We had spaghetti with long-term memory sauce (...alright)

The first thing the Engineer noticed was the wind on his face. It was a warm, gentle breeze, and it smelled of the outdoors.

There was no wind in the base, or in his house, or anywhere else he might have fallen asleep. It wasn't <em>unpleasant-</em> just odd.

The second thing he noticed was the grass he was laying on. He frowned, opening his eyes and sitting up. Where in Sam Hill was he?

The sky above him was pitch-black. There were no stars or moon to speak of, but it wasn't dark. The grass beneath him was unkempt and riddled with weeds. As he looked around more, he realized that he was sitting a few feet away from a house. It was a tiny little cottage, orange light shining through the windows. It looked cozy and inviting; he felt inexplicably drawn to it.

So he stood up, shook off the sleep that was still clinging to him, and knocked on the door.

"Oh!" A feminine voice came from inside, and he heard quick, decisive footsteps. "One moment, dearie! I didn't think..." The voice trailed off into mumbling. After a moment, the door swung open.

Engie was greeted with the sight of a woman not much shorter than he was. She had dark ginger hair with streaks of silver; her eyes were a hypnotic shade of purple, with white swirls for pupils. She was wearing a lavender sweater and mud-crusted pants, along with a pair of black boots. "Hello," she said with a smile. "I don't think we've met. What's your name?"

"Dell Conagher, ma'am," he replied. "And yours is...?"

A shadow crossed her face for a moment, but it was gone so quickly that Engie wondered if he'd imagined it. "Amnesia."