"The flu doesn't turn you into a giant fucking fly, guys."
— Brian Mulroney
"The Buzzing Death: A History of the Toronto Plague" is an Alternate History timeline written by users kspence92 and xxtraction, loosely based on The Fly (1986). The timeline posits an interesting question: What if Seth Brundle, instead of by a teleporter accident, became the Brundlefly by purposefully infecting himself with a self-engineered virus? What if it was contagious?
The timeline can be found here.
Please note that an AH account is required to view this thread.
This timeline features the following tropes:
- Adaptation Deviation: There are several differences to the original movie in this timeline:
- Seth is a geneticist and microbiologist in this timeline, whereas in the original movie he seems more interested in engineering.
- Seth's transformation was originally triggered by teleporting himself with a housefly in the same chamber. In this timeline, Seth uses fly genes to create a serum that he injects himself with.
- Veronica Quaife and Stathis Borans are both absent from the story. While not mentioned by name, it is mentioned that Seth infected himself in the aftermath of a breakup with his ex-girlfriend.
- In the original movie, the Brundlefly is a mute, feral monster who meets his end mere minutes after he emerges. In this timeline, Seth retains most of his intelligence as the Brundlefly (although there are still moments where his feral instinct kicks in), including the ability to speak. It is implied that he may even be more powerful than in the movie, given he didn't emerge prematurely and was able to live longer.
- Alternate History: The outbreak begins in February 1987.
- Apocalypse How: As of present, the epidemic is becoming a Class 0 for Toronto. However, it is heavily implied that the epidemic will continue to spread.
- Body Horror: As to be expected, Seth's transformation is just as gradual and horrific as it was in the film. Even worse, it's infectious!
- Driven to Suicide: Like in the movie, Seth is disgusted by the monster he's become, and wants to end his misery. Unlike the movie, Seth isn't put out of his misery right away. It's implied that he'll have his Mercy Kill later on.
- Hope Spot: For the moment, it seems that the Canadian government will be able to contain the virus to the Toronto metropolitan area. That is until a helicopter pilot gets attacked by one of the hybrids and makes an emergency landing in Pickering...
- Patient Zero: Seth Brundle, directly responsible for the creation of "Brundolution" and its outbreak.
- Slow Transformation: While taking significantly less time than it did in the movie, the transformation into a fly hybrid is still a gradual (and disgusting) process.
- Spared by the Adaptation: The fully-transformed Brundlefly remains alive long enough to go on a brief feeding frenzy before he's captured and contained by authorities.
