Code: Lyoko
Self-Discovery
Aelita stood before the door that was giving her so much fear and grief. She was still feeling it but she didn't feel freaked by every little sound any more. She drew upon the courage of Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi and the wisdom of Jeremie to guide her through this trial.
She placed her hand on the brass door knob. Savoring its cool feel for a moment, Aelita gave the knob a turn and opened it.
The room was old and dusty. The only light could be seen through the dirty window at the other side of the door. In the center was a wooden desk and rotating chair. The walls were all bookcases. Books were strewn about.
The room smelled like smoke.
"Looks like some kind of office or study," Aelita guessed. "Seems like it was burned." Aelita opened up one of the books and saw that her theory was correct. The pages were charred far beyond being readable. She went over to the desk and saw a piece of a nameplate. The letters 'AMO' were on it. She recalled what the homeless man said at the Technology Museum.
"By any chance are you related to Amon Lyoko?"
"This must've been Amon Lyoko's office!" Aelita gasped. She also recalled what else the homeless man said.
"Too bad, you remind me so much ofAmon's little girl. She was about your age when she died."
Am… am I… no, I can't be, I'm a computer generated creation of Lyoko. I have never been human before Jeremie materialized me… have I? Aelita sat in the chair and spun in it a couple of times. She noticed a worn blue book with a cloth cover on the desk. She opened it and saw that most of the pages have been torn out. Most of the remaining pages were blank, but the first page she came to after the torn pages had writing on it.
I must find some way to bring her back, no matter the costs. It's what Maggie would've wanted.
Shocked, Aelita dropped the journal as her head started pounding.
"What's that?"
"It's my journal."
"Can I read it?"
"Go ahead and try, but I should warn you, some of the words are pretty big."
"'The fu… fun… funda… the something of the flow of time… pr…pro…"
"I warned you."
Aelita staggered back "Who am I?" She asked nobody in particular.
As Jeremie and the others walked out of the school building, Odd asked, "Is it just me or has Aelita been acting strange lately?"
"I noticed it too," Yumi agreed.
"Maybe it has something to do with that homeless guy at the Museum the other day," Ulrich offered.
"Yeah, he recognized the name Lyoko. He must know something," Jeremie said.
"And I have a feeling the Curator knows more than he let us on," Ulrich added. "He said that one of his employees found it, but what if he was the one who found it and he's just using that as a cover story."
"But why?" Yumi asked.
"That's the only thing that's preventing my theory from being right."
Herb came running down the street and almost collided into Odd and Jeremie.
"Where's the fire?" Odd asked.
"Some creep almost tried to run me over!" Herb replied. "I was lucky to get over here."
"Someone tried to run you over?" Jim asked as he came over with Sissi and Nicholas.
"Yeah, and I think he might still be in the area."
"Point out the car, I'll get his license plate and we can have him arrested."
"Let's go watch," Odd said.
"Hold on, you kids are staying here," Jim said.
"No way," Sissi said. "If a member of my group is attacked, I take it personally," Sissi said firmly.
Jim sighed, "The principal's going to fire me for this. All right, let's go."
Everyone headed around the corner and down two blocks. "This is the street I almost got ran over on."
"What are the chances that the same guy would be in the area?" Ulrich asked.
"Given the populous of the city, I'd say about 640,000 to 1."
"Those are pretty crummy chances," Nicholas said.
"There he is!" Everyone turned to see a red sports car with a white stripe down the middle swerving as it came down the street, at times going onto the sidewalk.
"Wow, who would've thought."
"Everyone, get back," Jim instructed. "It's dangerous."
Ulrich tried extrapolating the car's path to see if it would hit them but it was too erratic. He did see a dark-skinned girl walking across the street, unaware that the car was rapidly approaching. That girl doesn't see the car, she'll get run over! Before anyone could stop him, he was running across the street. "Get out of the way!" He shouted. The girl turned and saw the car. Caught like a dear in headlights, she screamed.
Ulrich tackled her and sent both of them to the side of the road.
"ULRICH!"
As the car turned (more like twirled) around a corner, Jim and the kids could see that both Ulrich and the girl were all right, lying on the other side of the road.
"Ulrich, are you all right?" Jeremie asked.
Ulrich gave them a lop-sided smile. "Looks like all those sprints you made us do during soccer practice paid off, Jim."
"Yeah, but I'd never thought you'd be using them to save a life."
"What about the girl, is she okay?" Odd asked.
Ulrich helped the girl to her feet. Jeremie saw that she was shaking and her brown eyes were frozen. "She's in shock," he told Jim. "Jim, maybe we should take her to the Infirmary at the school."
Jim paused for a moment before replying, "Yeah, that might be our best choice for now." Jim took off his jacket, wrapped the girl in it, and carried her back to school.
"Wow, Ulrich, that was so brave of you," Sissi said. "Of course I always knew you were brave."
"Crazy is more like it," Odd said.
"Oh don't listen to those boneheads, Ulrich-dear; I think you were just fantastic."
Yumi's mouth turned in a frown.
