2-6: Connection
Look out! Zzzzt!
(((-6-)))
The sparking telephone lines weaved toward the two friends, lashing out with their whiplike ends. Odd thought fast and slung Janika over his shoulder. They ran away from the possessed wires, screaming the whole way. The dark-haired girl was glad she'd put her laptop in a backpack or else it would have busted as she was bounced into the trees off to one side.
"You can stop now!" she choked, wondering if she was going to hurl.
Odd put her down, breathing hard. "How (puff) are we going (wheeze) to get in-(cough)-side?" He looked at the water surrounding the factory.
"Forget it. Water conducts electricity. We'd be fried before we got halfway across."
"Well then what do you propose?"
Janika stared hard at the bridge. "You ever been rock climbing? I'm sure there are plenty of handholds under that thing."
"You can't be serious!"
She turned to him angrily. "Do you have a better idea? We are this close to becoming charcoal and you're afraid of heights!"
The teenager got down close to the water and edged along, out of sight of the strange whipping telephone lines, until she was near enough to climb up the cement wall to reach the underside. She nearly yelped as her burned hand supported her weight, but she gritted her teeth and pulled herself up, though weakly.
Odd followed a bit easier, but he noticed her wince as she painstakingly crawled upside-down along the bars running the length of the bridge. He wondered how long she could keep it up. Her blood was making the bars slick.
And what was happening to Yumi and Ulrich?
(V)
The Krab's laser shot out and narrowly missed Yumi. She sent her fan in an arc to hinder it, but its form was surprisingly agile for such a huge creature. Aelita pointed out the Tower and began to run toward it, but the other Krab that had been occupying Ulrich noticed.
Her path was blocked by an onslaught of red beams that broke the terrain's image for a split second. She turned and gasped, falling back before the monster. Its 'eyes' glowed as it prepared to fire, but then a voice broke through the turmoil: "Impact!"
Ulrich backflipped up onto the Krab's shell and drove his sword into the symbol on its head. He leaped clear as it staggered once and imploded. He helped Aelita to her feet and then joined Yumi, down to 20 lifepoints, with her enemy.
The digital girl began running toward the red-rimmed Tower again, but slowed as she heard a strange sound off to her left in a pile of rocks. Skittering, squeakish sounds; many of them. Several pairs of glowing eyes peered out of the shadows, glaring evilly at her.
(V)
"Take my laptop to Jeremy and tell him to upload the program called 'DeVisual' into his computer. That should fix his holograph's detection agent, and also tell him to download the program 'ReverseRatt' directly into my character as I'm being scanned."
Odd shook his head. "You don't know what you're doing. How are you supposed to fight with one hand? Your left hand?"
"I don't have to. Not as long as Aelita reaches the Tower all right. I just need to make sure there is at least one Ratt there. I hope she doesn't enter the code before I reach it, though." She made some final calculations as the lift took them down to the lab. It stopped and Janika pushed her computer into his hands. "Go. I need to do this. Trust me."
Reluctantly Odd stepped out of the elevator and walked over to Jeremy. The blonde boy looked up, his face etched with worry. "They aren't doing so well. I can't see anything and they could be fighting three monsters right now by the look of their lifepoints."
"Here. Janika said to upload 'DeVisual' into your computer, and something called 'ReverseRatt' into her."
"Did you say 'DeVisual'? She must have created a program to beat X.A.N.A.'s!"
Jeremy looked exultant as he connected the computer and quickly uploaded the program. Suddenly figures appeared on his holograph screen. One was a Krab and three others were Ratts.
"Guys, one more hit and the Krab is out. There are three of those Ratts lurking near Aelita, Ulrich!"
"Glad to hear you fixed the computer, Jeremy!"
Odd shook his friend's shoulder. "What about the 'ReverseRatt'?"
"I can't, Odd." Jeremy ground his teeth. "I know what she's thinking and I can't allow it. If I download any program straight into her while she's being scanned I run the risk of deleting her permanently even if Aelita does reach the Tower. It's too dangerous."
The other boy grabbed Jeremy and spun him around in his chair. "Trust her!"
That is the most romantic thing I've heard him say yet. (sigh) Too bad Janika is in love with Ulrich. I just don't understand what that girl sees in him. I mean, honestly!