Chapter Seventeen
The delicious smell of roast turkey filled the air. Lucy checked the turkey a final time then she called everyone to dinner. Lara and Martha jumped in to help put the various dishes on the table while the men brought out the beverages. Once everyone was seated Ben carved the turkey while Lucy passed the plates around the table so that everyone had full plates in no time. Ben also said Grace, thanking God for the wonderful meal and for having the family together.
“You know, Mom,” Joel said in between bites of turkey. “Lara and Aunt Lois could almost be twins, except Lara is a little taller.”
“Thank you, Joel,” Lois said with a grin. “You make me feel good being compared to a twenty-two-year-old.”
“It’s true, Aunt Lois,” Eric chimed in. “I know Lara is your daughter but the resemblance is amazing.”
“Enough you two,” Lucy chided. “You’ll embarrass your aunt.”
“Quiet you,” Lois replied with a smile. “It feels good being told I look good.”
To change the subject Lois asked Clark what the subject of his next book would be.
“I’m branching out,” Clark said as he set his fork on his plate. “My next book is going to be an adventure story. It’s about a reporter who investigates a crime lord and how she brings down the organization.”
Soon everyone was talking about Clark’s travel books and his new foray into the world of the novelist.
“So Lara, do you have a boyfriend?” Ben asked, “A beautiful girl like you must have to beat guys off with a stick.”
“I do. He’s a Chicago firefighter named Ken McCarthy,” Lara replied. “We met at the hospital where I’d gone to interview him. He’d broken his leg and was taken there by Superwoman.”
“Superwoman, wow! She’s something else, isn’t she?” Eric exclaimed. “I think it’s wonderful that she left her home planet to help Superman keep us safe.”
Lois glanced towards Clark with a hint of a smile on her lips.
“Even so, they can’t be everywhere and do everything,” Lois said. “We all have a responsibility to do what we can, every day, to make the world a better place.”
“Speaking of Superman,” Joel interjected. “Even though Superwoman wears a mask, did anyone notice how young they both look? If I didn’t know they were father and daughter I’d think they were siblings. Kryptonians sure hide their age, don’t they? I wonder if it’s a side effect of their invulnerability? We were discussing that topic in biology just the other day.”
Everyone around the table had a theory and the discussion was very lively but Lara began to wonder if what Joel said might be true. Now that she had time to think about it, her father didn’t look very much older than his picture at the Kerth ceremony. The only difference being he wore his hair differently and he had different glasses now. She resolved to talk to her dad as soon as she could.
After dinner everyone pitched in, loading the dishwasher, and putting leftovers into the refrigerator until the kitchen and dining room were spotless. Rather than turn on the second football game they divided themselves into teams for a few games of Trivial Pursuit. Clark and Lara made sure they were on different teams and, due to their eidetic memory, refrained from answering too many questions so as not to raise suspicion.
When midnight rolled around the party broke up. As everyone was saying their goodbyes for the evening Lois went over to Clark with a purpose.
“Clark? Do you folks need a ride to your hotel?”
“That’s very nice of you, Lois,” Clark said, “We’re staying at the Pendry.”
“What a coincidence, that’s where I’m staying,” Lois said.
They all walked down the sidewalk to the cardinal red Cadillac XT5 SUV parked at the curb. Lois pressed the key fob which unlocked all the doors. Clark climbed in the front while Martha, Jonathan, and Lara climbed in the back.
It was a short ten-minute drive to the hotel where Lois parked her vehicle and they all walked into the lobby. Once in the elevator, Lois pressed the button for the second floor while Clark pressed the button for the fourth. When the doors opened on the second floor Lois exited and turned around.
“I’ll meet you all in the lobby at 8:00 a.m. for breakfast at Lucy’s?” Lois asked with a smile.
“Sounds good, goodnight, Lois,” Clark said. The doors closed and the car continued its journey to the fourth floor. Martha and Jonathan bid Lara and Clark goodnight leaving Lara and her father in the hallway.
**********
“Dad, do you have a minute?” Lara asked.
“For you, always. What’s up?” Clark opened his door and ushered her into the room. He sat on his bed and gestured for Lara to take the chair but she began pacing back and forth instead.
“Dad, I’ve been thinking. When Eric mentioned that if he didn’t know Superman was Superwoman’s father, he’d have thought they were siblings. It got me thinking and I remember seeing that picture of you at the Kerth ceremony with Lois—”
Clark interrupted, “Okay, so where are you going with this?”
“Dad, that picture was taken before I was born and you haven’t aged a bit!” Lara said with anguish. “Lois looks like twenty-three years have passed. She’s a beautiful woman for her age but no one would believe that she’s twenty-five, that’s for sure.”
