Prologue: Miscalculation


It was cold in Northern Canada. Past the Mountains, rivers, and forests, and quite far beyond any degree of civilization that once existed a lone wanderer traveled on foot. The late fall winds blew the few remaining auburn leaves from the maples, and rustled the long blue pine needles on the tall, sharp, and wide pines.

Heavy clouds covered the mid afternoon sky as the sun barely broke through to shed what little light it could on the dirt and grass.

Still someone disturbed the scene that might have looked quite fitting on a landscape painting with its broad forests and mountain peaks in the distance.

Fallen leaves and twigs occasionally crunched and snapped as a cold metal foot disturbed their tranquil existence upon the earth. The leg was a dark metal, with many interlocking plates and some gears at the knee.

Looking up one might find themselves enthralled by the beautiful woman this leg was attached to. Others might consider her no longer human, given her largely augmented body, with most of her biology replaced with steel and titanium, along with whatever other technological implants she used.

Aside from the dark metal, one might use a single simple word to describe her.

White.

From her skin, her hair, to her clothes, she was stunningly white. She was completely beautiful, fragile, and almost doll like. If it weren't for her prosthetics, and the large rifle she carried, one could not be faulted for thinking she was a super model. Perhaps an actor in a post apocalyptic television show or movie.

Her features were slim, and her skin flawless and fair. Her long white hair rested softly on the shoulders of her white coat. The only other thing about her that wasn't white were her golden eyes that scanned the area with precision and caution.

She stopped at the crest of a large hill which fell in front of her in a steep rocky cliff down to the cold blue river that ran beneath it, directly cutting off her path forward.

At that moment, the clouds parted somewhat and a ray of sun fell upon her. She raised her right hand to her forehead like a visor, and looked out over the sparsely forested land around her.

To her right, the river continued upstream where not more than half a mile an old bridge crossed over the river. It's green paint was clearly in bad condition, and rust was quite prevalent on it. It looked to be no wider than large enough to accommodate a van or small pickup truck.

Across the river about a mile or so in front of her was her destination. A large black smoke pillar that seemed to begin to blow away in the wind. Whatever it was, it wasn't Rapture technology. There was very little Rapture presence here, aside from many of the lower class Raptures that were made quick work of.

The woman lowered her hand as clouds began to block the harshest of the sun light, and she let out a small whisper. Her soft voice held a tinge of hope in it.

"Please be alive" She whispered as she readied her rifle, which was quite powerful. One which was easily capable of taking out all but the strongest of Raptures, and even blasting apart entire streets with a single shot. Humans could not wield such a weapon, as the recoil and weight would tear their body apart.

She was not just a human though. She was a Nikke. One of the original Pilgrims, the pinnacle of Nikke technology that had never been replicated since her squad's creation. It wouldn't be hubris to say that she and her comrades were the best of the best.

But now, all her comrades were either dead, or gone in their own goals to complete. Some of them would occasionally meet to speak, but even those meetings were becoming fewer and fewer, and only three remained to participate in them.

She began to run, her speed far surpassing that of a human, and reaching close to that of a motorcycle. She quickly came across the bridge, which luckily still supported her weight, despite it's rotting wood and rusted supports. After she crossed the bridge, she left the remains of what had once been a dirt path, where now was filled in by patches of grass and weeds.

Turning towards the still smoking area, she began to hear the sounds of lasers colliding with metal, and the explosions of Raptures being destroyed.

Finding a vantage point atop another hill, she pulled down her visor that rested upon her forehead, and her vision was quickly enhanced to a stunning degree.

She looked upon the area where the smoke was, and she saw something quite peculiar and unexpected.

She had hoped in her heart of hearts that she might find some human enclave that had stood against the Raptures for all this time, but the truth of the matter was even stranger.

What she saw was a strange tubelike blue ship with a sharp tip at the front and large fins at the back. It was about the size of a small car, and atop it, a hologram of a man in strange green and black robes was directing a laser turret that rose from the top of the small craft to fire against Raptures that approached.

The smoke was from a tree not too far away that had caught fire from being struck by a laser beam.

This was concerning. There was someone in that ship, and the hologram man seemed to desperately try to protect whoever was inside of it.

This meant someone was inside of that ship, and might likely die the moment the laser turret ran out of power.

Summoning her willpower, she Lined up her shot.

Within a dozen or more incredibly powerful shots, the surrounding low class Raptures were obliterated.

In seconds the holographic man turned his head right towards where she was. It seemed whatever Ai the man ran on was incredibly potent. She froze for a second, calculating on if she should change her position, but the holographic man did not seem hostile, nor did the turret aim towards her. In fact, he waved towards her location, as if to signal he wasn't hostile.

