Chapter 19 - (part fifteen)

"Your new digs," proclaimed Mim, as she led Lina by the wrist into a circular room enclosed by floor-to-ceiling windows. Arranged around the perimeter of the room were various consoles, supermainframes, holographic displays, and other sophisticated-looking implements the purpose of which Lina could only venture a guess. In the middle of the room was a massive, plush, mechanized chair.

"You won't even have the illusion of privacy here," Mim continued. "Have a seat." She did not invite Lina to sit so much as seize the girl by the shoulders and push her down into the chair.

Lina sunk into the enormous lounger--which was no ordinary lounger, but in fact a complex piece of smart-furniture. The cushions were filled with a remarkably malleable elastomer gel and covered with an extraordinarily soft nanofiber. The chair gently slid forward and rearranged itself until Lina was in a half-seated, half-standing position.

Mim sighed and shook her head. "Lina, Lina, Lina. What *are* we going to do with you? You're much too stubborn for your own good. You're stuck here, under my supervision, and you don't have your little cohort to collude with. I think it's safe to say I've won. Now, will you eat?"

Lina said nothing. Mim smirked, while Lina nervously darted her eyes about to avoid Mim's gaze.

"What's going to happen to Daesti?" asked Lina in a trembling voice.

"She'll be properly fattened, of course" said Mim matter-of-factly. "But that's been the plan all along, so it should come as no surprise to you. I just expect it to happen much more quickly now without your interference."

Lina began to tear up again, and she privately chastised herself for having lost her composure in front of Mim earlier. Her already-thin veneer of confidence had crumbled. Now Mim had all the power.

Mim chuckled. "What a wonderful sight that was, wasn't it--Daesti's enormous bottom sticking out of the wall, I mean! A work of art! I should've framed it!"

"Is she still stuck in the portal?" Lina asked worriedly.

"WIDE-AS has control of that opening," said Mim. "We'll just widen the aperture after she's finished up her meal. All we have to do is make it big enough to accommodate that fat bottom of hers, and then just pull her through. The Templump will have started wearing off by then anyway. Then she'll be escorted back to her room, where she'll take all her meals until I decide she's fat and slow enough to be allowed back in the Dining Hall. Much as she loves to eat, she's still a flight risk. But not to worry--my girls and I will do everything we can to help her along."

Lina closed her eyes momentarily, took a deep stuttering breath, and tried mightily to maintain a poker face.

Mim brushed a stray blonde lock on Lina's forehead behind Lina's ear. "We'll take very good care of her, I promise. And without you around to nag her, she'll be free to gorge herself silly. And we'll make sure that she does. Bye-bye, sweet, petite little Daesti. Hello, doughy, dumpy Daesti."

Mim flashed a wicked smile at Lina's horrified expression. "Her figure will be drastically altered. But she'll blow up beautifully, Lina, you'll see. And after that happens, no one who doesn't know any better will be able to guess for a second that she had ever been trim and tiny. Even Daesti herself will barely remember what it was like. But by then, she won't even care. Now, how about you, sweetie? You must be awfully hungry. How about something to eat?"

Lina remained defiant. "Forget it! You're wasting your time," she replied adamantly.

"So you're on a hunger strike?" Mim laughed dismissively. "Ah, very clever! And so ironic! We've never had a hunger strike in Fatropolis before. This should be very interesting. We'll make a note of everything we learn, should this ever come up again in the future. You'll help us streamline the fattening process. So something good will come of your stubbornness after all. And the next skinny to land in Fatropolis will be the beneficiary of everything you teach us.

"Do you know what I've discovered, Lina?" Mim went on. "I've discovered that if you give people the opportunity to be fat and lazy--and downright encourage it--they'll soon grow fat and lazy. Even if they might be a little vain or reluctant at first. When there's more than enough food to eat, no one stays skinny if there's no advantage in it. Fat is the natural state of affairs. Fat is beautiful. We've evolved towards fatness. Thinness is a relic of the past, a symptom of deprivation. It's the opposite of everything we stand for here in Fatropolis."

"Talk all you want," growled Lina. "But you can't make me eat."

Mim placed her hand on Lina's face and squeezed Lina's cheeks until Lina's lips puckered."So now what will happen? Will you just starve? I don't think even you want that. And I will not let that happen on my watch. And when you start eating again--which you will, inevitably--I promise that you won't have a shred of willpower left.

"You're just very resistant, that's all. You don't want your physique to change, but it will change, Lina, because I will change the way you think. I will keep you thinking about food. I will amplify your appetite, and the weight will follow. I'm going to make a fatty out of you yet, just you wait and see."

Mim paused thoughtfully. "But..." she said. "Let's make this sporting. I'm willing to propose a deal with you--well, more like a challenge, really. Here's what I'll do: I will give you 30 standard days to stay thin, during which time I will do everything in my power to tempt you, using every tool at my disposal, short of forcefeeding. You can even have whatever tasteless victuals you want--dry crackers, plain salad, bland overcooked vegetables. And maybe some lukewarm oatmeal for breakfast. Plus one standard-issue nutritional supplement to ensure that you don't become malnourished--that much is mandatory. I won't be a party to your starvation. But if you succeed and refrain from eating proper Fatropolitan food for the full 30 days without giving in, you will be free to leave Fatropolis. Now, I think that's a fair bargain, don't you?"

"And Daesti?"

"Daesti's not part of the deal. She belongs to Fatropolis now. She has to stay behind." Mim paused and chuckled. "Oh! Ha ha! *Behind*. I'm sorry, dear. I couldn't help myself."

Lina said nothing but knew already that Mim had forced her hand.

Mim continued. "It's alright, dear. You don't even have to say a word. I assume you'll accept this offer. You have nothing to lose...except your figure. But if you win, I lose one of my prized skinnies. So let's see how long you can hold out."

Lina understood that Mim was presenting this as a fair challenge and would never have done so unless she felt confident about triumphing. But Lina had no other choice. It would take all of her resolve to see it through.

Mim circled around the lounger, then leaned in behind Lina and said softly into her ear. "I'm going to win, Lina. You know that. And do you know why that is, sweetie? Because my methods work. And they'll work on *you*. I'm going to make you *huge*. But it will all be set in motion by your own choice, I promise you. You will beg for that first bite of real food."

"No, I won't," said Lina disgustedly.

"We'll see about that."

Their diametrically opposed goals now established, Lina and Mim set to work against each other.