{"id":1227,"date":"2022-05-02T21:07:34","date_gmt":"2022-05-03T02:07:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=1227"},"modified":"2022-05-02T21:07:34","modified_gmt":"2022-05-03T02:07:34","slug":"part5","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode14\/part5\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 14: \u00a0In the Wink of an Eye<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 5<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

As usual, K leaned his elbows on his desk with his fingers laced, waiting for the fateful call from Red that would shed light on the bizarre happenings at HimTak. While Grasshopper relaxed in the chair in front of K\u2019s desk, Nick paced the room, poking at any random thing in K\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

A twist of the desk lamp revealed hidden compartments that released dangling grooming tools. A comb, nail clippers, tweezers, a razor, and\u2026 was that an eyebrow trimmer? Nick\u2019s eye twitched involuntarily. A spin of the globe beside K\u2019s desk revealed meticulously stored hidden weapons, including several sleek daggers and Berettas; very K. They complimented the framed antique Nambu pistol hanging behind his desk. Surprisingly, the last two compartments featured food instead of weapons: bags of Fritos and a large pile of Reese\u2019s peanut butter cups.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs this really candy, or are they small explosives?\u201d Nick asked as he picked one up, tossed it in the air, and caught it.<\/p>\n

\u201cA wolf in sheep\u2019s clothing is all too trusting of the sheep.\u201d Grasshopper chuckled.<\/p>\n

K cleared his throat. \u201cIt\u2019s really candy. Please refrain from ransacking my office.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick unwrapped the candy, popped it in his mouth, then continued pacing around the room. As he ran his hand along the picture frames on the wall, they swung, then settled just slightly askew, revealing a tiny laser embedded in the wall behind each one. When they appeared, the lasers fired, narrowly missing Nick as he walked but singing the wall directly opposite them. Nick flinched when he reached the edge of the wall, finally noticing the menacing lasers behind him. With a laugh, he placed his hand behind his head and slowly walked back, flicking each picture frame back into place as he did. \u201cOops.\u201d<\/p>\n

K leaned against his laced fingers. \u201c008–\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite K\u2019s protests, Nick continued pacing the office. Another interesting item on K\u2019s desk sat directly beside the nameplate. Nick picked up the marble horse head paperweight and turned it over to find a small button on the bottom. After Nick pressed it, a familiar voice echoed across the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs this really candy, or are they small explosives?\u201d<\/em> it asked.<\/p>\n

Nick turned to K with a grin as he pressed the button on the bottom of the horse, silencing the voice. \u201cYou\u2019ve been spying on us? What\u2019d you bribe Pearly with for this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBribery is unnecessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat else is in here?\u201d Nick set the horse head down, then shrugged and reached for the ceiling fan\u2019s string. \u201cAre knives going to pop out of here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c008, I insist–\u201d Though K reached out his hand, the ringing phone interrupted him.<\/p>\n

Nick clenched his fist and flopped into the chair beside Grasshopper, pulled from his distracting antics by concern for his friends. Still, he wrinkled his forehead and nose at K\u2019s brief exhale before answering the phone. Was that\u2026 relief? What the hell does the ceiling fan do?<\/em> he thought to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is K,\u201d he answered, pressing the speaker button on the phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cTox screen was clear,\u201d Red responded with a twinge of shakiness in her voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo they\u2019re not drugged?\u201d Nick leaned forward, palms pressed against the arms of the chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. Well, Archie\u2019s blood contained trace amounts of a combination of drugs, so he–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRed,\u201d K interrupted. \u201cHas your evaluation given you other concerns that would justify an underlying medical cause?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou saw them; something\u2019s not right, but\u2026 as far as I can tell, it\u2019s not something medicine can cure\u2026 It could be an extreme reaction to the lockdown…\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToo extreme in a matter of weeks.\u201d K laced his fingers. \u201cThank you; we\u2019ll be in touch.\u201d He hung up the phone, ending the call.<\/p>\n

\u201cA tiger in captivity retains its stripes but loses its roar.\u201d Grasshopper crossed his arms and frowned.<\/p>\n

Nick groaned. \u201cOkay, so Red says there\u2019s not much we can do medicine-wise. Who else do we have left to help? Clearly, Di, Jay, and Pearl are out. No way I\u2019m asking Lancy for help. Emerald and 007 are on a mission\u2026\u201d Nick slumped and held his head in his hand. \u201cI can\u2019t believe I\u2019m saying this\u2026 Have you called Vitruvian?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI made an attempt, but he did not answer,\u201d K answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was late today, too.\u201d Nick ran his hand down his face. \u201cThat\u2019s really shady. I\u2019ll investigate him, and you–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c008, our first order of business is finding out how many of our employees have been affected, then seeing if there is a common thread. You said yourself that 009 is behaving unusually; perhaps he is also affected.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr this is another plot by the mole, and it\u2019s him!\u201d Nick jumped to his feet and slammed his hands on K\u2019s desk, knocking his chair to the ground behind him. \u201cDon\u2019t you think it\u2019s even a little weird that all this stuff with FANS started happening right before he got promoted?!\u201d<\/p>\n

