Getting to Know Each Other

Yumi and Ulrich walk towards Yumi's house.

Yumi: It's a calm night by the looks of it.
Ulrich: Yeah, although it's a bit cold.
Yumi: Well, nothing better than a race to keep you warm. What do you say, do you fancy a bit of running?

Ulrich looks to the side and puts his hands in his pockets.

Yumi: Not a fan of running races I guess?
Ulrich: I am, it's just… I'm not in the mood right now.
Yumi: Hmm, are you still upset because of what happened in the afternoon?
Ulrich: I mean, I'm afraid of getting upset again.
Yumi: Okay, so let's not race then, but let's hurry our pace a bit.

They start walking a little faster.

Yumi: By the way, if I may ask: why did you get so angry? I understand that losing a fight is not the greatest feeling in the world, but it clearly bothered you quite a bit.
Ulrich: …I don't know… Jeremie says I take things too seriously.
Yumi: Hmm, I see.
Ulrich: But to me it's normal to get upset for losing. In fact, I was surprised that, the first day, your mood was very high despite having been defeated.
Yumi: Well, my mother taught me to look on the bright side of defeats.
Ulrich: How so?
Yumi: For example, after yesterday's round I realized that I was too focused on making you lose balance at leg's height. You clearly saw that and used it against me. But given that I now know that, I was able to improve it for the second round. To me that's something good.
Ulrich: I understand.
Yumi: Maybe you could focus on things to improve from today's fight. For example, I realized that your gaze is always at face's height, which made you lose track of…
Ulrich: (a bit upset) Okay, okay, I don't need you to rub it in!
Yumi: Okay, sorry. I didn't want to rub it in.
Ulrich: (trying to calm down) …I get it… It's just… it's really hard for me. Knowing that you managed to find that out makes me angry.
Yumi: Alright, I won't say more.
Ulrich: No, it's not your fault. It's just hard for me… I don't know, to observe it serenely.

A couple of seconds of silence.

Yumi: Look, I don't want to sound challenging, but if you want, we can postpone the next fight; it doesn't have to be tomorrow.
Ulrich: No! It has to be tomorrow. This anger thing is something I have to work on, but the duel must go on. I'd rather be called a loser than a coward.
Yumi: If you say so. Hey, we're here!

…

Jeremie stays at the factory. Once Yumi and Ulrich get out of the room, he tries to touch his phone again. This time it's cooler than before.

