Chapter 5: Power Girl

Dramatis Personae: Frank –––– - Lead character, inventor of Alpha Alpha - First A.I. in existence Kasumi Tendo - artificial woman based on character from Ranma 1/2 Daria Morgendorffer aka Daria Morgan - artificial woman based on character from

Daria Jane Lane aka Jane Lannister - artificial woman based on character from Daria Kara Zor-L aka Power Girl aka Karen Starr - artificial woman based on character

from DC Comics

Alpha took a long time to work out the specifics of some basic superpowers.

Super-strength was relatively easy. Barring the addition of actual mechanical parts, the best way to gain super-strength was to create unnaturally high-density muscles and build the super-dense muscles in a weave pattern, thus greatly increasing the stress limits of the muscles. Think of a woven basket or Chinese finger trap.

(It should be noted here that a rat died in the experimentation stage, our first test animal fatality. Its heart was made super-strong, and when it was put in a stressful situation, the pressure created by the heart broke blood vessels all throughout the body. It was too much for even the nanite horde to deal with. So we ended up slightly lessening the super-strength of the heart and strengthening the blood vessel network a bit.)

A simple increase in bone density was not going to be enough to support the possible stresses from heavy lifting, so the bones were reinforced with carbon nanotubes. Weaving these rigid tubes throughout each bone gave better-than- steel reinforcement without risking any damage to the surrounding structure like you might risk with a crystalline or metallic bone material.

Inspired by the structure of Kevlar, Alpha could create a similar weave of carbon nanotubes throughout the skin to allow for a great deal of damage resistance. Definitely not invulnerability, but the combination of skin, muscles and bone like this could theoretically stop low caliber bullets.

Small muscles could be added to the eyes to allow for small, deliberate deformations, adjusting the eye's focal length for different wavelengths of light, such as the infrared and ultraviolet parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, though of course we also needed additional modified rods and cones to encompass perception beyond the normal visible spectrum. Other than that, extra efficient design was used for eyes and ears to allow for perfect senses.

Flight was impossible with a normal human shape and the known laws of physics. So were laser-beam eyes and ice breath. Yes, the lungs were made much more powerful and efficient, but there would be no blowing fires out from a distance.

Eye-hand coordination was improved to where, if she used guns, she could probably quick draw and hit a fly at a hundred paces.

While the skin weave design was fairly fire resistant, a fire would still burn off the outermost layers of skin and fry the nerves, so that would not be a pleasant experience. Neither were the outermost layers protected against scrapes and contusions, though penetration beyond that would be difficult.

Theoretically, a super-heroine could, without looking like a sideshow freak or professional wrestler, dead-lift up to 1000 lbs, have a 6 to 10 ft vertical leap, read the fine print on an eye chart, hear a conversation in the next room clearly and pick out the heat signatures of who was talking.

Building all of this into a body doubled the growth and assembly period from 1.5-2 months to 3-4 months. But Power Girl was worth it.

Power Girl, Kara Zor-L, was both a unique character in the DC Comics universe and a generic superhero. Her actual full history is very convoluted and weird and I recommend researching her on your own time if you're interested.

If you only know DC comics through TV and movies, think of Supergirl's clone from the Justice League cartoon, Galatea.

In her current comic book incarnation, she is an alternate universe version of Supergirl from a destroyed reality who survived the destruction and recreation of all existence. (If that sounds confusing, understand that this is the simplified origin that makes sense.)

She has the generic, basic package of Kryptonian superpowers (like Superman) and has been a member of various groups, most notably the Justice League (back when it was full of also-rans) and the Justice Society (where she was eventually made chairwoman).

Physically, she is tall, has a bob of short blond hair that doesn't quite reach her shoulders and a huge bosom, large even for comic book women. She looks to be maybe around 30, though that can vary depending on who the artist is.

So why is she a character of interest to me? Well, most obvious of reasons is her chest. Her outfit has an oval cutout uncovering her cleavage, which strongly draws the eye every time you see her.

