Chapter 285: Chapter 285: Signals and the Wandering Kryptonians
Previously, although Clark did not know much about his biological father, Jor-El's identity as a scientist and his sacrificial act of sending him away from Krypton made Clark deeply grateful to this man he had never met, who had given him a life so different from that of an ordinary Kryptonian.
That's why Clark had so readily accepted the AI version of Jor-El upon first encountering it. However, Clark now felt that Jor-El's character seemed somewhat unreliable, even experiencing a breakdown in his perception of the AI.
"You have a girlfriend, so what? That doesn't conflict with anything..." Jor-El continued, causing Clark's expression to darken, "After all, you are one of the last Kryptonians!"
"You'd better not let my brother hear that, otherwise this spaceship might not be enough for him to tear apart!" Clark said, returning to his senses and warning Jor-El. Jor-El's words were hard for him to accept, and he was concerned that the spaceship might get dismantled by Robert if he heard such talk.
Despite Kryptonian technology being significantly advanced, Clark did not believe that the spaceship could withstand planet-shattering forces.
"Your brother?" Jor-El paused, surprised. Was there a third Kryptonian on Earth? But their family had no other brothers.
"That's not a Kryptonian ship; it belongs to my brother Robert, who is a Saiyan. Have you ever heard of the Saiyan race?" Clark pointed to the smaller Saiyan solo craft parked beside the two other ships.
"Saiyans? I haven't heard of them..." Jor-El's gaze shifted slightly as the old Kryptonian databanks ran furiously but found nothing. How could he find information on a race that didn't exist in this universe?
"However, from the look of the ship, this civilization isn't very advanced, of course, it's more advanced than Earth, but in the grand scheme of the universe, such a ship would be considered mid-level... Hmm?"
"Hmm?" Jor-El suddenly stopped speaking, and Clark also raised an eyebrow, turning his attention to Lois Lane, who had unexpectedly awakened from her unconscious state.
Truth be told, Clark did not expect Lois to awaken so early. Given the severity of her injuries, which he had forcibly stabilized, and the pain from the heat vision, she should have remained unconscious for a long time.
But Lois's willpower was stronger than Clark had anticipated. She woke up quickly and immediately resumed her attempt to interview him without inquiring about her surroundings or her own condition: "Mr. Superman, may I interview you?"
"I'm sorry, I don't want to be interviewed..." Clark shook his head. Even though Jor-El mentioned that his heart was beating faster than usual, Clark had no intention of giving an interview. He had saved many reporters in the past who had all wanted to interview him, but he had refused them all.
"Why? The public has a right to know why you protect them..." Lois instinctively used the right to know to question Clark, a reflection of her professional habit, even though she had a favorable impression of him for saving her life.
"So, does every superhero need to disclose their name and story? In your eyes, are superheroes only superheroes? Can't they just be ordinary people at other times?" Clark had planned to simply send Lois away, but perhaps because they were alone, he unusually retorted.
"Superheroes are also ordinary people?" Lois's eyes flickered with doubt, having never considered this before. The only publicly known superhero was Tony Stark, and before him, Steve Rogers (Captain America) came from a time when superheroes weren't discussed as such.
Both Steve and Tony were well-known; their reasons for becoming superheroes were clear—one did not want to see war continue, and the other was a reformed playboy.
But Superman? Humanity knew nothing about him. They only knew that Superman appeared in times of danger to save those at risk. Superman seemed almost omnipotent, a sunny and handsome idol in many people's hearts, even a divine figure to some.
Thus, Lois only wanted to report on Superman's deeds; she had not considered that the godlike Superman could also be just a regular person...
"Indeed, every superhero has their own life, Superman included. Please allow a superhero their own identity and life!" Clark nodded seriously, addressing Lois.
"Please allow a superhero their own identity and life..." Lois unconsciously repeated Clark's words, her mind touched by the notion. As a reporter, her ability to think critically and empathetically was top-notch, and she could sense the story behind the superhero from Clark's voice.
"Um, if I don't interview you, may I ask you a few questions?" Lois, coming back to her senses, realized she had been inconsiderate before, but now, intrigued by Clark's more human aspects, she looked
at him expectantly, "I promise, I won't tell anyone about this!"
At this moment, Lois's gaze was indeed different from her earlier fervent and somewhat purposeful look—now it was filled with hope and longing.
"..." Clark saw Lois's gaze, and his reason told him to refuse, but he instinctively nodded and softly said, "Ask your questions."
Clark could sense that as soon as he spoke, Jor-El nodded in satisfaction not far away, making Clark want to ask him what exactly he was satisfied about!
Clark felt that there was definitely something off with Jor-El's AI; he was unwilling to believe that his biological father had such a slightly cheesy personality.
General Zod might have something to say about that, and as it happened, when the Kryptonian spaceship was activated, it emitted a signal that was picked up by General Zod and his followers in the distant cosmos.
