Here we go! This is the fun part! For those that may not know, the original reason for the existence of Luck and Consequences was primarily to provide a forum to present the KE theory of powers. There are several major sections of the story that are little more than Bernie “science lectures” as to why Superman has powers and how they could be transferred by lightening or red kryptonite lasers. Since this is an LaC story, there had to be a Superman science section. You might wish to think of this section as sort of a Superman science intermission.

The idea for this section came from some exchanges I had here ( 100 Meters comments ) with IolantheAlias.

--------------------------------------------------

The Return of Ultra Woman

Chapter 6

Bernie is having dinner at our house this evening. He’s actually very pleasant company but, as is often the case, his presence has an ulterior motive. The real reason for this visit tonight is to bring an update on the state of my abilities and go over the plan for continued testing. We've just adjourned to the living room and it's time to get down to the business that has brought him here tonight. Ever since the first time he came over when we sprang the secret of Clark's identity on him, we’ve made a rule of no shop-talk before dinner.

Since this is about me, I get things started. “Bernie, from what you said on the phone, I guess you have some information on my abilities. Based on how relaxed you are, is it fair to say you haven’t found anything wrong?”

“You're right Lois. Although when I first worked up the numbers from the tests, I was so worried that I almost called you."

“What do you mean?”

“There was a small but measurable decrease in the strength of your biofield. When I first saw it... well, it alarmed me. I almost called to warn you against using the powers until I could figure out what was going on.”

Clark is on the edge of his seat and just has to say something. “Since you didn't call, I guess it turned out to be all right?”

“Fortunately, I remained composed enough to wait before calling. I went ahead and finished the blood work up. I found the KE concentration to be the same in that sample as it had been in the previous one. Since I expect there to be a direct correlation between the KE concentration and the intensity of your Kryptonian biofield, I figured there had to be something else going on. I reviewed the tests once more and verified that the numbers were correct. The decrease in field strength was very small but measurable. Then it hit me... You'll never guess what it was.” Bernie pauses like he's actually expecting us to have the answer. He really should be a teacher.

“Allergies?” I offer, mostly to give him an excuse to move on.

He chuckles at this. “No. Think about it, when did I take the last scan?”

Clark answers. “It was in the evening.”

“Yes!” he exclaims. Bernie can be very excitable. “And how did you get to the labs that evening?”

My turn. “We flew.”

“Don't you see? You were using the powers at night. The previous scan was done during the day. The difference was due to your use of your abilities without the sun to instantly replenish your energy reserves. I went back and reviewed some of the scans I've taken of Clark and found essentially the same variance in his biofield as well. Anyway, it turned out to be a false alarm. I do have a new list of tests that I'd love to run some time to track energy depletion from use of the powers at night.”

“Maybe some other time,” I reply. “But for now are you telling me there’s no point in running any tests?”

“No Lois, not at all. Of course, based on the evidence we have, I don't think you have anything to worry about. However, I understand you want to be extra careful. I have a full set of tests that I'd like to run. Based on this discovery, I believe we should make a point to collect the data under as similar conditions as possible. Since the first one was at night, we should to continue to take data at about the same time in the same way. I'd like to get biofield scans at twice a week and a blood sample once a week for at least three more weeks.”

He’s looking at me expectantly. “Do we have to do the blood samples?” I feel like a little kid, but I hate needles.

His expression is sympathetic but I can tell he's not going to budge on this. “I'm afraid so. It's the only way I can track the KE concentration. That element is crucial. I promise that after the third sample, unless we find something wrong, we'll reduce the blood samples to no more than one per month.”

“I hate needles.” I say softly. “But, okay.”

“I have a few more tests in mind, but the biofield scans and the blood samples are the core of what we'll be doing. Can you come to the lab tomorrow evening?”

I look over at Clark and he gives me one of those “whatever you want to do” looks that husbands have given their wives since the dawn of time. “Tomorrow will be fine,” I reply.

“Great,” he says. His smile is entirely too big. Of course it's great since he’s not the one getting stuck with a Kryptonite needle.

I think Clark is in a hurry to get my mind off the needle. “So, Bernie, was there anything else relating to Lois or the powers that you wanted to talk about tonight?”

Bernie replies with an air of nervousness. “Actually, there is. Thanks to all the information I’ve been able to gather over the past year or so, since you’ve given me more access to you both, I’ve made a huge breakthrough in understanding how some of the powers work. I’d like your permission to publish some of the results.”

Now Clark looks excited. “What have you found?”

“It all goes back to the first thing you did as Superman. You know, when you lifted the space transport into orbit.”

My turn to smile. “We’re unlikely to forget that day.”

“Yes. Anyway, that particular feat has always bothered me. I could never quite come to grips as to how you lifted it. You see, if it was just about strength, you couldn’t have lifted the space transport.”

“Bernie, I’m not sure I'm following you. I’m *very* strong.”

“But Clark, there are two other factors. First, no matter how strong your body is, there is the issue of lifting force. You might be strong enough to bench-press a million tons but when you fly, the lifting force needs to come from somewhere other than the strength of your body. The space transport weighed well over 100 tons. That’s an enormous amount of lift that had to be generated. And there is a second problem. I’ve watched the film of when you lifted it into orbit. Clark, to put it bluntly, you grabbed it in the wrong place.”

Clark looks pained now. “Bernie, please get to the point.”

“Clark, the space transport was intended to be lifted in only one way. The mechanical structure was designed to be able to support its mass only if it were lifted at certain strong points. It had to be designed that way to keep the weight as low as possible. You just grabbed it on a convenient surface. It should have collapsed from the mechanical stress as soon as you attempted to lift it.”

“You know that didn’t happen. I’ve carried lots of things without having them collapse.”

“But that’s exactly it. That should happen all the time when you move or carry very heavy objects, but it doesn’t.”

