15371/Kandor: Which Way Home

Kandor: Which Way Home
Date of Scene:	13 July 2023
Location:	Gallery - Fortress of Solitude
Synopsis:	Kara and Alura discuss whether New Krypton will be there home or not.
Cast of Characters:	Alura In-Ze, Kara Danvers

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Alura In-Ze has posed:
The device to reconstruct Kandor from its bottle on to a new alien world is complete. It requires a bit more testing and scrutiny but otherwise Alura has been staring at it for hours now. Arms folded, hip askew. She's lost in a world of thought about the implications of what they will soon be doing. So much so she doesn't even realise her daughter has arrived.

The selection process for the planets has been almost as hard as making the device. Really, it comes down to a choice from the Kryptonians in Kandor themselves. That - that is their next challenge. Going IN to the bottle and seeing for themselves what the state of the last remnant of Kryptonian society looks like. They couldbe pleasantly surprised - they could be horrified.

Alura has her doubts. Given the way things went on Argo City, she's concerned that Kandor might have suffered a similar fate. Or worse. But only by looking with their own eyes will they know for sure.

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara's arrival is unassuming, but it doesn't take a lot to trigger the senses of a Kryptonian. She lands quietly and pads through the Fortress towards where Alura is standing before the device, scrutinizing what will bring Krypton back from oblivion... at least in theory. With her hair swept back by a elastic band, cape and skirt fluttering with each step, she comes to a stop beside her mother and takes a similar posture to Alura. With arms folded across her chest, staring... even scrutinizing.

While she cannot possibly know for certain what Alura is thinking, she feels fairly confident that she can guess accurately. With so much riding on what they find in the bottle, the implications of which can drastically change the outcome of this project, the scientist in her mother has to be considering those variables.

"It's going to work." She says quietly, reassuring. Even if she can't possibly know that either, the optimism bleeds from her like a lantern.

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura looks over to her daughter and smiles seeing the familial posture she's taken. She drops her arms wondering if she's that obvious. "Have you given any thought about what we will do if it does work. New Krypton. A new home for our people."

She furrows her brows a touch, "But will it be our home as well. Or is that Earth now. It's not Krypton, and neither is Earth. We can never truly go home but..." She can't deny humans have a tendency to 'other' even people they applaud and celebrate.

But it's been two generations since Kandor was taken. What kind of Kryptonian culture exists in there now. In that bottle sitting on the pedestal before them both. Would they even recognise it? "I was just a child when Brainiac took Kandor. I didn't understand it but I remember how sad everyone was. A lot of people lost family, friends, livelihoods..."

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara inclines her head at the question, "A little." She murmurs, eyes dropping down to the icy floor upon whic they're standing. "Part of me is jumping at the thought of returning to some place that, while not exactly Krypton, will remind me of being there... and part of me has come accept Earth as my home." It's a cryptic answer for a complicated situation.

"Kara Danvers has a life here. Adoptive parents, a job, bills." Are these reasons to not be with her people? "All of these things I did because Kal had so firmly established himself... he grew up here.. and when I arrived he told the world, his family and friends, that I was his cousin. It made sense that I would assume some Earth identity." Blue eyes look up and over at her Mother, "So if I leave, so too would Kara Danvers."

"Which is a complicated situation. Not just for me but for Kal."

As for the bottle, Kara looks to it and nods. The implications of that aren't lost on her either. "Life probably continued. We're adaptive people.. Look what we've done here on Earth. There's likely a whole new generation of Kryptonians who grew up thinking that - that was their entire world." Said with an elbow pointing towards the bottle. "The realization of what lies beyond it is going to be disorienting."

Alura In-Ze has posed:
"They must know. All the info recordings.. and stories from their parents. But seeing it for themselves will be wild. Of course, it won't be Rao they see in the atmosphere but the stars that I've picked are similar enough. Enough that may be it will feel like home to their grand parents."

Alura sighs softly. "I've been away from Krypton far long than you. I got to Earth the long way. First Argo City for many years and then the Phantom Zone for many many more. I'm not entirely sure I can remember Krypton clearly myself anymore."

She twists her lips, "The colours of Earth are starting to feel normal. I question whether I can really give up this yellow sun now that I know. Then again I also wonder with the genetic degradation of Kryptonians in general if the average Kryptonian would be harmed by the yellow sun instead of healed. Though, Dru-Zod seemed to handle it in small enough doses."

Kara Danvers has posed:
"Grand parents tell very odd stories to their grand children." Kara points out with a glance and grin up at her mother. "Old wives tales, I believe that's what they call them here. Stories that seem fanciful and farce because of the outlandishness of it. Because people believe what they want to believe. They believe what will make them comfortable... Humans, Kryptonians.." She inclines her chin and looks around.

"You're probably right, of course. They had to have had some recorded information that went with them, but how much of it would each generation share? What 'truth' will they have told to keep the population from panic?" Her arms slide back across her chest, looking to the bottle with a great deal of sympathy.

"How differently does time work inside that bottle? They could be as different from us as we are from humans." It's a theory, but given Brainaics capabilities, not a very far fetched one.

