Greg Cox - Man of Steel

The general found himself pining for the good old days, when all he’d had to worry about were terrorists and rogue nations. Not strange visitors from another planet.

Despite herself, Lois was relieved to see Clark again. He sat opposite her in a sterile white containment cell, his cuffed hands resting in his lap. She assumed they were being monitored by about a zillion cameras, scanners, and recording devices. A long rectangular mirror occupied one wall of the cell, and Lois had seen enough cop shows to know they had a live audience, as well.

“Why are you surrendering to Zod?” she asked.

“I’m not,” he answered. “I’m surrendering myself to mankind. There’s a difference.” He sounded certain, as if he had thought long and hard about his decision, and was at peace with his choice. “It’s your world. I’m letting you—all of you—decide what happens next.”

She glanced at his wrists.

“You let them cuff you.”

“Wouldn’t be much of a surrender if I resisted.” He shrugged. “If it makes them feel more secure, all the better.”

She turned her attention to the colorful blue-and-red costume he had donned for the occasion. It was a far cry from the ordinary, civilian attire she’d always seen him in before. Her gaze zeroed in on the emblem on his chest.

“So what does the ‘S’ stand for?”

“It’s not an ‘S,’” he explained. “On my world, it means ‘hope.’”

“Well, here it’s an ‘S.’” She thought it over, searching for something more headline-friendly. “So how about… Superman?”

He blushed slightly, which she found rather charming.

“Sounds a little showy,” he said.

And that suit isn’t? she thought. The way she saw it, anything was better than “Scary Alien Guy.”

Superman it is, she decided.

The observation room on other side of the two-way mirror was packed with military brass and scientists, all getting their first close look at the alien as he interacted with Lane. Swanwick wasn’t sure what he thought about this whole “Superman” business, but figured it was as good a label as any, at least until they uncovered his true identity.

“He seems so human,” Carrie Farris observed.

“The similarities are only skin deep, I assure you,” Dr. Hamilton said. He and his fellow brainiacs were hunched over an array of remote-imaging monitors. A battery of sensors had been deployed to probe the alien’s anatomy using everything from infrared to ultrasound. “Based on these readings, his muscles and bones are considerably denser than ours.”

“What about flight?” Swanwick asked. “How can he keep aloft?”

“I have no idea,” Hamilton admitted. “Some kind of bio-electric field?”

Superman turned toward the mirror.

“I don’t know how I fly. I just do.”

Swanwick and the others twitched in surprise. What the devil, the general thought. That cell is supposed to be soundproof.

“I can hear you just fine, general,” the alien said. “Your heartbeats, too. So I wouldn’t advise lying to me.”

Hamilton leaned forward and keyed the intercom.

“Sir, my name is—”

“Dr. Emil Hamilton, I know.” Superman seemed to look straight through the mirror at them. “I can see your ID in your breast pocket. Along with a half-eaten roll of Wintergreen Lifesavers.”

The scientist sheepishly checked his pocket. Then he nodded in confirmation.

Superman shifted his gaze, looking directly at Swanwick.

“You should know that I can see those soldiers in the next room, readying that ‘tranquilizing agent’ of yours.”

Sure enough, another monitor showed the soldiers preparing a high-tech injector system designed by DARPA. Swanwick had been assured that even without a needle, the injector would penetrate the alien’s skin, no matter how dense it was. At least, in theory.

“You won’t need it,” Superman said. “And even if you did, I doubt it would work on me.”

The alien’s confidence was both unnerving and annoying. He had already demonstrated sensory abilities beyond anything they had anticipated. Who knew what other tricks he had up his steel-blue sleeve?

Swanwick irritably signaled his soldiers to stand down.

“You can’t expect us not to take precautions,” Hamilton stated. “What if you’re carrying some kind of alien pathogen?”

“I’ve been here for thirty-three years, doctor. I haven’t infected anyone yet.”

“That you know of,” Swanwick said. “I’m sorry, but your assurances aren’t good enough. We have legitimate security concerns.” He nodded at Lois, confident that Superman could see him through the mirror. “You’ve revealed your identity to Ms. Lane here. Why won’t you do the same with us?”

Superman rose from the table and approached the mirror. Fearful scientists and technicians backed away from the glass.

“Let’s put our cards on the table, general,” the alien said. “You’re scared of me because you can’t control me. You don’t. And you never will. But that doesn’t mean I’m your enemy.”

Swanwick wished he could believe him.

“Then who is?” he asked. “Zod?”

“That’s what I’m worried about, yes.”

Then we have that in common, Swanwick thought, if you’re telling the truth. Then he said, “Be that as it may, I have been given orders to hand you over to him.”

The general braced himself for Superman’s reaction, and Farris placed her hand on her sidearm. But their visitor accepted the news with a stoic expression. If he was disappointed in humanity for acceding to Zod’s demands, it was difficult to tell. He just nodded gravely

“Do what you have to do, then.”

Dawn was rising as assault teams massed on an airfield outside NORTHCOM’s command center. General Swanwick, Dr. Hamilton, Colonel Hardy and Captain Farris were already positioned behind concrete barriers. All eyes were on Superman and Lois, who were standing by themselves in the middle of the airfield. Spotlights lit up the scene.

“If I don’t come back,” he said, “I wanted to thank you.”

“For what?” she asked.

“Believing in me. Not revealing my identity.”

She shook her head glumly.

“Didn’t make much difference in the end.”

“It did to me.”

After a lifetime of hiding, it felt strange and oddly liberating to have revealed himself to the world at last. She squeezed his hand as they watched the sun rise. Finally he lifted his eyes to the sky, waiting. He heard a whooshing sound high above them.

“They’re coming,” he said. “You should go.”

She peered upward, unable to see what he was seeing. She hesitated, clearly reluctant to abandon him. He appreciated her loyalty, but he wanted her out of harm’s way.

“Go, Lois.” His voice was firm.

She didn’t argue the point, thank heavens, and retreated behind the security cordon, where she joined General Swanwick and the others. With any luck, Swanwick would honor their agreement and release her once he was gone.

Superman continued to listen to the approaching spacecraft, which was louder now, and eavesdropped on the NORTHCOM folks from several yards away, as well.

“Do we have a backup plan if this goes pear-shaped?” Dr. Hamilton asked.

“Only the unthinkable one,” Swanwick said. “Code words have already been issued.”

Superman visualized mushroom clouds exploding above Earth. He prayed it wouldn’t come to that. He had met too many people he admired, all across the planet, to wish such a fate on his adopted world.