Three Rules
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 11
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The room was pitch dark as Dr. Daitch pointed to the image on the screen, clearing his throat nervously as he addressed the long table of key leaders in the room with him. “Nightfall is close to seventeen miles across and has been tracked traveling close to thirty-thousand miles an hour.”
Daitch surveyed the grim expressions across the table and released a heavy sigh as he leaned over key a few strokes on the keyboard. A digitized countdown appeared with a simulated trajectory of the Nightfall asteroid headed to Earth. The digital numbers on the screen read,
‘435:54:27 Estimated Time to Impact.’“If my calculations are correct, Nightfall will impact Earth in a little over two weeks.” He let out a low breath and addressed the room, “The sky is falling, gentlemen,
literally.”
The president, seated at the end of the table, tapped his fingertips nervously against his binder. He tapped his chin with his other hand and cleared his throat to speak up, “Any idea what kind of damage this could cause?”
“Mr. President, this could knock the Earth off its axis. Even throw us out of our current solar orbit.” Daitch shook his head in dismay, “It’s far larger than the meteor theorized to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. The crater along could throw enough dust into the air to start a new ice age.”
The President turned to the others seated at the table, “So, what are our options?”
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The heat from the Kansas heat bore down on Lois as she looked across the street to where a small group had gathered. This was probably another dead end, much like the last few hours of talking with the Smallville locals. When she had offered to come with Clark to investigate, she had suspected there may be something worth digging into. She hadn’t expected the complete culture shock of seeing Clark in his hometown.
The difference felt night and day as she struggled to acclimate herself to the town working through the small-town culture that had been home unwittingly to a super-powered local without anyone being the wiser. It seemed strange to imagine even after just a few short months of covering Superman's rescues and seeing the impact Clark’s alter-ego had on the world that at one time, there was no Superman. Clark’s innate sense of helping others and doing what was right wasn’t something formed overnight. She was sure if pressed hard enough; the locals could recall a time or two that unexplained miracles happened with Clark around. Though out of respect for her friendship with Clark and keeping his secret safe, she opted to hold onto that tidbit, enjoying her inner musings of wonder as she took in the small town of Smallville.
They had spoken with the local deputy earlier, hoping to gain some insight into what had happened, but the deputy hadn’t been able to provide much more than Clark’s friend had. The same story was heard from a majority of the locals they spoke to. With the road leading up to Schuster’s field and Wayne Irig’s property blocked off, it didn’t seem like anyone was willing to let even Superman investigate the origins of the mysterious sabotage of a thirty-year-old oak tree. She had hoped to talk to the residents to see if anyone had seen anything out of the ordinary. Though she wasn’t as adept at dealing with the locals as Clark, she thrived on the open nature within small towns and how everyone seemed to know everything about everyone.
She waved her notepad in her hand as she walked with one of the locals outside her shop, “I don’t know what to make of it. That big oak has been there for ages….”
“Have you seen anyone out of the ordinary around?” Lois asked, looking at the auburn-haired woman expectantly.
“Now that you mention it, there was a new face in the diner this last week.” She waved over an older man and called out to him, “Hey, Jim, remember that man that came in this week? Real uppity type?”
“Yeah, I know who you’re talkin’ about.” Jim nodded, approaching them as he pointed across the street to a white and green inn. “I think he’s stayin’ over at Masie’s.”
Lois nodded, wondering who may have sparked the small town’s interest, “Thank you for your time. We’ll check it out.” She looked over her shoulder where she caught sight of Clark in a deep conversation with an older gentleman who was waving his arms around. Curious, she excused herself and walked over to him, picking up on the conversation as she approached.
“It was gone. Just gone in an instant. The whole place lit up like the Fourth of July.” The man explained to Clark.
“What was gone?” Lois asked, notepad in hand.
Clark gestured to her then turned to the man he was talking with. “Wayne, this is Lois Lane, my partner at the Daily Planet. Lois, this is Wayne Irig. He owns part of the property that was sabotaged.”
Lois’ ears perked up as she turned to Wayne Irig, “Mr. Irig, any idea who could have done all that damage to your property?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, little missy. I’ve lived in the same ol’ farmhouse for years and drive the same beat old truck. Anyone that would want to do me harm would know where to find me.”
Clark nodded his thanks and tugged her arm with him as they made their exit, “Thanks for the update, Wayne. We’ll see what we can find out.”
“Thanks, Clark,” Wayne waved at them as they left.
As soon as they were out of earshot of Wayne Irig, Lois turned to Clark with an arched eyebrow, “Is everyone always so friendly here?”
“Not everyone suspects the mailman of being involved in an underground theft ring,” Clark commented with a smirk.
