Pairing: None really.
Chapter Title: Dust
Point of View: Aelita
Author's Note: Two chapters in one day. Wow. I guess I'm trying to make up...You guys forgive me yet?
Warnings: None that I can think of. Maybe a slightly crazed Jeremie?
Jeremie had sent me to the factory when they got the message sometime last night. When Odd got the vision. Odd had never had a vision outside of Lyoko, that's what concerned Jeremie. That's why I'm here now.
I groan, slumping back in the chair and rub my eyes, looking at my watch. It was almost five in the morning. I look back at the computer screen and see the diagrams and words go double. I'm tired and I'm worried and my cell hasn't sounded once since they left to investigate Odd's vision.
I stand and walk slowly around the room, feet leaving a clean trail in the grey dust. I'm supposed to be searching, Jeremie had a bad feeling. Ever since we found that girl's, Carra's, backpack, he's been anxious. The vision is what set him into motion though.
The computer beeps, it's done uploading, and I wander back, sinking into the chair. It looks quite comfortable, until you sit in it that is. I move the mouse and lean in, focusing on the scrolling words and numbers. Typical. It's encrypted. I hit my head lightly with my hand, sometimes I wish Jeremie would relax just once. Once! I start decoding the message, it'll take hours. He is very thorough with hiding information.
Finally, after an hour of work, I break through and the previously unintelligent message is now in the French language. Perfect. I scroll through the endless amounts of files, clicking open more folders. They're all his notes on xana, on the vehicles, on the codes to devirtualize, to create vehicles, to make me real.
I pause at one folder, clicking it open and scan it quickly. "What?" I whisper to myself. I scroll down, opening another file in it. "No..." My eyes narrowed and I shook my head, running fingers through pink hair. "No."
I slid as close as I could, typing furiously, eyes darting over the pages that came up. I was absorbing all the information as quick as possible. Processing it and locking it away in my mind. I'd sift through it later. Something caught my eye, I went back, rereading it and felt myself pale before jumping up.
I took the elevator down to the scanners, wandering around inside, looking at the oh-so-familiar bronze tubes. Dust down here as well, except for the two sets of perfect footprints leading from the fronts of the capsules to the elevator doors. I stepped back in, waiting as the doors slid shut, before heading down to the lower room, to check on the control panels and circuit board.
The doors opened with a quiet ping that echoed in the darkness. I fumbled along the wall, finding the switch that lit up the entire room and the panel rose. Footprints. Lots of footprints. I followed them, crouching by one set and running my fingers over the pale concrete exposed beneath.
It looked like a fight had ensued. An altercation of some kind. I licked my lips and looked up through my bangs. Something glimmered in the panel and I stood slowly, dusting my hands on my shorts. I reached out, touching the thin golden chain. It slipped off and I caught it in my other hand, bringing it closer to study.
A charm in the shape of a golden moon hung from the chain. It looked quite expensive, I wonder if Yumi had lost it once, so long ago. I looked down at the footprints in the dust and cringed inwardly. It was wishful thinking, it was someone else's, I knew that.
My cell rang.
I jumped, grabbing it, almost dropping it, before opening it and hitting talk. I pulled out the antennae, heading back to the elevator. "Jeremie?" I gasped. "Jeremie, I found something, something important!" The doors slid shut and I began to rise. "Jeremie?"
"Where are you?"
I wrinkled my forehead, unsure. "Where you told me to be," I said, nervous.
"Where's that?"
"Jeremie, are you alright?" Something crackled over the phone and I yelped as a small shock hit me, almost dropping the phone. "Jeremie?"
"Just tell me Aelita," he exclaimed suddenly, voice harsher than usual.
"Where are you Jeremie?" I asked. The elevator doors opened on the floor to the Super-calculator and I went over, saving the files I had found before shutting down the computer. I called the elevator again, stepping into it.
"I just entered the factory. I think you should meet me here."
I never moved so fast in my life, except on Lyoko. I dashed out between the elevator doors after making sure that it would head down first, before up. It bought me some time. I shut off my phone, slipping it into a pocket along with the disk before looking around.
The vents.
I climbed the ladder up to the nearest one. I could hear the elevator rumbling past, on it's way up to the main level. I yanked hard on the vent, almost losing my balance but clung to the ladder tightly. Quickly I crawled into the duct, pulling the vent closed behind me.
More dust, more spiders. I crawled along, being as quiet as I could, unsure of where I was heading. I heard the elevator descending again and froze before moving on again, even more silently. It was like another trip to Lyoko, escape the monsters, be careful, no noise, don't alert them.
When I finally emerged from the duct I was covered in dust and webs clung to my face, arms, and hair. Disgusting. I needed a shower, but first I needed to get out of here. I heard the elevator again and dashed out across the bridge. Yumi's, I'd go there, I decided.
Author's Note: :hums James Bond theme: There ya go, that's the end of chapter...39? Lol. Wow...so many so fast. :sigh: Hope you enjoyed. Please review!