Part 45b: Alien Revelations from Allah or Idiots: It's Called the Daily Plant; not the Daily Earth!
Lex finished cleaning up the broken mug of hot chocolate while Chloe and Lana settled down to warm smiles and a few giggles.
Lex using his superior management leadership skills stepped up to his blackboard to get the secret busting brainstorm session back on track. Lex decided to do a summary so far of what they had discovered about the mystery of Clark Kent.
Lex flipped over the blackboard and wrote down the following points in bullet format.
First, we all agree that Clark has meteor freak like powers and more than just one kind of power. Both Clark himself and Martha Kent have told Lana that Clark is not a meteor freak.
Second, Clark is born with his powers. Being born with powers or at least the power of super strength is proven by the incident with the school bully in grade one. Also Martha Kent said Clark was born the way he is to Lana.
Third, Clark's powers unlike meteor freaks are variable. Sometimes he has them and can do those incredible rescues but other times he gets hurt the same as anyone else. Proof is being unable to stop being hung up as scarecrow, being thrown onto a car by Eric Summers and being injured, getting sick and being unable to save Perry White at the gorge.
Fourth, Clark's powers might not always be available but when they are his powers are incredible. Most meteor freaks have a single power but Clark has multiple powers. The only exception was the meteor freak Eric Summers who had more than one power but even after being injured, Clark was able to defeat Eric Summers.
Fifth, Clark had the power to save Lana in a tornado which there is real doubt any of the meteor freaks would be able to do even if they wanted to. Clark saving Lana in the tornado was confirmed by Thor-el. Clark was in the truck and the details on how he saved Lana no one knows.
Sixth, Thor-el and Clark are blood relatives. This is confirmed by Lana and Nell being nice enough to do the BJ taste test and both came up pink and raspberry flavored.
Seventh, Thor-el and Clark have the same secret which means the same powers. This is confirmed by Thor-el standing up to me when I pointed the gun at him and when he told Lana no one from Smallville could have saved her in the tornado. Also Nell told Lana from her conversations with Thor-el in the loft she believes Thor-el and Clark have the same secret.
Eighth, Thor-el sees Clark's secret as normal while Clark, the Kents and Pete see it as something that must be kept secret at all costs. Proof is that Thor-el didn't think twice in confirming to Lana that Clark was in the truck with her during the tornado.
Ninth, the weretiger that Lana saw is not a meteor freak but has some connection to Clark. Proof is Martha Kent told Lana that the weretiger was not a meteor freak but the same as Clark and thus not mutated but born that way. So it follows that Clark's blood relative Thor-el is also like the weretiger. There is some connection or common factor between Clark, Thor-el and the weretiger.
Tenth, whatever the weretiger is or what its connection is to Clark and Thor-el a mystery is how the Kents could keep its existence secret in Smallville. Clark and Thor-el at least look like everyone else but the weretiger looks like nothing else you are going to find walking the streets of Smallville.
Lex stepped back and did a quick scan of the points he had written on the antique blackboard. Lex frowned and said, "Of course this is what we know so now how about a few questions we don't have the answer to." Beside the ten points Lex started to write down a few of the questions that had come up so far in the evenings discussions.
What kind of aircraft did Lisa see land in the backyard of the Kents the night Lana saw the weretiger?
How did Clark and the weretiger get to North Korea to save Whitney and back in less than a day?
Chloe bounced up and grabbed Lex's hand as he was writing down the next question.
"You know Lex we have been looking at this from the angle of Smallville and Clark in Smallville. You and Lana said that Thor-el told you that Whitney joined him and Clark in fighting this mysterious war. Instead of running around in circles in Smallville the key is to find out once and for all where this war is that they are all now fighting. That is the new angle. Let's leave Smallville behind and concentrate on where is this war?"
Chloe was beginning to hit her stride. "A key has to be that special aircraft, if that is what it was that Lana's niece Lisa saw land in the backyard of the Kents. It has to be some kind of special military aircraft that is super fast and maybe that is how Clark got so fast from Smallville to North Korea."