While K remained silent, Grasshopper stood and placed his hand on Nick\u2019s shoulder. Nick flinched back in response.<\/p>\n

\u201cArmies crumble with defection.\u201d When Nick turned to look at him, Grasshopper placed his other hand on Nick\u2019s other shoulder. \u201cDoubt is a dangerous toxin, one you know all too well\u2026 Kaos.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick snarled but deflated beneath Grasshopper\u2019s touch. \u201cBut there\u2019s a mole and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInternal rivalry is like the ouroboros eating its own tail; there is only one end.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine.\u201d Nick stared at the ground, balling his hands into fists. \u201cShould we stay together or fan out?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFan out,\u201d K answered.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Nick raced through the halls of Himitsu Takana, scrutinizing any suspicious activity he noticed. Chris clawed at Diamond\u2019s closed dormitory door. Nick shrugged; wouldn\u2019t be her first secretary that did that. Billie cackled and shot at Serena, who was naked for some reason. Nick stared at the two women, completely dumbfounded for a moment, then pried the gun from Billie\u2019s hands and locked Serena in Grasshopper\u2019s office. He chuckled to himself as he set the safety and placed the gun in his cargo pocket. The confusing lecture from Grasshopper would be hilarious.<\/p>\n

When he passed Vitruvian\u2019s office, he paused. One peek behind the closed door wouldn\u2019t hurt. As Nick stalked toward the door, Kate rushed to it and gripped the door handle like a vice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll never let go! I\u2019ll never let go!\u201d she shouted.<\/p>\n

Nick froze. What the hell is going on?<\/em> he thought to himself, then turned the other direction.<\/p>\n

While all this behavior was weird, there didn\u2019t seem to be any common thread. It affected everyone from 00-agents down to secretaries. Red was sure it wasn\u2019t something toxic, so what the hell could it be? As Nick pondered possible causes, he passed the training hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cSTOP!\u201d Grasshopper\u2019s bellow shot from the room, an odd and alarming occurrence.<\/p>\n

Nick sprinted through the door, eyes wide in horror at the sight. \u201cFucking shitballs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several lower-rank agents lay on the floor, clutching body parts that seeped blood. Stained weapons scattered across the training mats, remnants of battle. Phones also randomly dotted the ground. In the center of the chaos, Grasshopper held two young agents by the collars of their shirts as they tried to slice each other with swords. Though Nick wasn\u2019t quite sure exactly what an ouroboros was, obviously, Grasshopper had meant something like this would happen.<\/p>\n

Springing into action, Nick grabbed two things from the wall beside the door: an automated external defibrillator, also known as an AED, and a cordless phone. He quickly dialed an extension on the phone as he ran toward Grasshopper.<\/p>\n

\u201cTraining room,\u201d he said, then hung up. After shoving the phone in his pocket, he peeled the stickers from the AED pads, then quickly stuck one to a bare patch of skin on one of the agents. After securing the pad, he kicked the agent, sending them flying to the ground and flinging the weapon across the room. \u201cMove!\u201d he shouted at Grasshopper as he repeated the action with the second agent.<\/p>\n

Grasshopper nimbly jumped away from the two agents as Nick turned on the AED and slammed his hand on the shock button, knocking the two agents out. Grasshopper bowed and picked up one of the cellphones from the ground with a frown.<\/p>\n

As Nick stared at the carnage around him, he pulled the cordless phone from his pocket again and dialed another extension. \u201cHey, Red. Are you and Archie doing well enough to create a mobile hospital? Shit hit the fan. Training room, now.\u201d Nick hung up before she could answer, then pocketed the phone again as he turned off the AED and stormed toward Grasshopper.<\/p>\n

Perplexed by the cellphone, Grasshopper remained silent.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you hate technology, old man, but you have to call someone when shit like this happens!\u201d Nick shouted, forming a fist. \u201cYou could have gotten yourself killed! Call for backup!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick reared back to punch Grasshopper with his full might, but Grasshopper cupped Nick\u2019s fist before it made contact, immobilizing the force of the blow. When Nick yanked his hand back to free it, Grasshopper tightened his hold on Nick\u2019s fist.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrass–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you recognize this?\u201d Grasshopper held the cellphone out to Nick, showing the immediately recognizable purple tones on the screen.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just that damn Wink app everyone\u2019s obsessed with!\u201d Nick shouted, pushing the phone away and rearing back with his other fist.<\/p>\n

