CHAPTER 10
LITTLEFOOT'S HISTORY LESSON
As Littlefoot and his friends were chattering in excitement over what they knew was going to come next, Briank faced them and said, "And now, last but not least, we've come to the part of the lesson that revolves around Littlefoot's ancestor; who may have been, by far, the most important among all Saurians."
"Humpf! Big surprise!" Cera said in her usual sarcasm. The other Saurians, though, could barely contain their excitement.
"For this part of the lesson, I shall now turn things over to my esteemed Commander, Mr. Kark," Briank said as he handed the projector control box to the big Draconian.
The Saurians were a bit puzzled at this. Ducky was the one who spoke, voicing her friends' confusion. "I do not understand. Why is Mr. Kark giving this lesson?"
Mr. Kark spoke before Briank could say anything. "If you recall, Miss Ducky, I mentioned that I was an amateur historian."
"When was that?" Petrie asked.
"That time we were exploring the alternate Terra, while we were in the Federation Central Library," Kark said in answer.
"Oh," Petrie said.
"You have a good memory, Kark. I do not remember you even mentioning that," Ducky admitted.
"We Vulkadians have excellent memory, as a matter of fact."
"Well, I remember you saying that," Littlefoot said as he stepped forward. "But I thought you were just playing along with Briank's ruse, and it wasn't really true."
Kark raised an eyeridge. "You forget that as a Vulkadian, I am incapable of lying. What I said was true, and I have aided the Riggs numerous times in their research during my off duty hours. What's more, I am a Science Officer; this is second nature to me."
"Fascinating," Chomper commented.
Kark raises his eyeridges, and there was a faint hint of a smile on his facial features. "Now, shall we begin?"
"Yes, please!" Ruby said with much eagerness.
Kark nodded, then pressed the handheld controller of the projector, which warbled into action and displayed several images and short videos on the cave wall. "Littlefoot's ancestor went by the name of David Longneck, and he existed in the time preceding the Great Departure; which you're already quite familiar with.
"As you can see, at that time, there were great advancements in technology and culture; especially when it comes to spacefaring. The Rainbow Faces had already built numerous space stations orbiting the planet, and used rocket ships and space shuttles to ferry astronauts to and from those space stations. This was done mostly as a show of pride in their accomplishments. It was also their ultimate goal to establish a permanent colony out in space, and they were well on their way to accomplishing this goal."
Kark pressed the handheld controller again, and the pictures and videos disappeared from the cave wall as the projector warbled off.
"But there was a major flaw in the Rainbow Faces planned — for lack of a better word — utopia. Most of the technologies they invented and perfected were meant only for Rainbow Face use. Very little of it was adapted for use by the Saurian races. Very often, the reason was that it was simply much cheaper to produce a single design rather than a dozen or so for other species to use. It wasn't long before most of the Saurian population, especially the so-called 'uncivilized' Saurians, started to feel left out of this planned utopia the Rainbow Faces had in mind.
"It wasn't long before a wave of resentment and loathing permeated the entire Saurian population. David Longneck lived in these tumultuous times. He was an important public figure not only among longnecks, but for all Saurians. His involvement in the events leading up to the Great Departure would become vital in the—"
"Excuse me, Mr. Kark," Littlefoot interrupted. "Briank, why were we not told of this before? Why was I not told that my direct ancestor was involved in the Great Departure that time in your room on the Enterprise, when you showed us that vih-dee-oh of the Peh-trow-grahd Massacre!?" There was a bit of harshness in Littlefoot's tone.
Briank cleared his throat. "Well, Littlefoot, for one thing, we didn't know at the time that he was your ancestor. Even if we did, would you have felt comfortable with the knowledge that a member of your family caused us to leave this planet in the end?"
Littlefoot pondered this a bit, then shook his head. "Probably not."
Briank smiled. "I'm glad you see it that way. You may continue, Commander," he then said to Kark.
"Thank you," he said as he nodded to Briank. "As I was saying, David Longneck's involvement in the events leading up to The Great Departure became vital not only for the survival of the Saurians, but the Rainbow Faces as well."
"How?" Chomper asked.
"I shall tell you," Kark said simply. "Although David Longneck came to be known as the greatest outspoken opposition to the Rainbow Faces' planned utopia, he was also great friends with the Rainbow Face President of the United Laurentian States at that time. His involvement in the events leading up to the Great Departure started when…"
Christopher Dempsey, "Chris" to his friends, had been President of the United Laurentian States for almost four years now. He was a middle aged Rainbow Face born and raised in Wilmington D.S. Ever since he took office, he made it his own personal mission to protect the existing rights and freedoms of the Saurians, even though a lot of Rainbow Faces greatly opposed this.
The last decades had been particularly rough on not only Saurians, but also Rainbow Faces; as the racial tensions between the two groups were at an all-time high. Many Rainbow Faces, though, wouldn't even call the Saurians "civilized", for they thought them too arrogant and too primitive, compared to them.
Chris, though, was of a different mindset; especially since he was best friends with a longneck named "David", who was a Preacher in the Sect of The Latter Day Believers in The Great Beyond, who believed that the Primal Egg was created in Laurentia, and not in Middle Asia, like most Saurians and Rainbow Faces believed. Most Saurians didn't carry last names, like the Rainbow Faces did. Some even adopted "totem" names like Big Feet, Crooked Toe, Eye Patch and Glider. Saurians who were given Rainbow Face names, like David, were usually given the name of their species as a last name; which was why David came to be known as "David Longneck" among Rainbow Faces. To his Saurian brethren, he was simply called "David". Many Rainbow Faces felt that them now wanting to adopt these more "totem" names was further indication of their "uncivilized" nature. Chris, however, knew differently. He'd spent enough time with David to know that most Saurians could be just as civilized as they were.
Chris was running for reelection. His opponent, another Rainbow Face named Michael Wilson, was an outspoken proponent of a series of proposed laws called the "Wildlife Preservation Act" that he intended to sign in as official laws, should he be elected as the new Laurentian President. Michael's entire campaign platform revolved around this law project, and he received tremendous backing from many high ranking Rainbow Face politicians in the Congressional House. Chris read the transcript of those laws, and it made him almost sick to his stomach! The very word "Wildlife" was an insult to Saurians, as it indicates that they're not even capable of expressing any coherent thoughts, while Chris knew far better. His entire campaign revolved around protecting and improving upon existing Saurian rights and freedoms, and he received tremendous backing from Saurians everywhere. He now had to sway as many of his Rainbow Face brethren to his side. He knew he already had some, but he was fearful that it may not be enough.
