Deadlock

"PaxMeal: Peace in every bite!"   PaxMeal-Induced Cognitive-Muscular Degeneration (PM-CMD) is a condition caused by the overconsumption of PaxMeal's ration blocks. Also known as "deadlock", PM-CMD is fatal if left untreated. PaxMeal nutrition blocks are the fusion of two experimental supplements that were created before the world's collapse. The first one, Vitaburst, was simple and designed to provide instant, caloric restoration. The second one, Substance V-X31, was a military-grade stimulant that was never made available to the public.   The resulting fusion, PaxMeal, is touted as a productivity enhancer for manual laborers and is often used by Cerberus Pact soldiers. It's a dense, chalky bar that tastes faintly of fruit. It's commonly described as being similar to an antacid and can be eaten as is or dissolved in drinks. PaxMeal provides a nutritional boost that optimizes the body's fuel-to-function ratio, but it comes at a high cost. Users crash once its effects wear off, and the burnout from the nutrition block is tenfold to that of caffeine. It causes a sense of heaviness in the body, and users struggle to stay awake.   Continued consumption of PaxMeal can reverse the body's metabolism, causing it to burn through muscle before fat. The sensation is described as being "wired, but weightless" due to the burst of stamina the blocks provide. Joint and muscle pain are common, as well as tremors, especially in the hands. PaxMeal affects the mind as well, giving users a heightened sense of mental clarity and focus. It can also lead to the formation of obsessive thoughts, specifically in regard to designated tasks and self-imposed routines.   Users find it difficult to be aware of their body's needs until PaxMeal's crash hits. After weeks of use without proper food or sleep, they reach the final stage of deadlock. Their muscles seize and spasm before giving out, and their mind becomes a tangled net of nonsensical thoughts. Their speech slurs until it's incomprehensible. Without medical intervention, their bodies give out and the user falls comatose. Their muscles continue to atrophy until their death. Recovering patients describe their addiction as feeling like they were wide awake in someone else's body.