Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code Essay

To start this story, Eoin Colfer introduces the characters and setting in an unusual fashion. Since this book is a sequel, he has the difficult task of introducing the characters to new readers while still keeping it interesting for the ones who have stayed with him through the previous books. He accomplishes this masterfully and with a BANG. He immediately hooks the reader and simultaneously explains the complicated web of his excellent cast of characters. We begin in a Knightsbridge Bistro, present time, and are introduced to the protagonist: a pale adolescence genius by the name of Artemis Fowl and his trusty Eurasian bodyguard Butler. We are also introduced to the antagonist: the shadowy American businessman and fugitive John Spiro and his hulking, beastly, body guard Arno Blunt. Artemis is there to present an offer to the dangerous American. Artemis has stolen fairy technology in the form of a cube (all of which is explained in the prior books) that can read any mechanical information and present it with incredible speed and precision. His offer is that he will not release this incredible product for 9 months, and in that time Spiro can sell all his stock and put it into Fowl Industries. John is suspicious and asks for a demonstration. He requests that Artemis track all the laser satellites monitoring him at that specific moment. Fowl is happy to comply and the machine begins to whirl. It picks up satellites belonging to the FBI and other government owned operations. It then tells them that the LEP is monitoring him as well. Artemis is stunned and quickly shuts up the box. Spiro is confused by the LEP warning, but doesn’t think much of it. Then the inciting incident happens. Artemis and Butler suddenly find that all the restaurants occupants are arms and trained on the two heroes. Spiro has been in control the entire time and with a chuckle he leaves with the cube clamped tightly in his hands. He leaves Arno to make sure that Fowl and Butler are exterminated. Artemis is surprisingly calm in the face of danger. He quotes and old English philosopher and with the final words the building’s occupants fall screaming to the ground. Our hero’s were not niave and completely trusting of Spiro. Therefore, they planted sonic charges inside the building. Artemis and Butler are saved by the ear plugs worn in their ears. Butler leaves Artemis unguarded while he scopes the rest of the building. Arno awakes and with his M9 takes aims and fires into the chest of Artemis. At this point, the reader is either extremely confused, or at the edge of their seat. And to raise suspense Colfer leaves Artie and Butler at a cliff hanger for a minute and changes to another exposition. This time it is with a Fairy by the name of Holly Short in the underground utopia of Haven City. This is a refuge for magical creatures of all sorts to gather and to thrive. A place where technology is far superior then that of the surface world and the â€Å"Mud Men†. Holly and Artemis have crossed paths twice before and even had a slight romance. Holly is part of the LEPrecon police force. LEP standing for Lower Elements Police. Currently she was escorting a group of routy goblins to Police Plaza. All their cars are electronically oriented on a hub in the middle of the city. Suddenly all power goes out in the city. All cars are shut off and every entrance and exit are blocked. This can mean one of two things; A power failure, which is impossible with the countless backup generators the city has, or they have been exposed to the humans. Holly immediately rushes to Police Plaza and reports for duty. She is sent to investigates what has happened and why. The story then returns England and to the conflict. Arno Blunt is aiming his pistol at Artemis and is about to fire when Butler jumps into his way and absorbed the bullet into his own chest. Arno flees the scene as Butler slowly bleeds to death. And with that, the suspense begins to build, Artemis freezes Butlers body in a fish cellar and contacts Holly to help him. She has less then 6 minutes to zoom (with her wings) from her surface entrance in Ireland to England. She arrives with seconds to spare and proceeds accomplish a tricky magical surgery and Butler manages to survive. He is now armed with the anger and hatred to kill Arno Blunt. Now the reader understands the main conflict, Artemis and his friends must discover a way to enter John Spiro’s seemingly unpenetratable fortress and take his prized position. Holly finds that it was Artemis who â€Å"pinged† the Haven. If Spiro were to get past the â€Å"Eternity Code† set up by Fowl to secure the cube the existence of the Lower Elements could be exposed to all mankind. Holly agrees to help Artemis only if he agrees to have his mind wiped after the exposition. Artemis hurriedly agrees and formulates a plan hat he tells only parts of to everybody. They then proceed to execute the well formulated agenda. Spiro cannot open the cube since it has an Eternity Code on it, that only Artemis can open. Artemis goes to the Spiro Needle and tells him that it may take weeks to crack the code. Spiro keeps him under house arrest until he completes his objective. Then an invisible Holly, with the help of some of her technologically sophisticated buddies, infiltrates the building. Eager to show off, John presents the complex security system to Artemis, which Artemis records on his iris cam. Holly frees Artemis and then begins the climatic event. Spiro’s paranoia caused him to move his bed to right in front of the cube. Holy and Artemis manage to seduce him by pouring gas from the air filters and continue to work their way through the complicated security measures. They pass the first few test with ease, but they must have a finger print of John’s thumb. They cut his thumb at the joint and are now in extreme pressure to get through the cube and back. Holly can only reattach the thumb using her magic before 2 minutes. This is the peak of pyramid, the reader is practically sweating with anticipation. The duo manage to get back 30 seconds after their apparent deadline and reattach the thumb. After that adventure the story must wind down. How could it not after a climax like that? The dangerous duo continue their way out of the Spiro Needle and head home. While all of that was happening, Butler had been given a special assignment due to his obvious injury. He has the task of saving all their files related to fairy information onto disk that the more sophisticated fairy wouldn’t notice. He is ready when the two adventurers return with their prize. It is quickly destroyed by holly, smashing it into a million pieces. The story could end right now, but there’s a few things needed to be wrapped up. The fairies are left with a dilemma, if they mind wipe Fowl will he become the evil little devil he was in the first book? Will he find a way to get past their mind wipe, but not have the emotional piece of the puzzle, therefore trying to lead another assault on Fairy Kind? Despite the risks they decide to wipe him anyway. The fairies have enough photographs and information to lock Spiro up for the next decade and the story ends sadly with Holly looking at the oblivious friend she had come to love.