Without hesitating, Grasshopper dropped the phone and cupped Nick\u2019s other fist in his palm.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me go!\u201d Nick snarled, planting his foot back to kick.<\/p>\n

\u201c008! 004!\u201d K\u2019s familiar shout echoed across the training hall. \u201cWhat the hell happened here?!\u201d<\/p>\n

In the same moment, Grasshopper swept his leg across Nick\u2019s knees, knocking him to the ground. When Nick struggled to get up, Grasshopper stepped on his chest, pinning him against the mat.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet him up,\u201d K commanded as he reached the two agents. \u201cAnd explain.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Grasshopper removed his foot, Nick coughed and pushed himself off the mat. \u201cSee? When you actually call people, they come help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c008!\u201d K snapped again.<\/p>\n

Grasshopper pulled the phone from the ground again and handed it to K. \u201cDo you recognize this?\u201d<\/p>\n

K frowned as he stared at the phone, then Grasshopper dropped another phone in his hands. When Nick stood, Grasshopper handed him a second phone as well, then proceeded to pull a fourth phone from the ground.<\/p>\n

Nick held his head in his hand as he stared at the screen with the feed of videos and sparkly purple menu tones. \u201cI told you, it\u2019s just that damn Wink app.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn all of them?\u201d Grasshopper asked, placing the new phone in Nick\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n

Nick and K shared a quick glance, then whirled back toward the chaotic training room. Every phone on the ground with a visible screen had the same purple feed pulled up.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty popular.\u201d Nick shrugged. \u201cI can\u2019t find my phone, but I\u2019ve been hoping to download it since Di showed it to me this morning. Lancy showed it to me too\u2026\u201d Nick trailed off, not wanting to admit that he spent an hour doing a weird dance with Lancy that morning.<\/p>\n

K stroked his chin as he clenched his hand around the cellphone. \u201cPearl mentioned it this morning, too. And I caught Jay recording a live video for it this evening.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just an app.\u201d Nick frowned. \u201cYou heard Red; maybe everyone\u2019s just acting weird because of the lockdown\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

After scanning the room of bloodied agents, K crossed his arms and stared at Nick, who flinched back at the stern look.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwice is a coincidence. A multitude is a clue.\u201d Grasshopper nodded. Though he probably meant it to be sage, Nick couldn\u2019t help but feel it was a little smug, too.<\/p>\n

K set the cellphones back on the mat, then pulled out his own phone and walked toward the door. He spoke in hushed tones, intermittently glancing back at Nick and Grasshopper as he hung up the call and began another. After ending the second call, he placed the phone back in his pocket, then strolled back toward them. \u201cI will stay here to assist Red; she said she\u2019s on her way. Both of you go to Pearl\u2019s laboratory. I\u2019m adding a fourth employee to this mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFinally got a hold of Vitruvian?\u201d Nick frowned, still bristling from Grasshopper\u2019s smug mannerisms and quick reflexes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI promise this new addition will be an asset.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine. Let\u2019s go, old man.\u201d Nick huffed as he stomped toward the exit, then turned over his shoulder. \u201cYou\u2019d better call us if something happens!\u201d<\/p>\n

Though K remained silent, the hint of a smirk crossed his lips as he stared at Nick and Grasshopper.<\/p>\n

Nick snarled as he turned back toward the door. The whole thing was ridiculous! What could an app possibly do to make everyone crazy?<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Pushing aside the heavy door, Nick barged into Pearl\u2019s lab and strode toward the chairs pushed against the desk beside the monitors that played various scenes across HimTak HQ. Nick spun one of the chairs forcefully, revealing its inhabitant. The lanky boy with a mop of curly dark hair waved at Nick, then adjusted the sleeves of his button-down shirt. \u201cHey.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho the hell are you?\u201d Nick frowned, slightly startled to find someone other than Vitruvian waiting for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeth Cooper. Is Ms. Professor Pearl with you?\u201d He looked around the laboratory expectantly. \u201cMr. K said I would finally get to meet her today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s indisposed at the moment.\u201d Nick groaned. \u201cK said you\u2019re supposed to help us.\u201d He gestured to Grasshopper, who stood behind him.<\/p>\n

Seth sprung from the chair and raised a fist toward Grasshopper. \u201cHow\u2019s it goin\u2019, Grasshopper? Long time no see!\u201d He grinned.<\/p>\n

