Clark?
- Where have you been? - We've been looking for you.
- I've been out. - Hey. Hey, son.
What is going on with you?
You've been acting strange all week.
It's like your mind's somewhere else. What's up?
When I woke up this morning, I was in the middle of Route 8.
How did you get there?
I don't know.
Lex almost hit me with his car. He gave me a ride home.
Lex.
Told him I was sleepwalking, but I'm not sure how much walking was involved.
I've been having this dream all week.
I'm flying over Smallville.
I always end up at the cave. It's like it's calling out to me...
...trying to give me answers.
Answers to what, Clark?
I'm not sure.
But in my dream I take the key and I put it in the slot in the cave wall...
...then there's this bright light.
- And? - I don't know, that's when I wake up.
Clark.
Dreaming about putting that key in a rock wall is one thing...
...but we have no idea what would happen if you did that.
These dreams are getting more intense every night.
- Who knows where I'll wake up tomorrow. - It's too dangerous.
That cave could have all the answers I'm looking for.
Why are you so afraid to let me find out?
I gotta get dressed for school.
Dr. Walden.
I got a call this morning from the State Preservation Society.
They heard a rumor that you plan on removing a section of the wall.
Now, I told them you wouldn't consider such a radical move without consulting me.
It's a common archeological practice.
Among 19th-century imperialists.
If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to cut me out of the process.
You're paranoid.
Really?
Give me one good reason why I shouldn't fire you right now.
Because I'm on the verge of a major breakthrough.
Will this breakthrough finally allow you to translate these symbols?
It's hard to say...
...now that I won't be able to get a sample back to my lab.
Who tipped off the state?
The state is threatening to revoke LexCorp's
custodial management of the cave.
Another foundation is chomping at the bit to take over.
If my instincts are correct, I believe my father is behind it.
I don't need excuses, I need answers.
You've got three days.
What a lame assignment. Family trees are so 20th century.
Look at it as a mystery. You never know what you're gonna uncover.
- Why are you so excited? - It's gonna be a piece of cake.
Your family's been in Smallville since the Jurassic era.
What are you worked up about?
There's just so many variables, like what if your mother abandoned you...
...is that branch of your family tree cut off?
What if your biological father comes back...
...which family do you claim?
- What if you're adopted? - Hey, okay, I get the point...
...but is it my fault that I'm part of a nuclear family?
Is it? Later.
Unfortunately for the rest of us, nuclear family was nuked years ago.
We should get together at the Talon tomorrow and figure out a game plan.
Clark doesn't like that idea.
Do you guys hear that?
Hear what?
That.
Apparently you're part canine, because we don't hear anything.
- Clark, what is it? - I gotta go.
Clark...
...are you okay?
Lex, what happened?
I was hoping you could tell me.
What were you doing down here?
Just finishing up some work for Dr. Walden,
figured I'd do it while it was quiet...
...next thing I know you're shaking me awake.
The guard said there was an explosion.
You didn't touch any equipment, did you?
I find it interesting that you managed to get around the guard in the first place.
- What's your secret, Mr. Kent? - Back off, doctor.
- Can't you see he's been hurt? - I'm okay, I just need to get some air.
Clark.
First I find you lying in the road, and now here.
- You should get to the hospital. - I'm fine.
I just gotta get home before my parents start to worry.
Okay...
...but until we figure out what happened, I don't want you down here by yourself.
I'm sorry I couldn't be more help.
Why'd you let him walk out of here?
He knows more than he's telling us.
Probably.
But you've got enough on your plate, doctor.
Let me worry about Clark Kent.
Hey, my hard drive just crashed. I was wondering if I could borrow your computer.
I need to get a start on this assignment.
Yeah, sure, I was just turning everything off.
So, what are you, a Lang or a Small?
Right now I'm committing to my mother's side of the family.
Knock yourself out. I'll see you at home?
- Yeah. Chloe, you're a lifesaver. - Of course.
Did you give up on genealogy or is my personal life more interesting?
- I was just looking... - So you decided to snoop around.
Chloe, I'm sorry.
- Don't look at me like that. - Like what way?
Like I'm some loser who's trying to hang on to something that she's never even had.
If you have feelings for Clark, maybe you should just tell him.
This isn't about me and Clark, Lana.
