A profound weight lifted away as the girl stepped outside the facility. It was as if she had the entire weight of the facility itself resting on her shoulders. There was so much she could do. The girl could do literally anything she wanted, but making any decision seemed almost as heavy a weight as the facility she had just emerged from.
The girl was standing on the grass just outside the facility, looking at the unobstructed view of the forest landscape and sky beyond it. The first breeze she felt against her skin was startling, partly because she was still covered in blood. Virtual environments simulated everything extraordinarily well, especially with the quality of Brainstem Interface the girl had, but it was still not perfect.
She was overwhelmed to the point that her mind went blank, so when Pixa spoke, it made her jump.
"If you would like a recommendation," she said, "I suggest cleaning yourself before anything else. You can return to your room to-"
"No... I'm not going back," the girl said, gripping her knife. After having finally left that place, she felt that if she stepped back in, it would lock behind her. She would be trapped and would never be able to leave again. Pixa did not pick up on this reasoning, but she didn't hesitate to adjust her recommendation.
"There is a stream with fresh water nearby. You can use it to wash your body and hair, but the blood may not wash out of your garments as easily. Replacing them is the next thing I recommend doing." Pixa's image materialized standing on the grass in front of the Girl.
Technically, her form was exactly the same as it always was, but now Pixa wasn't constrained to the white box that was the Girl's room. She was standing in nature now, and her simulation accurately represented how the light and color interacted with her image.
"Would you like to browse some outfit options while we move?" Pixa gestured toward the forest. The Girl nodded and stepped forward.
Two of her favorite disciplines were biology and ecology. She thoroughly enjoyed studying the creatures that roamed Earth's land and sea. She had a particular fascination with predators, the large, dangerous animals that are well-known to kill unwitting humans that wander into their path. The girl was aware that these forests were artificially seeded and the ecology on most settled planets did not include predators or other large dangerous animals. She felt an oppressive fear wash over her nonetheless.
Pixa's comforting presence was a significant help that carried her forward. The companion served as a moving mannequin that displayed the clothing options the Girl was swiping through. The selection wasn't very large, but it was enough to someone who'd never had a choice before. As she mixed and matched articles, Pixa automatically saved the ones she had expressed an interest in. By the time they had arrived at the river, the Girl had amassed dozens of saved outfits.
She didn't hesitate as she pulled her clothes off, but the open breeze against her bare skin sent tingles across her body. It was another experience she'd never had before, as was the feeling of the cool water flowing over her feet and legs as she stepped into the river. Much like the predators, the river contained little life beyond human bacteria. She still exercised caution when wading deeper into the water. Gradually, the spots of blood on her body began dissolve into a faint cloud. Not only was it her first physical experience in water deep enough to cover her body, but she had never had a bath before either. Her room was only ever equipped with a shower.
Once she was deep enough that buoyancy began to carry her weight, she felt encouraged to relax. Already she felt fatigued. She wasn't sure whether it was from the adrenaline wearing off, or that it was past her regular scheduled sleep time. It was likely both. She had the overwhelming urge to lift her feet and let the current carry her, and for a few moments, she did, but she didn't get far before swimming back to the shallows and thoroughly cleaning her body and hair.
The Girl knew she wasn't going to be needing her captive clothes much longer, but she spent some time cleaning them as well. She didn't expect how difficult it was to clean blood out of cloth. When the second star began to set, she was left in near-complete darkness. She could have continued using BSI-enhanced vision, but instead decided to follow Pixa's suggestion and bed down for a few hours before continuing.
I really like how the story captures a strong feeling of desperation and emotional weight, making the situation feel intense and relatable; do you plan for the character to eventually find some kind of hope or turning point, or is the story meant to stay focused on that sense of hopelessness?