“So, you think you know why?”

“Have either of you ever heard of a Higgs boson or a Higgs field?”

I’m staring blankly but Clark comes up with something. “Isn’t it some kind of subatomic particle?”

“Yes. It’s never been observed but it’s generally believed to exist. Trying to find it is one of the reasons they’re building the giant LHC collider at CERN in Europe. Higgs interactions are the difference between particles that have mass and those that don’t.”

Clark and I have learned it’s generally a good idea to let Bernie keep on going at times like this. We may not understand most of it but there is often something in there that will be important later. “I’m not sure I’m following you,” I say.

“How about this? Think of a photon and an electron. One is a packet of light energy. The other is a piece of matter. The photon is has a mass of zero and the electron has mass. But at the quantum level, they are both fundamentally packets of energy. The difference... The *big* difference between them, is that the electron has a Higgs interaction and the photon doesn’t. Everything we call matter is only like that because of a Higgs interaction at the subatomic level. A stronger Higgs interaction results in the particle having a greater mass. If there was some way to reduce the Higgs interaction of matter, you would effectively reduce the mass.”

“So you think that’s what I did with the space transport?”

“Yes, but there’s more. I believe that’s what you do whenever you use many of your powers. Think about when you move something at super speed. I’m sure you’ve taken some physics. Did you ever think to calculate the acceleration induced g-forces involved whenever you move yourself or anything else at super speed?”

Now Clark looks embarrassed. “Bernie, I was Journalism major. I didn’t take much physics.”

“Oh. Well, when I started considering this family of problems, it was one of the first things I did. Based on the measurements we’ve taken relating to the way you move at super speed, the forces involved are staggering. I can assure you that every person you have ever moved at super speed should have been killed instantly from the g-force shock. But, as with the lifting, that hasn’t happened. The only explanation I could find seemed to be that your Kryptonian biofield has the ability to alter Higgs interactions and thereby reduce mass and inertia substantially. So, when you lifted the space transport, as long as you are holding it and extending your biofield, the mass wasn’t a hundred tons, it was probably substantially less than a ton. And when you move at super speed I suspect your mass, and that of whatever you’re holding, is damped almost down to zero.”

Clark seems to be following this better than I am so I’m happy to let him ask the questions. “I think I follow all this, but if you just want to publish a theory of how my powers work, I don’t think you need my permission.”

“Clark, it’s more than a theory. I’ve found evidence indicating that Higgs dampening is happening. Your biofield seems to have the ability to interact with all the fundamental forces. I believe your ability to fly is a complex interaction of mass neutralization and the ability to manipulate gravitational and electromagnetic fields. I have data from tests on your biofield showing some of the effects of the process. I’d like your permission to release some of the data.”

Something isn't quite right. “Bernie, you seem awfully nervous about this. What is it about publishing this information that’s making you so jumpy?”

He looks almost relieved to have the question asked. “If I publish my findings, it will open up multiple paths of research relating to Higgs dampening. If the research pans out, it would lead to devices that are almost limitless in their potential.”

“I believe you,” Clark says. “From the way you are acting, there must be a down side to releasing the information.”

“There is,” Bernie replies gravely. “Understanding these forces could lead to machines that could neutralize your abilities. If those were to get into the wrong hands...”

“If you publish your research, were you planning to include information linking the powers to the KEs in our blood?”

“No. That information isn't necessary. The existence of KEs is the one piece of information I treat as the most secret of all. I haven't shared it with anyone and I don't think you should either. For this publication, my expectation was to simply describe that you have the ability to affect Higgs interactions. Consequently, I would be describing the biofield but not it's source.”

I can see Clark wants to help, but he also having flashbacks to Jonathan's “they'll dissect you like a frog” warning. Finally he asks, “Is there any way to do this Higgs dampening without my or Lois's help?”

“No.”

“With this information, how long is it likely to be before anyone invents a device capable of affecting a Higgs particle?”

“You mean besides using KEs?”

“Yes. If they don't have the KEs, how close are we?”

“Clark, remember when I mentioned CERN earlier? That is the smallest, least expensive device that anyone on this planet has come up with to even try to detect a Higgs particle. It will consist of 20 miles of superconducting magnets and is going to cost billions of dollars to build. Even if this information stirred up a new interest in Higgs research, I don't see that much will be accomplished within the next fifty years.”

“Fifty years!” I exclaim.

“At the earliest.” Bernie deadpans. “Like I said, we aren't even sure of how to discover them yet.”

This is a complicated subject. It sounds like this could be very important information and I'd love to help Bernie but I don't want to put my family at risk. This is just too big a decision to make quickly. “I'd feel more comfortable if you could give us some time to think this over. We'd like to help and I think I can understand how and why this could be important, but we need to consider the long term risk to our family.”

I notice Clark nodding in agreement as Bernie responds. “I completely understand. I'm not even close to having anything ready to publish. I guess I should have made myself clearer that I didn't expect an answer tonight, I just wanted you to think about it. If you think you would agree to any kind of publication, I would expect that we would then first review the material together. I would only release what you felt comfortable being included.”

Now Clark looks more relaxed. “Thanks. Lois and I will talk about this, figure out what we want to do and then let you know.”

Now Bernie's smile doesn't look so nervous. “Whatever you decide will be fine. Really! I wouldn't put the two of you and Lara at risk for anything.”

It seems like we are about done for the evening. “Was there anything else in particular you wanted to talk about tonight?”

Bernie takes a second to think before a huge smile lights up his face. He glances in Clark’s direction then looks back at me. “Lois, I understand that Ultra Woman is going to have a new look?”

I guess it’s a good thing I’ve been practicing my control of the heat vision or Clark’s tie would have scorch marks to go along with the loud colors.

TBC

Bob