Phaneron

Cassie is a young woman whose eyesight is so poor, no eye doctor has been able to find the right prescription for her. She decides to take part in the clinical study for an experimental medical device, the brainchild of Dr. Allison Laksias at the Illion Institute. The device is a pair of contact lenses, controlled by a small box, that flicker a mirrored disk in the eye, 6 times per second, blinding the wearer and forcing her brain to interpolate visual information based on significantly-reduced input from the eyes.

After a period of adjustment, Cassie becomes convinced she can finally see the world clearly for the first time. Her boyfriend, Constantine is suspicious and notes her strange behavior. Dr. Laksias worries that Cassie isn’t seeing as well as she thinks and wants to stop the trial, but Cassie insists on continuing it.

Cassie decides to test her new vision and carries out a series of “experiments.” She becomes convinced she has gained the ability to see images of the future. She confesses this theory to Constantine, who refuses to believe her. He tests her predictive abilities, and she fails. Cassie remains unswayed and decides to prove her ability by using it to catch a serial arsonist, who’s been setting fires in the Boston area.

In her quest, she becomes enthralled with what she sees as premonitions; visions of a city in ruins, and an end to all things she sees. Dr. Laksias becomes more interested in the brain activity Cassie evidences in an exam, and ignores Cassie’s strange behavior.

Still thinking she’s trailing the arsonist, she experiences a vision of a burnt stuffed animal, and a young girl pleading for her help. She then finds herself at the scene of the crime, and sees the arsonist about to set fire to a building. The arsonist confronts her, but she escapes and alerts police, leading to the arsonist’s arrest. In her escape, she suffers a bruise to the face. News of the arrest and Cassie’s part in it reaches Constantine, who apologizes to Cassie for not believing her. This seems strange to Cassie. Something’s not right about it, as it’s too precisely what she had hoped for. She decides to examine her wound, and finds that it’s not there. None of this has happened. She finally acknowledges the fact that she’s been wrong about her ability, and decides to discontinue her use of the lenses.

She gives the device back to Dr. Laksias, who tells Cassie that the knowledge Cassie has given her is the most important thing. She’s looked all the way to the end of everything, and knows that her work is the only thing that matters in the end, as it’s the only thing that will survive the end of the world, the end of the solar system. Cassie notices that Dr. Laksias is wearing the lenses. She’s dismayed.