It's a Mad World.

“We’re going to make a brief statement, then open up for three, I repeat, three questions.” C.J. Cregg, White House Press Secretary announced to the room full of reporters.

“At approximately noon today, standard time, the Hubble Space Telescope took the pictures current in your briefing packets. The White House has been in constant contact with our allies, as well Russia & China.” She read off the pages in front of her, hands slightly shaking.

“As of yet….I said, as of yet….,” she broke off as the room burst into shouts, questions, demands of military information, “That’s enough!” C.J. shouted in return.

“You will wait until the briefing is finished, and then I’ll call on people to ask three questions. This isn’t up for debate.”

“As of yet, there has been no contact between the White House, or any countries leadership, with the….object in lunar orbit. We will give more information as we receive it. Now….” C.J looked around the room.

“Katie?”

“Is the White House going on record with the existence of aliens?” Katie Witt, press corp, asked over the shouts & demands of her fellow reporters.

“As this time, the White House is stating that an object of unknown origins has impacted the moon.” C.J answered. “Next questions,….Bill?”

“What sort of steps is the White House taking to contact this object?” Bill Kentworthy, The Wall Street Journal.

“The NSA, as well as NASA, have been sending short burst radio signals. But as of yet, there has been no answer. Nor any sign that the signals are reaching the object.”

“Steve?”

“What steps have the military taken if this…object turns out to be hostile?”

“All military personal have been called back to duty, leave has been cancelled across the board, US Armed Forces are standing by, much like we all our, for more information. We’ll continue this in two hours.” C.J finished, and abruptly left the room to the shouts and cries of a room full of reporters.

~~~  

“How can they not know? How can anyone claim that they don’t know!” Sam repeated, having said the same thing or some version of it for the last five minutes.

“Sam, buddy, I don’t know. Honest, Area 51, little green men dropping by in Roswell? Fiction. It really was just a downed weather balloon. This is without a doubt the first time proof of life other than our own.” Josh explained.

The last few ours had been nothing less than chaos. The phones hadn’t stopped ringing, questions, concerns, so much so that the lines had gone down for nearly half an hour.

Which did nothing to curb the panic, seeing as Donna and a few others had thought that the phone lines going down were just the first step in a ‘Independence Day’ attack. The hysterics barely ended, even when it was stated that the call volume was the cause.

The President, Leo, the Joint Chiefs, members of legal, even members of The Press Corp had been in and out of the Situation Room. Bypassing all regular restricted access.

Russia was demanding answers, accusing the US of holding out on them. China’s military had been called into actions to hold back civil unrest.

A step Toby had pointed out was only a matter of time before being declared in the States as well.

“Everyone’s got questions, buddy. And everyone seems in the dark. This is arguably the most important moment in human history. It’s only a matter of time before we know something.” Josh promised, as much to Sam and Donna, as to himself.

~~~ 

“Everything is going according to the data.” Jax-Ur stated.

“This moon’s size is 1,079 miles in radius. Terraforming should be down in less than 8 hours.”

“What is that going to look like?” Xander and finally given up gazing at the wonder happening beneath this very ship.

Jax-Ur was a relatively large man, 6’, long limbs, his eyes and hands never seemed to be resting, always in motion. Right now he was entering data into a computer pad, making a display show in blue light across the lab he was using as his work station.

“We’ll have one large landmass, and another one 1/4^th the size, but the majority of the surface will be covered in water. A lunar day will have half the surface in light and the other in darkness for 336 hours each during it’s cycle. Once the landmass has been changed, and the shield in place above us, I estimate an atmosphere will develop within five days.”

“We’re going to be looking at a great deal of rain.” Aethyr pointed out, having gone over the data the World Engine had in its archives.

“There’s an ocean to fill, so I’d suspect so.” Xander agreed with an easy smile, making Aethyr blush and stumble over what she was going to say next.

“Yes, my lord, of course.” She stuttered, though thankfully Lord Zod didn’t comment on it. Jax-Ur simply rolled his eyes before continuing.

