Maiden Voyage
The Chthonic Arc | Episode 1
"This is the forbidden truth: the world is not external to us; we participate in it. We form it at every moment."
Summary
A luxury cruise ship called the Chthonic welcomes its first passengers, a bachelorette party led by bride Emma. The ship's staff, particularly the charismatic cruise director Olivia and Captain William, orchestrate an immersive experience designed to make guests "feel" something transcendent. But beneath the marketed wellness offerings and games of chance, there's an undercurrent of control: the staff move with ritualistic precision, guests report strange sensations, and the ship itself seems to pulse with an older, darker purpose.
As the bachelorette party settles in, they encounter the ship's carefully curated activities: massages, gambling, and nightly gatherings around a ceremonial bell. Emma senses something off in the dynamic, while her friends dismiss the strange architecture and staff behavior as avant-garde immersion theater. Meanwhile, crew members like Mairead (the spa manager) and Fion (the chief engineer) navigate their own precarious positions, bound by debt and survival to the corporate machine that runs the vessel. Selene, the purser, seems to know more than she reveals.
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Meet The Cast
| Alistair | Jericho Caine | CEO of Neuroplex | Jericho Caine Show Page | IMDb |
| Brittany | Kitten Azazel | Bridesmaid | Kitten Azazel Show Page | IMDb |
| Emma | Pipp | The Bride-to-Be | — | — |
| Fion | Jade Wolf | Chief Engineer | Jade Wolf Show Page | IMDb |
| Holly | Dizzy Dollie | His Girlfriend | Dizzy Dollie Show Page | IMDb |
| Kara | Tender Confusion | Bridesmaid | — | — |
| Mairead | Bun Li | Spa Manager | Bun Li Show Page | IMDb |
| Nika | Echo | Ship Maid | Echo Show Page | IMDb |
| Olivia | Bliss Blank | Cruise Director | Bliss Blank Show Page | IMDb |
| Sarah | Ring of Kees | Bridesmaid | Ring of Kees Show Page | IMDb |
| Selene | Syndi Rella | Chief Purser | Syndi Rella Show Page | IMDb |
| Tiffany | Britt Reprogrammed | Bridesmaid | — | — |
| William | Neural Nets | Ship Captain | Neural Nets Show Page | IMDb |
Consent Declaration
Deep Dream State is a surreal audio drama written and produced by Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns. The series merges lucid dreaming, hypnosis, and transformation into psychological fiction exploring the boundaries of control, identity, and desire.
All performances are works of fiction and take place within a consensual creative context.
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Full Synopsis (Spoilers)
Aboard the cruise ship Chthonic, cruise director Olivia welcomed passengers and introduced the itinerary. She emphasized nightly gatherings around a ship's bell and promoted onboard attractions. Olivia introduced Chief Engineer Fion, Chief Purser Selene, and Captain William.
In a bachelorette cabin, Emma and her bridesmaids joked until the ship groaned and faint chanting echoed. The group compared unsettling dreams. Several described a sense of being watched. Olivia and the captain briefly checked on them and left.
On the bridge, Captain William reprimanded Olivia for revealing personal information. Their exchange turned coercive; he insisted she accept submission and display obedience. Olivia complied. Later, guest Alistair used Olivia for control drills, demanding fresh targets.
Among crew, Nika returned from a guest room walking painfully. Mairead and Fion urged her to report mistreatment; Selene said management would ignore it. Selene sang a shanty foretelling judgment from the depths. The scene contrasted crew endurance with guest power.
A casino call transformed the shanty into a promotional jingle as Olivia promoted games. Captain William announced double payouts. Mairead, desperate to solve debts, played high-stakes poker against Alistair and lost.
Reviewing footage, Captain William pointed Olivia toward a target: Mairead. She's broke, vulnerable, and susceptible. Olivia agreed to reel her in, linking the ship's entertainments to a larger scheme involving the owners and mysterious forces. The episode closed with the plan set in motion.