A/N Credit goes to Bryce Zabel on this chapter. Any mistakes and confusion are my own.
Previously:
Rita sipped her now cool tea silently after Clark finished. “Wow. And it that was what gave Pete the idea for you to go public? To deflect this asteroid?”
“Yes,” he nodded.
“And if that isn’t enough pressure, he has alien hunters after him,” Lois added acerbically.
Eyebrows rising, Rita asked, “Alien hunters?”
At Clark’s nod of assent, Lois took on the job of summarizing the activities of George Thompson and his group.
“So early today I took the spaceship and brought it here to the Farm and put it in the old root cellar beside the barn and built a new entrance to it. I fixed up the barn. That’s was all the lights you probably noticed earlier,” Clark concluded their story.
Rita sat back and shook her head, “Wow, you two have been busy little beavers!”
Then she watched both Lois and Clark go perfectly still, sliding their eyes toward each other and blushing. Seeing each other blush, they erupted into smiles and laughter. They had just confirmed what she thought.Chapter 11. The Asteroid ComethMonday came too early for Lois Lane. She felt displaced in space and time from her trip to Kansas with Clark. Why this was, she was not certain, but it might be due to the overload of information about Clark’s origins, the reaction of his ‘spaceinnette’ to her touch, their mutually enjoyable personal experience, the meeting with his sister who made his Suits, and the impending arrival of the Nightfall asteroid that might soon obliterate the Eastern Seaboard if ‘her’ Clark didn’t go up and take care of it. Her Clark. The very thought of the possessive attached to his name helped to ground her emotions somewhat and calm her.
Relationship-wise, things were great. External forces-wise, they were not so great.
Suddenly Perry burst out of his office. “Lois, where’s Clark?”
“Coming soon, Perry.”
“In my office, Lois.”
Lois followed an agitated Perry back into his office. “What’s up, Perry?”
Dropping his voice even though the door was shut, Perry asked, ”Is he at his other office?”
“He didn’t say he would be, but there was some field work he needed to take care of before coming in today he did say.”
“We just got notice from EPRAD about a press conference at 10 a.m. They specifically asked for Clark. Why, I don’t know.”
“Well, I’ve got an idea why, but it’s a story I’m working on with Clark and we’re not ready to write anything yet. We’ll let you know when things begin to shape up.”
“Can you give me a hint?”
“Well, let’s just say it’s earthshaking news.”
Perry just stared at her. Was that a bit of a smirk on her face? With that, Lois turned and left his office.
*+*+*+*+*+*+
A frustrated Clark emerged from the elevator at 9:30 a.m. and made his way to his desk, noticing immediately that Lois was not at hers.
Things had not gone as he hoped at the Bureau. Clark was tracking down the mysterious George Thompson and the “3” “9” group and was meeting roadblocks at every turn. As he expected, the serial numbers had been removed from the weapons in the Bessolo Blvd. warehouse.
With a sigh, Clark began to sit in his chair when Ralph approached him in an officious manner. “So Clark, what’s it like being able to come in at all hours and still get paid? Is this job like a vacation to you?”
An expression of incredulity on his face, Clark sat in his chair and leaned back. “Hey, Ralph, I’m out getting information. You ought to try it sometime. It’s called newsgathering and investigating. Lois and I get the best stories because we do the leg work.” ‘Not only that,’ he thought to himself, ‘I’m working three jobs. You ought to try *that* before you criticize.’
Undeterred by Clark’s demeanor, Ralph continued, “No, it’s because you and Lois are Perry’s tame pets.”
Somehow at that moment, it all became too much for Clark. He was usually pretty unflappable around Mr. Clueless, but not today and not at this moment. Without thinking, he burst out in a dangerously calm voice, “Ralph, I swear if the world ended tomorrow, I might not save you.”
Coming to her desk from the restroom, Lois heard his last words and was very much surprised. This didn’t sound like Clark at all. She said to Ralph in a tone of shooing away an annoying dog, “Go away, Ralph and take your attitude with you. Clark and I are going out on a story.”
Turning to Clark and pointedly turning away from Ralph, she announced to Clark. “Up and at ‘em Clark. We have a press conference at 10.”
