16
Boyle finished his third whisky on the rocks and looked towards the entrance door *again*. Dammit, Deter was 20 minutes late! Flagging down one of the scantily clad servers, he asked her if she knew who Dr. Maxwell Deter was.
The cocktail waitress, a young blonde of about 22, nearly gushed as she spoke of the good-looking doctor:
"Yes, I do. He's a regular here. Comes here after he gets done with his patients. Likes to talk, after listening to people's problems all day."
"So he's not here right now? I'm looking for him," Boyle asserted. "Can you let me know when he arrives?"
"Sure can. What's your name?"
"Boyle. Mark Boyle. And yours?"
"Tina. Tina Walters. I'm just working here part-time so I can finish my degree in journalism at Metropolis University."
Boyle took one of his Daily Planet business cards out of the inner pocket of his suit jacket. He then opened his wallet, removing a five-dollar bill. Folding the currency over the business card, he tucked it strategically under the spaghetti strap of her bustier. "Nice to meet you, Tina. Whenever you want to get out of this Godforsaken dive, come see me at the Daily Planet. You're wasting your considerable talents here," he said, openly flirting. "I'd like to experience some of your work," he continued, winking at her. "Call me."
Tina's eyes widened with appreciation, and on impulse, she gave the sexy Brit a kiss on the forehead. "You're very sweet; thanks, Mr. Boyle. I'm sure I'll take you up on your offer sometime. Oh, and by the way, there's Maxwell now."
Deter was looking around for a Clark Kent wannabe. Spotting Tina, one of his favorite waitresses, he realized that the man she was chatting with rather enthusiastically had to be Mark Boyle. <Dark hair, glasses, easy smile, seems to be a "babe magnet" – that must be him>, he thought. <He *does* look just like Kent, but a bit older, and hopefully, with no superpowers.>
Striding over to the bar, Deter introduced himself to Boyle. After ordering his usual, a martini, extra dry with an olive and a splash of Vermouth, the two men got down to business.
"So, you said you have further instructions on the Lane case?" Deter began.
"Yes. I understand you're going to try hypnosis on her tomorrow morning."
"That's right. I'm trying to uncover repressed memories from her stay in the Congo. She seems to be *too* stable and well adjusted for someone who allegedly spent ten years in a refugee camp. Thorul seems to think there's more to it than that. After all, there's no proof she was actually there for the last ten years. It's her word against no one's."
"You think she was actually somewhere else? Not in a refugee camp?"
"Think about it, Boyle. All the other women in those camps were raped – and she's unscathed? There's a missing link. I don't even know if she's aware of the missing piece. She may have subconsciously buried it in order to survive over there."
"Interesting, very interesting," remarked Boyle. "How about using the power of suggestion, while you have her hypnotized?"
"What are you getting at? Ah, I know. Thorul told me that one of his employees has it bad for her. It must be you. Well, I can't blame you. She is very beautiful. Too bad she's married."
"Haven't you heard the latest news? Her husband, the big Boy Scout, won't be home for a while. It turns out that current atmospheric conditions are not hospitable to him right now. We have bought ourselves some time here."
"What are you suggesting I do? Make her fall in love with you? Hell, if I could do that, I'd make her fall in love with *me*," Deter said sarcastically. "I'm already breaking all the ethical vows I made – I may as well get something out of this," he joked. "I wouldn't mind a roll in the hay with her myself."
Boyle stared him down. "All I want to know is, it is possible to suggest to someone that they fall out of love with someone, say Clark Kent, and fall *in* love with a different person, like *me* for example? Is that feasible?"
"Usually you can't make a person do something they don't want to do. You can release their inhibitions, but you can't make them defy their inner intuitiveness and feelings."
"Say it in bloody English, Deter. Yes or no?"
"If Lois Lane is attracted to you, then yes, I could probably make her fall in love with you. In other words, *if* she is denying her feelings for you because she's married and feels that they are inappropriate, then you might have a shot with her. I can't make her fall out of love with her husband; however, I could *possibly* make her forget that she knows him, since he's been in her life for all of two weeks. When he comes home, I'm sure just the sight of him would bring all the memories, and therefore, the feelings would come back spontaneously."
