Phantasia

“Wait, what?” he stammered, “Us? Hallucinations? Dude, this better not be about drugs and shit. I only touch the herbal stuff, not those nano-things that wreck your brain. Those’re proper bad,”

“It’s not drugs – herbal or nano,” said John, “We’ve tested negative and we’re breaking the delusion too easily for it to be nano-drugs,”

“Indeed,” said Phoenie, “These illusions are something else entirely. Something that would lead to the perpetrator to resort to illicit hacking methods in order to counteract our rejection of their intended reality!”

“Dude, what’s that supposed to mean?” asked Joel, “Hacking? That some clever drug term for spiking your drink?”

“The Veritas digital network was compromised,” said John, “A minor virus from an amateur hacker tried to erase all data on the system related to certain dates and keywords,”

“And the hallucinations that took effect last night tried to steer us away from even looking for the copious amounts of backup data we keep,” continued Phoenie, “They went to all that effort to stop us, and it hasn’t even lasted twenty-four hours!”

Theseus slipped down from the window ledge and moved into the group dynamic, perching himself on a table near John. “Gotta give you guys credit, at least, although it took you long enough. If you’d just listened to me and—“

“We have our morals!” snapped Phoenie, “You may be prepared to lower them and let yourself be associated with that vile cult, but we are having none of it!”

There was a tension in the group bonds as Theseus and Phoenie stared each other down. Theseus learned to counter the illusions from his girlfriend, Amanda, who had been blackmailed into betraying her closest friends by Godhand. Phoenie didn’t forgive such treachery easily, no matter what the circumstances.

“Maybe if you’d just talked about it a little more,” offered Phantasia, hoping she could calm the simmering aura of the room, “It took you this long because you were all too scared and paranoid!”

Had they only worked together and discussed their individual observations and investigations, perhaps they might have solved the mystery sooner – assuming, of course, they reached the right answer. Phantasia had a feeling none of them knew of Princess Titania.

I do not anticipate them to have such knowledge, replied Faye. All indications point to an alternative, false deduction. I am intrigued to see how capable these humans are.

Currently, however, they were caught in a shameful silence as guilty looks were exchanged and avoided.

“But at least you’ve made a start now,” added Phantasia, hoping to encourage some discussion, “It doesn’t matter how you’re fighting the lies, just so long as you are fighting!”

Phoenie managed a weak smile and her aura began to open up again. “Phantasia is right, we must keep fighting!”

“Yeah, but if it ain’t nano-drugs, then what the hell is it?” asked Theseus.

“And what’s it gotta do with us?” added Joel.

“It has to be some kind of mass hypnosis,” said John, “Something no amount of sensors and scans could detect. Something on a subconscious, psychological level…”

“And I think I know what,” said Phoenie. She sat down on the teacher’s desk and looked over towards the Ravens, “As I said, the answer was in front of us all along: Mr Gibson, if you wouldn’t mind telling everyone what you told me earlier today? About the rituals at your social gathering place, ‘the World’s End’?”

Chapter 46
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