Man of Tomorrow

Luthor

Lex Luthor is in one of the on-site laboratories of Luthorcorp. There are six people with him in the process of an experiment.

"Signal strength?" asks Lex.

"Seventy thousand megahertz." responds one of the lab workers.

Lex surveys the information on the screen in front of him.

"Any contact?" questions Lex.

"No sign of any response sir."

Lex uses the touch screen on his display, "Increase power to the satellite, boost the range."

"To where?"

"Just do it."

The lab worker and another do as they're told, increasing the power by pressing some of the controls.

"Power output increased to maximum. But I don't know how long it will hold."

"Make it hold." insists Lex.

Lex watches the display, "Is there any contact?"

The lab worker monitors her station, "Nothing that I can see."

"Look harder." Lex pushes back.

"Sir, there's nothing there."

"There has to be. We detected something less than twenty minutes ago." declares Lex.

"Whatever it was. It's gone now."

"Damn it." Lex says, stepping away from the display for a moment before adding, "Reboot the system and calculate the next possible position."

"But sir."

"Do it and do it properly this time or I'll find someone who will."

Lex turns around and heads for the exit. His assistant, Mercy, meets him at the exit. Lex walks down the hallway and Mercy follows close behind.

"They are failing." declares Lex.

"They have only been on the project for three days." points out Mercy.

"And yet they have managed to fail already. It's quite impressive."

"Sir, you asked me to find the most inventive and creative minds in communications and spatial harmonics. And I found them for you. They will find a solution and make contact. All you have to do is give them time to work on the problem." explains Mercy.

Lex stops in front of the private elevator to his office, waiting for it, "Your faith in them is admirable. But if your faith doesn't start producing results soon, then perhaps it's not them that needs to be replaced."

Mercy is silent for a moment, "Yes sir."

The elevator opens its doors and both Lex and Mercy step inside. Lex and Mercy wait as the elevator goes up to Lex's office.

"This could be the key. It could mean the answer to all the questions I have ever had since that day in the field when I was a child." insists Lex, adding, "I will not allow for such an opportunity to slip through my fingers because of the incompetence of people who see problems that can't be solved. Solutions are the only option. Contact must be made. There is no room for excuses or problems. See that it gets done."

"Yes sir."

The elevator comes to a stop and the doors open to Lex's office.

"Good. Now how is the Metallo project coming along?" Lex asks as he and Mercy step out of the elevator and into the office.