Ralph scuttled off and Clark silently followed Lois to the elevator. Once inside the elevator and alone, Lois asked softly, “What was that about? You didn’t sound like yourself.”
Waving dismissively, Clark leaned back against wall as Lois punched the button for the main floor. “Bad morning *not* finding anything about Thompson and his crew and Ralph the Annoyer was waiting for me when I showed up.”
Coming over to him and stroking his arm soothingly, Lois said softly, “The press conference we’re going to is at EPRAD. Perry told me they asked specifically for you.”
Clark was still in his funk and tried to explain. “I guess it’s that this last weekend was so magical with us that reality and Ralph hit me hard this morning.”
“Hey, you’re only human!” Lois winked at him and offered her mouth for a kiss.
Clark smiled at that and kissed her. “What would I do without you?”
The elevator stopped and they assumed their businesslike demeanor again.
Grabbing a cab to the Extra Planetary Research and Development Center, they made it to the press conference just in time.
EPRAD was the Metropolis-based nerve center of the space program with offices downtown and the data gathering equipment on Mt.Elliott ten miles out of town in the surrounding mountains. Lois and Clark joined the other newshounds on their way into the press conference and took seats at the back.
After several minutes of audience rustling and squirming, Professor Daitch emerged onto the auditorium platform and stood by a podium placed to the side of a large illustration of the solar system inside the asteroid belt. (A/N See below for illustration)
The heading on the illustration was “Near Earth Orbit Object Threat Assessment.” The word “threat” in the title gave extra gravitas to the press conference and everyone became very subdued. The Professor himself was a tall, thin, hawk faced individual wearing a grey suit and had the somber demeanor of the bookish scholar that he was.
“Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen of the press. I’m Dr. Stephen Daitch of EPRAD and I am here today to tell you of a serious and imminent danger to Earth. It is with a heavy heart I am presenting this information, but it is time the world knew of what is about to befall it. And you, Ladies and Gentlemen, are to be the bearer of the bad tidings. For some time now we have been tracking a large asteroid we have named ‘Nightfall’…”
Clark and Lois listened to the presentation and noted the surprised faces around them. Clark had known all this, but to hear it formally announced brought a new level of reality to the danger.
The questioning became almost hysterical at the end of the press conference. Since the tabloid celebrity press had no interest in this topic, they weren’t present, but the main line journalists had enough frenzy to make up for it. Finally Daitch, trying to maintain scientific calm throughout, called a halt to the briefing.
“Ladies and Gentlemen. That concludes our presentation on the so-called 'Nightfall' asteroid. Phones are available in the lobby for those of you who need to file your stories immediately.”
Lois and Clark filed out to the lobby and Lois grabbed a phone to give the story to the Planet. Clark saw Professor Daitch emerge into the lobby from a side door. “Mister Kent? Might I have a moment?”
Clark was expecting this and nodded, taking a few steps away so that they could talk
privately. “Is there an update to the briefing,” Clark asked innocently.
Daitch shook his head, getting right to the point, but his face was tight, leaving no
room for idle conversation. “I understand that you have a 'special' relationship with Superman.”
Clark answered carefully. “The Daily Planet has gotten its share of exclusives.”
“Can you get a message to him?”
“I can try. His schedule is…erratic.”
“I need to see him. But not here. At the telescope dome on Mt. Elliott. This evening, any time. ”
Daitch saw Lois approaching and hurried away with a final look and an imploring, “Please.”
“What did he want?”
“He was just saying what a big fan he is of our Superman coverage.”
Lois just nodded in understanding.
As they proceeded to the doors leading outside, Lois took his elbow and squeezed sympathetically. Clark held the door for her as she exited and smiled faintly at her.
*+*+*+*+*+*+
Lois and Clark returned to a bustling Daily Planet newsroom. Perry had everyone working on the background material EPRAD had provided. The afternoon passed in a frenzied blur. Finally Perry assembled everyone in the conference room to determine where they were and with what.
“Okay, people, I know we're gonna be working late tonight, but this story is a big one. I got us an extra half-hour before we go to press. Let's make the most of it.”
Perry turned and looked at Lois and Clark sitting side by side. “Lane, Kent. One of you should be writing.”
Lois and Clark traded looks. At his look, Lois said, “Go ahead.”