But even more important is her character. [For comic book fans, I had Alpha take her character information from the Geoff Johns stories, and not the old bland feminist version.] She sometimes tries to act like a normal person, but rarely succeeds. She keeps a box of spare doorknobs for her apartment since she regularly forgets her key and has to destroy the current knob. Or she just forgets her own strength. She knows the effect her costume has on men and has no problem teasing them about it, or alternately, getting annoyed with them for staring. Theoretically, her costume's chest hole is there to wait for her to find her own symbol, like Superman's S or Batman's batwings.

When she talks about her past, she becomes wonderfully emotionally vulnerable. She survived the first Crisis which destroyed her home universe, which made her alone. When her universe was recently recreated, a new Power Girl was recreated with it, meaning she's not just alone, she was replaced.

Yet, she presses on, trying to establish her own identity.

Something else that was unique about Power Girl was how I added significant new sections into her history.

Superheroes, especially in the DC Universe (or if you're in the X-Men) have ridiculously convoluted histories which get that way through constant reinvention and filling of back stories and rewrites. Plus, they rarely have any downtime. If you consider all the stories and crossovers and guest appearances, Superman and Batman probably have 48 hour days with no sleep.

So I have worked with Alpha to create an inserted backstory for Power Girl ... involving me. I gave her guilt-free vacations from her superhero life. Here are some highlights to give you an idea of the setup.

Frank, Age: 10

Frank is reading comic books and eating snacks behind his family's cabin by a lake in Texas.

There is a bright flash of light nearby and a blond woman in a white costume appears.

She looks around wildly, then seems to step forward and falls on her face. She picks herself up and notices Frank.

"Excuse me ... ummm ... where am I?"

"Possum Kingdom Lake" and he points to a nearby lake.

"Where is Possum Lake?"

"Texas."

"Texas? Huh. Look, something happened to me when that ray hit me. Do you have a phone so I can call the Justice League?"

"Justice League's not real. It's a comic." Frank digs through his reading material and pulls out a comic, offering it to the lady.

She starts looking through it distractedly. "We are too real. I was just stopping a bank robbery. The robbers had high tech guns they said were disintegrators. But now I can't fly for some reason and ... Is this what the artist thinks I look like..." she trails off.

The boy yells back at the cabin, "MOM!" then turns back to the strange lady.

"We're on vacation. Wanna twinkie?"

She eats the offered snack, still looking at the comic. "Something's not right..."

Franks mother exits the cabin and hurries over.

"Can I help you ... Miss?"

"Oh, sorry." She hands the comic back to the boy. "I was on my way to a ... a costume party. And my boyfriend kicked me out ... we had a fight. And your son was just being nice and sharing his snack with me. Thank you. Hi, my name is Karen." She shakes hands with Frank, who introduces himself. "Do you have a phone I can use?"

"Certainly. And you'll want to cover up some. It's going to get cold soon. I think I have an extra sweater you can borrow."

They entered the cabin, then exited a couple minutes later, with Kara now wearing an old sweater over her costume.

"Thanks again, I guess I just remembered the wrong number. I should be fine walking back to the highway."

The mother continues to watch for another minute, returning to the cabin shortly before the costumed lady disappears in a flash of light, leaving the sweater behind to fall to the ground.

Frank age: 10 (12 weeks later)

Power Girl reappears in the same place in another flash of light. She looks around, but no one is in sight.

She notices a "PG" carved into the tree Frank had been leaning against, and an arrow pointing down to recently disturbed dirt.

After digging for a moment, she finds a plastic bag and a lunchbox. Inside the bag is the sweater she had been given. Inside the lunchbox are a couple of granola bars, the Justice League comic she had seen, a key and a letter.

The letter reads: "Power Girl, I know you are real and not in a costume like you said because of how you apeared and disapeared. I hope you are ok. If you come back and we arn't here because our vacation is now over, here are some granola bars for you and a key to the cabin. If you do come back, maybe you could have a vacation instead. -Frank"

Frank age: 16

Frank and Kara are sitting inside the cabin, eating hot dogs.

Kara is talking.

"After my first visit, I talked with Dr. Hamilton at STAR labs. He said that the so-called disintegrators were actually dimensional displacement units. He said there was some residual radiation from the blast but it should wear off over time.

