Wired Knight: Lain

By: Raven aka Shadowcat

Prologue: Light

It happened to her that night, as it happened every night. Alice awoke at 2AM from a dream she could almost remember. Her breath was heavy and when she looked to her husband she was barely able to gasp. The feeble light let in by their window sent pale lines across his face.

The TV turned on. Static. Fleetingly Alice wondered if she was still dreaming. She pushed the lumpy mattress off and floated off the bed. The TV flickered slightly, brief glimpses of other channels. The static returned.

Realizing she couldn't go back to sleep but not wanting to awaken her husband, Alice unplugged the television and left the room. The static remained.

Wandering down the twisting hall, passed her children's rooms, she found herself in the living room with her Navi. Settling down at the computer, she spoke in a hesitant whisper still, not used to the new model, "Hello Navi?"

"Hello Alice," it responded in a hauntingly familiar voice. "You have 1 new email, Alice."

"Read email, please," Alice responded, remembering little bits of her dream.

"Hello Alice, I've missed you." the email began; read aloud by the voice… perhaps it was the voice from her dreams. "Do you remember me?"

Alice blinked, partially from the LCD light and partially from the sender's unfamiliar email address.

"Who are you?" she replied, typing hesitantly. From the other room should could here the static from the television, although she didn't spare it much thought. The moment she sent her email a response returned.

"I didn't think so," it said. "I am Lain. You will remember soon."

Alice couldn't remember ever knowing a Lain. She tried to think about it but the static from the other room was too loud for her to concentrate.

"Lain?" she murmured. She remembered... a bridge? The clock seemed to be ticking very loudly.

It was all very fuzzy- the white noise didn't help. The timer on her coffee machine was beeping loudly. Perhaps it was one of her husband's students? The washing machine started up in the other room, clanking angrily. Maybe it was someone she'd gone to school with? Alice thought she should perhaps turn off the television. Her cell phone began beeping, which she retrieved with a sweaty hand from the table. Hadn't she already turned off the television? The radio flicked on, painting the house with Beethoven. The computer's glow had suddenly become intolerable.

The din of machinery was pierced by the Navi's strange voice, "Don't worry, we'll be together again soon."


Alice awoke gasping; as she did every night. Her husband's face hovered above her kindly, lined in black and white. "Are you okay?" it asked.

"Yeah I'm fine," Alice lied lamely, gripping her cell phone under the covers.