MVP1-SLSH2
A New Generation
Part 2
© Dylan Clearbrook
(Note: This story has gone through only one minor edit. All errors (and there may be many) are the fault of the author and faulty fingers.)
The Federation of United Planets
A Short History
Commonly referred to as the United Planet or the UP, the Federation of United Planets had its origins in the early 21st century. Thrust fairly early in their development into space, largely in part to two consecutive Khund invasions, the Terrans of Sol 3 had already began the process of crafting the governmental system on which both the modern day EarthGov and the UP systems are modeled.
With meager beginnings, which included the three inhabited planets of the Sol System and the recently colonized Daxam in the Roxal System, the UP has fluctuated in size over the centuries and has come close to being disbanded at least three times during periods of war-fare between some or all member planets. In all three cases, it was the Johnny-come-latelies to the galactic community, the Terrans, and their Daxamite (previously known as Kryptonians) allies that forged the peace, using both diplomacy and military force, that have allowed the UP to continue its existence to this day.
Presently, there are over three hundred member planets within the UP and several hundred more that, although not officially members, are considered major trade partners or protectorates of theUP.
Some worlds, Durlia and Rimbor being the most visible examples, have been protectorates for several years and wish only to be rid of UP influence. Both worlds, and others like them, have often resorted to acts of terrorism to fight what they deem to be battles of independence from the UP. More recently, Durlia has ceased such acts and has opened talks with UP delegates to formally petition for full UP membership and has opened an embassy in the UP Enclave near Metropolis on Earth, the traditional seat of government of the UP.
It has been nearly century since the last major war embroiled the UP yet certain historical experts are warning that the rising tide of terrorism is but a forerunner of another galactic conflict.
-Encyclopedia Galactica
The Religion of Kryptonia
…nearly forgotten centuries before Krypton exploded, the worship of Lorra as the mate of Rao had a resurgence in the shrunken city of Kandor just prior to being enlarged on Daxam.
Over the centuries, several sects of Lorra appeared, grew, and then withered. As the traditional Raoists passed away, worship of Lorra gained more acceptance. Over time, both Raoists and Lorraists were supplanted by a new, swiftly growing sect known as Kryptonia.
Kryptonia was, in every way, a perfect merger of both the religions of Rao and Lorra, holding that neither male nor female held dominance. Though individuals could feel free to dedicate specifically to one deity or the other, the over all message of Kryptonia was that of equality.
It was the strong adherents of Kryptonia that spearheaded the movement to return to the System of Rao and begin the project of terraforming and colonizing the planet Argo in the 28th Century!
-The Chronicles of Kryptonia
Metropolis, Earth
3304 AD
"What do you know about my family?"
It had been two weeks since the devastating blasts that had destroyed four embassies in the UP Enclave…and killed her father.
The pain was still there…but Cora Zir-El, known now as Katrine Kent, was dealing with it as best she could. At the moment, she was seated at dinner with a woman that, had the situation been normal, would hardly have noticed a simple low rank, wet behind the ears Sec-Pol Officer. Yet this was not a normal situation and Commissioner Marie Santel was hardly your average Sec-Pol Commissioner.
For one thing, she had been Kat's commanding officer when the young woman had graduated from the Academy. Only the demise of the previous Commissioner, during a terrorist attack on the Metropolis Spaceport complex, had propelled then Captain Santel to her current lofty position.
Now, as she watched the young woman pick at her food, she had to smile to herself.
I probably know more about your history now, than you do. She thought. But aloud, "Just what I have been able to glean from reports and history."
She averted her eyes, stifling the churning in her stomach as Kat speared a chunk of meat on her fork and popped it in her mouth.
Though eating real meat was not unheard of on Earth, it was extremely rare and had been so for well over a century. The Daxamites, however, were true carnivores.
Kat chewed thoughtfully, swallowed, and lay her fork down. She rested her elbows on the table, her hands clasped above her plate, providing a rest for her chin.
"When the Kandorians were enlarged on Daxam, their DNA was slightly altered." She spoke slowly, her eyes closed. "Not a major alteration, yet from that moment on, if things had gone as the Starheart had intended, never again would a Kryptonian gain powers when subjected to the radiations of a yellow sun."
"Obviously something didn't go as planned." Marie Santel laid her fork aside as well. She knew much of the story already, thanks to a newly discovered source of information, but she could not, as yet, reveal that.
"Possibly. Or maybe it was planned after all." Kat responded. "But the Kryptonians would have remained powerless…had it not been for Kori Mak-Tu."
"Mak-Tu?" Santel inquired.
"Her married name." Kat nodded, her eyes still closed. "In the Kryptonian records, her name was Kori Zor-El, one of twin daughters of Kara Zor-El. Originally, her name had been Karen Zor-El Dox." Kat paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, and then plunged on. "It began nearly twenty Earth years after she retired to Daxam and married Mak-Tu…
The Roxal System
New Kandor, Daxam
2023 AD
"You're certain?"
Kori Mak-Tu nodded mutely, waving a hand to invite her husband, Mak-Tu, to go over her results.
