Verron_Birth of a Nation

by Douglas Varnell

  Paul then told them, “I’d like to have a meeting in the morning with everyone before you head back to get settled in and begin recruiting others. After getting the female input, I believe one of the first things I need you to do is buy me a retail chain. Walmart is too big, but I need to buy someone who moves enough inventories to stock a store on Verron without it being too obvious what I’m doing, at least for a few years. I was thinking J.C. Penny’s. Sears is too big and with all the Penny’s stores I could increase their sales dollars without being too obvious. Then if we buy someone who is strong in Europe I can spread out the inventories even more. I know I’m a pain, but I’m just not ready to make Verron’s existence common knowledge just yet. It’s best to keep these acquisitions as quiet as possible.” It was Leona’s turn to speak, “How soon do you want this to get started?” He smiled and replied, “Yesterday. I can’t afford to keep sending people to the Mall of America, especially not my family.”

  They had made it through the meal and were being served warm pecan pie with French vanilla ice cream and Paul was pretty sure he had gotten through without the mini-fighter being discussed, when Tala asked, “Uncle Paul, can you really fly and make stuff blow-up?” Paul saw the look of guilt on Amber’s face and knew immediately that there were no secrets inside the gang. He also knew that there were probably no secrets between mother and daughters. He soon found out he was correct about both assumptions. Danyel jumped in, “And what’s all this about a mini-fighter that Tala told me she was supposed to have flown?” All eyes were riveted on the guilty party seated at the head of the table. Paul thought a moment and decided that the truth, as unbelievable as it was, was the only way out. It seemed his plans were getting a bit ahead of themselves. “Ok, is everybody comfortable? This may take a little while.” Uncle Kenneth pored himself another tea and Donald cut one more piece of pie and then both confirmed, “Go for it.”

  Paul began, “As you all know, and I’ve kept it no secret that I am a different man than I used to be. I guess that’s pretty obvious since you were all teleported over 50 million light years from Earth to Verron in a fraction of a second.” They looked at each other trying to comprehend 50 million light years. He continued, “You only need to look at me and each other to grasp the realization that this place is not like Earth. Zimuel, Tlase, Bhlani, Dalhia, Gljarne, Xhing Li and Yadvega are all from Xhondar I. They are as human as any human can be, except they are a much older and advanced civilization than us. The Elders of that planet selected me to build Verron into a world power. They passed on to me certain skills, that only their 24 Elders possess, in order to give me the tools I need to get the job done, and it’s a big job. These seven people are here to help me get Verron up and going. I can’t do it by myself, but they will not be permanent residents here and by the time they leave, I need to have a handful of people, who I know and trust, groomed to assist me and possess these same powers. Xhondar has proven what a disaster it can become for everyone to have them. It is my hope to replace them, when they go, with Hunter, Amber, Katelyn, Chase, Tala, Daniel and 99.” The expressions on the kid’s faces were a mix of surprise, joy and fear. “I have already taken the liberty to enhance most of you based on the jobs I need you to do for Verron. Since our gravity is heavier, all of you have been enhanced enough to more than compensate. I have also increased brain density in some of you. We have a nation to build, and the people at this table are going to be the key to making it happen. I will do whatever it takes for us to be successful. I owe it to you and I owe to the world.

