The Chthonic sets sail. And the sea does not forget.
The luxury cruise ship Chthonic embarks on a voyage overseen by the Dagon Dream Group. As passengers settle into their cabins and experience disturbing dreams, the ship’s leadership begins orchestrating something far more sinister. Behind the scenes, the captain and his associates identify vulnerable travelers and set a methodical plan in motion. What appears to be a luxury getaway conceals a coordinated conspiracy with mysterious depths.
Cast & Crew
Written & Produced by: Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns
Directed by: Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns
Co-Directed by: Bliss Blank
Olivia, Cruise Director: Bliss BlankWilliam, Ship Captain: Neural Nets and Pretty PatternsNika, Ship Maid: Echo DollSelene, Chief Purser: Syndi RellaMairead, Spa Manager: Bun LiFion, Chief Engineer: JadeAlistair, CEO of Neuroplex: Jericho CaineHolly, His Girlfriend: Dizzy DollieEmma, The Bride-to-Be: PippBrittany, Bridesmaid: Kitten AzazelKara, Bridesmaid: Tender ConfusionSarah, Bridesmaid: Ring of KeesTiffany, Bridesmaid: Britt ReprogrammedFull Plot Synopsis (Caution: Spoilers)
The cruise begins with Cruise Director Olivia Naylor greeting passengers and outlining the itinerary under the Dagon Dream Group banner. She promotes nightly bells, a wellness center managed by Mairead, and the Dagon app controlled by crew member Nikita. Captain Will Dyer, Chief Engineer Fion Morgan, and Chief Purser Selene round out the leadership presented to guests. The atmosphere appears welcoming and professionally managed.
In their cabin, bachelorette party guests Emma, Tiffany, Brittany, Kara, and Sarah share unsettling nocturnal experiences. Strange sounds come through the ship’s walls, and their collective nightmares involve tentacles and the sensation of being observed. When Captain Dyer and Olivia briefly check on them, the passengers mention nothing specific, and the leadership departs without investigation.
Behind closed doors, the captain confronts Olivia with explicit demands for absolute obedience tied to the tank and entities called the Old Ones, specifically invoking Abyssrath. Olivia submits without resistance. Later, Alistair Howell, owner of Neuroplex and the ship’s true architect, uses Olivia for control exercises and instructs her to identify new targets. Crew members Nikita, Mairead, and Fion witness the ship’s darker reality. Selene reveals that she has worked such vessels before and that formal complaints are deliberately ignored. She performs a cryptic shanty referencing judgment from the waters.
A casino night attracts Mairead, who is financially desperate and mathematically convinced she can gain advantage through high-stakes poker. She loses to Alistair and accumulates debt. Captain Dyer reviews surveillance footage and identifies Mairead as the ideal mark: vulnerable, broke, and isolated. Olivia agrees to leverage the ship’s systems, the nightly bell, and the Dagon app as tools for entrapment. The episode closes with the machine set in motion to deliver Mairead into the hands of those orchestrating the voyage.
Listen & Explore
Listen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsRSS FeedSupport the creator on PatreonCreator bio & portfolioShow page: animation, art, and loreThis episode’s lore entryAll episodes archiveCanonical Tumblr PageView this series on IMDbView this episode on IMDbMusicBrainz for Neural Nets and Pretty PatternsBookBrainz for Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns, including show script booksThe Chthonic: Collected Scripts on Apple BooksThe Chthonic: Collected Scripts on SmashwordsThe Chthonic: Collected Scripts on Internet ArchiveProducer ISNIHuman Made Art
Series artwork for this arc was created by Echo Doll in collaboration with Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns. Deep Dream State uses human art at every stage of the creative supply chain.
Content Warnings
Cosmic horror, eldritch entities, ritual, surveillance, adult themes, dream manipulation.
Consent Declaration
Deep Dream State is a desire horror audio drama written and produced by Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns. It explores psychological fiction at the boundaries of control, identity, and complicity. The elements depicted are fictional and intentional. Maiden Voyage contains cosmic horror, ritual content, surveillance themes, and adult themes. All performances are works of fiction and take place within a consensual creative context.
Chapters
00:00:00 – Ring This Bell00:06:39 – Wedding Party Too Hard00:11:02 – The Command Center00:19:41 – When In Rome00:25:10 – We Help Ourselves00:28:48 – Chthasino00:29:43 – Command Calamari