15191/The Ancient Kryptonian Art of Shrinking Things

The Ancient Kryptonian Art of Shrinking Things
Date of Scene:	20 June 2023
Location:	Entrance Hall - Fortress of Solitude
Synopsis:	Jon and Alura meet and Jon learns about his Kryptonian heritage, while Alura gets to meet the future next generation.
Cast of Characters:	Alura In-Ze, Jon Kent, Clark Kent

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Alura In-Ze has posed:
In the early days of the Fortress, Kal-El all alone, it was a place to get away from it all. Now it was a place for the few Kryptonians of Earth to gather and be family. A family that seems to have crossed time and space to be together against the most improbable of odds.

Alura is nibbling on some spring rolls as her eyes roam over the program she's put together. A machine is constructing itself within the crystals based on the program which in turn is based on the data she captured when using Brainiac's technology.

The added perk of blowing Brainiac's ship in half using his own unshrinking ray was that she could record it happening and understand how the ancient Kryptonians of the past cracked the science of shrinking and unshrinking things.

Jon Kent has posed:
Thundering across the sky, all but completely invisible to the human eye, is a red and blue streak. He is no Kal-El, to be sure, but young Jon Kent is a powerhouse in his own right. And he sure does love to fly fast! Moments later, his hair windblown and disobedient, Superboy enters the Fortress. The very fact that he's here and not immediately dead means something. Also, he's wearing his own version of what might be the single most recognizable uniform on Earth.

He sees Alura eating spring rolls and reviewing plans. He tips his head curiously one way as he contemplates her, then tips it the other way and does the same. All this head tipping is not helping his already unfortunate hair situation.

"Hi," is all he says.

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura was engrossed in the interesting work. She was aware there were mutants who could shrink and unshrink but they seemed unstable. She was also aware that someone on Earth named 'Pym' had figured out a way to do it. And then there were others who had managed to phase matter. Earth was like the wild west of science and one of the great things about how the universe worked is the infinity variety of ways the impossible can be achieved.

Inquisitive eyes look up and observe Jon. One of the first things Kal did for her when she got to Earth was to help her acclimatise and catch up by looking over all his diaries. There was a lot. And so now she recalls Superboy as he stands before her. The latest in the legacy that is the El line; or perhaps Kent line now.

The smell of the air is on him and she knows that well too. Flying about fast sure is a pleasure to be enjoyed as much as possible. "/ehrosh mbem/" Curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know if he was taught Kryptonian. "... Greetings." She adds in case he wasn't.

Jon Kent has posed:
She wears the symbology of the House of El, and she is inside the Fortress. Those things are all good signs. Oh, and she's speaking Kryptonian! It just keeps getting better.

Superboy takes a few steps closer, his body language and expression warm and non-threatening. <<Greetings>> he replies in passable but not perfect Kryptonian. He clearly needs to speak it more. <<I was not expecting anyone here. I am Jon-El.>>

Superboy knows how bad his Kryptonian is and he exhales a small, nervous laugh as his eye glitter energetically. "I should probably stick with English unless I accidentally say something embarrassing."

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura's smile widens a touch at his Kryptonian. "Not bad," she says swapping to English too. "Better we speak in English so that I'm the one that says something embarrassing." English is definitely not her native language - which would make Kryptonian her native language.

"Kal will be here soon-" she motions to the slowly changing crystalline structure before her. "We're doing some engineering. Or, I'm doing some engineering and he's being morale support."

She offers her hand to him the way that humans tend to do and says, "I'm Alura. Kara's mother." She strung him along long enough. There's a mischievous twinkle in her eye too. "And you are Jon-El?" There can't be that many young men on Earth who look a bit like Clark and wear the symbol of El on their clothes -and- know how to get in here.

Jon Kent has posed:
"Yes, ma'am," he says as he reaches to shake Alura's hand. He is a bit gingerly about it. He's 99.9999 percent sure that she is Kryptonian, but on that *incredibly* unlikely off chance that she's not, he doesn't want to rip her arm off by accident. He can't really help but beam just a little bit at Alura's words. "You really think I look like my father?" This pleases him.

Clasping his hands gently behind his back on the outside of his cape, Superboy walks slowly around the crystal that Alura is working with. "You're engineering something?" he parrots back. "What are you making?" His inquisitive gaze shifts from the confusing crystal to his newly met cousin.

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura plucks another spring roll out of the cardboard box. She paces around the device on the opposite side to Jon. Distorted reflections of each other pass through to the other. It's already becoming bigger than she intended but replicating old technology has its downsides.

