Your 'Left Behind' Survival Strategy

[Rocksa]

No, not the books and movies and whatnot about the rapture or whatever it was.

I had been talking with a friend about The Road when the subject turned to what would happen if we woke up and found that every other person on Earth was just gone, and what we would do. During the course of discussion we determined that everything would go to pot rather quickly, and survival would be, well, interesting.

So, to set the stage here. You wake up, every last person on earth, except for you, is just gone. For sake of ease here, let's say it just happened, so you have a little more time before everything gets really bad. In a few moments planes will drop from the sky, cars will smash into things, fires will start, and just general chaos will ensue. In a few hours you'll lose electricity as nobody is there to keep the powerplants going, this also means that any nuclear reactors will soon be going, well, nuclear. Water will be gone soon after that. In the weeks and months to follow, dangerous animals will escape zoos, domesticated animals will begin forming into packs and going feral, and you'll soon have to deal with the fallout from those reactors as it rains down from the sky.

So how would you survive? Would you even bother trying to survive? What would you do for food, shelter, and other neccessities? How would you deal with the loneliness? What about the animals, would you try to free some of them from the zoos, feed the strays that come around, or just pick them off so they don't become a threat later? Do you stay where you are and bunker down, or do you take to the road and head for a more ideal location? How do you keep yourself entertained?

I had my own thought out pretty well, but I'd like to hear some of yours, Escapist community.

 

[JanatUrlich]

I'm not gonna lie, I'd probably just wander around for a few days and cry a lot. Then I'd kill myself XD

 

[FallenJellyDoughnut]

First I would take cover, then, considering I don't live anywhere near a nuclear powerplant, I would get myself two pet dogs and train then well, then I would hang out for awhile, after which I would explore the world, live in a gas station and use a generator to play xbox or ps or whatever the fuck I want.

Sounds pretty awesome actually.

 

[Kpt._Rob]

That sounds really really shitty. I think I'd probably just figure out the best way to get as high as possible, and if I couldn't manage to OD on something I'd just off myself some other way.

I've always considered interacting with other people to be the most important part of life, if that was gone, I just can't imagine it'd be worth it to try and keep going.

 

[zacobar]

probably wander lost in grief and hunger, pillaging as I went. If I survived long enough to pull myself out of Isolation angst, I'd probably head for the nearest military base. Though of course that means I'd have to find it and sort out transport, supplies, whatnot. But hell, live that long and you must have some skiils.

Then live for another 10 years indulging every negative freedom fantasy I can think of before writing an epic for future dead and commiting suicide as the self-harm from alcohol, substances and knives convinces me of the true nilism of the world.
-
Oddly, I fantasie about this. But that's what you get when you combine mild depressiona and Anarchist/socialist worldviews.

 

[random457376]

Roffles. I was surprised by how much this situation started my brain racing on the 'best strategy' as though it were some sort of RTS rush-build rotation, prioritising specific preparations with an emphasis on speed and fast expansion.

Anyway ~ here comes my plan. This however, is given some pretty large presumptions, including that my hypothetical survivor is more or less immediately aware of his dire circumstance and pretty damn nifty.

1.) Leap out of bed like a mofo, make a mad dash for the nearest point of internet access whilst electricity is still about. Immediately look up details on all relevantly located nuclear power plants in relation to self, along with key locations like superstores, libraries, universities and a spermbank (more on that later). Plan safest route that avoids fallout zones and makes maximum use of time.

2.) Run downstairs, gather all the food supplies and water that you can from the house. Carry all that you can on your own person but leave behind anything that you can't reasonably take inside a big backpack or several carrier bags. This will keep you alive for the time being, and at least for the first few days, you can break into residential areas and shopping stores for extra supplies.

3.) Make your way out into the wild yonder. Don't take a car, as every road from here to nowhere is likely blocked up. Take a bicycle, or preferably a motorbike if you can ride it safely - no need to get yourself killed needlessly when you're the last hope for humanity.

4.) It'll be a while until the animals become the dominant force in the area so you have some time. Unless of course, you're in one of the aforementioned fallout zones, in which case you need to GTFO as soon as possible. Provided you have time, or escape alive into a safe zone, immediately hit any of the locations previously described and maybe pick up a weapon for when the apes start forming intelligent social-groups.

