| abstract
| - Principal Delmas speaks to a group of students on the track being built in cooperation with the Board of Education. In front of the group are two bulldozers being used in construction of the track. As he continues on with how it's to benefit the students, Odd whispers to Ulrich, asking if they really have to listen to Mr. Delmas. Ulrich replies, saying he could have stayed with Jeremie. Yumi asks what Jeremie is up to. Odd says, "He's glued to his computer screen, in a big cyber conversation with his darling, Aelita." In his dorm room, Jeremie tells Aelita that he's close to developing her materialization program. Aelita, who is in contact with Jeremie through a window on his computer screen, talks of all the possibilities when she becomes real, such as touching each other and kissing. When Aelita mentions this, Jeremie blushes and makes up conversation filler, but quickly regains his composure. He then tests his materialization program, but it fails mid-way. Aelita tries to comfort Jeremie, who is becoming increasingly frustrated, by telling him that he'll succeed one day. Jeremie expresses his doubts over successfully materializing Aelita, and walks out of the room to blow off some steam. Minutes later, Odd wanders into the room. Seeing the window on the computer, Odd sits down to check out Jeremie's latest project. He grabs a bag of candy and starts eating from it, but when Jeremie calls out his name, he is startled and drops candy all over the keyboard. Jeremie comes in and yells at Odd, saying he told him many times not to touch his computer when he isn't around. Looking at the keyboard, Jeremie yells at Odd again, saying the keyboard is extremely sensitive. When he checks on Aelita's materialization program, he finds to his amazement that it actually works. Jeremie starts complimenting Odd, stating that Odd accidentally modified and relaunched the materialization program, successfully. However, since he doesn't know what keys on the keyboard were hit when Odd dropped the candy, they can only use it once. He then tells Odd to inform the others of this development. The others turn out to be very skeptical. Yumi says that they just can't materialize Aelita like that, without preparations. Jeremie argues that he's double-checked and everything is ready. Ulrich reminds him that she has no parents, no birth certificate, and isn't enrolled at any school. Odd adds that it could land her in a mental institution. Aelita, who's been listening to the conversation, says that she doesn't have to be materialized today. Jeremie's friends proposes that Aelita could move in with the Ishiyamas, that Jeremie could hack into the city computers and create a false birth certificate, and that she could be enrolled at Kadic. Jeremie gives in and tells them that they will get started tomorrow. That night, Jeremie can't sleep, with his mind focused on Aelita's materialization program. He gets out of bed and contacts Aelita, asking if she's asleep. Aelita pops up on the computer screen and responds, saying virtual beings don't sleep. Jeremie says he's excited for Aelita, thinking of all the experiences she will have on Earth. Aelita asks, "Like sleeping?" Jeremie responds, "That's right, that and all kinds of fun things." Aelita then asks Jeremie to tell her more. Meanwhile, a stadium light near the track lights up as two spectres enter the two parked bulldozers. The motors and lights start, as the bulldozers start moving onto the track. In his room, Jeremie is explaining to Aelita the sense of touch, noting that Aelita can only see and hear on Lyoko. From within the tower, Aelita hears the thumping of an activated tower and tells Jeremie. He tells her that he will be at the Factory and closes the window on the screen. Jeremie walks into Odd and Ulrich's dorm room and yells about XANA attacking, waking up the two. Ulrich takes out a pair of earplugs from his ears as Jeremie yells again, hurting his ears. Odd asks if Ulrich always sleeps with earplugs. Ulrich says yes, adding he will tell him why someday. The boys run outside and see the bulldozers on a rampage. Jeremie leaves for the Factory as Ulrich and Odd rush over to stop the bulldozers. They each climb into a bulldozer's driver seat, but none of the controls are working. Yumi is