A Forever Kind Of Love
By Philip Mogul <phmogul@mindspring.com>
Rated PG-13 
Submitted June, 2006
______________ 

Standard Fanfic Disclaimers apply

Again, many, many thanks to my friend and GE, Jeanne Pare, for 
her invaluable assistance in assembling this Lois and Clark story 
into a more readable and interesting tale. 

***A Forever Kind Of Love***

During the latter part of the nineteen eighties, three students 
matriculated at Yale University as freshmen in the university's 
science division. The appellations of these individuals were Kivi 
David Liron, Clark Jerome Kent, and Lois Joan Lane. 

Although the temperament of CK and Kivi was on the mild side, 
Lois's disposition was dynamic and feisty, to say the least. 
While Lois's mannerisms could be explosive when dealing with many 
of her pigheaded peers, her relationship with Kivi and Clark was 
rather mild, understanding, and protective. 
During the university's orientation week, prior to classes, 
Clark, Kivi, and Lois, for some unearthly reason, bonded into a 
family unit. They pooled their room and board finances and leased 
a small house about a half-mile from the main campus of the 
university. 

Clark, because of his mother's kitchen coaching as he grew into 
manhood, did most of the cooking for the trio of science majors. 

Clark and Kivi decided to major in physics and minor in 
mathematics; Lois also determined to major in the same science 
areas as her companions, but added courses in journalism which 
would lead to a minor in that particular academic curriculum. 
Kivi, instead of journalism, sought classes in Einstein's 
cosmological view of the universe.  Instead of joining Kivi, 
Clark followed Lois and also acquired a second minor in 
journalism.  

While the cosmological studies would not lead to any useful 
scientific notions, it did satisfy Kivi's philosophical desires 
to understand how the older scientific generations viewed the 
universe. 

As the academic year progressed, the university faculty realized 
that Lois, Clark, and Kivi had intelligence abilities that read 
above two hundred on the IQ, an unrealistic value. As members of 
the science division observed these unique individuals, the 
senior most scientists in the department noticed that competition 
between Lois and her housemates didn't seem to matter to the 
trio. Only their understanding of nature's physical laws occupied 
their joint efforts, and they would share what they discovered 
with all who were interested. 

***The Snake In The Academic Arena***
About midway through the academic year, Lyle L. Luthor - the L 
representing his uncle's first name - Lex - presented himself at 
"the house of science" as Lois, Clark and Kivi's dwelling became 
known throughout the Yale campus. Of the three scholars, Lyle 
offered only Lois an invitation to join Alpha Tau Chi, a 
prominent Greek fraternity that had much influence on many other 
organizations on campus.  

After Lyle's invitation, Lois asked Lyle, "Why are my two 
housemates not considered?"  

Smiling, the enormously wealthy Lyle Luthor said that Clark was a 
hack from nowhere in particular, while Kivi was of Hebraic 
descent, a people who Hitler should have, but failed, to 
exterminate. 

Shocked, but keeping her cool, Lois politely told Lyle that she 
had much too much work on her schedule to engage in the social 
activities of Luthor's Frat house. She thanked him again for his 
invite and then to let him know that ethnic bias was not her 
thing, she told him that she had a date at the library with her 
brother Kivi. 

That evening Lois narrated her rap session with Lyle. She ended 
her nauseating tale by saying, "After he left, guys, I took a 
shower to remove the stench which was covering my body after 
hearing Lyle Luthor's comments and scrubbed away the terrible 
feeling that his views caused my psyche." 

After she finished her comments of Lyle's convictions, Clark 
stood and took Lois in his arms. She immediately broke into tears 
and murmured, "How can people be so vicious?" 

Clark just said, "I don't know, Lois," as he pulled her to him 
and brushed his lips across hers.   

After a pause, Clark said, "Never change, my love. You, Lois, I 
am sure, will be a blessing to all humankind." 

That evening Lois talked to Kivi and told him how she felt toward 
Clark. 

Kivi smiled and said to Lois, "You are one lucky young lady. 
Clark has been in love with you almost since the three of us 
formed our family."  

"I love you, too," Lois said to Kivi, "but my feelings for you 
are more like a sister's love for a brother." 

"Lois," Kivi then added, "you'll have a lifetime partner. He is 
one of those guys who will never stray once a permanent loving 
relationship has been established." 

Sometime before moonset that evening, Lois and Clark became an 
item, a lifetime couple. 

When Kivi found out about their bonding at breakfast, he seized 
both Lois and Clark, hugged and blessed them, as Kivi's tears of 
joy ran down his cheeks. 

After the trio's emotional interaction became more rational, Lois 
said to Kivi, "Wherever Clark and I might dwell, my brother Kivi, 
you will always have a home. We are a family now and forever." 

A small family had just formally formed a lifetime partnership, 
which only death could annul. 

***Beyond Undergraduate Studies***

Three Years after they had matriculated at Yale, Lois, Clark, and 
Kivi were on their way to California, each to pursue a doctorate 
at Calf. Tech. 

Several years later, after earning doctorates in their fields, 
Kivi did some post doctoral studies at STAR labs in Metropolis 
while Lois and Clark both decided to earn master's degrees in 
journalism within the same great metropolis. 

After graduating from Metropolis University, the Daily Planet 
hired Lois and Clark as investigative journalists and also used 
their physics and math skills to help aid with the science desk 
when needed. 

As the lives of Lois, Clark, and Kivi were settling into a 
routine, they purchased a small house close to the Planet 
building, where Lane and Kent, now reporting partners, began to 
contemplate marriage. 

When news in Metropolis was quiescent or nearly nonexistent, Lois 
and Clark would usually drop by STAR labs and work with Kivi, 
their spiritual brother. Delving into the mysteries of nature was 
not only fun, but for Lois and Clark it also relieved stress.  

As they delved into Kivi's world, Clark was seized by a fantastic 
notion. While Kivi worked, at times, on what could be called STAR 
lab's research obligations projects, Lois and Clark began 
assembling a new type of computer whose internal components were 
made of special fiber-like optical glass that could move data 
near light speed. 

From time to time, Kivi would contribute to Lois and Clark's 
fantastic project. As Lois and CK's computer program progressed 
into its final phase, Kivi began devoting more than half his time 
to CK and Lois's new computing device. 

While Lois, Clark, and Kivi were determining what to do with 
their new discovery, the winter solstice holiday season, prior to 
the beginning of the New Year, was upon them. During this festive 
time, the Luthor clan again sponsored their White Orchid Ball. In 
addition to Lois and Clark, many other Planet staffers were 
invited to Luthor's festive and extravagant gala. 

***Big City Trouble***

As the intrepid reporters entered the Lexor Hotel's great 
ballroom, Luthor saw Lois and was straight away enamored with her 
grace and beauty. 

Although Lex Luthor's public guise was always that of a generous 
philanthropic merchant prince, his popular demeanor was in 
reality fraudulent. Luthor was a mobster, the leader of a vast 
criminal organization. Lex was a cunning sophisticated thug, who 
without remorse would kill or employ assassins to dispatch 
individuals or business rivals who he believed would attempt to 
finesse any of his business ventures or desired items he 
coveted. 

Luthor was also a very controlling person. Anybody who knew Lex 
well understood that his wish was law, especially within his 
criminal domain. 

As the merriment of the White Orchid Ball event went into high 
gear, Luthor made his way towards Lois Lane. 

After introducing himself, Lex invited Lois to dance. Graciously, 
she accepted.  

While Lex and Lois began swirling about the floor to the sounds 
of the White Orchid Ball's twenty-five piece orchestra, Lois 
became unnerved as Lex began pressing his body closer to hers. 
Lois could sense that Lex lusted for her and his body was 
telegraphing his mounting passion. 

As Lois frantically looked about for help, she continuously 
glared at Luthor. Ignoring Lois's distraught situation, Lex began 
swirling about the floor to the sounds of the music with Lois 
more tightly in his grasp. All the while, Lois could sense Lex's 
growing lust for her and his body was pulling her closer readily 
as his passion for his dancing partner steadily increased. 

Frantically searching for her fiance Clark Kent, Lois flashed an 
eye-catching help signal to Clark. When their facial orbs met, CK 
was quickly galvanized into action. 

He rushed to Lois's side, and rapidly placed himself between Lex 
and his fiancee. Luthor, for his part, started to resist as CK 
moved between Lois and the crime boss. While Clark was driving 
Lex from Lois, he said, "If you don't want me to make a scene and 
break your jaw simultaneously, Luthor, let Lois be and vamoose. 
Just to let your know, Lex, what it will be. Lois and I are a 
couple, and your actions toward her are lascivious. A libertine 
behaves as you did towards my love, Mr. Lex Luthor 
Philanthropist, or should I call you Mr. Licentious Luthor?" 

Incensed, Lex hurried away from the Planet reporters and went 
into seclusion for the remainder of the White Orchid Affair. 

As Lex left Lois's and Clark's presence, the reporters exited the 
Lexor hotel and returned to the bull pen of the Planet, where 
Clark wrote an article describing the incident between Luthor and 
his beloved Lois Lane. 

Clark then gave his article to Lois and told her to publish his 
article if anything bizarre were to occur and cause injury or 
death to his person. Clark was beginning to have uneasy feelings 
concerning Lex Luthor. 

Then Clark cleaned out his desk as a contingency situation saying 
to Lois that there was something strange about Luthor. "He's not 
the sole of propriety that he alleges. Always be very wary of 
that man." 

The next day Lex sought out Velmor Nash. Money exchanged hands 
and later that week Clark was sacked from the Daily Planet. No 
reason was given to Kent for his dismissal. 

When asked later, Velmore's reason for his dismissing Kent was 
based upon the critical finances of the Planet. These monies had 
reached low ebb, and to conserve the newspaper's dwindling 
reserves, several new reporters employed within that year had to 
be discharged. 

Since Clark had not completed his probationary year, Perry was 
powerless to prevent Clark's dismissal. 

Several days after Clark's sacking, he left Metropolis for his 
boyhood home in Kansas. The day following Clark's departure from 
the great city, Lois sent a copy of Clark's story to Perry. It 
appeared in the afternoon edition of the Daily Planet. 

That same day Perry asked the suits to attend a meeting in the 
boardroom. At this meeting, he presented evidence that strongly 
suggested that Lex Luthor, with the help of Velmor Nash, had 
conspired to remove Clark Kent, one of the best reporters the 
Planet had employed in quite some time, from his journalistic 
position. 

Let sleeping dogs lie was the suits' decision. So they stayed 
with the Kent dismissal episode, although unfair, after, of 
course, discharging Velmor Nash from the Planet's service. 

Perry was outraged, but according to the working rules of the 
newspaper, Kent was gone, probably for good. At that moment, 
Perry became aware that Lois would soon follow her boyfriend as 
soon as CK reestablished himself. What a loss to the Planet and 
to the people of Metropolis. 

While Perry was growling about Clark's sacking and the stupidity 
of the Planet's board, CK was putting the final touches on his 
new computer. Also, unknown to the Planet's chief, Luthor, with 
the help of Nigel St. John and Asabi were developing a plan to 
ruin the journalistic reputation of Lois Lane, and if he were 
lucky, kill his intended victim. 

However, since Lois's story shattered Lex's so called impeccable 
reputation, he thought it was best to allow the Planet reporter 
to remain unscathed for the present, although, in Luthor's view, 
her slanderous remarks deserved severe punishment, even the 
termination of her life. 

So, for the present, Lois was secure from Luthor's psychopathic 
urges.  

However, when Lex was alone that evening, Lex's anger toward Lois 
erupted again as he murmured, "There will come a time, Lois, when 
the crows will peck at your eyes and I will dance around your 
funeral." 

Although Lois was safe for the moment, Clark was well aware that 
eventually Luthor's paranoia would compel him to injure or kill 
his fiancee. CK understood that he must quickly act and remove 
Lois Lane from Metropolis and from harm's way. 

***Scientific Marvels***

From the information Clark constantly received from his sources, 
he realized that Lois was in grave danger from Lex Luthor's 
paranoia and it was only a matter of time before Luthor lashed 
out at her. With his knowledge, Clark worked day and night to 
complete his teleportation device. As the devil's disciple's 
psychotic urges increased daily, Clark knew that he was racing 
against time when Lex's desire to murder his fiancee would reach 
its boiling point. Kent figured he had at most a month to achieve 
his scientific goals and save Lois. With Kivi's help, the two 
physicists, Clark believed, could fabricate and install a working 
teleportation unit and place it in Lois's abode before Luthor 
made his homicidal move. 

When Kivi was no longer needed to work on their teleportation 
project, Clark asked Kivi to stay with Lois until they both could 
safely leave Metropolis. As the Luthor crisis escalated according 
to his sources, Clark convinced Kivi to stay close to Lois - live 
in the same house and even sleep in the same room. Under these 
conditions, Kivi could accompany Lois to work and accompany 
Clark's love when she returned home. For Lois's additional 
protection, Perry kept Lois within the Planet building during her 
workday - Kivi was always nearby. 

Kivi was a good choice to chaperone Lois because as a former 
special force warrior, anyone who would confront him face to face 
was in serious trouble and would probably meet his maker. 
The monies Clark received for his research endeavors after 
marketing his advanced super computer, a device fabricated from 
optical glass, which was drawn into fiber-like wires and was 
capable of moving data at light speed, was enormous. More money 
that he and his family could spend in a hundred lifetimes. 

Realizing that Luthor, through LexCorp, would attempt to block 
his ability to patent his new computational invention, Clark 
approached AsCorp, a conglomerate of Asian countries - Japan, 
Korea, Australia, and Indonesia - to sell his new computer 
product. 

He easily sold the new computer system to the Asian corporate 
conglomerate for a hundred million dollars and would earn fifteen 
percent of the corporation's computer profits on a yearly basis. 

There was just one proviso. None of Clark's new computing 
machines could be acquired by LexCorp or any of its subsidiaries. 
This stipulation caused no problem with the computer transaction. 
In fact, Clark felt that AsCorp was happy to comply with the 
inventor's request. 

