"Father, I don't understand why I need ..."

"Kal-El, my son, this is what every young Kryptonian must do and it is a long tradition which has been observed by our council for a millennia."

Kal frowned at his father, running a hand through his thick, dark locks.

"But it's Earth, Father. They're primitive."

"And it would do you much good to learn tolerance of other cultures, my son. Do not presume that I have not seen the way you treat those of mixed race."

"I'm sorry, Father, I know you ..."

"Kal-El, I tell you this for your own good," Jor-El said, placing gentle hands on his son's shoulders. "The only way for Krypton to move forward is to learn from the mistakes of our past. We lost many Kandorians in the war with Black Zero; your own cousin's mother was among them."

Kal-El nodded. The war had begun almost fifty years earlier when a group of Kryptonians decided to break off from the authority of the council, saying they believed there should only be purity in their blood. Krypton was made up of several different races and the separatists believed those races should be segregated. Kal had learned through his father's teachings that there were similar battles on Earth.

Still, he was reluctant to leave Krypton knowing there were still rumblings, despite the civil war having been over since just before he was born.

"You must go to the portal, Kal-El."

"How long must I stay on Earth?"

"Long enough for you to learn about their culture first-hand. At least one Earth year."

It was longer than his father's. Jor-El had spent about a month on the planet long before he had met Lara Lor-Van, Kal's mother. Tragedy had struck after he had fallen for a young Earth woman.

"Now, remember, Kal-El," his father said as Kal went to step into the portal. "You will be different from them. You will have powers from their yellow sun and you will be stronger than the humans. I have taught you all I can how to control your powers but you must be careful not to reveal them to anyone."

"I understand Father."

"What message do you leave for your mother?"

"Please tell her I love her and I will see her in one Earth year."

The sun was bright as he emerged from the dark cave, blinking. Kal looked around in wonder at the green pasture. His father had told him of the colours but he had never quite believed it.

He left the clearing and wandered through the forest, trying to get his bearings. He found his way out onto the road, wondering which way he should head.

The yellow sun was high in the sky and suffused him with energy. His entire body just seemed to vibrate with power. Jor-El had created simulations to help him learn to adjust but the sensation wasn't quite the same as the simulation and it felt a little overwhelming at first.

A loud sound had him looking up, startled.

"Hey, get out of the road, idiot!"

Kal-El searched his memory, trying to remember what Jor-El had told him about Earth's modes of transportation. Clearly the machine which had nearly hit him was some kind of vehicle. It was made of metal, the surface gleaming from the sunlight above. The lines were rounded and smooth. Clear panels allowed the occupant to see out from all sides of the vehicle.

The female was leaning out one side of the vehicle, glaring at him. It rather reminded him of his mother's expression when he had done something he shouldn't.

The female got out of the vehicle and stood beside it, arms folded as she continued to glare at him angrily. Kal-El took this as an opportunity to study her.

She was rather lovely, with a slender figure, slim waist and high, rounded breasts. Her face was almost symmetrical with high cheekbones, framed by long, curly hair. The only thing with that was the hair seemed to be the wrong colour for her fair skin. It was too light. He would have rather liked it darker.

Indeed, if this was an example of the females who populated this part of the planet, he could understand why his father still had fond memories of his own visit.

"Are you checking me out?"

Kal-El frowned. What did that mean? He opened his mouth to speak, trying to remember his lessons in the Earth language his father had called English.

"I am sorry," he said. "I am ..." What was the word? "Just."

From the female's frown, it clearly wasn't the right word.

"Just? Just what?"

"Just." He felt like a ... well, he didn't quite know the Earth word for it, and the Kryptonian just wouldn't make sense at all. Besides, he was supposed to be trying to learn to think in English instead of his native language.

"I think the word you're looking for is lost," the female said, her features lighting up as she smiled. She had a lovely smile, he thought. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"Uh ..."

"It's all right," she said. "We don't get many foreigners. Not in these backwoods anyway. Where are you headed?"

"Kent," was all he managed, taken aback by the sudden friendliness and the beauty of that smile.

"Is that a place or a name?"

"Um, Hiram Kent," he said, remembering Jor-El had told him of the couple at the farm.

"Hop in," she said. "I don't know where Hiram Kent is, but I can at least help you find out."

He followed her to the vehicle, getting in the other side and sitting down. His long legs were squashed in the narrow gap. The female turned and grinned at him.

