Which Apocalypse Scenario Frightens You Most?

[Zaida Gearbox]

Collapse of reasonable government (worse than now). Rule by gangs, mafia, triads etc.

I think that's probably similar to mine - especially since I live in an urban area. It just not take a whole lot for this to turn into a real shit hole. My sister says in event of an apocalypse the plan is that we all meet at my parents' farm. But, really that house isn't big enough for all of us.

 

[Argent Stonecutter]

This makes my head spin and leaves me all dizzy like!

Then you ABSOLUTELY have to read Schild's Ladder.

Edit: linky: Schild’s Ladder — Greg Egan

 

[Clara D.]

A second Trump term.

 

[Sid]

I would be at more risk of having some drunk driver hitting my Ford XR8 than another war occuring.

With 45 at the wheel and the muscle rolling against Iran, I'm not so sure about that.

 

[ranner]

I'd be horrified by the loss of drinking water sources. For instance, if chemical and nuclear warfare wipes out food and water sources, we'd have to starve and experience severe dehydration.

There is nothing worse than dying of dehydration. It is gruesome and extremely painful.

 

[Myradyl Muse]

Sorry, just saw this subject. I agree with many that have already been highlighted (dehydration, nuclear war, comet hit, alien girl-toy, incurable slow diseases, dystopian societies, climate destruction and famines, cannibals, ugh... on and on). My worst nightmare though would be....incorrigible, proliferating, indestructible, swarming, chewing, biting bedbugs in perpetual darkness with no light sources, AND no anti-itch cream anywhere!!!

 

[Beebo Brink]

My worst nightmare though would be....incorrigible, proliferating, indestructible, swarming, chewing, biting bedbugs in perpetual darkness with no light sources, AND no anti-itch cream anywhere!!!

We're halfway there already: "incorrigible, proliferating, indestructible, swarming, chewing, biting bedbugs"

Bedbugs, aka Spawn of Satan.

 

[Val]

Oddly I never worried much about water pollution as grown up in a town water is always toxic and needs loads of processing. Occasionally they had to switch it off because rust / mercury / other toxic waste pollution and we all lived on rations. That was about 4 times a year. In addition Poland never really had good water and pre-modern technology people drank anything other than that. When I moved to UK and everyone was drinking tap water - I was horrified.

Rapid space events that can hit from great distance and too fast for us to detect on one hand terrify me because we would be gone with a snap of fingers on the other - I'd never know either as would be converted to energy. Or such.

As for Earth climate - yep, we are past tipping point already but we will not suffer for as much as next generations. Neither can us, small people, do much about it as need to be fixed globally :| . Still, with all natural disasters as well as diseases I would die quickly so there is that but the most terrifying is still people to me. I do not think random evil aliens can be as evil as us so I'd volunteer to be kidnapped xD.

 

[Soen Eber]

A second Trump term.

A third Trump term.

 

[Jolene Benoir]

For me it would have to be anything nuclear. My worst fear would be surviving the initial blasts. The loss of others, radiation from fallout, and the mass unrest would be decidedly a nightmare.

Of course a third Trump term would be fairly equal minus the radiation (I would hope).

 

[Jopsy Pendragon]

Feels like the end is coming. At some point the income inequality gap will result in so many people making too little to pay taxes on that the government's ability to artificially stimulate the economy will fail...

and it'll be one huge ugly cascade of failure, bankruptcies, joblessness, homelessness, reduction in law enforcement, fire departments, sanitation, and road maintenance and such that leads to a rapid collapse of the infrastructure necessary to support such a large population.

It's not like we can all grab an acre of land and start producing our own food again.

 

[danielravennest]

It's not like we can all grab an acre of land and start producing our own food again.

No, but food cooperatives and "community-supported agriculture" can supply food at an efficient scale. A cooperative would gather funds from 100 people to hire 1 farmer and his equipment. CSA already does something like this. Members subscribe to a farm, who then distributes baskets of produce when they are harvested.

People already trade with each other on sites like NextDoor and Craigslist. If paid jobs go away, they will just do more of it to support themselves.

 

[Clara D.]

A third Trump term.

Well, consider that the Second would be enough for him to declare something a Great(tm) Crisis and institute martial law . . .

 

[Jopsy Pendragon]

Well, consider that the Second would be enough for him to declare something a Great(tm) Crisis and institute martial law . . .

I can see the orange doofus now...
"Sure, I know Marshal Law, he's a big fan of Trump! I hear a lot of people saying it's time for Marshal, and I'm thinking that yeah, let's get him on board and see what he can do to help Make America Great Again! No more questions... {waddles off to pretend to play golf again}"

 

[Pancake]

For me, hands down, plague. Or any disease really.

I’m lucky that I wouldn’t be directly impacted by floods or earthquakes or volcanoes which is maybe why an outbreak of diseases feels like the most frightening to me. Obviously the other disasters would have secondary impact on me, and something like nuclear war would get us all, but living with disease everywhere is horrifying.

Sorry everyone.
Looks like this all might have been my fault.
I didn’t see the whole toilet paper thing coming though.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Power just went out for no reason. Was nice knowing you all.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

For me, hands down, plague. Or any disease really.

I’m lucky that I wouldn’t be directly impacted by floods or earthquakes or volcanoes which is maybe why an outbreak of diseases feels like the most frightening to me. Obviously the other disasters would have secondary impact on me, and something like nuclear war would get us all, but living with disease everywhere is horrifying.

I'm totally with you on the diseases. If I'm going to go, I want to go quickly!

Little did we know, when this thread was created, that some sort of plague would be ravaging our lives. But here we are. And I have to admit, I'm actually pretty frightened by it.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Power just went out for no reason. Was nice knowing you all.

Chugged the rest of the milk. Hydro guys on site scratching their safety helmeted heads in the rain.

 

[bubblesort]

I forget the name, but there was an old black and white sci fi film where the government accidentally burned off the ozone layer by detonating nukes in the atmosphere. I think that would be the worst apocalypse. Everybody gets cancer and dies slowly and painfully, and there's no vaccine for it. Any survivors would probably have to permanently move underground, and slowly evolve to adapt to living underground, in small, separated tribes, over millennia.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Power’s back.