Chapter 7 - (part six)

"And now the holovid presentation is waiting for you, ladies," said 773961. "So let's move on." She looked to Lina and Daesti. "And I suppose you'll walk?"

"If you don't mind," answered Daesti.

The automated walkway going the opposite way reached a sort of hub from which branched out several other conveyors, each leading down a separate corridor. The officer pointed to one of the corridors and Lina and Daesti made their way down the designated hallway. They arrived at what appeared to be some sort of conference center, in which was a small amphitheater.

"Make yourselves comfortable," said 773961, gesturing to the chairs. She herself plopped down in a chair near the doorway. "The holovid presentation will be starting shortly. And please, help yourselves to snacks." There were bowls full of goodies laid out on the table in front of them.

As they sat, Daesti reached out for a treat, but Lina slapped her smartly on the hand.

"What?" said Daesti.

"You just had a doughnut!" whispered Lina reprovingly. "Why don't you just deliver yourself to them already chunked-out and wrapped up in a bow?"

But no sooner did Lina glance away then Daesti shot out her hand again and grabbed a bonbon from a candy dish on the table. Lina sighed.

"It's just one," said Daesti abashedly. "And remember what I said about making the best of this." She was taken aback by Lina's admonition. It was not like Lina to assume a parental tone--nor, for that matter, to lead by example.

"Being a sitting duck is not 'making the best of' anything," scoffed Lina. "They'll do everything they can to turn us into blobs, and somehow you're fine with it."

"I'm not fine with it!" Daesti retorted. She realized how loudly she had just spoken and hushed her tone. "I'm not fine with it. But being blatantly uncooperative is a terrible strategy. And wow, those candies are so good."

The overhead lights dimmed and the parabolic projector dish lit up.The holovid began with an aerial view of Fatropolis and panned down dizzyingly to a street-level view of the city. Innocuous background music wafted from the speakers. A crowd of holographic fatties lumbered about.

"Welcome to Fatropolis," intoned the baritone voice of an unseen narrator. "Since Galactic Standard Year 125, when it became an independent municipality, Fatropolis has served as the galaxy's premier sanctuary for fatties. You are now a ward of this city. Here in Fatropolis, fat is the law, and everyone within city limits--citizen or interloper--must be in compliance with the law. You are being detained under city ordinance number 9892834. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the city and the procedure for legal compliance with its principal laws."

The scene faded and switched to the head of a distinguished-looking and well-coiffed woman with a swept-back silver forelock running through her dark hair. "Hello," said the woman. "I'm Claire Baerklaus, mayor of Fatropolis--where food is plentiful and fat is beautiful. I personally welcome you to this unique and wonderful city. I hope you'll enjoy your stay. Your next destination will be the Fattenarium, where our expert counselors will ensure that you'll be as well-fed as any of our citizens. While all of this may seem new and strange to you, I encourage you not to think of your situation as a punishment. Rather, think of the Fattenarium as a sort of *resort*, where all your needs will be catered to, while you relax and enjoy the journey. Perhaps you'll love it here so much that ultimately you too will decide to apply for full citizenship. In the meantime, I encourage you to just relax, enjoy all the delicious treats, and eat, eat, eat as much as you can. I'm sure you'll come to agree, fat is where it's at." She beamed a big smile as the camera panned out to reveal her impressive girth.

The narrator droned on about the founding of Fatropolis and briefly recounted the city's history, but Lina already found herself fidgeting. Their predicament was finally seeming real to her.

Daesti, meanwhile, sneaked her hand into another bowl and stealthily munched a small handful of cheese crackers.

Meanwhile, the holovid scene switched again to a montage of the body-scanning process. The narrator continued. "As a new detainee, you have been scanned, measured, and weighed by WIDE-AS--the Weight Imaging Diagnostic Evaluation and Assessment System--Fatropolis's proprietary body composition analyzer, which has calculated your ultimate perfect shape, based on your personal medical history and physiology. And you've received your new bodysuit, fitted with sensors to monitor all of your vitals and record your progress as you grow.

"Next, you will proceed to the Fattenarium. There, you'll meet with our friendly counselors, who will monitor your progress and assist you in compliance." There were cutaways to people stuffing their faces, while stout counselors in white lab coats looked on smilingly.

"You will take all of your meals in our deluxe dining hall, which serves every food you can possibly imagine, in any quantity you desire. If there's something you crave that you don't see on the menu, simply ask one of our specialists, and they'll use our state-of-the-art food printers to create a meal customized to your exact tastes."

As the presentation began to wind down, Daesti's stomach rumbled, while Lina fretted silently.

As the holovid ended, the overhead lights brightened. Daesti and Lina both stood up and stretched, lingering for a few moments as the officer struggled to get up from her chair near the door.

Daesti sighed. "You're not going to want to hear this," she confessed to Lina, "but I'm so hungry I could eat an entire Luhman Lunar Lasagna right now."

"Daesti, *please*!" snapped Lina, as forcefully but as circumspectly as she could. She glanced around to see whether the officer might be privy to their exchange. "You're not taking any of this very seriously. Have you given any thought to how we're going to get out of this mess?"

"It will all work out," replied the perky, petite brunette in her usual self-assured way. "You'll see. We'll figure out *something*. But at least we'll get a few nice complimentary meals out of the deal. In the meantime, I'm sorry, but I'm *starving*!"