Undead war begins with one Utah State University student

Brice Colby, far right, poses shortly before betraying a group of humans.

A group of eight zombie hunters teamed up Monday to help protect each other against the growing horde.

“We are escorting each other to classes,” said Dylan Jones, a zombie hunter. "The zombies are very organized. It gets really intense."

Moments later, they were betrayed. 

Unlike the other zombies, Brice Colby’s undead mutation has allowed him to maintain his human appearance — giving him the opportunity to gain trust with the living.

“I have been with those guys for the past hour and a half waiting for the right moment,” Colby said following the sabotage.

As the smell of decaying flesh filled the air at Utah State University Monday, Colby relished his role in starting it all.

Colby, who has been identified as the source of the outbreak, began to feast on human flesh near the Taggart Student Center, where they unwittingly shook hands with the living dead host.

The infection which transforms humans into the undead is passed by any contact with a zombie. A militia of USU students has been formed to combat the growing horde, but its numbers are falling fast.

Nearly 600 students responded to the outbreak, arming themselves with guns and grenades. Seven hours into the apocalypse, more than 80 humans had been transformed into zombies.

Two former humans, Audrey Dopp and Kasey Willden, willingly surrendered themselves to the zombies. “Everyone was really intimidating running around with their guns, it was really scary,” Dopp said. “We are the ones attacking now. We don’t have to be afraid.”

“I feel remorse for having to kill former humans, but I have to save other human lives,” said Jason Thorpe, a member of the zombie hunting militia. “I don't expect to die during the zombie apocalypse. I am quick. I am quick witted.”

  

“The technology isn't available to kill the zombies yet,” Thorpe said. “All you can do right now is disrupt their neural pathways for a time.”

UnDeadline reporters Bradley Wells, Christopher Farnes, Hannah Romney, Sarah Menlove and Ronald Henline contributed to this report.

From dawn to dusk: The anatomy of an apocalypse

It began at sunrise with a handful of zombies and an insatiable appetite for brains. As the sun set in Logan, it was a full-scale outbreak.

And in between: blood, guts, rotting flesh and agonizing screams.

8:12 a.m. — Zombie count: five.

Human Jonathan West entered the Agricultural Sciences building east of The Quad at Utah State University. He had a gun strapped to his body and was looking for a place to stash another.

“They told me I would be safe here,” West said. “But the stakes are higher. I don’t know if safety in the buildings is going to make much of a difference. It’s going to be an intense fight.” 

1:23 p.m. — Zombie count: unknown  

A zombie was hidden behind a bush west of the Animal Science building. “I’m staking out for a human, hopefully more than just one,” said Joey Sanchez, a new zombie who had been infected two hours earlier.

2:04 p.m. — Zombie count: unknown  

A student exited the library and walked no more than a few steps before a zombie attacked him.

Brennon Schow, the victim, immediately became a flesh-eating zombie himself.

“All I care about is eating people,” he said.

3:25 p.m. – Zombie count: more than 100.

A group of five zombies huddled in front of the Geology Building.

They were planning an attack on a human crossing The Quad. John Gillespie, a death captain, strategized with the zombies before he released them to capture the human.

“My strategy? Kill anything that moves or breathes,” Gillespie said.

The attackers surrounded the human. After realizing his circumstance, Raul Pelagio fired a round of darts at the zombies. “It’s every man for himself out here,” he said.

4:16 p.m. – Zombie count: unknown  

Trevor Irish, the leader of a human troop, shouted orders to a line of soldiers on The Quad. They stood with guns pointed toward a hoard of zombies.

“If they follow orders, we might survive,” Irish said.

The zombies screamed. The battle began.

The humans fired defensive shots as zombies overtook the group. Few humans escaped unchanged. By the end of the battle the number of zombies had increased to 150.

“This right here — this is not something you can laugh about,” said Eric VanNieuwerhuyzen, one of the few humans who escaped.

5:07 p.m. – Zombie count: more than 170.

UnDeadline reporters Janessa Colton, Misty Inglet, Anna James, Kevin Meacham and Dawn Otterby contributed to this report.

In the face of certain undeath, some humans consider giving in

It’s not easy being gangrene.

But as the zombie infestation grew at Utah State University on Monday, some humans were already beginning to believe it may be better to give into The Horde.

“I’m totally paranoid,” human Joshua Hortin said. “Friends are turning on friends. I don’t know how much longer I can take it. Sometimes I think it would be easier being a zombie.”

Zombie Death Capt. John Gillespie is ready to welcome them into his undead family.

“I go out of my way to kill my friends,” he said. “I’m actually doing them a favor. They really will only find true happiness as a zombie.”

Like other zombies, Gillespie must attack to survive. Each zombie is required to turn at least one human into a member of the undead every two days, even if it means killing their own friends.

With limited refuge available — and fewer fellow humans for the zombies to prey upon with each passing hour — some have concluded there is no remaining refuge.

“My roomies were turned,” Dustin Berkley said. “I am afraid to go home, I’m sure they’ll attack me.”

While the humans attempt to band together in an effort to stay strong, the zombies have only one piece of advice for the living — “run.”

UnDeadline reporters Kori Slager, Aimee Cobabe, Heidi Smith, Stefani Lewis and Cory Checketts contributed to this report.

