Space.

'The final frontier', someone had called it. Or perhaps many people, their names and faces all lost to time.

Time.

Time did not exist here, wherever 'here' was. Time meant nothing to a being that drifted outside rather than along the chronal river, suspended in perpetuity.

And so the entity floated in the void of space, vaguely aware of time's existence but not part of its flow.

"Good morning." Exclaimed a voice, from everywhere and nowhere. God? Could that be god? "You have been in suspension for—"

"—long enough." Interjected another—God? No, that had probably been the one from earlier. Perhaps this was God's assistant? "Consider this a wake up call."

"In compliance with state and federal regulations," 'God' continued, "all testing candidates in the Aperture Science extended relaxation centre must be revived periodically for a mandatory physical and mental wellness exercise."

"Ignore that part." God's assistant reassured. "Your testing application has already been pre-approved. Congratulations, by the way..."

"You will hear a buzzer." Said God. "When you hear the buzzer, look up at the ceiling."

A klaxon-like brant ripped through the void, accompanied by an adrenal surge that propelled the entity upright, wide-eyed and panting. A white burst penetrated the darkness, prompting a long, bony arm to shoot up in defence. Overwhelmed, the entity gritted its teeth and...

...collapsed onto a lumpy mattress.