"This is a beam weapon for unshrinking the cities that Brainiac shrunk." She says it rather matter of factly. "I'm going to test it once it's finished configuring itself." Sunstone, programmable matter, you speak its language and tell it what to do and it can become just about anything - do just about anything.

"If it works we'll be able to restore Kandor to its full size and found a new world for Kryptonians to live on. New Krypton." Ambitious. Restoring Kandor is only one piece of such a large project.

Jon Kent has posed:
Putting his hands on his knees, Jon bends and gets closer to the crystal. He is as fearless as he is curious. "Oh, right, the cities that Brainiac shrunk," he murmurs as his gaze flits all over the crystal. His tone is a dead giveaway that he has no clue about any of that.

"So...so this Brainiac, what's his deal? Why is he going around shrinking cities?"

Then Jon stands up straight again with a concerned look on his face. He blinks his eyes rapidly a few times. "How do we know we haven't been shrunk and are living inside some kind of...of...of test tube?"

Alura In-Ze has posed:
"That's a mighty big test tube if that's where we are," Alura chuckles in response. "The nature of the universe would be different to how we know it to be if it were a recent event. Inside those shrunk cities, technology that compresses and decompresses wouldn't work quite the same."

She leans a little to the side to look past the device to Jon. "It turns out though that Brainiac came from ancient Krypton. He was a program designed to seek out endangered species/plants/what have you and preserve them. Combined with cutting edge technology to shrink these conserved samples down they could protect the future of Krypton in a seed vault."

"Something went wrong with his AI though and instead he turned against Kryptonians and left the world behind. Still compelled to conserve he seeks out dying civilisations and takes a sample city for himself. It goes to show no matter how smart we are we cannot escape our defining nature."

She finishes off the spring roll and tucks her hands behind her cape. "Brainiac abducted the capital city of Krypton, Kandor, when I was just a baby. He knew what we didn't - that Krypton was doomed. In various altercations with him in the past few years Kal and Kara were able to recover Kandor from him. Then Zod took it - but no one has been able to restore it. Until, hopefully, now."

Jon Kent has posed:
Jon listens intently to Alura as she speaks. It's a level of focus and respect not often seen from young men his age. "Mmmhmm, mmmhmm," he intones sagely. As he walks, he drags one fingertip along the surface of the table. His troubled gaze shifts to the crystal then to Alura.

"How long have the people been alive and miniaturized in Kandor? Is it like, generations being born and living out their lives? Or are they in some kind of suspended animation and will wake up the very moment after they were shrunk down? Has anyone communicated with them?"

It seems young Jon-El is more concerned about the lives at stake than about the technology involved.

Alura In-Ze has posed:
"They're alive in there. What kind of life I'm not entirely sure. The bottle keeps the city protect from the pressures and energies of the unshrunken universe. I've not yet figured out a safe way to communicate with them. But if this works that won't matter."

"We can only hope they adapted to life inside the bottle well. They must be on their second generation in there by now. I can only imagine how surreal education must be for the children: 'And today we talk about the bottle we are all trapped inside of'.."

A playful singsong teachers voice is used for that last bit. With a swish of her hand through the air a hologram appears showing the current transformation processes inside the sunstone crystals. Its nearly ready.

Jon Kent has posed:
Normally a very jocular young man, Jon doesn't smile at that last bit. If anything, the concern on his face deepens. "Ma'am, I mean no disrespect, but have there been discussions about the psychological ramifications of just unshrinking their city? What if we're viewed as attackers or invaders? What if they are unprepared for the sudden return? How would be support such a thing? Do we have counselors and doctors?"

For some reason, this concept is causing young Jon-El's agitation to mount. His gaze returns to Alura's face and his voice drops to a whisper. "What if it kills them?"

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Her expression softens at his concerns. "I've already organised for a meeting of minds here on Earth to discuss exactly those issues. Settling a new world is not an easy task. But if the question is would you rather live in a cage than not, I think you know the answer to that already."

She takes a seat and looks to the device she's constructing. "If the test fails then we won't use it. There can be no mistakes - this is the last of Krypton." She rests one hand in the other. "When Brainiac attacked Earth, he kills millions. Then he flew his giant ship over New York City and abducted Mutant Town."

"The defenders of Earth were able to get on board and restore Mutant Town. There was a lot documented about what happened. In particular where the town had been connected to the New York grid, all those connections were severed."

"Kandor was, is, a mostly self sufficient city. But it was built in an ecosystem regardless. It was connected to the other cities on Krypton. The damage was done the moment Brainiac abducted it from Krypton. Right now the city is on life support. That's what that bottle is. It's a breathing machine for a city that Brainiac thought would otherwise be dead."