5.) Your main goal is to keep enough supplies on yourself at all times that you don't need to go out of your way into potentially dangerous areas, being able to pick and choose where you hit. You also need to work fast on research - yes, research - you're the last hope for humanity, because hopefully there are enough egg and sperm cells left alive in their freezer (or at least one of one of these depending on your gender) that you can create some of the frakenstein test-tube babies.

Again, though. This accounts for some pretty lucky circumtances (including the existence of those aforementioned materials in an environment where electricity is rapidly faultering. I'm not sure if those 'banks' have backup coolant systems in case of power-outages or whatnot, but you really don't have a lot of time either way). Not to mention, you'd better be scientifically able, or some sort of of genius in the first place to pull the whole vitro-baby thing off.

If there's a hole in more or less any of those steps, humanity is doomed. All that is left is to apply as much of this knowledge to pure survival on your own basis. What would I do for fun? Well, damn, I've always wanted to learn how to not suck at checkers.

 

[Bat Vader]

I would most likely celebrate at finally not having to deal with people. I would then go to the nearest library make it my home and start reading every book.

Unless of course every post on this thread is part of the same universe and we just don't know there are other people still left.

 

[Croaker42]

Develop a few more personalitys and have wonderfull conversations with myself. Eventually would have to kill myself because one of us is detrimental to the group.
*jerk*

 

[El Poncho]

Eh use my dog whisperer skills to train a pack of dogs, we shall hunt down animals that have somehow escaped from the zoos with my spear etc and why is all the water going to disappear?

 

[katsa5]

Personally, I never believed in a Rapture. We're all going to go through the same Meat Grinder. Its the end result that's different. Currently, I hope to invest as much as I'm able to go towards a positive end.
But if such an event does occur, i want to be like Scarlett at Tara in Gone with the Wind. Gather people together and slowly rebuild again. ^^ We could start a 'Megaton'.
Animals? Each one for themselves at that point. By the way, I'm hungry.
Other buildings? If they can't hold themselves up and no one's living it them, I don't care how important they are. They will have to go as nature takes over.
Water. Hmmmm. . .that's a toughy. Let's call a town meeting on that one. lol

 

[7moreDead_v1legacy]

Sounds like fun...I'd be pretty fine where I am, just be looting all the stuff from other houses, get the generators from the garage/scrap yard so I can have power.

Live in a valley with a small river/lake not too far from my house so I can get fish,duck and fresh water easily enough. If I fancy something else a small trek will find me some sheep

Heating I could just create a fire from well wood and just use my fire places (would need to clean the chimneys though >.<).

Could easily get around by car, until all the local cars had ran out of fuel, then I'd just start to siphon fuel from parked cars along my travels.

Planes dropping on my head could happen but not very likely.

Animals I'd sort out in due time no zoo's near me so don't have to worry about anything exotic.

Travelling wise I'd take it easy - Go on little adventures but wouldn't go too far since wouldn't really have the resources for massive trips.

Sorted

 

[GreyWolf257]

I would probably begin by grabbing my gun and then raiding several of the large grocery stores in my town. Since I do not live near a nuclear power plant, I am safe. I would then check to see if their are any of my friends or family who are alive. Finally, I would break into every gun shop in my area for a couple reasons: I would wish to take all of the ammo, so that anyone who might be a threat to me that I do not know about can't use it against me, and so that I am fully armed and ready to hunt or defend myself.

Oh, and anyone who thinks that food would be hard to find if you were the last person on Earth needs to think of all of the canned foods that line the shelves of grocery stores and pantries.

 

[ae86gamer]

I wouldn't survive. I'd cry, cry, cry some more, and then kill myself. I can't handle being all alone.

 

[Cilliandrew]

Ya know.. i'm really not sure what i would do. I wouldn't kill myself (i've never believed in the easy way out.)

I would definitely arm myself.. Get a nice hunting knife and some form of gun.

I'd probably become a nomad, wandering from town to town, eating and using whatever i could in one area before moving on..

Figure eventually the aliens will show up. At that point things will really get interesting.

 

[billybobby]

go fallout on your asses