Within minutes of the summons, Lara Lor-Van arrived at Kon-Rao's cabin. The door opened to admit her, and she stepped inside.
She was a woman in her late thirties by Kryptonian standards, with sharp, intelligent eyes that missed very little and confidence of expertise in her field. Her uniform was marked with the honors and commendations she had earned over her career.
Lara placed her right fist over her heart in the formal salute, bowing her head respectfully. "Your Majesty."
Kon-Rao studied her for a moment, his mind reviewing what he knew about this woman.
Lara Lor-Van was one of the best xenobiologists that Krypton had ever produced. Her research into alien species and their own biological systems had been groundbreaking, earning her recognition from the Science Council multiple times.
And that too at such a young age.
She had received the Mor-Chap Award for Excellence in Biological Sciences three times - a feat that had never been accomplished by anyone else in the award's two-hundred-year history.
Her papers on cross-species genetic compatibility had revolutionized how Kryptonians approached the study of alien life.
'House El truly has geniuses in abundance,' Kon-Rao thought with a mix of appreciation and satisfaction. Having such brilliant minds loyal to his cause was an asset that could not be overstated.
Jor-El, with his mastery of physics and engineering. Lara has her expertise in biology and genetics. Even young Kal-El, though he had not yet demonstrated his full potential, came from a lineage of exceptional intellect.
"At ease," Kon-Rao said, gesturing for her to relax her formal posture. "Have a seat."
Lara lowered her hand and took a seat in one of the chairs positioned before the Emperor's throne. Her posture remained attentive and professional, ready to discuss whatever matters required her expertise.
Kon-Rao leaned forward slightly in his chair, his expression serious. "I summoned you here to discuss a matter of critical importance to our civilization's future. The birth chambers - did you complete the work I asked of you?"
Lara nodded immediately. "Yes, Your Majesty. The birth chambers are fully operational and ready to be used. We have run comprehensive diagnostic tests on all units, and they are functioning within optimal parameters."
She pulled out a data pad and consulted it briefly before continuing. "The chambers have been recalibrated for the new environment and confirmed compatible with the energy systems aboard the ship. We have also established secure connections to the Codex, allowing for proper genetic template integration."
"All safety protocols are in place," she added. "We can begin the process whenever you give the order."
Kon-Rao nodded, processing this information. "Good. Excellent work."
There were one hundred birth chambers that they currently possessed. Each one was a sophisticated piece of biotechnology, capable of taking genetic material and nurturing it through the entire gestation process without requiring a biological womb.
The chambers could create a fully developed Kryptonian infant in approximately three months - a remarkably efficient timeline compared to natural gestation, which took nearly ten months and placed significant physical strain on the mother.
And after that gestation period, it took nearly sixteen years for a Kryptonian to fully develop both physically and mentally. That was simply the natural maturation rate for their species, the time required for the brain to develop its full cognitive capabilities and for the body to reach adult proportions and strength.
With each chamber taking three months for the gestation period and not requiring any break between cycles, they could theoretically produce four hundred Kryptonian babies per year if they ran all chambers continuously.
Four hundred new lives per year. It should have been cause for celebration, a sign that Kryptonian civilization would not only survive but grow and thrive in this new universe.
Instead, Kon-Rao felt a knot of concern tightening in his chest.
This was a problem. A really significant problem.
The maths was simple but stark. Four hundred babies per year meant four hundred individuals who would need constant care and protection for the next sixteen years before they could become contributing members of New Krypton.
They would require food, shelter, education, medical care, and most importantly, protection from the numerous threats that existed in this universe. They would be completely vulnerable, unable to defend themselves or contribute to the empire's strength.
Which meant it would take sixteen years - nearly two decades - before they became useful citizens who could actually help shoulder the burden of building and defending the empire.
And even then, they would still need additional years of training and experience before they could truly be considered capable adults.
That timeline was not a problem in the short term. The current population of fifteen thousand adult Kryptonians could certainly handle the responsibility of raising and protecting four hundred children per year.
But it would become a massive problem in the long term.
The threats facing them were not theoretical or distant. They were immediate and existential.
The Viltrumites were expansionists, conquering and destroying entire civilizations was what they stood for. Eventually, their expansion would bring them into conflict with Kryptonian interests, and when that happened, they would need every possible advantage.
And then there was Darkseid - a being whose very name sends shivers down the spine of many beings.
The ruler of Apokolips, a tyrant who sought to lay ruin to the entire universe in his quest to find the Anti-Life Equation. A weapon that would give him control over all sentient beings, reducing everything and everyone into his slaves.
And Earth, this small blue planet that had become so central to Kon-Rao's planning, would inevitably attract Darkseid's attention. It always did in the stories from Alex's memories. Earth was a nexus of universal and sometimes multiversal significance, a place where the most important events seemed to converge.
The current number of Kryptonians, when properly empowered by yellow sun radiation, might serve as a strong deterrent to many forces in this universe.
But there were still forces like the Viltrumites who, from what Kon remembered from Alex's memories, possessed similar powers and strengths to Kryptonians. They were durable, strong, capable of flight, and nearly immortal with lifespans measured in millennia.
And although they had extremely diminished numbers in their original universe - down to less than a hundred after their civil war - Kon-Rao was not certain how many of them might exist in this merged reality.
Perhaps they had never experienced their civil war. Perhaps their numbers were still at their historical peak.
He knew about their weaknesses from the memories. Viltrumites were vulnerable to a specific sound frequency that disrupted their inner ear and caused debilitating pain.
But he would need to acquire a live Viltrumite body to test which frequency it was, and whether or not it was still a weakness to them. Biology could vary between realities, and assumptions could be fatal.
And above all, he still had not had an encounter with a Viltrumite yet, so he did not know how a Kryptonian would fare against them.
That being said, with the current rate of population growth through the birth chambers, it would create a significant vacuum of power.
The current adult population would have to handle everything - defense, resource gathering, construction, governance, research - for at least the next two decades before the younger generation could step in to help shoulder those responsibilities.
It was a daunting prospect. They would be stretched thin, vulnerable to being overwhelmed if multiple threats emerged simultaneously.
Kon-Rao looked directly at Lara, his expression serious. "Did you find any way to increase the speed at which the babies would grow? Any method to accelerate their development safely?"
Lara's expression became regretful, and she shook her head slowly. "No, Your Majesty. We have tried multiple approaches and run extensive simulations. The sixteen-year maturation period is biologically hardwired into Kryptonian genetics. It is not something that can be safely accelerated through conventional means."
She paused, seeming to choose her next words carefully. "There is... one alternative that could theoretically address the timeline issue. But-"
"Speak freely," Kon-Rao instructed.
"Cloning," Lara said.
.....
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