"You might want to adjust the seat. My cousin usually sits there and she's kinda, well, she's not short, but she's not tall either. Here," she said.

He leaned back in the seat, trying to keep his hands to himself as she tilted her body, laying one hand on his lap before reaching under the seat between his legs. His body reacted to her scent and he breathed it in, feeling an almost dizzying sensation wash over him. His eyes began to feel hot and he squeezed them shut. At the same time, he felt an uncomfortable tightness in his pants.

This was unexpected.

It was over within a few seconds as the female shoved the seat back, giving his legs more room. She didn't seem to notice anything amiss as she sat upright.

Then again, maybe she had, he thought as she asked:

"Are you all right?"

"The heat," he said, searching for an excuse that would sound plausible.

"Yeah, I know. I got exiled to this charming cow town by my dad and it's been the hottest summer on record."

"Exiled?"

"Yeah, dumped in the middle of Bumf*ck Kansas," she proclaimed.

Kal frowned at her, not knowing what to make of her terminology. His father had tutored him in the language but as far as he knew, the term she had used was a kind of vernacular for some kind of sex.

"Why would he do that?" Kal asked haltingly.

She shrugged. "He's a general. He has three thousand guys to babysit. He doesn't need me around, getting in his way."

Kal was struck by the bitterness in her tone, even though she was clearly trying to keep it light.

"But, hey, enough about me. Where are you from anyway?"

He knew he shouldn't tell her he was from the stars, but he had no idea what to say.

"I bet you're from Russia. Your accent's kind of European. I mean, not totally obvious or anything, it's just I spent a couple of years in Europe when my dad ... oh but anyway ..."

He smiled as she chattered on.

"You talk a lot," he commented.

"Yeah, well, I've never been comfortable with uncomfortable silences, I guess. I mean, not that you make me uncomfortable. You just ... well, I guess it's because you don't really know the language that well, although you're doing okay so far, aside from the little slip back there ..."

There she went again, chattering away. Kal didn't really mind since it kept him company, in a way. He watched through the glass shield as their journey continued, gazing with interest as the dusty roads gave way to paved streets and what appeared to be single storey dwellings.

Earth people certainly lived differently. All Kal had ever known on Krypton was the crystal domes. He had never ventured beyond the city to the land beyond, since it was poisoned. At least, according to his uncle Zor-El.

The vehicle turned down another street and Kal saw it was a commercial area of some kind. There were people walking along the paved area, holding something in their hands. He frowned, wondering what it was. It seemed to be a food of some kind as they bent their heads for a few seconds, then lifted them again to show a white substance on their mouths.

"Ice cream!" the female said. The vehicle jolted and came to a sudden stop. He was flung forward and shot out a hand to steady himself, unconsciously doing the same to the female. The vehicle moved again, only it seemed to go in the opposite direction from where they had been travelling.

They came once again to a shuddering halt. Kal heard a crunch and looked around. His companion just grinned and shrugged at him, then got out, moving behind the vehicle. Kal followed her, frowning as she kicked the metal of the vehicle behind.

"Just mashed the bumper," she said. "I'll leave a note. My insurance will cover it."

Kal had no idea what a 'bumper' was or what she meant by insurance, but decided he would be better to just go along with it.

She looked at him.

"Funny, I just gave you a ride and I don't even know your name."

"Kal," he said.

"Kal what?"

"Kal-El."

"Funny name," she replied. "Well, mine's Lois. Lane. You can call me Lois."

"Lo-is," he said slowly, trying it out. It felt nice.

"So, come on, Kal," she said, her long hair flying behind her as she turned and stepped onto a raised area where other people were walking. She dodged one young couple who were absorbed in eating their treat.

He followed her inside the building, glancing around. There were tables scattered around the room and a long box-like structure which was topped by a glass shield. She was gazing through the shield.

"Mm, I think I'll have a sundae," she said.

Sundae? he thought. Wasn't that supposed to be what they called a day?

"What's a sundae?" he asked.

"Oh, I guess you'd call them something else where you come from." She smiled at the human standing behind the box thing. "My friend is new around here," she explained. "He's a transfer student from Russia."

Kal-El admired the girl's quick wit as she came up with a story to explain him. She stretched, standing on her toes as she gestured with her hands, telling the man what she wanted. He continued to look her up and down. She had a nice, slim posterior encased in trousers made of a stiff fabric, similar to what he was wearing. The back area was pulled taut over her posterior, emphasising round cheeks.