Scoping out the surroundings in case this was some elaborate ploy or trap, the results were inconclusive.

Deciding she would at least see what was going on, she waved back, and it seemed the Holographic man saw it, nodding and floating down next to the ship.

It didn't take long for her to reach the ship, and the holographic man was dressed oddly.

He wore long green robes, with black clothing underneath, and his head was mostly covered by a black cloth hood that covered everything but his face. Still, she could see his ice blue eyes and fair skin.

She approached, stopping a meter and a half away from the hologram, which began talking in strange languages, before eventually speaking in English.

"Can you understand me?" It asked, and the woman nodded.

"Yes, I can understand you. Are you from the Ark?" She asked, a slight tinge of venom in her tone. The answer to this question would decide how she responded from here on out.

"The Ark? No. I am an Artificial Intelligence created by and modeled after Jor-El, of the house of El, on the Planet Krypton. I was created to help Kal-El in his acclimation to planet Earth, but it seems that Jor-El had miscalculated what was happening on this planet. I can sense no Humans aside from you for a hundred miles. If you wouldn't mind, could you brief me on the situation of this planet? It seems such and error is far reaching." The artificial Intelligence spoke, asking her for information.

The woman took a step back in shock.

"Another planet? There were beings out in the stars beyond Earth? Was this Artificial Intelligence screwing with her?

"Wait, Planet Krypton? There are other planets in the universe with life on them?" She asked, her golden eyes widening. This was unprecedented.

'No, don't get too excited. This could be some form of Ark ruse to get me to come back. I wouldn't put it past them.' She thought bitterly.

The hologram slowly nodded as if coming to a conclusion.

"Outside of Earth and Krypton, I know of no other planets with life on them. If such information existed, it was not programmed into me. I'm sorry. However, I can tell you of the fate of Krypton if you would wish to hear it. Though it may be a long tale." The Ai spoke, and it seemed his face had darkened upon saying the fate of Krypton.

"Yes. Please do." The woman said, entertaining such a strange Ai.

"First, allow me to introduce myself again, I am a replica of the Scientist and Biologist Jor-El, father of Kal-El and husband to Lara Lor-Van, set to help Kal-El accommodate to Earth. Unfortunately, my Data has been corrupted almost completely, and I doubt this backup I am running on will last much longer. So, before I tell you more, please raise the boy with care. He will grow to be a great man, perhaps the strongest being on this planet in the future, but for the future of the Earth. Don't abandon him. Now do tell me, who are you?" The Ai begged her, bowing deeply to her on one knee.

The woman's jaw dropped slightly as she listened to this strange AI. She stayed silent for a moment.

Could she really do what this strange alien intelligence was telling her? More importantly, did she even want to? This seemed a bit out there, even for her. Still, something within her mind, and something within her heart began to blossom. A feeling she hadn't felt for many decades began to worm it's way into her, and she couldn't get rid of it.

The desire to care for a child.

She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"You can call me Snow White... Before I make a decision, tell me all you can. About Krypton, about the boy, about everything you can." She spoke, and the feeling within her heart only seemed to grow.

"Of course. Prudence is a virtue. Well met miss Snow White, though I may never meet you again, I will tell you all I can while I still exist." The Ai said before sitting down upon the ground next to the ship, inviting her to sit as well, but she preferred to stand.

And so, for the next hour, the AI spoke of the destruction of the planet Krypton, the abilities of Kryptonians when exposed to a yellow sun, the boy Kal-El, the history of the house of El, and even shared technological secrets that she could use to enhance her prosthetics and body to be able to survive the might of a young Kryptonian.

It was truly an eye opening experience for her, and it really seemed that this AI really was from another planet, for it made no sense given the context that this was from the Ark.

This really was from a destroyed alien planet.

Kal-El was to her knowledge, the Last survivor of Krypton. And she would be tasked with raising him...If she accepted such a herculean task.

She had little to no experience raising children, but perhaps, just perhaps, she could raise this little boy away from the Ark. Away from the treachery. The betrayal, and the forked tongues of the Central Government. If what the AI had said about Kryptonians under a yellow sun was true, she could be raising a man who may in the future help turn the tides against the Raptures singlehandedly.

No, she couldn't let the Ark take this boy and turn him into a killing machine and then abandon him like they had done her.

She would find a way to raise him on the surface with the help of the remaining Pilgrims in secret, all in purpose of finally turning the tide for humanity, and she would give him the love and care that the Ark would never give him.

With those thoughts, she nodded to the Hologram.

"Very well. I don't know how good of a caretaker I can be, but I'll make sure this boy lives to see a brighter future." She said, giving a soft smile.

