The Last Days Of Krypton Part 11

"It's possible they'll leave us alone," Al-An added, his voice quavering.

Zod looked at Jor-El with an expression of cautious hope before he hardened his voice again. "But I do not believe it. We have to prepare for the worst. How will Krypton protect itself as a sovereign planet? We must change our ways. Instead of forbidding technology that might be turned against us, now we need to embrace it! We must s.h.i.+ft our emphasis, pour all of our creative efforts into defense." Naturally, he expected to be personally put in charge of all of the weapons preparations, as a first and crucial step.

The Council members were unanimous in their shock. "That is inconceivable, Commissioner!" Cera-Si cried.

"Inconceivable perhaps-but necessary. If it turns out we do not need the weapons, then we will not use them. But better to have them just in case. We must begin immediately. We may not have much time." Zod carefully controlled the intensity in his voice. If he appeared too eager, the Council might suspect his plans. "No one can tell when vengeful outsiders will come."

"Completely unacceptable, Commissioner." Jul-Us shook his head gravely. "It would change who we are as Kryptonians."

Zod wanted to strangle them. He had set everything forth so carefully. He quelled his fury, controlled his voice. "I respectfully disagree. Any reasonable person can see-"

The Council Head continued in a ponderous tone. "No, no, if Krypton begins a sudden military buildup, it will be seen as proof that we are lying, that this was no accident. No, the only thing we can do is hold Jor-El accountable. The blame clearly falls on his shoulders. He invented the device that killed Donodon, and Donodon himself was involved in the misadventure. Those two played with dangerous technology. They let it get out of control."

Mauro-Ji said, "Yes, we must have a full and open trial. Jor-El can present his case, show any evidence he chooses. That will demonstrate the fairness and impartiality of our justice system."

Old Jul-Us slowly turned to look at his fellows on the Council bench. "And when we find Jor-El guilty, it will prove that we meant no harm to Donodon. Then the outsiders will leave us alone."

Jor-El's shoulders sagged, and it was clear to everyone there, even Zod, that he would be convicted no matter what evidence he presented at the inquisition.

CHAPTER 27.

Disgraced, Jor-El saw no alternative but to place himself in quiet exile while the Kryptonian Council decided his fate. Though he believed the tragedy was an accident, and he could not accept that Donodon's vengeful race would bring destruction to Krypton, he had no desire to talk to anyone. but to place himself in quiet exile while the Kryptonian Council decided his fate. Though he believed the tragedy was an accident, and he could not accept that Donodon's vengeful race would bring destruction to Krypton, he had no desire to talk to anyone.

Many members of his estate staff were frightened, and he gave them leave to go stay with friends or relatives. Fro-Da wouldn't budge, though, insisting that he would make a fine meal every night; the plump, curly-haired man saw exquisite food as a cure for any unpleasant turn of events. Regardless, Jor-El felt very alone.

He had thought matters could not get worse, until a second team of Sapphire Guards came to ransack his estate on orders from the Council. They had already taken Donodon's s.h.i.+p and all of the alien's tools and possessions. Now, though, while he stood helplessly watching, the guards removed several half-completed engines and "threatening" devices from his research building.

They also found the seven remaining small rockets equipped with solar-a.n.a.lysis probes at the launching pad behind his main research building. He had received data from the last sensor package he'd launched, but he still intended to send monthly probes to monitor the red giant's fluctuations. Donodon had offered his a.s.sistance....

Now, though, the Sapphire Guards took them all away. "These are potential weapons, clearly precluded by Kryptonian law." Though the guard captain seemed somewhat awed, even intimidated, by the great scientist's presence and his technology, he instructed his men to load the rockets onto a transport platform. "I am sorry, Jor-El. They are to be confiscated."

Jor-El tried to explain. "They are scientific probes used to study Rao. They go above the atmosphere to take readings!" He drew a deep breath. "The Council gave me express permission to study the sun so that we can prepare if it enters its final supernova phase-"

"That is not my decision to make." The big-shouldered man seemed apologetic. "You will have to appeal to Kandor." The guards finished loading the apparatus without a further word to Jor-El, though they continued to give him sidelong glances. Angry, he watched them depart. They were only following the orders of the frightened, misguided Council.

From Argo City, even as rescue crews combed through the wreckage and tended the injured, Zor-El sent a supportive message on the communication plate. His dark hair long and loose, Zor-El looked drawn, his exhaustion and shock barely kept at bay by sheer adrenaline and determination. "I would be there at your side if I could, Jor-El. You know that."

