Chapter 8

(Jonathan and Martha stand outside their house.  They look up, into the sky.  Jonathan has his arms around Martha, standing behind her.  They are silent for a time.)

Martha (Speaking quietly): "I've never seen him like this..."

(They continue looking into the sky.  High above them, a miniscule dot, obscured by several clouds, can be seen.)

Martha (Turning to Jonathan): "Jonathan, I'm scared."

(Jonathan takes a deep breath, and looks down at Martha.)

Jonathan: "We can't hold on to him anymore..."

(They look at each other for a time, and then Martha turns back to the sky.  She pulls Jonathan's arms around her like a coat, and shivers slightly.)

Martha: "It's not us I'm scared for, it's him."

Jonathan (After several moments of silence): "Me too.  Come on, let's go inside.  It's getting cold out here."

(Jonathan slowly separates from Martha and pats her on the lower back.  He enters the house.  Martha watches him then looks back up at the sky.  She sees the small dot that is her son, then slowly turns and walks into the house.  High above them, Clark turns away from the small farm below, wishing he hadn't heard their conversation.  Standing brighter then he has ever seen them before are the seven stars that comprise the wolf's head.  Clark stares at them in a trance.  Slowly, he begins to slouch forward in the open air.  His eyes droop closed.  Clark sees his biological parents making last minute preparations.  His ship stands in the middle of a cavernous room, aimed at the one opening.  The light coming through the gaping hole is dark and shadowed.)

Lara (Rushing over to the ship holding a baby bundled in cloth): "Hurry, Jor-El, there's not much time left!"

Jor-El (His fingers a blur over a large console standing several feet from the ship): "I'm working as fast as I can, Lara."

(Several seconds pass.)

Jor-El (Looking up at her): "Lara, get in."

Lara (Turning to him, speaking tenderly): "No.  My place is with you."

(Lara steps forward and places the bundle inside the ship.  She purses her lips and tears stream down her face.  Jor-El, stepping around the console, slides a small disk into a slot in the inner compartment of the ship.  The baby can be heard, crying.)

Jor-El (Voice cracking from emotion): "Initiate."

Empty Voice of the Computer: "Command not recognized."

(Jor-El collects himself, and tries again.)

Jor-El (Speaking clearly): "Initiate."

Empty Voice: "Launch initiating..."

(The cockpit slowly begins to close.  Jor-El pulls his wife back as she reaches her hand out to the young Kal-El.  A faint glow begins emitting from the ship, growing stronger until it illuminates the entire room.  Jor-El and Lara are barely visible among the now blinding light.  The ship slowly raises it self up and begins lifting through the hole.  Lara reaches a hand out to it as Jor-El embraces her.)

Jor-El (Whispering): "My dear God... may the star winds guide your course, Kal-El."

Lara (Speaking softly, a tear rolling down her cheek): "Good-bye, my sweet Kal-El."

(The ship leaves the dome behind, showing tears streaming down Lara's face and Jor-El holding her close to him for only a second more.  As it slowly climbs past the dark clouds that had gathered over Krypton, it gains speed.  Far below, cracks begin to split the surface of the dying planet, eerie green light emanating from them.  Faint screams can be heard as the city of Kryptonopolis, which took seven hundred generations to build, quickly falls to ruble in only a few mere moments.  The ship breaks out of the atmosphere.  As it does, an intense flash of light goes out from Krypton.  The light seems to collapse back in on Krypton, briefly, and then explodes outward violently in a rapidly expanding halo of light.  The planet slowly collapses in on itself, and then explodes entirely.  The small ship, now accompanied by a slew of fragments from its planet, quickly picks up speed.  The vacuum of space muffles the child's wailing, as the ship carries it deeper and deeper into space, to a far off star in the sky...  Time slows down and Clark sees the ground rushing quickly to meet him as he falls headfirst.  In a great rush of dirt and corn, Clark hits the ground at top speed.  When the dust settles, a small crater has been formed from his impact.  Clark slowly stands and looks back up at the sky.  Clouds now obscure the stars.  A smile plays at the corners of Clark's lips and he breathes deeply, and then walks back to the house.)