Hypothetical: You’re Trapped In A Post Apocalyptic Wasteland

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

So, here’s a hypothetical for you all. Let’s say you’ve been transported through mysterious means to an underground bunker full of weapons, equipment, and supplies suited to helping you and two or three of your friends survive for weeks on your own in a post apocalyptic wasteland full of monsters and hazards, such as radiation or chemicals or zombies or disease or whatever may have caused the world to become a wasteland. And let’s say you’ve been asked by someone who built this place and set things in motion to figure out how to prevent the disaster and find a means to go back in time and stop said disaster from happening. You’re also asked to bring along friends, but only you get to decide if the group goes—no one else has a say in it.(Though you can certainly ask them if they want to go.) You will also have your body altered to your desire to help make you more effective at completing the task, within reason. (So, for instance, if you're in poor health, you'll be restored to perfect health.) If you say yes, you’re left there, with the equipment and with information, and given a general course of action, but you’re in a world where your life is in danger every minute of the day. If you say no, you’re transported back to your life at home.

 

If it helps: you can either picture this as Twilight Sparkle asking you to save Equestria from being destroyed, or you can picture this as someone asking you to save the future of our own world—whichever makes you feel more emotionally invested into the idea.

 

Would you say yes? If so, why? If not, why not?

[Evilshy 5,090]

I'd say no. Backward time travel likely isn't even possible, except possibly at the quantum level (and even then, it's not time travel in the traditional sense).

 

Were backward time travel possible, there are other problems. If it is possible, what would probably happen is that you go to a different, parallel universe (and thus causality is not violated). Another theory is that if one were to go back in the current timeline, they'd be unable to change anything, so again, there is a complete lack of causality violation.

 

If backward time travel is possible and you CAN change things, then we are already feeling the effects of it, because future people are coming back in time to change things.

 

 

Anyway, I'd rather not risk my life in an attempt to do something that is likely impossible, or if possible, extremely dangerous or even futile.

[butter scotch 79]

I would turn the bunker into a fortress and kill literally everything!

I could manufacture weapons (Even nuclear devices).

You'll be amazed at what I can do with so little and I could turn almost anything into it's base components very fast...

 

I would build my power-amour design so I'll be immune to Alpha and Beta radiation and cut the gamma penetration by 75% so I think radiation isn't a problem. I could do so much as I would not be annoyed by goddamn hippies!!!

Also due to radiation etc bacteria wouldn't exist and mold can't grow so I doubt disease would be much as disease carries which are usually small may die...

Edited November 21, 2012 by butter scotch

[Flying Whales 311]

Well, assuming that within your hypothetical time travel is possible as @@Evilshy, has already mentioned I think honestly I’d stay. Ever since I watched Highschool of the Dead I’ve fantasized about running around with some friends and killing zombies along the way. Who knows maybe I would regret it and it would be a short-sighted decision but why not stick around to try and help build a new humanity in a post apocalyptic world.

[irobern2857 95]

I would probably say yes. my life is not bad, but here I would have a chance to set the world on a better path and kick some ass along the way. Also having a guide to set the path would be nice.

[khaine21x3 789]

No, the future generations deserve to live with their mistakes and I rather try to improve my own timeline and the lives of people around me.

[I used to be a stranger 7,994]

This post has been redacted by the author.

Edited May 4, 2021 by Blue

[Commander Urdnot 2,680]

Yes. I would finally be able to fulfil my dream of taking over the world.

I would build a robot army, and rule the wastelands with an iron fist!

Edited November 21, 2012 by Urdnot Pinkie Pie

[Party Cannon 876]

I would say yes if one of the people I was teamed up with was my dream woman. Guns, a sexy lady, saving the world, what can be better than that?

[Betez 1,734]

I'd have to go with no. I kinda like my life and I wouldn't wanna risk ending it. Even though I'd be in perfect health, I could still be killed any minute.

