Best Used By

## Background

Task Force 807 had been investigating *Merryweather Poultry* after a Friendly, Simon Lee, reported a possible infectious vector from the company’s R&D division. A non-hormone based muscle growth serum was developed with encouraging results until the animal is consumed, creating a fleshy mutation which loses higher mental functions and develops an insatiable instinct to kill.

While the mutation was deemed a failure for commercial application, a military one was in the talks by members of the board of directors and members of the R&D division. Lee relayed the situation to Task Force 807 and a “health inspection” was conducted to remove the serum samples, laboratory records, test animals, and a list of its creators for “accidents.”

During the inspection, it was revealed that, due to budget cuts and bureaucratic mistakes, a set of test animals (turkeys) were processed into ground meat. By the time the mistake was learned, a pallet was shipped to 3 stores in Polk County New Jersey. A recall was issued to the affected stores but one already had the meats on display and sold a packet that morning.

The Agents are called in to follow up on the meat recovery.

## Briefing

1. Agents will pose as members of New Jersey’s Department of Health and given IDs as such.
2. Agents are to go to the locations in Polk County New Jersey where the tainted meat was reportedly shipped to and collect them, claiming an *E.Coli* infection from the distributor.
3. Eliminate anyone who consumes the tainted meat.
4. Bring all the tainted meat and/or infected peoples to a local green box for later disposal. Leave the NJDOH IDs in the green box as well.

Notes about the tainted meat

* Contamination is conducted through the consumption and digestion, and should be safe to handle if gloves are worn.
* Unknown reaction to human conduction, treat with extreme prejudice.
* More information can be obtained by calling Lee.

Agents are given the follow;

* A white, unmarked van (paid in cash by their Handler).
* The burner number for Simon Lee.
* Address of the three locations where the tainted meats were delivered.
* Each a quick ID badge as field agents of the New Jersey Department of Health, Food Safety Division.
	+ These have photos of the Agents but fake names and identification numbers.
	+ These are quick IDs to convince civilians.
	+ While they look official, any names or ID numbers called into official channels will be quickly confirmed as forgeries.
* The address to *Tom’s Market* in New Jersey (approx. 45 min drive from the briefing site)

## Calling Lee

Trapped as a *Merryweather Poultry* laboratory technician due to limited opportunities and student loans, Simon Lee feels trapped. Years ago he was approached by federal agents for an ‘off-the-books’ test which Lee recognized as something of an extreme biological anomaly after the blood sample he was working with started glowing. Task Force 807 found Lee capable enough for another operation after that but never expected him to call in something.

Last month, Lee overheard rumors about a secret project in an adjacent lab. Two weeks of snooping led to the startling realization of the serum and its capabilities and drawbacks, as well as what *Merryweather Poultry* had in mind for it. Lee reached out and is now scared it’ll all come back to haunt him.

If called, Lee will be apprehensive as he still worries his employer will learn of his actions and retaliate. He fears what the serum can do to the world more than what the company will do to him.

Agents asking about the serum can learn the following;

* Animals injected over a period of 7 to 8 weeks show rapid muscle growth and a capacity to keep the mass even if the subject is sedentary. Higher brain function seems to be affected.
* Meat appears normal.
* Problems occur when subject is consumed, either raw or cooked, with the following effect on test pigs;
	+ 20 minutes after consumption, pigs ran a fever before isolating themselves and falling into a short coma.
	+ At 45 minutes, they awoke and started to rapidly change into hogs; tusks grow out, thicker fur, aggressive behaviors more prominent.
	+ At 70 minutes, the new hogs begin to attack others around them; wounds heal rapidly but leave tumor-like growths. One gored sow grew ‘tusk-ribs’ from its wound and ‘ate’ a charging hog with them.
	+ Only 1 hog remained, consuming the remains of the others. Attempts to kill it for dissection resulted in failure.
		- When pressed, Lee isn’t sure how they killed it, only that the usual CO2 gas method must have failed.

## The Meat

The shipment of tainted ground turkey meat was packaged and shipped to three stores in Polk County. In order of closest for the Agents to drive to;

1. *BULLSEYE* (major department store chain with a food aisle), they pulled all the ground turkey and left it in the back for the Agents to pick up.
	1. Manager had the meats pulled but doesn’t know where they are because he just told the night shift to do it before they clocked out.
2. *Java-Stop* (popular northeastern gas station with a food preparation service), they boxed everything and are ready to go.
	1. Shift Lead personally offers an extra hand and some free coffees for the agents.
3. *Tom’s Market* (old shop once popular with locals but has gone downhill recently), meat is actually still being stocked in the cold foods section, with the rest in the cold foods storage in the back.
	1. Only a clerk and assistant manager are in (putting the meat out) and the latter was told by the manager to stock the meat an hour ago (recall order was made an hour and half ago). They are tired but will help out with loading the van.
		1. The manager is ‘on break’ with his phone off and won’t be back for hours.
		2. If asked about any being sold or the mention of the recall, the clerk will say he sold one to Mr. McDowell this morning. They both can give his address.

