The Z Word

We open with a ‘Newsnight’ like debate between the two members of the rival political parties one, a young female, is from the liberal Peoples and Reincarnated Alliance Party (PRAP) who are currently in power and believe that the reincarnated deserve equal rights. The other guest is an older man from the right wing party who thinks all zombies should be exterminated. The two debate the proposed vote to grant the “reincarnated” basic human rights, the debate becomes heated once the word “zombie” is mentioned. We cut to Allan Monroe introducing his film through a series of “archive footage”, he sums up the events that have happened, how the virus broke out eventually reaching Europe which suffered it's greatest loss of life since the black death. Small pockets managed to resist the hordes but it was not until Dr. Hendrick Hecker a biologist for the WHO introduced a vaccine which made the people of certain blood types becoming immune from being reincarnated. The “documentary” begins with an elderly woman named Glenda Lloyd, who lives with her reincarnated “son” Ashley, Glenda explains how she lost her entire family from the virus, including her husband and daughter who was eaten by a reincarnated Ashley, Glenda does a talking head where she explains how she has signed up for Ashley to be tested on, to lower his aggression. They document Ashley being examined by representatives for the WHO, who now act as a worldwide health service. We witness Ashley undergoing a physical, the doctor explains how Ashley still has a heartbeat and their is some blood pumping through his body, primarily the heart and brain, hence why they are a zombies weak spot, Thornton talks about how their is so much more to the reincarnated than we initially presumed and how they are similar to us in just a more uncivilised manner, he compares the reincarnated to common household pets. The doctor explains that currently other scientists are close to achieving a vaccine to lower the aggression in reincarnated. The documentary crew travel to Geneva where they meet a scientist named Dr. Diallo, who is working at the WHO HQ the Hecker Building she explains how by using elements of seroquel, the drug used to treat bi-polar disorder, they could use it to lower a reincarnated’s aggression. We learn that the building is harassed by protestors of the Anti-Z*****’s Alliance (AZA) who are trying to stop Diallo and her colleagues studies. Allan and his crew next travel to meet, Lance Preston a former farmer, who runs an “Agriculture Centre” where he buys and sells “stray” reincarnated to sell to farmers and landowners, he keeps his collection of reincarnated in a cage, guarding them with a cattle prod. Lance explains his job of selling the reincarnated to do manual labour jobs across the country. Allan expresses concerns over Lance’s role but Lance only defends himself insisting what he is doing is better for the country, as the adult population is too scarce to meet the high demands. Allan though compares Lance to slave owners, Lance becomes hostile, he says he is being victimised, Allan asks about the selling of reincarnated for underground gladiatorial’s and that if Allan wants to find a villain he should go down to one of the fighting pits. Allan does. With a hidden camera Allan films one of the fighting pits where reincarnated are pitted against dogs, or in some cases humans. The undercover cameraman films the arena as the audience make bets on the and eventually cheer as a reincarnated is killed. Allan narrates how they arranged to meet an anonymous man member of the AZA, he explains how he grew up as the “zombie uprising” began, how initially it started in Asia and they were assured it wouldn’t reach Europe let alone Britain, but despite the publics insistence it did, the man was forced to kill his reincarnated parents to save his sister, who later committed suicide. Allan shows sympathy to the anonymous AZA member but still insists what he is doing is wrong, the man counters Allan by explaining how the younger generation don’t understand how dangerous the reincarnated are, Allan points out that it has been almost five years since the last attack on a living by a reincarnated, but the AZA doesn’t care he insists that the reincarnated are dangerous and need to be put to death. A number of days later, Allan is contacted by Glenda, who explains how Ashley has been granted to be tested with seroquel, Allan and his crew travel over to see Grace and Ashley, their doctor injects Ashley and begins to give him response tests, Ashley scores higher with the seroquel, the doctor regards the treatment as a success after extensive testing and they bring Ashley back to his house, he allows Glenda to remove Ashley’s face mask and Ashley doesn’t react, instead he only appears sedated. Glenda, Dr. Thornton, Allen and his crew celebrate and the documentary ends hopeful that Ashely could be the first of many. The closing credits begin but are interrupted as the cameraman, drunk, begins recording again as him and the boom operator begin joking around with the camera and Ashley, as they do Ashley begins to make movements, Glenda and Dr. Thornton approach him, hoping he might start showing new signs of life, but Ashley only attacks his mother and Dr. Thornton, the crew panic, Glenda lies on the ground dying while Dr. Thornton turns and attacks the cameraman.