Grasshopper gently tapped his knuckles against Seth\u2019s. \u201cThe sun makes even the mountain shine brightly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once again, Nick\u2019s eye twitched involuntarily.<\/p>\n

Seth laughed. \u201cEverything you say is mesmerizing. Speaking of mesmerizing, K said you\u2019re having trouble with a distracting app?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell kind of segue is that?!\u201d Nick shouted incredulously.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must be that 008 I heard so much about. It\u2019s great to finally meet you.\u201d Seth grinned as he sat down in the chair and twirled it back to the monitors. \u201cWhen he and Mr. Jay brought me here, they took away my phone and haven\u2019t given it back yet, so I haven\u2019t seen it. Does one of you have it on your phone?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t find mine, and he\u2019s antiquated,\u201d Nick grumbled, crossing his arms. Who did this kid think he was? Suddenly, a smirk ticked on Nick\u2019s lips; he couldn\u2019t wait for Pearl to chew him up and spit him out like she always did with her assistants.<\/p>\n

Seth began typing on the keyboard. \u201cWe can start with what I\u2019ve found out so far. I heard Doctor Red Jewel say that even though it wasn\u2019t a toxin, something made everyone lose their filters. So they\u2019re doing things that would be unusual for them but not uncharacteristic.\u201d Various feeds of old security footage popped up on the large screen. \u201cSome interesting things sure have been happening today!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick held his hand tightly on Seth\u2019s shoulder, praying it was enough to stop him from pulling up any embarrassing footage of Nick\u2019s earlier encounters that day. \u201cYeah, we know all that. Do you have anything that\u2019s actually useful?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry!\u201d Seth held up a finger, then placed a small, plastic toy moose on the desk beside him. \u201cMajor Muffin and I have been on the case!\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment, Nick felt the telltale twitch of his eye creep up on him as he stared at the ridiculous toy, then he froze and glanced at Grasshopper.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mouth of a river constantly replenishes the ocean.\u201d Grasshopper nodded again.<\/p>\n

Instead of getting angrier, Nick sputtered out a laugh. \u201cYou have a toy moose named Major Muffin<\/em>?\u201d As he laughed harder, he pounded the desk with his fist. Who is this kid?<\/em> he thought. K and Jay usually got it right. If Pearl could get past being annoyed, they\u2019d probably actually get along; he was her brand of nerdy.<\/p>\n

Seth leaned on the desk. \u201cIt\u2019s so much more fun being out of vetting lockdown. Everyone here is fascinating. I wish I\u2019d hacked into your system sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick frowned as he pulled out the chair from beside Seth. \u201cIt\u2019s not all fun and games here. Sometimes it\u2019s the difference between life and death.\u201d He picked up the toy moose and fiddled with it. \u201cPearl wasn\u2019t happy about what you did last year. You should apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seth glanced up at the various feeds on the screen as Grasshopper wheeled over in a third chair.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most powerful sword and shield man wields are his words.\u201d<\/p>\n

After patting Seth\u2019s shoulder, Nick set the moose back on the desk. \u201cYou\u2019re always all talk, Grasshopper.\u201d He smirked. \u201cTime for some action.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grasshopper smirked back. \u201cPuppies are too eager to show off what they\u2019ve learned in the face of a disciplined dog.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yeah, your fight was awesome!\u201d Seth exclaimed, \u201cEspecially when you stopped 008 with just your palm! And then–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were there; we know what happened.\u201d Nick gritted his teeth and sighed. \u201cWhat did you find out about the app? Also, if you\u2019re going for code names, just call me 00Carter\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought your code name was–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr \u2018Nick\u2019 is fine.\u201d Nick leaned on the desk, fiddling with Major Muffin again.<\/p>\n

Seth cracked his knuckles and started typing again. \u201cSo I haven\u2019t been able to trace the app back to its creator yet because I don\u2019t have my phone, but I\u2019ve been doing some research. Since Doctor Red Jewel is so certain it\u2019s not a drug, I\u2019ve been looking into other things that could cause people to behave strangely.\u201d He pulled up a minimized tab. \u201cHave you considered hypnosis?\u201d<\/p>\n

The video on the screen depicted a swinging watch with a spinning black and white spiral behind it. As Nick stared at it, he thought back to his earlier interaction with Diamond in the car and how normal she\u2019d seemed once they started talking. Was there a codeword in the app he\u2019d said without knowing it? Had he said something similar to Lancy?<\/p>\n

