Chapter 30
Kal-El took Valia to his Fortress of Solitude, the only place on Earth that held vestiges of his home world. He gave Valia a quick tour of the ground level. She was quite impressed with the gym Kal-El had designed for keeping a super-powered body in shape. A massive boulder stood in the center of the gym.
"Let's test your super strength," Kal-El said. "Punch the boulder."
Valia looked at him strangely. "What? How?"
"With your fist." He demonstrated by miming a punch to the center of the boulder.
Valia shrugged, made a soft fist, and gently hit the boulder. Best to be cautious. She didn't want to hurt her hand. She heard the crack of the stone and saw a tiny fracture where her blow had landed. Wow, had she made that fracture with just a gentle touch?
"Hit it a little harder," Kal-El urged with a knowing grin.
Since the gentle blow had done basically nothing and there had been no pain, which was nice, Valia decided to put a lot more force into the next blow. She hoped this wasn't a mistake. Hopefully, she wouldn't break any bones in her hand. She made a fist, pulled back her arm, and gave it her all. Her fist slammed into the boulder, pulverizing a good portion of it.
A cloud of dust and fine particles filled the room. Several large chunks of rock flew through the air, hit the walls, and bounced off. One chunk had flown directly at Kal-El's head. With lightning fast reflexes he'd caught it inches from his face.
An automatic venting system clicked on and began sucking the debris from the room. Valia waved away the dust with a hand as she stared in shock at the boulder, or what was left of it.
She heard Kal-El chuckle. "I said a little harder."
Valia held up her fist and eyed it with wonder and disbelief. "So you did. That was amazing." She looked into Kal-El's eyes. "You were right, Kal-El. It takes time to learn to use this much power. I could have hurt you. If you had been an Earthling that chunk of rock would have killed you."
"Now you understand why a force of Kandorians cannot be trained in time to face Brainiac."
"I do." Valia surveyed the debris covering the floor. She was still in awe.
After the demonstration in the gym, Kal-El and Valia glided up to the second level. This U-shaped level contained three large chambers. A wide railed walkway connected all three chambers and overlooked the first level below.
Alighting on the walkway with Valia, Kal-El gestured to the entrance of the first spacious chamber on the left. A glass door etched with Kryptonian symbols slid open. The couple entered the room and Kal-El said, "This is the archive chamber. The crystals in this room contain all the information I have gathered regarding Krypton, Earth, this solar system, and the universe."
Valia noted that the crystals, and their console, occupied one entire wall while the opposite wall contained glass cases filled with books, paper records, crystal records, and other historic items. Along the third wall several small halo-graphic scenes were neatly arranged on staggered glass shelves. Valia recognized some of the scenes as Kryptonian, the others she guessed to be of Earth.
They exited the chamber and Kal-El pointed across the Fortress to the opposite side and said, "The chamber on that side is empty." Pointing to the back of the Fortress he said, "The computer chamber is this way."
Two glass doors intricately etched with the House of El symbols guarded the entrance to the computer chamber. The glass doors silently slid apart as Valia and Kal-El approached. This expansive chamber stretched the full length of the Fortress. Upon entering, the interactive computer cordially greeted Kal-El.
"Welcome, Kal-El," said a pleasant feminine voice.
"Greetings, computer," Kal-El replied. "This is Valia Val-Lor of Kandor. You will grant her full access to all systems."
"Yes, Kal-El," the computer complied. "Setting up voice identification."
Unbeknownst to the people of Earth, the Fortress possessed worldwide computer access with state-of-the-art technology thanks in great part to the Kryptonian crystals. Close to a hundred monitors covered the chamber's back wall and served primarily to alert Kal-El to world emergencies. Computers and communication equipment rested below on a long crystalline shelf that ran the full length of the wall. Nestled in each side wall was one small window offering a limited view of the barren white landscape outside.
Here, in the computer chamber, was where Valia spent the majority of her first evening on Earth. Her first order of business was to contact her mother via her com badge. Kal-El took the opportunity to change clothes and give Valia some privacy.
A worried Dora was greatly relieved to hear her daughter's voice, if only for a few precious moments.
Valia told her mother, "I'm safe with Kal-El at his Kryptonian Fortress. It's magnificent and very secure. You needn't worry about me."
"A mother always worries," Dora responded honestly. "Although I'm happy to hear you are safe and secure at Kal-El's Fortress, until your return, I will worry. It's a mother's prerogative"
"Understood," Valia said with a small smile.
Dora continued, "Chad-In is keeping a watchful eye on everything here. Brainiac's sensors are still down so unfortunately, we do not know what's happening on his ship."
"The fact that Brainiac's sensors are down is what is allowing us to communicate now," Valia said. "I'm glad Chad-In is there to help out."
"Me, too," Dora agreed. "Thar-An, of course, is doing his best to keep me calm, although it isn't easy," Dora confided. "Oh, and he says he misses you greatly and please be extra careful."
"Tell Thar-An I miss him, too and I promise to be extremely careful." Valia let out a sigh. "Mother, I must go now. But know that I love you."
"I send you my love, daughter."
Valia advised Dora there would be no further communication until Brainiac was defeated and then she ended the transmission. Thoughts of her tiny home and friends invaded her mind and her eyes began to tear. She quickly brushed aside the thoughts. There was too much to do. She could not allow emotions to get in the way.
The computer chamber's etched doors slid apart and Kal-El entered wearing his iridescent royal-blue suit and black boots. A gold belt wrapped around his waist and a small House of El crest rested just above his heart on the tunic.