This is about you violating my privacy. This
office and everything in it is now off-limits.
Oh, and by the way...
...I did tell Clark how I felt.
I poured my heart out to him when he was sick.
And in his delirium, the one name he called out...
...was "Lana."
Well, you're up early.
Don't worry, Dad, I woke up in my own bed this morning.
No dreams?
No, I think whatever it is passed.
That's good.
I'm taking your mother in for her checkup, want a ride?
- No, Chloe's gonna pick me up. - Great.
- How's Mom feeling? - Pregnant.
- I still can't believe it. - How soon can we start telling everyone?
As soon as your mother says she's ready.
Don't worry, this secret we can all be very happy to share.
Yeah, the baby's lucky.
Hey, son, I didn't mean for it to sound that way.
This child is going to be a big adjustment for all of us...
...but it doesn't change the way we feel about you.
I know that.
I'm just glad things are back to normal.
Jonathan, we're late, we've gotta go!
Jonathan!
I'll get it, I'll get it, go on!
- Clark, what happened? - I don't know!
What happened?
We came out and it was...
...on fire.
That ought to keep lookers away till we have a chance to patch it up better.
A couple of boards won't be able to cover anything up anymore.
Especially after Chloe publishes her pictures.
Well, I think I convinced her it was a prank.
You can't beat yourself up. Your abilities are still developing.
You can't always control them.
There's nothing uncontrolled about that drawing.
It's a symbol from wherever I'm from.
It means "hope."
How do you know that?
Since when can you read the symbols?
Since I put the key in the cave wall.
Wait a minute.
- Since you did what? - It was calling out to me.
It led me to where you hid it.
- I told you not to. - I know, Dad.
- It was like I didn't have a choice. - Where is the key now?
I don't know. When I put the key in, there was a blinding light and I blacked out.
- Are you all right? - It didn't hurt.
But everything's jumbled up.
It's like it downloaded me with the language from the cave wall.
Did anybody see you?
I don't think so, but Lex and Dr. Walden found me.
I don't think they have the key. I think it disintegrated.
You're not 100 percent sure?
Clark, we understand you wanting to know more about your origins.
- But you're putting your life in danger. - Some things are worth the risk.
- Like what? - Like the truth.
Clark.
Earth to Clark.
Are you okay?
I heard about the fire.
It's no big deal. We got it under control.
I think Chloe's over at the Torch writing an exclusive.
I wouldn't know. Her and I aren't exactly talking right now.
Sounds serious.
Well, invasion of privacy usually is.
Let me guess. You caught her snooping around in your stuff.
Actually, I was the one doing the snooping.
I didn't mean to, kind of just happened.
You'd think all the times she's overstepped
the boundaries, she'd cut you some slack.
Just reminded me that as great as Chloe and her dad have been...
...I'm still not family.
Yeah, I know what you mean.
Can I tell you a secret?
That would be a first.
I've been looking into my roots and it's freaking my parents out.
But I think I'm getting close to finding out where I'm from.
Then you shouldn't stop.
Is that your family tree?
Clark, what's wrong?
Nothing. I gotta go.
- I've been looking all over for you. - Sorry, Lex, I can't talk right now.
Looks like we've been abandoned.
Story of my life.
Lex, I may decipher ancient languages, but cryptic phone messages don't amuse me.
You're aware that I'm on a very tight deadline.
I thought you might find this enlightening.
What is it?
I'd say somebody has gained knowledge of the language that's carved in the cave.
These characters are similar...
...but there's no way to verify their accuracy.
See, these symbols could be "father"...
...or "mother"...
...or they could just be chicken scratch.
Where'd you get it?
Clark Kent.
What is it with you and this kid, Lex?
I'm a top expert in my field and I'm telling you...
...these walls will take years to translate.
Some Kansas farm boy's scribblings don't change that.
Then how do you explain this?
I'd say that was more than scribbling.
That's one of the symbols on the octagonal disk.
Maybe the whole thing's a hoax.
No.
It's no hoax.
Something happened to Clark in that cave.
Well, what do you suggest I do?
Put your extravagant ego aside and work with the boy.
He may be a fraud, doctor...
...or he just might be the Rosetta stone we've been looking for.
I'd like to thank you for turning our farm into Area 51.
We needed a couple of deputies to keep the wackos away.