For humans, safe zones aren’t so safe: Rules of warfare contested

Victoria Holman narrowly escaped a zombie attack at 11:30 a.m. Monday outside of Utah State University’s Taggart Student Center. She thought she was in a designated safe zone.

“I was on my way to class and a zombie came out of nowhere,” said Holman, who was traveling alone.

Holman, like many among the living and undead alike, expressed confusion Monday over the rules of engagement for human-zombie warfare, set forth by the Leagues of Supernatural Nations in the Goucher Accord of 2005.

According the accord, on-campus buildings are allocated as safe havens for humans seeking protection. However, as the number of zombies increase, humans are finding it harder to stay alive even in designated safe zone areas.

“I am always on the look out for zombies, but I didn’t think I would be attacked in a safe zone,” Holman said. “Now I have to be aware of zombie attacks even in buildings where I am supposed to be safe.”

The Goucher rules are meant to maintain fairness to both zombies and humans in the event of war. However, disputes often arise due to unclear definitions of what a safe zone is.

“I thought the TSC patio was a refuge from ultimate human extinction,” Holman said. 

Despite this common belief among humans, many zombies have disagreed, noting their belief that only areas inside of buildings as off limits under the rules of warfare.

Some humans believe the Goucher rules are outdated and should be rewritten to specify where safe zones begin.

“I don’t want to have to feel uneasy everywhere I go,” said human Danielle Fawcet. “They call it a safe zone for a reason.”

Once humans venture outside safe zone lines, they become vulnerable to enemy attacks. The most prevalent attacks occur between USU class sessions, according to zombie Death Capt. John Gillespie.

“Zombies have the advantage, because we have nothing to fear and there are more of us,” Gillespie said. “We have alliances formed all throughout campus.”

Though Holman knows the chances of survival as a human are slim, she wants to stay alive as long as possible.

“I don’t want them to attack me,” she said. “I want to at least survive three days, that’s my goal.”

UnDeadline reporters Natalie Thatcher, Jonathan Larson, Kellianne Smith and Erin Davies contributed to this report.

Humans taking different approaches to fighting back the undead

With the blood and guts of their brethren already strewn across campus, many humans banded together Monday to strategize against zombie guerrilla warfare in the warzone that was once the peaceful campus of Utah State University.

But the approaches they used to fight The Horde differed.

Sgt. Tony Edwards raised his gun and narrowed his eyes at an approaching zombie in front of the Merrill-Cazier Library then took off on a spring after the living dead man.

Outfitted with a breastplate, cowboy hat and self-modified weaponry, Edwards’ appearance proved menacing enough to drive the zombie away.

“I don’t avoid any place,” Edwards explained as he returned from his pursuit. “I go hunting.”

The veteran zombie hunter has fought the undead for four years, perfecting his strategy to stay alive. He said he is not scared having his brains eaten.

“I’m ex-military,” Edwards said, “and a local firefighter.”

In contrast to Edwards’ confidence, others took a more cautious approach to avoid the undead.

“I scope it out and go out back doors,” said Adam Anderson, a first-year combatant.

Ben Farnsworth, another first-year combatant, said it doesn’t matter whether you’re a friend or stranger — staying in groups is the key to warding off The Horde and escaping sneak attacks.

“Humans band together. That’s how it works,” Farnsworth said.

Some prefer to work alone — a strategy that was unsuccessful for former solo combatant Joey Chichon.

“I got greedy,” said Chichon, who was infected outside of the Taggart Student Center. “I tried to shoot two and got hit. But I wasn’t going to go out like a wuss. Besides, I’m a fat man and can’t run that fast.”

Now Chichon has to worry about killing humans to survive: Zombies who don’t feed within 48 hours will die.

UnDeadline reporters Lauren Petty, Madeline Millburn, Manda Perkins and Jisa Robinson contributed to this report.  

   

Horde claims early victim: Zombie commander relishes death of rookie soldier

The first zombie Colin Stromberg encountered was his last.

The human resistance at Utah State University suffered an early casualty on Monday morning  as Stromberg, a student and defender of the living, was attacked by the undead.

Stromberg was a first-year graduate student and rookie zombie slayer. While patrolling on campus just  hours after the first zombies were reported, Stromberg said he had yet to witness any enemy combatants.

“I am being vigilant and I have seen zero humans or zombies on campus today,” he said.

Those were his final words. 

Moments later, an undead warrior charged Stromberg from behind and sunk its teeth into the student's neck, tearing clean through to his jugular.

Zombie Death Capt. John Gillespie laughed maniacally as he welcomed the recent inductee to the ranks of The Horde. The legion of undead fighters intends to "kill everyone” on USU’s campus, Gillespie said. 

“They’re hungry. They don’t think like we do,” said Michael Rushton, a veteran zombie slayer who survived a similar outbreak last year. “They want our brains.”

According to Nicole Wright, an outbreak monitor for the League of Supernatural Nations, plagues have been reported at “close to 250 campuses” this year. 

Within six hours of the initial outbreak, the number of infected rose from five to more than 80 at USU.

In comparison to the current outbreak, Wright said, “last fall was much worse.” 

In that fight, “the zombies wiped out over one-third of the human population,” she said. 

But Wright believes this pandemic has the potential to become even more deadly than ones she has seen in the past. 

UnDeadline reporters Tasia Briggs, Madison Stone, Chase Christensen, Rachel Lewis and Kelsie Davis contributed to this report.