The next test Ching and Zara put Kal-El through left Straker fuming. Ching had assured him there were fail-safes in place and that no one was actually in danger. But the test was onerous in its demands. First assemble a memory disk reader of alien technology, decipher the coded message on the memory disk, then find and dispose of the bomb on a skyscraper?
Straker had a suspicion that Ching didn’t want Kal-El to pass the tests.
The test that followed was even more heart stopping. Apparently Ching had a thing for explosives. Two bombs, linked so that if either was disturbed the other would go off. Only one was set in Metropolis and the other in an upstate rural area. Superman successfully disabled both devices using a beam splitter, but the team sent to check out Zara and Ching’s apartment had found a crushed remote control device.
It took SHADO’s alien technologies unit about ten minutes to determine that the device was the remote switch for the two bombs.
“Are they out of control?” Straker asked Doug Jackson, head of alien psychology section. Jackson was an expert on the various races SHADO had contact with.
“Lieutenant Ching is playing a dangerous game, General,” came the reply in Jackson’s softly accented voice. “I believe he feels he must discredit Kal-El in Zara’s eyes, without destroying the hope that Kal-El will be able to deal with the political issues on New Krypton by ascending to the rulership of the House of El.”
“Ching doesn’t like Kal-El much, does he?” Straker commented.
“I do not believe it’s personal,” Jackson commented. “Or rather, it is nothing Kal-El has done to provoke it. According to my sources, Kal-El is expected to ascend to the position that may well have fallen to Ching, if it were not for the fact that Kal-El is the heir to the colony’s founding house and the political climate at home so dire.”
“What do you think his next test will be?”
“Something unexpected,” Jackson reasoned. “Something to test his morality I should think.”
“Let’s just hope he can do it without blowing anything up.”
-o-o-o-
“How the devil did he do that?” Alec Freeman asked Straker as they watched the surveillance video of Kal-El’s latest test. Ching had created a force shield that emitted radiation on the same frequency as kryptonite. The video had no sound but it was apparent that Ching was taunting Superman from behind the shield while Zara was keeping Lois Lane from acting to help him.
After being driven back once by the pain of the poisonous radiation, Superman seemed to have attempted to reason with Ching. In response, the New Kryptonian raised a weapon to his own head. Zara appeared appalled at Ching’s actions while Lois did her best to escape Zara’s grasp.
Finally, Superman charged through the barrier, knocking the weapon from Ching’s hand before collapsing to the floor. Ching’s expression said it all – he was horrified at what he’d done.
With the force shield deactivated, Zara checked Superman’s condition, then she and Ching made their escape. Lois was left on Clark Kent’s balcony with an unconscious but still breathing Superman.
“Paul and Virginia are already working on duplicating the effect,” Straker said. “It’ll be a nice little addition to our arsenal. I just hope we don’t have to use it.” Straker poured himself another cup of coffee. “I also hope that was the final test. Any more like that and there won’t be anything left of Kal-El to take to New Krypton.”
-o-o-o-
There were no more tests for Kal-El, at least not any tests that Ching was responsible for.
Commander Spainhauer’s crew spotted a small landing craft that was descending on Smallville, Kansas.
“Why Smallville, Kansas?” Spainhauer asked after she informed Straker of the newest development.
“Why not Smallville, Kansas?” Straker responded. Very few people knew of Superman’s connection to Kansas and Straker had every intention of keeping it that way. “Have you identified the craft?”
“We’ve tentatively identified it as Andelon,” Spainhauer told him. “According to the Aurisans Andelon’s dominant sentient life form is humanoid. They are frequently employed as mercenaries and assassins. They are reported to have remarkable powers of mimicry and deception.”
“Commander, who is SHADO’s current U.S. military liaison?”
“A Colonel George Cash over at Camp Pennington,” Spainhauer answered. “Do you want us to get in touch with him?”
“Let him know I’m expecting an alien incursion at either Smallville or Metropolis,” Straker instructed.
“He’ll want more details that that,” Spainhauer reminded him.
“A possible invasion from New Krypton,” Straker told her. “Make sure he understands we’re not referring to Superman.”
“General, you are aware that there are some people, even in SHADO, who believe that Superman could well be the first wave of an invasion force,” Spainhauer said.
“I’m aware of those theories, Commander,” Straker said. “Just remind Cash that at the present time, Superman is under SHADO’s protection. We’ll let him know if the situation changes.”
-o-o-o-
Once again, Ching was standing in Straker’s office standing like a soldier at parade rest. Again he was staring at a point on the wall.
“Lieutenant, we would have appreciated knowing that an Andelon assassin had been hired to come to Earth and murder Kal-El,” Straker grated. “The fact that this planet is home to non-terrestrials is not widely known and I’d prefer to keep it that way.”
