AN: I am so thankful to God for this chapter, and I hope you all have a wonderful time reading the chapter. I look forward to seeing you all next chapter

Pagliacci-11

Chapter 74

Yumi was standing silently in the girl's bathroom looking at herself in the mirror. The words of Nicolette reverberated in her mind, an intelligent piece of culture and the more she dwelt on those words, Yumi couldn't help but silently weep. Who was Nicolette to talk of who Yumi was and what her life was? Yumi bowed her head and in many ways, she was exhausted and the more she thought on all that had transpired, the more genuinely alien it seemed. She looked at her hand and it seemed normal. She turned her hand over and over again, looking always as they had been. She took her thumb and bit down hard with the blood gently spilling over her tongue. Looking at the blood, she felt the pain and frustration as she always had but now everything had been steadily called into question over the past few months.

Yumi took paper towels from the nearby dispenser and using a pocketknife she always carried on her, she fashioned the towels into strips and tightly bound them together. Once she was comfortable, she took her phone and called her father.

Aelita meanwhile was sitting with Jeremy and Ulrich all of whom felt great after they'd taken the medicine that Nicolette had given them. As they sat in silence for a while waiting for Yumi to come back, they heard a knock at the door. The three looked at the door and Ulrich went to answer. As he opened the door, he was astounded. Odd stood before him with a black duffle-bag.

"Hey buddy." Odd said softly, "How are you?"

Aelita and Jeremy immediately stood and went to the door, "Odd!" Aelita said with a rush of joy, "Come in!"

Odd came in and he sat down on the bed, He took a few moments and he said, "So, how are things?"

"That's what we should be asking you!" Aelita said, "Where have you been?"

Jeremy spoke, "We know you were with Natasha but no clue as to where. So come on, fill us in."

Ulrich sat next to Odd, and he said, "Yeah, what's been going on?"

Odd for the first time ever was apprehensive in answering but after a sigh he said, "My friends, I've been everywhere! But, in being everywhere I've seen the genuine good and bad of who we face and who we're allied with. I was able to get out because Sylvia made a way but also—Natasha's dead. The people who serve her were going all over the place trying to figure out what to do but according to everything I heard before I got here, Natasha's dead."

"So, the war's over?" Aelita asked.

"I don't know. I think so, I hope so." Odd replied, "But there's no way of truly knowing."

"So, where were you all this time?!" Ulrich asked.

Odd sighed, "A beautiful planet with sprawling prairie as far as one could ever dream of seeing. I saw a true frontier city under Natasha, and it was so fresh and clean, I can't describe it. The twin moons that signified night were so beautiful and large that I felt that I was in the grip of a dream." He reached into his bag, "I brought back some souvenirs." He took out beautiful crystals as large as his fist and he handed them to his friends, "These are Tersonioan Crystals that are worth a crap ton of money back in the empire. Just one of these is worth about eighty grand and are equal to sapphires in our world."

The group looked at the crystals they were of a deep and majestic blue that felt like they were the ocean depths wrapped in a crystal and as they noticed, there was a genuine fragrance to them that was sweet and salty.

"Oh, Odd, these are so nice!" Aelita said, "Where did you get them?!"

"They grow in the grasslands of the prairie but only in the fresh silt from volcanoes." Odd replied, "But I kid you not, it is so great to be home." He lay down on the bed with a sigh, "It feels so good."

Ulrich looked at him, "What was it like under Natasha?"

"Things were bad. The truth of who I was, was going to come out sooner or later. But life under Natasha it's living in constant fear and even then, you're not given any kind of genuine boost to what you're contributing to.

It just goes to show you, they can promise anything. The genuine application of those promises however depends on who you are and if they trust you. I don't think Sylvia's that different. I was stuck in a fucking greenhouse day in, day out making silk for Natasha's empire for luxury goods. I was saving up to buy a frigate so that I could earn money as I slept. But the issue came in that unless I could make enough fuel for the necessary ventures, it defeated the purpose, and I would just barely break even. And a lot of that I think was by design. I don't think Natasha trusted me enough to get me into where real money was being made and equally, she didn't trust me to lead an assault against all of you and not pull punches."

"What else happened, Odd? We haven't seen you in months!" Jeremy replied.