  Now, I have spent a good bit of time getting to know these young people, they are the finest kids I’ve ever known; they love their God, their family and each other. I would like for them one day to be the leaders of this nation, that’s why I would like to groom them in the same skills that I was groomed in.” Paul asked his Xhondarian friends to come stand with him at the end of the table. He had the drones open the doors at the end of the dining room overlooking the bay. As if on cue, Paul and the Xhondarians formed a ball of energy as big as a baseball in front of them. Suddenly, at Paul’s command, they merged to make one bigger ball in front of Paul. He nodded his head towards the open doors and the ball flew above the dining room table and out over the bay with sonic speed. It was at least 10 miles away when it exploded into a ball of flame that spread across the horizon. The shock wave from the explosion blew a warm breeze through the open doors just moments later. Paul then commented, “I can’t fly, but I can use telekinetic powers along with increased body strength to move objects, all the serving trays lifted off the table, or to lift even myself, Paul then rose off the ground. After everything was back as it was he continued, “These kids have spent the week in a flight simulator. To them it was almost like a virtual reality video game. But what they learned was how to fly a spaceship and to everyone’s amazement, including my own, Tala scored higher than anyone else had scored and even managed to get a mini-fighter operational on her own and actually did a remarkable job flying it. They all worked as a team along with Marcus to finish the Speeders already under construction. Hunter and Amber already have their own Speeder and are working hard so their cousins will have one too. With your permission, I would like to apprentice my grandchildren, nieces and nephews. I, and the people who taught me, will help them to become the smartest, strongest and most talented group of young adults in history, but I will not do this without your permission and blessing.” Six youngsters were giving pleading looks at reluctant parents awaiting their fate. Renee was the first to speak, “My children told me everything and I don’t see how I can refuse to let them pursue what everyone of us at this table would love to be able to do.” Danyel looked down at her little redhead and asked, “You can really fly a spaceship?” In her childlike honesty, she answered, “I’m the bestest.” Danyel and Marcus gave their nod of approval. A teary eyed Rachael asked, “You can really cure his autism?” Paul answered, “No doubt about it.” She replied, “Then how could I say no.” Paul turned to 99 and said, “Little buddy, you have no one to ask and I’ve never bothered to ask you; are you in.” Everyone cracked-up as he did that ridiculous hooved jig of his.

  Before they left the dining room he reminded them that he wanted to have a short meeting with them after breakfast. The seven congregated together to congratulate each other and to discuss getting the other Speeders prepared. Chase proclaimed, “We gotta have a name. What can we call ourselves?” His grandpa Kary said, “How ‘bout the “Little Rascals”? They ran him off and continued. Katelyn looked over at Zeus and said, “Since Uncle Paul is called the Dragon King, why don’t we call ourselves the Dragon Guard. Hunter and Amber’s approval was all they needed to make it unanimous. Even 99 agreed it would be a great name. Hunter then turned to Yadvega and asked, “Ms. Yadvega, how long would it take for you to teach all of us Cronari?” Ninety-nine looked at her awaiting her reply, “If you give me your undivided time and attention, a couple of days.” Hunter turned and put his hand on 99s shoulder and declared, “In two days Cronari will be the official language of the Dragon Guard.” Ninety-nine couldn’t resist his dance again, this time he was joined by Tala and Chase.

  After dinner Paul spent some time with his Mom getting settled in a suite that was the same size as his. He didn’t have to measure; it was on the floor directly above him and the exact same view as his room out both ends. The only difference was the transparent floor on the balcony. There wasn’t much point in looking down on the balcony below. He couldn’t get over how energetic and vibrant she was. She was also a little sad at the same time that this couldn’t all have happened sooner, before so many of her friends and family had passed-away. Like a typical mother, she wanted to make sure her son didn’t let all this new found power go to his head. She reminded him to always look out for those less fortunate and protect those who can’t protect themselves. He asked her, “Well, Mom, now that you are officially the Queen Mother of Verron, what would you like to do?” She thought a minute, then answered, “W
ell if you think I’m going to sit around this palace all day and supervise a bunch of robots, you’re in for a surprise, and don’t expect me to cook for and clean-up after all these people either.” He couldn’t help but be thrilled to have his Mom being her old self again. He decided she needed to have some place to use her talents and her new found energy, as he told her, “Tell you what, Mom. You saw the mall I plan to build. It’s yours. You spent most of your working career working for other people who owned malls. There’s not a thing you don’t know about managing one and filling it with the right kind of merchandizers. As soon as we start laying it out, you will need to start leasing space. I have a few ideas that Leona and Donald are going to be working on for me, I’ll tell you more when they get to New York and start doing the financial analysis I’ve asked them to do. Meanwhile, would you like your own hovercraft so you can get around or do you want one of my new pilots, like Tala or 99 to fly you?” Her answer came quick, “I’ll fly myself. In over 60 years of driving, I never had a wreck, I recon I can handle a spaceship as well as any of you.” Paul thought, “That’s my Mom.”

