Original Story - Jungle Love 13 Clark landed on Bernie's balcony at STAR LABS and stepped through the open French doors. There was a space suit resting on a table with a note from Dr. Klein that indicated he would be right back. The back of the suit housed two oxygen tanks, and, by flipping a switch, ultra-violet rays were emitted by the microscopic electro-luminescent optical fibers that had been sewed into the inside liner. The suit itself was heavy, and Clark realized that Bernie had coated it with lead shielding. Was he concerned that the asteroid contained some Kryptonite?
Bernie returned, catching Clark by surprise. "You're here. Great! As you probably already know, I have tried to plan for every possible contingency for your trip. Solar energy, oxygen, and even lead shielding, in the event the asteroid might have encountered Kryptonite somewhere along the way. Try it on," he suggested.
Clark stepped into the suit, and Dr. Klein, admiring his work, smiled. "Fits you like a glove. A very *big* glove, that is. Now you must head over to EPRAD to pick up the missile you're going to deploy."
Clark stepped out of the suit, and asked, "Bernie, when is the next full moon?"
"Huh? Why?"
"You won't believe the answer – when is it? I really need to know," insisted Clark.
"Actually... it's tonight."
"That's great. I'm heading over to EPRAD. I guess I should take the suit with me. Thanks, Bernie. I'll see you in a couple of days!"
Bernie stepped over to Clark and offered him a firm handshake. "Clark, if anyone can save us, it's you. Good luck."
"I couldn't do half of what I do without you, Bernie. You're a good man," Clark said, shaking his hand vigorously. "Thank you again."
Bernie watched as the world's hero flew out of his window, on his way to a journey with a questionable resolution.
~~~~~
Before heading over to EPRAD, Clark flew halfway around the world where the sun had already set and the full moon was shining in the night sky in all of its glory. Grabbing the device that Wells had given them out of his cape pocket, he yanked the antenna out as far as it would go, tilted it towards the glowing orb, and clicked "page". There was no guarantee that there would be a full moon in CK's world, but it was worth a try.
Miraculously, Lois answered the phone. "Hello? Clark, Double L – is that you?" Apparently Lois was at home with the kids, he could hear them playing and screaming in the background. The clarity of the connection was excellent. Wells really *was* a genius!
"Lois, it's Clark. Thank God this contraption really works."
"What's the matter? You sound anxious about something."
"Is CK there? I have been asked to fly into outer space and try to destroy this asteroid, which they named –"
"Nightfall," Lois said, finishing his sentence for him. "Oh God, Clark. CK's on an emergency call. Maybe I can help you?"
"They sent a rocket ship out to do the job first, and it exploded the minute it left our atmosphere. Now the weight on the world is on my shoulders. I wanted to know any tips that CK could possibly give me. I have to admit, even though I won't let *my* Lois know, that I'm overwhelmed by all of this."
"What do they want you to do? Smash headlong into it? That's what Clark did. He fell back to earth, making a crater in Suicide Slum, of all places, and then suffered from amnesia. I wouldn't recommend doing it that way," Lois said sarcastically. "I didn't know he was Superman then, and if his parents hadn't been able to get him to recall how to use his super-powers at the eleventh hour, I'm afraid it would be a *very* different world on 'our' earth right now."
"Yes, I remember CK telling me that story. That's what I'm concerned about. This is quite different. Dr. Klein made me my own personal space suit; and EPRAD wants me to actually throw a nuclear rocket at it, once I'm in close enough proximity."
"Actually, Clark, I think that may work. After all, technology is better now than it was in the 90's, when it occurred here. How's Lois taking all this? How's it going at the Planet?"
"Not great. That Boyle character we met in Brazzaville is now the 'city beat' editor, and our Perry doesn't come back to work for another week. Lois had her first meeting with Dr. Deter, and has to go back tomorrow for 'hypnotic regression'. It's all too much for her, but you know how you Lois Lanes are ... you can never be thought of as a 'quitter'!"
"That's true. Waitaminute! Did you say her doctor's name is 'Deter'? As in *Maxwell* Deter?" Lois exclaimed.
