Terra 2: A Second Tree Of Life

10,000 Years PE

The first 100 centuries have now passed on Terra 2. The world has changed from its beginnings 10,000 years ago, but not drastically. The capybaras have quickly proliferated and scattered across the three continents, while their smaller cousins, the hamsters, have also experienced a population boom. The capybaras can now be found in herds of hundreds on vast open prairies, mowing down the grass and exposing the soft soil that the hamsters use for digging their burrows. However, the hamsters' burrowing instincts are beginning to wane. Why burrow when there's nothing to hide from? With no predators and mild winters, they no longer need to stash their food in their cheeks as they once did. These hamsters have evolved into small grazers, with some now reaching the size of a rat, consuming an endless supply of grass and flower stalks. Speaking of flowers, the dandelions have also begun to speciate, turning red, blue, purple, and of course, yellow. Their blossoms, which are essentially five flowers in one, have expanded outward and forward to enhance reproduction. While insect pollination still plays a role, the process is now primarily driven by the wind. The male dandelions—yes, they have distinct male and female forms—have grown larger and produce more seeds. The strong winds on Terra 2 have encouraged the spread of dandelions and other wind-pollinated plants across the globe.

Above; A male dandelion (right) and a female dandelion (left) on a prairie in Almara.

Bamboo has begun to flourish everywhere on Terra 2. Thanks to the violent storms and heavy rains, it can thrive on every landmass where storms occur, which is essentially everywhere during the Archi Epoch. When storms hit, they often flatten entire bamboo groves into large clearings of crushed fibres and nutritious leaves. The fallen bamboo, whose canopies are now within reach of ground-dwelling species, then serves as a food source for capybaras, slugs, hamsters, birds, and the new bamboo that will grow in its place. Once destroyed, a bamboo forest can regrow to its full size in just a few weeks. However, few animals can inhabit these forests due to the tight, narrow spaces between the stalks. Only undersized kiwis and robins can live here with robins tending to nest high in the bamboo, while kiwis nest outside the groves because of their unusually large eggs that, amazingly and rather horrifically, can be as big as ostrich eggs. They use the forest for shelter during the mild nights, although temperatures do not require them to do so.

In the seas, life has remained somewhat the same. Fish haven't grown, at least not by much, and populations remain surprisingly stable. The violent tides are likely to blame, discouraging any grass from growing near the shorelines. Instead of grassy shores and golden sand, jagged pebble beaches stretch along the coast, devoid of grass, flowers, rodents, or birds. Only hermit-crabs or some very curious lobsters occasionally venture ashore to lay eggs, if they didn't beach themselves by mistake during low tide (low tide can last a significant stretch of time due to Terra 2's moons). Plankton provides sustainable nutrition for guppies and goldfish, which are preyed on in turn by lobsters. Jellyfish, however, are unaffected by the tides and thrive at depths of up to 15,000 feet. Some species, known as Towering Jellyfish, have grown to an enormous size—up to 30 feet—and are an impressive lineage.

The insects, particularly ants and beetles, have skyrocketed over the last 10,000 years. Ants, which build large underground nests not too dissimilar from their practically identical ancestors, have become ecosystem caretakers. They consume the grass in their surroundings, creating large grassless patches around their nests. While this may seem harmful, it actually benefits one creature: the kiwi. Kiwis utilize these bare patches of soil to construct their nests and protect their huge and rather vulnerable eggs from large capybaras that have now begun to prey on them, although rather infrequently. In return, the ants benefit from the kiwis’ eventual deaths. Upon reaching their peak age of five years, kiwis will die near the ants nest, providing secure shelters for the ants' eggs or larvae within the corpse. This marks the start of one of many symbiotic relationships that will develop on Terra 2.

The sun will now set on day 3,650,000 and the 10,001st year will begin.