SV fic post: A Young Kryptonian's Travels part 6

[roxy]

Title: A Young Kryptonian's Travels Or, On The Open Road
Fandom:SV
Pairing:Kal-El/OCs, Kal-El/Lex
Rating: G
Summary:A little bit of this, a little bit of that and stirred into a totally self-indulgent stew. This is just for fun! Also, this contains bits of nearly every SF story I've ever read.

The Previous Parts are here, becoming one with--erm. Move along, quickly--and watch where you step.






"So…what now?" Tears left tracks through a smudge of dust on Kal's cheek, and he absently rubbed it away.

"We wait until the technology is capable of producing what we need. We hope that some member of the Dominion locates the wormhole, that they pick up the beacon. We are fortunate that we are under a yellow sun—since it makes you virtually immortal, waiting will not pose a problem."

"No problem?" Kal squeaked. "No problem? You're telling me to sit around on my ass and wait while somewhere, wherever Krypton is, my parents are dying of old age--*everyone* I know will be dead and buried by the time I manage to return home--" His breath caught, hitched, but he swallowed the sob that tried to break free. He took a long deep breath, slowly released it. "Okay. But I'm not just sitting here and waiting for—for things to happen."

Kal stood and walked out of the cave and stood on the top of a ridge. "There's a town down there," he said. "I can hear the people. I can *see* them. Show me how I can fit in with them. Teach me how to work among them."

"Kal-El, it would be safer for you to avoid the inhabitants. It would be better if you were to re-enter the suit, and allow me to return it to stasis mode--"

Kal's heart beat swung wildly—"No, no." He shook his head emphatically. "I don't—I can't--"

A quick, soft buzz of static filled Kal's skull. "We will begin with an over view of their currency, and their work ethic--"

"What do the boys here say to one another when they want to have sex?" Kal asked enthusiastically and was answered by another small burst of static. "Oh, are you okay?"

*Please, we will begin with the currency.*

Kal sighed. He recognized that tone of voice. Dad used that tone with him frequently. That tone meant there'd be no teaching of intergalactic pickup lines this evening. A happier thought stopped him in his tracks, and a little grin bloomed. "Wait just a moment."

Kal jogged to the top of the ridge again and struck a pose. With one hand fisted over his heart, he spoke in as deep and serious a voice he could.

"I claim this world for the Dominion--all her resources, and all her people, are now part of the realm of His Royal Highness The Light of Krypton." He scrambled back down the little hill and sat at the lip of the cave. "What's first, oh, Interface mine?"

*static* You must first become accustomed to *not* addressing me vocally. The Earthers have no such technology, and you might appear to be…*

*Nuts?* Kal grinned and pushed the hair curling damply over his forehead away. * It's odd, I'm supposed to be invulnerable, but I swear, the air is like syrup—should it be pressing it's hot sticky little hands all over me? Normally that would be a good thing but Rao's sake, I'd kill for a swim. *

* First education. Knowledge is protection. There is a lake not far from this area. After your instructions, you may swim there. Now, prepare. *

"I hate when you—oook--" Kal stood frozen as thousands and thousands of images assaulted him, burrowed into his mind....

"Oh gosh," he gasped when it was finally quiet inside him again. "That was…pretty awful, actually."

"Knowledge is protection," it repeated. "You should be aware Kal-El, that you are speaking a combination of Kryptonese and English. You must be very careful not to do this."

"Okay…I'm sorry—I mean—I'm sorry. Is this better?"

*Sorry is irrelevant. Sorry is an emotion. I do not contain emotion. *

* Oh yes, right. Forgot. You're a tool. *

The AI was silent for a minute. *Yes. Tool*.

"A big one," Kal sighed.

******
* I've decided I will live like the other Earthers until rescue arrives,* Kal declared, as he floated lazily around the lake, arms and legs spread wide, * I will find employment and then…what type of things do you think Earthers like to do? When they have sex, I mean.* Mosquito after mosquito attacked his invulnerable flesh…Kal felt a little sorry for them. They looked positively dejected as they floated away again….

