10 Completing My Training

I quickly flew to the Kawatchi cave gap I created earlier and dropped down into the cave. I inserted the key causing the surrounding rings to light up and rotate, then pushed the corresponding symbols that pair with the three Elements. A few moments later, a gap in the cave wall behind me opened. I retrieved the key and walked into the ante-chamber.

"Kal-El, my son. I see you have collected the elements. This is certainly earlier than expected, " Jor-El announced.

"I definitely need to get the fortress activated as soon as possible to begin my training," I said, placing each piece of the Elements one by one on the dais.

"You have done well, my son. Take the crystal and complete construction of the fortress," Jor-El instructed.

I grasped the newly formed crystal and was transported in a flash of light instantly to the arctic. I threw the crystal into the distance and watched in awe as the crystal stopped and plummeted into the icy wilderness. The fortress rose from the ice, crystal pillar by crystal pillar in approximately one minute. When the fortress completed construction, I flew above the snow and entered the fortress.

"Welcome, Kal-El, to your Fortress of Solitude, greeted Jor-El. "Are you prepared to begin your training?"

"As I informed your AI in the ship, I need to maintain my Earth education in order to establish my civilian background to protect my identity. It will also keep me close to the humans I have to protect. In addition, the meteor rocks have infected countless people in Smallville and severe mutations have occurred, endangering the rest of the populace. I fear if I do not halt this activity, more and more humans will be aware of the effects of meteor rocks and will begin experimenting scientifically to infect even more people." I explained.

"Well reasoned, my son. How much time will you invest in your training to start with?" Jor-El asked.

"If I spend 24 hours per day every day for the next 3 months, then continue this every summer for the next 4 years, will I complete my training?" I asked.

"You would complete your training in that timeframe. That is very ambitious. Are you sure you can commit to this?" Jor-El questioned.

"Yes, father. But before I begin, I must head home to inform my parents, then I will be immediately back. Is that acceptable?" I asked.

"Agreed. See you later, Kal-El, " Jor-El said.

I flew from the fortress and sped all the way home, entering the front door.

"Mom! Dad!" I yelled.

"Clark! You're back! How did it go?" Martha asked.

"Run into any trouble?" Jonathan questioned.

"No, it was okay. I built the fortress which contains the training program that I must complete. My birth father Jor-El wants me to spend the entirety of the summer training in the fortress." I stated. "Will you be able to manage the farm without me?"

Martha and Jonathan looked at each other and they nodded.

"As long as you're back in time for school, we can manage the farm for the summer." Jonathan confirmed.

I felt a sense of relief. I didn't want to abandon them to work on the farm by themselves, but it was important to finish my training.

"I'm heading out now. I will be gone for 3 months. Please don't worry about me. I promise I'll be safe!" I said.

Martha and Jonathan looked sad and just had grim looks on their face.

"Oh, just a reminder, mom. Remember how Jor-El healed you? While I'm gone, you'll have plenty of time to work on getting me a new little brother or sister. Right, dad?" I asked.

Jonathan turned pale and started stammering, "Don't you have training to get to?"

Martha turned red and then smiled.

I kissed my mom and dad, then sped outside and flew to the fortress.

"Welcome back, my son. Are you ready to begin your training?" Jor-El asked.

"Yes, father. But before we begin, can you assess how quickly you can download the data to my brain? I have found that I have highly-adaptive physiology due to the yellow sun exposure. The more stress I'm placed under, the more capabilities I unlock. Can you continuously increase the download rate into my brain to see if my brain is capable of the higher transfer rate? And if it's successful with the higher rate, can you keep adjusting it higher and higher until you reach a maximum possible transfer rate? I'm interested to see if I can complete my training ahead of schedule." I said.

"What you are suggesting may be possible, but it is thoroughly dangerous. Your mind is an important but fragile instrument. Is it worth the risk?" Jor-El asked.

"Yes, father. I'm sure I will be able to handle it. Please transfer data and as I adjust to the transfer, keep amping up the transfer rate over and over as I keep adapting to the higher rate. Don't be afraid of damaging my brain. My mind will withstand ANY trauma, I promise!" I explained.

"Very well, my son. I will attempt this plan of action. It is not what I'd recommend, but you seem to have a deeper understanding of your individual physiology that seems to not correspond with my data. I will analyze your mind during our training to find its maximum capabilities. Shall we begin?" Jor-El stated.

"Yes, Jor-El. Please begin." I said.

A crystal contraption rose out of the ground then a light appeared, raising me into the air and data started streaming into my brain continuously. Hours passed and I felt my brain "opening up" further and further. The transfer rate continued to increase more and more and my brain kept adapting under the increasing load. When my brain began to ache, as soon as I noticed the pain, it immediately began to ease.

Days and weeks passed and yet the increase rate kept going up even further. A maximum rate was never reached. Before I knew it, the data stream stopped.

"Dad. Is it completed?" I asked.

"Your brain is nothing short of astonishing," Jor-El explained. "You have completed years worth of training in 6 weeks. You probably could have completed it sooner, however, I followed your requested parameters, slowly ramping up the increase in the transfer rate to ensure your brain's safety."

"Is that all the data I will need? Are there any other languages that will be necessary? Do you have any advanced technological training, engineering, or other advancements I could learn? I would like to be able to build space ships, energy systems, and invent new technology as well." I stated.

"Only the necessary data was included in the training module. I can include the requested modules and it will take approximately one week. Are you ready to begin?" Jor-El inquired.

"Yes, please include as much advanced technology and all the required information I will need to become an inventor," I instructed.

"Affirmative. The data transfer will commence immediately." Jor-El stated.

A bright light appeared and the data began to transfer again. This time, Jor-El had adjusted the transfer rate to the new rapid rate he had grown accustomed to. He rapidly began adding more and more technology segments and modules from across the 28 galaxies, as my brain grew more adaptable and more elastic by the hour. Before I knew it, it was completed.

"You have completed the requested modules ahead of schedule. It has only been 5 days. I included as much data under the requested parameters as possible, but even the extra data didn't slow down your assimilation of data. This is highly unusual even for Kryptonians. You have grown far stronger than I could ever have imagined. How are you feeling, my son?" Jor-El asked.

"I feel great. I'm not even hungry." I responded.

"Yes, the solar energy you have absorbed was sufficient to power your body without any other sustenance needed. You seem to have adapted without the need to sleep as well." Jor-El said.

"That's wonderful news. I'm going to leave, father. I need to go home. Do you have anything left for me?" I asked.

"No, you have made wonderful progress. I have nothing left to teach you." Jor-El answered.

I had a huge grin on my face. I'm only 14 and yet, I have completed Jor-El's training!