AN: Thank you, all of you who continue to read and review my work. As always, your support means so much to me and helps me to grow as a writer. Please read, review, and enjoy this new chapter. There will not be a new chapter next week as I will be busy celebrating Christmas with friends and family. Until next time, my dear readers, I hope you all have a safe, wonderful and merry holiday weekend.

Pagliacci-11

Chapter 17

It was silent between most of the group as they walked home. Three of the Lyoko warriors were in a word stunned. What started out as a night to undo the damage that had happened over the past few weeks, it was now moot. Admittedly, however, in its place, stood Jeremy, their friend, restored to life and his memories to just before the shock that killed him. Aelita was still talking to Jeremy about the lead up to only what could be described as his resurrection. But in their hearts, Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi knew very well what had happened. It was an answer to a question that Ulrich had asked some time ago, "Do you think Aelita and Jeremy would be willing to die for each other?"

Deep within them, they knew that question while they had jokingly talked about it amongst themselves; the answer was staring them right in the face. So long as the super-computer remained a fixture of their lives, if either one of them desired it, they would continue to rewind time until they had the solution they desired. But now there was something else, a voice from within the computer it seemed, a voice that knew how to press the right buttons. It was a voice that all three knew antagonized Aelita into action to restore Jeremy, but it posed a very interesting question. "To restore your Utopia or your friend, you can't have both."

As Ulrich thought about it, the voice had Aelita caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Neither option given to Aelita was of genuine benefit as far as he could see. However, he dared not utter the full extent of this thought aloud. Yumi, however, knew very well what this was. The voice had given Aelita an ultimatum. It was something akin to what she was learning back in school. As far as Yumi's view was concerned, the whole dialogue exchange was a very strongly enforced aspect of Utilitarianism. The voice had given Aelita a choice, to restore what it called their Utopia or to restore Jeremy's life. Yumi knew it was very likely a hard choice; it was a choice she personally never wished she was forced to consider personally.

Odd was silent as he watched Jeremy and Aelita talk. He had seen Aelita fall apart at that moment. He knew that feeling personally having experienced it when his uncle had passed a few years ago. And he also knew the pain that was coursing through her veins. It was a pain desperately attempting to speak, and yet Odd knew the decision was not nearly as hard as it seemed. Whatever the voice was, it was right about one thing. Jeremy, Odd knew, was not at all entirely innocent of his own motivations in bringing Aelita to earth. Odd secretly knew more than he let on. But in knowing what he knew, Odd also saw before his eyes the lengths each would go for each other. To say such a love extended to all the team was a maybe. But for each other, there was no doubt that his eyes didn't deceive him. He saw with crystal clarity the value that Jeremy held to Aelita, and she to him.

As they continued their walk back to Kadic, John Barrow and Maria were observing from a parked car. John was silent as she watched, and Maria was checking the energy signatures around the factory emanating from the super-computer core.

"Well," she said, "we have what we need Johnny."

John was silent a moment and then said, "So it would seem. Alright. Back to the safehouse, we go then. Trial One is complete."

They started their car, and as it softly turned over, they pulled out and headed back towards the industrial sector of the city.

There was still half an hour of time left to burn before the team had to be back inside Kadic's walls. The team stopped back off at Yumi's, and they had a small dinner of a couple of microwave dinners. Ulrich, however, had something on his mind, and he had to discuss it with the one person he felt would understand. He gently nudged Yumi and both headed upstairs.

Once they got inside, Yumi closed the door and said, "What is it, Ulrich?"

"Something occurred to me, and I know it's occurred to you too. Tonight, with all that happened—there's no easy way of asking, do you think Jeremy has as much care and regard for us as he does for Aelita or even Aelita having as much care for us as they do for each other?"

Yumi sat down on a small stool in front of her dresser, "They're low-key fuck buddies what more do you want from them? Besides, they've bailed us all out more times than can be counted."

"Yumi, you know what I mean."