*Employment requires an address, and a history, some proof of your existence…it will take some time to insert you into the stream of information.*

Kal kicked his heels and floated to the center of the lake. *I have complete faith in you. I know you will make everything right.*

******

Kal made sure the suit was well hidden, detached it's recorder and slipped it into a carry all. After examining a variety of clothing images, he picked a set of clothing that resonated, made him smile. With a just a thought, the coverall he wore shimmered, changed, until it appeared to be native garb. He was grateful that the people in this part of the world wore fairly simple clothing—not at all like the extravagant headgear and dangerously high spike-like heels some Earthers wore. He doubted he'd be able to smile as carelessly as they while balancing a ton of feathers and sparkly bits—not to mention doing this wearing a garment that seemed designed solely to torture one's private parts—

He set out towards the town he'd seen from the caves. It was a pleasant walk, made much more enjoyable by not feeling fatigue. When he got bored with walking, he lifted and floated a bit. The odd static bursts afflicted him rather frequently…"Should you run a diagnostic on yourself, you seem to be making some sort of odd…noise…"

*Kal-El, please be cautious, the average human does not float, or run so quickly or see through solid objects—you must behave as a human. It would not do for you to be found out. It might be dangerous. *

*Well, at least there are no Hells on this world. *

*There hardly needs to be. *

Images flicked through his head—Kal swallowed, and set his feet on the ground again. The Earthers were no slouches when it came to self-destruction. In that regard, they out-Morned the Mornes….


The road he was walking along was long and seemed perfectly, boringly, flat. The heat of the afternoon sun rose up from the surface and warmed his feet pleasantly. Ahead of him, he could see heat waves dancing above the black roadway. On either side of the road, wide fields he knew to be farmland seemed to stretch on and on to the horizon. Tall stands of vegetation whispered in a very slight breeze. An alien world—a truly alien world, one never before seen by any citizen or worker…it was a marvel. He stopped and inhaled deeply, enjoying the strange new scents on the warm air.

He stepped off the road and looked up at the tall plants around him. "Corn," he said, and spread his hands wide. "An annual grass, and the second biggest crop that Khan-saz produces. Kaaanz-az. Mom would love this plant—she'd fill the gardens with it! Look how cleverly it protects it's fruit!" He stopped and pulled an ear loose from a stalk, and peeled back the husk. He sniffed, and bit. Chewed thoughtfully. "It's lovely to look at, but the taste leaves something to be desired."

"Generally, the Corn is cooked before eating."

"Ah. Really? Oh. So it is." He tossed it aside, and walked on. "Look ahead, a farmhouse! I can apply for employment there—I will present myself as an itinerant worker, a--a what is it called…a hobo? Information isn’t important to person pursuing the nomadic life, am I right?"

* Kal-El, in a short time I will be able to create and implement a personal history for you—we can wait until then--*

*Oh, come on, my sunny Interface. Isn't the tour all about discovery, adventure—living like the natives? It'll be fun!*

**********

Kal walked into the neatly maintained yard of the house, and was instantly overcome with a wave of homesickness.

Of course, the house was nothing like his parent's home, it was very small, and was constructed of yellow painted wood instead of pale pink stone. The flowers were oddly shaped, the scents not the same—but the feeling of welcome was. There same feeling of home and love that greeted him whenever he stepped into the doorway at home was also here, the way the healthy lush plants crowded the path to the entranceway of the little yellow house was achingly familiar, as was the low buzz of pollinating insects—it made him expect to see the little blue-green gossamer winged fliers he was used to.

The care in which the home was maintained made it obvious the people who lived there loved the little house, loved each other. He sighed. His heart felt heavy, and he missed his parents terribly—he missed his friends. He rubbed at his eyes, looked back to the house, and jumped-- he wasn't alone.

A tall man stepped farther out of the shadows on the porch and into the sunlight. He had bright blue, intelligent eyes, clear and intense and at the moment, they were trained on him with suspicion. "Can I help you?"

"I was…looking. For work."

*well done, Kal-El *

"Work, hunh?" The man leaned against the porch railing. "We don't normally hire day workers…"

Kal stared hard at the man. He appeared to look like any Kryptonian. Normal. Average. No feathers--he looked harder—at all. That was a shame, he'd really taken a liking to feathers….

"I was…hoping to find a place to stay for a short time…until I get up on my foots—feet. Sorry." Kal blushed, and dipped his head in embarrassment and the stranger chuckled. "I'm still studying your worl—culture--" *oops*

*static*

"Oh, so you're an exchange student, is that it? Backpacking across America? My wife backpacked across Europe when she was a student…maybe she visited your country?"

"I am—I am from…Italy."

"I'm sure she was there, Rome, I think." The man stared hard at him, and then nodded slightly. "Come on in, we'll see what we can do about lunch—are you hungry?"

"Lunch would be wonderful!" Kal stepped up on the porch, and stood for a moment in the door way, thanking Rao. "Blessing on this house, Master," he muttered, and caught the surprised look on the man's face.

He narrowed his eyes and stared hard at Kal. "You're not a missionary of some kind are you?"

Kal looked thoughtful. "No, I don’t think so…"

tbc!

part 7