"Yes, Maxwell Deter. Why?"
"If he's anything like the one in my universe, he's scum. I had amnesia and he tried to get me to forget that I loved Clark, and brainwash me to love *him*. Omigod, Clark, I'm so sorry all of this stuff is happening at the same time and on top of it, you have to go out there and save the world. Yikes!"
"Thanks for the warning about Deter. Hey, I have to go – I'm due at EPRAD any minute. Thanks for the heads-up and say hi to CK for me. I'll call you the next full moon to let you know how everything went."
"Yes, please do that. We'll be worried if we don't hear back from you. Take care, Clark. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you both."
~~~~~
Clark, armed with scientific instructions and explanations, left EPRAD wearing his space suit, carrying a large missile. He had never tried flying deep into outer space before, and was both exhilarated and frightened by the prospect. As he left the earth's atmosphere, he looked down towards his beautiful adopted planet, a global blue and white swirl, where everyone that he loved was depending on him.
He tried to connect with Lois telepathically. <"Honey, I love you. In case I don't come back in time, be very careful around Dr. Deter. Perhaps you should change psychiatrists. The other Lois warned me about him.">
No response. Well, perhaps their connection – their 'meeting of the minds', so to speak – only worked on earth. Perhaps it had something to do with the magnetic fields – gravity? Anyway, he returned his focus to the task at hand. The sight of the approaching asteroid chilled him to the bone. There was a faint red dust cloud encircling it. At once, he was very grateful to Bernie Klein for lining his suit with lead. CK had warned him once about a substance called Red Kryptonite – but this red dust could be anything. He was just feeling a bit paranoid, he reasoned to himself.
He tested his transmitter: "Superman here; do you copy? Repeat, Superman here, do you copy?"
Several minutes later, Dr. Daitch's voice resounded in the built-in headphones: "Roger, Superman. We copy, loud and clear! We're getting a clear visual from your videocam! Is that a red dust cloud we're seeing around Nightfall?"
"Affirmative. Please advise me when I've reached the proper distance to deploy the missile."
"Roger, Superman. We'll be back in touch."
Well, Clark reasoned, the visual and sound was working fine. He began to relax. He flipped the solar energy control switch to the "on" position and took an extra hit of oxygen. Soon he would be back in the arms of the woman he loved.
~~~~~
Lois had gone back to the newsroom. Her previous assignment seemed completely pointless – the government's plan had *obviously* not worked, there was an aura of panic out there, only kept somewhat under control by the public's confidence in their - *her* - Superman. She guessed that might be a story unto itself – but would Boyle let her write it? Would she be considered too "prejudiced"? Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained! She wrote the story anyway, with the caption "Superman's quest: a calming influence for the masses", then sent it to Mark's editing queue, awaiting his feedback.
The monitor in the newsroom reported Clark's journey. Lois winced as she heard Clark's distorted, electronic-sounding voice being transmitted by EPRAD. It sent chills down her spine.
<I wonder if telepathy works in outer space? "Clark... Propaganda... can you hear me? Well not *really* hear me, but... you know what I mean!">
No response. <That answers that. No mind link in outer space.>
The newscaster's voice droned on in the background:
At this point in time, Superman is approximately three hours from the optimal point of deployment of the nuclear warhead he is transporting on behalf of Planet Earth. His super-speed allows him to reach the asteroid much faster than our rocket ship could have. We will be standing by to provide up to date, fast-breaking information as he approaches his target, the Nightfall Asteroid. Lois got up from her desk to get a fresh cup of coffee and nearly collided with Linda King.
"Lois, I know you're upset – we all are – but you really should look where you're going!"
"Linda – for once – can you just give it a break?
Linda's expression softened for just a moment. "That's right. What's a little difference among old friends when the world may come to an end anyway?"
Lois shot her a stern glance, and then brushed past Linda, continuing to the break room.
Her lucky day! Ralph was pouring himself a coffee when she arrived.