"Given they've brought me back countless times and yourself a few more, consider this; they see us as good friends; they don't see us as tools to achieve an end."

"I didn't say that," Ulrich said.

"You don't have to; you're implying it. Your fear is not unfounded. You think with XANA gone that in many ways Aelita and Jeremy don't care for us as they may have under those circumstances. But you must look at Aelita's mindset when doing as she did tonight. Between choosing the world's benefit or our benefit with Jeremy, she chose Jeremy."

"That doesn't exactly inspire courage, Yumi," Ulrich said as he rested his head against her headboard.

"Well, put yourself in Aelita's shoes, why would she bring back Jeremy?"

Ulrich looked at her, "Odd and I have had countless discussions on this. Do you want the reality, or do you want the sugared truth?"

Yumi smirked, "Both."

Ulrich rolled his eyes, "Okay. Truth: He gave her back a physical life on this world or plane of existence. He provides for her clothing and all manner of comfort from physical needs to pleasures. I'm sure sex wasn't the first thing on his mind; rather, he was enamored by the element of an intelligent AI as we all thought at first. However, I know sex is kind of a thing that binds them, but for Jeremy, it's different. He's not a user like Odd is, let's be honest with each other. Jeremy loves the very concept of molding Aelita's mind. If he could have it in his power as we know, he'd shield her from certain things. However, she is an independent free-thinking person and her observation though abrasively accurate is no less real. Jeremy loves with the head not the heart where Aelita loves with the heart and not the head. It's a nice little counterbalance that humanizes both and without each other, they would be genuinely devastated and without purpose or function. Sugarcoating: She is saving Jeremy to fight back against this new threat in an effort to save the world from a new evil."

Yumi smiled a bit and chuckled, "So harsh on them, aren't you? Okay, Monsieur Logic, what would you do, if I were obliterated in a similar fashion as Jeremy and you had the power to turn back time to literally undo it?"

Ulrich was silent for a good while and had a legitimate look of contemplation on his face. Two minutes went by, then four then six.

"You're kidding, right?" Yumi said after the tenth minute.

Ulrich chuckled, "Look I get it, I know why she did as she did. But my fear is they only brought us back a couple of times because well we were so close to our mission objective of doing away with XANA and I'm sorry Yumi that's just the naked truth."

Yumi got up and lay down beside him, "I understand, but still you have to bear in mind what all we've been through, and besides, both you and Odd were going a bit crazy with no XANA and now well, surprise, new spectrum to deal with."

"It's not as simple as that, but sure, new spectrum to deal with. Anyway, the good news is we know of a solid way to get out and around. We figured it out, and now we can get out when we need to. But that said, there's something new in the supercomputer, and honestly, I'm curious as to how it will impact things. Seriously, it is a legitimate concern."

"I was there, too, you know?" Yumi said, "You act I was in a parallel dimension or something."

"Aligned yet never touching or intersecting. Why does that sound so familiar?"

"Sissi's brain?" Yumi asked.

"That's it." He said with a chuckle, "But seriously we should lay off on her. she's been helping us with breaching the security."

"At what cost, though?" Yumi asked.

"It's manageable." Ulrich replied as he got off her bed, "Gotta' head back; we have fifteen minutes."

Yumi nodded, "Good luck."

"Easy for you to say you don't have to face super-douche."

"Who?" Yumi asked.

"Barrow, the dickweed who put this whole security nightmare square in our laps. The best part, though, we have keys to the dungeon." Ulrich said, "Ciao."

Ulrich headed back downstairs and accompanied Odd, Jeremy, and Aelita back to Kadic. They had cut it just a bit close, but they knew very well what to do. It was the eastern side which had been yanked and so follow the same procedure as before, up the fire-escape to the shower rooms. They made their way to the shower windows, which were still open, and so each made it through to their respective shower room. Their robes, however, were gone which they had left in select stalls.

