From: "L-Soft list server at Indiana University (1.8d)" To: "ARTF@MemoryAlpha.nil" File: "LOISCLA-GENERAL-L LOG0106C" ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 08:16:05 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Phillip Atcliffe Subject: NEW: Imbalance Part 3 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Another week, another Friday... [Last time, you may recall:] Who was he kidding? Tomorrow, he was going to be on the Daily Planet's doorstep, first thing in the morning. To do some research in their morgue, to check out the possibility of getting a job there -- and, if he was lucky, to see *her*. ***** [Now read on:] Clark strolled along the corridors of the Daily Planet building, enjoying the ambiance -- equal parts of bustle, computers and ink, mixed well and kept simmering by the ever-impending deadline for the next edition -- and relishing the fact that he could roam about like this with no more reaction from the people he met than their need to get past him, often at high speed, and the occasional admiring glance from a woman. Physically, there wasn't much difference between this version of the Planet and the one in his world, but if he had tried to walk around like this there, he would quickly have become the focus of a pack of adoring -- or concerned, or just plain curious -- followers. Some (most?) would be mere hero-worshippers (or, at worst, women ogling him shamelessly), but there were always a few reporters hot on the trail of a supposed story -- hey, Superman was there, so something *had* to be going on, right? -- and *their* presence tended to spook the security guards. Clark had lost count of the number of times he'd been stopped by anxious security people wanting to know what the problem was -- and, somehow, telling them that nothing was wrong, that he'd just stepped out to talk to someone, look something up or get a cup of coffee, only made them *more* anxious. Eventually, after he'd learned that Security was declaring a full-scale, building-wide alert every time he was seen outside his office, he'd given up on leaving it at all, except by the window. If he needed something, he sent Miss Drake to get it or used the office LAN to ask someone to send it up. Mayson, in her perpetual quest to become indispensable to him, both at work and after hours, thought that this system worked really well, but it cut Clark off from almost all contact with his nominal co-workers -- or anybody, pretty much, except Mayson and the people he met when in costume -- and he had missed it. Which was why he was in no hurry, right now. He was on his way to the morgue, but was going the long way around -- which amounted to an unguided tour of the entire editorial part of the building. If anyone stopped him, he could claim (truthfully, or almost so) to be looking for the morgue; the obvious implication would be that he was very lost, and Clark did not intend to argue the point. But until then, he would wander around slowly and soak up the wonderful atmosphere of this place. And if, in the very back of his mind, there was the thought that he might just, by chance, run into Lois Lane, it kept itself quiet and didn't intrude on his consciousness -- yet. Clark had already located her desk, but its owner hadn't arrived this morning -- or, more likely, had already made a flying visit and rushed off to track down another Kerth- or Pulitzer Prize-winning story. He'd also seen Perry White and James-- *Jimmy!* Olsen -- now, *that* was going to take some getting used to! Despite his encounter with the "Jimmy" of the other Lois' world, he still felt taken aback by his former boss and friend being a researcher and photographer rather than the owner of the paper. Then there were this world's versions of many of his former colleagues, and a few people he *didn't* know, like the flashily- (and scantily-) dressed woman named Catherine Grant. She seemed to be the Planet's gossip columnist, and good at her work; Clark made a mental note to stay away from her -- the *last* thing he needed was someone like that nosing around before he'd established himself here. Which thought brought him back to the reason for him being here that morning; it was time to finish this little exploratory jaunt and get down to some research. He'd managed to gain access to the building, and specifically the morgue, by claiming, with the help of some of Mr Wells' un-forged documents, to be a writer, currently on sabbatical leave from a small Mid-western college, and there was a limit to how long he could claim to be lost and have that cover story maintain its credibility. He headed back to the elevator and rode it down to the basement. To his delight, Old Fred ran the Planet morgue here, too-- that is, he hastily reminded himself, Mr Frederick Watkins was in charge of the Archives; he'd have to find out if the man answered to the same scurrilous nickname as his counterpart (Fred was actually younger than Perry, but he had gone prematurely grey at an early age, and had milked it for all it was worth ever since) -- and even if he did, it would be some time before Clark was on good enough terms with him to use it. Fred's assistant was new, though -- and *very* "helpful", once her boss turned Clark over to her. She was obviously taken with this good-looking stranger, and not at all shy about showing it. Clark just wanted... what was her name? Angela, that was it... to go away and let him get on with his research -- which, of course, he could do far faster by himself than any "short-cut" that she could show him would allow. Besides, he had a familiar sinking feeling that the real short-cut that she wanted him to see and admire was her skirt -- and what was (more-or-less) in it! Fortunately, just before he thought he was going to go mad from the young woman's "help" -- or have to be rude to her -- salvation arrived in the unlikely form of Ja-- *Jimmy* Olsen. He needed some files for his own work, and Angela, not getting any response from the stranger in spite of her efforts, abandoned the newcomer for someone she knew would appreciate her. 'Right!' thought Clark, hiding a smile and metaphorically cracking his knuckles as he watched the door close behind her. 'Now let's see what you've been up to, Lois Lane...' ***** That morning, Lois entered the Daily Planet building rather later than was her usual habit; she hadn't been idle, however. On waking early, she had caught a newsflash on LNN concerning a rumour that the mayor was about to resign; Lois had hurried over to the mayor's house, catching the man before he had even left for work, and by alternately browbeating him and promising him a fair opportunity to tell his own story to the best newspaper in Metropolis, she had seized the exclusive before most of the city's journalists were even out of bed. She had an advance copy of the statement the mayor planned to release at the press conference he was calling for midday, an exclusive interview about the problems in his private life which had led him to decide to resign, and his on-the-record but very outspoken thoughts about his political opponents, his likely replacement and the bureaucrats at City Hall. Enough, she thought in some satisfaction, for a series of articles spread over several days. Perry would be pleased, and it would prevent him trying to palm off some no-hoper on her as a new partner for the time being. "Lane! Oversleep, did you?" a falsely sympathetic voice enquired. She shook herself out of her abstraction and glared at Eduardo Friaz. She couldn't be bothered explaining; after all, why should she justify herself to him? Friaz was a competent reporter, but no more; he had won a single Kerth about ten years earlier, but hadn't even been short-listed since. Raising an eyebrow in derision as she stalked past him, Lois replied in a carrying voice, "I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce. *Particularly* for you." Friaz didn't reply, but, since she was in the elevator by then, she wouldn't have heard him in any case. Once upstairs, she walked straight through the newsroom and marched into Perry White's office, ignoring Tom Everett who was in there already. Perry grunted impatiently in her direction. "Lois! That's a door over there, in case you hadn't noticed. Judas Priest, can't you see I'm busy?" "This won't wait, Chief," she announced brusquely, making for the centre of the office in order to indicate to both men that she had no intention of leaving. "Lois, I'm busy right now," Perry insisted, then turned back to the other reporter. "Look, Everett, this won't take a minute. Lois," he added with an angry note to his voice, "I need to get Everett down to City Hall to find out if this rumour about the mayor is true. Just wait until I'm finished, okay?" She gave a triumphant smile. "Don't waste your time, Chief. Why weren't you sending *me*, anyway?" she demanded as the thought occurred to her. "You weren't here, Lane," Everett interjected with a smile which suggested that he felt she'd been trumped. "You forget, Everett, that stories don't just come and find you. *You* have to go out and find *them* -- and that's where I was." She turned back to face the editor. Waving her briefcase in front of him, she added, "We already have the full exclusive -- several days' worth of copy, and a major jump on the rest of the press. We can have our evening edition ready while they're still writing up their notes from the press conference." The editor's gruff features split into a broad grin. "Lois! Good work! You'd better tell me what you've got," he added quickly, waving a dismissive hand at Everett, who retreated from the office wearing a very disgruntled expression. Perry sighed as the door closed behind the other reporter. "Lois, I know you're the most talented reporter on this paper, but I really wish you'd make more of an effort to get on with people. You know everyone thinks you're impossible to work with, and that makes my job as editor difficult." Lois' eyes flashed angrily; what did it matter whether or not she got along with her colleagues? She did her job, far better than any of them did theirs. Glaring at Perry, she retorted, "I'd try being nicer, if they'd only try to be *smarter*." Perry sighed. ***** Clark leaned back in his seat and stretched. Even at super-speed, reading everything that Lois Lane had ever written was a long job -- and, now that he'd finished, thinking over what he'd read was likely to be an even lengthier one. Lois was obviously a brilliant journalist, which was hardly a surprise; her counterparts in his world and the other universe were -- or had been. But there was something about her writing style... it was different to that of the other Loises whose work he had read. The hard-hitting, pull-no-punches prose was there, and the fire, and the passion for justice, but... there was something else there, too; something troubling -- a... cynicism, most often evident in the way in which she wrote about... almost anyone, really. Clark's recent experience as an editor had made him adept at reading between the lines of a reporter's work to see what the writer *really* thought of the events and people that he or she had described, and what this skill was telling him about Lois was worrying. She didn't appear to trust *anyone*. In particular, she expected people in authority -- *anyone* holding any form of office -- to be crooked and venal, with their own, inevitably selfish agenda taking top priority over any notion of public service. It was no surprise, therefore, to see the long list of corruption exposes that she had written; with that kind of attitude, she'd be looking for scams before her targets even took office -- and, he had to admit, more often than not, she found what she was looking for. More than one "public servant" caught in the act had been under surveillance right from the moment he'd come up with the idea of putting his hand in the till. It was admirable, in a way, but it must have frightened the heck out of the Planet's lawyers. Lois must have given Perry absolute hell at times to get him to print some of the things that she had written, and how what he *had* printed hadn't resulted in lawsuits, Clark had *no* idea. Maybe it was because she never wrote anything that she couldn't support with hard evidence; she never referred to rumours until they were either acknowledged by the subject (so that no-one could accuse her of starting them) or proven to be fact, and she pursued any hint of corruption or wrong-doing with phenomenal tenacity until she was able to expose them. Which, when she did, she did *very* publicly. No cover-ups *here*; Lois Lane had no more time for cops than she had for any other authority figure, but she made darn sure that her evidence was presented to them in such a way that they couldn't possibly deny or suppress it -- and woe betide the person, especially if they were from the D.A.'s office, who cast doubts on its validity or admissibility! The last Assistant D.A. to do that had become the subject of her *next* expose, and he'd proved to be dirtier than the woman he'd been supposed to be prosecuting! Politicians, lawyers and cops weren't the only ones on the receiving end of Lois' wrath. She seemed to have similar doubts about *everyone* in the public eye, although "celebrities" were usually dismissed as unimportant and not worthy of anything other than a few scathing remarks in passing. Her particular ire was reserved for self-appointed "leaders of society", and her comments (in op-ed pieces and the like) on their "arrogant pretensions" regularly skirted the edges of what, in Clark's former world, would have constituted libel. This made Clark feel uneasy. While he, as Superman, never claimed to be anything more than someone who tried to use his powers to help, plenty of other people had been more than willing to put him up on a pedestal as a role model or a father figure -- or even, Heaven help him, as a god! And there were as many or more who tried to exploit this image for their own purposes, ranging from companies wanting to use him in advertising to politicians whose sole interest was to bask in the supposed glory of associating with "my close personal friend, Superman." And then there were the groupies, and the cultists, and the UFO enthusiasts... He didn't doubt that there were the exact same kinds of people here as well, and the kind of notoriety that would ensue once he revealed himself was all too likely to make him a target for Lois' attentions -- and *not* the kind of attention that he wanted from her! He had never wanted to become a public figure, but he couldn't see it not happening once the world -- and Lois -- knew about him, and the inevitable furore would, he thought, prejudice her against him. 'Unless...' he thought. 'Hmmm...' He filed that thought away for later consideration and went back to musing on Lois' work. Her dislike of the city's "upper crust" wasn't merely something for him to be wary of; it had also inspired her biggest scoop to date -- the exposure of Lex Luthor. Outwardly a self-made multi-millionaire philanthropist who, having escaped from Suicide Slum to become one of the richest men in the world, liked nothing better than to use his wealth for the betterment of his fellow citizens of Metropolis, Luthor had really been an utterly ruthless, amoral, money- and power-hungry criminal whose every "benevolent" act was part of one or another scheme whose ultimate beneficiary would be himself. Lois, in what could only be described as a masterpiece of investigative journalism, had managed to discover -- and *prove!* -- his true nature, and that most of his wealth stemmed from illegal arms sales; sales to governments, to terrorists... and to kids on the streets. For years, any teenage gang-member or mugger armed with a Saturday Night Special or imitation Ka-Bar knife in cities like Metropolis, Gotham, New York, Boston, Washington, Miami -- all along the east coast, in fact -- was likely to have got the weapon from one of Luthor's "salesmen", or from someone who'd got it from them. Now, thanks to Lois, he was serving multiple consecutive life sentences in Federal prison, most of his salesmen were off the streets, and the Metro Police were quoted as saying that the number of crimes involving teenage offenders was well down on previous years, especially violent crimes involving guns and knives. Clark frowned and reached for a particular microfilm cassette. He didn't bother to put it into the reader, using instead a combination of x-ray and microscopic vision to find the articles that he wanted. He picked up another, older cassette and went through it in the same way, then returned them both to the rack and leaned back in his chair to think. Something about one of Lois' articles on Luthor -- the one after his trial and imprisonment, when she was free to present the evidence that she'd gathered -- had stuck in his mind when he'd first read it. From the vituperative tone of her writing, Lois hated the man's guts, as well she might, but what she really seemed to loathe about him, even more than his crooked business and his hypocritical attempt to become a pillar of society, was his reputation as a womaniser. There were also undertones -- well camouflaged, but there nonetheless -- in other pieces that she'd written (especially her corruption exposes) that implied that she assumed, at least unconsciously, that the kind of man who went in for political or financial chicanery was automatically going to be guilty of sexual misconduct as well. Women could just (just?) be greedy and corrupt, but men invariably compounded their offences by treating women like dirt. The implication was strong that, as far as Lois was concerned, nothing was ruled out when dealing with that kind of man -- adultery and/or womanising were the very least that were to be expected, and there were no depths to which they might not sink. That was one more thing for Clark to worry about. His intentions were "honourable", but he had the feeling that Lois might be very hard to convince of that; the lack of trust that he'd detected in her work was likely to be even more pronounced when it came to personal matters. Add to that his own insecurities that way -- his relationship with Lana was hardly what he would call a suitable model on which to base a future with Lois! -- and the inevitable problems that his dual identity would bring, and he looked to have his work cut out for him when it came to creating the life that he wanted for himself-- for *both* of them. Well, Mr Wells had warned him that he had a job to do -- "save the soul of a woman -- and with her, a world" -- and calling something a burden didn't imply that it was going to be easy to shift. On the other hand, Wells wouldn't have offered him the chance if he hadn't thought that Clark could do it, and Lois was surely worth the effort. That thought left him feeling both slightly optimistic and grimly determined, in which state of mind he got up to leave; he'd done all he could here, and now he really did have to go and look at things like apartments and cars. He stopped on the way out to thank Mr Watkins for the use of the morgue. Fred, who seemed to be as friendly as his counterpart, if not more so, said he was welcome, and the two men chatted for a while, Clark unobtrusively probing to find similarities and differences between this man and his former friend, and Fred more than happy to talk about himself, his work, and the history of the Daily Planet -- especially the latter. Eventually, Clark bade his new acquaintance good-bye and went to leave. He was thinking about what Fred had told him, and so didn't notice that there was someone on the other side of the door when he pulled it towards him. With perfect timing, the person on the other side of the door had reached out to push it open just as Clark grabbed it and pulled... and when the door vanished from in front of her, she stumbled and half-fell forwards -- right into Clark! Clark found himself struck by a small, fast-moving body and instinctively reached out to check its fall. It quickly became obvious that the body in question was female, and Clark was able to determine just *which* female by the sudden, unexpected and highly embarrassing reaction of his own body to holding her. It was, of course, Lois. An off-balance, and therefore not very pleased Lois. They grappled for a moment or two until Clark managed to regain his equilibrium -- physical, if not mental or emotional -- and set both of them on their feet. Of course, once he'd done that, he had to cope with the fact that he had his hands on Lois Lane; he was only holding her by her arms, but that was enough to make him blush furiously -- but, despite his embarrassment, he made no move to let her go or to turn his head away until... "What are you staring at?" she snapped. It took Clark a moment or two to overcome the shock he'd received from hearing her speak, and to realise that he *had* been staring... at which point, he had to stop and think of an answer. "Uh... you?" he replied, cursing himself a fraction of a second later -- honesty was all very well in its place, but *tact* would have been more appropriate just then. "Ah... I'm sorry," he hastily added, releasing her and stepping back. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I was... just startled when I realised who you were." 