Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

"So, you're telling me that this second quantum circuit is being used to create a quantum computer to generate a virtual world?" Suzanne Moralés was asking.

"That is correct, in a simple manner," Jeremie replied. He had told Suzanne the whole Lyoko story, from the day he first came across Aelita until today. The only thing he left out was the most important thing she needed to know.

"Jeremie, you always did have a vivid imagination," Suzanne said, "but this takes the cake. What you're saying is impossible."

"As impossible as generating a supercomputer composed of petabytes of memory and on line and near line storage? We've been building those for years. We're just carrying the concept a little further."

"I'm going to have to see this to believe it," the woman replied.

"You may have the opportunity," Jeremie said, "there's another reason why I told you what I just told you, aside from your concerns. It's about Emily."

"What about my daughter?"

"Yesterday, she managed to get herself transported to this world you say is impossible. And I have spent just about every waking moment since then making sure I can bring her back alive."

Emily and Adam looked in the direction that Aelita pointed. Just above the horizon, a small dot appeared, and began to grow. After a few moments, it took shape. It was a long platform type object, with a raised section at the front where the operators stood. It reminded Aelita of Yumi's Overwing, except stretched out. It was long as a delivery truck, and about as wide.

At the controls were Micah, Zoe and Cal. The Aelita and her charges whooped and hollered their relief as they waived and jumped up and down, making sure that their rescuers had spotted them. The craft they were in settled down to a hover a few meters away from them. Then Zoe called out, "I believe the proper phrase is 'need a lift?'"

"Definitely!" they all replied is they piled in.

As they joined the others at the front, Zoe said, "introductions and congratulations will have to wait. Another sequence of tremors is starting, and it is estimated to be worse than the last series. We need to get back to our tower and safely to Lyoko. This planet may not survive this next convulsion."

With that, Cal gunned the thrusters and the vehicle shot off.

"Jeremie! I demand to see my daughter right this instant!" Suzanne shouted over the conference link, "if you do not, I will personally make you wish that your father had never been born!"

"Suzanne, I can't," was Jeremie's reply, "the best I can do at the moment is contact Zoe for an update."

"Do that then."

Jeremie typed something on his workstation, and another window popped open, showing one of Zoe's children.

"Yes, JeremieBelpois, what can I do for you?" she said.

"Where's Zoe? She should be monitoring the situation on New Lyoko," he asked.

"She is with Cal and Micah, conducting rescue operations at this time," she replied, "we have just gotten word that they have recovered everyone and are returning to Lyoko. Also, the next round of tremors are building, and it looks like the whole planet will be involved this time. Current estimates are that the planet will completely break up in about thirty minutes."

"Can you tell me if the secondary scanners are online?" Jeremie next asked.

"Yes, they are," was the reply, "the last time they were utilized was three weeks ago as part of a regular preventative maintenance routine. I am told that the Ishiyamas and the Sterns had a wonderful time playing something called paintball."

"Alright. I am going to be sending someone to Lyoko from that location, plus I will be arriving there myself. Let the others know."

"Yes, sir." The girl's image disappeared.

"Suzanne, the only way I can prove to you that what I'm saying is true is to show you. Tell Yumi to take you to the secondary scanner room at our R & D Center. If you want, bring Jim with you."

"No, my darling husband hasn't totally served his sentence," Suzanne said, "so I think I will leave him in Miko's capable hands while I take this tour you are offering me. But let me remind you; if you are lying to me, if you are trying to play me for a fool, you will regret it. And if something happens to me, rest assured that Jim will take matters into his own hands. And between the two of us, I am the nice one."

The trip back was exhilarating. Emily wasn't sure if that was due to the wind rushing past her face as they flew on, or the stark terror she felt as she began to see New Lyoko fly apart. Down below, the ground literally rolled like water. Off in the distance behind her, she saw what looked like chunks of ground break off and fly into the air, to disappear into space.

"We are five minutes away from the transit tower," Cal said to everybody, "the surface is extremely unstable in the area, and may break away at any moment. When we arrive at the tower, everybody must enter from the Oversled, immediately head to the platform's edge and jump off. There will be no time to pilot the vehicle through, so we will have to abandon it."

"What happens if the tower is destroyed while we are transiting back?" Adam asked.

"Unknown," Cal replied, "we have never had it happen. It may come down to which side of the interface you are on when the tower is destroyed. Why do you ask, were you going to run an experiment and find out?"

"No," Adam replied, "but the information would be useful."

Just then, the tower appeared on the horizon. It had been lifted up one hundred meters above where it had rested, and had weathered the quakes fury so far. But all around the tower, patches of ground were starting to break up. They would fly up in the air, hang for a moment, the fall back, but there was an increasing number of pieces, and the tears they left were starting to connect.

"Hang on!" Micah called out as Cal increased speed to the maximum.

The Oversled was making a beeline for the tower, and Cal was showing no signs of slowing down. All of the others grabbed on to whatever they could, preparing for the worst.

At what seemed like the very last instant, Cal slammed back the forward thrust, and applied full reverse thrust, while simultaneously jerking the Oversled around so it skidded sideways into the side of the tower. Everybody was shaken by the impact, and Emily was shaken loose.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!"

She stumbled to the edge of the platform, and fell over. As her feet cleared the platform, Emily felt time slow down to a crawl. This was her final punishment; to be cast away just at the moment of salvation. She, like the cat, would die for her curiosity.

Time suddenly started flowing again when a hand grabbed her ankle.

"Ugh! Got you!" Adam grunted. When he grabbed Emily's ankle, the force of her falling knocked him down on the platform, and nearly wrenched his arm out of its socket. But he held on.

"Help me pull her up!" he called. Quickly, Aelita and Micah came to his aid, and the girl was quickly pulled back up.

"We are out of time!" Cal called out. Just beyond him, a huge mass of ground broke away and flew up in the air, with no signs of returning. The blast of air from its passing buffeted both the Oversled and the tower. Zoe, Aelita and Cal ran and jumped into the tower. Emily was shocked as she saw each of them melt into what looked like a solid wall.

"Now, its your turn," Micah said as he picked Emily up and threw her inside.

Emily landed on her butt inside, just in time to see Aelita leap from the edge of the platform just ahead of her. She quickly got up and went to the edge where the woman had just been, and was quickly joined by Adam and Micah.

"C'mon, you two, we have no more time!" Micah said just before he too jumped.

"Now, EmilyMoralés; we must jump now," Adam told her.

Emily knew she had to jump; if she stayed she was dead. But yet, she couldn't see the bottom; she didn't know what would happen...

The decision was made for her when Adam shoved her over the edge. She screamed as she plummeted into the darkness.