Obe+Sity

Obe City By: Zach Bishop “Are we there yet!” I excitedly asked mom. She just looked back and laughed. I am the most excited out of everyone in the car. “We are closer than we were last time you asked.” Dad sarcastically replied. I ignored him while I looked out the window at our new town. My dad had excepted a new job in Delaware, it was for a research company called SSOLTHGEIW Labs. They hadn't told him much about his new job, just that they had hand picked him for the job, and they would pay to move the whole family out, all expenses paid. They had only spoke over the phone and told him they would explain the job in detail when we moved out. Since they were offering so much more money and way better benefits, my dad accepted. “Tommy. Tommy? Tommy!” I faintly heard mom yelling. “Oh, Huh? Sorry I was thinking about dads new job.” I rambled, Still surprised from being caught up in my thoughts. “We are here.” Mom concernedly told me. While I was looking out the window and thinking, we had pulled up to the new house. Everyone had already gotten out, and gone inside. I got out of the car, and looked down the street at the other houses as I stretched my legs. All the houses were one story, and unusually wide. I saw no one outside, and instead of cars all I saw were extremely large Segways. I turned and looked at our house, It was by far the biggest on the street, and had the normal 6 floors, very skinny and tall look. My mom told me this is what “apartments” used to look like, I laugh every time I think of that. Its hard to believe that there were people who actually lived in a building with other people who weren't in their family. Good thing so many people moved to the moon. My dad told me when he was a kid, the moon would light up the world at night. He always rants about how dark it has gotten with all those black blobs of cities you can see up there. I walked inside, trying to imagine the old moon. I walked into the only hall you can get to through the main door. I walked down the hall lined with portals and what they led to written on the side of them. Jason, my older brother, had already put his name above the portal to the basement. I guess that means he claims it. My little sister had a drawing taped to the portal to the third floor. The first floor portal led to a kitchen. The Second floor led to the master bedroom. The fourth floor was a library. The fifth floor portal said “storage/safety shelter”, I had never seen a portal to a room like that. But the portal wasn't lit, so I guess its not an option either. There was one portal left, at the end of the hall. “I guess I call that one” I said out loud to myself, half jokingly. I went through, turned around and turned it off. I didn't want to be bothered right now. Wow, this is different furniture than I had, but I like it. The bed and all the chairs seemed large. I guess thats just how things are made here. Large. Houses, chairs, beds, Segways, everything. It seemed odd. But I got over it soon enough. I turned on the projection of my favorite movie, Apollo 26, the story of the first homeowners on Mars. I only had one window, of course it was extra big, I went and sat next to it while pondering why everything was super-sized here. I looked at a house down the street. The uber sized door creaked open, and out rolled one of the largest people I have ever seen. “Mom! Dad! Where are you guys?” I shouted as I hurried to turn on my portal, go back into the hall, then run into my parents portal. As I was running through the hall the storage/safety shelter portal turned on, and I heard my name be called from inside it. I hesitantly stood outside for a minute. It has been turned off, I have never seen a room like this before, and I don't know who is in it. Does there really seem like there is any good that can come out of this? They seem to know me though. Maybe ill stay right next to the portal, if its anything bad, I will just jump back through. Alright, That settles it. Here goes nothing...   Wait, this seems like a good time to tell you, who ever is reading this story that I wrote, about me. Well, I grew up in Colorado. There was lots to do there, and I did most of it. From rock climbing, to snowboarding, and river rafting, to mountain biking, plus almost every sport I could during the year in High School. I am one of the most fit guys I know... Hey, trust me this is important later. You may think I am trying to build suspension... Well, you caught me. This stuff is really important to know, in order to understand the story. I just chose to put it off till know to tell you, so pay attention now. Anyways, back to what I was saying. I was one of the most fit and in shape kids I have ever known. I was skinny, yet muscular. Thanks to all my sports, exercising, and my moms ridiculous obsession with healthy cooking. Alright, so I think you understand how I was in very good shape. Well, now you understand that, back to my story. Oh and by the way, this is the good part, where it all starts to tie together, then the story ends. Okay sorry, I wont talk to you anymore, just narrate my own life. You know, just the norm, what all the cool kids are doing these days. Wow. A.D.D., okay no more talking to you... starting... NOW! I stepped into the room, and the portal shuts off behind me. I walk in further, all I see is the glowing of a smörgåsbord of portals, skinny ones, mainly fat ones. Blue, Red, Yellow, Green ones. They all Shut off at once, All except one that is. Its a very wide one. The widest in the room. Out walks a man so large, he couldn't fit in anything I have ever seen. He was about twice the size of the man I had seen on the street earlier. Following him is my dad, and a line of important looking people. “Hello, Tommy.” The extremely fat man said, in a low deep voice. “As you know, I specifically picked your Dad here, to come work for us.” “Uh-huh” I managed to squeak out, I was frightened. Why was I here, why is he bothering to tell me all this, is what I wanted to ask. Nope, all I could get out was a lame uh-huh. The man turned and looked at the line of fat people standing behind him, then looked at my dad, then back at me. “We picked him, not for him, but for you.” He explained. My mind started racing, my heart pounding, What the he... “We have been watching you, and you are the healthiest young person we can find. I know you haven't been here long, but this city is where they have started to put all the obese people in the world, and with all the new technology, more people are becoming obese, and everyone who is already obese, just becomes larger.” “Well the scientists we have here at SSOLTHGEIW Labs, has been working on a way to reverse obesity. In order to do so, we needed the healthiest person we could find, which is you. What we need to do is extract your Genes, and put them into a vaccine. It will be a Vaccine to cure obesity. You will help the world, when children are born, they will take the Obesity Vaccine right along with all the others they have to take, and it will cure the world from obesity.” “We have already talked to your father about it and he thinks it is a great idea. He will even be a lead scientist. All we need now is your consent.” I think I just peed my pants. Me? Help the world? Just by being in shape? How crazy is this. I wonder if I will get payed. Will I be famous? Wow! “Yeah!!” I shouted, maybe a little to excitedly, oh yep, now its for sure I just peed my pants. “Alright, we will begin the procedure immediately, your life will be back to normal in no time, and you will start to see the change very soon. Happy Helping!” The man said as a person from the line, walked up, injected something into my arm and boom, I was asleep. Thats all I remember these days. Obesity to my kids is like imagining the moon with no black spots to me. Only a story they are told about. And all thanks to me. Well, this was my report on the incident. My name never became famous, but if you're reading this, you will know the truth, and hopefully I will at least be famous to one person. My name is Tommy Terminar Obesidad (its of Spanish origin), and that was the story of my life.