Children Of The Fountain

By Rowlen Delaware Vanderstone III

Dobbin’s Hope is a colony world of old Earth in the 3445 AD old earth time. It has been colonized since then, Dobbin’s Hope is named after the space explorer Captain David Dobbin, who named the planted after his daughter Hope Dobbin who perished on Earth after its last and final great war which decimated most of earths populations and environment during the last century of 3400 AD. Captain Dobbins headed the only exodus off earth with a fleet of colony ships full of earth survivors, and the last remaining cryogenics-embryos of earth fauna and flora. Dobbins Hope was colonized and within the first thousand years it has rebuilt a flourishing world on its main continent and numerous island land masses. The colonies reestablished themselves around a single Theological democratic government body to guide the colonies. They re-introduced the theology of a one God religion and belief system that guided the people through the long centuries of colony life on Dobbin’s Hope.
A thousand years later, even this religion became deluded with non-believers and apathy which was pandemic on earth by the end of 3400 AD on old earth, which lead to its final global war. After 2000 years on Dobbins Hope, its governments have become several nations, often walking a tight rope of peace between them. The citizens no longer remember who Dobbin was, nor do they remember they are a colony world of earth survivors. This history has faded from the minds of the people who now live in the many cities, towns, and villages of Dobbin’s Hope. They have even forgotten the name of their planet and now call it New Earth, a generic description of the world they live on. They lead their lives according to current beliefs, customs, and a social structure that is parallel to the mid-20th century of old earth both in technology and theology.
But not all is well on the colony, A great war has come and gone and now the One Church faces a new conflict. Someone or something has encouraged the Teens of the villages, towns and cities to take an exodus to Calliope the mega city of Dobbins Hope. There they disappear never to be seen again. Father Tomas, Brotherhood-General of the Church of Arcanum sets out to find the reason why, these youths are leaving there homes during the night. Leaving families at a loss as to why these youth are abandoning their families and going to Calliope, to a city rife with a lifestyle of crime, poverty, and unrest. What Father Tomas finds is a Fountain of Bronze children that suddenly comes alive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rowlen Delaware Vanderstone III
• Release date: Jan 27, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005146801

Rowlen Delaware Vanderstone III

I am a Award winning Poet, Writer, Artist, Sculptor, Pop Sociologist, an Inductee into the National Deans List, a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. I have been active in Community Service: Past Board Member of the Vine Neighborhood Association (3 terms), Membership Chair, Fund Raising Committee, Board secretary and interim Board Treasurer. Past member of the Recipient Rights Committee, County Mental Health Board. KVCC Public Museum Volunteer for 20 years. Involved in Community Theater for 50 years off and on most recent with the Kalamazoo Civic Theater since 1985. I have been apart of a Disaster Relief team for Hurricane Andrew in Florida helping feed 5000 people a day. I have be a home missionary worker with a local church administrating a shelter program for the homeless, Minister of the food Ministry, cook, and procurement of emergency food pantry items 1991-1992, I am a graduate of Kalamazoo Valley Community College 1998, Studies at Western Michigan University, Studies at Lansing Community College 1975, Graduate of Davenport College of Business 1974. Graduated Portland High School at age 21 in 1970. I was born in 1951 premature Twin with developmental issues, Learnings disabilities, and hearing impaired.

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Children of The Fountain

By

Rowlen Delaware Vanderstone III

Copyrighted 01/26/2021.

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Introduction

Dobbin’s Hope is a colony world of old Earth in the 3445 AD old earth time. It has been colonized since then, Dobbin’s Hope is named after the space explorer Captain David Dobbin, who named the planted after his daughter Hope Dobbin who perished on Earth after its last and final great war which decimated most of earths populations and environment during the last century of 3400 AD. Captain Dobbins headed the only exodus off earth with a fleet of colony ships full of earth survivors, and the last remaining cryogenics-embryos of earth fauna and flora. Dobbins Hope was colonized and within the first thousand years it has rebuilt a flourishing world on its main continent and numerous island land masses. The colonies reestablished themselves around a single Theological democratic government body to guide the colonies. They re-introduced the theology of a one God religion and belief system that guided the people through the long centuries of colony life on Dobbin’s Hope.

