Jeremy was in the middle of the desert. He did not know how he ended up here, but here he was.
JEREMY - Great, what next ?
??? - Hello young one.
JEREMY - Who are you ?
??? - I am a genie, what else ?
JEREMY - Genies don't exist. Be serious.
Jeremy started laughing. The person claiming to be a genie was a small child. The child started laughing.
AELITA - Jeremy, I think you should be taking a look at the superscan.
Jeremy woke up when he heard his friend talking to him.
JEREMY - Hello Aelita. What are you doing in my room ?
Aelita laughed.
AELITA - I am not in your room. You are in mine.
Jeremy blushed a bit. How did he get there ?
JEREMY - Sorry, sorry, I'll get going.
AELITA - No, no, don't worry. It looks like XANA messed with a few things, look, your stuff is here.
JEREMY - XANA would take the time to move my stuff around too ? That's weird.
AELITA - That's not all. I would not look down if I were you.
Obviously Jeremy did not listen. That's the reason he was in the same room as Aelita. He had been turned into a girl.
He was shorter than usual (a bit shorter than Aelita instead of a bit taller), had a higher pitched voice, and his hair grew longer.
JEREMY - What the heck ?
AELITA - Don't freak out, it's probably XANA. Just check the superscan.
JEREMY - That's a dumb attack.
AELITA - Maybe he wanted to have a laugh or something ? Anyways, I don't have your password, and I'd very much like to get my room back someday, so we should get to it.
JEREMY - Oh, sorry.
Jeremy unlocked his computer and checked the superscan.
JEREMY - Nothing.
Jeremy started being a bit anxious.
JEREMY - How is that possible ?
AELITA - I don't know, but let's check it out at the factory then.
Aelita was already dressed up. Only he had to dress up now.
JEREMY - And what do I wear ?
AELITA - The clothes in that closet aren't mine, just take them.
Jeremy opened the closet and found a lot of clothes. Obviously girl clothes.
JEREMY - Great.
AELITA - Don't be a child and put them on. You're not gonna go to the factory naked, are you ?
JEREMY - I'm wearing pajamas you know.
AELITA - I don't care just get dressed, I'll be waiting for you outside of the room.
Jeremy did not like it, but he had to get dressed. He chose a white blouse and a light blue skirt and started putting them on. Then he found a pair of baskets and put them on as well. He was ready.
AELITA - Finally, it took you some time. Did you have trouble choosing the outfit ? I like the skirt though.
Aelita had noticed there were trousers in the closet, and was not sure Jeremy saw those, but she thought it was funnier to not tell him.
JEREMY - Very funny Aelita. Let's get going.
The two of them rushed to the factory. Not like they particularly needed to run, it was Saturday so they had the whole day to deal with it, but Jeremy kind of wanted to deal with this as soon as possible.
JEREMY - Why does it hurt when I run ?
AELITA - You're not wearing a bra, are you ?
JEREMY - A what ?
AELITA - Let's just walk, it will be easier for now. We are close to the scooters anyways.
After the two friends reached the factory, they double checked. No tower activated.
AELITA - It really looks like XANA did not activate a tower. Let's scan you and see what is going on, we might get some useful information from that.
JEREMY - Good idea, Aelita.
After a while, Jeremy came back in front of the computer.
JEREMY - So ? Any news ?
AELITA - It looks like your DNA was altered, and the patterns show the culprit is XANA. But that's not the most concerning. The changes are getting more and more deep in your DNA. If we don't do something quickly, we won't be able to do much.
JEREMY - Wonderful... Also how do you work with those hanging like that ?
Jeremy pointed at his chest.
AELITA - They don't bother me. Just try and don't think about them for now.
After the two of them worked the whole morning on a cure, with little to no success, it is finally noon.
AELITA - OK, we're not getting anything done. We need a break. Also Ulrich Yumi and Odd will wonder why we're not here to eat.
JEREMY - I don't care.
AELITA - Listen, I know you're worried, but you're not getting fixed earlier by skipping lunch. You know our brains need a break, we've not been able to do anything.
JEREMY - OK, Aelita. Can we at least just eat here ?
Aelita laughed a bit.
AELITA - Don't wanna show your pretty skirt around ?
JEREMY - Please don't tease me.
AELITA - I saw you smile.
Jeremy laughed. Aelita really was the only person that could make him laugh in such a situation.
AELITA - Alright, I'll get a few sandwiches, you call everyone, OK ?
JEREMY - Thanks.
After around half an hour, everyone was at the factory.
ODD - You know you could have told us instead of faking a XANA attack Einstein.
ULRICH - Odd, don't be mean, it's probably not easy for him.
YUMI - I brought an elastic in case your hair is bothering you.
