Chapter 175: The world discovers the truth

Eden, like Earth, was an extremely connected planet. All human beings who lived there, or at least those who lived in rich countries, had dozens of means of communication that connected them to the rest of the world. Televisions, radios, telephones, cell phones, computers and, of course, the Internet. The advent of that digital network spelled the end of people's individualism. Now, what was happening on the other side of the world was immediately known within a few seconds, the time required for a radio wave signal to reach an orbiting satellite and be transmitted to all electronic devices on the planet. And humans, of course, hadn't hesitated to use this amazing power to connect with one another. Social networks had become the new way to get information: now, through them, you could know what a single person was doing that big media such as television would never have noticed. Thanks to social networks many artists, poets, dancers and many other categories of people had managed to make a fortune. Sure, they were a minority and most of the people on social networks were anything but talent... but this showed the extraordinary power that human beings held in their hands and which, if used correctly, could influence millions of people at once. Sobek, as a reincarnated human, knew this power very well. Even on the Earth where they came from, social networks could change the way people think. Therefore, he would not hesitate to use this power to his advantage. Had he merely sent his threat to the governments, they would almost certainly have tried to keep it a secret and might have fought back even more viciously. There was only one way to force governments to fold, and that was by using their most feared enemy: the people. Even the most dictatorial and oppressive government feared public opinion. If well instigated, the people could overthrow secular governments within a day. Therefore, since he had now decided to reveal the existence of intelligent dinosaurs, Sobek had chosen to appeal to the people to force humans to come to terms with him. Sobek knew the greatest weakness of human beings, which is the fear of the unknown. When faced with something they didn't know, humans got scared like rabbits. And faced with the discovery of intelligent dinosaurs threatening them, people would surely have chosen to take the safer route: ask their governments to settle, at least until they figured out what they were dealing with. After all, the dinosaurs had already destroyed an army: who's to say they couldn't do the same again? Sobek in the video made sure he was very convincing with his threat to wipe out entire nations. People would get scared and ask for peace, and willy-nilly the governments would be forced to agree. And while humans would have kept their leaders from taking warlike actions, Sobek would have continued to strengthen his army until he created an invincible army. Unbeknownst to them, humans would have done exactly what he wanted! *************** "Mister President!" In the office of President Bennett, head of state of the Confederate States of Vinland, a man entered breathlessly, slamming the door without even asking permission. Normally Bennett would have resented that lack of etiquette, but he wasn't stupid: he knew that if someone walked into his office like that, it meant something very bad was on the horizon. "What's going on, Secretary?" "A global hacking attack is just happened... a single footage was broadcast on countless streaming and social platforms... and..." his secretary gulped. "Sir, you will never believe it, but... a group of experts have already authenticated it" The secretary gave Bennett his cell phone; for security reasons, in fact, the president could not have one, and perhaps that was why he still hadn't heard anything. When he saw what it was, his face quickly went from an expression of annoyance to one of amazement and then pure horror. "This is a joke, right!?" "Sir, I know it sounds crazy... but like I told you, it's been authenticated" "Order immediately to the military leaders to point our spy satellites at Cartago" "Sir, that would be a violation..." "I know what it would be! But In my opinion verifying this news is more important than respecting the sovereignty of a third world country, don't you agree?" "Yes, sir! I understand, mr. president!" The secretary stormed out of his office, leaving Bennett alone with his thoughts for a moment. The president was so tense he could hear the sound of his own breathing. Then, almost ten minutes later, his secretary returned: "Mr. President ... the military leaders have confirmed. Cartago is teeming with dinosaurs!" Bennett's heart sank. "What the fuck is going on!?" ************** Several hundred kilometers away, in the royal palace of the Prettania Kingdom, Queen Mackenzie was watching the video that had been broadcast on every technological device in the nation just minutes earlier. "You humans have always thought that you can do whatever you want with us. And for a long time we let you do it. But that's enough! We are tired of your abuses! We will not stand still and