so it seems that the NHIs have given their human sycophants access to reality-warping tech that can generate 'pocket realities' by kind of folding spacetime over itself like a baker's transform

wrinkles on the arse-crack of the Body Cosmic where all kinds of filth builds up so it's like an extra room layered over an existing room but 'phased' over

when they are 'phased' into the Astral or whatever, they can use this contrived space as an observation deck

or set up shop

have entities lining up for 'access' to an energy source (a person, usually)