The flaked poster of a fast food company that no longer exist flapped on the wind half peeled. I could barely make out the faded words below the two golden arches forming an M.
I’m lovin’ it
THE ANGUS THIRD POUNDER…GET YOURS TODAY!
The picture of a thick grilled beef with what looks like sweetened onions glazed on top of it meshed together between two buns and a handful of French fries tucked in each layer of the patty. The image unnerved me. To think people actually used to eat this mishmash of slop back in the day.
Well, I guess it’s pointless for me to try and understand. It was way before my time. Maybe things were different back then. A lot more peaceful…
My head whipped around after hearing shuffling movements through the debris.
…and probably a lot more forgiving.
My eyes strained to catch any slight changes among the toppled buildings. Hearing the all too familiar sounds of a rattle snake mixed with a velociraptor; my fingers wrapped around tightly on the grip of my sword, the blade slowly leaving its shaft. But the creature’s bone chilling sound started approaching from multiple directions.
Shit! It’s a pack.
My shoulder tensed; and before I knew it, I was subconsciously sliding the sword back in its shaft.
Maybe I should’ve brought some back up.
A nervous grin appeared on my face.
…
Year 2059
The global obesity rate skyrocketed in staggering numbers.
It started with people dying from Heart disease, Stroke, Blindness, Kidney disease, High blood pressure, circulatory and nerve defects, etc….
This was happening so much on a monthly basis that it simply became accepted as something normal by the general populace.
Little did we know, that these symptoms were just the opening act for something much terrible that’s yet to come.
October 17th (12:47 PM)
New types of pathogens burst into the scene, their origins unknown. More than hundreds of them came out of nowhere after the melting of 67% of the polar ice caps, yet only one has been identified. Which was immediately labeled as the FP-Virus.
The FP-Virus exclusively targets obese people, sending them to cardiac arrest in a matter of minutes upon contact. But it doesn’t stop there. The infected hosts goes into anaphylactic shock, their skin turning into a shade of dark crimson red from the violent allergic reaction.
The disturbing part then follows.
Like pulling the insides of your socks. The victims violently regurgitates themselves from the inside out. Thus, creating the walking and living nightmare that would ravage the planet.
Scientists gave them the name Dereliquerat per Deus, but most opted to call it Chimera just for the sake of convenience.
Quadruped monsters with big burly bodies almost resembling that of a grizzly bear. They are carnivores that hunt in packs. With Mangled sharp teeth, pulsating fleshy mucus veins, and their skeletal frames protruding outside their skin. They ripped their preys’ apart limb from limb, gorging every entrails down to the last piece of meat, and licking the bones clean with their coarse tongue.
These abominations have long lost the ability to procreate, the mutation turning them infertile and incapable of breeding. Yet with just a couple of years, their physiology somehow manage to evolve and morph into something twisted, a more perverse way of reproduction. Something nature never intended to happen.
The mass of meat that they store inside their stomach from the preys they voraciously consume gets clumped in together like a ball of flesh. Dislocating their jaws like a python, they then regurgitate the undigested meat. From this writhing mass of flesh a new life pulsates from within. Emptying their stomachs, and repeating the endless cycle of hellish gluttony.
They spread faster than any disease or any known epidemic to ever hit in history. With 80% of the world’s population already wiped out. The remaining few of humanity pulled whatever resources and man power they have left to build a 500 meter wall around a single continent that hasn’t been claimed by the plagued of monsters. Effectively closing themselves from the rest of the world and the horrors that roams within it.
With humans in the brink of extinction, those who survive made sure such a humiliating incident never repeats itself. So in this newly built society, a strict law was implemented that all citizens must be responsible for the fitness and well-being of their own bodies. Those who neglect their physical state and gain an excessive amount of fat will be exiled. Thrown outside the walls, where they will be at the mercy of the ravenous beasts.
…
Present day
Trade District
“This is Hawk-1 in position. The targets are in the building.” About 4 blocks across the street, adjusting his binoculars. The scout perched on the 3rd building rooftop zooms in at the window.
Stealthily running up the cracked and unstable concrete stairs in an organized fashion. The Task force moves in a single file line, their boots barely making a sound as they walk through scattered cement and plastics after reaching the 7th floor.
Cainan, the lead officer takes out his Fat Counter that’s beeping erratically before he even points it to the door. “For Christ sake.” He said under his breath after seeing the calorie levels hovering above the orange line.
He pulls up the mask hanging around his neck, covering his mouth and nose. The filter canister locked, puffing out cold air. He raised two fingers, pointing forwards.
Four officers moved in front of the door, holding a battering ram.