“Hmm, I see what you mean,” Clark said, comprehension dawning. “I’ve never noticed it but now that you point it out, I see that you’re right.”
“Do you think Kryptonians have a longer lifespan than humans?” Lara asked, her brow creased with worry.
“It’s possible. The evidence seems to support that theory.”
“Do you think the globe would know? The Kryptonian knowledge base could have the answer.”
“I’ll bet it could. Why don’t we check that out when we get back?”
“I don’t want to wait that long Dad! Can I go ask it now?” Lara asked, anguish evident in the tone.
“If that’s what you want, go ahead. Just make sure you’re back in time for breakfast. You need to get some sleep too you know,” Clark said his concern evident for his child.
“Thanks, Dad!” Lara said. She kissed her father on the cheek then she hurried out of the room to the elevator where she exited on the ground floor. She headed towards the rear of the building that opened on a parking lot. She ducked behind some tall bushes, scanned the area then spun into her suit. She headed east to Smallville where she landed seconds later. Unlocking the door she entered the dark, silent kitchen. With her special vision, she did not need to turn on the lights.
Lara made her way confidently to the den where she took the box off the shelf and set it on the coffee table. She sat on the couch and took the globe from the box and grasped it firmly, it began to glow and moments later the hologram of Lara of Krypton appeared.
“What do you wish to ask, Granddaughter?”
“Could you tell me the average lifespan of an adult Kryptonian?”
“There are many factors that affect lifespan, but, assuming a normal, healthy adult the average lifespan is 150 sols.”
Lara was confused, she’d never heard of the measurement sols.
“Could you translate that to Earth years?” Lara asked.
“A Kryptonian sol or solar rotation is approximately 669 Earth days which would translate to 1.8 Earth years. Therefore, the average lifespan of a male Kryptonian on Earth would be approximately 270 of your years.” Lara’s mouth dropped open, her father could live to be 270 years old on average but it could be longer!
“Umm, could you estimate the lifespan of a female human-Kryptonian hybrid?” Lara asked with some trepidation.
“I have accessed the network you call the Internet and have determined that Earth females currently have an average lifespan of 89.1 of your years, therefore, a conservative estimate would be 181 Earth years though other factors could increase this estimate.
181 years! Or maybe even longer! Lara’s heart sank, she wasn’t even married to Ken yet and she’d have to tell him she’d probably outlive him by at least 100 years! Tears began to flow down her face as the enormity of the situation weighed her down. How long Lara sat there in stunned silence she didn’t know. The hologram hovered, waiting silently for the next inquiry.
“Do these estimates take into account superpowers and their effect on lifespan?” Lara finally asked.
“Please define the term ‘superpowers.’”
“According to my father, Kal-El, the yellow sun of this planet gives Kryptonians special abilities that Earth humans do not have. They include vision powers; telescopic, microscopic, and x-ray vision. We are also strong, we’ve not yet found anything we cannot lift. We also possess super-speed and the ability to fly at tremendous speeds and lastly we are invulnerable to harm due to an aura our bodies produce that protects us and anyone or anything we touch.”
Grandmother Lara replied, “The effects of a yellow sun on a Kryptonian were a concern when the planet was chosen but these abilities were outside the parameters that were considered. I will integrate this information and revise the estimate.” The hologram went silent and the lights within the globe flashed for a few moments. “I have recalculated and a very conservative estimate would increase the previous results by at least 25%. The new values are 338 years for a full Kryptonian and 226 years for a female human-Kryptonian hybrid.”
“Umm, thank you, I guess.” Lara wiped the tears that were running down her face with the sleeve of her suit.
“You are welcome, Granddaughter.”
The hologram faded away when Lara released the globe. She returned it to the box and replaced it on the shelf. After locking the back door, she took off towards San Diego.
**********
Frantic knocking woke Clark from a sound sleep. He glanced at the clock. 3:00 a.m.! He looked through the door to see Lara standing there. It was obvious that she’d been crying. Putting on his robe he hurried over and opened the door. “Lara? Honey, what’s wrong?”
“Can I come in, Daddy?” Lara asked with a sniffle.
Clark knew something was very wrong. Lara hadn’t called him Daddy in years. “Of course, come in! Why don’t you sit down and tell me what’s bothering you?”
“I… I asked the globe to estimate how long we might live,” Lara said as she entered the room. She spoke so softly that without his superhearing he might not have heard her.
“I take it the news isn’t good.”
“The globe told me that you could live to be 338 years old on average, but it could be longer. What bothers me is that it estimated my lifespan at 226 years and that’s a conservative estimate! Daddy, I’m going to outlive Ken by over a hundred and fifty years or more!” Lara broke down again, crying piteously.