'Boy, that's an understatement, Kent!' "I'm... an admirer of your work, Ms Lane -- you could even call me a fan -- and running into you like this..." He paused and unconsciously grinned at his choice of words, before continuing, "...kinda threw me off balance. Please, let me apologise for my rudeness... and for not paying attention when I opened the door. Both were unintentional, I assure you." Lois had been building up a head of steam ever since Clark's first words to her, but her anger died away somewhat in the face of his reasonable -- and seemingly sincere -- explanation and apology. She settled for a muttered, "Yeah, well, don't let it happen again," before pushing past him and marching off to see Fred. ***** Boy, you never know *who* you're going to run into in that place, do you? More next week. Phil ------------------------------------------------------------ "Sic Transit Gloria Barramundi" (Or, So Long and Thanks for All the Fish!) -- not Douglas Adams, but me: Phil Atcliffe (Phillip.Atcliffe@uwe.ac.uk) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 15:51:08 -0000 Reply-To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Yael Kfir Subject: Re: NEW: Imbalance Part 3 [and a thought] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed I guess today is my turn to praise you, O Mighty Phil & O Glorious Wendy... Thank God Friday only comes once a week. I don't think I could stand a bigger portion of the excitement from finding a new installment of "Imbalance" in my mail-box. But they *will* end up together, won't they?... Which makes me wonder - as much as I'm trying, I am always behind on reading fanfiction, and it's obvious I'll never read them all - has anyone ever written a fic where Lois and Clark don't get together in the end? (and I'm not talking about DeathFic). Maybe it contradicts the Soul-mates and 'Love greater than minor things such as time and space' theory, but I can't recall any. It really bothers me. Relationships tend to end from all kind of reasons, and not always because one or both sides wish to end it. And when it happens - yes it hurts, and yes it is hard to move on, but it can be done. Lois was a wonderful role-model for the late-20th-century-single-woman before she met Clark. Lonely? Maybe. Independent? That's for sure. In the 4th season I could still spot some sparks from that character, but to me she turned into some kind of a mush. In most of the fics I've read about her dealing with Clark's departure to New-Krypton Lois has either collapsed (mentally or physically), or at least suffered a lot. The only solution was Clark's return. Why is that? Is it a general decision I'm not aware of - that there must be a happy ending, and that means the couple unite/reunite? Do the authors really believe in the 'Love greater than minor things such as time and space' Theory, if only in L&C universe? I'd really like to hear what everyone have to say. Yael. (Who admits that part of the reason she's bringing it all up is because she has written a sketch to a story where Clark returns to Earth after a few years and both L&C have made choices which won't allow them to get back together, and now she (Yael) don't know what to do with them) _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 14:36:22 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Jacalyn S. Newman" Subject: Re: NEW: Imbalance Part 3 [and a thought] First of, NOOO!!!!!! The new post of Imbalance was far too short. You left us on a cliffhanger! I need more! :-) Secondly- I loved how Clark investigated Lois, and how he got to enjoy being a normal guy again. Good insights there to what his life used to be and what it became after Superman, and how lucky he is to have a second chance. :-) As far as the follow-up question about L&C not always ending up together. I believe it was Becky Bain that wrote a heart-rending story where exactly that happened. It's not a common thread, simply because most people writing/reading fanfic expect to have things work out in ways we can't always get in real life: the bad guys meet justice, the lovers get together, the world is fair, and happily ever after is not just wishful thinking. :-) Since reality is far more complicated and messy, I think we seek refuge in the fairytale. But--- we make our characters pay dearly for their pleasure. Just think about how many things happen to Lois and Clark in the course of a normal work week! I'd hate to think that's how most reporters lived! Jackie ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 16:46:54 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Gerry Anklewicz Subject: Re: NEW: Imbalance Part 3 [and a thought] In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit I also enjoyed this section of Imbalance. Interesting insights to alt-Clark. I'm looking forward to more. To add to Yael's query: I've been slowly plodding along with a fic that doesn't have Lois and Clark get together at the end. I also know that it will not be a very popular concept with FoLC because of the ending. I'm writing it, nevertheless, because the muse is sending me there. And if I ever finish it, I'll be prepared for the cybertomatoes. As a writer, I have to decide whether I want to please my readers or please my muse. In this case, I plan to please my muse. (It's also a challenge to go against the grain.) I guess most readers (and I count myself as one of them) like to have LnC get together in real life. It's still a fairy tale universe and Jaclyn is right: we want a happy-ever-after world in our fiction. But some of us will balk at it, and if we're lucky (or talented in Becky Bain's case), our stories will be successful and accepted. Gerry ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 18:01:28 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Charade: Part 11 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Charade: Part 11 by Nan Smith Clark lay awake, staring at the dark ceiling. Beside him, Lois had finally drifted off into an uneasy slumber but he wasn't able to sleep. The discovery they had made tonight wouldn't let him, and his thoughts unknowingly followed a similar track to those of his wife, the day before. His old nightmare had come true after a fashion; Lex Luthor wasn't dead. In an odd way, he had risen from the grave yet again. In actuality, he hadn't died--at least, not a second time. The Luthor who had kidnapped Lois had been a Type "B" clone, with a lifespan of two weeks. He wouldn't have outlived the Lois clone by much even if they hadn't been caught in the collapsing tunnel. It was ironic in a way. But what about the switch he had planned for Lois and himself into the two clone bodies taken from STAR Labs? There had been nothing in the file they had found about them. The omission was a glaring one. The Luthor clone had meant, with the aid of Asabi, to shift his mind and for Lois to shift hers into new bodies. Together they would have fled to Europe, to his fortress, or so he had claimed. Clark was beginning to wonder about that. Why would Lex Luthor have allowed the woman he wanted to be taken away by another version of himself? If it had been he who ordered it. But what if he hadn't? What if it had been Arianna Carlin? Wheels within wheels, he thought. The two clone bodies were still in stasis at STAR Labs. Maybe he'd better have Dr. Klein check them out. Arianna hated Lois--and Superman. What if she had chosen that way to hurt them both and to secure Luthor for herself? Arianna wanted Lex Luthor and she was capable of anything. In Clark's opinion, the woman was as ruthless as her former husband, and wouldn't hesitate to use any means possible to tie him to her. If she was calling the shots, the situation was more dangerous and volatile than they had first expected. He was beginning to realize that there might be more levels of deception here than anyone, except perhaps Arianna Carlin, knew. While he'd been in Metropolis earlier, he'd made a quick stop by the office of Inspector Henderson for information. Arianna, it turned out, had been released on a technicality, courtesy of the law firm employed by LexCorp after less than a year in prison, so she could easily have engineered the release of Luthor. For now, however, they had no evidence of a crime with which to charge her. As for Alejandro de Los Rios, they possessed no real proof he was in truth Lex Luthor. Only the "Doppelganger" file indicated it might be so, but no police department was going to take the risk of arresting a wealthy foreign national on such flimsy evidence. And, in any case, arresting the two of them, even if it were practical, most probably wouldn't stop whatever was going on here or bring down Caribbean Imports. They needed proof, and the only way to get that was to keep quiet and keep looking. He glanced at Lois's alarm clock. It was only a few minutes to five. Time for him to get up and ready for work. He had the breakfast shift again, this morning. With a sigh, Clark eased himself out of the warm bed, dressed quickly and departed by way of the window. ********** When Lois woke, the sun was high in the sky. A glance at her clock confirmed that it was nearly noon, and she scrambled hastily out of bed. For an investigative reporter, she wasn't running up a very good record on this assignment, she thought as she ran water for a shower. Sleeping late wasn't exactly conducive to uncovering guilty secrets. Then she recalled why she had been up so late the night before, and the feeling of imminent disaster returned. She showered and dressed quickly, applied her makeup carefully and a short time later was descending the main staircase. Rogan was nowhere to be seen, but one of the other servants was passing through the hall as she appeared. He paused as she arrived at the bottom of the stairs. "Is there anything I can do for you, Miss?" "Um--yes," Lois said. "I overslept and missed breakfast. Is there anything I can get to eat?" "Of course. If you'll come into the breakfast room, I'll have Mr. Desrosiers prepare you something at once." The man indicated the way and Lois followed him, somewhat nervously. The breakfast room was deserted, however, and within a moment of her arrival, Clark, in full chef's garb, arrived. He gave her a little bow. "What can I bring you, Mademoiselle?" he inquired with his best French accent. "How about some coffee," Lois suggested. "What else do you have?" Clark smiled. "Anything you wish, Mademoiselle." "Then just bring me whatever you gave the others this morning," she said. "Not too fattening, please." "Ah," Clark said. "I understand. Rely on me. It will be only a few moments." "Don't overplay your role," Lois murmured under her breath, quite certain he would hear her. Clark's eyelid flickered in the most fleeting of winks, then he bowed himself out of the room. True to his word, in less than a minute, another man, this one in the outfit of one of the house servants, arrived with a silver tray bearing a coffee pot, a china coffee cup and saucer, cream, non-fat creamer, sugar substitute, sugar, and a small container of carob powder as well as various utensils. Clark was covering all his bases, she thought as the man poured her coffee, even Kellie's supposed allergy to chocolate. When he had left, she added the carob and nonfat creamer to suit her taste and sat back to enjoy her morning coffee--even if it was now several minutes after twelve--and to think about what to do next. The window beside her opened onto a side lawn, and beyond she could see the swimming pool. Three persons were sunning themselves on deck chairs, and this close, she could see that the pool enclosure was protected from the brisk sea breeze by a transparent barrier--plastic, or maybe glass, she decided. Someone was swimming, but all she could see was the vigorous splashing of water as the swimmer made his way across the pool. It was less than five minutes before her breakfast arrived; a bowl of cooked cereal, with honey, toast, butter, jam, chopped fresh fruit, and a cup of hot tea. It was actually a fairly simple meal, but like all of Clark's cooking, it was delicious. If he hadn't wanted to be a reporter, she thought as she dug into her breakfast, Clark could have become a world-class chef without much trouble. The swimmer hoisted himself out of the pool and Lois found herself gazing at their host. Lex picked up a beach towel and dried his face, and Lois tried not to stare. After Superman had rescued her from the collapsed tunnel, she'd blocked out everything associated with Lex; even Clark. She didn't like to think of that period in her life. She'd felt lost and empty, and it had made her choice prey for Max Deter. Then, after she'd regained her memory she'd been plagued with nightmares for weeks, where Lex wasn't really dead and was coming back for her. After a time, she'd mostly worked through the fear, and now the nightmare only came occasionally, but she'd never totally banished it. And now, it was back in real life. He wasn't a clone or a hologram or an illusion. He was alive, and she was going to have to deal with the fact. Watching him, her jaw hardened. Lois Lane had never backed down from a challenge in her life and she wasn't going to start now. It was about time she took care of this particular bogeyman once and for all, and vanquished it for good. ********** Jimmy was emerging from the billiard room with Harry Blumenthal when she came back into the hall. Honestly, Lois thought, Lex could hardly have gotten cornier if he'd tried. Billiard room? It sounded like that board game she'd beaten Clark, Martha and Jonathan at every night the last time they'd visited Smallville. This place even had a lounge and a conservatory. Rogan had pointed it out to her yesterday when she'd gotten turned around while trying to find the restroom. If she asked, there was probably a ballroom and a study, too, she reflected, whimsically. Well, she'd told Jimmy the place reminded her of those old gothic romances, so it kind of figured. If only all they had was a simple murder to worry about! "Hi, Kellie," Jimmy said. "Hi, honey," Lois said. She took his arm and snuggled up to his side. "Do you want to come for a walk with me?" "Sure," Jimmy said, instantly. He turned to Harry. "Thanks for the game. I guess I'll see you at dinner." "Yeah. See you later," Harry said. "You play a mean game of pool." "Lots of practice," Jimmy said. "Where do you want to go, Kel?" "Oh, just around on the walks outside. It's a beautiful day," she said. "We could go to the beach and pick up shells." She grinned at him. "I need to get my exercise. I don't want to get fat!" "Okay," Jimmy agreed. "Let's go." As they went out the front door, Lois murmured to him, "Keep an eye out for people watching us. I want to know where they are." Jimmy nodded, smiling at her as if she'd made an amusing remark. "All right. For starters, there's a groundskeeper on our right. He's watching us." "Lex seems to have a whole network of people who keep track of his guests," Lois said. "Let's head for the beach and take a walk in the sand like I said. One of the things I want to do is check out that boathouse, and to do that without being caught, I need to know where his lookouts are." "Smart," Jimmy said. "Did CK get the film to Superman?" "Yeah, he did. Pete said it would be ready this morning. I'm anxious to see what's on it. Have you had a chance to check out the disk?" He shook his head. "Not yet. My laptop doesn't seem to be working. I've got the disk safe, though. Maybe you could give it to Superman when he brings the film back." "Good idea," Lois said. "When did you find out your computer doesn't work?" "Last night, after I left you and CK. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong--it just doesn't work." "Like the cell phones," Lois murmured. "You know, Jim, I distrust coincidences like that." "You and me, both." Cautiously, he put an arm around her waist. "There's a guy on the hill over there to our right, watching us with a pair of binoculars." Lois laughed out loud, as if Jimmy had said something funny, and put an arm around him, resting her hand on his left buttock. Jimmy gave a slight start but plastered a grin on his face. The kid was definitely a natural, Lois thought. Maybe it ran in the family. Within a few minutes, they reached the short flight of stairs leading down to the beach, and Lois sat down on the top step to remove her shoes. Jimmy emulated her and a moment later they had descended to the white stretch of sand. Lois led the way down the beach to a spot just above the water's edge and stood looking around. Jimmy picked up a stone and threw it into the water. "What are you looking for?" he inquired. "Is it that obvious?" she asked. "No, but I know you're not that fascinated with the scenery." "Oh. I'm not sure, really. I've been trying to remember since yesterday. I saw something on my walk, and sort of had an idea about it, but I can't remember what it was." "And you're hoping to see it again, huh?" "Yeah." "Well, why don't we cover all the territory you did yesterday, and stroll down to the boat house. Maybe you'll spot it." "Okay. We have to put on a show for our audience, though." A loud squawking above her reminded her of the birds she had seen the day before. She looked up. There were more of the creatures circling around overhead, entering and leaving the holes in the cliff. Suddenly something clicked. "Jimmy, could there be caves or something in this cliff? Those birds are sure going somewhere." "Huh? Oh, sure. Have you ever seen the Sea Lion Caves in Oregon? There's huge caves in the sea cliffs there, where thousands of sea lions nest. We visited them once when I was a kid. Why?" "Well, Clark and I think there's something going on around here that takes a lot of power. Clark overheard a phone call--never mind. Superman did some looking around the night of the storm, but couldn't find anything. It's possible whatever it is could be hidden somewhere inside the cliff caves--if there are caves." "Oh." Jimmy regarded the birds, thoughtfully. "Maybe you're right, but no human is going to get in the way those guys are." "No," Lois agreed. "There has to be an easier way in--if there's anything to find in there." "Well, let's just walk around a bit," Jimmy suggested. "Look for the place with the most guards. That should give us some idea where they don't want us. You said you wanted to check out the boathouse." "Yeah," Lois said. "Let's wade a little, first. We're supposed to be having fun together." "Okay." Jimmy poked her suddenly in the upper arm. "Tag! You're it!" He turned and ran. Lois started after him instinctively at top speed. "Why you--!" Jimmy ran, laughing, and Lois followed him, half stumbling in the sand and splashing water with every step. She caught up with him as a wave rolled in about his ankles and sucked the support out from under him. She grabbed him in time to prevent him falling into the surf. "Think that'll do?" Jimmy asked between gasps. "If someone's watching!" she said, trying not to laugh and gasp for breath at the same time. "There is. The groundskeeper is standing back there in the trees." "Oh." The desire to laugh departed, but she forced herself to keep grinning. "You're good, you know?" "I've had some pretty good teachers: you and CK, for starters. My dad, too, when we went on that weeklong camping trip in Maine last year, and Perry, when we go fishing. We talk a lot, about lots of things. I decided I wanted to be as good at what I do as you guys, so I started trying to listen and notice things around me and remember what I hear and see." "You learned pretty well," Lois said. "Thanks. What now?" "Now we go and put our shoes on and go walking over toward the boathouse. It's about a mile via the path. Let's see if anyone stops us." "Okay." ********** (tbc) ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 19:51:13 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Becky Bain Subject: Re: NEW: Imbalance Part 3 [and a thought] In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Yael said: >- has anyone ever written a fic where Lois and Clark don't get together in >the end? As Jackie mentioned (thanks, Jackie!), I have. It's titled Ad Astra per Aspera and can be found in the archive. Gerry, take heart! I didn't get a single tomato, cyber or otherwise for this story (although I assume there are a number of people who chose not to read it because of the subject matter, which is fine). In fact, I got quite a bit of positive feedback! So some folcs are more that willing to read what I think of as "dark" fic. (Me, for one!) Oh, and thank you =so= much for the "talented" comment! Dunno how true it is , but it made my day! Yael, write your story. Not everyone will read it, but many will! And anyway, you shouldn't ignore your muse when it wants you to write something! It might get cantankerous and refuse to let you write at all! Becky rbain@qwest.net "I do not like to form in my mind an idea that I don't have any proof of." - Rosa Parks, from her autobiography Stride Toward Freedom ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2001 09:20:57 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: lcfic Subject: Message Board Index Update through June 15 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Hi FoLCs! Lots of new story parts and a couple of new tocs this week! Links on the L&C Message Board Index and Links page at http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Meteor/7378/lnc.html New stories this week: none New part(s) posted: ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND, THE: ERIN KLINGLER ALIEN GIFT: BETHY BRAVE NEW WORLD: CHRISH CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING CLARK, THE: CAROL MONCADO EXODUS II, THE:EARTHBOUND: THANATOS FEAR OF DISCOVERY IV: YVONNE CONNELL GREEN CARD: WENDY RICHARDS HEARTS DIVIDED: PAM JERNIGAN SURVIVAL OF THE SIGNIFICANT: MANOFSTEEL30 QUESTION OF TRUST, A: RACONTEUR27 UNIVERSAL UNION: JENNI DEBBAGE Completed stories this week: none New TOC's BRAVE NEW WORLD: CHRISH EXODUS II, THE:EARTHBOUND: THANATOS Added to the Archive this week: One Man Can Change the World by Gerry Anklewicz Rhapsody in a Blue Sky by C. Leuch Enjoy! Dawn & the Index Crew __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Spot the hottest trends in music, movies, and more. http://buzz.yahoo.com/ ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2001 19:07:58 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Adam Labotka Subject: The Exodus II: Earthbound (part 3/4) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable For anyone who cares to read this here ;). Hope you enjoy, public and = private feedback welcom. from part 2 ******=20 Lara looked at Jor-El for a moment, then back down at Kal-El in her = arms. Voice choking on emotion and with tears in her eyes, she said, "I = don't think I could do that. It's hard enough for me knowing what will = happen. I don't think I'd be able to hold it together to leave him a = message. I get through the days by not thinking of the future." She = broke off, unable to finish.=20 Crossing over to her quickly, Jor-El carefully took her in his arms, = wary of the child in her arms. "I'm sorry honey," he said = apologetically. "I didn't mean to bring up painful thoughts. I should = have realized how this would affect you. Don't worry I'll take care of = them myself, you won't have to worry about it," he finished = comfortingly, trying to ease her pain.=20 Sniffling a bit, and trying to gain her composure, Lara told him, "I'll = be fine. You couldn't have known how your suggestion would affect me. = It's a nice thought really I just don't think I could handle doing it. = It'll be enough for me to leave him this blanket," she indicated the = blanket Kal-El was wrapped in, "Something tangible, something I made for = him. You should get back to work."=20 Reluctantly, Jor-El released them and picked the globe from where it had = fallen when he carelessly dropped it. He buried himself in his work = again, escaping from his own grief at what was coming.=20 and now part3 ******=20 The next day saw Jor-El busy in the lab again. Between working on = adapting the drive and putting together a ship, he thought about what = messages to leave his son. It was during one of these musings that = someone chimed at the door. Sighing, Jor-El got up and went to open the = door. Upon opening it, he was shocked to see who was on the other side.=20 In a cold, somewhat confrontational tone he asked, "What are you doing = here, Sar?"=20 Sar-El started a bit, seemingly taken aback by the cold greeting. = Affronted, he replied, "Can't an uncle visit his nephew, is he here? I = went to your home and since no one was there, I figured I'd find you = here."=20 Resignedly, Jor-El said, "Lara and Kal-El are in the back right now, = they should be out in a few minutes."=20 Sar-El entered the lab and stood waiting. After a few minutes of awkward = silence, Sar-El broke it by saying, "That's not really the reason I'm = here. I came to apologize about my attitude earlier." Pausing, Sar hung = his head dejectedly, the very image of a man with the weight of a world = on his shoulders. "You were right. There's no escaping it, our world is = going to end in just over a month."=20 At that point he broke down completely. "And I've doomed us all. If it = weren't for my bullheadedness, we might have been able to do something = to stop the destruction. But my inability to forgive you prevented me = from listening to you. You had the courage to stand up to our parents = and tell them you wanted to live your own life, pursue a career in = science and marry the woman you loved, though it meant giving up the = throne. I know I berated you for abandoning your duty and dishonoring = our family, but I was really just jealous. You had the courage to do = what I couldn't. to pursue your dreams. And now all our people will pay = for it."=20 Jor-El looked in surprise at his brother who was actually sobbing on his = knees before him. He hadn't known what to expect when he saw Sar at the = door, but this certainly wasn't it. He hardly recognized his brother in = his current state; the once proud man was completely shattered by the = planet's imminent destruction. In an attempt to comfort Sar-El, he = reached down tentatively to touch his shoulder. Trying to make his voice = soothing, Jor-El said, "You can't know that discovering the chain = reactions sooner would have allowed us to find a way to ease them. We = might have panicked the population and given them false hope. It's = probably better if they never know."