All the wyverns had been left to collect their breath saliva without igniting to produce this bomb but it wasn't enough and useless without real explosives.

We needed the chemical components of nitrated cotton, made from nitric acid.

Collecting saltpetre was exhausting and an industrial solution was needed.

That's why we had to go to a volcano to collect sulphuric acid. But the process turned out to be extremely deadly because of the invisible gases.

So I decided to organise an expedition to the volcanic mountains a little further east.

On the map, I remember an area with a skull and crossbones.

I asked the wise man what it was, but the area was deadly.

Anyone who got too close would die on the spot, be petrified or die in excruciating agony a few hours later. There was only one survivor.

They also spoke of a petrifying basilisk, the presence of dragons and a lake of blood. The water was red and you could tell by the clouds that turned red as they passed.

I had the idea of having volcanologists' clothes made, but it was useless. You needed bottled oxygen or a compressed air hose. We were in the Middle Ages. Not even the 18th century!!! with hand pumps and the first submarines made from tightly strapped barrels. It was too dangerous.

I knew I had a resistance to acid and with wooden hoses weighted like barrels, I could collect a few thousand litres that way.

Everything had to be done. Everything!

And that made me 'Chi...r'!!!. It wasn't the life I wanted!

My dream was to laze in the sun with my pregnant lizards and to help myself to a buffet in the forest and to go and eat in a restaurant from time to time, stuffing myself with cold meats, pancakes and pastry delights from time to time. I even intended to keep some cooks in my den or dungeon and do them for me from time to time.

But it was a sadly simple ambition.

I had a feeling I'd get bored eventually, but it'd be too late when I discovered I wanted more.

In fact, I wanted to 'let go'! to do nothing for 10 years and enjoy this neolithic/medieval paradise. I also wanted to go on big dinosaur hunts in the trench areas.

In the end, I just didn't know myself any more.

I refused the role of demon lord. But my dragon blood urged me to be prouder, braver, more active and even to fight to become demon king and take on other demon lords.

These thoughts crushed my brain and, like any animal, I groaned without knowing why.

The humans who accompanied me saw these "meditations" as absences. A bit like a lizard that gets excited then stops... then starts up again and so on.

They stared at me and I turned around: "What?"

A team of alchemists, orc shamans and goblins accompanied me.

A century before, Europe 2135, headquarters of the United Nations, Geneva

The Serbian-born magistrate Korosiv presided over the United Nations in Geneva.

This was because the USA's military stance and visa restrictions at the New York headquarters were no longer acceptable to most nations that disagreed in any way with Uncle Sam's policies. This nation, which was once almost master of the world, ended up contracting as a result of the mega-crisis of 2050, which almost led to a civil war. The numerous military campaigns that ruined the country and the investment in research that failed to contribute to the country's financial recovery eventually led to the collapse of the entire system.

This was due to the disparity between the dollar and gold reserves and the growth produced by bank debt, which eventually led to an astronomical devaluation of the currency.

The famine, insecurity and misery of an entire people finally sounded the death knell for democratic institutions and a shift towards Europe, which had the wisdom to ban AIs and facial recognition systems in order to control the population.

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These economic disasters were followed by Asia and Africa, which also wanted its share of development.

And in 2100, dreams of halting global warming were shattered when a world war almost started over the sharing of resources when global agriculture was no longer sufficient due to recurring droughts, heavy rains ruining harvests, the equator becoming unlivable and now called the Ring of Fire.

In 2135, the last ski slope closed for good and the glaciers could only be visited in virtual 3D in a fridge room. Wildlife was dying out and meat was becoming genetically weary.

Korosiv appeared at all the trade fairs in 3D holography and his speech was exceptional.

We invited Professor Neidermann, a specialist in weightless cultures, and he told us about a solution to our current problems.

He was greying, partly bald, with long hair rather like the old Professor Picard... a simple timeless brown suit and we have our typical scientist.

He stood under the holo-camera, a few electronic paper notes on a simple desk with the United Nations flag hanging from it.

