Chapter 39
A large boulder sped toward Kal-El's head. He smashed it with his right fist, shattering it into dust. Instantly another boulder flew toward his head and he smashed it with his left fist. A third boulder approached from the side, but he spun in time to shatter it with a foot. His super-hearing told him the next boulder was coming from behind. Ducking he allowed it to sail over his head and pulverized it with his heat vision before it hit the wall.
"Computer, end simulation," Kal-El said.
Kal-El had spent several hours running through computer generated fight scenarios. There would be no margin for error the next time he faced Brainiac. The android matched him in speed and strength. Kal-El's reflexes had to be at their best. He hoped the elements of surprise, determination, and the father crystal would help him defeat Brainiac.
The father crystal lay on a crystalline ledge. It was never far from his side. He picked it up and eyed it with new interest.
"What mysteries do you hold for defeating Brainiac?" He'd asked his father this same question and had received the same vague answer as before. The crystal can provide the means to destroy Brainiac if the opportunity presents itself.
Kal-el stared at the crystal for a few more seconds before placing it in a pouch attached to the gold belt encircling his royal-blue tunic.
# # # # # #
In the computer chamber on the second level of the Fortress, Valia sat at the long crystalline countertop checking data on the vast array of computers and screens.
The task was tedious and monotonous. "I definitely need a break. Everything's beginning to look the same." Valia had been at the computers for hours and, although her super-powered muscles did not require relief, her brain did. She stood and stretched pulling one arm across her chest and then the other. She paced the room. It felt good to move, to do something other than sit and stare.
As Valia paced, she recalled the events of the previous day and night. Kal-El had spent the early part of the day checking on his home city, Metropolis, and the world while Valia had familiarized herself with the Fortress' computer systems. To her delight, she had found she could track Kal-El via the computers.
When Kal-El returned he'd shown her the rest of the Fortress. After the tour, they'd shared a simple meal of grilled cheese sandwiches and fresh fruit. A smile tugged at the corners of Valia's lips as she remembered how Kal-El had 'grilled' the sandwiches with the heat beams from his eyes. "Just for fun," he'd said with a grin.
They'd certainly needed a little fun and had enjoyed their food in the living chamber with a fire roaring in the low wide fireplace. Valia had liked the warm gooey sandwiches, but the small red berries had been her favorite and she'd eaten several handfuls of them. Raspberries, Kal-El had called them.
After their meal, they'd simply relaxed, Valia on the long couch and Kal-El in the worn easy chair, savoring the cozy ambiance imparted by the fire. Neither required the warmth and neither desired conversation, they'd simply lounged, lost in their own thoughts, mentally preparing for what lay ahead.
Finally, Kal-El had suggested they get some rest and was about to walk Valia to the guest chamber when the Fortress' defense system had sounded. They had returned to the computer chamber only to discover Brainiac's ship had moved into a polar orbit around Earth.
"Brainiac can now scan every part of the planet in one Earth day," Valia had told Kal-El. Then she'd added, "It also means his ship passes over the Fortress once every twenty-four hours."
Kal-El had nodded knowingly. "He's searching for someone or something. I suspect it is me and the crystals."
"But he hasn't been able to locate you." Valia had tried to stay optimistic. "I don't think he'll be able to detect or penetrate the Fortress's shield."
Valia had not been content to rest until she knew for sure Brainiac's scanners could not penetrate the defense shield. She'd checked systems, backups, firewalls, and security measures for several hours before she'd given into Kal-El's advice to get some rest.
Still amazed at how much energy the yellow sun bestowed, she certainly had not felt the need for rest.
However, Kal-El had been adamant, saying, "Your body may not need the rest, but your mind does."
To emphasize the point, he'd recounted his early years as a super-hero, how he'd operated under the false assumption he didn't require sleep every night. The elusion had been shattered when he began experiencing frightening hallucinations induced by a lack of REM sleep. Without REM sleep an individual could go insane.
"I have more vulnerabilities than people realize," he'd said in a sober tone. "And I'm happy to keep those vulnerabilities hidden. It's best to let people think I'm practically invincible and can do just about anything."
Valia had given Kal-El a wry smile and said, "You even have me fooled."
Valia's mind returned to the present as she walked to one of the small windows in the computer chamber and peered out. This planet was nothing like Kandor. Here the sky was a dark gray and a strong wind blew snow flurries through the freezing air. A blanket of snow covered the land. No trees, no plants, just a vast empty plain of barren white. Kal-El had told her this planet had many different ecosystems. This region, he'd said was a frozen tundra, but still teemed with wildlife. She wondered what that wildlife looked like and what kinds of plants grew here. Hopefully, one day she would have a chance to find out.
Today Valia had been working on intercepting signals from Brainiac's ship without being detected. The tricky part was getting past the Fortress' defense shield without lowering it. She'd spent hours setting up a modulating frequency for the defense shield and then creating small holes in it. These holes were open for less than a nanosecond and were constantly moving. Everything had to be timed perfectly for a signal from the Fortress to pass through a hole as it opened. The plan was for Valia's signals to piggyback any signals from Brainiac's ship.
It finally appeared that everything was working in perfect synchronization. The transmission of outgoing and incoming signals coincided with the opening of the holes. Valia had just finished setting up a steady stream of outgoing signals. Now, all she could do was wait and see if the system worked as intended.
