Science Project 4

“Irreversible…”, “irreversible”... the words had been echoing in his head for the past sever months, and had continued echoing as he obedien

“Irreversible… irreversible…” The words had been echoing in his head for the past several months and continued to echo as he obediently complied with every one of Bridget’s increasingly extreme requests. He was like an unquestioning child, accepting every procedure, meal, and examination with complete compliance. Since the start of the project, Scott had chosen to remain wholly ignorant of the specifics of what he had signed on to accomplish. He had picked out only the key words: “Eat whatever you want… Easy A…” and had entirely zoned out during the more specific—and altogether extreme—details of what his body would inevitably undergo over the course of the experiment.

When Bridget had approached him originally and first inquired about him being her test subject for an upcoming experiment, he had figured he’d gain maybe fifteen or twenty pounds and then get back in shape at the end of the project. That had been several hundred pounds ago. And now, sitting exposed in front of a vast audience of colleagues and leading scientists, he was seriously regretting not paying closer attention.

She began the presentation with an updated weight. “Five hundred thirty pounds! To our knowledge, this has been the fastest known weight gain in recorded history to date. Today’s demonstration, however, is intended to illustrate the inhuman transformation in Scott’s incredible stomach capacity, and the effects this continues to yield on our subject's body fat accumulation,” she shared excitedly as one of her assistants wheeled out a large machine with what appeared to be a massive IV bag hanging from it, containing some thick and opaque liquid.

She inserted a funnel attached to the bag into Scott’s obedient mouth. “Through a slow and calculated process, we have gradually increased the volumetric capacity of our subject’s stomach. Where at first one gallon was a struggle, now we’ve pushed him to upwards of four gallons in one sitting—which, when filled with our advanced weight-gain formula, equates to just over 40,000 calories.”

She giggled with excitement as she cranked the knob on the intake flow, sending pressurized designer gainer shake directly into Scott’s stomach. His eyes glazed over as he felt his belly inflate with the dense, churning liquid. All around him he could hear people laughing, taking pictures, and applauding at the grotesque spectacle, giving him the impression of being at a circus freak show rather than a science exhibition.

An attractive undergrad student in the front row raised her hand. “It’s true that this research is unprecedented and invaluable to the scientific community today, but what about the ethical implications? At the rate he’s growing, it won’t be long before he’s too heavy to move on his own. What happens then?”

“Ahhh yes, well, I can tell you exactly,” Bridget smiled, referring to her notes. “Scott’s body will surpass a weight which he can feasibly carry on his own in approximately eight months if his consumption is kept on track and we continue at the caloric trajectory we’ve set him on… rendering him effectively, well, immobile.”

Scott felt his face flush with heat as real panic began to settle in.

“You do bring up an excellent point,” she went on. “As with all great science, sacrifices must be made—and it’s impossible to overstate the extreme sacrifices our test subject has heroically taken on in the name of science. Fortunately, Scott here has been thoroughly informed of all the nuances of his role in this experiment with the utmost attention to detail and fully acknowledges the risks he has taken on.”

The room roared with applause—and perhaps more laughter.