[Chapter 5: Feats]The alarms were screaming, having detected the sudden loss of standard orbit a dozen seconds before.
Levi King braced himself against the bulkhead as the station jolted hard to the right, the gyros unsurprisingly failing to counter the craft's abrupt rotation as another set of thrusters fired.
"Commander, we can't turn off the thrusters. Something is preventing our override attempts!" Maurice, the head scientist of Prometheus, cried as the blue orb of Earth on the other side of the window began to grow closer.
"Could we open one of the entry doors and vent a section out to counter the thrusters?!" he asked, willing to try anything at this point. He knew they had little time.
"The vector isn't right, we would still enter the atmosphere. The slight change in angle wouldn't make any difference to us," Maurice said dejectedly.
It would only change the debris field location on Earth.
"Would it allow us to use the escape pods?" he asked.
But he already knew the answer.
Their descent was too rapid. The escape pods could only be used to evacuate in the case of a station fire or strike from orbital debris or micrometeoroid, not if the station was falling from its standard orbit.
"Superman!" someone shouted, pointing to the window.
They all immediately turned their attention to the red and blue figure outside who was completely exposed to the vacuum of space. He didn't even have oxygen!
He approached the main support column nearest the core of the station, no doubt having correctly concluded it was the backbone of the entire structure.
Levi and those with him stared.
Was Superman actually going to try preventing the entire space station from falling out of orbit by pushing it? Sure, he had lifted Messenger into orbit, but the space station was more than fifteen times larger and also had a massive amount of inertia because it was currently going over twenty-two times the speed of sound around the world. There were also the eight thrusters propelling them beyond the point of no return.
Which meant. . . . if Superman pressed on that single point, all of the loads would be concentrated there. Levi stilled as realization settled upon him. Even if Superman was strong enough to physically push them back into orbit, they would likely break apart in the process!
But what else could be done? There was no time.
They watched in frozen fear and hope, torn between knowing his efforts would likely be in vain and the belief that if anyone could save them, it was Superman.
Superman’s hands made contact with the column and he quickly braced himself against it. Heat collected, a red and hazy halo appearing around Superman and the structure's surface as they entered the edge of the atmosphere. Superman strained, his efforts evident in every outline of muscle beneath the thin blue fabric. Metallic groans echoed ominously throughout the structure as their descent visibly slowed and then . . . the radiant glow of heat ebbed away, Superman still pressing against the station and astonishingly moving them back into orbit.
The thrusters turned off and Superman pulled away, visibly fatigued as he hovered just beyond the large, reinforced window they had been watching him through.
His gaze passed over them all, pausing briefly over each of their name and title badges. He then made eye contact with Levi, the highest ranking individual there.
Tapping the side of his head, Superman drifted closer and stopped less than a foot from the glass.
/Apologies if I startle you, Commander, but are you in standard orbit? How is your speed and vector?/ a voice in his mind asked.
Levi jumped, but then remembered Superman could send out thoughts.
“Uh, one moment," he said, feeling a little odd talking to him through the glass but they had just escaped death so experiencing anything was a blessing. "Are you okay?”
/I’ll need to get some air in a few minutes but I’m fine/ Superman answered.
Levi hurried to the control panel and readout screen as he turned to Maurice. “Check our rotation, make sure our gyros are working as they should.”
“Is he . . . thinking to you?” Maurice asked as he began looking at another screen.
“Yes, can you not hear him?”
"No," Maurice said before typing on the keyboard. "Okay, rotation is good. A little slow, but still within our safety parameters."
"Superman, I can open the docking bay and you can come aboard, if you'd like, as we check our systems," he said, turning back to the window halfway through talking.
/If you were talking to me, I can't hear you right now. I can read lips if I can see your face though/ Superman thought to him.
"Oh! Right. Sorry," Levi said before he repeated his suggestion and took the opportunity to really look at Superman just floating in the confines of space with Earth as a backdrop. His cape was listlessly shifting behind him, suspended in weightlessness, while his hair was barely disheveled.
/Alright. Thank you/ Superman said, looking both intrigued and (Levi thought) possibly relieved.
"I'm opening the starboard docking bay now," he said, while deciding this whole hour would definitely be something to tell his grandkids about one day.
Superman nodded, looking in the direction of the bay doors.
The colonists were ecstatic when Superman came aboard, but especially Amy Platt and her mother, who had both been on Messenger, destined for Prometheus, when he had saved it three years prior.
Prometheus was now part of the UN's Space Station and was where most of the medical experiments would be continued.
"Superman!"
Amy Platt, as weightless as the rest of them, floated forward in awe.
"You saved us again!” Amy exclaimed, excited as many others also expressed their gratitude.
Superman smiled and graciously accepted their thanks.
