12th August 2013
22:02 GMT
You know… Now that I think about it, film and animation have been somewhat sparse on detail on what it's actually like to be inside the Phantom Zone. I think Superman the Animated Series depicted
it as a sort of glowly nothing. Supergirl had it as
a desolate grey rocky wasteland, with one exit point reachable at great peril. I only saw it in the comics a couple of times, and I don't
see a fake Krypton.
In fact, I don't really see
anything.
There's grey… A pale sort of grey, with no texture, no obvious light source… And… That's about it.
Okay.
"Nam-Ek?! Are you around?!
"
Okay, I remember what his desires look like,
so-.
So-.
Huh. Doesn't work here. I… Still retain awareness of my own desires, so I haven't lost my enlightenment. I just can't see desires. Which presumably means…
…
Yep, can't step out. I'm stuck here until the g-pooka opens it back up again. Or failing that, someone else comes to the Fortress and does it.
Alright, try moving.
…
I… Think I'm moving, but there's nothing to judge it against. I'm also not sure why my rings are working when empathic vision
isn't. But at least I'm
not getting attacked by zombified Superman clones, so that's nice.
"Anyone here?! Nam-Ek?! Lyla?!
"
No? Honestly, this is starting to look like a wild goose chase. There's nothing and no one, and if I can't find some sort of-.
"I'm
here, Orange Lantern."
Huh? Oh. There's a sort of… Humanoid
shape that's a little darker grey than the background. The voice was kind of indistinct, like the sound wave is meeting with some sort of interference.
"Is this all we get? Just… Blurs..?
"
"You learn to tell them apart. And at least no one can smell me."
"Alright, so where's everyone else?
"
"They're here somewhere. If you don't stay together, finding one another is a matter of pure chance."
"Oh? I'd have thought that everyone would stay together in that case.
"
"Violent prisoners are not always the most rational people. But if you follow me, I'll see if someone feels like making themselves known."
He drifts… Away, and for want of anything else to try I follow him.
Hm.
"Is this place infinitely large?
"
"Given that there appear to be finite spaces within, I do not believe that it
can be. Perhaps the size changes with the number of people within it? Or perhaps it is merely very big. Without any sort of landmark to measure from there is no way to tell."
"Form a chain of grey blurs and see if you can see the edges?
"
"I refer you to my comment about violent criminals."
"It's been forty years for the newest of them. I'd have thought that they'd get bored of being arseholes eventually.
"
"Perhaps they will, eventually. But it has not happened yet."
I nod. For a human, this sort of sensory deprivation would cause serious psychological damage. Perhaps something about this place allows you to… Sleep through it? Or perhaps kryptonians are different where sensory input is concerned?
"You mentioned someone called Lyla? I'm not familiar with a prisoner by that name. Is she a friend of yours?"
"No. She was a telepath who was using her abilities to conceal her presence on Krypton before it exploded. Since we're pretty sure that she wasn't hiding in Kal-El or Kara Zor-El's pods, this is the only place she could have come to escape.
"
"Telepathy is rare amongst kryptonians."
I raise my eyebrows.
"I didn't realise it occurred at all.
"
"Our bodies respond to exotic energies strangely. My own mutation is proof of that. Speaking of which, I think that after this respite I'm ready to face the universe once more."
"You sure?
"
"Jax-Ur was able to explain to me the advances in kryptonian medical science that have happened since my time. I was in shock before; I'm confident that I can learn what I need to cure myself."
"Hah!
"
"Did I say something funny? I appreciate you putting me here, but now it is time for me to be
released."
"You're not Nam-Ek. Your outline is wrong, your diction is wrong, and while you've made an effort to match his accent you haven't gotten it quite right. Which probably means that you're Jax-Ur, though if you can offer me evidence to the contrary I'll hear you out.
"
The grey blur stop moving and straightens up.
"When am I to be released?"
"You're
not. You murdered five hundred people.
"
"They'd be dead now
anyway!"
Huh. Superman was right. It's
not funny.
"If you'd like to make a representation to Governor Karsta Wor-Ul then I can certainly pass it on. But unless someone else was actually responsible then I doubt that she'll be interested.
" I frown.
"But I'm interested in what the
plan was, here. Even if I let you out, I know what Jax-Ur looks like. All that would happen is I'd chuck you back inside.
"
"Our bodies respond to exotic energies
strangely, Orange Lantern. I knew that when I
arrived here. So I took steps to ensure that I was prepared for any opportunity. And do you know what I learned?"
"Do tell.
"
"This place is
alive! It has a
consciousness! I don't know if it existed before we started sending people here, or if it only gained form in response to our thoughts. But it knows that you're the reason why people have been leaving its domain, and it is
not happy."
"How does telling it anything help
you?
"
"It
doesn't. This is just-"
From nowhere a colossal purple hand appears around me, fingers gripping me as a pair of huge yellow eyes glow out of the grey mist!
"-
spite."