Today, however, Chris was in his office at The White Residency, an office that came to be known as "The Cubicle", because it was large enough to accommodate large Saurians who would be invited in. But when it came to very big Saurians, like his friend David Longneck, there was barely enough room for him to squeeze through the large double doors, let alone stand properly! So, whenever he met one of those larger Saurians, it had to be in the waiting area outside The Cubicle. Chris was sure that many other past Presidents had to do the same thing numerous times.
Chris was going over some paperwork when the buzz of his desk intercom interrupted him. "Yes?" he said as he pressed the button to open the channel.
"Mr. President?" came the voice of the female Secretary. "David Longneck's here to see you."
"All right! I'll be right out!" Chris said before he closed the intercom, got up from his desk and walked out of The Cubicle through the large double doors leading to the huge expanse of the waiting area.
In the waiting area, David Longneck was patiently waiting for the arrival of his friend, Chris Dempsey. On the monitor, a replay of one of his speeches was being aired, and he listened intently with a certain sense of admiration. "I have dreamed of a world where my four young hatchlings would be judged not by the nature of their race, but on the content of their character." There was a pause so several enthusiastic applause could be heard. "I have dreamed of a world where all of our rights and privileges that we have fought so hard to earn over the centuries would be protected until the end of time!" More applause followed. "It is my sincere wish that this newly elected Rainbow Face President listen to what we have to say, and work with us, rather than against us, to make this dream of mine, and of all Saurians across the world, a reality!"
Chris walked in on David as he was watching himself on the monitor. Chris smiled at his friend, who hadn't even noticed him approach. Chris knew that, despite how great his huge longneck friend was, he had a certain sense of vanity. He believed David knew this as well. "Ahem!" he said after a few moments.
David turned briskly around. He smiled as he saw who it was. "Chris!" he said joyfully.
"Hello, my friend!" Chris said in reply.
David bent his head down and gave the Laurentian President a cheek rub, which was customary among longnecks, for they can't actually shake hands. While other Saurians and Rainbow Faces would call Chris "Mr. President", David went against the norm, and Chris didn't seem to mind.
"Only you could be mesmerized by one of your own speeches!" Chris said jokingly.
David chuckled. "Yeah. My famous 'I have dreamed' speech. Hailed as the finest speech ever given by a Saurian," he said as he glanced back at the monitor.
"I can still remember that day, like it was yesterday," Chris mused. "It was almost four years ago, and I had just taken office. I have to admit that I was scared when I saw you and your brethren march up Wilmington Avenue all the way to the steps of The White Residency. I listened to your speech from one of the balconies. I thought you spoke so well that I said to one of my aides, 'I have to meet this longneck speaker of theirs.'"
"And we did, later that day. It was a really long talk we had!"
"And thus began our friendship."
"Indeed."
Then they both shared another cheek rub.
"So, you called me here, and here I am," David said. "What can I do for you, old friend?"
Chris sighed as he became more serious. "We need to change our strategy."
David adopted a worried look. "Change our strategy!? What do you mean?"
"Michael made another speech yesterday. This time, he's saying that the poor economy and the ballooning government debt is due to the infrastructure in place to protect and maintain Saurian rights; and that passing the Wildlife Preservation Act would actually save money and lower the public debt."
David groaned. "That's a crock, and he knows it! Most of that money is being filtered through to the ongoing Space Stations Program. I'm sure he knows that, too!"
"I'm pretty sure he does, but most of his followers don't know it. They'll believe anything he says like it was the Word of The Primal Force; which is why we need to tell our followers that maintaining Saurian rights would actually save money."
David smiled. "Well, you know you can count on me, old friend."
Chris returned the smile. "I know. I have my debate against him next week, and I'd like your advice on how to respond to some of the more important questions that'll be posed. That's the main reason why I asked to see you here today."
David nodded. "Okay. What would you like to know?"
"For instance, how would you respond to…"
On the night of the Presidential Debate, the stage was set. Both opponents came prepared. The Mediator asked all of the expected questions on various issues, and both candidates gave the expected answers. The arguments and counter arguments were also as expected.
Then the debate started to center around the proposed Wildlife Preservation Act, and the debate started to become more heated. The thousands in attendance at the auditorium where the debate was held started to pay more attention, as did the millions watching from their television sets at home, including David Longneck, who watched the debate with his family from their home in Birmia, Albamia in southern Laurentia.
At one point, Michael Wilson said something that enraged the current President so much that he lashed out at him, saying, "How can you say that!? Can't you just listen to yourself!? What you are proposing is nothing short of genocide!" He pounded on the podium in front of him, expressing his anger and frustration. "Not only for the Saurian population, but the Rainbow Face population as well! How dare you condone such actions!?"
Angry shouts could be heard from the crowd in the auditorium as both opponents nearly got in each other's faces, shouting at each other. Security immediately got between them out of fear that it would come to blows between them. The debate was ended prematurely, and both candidates were evacuated to safety out of fear that it would turn into a riot. The broadcast ended with the image of several Rainbow Face security guards armed with rifles forming a barricade in front of the stage to stop the crowd from mounting the stage and wreaking havoc. There were a lot of Saurians in the crowd, and there was great fear that they would decide to take action and try to assault Michael Wilson, who was being quickly escorted away to safety.
While most people watching this travesty would react with outrage, David Longneck's reaction was totally different. "Oh, no!" he cried as he placed his forepaw to the side of his head.
"Wow! I've never seen Chris so upset like that before," his wife commented.
"Me neither," David admitted. "Michael really pushed his buttons this time! I hate to say this, but this will really jeopardize Chris's chances for re-election."
"So what happens now?" his wife asked.
David sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. I have to give a reaction speech tomorrow, and I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to say."
"You'll think of something. You always do," his wife said, smiling.
David returned the smile. "I love you, dear."
"I love you, too, Davey," she replied.
They both shared a kiss and an affectionate neck rub.
Meanwhile, their four kids were still stunned over what they had just seen on TV. They were not quite sure of what to make of Mr. Rainbow Face President's "madness".