=20 Sar-El visibly collected himself, managing to quiet down the sobbing. = After a few minutes, he was able to reply, "You're probably right about = not being able to stop the chain reactions, but there still might have = been something we could have done. Ever since other scientists have come = to your conclusion, I've ordered them to work on a possible solution. = They seem to think we can build a space ship and move to another = planet." Sar-El didn't notice the look of surprise that passed over = Jor-El's face as he was speaking. "Together, almost all of the planets = scientists and engineers have been working on a ship to take as many = people as possible from here. If we had more time, we could build a = larger one, perhaps even more then one. As it is, we're lucky we already = had a manned exploration project in the works." Jor-El gasped at his = brother's words, he had never heard of that.=20 Sar-El smiled wanly, "You seem surprised. Well, a few years ago, I = started this project. Very few people knew of it beyond those working on = it. If it wasn't going to work, I didn't want people to know about the = failure. It's not supposed to be completed for a while, but I've stepped = up the work and we're rushing to finish it before the planet explodes. I = want you to come and help. We could use a mind like yours on the = project, then you and your family can have a place on the ship."=20 When he paused for a response, Jor-El pondered. His brother had a point, = and this would allow his whole family to survive, but it was also a = large gamble. They were obviously rushing to complete a project that no = one knew if it would work in the first place. Not only was there a good = chance of problems from lack of knowledge, there was a large possibility = of error due to a rush job. Finally he came to a decision.=20 "Look, Sar, as tempting as the offer may be, I doubt I could be of much = help. Too many scientists do start to get in one another's way. Besides, = there doesn't seem to be a great chance of success. I'm working on my = own project here, and as much as I'd want to save my own life and that = of Lara's, I think it's better if you let them take children in our = place."=20 Grief stricken, Sar-El replied, "But you must, I can't bear to have your = two lives on my hands as well. You're the last of the El line as well; = they'll need you along to help guide them. Shouldn't you at least = discuss it with Lara first?"=20 Jor-El looked as if he'd been hit by a metal beam. What was he thinking = making such a decision without consulting his wife? Sure he still felt = the same way, having come to grips with his own passing over the past = month, but Lara deserved a chance to make up her own mind. "You're = right, I should discuss it with her first, but I still feel the same = way," Jor-El replied. Then something else his brother had said sunk in, = 'last of the El line', what could he mean by that? "They'll have you = there to guide them, and the council, I'd just be extraneous anyway."=20 Sar-El lowered his head in resignation again as he said, "I won't be = going. I don't deserve to survive after what I've done. I will stay = behind with everyone else who can't fit on the ship. It's the least I = can do after having condemned them."=20 Jor-El noticed he looked about ready to cry again. He hated seeing his = brother looking like this, but he was at a loss for a way to console = him. How does one make someone feel better when he believes the = destruction of the world is on his head? Jor-El shook his head sadly at = the thought. "You are far to hard on yourself, Sar. Anyone could have = made the same mistake you did, after all I didn't have definitive proof = of my findings. I wish you well in your endeavor, and I hope you can = forgive yourself at some point."=20 Sar-El nodded sadly. "I should be going. I need to get back to my = duties," Sar-El said. "Tell Lara I'm sorry."=20 Sar-El quietly went to the door and Jor-El watched him go.=20 ******=20 It wasn't until after they had finished at the lab that Jor-El managed = to tell Lara about Sar-El's visit. He had kept putting it off because it = was a tough subject. Collecting himself, he said nonchalantly, "Sar came = to visit at the lab today."=20 "That's nice," Lara said distractedly while she fussed over Kal-El.=20 Somewhat exasperated, the stress of everything wearing on his patience, = Jor-El told her, "This is important, I need your full attention."=20 Lara was taken aback at his tone but complied, laying Kal-El down. After = making sure he was comfortable, she turned to Jor-El. "Okay. What is = it?" she asked.=20 Jor-El began to relate what happened, "Sar came to the lab today because = he wanted to apologize about ignoring my findings. Other scientists have = confirmed them, and he feels very guilty about wasting so much time. = Also, he told me about a project they're working on to build a large = ship to send as many people as they can to another world. He wanted me = to come and help them work on it, but I declined. It seems to me it's = too large an undertaking and will never be completed in time; I'd rather = keep working on the craft for our son."=20 Jor-El paused to gauge his wife's reaction. She was listening = thoughtfully, an unreadable expression on her face. He continued after a = moments pause, "That wasn't all he had to say either. He offered us = passage on the ship so that we all could survive. I turned him down. I'm = getting on in life, I told him to send someone younger than me instead, = there will be limited space and I'm beyond my prime. I won't be much = help in building a new world, but you should have a say in this as well. = It was callous of me to try and make this decision alone. Sar reminded = me of this. So do you want to take up his offer?"=20 Jor-El watched with baited breath as he waited for her answer. Lara = turned to face Kal-El, and looked down at him tenderly stroking his = cheek. After a few moments she said, continuing to lovingly stroke her = son's cheek, "I couldn't ask you to go if you felt it wasn't the right = thing to do. And as much as I want to see little Kal-El grow up, I don't = think I could survive without you. You're a part of me."=20 When she looked back at Jor-El, he saw tears in her eyes. Feeling as if = his heart was being torn out, he quickly crossed to her and put his arms = around her, holding her tight. "I'm sorry. If it hurts that much we'll = go. I can't stand to see you in pain."=20 Shaking her head softly against his chest, Lara said, "No, you were = right in the first place. It's better to let some of the younger = generation take our place."=20 They stood there holding each other in silence for a very long time, as = if they never wanted to let go.=20 ****** ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 11:03:37 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Pam Jernigan Subject: Last call for the altKerths! Comments: To: afolcslife , Nfic List MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Voting in the Alt-Kerth Awards closes tonight at midnight EST, so if you haven’t voted yet you only have a few more hours to choose between all the terrific websites, music videos and funny fic which have given us all so much entertainment. The list of nominations is here: http://www.annesplace.net/altkerths.html There’s a link to the ballot form on the same page, or go direct to it by clicking here: http://www.nfanfic.net/mailform/altvote.html (By the way, some people have been telling us that the link to Andi’s Archive - DaniPayson’s site - is wrong. The link is correct, or was when I looked at it a week or so ago, but the site now seems to be down, unfortunately. :( ) Thanks to everyone who’s voted so far; dozens of votes have been piling in and we’re busy counting them all in preparation for... The Alt-Kerths Award Ceremony!! The award ceremony will take place on Saturday 23 June, at 4pm EST. The ceremony will be in #Altkerths, and you can chat about the nominees and winners in #Altkerthchat. Come early to grab your seat! :) We also need presenters, though we have a couple of volunteers already (thanks, guys!) Any other volunteers, mail Pam at the address below and we’ll happily sign you up; if you have a particular award or category (websites, videos, silly fic) you’d prefer to present, please let us know. :) And we have loads of surprises for you, as well as the exciting news about who’s won what awards. No hints - just turn up and find out what we have in store! ;) Don’t forget to download the Alt-Kerth waves from here: http://www.annesplace.net/kerth/kerthsounds.html - you’ll find all the normal Kerth waves there as well as some new ones, created especially for the Alt-Kerths by the wonderfully talented Anne Ciotola. So be there... or miss out on one of the events of the year! :D The Management Pam Jernigan and Wendy Richards -- Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / jernigan@bellsouth.net http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam http://personal.rdu.bellsouth.net/~jernigan/ The difference between journalists and other people is that other people spend their lives running from violence, tragedy, and horror and we spend ours trying to get in on it. --P.J. O'Rourke ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 12:23:27 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: Last call for the altKerths! Hey guys! It was pointed out to me that our announcement was a little US-centric - which is all my fault, not Pam's, since I wrote it! 4pm EST is 9pm in the UK and Ireland, and 10pm in Western Europe. If anyone knows the appropriate time for other parts of the world, please post for the benefit of FoLCs around the world! Thanks, Wendy ---------- Wendy Richards wendy@lcfanfic.com ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 13:36:00 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Pam Jernigan Subject: Re: Last call for the altKerths! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > It was pointed out to me that our announcement was a little US-centric - Oh, err, yes, so it was :) Sorry, I should have caught it myself; I must be dain-bramaged today The only other time equivalent I know is that 4pm US is 11pm in Jordan (hi Jo!) and I'd guess in the rest of the Middle East as well. In Australia, I believe it will be "oh-dark-hundred" Sunday morning, but anyone who wants to wake up early will be well entertained :) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Wendy Richards" To: Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2001 1:23 PM Subject: Re: Last call for the altKerths! > Hey guys! > > It was pointed out to me that our announcement was a little US-centric - > which is all my fault, not Pam's, since I wrote it! > > 4pm EST is 9pm in the UK and Ireland, and 10pm in Western Europe. > > If anyone knows the appropriate time for other parts of the world, please > post for the benefit of FoLCs around the world! > > Thanks, > > Wendy > ---------- > Wendy Richards > wendy@lcfanfic.com > ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 14:17:53 -0500 Reply-To: truitt22@flash.net Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: timothy truitt Organization: tnt technical services Subject: Re: Last call for the altKerths! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Pam, I can be a presenter -howevery - it needs to be early. We have to go out to a surprise party that evening. merry Pam Jernigan wrote: > Voting in the Alt-Kerth Awards closes tonight at midnight EST, so if you > haven’t voted yet you only have a few more hours to choose between all > the terrific websites, music videos and funny fic which have given us > all so much entertainment. > > The list of nominations is here: > http://www.annesplace.net/altkerths.html > > There’s a link to the ballot form on the same page, or go direct to it > by clicking here: http://www.nfanfic.net/mailform/altvote.html > > (By the way, some people have been telling us that the link to Andi’s > Archive - DaniPayson’s site - is wrong. The link is correct, or was when > I looked at it a week or so ago, but the site now seems to be down, > unfortunately. :( ) > > Thanks to everyone who’s voted so far; dozens of votes have been piling > in and we’re busy counting them all in preparation for... > > The Alt-Kerths Award Ceremony!! > > The award ceremony will take place on Saturday 23 June, at 4pm EST. The > ceremony will be in #Altkerths, and you can chat about the nominees and > winners in #Altkerthchat. Come early to grab your seat! :) > > We also need presenters, though we have a couple of volunteers already > (thanks, guys!) Any other volunteers, mail Pam at the address below and > we’ll happily sign you up; if you have a particular award or category > (websites, videos, silly fic) you’d prefer to present, please let us > know. :) > > And we have loads of surprises for you, as well as the exciting news > about who’s won what awards. No hints - just turn up and find out what > we have in store! ;) Don’t forget to download the Alt-Kerth waves from > here: http://www.annesplace.net/kerth/kerthsounds.html - you’ll find all > the normal Kerth waves there as well as some new ones, created > especially for the Alt-Kerths by the wonderfully talented Anne Ciotola. > > So be there... or miss out on one of the events of the year! :D > > The Management > > Pam Jernigan and Wendy Richards > > > -- > > Pam Jernigan / ChiefPam / jernigan@bellsouth.net > http://www.geocities.com/~chiefpam > http://personal.rdu.bellsouth.net/~jernigan/ > > The difference between journalists and other > people is that other people spend their lives > running from violence, tragedy, and horror > and we spend ours trying to get in on it. > --P.J. O'Rourke ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 00:37:16 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jo March Subject: Re: Last call for the altKerths! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Yes, 4pm EST is 11pm in Jordan and most of the Middle East (thanks, Pam!), and is 8pm GMT. I assume (never assume? ) that many people can find what time it is in reference to GMT. Hope this helps! JoMarch :) > > Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 13:36:00 -0400 > From: Pam Jernigan > Subject: Re: Last call for the altKerths! > > > It was pointed out to me that our announcement was > a little US-centric - > > Oh, err, yes, so it was :) Sorry, I should have > caught it myself; I must be > dain-bramaged today > > The only other time equivalent I know is that 4pm US > is 11pm in Jordan (hi > Jo!) and I'd guess in the rest of the Middle East as > well. In Australia, I > believe it will be "oh-dark-hundred" Sunday morning, > but anyone who wants to > wake up early will be well entertained :) > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Wendy Richards" > > To: > Sent: Sunday, June 17, 2001 1:23 PM > Subject: Re: Last call for the altKerths! > > > > Hey guys! > > > > It was pointed out to me that our announcement was > a little US-centric - > > which is all my fault, not Pam's, since I wrote > it! > > > > 4pm EST is 9pm in the UK and Ireland, and 10pm in > Western Europe. > > > > If anyone knows the appropriate time for other > parts of the world, please > > post for the benefit of FoLCs around the world! > > > > Thanks, > > > > Wendy > > ---------- > > Wendy Richards > > wendy@lcfanfic.com > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Spot the hottest trends in music, movies, and more. http://buzz.yahoo.com/ ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 07:30:17 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Natascha Kortum Subject: Re: Times for altKerths! Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Jo, I disagree. ;) I am pretty sure that 4pm ET is in fact 9pm GMT. The time difference between these two zones is five hours. I know for a fact that Germany is six hours ahead of the US East Coast. And the time difference between GMT is one hour. Hope that helps! Natascha (who is looking forward to seeing everyone again) :) >From: Jo March >Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" > >To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU >Subject: Re: Last call for the altKerths! >Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 00:37:16 -0700 > >Yes, 4pm EST is 11pm in Jordan and most of the Middle >East (thanks, Pam!), and is 8pm GMT. > >I assume (never assume? ) that many people can find >what time it is in reference to GMT. > >Hope this helps! > >JoMarch :) _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 12:59:31 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: Times for altKerths! MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > Jo, I disagree. ;) I am pretty sure that 4pm ET is in fact 9pm GMT. The time > difference between these two zones is five hours. I know for a fact that > Germany is six hours ahead of the US East Coast. And the time difference > between GMT is one hour. Hi Tasha! I think the confusion comes from the fact that at the moment the UK and Ireland are on British Summer Time. Yes, there is five hours' time difference between the east coast of the US and the UK, but, while the time here at this moment is almost 1pm, it's only 12 noon GMT. The time difference between *current* German time and GMT is therefore two hours, but the difference between current German time and current UK time is one hour. And 4pm EST (that's Eastern *Summer* Time) is indeed 9pm BST, but is 8m GMT. Wendy (hoping she hasn't confused anyone too much!) -------------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 07:45:32 +1000 Reply-To: jenerators@optushome.com.au Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jen Stosser Subject: Re: Times for altKerths! In-Reply-To: <00d201c0f7ee$2258dca0$916105a0@hrm.keele.ac.uk> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit As far as I can determine, 4pm EST on Sunday is 6am my time :-( I'm NOT getting up at 6am on a weekend!) Jen jenerators@optushome.com.au -*- This message is umop ap!sdn -*- -*- Jenerator or Some1Else on IRC) -*- JenerEight on AIM -*- Photos of David (8) and Megan (5) on the Stosser Family HomePage: http://www.geocities.com/j_stosser -*-Please sign our guestbook! -----Original Message----- From: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic [mailto:LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU]On Behalf Of Wendy Richards Sent: Monday, June 18, 2001 10:00 PM To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Subject: Re: Times for altKerths! > Jo, I disagree. ;) I am pretty sure that 4pm ET is in fact 9pm GMT. The time > difference between these two zones is five hours. I know for a fact that > Germany is six hours ahead of the US East Coast. And the time difference > between GMT is one hour. Hi Tasha! I think the confusion comes from the fact that at the moment the UK and Ireland are on British Summer Time. Yes, there is five hours' time difference between the east coast of the US and the UK, but, while the time here at this moment is almost 1pm, it's only 12 noon GMT. The time difference between *current* German time and GMT is therefore two hours, but the difference between current German time and current UK time is one hour. And 4pm EST (that's Eastern *Summer* Time) is indeed 9pm BST, but is 8m GMT. Wendy (hoping she hasn't confused anyone too much!) -------------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 05:19:46 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: John Debbage <106532.433@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Universal Union Book3/Part32 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Title: Universal Union Book3/Part 32 Author: Jenni Debbage Rating: PG-13 Comments: Tuesday morning and time for the next chapter. Hope you enjoy= it and fdk is very welcome. ~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter Fourteen Who Pays the Piper? And, indeed, it appeared that Kal did know. The couple had exchange= d a few thought transferences and even one or two hololink-ups while the fleet was in transit to Earth. The conversations didn't rank amongst the= most comfortable they'd shared but they had, at least, been polite... in = an impersonal sort of way. They had a lot to talk about, but now was not the time. Now, they h= ad to rescue Earth from the forces of Nor and nothing should be allowed to g= et in the way of that. Besides, neither Lois nor Kal could be sure that the= ir fragile peace would not be broken if they opened up that can of worms again, and so, they carefully avoided any references to the misunderstandings and hurts that lay between them. It was hardly an idea= l situation but it was the best they could do meantime, skate cautiously on= thin ice and hope that their differences could be resolved in the future.