Welcome to the Planet

Chapter One: Good Morning Smallville

There was always something about the busyness of the Daily Planet that Clark Kent found unique to him. Never too loud, never too quiet, everyone’s either sitting down, standing up or walking to somewhere else. Almost everyone’s always working, but the atmosphere to Clark feels every time was warm, lively, and refreshingly old-fashioned in contrast to the modern age and modern state of journalism

The values that the planet founded itself on when it first started along with its journalistic integrity, good taste, quality, variety and standing for things that matter are the things that Clark finds admirable about The Daily Planet, regardless of its struggles or whatever stories are published and not published. Even the people he works with are like family to him even though he usually keeps to himself sometimes, and despite whatever verbal barbs and jabs they might throw, Clark gets along with just about everyone at the planet.

“Good Morning Smallville.” Well, almost everyone.

“Hello Mr. White”. Clark half annoyingly said as he turned around from his computer to see Perry White who just arrived at the office and was coming to Clark’s direction. Perry took off his coat and set it on his arm when he stood by Clark’s desk.

“So anything you have for me that I told you to write?” He half-jokingly said. To Perry, Clark had a habit of going the extra mile by doing articles that he wasn’t supposed to be doing or were a bit above his reporting status. Perry found it admirable, but a bit annoying sometimes.

“Yes Mr. White, i have the bar crawl column finished and sent to our blog. Metropolis University’s homecoming and their book fair are already in my Dropbox before you arrived in the building, and I’m on my last page about Superman stopping the wildfire in New Zealand last Friday.

“Wildfire? I thought i told Jenny to work on that story.”

“Of course. I forgot, I’ve been swamped lately after helping my mom with her furniture back in Smallville and I just got back yesterday from Star City after my profile on Sherwood Florist. I just gotta type that up and I’m done.”

“Good. When you’re finished, I need you to go outside and help our delivery people bring out the new papers to the office. One of the guys got the flu and they need a second set of hands. The truck should already be outside by the time you get to the lobby.” Perry handed Clark a manila folder with cash at the bottom of the folder and then he went to his office.

“Yes Sir.” Clark said before Perry closed the door. He then got up from his desk and was getting ready to help the delivery people when Perry opened the door.

“Kent!”

“Yes Sir?”

“Did i assign you to cover the Superman story when he was in Iceland when a volcano erupted?”

“Yes. That’s already in my Dropbox too.”

“Good man. I figured I gave you something about him when you mentioned the wildfire. Anyway when you’re finished, come by my office I got another story for you.” Then he closed the door before Clark responded.

When he started out at The Daily Planet on their blog two weeks after the Black Zero Event, Clark was a rookie writer and had to earn Perry’s respect for him as a journalist and work his way up like everyone else did at the Planet. Nowadays, Perry’s gotten use to him, excluding the occasional witty remarks and jabs every now and then, but Clark doesn’t pay much mind to them.

As Perry said, the delivery truck was already there waiting for Clark by the time he got to the lobby. There were two dollies on the curb next to the truck; one was already full while the driver was finishing up on the second dolly. Julian “Jules” Navarro; the driver had seen Clark and gave him a wave and a smile as Clark was about to open the door.

Jules and Clark had been friends since Clark started working at the Planet and were close enough that Jules had invited Clark and Lois to dinner with his wife a few times, and would often hang out after they were done working.

“Smallville!! Always a sight for sore eyes.”

“The feeling’s mutual Jules.” Clark and Jules gave each other a quick handshake and hug before they got down to business.

“What’s up man, how’s the planet treating you?

“Could be better, but I’m just glad to be here as always.’

“Good to hear man.” Jules pointed at the folder Clark was holding. “That for me?”

“Yes.” He handed Jules the folder and Jules went up to the truck to put folder in his glove compartment so wouldn’t lose it.”

“So I take it you’re my second pair of hands today?

“It would appear so.

Fine by me Smallville. I already stacked up the papers to make our job easy, so this should just take two trips and I’ll be outta here.”

“Already? I’m gonna miss you.”

“Aww. I’ll be with you in spirit.”

Clark and Jules starting pulling the dollies up the curb, went inside the building and headed straight to the elevator, with some small talk along the short way.

