A few years have passed since Vandar arrived on Krypton, and many things have happened since then. At first, Vandar was treated as a foreign species who might be hostile towards Krypton and contained in a special chamber with powerful cuffs that were meant to absorb the yellow sun radiation and his energy to weaken him. It was quite exciting for Vandar to be treated like an important person, even if he was a prisoner. Because he knew the truth, if he wanted, he could be free in a heartbeat. Once again, his preparation for creating his essence came in. He added that he couldn't be imprisoned or contained against his will, and something would happen to free him. It was something akin to plot armour but on a logical scale.
He absorbed every word spoken in Kryptonian until he learned the language and became fluent in it. This, as he predicted, made the Kryptonians a bit calmer towards him. Someone who knows your language is someone you would rather trust than a foreign alien species you have never heard of. Vandar started to speak to them and told them his 'story'. He told them that he was from the planet Viltrum and that he was the last of his kind. He told them that his species valued strength above all else and were originally a conquering civilisation. Why would he tell them that he was from a conquering species? Simple, no remotely intelligent race would ever believe the bullshit that Nolan told Cecil when he arrived. Who would believe that Vandar arrived from his planet to help Krypton when they were already a nigh-perfect civilisation themselves? No one trusts a purely good person. A Mary Sue or Gary Sue is not relatable and will never be liked. So, Vandar told them the 'truth' in Viltrum's case.
Vandar continued his tale and told them that differentiating ideals caused them to start fighting amongst each other. It was decided that only the strongest were allowed to live and call themselves Viltrumites, and the others were disposed of. The enemies of the Viltrumites took his opportunity and created a virus, the Scourge Virus, designed specifically to kill Viltrumites and managed to decimate their population. The only reason Vandar survived? He wasn't on the planet when it happened and was an outcast amongst his people due to his ideals and thirst for knowledge. He told the Kryptonian High Council that he was more interested in science than conquest, and that was unacceptable. So, due to his high lineage as a noble amongst the Viltrumites, he was banished instead of killed, which saved his life.
The Kryptonian High Council didn't believe his word at first and put him to the test, asking him questions to test his scientific mind and knowledge. He passed with flying colours but kept his advancements back. He might be civil about his stay here but wouldn't tell them his secrets. So, the Kryptonians allowed Vandar to remain on Krypton for a time, but he was banned from seeing any of their secrets and technological prowess. To convince them that he truly didn't mean any harm, he offered to have the Kryptonian scientists study his biology, which, as Vandar put it, was quite complex and not even their own race managed to uncover its secrets. They didn't think much of it at first until he was put to the test. Vandar's strength surprised the Kryptonians as he was indeed powerful for an alien race.
While Vandar was only allowed to assist the scientist somewhat, he gained more and more trust and was eventually allowed to join them in their labs and conduct his own experiments. Everything was kept track of by the artificial intelligence the Kryptonians had created and used for nearly everything. But Vandar was beyond genius-level intelligence. He could get around that if he wanted. Vandar initially worked closely with the biologists of Krypton. He offered genetic material for them to study, and when it was granted, he studied Kryptonian genetics and biology thoroughly.
On the surface, Kryptonians were indistinguishable from humans. What made them special was their genetic potential to absorb sunlight radiation and have all of their body enhanced. Everything was enhanced, and nothing was left out. From what Vandar could gather, the only reasons why they hadn't already spread throughout the entire Universe were convenience and politics. They evolved on the dangerous planet of Krypton and initially had to use their advanced technology to survive. The flora and fauna of Krypton produced some of the most dangerous organisms in the Universe. About 50'000 years ago, Krypton had already developed scientific advancements far beyond those of present-day Earth, and within a few millennia, had conquered disease, learned to delay the ageing process, and perfected cloning; vast banks of non-sentient clones held multiple copies of each living Kryptonian so that replacement parts were always available in the case of injury. All Kryptonians were effectively immortal, "with all the strength and vigour of youth maintained", and enjoyed an idyllic, sensual existence in an Arcadian paradise.
When he found out about cloning technology, Vandar became interested instantly and was overjoyed when he was eventually granted insight into it. Building trust 'only' took two centuries. Even Admiral Dru-Zod finally accepted him as non-threatening after the third century. Vandar was aware that if Krypton had not been as intellectually gifted as they were, they would have had to trust their bodies more and would have eventually realised in their expansion that they were incredibly powerful under a yellow sun. But they trusted their technology more and saw fighting without weapons and armour beneath them. Also, Rao was a red sun, meaning they never realised how powerful they truly would become under a yellow one. Good for the Universe.
.