Lex tried not to sound defeated, "That's just it Chloe. I already checked out that angle. Last weekend after I got back from Smallville I called in some favors with the CIA." That revelation got Chloe and Lana's attention. Chloe kind of whispered, "I didn't know you had contacts in the CIA but since you do are they available for me when I need to confirm a Daily Planet story?"
Lex laughed, "It's not as James Bond as all that Chloe, Lex Corp just does some consulting work for the CIA from time to time; mostly technical hardware stuff and not clock and dagger spy policy. So anyway, what happened was after last weekend hearing Thor-el say that Whitney is alive and now fighting with him and Clark I called my contacts at the CIA to check it out."
"It turns out that Whitney did survive Indonesia and when declared dead went into black opts. Some years ago he was on a mission to North Korea to rescue the North Korean mathematician turned present day Metropolis university professor Soon Ko Lee, who was captive in a North Korean Gulag. The special opts rescue team were being chased by North Korean mountain troops so Whitney volunteered to stay behind and hold off the North Korean soldiers. He was captured and tortured but due to the Quarterback's last stand the special opts team and Soon Ko Lee was able to escape North Korea. After that CIA intelligence knew he was crippled and being held in the North Korean Gulag but they couldn't do anything to get him out."
Lana was shocked, "You mean the CIA and US government just abandoned a US citizen to the North Koreans?"
Lex held his hands to the side in defeat, "Well Lana there is not a lot they could do and officially Whitney is dead so doesn't exist. Being sacrificed to the mission is just part of what special opts soldiers do and they know the risk profile when they make the decision to take the mission. Anyway about eight months after being captured there was a huge incident at the North Korean Gulag where Whitney was being held. The CIA recorded it on satellite photographs. It appeared as if a major battle happened and hundreds of North Korean soldiers were killed. On that day Whitney Fordman disappeared from the North Korean Gulag without leaving a trace. The best information the CIA has is from a North Korean guard from the Gulag that defected a few years ago. His story was the American sniper even though crippled somehow escaped the Gulag. During his escape attempt a North Korean convoy cut off his route to freedom but they were attacked by an unknown aircraft of incredible technical sophistication. And that is all they know."
Chloe did a quick double take. "Ok we now have collaboration. An unknown aircraft in North Korea." Lana cut in, "Martha Kent saying Clark and his friends rescued Whitney." Chloe came back with, "Lisa sees a weird thing maybe a special aircraft land in the Kent's backyard while we can't figure out how Clark got to North Korean and back."
Lex shook his head, "The timeline still doesn't add up. As I said before the aircraft would have to be faster than a SR-71 blackbird and on top of that be able to carry passengers and use practically no fuel. It's impossible."
Chloe wasn't ready to give up, "But Lex this is Clark Kent. The mysterious Clark Kent that can do anything when it comes to a heroic rescue."
Lex just looked out at Metropolis and the Daily Planet building, "Chloe I know Clark is amazing and can do a lot of things but even Clark Kent can't fly and there is not aircraft on earth that could do what the North Korean timeline of the alleged rescue demands."
Chloe wasn't going to give up, "Yes, you are right Lex but this is Clark Kent we are talking about." Chloe looked up and gave Lex and Lana a little smile, "Since its Clark in question maybe he stopped at Area 51 and hijacked a UFO to fly to North Korea?"
Lana's heart leapt up into her throat. At this point she had almost dismissed as completely impossible the rhetorical question Clark asked her about Cyrus being from another planet. But Chloe bringing up UFOs brought the answer to Clark's secret again to the forefront of her mind. Could it be true? Any of it?
Lex gave a little laugh, "I don't think even Clark Kent has powers to hijack a UFO from Area 51 even if Area 51 had an alien spacecraft. All I can say for sure Chloe is Whitney was in the North Korea Gulag prison during the time in question and he did disappear the night Lana saw the weretiger and spoke with Martha Kent."
Lana didn't know if she should even tell Lex and Chloe about her memory triggered by the ball on the top of the Daily Planet building of Clark asking her how she would feel if Cyrus actually was from another planet. The two of them were jumping from crazy theory to crazy theory one after another so did they really need another impossible story to add to the mix?
Now hearing Lex and Chloe joking about UFOs confirmed to Lana that her idea was just stupid. The only result of telling such a crazy story would be the two of them would have another good laugh at her expense. If there was anything to her secret idea Lana was sure Lex and Chloe would have come to the same conclusion.