= Meanwhile, the situation on Earth gave much cause for concern. = Commander Jace had continued to monitor the situation, but it had been decided that no further communication would take place. Kal and his war cabinet had reached the conclusion that surprise would be a large factor = in their success in defeating Nor and the Taureans, and, as the distance fro= m Earth diminished, so the fleet remained cloaked, only taking the shields down behind them for short periods to update those at home. = In truth, Kal and Dax-Ver were of the opinion that Nor would expect the Kryptonians to interfere in his plans. After all, Rad-Nor was completely aware that this attack on an innocent planet was a crime in th= e eyes of his home world, and that they would probably take steps to put an= end to his nefarious deeds. Nor would be scanning the heavens, waiting f= or his enemy to show up, but stealth tactics could give the rescuers an edge= on the exact where and when. = There was, however, one fly in this ointment... Nor's hidden spy. W= as he a member of the battle-fleet or was he back on Krypton, sending information to his master? Jace was keeping a check on unidentified transmissions but, so far, had picked up nothing incriminating. There ha= d been a spate of messages sent out when the fleet had first departed, official contacts with the Federation and more private ones with Kryptonians who had relatives or business contacts throughout the galaxy and a warning might have found its way to Nor amongst the busy traffic. = No one could be sure, and the fleet would just have to take its chances. One thing Jace had discovered in his coverage of Earth, President We= st had finally convinced the other governments that conversation with these advanced aliens was better than confrontation. It hadn't been an easy task, and some countries had tried to fight off their attackers with horrifying but inevitable consequences. Now, an uneasy truce ensued... a= truce that was frequently broken by ruthless incursions by the invaders. = The people of Earth couldn't be sure which was worse... a visit by the rough, uncouth Taureans or the arrogant, calculating Kryptonians. One thing was certain; wherever the occupying forces landed, they left a trai= l of death and destruction. The collective mood of the citizens of Earth became one of a seething hatred for these aliens, barely held in check. = And yet, if the covert word that spread from country to country was to be= believed, all space people were not evil. Somewhere out there, the good guys were hurrying to assist them in their hour of need. ***** = All these things and many more played out, over and over again, insi= de Lois' head as she tossed and turned in this lumpy, lonely bed. If, of course, you could call the ponderous rolling which was the only movement she was capable of, in her present state, tossing and turning. She just couldn't find a comfortable spot, though, honesty compelled her to admit,= the cause of her discomfort was more likely her troubled state of mind, a= nd not the fault of the mattress. = In the semi-darkness, Lois gazed around her at the less than familia= r bedroom. On their way back from the spaceport, Lois had found herself timidly asking Lara and Jor if she could come stay with them at Ro-Ellion= . = The prospect of the great castle at Elvar, without the presence of Kal, h= ad seemed too daunting, and even her snug little apartment was not a home without her husband. Her parents-in-law had been only too happy to oblig= e and Lois was quickly packed and moved into Ro-Ellion within the day, accompanied by her lady-in- waiting and her principle bodyguard. = There had been a number of visits to the castle to liaise with Trey a= nd the council, and she liked to check in with Jace every day for an update = on the current situation on Earth. But, mostly, her time spent in the empty= halls and corridors of the ancient fortress depressed her. She suspected= , too, that the councillor and communications officer dreaded the visits from the remote and disconsolate First Lady. After all, both these men h= ad knowledge of her quarrel with Kal-El and would, very probably, consider h= er the guilty party. So, not wishing to go where she wasn't wanted, in thes= e past few days, she'd contented herself with a hologram connection to the palace. = To tell the truth, she wasn't very happy at Ro-Ellion either. In fact, Lois was becoming a bit of a recluse, spending most of her hours in= her room or the glasshouse of her current abode, and sharing her company only with Gellis, who was proving to be a very empathetic friend. The presence of Lara or Jor-El brought on unbidden feelings of blame for the way she had sent their only son off to war in a state of torment, and, th= e fact that they'd both made it clear that she had been forgiven for this trespass, did little to assuage her conscience. Thus it was, that Lois tended to spend as little time as possible with the kindly couple. Even Lieutenant Poli's false cheer grated on her nerves, and she found herself= , also, avoiding his company. For the first time since the early days, Loi= s regarded Krypton as an alien world, and she longed to be back on Earth. = Or, at least, on her way to Earth, with a certain dark- eyed, dark-haired= man who had the power to make any place where he was, her home. One thing she had discovered, lately, was that the distance between Earth and Krypton could be accomplished in a much shorter space of time than the journey that had brought her here to Krypton. Back then, Kal ha= d obviously commanded the ship to slower speeds, allowing her time to becom= e accustomed to some of his way of life, before she ever embarked on Krypton's soil. Which, if you thought about it, was just another sign of= Kal's kindness and consideration, and she began to wonder if she'd been stricken with some kind of insanity, to have ever considered that her husband had acted sanctimoniously. = Now, his current journey was coming to an end. Soon, Kal and his troops would be embroiled in a war... a fight, very probably, to the deat= h. There could be no doubt in anyone's mind that Nor and his Taureans would= surrender without a battle. Kal could be injured! Ching had been hurt i= n the last fight. Perhaps, Kal could even be killed. No! Oh, Please no!= = Her heart cried out against such an injustice, but the spectre of his dea= th would not be banished = The enormity of the horror robbed Lois of sleep. No matter how she tried, her poor, overloaded brain would not let her rest. The baby too, sensing its mother's disquiet, moved and pushed in tandem with its parent= . = Maybe, Lois had been wrong to turn down Gellis' suggestion that a bed be made up for her on the large couch. Maybe the lady-in-waiting's blithe prattle would be preferable to the nightmare scenarios that chased throug= h her mind. But Lois had felt the need for solitude. The desire to open h= er mind to Kal... the channel which she had only allowed him access to in a brief and censored manner. Now, as he approached the close vicinity of Earth, Lois learned the hardest lesson of all.... Love was all that mattered. Love was the strongest life force of all. = But no messages came from the silence of space, and that was hardly surprising, since stealth tactics were now of the essence. And yet, in t= he depths of the night a quiet peace came upon Lois. Kal would be with her always. No matter what befell in that far off place, Kal would never lea= ve her. Her hand came to rest on the swell of her stomach, stilling the bab= y within, the baby that was part of Kal. = But it was more than Lara had said.... Lois could almost sense Kal'= s presence, as if he were somewhere very near.... Oh, my god! If Kal was with her in spirit... did that mean that he no longer was... alive?! Loi= s sat bolt upright in bed, pushing against the pillows which supported her.= = Had the battle already taken place? Had Kal been killed? She had no opinions on an afterlife. She'd never really given it much thought. But= one thing she was quite clear about... she didn't want Kal in the afterlife. She wanted him with her, in the here and now. = So intent was she on her fearful thoughts, that Lois didn't, at first= , recognise the soft tapping at the door. It came again and the insistency= of the scratching reached her, followed by the sound of a familiar voice.= "My Lady.... Lady Lois, please, you must let me in. I have urgent news!" Lois directed a surprised look at the heavy wooden door, while her mind struggled to return to the present. "Please, My Lady, you have to wake up!" With a speed that moments ago Lois would have considered impossible,= she was at the door, pulling it open to reveal a white faced and slightly= awkward Poli. Lois reached out to drag him inside and the door swung shu= t behind her. "Lady Lois..." was all Poli could articulate, while watery, hard-checked tears filled his eyes. Lois stepped backwards and her hand flew to her mouth. She'd been right in her assumption. She had felt his ghost. "Kal's dead...." "No!" The horrified Lieutenant followed her into the centre of the room. "Not yet! But there's been a huge battle and Kal's been hurt... very badly. He's calling for you, My Lady. I've been asked to bring you= to him before... before he...." But, once again, Poli couldn't say the word "... dies.." Lois finished his sentence on the merest whisper. She= stood alone in a void, her eyes wide and unfocused, while around her a whirlwind of emotions threatened to hurl her into the dark. Even Kal's shade had left her. "Lady Lois, I know how upsetting this must be for you, but My Lord needs you now. Please, we must hurry!" Poli tried to reach her with desperate words. "I have an orbship outside, waiting to take us to a fas= t cruiser, but time is short." The sense of urgency did reach her and Lois forced herself to react.= = "Yes, oh yes! But I must get dressed...." "Lois," in such a terrible situation, Poli felt able to drop the formal title to comfort the woman who had become his friend. "There's no= need and no time. You're modestly dressed." His hand waived vaguely ove= r her night attire. "Perhaps a cloak to cover your robe." The suggestion was kindly but eager. "Yes, that would do, wouldn't it." In a daze, Lois rushed to her closet and stood before the crowded rails. She needed a cloak, a dark cloak. Her hand ran along the surface of the clothes, stopping on something black. Black, the colour of mourning! But her mind rebelled a= t the idea; Kal was still alive. At least, he was when Poli had been contacted, and yet, how was Poli contacted, and by whom? A concentrated frown creased Lois' clear brow, as her arms dragged at a heavy burgundy wrap. It was thick and warm, one part of her mind acknowledged inconsequently, it would keep out the cold. But how could that be? The cold was already inside her. In the bedroom, Poli took advantage of his few seconds alone and sidled over to a small desk by the fireside wall, all the while, keeping his stare on the door through which Lois had disappeared. With a compete= nt slight of hand, and careful to touch it with only the kerchief in which i= t was wrapped, the bodyguard drew a small vidpad from his uniform pocket, a= vidpad that had previously belonged to Lois. Placing it on the desk, he= hurried back to stand by the entrance to the dressing room. = "Lois, My Lady, I'm sorry to rush you but...." His speech was halted by Lois hastening back into the room, a more determined look upon her lovely face. "Poli, how did you find out about Kal and the battle?" Lois' instincts were beginning to kick back in. "Dax-Ver contacted Jace and the Prime Councillor. They're holding a= n emergency meeting in the castle, right now." Poli took the cloak from Lois' nervous hands to drape it around her shoulders. "I'm afraid the ne= ws has them in a bit of a panic and I think they might be a bit unsure of h= ow to break the word to the population. Kal was a very popular First Lord. = His death will be taken very hard." "Poli!" Lois remonstrated quickly. "Kal isn't dead yet!" "No, indeed not.... Not yet, anyway." The young trooper's eyes wer= e filled with shared pain. "I don't like to hurt you, Lois, but the physicians say it's just a matter of time. That's why we must be quick. = Kal so much wants to see you to say goodbye.... He feels very badly abou= t the way you parted." "Me too, Poli!" Lois gulped on a sob. "We were both so stupid! So= full of foolish pride!" "But there's time to make amends, Lois.... If we hurry." Nodding forcefully, the First Lady let her bodyguard lead her down t= he dimly-lit staircase and on through the conservatory. The house was silen= t and eerily dark. No one else seemed to be awake. "Wait, Poli!" Lois pulled back on the hand that held fast to her. = "Kal's parents! Shouldn't we tell them what's happening?" An exasperated oath almost exploded from Poli's mouth as he was brought to a sudden halt. Yet, by the time he'd turned to face Lois he was, once again, the sympathetic bodyguard. "Lord Trey has volunteered t= o inform Lord Jor-El and his wife. He is, after all, their friend, and, besides, I believe he intends to ask for their help in informing the council and the people. He instructed me to take you to Lord Kal-El, without delay, and that's exactly what I'm trying to do, only you're maki= ng it very difficult." Poli's words were robbed of censure by their understanding tone. = Lois chewed at her bottom lip and a guilty blush suffused her cheeks= . = When would she ever stop acting like everything and everyone had an ulterior motive? "I'm sorry, Poli. I don't seem to be able to think straight. Go on, and I promise not to hinder you again." The hand that held her own gave a gentle squeeze and started to pull her inexorably forwards. Whenever they reached the garden, the chilly air hit Lois and she shivered involuntarily as she hurried along behind her guide, her feet squelching on the damp lawn. The light slippers she wore were hardly suitable for the weather conditions, but she would not falter. Kal was waiting for her. She didn't even know how he'd been injured. Poli hadn'= t given her details and she hadn't taken time to ask. Was he in pain? The= fact that he was asking for her must mean that he was conscious. Her hea= rt broke anew at the thought of her dear love's suffering. If only he could= hold on until she reached him. Perhaps the doctors were wrong... sometim= es critically ill patients survived against all odds. The minute they were= under way she would contact Dax-Ver and ask how he was faring. = With those fears giving her strength, Lois responded to Poli's quickening of the pace. The night sky was cloudy and there was no friend= ly moon or stars to light their path. Thankfully, Poli was sure-footed and seemed to know the way or Lois was certain that she would have stumbled. = = Nearing the bottom of the garden, a strangely subdued glow threw a little light on the grass before them. It was the orbship, sitting on th= e river bank and Poli stood back to allow his charge to proceed him down a small flight of stone steps. A very breathless First Lady cast one last glance behind her at the lovely house that had sheltered Kal as he grew t= o manhood. Her gaze continued onwards to the city beyond with its sentinel= castle on the high rock. All was dark and quiet, as if the night and the city were both in mourning for their favourite son. But that couldn't be right! Shouldn't there have been some sort of turmoil at the horrifying news? There should, at least, be lights in th= e castle where Trey and Jace had received word of the battle from Dax-Ver. = Poli had told her he'd been contacted by Trey and that the Prime Councill= or would also tell Lara and Jor the sad news. So why wasn't there any movement and noise from inside Ro-Ellion? And in front of her where the orbship was parked, shouldn't there be some other troopers awaiting her? = Something was very wrong about the situation. Lois halted abruptly and swung toward her companion, a stark questioning look written clearly on her face. All her suspicions about this man came rushing to the fore. "Poli! Why is everything so quiet? = Just what is going on here?!" But there were no answers forthcoming and the First Lady wouldn't ha= ve heard them if they had been uttered. Instead, Lois felt the cold metal o= f an injection gun against her skin and the freezing blast of the chemicals= as they permeated her skin. Within a nanosecond, Lois was unconscious. "You are such an inconvenient woman, Lois!" Lieutenant Poli exclaim= ed as he shoved his toe into the fallen girl's side. "Why couldn't you have= behaved like any other meek Kryptonian female and boarded the ship like I= asked. Now I'll have to carry you, and in your state you're hardly going= to be a light-weight." Regarding the prone figure with distaste, Poli debated how best to carry the very pregnant Lois. He threw the bothersom= e injection gun into the deep foliage by the river's edge and grinned as he= heard a satisfactory plop. No doubt the outgoing tide would carry it awa= y. He flexed his muscles. "Earth women! Why did Kal ever want to marry an= Earthling?!" Pushing aside his annoyance-- he had, after all a job to do -- Poli hefted Lois up into his arms, yanking at her cloak impatiently, as it caught on a bush. He staggered down the last few steps and carried her, none too gently, through the skin of the ship. Unceremoniously, Lois was= dumped on a bare narrow cot on the far wall of the little craft, and minutes later Poli fired the engines. Deftly, the Lieutenant guided the glowing ball swiftly through the clouds to a point outside Krypton's stratosphere where waited a wickedly gleaming Taurean destroyer. Lois' wish was being granted... she was on her way to Earth. ***** tbc in part 33 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 05:20:09 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: John Debbage <106532.433@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Universal Union Book3/Part33 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Title: Universal Union Book3/Part 33 Author: Jenni Debbage Rating: PG-13 ~~~~~~~~~~ Unknown to Poli, his kidnap of Lady Lois had not gone totally unheeded. From her vantage point by the staircase window, Gellis watched= , as her mistress was harried across the lawn. Only minutes ago, the lady-in-waiting's light, uneasy sleep had been interrupted by the closing= of a door in the hallway, and she had heard the sound of whispered voices= , moving past her room. Gellis had listened for some moments, and when all= had fallen still, her first impulse had been to turn over and try to retu= rn to sleep. But a nagging worry wouldn't let her rest. Lady Lois was very= near her birthing date and perhaps she'd gone into labour. However, that= idea had quickly been discarded, as Gellis was fairly certain that Lois would have called for her or Lady Lara and would not have been whispering= in the dark. Nevertheless, something odd had awakened her which ought to= be checked out. Gellis had climbed from her bed and, donning a robe, she= 'd headed for her mistress's chamber. Only to find that the room was empty. She'd very probably heard the= sound of Lois heading downstairs in search of some tempting tidbit to eat= . = A smug smile beamed on Gellis' face as she'd sped downstairs to catch up with her mistress; Lois quite often fancied a midnight snack... probably something chocolate. = But a movement from the garden had halted her progress. Her curiosit= y pricked, Gellis had drawn closer to the great window on the landing, pressing her face to the glass and squinting into the murky night. = At the boundary of the garden, a dull light shimmered and a strange shape, silhouetted against the glow, moved across the lawn. Gellis frown= ed in concentration. The silhouette broke into separate figures. Two peopl= e were crossing the expanse of grass, and one seemed to be shepherding the other. Watching them progress towards the eerie light by the river, Gell= is saw the smaller, cloaked figure turn, and a shocked gasp escaped her lips= . = She might be quite a distance away, but Gellis would recognise the beautiful face and the dark fall of hair, anywhere. Lady Lois-El was outside and heading for the light which could only be coming from an orbship. Gellis was the daughter of a famous commander and she'd been brought up around spacecraft. There was no doubt in her mind that a ship= awaited by the river. Something very weird was happening. Lady Lois was pulling back but very quickly the other person moved into Gellis' line of vision. She cou= ld never be sure of what happened next, yet she'd stake her life that Lois h= ad been carried into the ship. The lady-in-waiting cried out in protest and= she pounded on the glass with her fist. Yet there was nothing she could do... she was too far away. Gellis could only stand and watch helplessl= y as the ship ascended into the sky. The youngest daughter of the house of= Ver swallowed back the tears that threatened to fall and went to do her duty; to warn the others that Lady Lois, First Lady of Krypton, had gone.= ***** The large bedchamber was no longer devoid of life. Indeed, it was n= ow something approaching overcrowded. Hotfoot on Jor-El's communique with t= he castle, a deputation of councillors and top security officials had, not surprisingly, turned up at the door of Ro-Ellion. The group, including t= he First and Second Ministers and Lord Remy, demanded an accounting of what the young Lady-in-Waiting had witnessed, and all had finally ended up in Lois' bedroom to see if the actual scene would throw any clues on what appeared to be a mystery. And there, they had found the small techno-pad= with its message from Lady Lois- El.... Its very incriminating message. According to the Lady's own words, Lois was not a happy woman. She had always had her doubts about her decision to come to Krypton and had found it very difficult to adjust to life on this highly sophisticated an= d moral planet. And, if her readers would only be honest with themselves, they would admit that they'd made life very hard for her, on occasion. = Lois was tired of trying to live up to unbearably high standards, and thi= s final straw, this invasion of Earth and Kal's subsequent betrayal of her wishes, had been too much for her to bear. She had been surprised to fin= d an ally in her hour of need; she'd never suspected that Poli had any warm= feelings for her and yet, when the dear man had confessed his love, she'd= seen a way out of all her troubles. Lois was so sorry for all the angst she would cause to Kal and his family and council, but she could no longe= r deny her heart. She and Lieutenant Poli had decided to run away with eac= h other and to spend the rest of their lives together. She'd signed hersel= f, simply... Lois Lane. = "I don't believe it!" Gellis cried. "And surely, none of you can think that's the truth!" "Well, I have to admit I find it pretty incredible but the words spe= ak for themselves," Trey's faded blue eyes surveyed the others in the room. = Each one looking just as mystified and incredulous as himself. "Lois has= run off with Lieutenant Poli!" "No! She wouldn't! She loves Kal!" "Gellis, I know she's your friend and you want to think the best of her... but Lois and Kal were rather... estranged before he left." "I know," Gellis admitted reluctantly. "But they have talked to eac= h other since by hololink-up." "Twice, I believe," Trey conceded. "And I've witnessed both occasio= ns and each conversation has been decidedly strained." Unfortunately, neith= er the First Councillor nor anyone else in the room had been privy to the couple's few thought transferences, and even if they had, it would have made little difference to their verdict. None of Lois and Kal's contacts= had been particularly warm. = Nevertheless, Gellis stalwartly returned to the defence of her frien= d. "But even if they were fighting, it wouldn't change how she felt about him. They love each other! Now she might have gone off somewhere... but= not without taking me and definitely not with Poli!!" "What makes you so sure she wouldn't go with Poli?" Lara asked hesitantly. The elderly woman had listened in silence to Trey's reading = of the letter with a heavy heart. Her mother's love was torn between outrag= e and heartbreak at the supposed insult to her son and the desperate desire= to believe that her daughter-in-law was not the scarlet woman' this lette= r purported her to be. "I'd have sworn that Lois was a woman of integrity,= and you all must be aware how very fond of her I've grown, but even I ha= ve to admit that she's been acting very strangely, of late... so withdrawn, and she did quarrel with Kal." = "Lady Lara, I doubt we have to ask that question! Only an Earth gir= l would settle for a Lieutenant when she has the First Lord as her husband!= = Earthlings haven't the same respect for duty as we Kryptonians." This highly biased statement came from the recently appointed Second Councillo= r, who had tagged along with his superior when Trey had made it known he was= required urgently at Ro-Ellion. Lara felt herself bridling at his remarks= . "But my daughter-in-law isn't irresponsible!" Jor-El's soft voice pointed out with some force and pride. "And I'm inclined to agree with Gellis. I think we should listen to what she has to say. Please, my dea= r, won't you tell us all you know." The pretty, curled head bobbed in accord. At least she had one pers= on who supported her theory and very possibly two, as the Dowager seemed to hang on her every word. "I know that Lady Lois cried herself to sleep ea= ch night since My Lord's been gone and I doubt she'd do that if she didn't love him." "That might have been pique -- that she didn't get her own way and w= as left behind!" The Second Councillor lamented again. "Oh, do be quiet! You obviously don't know Lady Lois well or you would understand that she doesn't hold a grudge!" This time it was Lord Remy who sped to the support of his favourite niece. "I wouldn't necessarily say that, Remy!" Trey cut in wearily, reviewing the sullen demeanour of the said Lady since the fleet had flow= n off. "As Lady Lara mentioned, Lois has hardly been acting like herself.