Nick furrowed his brow. \u201cThat seems too complicated\u2026 Wouldn\u2019t they notice something like that in a video?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could be conditional brainwashing, where a certain trigger word turns you into a puppet.\u201d Seth pulled up a clip from The Manchurian Candidate<\/em>, then a clip from Zoolander<\/em>. \u201cI don\u2019t know how well this really works, but I bet you could convince someone to believe whatever was true with enough effort.\u201d He shrugged.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeems pretty specific for this many people, don\u2019t you think?\u201d Nick frowned. Lancy might fall for that, but Pearl, Diamond, and Jay would recognize it from a mile away.<\/p>\n

\u201cFilms are deceptive,\u201d Grasshopper muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of the things about mind control on the internet are from movies. No one\u2019s really bragging about how they mind control people\u2026\u201d Seth frowned and pulled up a clip from Children of the Corn<\/em>. \u201cI guess unless you\u2019re talking about cults\u2026 Did you hear about Heaven\u2019s Gate?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA cult, really?\u201d Nick raised his eyebrow. \u201cDo you have anything more serious? Go back to talking about hypnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are not the film references you\u2019re looking for.\u201d Seth waved his hand in front of Nick\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

Nick shook his head with a glower.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey train you well here. You\u2019re obviously too strong for a Jedi mind trick.\u201d Seth shrugged with a laugh as he closed some of the tabs. \u201cWhat about Demonic possession?\u201d Seth pulled up a clip from The Exorcist<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can a video cause demonic possession?\u201d Nick crossed his arms, grumbling. Although at this point, demons would be just as likely as aliens.<\/p>\n

\u201cCursed videos?\u201d Seth asked as he popped up another window with a clip from The Ring<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop showing us movie clips and give a serious suggestion,\u201d Nick snarled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m guessing you don\u2019t think you can manipulate people in their dreams either.\u201d Seth sighed dejectedly as he closed a tab playing a clip from Nightmare on Elm Street<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cNope,\u201d Nick spat.<\/p>\n

Seth continued closing tabs on the screen. \u201cI guess the only other thing I can think of is subliminal messaging.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA suggestion is a powerful tool.\u201d Grasshopper frowned as he crossed his arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s in a lot of movies. Is it even real?\u201d Nick frowned.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, a lot of advertising companies think so. They definitely try to flash visual or auditory stimuli so quickly that your brain doesn\u2019t process that it happened, hoping that it will make you buy their products.\u201d As Seth spoke, he typed on the keyboard quickly. \u201cAnd angry parents have theorized for years that musicians put subliminal messaging on their albums.\u201d He laughed. \u201cDid you ever see that episode of The Simpsons<\/em> where Bart joins a boyband?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u2026\u201d Nick frowned. \u201cWhy did everyone feel like they had to make up a boyband in the 90\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSex sells?\u201d Seth laughed again as he pulled up a video from the episode. \u201cI think boybands are one big mixed bag of subliminal and superliminal messaging about sex anyway. Have you heard some of their ridiculous songs? What else could \u2018get down and move it all around\u2019 mean?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick simply shrugged but remained silent.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaven\u2019t heard that one?\u201d Seth chuckled, finally pressing play on the video. \u201cSo in this episode, Bart is recruited to join a boyband, and all their songs are pretty obvious metaphors about the military and war. It turns out that the songs are also filled with subliminal messaging about joining the military\u2026 or the navy in this case.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you wasted our time showing us other ridiculous videos when this would be the easiest to do on an app?\u201d Nick slammed his fist on the desk.<\/p>\n

\u201cK said you deal with some really bizarre stuff here. I thought it would be better than talking about mundane suggestions.\u201d Seth sighed. \u201cThere\u2019s not a lot more I can do without seeing the app, though\u2026 I\u2019m guessing everyone here didn\u2019t decide to put subliminal messaging into their videos…\u201d<\/p>\n

Grasshopper pulled a phone from his pocket and handed it to Seth. \u201cWould this help?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFinally! I\u2019ve been dying to see this.\u201d Seth scrolled through the feed. \u201cAnything look interesting that you want to watch while I figure out if it\u2019s a coding thing? Hey, she\u2019s cute!\u201d Seth flashed the phone at Grasshopper, then at Nick.<\/p>\n

A breath caught in Nick\u2019s throat as he stared at Diamond\u2019s seductive smirk staring back at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you know her?\u201d Seth plugged the phone into the computer, then continued typing. \u201c006, Ms. Diamond Divine. Well, that will make it easier if it\u2019s someone you know. You can tell me if she does anything strange during the video that looks like she\u2019s adding subliminal messaging.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a few keyboard shortcut presses, the video appeared on the large monitor in front of them. Seth extracted the code and began typing away as the video played. Nick frowned as he stared at the familiar lavender dress and listened to the familiar song that had distracted him that morning. The last familiar thing she\u2019d done\u2026 at least until he made her focus on something other than her phone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWowee, she\u2019s really popular! Thousands of likes on something she posted this morning!\u201d Seth exclaimed as he continued typing.<\/p>\n

