“The Phantom Proxy” is set in 2040.  With advancements into contact lenses by companies such as Sony or Mojo Vision, we can speculate that the uses of augmented reality will overwhelm our daily lives in the not so distant future.  With proof that many large corporations monopolize on advertising such as Meta and Google, we can expect that the area of AR will be invaded by publicity. 

The characters in the story represent a counterculture trying to escape the bombardment of advertising and the absurdity of politics.  The story could be perceived as a metaphor that imitates the lust for exposure and in turn power, without consideration of who gets stepped on in the process.  In fact, the very subject of stealing someone's art in a self deserving intention, could mimic the stolen freedoms and division of people by an elitist upper class.  The possibility of mass formation psychosis inflicted by governments adjacent to a process of gaslighting an individual for personal gain is an underlying theme.  However, a series of psychologically mysterious events and the question of sanity within addiction; these are the true subjects that make “The Phantom Proxy”.