"This is very serious, Jim," the principal said. "That driver is a hazard to everyone. Did you get the license plate number?"
"Sorry, sir, all I could get from it is the model. Looks American-made though."
"I see. And the girl?"
"Emily says she's sleeping now."
"With our computers down, we can't look up her information. Keep her here until she wakes up, we'll ask her who she is then."
Odd was the only animated one at dinner. Yumi was mixing her peas and mashed potatoes. Jeremie was staring out the window. Ulrich was just staring off into space. There was no sign of Aelita.
"What is this, dinner or a funeral," Odd cracked. "Hey, Ulrich, what about that girl, how is she?"
"We won't find out anything until she wakes up," Ulrich said.
"I hope nothing bad has happened to Aelita," Jeremie said.
"Aelita has been no-show almost all day," Odd said. He leaned over and whispered, "You don't think it's the Invaders do you?"
"Xana is monitoring Lyoko, he would send us a message if he sees her." Finally, Odd fell silent.
Yumi looked at Ulrich. She knew he was thinking about the mystery girl whose life he saved. Don't get her wrong, Yumi was glad Ulrich saved her life and was glad that he was safe too. But still, Ulrich definitely seemed worried about her. In a way, Yumi was jealous. Ulrich would sacrifice his self to save the life of a stranger. Would he do the same for her?
Aelita, at that moment, was heading back to the dorms from the Factory. As she walked across the Courtyard, she was spotted by Jim.
"Hey, Aelita, you should be in dinner."
Aelita stared at the man. She looked like she's seen a ghost. "I'm sorry, Jim, but I'm not feeling well. Can I go back to the dorms?"
"All right, but you won't be able to get anything to eat until tomorrow."
"That's fine," Aelita said. "I'm not hungry."
Aelita returned to her room. Once inside, she collapsed on her bed. "I don't know who I am any more," she complained. She took out the last written page in the book. "'I need to find a way to bring her back, no matter the cost. It's what Maggie would've wanted.'" Aelita shook her head, "Get a grip, Aelita, you're one step closer to figure out who created you. You can't afford to start questioning yourself now." She read the passage again and then carefully folded it. Perhaps if she kept it around, she would have more of those flashes of memories.
The next day was Saturday, the weekend. Some of the dorm-bound students go home for the weekend. Those that could not or chose to not were to remain on school grounds but they could go wherever they wanted. Odd and Ulrich, however, were perfectly placid staying in their room and playing cards.
There was a knock on their door. Odd went to answer it. Jim was on the other side with the girl whom Ulrich saved.
"Hey, you're awake," Odd said to the girl.
"This is Maggie," Jim introduced. "She has something to say to Ulrich."
"Thank you for rescuing me," she said with her eyes on the floor. "I owe you my life."
"Hey, it's no problem," Ulrich replied.
"Yeah, we're used to saving…" Ulrich elbowed Odd silencing him.
Maggie turned to Jim, "Is it okay if we walk outside."
"I suppose," Jim replied. "But I'll be nearby, so don't try anything."
Odd snickered.
Aelita was walking across the courtyard, having gotten next to no sleep last night. The phrase on the journal kept appearing in her mind. She knew she would not get any rest until she figured out how Lyoko and she came about.
"Thank you again for rescuing me."
"I was just lucky."
"It's Ulrich," Aelita realized. She looked over her bench and saw Ulrich walking with some strange girl. "But who's that with him, it's not Yumi."
"Are you a student here?" Ulrich asked.
"No, I go to public school. I was surprised when I found out I was saved by boarding school students. I mean I thought… well…"
"You thought that boarding schools students were all obsessive unsocial computer nerds?"
"Sorry, I don't mean to insult you."
"Don't worry about it, some of us are like that but most of us are just normal kids."
"I see that now. Look, Ulrich, I can't thank you enough for saving my life. You put your life at risk to save mine. I am in your debt."
"Hey, it's okay. I would've done the same thing for anyone."
"My Father always says that life and soul go hand-in-hand. Saving a life is the same as looking into the other person's soul."
"Wow, is your father a philosopher or something?"
"No, he's retired now. He used to work for the ADF."
Ulrich jumped as did Aelita. "The Aramiya Development Factory?"
"Yes, do you know it?"
Boy, do I! Ulrich wanted to say that but remembered when Jeremie showed that transfer student Lyoko and almost got arrested for it. "I've been to the Technology Museum."
"My father said that the ADF was in the business of giving hope to those who have forgotten that it exists."
"That sounds really poetic," Ulrich commented.
"Thank you. I'm serious, Ulrich, I want to repay you for saving my life."
"I'm sure you will some day, Maggie" Ulrich said.
Aelita gasped, Maggie? She has the same name as the name on the paper. Could it be a coincidence? Or is it something more…? She decided to make an appearance. "Hi, Ulrich!"
"Hey, Aelita. Oh, Maggie, this is Aelita. Aelita, this is Maggie… um… gee, I don't even know your last name."
"Oh, sorry, it's Maggie Ristar."
