Formica Necropolia

This is the reconstruction of the last days and death of John Harold Dekker. Following footage is based on a combination of the diary of the deceased, letters between him and Doctor Joseph Franklin and the autopsy report.

Monday March 10th, 2014
After four weeks of silence, I have finally received news of my old mentor and professor at the University of Cambridge, Doctor M.D. Joseph Franklin. As I wrote before, he is leading an expedition through South America. I'm so jealous, I missed this trip due to an lung infection. But now that I'm better, I only feel envy for the lucky bastards who are now wandering through the forests of Brazil. Today Doctor Franklin has sent me a box companioned by a letter.



Dear John,

''I hope you feel better and that everything is fine. The expedition goes even better then we have hoped. We just returned to our base camp, after a week of traveling through the woods. Our team have recently discovered something I absolutely had to share with you. On February 24th, we found an new insect! We found a group of ants searching for food near the corpse of a tapir. At first glance I should have identify it as Formica rufa, the red forest ant. But their distinctive color, bright blue convinced me that it was something different. Likely a new species. We have named  it Formica amazonia after its habitat. We have also discovered it has some unique characteristics. One of these characteristics is its ability to gender-swap. When a queen dies or if there aren't any queens near, a male ant starts to change, becomes female and grows into a new queen. We have no idea why this had to be male for the transformation and still investigating this. Formica amazonia appear to be omnivorous, as their diet varies from nettles and leaves to small insects, as crickets, flies, grasshopper to spiders and even to larger animals as small birds. I wish you could be here to see them. But since you can't, we have decided to collect a small group and send them to you! We have placed a dead hummingbird in the terrarium to make sure they don't die of starvation. Happy Birthday, John!''

Yours truly,

Joseph Franklin M.D.



My birthday was yesterday but it didn't matter. For a entomologist, this was the best gift someone could send. I took the box and put it on my lap. Throbbing of anticipation, I removed the seal and opened the box. Inside the box, there was a glass container with the corpse of the said hummingbird on a layer of dirt, approx. 2 inch thick. In all other situations I should have wondered who this passed border security but I didn't care as I saw the blue insects crawling. They were smaller then I had expected but it didn't bother me much. I had a new breed of insects in my possession. Carefully I walked to a table and placed the container on the table. First I took my working gloves from a shelf and from under the table I took an empty terrarium. The Formica amazonia would get a new home. I looked under the table, searching for sack of soil and a trowel. I filled the new terrarium with the soil  and put the box with the ants closer to me. First of all, I brought the bird's corpse in the box. The rest of the ants I brought in the ant farm by carefully scooping up the dirt of the container Doctor Franklin sent me and bringing it in the ant farm. I tried my best not to bury the bird. I didn't have food for them for the moment and maybe they can use the remains of the bird. I will be more than happy to throw away the bird as it stinks like hell. It was no typical rotting smell but something else. I couldn't pinpointed it but it's not necessary either. I had other things to take care of in the institute. They would be jealous if they knew what I had…

… It was a good day but now I going to sleep. Tomorrow I will remove the bird and give them some new food. My only concern is they won't eat insects they aren't used too. But that are concerns for tomorrow.

Tuesday March 11th, 2014
Just bought a box of living crickets for my new friends. As I fed them, they were very quick in attacking their prey. It seemed they had no problem with circling the bugs and killing them in a orchestrated attack. While they were busy devouring the insects, I took the bird out of the box. It was strange. The humming bird wasn't decaying, or at least, not as fast as one should expect. Its left wing was missing but other than that and the empty eye sockets, nothing too dramatic. But the smell was worsened. I tried to keep it away from me as much as possible. My first thought was to bury it in my garden. But after seeing a cat sneaking through the bush, I changed my mind. A cat would dig up the bird and eat it. While it wasn't visibly decaying on the outside, it was quite possible the inside was filled with maggots or bacteria. The smell should warn them normally but nothing is sure with cats. No, it would be animal abuse, giving them the change to get it. I could throw it in the trash but that posed the same problem as before but now with raccoons (Even more unpredictable). I decided to burn it. (It was a bad idea, as the smell was even worse. What the hell was I thinking when I burned it. I had use a whole spray can of air refresher to make it go away… I burned it on my balcony! Makes me think of it. I better buy me a new barbeque… What was I thinking, man!)

