There was something of a finality when Clark realized that there were no more ships left. And the key was gone.
He didn't even fully realize it until a day later, when he was helping his mom rebuild the house, and he was carrying a load of wood from the hardware store from Ma's truck—conventionally, for many reasons, one of them being it reminded him of what Pa would say...in any case, he put the wood down, and stood there for a moment.
"Something wrong, honey?" Martha Kent was ever-perceptive of her quiet son's moods. She wiped her forehead with her glove, leaving an endearing smear of dirt on her forehead.
"I just realized, that I had so much I wanted to say, and I never did..." he said, sounding a bit lost. She frowned.
"To Jonathan?"
"To both of them," he said, in that same, low voice. "I had a chance to talk to Jor-El—remember what I told you, about the ship, the spaceship? They're gone. All of them. Even the key, which is what I think made it work. I could have said so many more things, and now..."
"But wasn't he just a computer program?"
"He seemed so real...even if he was just a computer program," he said with a sad little smile. "I feel like I know him now, a little bit."
Martha looked down, and sighed. She wiped off the dirt on her gloves, and then took them off. "Come with me."
"What?"
"Come on. We're due for a break anyway. Or at least I am. Come on." She motioned for him to follow her. Curiously, he followed her through the half-rebuilt house, to a closet that had remained relatively intact. She opened it, and it was packed to the brim with things they salvaged from the wreckage.
"I found it in all the junk that was left behind...not sure if it came from the ship, or those people...or maybe Jonathan had it all these years and never told us, or forgot about it...anyway, I don't know what it is or does, but maybe you can figure it out."
She presented him a small metal box, and opened it. Inside, was something Clark couldn't identify, but it looked Kryptonian. It was a small round sphere, and next to it...was a key. His heart leapt. It couldn't have been the same key that was destroyed, could it? It got sucked into the black hole or phantom zone or whatever it was.
"Maybe he made a copy?" he murmured mostly to himself, as he picked up the pieces of technology. There was a small slot for the key to enter. He was about to insert it when he realized that it still was, indeed, alien technology, and could do some damage if it was something bad.
"Er, maybe you ought to go outside with that?" Martha said in a voice that told him he didn't have any choice in the matter.
"Yeah, I was about to say the same thing," he smirked. "I'm gonna take this a bit of a ways away—why don't you go get something to eat at the Jones' house in the meantime? I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Be careful," she said, even though he'd been hearing that all his life, she would never stop saying it. With a smile and a wave, he took off, disappearing into the clouds with a flash.
***
The desolate wasteland near the mountains seemed a good a place as any to try this thing out. Also Antarctica didn't have that many people in it, considering, just in case it was dangerous. Holding his breath, he dropped the key into the slot.
Nothing happened. It remained a cold, steel ball.
"Great. It was just a case for the stupid key."
"Now, that's no way to speak of what you hold," said a familiar voice behind him.
Clark's face lit up with what could only be described as glee. It was Jor-El—the computer program that held his memories and conscience, but still...
"I thought you were gone," he said simply.
"The ball you hold in your hands is a holographic device. A sort of mini-computer, if you will. I figured something might happen to the original...you could call it file, I suppose...and had taken precautoinary measures. I'm glad that it survived."
"Well, me too! Wait—are you the same as the one I talked to before, in the ship?"
"In a way. The memories of the other construct were transferred to my mainframe the moment it was destroyed. So yes, I know of General Zod's attack on this planet. I trust that you succeeded?"
"At...a cost." Clark's voice came out a bit strangled, and disgusted. "A great cost."
Somehow, even though he was a program, there was a moment of fatherly concern in the hologram's face. "You did what you had to do, Kal. He was responsible for much more on Krypton."
"I can't allow it to ever happen again. I won't," he said, shaking his head, and looking at his hands. "Never." Somehow he was expecting Jor-El to protest, but instead, he nodded.
"I understand. Now, is there anything you wish to ask me? The purpose of the device you hold is to relay information stored. My predecessor uploaded many of his memories to it. I can take you to them, if you wish."
"Wait—what?" Clark frowned. "What do you mean, take you to them?"
With the snap of his fingers, the cold, bleak landscape of Antarctica disappeared. They were on a cliffside, with strange plants. A heavy, ancient red sun hung in the sky like it was tired.
"Welcome to Krypton."
This is just a story in which to post bits and pieces of short Jor-El related drabbles and one-shots based on his early life and so on, as the computer-program Jor-El takes Clark through a list of holographic memories that he wanted him to see. I was actually just going to post the drabbles but decided on having a story framing device instead. Yay for narrative cohesion! And so forth.
And yeah, I gotta quit posting so many stories about Jor-El, but I just can't help myself. SIGH. Gotta find new characters to ponder over. *grumbles*