All around the world, people began receiving notifications and promptly turned on their devices to watch the live broadcast from the news channel. When they tuned in, they saw Melisa, the reporter—or so they thought. In reality, it was Azulema, who, thanks to a machine, could appear as the reporter, with a background that mimicked the battleground.
"Well, as you can see behind me, what you thought was a battle is actually a grand theatrical performance that was staged and broadcast for you," said Azulema, with Melisa's image projected behind her.
Everyone in their homes, military stations, coffee shops, supermarkets, and everywhere could see the video being broadcast. The viewers, skeptical about what the fake Melisa had just said, began writing in the live chat. Some believed the setup and commented:
"Wow, what amazing special effects this play has! When and where will it be shown to the public?" they asked.
Others, more doubtful, said:
"How strange that the signal went out, and now they have come up with this. What are they trying to cover up?"
The debate began to heat up online between both sides. Azulema mentally asked her team how things were going, to which Rosa replied:
"Not very well. We're at forty percent who believe it and sixty percent who don't."
"Well, it's time to influence minds a bit more. Girls, are you ready?" the leader asked the four with the visors.
"Yes, boss," they replied loudly and clearly.
"Ada, activate the sequence I'm going to send to your mind," said Azulema.
"Alright," replied Ada, and with the data in her head, she pressed a couple of buttons on the machine that displayed "Amplitude Mode Activated."
The four wearing the devices began to feel their energy slowly draining from their minds towards their leader, whose eyes turned a bright, almost hypnotic blue, projected on every device connected to the broadcast. The fake Melisa continued:
"This is only a theatrical performance that will soon be taken to the big theaters. It is not an attack or anything like that. We are working to make the play look as realistic as possible with state-of-the-art practical effects."
The viewers started to forget what had happened, replacing those events of chaos and destruction with happier and more fantastical memories, convinced that it hadn't really occurred, thanks to the suggestive commands that Azulema, with the help of the machine, was implanting in their minds.
"How are we doing?" the leader asked Rosa again.
"There are still people who don't believe what we're saying. It's about forty percent, more or less, who resist understanding that it's fake," Rosa replied.
"Maybe we should increase the power," Ada suggested.
"Girls, how are you?" Azulema asked.
"All good," Margaret responded.
Then the boss instructed Ada to increase the power to level five. The maximum it could be increased to was seven, as ten, according to the monitor, was risky. Ada pressed the buttons again, raising the level from one to five.
The girls with the visors began to feel a bit dizzy and tired.
"What's happening to us, boss?" they asked.
"It's the power of the machine that's draining your mental energy. Hang in there, girls," said the boss while she continued implanting those new memories into the public's minds.
The girls started to bleed from their noses. Seeing this, Rosa asked:
"Girls, are you okay?"
"We're getting exhausted," they responded, feeling like they were going to faint. Only Margaret remained strong.
"Ma'am," Margaret shouted in Azulema's mind, "the girls are almost exhausted."
"Fine, then switch pairs," Azulema responded.
"I can still go," Margaret indicated, while Rosa helped the other three take off their helmets and handed them to three other girls on the team. Mark moved them to some couches in a cubicle using his telekinesis.
"Good job, girls," Rosa and Ada said.
The next three felt immense pain when putting on the visors but held on along with Margaret.
"How are we doing with the numbers?" the boss asked again.
"We're at twenty-eight percent," Rosa indicated. "It seems, boss, the most resistant ones to believe this are the families of the company's workers and the military," Ada added.
"Should we increase the level more?" Rosa asked, distressed. "But that will exhaust them very quickly."
"Go ahead, we can do it," Margaret responded, enduring the pressure.
"Alright, turn it up a few notches," Azulema instructed, and Ada began raising the level to seven. The four women with the visors began to feel like lightning was running through their bodies, and half an hour had passed between changes.
The first ones to go to rest were still dizzy from the prolonged use of the machine. They thought they were the strongest in psychic matters, but apparently not, especially Martha and Sheila, who watched the others in the machine with one eye.
Azulema, disguised as Melisa, continued narrating the news and projecting images of her creation, with people as actors who appeared to give credibility to the play. People in costumes and the production team, all created thanks to the machine and Azulema's mental powers to generate objects, landscapes, and people as vivid as if they were real. Even Azulema could create a couple of people mentally, though only for a short time, not as prolonged as the others were doing.
"The girls can't hold on any longer," Rosa indicated, referring to Alicia, Teresa, and Samantha.
The three fell to the floor unconscious. The reality Azulema was creating and the mind control she was using were collapsing.
"Quick, it's our turn!" said Leila, who, along with Mark, lifted the three girls and placed them to the side.
"Wait, Leila, you're unstable. You could worsen the situation," Rachel indicated with a tired voice, as she was recovering a bit.
"Calm down," said Ada. "You need to rest."
"No, I'm going to help. I'm strong too," replied Rachel, approaching the machine.
Rosa approached Leila.
"Alright, it's my turn. I'll handle it," Rosa said.
"And I'll back you up," added Ada. "You can help us with what Rosa and I have been doing. Do you still have the power to do that?"
"Of course, count on me," Rachel indicated.
"Mark, be careful," said Azulema. "If you see any danger, get out quickly."
"Yes, ma'am, don't worry. I'll be fine," said the young man.
The three put on the visors while Rachel took charge of checking the number of people and raising the machine's level if necessary. The newcomers felt electricity in their bodies.
"That is what the girls felt. What power!" they thought.
The images and control returned to Azulema, who almost caused interference and revealed her lie. She continued with her explanation in the form of Melisa. After a while, she asked Rachel:
"How's the count going?"
"It has increased to forty-five percent due to the failure. Moreover, those minds seem to be more resistant," Rachel responded.
"We need to increase the level. There's no time; some are already thinking of turning off their devices," Rachel indicated nervously, looking at the machine.
"Do it," Margaret instructed, shouting in pain.
Rachel raised the machine's level to nine, and it issued an alert: "Reaching critical levels. Use with caution."
Mark, Rosa, and Ada felt a pressure that knocked them to the ground.
"What is this?" the three said.
"I don't know," Rosa responded, scared, while the three screamed in pain on the floor with their helmets on.
Margaret fell unconscious to the ground, and the reality Azulema was creating began to unravel again. She tried to increase her power to prolong the effect, even as blood streamed from both nostrils, causing her to kneel, holding onto the table.
"There's no time," Leila exclaimed while she removed the visor helmet from Margaret.
"What are you doing?" Rachel asked.
"It's now or never. Those numbers won't drop if we don't finish the quest," Leila stated firmly.
"But you could worsen the situation," Rachel replied.
"Or I could improve it. I've got nothing to lose by trying. Besides, I'm the last one left," Leila responded, looking her in the eyes with great determination.
"Let me do it. We're all in this together," Margaret indicated, lying on the floor with a bit of foam in her mouth.
"Yes, do it, girl. We're already in trouble, so why not?" Azulema indicated mentally while she struggled to maintain control over the public and the concentration of the images she was implanting.
Leila took a deep breath and let it out before putting on the helmet and saying, "I'm doing this for the team."