I'm a spinosaurus with a System to raise a dinosaur army

Chapter 361 361: Passing to the next generation

Another year had passed. In Sobek's eyes, time seemed to have begun to flow more rapidly. The months and weeks all passed almost the same and in a flash the morning turned into evening.

Humanity had continued its advance. By now, the planet Sarah had been fully colonized. Whole cities had sprung up on it and millions of settlers had begun to live there. The planet Davis had now reached more than a billion inhabitants and the planet Raab now owned thousands of mining establishments.

Thanks to teleportation technology it was so advanced that traveling between planets was even easier than going from one city to another. Since energy and material consumption were now no longer a concern thanks to solar panels on Hermes and mining plants on asteroids, everyone had a portable teleportation device. By now, being hired to work a mine on an asteroid was no different than being hired to work at the local convenience store.

Colonies on the moons of Leviathan and Behemoth had multiplied, providing even more materials and resources. Many had even begun considering terraforming projects. Basically, the idea was to build huge orbital lenses that would increase the sunlight enough to allow liquid water to exist on the surface. For the moment the project existed only on paper, but it was highly probable that in the future it would become a reality, as had happened for the mirror of Sarah.

Now only the moons of the two most distant planets, Ziz and Nephilim, were still waiting for man to set foot on them. Once those were removed, only outer space would be the last frontier. Frontier that probably would not remain so for long: scientists around the world seemed to be on the verge of discovering how to get around the problem of telecommunications.

The basic idea was to exploit space-time fluctuations to make the signal travel for several light years in a few moments, overcoming the light speed barrier.

Simply put, it was likely that humanity would no longer be constrained to the solar system alone within another decade.

Sobek was satisfied with this. The existence of many habitable planets was further insurance for the future: even if it was now almost impossible for a global conflict to break out, you could never know for sure. It could always happen that an asteroid hit the planet or that a supernova exploded on the edge of the Solar System. Being able to get out of the Solar System meant guaranteeing all living species to become immortal: once a species had become multi-star, nothing could threaten it anymore... apart from another more evolved civilization, but Sobek wasn't too worried about that.

From Sobek's point of view, an alien civilization was highly unlikely to be hostile. To reach the current level, humanity had had to forget differences and unite; if it didn't, if he, Sobek, had never existed, it probably would have consumed its planet's resources and become extinct on its own before it could reach the stars. Therefore, it was likely that an alien civilization had either already destroyed itself, or had evolved enough to smooth out all internal conflicts and thus understand the futility of a war. After all, the universe was huge: what was the point of fighting for a planet or two? They might as well have agreed and each went their own way. There were over a hundred billion stars in their galaxy alone, each with at least one planet; even if each planet had been inhabited by a single living being, not even all of Eden's human, animal, and even plant population would have been sufficient to cover all the planets in the galaxy. And the galaxy where Eden stood was only one of many billions of galaxies in the universe. With so much space available, why fight for territory and resources?

Sobek's thought was shared by his daughter. By now Nefertiti had arrived to replace him in almost all the tasks concerning the pack. She asked him for advice very few times, and when she did she seemed to do it reluctantly. She almost seemed like she wanted him around as little as possible.

Sobek knew what was going on: his daughter was trying to step out of his shadow. By now, she was old enough to walk on her own paws and forge her own way, and she didn't like being in a lower position than her father yet.

Sobek was both proud and worried. He was happy with all the independence her daughter showed, but he was worried about what could happen to her if he gave her his full role. And he was also a little annoyed: he hated to admit it, but he almost felt usurped of his position as pack leader. He knew it was a silly thought, but unfortunately his animal heritage made him feel those feelings.

He had often found himself brooding about this, and he was also brooding when it happened. While he was deep in thoughts of him, he felt Al's [Contract] disappear, without any warning. Only later did he find out what had happened.

All those years, Al had continued to work as a negotiator at the Eden Union and the few nations that remained outside it, trying to break down as many barriers between human and animal people as possible. He had never stopped, not even when his body had begun to show signs of old age. He had been a very helpful nurturer to Nefertiti and often took her to meetings to teach her how to confer with humans properly.

It was at one of these meetings that Al had breathed his last. Since that morning he had seemed strange, more tired, but he had still wanted to go to the meeting. There, at one point, he had closed his eyes. Everyone assumed he had fallen asleep and just carried on. Only when Sobek appeared in the garden of the building and asked to check did they realize that he was no longer breathing. Apparently, he had suffered a cardiac arrest in the middle of the meeting.

Al was loved by all, humans and animals, and therefore his body was taken out and displayed on a huge stretcher for all to say goodbye. Sobek couldn't remember ever seeing so many people at a funeral: in the future, polls that day would speak of tens of millions of people, so many that it was necessary for the police to establish a perimeter to allow everyone to say goodbye to Al in orderly manner, and the queue lasted for almost three days.

Nefertiti had come to greet her uncle with tears in her eyes. She had been hugging his corpse for almost half an hour. She was now much bigger than him, but despite this she had curled up so much that it seemed that the allosaurus was still the one bigger than her.

Buck and Carnopo had also come to say goodbye. Like Al, they too were now very old. Everyone seemed to be carrying the weight of the years on their shoulders. They had each stood by Al's head for ten minutes and moved their lips as they whispered something. Sobek hadn't wanted to use his superior hearing to know what they had said to him and had used all of his willpower to shut those words out of his ears: it was something too personal.