Jeremie: It's cooling down; looks like it worked. In a few minutes I'll verify that the program's been recieved successfully by the phone.
Aelita: I hope you're right!
Jeremie: Let's hope Ulrich and Yumi succeed as well.
Aelita: Yeah! You three look like long-time friends.
Jeremie: It's curious that you say that. We met Yumi yesterday.
Aelita: Is that so? I could have sworn you were a consolidated group.
Jeremie: Actually, me and Ulrich met two years ago; but Yumi came this year to our school, and we hadn't interacted with her directly before yesterday.
Aelita: Okay, but I can see that you've been getting along well.
Jeremie: Yeah, despite Ulrich not being too nice to her today.
Aelita: Really? What happened, if I may ask?
Jeremie: Basically, Yumi won a competition between them and Ulrich was unable to admit defeat for a while.
Aelita: Oh, I see. He's a quiet one; does he usually have a bad mood?
Jeremie: Yeah, he's pretty grumpy; but he's a good fellow if you get to know him. In fact, he was the one who suggested we were nicer to you.
Aelita: Sounds like a good fellow.
Jeremie: Did you ever go to school?
Aelita: Of course! My memory's a bit messy, but I remember it was in Paris. Its name was École Binet.
Jeremie: Never heard of it. How was your experience?
Aelita: From what I recall, nothing too interesting. I didn't make many friends either, because I loved math; cool kids used to isolate people like me.
Jeremie: Well, things haven't changed that much in that respect. But did you manage to make friends?
Aelita: I remember one of them… I think his name was François. He also enjoyed the topics from our classes. He was more into Physics however.
Jeremie: He sounds like a nice fellow. And how was your life in Paris?
Aelita: I doubt that it was too different from any urban part of the world. There were streets, cars, noise… What I long most is my childhood.
Jeremie: How was it?
Aelita: I lived with my parents in the Alps. The landscape was breathtaking. Similar to Lyoko (my father took the Alps as template for it) but more alive, of course. It snowed a lot during the year and I liked playing with snow. We didn't interact with many people, but I never got bored.
Jeremie: Sounds like a happy childhood.
Aelita: It was! You don't know how much I'd love to see the Alps again with my own eyes.
Jeremie: Maybe you'll manage to do it if we get you out of here.
Aelita: It'd be wonderful. Thank you for doing this by the way, you don't need to.
Jeremie: I don't know, if you ask me, given that I'm able to help you, I'd rather do so.
Aelita: I understand, and I'm very grateful for that.
Jeremie: Speaking of which, do you remember how you ended inside a computer?
Aelita: To be honest with you, I don't. I only remember waking up in virtual form and my father speaking to me without me being able to see him. Dad said that we ran away from Paris to Ville Simauve and that it was his fault.
Jeremie: I see. Do you know what he was running from?
Aelita: I don't know for certain, but it had to do with his job, from what I understand. His projects involved a lot of secrecy and, presumably, making enemies.
Jeremie: What about your mother?
Aelita: Oh! She passed away when I was little, shortly after we moved to Paris. It has nothing to do with my dad's work.
Jeremie: Oh, I'm really sorry.
Aelita: Don't worry, it's been a while since then.
Jeremie: Do you have any memories of her?
Aelita: Some, especially in the Alps. I don't remember many details, but I get a pleasant feeling from them.
Jeremie: That's good.

Jeremie's phone rings: the screen shows the name "Ulrich". The boy picks up.

Jeremie: Ulrich!
Ulrich: (whispering) Hey, Jeremie, I'm calling in order to make this thing work.
Jeremie: Great. I inform that my phone already reacquired a normal temperature.
Ulrich: I'm glad.
Jeremie: How's Yumi's?
Yumi: Hi, Jeremie, it's emitting smoke and smells bad; let's see how it evolves for the next minutes. I think I'll get the cooking pot to the factory, to see its progress.
Jeremie: Good idea. (teasing Ulrich) Hey, Yumi, has Ulrich behaved?
Ulrich: Hey!
Yumi: Ha ha ha! No problem until now. You okay over there?
Jeremie: No problem either. Aelita and I have been chatting.
Ulrich: Nice. We're coming back now.
Jeremie: See you here then. Over and out.
Ulrich: Bye.

Ulrich hangs up.

Jeremie: Anyways. Moving on regarding your circumstances: what do you remember before being virtualized?
Aelita: Nothing concrete. My previous memories only involve my normal life in Paris.
Jeremie: That's curious as well.
Aelita: Yeah. Would that be a consequence of spending too much time in virtual form, or on a shut down computer?
Jeremie: Hmm, you mean that prolongued stay in a virtual environment might lead to information loss? I sure hope it's not the case, but it's plausible nevertheless. After all, the hardware that holds Lyoko ages with time.
Aelita: It's true. I hope that I don't spend much more time here then.
Jeremie: You and me both. (brief pause) Another question: how much time do you recall being in virtualized form?
Aelita: I don't have a clear notion of time inside here, but I doubt it had been more than a few days. Maybe it was a couple of days, maybe a week, I'm not sure.
Jeremie: Understandable. What did you do during that time?
Aelita: My father asked me for help in order to keep XANA at bay. He gave me the key I shared with you. XANA used to alter programs stored in the computer during those days. When it's executed from inside the machine, it activates one of several landmarks in Lyoko. Entering my credentials in that site was enough to stop its execution.
Jeremie: How many times did you have to do that?
Aelita: About ten times, if I recall correctly. I recognized XANA because it generated pulsations on Lyoko when it activated.
Jeremie: Okay. Did he tell you why you were in Lyoko?
Aelita: No. I complained many times, but he always told me he couldn't explain at that moment, and that he needed my help.
Jeremie: You said you saw him before he went missing. How was your interaction?
Aelita: I gave him a hug. (brief moment of silence) He looked very sad and tired. He told me he was leaving because he needed to do something. I asked him when he was coming back, and he told me he didn't know. I told him… (starts crying mildly) I told him that I wanted to go with him, but he refused to let me, as much as I insisted. When I finally gave up, he told me that he hoped to live the day when I could forgive him.
Jeremie: Okay, that's enough. Thank you for your effort, Aelita.