Ulrich held off Odd and Jeremy and peered outside. A different guard was in place at the hall then was when they left, and so they were good. He motioned to Odd and Jeremy to wait five minutes between them, and he went out first and headed back to his and Odd's room. In time, Odd and Jeremy made it back their rooms and closed their doors.

As Jeremy closed his door, he sat down. For the first time, the return to the past had been used on him personally. He didn't say to any of the others what he had felt or seen in his time of death. Only that he was over his own body watching Aelita sob as the voice made its statements. He could see and hear everything, and as desperately as he tried to yell at the top of his lungs, none could hear him. Then with the flash of light and Aelita's agonized cry to return to the past, he was back in his body. It was different being put back into one's body. It felt as if it was a warm buzzing followed by a gentle headache but nothing else.

Soon, he could hear his doorknob jiggle and then heard a knock at the door, "Jeremy," Aelita's voice came through, "It's me, can we talk?"

Jeremy opened up the door, and Aelita came inside and sat on his bed, "Tell me, Jeremy, how are you feeling? Be honest, please."

Jeremy could see in her eyes she was still visibly shaken. Could he blame her? Of course not, and so he sat next to her, "I'm fine. The only thing to show is a frayed shirt sleeve. But thanks to you, I'm just fine."

Aelita took his head in her hands, and she gently kissed him, "You scared me so very much. What did you see? What was it like to die?"

Jeremy looked at her and took off his glasses, "There are feelings and sensations I would not describe to you because of how they would impact you. I don't wish to scare you or harm you. Therefore I will tell you nothing. Suffice, to say, I'll never let it happen to you."

Aelita nodded and said, "But tell me something, please."

"What is it?"

"What did you think of the voice who spoke to us from the computer?"

Jeremy was silent a moment and said, "It's a force that is far smarter than we could ever think of. I saw the decisions it gave you, only two and one nullified the other. This is not just a test of raw will. As you said, it is a test of morals and ethics to the very highest degrees."

"But why, Jeremy? Aelita asked.

"I honestly don't know, and I can't be sure, even if I were to give it my best guess."

"What is your best guess?" Aelita asked.

Jeremy was silent as he dreaded saying what was on his mind. He was going to say what he felt, but he knew better and so held his tongue, opting to say instead, "I'm not entirely sure. I—I just don't know. It's too early yet."

Aelita nodded and, for a moment, was silent. She knew there was much on Jeremy's mind, and especially given the recent events, she didn't want to push him. The effects of being restored to life were one thing she couldn't nullify as she and Jeremy had been able to do in times past. It was sub-routine that had been programmed into the computer but rather foolishly, in their zeal, the team had not thought to gut the super-computer of excess programs. But even more so, it was a mistake that was so easily avoidable. As she thought about all of these things, she looked out the window.

"I'm just so glad you're back," Aelita said as she firmly held his hand.

Jeremy nodded, "I'm glad to be back, Aelita. But now we must be careful. You saw for yourself the aspects of choices we have at our liberty to do also choices of what not to do."

Aelita looked at him intensely, "Do you truly think that they have tailored the return to the past to serve their purposes?"

Jeremy nodded and stood, "It's definitely not out of the realm of reason given what happened tonight. Part of me thinks that what they are doing is allowing us to have a say in what happens with a return to the past. However, the extent of that say hinges on their agenda at the end of the day."

"So, in your mind, they are only tolerating us? I think is the right phrasing?"

"Until we prove too much a thorn in their side, yes."

"But, Jeremy, what purpose could that serve? Us having a form of say?"

Jeremy looked outside at the full moon and said, "I honestly don't know. It's something I'm hoping that your mother could help us with. If they are truly a defense and sustenance program as she told you it was, I don't think harm to people is what it desires. However, we—you need to talk with her."

