Written by Lasthero13 on deviantART (more recently known as The Thirteenth Hero on this website). I make no claim at all to owning this story.
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"You have unique genetic sequences," Commander Dubois explained. "You see, because of this, only you can enter this alternate dimension..."
Kaera Stones kept her eyes fixed on the ground and her hands clasped behind her back. She had heard this all before, throughout her entire childhood. It was nothing new.
So she could allow her mind to wander. She peeked through her eyelashes at her new companions, using a technique that she had perfected over the years. There was the quiet, shy girl with red hair and narrow eyes. Kaera had liked her immediately. She struck her as disciplined and obedient, a kindred spirit. Not at all like the tiny girl with purple streaks in her hair, who had stood up to the commander. She didn't like her, or expect her to last long. The brown-haired boy, on the other hand...he had leadership potential. She would gladly follow him into battle.
He was speaking right now. "So if this thing's so dangerous, why don't you just...I don't know...turn the computer off?"
"You are aware that most of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa no longer run on fossil fuels?" the commander responded.
"Yeah. Solar power or something, right?"
"No. Actually, we've been using the excess power thrown off by Lyoko. In another ten years, it will support the entire planet."
"Oh," Skyler said. He thought about it. "Oh."
"Do you understand now?" the commander continued.
"Yes, but we don't believe," Jessie, the small, loud one, said. Kaera allowed herself an inner smile. That would soon be remedied.
Commander Dubois ignored the comment. "You will live in the compound for the foreseeable future. We run a six-to-ten schedule-rather lax, because you're children. You are to remain in your rooms unless participating in academics, combat training, or combat. You will enter Lyoko for the first time in three days, after you have had time to adjust to your schedules.
"My name is Madeleine Dubois. You will address me as 'ma'am' or 'commander.' I want you to realize right now that I am not your mother, so don't expect me to act like it. Now, allow me to introduce you to the other members of your team." She waved Dr. Svensen, with his goatee and unfortunate stutter, forward. "This is Dr. Erik Svensen. He is Europe's leading expert on computer science, and he will be your lifeline on Lyoko. Your safe arrival and return will be up to him."
Dr. Svensen nodded and smiled, stepping back without saying a thing. Kaera knew that it was her turn next. She raised her head and walked forward, aware of her pounding heart. How was it that she could face her combat instructor every day but these three civilian kids made her want to turn around and run?
"And this is Kaera Stones. She is the most important out of all of you. Do not allow her to be injured, do not lose track of her, and protect her with your life. If she dies, you die. We all die. Get it?"
She just stared ahead and hoped that her face didn't look as hot as it felt.
"She'll show you to your quarters." With that, the commander turned and walked out of the room, taking Dr. Svensen with her. Kaera was left in the center of the room. Six eyes were on her-two curious, two afraid, and two hostile.
She took a deep breath. "Follow me."
Did her voice have to sound so high-pitched?
Without checking to see if they were obeying, she wheeled around and strode through the door. They didn't like her. No, they probably hated her, thanks to what Commander Dubois had said. They thought that she had an overinflated opinion of herself. They thought that she was already the favored one. They would not want to fight beside her, but they were supposed to be a unit, a squadron, a-
"Hey. Kara." She glanced in the direction of the voice and saw Jessie walking beside her, keeping pace surprisingly well. With a flash of annoyance, she also saw that the other girl was taller than her. "Is this Lyoko thing for real?"
"Yes, it's for real." Kaera thought about correcting her pronunciation of her name, but didn't.
"You ever been there?"
"Not yet."
"So how do you know it's real?"
She glanced at Jessie. "Why would they lie?"
"Why wouldn't they?"
The blond's gaze was making her uncomfortable, so she broke eye contact. A passing soldier nodded to her in greeting.
"How long have you been here?" Jessie asked.
"Most of my life," Kaera replied stiffly.
"Whoa! Seriously?"
"Yes."
Neither of them talked for a couple seconds. She thought that maybe she was expected to elaborate, but she wasn't going to. Her life story was not one of the few things that she was willing to share with this irritating girl.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Jessie asked suddenly. Kaera mentally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Very."
"Oh. Sorry. I was homeschooled, you know."
"Mm."
"I bet you were, too, huh?"
"In a sense."
Another silence. Kaera would have gladly traded any one of her limbs in exchange for the end of this conversation.
"You're not much of a talker, are you?"
"Actually, I think the problem is that you-talk too much," she replied, her heartrate skyrocketing again with such a bold statement.
Jessie just grinned. "So, can you kill a man with your bare hands?"
"No." That was just ridiculous.
"You've lived on a top-secret military base your whole life and you can't even kill someone?"
"That's your room," Kaera changed the subject, relieved as the dormitory doors came into view. She pointed at one. "We have the rest of the day off. I'll see you at six-thirty tomorrow morning."
"Hey, wait." Jessie grabbed her shoulder, seemingly oblivious to the way that she stiffened in response. "What are we supposed to do?"
"Stay in your room and be quiet," she told her as Aurora and Skyler came around the corner. "And leave me alone."
Kaera shook the hand off of her shoulder and reached for the door to her own room. But suddenly, an ear-splitting alarm blared and red lights began to flash.
"Oh my god," she breathed. "No...another month, we were supposed to have another month...!"
But that didn't matter now. She turned to the others. "Come on, we have to go."
"Why? What's going on?" Jessie yelled over the sound of the alarms. "Are we under attack?!"
"Yes!" Kaera was already sprinting down the hall, towards the elevator that could take her to the rooms that held Lyoko's connections to this world. "X.A.N.A. just broke out."