The AI seemed to be content.

"Then I wish you the best of luck, miss Snow White. He's in the ship. May Rao bless your souls." The AI said, before shattering into small motes, never to be seen again.

With that, Snow White took her first step on a journey that would change the future of not only the Ark, but the entire universe.

Chapter One: Reflections

The ship was impressively sleek and somewhat shiny, despite the dirt and debris on it. As Snow White approached it, she saw at it's top, which was slightly below her chest, a glass dome which protected the child within from the harsh elements of the planet, and the cold radiations of space. Slinging her rifle over her shoulder, she reached her right hand out over the glass, and with a hiss, the glass slid back, revealing the passenger inside.

It was a small baby boy. She could see a vague resemblance to the Jor-El hologram. They both had clear bright skin, and ice blue eyes. The baby, Kal-El as he was called by the hologram was wrapped tightly in a red blanket that kept him warm and snug.

She reached in and look the baby in both her hands. As she held him awkwardly, she tried her best to gently rock him back and forth. The baby, feeling the cool fall air for the first time on Earth let out a small cry. Snow White did her best to calm him down, and held him close to her chest to share her warmth with him, and it seemed to calm the anxious baby a little.

"That's a good baby Kal." She murmured, rocking the baby back and forth. To think an alien species could look so human. It was fascinating. Still, there were dangers afoot, and she couldn't relax or take it easy.

This was already going to be a problem. With the Raptures around every corner, the cries of a baby were practically a beacon saying "Here we are, come and get us!"

Still, she couldn't find it within her to leave him to die. Maybe Dorothy could, with her utilitarian mindset, or a few others at Eden, but she could not commit such an act. She just took a deep breath before placing the baby back in the ship. If she couldn't carry him and the ship at the same time and still be combat effective, she would just put him in the ship, and carry the ship on her shoulder with him inside of it.

At least until she set up a base somewhere safe enough to leave the baby away from Rapture Ambushes. Still, Rapture attacks had their use. Rapture parts could be repurposed into ammunition, and repair parts for her prosthetics. As of now, thirty percent of her prosthetics were made from repurposed Rapture parts. One of the more unsettling conclusions from this was that their compatibility felt almost more a function than a coincidence.

She looked up to the tree that had been burning and was relieved to see that the fires had died down, and the smoke had blown away quite some time ago. At least no more Raptures would be advancing upon their position for the time being.

She lifted the thin ship up to her left shoulder with very little issue, and made sure it stood upright. Given it's cylindrical shape, it took her a moment to get it perfect, and then she readied her rifle in her other hand.

"If we get into a fight with the Raptures, sorry about the noise." She said, addressing the baby that just murmured silently on the ship she held on her shoulder that was almost as long as she was tall. Still, for it's size, it was surprisingly light, as if whatever metal it was made of was extremely weight-size efficient.

And so, she set off to one of her underground safe houses she had set up no more than thirty or so miles away.

If she ran and didn't care about hiding from Raptures or stealth, she could probably make it there in less than an hour...No.

She could easily do it on her own, but would the baby be comfortable? Would he not cry or feel fear from the intense speeds? These were concerns she had not thought about for a long time, as even the last time she went on a mission with a human was many decades ago.

Deciding on a compromise, she set off on a jog that was equal to a human's sprinting speed, and she did her best to make sure the craft didn't rock back and forth, but there was only so much she could do.

She was ambushed three times by Raptures on the way back to the hideout she had constructed quite a while ago that she used when in the area. Thankfully, the ship itself was quite durable, only being dented slightly by the Rapture's shots, and only being singed by their lasers. It seemed that these Kryptonians had access to metals that were quite impressive and never seen on earth before.

She arrived at the hideout not much later as the sun had just made it's way onto it's downward trajectory.

Opening a set of blast doors that had been disguised under an old rotting carpet in a burnt down blasted away small town, she pulled the heavy door open after setting the ship down.

A staircase of metal led down into an old nuclear shelter that looked to have been renovated briefly over the years.

Lights flashed on as she pulled the ship in and down the stairs, closing the doors above her.

The ship clanged lightly as it went further down into the fairly large five roomed small shelter.

The main room, which she had entered was fairly empty, with just a table, chairs, lights, and crates full of all sorts of supplies, tools, ammunition, ropes, water containers, and nonperishables. A generator in a side room had sprung to life with a low growl. In all, the room served it's purpose. Setting the ship down next to the table, she took a small bottle of water from a crate in the corner.

She walked over to the ship, and the glass slid open. The baby within was softly murmuring to himself, and his bright blue eyes looked up to her. He giggled and smiled as the woman picked him up out of the ship and sat at the table with him in her arms.

