The UN peacekeeper convoy idles at the edge of the community. Pine smoke drifts through the cold air. Elders stand at the front. Children watch quietly.
Solid Snake steps forward, helmet tucked under his arm. His voice is calm, steady.
Solid Snake:
“We’re not here to tell you who you are, or who to pray to, or who to vote for. We’re here to make one promise only: no one touches you without your consent. Not priests. Not nuns. Not politicians. Not ever again.”
A murmur passes through the crowd.
Neil ‘Red’ Richtofen adjusts his beret, eyes sharp but sincere.
Richtofen:
“I’ve seen what happens when institutions forget they serve people, not power. From today forward, this land is protected. Your children are protected. Your stories are protected. Anyone who comes here with authority but without respect will answer to us.”
He pauses, softer now.
Richtofen:
“This is not occupation. This is guardianship.”
Silence. Then a single drumbeat.
Angelina Jolie steps up, visibly moved, tears cutting clean lines down her face. She doesn’t wipe them away.
Angelina Jolie:
“I’ve stood in refugee camps and war zones all over the world. And I’ve learned something painful and simple: the deepest wounds are caused when harm wears the mask of virtue.”
She looks at the elders, then the children.
Angelina Jolie:
“Today, I’m crying because protection is finally being spoken out loud—without conditions, without sermons, without speeches about what you should be grateful for. You don’t need saving. You need safety. You deserve dignity.”
Her voice catches.
Angelina Jolie:
“The world is watching now. And this time, it’s not to take—it’s to learn.”
She bows her head. The drumbeat grows stronger. An elder steps forward and places a hand over his heart.
Fade out.