"Would you like a tour?" Mrs. Platt asked.
"I would like that," Superman agreed.
While Levi and his team worked on verifying their orbit was stable, the colonists gleefully showed Superman around. From experiments to the discoveries and progress made, they outlined everything as they went through the station.
"My legs are beginning to work," Amy said, wiggling her feet as they floated along. "In a few months, I'll return to Earth and get used to real gravity again."
"We can imitate gravity here, by going into the rotating section, but it's obviously limited," one of the scientists explained. "Strength wise, her legs are around 30%. So with continued physical therapy back on Earth after her regimen is complete, she'll eventually be able to build that to 100% by the time she's twenty-two."
"Will this treatment be available on Earth soon?" Superman asked.
"It's best received in space, due to the difference of cell growth here, but an Earth trial has been started, it is just much more aggressive so has different risks."
Superman nodded his understanding.
Not too long later, Levi's team and Ground Control confirmed all of the Space Station's systems were sound and its orbit was perfect.
Superman left after a number of happy photos were taken.
The christening of the space station had certainly been memorable.
O o O o O
Lois grinned, falling into the familiar groove of investigating.
Unsurprisingly, Perry wanted to know why a 64 billion dollar space station tried to turn itself into a charcoal briquette so had given her the task to figure out what the heck had happened.
After asking Jimmy to dig into some people involved with the program to cover her bases, she called STARLabs and hoped one of her new contacts would be able to help. Thankfully, they could, and thirty minutes later she was at STARLabs.
“Thank you for seeing me so quickly, Dr. Morrison,” Lois said as the scientist led her into one of the laboratories.
“Oh, it’s no problem at all, Ms. Lane. I’m actually very excited to help you. I love your articles,” Dr. Morrison said.
Dr. Carolyn Morrison had become a researcher at STARLabs two months before and had connected with Lois through the janitor–one of Lois’ many contacts. Carolyn was a particle physicist from MIT and, while young, had already helped with a number of advanced projects. Lois was hopeful that would allow Carolyn to help her with her investigation.
“Thanks,” Lois said, following her to the computer.
“So, seconds before the main thrusters ignited, the station received a very brief, tight beam microwave transmission. It sent in a computer code that overrode the automatic controls and fired the thrusters,” Carolyn said, typing away.
"Do we know where the transmission came from?" Lois asked.
“No, but fortunately we have ways to possibly find out,” she said with a smirk. “Ah ha! It worked. Although brief, the microwave beam left a trail of agitated molecules along its path, a plasma wake, and luckily we didn’t wait too long before checking.”
“So we have a trail or something?” Lois asked, not sure if she was following but hopeful.
"Yes. By using the infrared detectors on some low-orbiting satellites, I’ve backtracked the column of heated molecules to its source,” she said, leaning back. "I’m switching over to the NIA spy satellite, so we’ll have real time photos in a moment."
"The spy satellite?" Lois asks. "You can do that?"
"Shhh, it’s a secret," she said, quite pleased with herself before the screen finished loading. "Here we go! Eastern seaboard, looks like New Troy, there's the river," she said as the image zoomed in, pinpointing the origin of the transmission. "Charlotte Drive. Looks like it came from right here in Metropolis!"
Lois sighed. "Of course, where else would it be? Every villain in the universe seems to operate out of Metropolis. For once I just wish there’d be a villain in Maui, or Aspen, or Monte Carlo," she said wistfully.
Carolyn laughed. “If only.”
“Okay, well, how accurate is this?" she asked.
"Plus or minus six feet," Carolyn answered.
"I'd say that's close enough. Thank you, so much!”
“No problem, just remember to keep my name out of it.”
“Of course,” Lois promised.
O o O o O
Clark entered Lois’ apartment and smiled at the sheets of paper scattered across her coffee table. After making sure the only heartbeat he heard within the apartment was Lois', he spun into his less colorful attire.
"You know, one of these days you're going to have to show me where you put those clothes when you're not wearing them," Lois said, entering the room.
Clark laughed as he sat beside her.
“Well, I’ve made a great deal of progress on the investigation, but now I’m mostly waiting to hear back from some people,” she said, gathering some of the papers to stack.
Clark looked at her with interest.
"Okay, to sum up, I learned the Space Station had been sent a signal and I, through a contact at STARLabs, was able to backtrack it and found the origin–which of course was in Metropolis–" she said, rolling her eyes. "And so I went to the location, a quaint little neighborhood, and found a weird little chip thing in the backyard of a house up for sale. I then brought that back to STARLabs. While I was there, my contact deciphered the computer code sent by this micro-transmitter chip thing and, apparently, if you hadn't been able to save the space station, the main thrusters were programmed to stop and the altitude thrusters would have fired. The Space Station would have saved itself."
