Can Anybody Hear Me?
Jeremy calls the Lyoko Warriors over to the lab to explain his findings. "The Cortex? Does it function like its namesake?" Dawn asks. "I have no idea. Which is why you all will find out," Jeremy said. "All of us?" Ulrich asks. "The Skid only holds four of us plus Aelita, the driver." "Not quite." Jeremy shows the group his updated Skid. "Think of it as a copy and paste. I made a second layer so all nine of you can be in the Skid." "It looks like an owl who has all of her owl babies in her nest," Odd teases. "Well, it works. We need to investigate the replica, which I found out is the new home of XANA." "Then we have to find a way to enter the real world from the Cortex and destroy the supercomputer there," Yumi said. "Not so fast," Aelita said. "This replica is artificial. Someone made it. It will be wise to not barge in with force." "I can tell that XANA will give us a warm welcome for visiting its new home," Allison said. "Which is why the lasers from the pods have been improved," Jeremy said. "Then let's go," William said. Meanwhile, Laura finishes "sniffing" around and back in her room. "Now that I looked, I noticed that the group of children was not there. Maybe they will get to play a round of 'Whack-a-Jellyfish.'"
The Warriors are loaded up to the Skid. "Systems go?" Jeremy asks. "Systems are all set," Aelita said. William looks around. "I feel like I am in a revival of Star Trek: The Digital Era." "Well, I want to see who the pods are new and improved," Brock said. "You will," Jeremy says. They take off and leave Sector Five and enter the Desert Sector. "Entering the Digital Sea in three, two, one, go!" Aelita responds. The Skid enters the Digital Sea, and the lights, structures, and sounds are all the same. "Weirdly, the Digital Sea hasn't changed," Ulrich said. "I wonder if the Cortex will look like Lyoko?" Allison asks. "Maybe not," Ash said. "The creator of the Cortex might have their own ideas. It could be an unstable land of Earthquakes." "We are approaching the transport to take us to where the Cortex is located," Aelita said. "Why is it called the Cortex?" Dawn asks. "I named it. Based on Jeremy's data, it acts like the consciousness, thought, emotion, reasoning, language, and memory of XANA of the person who created the replica," Aelita said. "Do you think that the person knows your father?" William asks. "Maybe, but many scientists could have the same knowledge." The "ocean" changes to a deep red. "XANA!" Odd teases. "They are guarding the Network Access Point. We need to send them to the frying pan, " Ulrich said. "Frying pan! I expected that from Odd, but you, Ulrich," Yumi laughs. "Ha, okay. Navskids, away!" Aelita deploys the Navskids. The Nabskids were off, and Allison and Ulrich came across some Kongres. "There are about five of them," Ulrich said. "Good thing that the Navskids have upgrade lasers," Allison said. "And something else," Jeremy teases. "Like what?" Ulrich asks. "See the hand marker on your control panel; it can allow you to use your abilities while in the Digital Sea." "Let me try," Allison excitedly said. She places her hand on the marker, and the Navskid glows dark pink, and an underwater whirlpool emerges and destroys the Kongres. "Whoa! Manipulation in the water," Allison said. "I wanna try next," Ulrich said. "Hold on; you can only use it every five minutes," Jeremy said. "What! I could have saved this for the grand final," Allison said. "And let you have all the fun," Brock said. "And coming from the only Warrior who doesn't have abilities, I'm glad," Odd said. Dawn chuckles as she sees two more Kongres. She uses her lasers, but the Kongres shoot back and hit her. "Uh, oh." "Try using the upgrade," Ash suggests. Dawn places her hand on the marker, and she makes four copies of herself. "Quaduplication," Dawn said. Her copies surround the Kongres and strike them down. "Alright," Ash said. Yumi follows the trail of a Kongre. "I almost have you," she said. She sees that the Kongre is trying to hide behind a building. She uses the new hand marker to activate her telekinesis powers to move the building in favor of her and shoots the Kongres. The ocean turns blue again. "We got them all. Navskids, return to base," Aelita said as she pulled the level to allow the Navskids to reattach to the Skid. "Hopefully, the journey to the Cortex is easy on the stomach," Odd said. "Well, maybe you shouldn't have had seconds of the seafood surprise," William teases.