"Kryptonian spaceship signal fluctuations?" General Zod and his subordinates had thought they would be the last remnants of Krypton, but the sudden appearance of the signal invigorated General Zod.
Originally, because of Krypton's imminent destruction, General Zod and his followers had staged a rebellion, ultimately suppressed by the council and banished to the Phantom Zone. However, General Zod and his followers eventually escaped and began wandering the cosmos, working as mercenaries.
Of course, their wandering was not without purpose; they also hoped to restore Krypton's glory and establish a new Krypton. But even though the universe is vast, finding a suitable planet was not easy, and many were already claimed.
Moreover, the key issue was not just finding a planet but also preserving heritage. The Codex, carrying countless Kryptonian genes along with baby Clark, had been sent from Krypton and was still missing. How could General Zod create a new Krypton without it?
Rely on natural reproduction? That method had been discarded by old Krypton, and although Krypton itself was gone, General Zod still did not choose this path...
After all, there were too few of them, and raising a child took too long. This did not even consider the need for re-education without the specific professional planning typical for Kryptonians.
Especially since General Zod and his followers all had warrior genetic templates, they wouldn't know how to teach a child anything else; they couldn't expect future generations to all be warriors and live as mercenaries in the cosmos, could they?
Therefore, General Zod had never given up on finding the Codex. After all, Clark had been sent away right before his eyes. Of course, finding other Kryptonian companions in the vast universe would also be excellent.
"According to the ship's systems, this signal comes from the House of El..." Fiona, his female adjutant, excitedly reported to General Zod. Everyone present knew what a signal from the House of El meant—it meant they had finally found a lead on Clark and the Codex!
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" General Zod instinctively gave the order.
"What about the bounty mission we accepted earlier?" Fiona hesitated, reminding General Zod, "Our ship's energy is low, and the penalty for breach of contract is not insignificant..."
If they were no longer going to operate in the cosmos, then perhaps they need not worry about the penalty. But even if they found the Codex, General Zod and his followers could not completely isolate themselves from the universe.
Moreover, General Zod and his followers clearly did not have the capability to overturn the table. Without the benefit of a yellow sun, they were only above-average in terms of life quality in the cosmos. Coupled with Kryptonian weapons and their warrior template, they could stand their ground in the universe.
There were other places in the universe with yellow suns, but environments like Earth's, so well suited for life, were rare, and General Zod and his followers would not linger near a yellow sun.
Even though a yellow sun granted Kryptonians superpowers, it required time to adapt. General Zod and his followers' warrior template would accelerate adaptation, but the discomfort and fear of the unknown experienced in the short term would still make them instinctively stay away from yellow suns, as their battle suits already provided substantial power.
"Then lock in the target, and let's complete this mission first!" Since Krypton's destruction, General Zod had learned what it meant to be unable to make bricks without straw. As much as he longed for the Codex, they still needed to eat, especially since the journey to Earth was not short in cosmic terms.
Unaware that the activation of the spaceship and the signal it emitted had been detected by General Zod and his followers, Clark would probably have been somewhat excited had he known. After all, apart from Kara, he had not met any other living Kryptonians.
And although Clark was inherently good-natured, he had been angered when he learned
of Jor-El's death at the hands of General Zod, even though he had never actually met Jor-El. Thus, if General Zod and his followers did appear, Clark would not mind seeking vengeance for his biological father.
After all, this Clark was somewhat different from the usual Clark known in the conventional universe...
"My speed is very fast. Circling the Earth basically takes no time, so I can appear in different places around the globe..." At that moment, Clark was explaining to Lois why he could run around the globe so easily.
"Doesn't that mean you don't need a visa?" Lois's thoughts wandered a bit, but she quickly came back to her senses and continued, "Then how do you find out that people are about to face danger? Is it like Iron Man Tony Stark, using technological means?"
Even though she had given up on a formal interview, Lois's questioning style still somewhat resembled an interview, but Clark seemed somewhat accustomed to it? "My vision and hearing are much more powerful than average, allowing me to detect danger in advance..." Clark explained softly.
"Does that mean you're really an alien, and this is your spaceship? The spaceship traces discovered by the military, are they from this?" Hearing Clark's words, Lois realized something and looked around at the structure of the spaceship tentatively asking.
"Indeed, I am an alien..." Clark did not hide the truth from Lois's questions, considering that he had already rescued her and she had witnessed everything. After all, he couldn't just silence her, could he?
Moreover, Clark didn't know why, but as he talked with Lois, he found it quite comfortable. This comfort wasn't from Clark's heart, but from his body, as if, just as Jor-El had said, Clark's genes had chosen Lois...
"Looks like they have quite a bit to talk about." Jor-El nodded in satisfaction nearby, not intending to interrupt. As for whether Clark revealing his identity was problematic, Jor-El wasn't worried. Clark had already found his path, and there was no need for him to guide that aspect...
Starting tomorrow, updates will resume at a rate of 12,000 words a day...
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