Smallville (TV Series)

Rosetta (2003)

Tom Welling: Clark Kent

Photos 

Quotes 

• Jonathan Kent : Clark Kent, you're here to be a force for good. Not a force for evil.

  Clark Kent : But how can you be so sure?

  Jonathan Kent : Because I am your father. I raised you. And I know you better than anyone.

• Clark Kent : Ever since you told me about the ship, I wondered if there were others out there like me. Now I know there's not. I'm totally alone.

  Jonathan Kent : Clark. You're never alone, son. This is your home, and we love you very much.

• Clark Kent : [reading Kryptonian]  "We will be with you, Kal-El, for all the days of your life." What does this mean?

  Dr. Virgil Swann : I'm not sure, but one thing I've learned about science is the value of patience.

  [Clark notices a picture of outer space on the wall with an area circled] 

  Clark Kent : Is that where Krypton is?

  Dr. Virgil Swann : 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.

  Clark Kent : Planets just don't disappear. What do you think happened to it?

  Dr. Virgil Swann : Oh, it 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?

  Clark Kent : Well, I can't be the only one. There must be others like me.

  Dr. Virgil Swann : There was only one message.

  Clark Kent : Why me? There must be a reason why I was sent to this planet.

  Dr. Virgil Swann : 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.

• Clark Kent : [Reading Kryptonian symbols]  It's a message from my biological father. I'm sure I'm reading it wrong.

  Jonathan Kent : Why? What does it say?

  Clark Kent : "On this third planet from this star, Sol, you will be a god among men. They are a flawed race, rule them with strength, my son. That is where your greatness lies." I think I was sent here to conquer. What kind of planet am I from?

  Jonathan Kent : Maybe you did misread it, Clark. But even if you didn't, it's you who decides what kind of a life you're gonna lead. Not me, not your mother, not your... biological parents.

  Clark Kent : What if it's part of who I am? Is that the kind of person I will become?

• Jonathan Kent : When it comes to protecting you and your secret, all I've ever seen are people who want to exploit you for their own personal gain.

  Clark Kent : You can't protect me forever!

  Jonathan Kent : I'm not ready to give that up yet!

• Clark Kent : 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. Like it's trying to give me answers.

  Martha Kent : Answers to what, Clark?

  Clark Kent : I'm not sure. In my dream, I take the key and I put it in the slot in the cave wall. Then there's this bright light.

  Martha Kent : And?

  Clark Kent : I don't know. That's when I wake up.

  Jonathan Kent : Clark... dreaming about putting that key in a rock wall is one thing, but we have absolutely no idea what would happen if you actually did that.

  Clark Kent : These dreams are getting more intense every night. Who knows where I'll wake up tomorrow?

  Jonathan Kent : It's too dangerous, Clark.

  Clark Kent : Dad, that cave could have all the answers I'm looking for. Why are you so afraid to let me find out?

• Clark Kent : Can I tell you a secret?

  Lana Lang : That would be a first.

• Dr. Virgil Swann : [showing Clark the Kryptonian language]  Does any of that look familiar?

  Clark Kent : What is it?

  Dr. Virgil Swann : 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.

  Clark Kent : The day of the meteor shower.

  Dr. Virgil Swann : One of my receiving stations picked up a faint signal. It took me years to decrypt it. And finally I discovered a mathematical key that was built into the transmission.

  Clark Kent : Can you read it?

  Dr. Virgil Swann : Yes. It says "This is Kal-El of Krypton. Our infant son, our last hope. Please protect him and deliver him from evil."

  Clark Kent : Kal-El. Krypton.

  Dr. Virgil Swann : 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 into the side of a barn in Smallville. And I found out that the farmer and his wife had an adopted son.

  Clark Kent : So you think I'm Kal-El? I'm just Clark Kent.

  Dr. Virgil Swann : No, no, no, no. I'm-I'm not trying to expose you, Clark. I'm just... I'm just seeking the truth.

  Clark Kent : I'm sorry, Doctor. The truth is I'm not who you think I am.

  Dr. Virgil Swann : 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.

• Clark Kent : Did my parents see you?

  Pete Ross : No. What's with all this cloak-and-dagger stuff? How come we didn't just go to the Torch and use Chloe's computer?

  Clark Kent : I can't have her looking over my shoulder if this Swann has information for me.

• Jonathan Kent : Well, you're up early.

  Clark Kent : Don't worry, dad, I woke up in my own bed this morning.

  Jonathan Kent : No dreams?

  Clark Kent : No, I think whatever it is passed.

  Jonathan Kent : That's good. Hey, I'm taking your mother into town for a checkup. You want a ride to school?

  Clark Kent : No, Chloe's gonna pick me up.

  Jonathan Kent : Great.

  Clark Kent : How's mom feeling?

  Jonathan Kent : Pregnant. I still can't believe it.

  Clark Kent : How soon can we start telling everyone?

  Jonathan Kent : As soon as your mother says she's ready. Don't worry, Clark, this is one secret we can all be very happy to share.

• Chloe Sullivan : Why is this guy so interested in you, Clark?