  Paul showed up for breakfast and his Mom was in the kitchen. She couldn’t stand the thought of a robot making her meal. It looked like she and Yadvega were the first ones there and were enjoying a cup of coffee, bowl of oatmeal with butter and brown sugar and some interesting conversation. Paul grabbed a Diet Coke and a bowl of oatmeal and joined them, asking, “I wonder where everyone else is?” Yadvega answered, “The newly formed Dragon Guard has already been here and got an early start somewhere, probably to work on the Speeders. Several now have their own residence and most likely are enjoying breakfast in their own home, the rest, no doubt, have not adjusted to Verron time.” It wasn’t long before Tlase, Zimuel, Dalhia, Gljarne, Bhlani, Xhing Li and Clark showed up. Paul’s mother looked at them and said, “I hope you all know how to fix breakfast, we’ve already got ours.” His friends got the not so subtle hint and began cooking Kinfu egg omelets filled with jack cheese and leftover BBQ from the night before. It looked and smelled so good Paul had to join them. His Mom looked at him and stated, “If you eat like that every meal, you’re going to as big as a house.” Yadvega reached over beside her chair and retrieved a small shopping bag, saying, “I forgot this last night. I saw it in a shop in the mall and just had to get it for Paul.” She handed Paul the bag and he removed a black T-Shirt with white lettering, silkscreened with, “As long as everything is exactly the way I want it, I’m totally flexible.” Everyone in the room agreed it was perfect. Paul realized that his friends saw him as a very demanding person.

  They decided to have the after breakfast meeting in the conference room in the executive offices. Before the meeting got underway, Paul showed Clark, his Uncle Kenneth and Michael their offices. Informing them that when the capital building was built and the financial center finished, they would relocate there. Everyone drifted in by twos and threes and all were there except the seven members of the Dragon Guard. Paul was not concerned. What they needed to know their parents could pass along and they would just be bored anyway. He took his position at the head of the long conference table and looked upon the youngest looking bunch of leaders he had ever seen, knowing that more than half of them were older than him. This was a crucial moment. What he was about to say could make or break his plans and he would have to find others to work with if it went badly. He decided to go with his normal politically incorrect and direct approach; he didn’t want to be a politician, saying what others wanted to hear, but a leader who was decisive and certain of himself. He began, “I want to officially welcome all of you to Verron. I’ve been looking forward to this day for two years and have had that much time to prepare for it and I’m still astonished by what I learn and see each day. I’m sure many of you are overwhelmed. I guess, first of all, I want you to know that no one on this planet is here or ever will be here against their will. There are no strings attached to the gift of rejuvenation you have been given and that some of you are going to be receiving very soon. If you decide to live on Verron and be a part of the incredible opportunity and challenges that lie ahead, God knows, I want and need you here. If you choose to go back to Earth and live out your new healthier lives there, I will wish you my best. What I need from you, if you do decide to commit to Verron, is to go home as discretely as possible, settle your affairs, then recruit as many of your family members and friends as possible. I cannot be everywhere, so my friends and I will set pre-established times and locations to open gateways for your return. Keep in mind that we can use almost anyone, but we will especially need farmers, construction workers of every kind, factory workers, teachers, miners, engineers, heavy equipment operators, as well as people to run our warehouses, and distribution systems. I will especially need soldiers; active or retired. I already have plans to recruit several people who are retired Navy Seals, Delta Force, Army Special Forces and Marines. They are experienced trained professionals and after going through rejuvenation will be able to once again do what they spent their entire lives training for. I know that many of you are concerned about my military mind, but believe me, this military is what will be the first line of defense and protection for billions of people. There will one day be a galactic revolution. We need to be in a position to win it; all mankind needs us to be in a position to win it. I know I sound crazy and like those end-time prophets back on Earth, but there are men and women who have been around since before Earth’s stone age, who have knowledge and experience we don’t have, who have predicted this to begin within the next decade, as other worlds become more technically advanced. Only a professional and technically advanced military will be able to oppose them. I plan to build that military. Verron may well be the last line of defense for the entire human race.”

