Superman: The Ark of Krypton
Chapter 41
by
Jason Richard
The news ran the next day:
Mannheim Arrests Himself?
Yesterday Superman was seen flying into a narrow alley, only to fly out following a limousine. The expensive vehicle surprisingly drove right to the police station, and no other than the notorious leader of Intergang, Bruno Mannheim, stepped out and turned himself in to the authorities. It seemed Mannheim couldn't handle Metropolis's Man of Steel.
When asked about it, Inspector Henderson, who previously spearheaded the police effort to capture Mannheim, said, "You know it's a bit of a bummer that this Superman did in a few months what we've been trying to do for a few years, but your job is to make sure people are safe, not stroke our egos. I'm relieved this scumbag is off the streets."
It seems everyone is happy Superman is patrolling our fair city.
…
Lois Lane stormed into Perry White's office, an angry scowl on her face. White was working on some paperwork, completely absorbed in it. He didn't even look up as Lois put her hands on his desk.
"Problem Lane?" said Perry White.
"Why am I not working the Luthor beat?" asked Lois. "Don't get me wrong, covering Superman has been incredible. Mannheim driving himself to jail? That's amazing! But I've been trying to catch Luthor in the act for too long to just stop."
"And businessmen secretly funding terrorists is hot news," said White, "That's why I normally don't get in the way of your little crusades. But Superman is the hottest news right now, and until the public loses interest in him you will continue to cover him. Besides, isn't he kind of making you obsolete? The guy just busted the leader of Intergang, and if he really was working with Lex Luthor as most of us suspect, he just did more to cripple Luthor than you or the cops ever will."
She had to admit he had a point. If Superman kept doing what he was doing Lex Luthor wouldn't be able to afford his illegal activities. Maybe she should follow the lead of the Inspector she interviewed, be glad that the job was getting done and forget about her bruised ego.
Then she thought, nah...that's not my style.
"This isn't over," she said, pointing as she walked out. "I'll cover Superman for now, but don't think for a second that I'm just forgetting about Lexcorp."
"You push that I could fire you," said Perry White.
"I'd have to really mess up," said Lois, putting her hand on the office doorknob, "I know you need me. Also, if you do fire me, I'll tell everyone you secretly listen to Elvis during work hours."
Perry White looked like he'd been slapped in the face.
"Don't be so surprised," said Lois, smirking. "It's my job to find out things people don't want me to know. And you know, if people knew this it would be pretty hard to stop them indulging their own hobbies at work. I hear Jimmy has a remote control drone he takes to the park. Wouldn't that be fun to see?"
And still smirking she left. Perry White just shook his head and said to no one in particular, "Great Caesar's ghost! That woman..."
…
Within the Ark of Krypton, hidden beneath ice and snow in the arctic, Clark, dressed as Superman, took some time to review Kryptonian history. He wanted to know everything there was to know about the planet of his origin. The beginning of this history was quite fascinating.
The viewing screen in the ship's archives room showed images of men and women in brightly colored, yet surprisingly primitive, clothes flying through the sky and into space. There was a large variety of people as well. People with light skin, dark skin, large frames, small frames, and many more. JLAI 13 narrated as the images flew by.
"Eons ago, the Kryptonians did have powers like you," said the AI. "In fact they wielded these powers instead of any form of technology, remaining a primitive, tribal society for much of their history. Those who had learned to store enough solar energy could survive in outer space for months holding a single breath of air, though often they could travel fast enough so that a few hours was all they needed between planets. As you can imagine technology was rather obsolete for them."
The images then showed Kryptonians discovering alien species of all shapes and sizes, which appendages of all kinds, on planets with many different colors, strange vegetation, and animals.
"When they encountered other species," said the AI. "They discovered how powerful they were compared to them, and the native reactions to this power shapes Kryptonian culture for generations. Many of these alien species saw the Kryptonians power as a sign of divinity, and worshiped them as gods. Many Kryptonians, in reaction to this, decided they should assume this mantle. A few species, however, had similar abilities and fought them. Some species with advanced technology fought them, but that proved ineffective."
The screen showed some aliens bowing down to Kryptonians. A few aliens were shown fighting them with equal strength, but those images were brief, and quickly gave way to images of shrines and temples being dedicated to Kryptonians, with only a handful of those powerful individuals showing any objection. A few species fought back with technology, lasers and spaceships, but the Kryptonians destroyed them easily.
"The few species that did fight back did not stop many Kryptonian tribes from advancing through the galaxy. A few Kryptonians did object, but at the time they were a minority. For almost a century it seemed the Kryptonians, drunk on their own power, would conquer the galaxy, but they were stopped."
The images then showed kryptonians clashing with a variety of aliens in green garb armed with rings that generated constructs of energy that could be any shape...usually weapons of any kind.
"The Green Lantern Corps, an ancient peacekeeping order made of species from all over the galaxy, was able to halt their advance. Their technology didn't quite put them in the same league of the Kryptonians, but they had slightly superior numbers."
The Kryptonians were then seen returning through space to their home planet. Then images showed Kryptonians flying, only to fall from the sky unexpectedly, and this gave way to a shot of the sun, slowly turning from yellow to red.
"They eventually retreated, planning their conquest again, but before they were ready something began to happen. The yellow sun got older, and began to become a red star, which does not provide Kryptonians with the same energy as a yellow sun. As this happened the Kryptonians started to lose their powers."
Images showed Kryptonians building devices and mixing chemicals.
"While Kryptonians had been aware of science, they hadn't felt it necessary, until they saw it as a means to discover why their powers were failing them.
The images showed an area with primitive huts growing more and more sophisticated buildings until a futuristic city showed.
"By the time it was discovered their powers came from their yellow sun, however, generations had passed, and the power that had shaped them before was forgotten. The Kryptonians were now thoroughly invested in their scientific advances, and apart from a few criminal groups no one sought that power again. The tribes that had once attempted to take control over the galaxy eventually became the houses that made of the ruling council, including yours, the house of El. What was a powerful, warlike society morphed into a scholarly, and peaceful society."
As Clark listened to the story, he felt both amazed and humbled. He realized that he could just as easily have been corrupted by his power if he hadn't been given a good upbringing by responsible parents. If he had no guidance on how to live with people less fortunate than him, like the ancient Kryptonians, he might have become like them. Or perhaps, if he'd been sent to a planet with a red sun, he wouldn't be any different. He'd be just an ordinary face in the crown, nothing special.
Even with the power he had, circumstances beyond his control could have shaped him into an entirely different person. It was a humbling thought.
"Thank you JLAI 13. Learning this history has been...amazing," said Clark, before frowning and rubbing his chin. "I'm still trying to think of a more practical name for you. What did Jor-El call you? Did he just use his designation?
"Not normally," said the AI. "He did refer to me with a Kryptonian term that has no direct translation, meaning "he of the large mind.""
"Well I'll think of something," said Clark. "Anyway, thank you for showing me this."
"As always Kal-El," said the AI. "That is my function, but you are welcome all the same."