The main characters of this story are based on characters from the cartoon 'Code Lyoko.' I do not own, nor do I claim, any copyright to these characters.
It was two weeks before Jeremie would even attempt to transfer Franz Hopper's memory to a new body. During that time, he and Zoe conducted hundreds of dry runs, looking for any possible fault that could kill Franz.
Franz was also busy during this time. On several different occasions, he would gain access to a tower, and hack his way into the supervisor's account, trying to wrest control away from Jeremie. The genius was always able to thwart Hopper's assaults, but deep in the back of his mind, Jeremie was worried that he might have missed something, that Franz might have been using his attacks to cover up something else.
At the end, Jeremie had his most severe critic, Aelita, check his and Zoe's work. She spent another fifty simulated attempts with Zoe, probing deeper and harder than Jeremie ever had, and refined the procedure just a little more, then ran more simulations. Finally, she told her love that she couldn't find anything else, that the procedure was ready.
Jeremie decided to wait until after New Years to make the transfer. He was going to spend the holidays with his parents, but they would come visit Aelita at Desmond Hopper's on Boxing Day. Odd went to his parents, and wouldn't be back until New Years. Sissi stayed at the Principal's Residence with her father. Ulrich had to stay at the school for the holidays, because his parents didn't pick him up to take him home. Yumi came by and visited almost every day over the holidays, and convinced her parents to allow Ulrich to stay with them over Christmas and New Years.
The week after New Year's day was a time of catching up. Everyone had stories to tell of their experiences over the holidays, the things they had done, the people they saw, the presents they got. The most surprising development that came out was on Odd and Sissi's fingers. Over the holidays, Odd had gotten some white gold chain, and fashioned two rings from it, one for him, and one for Sissi. The first thing he did when he got back was to give her one of the rings. They both wore them now, on the ring fingers of their left hands.
"You know," Yumi told them, "that's where you're supposed to wear your wedding ring."
"Yes, we know," was the reply Odd gave her.
Finally, Jeremie could procrastinate no more. Even though he dreaded what he was about to do, he set things in motion.
The first thing he did was deny Franz' access to Lyoko's Transit Towers, the towers that enabled him to move between Lyoko's regions. Within an hour after doing that, Franz contacted him, asking what was up with the towers.
"Looks like a glitch in the tower access routine," the boy told the man, "I'll look into it and let you know what I find."
"Jeremie, if I had access to the code, I could find the problem in minutes," Franz replied.
"I know, but you haven't been the most trustworthy person of late," Jeremie said, hating himself for being the 'pot that called the kettle black.'
Franz just gave Jeremie a strange look, then disappeared.
The next thing Jeremie did was to set the other towers to not let Franz out once he entered. They needed him in a tower in order to temporarily store his memories during the transfer procedure.
Now, all Jeremie had to do was wait.
It was 3 am when Franz Hopper was finally trapped. An alarm that Jeremie had programed sounded, waking the boy from his dreams. Seconds later, Franz Hopper's image popped up in a window.
"What have you done! I'm trapped here!" the man shouted.
"Yes, I know," Jeremie replied, "I'm sorry for deceiving you and having to do this, but you aren't well, Mr. Hopper. One of the things that may be affecting you is the lack of the ability to sleep or rest your mind. What I didn't realize when I transferred you into that body was the Polymorphic Clone it is based on didn't have any kind of mechanism to keep your memory cleaned up. Routine housekeeping things. To correct that, I've created a new version of the clone, one that has the necessary routines. We need to transfer your memories to that clone in order to help you. I need you to be in a tower to do that."
"So, the monster reveals himself again! I knew this was some kind of sick game you were playing XANA! Well let me tell you something, if you try anything, you'll regret it! I may not be able to leave this tower right now, but I will soon! And I will destroy you and your minions for good when I do!"
With that, Franz ended the conversation.
The next morning, the gang met at the factory, ready to go.
"I've thought it over," Jeremie said, "and you guys aren't going in. Aelita, take the console, I'll be going in alone."
"What!" they all said simultaneously.
"I'm going to do this alone, well, Zoe will be there too," Jeremie replied, "even though it's necessary, and it will help Franz recover, it's an ugly thing that's about to happen here today. I definitely don't want Aelita there, and it would be best if he didn't associate the rest of you too closely with me or what happens."
"Then stay here!" Aelita exclaimed, "you don't have to be in Lyoko to do what you have to do!"
"I will not be a faceless voice in this business," Jeremie said, "he already considers me his tormentor, and I will not hide from him when I have to truly take on that role."
He typed at the console for a moment, then got up and walked to the elevator.
"I've set everything up. Transfer me to Lyoko when I get to the scanners."
Jeremie materialized close to the tower holding Franz Hopper. In front of it, Zoe and her Scyphozoa form were waiting.