"After I came back here on my second visit - you were gone - I talked to him again. He said the displacement radiation was growing stronger for some reason. Something about my quantum makeup was feeding it. The target universe should have been random too, but he theorized that I was drawn to this universe because I exist here only as a fictional version of me, meaning I can fill a pre-existing hole in the mental fabric of this universe. He also thinks there's a big Time difference between our worlds, which is why I can spend days here and only be gone minutes or seconds back in my world."

Frank: "How often does it happen?"

Kara: "It's random. I've come here 6 times so far. Each time I stay longer and there's more time between visits. And the physical laws are different here. Here I can't fly and don't have some of my other powers, but I am still stronger and faster than normal. I think my senses are still well above normal too.

"On the other hand, you don't have any supervillains here. No one trying to take over the world with giant robots or whatever. It's ... relaxing. I like it here. Like a vacation.

"Now how about you tell me some more about yourself. You're a nice young man. Do you have a girlfriend yet?"

Frank age: 21

Frank and Kara are sitting on a couch in the cabin, eating pizza.

"No, Erica dumped me a couple weeks ago. I suppose we weren't going anywhere as a couple, but it still hurts, y'know. Hey, do you ever date?"

"Me? A little, here and there. I tend to intimidate men. Or they were only interested in my... 'assets' to begin with."

"Well, if you don't mind my saying so, you do have very 'intimidating assets'. Maybe you could meet guys online or something, so they could get to know you as a person before they see you. I mean, you're a great person, in and of yourself. Your 'assets' are just a bonus."

"That's sweet of you to say, but I don't have the time for online dating, let alone sorting out if someone is who they say they are online."

"What about dating other superheroes?"

"I've tried a bit here and there. Maybe I'm just too cynical. Getting crusty in my old age."

"You sure don't look old. Hey, do you age the same as us humans?"

"I don't think so, but I don't really know for sure. I don't know of any Kryptonians living to old age under a yellow sun. And I'm not even from the same Krypton as the others anyway."

"Confusing. Hey, do you want some wine? I'm finally old enough to drink, as of a couple months ago."

"Sure. After all, I'm on vacation."

The next morning, Kara wakes up naked in bed when Frank brings in a tray with breakfast.

"What? Frank? Oh, no. This was a mistake."

"And a good morning to you too, Kara. Breakfast in bed?"

"I'm sorry. I just ... we shouldn't have..."

"I don't think it was a mistake. I'm ecstatically happy."

"Frank, you're ... I ... I took advantage of you. You're a great guy, but I'm too ... you're too much younger than I am. And I don't even belong in this world, I'm just visiting and we don't even know for how long."

"But next time you visit, you'll be the same age, pretty much, and I'll be older. And I know I can't have you here forever."

"Frank, I'm a one-guy woman and I'm just here temporarily..."

"Maybe we could just enjoy each other while we're here. I won't be jealous of your boyfriends in your universe..."

"And I won't be jealous of your girlfriends here, huh? Tell you what, I'll think about it. Now gimme breakfast."

Frank age: 26

Frank drives up to the cabin in an old brown sedan. Kara exits the cabin with an overcoat covering her uniform.

"Hey, Kara! Welcome back. After you called, I stopped off and grabbed some clothes for you to change into, if you want. Or some other things that can probably fit over your uniform." Pause "It's great to see you again. You look prettier every time you come back."

"It's great to see you too, Frank."

They hug.

"So how have you been? Still a lady-killer?"

"Thanks but I've never been a lady-killer. I'm doing okay, I guess. Been working on a lot of AI programming in my spare time. I think I'm close to a breakthrough. Hey, could you get the bags in the back seat? I brought food too."

Frank age: 26 (same visit)

Kara and Frank are in bed in his rented house.

"Frank, a vacation is one thing, but I've been here for 5 months this time. I've got to do something or I'll go stir crazy."

"Well, we don't have any supervillains for you to fight, and if you start fighting normal criminals, the police might be likely to arrest you as well ... especially since you don't have a valid ID. How about ... are there any classes you might want to take? Anything you wish you had time to learn back in your world?"