Sorry, Clark. You have to admit, it is really intriguing.
It's probably a K.U. Frat prank.
Or aliens think that crop circles are passe
so they've moved on to barn scorchings?
Come on, Clark, this is Smallville. I mean,
you have to consider the possibility.
I'll let it go if you forgive Lana for what she did.
Why didn't I see this coming?
Did she tell you what she was doing?
No, but she did tell me she was very sorry.
- I can't believe... - You know what?
This is one time when you don't need to come to Lana's rescue.
Hello.
What's this?
Someone spammed your e-mail account.
But they're all for you.
From someone called "Swann"?
Never heard of him.
- Did my parents see you? - No.
What's with all this cloak-and-dagger stuff?
How come we didn't just use Chloe's computer?
I can't have her looking over my shoulder if this Swann has information for me.
Come on.
Okay, you're on.
What's wrong?
What if my parents are right?
Dude, we can just pull the plug on this whole thing.
I need to know.
What's that?
It says, I'm a friend."
Dr. Walden! Dr. Walden.
How's he doing?
Doctors have never seen anything like it.
He's completely catatonic.
Is he gonna be okay?
It's impossible to determine without knowing the cause.
Three mysterious events in three days and you were there on each occasion.
That's a mystery unto itself, don't you think?
Not really.
What about that language? You sure you can't read it?
What would give you that idea?
The symbol on your barn and this.
Just doodling, it doesn't mean anything.
- Looks pretty specific to me. - Lex.
Why do you care about a Native American language?
I don't think it's Native American.
I don't even think it's from this planet.
You think aliens wrote it?
I'd keep that to yourself, Lex.
I'm looking for a Clark Kent.
That's me.
Sign here.
How'd you know I'd be here?
My instructions were to deliver that to you personally.
Lucky for me, small town.
Aren't you gonna open it?
It's probably just junk mail. I'll open it later.
Dr. Virgil Swann.
- You're being stalked by a legend. - I've never heard of him.
He was a high-tech Howard Hughes 30 years ago.
He graduated from MIT when he was 19.
He had his doctorate in math and applied physics.
Then he started Swann Communications...
...which quickly rose to international acclaim in the '70s...
...as the world's largest producer of satellites.
This guy has so much hardware in space...
...Scientific American dubbed him "Man of Tomorrow."
"Only through communication will we live in peace."
- Sounds like a remarkable guy. - He was, until he pulled a J.D. Salinger.
Sold his company and put millions towards charitable foundations.
Rumor has it he devoted himself to searching
for signs of intelligent life in the universe.
The address on the card, how does that fit in?
The New York Planetarium.
What better place to look for little green men?
Why is this guy so interested in you, Clark?
He's not interested in me...
...he's just interested in my barn.
Virgil Swann hasn't made a phone call in 13 years...
...and now, all of a sudden, he wants to be your best friend?
He must think that symbol's pretty important.
It's just a hoax.
Yeah, well, one of the most brilliant men in the world disagrees.
If I were you, I'd find out why.
Has there been a change in his condition?
Whatever he was exposed to over-stimulated his cerebral cortex...
...causing a massive seizure.
He suffered from information overload?
In layman's terms, yes.
It's doubtful he'll ever regain consciousness.
I'm sorry, Mr. Luthor.
Don't worry, doctor.
One day you'll share your secrets with me.
If you're planning to run away from home, you might wanna pack lighter.
This isn't my home, Chloe.
As great as you and your dad have been, I don't think this was such a great idea.
You know, Lana, if this is about the whole computer incident, I'm sorry.
I overreacted, I know...
...but when it comes to Clark...
...and my feelings, I...
I'm never really rational.
I can't help the way Clark feels about me.
I know.
Before you go, I just wanted to show you something.
It's my family tree.
You put me under "sister."
Why?
Because I decided that my family wasn't about the people that didn't love me...
...it's about the people who do love me.
No matter what.
My friends.
Clark, this whole thing is very suspicious.
He knows how to read the language.
According to you, he does.
How do we know you're reading it right?
We have no idea what that cave did to you, son.
Mom, help me out here.
We don't know anything about this Dr. Swann.
The whole thing could be an elaborate plan just to get to you.
Now you're just being paranoid.