awoken by a cell phone call from Jeremie, who is traveling through the Sewers. Yumi is still trying to understand what Jeremie is saying, such as "bulldozers", when she realizes the danger. Odd climbs out of his bulldozer and opens the door in Ulrich's, telling him he can't control it. Ulrich tells him to get to the Factory, while he stays behind to figure out what XANA is planning. On Lyoko, Aelita is following the pulsing red wires through the Forest sector. Odd gets to the Factory, when Jeremie assures Aelita that Odd and, hopefully, Ulrich, will be there soon. At the mention of Ulrich, Odd tells Jeremie that Ulrich stayed behind. Jeremie then calls Ulrich, who reports that he's near the riverbank and that the target of XANA's attack is the Factory. Jeremie virtualizes Odd into Lyoko's Forest sector, where he meets up with Aelita. The bulldozers make their way to the Factory Floor, where they ramming steel columns. Ulrich tries to get out, but the doors lock on him. Ramming the columns shatters the bulldozer's windows and shakes up Ulrich quite a bit. Outside, Yumi is running towards the Factory. On Lyoko, Odd and Aelita reach an intersection of paths, where they are surrounded on all sides by Roachsters. Yumi reaches the Factory, and sees the floor a wreck as well as Ulrich lying unconscious inside a bulldozer. Yumi runs over and gets him out as the bulldozer smashes through a wall. On Lyoko, Odd destroys a Roachster, but gets hit by a laser. He destroys another Roachster, with 6 lazer arrows left, and starts running down the cleared path with Aelita. On the Factory Floor, Yumi and a conscious Ulrich avoid a pursuing bulldozer by dropping down a hatch, into an underground hallway. Jeremie climbs up a ladder to help Ulrich into the Lab. Yumi goes down to the Scanner Room for virtualization as Ulrich slumps down. As the Factory slowly falls apart around her, Yumi enters Lyoko. There, Odd and Aelita are still running from the Roachsters. Aelita keeps running towards the activated tower, but Odd, who only has 10 life points left, stays behind to fight the Roachsters. With three lazer arrows left and three Roachsters, Odd can't afford to miss a shot. He destroys another when Anticipation kicks in, giving him a premonition of Yumi falling into the Digital Void. When he regains his composure, he is devirtualized by a Roachster. Yumi rushes in to avenge Odd, destroying the Roachster. Odd comes up to the Lab, where he tells Jeremie of his premonition. Although she hears it, Yumi insists on fighting anyway. Ulrich tells Jeremie that he will go help Yumi, getting Odd to help him to the Scanners. On Lyoko, Aelita sees the tower, but a Megatank is in the way. Jeremie transfers Ulrich to Lyoko as the Megatank fires at Aelita, and begins repositioning itself for a better shot. Just as it fires, Yumi runs in and rams the Megatank. The force tilts the laser's axis of fire away from Aelita and causes the Megatank to fall into the Digital Void. However, ramming the monster causes Yumi to slip, leaving her dangling above the Void too. Aelita enters the tower to deactivate it, as Ulrich comes running at high speed to grab Yumi. Unfortunately, he is too late and Yumi falls into the Digital Void. Aelita completes deactivating the tower moments later, but it is too late to save Yumi. Jeremie activates a time reversion, bringing everyone else back to the beginning of the day. In the Lab, Jeremie, Odd, and Ulrich are contemplating what they can do. Aelita proposes that they use her materialization program to bring back Yumi. Unfortunately, it is a one-time use; Aelita or Yumi can come to Earth, but not both. This is the titular cruel dilemma. Although Jeremie wants to materialize Aelita, he knows that Yumi's a part of their world. Aelita says she can wait a little longer. Jeremie tracks down Yumi in the Digital Void and uses the program to bring her back. Jeremie tells Aelita that he is both happy and sad, regarding the materialization program. Aelita says she has faith in him, that he will one day be able to get her to Earth. In the Sewers, everyone gets around Jeremie. Odd offers Jeremie a candy. Yumi adds that candy can fix anything, even a broken heart. Jeremie gives in, and pops it into his mouth.
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