Chapter 178: Classified Information
Kara loved the feeling of space.
Dark, tranquil, mysterious, and most importantly, wonderfully quiet. At least, it was when she didn't intentionally activate her super hearing.
Her younger cousin, Kal, had visited her at the coffee shop a couple of days ago and, unsurprisingly, had taken a liking to the place. He chatted with Kara for a while, saying he'd visit more often when he was free—after all, for them, traveling from Metropolis was quicker than an ordinary person going to the convenience store downstairs.
Kal had recommended this spot to her back then. He'd said that whenever he felt uneasy, restless, or lost, he would come here to gaze upon the boundless starry sky, look at Earth nestled among the stars, and he would quickly feel at peace.
Now, Kara had also come here. But the endless universe and the quiet vacuum didn't calm her; instead, they made her increasingly and inexplicably irritable.
Because—
"Oh no, not again, not again."
Kara flew desperately around Earth, so fast it felt like she was trying to wring out every last drop of solar energy from her cells. But when she mentally marked the time and spared a glance behind her, her super vision instantly spotted a flashing arc of electricity on the horizon. It seemed to emerge from the sun itself, chasing straight after her...
Kara's speed was already so fast it would leave any plane from Earth in the dust, yet it still wasn't enough. The moment he appeared in her field of vision, he had already caught up. Orin Vale flashed past her side, casually remarking as he passed.
"On your left."
Then the arc of electricity shot past, executing a perfect overtake and continuing to race around Earth.
"Ah! Come on!" Kara waved her little fists in annoyance, left behind to eat his exhaust... or rather, his electric current.
After a while, the arc of electricity circled back around Earth from the opposite direction.
"Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it..." Kara prayed silently.
Then Orin Vale once again swept past her, trailing sparks and lightning.
"On your left." This time, he even added, "Did you skip breakfast? Slow snail?"
"Aaaah!"
Kara's face flushed red with frustration as she mustered all her strength to fly faster. But the arc of electricity still vanished in the blink of an eye, disappearing ahead of her around the curve of the Earth.
Some time later.
"You're way too fast, aren't you?" Back inside the atmosphere, Kara floated beside Orin Vale, a look of disbelief on her face.
"Were you this fast before?"
"Probably not... but it's still not enough." Orin Vale cupped his chin, studying the data he had just scanned. "And I feel like I'm already approaching a bottleneck."
As his research deepened, he felt it was becoming increasingly difficult to accelerate further. Of course, this was to be expected. If his research into the Speed Force was compared to cultivation, then the improvement from scratch would undoubtedly be the most significant. The higher the realm, the harder it is to advance.
"But why?" Orin Vale mused. "Is this the fastest I can go without a link to the Speed Force? Is the light conversion rate insufficient? No, it shouldn't be a power supply issue... Is it that my research into the Speed Force isn't deep enough?"
"You're already amazing enough in my opinion," Kara chimed in quietly, idly playing with her long, slender fingers.
Orin Vale shook his head. "Nowhere near enough. I believe the level of my understanding of the Speed Force is what's restricting my limit. The upper limit of my theoretical knowledge has put a lock on its practical application. It'll likely be difficult to make another major breakthrough anytime soon... Huh?"
Both of them turned their heads in unison, their attention drawn by a commotion below the clouds not far away.
A long trail of flame streaked across the blue sky. The firelight seemed to ignite the clouds, making it look as if half the sky was burning.
It was a fighter jet.
The engine let out a deafening roar, like a beast breaking out of its cage. Smoke billowed from the cockpit, swirling around the fighter jet and reeking of a foul stench. Sparks flashed in the engine area, the burning flames casting a crimson glow, accompanied by the violent sound of melting metal as all the warning lights on the control console blinked frantically.
The moment she saw the crashing plane, Kara's super-family DNA kicked in.
"Can I?" But she still sought permission first.
"Of course." Orin Vale nodded. This was also a good opportunity for her to practice her abilities.
A look of joy appeared on Kara's face. She immediately shot off with a sonic boom, accelerating to chase after the falling trail of flames.
"Your power makes catching the plane easy, but there are still things to watch out for—" Orin Vale said, flying at a distance behind her.
"I know, I know, I have to be careful of the pilot's safety." Her first solo mission made Kara eager to try. Before he could finish, she had already rushed forward, reaching out to grab the smoking wing.
Snap.
She had snapped the wing clean off.
The plane, which the pilot had been struggling to keep balanced, was now caught in the scorching airflow and began to spin, falling even faster.
Kara, holding half a smoking wing, froze, her face stiffening.
"...I'm sorry."
Of course, although there was a small hiccup, it was an easy task for the current Kara. Lack of experience just meant a few minor troubles, nothing serious.
She successfully caught the plane and brought it to the ground, blew out the flaming engine with a single breath, and then, with one hand, tore off the cockpit's canopy with a loud crack.
"Are you alright, sir?" Kara extended a friendly hand to the pilot.
The pilot, still in shock and drenched in sweat, had nearly started hallucinating in the harsh environment. Now, he looked up and saw a beautiful girl with flowing blonde hair. Her small, slender body floated in mid-air against the sunlight, her cape fluttering gently in the wind, just like something out of a dream.
He was momentarily stunned.
"Sir?" Kara waved a hand in front of his face.
"It's no use," she said, turning helplessly to Orin Vale. "I think he's completely stunned..."
"Don't worry, my system ran a scan on him. This gentleman is perfectly fine."
Orin Vale said as he landed on the rear section of the plane, raising his arm to scan the engine.
"Compared to that, I'm more interested in this plane. Hmm... interesting."
The scanning light ray released from his palm quickly acquired a structural scan of the entire engine, displaying it as a 3D model on the interface before his eyes.
"Is there something wrong with this engine?" Kara flew to his side.
"I'm not sure of the specifics. But one thing is certain right now: it's not from Earth."
"Eh?" Kara was surprised. "Then where is it from?"
"That's the problem. Its design doesn't match the technological characteristics of any known galaxy. There's nothing in the records left by Brainiac, and there are no matches among the many galactic technologies cataloged in the Kryptonian database. And while this engine's design is crude, certain parts show traces of a higher civilization..."
"You two!"
The two turned at the sound of the voice and saw a jeep driving over from a short distance away.
A female officer in a uniform jumped out of the vehicle and strode quickly toward them.
"Get away from that plane. It's a military secret."
(end of chapter)