"Dear, I believe you." Mak-Tu ignored the invitation and pulled the sullen woman to her feet, enfolding her in his arms. "And it is okay. We can always use one of those Matrix things to…"
"No!" Kori spun out his arms, tears flowing down her face. "It wouldn't be the same, Mak!" She turned back to him. "Don't you understand, I want your child! I want a child that will be part of you and me…not some randomly selected DNA cobbled together from the genome cache. And I can't!"
"Okay." Mak spoke calmly. Having grown up among Terrans, Kori tended to be a bit more emotional than your average Kryptonian. It was one of the things that had caused him to fall in love with her so many years earlier.
The two of them had fit together like hand and glove, both working together under the tutelage of Teora Dak-Tu, Mak's mother.
They had spent the next several years working tirelessly, utilizing the data that had been a gift of the people of the Inheritor's Universe, to revitalize their new world. They had been much to busy to even think about children…until now. And now…they discovered it was impossible.
"See this?" Tears still flowing, Kori called up a schematic that displayed as a three dimensional holo, floating above her work area. "This is a single strand of my DNA." She flicked a switch and another strand appeared. " This is Carrie's…Kari's…." another switch "and this is yours."
She enlarged sections of her own and Kari's
"See here? Right here is proof that Kari and I are not as identical as we had first supposed."
Mak, seeing that Kori was dealing with her emotions by throwing herslf back into the science, studied the two diagrams.
"Rao," he breathed. "Not even mother could have mapped that so minutely." He pointed out a section on each. "This is what you are talking about? There is hardly a difference in the strands at all. I would say true twins would not have so closely matching strands."
"Probably not, but perhaps that difference is what separates the two of us. Perhaps it is that difference that gave Kari her tendency to be… brasher…than me. Or that make me have a tendency to think things to death."
She extinguished Kari's holo and brought up Mak's.
"Now look at the same areas."
"There is a decided difference." Mak acknowledged, with a sigh. "More of a difference than there is between us and the original DNA encoded in the Inheritor Genome."
"Exactly." Kori lashed out with a foot, kicking the stool. She then proceeded to hop around on one foot, yowling.
"Dear…" Mak sighed. "You have got to calm down." He took her in his arms. "If you don't…." He trailed off as a large white canine appeared in the lab, looked at them, gazed at the large white feline that followed Kori everywhere for a moment, and then winked out.
"There, you see?" He turned her face up. "You've not only upset Pantha, you've worried Fang! And I would bet he showed up because you were effecting Kari!" He was, of course, referring to the empathetic bond Kori still shared with her "twin", Kari.
"And if you have Kari worried, you can bet we'll be getting a visit from your mom within the week!"
Metropolis, Earth
3304 AD
"…Kari that came up with a solution." Kat continued her tale. "Using some of the techniques that Teora had developed, they did a bit of elaborate gene splicing. They removed the incompatible portion of Kori's DNA and replaced it with an appropriate strand from Kara Zor-El."
"Then you…."
"I don't lose my powers instantly under a red sun." Kat nodded, eyes still closed. "At first, everything seemed fine and dandy."
"But something went wrong?" Santel prompted when Kat went silent.
"Something went wrong." The younger woman acknowledged. "The procedure worked. The draw back was discovered when that child attempted to have children. Same problem. Same solution." Kat opened her eyes. "It went that way for the next generation as well."
"And then Cir-El." Santel responded as if guessing.
"Cir-El" Kat grimaced. "The older of a set of twins born to Alina and Gar-El."
Santel listened carefully. Though she was probably the only non-Daxamite to know the full story, she was also the only one to have a Daxamite willing to talk about it. Kryptonian! She corrected herself. While a majority of the inhabitants now considered themselves Daxamites, the House of El refused to let go of their heritage. They were Kryptonians and, for the most part, became irritated if called Daxamites. Especially since they were for the most part, involved in the terraforming and colonizing of the planet Argo in the system of Rao. The system where, long ago, the planet of Krypton once existed. Now only a poisonous asteroid belt of Kryptonite floated around the sun where the planet had once been.
"Even our records are a bit sketchy about that time." Kat admitted. "But there was a taint. Some believed Alina rushed the procedure. Others believed it was just a fluke, or even something in Gar-El's genes." Kat laughed. It was an odd hollow sound, no where near the richness of laughter that Santel had heard on occasion…before the attack on the UP Enclave. "The old traditionalists claimed it was the judgment of Rao for committing the sin of cloning." She shrugged. "They were able to pin point the problem…afterwards."
She was quiet for a moment and Santel let her collect her thoughts. Tonight was the first time Kat had really opened up…and she needed to talk. It didn't matter what she talked about, just so long as she talked.
"She was Cir Gar-El and her younger twin was Cina Gar-El." She finally continued. "Both girls had tempers…and a tendency towards cruelty that, had it been discovered at an earlier age, could have been dealt with. They could have gotten help. But Alina and Gar-El covered for them. Hid their criminal tendencies." She shook her head. "Cina Gar-El, however, developed something Cir never did…a Conscience. As soon as she was able, despite the derision Cir poured on her, Cina joined a monastery and began studies to become a Priestess of Lorra. The Talix, what you would call Mother Superior, had kept an eye on her and claimed that she had great potential. Obviously the strict life of a Priestess and techniques of meditation helped her control the taint in her genes."