To prohibit Lex and any other objectionable individual or 
establishment from gaining accesses to his work, Clark devised a 
coded system that would prevent any of his fiber glass-composite 
computers from being transferred or signed over to a different 
site or company. In order for one of Clark's computers to be used 
by an individual other than the original purchaser, it first had 
to be returned to AsCorp to be re-initialized by a unique 
encrypting golem. 

When Clark received the money from the sale of his new computer 
system, Kent set up a Swiss account labeled LCK Foundation 
emblazoned on the account's checks. Just after the transaction 
with AsCorp, Lois and Kivi were immediately added to the LCK 
Swiss account as joint owners and their names added to the 
Foundation's checks. 

When the new computers hit the commercial markets, Lex became 
furious when he discovered that LexCorp was denied access to 
these electronic marvels. 

What made the marketing sting more disagreeable to Lex was the 
fact that within a few months LexCorp's profits were down 
eighteen percent. The Loss sale throughout Luthor's corporate 
empire was caused by Clark's new computer systems that 
significantly out sold LexCorp's machine by undercutting Luthor's 
selling prices by a significant margin. 

Trying every trick in the book to acquire one of Kent's new 
computers by honest or underhanded means, Lex could not acquire a 
working computer, the type AsCorp was marketing. 

While Lex was desperately seeking a way of procuring the new Kent 
computer system, his lieutenants, Nigel and Asabi were preparing 
a stratagem, which would repay Lois Lane for her alleged outrage 
against Lex Luthor - truth nor justice mattered not to Luthor or 
his sycophants. 

The first time Lois realized something amiss had occurred was 
when she sought to board an aircraft that would carry her to 
Chicago where the annual national news convention was being 
held. 

As she was approaching the boarding terminal, the aircraft that 
would take her to Chicago burst into flames without warning. 

The passenger schedule for this flight was then transferred to 
another gate. When Lois was preparing to board the second jet 
plane, its landing gear suddenly collapsed. The third and final 
attempt to expedite the departure of the passengers was inhibited 
by a cockpit control panel malfunction. 

After these mishaps, Lois returned home.

Several days later, as Kivi was driving Lois about town, they 
were stopped from traveling on a particular road that led to a 
public park where Lois could collect news about a drowning. 

When Lois returned to the Planet after the detour incident, she 
had a serious conversation with Perry concerning the various 
unusual occurrences, which seemed to be directed at her. 

Lois, with her perceptive investigative mind, was relatively sure 
that Luthor was the prime mover behind her misfortunes. Lois was 
quite sure that Lex was blocking her efforts to depart 
Metropolis. 

While Perry agreed with his ace reporter, he didn't possess a 
shred of evidence that would allow him to act against Lex and his 
associates. 

When Perry left the Planet that evening, Kivi arrived with a 
teleportation unit, which he immediately installed in Perry's 
office. 

The next day, a bevy of masked women stormed the Planet's 
bullpen. Each hooded female carried an automatic weapon ready for 
use at a moment's notice. While some of the armed women 
obstructed the news floor exits, other pistol packing mamas began 
shooting randomly into the newsroom wounding some ten 
journalists. None expired due to their injuries, but all 
causalities required hospitalization. 

As soon as the bullets began whizzing about the newsroom, Lois 
scurried into Perry's inner sanctum and activated the 
teleportation equipment and was gone in a flash. 

Within a blink of an eye, Lois was situated in a grotto below the 
Kent farm. Looking around, she saw Clark speaking with Kivi. 

"Clark," Lois yelled at her fiance.

Hearing her voice, Clark turned and ran to Lois gathering her in 
his arms.  After hearing Lois's tale, CK shaking, murmured, 
"Thank G-d you're unharmed." Then she placed Clark's head on her 
shoulder to calm his emotional outburst.  

Later that evening, Lois telephoned Perry on a secure line and 
told him the entire story of what had occurred in the Planet's 
bullpen that afternoon. The next day a front-page article 
appeared in the Daily Planet under the Lois Lane byline. 

Clark then got on the phone and informed Perry how to use the 
teleporter hidden in his office. A few minutes later Perry was 
sipping tea in Martha's kitchen while he questioned Lois for more 
details about the shooting episode within the Planet's bullpen. 

At the end of Lois's and Perry's question and answer session, the 
chief then informed Lois and Kivi that their Metropolis abode was 
torched. 

Before Perry returned to Metropolis, a damming story had been 
written by Lois and Clark that inferred that the martial attack 
on the Planet's newsroom most likely was the result of hoodlums 
desiring revenge on Lois Lane and other Daily Planet reporters. 
Included in a list of possible culprits was Lex Luthor and 
company. 

Unfortunately, all the women involved in the Daily Planet assault 
were killed when several police terrorist units arrived and there 
followed a shoot-out leading to the death of all the assassins. 

To prevent any more such onslaughts on his newsroom, Perry gave 
Lois an indefinite leave of absence until things in Metropolis 
cooled down. 

The next day, Kivi informed Bernie at STAR labs that he wouldn't 
be in for a while. 

Kivi also told Dr. Klein that he could be contacted at the Kent 
farm if the need were great. 

***Fabrication Of A Wonder***

While Lois, Clark, and Kivi were having dinner with Jonathan and 
Martha on the first evening after the assault on the Planet, the 
scientific chatter focused on the unusual signals, which Clark 
had been receiving when he modified the teleportation unit. 

After Clark, Lois and Kivi studied their altered teleportation 
equipment, the three scientists realized that a cosmic window had 
been opened through which the teleportation device had begun to 
receive a uniform pattern of waves. Clark, Lois and Kivi were 
well aware that regular arrays coming from the wilds of space 
were an indication that some sort of special event was occurring 
in the void. 

After several lengthy and intensive discussions, the little 
family was convinced that electromagnetic radiation was 
indicative of a signal coming from some form of intelligent 
life. 

As Clark attempted to find the location of the shadowy 
electromagnetic signals, Kivi and Lois were developing impervious 
paraphernalia fabricated from stabilized neutronium. 

As Clark searched the heavens, Lois and Kivi rapidly created the 
impregnable material they had called stabilized neutronium. The 
new material happened to be permeable to light vibrations, and 
therefore, invisible and possessing a non-reflective nature. 

The new material was very responsive to anti-gravity rays that 
Kivi and Lois would use as the legs for the interstellar 
spacecraft they were fabricating from their distinctive matter - 
stabilized neutronium. 

As Clark continued his computations, Lois and Kivi also built 
intelligent droids, which Clark, using his new computer had 
suggested. These intelligent machines would help with all the 
manufacturing processes - the construction of their intergalactic 
spacecraft and the assembly of all the neoteric interstellar 
equipment. 

When Clark asked for assistance with his computations, Lois began 
working with her fiance. While Lois was helping Clark with 
reckoning coordinates, Kivi and the droids built two weapon 
systems and incorporated them into the intergalactic vessel now 
rapidly being completed. Kivi had secretly developed these 
weapons at STAR labs when he had access to the Laboratory's 
secret library. One weapon array was a relatively close range 
high power laser cannon. It could shred all kinds of matter 
except for the stabilized neutronium components discovered by 
Kivi and Lois. 

The second and most deadly weapon system was incorporated within 
the hull structure of the interstellar space cruiser. Essentially 
it was a dimensional annihilator. Kivi dubbed it the Cosmic 
Terror. When utilized, the dimensional exterminator, the Terror 
of the void, would produce a rift in the time - space continuum 
and connect our cosmic plane to a universe that was, for all 
purposes, an invalid spatial location. When an enemy vessel 
entered the Terror's electromagnetic field, the adversary would 
be dragged through a hole in space to a null dimension where it 
would promptly cease to exist. 

Kivi, with some trepidation, then told Lois and Clark that the 
engine of havoc, the Terror, must be used with great care because 
he feared that if it were discharged haphazardly, their cosmic 
realm could be eradicated. 

After dinner early that evening, Lois showed Clark and Kivi her 
theoretical schematic for a drive that would hurl the 
intergalactic ship across the cosmos almost instantaneously. 

The next day, as Clark and Kivi began to construct Lois's   
interstellar engine, Lois, during a break, explained how her 
space drive functioned to her spiritual brother and her beloved 
Clark. 

Prior to activating the space drive, the cosmic coordinates of 
the initial and final spatial locations would be placed into 
Lois's interstellar driver. Following this procedure the jump 
engine would be energized. When the jump mechanism was fully 
functioning, the two sets of spatial coordinates within the 
interstellar computer system would commence, drawing the initial 
and final locations toward one another and moving the cosmic loci 
into nearly a spatial singularity. When this occurred, the ship 
would begin crossing the wilds of space from its starting point 
to its new spatial vicinity. The time to cross a cosmos route 
using Lois's new drive mechanism would be nearly instantaneous. 

Kivi and Clark congratulated Lois for designing such an ingenious 
device. She blushed, but was thankful that her work had been 
appreciated, especially by these two. 

Hearing her praise being sung in front of Martha and Jonathan by 
her future husband and her spiritual brother, Lois beamed. A 
brilliant smile lighted up her countenance. 

As Lois and Kivi finished placing the drive engine on line, Clark 
placed the computed cosmic locations, the Earth star system and 
the destination coordinates that were interpreted from the 
electromagnetic signals received from space. 

Their destination, Clark informed his family after dinner, was 
somewhat more than eight billion light years from their home 
world - somewhat more than halfway across the universe. 

At the end of the week, their cosmic project had been completed 
and been readied for testing. After thoroughly substantiating 
their work, theoretically and mechanically, Lois, Clark, and Kivi 
were ready to sail with their interstellar spacecraft across the 
wilderness of space and locate the source of the electromagnetic 
pulses received by their instrumentation. 


***Across The Wilderness of Space***

It took the three humans and the droids another week to position 
their intergalactic craft into a lift - off orientation. 

Then, after loading their spacecraft with the necessary survival 
provisions and gear, three space sailors - Lois, Clark, and Kivi 
and a number of their droids were prepared to leave Sol-Three on 
a journey humankind had dreamed about for untold lifetimes. 

With Martha and Jonathan looking on, Lois initiated the launching 
sequences, and unknown to the world at large, Earth's first star 
ship was hurled into the void. 

Rapidly reaching light speed, the Smallville, the ship's name, 
rushed toward the edge of the Sol solar system somewhere beyond 
the planet of Pluto. 

As the ship hurried through the depths of space, Clark discovered 
a tenth planet linked to the Sol star system. Kivi noted its 
position relative to the sun so if they ever returned it would be 
reported to the Earth's scientific community. 

A day into their trek, the Smallville's detection apparatus 
indicated that the intergalactic spaceship was beyond the limits 
of their solar system. It was now time to engage Lois's 
interstellar jump engine and enter the unknown. 

Several minutes just prior to the interstellar flight, Clark had 
finished preparing a luncheon banquet. As Lois and Kivi began 
partaking of the delicious Kent banquet, Lois's soulmate 
triggered the cosmic and interdimentional jump mechanisms. 

As the spacecraft began hurtling more and more rapidly across the 
universe, Clark seated himself with his family and also began 
relishing the luncheon's cuisine he concocted. 

Following the noon meal, three star sailors rested. After their 
rest period Kivi, Clark, and Lois readied themselves for the 
final cosmic jump, which would carry their ship close to the 
location where the electromagnetic transmissions seemed to be 
occurring. 

With Lois and Clark looking on, Kivi activated the intergalactic 
jump controls for the final time. 

Almost instantly from the ship's portals, there appeared a red 
sun with a solar family of eighteen planets. 

When searching for the electromagnetic waves in this strange 
solar system, the eleventh planet from the system's sun was found 
to be the source of the high-energy electromagnetic photons. 

After some maneuvering, the crew of the Smallville placed their 
spacecraft in an orbit about the eleventh planet, which to their 
surprise was about the size of Earth. The atmospheric conditions 
of this particular planet, which the Terrans later discovered was 
called Krypton by its inhabitants, was also very similar to their 
own home world. However, because of Krypton's red hue, the energy 
bathing the eleventh planet was putting out only thirty-six 
percent of what Sol supplied to Earth on a daily basis. 
Therefore, without protective clothing, Lois, Clark, and Kivi 
could not long survive on the surface of Krypton, a planet they 
very much wished to explore. 

***On The Planet Krypton***

After circling about the eleventh planet in this new solar system 
through several rotations, the three space sailors from Sol-Three 
readily concluded that the world they were scanning possessed an 
advanced civilization. 

After developing a strategy for exploration, Lois and her male 
comrades descended to the surface of the eleventh world in this 
star system in one of the Smallville's shuttlecrafts. 

Suiting up in special apparel and arming themselves with personal 
high-powered laser weapons, Lois, Clark and Kivi cautiously left 
the confines of their shuttle. 

The location of their landing site was in a sparsely populated 
region where the three scientists could effortlessly collect 
samples from the planet's surface. 

On the fourth day of their first expedition to the new planet's 
surface, Kivi discovered a huge caldera - a large crater formed 
by a past volcanic explosion. From his study of the volcanic 
area, the eruption probably occurred long before the first 
humanoid life evolved on Krypton - the name of the planet they 
would later ascertain from the electronic data collected from 
transmission data produced by the world's inhabitants. 

While Lois and Clark studied the topological features of this 
world, Kivi continued to probe the enormous Kryptonian caldera, 
and from its remains he computed that this super volcano erupted 
some one hundred and twenty-five million years in the past. 

From other signs near the caldera, Kivi reckoned that the violent 
eruption of the super volcano he was currently studying would 
have devastated most of the life on Krypton by blocking radiation 
from the red sun from reaching the surface of this world. The 
volcanic debris hurled high in Krypton's atmosphere would have 
brought about this event. The gigantic explosion, Kivi 
envisioned, would have emulated a nuclear winter scenario and 
cause the extinction of many of this planet's living species at 
the time. 

When the trio met that evening, Kivi informed his companions of 
what he had discovered at the super volcano site, which appeared 
to be coming active again. There were signs of such an event, but 
the time line of any volcanic activity was still uncertain. 

Since it appeared that there was no activity by the planet's 
inhabitants near the huge caldera, it was likely that the beings 
living on this world were unaware of the possible impending 
danger that the awaking super volcano posed. 

Several weeks after completing their initial exploration of the 
volcanic area, the three Earth scientists returned to the 
Smallville and began assessing what they'd discovered and 
discussed what kind of search patterns they would employ on their 
next sojourn to the planet's surface. 

