Chapter 13 [New Metropolis—Hall of Science—3009 AD]
As with its past counterpart, New Metropolis buzzed with activity. The main way's hover car traffic crawled through the air slowly through the interplanetary gateways. Others rode the moving sidewalks toward home.
In the midst of the bustle, the Hall of Science stood testament to the past and present's advancements. The building held a vast repository of the region's historical artifacts in addition to ongoing research endeavors. Law enforcement officials and future heroes trained within the sprawling complex. In addition, the Legion of Super Heroes based its intergalactic jurisdiction from there.
For most of those reasons, therefore, the visitors inside would seem appropriate….
Clark and Lana appeared in a rather antiseptic white passageway deep within the complex. They only saw white walls, a dark tile floor and glowing light panels overhead. Nobody else approached or even seemed aware of them.
"Clark, is this the place?" she wondered.
"I don't know. I've never used the ring before," he admitted. For a minute, he wondered if they'd did what Lois had done a year earlier and ended up in an alternate future. Is this the real Legion's headquarters?
"Maybe if we pick a direction and go, we might run into someone?" she suggested.
A sound almost like a throat clearing telepathically rang in their heads.
"Clark, did you?" she asked anxiously.
"I did." He listened intently to the area around themselves.
["You're close. Check the fourth door down on your left,"] the voice continued.
"Imra?" he queried while recognizing the voice.
"Come on," Lana urged while leading him toward the door in question. As they reached it, it slid open.
["Come in, guys! This is a surprise!"] Imra told them telepathically.
The couple walked in to find the slender blonde waving at them. They headed over to her.
"Sorry we dropped in like this," Clark apologized.
"As we said on our visit, you're always welcome," Imra assured him. "Rokk and Garth will be glad to see you." She embraced them both before feeling their nerves. "Something's troubling you. Is it another threat?"
Clark shrugged and frowned. "We have a situation and since you all offered…."
"We'd be happy to help if we can," Imra agreed.
"Same Kal-El. Still stuck on formalities and which world he's really in." Brainiac walked into view sardonically while surveying the suddenly tense visitors. "I second what Saturn Girl said."
Lana stared in confusion. "Clark, that's Milton Fine! What's he doing here?"
"Calm yourself, Miss Lang. I've been reprogrammed," Brainiac assured her.
"He helped me at our class reunion," Clark pointed out.
"It's all right, Lana. We rebuilt Brainiac after returning from your time," Imra reported. "He's not the same construct now."
"I'm terribly sorry for what I did before," Brainiac apologized. "Back then, all I wanted was knowledge. Now I work with the Legion. What is the nature of your problem?"
Lana frowned. While she didn't trust the Kryptonian construct, she did trust Irma and the Legionnaires. "Darkseid."
"We have two problems. We need to face him and deal a problem Lana has as well," Clark added.
Imra nodded. "This has to do with the Promethius suit?"
"Lex still has a failsafe built into it. He can freeze it and immobilize me. Can you help me?" Lana requested albeit with some uncertainty.
Brainiac typed on a keyboard and looked up at the suit's schematics on his screen. "I'm accessing your historical profile, Miss Lang. There's the suit." A few more key strokes clicked on his panel. "I have it." He turned back to the visitors. "I can turn it off." He made his hand reform into a metallic probe. "If you hold still, I can turn it off."
Lana gulped. She still recalled how the construct had left her in a coma. She glanced at Clark.
He locked eyes with the two Legionnaires.
"It's all right," Imra assured them. "Just relax."
Lana nodded and stood still. "I'm ready."
Brainiac nodded as his probe pierced the skin at the base of her skull. He turned the probe ever so slightly before retracting it. "There. It's off."
"Just like that?" Lana wondered.
"Just like that," Imra agreed with a smile. "Just a minute." She looked toward the ceiling. ["Rokk?"]
["Yes, Imra?"] Cosmic Boy responded.
["Kal-El and Lana Lang have just arrived from the past. They need our assistance. Can we meet?"] Imra requested.
["Of course. Several of the Legion members are here. Show them to our meeting room. Lightning Lad and I will be there shortly,"] Cosmic Boy declared.
Imra turned back to the trio alongside herself. "We'll meet the others shortly. Follow me."
"You mean the others who came with you?" Lana assumed.
"Among others," Brainiac indicated. "The Legion is quite an organization. We've had to deal with Darkseid in the past. In addition, Kal-El, I do have your father's archives to rely on."
Lana glanced anxiously at Clark. "He has the Kryptonian archives too?"
"Since the Doomsday stuff," Clark noted uncomfortably as they followed the Legionnaires out of the lab and toward the rendezvous point.