"Cir had no such control." Kat went on. "Shortly after Cina entered the monastery, Cir vanished off planet. Nothing was heard for several years…until word reached Daxam that a "Supergirl", wearing black and a red slash for an S, was ravaging worlds on the edge of the fledgling UP's space. Leaving behind her complete planets devastated. Never one that was truly advanced technologically, of course. Only those that were…easy."
"Then Daxam got word that the "Supergirl" claimed to be Cir-El. She had dropped the honorific from her name, dishonoring her family." Kat looked Santel in the eye. "It was only then that the House of El realized that the introduction of DNA from Kori and Kara had reintroduced powers under yellow suns." She shook her head. "There was nothing anyone could do. And so they denied her…and tried to hide their shame from the rest of the UP. But Cina was not shamed. She was furious. She had the same taint as Cir, but had managed to control it. How dare Cir bring such dishonor on the family…on their world!" Kat closed her eyes again. "And so she went after her sister. Stealing a chunk of Kryptonite from the monastery, Cina found a ship off planet, a ship bound for Earth. Once under the influence of the yellow sun and once she had gotten used to her powers, she took off again…to chase down Cir-El and deal with her…for the honor of her family…and for the good of the galaxy."
"And did she find her sister?" Santel asked, though she already knew the story.
"No one knows." Kat shrugged. "Soon after word had come to Daxam, with the belief that Cir might try to contact her sister, the authorities had secretly placed a homing device within Cina's blood stream. They had not expected her to just take off. So, when they were finally able to track her down…they found her body, torn and bloody, floating in space…the chunk of Kryptonite still clutched in her fingers. No trace was ever found of Cir-El and nothing was heard from or of her again. Most believe that she and Cina fought to the death…and that while Cina's body was recovered, because of the tracking device, the body of Cir-El still floats in space…a lonely, vast, grave."
Kat was quiet a few moments more.
"Alina's sister, Anila Rok-Zee, took the lesson and, after studying the body of Cina Gar-El closely, discovered something. The records are clear at this point, but the how of it was lost. Perhaps it was considered such common knowledge that it was not recorded." Kat shrugged. "She discovered that the problem from the very beginning had been the lack of purity in the bloodline. She points out that it was the Coluan portion of the genetic make up of Kori that was ultimately the problem."
Now Santel was truly surprised. Coluan? How could that be possible since Colu was, for all practical purposes, a recent discovery? The only contact Earth…or Daxam…of the twenty-first century had with Colu was through the evil android Brainiac!
"Anila went back and reworked the entire procedure. This time she added DNA samples they had of Rogue in storage and cleaned out all traces of the Coluan strain" She opened her eyes. "It was only afterwards that she discovered why the Coluan strain had been left in. It was tied directly to the intelligence." Kat smiled whimsically "Anila was the last of the Super-geniuses of the House of El."
"Hmmm." Santel snorted. "Her grand daughter was still enough of a genius to co-develop the Hyper-Spatial Drive and Comm Systems."
"I didn't say they suddenly lost their intelligence. That Coluan segment simply allowed the individual to better utilize her brain. It was estimated that both Kari and Kori could use up to fifty percent of their brains. Whereas the average humanoid still only uses anywhere from ten to twenty percent. Kryptonians, overall, tend to fall into the higher end of that scale." Kat said. "And the best geneticists in the galaxy still come from Daxam…and the House of El."
She picked up her fork and stabbed another piece of meat.
"How can you do that?" Santel could stand it no longer.
"What?" Kat stopped, fork midway to her mouth.
"Eat real…animal meat?" Santel almost gagged at the thought.
"Protein." Kat responded, popping the morsel in her mouth. "Kryptonian…or Daxamite now…plant life does not furnish the protein needed by inhabitants of heavy gravity worlds."
"You could synthesize it!" Santel accused.
"We could." Kat nodded. "And we do. We don't force anyone to eat meat…and we have our share of vegans. But we have discovered that no matter how good the supplements or substitutes are, they cannot replace the psychological effects." She pointed her fork at Santel. "We don't consider ourselves better than anyone. Nor do we consider ourselves above nature. We are, as Rao and Lorra intended, part of the food chain. At the top, but still part of it."
"It is strange to hear of a society so highly advanced socially and scientifically still connected to nature."
"Perhaps that is why!" Kat speared another piece of meat and held it up. "This is one way to remind us that, no matter how advanced we get, we are still dependent on nature!"
"I'll take your word for it." Santel knew she was growing pale and averted her face while Kat chewed. She picked at her own food and the conversation lagged.
The two finished their meals in relative silence in Santel's private domicile. A swank, nine-room affair nestled within the confines of the Hadly Tower. As Commissioner, her rank granted her some privileges and a sizeable salary. Neither, however, were enough to get her domicile on the Tower's perimeter. It would take a lot more money and pull to snag a place with more rooms and an actual open-air balcony.
Santel had wrestled with whether or not to bring Kat here. Over the past two weeks, she had made several forays into the seedier parts of the city to visit the young woman at her own place. Sooner or later, however, some one was bound to notice and would begin to wonder…
Just as Kat was probably wondering why she had brought her here. Surely not for a simple dinner.