After exiting the Network Access Point to the Cortex, the Warriors noticed that the Network looked different. "Everything looks dense here," Ash notes. "It also looks man-made," Aelita said. "Can I get a picture?" Jeremy asks. Aelita sends Jeremy a picture from the Skid. "The Network around the Cortex looks different. As if it is a part of another form of Digital Sea or Ocean."Well, it looks like we will enter the gravity of the Cortex," Ulrich said. "And we have the code to enter," Aelita said. "Look at you, planning," Allison said. Aelita enters the code, and the Skid enters the tunnel to the Cortex. The ground of this territory is made of modulator elements that plug into each other to form the global landscape. Each module moves separately; therefore, the area is constantly moving with traps that keep intruders at bay. The ground of this territory is made of modulator elements that plug into each other to form the global landscape. Each module moves separately; therefore, the area is constantly moving with traps that keep intruders at bay. The Cortex also has a "sky" with clouds and sun. This is notable as other Replikas and sectors don't feature this. The Cortex is made up of a tangle of hubs and pipes surrounding a small Replika world."After eating one of Rosa's Saturday Surprises, the ground looks like the inside of my stomach," Ash said. "Do not ever compare Rosa's delicacies to anything related to XANA," Odd scoffs. "Focus," Jeremy said. He looks at the holograph in the lab and takes notes. "I am more convinced that this replica is man-made and that XANA is living there." "Like an Air BnB, he stays there rent-free," Ulrich said. "Exactly. This is why we need to be careful here. We have no idea what is going to happen." "Roger that, Einstein. We need to keep our guard up," Yumi said. Aelita sends everyone to the Cortex. "It's sunny. Maybe it is daytime where the Supercomputer is located," Dawn said. "Not quite; Lyoko or replicas do not have a 'day' or 'night.' However, it is peaceful to have some clouds," Aelita said. William looks around and feels a presence. You came back to me. How sweet, my child. William holds his chest and breaths. "Are you okay?" Allison asks. "Yeah, I think we may be in for a surprise." Meanwhile, Laura finishes her homework and looks at her iPad. "Maybe Jeremy and his crew will be hit with a roadblock. Or building blocks," Laura teases. "In the meantime, I have to 'update' my Spotify playlist." Back on the Cortex, the ground shifts and the terrain pieces start to move and break. "Watch out!" Brock yells. In a moment, Ash and Allison are de-virtualized, followed by Ulrich. "What the fuck?" Ash screams in the scanner room. "It felt like a pile of bricks hit me," Allison said. "I think the cortex said it didn't like trespassers," Ulrich said. "Again with the Odd jokes. But, I agree," Allison said. "What is going on?" Brock asks. "Well, it looks like, with the unstable nature of the Cortex, it keeps changing," Jeremy said. "Like Sector Five?" William asks. "No. Sector Five's changes are for programed. The Cortex seemed stabled until you all appeared on it." "So what Ulrich said was true?" Ash asks. "I'm not sure. The rest of you, be careful," Jeremy said. The remaining six Warriors hop on the land and see a black circular doorway. "Thant must be the Core," Aelita said. Odd smiles."Why are you smiling?" Dawn asks. "Becasue Ash got what he deserved for using Rosa's name in vain." Moments later, a piece of terrain falls on Odd and de-virtualizes him. "What the fuck?" Odd exclaims. "Poetic Justices," Ash sneers. "Hey, can you two keep the pettiness till after the mission?" Allison said. Ulrich chuckles, "Well, it's karma for Odd being all high and mighty." "Excuse me! What did I do?" Odd shouts from the scanner room."Poetic justice," Ash teases. "Listen. Our friends are on some unstable virtual piece of shit, and they still have to reach the core. So please, fuck off for a moment," Allison states. Jeremy bites his lip and smiles. "Jeremy, what is so funny?" Allison asks. "Nothing. Only imagine a block falling on Odd after calling karma on Ash. It's only fitting, and it seems right for Odd." "What!" Odd scoffs. "Oh, boy," Allison said as she squeezed her nose. "Let's keep going before we find Allison kicking their asses," William said. The Warriors run and jump their way to the Core of the Cortex, a giant black ball located