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Race to escape The Living Dead

InReview

Participants in chapter two of the “Living Dead” immersive experience at Adelaide Gaol were dropped straight into a frightening post-apocalyptic world. Reviewer Trista Coulter describes the battle for survival.

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In 2015, the T71-A Virus raged through the Adelaide Gaol, turning everyone inside into zombies.

In October 2015 (chapter one), a team of survivors entered the building in search of vital information. While the mission was ultimately unsuccessful, partial medical documents recovered from the scene allowed scientists to develop a vaccine, although limited human trials have taken place since.

Since then, the number of infected people has grown rapidly, prompting the “Department for Health Protection” to launch a conscription program. And I was selected to take part.

The notice came via email, informing me that I must participate in a trial of the new vaccine and enter the grounds of the Adelaide Gaol, where the number of infected had risen rapidly. The notice ended with the haunting words: “Your sacrifice is necessary. Please ensure you have your affairs in order. Euthanasia has been authorised should you become infected.”

On the evening of February 20, I made my way to the army safe zone, where screams and the piercing sound of gunfire could be heard from within the darkened jail.

Survivors entered at pre-determined times, forced through the doors by a team of toughened soldiers who were less than hopeful about our chances of survival. Once inside, we met with the doctor, a frighteningly insane individual who proved to be just as dangerous as the zombies.

We were barely inside the doors when the first horde attacked and from there we began a terrifying race through the darkness to the safe zone on the other side of the jail.

With little light to guide us, we followed the (at times confusingly) marked path, racing through yards and cell blocks, encountering a legion of screaming, snarling zombies along the way. We has been instructed not to run, but it was hard to ignore that instinct when a screaming zombie was tugging at your clothing.

The smothering darkness did nothing to calm fears, and I barely had time to take in each zombie’s blood smeared face and torn clothing as I ran past them.

Exhausted, we reached the safe zone, where we were screened for infection. While the whole experience was over in about 20 minutes, it felt like much longer.

Each member of the Living Dead team embraced their roles with fear-inducing intensity to create an apocalyptic-style experience that left me shaking long after I had left the jail.

The Living Dead Immersive Experience (Chapter Two) has now finished but you can find out more about it here.

 

 

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