She waited until Kat placed her eating utensils on the plate. She cast a glance at the plate and smiled. It was possible that it was simply an unconscious thing, and she wondered how Kat had kept her origins secret for so long.
"You're going to have to watch that." She spoke up, nodding towards the plate.
"What?" Kat looked down at her plate.
"See how you placed your fork and knife? Then added the spoon…which you never used?"
Kat looked.
She had crossed the fork and knife on the plate and then carefully positioned the spoon, facing outward, cupped portion facing up.
"Most Terrans aren't that careful with how they place their silverware." Santel admonished. "But you Daxamites…that is a sign that you enjoyed the meal and the company. Had you not enjoyed either, the fork would face down, the spoon would face down and would be pointing towards yourself, not outward. Had you only enjoyed the meal, then both the fork and spoon would face up. Had you only enjoyed the company, the spoon would be placed pointing outward, facing down."
Kat blushed.
"I haven't done that for…." She trailed off and Santel understood. For the past two weeks, as she dealt with the destruction of all that she knew…she had been hard pressed to maintain the mask of being a Terran.
"Kat, it's okay." Santel reached over and grasped the younger woman's hand. She took a breath. It was now or never.
"Kat, I'm taking you out of Sec-Pol."
Kat sat stunned, her disbelieving eyes finally moving up to see if the Commissioner was joking. She wasn't.
"You can't do that!" She pulled her hand back, standing.
"Yes." Santel sighed. "I can and I have. As of this evening you have been transferred." She shook her head. "Hear me out, Kat."
She waited until Kat nodded mutely.
"Good. Monday you will report to my offices where you will be reassigned as my personal aide."
"Why?" Kat demanded. "Why would you do this? Sec-Pol…."
"Sec-Pol cannot use you to your potential, Kat." Santel pressed. "I can." She stood and moved to the fabricator and dialed a couple of drinks, light on alcohol, and then motioned for Kat to join her in the relaxation room.
The lights dimmed in the dining room as robotic servants moved out to clear the table and in the living room, the lights brightened as Santel stepped in. She passed one of the drinks to Kat and motioned for her to have a seat while she took one her self. She kicked off her shoes and, in a pose that hardly fit the Sec-Pol Commissioner of the Metropolis Megaplex, tucked her feet up in the seat.
"Officially, you will still be a Sec-Pol officer," She continued the explanation. "Perhaps, I shouldn't have put it that way. But you won't be working in the archives or going out on patrols. For now, you'll work for me until we are ready to take the next step."
"Next step?" Kat looked at the drink in her hand and sit it aside, untasted.
Instead of answering, Santel asked her own question.
"Tell me why you do it, Kat." She demanded. "You've caused quite a stir, you realize." She didn't wait for Kat to respond. "The rumors are beginning to fly out of control." She sat her drink down and ticked off the rumors on her fingers.
"The most common one is that, some how, the last Superwoman has returned." She said. "That would be…Carrie…correct?" At Kat's silent nod she went on. "Since most people believe that Daxamites…and yes, I am well aware that you prefer Kryptonian…Get used to it…your people should have changed the planet's name when you colonized it…have no more powers…so they don't know what to think or they think it is some fraud using modern technology to simulate Superwoman's powers. Some think you are actually Cir-El back from the dead and they are waiting for the other shoe to drop." She lifted her drink and took a sip. "But there are some that either know or guess that the House of El still has the potential for Super Powers. It's my guess that those that engineered the Trilian Plague…and the bombing of the UP Enclave, are among that last group."
"You mean…." Kat went pale and Santel nodded.
"Yes. It was you they were after, Kat." She went on quickly. "Tell me…does the potential for power ever show up in the male offspring?"
"I…I don't know." Kat was confused by the apparent change of subject. "There has never been a male offspring. Only female."
"Then it was you they were after." Santel sighed. "That's why they waited until spring break at Metropolis University, where, officially, Cora Zir-El was attending classes. They waited until they were certain that you were back at the compound…."
"But I was!" Kat exclaimed.
"What?" Santel sat up straight, swinging her legs to the floor.
"I was there." Kat struggled with the memory. "I had gone to visit with my father. We talked…and then I left. I did some shopping, took care of some financial business that had built up, and then went home…where you found me."
"Who knew you were going to the compound?" Santel demanded.
"No one." Kat shook her head. "You…and a front I use to handle my finances…are the only ones that know I'm Cora Zir-El."
"This front…when did you talk to him last?" Santel pressed.
"Why…." Kat paused, her eyes filled with horror. "Just before I headed out to the compound…I told him I would be by afterwards."
Santel had Kat give her the contact information and then… "You best give me the keys for your accounts while we are at it." She took the information and then rushed out of the room, Kat on her heels.
In a smaller room, an office away from the office, Santel slid in behind her desk and began tapping keys, making some direct inquiries. She didn't worry about leaving a trail for some one else to follow. Her system and her authority ensured that she could make discreet, anonymous inquiries. After a moment she sat back, bewildered.
