Chapter 2: Chapter 2: MegaShop [Dystopian Satire, Psychological Horror]

The line moved at an excruciating pace. Each customer had to download the new MegaApp onto their phone, and scan their government ID, before they could enter the newly renovated MegaShop.

MegaShop was the only remaining grocery chain in America at that point. The two week closure for renovations was essentially a crisis, with nationwide protests and even sporadic riots.

It was mid February and well below freezing in Vermont. People tucked their hands into their armpits and stomped their feet occasionally to try and keep the circulation going. Every once in a while someone would shout out a complaint, and heavily armed security guards would remove them from the property.

I stood in line for over an hour and a half, despite showing up an hour before the store even opened.

“It's going to be amazing! It's all done through the app now, like the Amazon stores in China,” the excited young woman in line shared with me, “there isn't even any staff inside. It's all automated. Did you watch the premiere?”

Like in China?

“The what, sorry?”

“The premiere. It went viral like three days ago? Anyway, you might as well download the MegaApp while you wait, you'll need it to get in.”

MegaApp. One point nine stars. One hundred and fifteen million downloads. Downloading. Waiting. Installed.

“Please enter your MegaApp ID Code to continue.”

I put my phone back in my pocket. The cold was going to drain the battery anyway.

As I got close to the front of the line I noticed people getting rejected and turned away. If you didn't have a smartphone, or you didn't have any data or space? Tough luck.

Where else are they going to get food?

“Next!”

I was nervous as the unhappy looking woman in her sixties called me forward for my turn.

“Hello–”

“ID!” She barked at me.

I looked at her co-worker, a young man in his mid twenties but he was absorbed in something on his phone.

I gave her my ID and she scanned it into a terminal. A picture of my ID showed up on the screen in front of her.

“Face forward!”

She used a black smartphone in a heavily worn case to take a picture of my face. The picture showed up on the screen and the computer analyzed the picture against the one on my ID. The terminal let out a cheerful PINNNG! as my picture was verified. I smiled at the woman but she didn't smile back.

On the terminal's screen a pop-up showed a string of numbers and letters: 2H6-6A6-9M4. She tilted the screen towards me.

Stolen novel; please report.

“Did you download the MegaApp?”

“Yes, actually,” I whipped out my phone, “someone in line–”

“Enter this code where it asks for your MegaApp ID Code.”

I pulled up the app and entered the code: 2H6-6A6-9M4.

“Welcome to the MegaApp, 2H6-6A6-9M4, please enjoy your shopping experience today!”

PINNNG!

With a loud thud and click the gate slid open a few feet.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” The older lady waved me through impatiently.

Security at MegaShops had gotten progressively more aggressive in the bigger cities. Due to the rising cost of living and declining wages, theft was rampant. But security had always been pretty relaxed at my local MegaShop in Burlington. I was unsettled after the onboarding experience.

The entrance was pristine. Small, automated robots constantly patrolled the area to keep it clean and tidy. The building itself seemed to glow, as if there were lights built into the blue panels that made up the outside of the building.

SWOOSH!

The automated door opened gracefully and without an ounce of resistance. The entire ceiling seemed to be one giant fluorescent lightbulb, it was almost hard on the eyes. The little cleaning robots were whizzing around to and fro, keeping the white floor pristine.

On the floor were painted long lines of various colours that you were supposed to follow, like in prison.

I approached the cart corral and I scanned my phone on the terminal. But instead of the cheery ping, I got a grating buzz.

BZZZZ!

I promptly got a message from the MegaApp, “Cart access denied. Customer Rating too low. Please increase your Customer Rating and try again.”

I looked around for someone who worked there before I remembered that there were no human employees in the store anymore.

I brought up the help option on the MegaApp but it only had options related to losing your phone and changing SIM cards.

I stood there and watched the corral to see if it was just me. The next three people after me got a court no problem. I just about lost all hope before I watched the fourth man get rejected.

BZZZZ!

He tried yanking gently on the corral gate a few times before he noticed the cameras reorienting in his direction.

“Motherfuckers.” I heard him mutter under his breath as he walked into the store cartless.

I watched him walk into the store and noticed that he wasn't following a line. It only took moments for the PA system to blare: “ID number 2D6-4G9-7A6, please remain on the purple line like your MegaApp indicates.”

I pulled out my phone, sure enough it had a message from MegaApp: “Please remain on the purple line for the duration of your visit, thank you!”

Purple line it is…

It was extremely orderly, people were clearly scared of being called out by the omnipresent PA System God. Looking around I noticed that only around two thirds of the people had carts, the rest were juggling what they could hold in their arms.

There were five lines: Blue, green, red, yellow, and purple. Purple went the opposite direction of the others. I looked ahead and watched the weird purple liners making their circuitous route around the store.

Every department had gates in front of them and a terminal to request access. We passed electronics, makeup, and clothes. It didn't matter.

BZZZZ!

The purple line ended at aisle sixteen. The last aisle for groceries. I looked at the sign above the aisle: Pet Food and Cleaning Supplies.

What the hell?

I walked off the purple line and scanned my phone on the aisle fifteen terminal.

BZZZZ!

“ID number 2H6-6A6-9M4, please remain on the purple line like your MegaApp indicates.”

“Fuck your line! I can't eat dog food!” I hollered at the PA God in the ceiling.

“ID number 2H6-6A6-9M4, please refrain from cursing and/or yelling. Any further infractions and you will be permanently barred from all MegaStores. This is your only warning.”

My hands were shaking as I scanned my phone on aisle sixteen's terminal.

PINNNG!

The gate opened with the same satisfying swoosh as the front door. There were four of us in the aisle. Everyone seemed to be moving slowly and carefully. They were all probably in shock that they were now expected to eat dog food.

It was two elderly ladies (who looked like sisters), the angry man from earlier, and me. The old ladies were checking the ingredients on some cans of wet dog food. The angry man was pacing back and forth, making violent threats under his breath. I tried to focus on getting something, anything at that point, and getting the hell out of there.

I decided to approach the old ladies, “Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you, but what are you looking for– on that can, I mean…”

They both laughed, “Some are made of corn, some are made of pork, some are made of corn and pork.”

The other perked up, “And some are fish, chicken, you name it.”

I picked up a can of Woof Plus Wet Chicken and gave the ingredients a look. First ingredient: chicken. I flashed a grin at the old ladies.

Okay, not so bad…

“Motherfuckers! You motherfuckers!”

Behind me, much to the horror of the ladies and me, the angry man had decided to go ballistic and was ripping open bags of dry dog food and pouring them out.

We implored him with the usual “Hey, hey, stop that,” but it didn't do anything.

“ID number 2D6-4G9-7A6, please refrain from cursing and/or yelling. Any further infractions and you will be permanently barred from all MegaStores. This is your only warning.”

“Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!” He screamed as he began hucking bottles of cleaning supplies at the cameras.

Oh my God, this fuckin’ guy…

The speakers in aisle sixteen, that had previously been playing radio pop music at a comfortable level, suddenly cranked up to where I could no longer hear my own voice.

The ladies and I rushed to the end of the aisle but the door wouldn't open.

BZZZZ!

I tried to scream at the man and tell him to calm down but it was no use, the blaring music drowned me out. Out of pipes hanging above us dropped what looked like a couple dozen metal marbles. I watched as one marble in particular hit the floor and bounced up in front of my face.

BANG!