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 still managed to leak and spread across the Kabolong territory. Obviously, this had had devastating consequences: not only was the population now aware that there was an organization that could solve war, hunger and the crisis, but they actively wanted to be part of it.

Of course, neither Svetlana nor her inner circle wanted this to happen: they knew that to enter the Eden Union they would have to see their own power undermined. The Eden Union was not like the Commission that accepted everyone: it had requirements to be able to enter it, and clearly Kabolong, at present, did not respect them. The government had therefore tried to calm the masses by buying food, so as to delude them that they were doing something, but the Eden Union had immediately made it clear that it was not trading with dictatorships; consequently they could only turn to the black market.

And to make it worse was Sobek's speech. Despite all the government's attempts not to make it public, by now almost everyone knew it by heart. It was amazing how a dinosaur's words could shake hearts: his words about the need for change could apply not only to the situation between humans and dinosaurs, but to any other... including a situation of oppression like the one in Kabolong. . Furthermore, the fact that Sobek stressed that every individual must commit to change, otherwise change would never happen, and that everyone had a responsibility to act for the sake of their children, rekindled the hearts of citizens who had easily identified themselves. in those words. Sobek's speech had become the propagandist icon of protest movements.

Seeing the situation getting worse and worse, President Svetlana chose it to be time to use hard manners. As a result, she called a press conference.

"Fellow citizens, we find ourselves facing a moment of serious national crisis. Never in the last few decades has our democracy been put so at risk, yet there are people who intend to undermine its existence. Our government, YOUR government, has tried in every way to resolve the issues peacefully, but the rebels have responded with acts of ferocity "she began. The hypocrisy of the powerful had no rivals: she dared to define the rebels as enemies of democracy and painted the government as the defender, when it was quite the opposite. "I know there has been a lot of false news lately that the newly formed Eden Union is a prosperous and peaceful place, but it's a lie. It is just a lie spread by the rebels and political opponents, who hope to take advantage of this moment of crisis to destroy our democracy! I tell you the truth that Eden Union is nothing more than a ghost organization enslaved by dinosaurs. They abandoned their dignity by selling themselves to monsters! We know that those disgusting creatures reign there with an iron fist. They are animals! Believing that this "coexistence" they proclaim can exist is no different than believing in fairy tales. Yet those damned rebels who haunt our country like weeds distort information! Why, you ask? Because they want to drag us into the same state of servitude that the nations of the Eden Union now find themselves in! Because they have sold themselves to the dinosaurs and they want to bring down the nation so they can conquer it faster! And it is precisely to avoid all this that martial law will come into force starting tonight. The government will institute curfews and security measures that all citizens will have to obey, and the police will search citizens' homes to find any supporters of the rebels and punish them as they deserve! Furthermore…"

"NEVER!"

The woman was interrupted by a scream in the middle of the room: a man had appeared, fully harnessed in a military uniform and armed to the teeth. "This is not democracy! This is dictatorship!" the man shouted. "And I will not bow to a dictatorship!"

Svetlana certainly did not expect the unexpected. She had never been interrupted in a press conference, much less by an armed man! How had she gotten through security? "Shoot him!" she screamed at her, and her guards promptly executed.

But the man was not frightened in the least: the bullets ricocheted off his flak jacket and helmet without causing him the slightest damage. "My name is Buddy, and I'm not afraid to scream it! I don't give in to fear! This cursed government has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, including my fiancée! Therefore, I am damned if he will lower his head again!" he yelled at him, then pulled out a gun: "I am the first, but many others will follow me! This dictatorship ends today!"

And he fired. The bullet crossed the entire room aiming at Svetlana's head. Unfortunately, the president was quick and she stepped aside, and the bullet hit only her shoulder. A gush of blood emerged from it and spilled onto the floor. "Kill him!" he screamed, and this time the guards instead of shooting threw themselves at Buddy.

But suddenly, an intense barrage of bullets exploded from the hall doors, riddling most of the guards. Svetlana fled, but as she walked away she could see several gunmen making their entrance.

One of them walked over to Buddy and patted him on the shoulder: "Congratulations, good speech, big brother" he said.