Then she's nodding. "There are parts of Earth I would miss very much. Locations that rival even my memories of Krypton for beauty. There are also things I will gladly forget. I never saw myself as a protector. It's something I did because I could.. but if I were given the chance to just be a woman?" Her smile flickers, then fades. "To love someone without the fear of accidentally killing them in a moment of passion?" A quiet sigh, eyes casting down. "There are definitely benefits to being away from the Yellow Sun."

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura presses her lips together, "The thought had occurred to me - them being all super small, that time might be rushing by. But Brainiac wants to preserve his prizes, so it's also possible time stands still. Yet we know from reports of those taken in the Mutant Town incident, that time seems to run normal."

"Let's hope that's the same for a city that's been shrunken so long -- " Alura looks to her daughter as she talks about partners. "That's... quite a conversation." But already her head is ticking over. "I suppose if you had a red light room." A coy little smile. "Besides which, the existence of Jon-El, Con-El, and this new Cir-El all show that Kryptonians and Humans can speciate."

"It's one of the reasons your uncle chose this world. There was a high chance of compatibility. May be some gene therapy would be required." She waves a hand, "I'm getting ahead of myself. I've never asked before, but when you date humans, does gender matter at all to you? What if you were dating Kryptonians?"

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara nods to the science of the matter, "One of my team mates on the Titans uses pym particles to shrink herself and has explained matters of the quantim realm to me. Which..." Her had cants slightly, just so, "This is not, but it follows the same theory of relativity. Density of matter against the ebb of time space has calculable variation in spartial acceleration... then again, this is Brainiac technology, so there's no telling how he's altered the rules."

The mention of family from futures where human and Kryptonian have reproduce is another matter of curiosity. "Perhaps. Kal spent his entire life here on Earth, however. I didn't... I was almost an adult by the time I came out of my stasis pod. He had thirty years to acclimate, to finally tune his control. Which, I suppose I will eventually develop as well, on a long enough timeline, but it doesn't do me any favors now. When simply kissing someone could lead to me blowing their skin off if I sigh too hard."

"obviously I'm over exagerating, but I think you understand what I mean..."

As to the last question, Kara grins and looks down at her feet. "I have no real preference. I believe that I will one day want to have children of my own, but I don't know that they need to be from birth? If we're right about Kandor, there could be displaced youths that I could adopt." Her eyes shift back and forth, a thoughtful gesture, "I have dated both, however. Spider-Man. The masked vigilante from New York? I believe he was my first boy friend. But that was several years ago." Dating Kryptonians? "I'm related to every Kryptonian I know, Jeju. And as far as we are aware, I'll be as strong to them as I am to humans." Indicating the bottle. "I believe if I were to have children, birth them I mean, I would want to do so with a Kryptonian. I just don't think that's likely."

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura gives Kara a look and smiles, "I meant if New Krypton gets off the ground." She looks back to the bottle, "It's an interesting question though. Preferences. It seems to be a big topic on Earth these days. I remember not having much interest in dating when I was young. At least, until I met your father."

"Though, even then, we were simply friends. Friends that just kept growing closer. I think in the human terms I would label myself a demisexual? attracted to the person, their mind, more than anything else."

"I do know what you're talking about - though we both went through the same training with the Amazons. I have faith in what they taught me and what they taught you. Either way, we don't have to choose now. We can give up these powers any day we want if New Krypton works. Or we can stay here. Kara, I will go where you want to go. I crossed time and space to find you. You're my world."

Kara Danvers has posed:
"I knew what you meant." Kara says with a grin, "I simply mean that I haven't had the luxury to consider it a real possibility until now. New Krypton, I mean." Again motioning to the bottle, the device, and what both mean for the future of their people.

Her grin spreads into a warmed smile when Alura speaks of meeting her father, "I have had a great deal of trouble figuring out all the labels humans apply to matters of sexuality. It seems so simple to me.. you like who you like." This said casually, "I suppose that fits me as well, however. This demisexual. I don't generally find myself very interested in the matter until I've gotten to know someone." Adding, after a pregnant pause, "I'm not sure what the situation with Spider-Man was. I dare say I was young and he's funny."

Kara steps closer to Alura and leans a shoulder against her, "As much as I would like to say it would be easy to give up these abilities and return to a place that reminds me of Krypton, I don't know that it would be. People look up to me... they need us... well, Kal anyways. Kal is a beacon of hope for Earth. They look up to him and he's so rooted in the world I don't see him ever wanting to leave." Her lips curl up into a grin, "And I was sent here to look after him, so I'll probably do that. It'll be nice to know New Krypton exists, a place I can go and relax with my people, but my family is here. So... it's not an easy decision."

With that said, she turns and hugs her mother. "So long as we're all together, then I already feel like I'm home."

Alura In-Ze has posed:
"...he was meant to be a baby." Alura cracks a smile and wraps an arm about her daughter. "Also it's surprising how many daughters I found on this rock. The one I made, the one an alt-me made, the one some scientist made..." She smiles, "I hadn't ever considered you might want a brother or sister. But here we are."

"...Home." Alura leans her head to Kara's and stares at the bottle. Knowing that they're not doing this for themselves but for the people inside somehow makes this easier.