What would you do if you lived in a post-apocalyptic world?

[Squigma]

So, imagine there's a some sort of disaster that kills most of the population of the earth. It could be a gigantic meteor, or perhaps global thermonuclear war. For the sake of this hypothetical situation, let's say it's something like a pandemic - so it kills people, but leaves the rest of the world undamaged.

As dark as this situation sounds, there's a bright side. You're one of the very fortunate survivors, just a handful of people who managed to stay alive. Maybe through your expert survival skills, or your planning for any eventuality. Or maybe it's just blind luck.

So, once society has collapsed around you, you're left to live amongst it's ruins. What would you do?

Where would you go? Would you stay where you used to live, or find a new home in a different town? Or perhaps you would prefer to stay away from urban areas, and set up camp in the country? Maybe you wouldn't want to settle down at all, and would prefer to travel the world?

Who would you be with? Would you realise survival is an individual game now that society no longer makes us look out for each other, or would you befriend a few other survivors in the hope of benefiting the collective whole? Would you take this even further, and try to build up a small community, hoping to retain what's left of the civilised world?

How would you live? Does the life of a hunter-gatherer appeal to you, or would you prefer to farm crops and animals? Would you try and cling on to the resources society has left us for as long as possible, or would you accept the world has changed and fend for yourself?

Most importantly, what would you do? Now there's no civilisation, there's no money either. And that means no job, so you're free to do what you want. Or course, you still have to get food, and water - but how would you spend you life after that? Would you settle down, try and make your life relatively comfortable and just live it out? Or would you try and rebuild society? Or perhaps there's some crazy goal you can now fulfil, without the rest of the world holding you back?

I was gonna give my answers here, but it's late now and I need some time to think about it. Instead, I'll reply tomorrow and tell you what I'd do.


(Yeah, I've been watching that "Survivors" programme on BBC)

 

[RileyKilo]

As a person who's always lived in or near big cities, in a situation like this I'm pretty sure I'll be the mutant/zombie that the survivors are going to try to kill, or I'll just be vaporized.

I've been playing Fallout 3 lately, and Fallout 2 is just about my favorite game of all time, so maybe in the post-apocalyptic world I'll play video games about pre-apocalyptic times.

 

[xdeadx]

I'd be sad.

 

[Fire2box]

It's called raiding stores. I'll also be like the only one going to XP Medical's warehouse. I don't think a lot of people will be going after the whole diaper thing and I can pretty much live in nearly any house.

 

[Dave]

I would do whatever I wanted of course steal, grow pot and other drugs, I would just make it up as I went along.

 

[Mink]

Prolly at first, make sure my explosive skill is above 25 so I can disarm the bomb and get a house then maybe help a shop owner get a guide to survival up and going. Then maybe I'll go over to an abandon hotel with enough money and take residence there and help with any undead situations they have going on.


...wut.

 

[Maverick]

Where I would go: I'd definitely want to settle down someplace, but traveling would be fun too. I'd probably stay close to where I once lived but near some other survivors too. If there were no other survivors where I lived, then I'd probably pack my bags and find somewhere else to live.

Who would I be with: If my family survived with me, I'd probably stay with them. If they happened to unfortunately die, then I'd want to be near other survivors. I'm very shy, so I might not socialize with them well. I'd support any efforts to create and maintain a settlement though.

How I would live: I would most likely take up some sort of craft. Not farming. Something that could be done indoors. Maybe building some things that could be useful to the other survivors. I don't know. I'd also try to help out with whatever I was needed for.

What I would do: I think we'd need to establish a new government and society. I'd love to be part of a convention to decide the laws and how the new government will operate. Other than that, I'd try to make the new world as stable as possible.

 

[Spiro910]

I'd listen to Galaxy News Radio! (jk)

Where would you go? Try to find a survivors camp, or make one if that failed.

Who would I be with: People that survived.

How I would live: Resort to basic abilities like hunting for food, etc.

What I would do: Live without a government/leader, but a bureau compromised of everything that would handle all of the situations.

 

[KCBaby92]

Where would I go? I'd probably go somewhere different, maybe somewhere in Europe (assuming there was some way to get there.) I'd like to live out in the wild probably. I'd catch and cook my own food probably.

