On the nature of power.

The rest of my week was spent in relative ease. My mornings were dedicated to meditation and running calculations and simulations on creating a much larger version of my artificial sun—a project that, if successful, could power the entire planet. However, such an endeavor would require an immense amount of materials, which we would only be able to gather once our exploration, mining, and colonization efforts were fully operational. Most of my days, though, were spent with Elona, running around with the other kids and getting into mischief. Being a kid was fun—it was… therapeutic. 

In my past life, my father had never allowed me to leave the house after I moved in with him. I spent my childhood watching other kids have fun from a distance, never allowed to join them. Let me tell you, *that* doesn't do any favors for your mental health, especially when you're already a weird kid who doesn't know how to navigate social interactions. It's a miracle I didn't end up joining a cult. 

My afternoons were spent in my VR pod, practicing and training. (Yes, I built a VR pod. I've built many things in my ten years on Krypton. The Science Guild is going to be thrilled once I join them and share my tech with the department.) I also spent time waiting for a spar with Aunt Astra or Uncle Dru—though he only came by once during the week. All in all, it was a nice week. 

I was currently in the training room, balancing in a thumbstand and meditating, when the door opened. By the footsteps, I knew it was my father. 

"Hey, Dad. I thought you'd be gone by now." 

"No matter how many times you do that, it's still impressive," he said. 

"Do what?" 

"Know who's there without looking at them or hearing their voice." 

"Thanks. I aim to impress," I replied, flipping onto my feet. "So, what did you need, Dad?" I asked when he didn't continue. 

"Oh, your uncle has all the materials you asked for. They're in my lab. I thought, since you've been so excited about this project, you could come to work with me today." 

"Really? Way to go, Uncle Jor!" I shouted, pumping my fist in the air and breaking into a happy, celebratory dance. 

"I get why you're so excited," my dad said, sharing my enthusiasm. "Your idea solves energy issues, helps the military, and ensures that our people are at peak health. If we can make an enlarged version, we could have our very own yellow sun—one that could benefit our entire planet and its people." 

"I want to punch through walls and fly!" I exclaimed, striking a Superman pose. 

"The knowledge of what happens to Kryptonians under a yellow sun isn't common, Kara," my dad reminded me. 

"Dad, don't you know by now? No mystery is left unsolved, no stone left unturned, and no knowledge left undiscovered by the mighty Kara Zor-El! For I see all and know all!" I declared boisterously. 

My dad chuckled, shaking his head as he walked toward the door. "Just go get ready, Kara." 

I ran to my room to shower and take care of all the necessary preparations. When I was done, I found my mom and dad having breakfast in the living room. I ran up to my mom and hugged her waist tightly. 

"Mom! You're still here! Why are you still here?" I asked, not letting go. She ran her fingers through my blonde hair. 

"I heard you'd be going with your father to work, and I wanted to walk with you. I miss my girl. I haven't seen much of you lately—I only see you at dinner." 

"But we have our bedtime mother-daughter special, Mom," I said, looking up at her. 

The "bedtime mother-daughter special" was our little ritual where we'd style each other's hair in the most ridiculous ways we could think of. I think we'd exhausted every silly hairstyle in the universe by now—we were just repeating them. Afterward, we'd talk while she tucked me into bed, and she'd tell me about her work, her childhood, and all the shenanigans she and Aunt Astra used to get into. It was nice. 

"Yeah, but no mom will ever say no to more time with her daughter," she said with a smile, giving my shoulders a gentle squeeze. 

After that, we had breakfast, served by our android helper. 

"Hey, Dad," I began, "if we had a yellow sun, do you think Kryptonians would be the same? I know we'd be different, but do you think it would be for the better or worse? A planet of people who can destroy buildings with a single punch, are almost invulnerable, can move at impossible speeds, and have other impressive abilities—what would they be capable of?" 

My dad looked at me thoughtfully, while my mom seemed a little surprised. 

"How do you know all that, Kara? Never mind," she said, shaking her head. 

"The question applies to you too, Mom. I think your answer has more merit—you understand people better than Dad." 

It was Mom's turn to think, while Dad finally seemed to have an answer. 

"I think it would be for the better. There'd be less risk of work-related injuries. With increased strength and speed, tasks would be completed faster and more efficiently. The Science Council would have members with faster thought processes, improved memory, and better understanding. We could advance our sciences and technology, which in turn would improve our people's livelihoods. Our military would be unstoppable. Oh, I see your concern now—you're worried that some of us wouldn't be satisfied with our little planet and would try to enforce the might of Rao on others. That's a large leap, Kara." 

"People have been known to be irrational and unpredictable, Dad," I countered. 

"But we're already on that course, are we not? Not universal conquest, but becoming nigh unstoppable beings. We're already planning on exploring, and we'll inevitably come across a yellow sun in one of those places. In fact, your uncle discovered an abandoned Kryptonian vessel on a planet within a yellow sun system in the archives." 

He paused to glance at Mom, who was listening intently. 

"Yes, people are irrational, Kara, but that doesn't mean their irrationality will lead to malice. Kryptonians are nothing if not intelligent. There's no logical reason to invade others when we have telescopes capable of locating inhabited planets with perfect environments for our continued survival, and ships that can get us there in no time." 

It made sense, all things considered. There was just the tiny problem of separating our people from Rao. I wasn't sure how Kryptonians would feel about leaving their god behind. 

"How about you, Mom?" I asked, turning to her. 

She looked at me thoughtfully. "I think your father is right. But I also think people can't always be expected to act logically or intelligently. Some of the most intelligent people are in the Phantom Zone and Fort Rozz. Power corrupts." 

That made me turn to her sharply. 

"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong, my sweet?" she asked, her voice tinged with worry. 

"No, it's nothing, Mom," I said quickly. 

"Now, Kara, what did we say about speaking our thoughts and worries?" she asked softly, her tone motherly and reassuring. 

"I… I want to be powerful," I admitted quietly, though she heard me clearly. 

"Oh, sweetheart, I should've explained better. Sometimes I forget you're still a child. Power for the sake of power corrupts. Power should have a purpose, a reason, a guiding principle. But that's only part of the equation. If you want to be powerful without corrupting yourself, make sure you have ideals you stick to. And the most important thing is to surround yourself with people you love and care for—people who love and care for you in return." 

She reached out and placed her hand on my cheek, and I leaned into her touch. 

"So, why do you want to be powerful, my sweet?" she asked gently. 

"For different reasons," I said. "To protect Krypton, to seek knowledge… and it would just be so cool and awesome!" I added with an enthusiastic grin. 

"So, you want to be like those superheroes you're always telling me about? You do know fighting is hard, right? You're a smart girl—you should know that." 

"Yeah, I know. But I want to do it. Plus, I'd get to meet new people." 

"Okay then. But if you start talking about world conquest, I'll make sure to boink you on the head a couple of times," she said with a playful smile. 

By then, we were done with breakfast. After a few minutes of preparing to leave, we were out on the streets, walking toward the Science Guild. We chatted along the way, and when we arrived, Mom had to leave for her job.