Chapter 15

She was more irritated when she got downstairs and found everyone gathered around the t.v. set! "What is it?" Lois asked.
"Would you believe," Mrs. White moaned, "the wife of the police officer Superboy helped is suing the city because they let a child perform medical procedures on her husband?"
"What?" Lois asked.
"Yes!" Perry White snapped. "Though the doctors are saying unquestionably, Superboy saved the man's life, she's saying the authorities were absolutely wrong in letting him touch her husband, that he could've done untold damage!" Lois stared at the television in stunned disbelief. "Some people," she moaned, "will do anything for money! They allow Superman to perform medical procedures!"
"Yes," Perry White snapped, "they had him take all the appropriate tests, at Metropolis Medical School, and he performed two operations under the supervision of three notable surgeons. Superman had a fully accredited medical degree." Perry's eyes widened. "Excuse me," he commented, taking out his cell phone, "I've got to go make some phone calls!"
Lois grinned. When Perry had that look on his face she knew he was going to upset somebody.
"Speaking of little super heroes," Mrs. White commented, "look at this one. I think he's all tuckered out!" Lois looked to where she pointed. Jason was stretched out on the couch happily sleeping away. Lois smiled. "It has been an absolutely delightful day!" she commented, "But I think we had better bid everybody a good night and get to our beds."
Mrs. White kissed Lois on the cheek. "Your bed," she remarked, "I was so happy moving all your things into the master bedroom closet! No more separate rooms in this house!"
Lois returned her smile, and everybody was ushered from the house. When they were all gone Lois turned her back to Richard. "Undo me, will you?" she moaned. "That dress is way too tight!"
Richard smiled. "Not as far as all the men in the church were concerned!" he teased.
Lois slipped out of the dress. The little slip beneath it was more than enough in the house. She laid the wedding gown on a chair and stretched. She heard footsteps on the stairs and saw Superboy descending. "You wish to speak with me, Mrs. White?" he asked.
"Are you all right now?" Lois enquired.
"Yes, ma'am!" Superboy answered.
"Take off the mask please," Lois insisted.
Superboy unfastened the mask and pulled it over his head. "Amazing!" Richard gasped, "You'd swear it was Jason! Absolutely incredible!"
"And I will grow as he grows," the android remarked, "keeping pace with his physical development. I have most of his abilities. Of course no machine could be made that could fly as fast or move as fast as a Kryptonian, but I am fast enough to fool people."
"But you're not invulnerable," Lois remarked.
"My central core," the android answered, "is virtually indestructible. An atom bomb might destroy it, but that would be about the only thing. My arms, legs, and head are vulnerable. They could not make me invulnerable there and still function. But they can be completely blown away and my central core can still bring me back to be rebuilt!"
Lois went over and caressed the android's hair. "Are you aware in that closet," she asked, "are you functional?"
"To maintain operating efficiency," the android answered, "I must be operational eight hours a day. I can be in shut down mode the rest of the day. But to operate efficiently my systems must be active that long. More is better. Also to retain my efficiency I require eight hours of shut down time to make adjustments. I can go several days without this but my efficiency will be impaired the more I do not have down time."
Lois paced back and forth. "As much as possible," she finally managed, ""when we are in the house and no one else is, you are to be out of that closet. When Jason is home you are to wear your mask, so if people see you together they'll think Superboy is visiting us."
"I do not think that is a good idea," Superboy put in. "Except when I am covering for Jason I should always wear my mask. If anyone should see me without it, they might begin to suspect the truth. But I appreciate your desire to show me kindness."
"Then you do have emotions," Richard put in. "My programming is extremely complex," the android answered, "multiple level. In order to function effectively among humans, I have to be given programming to mimic their emotions. That programming is so precise that it causes me to have feelings, desires, needs. Your companionship will fulfill a lot of those needs."
Richard nodded. "Well," he sighed, "we've got to get to bed!"
"Yes," the android put in, "both of you are secreting a great deal of both male and female sexual hormones. You both must be getting very excited!"

Page 19

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