The question that really needs to be answered to revamp "Superman" is "Who is Kal-EL? and why did His Father Jor-EL send him to earth alone?" As I was writing this I asked a lot of random people. (Most of them were men who were wearing superman shirts, so I knew i was polling a good source.) None of them could really tell me. The answer of "they didn't have time" is a cop-out. Our own scientists can tell you when a volcano is about to blow, so don't tell me a planet of scientists couldn't see this coming. This part of chapter one was born out of those questions.
Chapter One: Part Three
Being startled is bad enough, but the scream was embarrassing. Mal-EL sat pale in his seat as the red faced director stood in front of him. “I mean…What was the question?” he said.
The other pupils in the room roared into laughter.
“It seems…” The director said to the class. “… That young Master EL needs not pay attention to the lessons.” Then said to Mal-EL “Tell us, Master EL, what musing could be more beneficial then our course of study?”
Mal-El blushed as he straightened in his seat. “I uh… was watching the sun rise” he said, gesturing to the wall, which was imaging the actual sunrise.
The director looked at the image, it looked like a window; the class room seemed to border a cliffs edge without a safety barrier. “I’m sure you’re not the only one who is happy that night is over.” He said “However you are the only one who is not participating in the topic at hand. We’ll all have plenty of time to restore when we are done!” With that, he faced a crystal ball near the center of the room, pointing a laser at it, a blank wall abruptly appeared.
The director paced through the class. “As I was saying…you, young masters, are all of the age of Mensure….”
The drone of the Director’s voice sounded hollow in Mal-ELs ears. He felt like he had heard this before, and he knew that a part of him had.
The Director continued “…Ballisting is one of those changes. What takes place within our bodies to take advantage of Ballasting?” Several hands rose as the director passed them all “I’ll ask Master EL because of his Lines preeminence in ‘Genetic enhancements and growth’. What’s the answer Young EL?”
Mal-ELs dislike for the Director was as close as his dislike for his “family’s” reputation. He took a deep breath and answered “Ballasting happens when a child reaches the age of Mensure. The body starts changing from that of a child into an adult….” He paused hoping to be done, he saw the director just pacing.
“We just covered that” The director said, while rubbing his temples”so….”
With a sigh, Mal-EL continued. “… So during Mensure, the puenary glands release an enzyme that triggers our gene code to express the muscular reaction called Ballasting.”
“Which is?” The Director dryly injected.
“Um…when the muscle cells create the molecule Ly’eluam.”
“That will be all. Thank you.” The director wearily said “…it was recited… as a true EL”
Mal-El looked down at his monitor hating the director.
“What Master EL was trying to say was that, Ballasting is when our muscle tissue fills with Ly’eluam. This enables our bodies to offset the forces of gravity, making it possible to move more freely in our environment. With this Gas in our bodies we are given certain advantages over our environments, and…”
The director continued on in his nasally self important drone, as Mal-EL counted down the time when class would be out so he could enjoy the sun light.
He was coming of age, and it felt like he was burning up inside. He hadn’t ballasted yet, but thought at times like he could move faster. His vision was strengthening though, and the gas-mist hidden world was unveiling its self.
In his deep thoughts he didn’t catch the thing that was thrown at his head. He looked back to see Del-V’mor grinning at him. “Hey EL” he whispered “Thank Sah-EL for making Van a female!” the boy turned to his friends, who high five’d him and laughed.
Rubbing the spot where he’d been hit, he sulked, and then stole a glance at Dea-Van, who was paying full attention to the director. This wasn’t odd because studiousness felt right for her; the memories of his past lives confirmed this. It was just the “her” part that felt wrong. What also felt wrong were the weird feelings he was getting as he looked at her. She looked his way.
He snapped forward, and blushed. “Stupid, stupid, stupid” he thought as he quickly punched at his touch screen, pulling up any programming.
Stupid legacy.
Mal-EL was Genborn, a perfect and improved gene-replication of Enan dok Eahl, a founding father of the modern age. EL was short for Eahl and Mal meant fifth in an old dead language. It was Eahl’s idea of a joke. Mal didn’t think it was funny.
He looked around the room at his fellow classmates, all fifth or sixth generation Genborns of the founding fathers, The Founders Class.
“Ugh” he thought, he was going to be sick.
The class finally ended. Mal bolted. He nearly bowled over the director who was saying something about staying after…yea right. Mal wasn’t going to wait another second for the sun. He ran down the hall, broke past the outer door, and fell into the blessed light. Throwing out decorum, he unbuttoned and ripped off his tunic allowing the fullness of the rays to hit every part of him. He could feel the relief in his bones as the radiation penetrated deep into his fibers, filling him with energy….sweet energy.
The sick feeling started to go away. And he could feel the newly made oxygen coursing through his veins.
He heard a familiar giggle behind him.
“You act like you’ve never ‘restored’ before.” Dea-Van said.
Her voice grated on him. Not that it was unpleasant, but because in the last year it had become intensely pleasant. And it bothered him that she was supposed to be a he. “Hello Dea-Van” he said without opening his eyes. He wasn’t going to embarrass himself farther by acting differently.
“Let me guess, Mensure has made you hungrier?”
“I guess” he said bluntly. He thought that by being blunt she would be offended and go away. He held still until it was awkward. Then he turned to take a peek. She was still there. He put his tunic back on. “My apologies Dea-Van, I hope my base actions played no offenses on your sensibilities.” She laughed again sending shivers down his spine.
“And here I thought you weren’t listening in Diplomacy.” She said teasingly.
Mal bit his tongue from saying the rude thing that almost came out, and said instead. “I thought the Vans had lost their sense of humor.”
Dea-Van laughed again. “Only in the males…It took a female to bring it back.”
This comment was meant to be funny, but it made Mal even more uncomfortable. Dea-Van looked down at her feet.
“Look” she started
“I guess…” Mal said.
They both stopped and quickly urged the other to speak.
“Hey, what?”
“No, you!”
“It’s OK, you go”
Until, finely, Dea-van ended it. “Ok, look! Mal-EL” she blurted “I just wanted to tell you that I don’t blame you for my…uh...for me being a female. OK? And it’s just as weird for me, because I feel like we were friends once, which was confirmed by my predecessor and... I just thought that we could be friends too.” She put her hands on her hips and blew a big breath in finale.
It must have been Mals turn because Dea-Van stood there waiting. He didn’t know what to say. He just wanted to go, but she obviously wanted an answer. So he said. “Well…uh…thanks, and… I’m going to defiantly think about everything you just said, and get back to you…so…” He excused himself and ran to his next appointment.
Part four
Part four
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