Verron_Birth of a Nation

by Douglas Varnell

  For the next two days Paul took 99 to practice in the flight simulator. Early the second day he made a 10 on his simulator score. To make certain it wasn’t a fluke, Paul had him continue. He scored consistent tens the rest of the afternoon and an 11 before he decided that he was good enough. Ninety-nine was excited. He didn’t quite grasp the concept that he was now considered good enough to fly a Speeder on his own. He was mostly excited because Paul was proud of his accomplishment on the simulator. Much to his astonishment Paul led him directly the Speeder he seemed so enamored with, reached inside and deactivated the security code and smiled at 99 saying, “Well, go see what she will do.” As he finished speaking, the hanger doors began to open, thanks to Lucy’s uncanny ability to pre-think Paul. He handed 99 a flight helmet to put on. It was the most ridiculous thing he had ever seen. It was never designed for a small head with horns. He looked like a “bobble-head.” It didn’t deter 99. He climbed into the cockpit, fired-up the reactors, and slowly began moving toward the open hanger door. As he reached the edge of the hanger, the Speeder’s canopy closed and he took off. Paul walked to the edge of the hanger and watched him cautiously fly around the valley and along the mountains that formed its border. He flew for at least an hour before returning and making a perfect landing in front of where Paul stood. Paul signaled him to wait where he was. He then walked back into the hanger and climbed into one of the other completed Speeders, placed a helmet on his head and hovered up alongside 99. He climbed out to check the com unit in 99s helmet. The ill fit made it difficult for him to properly use the communications system built into his headgear. He told 99 to just follow him. He would get Lucy to redesign a special helmet for 99 when they got back to Mountain City. He left the small transport they had been using parked at the ship factory, and took off towards Mountain City with a smiling 99 close behind. Ninety-nine was now officially a Speeder pilot; no one would believe it even if they saw it.

  Paul took a longer more scenic route on their return in order to familiarize 99 with the lower altitude passes through the Robert’s Range. He was doing a remarkable job of shadowing Paul’s every move. He felt like 99 was his wingman the way he was sticking with him. When they landed side-by-side back in the hanger bay in Mountain City, 99 climbed out and kissed his Speeder before he walked away. He removed his ill-fitting helmet and smiled bigger than Paul had ever seen before; all pointy teeth. As they headed for the elevators up, Paul heard Lucy say, “Go to the machine shop on the lower level and have the drone check the fit on the helmet.” Evidently, Lucy had already begun working on a special helmet for 99. Paul steered 99 toward the stairs and told him they were going to have a special helmet made just for him. If it was possible to grin even bigger, he just did. As they were walking down the stairs, Paul asked, “Lucy is there something we can do about the communication system in 99s helmet. I will be able to communicate with him when we fly since I now know Cronari, but it could be a problem when there are other people flying around Verron who don’t.” Lucy quickly informed him, “That problem can be easily solved. I will have his helmet programmed with a language translator. When he speaks Cronari others will hear English or Xhondarian if you prefer, and when you speak English, he will hear Cronari.” Paul paused a moment and replied, “You mean to tell me this technology has been available all along. Why didn’t we use this with 99 in the first place?” Lucy was quick to inform Paul, “The Language Translator Program in capable of translating over 20,000 known languages and translating them for the particular needs of the program users. Ninety-nine had no language in the beginning. Once he established himself as competent in Cronari, the program was then capable of translating it into any of 19,999 other languages.”

  When they reached the machine shop they were greeted by two drones with appendages that looked more like vise-grips than hands. One of them placed the helmet on 99 while the other moved some computerized measuring device around his head. The helmet had two perfectly placed holes for his short horns. The shape was slightly oval to accommodate his pointier and bigger ears. The drones were primarily measuring to make certain the helmet padding was properly placed. They removed the helmet and Lucy informed Paul that it would be ready and complete with the updated communications system by morning. Paul explained that to 99 and actually got some kind of goat/monkey hooved dance for a response. He shook his head in amusement and they headed for the kitchen. He threw together his chicken and broccoli casserole, smothered in Monterey Jack cheese and decided to just go to his room and eat. He felt like it would be a good night to practice his guitar and put together an action plan for the next few days. Ninety-nine would no doubt go to his new room and watch Star Wars once again; thinking it was some kind of training film.

