Chapter Nine
Nick Fury, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Clay Quartermain, Doctor Garner and Peter Parker all sat around a table in the main control room of The Triskelion. The metal cylinder lay in the center of the table. At the front of the room was the main computer system, a truly impressive collection of high tech equipment and monitor screens showing a constant feed of the major cities in the U.S., and continuous updates on the locations of various super-powered individuals.
Fury looked at his watch. "You think he's coming back?"
"It'd be awful rude of him to stand us up," Tony said, leaning back in his chair and interlacing his fingers behind his head.
"So how come you guys never asked me to be in the Ultimates?" Peter asked.
"Bad publicity, kid. Plain and simple," Fury said. "Thanks to the Daily Bugle, most people in New York think you're a… what is it they call you? 'Wall-crawling menace'?"
"Great," Peter said, burying his face in his hands. "Remind me to send Jameson a thank you card."
The door slid open and Clark Kent walked in, holding a metal octagonal disc. Everyone at the table stood up.
"That's it?" Fury asked, looking at the disc.
"That's it," Clark replied.
Fury picked the cylinder up off the table. He looked at the octagonal recess in the cylinder, then back at the disc in Clark's hand. "Seems simple enough," he said.
"Nick, I don't know if this is such a good idea," Steve spoke up. "I mean, we don't know exactly what this device will do."
"We have in our hands one of the last relics of a lost world, Cap," Tony said. "Actual technology from another planet. You can't just use something like that as a paperweight."
"I'm with Tony," Fury said. "I want to see what this thing does." He extended the device to Clark.
Clark looked around the room. With the exception of Peter Parker, he didn't trust any of the faces he saw. But, this was all on their terms. They had the artifact, and if Clark wanted to see what message it might contain for him, he had to do this in front of them. He didn't like it, but it was important enough to him to see what the Eradicator was that he was willing to go through with it. He carefully pressed the octagonal disc into the recess on the end of the cylinder.
The artifact began to shake. A soft glow emanated from it, and it slowly began to rise out of Fury's hands. Then, hovering in midair, the cylinder opened up, revealing a pulsating yellow light inside.
Suddenly, the metal cylinder splintered itself into about a dozen small metal shards, and they flew straight for the central computer in the front of the room. The shards embedded themselves deep within the circuitry of the computer. Sparks flew, and the lights in the room dimmed. The pulsating yellow light still hung in the center of the room, but it began to expand and take a new form. After a few moments, the light took on a form that was vaguely human. It continued to pulsate and grow ever brighter. Everyone except Clark had to shield their eyes.
"My… form… is… disorienting… to you…" the pulsating light said. Its voice was a low monotone, with a hollow echo to it. "This… is… easily… remedied."
The glowing form dissipated, and a bolt like lighting shot down from the ceiling, straight into Doctor Garner. Garner screamed, sparks flying from his mouth. His eyes rolled back in his head. He started to fall, but then seemingly caught himself. He blinked a few times, then opened his eyes wide. His eyes now glowed yellow like the pulsating light.
"My… natural form is… merely a collection… of electromagnetic energy," Garner said, the hollow voice now coming from his mouth. "This body… will provide… a suitable host… for the time being."
"What are you?" Fury asked, warily.
"I am the Eradicator," the voice continued to speak through Garner. "I am the creation of Jor-El of Krypton. I am an artificial intelligence created to preserve the glory of our planet." His speech was coming more easily now, the Eradicator quickly adapting to speaking the English language. He walked towards Clark. "Hello, Kal-El. I am sorry we were separated for so long. I was supposed to land with your space ship when you were an infant. I must have been knocked off course during my flight through space."
"Um, if you're controlling Doctor Garner's body, then… where's Doctor Garner?" Clark asked.
"His consciousness has been… compartmentalized," the Eradicator replied. "Do not concern yourself with him. His mind will be restored when I take leave of his body. Kal-El, there is much I have to show you of your home world. Would you like to see Krypton?"
"You can show me Krypton?" Clark asked.
The Eradicator silently placed a hand on Clark's forehead. Instantly, Clark was filled with a vision that took his breath away.
He was on Krypton. He was standing in front of a great palace made of crystal, just like his Fortress of Solitude. As he looked around, he saw that the whole city was made this way. In the sky, a huge red sun was just setting, turning the sky brilliant shades of crimson and scarlet that he had never seen before. The way the light reflected off the crystal palaces was awe inspiring.
Clark took a deep breath and realized that all of his senses functioned within this vision. The air smelled cleaner and more pure than any breath of fresh air he'd taken on Earth. He reached out and placed a hand gently on one of the huge crystals that made up the palace before him. It felt pleasantly cool to the touch. Kryptonian symbols engraved in the crystal revealed that this was the Great Hall, a gathering place for the council of elders.
Inside, he could hear voices. He realized, to his astonishment, that he had never heard the spoken Kryptonian language before. It had a beautiful, almost melodic sound to it. He was drawn to it instinctively.
As he entered the hall, though, things became fuzzy, and the vivid world around him started to fade. Everything spiraled into darkness for a moment, and then he was back in the Triskelion again, the Eradicator withdrawing his hand from Clark's forehead. Clark grabbed the Eradicator's arm.
"Wait," Clark said. "Show me more. I want to see what's inside the Great Hall."
"Patience, Kal-El," the Eradicator replied. "I will show you all you wish to see of Krypton. But not here in front of these humans." He started to lead Clark out of the room, but Nick Fury clamped a hand down on his shoulder.
"Not so fast," Nick said. "You're property of the United States Government. Anything you want to show him, you can show all of us, and you can do it on our terms."
"I see," the Eradicator replied. He calmly grabbed Fury by his belt buckle, and single-handedly hoisted him up high above his head.
"Hey, what the-?!" Fury gasped.
"I must correct you, Nicholas Fury. I am, in fact, not the property of the United States Government. Attempt to assert your ill-conceived notions of authority over me again, and you will face severe physical consequences."
The Eradicator set the somewhat rattled Fury down again.
"How… How did you know my name?" Fury asked.
"A cursory scan of your computer files," the Eradicator replied.
"You're tapped into our computer?" Tony asked.
"I am capable of interfacing with the most complicated technology on Krypton. To interface with your Earthly technology is elementary to me."
Nick, Steve, Tony and Clay all exchanged concerned glances, wondering exactly what other files this Eradicator thing was currently tapping into.
"Kal-El, I am concerned," the Eradicator said. Clark was surprised to notice, however, that Garner's lips were no longer moving. The voice seemed to be coming from all around him, rather than from Doctor Garner's body. "I am using the computer system in this room to broadcast my voice at an ultra-high frequency that only you can hear. These humans… Nicholas Fury and these 'Ultimates'… the information contained in the databases on their computer disturbs me. They have files on dozens of super-powered individuals, along with specific plans on how to incapacitate or kill them if they prove threatening. They also have details of the defense systems of many countries considered to be their enemies. These individuals may warrant close observation. I believe them to be very dangerous."
Clark thought back to something Thor had said when they had come to Smallville to recruit him. "As long as I'm on the team I can keep an eye on them." Maybe there was more wisdom in those words than Clark had realized at the time.
Clark stepped forward, approaching Nick Fury.
"General Fury…" Clark said, slowly. "Does your offer for me to join the Ultimates still stand?"
"Of course it does," Nick said, cautiously. "But what's the catch?"
Clark looked once more around the room, and at the men surrounding him. He wasn't sure he could trust any of them… except for one.
"The catch is, I'll join the team…" Clark said, looking over his shoulder at Peter Parker. "…if you take Spider-Man, too."