Previously - Chapter 5 ***
Chapter 6***
October 13, 1995
After Carl deposited Lex at the appropriate window in the visiting area of the prison, Lex watched him continue to the edge of the room to stand watch. A quick glance revealed a petite woman with long brown hair and metal-rimmed glasses seated on the other side of the window who appeared to be irritated about something. She sat drumming her fingers loud enough to be heard through the window on a tiny spiral-bound pad of paper. Lex hid his amusement and gave a quick nod to her, which she returned, and made himself comfortable in the seat before picking up the handset linked to the one already waiting in her hand.
Dr. Florence Montgomery began her career working for the mysterious Bureau 39, an agency that, according to the information Lex had gathered, was wary of a certain alien superhero, as a materials scientist though her degree in biophysics would have suggested another position. Additionally, after the dismantling of Bureau 39, she had gone to work for the police department as a weapons expert.
“You’ll like this one,” Carl said as they reviewed notes last week. “That Bureau 39 hand selected her. I didn’t even get half of the first sentence out before she agreed. I thought she’d start cheering the more I talked. She’s … enthusiastic, to say the least.”
That she had eagerly accepted the invitation to meet with Luthor before he’d even finished explaining what it was all about filled Lex with excitement as well and he looked forward to this meeting. Since this meeting couldn’t be private in the visitor area of the prison they’d worked out a code beforehand that would allow them to speak freely.
So great was her eagerness that she immediately began talking before the receiver reached his ear. “Mr. Luthor,” she began. “I was under the impression this meeting was supposed to start at nine forty-five. It is now nine fifty-three. I hate being made to wait.”
“My apologies,” he said sincerely, understanding the irritation he first observed when he arrived. “I have little control over the schedule here.”
She pursed her lips and took a deep breath. “Very well,” she continued. “Let’s get this over with. I understand you need someone to figure out how to adjust your furnace’s function.” She tipped her head downward to peer at him over her glasses.
Lex was taken aback by her straightforward manner and entertained by her expert use of the code at the same time. He smiled and answered slowly, “Yes, that’s –”
“Is this to be permanent or temporary?” she asked, interrupting him, clearly impatient to begin.
So rarely was Lex in a position to be interrupted, he wasn’t immediately sure how to handle it. “Well,” he began again, “I’d prefer that to be an option –”
“Temporary then,” she declared, interrupting him again, “but controlled by you.” She looked down at her pad and scribbled furiously.
“Yes,” Lex confirmed, trying not to let his own impatience with her unsophisticated behavior show. “Now, Dr. Montgomery -”
“Flo, please,” she interrupted once more, not looking up from her pad as her pencil moved erratically around on the page.
“Flo,” he repeated.
Before he could recall what he had been about to say, her head popped up with a grin on her face. “Now, I’ve developed a plan to disable all of the functions, I just need to know what kind of filters I’ll have access to.”
Lex stared in shock and his mouth fell open. Yes, Carl may have outdone himself with this one. Enthusiastic was insufficient to describe her. “Come again?”
She rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. “Red? Green? Both?” she clarified, speaking more slowly.
“I’m sorry, I–” he tried but was interrupted yet again.
“Red filters affect the furnace’s … thermostat,” she stated, making hand gestures Lex didn’t understand. “Green filters affect the furnace’s … motor.”
He had to take a minute to considered what she could possibly mean by these references. She was using the code and obviously had it so well memorized that she sounded like an expert. Filters were kryptonite and he knew of the red and green varieties. He nodded when at last it made sense. “Yes, I know-” was all he could get out this time.
“I know a lot of things,” she broke in.
“I’m sure you do.” It was becoming increasingly difficult to conceal his displeasure with her mannerisms.
“You ran some tests on furnaces when they first arrived,” she prattled on. “You managed to contain them in a cage made of filters. And for some reason they didn’t kill you when they had the chance…multiple times, what a fake.” She rolled her eyes again, but Lex wasn’t sure why.
He was fascinated by her ability to so easily insert the code. Lex was also stunned by all the information about himself he’d just heard and very much intrigued by this strange woman’s knowledge. “How do you know all of that?” he asked calmly. Social situations were clearly not her forte, but he could tell she was a wealth of information and ability.
“Like I said, I know things.” She shrugged and averted her eyes as if she’d realized she’d done something she shouldn’t have.
“I see.” Lex continued to look at her.
She quickly got over whatever she had been feeling or thinking and turned back to him. “My current plan requires both. Can you get them?”
The corners of Lex’s mouth angled upward slightly. He was impressed that she’d come up with this plan so fast and would do whatever it took to get what she needed. “I’m certain that won’t be a-”
“Then I can’t do it.” She pushed back into her chair suddenly, tossing her pencil down and drumming her fingers loudly again.