He quietly cleared his throat knowing he was about to speak to all humanity.

"Thank you President Korosiv, Madam Chancellor of Helvetia and thank you all for giving me a few seconds of your attention".

The audience erupted in applause and above the professor, images of hothouse ships and orbiting forests appeared.

"As you can see above my head, these are prototypes that really exist.

Orbital energy resources are self-sufficient but, as on Earth, they cannot withstand pollution and then be consumed at a frantic pace.

Les ressources énergétiques orbitales sont autosuffisantes mais ne peuvent pas , comme sur terre résister à la pollution et ensuite être consommé à un rythme effréné [https://img.wattpad.com/dc5d800cdcb1a6f1dde4576adfc824cd4a40c469/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6148463678416c4f68347a4467513d3d2d313334363532383930322e313736333662346630646533626262643139393737343632373237342e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

The society we live in is dying like an overcrowded aquarium with dirty water and saturated filters.

I don't have any more sordid details to add. In 50 years' time, at this rate, eating will become survival and 25 years later our societies will collapse through famine and war. The next generation will probably be the last if we do nothing.

But if we raise our heads to the sky, we can fix everything! Provided that all military budgets are redirected towards space culture."

Everyone applauded and congratulated the professor.

Then he continued.

"BUT!!!!" there are the risks of solar storms, and like any new environment, space is like the sky: hostile.

In our archives, around 35 years ago, we had an eminent scientist. Professor Brillant, who was recognised throughout the scientific community but who, according to his notes, was losing his motivation because of his peers and the lack of vision at the time regarding the funding of his research.

I mention his name because something happened recently.

You might ask what this has to do with a high-energy researcher, the current situation and why I'm telling you about it.

To enlighten you, this unjustly forgotten professor was working on a way of breaking the time continuum. Basically, a way of creating a mini teleportation in order to make an anti-gravity engine.

Without going through insider explanations, he had the brilliant idea of putting a transmitter in his system.

Unfortunately, he suddenly disappeared with the whole laboratory without a trace.

All that remained was an empty sphere cutting through the structure, leaving nothing behind. It was the most bizarre scientific accident of all time and, unfortunately, his knowledge, his notes and plans, all disappeared, the only trace being the surveillance camera that sent the images to a server further away, unaffected.

What I must reveal is that 2 years ago, our radio telescopes picked up a signal from space.

We were all mad to have a coherent signal that wasn't scrambled or coming from stars.

The signal took 35 years, but with the distance and the casimir effect, we were still able to obtain something incredible:

Le signal a mis 35 ans, mais avec l'éloignement, et l'effet casimir, nous avons quand même pu obtenir quelque chose d'incroyable : [https://img.wattpad.com/1fe7e425f9f0a130eafc4db53c6053c3f05dfb03/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f67595f5338465f365779674774513d3d2d313334363532383930322e313736333730363664666238323636653739383638343939383036382e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

The probe has succeeded in sending a video signal lasting a few hours. And that's an essential discovery!

The beamed laboratory is in orbit!"

The room fell silent, as if everyone had been struck.

Then the professor continued.

"This is not Earth..!!!! It's Alpha, from the Proxima Centauri system! The planet hosts life.!!! LIFE!!!! Seas! Oceans! The land is covered in forests. Everything is similar to Earth!"

The crowd went wild! HOURRA HOURRA!

This was the most important scientific discovery for mankind!... There was a second Earth!

Once calm had returned, and journalists were clutching at images, analyses and the only copy of the probe's video, the eminent astronomer explained: "This is a marvel for mankind, but let's not get carried away!... any journey, with our most powerful engines, will take 75 years to complete and Professor Brillant's knowledge is lost and the archives of his publications were unfortunately lost in the war of the great crisis, when everything was sold, even the waiters to eat...

Just think of the disasters of war and the missed opportunities! If we could go back in time, we might have had a way of coming and going instantly between infinite distances! War, no, wars have cost more than our lives! They have killed our future!

And so, colossal sums of money were collected within the United Nations and redistributed to space projects.

And Apophis threatened!