D.M.T

Al's jagged handwriting scrawled three letters in gross strokes upon the board.

He stepped back, admiring his work with a wide grin, before spinning to face the room with his hands outstretched.

"Welcome - my friends, to the headquarters of the Division for Mystic Teleology."

Pausing for dramatic effect, he swept his eyes over the assembled lot.

A few of the individuals in the room shifted in their seats, while others stared blankly at the whiteboard.

Dean and Viktor sat in the back corner, away from most of the other participants.

Viktor glanced at Dean and chuckled lowly.

"Oh - it's these guys."

Turning, he leaned in to whisper a quiet explanation.

Essentially, they were an organization that believed in the existence of supernatural phenomenon, and the advancement of spiritual practice through the usage of psychedelic drugs. They weren't taken very seriously in the scientific community, and could largely be considered outcasts.

Seriously? They were cultists.

Although Viktor knew about the organization, doubtless due to his perusal of the variety columns, the rest of the group seemed largely unaware.

Failing to receive a dramatic response from the crowd, and before Kamen could consider the implications of the reveal, Al cleared his throat and continued.

"Don't worry about the complex sounding name, it basically means that we're an organization that is concerned with learning about the mystical facets of the universe that aren't dealt with commonly in scientific fields, particularly when concerning the consumption of psychedelic substances."

Quiet murmurs resounded throughout the room, the others discussing the significance of the revelation.

Al waited for the crowd to settle down, before speaking once again.

This time, he spoke with a quiet intensity, his face morphing from its typically cheerful visage.

"This is a personal project of mine."

"My full name is Alastair Montgomery. I come from a very wealthy family. I've never had to have considerations about housing or food, or had to concern myself with anything besides the hedonistic pursuit of pleasure."

Al looked down as he spoke, lost in thought.

"To be frank, I'm disgusted by the state of the world - the rote, pointless, struggle for greater wealth and status. The meaningless ideals hoisted onto us by collective society. I think I speak for everyone when I say that there is a need - and I've been drawn here by that very need - a deep, inextinguishable need for something more. In this world that is propped up by pretenses, limitations, and deceit, how can we discover that which lies beyond?"

Al tapped the marker on the board, pointing at each letter for emphasis.

"I believe that the answer lies in psychedelic drugs. It's too difficult for the average human to shave away the veneer of social values that have been instilled in them for their entire lives. Often, they need a little help"

Turning to face the board, he drew a picture of a brain with waves radiating off of it, and began drawing lines with descriptions from the board.

"Typically, the ingestion of psychedelic drugs results in a litany of different symptoms, including visual stimuli, feelings of elation, or even supernatural encounters."

Facing the participants once more, he continued.

"Popular science holds the view that these drugs induce a state of mania - you see things as a result of chemical processes going on in your brain."

Al shook his head decisively.

"That is absolutely wrong! Different individuals who have taken the substance announce seeing the same supernatural entities time and time again. It is my belief that these psychedelic substances don't just induce a state of mania - they untap latent human potential that allows us to perceive an entirely different realm!"

There was a bit of a stir among the crowd - their opinions were mixed.

Al smiled wrly.

"Part of my thesis might be wishful thinking, yes, but it's not as if it's without any basis. Besides the anecdotal observations that have been collected from a wide variety of sources, one only needs to look at native populations and their spiritual practices from North to South America.

It is a mainstay of their culture, and sometimes even a rite of passage, to undergo a ritual that consists of the consumption of psychedelics - in order to experience vision quests."

Placing the marker on the board, Al looked out over the now entirely silent crowd.

"This relates to the reason that all of you are here. Not only do I believe that this realm is something that we can perceive, but I believe that it is also possible for us to understand and maybe even inhabit this realm. As a means to that end, I'm seeking a specialized team…"

He spoke slowly now.

The participants leaned forward, entirely captivated by the explanation.

"To be direct, you've been inducted because of our belief that you have stronger than average conceptions of self, as well as a robust mental profiles. We believe that the ten of you assembled here will be capable of withstanding psychedelic substances with little to no negative impact on your psyches."

"I'm seeking a specialized team…. to map the entire realm!"

The entire room exploded into a wave of discussion

Dean turned to Viktor, prepared to begin cracking jokes about the nature of the research program.

But when he met Viktor's gaze, he glimpsed a wild gleam flickering in his eyes.

Al pressed his hands down in a quieting motion, silencing them instantly..

"I've prepared something for the occasion - a special formulation of D.M.T, that is N,N-Dimethyltryptamine, that extends the duration of the effects. Typically, when ingested the trip will only last for 15 minutes. With this special formulation, when administered through an IV drip, the trip can be extended to the length of an hour."

"So,"

The man spoke for the final time, reaching behind his back, and pulling out a vial of liquid with a slight purplish tint. With a shake of his hand, he held the vial directly in front of them.

"Who's going to go first?"