Title: INT
Author: RosenbergJ
Company: FNC

INT. THE KENT HOUSE - KITCHEN
MARTHA KENT is cooking breakfast at the stove.  The sun is shining brightly through the window in front of her.  JONATHAN KENT walks in from doing chores.

MARTHA
"Breakfast is almost ready"

JONATHAN starts to walk towards his wife

MARTHA (still preparing the food)
"If you track on bit of mud into this house, Clark will be eating double portions this morning!"

JONATHAN quickly backtracks to the door, and kicks off his work boots.

JONATHAN (playfully)
"No, ma'am.  Wouldn't think of it."

JONATHAN walks up to MARTHA, gives her a kiss on the cheek, appreciating the food, and crosses back to the kitchen table.  He pours himself a glass of orange juice.  CLARK comes into the kitchen, reaching for a piece of toast on the table.  He clearly wants to rush through breakfast.

CLARK (munching on toast)
"Thanks for breakfast, mom.  See you guys later."

MARTHA finishes preparing breakfast and is moving to put it on the table

MARTHA
"No you don't, young man.  You sit right down and eat before you go rushing off."

CLARK (turns back from the door)
"But mom...."

MARTHA (interrupting)
"No 'but's,' Mister Super-speed!  Sit!  Eat!  Now!"

CLARK moves to sit down, looking to his father for help.

JONATHAN
"Well, don't look at me, son."

MARTHA sits and joins her family at the table.  They laugh, sharing the joke.

There is a knock at the door.  As one, the family turns to see BRIDGETTE CROSBY standing in the doorway, carrying a large bag.

BRIDGETTE
"May I come in?"
She begins to enter.  Seeing CLARK, she slows down, almost awe-struck.
"Kal-El....."

The KENTS get up from the table.  CLARK snaps a look back to his parents.

BRIDGETTE
"It's an honor to meet you at last, Kal-El--"

CLARK (looks back to Bridgette)
"I think you must have me confused with someone else."

MARTHA
"It's all right.  Clark, Jonathan......this is Ms. Crosby.  She's an.....associate of Dr. Swann's."

JONATHAN
"My wife has told me all about you, Ms. Crosby."

BRIDGETTE (still looking at CLARK)
"As she has told me about you, Mr. Kent."
to CLARK
"Dr. Swann spoke very highly of you, Kal-El."

CLARK
"My name is CLARK."

BRIDGETTE
"Of course."

MARTHA
"What are you doing here?  Why have you returned?"

BRIDGETTE (becomes sad)
"I........have some news.  It's about Vir-- Dr. Swann."

CLARK
"Is he all right?"

BRIDGETTE
"He, uh..........Dr. Swann is dead."

There is a moment of silence as the news sinks in.  JONATHAN and MARTHA move behind CLARK, trying to comfort their son.  The news has not yet affected CLARK as he is trying to take this all in.

CLARK (absently)
"What?  How?"

BRIDGETTE
"He was sick.  Has been for a long time.  It was very sudden."

MARTHA
"Why didn't he ever say anything?"

BRIDGETTE
"He was, needless to say, a very private man."

CLARK
"I can't believe he's gone."

BRIDGETTE
"I have something for you, Kal-El.....from Dr. Swann."
She hands him the bag.
"He wanted you to have this."

CLARK, who has been glaring more and more each time BRIDGETTE uses the name 'KAL-EL', takes the bag.  Inside is a box with an envelope attached to it.

BRIDGETTE
"He always spoke very highly of you, Kal-El.  To him, you were--"

CLARK (angrily, distraught)
"DON'T CALL ME THAT NAME!  ONLY ONE MAN EVER HAD THE RIGHT TO CALL ME THAT!"
With the box and envelope in hand, CLARK runs off.

BRIDGETTE (taken aback)
"I didn't mean......I'm sorry."

JONATHAN
"You know, from the moment you came in here you only saw our son as the embodiment of Dr. Swann's work.  Did it ever occur to you that he's a person as well."

BRIDGETTE
"No person that I know can do the things that he can, Mr. Kent.  You should remember that."

CUT TO -- THE CAVES 

CLARK sits in a corner, staring at the box.  It's just a little bigger than a laptop computer.  He opens the envelope, slowly, and begins to read the letter aloud.

CLARK (reading)
"Kal-El....By the time you read this message, I will be gone.  I'm sorry that I could not be with you to help you continue your journey of exploration, but I fear my time has come.  From the moment you first walked into my office, I saw not only the validation of my life's work, but to look into your eyes I feel I have seen the possibility of our salvation.  You have great physical strength and ability, but this is surpassed by your inner strength. You are an incredible person, and no matter what you feel your destiny has in store for you, never abandon who you are.  If there is one thing I DO know, it's that you are here for a reason.  Live as one of us, Kal-El; to discover where your strength and your power are needed.  But always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage.  We can be a great people; we wish to be.  We only lack the light to show the way."

The weight of the letter hangs heavy on CLARK'S mind.  He will miss DR. SWANN, the man who told him the most about himself, and taught him about his heritage.  He feels the loss as though a close uncle had died.  Folding the letter back into the envelope, he moves to open the box.  Inside is a laptop computer.  He turns it on.  The text is KRYPTONIAN.

CLARK (reading)
"I recently discovered a faint bit of information hidden behind the transmissions sent from your father.  At first I thought it an echo, but have discovered it to be a seal of some sort.  I believe it has a connection to your family somehow.  It is the last piece of information I can send you...Kal-El."

CLARK presses a key on the keyboard, and the screen goes momentarily blank.  Suddenly, lines of resolution begin to draw on the screen, forming the shape of a symbol.  When the image resolves, it bears a striking resemblance to a stylized "S", surrounded by a diamond shape.

Slow zoom into CLARK's eyes, a tear welling within.

FADE OUT