2806/Moonshot

Moonshot
Date of Scene:	06 August 2020
Location:	Cape Canaveral and the Lunar Surface
Synopsis:	Superman and Wonder Woman, with assistance from Supergirl, establish the beginnings of a base on the lunar surface.
Cast of Characters:	Clark Kent, Kara Danvers, Diana Prince

---

Clark Kent has posed:
When the call went out for corporate assistance in the construction of the Justice League's new headquarters on the moon, a sort of philanthropic bidding war began. With Wayne Enterprises and Queen Consolidated early to hop into the ring with generous donations, other entities followed suit, whether for the PR value of being seen responding positively to the Brainiac attacks, the chance to get a foot in the door for the valuable R&D possibilities, or simply to one-up their competitors in the next annual report.

Assistance was welcomed from all over the world, and now much of the provided materiel has been gathered in Cape Canaveral, Florida, for the easy shipping access and the chance to consult with NASA experts on the challenges and possibilities of this kind of project.

Today is the day the Big Lift will begin, with Superman and his Kryptonian cousin ready to lift chunks of prefabricated base out of Earth's gravity well by hand. They're joined in the humid Florida summer by Wonder Woman, whose assistance with the cargo haul to this location has been invaluable, and who can now liaise with NASA and direct the Els in the most efficient possibilities for the haul.

Kal, for his part, is just completing a flight circuit of the tarmac, checking weather conditions and ensuring that the pieces are arrayed in an organized pattern. Also, it's just an exciting moment, and the air gives a great vantage point from which to enjoy it. "Everybody excited to get started?" Superman asks, over a headset frequency shared by the heroes present, the air traffic controllers, and the NASA control tower. His ebullient tone of voice makes it pretty clear that he is.

Kara Danvers has posed:
Ferrying cargo back and forth is not the hardest work in the world, but it is great to have the air on your face and running through your hair. Even if the destination is northern Florida where the air gets hot and sticky. Such a large assemblage of pieces are now set out on NASA tarmacs. She walks amongst them checking them over, feeling excited for the mission but also extremely proud of Earth.

The materiel gathered is some of the best the planet has to offer. Each step they take is another big one and decided Human in design. It would be a shame if they simply copied off alien species, but they haven't. This initiative, in the light of the Brainiac attack, is imperative to the survival of this planet.

Supergirl pauses to chat with one of the NASA engineers about speed and angle when taking some of the more sensitive pieces up through the atmosphere. Supergirl and Superman might be able to handle the heat and pressures, but that doesn't mean this bundling of internal paneling can, for instance.

The usual 'echo' of hearing Kal in the air and also in the communicator is something you just have to get used to. She's still not used to it. "Extremely!," she replies with exuberance.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana had brought the 'Invisible Jet'.

It's actually the second generation of craft that uses that title. The first was originally gifted to her in the 1960s by Howard Stark. He'd developed the single seater jet fighter for the United States military, but after completing it had decided that it was too dangerous for them to have. So he knew the only way he could ensure it went in to the right hands, was to gift it to Diana Prince -- she was not a public super hero back then but he still knew her from decades earlier in her secret efforts to fight in WWII incognito.

That jet, was retired in the early 2000s when Diana rescued the Princess of an alien culture that had crash landed on Earth's northern-most continent after being shot down by assassins from her own world's opposing uprising... it was a whole big thing. Diana had saved the Lansinarian Princess' life, and she'd bestowed the 'magical egg' to the Themysciran Princess, in gratitude. This... strange egg, has become the second generation of Invisible Jet. It is bonded to Diana, and takes on the shape as she wills it too...

Right now? It is not invisible. It is very visible. Like an arrowhead, the large elegantly shaped craft rests above one of the sections of station that was waiting to be taken to the stars. The Jet gleams a brilliant bright white in the daylight, and Diana stands atop it.

Inside the Jet, are NASA Pilots, who had been training with the Jet's controls all day. Wonder Woman was letting them fly the cargo to the new location, as a show of respect to Earth's scientists and engineers.

Diana is checking the locations of where the Jet has connected with the cargo beneath it and as she hears Kal and Kara's voices, she looks and over to them. <"We are ready here."> She says to them both over comms <"Eager to get under way.">

Clark Kent has posed:
Kal has had a little more experience with the phasing caused by a headset and super-hearing operating in parallel, but it's crucial to keep everyone in the loop on a mission, and even more so now, with so many civilian allies involved.