"It wasn't that great, Einstein. A lot of things happened and some I don't want to talk about. But I'm glad if Natasha's dead. She was and is a monster, guys. She does whatever she wants, and she gives the illusion you have a choice when in reality she'll trap you into doing what she wants and blending it with your own narrative. I never want to go back to that place. It's beautiful, but it's a prison, a beautiful prison."

Ulrich asked, "Have you talked to your parents since you came home?"

Odd nodded but reluctantly said, "Yeah, I have. They'd worked it out that my parents didn't truly even know I was absent that I was here the whole time and learning. So, in a way they covered me—but still." Odd looked around, "Yumi not here?"

"She'll be back." Aelita replied, "She's trying to recover from our missions to Lyoko."

Odd nodded, "Brynja kept me updated as to your progress. You've done very well as far as she tells me. But recovering? I thought the worst of it was just a bit of fatigue, nothing a good night's rest can't cure."

Jeremy shook his head, "Natasha changed the damage variables for Lyoko so when we get devirtualized, we end up horribly sore and, in some cases, very sick. Our last mission lasted four hours."

Odd sat up, "Four hours?! That's ten times what we normally would do! How did you guys handle it?"

"We did well, but at the end of it we were running on fumes." Yumi spoke from the doorway, "Hey Odd." She said with a smile, "Good to see you back Earth Side."

Odd chuckled, "Good to see you too." He got up and gave Yumi a hug, "I've missed my crazy big sister."

"And we've missed your crazy names for the monsters, your jokes not so much." Yumi replied.

"Oh, Yumi, you hurt me." Odd said with a chuckle he then sighed, "So, where do we stand on the war front? Brynja only told me so much."

"Well with every citadel we take from Lyoko, we gain three supercomputers." Jeremy said, "Natasha held a whole bunch but last night we took what we project to me roughly a quarter based on what Sylvia's technicians have been able to figure out."
"The monsters are no joke either." Aelita said, "There have been a few new additions in addition to the traditional soldiers and elites—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you're telling me there are genuine soldiers in Lyoko now, not monsters?" Odd asked.

"That's right. Ever since there was this massive overhaul of Lyoko, there have been traditional soldier forms of A.I. that we've had to navigate but when they start fighting, they're extremely advanced able to flank, cut off, and ambush. It kinda' helps they communicate what they're going to do, and you can somewhat get the drop on them but it's rare it happens and it's hard to filter out when you're in the thick of it." Ulrich replied.

"Oh, so my naming system is all for naught!"

"Don't worry, Odd." Aelita said with a chuckle, "There are all kinds of soldiers we can give you to name. But as I said they're no joke. If you're not careful, you'll be dead in just a few shots and with the pain adjustments made by Natasha it acts as a double incentive to not get hit."

"And what about you, Jeremy?" Odd asked, "Still the armchair commander?"

Yumi and Ulrich laughed, and Ulrich said, "Sylvia kicked that habit of his early. No, he works with us in the field and while he's a competent soldier, he kinda panics under fire. He's been delegated to upload speed with Aelita half the time."

Jeremy replied, "In fairness, it's what I'm best suited for."

"Best suited for, sure." Yumi said with a chuckle, "It's just what you've kitted yourself as best to be, so yeah, what you're best suited for, keep telling yourself that."

Odd asked, "So, who's been my replacement?"

The group looked at him and Aelita said, "Nobody replaced you, nor could they. But we've had help from the mirrorverse Magali and she's a very good fighter which is no surprise as she served in Sylvia's army."

Odd nodded, "I getcha.' And now we're close to going home for Christmas. How are you all feeling about this?"

"I'm amazed it came so quick." Jeremy said, "The good news is that we're mostly all up to date with our studies, even Ulrich."

"Oh, thanks for throwing me under the bus, Einstein." Ulrich said, "I'm grateful myself that Sylvia's been very lenient with what needs to go on for Lyoko. It's not like the XANA days at all. We're not there seven times a week and even then, when we are there it's usually one long op for a few hours and yeah, it makes us sick but imagine having to pull triple duty like in the old days. I'd rather die!"

"But look at what it does to us!" Jeremy retorted, "We're all sick and you two are in pain!"