“In general, the side facing the Sun can reach 260’ Fahrenheit during the day, and nearly -300 during the night. That’s without atmosphere. Best estimation is that 70% of the Sun’s radiation will be reflected, another 30% absorbed, so days and nights will be around 60’ to 63’ degrees.” Jax-Ur explained, showing the numbers & figures to the left of the light display.

“All year round?” Xander questioned, walking around the visual display as it showed what the new surface would look like.

A large landmass, not unlike Africa, with a much smaller one to the bottom left, like Japan.

“Yes, the rotation of the moon will take nearly one standard month. Weather, once the moon is capable, will be mild. I see no reason why seeding for vegetation can’t be finished in the next month. We’ll have to wait till it can sustain herbivores before using the animal Codex to introduce them. Same with algae in the ocean before introducing fish. Predators will be introduced later, when their population can be maintained.”

“A fully formed ecosystem is possible within 5 standard years.” Jax-Ur explanation came to a conclusion, a slight smile playing at his lips.

“Five years.” Xander repeated.

“Yes, my lord.” The acting leader of the Science Guild agreed. “We’ll have a planetoid that can sustain a population within half a decade.”

“Good. Jax-Ur, great even. Search and rescue missions have brought in less than 20 survivors so far. As of right now, Kryptonians are functionally extinct. We don’t have a population that can sustain it’s self without genetic drifting, and the real possibility of genetic disorders through inbreeding without finding more survivors, or if Rao is merciful, a Birthing Chamber or Codex of our own.”

Xander stated, turning to the two acting Science officers. “Our efforts wont out pace the growth of our new home world at any rate. I’m making it official, Jax-Ur, you are the head of the Science Guild. Aethyr, you will be the head of the Technician Guild.”

“You honor me.” Jax-Ur said, utterly pleased with himself.

Aethyr was another story, “my lord, I’m….as you know, I’m rankless. I have no House to claim as my own. There are other members, more qualified members…”

Jax-Ur cut her off, “and no doubt they’d jump at the chance to be where you are right now. So stop twisting yourself into knots, and accept what’s been graciously awarded you.” Never a man to mince words.

“As for a House…” Xander gave it some thought. Without a genetic Codex, they wouldn’t be able to tell what House she was formerly a part of. As her parents had also been rankless.

Meaning, there House’s name, and words had been stricken from record. And no Guild would take them.

Reinstatement of her old name would be possible, if they had the records. But her home Krypton, like countless others, was destroyed.

“I hereby name you Aethyr-Zo. We’ll presently make a new leader of the Artisan Guild, and you can get in touch with them to create a new House Crest and meaning behind the symbol.”

Flushing bright red, she was once again at a loss for words. In her home reality, she’d joined General Dru-Zod in his attempted coup, when it was found out that the High Council was hiding the future destruction of her Krypton.

A reality that seemed to be shared with many other survivors, across countless realities. As was the failure of said coup, and the imprisonment of its members.

Most of the people currently residing on the World Engine had only survived because they’d been locked up in one phantom zone or another.

“Lord Zod,” the trio were saved by more of Aethyr’s flushed ramblings by the arrival of Car-Vex.

“Yes?” Xander asked.

“We’ve been receiving transmissions from Earth. They seem very insistent in opening communications with us.” The dark haired soldier explained.

“We all have more pressing matters then soothing the fears of the humans.” Jax-Ur bit out.

Car-Vex just ignored him, waiting for Xander’s orders.

“He’s right,” though Xander thought Jax could have been more tactful, “we’re three hours away from another jump. Has the prob sent back any data?”

“Yes, my lord. Another Earth, tech on par with what he’d expect. Only one Kryptonian in their news feeds, ‘Super-man.’”

With a grimace, Xander shook his head. “Will we ever be rid of that man?”

“No reports of a Super-Girl, Power-Girl, or any other known IDs. Long range info hasn’t come in yet.” Car-Vex concluded.

“The team will make a jump in a few hours, by then we’ll have more data. Find out if this version of ‘Super-man’ is Kal-El. If so, leave him be. No invitation is given to the House of El. If it’s a different person, we’ll go from there.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“And the humans?” The newly dubbed Aethyr questioned.

“Send a standard ‘we come in peace,’ statement. If anyone needs me, I’ll be on the main deck.”