= " = "Well I should think not!" Remy's irritation catapulted him from h= is chair where he'd been resting his old, tired bones. "Poor Lois has been sick with worry over Kal and the fate of her home planet... not to mentio= n the fact that she's in her last month of pregnancy." = "Yes, it does seem like a strange time to run off with your paramour= ," Trey acquiesced, slowly rubbing his chin and his puzzlement causing him t= o sink into the chair Remy had just abandoned. "Lieutenant Poli is not Lois' paramour," snarled Gellis once more. = "He's just a friend... at least, I thought he was a friend, and besides, Poli doesn't fancy Lady Lois." "What makes you say that?" The dowager Lady took an eager step towards the young lady-in-waiting, wanting so much to believe in anything= that would absolve the girl she'd come to love as one of her own. In her= heart, she did trust Lois, but her in-built Kryptonian pragmatism was getting in her way, and she needed some proofs to align her head with her= heart. "Because, he said he cared for me." Gellis dipped her head sheepish= ly as she revealed that piece of information. "It was some time ago when w= e were at Schieh-Ellion; before the attacks on the convoys started. Poli started singling me out and eventually he told me that he had feelings fo= r me. But somehow, I couldn't quite believe him. I'm fairly sure that Pol= i says such things to lots of pretty girls and, apart from that, I was certain he held a candle for Lady Lois, and I told him so. But he refute= d that idea point blank! Said she wasn't at all his type, and that she was= just too independent for his tastes.... It was weird, but I did believe him then. It almost sounded as if he didn't like Lady Lois... but I knew= that wasn't really true, so I put the notion out of my mind and forgot about it." "So we've established that Poli is a womaniser and that Gellis first= thought he had amorous designs on the First Lady, which he understandably= denied when questioned about it. I wouldn't necessarily say that any of these things controverts the evidence that we have before us, the message= from Lady Lois herself." The Second Councillor ended on rather less abusive tones, recognising that most of the people in this room had a fondness for the Earth woman. Indeed, he hadn't known Lady Lois very lon= g or very intimately but even he was surprised by her running off with another man. Which only went to prove that women weren't to be trusted a= nd that Krypton was right in its affirmation of a male dominated society. "But that's it!" Gellis' cry this time was one of triumph. "That message isn't from Lois!" "I hate to contradict you, but the techno-pad confirms Lois' print,"= Trey rubbed a tired hand back and forth across his chin. "No matter how much we all want there to be another reason for Lois' flight, she states clearly that she's sorry but she made a mistake in marrying Kal and that she's decided to follow her heart...." = "They must have forced her to write it... but it just isn't true! = Most of you here know Lois and you've all received messages from her. Th= e business ones she writes on techno-pads but the personal missives she prefers to write in longhand on paper. She even keeps a supply of paper and pens on her desk." "Gellis, you're correct!" Lara had reached the younger woman and taken hold of her hands which she proceeded to ring with her own. "Lois would never have written such an important confession on anything but paper. Her techno-notes are brief... one or two lines!" At last Medi joined the conversation, clearing his throat apologetically as he stepped forward. "I think you might be on to something. Lady Lois does have an abhorrence for that particular technology... her preference will always be for pen and ink. And, I thin= k if we all took a moment to calm down, we would realise that our Lady neve= r had a romantic notion for Poli in all her time on Krypton. In fact, she actually suspected that it might be Poli who had alerted Nor to Kryptonia= ns acquiring super-powers in the atmosphere of Earth." = "And did he?" Remy asked, not relishing the direction in which this= supposition was going. "I don't know. Lord Kal-El didn't believe it and told Lady Lois so.= = She still wasn't completely satisfied because she confided her suspicions= to me and asked me to check it out, but we never did find out who'd leake= d that information." "But if it was Poli, and he certainly would know of it because he wa= s one of only three people who experienced the phenomenon first hand...." = Lady Lara couldn't finish her train of thought. "... And if it was Poli then he's a creature of Nor and Lois didn't = go voluntary!" The same horror which had choked off Lara's speech now suffused Jor. "But if that were the case, then surely there would be some sign of = a struggle?" Trey chose to play devil's advocate. "Maybe so! But by the same token, if this were a planned runaway, then wouldn't Lady Lois have taken some baggage with her? She hasn't eve= n packed her tooth-laser!" It was the first thing the methodical policeman= had checked when he'd been called to Ro-Ellion. "She might have been tricked into going!" An increasingly frightene= d uncle suggested another scenario, unwittingly coming nearer the truth tha= n he knew. "That's a possibility." Commander Medi decided to take control of t= he situation, since it seemed that the family were too confused and distraug= ht with the disappearance to act decisively. Besides, he had one other disquieting suggestion to put forward. "Unfortunately, there is another.= .. we never did discover the identity of the mysterious assassin." "No! I refuse to contemplate that possibility!" The normally composed dowager Lady's voice rose to unnatural heights. "If this assass= in planned to kill Lois then why isn't there a body. What would be the poin= t of taking the body away with him?" "Forgive me, Milady, I didn't mean to scare you. I agree! I doubt that the aim was murder." "But you do have a theory?" Now that the shock was wearing off, Tre= y was once again assuming the mantle of Prime Councillor and in the absence= of Lord Kal-El the voice of authority on Krypton. "Yes, I think it might be the case that Lady Lois-El was drugged and= carried off." "But why?" Jor-El was devastated at the thought of the girl he'd learned to love in the hands of the enemy once more. "Rad-Nor is about to take part in a battle against Kryptonian forces= supported by a fair number of her allies. He must have some doubts about= the outcome...." "So he's acquired a little insurance... his life for the life of the= First Lady and the heir." Lord Trey's senatorial tones struck dread amongst his listeners and into the silence that followed his words came a= soft knocking at the door. = Seeing that no other was in a fit state to answer the caller, Medi stepped outside where he found one of his captains. When he'd first hear= d of Lady Lois' disappearance he had set his men to search the house and grounds and now he had his answer. With a heavy heart he turned back int= o the room to relay his confirmation. "Hmm! Excuse me, my lords and ladies," Medi coughed to attract the dissembling attention of the occupants of the room. "I hope you don't mind, but when first I arrived, I ordered my men to search for any clues which might explain what happened here and, I'm afraid, they've found something. It was caught up in the reeds by the river." "Not Lois! Pray not that!" And the Lady was thankful for the strong= arms of her husband that came around her. "No! Oh, No!" Medi was swift to reassure, as he pulled a shiny metallic and glass object from behind his back. The item was not large a= nd it fit comfortably into his hand. He held it out for the groups' inspection. "An injection gun." A choked scream sifted off into the dark of night, while Lara sagged= into Jor-El's grasp. "It's the murder weapon," she gasped, her eyes staring at the innocuous object. "Very probably, but not thankfully in this case," Medi's voice was quiet but firm. Hysterics wouldn't find Lady Lois. "Before bringing thi= s to me, my captain scanned the medi-gun and the substance it contained was= a strong sedative-- not poison. It's a bit muddy but it still showed some body-traces this time, which my men immediately checked with the central intelligence data-base, and the holder of the gun was Lieutenant Poli. = Now, either he's grown careless, or he no longer cares to keep his true colours a secret but there's no doubt that he has Lady Lois. There must have been some sort of struggle because there was a scrap of fabric snagg= ed on a bush near where the medi-gun was recovered... but no blood," Medi countered at the shocked look on all the faces regarding him. "I'm sure we'll discover it came from Lady Lois' clothes and there were also signs that an orbship had been parked by the river. I've sent word to Command= er Jace, and he's scanning the airways for signs of an unidentified craft bu= t, if it were cloaked, I'm not sure that we'll discover where it's gone." "What do we do now?" Trey asked, his voice mirrored his anguished thoughts. "I'm not sure, but two things I know..." Remy was no longer the joker, "we apologise to poor Lois for every doubting her honour. And onc= e and for all we acknowledge that we Kryptonians are not the sole possessor= s of virtue." "Well said, Remy," Jor was quick to endorse his elderly relative's words. "I for one, firmly believe that Lois has more morality and spirit= in her little finger than a whole host of our people, and it's about time= that we gave her credit for it." The others in the room were all looking, quite justifiably, chastise= d and for some moments no one uttered a word. Then Lady Lara's hand tightened on her husband and her eyes glazed over with inner turmoil. "Oh, my zor! How are we ever going to tell Kal?!" ***** = tbc in Part 34 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 05:20:29 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: John Debbage <106532.433@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Universal Union Book3/Part34 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Title: Universal Union Book3/Part 34 Author: Jenni Debbage Rating: PG-13 ~~~~~~~~~~ Lois woke to semi-darkness. Far off, an almost imperceptible hum worried at the edges of her consciousness. She had heard that steady thr= ob of noise on other occasions but, as yet, her befuddled brain couldn't qui= te place it. = Her head ached so, and there was a gaping hole in her short term memory, yet all her instincts were warning her that she was in danger. = Carefully, she opened her eyelids a crack to review her situation. The space she was in wasn't very large and the smooth walls gave off a faint gleam. On first awakening, she had thought she was alone, but someone el= se was in the room. Another person was sitting in front of a control panel,= and above the bank of instruments, a long window showed a vista of spangl= ed darkness. This was an orbship, and the person was Poli! Poli, who had come to= her in the dead of night with news that Kal was fatally injured and waiti= ng to say goodbye to her! Clever Poli, who had known that she wouldn't ask= questions, but would hurry to reach her husband's side to make amends for= the foolish quarrel she'd instigated. Treacherous Poli, who'd played on her tormented guilt, certain that she'd want to say one last goodbye, before Kal left her forever. How could she have been so stupidly trusting? It wasn't as if she hadn't had any misgivings about Poli. And yet, in her fear and anguish a= t the thought of losing her dearest love, she'd allowed herself to be tricked. But she had asked questions! In the end, her gut instincts abo= ut this man had won out. Poli, however, had been ready for that and he'd sedated her for her pains. Lois had the mother and father of all headaches, but she wasn't about to surrender to the haven of unconsciousness again. She had to figure this out and find a way of escaping. With intense concentration, she pushed herself erect. "Ah, the sleeping beauty is awake, I see," said the Lieutenant smugl= y, swinging his seat to face her. Lois grunted and looked around. This must be one of the smaller orbships, and its furnishings were sparse, only the bed on which she lay and a couple of spare chairs. A small metal chest stood opposite her. "Not exactly very plush surroundings, Poli." She turned a scornful stare on her jailor. "What's wrong, the man who pays the piper didn't think you were worth very much?" "This is only a temporary situation. But, you know, that's not very= bright, My Lady." The title was snapped out sneeringly. "People who've been abducted should show their kidnappers some respect... if they know what's good for them...." Poli let the threat hang in the air. "Respect!" Lois mocked. "When did lying, devious turncoats deserve= respect!" Nonetheless, due to the glittering hatred that hovered behind Poli's stare, Lois decided to change tactics; there really was no point i= n antagonising the opposition. " Why am I here?" Poli said nothing but continued with his baleful stare. "Let me guess! We're on our way to Earth, but not to see my dying husband because there has been no battle a= nd Kal-El isn't injured." "Bravo, Lois! You always were a smart little thing. There has been= no battle, yet... but one is certainly coming and Rad-Nor thought it migh= t be expedient to have a little insurance on hand. It really was very considerate of Kal to leave you behind where I could so easily snatch you= ." For a long moment, Lois gazed at this man. She had thought she'd known Poli, thought that he was a trusted member of Kal's inner circle. = It was only very recently that she'd started to have doubts and she'd allowe= d her suspicions to be soothed by her husband's belief in his bodyguard. = "Why, Poli? Why are you doing this? Kal is your friend." "Friend! I don't think so!" The tone was scathing, as Poli at last= let his true feelings out. "Ching is his friend... his brother-in-arms! = It was always Ching! And I was just an afterthought." The trooper was o= n his feet now and prowling around like a caged animal. "Haven't you noticed? Ching is a major while I am still a lieutenant!" "Ching has been with Kal since they were boys, so that's only to be expected!" Lois was about to mention that Kal regarded Ching as a brother= , but quickly decided not to highlight the difference between Poli's and Ching's status. "And Ching has more experience. But that doesn't mean that Kal-El doesn't care for you... appreciate you." Lois struggled to p= ut her feet to the floor, her extra bulk hindering her progress, and the traces of the drug still in her system making her dizzy. Poli never soug= ht to help her, and for that she was grateful; she would have pushed away hi= s hands. "I happen to know that he was about to promote you to captain. = We've discussed it, only this war got in the way." "A very sorry state of affairs, indeed, when the First Lord of Krypt= on has to check up with his wife about what he intends to do." Keeping a close eye on the lieutenant as he stalked, Lois wondered how he had ever managed to hide his, now, very obvious misogyny. "And captain! I deserv= e more than that! I saved his life!" = "Yes, I know. He told me." Lois searched the face of her captor, hoping to find a way through to him, but the over bright eyes suggested a= paranoia that neither she nor Kal had ever noticed before. Certainly, he= r suspicions had never included insanity, but, for all that, she had to try= . = "No matter what happens, Kal will never forget that he owes his life to you, and I will always be grateful." "Don't patronise me, Lois! I don't care for your gratitude and I'm quite aware of my standing with your husband. I was his bodyguard when Ching marched off to war. Huh, his dear friend didn't care about leaving= him in the lurch to go off glory-hunting." Lois swallowed hard at this remark, but kept silent. This crazy man couldn't know the true reason fo= r what he considered Ching's abandonment. "And what happened when the precious Major returned to duty? I was relegated to the task of caring f= or the First Lady." "Kal never considered that relegation," Lois was stung into remarkin= g, much hurt. "Kal would only place my safety in the hands of someone he trusted implicitly." "And that's another thing! Trust! Look how much he trusted me with= the plot to bring down Jen-Mia! While you all put your heads together, I= was left out in the cold." Poli's hands balled into fists and his rant h= ad all the characteristics of a childhood tantrum. "But that was for your own protection," Lois remonstrated, then she pinpointed him with an enlightened glance. "Mind you, it's a very good thing that you didn't know anything, or we never would've been able to bring down Mai or Nor." An ironic smirk curled Lois' mouth. "I bet Nor wasn't too pleased with you for that." A red blush spread over Poli's face, though the skin around his lips= remained white, and Lois had the satisfaction of knowing she'd rattled he= r kidnapper. She'd liked to have been a fly on the wall at that particular= meeting between the lieutenant and his master. Poli grimaced at the memory. "Not really! But wasn't it lucky that I had a bargaining chip."= "You told Nor about the effect of Earth's yellow sun on Kryptonians!= " "Yes! So you see, if Kal had treated me better, your planet wouldn'= t now be under attack." "Don't try to blame Kal for any of this. The only thing he did wron= g was to trust someone who pretended to be his friend. And, besides, you tried to kill me when I'd only been on Krypton for a few days. You've be= en Nor's henchman from the very beginning." "No, Lois, not quite. Rad-Nor was waiting for me when I got back fr= om Earth. He made me a proposition; the standing I deserved in return for helping him to the throne." "And you believed him? He's made that same promise a number of time= s over!" Poli seemed to study the question for a moment. "Well, let's just s= ay that I was willing to hedge my bets, as you would say on Earth. You see,= I understand Nor. He's willing to do anything to get what he wants." "Something like yourself!" Lois snorted, unable to hold back her disgust. "So, you decided to keep a foot in both camps? By the way, how= did you keep in contact with Nor, with all the techno-surveillance on thi= s world? The old fashioned way... a go-between?" "Yes, one of Nor's men... a messenger! It was quite easy to sneak away in my off-duty time; no one checks up on what we do. Krypton has become so immersed in its scientific expertise, it's forgotten the basics= . = But you're so quick on the uptake, Lois." "Thanks, but I don't need your approval! And you were in a position= of trust, that's why you were never followed!" Lois, however, could see that such a concept was well outside Poli's understanding. She returned = to her original tack. "So you told Nor about Earth?" = "Oh yes! You see, I never really agreed with Kal's decision that w= e should leave Earth alone. I liked the marvellous things that we could do= on your planet. We should've taken your people under our wardship." "Make them your slaves, you mean. I'm surprised you didn't tell Nor= immediately." "Oh, I didn't trust him that much. I thought I'd keep that to mysel= f until after Nor was enthroned and I was promoted to commander-in-chief. = Meantime, he offered me a lot of money to do away with you... I just couldn't refuse." "I'm so glad it wasn't personal!" An evil grin appeared on Poli's face and he closed the distance between himself and Lois. "Definitely not, Lois! On the contrary, I fou= nd you an attractive woman back then. I certainly wouldn't have turned down= a night of passion with you. Since then, however, I've discovered that you're a little too independent for my Kryptonian tastes.... Still, I could be willing to make allowances... if the price were right." Poli's hand snaked out to cup Lois' cheek in a gesture that was so like Kal's and yet elicited a totally different response. "Don't touch me!" snarled Lois, backing away from the outstretched hand and, sadly, finding her way blocked by the edge of the bed. Just wh= at was this madman proposing? That for services rendered and, no doubt, a large sum of money, he'd be willing to change his allegiance back to the House of El. She wasn't such a fool as to believe in anything this trait= or suggested. She shoved with all her strength at the body that crowded her= . = A retaliatory slap knocked Lois back onto the narrow bunk. "And don= 't flatter yourself, Lois. Believe me, I find you totally resistible at the= moment." His eyes roved over her protruding stomach. "Yet, you won't always be pregnant...." His hand slid around her neck and she felt the pressure of his fingers as he loomed over her. "You're due to give birth= any day now and afterwards I could be persuaded to let you into my bed...= ." Lois did the only thing she could; from the depth of her loathing, s= he spat into his face. "Don't, Lois!" Poli's eyes bulged as his fingers tightened around h= er throat. "Don't you understand the danger you're in? I could kill you so= easily." Inside, Lois was shaking. Perhaps, it wasn't wise to further inflam= e this man who seemed to hold the whole female sex in contempt and, particularly, Earth women. Yet, she had her own pride and she would hav= e the last word. "I don't think so, Poli. You haven't gone to all the trouble of abducting me for nothing, and I'm sure that Nor wouldn't appreciate a dead hostage." To her relief, Lois felt the hands round her= neck slacken. "Isn't that what I am... a bargaining piece? Nor threate= ns to kill me, unless Kal and his forces back off. Or perhaps, like you mentioned, I'm insurance. Nor must have some concerns about the outcome = of this battle. So, if he's defeated, he'll trade my life and my child's li= fe for his own freedom." The recognition in Poli's eyes told Lois that her words had hit on the truth and she pressed home her small advantage. "An= d don't you flatter yourself, Poli, that you'll be included in the deal. = You're like every other one of Nor's tools -- dispensable." Poli blanche= d. "Now leave me alone. Your presence is making me nauseous." It was clear that the man would love to take his frustrations out on= this far too feisty Earth woman, but he had been warned that the Lady of = El was not to be harmed for the present. He stood back and regarded her coldly. "Don't be so cocky, My Lady. Once your darling husband is destroyed, you might be grateful for my protection." Turning sharply on his heel, Poli marched back to his post by the console but Lois' mocking voce followed him. "I'd rather be dead, first!" ***** = = Lord Kal-El sat alone in his cabin on the Kryptonian flagship, stari= ng out the window at the softly blue-ringed planet of Earth. Lois should be= with him, he thought absent-mindedly as his fingers slid over the small holo-cube of his wife. He had promised her that he would bring her home someday; just another promise that he'd so thoughtlessly broken. The promise that they'd both made to his grandmother -- the promise that they= 'd always be together, because together they were stronger than each alone -= - had completely slipped his mind. How could he have forgotten such important advice, and from his grandmother who'd successfully predicted s= o many happenings? Well, now he was paying the price, or, an even more terrifying realisation, his beloved Lois was paying the price, and all because of hi= s stubborn stupidity. Lois had hated being left behind on Krypton, but, obstinate fool that he was, he had decided that she should stay at home i= n safety. He had even taken comfort from the fact that his council had supported his edict and had told her so in no uncertain terms. Even the few conversations he'd had with her since the quarrel had remained stilte= d, neither willing to admit that they'd been at fault. Oh, he'd confessed t= o missing her, but he hadn't apologised for being inconsiderate of her feelings, or for believing himself to be completely in the right, when, a= ll the time, he'd been so wrong. Now it was too late. Lois had been kidnapped by Poli and been carri= ed off to zor knew where; though it was a sure bet that she was now in the hands of Rad-Nor.... And Poli, that was another thing he'd been wrong about. Even though Lois had voiced her suspicions about the man, he'd completely ignored them, had even persuaded her that she was mistaken and= had placed her under the care of the damned recreant. How could he have been so mistaken about everything? Clearly he had a lot to learn about h= is judgement of people. He just hoped, with everything that was in him, tha= t he wouldn't pay too high a price for the lesson. He had to find Lois and= bring her back. Yet, he had another job to do. Earth had to be saved and he was wel= l aware that Lois would never forgive him if he abandoned her home world to= go in search of one person... even if that person were the dearest thing = in all the galaxy to him. Another scary thought struck him. There could no= w be two dear people who needed rescuing from wherever Poli had taken them.