Aelita went from looking at Jeremy to the wall as her stare focused on a small black speck. What Jeremy was asking was assuredly the very last thing that she wanted to do. Aelita wanted to talk to her mother, sure, but at the same time, it was for an entirely different purpose. After all, her mother had approached her first, and she knew the search for her car had been finished. But how to go about asking her mother what she needed to, Aelita wasn't exactly sure on. Aelita got up from the bed and went over to Jeremy's desk. The license plate had been narrowed down to an address on the outer reaches of the city. In a small, almost country house from what Aelita could tell from looking up the address via satellite. Aelita then looked again at Jeremy. Personally, she knew very well what was going on; she knew contact with Anthea was direly needed in this regard. However, despite her uncertainty and even her reservations, Aelita knew that like it or not, Anthea was her only real shot at getting an idea of what was going on with this program.

Aelita said, "I'll arrange a meeting with her on campus. That way, we can be sure she won't try anything."

Jeremy replied, "Alright, that's good. We'll be in ear-shot, and I'll be with you when you set it up."

Aelita went up to Jeremy one last time and embraced him tightly, "I'll see you in the morning."

Jeremy returned her embrace, and, in his heart, Jeremy knew just how much this night had frightened her. He knew it very well that despite the power of being able to bring him back, it didn't mean the loss to her was any less real. "Thank you. I love you too, Aelita."

Aelita released him from her embrace and headed back to her room. Once inside, she got out her cellphone and made the call. The phone rang for five repetitions, and finally, there was an answer.

"Hello?" Anthea asked, albeit a touch groggy.

Aelita was silent for a moment and said, "Hello, Mother. I need to speak with you about the project you began to tell me about a few days ago."

"Aelita? How—how did you get this number?"

"I could bore you with the details, but half of me already thinks you know how I did so."

There was a wry chuckle on the other end, "Alright. What do you want to know?"

"I need you to meet with me on school grounds, and there we can discuss this to your heart's content."

"It's on your insistence, so very well. I'll be there at 11:45. Where would you prefer on campus to meet?"

"There's an open courtyard on the western portion of the grounds. I'll talk with Jean-Pierre and ensure you can come in, due to these security checks."

"Naturally. Alright, Very Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

Anthea hung up the phone, and Aelita closed her phone. As she lay down on her bed, she heard a very soft thump near the neighboring wall. It was soft but assuredly quite regular. She was about to get up and investigate, but as soon as she did, the thumping had subsided. Aelita had listened just a bit longer, not a sound anywhere. She closed her eyes and exhaled. Just as soon as she had begun to drift off the sleep, she heard the soft dull thumping in a soft tempo and then gradually building, crescendo being met within two minutes and then silence again. She got up, put on her slippers and with her hand on the door, waited for the thumping to begin again. Two minutes passed, four, then eight. Then once more, the gentle regular thumping was heard once more.

Aelita opened her door and listened to the thumping and found it to be coming from just across the hall in Sissi's room. Aelita went over to the door and listened, and she could hear it, gently a thud with a moan or a gentle squeal. However, wanting to get a good night's sleep far outweighed in Aelita's mind anyone's carnal needs. So, she banged twice on the door and then sprinted back across the door just as a very audible exclamation of Fuck was heard and Aelita gently closed her door, latching it just in time as she could hear the hinges on Sissi's door squeak signifying a violent opening. Aelita by now was lying in her bed and then she heard the door close. However, what was more jarring than the act itself, was Aelita's perception of the exclamation on the other side of the door, it was a voice all too familiar, that of Ulrich Stern.

Aelita went to sleep as best she could now a myriad of questions formulating in her brain. She knew it was Ulrich, that couldn't be covered up now. What was worse is that to Aelita, this seemed to be a full-fledged betrayal of Yumi. Why was this happening at all? Aelita knew that Ulrich had gotten a bit lonely since Yumi's departure for her own school, but to take such a remedy for loneliness to this extreme felt a more than a bit much. This thought interwoven with what happened tonight drove her mind to the point of much-desired sleep. Aelita had her questions, but she couldn't sort them all out now. She needed rest and this was what she sought desperately now. Unable to sleep, she retrieved her bracelet which had a massive playlist stored in its memory and she plugged in her headphones and began to listen to the soothing sounds of Handel.