Clark moved over quickly and drew her onto his lap. He hugged her fiercely while she cried and cried. The enormity of this information hit him as well. He’d always known, in an abstract way, that he’d outlive his parents but now it looked like he’d outlive his daughter as well! While this information saddened him greatly, he was not about to borrow trouble by worrying about something he had no control over.
Finally, Lara’s crying slowed then stopped, leaving her with a case of the hiccoughs and red swollen eyes. She raised her face to his, the tear streaks were drying on her face and her nose was running. Clark hadn’t seen her look like this pitiful since she was nine and she’d had another fight with Lindsay Ross. Clark grabbed some tissues from the dispenser on the nightstand and handed them to her. Lara wiped her face and eyes then she blew her nose noisily.
“Feeling a little better now, Pumpkin?” Clark asked. He hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head.
“Sort of, but not really. Nothing has changed,” Lara said dejectedly.
“Lara, none of us knows how long we’ll live. The globe could be wrong you know,” Clark said.
“Yeah, right!” Lara exclaimed sarcastically. “Like a Kryptonian supercomputer is going to be wrong!”
“Yeah, I suppose the chances of that are pretty small.” Clark took a deep breath to consider what he should say. “You need to talk to Ken. Tell him what you’ve found out and then you’ll decide how to deal with it, together. I don’t think it’ll matter to him. He loves you. I know that for sure, and no matter what he’ll want to be with you.”
“You think so, Daddy?” Lara said still sounding unsure.
“I know so. I saw how he looks at you when you’re not looking. He’s just as caught up in the soulmate’s connection as you are. Trust him, Lara.”
“Thanks, Dad, I knew I could count on you to put this in perspective,” Lara said. “I’m going back to my room now. See you downstairs at 8:00.”
**********
The next morning Lara was the last one down for the trip to Lucy’s.
“I’m sorry I’m late. I didn’t sleep very well last night,” Lara said.
Clark smiled as if to let her know he understood. Lara helped Clark load their luggage into the back of Lois’s rental after they checked out.
“Well, shall we?” Lois said. Everyone piled into Lois’s car for the ten-minute drive to Lucy’s house. Lois rang the bell and Eric opened the door.
“Good morning. Everyone’s in the kitchen.” Eric led the way then he sat down next to his brother.
“Lucy, would it be all right if Lara and I did the cooking this morning?” Clark asked. With a glance at Lara, he saw her nod her head in agreement.
“You don’t have to ask me twice! The kitchen is all yours. Pots and pans are in the lower cabinets near the stove. Eggs and such are in the fridge, and flour and sugar are in the canisters on the counter. Anything else you need just ask.”
Lara took orders then she and Clark started to cook. The two of them worked like a well-oiled machine and in less than half an hour everyone was eating. Lara poured coffee for everyone then she started a second pot before she sat down to eat. After breakfast, everyone went out onto the patio to enjoy the beautiful weather before the visitors had to leave for their flights.
“I had a wonderful time, Luce,” Lois said and gave her sister a big hug. “Thanks for inviting me.”
“I’m glad you came. Maybe now you’ll come every year?” Lucy said.
“We’ll see,” Lois said but she smiled widely.
“Thanks for inviting us, Aunt Lucy. It was so nice to meet you, Uncle Ben and my cousins.” Lara hugged Lucy goodbye.
“You’re very welcome dear, we loved having you. You and your family have a standing invitation for Thanksgiving so I expect to see you next year.”
“You’ve got a deal, Aunt Lucy. Maybe next year I’ll bring Ken, I’m sure he’d love to meet you all,” Lara said. After everyone said goodbye Lois and the Kents climbed back into her car.
“Can you drop us at the park down here, Lois?” Clark said once they were on the road. Lois nodded and pulled in then she drove as far back as she could. Clark and Lara climbed out and opened the hatch. After a quick scan, they spun into their suits and were in the air with the luggage before anyone could even blink.
“Wow, that’s amazing,” Lois said as she glanced over at Martha.
“I know, now they do it in stereo,” Martha laughed.
Just then Clark and Lara landed. “What did we miss?”
“Nothing, dear,” Martha replied trying to hide a giggle behind her hand.
“It was nice seeing you, Lois,” Clark said sincerely.
“You too, Clark. I’m glad I came. And Lara, it was nice to get to know you better. I want you to know you’re welcome to visit me anytime you want,” Lois said.
Lara walked up to Lois and hugged her and kissed her cheek.
“Thanks,” Lara replied. “I’m glad we had our talk. I just might drop in occasionally so leave your balcony door unlocked!”
“Well, we should get going,” Clark said. He scooped up his mother and Lara wrapped her arm around Jonathan’s waist and they rose slowly then they were gone in blue and black blurs.
**********
Continued in Chapter Eighteen