"Is that what they teach you in medical school? How to talk out of both sides of your *** ?" Boyle remarked with dripping sarcasm. "I *told* you, forget about Kent coming home right away. Let's assume she *is* attracted to me. I *do* look like her husband, after all. You could give her a hypnotic suggestion to give in to her repressed feelings for me and be open to my advances?"
"In theory, yes. But that's not part of the contract I signed with Thorul."
"I'll match whatever he's paying you. Can you start tomorrow?"
"Well, it's going to be a lot longer session that I had bargained for."
"Yes or no, Deter?"
"Yes, of course. It'll be quite a challenge."
~~~~~
Bernie Klein made it to the EPRAD building around 9:00 p.m. He had phoned Dr. Daitch and asked him to meet him in the observatory. He was pleased to see that he was timely as well.
"Bernie! What's this all about?" Daitch asked.
"I think I might have a cure for Clark so he can come home!" Klein exclaimed. "Problem is - I need to ask him some questions to see if I'm on the right track. How can we arrange a live communication with the ISS?"
"Perhaps I can call NASA and we can arrange a videoconference," Daitch suggested. "Let me make some calls; I'll be right back."
Twenty minutes later, Daitch returned, half-smiling, half-frowning. "You owe me one big time, Klein. What a bunch of red tape and bureaucratic baloney that was!"
"I take it they finally agreed to it?"
"Yes, yes! Let's go, we have to go downstairs to our conference room to arrange the feed."
~~~~~
Clark woke up unexpectedly when Uri shook his shoulder and told him that his old friend Dr. Klein was arranging a videoconference so he could ask him some Kryptonite-related questions. Clark, disoriented for a moment, was startled to see planet Earth looming blue-white and large in his view. <I knew it was too good to be true that Lois and I were back together. "Honey, I miss you so much!">
<"Sweets, I miss you too. Please come home to me soon. I love you.">
<Huh? Did Lois just communicate with me? "Lois, honey, is that you?">
~~~~~
Lois woke up, hearing Clark's thoughts in her head so clearly that she knew she couldn't just be having a blissful dream. She could swear that she subconsciously answered him back as well. She squinted at the clock, and realized that it was only 9:50 p.m. So unlike her to be so upset with things that she went right to bed after she got out of work! Well, everybody is entitled to *one* bad day, she supposed, cutting herself some slack for a change.
<"Lois honey - are you there? I could have sworn I heard you in my head. Please let me know if you're really there.">
<Omigod – it *was* Clark! "Sweets, oh sweets, it *is* you! I wasn't just dreaming. Thank God, thank God. I tried reaching you before, and ... nothing. Are you up in the space station?">
It dawned on Clark that the lead-lined suit had blocked their telepathic communication somehow – now, he wasn't wearing it. Well, that was certainly a plus...if he *had* to be up there, at least they could "talk" again.
<"Yes... Lois, go to EPRAD right now! Bernie and Dr. Daitch are arranging some type of videoconference... I have to go, but if you get there in time, at least we can see each other until I can safely return home to you.">
<"Ok, I'll get dressed and head down there right now. Tell them I'm on my way!">
Clark was smiling from ear to ear. He needed Lois so much that without the telepathy to keep them connected, he'd felt like a lost soul. Now, they were together again – in spirit now, but hopefully soon, physically, as well.
Clark sat in front of the communications monitor, with a camera focused on him, and waited for the feed to commence. His space mates couldn't help but notice Superman's change of mood. From the somewhat sullen, withdrawn hero that had unexpectedly arrived at their space-door, he was now wearing an enthusiastic, upbeat expression on his face.
The screen flickered several times; then suddenly two views appeared, like a picture –in-a picture; one of several NASA personnel, and one with Bernie and Dr. Daitch.
"Clark? Can you hear us? It's Major Nelson at NASA. Over."
"Loud and clear, Major Nelson. I see you as well," responded Clark.
"Clark? It's Bernie Klein and Fred Daitch. Over."
"Copy, Bernie and Fred. It's great to see – and hear - you guys. Over."
There was a slight delay between the voice and the video transmission, but all things considered, it was amazingly clear, and made Clark feel as if home wasn't all that far away after all.
Bernie, who had initiated the videoconference, got right to the point.