Lex closed his eyes to keep from rolling them. This infuriating scientist would push him to his limits. “Flo,” he said with as much patience as he could muster. “If you’ll stop interrupting me and allow me to finish, I’m sure we’ll be able to work this out.”
She blushed then and reached to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Right, sorry,” she apologized, “Lowell wasn’t allowed to accompany me. He usually keeps me in check.”
“I’m sorry he wasn’t able to join you.” Lex would have to make sure whoever
Lowell was had a permanent spot beside her at all future meetings. “But as I was saying, you shall have whatever you need.”
Her face lit up like a child’s on Christmas morning. Lex couldn’t help but smile at her. “Ooh,” she squealed, “Excellent! If you have nothing else then, I’ll go get started.” She reached to put her pad in her bag.
“Wait just a minute,” he stopped her. “I need to tell you who to contact to get set up. And are we agreed on the price?”
“Right, yes!” she blurted. “The price is fine. I’m just so excited. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this one, furnaces can’t be trusted and I’m glad someone who understands that finally wants to do something about it.” She pulled her pad of paper back out.
“Yes, well if you knew half of what I know-” he began.
“I know
more than half,” she eyed him, making him feel scrutinized. “I gather you have just a bit more information about furnaces than I do.” She raised her eyebrows and waited expectantly.
“Ah. Well, we’ll have to clear that up soon,” he said with a smile. “Your contact person is Carl, he will get you whatever you require,” he said with a wave of his hand.
“Fantastic. Can I go now?” she said without pausing.
“Yes, thank you, Flo. I look forward to hearing about your progress on disabling furnaces.” He smiled at her as she quickly picked up her things and all but ran from the room. Lex finally relaxed in the chair, feeling very satisfied with the progression of that meeting, and made a second note to ensure that
Lowell accompanied Flo next time.
***
October 26, 1995
Nearly a month of listening to Nat King Cole blaring through his mind for several hours every day had gone by. It was starting to grow on Scott. He was surprised that they weren’t all about love, as all the ones he’d ever heard were; some were about friends, some about places. But often, they had a good beat and were catchy. He was able to recognize most of them now, but occasionally Jay would put a new one on.
Jay still didn’t say much unless he was talking about Nat King Cole or Scott’s sister. Scott regretted mentioning her that first day, but, at the same time, he was glad they had at least something they could talk about. The days in the lab were not so boring when a conversation could be had now and then.
Scott approached Jay with the latest circuitry he’d completed. He handed the piece to Jay for inspection. “I hope you don’t mind. My sister is going to stop by later,” he mentioned as Jay turned the circuit board over in his hands. “I have to drive her to our aunt’s house in Metrodale later, so I told her to meet me here.”
“In the basement of a church?” Jay side-eyed him as he tossed the circuit board onto a pile of other circuit pieces before going back to his own task, which Scott couldn’t identify. “What’d you tell her we were doing?” he asked.
“I didn’t,” Scott clarified. “She just knows I’m working for you and thinks we’re doing something for a parishioner.”
Jay laughed. “Oh yeah, Lex Luthor goes to church here.” He continued to fiddle with the pieces. “Tell her we’re building a … superconducting flux inhibitor.”
“Okay, that sounds … like a bunch of technical jargon.” It could really be the name of what they were working on, but it certainly wouldn’t mean anything to his sister. “So, what exactly are we building?” he asked.
There were two separate, seemingly different devices that were slowly taking shape in this basement laboratory of theirs. One of them looked like a briefcase with a piece that was connected by a set of thin cords. The piece at one end of the cord was a pair of glasses with a small, contoured box at the end of one ear piece. Tiny electrodes protruded from three places and would make contact with the skin at the temples and between eyes of whoever donned them.
Scott shook his head and chuckled every time he saw the other device they worked on. It looked like an outdated computer, possibly from the 1980’s, a very large metal cabinet covered with rows of blinking multicolored lights that housed a satellite-dish-shaped
something. The grey locker-looking box even had a large toggle switch on the side, like it was meant for a science fiction movie.
“I haven’t come up with a name for it yet.” Jay sat back from his work station rubbing his chin. “It’s a device that transmutes episodic anamneses by bringing them back to the hippocampus for reconstruction. It then modifies the amygdala to associate calculated perceptions to the chosen recollection.” He said this as if it should have been obvious, but it was anything but.
Scott blinked. “Sorry, can you put that in layman's terms?”
“It changes memories.” With that, Jay went back to fiddling with the pieces in front of him.
Why he couldn’t have said that in the first place, Scott didn’t know, but at least now he understood. “Ah. Whose memories are we changing?”
“Nearly everyone eventually.”
“Everyone?” Scott’s eyebrows shot up.
