The Medieval Delusion

Chapter 9

"I'm not going to tell you where the disk is!"

"Wait a moment… Is that my daughter?"

"No! Aelita is not your daughter!"

"Frazier Pohonp, Franz I. O. Hopper, remember?"

"I don't believe it!"

"Is that the Imprisoned One?"

"Yes, Aelita, it's me. But I am Franz Hopper."

"I don't believe it!"

"Neither does Jeremy, but that doesn't make it any less true. Do you want proof?"

"Yes."

"Take a look at this picture. Your mother took it when you were four."

"You stole it from Franz Hopper!"

"Oh, did I? Do I need to show you the signature on his credit card? And how mine matches?"

"No need. I can run a genetic scan to see if you're Aelita's father."

"Fine."

"Genetic scan, complete."

"The results?"

"It's… true."

Aelita was typing rapidly. She had spoken to Jeremy and Frazier Pohonp really was Franz I. O. Hopper. Her father. The panel Jeremy had managed to program wasn't strong, but she could use it. Her only project was breaking through the game. So far, she hadn't succeeded. And Jeremy had used nearly all the resources they had just to design this panel. She touched another button on the screen and several numbers floated out of the void.

"All right," she said under her breath. "That's a start." She started pulling programs around furiously. The numbers were coming together. "Virtualization," she said. The numbers formed themselves together. They hardened and took on shape. Aelita picked up her creation. A baseball. Well, it was a start.

"So what are we going to do now?" asked Xanite. "We know everything we have to know. But so does Xana. Frazier Pohonp is kicking Jeremy and William around like there's no tomorrow. Aelita had to use William's life force to get Ulrich and Jeremy back from the dead. And they're still both barely alive."

"Aelita is doing some serious programming," said Milo. "Xanite, you have to cut Xana out of your bonds."

"I'm doing it as we speak," said Xanite. "I found a very effective spell for it in Sam's book."

"All right," said Milo. "You're loose enough that you can probably control information flow. Aelita is trying to program a way out. So far, the best thing she's been able to create here is a baseball, but nonetheless."

"Our mission hasn't changed," said Odd. "We still have to free Aelita within three days or she gets mauled, and within five days or it's game over. For all of us."

"You're right," said Milo. "This doesn't really change things. Unless Aelita can find a way to program the way out, our objectives don't change at all. Save Aelita and beat the game."

"We have to get going," said Yumi. "We're wasting time we don't have." And she started to run, the others trailing after her.

"I want to talk to my daughter."

"Fine."

"Jeremy! Don't give in!"

"He can't touch the controls. But I can open a link with Aelita. He has the right to talk to her."

"He's the Imprisoned One!"

"He's also Franz Hopper."

"He tried to kill you all!"

"He saved Aelita's life."

"He's evil!"

"There are good and evil in every mind. More evil then good in his, but the half of him that loves his daughter more then anything has earned the right to a conversation with her."

"Thank you, Jeremy. Now open the link."

"All right. Aelita. Frazier Pohonp wants to talk to you."

"I'll talk to him. What do you want?"

"For you to join me. We can get rid of the others. We can have Lyoko to ourselves. This game world too, if you like it. Xanadu and Troy as well. Join me, Aelita, and we can have every world there is. Including Earth."

"I'm sorry. I could have joined Franz Hopper. But then he became Frazier Pohonp. Goodbye, Mr. Pohonp. Maybe someday you'll let me speak to Franz Hopper."

"Goodbye, Ms. Stones. Maybe someday you'll really be a Hopper."