As I returned to my ant farm, I noticed something strange. The worker ants had yet to make a new nest in the dirt. They all scattered around on top of the dirt heap. I provided them with some nettles, maybe they needed the nettles to build a nest or something. I will investigate this further.

Wednesday March 12th, 2014
There is something wrong with the ant colony. After three days they still haven't started to build a nest in the dirt. Providing them with nettles didn't change a thing. For as far I can see the population seems to be diminished. I don't know how much longer they will be able survive. I don't understand it, I have done everything to mimic their natural environment. I provided them with food and hunting opportunities. I shall send a letter to Doctor Franklin as matters doesn't go better tomorrow. It would some much easier if he was a modern man who used e-mail… But then again, can you open e-mail in an outpost of Brazil? Anyway, for now, it is time to feed the remaining ants…

I took the box with crickets, grabbed a few and brought them in the terrarium. For some reason I forgot my gloves and was reminded of this mistake when I accidentally touched one of the remaining nettles, one of the only things still infested by the ants. I felt a painful sting in the back of my hand and when I pulled it away, I saw three little blisters. I really hated nettles and I cursed myself for not wearing gloves. But the pain eased quickly and I could continue the care for my other insects. But this time I would use gloves…

Thursday March 12th, 2014
I woke up with a terrible pain in my left hand. It was like bees were stinging constantly. The stings of the needles were now bright red and my hand was irritated. I decided to put up some salve on the wound and bandage it. I used a salve against insect bites, it worked also against nettles. But I was a bit worried. What if the pain wasn't caused by the nettles itself, I started to fear it was something far sever. What if these ants were toxic? I hoped to never find this out. During the day I felt weird muscles contractions in my left arm, together with a terrible itch. I had a weird sensation, like something was moving under my skin. Was it the poison or just my imagination. Could a poison really be that slow. I doubted it. I returned to my ant farm and did a terrible discovery. My ants were dead. None of them were still alive. I had them for three days and I killed them. I was devastated. How am I going to explain this to doctor Franklin.

Friday March 13th, 2014
The pain got worse. My arm feels numb now and is painful to move. To make matters worse, the pain has going to my side and my upper legs. Both feels a bit itchy. I have to consult a doctor…

<p class="MsoNormal">The doctor was clear, the pain and the inflammation were due to an allergic reaction. He have given me pills to ease the pain and told me to avoid the thing I reacted allergic to. That wouldn't be a problem. If I was allergic to the secretion of the ants, they are dead now as for the nettles, I'm no botanist, avoiding them shouldn't be that hard. When I got home I saw I had another letter of Doctor Franklin. Likely to ask how the ants are doing. If he only should send mails, it would far easier to explain what has happened. But some people don't what to change. I took the letter and opens it. The letter was short, hasty-written and terrifying.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Dear John,

<p class="MsoNormal">''I have an important message about the ants. You better be careful with these creatures. Three days ago, we met up with a nomadic tribe. At first they were very friendly and polite to us. Until one of my colleagues mentioned the ants. After explaining what he said to the tribe and showing them our discovery, they reacted hostile. They forced us to leave and asked us to never return. They made it clear that if we disobey their wish, they would use violence against us. Something about these ants makes them scared, despite the fact it seemingly can't survive very long in captivity. Remember to be very careful.''

<p class="MsoNormal">Yours truly,

<p class="MsoNormal">Joseph Franklin M.D

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">I was already in my living room when I was done reading the letter. I looked up at the terrarium, wondering what was wrong with these creatures.