"So you mean there was never any real danger?!" Clark asked, astonished and more than a little disturbed.
"Exactly."
"But why program it to put itself in jeopardy, and then rescue itself?" Clark asked.
"That's the 64 billion dollar question," Lois said.
"It's as if . . ." Clark said with a frown. "As if it was a test."
Lois nodded grimly. "That was my thought. Anyway, when I was at that house, I met this real estate guy named Dave Miller who said he was representing some buyers. No big deal, right? Well, I called the real estate place he supposedly worked at and, guess what, no Dave Miller."
"Weird," Clark said.
"Yeah. So I called Detective Koromodo to see if he could find any mug shots on guys who might run real estate scams or be experts in microwave technology," she said.
Clark laughed. “I bet he loved that.”
“He thought it was strange, but he knows me enough not to question things too much,” she said with a shrug.
“I’ll bet,” Clark agreed before growing thoughtful.
“What?” Lois asked.
“Do you have a paper and pencil?” Clark asked.
“Of course,” she said, getting up and quickly retrieving a notepad and pencil for him.
“Do you think you could describe him well enough to me?” he asked.
Lois blinked. “You’re kidding. You can sketch?” she asked.
“Fairly well. It’s been useful when I’ve spotted a glimpse of a person I couldn’t immediately get to for whatever reason,” he said with a shrug.
“Okay!” she said, sitting back down.
“So, start with a general description comparing his features to mine. It’s easier for me to draw then,” he said, lifting his pencil.
Lois nodded and started describing ‘Dave Miller’, starting with the overall shape of his face. Before too long, Clark was adding details and making touch-up after touch-up as Lois continued to describe.
“How is this? Is this him?” he asked.
“Oh my gosh! Yes! That’s amazing!” Lois exclaimed, very impressed.
“Thanks,” Clark said, a little embarrassed but pleased by the praise.
"Is there nothing you can't do?" she asked teasingly.
"Well, actually I wasn't always able to draw. Drawing is one of the few things I had to really practice at, outside of controlling my powers anyway," he admitted. "Before I learned, I could only do stick figures and rudimentary faces. Drawing was very hard at first."
Lois smiled tenderly at him, knowing how having this in common with the rest of the majority of humanity was special to him.
"Well, all that practicing definitely paid off," she said.
"Thanks, although I could always use more practice. Maybe I could draw you some time?" he offered.
"Oh, so I would need to pose for you?" she asked, suggestively.
His cheeks pinked, but he responded without pause. "I already have your facial features memorized, so if you just want a standard portrait, I wouldn't need much help there."
"What about a full body?" she asked, smirking.
"Before or after we're married?" he asked, redder than before.
She laughed. "I'll stop torturing you," she said.
"I wasn't complaining," he said, grinning before kissing her and wrapping his aura around her like a cocoon.
The sketch of Dave Miller was quickly forgotten.
O o O o O
Joseph beamed as his mother reached back and gave him his bag of snacks she had just gotten from the gas station. They were on their way back home from visiting his grandparents and he knew his dad was eagerly waiting for them.
She turned back around and was about to start the car when a figure appeared on the other side of her door and flung it open.
The next few seconds passed before he could fully process them, but they would be ingrained in his mind forever.
His mother screamed as the man yanked her out of the car by her hair before slamming something silver into her side. A sound he had never heard before came out of his mom as the giant man dropped her.
“My son!” she shrieked, her voice as panicked as his soul as she tried to get up. “Please! Let him out! Take the car, but let him go!”
The man snarled and turned toward her, rearing his fist back. Joseph gasped when he saw that his fist was clenched around a large knife that was already marred red. Time slowed.
There was a loud thunderous boom as a massive form of red and blue appeared over his mom in front of the blade.
Joseph’s fear morphed into joyful relief.
Superman!
Superman grabbed the man as the now crushed knife clanged onto the pavement. Joseph would later swear Superman’s eyes were glowing red. He looked so mad! In a blur, Superman suddenly appeared beside a stop sign and bent it like a rope around the man before reappearing beside his mom again.
“Ma’am!” Superman called, kneeling beside her.
Joseph clamored out of the car.
“Mom!”
He froze as he saw red spreading out from her side. He had never seen any injury bleed so much!
“Superman,” she gasped, relieved.
“What’s your name?” Superman asked her.
“Martha,” she answered. “Martha Tyler. Where’s–Joseph!” She spotted him.
“Mom! You’re bleeding!” he cried, hurrying to her other side, opposite from Superman.
“We need to get you to the hospital,” Superman stated firmly, immediately placing his arms under her.
Joseph could hear people approaching, but he didn’t bother to look. His eyes were on Superman and his mom.
“Come on, son, let Superman help your mom,” a voice said behind him. “We’ll wait for the police in the store.”
