Survivor communities outside the known world

[DiscoMonster]

After watching 28 Days Later, I wondered how my family and I would survive the raging infected.

The answer was simple. Move out to the relatives' farm where the summer cottage is located. We could get there by boat or by ferry and hunt and live off the land or out of the larder until the disease burnt itself out. My only worry would be infected landing in a boat, or soldiers and refugees from another country realising that this was the perfect place to wait out the catastrophe.

Where is this place? The islands of the Turku Archipelago, Finland, and I reckon that even Pargas (Parainen) could survive if it blew up connecting bridges and was extremely vigilant in killing the infected on the opposite shore for a month.

So, what are the advantages? First off, enough open water to ensure that any infected would probably drown before reaching land, except possibly Pargas. Moving from skerry to skerry might work for the infected but would be unlikely.

Secondly, the self-sufficiency of islanders themselves is a great resource. Importantly, the islanders are used to communicating and cooperating efficiently – especially when hunting, they also pass on knowledge and always help each other when called upon and check up on each other.

Next up are the materials they have at their disposal. They have plenty of guns and equipment for hunting, plus lots of elk towers to use as lookout posts. Plenty of families have their own generators as back-up for when storms cause power outages and many houses have wood-burning fireplaces and stoves. Petrol might be hard to come by but there should be enough for a month of running emergency cars and tractors.

Dry toilets are common and hygienic if used properly, so there would be few sanitation problems, except in Pargas. Running water might be a problem for some, but many have their own boreholes drilled into the ground to pump up fresh water and they would share. Also there would be enough to eat as larders always seemed to bursting with dried and tinned food and there is always the produce of the fields, not to mention the game, mushrooms, nuts and berries of the forest and the fishing is excellent.

Also there would be enough amateur radio enthusiasts to keep in touch with the outside world and plenty of two-way radios to keep everyone in touch around the islands.

So surviving a 28 Days Later scenario would be problematic but more than likely.

What about The Rash, though? I’d like to think that the people of Keuruu and Saimaa have the same natural resources, personal qualities and food and equipment at their disposal as those out in the Baltic Archipelago as well as plenty of waterways, islands and arable land. Plus, if Bornholm is Rash free then I imagine parts of the Turku Archipelago and maybe even Åland could be rash free and habitable, except Pargas. So, what happened?

Stopping beasts would be the greatest problem, maybe the winter wasn’t harsh enough to kill them off. Maybe too many people moved there and created an unsustainable population – probably not as it’s been much higher in the past, or maybe the islanders moved to Sweden, though I can’t imagine them giving up their land without a fight or the Swede’s not wanting to cleanse it for its proper fine land and ease of defence

Anyway, SSSS is not my story to tell, but it’s intriguing to imagine what happened elsewhere.

[Mayabird]

It's possible that people of the Turku Archipelago did survive for a while and then move in with other people (in Finland or elsewhere) later, like how some Scots survived on the Shetlands IIRC before moving to Norway. 

[Cairbre]

It's possible that people of the Turku Archipelago did survive for a while and then move in with other people (in Finland or elsewhere) later, like how some Scots survived on the Shetlands IIRC before moving to Norway.

Check the world map, I think there were some pockets of inhabitation in Ahvenanmaa archipelago at least.

[DiscoMonster]

Check the world map, I think there were some pockets of inhabitation in Ahvenanmaa archipelago at least.

So there are. Well, at least Eckerö. I wonder if the post and customs house is still there or was it cleansed by being razed to the ground? Thank you.

[Cynic]

...
What about The Rash, though? I’d like to think that the people of Keuruu and Saimaa have the same natural resources, personal qualities and food and equipment at their disposal as those out in the Baltic Archipelago as well as plenty of waterways, islands and arable land. Plus, if Bornholm is Rash free then I imagine parts of the Turku Archipelago and maybe even Åland could be rash free and habitable, except Pargas. So, what happened?...

The Finland/Sweden ferrys didn't break down (like the Bronholm one) so with 4+ daily ferrys from Helsinki and Stokholm Mariehamn and mainland Åland must have been hit hard by the rash. The more isolated Islands in the Åland/Turku Archipelago may have survived better.