Clark took off to his desk. Alone in the newsroom, Clark flipped through his reporter's notebook at super speed. He examined several pages of copy on the desk and began to edit the story in a blur on the word processor, stopping just short of melting the plastic. Finally, he scrawled a note on a pad that read "Lois, I’ll be right back. CK." He left the pad on Lois’ desk.
Back in the Conference Room, Perry now turned his attention to Jimmy. “Jimmy, how's the lab coming with the picture from the telescope for the front page?”
“They said it'd be ready on time.”
“I want you to go down to the lab, grab one of those folding chairs, set your fanny down and wait. The second that picture's ready, I want it in lay-out.”
“Okay, but I was thinking I could be more help...”
Glaring and pointing two fingers like the barrel of a gun at him, Perry said, “Jimmy, I am in the 'order mode' not the 'discuss mode.' Now which one are you in?”
“The, uh, 'Grab-A-Chair-At-The-Lab Mode.'”
“Good choice,” Lois acknowledged.
Jimmy took off and Perry turned to Stan, the science editor. “Stan, what’s the background here? Why haven’t we heard of this killer asteroid before now?”
Stan shrugged. “Well, there are always asteroids coming our way. The issue is whether it is on a trajectory to hit us or not. It takes multiple sightings to determine that.”
Perry did not look happy with his answer.
Stan looked nervous and blurted out his one scrap of knowledge in the area. “Eugene Shoemaker estimated that the earth probably has been struck in the past 5 to 10 times by meteorites that formed craters greater than 87 miles in diameter. Meteor Crater in Arizona is only a mile across and it is a pretty impressive hole.”
Perry’s eyebrows climbed up his forehead and he looked less pleased, if that were possible.
Trying to dig himself out of a crater, so to speak, Stan talked faster. “Unh, I’ll get the latest info from the Spaceguard Institute then write a sidebar on that. Maybe I can find a history of sightings there.”
Perry nodded and pointed his two fingers at him and Stan hurried off, a relieved expression on his face.
Perry loved the smell of fear in the newsroom.
Lois heard Stan mutter outside the door, “A lot of good it will do if we’re doomed anyway.” She just shook her head at the defeatist attitude. They would survive this. Of course, she had knowledge they didn’t.
Then Perry turned to Cat, fingers already pointed. “Now, Cat, where were you when the news broke on LNN this morning?”
Cat responded with her characteristic languor, “In bed.”
“What a surprise,” was Lois’ rejoinder.
“I'm talking side-bar here, ladies. Cat, I want you to call all those big names in that Rolodex you keep locked up in your desk and get me some human interest. If you need help, ask Applegate.”
Applegate smiled at Cat, eager to get the chance to work closely with her. Cat turned to Perry and stated firmly, “I work alone.”
“O.K., then do it fast.” He turned to the remaining staff and clapped his hands. “Okay, boys and girls, it's show time. Let's go.”
As he exited the Conference Room, Ralph sidled up to him. “Perry,” he whined, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and hacking a dry cough, “I don’t feel so well. I’m going home sick.”
“You do that, Ralph. We’ll see you if the Earth survives.”
Ralph turned suddenly green and made a beeline for the restroom.
As he went to his office muttering, “tits on a boar hog,” Perry again wondered why the suits above had foisted Ralph on his newsroom.
*+*+*+*+*+*+
Superman landed outside the EPRAD telescope dome building on Mt. Elliott and entered the only door. It was unlocked. Inside, he found Professor Daitch with his eye glued to the eyepiece of a huge telescope.
“You wanted to see me, Professor Daitch?”
Daitch was clearly startled by the voice and clumsily got down from the seat of the large telescope. “Superman! You startled me! Thanks for coming. I wanted to give you a personal briefing on what is happening.” The usually detached Daitch was nervous.
Nodding to the telescope, Superman asked coolly, “Mind if I take a look?”
“Not at all.” Daitch stepped aside to allow Superman access to the eyepiece. “Er, I thought you had enhanced visual abilities.”
“I do. But I have my limits, too.” Superman levitated smoothly into the chair and heard Daitch’s gasp with a bit of satisfaction. He put his eye to the eyepiece and saw a large chunk of the cosmos hurtling through space.
