Lights and sounds swirled around her. She floated in a familiar abyss. The Wired. She was back. But how?

"You aren't supposed to be back in reality…why are you here?" One Lain said to the other.

"The power of memory…if I am remembered, then I deserve to exist." Lain responded. The other Lain just laughed.

"I thought the others were better off if you didn't exist?"

"I…That's not for certain…"

"We'll see…"

Lain woke in sweat. She stared up at the ceiling. Was any of it real? Was she still in the Wired creating a reality for herself? Because of what she had been through, Lain could no longer be certain that anything was real. She walked out of the guest room and looked out the window and into the darkness. This darkness had life to it…not like the darkness she had endured in the Wired. It resonated life that she could feel once again.

"This must be real…" She said, laying her hand over her heart.

"You can talk." Came a voice from behind her. Lain turned around, startled. Alice stood there in her pajamas, looking at Lain.

"I…I'm sorry…" Lain said to her. Alice just looked slightly confused.
"Sorry about what?"

"I'm sorry if I've been any trouble…" Lain said timidly. Alice smiled.

"No, you've been no trouble. So…tell me about yourself…your parents…won't they be worried about you?"

Lain looked at her and looked down.
"I…I really don't remember anything…"
"Nothing about your parents, friends, anything?"

"No…"

Alice smiled. Lain blushed slightly. She had missed that smile so bad. It had warmth…feeling. A smile shows emotion, something computers can never feel.

"Well, that's not a problem. You are welcome to stay here." Alice said warmly. Lain half-smiled back.

"Thank you." Alice looked at the clock and saw it was late.

"You should really get to bed…it seems you have had a long day…" Lain just nodded in agreement and went back to the guest room. She laid down and fell asleep again.

"Existence in itself is error. Our bodies are only placeholders for something bigger that we represent in the Wired. This world is only a separate layer of a hugely complex system that exists for the sole purpose of exchanging information. Going between planes of existence makes no difference on the life or experiences of others around you. They will merely forget to never remember. And that is what is happening to you Lain. This delirium you are in is merely error in the system. You were gone…therefore, you shouldn't exist on this plane again."

"Stop it!" Lain yelled.

"You know it to be true…"

"No I don't!"
"But you do."
"Nothing in this universe is certain!"

Lain awoke once again, only this time she was in tears. Her other side was tearing at her even now. She only wanted to be remembered…to exist…to feel the warmth of life again…to feel love…

Alice stood in the doorway. Lain noticed her out of the corner of her eye and quickly wiped away the tears.

"It's okay…" Alice said, walking up to the bed and sitting on the edge. "Whatever it was, it was just a dream…"

Lain looked at Alice.

"What is it like to be loved?" She asked. Alice looked puzzled.

"Well…it is hard to explain…it is the best feeling a person can have." Lain just looked at her hands that were folded in her lap.

"I want that…" Lain said.