[KMK]

I believe that island nations who had the foresight to shut down their borders early, and more importantly, patrol and protect themselves from fleeing refugees would have fared pretty well. Japan certainly would have had a hand on the situation, and they have the fleet to protect themselves. Madagascar might have closed their borders, but I don't think they have the strength militarily to keep out determined survivors.

American survivalists might not do as well as you'd think. They are mostly loners. If they just had to avoid getting sick, that might work, but the trolls and beasties are way too vicious and strong to be defeated by small bands. You need numbers and coordinated efforts to get those monsters at bay.

But the Mormons are a community and are preppers too. I think they may have been able to hold out in the mountains of Utah. I think you could find groups in the Northern Rocky Mountain regions. I also suspect that Cheyenne Mountain would seal up before being infected and that a military survivor culture might be there. And strangely enough you might even find a group of people descended from members of the Society of Creative Anachronism who reenact medieval skills, crafts and warfare. They have attitudes very like the people of Dalsnes (i hope I spelled that right) and would take to troll hunting. Seeing that they are currently a million strong they might be able to gather and isolate in groups in locations in which they could hold out.

[Dane Murgen]

I just have to say where people won't survive the Rash: North Dakota, which is featured as the dead dog on page 47.

[KMK]

Eh, perhaps, but I would love to see an up-armored corn chopper in Minna's art style mowing down giants and beasts.



I've seen what these things do to flesh and bone thanks to being the son of a farmer, reading ALL the safety manuals and watching all the OSHA safety briefs.

Now that is a heck of a troll grinder! Yeah need to outfit some cattanks with theses.

[KMK]

While I accept the situation as regards Argentina's military situation, I have to say that in the event of a major pandemic there is a very good chance that the British Government would withdraw the troops stationed there - and everywhere else in the world - as they try to maintain control of the domestic situation by bringing in troops they hope are not yet infected and thus not liable to lapse into a coma at short notice.

I'm not sure they would get recalled. It developed so fast. By the time they might think that they would need them it could be too little too late and if they hadn't totally lost their minds they might realize that it was a chance for the British culture to continue if on far away island.

[KMK]

Speaking of survivalist stuff check out this real survivalist moped.
 http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/autos/motorcycles/motoped-survival-bike.asp

[Fimbulvarg]

Speaking of survivalist stuff check out this real survivalist moped.
 http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/autos/motorcycles/motoped-survival-bike.asp

That's cool and all but not really relevant (also, to avoid double-posting it is advisable to edit preceding posts if possible).

I just have to say where people won't survive the Rash: North Dakota, which is featured as the dead dog on page 47.

Surely there were dogs dying left and right in Scandinavia as well. North Dakota is a big place.

[Laowai]

I have a thought about immunity. I suppose in my mind immunity is something which is genetic. I imagine that by day 21, all of humanity that wasn't quarantined was infected with the rash. By this point, people who weren't already dead were slipping into comas, while others had accepted their fate and were simply sitting around, waiting for the rash to kill them. Amongst these masses, however, were a select few who for some reason never got sick at all. These people watched everyone around them die in the streets, the stores, the hospitals, but never felt so much as an itch. These survivors then ran away from heavily populated areas when trolls started popping up, and many of them managed to find other survivors while on the run. Eventually, most of them settle down in isolated areas (in my mind I'm thinking the alps) and try to etch out a new existence where trolls are merely a new predator to watch out for, much like wolves and bears, etc.
I this scenario then, surviving communities can settle anywhere because their population is 100% immune. Probably winter countries enjoy their yearly respite from troll attacks, but this doesn't preclude warming countries from having survivors. It just means that communities in warmer countries need to be more warrior-like because they have to deal with trolls all the time.
Also, if we assume that immunity is genetic, all the animals of the world (except long-lived animals such as elephants, and, yes, whales) are well on their way to recovery. Some are even likely thriving without human intervention. So not only is there lots of game in this scenario, but also humans can continue raising livestock as a means of survival.