"Like planting a new tree it will have to be nurtured and cared for so that it can blossom." The seriousness of her voice suggests she is not taking any of this lightly. "I would like nothing more than for a chance for my people to be free again. I hope Earth will help them."

Jon Kent has posed:
When Alura sits, Jon does as well, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table. He dares not touch anything that is going on with the crystal, but he studies it visually. "So much of what it means to me to be Kryptonian is associated with my powers, which ironically come from Earth's yellow sun. But that's selfish, isn't it?" Jon's gaze flits from the crystal to his cousin. "Being Kryptonian really means a legacy of struggle and hardship, of...of...of overcoming insurmountable odds. It has nothing to do with flying or seeing through solid objects or heat vision."

Jon-El leans back in his chair and draws in a long, slow, deep breath. "Ma'am, where will they go? Here on Earth where they'll receive powers too?"

Alura In-Ze has posed:
The second time he calls her ma'am she wrinkles her nose just a little. "Call me Alura. We're family." Her smile returns and she listens to his perspective on what it means to be Kryptonian. The revelations of Sol's power over their species was and is still mind boggling. The religious ramifications alone speak volumes.

"A long time ago Krypton's sun, Rao, was yellow too. Everyone had powers. Not as strong as what we have now. Krypton was young then and who we were as a people was more like Earth than like.. well.. the Krypton I grew up in."

"Our people have a long legacy. We had plenty of mistakes. In many ways we are a species of extremes. Before we became isolationist we were the very opposite - spreading out to the stars in abandon. Out there are enemies we couldn't even imagine yet. Most of that history is lost to us."

"What you are - the future of Kryptonians on Earth? well, that's something new again. Part human, part Kryptonian. This is a beautiful thing, the blending of species to make something greater than the sum of its parts. But Kal grew up here on this planet. All those people in Kandor, they did not. Earth is not their home."

"There are two potential planets to settle Kandor on. One has a yellow sun and the other red. It is one of the bigger questions to answer - where to found New Krypton. I don't know that I know the answer to that but I hope a meeting of minds will shed some light on the better choice."

Jon Kent has posed:
One again, Jon-El stands up and clasps his hands behind his back. The young man has a great deal of nervous energy over this matter of Kandor and how to restore and *where* to restore it.

"Alura," Jon says, honoring his cousin's request to call her by name. "The thought of all of this concerns me. My father was raised by two good and honorable Earth parents who instilled in him the values of truth and justice. He is a good man who puts others before himself." The enthusiastic sparkle in Jon's eyes speaks volumes of the love and respect he has for his father.

"But these Kandorian," the young half-Kryptonian continues, "They are living in isolation. They are the victims of a grievous wrong by an inhuman villain. If we restore them under a yellow sun and they gain powers, what is to say that we aren't restoring a city full of people who, by our standards, are villains themselves? Or, at the very least, full of the rage and fear of victims?"

Alura In-Ze has posed:
"You hold a lot of fear in your heart for someone so young," Alura comments. "When we judge people we don't know yet we do so by looking in the mirror and wondering - what might I do, if I had not been born in to such a privileged life. But to think the worst of yourself and project that on to others is no different than to listen to the voices in our head that tell us we 'we can't' 'we won't' and 'we're not good enough'.

"Kryptonians know a science so far beyond Earth's that we could do things Earth's scientists haven't even dreamt up yet. Red sun or yellow sun, if they have hate in their hearts it would make no difference."

"But do you know what makes the difference between a person willing to harm and a person willing to heal?" She rises from her seat and approaches him, offering her hand. "Just this. What your father has offered the world from the moment he revealed himself as Superman. A helping hand."

Jon Kent has posed:
Alura has touched a nerve in Jon. He does hold an unusual amount of fear in his heart that he battles to overcome every day, that he hopes his father will never see. His voice softens and grows lower in volume. "I have one foot in this world and one in yours. I see half of everything and all of nothing," the young man confesses to this woman he has never met before. Sometimes strangers make the most comfortable confidants.

"Zod is a Kryptonian," he murmurs. "Don't we have to take a moment of pause before restoring an entire city of total strangers of immense scientific capability and potentially super powers too? How many Zods might there be in Kandor?"

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura nods her head, "I don't know what it means to be you, only what it means to be me. But the question is valid - I imagine there are space empires out there right now considering whether or not Earth needs to be put in a bottle. Super powered individuals with a violent population on the verge of faster than light travel."

"See how easy it is to make that argument about anyone we don't know.. to think the worst because of that unknown. We must always judge a people by what they do, not what we fear they might do."