<"Fantastic, Diana,"> he replies. He breaks from his broad, graceful curve to dive forward on a direct line down to her jet, slowing at the last second to touch down lightly alongside her. <"If the teleportation platform is secured on the jet, I'll bring up the reactor and Kara can get the hangar module underway, so we'll have magnetic containment by the time the Jet arrives.">

He looks over and waves at the control tower. <"I'm trusting you NASA geniuses to walk us through it; Supergirl and I are pretty smart, but neither of us specializes in this kind of engineering.">

Muting the comms for a second, he asks Diana personally, "You doing alright? I know the jet means a lot to you. Handing over the keys has to be a little nerve-wracking."

Kara Danvers has posed:
Laid out upon the tarmac are six large bundles in metal netting. Each containing numerous parts for the exterior and interior. Long lines of metal snack from their tip to a central point where Supergirl approaches. All six of the bundles are to be taken up. Initially the NASA engineers thought it'd take six trips, or may be three trips, but it became evident when they tested the configuration with Supergirl earlier in the day that she'd take all six at once.

Gathering the ends up the metal ropes in her hands she begins to rise up slowly, taking in the slack until the netting holding the large pallets of materials become taunt. She nods to Kal and says, "I'm ready. I've got my vector in my head and speed. Give the go and I'll see you all on the moon."

It's extremely exciting to say those words out loud and she can feel her heart racing. The smile on her face is a dead give away just how enjoyable this moment is for her. The sun is out, the weather is perfect, it gleams off the \S/ upon her chest which she wears proudly. A project that could take years without them will take but days.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana is standing on the top center of the very visible Jet, with her body's weight primarily on her left leg and her right extended out ahead of her just a bit. Her hair is blowing in the Florida winds around her otherwise bare shoulders and when Superman comes to join her she shows a smile to him. "It is no bother what so ever. I am excited to let others who are so passionate about flight to have a chance to fly something of this nature." She glances forward to the nose of the jet where the canopy is to the control cabin inside -- this jet being basically the same size as the X-Men's SR-77, and not that dissimilar in shape either! But... opposite in color!

She looks again then to Kal. "You should have seen their faces when they first got it above the clouds and in-motion." She lets her smile shift in to a grin.

Her eyes go then across the tarmac to where Kara is. <"That is a hefty load, Supergirl. We will be right behind you in this rather unusual convoy.">

Over the comms, the pilots inside of the Jet speak up. <"We're ready in here. We should be able to help with some of the assembly when we arrive too.">

Clark Kent has posed:
Superman gives Diana a happy laugh when she mentions the pilots' enthusiasm operating her aircraft. "I'll bet it was the same look I had on my face the first time I went flying," he tells her. Different kind of flying, perhaps, but the same thrill.

Glancing over at Kara when she signals her readiness, he lifts weightlessly from the hull of the not-currently-invisible jet, then dives to land on the tarmac a dozen meters away and grab a couple of clear pressure masks. A second later he lifts off again to bring one to Supergirl. "Don't forget this," he tells her with a smile, fitting his own over his nose, mouth, and headset microphone. "We might be able to go a long while up there without air, but trying to talk without the pressure..." he cocks his head to the side and gives a self-deprecating laugh. "It won't kill you, or anything, but it's pretty awkward -- as I learned from embarrassing experience."

He glances toward Diana sheepishly. She may have been there for that one.

Next, he has to hurry over to his own payload. Smaller than Kara's -- though not by much -- it contains the denser heavy metals necessary for the station's solar-fueled battery array. <"Faster than a speeding bullet, but still kept everybody waiting for me. Now I know how the Flash must feel,"> he quips as he settles the cargo yoke over his upper body. <"Alright, tower. Count us down.">

From mission control: <"Five. Four. Three. Two. One.">

<"Liftoff!">

Kara Danvers has posed:
Peering over to Wonder Woman, Kara shrugs her shoulders playfully and says, "Can't skip arm day."

Kara moves the cables from hand to the other so she has a free hand for the pressure mask. She grins at Kal and puts it over her face, "Thanks. I almost forgot it. Yeah, I've done the whole oops choking in space thing before. It's not pleasant."

As the countdown begins, Supergirl brings the nets back to tautness and presses her feet in to the ground. It's a lot of weight, but it isn't a giant battery and it isn't a teleporter. If she breaks this stuff it can be more easily replaced.