"Scyphozoa, go in and secure Franz Hopper for the procedure. Zoe, stay out here," Jeremie said without preamble.
"Jeremie," Zoe said, "I am both the woman and the Scyphozoa."
"Not today," was the genius' reply.
The Scyphozoa entered the tower. A moment later, Zoe said, "Franz is secure."
Jeremie just nodded and entered the tower.
Once inside, he saw that Franz Hopper was secure in the Scyphozoa's tentacles. Three tentacles were in position to remove his memories. Franz Hopper glared down at his tormentor.
"So, you cowardly bastard! You came to watch the show yourself, I'm sooo honored! Is this the last time? Will you finally kill me and be done with it?"
Jeremie said nothing other than, "begin the procedure. Remove Franz Hopper's memories and place in temporary protected storage."
The three tentacles surrounding Franz's head began pulsing. His face went slack as the memories were drained from him. After a moment, the Scyphozoa said, "transfer complete. Memory intact."
"Remove the five data packets comprising Franz Hopper's physical form and place in temporary protected storage."
Once again, the tentacles pulsed. "Transfer complete. Memory Intact." Now there was only a blob writhing in the Scyphozoa's grip.
"Delete current Polymorphic Clone instantiation."
The blob disappeared. "Complete."
"Instantiate a new Polymorphic Clone, using the new template."
Another blob appeared. The Scyphozoa quickly ensnared it.
"Transfer the five data packets comprising Franz Hopper's physical form to the clone."
The three tentacles formed around the blob and pulsed. The blob changed into Franz Hopper, just as he had been moments before. "Transfer complete. Integration successful."
"Transfer Franz Hopper's memories to the clone."
The tentacles pulsed again, for the last time. "Transfer complete. Integration successful. Performing diagnostic. Diagnostic successful. Franz Hopper will have to rest in order to defragment his memory. When the transfer took place, I performed no such operation."
"Understood. Release him and leave."
The Scyphozoa gently lowered Franz Hopper to the platform, then left. Franz slumped down, curled up in a ball and started weeping.
Jeremie stood and looked at the man he had saved. He was disgusted with himself for what he had to inflict on the man to do it.
"Mr. Hopper, I know you don't believe me, but this was for your own good. You need to rest now, so your mind can reorganize and clear itself."
With that, Jeremie left the tower.
Franz Hopper lay there alone on the platform. Yet again, he had his mind ripped from his body, plunged into darkness for an eternity, then shoved back into a new prison. Yet again he had been violated by XANA, raped by that uncaring calculator! He didn't notice when another person joined him.
Zoe entered the tower and saw Franz lying there. Of course she knew he was there, she put him there. But this was different. The thing that did this to him was not the one standing there now. She made two decisions.
"Delete Scyphozoa," she said. Outside, the Scyphozoa vanished.
She then walked over to Franz Hopper and knelt down next to him. She reached out and pulled him to her. He reacted instinctively, embracing her, burying his head in her shoulder and crying softly.
She held him close, stroking the back of his neck and head with one hand as she softly told him, "it's okay Franz, I'm here. Rest now, you'll be fine."
Outside the tower, Jeremie noted the disappearance of the Scyphozoa. It didn't surprise him at all. He emulated the example.
"Aelita, I'm done. Get me out of here."
When he materialized in the scanner, he waited a moment while he readjusted and reoriented himself to reality. When he got out, everybody was standing there waiting for him.
"Well, did it work?" Ulrich asked.
"The procedure was successful," Jeremie replied, "Franz Hopper now has the capability to rest and reorganize his memory."
Everybody's face lit up at that news, everybody's but Jeremie. He brushed past them and headed for the elevator.
"Jeremie, where are you going," Aelita called out to him.
"I need to be alone for a while, okay?" he replied, "I'll catch up with you guys later."
With that, he left.
Jeremie took the elevator up to the main level of the factory, then made his way up to the roof. It was a bright and sunny day. The sky was clear and blue and the air was crisp and cold. Jeremie carefully walked to the edge of the roof and looked out over the city. It had no idea of the despicable and deplorable thing he had just done. He hated himself for doing it, hated the world for it needing to be done. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to jump off the edge and delete himself, just as the Scyphozoa had done back on Lyoko.
"Jeremie?"
The boy quickly turned around. There stood Aelita, her face full of concern. Jeremie wondered for a microsecond how she got up here so quickly, then discarded the question as irrelevant. He walked over to her as she walked to him. She reached out and pulled him close to her. He reacted instinctively, embracing her, burying his head in her shoulder and crying softly.
She held him close, stroking the back of his neck and head with one hand as she softly told him, "it's okay Jeremie, I'm here. Rest now, you'll be fine."