence to the idea that a zombie apocalypse could happen. In such a scenario, zombies would take over entire countries, roaming city streets eating anything living that got in their way.”

More intriguing were Rear Admiral Khan’s words on what direct action the CDC might have to take in the event that a real world scenario befitting The Walking Dead one day comes to pass. “Technical assistance,” stated Khan, would be provided at a city, state, and even international level when, or if, a “zombie infestation” began. Control of the spread of infection would be achieved by quickly placing those affected into quarantine and isolation. Attempts to find a cure for the zombie virus would be paramount, explained the admiral. He also revealed that much time would be spent on determining how the outbreak began, what caused it, and how best to combat the “cycle of transmission” that led to the situation in which zombies were overrunning the landscape. Clearly, then, the CDC has given a great deal of thought to what might happen when the zombies attack and the world is in turmoil and upheaval.

It must be noted that the CDC’s zombie-themed material is presented in slightly tongue in cheek fashion: it even has a non-profit partner called the CDC Foundation that sells “Zombie Task Force” t-shirts. The profits go toward disaster-relief programs. Despite the curious and undeniably surreal humor in all of this, one is inevitably forced to muse upon a potentially alarming possibility: does the CDC secretly know something that the rest of us don’t know? Is its staff aware that, one day, possibly in the very near future, a genuine zombie outbreak may very well occur? If so, is the CDC trying to subtly warn us to be prepared, maybe in a fashion that does not overly alarm us? At least, it won’t alarm us until the dead rise up and start attacking the living.

If, one day, the recently deceased really do surface from the grave and go on a virus-spreading, homicidal killing spree, you would be wise to check out the location of your nearest CDC center. It may very well prove to be the best place in which to hide out when the lights go off, the electricity shuts down, and the news suddenly stops broadcasting.