Chloe went over to the blackboard and to take another look at the summary points Lex had written down. She pointed to the blackboard, "Guys it has to be here. I think the key is finding the war. So let's just shelve the Whitney rescue timeline questions and concentrate on where is this war."
Lex told them about his efforts over the years to track down Clark and Thor-el, "Ever since I heard Thor-el speak that strange language when he first addressed Clark at the barbecue I have been trying to identify its country of origin. All I know for sure is it was a tone based language like Chinese and Vietnamese. So that is why I thought the Far East was the place to start. The weretiger that would able be a hint that most likely points to somewhere in South East Asia. Those are the only two clues we have where Thor-el is actually from."
Lana had been quiet for the last while but now something was bothering her. It was a further clue that was just playing a little outside of her conscious thoughts. There was something else that pointed to South East Asia for Thor-el's location.
Lana got up and started to pace as she tried to remember. Lex and Chloe noticed the change in Lana Lang as she went into her trademark tiger pace.
Chloe held out her hand to get Lex's attention and then to keep from breaking Lana's train of thought softly said, "What is it Lana? Do you remember something?"
Lana just looked at her and gave sharp nod she continued to pace. Chloe shrugged her shoulders at Lex as they waited for Lana to verbalize what was bouncing around in her head.
Lana turned out to look at Metropolis. She could see far out in the harbor a ship steaming in from the open sea. It was a huge container ship and Lana could clearly see the red and green running lights on the wings of the ship's bridge. Lana stepped forward to the edge of the balcony and leaned against the railings. Her eyes dropped down to the street far below and saw the lights change from red to green and the traffic start to move.
'Red to Green,' Lana again looked out into the harbor at the container ship's running lights. 'Red and Green!' Then it hit. 'Green! Green lights. In Lana's memory emerald green lights flashed while being held in the hands of a farmer in a cozy kitchen in Smallville.'
Lana spun around, "Green, that's it." All she got from Lex and Chloe were a couple of blank stares.
"What do you mean Lana? What is green?"
"It is further proof that the war is in South East Asia. Don't you remember?"
Lex just shrugged his shoulders while Chloe said, "Remember what?"
Lana rolled her eyes, "The day that Clark disappeared. We went over to the Kents and Jonathan Kent told us that Clark had gone but Thor-el in order to solve their financial troubles and in thanks for adopting Clark gave the Jonathan Kent's a dozen emeralds. Great big green uncut emeralds."
Chloe put it together, "I remember that and the clue is the emeralds are like conflict diamonds. Last year I did a story on conflict diamonds for the Daily Planet. Conflict diamonds are what the warlords and paramilitary groups fighting in Africa use to pay when they do international arms deals. You can identify where a diamond comes from by doing light spectral analysis while cut diamonds are registered and with a laser marked with a serial number. The same thing happens in war zones all over Asia with other gem stones like emeralds. While diamonds come from South Africa, colored gemstones come from South East Asia. From places like Burma. Thor-el had must have had access to emeralds so it follows that Thor-el would be from Burma."
Lex quickly stepped in to break down this line of thought. "Girls I hate have to say this is another dead end but there is something that I should have told you about the emeralds that Jonathan Kent gave me that night to sell on the Amsterdam gem exchange. Those emeralds didn't come from Burma."
Chloe shrugged, "So they are from somewhere else in South East Asia. Maybe Cambodia?"
Lex shook his head, "No, not Cambodia. Those emeralds Jonathan Kent gave me to sell are not from any of the known mines in South East Asia."
Chloe was now looking confused and frustrated. "Come on Lex; even if it was true how could you know such a thing?"
Lex gave Chloe and Lana a sheepish look as he told the two girls what happened. "This is embarrassing to admit but I never sold the emeralds Jonathan Kent gave me in his kitchen on the Amsterdam gem exchange." Lex shrugged his shoulders, "Instead I had them appraised by gem dealers in Amsterdam and paid the Kents the appraisal value. So to be honest, I bought Thor-el's emeralds myself."
Chloe asked, "I don't get it, Lex; why would you do that? Do you just really like emeralds that much?" asked Chloe.
