
Maiden Voyage (Premiere) | The Chthonic | S1E1 | GE1
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
Ship’s Crew
-
- Olivia, Cruise Director: Bliss Blank
- William, Ship Captain: Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns
- Nika, Ship Maid: Echo Doll
- Selene, Chief Purser: Syndi Rella
- Mairead, Spa Manager: Bun Li
- Fion, Chief Engineer: Jade
Guests
-
- Alistair, CEO of Neuroplex: Jericho Caine
- Holly, His Girlfriend: Dizzy Dollie
- Emma, The Bride-to-Be: Pipp
- Brittany, Bridesmaid: Kitten Azazel
- Kara, Bridesmaid: Tender Confusion
- Sarah, Bridesmaid: Ring of Kees
- Tiffany, Bridesmaid: Britt Reprogrammed
Archive : A Note on The Dream Index
Deep Dream State uses an index system to give you more information about the show. We strive for clarity. /sincere
Each episode has a Global ID โ its position in the Deep Dream State chronological sequence. Simple count. That’s the number you’d see on IMDb or in the MusicBrainz catalogue. It also corresponds to the episode numbering in the RSS feed and podcast apps โ when Apple Podcasts or Spotify show you a number, that’s the Global ID.
Each episode also has a Local ID, which includes:
- Arc โ the season. This is the standard season designation you’d see on Apple Podcasts.
- Cycle โ the subject group of episodes within an arc, specific to Deep Dream State.
- Episode โ its number within the arc. This matches the episode numbering in RSS feeds and iTunes.
This episode is #1. That’s the Global ID.
This episode is also A1C1E1. It’s in the Chthonic arc (Arc 1), the Maiden Cycle (Cycle 1). It’s episode 1 within that arc.
If you find the archive system confusing, you can just refer to the Global Number and it’ll be fine.
Full 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
- This episode on MusicBrainz – as a release
- Deep Dream State full catalogue on MusicBrainz – as a release group
- Supplemental episode page โ full notes, cast detail, and additional context
- Listen on Spotify
- Listen on Apple Podcasts
- RSS Feed
- Support the creator on Patreon
- Creator bio & portfolio
- All episodes archive
- Canonical Tumblr Page
- View this series on IMDb
- View this episode on IMDb
- MusicBrainz for Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns
- BookBrainz for Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns, including show script books
- The Chthonic: Collected Scripts on Apple Books
- The Chthonic: Collected Scripts on Smashwords
- The Chthonic: Collected Scripts on Internet Archive
- Deep Dream State on Wikidata
- Producer ISNI: 0000 0005 2877 6254
Neural Nets and Pretty Patterns โ IPI: 01346215566 | IPI: 01346215468
Human 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.
ISNI 0000 0005 2877 6254
Chapters
- 00:00:00 – Ring This Bell
- 00:06:39 – Wedding Party Too Hard
- 00:11:02 – The Command Center
- 00:19:41 – When In Rome
- 00:25:10 – We Help Ourselves
- 00:28:48 – Chthasino
- 00:29:43 – Command Calamari
Podcast: Play in new window | Download