Aelita sighs deeply.

Aelita: I'm scared, Jeremie. I don't understand anything and I've no idea where my father is. I don't know what I'm doing here and I don't know if I'll ever go back to the real world.
Jeremie: Let's go one thing at a time. The priority for the time being is to bring you back to the real world, which is something that will occur. We must understand better your condition and then work on a solution.
Aelita: How are you so sure I'll be able to go back?
Jeremie: I trust in my capabilities to come up with a solution for it, and I also trust in yours, Aelita. By the looks of it, you're pretty smart and you understand a fair amount of technical aspects regarding your situation. If we work together, I'm sure we'll be able to do it.
Aelita: (drying her tears) Thank you, Jeremie. Your confidence is contagious.
Jeremie: With regards to your father, we'll follow his tracks. Maybe we don't know where he went, but if we find information on our surroundings, maybe we'll be capable of understanding what he was working on, who he was hiding from and why.
Aelita: Sounds like a good start. Thank you again.
Jeremie: No problem. This situation is pretty hard to believe, but at the same time it's the most fascinating thing that's ever happened to me. We'll see where this mystery will take us.
Aelita: (smiling) We'll see.

Jeremie hears steps and voices chatting.

Jeremie: Ulrich and Yumi are coming back. Give me a minute.
Aelita: Go ahead.

Jeremie turns off the microphone.

Jeremie: How did it go, guys?
Yumi: Hey, Jeremie! My phone stopped releasing smoke on its road over here. In any case, I'm afraid it's most likely useless now.

Yumi's holding a small cooking pot with a handle. She lifts the top.

Jeremie: Fantastic! It means our idea worked.
Ulrich: Yet another proof of your genius.
Jeremie: Well, let's cut it with the compliments, I need to tell you something.
Yumi: Tell us!
Jeremie: Aelita told me a lot of her story. There are some things that are still unclear, but I can believe she's in fact human.
Ulrich: Well, it's a good start.
Jeremie: What worries me is the reason why she's virtualized. Her last moments before the computer was shut down years ago are really strange; her story makes me think that her father was involved in some dark stuff. Also, it looks like she's got bits of her memory erased.
Yumi: Well, you did seem to confirm that she was missing a piece of herself.
Jeremie: Yeah… That missing piece might contain the piece of the puzzle we're missing. I just hope it still exists. (looks behind him for a moment) By the way, Aelita isn't listening to this. If you want to say something without her knowing before talking to her again, now's the time.
Ulrich: I think it's better not to mention the possibility of her father having a dark side. She seems to have a good image of him.
Yumi: Agreed. By the way, does she need that bit to come to earth? If it doesn't exist anymore, that'd mean she won't be able to come back.
Jeremie: Thankfully, having that bit is not necessary for that. Even if we don't find it, I think it's possible to create a sort of replacement for the time being.
Yumi: Wow! I hope you're right!
Ulrich: Yeah. But I think we've left Aelita apart for too long now.
Jeremie: You're right, I'll turn the microphone on again.

The boy turns on the device.

