I'm back. Did you miss me?

Ride of Your Life

Chapter 1: Necessary Data

"Odd, that was 30 life points! Be careful!" Jeremie's voice rang out above them as the four Lyoko warriors headed to the edge of the forest sector.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd shouted, firing a laser from his arm at one of the hornets following him and his friends. The laser soared through the air, making contact with the large eye on the front of the hornet, exploding on impact. "Just, hurry up with the transport, Jeremie. You won't want to keep us waiting."

Ulrich and Aelita sprinted on ahead as Yumi turned to help Odd with the hornets. She let loose both of her fans, slicing clean through one of the hornets but missing another. Leaping into the air, she retrieved both fans and stowed them at her side quickly before backflipping out of the way of several oncoming lasers.

Jeremie focused on the screen and the keyboard as he began typing in the code to bring up the transporter that would take them to sector 5. "Transportation arriving shortly," he said as he typed in the code: SCIPIO and hit enter. "Get a move on."

Odd fired one more shot taking out a third hornet and turned to run for the edge of the sector with Yumi on his tail. They both arrived just mere seconds before the transporter. Ulrich smiled at Yumi and nodded with approval as the transporter engulfed the four friends and began its journey to sector 5. After a short journey, the spinning transporter landed and the four headed down the corridor into the heart of Sector 5.

"Alright, the countdown has started," Jeremie's voice rang out.

"We have a problem, Einstein," Ulrich said as they came to a halt at a fork in their path. "There are three different paths. Which way to the key?"

Jeremie hesitated for a moment, typing into the keyboard while searching quickly on the screens. "The problem is bigger than you think," he replied. "I found 3 separate keys, one down each path, and, the problem is, I'm not sure which one is real or if we need to hit all three."

Odd groaned in frustration. "Great going, Jer. Now what?"

"No time for complaining," Ulrich ordered. "Yumi, left. Odd, you protect Aelita and head straight. I'll go right." With barely any hesitation to see that his friends understood the plan, Ulrich headed off down the right path. "Super sprint!" he shouted and zoomed down the winding passageway, arriving in a large chamber with three large pillars in the center of the room, each one topped with a creeper.

"Great, company," Ulrich muttered to himself and drew his sword. He quickly glanced around the room searching for the key. Frustrated by not finding it, he turned his focus to the creepers who hadn't left their perch. "Alright, uglies, here I come. Triplicate!" he shouted and split into three. He then began running straight at the three pillars in the center of the room. Without hesitation, he began his climb, running straight up the pillars and plunging his sword directly into the eye of the center creeper. His left triplet doing the same. His right triplet not fairing quite as well, disintegrating after being hit by one of the creepers own lasers.

The creeper fired another shot taking out the left triplet, leaving Ulrich alone at the top of the center platform. To Ulrich's surprise, the key was just below his feet in the center of the tower's top. "Too easy," he gloated, stepping on the key and then propelling himself across the gap toward the pillar where the creeper still stood.

-m-

Yumi watched as Ulrich disappeared before turning toward the left passageway as Ulrich had instructed. She came to a halt in a large open rectangular room at the end of the hall made up by a grid of 5 tiles by 11 tiles. On the far side of the room, the key was prominently placed about 20 ft up on the wall. Noting her surroundings, Yumi searched for a way to climb the far wall to get the key, but came up empty. She sighed, wondering if there was anything on the wall where she had entered that could help her out and took a step forward. As she placed her foot on the first tile in the room, she was thrust suddenly into the air as the tile became a pillar. Quickly, she dove off and summersaulted onto the second tile as the first pillar made contact with the ceiling. The second tile burst from the ground, but this time Yumi was prepared. She began sprinting forward, outpacing the growth of the pillars behind her, threatening to crush her to the ceiling. She knew she would have to time this perfectly upon reaching the last pillar. If she was too slow, she would miss the key and smash into the ceiling. She dove off the 10th pillar, rolling to land on her feet and waited for a half second as the final tile began rising. As it quickly grew toward the ceiling, she made her move, pressing the key as she whizzed by. Excited by her success, she forgot to leap off the pillar, getting crushed to the ceiling.

With a whirring sound, the scanner door opened, revealing Yumi lying in a crumpled heap. She balled her fist and slammed it down in frustration.

-m-

Odd shrugged, watching Ulrich and Yumi leave before turning to Aelita. "After you, princess," he said as he motioned down the center passageway. Aelita smiled and sprinted down the winding path stopping abruptly in a room without a floor. Instead, a large chasm was in its place, and on the far wall was the key. Odd, hot on her heals, crashed into Aelita as he entered the room. Aelita screamed as she lost her balance, teetering on the edge of the chasm.

"Aelita!" Odd called and reached for her arm right as she began to fall. Aelita stretched out her arm towards Odd, fumbling to grab his purple paw, barely able to hold on as she fell…up? Her body slipped out from under her, apparently under a reversed gravity, heading toward the ceiling.

"Thanks, Odd." She smiled at him, holding her to the ground like a tether. "It looks like the only way to go is up," she winked and let go of his hand, falling toward the ceiling. She landed in an awkward summersault and began racing across the ceiling toward the key on the far wall.