Since the beings on this world were not yet aware of the 
forthcoming disaster looming in the bowels of their world, it was 
decided to attempt to forewarn the people populating this planet 
about the super volcano that could on the verge of awaking after 
ages of lethargy. 

First, the three Terrans needed to devise a linguist device that 
could translate English and the language used by the living 
beings populating Krypton. Something analogous to the Rosetta 
stone was required for this process, but in an electronic format 
for rapid and direct communication with the inhabitants of 
Krypton. 

During the ensuing months, Lois gathered the sounds of the 
Kryptonian people and analyzed the sonic frequencies produced by 
the planet's electronic media and the pictorial imaging codes 
being transmitted over the planet. 

Lois, with her unusual intuitive abilities, was slowly able to 
create a dictionary between English and the tongue utilized by 
Krypton's population. 

From her lexicon, Lois could establish that the planet they were 
currently studying was called Krypton and the inhabitants called 
themselves Kryptonians. 

While Lois was busy compiling a dictionary comparing the two 
languages, English and Kryptonian, Clark and Kivi were 
fabricating a squawk box, an electronic translator that would 
allow Lois to prepare a word correlation program in an electronic 
format. The squawk box would allow the Earth explorers to 
communicate with the people of this world. 

Lois discovered, while working on her language communication 
undertaking, that the Kryptonians were humanoids like themselves. 
She had a hunch that the genetics of the people living on Krypton 
were nearly identical to their own. 

Later, during their explorations, Lois, Clark, and their 
spiritual sibling, Kivi, would confirm that the people of 
Krypton, as Lois had guessed, were genetically duplicates to 
Earth humans. However, because Krypton's sun was red, certain 
inconsequential mutations were noticed, which Kivi suspected 
developed so that the people of Krypton could exist on their 
world - a planet bathed in radiation generated by a ruby color 
star. 


***Contact***

After the adventurers from Sol-Three had agreed to inform the 
people of Krypton about their impending peril, they developed 
broadcasting equipment that would allow Lois, Clark, and Kivi to 
communicate with Krypton's surface folk. 

When the communication instrumentation was complete, the group of 
scientists from halfway across the universe considered a plethora 
of options that would allow them to contact Kryptonian's 
inhabitants without causing their own annihilation. 

During one of their deliberations about contacting the Kryptonian 
inhabitants, Kivi said, "Maybe we should use something that would 
indicate to the population that we come in peace and that our 
communiques are truthful and do not conceal an invasion scheme." 

"The only thing we seem to have in common," Lois then indicated, 
"is the electromagnetic waves Clark detected when we were still 
on Earth." 

"That's it," Clark yowled. "We'll send our messages through the 
electromagnetic pipeline and see what occurs when our signals 
reach the originators of the electromagnetic signals that led us 
to this planet." 

The next day, Lois, who was most familiar with linkage between 
English and the Kryptonian lingo, began composing messages to the 
senders of the electromagnetic energy pulses that had arrived on 
Earth and originally peeked Clark's curiosity. 

When it was resolved how to communicate with the Kryptonian 
people, Lois began composing the electronic transmitting language 
while Kivi with Clark fabricated the sending and receiving 
mechanism - electromagnetic waves propagated on the Smallville 
and transmitted to the planet the vessel orbited. The messages 
were to be forwarded from Earth's interstellar spaceship and 
broadcasted along the demiurgic energy pulse routes coming from 
Krypton.  

About a week after the three scientists began working on their 
intercommunication undertaking, they were prepared to send Lois's 
coded electronic dispatches to the senders of the original 
electromagnetic pulses, which landed on Earth. 

Just prior to embarking upon their communication undertaking, 
Clark launched a reconnoitering probe, which would peruse the 
surface of Krypton after the three Earthmen began sending their 
electromagnetic pulses to the planet. Their stealthy missile 
would not be detected by the Kryptonians and would monitor the 
reaction of the planet's inhabitants when their electronic 
messages originating from the Smallville were beamed toward 
planet Krypton. 

After Lois, with the aid of her companions, launched the 
detection probe and established that the projectile trajectory 
and its landing were successful, the Earth sailors embarked upon 
the second phase of their intercommunication game plan. 

In less than a minute after the electromagnetic message signals 
had been transmitted toward Krypton, the signals emanating from 
the planet's surface abruptly ceased. 

The Smallville's probe then indicated that Krypton's military was 
becoming very active, and Lois, Clark, and Kivi began observing 
strange machines scanning Krypton's near space - an area above 
the planet where satellites are usually parked and where the 
Smallville was now in orbit. 

Unable to locate the source of the mystery space signals the 
Kryptonian search pattern ceased - the planet's quest for the 
space generated electromagnetic transmissions from the Smallville 
lasted approximately an hour Earthly time. 

Listening to the excited global news broadcasts, Lois, Clark, and 
Kivi were elated that their communication experiment succeeded. 
However, the military communiques being communicated across 
Krypton did alarm Clark and his companions somewhat. They 
discovered that the bellicose part of the planet's government 
planned to trap and destroy the invaders by using deceptive 
tactics. 

As Clark and his family considered their next move, Kivi modified 
their ship's communication device and communicated directly with 
the originators of Krypton's own electromagnetic signals. 

These messages from the Smallville, which were again sent to a 
specific site on the planet, seemed to agitate the military even 
more, and a random array of nuclear tipped torpedoes were 
launched from the planet's surface and exploded near the 
Smallville, causing alarm among the interstellar ship's crew. 

While no damage was incurred to the Smallville, Clark and his 
family knew it was time to leave the Krypton star system. 

Since they did not travel across the wilderness of space to make 
war, the space sailors from Earth prepared to depart Kryptonian 
space and maintain the non-bellicose attitude between their two 
peoples. 

A short time later, after leaving a brief but meaningful message 
Lois, Clark, and Kivi left the Kryptonian star system and headed 
home. 

Their farewell message simply stated that to remain might cause 
an interstellar incident leading to a conflict, which was not the 
goal of their expedition. And, the space explorers added that in 
a war, nobody is a winner. There can only be death and 
destruction between the antagonists. No amount of mourning will 
cleanse nor heal the tormented souls of the survivors resulting 
from two battling interstellar cultures. "Goodbye, whoever you 
are. We could have learned much from each other." 

When the Smallville at last fired up its engines, after exiting 
the Kryptonian solar system, the star sailors were headed home. 

***Lara And Jor-El***

After receiving the farewell message from the unknown space 
rovers, Jor-El began ambulating to and fro, ranting and yelling 
at times at those imbecilic Norian clansmen - the clan that 
represented most of Krypton's military elite and unfortunately 
used their fists instead of their heads. 

Lara, Jor-El's soulmate, watched as her husband's demeanor 
finally reached boiling and finally exploded with all its venom 
directed at the Nor clan and its bellicose and foolish leader 
Ri-Nor. While Lara was not often verbose, she never the less felt 
the same emotional passions as her life-partner. 

When Lara's soulmate finally became silent, she suggested that 
they see Jor-El's bother, Sor-El, now the First Lord of Krypton. 

After Lara had made her suggestion, Jor-El replied to his 
soulmate, Lara, "My beloved wife, Sor-El is not a perceptive man 
and his dislike of me because of my scientific successes has 
increased ten fold since our last meeting. This enmity toward our 
nuclear family appears to have increased as the people of our 
world publicly acknowledge our triumphs." 

"That may be true," Lara replied, "but Ri-Nor appears to be 
confused. He might have provoked suspicion and potential 
hostility with another race, an apparently very intelligent 
people, who came to us initially with peaceful intent. Because 
Sor-El, spurred on by Ri-Nor, greeted them with hostile intent, I 
am now fearful of the long-range consequences his actions may 
have precipitated." 

"Although my sibling's and Ri-Nor's foolish actions may have dire 
repercussions for Krypton in the long run, we can yet avoid a 
conflict if these space faring people can be located and a 
dialogue established." 

"Jor," Lara said, "Your brother should be made aware of the 
consequences Ri-Nor's military actions might have brought about 
unless they can be thwarted by Krypton's naturally rational 
behavior through you and the Great Council." 

Lara continued, "You, my beloved, were sending electromagnetic 
signals to attract other life forms to demonstrate to our people 
that we're not alone in the cosmos. You have again triumphed in 
another of your endeavors, my love." 

Jor then said, "It was not I alone, Lara who built the equipment 
which summoned the aliens to our world. You were my partner in 
all our ventures. We are called the leading scientists of our 
world by many on Krypton, and the accolades we've received are as 
much due to your efforts, Lara, as mine." 

Late that afternoon, Jor-El and his wife arrived at the entrance 
to the First Lord's audience chamber. There, they were made to 
wait nearly three hours before being informed that his brother 
could not see him that day and was told to return on the morrow. 
He was told by the lowest aides-de-camp to Sor-El, as a snub, to 
inform Jor and Lara that the assembly was nearing the time of 
adjournment. 

Taking Lara by the hand, Jor exited the waiting room adjacent to 
the audience chamber. He left a note for the First Lord that 
vented his disgust by saying, "I have limited patience for fools, 
and especially ones who by any means attempt to boost their egos 
and demean others. The safety of our world I now leave completely 
in your and Ri-Nor's hands." 

As The First Lord was informed that his brother had left the 
capital, Jor's note was handed to Sor-El. Seeing the 
communication, Trey insisted that Jor-El's message was in the 
public domain and must be read. Jor's note weighed heavily 
against Sor-El because it accused him of dereliction of duty, and 
it was well known that all government officials took an oath to 
support and defend the people on Krypton and to fulfill the 
obligations to that end. In scorning his noble brother, esteemed 
by the public and most officials, Sor-El had violated the 
public's trust. Jor-El was attempting to warn the government 
about the consequences of Ri-Nor's hasty actions. His reprimand 
by the leader of the assembly was well deserved. Trey's public 
condemnation of the First Lord's actions was also broadcast 
across the planet that evening. 

Sor-El's bellicose attitude toward his brother also caused many 
powerful nobles and councilmen elected to the Kryptonian assembly 
to reject one of the First Lord's most cherished projects that 
would have further endeared him to his cousin Ri-Nor. 

When Sor-El later met with Trey in private, he asked why his 
plans were pushed aside. Trey then cast a baleful eye upon the 
upper crust politician and said to his adversary, "Whenever you 
attempt to discredit a man who works for the welfare of his 
people, expect similar reverses in the assembly. We in the 
assembly may be political rivals, but we are not galactically 
stupid." 

As Trey was leaving Sor-El's private quarters, the councilman 
further commented, "Don't run for the First Lord position again." 
Then the door quietly closed before Sor-El could respond." 

The next day Jor-El and his Soulmate were invited to the First 
Lord's audience chamber and given preferential treatment. 

Trey could see the disgusted look on Sor-El's countenance as he 
listened without hearing his hated brother. 

Without the usual cordiality between family members, Jor-El 
stated his case about Krypton's action toward the aliens and then 
 asked that the Norians cease their automatic militant behavior 
when confronted by almost every unknown situation under the sun. 

Trey, the leader of the opposition, noticed the hatred of the 
First Lord toward Jor-El, his brother, as he informed the 
scientist that he would take Jor's recommendations under 
advisement and let him known of his decision later. 

As Jor-El and Lara were leaving the audience chamber of the First 
Lord, Krypton's leading scientist said to his partner and beloved 
wife, "We'll never hear about this matter again. He will never 
confront Ri-Nor. My brother is a rabbit." 

Raising Lara's hand to his lips as they exited the audience 
chamber, he said, "My beloved Lara, it's time that we used our 
own resources in our future endeavors, independent of any 
governmental support. The management of our world, now under my 
brother's foolish guidance, I'm afraid, will never again provide 
us with any financial aid to ensure that our future scientific 
undertakings would be successful." 

That evening, Jor-El and Lara, with their nuclear family, left 
Kor-El, the capital city of the planet, and took up residence on 
their country estates. 

Once the family had settled in, Lara and her husband set up their 
electromagnetic signaling device and again made it operational. 
They were hopeful that their electromagnetic pulses from their 
signaling device would again be detected by the unknown space 
explorers who had once visited their world. 

***Signals To Earth, Again***

Returning to Earth, Clark, his fiancee, and Kivi were faced with 
an interesting set of circumstances. When comparing the time they 
were in Kryptonian space with their own space-time values, only a 
few days had apparently elapsed on their home world. 

While investigating this dilemma, the space-time situation became 
so intriguing that Clark, Lois, and Kivi, Earth's first 
interstellar travelers, worked for several months to unravel this 
peculiar phenomenon. They even had a theoretical paper published 
in one of the most prestigious physics journals on Earth 
describing the possibility of space-time variations. Years later 
this discovery would earn for each of them a Nobel Prize in 
physics. 

Essentially what Kivi, Lois and Clark worked out were a 
mathematical description of the phenomenon that caused the time 
differences between Sol-Three and the Kryptonian star system. 
After many discussions and hours of calculations dealing with the 
curvature of space-time in both galactic sectors, Earth's first 
space sailors finally understood that the cosmic variations in 
time were generated by large mass differentials, which were 
grouped periodically across the expanse of the universe. 

After their technical paper had been submitted, Clark and his 
spiritual kin returned to their subterranean lab and began 
planning their next adventure into the wilderness between the 
stars. 

Entering their vast cavernous laboratory below the Kent farm, 
Lois, Clark, and Kivi became aware that electromagnetic waves 
were again illuminating their space monitor. 

This time, however, the repeated wave patterns displayed 
significant formations, which could be decoded by using Lois's 
discoveries. 

***A Message From Jor-El***

Lois, after analyzing the electromagnetic signals with her squawk 
box mechanism, replied to the incoming waves, "Will contact you 
when your message has been fully deciphered." She signed off with 
a single phrase - "Andromeda seven." 

Turning toward Clark and Kivi, Lois said, "The people who are 
sending the electromagnetic transmissions will be able to 
recognize us when we use the worded phrase Andromeda seven, our 
hailing call." Clark and Kivi simply nodded and went to work 
decoding the bulk of the electromagnetic dispatch from Krypton. 

