Code Lyoko: Second King

Log #01: Unlocked Cage

[Digital Sea, lowest area, day of X.A.N.A.'s defeat]

Jack Nobel's PoV, 1st

        It was so quiet here, at the bottom of the diagonal sea, the true abyss.

        I would pace about in this ship, my virtual tomb of sorts, to keep my mind working. I have to, that's what my teacher told me. I spent every day, every hour, every minute, all these precious seconds, just to keep myself busy with fixing this blasted ship. All of it may be code, but I gave it physical forms to tinker with it so I don't forget my physical perception. The code was so old now, it was an analog relic now compared to the rest of the network. eleven years in this place would normally convert any normal man into a mess of code, but the deep net has connections to the outside world, but I only view the data when I need material, even that was limited by this cage. Day in and day out, I would wander around this ship, Requiem softly playing in the background, I was thankful for that. I always wonder what he was doing, my mentor above me who gave me so much insight.

        Liking wishing upon a star, I saw a familiar string of code above me, my mentor X.A.N.A. swimming through the raw stream! I tried to call out, but my vocals were scrambled, but I still tried to catch his attention, but I soon saw he was running away from something. He was running from this program that was spreading all over, cornering him and... Erasing him! I acted as soon as I saw this and returned to repairing my ship. I removed any and all systems that wouldn't be of use. That was all the weapons and darknet diving equipment. The ship rocked as the connecting points were deleted, the equivalent of a spacecraft separating from drained boosters. My craft was light enough to travel to save my instructor, but I was still chained down. Even if I were free, this ship barely has any fuel left. If I needed to use my own code, then...

        My train of thought was halted as the ship was hit by something, was it that multi-agent?! I looked at a window and saw it was... It was a creation of X.A.N.A.! A long sharp yellow beak, a long body composed of countless tendrils with green scale covering, and two large webbed hands wrapped around my underwater prison. Project Levithan, one of my ideas... It was slowly being eaten away by that multi-agent as it gnawed at the chains. No, stop it! Override Command: Retreat and save the Guardian! I wanted to scream it out but it was focused on freeing me from this tomb. Suddenly, I heard an artificial voice in my head responded with:

       [Response to Command: De-de-de-Denied]

        Denied? Why is my command denied!? I watched it slowly break down the restraints as it was slowly deleted. The Leviathan will barely have enough data to function.

        [Response to inquiry: Creator's o-o-orders to save Lifeform: Jack Nobel by any means possible]

        My eyes widen at the response and I wanted to protest, but it finally destroyed the last of the restraints as my ship start to float naturally. I looked up at the damaged minion, I was watching a loyal sentient creation vanish before my own eyes. Before I could object at all, the leviathan unit shook off those pesky digital parasites before it connected itself into a port of my vessel. What are you doing?

       [Answer to inquiry: Leviathan unit is heavily damaged, attempt to repair or survival are impractical. New Objective: Use the remaining salvageable data to repair the exploration unit, Tartarus.]

        I glared at its actions and wailed out commands to cease the procedure, but it merely shot them all down. I pleaded with it, the last great creation of my teacher would vanish to be my fuel of escape. In a few moments that felt like hours, my ship's lights turned back on, screens glowed to life, the engine let out a sharp yawn from its long slumber. The last piece of the Leviathan was the eye of the Guardian of Lyoko, and it felt like it smiled at me as it fully dissolved. I gritted my teeth as I reached for the command console and started up this hunk of junk once more and swam high up, leaving the dark for the light above.  I raced to aid X.A.N.A. but when his formless stream of red and black code saw me, it swept me aside through the virtual world shell of what looked to be some sort of replica of Lyoko's. I tried to change course, but I soon heard a synthetic male voice ring softly in my head.