Removing his eye from the telescope, Superman said, “Fascinating what kind of surprises the universe can turn up, isn't it?” He levitated out of the chair and came to face Daitch again.
Repeating his briefing from earlier in the day, Daitch continued. “Nightfall is close to one-point-seven miles across. It's travelling close to 47-thousand miles an hour. If it hits Earth will form a crater bigger than Meteor Crater in Arizona. The rock that made that is estimated to have only been 150 feet across and it made a hole one mile across. Nightfall is 58 times bigger.”
Daitch paused and looked intently at Superman to see if he understood all this. Little did he know that Superman had taken physics in a high school and astronomy in a university on Earth.
For his part, Superman just looked back and nodded understanding.
Satisfied, Daitch continued. “And that is especially bad for the city at the center of the crater. It’s not the size of the asteroid as much as the impact velocity that will cause the most damage. The energy of the impact is proportional to the
square of velocity.”
“You told Kent and the other reporters as much at the news conference. Why am I here?” Superman said it, even though he had a good idea exactly why he was here, but he wanted to see what Daitch would say.
Still maintaining his impassive Superman expression, Clark examined Daitch’s face closely. He seemed disturbed by something other than the impact alone.
Turning to the computers along the wall, Professor Daitch made a few quick strokes on a keyboard. It called up a stylized, digital countdown on a big screen behind them, complete with the EPRAD space logo. The clock read the hours, minutes and seconds as they counted down.
EPRAD COMMAND AND CONTROL
63:11:24
Estimated Time to Impact
“If our calculations are correct, in a little over two days, Nightfall is going to hit the Earth.” He paused to take a breath, and then said, “The sky, literally, is falling. Although it is not as large as the meteor that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, the crater alone could throw enough dust into the air to start a new ice age. We’ve had recent experience with volcanoes spewing ash into the air and causing major weather changes.”
Superman replied, “Two days, 15 hours and 11 minutes to be exact. That’s not a long time to plan anything.” Then his brow furrowed as he looked beyond the telescope.
Daitch continued urgently, “I know this is a lot to get used to.”
Superman shook his head. “No. It's not that. But we're not alone.” He called out to a nearby door. “Might as well come out, gentlemen. I know you're there.” Superman crossed his arms across his chest.
The door opened and a military man in uniform and a civilian approached Daitch and Superman in the dome.
The General had one star on the shoulders of his Air Force Dress Blues and a ribbon-bedecked jacket. Although Clark had never met the man, he could size up his military career by reading his uniform. He was a Brigadier General with a both a Missile Operations designator badge and Air Battle wings. He had both a Distinguished Service Medal and an Air Medal. Clearly, he was an important member of the government with experience in both flying aircraft and launching surface to air ballistic missiles. Clark remembered that it was rather unusual to have two such diverse specialties.
Beside him was a civilian in a blue suit that gave no indication of his role here. He did, however, have a tie tack with wings on it. Clark also noted Daitch was not looking at them, but at the multitude of displays around the observatory. Clearly, he was not happy with the presence of these two people.
The one-star spoke first. “Superman, my apologies. We felt that you should hear the news from Professor Daitch before we were introduced.” Extending his hand, he continued, “I'm General Robert Zeitlin. This is Deputy Under-Secretary of the Air Force John Cosgrove.”
Superman shook hands with Zeitlin and Cosgrove too. Daitch just nodded at them in acknowledgement.
Superman tried to make his point calmly. “You can't keep this a secret.”
Cosgrove spoke up, “The President will tell the public, but he wants to avoid panic, too. He simply wants to get you on board before making an announcement.”
“I take it this means you agree with the professor's calculations.”
Zeitlin spoke for both of them. “Yes. But, unfortunately with something this size, there is no feasible military option. We're looking into modifying a rocket but, at best, it would be a fifty-fifty proposition. We simply don’t have time.”
Cosgrove sounded urgent. “We need to improve those odds. The country needs your help, Superman. So does the world.”
Clark responded, “Of course. But you're asking me to fly a million miles into space to stop a piece of rock the size of downtown Metropolis that's traveling faster than any spacecraft we've ever made.”
Cosgrove asked, “Can you?”
“I don't know,” Superman replied thoughtfully. “But I don’t think I have any choice but to try to divert it. After all, I live here too.”