"Well, I found your front." She announced after a few moments, sitting back. "He was brought into the morgue three weeks ago. They're still waiting for some one to claim the body." She grew silent again and then shook her head. "Tell me, when you visited your front, did he actually access any of your accounts while you were present?"
Kat thought for a moment and then shook her head.
"No." She answered. "He mentioned something about a glitch in the system and took notes in a compad. Said he would enter the information later. Now that I think about it, he seemed a bit…jittery."
"He had every right to be nervous." Santel snorted. "You were supposed to be dead. And since the man you used to handle your finances was dead, the man you talked to obviously wasn't him."
"But how…" Kat trailed off, her eyes narrowing. "A Durlan!"
"A Durlan!" Santel confirmed. "That would be my guess as well." The shape-shifting inhabitants of the planet Durla were not highly regarded in the UP. Though the Durlan Government had officially applied for full UP membership, there were still several factions that were unwilling to give up their war of terrorism. To its credit, the Durlan government stamped out such cells of terror when it discovered them and passed on any information it received about pending actions of the cells to the UP authorities. "Good enough to fool you…and probably even any co-workers. But it had to have been a rush job. They couldn't have known when or if you would show up." She looked up at the young woman standing over her shoulder. "I would say he probably didn't have the access keys to your accounts…or he knew he could not fool the identification protocols of their computer systems." She held up her compad. "We can check your accounts from here…to make sure they haven't been tampered with." She left it open, waiting for a response from Kat. Finally, the younger woman nodded.
Santel entered the security keys Kat had given her and then stood, motioning for Kat to take her place for further identification. That done, she then looked over her shoulder.
"Everything seems to be in order." Kat mused, leafing through screen after screen of data.
"Hold it!" Santel exclaimed. "Back up one screen." Kat did as ordered and waited.
"I'll be…." Santel looked down at Kat. "You own Hadly Tower! You own this tower!"
"Actually," Kat blushed as she read over the section Santel was referring to. "It's a tax write-off purchased for me. And it isn't just the Tower. It's the entire surrounding development. The penthouse of this tower is maintained for me. But the rest is leased out to City Government."
"Pent…" Santel shook her head. "And I'll bet you've never even been there."
"No." Kat looked up at her. "I didn't know until just now that I owned it."
Santel shook her head and motioned for Kat to move aside. Sliding back in behind the terminal, she began tapping commands.
"We'll worry about how rich you are in a bit. First, I want to do some more checking on your 'front'. Mr. Fred Dalnes." She tapped some more and then studied the screen, frowning. "Interesting."
"What?" Kat peered over her shoulder.
"It seems some one dropped the ball." Santel glared at the screen. "Fred Dalnes lay in the morgue, yet the system didn't notice that, nearly a week later, the same Fred Dalnes booked passage out-system. That should have sent up red flags everywhere." She read on, her countenance becoming grimmer. "He never made the flight. Instead, he was found dead near the spaceport. Murdered." She looked up at Kat. "He was signed into the morgue the same day that his family came to claim the body…of the first Fred Dalnes!"
"Shouldn't some one have caught that?"
"Yes, they should have." Santel nodded, her eyes narrowed. "In fact, the system should have been screaming bloody murder. But it hasn't. It is acting as if there were no discrepancies at all!"
"Some one has tampered with it." Kat understood where the commissioner was going.
"Yes." Santel turned back to the screen and touched a few keys. "I'm going to check this out. It may take awhile, so why don't you go check out your penthouse. I've downloaded the initial entrance keys to your compad. You'll have to reset the keys so the penthouse can identify you in the future. Go. I'll come get you when I'm done here or if I find something."
She didn't wait for Kat to acknowledge before she began tapping away.
Star Queen Liner
Departing Titan In-System
The faintest of sounds signaled the docking of the shuttle and the young red haired man, alone in the observation lounge, sighed.
Soon the lounge would fill with the new arrivals, intruding on his solitude. It was a scene he had played out several times over the past few weeks.
Not for the first time did he fervently wish he and his sister had been able to afford passage aboard one of the outrageously expensive minimal stop vessels plying the space lanes between Winath and Earth.
Such, however, was not the case. The best they could accomplish had been middle class passage aboard the Star Queen. Officially categorized as a luxury liner, vessels such as the Queen were known to have various tiers of passengers. The truly rich passed the trip in true luxury in the forward and upper decks. The cheaper the passage, the further back, closer to the engines, and the lower. Of course, with the cheaper passages came the cheaper services. He could almost imagine what the lowest passages had to cope with on such a long journey.
It had taken almost two weeks just to get from his home system to the Sol system as the Star Queen stopped at scheduled points along the way.
Once in the Sol System, however, the trip had slowed to a crawl as the Star Queen stopped at various satellites and planets along the way. He was truly grateful that the fifth and fourth planets in the system were currently on the other side of the sun, thus not feasible stops. This stop, at Titan, one of the primary satellites of the ringed planet Saturn was the last one. It was early morning, ship time, now and by this time tomorrow, the giant, lumbering liner would be slowing into a parking orbit above the Lunar Spaceport. There they would go through the first of two customs inspections. The second they would endure when their shuttle touched down on Earth.
