Anyway, the conversation with Zod ended quite uneventfully. The main reason being, the aim of talking with Zod was more out of curiosity. The heavily injured and captured Krypton General didn't have the leverage to properly sit at the negotiating table. What happens now is irrelevant to his attitude.
The seized spaceship certainly won't be returned, and there's a pretty legitimate reason for that. Oliver couldn't help but ask, even if the spaceship is returned to you, can you drive it away?
The answer is no. Zod's current condition is quite bad; the Kryptonite toxin has already entered his bloodstream, and the circulatory system of Kryptonian bodies can't break down and tabolize it.
To completely cleanse the toxin, an external blood circulation system is required, aning his blood needs to be withdrawn, the toxins inside cleaned, and then re-transfused.
It's a rather dangerous and complicated process, and might need the blood of several Kryptonians. The good news is there are plenty of Kryptonians here; the bad news, their ntal conditions aren't quite stable.
Currently, in the Justice League base, the only one who can be considered sane is the Superman from the Wayne Family Adventure Universe. The rest, whether Injustice Superman or Clark, are far from normal. Counting on them for a blood transfusion is difficult.
Fortunately, Kara from this universe is a normal person. Although she doesn't have any favorable feelings towards Zod who invaded Earth, she wouldn't refuse to save his life if possible.
Lex moved in the dical equipnt from Luthor Hospital, then used a Kryptonite-made needle to start the blood detoxification for Zod.
anwhile, Hal and the others focused on the spaceship. This spaceship is the first highly intact Kryptonian battleship they've seized, holding imnse research value.
Where to study it and how to study it are worthy of discussion.
"NASA replied to ." Lex said, sitting on a chair, "They have many ongoing research projects and can't spare any manpower for now. However, they are facing so financial issues; perhaps we can work on this aspect."
"Funds?" Hal said while probing the protective coating of the spaceship with Green Lantern energy, "Wasn't Congress just approving NASA's additional research budget for this quarter not long ago?"
"How much do you think will actually be used for research?" Lex snorted coldly, "Scientists have a very accurate estimate of the budget; a sudden increase ans there are others desperate for money."
Hal sighed deeply and said, "I think we can't count on them. What did the Soviet Union say?"
"No money." Lex answered straightforwardly, "They said their carrier projects have stopped, where would the money for spaceship research co from?"
"I think they don't believe us." Hal hit the nail on the head, "They surely think it's Arica putting on a show again, trying to drag them down like the previous moon landing plan, so they're not falling for it."
"The situation is very complicated." Lex said, "In short, they can't even take care of themselves, and it's even more impossible to send their precious scientists to Arica."
"Alright, who else?"
"Europe doesn't have that capability, and I haven't been in touch with East Asia countries, but it's likely the sa. Looks like we have to figure it out ourselves."
"You and Bruce team up, can't you co up with sothing?"
"It's possible, but it will need a long ti. I have to devote energy to managing Luther Group, and you can't guarantee Bruce will stay obediently in the lab."
"Seems like we have no way for now." Hal sighed, "Seal this thing up first, and research it when conditions allow."
"We can't put this thing in the basent of Luther Group." Lex said, "Otherwise I'll be endlessly harassed, just like the Justice League. It's best to quietly transport it to sowhere unreachable."
"You an rcury? Alright, I'll let Green Lantern evacuate there. We're planning to turn to Mars."
Lex waved his hand, stood up from the chair, then said, "What do you think of Krypton?"
"Clark's old ho? When I was looking for data, I walked around down there, nothing much to see. The council mbers destroyed most of the technology equipnt before dying, activated the self-destruct program for almost all colonial ships, and killed many Kryptonians on out-of-mission tasks."
"So, not all died?"
"Of course not. They just suffered civilization extinction, not race genocide. There are still so Kryptonians remaining in the cosmos, so left Krypton early and missed the civilization destruction; others were on remote colonies performing tasks, escaping this disaster."
"Do you think Zod can revive Krypton?"
Hal leaned against the spaceship and said, "Their plan sounds sowhat feasible; after all, they don't need natural reproduction. They can just use the Treasure Book and instrunts to create countless Kryptonians."
"But we all know it probably won't work because they haven't addressed the fundantal issue."
"Yes," Lex nodded and said, "If they don't solve the fundantal problem, then the new Krypton is likely to be destroyed in the sa way."
"Having them return to primitive reproduction thods is virtually impossible. The only thod I can think of is to control the population. As long as the population is small enough, the resources on the mother planet would be nearly infinite for everyone. Though it's not progress, at least it wouldn't be a repeat disaster."
