The Last Days of Krypton - Kevin J. Anderson [106]
“What is all this, Commissioner?” Lara asked, still gazing around.
“Weapons of such magnitude that they will keep us safe from all enemies.”
Jor-El felt a lump in his throat. “What sort of weapons? Where did you get them?”
As if sharing a secret, Aethyr looked directly at Lara, who suddenly went pale with realization. “You found them? After all these centuries?”
Jor-El glanced quickly at his wife, and then he knew. “You found some of Jax-Ur’s nova javelins?”
Zod met his eyes, calm and confident with just a flash of defiance. “All of them. All fifteen.”
Jor-El remembered how naïve he had been during his first dinner conversation with Lara, when they’d talked about the terrible mark the warlord had left on Krypton. “Why would you need such power, Commissioner?”
“To repel an outside invasion, of course.” Taking Jor-El by the arm, he marched to the other side of the control room, where he activated a palm crystal. An opaque shield in the copper walls slid aside to reveal one of the sleek nova javelins, so close that Jor-El felt he could reach out and touch it. “Intriguing, is it not?” Zod said near to Jor-El’s ear. “You know you’ve always had questions about them.”
Despite his uncertainty and Lara’s obvious unease, Jor-El was captivated by the weapon’s smooth lines, the tall golden stalk that still gleamed bright even after being buried for centuries. The fins at its base were like bent legs, sharpened to points; balanced atop a slender shaft was an elongated gold ellipsoid filled with destruction.
Jor-El was greatly uneasy to be involved with such destructive power. “And you need me to see if these ancient weapons can be repaired?”
“No, no—I believe they will function perfectly well. No-Ton and our technicians have been cleaning, tuning, and performing basic tests. Jax-Ur created weapons of enduring destructive power. You have to admire him.”
Jor-El stared through the observation plate at the doomsday weapon. “Then what do you need from me, Commissioner? Why bring us all the way here to these ruins?”
“These ruins are our new home.” Zod smiled. “I just wanted you to know that Krypton no longer needs to rely solely upon you. I hope this eases your burden. Aren’t you relieved? Here Krypton’s true government can have access to all the power we may require under any circumstance.”
CHAPTER 45
Commissioner Zod’s announcement that he would reestablish his capital at the site of Xan City was greeted with general favor. Groups of volunteers and refugees packed up and joined crowded convoys heading south, abandoning the temporary camp at the crater. Despite a few stubborn holdouts, most people were convinced they needed a fresh start, far from the scar of Kandor.
Before any major work crews arrived, though, Zod had Nam-Ek remove the monolithic old statue of the fallen warlord. He refused to rule in the shadow of a failed tyrant. He also ordered the statues of Jax-Ur’s kneeling rivals to be taken away, though he whimsically decided to keep one of them in his new office.
Once all the heavy equipment arrived at Xan City, the cleanup and construction crews began their massive new project. With appropriate encouragement, they applauded the triumphant, breathtaking vision of a soaring metropolis, a replacement for Kandor. The sixteen members of Zod’s Ring of Strength issued a great deal of propaganda and promises. The Commissioner displayed fantastic blueprints for his grand new city rising from the ashes of the old.
After clearing away the fallen columns and walls in damaged sections of the city, the new workers would rebuild what could be salvaged and create everything else from scratch. The Commissioner gave Jor-El and Lara their own quarters in one of the first reconstructed dwellings so that they could remain here to help; the scientist and his wife had no choice but to leave their distant estate behind and live here, at least temporarily, until the work of the new capital city was done. For his main administrative building, Zod ordered the reconstruction of a