Before Lois, Clark, and Kivi returned to Krypton on their second 
voyage across the universe, they would have in their possession 
an electronic speaking device, which was embedded within their 
protective gear. In addition, the power of their hand held laser 
weapons had been boosted, which increased their destructive 
capability and extended the weapons' killing range. 

Newer items were also created that would protect Clark and his 
companions on their decent to and once on Krypton's surface. 

After four months of preparation, during a period when Lois 
frequently conversed with the small group of Kryptonians now 
responsible for the incoming electromagnetic messages, the 
Smallville was loaded and made ready to sail again across the 
vastness of space to a planet that was some eight billion light - 
years distant. 

During a particularly dark night that was not moon bright, the 
Smallville silently lifted-off its home world using antigravity 
photons that raised their interstellar spaceship into a low space 
orbit. Once stabilized in its low space orbit the Smallville 
started its light speed engines and were off to a position just 
beyond the orbit of Pluto. 

A day after the Smallville left Earth with its precious human 
cargo, it was in position, as before, to utilize the ship's 
intergalactic jump engines. 

A few minutes after the Smallville reached its jump location, the 
interstellar thrusters hurled the interstellar vessel across the 
cosmos to a location near the planet Krypton. 

As their intergalactic vessel neared Krypton, Clark set their 
vessel into an erratic non-repetitious parking orbit. While Kivi 
programmed the droids to care for the ship, Lois sent a message 
to the Kryptonian creators of the electromagnetic signaling 
device, with Andromeda-seven subtly concealed in her own message. 
Hopefully, the people who received Lois's communique were the 
friendly sort and would dispatch a message coded with an 
Andromeda-seven phrase also subtly imbedded within their return 
dispatch. Then CK, Lois, and Kivi settled down and waited for a 
response from the planet. 

Within thirty minutes, a response to Lois's message was received 
providing those on the Smallville with a set of coordinates where 
they could safely land. 

Lois then sent a short reply with A-Okay embedded in her short 
message, which informed the Kryptonians that they were indeed 
communicating with the space sailors who had visited their world 
in the recent past. 

Several hours later, after packing a teleportation device in the 
bay of their shuttle craft, Clark, Lois, and Kivi put on their 
protective gear and began their descent toward the planet's 
surface. 

After three hours, roughly, the shuttle observed a small but 
intense light beam blinking in the general direction of the 
coordinates that Lois, Clark, and Kivi had received. 

Lois adjusted the shuttle's landing approach to compensate for 
the flashing signal's ground orientation. 

As the shuttle slowed and drew closer to the flashing light beam, 
the crew of the shuttle beheld an open landing portal, which 
initially covered a tunnel leading to a grotto. Less than a 
minute later, Lois guided the small spacecraft through the 
entranceway landing the spaceship within the subterranean 
cavern. 
After shutting down the shuttle's power grid and getting into 
their protective gear, Earth's first intergalactic sailors were 
ready to debark from a Smallville shuttle. 

As Lois and Clark were about to leave the shuttlecraft, Kivi 
watched the Kryptonian humanoids frantically working to seal the 
portal of their ship's underground hangar. 

When all appeared calm, Kivi gave the all clear, and Clark opened 
the hatch of the shuttle. Soon thereafter, three Earth space 
sailors disembarked from their vessel. 

As Lois, Clark, and Kivi touched the surfaced of Krypton, two 
different cultures now faced each other. Each people realized at 
that point that two civilizations had just reached a critical 
juncture. It would be up to those beings present in the grotto to 
ensure that their meeting led to a peaceful joining of their two 
cultures. 

Having set their communicators to the Kryptonian tongue, Clark 
said, "My comrades and I greet you in peace. They call me Clark." 
Turning he added, "This woman is known as Lois." Pausing for a 
moment, Clark added, "The other person in our landing party is 
known as Kivi." 

Then a smiling Jor-El responded by welcoming the Earth party in 
peace and introduced his family - his soulmate Lara, his youngest 
girl Kara, and Zara his eldest daughter with her husband Ching 
holding three of their children. 

After the introductions were concluded, Clark requested that 
their spacecraft be moved to a more secure location. 

Kivi then added, "When we visited your world previously, our ship 
was fired upon by your military. Your leader sounded bellicose 
and appeared to be somewhat megalomaniacal." 

"You're right, unfortunately," Jor-El responded.  

"The military personage of whom you speak is a mentally sick 
individual. I'll have your ship attended to immediately. That 
military personage of whom you referred to is called, Ri-Nor." 

Lara further added, "Ri-Nor has a mind disorder marked by 
feelings of omnipotence and grandeur. Ri-Nor believes he is 
endowed with G-D like powers." 

Then Jor-El gestured and said that they should go into the main 
living quarters of their home. As the Earth explorers followed 
Jor-El and his family, Clark was hopeful that their journey from 
Sol-Three was the beginning of a great adventure and would be 
beneficial to both civilizations. 

***The Jor-El Household***

Once Jor-El's family with Lois, Clark, and Kivi ascended to the 
main living quarters within the El rustic abode, Clark requested 
a skin biopsy from a member of the El household. 

Without questioning Clark's request, Jor-El performed the 
procedure upon himself and placed his tissue sample on a slide 
and presented it to Clark who offered the Kryptonian cellular 
material to Kivi. Clark's spiritual brother, Kivi, then 
replicated Jor-El's biopsy procedure upon himself. 

Then using a comparator, a small optical instrument that compared 
biological material, Kivi placed Jor-El's tissue alongside his 
own cellular material and began comparing their genetic 
structures. 

As Kivi studied the skin samples, he verbalized what he 
discovered; "Each skin biopsy indicates that there are 
twenty-three chromosomal pairs in both cellular samples. The 
chromosomes of the two species are nearly identical. Any slight 
differences are probably the result of a natural mutation so the 
Kryptonian people could survive beneath their red sun." 

The genome analysis demonstrated that their Kryptonian hosts were 
beings not unlike themselves. To be more specific Clark remarked 
to all those present, "I would call our Kryptonian hosts 
genetically first cousins to the people of Earth. Our two species 
appear to be compatible, and I sincerely believe that couples who 
form between our two peoples would be genetically fertile." 

Clark added, "I cannot verify the fertility factor until we have 
experimentally demonstrated the validity of this concept." 

Looking at the people within the great room of the El abode, Kivi 
added to Clark's views by saying, "I must tell you, my family and 
friends, that I'm greatly mystified that two peoples separated by 
nearly eight billion light years are found to possess a genetic 
profile which is nearly identical. We of Sol-Three after 
traveling an immense distance are rather shocked that we should 
discover a race of people genetically and physically identical to 
our own. Let me tell you, it is an incredible discovery." 

Jor-El chimed in and commented, "We have a plethora of folk tales 
that indicate that at some time in the remote past a race of 
beings similar to ours, from beyond this universe, seeded our 
cosmic realm with their own genetic material. By this method 
these people hoped to preserve their genetic essences, which were 
perishing." 

After a sight pause, Jor added, "It is said that these highly 
intelligent beings apparently had been rendered sterile when an 
exceedingly radioactive comet suddenly entered their solar system 
and collided with their home world. The radioactivity brought by 
this unexpected comet doomed their race by bringing about 
widespread infertility. 

"With the time remaining to them within their plane of existence, 
they undertook a seeding program within several nearby dimensions 
containing huge amounts of stellar material. Special robots were 
created to continue this project after the last of their kind had 
passed beyond the pale." 

"It is said," Lara then mentioned, "that robots created by our 
forbearers, the Atlantians, are still believed to exist. They are 
said to be the guardians of the knowledge left in a magnificent 
city built by the Atlantians who acquired it over aeons - the 
length of their culturally endowed civilization."  

Jor-El then added, "There are many who believe that these robots 
inhabit a world near the rim of our cosmic expanse." 

After the El clan had expressed themselves, Lois said, "On our 
world, there are tons of folklore also describing a civilization 
known as to many nations as Atlantis. Maybe we should hunt for 
the robotic culture you've spoken about. Our search could create 
a common linkage that binds our two peoples." 

"That's a fine suggestion," Lara said, "but none of our 
spacecraft can exceed light speed velocities, which will limit 
our exploration probes." 

Kivi then said, "My family has developed interstellar vessels 
that can exceed the light speed barrier and cross the entire 
universe almost instantaneously." 

"If Kryptonian spaceships can't exceed light speed, how did your 
electromagnetic messages reach Earth?" Lois asked. 

Kivi, now pacing to and fro said, "If you will forgive my 
speculative reasoning, I believe that your electromagnetic waves 
somehow entered a wormhole which provided the Kryptonian signals 
with a shorter route to Earth as they crossed the vastness of 
space. 

"A wormhole," Kivi continued, "can be created, according to the 
concepts within Earth's scientific community. This phenomenon, 
according to the current scientific views, can be created by an 
extremely large mass, which we of Earth have named a black hole, 
that according to current theoretical concepts could cause an 
extreme amount of space-time warping and produce a tunnel like 
projection through space." 

"My soulmate and I would like to investigate that phenomenon with 
your aid," Jor-El told Kivi and the others of his family. 

"We of Earth have been itching to study the black hole concept 
and its corresponding wormhole phenomena for some time, Jor-El, 
but have been delayed for various reasons. So, if you can wait 
while we explore your planet, hopefully with your help," Lois 
added, "we'd be happy to form an investigative team with your 
clan to study the wormhole and black hole phenomena." 

At that moment, several of Jor-El's household servants brought 
the teleportation unit into the great room where the Kryptonians 
and Terrans were conversing. 

After the teleportation equipment had been incorporated into a 
small wall area in a side room off the great chamber, Zara asked, 
"What can this device accomplish?"  

After a slight pause, Clark's soulmate elucidated what the 
teleporter was capable of accomplishing. 

Then Clark explained that they would like to attempt an 
experiment with their teleportation device if the El clan was 
amenable.  

"By all means," Jor-El replied.

An experiment that would show all present whether an object could 
be teleported to Earth and back to Krypton and remain in one 
piece would be performed sometime within the next two days. Then 
the experiment would be repeated using a living test animal. If 
successful, their test would indicate that inanimate objects and 
living entities could travel between Earth and Krypton without 
the necessity of a space vehicle. 

Of course, a spaceship would be mandatory when contact was 
initially made with a new celestial body. A teleporter would need 
to be placed on a new world, with or without life forms, to 
establish a linkage between Earth or Krypton and the new 
planetary location without an interstellar craft. 

"Don't worry about some belligerent group getting their hands on 
the teleporter," Lois interjected, "and using it for ominous 
ends. We can electronically lock our transporter device. Only 
those within this room will be able to activate the teleporter 
and cause it to function. Anyone else attempting to force one of 
us to operate the teleporter will fail. Our transportation device 
will not operate under any coercive, dishonest, or bellicose 
conditions." 

Then Clark attuned each of their new family members in Lara and 
Jor-El's household to their teleportation contrivance. After 
linking the Els to the teleporter, Clark then exhaustively 
explained how the transportation device functioned. 

After understanding the workings of the teleportation unit, Jor's 
household and his new family successfully teleported to the 
Smallville. Living beings sent through the transporter over short 
distances had already been examined and found to be successful. 

Transporting the new El Clan was done to allow the ship's droids 
to recognize the Kryptonians added to the ship's crew and to 
permit the newcomers to become familiar with the ship's working 
interior. 

As the beings from two planets and cultures wandered about the 
Smallville, both groups began to realize that a strong 
relationship had already occurred between the new interstellar 
groups. 

While the El components of the family wandered about the ship, 
Kivi commented, "You guys should realize that the habitat on this 
vessel has been formulated for Earth life forms." 

Talking to Jor, Clark remarked, "Because your part of our family 
does not require special equipment to survive within the 
Smallville's environment, I doubt that you will need special 
equipment to endure when you visit our world." 

"Whether we will be able to leave this interstellar vessel," Lois 
added, "without our survival gear will depend on your 
modification experiment, Jor, and the success of our planet to 
planet teleportation trial and error test we've yet to perform." 


***The Experiment***

Back on Krypton, Clark placed a message within a metal tube and 
teleported it to Earth. In less than an hour a plastic 
transparent box containing a mouse appeared in the teleportation 
unit, within Jor and Lara's home on Krypton, alive and well. 

After thoroughly examining the rodent, which was immediately 
placed in an Earth environment, it was returned to its travel 
container and teleported back to its home world, Earth. 

A few minutes later, another message arrived which said, "Mouse 
A-Okay, Love Mom." 

Without the Earth party's knowing, Jor-El powered up the 
teleporter and went through its temporal field to Earth and 
returned healthy a few minutes later. 

Clark had to admit that he turned pale watching Jor-El enter the 
teleporter and execute his unauthorized experiment. 

"Thank G-D," CK murmured, when his examination of Jor-El found 
him in good heath. Jor just smiled and patted Clark on the 
shoulder. 

When his family and friends from Earth heard what Jor had done, 
both planetary groups screamed at him. He promised not to do 
anything that foolish and dangerous again or without consulting 
his family about his intentions. 

Then Lara took him to an adjacent room where she broke into 
tears. After her emotional outbreak, Lara verbally lambasted her 
husband, crying as she screamed at him. Then Jor took Lara in his 
arms and held her till she calmed down. 

Because of Jor's foolishness, the Terrans and Kryptonians did not 
have to perform more experimentation to confirm the safety of the 
teleportation unit. 

Although nothing appeared to afflict Jor-El, Lois, Clark, and 
Kivi made it a point to watch Jor-El for any long-range 
teleporting effects upon his life processes. Apparently there was 
none. 

About a week after the teleportation incident, Ching brought a 
device that was used upon infants to modify their genetic makeup 
when corrections were needed. 

He explained that he wanted to treat his Earth friends, whom he 
considered kin, so they could function without their protective 
garments when roving over the surface of his world. 

After some discussion with Kivi, it was decided that he would be 
the experimental subject in this case. 

After the genetic modification equipment was applied to Kivi's 
biological system, the results indicated that the genetic 
modification process was successful. Ching's instrument also 
printed out text material that specified that the solar 
components of Kivi's cells had been activated, and the subject's 
health was good and unaltered. 

When Kivi shed his protective garb with no ill effects, Lois and 
Clark were also treated by the Kryptonian genetic modification 
equipment, also with no ill effects. 