Lex confessed his motives. "No, I did it because Clark said goodbye to us all that day. Also I remember Jonathan Kent's face when he asked me to sell them. It was right then and there from the look on Jonathan Kent's face that I realized that it was really happening and Clark was leaving for good." Lex ran his hand over his bald head. "I just couldn't sell the emeralds. They felt like part of Clark and the last connection to Clark that I would have so I bought them myself."
Lana was starting to get confused. She couldn't see where Lex was going with this. Lana reached out and touched Lex's hand. "Lex, we understand what you mean and why you bought them for yourself but how do you tie in the emeralds to where this mysterious war is located? And what's the connection to Clark and his Uncle Thor-el?"
Lex told them, "Ever since the day that Clark disappeared I have been searching for him and his Uncle. I have used every idea to try to find where on earth is mysterious war is located."
"I still don't see what you mean Lex?" A frustrated Chloe exclaimed!
Lex explained it to her, "Every idea includes paying the best gem experts in Europe to identify the geographical source of the emeralds. I'm sorry but the whole exercise turned out to be a dead end because as far as the Amsterdam gem community is concerned the emeralds didn't come from any known gem mine in all of South East Asia." Lex paused for a moment then continued to outline story of the emeralds. "However, the gem dealers did say they were the most pure, flawless emeralds any of them had ever seen. For their own motives they tried to find out where the emeralds had come from but I couldn't tell them. The gem dealers tried their best to identify the source but Thor-el's emeralds were different from any emeralds any of them had ever seen before."
Chloe shook her head, "All your high priced European gem experts made a mistake. Those were a dozen huge uncut emeralds and they came from mine located some where. After all they just didn't fall out of the sky."
Lex with a defeated look said, "Chloe of course they didn't fall out of the sky and I also thought they came from some unknown mine in South East Asia. So I covered that possibility. What I did was leave a sanding order at all the gem dealers in Europe and Asia to buy any emeralds of the same quality that appeared on the market. I knew when the emeralds appeared again I would have a clue to a direct link to track down where Clark and his Uncle have been hiding all this time. But it has been years and I have never had a single gem dealer come to me with emeralds of the same chemical composition and quality. I'm sorry but it's a dead end. Those emeralds haven't provided any breakthrough to where Clark disappeared to with his Uncle Thor-el."
Lana felt the cold chills run up her spine. She had almost talked herself out of the Cyrus Krump explanation of Clark's secret but now inadvertently Lex had tossed the far out; and that is very far out, idea of another planet a thin lifeline.
Lana Lang drew a cautious breath and softly said, "Lex, what if the source of the emeralds is not where anyone expects it to be?"
Lex and Chloe together turned to look into the deep hazel eyes of Lana Lang. As he heard Lana's question Lex felt a strange feeling wash over him. It felt like Lana just asked him a very important question in a very casual way. Even with that strange feeling hanging over him all Lex could think to do once again repeat to Lana what a dead end it had been to try to discover the source of the emeralds. "Lana no one knows where any of the original emeralds could have come from. I have been waiting for years for a call from every gem dealer in Amsterdam with word that emeralds of that chemical composition have appeared on the market. If it every happened I would know. No one can sell emeralds like those anywhere in the world without drawing the attention of my gem dealer network."
While Lana thought about it Lex quickly added, "Just look at how the whole Amsterdam gem dealer community swarmed me when I had the emeralds appraised. Chloe is right; the emeralds didn't just drop out of the sky."
Lana with a cautious look addressed Lex. "I didn't say the emeralds fell out of the sky. We all know they didn't fall out of the sky into Jonathan Kent's hands but were put there by Clark's Uncle Thor-el. Lex the question is where did Clark's Uncle Thor-el come from?"
Chloe was quickly becoming irritated as the conversation appeared to be moving in circles. "Instead of repeating the obvious Lana say what you are trying to say? It's still a dead end. We don't know where Thor-el came from. That is why Lex is using the world's gem dealers to monitor the market for emeralds like the ones that Thor-el gave to Jonathan Kent."