  The new helmet was waiting in the cockpit of the Speeder when they finished breakfast and headed downstairs. Paul knew better than to try and freestyle run or workout this morning, not when 99 showed up for breakfast in a perfectly fitting flight suite tailored to fit his small body and hooved hock-jointed lower legs. They ate a quick breakfast and headed for the Speeders. When 99 put on his new helmet he actually strutted around to show it off. They climbed into their respective cockpits and Paul tried a com check. To the surprise of both, they were hearing their own language. For the next several days the two of them would spend the mornings flying then mixing workouts and runs in the afternoons. Ninety-nine was learning fast. Paul would lead 99 in aerials and loops then fly low through twisting river beds and ravines, and tight mountain passes. Then they would switch out and Paul would follow 99. One afternoon Paul was following 99 as he headed straight for Mt. Alene. As they approached the sheer rock face at around 40,000 feet, 99 slowed his speed but did not pull up to avoid the side of the mountain in front of him. Paul just knew he was going to crash then he saw it. The opening was easily large enough to fly a destroyer through. From below it looked like no more than a shadow on the side of the mountain. How 99 knew it was here he had no idea, but he had been on Verron for several hundred years. Someone must have shown him where it was.

  The little Speeders were tiny inside the mammoth cave opening. Ninety-nine continued to slow his speed as the cave narrowed. There were several tunnels leading off in different directions, but 99 appeared to know where he was going. Paul certainly hoped he did. Paul told him over the radio to switch to night vision as the cave was swiftly growing dark. The tunnel got smaller and smaller, and soon there was hardly enough room to fly through. Paul thought he may be able to get a Fighter through here, but it would be very tight. Soon, he saw a speck of light ahead and it was growing larger. They exited the other side of Mt. Alene about 10,000 above a huge glacier. They headed west along the glacier for a few miles and the valley floor dropped another 20,000 feet to a tight river valley. Paul was impressed with 99s knowledge of this part of the mountains. They soon came to a split in the river and turned south. The narrow river flowed between Mt. Alene and Mt. Ola emptying into a larger tributary running through the foothills on the other side. They were soon flying what seemed like inches above the thick forest on a direct heading for Mountain City.

  They flew out beyond Alicia Falls and circled back across Sabrina Bay for their final approach to the Mountain City hanger bay. Paul was impressed with how steady and smooth 99 controlled his final approach, especially since the cross winds were blowing at over 40 mph. The two of them came through the door side-by-side, made a perfectly synchronized 90 degree pivot and touched down with the nose of the Speeder facing toward the hanger center, only feet from the side wall; at exactly the same time. It was then Paul first noticed the Xhondarian Ship parked right next to the sleek Executive Star Ship. They evidently had just arrived since they were all standing around the exit hatch of the ship, staring in amazement at the two landing Speeders.

  Paul knew those looks weren’t directed at him. Ninety-nine must have seen them about the same time as Paul, but was out of the Speeder and racing across the hanger floor before Paul even got his hatch open. It was 99s m
oment of glory; Paul took his time so he could enjoy it. As he slowly climbed out of the Speeder and removed his helmet to place it on the seat in the cockpit, he couldn’t help but have a moment of triumph himself. This was after-all his first trained pilot and no doubt a real shocker for those who had witnessed a perfectly coordinated approach and landing done by a genetic experiment. Ninety-nine was literally hopping up and down as he hugged Tlase and Yadvega and proudly received a handshake from two fellow pilots, Dalhia and Izinsi. Congratulations were given by Gljarne, Bhlani, Xhing Li and then to 99s surprise, Zimuel picked him up and gave him a hug like a proud father to his son. As 99 took off his helmet and was showing it proudly to his friends, Paul realized there was one more familiar face standing behind the admiring crowd, Elder Mahala. He then decided he had held off approaching the crowd long enough and came over to be greeted with the warm embraces of good friends. Mahala came forward and extended his hand to Paul and spoke first, saying, “I hope you didn’t mind my making a surprise visit. This crowd was so convincing in their efforts to extend their stay on Verron, I decided to come and have a look for myself.” He looked concerned then Mahala added, “I wanted to come give you the blessing from The Council of Elders personally. So many good things were said about you by your friends, I had to come and see the Dragon King for myself.” Paul blushed and looked at his friends, as Mahala added, “They did mention the name, but I and the entire council have made it official. You are the sole ruling Monarch on this planet. It is a title you no doubt will earn, grow into and wear proudly. The title will carry a heavy responsibility, no one will possess as much power and influence as you. Those of us standing here today have sworn our unerring devotion to you and the success of Verron.” The only thing an overwhelmed Paul could think to say was, “Thank You, I promise I won’t let you down.”