The very next day, David Longneck gave his speech in front of Birmia's City Hall. The speech was broadcast throughout Laurentia. Even though he was at a loss for words the night before, he came forward telling all Saurians, "Even though our President looked bad during last night's Presidential Debate, I see this as a definite sign that he is a fervent supporter of our cause; and we, as Saurians, must continue to support him. For without him, we would have no freedoms, no rights, in this society! When the day of the vote comes, make sure you all vote for Christopher Dempsey to remain as our President for the next four years!"
His speech was met with thunderous applause, stomping and roaring. The Rainbow Face Security Force guarding the crowd looked nervous. They genuinely feared that David Longneck would start another protest against Michael Wilson's campaign, and that they would be overwhelmed by the vast number of Saurians present in front of City Hall that day.
Two weeks prior to the Presidential Elections, in a surprise move, the announcement was made that the Saurians would be barred from voting. This was mainly due to the influence from Michael Wilson's lobbyists, who convinced the authorities monitoring the elections that the Saurians, who outnumbered the Rainbow Faces by millions, would all vote for Christopher Dempsey, and make it an unfair election. The authorities acquiesced. The fate of the Saurians would rest in the hands of the Rainbow Faces.
It wasn't long before protests started once the news reached their respective communities. Many riots ensued. The Rainbow Face Security Forces used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the rioters. Thousands of Saurians were injured, and a few even died from their wounds.
The very next day, David Longneck made a speech from a secured location where he said, "Even though this decision by the governing authorities to bar us from voting in these upcoming elections came as totally unexpected, I urge Saurians everywhere to remain calm; for I am confident that our Laurentian President will be victorious at the outcome of the vote, and continue his work in supporting our cause for the next four years."
He was met with several applause, some stomping and moderate roars from the Saurian crowd.
"If you are to protest, I urge you to protest in a peaceful manner. Passive resistance is the key! Do not resort to violence in this matter. If we are to show the Rainbow Faces that we are as civilized as they are, this is the way to show them. If we show them that we are civilized races, they will accept us as civilized, and allow us to continue to coexist peacefully with them."
More applause, stomping and roars ensued from the Saurian crowd on hand.
"Once they see that we can be as peaceful as they are, they will vote to defeat Michael Wilson and his ideals, and his notion of a false utopia will fade into oblivion forever!"
At the conclusion of that speech, David Longneck was met with a thunderous ovation that went on for almost fifteen minutes. The Rainbow Face Security Force guarding the proceedings looked as nervous as ever.
On election night, the entire nation of Laurentia was on the edge of their seats waiting to see the outcome. Who would be the next Laurentian President for the next four years? The Saurian population was as nervous as ever, but none were more nervous than David Longneck. The fate of his race and his Saurian brethren rested on the outcome of these elections.
From his home outside Wilmington D.S., Christopher Dempsey was also watching the elections, hoping that he would defeat the odds and remain in Office. The latest polls showed that he would end up losing the elections by a narrow margin.
At the end of the night, though, in a surprise landslide victory, Michael Wilson was the winner! While the Rainbow Faces who voted for him celebrated his victory, Saurians everywhere were stunned or outraged. None were more stunned, however, than the new ex-President Christopher Dempsey and his Saurian friend David Longneck.
As tradition dictated, Michael Wilson gave his victory speech in the election hall of his hometown of Nashvilla, Tennessiah; where he thanked all of the Rainbow Faces across the nation who voted him into Office. He also said that he would fulfill his promise and push the Wildlife Preservation Act project forward ASAP, which he reassured all Saurians watching from home would mean a better life for them, and would help the Rainbow Face civilization advance towards a better future.
Meanwhile, Christopher Dempsey gave his farewell speech from the election hall near his home. He thanked all of his supporters for continuing to believe in him, but, in his own words, "it was unfortunately not enough." He wished all of his Rainbow Face brethren well under their new leadership, and vowed to continue to oppose the Wildlife Preservation Act every step of the way, "not only for the sake of our Rainbow Face society, but for the sake of all of my Saurian friends throughout Laurentia."
While Michael Wilson's followers met his speech with polite applause, Christopher Dempsey's followers met his speech with a thunderous ovation.
The very next day, David Longneck gave his reaction speech in front of Birmia City Hall where he urged the entire Saurian population to remain calm and continue opposing the proposed Wildlife Preservation Act project in a peaceful manner. "Although this proposed law project could spell disaster for our entire society, should it ever become reality; we must now let our newly elected President make the next move. Lobbying to have this law project accepted into actual law will not be easy. I am confident that the governing authorities will see the error of his ways and vote to defeat this law project for all eternity." The attending crowd cheered and applauded David's speech, but it was more subdued than the last time.
About one year later, against all predictions, the Wildlife Preservation Act was voted into Law by the Laurentian Government. This was President Michael Wilson's first step to achieving his planned "utopia". It would be a few months, though, before the entire Saurian population would be relocated to the co-called "wildlife preserves".
But barely two weeks later, the delegates of the United League of Nations voted to have the governments of their respective countries apply the Wildlife Preservation Act into their own system of laws.
As David Longneck watched the news from his TV at home, he was outraged. "I can't believe this!" he exclaimed as he got up and started pacing around the living room.
"Davey, honey, please stay calm," his wife urged.
"Stay calm!? How can I stay calm!? Didn't you see what just happened!?" he exclaimed, pointing to the TV.
"Yes, I saw," she said. "But these wildlife preserves they're talking about can't be that bad."
David was stunned at his wife's ignorance. "Can't be that bad? You've got to be kidding! I've seen those so-called 'preserves' with my own eyes! Swampland, deserts, snowy mountain tops, nothing but wastelands! The very places the Rainbow Faces don't wanna live in. That's where they plan to relocate us! Open your eyes, dear! Look at what's going on around you!"
David's wife's eyes grew moist as she let it all sink in, and realized the reality of the situation.
"Daddy, is everything gonna be all right?" David's youngest daughter asked as she approached her father.
With sad eyes, he smiled, bent down and gave his daughter a cheek rub that she quietly accepted.
"So what do we do now?" David's wife asks.
David sighed. "I don't know. What I do know is that I have a speech to prepare."