"I guess Zod is thinking the sa way," Lex said. "He controls the Treasure Book and instrunts himself, so naturally, he can manage the population. First, he creates a batch of Kryptonian babies, then gradually restores the operation of the equipnt on Krypton as they grow up. That's considered a successful revival."
"Are you planning to just let him go back like that?"
"You should know it's aningless to stop him," Lex said while pacing on the other side of the room. "Krypton doesn't have any conflict of interest with Earth, and the distance is vast. The resources in the Solar System aren't even worth the travel cost."
"Besides, Krypton is a highly humanoid civilization. Much of their technology can be used by humans. Their inherent strength also makes them quite powerful fighters."
"Moreover, with Clark and Kara, those orphans from old Krypton, fostering goodwill towards humanity, Zod, despite being slightly injured here, shouldn't mind if we help him revive Krypton."
"The population revival of Krypton won't be fast; it will take at least several decades or up to centuries to build the most basic social order. By then, human technology would also have developed, and mutual growth might make it possible to form an alliance."
Hal nodded, evidently agreeing with Lex's words, and said, "We don't need to beco enemies with the Kryptonians because there are many more likely to be hostile toward humans in this cosmos. Don't forget, Darkseid and the Guardians of the Universe in our cosmos haven't even begun their moves yet."
Thinking of the potential chaos caused by those demons and ghosts in the future universe, Hal and Lex both fell silent for a mont.
And when thinking of the countless dangers lurking deep within the Multiverse, they beca even more speechless.
"I only hope Kryptonians can be like Clark or Kara," Hal said. "Not necessarily very kind and just, but at least bear so responsibility. They've made so many powerful warriors through gene screening, were they just ant to revolve around one planet?"
"Can Kryptonians beco Green Lanterns?" Lex suddenly asked.
"Historically, it should never have happened," Hal said. "Most Green Lanterns co from less advanced civilizations because advanced civilizations neither need our justice nor appreciate our flying around, and they've developed ways to resist us. Kryptonians are the sa; the ring can't enter, so we can't recruit them."
"Maybe you should talk to Zod," Lex said. "During the population revival process, Krypton will be very vulnerable. If they are willing to select a few individuals to join the Green Lantern Corps, you can provide them with security protection..."
"Krypton is now just wreckage, and the colonies lack valuable resources, so no civilization would pay attention to it. If Zod secretly takes the instrunts and the Treasure Book back, he probably won't be discovered for a while."
Lex's mouth curved upward, "Yes, nobody will know what he's going to do, but we know, and you know. Green Lanterns patrolling other high-level civilization sectors can also know..."
"You an..." Hal narrowed his eyes slightly, lightly licking his upper front teeth with his tongue, and said, "If I can get Kryptonians to join the Green Lantern Corps, the Guardians of the Universe won't ever be able to shake my position."
"Yes, it's actually a win-win," Lex turned to say, "You use your power to help them rebuild their ho, they use their formidable individual strength to help you consolidate your status in the Green Lantern Corps. By then, even if the Guardians of the Universe want to make a move against you, they'd have to ask your personal guard for approval."
"Moreover, although your control over the Green Lantern Corps is pretty good now, the Guardians of the Universe have more than just the Green Lantern Corps. To completely take over the Emotional Spectrum from those blue-skinned creatures, we must unite all forces."
"I'll go have a talk with Zod," Hal said while heading out.
Lex stood still, silently scrutinizing the enormous spaceship, contemplating the future changes in the human society's situation.
In the room where Zod was receiving treatnt, only Hal and Zod were left. No one knew what they talked about except for the Batn, who had entered earlier with at least two pounds of eavesdropping devices.
Upon learning that Hal planned to recruit new generation Kryptonians as Green Lanterns under the condition of protecting Krypton's reconstruction and intended to form a personal guard based on them, and after Zod agreed, the Batn began to reconsider whether the developnt path of their universe had so problems.
In most universes, Earth is isolated and helpless; all aliens are invaders, and all disasters rely on the Justice League to resolve. All requests for assistance either go unanswered or receive symbolic help from a few people, proving to be of little aid.
No Magical Defense Network, no Gotham Inside World, no tropolis Underground Dungeon; each disaster solution is like a ga of Mole, one pops up and you whack one, completely unprepared each ti, thereby always struggling.
The main reason for this phenonon isn't that the Justice League isn't making efforts or not being just and kind enough; it's precisely because they lack what most of them disdain—power.
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