"Clark, I've been doing some research on the Kryptonite particle dust that got into the atmosphere when Nightfall exploded. I also reviewed the previous tests we conducted trying to find an antidote for Kryptonite poisoning. I need to ask you some very specific questions to help me help you. Over."
"Copy. Fire away, Bernie. Pick my brain. Just get me home to Lois and my folks! Over."
"Copy. That's why we're here tonight, Clark. Okay, please describe your exact symptoms for me when you encounter Kryptonite. Over."
"Copy. At first, I feel weak and I start to sweat, like the onset of a fever. I get very dizzy also and feel chest pains. Then, several minutes later, my abilities disappear – and, depending how long I'm exposed to it, sometimes they don't come back for several days. I've also noticed that my skin starts to turn color – almost as if I have hepatitis – you know, how victims of hepatitis B get that jaundiced, yellowish tint to their skin. Over."
"Copy. Interesting, Clark. So the radiation may be affecting your liver somehow? Over."
"Copy. Could be. I do have some additional information I've been meaning to share with you, Bernie. Last weekend, I visited another world – a parallel earth - <God, I *really* didn't want to get into this bizarre story with all these witnesses around – oh well!> that had been taken over previously by rogue Kryptonians. They had apparently discovered a cure for Kryptonite. Over."
"Copy. What was it, Clark? Over."
"Copy. Intense exposure to red sun radiation in a room lined with lead, to eclipse the solar power of our yellow sun, coupled with a Kryptonite vaccination. Over."
"Copy. Fascinating. So under the red sun – which probably warmed your home planet, Krypton, your invulnerability disappears and enables a needle to piece your skin – which is similar to what we did when you went to the Congo – we exposed you briefly to Kryptonite, making your abilities disappear long enough for me to administer the Yellow Fever vaccine. That is truly intriguing. How do we re-create red sun radiation? Major Nelson – NASA – any ideas? Over."
"Copy, Bernie," interjected Major Nelson. "A red star is one that is very mature and not burning as hot as our yellow star, the Sun, for example. You all know that. A blue star is the hottest – once it turns red, it's on the last stages of its considerably long life cycle. Studies have shown that 'red giants', as they are called, have stopped burning hydrogen - the core of the star has collapsed and become extremely dense. The high density causes the outer envelope to expand – thus the term 'red giant'. At that point, the star begins burning helium, converting it into carbon and other gases. If and when our sun exhausts its supply of hydrogen and become a red star, the earth will perish in a fiery death. The sun's outer envelope will then extend out as far as Jupiter. Clark, that's probably what happened to Krypton. The star's core became unstable, consuming your planet. Over."
"Copy, Major Nelson," said Bernie. "So a red star utilizes helium as its power source, not hydrogen? One could conclude, then, that Clark somehow absorbs the hydrogen in the sun's energy in his cells, literally turning him into a super-human, but under the helium-burning energy of a red sun, he'd be like an ordinary earthling. Over."
Clark was amazed by all of this. He had years ago theorized that the yellow sun's energy transformed him into a super-human, but to hear respected scientists agree with him was thrilling. How scary it must have been for the people of Krypton, watching their sun expand and eventually consume the planet. How grateful he was that his parents loved him enough to send him to this wonderful planet Earth!
"Copy. Continuing along with this line of thought, Bernie," said Major Nelson, "there must be something in Kryptonite that mimics the effects the red sun radiation has on Kryptonians, yet takes it a step further, making it harmful to them. The meteor rocks we call Kryptonite are remnants of planet Krypton, fused with components of their red sun, as it consumed the planet, ultimately making it explode. Apparently the high level of helium that must radiate from Kryptonite is harmful to Kryptonians; somehow it affects their livers, or whatever organ you have similar to that Clark, making their body processes shut down. First it negates the positive effects of the yellow sun, then it begins to kill you. Over."
Clark felt compelled to tell them more of the alt-world story. "Copy, gentlemen. Can I add some additional information to this story? Over."
"Copy, Clark. Of course. Over."
"Copy. The majority of the Kryptonians that took the vaccine ended up dying within twenty- four months, and the remainder permanently lost their super-powers and were reduced to living their lives as ordinary earthlings. Over."
Lois Lane picked that moment to burst into the conference room.
~~~~~
TBC