If I found anyone, I'd probably stick with them, assuming they weren't insane or anything. I'd also try to find other people.

Also, I'd probably try to clean up messes as I went along. Like moving bodies and trying to dispose of them (assuming it isn't some infectious disease that killed everything.)

 

[Footed P.J.]

Where I would go: I'd probably go down to the hospital next to me and take refuge, take over the restrooms, etc. Foodwise, I'd walk to the local supermarket and do the best I could, then try to hunt.
Who would I be with: Alone!
How I would live: I'd be in survival mode. Hunting, trying to farm a bit. Eating and drinking when I could.

What I would do: Just meditate. Think. Try to achieve a new calmness and go about my weird life.

Yup.

 

[Boogeyman]

I'd do whatever the fuck I want.

 

[Dream]

I probably steal alot of crap from alot of stores and take over this country with NARU being my second in command.....All Your Base Are Belong To Us...

 

[Charlie]

I'd start a new society! Grab any other survivors and re-build the Earth!
Salvage important books etc.

Then start the mating! And form a perfect society.

So I wouldn't go anywhere... I assume I'd be stuck on this bloody island anyway. I'd just look for survivors.

It would be really tempting to go around committing crimes first though...

 

[Squigma]

Interesting responses. Personally, I would hate to stay in one place - it would be creepy to settle down with most of the world gone.

Instead, I would travel around and see as much as possible. I'd have to steal a car and teach myself to drive, but without much traffic that shouldn't be too hard. I'd probably have to teach myself a lot of things, really. So one of the things I'd do is find bookshops and libraries and build up a treasure-trove of knowledge.

I'd find some way to get out of Britain (maybe steal a boat, or take the chunnel), and explore the word, perhaps finding societies others have made and seeing how they're getting on.

I wouldn't be able to do it alone though. It would be cool to not have other people around for a little while; but as much as they drive me insane sometimes, the loneliness would drive me insane a lot faster. So I would try and find 2 or 3 other people who'd like to travel with me.

I'm not exactly good on survival skills, so I guess I would either learn from my companions or from the books I've gathered. Also, I would loot quite a lot. I've always thought it would be cool to be able to take stuff without worrying about money.

In a weird way, it sounds like it could be kinda fun

 

[Chillhouse]

Probably make my way somewhere tropical, so I can at least survive winters without any indoor heating. bleh.

 

[satyrical]

Where would you go? I'd probably stay at my hometown, because it's familiar and I know where everything is. Also, plenty of really nice houses to live in. Maybe I'd travel around a bit after a while, but it would not be in my immediate plans.

Who would you be with? Anyone who survived. Live together, die alone. I doubt there would be many people, but us working together would do far more than us working alone. Also, I'd go insane from the loneliness if there was no one else around.

How would you live? I'd steal every solar panel from the nearby stores and set them up on the roof of my house so that we would not have to worry about losing power. I'd immediately start gathering firewood, because winter would be the hardest to survive. Not sure what I would do about food- I can't hunt, and eventually all the food in the stores would perish. Hopefully my companions would be able to help me with that.

Most importantly, what would you do? Diapers all of the time. I'd take as many packages as I could from the drug stores and stuff them into a truck. I'd live in the best house in my neighbourhood, and I'd pray the internet still works.

 

[kevindhca]

I'd stay right here, since I already grow much of my own food,and heat my house with wood. I won't have to worry about what to do. If I wanted to survive there will be plenty of work to do. I will have to raid a store for diapers, but after that will have to switch to cloth. I will probably have to convert my generator to burn alcohol since gasoline will become very hard to find.

 

[lboro83]

Then start the mating!

Rofl... Have you already got this planned?

--

Seriously though, i've been watching the BBC drama programme "Survivors" recently and this has oddly enough been on my mind. And, it scares me.

I'm one of these 'pathetic' individuals who has absolutely no idea what he would do. To live I kind of depend on a few productions of modern medicine, so I guess without those I don't no how long I would survive. Hmm, nice thought!

 

[Serendiapity]

Die, likely.



:laugh:

 

[Martin]

First, get access to as much tech stuff (or anything for that matter) that could help me survive.

Learn how to fly a plane.

Find others, I might be a very lonesome person but you'll need people to survive.

Make most of my life and go with the flow.