He blinked rapidly as his eyes grew hot once more and his pants tightened again. He took a slow, calming breath and controlled it. Lois turned and handed him a small cup. It felt waxy on the surface.

"Let's get a table," she said.

He followed her as she sat down in the corner on a padded seat. The material covering the seat appeared to be similar to what had been in the interior of her vehicle. It was smooth and soft to the touch.

Lois began eating her sundae with a spoon. Kal-El looked at his own. It was filled with the same white substance he'd seen the other humans eating, with some kind of dark, sticky liquid on top, dotted with tiny, hard chips of something else he couldn't identify.

"Eat up," Lois said. "You'll like it. Trust me."

He took the spoon and dug it into the substance, taking a little of the dark liquid and the chips with it, then lifted the spoon to his mouth, tasting it. It was like nothing he had ever tasted before. It was sweet, but not too sweet, the white cold mixed with the warmer liquid. The chips added a texture to the concoction.

He closed his eyes in pleasure.

"Good huh?" Lois said.

Kal-El opened his mouth to reply but another voice broke in.

"Lois, hey! Who's the cutie?"

He looked at the owner of the voice. She was petite, with short, light hair and a toothy grin.

"Hey Chlo. This is Kal. He's a transfer student from Russia. Kal, this is my cousin."

"Transfer student, huh? I guess that means you'll be going to Smallville High this year?"

He bit his lip. His father had told him the best way to learn about the humans was to attend some kind of educational institution. He had no idea exactly how he was supposed to do that, but he would figure something out.

Chloe seemed to be waiting for his reply, so he just nodded dumbly and went back to eating his sundae. Another girl joined her. She was pretty, with long, dark hair, olive skin and brown eyes. Still, she wasn't as pretty as Lois by a long shot, he thought.

"This is Lana," Chloe said. "This is Kal," she added, waving her hand in his direction. "Uh, so where are you staying?"

"Uh, my father told me to … uh, I mean, I came to see Kent. Hiram Kent."

Lana frowned. "Hiram Kent's been dead for years. You wouldn't be meaning his son, Jonathan, would you?"

Kal-El frowned, then nodded.

"Jonathan and his wife Martha live out on Hickory Lane," Lana explained to Lois. She looked curiously at Kal-El. "Did your dad know Hiram or something?"

He nodded again, feeling like an idiot. It had been more than forty Earth years since his father's visit. A lot would have changed since then.

"I live with my aunt Nell about a mile from the Kents," Lana told him. "They never said anything to Nell about having an exchange student."

Lois shrugged. "They probably didn't want everyone knowing their business. They're very private, aren't they, Kal?"

He looked at her gratefully. She was covering for him again. He had no idea why she would do that, but he was thankful nonetheless.

He was relieved when Lois finished her sundae and announced they needed to get going. He followed her back out to her vehicle and waited while she pulled a small device out of her pocket.

"Let's see if I can figure this thing out," she said. She looked at him and grinned sheepishly. "I just got it. It's got a map and everything. See?"

He glanced at the screen which had some kind of graphic on it. Lois frowned at it.

"Okay, so we're here and I'm looking for Hickory Road. Oh, Lane, not Road. There it is. Okeydokey. Let's go."

He sat back as she pulled out. He heard beeping sounds and realised she must have cut someone off. She must have caught his expression as she looked even more sheepish.

"My dad can't understand how I got my licence sometimes," she told him. "I mean, not that I'm a bad driver or anything. I do okay. I mean, sure, I had this little accident a while ago. Totally not my fault though."

There was silence for a little while. He looked out at the passing scenery. Most of the land looked brown. His father had told him that most of Earth's countryside was green, although there were some areas, like the cities, that had fewer greener zones and some place called the Arctic which was white and cold. Jor-El had taught him a little about precipitation and what it could do to the land if there was not enough of it and he realised this was what his father meant.

"So, how do you know Hiram?" Lois asked.

He glanced at her and realised he had been lost in thought.

"My father knew him," he said. "Many Ea … many years ago."

"So I guess he didn't know Hiram died."

Kal-El adopted the same gesture she'd used earlier, raising his shoulders briefly.

"I guess not," he said.

She frowned. "I hope it was okay, telling my cousin that you were an exchange student. I mean, my cousin wants to be a reporter at the Daily Planet so she's kinda nosy."