Rather than continuing to stare at the screen as Seth switched between videos on the app, Nick fiddled with his anchor necklace. What kind of subliminal messaging could be in that app that made everyone crazy? Lancy and Pearl had seemed normal earlier that day too, but then\u2026 He clenched his eyes shut. He was used to Lancy or Diamond\u2019s flirting, but not Pearl\u2019s. And if it wasn\u2019t real, and she was just brainwashed and crazy\u2026 he wouldn\u2019t forgive himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cEureka! Eu-freakin\u2019-reka!\u201d Nick nearly jumped two feet in the air as Seth\u2019s exclamation ripped him from his thoughts.<\/p>\n

Nick stared up at the paused video of Jay in a lavender boa and matching fedora. After blinking repeatedly, Nick frowned. \u201cEureka, you found Jay crossdressing?\u201d Not the first time he\u2019d done it.<\/p>\n

\u201cEureka\u2026\u201d Seth raised his hand with a flourish and pressed the enter button on the keyboard. \u201cI found our subliminal signals. Good job, Major Muffin!\u201d He high-fived the moose\u2019s antler with his fingertip.<\/p>\n

Nick and Grasshopper leaned toward the screen, filled with strange angular symbols. They stared at each other, then at Seth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the hell am I looking at?\u201d Nick frowned.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t recognize it?\u201d Seth frowned too. \u201cMaybe this secret agency is more mundane than I thought. What about this?\u201d He pressed a button on the audio file he had pulled up beneath the symbols, and a strange high-pitched whine filled the laboratory.<\/p>\n

Nick pushed back his chair, but before he could stand, Grasshopper pulled him into a headlock. At the same time, Seth began furiously typing on the keyboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to blackmail George Lucas for Star Wars<\/em> spoilers! No! George R. R. Martin for A Song of Ice and Fire<\/em> spoilers! No! Stephen Spielberg for production rights on his next movie!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick gagged as he tried to pull away from Grasshopper, but his struggling only tightened Grasshopper\u2019s grip. His vision and hearing went out in intermittent flashes, blurring the symbols on the screen and the sound in his ears. And despite almost losing consciousness, those brief blurring flashes provided windows of lucidity. I\u2026 have\u2026 to\u2026 stop\u2026 this\u2026 sound\u2026<\/em> Nick thought as he swiped at Seth\u2019s hands, trying to force him to pause the sound. Thankfully, the ear-splitting screech paused, replaced only by silence as the three men stared at the screen.<\/p>\n

Seth hurriedly closed the window with the angular symbols. \u201cWoah! Looks like prolonged exposure to that stuff makes you do some crazy things. You okay, Major Muffin?\u201d<\/p>\n

Grasshopper finally released his hold on Nick and furrowed his brow. \u201cIt appears our enemy has traipsed around the playground of our minds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, now I know you secretly want to kill me!\u201d Nick coughed as he rubbed his throat. \u201cSo, that\u2019s what\u2019s in all those videos? How?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just a headlock,\u201d Seth shrugged. \u201cYou\u2019d probably wake up in a few hours, so \u2018temporarily subdue\u2019 seems more likely. Everyone must think you\u2019re really annoying!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWatch it, or you\u2019re next.\u201d Nick winced and rubbed his throat again. He thought back to Diamond, Lancy, and Pearl, then glanced at the ground. \u201cThat\u2019s a thing, right? Terrible thoughts that pop into your head, but you don\u2019t mean them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIntrusive thoughts? Yeah, they\u2019re pretty normal.\u201d Seth continued typing. \u201cThe difference is most people don\u2019t regularly act on them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven sharp tools become blunt with overuse.\u201d Grasshopper crossed his arms as he stared at the screen.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, something like that.\u201d Seth laughed. \u201cThat image and sound over and over again are probably making the processing system in the brain work overtime, like it\u2019s overheating, so it wears down the part of your brain that says you shouldn\u2019t do something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI forgive you, Grasshopper,\u201d Nick whispered. \u201cWe all think things we never plan on doing. So just\u2026 tell me if I\u2019m annoying you instead.\u201d When Grasshopper nodded, Nick continued. \u201cSo, how do we stop this, then?\u201d<\/p>\n