There was something about Titan he felt he should remember, something he had read or seen back on Winath.
Silently, the young man cursed the need to leave Winath on this hopeless trip in the first place. The authorities would not listen to him or his sister there. What had made them think the Earth authorities would be any different? Still, they had to try. And they both understood why their word had been so suspect on Winath.
His dark thoughts were interrupted as light from an opening door filled the room.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was in here."
A soft feminine voice spoke apologetically.
"It's okay." He forced a smile as he looked back over his shoulder. Silhouetted by the door, he could only make out a darkened figure with hair to the shoulders. "Just enjoying the view." He sighed and turned back to the grand scene before him. "We don't have ringed worlds in my system." He said. "We passed through two systems on the way here that had them, but neither was as awesome as this. It is really beautiful."
"I suppose," The voice was at his shoulder now and he turned slightly. It was a young woman, possibly close to his age, with the light skin common among those that have been many generations far from their primary star and entombed in glass domes, and full, golden hair that tumbled to her shoulders. "if you've grown up with it in your backyard, you sorta get used to it."
"I guess you would." He smiled. He turned more towards her, holding his hand out. "Garth Ranzz." He introduced himself. " From Winath."
The woman looked at the hand first, obviously startled. Then, looking up, into his eyes, she tentatively reached up and took his hand in hers.
"Imra Ardeen." She almost whispered, her voice a bit shaky. "From…OH!"
She jerked her hand back, a frightened look in her face as she looked at him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't…"
"Hey, it's okay." He continued to smile, though he was sure the sudden concern he felt shone in his eyes. It was only then that he noticed her clothing. Dark pink and white, almost military in cut and fashion. And above her left breast, a deep red emblem in the shape of a ringed planet. And he remembered what he had seen about Titan…and its people. "You're a telepath!" Silently the woman nodded.
"That's why you were hesitant to shake hands." He forced a smile.
"Touching…enhances…the contact." She admitted. "I am not used to being around…normals." She paused. "On Titan, people are taught to build mental shields to hide their thoughts at an early age. And it is not that we fear contact. It is more…concern…for the other person. We do not like to…intrude."
"And since we normals don't have those shields, it would be far easier to accidently pick up on something, I suppose." He guessed, smiling as she nodded. He looked around the lounge. "Well, I suppose your people will be filling this place up real quick. Perhaps I should make myself scarce."
"My 'people' are already here." The woman's tone was serious.
"You're alone? They stopped here to pick up a single passenger?"
"Yes." The woman looked back out at the scenery. "Titans do not often leave their domes. They are usually not welcome. Not that it bothers them. They tend to dislike being around 'unruly' untrained minds."
Her arms moved up, as if she were hugging herself.
"And they were more than happy to see me go." She whispered.
She looked up, aware that she had spoken aloud.
"I'm sorry." She tried a smile. "I best leave you to your view." She turned and started towards the door.
Garth watched her walk, time seeming to slow as his mind raced. He couldn't understand it, but he knew one thing for certain…he could not let her leave!
"Wait." She stopped and turned as he approached her. Ignoring her intake of breath, he took her hand and led her back to where they had stood, admiring the great ring. "I think it's a view best shared with someone."
She stood beside him, looking down at the hand that still held hers. Not as a captive, but gently. She then looked up…to find him looking down at her.
"Tell me." He spoke softly, his green eyes seeming to bore into hers with their intensity, their concern, their…
She tore her eyes back to the view, breathing deeply, her mental shields slamming into place, blocking out every thought but her own. With her free hand, she reached up and touched the red emblem.
"These are color coded." She began. "A different color or shade denoting the…strength…of the wearer."
"And what does this color mean?" Her breath caught again as his hand lightly brushed the emblem.
"I…it signifies that my abilities are beyond the means of measuring." She spoke. "There has never been anyone as strong as I."
"Sounds to me that they should be happy to have you." Garth mused.
"I…scare them." She admitted. "I can break through the shields of even the Masters with ease. And so far, none can get past mine."
"And for that they wanted you gone?"
"Not for that alone." She shook her head. "I…well, The Masters did not approve of my violent tendencies."
"Violent tendencies?" Garth looked at her with disbelief.
"Titans are, for the most part, pacifistic." She sighed. "I am not. I believe there are times when action must be taken…and there are times to fight for the greater good. That, and my training in Koh-Re, made them extremely uneasy."
"Koh-Re?" Garth smiled. "We have something in common. Both my sister and I have had trained in Koh-Re. She's reached 2nd Dev Black Sash. I've gone a bit further and achieved 5th Dev."
"I've only reached 3rd Dev myself." Imra looked at him with appreciative eyes now. "I've tried for 4th Dev a couple of times, but so far, I've failed."
He remained silent merely looking at her.
Biting her lip, she tentatively pierced the shields she had thrown up. None would be able to catch her thoughts, yet she could still touch the thoughts of others. Another skill that had earned her the distrust of the Masters.
Probing gently, she allowed her mind to touch the thoughts of this…intense…young man.
The swirling thoughts, the barely suppressed emotions, the hurt and anger and….
With a gasp, she withdrew.