Then he walked off towards his study to prepare the speech he was to give in front of Birmia's City Hall the next day.
The next morning, a large crowd of angry Saurians gathered in front of Birmia's City Hall, waiting to hear from David, the longneck whom they came to accept as their leader in these troubled times. Some in the crowd were holding signs they had carried in numerous protests throughout the country: some had "WPA" with big red X over it, others stated "We Think! We Talk! We're Civilized!", and a few even depicted Michael Wilson as resembling Alfred Hister, the infamous Germanian dictator from the Second Great War. There was a large sense of uncertainty as to what would happen to them and their families in the near future. Many felt contempt towards Rainbow Faces in general whom they now considered their worst enemies. Many had completely severed ties with Rainbow Faces whom they once considered dear friends.
About two hundred lengths away, a barricade was set up to protect the downtown area of Birmia from potential looters and rioters who would want to wreak havoc on the downtown area's shops and boutiques. The local Rainbow Face authorities were not yet ready to start the relocation project of the Saurians living in Birmia and surrounding areas to the designated "wildlife preserves", but the SWAT Team was out in full force to guard the barricade; and they were armed with machine guns that carried real bullets. They were ready for a fight, if there was one that broke out!
When David Longneck took the stage, he was not met with applause, like he was during his previous speeches. Instead, he was met with worried cries and shouts of "Help us, Davey!" "Reverend, please save us!" "What do we do now, Leader?"
As he approached the podium, the din of the crowd continued. He just stood there for a few minutes and waited for the crowd to quiet down. When they didn't quiet down, he raised a forepaw in the air as a sign to urge the crowd to grow silent. When they finally did, he began his planned speech.
"As most of you already know, the governments of the world have already embraced the Wildlife Preservation Act and are preparing to vote it into Law, just like Laurentia did. This, I tell you, is unacceptable!"
The crowd's cries of anger and outrage began again. Many of the two footed Saurians pumped their fists into the air as they echoed David Longneck's sentiment. David raised his forepaw in the air again, urging silence. When the crowd finally did calm down, he continued.
"Why must they always push us around like this? Why must our lives be dictated by these so-called civilized Rainbow Faces who don't even know us?"
The crowd cried out in anger again. This time, David didn't raise his forepaw in the air to urge silence. He let the cries of anger continue. When the crowd finally did grow silent, he began again.
"The very name of the law project is insulting and demeaning to us. We are not 'wildlife' to be dealt with as they please! And what they plan to do to us is not the mark of a civilized society. If you ask me, they are the ones who are uncivilized! What are they thinking!?"
Cries of outrage, roars of anger and two footer fist pumps could be seen and heard from the gathered crowd again as they began their protests again. When the crowd quieted down again, David Longneck continued.
"This is why I now call upon all of my Saurian brethren across this great nation to protest the planned relocations, concentration camps, and ghettos this law project dictates by any means necessary."
The crowd began its cries and roars of protest again. This went on for a few more minutes before they finally grew quiet again.
"They say that we will find everything we need to survive on these so called 'preserves', but I know better. I have seen with my own eyes what these so-called 'preserves' look like! And believe me, my Saurian brothers and sisters, when I say that these so-called 'preserves' are nothing but wastelands that no Rainbow Face in their right mind would want to live in!"
More cries of outrage and a few stunned gasps emerged from the crowd. This time, David raised his forepaw in the air to quiet the crowd down as he wanted to conclude his speech. They immediately obeyed.
"Which is why, my fellow Saurians, for the sake of our children and our children's children, I urge you all to protest this proposed law project 'til the bitter end in the manner that we have always done: through passive resistance. And as this speech is broadcast around the entire world, I also urge all Saurians everywhere to do the same. Let us all show these Rainbow Faces in power that we are not 'uncivilized', as they are being led to believe. Let us all show these Rainbow Faces that we are not 'wildlife' to be told where to go and what to do. Let us all show these Rainbow Faces that we have come too far and worked too hard to give up our rights and freedoms in this manner and in this fashioooooonnn!"
As he said those last words, he raised his forepaw in the air as a sign of determination. The watching crowd erupted in cheers, thunderous applause, stomping, and roaring. They started chanting "Da-vid! Da-vid! Da-vid!" as he walked off the stage. As soon as David Longneck was out of sight, the crowd quickly dispersed.
In a surprise move, the Saurians did not confront the Rainbow Face SWAT team guarding the barricade leading to the downtown area. Instead, they calmly walked down the side streets leading away from the downtown area, as they were told to do. But as they passed by the SWAT Team, many Saurians shouted insults at them and/or spat at their feet.
The local Rainbow Face authorities would have loved to be able to arrest David Longneck for in sighting protests and riots, but because he was under the protection of former President Christopher Dempsey, he was untouchable. David knew this and took advantage of his liberties wherever he went, but he didn't break any laws that were in place. As a Reverend of an important Saurian Sect, he had a high moral standard he abided by.
Months later, many governments of the world started implementing the Wildlife Preservation Act, and started relocating its Saurian citizens to the designated "wildlife preserves". Many Saurians resisted the forced relocation, and in some countries, the resistance turned violent. But it was in the city of Petrograd, in the country of Prussalia, that the protests turned the most violent.
The Saurians in that city organized a rally group, and gathered in the city square to protest the forced relocation. The country's Premier called in the Rainbow Face Army to try to restore order, and it wasn't long before the confrontation turned violent. The Army opened fire on the Saurian mob, essentially killing most of them.
The ugly scene was replayed on the evening news in Laurentia, and many Saurians were horrified at the scene they saw. The relocation program had already started in many areas of Laurentia. So far, things didn't get too out of hand for the Rainbow Faces, but many Saurians that had yet to be relocated feared that what happened in Prussalia would happen in Laurentia.
From his home in Birmia, David Longneck and his wife watched in horror the events in Prussalia unfold. They had already told their kids to go to bed early, for they had anticipated that the evening news would be especially violent, and they didn't want them to see this with their own eyes. They didn't protest their parents' too much. They realized that their parents knew best.
"Oh Great Beyond!" David's wife said.
"It's already started," David himself sadly said. "And it's only a matter of time before we see the same thing happen here."
Before David's wife could say anything, the phone rang. She got up to move to answer. "Hello?" she said after she pressed the longneck sized button on the phone's console to accept the call.
