The War For Science - A Portal Fanfiction

Chapter 1 - Hope Where Hope Had Been Lost

The War For Science

Chapter 1 - Hope Where Hope Had Been Lost

The slippery, sparkling wheat stung her aching legs. She moaned at the weight on her back. Miles and miles of wheat lay beyond her. It was going to be a long trip. She rested her back on her faithful companion and glanced up at the stars. Companion's bumps weren't very comfortable to lay on, and her legs dangled on its side, but she didn't mind. The wind blew a calming melody and the stars above twinkled with the rhythm. It wasn't long before she found herself humming a certain tune that had replayed in her head all day.

'Cara bella, cara mia bella,

Mia bambina, oh ciel!

Che la stima, che la stima!

O cara mia, addio...'

That same tune that had entered her ears when she took the final lift ride to freedom. Freedom. She loved it dearly. The sun shining down on her soft pale skin. The wind blowing away the dust off her face. No longer to have to carry around a heavy device that shoots out ovals into space time. Heaven at last. Yet, here she was, laying on her companion who very much reminded her of there, wondering which twinkling star was her old friend. As much as she was tempted to, she'd never return to that place. Satisfied and ready to continue on, she stood up, focused on the countless miles of wheat before her, and walked on, dragging Companion in the mud.

How long had she been walking? She'd made no progress. Wheat surrounded her from all directions. Her legs weighed a ton. It took some effort to lift a leg up and drop it back down again. Companion felt as heavy as ever. She wondered if it'd been better if she were to come back. Either way she'd die. She shook the thought out of her head and continued walking. Who knew how far she had gone now. She wasn't one of those people who simply gave up and walked back to where they started. It was right there in her file. Going back was not an option.

For about the 5th time that day, it began to rain. The usual wind melody was replaced with the 'plunks' of raindrops colliding with the puddles of mud at her feet. Her boots splashed the puddles with each step. 'Dlunk'' Dlunk' 'Dlunk'' Dlunk'. She found herself speeding up her pace, and soon she was jogging, like she used to back there. Wheat still carpeted the ground in the distance, but she hurried on. Companion, whom had been strapped to her back with her jacket, bounced up and down. She was instantly brought back there, reading one of those mysterious murals about Companion:

'Not in cruelty,

Not in wrath,

The REAPER came today,

An ANGEL visited

this gray path,

and took the cube away.'

The memories of these disturbing yet interesting murals made her shiver. Who had painted all of those? Could this person be still alive, living amongst the secret, dark parts of that place? Why had this person helplessly watched her in her efforts to escape? She wouldn't have minded if she would've been able to meet this person. In fact, she'd be relieved to know she wasn't the only one left, to have a fri-

She suddenly slipped and she began tumbling down a spiky grass hill. The grass stung and the ground scraped her skin with each bump. To her left was Companion, rolling down along side her. What was she to expect at the bottom of this hill? More wheat, probably. She landed face first on a muddy field of prickly grass. Companion rolled to a stop beside her a second later. She managed to get herself up and cursed that place for having her getting caught off guard and ending up with mud all over her face. She picked Companion up, held it up to her chest, and wiped the mud off her face. As soon as she was able to see clearly, she froze. Her gray eyes widened. What lay in front of her was most definitely not wheat. In disbelief, she dropped Companion. Suddenly, a sharp pain zoomed up her body as fast as a lightning bolt. She let out a loud gasp and-