## McDowell Residence

Andrew Sanders McDowell lives 10 minutes drive from *Tom’s Market* in a small house on a messy lot. His property is where he breaks down junk for his scrap metal business, surrounded by woods and fenced in with **BEWARE OF DOG!** sign out front.

When approaching the home, the lingering smell of barbeque is in the air. McDowell is in the backyard cooking turkey burgers on the grill. He is annoyed about government types on his property but is not aggressive. When asked about the meat he’ll say he was grilling the last of the meat now because he dropped his first burger on the ground and let his dog, Franky, have it while getting another bottle of gin for his gin and tonics.

Oddly enough, Franky didn’t bark when the agents arrived and McDowell hasn’t seen him for about an hour now.

## Franky The Dog

Franky is under the house and in a few minutes will burst out and charge at the agents. He is now a reddish, wolf looking bull terrier. He will mainly focus on the agents at first but if McDowell attempts to restrain Franky, he’ll attack.

When fighting Franky:

* Franky attacking agents cost 0/1 **SAN** of Violence.

* Blunt force trauma, bladed weapons, and light pistols dealing at least 4 damage will stun Franky for 1 turn but he gains 1 Armor from each attack.
* Medium and heavy pistols will also stun Franky for a turn but he will grow 1 Armor each attack.
* Shotguns and rifles can stop Franky for 1D4+1 turns along with the 1 Armor gained from each attack.
* After losing half his max HP Franky will become nightmarish looking, costing 1/1D8 **SAN** loss of Unnatural.

Using the open bottle of gin and the lit grill, the agents can douse a stunned Franky and kick the grill on him to catch the former dog on fire. The fire does 2D6 damage/turn and if Frank’s HP drops to 0 while on fire he will be killed. Otherwise, Franky will run off into the woods.

## Resolutions

If Franky can’t be killed, it will run away into the woods. Hunting and eating whatever squirrels, deer, or lone hikers he finds, mutating till he becomes a mass of flesh which dissolves from eating itself after two weeks.

* Agents take 0/1 **SAN** loss of Helplessness hearing news about lost hikers in that area or ‘Jersey Devil’ sightings for the next week.

* Killing Franky for good regains 1 **SAN**.

If McDowell survives and is told to stay silent, he will develop a drinking problem and talk. No one will believe him however.

* Bringing all the tainted meat and Franky’s remains to the green box regains 1D4 **SAN**
* Leaving Franky’s remains will only regain 1D4-1 **SAN** as there will be lingering doubts about whether this was enough or if something eats Franky’s remains can mutate further.

## Stat Blocks

### Simon Lee

*Laboratory assistant for Merryweather Poultry and Delta Green friendly, age 29.*

 **HP** 10
 **SKILLS:** Bureaucracy 45%, Science (Biology) 60%, Science (Chemistry) 60%, Science (Genetics) 60%

### Andrew Sanders McDowell

*Local scrap metal collector, age 51.*

 **HP** 9
 **ATTACKS:** Unarmed Combat 40%

### Franky

*No longer a good boy, age 4 1/2.*

 **HP** 13
 **ARMOR:** Starts with 1 point of fur and thick skin.
Rapid healing (see **RAPID HEALING**).
 **ATTACKS:** Bite 30%, damage 1D6
 **KNOCK DOWN:** If this attack hits, Franky attempts an opposed STRx5 test against the target. If Franky succeeds, the target is knocked prone.
 **RAPID HEALING:** Franky gains 1 Armor for every attack that deals 4 or more damage. Each round Frank heals for 1D6 damage till back to full health.
A successful Lethality roll does not destroy Franky, but inflicts HP damage equal to the Lethality rating.
 **SAN LOSS:** 0/1 for being attacked by normal dog Franky.
1/1D8 when Franky enters his Nightmarish Form.

## Credits

Best Used By was written by Forrest S. B for the 2020  shotgun scenario contest.

Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is a trademark and copyright owned by the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. The contents of this document are © Forrest S. B, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

Best Used By is not available here under CC-BY-SA.