As she began to dream, her mind took her to her personal realm of reflection. She dreamed about when she had first come to Kadic as she recollected her observances to Jeremy and the rest of the Lyoko warriors about the cruelty she had observed in the world. She remembered that even though XANA existed, that she felt safe even happy in the digital womb of Lyoko, discovering what there was through the data repositories her father had downloaded. But equally in reflecting on this Aelita felt sad. The reason for this could have been many things but chiefly, it was a realization of the harshness of the world around her. There were times she revisited the thought that was playing out before her. The thought that if you couldn't fix through reason and care a lot of these maladies, why not just stop many of the major events why not root out the problem at the source? As she dreamed, Aelita's ideas of old began to germinate and grow once more. She desired to end a lot of it if not all, the injustices man and woman did to each other. But she knew the method she once had at her disposal was not so anymore.

"But wait," her voice said aloud, "what if there was?"

Aelita looked around herself gone were the flashes of memory and her solutions, replaced now by darkness. The voice continued.

"The method is not gone from you, merely your old actions of using the method. I know what you want, I know what you feel. You've buried this deep inside of you for the better part of two years. I know your pain, and I want to help you."

Aelita put her guard up against the voice, "Who are you?! Where are you?"

"Aelita," the voice said patiently and gently, "are you really so quick to destroy a part of yourself without listening to the reasoning of why you feel as you do?"

"You say you can fix a lot of what I see as our problems—show me what you mean!"

At that moment, Aelita smelled the scent of static charge, and then she was shown her answer. Rolling hills of green. Houses of stucco were upon the hills their roofs of emerald and black per portion of land. The people were seen going to and fro gathering, planting, creating, dismantling and repurposing. The people were happy; the sun was bright and warm; there was order, structure, and peace.

The voice spoke again, "Aelita, this is but one of the things we can achieve together if you spend but a moment of time with me and listen to what I have to say."

Aelita spoke after a moment, "At what cost?"

"A cost that you can assuredly live with." Was the reply.

In the morning, Aelita awoke refreshed and rejuvenated. Her dream was a blend of wonderful and the most expressive form of a dream she had ever had up to that point. However, she remembered today what was to happen, a meeting with her mother at lunchtime, and so she showered, got dressed, and headed down to Delmas' office before breakfast. Aelita spoke to Nicole, who allowed her to enter Jean-Pierre's office, citing that Jean-Pierre would be back in five minutes. Aelita sat in the chair opposite Jean-Pierre's desk and looked around. It seemed there had been a few changes to the office. It had seemingly been expanded with a large black almost glossy door standing to the right of her which was locked by keypad. It was something that Aelita knew must have come to be in just a day or two. There was no way of looking through as to what was inside; it was just a black murky glass-like surface. She looked around and noticed the traditional filing cabinets had disappeared as well as a couple of his bookshelves.

At that moment, Jean-Pierre entered and said, "Ah, Ms. Stones, good to see you." He went around to his chair and sat down with his cup of coffee, "How may I help you today?"

Aelita replied, "I'd like to arrange a meeting with my mother for lunch around 11:45 in the courtyard if that's okay?"

Jean-Pierre made a few notes and said, "Of course, I see no issue. Oh, may I ask, how have you been feeling? I spoke to our nurse Dorothy, and she told me that she ran into you a couple of days ago, and you were very upset. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I just had an off day that day. Some things were just—well, not quite right. I wasn't feeling well then, and it gradually piled into being a bit much."

"I understand, Aelita. Please know that should you need anything; Dr. Klotz is available for counseling." Jean-Pierre said as he tore off a slip of paper, "Your mother will be slated for allowance of arrival at 11:45. Present this to your teacher at the time in case she arrives early."

Aelita took the piece of paper, folded it, and put it into her jacket pocket. She got up and said, "Thank you, Mons. Delmas. I'll see you around, I suppose."

Jean-Pierre smiled and said, "Thank you, Miss. Stones. See you around."