watch as you turn a heavenly world into a desert!" "It almost seems that nature is turning against us..." the queen murmured. "Are we sure the video is authentic?" "The military leaders have confirmed it. The images we get from spy satellites leave no doubt. Cartago is full of dinosaurs and the inhabitants are prisoners," said his secretary of defense, Harris Edwards. "There is no doubt that it is all true" The queen sighed deeply, trying to keep calm. "Do we have any idea, any idea, what's going on?" Grimly, Harris shook his head. "No, your majesty. it's the first time we've come across something like this" Suddenly the door flew open and the prime minister of the kingdom, Darius Tanz, entered out of breath: "Your Majesty, the other nations have confirmed to me that they too are receiving the video. It is happening all over the world" The queen gritted her teeth. "This dinosaur wants to talk to all of humanity!" ********** "Less than ten days ago, my people and I showed up at the gates of the city you call Cartago, and we asked its inhabitants to leave and give us back our land. We just wanted to get back what was taken from us. But they, on the contrary, refused our offer of peace and attacked us. So we showed them what happens when they challenge the proud dinosaur people! At this moment, the city of Cartago is a sieve and every man, woman or child is our prisoner. We have not harmed them, but we have deprived them of their freedom, just as many humans have deprived us of ours. Have you wondered why you haven't heard from them anymore? Well, now you know! They are at our mercy, locked up in sturdy fences and with no chance of escaping!" In the presidential office of the Meilong Republic, President Palma was holding his hands in his hair as he watched the video loop in front of him. "Mr. President, other nations have confirmed that the video is being broadcast everywhere. Military devices have not yet been hacked, but..." "Strengthen your defenses immediately anyway!" Palma exclaimed. "Order all programmers in the military to keep their guard up! Weapons, financial traffic, everything! We must not let these... creatures enter the nation's most important devices!" Palma had not been elected president for nothing; despite the unforeseen situation, his brain was already working to solve everything. He didn't know what was going on, but the dinosaurs were clearly hostile to humans: they absolutely mustn't penetrate the military or financial network, or they could bring down the whole nation! "President, law enforcement stationed in every city across the country is confirming to us that mass hysteria is taking place. People are raiding supermarkets and many are even fleeing..." "Already? This video has been around for what? Half an hour?" "I know, sir, but people are afraid. It's been more than a hundred years since we've heard of a war, and now not only are we being threatened, but the laws of nature seem to have ceased to work on top of that!" ************* "For the second time, I have offered peace. Through your devices, those things you call 'cell phones', I have communicated to all of you that I am open to trading. I was willing to free all the hostages if your leaders promised me they would never come to destroy our land again, and there would be no bloodshed. We could all have come out victorious. Instead, the reward for my kindness was an attack! Your leaders have sent an army to exterminate us!" In the presidential office of the Gardarikian Federation, the president was literally eating his hands: "How can you say that there are already episodes of mass hysteria?" "And so, sir. People got scared" "Why hasn't that video been blocked yet!?" "It would be useless by now, too many people have seen it. And besides, the other nations have confirmed to us that it is happening all over the world" The president bit his tongue. "These dinosaurs knew we'd try to block the video if they just posted it on social media...that's why they hacked it! You bastards... they're bloody smart!" "Do you mean that..." "That they are deliberately terrorizing us! They want the population to be frightened, for us to fall into disorder! We cannot allow this! Send a statement, martial law is now in order, and anyone who tries to leave their home will be arrested!" "But by doing so we will scare even more..." "Fear is rampant on the streets now, we can't stop it. The only solution is to contain it! Act now! GO TO WORK!" *************** "Since this has been your approach, we have responded in the most appropriate way. And you can see for yourself how it ended! Look at the battlefield. There has been hardly any loss among the dinosaurs, while instead your entire army lies dead in the desert sands! Your power isn't as invincible as you think! Do you have any weapons? We have them too! Do you have any protections? We have them too! You have nothing to use to which we cannot respond with equal if not greater force!" Inside the imperial palace of the Almagna Empire, the emperor was literally freaking out: "How is it that the population is already in a panic!?" "Sir, the police are trying to contain the masses, but they