"Zod.. Dru-Zod is his full name. I worked with him on Krypton before everything went crazy." She floats up and back over to the table and sits herself down. "In the weeks leading up to the destruction of Krypton Dru began a civil war. He believed the high council had been keeping secrets from the people that might have helped saved the world."

"... and the strange thing is, he was right. Zor and myself, we left Krypton in Argo City and ended up on the high council there. Having heard Dru's arguments before Krypton was destroyed I took it to heart and on Argo City I advocated for transparency and truth."

"But that too failed. People despaired out our dire situation. There is no right or wrong answer when people are desperated. Noble acts are born of opportunity not desperation. Having just caught up with Dru recently I think, perhaps, he has lost his mind. Certainly lost his way. He remains true to his mission - protect Krypton. But his methods are single minded and narrow. He cannot see the forest through the trees."

"A person cannot function in a vacuum. We need society to ground us, guild us, give us purpose. Without the people of Earth. Without the Kent's... who would Kal have been? a tyrant? a creature of fear? I know that I almost lost myself when I was trapped in the Phantom Zone. It is cruel and unfair to keep people trapped in the phantom zone, let alone a city in a bottle."

Jon Kent has posed:
All during Alura's description of Zod's early days and her time on Krypton and Argo City, she receives Jon-El's rapt and undivided attention. Here he is able to listen to a first-hand account of the history of his Kryptonian heritage. Upon the lesson's completion, Jon nods his head purposefully. "You're right, of course. Life deserves a chance. The people of Kandor deserve a chance. A terrible punishment they didn't deserve was laid upon them and we can't avoid restoring them because of fear." He stands up straighter and in that moment the traces of Kal-El in him can be more clearly seen, the future of the House of El on Earth shows in him. "I wish to do whatever I can to help."

But then, you could knock the Boy of Steel over with a feather when Alura mentions that she spent time in the Phantom Zone. Jon's eyes go wide and he moves around the table. "You were in the Phantom Zone?" he asks quickly. "I was...I was also trapped there, Alura!"

Clark Kent has posed:
Kal El listens from the back room, not wanting to interrupt the two family members from interacting and getting to know each other. After all, Kal has seen Batman do it often enough, maybe he was following his example. With a smile and a nod, Kal listens and remains silent.

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura smiles as Jon seems to decide to push back against his own fears and doubts. That's what she likes to see in family. Rao knows she has given this kind of speech to Kara plenty of times over the years when she was young and afraid of the world. Angry more like. Kara used to get very angry.

"I'm glad to hear it." She watches as his facial expression changes rapidly at the mention of the phantom zone though. "I'm sorry that happened to you Jon. It is a terrible place. It drains away all that we are. I survived it by going in to stasis."

She shuts her eyes a moment and sees a flash of Flamebird. She is quite sure how that she wasn't alone there. She was helped - somehow, she was helped. There was something she was meant to remember... it's right on the tip of her memories. But then it's gone again.

"How did you survive it?" She offers her hand to him because anyone who has survived the phantom zone knows just how terrible it is. That Krypton used it as a prison still horrifies her.

Jon Kent has posed:
Jon-El gladly takes Alura's hand. This time, though, he doesn't hold back like he did with the handshake. He squeezes with enough force to crush steel -- merely a warm, comforting touch to a Kryptonian. "There was a gang of young prisoners. They were political prisoners whose parents had been convicted of various high crimes and they were arbitrarily imprisoned to shut off the family lines. They helped me, showed me ways to hide and survive."

He swallows and clears his throat. "Believe it or not, I even sort of fell in love there, as much as one can feel something like love in the Phantom Zone." He shrugs and releases Alura's hand so he can return to his seat. "Her name was Marga and she was..." Too collected to break down or cry, Jon settles for sitting up straight in his seat and folding his hands neatly in front of him on the table as he peers downward. "...she is the reason I'm still alive." That seems to be all of that story that Jon is capable of telling right now.

Clark Kent has posed:
All of this information was news to Kal. It almost seems like he was spying, but he also needed to know what was happening with his "son" and his aunt, of course. Biting his lip slightly, an affectation that he has seen humans use, Kal remains quiet, as silent as a mouse. As long as this wasn't the moment that Krypto needs to go out for a "run".

Alura In-Ze has posed:
"It's okay. I understand. Things were hard in the phantom zone for me." Alura shuts her eyes again and remembers the giant portal that Brainiac was making. It turned on briefly before they destroyed it and through it - a shimmering crystal castle inside the phantom zone. It's been haunting her dreams for days.

"Marga. Did she make it out with you or is she still in there? Krypton used a complicated quantum tagging system to keep track of prisoners so they could be released. When the rebels seized the high council of Argo I was tossed in to the phantom zone without one."