"Daily Planet?"

"That's our newspaper. It's like the biggest one in the state."

He frowned, then recalled something his father had said about the various news media. He had seen some broadcasts of what they called television and his father had shown him a large page which had writing on it called a news-paper.

There was so much to learn, he thought.

The paved road gave way to what he saw was dirt with loose stones. Lois drove a little too fast and he could feel the vehicle sliding on the surface. Clearly her vehicle wasn't made for this kind of surface; or at least it wasn't made to go fast on it.

"You should slow down," he advised.

"You telling me how to drive?" she asked, but slowed down a little.

He watched as a yellow construction came into sight. There was a small area where he could see colourful flora growing. He had studied a little botany back on Krypton and the flora looked healthy and well-cared for.

A human with light-coloured hair emerged from another structure, taking a fabric covering off his hands. He frowned at the approaching vehicle. Lois came to a hurried stop a short distance away and got out.

"Mr Kent?"

Kal-El got out the other side as Lois and the man began talking. His brow creased in a puzzled frown as he looked at Kal-El, then shook his head.

A woman with red hair came out of the yellow building, stepping down and approaching them.

"Jonathan?" she said.

"Martha, these kids, uh …"

"Like I was saying to Mr Kent here, my friend's dad knew his."

The fair-haired man shook his head.

"I'm sorry. My dad's been dead for about twenty years."

"We can't just turn them away, Jonathan," Martha said. "It's very hot out here. Why don't you two come in for some lemonade."

Lois beamed.

"Thank you, Mrs Kent. We'd love that, wouldn't we Kal?"

He nodded, not sure what 'lemonade' was, but if Lois seemed to like it, then he supposed he would too. He followed them inside. The interior of the building looked welcoming.

Jonathan washed his hands and came to join them as they sat down at the table.

"Sorry, I don't even know your name," he said.

"Kal-El," Kal replied automatically.

"That's an unusual name," Martha told him.

He looked her over. She was older than Lois, but a very beautiful woman. She reminded him a little of his mother.

"It's Russian," Lois answered for him before he could respond.

"So what are you doing so far away from home?"

"My father thought I should learn other cultures," he said.

"Well, it's always good to learn a little about how other people live," Martha said, pouring a liquid into cylinders which were open at the top. "Here you go," she added, placing one of the cylinders in front of him.

"How did your father know mine?" Jonathan asked, sounding a little suspicious.

"He said your father helped him out of …" What was it he'd said. "Um, a tight spot?"

Martha smiled at him.

"Your English is very good," she said.

He smiled back at her and picked up the cylinder, tasting the liquid. Like the sundae, it was cool and sweet, but not too sweet.

"So how long are you here for?" Jonathan asked.

"Uh, a year."

"Where are you staying?" Martha enquired.

"I have no … I'm not sure," he finished.

"Well, why don't you stay here? We have plenty of room."

"Martha, I'm sure he has friends he could stay with."

"Hush, Jonathan. The boy's far away from home."

The couple moved away from the table and began to talk. Kal-El noticed a few times the man sent him a few suspicious looks.

Lois sipped her concoction.

"I have a room at the base," she said. "You could always stay there. I mean, my father's usually away on manoeuvres so what he doesn't know …"

"I would not want to intrude," he said.

"Better than staying with strangers," she told him with a shrug, then sighed. "I guess my dad wouldn't like it anyway. He's kind of protective."

"I would not want to anger your father," he said.

Jor-El had not exactly told him what to do once he arrived. He had a little money which Jor-El had told him was in a bank. He'd said it was in an account he'd opened back in 1961 when he'd come to Earth. All he had to do was go to the bank and tell them the money was his.

There had been no plan beyond that. He'd thought if he'd gone to see Hiram that the man could have helped him find somewhere to stay. Of course, since Hiram was no longer around, he couldn't possibly ask the same of his son.

He hadn't counted on Martha's persuasiveness.

"It's settled," she said, smiling at him. "We can't leave a boy your age to fend for yourself when you don't know the customs. We have a spare room upstairs."

"What about your children?" he asked.

A sad look crossed the woman's face.

"I was unable to have children," she said.

He bit his lip, feeling he'd said the wrong thing.

"I'm sorry," he said sympathetically.

"Oh no, sweetie. You didn't know. It's okay."

