Zombie Cliche Lookout: I’m Very Dangerous
While zombie stories don’t have a monopoly on this trope, it does come up an awful lot. Survivors of any traumatic event are going to be scared, and if the event is ongoing, they’re likely to be very, very scared. When people get scared, they can get desperate and dangerous. When everyone is scared, it makes sense to be very cautious around other survivors as well, because you just never know whether they might become violent.
So what do you do? Well, you’ve got a lot of choices. One of the most obvious is to simply avoid other people unless you know you can trust them. That’s a tough one though. We are social animals, after all. Another choice is to present yourself as not worth the trouble of messing with. If you don’t look like easy pickings, then maybe the bad guy will just move on.
About this Episode:
Sam, as several of you have pointed out in the comments recently, is in a pretty dangerous position. He’s standing, back lit, in front of the open window. The inside of the pharmacy is dark, and provides lots of cover. If whoever is in there decides it would be better to just shoot him and be done with it, well, it wouldn’t be hard to do. Maybe Sam realizes this in that last panel.
Discussion Question: Credible Claims
Once again, let’s step into Sam’s shoes for our discussion question. How credible would you consider the “I have a gun” threat from whomever is inside the pharmacy? Does the fact that they claimed they have a gun mean they really don’t? Is it a warning? Is it a sign that they’d really rather not resort to violence if they can avoid it? Could it be a momentary distraction while they prepare something else?
“Them: “I have a gun.” Me: “if you had any bullets you’d have used them by now.” 😀
Hah, that’s a pretty confident approach.
Also assumes the person was devoid of any scruples. He might have bullets but didn’t want to waste them on someone who can be reasoned with. You say that and he might think, “he’s gonna hurt me now” and the guys WITH bullets in his gun fires.
Not a smart thing to do.
“You have a gun? Really? Awesome!” and then proceed to stomp in there and take it and then use it on them for pointing a gun at me.
Ok, so Im not actually heartless enough to do that. I’m sure there are people out there who are heartless enough and physically capable enough to do this though.
This is a good question though. I would say error on safety and assume that if a person claims he has gun, then assume he actually has one and is willing to use it.
Or if they dont, is still willing to attack you in blind panic with what ever non gun weqpon of choice they have. Being a pharmacy I would imagine the person is armed with some of those large vitamin pill bottles. They make effective clubs yo :V
P.S.
Totally random idea Dave, but have you ever thought of doing one of those new fangled interactive comics, one where readers post what the character should do?
P.S. P.S.
I dont think any character would survive long if you made a comic like that :3
Ooh, that’s an interesting thought. I may have to do that myself!
Hah, that was kind of my idea when I did my little flash game a long time ago. It’s definitely an interesting thought.
Yeah, I’ve seen this happen a few times in movies and TV shows, but never with a character like Sam. It’s always some incredible badass.
In Sam shoes, and it seems to me that’s where he is at, I’d totally believe someone claiming he has a gun just on his saying.
Stakes are just too big in this situation to go on a “I think you’re bluffing” when your own hand isn’t that great (as spoted Sam’s situation isn’t the best here).
The other person having a gun or not isn’t quite the problem here. By claiming it, he/she is warning Sam. He is not welcome here… Let’s see in the very next few episodes how Sam is going to deal with that. This is going to be really interesting IMO.
“Stakes are just too big in this situation to go on a “I think you’re bluffing” when your own hand isn’t that great.”
That’s exactly how I would play it too.
To analyze the situation, whomever is inside had their best defense (a closed portal and walls) breached by Sam. Sam asked if anyone was inside and they replied, acknowledging their existence and claiming to be armed.
Some of you say Sam should go in a seize the weapon. Many a martial artist, including legendary Bruce Lee himself, say that if you’re within ten feet of someone you could disarm them. But if you further, they’ll get a shot off killing you. Sam has no idea where the dweller is other than inside…in the dark…where their voice might echo.
Asking for meds and having the dweller retrieve them in exchange for some food or maybe just information about what’s going on would be the best bet. They know the layout of the hospital, where things are kept, but NOT what’s happening in the outside world. Information would be key to them knowing–or at least speculating–what happened to loved-ones in the Zombie Apocalypse.
At the very least no one would have to die or loose resources needlessly…which brings us back to Sam destroying the door to get in. That protective barrier is gone so the dweller might not look friendly to him. Sam might have to get a vehicle, back it up to the broken door so that the dweller can place overturned tables next to it to keep out zombies.
That would help return him to a reasonable negotiation position with the dweller.
“That’s okay we have a… (Insert random object here).”
If the person laughs, they can’t be that bad. I have to agree with Wacky’s view: analyze, ask, and trade.
However since the voice bubble shape isn’t wavy or have a shaken speech pattern within it I will guess 1) the person is close, so it isn’t an echo and 2) the person has confidence, so therefore they have some ammo and limited knowledge of type of gun they are holding. Maybe an idea of what they are holding by using a movie for the base of their knowledge.
That leaves me with the questions of do you have other speech bubbles that would look right for echoes and other situations and how would you show us a person talking with something like a speech impediment?
I’d take it seriously. A gun would be a last resort for me, gunfire would draw more zombie and ammo might be in short supply. So for those who would assume I didn’t have a gun or had no ammo? You’d be dead if I was the one in the store and you entered the store and I told you not to.