He was absolutely determined to cross that threshold; after so many years inside the spacecraft, both his imagination and curiosity demanded he open the door and step out into the world. Kel-Ex had warned him that the outside environment was not what his parents had planned for him to experience - that the temporal anomaly had changed things dramatically. Yet that didn't deter him from wanting to experience it first hand: to see the light as it cascaded through the sky, smell the life of the planet as it continued its daily existence, to feel the pulse of the land through his fingertips. He had spent nearly ten years inside the only thing he had ever known to be a home, but today would mark the beginning of a new chapter in his life – a chapter where he would make the entire planet his home.

The hatch hissed into life as it effortlessly glided into the alcove, functioning as if it had been properly operating for years when in reality it hadn't been used in a decade. The light that flickered in stunned his eyes for a millisecond; pupils dilating to adjust to the new radiation. He could immediately feel the changes in his body – his cells devouring the natural light as if they were starved. Kel-Ex had told him about the changes his body would go through once he started to drink in the natural light in abundance. He had even been warned about how much more significant those changes would be under the light of even brighter, more powerful stars. While his mind could grasp the concept, the feeling that engulfed his body was not something he could have expected. Kal-El meant "star child" on Krypton, but here on Earth, the significance of his name was almost ironic. For the last year, he had practiced under the tutelage of Kel-Ex – not just in academic endeavors, but physical ones as well. He had trained his mind and body in all things possible that the KKD held: astronomy, physics, quantum mechanics, martial arts, strategic thinking, anatomy, yoga, etc. He had trained each day with a small amount of sunlight so that he could learn to control the vast array of powers that would be at his disposal. And while he was saddened every night when the last of his solar energy was depleted, he arose the next morning happy for the chance to feel it once again. Yet training was no substitute for the real thing, and while he was absolutely thrilled to step out onto the planet before him, he walked with a trepidation at each step, unsure of what to really expect.

As he bathed in the fading light of the day, his ears rumbled with the sounds of life around him; from the little butterfly flapping its wings, to the snowflakes falling on the mountaintops miles away in the distance. His eyes looked past the dense, marsh around him to the edge of the horizon where the seas met the land in a never ending dance. He could smell life and death around him, from the baby deer suckling on its mama and the flies buzzing around the day's old carcass of an animal who could not escape its demise. Trepidation and excitement, fear and aww – those were the emotions churning through him as he stood there, soaking it all in.

Kel-Ex watched the young master as he studied the world before him. The boy was a very quick learner – absorbing information at a rate that would challenge most artificial systems. Lucky for all, Jor-El knew how intelligent his son would be and had prepared Kel-Ex for the task at hand. Kel-Ex himself was state of the art – more advanced than any other AI Krypton had seen – enhancements abounded in an effort to make sure he could complete his task. And with the KKD, nothing was off limits to the young child's mind. His analysis of the potential that Kal-El held was astonishing. The Kryptonian ability to absorb solar energy was well known, but what Kal-El could do defied possibilities. Kryptonians had moved to an artificial birthing methodology, utilizing the genetic matrix to continue their population growth. By all indications, the race had become level, if not stagnant, in its ability to grow. Perhaps that is why Jor-El and Lara decided to abandon custom and have Kal-El through natural birth; an effort to let 'nature take its course' as it was often said. Many believed the result would produce a far inferior Kryptonian – but what actually occurred surpassed even the expectations that Jor-El had. Having the greatest scientific mind, if not a bit eccentric, in all of Krypton for a father and perhaps the greatest military strategist of all time as a mother, aided in combining to become what was truly the most superior Kryptonian that could have ever been created. His genetic makeup allowed for him to absorb solar energy so efficiently that very little was required to actual meet full power. Not only that, but his cells could also store the converted energy for long periods of time; even longer as he grew and matured, possibly to the point of never being depleted. His muscle memory and physical capability surpassed that of top martial artists and soldiers during Krypton's prime and his innate sense of the space around him made him perceptive to things many would ignore or simply not recognize. His powers would grow to points where limits didn't exist, continuing to expand as long as his body continued to take in solar energy. Kel-Ex's calculations showed staggering increases in capability should Kal-El be exposed to blue or white light from their respective giants – that level of power was nearly incalculable. Kal-El would need guidance and stewardship – to ensure he stayed on the path that his parents had laid out for him. While he may be the last of the Kryptonian race, he was a beacon of light in a universe full of darkness. He would one day not only lead by example on this planet, but the universe as well.