= = This trauma could easily have brought on Lois' labour, and if it was so, had she or the baby survived? Kal closed his mind to his surroundings an= d was comforted to feel the link that bound them still in place, which probably meant that Lois was alive. It didn't, however, bring him any closer to finding her. He had to think this through. It wasn't too hard to understand Nor'= s reasoning in Lois' abduction. The man no doubt wanted a hostage, someone= whose safety Kal would be willing to do almost anything for. But neither= did that knowledge bring him any closer to discovering her whereabouts. = The Space-station Caytan? No, somehow Kal doubted that the company who owned the place would put their continued existence at risk by blatantly holding the First Lady of Krypton prisoner... at least, not openly. She could've been taken to Taurus, but yet again, Kal didn't think so. The planet was just too far away, and Kal suspected that Nor would want Lois closer at hand, able to produce her if the going got tough. An annoying buzz on his doorpad interrupted his deliberations and impatiently he opened his thoughts to whoever was outside his cabin. Kal snapped, sounding fiercer than he'd meant. The intimidated voice-thought of Dax's equerry came through the door. = Earth's quadrants were very close now and the fleet was expecting to= engage with the enemy very soon. This mission had to succeed. He'd neve= r be able to face Lois again if Kryptonians let down the people of Earth, assuming that he would be with Lois again.... = Kal softened his tone; it really wasn't this poor trooper's fault. With a final caressing= touch of his fingers across Lois' image, Kal stood up and, squaring his shoulders he walked to the door. He would defeat Rad-Nor and rescue Lois.... He had too because no other option was acceptable. = ***** tbc in Part 35 ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 15:05:09 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kaethel Subject: Vocabulary question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hey guys :) I need your help for a fanfic I'm trying to wrap up. I used the term 'swing mirror' in it, but it doesn't seem to be a common phrase in English. What I want to describe is what we call 'psyche' in French: it's a mirror which stands on its own in a swivel frame in the corner of the room. It's usually framed with wood, has an ovoid shape, and you can orient it the way you want. Does anyone have any idea as for how to name such a mirror? Thanks for your help! Helene :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kaethel Kaethel@wanadoo.fr ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 10:14:41 -0400 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Natascha Kortum Subject: Re: Vocabulary question Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Hi Helene, I just asked everybody at work but all they could come up with is full- length mirror... Most of them are sure that there is another name for it but nobody knows what it is. ;) Sorry! Natascha :) (who is looking forward to that story of yours!) >From: Kaethel >Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" > >To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU >Subject: Vocabulary question >Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 15:05:09 +0200 > >Hey guys :) > >I need your help for a fanfic I'm trying to wrap up. I used the term 'swing >mirror' in it, but it doesn't seem to be a common phrase in English. What I >want to describe is what we call 'psyche' in French: it's a mirror which >stands on its own in a swivel frame in the corner of the room. It's usually >framed with wood, has an ovoid shape, and you can orient it the way you >want. Does anyone have any idea as for how to name such a mirror? > >Thanks for your help! > >Helene :) > > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Kaethel >Kaethel@wanadoo.fr _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 10:29:20 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Vocabulary question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable H=E9l=E8ne, In a message dated 6/19/01 9:06:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time,=20 Kaethel@WANADOO.FR writes: >=20 > I need your help for a fanfic I'm trying to wrap up. I used the term 'swin= g > mirror' in it, but it doesn't seem to be a common phrase in English. What=20= I > want to describe is what we call 'psyche' in French: it's a mirror which > stands on its own in a swivel frame in the corner of the room. It's usuall= y > framed with wood, has an ovoid shape, and you can orient it the way you > want. Does anyone have any idea as for how to name such a mirror You're going to love this. The term you are looking for is "cheval glass."=20 Not sure what it has to do with French horses, but there you go. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 09:26:20 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carol L Moncado Subject: Re: Universal Union Book3/Part34 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jen - this was great!! I can't wait for more! CM ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 11:04:40 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: Vocabulary question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 06/19/2001 9:06:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Kaethel@WANADOO.FR writes: << Does anyone have any idea as for how to name such a mirror? >> I'd go with the description. I can't recall I've heard any name for it... --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 11:09:59 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: Vocabulary question Helene, as Ann says, the term is 'cheval', though over here we say 'cheval mirror', not 'cheval glass'. Wendy -------- Wendy Richards wendy@lcfanfic.com ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 10:26:38 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Charade: Part 12 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Charade: Part 12 by Nan Smith The boathouse was well built and sturdy Lois thought, and appeared to be fairly new. It was covered with a gleaming coat of white paint that looked to her as if it had only been applied days ago. Of course, she supposed Lex could afford to have it painted every year, but the normal weathering caused by the salt air and the inevitable deterioration of the unpainted supports, immersed in the water, hadn't progressed very far from what she could see. There weren't even any barnacles clinging to the wooden posts and there should have been, which meant that Lex either had people clean them regularly which seemed unlikely, even for him, or they hadn't been there long. Clark had reported a good deal of lead in the boathouse's structure, too. The yacht floated at the end of the dock, sleek and graceful, and here and there men loitered around or worked at various tasks with single-minded intensity. No one seemed to be paying much attention to them but Lois glanced at Jimmy with a feeling of uneasiness. Someone was watching, she thought. She'd had the sensation before, of observation by unseen eyes. She forced herself to a casual walk, her hand resting lightly on Jimmy's arm. Jimmy was looking around with an appreciative air, and after a moment, he started down the pier, obviously headed for the yacht. He stopped near the end and stood regarding the vessel with admiration. "Beautiful, isn't she?" he said, not trying to speak too loudly, but making no effort not to be heard. "Maybe I should see about getting a company yacht." "It's nice," she agreed. "Do you suppose Mr. de Los Rios would mind if we went aboard?" "I think we better wait for his invitation," Jimmy said. "I just wanted to see her up close." "Okay," Lois agreed, amiably. She turned, shading her eyes, to survey the surrounding area. The door to the boathouse opened as she did so and a man emerged onto the pier. Lois regarded him with a smile fixed on her face, but shock was coursing through her even so. Careful not to stare, she continued her slow pivot, aware that the man had given her a slightly nervous look before turning away. Jimmy glanced at her with a slight smile, and said, "Well, are you ready to go back now?" "Sure," Lois said. She let him lead the way, holding her hand, back up the pier. Out of the corner of her eye, Lois followed the progress of the man she had noticed. He was waddling up the weathered boards toward one of the little carts that seemed to be the preferred method of transportation on the island. He clambered into it, started it up and a moment later was trundling away up the narrow road that led upward toward the house. Lois and Jimmy walked casually back the way they had come. "We've got to get into that boathouse," Lois said, finally, her voice intentionally low. "Why? What did you see?" Jimmy asked. "That guy. Did you notice him?" "The one that came out of the boathouse? Sure," Jimmy said. "He looks kind of familiar, but I don't know why." "That's because you've only seen his picture, never him in person," Lois said. "I saw him yesterday, crossing the lawn, but I couldn't place him." "And you did, this time?" "I sure did! That's Isaac Mamba." "Who--you mean *Doctor* Mamba? The guy that made the clones?" "That's the one." "Oh, man!" Jimmy said, softly. ********** Clark finished preparing lunch for the household. Rene had dropped in for a short few minutes, to check over the lunch menu and then departed again to parts unknown, leaving Clark in charge. He waited while the meal was served, received Mrs. de Los Rios' compliments on a delicious lunch, then left the cleanup to his underlings for a couple of hours break before it was time to begin dinner. It was nearly three-thirty in the afternoon, and his hearing told him that neither Lois nor Jimmy was on the premises. A couple of years before he would have been concerned. Lois had become far more circumspect since they had acquired the responsibility of two children, but she still retained the attitude of an investigative reporter. So far, she'd found out at least as much as he had, even without super powers to help her out. She was also in a much better position to snoop around than he was, at least for a good portion of the time, which was probably what she was doing now. A slight pang of concern crossed his mind. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to go look around for them a little. He dropped by his small room for a change of clothing and left by way of the servants' entrance, making no attempt to conceal his departure. Looking around, he could see at least three different persons who might be keeping an eye on him. The fact that Luthor seemed to maintain a spy network on the island didn't concern him much, at least for himself. He had no doubt of his ability to evade it if necessary. He wondered, though, why the man hadn't put in some sort of electronic surveillance system but in spite of every effort he had made, he hadn't been able to spot any bugs anywhere. As a matter of fact, as far as Clark knew, Luthor had never used such a system in his penthouse in Metropolis either, although he seemed to have no such qualms about spying on outsiders. It was certainly a puzzling facet of the man's personality but it seemed to hold true here as well. He thrust his hands in his pockets and ambled casually away from the house, glancing around and presenting all the appearance of a man interested in nothing but a pleasant stroll before returning to work. In reality, he was tuning in his super-hearing, trying to pick out the voices of Lois and Jimmy, as well as anything else of interest that he might stumble across. The normal sounds of the island were present, accompanied by the conversation of men and a few women here and there. He could hear the cries of the sea birds from the cliff, and, by paying close attention, he could sense very faintly, the mysterious vibration that he had heard on his first night here. "Hear" was too strong a word to describe the sensation, but it was there, at the very edge of his perception. It had to be a power generator of some kind, he thought, well shielded and very well concealed, but barely detectable by his better-than-human senses. Lois's voice caught his attention at once. She was some distance away in the direction of the boathouse and moving slowly. He searched with his special vision, and found her. She and Jimmy were walking along a path that led to the house. "We'll try the boathouse tonight," Lois was saying decisively. "We've got to see what's in there. He wouldn't have been there without a reason." "That's for sure." Jimmy's voice sounded a little subdued. "Did you ever tell CK it was me that taught you how to pick locks?" "I," Lois said, automatically. "Huh?" "'I', not 'me'. Sure, I told him. Why?" "I just wondered if he ever got mad that I taught you." "No. Why should he?" "'Cause you do stuff like breaking into places where you could get in trouble." "Jim, you're not going all macho, 'gotta protect the little woman' on me, are you?" "Well, no. I just wondered, though. Lots of guys wouldn't like their wives taking that kind of risk." "Clark isn't like that," Lois said, sounding patient. "Of course, he worries, but he doesn't try to control me. At least he doesn't make that kind of mistake very often." She paused and added, "And when he does, I just remind him why he shouldn't." Jimmy laughed, and Clark found himself grinning slightly. That was his little tornado, all right, and she was absolutely correct. Nobody told Lois Lane what she could and couldn't do--not if he wanted to keep his ego intact--not even Superman. Still, perhaps he should be sure he accompanied the two of them on their expedition tonight. After all, it was his investigation, too. ********** Looking up ahead of her on the path, Lois caught a glimpse of a tall, dark-haired figure. It looked like Clark, but after her experience last night, she wasn't about to assume anything. The fact that there was someone around here that she had mistaken for Clark, at least from a distance, made her cautious, and the knowledge that Dr. Mamba was here made her doubly careful. But it was Clark. When they came within a few feet, Clark nodded to them amiably. "Miss Davenport, Mr. Riley." "Mr. Desrosiers," Lois said. "That was a really good breakfast you made for me." Clark smiled. "My pleasure, mademoiselle." Jimmy glanced casually at the groundskeeper who was raking leaves some distance away. "That guy's watching us, CK." Clark moved aside on the walk to let them pass. Lois said, "Be sure you come upstairs tonight. Mamba's here." She kept walking, tugging Jimmy along beside her. "I think we should go tour the gardens now. There's something I'd like to check out." "What?" Jimmy asked. "When I saw Mamba yesterday, he went into the garden enclosure and disappeared. Maybe it doesn't mean anything, but if it does, we might be able to figure out where he went and why." She smiled broadly for the benefit of watchers and pointed to the gardens. "Okay," Jimmy said, "but I'll bet whatever it is, it's not obvious." "Probably not," Lois admitted. "I just want to look around and see if there's anything we should come back later to check on. Chances are that it's nothing, anyway." "Maybe," Jimmy said, doubtfully. "A scientist that grows clones doesn't seem to me like a candidate for flower-lover of the year. If he went in there, then there might be another reason and I don't think it was to pick a bouquet for his girlfriend. Maybe he's growing plants to manufacture illegal drugs or something." Lois shrugged. "Let's go see what we can see." She snuggled up to him. "Come on, honey," she said, more clearly, "let's go see the flowers." "I hope CK doesn't punch me out after this," Jimmy muttered. ********** Clark turned and continued on his way, careful not to look back, but Lois's remark to him made the short hairs on his neck want to rise. Mamba? Isaac Mamba had been the man who had manufactured the clones--CJ included, and he had given them CJ to protect. Did that mean that the man had told Lex Luthor where to find his Superman clone? He hoped the man had continued to keep silent on the matter. Mamba had feared the results of a super-powered clone raised and controlled by Lex Luthor. Anyone with sense would be afraid of that, even a criminal. It was also barely possible that Mamba wasn't here by his own will, but his presence gave more urgency to their investigation. If Luthor found out that Mamba had been the man who had stolen the Superman clone, nothing on Earth would be able to prevent him from wringing the information from the scientist by any means necessary, and that would trigger events that could only lead to disaster. They had to prevent that, at any cost. There was a wooden bench under an ornate canopy ahead, apparently situated for persons to sit and enjoy a panoramic view of the ocean. To Clark's better-than-human sight, the boathouse and the dock were also distinctly visible, and he could see the gardens as well. He sat down as if to rest and leaned back, stretching his legs before him, watching as Lois and Jimmy strolled in the general direction of the gardens. The summer flowers had faded, but the autumn-blooming plants were displayed in all their glory inside the enclosure. It was unlikely that anyone would be suspicious of a guest who wished to walk through them. He was watching and listening to Lois and Jimmy and thinking so hard about the possible implications of Mamba's presence on the island that he almost missed the sight of Rene Didier emerging from the boathouse far below. He did miss completely what Rene was saying to a second man that Clark recognized belatedly as the close-mouthed pilot that had brought him to Crescent Island. The pilot had told him in no uncertain terms that unauthorized employees were to stay away from the master's dock and boathouse. So, what was Luthor's head chef doing there? ********** The gardens were--well, spectacular was a word that sprang to mind, Lois had to admit, but they were something of a shock to the system, all the same. The fall colors were flamboyant and without doubt, no expense had been spared on the landscape design. Climbing roses had clambered over trellises and hung in dancing sprays of late blooms from arches and fantastically designed supports. A delicate little gazebo, intended more for display than actual use and half-covered with climbing vines, sat in the center of the enclosure. Here and there, pieces of marble statuary and small, white wrought iron benches were scattered about the grounds and near one corner, a spreading tree, its leaves brilliant with autumn hues, cast a puddle of shade over part of the enclosure. A decorative swing hung artlessly from a branch and the ground around the tree was thick with violet plants and lilies-of-the-valley. When they were in bloom the air would be heavy with their scent. A fountain cast a spray of water as brilliant as diamonds in the afternoon sun, into the air, to fall in a fine shower into a pond below it where bright fishes swam. Graceful, curving paths wove their way between the flower beds, roses, climbing vines and small, ornamental trees and bushes, and the flagstones that paved the walkways were wide and artistically irregular in shape. Jimmy and Lois looked at each other, wordlessly. Lois, of course, had seen part of the gardens from the vantage point of her bedroom window, but the high hedge and the tree had blocked a good deal of her view, and the angle hadn't been good. For several seconds she stood still, simply taking in the bewildering array of colors and statuary. The place looked like some kind of cross between an English garden and a Greek fantasy, and she felt slightly overwhelmed. "Wow," Jimmy said, finally. He paused, seeming to feel that something more was needed and added, "Gee." Lois chuckled. "You really have to bring all that eloquence under control," she said. "Huh? Oh, yeah." He grinned. "Man, this place looks like--I don't know what it looks like. It's pretty, but it's kind of--I don't know; kind of--well--a little too much." Lois nodded, thoughtfully. "This doesn't strike me as Lex's style," she said. "Lex enjoys luxury, but it isn't--well, overdone." "Rogan said the gardens were Mrs. de Los Rios's," Jimmy said. "Maybe this is her idea." "You're kidding me," Lois said. "Arianna? She's the poster child for the elegant understatement. I don't think this is something she'd design. It's--I don't know. Out of place." "That's for sure," Jimmy agreed, "unless there's another reason for it." He broke off and they looked at each other again. "Jim, you're a genius," Lois said. "I am?" "Sure. They're hiding something here." Lois started down the flagstone-paved walk. "Let's look around." ********** (tbc) ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 20:07:43 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kaethel Subject: Re: Vocabulary question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Natascha, Ann, Laurie and Wendy, thank you for your help, and for supplying the right word for me. :) And LOL Ann! Don't know what horses have to do with it either . Thanks again. You guys are, as ever, extremely helpful! :) Take care! Helene :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kaethel Kaethel@wanadoo.fr ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 14:32:48 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: Charade: Part 12 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit how many more parts are coming? I want to read this, but I'm waiting till "the end" appears in my mailbox... --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 12:31:09 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: Charade: Part 12 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Laurie, I have the plot written. The story is all outlined and I know what I'm going to do with it, but I don't know exactly how much longer the actual story's going to be because part of it isn't written yet. We're getting down to the real action within two or three more parts, but that's all I can tell you. :-) I have some buffer, but that's starting to get a bit thin, too, because my attention has been taken up so much with other things the past couple of weeks. Don't worry, though. It *will* be finished. That's part of my unwritten contract with my readers. Nan No Name Available wrote: > how many more parts are coming? I want to read this, but I'm waiting till > "the end" appears in my mailbox... > > --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 22:07:18 +0100 Reply-To: Yvonne Connell Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Yvonne Connell Subject: Re: Vocabulary question MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Just as a postscript, I've never, ever heard of a cheval glass. Swing mirror, while perhaps not a common term, made it perfectly clear to me what you were talking about. Sorry! Yvonne (yvonne@yconnell.fsnet.co.uk) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 07:33:37 +1000 Reply-To: jenerators@optushome.com.au Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jen Stosser Subject: Re: Vocabulary question In-Reply-To: <003601c0f8c0$aee004a0$6c21fac1@oemcomputer> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit It's called a cheval mirror, but I have no idea why! Jen jenerators@optushome.com.au -*- This message is umop ap!sdn -*- -*- Jenerator or Some1Else on IRC) -*- JenerEight on AIM -*- Photos of David (8) and Megan (5) on the Stosser Family HomePage: http://www.geocities.com/j_stosser -*-Please sign our guestbook! -----Original Message----- From: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic [mailto:LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU]On Behalf Of Kaethel Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 11:05 PM To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Subject: Vocabulary question Hey guys :) I need your help for a fanfic I'm trying to wrap up. I used the term 'swing mirror' in it, but it doesn't seem to be a common phrase in English. What I want to describe is what we call 'psyche' in French: it's a mirror which stands on its own in a swivel frame in the corner of the room. It's usually framed with wood, has an ovoid shape, and you can orient it the way you want. Does anyone have any idea as for how to name such a mirror? Thanks for your help! Helene :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kaethel Kaethel@wanadoo.fr ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 22:20:33 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shayne T Subject: Question-Airlines I have a question which I hope someone in folcdom can answer. Airlines are required to keep passenger manifests and other such information for security purposes. How long are they required to keep old information on past flights before they are allowed to disgard it? Specifically, how long after Clark's travels in his youth would it be before investigators were no longer able to check old passenger manifests and realize that he wasn't on any of the flights leading to the places he'd traveled to? Thanks for any help. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 06:42:47 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 06/19/2001 11:22:02 PM Eastern Daylight Time, byron212@YAHOO.COM writes: << Specifically, how long after Clark's travels in his youth would it be before investigators were no longer able to check old passenger manifests and realize that he wasn't on any of the flights leading to the places he'd traveled to? >> Well, would this have been before teh days of totally computerized records? If so, that woudl make the search more difficult for paper or microfilm stuff in storage somewhere... --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 07:22:17 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "C.C. Malo" Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I don't know, Shayne. But a couple of thoughts crossed my mind. I do know that here in Canada a private citizen is not allowed access to that information with respect to current flights. So there must be regulations governing *who* has access. I also know that there are no legal requirements to keep manifests for passengers on bus trips once the trip has been completed - at least there wasn't 7 years ago. So would it vary from country to country? And would an airline run by another country (say Air France) have to conform to American legislation? If there is legislation requiring manifests be kept (and I'd be surprised if there isn't), what would the time requirement be? For example, I believe banks have to keep canceled cheques for a certain number of years before they can destroy them. Would deregulation of the American airline business have affected this? Would all the merging, bankruptcies etc in the airline industry have produced a certain amount of administrative confusion? Not to mention the last minute rerouting of flights that occur. Also, Clark's travels occurred when he was in his late teens & early twenties. So would he do a lot of 'standby' flying as many do? How accurate are manifests in that situation? Might Clark have claimed to have travelled by ship instead? Maybe one of those freighters which also takes a few passengers? If it sails under a foreign flag would it have to follow American legislation with respect to manifests? Carol ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 13:02:37 +0100 Reply-To: LabRat Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LabRat Organization: LabRat Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Carol wrote: > I don't know, Shayne. But a couple of thoughts crossed my mind. > > I do know that here in Canada a private citizen is not allowed access to that > information with respect to current flights. [I seem to remember that Lois was denied this information by an airline in ATAI. So presumably the US - or Metropolis at least ;) - concurs. Of course regulations are often circumvented by private detectives/reporters/whoever who know guys who know guys and can get the information on an 'unofficial' basis. So even there you may have a get out clause, Shayne. LabRat :) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 09:27:32 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 06/20/2001 7:22:44 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Ccmalo@AOL.COM writes: << I do know that here in Canada a private citizen is not allowed access to that information with respect to current flights. >> Yeah, here too (U.S.). Even if it's a relative or friend you are supposed to meet at the airport and you are left standing at the gate finding out their original flight was cancelled or they weren't on it, the airline won't tell you what flight they are actually on. (This happened to me once quite a few years ago.) --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 08:31:04 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Avia Tikotsky Subject: Re: airline question Well, how about the wonderful resource called "the internet"? Just go to http://www.faa.gov - for the most authorized information about US airline regulations. :) Hope this helps! Avia ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 11:08:41 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Jacalyn S. Newman" Subject: OT- looking to attribute a quote to correct source I know this is off topic, but there are so many people here who keep up with quotes and literature, I suspect someone will be able to answer my question without any effort at all! I'm in the midst of writing a newsletter article for my department at work, but I've had no luck finding a sourced for the quote I wanted to use as a lead in. Can you help? "The more things change, the they stay the same." My memory (unreliable as it is) tells me it's from John Knowles book, A Separate Peace. But I want to be sure! Does anyone recognize it? Thanks! Jackie ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 11:22:13 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: LaNita Cornwall Subject: Re: OT- looking to attribute a quote to correct source MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME - "Nothing changes too much. The proverb is of French origin and was used by the French novelist Alphonse Karr (1808-90). It also appears in George Bernard Shaw's 'Revolutionist's Handbook' (1903). Listed in the 1946 'Macmillan (Home) Book of Proverbs, Maxims and Familiar Phrases' by Burton Stevenson and in the 1992 'Dictionary of American Proverbs' by Wolfgang Mieder et al." From "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996). http://www.shu.ac.uk/web-admin/phrases/bulletin_board/8/messages/679.html Did a search on Google and came up with the above. LaNita LaNita Cornwall Library Systems Assistant Weatherford College Library 225 College Park Drive Weatherford, TX 76086 817 594-5471, ext. 456 http://www.wc.edu/library -----Original Message----- From: Jacalyn S. Newman [mailto:jacalynsue@EARTHLINK.NET] Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2001 11:09 AM To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Subject: OT- looking to attribute a quote to correct source I know this is off topic, but there are so many people here who keep up with quotes and literature, I suspect someone will be able to answer my question without any effort at all! I'm in the midst of writing a newsletter article for my department at work, but I've had no luck finding a sourced for the quote I wanted to use as a lead in. Can you help? "The more things change, the they stay the same." My memory (unreliable as it is) tells me it's from John Knowles book, A Separate Peace. But I want to be sure! Does anyone recognize it? Thanks! Jackie ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 12:36:41 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Ren Carr Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit According to my Travel Agent, Airline records are kept on micro/digital storing a very long time. Most Airlines keep their flight information so they have points of reference In case their airline suffers an accident. Keeping information on their daily activities helps them track the life of aircraft, and also, helps the NTSB and any Government agency track suspected Terrorists! When the jet was downed over Scotland, the Government Agencies went through tons of past records in the early stages of the investigations to know where that Jet had been and it's maintenance records and who had been crew on it, who had flown on it and so on. Airlines keep great records because their Insurance demands them, and Liability Insurance isn't cheap. I hope this helps. Ren ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 17:36:39 +0100 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Wendy Richards Subject: Re: OT- looking to attribute a quote to correct source MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Jackie, it's actually a translation from the French proverb: 'Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose'. And a web search gives me this answer: >>>Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. The more things change, the more they stay the same. - French writer Alphonse Karr <<< Helene, can you confirm this? Wendy -------------------------- Wendy Richards w.m.richards@hrm.keele.ac.uk ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 12:39:02 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Ren Carr Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Ps: If Clark books flights, even if he isn't on board, with old records it would be hard to prove that he was not on board. Because the manifest lists everyone who booked a flight. Also, a good example of Airline and Cruise line records when the Titanic sank, a rich man missed the Titanic's sailing. He was listed among the dead, until he showed up on a later ship and proved he was alive and well and had missed the sailing of the Titanic! Ren ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 11:39:17 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carol L Moncado Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Wed, 20 Jun 2001 12:39:02 EDT Ren Carr writes: > Ps: If Clark books flights, even if he isn't on board, with old > records it > would be hard to prove that he was not on board. > > Because the manifest lists everyone who booked a flight. > I see where you are going with that one, but the impression I always had was that Clark flew himself at least in part because he couldn't afford it, especially right out of college with no steady job. If he booked it, wouldn't he have had to pay for it? Just my thoughts on that! CM ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 13:50:10 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Crystal Wimmer Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/20/2001 9:28:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Larus2407@AOL.COM writes: << Yeah, here too (U.S.). Even if it's a relative or friend you are supposed to meet at the airport and you are left standing at the gate finding out their original flight was cancelled or they weren't on it, the airline won't tell you what flight they are actually on. (This happened to me once quite a few years ago.) >> You may also remember in one of the episodes (I can't remember the name... so sorry) Lois and Clark had to go through the police to get that information. I really wish I could remember the specifics, but it's been a long time since I watched more than recreationally. Can anyone help me out? I know they were looking for a passenger list and eventually managed it with the help of ... Henderson, was it? Crys (who is getting old, and the memory is going) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 11:51:10 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: Question-Airlines In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > You may also remember in one of the episodes (I can't remember the name... so > sorry) Lois and Clark had to go through the police to get that information. > I really wish I could remember the specifics, but it's been a long time since > I watched more than recreationally. Can anyone help me out? I know they > were looking for a passenger list and eventually managed it with the help of > ... Henderson, was it? > > Crys > (who is getting old, and the memory is going) LOL! Don't feel bad, Crystal. :) It was the episode 'And the Answer Is...' and the detective's name was Zybeck. He was the detective coming to question Clark about the security camera photo that had been taken of the robber the night before. And yes, the airlines wouldn't release a passenger list until Zybeck gave him his badge number. Sheesh, that was a lot of info I remembered. Now, if only I could use that memory to remember something useful, like where I put my sewing scissors... Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 14:00:11 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: OT- looking to attribute a quote to correct source MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/20/01 12:38:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time, w.m.richards@HRM.KEELE.AC.UK writes: > >>>Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. The more things change, the > more they stay the same. - French writer Alphonse Karr <<< > > Helene, can you confirm this? > I can. It is. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 14:01:23 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/20/01 12:46:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time, cmoncado@JUNO.COM writes: > . If he booked it, > wouldn't he have had to pay for it? Just my thoughts on that! > > Yes, he would have had to pay for it or been listed as a no show. Might have still gotten a bill. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 14:05:22 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/20/01 1:51:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time, JCWimmer@AOL.COM writes: > You may also remember in one of the episodes (I can't remember the name... so > sorry) Lois and Clark had to go through the police to get that information. > It was And the Answer Is? They were trying to find out who might have traveled on Swiss Air and gotten one of those special orchids. Detective Zymack helped them out. It's the one with Jason Mazik -- when Lois figures out that CK=Superman. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 14:20:18 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Jacalyn S. Newman" Subject: THANKS! Was OT- looking to attribute a quote to correct source Thank you Ann, Wendy, and LaNita! You guys prove that FoLCs are the BEST! I had tried an internet search, but w/o success. - kept getting articles written that used that as a title. :-) Anyone want to write the rest of the newsletter? Jackie ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 22:37:05 +0200 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Kaethel Subject: Re: OT- looking to attribute a quote to correct source MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Wendy wrote: > > >>>Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. The more things change, the > > more they stay the same. - French writer Alphonse Karr <<< > > > > Helene, can you confirm this? I'm glad Ann could confirm (thanks, Ann!) because I'd never heard the proverb before. I checked in a couple of reference books but didn't find it. :/ But if it helps, my father said it sounded familiar. Sorry I can't help! Helene :) ps: taking advantage of this email to thank Yvonne and Jen for the further info about the cheval mirror. I decided to use this term in my fic, since it's the one which sounds the most likely to be recognised. :) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 16:13:25 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carol L Moncado Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > I see where you are going with that one, but the impression I always > had was that Clark flew himself at least in part because he couldn't > afford it, especially right out of college with no steady job. If > he booked it, wouldn't he have had to pay for it? Just my thoughts > on that! > Okay - the email got deleted so I can't reply to it directly but someone - I think Nan, but don't hold me to that - said that he would have to pay for it or maybe be sent a bill. So, if my impressions are correct and part of the reason he flew himself is because of money - and could he have afforded to travel the world if he actually had to pay for it? - he wouldn't have booked flights because that would blow the idea of saving money. If so, he wouldn't appear on a manifest anywhere - unless Lana knew the secret (did she? or was that just in the alternate reality) and she worked for a travel agent and helped out by putting him on manifests or something - or maybe Martha got a parttime job at a travel agency for a while and she did it? Just thoughts! CM ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 14:31:33 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Nope, wasn't me Nan Carol L Moncado wrote: > > I see where you are going with that one, but the impression I always > > had was that Clark flew himself at least in part because he couldn't > > afford it, especially right out of college with no steady job. If > > he booked it, wouldn't he have had to pay for it? Just my thoughts > > on that! > > > > Okay - the email got deleted so I can't reply to it directly but someone > - I think Nan, but don't hold me to that - said that he would have to pay > for it or maybe be sent a bill. > > So, if my impressions are correct and part of the reason he flew himself > is because of money - and could he have afforded to travel the world if > he actually had to pay for it? - he wouldn't have booked flights because > that would blow the idea of saving money. If so, he wouldn't appear on a > manifest anywhere - unless Lana knew the secret (did she? or was that > just in the alternate reality) and she worked for a travel agent and > helped out by putting him on manifests or something - or maybe Martha got > a parttime job at a travel agency for a while and she did it? Just > thoughts! > > CM ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 17:44:14 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Ren Carr Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Yes, he would have to pay for the ones that he booked. One thing to remember with the Superman Genre is many a time Clark flies somewhere and says he is booked on a flight. In fantasy, they don't check. Unless the storyline goes that way. Then Clark could just hack into the computer and make sure that his name was on the flight manifest. After all he is Superman..... ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 16:59:49 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carol L Moncado Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On Wed, 20 Jun 2001 17:44:14 EDT Ren Carr writes: > Yes, he would have to pay for the ones that he booked. > > One thing to remember with the Superman Genre is many a time Clark > flies somewhere and says he is booked on a flight. In fantasy, they don't > check. Unless the storyline goes that way. Then Clark could just hack into > the computer and make sure that his name was on the flight manifest. > After all he is Superman..... But he didn't know Jimmy yet either! *VBG* ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 18:22:19 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 06/20/2001 5:21:07 PM Eastern Daylight Time, cmoncado@JUNO.COM writes: << So, if my impressions are correct and part of the reason he flew himself is because of money - and could he have afforded to travel the world if he actually had to pay for it? - he wouldn't have booked flights because that would blow the idea of saving money. If so, he wouldn't appear on a manifest anywhere - unless Lana knew the secret (did she? or was that just in the alternate reality) and she worked for a travel agent and helped out by putting him on manifests or something - or maybe Martha got a parttime job at a travel agency for a while and she did it? Just thoughts! >> I'm not sure that at that point in his life he was that concerned about covering his tracks to that much detail. After all, no one would even think to look for him unless they witnessed him doing something unusual. He wasn't famous and probably didn't have any idea that he would be someday. In terms of an airline disaster of a plane that someone thought he was on... well, no one would likely have known his exact travel plans except his parents anyway. Even if someone in the country he just left thought he might have been on that plane, he could always say he missed it or didn't get a seat on standby, or maybe he didn't really give out his home address too freely. --Laurie ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 17:55:57 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Carol L Moncado Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > I'm not sure that at that point in his life he was that concerned > about > covering his tracks to that much detail. After all, no one would > even think > to look for him unless they witnessed him doing something unusual. I agree with you there. I don't know that he would have especially since he didn't have to cover his tracks at that point. If someone did see him, he would just disappear. If I had to say - I would say he would just fly himself whereever he wanted and not worry about the airplane manifests etc.However - we still haven't answered the basic question of whether or not someone would be able to find out for sure if he was on a plane or not in that time period!*BG* CM - who has never responded so much to one subject! ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 18:26:34 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Debby Subject: Re: Question-Airlines In-Reply-To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 10:20 PM 06/19/2001 -0500, you wrote: >I have a question which I hope someone in folcdom can answer. Airlines are >required to keep passenger manifests and other such information for >security purposes. > >How long are they required to keep old information on past flights before >they are allowed to disgard it? I bet they don't keep it for very long, not more than a year or two. If the plane doesn't crash, there's not much need for the info after a while. Luggage is lost and not often linked up with the loser, so it seems airlines can't find passengers easily. They may have to keep the info longer for the IRS (paying the taxes the passengers pay maybe), but they may then just keep numbers rather than names. But it's your world, make up any laws your want for your airline. Debby dls@thuntek.net ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 18:43:11 -0600 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Erin Klingler Subject: Re: Question-Airlines In-Reply-To: <200106210032.f5L0Wop83539@mail2.thuntek.