Zeitlin’s eyes narrowed at that comment, but Cosgrove urged him on with the comment, “You're our only hope.”
Superman turned to Daitch and said thoughtfully, “I guess we're about to find out what my limits really are.”
*+*+*+*+*+*+
Perry was going over Lois’ copy of the Nightfall story, his face showing no hint of approval or disapproval. Finally, he looked up at Lois and said in all seriousness, “If Elvis had gone into the newspaper business, he’d have written like this.”
Lois smiled and said proudly, “Fifteen minutes to spare.” She would really miss Perry if Clark couldn’t stop the asteroid. She determinedly ignored the fact she wouldn’t be there either.
Perry continued proudly, “I tell you, Lois, when the Planet's running, you can't stop it...” He trailed off as they both turned to window at the whoosh of Superman’s arrival.
Lois exclaimed happily, “Superman!” But she also noticed the worry in Clark’s eyes.
He said brusquely, “We need to talk.”
Lois asked Perry, “Can we use your office?”
Shaking his head, Superman said, “There's no time, Lois.”
Looking at Superman’s expression, Perry stated with finality, “You look like a man with something burnin' a hole in his gut.”
Just then the “Breaking News” logo came on the LNN screens. That was followed by the Presidential Seal and the words, “Announcement from the Oval Office of the President.”
Perry yelled, “Turn up the sound.”
Lois looked at Superman and said, “It's the asteroid, isn't it?”
Superman nodded. Lois remarked to Perry, “I told you so.”
The newsroom gathered around the televisions as President Garner addressed the nation and the world. Lois stood in front of Superman as he remained with them to hear the address. Subtly, she put her hand behind her back and felt Clark’s hand come to hold hers. He squeezed her hand in silent encouragement of a hope that he wasn’t feeling quite that strongly himself.
Both Lois and Clark were surprised that at the end of his statement of news about the asteroid, the President concluded with a final statement. “I wish to make a statement directly to Superman, wherever he is and say this: Superman, it takes commitment and courage to accept this responsibility. I know I speak for my fellow Americans, but I also think I speak for the entire world when I say thank you and God bless you.” The entire newsroom turned to look at Superman as he was being addressed directly on television.
Lois had strongly felt the loss of Clark’s hand as the President addressed him directly. He had crossed his arms across his chest and squared his shoulders as all eyes turned to him. As an FBI agent, he had already sworn an oath to protect this country. He just told himself that this was part of the job.
*+*+*+*+*+*+
The media gathered in front of the EPRAD building at oh-dark-thirty the next morning. It really didn’t matter much from where Superman took off, since he wasn’t a rocket full of hazardous material. Extra security was around to hold back both the media and the public. Most people were home watching his take off from the comfort of their homes and breakfasts.
Daitch, Cosgrove and Zeitlin were there to see him off.
The EPRAD time clock now read, 47:37:21, and counting down...
Superman was standing on the fringe of the media group, talking quietly to Lois.
“How are you feeling?” Lois looked at Superman, no Clark, with sympathy, hope and caring.
“This
will work.” He had a rather wan smile on his face.
“That's a relief. Why are you so sure?”
“Because it has to.”
“The power of positive thinking, huh?”
“Lois, how are
you feeling?”
“Scared enough for both of us.”
Superman touched his hand to her cheek. He didn’t care about the looks and pictures from the media; he needed to see Lois before he did this. Looking deeply into her eyes, he said softly, “I'll be back. We'll go flying together.”
“I hope so.”
“Count on it. I've got to go.”
“Good luck.” Lois apparently impulsively stood on tip-toes and kissed Superman’s cheek. Then she whispered to him, “Come back to me. I love you.”
As she pulled away from him, he whispered, “I will and I love you too.” Then he turned abruptly and went over to the group with the communication equipment. As he walked, he adjusted the 6 cubic-foot pony scuba tank on his back under the new flame retardant cape Rita had just made for him.
General Zeitlin approached him and gestured to the equipment the tech was fastening on him. “This will be your communications link with ground control. We'll be able to hear everything you say, and we'll be able to uplink our response through the satellite. And here’s a GPS unit so we can track you.”
