Character Relationship Map: Deceived

Characters

• Jack Jones (played by Judd Nelson) — protagonist

  Jack is a technician at the isolated research facility and one of the few people who does not become completely violent after exposure to the strange transmission. He argues with Smitty, whose feeling...

• Smitty Turner (played by Michelle Nolden) — protagonist

  Smitty is Jack's colleague at the remote facility and is deaf, which she believes may explain why she survives the signal's effects. She discovers that the transmission lasts 6.66 seconds, urges Jack...

• Col. David Garrett (played by Louis Gossett Jr.) — supporting

  Col. David Garrett is a military officer involved in evaluating the research at the isolated facility. After seeing Lieutenant Vasquez's performance change, he is urged to support further work, though...

• Reverend Jeremiah Fletcher (played by Jefferson Mappin) — minor

  Reverend Jeremiah Fletcher is a radio preacher stranded with the others at the isolated facility, where he had expected to deliver the biggest broadcast of his career. As the crisis unfolds, he prays...

• Lieutenant Vasquez (played by Ramona Milano) — minor

  Lieutenant Vasquez is a soldier at the research facility whose performance shows a remarkable change during the experiments, prompting Col. David Garrett to be urged to support further work. Later, Va...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Col. David Garrett → Lieutenant Vasquez (Professional Military Superior) — Vasquez’s changed performance is presented to Garrett as evidence of the experiment’s effects.

  Garrett is shown Lieutenant Vasquez’s remarkable change in performance as part of the project’s demonstration.

• Col. David Garrett → Jack Jones (Professional Military Advocate) — Garrett urges Jack to consider using the signal for military purposes, even as the group faces its dangerous effects.

  Col. David Garrett presses Jack to consider the military value of the mysterious signal and its potential as a deterrent.

• Jack Jones → Smitty Turner (Romantic Partners) — Smitty openly declares her love for Jack and asks him to join her effort to stop the signal.

  Their personal feelings emerge amid arguments. Smitty tells Jack she loves him and asks him to choose whether he will help her.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Reverend Jeremiah Fletcher → Jack Jones (Alliance Concerned Supporter) — Fletcher’s prayer expresses his wish to support Jack during the crisis.

  Fletcher prays for strength and for the chance to be there for Jack.

• Smitty Turner → Col. David Garrett (Conflict Opposing Positions) — Their opposing responses to the signal place Smitty’s desire to destroy it against Garrett’s interest in its military potential.

  Garrett presses Jack to consider the signal’s military value, while Smitty urges Jack to help destroy it because she believes it is evil.

Story Analysis

At an isolated research facility, an experimental radio transmission brings violence and forces the remaining characters to decide how to respond.

Plot Progression

1. An Experiment at the Outpost — At a remote facility, researchers use deep meditation and radio-frequency subliminal impulses. Garrett sees a striking change in Vasquez's performance but has concerns about the experiment's power.
2. Stranded Together — Jack, Smitty, Kara, Emmett, and Fletcher are among those gathered at the isolated site. Equipment and communications fail, and the group tries to learn what has gone wrong while Garrett presses Jack t...
3. The Unverified Transmission — A strange transmission is detected, and Garrett believes it comes from outer space, though the others cannot confirm it through sister stations. Smitty measures its duration at 6.66 seconds, but the e...
4. Violence and Resistance — People exposed through headsets become violent, and Vasquez is caught in the deadly chaos. Smitty and Jack appear less affected; Smitty points to her deafness as a possible explanation, while Jack's r...
5. A Choice Before the Attempt — Smitty urges Jack to help destroy the signal and reconnect to the internet to alert the police, while declaring her love for him. Fletcher prays for the chance to support Jack, and Jack sends an email...