"Shut up, JD! This is not the time!" Buddy snapped, looking instead at one of the men who entered last, who had a red X on his helmet: "Mr. Ataman, I couldn't hit that bitch. How do we go on?"

The man stepped forward. Ataman was the leader of these rebels: he was a former member of the old Council of Elders, before being discharged on charges of "too permissive towards the people"; in fact, he had been thrown out for proposing too democratic reforms and was therefore considered a dangerous element for the current government. For a long time Ataman had gobbled up and let it go, watching his nation sink day after day, but after all that had happened in the rest of the world, he had rediscovered his self-love and refused to continue to stand still. Thus, he had created and organized a large group of rebels with the aim of overthrowing the current government and truly establishing a democracy.

"The attack had very little chance of succeeding. We have prepared ourselves for this, so we will stick to what we have planned" Ataman replied. "The army will arrive soon, so everyone in position! Let's show these bastards that they can't bend us!"

The rebels roared in agreement and applauded their leader; very quickly they went to arrange themselves in the strategic points they had studied before coming there, where they would be more protected and could hit the enemies harder. When the army arrived, they would find them ready.

That day, in the history of Kabolong, would be remembered as the Great Insurrection: the official beginning of the rebellion that would lead to the fall of the old dictatorship. Future generations would have been surprised to find that the people who were part of it were ordinary people: Buddy, for example, was a simple teacher, and his brother JD a simpleton fond of foreign food. But when it was time to take up arms, none of them pulled back. Sobek's speech had highly inspired them, and they were unwilling to return to living in fear.

Much blood would have been shed that day, but it would have been only the beginning of the ferocious rebellion that would have rocked the Kabolong. And that was only the first of many: in many other nations, especially in dictatorships and oligarchies, revolts broke out with extreme violence, putting many governments in a precarious situation as never before.

*******

"There are now more than fifty rebellions shaking countries within the NMWA" the president of the Confederate States of Vinland murmured. "We are talking above all of those countries where dictatorships are in force. Normally this would be a good thing, but it is clear that if the rebels managed to win these nations would side with the Eden Union"

"Not to mention that parties are springing up in many democratic nations that support peace with dinosaurs and entry into the Eden Union" the Meilong president Andrew Palma said. "It is now only a matter of time before at least another hundred nations leave the NMWA, and it is likely that many more will follow"

The leaders of the four superpowers looked at each other in despair. "We could send weapons and military support to the current governments, to stop the rebellion" the president of Gardarikian Federation proposed.

Palma looked disgusted. "So that's it? Do we want to support dictatorships?"

"Do you have an alternative?" the emperor of Almagna murmured with a grim look.

Palma looked at the other three heads of state, and from their eyes he realized that they were serious: they really wanted to arm the dictators and oligarchic governments. It literally meant crushing the common population. Didn't they realize what a horrible deed this was? It was awful. But of the four leaders present, two of them were practically dictators themselves, and the third was a wimp who obeyed the orders of the others.

Palma no longer had any doubts as to what to answer. "Well, if I have an alternative: stop playing fools and give up" he replied, ignoring the furious faces of the others. "We have lost, gentlemen. Continuing to produce weapons will change nothing. Lord Sobek was much, much smarter than us. So the best thing to do is to let go and accept reality, change our Constitutions just enough to join the Eden Union and strive to coexist with the dinosaurs"

"After all we've done, after all we've lost, do you want to throw all our efforts down the toilet!?" the emperor of Almagna growled.

Palma shook her head. "You do what you want. I have already made my decision. My nation believes in democracy and therefore will never support dictatorships" he declared, and then stood up. "From this moment, the Meilong Republic officially abandons the NMWA. In the next few days, negotiations will begin to join the Eden Union. Arrange yourself"

The other three leaders widened their eyes. Was this really happening? Now not just one superpower with nuclear weapons turned its back on them, but two? "You're crazy?"

"No, I'm sane. And sane people understand when they are supporting a lost cause. If you want to cling to the illusion of being able to win, your problems. I step aside" Palma replied heading towards the exit.

The emperor of Almagna exploded with rage: "Damn! I swear you will pay for it! I'll personally make sure of it!"

Palma did not even turn to look at him; the doors closed behind him with a thud.