Post by DiscipleofBob on May 2, 2015 19:26:56 GMT -5
Ultimate Superman #9:
Krypton Rising, Part Two
Krypton Rising, Part Two
The Alaskan Tundra
Snow and ice covered everything as far the horizon. Glacial mountains and crevasses broke up the terrain. A solitary polar bear looked up to see the giant steel craft slowly descending on the valley. It roared at the monstrosity before turning back and bounding towards its den.
Outside the dreadnought, Kara, no longer in her Power Girl costume but a Kryptonian uniform, along with other crew members helped to guide the ship onto a stable, even surface.
Many Kryptonians took the opportunity to step out into the fresh air, getting used to now extremely enhanced senses, many flying for the first time. It was certainly a safer place to stretch rather than the cornfields of Smallville.
As the Kryptonians were getting settled, a helicopter slowly made its way towards the dreadnought. Aboard, two journalists made sure to capture every moment possible from the ship landing to the flying Kryptonians. General Zod had agreed to one and only one reporter to sate the world's curiosity.
Lois Lane and her cameraman landed nearby, escorted by Kryptonian soldiers. It wasn't the first time Lois had been shown hospitality by a foreign power, but it was her first spaceship. It was also full of invulnerable men and women who could kill her a hundred different ways if they were so inclined. Lois was well aware that despite being near the North Pole things could go south quickly.
General Zod was there to welcome her, along with a small entourage of soldiers. He was an impressive figure, and carried himself with an air of sheer power. She had seen the same charisma in her travels seeing the bigmen of Africa when she was covering the conflict in Sudan.
"Lois Lane, Daily Planet," she said as she walk to him, offering a hand. "I apologize if this is wrong, I don't know your customs."
"It would be unfair of anyone to blame you for things you didn't know. Welcome on board, Ms. Lane."
General Zod turned and she followed, looking around the area. This was an entry way, the decoration were mostly banners and crests. They were exact with clearly marked designs. The whole area had an air of dignity and pride, with was a long tradition. If this relationship worked out she could see a real interest in the people taking hold in the public curiosity.
"First I want to see you are taken care of, then I'll take you to the rest," Zod said, leading her to a wide area. It was beautifully designed and capable to impress, yet Lois could tell it had been thrown together last second, likely for her benefit. There was probably not a single room on the ship with this level of decorum. They were, after all, refugees. "For a guest of your standing I hope these will be appropriate lodgings."
As he said this he walked into a grand suite. It was filled with what had to be fine things, whatever they had available. However it was a play she had seen before. Material goods could ply most, but she wasn't most.
"I don't assume all your crew live like this," she said as she looked around the room and nodded. "I'd like to see how they do."
"Of course, I have already arranged it." Zod was smirking slightly, not surprised by her disinterest. "I was merely trying to show be hospitable to our guests. We're not just a pack of shiftless refugees and soldiers."
Entering the common area she saw a busy intersection where busy officers were moving with their duties, but she saw life as well. There were a few familes, but not many. They had the same hectic worry of parenthood in their eye as she saw in any place she had ever been on Earth. Though the children's education reminded more of the child soldiers of Rwanda. This was still a military ship, and children here were taught how to fight before anything else, like Spartans.
"We provide our people with what they need. There is little room for luxury in our situation, but we don't divide our people by race or class. Even my higher ranking lieutenants have the same kind of quarters as our privates. Families receive larger quarters as well, and whenever possible we try to keep everyone in close proximity to their stations. But see for yourself." He motioned to a door nearby. Inside a few members of the crew were working on daily chores while younger students poured over studies. "The vessel was originally designed for long-term exploration. We have classrooms, medical bays, enough that everyone can get what they need. There is one area you might find of particular interest."
"Any hint as to what this is?" she asked as he led to another area, this time at the center of the ship. Whatever it was the sconces and tiles were only getting grander. "I can't say I'm fond of surprises in the field."
"Such surprises tend to be unpleasant. I can see why," Zod said, standing by an ornate door. "Ms. Lane, the soul of our people. This is the repository."
The room was massive, vaulted, and filled. It didn't occur to her to be professional as her eyes went wide. The walls were filled with boxes, displays, databases in monitor form. Maps of systems earth had never seen, maps of worlds no human had ever known.
"When we arrived at Krypton it was falling apart, practically lost. We could hear the cries of pain, of desperation wherever we looked. We could never save them all. A hundred ships could not.” Zod looked worn, old, at the memory. "Some tried, and we did save many. Others made a different choice. The people were lost, but their memory didn’t have to be. Some people sacrificed their lives to save their children, as it was with Kal-El, the one you know as Superman. Others sacrificed their lives to save our history, our culture, our legacy." Zod looked around the room, his eyes sad but protective. "We were a great people once, Ms. Lane. If nothing else I want you to know that. We were not always as we are now." Looking at the items stored here she believed it.