“Your people know that Superman is from another planet,” Ching said, stating the obvious.
“One alien does not an invasion make,” Straker stated. “Now, about the Andelon?”
“We were not aware our communications had been compromised by Nor’s people,” Ching stated. “That oversight has been remedied and the assassin has been dealt with.”
“No harm, no foul?” Straker mused aloud. Ching gave him a confused look.
“No harm was done, therefore nothing happened,” Straker explained.
“The assassin was called Tez. He was Nor’s hireling and we believe he was responsible for a number of unexplained deaths on New Krypton. Now he is dead and Kal-El proved himself more adaptable than I had originally anticipated,” Ching admitted.
“Are you telling me that Kal-El killed the assassin?” Straker asked. He knew that Superman – Clark – had always cherished life and abhorred violence, even when it was necessary. Taking a life, even one belonging to an alien assassin, could be devastating to the young hero. It would devastate his parents as well. Straker knew Martha and Jonathan Kent. He knew they were hardworking, honest, life-loving people.
“Andelons will destroy themselves rather than admit defeat,” Ching told him. “Kal-El defeated Tez, but would not finish him. Tez destroyed himself.” Ching sighed. “I admit I misjudged Kal-El’s determination and compassion. But New Krypton is not Earth. We are a pragmatic people, General. We understand family and duty but give lip-service to honor. Principles are something we cannot afford.”
“Principles have no real force except when one is well fed,” Straker quoted. Ching gave him a curious look. “A well known Earth writer named Samuel Clemens,” Straker explained. “I think you might like his work.”
“We don’t have much time or energy for entertainments or frivolity,” Ching told him.
“Pity,” Straker said. “Sometimes that’s the only thing that makes the struggle worthwhile…I’m told that Kal-El’s betrothed will not be allowed to accompany him.”
“You have to understand,” Ching began. “Under Kryptonian law, Kal-El and Zara are bound by a contracted marriage. Legally, they are already married. It merely requires they publicly acknowledge their responsibilities. However, Zara and Kal-El must present a united front against Nor and his followers, at least until Kal-El’s position is secure. Adding a bound concubine to the mix at this juncture would be disastrous.”
“I’ve met Kal-El’s betrothed,” Straker told him with a chuckle. “I’m surprised you survived telling her she had to stay behind.”
“We told her that the environment on New Krypton was too harsh for her to survive there,” Ching told him. “She was not happy, but she accepted the necessity.”
“I’m surprised she did accept it,” Straker told him. “I’m not sure you are aware of how resilient humans are.”
“Old Krypton was not an easy planet, even for Kryptonians. New Krypton was barely habitable as a mining colony,” Ching explained softly. “It has taken all of our strength, our intelligence, our fortitude, to survive at all. I doubt your people could survive there.”
“I think you underestimate us,” Straker told him. “I also think you’ve underestimated both Kal-El and Lois Lane. When do you plan to leave?”
“He insisted on having a news conference to announce his departure. We’ll leave immediately after. It will still take several days to get back.” He sighed. “I for one will be happy to be away from here. It’s loud and messy and crowded. There is no place to be alone with your thoughts.”
-o-o-o-
The press conference was held in the newsroom of the Daily Planet. Superman looked properly heroic in his primary colors standing on the raised area in front to the elevators. Zara and Ching stood back, staying in the background. Straker saw how worn Lois Lane looked. Martha and Jonathan Kent were standing with her.
“…Although I have always loved my life here on Earth and have called it my home, I have another home as well. One that needs me now,” Superman said to the cameras. “But wherever I am, I’ll carry the best of Earth with me… And while I’m gone, I ask each of you to look to yourselves for the strength, decency and compassion that I know each one of you has inside. Emerson said ‘Self-trust is the essence of heroism.’ Inside each of you is a hero. And so, I leave knowing that a world full of heroes has nothing to fear.”
Superman looked solemn as he came down to the newsroom floor to shake hands with the staff. Zara and Ching moved to join him. Straker watched as Zara stepped closer to Lois. “Thank you, sister, for allowing Clark to accompany us. I promise you, I will do all that I can to send him back to you as quickly as possible,” Zara told her.
“Lois,” Perry White was watching the scene in front of him. “What’s going on with Clark?”
“Clark has been invited to travel to New Krypton with us,” Superman explained.
Lois appeared to be fighting back tears. “It was an offer he couldn’t refuse,” she told her boss. “The first journalist to visit another planet.”
“Great shades of Elvis… Doesn’t do us a lot of good if he doesn’t come back with the story,” Perry groused, but it was obvious to all the onlookers that his gruffness was all show. He turned to Superman. “You make sure Kent gets back here in one piece, you hear?”
“I’ll do my best, Mister White,” Superman promised. And with that, he and the two New Kryptonians were gone.
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