"Do you want Water?" She asked, putting the open bottle of water up to his mouth, but the baby must not have known English, so he just laughed and ignored the water completely.

"No? Alright." Snow White responded, sitting the water on the table and closing the top, with the baby on her lap. Then, she decided to introduce herself.

Getting his attention by waving her hand, she pointed to herself.

"Snow White." She simply said, pointing to herself.

The baby just looked at her confused.

"Snow White." She said again, pointing to herself. The baby tilted his head, trying to understand.

"Snow White." She said again, pointing to herself.

"Wwow wiwe." The baby managed to get out with some understanding.

"Yes. Snow White." She pointed to herself with excitement.

"Wwow wiwe, wwow wiwe" The baby exclaimed with limited realization, as if he had just discovered the secrets of the universe.

"Yes. Snow White." She responded with a nod and smile.

"Wwow wiwe wwow wiwe!" The baby exclaimed happily, as if it was the greatest thing in the universe.

"Yes. Snow White." She confirmed his cheers, and held him close. It seemed he was a fast learner. A very fast learner.

Then, she sat him down on the table, and walked over to a crate nearby. Opening it, she took out a plastic bag, in which held an emergency blanket that was quite old but still in usable condition.

She folded it up, and placed it underneath the boy to make him more comfortable before going over to the ship and taking out the blanket the boy previously lay in. Bringing it over, she wrapped him in it again, then placed him down.

"I hope that's good for now Kal, because we don't have much else." She said before sitting down at the table and falling into thought.

The safest and easiest way for her would be to bring him to the Ark and let them raise him. That was an irrefutable fact. He would grow up to be a lab rat in some prison made by the Ark, and likely would never know freedom. He would be alive, but he wouldn't be living. Perhaps they would use the boy as an executioner. One that hunts down Nikkes on behalf of companies and the government.

Perhaps he would be used on the front lines against the raptures if what the hologram said was true. She was having a hard time believing it herself.

The idea that there were a race of aliens that under a yellow sun were equivalent to Gods was a lot to take in, but if it was true, if there was even a 00.000000000000001% chance it was true, she couldn't afford him becoming like her. Or worse...Like Dorothy.

She would have shuddered if she still could.

The idea of Dorothy and the young boy tearing apart the Ark, and ending the tenuous future of humanity could not be a future that was allowed to happen. Not if she could stop it.

It would be bad enough if he got taken in by the Ark, let alone having Dorothy brainwash the boy.

She had very few allies in this that she could trust, but those that she could, she would rely on. Perhaps it was time to contact Scarlet and Rapunzel, the remailing Pilgrims that would help her and her new charge. They were her old comrades from Goddess Squad, and she trusted them implicitly. Despite their strange attributes.

Their next gathering was scheduled for less than a week away, and she knew that Dorothy and Rapunzel would show up, but Scarlet, she was unsure on if she would show up. Perhaps she would have to go and find her. Or well, if she didn't find her already and challenge Snow White to a fight again. She had challenged her before, to a quick and stunning defeat.

Snow White was farm more confident in destroying Raptures than raising children, and Rapunzel, who had worked with the Church and children many times before becoming a Nikke could probably offer her assistance that she could not come up with herself.

Rapunzel was if nothing else, honest and reliable. Those qualities remained, even after the Ark betrayed them. She could impart the softness and kindness the boy would need in the face of the cruelty he would no doubt see many times. Though she would need to monitor what Rapunzel told the boy about, lest she fill his head with nonsense and things he should not hear until he is much older.

Despite her once pure and chaste existence, she had turned quite lascivious some time in her travels, and would be a bad influence on the boy. There was no doubt that she would eventually tell the boy all sorts of stories that would make an old man blush.

And Scarlet, well...If she wanted a powerful adversary, she could certainly find it in the boy, once he grew old enough. She could teach him the warrior Ethos, and refine his close combat capabilities. In return, he could give her the opponent she had always searched for.

All she had to do was wait a week and keep the boy safe. Then when they all met she could explain what happened.

There was one Nikke she would have to keep an eye on. It was Dorothy.

This boy was the perfect target for the Estranged Nikke to manipulate into hating Humanity, and the Ark. Snow White had no doubt that given the chance, Dorothy would groom the boy into being a superweapon aimed directly at the Ark. And in Eden, there would be few who disagreed with her.

She let out a sigh before looking over to the boy.

He really had thrown a wrench into everything. She couldn't help but wonder, could more of his family be out there amongst the stars? The hologram had mentioned someone named Kara Zor-El once, but it was only in passing.

She hoped truly that no Kryptonian child would fall into the hands of Eden, the Ark, or god forbid, The Rapture Queen's hands.