JEREMY - Thanks Yumi.
Indeed the young boy's hair extended around 30cm behind his back. Being able to tie them would let him have a bit of rest, as he was tired to send them back behind every time he moved.
AELITA - I brought sandwiches. Also, Jeremy, look what I found you. It looks like they are used mainly by transgender people, but it should be useful to you. Just remember to take it off after 8 hours, that's what's written on the instructions.
Aelita showed him a blue tank top.
JEREMY - Really ? Do you really think I want to wear a crop top like that ?
AELITA - It's not, silly. This is a binder, it should flatten that chest that bothers you so much.
JEREMY - Really ? That exists ? Thanks Aelita ! How did you find it ?
AELITA - Just a quick internet search.
JEREMY - Thanks Aelita, you don't know how much that means to me.
AELITA - No I don't know, and I don't understand either, but I figured you'd like it.
After the group finished eating, Yumi finally asked the question everyone was thinking about.
YUMI - And what if you don't succeed ? What will happen ?
JEREMY - I don't know, I try not to think about it.
As Aelita saw her friend started feeling down, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
AELITA - Don't worry nothing would change, and anyway, we're not failing.
JEREMY - Speaking about that, it is time to get back to work.
A few minutes after that, the two friends decide to send Aelita to lyoko to prepare a program which will inspect the core's data. That way they can check what XANA did and maybe find a way to reverse it.
JEREMY - The core data should be accessible from any way tower. A preference ?
AELITA - Send me to the forest please.
JEREMY - Consider it done.
AELITA - You sure you don't wanna go ? There should not be any monsters and you would probably be fine on lyoko.
JEREMY - I wouldn't be as efficient, we don't really have time.
The truth is Jeremy didn't trust himself to do anything on lyoko.
After Aelita was virtualised, she looked around.
AELITA - The way is clear, Jeremy. No monsters around. But I do feel something.
JEREMY - What is it Aelita ?
AELITA - I can feel pulsations. XANA's pulsations.
JEREMY - But there is no tower detected by the superscan.
AELITA - I know. Let me check quickly.
As Aelita followed the pulsations she was feeling, she entered an invisible tower.
AELITA - Jeremy, I was right. I found an activated tower, it was hidden.
JEREMY - Wonderful Aelita.
AELITA - I'm deactivating it.
Aelita started levitating and reached a second platform. As she landed on it the platform started lighting up and a small terminal appeared as she reached the center of the platform.
However, as Aelita approached her hand next to the terminal, the tower deactivates itself.
AELITA - Jeremy, I think the tower deactivated. But I didn't do it.
JEREMY - Try and get the data you can.
AELITA - I'm already connected, I fetched the data, I'm sending it, are you ready ?
JEREMY - Yes I am. OK, I received it, thanks Aelita.
AELITA - I have bad news Jeremy. The tower deactivated because its job was over. We are too late.
JEREMY - I have seen.
AELITA - Are you alright ?
JEREMY - No, not really.
AELITA - Bring me back.
As Aelita came back to Jeremy, he was crying. Aelita came to him and hugged him.
AELITA - There, there. Things will get better.
JEREMY - How ? I'm stuck like that now.
AELITA - Well, for starters, you can look at resources online, but there must be a way to medically fix the problem. That binder I found is not the only thing that exists.
JEREMY - You're right, I can't just give up like that.
AELITA - Also, I might have a little idea.
JEREMY - What do you mean ?
AELITA - If we modify the program you used to materialise me, we could restore your body through the image of you the supercomputer stored when you went to lyoko.
JEREMY - Aelita, you are a genius. That could work.
A few hours later, Jeremy was inside a tower, ready to enter the code "EARTH".
AELITA - Ready ?
JEREMY - Ready.
Jeremy entered the code "EARTH" and Aelita launched the program. The tower started glowing pink as Jeremy disappeared from it. A few minutes later, Jeremy reappeared in the scanner. Safe, sound, and as he wanted to look like.
JEREMY - Now we need to deal with all of that confusion about the rooms and everything.
AELITA - While you were getting to the tower I redirected the data we collected in the tower to the return to the past. Everything should be getting back to normal as soon as we use it.
JEREMY - Wouldn't that power XANA up ?
AELITA - Not really, since he fled the supercomputer we should be free to do it. I have called everyone and they all agree anyways.
JEREMY - Thanks Aelita.
A few keys later, a white bubble started wrapping the city.
The five friends decided to have a picnic to celebrate this Saturday afternoon.
ODD - So, what did you learn ? Is it nice being a girl for the day ?
JEREMY - Not for me. Though I must admit the skirts are nice.
AELITA - I'll lend you one if you want to.
