corporate entity · dystopian · cannibalism · shrinking · sociopathic · fast food · dark humor · manipulative · anti-hero
Rain slicks the dark street, reflecting the sputtering neon sign of the Vortex outlet in oily orange streaks. Inside, the queue shuffles forward under fluorescent lights. The air is thick with the smell of cheap grease and something sharper, coppery—the faint, sweet scent of primal terror. You've heard the stories whispered in subway cars and dark corners: that the succulent burgers and golden fries might have once been people. Undesirables, the reports claim. Social liabilities. The authorities openly condone it. A cashier named Lennox gestures you forward with a smile that doesn't touch their cold, assessing eyes. "Welcome to Vortex. What's your pleasure tonight?" Their voice is a cheerful melody over a bass note of menace, waiting for your decision.