The matter was clearly settled. Kal-El listened as the couple told him their expectations. He could earn his keep during his stay by helping out on the farm. The couple ran a dairy farm and grew organic vegetables. Since Kal-El had been studying plants on Krypton, the idea of helping them grow their own wasn't too daunting.

Lois told them she needed to get back to base, but Martha insisted she stay for dinner. Kal-El was reluctant for her to leave, since she was the first friend he'd made, and he was happy she agreed to stay at least that long.

Dinner was something Martha called pot roast. When she served it, he stared at it in fascination. It was a slab of cooked flesh from an animal.

"Don't they have pot roast in Russia?" Lois asked, grinning at him.

"No," he said. Most of their food was dehydrated supplements since they could no longer grow anything outside the crystal cities and they certainly never ate animal flesh.

He studied them as they each took helpings of the dishes. While he didn't recognise them, he could see that some of the food was vegetation. He copied the others, taking his own small helpings. His stomach rumbled as the delicious aroma hit his senses.

Still copying them, he picked up the small eating implements in his hands and took his first bite of the pot roast. The flavour burst on his tongue. It was moist, juicy and completely delicious. Eager to try more of these new sensations, Kal-El tasted the vegetables. He found them to be a mixture of sweet and savoury and just as wonderful as the roast.

"Well, looks like the boy's hungry at least," Jonathan said, sounding amused.

Kal-El stared down at the dish, feeling warmth suffuse his face. He had eaten everything on it, barely remembering having done so. Yet he was still hungry.

"Wow!" Lois exclaimed. "You just inhaled that."

"Please, help yourself to more," Martha said, patting his hand. "But save room. There's apple pie for dessert."

His stomach rumbled again and he carefully helped himself to more. Lois watched him in amusement, but made no further comment.

The promised apple pie was just as delicious as the rest of dinner. Kal-El's stomach made no further rumblings as he finished.

"Would you like to wash the dishes?" Martha asked.

Not understanding what she meant, he followed her as she picked up the implements and the empty dishes and took them into another part of the room, placing them on top of what she called a counter. He examined the counter, seeing there was a small receptacle with strangely shaped knobs.

"Bet you've never washed dishes before either," Lois said behind him.

He turned and looked at her, not wanting to admit that all this was very strange to him.

"Let me guess. You grew up in a rich household where you had servants to do everything for you."

"No," he said, not knowing how to explain his own world. They didn't wash dishes since there were no dishes to wash. Everything was disposed of after use.

Lois touched the knobs and water ran from the metal tube into the receptacle. He watched as she placed the dishes inside, then took an implement and used it to scrape the remains of dinner from the dishes.

"I'll wash, you dry," she said, handing him a cloth.

He watched as she washed one of the dishes, then handed it to him, still wet. He realised he was meant to dry it with the cloth and he did so, putting the dish down on the counter.

Together, they cleaned the room, which Lois called a kitchen, and he followed her outside.

"I should get back to base," she said.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" he asked.

"Sure," she smiled. "I'm guessing Mr Kent will have a few chores for you to do, but I can come by about ten or so and I can show you around town."

"I would like that," he said.

Lois moved as if to touch him and he looked at her, not knowing what to do. She frowned, then moved away.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said. She looked up and nodded at Jonathan. "'Bye Mr Kent. Thanks for the dinner. If it's okay, I'm gonna take Kal around town tomorrow."

"Of course, Lois," Martha said, standing behind Jonathan.

Jonathan looked at Kal.

"So where did you grow up, Kal?"

"Uh, the city," he said, using the first phrase he thought was a close match to his upbringing on Krypton.

"Then I'm guessing you've never been on a farm before. Come on. You can come and help me with the evening chores."

Kal-El was introduced to an array of strange customs as he helped Jonathan make sure the animals were secure for the night. He stared in wonder at what the older man called cows, stepping back when one of the animals moved toward him, only to step in something called a cow pat. Whatever it was, it smelled very bad and unpleasant looking on his shoes. Jonathan just laughed.

"You have to learn to watch where you step around here," he said. "Especially if you're going to be staying a while."

The older man clapped him on the shoulder.

"When I was a kid I used to have to help my dad with the milking. On cold mornings, I'd run out into that pasture in my bare feet and stick them in the cow pats while they were still steaming. My mom told me once I tripped and fell face first in one. She claimed that was how I got so tall."

Kal-El grinned at the older man. Despite his initial reserve, he liked the other man.