-m-

"How are they doing, Jeremie?" Yumi asked as she entered from the elevator.

Jeremie glanced in her direction before turning his attention back to the screens in front of him. "Not bad," he replied. "Ulrich has taken care of his key, but is busy with a creeper, and Aelita has almost made it to hers, thanks in part to Odd's clumsiness."

Yumi smiled and shook her head, coming to stand next to Jeremie.

-m-

"Impact!" Ulrich shouted as he finally plunged his sword into the creeper. He had been a fierce opponent, but Ulrich had won out in the end.

"Jeremie?" he called. "Where to?"

"Yumi was able to get her key, but Odd and Aelita are still working on it."

"Got it!" Ulrich called and headed down the path he had used to enter. He then made the turn down the center path, coming to a halt just before running into Odd.

"Looks like you made it, just in time," Odd said cheerfully as he pointed toward the ceiling where Aelita was. "Aelita's almost to the key." Odd grinned and turned back just in time to see Aelita hit the key, stopping the countdown and opening a passageway in front of her.

"It's this way!" Aelita shouted down at them, beckoning them with her arm. As she stepped through into the corridor, gravity shifted, disorienting her, and she landed on her butt. "Oof. Watch that first step."

"Alright," Odd shouted with a smile. "Only one thing left to do. Geronimo!" he called as he leapt off the ground and into the chasm. Flipping in the air as the gravity shifted, he righted himself landing on all fours running like a cheetah across the ceiling to catch up with Aelita.

Hesitantly, Ulrich looked down into the chasm and then back up at Odd and Aelita. With a gulp, he mustered up some courage and took a step off the platform. He began rising quickly and unable to right himself, landed awkwardly on the ceiling with a thud. He took a moment to orient himself and then turned toward Odd and Aelita.

The three headed down a long passageway and onto the elevator, stopping at the doorway to the outer edge of the sector and the Celestial Dome. Odd and Ulrich waited as Aelita went first through the doorway and pulled up a digital screen. Sequences of code flashed by as she scanned for something useful. Meanwhile, Odd and Ulrich kept an eye out for signs of trouble.

"Jeremie, any luck on getting us some transportation out of here?" Ulrich called out.

"Already done," Jeremie replied, hitting enter on his keyboard. The overboard and overbike quickly digitized in front of them on the side of their platform.

Odd smiled. "Nice one, Jeremie!" he called as he leapt onto the overboard. "And just in time for our friends to join us." On the wall just above them and slightly further away, a set of three mantas were slowly forming. "Time to greet them," he winked at Ulrich and zoomed off on his board.

Ulrich ran and leapt onto his bike, following Odd off toward the mantas who had turned their sights on the two of them. The boys swerved their vehicles out of the way of oncoming lasers as Odd retaliated with a couple of his own laser arrows. The mantas were just as nimble, dodging out of the way and beginning to fly higher above them. Odd and Ulrich turned their vehicles to make chase as the mantas began letting out white bombs from their underside.

"Woah!" Ulrich called as he swerved, narrowly missing a falling bomb, but then crashing into a second one. His bike began to sputter and spin out of control.

"Laser arrow!" Odd called, hitting the first of the three mantas and flying over to check on his friend. "You ok, Ulrich?"

"Peachy," he muttered as he finally got his bike under control. He narrowed his brow and pulled out his sword, turning his bike upward to chase the second manta.

"I'm almost finished, Jeremie," Aelita called from her screen. "I think I've almost got what we need."

"That's great, Aelita, because Odd and Ulrich are losing life points fast," Jeremie replied. "Odd, quit messing around!"

Odd had abandoned his overboard and leapt onto the third manta's back, clawing down its eye. "Don't worry about me, Jeremie. It's all under control," he said as the manta began to squirm, attempting to throw him off. Odd dug his claws in deeper, creating a gash of light in the mantas back. He smiled and leapt backwards off of the manta, landing on the overboard as the manta exploded with a burst of light. Odd smiled.

Meanwhile, Ulrich had finally caught up to the second manta. Pulling up beside the creature, he plunged his sword into its back, slicing it in half as he sped away. The manta exploded behind him as Ulrich turned to follow Odd back toward Aelita.

"Are you ready to go, princess?" Odd asked as he parked the overboard on the edge of the platform, stepping off toward Aelita.

"Almost there," Aelita replied without looking up. Her fingers flew across the screen as her eyes darted between pieces of code.

"Well, you might want to go faster before we meet another set of friends," Odd replied and pointed up toward where another pod of mantas was beginning to hatch.

"We have bigger problems," Ulrich called to them and pointed behind them to the giant squid-like creature that was heading their way.

"It's the Scyphozoa!" Jeremie called. "There's no more time. Aelita, get out of there!"

Aelita turned, fear in her eyes as the Scyphozoa floated closer. "Ulrich! Odd!" she called as she backed away a step and paused. Her eyes flashed between the Scyphozoa and the digital screen behind her. She was so close to finishing the research that they needed, but it would be risky to turn her back to the beast, especially with mantas on the way. And yet, she knew it would be risky to come back again to get the information if she didn't finish her task today. It would mean starting over.