The only uncomfortable feeling that resulted without their 
outdated protective gear was the lighting used within Lara and 
Jor-El's home. 

So, with Lara and Jor's permission, Lois and Clark with the help 
of Kivi replaced the Kryptonian lighting system with an Earth 
illuminating network - the lighting was very similar to the 
radiation produced by the Earth's G-type star. The Kryptonians 
told Lois some days later that her family preferred the G-type 
radiation generated by the Earth lamps to their own Kryptonian 
illumination devices. 

***Surveillance and the Attempted Kidnapping***

Several days after Clark and his Earthly companions had their 
cellular structure modified, a Kryptonian military unit made a 
surprise visit to Jor-El's country estate. 

Although recognizing Jor-El, Lara, and their nuclear family, they 
inquired about the three unknown people residing with the El 
household. 

When Lara was questioned about their existence at the El country 
estate, Lois chimed in at that point, telling the commander of 
the military detachment that she and the two gentlemen with her 
were cousins of Lord Jor-El and the tall one, pointing to Clark, 
was her soulmate soon to be wed at the local chapel. 

"Our ancestral home," Lois added, "is in Min-Ra province over the 
Urdi Mountains to the west." 

Lois continued for a while saying, "Our uncle sent us to his 
cousin Jor-El's home to continue our education. Knowledge is 
sparse in a home to the west." 

As the military troop was about to leave, the unit leader 
commented about the lighting system within the house. It was 
different. 

"Yes it is," Lara responded, "My husband is experimenting with a 
new illumination system. As you can see, It's an experimental 
lighting arrangement," Lara again emphasized. 

"I like it," the commander of the military troop, replied. "The 
radiation is soothing to the eyes." 

Then biding the residents of the house farewell, he and his 
troopers departed the El household. 

After the military contingent had moved off, Kivi placed a red 
crystalline artifact on a table within each room they inhabited 
of the El dwelling. He suspected more unannounced visits. 

Placing a finger to his lips, a gesture asking for silence, he 
turned a hidden switch that activated all the crystalline items. 

Kivi then informed the El family, "While the red statuette 
appears to be an artistic form of sorts and would enhance the 
beauty of a room, it is in reality a surveillance detector that 
will also incapacitate all audio and video reconnaissance devices 
within a relatively large area of the house." 

Then-taking another different kind of detection device from his 
kit, Kivi discovered three sleuthing contrivances planted within 
the house and more hidden upon the forested grounds that 
surrounded the El dwelling. 

"I'll make more protective devices and show you how to fabricate 
more of these surveillance nullifiers, if you feel they are 
needed." 

Clark then added, "I also observed some of the troopers taking 
pictures of the area within the house and later of the grounds 
encompassing the estate." 

Lois then said, "I guess we can expect unwanted company on some 
dark night; I would guess in the very near future." 

From the look in everyone's eyes, all present agreed with Lois's 
verbally expressed thoughts. 

Clark then added to his fiancee's comment, "We don't have to 
worry about the video that was taken by our unexpected visitors. 
The lighting now used within the house will make their pictures 
unusable." 

Smiling after Clark's comments, Jor was satisfied that the house 
was secure from any kind of unauthorized surveillance. He then 
contacted his good friend Trey, who as all in the El household 
were aware, was the leading minister of the Kryptonian assembly. 

After they spoke for what seemed like an eternity, Jor-El ended 
his communication with Trey. As he turned towards the others in 
the room, his face was grim. 

"It seems," Jor said, "Ri-Nor has become rather interested in 
some of the people who inhabit this house. To be more specific, 
Kara, our youngest daughter.  That military unit which came to 
our home was not authorized by any government agency. It was sent 
by Ri-Nor to scout out our premises for a possible kidnapping 
attempt to procure Kara and possibly you, Lois. Trey was 
verifying his info before contacting us when I contacted him." 

Clark then announced, "We'll position a hidden surveillance 
system to observe any abnormal traffic or unwanted company 
approaching this house. Then we'll add an enhanced version of 
Kivi's surveillance instruments and place them throughout the 
house. Those mechanisms would immobilize any kind of enemy 
detection instrumentation, which could be used to find Ri-Nor's 
quarry if he managed to gain entrance to our house. Kivi's 
devices will provide our household with a normally functioning 
appearance." 

Jor and the others in the room agreed with CK's plan of 
protective action. 

"Why would Ri-Nor want to abduct your daughter, Jor-El?" Kivi 
asked with a very concerned demeanor. 

Lara quietly whispered aside to her life partner, "Kivi appears 
to be enamored with our youngest daughter." 

"I hope so," Jor responded to his wife.  "Kara is a very sweet 
but shy young lady, and that Earth boy is a jewel and would be a 
welcome son in our clan." 

Turning to Kivi, Jor said, "Please excuse me.  I keep forgetting 
that you have much to learn about the social attitudes of our 
society.  Women who are not married must be protected by their 
family groups because before a marriage takes place, unmarried 
females are considered free game and could legally be abducted. 
While the plebeians in our society have little to fear from such 
situations, the more sophisticated ladies from our noble houses 
are subject to kidnapping for several reasons. 

"If Kara were taken by Ri-Nor and held in his house for a month 
or more," Jor indicated, "my daughter would be forced to form a 
union with either the Lord of the household or with the man the 
Lord designates as a surrogate to marry in his stead. Once 
married, to say Ri-Nor's son, Ri-Nor's progeny would 
automatically inherit whatever his bride was entitled to receive 
as her inheritance. Since Kara is in the family that claims a 
First Lord within its members, her husband could assert a claim 
to the First Lord title after the reigning figure has either 
passed-on or retired." 

"What a terrible social situation," Clark cried out.

"My people are working hard to overturn this terrible law and 
make it a felony with confinement for life upon a planetary 
prison world. As you can guess, the opposition to such a change 
is formidable," Jor informed CK. "The opposition as you probably 
already have concluded is headed by Lord Ri-Nor's people." 

"Which means that Lois as well as Kara are in some danger," Clark 
commented. His statement was both an announcement and a query 
rolled into one statement. 

"Yes, I'm afraid your assumption is correct," Jor replied.

At dinner that evening, Jor-El commented to both Lois and Clark, 
"Would you two consider marrying as quickly as possible here on 
Krypton? When you've returned to your home world, you can repeat 
the civil union for your friends and relatives if that is your 
wish." 

After Jor posed the question, there was acute silence within the 
room, while Lois and Clark considered Jor's query telepathically. 
Then Lois informed Lara and Jor that marriage was a sound 
solution, and could Jor or Lara make the necessary arrangements 
for their nuptials as promptly as possible? The Earth couple's 
union would alleviate some of the stress upon the El household. 

After the Earth couple had declared their decision to marry, Kivi 
jumped in the air and shouted whoopee and adhered to the ceiling 
of the great room. After willing himself back to the floor, Kivi 
rushed over to Lois and Clark and hugged and kissed them with 
tears rushing from his eyes. 

In a more formal way, congratulations were quickly given from 
Lara, Jor-El, Kara, Zara, and Ching. 

Lara left the room to begin making the arrangements for Lois and 
Clark's conjugality, which, with a little arm-twisting of the 
local priests, was set for early the next evening. 

When Lara returned to the dining area, her household was busy 
attempting to ascertain how Kivi had soared into the air when he 
wanted to congratulate Lois and Clark. 

The Terrans and the Kryptonians decided to put off that question 
until their daily science meeting early the next day. 

Then, the group's attention again focused on Kara.

Kivi suggested that each unit in the current household be armed 
when they retired that evening. 

"While the marriage notion is marvelous," Ching stated, "we don't 
have sufficient weaponry compact enough to produce the portable 
means for our protection." 

"Just a minute," Clark said to his family, "I'll be right back."

CK then hastened to his quarters, secured his hand laser blaster 
and quickly returned to the dining area. 

After rejoining the family, Clark asked for the strongest 
material to be procured from the storeroom and taken to the rear 
of the house. 

When Jor secured a block composed of a strange looking substance, 
he led his household outside and behind his abode.  

"Place the block on the ground near that dead tree," Clark 
directed Jor-El. Then he said to Ching, "You are a military man." 
 

Jor's son-in-law nodded affirmatively. 

"Please discharge my laser blaster, as I showed you the other 
day." 

Ching did what Clark requested.

Most of the block of strange material disappeared when Ching 
discharged his weapon and became a vaporous substance. 

Although there was a slight residue that remained of Jor's 
substance, it vanished completely after a second firing of the 
laser weapon. 

When Ching tried to return the laser blaster, Clark said, "It's 
yours, my brother. I'll have the droids make more of these hand 
weapons so that each of us will possess one for our protection. I 
have a feeling we'll need them before the Lane-Kent conjoining  
ceremony has been completed." 

Later that evening in the privacy of their own quarters, Jor said 
to his wife, "We and our Earth comrades have become a close group 
of people - a family." 

Lara simply nodded her agreement. 

Continuing, Jor added, "What satisfied me that the 'Off Worlders' 
and our own household had formed a family like unit is based upon 
my observation that none of the Terrans have carried weapons 
within our home, and they showed very similar concerns for Kara 
as did her own biological kin during our mounting crisis."  

Lara again nodded her agreement with her soulmate. 

Then, Jor added, "Lara, I do believe we and our Earth friends 
have truly become a close-knit interstellar household." 

Early the following morning the Terrans and the Kryptonians 
together solved the mystery surrounding the black holes 
controversy and their effect on the immense gravitational fields 
that existed close to this natural phenomenon. The Terran - 
Krypton interstellar family fully understood for the first time 
how a black hole acted upon the bending of space-time, and the 
mechanisms that formed wormholes. 

As they were placing their black hole data into several 
computers, Lara asked her three Terran family members if she 
could determine their mental capacities using Krypton's equipment 
for such measurements. Without a second thought, the three 
Terrans agreed. 

"Sure," was their united response.

After she received a positive response, Lara said, "The reason, 
my Kin, is just plain curiosity." 

Within the hour, the tests had been completed.

The results were not surprising to Lara.

Over breakfast, Lara told them that on Krypton they would be 
considered Tam alpha primes, a designation implying individuals 
with superior genius level mental capacities. 

Lara then informed her new kin, "The pure Kryptonian part of this 
household possesses the same kind of mental abilities that our 
Earth brothers and sister possess." 

Jor-El chimed in and informed their Earth relatives, "Those of us 
in this house all possess Tam alpha prime mental credentials and 
Lara and myself with my children and Ching are the first such Tam 
alpha primes to have appeared on Krypton in nearly a hundred 
thousand years." 

Lara added, "You three Earth people, I believe, are probably the 
first of your kind to exist on your home world. As long as you 
and your progeny form genetic unions with other Tam alpha prime 
partners, your mentally superior abilities will appear in each 
future generation of your people." 

"So," Jor further commented, "Lara and I expect your offspring to 
possess the same mental capacities as their parents. On Earth, 
you may have to suppress that knowledge to protect yourselves and 
any progeny you conceive against exploiters of people. On Krypton 
that kind of exploitation is not a problem. Creative individuals 
are admired within our culture, and that kind of individual is 
protected by our society." 

As Kara was helping her mother clean the table, she tripped and 
would have taken a nasty fall if it were not for Kivi, who caught 
her just before she struck the floor. 

As Kivi caught Kara, an unknown biological current appeared to 
rush through both Kivi and Kara causing a bonding condition 
between the Terran and Kryptonian. 

That evening Kara had a serious conversation with her parents and 
began her discussion by saying, "Mom, Dad, I believe I've found 
my soulmate, but there many be a problem."  

"Who is this individual?" Lara immediately asked.

"Kivi," Kara informed her parents.

Then Kara explained the events causing their soulmate union. She 
ended her story by telling her mother and father that she didn't 
think that Kivi was aware of what had occurred although he, too, 
felt the bonding event. 

"I'll attempt to take care of your dilemma, Kara," Jor-El said to 
his daughter. 

Early the next morning, Jor drew Kivi aside and asked the young 
Terran to walk with him in the gardens. 

During their stroll, Jor-El explained the soulmate concept and 
the initial bonding experience that two individuals usually 
perceived when their souls coalesced. 

"So," Kivi responded, "that current I felt was a bonding 
phenomenon between Kara and myself.  How does Kara feel about 
this situation?" Kivi asked. "If she doesn't wish to pursue any 
kind of relationship with me, please tell her that I understand 
and accept her feelings." 

"Thank you for being so understanding, Kivi," Jor replied.

As the two scientists parted to ready themselves for Lois and 
Clark's nuptials which would be occurring that evening, Jor-El 
thought to himself, "What a unique and honest person Kivi has 
shown himself to be. Kara is a very fortunate young woman." 

After the union of Lois and Clark the newly married couple was 
given Kryptonian names for security protection - Lo-El and 
Kal-El. Then, using their new appellations, microdots, with all 
the info that Jor-El could supply, were specially etched onto the 
back of each new soulmate legally binding them into one entity. 

After a honeymoon at a plush vacation spa called the Pleasure 
Dome of Yorra, Lois and Clark returned to their rustic Krypton 
home. When Lois and Clark entered their home, the newlyweds were 
pleasantly surprised by a gala given in their honor by Lara and 
her soulmate. 

Within several days, Lois and Clark had settled into a normal 
routine. One day, Lois happened to notice that Kara and Kivi were 
making every attempt to avoid one another. For example, times 
spent working in the various labs were set up so that Kara and 
Kivi were never present simultaneously. 

Lois finally asked Kivi what was the trouble between Kara and 
himself? 

Taking a deep breath, Kivi said to Lois, "Kara and I are 
soulmates. We discovered that fact quite by accident. Jor-El told 
me that the strange feelings that came over me when Kara and I 
touched signified that we were destined to form a life 
partnership. After understanding finally came to me, I was noble, 
but foolhardy. Because of my harebrained utterances, I expressed 
to Jor-El of my gallantry that provided Kara a way out if she 
didn't wish to proceed with a close relationship that commenced 
with our sudden physical contact. Later, I found out through Lara 
that Kara was relieved when she heard my high-principled 
declarations releasing her from any obligations to me. Kara 
informed her parents that she would have found it nearly 
impossible to play house with an off-worlder." 

"Ouch," Lois replied.

