Arrival and Authority
A column of light shot out from above the Fortress's main entrance, enveloping both their bodies.
The next second, in a scene straight out of a science fiction movie, Luke vanished, along with the entire container. Whoosh!
Inside a room within the Fortress of Solitude, Luke grimaced, feeling a strange distortion throughout his body, but finding it intriguing.
"Is this matter-energy transport?"
Linda, who had appeared beside him in the same manner, replied casually,
"Don't use Earth terminology to explain Kryptonian technology. It makes you sound foolish."
She then summoned the ship's steward, A.I.R., and gave a command in Kryptonian:
"Grant this Earthling Level One Access." She glanced at Luke and added, "Do not prevent him from studying anything."
A.I.R. responded, "I apologize, Kara. The knowledge base is highly classified and cannot be opened to non-Kryptonian humanoid species. It could lead to very serious consequences."
Linda scoffed. "Is that an instruction from my stupid younger brother?"
"Yes."
"What if I override it?"
Before the AI could reply, Linda's tone hardened. "I am the Captain of the Fortress of Solitude. Even if Kal-El has Supreme Access, he cannot revoke my authority. If you refuse, I will restart the mainframe and set the access functions myself."
After a brief silence, the smart steward A.I.R. floated over to Luke and spoke in impeccable British English.
"Please follow me, Mr. Shaw."
A flicker of surprise crossed Luke's eyes. Linda and the steward had been speaking Kryptonian, which he couldn't understand, and he'd been planning on how to solve the communication problem. He was surprised the Fortress's smart AI could speak English, but more surprised by something else:
"You know my name? Did Linda tell you? Or..."
A.I.R. floated forward, replying, "Your data is present in my database."
"So you have been monitoring Earthlings!"
"The Fortress is only activated when a member of the House of El arrives. It remains in a state of hibernation at all other times."
"Is that so?"
Luke smiled, entirely unconvinced. His gaze swept over the basketball-sized gray flying object. The constantly writhing dark substance greatly interested him. It looked somewhat like the legendary liquid metal, yet lacked the texture and luster of metal.
A thought struck him, and he asked,
"What is the black substance on your body?"
"I cannot answer. That information is outside your security clearance."
"Do you mean my access level within the Fortress of Solitude?"
"Yes."
"What is my access level?"
"Level One, the most basic clearance reserved for guests. You may tour and browse, but you may not alter or control the Fortress's internal functions."
Luke nodded knowingly, then asked,
"What is Linda's access level?"
"Level Five."
"Is Level Five the highest level?"
"No. The highest level is Level Six."
"To whom does Level Six belong?"
"I cannot answer that question."
Luke smiled, asking no more. If he guessed correctly, the highest clearance belonged to Clark Kent (Kal-El). After all, he carried the Codex of Life and bore the responsibility of rebuilding Krypton. Such a responsibility entitled him to the equivalent authority, even if he wasn't yet aware of it.
They arrived at a simply furnished room.
"This bedroom will be your living quarters. I will enable all room functions and load the contents of the knowledge base onto your mainframe. You may study freely. If you have any questions, call my name."
"I am A.I.R., the smart AI of the Fortress of Solitude, and I will serve you completely, Earthling!"
Luke surveyed the room, then immediately fixed his gaze on the hovering object.
"Though your tone is calm, I still detect a hint of annoyance. Truly worthy of Kryptonian technology—even the emotional module is remarkably realistic."
"However..."
Luke's tone suddenly became firm.
"Annoyed or not, drop the arrogant attitude, and do not speak to me as if I am some country bumpkin or primitive native. If you provoke me, I will hack you and turn you into a geriatric hen that does nothing but cluck all day."
"Do you know what a geriatric hen is? If not, I can describe it for you."
After a brief silence, the smooth electronic synthesized voice responded,
"Do you have any other commands?"
Luke grunted. "Krypton must have had a systematic educational framework, right?"
"Yes."
"Excellent. Help me prepare. I want to start with the most fundamental education. You will serve as my translator. You may not leave unless dismissed."
A tall building must start from the ground!
As a highly advanced civilization with a development history of tens of thousands of years, Kryptonian knowledge was vast, covering all aspects. Physics, biochemistry, and mathematics were the foundation, with more advanced fields including mass-energy application, spatial mechanics, and quantum theory—far beyond Earth's current technology.
The quickest way to understand a civilization is through its education—starting with systematic fundamental education, then gradually delving deeper to understand Kryptonian behavior, mindset, and, consequently, the development process of their technology.
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.
Luke wanted the entirety of Kryptonian technology, not just the energy sector.
Space Jump and Kryptonian Concerns
In the Fortress of Solitude's main control room, Linda began checking the ship's performance. After confirming that the spatial jump function was intact, she set the coordinates for the LHS 2520 Red Dwarf Star.
She took a deep breath, fighting back her internal fear, and pressed the launch button.
The glacier shook violently. The Fortress of Solitude burst out of the ice, suspended in mid-air. Large spatial ripples appeared on its surface, and then it vanished into the sky like a streak of light.
On a distant island, Clark Kent stood quietly, his gaze following the Fortress as it ascended.
Lois Lane, wearing an arctic suit, spoke up, "Aren't you going?"
"Krypton is destroyed. Even if I go back, I won't find anything. It would just be a waste of time."
Lois immediately saw through her boyfriend's real feelings.
"You really want to go, don't you?"
Clark gave a wry smile. "Lois, can we change the subject?"
Lois sighed softly.
"You should go, actually. Kara is in a very difficult situation."
"Are you referring to that seventeen-year-old boy named Luke Shaw?"
Lois said seriously, "Don't call him 'the boy.' He is a very dangerous person. I asked a friend at the FBI to look into his file, and the results were shocking. His maternal grandfather is the former leader of the largest Chinese gang, the Hongmen Association. Both of his uncles are high-ranking Hongmen officials. He himself is a genius, excellent in all fields, and has been considered the future star of the Hongmen since childhood. There are even rumors that he will become the next Hongmen leader."
"A young man with such a dark underworld background being around Kara inevitably causes concern."
Clark shook his head, disagreeing with his girlfriend's view.
"Lois, you're too sensitive. That boy is only seventeen. It's wrong to assume he's a criminal just because he's connected to the Hongmen. As for Kara..." He sighed, continuing, "I sincerely hope she finds a genuine friend, adapts to life on Earth, and forgets about Krypton."
Lois paused, looking thoughtful.
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