Part 31 (1/2)
”Someone who wasn't the righthand man of General Zod.”
For a moment, Jor-El was speechless. ”I helped overthrow Zod. Without me, you would still be inside the Phantom Zone.”
Gil-Ex cut him off. ”Without you, you, the Phantom Zone would never have been created in the first place.” the Phantom Zone would never have been created in the first place.”
The remaining pieces fell together for Jor-El, and now he saw why members of the provisional government were rebuffing him. ”Thank you for your time,” he said in a clipped voice and stalked away. Though he didn't turn around, he could sense Gil-Ex and his advisers watching him.
Lara was infuriated when he told her what had happened. ”They're distorting history! That's exactly the sort of thing Zod wanted me to do-and I refused! How can the new Council want want to make the same errors? They're as bad as the General himself.” to make the same errors? They're as bad as the General himself.”
Jor-El shook his head. ”They will never see it, and you gain nothing by making such claims.” As he sensed the direction the political winds were blowing, he realized that he himself might end up being a scapegoat. ”They want our world to be exactly as it was before the loss of Kandor, but they've forgotten that the old Krypton wasn't perfect by any means. I thought we would have learned something from all that has happened.”
CHAPTER 82.
After so many nightmarish months, Jor-El wished he could just go home to his peaceful estate, pursue his own interests, and wait for the birth of his son. It wouldn't be long now. Jor-El wished he could just go home to his peaceful estate, pursue his own interests, and wait for the birth of his son. It wouldn't be long now.
Lara couldn't agree with him more. ”I want our baby to be born in the manor house.”
But with the new government being formed, Jor-El could not simply abandon the people and leave the course of Krypton's future to chance. He wanted to make certain the new leaders learned from their mistakes and did not fall into the backward thinking of the old Council. He suspected that the provisional government was already stumbling down the wrong path.
He'd had no interest in politics before, but now he had a chance to change the direction of society. Despite his reservations, he was willing to become a guiding force so that Krypton would look ahead, explore the universe, and become part of galactic society, just as Donodon had invited them to do.
In the sky overhead, Rao continued to swell and churn, erupting with more spectacular flares than had been recorded in centuries. The turbulent red sun concerned him, and it had been far too long since he'd sent up a solar-probe rocket. Perhaps he could convince the new leaders to take long-term action and prepare for Rao's eventual demise. He had already shown his proposed arks.h.i.+p plans to No-Ton, and the other scientist had gone wide-eyed at the very prospect of evacuating an entire planet.
Two days later, inside the refurbished government palace, Lara sat with him in the front row as the provisional government met to formally establish a new Council, choosing representatives from cities across the continent. Tyr-Us sat at the head of a long table with ten empty chairs. He acted as the de facto head of the proceedings and seemed to accept his role as a matter of course. He was the son of old Jul-Us, and he had suffered greatly for standing up to Zod. Jor-El knew the others would find the man comforting.
Because of his ordeal in the Phantom Zone and his track record of being one of Zod's first and most outspoken detractors, Gil-Ex also accepted a seat. In what was almost certainly a measure of sympathy for their similar suffering, four more of the prominent dissidents recently released from the Phantom Zone were also elected. As their names were called, the four came forward to take empty chairs at the Council table.
For their parts in the great battle that had overthrown Zod, Or-Om, Korth-Or, and Gal-Eth also accepted seats on the new Council. Jor-El was surprised when they offered the next seat to No-Ton. Though he was a former member of Zod's Ring of Strength, they found the other scientist acceptable because of his ”notable resistance to the General's dangerous orders.” No-Ton didn't seem to have expected the appointment, either.
”And for our last seat on the new Council, we are proud to nominate Zor-El from Argo City,” Tyr-Us said. Although he was glad for his brother, Jor-El was perplexed and concerned that they had brushed him aside.
Zor-El stood from his bench in the speaking hall, his face etched in deep thought. He held his left arm out in front of him, contemplating the burn scars there. ”I have had experience with the c.u.mbersome nature of the old Council. By requiring that even the simplest votes be decided by consensus rather than a simple majority, many important-if controversial-matters died without resolution. We can no longer run Krypton this way. You all know it.” He looked around the gathered representatives and nominees.
Gal-Eth grumbled, then nodded his head. ”Dramatic change has been forced upon us. We may as well make the best of it.”
Or-Om, the mining industrialist, gave a brief and loud burst of applause. ”I agree. If I ran my companies the way the old Council ran Kandor, I'd never get anything done. Let's make a change for the better.”
”I propose that decisions be made by a simple majority on the new Council,” said Korth-Or. ”It's the only way we can move forward.”
Tyr-Us frowned as if the very idea of such a major s.h.i.+ft pained him, but he saw the mood in the room and grudgingly nodded. ”Are there objections?” No one raised any issues. ”So that decision, at least, is unanimous. A simple majority, six votes out of eleven, will decide matters under debate. Now, Zor-El, please join us at the Council table so that we can begin our first session.”
The dark-haired man flashed his brother a mischievous smile. ”But I did not accept the position you offered, Tyr-Us. Argo City is more than one man could wish to rule-at least this man. Now that the protective dome has been deactivated, I have five bridges to rebuild, along with agricultural fields that were trampled by Zod's army, and a whole sea-harvesting industry to restore. Thus, I regretfully decline.”