  Clark Kent : He's not interested in me. He's just, uh, interested in my barn.

  Chloe Sullivan : 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 is pretty important.

  Clark Kent : It's just a hoax.

  Chloe Sullivan : Yeah, well, one of the most brilliant men in the world disagrees. If I were you, I'd find out why.

• Lana Lang : I heard about the fire.

  Clark Kent : It was no big deal. We got it under control. I think Chloe's over at the Torch right now writing an exclusive.

  Lana Lang : I wouldn't know. Her and I aren't exactly talking right now.

  Clark Kent : Sounds serious.

  Lana Lang : Well, invasion of privacy usually is.

  Clark Kent : Let me guess. You caught her snooping around in your stuff.

  Lana Lang : Actually, I was the one doing the snooping. I didn't mean to. Kind of just happened.

  Clark Kent : Well, you'd think all the times that she's overstepped the boundaries, she'd cut you some slack.

• Jonathan Kent : [catching Clark sneaking into the house]  Where have you been, Clark?

  Martha Kent : We've been looking all over for you.

  Clark Kent : [heading upstairs]  I've been out.

  Jonathan Kent : 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?

  Clark Kent : [reluctantly]  When I woke up this morning, I was in the middle of Route 8.

  Martha Kent : How did you get there?

  Clark Kent : I don't know. Lex almost hit me with his car. He gave me a ride home.

  Jonathan Kent : Lex.

  Clark Kent : I told him I was sleepwalking, but I'm not sure how much walking was involved.

• Lana Lang : Is that your family tree?

  [he realizes he's been doodling alien symbols] 

  Lana Lang : Clark, what's wrong?

  Clark Kent : [crumpling the paper up]  Nothing. Um, I gotta go.

  Lex Luthor : [bumping into each other]  Clark, I've been looking all over for you.

  Clark Kent : Sorry, Lex, I can't talk right now.

  Lex Luthor : [approaching Lana]  Looks like we've been abandoned.

  Lana Lang : Story of my life.

• Delivery Guy : I'm, uh, looking for a Clark Kent.

  Clark Kent : That's me.

  Delivery Guy : [giving him a package]  Sign here.

  Clark Kent : How'd you know I'd be here?

  Delivery Guy : My instructions were to deliver that to you personally. Lucky for me, small town.

• Chloe Sullivan : What a lame assignment. Family trees are so 20th century.

  Pete Ross : Just look at it as a mystery, Chloe. You never know what you're gonna uncover.

  Clark Kent : Why are you so excited about this?

  Pete Ross : Because it's gonna be a piece of cake.

  Chloe Sullivan : Yeah, because your family's been in Smallville since the Jurassic era.

  Pete Ross : What are you so worked up about?

  Chloe Sullivan : There's just so many variables to take into account. Like, what if your mother abandoned you? Is that branch of your family tree technically cut off?

  Lana Lang : Yeah, and what if your biological father comes back into the picture? Which family do you claim?

  Clark Kent : What if you're adopted?

  Pete Ross : Hey, hey, okay, I get the point. But is it my fault that I'm part of a nuclear family?

• Lex Luthor : [finding Clark unconscious in the cave]  Clark, first I find you lying in the middle of the road and now here. I really think you should get to the hospital.

  Clark Kent : Lex, I'm fine. I just gotta get home before my parents start to worry.

  Lex Luthor : Okay, but until we figure out what happened, I don't want you down here by yourself.

  Clark Kent : I'm sorry I couldn't be more help.

  Dr. Fredrick Walden : Why'd you just let him walk out of here? He knows more than he's telling us.

  Lex Luthor : Probably. But you've got enough on your plate, Doctor. Let me worry about Clark Kent.

• Clark Kent : [Dr. Walden is in the hospital]  How's he doing?

  Lex Luthor : Doctors have never seen anything like it. He's completely catatonic.

  Clark Kent : Is he gonna be okay?

  Lex Luthor : 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?

  Clark Kent : Not really.

  Lex Luthor : What about that language? You sure you can't read it?

  Clark Kent : What would give you that idea?

  Lex Luthor : Well, the symbol on your barn and this.

  Clark Kent : Look, I was just doodling. It doesn't mean anything.

  Lex Luthor : Yeah, well, it looks pretty specific to me.

  Clark Kent : Lex. Why do you care so much about an old Native American language?

  Lex Luthor : 'Cause I don't think it's Native American. I don't even think it's from this planet.

  Clark Kent : You think aliens wrote it? I'd keep that to yourself, Lex.

• Clark Kent : I'd like to thank you for turning our farm into Area 51. We needed a couple of sheriff deputies to keep all the wackos away.

  Chloe Sullivan : Sorry, Clark. You have to admit, it is really intriguing.

  Clark Kent : It was probably just a KU frat prank.

  Chloe Sullivan : Or could it be that aliens think that crop circles are passé, so they've moved on to barn scorchings?

  [he rolls his eyes] 

  Chloe Sullivan : Come on, Clark, this is Smallville. I mean, you have to consider the possibility.

  Clark Kent : [considering it]  I'll let it go if you forgive Lana for what she did.