"Tomorrow, I'll teleport back to Earth," Kivi told Lois. "From 
there," Kivi added, "I'll work on our projects from the 
subterranean location below the Kent farm. It hurts too much to 
be near someone you love knowing there is no reciprocation of 
your affections." 

By five-am on the following day, Kivi had vanished from Krypton.

*** The Assault On The House of EL***

Following Kivi's departure, no one seemed to miss the Earth bred 
scientist for at least twenty-four hours. This lack of the El 
Clan's usual acute awareness was probably induced by the great 
excitement concerning the unusual dynamic abilities developing 
among the individuals living in Lara and Jor-El's abode. 

The next day, at the early morning conference, Kivi was not 
present. Nothing was said because at times one or more of the El 
research group would over sleep due to a long night of laboratory 
work or studying the many topics that attracted their interest. 

When, at the next research conference Kivi's name was called with 
no response, there was great concern. 

Jor, because a key player was absent twice from the group's 
sunrise meetings, adjourned the gathering and began searching for 
the location of his Earth compatriot. 

At breakfast later that morning, Jor reported to his extended 
family that Kivi had left their abode more than a day ago and 
quit Krypton. 

Lois wept and said, "He really left. I didn't believe him when we 
had a discussion about...love and the understanding that is 
required to make it work. 

"It was during our talk that Kivi informed me that Lara had told 
him of Kara's dispassionate feeling for him. Since Lara's 
daughter implied that she didn't possess any great affection for 
Kivi, he  decided that he couldn't remain on this world and watch 
her form a union with another individual. I believe," Lois added, 
 "it would have stifled his desire to live. Since the command to 
live is a command among his people, any desire to take his life 
would violate the bonds between his G-d and himself." 

Kara was not present at breakfast that day so she was not privy 
to the information passed by Lois to Lara and her soulmate. 

As Jor-El and Lara returned to their studies into deep space 
phenomenon, such as wormholes and parallel universes beyond their 
own, they decided not to tell Kara what Lois had imparted to 
them. It would only cause their daughter more strife. 

Very early in the morning, about a week later, the house was 
invaded with masked Kryptonians warriors, who dropped from the 
air in swift helicopter like air ships. They were instructed to 
capture any unmarried women in the El house. Married women and 
their mates possessed microdots that sent out a signal which 
could be tracked and their base of operation located. 

As the brigands attempted to overrun the El abode, desperate 
fighting ensued in which neither side received nor gave quarter. 

When the battle ended, all the plunderers were dead except those 
who escaped with Kara as a captive. 

From the remains of a few freebooters, Jor and Lara recognized 
members of the Norian clan, men who were part of Ri-Nor's 
personnel retinue. 

After the assault on the El household, Jor told his 
Earth-Kryptonian family to use the Earth laser blasters and 
completely obliterate the remains of the dead Norians. Lara and 
Jor feared that government troops would soon arrive, and seeing 
dead bodies would empower a committee to ascertain who assaulted 
Lara and Jor-El's home. 

The subsequent investigation would be lengthy and would exceed, 
in all probability, the monthly hiatus in which the abductors 
could not market or marry-off Kara to another member of the 
abductor's household. However, without any bodies, no 
investigation could occur and the El household could start 
searching for Kara almost immediately. 

So, without more rhetoric, Jor, Ching, and Clark, using the laser 
blasters, expunged the remains of the lifeless Norians. 

Within an hour, as Jor predicted, a governmental police patrol 
arrived. Finding nothing, they departed a half hour later from 
Lara and Jor's rustic home. 

When the last of the police detachment had departed, Jor turned 
to Clark and said, "I'm sure my brother had a hand in this 
operation, bless his black little heart." 

Then, Clark placed his arm about Jor-El and said, "We'll get Kara 
back. I don't know how, as yet, but I'm positive it will be 
accomplished, or your brother will depart this world." 

After the evening again quietly descended on Lara and Jor's 
abode, the El household returned to their individual apartments. 
As Lois and her husband rested, Clark said, "If we had a daughter 
and she were abducted, I'd hunt down the thieving varmints and 
string them up from the nearest tree." 

When Lois turned over, she placed her head on Clark's chest  
commenting that she just liked to hear the sound of his heart 
beating.  

As Clark heard the beating of his soulmate's heart, Clark 
commented, "Your heart rhythm is such that I can locate you, my 
love, even at great distances. I think I could find you across 
the cosmos because of our soulmate bond." 

Suddenly Clark sat up. Holding Lois so she wouldn't fall off the 
bed, he remarked, "Soulmates! Kivi and Kara are soulmates even if 
she apparently despises Kivi because of his origins." 

"I wonder how Kara will treat our kids," Lois murmured to Clark

"I don't know," Lois's husband replied. "I'd bet her feelings 
wouldn't be very warmhearted to our kids." 

Getting out of bed, Clark dressed and was off to find Jor.

Encountering his despondent friend wandering the halls of his 
home, Clark informed his friend what he and his wife had 
discerned about soulmate interactions. 

"Son," Jor said, "if we can locate Kivi, maybe my daughter Kara 
can be located by their soulmate connection." 

Then Jor said to CK, "We must locate Kivi and it must be now."

***Kara's Predicament***

As Clark and Jor sought Kivi on Earth, Kara was brought face to 
face with her abductor, Ri-Nor. This man had planned and executed 
Kara's kidnapping for political goals, the most base of reasons. 

Ri-Nor, her abductor, with a smirk on his face, said, "Welcome to 
my home, Lady Kara. You'll find that your new abode will be 
comfortable, but not as luxurious or as liberal as the El 
accommodations. Never the less, you better get use to our habitat 
for your own sake. 

"With the help of your uncle," Ri-Nor added, "it will take more 
than a month for Jor-El to break free from the government 
interrogators. Thanks to Jor-El's brother, my dear, you shall be 
lost to your family, permanently. So," Ri-Nor continued, "you 
will be, shall we say, under my protection forever, since a 
search will not be mounted before the legal deadline for your 
return has run-out. Since the time line will soon  place you in 
my custody, I require you to sign this official document." 

After perusing the paper set before her, Kara stated, "I guess 
you are familiar with the amendment to the kidnapping law." Kara 
smirked. "To remind you, the changes to the abduction rules 
indicate that the woman taken under such conditions must agree 
that she wishes to stay with her abductor of her own freewill. 
That's what your document is specifying - of my own freewill. I 
will not sign such a fraudulent paper. 

"That means," Kara added, "that anything that happens to me will, 
sooner or later, bring you before the law. And nobody in our 
society is above the law, not even my stupid uncle whom you will 
kill to fulfill your mentally warped goals." 

"Now, Kara," Ri-Nor said in a threatening manner, "you don't want 
me to use force to make you sign my document." Ri-Nor then 
acquired a nerve whip and lashed out at Kara several times 
causing her excruciating pain. Kara did not utter a sound. 

Frustrated, Ri-Nor ordered Kara to be placed in a cell and not be 
provided with either bread or water until she cooperated with the 
officials of the Nor clan. 

Once a day, Ri-Nor would visit Kara's confinement area and tell 
her to sign his document. She wouldn't look nor speak with the 
psychopathic leader of the Nor clan.  

One day she spit in his face. Ri-Nor's retaliation was a flogging 
with a nerve whip.  Ri-Nor then repeated his demand and was again 
greeted with silence. After a few moments, Kara felt the Nor 
Chieftain's instrument of pain again, his flashing nerve whip. 

***The search For Kivi***

Teleporting to Earth, Kivi had set about working on a new 
Smallville class Interstellar vessel. 

He was now working with the droids to complete his work on the 
new spacecraft. 

After teleporting to Earth, Jor and Clark left the hidden grotto 
and proceeded toward the Kent farmhouse. 

Meeting his mother along the path to his boyhood home, Clark 
asked Martha if she had seen Kivi.  

"In fact I have," Martha responded.  "Jonathan and I break bread 
with him almost every evening.  However, the other day he 
received a message from his family's home in Philadelphia," 
Martha said, "telling him that his mother was gravely ill and he 
should come home right away." 

Clark knew the location of Kivi's Earthly abode and after saying 
adieu to his mother and father, he and Jor appropriated one of 
Clark's air cars hidden within the grotto and traveled to the 
city of brotherly love and located Kivi's family's home. 

Entering Kivi's home in the city by the Delaware river, they were 
met by Debra, Kivi's younger sister. She was beautiful and, as 
they later learned, a highly intelligent and beautiful young 
woman possessing a similar character as her brother. 

After Clark introduced Jor-El as Jordan, he asked Deb what 
medical problem was ailing her mother. 

"The big C," was her reply.  "Mom has cancer."

"Cancer?" Jor asked CK.

"It's a disease of the cells," Clark informed Jor.

"A malignancy?" Jor queried Debra.

"Yeah," she replied and burst into tears.

"May I see your mother?" Clark asked Kivi's sister.

Debbie then led Clark and Jor-El to her mother's room.

As they entered Debra's mother's quarters, Kivi looked up, 
smiled, and remarked, "Hi, guys. Glad you came." 

While Clark talked to Kivi, Jor in a tranquil manner examined 
Sara, Kivi and Debra's only surviving family member. 

As Clark and Kivi looked on, they used Kryptonian telepathic 
methods to maintain a private conversation. Kivi was informed of 
the assault on the El household and of Kara's subsequent 
abduction. CK then told Kivi that Lois had devised a scheme to 
ascertain where Kara was being incarcerated. Kivi immediately 
asked what was her game plan. Clark replied that Kivi could 
discern Kara's location from her heart rhythmic beat. 

While Debbie was attempting to understand the chatter between 
Clark and her brother, Jor removed a vile from his person 
containing an anti-cancer drug and inoculated Sarah with the 
Kryptonian medication. 

By the following day, Sara's ravaged body was improving at a 
remarkable rate. Her attending physicians were astonished. 

Hearing the healer's report, Kivi knew that Jor had given his 
mother a special medication. Later he would thank his friend. 

When Kivi quietly asked Jor, "Will my mother survive?" the reply 
was an affirmative response. 

Several days later day, Kivi's sister was informed that her 
brother was about to leave and probably wouldn't return for some 
time. Not wanting to lose contact with Kivi again, she told her 
sibling that she had decided to come with him. Although he 
refused profusely, Kivi eventually lost his protractile verbal 
conflict with his sister. 

Debra, knowing that her mother would regain her health and would 
be well cared for, wanted to travel with her older brother during 
his next series of adventures. That was the basic reason why she 
took such an argumentative stance. What she didn't know was that 
Kivi needed to return to Krypton post haste to begin searching 
for Kara. 

When the four member party reached the teleporter under the Kent 
farm, Jor-El performed several procedures on Debra. First, she 
underwent the genetic modification procedure so she could survive 
on Krypton without protective gear, and second he tested her 
mental ability and found that, like her brother, she was a Tam 
alpha prime, and possessed a mental capacity which was above the 
normal intellectual scale. Finally, she was provided with a 
communicator and shown how to operate the speech mechanism. 

After all was in readiness, Jor and his party went through the 
teleportation device. 

As the party emerged on Krypton, Debra asked, in amazement, "Have 
we crossed over to a different world?" 

After Debra was on Earth's sister planet, Clark said to their 
newest companion, "Deb, until you understand the lay of the land, 
you must be very careful and stay close to Lois, my wife, and 
myself as much as possible." Smiling at his charge, Clark said, 
"Deb, this can be a very dangerous world especially for unmarried 
females. One of the reasons Kivi returned to Krypton is to help 
discover the whereabouts of Kara, your brother's soulmate. She  
has been abducted and may be in great danger." 

Returning to Lara and Jor's country estates, Debra was welcomed 
and a family bash soon followed celebrating Kivi's return to the 
El clan. 

As the party at the El home continued, Clark disappeared for a 
while and upon his return announced that the shuttle was ready 
for lift off. The needed supplies were loaded for the coming 
adventure. 

A half-hour after the loading process commenced, all necessary 
provisions and weaponry had been placed aboard the shuttle. 
Within the hour, the ship was airborne and headed for Nor's 
encampment. 

While traveling toward Nor's fortress, all the massive laser 
blasters, which protected the El Shuttle, were made operational. 

****The Battle for Kara***

It was night when the shuttlecraft set down within the courtyard 
of Ri-Nor's strong hold. Since the shuttle possessed a stealthy 
shield, none of the warriors within the vicinity of the invading 
ship could see the El Vessel and ascertain where the airship had 
alighted. 

When the night became black as pitch, at moonset, the men from 
the shuttle disembarked, each carrying enough weaponry to start a 
small war. 

The women - Lara, Zara, and Debra - under Lois's command, stayed 
in the ship and manned the powerful laser blasters which would be 
used to cover their men's actions, if needed. 

Entering Ri-Nor's citadel, the El warriors made their way toward 
the confinement area - Trey had supplied Jor and his family with 
a schematic that described Ri-Nor's fortress's facilities. 

Reaching the prison area, Kivi, brandishing a Cherokee tomahawk 
and a Bowie blade, took out the guards. 

"The fates are with us," Clark presumed. "Lady Luck was a good 
chaperone for this affair, this evening." 

A few minutes later they discovered a second guardroom where 
three troopers were stationed near a particular cell. 

Holding up his hand for quiet, Kivi quietly remarked, "I'll take 
them down. My special military training makes me the obvious 
choice to eliminate these Norian soldiers." 

True to his word, Kivi accomplished what he set out to do. Jor 
thought to himself, I wouldn't ever question Kivi's comments 
again as foolish and boastful. 

Opening the cell, they saw Kara huddled on the floor of her 
cage. 

Rushing to his daughter, Jor-El picked her up and a few seconds 
later all members of the rescue team were headed for the exit of 
Ri-Nor's stronghold post haste. 

As the rescue party scooted across the grass and into the 
secondary corridors leading toward the El ship, they were 
suddenly intercepted by Ri-Nor himself flanked by a score of his 
best warriors. 

Seeing the enemy force, Jor and his band moved quickly along the 
auxiliary corridors of the Norian citadel. As they hustled along, 
one of Ri-Nor's sycophants, a captain of Ri-Nor's troopers, asked 
Jor and his family, "Just where do you think you're going?" 

"Home," Ching said with a smirk.

