The wired has changed so much since I left.

There are many havens in our world. Havens that are safe from religion, government, social stigmas…the Wired is one such haven; inhabited by millions of people, creating, communicating, dying and living.

The Wired is safe from all forms of ID control and mind control that the super-governments of the world use to keep us in check. Everyone who is anyone wants to be free from control. The belief of collective conscious states; all humans are in sync with each other to a point of oneness. The Wired is the medium that believers of this philosophy are using to achieve their perfect haven of oneness. Where individuality ends so do morals, beliefs, emotions…we essentially become Wired.

Nowadays, transplanting yourself completely into the Wired is as easy as knowing the right people. Being alive is overrated, really. After the whole ‘GOD’ fiasco on the Wired a few years back, the lines between reality and Wired have never been more blurred.

The Knights. An organization with unknown intents that were believed to be directly involved with the ‘_delete.’ event in which the entire Wired was reset and freed from all human control. Whether they were the cause or the potential antagonists is still yet unknown. What is known is that now the Wired is completely out of the control of the media, the government, and even most users. It appears to be a living thing now and everyone is jumping at the chance to become part of it. It has become a religion. One without a god. One without shape or form. One with purposeful and accidental followers alike.

“You have that, though…you have me.” Alice said to Lain. Lain felt the warmth of life flooding into her for the first time in ages.

A million lights flooded into each other to form the screen of her Navi. Some years had passed since that night. Lain hadn’t left Alice’s side since. She couldn’t. She had a connection to this world…and that is all she wanted.

Her Navi whirred it’s response to her login.

“Lain has new mail.”

Lain looked slightly puzzled at this. She didn’t know anyone in the Wired anymore. She just kept to herself these days. She apprehensively opened the mail.

“Lain…you know what you are. You are nothing; a figment of our own imagination. Your world is fragile as glass…so fragile.”

Lain felt a pain in her head…an uncontrollable stabbing…a tearing at her very being. Who sent this? Who?

The room melted away from view until she sat before a jury of faceless forms.

“So pathetic and hollow you are.” Came a voice from amongst the crowd of mannequin-like people.

“Who are you?” Lain demanded.

“Who are you?” Came the response.

“Do you even know? Can you even prove you exist?”

Lain jolted up.

“This isn’t my world anymore!” She said. “I have life…and I have love. That is proof enough that I exist!”

“Is it? Life doesn’t suddenly fade away like yours just has. The reality around you is as transparent as the windows you stare out of. How long do you think you can convince yourself that this life is real?”

Silence. Lain thought to herself. She doubted this reality for the first time in a long time. No…they couldn’t be right. This is just a dream. I am still in my bed.

“Do not lie to yourself anymore, Lain.” Came a voice that sounded just like hers. Another Lain walked out from behind the crowd of faceless forms. Blood trickled down her face like tears running in rivers.

“I have stopped lying to myself…and so should you.” She said.

Lain stared at herself in terror. It was just like before.

“You aren’t real!” She yelled.
“And neither are you.” The other Lain replied.