A thousand years later, even this religion became deluded with non-believers and apathy which was pandemic on earth by the end of 3400 AD on old earth, which lead to its final global war. After 2000 years on Dobbins Hope, its governments have become several nations, often walking a tight rope of peace between them. The citizens no longer remember who Dobbin was, nor do they remember they are a colony world of earth survivors. This history has faded from the minds of the people who now live in the many cities, towns, and villages of Dobbin’s Hope. They have even forgotten the name of their planet and now call it New Earth, a generic description of the world they live on. They lead their lives according to current beliefs, customs, and a social structure that is parallel to the mid-20th century of old earth both in technology and theology.

Again, conflicts threatens the many lives of New Earths citizens, warring first in words against its neighbors, and finally in armed combat. The great war that was to end all wars on New Earth has ended. The One Church played a greater role in bringing neighbor nations to the peace table and bringing stability to the people. Fifty years later, the One Church is waning once again, and it shows in the youth who live in the many towns and villages. The great cities once centers of culture, education, and government suffered during the last great war. Out of the ruins rose the mega of paganism, cultism, and rebellion among its youth. The One Church that once was the glue that held government and the church together as a ruling party was gone losing its presence in these cities, cities that are seen as havens for the youth who seek these cities for the life style they offered.

After the great war ended, those in the city for survival migrated out of the ruins to reestablished smaller communities, villages, towns, farming communities and the One Church Parishes. Where the Parish priest and the town council was the only local government with enough autonomous rule to survive the many years of chaos after the great war. These communities became the breadbaskets of the larger cities producing the food to feed them, clothes them, and provide the raw material for the cities large factories. After a 50 years since the great war there was a restoration of a central government and the One Church. The rule of both where modified to prevent the mistakes that led up to the great war. The One Church had a lessor roll, protecting the souls of the people, and the government had the greater roll, of defending the law of the land. A compromise was agreed that the One Church and the government would hold no standing army as before the great war, and the government would institute a system where enforcement of the law was a civil matter for local communities to police as long as each community adhered to universal laws, codes, and regulations. No one community was above the other, all had the same laws, codes, and regulations. The One Church dealt with the souls, morality of the community and where the local judges of the courts, while the Government dealt with being a higher court to settle matters the local courts could not.

The exodus of youth from the towns and villages of drained their labor force, these rural communities and Parishes became smaller. The smallest of the smallest villages packed up and went to the larger communities, and many to the big cities in hope of jobs in the factories and industry of the cities. Smaller Parish churches closed their doors with no souls to tend to. In time even the largest towns where suffering the exodus to the bigger cities now mega cities where many youths disappeared in and never heard from again.

Chapter 1

The Fountain

It is the New Earth Year 2169, October 28th. I find myself in a fertile green valley were a small village of 4200 hundred or so residents live in comparative peace with its environment. The residents are unaware of the outside world and much of the troubles that plague others that live in the larger metropolitan area's that lie 175 miles to the east of the village. The residents of this village have no need for the modern cities, and seldom if any, have its residents ever been to the city. Those who have, bring back tales of woe and worry about the city noise, the lack of green space, and the suffocating masses of people rushing from one place to another with little care or attention to a visitor to its fair city. These tales remind the old folk that nothing is gained by visiting the city, and they try very hard to discourage the young men and women of the village from being lured by the dreams of fortune and fame to be found in the big cities.