“He is
always losing my mail,” Lois growled back at him in defiance, losing her cool momentarily before collecting herself. She waved the notepad against her face, trying to catch a breeze in the heat.
“And of course, it’s just
got to be a conspiracy,” Clark shook his head with a cluck of his tongue. “It couldn’t possibly be a
mistake.”
“You’re impossible,” Lois rolled her eyes, pointing toward the gravel walkway leading to the front porch of the inn the clerk had pointed to earlier.
“What about you?” Clark lifted his left brow, silently prompting her before asking, “Any luck finding anything?”
“Your local grocer, Lydia, thinks it’s aliens. Jim at the hardware store swears someone’s been stealing tools and can’t find them. Phyllis and Jim over here found an ‘uppity stranger’ at Masie’s.” Lois read off her notes. “Not much to go on, but it’s a start.”
“Want to check it out?” Clark asked, pointing toward the sign of the inn.
“That’s what we’re here for,” Lois shrugged her shoulders and followed him to the walkway leading to Masie’s Inn. Lois noticed the diner on the back of the inn where several patrons were dining. A woman in a black apron stood by the fancy sign waving as a couple exited.
Clark pointed to the woman, “That’s Masie. If anyone’s seen anything, it’d be her.”
“Apparently, we’re looking for an uppity-looking character,” Lois advised, looking around curiously at the signs posted on the window with
‘Annual Corn Festival Sign Up’ printed on the top. Lois paused, craning her neck and looking at the sign curiously and looking back to Clark, “
Corn Festival?”
“Just a small-town festival with games, some crafts, and good food.” Clark gestured to the residents as they walked by, “It’s a lot of fun. They have the Corn Queen Pageant. The Husk-Off. The Corn-o-Rama. Popcorn, creamed corn, corn-on-the-cobb…It’s a corn-a-rific time…” He managed to say without laughing.
“
Corn Festival?” Lois echoed the name aloud with an arched eyebrow.
“It’s Kansas,” Clark shrugged as if that explained the name of the festival. He opened the door they were standing at, “Come on, we’ll grab something to eat and see what Masie knows.”
Lois stepped inside the diner, taking a look around the room and noticing the almost immediate lull that came over the room. She gave a weak wave to the patrons, following Clark’s lead as he walked toward the high bar where the woman in the black apron was wiping down the counter and setting menus out.
Lois looked around, trying to survey the dining room for anyone that appeared out of place as Clark picked up the menu and handed it to her. “See anything you like?”
Lois skimmed the menu as she perched herself on the edge of the high bar stool.
“Clark Kent?”
Lois looked on amused as the woman behind the counter stopped, grinning ear to ear as she recognized Clark, pouring a glass of iced tea from a large pitcher in her hand.
“Hey Masie,” Clark flashed the woman a bright smile, and a floodgate erupted from the woman as she rambled her enthusiasm.
“This is certainly a surprise. I thought you had hightailed it out of Smallville with the city folks for something bigger and better. You know, the place hasn’t been the same. Old man Henry’s still running that paper of his with his blood, sweat, and tears….”
“I’m sure he’ll manage,” Clark chuckled, pointing to Lois, “Masie, this is my partner at the Daily Planet, Lois Lane.”
Maisie’s eyes widened at the mention of the paper’s name and let out a low whistle, “Your mom mentioned you had settled in Metropolis.” She turned to Lois and extended her hand for Lois to shake, “Don’t mind me, darlin’ I’m all gab and no bite. Good to meet you. You all keepin’ Clark in line?”
“I suppose,” Lois glanced at the woman, trying to make sense out of the rambling the woman was doing.
“Well, to listen to Clark’s mom, I’d say you’re doin’ something right. All the stories about Metropolis seem to begin with your name.” Maisie chuckled as she pointed at Clark who was groaning with a flushed pink tint to the back of his neck.
“They do, do they?” Lois bit her lower lip, chuckling under her breath as Clark interrupted.
“It’s not every story….” Clark cleared his throat and pointed to the center of the menu with a picture of burger and fries. “Just the burger for me.”
“Sure thing, Clark,” Maisie turned to Lois, “How about you, sugar? Anything?”
“Club sandwich,” Lois said, handing the menu back to Maisie. Maisie nodded and took the menus before disappearing in the back. Lois turned to Clark, spinning on the stool to face him, “You know, when I offered to come out here, I had no idea I’d have stories to live up to.”
“It’s just the stories we covered. That’s it,” Clark explained with a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s nothing.”
“Uh-huh,” Lois shook her head, not sure if he was even convinced as she watched Maisie approach a couple in the corner as she looked back to where Lois and Clark were seated.
Clark looked back at her with a helpless smile, “It’s a small town, Lois. There’s nothing to do but get into trouble and gossip.”