"Yes, I know it. And I also know that Donodon's technology could have scanned the core and gotten the data we needed to convince the Council. The seismic penetrator would have changed everything. But now it's too late."

"I'll still get the data, Jor-El. Even after the tsunami, I am sending a team to the southern continent. We were doing it before the alien arrived. We can achieve this ourselves."

Jor-El looked intently at his brother's face on the screen. "You need my help. Saving Argo City should be our priority, not my personal troubles-"

Zor-El cut him off. "Don't worry about me. Many workers from all across the world responded to our need with all the willingness and enthusiasm I could hope for. I just have to give them guidance." His image grew larger and more intimate as he leaned closer to the viewer. "You know you did nothing wrong, Jor-El. Don't surrender without a fight. I believe in you, just as you believed in me when I told you about the core instabilities."

Jor-El found the strength within himself. "Yes. I have to make the Council see beyond their fear."

Not wanting his disgrace to rub off on her, Jor-El urged Lara to return home to her parents and brother in their Kandor studios, but she responded with cool stubbornness. "You need me, Jor-El, more than at any other time in your life." She tossed her amber hair and looked him directly in the eyes. "You need me."

"Of course I do, but you shouldn't be with me. You know that, Lara."

"Why? For the sake of appearances? For a genius, you can be incredibly dense sometimes." She placed both of her hands on his shoulders, stood close enough that he could feel her warmth, smell her scent, see the bright suns.h.i.+ne on her skin and hair. "I don't care what anyone thinks, as long as you have faith in yourself. I believe in you, and I intend to stay for as long as you need me."

Jor-El let out a strained laugh. "You may be stuck here for quite some time, then."

"Then that's the way it will be."

Sensing that he needed a new perspective, Lara took him by the arm and dragged him out to look at the spectacular murals her parents had painted. He stared with a leaden heart at the last obelisk, the one separate from the other eleven. Lara's recently completed portrait of him looked so brave and wise, so determined. Genius. Genius. Jor-El wanted to be Jor-El wanted to be that that visionary man again. The device he and Donodon had built should have provided vital information, but instead it had caused unexpected tragedy. A simple miscalculation...or a fundamental design flaw. Working with Donodon, he had learned much about the alien's technology, had glimpsed only the tip of the iceberg of possibilities. Had visionary man again. The device he and Donodon had built should have provided vital information, but instead it had caused unexpected tragedy. A simple miscalculation...or a fundamental design flaw. Working with Donodon, he had learned much about the alien's technology, had glimpsed only the tip of the iceberg of possibilities. Had he he done something wrong? Jor-El accepted that he would have to pay for that mistake, rather than let his whole planet suffer. It was what truth and justice demanded of him, just as in the legendary story of Kal-Ik that Lara had told him. done something wrong? Jor-El accepted that he would have to pay for that mistake, rather than let his whole planet suffer. It was what truth and justice demanded of him, just as in the legendary story of Kal-Ik that Lara had told him.

In a determined, almost scolding tone, Lara said, "Stop feeling sorry for yourself. That hurts me more than all of these cuts." She held out her bandaged arms.

She took his hand again and led him across the grounds to where the dismantled fountain showed white marks, chips, and scratches from the flying debris. That fortunate barricade had saved both of their lives. Nearby, broken crystals, shattered mirrors, and fragmented components of the seismic scanner lay strewn across the scarred garden. "Study this. Find out what went wrong. I'm surprised the Sapphire Guards haven't already taken every sc.r.a.p." this. Find out what went wrong. I'm surprised the Sapphire Guards haven't already taken every sc.r.a.p."

For her sake, he straightened. Had Had he made an error in his calculations? Had he a.s.sembled the pieces incorrectly? Was Kryptonian technology incompatible with the alien's systems? Had the power conduits been insufficient to carry the load he had distributed into the scanner? He drew a breath as possibilities crossed his mind. "You're right. I'm a scientist. I have to learn all I can while I still have the chance. I can solve the problem." he made an error in his calculations? Had he a.s.sembled the pieces incorrectly? Was Kryptonian technology incompatible with the alien's systems? Had the power conduits been insufficient to carry the load he had distributed into the scanner? He drew a breath as possibilities crossed his mind. "You're right. I'm a scientist. I have to learn all I can while I still have the chance. I can solve the problem."

"Yes, you can."

