Hello hello! It's been a while, hasn't it? I have decided to revisit one of my stories from years ago. I hope you can see the improvement, as I have been working hard in my absence.

Thank you for taking the time to read, and please don't be afraid to show your support with a review. :) The first two chapters are groundwork, to set up the story and explain where Aelita and Jeremie are currently at in their lives.

Chapter 1

At 9:25 AM on a Wednesday morning, a cell phone belonging to Jeremie Belpois sounded. The incessant blaring was met with a bout of nervousness suddenly washing over the 24-year-old man, but was quickly assuaged by a swig of the 5-hour energy drink in his pocket.

Five minutes until the press conference. He went over his usual routine, rechecking his notes and practicing different postures. By then, he felt more excited than scared for what was about to come. Most of all, he was finally back in France, after the six years he spent in the U.S. The nostalgic atmosphere naturally helped boost his morale.

California Institute of Technology had the best quantum physics program in the world. There, he was able to build upon Franz Hopper's uncompleted research. Jeremie had to admit that while Lyoko and XANA were discoveries to be awed, there was no… practical use for them. But one summer, while tutoring in the library, he came across a few books on biomedical engineering, which led to the birth of his central research project.

Jérémie wrapped his hands around the edges of the wooden podium as he presented the plans for his project, not forgetting to elaborate on the theory behind it.

"The human body is made up of approximately seven billion billion billion atoms," he began the press conference. "As large of a number that may seem, it is only a small fraction of the known, observable universe. In layman's terms, the approximate total number would be ten quadrillion vigintillion and one-hundred thousand quadrillion vigintillion atoms.

He chuckled warmly. "I think you all get my point now; everything is comprised of atoms. We are made up of atoms, cancer is also made up of atoms. So cancer is not beyond us. However, why is it that a cure has yet to be found? It is just an amalgamation of atoms that needs to be broken down in order to be done away with, correct?

"So I present to you, the process of virtualisation." The large projector screen behind him illuminated to reveal a diagram of the scanner, a nostalgic image of a familiar yellow tube.

He explained, "I will spare you guys the physics lesson. Generally, what happens is that a person may step into one of these cabins, and his or her atoms are completely broken down and reconstituted back in place through a painless process that takes five minutes at the most.

"What results is a completely renewed form, reconstructed cells, and a completely healed patient. And must I say that this treatment is not restricted to cancer. A malady even as minor as the common cold can be healed through this process..."

When Jeremie concluded the presentation, his audience granted him a standing ovation. He answered a few questions before excusing himself, thoughts of his previous Lyoko adventures and his old friends already swimming around in his mind. He wondered especially how a certain pink-haired lady was doing.

He remembered that he would have to find out tonight, at the Kadic high school reunion. It was the chief reason for his return to France—aside from a few business matters he needed to tend to, of course.

Hopefully she would be there.

Author's Notes

The factoid about the number of atoms in the human body comes from the Questions and Answers Main Index of Jefferson Lab.

The factoid about the number of atoms in the universe comes from the web article "How Many Atoms Are There in the Universe?" by Universe Today.

The theory concerning the scanners and their healing properties came up while I was researching virtual teleportation years ago. I have yet to find the exact articles, but when I do, I will make sure to mention it in a future chapter.

Basically the theory stems from the fact that we often see the Lyoko warriors enter the scanners completely bruised and beaten up from fighting the polymorphic spectres. After their trip to Lyoko, they exit the scanners spotless (take Yumi from Ep 72: Crash Course, for example).