"This will be your permanent home," Yir-Nor, Nor's captain, 
mockingly spat as he drew his rapier preparing to attack his 
intended prey. 

"No more talk," Jor-El heard from Kivi. "Take Kara to the 
shuttle, Jor, and I'll take care of these motley troopers." Then 
he charged the totally surprised Norian warriors. Following him 
was Clark and Ching discharging their blasters and bringing down 
nine of the Norian fighting men. 

Reaching the remaining and stunned Norian warriors, Kivi's 
Tomahawk and Bowie knife began slaughtering the remaining 
Ri-Nor's military contingent, always pushing his way forward 
toward Ri-Nor, the Clan's chieftain who had arrived on the 
scene. 

Before he could flee, Ri-Nor came face to face with his greatest 
antagonist, Kivi, Kara's unwanted soulmate. Drawing in rapier, 
Ri-Nor rushed towards his advisory. Kivi held his ground and as 
Kara's abductor raised his weapon, Kivi stepped close to Ri-Nor 
and broke his antagonist's rapier with his Bowie knife and then 
severed his head from his torso with one mighty slashing cut from 
his tomahawk. 

After dispatching Ri-Nor, Kivi looked around for more potential 
advisories. 

Stunned by the death of their leader, the few remaining Norian 
fighting men fled. 

As Kivi and the other rescuers reached the shuttle, Kivi 
momentarily looked over the battlefield and saw a mass of dead 
troopers. He momentarily stood still until Ching shook him by his 
shoulder and said, "Kivi, let's get out of here." Then the three 
remaining warriors boarded the shuttle. Several minutes later the 
El flying craft was cruising above the Norian encampment firing 
their big guns randomly and virtually destroying the stronghold 
and slaying many people during their attack. 

*** Home Again***

On the way back to Jor's home, the women treated what wounds the 
men had suffered during the raid. Debra cleaned up and bandaged 
several relatively severe hits on Kivi's body and treated other 
slightly injured areas on his body with antibiotic ointments. 
Lois cleaned two wounds after she first anesthetized her 
husband's mutilated areas. Then, Lois, with Lara's help, dug 
metal fragments from Clark's damaged tissue. 

Others were treated in the same manner during the flight home.

When the shuttle landed and was again stored in its grotto hanger 
beneath the El house, most of the guys were again functioning, at 
least to some degree. 

When Ching, who believed he was the last to make his way to the 
main level of the El home, disappeared up the stairway, Kivi 
slowly appeared from his hiding place and slowly and painfully 
walked toward the teleporter and entered the device. After a few 
minutes Kivi crossed into Earth's space. 

After returning to his home world, Kivi found his old apartment 
in the Grotto beneath the Kent homestead and fell exhausted into 
his sack. Before falling into a deep sleep, he smiled knowing 
that Kara was safe in her home again and she would find a life 
partner of her own choosing. 

***The man Who Wasn't There***

After the El group refreshed themselves with a night of rest, 
they gathered for breakfast and to the surprise of everyone, 
especially Lara and Jor-El, their middle child, Dar-El, their 
only son, had returned from school for a visit. 

Extremely overjoyed about their son's visit, Lara and Jor 
introduced him to their enlarged household. Then they presented 
Kivi's sister, Debra to the family members who had not met her. 
As she was introduced to Dar, she and Dar felt a strong emotional 
interest in one other. 

Later that afternoon, Dar and Debra ambulated through the rose 
garden and became better acquainted. In their discussions that 
afternoon, Deb and Dar debated the meaning of the emotional 
attraction that was developing between them. 

At dinner, when Kivi's name was again mentioned, Jor realized 
that the Earth lad had not been seen nor heard from since the El 
rescue force had come back from the Norian conflict. Because of 
the commotion over Lara and Jor's boy, the El household had 
overlooked Kivi's absence. It was not until their present meal 
that those within the house of El realized that Kivi had not been 
present for some time. 

When Debra became aware that her brother was missing, she started 
to approach a hysterical state. 

Lara, seeing Debra's distress, immediately moved to the young 
woman's side and attempted to calm Debbie's deep concerns about 
her brother. Then Lara added, "Remain calm, Debra. We'll find 
him. Your brother and my youngest are soulmates, and having some 
difficulty in working things out is interfering with their 
union." 

Looking at Lara, Debbie disclosed, "Kivi believes that Kara has 
rejected him and is keeping her distance from him."  

After a slight pause, Lara added, "Now both my daughter and Kivi 
are confused.  If they are not sure of their feelings at this 
point in their courting, Kivi and Kara most probably have no 
future together." 

Then Lara took Debra in her arms so that both ladies could 
console each other. "I hope what you say, Debra, is not valid." 

At that point Kara, on the arm of a handsome young buck called 
Bar-Ra, entered the dining room. He was a cousin by marriage to 
Sor-El, Jor-El's scorned brother. 

As the El clan watched over the next few weeks, to their dismay, 
Bar-Ra's courtship of Kara-El increased substantially. 

Early one morning before Bar-Ra had arisen, Kara said to her 
mother, "Can be talk?" 

Smiling, Lara said, "Of course, my child."

Pausing for a moment, Kara then said, "Bar-Ra if not for me. It 
seems that all he wants is to ferret information from me whenever 
either he or I attempt to talk about us." 

Kara continued, "I want father to ask Bar-Ra to leave our house. 
My interest in him has waned over the past week. He's not for me, 
Mom." 

It was almost fortuitous, for late that night, Dar-El discovered 
Bar-Ra rifling through the research cabinet of the El clan. In 
the scuffle that followed, Dar was seriously wounded by Bar-Ra. 

Hearing the commotion in the space lab, Debra rushed into the 
room and saw Bar-Ra removing his rapier from Dar-El's side. 

Drawing her own blade, Debra ran Bar-Ra through a few seconds 
later.  

As Kivi's sister worked feverishly on her soulmate to check the 
blood flow from his wound, she signaled for help. 

Within minutes, the El family had gathered about Debbie and the 
partially mutilated son of Lara and Jor-El. 

When Lara reached her son, she had him placed on a gurney and 
rapidly taken to the surgical area.  There, Lara, a master 
physician, helped by Debra, saved her son's life. 

When Dar was placed in a recovery room, his soulmate sat by his 
side holding his hand and crying buckets. 

After Dar had stabilized, Jor asked his family what had 
occurred. 

"From what we gathered," Clark said, "Bar-Ra had his weapon out 
of its scabbard when your son attempted to draw his rapier.  
Bar-Ra wounded Dar and Debbie, seeing what had occurred, 
dispatched Bar-Ra and called for help while attempting to stifle 
Dar's bleeding and suture his injury. 

Lara, after hearing the events that occurred, turned to her 
husband and said,  "We should prepare for a wedding."  

Jor, taking his beloved's hand, just nodded in agreement.


***Uncle Sor-El Comes A Visiting***

The day following the conflict in the lab area, Lois and Clark 
were preparing a search pattern to locate Kivi. 

As preparations were being made, Zara suddenly rushed into the 
recovery room. She hurriedly went to her father and whispered, 
"Uncle Sor-El is coming."  

"This visit," Jor commented, "is quite an unexpected event." 

Lara then added, "His unannounced visit is extremely rude, to say 
the least." 

"Zara," Jor commented, "your Uncle Sor believes that he lowers 
himself when he has to deal with me face to face. So, my dear, 
Sor-El always treats me in a very discourteous manner. Coming 
unannounced is one of those methods. It is one way he attempts to 
humiliate me in front of my family and friends. Such an attitude 
gives Sor a feeling of superiority in my presence. 

"I believe," Jor commented to Lois, "if Sor-El could get away 
with an assassination attempt, he would have had me killed and 
married Lara to one of his cohorts so she could be sexually 
abused for treating him with contempt." 

Lois then voiced her shocked views by saying, "I now understand 
why Sor visits your home armed and unannounced. He's attempting 
to show everybody that he has power over you and your household.  
By acting in this inappropriate manner, he has actually belittled 
himself and weakened his governmental position. He knows that 
Trey will oppose him politically, which will lose his bid to 
serve for a second tour of duty."  Angry, Lois made her way to 
the external exit to the El abode. 

Reaching the house door, Lois opened the entranceway of El 
household and asked, "Who should I say is calling." Then Lois, 
with Clark next to his wife, waited in silence for a reply.  

Sor-El first said nothing. Then becoming enraged at the silence, 
he said in a loud voice, "Tell the head klutz of the house that 
Sor-El has arrived and demands to be admitted."  

Lois said, "A head Klutz does not live here," and quietly closed 
the door.  

Sor-El then pounded upon the door yelling, "Open this door if you 
value your life."  

When Lois opened the door for the second time, Sor-El said, "Tell 
my brother that the First Lord has arrived and demands an 
entrance to his abode."  

Lois said, "Whoever you are, you cannot demand entrance to 
anyone's home without a writ. No one is above the Law." 

At that point, Sor-El was about to strike Clark's wife. Then, 
Clark warned Sor-El that if he harmed one hair of his soulmate's 
head, he would not see the next sunrise. When Sor-El appeared to 
be threatened, his military escort moved forward. 

At that moment Jor-El stepped in the doorway passage and said, 
"There is a message for the First Lord. Trey is on the 
communication band." 

As Sor-El moved toward the communication device, Jor-El informed 
his brother that Trey had heard the entire brouhaha over the info 
line. "A just retribution, don't you think." 

Jor-El stepped outside his home, followed by Clark carrying a 
concealed laser blaster for their protection. Lois and Ching, 
also armed, stood at two different windows of the house covering 
both Jor and Clark. 

"Who is that man by your side?" Sor-El demanded of his brother.

"A friend," was his reply.

"I'd like to know his name," Sor-El demanded and waited.

"A name to be used in one of your future retribution schemes," 
Jor-El stated. 

After a few seconds, Sor-El understood the sequence of events 
that had been occurring and reluctantly asked to enter Jor's 
home. Although his request was in a softer tone, The First Lord's 
hatred of his brother was evident on his face. 

When the El house door was closed after his entrance, Sor-El 
asked harshly, "Why, my brother, have you treated me with such 
contempt?" 

"Your memory is short, Sor-El. Let me remind you of all the times 
you purposely embarrassed me or attempted to do so." 

After a pause, Jor-El altered the subject and said quietly to his 
brother, "The next time you are involved in the abduction of an 
El family member, I will kill you and drag your carcass through 
the streets of the capital." 

Then, Jor, pointing to Clark said, "This man is a relative from 
the Min-Ra province over the mountains to the west and is called 
Kal-El. That also makes him a relative of yours, Sor-El." 

The First Lord flinched at the thought of this social barbarian 
being a relative of his. 

"From boyhood, Sor-El, you had always been a social climber, and 
as you slowly matured as the First Lord, you've evolved into a 
malevolent snob." 

Having learned that Jor-El would not permit any further kind of 
insolence from this day forward, Sor-El knew that he would have 
to behave himself in Jor-El's presence forever more. 

Although Sor-El had traveled with his palace guard, they were 
basically for his protection against bandits or political 
enemies. He knew that protection would most likely not be needed 
at his sibling's home. 

Asking Jor's permission to enter his home in a polite manner 
would gain him entrance to his brother's dwelling for shelter and 
food and drink for himself. 

Asking Jor's permission to enter his home, it was granted.

While the hostility between the El brothers was occurring within 
the El house, the First Lord's protective military detachment was 
being nourished by Lady Lara. 

Once the social etiquette between the two El brothers was 
settled, Sor-El asked Lara whether she had had enough of his dear 
brother's company and would make a home with him.  

"I don't know how frequently your statement has been uttered, 
Sor, but that answer to your sexual thought will always be same, 
a negative reply, no." 

Then Jor's beloved wife asked, "Why do you persist in this 
annoying charade?" 

"Because, my dear Lara, it is legal to ask my question and it 
disquiets my dear brother, and I do enjoy giving him the 
needle." 

Looking over the company in the room, he saw Lois. Getting up, he 
started ambulating toward CK's wife. 

As he moved, Clark stood and said, "As I indicated before, place 
your filthy hands on her and you die where you stand. That's a 
promise." 

Knowing that Lois could take care of herself, Clark had to stop 
this jerk before Lois took this blockhead apart limb by limb. 

Looking at CK, Sor-El then said, "Do you want to sell her? I 
could use a fresh concubine. The others in my household bore me. 
I need some fresh meat." 

"Disgusting," Clark said in an odious voice.

Clark, then looking as if he wanted to slaughter Jor's brother, 
said, in a deadly voice, "Sor-El, know that  Lo-El and I are 
soulmates and have a love that will extend beyond time." Pausing 
for a moment, Clark added, "A forever kind of love is one that 
will continue beyond our deaths and extend beyond forever and a 
day." 

"You know, Kal-El, if you made a move towards me I would have 
killed you." 

"That may be true, Sor-El," Clark replied, "but my soulmate would 
have taken your liver from its body and thrown it to the 
hounds." 

Hearing that statement, Sor-El turned an ungainly color.

Looking at Lois, Sor-El knew that what Kal-El had spoken was 
true. 

Lara smiled as her brother-in-law said, "She's not worth it.  Too 
skinny." 

"That's a funny statement," Clark said, "I always thought that 
she had a gorgeous figure." 

Just as the verbal conflict between Clark and Jor's imbecilic 
brother terminated, Kara entered the room. 

Turning to see who else was present, Sor-El spied Kara and became 
somewhat pale. It was obvious to all present that he was 
surprised to see her and what Jor stated previously about 
kidnapping was clearly valid. 

Recovering his demeanor, Sor said, "My dear Kara, you are one of 
the reasons I'm here. I'd heard that you were abducted. My 
information was obviously incorrect. I did come to offer any 
assistance to my brother's family that I could muster." 

Jor said, "Thank you for your concern, but please recall what I 
said."  

As Sor-El was leaving, he stopped aside Debra and asked her what 
she was doing in this neck of the woods? 

Without hesitation Debbie said, "I've come to visit Lara and Jor 
with my brother, Kivi. He's presently studying a very large 
caldera situated in the TURSI mountain range. He feels that it 
should be studied in detail for the safety of the Kryptonian 
people." 

