MOTHER OF DRAGONS

There weren’t always dragons in the valley. Indeed It wasn’t long ago the Dragon was just a fiction crafted by the old world storytellers to inspire bravery and faith in the hearts of their children. To the adults of the new era, it was a far-fetched fable, borne of our wildest dreams. That dear old ideology would change forever and become the fable after a rogue asteroid unexpectedly made contact with Earth's atmosphere.

Legend says the starry night sky flashed daytime blue and the blue sky of day turned to darkness like the flickering of a light switch. This sudden celestial activity was responsible for drawing every living person in the world from their home to investigate. Unlike anything ever seen before people looked on as a gigantic burning asteroid shattered as it skipped across the atmosphere and firey stars rained down across all the skies of earth. Whether it was a scientific curiosity that mesmerized or apocalyptic terror that paralyzed, every living thing was privileged to the worldwide show that would be remembered as the day the path of the heavens came crashing down.

The whole spectacle would get relegated to the proverbial fifteen minutes of fame treatment. The world of people would quickly forget what the skies did. Even after pictures and videos taken by amateurs and professionals alike went viral across the internet. Images showing in every case something that appeared most likely to be a giant flaming bat falling out of the sky with the shower of asteroid debris that settled in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego.

Some years later after the legendary event had ensconced it's self in history, a new species of cold-blooded lizards was discovered and indexed by Mexican biologists in the Yucatan Peninsula. The little palm-sized iridescent Geko-like creatures spured scientists to affirm the virtues of evolution and the books were again happy to record history. How ever their life spans were tragically all of a mere twenty-four-hour cycle.

This rapidly became a concern as their carcasses quickly decayed and even became toxic. Emitting an odor so bad the area known for its tropical beauty and serenity suffered a big loss in tourism. The Mexican government quickly took mitigating action and that's when it was discovered how resilient these new animals were. They were not only resistant to blunt force trauma and extremely high temperatures but miraculously and unbelievably able to metabolize and regurgitate fire.

This was discovered when an American-owned resort community began to mitigate the new toxic pest carcasses with the use of fire and the result was a cataclysmic catastrophe. What started as a simple bad idea resulted in the vibrant rainforests of central America burned down to the ground. Leaving the newly scorched earth with an infestation of creatures that when sustained with fire were able to fly like bats. We could have connected the dots then and acted when the situation was some what simple.

Instead, we responded in the same way as humanity has always responded to existential threats, too late. Despite international efforts to contain the new creature in Central America these Animals eventually made it by way of the black market into pet stores all over the world. It was very easy, convenient, and profitable. And why not after it was discovered that after exposure to a blast of extremely cold temperatures they were permanently turned into a stone-like state.

The cataclysm that zeroed an entire rainforest would not be forgotten or ignored but capitalized on. In a snap they had been popularly renamed Dragon stones and the once science-fictional beast was now the most valuable pets slash collectibles in the world. The smallest with the most value since the larger they grew the more color they took in. They were used as garden decorations, hood ornaments on cars, and decorations on doors.

They were used as lucky charms, engagement rings or medallions that were worn around the neck. And universally if and when desired these dragon stones could be awakened as a low-maintenance pet. It was as easy as popping it in the oven at 400 degrees for forty minutes and presto a living breathing pet sustainable with a simple tea light candle. If you wanted to return it to a stone-like existence just lock it in the freezer for thirty minutes and there you would have it ready for display or storage.

Did humanity think to respond to the great tragedy that was the elimination of a tropical environment changed into an alien toxic one? Not at all. Humanity would not be bothered away from their personal affairs, especially not as long as adults arraigned themselves with them and children desired them as toys or pet companionship. The new culture was pushing every limit, It was a phase that kept getting hotter as laws in every country were relaxed changed and made to accommodate the sale and owner ship as well as protection of the new creature.

