The Apocalypse

I'm not a prophet. I don't claim to be one.

But, I have read enough stories and theories about them to know how it starts. And I also see connections and logical progressions.

The Apocalypse always starts with one utterly stupid event (say, for instance, a man eating a bat on a drunken bet, and it wasn't cooked properly) this leads to a previously unknown virus to plague a local area.

The local area is slow to react, so the area becomes quarantined far too late to do any good, but local officials still claim that, "everything is under control."

The area that is infected grows larger and larger, the quarantine (and by now additional steps they thought of -too late to do any good by the way-) doesn't work. Higher officials still tell us, "it's all under control."

Travel and trade bans then become implemented before long to help ensure the people that everything is "okay."

These steps are progressive until the entire world is under trade and travel bans. People aren't allowed to meet in groups of more than 1000. Then more than 500. Then more than 50. Then more than 6.

Those numbers will change daily after awhile, depending on which areas are hardest hit, but eventually everyone will be under the same restrictions.

This usually takes a few months.

In the meantime, schools voluntarily close. Then they are forced to close. Big entertainment events begin to cancel voluntarily. Then they are demanded to cancel.

Then businesses begin operating under reduced hours. They they close for awhile voluntarily.

Then they are forced to close. You know, to protect everyone from the outbreak.

They are told it's only temporary, but the spreading of the disease is only slowed down. It isn't stopped. So businesses and schools are forced to be shut down much longer than originally anticipated.

In America (you know the RICH country) 50% of the people have less than $1000 in their savings account. They live paycheck to paycheck. And just like that many American lose the homes they were buying and the apartments they were living in. The government steps in for awhile and demands that banks and loan institutions give people more time to make payments. The banks, who depend on most people paying regularly are then caught up in the struggle.  Some start to close. People panic. The government tells people their money is safe because of the FDIC, but soon it becomes apparent that the government really can't afford to make good on all of those payouts. They never had enough money to make good on that insurance.

Just like that inflation hits and America has no jobs and no money.

But what about the stock market? Even worse. Because major international businesses were forced  to curtail their output during the business and travel bans, their stock went down. Slowly at first, and though it rebounded slightly several times, eventually the panic hit, and large successful companies were suddenly worth 25% less, than 50%. And the stock stopped rebounding. With their businesses closed, their sales were so greatly reduced that large groups of employees were let go. And their stock continued to go down.

A world-wide economic disaster happened within a few short months. Tens of millions of jobs were lost. Pension and retirement funds were wiped out. And 100's of millions lost their homes.

The good news? The WHO and the the CDC tell the world that they can relax now. The virus has died out and they are now safe. They estimate that as many as half a million people didn't die because of their brave and nobel efforts. Most people claim that those numbers are exaggerated, and say the real number was tens of thousands.

BUT the problems were only beginning. With governments bankrupted and corporations going out of business and with not enough people with the ability to BUY anything anymore, the economy only got worse. Much worse.

Within 18 months to two years, 100's of millions of people die from hunger and the elements. And if that wasn't bad enough, 100's of millions more die because more new plagues are released and people start to try eating anything they can get their hands on, including infected people.

It is now impossible for any country, group or corporation to do anything. The good ones are long gone as are medical supplies and capable medical workers.

The world as we know it is long gone. There is no hope for a rebirth.

Tell me which of these logical progressive steps I got wrong. 4 years from now.

It all started with an undercooked bat.