Yumi: Aelita!
Aelita: Yumi, it's nice to hear you again!
Yumi: Nice to hear you again too! Good news: XANA's spell seems to have been neutralized.
Aelita: That's great!
Ulrich: How did it go for you two?
Aelita: Pretty well. We took the time to get to know each other a bit more.
Jeremie: That's correct. Hey, Aelita, I have a proposal.
Aelita: Yes?
Jeremie: While we're looking for your missing information, let's try to provide you with a substitute body.
Aelita: But that's exactly what I have right now.
Jeremie: I mean one that allows you to inhabit the real world.
Aelita: Oh! Is that possible?
Jeremie: That's my hypothesis right now. It'll probably take us a lot of work and intellectual effort, but I'm convinced that it's possible, and that we'll be able to build it ourselves.
Aelita: That'd be wonderful. Okay, let's try it.
Yumi: I've no idea how you'll achieve that, but let's go!
Ulrich: Let's hope you're right, Jeremie.
Jeremie: I have faith in us. We'll start tomorrow.
Yumi: Very well. In my regards, I think I'll go to sleep now. I have a fighting round tomorrow and I have to be well rested.
Ulrich: I second that. Do we close for tonight?
Jeremie: Fine with me. Aelita, do you want us to leave the computer on this time?
Aelita: Thanks, Jeremie, but don't worry. I think it's more important to prevent XANA from acting again. I'll just ask you to let me fall asleep before shutting down.
Jeremie: I can do that. How much time have you been awake?
Aelita: I haven't had the need to sleep or eat since I'm in here. I think the machine provides me with the energy I need to work. However, sleeping would help me relax, and now, after a lot of time on edge, I think I'm capable of doing it. I thank you wholeheartedly for your company, guys. Thanks especially to you, Jeremie, for keeping me company and offering your support.
Jeremie: It's nothing, Aelita.
Yumi: Goodbye, Aelita, see you tomorrow!
Ulrich: Have a good night, Aelita.

Jeremie turns off the microphone. The kids wait for Aelita to lay down and see that her breathing is relaxed and constant. Then, they shut down the computer and leave. They separate on the bridge again.

Yumi: See you tomorrow, boys!
Ulrich: Bye, rest well.
Jeremie: Bye, Yumi!

Yumi leaves, while the boys lift the sewer cover.

Jeremie: Everything okay, Ulrich?
Ulrich: Yeah, we managed to unwind the situation quite a lot, I believe.
Jeremie: Good, so you're more relaxed, then.
Ulrich: I hope so. In any case, I'm nervous for tomorrow's fight.
Jeremie: I suppose that's normal. But don't worry if you lose, it's not the end of the world.
Ulrich: I still have some things to learn about that. But thanks for your support.

…

The next day, Jeremie spends his break time windows inside the library, looking for information about Waldo Schaeffer, but to no avail. He is sometimes joined by Ulrich and Yumi, who mostly talk to each other. At one time, Ulrich realizes that they haven't had conflicts with Sissi for two days.

At lunchtime, Jeremie and Ulrich get to the cafeteria. They notice that people look at them as they enter, and start whispering notoriously.

Ulrich: What's up with everybody today?
Jeremie: No idea, but it sure seems we're making them talk. Did somebody see us come back last night?

Ulrich looks to the corner and notices Nicholas and Herve, looking at him and then laughing.

Ulrich: I might have a theory about what happened.

After a couple of minutes, Yumi arrives. The whispers intensify.

Yumi: Ulrich! Ulrich, I'm so sorry, this was never my intention.
Ulrich: Do you know what's happening?
Yumi: It seems some information about our fight yesterday got filtered. Somebody must have been spying, and now there's an article about it in the school newspaper.
Ulrich: (sighing while he talks) Oh, no, and I thought that the worst had already happened.
Yumi: I'm really sorry, Ulrich!
Ulrich: It's not your fault at all, Yumi. In fact, I've got an idea about who it was.

Ulrich locates Sissi. She sees it at the opposite of the cafeteria, arms crossed, smiling victoriously.