in the middle of the sector. There is a bridge leading up to its entrance, a spiral-like door. "How do we open it?" Brock asks. "I sense something," Aelita said. she touches the door, and it opens. The Warriors are in awe of what they see. Once entering, the Lyoko Warriors are transferred inside a ball-shaped room with many platforms and walls filled with obelisk-shaped parts. "Be careful. those parts look like they can be a trap," Jeremy said. "How do you know?" Yumi asks. "I see that there is a security system that is time-delayed." "So, should we turn back?" Dawn asks. "No. Once the security system is activated, get out." The group makes their way down to where the platform's interface near the bottom contains a computer-like interface. In the middle of the room, there is a blue, glowing orb similar in design to Franz Hopper's virtual form. "I wonder what we will find, "Aelita said. As she looks into the interface, the walls start to change. "Aelita, hurry up," William said. Aelita gasps. "There is information about my father." "Like what?" Dawn asks. "And my mother." "Wait, could this be the making of the people who took her?" Yumi asks. Aelita freezes as the walls start to grow spikes. "Aelita, make a choice?" William pleas. "One more thing,' Aelita said. She manages to find the purpose of the Cortex. The wall starts to get pointy. "The security system is activated; run out of there!" The Warriors flee, and William and Brock get de-virtualized, but the ladies make it out.
At the lab, the Warriors regroup. "Well, we were unprepared for that," William said. "The Cortex is a wonderful replica, but it is also dangerous," Yumi said. "So far, it seems that XANA uses the Cortex to attack the real world," Jeremy said. "And channels through Lyoko to do so." "Anything else?" Dawn asks. "The Cortex is used for research and a key." "A key?" Allison asks. "Yes. However, that part is encrypted. It will take me a while to get the rest of the information." Aelita sits down. "Are you okay?" Ash asks. "No. The Cortex has information on my parents," Aelita said. "Well, we know what happened to your father, but what about your mother?" "I don't know. I know that Allison told me that her mother searches nonstop for her sister but what if we found something. It threw me in for a loop." Ash hugs Aelita. "Whatever happens, you'll have your friends." Aelita smiles and wipes her tears. Later that night, Jeremy knocks on Aelita's door to check in with her. Laura walks by and taps him on the shoulders. "Where were you and all of your friends?" "Excuse me?" Jeremy asks. "I mean, Rosa's rabbit got loosed and knocked Jim Morales right out." "I see; I think I will read about it in the morning." Aelita opens the door and hugs Jeremy. "Excuse me!" Laura said. "Sorry," Aelita said. "Hard day?" "Yeah. I think I need a vacation." Laura laughs. "Don't we all. Remember, read about Jim vs. Rabbit in the paper," Laura says she leaves. Meanwhile, Dawn gets an email with a song link. After checking for viruses, she opens it. "Times Flies by Drake. Why am I getting this song?" Allison enters the room and hears the song. "Late night jam session?" "No. I got a random email from Spotify, and it played this song." "You know, Ash and Brock told me they got song emails." "Is there a connection?" "I don't know. We have to ask if the others have received the email." Aelita snuggles with Jeremy. "What did Laura want?" "I don't know. I am only thinking about you." "I am confused. What do my parents have to do with the Cortex? XANA's return? Everything!" "Hey. look at me," Jeremy said. "Take a minute." "But-" "No buts. I know that it is a lot, but we will figure it out together." Aelita kisses Jeremy and cries. "It's okay," Jeremy said. Laura smiles. "My Spotify Playlist is updated, and I see that those children have found something. It looks like I will have to keep that up," Laura said.
The first trip to the Cortex has left the Lyoko Warriors shaken. Dawn is the next one to receive a musical email, and Aelita is a nervous wreck. At the same time, it seems like Laura is not a friend, but what is she? XANA has activated two towers: one in the Ice Sector and one on the Cortex. Meanwhile, a boy in town sits on his steps. "I wish I could see my cloud. The cloud my daddy left me." A group of Unown, whose shape spells "Lights," are attacked by XANA's ghost. Their eyes have XANA's make, and they glow red.