 

Although the idea of saving the world has always sounded awesome, I would rather stay home.

 

What even made you think of this, anyway?

Edited November 21, 2012 by Betez

[Queen Cassie 3,057]

I'd say no. Backward time travel likely isn't even possible, except possibly at the quantum level (and even then, it's not time travel in the traditional sense).

 

Were backward time travel possible, there are other problems. If it is possible, what would probably happen is that you go to a different, parallel universe (and thus causality is not violated). Another theory is that if one were to go back in the current timeline, they'd be unable to change anything, so again, there is a complete lack of causality violation.

 

If backward time travel is possible and you CAN change things, then we are already feeling the effects of it, because future people are coming back in time to change things.

 

 

Anyway, I'd rather not risk my life in an attempt to do something that is likely impossible, or if possible, extremely dangerous or even futile.

 

I think you were kinda missing the point to the hypothetical question, but still, I suppose that's a reasonable enough way to approach it.

 

 

I would turn the bunker into a fortress and kill literally everything!

I could manufacture weapons (Even nuclear devices).

You'll be amazed at what I can do with so little and I could turn almost anything into it's base components very fast...

 

I would build my power-amour design so I'll be immune to Alpha and Beta radiation and cut the gamma penetration by 75% so I think radiation isn't a problem. I could do so much as I would not be annoyed by goddamn hippies!!!

Also due to radiation etc bacteria wouldn't exist and mold can't grow so I doubt disease would be much as disease carries which are usually small may die...

 

Hrm, certainly you could try to do this, although I'm not sure how much you'd have in the way of resources that would allow you to construct things. You'd have to scavenge and salvage from ruins around, and you'd have to be careful to boot, depending upon what it is that destroyed everything.

 

Well, assuming that within your hypothetical time travel is possible as @@Evilshy, has already mentioned I think honestly I’d stay. Ever since I watched Highschool of the Dead I’ve fantasized about running around with some friends and killing zombies along the way. Who knows maybe I would regret it and it would be a short-sighted decision but why not stick around to try and help build a new humanity in a post apocalyptic world.

 

 

I would probably say yes. my life is not bad, but here I would have a chance to set the world on a better path and kick some ass along the way. Also having a guide to set the path would be nice.

 

A good idea. Might as well try to help out, right? Better than not doing so.

 

No, the future generations deserve to live with their mistakes and I rather try to improve my own timeline and the lives of people around me.

 

Ouch. But what if it's something that'll happen in just a few years, or just a couple of decades? And you would have given up your chance to stop it.

 

Once again because I am educated on word usage, highly imaginative and clever interesting threads are lost on me because I (by knowing technical distinctions) do not understand the question.

Apocalypse refers to the end of the world because [being rooted in the Greek "Apokalypse"] it means "Revelation" and likewise is the same name as the book of the Bible of the same name; the Book of Revelation to John the Apostle. Which details the end of the world and the titular Revelation of the Second-Coming of Christ.

 

However if I disengaged my pedantry and discussed the thread as if I crossed out the word "Apocalypse" and replaced it with "Catastrophic Wasteland after the fall of modern Civilization and the Industrial World".

In all likelihood the most effective method to counter a conflict would not be instigating a different conflict of my own, so that would rule out the use of guns, explosives and ammunition. The best fighting system would be ideas, so I'd prefer being armed in a Library.

 

People do not grasp the significance of theologians and philosophers these days. Remember that scene in The Devil Wears Prada where the Editor takes apart the clothing the Assistant is wearing, era by era and by designer, until she explains that what she's wearing is because indirectly she chose it for her 30 years before? That's what philosophers do, except on a slightly slower scale, and they don't decide what you're wearing, they decide why you're happy. Societal, cultural and moral construct are defended by people doing intense study and social science just as much as borders are defended by soldiers.

 

I'd much rather fix a disastrous outcome at the root, rather than the weeds that grow from it.

