Trivialities
3rd April 2013
11:36 GMT
"Recognised, Orange Lantern, B Zero Six."
I walk out into the Fortress of Solitude, and… Realise that the name is increasingly inaccurate as Kara looks around with a.. broad smile? Those weren't all that common
before the Anti-Life-.
I do a quick scan to make sure that I'm looking at the
right Kara. The practical and hard-wearing outfit suggests that I am, but-. Yes, I am.
She floats over, her eyebrows rising. "You just checked that I'm me, didn't you?"
"Yes.
"
She switches her smile from 'happy' to 'about to make rabbit soup with live rabbit' and widens her eyes. "How did you
know it was
me!?"
I roll my eyes.
"Come on, she's not quite that bad.
"
She puts her face back to normal. "She is when she looks just like you. How do
you cope with it?"
"With what? You mean my.. alter egos?
" She nods, and I shrug.
"They're not me. We have a lot in common, so… We just share information and stay out of each others' way.
"
"Doesn't that make it… Worse?"
"What?
"
"That they've got a lot in common. Like, you're not…"
I frown.
"Is this a girl thing? Do you want me to get M'gann?
"
"
No, it's not a.. girl…" She looks thoughtful, her eyes moving to the side as she frowns. "Thing?"
I fan my hands out, palms up, and wait for her to reach a conclusion.
"And anyway, M'gann's whole species are shapeshifters. They wouldn't-. That's not the point."
"No, no, this is fascinating from a social scientific point of view. Do you find yourself trying to gather a support group of beta females whose plainness will make you look relatively more attractive?
"
"Ah, no?"
I grin, craning my neck slightly.
"Do you think you
should?
"
"Do.. human-? No. You know what? No."
She floats back up and goes back to overseeing the newly constructed factory unit. It's kryptonian and designed to work with minimal oversight, but having someone who actually knows how this works seems much more sensible than waiting for it to try rebuilding Krypton on Earth or something.
I float after her.
"Everything working alright?
"
"Well, it's
kryptonian, so
yes. I don't know how Kal managed this long without a basic fabricator."
"I think that was your uncle's influence.
"
I see the reflection in one of the crystal surfaces as she rolls her eyes.
"You're probably right. It took a lot of getting used to, but I… I think I get what he meant, about what kryptonian society was… Missing."
"So we don't have to worry about you heading off to Xudar?
"
"No. Not while Earth's in the state that it is, anyway." She cough-laughs. "It's funny. After everything… I thought it would just… Bring everything back. About Krypton. But actually…
Earth survived. And…
I think it's going to keep on surviving…"
She slowly rotates around.
"Um. Why is it..? You're here?"
"I'm here to talk to Kal-El about the Phantom Zone. Ah. But thinking about it-.
"
"I should probably sit in on this." She nods. "Kal should be in the arboretum."
She flies upwards to a wall-mounted door and I follow her out into… Huh. It's not exactly a
forest. It's more like a agricultural laboratory as various types of edible plant are grown in their own modules where the soil chemistry, microbes, heat, humidity and… Everything
else are constantly monitored in real time. Kal-El himself is checking up on a… Tree-like plant with unusually thick, green/yellow leaves.
"The Phantom Zone, huh?" He finishes his note-taking as we land, then takes a deep breath before turning around. "I hope you don't want to put anyone else in there."
"No. Ah. You remember Amalak, one of the people I'm-.
" Huh, it's been a while.
"One of the people I
was working with in Vega?
"
He nods. "General Zod destroyed his home planet."
"And Amalak wants his head. Which I put it to you has no negative consequences.
"
Superman shakes his head. "He's already been tried and sentenced."
"Only for his attempted putsch on Krypton. He wasn't ever tried under the law of Amalak's people.
"
"I assume they'd execute him."
"If he were found guilty, yes. And in my opinion the evidence is
fairly conclusive. You are aware-.
"
"Yes." He nods. "I know that criminals that I've apprehended have been executed before. And I know that if
anyone deserves it,
he does. I'm just not really… Comfortable with…"
"There aren't enough of them living in one place to form a government, and even if they
had one they don't have an extradition agreement with Earth. They had one with Krypton but that only really covered petty stuff like kryptonian marines getting drunk while on shore leave. There is no legal system here, just you making a choice about whether he spends eternity is a disembodied void or gets let out for a week before being killed.
"
"I… I'll think about it."
"Okay, and then there's the rest of them.
"
He frowns slightly. "I don't think that Nam-Ek
wants to come out."
"No, but there are other inmates: Amalak would probably want Non and Ursa, though Non might get an insanity plea. But there are plenty of others. Faora Hu-Ul…
"
Kara shakes her head. "I… Think she can stay where she is. Even if we tried putting her on Themyscira… It wouldn't be safe for anyone."
"But we have gold kryptonite. We can make sure that she never develops superpowers, and… She
wasn't given the indefinite sentence that Zod, Ursa and Non were.
"
"She was given a three hundred year sentence. She's still got about two hundred and sixty years to go." Kara frowns. "I don't think you get time off for good behavior when it's physically impossible for you to misbehave."
"How about
Ak-Var? He had a thirty year sentence for theft, and he's served it. The only reason he hasn't been released already is that there isn't anyone to release him.
"
Kal-El nods. "Then he should be released. But I'm not sure we've really got the facilities to handle a kryptonian on parole."
"Gold kryptonite radiation again. Have him help you out here. If he proves he can be trusted, then he can have more freedom.
"
"That sounds reasonable. Kara? What do you think?"
"I remember hearing about it. I thought his sentence was far too harsh." She smiles faintly. "It'll be nice to talk to someone from Krypton again."
It's a classic misunderstanding plot, after all. Though I suspect these ones would walk over them.
