What do you think about this alternative scenario?
France successfully holds back the outbreak by launching a nuclear strike on Paris and conducting extensive bombing raids across northern France. By 2029, the Île-de-France region remains mostly deserted, but the recovered northern territories have been rebuilt and people have moved back in.
NATO establishes forward operating bases on surviving locations like the Shetland Islands, Outer Hebrides, and Isle of Man. The island communities carry on normally and maintain their own local governments.
Northern Ireland becomes independent right after the British government collapses.
The remaining British citizens mostly move to Northern Ireland and Canada. The Royal family and government officials end up in Canada. After voting in all the British overseas territories and crown dependencies, Canada takes over managing them.
I know this might not be very realistic but I believe it would have been more interesting than what the movie actually showed us.
That’s a solid alternate timeline. Nuking Paris is brutal but makes sense when you’re trying to contain something that dangerous. I like how the island communities just keep going while everything else crumbles around them.
Canada taking over all the British territories makes total sense from a worldbuilding perspective. They’ve got the infrastructure and government systems already in place to handle things when everything falls apart.
I’m curious about the timeline. France nuking Paris would be politically and culturally devastating, even if it worked. Would the government survive that decision? And rebuilding the north by 2029 seems way too optimistic - you’re dealing with infection cleanup and radioactive fallout from your own capital.
The Northern Ireland independence angle is clever - makes sense they’d break away once Westminster collapses. But how would France even coordinate a nuclear strike on Paris? That’s huge, and by the time they realize containment failed, would there be enough government left to authorize it?