As Aelita went off to meet with Jeremy, Odd, and Ulrich in the recreation room, Jean-Pierre went to the black mirrored door, and he punched in the code to his keypad. The door opened, and inside, a young man with dirty-blonde hair and a beard was working oh hooking up an in-depth monitoring system as well as running several system diagnostics.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Jean-Pierre said, "I greatly appreciate your promptness."

"Oh, no worries. Mr. Barrow said that there were some elements of the kinks that still needed to be worked out, even after having them broken in. If ever you feel something is not quite right with our systems, don't hesitate to call on the card I have given you. I'm free most days anyhow."

"Please, Mr., I'm sorry I've forgotten your name," Jean-Pierre said.

"Emilio, Sir. Emilio Velasquez." The man replied as he was making some system checks.

"Yes, Emilio. Um, what exactly are the kinks that are being fixed?"

"The fixes are in response to a few breaches that we have seen. Particularly one that happened last night along the eastern end of the campus. Everything inexplicably went dark and was on standby for at least two hours. We double-checked the administration keys, and we believe that you, Mr. Delmas, have been hacked. Meaning your keys were used last night without your permission. So, we are undertaking a secondary security precaution to assign a second verification to be doubly sure of initiated actions that may be suspect.

Jean-Pierre's eyes went wide, "I see, and where was the initiation launched from if they used my key?"

"It was launched from your desk computer behind you. We have, as a result, to be assured of Kadic's safety designed this small sub-lab so you can have an on-call technician to oversee and report hiccups in the system. Also, is there anyone who comes to mind who you can trust with the second key to Kadic's security oversight?"

"Yes, I do. Jim Morales."

"Excellent. When you see him, please give him this card." Jean-Pierre was handed a black card with a gold seal of a Pyramid. "Then, have Jim report to me to be officially designated as your second to the system."

Jean-Pierre nodded and said, "I'll simply call him here, as opposed to looking for him."

Meanwhile, Aelita had met up with Ulrich, Jeremy, and Odd in the recreation room, and while Jeremy and Odd were playing a few rounds of foosball, Aelita was looking at Ulrich with a slight degree of suspicion. As Odd scored his first point, he gave a small cheer.

"Gotta' be faster, Jeremy old buddy. Come on, and it's all about reaction time." Odd said, "And remember, no spinning. Anyone can blitz the ball, but the true skill comes from patience and control."

Jeremy sighed as he worked the foosball rollers, choosing when best for sudden rotations. It was not exactly his favorite sport, but it was something he could attempt to enjoy and, in time, hopefully, master.

Aelita was silent as she observed this demonstration of sport because while foosball was enjoyable to watch, she knew if there was one thing, Odd was the slightest touch anal about it was this game. However, as she watched Jeremy, he showed more than capable aptitude for the game. Personally, she loved Foosball, but to play with Odd took a bit of patience. It was as Ulrich had said on several occasions, where someone like his father was beyond finicky with rules of more established sports like cards, Odd was just as fussy when it came to the "decorum of rollers."

As Jeremy was showing marked progress under Odd's tutelage, Aelita saw Sissi enter with Herve and Nicholas. She saw Sissi wave at Ulrich, not as obnoxiously as she once did, and she saw that Ulrich, in turn, responded with a wave that wasn't near as icy. She was aware that Ulrich had told Sissi that the team had truly begun to see her as a friend. But to Aelita, she was beginning to realize the double-meaning of this aspect of choice words. Just as this realization was dawning, she came to very much understand what Jeremy doubtless would call the duplicity of the whole affair.

Aelita went over to Ulrich, "A word in private, please."

Ulrich followed her to a farther off potion away from Jeremy and Odd, "What is it?"

Aelita looked at him, "I know what you did last night, Ulrich. You can deny it all you want, but I know what you've done."

Ulrich arched an eyebrow, "And what exactly would that be?"

"Oh, nothing much. Save for ending your fuck session with Sissi. Sound familiar?"

