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| '''Blackmore 4(04)''' was a failed, grass-roots initiative to develop a renewable, free-ranging, human herd in [[Ridleybank]], and to show the rest of Malton that small-scale, sustainable local harvesting could overcome the city’s rapidly-dwindling food supply. The ill-fated project took place from August 19, 2010 to August 31, 2010, almost four years to the day after the [[Battle of Blackmore|first, failed attempt]] to bring affordable, fresh-food to downtown’s starving zombie population.
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| Initial seeding of the Ridleybank area began on August 19th, with the introduction of several breeds of human into carefully selected release points around Ridleybank. Researchers initially hoped that a sustainable, robust human herd would finally be able to graze in the desolate downtown wasteland. The project ultimately failed thirteen days later on August 31, when zombies from the [[Ridleybank Resistance Front]], [[The Feral Undead]], and the [[Minions of the Apocalypse]] gave up on all that hippy, tree-hugging, renewable crap, and killed every man, woman and child in the Greater Ridleybank metropolitan area.
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| ==Overview== | | ==Overview== |
| ===Prologue=== | | ===Prologue=== |
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| On August 9th, 2010, humans from [[404: Barhah not found]], selected for the unique, buttery marbling of their flesh, were released into Ridleybank. Researchers initially held out high hopes for the project. Indeed, the zombie community applauded the effort for its [[5th of November|originality]], [[Candyland|creativity]], and overall ambition to accomplish something that has never been attempted [[Battle of Blackmore|before]], and most likely, would never be attempted [[5th of November/2010|again]].
| | ===An advancement of the main idea=== |
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| By the 14th, it was clear to researchers that something profound was happening in Ridleybank. Something was different about this breed. Perhaps it was that most of the 404: Barhah members refused to walk around Ridleybank carrying 70 fire-axes, 40 shotguns, and twenty DNA-extractors. Perhaps it was that 404 members actually had an idea in mind before entering the suburb. Or perhaps it was the romantic setting of being in a boarded-up wasteland, surrounded by filth, trash, and starving zombies, the kind of setting that makes one stare deeply into their loved one’s eyes, and say “Baby…take me now. Take me right now on these empty syringes.” Or perhaps it was something else. Whatever it was, it was working. Over the next couple of days, survivor numbers increased rapidly in and around Ridleybank.
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| By the 18th, most buildings in Ridleybank had been transformed from pristine, historic landmarks into barricaded, fire-death traps. Those buildings that weren’t guaranteed death sentences for the humans too stoned to put out their matches and too drunk to realize that they were in a fucking zombie homeland were quickly being repaired. Unfortunately, even the best laid plans can go askew. Around the same time, [[User:Justinbronze|JustinBronze]] began publicizing '[[Project Operation Let's Not Get Our Asses Kicked]]," an attempt to bring a different kind of social justice to Ridleybank. Shotgun justice. The kind spelled with a “T” and ending with a “coat.”
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| Fearing cross-breeding between their delicious, buttery, carefully-grown 404:human-stock and these new, stringy, tasteless interlopers, project leaders decided against free-ranging methods, and chose to cage their prized cows in the most unlikely of places: [[Blackmore Building|the Blackmore Building]].
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| ===Initial Hope===
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| By all accounts, the initial results were promising. The herd was growing and flourishing. They were given every comfort a boarded-up survivor could expect: barricade-button smashing, profile-changin’, radio-listenin’, and advanced profile changin'. The lead researchers watched as their stock grew fat and lazy, their muscles slowly wasting away into buttery, fatty goodness, the kind that melts slowly in the mouth, and slides down the throat.
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| However, by the 21st, the first hints of trouble started to appear. [[The Ridleybank Resistance Front/Barhahville Constabulary|The Constables]] showed up, and smashed open the Blackmore cages, eager to get at the buttery-goodness inside. Humans not killed immediately were dragged away into the darkness. The survivors, who now included a few members of [[Order of the Black Rose|The Order of the Black Rose]], [[Soldiers of Crossman]], and [[The Big Prick]], began to wonder if, you know, being in the middle of the fucking zombie homeland was no longer the great Malton dream that 404 promised.
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| On the 22nd, the Constables renewed their feeding, forcing project leaders to redouble their efforts in protecting their valuable livestock. Human was finally being grown again in Ridleybank. But would the zombies be patient enough to let a sustainable, renewable crop reach its full potential?