By comparison to some of the despots Lois had the displeasure of interviewing in the past, General Zod was surprisingly amicable. He answered all of her questions, never being dodgy or dismissive, even when she asked to see the brig.
"Fortunately, while we have a brig constructed, it's seen very little use," Zod explained as they toured the jail cells, considerably less inviting than the rest of the ship, but not nearly the type of dungeon Lois had encountered in other countries.
"Are you saying that Kryptonians don't commit crimes?" Lois pressed.
"We have a common goal to work together towards: survival. It helps from the start this ship has had a very military structure."
"I thought you said this ship was originally built to scout and make peaceful contact with other worlds."
"It was, but when designing the ship and selecting the crew members, we had to keep in mind the strong possibility of hostile alien forces. Also, most of the original crew consisted of soldiers who, after Krypton's nations unified, would not have become restless in settled peaceful lives, myself included."
"And yet you want to settle on Planet Earth," Lois quickly followed up.
Zod was surprised. He actually had to think for a moment about his answer, and he smiled at Lois's tenaciousness. "We do what we must in order to survive. For the time being it means landing and performing maintenance on our ship. Us forming any kind of settlement would only be brought up after extensive negotiations with your world leaders."
"But you do admit it's a possibility you've considered."
"It is, and I do think that my people have much to offer your world, if that becomes the case."
As they talked, they rounded a corner to a crowd of Kryptonians that had gathered. "What's going on here?" Lois asked.
A guard noticed the two and quickly came up, "Sir. We're about to start. Do you want me to escort these humans somewhere else?" he said, trying and failing to be discreet.
"That won't be necessary. Thank you," Zod said as he waved aside the crowd to let Lois through. "I promised I would be forthright with Earth's people. That means showing our darkest side as well."
Lois was led to a small balcony overlooking a large room lined with Kryptonians, some guards, some spectators. At one end, a large square steel frame had been erected. "What is all this?" Lois asked, confused.
"Patience," replied Zod. On the bottom floor, an engineer flipped a few switches on a console and very carefully ramped up a lever. The console sparked along with strange spiraling circuitry all around the room, leading up to the steel frame. The frame started to crackle with electricity and come alive until the space between the frames started to distort and ripple like a cracked liquid mirror.
"That is the Phantom Zone, or rather a portal generated to it," Zod explained. Lois didn't like the sound of it one bit. "The Phantom Zone is a dimension Kryptonians discovered in darker days. It is difficult to describe in detail. Anyone who trespasses into the Phantom Zone is stuck in a barren ethereal wasteland where they are in constant pain, both physical and mental."
"Why would you open a portal to such a place?" Lois asked skeptically. As she spoke, the rippling intensified until out stepped a large, muscular man, presumably Kryptonian in what appeared to be some kind of prisoner jumpsuit. The man instantly collapsed to the ground, whimpering and trembling. "What is this?!" Lois demanded.
"As an alternative to capital punishment, our most severe punishment is a temporary banishment to the Phantom Zone. For many Kryptonians, it would be the equivalent of Earth's 'hell', culturally speaking. The man you see before you is named Non. Before you sympathize with him too much, know that he was tried and found guilty of forcing himself on a fellow Kryptonian."
Lois didn't need to ask for further details. "And was he like that before going in?"
"Exposure to the Phantom Zone in any amount can cause trauma. Physical, psychological, even spiritual. Most recover over time."
"Most?"
"The trauma can be extensive," Zod said solemnly, "It is why this punishment is reserved for only the most heinous crimes."
"And how do you justify this kind of treatment? It looks like torture," Lois pressed.
"Perhaps it can be argued as such. However, I would ask you and your viewers what your own countries are capable of as far as punishments for the guilty are concerned. I'm not suggesting we are any better, but there are certain necessary measures we have to take to survive. We are an endangered species, Ms. Lane. I cannot afford to sentence even a rapist or murderer to death, but such actions cannot go unpunished."
Lois looked down at the large Kryptonian as he was being examined by medical personnel. "What will happen to him?"
"He will be cared for, allowed to recover as much as he is able. When he is able he will be assigned a position and duties befitting his capabilities. He will be reintegrated into our community as much as possible, and hopefully prove to be a fully rehabilitated citizen."
Lois watched as Non was eventually put on a stretcher and dragged away for whatever Zod called rehabilitation. She gave the cut signal to her cameraman. "I think we should probably take a break before we continue."
Zod nodded. "A wise decision, Ms. Lane. I don't blame you for being upset and I thank you for keeping an open mind."
ARGUS Base
General Lane marched as fast as he could through the base without actually breaking into a run. Amanda Waller was following close behind. "General, this is insane!"