Of course, we don't actually know how people are immune in the story, so this is just a presumption of mine. But I still like to think, even if it isn't based on genetics, that some people were inexplicably immune to the rash, much like how some people were completely unaffected by the Bubonic Plague.

[Headfinder]

I this scenario then, surviving communities can settle anywhere because their population is 100% immune. Probably winter countries enjoy their yearly respite from troll attacks, but this doesn't preclude warming countries from having survivors. It just means that communities in warmer countries need to be more warrior-like because they have to deal with trolls all the time.

Settlements don't survive only by having people in them, they need resources.
How do you get resources? Through work. And who works? People! If you don't start with a sizable community to begin with you'll be going down soon, and the only places with an inmune population big enough will have an even bigger troll population that'll kill them before they leave from there. You'll need to save some non inmunes too. And you have to hope that the chaos caused by the collapse of civilization doesn't kill too many people either.

And now the worst part:
Where do you get resources? From the source obviously. And there'll probably a village, town or even city there already, with all it's trolls and nasty stuff. You'll have to cleanse an area before exploiting it and get food from it, and for that, you'll need resources: fuel, bullets, steel...
The cold, however, is free, carries no risks for the population (which was small to begin with) and makes cleansing way easier by not having to hunt every single troll and risk leaving some alive.

This is year zero, the decisive point, and here, with no resources and almost no people, the cold is not a comodity, but a necesity (and the same would go to any other envviromental factor that could be helpful: sunlight, vegetation...)

[Oskutin]

Settlements don't survive only by having people in them, they need resources.
How do you get resources? Through work. And who works? People! If you don't start with a sizable community to begin with you'll be going down soon, and the only places with an inmune population big enough will have an even bigger troll population that'll kill them before they leave from there. You'll need to save some non inmunes too. And you have to hope that the chaos caused by the collapse of civilization doesn't kill too many people either.

And now the worst part:
Where do you get resources? From the source obviously. And there'll probably a village, town or even city there already, with all it's trolls and nasty stuff. You'll have to cleanse an area before exploiting it and get food from it, and for that, you'll need resources: fuel, bullets, steel...
The cold, however, is free, carries no risks for the population (which was small to begin with) and makes cleansing way easier by not having to hunt every single troll and risk leaving some alive.

This is year zero, the decisive point, and here, with no resources and almost no people, the cold is not a comodity, but a necesity (and the same would go to any other envviromental factor that could be helpful: sunlight, vegetation...)

Iceland's population dropped by half becuase they didn't have resources and idustrial capasity.

Our world is very connected and very dependant on others.
When disconnecting from the system (permanently) will lead to lack of manufactured and basic goods and loss of life quality and even lives.

[Lovely]

It's pretty strange what noone here, except one man who proposed the idea about Solovetsky Islands - don't thought about Russia and the theme of the United States also mainly avoid. Really I see lot's of reasons why Russia together with a USA can save more people, then everywhere in the World. Of course if will be work together after a collapce of the civilisation. However Russia and USA can survive alone too.

And it's very strange to see the anything like that:

I am quite embarassed that I missed the possibility that Sakhalin could become a breadbasket for Japan. Because Sakhalin can provide between 7000 and 15000 km² of land which is suitable for agriculture(at least if I didn't mess up with the maps). And depending on how much grain can be harvested from this land Sakhalin could become quite an important pillar of Japans food supply(the only number I have for how much can be harvested per area is for wheat in germany with 8t/ha or 800t/km² in 2012 which would result in a harvest of between 5600000t and 12000000t for Sakhalin). But I still doubt that Japan would go because of the oil, but it would be an added benefit of taking Sakhalin. Also I don't think Japan would conquer Sakhalin because it would be more efficient to 'ask' the people of Sakhalin to join something like a trade union. But all of this depends on that Sakhalin is free from the rash.

Sounds like all Russian military bases on Sakhalin and Kurilian islands is abandoned although these places are much more lonely and rarely visited than Iceland, but have a military bases and ways how to defend from the epidemy. And looks like Russian can save the technologies of the old world.

Ok, why the Russian can do that?

