Zombie Apocalypse: Leeds: 2.8 Hours Later

Update: Win a pair of tickets for Thursday 22nd September by answering this in the comments box below ‘Who created the TV adaptation of zombie opus,”The Walking Dead”

Winners picked Thurs by Midday. Quick! Normal T’s n C’s apply

The Zombie Hordes are coming. The Waking Dead, Ghouls, The Eternal Waking Nightmare, The Infected, call ’em what you want but they’re coming to Leeds, there’s most nothing we can do about it, and you can be part of it (slightly discounted tickets available here).

From the 22nd to the 24th of September, Leeds’ streets will be witness to the largest outbreak of Infected since the now infamous Bristol “Epedemic” (See the terrifying footage of the Bristol incident here). Pervasive Gaming company Slingshot are bringing 2.8 Hours Later, a city-wide Zombie chase game, to Leeds city centre.

Winning, to be clear, is not the goal; do not attempt to eradicate the armies of the infected. Do not try to be a hero. Survival is all we may hope for and therefore our singular goal. Gather yourselves in groups of six, pick a leader, designate roles for your team (specialisation saves time in groups – you don’t have to do everything yourself), take water, wear your most durable yet comfortable shoes and join in the fight for personkind’s survival, to outrun the relentless walking Undead.

We’ve seen the warnings…

… if you know what you’ve been looking for. Be vigilant. Read every headline as if it were a potential cover-up. Watch for stories of random outbreaks of hysteria, of virus outbreaks (Ebola, bird-flu, swine flu, the sort of thing we’ve become used to in our press), and of cults “killed by their leader in suicide pacts”. Pore over the details. Were all the victims killed by head shots, were large quarantines (with the associated media blackout that conveniently comes with it) formed, was it blamed on a nuclear leak, a chemical spill? Or perhaps a host of buildings burned until no bodies were identifiable? These news stories are the pre-cursors to the Government’s undoubted eventual admittance that we are indeed in the early stages of an outbreak; they are the precursors to the inevitable arrival of The Undead at your door.

Media reports of civil unrest without good reason or just cause, these are all Government spin to contain the hysteria. Our Governments already know of the outbreaks. Think about it, Governmental bans on public rallies and demonstrations through our land’s most populated cities. Increased instances of natural disasters that wipe huge swathes of the population out. Then there’s the huge cuts to spending on public and social services. Our leaders are merely containing the panic as long as they can, and they’re stockpiling; readying themselves for the logistical and no doubt military response needed to secure a city (saviour is not an option), or worse, a nation teeming with the infected.

Imagine turning down Briggate to hear the dull moans of nearby ghouls slowly but inevitably advancing on their next victim, or entering the Merrion Centre only to find it overrun by terrified humans, and ghouls eager to devour human flesh.

So what can we do? Prepare!

As of right now, we still have time to prepare. The best advice I can give is, Know Your Enemy:
– know how to keep safe, to outrun them (distance is our best defence)
– learn how to go undetected; how to move silently, in the shadows. Remember… They. Can. Smell. You.
– know their weak points (intelligence is our best asset… the hordes do not think)
– know their strengths: the Undead are indefatigable, relentless, unceasing. You don’t need stamina when you don’t tire, don’t feel, don’t sleep or rest.
– learn about the terrain you may have to traverse, and the buildings that will serve you best as security.
– Wear snug fitting clothes (to avoid the cloying arms of The Undead)
– Carry water and supplies (I cannot stress this enough), energy rich foods and most of all…
– train, Train, Train.
– follow the hashtag #2point8 now and on the nights of the outbreaks. Information is our friend. (Do not come to rely on such technology however, there’s no guarantee that communications networks will be intact. Perhaps invest in a CB radio?)
– DO NOT Go down the Winchester while this all blows over!

For more advice, see the 2.8hours.com site, further reading starts with Max Brookes’ Zombie Survival Guide. 20 pages in you’ll find yourself surveying your shed for potential makeshift weaponry, your larder for supplies and buying a backpack as comfortable as it is easy to shake off to give grabbing ghouls you will encounter the slip.

Speaking of preparation… while you’re getting ready, why not listen to the ideal zombie soundtrack As Soon As I Wake Up by Rosie?
As Soon As I Wake Up is taken from the awesome Rosie album “Aftaparty” and is available as a Pay What You Want download or physical CD here, so why not give it a spin?

Happy running. Stay safe, and should the worst happen, you’ll still be able to get into the Zombie Disco at the end of the night… in full zombie zombie zombie zombie zombie, zombie zombie zombie zombie zombie make-up… obviously.

PS – do not actually bring weapons to 2.8 Hours Later. (The military are far better at dealing with the advancing soulless bodies than a bunch of untrained amateurs. Fire of any sort, friendly or otherwise will not be tolerated).