Vignette 8

HOPE

All of this work for all of these years and now, finally, the answer has been found.

"Hello?"

Her voice echoes through the room, nervous, uncertain. I peer at her through the scattering of book and globe-covered shelves separating us. She's statuesque in appearance, young, extremely beautiful and very different from what I've imagined time and again. I can only attribute my expectations to too much science fiction – the idea that all aliens must be ethereal in appearance. Indeed, Kaela-El is far more earthy than ethereal, with dark hair and dusky skin and eyes the color of spring grass. Amazing.

"Hello, Dr. Swann?" She calls out, voice dropping slightly. Her shoulders slump and she shakes her head as she turns to leave. "What am I doing here?"

"Looking for answers, I assume," I reply, smiling as she jumps slightly at the sound of my voice.

I watch as she cranes her head around the shelves, searching for me. She narrows her eyes almost imperceptibly as she gazes around the room, and she pauses abruptly, as if she can see me through the shelving. For all I know maybe she can, since she starts slowly toward the end of the room, moving purposely toward me. Once around the bookshelves, she stops in front of my desk, staring down at me, gaze wide and hesitant.

"Hello, Hudson," I greet softly, noting the 'fight or flight' stance that she's affected. "I've been expecting you."

I smile and give her a moment to adjust, waiting until she relaxes just a little, as if certain that no one is going to jump out and capture her. "You're probably wondering why a billionaire scientist works in the backroom of the planetarium."

Hudson blinks at me, face spreading into an almost smile. "The thought had crossed my mind."

"Well, I find it peaceful," I tell her before smirking. "Besides, I own the building."

"How very billionaire-like of you," she responds, lips twitching as if she's deciding whether or not she should laugh.

I regard her for a moment, remembering what I read regarding her association with Lex Luthor. "I forget that you are familiar with the eccentricities of billionaires."

Hudson straightens a little at that, once more adopting a defensive posture. She frowns. "Why do you say that?"

"Relax, Hudson," I reply, my tone lowering once more so as not to scare her off. "I'm no threat to you. I'm not going to hurt you. Since I read the article regarding the symbol on your barn, I've done a little studying. I know that you're… close with Lex Luthor."

"He's a friend." She glances at the floor, scuffing her toe along the wood. "Nothing more."

Interesting.

"I never meant to imply otherwise," I assure her before focusing my attention to the microphone in front of me. "Activate screen."

Hudson's gaze swings upwards as the screen along the wall begins to light up with rows of the Kryptonian symbols that I've spent the past thirteen years studying. She stares hard at it, as if memorizing each and every line, lips quivering slightly. It's impossible not to see that she can read and understand the symbols, and how very much their words mean to her.

"Does any of that look familiar?" I ask, testing her.

She starts, as if having forgotten I was here, and then she shrugs disinterestedly. "What is it?"

I hide my smile at her deception. "It's a message from the stars, Hudson," I reply, regarding her thoughtfully as I speak. "All my life, I've been staring out into space wondering. Wondering is anybody else out there? And then 13 years ago, I got an answer."

"The day of the meteor shower," Hudson supplies, eyeing me closely for a moment before returning her gaze to the screen.

"One of my receiving stations picked up a faint signal," I explain. "It took me years to decrypt it. And finally, I discovered a mathematical key that was built into the transmission."

There was a moment of silence before Hudson took a step closer to the screen. "Can you read it?"

"Yes," I admit, hoping that by doing so, she will be more honest with me. I Have no need to look at it, as I've had it memorized for years now. "It says "This is Kaela-El of Krypton. Our infant daughter, our last hope. Please protect her and deliver her from evil"."

Hudson reaches out suddenly, her fingers skimming lightly over the symbols before her. "Kaela-El," she whispers softly. "Krypton."

I can't begin to imagine what this means to her; to finally learn who she is and where she came from. I remain silent, allowing her time to adjust before I continue, "I've always wondered what happened to that child, if she survived the journey, if she lived among us." I pause, waiting for Hudson to return her attention to me. "And then three days ago, I saw the symbol for Hope burned onto the side of a barn in Smallville, and I found that the farmer and his wife had an adopted daughter."

Panic flashes across her face and she quickly tells me, in a very bad lie, "So you think I'm Kaela-El? I'm just Hudson Kent."

"No, no, no, no, no. I'm not trying to expose you, Hudson," I assure her gently in an attempt to gain her trust. "I'm just... I'm just seeking the truth."

She stares at me silently, as if processing my words. Finally, she shakes her head, in what seems to be an automatic motion. "I'm sorry, Doctor. The truth is, I'm not who you think I am," she denies softly, and turns to go.

I fear she's been taught this response over and over again throughout her life. She carries around with her a secret that no one on this earth can imagine being responsible for keeping. And she's only a child. For these reasons, I understand her distrust. I've given her all she believes she needs to hear, and maybe that's enough for her, enough to give her reason to leave.

"If you can live with that decision, Hudson, so can I. But if you walk out that door, it'll never be open to you again." I allow her to process that before I add, "And you'll never know the second part of the message."

Her eyes widen slightly and she glances toward the screen again. Her fists clench at her sides and she licks her lips before returning her attention to me. There's anger in her eyes, a flicker of frustration.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She demands.

"We all have our windmills, Hudson," I respond. "I need to know I'm right. Once I do, it'll never leave this room."

Hudson remains silent, staring at me, evidently weighing the truth of my words. She takes a breath and I see the answer in her eyes. "Show me."

"Second screen," I command.

The first symbols on the screen disappear, and a second set lights up in their place, moving in alternating directions from row to row. Hudson glances down at me quickly before returning her gaze and reading aloud:

"We will be with you, Kaela-El, for all the days of your life." She swallows, blinking as she turns back to me. "What does this mean?"

"I'm not sure," I reply honestly. "But one thing I've learned about science is the value of patience."

And if there is one thing I can read on Hudson's face, it's the youthful presence of impatience. She makes a noise of consideration in her throat before her attention wanders to the wall behind me, where I have a picture of the known charted galaxy. Moving over to it, she brushes a finger across the area that is circled and there's a distinct catch in her breath.

"Is that where Krypton is?" She asks softly.

"No, that's where Krypton was." At her look of confusion, I clarify, "I followed the signal's path billions of miles out into space. I was hoping to discover its origin but instead, I found nothing."

She flashes me a look of frustration. "Planets just don't disappear," she points out before looking back at the map. She touches the empty space again. "What do you think happened to it?"

"Oh, it could be any one of a million different scenarios. War, famine, disease. I mean, look at the world around us. Is it really that hard to believe?"

Hudson frowns, turning away from the map and taking a few steps past the desk. "Well, I can't be the only one," she mutters before looking over her shoulder at me hopefully. "There must be others like me."

"There was only one message," I tell her quietly.

She shakes her head and turns away to face the map of the galaxy once more, her body trembling slightly. "Why me?" She asks, voice wavering. "There must be a reason why I was sent to this planet." Hudson looks back at me, her expression filled with desperation.

I offer her an understanding smile, wishing I could give her everything she is searching for. There is something about her that speaks of hope, something that touches me. It is far beyond the simple fact that she is an alien, and the importance of her existence. It's in her eyes and her voice and the way she carries herself as she moves. It's not blindingly evident, but it can be seen by those who choose to look for it. Hudson Kent is more than what she seems; she carries within her a destiny that is likely far greater than anyone, including myself, could realize. I see now just how important that symbol on the Kent barn was.

"You won't find the answers by looking to the stars," I respond to her, knowing it isn't what she wants to hear. "It's a journey you'll have to take by looking inside yourself. You must write your own destiny... Kaela-El."