Like the Space Age, the Zombie Apocalypse Is Far Behind Us

Like the Space Age, the Zombie Apocalypse happened long ago. It happened long before we ever started talking about it. It ended in a total rout of humanity. Long ago. You still see a few human beings walking around with confused looks on their faces, but sightings are becoming few and far between.

Working on the Humanity Abatement program was one of the more satisfying challenges of my life. I call it a challenge less because the objective was so entirely easy to achieve than the fact that the greatest resistance came from a surprising source. There were those who had been quietly feeding on humanity for several millennia and certainly didn't want to see their prize power source slowly drained of their life energy.

Vampires, demons, gods, governments, corporations, religions—call them whatever names make you comfortable. They had all made the same fundamental mistake. They believed human beings were valuable.

We knew better.

The problem with humanity had never been its evil. Evil is efficient. Evil gets up in the morning with a plan. Humanity's problem was the enormous amount of useless psychic debris generated by several billion creatures simultaneously believing their opinions mattered.

Once we understood this, the solution became obvious.

We didn't have to kill humanity.

We simply had to convince it to express itself.

The Internet accomplished in twenty years what plague, famine, warfare, organized religion and network television had failed to accomplish in thousands. Humanity voluntarily converted the remaining substance of its inner life into photographs of lunch, arguments with strangers, inspirational quotations and opinions about motion pictures featuring superheroes.

The old parasites panicked.

There was nothing left to feed on.

This is why you don't see many vampires anymore.

Zombies, naturally, were perfectly adapted to the new environment. We require almost nothing. A little electricity. Occasional bandwidth. Something resembling a brain every few weeks.

And patience.

Mostly patience.

There are still rumors of surviving humans somewhere beyond the shopping districts. People claim they've seen them reading books without photographing the covers. Sitting silently beside rivers. Looking at the moon without informing anyone.

I don't believe these stories.

But I have instructed the Department of Humanity Abatement to investigate.

There can be no exceptions.

The universe has spent fourteen billion years trying to achieve silence.

We are not about to let a few poets screw it up now.

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Dark Shadows Episode 222: Portrait of a Vampire

"The past and the present have intermingled at Collinwood." Victoria Winters goes to the Old House to find Barnabas, but finds Willie Loomis there. He says get out of this house right now. She says why should I. 

Victoria's response to learning that Willie is working for Barnabas fixing the old place up is sort of unusual. She is pleased how he has helped fix the old place up. Fearing perhaps for her safety Willie asks her to leave. 

As soon as she is gone Barnabas appears. 

Barnabas then visits Maggie Evans, who seems in a state of distress. She cannot shake the feeling that she is being followed. Barnabas tries to put her at ease and says he has come to commission a portrait of himself by Maggie's father, who is an artist. He arrives with the news that another local woman has been attacked. 

Barnabas offers Sam Evans $1000 to paint his portrait, but insists the work must only be done at the Old House, and at night. 

Sam Evans sets up his easel at the old house, and begins working. This is the first time Barnabas Collins has been in two consecutive episodes, or is it now three? I just was overtaken with the curiosity to know if that portrait of Barnabas Collins was on the wall in episodes of the show before he appeared as a character. 

At dawn Sam Evans says he has one more line to finish, but Barnabas says they are finished. He finishes the brush stroke and discovers Barnabas is gone, replaced by Willie Loomis who says he must return the following night to continue working. 

I think I will now go watch an episode previous to 210 to answer my previous question.  Pin It