Lana tried again to push the thoughts of Lex and Chloe outside the box. "Guys, the emeralds didn't come from the South East Asia mines. Such emeralds have never appeared on the world's gem market since Lex had them examined in Brussels. We do know the emeralds are unique and Thor-el handed them to Jonathan Kent in a country kitchen in Smallville."
Lana looked back and forth in the faces of Lex and Chloe and got nothing back but blank stares. "Come on guys; the emeralds are as unique as Thor-el. Which means the emeralds are from the same place as Thor-el is from? He is as unique, thus Clark is unique but Clark only grew up in Smallville. Clark is also from where Thor-el and the emeralds are from.
Lex really didn't feel like rehashing over and over the same dead end about the emeralds. "How many times do we have to repeat it? Lana, we know all that and it doesn't help us at all. The fact is the only emeralds on earth like the ones that Thor-el gave to Jonathan Kent are in this apartment."
From the balcony Lex pointed into his living room at the far wall where there was a frame hanging that held a comic book behind a thin pane of glass. "Right behind that Warrior Angel first issue comic is my wall safe containing the original emeralds that Jonathan Kent handed to me all those years ago in the Kent's kitchen."
Lex just couldn't see why Lana wouldn't drop this dead end angle centered on the emeralds. Lana looked back at him with her doe eyes open slightly wider than normal and softy said, "Thor-el is the source of the emeralds; not a mine any where in South East Asia or even anywhere else." Lana raised her eyebrows to try to cue Lex to get his brain outside the box, "Those emeralds in that wall safe are unique compared to any emeralds mined anywhere on earth. Just as unique as the source Thor-el and there is only one other like him, Clark Kent."
In the dark recesses of Lex's brain a couple of unused neurons fired and a light bulb lit up over his head. A deep furrow creased across his forehead. Suddenly Lex quickly turned around and looked directly at the Warrior Angel first issue that covered his wall safe.
Chloe started to say something but Lex's hand waved away her interruption. Then Lex once again pointed into his apartment directly at the location of his wall safe. Lex slowly turned toward Lana as he started to tremble.
"Lana is it Warrior Angel?"
Lana with her own look of shock on her face just gave Lex a quick positive nod.
Chloe caught Lana's eye and Lana just shook her head for quick no at Chloe's confused expression. For once in her life Chloe remained silent.
Lex spun around and in two strides was over at the balcony railing looking out at the Metropolis skyline. He stared for a few seconds and then turned to Lana.
"Lana it is the Daily Planet?"
Once again Lana gave him a quick positive nod of her head.
"Holy shit, Lana!"
Chloe just couldn't take it anymore and yelled out, "What is hell is going on?"
"Just be quiet for a minute Chloe and let me think," Lex exclaimed without even looking at her.
"Lana is Clark Warrior Angel?"
Lana felt her heart skip a beat and with a quiver in her voice answered. "Yes, Lex, Clark is Warrior Angel except Clark is not bald."
Lex sighed as realization of the secret flowed into him intellectually to replace his intuition. "Unbelievable, it is just so incredible". Lex felt numb, "You know Lana I should have put it together before when you freaked out looking at the Daily Planet building. I even had the advantage of knowing the emeralds were as unique as their source. For me it took knowing about the emeralds and the catalyst was looking at my Warrior Angel first issue hanging right there in plain sight covering my wall safe."
Lana smiled at Lex, "I must say you are taking this a lot better than I did when it came to me."
Lex answered her with a tired sheepish grin. "That may be because I have been reading Warrior Angel comics all my life." Lex let out a little snort, "For me meeting Warrior Angel is a childhood dream not a nightmare. You know some thing else that has been bothering me for years is finally answered. Now I know why Dr Virgil Swan was so interested in Clark. I have to wonder if Dr Swan before his death ever figured it out."
"Lex!"
Chloe looked like she was going to burst as Lex answered her. "Chloe, it's called the Daily Planet not the Daily earth. The emeralds are unique. There is no source for the emeralds on earth."
"Stop saying that over and over and instead tell me what the hell it means?" Chloe exclaimed.
"Just like Lana said; the source of the unique emeralds is Thor-el. Clark is the same as Thor-el. And to finally answered the secret for me is both of them are the same as Warrior Angel," Lex gave Lana a quick smile, "Except as Lana pointed out unlike Clark Kent, Warrior Angel is bald."