“So how’s you and Lois?

“We’ve been doing fine. Just going through the same stuff couples go through, with some slight adjustments. Right now, she’s up in Nairomi getting ready to interview some rebel fighters.”

“Sounds like some scary shit for Lois.”

“Well it’s like Lo always said, ‘She gets writer’s block if she’s not wearing a flak jacket.’ Anyway i called her this morning and she said she was fine.

“That’s all we can hope for. Hey you never know, things go tits up, our brother in Blue might bail her out.”

“There’s always a good chance for that.” Clark said with a light chuckle. The two men went inside the elevator. Clark pushed the 12th button going up and the doors closed.

“So how are things with you and Maria going?

“Same shit, different day. But as long as we’re together, we can get through anything. She just started her new job at the university being one of the school’s English teachers.

“Well good for her.”

“Speaking of places, I’m doing some standup and poetry at Heroes Park tonight for a little party that’s going on. You wanna roll on over and support your boy when you finish work?

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. What time do I need to be there?

“Just any time before eleven, that’s when the park closes. My act’s gonna be at nine.”

The elevator opens up and they wheel up the dollies and leave. Clark and Jules wheeled up the newspapers all the way up to Perry’s office outside near his windows. Perry saw the two men and gave them a thumbs up while he was eating. Clark and Jules then went to elevator to get the other papers downstairs for one last time. They had loaded up the dollies and went straight for elevator up the 12th floor.

“Hey Clark, I hate to ask you for money but I was short on the meter when i came here and i don’t wanna get a ticket or towed. Do you mind if I — ?

“Don’t sweat it. I’ll get you some money when we get upstairs.”

“Thanks man, you’re a true lifesaver.”

“Oh I wouldn’t go that far; I just like to help my friends out.”

“Appreciate it.”

Clark and Jules wheeled up the last batch of papers to Perry’s office and headed to Clark’s desk when they were done. Clark took out his wallet from his left pants pocket and gave Jules three dollars in quarters and a twenty dollar bill for lunch.

“Smallville, this is too much. $2 is good enough for me.

“Hey, just helping out a friend.”

“If you say so. I’ll pay you back tonight.”

“The Standup and poetry is good enough. Maybe, let’s see how the act is tonight and maybe $40 might make us even.’

“Smallville’s got jokes huh?”

“I’ll leave the humor to the professionals.”

They gave each other a hug and a handshake afterwards.

“Alright Smallville, till next time

“In no time.”

Jules headed out to the elevator and Clark went straight to Perry’s office to see what he wanted from him. He opened the door and closed it afterwards, and went up to Perry’s desk. Clark waited until he finished his bite from burger to talk. Perry then hands Clark a small booklet before he opens his mouth.

“Double Duty in one place. A tech fair in Lexcorp and you get to interview Luthor about the new progress on LEX/OS. You go to Lexcorp in the afternoon at 12:30, the fair starts at 1:00.

“That’s it?”

“Yeah. If you have something to say, say it now.”

As always, Clark did have something to say.

“Um… Sir I wondering about working on something else this week.”

“And why are we going exploring?”

“Have you heard of Aibileen Kennedy?”

“Metropolis Native, Fiction Author, Black Lives Matter Supporter, won a MacArthur for her last book The Blackbird of Tomorrow. Why do you ask?

“Well she’s in Metropolis for a few days and She’s having a Q&A at Metropolis University and I wondering if I could do a Q&A/Day in the Life on her. She hasn’t done much press since Blackbird was released and I figure that this might be a big thing for the planet.”

Perry gives a long pause before giving his response. He never liked Clark overstepping, but he did have point.

“All right. I know her agent since college, so I’ll set something up today.”

“Ok. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it Smallville.”

Clark then proceeded to leave but then asked Perry another question.

“Also, do you mind if I go out for a late breakfast? Forgot to get some when I came in.

Perry let out a sigh.

“Go ahead, one hour.”

“Thanks.”

Clark headed to the elevator. While everyone in the office was working, One of the TVs on the wall showed news footage of there being a wildfire in California. Everyone had started watching the news and reacted to it. Except for Clark who had just left and already knew about it before it was on the air. While everyone was watching the TV, a sonic boom was heard outside a few minutes after.