  Chloe Sullivan : Why didn't I see this coming? Did she tell you what she was doing on my computer?

  Clark Kent : No, but she did tell me she was very sorry for what she did. I can't believe it.

  Chloe Sullivan : You know what, Clark? This is one time when you don't need to come to Lana's rescue.

• Jonathan Kent : [after Clark accidentally burns a Kryptonian symbol into the barn door]  Well, that ought to keep the looky-loos away. At least 'til I have a chance to patch it up better.

  Clark Kent : A couple of boards aren't gonna be able to cover up anything anymore. Especially after Chloe publishes her pictures.

  Martha Kent : Well, I-I think I convinced her it was a prank. You can't beat yourself up about this. Your abilities are still developing. You can't always control them.

  Clark Kent : There's nothing uncontrolled about that drawing. It's a symbol from wherever I'm from. It means hope.

  Martha Kent : How do you know that? Since when can you read the symbols?

  Clark Kent : Since I put the key in the cave wall.

  Jonathan Kent : Wait a minute. Since you did what?

• Martha Kent : Where is the key now?

  Clark Kent : I don't know. When I put the key in the wall, there was... there was a blinding light and I blacked out.

  Martha Kent : Are you all right?

  Clark Kent : Yeah, it didn't hurt me. But everything's jumbled up. It's like it downloaded me with the language from the cave wall.

  Jonathan Kent : Did anybody see you?

  Clark Kent : I don't think so, but Lex and Dr. Walden found me. I don't think they have the key. I think it disintegrated.

  Jonathan Kent : You're not 100% sure?

  [sharing a look with Martha] 

  Jonathan Kent : Clark, we understand you wanting to know more about your origins, but you're putting your own life in danger here.

  Clark Kent : Some things are worth the risk.

  Jonathan Kent : Like what?

  Clark Kent : Like the truth.

• Lana Lang : [discussing a homework assignment]  We should probably get together at the Talon tomorrow and figure out a game plan.

  [hearing a high-pitched buzzing, Clark groans and holds his temples in pain] 

  Chloe Sullivan : Clark doesn't like that idea.

  Clark Kent : [the buzzing stops]  Do you guys hear that?

  Lana Lang : Hear what?

  Clark Kent : [it starts again, then stops]  That.

  Chloe Sullivan : Apparently, you're part-canine, because we don't hear anything.

• Chloe Sullivan : Dr. Virgil Swann. You're being stalked by a legend, Clark.

  Clark Kent : I've never heard of him.

  Chloe Sullivan : 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 his own company, Swann Communications, which quickly rose to international acclaim in the 1970s as the world's largest producer of satellites. I mean, this guy has so much hardware in space that "Scientific American" dubbed him the man of tomorrow.

  Clark Kent : [looking at an article]  "Only through communication will people live in peace." Sounds like a remarkable guy.

  Chloe Sullivan : He was until he pulled a J.D. Salinger. Sold his company and put his millions toward charitable foundations. Rumor has it he devoted himself to searching for signs of intelligent life in the universe.

  Clark Kent : And what about the address on the card? How does that fit in?

  Chloe Sullivan : It's the New York Planetarium. What better place to look for little green men?

• Clark Kent : Tell me something, Doctor. Why are you doing this to me?

  Dr. Virgil Swann : We all have our windmills, Clark. I need to know I'm right. Once I do, it'll never leave this room.

• Martha Kent : Clark, we're not trying to keep you from learning about your past. We just don't wanna see you get hurt, either.

  Clark Kent : 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.

  Jonathan Kent : Then let's go together. We'll go as a family.

  Clark Kent : Dad, I have to go alone. It's the only way.

  [Martha takes his hand] 

  Clark Kent : No matter what I find out, it is not gonna change the way I feel about you. You're still gonna be my mom and dad.

• Clark Kent : I figured out what this is. It's the ship's heart.

  Jonathan Kent : Really? Have you used it yet?

  Clark Kent : I didn't wanna do it alone.

  Jonathan Kent : Let's do it together.

  [Clark inserts the octagonal key, and the ship opens] 

  Jonathan Kent : It's hard to believe you were ever that small.

• Clark Kent : Hello? Hello, Dr. Swann?

  [getting no answer, he turns to leave] 

  Clark Kent : What am I doing here?

  Dr. Virgil Swann : Looking for answers, I assume.

• Jonathan Kent : Clark, this whole thing is very suspicious.

  Clark Kent : He could give me some answers. He knows how to read the language.

  Jonathan Kent : According to you, he does. And how do we know that you're even reading it right? We have no idea what that cave did to you, son.

  Clark Kent : Mom, help me out here.

  Martha Kent : Clark, we don't know anything about this Dr. Swann.

  Jonathan Kent : For all we know, the whole thing could be an elaborate plan just to get to you.

  Clark Kent : Now you're just being paranoid. Did you ever think for a second that maybe he just wanted to help?

• Dr. Virgil Swann : You're probably wondering why a billionaire scientist works in the back room of a planetarium.

  Clark Kent : The thought had crossed my mind.

  Dr. Virgil Swann : Well, I find it peaceful. Besides, I own the building.