The ground begins to buckle as the pressure builds up under it and then at Liftoff! she launches in to the air. The metal rope netting creeks and groans and the cargo strains against itself. This was expected, but it is still nerve wracking for the tower and ground crews.

After a moment of tense 'will it break', the six netted bundles begin to lift off the ground as Kara gets a determined look on her face and fights hard against the gravity desperate to keep the watch tower Earth bound.

But then, all at once, she is moving and the cargo is rising in to the air, her chin up with her sights set on the starts, she takes in one last deep breath and pushes up through the sky, becoming an ever increasingly small dot to the NASA personnel.

Diana Prince has posed:
"It is not every day that one gets to pilot a vehicle that defies the known laws of physics." Diana says back to Superman and shows him a little reserved smile at his comments on speaking in space. "I am not a fan of 'outer space', but you know this already." She adds in a soft voice.

When they start their operation though, Wonder Woman starts to step forward across the cloud-hued hull of the Lansin Jet. As she walks, she begins to 'sink' down into the vessel, quite literally passing through that very same hull plating, until she vanishes inside of it.

Once inside the vehicle, Diana walks up behind the NASA Pilots and gives them both a smile and a nod.

"Here we go." The middle-aged one on the right says, at the end of the countdown and at the sight of Kara flying off. "This thing really packs a punch, but we'll keep it dialed down... tough as that is." He says in his thick mid-western American accented voice.

Diana grins softly. "We will let you open up on the way back." She chides the pilot back before she watches the vehicle lift off, and watches the holographic displays on the otherwise simplistic front control board show their own ascent with their own cargo load beneath them.

<"We are right behind you."> Diana adds over comms.

Clark Kent has posed:
It's a sight perhaps unique in history: two Kryptonians, fully laden with construction materials and brimming with energy from the Florida sun, doing a synchronized vertical takeoff from the same airstrip as Wonder Woman's second-generation invisible jet. Hundreds, if not thousands of lenses -- on personal cell phones, broadcasters' video cameras, and NASA's mission control monitors -- record the moment for posterity.

They all leave the tarmac at nearly the same moment, too, Wonder Woman's aircraft sweeping gracefully upward as Superman and Supergirl tear away from gravity's clutches at a perpendicular angle, all in full view of anyone on Earth who wishes to see.

They have entered the clouds in a deceptively brief period of time, their netted payloads buffeted by wind shear and turbulence, but the give and take of their natural flight should be enough to keep everything intact and in its place. Soon they're soaring even higher than that, the questions of drag and turbulence growing less and less important as the atmosphere thins and the temperature drops. Mesosphere, thermosphere, then orbit; it can get lonely out here, but each of them has the rest of the group as a lifeline in the dark.

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara's angle starts to shift just so slightly as she follows the instructions from the NASA flight engineers. She checks her speed, still good. The atmosphere breaking away in to space. Once more, the beautiful solar system becomes clear in her eyes. Tiny specs of light hitting her eyes like fireworks going off, the pings of exotic particles hitting her ears makes for that strange eerie sound that tells her she's here, on the outer limits of Earth.

The cargo now has a momentum all to its own and she need not exert herself too much. Better still, the pressure mask allows her to exhale and recycle all the air she has taken in, which is much easier in her body than holding it until she can't hold it any more. Also, as Kal pointed out - she can talk. There's no longer the echo they have in atmosphere, only the comms to communicate.

Kara takes a moment to look back on the netted cargo and notes everything has survived, "This is Supergirl, cargo looks good, we have made it to orbit at 137km." She looks up to see a piece of space junk moving toward her netting. Normally, she'd just burn it up but she doesn't want to damage the pressure mask, so she lets go of the cargo and flies to the junk, grabs it, and flings it in to a lower orbit where it'll burn up safely. "Ready for moon rendezvous," she says as she gathers up the six tethers again.

Clark Kent has posed:
As he echoes Supergirl's status report, Clark is also pleased to have no bad news to offer. A similar all-clear comes from the jet crew, following at a more gradual pace. <"Quiet out here, isn't it?"> Kal comments, both as an aside to Kara and to give the ground crew a bit of flavor.

<"Normally, this is when Supergirl and I would accelerate to the much higher speeds we're capable of in a vacuum, where there's no air to create drag. However, with this much cargo mass, we don't want to build up too much inertia, just to have to slow it all down again when we arrive with an equal and opposite force. Instead, we're going to hit a superorbital speed on the course mission control sets for us, and then coast on our own momentum until it carries us to the moon."> That little physics lesson, of course, is for the benefit of school children around the world who are tuning in to the live stream from NASA. It's tradition!

