Re: [HoE] Bodies from the Big One

[VCVet@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/13/99 8:48:48 AM Central Daylight Time, 
crow_steve@hotmail.com writes:

<<  was wondering what you thought the bodies from the last war would be 
 >like.  Obviously, those exposed to the elements for 13 years, especially 
those in the deserts, would be nothing but bleached bones. But what about 
bodies in buildings, in subway systems and even in underground bunkers? Would 
there be any stinky, rotting stuff left? It'd obviously be more creepy than 
fighting countless skeletal walking dead.  Anyway, I was wondering what you 
thought. >>

I'd go with the Hollywood look of the zombies from the Romero "Dead" movies, 
especially "Dawn of the Dead."  As a veterinarian I have seen my share of 
dead animals in varying degrees of decomposition, and corpses 13 years old 
just aren't exciting.  No more smell than a rawhide bone, and the musculature 
is in the same state.  I would say that in zombies the animating force slows 
the decomposition.  As for garden variety bodies, you would be lucky to still 
have skeletons, much less much meat on them.  Calcium is in short supply in 
the natural world, and bones are a prime source for everyone from rodents to 
dogs.  Watch "The Omega Man" for a good idea of what the bodies would look 
like.

Jay Kyle