A panicking Chloe still didn't see the connection. "So what? We already have established Clark and now Thor-el must have super powers like your stupid Warrior Angel comic book hero. Big deal! So they also have hair unlike Warrior Angel. What are you two talking about?"
Lana softy answered, "Chloe the only difference between the real life Clark Kent and fictional Warrior Angel is the hair. Other than that they are the same."
Then Lex took over, "Chloe, Warrior Angel is a comic book about a strange visitor from another planet with super powers who happens to be bald." There was a slight pause for Chloe's confused look before Lex continued, "Just like Clark and Thor-el except the bald part."
"What is with your stupid obsession over a comic book character's lack of hair?" Chloe's voice trailed off into silence. Then her eyes stretched open, her jaw to the floor as the pieces came together. "Oh my stars! Are you two saying what I think you are saying?"
Lana with a weak smile said, "Yes, Chloe that is exactly what we are saying."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
Lana stood up and looked at Chloe. "Yes Chloe; that is Clark's secret. I know it's the secret because the rhetorical question that Pete referred to was when Clark asked me what I would think of Cyrus Krump if he actually was from another planet."
Chloe jumped up, "But Cyrus wasn't."
"That's right Chloe, Cyrus wasn't but Clark wasn't asking the question looking for my answer about Cyrus. He was asking the question about himself. That question was Clark's test of the possibility that I would be able to accept his secret. It was a test that I failed." Lana's words trailed off and the silence over took the trio as each of them were lost in thought.
After a couple minutes Chloe broke the silence. "I can't believe it. Clark Kent is too weird for the wall of weird."
Lana rolled her eyes, "You can say that again. I can't believe how easily you two are taking this compared to my freak out. I have had a while to calm down but already both of you look more relaxed that I feel even now."
Chloe gave Lana a sympathetic smile and then kind of cringed, "You know Clark was right. He read us all correct. Even after Lex and I promised not to Clark knew Lex was still investigating him and he knew that I made that terrible deal with Lionel Luther for the Daily Planet column. Lana you never sold him out the way Lex and I did but he still read you dead on the money. Clark knew Lex and I would sell him out and he knew you would freak out so he just stayed quiet."
Lana just shrugged in acceptance, "I can't believe I never remembered before this evening Clark asking me that rhetorical question about Cyrus. Maybe I never thought of it again because it just didn't seem significant let alone possibility being real."
Lana looked up with a guilty look, "Your right Chloe when Clark asked me I said I would be freaked out and then I confirmed to him that I would never feel comfortable around Cyrus if he actually was from another planet. Now I can't help but wonder if Clark would have told me the secret if I had just been more accepting."
After a moment of thought a memory came to Chloe, "I think there was more to Clark not telling you than just freaking out. Remember Pete said knowing the secret was dangerous. So don't beat yourself up Lana. I remember Clark asking me if I would be freaked out if Cyrus was really a space alien. I told Clark I thought space aliens would be a step up from most people. It didn't change anything like convincing Clark to confide in me with his secret."
Lex sat down on one of the Louis the fifteenth 'deck chairs' and looked up at the two girls. "It seems silly now but here is my experience with telling Clark Kent what I think about aliens. It was during the days of Cyrus Krump that I actually asked Clark if he thought aliens walked among us. In fact I also told Clark while actually sitting in the Talon that I always wanted to meet an alien. So Lana don't be too hard on yourself; just like Chloe's experience; being positive about aliens didn't bring out any kind of secret revelation from Clark Kent."
Lana paced for a few seconds, "I am scared about one thing. What if we are just fooling ourselves and we have talked ourselves into this alien conclusion for Clark's secret. How can we be sure this is real? Have we really figured out his secret or have we tricked ourselves into this explanation? I mean we have the unknown origin of the emeralds and Clark and Thor-el's shared physical characteristics and the weretiger which appears to be the same as Clark and Thor-el in the most general sense. We also have Dr Vigil Swan's interest but couldn't it all be explained by a more typical Smallville explanation?"
"What you want Lana is independent collaboration," Lex commented.
