Richard Brown - Writing Editor

Personal Memoir
[As I was walking towards to Redwood Street, or what was left of main street in Taylorsville, UT, crossing the sea of metal of various vehicles that can only be correctly describe is twists and a wreckage of chaos, a group of people that walking on the opposite side of the street heading north to a community college campus; Salt Lake Community College – Redwood Campus. As I approached to the group, one of the members is named Richard Brown. Although, he looked unhinged and battled with tiredness, he was able to convince his group that I was not an MV (Mortuus Vivens translates from Latin – Living Dead). After he approaches to me to introduce ourselves to each other, he grabs a black handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead as we walk to the college campus]
On that particular day in March, I was heading to me SUV where I just finished with my English 2010 class (If you were out of state, the class would be ENG 201), and I remember at that moment, “What do we need to survive and outbreak?”, “Is my H&K USP .45 along with my .12 gauge Mossberg 500 going to be enough?” or “Are we the right people to tackle this type of slow moving onslaught?”. After all, the group that we belong to was a zombie task force unit that was established by Governor Herbert of Utah and its sole mission was to save as much people as you can. Of course, saving people in a medical environment was quite typical for me and being an EMT-B for the past 6 years (4 in Arizona and 2 in Utah), you get use to that sort of atmosphere, from the “on the go” from point A to B as quickly as possible to support your EMT company that working close to help the patient as much as possible. I’ve been on calls where CPR needed to be initiated ASAP (4 successful rescues and 1 unsuccessful restitution), calling additional support due to living alternating accidents which usually and sadly involves families, calling the cops cause of a violent on-going incidents, to (And tends to be my favorite) psychological calls that also required police. As stressful as that job is and what it can make of you if you are not prepared; It really did not bother and surprisingly I enjoyed it. But if there was one thing that did bother me was any event that involved kids, that would be a sensitive subject for me.
[Don’t the EMS field provide counseling for those rough events when your guys are called upon?]
They do. If you decide you need the help.
[Don’t most of them do]
Usually the first year EMT’s or Paramedics.
[So how does the correlate to what you are doing now]

