Starfire

Scene 13: Growing Frustration

"Every lead we've followed and we've been getting no darned results!" Slade was shouting that night. "We're not getting anywhere with this, Lex! Payton has talked to hundreds of people in this city, and they know just as much as we do! Nothing!"

Luthor sighed. They had been having this conversation for some time now. Once more, all he could say was, "It's still a matter of time, Wilson. You, being a businessman, should know that."

"This isn't business, Lex," said Slade. "this is just turning into an obsession, a vanity project! If it weren't for the fact that we've been friends our entire lives, not to mention the millions of dollars I've spent War Suits, I wouldn't be here now!"

Lex sighed. He truly could understand where Slade was coming from. The more time they spent coming back from searches empty handed, the more time Wayne Enterprises was getting more ahead of Slade Industries financially.

As for himself, Luthor knew other politicians were curious to know how his California campaign was going. He had had to speak in front of citizens several times about why the Alien Integration Act had to be scrapped. If it wasn't for how great of a public speaker he was, he had a feeling things would be chaos.

Suddenly, Victor Payton entered the office. Unlike his previous entrances, he looked triumphant. He must've uncovered a new lead. Even if it turned into another dead end, Luthor wanted to hear what the man had to say.

"I think I know what we've been missing this whole time," he informed the two men. "We've been going about this the wrong way. Instead of interviewing citizens on a person they know nothing about, we should spend more time paying attention to the media."

"Great idea, Mr. Payton," said Slade, "but we would know if this girl was on the news. It would be on the front page."

"But there is a chance she could be on the news only on a different name," explained Payton. "People could be writing about somebody who is actually the alien girl we've been looking for."

As Slade thought that possibility over, Luthor smiled. "I should've seen this long before now. Good work, Mr. Payton. All we need to do is change our tactics. All we need to do is narrow the list of people mentioned on the media these days.

"I've already taken the liberty of doing that," said Payton, and he placed a newspaper on Slade's desk.

***

"It's been too long since that probe landed on that planet!" Komand'r was yelling. "Why haven't we been getting any results?"

"We've been scanning the entire planet," said the intelligence officer who had been assigned to watch the probe. I've been triple-checking. There appear to be no signs of Tamaranian life on the surface!"

Komand'r snapped. This was taking too long. They had been wasting time with this planet all this time. Slapping the officer hard in the face, she shouted at him, "That's because my sister isn't on that planet, you moron! Get out of my sight! Go back to your office! You're being reassigned! Leave now, that's an order!"

The officer quivered and left the room still trembling. Komand'r sighed. "I've wasted too much time with this. I should've known I couldn't trust anyone but myself in tracking Koriand'r down. She could be anywhere by now, but it may be possible she's on the next planet in the system."

Placing a bracelet with direct control to the probe, Komand'r ordered for it to leave the planet called Mars and plot a course for the next planet, designated Earth. The probe complied and was given the order by Komand'r to begin the search with the destination the crash would be most likely to strand her sister.

"You can't hide forever, little sister," Komand'r muttered to herself. "It's about we bonded again."