He approached Valia and asked, "Is all well with your mother? And Thar-An and Chad-In?"
"Yes. For now everything is fine." Valia quickly turned the conversation to work. "Let's check your Fortress' defense systems."
Noting Valia's moist eyes, Kal-El tactfully agreed.
Over the next two hours, Valia helped Kal-El strengthened the Fortress' defense capabilities. Together they installed additional systems which would continuously scan for threats, not only to the Fortress, but to Earth as well.
Once work on the defense systems was completed, Valia spent the next few hours familiarizing herself with the entire computer station. She also installed various safeguards, firewalls, and early detection systems throughout the computer's massive network. Theoretically, when Brainiac attempted to access any computer on Earth, the computer station in the Fortress would alert Valia to the threat and would also block the attack.
While Valia worked on the computer systems, Kal-El floated to the first level and gently replaced the eight crystals in their proper slots in the Fortress' console. Then he spoke with his father – the halographic image – and gained new and valuable insights regarding Brainiac, or the Brain-Inter-Active Construct, as Jor-El referred to him.
Jor-El repeatedly emphasized that the android must be destroyed for the good of the universe. His exact words were, "My crystal can provide the means to destroy Brainiac if the opportunity presents itself."
Worried, Kal-El asked, "Father, how will I know when to use the crystal?"
"My son, the crystal will guide you. Your great strength alone will not be enough to defeat this android. You will need the crystal."
"But father, an innocent consciousness inhabits the android. I would be destroying an innocent life in order to stop another."
"My son, there are times when one life must be sacrificed in order to save many."
Kal-El stood silently as he absorbed his father's words. Finally, reluctantly, he said, "I understand father." Truthfully, he hoped to defeat Brainiac without using the father crystal.
From the second level Valia called out, "Kal-El, I have finished what I can for now." She leaned on the walkway's railing and her long brown hair fell forward, framing her face as she peered down at Kal-El. With a bright smile, she asked, "Is it possible for a girl to take a shower around here?"
Kal-El returned the smile and gracefully glided up to her. His black boots lightly touched down next to her on the smooth white floor.
"We'll have to go to the third level," he said. "There's a staircase this way." Kal-El had built the staircase, connecting the second and third levels, for his non-flying guests. So far, those guests had been Lois Lane and his son Jason.
At the top of the staircase Kal-El said, "This level contains my personal quarters. It's my home away from home. Well, away from my apartment in Metropolis." He gestured toward a chamber to the right. "This is the living area."
A large curved opening lead into the living area. It was the largest chamber on this level. The living area contained many items of sentimental value to Kal-El. Lights embedded in the crystalline walls automatically came on when the couple entered.
A low, wide fireplace took up the center of the crystalline wall to the right. Thick black shelves zigzagged down the wall on either side of the fireplace. The smooth white floor was covered with a large, well-padded, blue rug. A long L-shaped couch rested on the rug and faced the fireplace. A comfortable, but worn, easy chair accompanied the couch along with end tables and lamps. The lamps were primitive and not necessary, but Valia felt they gave the space a cozy ambiance and earthy feel.
Valia was drawn to the photos neatly arranged on the black shelves flanking the fireplace. Picking up a framed photo, she asked, "Your Earth parents?"
"Yes," Kal-El replied tenderly looking at the happy couple in the photo.
Valia noted Kal-El's eyes soften with love and respect for the people who had raised him. He'd told her his Earth father had died some years ago. Valia gingerly ran a finger over the wooden frame. The material was rough, dry, and alien to her touch. She tried to imagine the dual life Kal-El lead. An alien, never knowing his true home, raised by humans. It was sad that the one piece of his home he possessed, the Fortress, was hidden far from the people he loved. She carefully returned the photo to the shelf and wondered how many people he had shared this special place with. His son for sure, she guessed.
Moonlight filtered through the living room window and illuminated a rudimentary telescope resting beneath it.
"Fascinating," Valia said indicating the telescope. "Where did you get it?"
"It's the telescope I used growing up on the Kent farm." The telescope pointed to the heavens. "It still works," he told her and she heard the pride in his voice.
She watched as he walked to the telescope, gently stroked it then peered out the window. "I spent so many nights on the farm," he said, "searching the night sky. Wondering where my real home was and why I was sent here."
How lonely he must have been, Valia thought. She lightly touched his arm. "We've both lost our real home. Krypton is gone. There was a time, a very long time, when I felt incredible guilt that Kandor had been spared. It didn't seem fair. It wasn't fair. I was granted life, while others .. so many others . . ." she was unable to finish. Traces of guilt still clung to her heart.
Kal-El took one of Valia's hands in his. "I've often felt the same way." The connection he felt to her was far stronger than any he'd ever felt before. He'd finally met someone who truly understood his intense feelings of guilt and loneliness.
He squeezed her hand and looked deep into her eyes. "I've spent my entire life feeling guilty, thinking I was the last, the only Kryptonian survivor. I traveled to where Krypton once was. I spent five years searching, hoping to find survivors." He paused a beat. "It's strange, when I finally gave up hope of finding survivors, I found them." He smoothed a strand of hair off her cheek. "I'm glad I'm not the last Kryptonian. It eases the pain knowing there are others."
Valia nodded. "It does. It seems fate has led us to each other. I feel it is our destiny to save what remains of Krypton."
"I do, too and we have a lot of work ahead of us." Kal-El released Valia's hand and looked out the window again. Finally, he turned to her. His mood had changed. It was lighter. "I believe you wanted a shower first though."
"Yes, I did."