Sobek's proposal shocked those present. "Bring the dinosaurs... here?" someone asked.
Sobek had expected such a reaction, but he couldn't help but feel bothered by the man's question. "Exactly"
"Can we know why?" someone else asked, but in a decidedly more respectful tone.
"Of course. As I have already explained, we cannot simply build a boundary line and scowl across it. If we do this, we will always find ourselves on the razor's edge, and the risk of a second conflict would be a concrete reality” Sobek explained. “If we really want to keep the peace we have to go back to living together, on the same territory, as our ancestors did. At the moment my people and I are enjoying greater public appreciation due to the fact that we have achieved peace and solved the problem of famine. When you announce the economic plan, the appreciation index towards us will rise even more. However, it won't last forever, and sadly people forget pretty quickly. This is t
Trey Thompson was the president of the Republic of Alsace, a small state on the east coast of the continent of Laurentia. He had been elected two years earlier, after three consecutive presidents had resigned one after the other due to the international crisis that seemed impossible to manage. Under normal circumstances, a mere congressman like Trey Thompson would never have been considered for the role of president, but in the end he found himself in that role even though he hadn't done anything to get it.Incredibly, Trey had discovered that he was a good head of state. Despite the disastrous circumstances in which his country (as indeed the entire human world) found itself, he had managed to revive the economy, albeit slightly. Unlike his predecessors, Trey didn't have a smile, didn't have the gab and didn't have the ability to engage the masses, but people still admired him because of his honesty: if he promised something, he kept it.Regardless of what people beli
Jocelyne wasn't the only one to work hard to convince world leaders that evening: Pauline also put in her own. So did Darius and Grace, who were present in the palace as prime minister and advisor to the queen. The gist of it was always the same: procrastinating didn't do any good, except to widen the gap between humans and dinosaurs, so it was best to get busy now to clear that gap.It was a sleepless night for almost everyone. Nobody could sleep knowing they had to make that fateful decision. When the sun rose the next day its light illuminated the still awake world leaders, lying in their beds for sheer appearance.Absolute silence reigns in the palace all morning. Nobody showed up, not even in the corridors. Only around eleven did the politicians begin to come out of their rooms and meet. But none of them seemed to have any intention of saying a word. In religious silence they gathered and walked towards the garden, their heads full of thoughts. Once they got to the gazebo, they s
"Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the Republic of Alsace Trey Thompson!"Applause rang through the television. John Hammond emitted a slight smile as he watched the man take the stage."John, why do you keep watching the speeches of the various heads of state?" Benjamin Lockwood asked him, sitting next to him. "You have already looked at every speech of every nation at least four times"John gave a cough. Even if he tried not to show it, he felt life slipping away from him day after day. He knew he didn't have much time left. Even though the doctors had told him he could last another year, he doubted he would last another month.Yet despite all the mistakes he had made in life, he was at peace with himself. His only concern, for a long time, had been to create a peaceful world for his grandchildren. And finally, even though he knew that he would not live long enough to see it realized, he was now able to glimpse the hope of a bright future on the ho
At least the first part of the plan put in place by the governments proved to be working: when the factories began to be converted into new plants, the population had flocked in search of work. As Sobek had predicted, providing food and shelter was not enough to ensure that humans could provide for all of their services. Even though they were no longer at risk of starvation or cold, people still needed to work.For the time being, governments and large financial groups were doing their job. The demand for workers to repair and modify the factories had greatly lowered the unemployment rate. Obviously, this was not a definitive solution: once the repairs were completed, further maneuvers would be necessary to guarantee the workers a permanent job. However, for at least a few months, many people could finally go home with a salary.Converting the entire energy industry of the country into clean energy was a titanic undertaking. Not only the factories: even the houses and
Throughout the day, the work continued without further hitches. Although everyone observed Owen in a strange way, no one had gone to disturb him while he was riding the einiosaur. Who, by the way, had discovered her name was Tricky.Around noon, it was time for lunch. The workers began to go to their tables and sit down, waiting for the ration. Normally, dinosaurs would eat on one side and humans on the other: it was one of the many unwritten laws that had formed in that short period of time. Neither Owen nor Tricky seemed intent on breaking that rule, in fact they were already about to say goodbye, when a mighty hand fell on the man's shoulder. "Hey friend! Won't you introduce me to your new helper? Who are you, brother?"It was Barry. Of course, he also worked there. As a good friend, he had followed Owen wherever he had decided to go.Three years earlier Owen and Barry had steady jobs as cops; but as soon as the economic crisis unleashed by the disastrous war
"I am seriously beginning to believe that humans deserve extinction"It was rare for Jocelyne to lose control like that, but she couldn't help herself sometimes. She knew that getting humans and dinosaurs to get along would not be an easy task, and that it would surely be much more difficult than what she had already faced in Beleriard. However, sometimes human stupidity really made her exasperate.The reports she received daily from the reforestation work sites weren't flattering. Seriously, were people really so stupid that they didn't even try to talk to those they had finally made peace with, and who were helping them out of famine and economic crisis? Maybe it was her fault since she was too much of a trade mentality, but from her point of view it was stupid to hold a grudge against someone. Yesterday's opponent could have been an excellent ally tomorrow. But apparently she was the only one who thought so.“Miss Jersey, don't do that. We knew it would
[Evolution complete: congratulations, you have evolved to Spinosaurus divinus!]Sobek finally opened his heavy lids. He felt as rested as he hadn't been for months, even though his body was a bit stiff due to the humidity. As usual, as soon as he woke up completely his senses now much more developed than before him hit him so hard it almost made him dizzy.It took him a few minutes to recover and familiarize himself with his senses. Now he had such powerful eyesight that he could see parts of a leaf without a microscope, his hearing could sense a raindrop falling to the ground more than twenty kilometers away, and his sense of smell could detect odors from at least a hundred kilometers.“Damn, my senses have gotten really powerful. I bet if I ate something I could taste every single molecule” he thought.He stretched and then stood up. The shape of the legs and the little body that he could see immediately turned out to be different from
In the center of the continent of Laurentia was a nation known as Kabolong, and it was not a nice place to live. Although on paper it proclaimed itself a federal republic, it was in reality a militarist dictatorship. Its leader, Svetlana Belikova, was a tyrant who ruled with an iron fist over the whole nation, putting any opponent on the gallows.For twenty years that dictatorship had continued without anyone ever daring to raise their heads. Now, however, things were about to change.The people were exhausted due to the lack of food and the economic crisis. The army struggled to keep the population at bay and it was not uncommon for it to carry out public executions. However, this had done nothing but further alienate the consent of the population from the current government.Moreover, things had further deteriorated after the proclamation of the Eden Union and Sobek's speech. Even though the government had done everything to limit access to information, it sti