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Debby wrote: >They may have to keep the info longer for the IRS (paying > the taxes the passengers pay maybe), but they may then just keep numbers > rather > than names. Well, in the event of IRS info, they require businesses to hold onto records for 7 years (I know this first hand from owning a business), because if they ever decide to audit you, they can ask for 7 years worth of back records. So I would think airlines would keep an awful lot of records for at least this long. As for manifests--I don't know. But I agree with whoever previously mentioned gov't agencies wanting to track possible terrorist action or by keeping track of who flew when, etc. Good point, whoever brought that up. :) They would also want to simply to cover their backs by being able to show maintenance records, etc. in the event of a law suit. Doubt this helps, but thought I'd mention the 7 year thing in event that this helps at all, which it probably doesn't. Erin __________________ erink@ida.net erink@lcfanfic.com Visit my LNC/Kerth Website: www.ida.net/users/davek ***** "It's not the years that count, it's the moments...right now, as they happen." __________________ ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 22:07:15 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/20/01 7:03:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time, cmoncado@JUNO.COM writes: > However - we still haven't answered the basic question of > whether or not someone would be able to find out for sure if he was on a > plane or not in that time period!*BG* > They would probably have to have a court order to do it. It is not information that is freely given out to just anyone by the airlines. The problem with having someone add his name to the manifest is that the flight crew or the ground agents check to see who is on the plane. So if he never got on the plane, his name would be deleted anyway. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 13:13:03 +1000 Reply-To: jenerators@optushome.com.au Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jen Stosser Subject: Re: Question-Airlines In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -----Original Message----- From: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic [mailto:LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU]On Behalf Of No Name Available Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2001 8:22 AM To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Subject: Re: Question-Airlines I'm not sure that at that point in his life he was that concerned about covering his tracks to that much detail. After all, no one would even think to look for him unless they witnessed him doing something unusual. He wasn't famous and probably didn't have any idea that he would be someday. In terms of an airline disaster of a plane that someone thought he was on... well, no one would likely have known his exact travel plans except his parents anyway. Even if someone in the country he just left thought he might have been on that plane, he could always say he missed it or didn't get a seat on standby, or maybe he didn't really give out his home address too freely. --Laurie Not only was he not famous, but if he really believed what his dad said to him, he would want to keep OUT of the spotlight so that "they" didn't find him and dissect him like a frog, right? Jen jenerators@optushome.com.au -*- This message is umop ap!sdn -*- -*- Jenerator or Some1Else on IRC) -*- JenerEight on AIM -*- Photos of David (8) and Megan (5) on the Stosser Family HomePage: http://www.geocities.com/j_stosser -*-Please sign our guestbook! ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 13:14:15 +1000 Reply-To: jenerators@optushome.com.au Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jen Stosser Subject: Re: Question-Airlines In-Reply-To: <20010620.175601.-286167.3.cmoncado@juno.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This makes me wonder, what did Clark do about passport and entry visas to the countries he visited? His passport would be missing visa stamps for most of the places he visited, wouldn't it? Jen jenerators@optushome.com.au -*- This message is umop ap!sdn -*- -*- Jenerator or Some1Else on IRC) -*- JenerEight on AIM -*- Photos of David (8) and Megan (5) on the Stosser Family HomePage: http://www.geocities.com/j_stosser -*-Please sign our guestbook! -----Original Message----- From: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic [mailto:LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU]On Behalf Of Carol L Moncado Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2001 8:56 AM To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Subject: Re: Question-Airlines > I'm not sure that at that point in his life he was that concerned > about > covering his tracks to that much detail. After all, no one would > even think > to look for him unless they witnessed him doing something unusual. I agree with you there. I don't know that he would have especially since he didn't have to cover his tracks at that point. If someone did see him, he would just disappear. If I had to say - I would say he would just fly himself whereever he wanted and not worry about the airplane manifests etc.However - we still haven't answered the basic question of whether or not someone would be able to find out for sure if he was on a plane or not in that time period!*BG* CM - who has never responded so much to one subject! ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 08:20:34 -0500 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Shayne T Subject: Re: Question-Airlines Thanks, everyone, for all the help. I think I have enough to go on for my particular story, but I'm glad of the information for future stories as well. Sure, it's something we can just ignore, but it could lead to all sorts of interesting problems for Clark if we'd like it to. :) As for the passport question, it seems to me that he'd only have to worry about getting an entry stamp when crossing an ocean; he could always simply fly to various border crossings and pretend to have been hiking across several countries. Thanks again for the help! ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 07:15:57 +1000 Reply-To: jenerators@optushome.com.au Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Jen Stosser Subject: Re: Question-Airlines In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit You've made me realise how Australia-centric (Oz is an island... the only way out is to fly or by boat!) my thoughts on the passport matter are... I forgot that it'd be easy to get a passport stamped just by being near the border! Jen jenerators@optushome.com.au -*- This message is umop ap!sdn -*- -*- Jenerator or Some1Else on IRC) -*- JenerEight on AIM -*- Photos of David (8) and Megan (5) on the Stosser Family HomePage: http://www.geocities.com/j_stosser -*-Please sign our guestbook! -----Original Message----- From: Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic [mailto:LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU]On Behalf Of Shayne T Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2001 11:21 PM To: LOISCLA-GENERAL-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU Subject: Re: Question-Airlines Thanks, everyone, for all the help. I think I have enough to go on for my particular story, but I'm glad of the information for future stories as well. Sure, it's something we can just ignore, but it could lead to all sorts of interesting problems for Clark if we'd like it to. :) As for the passport question, it seems to me that he'd only have to worry about getting an entry stamp when crossing an ocean; he could always simply fly to various border crossings and pretend to have been hiking across several countries. Thanks again for the help! ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 18:27:35 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/21/01 3:20:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time, byron212@YAHOO.COM writes: > As for the passport question, it seems to me that he'd only have to worry > about getting an entry stamp when crossing an ocean; he could always simply > fly to various border crossings and pretend to have been hiking across > several countries Even then, you don't always get stamped when you enter a country. I don't think anyone checks to see if your passport was stamped by the country you are coming from. I know that once when I entered France from England via ferry, they didn't stamp our passports; and when I drove from France to Luxembourg and back, no one even looked at the insides of our passports going in either direction. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 19:03:59 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: No Name Available Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 06/21/2001 6:28:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Aerm1@AOL.COM writes: << Even then, you don't always get stamped when you enter a country. I don't think anyone checks to see if your passport was stamped by the country you are coming from. I know that once when I entered France from England via ferry, they didn't stamp our passports; and when I drove from France to Luxembourg and back, no one even looked at the insides of our passports going in either direction. >> And if Clark was landing and wandering in more remote areas away from borders or big cities, when would he even need to show a passport? --Laurie (who doesn't even have a passport herself) ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 21:34:21 EDT Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: "Ann E. McBride" Subject: Re: Question-Airlines MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 6/21/01 7:05:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Larus2407@AOL.COM writes: > And if Clark was landing and wandering in more remote areas away from borders > or big cities, when would he even need to show a passport? > Well, he would need a passport at times. They tend to look at 'em when you check into hotels. But they just look at them for ID, not for stamps indicating that you came in through the airport. Ann ========================================================================= Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 19:17:47 -0700 Reply-To: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" Sender: "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Fanfic" From: Nancy Smith Subject: Charade: Part 13 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Charade: Part 13 by Nan Smith When Clark returned to the kitchen to begin dinner preparations, he was still pondering Rene's presence in the boathouse with the pilot. Was Rene in on whatever was going on here? He didn't want to think so; he'd liked the French chef on sight, but it wouldn't be the first time he'd been fooled. The pilot had been a surly, almost unfriendly sort, but apparently, in spite of his warning to Clark to avoid the boathouse, he had no such objections concerning Rene. The kitchen was empty when Clark arrived, and he used the time to get a head start on dinner. By the time the kitchen workers began filtering in, twenty minutes later, he had his appetizers prepared and sitting on trays, chilling, the prime rib already roasting, and was beginning to assemble the ingredients for the cake intended for one of the dessert dishes this evening. Rene appeared some time after that and nodded approval of his organization. The chef appeared to be somewhat preoccupied, however, and not in a mood for conversation. Clark took the hint and refrained from unnecessary speech, but his mind was busy. What had changed the chef's usually sunny disposition? He wasn't destined to find that out tonight. Rene remained mostly silent as the evening progressed. There was a grim set to his mouth, and if Clark was any judge, the head chef's mind wasn't more than superficially on his job. It was times like this that he wished the Kryptonian telepathic talent extended to species other than his own but except in rare cases such as Lois and himself, it didn't. Rene dismissed him after the final course was served and Clark returned to his room. The conversations of guests and staff in all parts of the big house made it difficult to pick out exchanges that might be significant, but he persisted, trying to screen out the voices that belonged to guests in the sitting room. Luthor's voice, speaking to someone, referring to the dance that they would be holding the two days hence, gave him chills, but imparted no useful information. He trained his hearing to one section of the house after another, listening. Something was going on here; his reporters' instinct --and plain old common sense--said that events of which he, Lois and Jimmy were unaware were occurring on the island, appearing only in traces such as the mysterious hum, the man on the beach and the close observation of guests by Luthor's employees. If they could only find out a little more about those things, they might be able to figure out the rest. "I don't care what you have to do--find him!" He didn't recognize the voice that spoke suddenly in a whisper that was loud to his super-hearing, but there was something very familiar about it. It was coming from a telephone receiver, he decided, judging by the quality of the sound, and was located somewhere outside. "If he's dead, I want his body!" "Sir, his tracking device isn't functioning." The answering voice was only slightly louder. The owner of the phone was definitely not in the house, and not far away from Clark's location. "I can't even get the transponder to peep at me and the last anyone saw him was yesterday evening. It's like he's vanished off the face of the earth, but I'll do my best." "Do more than your best!" The voice on the phone had a characteristic Clark recognized all right. It was the voice of someone in authority. He pivoted in a circle, scanning the area outside with his x-ray vision, trying to spot the owner of the phone, but the voices were gone now, and the hum of an open circuit had also vanished. There were several men walking about the general area--all Security--Clark thought, and every one of them was carrying a cellular phone. He swore softly under his breath. Well, whoever it was, Clark thought, was probably talking about the man Lois had found on the beach last night. He'd been right. There were more outside parties here than just the three of them. The question was, who was Group X? Were they law enforcement, or just possibly spies from another, competing company, or organized crime--maybe even Intergang? Whoever they were, he, Lois and Jimmy would have to be careful not to reveal themselves until they knew with whom they were dealing. He glanced at the clock. It was almost nine. Time to get up to Lois's room. They still had to get the zip disk to the Planet and find out what was on it. There was a knock on the door and Clark glanced through the panel with his x-ray vision. With a slight sinking feeling, he recognized Annette, one of the young women employed in the kitchen. He'd noticed her checking him over surreptitiously during the past couple of days when they'd been working together, but he'd ignored it. He'd kind of gotten used to being looked over by women both in his Clark Kent and Superman personae, but playing the superhero tended to keep all but the boldest of women at bay and if they got too aggressive he could always fly off. As for when he was Clark Kent, he was fairly safe. No woman in her right mind would consider poaching on Lois's territory if she valued her skin. Truthfully, this particular hazard hadn't occurred to him, until now. He briefly considered taking flight out the window, but rejected the option. She'd probably seen him come in here. Clark swallowed nervously and opened the door. Annette was a slender, very pretty young woman in her early twenties. She smiled, letting her gaze sweep from Clark's face to his feet and back again. "Hello, Raoul," she purred. "I wondered if you'd like to get better acquainted." "Um, hello, mademoiselle," he said. "I was actually going to read for a little while before going to bed." "I thought you might like some company," she said. "After all, you barely know anyone here. It must be lonely for you. I'd like to help." 'I'll bet,' Clark thought. "Mademoiselle is very gracious," he said, "but I think not." Annette slid a hand up his shoulders. "Are you sure?" she murmured. "I can be--very friendly." "Yes, mademoiselle," Clark said. He gently removed her hands from his collar. "I'm sure Mr. de Los Rios would not approve of such conduct among his employees. And I am certain my fiancee would not," he added. "But your fiancee isn't here," Annette said, sounding a little displeased. "There's no need for her to know." "I'm afraid that it would matter to me," Clark said. "I'm very sorry, mademoiselle." He moved her irresistibly out into the hall and shut the door before she could answer. He leaned against it for a moment and wiped the layer of perspiration from his forehead. Whew! It was times like this that he realized the layer of sophistication he'd acquired since leaving Kansas years ago hadn't armored him so well that he felt no embarrassment in such a situation. Annette was just fortunate Lois hadn't seen this. She'd have been lucky to escape with her epidermis intact. After a moment, he turned and locked his door. It was time to get moving. ********** When he arrived in her room, Lois handed him the disk. "We're going to check out the boathouse after most of the place is asleep," she told him. "Mamba came out of the door while Jimmy and I were looking at the 'Buccaneer'. I'm sure he didn't recognize us, but I want to find out why he was there. If he tells Lex or Arianna about CJ..." She let the sentence hang. Clark bent to kiss her lightly. "If he does, we'll do whatever we have to, to keep him safe," he said. "But you know, I kind of have the feeling that he won't." Lois gave a faint smile. "I wish I had your confidence. See you in a little while. Try not to get distracted by anything--unless it's life or death." "I'll do my best," he assured her, and was headed for Metropolis a heartbeat later. There were several things he had to do. One was to get the prints from Pete and hand the disk over to Perry, as well as to check in with Dr. Klein to see what results he'd gotten with the digital camera. He also needed to check on the John Doe that he'd taken to Pine Tree Memorial on the mainland and see if the man had survived and if he had, if he was able to talk. That shouldn't take much time, he thought, hopefully. Last, but not least, he wanted to take a few minutes to talk to his parents and see the kids. He and Lois hadn't liked leaving them for so long, and although he had absolute confidence in Jonathan and Martha, it still made him feel better to play with CJ and hold little Marta for a few minutes. He knew that CJ was probably having a ball on the farm. His father had assured him that their son was dogging his every step and that it was like old times for him to have a little boy around again, with a baby girl along for good measure--but Clark still missed them. He was sure Lois did as well, although she didn't say much about it. He was anxious to get this thing with Caribbean Imports solved so their little family could go back to normal--or at least what was normal for them. And that meant that no matter what, Arianna and Luthor must not find out about CJ's origins. He didn't think they knew yet or they would have made some sort of move to acquire CJ, and if Mamba hadn't told them yet, he might not be intending to do so at all. He hoped. With a fervent prayer that it was so, Superman poured on the speed and made tracks for Metropolis. ********** Perry White was at home when Superman arrived in Metropolis, but he wasn't about to hand the computer disk over to anyone else. It wasn't that he didn't trust his coworkers, but when they had planned this out, they had agreed to keep the sensitive information confined to as few people as possible. Handing those photos over to Pete was stretching things a little, but Pete was trustworthy, and besides, he had far too much sense to try snooping into any investigation by Lane and Kent. Such investigations were well known to be not only dangerous, but potentially lethal. Superman dropped down into the back yard of the White residence and strode up to knock on the kitchen door. It was nine-thirty at night and he hoped he wasn't interrupting anything, but a couple of downstairs lights were burning, so one of them was probably still up. There were footsteps in the kitchen and a moment later, Alice White opened the door. "Hello, Superman! I didn't expect to see you." "Hello, Mrs. White," he said. "I just brought something for Mr. White from Lois and Clark." "Oh. Perry's in the living room. Won't you come in?" "Thank you." Clark gave her one of his patented smiles and stepped into the kitchen. "I'm sorry to interrupt you so late in the evening." "Oh, it's no bother at all. Are the three of them all right?" "They're fine," he said, reassuringly. "With any good luck they won't be there too much longer." "I hope not," Alice said. "I know they're used to this--at least Clark and Lois are--but I still worry about them." Superman smiled. "From what I understand, Jimmy is being a real help," he said. "Lois said he's amazingly good at undercover work." "Jimmy?" Perry's voice said from the doorway. "Are we talkin' about the same Jimmy Olsen?" Superman nodded. "I'm sure they'll give you a full report when they get back, but apparently he's done a very convincing job of playing the young executive." He held out the zip disk. "Clark said to give this to you." Perry took it. "Thanks, Superman. Do I want to know where this is from?" "Clark said he downloaded it from Arianna Carlin's personal computer. He didn't have time to look it over, though, and for some reason Jimmy's laptop and their cellular phones don't work on the island." Perry's forehead puckered. "Did you say 'Arianna Carlin'?" Superman nodded. "I'm afraid so. It's a long story, but to make it short, the Lex Luthor who kidnapped Lois from her wedding was a Type 'B' clone. Alejandro de Los Rios and his wife are the real Lex Luthor and Arianna Carlin." Perry looked thunderstruck for several seconds. Finally, he said, "I guess that explains Caribbean Imports' m.o., then." Superman nodded. "Anyway, this disk probably has a good deal of information on it that they don't want to become public knowledge. The file apparently covers several years' worth of business records from what Clark could tell." "Sounds like a good start," Perry said. "I'll take care of it." "Thanks. I need to go, now. There are several other things I have to do this evening." He turned to Alice. "Nice to see you, Mrs. White." In an instant, he was gone. ********** The remainder of his mission was accomplished quickly. Jonathan and Martha were pleased to see him, and CJ hurled himself into his father's arms when he walked in the door. He picked his small son up and listened to a report of his activities for the day from Jonathan. Little Marta was already asleep, so he contented himself with simply looking at her slumbering peacefully in her crib, then took his leave of his parents. He was on the final leg of his trip, headed for Pine Tree Memorial when his super-hearing picked up the distress call. ********** (tbc)