Superman absently clipped the GPS unit to his belt and then said clearly into the microphone, “Testing, 1,2,3,4, testing.” He wondered if Zeitlin realized the GPS unit wouldn’t work once he was above the orbits of the satellites. They only looked down, not up. He supposed he must, since he was experienced in missile operations.
Professor Daitch came up to him and again and asked. “All set with your air supply?”
Nodding, Superman said, “Yes, I’ve got a supply for 6 hours for a human in case moving it takes longer than we thought.”
“You know where to push it to move the momentum vector?”
“Yes,” he replied. Not only did he have Daitch’s notes on it, he had also gotten Pete’s take on the best way to contend with the asteroid. It was Pete’s plan he was going to use as Plan A.
Zeitlin then came closer to him. He noticed Daitch moved away hurriedly when that happened. Someday he would figure out what Daitch knew and didn’t like, but not now.
Zeitlin said, “Superman, I want to offer you the tactical nuclear option one more time. You'd simply be acting as our delivery system.”
Superman shook his head in the negative. “The EPRAD science team has given me a clear indication of the asteroid's optimum push point. I think we should try that first and not risk the fallout.”
General Zeitlin nodded but didn’t seem too happy with that answer.
It was time to get the job done. “I'll do my best. I think everybody should stand back now.”
Everyone moved away from him and he levitated slowly, giving the crowd – and Lois- one last look before accelerating rapidly out of the atmosphere.
*+*+*+*+*+*+
Everything in the Daily Planet newsroom had stopped. All eyes were on the televisions. Lois could imagine everyone at home or work tuned to the news stations. LNN had the graphic "SUPERMAN TO DEFEAT KILLER ASTEROID."
Lois thought that statement was a little over the top, like a match of wrestling or boxing. Now they were showing a split screen with Frank Madison announcing for LNN on the left and the EPRAD control room on the right.
Madison solemnly intoned to the television audience. “Several hours ago, Superman said his final goodbyes to the crowd. He was described as calm, but determined. Witnesses say his last words were to the EPRAD people -- I'm quoting now – ‘I'll do my best.' And with that he took off, gaining speed as he rose into the sky. And
this time the entire world was watching.”
Then the picture switched to a full screen recording of the crowd outside of EPRAD that saw him depart. Inside the tape line was the picture of Lois watching him go. Lois felt proud that she looked relatively calm on the video.
*+*+*+*+*+*+
In the Daily Planet newsroom, all eyes were, again, on the TV. The EPRAD time clock read 45:56:17 and counting. Frank Madison announced in a voice over, “I'm being told we have a transmission from Superman. Let's take that live feed, direct from mission control. The screen displayed the "Killer Asteroid" logo and underneath it was the label: "Voice of SUPERMAN."
Superman's distorted voice was transmitted to the eagerly waiting public.
Lois had to hold her hands together to keep them from trembling as she heard his dear voice, still recognizable to her. “I can see it now. In fact, it's hard to see anything else. It's immense.”
On a tracking monitor, Superman was displayed as a little speck next to a much bigger speck depicting the asteroid.
The controller at EPRAD said, “Roger, Superman. We copy you on the ground. Do you have push point acquisition in visual?
“Yes.”
“Stand by for final briefing procedure.
“I know what I have to do.”
“Superman, you're cleared for initiation on your cue. And there are a lot of people here who want you to know you're the best friend Earth's ever had.”
“Thanks. Just doing my job. Well, here I go.”
At that, Lois winced and crossed her fingers.
*+*+*+*+*+*+
Clark looked at the huge rock and thought, “I look like an ant next to this.” Matching his trajectory to that of the asteroid, he moved to a near-earth point and slowly pushed, increasing his strength to slowly change the momentum vector of the rock.
Success!
He also increased its slight retrograde rotation to take advantage of any possible Yarkovsky effect. Idly, he wondered what Daitch would think of his education now.
Focused on his work, he did not see the missile launched from Wyoming coming right at him. Quite happy with his work and eager to get back to Lois, he turned to start home when the nuclear warhead exploded on the asteroid.
Clark stared into the heart of hell. It was like looking into 1000 suns. He wasn’t sure even a superman could survive. “Lois, I love you,” was his last thought before he blacked out as his body was pushed violently away into empty space.
*+*+*+*+*+*+
Tbc
Artemis
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