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| ===The Herd Grows=== | |
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| By the 24th, five full-breeding lines were established at Blackmore. By the 26th, herd numbers inside Blackmore had reached over 100, and smaller outposts were developed in the surrounding area to both diversify the flock and relieve overcrowding. Researchers were impressed with both the stability of the population, and how individual humans managed to stave off shear boredom. Those not searching for that elusive 57th fire-axe, stared blankly ahead at the wall, eternally wondering who the hell Streets was and why he was watching then. A stable, robust population was finally in Ridleybank. The project leaders smiled. Soon, they would be able to release their livestock by the ones and twos into Ridleybank. No longer would the horde have to hunt for food. No longer would slash and burp harvesting be necessary. An appreciation of resource management had finally come to the zombie homeland.
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| As numbers continued to increase in Blackmore, several of the project heads looked toward the future. Could a renewable effort finally be established in [[Caiger]]? Or even [[Dunell Hills]], long considered the red-headed poster-child of the dangers of slash-and-burp harvesting? Yes, their project was finally taking off, and the future never seemed brighter for these survivors of summer. Losses were heavy but sustainable, and every day brought more songs, more cheer, and more survivors.
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| ===Selective Culling Begins===
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| By the second week, herd numbers were well over a hundred, a level high enough to support timed, human releases to the now eager zombie population. In their ones and twos, survivors from Blackmore and other outposts around Ridleybank were given pistols, told to do their part for humanity, and instructed to attack surrounding revive points.
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| But it was never enough to satisfy the hunger of resident Ridleybank zombies and ferals now attracted by [[Feeding Groan|groans]] and [[Bellow|bellows]] to Ridleybank. St George's fell to the Constables on August 24rd. The outpost at St. Luke's was culled on August 28th, 2010. The Eugene and St. Simon holding pens were destroyed on the 29th. By August 30th, most of the processing factories and feeding centers in Ridleybank that supplied the main holding pen of Blackmore were firmly in zombie hands, with zombies from the Feral Undead, the DoHS, and the main RRF horde now joining their brethren in gorging on survivors trapped in the ruined buildings outside Blackmore.
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| ===Massacre===
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| With the loss of the surrounding infrastructure, project heads became worried. After an [http://iamscott.net/1282797825916.html 18-zombie break-in] on the 26th, 404 leaders became concerned. Generators and other critical supplies necessary to maintain Blackmore were becoming scarce, and break-ins were becoming more frequent. Still, herd numbers continued to grow, reaching 125 on the 30th before finally peaking at 140 on the 31st. Spoiled by regular feeding, zombies continued their attacks on the main facility, slowly wearing down the defenses of the building.
| | ===OMFG! The narrative grows=== |
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| Lured by the abundant availability of fresh meat, the bulk of the RRF, Minions of the Apocalypse, and the Feral Undead turned their attention toward Blackmore. Strikes by [[AU10]], the Constables and [[Team America]] on the 31st established a firm foothold into the building. As zombies poured in and cages were opened, project leaders panicked as their prized livestock were gutted and left to rot in the labs around Blackmore. By 8:00 GMT, survivor numbers had dropped to 50. As their comrades were torn apart around them, those not dying from infections were left to wonder if being slowly digested inside a zombie's stomach would be their life's greatest accomplishment. By the end of the 31st, the hordes had finished ravaging the remaining survivors, ending efforts to establish some form of a renewable, human presence in central Malton.
| | ===Some hilariously awesome turning point=== |
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| ===Aftermath=== | | ===The result to end all results=== |
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| As are typical of most human efforts to bring aid and food to Ridleybank, the event showed the danger of underestimating both the ravenous appetites of feral zombies in the downtown area, and the coordination of hordes like the Feral Undead and the RRF. The targeted destruction of the TRPs in Ridleybank placed enough stress on the Blackmore defense that the main building itself rapidly collapsed in less than a day following one coordinated strike. While certainly the motivation of 404 and other survivor leaders is in the right place -- bringing food daily to the hardworking zombies of downtown -- one has to question whether Ridleybank was the best test suburb, rather than, let's say, [[Old Arkham]] or [[Buttonville]]. A less ambitious area in Malton would have given the project more time to grow and survivors more time to prepare, improving their chances of finally fulfilling their lifelong dream to provide food on a long-term basis to the friendly zombies of Malton.
| | ===Some crappy in depth analysis that makes too many assumptions regarding optimal play=== |
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| It's too soon to say if such a long-term, reclamation project is actually feasible in Malton. This is not to say that such efforts should be discouraged. Given the rapid collapse of most buildings and suburbs in the current [[Barricade Blocking]] era, survivors leaders must be at least open to new ideas, especially with the current decline in human numbers. Anything that helps survivor groups improve their ability to fulfill their role as a renewable food source would be most welcome.
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