I think you just described a lot my "senses" on this quite well. The story correlates with something I could believe, but there's not really any information revealed other than the story. And of course, where's that "dead man switch"? So, it's a story of a boogie man that I already believe could exist but no specific names, places or details. As far as the "predictive programming". Indeed, there is a mental effect to this, I just replied to GrandMaster in another thread about the method of astroturfing (i.e. normalizing of ideas) which can sooth your psyche into accepting a fate that isn't forgone or make you react to a danger that isn't necessarily there ... to either discredit you or identify you. Another analogy of what this seems to be to me is how a boxers, wrestlers and combatants will do a "fake" in order to reveal or create an opening while they flinch.