Counting with only his fingers, the other officers’ watched as the number reached to zero.
The door came crashing down, the hinges torn from the walls.
Quickly drawing their swords from their waist, the officers stormed the room, surrounding the people that looked dumbfounded with their arrival.
“DROP THE BURGER! NOW!”
Cainan shouted, pointing his sword to the sweaty overweight man who scurried behind the couch.
“STOP CHEWING!”
The shirtless overweight man runs to the kitchen while scarfing down the cheese smothered patties. Thick sauce dripping down his flabby body rippled with every movement. He grabbed a mustard bottle before slipping on the floor.
“Cease!”
Cainan watch in outrage as the man squeezes out the bottle of mustard in his mouth. Emptying almost half of it in less than 8 seconds.
“I said cease!”
He kicks the bottle out of his hand and flips him over to his stomach. “Have you no shame?!” he restrained the man’s wrists with handcuffs.
Three other people tried to charge their way out of the officers, but immediately got put to the ground with non-lethal force. One of them got kicked on the knee for trying to get up. The fatter one of the three got pounded in the face with the sword’s pummel after he tries to bite the officer’s ankle.
“Three culprits restrained.” An officer announced, putting handcuffs on the three obese people on the floor.
“Search the area.” Cainan sounding pissed. “And toss this shit with the others.” He drag the overweight man to the other officers where they carry them out of the building.
Taking out the fat counter in his pocket, he clicked his tongue after seeing the calorie levels still in the orange line.
“Sir.” One of the officers approached.
“What did you find?” Cainan asked.
“A stock pot filled with bacon grease, about 40 or more cheese burgers dipped in sweet tomato sauce, grilled hot dogs wrapped in bacon, over 60 boxes of uneaten pizzas, deep fried pork marinated in-“
Cainan cuts him off. “Did you just say pizzas?”
“A few dozen of them.” The officer confirmed. “It looks like the rumors were true.”
“Bag everything up and put it into evidence.” In frustration, Cainan kicked the broken door on the floor on his way out.
Undisclosed Area
Interrogation Room
“Robert Khinstler.” Cainan reads the man’s I.D.
The obese man’s arms and legs are strapped in a reclining chair, the one’s used for hard interrogation. His greasy sweat is making the leather unnecessarily sticky. Even while sitting down he seems to be out of breath.
“The entire task force, excluding squadron 01 nearly flipped the whole shit upside down.” Cainan looks at Robert, expecting a response.
“Huh?” Robert sweating inside the poorly ventilated room.
“We confiscated every goddamn food in that building and disinfected the entire area within a 5 mile radius. But one item appears to be missing.” Cainan pulls another chair and sits in front of Robert. “You see…” he chuckled, suppressing the urge to punch the man’s face. “Our forensics team found a few substance that doesn’t match with any of the items we had stored in our inventory.”
Robert continues to pour sweat out of his skin, drenching half of his shirt.
“Salted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, eggs…” Cainan paused, waiting for a reaction. But Robert didn’t make eye contact and kept his attention to the corner of the ceiling. “Milk chocolate chips, all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder…” Cainan kept naming different ingredients. “Does any of this starting to ring any bells?”
“I-I haven’t, I don’t I’m…” Robert won’t stop shaking his head, muttering words to himself and still refusing to make eye contact. “I don’t know what those are, I’ve never heard of those before.” He quickly denies.
“Oooooh.” Cainan said, sounding amused. “So that’s how you wanna play it, huh? You want to play the crazy card.” Cainan stood up and slowly pushes a cart next to Robert. “Now…” he removes the silver cover of the tray, revealing the contents of the cart.
“Oh God no.” Robert almost in tears after seeing what’s being served in front of him.
“You either start talking or I’ll start shoving this lettuce down your throat.” Cainan neatly folds the leaf into a nice ball shape.
“You’re insane.” Robert starts crying. “All of you, this whole place, your all insane.”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” Cainan slowly runs the lettuce just below Robert’s nose, which made him squirm. “The same ingredients were found in a crumb that just so happens to be in the shorts you were wearing when we arrested you.” He tried touching Robert’s lips with the leaves, but he turns his face away.
“P-please, stop.” Robert breaks into tears, struggling to free himself from the restrains. “I don’t know anything! What do you want from me?!”
Cainan leaned over and whispers into his ears. “Where’s the fucking brownies?”
Robert froze for a moment, then starts whimpering like a dog, his eyes closed with tears running down his face.
Giving an exasperated sigh, Cainan walks to the table and puts on a pair of medical gloves. He stretches it, letting the thin rubber slaps his wrist after fitting them in his hands. “Let’s try this one more time.”