In a galaxy far from Earth, a massive shuttle-shaped spacecraft was traveling at light speed.
On the ship's bridge, a tall, commanding man stood with his back to the others, gazing at the vast expanse of stars beyond.
At that moment, the automatic door slid open with a hiss, and a female soldier clad in sleek black armor stepped onto the bridge. She approached the man and bowed slightly.
"General Zod, an hour ago, we received a signal from an outpost. Due to the limited data, we haven't been able to fully decode the message," she reported.
The man, whom the soldier addressed as Zod, remained silent for a moment. Then he turned to face her, his piercing gaze steady. "Which outpost sent the signal?"
"Based on the information received, we believe it originates from a colony established during the Great Expansion. It appears to have been reactivated for some reason," the soldier explained, her head bowed respectfully.
General Zod began pacing across the bridge, tapping his temple thoughtfully. "Faora-Ui," he said, addressing the soldier, "you and Joel-Lar will investigate the source of this signal. Meanwhile, I'll head to the old colony in the Luke galaxy."
"Understood, General Zod," replied Faora-Ui, her tone unwavering. After a brief pause, she hesitated, then asked, "Forgive me, General, but is this related to your search for Kal-El?"
"Yes," Zod admitted without hesitation. His voice carried the weight of sixteen years of relentless pursuit. "On Krypton, the genetic codes of all unborn children were written into the Codex. Jor-El stole that Codex and sent it with Kal-El in the escape pod. Within it lies the key to our race's survival. Using the World Engine, we can rebuild Krypton!"
Faora-Ui lowered her head once more, her voice resolute. "Rest assured, General. I will carry out this mission without fail."
"Good," Zod said, turning back to the view of the infinite cosmos. "Go now and report back as soon as you find anything."
Meanwhile, back on Earth, Clark Kent returned to the Kent family farm. He climbed into the attic of the barn—a private space he often used for solitude.
"Just a little more... I'm so close to unraveling the truth about my life!" Clark exclaimed in frustration. He picked up a book, intending to hurl it across the room, but stopped himself, knowing that his strength would likely destroy the entire barn. Instead, he sighed and sank onto the worn sofa, defeated.
Kaius, sitting beside him, tried to console his friend. "Don't give up, Clark. There must be other ways to uncover the truth about your origins."
Clark shook his head, his frustration palpable. "I doubt there's another Kavachi cave anywhere in the world. If only—" He stopped mid-sentence, his expression shifting as his superhuman hearing picked up something unusual. "Kaius, did you hear that?"
Kaius, focused, tried to listen carefully to the sounds around them. At first, there was nothing but the ordinary hum of Smallville. But soon, a faint sound began to filter through—a strange, otherworldly resonance that seemed to bypass space and time.
Kaius's senses tingled as he recognized the source. "I hear it too," he said slowly. "It sounds like a language... but not one from Earth."
Clark's eyes lit up with excitement. "Yes! It's definitely not a language from Earth!"
"Clark, look at your pocket," Kaius suddenly pointed out, noticing a faint glow emanating from it.
Clark reached into his pocket and pulled out the key from the Kryptonian spacecraft. The long, alien artifact floated into the air, spinning slightly before aligning itself to point in a specific direction.
"It's trying to tell me something," Clark said, his voice filled with wonder.
Kaius nodded. "It's guiding you, Clark. Wherever it's pointing, that's where you'll find your answers."
"Well, Newton must be rolling in his grave," Kaius murmured to himself.
"I think it's pointing me in a specific direction," Clark said, glancing at the key. He was becoming increasingly certain that the strange sound was leading him there as well.
The direction was northward—towards the Arctic. As a fan of Superman, Kaius immediately realized what this meant: the Fortress of Solitude lay in that direction.
In one version of Superman's story, the spaceship key leads him to the Fortress of Solitude, where he receives guidance from his biological father, Jor-El, and begins his journey to becoming the true Superman.
"Your destiny is calling, Clark... Go!" Kaius encouraged him.
Kaius knew that once Clark uncovered his origins, he would feel much more at peace. At least then, Kaius wouldn't have to worry about Superman suddenly joking mid-conversation with something like, 'you Kryptonians sure are unique.' That would be painfully awkward.
"But I don't know how long I'll be gone. What about my parents?" Clark hesitated, his worry evident.
"I'll explain everything to them," Kaius assured him. "They'll understand and be happy for you. Don't forget, your parents have always wanted the best for you. Leave it to me, and I'll take care of it!"
Kaius couldn't stand indecision. In his mind, real heroes should act boldly and decisively.
Clark smiled, seemingly reassured. He patted Kaius on the shoulder and said, "Thanks, brother!"
Kaius grinned and lightly punched Clark's shoulder in response. Just then, a mechanical voice rang in his head:
"Ding! Congratulations, host! Clark Kent's friendship level has increased to Trust. Main card effect now at 55%!"
Their friendship had leveled up?
Kaius remembered checking the friendship stats yesterday—it had been at 86%. Somehow, over the course of the evening, it had risen by 14%.
Clark must have cared deeply about learning the truth of his origins. The progress made Kaius feel a strange nostalgia, as if he were witnessing a coming-of-age moment.
But more importantly, with the increased friendship level, Kaius now had access to 55% of Superman's power. As Superman grew stronger, so would he.
The spaceship key, still floating in mid-air, seemed to respond to Clark's determination. It gave a slight tremor before shooting off toward the North Pole with a sharp whirr.
"Go, Clark. Follow the key!" Kaius said, giving him an encouraging nod.
Clark nodded firmly and replied, "Tell my parents everything for me. I'll be back soon."
Before the words had fully left his mouth, Clark disappeared, a blur of motion racing after the key.
Kaius quickly estimated the distance—about 5,550 kilometers from Kansas to the Arctic. Unfortunately, Clark hadn't yet mastered flight. If he could fly, he'd cover the distance in minutes. But running? That would take some time, even for Superman.
Watching Clark vanish over the horizon, Kaius yawned and stretched. It was late, and he needed sleep.
"I wonder how long Clark will stay at the Fortress of Solitude. Hopefully, when I wake up, I'll meet the fully realized Son of Krypton," he mused before heading back home.