Greg Cox: Man of Steel

Fearing that they were about to become collateral damage, Jor-El urged H’Raka to greater speed and the war-kite responded by executing an evasive course that tested any enemy’s ability to pin her in their sights. Jor-El bent low, cradling the Codex, as they sped toward the Citadel.

Almost there, Jor-El thought. Only a little farther…

But the agile war-kite could not dodge every blast. A stray shot shredded her left hindwing, sending her spinning out of control. H’Raka yelped in pain, but managed to level out and pick up speed. With only three wings remaining, she glided away from the besieged city. Jor-El felt her valiant heart pounding beneath him. Her breathing was ragged.

“Sir,” Kelex reported. “Your mount is exhibiting signs of grave distress.” The robot could access H’Raka’s vitals from the docking port.

Jor-El was deeply moved by the animal’s bravery and endurance. He leaned to stroke her muzzle. His throat tightened.

“Easy, girl,” he said. “We’re almost home.”

They flew above the bioengineered nature preserve on the outskirts of the estate. The House of El had long employed the wilderness as a buffer zone between the Citadel and the city, granting Jor-El and his illustrious forebears a welcome degree of privacy.

Herds of horned Rondor beasts grazed in the grasslands, lowing at the wounded war-kite as it passed above them. Carnivorous blood morels sprouted amidst the foliage. Spiked morningstar seeds floated on air currents, tempting unwitting predators.

Fiery Rao, still sinking in the east, bestowed its scarlet radiance upon the savage veldt. Brilliant ribbons of crimson and carmine retreated toward the horizon, creating a breathtaking view.

How many sunsets does Krypton have left?

At last the Citadel came into view. Rooted organically to the austere black cliffs overlooking the veldt, the great domed edifice had been Jor-El’s home since the morning he was first harvested. He still remembered the glorious day he had brought Lara home to live with him, after an arranged marriage that eventually yielded a long and loving union.

They had been truly blessed in their time together. If that happiness was now drawing to a close, he still considered himself a fortunate man.

H’Raka dipped sharply, then recovered. Pained whimpers escaped her jaws. The injured war-kite was also clearly at the end of her days, but found strength enough to stay on course. An outdoor terrace, at the entrance to the landing bay, served as their final destination. Her wings vibrated one last time, bringing them over the terrace, before gliding in for a crash landing.

She slammed into the hard, unyielding floor of the terrace and skidded to a stop only a few lengths away from the high arched entranceway. A low moan testified to her ordeal.

The rough landing jarred Jor-El, but failed to break any bones. He sprang from the saddle, holding onto the Codex, while Kelex detached himself from the docking cradle. Desperate as he was to rejoin his family, Jor-El paused to comfort the dying beast who had given her all for Krypton’s future. He gently scratched her muzzle, just where she liked it.

“Rest now,” he whispered.

H’Raka’s large round eyes rolled upward until only the whites were visible. Her labored breathing stilled. The three remaining wings collapsed against her lifeless body. The pulsing lights on her cybernetic implants flickered and died.

Bruised and bloodied from his struggles with the robots, Jor-El turned away from the carcass and dashed inside. Kelex jetted after him.

“Lara!”

He ran straight to the observatory, where he found all in readiness. The starcraft, equipped with a state-of-the-art phantom drive unit, was suspended over an empty cradle module. The craft resembled the calcified heart of a giant, its inner chamber protected by dense bio-engineered plating. The rounded contours of its outer carapace had been crafted to withstand the rigors of deep space, shielding its passenger from everything from solar flares to asteroid strikes.

Biomechanical hardware surrounded the craft. He placed the Codex in a stasis beam above the cradle.

An archway on the opposite side of the domed chamber led to the medical suite, where he spied Lara nursing Kal-El, with Kelor hovering attentively nearby. The newborn nestled contentedly in his mother’s arms. Lara looked up as her husband approached. Her face brightened.

“Jor-El!” she said. “I was so worried—”

He wished he brought happier tidings, but there was no time to soften the news. She needed to know the truth.

“Zod’s forces are on their way,” he said. “Did you find the world?”

“We did, sir,” Kelor reported. “Orbiting a main sequence yellow star, just as you said it would.”

The display screen on her chest presented an image of a distant solar system, dominated by a vibrant yellow star. Only one-fifth the size of Krypton’s swollen red giant, the golden sun still had billions of cycles ahead of it before exhausting the hydrogen at its core—as Rao had already done—and entering its dotage.

It burned hotter than Krypton’s sun, and would for eons to come.

“A young star,” he declared. “His cells will drink in its radiation.”

The display zeroed in on the third planet in the system, which appeared to be in the grip of an ice age. Vast glaciers covered the surface. Hairless bipedal primates, garbed in furs, struggled to survive amidst the icy wilderness. Jor-El instinctively admired their determination, vigor, and ingenuity. They spread out across the planet, thriving despite the harsh, primitive conditions.

“There’s an intelligent population there,” he pointed out. “They’re primitive, but… they look like us, Lara.”

She eyed the images uncertainly, clutching Kal-El to her breast. He could tell she was having second thoughts.

“What if the natives won’t accept him?” she asked. “He’ll be an outcast, a freak. They’ll kill him.”

“How?” Jor-El asked, trying to reassure her. “He’ll be like a god to them.”

Her eyes said that she still wasn’t sure.

“What if the ship doesn’t make it?” Shaking her head, she gazed down at the newborn in her arms. “I can’t do it. I thought I could, but now that’s he’s here—”

Jor-El shared her feelings. The very sight of their child stirred him even more powerfully than he had expected. He couldn’t blame Lara for wanting to hold onto her baby —their baby. He too felt an almost overpowering desire to shelter the boy, and watch him grow to manhood. But fate had determined otherwise.

“Lara, we’ve been through this,” he said gently. “Krypton is doomed. It’s his only chance now. Our people’s only chance.”

A strident alarm blared throughout the Citadel, interrupting the poignant moment. Jor-El looked up in dismay

“Kelex!” he called. “What is it?”

The robot manservant had followed Jor-El into the observatory. He accessed the Citadel’s perimeter sensors. A holographic display, projected from the ’bot’s chest, showed five blinking triangles converging on a symbolic representation of their home.

“Five attack ships converging from the east,” Kelex confirmed. “Citadel defenses are being scanned and evaluated—”

Jor-El’s heart sank.

“Gods, we’re out of time.” He looked urgently at Lara. “Get him ready. I’ll transfer the Codex. ”

He stepped forward to take Kal-El, but Lara refused to let him go. She hugged the baby close.

“Wait! Wait!” she protested. “Just a moment more!”

He wished desperately he could grant her this, but they had to complete the preparations while there was still time. Events were progressing far too swiftly.