Ulrich's eyes went wide, and he looked around to make sure none were listening, "That was you?"

"You seem to forget that Sissi and my room are adjacent to each other. Just answer me this, is this the payment of which you spoke so carefully and yet so glibly?"

Ulrich said, "Look, to get past this new element of security, I had to take select risks to just get us outside. If that means to fuck her brains out, Princess, then so be it. Besides, you yourself are not ignorant of such activities."

"Be that as it may, what would Yumi think? Honestly, Ulrich?"

"I personally believe she'd be more than understanding given our extenuating circumstances."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, Princess, seriously. I mean, think about it. All we've done with XANA dogging our heels, and you're shocked at this little sacrifice of dignity or some such nonsense?"

"Ulrich, it's the damned principle, okay? It's called faithfulness."

"Yeah, maybe in your fairytale dreamland, not in reality. My parents cheat on each other all the time; each swears me to secrecy for their own piece of mind. So yeah, I get a very good picture of the average relationship all around. The average relationship's a pile if nightmarish dreck. So, Princess, don't lecture me on faithfulness. What mattered at the time was to secure us a means to get out of this hell hole of a prison that has been secured. That is what matters."

Aelita was silent a moment and then said, "I just hope your dedication to the mission in this regard doesn't blow up in your face."

Aelita returned to the foosball table where Odd was up by five to Jeremy's three. Odd was patient in teaching Jeremy the sport, and over time, Jeremy was more attentive to the positions and timing of his blocking. Admittedly it was a game that Jeremy was growing more and more to enjoy with enough practice, and it also helped that Odd never pulled his punches when it came to the game.

"You're improving, Einstein, now focus." Odd said, "It's all in the power of the wrist turn the proper wrist turn can give the same amount of precision as a full spin of the rods."

Jeremy took note and performed better portion by portion as every moved showed a marked increase, the points steadily climbing.

As Odd and Jeremy continued to play, Sissi came over to Ulrich and took him aside for a private conversation.

Ulrich once separate from the group, "What is it?"

"Don't be so snide, Ulrich. Heidi Klinger told me that daddy is putting in a new verification. Last night someone took note of the two-hour gap, and it was just the system being down either."

"What do you mean?" Ulrich asked.

"The guards who stood on sentry were watching all of you, and they saw you go in at a certain time and not come out until much later. It doesn't help. They did a search of the shower rooms. They also checked your rooms. Daddy is in a state right now, and Jim is sworn in as his second verification code."

Ulrich's eyes went wide, "Are you fucking kidding me?" He said in a hushed tone, "Fuck. Do you have an idea of how we can get around it? What did Heidi report to you?"

"Only what she could pick up working for Miss Nicole. Jim had a specialized card that he carries in his wallet, and that keycard is the second verification. And to make sure he's not bushwhacked, he's asked for an electronic lock mechanism on his door to safeguard the key."

"Great, so our solution is to get him when he's at his most vulnerable and lift his wallet. Do you know of any spare key cards made?"

"Not yet. I'll let you know as soon as I can find out something. I can also ask Herve to do me a few favors to breach the system if you need more direct data to apply to the system."

"Great. That's good. Keep your eyes open, which we're going to have to figure out how to get around the guards if possible." Ulrich looked at the group and at Aelita, who was watching with a sideways glance, "Look, we'll continue this later, okay? Ciao for now."

Ulrich went over to the group and said, "Guys, we gotta' talk. We're in a jam."

Odd looked at him before returning to foosball, "About what exactly?"

"The screws knew we were missing, Odd," Ulrich replied.

Odd stopped playing immediately, "What did you say?" a look of worry on his face.

"The screws knew we were missing. Apparently, the guards took note of when we entered the showers, searched the showers after a moment, and then our rooms to confirm we were gone." Ulrich said.

Jeremy then looked at him, "Wait. If that's the case, then why not have us into the office to wring our necks?"

