by Jack Merridew

Created on: February 06, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

To begin, it truly is irrelevant who launches the first of these A-weapons; when it happens an exchange will occur, known simply as: nuclear war.

It truly is hard to imagine waking up every day with the pictures of Hiroshima, and the reality that (should you live in a red button area) that could be your fate; and at literally, the fingertips of more than a handful of global viceroys. An obvious key element for surviving such world-ending disaster is to live in an area unlikely to receive any direct impact. As far as civilian casualties go, a world leader looking to launch a nuclear assault, would take the time to notice that as far as our infrastructure in the United States is concerned, people tend to group in suburbs. For instance, it would be a waste of a precious weapon to attack Manhattan, when Queens could just as easily come under your scope. My first suggestion would be, if you live in a highly populated suburb, you are, in essence, creating a monstrous red target of your own annihilation upon yourself and your family, and should probably leave the suburbs on the eave of impending nuclear war. Do this quickly if this applies to you. When the moment comes, and the sirens are ringing, it is too late. Taking the time to watch the news and be alerted if you feel that nuclear war could be fast approaching, would be valuable. For the major arteries out of the suburbs will be congested, and will become a motor death trap in themselves. For those in Montana, and Idaho, and other sparsely populated areas this step, and most likely, this article will hold no relevant value.

If you are unavoidably caught in the sights of an A-weapon, I can foresee little chance of your survival, but a few tips to keep your spirits high: 1. Get underground, and do it quickly. 2. If you have a bomb shelter with proper ventilation and substantial supplies such as mass quantities of food and water, and a Geiger counter, make a break for it. 3. If you are above ground and there is simply no open man-hole to shield you, drop into a "turtle" stance, and protect your head, but in all likelihood, you will be wiped from the face of the earth. 4. For those of you underground, you will know when the bomb detonates, although I myself cannot tell you just how it will sound or feel like. Crank the ventilation and the Geiger counters, and if at all possible, flee in your cars (should they still remain) in the opposite direction that the wind is blowing to escape from radiation. 5. Any that still remain above ground whom the molecular melting didn't claim, I'm afraid the radiation and subsequent underground firestorms will more than make up for what the bomb couldn't accomplish. Regardless, flee to any refugee camp and seek immediate aid. 6. Days later, the city you once knew and loved will be a condemned zombie land, cut off from civilization. You will have to find new work, and possibly settle down in an area unmolested by atomic weaponry; May I point out that southern California should not be the first place to flee to, if a war persists in the United States.

The world will be different, apocalyptic to most.. How will you survive? To be quite frank, you probably won't. Make your peace, and hope that tomorrow brings something better.

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