“But for starters, Superman and Lois Lane,” Jay said with an excited wiggle of his eyebrows.
“Superman?” Scott wasn’t surprised, really. It was common knowledge that Luthor viewed Superman as his own personal enemy. But Scott wasn’t sure Luthor had thought this through. “How is that even going to be possible?”
“They’ve assured me that what they’re doing to him will make him no more than human. I’m not in on that part of the gig. Some Dr. Montgomery has that job.”
“Montgomery,” Scott huffed. “Sounds like a stuffy old British guy…”
“I know.” Jay laughed. “But Carl says there isn’t anyone who could do that job better than her.”
Scott caught the use of the feminine pronoun. “Oh, my apologies, a stuffy old British gal,” he corrected. “So, what’s she going to do?”
“I have no idea.” Jay shrugged. “But he’s supposed to be completely incapacitated.”
“Can’t wait to see that,” Scott said in a tone that was both excited and skeptical.
“Me either.”
“So, one of these is for Superman and one for regular people?” Scott asked gesturing to the two devices in front of them.
Jay shook his head. “Levels of changes.” Pointing at the large one first, then the small one, he explained, “This thing here will work on many people at the same time but can’t change as much. This one here only works on one person at a time, but the changes we can make are limitless.”
“Any idea what we are changing them to?” he asked.
“Not yet. But I’m thinking about having some fun with it and adding some Nat King Cole to the mix.”
“You would.” Scott shook his head. That didn’t surprise him at all.
A knock at the door put an end to their discussion. “That’ll be my sister,” Scott said as he went to pick up his things.
“Bring her in,” Jay insisted, motioning toward the door. “I’d like to meet this Nat King Cole fan you’re related to.”
Scott went to the door and unlocked it with his copy of the key, motioning for his sister to come in. Though close in age to Jay, he assumed, she definitely didn’t behave like him. Scott was sure it should be obvious why he felt so protective of her. She stood small in frame, obviously shy, but with blue eyes that sparkled.
Their aunt was taking her to some formal event Scott hadn’t really paid attention to but recalled as he took in the fancy dress she had donned for the event. It was a knee-length flowy thing of dark blue with a neckline that seemed to be designed to frame the treble clef necklace dangling from a delicate sterling silver chain. Her brown hair was swept up completing her look that brought something to Jay’s eyes that Scott recognized and didn’t like.
“Samantha,” he began the introduction, “this is…” Except he wasn’t sure what Jay wanted to divulge.
“Justice,” the doctor supplied. A pseudonym, of course.
Justice stood from his table and took the few shorts steps to meet them. Reaching out his hand he added, “Nice to meet you.” Scott rolled his eyes. For a moment, Scott wondered if this kid was going to turn debonair on him and kiss his sister’s hand.
“Hello, Justice,” Samantha greeted, shaking Jay’s hand and meeting his gaze head on. “You can call me Sam.” Scott lifted his eyebrows at the strange look in her eyes and that confident voice he wasn’t expecting.
***
November 2, 1995
Lex entered the large conference room with a folder under his arm, determination in his mind, and satisfaction on his face. Having been released from prison on parole just days ago, he found that his new freedom unchained his excitement and aroused in him new levels of tenacity. His release had been a feat in itself that Carl had pulled off famously with a few very well-placed bribes and threats. It was only a matter of time before he would begin taking what was rightfully his and putting to rest anything that stood in his way.
The purpose of this meeting was to assess the current state of his scheme. He glanced around the room as he made his way to the head of the large table, the only furniture in the room except for a very thin and long, high table that graced one side of the room and sat below a huge window overlooking the east end of Metropolis. While the table sat twenty, only four chairs near the head of the table were occupied.
Lex quickly observed the meeting’s attendants. To the left of the head of the table, Jay Hightower sat tapping a pencil on what appeared to be a dilapidated spiral notebook. Lex did not recognize the man seated beside him and assumed it must be his assistant, Scott Ferguson, who sat with his hands in his lap and a look of awe on his face, which Lex appreciated. Opposite Ferguson sat Florence Montgomery with a laptop open in front of her, energetically clicking away at the keys. A person he assumed must be the Lowell that she couldn’t function without was seated beside her. Lowell, a very average looking man with dark hair and dark eyes, sat motionless with a blank stare directed out of the window opposite him.
Carl followed Lex into the room carrying a large plastic file storage box and closed the door behind him before filling the empty seat to the right of the head of the table and setting the file box on the floor next to Lex’s chair. Lex looked around the table, nodding at his guests as he seated himself before opening his folder. He quickly perused the notes he made before looking up and smiling.
“First,” Lex began, getting down to business, “I’d like to apprise you of the new title. For communication purposes, henceforth this project will be known as Project Calibration.” He looked up and around the room and received nods from everyone. Lex continued, “Dr. Hightower, enlighten me as to the status of your task.” He steepled his fingers in front of him and waited.
