16 Breathe

Breathe

Ha..ha.ha...ha...ha

I took deep breaths as I woke up from my suspended animation.

The transport ship had dropped me and my stuff like a relief package from a plane the landing was smooth for any observer it would have looked like an iron pillar descending from the sky and burying itself in the surface of the planet. The pillar opened and I stumbled out breathless with 3 bots floating beside me.

The first thing I noticed was that the air was putrid as if I had stepped into a sewer.

The nearest sun was so far away from the planet that it looked like it was still night but still with enough light that I could see my spaceship parked at the distance.

I had reached X565 the furthest planet from Krypton and it was completely uninhabited by space faring species.

The bots hovered around me purified the air and made it breathable.

"Bot was the message successfully sent and received?"

"The message was successfully received by a green lantern and according to your instructions the systems were offline from the Krypton server during the duration of the message"

"Hmm. How is the connection with Krypton server right now?"

" We are currently outside the server's coverage area."

" Can your work offline?"

" Kryptonian bots aren't allowed to work offline unless under emergency conditions which can only happen when the main server is down our third party interference"

" Engage emergency conditions"

"Emergency protocols engaged the server is currently offline as such can only perform in limited capacity"

"What are the functions available right now ?"

"Navigation, topographic mapping, environmental analysis, universal translator, limited electronic assistance and offline spaceship blueprints"

" Okay. Execute topographic mapping and environmental analysis"

"Beep…krannacc….. Beep ...analysis completed"

"What is situation on this planet? I expected at least an island worth of wildlife but there is nothing here"

"According to the latest version of reports the island still is rich in Flora and fauna"

"Really?" As my eyes scanned the entire area it was similar to the surface of Earth's moon. Craters everywhere and nothing else was there. I could barely breathe and that too with assistance.

" Where is the water ? Underground?"

" According to my current analysis there is no water present inside the planet. Will need to update Brainiac about the same."

"No. Wait. The earliest report on this planet was it submitted by Brainac? "

" Yes. Due resource reallocation this planet is no longer viable for sentient life"

" I noticed. Thanks"

"Recommended action. Send a distress beacon for help and evacuate to a habitable planet within the next 6 hours"

" No distress message. Begin plan to reach the designated planet Earth"

"Acknowledged"

"Haah" I watched as the bot filled my spaceship with all necessary items that might be of my assistance. It was a big enough to house me and another person with little difficulty the design was similar to Kal-El's ship and I sat inside it as it prepared to launch.

"How long would it take for me to reach there? " I asked

" With current capabilities of the ship it will take a minimum of 30 years to reach Earth"

" What! I can't survive that long in space even if I am in suspended animation my body will deteriorate due to inactivity by then I would most likely be dead "

" The spaceship is equipped with anti-ageing technology while traveling inside your body will be frozen and will not suffer from ageing effects"

" I read that it is extremely harmful to the body?"

"Under certain conditions, if a person utilizes this technology more than twice during their organic lifetime they are susceptible to irreparable damage to organs which might result in death."

" Can the time period be reduced?"

" Yes but it is not recommended as being very dangerous to the passenger"

" Tell me"

"Alternatively the passenger can activate the meteor protocol"

"What is the meteor protocol?"

" In simplest terms the passenger can hitch a ride on a passing meteor. The speed will be increased exponentially but there is a possibility of death to the passenger"

" How many people have used meteor protocol in recent history?"

" None. During the warring age of Krypton it was one of the secret means of blindsiding an enemy and was used very efficiently there is a 100% survival rate with 4.8% radiation from the meteor which can be neutralized by your suit."

" Then what is the danger?"

" The meteor always follows a predetermined path if any enemy of Krypton notices and attacks the passenger will be unable to defend or eject immediately and cannot alter the course of the meteor"

"Hmm"

" How many years will it take if I go through with it?"

" The time period will be reduced by 10 years"

"Okay" I started thinking it through.

' If I follow this method I might land by Superman's 20th birthday else I might be there for his 30th birthday. I have absolutely no idea what time period would it be when I get there if it is the 00's or 1980's. Why am I even thinking about this? Whatever has to happen will happen thinking about it would do me no favors. No matter what year it I will be at Earth everything else is secondary'

" Okay. I accept the meteor protocol make the necessary preparations"

"Command Accepted"