When it was his turn, Sobek nuzzled Al's face. The allosaurus was still grinning. At least, he seemed to have died happy. "Goodbye, my friend" he told him. "I'm glad I didn't completely degrade you that day. Without you I would never have made this far. I hope that when we meet again, you will be able to forgive me for being such a stubborn and hot-headed pack leader" he whispered to him, then he walked away and let others go and say goodbye to the allosaurus.

Sobek went away to be alone for a while. It was then that he heard a voice. "Are you okay?"

He looked down and saw Jocelyne. By now, what he had known as a twelve-year-old girl was well into her thirties. She was still a beautiful woman, but it was a strange effect for him to see her so… adult.

Sobek snorted. "When I started creating the pack, I knew that most of my subjects and all of my most trusted companions would likely die before me. I was only two, they were at least five times that age" he sighed. "I just wish it was less painful"

Jocelyne placed a hand on his hip. By now, she looked like an ant compared to the enormous behemoth beside her. Sobek hardly even felt her touch. Nonetheless, that small gesture of affection was welcome. "I know it's painful. You can't prepare yourself to say goodbye to someone. But it's okay to cry" she said. "It means that the time spent together has been appreciated"

Sobek smiled. "Oh, it was really appreciated. Al was… a good guy, and a very good friend. Many of the diplomatic successes and integration laws of the last twenty years are thanks to him. It can be said that it was a milestone for our future"

"Yeah" Jocelyne smiled back. "I didn't know him like you did, but I've spent enough time with him to know what he was worth. He deserved all these tributes"

Sobek nodded, looking at the very long line that was still thinning after three days. Yes, Al deserved that goodbye. "My daughter lost her first uncle when she was just hatching, and this is the tenth she has lost. And she will soon lose Buck and Carnopo too, and then me. I wonder if I'm not putting too much suffering on her shoulders"

"Seeing your older family members die is something no one can avoid" Jocelyne said. "You cannot change this. She is strong; she will endure and carry on, just as everyone else have endured and carried on"

Sobek inhaled, looking at Nefertiti in the distance. The young spinosaurus was leaning against Buck, who was whispering something to cheer her up. "Jocelyne, I would like you to give me an honest answer now"

"Please ask me"

"What do you think of my daughter?"

Jocelyne shook her head. "Are you asking me if she's ready to take your place, by any chance? Do you really need to ask me this question?"

"I know it's stupid, but I'd like to get an outside opinion. One that isn't veiled by paternal concern" Sobek replied.

Jocelyne was silent for a moment, then she smiled at him. "I assume all parents are the same about such things" she said with a slight note of amusement in her voice. "You can dwell on it all you want, but I doubt she'll ever be ready in your eyes. You will always find obstacles that will prevent you from giving her complete control. The only solution… is to trust her". She patted her hand on his side a few times: "She may be young, but she's very capable. She will be fine. You may let her take the reins and lead the carriage. Let her forge her destiny"

Sobek sighed deeply. "Thank you, Jocelyne. I needed it" he said standing up.

Jocelyne nodded. "That's what friends are for, right?" she said, then nodded at him. "Come on. Go to her"

Sobek followed her advice and headed towards Nefertiti. "Ehy" he called her.

The young spinosaurus seemed to notice his presence only at that moment. "Father. I'm sorry, I didn't hear you"

"I understood" Sobek said, then he looked at Buck and Carnopo. "Can you leave us alone for a moment? We need to talk"

The t-rex and the carnotaurus nodded and walked away. Nefertiti looked at him intently. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Sobek took a deep breath. The time had come. "I know this is not the best time, but waiting is useless. Al would have liked me to tell you this right away" he said. "My daughter, I… I believe that you no longer need me now"

Nefertiti looked at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"That I give you the command. The pack needs a new leader" Sobek replied. "Oh, don't make that face. I'm too old now, I can't keep up with the times anymore. Let's face it openly, I am now something outdated. The pack needs another pack leader… not better, not worse, just different. Someone who knows how to drive it correctly in this new era"

Nefertiti's eyes widened like two balls. She had dreamed of that moment many times over the last few months, but now that she's finally arrived, she's not feeling as elated as she'd expected. "Are you sure? I don't... feel ready"

"The mere fact that you don't think you're ready proves you are" Sobek said. "I have not taken this decision lightly, my child. I have pondered it for a long time. I have been watching you since you hatched and believe me when I tell you that you are perfect for this role. I have no reason to put off this moment any longer". He lifted one of his front paws and brushed her muzzle. "The pack is yours. I'm giving it to you formally. If someone has something against it, beat them up and show that you are worthy of your role. I get out of it. It's time for me to retire too and leave the task to the new generation"

Nefertiti was silent for a few moments, then she raised her head and touched his muzzle with hers. "Thanks, Dad" she whispered. "I will do my best to make you proud of me"

"I'll always be proud of you, no matter what you decide to do" Sobek replied.

"I'll do my best anyway" Nefertiti whispered, trying not to cry. "Thank you. You made this day less painful"

"I know. Knowing Al, he would have been happy with it" Sobek said.

Al was buried in front of the central building of the Eden Union and a huge plaque was placed above his grave. In the future, it would become common for those entering the palace for the first time to pay their respects at that tomb, to thank the allosaurus that had done so much for the human and animal worlds. Despite the years and decades that passed, this tradition would never be forgotten for a long, long time.