Code Lyoko: Revolutions and Evolutions

Chapter 17

It was silent between most of the group as they walked home. Three of the Lyoko warriors were in a word stunned. What started out as a night to undo the damage that had happened over the past few weeks, it was now moot. Admittedly, however, in its place, stood Jeremy, their friend, restored to life and his memories to just before the shock that killed him. Aelita was still talking to Jeremy about the lead up to only what could be described as his resurrection. But in their hearts, Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi knew very well what had happened. It was an answer to a question that Ulrich had asked some time ago, "Do you think Aelita and Jeremy would be willing to die for each other?"

Deep within them, they knew that question while they had jokingly talked about it amongst themselves; the answer was staring them right in the face. So long as the super-computer remained a fixture of their lives, if either one of them desired it, they would continue to rewind time until they had the solution they desired. But now there was something else, a voice from within the computer it seemed, a voice that knew how to press the right buttons. It was a voice that all three knew antagonized Aelita into action to restore Jeremy, but it posed a very interesting question. "To restore your Utopia or your friend, you can't have both."

As Ulrich thought about it, the voice had Aelita caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Neither option given to Aelita was of genuine benefit as far as he could see. However, he dared not utter the full extent of this thought aloud. Yumi, however, knew very well what this was. The voice had given Aelita an ultimatum. It was something akin to what she was learning back in school. As far as Yumi's view was concerned, the whole dialogue exchange was a very strongly enforced aspect of Utilitarianism. The voice had given Aelita a choice, to restore what it called their Utopia or to restore Jeremy's life. Yumi knew it was very likely a hard choice; it was a choice she personally never wished she was forced to consider personally.

Odd was silent as he watched Jeremy and Aelita talk. He had seen Aelita fall apart at that moment. He knew that feeling personally having experienced it when his uncle had passed a few years ago. And he also knew the pain that was coursing through her veins. It was a pain desperately attempting to speak, and yet Odd knew the decision was not nearly as hard as it seemed. Whatever the voice was, it was right about one thing. Jeremy, Odd knew, was not at all entirely innocent of his own motivations in bringing Aelita to earth. Odd secretly knew more than he let on. But in knowing what he knew, Odd also saw before his eyes the lengths each would go for each other. To say such a love extended to all the team was a maybe. But for each other, there was no doubt that his eyes didn't deceive him. He saw with crystal clarity the value that Jeremy held to Aelita, and she to him.

As they continued their walk back to Kadic, John Barrow and Maria were observing from a parked car. John was silent as she watched, and Maria was checking the energy signatures around the factory emanating from the super-computer core.

"Well," she said, "we have what we need Johnny."

John was silent a moment and then said, "So it would seem. Alright. Back to the safehouse, we go then. Trial One is complete."

They started their car, and as it softly turned over, they pulled out and headed back towards the industrial sector of the city.

There was still half an hour of time left to burn before the team had to be back inside Kadic's walls. The team stopped back off at Yumi's, and they had a small dinner of a couple of microwave dinners. Ulrich, however, had something on his mind, and he had to discuss it with the one person he felt would understand. He gently nudged Yumi and both headed upstairs.

Once they got inside, Yumi closed the door and said, "What is it, Ulrich?"

"Something occurred to me, and I know it's occurred to you too. Tonight, with all that happened—there's no easy way of asking, do you think Jeremy has as much care and regard for us as he does for Aelita or even Aelita having as much care for us as they do for each other?"