"Blame Natasha not Sylvia, Jeremy," Yumi replied, "Sylvia didn't decide these variables. So, it's best to look at all of this as a form of demented trade-off. And besides with Natasha dead, I'm curious as to how Sylvia will deal with the aftermath of that."

Odd shrugged, "We'll see what happens. I mean I got out of there as soon as I heard all that was going on and I'm just waiting to see what all happens."

Meanwhile Nicolette arrived at an oceanside villa and as she entered a study, she saw a man with his back to her reading. She cleared her throat, "Mr. Barrow?"

The man put his book down and he gently turned around in his chair, "How are you?"

Nicolette looked at him and to her surprise, he was younger than the years would have suggested. Nicolette handed him the report and he looked it over page by page. As he read the report, he gave a gentle sigh and closing the report, he handed it back to Nicolette.

"Well, it's what we anticipated and even if she did weasel her way out, I don't foresee her coming back in a huge rush."

Nicolette nodded, "Question, Sir. Why didn't you come back after all this time?"

"It would be best that I stayed in my conventional position. I've been so isolated from my daughter it would do more harm than good. So, I'm going to stay back here in the council as I always have and help steer the ship in a general direction until Sylvia comes back into the fullness of power."

Nicolette thought a moment, "So, you're just going to stay in the shadows—how long have you been doing this as a general thing?"

Barrow shrugged, "I've always been something of a silent partner even after we came to power after the great reset—as it were. Yeah, I've always been in the shadows, it's been fair to say that. It's a role I like, being something of a vassal. It's easier to do what is needed for the good of the State and remain essentially anonymous."

Nicolette nodded, "And Lucius? Who took his spot?"

"I can't remember given the ebb and tide of natural elections as they are. But Lucious thought his position as not one worth being inherited in such a way, if that makes sense. He saw his position as more of a burden."

"How so?"

"There were many things for which one in his position must account and people don't seem to understand that there is a genuine course of conduct for those as high in power as we placed ourselves. We must help the people and we have done a decent job in doing so, but this is not a position to be envied and the longer I live, the more I see Lucius's point. For much as a father must never provoke his son to anger, so the kings of the nations must never treat their people with derision or anger them. For just as a son trusts his father, so we must be so to the people and all too often the seeds of licentiousness and pride emerge within the halls of power this high. It is why we have the elections as we do so that no one person gains too much power or grows comfortable with it."

"What about you? You've been in your position since this all started."

"Yes, but in a more remedial role, a role that doesn't require so much stress or work. I ensure select governors provide select things for the good of the State. It is in keeping with this form of quota that I have earned the favor of those in power and why I have maintained my position. Not for love of the position but because of my effectiveness at it. I too yearn to retire from this great theater of action, but not before someone suited to the task replaces me."

Nicolette was hesitant to bring up the report, but she was curious as to the answer that awaited her, "Oh, there is one thing, Mr. Barrow. What about Xander? I mean the very way he threw away his life—"

"Is not for you to worry about. There is a more than adequate reason Xander fell on his own sword and in being free of the life he led; he now has license to pursue a life he wanted as opposed to the role he was thrust into due to his own poor decisions. What comes of him is no concern of yours and I urge you to drop the matter."

Nicolette nodded and she said, "Of course, I'm sorry, sir. It just seemed so nonsensical to me."

"Well, when our backs are against the wall, we will do all manner of things to try and make ends meet. Xander is no exception and is in many ways a prime example."

"Wasn't he the brother or cousin of one of the war chiefs of the planet, Xerok?"

"He was but there was not too much lost love between them. They both went their separate ways—Xander becoming a corporate sword arm while his relation chose to be a guardian of the people—if you can call it that. But that's neither here nor there."

"And the Solovieff unit. It has achieved what you wished it to achieve. Do you want to take it offline?"

"No, it will serve as a living testament to what our neighbors so nearly avoided. She will be allowed to be herself under the blossom protocol and as result be allowed to live the necessary life to further protect her native setting. That is why Solovieff and all her kind were made, nurtured, and planted in the realm next door as soon as we became aware of it. I knew that Natasha couldn't be trusted to leave them alone nor Sylvia for that matter and I will have my emissary speak to her on such actions as she's taking them.

