"Ready to dive in three... two... one." The skid disappeared from the screen. Alex engaged the holoweb system. "We made it, Miss Renaud. We're in the digital sea," Mia said.
We had finally rebuilt the Skidbladnir, and had taken it on a test drive. Aelita decided to let go of her position as captain to let Mia experience the nearly permanent devirtualisation feel. "Woah..." Kyoko went.
"Think you can send a visual?" I asked. The tab opened. I hadn't seen it in years.
"It's beautiful," Alex muttered. He never really spoke much but I could hear the excitement from his tone.
"Next time, why don't you go as well?" I suggested. He sat there silently and nodded. He's like a cute little puppy, and he's nothing like a Dunbar.
"Ruby?" Aelita called. "Do you think we can trace the digital address of the mail and my parents now that we're connected to the holoweb?"
"Maybe," I replied. "Do think XANA made more replikas as well?"
"Replikas?" Rick questioned. "What did XANA replicate?"
"Lyoko sectors," Aelita answered. "Think you can scan the web?"
"It may take a while. The hyperscan can only take so long. Beside XANA may have made many." I bit my nail. Alex let me sit in the green chair and I began tapping away. I opened the hyperscan and typed in the code. The scan began.
My thoughts were disrupted by Mia. "Hey, Miss Renaud? You see this?" A circle appeared on my screen, indicating another digital world.
"Is that... a replika?" I stuttered.
"This feels different. Should we enter it?" Aelita asked.
"Wait, send me a visual first." What I saw shocked me. "Is that... the cortex?!"
I've watched Code Lyoko Evolution a few times already and I immediately recognised it. It was the cortex. The sphere wasn't smooth like Lyoko but had certain parts sticking out. It was hard to explain if you've never seen it.
"Do you know what it is?" Aelita asked, worried.
"No... Come back. We're not risking it. Not today," I mumbled. "I need to check my-"
"You're always checking your journal!" Mia shouted. "I say we go and explore!"
"Mia wait. Miss Renaud knows more about Lyoko. She knows how this could end up if we mess up. We ought to listen to her." This was the first time Rick stood up for me.
"That's not the problem. The cortex has no mater codes, meaning that if you all get devirtualised, you'll disappear."
"Just like Sector 5," Aelita added. "And where can we get the code?"
"At the sphere in the middle of the sector. But you'll need a special vehicle to-"
"Let's go!" Kyoko encouraged. I face palmed as they entered the sphere.
I virtualised the three vehicles. "You see the green platforms? They move. So be careful. If you crash into them, it's game over."
The three vehicle icons started moving toward the cortex. It only came to me that the skid needed to be protected. But it was too late. Kyoko and the overwing disappeared from the map. "Kyoko!" Mia screamed.
"What did I just tell you?" I asked annoyed.
"Ruby, this isn't going to work. We need another strategy," Aelita said.
"I can't do anything from here," I responded. "Be a bit more careful and go slowly." I turned to Alex who stared at the screen from my shoulder. "Should we head back to the skid and try to virtualise me to the cortex."
"Or we could collect Kyoko's materialisation data and physical molecular structure from Lyoko towers and insert it into the scanners."
"What?English please," Rick demanded.
"They want to recreate Kyoko," Aelita concluded. "Like that time I was deleted but was brought back because of the strand of hair that held all of my digital code."
"No. What if we create a brain dead spectre instead? Our best chance is to go the core of the sector and find the code." Alex scowled. The icons continued to move, slower this time.
"There's something there!" Aelita called. "A black sphere!" I held my breath. "Is that it?"
"Yeah, but be careful. XANA's always trying to get you devirtualised and who knows how accurate things will be. It's been twenty years after all."
They reached the bridge. Aelita jumped off the Overboard. Mia and Rick both got off the Overbike as well. "We can't open it. I've tried hitting it with my gauntlet and Mia's rapier. There isn't even a scratch."
"Aelita. Use your creativity."
"What? Will that work?"
"It worked in the show, it may work now." I clasped my hands together and prayed.
"It worked! That's so cool! What was that?" Mia asked.
"My power. Everyone who comes to Lyoko has a power." They headed inside.
The core of the sphere was very detailed; I could see all the platforms and the icons walking forward to look over the edge. "Do you see the interface? It's like a circular thing."
"There." I'm assuming that Aelita pointed at it because her icon glided to the platform as the other two jumped through many close surfaces. "This is incredible..."
"What is?" I asked.
"I can access classified information from here. The source code is so similar to Lyoko's." Of course it is, I thought. It was made by the supercomputer's creator's (Franz Hopper's) assistant, Tyron.
"That's great. Focus on find ing the materialisation code and get out of there. I need to fill you in as soon as I can." Something was virtualised on my screen. "Something's coming. Aelita hurry!"
"I'm trying!" The icon was green. It couldn't be... Ninjas? Great, that's all we needed. Aelita gasped. "This is... my mother?"
"Mum! Hurry!" Mia pleaded. The green icon had emerged. Mia didn't do too well. On my screen she moved forward and then, she was gone. Devirtualised.
"Mia's down!" I said agitated. "Aelita! We'll come back for your mother! Find the mater code!"
Aelita was silent but she replied soon enough. "I've found it. Bring Mia and Kyoko back." She ran up to Rick's avatar and the two slowly flew up to the higher platform to exit the cortex. I got to work, trying to bring them back. If Jeremie could do it, so could I. I've played the game a million times. I pressed enter, then turned to Alex but he was already gone.
"They're alright," he said from the scanner room. "Just a little tired." I sighed with relief.
Aelita docked the skid so I brought her and Rick back. She seemed shaken and Rick looked awkward. "I guess that confirms it. Your mother is alive, somewhere. Whether it's on Earth or on the network, we'll find her. I promise."
She crossed her arms to rub her fore arms. "We can't do this. Not alone."
YOU ARE READING
Code Lyoko: Reincarnated, twenty years later
Science Fiction(This is a part two- but you don't have to read part 1 if you don't want to.) Never thought there would be a part two. It's been twenty two years since the Lyoko Warriors shut down the supercomputer. I was a reincarnated Lyoko fan who got live out...