He gazed at her, feeling a deeper emotion than he had ever experienced before. "I'm sorry, Lara. After all of my grandiose blueprints and prototypes, I intended to make something that would show the Council the urgent need to do something. I should not have been so impulsive."

"Don't be ashamed because you were enthusiastic and decisive. Being impulsive is not a bad thing at all. Even though a terrible accident happened, you're still a good person-and I love you for it." She smiled at him unabashedly, as if daring him to contradict her. "Yes, I do love you, and I think you feel the same about me. That's why we need to make some good come out of this."

He blinked at the realization and then couldn't stop himself from smiling. "Yes, Lara. I love you. There's absolutely no question in my mind, even under these circ.u.mstances." He stopped, then looked at her with an intensity that surprised even him. She had encouraged him to be impulsive, and so he plunged ahead in a rush of words without pausing to think. "In my dedication to my work, I sometimes forget what I need most-like sleep and food and...you. It's been hard for me to stop stop thinking about you for quite some time. Lara...I want to be your husband, and I want you to be my wife." thinking about you for quite some time. Lara...I want to be your husband, and I want you to be my wife."

Jor-El could not breathe for several seconds, and he turned away, his thoughts spinning, his heart pounding. Suddenly he realized that he was being incredibly selfish to ask. He was in disgrace, and the Council could very well sentence him to permanent imprisonment. How could he ask her to make such a sacrifice?

He realized that she was smiling. "It's about time you asked. I can help you get through this crisis-and everything afterward." She slipped her arms around him.

He looked all around him, indicated the wreck of the seismic scanner as if that symbolized the magnitude of his cras.h.i.+ng dishonor. "I can't let you be dragged down with me."

"Then I'll have to keep you from being dragged down, won't I? If I'm at your side, I can help hold you up."

Jor-El hugged her for a long moment. He knew she would do exactly that. Just by looking at her, he could tell Lara was sincere. Marrying her was truly what he wanted. And it was what she wanted, too.

CHAPTER 28.

Xan City was a metropolis of ghosts and ruins and forgotten lives. Aethyr drank in the lost wonders with her dark eyes and painted in details with the brush of her imagination. of ghosts and ruins and forgotten lives. Aethyr drank in the lost wonders with her dark eyes and painted in details with the brush of her imagination.

After moving her camp into the city on the second day, she began her explorations in earnest, taking notes and capturing images for her own satisfaction, not for any stuffy department of historical studies back at the Academy. Most people were content to reread old records, without having any desire to touch and see and smell what Krypton had been like during its violent yet glorious days.

The ancient warlord had constructed and armored his blocky watchtowers and graceful crystal minarets to withstand any attack from outside enemies. The architecture was reinforced with heavy beams and arches. Yet even those defenses had not withstood the slow and inexorable a.s.sault of time. Crumbling roofs had slumped down; windows were shattered, leaving holes like the gaps in an old crone's smile. Toppled, grandiose sculptures were so badly weathered that Aethyr could not tell what they had once represented.

Even so, with minimal rebuilding, she believed that Xan City could once again become a thriving population center. No one on Krypton would ever make the effort, of course; her race had lost the spark of ambition and progress. And so the dead city continued to fade into the dusts of memory.

The centerpiece of Jax-Ur's capital was a vast plaza where smooth interlocked tiles remained set in place, impervious to weeds, weather, and even the low seismic tremblings that so often made the ground cringe. With breezes ruffling her short, dark hair, Aethyr thought she could hear the long-faded cheers-or screams-of the huge crowds that the warlord had commanded to attend him. In ancient lettering, Aethyr read the ominous name of this place: Execution Square.

In the middle of the plaza she paused to look at the remnants of an ancient statue, a towering figure carved of black stone. Its details had been scrubbed away by countless seasons and storms, but even damaged and worn the figure had an oppressive magnificence. Around the main figure, carved from softer stone, were five pale lumps showing only the faintest outlines of arms, bent legs, and bowed heads...defeated subjects kneeling before him.

She laughed aloud at the monolithic sculpture. "Behold, the great Jax-Ur, warlord of Krypton, destroyer of the moon Koron!" She bowed in a gesture of mock respect. "So this is all that remains of you, king of kings, mightiest of the mighty?"

According to Krypton's legends, Jax-Ur had summoned the generals of all the armies he had defeated, commanding that they kneel before him. The conquered men had bent their knees here in the great square and sworn their fealty-after which Jax-Ur had executed them all anyway. "I will not tolerate defeated men as my generals," he had said.