"So what did you see?" Garth smiled. He did not seem offended or scared, though he obviously knew what she had done.
"I…I saw how you saw me." She blushed…and then her face grew serious. "And I saw what has happened to you and your sister. And I know why you are going to Earth!"
Garth's fist clenched at his side and he looked back out at the receding ringed planet.
"Mekt!"
MVP1-SLSH2
"Garth! Garth! Wake up! Garth…oh."
Garth struggled to open his eyes, squinting against the sudden bright light in his cabin up at his flush faced sister, Ayla.
"Sorry." Ayla apologized but she made no move to leave. "Time to get up…they're about to start loading up the first shuttles down to Lunopolis!"
The bed shifted and Garth felt a hand snake across his chest.
"mmmmm." The covers shifted and Imra lifted her head…and noticed Ayla. "Oh!"
"I hear a lot of that lately." Garth grumbled and then sighed. "Ayla, this is Imra. Imra, my twin sister, Ayla."
"Nice to meet ya." Ayla looked Imra over with the critical eye only a protective sister could have and then looked back at her brother. Though there might have been something more. More…appraising. Imra resisted the urge to probe.
"Move fast, don't you?" Ayla was saying.
"Ayla!" Garth snarled.
"Easy, brother dear." Ayla plopped down on the bed. "But you really do need to get a move on. I want to be on the first shuttle down."
"She is right." Imra spoke up. "I would like to be on that shuttle myself."
"It's a conspiracy." Garth huffed. He then looked at his sister. "Out!" he ordered. "I'll be out in a few minutes."
"You better be!" Ayla stood, wagging a finger at him. "And don't even think about getting…distracted!"
With that, she sauntered out of the cabin, letting the door slide shut behind her.
"Sorry about that." He sighed, turning over on to his back.
"For what?" Imra lay her head on his arm while her hand played through his thin chest hair.
"Ayla." He replied. "She can be…well…."
"A sister?" Imra smiled. "Would you not be as protective of her?"
"Probably." Garth had to laugh. "But at least I would have the courtesy of not eyeing a lady she might bring home!"
"Lady she might…Oh!" Imra blushed. Her initial thought had been correct. "Does Winath have …" She paused, unsure of how to word the question.
"No." Garth shook his head. "We don't have laws against it, if that is what you were going to ask. But neither is it extremely common and it is frowned upon. At least she swings both ways."
"At least…." Imra smiled. "I think you might have a bit of the Winath attitude towards it, yourself."
"And Titans have no problem with same-sex relationships?" Garth asked.
"No." It was Imra's turn to shake her head. "With us, it is not the body or the sex of the individual…but the mind!" Her lips stretched in a smile of memory and her hand moved down over his chest and then his belly. "But perhaps we have focused too much on the mind!"
"Down, girl." Garth laughed, catching her hand. He then turned serious as he clutched her hand in his. "Imra…."
"Shhh." She smiled, catching his thought. "We have shared minds, Garth my love. That is something I have never done."
"You were hardly a virgin." Garth countered.
"In body, no. Does it matter? But in mind?" She tightened her hand on his. "Never before have I opened my mind to another in such a way."
"That was…different." Garth breathed. The memory was still fresh. Their lovemaking had begun slowly and yet had quickly risen to a fevered pitch of almost desperation. And in the moment of her peaking, she had drawn him into her mind. Never before had he experienced such…intensity. He shook his head. "But what I wanted to say…I don't want this to be the only…"
"Do not even think it, Garth Ranzz of Winath." She poked him in the ribs with stiffened fingers. "You'll not get rid of me that easy." She smile was purely evil now. "Even if I have to dally with your sister to be near you."
"You wouldn't!" He turned his head…and found his lips locked with hers.
"I would not." She assured him, her voice sounding in his mind. "And should you want me gone, I would leave. But it will not be my choice."
"Nor mine." He thought back to her. "Nor mine."
Metropolis, Earth
Metropolis at night!
The green skinned woman moved through the crowds of youth, taking in the sights and sound of the nightlife.
In a thousand years, with all the technological advancements, not much had changed.
Her memories, the memories of events that had never occurred, were of the twenty-first century, so it was, at times, amusing to compare what she saw now to what life was back then. Or rather, what her memories showed life to be like back then.
Modes of transportation had improved, people had scattered throughout the galaxy, leaving the Earth less crowded as a result, but some things never changed.
The battle of the sexes still raged on. People still sat down for dinner around a table and still used the same kind of utensils. Young people still gathered at shopping places, holo-theaters, and bars. People still went camping (though their notion of "roughing it" would have left a twenty-first century camper in stitches). People still put their pants on one leg at a time. Mothers still nursed babes. Children still played in parks on swings and slides and jungle-jims. Lovers still walked beneath the stars.
All of this she could compare to her memories. What she could not judge as well were the changes in morals and values. For those, she had to rely on what she had learned from the Amazons and from her own studies after leaving Themyscira.
Modesty taboos, she had learned, varied among the known worlds. Here on Earth only total nudity was illegal…and that only for sanitary purposes, having nothing to do with any religious mores or values. Not that it was ever really an issue. Men and women had long ago learned that 'sexy' did not equal nudity. While fashions had, in the intervening years, undergone many back and forth changes, the current trends seemed to promote skimpy clothing that accented the body rather than hiding it.