"Elaine!" came the voice at the other end.
"Chris!" Elaine said, recognizing the voice in the receiver as belonging to Christopher Dempsey, their friend and former Laurentian President. "D-did you see the news about what happened in Petrograd today?"
"Yes, I did. That's why I'm calling. Is David there?"
"Yes, he is. Davey!" she then called to her mate. "It's Chris."
David came to the phone. "Chris!"
"Dave, my old friend! Sorry I haven't kept in touch with you lately, but I've been very busy lobbying against the implementation of the Act. Guess my work is over now."
David chuckled. "I guess so, based on what I've seen on the news a few minutes ago."
"Yes, an unfortunate event. That's why I'm calling you, to warn you. The Rainbow Face Army is about to move into Birmia to start the relocation process. You and your family need to get out of there now!"
"Are you serious!?" David asked in deep surprise.
"Very!" Chris said in a serious tone on the other end. "But don't worry. I've got it all planned. I've arranged to have you and your family flown to a safe place."
"Where?"
"Camp David!"
"What? Where's 'Camp David'?"
"You remember that cottage I have in northeastern Laurentia?"
"Yeah, I remember. We went there six years ago. That's where we became friends."
"That's Camp David."
"Funny, I don't remember it being called that."
Chris hesitated a moment before he spoke again. "Actually, that's not its official title, but I decided I should name it after you."
David smiled. "Wow, old friend! I'm honoured!"
"Think nothing of it!" David could sense Chris' smile on the other end of the line. "Now, here's what you gotta do: There's a tractor trailer limo waiting for you at City Hall. I told the driver to take you to the Birmia Airport. Aurora One is there ready to fly you and your family to Bangoria International Airport."
"Aurora One?"
"That's right."
"The presidential airplane!?"
"The very same."
"Whoa! How'd you manage that!?"
David could sense Chris smiling on the other end of the line as he spoke. "I still have some friends at The White Residency. As it turns out, President Wilson doesn't need Aurora One today, so I 'borrowed' it."
David couldn't help but laugh. "Incredible!"
"Anyways, you need to take that plane to get out of Birmia. I'm about to hop onto my private jet to meet you in Bangoria. We'll head up to Camp David together from there. Bring only what you need for the trip. I've arranged to have everything we need to hunker down at Camp David for awhile."
"Wow, Chris! I-I don't know what to say!"
"You can thank me later. But we're not out of the woods yet. You'll have to hurry, though. There's no telling when the Army will move in. Oh! You remember the War Room, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Well, it's still there, and it's still equipped to broadcast anything we want. I'm sure you'll wanna make a reaction speech over what happened today. You can broadcast your speech from the War Room tomorrow, if you'd like."
"That's definitely something I'll wanna do. All right. I'll see you at 'Camp David'." David chuckled as he said the name.
"Talk to you soon!" Chris said before he hung up the phone.
As soon as David hung up on his end, he moved into action. He and Elaine gathered up everything they needed for the journey. They then roused their kids and told them that they were "taking a little trip" so as not to alarm them too much about what's going on, then they set out to head towards City Hall. The streets of Birmia were strangely quiet, even though the sun had just barely set. David figured the people living in this primarily Saurian neighborhood were hunkering down, waiting for the firestorm to arrive. Some of them were probably looking out curiously at the longneck family hurrying down the street, thinking they were trying to escape the relocation, but feeling that they wouldn't make it out in time.
It was only a few blocks away from their house, so it didn't take them long to get there. Sure enough, the tractor trailer limo big enough to carry David's entire family was parked outside City Hall waiting for them, exactly as Chris described. It was entirely black with tinted windows in the cabin so as not to draw too much attention. The Rainbow Face driver anxiously ushered them inside the trailer, saying that there wasn't much time and that they had to hurry.
As soon as David and his family was securely inside, the driver climbed into the truck's cabin, switched it into gear, and sped off. The truck sped conspicuously down Birmia's main street all the way up to the military blockade outside the city limits. The falsified documents the driver was carrying was enough to allow him to pass through the gates and onto the highway. From there, it was smooth sailing all the way up to Birmia Airport where, sure enough, Aurora One was waiting on the tarmac to whisk them away to northeastern Laurentia. David was still in disbelief as to how Chris was able to put all this together, but this was no time to ask questions. Their lives depended on them reaching their destination before the "rain" came.
David and his family had left just in time. For at dawn the next day, the Rainbow Face Army moved in to begin the forced relocation of all of the Saurians living in Birmia. It didn't take long before the confrontation between the Saurians and the Army turned violent. Nearly half of the buildings in town had been set on fire and many Saurians were killed. The same thing would happen in many other towns and cities throughout Laurentia. The Rainbow Face Army spent all day trying to locate David Longneck and his family in and around Birmia and surrounding areas. When they couldn't find them, they decided to report them as "missing".
Later on that day, David Longneck gave his reaction speech to the Petrograd Massacre. Given the situation, the captions attached to the broadcast stated that David was speaking from "an undisclosed location". In his speech, David urged all Saurians everywhere to keep protesting the forced relocations peacefully, and to stay as non violent as possible; but this was before he got word of the many riots and confrontations with the Rainbow Face Army in many cities throughout Laurentia. When he saw the burning cities and the carnage on the evening news, he knew that everything had spun out of control, and it wouldn't be long before the President would declare a state of emergency, maybe even Martial Law.
A few days later, the entire country of Laurentia was thrown into a state of chaos. Riots broke out in almost every major city in the country as Saurians everywhere stood their ground and fought the Rainbow Face insurgents. Many went as far as taking up arms and storming the Army barricades set up around the cities, killing as many Rainbow Faces as they could. It eventually came to the point where no Rainbow Face was safe. It didn't matter who they were or how old they were, Saurians everywhere started to kill every Rainbow Face they encountered, and they killed with extreme prejudice.
The ultimate coup de grace came in Wilmington D.S. where a large mob of Saurians gathered and marched up Wilmington Avenue all the way up to The White Residency. The Rainbow Face guards at the gate were soon overwhelmed and taken out. President Wilson was in The Cubicle when his bodyguards came to escort him out of the White Residency, for it was only a matter of time before the Saurian mob broke open the gates and stormed The White Residency.