The village elders will scoff at the young and remind them that everything they need can be found right in their own backyards. The youth of the village will tell the elders they know nothing of their dreams and desires to escape from the village and seek out new horizons. The youth complain about village life and how tired they are with the lack of modern conveniences or the entertainments the big city can offer them. This dialogue is a common stage that is played all too often between the restless youth of the village and their elders. The results are that a few youth upon reaching the age of majority leave the village looking for that greener pasture many miles away from their childhood friends and family. Of late many of the elders have come to realize that fewer and fewer youth of the village are returning, to gladly accept the quiet existence of village life. This exodus from the placid village life of late, has reached an alarming high, where the big cities are bursting to the seams with homeless youth engaging in the sinful and lawless activities that thrive in the dark corners of every big city.

It was these dark environments that led me to escape the confinement of the mega city and brought me to this small valley of lush green fields of spring crops, grape vine, orchards of fruits, and cattle grazing. Everywhere I looked there was a vista of virgin growth manicured with love and the pride that villagers put into the fertile land. In the faces of the farmers, the Vine Masters, and the milkmaids I saw contentment and I saw an ageless battle to survive off the land, a land that seldom allowed the weak to survive, and the strong to bend their knees in defeat. Everywhere around me there was a scene of cooperation with nature and man who sought to live off the land. At best, this alliance produced a thriving village, where the land supported the needs of each and every one who lived in this valley. The villagers managed the land as long as there were able bodied men and women to plow, seed, prune and harvest the fruits of their labors.

The exodus of the young to the larger cities were putting in jeopardy this synergy . The elders of the villages where in constant battle with their young, and this village was not any different. With each dawn, the elders found less youth in the fields and more work for them. Given the rate of the exodus, soon this village like the rest would find themselves hiring out for help from the very cities their youth were lured too. The quality of this help would be poor and untrained, and the fields would suffer for it, then the villagers, then the peaceful tranquility of the valley. I stood on the highest point overlooking the village. From my view this village appeared to have escaped time, but for how long? On my long journey from the city, I meet one youth who claimed to have come from this village. He was eyes were eager and full of hope. All he could talk about was the great wages he would find in the city, the opportunities to fine fame and fortune. I sadly listened to his fable and when the opportunity came, I tried to talk him out of his folly. He stood there on the side of the road yelling Your just like the elders back home, they don't know what it’s like to wake up every morning to the same thing day in and night out. I’m going to the city, and never going to return. The youth shouted at me with a voice that was dry from the dusting road he was traveling on.

We parted our ways, with him going east, while I headed west to that home he repudiated so strongly. We had different needs. Mine was to find some solitude from the city of evil he so eagerly praised. There I stood overlooking the valley, admiring its green lushness, the red tiled roofs of the white washed homes in the village proper, and the many farmsteads that dotted the landscape like well-mannered children under the protective care of their parents. My eyes turned again to the village proper and I followed the one dirt road that wound through the village and east out to the other side of the valley. It was from the hill I stood on, that I noticed the Parish church facing the road that lead into the village, standing alone as if unwanted. There was a small cemetery to one side, with neat rows of headstones, each trimmed of weeds by a loving caretaker. To the back of the parish church was a wooded area, wild and uninviting. And from my vantage point, I could see an overgrown path that led to a large estate home, long sense abandoned to face the elements of nature. With my field glasses I could see a great lawn in front of the mansion and in this lawn there was once was a rectangular shape a depression in the earth. As I adjusted the focus, I made out several statues standing in what could only be a fountain overgrown with dead foliage that choked at the statues feet and torso’s.

In contrast to the rest of the valley this area was lifeless and full of decay. There was something about this decay that seemed timeless, as if untouched by the outside world. The mansion stood as a monitor over the fountain and what I could see through the glasses, it was untouched as well by time. Yet, it was lifeless, as if it had died and wasn't aware of its state of demise. There was a mystery here, a past that matched my own sorry life. With a sigh, I put my field glasses away, and trekked down the hillside to connect with the road that lead into the village that ran in front of the Parish church. It didn't take me long to find the path that lead from the back of the church to the wooded area. No one came out to ask what I was doing, or who I was. This was fine with me. I wasn't ready to explain my presence or give out my name as of yet. I had my reasons. For now, the path lead me to estate that was well hidden in the woods without any