Vandar's biology was giving the Kryptonian scientists a headache. For centuries, I had been trying to figure it out without luck. No matter what they tried to replicate or stimulate it, nothing worked. It was as if there was a barrier of some kind stopping them from discovering anything special they could use. As if it wasn't special at all. But the truth was in front of them, in the presence of Vandar Adg. Vandar had fooled them. He was aware that his biology and powers couldn't be copied, cloned or replicated in any way, but still willingly agreed to their tests and experiments.
Vandar, on the other hand, was making significant progress. He learned all of the Kryptonian technology. He was impressed at how they handled their energy problems, using it as a base upon which to improve and then go further. He had long had plans for a personal spaceship. It would function as a home, exploration vessel, and laboratory at the same time. He could use it to conquer planets or defend Earth. If one was smart about it, the DC Universe had many ways to grow powerful, especially if someone knew the comics. Vandar had an image in his mind and started building it from it. And the image he had was of the Phalanx from Warhammer 40'000.
[Picture]
In the grim, dark future, the Phalanx is the massive starship that serves as the mobile fortress-monastery of the Imperial Fists Space Marine Chapter and was constructed many millennia ago by unknown hands during the Dark Age of Technology long before the Age of the Imperium. The Phalanx itself is gigantic, the largest starship known to have been constructed by Human hands, and something of its magnitude has not been seen since the Age of Technology. The size of a small moon or large asteroid, its foredeck can dock a dozen Imperial Navy cruisers around its circumference.
The vessel is essentially a hive city in space, with its great spires reaching towards the stars, giving it the appearance of a giant mace-head. In many ways, Phalanx is the only vessel ever built by Mankind that is close in size and complexity to that of the Aeldari's craft worlds.
And Vandar is going to replicate it. But using the technology he has on hand now and will improve later on, using better technology, he creates himself and, more importantly, better metals, like the Nth metal and 10th metal, AKA Element X.
Vandar has reverse-engineered the AI Krypton was using and managed to create a hidden back door, allowing him to take control of it and turn off the recordings when he was working on his projects. No matter how long he had already been on Krypton, he was not going to give them his research. So Vandar would start working on specific parts he would need to build the Phalanx and then, once he was finished, place them inside his Ender Chest. Then, he would move on to the next part and do the same. Eventually, when he had all of the core parts together, he will combine them and start working on putting the Phalanx together. But that won't happen while he is still on Krypton; he will do that in his own dimension.
The door to his room opens, and a young man enters. Shu-El is an ancient ancestor of Kal-El, our most beloved Clark Kent, AKA Superman. He is a mathematician and enjoys my take on things since I am not influenced by the culture of Krypton as they are and see things from a neutral position.
"Vandar, my friend, are you still here? I thought you would come to join us at the festival next cycle."
"You know that I am not very interested in social gatherings."
"I know, but I don't understand why, though. You are a crowd favourite and seem to get along with everyone you speak to. Not even Dru-Zod dislikes you... at least not anymore."
"Be honest with me; you just want to introduce me to your daughter."
"Haha, am I so obvious?"
"Indeed. We have been working together for a long time now, and I am very perceptive. So naturally, I would notice you trying to get me and your daughter together. Last time wasn't a very pleasant experience."
Shu-El has been trying to set Vandar up with his daughter, Fedra Shu-El, for years now. Vandar relented one time since he is quite a social individual, but he merely acted differently, and we went on a 'date.' But things didn't turn out well when she started talking about her former boyfriends and potential mates who she may or may not wed. Vandar sat through two hours of her talking and then excused himself. He hadn't seen her since. Thankfully.
That didn't mean that Fedra Shu-El wasn't pretty or anything. But Vandar had no interest in someone as self-centred as she was. He had far better things to do, and Shu-El knew that. The irony was that Vandar met and interacted with many people and was quite close with some of them. He was quite an attractive male specimen, and as the only one who could fly without technology and was powerful, there were quite a lot of interested women.
"Ah, yes. The last time ... I already spoke to her about that. And you know that she was quite young back then. That was 70 years ago, after all. So how about another try?"
"I'm not sure, Shu-El. I am making good progress on the equation we talked about."
"You mean the one to improve life? Or was it govern, I'm not sure?"
"Well, theoretically, it should be capable of creating new life and protecting said life as well."
"In the sense of 'creation of a new world order in favor of protection of life'? You are very ambitious, Vandar."
"I am, but it's more than that. In its centre, it would be THE mathematical proof that life is worth living."
"The Antithesis of meaninglessness of life as a whole ... you are insane, Vandar. But maybe that's what this project needs ... to be free of conventional sanity and your objective perspective. I have always admired that about you. And yet ... what would you do with such an equation? It would be useless for anyone other than you and maybe me, who understand what we're seeing."
"True, but at this point, where life on Krypton has basically reached endless years, what else is there to do? This would be my greatest work, and since I have the time, why not?"
"True. But now, let's leave this room. You have to meet my daughter, and in turn, I'll help you with your equation."
"Do I have to?"
"Yes."