Chapter 3
The elevator slowly grinded its way down the shaft to the bowels of the factory. Jeremie couldn't help but notice Ulrich's fists clenched.
"Ulrich—"
"Shut it, Jeremie."
Jeremie bristled. "No! Ulrich—Yumi is going to be okay."
"Did you see what time she was admitted? 9 pm. Her dad must've come home late and—"
"ULRICH!!"
"What?"
"You need to focus."
"What d'you mean, focus?"
"I'm sorry for what happened to Yumi. As far as we know, what happened may be something having to do with X.A.N.A. But Aelita needs us now. You need to focus on the job at hand."
The elevator clanked to a stop on sub-level 2. Jeremie got out and turned back to his friends. "Head for the scanners, guys."
Ulrich entered the scanner room. Here, four scanners sat, waiting. Ulrich stepped into one, wincing at the fourth, which had been added later than the others. But that one was Yumi's. She used it because it wasn't completely stable but she 'liked taking risks'. And now her risks almost cost her her life.
"Transfer: Odd!"
The computer lit up and player cards showing each person went across the screen.
"Transfer: Ulrich! Transfer: Sam!"
The scanners began to rumble as they were activated.
"Scanner: Odd!"
Odd began to be lifted into the air as the scanner's rumble increased.
"Scanner: Ulrich! Scanner: Sam!"
Ulrich's last glance in the real world was the top of the scanner, getting closer and closer. He felt himself being broken down into particles...broken down into electron signals. He could almost see the inside of the wires through which he was traveling, and then he was gone.
The elevator slowly grinded its way down the shaft to the bowels of the factory. Jeremie couldn't help but notice Ulrich's fists clenched.
"Ulrich—"
"Shut it, Jeremie."
Jeremie bristled. "No! Ulrich—Yumi is going to be okay."
"Did you see what time she was admitted? 9 pm. Her dad must've come home late and—"
"ULRICH!!"
"What?"
"You need to focus."
"What d'you mean, focus?"
"I'm sorry for what happened to Yumi. As far as we know, what happened may be something having to do with X.A.N.A. But Aelita needs us now. You need to focus on the job at hand."
The elevator clanked to a stop on sub-level 2. Jeremie got out and turned back to his friends. "Head for the scanners, guys."
Ulrich entered the scanner room. Here, four scanners sat, waiting. Ulrich stepped into one, wincing at the fourth, which had been added later than the others. But that one was Yumi's. She used it because it wasn't completely stable but she 'liked taking risks'. And now her risks almost cost her her life.
"Transfer: Odd!"
The computer lit up and player cards showing each person went across the screen.
"Transfer: Ulrich! Transfer: Sam!"
The scanners began to rumble as they were activated.
"Scanner: Odd!"
Odd began to be lifted into the air as the scanner's rumble increased.
"Scanner: Ulrich! Scanner: Sam!"
Ulrich's last glance in the real world was the top of the scanner, getting closer and closer. He felt himself being broken down into particles...broken down into electron signals. He could almost see the inside of the wires through which he was traveling, and then he was gone.