“I think we’ve become the gossip for the week,” Lois rolled her eyes as she looked around the room in dismay. She was just about to turn back to the countertop when she spotted a familiar figure racing down the steps outside the large panel windows. “Is that…?”
“What?” Clark asked, following the direction she was pointing with a turn of his head. “Luthor? What’s he doing out here?”
“Maybe he’s the uppity stranger?” Lois guessed.
“If the shoe fits.” Clark shrugged, pulling a few bills from his wallet and placing them on the counter. “I was really looking forward to that burger.”
“Well, I guess you’ll have to wait till after we figure out what Lex Luthor is doing in Smallville,” Lois said, tugging on Clark’s hand and pulling him with her out the door.
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The car rumbled over the gravel, tossing stray pebbles behind each tire as the dark sedan turned on the dirt road leading into the open space of the Smallville Paper Mill. The sign outside showed its age as the lettering of the mill’s sign was peeling away. Below the lettering of
‘Smallville Paper Mill’ was an old block lettering that read
‘LuthorCorp’. The car came to a stop outside the mill, and the door opened. Lex Luthor stepped out of the car, footing his toe against the gravel as he cast a glance across the property. His eyes settled on the sign with a glare, noting the name of his father’s company in red print. After his parents’ demise, he had rebranded the company after his namesake to separate himself from the history his father had built.
He reached out to light his cigar, taking in the abandoned property’s appearance. The rough exterior and cracked siding showed the age of the property as Lex puffed on his cigar. He turned on his heel, contemplating momentarily if he dared to break through the barriers that still held the gate to the mill closed. He had searched the usual places around town, trying to see if he could sniff out where Jason Trask may have disappeared to. The last sighting had been by the diner owner two days ago.
“Something wrong, Mr. Luthor?” Asabi asked, standing next to the car with a curious gaze.
“No, just remembering something,” Lex commented, pointing to the gate.
“You’re confident Mr. Trask is here?” Asabi asked, gesturing to the gated entrance.
“It’s the only reasonable place left in this small town to look.” Lex puffed on his cigar. The mobile phone in his jacket pocket chirped, and he pulled it out to answer it, “Yes?” he responded sharply to the individual on the other end of the line.
“Mr. Luthor, this is Dr. Lee from the R&D Department. LexLabs received a suspicious shipment that we’re not sure what to do with.”
“What kind of shipment?” Lex asked, intrigued.
“Parts of a tree and a mysterious mineral substance. It appears to be a meteorite.”
“Meteorite?” Lex asked, puffing on his cigar. “Who is the package from?”
“We don’t have a name. A P.O. Box was given outside Kansas City.”
Lex arched his brow, tightening his jaw as the tech spoke. “Run every test you can and have them sent to me immediately when the results are in.”
“Yes, Mr. Luthor.”
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The soft hum of crickets in the night sky chirped softly as Lois leaned outside the window sill, arching her neck to look toward the long pathway Lex Luthor had disappeared down moments ago. She let out an exasperated groan, looking around for anything to explain what Lex Luthor was doing in Smallville. Though his presence didn’t immediately link to the damage in Schuster’s field, it was too coincidental to overlook.
“Anything?” Lois asked, growing impatient as she waited for Clark to finish examining the property from the impossible distance they were parked at so as not to draw attention to themselves.
Clark sat leaned against the window sill with his glasses across the dashboard of the rental they were in, staring intently at the long narrow pathway, setting his jaw in a hard square as the crease across his forehead grew more intense. “He’s just standing there.”
“Where?” Lois asked, arching her brow at him, waiting for more information to be divulged.
“In front of one of the abandoned old mills from the seventies.” Clark frowned, shaking his head.
“Is he looking for something?”
“No…” Clark tapped his jaw. “Looks like he’s just sitting there.”
“This is a waste of time. So, what now?” Lois asked, letting out a sigh of frustration.
Clark let out a heavy breath, “I guess we head back to Schuster’s field and see what all the fuss is about.”
“So, we’re not following Luthor around town?”
“Unless you want to continue sitting here while he stares off into the distance at a place that’s been empty for the last thirty years…”
“Well, when you put it that way your field of dirt sounds much more exciting,” Lois smirked at him as he reached for the glasses on the dashboard of the car and placed them on his face before turning the ignition to start the car.
________________________________________
Jason Trask moved through the abandoned mill, placing a small chunk of green glowing meteorite on the workspace in front of him. He had shipped most of the findings from the crash site to LexLabs for further observation, but his gut told him what he’d uncovered would be the undoing of the supposed Superman. The people in this town knew what had happened thirty years ago, and he wasn’t leaving until he discovered just who had been masquerading as an ordinary human for all these years.