The general paid little attention, eyes focused forward as he quickly bypassed every secured door they had. "What's insane is letting those alien freaks get full reign of this planet. When there was just one it was bad enough. When there was two my biggest concern was that they might breed. Now there's a whole goddamn army, and what does our President do? Suspend the only people preparing to fight these things."
"The President gave a direct order. You don't like it. I don't like it. She's still commander-in-chief," Waller argued.
"She's a bleeding heart, feminazi, lame duck, social justice warrior who will be out of the Oval Office in a few years anyway. Presidents come and go. It's people like us, in it for the long haul, who are really responsible for this country's well-being. As far as I'm concerned, President O'Neil is a traitor to this country."
"The only traitors here are going to be us if you go through with this!" Waller shouted. "Attacking a foreign power? Sabotaging diplomatic relations? For God's sake, Sam, listen to yourself!"
"Foreign power? Call it what it actually is: an alien invasion. My mind is perfectly clear, Amanda. O'Neil is going to launch a formal investigation into ARGUS. She's going offer us up on a silver platter for her new alien friends. Hell, she might even be hoping to replace our entire military with them. Best case scenario, we get trotted out in front of a grand jury, every top secret weapon and project we have is exposed to the public, we go to prison, and America is just as unprotected against superhuman threats as when we started this mess."
General Lane entered the secret ARGUS warehouse, walked past the many rows of man-size capsules of the Cadmus project, straight up to what Dr. Hamilton called the Doomsday weapon. "It's now or never."
"Sam, I beg you to reconsider. We set this thing loose, we can't be sure we can stop it," Waller begged.
"I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't absolutely certain there was an alternative," General Lane replied. "Reach for your gun and you'll be dead before you can turn off the safety. If you want, you can go contact the President and tell her how I went mad and how you did everything you could to stop me. I won't blame you, but you're either with me or against me."
General Lane removed a small key from around his neck and unlocked the console in front of the so-called Doomsday weapon. Alarms blared, as was to be expected. As General Lane typed away at the console, other pieces of equipment were attached to the capsule, including rockets, fins, and a guidance system.
Amanda Waller hesitated, taking a deep breath before making her decision. "God help us all. You know we're going to need to bring Luthor in on this."
"I'm sure the rich bastard will think it was Christmas. Let him play war hero if he feels like it," General Lane said unsympathetically as the ceiling above the capsule started to open up to reveal an underground silo connecting to the surface. Releasing smoke and steam, the Doomsday capsule fired its rockets, launching into the skies to its target. "We don't have a lot of time. Get everything packed up and ready to go with whatever crew we have available. Whether this works or not, we're going to need everything we've got."
The Kryptonian Ship
Superman had been invited as well, but as Lois's request did not participate in the same tour. The world was already on edge about Superman suddenly having the rest of his race on Earth with their own spaceship. It was like the general public had forgotten Superman was an alien all these years, and recent events had reminded them that Superman wasn't just a superhero. He wasn't unique anymore, and while one Superman had been generally accepted as a hero, hundreds could mean something great or something sinister.
Zod's quarters were close to the bridge, and what normally would be a view of the entire galaxy ahead of the ship now contained a picturesque landscape of the arctic tundra. Zod and Superman sat across the table, both anxiously awaiting this moment. "Thank you for your patience, Kal-El. I promised I would make time to answer all of your questions. It's a shame you couldn't join us for the tour."
"Lois thought it would be best if I wasn't the focus of the piece. A lot of people are already wondering if I've been a spy this entire time."
"It will pass. The people of Earth do not know how to react to our presence. Between your friend Ms. Lane's report, your own word, and your actions, they will soon be reminded of your service and convinced of our sincerity."
"Why did you send for Lois?"
"I should have thought that was obvious," said Zod before acknowledging Superman didn't know. "We couldn't have representatives of every news outlet and media station here. We simply aren't ready to accommodate that many inquisitive visitors. Everything Kara has told me suggests that Lois Lane has treated you with nothing but fairness during your time here. She is assured to be trustworthy. On top of that, she is a personal friend of yours, so as a favor I thought that giving her the exclusive report would improve her standing in the eyes of her superiors."
The answer satisfied Superman, but it brought something else up as well. "Speaking of which, Kara."
Zod nodded in understanding. "Yes. I regret that her responsibilities involved deceiving you, and I hope you won't hold it against her. Her actions were necessary."
"How? Why couldn't she just say she was a scout and you'd be coming for her?" Superman objected.
"You aren't the only survivor of Krypton we've had to rescue from other planets. Over the years, there have been many, and we've learned through trial and error that sometimes the benefit of the doubt can be costly.