Yumi: Who, Sissi? It actually makes sense, I told you she was going to get revenge.
Ulrich: It's okay, I guess we'll have to deal with it.
Yumi: Whenever you want, we pay her back, okay?
Ulrich: It'll be good to do it one of these days.
Yumi: Well, I repeat the offer of postponing today's round.
Ulrich: Not a chance! Today at the same hour.
Yumi: Hm, could we have it somewhere more hidden? I wouldn't like it if there were spectators.
Ulrich: Okay, but just because you're asking for it.
Jeremie: I'd suggest the wall on the other side of the forest. It's usually empty there.
Yumi: Fine with me. Let's meet there; that way, we'll draw less attention.

In the afternoon, before the last class of the day, Jeremie tried to continue his research in the library, but got distracted due to the other kids constantly looking at him and Ulrich, laughing, and making comments with little subtlety. Ulrich offered to leave him alone, but Jeremie decided to stay with him and suggested going to his room.

After the school day ended, they met with Yumi at the place they agreed upon. Despite their efforts to remain subtle, they were unaware that Sissi spied from a close hideout.

The round lasts for almost two minutes. After they get entangled with each other, Yumi manages to capture Ulrich's center of equilibrium and drops him to the ground. Jeremie declares Yumi's victory. Ulrich gets up.

Sissi: *I see the new girl won again. Ulrich definitely won't want to keep being friends with her.*
Yumi: (panting) Good fight. (bows)

Ulrich bows, but takes a second before saying something. He breaks.

Ulrich: Good… good fight. (tears drop from his eyes, while he keeps bowing; starts crying)

Sissi: (astonished) *What the…? Oh no, Ulrich, dear! Why are you crying? This is definitely not what I wanted.*

Sissi is about to leave her hideout, but stops.

Yumi approaches Ulrich and puts her arms at his sides. Ulrich stands up straight quickly and looks at her. Yumi approaches a little more, suggesting a hug. Ulrich doesn't move while he stares at her. Yumi stops looking at his face and completes the hug, a bit awkwardly, since she's surrounding both of his arms as well.

Ulrich lets her hug him, now crying without restraints. He hugs her back delicately. Jeremie gets a bit emotional.

Sissi watches the scene. Confused, gets angry and leaves, trying not to make noise, mumbling to herself.

Yumi makes a signal to Jeremie, inviting him to join the hug. He accepts. The three remain hugged for a while, after which the hug naturally dissolves.

Yumi: You alright?
Ulrich: (sniffing) Yeah, I'm okay now. Thanks, Yumi. Thanks, Jeremie.
Yumi: Well, the duel is over; but that doesn't deny the possibility of having others in the future, if you're up to it.
Ulrich: I think… I think that I have a lot to learn from you. Maybe it would be good to practice often.
Yumi: Well, I could learn from you as well, if I'm honest. I'd be delighted if we met to practice. Should we leave it at this hour?
Ulrich: Sounds perfect.
Yumi: Excellent!
Jeremie: I can't assure you that I'll always be able to assist. Aelita's issue will take me a lot of hours of my time. I'll probably start going to the factory directly after the school day's over.
Yumi: Don't worry! For practice sessions, we shouldn't need a referee. And maybe sometimes we could go to the factory to practice.
Ulrich: That's a good idea.
Jeremie: I like that! Awesome then. I'll be going there now. You may follow me if you want.
Ulrich: I'm going! You coming, Yumi?
Yumi: Let's go!

(The author encourages the reader to imagine "A World Without Danger" playing here, as in the credits of CL's first season episodes)

- END OF CHAPTER 5 -

Author's note: Originally, the first five chapters were going to be a single, very long one. Due to design decisions regarding narrative encapsulation and the average length of a chapter on this website, I decided to split it into five. You may think the group of these five chapters as Part I (at least that's how I have it in my head).

In any case, I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. Of course, this is just the beginning (the kids haven't even met Odd, for crying out loud!). Just in case, Part II's outline is already written, but in Spanish; I'll be uploading the corresponding chapters while I translate them into English. In the meantime, leave a comment if you have something to say about this work. Thank you for reading!