  They each grabbed their smaller bags and headed upstairs. Paul knew they were prepared to stay for the duration of their mission, however long that may be. He’d have the drones get the rest of their things and take it to their rooms later. As everyone headed for their old rooms 99 had to show them his new room. He tried to get them to stay and watch his movies, but Paul convinced him there would be plenty of time for that later. After they got settled in their rooms it seemed like everyone decided to congregate at the same time in the kitchen to help with dinner or talk while it was being made. This was not an Xhondarian concept. In fact, most everything they ate was prepared by drones. Food preparation as a group activity was something peculiar to Verron and the American Southeast. There were five different conversations going on at once. Ninety-nine was telling everyone about everything he had done since they left and imitating “Darth Vader” and “Chewbacca.” He then began telling them about their flight today through the mountain cave. Next he described Paul teaching him to sword fight with the droids. Suddenly a hush fell over the room when 99 described Paul having a light sword that could chop any other sword in two. All eyes turned to Elder Mahala; it seems Dalhia had told the others, but not him. Mahala couldn’t help but notice the immediate quiet.

  Mahala looked at Paul and asked, “Is he talking about what I think he is talking about?” Paul paused then nodded with a low, “Yes. I believe so.” Elder Mahala looked around the room at the guilty faces and asked, “You all knew didn’t you?” He got affirmative nods from them, and continued, “I’m hurt that you did not trust me enough to tell me. I carried a Sabre longer than any living Xhondarian and I inherited mine from my mentor. It broke my heart to give mine up, but I knew I had to comply with the laws of Xhondar. How many of them do you have?” He asked, thinking that Illinasos Xhondar had somehow been able to keep his personal Light Sabre, and perhaps General Gljarne’s. Paul thought a second and replied, “All of them, sir.” Mahala almost fell out of his chair as he whispered, “Good, God! How? Where?” Dalhia answered by telling him, “Sir, evidently Illinasos pulled one of the greatest slight-of-hand tricks in Xhondar history. As you recall, it was his duty to collect the Sabre’s for destruction in the nuclear furnace. He evidently destroyed decoys. There are hundreds of complete sets: Sabre, dagger and force-field, in a secret and secure vault underneath Mountain City. Only Paul can open it.” Mahala thought a moment and looked at Paul and stated, “Well, I believe they are in the right hands. They can never come back to Xhondar, but I assure you, there will come a day when we will be glad they were not destroyed.” Everyone made a sigh of relief, then he added, “But I’m still upset that you didn’t tell me.” Looking at Paul, “Can I see one before I leave? I can show you how to reprogram the set for a new user, and even give you a good bit of insight on how it works.” Paul put a strong hand on Mahala’s shoulder and replied, “I’ll give you one if you wish, even if you do have to keep it here.” Suddenly Mahala got a peevish look on his face and asked, “Now, can I see the dragon?”

  After having eaten their meals in a more or less hit or miss manner for several weeks, Paul and 99 were thoroughly enjoying the almost festive preparation for supper. Paul broke out the closest thing to a Honey Baked Ham he could come up with and they made a green-bean casserole, mashed potatoes, creamed-corn, dinner rolls and sweet tea then finished off with a French Silk Pie. It was the first time Mahala and Izinsi had experienced a meal like this and Mahala jokingly commented, “Now I know the real reason you wanted to extend your time hear. Do you eat like this every meal?” Paul and his friends admitted they did and Mahala added, “I had forgotten that food could taste so good. Paul, do you think you can produce some of these foods on Verron?” He thought a moment and could think of no reason he couldn’t and answered, “My top priority is the get the wheat and cotton crops harvested and exported to Xhondar I, but I see no reason we can’t expand into other agricultural products. In fact, it will be necessary simply to maintain the residents of Verron. There is only so much we can get from Earth. As our population increases the production of our own foods will be imperative. There’s no reason we can’t produce enough to export as well.” After Mahala finished his second helping, they headed for the terrace to see Zeus. To everyone’s astonishment, Mahala walked directly to Zeus and embraced him then turned to face the others, saying, “I was the one responsible for rescuing the remaining dragons on Earth and bringing them here. We never could identify their original home planet, so we settled them on the closest thing to Earth we could find. I had forgotten what magnificent creatures they are; Zeus and I are old friends. You can’t believe how thrilled I am to see him still alive. Do you realize that you’re the first to use the healing power in over 2000 years?”