"Because, according to Heidi, who was helping Nicole just outside Delmas' office, they were patching up the breaches in the wall. I'm betting to anticipate tighter security on Delmas' part."

"How did they know about the eastern breach?" Aelita asked.

"I'd bet money they had someone checking out the system as an independent monitor for the company." Jeremy said, "If the program is still relatively new and we are the guinea pigs as I'm truly beginning to think, then they're ironing out the kinks with us."

"So, in a unique way, they want us to test them? They see this as perfecting a product, don't they?" Aelita asked.

"That's exactly it." Jeremy said, "They encourage this kind of behavior by restraint through Delmas knowing to watch us four. But what if it proved that it wasn't just us four, they had to watch?"

"So what? Have the whole school turn on the system?" Ulrich asked.

"Exactly. If we can cause enough of a reasonable complaint from the student body, we can have the system thrown out in due time."

"Good logic, Jeremy." Aelita said, "However it doesn't address the element that a lot of students aren't as inhibited as we are when it comes to liberties. The rights of the student are largely as they were, with the only inconvenience being the checking in and out of areas. This is doubtless something Delmas will bring up should we decide to push the envelope."

Jeremy sighed, "What would you propose, Aelita? Because we've tried our usual method, and we know where that landed us."

Aelita leaned against the stage and said, "Simple. Work with the new entity in the supercomputer to get back what we lost."

The group looked at her as if she had lost her mind. Jeremy wiped his glasses, "Come again?"

"Did I stutter? Work with the new entity in the supercomputer to get back what we lost." Aelita said as she checked her nails.

Odd looked at her, "Are you insane?"

"Hardly. I think of it like this. If the supercomputer can be taken from us and repurposed in no time at all, it tells me the voice which gave us our little ultimatum last night knows already the return to the past. It's going to do what it wants regardless of our say in the matter. It only is a matter of time until our relevance or lack thereof is shown to the program, and then from our actions or lack thereof, we either be used well or nullified from the equation. The only reason that it didn't want us destroyed at once was to give us time to consider working alongside it instead of against it."

"You can't seriously believe that, can you?" Ulrich asked.

"I don't see why it's so unfeasible. When you brought me to this world, I watched, listened, observed, understood though painfully the lessons of your world and your exitance. Do you have any idea how many times I longed to return to the supercomputer and remake the world without many of the problems that you all face daily? You're my friends, and I love you for being there for me, which is why many times I considered preserving you and allowing you to observe the changes I could give to the world through alterations and even nullifications of select events in history. What I have proposed is no more far-fetched than what the operators of the program if it has operators see."

Jeremy looked at Aelita, "So if I understand this right if you can't beat them, join them to see if you can secure a better future by remaking the world piece by piece?"

"Remake? No. I used to think so, but no. Rather start from a base as we have and progress forward into the future." Aelita said.

Odd looked at her, his arms crossed as he said, "What lead you to this conclusion?"

"Simple deduction. The only reason why this entity has not done away with us is that it wants to utilize our assets. It knows we destroyed XANA as a team, and it knows the effectiveness of our team is given a streamlined focus. So, Devil's Advocate, why destroy such a well-functioning unit of people if one can easily find a new use for them down the line?"

Jeremy sighed, "What also keeps that same force for nullifying us from the equation once our purpose is served?"

Aelita looked at him and answered, "Nothing, really."

Jeremy said, "I understand what you're likely thinking, Aelita. At the same time, be very careful of who you take into your circle of confidence."

At that moment, the tone sounded, and Odd said, "Come on, we'll figure this out after breakfast."

The group headed to the cafeteria while Aelita heard a gentle whisper in her head the voice from her dream, "Be careful who you take into your circle of confidence. Easy talk for one who took an immense gamble for the sake of fulfilling his loneliness, wouldn't you say?"

Aelita stopped in her steps for just a moment. She was about to utter a retort, but the voice replied, "I know. I know, Aelita. Head along to breakfast. You have a big day ahead of you."