"Hmmm ... I don't know..."

"Investment, real estate, medicine, literature ... I can teach you about computers..."

"No offense, but the computers I use in my world are a bit more advanced than the ones here."

"Yeah, but most of the other stuff would probably translate pretty well between worlds. Some specifics would be different, sure. Oh, I know. You can memorize some popular books here that haven't been published in your world, then write them when you go back!"

She laughs. "I don't know, there might be some kind of interdimensional copyright laws I'd be breaking. Laugh if you want, but given some of the weird cosmic stuff that I've seen, I wouldn't be too surprised if it happens."

"Well, think about it. I'm not rich ... yet ... but I can still afford a few classes for you if you think of something you want to learn."

"Speaking of learning, did I ever tell you about the time Wonder Woman seduced me? Let me show you what I learned that time..."

The story setup was partly inspired by reading The Time-Traveler's Wife, but the idea for this setup seemed to allow for the easy addition of Power Girl to my harem of ladies. Heck, it would even let me use Power Girl to help add in any other DC women since she could smooth over any unease they might have. And it would be years before she became suspicious, if ever.

And now, Power Girl was floating naked in the nano-growth goo. Six feet, two inches (an inch taller than me), 240 lbs (very dense muscle and bone).

Her measurements are ... bear with me, I've never been good with the bust measurement. You measure on top of the breasts then compare the breast size with fruit, right? Or is it measure just underneath the breasts? And what kind of fruit is almost the size of the lady's head? I think she's 44F-32-36 ... or something like that ... What comes after DDD? Ah forget it. She has big boobs and a great figure.

As you can tell by my certainty on the subject, I let Alpha handle that part. (As a side note for any details geeks, the only specific reference I could find for her physical stats was an old reference listing her as 5'7", 133 lbs. However, this same reference was from way back when she was the granddaughter of an Atlantean sorcerer instead of a Kryptonian, and I preferred her to be taller than that. The heavier weight was non-negotiable due to her dense muscle and bone structure.)

She was the first sterile woman we had built, but the physical changes we had put her through made carrying a baby a very risky process in-and-of-itself, irrespective of the other previously mentioned risks. Alpha had taken the time to specifically have the nanites remove all DNA from all of her eggs. The empty egg cells were still there, and she would still have periods ... but I might as well shoot my sperm at a plastic Power Girl action figure for all the likelihood of conception.

The goo drained away and I gave her a good cleaning, hair included. I even had a curling iron on hand to give her hair a bit of that nice inward curve at the ends. Getting her into her costume was a bit of a struggle, but not as hard as finding a good, realistic-looking Power Girl costume in the first place.

It was almost midnight and everyone was in their rooms, though not necessarily sleeping. Fortunately I had Alpha and the kill switches to make sure they were all asleep when I carried Kara out to the minivan. I laid her down in the back seat, buckled the seatbelts around her as best I could and drove her out to the cabin.

The cabin was real, not just part of the story. It was a rental my parents regularly took me to when I was a kid. I had bought it outright a few months back and cleaned it up. Once I decided on the story we were using, I even went back and carved the PG into a nearby tree and buried the cabin key in an old lunchbox.

It was a warm early-August night, so I wasn't too worried about Kara catching cold, especially since she shouldn't be out there for too long. I put a note on the cabin's kitchen counter with my new phone number along with a cheap prepaid cell phone with charger. (There was an actual landline in the cabin, but I didn't know if it was even active or working.)

The only difficult thing about this phase of the operation was setting up a remote transmitter/receiver for Alpha. Alpha's ability to trigger Wake and Kill codes in the girls was limited to near my house and we were over an hours drive away. Basically the remote setup involved a small transmitter/receiver disguised as a small HAM radio, but with a cell phone inside to receive remote signals from Alpha. Alpha could call the cell and have monitoring and transmission access for 100-200 feet.

I plugged it in and called Alpha to confirm it was working.

Outside the temperature was 62 degrees, predicted to drop down to 56 at most. Must be so cool because we were so near a lake. I made sure to cover her with her cape when I laid her down near the tree. As long as no wild animal tried to eat her in the next hour, we should be fine. (No local animal would actually be able to eat her, but they could hurt her, scraping off the outer layers of normal skin before hitting the carbon nanotube-weave.)