Firstly, the Russia is a really big country. We have lots of towns surrounded by absolutly wild lands, mainly in the area of Siberia. For example - First, second, third. All that towns is pretty big and have very small air traffic with another world. And we have in few times more small towns and villages in that region. I think people here can avoid the first wave of a epidemy. Of course, they can't survive during the long time without food supply and also can't avoid the infection during the long time, but people can survive at least first few mount. That towns usually have a warehouses with resources for half part of year or near and maybe have a military warehouses for case of nuclear war near. Food, fuel, weapons. And rivers.

If Russian government block the traffic on Trans-Siberian railroad and ban the Air-traffic when epidemy will be started - it's probably can give a few days for megacities in the center of Siberia like a Novosibirsk or remote satellites. If not - Russia still have lots of remote towns with 50,000 citizen or near and still have a closed military town and bases with a pass control. For example - Lesnoy. That town is remote from civilisation, has armed guards, own populations mainly is a nuclear physicists and other scientists, also that town have factory for the manufacture of nuclear fuel and appropriate safety security. And we have same towns for a biological or chemical research. I'm sure what small part from this towns can avoid the Death and I'm totally sure what lot's of remote and lonely places in Russia exactly can avoid the epidemy some time, like a weeks of mounts.

Maybe some towns will be exist in isolation for many years, especially towns in Urals and Altai mountains, where people can grow some food and get enough weapons for defense from warehouses.

Secondly, Russia still have lots of nuclear submarines with crews and nuclear ice-breaker. Ice-breaker usually can carry tourists or passengers and accompany transport ships in a Arctic Ocean. Also on the coast of the Arctic Ocean and the island we also have some military bases, airfields and other objects, where people can survive some time.

In the one dark day the nuclear ice-breaker and that military bases will be out of a food but... We have three amazing place, where all Russian ships and people can have the haven.

First place is a Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the main base of a Russian Navy in the Pacific sea. Of course it's a continental town, but exist no way how to walk through the hills and volcanoes of Kamchatka and that town have only air and sea communications with a civilisation. And that troubles is a reason why that town is not popular as international port. I think what that town can be saved from epidemy for a long time and be a real technological and supply base for a Russian navy.

Second place is a Sakhalin and Kuril islands. That island also is not popular but have a port, towns and military bases with airfields.

And the third place is the territory of the United States or Japany of Pacific Oceans islands, like Midway Island, Hawaii or Anchorage. The presence of nuclear submarines is a reason why masters of that ports will be not shot in the Russian envoys as it happend near Iceland.

Thirdly, Russians military have a really good way how be sure what all people on the ice-breaker or another ships - as on their military ships too - is free from a rash. Quarantined for a month or two and if anyone try avoid the quarantine Russian military can use the airforce, onshore anti-ship missiles, warships and submarines as apparent reason to comply the quarantine.

And the Russian able to just clean up the one of two islands in Kuril archipelago from infected people (thermobaric weapons) and use that lands as a quarantine zone for a people from a transport jets. And we can evacuate survivors from the lonely Siberian towns on that islands, because Russian also have very good military transport aviation.

Fourth, the cooperation with a ships from other countries, especially with US Navy, allow to keep under control main part of Pacific Sea and protect as many islands as it's possible. And use that islands too. I'm sure what the Russian and US admirals will be enough smart for realise what both side have a nuclear weapons and can eliminate each other and it's be better if they will be support. I'm sure what US and Russian people can clear the Hawaii in a few months (if Hawaii will be infected) and evacuate as many people and another stuff as it's possible.

So, Russia have few safety places, lot's of places where people can survive some time before evacuate, way how to evacuate survivers, places for a quarantine, way how to clear up the infested island (thermobaric weapons and heroic sacrifice from soldiers and officers), way how to defend own territories from another military, and ways how to save a techology specialists, agriculture and industry on a Sakhalin and some another zones.

Of course, this is ideal way how it can be. But I'm sure what something from that can happend and we can have anything like a Union of the Pacific Ocean. And survived towns and villages on continent of course, don't forget about Solovets islands.