Did you ever think maybe he just wanted to help?
No, Clark, I haven't.
When it comes to protecting you...
...all I've seen are people who want to exploit you for their personal gain.
- You can't protect me forever! - I'm not ready to give that up.
Clark, we're not trying to keep you from learning about your past.
We just don't want to see you get hurt, either.
I've got all these questions and I can't leave them in the storm cellar anymore.
Why did my parents put me in that ship?
What was so bad they had to send me away?
I have to do this.
Then let's go together, we'll go as a family.
Dad, I have to go alone.
It's the only way.
No matter what I find out, it is not going to change how I feel about you.
You're still gonna be my mom and dad.
Hello?
Hello, Dr. Swann.
- What am I doing here? - Looking for answers, I assume.
Hello, Clark.
I've been expecting you.
You're probably wondering why a billionaire scientist...
...works in the back room of a planetarium.
The thought had crossed my mind.
Well, I find it peaceful.
Besides, I own the building.
Activate screen.
Does any of that look familiar?
What is it?
It's a message from the stars, Clark.
All my life I've been staring out into space, wondering.
Wondering, "Is anybody else out there?" And then...
...thirteen years ago, I got an answer.
Day of the meteor shower.
One of my receiving stations picked up a faint signal.
Took me years to decrypt it...
...and finally I discovered a mathematical key...
...that was built into the transmission.
- Can you read it? - Yes.
It says, "This is Kal-El of Krypton.
Our infant son, our last hope.
Please protect him and deliver him from evil."
Kal-El.
Krypton.
I've always wondered what happened to that child.
Did he survive the journey?
If he lived among us.
And then, three days ago, I saw the symbol for hope...
...burned onto the side of a barn in Smallville.
And I found out that the farmer and his wife...
...had an adopted son.
So you think I'm Kal-El?
I'm just Clark Kent.
No, no, no, I'm not trying to expose you, Clark, I'm just...
I'm just seeking the truth.
Sorry, doctor.
The truth is I'm not who you think I am.
If you can live with that decision, so can I.
But...
...if you walk out that door...
...it'll never be open to you again.
Then you'll never know the second part of the message.
Tell me something, doctor...
...why are you doing this to me?
We all have our windmills, Clark.
I need to know I'm right.
Once I do, it'll never leave this room.
Show me.
Second screen.
We will be with you, Kal-El.
For all the days of your life."
What does this mean?
I'm not sure, but...
...one thing I've learned about science is the value of patience.
Is that where Krypton is?
No, that's where Krypton was.
I followed the signal's path billions of miles out into space.
I was hoping to discover its origin, but instead...
...I found nothing.
Planets just don't disappear.
What do you think happened?
Oh, could be any one of a million different scenarios.
War, famine, disease.
I mean, look at the world around us.
Is it really that hard to believe?
Well, I can't be the only one. There must be others like me.
There was only one message.
Why me?
There must be a reason why I was sent to this planet.
You won't find the answers by looking to the stars.
It's a journey you'll have to take by looking inside yourself.
You must write your own destiny...
...Kal-El.
Your mother told me you were back.
Clark.
I know that whatever Dr. Swann told you must be...
...overwhelming, but...
...if you need to talk about it, your mother and I are always here.
Ever since you told me about the ship, I wondered if there were others like me.
Now I know there's not.
I'm totally alone.
Clark.
You're never alone, son.
This is your home and we love you very much.
- Come on, let's go back up. - In a minute.
I figured out what this is.
It's the ship's heart.
Really?
Have you used it yet?
I didn't want to do it alone.
Let's do it together.
It's hard to believe you were ever that small.
What is it, son?
It's a message from my biological father.
- I'm sure I'm reading it wrong. - Why, what does it say?
On this third planet from this star...
...Sol, you will be a god among men.
They are a flawed race, rule them with
strength. That is where your greatness lies."
I think I was sent here to conquer.
What kind of planet am I from?
Maybe you did misread it, Clark, but even if you didn't...
...it's you who decides what kind of life you're gonna lead.
Not me, not your mother, not your...
...biological parents.
What if it's part of who I am?
Is that the kind of person I will become?
Clark Kent, you're here to be a force for good.
- Not a force for evil. - But how can you be so sure?
Because I am your father.
I raised you and I know you better than anyone.