Human meat was an incredible delicacy on the planet Verba. Problem was, it was a tough travel for the Verbans. Their home planet was trillions of light years from Earth. Access to the delicatessen was all too dependent upon the capricious space/time continuum.
The earliest Verban pioneers would simply ray-gun the earthlings and devour them on the spot. But humans were learning to steer clear from the carnivores from outer space. With the home folk clamoring for better beef, a better way had to be found.
The Verbans decided that if you can’t eat ‘em, join ‘em. So they made peace and invited a few intrepid earthlings to participate in a “cultural exchange program.” It was all a ruse. The humans were locked away in indoctrination cells and imprinted with Verban programming.
Humans returning from Verba were feted as celebrities and mingled easily with their fellows. After all, there was fellowship in mutual DNA. No one was the wiser that these space-traveling hot-shots were actually mindless automatons. All too willing to lead their adoring fans straight to the meat grinder.
Dead flesh made quick a passage through the space/time continuum. Most were ground into meat patties while intact cadavers were flash frozen for those all too succulent ribs.
Rumor has it that humans have been deep-fried for fast-food McVerba chains catering to the hoi-polloi. Oh perish that rumor!
Human flesh has indeed become the succulent creme-de-la-creme of the ultimate rump roast at the royal Verban table. Gadstones of the Verban palate tear bloody chucks of human flesh off the bone in Caligulan ecstasies of orgy.
