Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners, particularly the characters taken from the animated series, Code Lyoko and the television series Star Trek. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
The general emergency at the factory made it necessary to evacuate the area around it, including Kadic Academy. A colonel from the army came to Mr. Delmas and told him that the school would have to be vacated, and he had transports with him to move the students. Jean-Pierre instructed Nicole to round up all of the staff and faculty so they could coordinate the evacuation. The entire time, he wished that Jim and Suzanne were around; he never let on to anyone, but the principal heavily depended on his Science Teacher and his Gym Teacher to help him get things done.
Sissi, who had stayed with her father after he chewed her out for being rude earlier, noticed the concern in his voice as he instructed Nichole.
"Daddy, I'm sure they're safe and okay," she said, hoping it would help.
"Deep in the back of my mind, I know you're right," he told her, "but, still, I worry."
"Me too, daddy, me too." She then added silently, be careful, Ulrich.
Deep in its subterranean chamber, Janeway's ship was abuzz with activity. While the nanoprobes were using Yumi to support Ulrich's life, the ship was rapidly configuring a large gestation chamber to receive the pair. The instant that the bio-support suit completely surrounded and enclosed them, they were teleported into the waiting chamber. It quickly began filling with nutrient solution, and soon covered the injured pair.
Inside, Yumi and Ulrich were, for all practical purposes, one being. The nanoprobes, in order to preserve Ulrich's life until he could be repaired, and almost totally merged the couple together into one body. If you were able to peer inside the technology surrounding them, you would see a young man and woman joined from the collarbone and shoulders all the way down to the pelvis, one torso sprouting two hips, two pairs of legs, two shoulders with two pairs of arms, topped by two heads.
And it wasn't just the bodies that were joined, their minds were joined too. Each could see the entire panorama of the other's life stretched out before them.
He lay next to her all of those nights when she cried herself to sleep as her parents fought in their room. She held him close as his parents berated him for being such a poor student who would never amount to anything. Each wept for the other as all of the hurts that shaped their lives played themselves out for the other to see. There was absolutely nothing to hide; all secrets were revealed, all fantasies, all nightmares, all sins. The last time Ulrich wet his pants; the time Yumi walked in on her parents making love; the time Ulrich played doctor with Mika Reinhart at age 4; her first period; his first wet dream; the fact she loved him, and the fact the he loved her.
I Love You. For Ever.
That thought resonated though them. The words were said, untakebackable. In this moment, they knew more about each other than any two people on Earth ever could, the bad and the good. And while their lips did not speak the words, yet, their hearts had, and the other had heard it and acknowledged it. Whatever else happened, they had each other, now and forever; and whatever God, man or Borg joined together, let no one ever try and put asunder...
Be forewarned; physical separation will commence immediately, suddenly came the Voice of the Collective, as soon as physical connections are removed, mental separation will proceed. Prepare yourselves.
Nooooooooooo!!!!!!
As soon as Janeway had finished with the police, he turned to Jeremie.
"We need to make preparations to assault Lyoko," he told the genius, "but we need to go in on our terms. We're going to have to assume that the other Borg have cracked far enough into the system to make any of your normal methods useless."
"Then I don't know how much help I can be," Jeremie replied, "if they got into the protected memory region where I keep all my routines, we're screwed."
"Think outside the box, literally," Janeway replied, "the ship on the roof and my ship are some of the most sophisticated computers in the universe, with a friendly user interface thrown in at no charge. Not only that, some of the most talented hackers in said universe have had their minds downloaded, not just to keep me company, but to help you find a way in. I've already thrown the problem to the Collective, I just need you to guide their way to a solution. Get ready, and I'll beam you to my ship. You'll be able to work faster there, and have fewer distractions"
"Uh, Dr. Janeway? Could I take Aelita with me?" Jeremie asked, "she's no slouch when it comes to computers."
Janeway smiled, "sure go ahead, just don't get too sidetracked, if you know what I mean."
The boy's face got red as a beet as he got it. Janeway laughed.
"Aelita, you and loverboy here are going on a romantic getaway to try and save the world," he called out to her, "just see to it the two of you find some time to actually save the world, okay?"
Aelita got a quizzical look on her face, then blushed when she saw Jeremie's embarrassment. Before she could reply, they both were teleported to Janeway's ship.
The nanoprobes in Yumi and Ulrich's body received new instructions, and they began to carefully separate the two. The gestation chamber deployed tubes and connections to replace the ones Yumi had supplied. When they touched the boy, they entered him like he wasn't there, because the micro machines opened up his skin and moved aside muscle and other tissue to allow access. Skin layers began to form between his and her chests, the bone of new rib cages began growing in both of them. Quickly, their bodies separated and the final layers of skin were sealed up. Nanoprobes inside Yumi began reforming her breasts, leaving out small basal cells that had been destroyed when the tissue had first been consumed. Left alone, Yumi would have had a battle with breast cancer a few years down the road.