Seth ran his hand along his chin. \u201cWell, if we stopped when they went away, that would likely happen to everyone else, too, but it could take a long time\u2026 The faster way is probably if we do some subliminal messaging of our own. It looks like the encryption with the image and sound isn\u2019t added until after the videos are posted, since it\u2019s in every single video. So we just have to make our own video with new messaging.\u201d He tapped his chin. \u201cWe should probably make our own app, too, because if we uploaded it to this app, it could mask it. Or this could be a really interesting way to see what subliminal messaging is stronger!\u201d Seth started rambling as he continued typing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are cheetahs in a tipped sandstorm that could shatter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick clenched his hand. \u201cGrasshopper\u2019s right; we don\u2019t have a lot of time. What\u2019s faster?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust making the video should be fast enough, but they\u2019re probably more likely to watch it if it\u2019s on this platform they\u2019re already familiar with\u2026 unless we just shoved a phone in their faces and played it. What\u2019s something they\u2019re likely to watch without us showing it to them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick stood and smacked his hand against his face with a groan. \u201cI know the perfect thing, but we can never, ever talk about this ever again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mouth of a river runs but never speaks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure. Major Muffin and I won\u2019t say anything!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick groaned. \u201cOkay, there\u2019s this dance challenge that everyone on there loves called the \u2018100\u2019 dance challenge. Lancy said a bunch of people are uploading videos of it. If I post one, they\u2019ll probably watch it.\u201d Nick pulled up the stolen phone and scrolled through it. \u201cIt looks like this person is friends with Pearl. Diamond said you can send private videos to people you\u2019re friends with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grasshopper smirked. \u201cThe wise sage is planning personalized training.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething like that.\u201d Nick nodded. \u201cAnd I bet Pearl\u2019s friends with Diamond, Lancy, and Jay. If we send a video to Pearl and snap her out of it, she can send one to the other three. We can record the same video now and then record separate subliminals for the four of them. Once Pearl\u2019s back to normal, she should be able to do this on a bigger scale with you. Then both of you can trace the app back to its creator.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds like the perfect first mission for Professor Pearl, Assistant Seth Cooper, and Secretary Major Muffin!\u201d Seth cracked his knuckles and grinned. \u201cWhat should the subliminal messaging be? Pictures of things around here they\u2019re familiar with?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2019s good!\u201d Nick exclaimed. \u201cAnd then the audio is\u2026 the thing they most need to hear? I don\u2019t know what that is, though\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe strongest affirmation is that one is their own compass,\u201d Grasshopper said with the whisper of a smile on his lips.<\/p>\n

After staring at Grasshopper for a few moments, Nick crossed his arms and furrowed his brow, then snapped his fingers. \u201cYup! I\u2019ve got it!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, so what\u2019s the song for this dance?\u201d Seth pulled up YouTube again.<\/p>\n

Nick groaned. He\u2019d momentarily forgotten that he had agreed to film that stupid dance when he\u2019d gotten caught up in the excitement of having his friends back to normal. After leaning over the keyboard, he painstakingly typed \u201c100\u201d into the search bar, certain it would pop up right away. The first video that appeared was of a Latin man who looked like he wanted to be the next Ricky Martin.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat one.\u201d Nick pointed at the screen.<\/p>\n

Seth clicked on it, and the familiar song started playing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne hundred kisses, girl, straight to your heart\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOh! That\u2019s catchy!\u201d Seth grinned.<\/p>\n

Nick groaned again and backed up from the screen. \u201cLet\u2019s get this over with\u2026 Count down before you start it.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Seth pressed play and started recording, Nick breezed through the motions Lancy had taught him that morning. Hopefully, something this ridiculous would work.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Nick raced down the hall from Pearl\u2019s lab to Red\u2019s infirmary. While being near her before she watched it could be dangerous, he wanted to be close enough to know that it had worked. Plus, whoever owned this phone knew Pearl well enough to be friends on the app but didn\u2019t have her phone number; she\u2019d be suspicious of a random person telling her to go to her lab. Nick ran his hand down his face. Since she liked jumping to worst-case scenarios, she\u2019d probably assume it was the mole and accidentally shoot Seth before she got to meet him. That wasn\u2019t out of the realm of possibilities, even without the random texts.<\/p>\n

As Nick neared the infirmary, he slowed until he crept down the hall. Of course, he wanted his friends back\u2026 but what if it didn\u2019t work? Maybe Seth focused on movies too much and got absorbed in cinematic world-saving fantasies. And not the fun ones with fast cars, fancy weapons, beautiful women, and suave suits. Nick groaned, praying that K and Jay had made the right decision bringing Seth on.<\/p>\n