  “That being said, you can see, I, correction, we, have a tremendous task ahead of us. It is without a doubt the most important thing any of you will do in your lifetime. It is my responsibility to provide the resources and leadership required to make it happen. At the same time, I plan to offer all those who choose Verron a quality of life and opportunities beyond anything they would ever find on Earth. Like the motto of police and military all over the world, our motto will be “protect and serve.” That is the motto of this Nation and of your leader. I plan to serve the people I rule, not have them serve me. Now, being mostly family in this room and long-time friends, this next part may be a little hard to swallow. I am the sole owner of this planet. A planet three times the size of Earth with more natural and technological resources than you can begin to imagine. I refuse to be political or let the decision making process get bogged down in the hands of self-serving individuals. This will be a Monarchy, to you in this room, I am still Paul Verron, son, brother, cousin, friend; to everyone else, I am King Paul Verron, ruler of the Nation of Verron. Now, since I am king that makes my Mother, Alene, Queen Mother, and both of my brothers a prince. Their natural born children will be either a prince or a princess. Joe I know you have step-children, so the line stops with you. Kary, Michael and Marcus will be bestowed the title of prince, Daniel and Chase will also be a prince, Tala and Katelyn will be a princess. Renee, you and your sisters will bear the title princess; Hunter will be Prince Hunter and Amber will be Princess Amber. I’m sorry, but your husbands do not hold any title. I hope they will be alright with that. The titles will establish lines of authority and help prepare future leaders. Again I say; I will not be able to do it by myself.”

  “Now, here’s the part that may rub some of you the wrong way and will most definitely infuriate a lot of people on Earth. All the people who will live on Verron will be white and Christian or at least willing to live under laws and regulations established on Christian principles. No other religion will be tolerated. Christianity will not be forced on anyone, but it will be in our schools, the foundation of our government and the moral fiber of the Nation. Our money will say ‘Jesus is Lord.’ I could care less about what denomination someone may choose, but be sure,
Muslims, Buddhist, Scientologist, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, and anyone who does not proclaim Jesus as the Son of God will not be allowed here. I know I sound completely contrary to the racial and religious tolerance taught on Earth. Well, this isn’t Earth and I don’t have the time or desire to deal with all the problems that go along with trying to make an integrated society work. More wars have been fought and are still being fought over racial and religious issues than any other reason. I have no intentions of getting bogged down in the things that Earth has been trying to fix for centuries and instead, just keeps getting worse. We need unity. Earth does not have it, we must. Be sure and make this perfectly clear to those who you think would be good candidates for Verron. Unlike those on Earth, we here can choose to either live here or someplace else, no one will be trapped in a place they don’t want to be.”

  “Next; and this may hurt in the recruitment more than the race and religion thing, there will be no drugs, tobacco or alcohol. Those of you who just went through the rejuvenation process will find that drugs, tobacco and alcohol do not agree with you anymore. If someone wants to live here and has a drug, nicotine or alcohol problem, we can completely cure them of it, but we won’t tolerate it. Beer and wine will be available and no doubt eventually manufactured right here on Verron. I consider them beverages that people drink with food, so did the Bible. But we will be harsh on alcoholics and drunk drivers, or maybe I should say, drunk-fliers. Can you imagine commuting in a vehicle capable of almost Mach speeds, drunk? Only a few crimes will hold the death penalty: murder, child molestation, rape, drug manufacturing and distribution, that includes alcohol as a drug, espionage and treason. The judicial system will be administered by the Council of Elders; some of you will be on it. There will be no long trials and guilty people getting off because they have expensive lawyers. There is a truth serum that was created on Verron. It is 100% reliable and cannot be beaten. Anyone convicted of a crime will be given this serum. It is absolutely impossible for anyone to tell a lie while it is in their system. I welcome anyone here to test it. It has no harmful side effects. I have administered it myself to a known terrorist leader on Earth, he sang like a canary; that is how the FBI stopped the attack on the Mall of America that was in the news.”