With Natasha largely removed, at least for now, Sylvia has no need to make a reserve location in case she's attacked. Heringsdötir's—contributions, shall we say, have been marked and they will serve as the de-facto rulers and heir apparent to Sylvia's line. Not that the girl can't' sire children of her own, she has in the form of Johnny but at the same time, the State has always had a preservational element that goes even beyond our apparent functions for the good of the people."

Nicolette nodded, "And Johnny, he has affections for the Culture, you are—"

"Enough." Barrow said firmly, "She is not a living culture, she is frankly a much higher form of our natural computers the likes of which your eyes of never seen. It grieved me when my sources told me of your treatment and dismissal of her. Which is why I removed you from contact with the girl. Your disdain for what you esteemed it to be was evident enough that you couldn't be trusted with its true nature. Yumi Ishiyama is not some mere culture as you so bluntly put it. She is the very first example of sentient living wet ware that we have ever made that is able to genuinely possess and understand human emotion without being specifically programmed. She is the very first of the blossom effect to be fully realized and with what you spoke to her in such dismissal, we are now remedying.

With the first generation, there are always a few kinks, as with anything and now Solovieff stands as our living working model of the second generation. However, had you been told all of this before this meeting, we can't help but wonder if you would have allowed these beings their full potential had we told you their true purpose."

Nicolette was stunned, "So, you gave them full sentience? You gave them full sentience despite the dangers that we know sentience presents?! Jonathan, look at XANA and where the old masters abused sentience to their detriment! Are you insane?!"

Barrow looked at her and he said, "The blossom effect is different, my girl." He stood, "You see XANA was never taught to value human life, merely blindly defend it. The old masters abused sentience in that they couldn't realize the child they held in their hands, and they turned that child from what could have been genuine love and care into a beast of rage and anger. The blossoming is different. The blossom has its name because it is with the proper parentage, the genuine nurture that these beings receive that helps to sculpt them in their power and ability, curving potential lethal aspects and allowing violence to be placed in the context of the situation. That's why Akiko was so greatly trusted with Yumi's raising, she had the gentleness, the loving touch whereas Takeo only had it in thimblefuls."

He sighed, "Sylvia in her anger killed Akiko and thus irreparably damaged the unit but at the same time, we've observed her healing. Your words however set her back a tad and we've had to remedy that and thus our remedy is to cut you off. Our vision for the blossom units is to allow them to truly embrace the freedom of being human raised as humans despite their powerful tendencies and allowing them to come to their own conclusions on how to deal with their host environments. All of it hinging on nurture over nature and seeing what our neighbors in their nurturing will show."

"And that's why you stratified them." Nicolette said, "To see what different levels would show."

"Correct." Jon replied, "They will see the goodness of wealth, the comforts and privileges it affords, and still others will learn what it is to be under the foot of those same people. Sylvia wasn't wrong in her rage when she first started out, but she lacked perspective. It is with the blossoming units that we hope to add depth and scope to these initial observations and in time reach our own conclusions as to what to do with our neighbors. However, at the end of the day, what comes of our neighbors ultimately falls on them for what they teach our androids and what we ascertain from them in their field reports, we will see what needs to be cut out and what can remain and what needs reinforcement."

Nicolette sighed and said, "So, what happens next?"

Jon looked at her, "You will forget this conversation and the operations will proceed as planned. The war for now is over and you will tell this to Sylvia. Construction of the colony is to cease and the people to return home."

With a mighty clap of his hands, Nicolette shuddered, and she felt her body going limp. Jon caught her and eased her to the ground as she fell into a deep sleep. At that moment, a gentle ringing was heard from a nearby table, and Jon saw a crystal glow bright blue.

Jon chuckled and said, "Of course you would. You tenacious little shit." He went to his phone and turned the rotary, "Yeah, it's Jon. Natasha entered the temple of the stars. The crystal's blue so she's only four years old in this body but without doubt, she's positioned the body to be an adept. I want to summon the council to vote on the containment plan. Understood. Alright, I'll see you after I've dropped off the family retainer."

As the Lyoko warriors finished their dinner, Ulrich walked with Odd around the track both of them taking the risk as kids often did and skating in the areas where the track had iced over.

As they walked, Ulrich said, "Odd, I'm so glad you're back."

"So am I, Ulrich." Odd said, "I'm home where things make a bit more sense. I'm sorry that you've had things going on without me and I couldn't be there for you. I know that with what's going on with your family company things are probably getting worse for you."