Back then, arrogant Jax-Ur had never dreamed his empire could fall. He had invincible armies. He had a hidden stockpile of nova javelins and had already demonstrated his willingness to use them. But even Jax-Ur failed in the end. Everything, it seemed to Aethyr, succ.u.mbed to history.

She could spend weeks here in Xan City, as long as her supplies lasted. She found a capped-over fountain, from which she managed to pump out fresh, sweet water. As she splashed her face and took a deep drink, she wondered if Jax-Ur himself had moistened his parched throat here. The very idea made the water taste more delicious.

Wandering among the ruins, poking into alcoves and collapsed structures, Aethyr found two yellowed skeletons. Would-be treasure hunters, she a.s.sumed. She had no way of telling how long they had rested here. The bones appeared to be gnawed and chipped, as if by serrated jaws. She scoffed at the remains, feeling no kins.h.i.+p with plunderers who would die empty-handed. Aethyr did not intend to leave Xan City without discovering something major.

During the broiling red heat of afternoon, she took shelter in the colonnaded ruins of what had once been an old temple. In the shadows she saw topaz-sh.e.l.led beetles scuttling about, each the size of her hand. They lunged upon and devoured plump spiders, then disappeared back into crannies. Their clacking, chirping noises grew louder as the afternoon waned. The whole city must be infested with them. How ironic that a population of insects had conquered the remnants of a once-t.i.tanic empire.

Hearing a skittering sound, she saw two of the beetles approaching her cautiously, their antennae waving in the air. They opened and closed sawlike jaws. She crunched both of them under her heel, then smeared the ichor on the flagstones.

She went from building to building, most of which must have been dwellings. Other structures were silos and storehouses in which she found amazingly preserved food supplies. Though she could not make out the faded drawings on the labels, tonight she would treat herself to a feast that Jax-Ur himself might have eaten.

After Rao had set, she moved her camp over beside the pitted Jax-Ur statue in Execution Square. The warlord's dominating presence made Aethyr feel secure, as if he would frighten away anything that might endanger her.

She built a fire, not so much for the warmth as for the glad comfort of the crackling flames. She opened the jars of food she had found, breaking ages-old seals and smelling the contents. One stewlike mixture was savory and piquant, flavored with spices totally unfamiliar to Aethyr. She dipped her finger into the sauce, tasted it, then heated the entire serving. Another container held some sort of pickled vegetable, but it was brown and bubbly and smelled foul. She tossed it into the corner of the fallen-down ruins, where it spilled against a broken fluted column.

She watched, both amused and fascinated, as four topaz beetles scuttled out of the shadows, startled by the noise of the clattering container. They returned to devour every sc.r.a.p of the spoiled pickles. More and more beetles emerged from the shadows, waving antennae in search of their share of the food, before ducking back into shelter.

Strictly as a precaution, Aethyr gathered a pile of rocks and shards from the broken statues. Beneath the looming shadow of Jax-Ur, she looked again at the city's towers, the broken windows, the randomly arranged alcoves and black balconies. Oddly, the very randomness seemed somehow calculated, a pattern that she could see only at the edge of her awareness.

She opened another container to find a smooth, sweet pudding with a sugary crust on top and chewy lumps inside. She ate it, enjoying every bite, though afterward her stomach felt heavy and her ears were filled with a slight buzzing. Perhaps the pudding was some sort of drug, a sensory-enhancement or thought-deadening substance. Feeling herself grow sleepy, she shook her head.

A lone beetle scuttled forward, as if its companions had dared it to make a foray in her direction. Aethyr picked up one of her rocks, aimed carefully, and smashed the beetle's carapace. It let out a thin squeak as it died. Four other insects rushed forward and fell upon the carca.s.s, ripping away the s.h.i.+ning sh.e.l.l and eating the soft goo inside.

The buzzing in her ears grew louder, and Aethyr looked again at the fallen buildings, sweeping her gaze from thick towers to the remains of Jax-Ur's palace. From here, she could make out shadow-enhanced carvings, geometric projections, and deep-cut alcoves. The placement of the windows and openings made no sense-until she stopped thinking of them as windows. Instead, she viewed them as a design, a code. As she looked back and forth, trying to decipher the letters or symbols, they finally made sense.

Musical notes.

