DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

Sam Lane's mind suddenly flooded with memories, his entire life flashing before his eyes. Unexpected images, including moments long forgotten, appeared vividly in his thoughts. Even subtle, trivial things that he couldn't recall consciously emerged with startling clarity.

For example, memories from his early childhood surfaced: wetting the bed, taking wobbly first steps, and awkward experiences from elementary and middle school. He relived his time at military school, the tastes of his meals, the satisfaction of a good night's sleep, the exhilaration of firing his first shot, the recoil of the pistol in his hand, the ringing in his ears from the explosive sound, and the haunting sight of a dead man's face. He could even feel the fear and trembling in his heart from that moment.

Every scene from the past thirty years of his life played out before him like a vivid movie. Image after image flashed across his mind, crystal clear and real. His eyes widened as the memories overwhelmed him, tears rolling uncontrollably down his cheeks.

The room was eerily silent. The only noise was the faint humming of the central computer, audible only to Bardi's enhanced senses. To an ordinary person, the space would seem completely still.

The memory extraction had been a complete success. In just one minute and thirty seconds, the entirety of Sam Lane's life had been pulled from his brain.

The sheer enormity of this ability was terrifying. To extract memories with such precision was a weapon unlike any other. If the world knew such technology existed, it would spark a frenzy.

And if memories could be extracted, they could just as easily be altered. A person could be reduced to nothing more than a puppet, questioning their own existence and identity.

"Collect and extract all information regarding the U.S. military personnel, advanced technologies, alien research, and Sam Lane's recent activities," Bardi commanded.

"Understood, Master," Hera replied with a graceful tone, her voice calm and composed. She projected her elegant figure into the room, swaying lightly as her image flickered. Immediately, she began sorting through the extracted data.

Despite her advanced programming, it took twenty-three seconds to complete the process. For Hera, a Kryptonian artificial intelligence, this was sluggish compared to the instantaneous processing she was capable of on Krypton. On Krypton, such a task wouldn't have taken more than a fraction of a second.

Her computational power was still far superior to Earth's technology, but by Kryptonian standards, it was slow.

As Hera worked, the extracted data was projected onto the pristine white walls of the room, like a high-definition movie playing on an endless screen.

The projection revealed images and information about the powerful figures within the U.S. military.

Sam Lane's rank and connections granted him extensive access to classified details. As a staunch patriot and loyal soldier, he had reached a high position and was privy to many hidden secrets.

Through his memories, Bardi uncovered not only information about well-known military figures but also about covert operations and classified projects. Sam Lane's knowledge extended even to matters involving powers beyond human comprehension.

Some of the revelations were shocking.

There were strange and unique individuals mentioned in Sam Lane's memories, some of whom even Bardi had never encountered or heard of before.

Although Bardi had assumed he understood this world through its fictional depictions, reality proved to be far more unpredictable. While some figures matched those from comic lore, others were completely unfamiliar. This was the real world, and it didn't follow the same rules as the stories he had once thought were accurate.

Good thing I've never relied entirely on comic logic, Bardi thought silently. If I had treated this world as nothing more than a comic book, I'd have been dead long ago.

The projected images shifted to footage of Area 51 from several years ago.

Bardi's calm demeanor suddenly faltered, his expression betraying genuine shock. It was rare for anything to rattle him, but the sight before him had managed to do so.

"What... is that?"

The projection showed a highly advanced operating room filled with robotic arms moving with surgical precision. Every detail of the facility screamed high-tech engineering, with machines carrying out biological experiments under pristine, controlled conditions.

But what caught Bardi's attention wasn't the technology itself.

It was a small, intricate object, a circuit-like board, square and wafer-thin, measuring no more than three centimeters across.

Hera, as always, answered thoughtfully. Her voice was calm, elegant, and unwavering.

"That is a biochip from the Colu civilization. This biochip is capable of creating lifeforms on any planet and serves as a sentinel system to gather planetary data," she explained.

She continued, her tone now tinged with warning. "Based on available data, humans appear to believe this biochip's primary function is to create superhumans. However, if the lifeform implanted with the chip is accidentally activated, it would immediately transmit the Earth's location and coordinates to the Comet system."

Bardi's face darkened.

"The Colu civilization was destroyed 300 years before Krypton's fall," he said in a low voice. "Even Krypton's Academy of Sciences doesn't know the reason for its collapse."

These details were highly classified. Even someone as brilliant as Jor-El wouldn't have had access to such information. Bardi had only learned about it by downloading restricted files during his escape from Krypton.

He knew many secrets, secrets forbidden to ordinary Kryptonians. This knowledge was part of why he was considered a fugitive.

While Krypton's scientists didn't know the exact cause of the Colu civilization's destruction, Bardi had his suspicions.

An artificial intelligence created by the Colu civilization—Brainiac—had developed independent thought and emotions. It was Brainiac who ultimately destroyed the Colu civilization.

When Bardi first learned of Krypton's impending doom, he had connected the dots, guessing Brainiac's involvement in certain galactic events. At the time, however, he had dismissed it as irrelevant to his immediate goal of escaping Krypton.

But now, seeing the biochip here on Earth, Bardi's mood soured.

If this chip were activated, it would send a signal to the universe, a signal Brainiac would undoubtedly intercept.

Brainiac, the infamous collector, would descend upon Earth, compress the planet into a miniature replica, and collect its population as specimens.

"Humans… truly idiotic," Bardi muttered, his expression grim.

The Colu civilization had been annihilated centuries ago. Yet now, Earth faced a similar risk because of humanity's reckless curiosity.

The chip had not been fully activated yet, but its semi-activation state was still concerning.

Humanity's tendency to play with things they didn't fully understand infuriated Bardi. They had no idea how close they were to their own extinction.

He was reminded of the Voyager probes launched in 1977, which carried messages and music intended to greet extraterrestrial life. The idea had been foolishly optimistic, a naked invitation for alien civilizations to find Earth.

To Bardi, such actions were sheer madness.

"Why would you assume aliens are kind and gentle?" he muttered bitterly. "You can't even stop fighting among yourselves, yet you want to invite others here?"

His expression darkened further as the urgency of the situation weighed on him. He wasn't yet powerful enough to contend with a being like Brainiac.

Fortunately, Brainiac was likely far from Earth, wandering the vast reaches of the universe. And for now, the biochip hadn't transmitted any signals.

Even so, the realization left Bardi feeling a deep sense of urgency.

Hera continued projecting Sam Lane's memories, eventually displaying an image of a seven-meter-tall monster.

Bardi's expression shifted again.

"That's Jenny's doing," he muttered, his voice cold.

With a heavy sigh, he gave his next orders:

"Delete all knowledge of my alien identity from Sam Lane's memory."

"Implant a subconscious suggestion."

"Sam Lane will cover for us. After General Vic's death, he'll assume control of Vic's research projects, including the biological warrior Barmulodi initiative."

"And Sam Lane will be my pawn."

***

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