Her statement and the rapidity with which she delivered her reply 
satisfied Sor-El, who now exited Lara and Jor-El's home and 
quickly departed their estates with his military entourage. 

Jor walked up to his new guest and said, "Well done, my good and 
faithful daughter. You think well on your feet." 

Seeing her uncle Sor jolted Kara from her mental stupor.
 
Kara then told her family that in her tete-a-tete with Ri-Nor she 
had learned that her uncle Sor was heavily involved with her 
abduction. She surmised that The First was involved in her 
kidnapping for political reasons. 

"Your accusation concerning your uncle is almost unbelievable," 
Jor said. "However," Jor added, "Sor-El wouldn't be the first 
politico who worked against his own blood. Unfortunately, It's 
also not the first time that this kind of treachery has occurred 
in the long history of Kryptonian society." 

After Jor's unkindly comments about Krypton's high society, Kara 
moved closer to Kivi's sibling and asked, "How did you learn of 
the large caldera?" 

"After Kivi's first trip to Krypton, he told me about some of his 
adventures and discoveries. In our discussions the super volcano 
slipped into our dialogue. He indicated that if a super volcano 
became activated, the highest life forms on a planet would 
probably be eradicated." 

"Can you tell me where this caldera is located," Jor asked.

"All that I recall is the TURSI mountain range," Debbie 
remarked. 

"Now, my brethren," Jor said, "let's find our wayward brother, 
Kivi. 

"It's about time," Ching commented. He then added, "Our first 
destination I believe should be Earth. Kivi is carrying one of 
our locator devices. If he's there, Kivi should be easy to 
track." 

Within several hours, Jor, Clark, Ching, and Kara, were off and 
being transported eight billion light years across the wilderness 
of space. 

***Finding Kivi***

Choosing Earth as their starting point was fortuitous because as 
soon as the family from Krypton exited the transporter at its 
Earth portal their locators went off simultaneously. Finding the 
source of their locator signal almost immediately, the people 
from Krypton beheld Kivi busily employed with the droids 
completing a new interstellar star ship, which would be 
designated the Smallville II. 

Running over to Kivi, each one of the El family members in turn 
gave him a hug, even Kara managed a hug and added a passionate 
kiss to her soulmate. 

"Hey, guys," Kivi said, "I'm glad to see you all, too."

Then turning and pointing to the new intergalactic vessel, Kivi 
said, "Isn't the ship a beauty? The droids are now checking out 
all of her systems. This vessel will soon be joining  her sister 
ship in the cosmic void near Krypton," Kivi told Jor and his 
family. 

Jor smiled and after meditating for a while said, "Genius is the 
stuff of progress in both peace and war. Without the things 
produced by such people, a civilization is doomed to perish. 
Political decisions, as we all have learned, generally stifle 
progress. That ship which Kivi and his droids have fabricated 
supports that fact all too well." 

After discussing the Smallville II for sometime, Kivi took Kara 
by the arm shyly and with sensitivity said, "Why did you travel 
with kin to locate me? I thought you didn't want to see or be in 
my presence for all time to come. I am confused, my lady." 

Kara then grabbed Kivi and brushed his lips passionately with 
hers. As their lips met, they both felt their lip lock generate a 
soulmate current, which rushed through their bodies down to their 
toes. Kivi and Kara's osculation had reestablished their soulmate 
bond and a forever kind of love, a love without ending. 

After the El family group completed looking over the new ship, 
Jor said, "Krypton awaits us." 

Kivi and Kara, however, decided to stay on Earth for a while and 
visit with Kivi's mom. Jor just told the newly engaged couple to 
return home when their visit had been concluded. "If I'm correct, 
Jor said,  "your services, Kivi, will be needed expeditiously 
concerning a trek through the void that the family has been 
planning for some weeks." 

As Jor and his family group headed back to Krypton, Kivi and his 
new fiancee started their trip towards Philadelphia for a meeting 
with Kivi's mother. 

After a warm visit with Kivi's mom, which lasted several days, 
Kara and Kivi rejoined the El clan on Krypton. 

After the two lovers arrived at the El household, Lara was 
already planning Kara and Kivi's nuptials with the aid of Lois, 
Debra, and Kara's sister Zara. 

In a quiet discussion, Kara told her mother that she told Kivi's 
mom that she was welcome to her son's and her wedding. While Lara 
didn't disagree with her daughter's gracious invitation, there 
was a major obstacle concerning bringing Ms. Liron to the nuptial 
ceremonies between Kara and Kivi, which naturally would be held 
on Krypton. The fundamental criteria dealing with Kivi's mother 
was keeping her alive after her transport to Krypton. This 
situation obviously had to be solved if Kivi's mom were to attend 
the marriage ceremony. So, off Lara went to visit with Lois and 
Clark, the two miracle workers from Earth, as she often referred 
to them. 

After Lara informed Clark and his wife of Mrs. Liron's problem, 
Clark asked Lois what was the time needed to complete such a 
project.  

"Seven weeks," was Lois's prompt reply. CK just rolled his eyes 
and went to find the necessary material for their endeavor. 

Fortunately for Lara, Clark and his wife were very gifted 
creators when it came to producing ideas and devices to work out 
difficult  problems. 

Development on the Mrs. Liron's survival equipment began soon, 
and Lois and Clark struggled with the problem almost day and 
night for nearly three weeks until they devised a fluid system 
that would enter Mrs. Liron's body through a vein in her leg and 
function like a  miniature dialysis unit. The fluid would enable 
Kivi's mom's biological system to be capable of withstanding the 
Kryptonian environment as long as the special supporting fluid 
was perpetually flowing through and mixing with her blood 
system. 

When Lara saw Lois and Clark's device she said, "I could kiss you 
both. You've constructed a magnificent engineering system." 

The next few weeks were happy times with one exception. Kara was 
informed that her uncle Sor-El and his wife had been invited to 
the most sacred portion of her soulmate union, or wedding, with 
Kivi. 

It took nearly four days to convince Kara that it was politically 
necessary for Sor-El to attend. Kara was keenly aware that from 
the scuttlebutt, Jor was still attempting to hold the immediate 
El family together as a unit. Kara was also cognizant that her 
father's gesture was useless, but for his sake, she agreed to 
Sor-El's attendance at her and Kivi's chapel ceremony. 

After Kara agreed with the invite, Kara's mother said, "Sor-El's 
presence at your nuptials is a necessary fact of life." Smiling, 
Lara said, "You now have the job of informing Kivi about the 
variation in your nuptial event, and then run for your life, so 
to speak, when Kivi reacts to your news." 

"Mom wasn't fair," Kara wailed after Lara disappeared wanting to 
avoid a possible confrontation with Kivi. 

As Kara  moved to tell her beloved husband to be of the changes 
which were to occur at the wedding ceremony, the question that 
concerned Jor's daughter most was how would Kivi handle Sor-El's 
presence at his conjoining with her? 

As Kara waited for her soulmate's response, her heart started to 
beat very rapidly. In reality, Kara didn't really want her 
treacherous uncle to be present during the most sacred part of 
the soulmate ceremony. 

Looking at his fiancee, Kivi said, "I figured that snake in the 
grass would conjure an invitation to our wedding."  

Pausing, Kivi said to his bride, "It's a political move, my love, 
by a scheming uncle. Your parents are really in a bind. They are 
dammed if they do and dammed if they don't ask you uncle Sor and 
his family to attend our Wedding. 

Although your parents will inform you that the decision was 
theirs,  they were somehow coerced into the scheme. Kara, just be 
cordial with Sor-El and his entourage for your parents' sake."  

Then she kissed Kivi passionately. After returning her kiss, Kivi 
said to Kara, "My concerns now must focus on Sor-El and his 
intentions, which I'm sure do not bode well for the safety of 
your parents. Your uncle has always been a scheming individual, 
and his schemes were never for the benefit of anybody but 
himself." 

Kissing his soulmate on the forehead again, Kivi said, "Kara go 
to Lois and inform her of the developing situation and then help 
the ladies with the coming nuptial affair. Your activity will 
give the impression of all right with the world to Uncle Sor-El. 
While you're putting up a smoke screen, I'll be speaking with 
Ching, Clark, and other family members about Jor's changes in the 
nuptial affair." 

Later that evening, Kivi said, "If you keep setting my soul on 
fire with your searing kisses, Kara, we'll never make our wedding 
night in a pure state." Kivi then just laughed and gave her 
another searing peck on her forehead. "Just don't stop kissing 
me." Kara smiled and fit her head in the crook of his arm. 

When Kara saw her mother again she told her mother that 
everything was moving along swimmingly, the current situation was 
A-Okay. "Kivi," she said, "was most reasonable." She also 
informed Lara that Kivi understood Jor's and her motives for the 
invite. Lara smiled and gave her daughter a big hug and a 
motherly kiss on her cheek. 

After Kara left the vicinity, Lara hastened to find her 
son-in-law. He was still in the lab. 

Lara said, when she came face to face with Kivi, "You're not 
planning on carrying weapons into the wedding chapel, are you?" 

"No," replied Kivi. "Debra will carry the hand held lasers and 
will stand outside the nuptial canopy as to not profane the 
sacredness of the event. Others of our family, seated 
strategically among the other attendees will also possess 
weapons. Hopefully, Sor-El will not act foolishly, and nothing 
will occur. Think, Lara, what better chance of eliminating Jor's 
house in one fell swoop than when all family members are 
attending the wedding of your daughter and her soulmate. Lara, we 
will be prepared. G-D grant that nothing happens to mar our 
wedding day." 

Smiling at her new son, she kissed him on the cheek and left. As 
Lara walked toward the kitchen, she realized that Kivi and Clark 
thought very much alike. Thank heaven for brilliance and 
teamwork. 

Later in that week, Kivi summoned Jor-El to a private meeting. 
After greeting his new father-in-law, Kivi showed film taken from 
a concealed spybot sent to a meeting held in the First Lord's 
chambers. At this secret meeting with his henchman, Sor-El's 
ghastly plan was revealed. During this powwow, both Jor and Kivi 
had ascertained that Sor-El intended to eliminate Kara and the 
entire El family, as Lois, Clark, and Kivi feared once they 
learned that Sor-El had finagled his way into the wedding 
procession. 

Jor was somewhat shocked at what he learned, but he didn't  
panic. The El leader expected treacherous behavior when Sor-El 
had promised to be supportive of his new projects for an invite 
to Kara and Kivi's wedding. 

Then Jor said to Kivi, "Sor-El will use the social confusion 
sometime during the wedding procession to get close to my person 
and in one quick stroke send me to hell. Son, watch my back."  

"Father," Kivi replied , "I'll go down before you. Also, you need 
not have asked such a request. I know what it means to lose a 
loved one." 

Jor then said to his family's retainers, "Set up the detection 
screens and search for any of Sor-El's people who will be 
carrying weapons." 

Turning toward Clark, He asked his friend, "Keep me informed of 
the situation as it develops."  

"Will do so, Jor. We have already made contingency plans." 

Jor nodded and smiled.

As Jor was preparing to exit the lab area, he turned to Kivi and 
said, "Please call me pop occasionally. You, Clark and Lois have 
become that close to Lara and me." 

"Okay, pop, Kivi said." Jor-El smiled as he walked toward the lab 
exit. 

As the time for Kivi and Kara's civil joining drew near, Kivi 
constantly hearkened to any changes in Sor-El's insidious plans. 
His dislike for the First Lord was slowly but surely turning to 
hatred. Kivi fought against this kind of anger, but Sor-El had 
pushed him beyond his limit of understanding and tolerance. 

As Kivi pondered his emotions, he nearly despised himself for the 
hatred that was overwhelming his natural like for people. But,  
anyone that would harm his soulmate and other members of his 
Kryptonian family made him feel that they were enemies, and 
enemies who wished to destroy what he loved must die. 

Kivi knew that he would gladly trade his life for Kara's any day, 
and he knew that the reverse was also true. Kara was a part of 
his soul, as was the case with Lois and Clark. Both couples were 
lovers; one entity to time's end. 

The day of soulmate bonding was now at hand. Those invited 
entered the chapel to witness the wedding of Kara and Kivi. 

As the El entourage made its way to the temple's wedding chamber 
where the ritual of the marriage was to be performed, each 
protector of the El household was in his or her proper location 
scattered strategically throughout the chapel. 

Everything moved smoothly, and the happy couple ascended the 
altar as the marriage ceremony began. 

Just after the wedding ceremony had been completed, Sor-El made 
his ill-fated  move. The First Lord had purposely allowed the 
marriage to be completed in order to include irony in the 
marriage ceremony, including the placing of official microdots at 
the proper location on the bride's and groom's torsos. 

As the newly married couple started to walk from under the canopy 
towards the exit of the temple, Sor-El stood and yelled, "Now, my 
faithful executioners, destroy Jor-El's entire family - I want 
them destroyed, now."  

Debbie immediately tossed Kivi his weapons, while the warriors of 
the El household surrounded Lara and Jor, and Jor and his wife 
with their faithful troopers started to dispatch those in 
Sor-El's party who rose brandishing weapons. 

Within a few seconds, all the assassins had been exterminated, 
except for the perpetrator of this foiled lurid event. 

Kivi kissed his bride and walked over to Sor-El and slapped him 
across the mouth. Blood oozed from Kivi's blow to Sor's face. The 
wallop Sor-El received from Kivi was a temporary reprieve. The 
blow allowed The First Lord the right to fight for his life with 
freedom the prize if he won. 

"You're a fool," Sor-El sneered as he drew his rapier and lunged 
at Kivi. As quick as Sor-El was at drawing his weapon, Kivi was 
that much quicker. Within several seconds, Sor's rapier was 
broken. Kivi dropped his own weapons at almost the same moment 
and lunged forward and grabbed Sor-El. Lifting the First Lord 
above his head, he broke Sor-El's back on one of the temple 
wooden pews. 

As he lay dying, Sor-El, in a mocking tone, informed his brother 
Jor, "I almost had you this time around." Then he closed his eyes 
for the last time and passed beyond the pale as his essence began 
its journey back to the well of souls, the source of all life. 

As the wedding party exited the temple, Jor said, "When you and 
your helpmate return from your honeymoon, the family must talk 
about the inordinate strength and other abilities we all seem to 
be developing at an increasing pace. All of us seem to be