"Mine's Aelita L… Lain, Aelita Lain." Ulrich gave Aelita a confused look. Aelita responded wordlessly but her face said she didn't want to give her real last name to someone who worked at the ADF, where Lyoko was situated.
Odd and Jeremie were watching from Jeremie's window. "Looks like they're hitting it off," Jeremie commented.
"This can only end in tears," Odd said shaking his head.
"What are you talking about?"
"What do you think Yumi's going to think when she walks by and sees how snug those two are getting?"
"I see your point."
On Monday, the kids had study hall in the library. Ulrich was telling them what he learned from Maggie. Jeremie noticed that Aelita seemed more interested in a psychology book.
"Thinking of going into therapy?" Jeremie joked.
"Good idea, Jeremie," Aelita said equally joking.
"Seriously, though, you've been spending lots of time in the library, what are you researching so intently?"
"Uh… well… I just felt like using it for what it was built to be used for."
"It's possible that her father could've had a hand in creating Lyoko," Ulrich was saying. Aelita and Jeremie turned their attention to him. "Maybe we should show her the lab."
"Bad idea, Ulrich," Jeremie said. "Remember when I showed that exchange student whom I thought was Aelita the lab? She told the principal and we were almost shut down. If it wasn't for the time jump kicking in…" Jeremie shook his head. "There's no way to tell if there will be a second performance."
"I agree with Jeremie," Yumi said. "Just because her father worked at the factory doesn't mean he would have knowledge of Lyoko. And even if he did, that doesn't necessarily mean he would pass that knowledge on to her."
Odd looked at Aelita. "What do you think, Aelita?"
"Huh?" Aelita was so into her book that she didn't hear Odd's question at first. "Oh, um… I think… we should try to figure this out by ourselves before bringing others in."
"A very diplomatic response," Jeremie commented.
Ulrich looked down, "Why do we have to keep it a secret?"
"Huh?" The others said together.
"Why can't we tell others what we know; what we can do? Aelita's materialized and I'm sure Jeremie can download Xana if need be. If we tell them and they ask Lyoko to be shut down, won't that be for the best?"
"Hello, have you forgotten the Invaders?" Odd reminded him. "If we unplug Lyoko, they might take their battle here and we can only use our powers and weapons while in Lyoko."
"Or unplugging Lyoko could erase the Invaders forever," Ulrich argued. "Don't you think it's worth the risk?"
"No, Ulrich, Odd's actually right for once," Jeremie said. "Lyoko is the only line of defense between the Invaders and our world. They obviously mean harm so we need to keep them where they can hurt the fewer amounts of people. We can't risk unplugging Lyoko just yet."
Ulrich stood up, "I'm sorry I even brought it up," he said sourly. He turned and walked into the corner.
"If you ask me, Ulrich's just being a big baby," Odd commented.
"Maybe," Aelita said feeling the piece of paper in her shirt pocket. "But I can understand Ulrich's logic. We do need to follow any clues no matter how insignificant they may seem. The slightest clue could lead us to the truth. But we do need to keep the lab a secret for as long as possible."
"Well, now that that's settled, who's for a game of cards?" Odd held out a deck of cards like it was a Grammy. Yumi, Jeremie, and Aelita stared at Odd bewildered. Noting their looks, Odd sat down embarrassed. "Okay, looks like I'm playing Solitaire."
I know that they're right, Ulrich thought. But… the Invaders are getting more powerful with each tower they take over. Xana can't even hold a candle to them without our help. We need some help and right now Maggie may seem like the best choice, she's our only link to the secret of the factory.
Yumi kept watching Ulrich out of the corner of her eye. He likes her, I just know it.
After dinner that same night, Ulrich slipped away and spotted Maggie. "Maggie, wait up!"
"Oh, hello, Ulrich," she greeted.
"Um… do you have a minute?"
"Sure, but please don't be too long, my parents worry about me a lot."
"Look… I wanted to ask you how much do you know about the ADF?"
Maggie tilted her head like she was studying him for the first time. "Not much, I'm afraid, my father worked as a mechanist there. After the fire, he decided to retire early."
"Wait, there was a fire? I saw the factory and it was still standing."
"Well yeah, my Dad said the fire only happened in one of the offices. It was contained quickly but not before causing some fatalities."
"Who died?"
"I don't know, my Father didn't want to talk about it. I guess it was too painful to recall."
"I see…"
"Ulrich, why the interest?"
"Well…"
Before Ulrich could tell her the truth, Maggie looked at her watch and gasped. "Oh no, I'm late! Sorry, Ulrich, but I have to go!" She turned to leave.
"Maggie, wait," Ulrich called urgently. Maggie turned to look at him. "Meet me here this weekend, and I'll show you why I'm interested."
Maggie blushed, obviously thinking something different than what Ulrich was hinting. "Oh, um… okay." And she turned to leave, Ulrich watching her until she disappeared around the corner.
Ulrich shows Maggie the lab and that makes the others edgy, and even hostile. When the leader of the Invaders stages a vicious attack against Xana, the Lyoko Team must put their trust into Maggie.