19.
"Wait, like a deformity?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"No, like a fucking urban legend, Thomas! But of course it was gone by the time anyone could verify one way or another," He said this in a tightly controlled hiss.
I took a drink, he gave me a refill. "Yeah... So then we were convinced *it* --” Here, he gestured vaguely at the air. “Found a way to broadcast wirelessly. We didn't tell hardly nobody, but Old Man Lundquist had a theory about weaponized electromagnetic fields combined with an algorithm to manipulate brain waves, so we built this," he said, rising to his feet while pointing at a secure looking door behind me.
20.
Buzzing fluorescent lights clicked on as Phil led me into the neighboring room. Dominating the room was a massive mesh cage. All manner of electrical and monitoring equipment was plugged into the apparatus. "It's a --"
"Faraday Cage." I finished for him.
"You always were a damn nerd," he said. I wanted to tell him that he was, too. But I suddenly realized I didn't know the man standing before me. Not really... not anymore.
"But yeah, that's essentially right. Old Lundquist added a bunch of doodads to see if he could decipher the means of the hallucinations. Or, what we thought was, anyway."
"It didn't work?" I asked.
"Well, we thought it did... before the horrorshow upstairs. But I do know that it works for Sheeple like your dumb ass. Which is why you're going to get in it. So I can prove to you I'm real."
21.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
INTERACTION LOG, 11:31, 4/7/1, REGION: OWL98223
Participating Subjects: Prodigal, Stroud
/////
Stroud: So get in.
Prodigal: Wait, you said the cage didn't work for the Naturals, but it works for the Upgraded?
Stroud: Oh, it works for everyone.
Prodigal: But --
Stroud: Keep up, Sunshine. The carnage upstairs? My dead friends? That's real.
Prodigal: I don't -- are you telling me there are real monsters? Vampires and shit?
Stroud: I don't know about that. I do know that yesterday, some giant goddamn spider looking things with blades on 'em stampeded through our HQ and turned a group of hard cases into gibs. I was out on patrol when it happened, so I don't even know if those things were TRYING to kill them.
Prodigal: Jesus Christ.
Stroud: I just saw them charge through the front door and then out the back like it was nuthin'.
Prodigal: No, no, you have to be wrong. How could something --
Stroud: I don't know, Thomas. Maybe if a rogue AI that's crazier than a shithouse rat gets a holda' the entire world's top secret research and data... maybe it might just get up to some mischief!
Prodigal: We don't know that's what happened...
Stroud: I do. Now get in the cage.
Prodigal: I don't need to, I believe you, I --
[Stroud throws Prodigal into the Faraday Cage on to a cot]
Prodigal: [Inaudible]
Stroud: I'll keep watch topside. You rest yourself, and I'll be back in a few hours.