I suppose this relates to the experience you acquire as well as the education that you learn and put into use. Overall, its mechanism or tool that I seem to fall back when I am stressed or tired and that familiar feeling activate when I saw the walking hoard of the un-dead started to show when I heard a car crashes as well as people scream and yelling.
[What did you do?]
Simple. I grabbed the things that I needed. Phone, charger, ballistics, my school items which consist of a laptop, ac plug for my laptop, along with pens and pencils. I knew that I would meet some class mates from English class at the student center and in this case, the auxiliary center (or AXIS center for short).
[Why there?]
Since we just completed a rough draft of zombie survival guide, the group I belong to was called the War Pigs, would meet if something like this would happen. I just thought that something like this would blow over to somewhere and Utah would not encounter. Which the AXIS center was able to acquire most of the supplies that we proposed very quickly.
[War Pigs?]
It was the group name I came up with because of the proposal that I wrote for our survival guide and I was inspired by its historical aspect of the animals used in war which was used by the Romans to throw off War Elephants there used against the Roman legions during the age of conquest. In my opinion, using a flaming pig is a waste of good food but it was pretty in-genius.
[So what happen next]
I saw my group (Jason, Jordan, and Bryan) at the AXIS center and pretty much grinned, not in humor, but more in disbelief. As we gather with the supervisor of the AXIS center, our first mission was barricade known exists that could be a potential hazard for the oncoming scared students as well as the general population. We barricaded the east wing of the student center with tables and luckily founded a chain that also helped to secure the doors from being opened from the outside. We also took it upon ourselves to secure our stock-aid (Water, dry foods, medical kits, and other various items) and place them in a secure location. After all, we did not know what to expect until when see people needed help as well as identify the MV’s from the on-coming crowd. Hmmmm…
[??? Looking confused]
I didn’t notice at first but I swear the multitude of people that came to the front door of the student center were walking the same speed as the MV’s. It was a good thing that one of the students could recognize that the undead hoard was indicated by the speed. If you think about, a person that was trying to get to safety would run and alert somebody to help. That didn’t happen. I realized that that’s how bad things got and how quick and quite it was.
[So how did you manage to fend off the hoard?]
I remembered that I did not want to be stuck in the center for very long as well as making this place my grave site. So what we devised was something out of video games that I would not have thought of.
[What was that]
Zombie train.
[What-train?]
Zombie train. I got the idea from Call of Duty Black Ops where you let the MV’s follow you until the from a line and chase you down until you get cornered. But that never happens unless you are not paying attention or didn’t plan accordingly. Since the MV’s were coming for the North and cars basically congested the Redwood Street along with a parking lot full of cars, my obstacles and running course was clear and conveniently accommodating. 
[How were you able to accomplish this?]
I told the group along with any other survivors at the student center what I was going to do. A lot of them just though I was crazy, and maybe there were right about being a little crazy but I became desperate to not feel trapped. I asked them to cause a distraction to the undead mob by making noises as well as to congregate on the east side of the student center (which as the eating area). In fact, one of the student was playing the piano that was in the eating hall and keying to the notes of Night on Bald Mountain if I was not mistaken. I exited out of the building on the 2nd floor of the student center on the West side and as I made my way down from the stairs, I can hear the masses from hoard. Groans, cries, yells, choking sounds, and the sound of flesh being eaten. What really made my skin crawl was the sound of crepitus which to a normal person they would be in pain. But the MV’s, they just look clueless. As I reached for my sidearm, I was spotted by a kid with its jaw hanging point. As the kid pointed and yelled, the MV hoard noticed that there was a person close to their surroundings. None the less, I shot the kid in the head, Rick Grimes style, and shot a few more rounds in the air to attracted more noise.
[What was the plan after you got the MV’s attention?]
It was pretty much simple, if this was happening at the Redwood Campus and if the higher ups of the Utah officials were known about this, the center of safety was going to be at the Joshua Camp at the Military base which is South from South Jordan. I think it may be 35 minutes from where I’m living. The Student Center at Redwood is a haven for survivors that are trying to get to safety. But it was not meant to hold out as a permeant location. It was to serve as a temporary evacuation and transport to the Main I.C. (Joshua Camp). Anybody who volunteered to stay or treated the Student center as a pitstop and assist with survivors with medical, guidance, and general protection, they were very welcomed to help. 
[So why help the community or general population, you don’t own anything to anybody]
It’s simple why I choose to help. One less zombie is to be able keep people alive. If there is anything that I was being able to recognize was what I learned from the EMT field and you want to keep people alive in the end because…well, you apricate life just as much as you respect life. 
[So how long did you last]
After 45 minutes of jogging/running, I was notified by radio (previous took with me when we formulated the plan) by my group that people were out from the Student center and safe to move to the I.C. by venturing the neighborhoods in small groups. Some were picked up military recon groups by meeting at rely points which was broadcast throughout the SLC county. After being notified, I was tired and just though nothing more than water. But there was problem, I had a collective MV train behind and there was no way I was going to shake them off.
[How were you able to?]
A helicopter. It flew over me, although not quite close to the ground for a landing, it was more like surviving the general area. The Helicopter flew by in a loud fashion that the MV’s switch their attention to the moving helicopter that was going heading North.
[What happen after that?]
I stayed in shelter at the Student Center. I needed rest and the supplies that was gather was still there. I definitely got myself some water. After a while, I noticed I missed phones calls and text messages from my wife. I totally forgot them.
[What happen to them?]
According to the messages, they went to the safe zones where we could meet up and figure out if we need to stay or leave Utah.
[Obviously, you stayed, but if you were going to go somewhere else, where would you go?]
Most likely Arizona, but from gathered intel, it would be 50/50 chance on survival.

​Aftermath
[I was able to locate Rick at the Joshua camp, the MV PSTD was taking a toll on him. Looking like he did not getting any sleep he was focusing on the upcoming train that the military was offering to excavations in the SLC county, he looked more hopeful after reading a paper, “Education and Experience: Ingredients of Survival, A Cultural Analysis from World War Z.”]

After encountering this mysterious necrotic outbreak, I was very surprised that someone read my work when I was attending SLCC. I wrote that paperwork on pure education and experience context that was spoken to me through Max Brooks’ writings. And you know, I was right about one thing, save as much as we could as a lot easier to cope with after hearing and learning some people made it out alive. Maybe not unscathed, but are general ok. Of course, there’s going to be quite of bit of time to recover, but that’s when we need to rebuild SLCC. One section of the paper that I wrote was on Kondo where he was so up and above in the clouds with his superior knowledge, that he had to force himself on his way down to solid ground and to feel alive and normal. On his way down, every floor that he interacted with, it had some type of glimpse of his left from love to his culture/tradition that one point of his life, he threw it out because it was useless. But in the end, he realized that smarts was not everything, but more of putting those acquired knowledge into practice. Equipped with a Katana, Kondo was able to make it out of Kyoto alive until he encounters another person, which is also an important character; Sensi Tomonaga Ijiro. Of course, this is just the beginning of the paper which there is much more if you read the rest.

[I don’t see a correlation]

There really isn’t one, but if I was going to compare myself to Kondo, it would be this…I am not like him. I may not have his superior intellect, but I sure do practice at what I got as much as possible. But there was a connection with Kondo and it would be this…Protecting Utah’s nature and cultural landscape seems to be clearer than ever. The preservation of life with people and nature seems to go hand in hand. Ultimately, the place I leave behind is what my kid will inherit – hopeful something positive. Now, if you can excuse me, I need to spend some time with family before heading out to my new training.

[Which is?]
​
Advance combat and weaponry.