Thinking of Brainiac had prompted thoughts of Kandor and her mother. Valia hoped her mother wasn't too worried. She wished she could speak with her mother and reassure her that everything was fine. Well, it was fine for the moment.
Soon, she promised herself, soon she would be home and hugging her mother. A heavy sigh escaped Valia's lips. She really missed her home. She had not expected to. She had thought she would never want to return to the domed, miniature city once she left it. That had not proven to be the case. Everyone she loved and cared about was there. Still trapped. She could not, would not, leave them behind. Plus, Kandor was the only home she'd ever known.
Speaking to the dark skies beyond the small window, Valia softly muttered, "And Earth is Kal-El's home. The only one he's ever known." She wrapped her arms around her chest, leaned against the crystalline wall, and said, "He may be Kryptonian by birth, but this world is his true home."
A sudden beeping interrupted Valia's thoughts and she hurried to the computer.
A broad, smile lit her face and eyes. "Yes! I've accomplished it. A signal from Brainiac's ship." She quickly analyzed the data displayed on the screen. "What exactly is he scanning for?" A second later she realized. "Kryptonian life signs."
A thought came to her. She and Kal-El were safely hidden behind the Fortress' defense shield, but not his son.
"Kal-El!" Valia called and was startled when he instantly appeared at her side. "I've intercepted a signal from Brainiac's ship. He's scanning for . . ."
"Kryptonian life signs," Kal-El said viewing the data.
"Your son . . ."
"Might be in danger," Kal-El finished the sentence. He turned away from Valia and the screen and purposefully strode to the window, but not for the view. Instead, his mind quickly contemplating a thousand possibilities. His first thoughts were of Brainiac. Kal-El doubted the android knew he had a son, but Lex Luthor probably did. Therefore, Brainiac was most likely searching for Kal-El and only Kal-El. But the horrible truth was, that in his search, Brainiac could easily discover Jason.
Kal-El considered the possibility that Luthor might have told Brainiac about Jason. And worse yet, Brainiac could already have the child. The very thought caused Kal-El's heart to tighten as if caught in a kryptonite vise. He gasped for air.
His panic quickly evaporated when he realized how well he knew Lex Luthor. Kal-El knew what motived Luthor, what his wants and desires were. Luthor valued the power of knowledge and, more importantly, would not share his knowledge of Jason unless he was certain to receive something much more valuable in return.
And what did Lex Luthor value above all else? The death of Superman. Of that, Kal-El was certain. He turned from the window, head bowed, still deep in thought. The most logical theory seemed to be that Brainiac did not have Jason, or any knowledge of him, at least not yet. Lex Luthor remained the true threat to Jason.
However, to be sure, Kal-El needed more information. He turned to Valia. "Are there any other signals or communications from Brainiac's ship?"
"No," Valia answered still hunched over the screen. "So far, he only appears to be searching for Kryptonian life signs."
"Can you also monitor another location for transmissions?" Kal-El asked.
"Yes, but there is the risk of being detected and our ability to receive transmissions is limited," Valia warned.
Kal-El gave her the coordinates for Lexicon.
"Your Earth adversary?" she said, recognizing the location. "The one who met with Brainiac."
"Yes." Kal-El turned to the window and watched snow flurries stick to the glass. "I need to know where my son is."
Valia entered the coordinates for Lexicon and then turned to Kal-El. "Can you use your super-hearing .."
"To listen," Kal-El finished. He'd been wondering the same thing. "I've never tried locating a sound, or sounds, from such a great distance. Of course, there's all the noise of Earth to filter out."
"Maybe you should try listening for something very specific and familiar to you, like your son's voice."
Kal-El nodded. "Good idea." He closed his eyes and focused his hearing toward Metropolis. Waves, upon wave, of sound flooded his ears, momentarily overwhelming him. Loud noises, quiet noises, the crashing and screeching of cars, sirens, ringing phones, and so many others. Kal-El filtered out the different sounds, one after the other and concentrated on voices, and only voices.
Soon, the other sounds faded to the background and then completely away. Now he heard thousands of voices, thousands of people talking in a variety of accents, dialects, and languages. His brows knit together as he concentrated harder, focusing on children's voices.
And suddenly, he heard Jason's small voice, "Daddy the doggie helped me find you!" At the same instant a man's gruff voice said, "Hey, boss we got the kid."
The man's voice continued, "Yeah yeah, everything went just like you planned. Yeah, we're takin' them there now."
Richard's strained voice, "Jason, I know you were trying to help, but mommy is going to be so worried about you."
"Daddy, mommy and I have been looking for you and I found you!" Jason sounded so proud, so happy. Kal-El imagined a bright smile on his son's face.
"A message is being sent to Brainiac's ship," Valia's voice broke Kal-El's concentration.
"From Lex Luthor," he replied angrily.
"Yes, you're correct. And Brainiac is responding."
Kal-El moved closer to the screen. "Meet tonight. Same time, same place," he read aloud for Valia's benefit, his voice edged with anger.
"Lex Luthor must have something for Brainiac," Valia speculated.
"My son," Kal-El said, his dark brow knotted.
A/N: I may have stretched Superman's super-hearing abilities. But, hey, it's for the story. :D