1 - Fat Every Second

By August, the laughter stopped. The average person had gained nearly 18 pounds of pure mass.

The ticker appeared on the morning of June 1st, hovering in the bottom-right corner of everyone’s vision like a digital ghost: . 1 Fat Every Second

By noon, the world realized it wasn’t a countdown. It was a tally. By August, the laughter stopped

On the anniversary of the Ticker, every survivor was 72 pounds heavier. By noon, the world realized it wasn’t a countdown

The global economy shifted entirely to "The Burn." Electricity was now generated by millions of people on massive, communal kinetic cycles, desperately trying to oxidize the fat as fast as it appeared. To sit still was to grow; to sleep was to wake up heavier than you went to bed.

On the tenth anniversary, the ticker stopped. For one breath, the world held its collective lungs. Then, the numbers began to turn red and count backward.

The world wasn't built for this. Airplane seats became tight. Subway turnstiles felt narrower. Public health officials realized that by next year, the average adult would weigh an extra 70 pounds. Bridges were inspected for weight tolerances; elevators were derated for fewer passengers.