"My dad wants the best for me and for me to have a chance after I leave the school. He knows I'm good at sports but he's ever the downer and telling me that making pro is not the highest of likelihoods."

"Are you feeling confident in what he wants you to learn? I know your grandpa was a lot easier with this kind of thing and let you learn at your own pace."

"I'd say yes. But the reality is that with grandpa's death, I've had to learn a whole lot and well my dad's getting shorter tempered because my mom is pregnant, and he wants to have as much of a chance or even better for the new baby than what I've got going."

Odd nodded, "I understand. Your father wants the best for all of you, that I can guarantee it's just he wants to be sure all his bases are covered and that he is under the gun himself to be a competent provider. What about your mom? Is she happy for the baby?"

"She is. She's awfully finicky about it though. She's all into getting the proper music around it at all times, she feeds it with very particular dishes which also adds to my dad's tension because he loves a good fry meal, you know ow it is, and she's so mothering to this thing it's almost well insulting."

"Why insulting?"

"It's just she's taking such a pampering effect, I can't tell if its—aah, forget it."

"No, I get it. You see the pampering going on and you wished it was you, right or wrong?"

Ulrich chuckled and he said, "You always know what to say."

Odd nodded, "I get it. I hear it from my sisters all the time. Mom and dad weren't the greatest parents."

"It's not the same thing, Odd. I keep telling you that you have such a great set of parents that you don't appreciate them."

Odd was silent in thought for a moment remembering his upbringing from the good and the horrific. He sighed slightly and said, "It's not all sunshine and rainbows but I take your point."

"Come on, man. It's a lot better than you'd admit to. I mean to have your parents never once dissuading how you lived your life—"

Odd stopped walking and replied, "To where they're gone for hours and hours at a time and you're left at the mercy of your sisters who frankly despise that they're saddled with you and the older they get, they grow to truly resent you because their own youth is stolen from them as they see it and the next thing you know, you're the reason for their misfortune despite being given every opportunity. So, yeah, it's great on the surface, but the details fucking suck!"

Ulrich looked at him, "Odd, Odd, are you alright?"

"No, I'm not! You always say, my mom and dad are so great, so at ease. Because they never took fucking responsibility for their actions except maybe once or twice and the children, they have is the same application as you would to hire a maid. Mom said it was to help us out of a worse situation but as most of my sisters saw it, it was learning to survive on their own and it just got worse and worse over time." His voice began to break, and he barely kept his composure, "So, it's not so much freedom, Ulrich, it's sadly self-reliance and in the hand of some who had to suffer that—it's a fucking hell!"

Ulrich was silent for a moment and said, "I'm sorry."

"You should be! You all talk so much about what you want and what you see as the ideal parents, and you have no idea what that means!" He turned and immediately headed back to campus. Ulrich however, stood in near shocked silence and softly followed a fair distance behind him.

Once he was back to his room, he put on his radio and immediately, the song that came on was Handel's Ombra Mai Fu. As he listened, he remembered his father's attempt to teach him opera, the countless hours that he spent mastering the French and Italian language in vocals and how his sisters would mock him afterwards for doing well but "sounding too much like Adele on her period." He got up and turned off the radio and in the silence of his room. He sat down on the bed and as he rested, he had a reproach and he headed to Ulrich's room. He knocked and Ulrich greeted him on the other side.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout it's just—"

"I know, buddy. It's fine." Ulrich said, "You've probably been through a lot that you're not going to tell us right away and I get that but you're not alone here, you know that?"

"Yeah." Odd replied, "Come on, let's see what's to this place."

"Actually, I'm going to hang with Yumi for the night. How's tomorrow?"

Odd chuckled, "That's fine, I'll see you then."

Ulrich closed the door and Odd returned to his room. On his bed lay an oblong gold box with a red bow. He went over to it, and it read,

"A gift for all you've done for us. —B."

He opened the box and inside was something of a care package. Smoked sausages, various cheeses, some extremely fine cigars, a bottle of spiced rum, and a grand assortment of chocolates. Odd chuckled and he put the lid back on and he sent the group a text, "Got some food, how about we have a true party to celebrate me coming home?"

In no time, he received the responses, "Absolutely; Be right over; All in; See you soon."