Zombie

History
It is unknown when zombies first appeared in Narcissium, but the first recorded instance of a zombie was during the Mass Production era, when a soldier was said to have come back to life. As of the 22nd century, it is estimated that 1 in 100,000,000 (one hundred million) people become zombies upon their premature death.

First of the Zombies
According to eyewitness reports, a soldier at war was killed by an enemy bullet only to ressurrect and continue fighting with seeming invulnerability. This particular soldier was known for his zeal, and several people who knew him asserted that it was probably his sheer will to live and fight which brought him to undeath. This has never been confirmed.

The unnamed zombie soldier's second life lasted nearly two months before he succumbed to liquification and ceased to function. It is unknown at what stage his consciousness died. Several other zombies were subjected to this cruel fate before it became known that preservation methods such as the liberal application of formaldehyde and the re-stitching of broken flesh greatly extended the life of the patient.

Research
The existence of zombies is moderately well known as of modern times. As such, research has been conducted to determine what causes zombification and how it can be replicated. A lack of tangible data has made progress difficult however, and without new information to present, research bodies have struggled to find funding.

Zombies remain the least common of the sapient species within Narcissium.

Appearance
Zombies are not born as zombies. Instead, they are reborn as zombies after the death of their original body. As such, zombies appear almost the same as they did prior to their first death. The exceptions to this are greyed skin due to lack of blood flow, and wounds or scars. Because zombies do not feel pain, and cannot die from loss of blood or infection, wounds are sometimes left untreated. Zombies who take good care of themselves often have stitches where torn flesh has been repaired.

Diet and Maintenance
Apparently without functioning circulatory or gastric systems, it is unknown how zombies survive; no subject has been studied well enough to garner an explanation. What is known is that zombies need to be preserved. Preservation often comes in the form of physical repairs to unhealing skin and tissue, and the applicaiton of preserving chemicals. Correct use of chemicals can functionally heal wounds inflicted to zombie flesh and give their skin the appearance and texture of health and life. It is unknown how long a zombie can be maintained in this way.