The Last Days of Krypton - Kevin J. Anderson [135]
Suddenly Aethyr, looking flushed and haughty, rushed into the office. “Zod, it has happened just as you feared. Another emergency.”
The Commissioner came to his feet and stepped around his desk, taking Aethyr’s warning more seriously than Jor-El’s entire presentation. “Which one now?”
“Shor-Em.” She pushed aside Jor-El’s still-projecting device, cutting off the orbital traces and the comet images without bothering to look at them. She slapped a single amethyst message crystal into the center of the cleared surface and activated it. First blurry, then sharp, the projection showed Shor-Em looking effeminate yet noble with his curly golden hair and the circlet on his forehead.
The Borga City leader spoke in a pompous voice. “Zod’s grandiose ambitions can no longer be tolerated. I, Shor-Em, am the true heir to the Kryptonian Council and announce the formation of a new government. Eleven members have already been chosen and will serve the needs of the people. I therefore declare Borga City the new capital of Krypton.”
The Commissioner’s face grew red with outrage as the message continued.
“Zod is only a pretender who seized power in our most vulnerable moment, while we reeled in shock. He took advantage of the situation. Is that the sort of leader Krypton needs? I think not. Zod sees no reason but his own. He does not abide by the rule of law.
“Follow me, and we will return Krypton to its former glory!” In the image, Shor-Em held up an ornate document, from which he read: “‘We, the undersigned leaders, agree to abide by the laws of the New Council and hereby pledge to support the New Council with our loyalty and our resources.’”
The names of other population centers and their leaders began scrolling beside the man’s image. Jor-El felt a cold lump in his stomach when he saw Argo City also listed there, and Zor-El’s name. Zod seemed to have forgotten he was standing there.
Shor-Em continued with finality, “We will leave Zod to his old, dead city. His brief reign is ended.” The city leader’s image shimmered and vanished.
Aethyr stared at the ruddy fury boiling up in Zod’s face. Jor-El tried to gain the commissioner’s attention again, insistently holding up his crystals. He tried one last time, knowing it was futile. “Loth-Ur’s Hammer is far more—”
Zod looked at him with both anger and anguish. He clearly wasn’t sure of his decision, but forcibly convinced himself. “Jor-El, I will lose this war unless I act now.” Leaving Jor-El behind, he followed Aethyr toward the door, already shouting for his Ring of Strength. “I don’t have time for comets.”
CHAPTER 63
Seeing Zod’s reactionary response to the growing defiance of other cities, Jor-El worried that the Commissioner might cut off public access to the communication plates. He had hoped the man would put aside his own grandiose concerns when faced with an emergency that went beyond politics and personal feuds. But though he expected a rational reaction from Zod, he was not entirely surprised. Zod made decisions based on how they affected him, not how they affected Krypton. Jor-El could no longer rely on the Commissioner. He had to take his own action, find other help.
While Zod met in secret councils with his Ring of Strength, engrossed in planning a response to Shor-Em, Jor-El seized the opportunity to contact his brother. Zor-El would understand the threat of the comet, and he would see the games and stupidity as the insignificant distraction that they were.
Unfortunately, when his brother’s face sharpened into clarity on the flat plate, he was formal, even stiff. “Give me good news, Jor-El. Tell me you’ve finally realized what Commissioner Zod is doing. Tell me that you