Malarkey Containment Failure

My cell phone suddenly crashed. When it started up again, there was only this long binary number on the screen: 010100110111010101100010011011010110100101110100. Then the car wouldn’t start. The same number scrolled across the digital dashboard. What the hell was going on?

In the control center a red light flashes. The technician reads through some data then immediately calls the head engineer. “We have a code 3: faulty simulation, subject is noticing the failures. Initiating protocol 7.”

The engineer enters the control room & begins tapping on an illuminated keyboard. "When the subject begins to doubt reality, make them think it's all a dream." A pink gas floods the simulation room & the subject drops asleep. With a nod, the engineer orders the simroom redressed.

“Did we have to be so literal with our gaslighting? I mean, there’s actually gas in there and that annoyingly bright lamp. It’s a little on the nose, don’t you think? Or is that a heuristic to filter out the more resistant subjects?”

“Naturally, my boy. The science of psychic infiltration is not yet advanced enough - thus, the corporeal metaphor must unsettle those minds who are yet too perceptive for our present study. I would, also, advise you to take care with your critiques - engineering is always alert.”

The amount of technobabble was too much for the poor kid. The words the “scientist” said infiltrated into his psyche and incorporated into his corporeal form to destabilise his cerebral wavelength, triggering a negative reaction from him. “What a load of baloney! I’m going home.”