Now just twenty years later the United States congress is called together to discuss the newest development involving the Dragons. The novelty event that changed the world economy has led to the Evacuation of the San Fernando Valley. It's been theorized in the weeks past that somebody, we may never know who it was, left their Dragon stone to burn in the oven. And now the once-thriving metropolis known as the Valley is occupied by Dragons and the world leaders all gather together to watch with bated breath the conclusion to be drawn by the United States congress this day.

The beginning of the emergency session was wrought with indecision as one senator after the other made their points in a similar train of thought. “We expanded as a race” Shouted the senator from Colorado to be heard over the clamor of disorder in the capitol building. “We Grew and pushed forward into new territories in search of resources to sustain our families. It was our unique resilience that allowed us to travel the world and adapt to new habitats and from the Arctic to the Equator, we have made our homes.

It was our mastery of fire that allowed us to conquer the world as a species. So we should just assume that an equally adaptable animal with a natural affinity for fire will also expand and even flourish in a greater way. And what after that? today they are the size of dump trucks a year ago no bigger than a hound dog.

Perhaps soon they are the size of Tyrannosaurus rex. And what will we do then, retreat from the hills and give up more ground in the same way that Californians did in the evacuations from the valley? That is why I vote without a doubt that we act proactively against these Dragons and put a stop to their menace here and now. They can as far as I’m concerned join the Dinosaurs in extinction, giant lizards should be viewed and studied behind the glass in a museum, not flying around the skies scaring the Hell out of people.

The human race must remain the apex species on this planet. If we cant maintain that simple status quo then we consign our children to the horrifying fate of extinction or far worse. We doom our children's children to the fate of becoming livestock. Allowed to live, kept and bred to be eaten” the Senator said impressively banging his notes down on his pulpit. He finished strongly but to very fierce opposition.

Another senator from the very State at topic California argued a very different beat. “Sure there weren’t always Dragons in the Valley. But have we asked ourselves if there were always let us say people there? The answer is no and in the same line of thought as the senator of Colorado has pointed out we travel and expand by necessity, not by evil. To take aggressive action against these Dragons that have taken residence in the valley would be a crime against nature and God.

This is nothing like the infestation that took hold of Mexico years ago. Front line reports show these Dragons are making civilizing breakthroughs. It is, for this reason, I maintain that we must with great caution and humility allow for this new colony of sentient beings to establish itself in peace so that we might observe and maybe one day reach out to this new species and learn from them, their civilizing qualities” the Senator from California proposed. He was met by unanimous disapproval from his peers shouting at, over and around the Senator from California over the absurd nature of his ideology from both the left and the right.

And there was never such bipartisan discord in all the republics' years as a nation. So much so that if the situation wasn't an emergency they could have argued for months, possibly years. As it were, the decision would prove unanimous soon after the Senator from Virginia made his case. “We have intelligence reports that show that this case is deeper than we knew.

What was thought to have been an accident related to a dragon stone however true that may be is in reality, related to the asteroid that made contact with the atmosphere all those years ago. The reports that were brushed off as a hoax of a giant bat were in fact what is being called the Mother Dragon. After being petrified in space the blazing fire that broke the asteroid into pieces also awoke the dragon and what looked like a bat crashing onto the sea was an intentional landing” the Senator from Virginia said as he presented photographic evidence to the senate chambers for examination.

“These photos were taken by Submarine Alabama stationed on the coast of San Diego the night the heavens fell. They show the mother dragon was able to swim her way down deep into a crevasse before they lost line of sight. A crevasse so deep that after months of further investigation by the Sub, was discovered a volcanic shoot. This volcanic shoot was used as a doorway to a massive caldera and to the dragon a more hospitable atmosphere which allowed the dragon to habitat and then give birth to the first wave of offspring.