He was quickly taken through a back door of the expansive building where a helicopter was revved up and waiting to fly the President to safety. A flyer Saurian in the mob noticed the presidential helicopter take off, and immediately took flight after it. It didn't take long for the flyer to catch up with the fleeing helicopter. Upon seeing the approaching flyer, the two Federal Agents guarding the President whipped out their pistols to try to shoot down the charging flyer, but the flyer was nimble, and was able to quickly dodge the bullets. He swooped down and landed on the right skid of the chopper. He quickly opened the door and pulled out the Federal Agent sitting to the President's right and tossed him out of the chopper, screaming as he fell to his death. He then reached for the President, but the other Federal Agent sitting to the President's left emptied his gun into the flyer's chest. The flyer took the five remaining bullets, but still had enough strength to yank the President out of his seat and into the void. Both fell to their deaths.
When word was sent back to the White Residency that the President was dead, and that Executive powers needed to be granted to the Vice President right away, the Rainbow Face aides who stayed behind quickly ran to locate the Vice President in his office. By this time, the screaming Saurians had already stormed the gates of The White Residency, and they were at the front doors, relentlessly pounding to get in. Several Rainbow Face aides barricaded the doors, but it was a struggle to prevent the angry Saurians from breaking down the doors. It was only a matter of seconds before they'd lose this battle.
When the aides reached the door to the Vice President, all they found was a hand written note stuck to the door with the words "I QUIT!" written in bold letters. The Vice President was nowhere to be found on the premises of The White Residency.
The Saurians managed to break down the front doors and rushed inside the White Residency, killing every single Rainbow Face that happened to be inside. The government of the United Laurentian States had officially been overthrown.
Later on that night, under cover of darkness, a search party was organized to try to locate and recover the President's body. They eventually found his body, but they were shocked to see that somebody, most likely a Saurian, had decapitated the head and fled with it, for it was nowhere near or around the body. The culprit was never found, so no Rainbow Face knew what happened to the President's head, who had it, or what happened to it.
Meanwhile, at Camp David, Christopher Dempsey, David Longneck, and their respective families were watching a dark period of history unfold on the large screen monitor in the War Room. Live images of burning cities, ongoing rioting, fighting, and looting were taking place. The most shocking images of all came from Wilmington D.S. as celebrating Saurians were cavorting in front of the burning White Residency amidst numerous impaled Rainbow Faces on pikes. The scene was so horrific that David's wife Elaine placed her forepaws over her eyes and looked away, as did Chris' two grandkids. Chris remained silent as tears of sadness rolled down his cheeks. As he looked towards David, he saw that the big Saurian was also crying tears of sadness.
"The horror! The sheer horror!" David cried out in a shaky voice.
Chris' only son and his daughter-in-law were comforting their two children, who had started crying; while David and Elaine held their four stunned children close, trying to comfort them as well. Tears rolled down Chris' face.
For the next half hour or so, they all continued sobbing as the horror of the images they had just seen replayed over and over in their minds. "So where do we go from here?" David asked, as he regained his composure.
Chris dried his eyes before he spoke. "Well, recanting the Wildlife Preservation Act won't change anything. Want to or not, your race and mine have become blood enemies."
David looked at his long time Rainbow Face friend with a look that betrayed surprise. Chris simply looked back at him with a sad look that said, "It's true."
"So what do we do?" David asked almost desperately.
"There's only one thing left to do…" Chris began. "We must separate the two races forever. We've got to leave the planet, my brethren and I."
Chris' son, his wife, and his grandkids all looked at him puzzlingly.
"How!?" David asked, equally puzzled.
"How else but by all of the rockets and space shuttles we've built. We'll need to fly all the way up to the space stations orbiting the planet. They contain everything we need to survive for the next little while. They have self-contained eco systems that can produce food, water, and oxygen, and there's tons of renewable energy that can be used. But it can't be done overnight. It's gonna take months — maybe even years — to prepare."
"Chris, you can't be serious!" David's wife exclaimed.
"If our species is to survive, we have to go!" Chris retorted. "We've already passed the point of no return. We have no choice!"
"But how are you gonna displace millions of Rainbow Faces to those space stations!?" David asked.
"I'm afraid that by the time we're ready to leave, there won't be millions of us left." Chris sighed sadly. "I just hope that there will still be enough of us left alive to keep our race going. Tomorrow, though, I'll go on the air. Offer this way for my people. I'll try and urge the Saurians not to attack us, but I fear they won't listen to me. It would help if you talked to them yourself, afterwards."
David was very hesitant about the idea. He had dedicated, literally, his entire life to ensuring a peaceful coexistence between all Saurians and Rainbow Faces. He had been in a state of denial since the Petrograd Massacre, convinced that there was still hope for his dream. Now, hearing the arguments from his own best friend, he knew it was time to reject his fantasy and accept the reality. After letting it all sink in, David finally nodded. "All right."
Chris smiled and patted David's massive foreleg. "It's settled, then. Let's all try and get some sleep, all right?"
With this, everyone moved to their respective sleeping quarters for the night. "I don't wanna go to space!" Chris' granddaughter sobbed as she was lead away to her own bedroom. Her mother tried to calm her down, but the Rainbow Face girl wouldn't stop crying.
First thing the next morning, as promised, Christopher Dempsey made his speech. The War Room was equipped with everything anyone would ever need to broadcast anywhere around the world. He opened the worldwide channel and started his spiel about the plans he had for transporting all surviving Rainbow Faces to the space stations, and leaving Terra in the care of the Saurian races forever. It was a planned exodus that he would come to call "The Great Departure". He also made a plea to all Saurians to leave the Rainbow Faces alone, for they only wanted to leave this world in peace. He finally urged all of the remaining world governments to organize to transport their own Rainbow Face citizens to the space stations using their own rockets and space shuttles. "If we are all to survive, there is no other alternative," he finally said to conclude his speech.
Then he turned the camera over to David Longneck, who made a plea to all of his Saurian brethren to not harm the Rainbow Faces, for he believed that what his Rainbow Face friend was saying was true; and that the he knew firsthand that the Rainbow Faces only wanted peace, and to continue existing, but elsewhere.
After David's own speech, Chris came back on the air to mention that any remaining government official could contact him by INTERCOMM via secure channel so he could coordinate and organize the "Great Departure" he was planning.