I drove home quickly. Once inside the garage, I had Alpha turn the girls back on. They would probably just roll over briefly and go back to sleep naturally. Then I had her activate Kara.

About 5 minutes later, just as I was getting into bed, the phone rang. I feigned grogginess as I answered.

"Hello."

"Frank, is that you? It's Kara. I'm back."

"Kara! That's great. Listen, I live about an hour away now. I need to get dressed and grab something with caffeine, so maybe an hour and a half? There should be a supply of dried food in the cabin pantry if you're hungry. Or we could stop by a drive-through on the way back here. I own my own house now! Actually, I have a lot of news to relay, but I guess I can tell you once I see you. It's great to hear from you again. I'll see you in a little while. Okay?"

"Sounds good. I'm really hungry like every time I come, so I'll snack for now and plan on drive-through or something on the way to your place. Thank you, and I'm looking forward to seeing you again."

I got out of bed and threw my clothes back on. I went quietly to Kasumi's room and gently woke her up.

"Kasumi?"

"Mmmphhh? Frank?"

"Sorry to wake you in the middle of the night, but I need to go pick up an old friend who just arrived in town. I'm going to move her into one of the spare rooms. I thought you should know so you aren't surprised by a strange woman at breakfast tomorrow ... ummm ... this morning."

I kissed her forehead and left.

As I drove back out again, this time in the truck, sipping on my coffee, I wondered if this is what Live Action Role-Playing felt like. I'd never gone in for LARPing before, but this was fun. On the other hand, LARPing probably didn't have guaranteed sex involved as part of the story.

Kara came out to meet me, wearing a long overcoat covering her costume (probably scavenged from some forgotten closet in the cabin). We met, kissed and embraced. Really embraced ... painfully embraced.

"Kara..." I wheezed, "Kara, you're still a lot stronger than I am ... air becoming an issue..."

"Oh, I'm sorry. You okay?" She looked me up and down critically. "You look good. Been exercising?"

"Yeah, I got into shape. Actually, I got into a lot of things. Hey, here, do you have everything from the cabin? We should bring the phone with us so you can use it while you're here."

We collected the phone and locked up. I drove her through a 24-hour Arby's, where she ordered half a dozen sandwiches. I swore her to secrecy and told her about my creation of Alpha and how good she was at playing the stock market. I told her about the new house I had built and the people who were living with me now, assuring her that they would just love her, sometimes literally if she let them.

Power Girl doesn't blush, but I think that suggestion definitely perked her ears up.

She sounded a bit mistrusting of Alpha, even though I assured her I had built safe-guards into her to prevent her being able to harm anyone. I even let her in on the secret that AI software here requires special hardware too, so Alpha couldn't leave my systems or make copies of herself. I guess most superheroes probably would be leery of intelligent computers.

I asked for a recounting of her adventures since her last visit and received a brief retelling of some of her more recent comic books.

"So I was thinking," I said during a pause in the conversation. "Last time you were here about 9 or 10 months. Which means we should probably count on this visit lasting a few years. I'm sorry to take you away from your family and friends for so long. I know it's not your choice to be here, but I'll try to make your stay as happy as I can."

"If it helps, I enjoy my time here enough that I probably would choose to come here if I had a choice. We always called my visits here 'vacations', but they're also like I'm living a completely different life without giving up my real ... my other life. I don't think there's anything bad about it. Well, except I really wish I could still fly while I'm here."

Kara was suitably impressed at the size of the house. True, it was no Wayne Manor, but it was a huge step up from my old 2 bedroom rental house. Some of the downstairs lights were on.

"Hmmm ... I think maybe Kasumi got up to welcome you. She was the first friend I invited to move in here. She had a strange life in Japan and ... well, basically lost her family. I've been helping her establish a new life here. She might be the kindest, most thoughtful person I've ever met."

I gave Kara a passionate, deep kiss before we left the garage, tasting a bit of leftover Arby-que sauce. "I'm going to ravish you later."