"Exactly"
Chloe held up her hand and Lana and Lex turned to her. "Guys, I think I can provide that. Chloe quickly corrected herself, "Or at least some independent collaboration that is still circumstantial evidence."
Lex perked up, "You know; I think I can also, but you first Chloe."
Chloe took the floor. "Remember I said earlier that I though Pete found out about Clark's secret early in second year at Smallville High."
Lana remembered, "Sure that was the time where Aunt Nell started to date Dean. But didn't you say Clark and Pete were fighting at first and then after a few days they settled their issues and became closer than ever? I know about the fight because Clark told me when he caught me in his loft using his telescope to check if it was safe to go home."
Chloe's eyes lit up, "That's right Lana but it's also at the time when Pete pulled that truck driver out his truck after an accident. The truck driver had been babbling about a space ship being in the field after he crashed his truck."
"Space ship!" Lana exclaimed.
Lex rolled his eyes, "Gee Lana didn't you ever watch Star Trek? How could an alien get to earth without a space ship?"
Lana shot a sarcastic look at Lex, "Thanks for your professional opinion, nerd boy."
"Guys," and then an annoyed Chloe continued her story. "The day after the truck accident I caught up with Pete in the hall way at school and he was fighting with Clark. When I asked him about the rumors about a space ship being at the accident he said there was a space ship there and he even met an alien that looked like Clark. I thought he was joking and then he stormed off. When I asked Clark what was wrong with Pete, Clark just said it was guy stuff."
Lana cut in, "Then that happened earlier in the day before Clark caught me using his telescope that evening in his loft. He told me in the loft that he and Pete had a big fight and he wasn't sure their friendship was going to last. He wouldn't tell me what their big fight was about but only said it was personal."
Chloe finished off her analysis. "Then that is it. We know from Pete he found the answer to Clark's secret by accident. Clark never willingly told him. So I am guessing Pete found out about Clark because of this space ship the truck driver he saved saw in the corn field. So after seeing a space ship Pete somehow connected it to Clark. Pete was naturally freaked out but later came to terms with it. That is why after their fight when ever I raised any questions about a Clark related mystery to Pete he would immediately shut me down. All Pete did after that space ship sighting was run interference on Clark's secret." Chloe turned to Lex and smiled, "Well that is the way I see it so do you have better independent collaboration?"
Lex smiled back, "Not better as in physical evidence but there is more than a few strange coincident events to consider. At the time my father was visiting Smallville and met with Dr Hamilton the meteor freak. Dr Hamilton was looking for funding after I cut him off. Dr Hamilton told my father he had a space ship."
"Wow!"
Lex said, "Wow is right. Dr Hamilton took my father over to his barn to show the space ship to him. Even though my father was blind and couldn't see it he told me he felt the space ship. He said it felt unique but of couldn't confirm it was what Dr Hamilton claimed." Chloe and Lana gave each other a look as Lex continued. "After the death of Dr Hamilton in a lab accident I went with my father over to Dr Hamilton's home to see the space ship but it had disappeared."
"Dam, another dead end" Chloe sighed.
Lex shook his head, "Not conclusive proof but not a dead end either; my father said that Dr Hamilton told him an octagonal disk was the key to opening the space ship. My father had Dr Hamilton guide his hand over the space ship and he felt an octagonal indentation in the ship. Now here is the interesting part. During my investigation of a meteor strike in a field the year before your junior year at Smallville High my team found an octagonal disk. The disk however was lost on the day the twisters hit Smallville."
Lex looked up at the two girls, "Now when it comes to other witnesses claiming to see space ships in Smallville there was an incident years earlier during meter shower. A freelance investigator I was associated with Nixon found an old crop duster pilot that claimed he saw a space ship come down with the meteors."
"So there has been a space ship story floating around Smallville for a long time confirmed by several independent sources." Chloe said.
"Exactly," agreed Lex.
Lana nodded in agreement, "All these different stories of seeing spaceships in Smallville could also be linked to that strange aircraft that Lisa saw land in the Kent's backyard the night Whitney was rescued from North Korea."