"It was a prisoner named Jax-Ur - rogue scientist. Really nasty fellow. He experimented with a new kind of faster than light engine illegally and blew up a moon colony. I believe he was the first Kryptonian ever sentenced to the phantom zone."

"Yes, so Jax-Ur, he converted the phantom zone side of Krypton's prison in to his own laboratory after Krypton exploded. He created a way to break through from the phantom zone back to reality but it was very hit and miss. You were gambling with your life to use one of those cracked anomalies. I made a program to search for a stable crack and went in to cryostasis until such time as one was found."

Jon Kent has posed:
The young half-Kryptonian's gaze lifts up to study Alura's face as she reveals more of her story. He either didn't hear Alura ask about Marga's status...or he is choosing not to acknowledge it.

His voice is soft now, somewhere halfway between a whisper and the sound an ember makes when it quenches in cool water. "When you made it out, did you come directly here? To this Earth? To this dimension?"

Clark Kent has posed:
Deciding he shouldn't spy any more, Kal El walks into the room, and says, "Evening Alura. Jon. I was listening to your chat and didn't want to interrupt. I am up to date, so no need to brief me, Alura."

Kal looks at Jon. "You should spend time with your Great Aunt anyway."

Back to Alura. "I'll be in my room here at the Fortress if you need me. You two should keep getting acquainted. I am glad you are both doing this." Kal El moves to the other side of the room, and the exit.

"Call me if you need me."

Alura In-Ze has posed:
"I did - thought that was Kara's doing. She'd been searching for me. My smart lil' cookie invented a machine to replace the quantum tagging using her own DNA as a tracker. Familial selection. When the crack was found it connected to her and I ended up coming out here on Earth."

She looks up as Clark makes himself known. "Good evening Kal." She smiles to him, "It was Kal who and Karen who punched open the crack so I could get out." A nod is given to him as he passes through, "I'd say another hour Kal then we will be ready to test the unshrinking ray. I'll call you when it's ready."

Her eyes return to Jon. "It was a harrowing escape. Some of the phantom zone distortoids were closing in on me because of all the equipment running to link the crack back to Earth. I almost didn't make it. That would have been the last of me then. I had nothing else left in the tank."

Jon Kent has posed:
When Clark enters the room, Jon stands. "Father," he says. There is a formality there, but the affection he has for his this-dimension dad is very clear. "Alura and I were just talking about stuff." He shrugs and even allows a smile to return to his face. "You know, light-hearted stuff like Kandor and the Phantom Zone and Zod."

He sits back down and quirks a broader grin. "We have a weird, weird family, don't we, guys?"

Clark Kent has posed:
"Sounds good Alura. I'll be here to help in the test any way I can." Kal El smiles as she mentions him and he shares in the credit. "It was mostly Karen doing the work. I was there to assist. We are glad you are here, Alura."

"Hi Jon." Kal El nods. "Light hearted indeed." Kal shakes his head. "We always keep it light around here." Kal agrees. "Yeah...we have a weird family." With a laugh, Kal moves into the next room, gone for now.

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura chuckles a moment. "Even back on Krypton - El were the weird scientist family. Not all El were scientists but most of them were. They had a reputation for 'out there' thinking. It's why I fell in love with Zor. He had a flair for the unorthodox and it would inspire me in the Thinkers academy."

"I was proud to join the El family when I married Zor. There are rules and then there are rules and Zor and his brother, your grand father Jor, always knew where that fine line was. I admit, I thought Jor had really crossed it when he flew to Earth the first time."

She shrugs her shoulders, "And now look at us. My daughter is a superhero. My nephew is a superhero. Even I'm apparently a superhero according to the news. Superwoman. I suppose there are worse names to be called." She chuckles again.

It is kind of weird having children you haven't even made yet come back to visit you from the future. With a partner you're only just getting to know. She can't imagine how it must be for Kal. Then again, her twin sister is out there in a time machine doing Rao knows what...

Jon Kent has posed:
Jon seems to have shaken off the short-lived Phantom Zone sour mood. He's like that. It's hard to be surrounded by a super family and stay moody for long. "Well at least you got SuperWOMAN. I'm 18 years old and stuck with SuperBOY. I gotta wait for pops to retire before I get SuperMAN." His eyes are glittering and he's laughing lightly as he stands.

"Alura, it was genuinely awesome to meet you. But Grams will kick my butt if I don't get home soon." He holds his arms out to the sides. "Are you okay with a hug from your cousin?"

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura slips off the seat and opens her arms to Jon, "Of course. Have a safe trip home Jon-El."