 

While I do like how much text you produced in quibbling over my word choice, you understood what I meant with it and thus it wasn't really necessary to argue it. With that said I definitely like your idea of trying to fight with knowledge. That's the point, after all: find the knowledge you need to try and prevent the disaster. The weapons, though...that stuff is there for you to defend yourself in a Wasteland where, odds are, you'll need them even if you're trying to just gather knowledge. It's the sort of world where even the scholars must carry a knife.

 

 

 

 

Yes. I would finally be able to fulfil my dream of taking over the world.

I would build a robot army, and rule the wastelands with an iron fist!

That is...not exactly what the point to the hypothetical was, but okay.

 

I'd have to go with no. I kinda like my life and I wouldn't wanna risk ending it. Even though I'd be in perfect health, I could still be killed any minute.

 

Although the idea of saving the world has always sounded awesome, I would rather stay home.

 

What even made you think of this, anyway?

 

It was partially inspired by something I'm working on for a roleplaying campaign, and partially inspired by my currently reading Project Horizons.

 

Anyway, my answer is that I would definitely try to help. Because you see, the actual point to this hypothetical--lost due to my poor wording and attempt to be too inclusive--wasn't so much "is X possible" as it was to test your willingness to help people whom you don't know. Originally it was just going to be "save Equestria" so that if you went back home, you would simply just have to live with your own guilt. But I fear I tried to extend it too much and as a result I harmed the point.

[Silverhoof 2,844]

I would go back in time and fix things so the wasteland future never came about. Once the future is changed, there would be no way for me to go back.

 

The opportunity to correct a course of events that led to the deaths of millions is an honorable deed. Difficult or not, I would do my best to alter the future.

[butter scotch 79]

Hrm, certainly you could try to do this, although I'm not sure how much you'd have in the way of resources that would allow you to construct things. You'd have to scavenge and salvage from ruins around, and you'd have to be careful to boot, depending upon what it is that destroyed everything.

 

Well it takes a bit of time but you can extract Uranium from Granite actually with just a hammer (And a truck load of patience)

Also there'll most likely be some fallout which is at super-critical mass so it'll be emitting Neutrons and X-rays.

Just expose some Natural Uranium to it and you'll get Plutonium!

I've built most of my equipment from stuff I've scavenged since the age of 6 I was stripping computers for extra RAM, I still have spare cards!

[Evilshy 5,090]

 

I think you were kinda missing the point to the hypothetical question, but still, I suppose that's a reasonable enough way to approach it.

 

 

Anyway, my answer is that I would definitely try to help. Because you see, the actual point to this hypothetical--lost due to my poor wording and attempt to be too inclusive--wasn't so much "is X possible" as it was to test your willingness to help people whom you don't know. Originally it was just going to be "save Equestria" so that if you went back home, you would simply just have to live with your own guilt. But I fear I tried to extend it too much and as a result I harmed the point.

 

Yeah, probably not the best situation to use. I did realize what the point of this was, but my answer stands.

 

If there were actually a reasonable chance of success, then yes, I'd probably try to help out humanity.

[mycarhasaMoustache 449]

For me it would depend on where was in danger if it was just some random place i would say no and return home, If it was Equestria on the other hand then I would try to save it because apart from anything I would actually be in Equestria and lets face it that would be awesome no matter what state it was in.

[I used to be a stranger 7,994]

I changed my mind. I would arm myself with bubble fluid, balloons, lolipops and happiness, and spread friendship and rainbows to everyone.

I believe in Magic.

 

I changed my mind. I would arm myself with bubble fluid, balloons, lolipops and happiness, and spread friendship and rainbows to everyone.

I believe in Magic.

[Lightning Fluttershy 1,844]

As much as Left 4 Dead 2 has influenced me to want to fight zombies with a couple good friends like a badass, realistically I would probably DIE. That's something I try to avoid.

 

I'd probably just want to go home.