She grinned and said, "I think you misunderstand who's going to ravish who."

I checked my watch. "Note the 'later' in my comment. The problem is, while I don't know what time of day you're coming from, it's 3:17 am here. Even with caffeine and adrenaline, I'm about to crash."

"Actually, I'm coming from early evening. I was on my way to meet Zatanna and Diana for a girl's night out. I wonder if I'll be gone long enough for them to miss me?"

I shrugged in response. She squeezed my ass, and we went inside.

Kasumi, dressed in a nightgown, was waking up on the couch in the sitting room. "Welcome home, Frank-sama. I prepared a room for your friend. Would either of you like something to eat or drink?"

"Kasumi, this is Kara. Kara, Kasumi.

"Kasumi, Kara is a friend I've known since I was 10 years old. Her schedule is erratic and unpredictable, but she'll probably be in town for the foreseeable future.

"Kara, Kasumi is a dear friend who has been helping me organize the house.

"Kara, are you still hungry or thirsty?"

"I think maybe some water or cold milk. I'm not especially sleepy at the moment but I can probably nap to try to adjust to the time change. I'm used to grabbing what sleep I can when I can."

We followed Kasumi to the kitchen where she poured out a nice big glass of milk. Kasumi made small talk and Kara did her best to keep her story straight. Just arrived from Europe. No luggage because she always traveled light. She was in freelance law enforcement. (I was mightily trying to hide my grin at this point.) Some distant cousins, but no close family left.

About that point, I rescued her from the interrogation. I kissed Kasumi good night and thanked her, pointing out that she needed her sleep too.

I took Kara upstairs to the room next to mine (which Kasumi had prepared with fresh sheets, towels and a few toiletry essentials in the bathroom).

This room was the one that Jane had decorated with a bird theme. A few Auduban prints and one expressionist piece Jane had painted of a bluejay. I could identify blue feathers and a beak, but still couldn't quite see the bird as a whole. Still, it was aesthetically pleasing. Jane had even arranged some driftwood sculptures below the paintings to look like the birds were perched on them.

While Kara looked around, I excused myself for a moment and hurriedly dug through my clothes. Nothing the girls had would fit Kara, who was easily half a foot taller than any of them, not to mention she sported a MUCH larger chest. I came back with some new, unused men's underwear, clean socks, loose jeans, belt, and a stretchy T-shirt that said, 'Han Shot First'.

She smirked as she saw the offerings.

"You can look through my offerings in the morning if these don't fit. We can go shopping tomor ... ummm, this afternoon and fill up your wardrobe."

"Sounds good. And Frank? Thank you again. I don't know what I'd do without you."

I was really tempted to make a joke about getting a sugar daddy, but I wasn't entirely sure how she'd react to comments about her using her body to get ahead. True, we had a long 'history' together, but such a joke might end up being mean instead of funny, playing on her insecurities.

"You'd be fine. You're very resourceful and self-sufficient. And despite your amazingly attractive self, it's the middle of the night and I need sleep." I gave her a peck on the cheek.

"It's all right. Oh by the way, Frank, I know a trick that could help you get to sleep faster."

"What is it?"

She reached down and unzipped my pants, unhooked the button and slipped my pants and underwear down to my ankles. Grasping my half-erect member in her hand, she stroked it as she knelt in front of me, giving me a generous view of her cleavage.

My penis immediately stood to attention as she swallowed it to the root in one motion. She played her tongue along my shaft as she pumped me in and out of her mouth and throat. One of her hands played with my balls while the other sought out my anus and poked inside.

It was an overload of sensations, made all the more intense by the unexpectedness of it and the strong suction. I blasted off down her throat in less than 2 minutes, leaving me unsteady on my feet, held up mainly by Kara.

She stood up saying, "There you go, baby. Now you just go to bed and you'll fall right asleep."

"I reserve the right to prove you wrong on another occasion," I protested as I staggered out to my room, where I promptly fell asleep.

I later found out that Alpha had designed her as a deep throat whiz from the beginning without telling me, as a special surprise for me. Isn't it awesome to have a friend like Alpha?