Saturday March 14th, 2014
<p class="MsoNormal">There is something severely wrong with me. I can't no longer move my left arm and I have no longer any feeling in it. My sides and legs feel like they are on fire. I have tried using the prescribed medication but they can't ease the pain. It is clear for me now that this is no allergic reaction, this is something far worse. When I touched it with my other hand it feels stiff and hard, like it has been treated with formaldehyde. I fear the worst as I have the feeling that something is crawling under my skin. It's driving me crazy…

Sunday March 15th, 2014
<p class="MsoNormal">For all who read this, there is something wrong with these insects. Don't tried to find them, don't bring them to here and whatever you do, don't touch them! Being unable to move my legs, my left arm and for that regard most of my body, I finally realized what is happening to me. I now realize how the ants had survived their trip to California but didn't life long after arriving here. I now realize why they didn't made a nest in the dirt. I now realize I was indeed bitten by the creature. I would like to remove the bandages around my arm to see that I'm wrong, but I'm too scared to do it. I know I'm not wrong, I know that my end is near. Please fulfill my last wish and cremated me once I'm dead…

Autopsy Report. Friday March 24th, 2014
<p class="MsoNormal">Hello, I'm doctor Mark Galloway, pathologist. The patient's name is John Harold Dekker, age 32 years. The patient was found after neighbors were afraid that something had happened, as they hadn't seen Dekker for a week. They noticed a strange stench coming from his apartment. When the police and the paramedics arrived in the building, they found the deceased on his bed with a diary in his right hand. Besides the defecating of the body, there was no signs of the decaying of the body. The source of the stench seemed to be the body, a strange chemical smell, like formaldehyd. It still remains unsure how this come.

<p class="MsoNormal">It is time to see what has happened to him. I'll begin with a full body check. Bruises and marks can indicate the use of violence that resulted in the dead of mister Dekker. Strange, when I feel at the limbs of the man, they are stiffer than they are supposed to be. I see no signs of necrosis, no signs of the use of violence. The only indication for now are three little white dots on the man's left hand. It appears like the bite of an insect. I shall remove the bandages on his left arm to… Oh my god, you got to be kidding. I have never seen something like this in my entire life. It seems that an ant colony has formed in the man. The insect has created tunnels in the man's skin, flesh and fat tissue. Under the bandages, the skin is gone, exposing these tunnels. The arm has the same stiffness as the other limbs. I'm scared of what I will see. (noises of a scalpel cutting through flesh and mumbled curses. For a whole quarter it is silent beside the constant mumbling of  doctor Galloway. Then he continues with explaining) The same story with his other limbs, the ants have infested his body and created tunnels in the man's flesh, fat and even his bones. All seems to be conservated, seemingly treated by formaldehyd. It do explain the smell, but how is this possible… No animal on earth can do this… (Doctor Galloway remains silent for ten minutes, we hear again the sound of scalpel cutting through flesh. Followed by the buzzing sound of surgical saw. As the saw goes silent, he continue talking). As I investigate his organs, I notice a small infestation of the same blue ants. The amount of ants are the lower then in the limbs of the patient. Based on the state of his organs, the patient likely died due an ant infestation of his mayor organs… The infection started in his limbs and after that they infested his organs… The man had become a living ant farm! He was still alive when they… Oh my God! How is this possible… Ah shit, something bit me…

<p class="MsoNormal">End audio report

<p class="MsoNormal"> <p class="MsoNormal">Four days after the autopsy, doctor Mark Galloway committed suicide. He dredged himself him gasoline and ignited himself. Police believes that the paranoia, caused after the autopsy drove him to this act of desperation. The body of John Harold Dekker was cremated after the autopsy. Only the pictures of the ants made by Dekker, the pictures of the autopsy and Dekker's diary with the letters of Doctor Franklin remain. Current whereabouts of Doctor Franklin and his team remain unsure.