Joseph felt as if he couldn’t breathe. What if he never saw his mom again? She was so pale.
“Joseph,” Superman said, wrenching him from his thoughts. “Get on my back and hold on.”
Joseph didn’t need to be told twice. He dashed around and jumped on, wrapping his legs around the hero’s waist and hugging his neck and shoulders with his thin arms, never minding the cape now rumpled against him.
They moved fast, and he held on as tightly as he could, but he felt no pull from the abrupt movement. It was almost like riding piggyback with his dad, only in the sky. Everything around them was a blur, until it wasn’t.
They appeared just outside of a hospital, and he didn’t move to get down as Superman continued forward.
Doctors and nurses were suddenly there with a stretcher, and Superman gently lowered Martha upon it. Joseph peered over Superman's shoulder down to his mom.
The blood was even more pronounced against her pale white skin and light blue blouse than before.
"She needs to go into surgery immediately. There's a severed artery. My finger is on it, I'm keeping it closed," Superman said, sliding his right arm out from under her legs while keeping his other around her back and side as the nurses moved.
People were talking quickly and placing things on his mother, blocking his view of the wound as his mother answered their questions the best she could.
"My husband is at home," she said before she looked up over Superman's shoulder and met Joseph's eyes. "I'll be okay, sweetheart," she said, reaching out her hand.
He took it and tried not to cry.
"Be good, okay? We'll be home before you know it," she promised.
"Okay, mom," he said.
"Alright, got it," someone said, and Superman eased them back after helping his mom lay fully on the bed.
They wheeled his mom away and Superman let him stay as he was until she disappeared behind the double doors.
Carefully, he helped Joseph slide off his back with his right hand, keeping his other hand away – the hand that was covered in blood.
Superman knelt in front of him and touched his arm with his clean hand.
"They'll take good care of her," he said.
"Superman?" a voice asked.
They turned and found a police officer.
O o O o O
Mayson skimmed over the police report, once again approving of its thoroughness coupled with its impressive brevity.
“Thank you, Kal," she said, putting it aside. "Like most other cases, I doubt you'll be called to give testimony at the trial, but I'll make sure Justice Stewart knows you are available if needed."
"I understand. Is Mrs. Tyler and her son alright?" he asked.
"Yes. She just got out of surgery and, as far as I know, is in recovery. The boy is with his father," she said, watching Superman's shoulders ease at her words.
“We have plenty of eyewitnesses, so, unless he wishes, Joseph won’t need to testify,” Mayson added.
“That’s good,” Kal said quietly.
Mayson inwardly frowned, never having seen this side of Kal before. He seemed . . . detached almost. No, that wasn’t quite right.
“Are you . . . okay?” she asked. She felt strange asking, but the thought of allowing him to leave without trying to make sure he was alright felt wrong.
“My mom was mugged once,” he finally said, not looking at her.
Mayson stilled.
“I was about Joseph’s age. It was nowhere near as bad as what happened today, but. . . .” He didn’t continue.
“You saw yourself in him,” Mayson supplied.
“Yeah,” he admitted.
"Did they catch the guy?" Mayson asked.
"Eventually, but not before he hurt someone else. While my mom had suffered a black eye, the other woman was in the hospital for weeks," he said.
Mayson watched him silently for a long moment, wondering if he was talking about his birth mother or the human woman who had adopted him, but did it matter? She told herself she didn't particularly care how long he had been on Earth before becoming Superman. After all, it wasn't any of her business.
She made herself shift back to the present. "Did you use your heat vision on the knife today?" she asked.
"No. I'm afraid if I had I might not have stopped there," he stated frankly before he looked up at her. "Why?"
"Some eyewitnesses stated your eyes had glowed red before you . . . wrapped the perp in the stop sign."
She didn't like that he had damaged public property, but compared to even Metropolis' own police department, he damaged less public property each year than them. Besides, it wasn't like the city wouldn't be reimbursed by the Foundation. She also didn't blame him. She knew many officers who might not have been able to restrain themselves from actually harming the creep.
"Sorry, that sometimes happens when I'm angry," he said apologetically.
“No need to apologize,” she said, a little surprised he seemed to care what she thought. An uncertain quiet rose between them. “Kal, I know I haven't always . . ." she trailed off, suddenly unsure of what exactly she wanted to say. "I mean, I had some reservations about, well, you, in the beginning, but I don't have any now."
He looked a little surprised but also touched.
"Thanks. I really appreciate that. I–" Kal began, but stopped as Henderson suddenly rushed into the room without so much as a knock.
"I'm sorry, but we just received a bomb threat! Front of the Metropolis Museum of Natural History. It's supposedly in a backpack by the lions!" he declared.
Superman shot out of there faster than Mayson could blink.
O o O o O
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