The Last Days of Krypton - Kevin J. Anderson [139]
At first Jor-El considered modifying his small solar-probe rockets to carry powerful explosives (as Zod had originally ordered him to do), but he swiftly realized that the comet was too massive to be deflected or destroyed by even a thousand such missiles. In fact, the explosions would likely fragment the icy mass into several equally deadly chunks that would also bombard Krypton.
He needed to have an army of engineers and technicians to work on the problem—and he knew he could succeed, if only Zod would give him the manpower and equipment. It would be a project like erecting the giant telescope array on the plains or the Rao-beam installation in the mountains. He could do it.
But he had to make Zod see the magnitude of the disaster. Jor-El simply couldn’t do this work alone. Though he doubted he could penetrate the man’s stubborn fixation, he needed to try. His face set with determination, he marched back to the government palace, prepared once again to debate with the Commissioner. He would demand to know why Zod—or at least his misguided fanatics—had attempted to abduct Alura and Charys, as Zor-El had claimed.
The government palace seemed empty, though. A Sapphire Guard stood outside the door, rather than burly Nam-Ek. “I am here to see Commissioner Zod. He’ll want to meet with me right away,” Jor-El said, hoping it was true.
The guard, whose face was mostly hidden beneath his round, polished helmet, obviously recognized the white-haired scientist. “The Commissioner is not here. He is dealing with the dissidents.”
Jor-El suddenly recalled all the military plans Zod had apparently been making. Zor-El was right to be concerned. “He went to Borga City?”
“No. He headed north to the crater of Kandor.”
Jor-El left, disturbed. What would the Commissioner want there? Something from the old refugee encampment, perhaps?
When he arrived back at their designated living quarters, he found Lara deeply alarmed. She had pushed aside her work on the writing table to expose the inset communication plate. She met him at the door and pulled him over to hear the message. “Listen to this! It just came from No-Ton.”
The private-channel image sharpened into the distraught face of the other scientist, who spoke under his breath. “The Commissioner has seized the Rao beam. Tomorrow he plans to blast Borga City! He means to make an example of Shor-Em.”
A rush of cold anger and fear coursed through Jor-El. “Isn’t the comet going to destroy us fast enough? I can’t believe Zod would do something so insane.”
Lara looked intently at him. “I can. He sees only his own priorities. We have to warn Borga City, evacuate the people.”
Jor-El tried to envision all the inhabitants of the giant floating city fleeing into the marshes. It would take days to get them out of there, days to convince them to move in the first place. But he did not allow doubts to paralyze him. He was Jor-El, and they would listen to him. He’d have to make them listen. He would save them…for another day.
He contacted the city leader directly, demanding to speak to Shor-Em even though he was in the middle of a banquet. When the blond-haired leader frowned at him on the communication plate, Jor-El delivered his warning in a rush. Shor-Em blinked, then chuckled nervously. “Surely you are overreacting. That is not how we respond to political disagreements on Krypton.”
“I am deadly serious. And you have very little time to get all your people to safety, as far away from the city as possible.”
“That can’t be necessary. Allow me to—”
“Do something now, Shor-Em. The survival of your populace requires that you act immediately!” Jor-El was shouting at the screen, and the other man flinched. “Laugh at me in the morning if I am wrong.”
Even when the city leader muttered something that sounded like agreement, Jor-El was not convinced. And so