A Long Time Coming

You might recall...if you read all my blogs, that my New Years resolution for 2015 was to sell my home. Two weeks after writing that post I found out I was pregnant! I also found out that I am fully useless as a pregnant person. Everything else was on hold while I made a human in my body. My writing, most housework, I had to go down to part-time at work, and I couldn't help renovate our home for the market... So, no selling my home. Sadness. 

Then 2016 came along and I was determined to make good on my promise to myself. From February till November, Hubby and I worked our butts off on that house on the weekends, between caring for two little ones, using up our vacation time and dealing with money constraints. Fun times... 

But we finally, finally, finally, with sore bods and tired minds, were done by November 9th. We were DONE!!!! 

One week later it was listed on the market, November 17th, my birthday! 

One day later offers were coming in!

Two days after the house went on the market, we accepted an offer...Lets all hope everything goes very smoothly. I haven't been able to sleep more than a few hours a day since this all began, and sleep deprivation makes you go a little crazy... and chubby. I've gained so much weight, what with the near constant stress and no sleep... Oh Boy! 

RAGE + ROT = ZOMBIE

So I don't like writing "because magic." I hate that. For me, there has to be some scientific reason for everything, VERY LOOSELY scientific, but I can't just write something like, she used her magic to make him this or that, or magic brought the zombie back to life, or vampire magic...there has to be a "reason" for everything. Biological, chemical, neurological, something tied into something real.

I made vampirism a virus that acts like a parasite, which changes the host's body to better suit it's continued existence. Everything about the vampire is tied to this; from it's super human talents, to it's aversion to the sun. 

Gods are aliens who have advanced to the point of sentient energy. They've learned to manipulate matter on a molecular level and Angels are their slave robots, also made of pure energy. Demons and Devils are simply put, Gods and Angels of a different view point not popular among the species. 

Witches are half-breed offspring of demons, thus gaining some talent in manipulating molecular structures. But lacking the foresight into the consequences of their actions, often what they do comes back to bite them, so they believe in some rubbish about magic having a price and create "familiars" animals and people who they feed their blood in order to place the burden of their magical deeds on them instead, when really it's all about luck and expectation. Blah, blah...seems legit, right?

So Zombies...The myth: these are undead folk brought back from death by magic and they are super hungry for brains or flesh, almost exclusively human bits. Yummy. But it makes no sense whatsoever. 

Dead people can't function because the very nature of our biological existence would never allow it. Also, dead bodies don't function, therefor they do no feel hunger pains. 

The best idea I can come up with to explain their murderous, rotting, contagious ways:

Murder: Must be some kind of brain damage that creates blind aggression. They rip, bite, destroy anything and everything; animals, humans, moving parts and each other. The parts of the brain that must be damaged is the part of the brain that controls serotonin (empathy). Also the logic center of the brain and the memories. Without logic, empathy and our memories we don't add up to much. Add in overproduction of certain flight or fight hormones and boom, murderous rage!

Rotting People:  People do rot while living. It's called Gangrene and it's caused by lack of blood circulation. When a part of the human body loses blood flow for a long period of time it starts to die off, first by the destruction of the nerves and then the ability feel goes. When you can't feel a part of yourself, you can't be as careful as you need to be, and a cut can become infected, which will progress unimpeded by the health benefits of white blood cells. That part of you becomes gangrenous and rots away. The rot can spread fast. So, if a disease of some kind takes away the blood flow to the majority of your body, especially around the surface areas, you can hurt yourself while attacking someone in a murderous rage and then gangrene sets in and rot spreads from there. 

Contagious: Believe it or not, but this was the hardest part for me to rationalize. Violence, easy...brain damage that's caused by some kind of drug or disease or parasite. Rotting flesh, easy....gangrene. How all of that can be transferred from person to person...harden than you think. Most movies and books have the disease spread through bites and claw marks. Basically it's blood to blood contact, assuming the zombie has oozing bloody stubs of fingers and shredded lips. Or it could be in the blood and saliva. But, in The Walking Dead the zombie virus is in everyone and no matter how you die, you will come back a zombie. I'm more interested in zombism as a contagion to be avoided. 

Introducing a manufactured disease created for biological warfare; Nezhit’ Kontsa.

Nez for short, it causes the brain to shut down higher functions, increases aggression and kills red blood cells in the skin and extremities. The person is actually still alive, but they are crazy murderous and rotting with gangrene. Nez has two stages of contagion. When first released into a populated area it's a gas, but once it infects a host it becomes blood born, only transferable by blood to blood contact.

ANGRY MUTANTS

I'm still on my hunt to unlock my own personal take on Zombies, but this article on Violent Genes (and you may know where my mind is heading with this) is very interesting. 

How Brain's Chemistry Unleashes Violence

I haven't yet researched this sites claims but if it's right then what it's found is remarkable, which is why I'm remarking about it now. 

Apparently there is a mutated gene that only appears on the X chromosome, meaning it can only be passed down by women, Moms. This mutation can cause aggression in people by reducing or eliminating the amount of serotonin the brain makes, making people anywhere between mean spirited to downright sociopaths, from that insensitive ass-hat you avoid, to murdering rapists. Environment may be the determining factor there.... 

This mutation effects men worse since women have 2 X chromosome, meaning there is a greater chance that one will not have the mutation, and will be expressed while the mutated gene lays dormant. But, men only have 1 X and 1 Y, so if they get a mutated X gene, they are screwed....

Again, I haven't confirmed the validity of this article's claims. 

I'm just spreading possible ignorance. Fun. 

MADE IN THE STARS BY JIM PROCTOR

One of my favorite authors, Jim Proctor has a brilliant novella you really must check out if you love sweet romance (not whips and chains and all that) and Science Fictions. 

The book leaves you wanting more!

Mankind has spread to dozens of worlds throughout the universe, and traveling to another world is as simple as stepping through a wormhole or walking onto a Starliner to travel through hyperspace. Finding true love across the vastness of space has been relegated to mathematical algorithms and supercomputers.

Keylann Ascentia is looking for love. With the aid of her Mate Technician, Torina Gates, her search takes her to new worlds. As much as some things change, others remain the same. Sometimes, when you least expect it, love finds you.

So Clever, So good!

Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Made in the Stars (Kindle Edition)

I didn't realize it was a short story when I started reading it, so as I was grooving alone on this lovely story about a woman named Keylann who is seeking love in a universe where humanity is all over the place...yeah, and you think it's hard finding a date on Earth...lol. Their version of E-Harmony are Mate Technicians, like personal match makers. The story is very enduring.

A great quick sci-fi romance read. 5 Stars!

I thought I should add more here. If you've ever read Jim Proctors other novels, you know he has a huge talent in showing us the advanced technology of these other futuristic civilizations. In Made in the Stars, I especially loved the wormholes the people use to get from planet to planet.