Flaw in My Code (Portal 2)[REWRITE IN PROGRESS]

[Chapter 14: Living]

Weightless, liberated, and still.

That was how Caroline felt as she drifted. Where she was drifting, she couldn't quite place. That was, until she opened her eyes.

All at once, the bright lights hit her, and one by one, they began to dim down, as she stared out into a sky full of stars.

She frowned and reached out, her eyes scanning the void. There was no ground beneath her. No Earth in sight. Not even the moon could be seen as she drifted.

Caroline tried to move, but it did not work out for her, and she only sent herself spinning in a circle throughout the vast expanse of the cosmos.

Her mind reeled as her eyes glittered, reflecting the thousands of stars around her. 'How did I get here? Where am I, exactly? How do I get back?'

Those were only a few of the endless thoughts that streamed through her artificial brain. Unlike before, they seemed to form less of a timeline, and more of a web; a web of thoughts that she could physically feel herself being slowly tangled into.

She began to thrash as the invisible webs entangled her, but despite her own inner turmoil, the void was still and calm. She couldn't make a sound, nor could she hear any. She felt truly alone, and truly troubled as her vision began to dim. The web swallowed her in, as she heard a faint song arise from the silence...

Caroline opened her eyes. Her arms were crossed over her torso, and she was laying back on a plush peice of furniture. Corbin stood over her, crowing curiously.

She scanned the room without moving, blinking slowly as she came to her senses.

"Good morning." Callista greeted, walking by and setting a mug of tea on the small table that sat by the couch. "That's for you, if you want it. Did you sleep well?"

Caroline eyed Callista, in slight confusion. Come to think of it, she did get rather comfortable when the stranger had welcomed her into her cottage. She didn't expect that she would fall asleep, though. It was something she'd never done, and she wasn't certain that she even could.

"I swear I was awake..." She whispered. Callista tilted her head. "Elaborate?"

"I was conscious. And I was drifting... I was drifting through space. And there was a web... I think?" She explained, though she sounded unsure of herself.

"You must have been dreaming." Callista responded, taking a sip of her tea as a strand of her rust colored hair fell over her eye. "You're telling me that you don't dream?"

Caroline, eager to keep up the facade, shook her head. "Oh, yes, of course. It must have been a dream." She was sure that it must have been true, but she had never experienced dreaming before, and she had no way of knowing what it felt like.

"How long was I... asleep?" Caroline asked, sitting up straight and reaching for the mug that Callista had brought for her. Corbin inched his way down to perch on her shoulder.

"A few hours, give or take. The sun's risen and the day is still new. Be careful if you go out, again. The dew is nearly frozen onto the grass." Callista chuckled. "I know what you need. You need a pair of boots."

Caroline nodded, kicking her legs softly as she stared down at her bare feet.

Callista returned with a pair of what looked to be animal-hide boots. "They're soft, and warm, and they're yours to borrow. I guess you could keep them if you'd like."

Caroline tried them on and eyed them. They would keep her body warmer than it had been before, and they were comfortable. She had to give them that.