"Ah, *Mrs.* Superman! Just want you to know that if your husband doesn't make it back, they'll be several of us standing in line for the chance to be *Mr.* Lane," he proclaimed. "You'll never have to be alone, you know."
Lois couldn't believe the shallowness of her co-workers. Who knew for sure that Clark could pull this off and save earth? Why pick today, of all days, to be cynical and sarcastic?
"I have two words for you, Ralph. SHOVE IT!" Lois stormed out without getting her coffee and headed for the elevator again.
Mark came flying out of his office, calling for Lois. Ignoring him, she entered the elevator; when she was certain no one else could enter, she pressed the button for the roof. She needed fresh air, away from all these jerks!
~~~~~
"Edge here."
"Morgan, it's Lenny. Great job with that missile blowing up so quickly. That ensured that the Boy Scout *had* to go up in space. What's the plan for keeping him up there?"
"Well, he needs to save the planet first. I'm not above using him – hell, I'm not ready to die yet! I'm not sure what's going to happen to him after he deploys the missile, but there is Kryptonite in the warhead itself. Once that hits the asteroid and explodes, there will be particles of it everywhere. That damn Klein coated his space suit with lead shielding, but should he make it back to earth, I'm betting that he'll be weakened for weeks with the fallout that's sure to enter the atmosphere."
"Pure genius! How's Boyle doing at the Planet?"
"Great! He loves it. He's already planning to hit on Lane as soon as we resolve the Kent situation."
"He has it bad for her, huh? She *is* hot – he has good taste."
"That's what they say. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting her in person yet. Can't wait."
"I'll try to be back east by Friday for the meeting. Call me if there any new developments."
"Right. See ya."
~~~~~
Lois stood on the roof of the Planet, underneath the spinning globe, staring at Hobb's Bay. She desperately wished that Clark was there to comfort her, rather than him being millions of miles away saving the earth from destruction. She took his cell phone out of her purse and called the programmed number for his folks in Smallville.
"Hello?"
"Ma… is that you?"
"Lois? Honey, how are you? We've got the TV on and we're on pins and needles with Clark up there in space and all."
"I'm having a rough time, Ma. *Really* rough. Standing up to the goons at the Planet is wearing me down already, and it's only my second day. I can't wait for Clark to come back," she said, her voice starting to choke up with tears.
"Honey… if he's anything like *our* Clark, he'll come back as the biggest hero ever," Martha promised. "Don't worry. He's a survivor, just like you are."
"I remember the whole Nightfall incident in our world," Jonathan said. He had just picked up the other line and was listening in as well. "It happened just before the Kryptonians took over."
"Really? Did you guys ever tell Clark about it?"
"No, the subject just never came up. We tried to reach him before he left, to give him some insight into the experience *our* Clark had, but I got his voice mail at work. I guess he left pretty suddenly, huh?" Martha said.
"Yeah, Ma, he left as soon as we knew that the rocket had exploded unexpectedly. There really wasn't any spare time to waste," Lois said. <I mean, we had to have our 'see you later - be safe - I'll miss you so much sex' in an *elevator*, for God's sakes!>
"Honey, call me back as soon as you know anything. And I know you'll prevail over those jerks you're working for. Try not to let them wear you down," Martha said.
"Bye Lois," Jonathan said. "Call us back soon."
"Love you guys – you're both so great. Talk soon. Bye."
Boyle had seen Lois disappear in the elevator, and noticed that the car went "up" – all the way to the top floor! He decided to take the stairs to the roof. He came bursting out of the stairwell door just as she was clicking off the phone with the Kents. His heavy breathing revealed that he had just dashed up ten flights of stairs.
"Lane? I was calling you. What the bloody hell are you doing up here?"
<This is the last thing I need right now.> Lois took a deep breath and chose the more professional response to his question.
"I'm getting some fresh air. Everyone in the newsroom is ticking me off today. Rather than arguing with them, I felt it wise just to remove myself from the situation for a few minutes. Do you have a problem with that, 'Boyle'?"
"This is only your second day, and already everyone is ticking you off? I wanted to talk to you about the story you sent me. That *is* what we do, correct? You write news stories, I critique them?"