  Paul turned and looked at Zimuel, who was now staring at the ground. “Mahala saw Zimuel’s discomfort and responded, “Paul, you’ve got to remember that we have known each other for thousands of years. The reason we Elders have managed to get along is that we remain totally open and honest with each other. I know that is not common among the leaders on Earth, but I would suggest you try it on Verron.” Paul thought to himself, “That is one of the wisest words of advice he had ever received as a future leader of a nation.” He realized he could learn a lot from the Elders and not just the ones he had grown close to.

  Since Mahala was not planning to stay but a couple of days, Paul decided to give him a tour of the ship storage and manufacturing facility, the mines and steel mills, the wheat fields and the medical research facilities. When they had finished, Mahala asked, “Is there any particular reason you’ve avoided showing me the underground storage facility where Illinasos stashed all the allegedly destroyed missiles and weapons and the whitematter enrichment reactors?” He felt embarrassed and mad at the same time, knowing he had specifically requested that no one talk about those facilities. He looked at Mahala and asked, “So who told you about them?” That was when Paul soon realized that this man was not what he appeared to be, as he answered, “Paul, no one betrayed your confidence. I was the only other person on the Elder Council besides Illinasos who knew what the real plan was for those weapons. Do you think that Illina
sos and General Gljarne could have done what they did without some inside help from the Elders? It was actually my plan. I had been around long enough to know that getting rid of all weapons, other than for self-defense, was a bad idea. I approached Illinasos and Gljarne about establishing the colony on your planet. I was the one who secretly funded the entire operation. I had to keep up appearances on Xhondar for political reasons, so I was the most outspoken of the Council in pushing to get rid of the weapons. If anyone had a clue about what we were doing, it would have been disastrous. I never made a trip to Verron to see any of what we had planned in order to distance myself from it. Then when the virus killed off so many and the planet was abandoned, all I could do was hope that everything here would one day fall into the right hands. No one from Xhondar is aware of what you have in your possession, other than those on Verron at this moment, and I hope it stays that way. Now, let’s go see how Illinasos spent my money.”

  Paul had just developed a true appreciation of just how wise and crafty this old man was. He tried to grasp just how much this man had seen and done during his multi-millennial life span. He immediately turned the small ship they were in around and headed for the whitematter enrichment reactor, as he said, “Let’s go see what you bought.” Mahala, always one to ease even a slightly tense situation, told Paul, “I knew exactly what you would find here. Illinasos did occasionally give me updates. Let there be no doubt, it is all yours. I agreed to you being the sole owner of this planet because I wanted the people of Xhondar to be convinced that you are responsible for the technology. There will be few who will remember just what a destructive arsenal Xhondar possessed. I am absolutely convinced that it is better off in your hands than a group of political leaders trying to manipulate it for their own purposes. Has the realization of just what kind of power and responsibility you now possess hit you yet?” Paul sat quietly a moment then answered, “Yes Sir, but I try hard not to dwell on it too much. I feel like God will direct me to use what I have as I have need for it.” Mahala shook his head in agreement as they approached their next stop. Paul, being a bit of an antagonist at times, couldn’t resist getting in at least one good dig, “So, that speech last night about never keeping secrets from each other, exactly how does that all fit in with this program of yours and Illinasos?” Instead of getting mad or offended Mahala smiled and answered, “You will soon find out as the supreme leader of your nation that you will have to make decisions to do what you and only you may believe is right. Although millions may be impacted by that decision, it is ultimately yours to make. Sometimes those decisions are best kept to one’s self. Don’t ever allow yourself to lose the level of control you need to do what you believe in. Others will try to take that power from you; even more will want to share it. Politicians will want to divide the power or completely put in the hands of the people. You must remain in charge and continue to pursue the plan God gives you. More lives than you imagine depend on it, including those on Xhondar. Illinasos, Gljarne and I had strong convictions of right and wrong. You unfortunately will one day find that we were right in keeping our weapons and continuing to improve them. We on the Council of Elders fear that all you have on Verron and more will just barely be enough to begin with when the enemy finally comes. We’re counting on you to be prepared and those on this planet with you are here to help you succeed.”