Jor-El paused, a flicker of disbelief crossing his eyes:
"But... shouldn't Zod have turned to cosmic dust along with Krypton?"
"Before I left Krypton, General Zod and his people had just been sentenced by the High Congress and imprisoned in the Phantom Zone."
Solomon interjected at just the right moment, filling in the missing link.
"So when Krypton was destroyed, he wasn't on Krypton."
Jor-El's expression turned extremely grim, and even his holographic projection flickered slightly.
Not only had General Zod survived, but he had come knocking with a band of highly trained Kryptonian berserkers.
Earth, this fragile planet, could not withstand Zod's wrath.
"The singularity explosion that destroyed Krypton must have torn open the entrance to the Phantom Zone, giving them a chance to escape."
Jor-El looked at the two of them gravely.
"Kal, Solomon, the survival of the entire Earth now rests on the two of you."
Clark took a deep breath and turned to glance at Solomon before solemnly addressing Jor-El:
"I understand! We'll stop him!"
A short while later, the two left the spacecraft and floated quietly in the stratosphere, ten thousand meters above the ground. They gazed down at the blue planet beneath their feet, then looked up into the deep, pitch-black universe.
"Solomon, what should we do next?"
A trace of painful conflict showed in Clark's eyes.
"Surrender to General Zod? He just said in his broadcast that if I handed myself over, he might spare Earth."
Hearing this, Solomon curled his lip without mercy and scoffed:
"Clark, has growing corn in Kansas made you stupid? Do you think that's possible? As far as I know, General Zod isn't some kindly soul who'll obediently head home once he gets his man. Absolute aggression is carved into his bones."
Clark fell silent for a moment,