“The Truth Be Known: An Else World Story”

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The meteors were striking ground throughout the region. Jonathan and Martha’s truck nearly hit by a small glowing object that made a change in its path to miss them. Jon pulled to the side of the road. The object circled back and hovered over them. There was a brilliant light for a minute and then some noises from the truck bed. Jonathan got out and looked at what had landed in his truck. It was about 30 inches long and oval. Soon the glow died away and the object took on a pewter gray color. Its shape seemed to have slightly flattened at the bottom to conform to the truck. Strangely, the truck had been partially filled with produce that they were taking to market, but now the produce had been neatly rearranged to make a space for the new cargo. Jonathan pulled a tarp over his truck bed and secured it. He heard a man yelling in the distance and it jarred him from a trance-like state. Jon got back in his truck and drove to see if he could help. After hurried explanations, Jonathan lifted young Lex Luthor into his truck. Lionel Luthor squeezed in as well -- pushing perhaps a little too close up against Martha. Jonathan raced the Lex and Lionel Luthor to the hospital and then returned home with Martha.

Jonathan carried the capsule into the basement of their home.  Actually, he guided it to the basement since the capsule seemed to have no weight to it.  As he and Martha watched, the room began to glow and the capsule became transparent. Inside was the fetus of a child. The capsule served as a birthing matrix for the child inside. The couple was transfixed. They spent many hours in the basement but had no idea how much time had passed. When they finally went upstairs to bed, Martha told Jonathan excitedly, “I understand it all! We are to have a child. At long last, I will be a mother!” The couple embraced and expressed their joy by making love.

There were many preparations to be made. Martha seldom left the house and never left the farm. Jonathan made an arrangement with Lionel Luthor and called and asked for Mr. And Mrs. Ross to visit. Soon the deal was done. The papers were signed. Lionel got what he wanted. The price was high.

In later years, Clark grew incredibly strong. Jonathan and Martha knew that their son had a special job ahead of him. There were many nights spent in the basement, but they had no conscious memories of those times. There were many things to learn – many things to do.

Pete and Clark’s friendship was immediate. They were closer than brothers could be. They became almost inseparable. It sometimes seemed that Pete lived at the Kent’s home. There were many sleep-overs and many nights spent looking at the stars. Whenever a bully threatened Pete, Clark was there for him. But Pete often insisted on fighting his own battles. It tore at Clark’s guts to stand back and watch. Clark would step in when necessary, but “necessary” was a learning and coping process.

Then that day at the bridge, Lex ran his car into Clark … and Clark rescued Lex from the river. A new friendship was formed – a new bond made. From the start, Pete resented the intrusion of Lex on his friendship with Clark. There was a jealousy there that fueled an instant dislike between Pete and Lex -- a dislike that was to grow over the years into an irreconcilable feud.

One day in school, Clark saw Pete scribbling on a piece of paper. Clark got angry at what he saw and asked Pete how he knew. In the argument that followed, Clark inadvertently let it slip that he wasn’t exactly a normal human being as Pete "must have known" from his drawing of the spaceship. Pete was shocked. He was just doodling. It was nothing. How could Clark have kept this secret or any secret from him? Another student had witnessed part of the argument and made a call to someone in Lionel Luthor’s employ. Certain people knew that Dr. Hamilton would pay for any unusual information about Clark Kent and his closest friends. The student retrieved the doodle from the trashcan and delivered it to Dr. Hamilton.

Before long, Pete was Dr. Hamilton’s prisoner. At first, the scientist tried to bribe Pete.  When that didn’t work, he used threats. Finally Pete told Dr. Hamilton that the doodle was just a doodle and that Clark was just a good friend – a normal Smallville farm boy. But Dr. Hamilton had a lot of information about Clark to the contrary and could see something Pete didn’t in the doodle. Maybe Pete had seen the ship on one of the play dates or sleep-overs at the Kent’s home as a child. Perhaps this was a suppressed memory … or perhaps it was just a side effect from Pete watching the original “Star Wars” movies 42 times. Pete had nothing he could say to satisfy the scientist, so the torture began.

Meanwhile, Clark could think of nothing but Pete, Pete, Pete. He tried to fantasize about Lana to block his thoughts of Pete but it wouldn’t work. This fight with Pete has putting him through mental agony. He must find a way to heal the rift with Pete. He MUST find Pete – NOW! Using all the powers he had at his disposal, Clark searched everywhere until he located Pete.  He pushed Dr. Hamilton aside. The scientist pulled a gun and shot Clark in the back, but the bullet bounced off and fatally wounded him. The friendship between Clark and Pete was renewed on a new level.

Years passed. Both Clark and Pete matured into fine young men. The evening of their high school graduation, Clark and Pete had dinner with their parents at the Kent farm. The families had often gotten together like this at the Kent home but tonight was a special celebration. After eating and having an enjoyable evening together, they noticed a glow from around the basement door. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, they all filed down to the basement. From the glowing orb floating in the middle of the basement came a voice:

“This is Jor-El of the now dead planet Krypton.  We have spoken many times but for the first time, you will be permitted to consciously remember what you learn tonight. You fine people have served me well by raising my only son as I have instructed you. He needed to learn to live as a human in order to be among you without the arrogance that power can instill on an unschooled soul. I wanted my son to live in a world where he could be humble yet strong and proud. The birthing matrix in which I sent my unborn son to your planet has allowed a part of me to continue so that I could monitor my son’s growth and education. I am indeed proud of you, Kal-El. Proud beyond what words could express. And I am especially grateful to the one who was given the strength to be my son’s companion and guardian.  You have been a true friend and savior to him. I release you from your burden. Kal-El, my son, it is time for you to receive your birthright.”

The orb glowed so brightly that nothing else could be seen. As the light faded away, they all saw a 3 dimensional image of Jor-El standing in the room with them.  Pete felt disoriented from the shock of what he was seeing.  He stepped back and grabbed a support post to steady himself. The steel post crushed in his hand as if it were aluminum foil. He looked at what he had done and then looked back into the smiling face of Jor-El – it was like looking into a mirror.

The End

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Comments (for those who need an explanation):

The ship healed Martha the first night in the basement and may have made certain genetic enhancements so that Clark could contain and use the powers he was given. The ship wanted to hide Kal-El/Pete while he was growing up. Clark having the powers would divert any attention that might arise. A protector the same age as Pete wouldn't give people the impression that Pete was being guarded. The Kents involved the Rosses so that there wouldn't be as many question asked about the difference in skin color.

I have some options on what happened.  Mrs. Ross could have faked a pregnancy to claim Pete as theirs -- or was the deal with Lionel could have been adoption papers for Pete in exchange for selling him the fertilizer plant.  Martha's pregnancy could have been accelerated.  The Kents could have adopted Clark (even though he was their biological son) to draw suspicion away from the Ross family?  Clark may have believed he was from outer space.  Jonathan and Martha might not have been consciously unaware of Martha's pregnancy due to the ship's influence on them. The Kent family would better serve the ship unaware of what was really going on. I left it ambiguous. Sometimes it works best if the writer has a concept in mind but lets the reader fill in the blanks however they choose.

Since the baby that arrived wasn't born yet, any new birth might be under the same suspicion as an adoption. People might think that the ship seeded women in the area.

If it was known that Martha was infertile, maybe the adoption was a needed cover-up. Ambiguity can help! Better to leave out a detail and have the story (and its author) seem stupid than to write it down in (inaccurate detail) and have that stupidity confirmed.