Within minutes of going off the air with that message, his inbox was flooded with virtual letters coming in from all over the world. "So it begins," he muttered to himself as he moved to read the influx of messages.
Nearly two years later, everything was set for the Great Departure to commence. During this time, it had been just a struggle to survive for Rainbow Faces everywhere throughout the world. Initially, many Saurians followed David's request that any Rainbow Face who wished to leave Terra would not be harmed. However, there were many Rainbow Faces — most of them followers of the late President Wilson — who refused to "run away like cowards," and instead chose to stay and fight for what they thought was rightfully their home world. Some of these "fighters" eventually started using a tactic in which they would deceive Saurians into thinking they were among the "runners," then slaughter them once they let their guard down. It wasn't long until Saurians everywhere caught on to this trick, convincing themselves to track down and kill all Rainbow Faces without mercy! It didn't matter the age or the gender, elderly Rainbow Faces right down to little hatchlings succumbed to the relentless wrath of the Saurians. Several Rainbow Face populations established fortresses and protective facilities around themselves where they would hunker down until the vast space fleet was finally ready to transport them to the orbiting space stations, and to life.
Although Chris' life was never at such high risk, his role in preparing for the Great Departure was at times a nightmare! In the first few weeks, advisors would contact him and frequently point out that the necessary expenses were far greater than all of the available funds. He insisted that costs should've been a rather low priority in a situation like this, but the complaints kept coming. It soon came to a point where he had to address this issue on the air, where he famously said, "Forget the money! I wanna live!" It was a quote that would be repeated among many "runners" to emphasize their desperation. Sure enough, the money complaints quickly stopped after that. "Debt" was no longer such a bad word anymore.
Over the last few weeks, all cargo that was precious to Rainbow Face civilization and history was launched to the space stations. These records and artifacts would be preserved for generations to come, but larger objects and fixed structures — which couldn't be launched into space for obvious reasons — would be left behind and abandoned to the forces of nature. Once all of the cargo shipments were done, it was time for the final step: transporting the entire Rainbow Face population itself.
On the evening prior, Christopher Dempsey went on the air for the last time. The latest reports indicated that the total remaining estimated population of Rainbow Faces left alive was down to just around fifty thousand. "Just enough to sustain our race!" Chris said sadly. In his speech, he urged all the remaining governing authorities to put "The Great Departure" into motion at dawn tomorrow, and to migrate all of their remaining citizens to their nearest space ports to be launched into orbit in various space vehicles. He also urged all Saurians everywhere to not resist this mass exodus, as all of the remaining Rainbow Faces everywhere unanimously wanted to leave. (He refused to mention that virtually all of the "fighters" had been killed off by now, which in his mind he was thankful for.) David Longneck then came on the air to back Chris's claim, and to tell his brethren to, "Do as my friend says, for the sake of whatever world the Rainbow Faces decide to make for themselves out in space."
After Christopher Dempsey then terminated his last transmission for good, he and his family gathered up their necessary belongings to leave. He had called for the tractor trailer limo to come to Camp David to pick them up. When the limo arrived, all of Chris and his family climbed aboard the front cabin, while David and his family climbed into the huge trailer behind. It would be a several hours' drive before they arrived at their final destination, which was Cape Carnivoria in the southeastern Laurentian state of Flowrydia, so named because of the large amount of sharpteeth that had made this swampy area of southeastern Laurentia their home. As the limo left Camp David for the last time, Christopher Dempsey contemplated the future of his race, and what their future out in space would look like.
Roughly twelve hours later, the tractor trailer limo arrived in Cape Carnivoria. The journey itself had been mostly uneventful. They had to bypass the highway at a few points along the way because of the mass destruction that had rendered those areas impassable, but they were almost at their final destination.
A few thousand-lengths from the launch pads for the rockets and space shuttles, they encountered a traffic jam. The roadway leading to the space port was clogged with thousands of abandoned vehicles of all kinds. That's when the decision was made to walk the rest of the way to the space port, as the huge tractor trailer limo could not get through this kind of congestion. So they climbed out of the limo and abandoned it right where it stopped.
About a half hour later, they neared the space port and were surprised to see a large number of screaming Saurians all gathered around. Chris figured word must've leaked out that the Great Departure would occur today, and the Saurians had decided to gather and watch their greatest nemesis leave Terra for good. Chris and David were astounded at seeing the large number of Saurians gathered in one place! It seemed to them like every Saurian in Laurentia came down to observe this grand exodus take place!
As they neared the crowd, the noise of their screaming became louder and louder. As they were about a hundred lengths away from the crowd, Chris ordered David and his longneck family to surround them for protection. He told David to stand at the front of the circle of protection, so that once the crowd of Saurians saw that it was him that was approaching, they would make way for him and let him through.
Sure enough, as soon as the crowd saw him approach, they all cried, "It's David Longneck!" "Make way for David!" others cried, and the Saurian crowd cleared a path so David and his family could move to the front of the crowd. Although the crowd was still able to easily recognize him, it was clear that his health had deteriorated over the past few years. No one knew for sure what the cause was, but the most common theory was that he was suffering from depression — the source of which was just as uncertain to anyone outside of Camp David.
As soon as the crowd saw the Rainbow Faces David was protecting, however, they got angry and started shouting slurs, insults, and also threw stuff at them. David and his longneck family held the Saurian crowd back. Although his children were not as big as he and his wife were, they still provided sufficient protection for Chris and his family.
When they finally broke through the crowd, they saw that a steel barricade was set up a few lengths away with several black armor clad Rainbow Face soldiers armed with automatic rifles all lined up and guarding the barricade. They were ready to open fire on any Saurian that would try to approach or charge the barricade. A passageway just wide enough for Rainbow Faces to walk through single file was set up, and it lead all the way up to the launch pad where a passenger shuttle was waiting.
When they were just a few lengths away from the barricade, Chris and David stopped to face each other. "Well, I guess this is goodbye," Chris said in a somewhat shaky voice.
"I guess so," David said in response, his eyes almost wet with tears.
They both stood there in silence for a few more moments, then both males embraced each other. The watching Saurian crowd jeered and booed this tender moment, but Chris and David didn't hear them. To them, the Saurian crowd was thousand-lengths away.