Looking around now, as she passed through the shopping mall, one that promoted itself (incorrectly, she felt) as a genuine recreation of an actual 21st century mall, she could see that many of the youth were, indeed, indulging in the newer fashions. It was not the package, but how the package was wrapped!
Racism, though less of a curse in the latter portion of the 20th century, no longer existed. But its modern counterpart still thrived among the human worlds: Xenophobia!
In this case, a strong fear and distrust of just about all non-human life forms, be they humanoid or utterly alien.
Several wars, one of which had devastated earth about two hundred years earlier, could account for some of the fear.
Yet in some cases, that fear was not only saved for the humanoid and non-humanoids, but aimed towards many of the other human races as well.
Here, on Earth, the original races no longer fought, but many had united in their unreasoned hatred and fear of humans from many other worlds. White, black, yellow and Terran red joined together to voice their spite at the races having widely variant shades of color ranging from bright red to…green.
This, she had learned, was strange, considering that they all came from the same place.
During her few years with the Green Lanterns of Oa, she had traveled the galaxy, once visiting the Planet of the Preservers!
The Planet of the Preservers was the world in the galactic core from which that long extinct race that had seeded untold planets with human life had originated.
The relations between the Human worlds could not be denied. Biologist from all over had finally come to the conclusion that those few genetic variants that separated them were hardly significant compared to the genetic similarities. Similarities that could not, in any way or form, have been random coincidences. Indeed, though complete compatibility between members of races was rare, complete incompatibility was even more rare.
One of those were the Daxamites…not the Daxamites that existed in the here and now…nor even those that had long ago killed themselves off, but rather the Daxamites of her father's home reality. Of course, the modern Daxamites, the Kryptonians, were just as incompatible with Earth humans as her father had been.
Her thoughts continued to wander as she walked the streets, passing through the lighted, lively areas into the darkened night, unconcerned about who, or what, might lie in wait in the darkness.
She had been in the Metropolis Megaplex for close to two weeks now, having arrived mere days after the bombing within the UP enclave.
Hearing that the Daxamite Ambassador and his family had been among the dead had struck something within her.
Not that she had any reason to identify with the Daxamites…or Kryptonians, rather. Her only connection to Daxam was through her father…a father she never truly knew. It was that connection that caused her eyes to come out red, she had learned from Magalla.
Lar Gand's eyes had been normal, true. But his genes were pure Daxamite and while she had inherited her mothers' energy generation ability (though no where near the degree that had made her so dependant on Arisia) and her gamma radiation induced looks and strength and near invulnerability, all she had from her father were a few enhanced senses. His super-hearing, his telescopic and microscopic vision…and his heat vision! It was the last that caused the eye-color.
And yet, hearing of the attack on the UP Enclave had brought her to a near rage and only her training on Themyscira and Oa had kept her from lashing out blindly.
Of course, Magalla had not given her time to indulge in much of anything that first week.
"If you are old enough to be on your own in the world," the priestess/mage had told her "then you are old enough to handle your own finances."
The first week had been spent legalizing her within the outside world and acquainting her with what amounted to a virtual financial empire.
"Stark-Wayne ceased to exist long ago." Magalla had explained. "But through one World War and two galactic conflicts I have been able to funnel funds in various directions, maintaining the Stark-Wayne Trust through various projects and companies through the years."
She had met with high-level accountants, many astonished that some one had actually come forward to claim the trust (Magalla had always managed the trust without the financial institutions realizing the trust was being managed! In fact, it had been Magalla that had reworked the trust so that there would be no dispute when Jensia made her appearance.) and had learned that she was, indeed, quite wealthy.
The accountants had gone over just about every single item of her investments before Magalla had called a halt, insured the financial institution would now take orders concerning the trust from Jensia, and pulled her out.
"What's wrong?" Jensia could sense that something was bothering her mentor.
"Those final accounts." Magalla frowned. "They were excellent investments, firm and not easily traced."
"Yes?" Jensia did not understand.
"I didn't authorize them."
"You…then who?" Jensia demanded.
"That is what I intend to find out." Magalla had responded. "I must return to Themyscira, but I will be back in two weeks to let you know what I find out."
During the week following, Jensia had wandered the streets of Metropolis, visited the out lying areas were people still lived close to the land, farming the soil, seen both the good and bad sides of the great mega-city. And had come no closer to an answer as to why!
Why had the voice told her to come to Metropolis? And what of that voice? The voice of Senturia, she was certain. Had she truly heard it or merely imagined it? She had not heard it since leaving Oa except in the magical scenes Magalla had shown her in that ruined chamber below the Temple of Hera.
Still there was no answer. With a heavy heart she lifted into the air and flew back the way she had come, heading for the penthouse her accountants had purchased for her. Tomorrow. She would give it one more day. Tomorrow she would check out the one area she had not yet explored and if she found no answers, she would return to Oa. But tomorrow, she would check out the Metropolis Space Port.
End of A New Generation part 2
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- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2004 by Dylan Clearbrook
- and may not be reprinted without permission.