Kara's slight detour to deal with the orbital debris, on the other hand, he doesn't comment on. That'll just be for the behind the scenes reel.

It's not too terribly long a time before they're both carried on their course toward the moon's surface, and the large divot where, hours ago, they already carved out a place for the lower levels of the Justice League base. It took quite a burst of heat vision to accomplish, but there's no shortage of solar energy out here.

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara, once the inertia has them on the designed flight plan, lets go of the tethers once more and lets herself rotate slowly to take in the beauty of the universe. The solar winds are a glowing shadow across the expanse of space and as they fly through them, they leave behind a trail, a wake that only advanced sensors or super senses can see.

Kara has a happy smile on her face. Kryptonians excelled at space travel, but doing so without a spacecraft is a pleasure all to its own. It would be nice to share this with all those shrunken down in Kandor. <"It's beautful,"> she says back to Kal, fully aware that everything is being recorded from posterity. "/zhiutidhdhoiause.. as.. es.. i/" she says in Kryptonian for all the school children to wonder at its meaning... the galaxies beauty, was, is, will be.

When they get closer to the moon she takes up the tethers again and begins the deceleration to lower them down in to orbit. This is the part of rocket science she does not know. Aiming for that platform takes a lot of adjustments. If she were a NASA engineer she could probably get it right in one go, but instead it takes a lot of tugging and adjustments until she lands down on the platform with her cargo.

"Hello moon, it's a pleasure to stand on you. Thank you for hosting us," she says in admiration of nature.

Clark Kent has posed:
<"It is beautiful,"> Kal agrees. <"There's so much we're privileged to get to see on this world. And this station will give us the chance to share at least some of it with millions of others."> Potentially rescued Kandorians; certainly scientifically-minded humans. For Clark, both have their separate appeal.

He gives a good-natured smile when Kara takes a moment to greet the lunar surface. His task is a little easier than hers, here: the dense weight of the power annex is a little less unwieldy than the more distributed mass of the hangar equipment she brought. He settles the payload down into the trench they excavated for it, then begins the preliminary setup.

Although the solar tower will be one of the last pieces of the base to arrive, these batteries were already charged before they took off. Their charge will enable heating and atmosphere containment in Kara's hangar module, so that they'll have a habitable space for the crew on the invisible jet when they arrive. From that point, the teleporters can be activated, and progress will really start to snowball.

<"Remember what I said to you a few days ago, about human ingenuity?"> Superman asks Kara as he works. <"The planning that went into this whole project, from so many different groups of people around the world... it's truly amazing.">

Kara Danvers has posed:
The thought gives Kara pause as she starts to unravel the sundry of pieces from its metal netting. She cannot remember the last time Kryptonians did anything so momentus. There was the project her dad was working on, to make Argo City fully self sufficient and in that time of crisis right at the end, he was madly rushing to transform it in to a shielding system. But the days of grand constructions and space exploration were long behind Krypton.

She nods her head to Kal, not wanting to comment on that on the record, then begins to pull the various pieces apart. A jigsaw puzzle of sorts, but she and the NASA engineering crew went over it many times. The engineers from the jet make footfall on the moon too in their space suits and begin to help Kara sort the pieces in to the right positions.

She's not rushing, super speed might only introduce error and she wants the help of the humans which means making sure they're keeping up. But piece by piece is assembled and curved walls and ceiling begin to take shape. She sucks in her air supply and takes off her mask to do short bursts of heat, welding the seams shut. It's going to be a relief when she can breath deeply again.

Clark Kent has posed:
With guidance from the ground team and the specialists Diana brought along, it doesn't take long for Superman to have the massive battery banks of the power annex arranged and secured in their struts. The more volatile materials here mean that heat vision welds would be inadvisable, so everything is bolted in place, Kryptonian hands working just as well as any wrench.

Running power from this skeleton version of the annex to the core atmosphere recycler he also brought along is the next step, followed by connecting both power and ventilation to Kara's hangar systems. These tasks are completed quickly, and before long he's helping Kara ensure pressure seals in the well-lit hangar so that the containment field and air circulators can be activated, creating a breathable atmosphere for them all to enjoy.