"I'm gonna miss you!" David sobbed as the tears streamed down his cheeks.
"I'll miss you, too!" Chris sniffed. "Don't lead them astray, y'hear?"
"I won't. I promise," David swore.
Meanwhile, David's wife and their kids said their own goodbyes with Chris' family. All of the kids were bawling openly, for they knew that this was the last time in their lives they would ever be together.
Finally, embraces were relinquished. Everyone looked at each other for the last time before Christopher Dempsey and his family made their way down the passageway to the waiting space shuttle.
The Rainbow Face soldiers then retreated towards the space shuttle when the last of the Rainbow Faces made their way down the passageway. As the last of them were leaving, the Saurian crowd started chanting "Na na na na! Hey, hey, hey! Goodbye!" as the last remaining Rainbow Faces boarded the shuttle. Christopher Dempsey looked back upon the chanting crowd. He was able to pick out David Longneck and his family, looking really sad. After a few moments of this, he boarded the shuttle himself to take his place in one of the many passenger compartments set up inside. The last Rainbow Face to enter the shuttle after him turned around, bore an angry scowl on his face, and gave the finger with both hands to the Saurian crowd. The Saurians hissed and booed in reaction to this.
Some of the smarter Saurians, who saw the smoke coming out of the space shuttle's boosters, started shouting and motioning for the crowd to move back so as to not get caught in the middle of the initial lift off blast and get incinerated. When they reached the safe distance, they had grown surprisingly quiet, anticipating the lift off of the shuttle.
Minutes later, the shuttle boosters fired up, thus lifting the shuttle up into the sky. Several other shuttles and rockets lifted off almost simultaneously. The Saurian crowd broke into wild cheers as this happened. Their cheers were soon drowned out by the noise of the rocket engines of the dozens of space shuttles and engines that lifted off into the air.
The crowd was still cheering after the shuttles and rockets were out of sight. "Goodbye, old friend. May The Primal Force watch other you and your family," David Longneck said to himself as one final tear streamed down his face.
He then turned to face the still cheering crowd, and noticed the large podium to his left that was set up so he could give his speech. After regaining his composure, he dried his face with his forepaws and moved to climb up onto the podium. The crowd started chanting his name as he moved up to the microphoned altar. He let the chanting crowd continue for a few more minutes. He then tested the microphone with his right forepaw. The feedback whine told him that the microphone was on and was working. The crowd immediately grew silent to listen to what David had to say.
"My fellow Saurians, so it's now come down to this!" Unlike most of his past speeches, there was little, if any, pride and strength in his voice; it was more solemn and almost defeated. Much of the crowd failed to notice this, however. "You've expelled from this world a race of dinos whom you felt would've kept you in the bonds of tyranny forever. You've…"
He was interrupted by the sudden cheer of the crowd. He let this continue for a couple of minutes before raising a forepaw demanding silence.
"You've chosen a world without the Rainbow Faces, a world without the benefits of their knowledge and their technology. You've chosen a world where you can revert back to the primal traditions of our ancestors."
The crowd erupted into cheers again. David let this continue unabated. Then they finally quieted down, he continued.
"While each and every one of you may think that this is the ideal world for you, it is not the ideal world for me!"
The crowd grew more serious. Smiles began to disappear as they listened to what the longneck, who became their symbolic leader, had to say.
"All I wanted was a world where both our cultures could coexist in peace and harmony; a world where we could all move together towards a better and brighter future. That was the dream I had dreamed all those years ago! Now, to my great sorrow, that dream will never become a reality!
"You may think you have won by casting out the Rainbow Face 'vermin' that you felt have suppressed you, but I don't see any winners here at all; only losers, and the countless dead we must now bury!
"Now, we must all work together — longnecks, swimmers, flyers, spiketails, fast runners, threehorns, sharpteeth, and many more — towards that better and brighter future."
Some polite applause emerged from the crowd.
"If I am to be your leader in this… grand design… I promise each and every one of you that I will be the best leader I can be…"
"… But I can't do it alone. I'll need help from each and every one of you to make this better and brighter future a reality. Only with all of the Saurian races working together can we make this world better and brighter not only for ourselves, but for our children, and our children's children. I thank you all for your attention, and I thank you all in advance for your support!"
The conclusion of that speech was met with cheers and thunderous applause. The crowd started to chant his name as he walked off the podium.
The video on the cave wall disappeared as the projector warbled off.
"We were fortunate enough that that video was found in an old abandoned cave during an early exploration of Terra just two thousand years after the Great Departure," Mr. Kark said. "The cave had been sealed away. That expedition had found this carefully preserved video of David Longneck's Final Speech along with dozens of other artifacts.
"It was the last known video of David Longneck that we know of. He would eventually become the Saurian Leader until his natural death some years later. His eldest son would then assume the leadership role he inherited from his father, just as his eldest son would after his death; and so on and so forth, all the way down through the generations."
"Sooooo, that means that my family has been leader of all Saurians all the way down to my grandfather, right?" Littlefoot asked.
Mr. Kark nodded. "Quite correct."
"Amazing!" Ruby commented in astonishment.
"I always knew you were a natural leader, Littlefoot," Chomper said. "I guess you'll take over the leadership of the Great Valley herd when your grandfather eventually passes away, huh?"
"It would seem so," Littlefoot smiled.
"It is interesting to note," Mr. Kark said, "that the Rainbow Faces managed to survive, prosper, and flourish on the space stations orbiting Terra for almost two hundred years. They would eventually venture into outer space where, if you recall from a previous lesson you were given, they encountered us Vulkadians; and together, we formed the United Federation of Spacefaring Species."
"And built spaceships like the Enterprise to travel all through Beyond the Mysterious Beyond!" Petrie happily said.
"Exactly!" Mr. Kark said. He then moved to set the handheld controller down on the desk holding the projector. "And this concludes Littlefoot's history lesson, and the entire lesson in general."
Littlefoot and friends cheered and applauded this monumental effort. Smiling, the Riggs moved forward and took their bows. After encouragement from them, Kark himself bowed slightly with his hands placed behind his back, in true Vulkadian fashion.
Overall, Littlefoot and his friends were satisfied with the lessons they were given, and felt that they had learned more in this entire afternoon spent with Mr. Kark and the Rainbow Faces than in their entire lifetime living in the Great Valley.