She and her friend Lara had both studied ancient Kryptonian compositions, especially the pompous "Jax-Ur's March." According to legend, the warlord had demanded that the eponymous march be played at each of his appearances. Aethyr recalled the old notation and translated the notes. Fighting back a strange temptation to giggle, she began to hum and sway, making her finger follow along with the notes. Yes, she was sure of it.

Aethyr sat down, a little off-balance from the intoxicating dessert, and withdrew the small flute from her pack.

Five more beetles approached from different directions. Impatient, Aethyr killed them all with thrown stones, thereby providing a cannibalistic feast for another batch of beetles.

She placed the flute to her lips, concentrated, and played the thin, piping tune. Fumbling with the melody at first, she stopped and wiped her lips, which felt numb and swollen. This time when she played "Jax-Ur's March," the clear music pierced the silence of the ruins. In response, as if she had awakened them, the topaz beetles began to chirp a thrumming song of their own.

Aethyr was sure she sensed something s.h.i.+ft deep beneath the city, machinery awakening, ancient generators coming alive. Frowning, she played the melody again from start to finish. Yes, indeed, a rumble was coming from far below Execution Square, and it was not a seismic tremor. With her vision growing annoyingly fuzzy from the drugged dessert, she blinked repeatedly and looked around the square, hoping to see something out there.

The carefully laid flagstones were marked with faded colors, large geometric patterns across the expanse where crowds would have gathered. Columns and sculptures stood in random places around the perimeter, and as Aethyr looked at them from her new perspective, she noted that these objects were not mere decorations or ornaments. The hollow stones, embedded metal plates, and ancient hanging tubular chimes could all serve as simple yet ser viceable musical instruments. And each object bore a marking, a camouflaged musical note, now that she knew to look for it. Viewed from near the central statue, she could see they were laid out in the order of the melody.

What would happen if she played the famous march with the instruments Jax-Ur himself had hidden here?

She picked up a still-burning wooden stick from her campfire and strolled unsteadily over to the metal plate, which was subtly marked with the first note in the march. Along the way, she stomped on two more beetles. One actually scratched her ankle with its sharp black legs and she kicked it away, concentrating on her new quest. She pondered the arrangement of the strange and antique musical instruments.

She struck the first object like a gong, and as the note slowly faded, she ran to the next, a hollow stone, and hammered the second note. Moving over to a cylindrical chime, she smashed out the third note. Slowly and ponderously-but without mistakes-Aethyr played music that had not been heard here for more than a thousand years.

The sound beneath the ground grew louder, building to an engine's roar. Crystals embedded in the long-abandoned towers started to glow in the night. Aethyr stood awestruck. Astonishment flushed away the ringing in her ears and the numbness in her thoughts.

Now phosph.o.r.escent lights began to glow in the weathered flagstones of the area, illuminating distinct though faded circles randomly distributed around the broad area; each circle was more than four meters wide. Eighteen of them.

The glowing rings started to vibrate, and the circles split in half along a neat line that cut along the diameter. The circular plates were hidden trapdoors, sealed for untold centuries, and the halves swung downward. Each open hole now revealed a shaft that was lit from beneath by stuttering, weak green light. Eighteen hidden pits right in the middle of Jax-Ur's Execution Square.

Squadrons of ravenous beetles squeaked and whistled, then beat a hasty retreat to their hiding places. Aethyr ignored them.

Stagnant air and curling steam wafted up from long-closed pits. Careful to keep her balance, Aethyr peered down into the nearest circular opening. This treasure was worth far, far more than anything she had ever seen in her life.

CHAPTER 29.

Lara contacted her parents in Kandor to announce that she and Jor-El were going to get married. In the background of the screen, young Ki yelled teasingly, "I knew it! I knew it!" Kandor to announce that she and Jor-El were going to get married. In the background of the screen, young Ki yelled teasingly, "I knew it! I knew it!"

Lor-Van seemed about to burst with pride, though her mother voiced reservations. "Don't rush into something you can't undo. What if Jor-El is found guilty?"

"Jor-El is Jor-El," Lara said firmly. "I love him, and I know he's a good man, regardless of what the Council says."

Her father tried to console her, hearing the worry she could not quite cover up in her voice. "We know Jor-El as well. We can't believe the terrible things they say, and yet the evidence.... You yourself were there."

"Yes, I was, and I saw the accident. And I still stand by Jor-El."

Her parents looked at each other in the image screen and simultaneously came to the same conclusion. Lor-Van said, "Then you have our support, Lara. We will be there for you."

Ora hesitated. "I a.s.sume the wedding will take place soon? Jor-El's hearing..."