“Both devices are finished,” Jay answered, “and we began testing yesterday.”
“Excellent,” Lex complimented with a lift of his brows. “And you believe you’ve worked all the kinks out? No side effects?” This was an important part of this entire scheme. He couldn’t have anyone aware of what had taken place. The transition must be seamless and his infiltration ironclad.
“None, sir.” Hightower’s unwavering eye contact filled Lex with confidence. “But we’ll need a few more weeks of testing.”
He allowed a smile and a nod before pausing briefly to collect his thoughts and organize his papers. “Flo,” he began, using the name she insisted on at their last meeting. She looked up to meet his face but did not stop her rough typing. “Tell me how your assignment progresses.”
“Nearly done, sir.” She finally stopped typing, giving a welcomed reprieve from her incessant clicking. “My research was correct. Mixing the green and red filters has exactly the right effect.” Lex was confused for the briefest of moments before recalling the code they’d used before. “And it doesn’t take much to work, large amounts of green filters are lethal and painful, but small amounts weaken enough. Red filters alleviate any other side effects. We’ll need more green filters for the take down and initial procedure.”
“You shall have it,” Lex granted with a nod. Thoughts of ‘the take down’, as she put it, made him giddy with anticipation.
Her eyes lit up and a smile stretched across her face. “Fantastic!” She beamed, exuding confidence. Then she started loudly drumming her fingers on the table and her face changed to a frown. “There is one necessary item still on order and once that comes in we’ll be ready.”
“What piece would that be?” he questioned, jotting down a few notes.
“The pen,” she stated. She went back to clicking at the keys. Lex made a concerted effort to stem his rising irritation as Lowell very discreetly reach over and gently nudged her elbow. She very obviously stifled a sigh before adding, “It should be in day after tomorrow.”
Lex lifted an eyebrow. This woman was absolutely terrible at picking up on social cues. So caught up in whatever she was doing and thinking, she paid no attention to those around her to even notice them. Lowell, who continued in his motionless staring off into the distance, did seem to serve a purpose. Lex inwardly laughed at the ridiculousness of it all as he looked back at his notes.
“Excuse me.” This from Ferguson, who leaned forward with his hand up slightly.
“Yes?”
“Have you considered the need to change records?” Ferguson leaned back in his chair with a skeptical look on his face. “People will eventually put things together if there is evidence to suggest something they remember isn’t true.” Ferguson must have seen the look in Lex’s eyes for he shrank in on himself. “Of course. You’ve already considered that.”
A nod was all Lex needed to give. He had built his life on power and influence. He lost his power once before and it wouldn’t happen again. He certainly didn’t get to where he was today by making missteps in anything. Of course, he knew what still needed to be done. A few months in prison gives a person plenty of time to mull over the details, considering every flaw and finding solutions. That meeting had been scheduled for later this afternoon, the first available meeting time for Anna Seville, an enigma in the technology world.
He turned to Flo and Lowell. “Flo, thank you for coming, you may go now,” he said quickly and specifically.
She smiled, closed her laptop and left in a rush of petite nervousness.
“Mr. Ferguson,” he began, turning to face the man, “I owe you thanks. That discovery you shared with me provides the perfect opportunity to begin Project Calibration and I thank you for that. It is a beautifully elaborate and believable cover story.” It was the truth. Lex had considered other scenarios but none of them had that bit of reality, that zing that would clench his win.
Ferguson’s mouth opened slightly but no words came out, he only nodded. Lex smiled at the effect he had on the man. Even though Ferguson has worked for Lex for more than two years, they’d never met until now. But it was clear that Ferguson was a valuable employee and Lex would consider him for other tasks as the need arose.
“You have been reassigned at S.T.A.R. Labs. The switch was effortless, given your role in the research. You’ll begin working with a Dr. Bernard Klein on the discovery of Superman’s home world. You will also assist Superman in preparing for his
trip.”
Ferguson’s eyebrows lifted. “Will I still be working with Jay part time?”
“Yes, but your duties at S.T.A.R. Labs come first.” Lex tapped a stack of papers on the table top to straighten them.
“Certainly, sir.” Scot acknowledged, smiling, “I knew you’d be pleased.”
“And Hightower, this box,” Lex motioned to the large, plastic file box that Carl had brought in, “contains the information for the memory changes as well as some further instructions for you.”
Hightower simply nodded as he took hold of the box and made his way out of the conference room with Ferguson.
“Thank you, gentlemen. Our meeting is now over.” Lex stood up to leave and took a deep breath, filling his lungs with a sense of accomplishment. The clock was ticking. It was only a matter of time before he would have the life that he was meant to have.
***
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