Part 1/10:

The Beginning of the End: A Journey into a Post-Apocalyptic World

The story opens in 1968 on a live television discussion featuring two epidemiologists engaging in a deep conversation about potential pandemics. Dr. Newman, one of the experts, controversially argues that a fungal pandemic poses a greater threat to humanity than viral outbreaks. He shares disturbing insights into a particular fungus that attaches itself to ants, infiltrates their brains with hallucinogenic compounds, and ultimately converts them into mindless slaves. He warns that, with global warming, fungi could evolve to infect humans on an unprecedented scale. The discussion concludes on a chilling note as the epidemiologist highlights the lack of a cure for any potential fungal pandemic.