The new Council members could not have been more surprised. After a moment of uproar from the table and the audience, Zor-El shouted until they listened to him. ”But I nominate my brother, Jor-El, to take my place. No one has done more for Krypton in the past tumultuous year than he has. You should have granted him the very first seat on the new Council.”
Jor-El felt a wash of grat.i.tude. Everyone in the audience was looking at him.
Then he was completely taken aback by Tyr-Us's venomous reaction. ”Impossible! Jor-El collaborated with our greatest enemy. He provided General Zod with terrible weapons. You all heard Zod during his trial-without Jor-El, that evil dictator would never have come to power.”
Gil-Ex interrupted the tirade with one of his own. ”Jor-El created the Phantom Zone, where so many of us were trapped. None of us can forget that! For that one act alone, he should never be forgiven.”
”And he built the Rao beam that destroyed Borga City, slaughtering hundreds of thousands of innocents!” said another one of the former Phantom Zone prisoners on the Council. ”You a.s.sisted him, Zor-El, but that vile invention was his own creation, was it not?”
Or-Om added in a low voice, ”As I recall, wasn't he also responsible for the death of the alien visitor in the first place? That's what set in motion this whole chain of events.”
”Brainiac stealing the city of Kandor-” Tyr-Us began, his face red.
No-Ton interrupted, his voice sounding nervous. ”Excuse me, but you can't blame Jor-El for that. Donodon's race had nothing to do with the arrival of Brainiac.”
”Can we be sure of that? Zod is the only one who told the story. Who can believe anything he said?”
Zor-El shook his head. ”Already you prove my case. If I had any doubts about declining your invitation to join this Council, you have just dispelled them all. Are you delusional? Have you forgotten-”
But Jor-El rose slowly to his feet, gesturing his brother to silence. ”I can speak for myself, Zor-El.” He turned to face the Council table, with its prominently empty chair. He took a step closer. ”Yes, I was there at the beginning, and I cooperated with Commissioner Zod to save the people at Kandor.” Feeling heat flood his face, he stared at the ten seated members one at a time. ”Where were the rest of you? Any of you? Kandor was gone, gone, our planet was under threat of another alien attack, and Zod was trying to save people and defend Krypton. Of course I helped him! Many good citizens came to offer aid in whatever ways they could. our planet was under threat of another alien attack, and Zod was trying to save people and defend Krypton. Of course I helped him! Many good citizens came to offer aid in whatever ways they could.
”Donodon was my friend, and his death was an accident. Or maybe not entirely an accident-I found evidence that Zod himself may have been responsible for the explosion.”
”For what possible reason would he do that?” said Gil-Ex in a scornful voice.
”To throw the old Council into a panic so that he could more easily seize power.” Jor-El began to address their other accusations, one by one. ”Yes, the Rao beam was my own invention. My brother and I used it to relieve the pressure in our planet's core. I could not prevent Zod from seizing it as a terrible weapon, but I did sabotage the Rao-beam generator and stop him from ever doing it again. Where were the rest of you?
”Because I could not make Zod see the threat of the oncoming comet, I reprogrammed the nova javelins to destroy Loth-Ur's Hammer, rather than Argo City or any other city on Krypton. Thus, I saved our planet yet again.” He found he was shaking with anger. ”And still you doubt my motives? I I am the one who brought about General Zod's downfall. I set the trap to imprison him in a force field, allowing the rest of you to take Kryptonopolis.” He let the moment of silence hang and then said, ”Therefore, I accept the nomination to become a member of the new Council. I will continue to devote myself to the betterment of Krypton. As I have always done.” am the one who brought about General Zod's downfall. I set the trap to imprison him in a force field, allowing the rest of you to take Kryptonopolis.” He let the moment of silence hang and then said, ”Therefore, I accept the nomination to become a member of the new Council. I will continue to devote myself to the betterment of Krypton. As I have always done.”
Zor-El applauded as his brother walked defiantly toward the last empty seat at the Council table. No-Ton also clapped, and a smattering of applause rippled through the audience. Or-Om, Gal-Eth, and Korth-Or, who had accompanied Zor-El on his march against Kryptonopolis, shrugged and also agreed.
Tyr-Us and Gil-Ex looked decidedly uncomfortable as the ivory-haired scientist sat at the long table. Finally the new head announced, ”Very well, this Council is in session.”
CHAPTER 83.
The day after the new government was formed, Zor-El bid farewell to his brother and Lara. Jor-El said, ”Are you sure you won't stay with us until the baby is born? You'd be perfectly welcome back at the estate, far from all this turmoil.” government was formed, Zor-El bid farewell to his brother and Lara. Jor-El said, ”Are you sure you won't stay with us until the baby is born? You'd be perfectly welcome back at the estate, far from all this turmoil.”
”That's more tempting than an offer to sit on the new Council, but I must decline.” He let out a good-natured sigh. ”Our father asked us to have children, remember? How am I ever going to have a son or a daughter if I never spend time with my wife?”
Jor-El laughed. ”I trust that's a scientific problem you can solve for yourself.”
When the Council called its first official meeting, all the people of Kryptonopolis were encouraged to attend in person, or to watch the proceedings projected on the facets of the giant crystal towers, to which Jor-El and No-Ton had restored power.