"Taken one at a time the space ship stories are just that stories. But put it all together and the whole thing fits quite nicely on the wall of weird," Chloe exclaimed. "The space ship sighting during the meteor shower also fits into when Clark first appeared in Smallville. It was just a few days after the meteor shower that the Kent's adopted Clark. Remember I studied Clark's adoption for that student biography paper in junior year. Clark's adoption is mysterious and not just because Lionel Luther was involved in setting up the adoption agency. There is no record of Clark being born anywhere or being in any foster home or orphanage before being adopted by the Kent's. The Kent's adopted Clark when he was about three years old right after the meteor shower."
Lex pointed to Lana's sketches of the weretiger was laying on the exquisite Louis the Fifteenth antique being used as lawn furniture. "Lana you said that Martha Kent told you Clark and the weretiger are not meteor freaks but were born that way. That they are the same."
"Yes," agreed Lana.
"Then that means these sketches of yours are of a space alien. A space alien different from Thor-el and Clark?" Lex sat down and started to rub his temples. "I just can't get my head around this; the whole thing is too incredible."
Lana gave him a sympathetic smile, "You can see now why I wanted you to come to this conclusion yourself instead of me blurting it out a couple of hours ago. It's just too far out and even now I still can't believe it outright."
Chloe felt everything was fitting together just a little too easily now that the idea of another planet had come up so decided to play devil's advocate. "That's just it guys; all evidence we have come up with here is just circumstantial. We still don't have any hard evidence."
"Where do we go for hard evidence?" Lex asked.
"Get a witness," Chloe answered. "I am going to call Pete and spring it on him and we will get thumbs up or thumbs down."
Lana didn't agree, "That is not a good idea. We can't ask the Pete or the Kents to confirm. We are already on thin ice with both of them over Clark's secret. They are just too paranoid. Besides both the Kents and Pete would deny it to the end and we will get no where except to get them so mad at us that there will be no coming back from it."
"What do you suggest Lana because Chloe is right?" asked Lex. "As good as the evidence we have to support our theory about Clark's secret it still is all circumstantial."
Lana outlined her solution. "Tomorrow I am going to go speak to someone that will confirm everything and she won't hate me for it."
"Go where?" asked a confused Chloe. "Pete is in Metropolis, Ryan is at Metropolis University and the Kents are in Smallville and we can't ask any of them. And who is the she that won't hate you?"
"She is Betty Fordman." Lana with a sly smile said, "Remember Thor-el said Whitney is fighting in this mysterious war. After the death of his father Whitney and his mother got even closer than the average mother and son relationship. There is no way that Betty Fordman does not know where Whitney is and that means she knows about Clark Kent."
Lana pointed an elegant fingernail at Chloe, "You are coming with me Chloe. Betty Fordman never misses going to church in Smallville. After church tomorrow you are going to drive me over to have tea with Betty Fordman. After I speak with her we will drive over to the mansion since I am sure Lex you are going to want to be at the scene. Besides I don't want to be saying anything about Clark Kent's secret over the telephone."
Lex approved, "Of course I won.t miss it but I will be late since I have a meeting with some of Lex Corp's European managers tomorrow. Just call me on my cell and I will come and meet you any where you want in Smallville. I also think it's a good idea not to risk speaking about Clark over the telephone. Now that that is settled you guys can crash here and tomorrow morning I will arrange you to fly to Smallville by helicopter. Later I will follow as soon as I can."
For the next hour Lana, Chloe and Lex discussed every detail of every story regarding the mystery of Clark Kent. Time and again it seemed that the explanation of a space alien in plaid with mysterious powers would go a long way to explaining the life and times of Smallville's own teenage hero Clark Kent.
Lana even went over every detail with Chloe and Lex of her conversations with Thor-el where he would refer to earth as Smallville and how he made endless references to his world and how he and Clark are different that everyone else. Even Thor-el casual attitude toward telling her Clark was in the truck the day of the twisters pointed to someone who was like Clark in every way except with little or no concern about Clark's secret being special. Exactly what one would expect in a space alien's attitude.
Everything appeared to fit together but still the hard evidence of a direct witness or physical proof was missing.
Lana was only sure about one thing: The conclusive proof of Clark Kent being so much more than just a Kansas farm boy in plaid was waiting for them in Smallville.
To be continued as Part 46: Tea Time in Smallville
