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It all started on Oct. 24.
An experimental drug slated to eliminate the common feline parasite Toxoplasma Gondii went awry, causing the cats to become hyper-violent and enraged. The parasite, which affects almost all cats and approximately half of the human population, became extremely aggressive and easily spread upon any physical contact.
The facility locked down quickly, trying to keep the infection contained. They thought it had stopped there.
It would have stopped there, but two students assisting in the experiment were unknowingly affected.
They brought the infection home to the University of Maine.
We had no idea who it was, at first. I remember when it first started. I was standing next to one of the original infected when he turned. Screams surrounded me as I sprinted away.
Luckily, I wasn’t followed closely. There were plenty of other potential victims to distract him.
I ducked down a side path and went behind a building. All I needed to do was get to my car and leave as fast as possible. I had nothing to defend myself with and no way to stop them. I knew there were people who needed my help, but I had nothing to help them with. As far as I was concerned, it was every man for himself.
I stayed indoors for the rest of that day, and the next. Going out too often made you an easy target. But eventually I had to leave. I couldn’t just become a hermit for the rest of my life, so I took a gamble.
Traveling from Dunn Hall to Neville Hall, I made sure to take as many side paths as possible. I cut behind Wells Central, kept close to buildings and behind shrubs.
Paranoia gripped me. Every person who walked by could be one. Every door that opened caused me to tense up.
Then the biggest obstacle came up — I had to get across the mall.
I should have found another way, but I was running late and had to hope that no one would spot me. So I manned up and began the long walk.
I didn’t notice him until it was too late.
From the corner of my eye I noticed the red armband as he walked toward me. He hadn’t spotted me yet — I didn’t know what to do. I froze, then tried to walk toward any sort of cover. I was caught in the open, with nowhere to go and nothing to stop him.
The chase was on.
I managed to make it as far as the door before he caught up to me. By then it was already over. My time as a human had come to an end, but my time as a zombie was just beginning.
My experience as a human in this semester’s Humans vs. Zombies (HvZ) game was brief, to say the least. Having limited experience of what the game was about left me unprepared for the level of strategy needed to survive until the end. Plus, having nothing to defend myself with didn’t help either.
This year’s HvZ is well attended and features a wider array of Nerf weaponry than I knew existed. During an organizational meeting, the lecture hall inside Little Hall showcased an interesting breadth of people who planned to play.
Some, like myself, came with nothing more than a desire to see what it was all about. Others came well equipped, toting Nerf guns that had 30-round drum clips, among other pieces of gear. Someone even brought in a full gas mask to get into character.
It started on the mall, with everyone getting into a big group and waiting for the two “original zombies,” or “zeds,” to reveal themselves. No one wanted to be the first to go, and all made sure to stand as far away from others as possible until they found out who the zombies were.
By random chance I was standing next to one of the originals, and had to run as fast as I could while he was distracted. Paranoia grips you quickly, and if you want to get away “alive” you have to watch the corners at all times.
Being inexperienced and lacking gear, I fell quickly to a more experienced player, Brent Kramer, right outside Little Hall. It was Kramer’s third time playing the game, and he and his friend Andrew Cote had quickly become zombies on purpose.
“It’s lots of fun,” said Kramer.
He once managed to remain human for the entire duration of the game, which typically lasts for a week, but chose to be a zombie this year. Kramer, Cote, and a six-game veteran named Paul Holyoke gave me some tips to avoid complete humiliation in the future.
“For humans, take the long way, leave early and stay alone,” Holyoke said. “No heroics.”
Kramer added, “Don’t count your stuns, you’ll get too cocky.”
Universal approval was given to sock flails, as they don’t need reloading.
“For zombies,” Holyoke said, “be sneaky for the first couple of days. After the game has been going for a while, you can travel in packs of around 30. Also, don’t be afraid to take a stun to let someone else get the kill.”
Justin Smith, a first-time player of the game, had his own experience getting caught.
“I was escorting a friend to Knox,” Smith said. “The original zombie actually tracked me from the mall all the way to Knox, and we got caught in the Knox parking lot.”
It may seem like it takes too much time to play, but Kramer disagrees.
“You can play casually,” he said. “A lot of it has to do with luck.”
Occasionally even the best-laid plans are foiled by sheer chance.
The thing that struck me was the friendliness of all the players I met. Upon spotting the armband, people would strike up conversation about their experiences and ask how you were doing in the game.
Teams form quickly just from being in the same vicinity. When your life is at stake, it doesn’t take long for people to band together to help each other out. Not everyone sticks to the rules or plays fair, but the vast majority treats it as a fun game that benefits a good cause.
The same can’t be said of people not involved in HvZ. It doesn’t take long for people to start making nasty comments while you’re wearing the armband. A few people even actively tried to ruin things by pretending to be involved and chasing after humans.
Most of the comments directed my way were snide asides, calling me a loser for participating, thinking I couldn’t hear them. Few actively approached and spoke to participants, but plenty gave me looks of disgust and rolled their eyes.
For such an innocuous game meant to benefit starving families in Maine through the Good Shepherd Food-Bank, it sure gets a lot of hate.
So for anyone looking to donate to charity and get something out of it, HvZ is a great option. Not only do you get to meet a lot of friendly people, but you also have an excuse to play a giant game of tag and let off a bit of steam.
Just remember to bring your sock flail.