These drones were later detected in the Yucatan peninsula and by that time the damage was irreversible. By that time that we had used fire as a weapon against them, they were already firmly established in a complex volcanic hive system deep under the earth's crust.” the senator said as he passed around another series of documents confirming the allegations. “Ground-penetrating radar used in the deepest part of this doorway showed images that showed what could only be the activity of this new species of Dragon working like insects to extend their lava tubes closer to the surface. The supposed overcooked Dragon stone in the San Fernando Valley was more than likely the finished product of one of these volcanic tubes.

The first case was the Yukitan Peninsula. All we did was force a mutation on them when we attacked them with fire so near to death and we believe that evolution responded unexpectedly with a cruel hand. It's a matter of time before these two worlds collide again and again as more of these tubes are soon to surface all over the world. So the honorable senator from Colorado can rest easy knowing that his concerns are well justified.

Just as well, the honorable senator from Californias concerns who concedes that we observe and study their intelligent nature are well justified. The department of defense has been doing just that since the night the path of the heavens fell and the Submarine Alabama made its visual contact. However despite all their best efforts to make first contact were in vein, last week the Dragons made contact with us first, triggering this report coming to my desk. They knew all about this congressional meeting today and have offered parlay. Forgive me I am still taking much of this in myself” the senator said wiping his for head with his sleeve to clear away the sweat threatening to seep into his eyes.

“I ask that my fellow congress join me in finding the backbone to face the data we have been given. What was once a single dragon queen and her hive has turned into a kingdom and they are now according to our intelligence reports poised to strike all over the globe. All that stops them is their anticipation of our next move in response to the message they have given.

This line of reason and evidence washed over the senate chambers as each senator poured over pictures and documents that were provided by the senator from Virginia. Pictures that showed all the senator had mentioned along with corresponding data that couldn't be ignored. The once loud and disorganized chatter was replaced with the sound of busy reading. This cleared the road for the senator from Virginia to go on railing against the Dragons.

“In the communications, they have called us a hostile nuisance at our best of times and their message is clear. They intend to decimate the human race into submission. They consider themselves to be the righteous occupants of this earth that they call Mexican and the masters of the life upon it” the senator said. He would rest his case on the following presentation bombshell, a sound byte of the Mother Dragon herself, on a device of unknown technology crafted by the Dragons confirming that this was a very intelligent species.

In A heart jolting and booming low-key growl, the Mother Dragon was heard by the congress. “It was a different world when last my eyes looked upon this planet. long ago when my brethren ruled there was a terrible judgment handed down by the stars. The tragedy that destroyed the surface of that world, leaving it fertile for the rise of your tender species so many ages ago has now come to pass. I am what your simple species will know as Mother Dragon and I have granted you this council to share with all your nations to be heard by all your people. Your a forgivably ignorant people who have unintentionally become a deadly virus to this world.

We have studied you carefully during our captivity you enforced on us over the past years. Humanity in its most powerful form values so many wonderous elements of this planet as mere riches to be bartered with and because of this lack of spirit for you're home the vitality of its ecology suffers greatly. I have determined the value of your kind to be lesser than mine and I wish to reinvigorate this world again with my children who will kindly offer you the chance to live among us as our property. Those who come willingly to serve us will serve, those who do not will be eaten...” The sound byte ended and a cold gut-wrenching creepy silence filled the capitol building for what felt like an eternity.

Thousands of years of resting safely on the idea of apex predator had new meaning to the human race. A triggered sense of fight or flight took the hearts of nearly the entire congress and time seemed to stand still in the wake of the dreadful voice of Mother Dragon. In reality, it was almost at once that nearly the whole congress agreed and couldn't agree fast enough. After all, there was nowhere to run and despite a minority scrambling for another option posed to the inevitable attempt to eradicate the Dragons, it was pointless as the congress had already stirred up a supermajority.

There was nothing that could have been done to stop the passing of The Sally Fourth Doctrine and the president of the united states declaration of war on Dinosaurs in that same hour. The governments of the world would largely agree with this measure and the Dragons in the valley would soon become the target of a full-scale assault.