Making her decision, she turned back to the screen, moving her fingers even more quickly. "Cover me!" she called.

"Aelita, no!" Jeremie's voice called out as Ulrich and Odd sprang into action. Ulrich leapt off his bike, sprinting toward the Scyphozoa, sword in hand and determination on his face. Meanwhile, Odd turned his sights to the mantas, hopping on the overboard and racing off toward the nest.

"Jeremie, if we don't get this done now, then we will have to start over again. We can do this," Aelita said as she continued to navigate the screen.

Ulrich circled the Scyphozoa as the mantas finished hatching and began firing at the three of them. Odd was still heading toward them, but it was three against one. Ulrich, making a split-second decision, turned his attention away from the Scyphozoa and ran around the front of Aelita blocking lasers with the blade of his sword as the rained down toward her.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd shouted firing three arrows toward the oncoming manta, one of which made its mark, exploding one of the mantas. The other two turned and circled around Odd, firing a mix of lasers between him and Ulrich. Ulrich continued to block them and protect Aelita with his sword, but Odd didn't fair so lucky, taking two lasers to the arm.

"Odd, you have only 20 life points left! You can't take another hit!" Jeremie called out. Yumi cringed and furrowed her brow staring intently at the screen.

"Ahh!" Aelita called out as one of the tentacles from the Scyphozoa reached out and pulled her away from the screen and into the air, its tentacles beginning to glow red.

"Aelita!" Ulrich called out, turning back toward her and the creature, taking a hit in the shoulder from one of the mantas in the process. Ignoring the shot, he sprinted back toward Aelita, slicing his sword through two of its tentacles, causing it to lower Aelita. Ulrich turned, raising his sword to slice through the remaining two tentacles. "Ugh!" he cried out, getting hit in the back this time, devirtualizing.

The Scyphozoa raised one of its tentacles to Aelita's head continuing, but more slowly this time.

"Odd! It's all up to you!" Jeremie called, a bead a sweat dripping down his face.

Odd turned on his board, heading back toward Aelita, firing arrows at the manta as they made chase. One arrow made its mark, leaving only one left as he came within firing range of the Scyphozoa. "Laser Arrow!" he shouted, hitting the creature in the head with three arrows. The Scyphozoa, dropped Aelita, retreating back down the hall and away from Odd. Aelita blinked slowly and rubbed her head as she stood up. Turning back toward Odd, her eyes darted toward the screen once more.

"Aelita, what are you doing!?" Odd shouted as he brought his board to a halt next to her.

She had already begun to work once more, pulling the pieces of code around the page. "We can't stop now. We've come so far!" she pleaded. "Give me just a few more seconds."

Odd rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders taking off back toward the final manta. "Here we go!" He headed straight at the final manta, dodging its lasers and firing two of his own, striking the manta in the back, but not dealing enough damage. The manta fired again, swinging around Odd and setting its sights on Aelita. Odd took chase, attempting to draw its attention by flying directly in front of it. "Yoohoo!" he called waving his paw in front of it as he flew by, just narrowly missing another laser.

"Finished!" Aelita called out and tapped the screen one final time to close it.

Odd turned back, dodging a few more lasers on his way to pick up Aelita. "All aboard!" he shouted as he zoomed by her, not stopping. Aelita eyed him like he was crazy, but she knew what to do and leapt onto the overboard as he flew past, wrapping her arms around Odd's waist quickly to keep from falling off. Odd continued to maneuver the board around the oncoming lasers as he headed toward the exit of the celestial dome, a data tunnel. Odd pushed his vehicle faster away from the manta as Jeremie opened the data tunnel for safe escape. The manta fired one more laser at the two before turning around as they made their escape.

-m-

"That was too close!" Jeremie scolded Odd and Aelita as they exited the elevator. "You could have gotten killed or worse, the Scyphozoa could have gotten you! You have to be more careful, Aelita."

"I did what I thought was best," Aelita replied in a huff. "Besides, we finished the mission and that saves us a trip back to do it all over again."

"I had her back, Einstein," Odd interjected wrapping his arm around Aelita's shoulders. "Odd the magnificent saves the day again!" Odd laughed and Aelita relaxed a bit, but Jeremie frowned.

"I still think it would have been better to go back another day. I don't like you taking risks like that, Aelita."

Aelita glared at Jeremie. "I'm not a little girl," she muttered and then her face softened, "but I will promise to be more careful." Jeremie's face relaxed and he smiled slightly. "Now, did we get everything we needed?"

Jeremie turned back to his screen, pulling up the fragments of code that Aelita managed to retrieve. His eyes darted from piece to piece. "I think we do. This should help me come up with a way to virtualize you into sector 5 directly."

"You mean no more transporter?" Yumi asked.

"That's right. That is, if I can get this data to some good use."

"That's great, Jeremie!" Ulrich chimed in.

"Yeah, no more nauseous trips spinning around and around," Odd added, spinning himself for emphasis and then falling to the floor.

Aelita laughed and smiled. "So, I guess the trip was worth it after all, huh?"

Are we too old now to read and write Code Lyoko fanfic?