"One of the first planets we visited after the destruction of our world had several distress signals. Many of our people could only escape with small personnel craft never meant for crossing the universe to habitable worlds. By the time we got there, the indigenous species, this red repitilian race, had already killed the survivors and consumed their flesh. All we found left were bones. They tried to take us as well, but we managed to fend them off.
"Later, we approached another planet for a single distress call. This time we managed to make contact. The native race to the planet was more technologically advanced than us, and had space travel technology for generations. To our knowledge, they had treated the refugee with respect and kindness. We thought we could possibly barter for some of their technology, make our journey a bit easier.
"We sent an away team to make contact with the refugee who would introduce us to the natives' leader. It was an ambush. At some point between when we first made contact and when we landed, the natives had changed their minds about helping us and had decided that we would better serve as test subjects. The refugee and our away team were killed."
"I'm sorry," Superman offered as he listened to Zod's somber stories.
"It would be a better universe if we could all trust one another. But that simply isn't the case. We've survived this long by being cautious, by knowing when to be diplomatic, when to be subtle, and when to be aggressive. I hope you will forgive us, Kal-El."
Superman didn't know how to respond. All this time, General Zod had been bending over backwards to accommodate him, when he felt like it should have been the other way around. The alien name Zod assured him was his birth-name was still unfamiliar, but Superman stopped objecting to it. It was, after all, the name given by his father...
"You said you knew my father?"
Zod smiled weakly, recalling somber memories of old friends. "I knew both your parents. Your father was Jor-El and your mother was Lara-El." He fumbled in a nearby drawer and pulled out a small orb, placing it on the table between them. As he withdrew his hand, the orb lit up. It displayed a small hologram of two smiling adults in Kryptonian garb. "Keep it. You probably don't have anything else to remember them by."
Superman hesitated to accept the gift. As much as he tried to view the two holograms as his birth parents, they were effectively strangers. "Tell me, what was my father like?"
"You take after him. He too was a hero. We grew up together. When we were children, Krypton was still a planet of divided nation-states constantly at war. Jor-El was a man of peace, and I was raised to be a soldier."
"Were you enemies then?"
"No, we were friends. Rivals, maybe. We disagreed and argued often, but he would eventually prove himself right in every debate. He was instrumental in uniting the peoples of Krypton under one rule and effectively ending war, and directly involved in most of the scientific achievements of our lifetime, including designing Krypton's first spaceships."
"How did he pass?"
"When our ship returned to Krypton on its maiden voyage, Krypton was already under siege. By an enemy to this day I have been unable to identify, even after traversing the universe. Your father was on the surface, and spent his last breath making sure as many people could escape as possible, yourself included. For you, Jor-El chose a very specific route, one that led across the breadth of the universe, passing by many planets other refugees had landed or crashed on, until you came to this system. I can only guess, but I think your father knew the effects the yellow sun would have on our people. I think he knew that if our people were to continue to thrive, this system would be the best place for it. Don't you see? Jor-El may have been a savior, but you are a messiah. Thanks to you and your father's actions, our people have been led to a shining utopia under a golden sun. I think he somehow knew that this sun would grant our people godlike powers."
The stories were turning more uncomfortable. "With all due respect, General, I don't consider myself a messiah, and I certainly don't consider myself godlike."
"Of course you don't," Zod laughed. "Among the many excellent qualities you share with your father is humility. It's not my wish to make you uncomfortable or place an undue burden, but I feel it only fair to tell you that there are many of my people who see the last surviving son to be born on Krypton as a beacon of hope. This long voyage, these many years, while we have saved whoever we can and struggled to survive, our end goal has always been to find the son of Jor-El, the Last Son of Krypton."
"I don't want to be worshipped," Superman calmly protested, though the situation continued to become more tense. "I'm a man. I have amazing powers compared to the rest of Earth, sure, but I'm not God. None of us are. If my parents- my Earth-parents, the one who raised me, it's that no matter how great my powers are, they're a responsibility first."
"The humans who raised you are wise. I'm not asking you to suddenly lead our people. Especially when you've little to no knowledge of our culture," Zod explained calmly. "I will ask one thing. Someday, in the hopefully distant future, I will need to retire and pass on the leadership of the Kryptonian race. I know you don't fully comprehend the legacy that you bear, but I would ask that you at least consider the possibility of someday, only when you're ready, to lead our people."
"Do you realize what you're asking?"
"Only that you consider the possibility for the distant future. It's not something you need to decide today or tomorrow or even in the years to follow. You were born for greatness, Kal-El. And with that greatness comes a responsibility all its own." Superman couldn't argue because he could already tell that General Zod wouldn't listen. Zod eventually broke the silence. "I can see this is a lot for you to take in. I only want you to know exactly where you stand with our people. We may be strangers to you, but to me, you're family. I promise I will try not to push you in any direction. This needs to be your decision. You need to decide what your responsibilities are for yourself."
To be continued...