He reached his hand out to touch the meteorite with the small globe-like structure he’d unearthed from the Bureau 39 files and watched with amazement as the globe emitted a white light and changed its form to a red and blue image that was unrecognizable.
“Well, just what have we got here?” Trask asked aloud.
“Agent Trask, if you wanted my team to examine this substance, don’t you think you need to provide them with all the information?”
Trask jumped, startled by the sound of a voice from the corner of the room. He moved his flashlight beam to where a very familiar man stood leaning against one of the support beams to the abandoned property.
“Mr. Luthor? How did you…?”
“Let’s not waste time with the obvious.” Lex Luthor strode into the room, brushing the dust and dirt from his jacket, and pointed to the globe in Trask’s hand. “What exactly do you have there?”
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The night lit sky covered the small town in a blanket of stars, guiding the path for both Lois and Clark beneath the crescent moon as they made their way to the edge of Wayne Irig’s farmhouse. Lois pointed to the dirt road that was covered in caution tape and markers from authorities that had been swarming around the property over the last few days. “They’ve certainly been thorough, haven’t they?”
Lois pointed to the two large tents that had been set up on the property, “What’s with the setup?”
“Wayne said some guys from the EPA came out digging up his yard to collect soil samples.”
Lois glared at the site in disgust, shaking her head as she followed him down the dirt road. “Of course they did.”
Clark cleared his throat, noting the ‘do not enter’ signs that had been posted along the property line. Two guards in army green uniforms stood by the barrier, preventing either of them from going any further. He pulled out his press credentials and waved them in the air, “Who’s in charge around here?”
One of the guards looked to the other and motioned for a woman in a smart black suit to approach. She wore an EPA badge around her neck as she walked up to the barrier and looked between them with a stern gaze. “I’m Carol Sherman, EPA Field Liaison. What can I help you with?”
Clark took the lead as Lois seemed to be silently critiquing the scene and dissecting each clue she could find. “I’m Clark Kent. This is Lois Lane. We work with the Daily Planet and were interested in what the EPA is doing out here.”
Sherman seemed to hesitate a moment before responding with a quick smile, gesturing to the scene behind her. “Well, what you see here is an ecological risk assessment.” Sherman pointed behind her. “During the sixties, the owner used a lot of pesticides, and we’re concerned about the seepage into the local groundwater.”
“Giving people more than what they bargained for at the dinner table?” Lois asked.
“That’s it. Public safety. No big story, I’m afraid.”
Clark shook his head, lowering his glasses to look inside the tent only to find the inside sealed with the one surface he couldn’t see through. Lead.
“And the owner, Mr. Irig? What’s he supposed to do while you’re completing this….risk assessment?” Lois asked, tapping her hand impatiently against her hip.
“I’m not sure. Mr. Irig’s been given relocation money during testing. He didn’t say where he went.” Sherman answered.
‘Liar,’ Clark thought as he picked up on the raised heart rate of the agent.
“Well, I’m sure you’ve got that information somewhere,” Lois pressed firmly, pointing to the tent behind Sherman. “We’ll check back.”
Clark frowned as he walked with Lois away from the barrier, shaking his head. “She’s lying.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” Lois commented as she stopped outside the broken fence that had been torn down. She pointed to the opening left with little supervision as the guards were heavily focused on the area the tents were setup at.
“I’m going to try flying overhead and see if I can see anything from the aerial….” He paused, watching as Lois pulled her hair back and rolled up her sleeves. “What are you doing?”
“I’m making a run for it.” Lois pointed to her target a half-mile away from where the large crater was located.
“Are you crazy?” Clark asked in a hushed whisper. “There are guards all over the place.”
“Yeah, well, not all of us have super-speed, and they’re only a problem if they catch me.” Lois shrugged, not bothering to give it a second thought before sprinting toward the gaping hole in the center of the field. Clark let out a sigh of defeat, looking over his shoulder before quickly racing after her to stop her before she was caught by one of the guards.
As he approached the large hole and piles of dirt that sat unevenly on the field, an unsettling feeling washed over him. Each step seemed to go slower and slower, and the ease of which he moved felt pained and weighted down.
“I thought you were supposed to be faster than a locomotive,” Lois teased, looking back at him with a grin as she surveyed the scene.
A grimace covered his face as he came to a stop at the edge of the ground that had been dug up. He looked down into the pit of at least six feet deep and dropped to his knees, feeling them buckle beneath him. He felt a sharp pain in his back and grimaced. He groaned, feeling the pain run down his spine once more.
“Clark?”
Her voice echoed around him as the colorful red and blues of the sky drowned into a pitch dark.
“Clark!”TBC...
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