When they are both satisfied that everything is in place, he turns to his cousin with a smile, and then gestures toward the controls mounted in one wall of the hangar. <"Want to do the honors?"> he asks.

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara can feel the burn in her lungs. This is the longest she's spent working with held breath and recycled air. She is starting to feel that desperate need to fly back to the planet. But, they are //so// close to finishing, so she pushes it down inside and keeps going. That smile from her cousin is met with a hand to his shoulder.

The main thing keeping her going is the constant shine of the sun upon them as they work - at least, until the hanger is completely enclosed. She nods her head and gives a thumbs up, not wanting to waste breathe on speech. She kicks off the ground and lets the low gravity flight take her over to the controls. This is it, the turning point for Earth's new Watchtower.

She presses the prime and then start button and watches with interest as the moon base comes to life. She can see and feel the air starting to circulate and checks the control panel for pressurisation. If there's a hole, they'll know soon enough and it'll be easily fixed.

Kara takes off her masks and takes in a deep breath of air, then exhales and repeats. <"Ahh. Mission Control, we have power and air."> She grins brightly to Diana and Kal and high fives the NASA crew.

Clark Kent has posed:
Superman removes his own mask, giving Kara a smile of sympathy that only she'll be likely to interpret. As far as most humans are concerned, Kryptonians can just flit about in space to their hearts' content, and they've both kept up that uncomplaining front, but she's not the only one hungry for a lungful of air by the time the atmosphere for one is finally available.

He finally breathes, then -- not deeply, lest he strain their supply -- and grins as the crew also start popping their helmets. <"Well done, everyone! Phase one is complete,"> he announces.

Then, there's a round of back-patting to be done, and he goes around the group, shaking hands, learning names, and even posing for group photos and selfies against the backdrop of starts and the shimmering containment field. Finally, the ground crew have taken the teleporter platforms back to the surface, and there's a relatively private interval for the Kryptonian cousins to speak.

"I want to thank you for your help today," Superman says sincerely. "I know it was a favor to me, but you've also done a great service for Earth and for the League -- one we won't forget. If you ever need anything from us, just say the word. And, while I know the Titans and the DEO are your main focus... I hope you won't mind if I put your name in as someone the League can call on, too."

Kara Danvers has posed:
Kara joins in with the photos and has a silly happy grin on her face as she does it. Kara watches as the last of the human crew depart via teleporter. She hears the cheers of excitement on Earth at the success of the mission and then shuts her off comms for a bit so she can talk with her cousin. Well, first she gives him a hug.

She turns around on the spot looking at the humble beginnings of something that has been designed to be quite impressive. "Wow. This is historical." She taps a foot to the floor and then smiles just a little bit more. "It was a pleasure Kal. Also, space, moon.. and the next time someone like Brainiac comes along, we'll be ready."

"Of course, and if you ever need me, then yes, put my name in and I will be there. Like you say, I'm getting easier to get in contact for the humans. The DEO hears alerts from SHIELD and the Titans hear alerts from everyone." Her eyes look around the hanger and she says, "They could have done it without us, but I'm glad we could help them."

Still an 'us' and 'them' in Kara's mind. She didn't grow up on this planet and while Kal must be aware he's not one of them, at the same time he is very much one of them. The differences in culture between Kal and Kara attest to that. She eyes the teleporter and then says, "I think I'll take the long way home. It's more scenic."

Clark Kent has posed:
Clark returns the hug, and keeps his arm around his cousin's shoulders as she marvels at the moment they're experiencing. "It sure is something," he agrees. "We've had a lot of historical moments over the past few years -- a lot of them dark and dangerous ones. It's nice to be able to be a part of something this positive, and to share it with the people I care about. The family I found on Earth, and the one I brought with me from Krypton."

He flashes a gently sheepish smile, then, realizing that he may have slipped into the Superman Voice a little bit there. When Kara gives him his answer, he nods somberly, and with gratitude. "It's good to know I can call on you. We're all o us rebuilding in more ways than one. Humanity could have done this without Kryptonians, but I'm glad they didn't have to. You and I were given a home here, and so much else, and it feels good to give back."

But for all his feelings of belonging among humans, Clark does wrinkle his nose at the teleporter, then grins over at the containment field and the lunar surface beyond. "It is a lot more fun, isn't it?" he agrees. Then, with a sudden grin and a bend of the knees, in preparation for flight: "Race you back to Florida?"