are all scared..." "Well, then send the army in now! Shoot the populace if you must, but restore order now!" His associates immediately ran away to carry out his command. The emperor clenched his fists. "At this rate, human society will collapse on itself before the dinosaurs need to do anything! Those bastards will annihilate us without lifting a finger!" he exclaimed. "We need to calm people down, and now! What does the NMWA say?" "We are receiving no information at the moment, sir. Other nations are as confused as we are..." "At least we know what the strength of the enemy is!?" "No, sir. But we're pressuring Odaria's government to hand over the footage their satellites obtained during the battle. That way we'll know what we're up against. However, that dinosaur said his forces are much greater. .." "Well, at least we'll get an idea of their fighting style," said the emperor. "I want the entire military mobilized within the next three hours! If something tries to cross our borders or cross our airspace, shoot it down by any means possible!" "But... what if it were a human vehicle?" "SOMETHING NOT HUMAN, YOU IDIOT! NOW MOVE, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO FINISH LIKE MY LATEST EMPLOYEES!" "Yes, your imperial majesty!" ************ "By our law, the will of a pack leader is the will of the whole pack. Normally, I would take this attack as a declaration of war. However, I recognize that you humans have different morals and laws than ours, and that for you the will of the leaders is not the will of everyone. Therefore, I want to show my mercy once again. For the third time I offer you peace. Come and we will negotiate a truce" It wasn't just governments that were in shambles. The scientific community was also going crazy. In all the laboratories of the world, biologists and virologists were ranting like madmen. Many of them had obviously not believed the video initially, but when the governments contacted them confirming that it was all true and ordering them to find an explanation, they all freaked out. "It can't be a natural evolution, I tell you! It must be some kind of viral contamination!" "Viral? What virus increases intelligence? What good would it do?" "Could it be a fungus, like cordyceps? Fungi can change the behavioral patterns of the organisms they infect!" "But this has so far only happened to simple creatures, such as insects and molluscs! And furthermore, any fungus, bacteria or parasite that modified the behavior of the host always had only one goal: to guarantee its own reproduction! Making dinosaurs intelligent does not bring any advantage for any parasitic organism!" "Which makes me even more sure it's artificial. These must be the aftermath of some chemical experiment!" "We'll get nothing if we keep bickering. We need at least one live infected subject to determine if it's an evolution, a pathogen, or something else! Without it, for what we know, it might even be an alien spore!" "But who will be foolish enough to go to the middle of Cartago to look for champions?" "What if it's not just Cartago? What if Cartago is just the epicenter, but this event is affecting the whole world?" "Oh God...that would explain the recent sudden changes in birds, pterosaurs and dinosaurs!" "If that were true, then any living thing in this world could be infected!" Scientists continued to argue about what they thought could be the origins of that absurd event, without finding a convincing explanation. That debate would last for several weeks. ************* "But if you still come to battle, then nothing will save you from our fury. Neither I nor my people want war, but we will not suffer further attacks on our benevolence. Another attack will be considered a declaration of all-out war, and we will march on your territories. I ask you to think about all the lives that would be lost, both on our side and on your side. Think of your friends and relatives who are in Cartago. Think about the future of your children. Think about it, and I am sure you will choose the best way, which is peace. This is the third time I have offered you a negotiation; there won't be a fourth. Keep this in mind and choose carefully! I hope I have been clear enough. If there is someone among you who believes that I am being false, or that this entire message is false, then go ahead and check with your satellites, or send your helicopters and planes to inspect the area; until they open fire on us, we will let them pass. Remember, we will not cut a hair to the inhabitants of Cartago and we will not move outside our land, but only if you choose the path of peace. Choose war and... well, I can only tell you that if you make such a stupid choice you will deserve everything that follows it" Jocelyne kept biting her nails frantically as she watched and replayed the video. Although she had known for some time what was happening, that video had made the blood freeze in her veins. But not because of the threat. What really had her pinned to her bed was a piece of the video that she couldn't stop watching on a loop. "Humans! I'm Sobek, and I'm the pack leader of the largest dinosaur pack the world has ever seen"