"That's correct. Sorry, *Mr.* Boyle, I didn't hear you calling me." <White lie, just a white lie.>
"You know, Lois, I know you think that I’m a cold hearted fish. But I do understand that it's your husband up there in space, and that you're worried about him. Come downstairs; let's work on fine-tuning that article you sent me." Boyle put his hand on Lois' shoulder as a peace offering to her.
Lois felt herself stiffen at his touch. Taking another deep breath, she turned and headed toward the elevator.
"Mark, please don't touch me again. It's unprofessional, implies that we have a relationship other than boss – employee, and besides all that – it just creeps me out!" Lois spit out.
"Duly noted, Ms. Lane," was the crisp reply.
~~~~~
It turned out that Mark actually liked Lois' article; he just had her change and fine-tune a couple of relatively minor items. In spite of herself, Lois had to agree that Mark's instincts were right on target. Even though he was a white-collared gangster disguising himself as a newspaperman, he had a great command of the English language and his eye for details was dead on. It would be impossible to say that he wasn't qualified for the editor's job.
Heading back to her desk to make the requested changes, she heard the TV newscaster on the monitor in the newsroom make an important announcement:
Breaking news! Superman has deployed the missile and he is en route back to earth, attempting to get a head start on the explosion, which will create millions of smaller meteor rocks and particle debris, some of which will of course burn up in our atmosphere upon entry. This is the last communication with Superman, received at the EPRAD base:
"Superman, we have estimated, based on your videocam transmission, that you have arrived at the optimal point of deployment an hour earlier than estimated. It is time to throw your best bull's eye at the Nightfall Asteroid. Do you copy? Over."
"Roger, copy. We're all going to find out if all the sports I played in high school have paid off for Planet Earth," he joked. "I used to be one heckuva baseball pitcher in Little League. Over. Do you copy?"
"Roger, Superman, we copy. We all have faith in your abilities. Good luck and God Speed home to us. Over and Out." The announcer continued:
EPRAD has just confirmed that the Nightfall Asteroid has exploded. I repeat - it appears that Superman was successful in making a bull's eye with the missile, as the Nightfall Asteroid has exploded. Earth is no longer in danger! Clark Kent/Superman has saved Planet Earth. We can never repay him for his heroism today. Everyone in the newsroom cheered and grabbed their coworkers in a big group hug. All except Lois and Boyle, that is. Lois was waiting for further word on Clark; little did she know, but so was Mark. She continued to fixate on the TV screen for additional news. None was forthcoming.
Mark crept over to Lois' workstation and asked her, "Any mention of where Clark is, right now? Do they have a tracking mechanism on his space suit at all?"
"I'm not sure," she responded. "I'm going to call my source over at STAR LABS right now."
"Bernie Klein?"
"Yes. How did you – oh that's right, I forgot. Our new holding company, Edge Enterprises, is as thick as thieves with STAR LABS. You're not going to get Dr. Klein in your back pocket," she snarled. "He's a good man."
"Lois, believe it or not, so am I," replied Mark with an apparent level of sincerity Lois had not seen from him before. <What a great actor, he must practice that face in front of a mirror.>
"I choose *not*," she replied simply. She dialed Bernie's number and was frustrated to get his voice mail. She left an urgent message for him to call her at the Planet and hung up. Mark was still hovering over her with puppy-dog eyes.
"I can't do my job with you baby-sitting me, Mark. Please – if you're really trying to be empathetic about this situation, the best thing you can do is let me do my job. Throwing myself into my work is my cure-all for everything."
"If only you knew how painful it is for me to see you so concerned for Clark. How I wish it was me that you loved so much," Mark told her in a soft tone of voice that only she could hear. Lois could actually feel some emotion emanating from his words, and for a minute, actually believed that he had feelings for her.
"In any event, back to business," he said loudly in comparison. "Get me that revision, and now that the asteroid's destroyed, update the article as well and get it back to me ASAP."
"Fine."
~~~~~
TBC