Just three doors left until the infirmary<\/em>. Nick stared at the open phone in his hand, already loaded with the video in the messaging box. After a deep exhale, he shuffled against the wall, counting down to himself as his thumb lingered over the send button. One, he counted as he reached the first door. Two. He slid past the second door. Three. As he pressed send, he lingered at the door to the infirmary.<\/p>\n

\u201cA new video!\u201d Nick heard Pearl\u2019s voice shout from inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew you were hiding that,\u201d Red grumbled in response. \u201cHand it over. K said no phones until you\u2019re all cured.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment, there was only silence. Nick fought the urge to peek in on the struggle he assumed the two of them were having over the phone. Unsurprisingly, Pearl must have won, as seconds later, \u201c100\u201d blared from inside the infirmary, followed by Pearl\u2019s giggle and Red\u2019s laughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, seriously, which one of you taught him this?\u201d Pearl continued laughing. \u201cBlondie is a dead-ringer for a boybander!\u201d<\/p>\n

Blondie\u2026 Nick gasped. Blondie! That was definitely Pearl. Regular Pearl! He jumped around the corner. \u201cPearl!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNicky!!!\u201d Lancy responded before she could, blowing Nick a kiss before tugging on his restraints.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, sweetheart,\u201d Diamond cooed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNick, you\u2019re just in time for me to explain the benefits of nail polish!\u201d Jay exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cUhh\u2026\u201d Nick stammered.<\/p>\n

After closing the video, Pearl frowned, tugging on her shirt sleeve. \u201cCan you let me up, Red?\u201d<\/p>\n

Red glanced between Nick and Pearl, then slowly rose from the bed. The expression on her face indicated that she carefully assessed Pearl\u2019s vital signs. For a moment, she pressed her lips together instead of answering.<\/p>\n

Despite her silence, Nick pushed toward the bed. Pearl simply held her phone toward Nick. \u201cPearl\u2026 The app–\u201d Nick started.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with the app?\u201d Pearl asked.<\/p>\n

Nick and Red gaped at each other. This was definitely Pearl, back in her sound mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the app?\u201d Red asked as she unhooked Pearl.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d Pearl hopped from the bed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s some sort of subliminal messaging in it that\u2019s causing strange behavior.\u201d Nick frowned and handed Pearl back the phone. \u201cWe looked at it, and it had weird angular symbols and a strange high-pitched sound.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat.\u201d Pearl snatched her phone from Nick\u2019s hand. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you say that first?! Shit!\u201d She pushed past Nick, heading straight for the door.<\/p>\n

Nick blinked. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t I\u2026 Wait!\u201d He grabbed Pearl\u2019s arm. \u201cDiamond, Jay, and Lancy\u2026 There\u2019s videos I sent you; you need to send them to them. In that order\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNick! We have to hurry!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPearl.\u201d The look he gave her was a mix of his heart-melting smile and puppy dog eyes.<\/p>\n

She groaned but quickly sent the three videos. One by one, the other three began laughing at the jubilant video of Nick dancing and singing along to the viral sensation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI taught him that!\u201d Lancy tittered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou did a good job!\u201d Diamond replied.<\/p>\n

Jay simply laughed in response.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right; we should go.\u201d Nick pushed Pearl toward the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cLancy, huh?\u201d Pearl grinned over her shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaha,\u201d Nick replied sarcastically. \u201cYou\u2019re acting like that\u2019s the weirdest thing that\u2019s happened today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou singing and dancing? That\u2019s a Tuesday, Blondie.\u201d Pearl grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hall.<\/p>\n

Normally, it wasn\u2019t his favorite nickname, but it meant that Pearl was back. All of them were back. And now, they were on their way to the lab so Pearl and Seth could help bring back everyone at HimTak. For a moment, he considered warning her about Seth, but decided it would be a fun surprise instead. As he grinned, he thought back to what he\u2019d decided to put as the subliminal audio for Pearl.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are Kitana Pierson, Professor Pearl at Himitsu Takana. We\u2019re friends, and you\u2019ve got this. You are in control of your mind, and it\u2019s stronger than alien technology.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Grasshopper had been right, though Nick would never admit it. The strongest affirmation for anyone is a reminder of who they are from someone who really cares about them.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 6<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 14: \u00a0In the Wink of an Eye Part 5   As usual, K leaned his elbows on his desk with his fingers laced, waiting for the fateful call from Red that would shed light on the bizarre happenings at HimTak. While Grasshopper relaxed in the chair in front of\u2026<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":1201,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/template-onecolumn.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1227","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5xaHX-jN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1227"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1227\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1228,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1227\/revisions\/1228"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}