The device that surrounded their heads also changed. It separated into two parts, one containing Ulrich's head, the other, Yumi's. After the separation, the device started dissolving as the nanoprobes reduced it to raw materials for other purposes. When completed, the only thing that remained of the device was two face masks covering the teens noses and mouths, with tubes supplying fresh air, and evacuating exhaled air.
The physical separation was a success; they were boy and girl again. The mental separation was much harder, like Janeway had predicted.
Nooooooo! Don't separate us! Not Now! they cried in unison, I/we can't live without him/her!
You were told that this would happen before we began, came a single voice, a woman's voice, this is why my son didn't want to do it to you. You both have wanted to be together for so long now, that once you came together, you never want to separate. I can understand it, and I'm happy you finally confessed your love to each other, but humans were never meant to have this level of intimacy. All of the mystery is gone now between you two; there's nothing left to learn. Oh, after this is over, new things will crop up that you will enjoy learning, but you basically know everything there is to know about each other. You've gotten in a few minutes what husbands and wives have spent their entire lives trying to learn.
Please, they begged, there must be some way! We'll join the Collective; anything to stay together!
No, came the voice again, though under other circumstances, I might have allowed it. You must live your lives here, on Earth, as humans. You can't join us.
I/we would rather die than be separated, they said.
I know, she replied, sadly. The woman's voice was silent for a moment, then she spoke again. Perhaps there is something I can do for you. First of all, I must suppress your memories of this time together, or else you will die. The only thing you will remember is that it happened and your love for each other. The next thing I will do is this; if you choose to make a life together, I will give you a bond much like a species called Vulcans have between mates. I will program the nanoprobes that you will carry with you to allow it after two conditions have been met. One, you must marry according to the rituals of your culture. You may think that signing a document and saying a few words in front of people mean nothing, but you would be wrong. Two, the bond will be formed on your wedding night, when you come together. Do not rush into sex and take no other lovers; if you do this, then you will be closer than two humans ever will be in this time. Do you agree?
Yes, they replied in unison.
The world went silent as the link was cut.
Jeremie and Aelita materialized inside Janeway's ship. They looked about and saw the gestation chamber that contained their two friends. Yumi and Ulrich were separated now; both teens floating naked in the green nutrient fluid. There were a myriad of tubes and things coming out of Ulrich, and he looked like he was asleep. Yumi only wore a face mask, and she looked like she was awake. She also looked like she was crying.
"I hope she's okay," Jeremie said, "but we've got to get to work."
"We need to get into one of those alcoves," Aelita said.
Jeremie nodded and the couple stepped up into adjoining bays. They turned and rested their right arms on an arm rest, just as Dr. Janeway had when he interfaced into one earlier. as soon as they did, interface ports formed on their bodies, and connections snaked from the walls and connected. When everything was in place, they set to work.
Ulrich Stern was alone. She had been taken away from him. He felt each connection to her individually severed as they pleaded to stay joined. Then, after the last physical piece of her was taken from him, her mind was ripped from his grasp.
He floated in the darkness, alone, and contemplated death. He no longer had her; there was no longer a reason to live. He actually started to slow his heart rate to nothing when he felt it, her touch.
Her arms slid around him, and pulled him close to her. He felt her encircle him pulling him even closer, not into a sexual embrace, but a close embrace nonetheless. He felt her cheek brush his as she rested her head on his shoulder. It was then he remembered The Promise.
They would be together again one day; not exactly as they had just been, but they would be together. When the time was right, their two voices would sing to the universe as one, just as it should be. All he had to do is live, and wait.
Yumi Ishiyama was more alone at the moment of final separation than she had ever been in her life. One moment, she had been joined with the universe named Ulrich, the next, he was gone. Janeway had been right, she felt as if her soul had been ripped in two. And what was worse, all of those wonderful memories of them together were fading fast away. All too soon, the only thing she could remember was they had been one for a time, and that he loved her as much as she loved him. The only other memory she carried from that time was The Promise that the woman gave her, that they could be that close again one day.
She opened her eyes and saw Ulrich, floating next to her, so close yet so far away. Even though she was in fluid, she cried for her loss. She only briefly registered the arrival of Jeremie and Aelita, and never saw them enter alcoves and begin their work. She reached out and touched him, wishing she could once again melt back into his mind, his body. But she had a Promise; one day they would be rejoined. All she had to do is wait.
She slowly floated over to him. She carefully and gently took him in her arms, and drew him close, careful not to allow the embrace to become sexual, careful not to break The Promise. There would come a time for that, she reasoned; there would come a time when they would be one again. For now, she comforted herself with his presence in her arms, and prayed he felt her presence surrounding him in his healing sleep.