System

9. The Evolution Farm

There was grass in every direction - countless blades drifting in the cool evening wind - blends of colours, shapes and sizes rippling over the gentle hills. On the flat ground of a small hollow, a small herd of large creatures grazed steadily, munching their way monotonously through tons of plant life - blade by blade.

The taller of two watchers brushed strands of brown hair from his eyes.

'They just look like woolly spiders to me,' Swan muttered with an unimpressed tone.

His companion smiled in an amused way, as if this was an old joke. He was seated on a fold-up chair and had a floppy sun hat perched on his head. He wore dark glasses and was leafing through a battered old guide book.

'According to this, they're one of the most successful life forms in history,' Watcher said happily. 'They've survived two extinction events as far as I can tell. Last time round they did really well and became the dominant species - so don't knock them. They've got some real evolutionary advantages.'

Swan grunted and turned his attention back to the mega-arachnids. He lifted a pair of binoculars to his eyes and watched as the hefty animals slowly consumed a large patch of yellow flowers.

'Look at them properly,' Watcher said as he lifted the brim of his hat and peered down at the large animals. 'They may look like spiders, but they're a completely unique species. They're not venomous and they don't spin webs. Their eight solid legs give them stability and efficiency - offering a high level of carrying capacity with minimal brain use.'

The two men had set up camp on a small hill from which they could see the entire valley. They had a fairly unsteady table on which a flask of coffee was steaming nicely.

'Their biology is perfectly adapted to a vegetarian diet,' Watcher continued. 'And their mandibles are ideal for chomping. Just look at them go...'

He paused his lecture to gesticulate impressively over the herd.

Swan and Watcher had left Kurt back in twenty-first century Cambridge and returned to their simple white room. They were now exploring the artificial world inside the supercomputer using a picture cube which gave them access to different periods of the VEPE's strange evolutionary history.

Their first few visits had been quite odd, as they encountered bizarre creatures constructed from simple geometric shapes. The quality of the simulation was becoming more sophisticated however, as their visits progressed, and this latest world was extremely realistic. Swan guessed that the computer had become much more powerful as time passed and the animals themselves were also increasing in complexity.

'Of course, this is also what makes them such an evolutionary dead end,' Watcher continued as he tapped a page in the guidebook.

The taller man said something indistinct and continued to stare out through his binoculars. One of the larger males had spotted a particularly succulent bush and was systematically shredding it.

'According to the book, the mega-arachnids became the dominant species very quickly and produced several dozen sub-species occupying every evolutionary niche on the planet from open ocean to the tree-tops - pretty much as mammals or dinosaurs did in the real world - but they were just too good. After the last extinction event there was a massive depletion of species. Now there are just a handful of successful groups - and these beauties rule the roost! They're so efficient with their munching that they've reduced most of the world to grassland - which they continue to harvest in an endless rolling banquet. Aren't they amazing!'

'I still feel I want a nice big shoe to hit them with though.' Swan muttered.

His companion laughed at him in a good humoured way.

'Yes, well, that may be about to happen... If you look a little to the left, you might see something different...'

Swan squinted through his binoculars. There was a sharp movement in the tall grass and he was just able to pick out a head. It was sharp and triangular and raised up briefly like a periscope on a submarine. This was clearly a different species - the eyes were focused forward and it turned with sharp and confident movements, like a hunter stalking its prey.

The head disappeared, and for a while Swan thought it had gone, but then he saw the ripple of grass like the wake of a ship as it moved rapidly past. There were not one, but two, four - maybe as many as eight tracks converging on the giant spiders.

'Look at them go!' said Watcher as he leaned forward and lifted his own binoculars.

Swan caught a glimpse of a creature as it passed by - only a few feet from their camp. It was sleek, arrow-like and agile; moving on six legs rather than eight. He couldn't help thinking of it as a cross between an ant and a lion.

'Hexepedia Cannis,' Watcher informed him clutching the guidebook. 'They're the top predator in this emerging world - and aren't they something!'

As the six-legged creatures approached the spiders, it became difficult to see them as they slowed down and moved more carefully. Suddenly two of them stood up on their hind legs and the Swan got a clear look at them for the first time.

The creatures were indeed built a little like ants and had sharp and angular body part. They were able to rest on their rear section with their first two pairs of legs spread out like paws. There was something strangely mammalian about them however - making them look like mere-cats on the look-out.

Whatever they resembled in this world, their appearance seemed to spook the arachnids, who turned as a group and moved off in a slow lumbering stampede. It was difficult to tell at first what the hunters were doing but the two men could see movement in the grass as ripples marked the predators' hidden progress.

It was soon obvious what was going on as the ripples converged on a large spider, which was slowly falling behind. The attack happened very suddenly as the pack moved as one - leaping onto the lumbering form of the woolly beast.

'How do they coordinate their attack?' asked Swan. 'Can they communicate?'

Watcher shrugged as he consulted the guidebook.

'Maybe a little,' he replied. 'But I think it's mostly emergent behaviour based on instinct. They have developed an effective hunting pattern over several generations... Having said that, they are displaying some genuine social behaviour - and that's a significant step forward.'

Two of the creatures reared up between the large spider and the main herd; effectively separating their victim from its fellows. The rest of the pack clung to the spider as it writhed and shook; trying desperately to dislodge its attackers.

Swan found that he couldn't look away; both fascinated and repelled at the same time...

'If you look carefully,' Watcher continued. 'You'll see that they're not attacking the body. They're going for the joints. Those are the weak points. Once they've brought their prey down they'll finish it off at their leisure...'

The pack slowly pulled the spider onto its side, like lions weighing down a bull elephant. The huge beast stumbled and fell, attempted to stand and then collapsed, crippled as the predators relaxed and gathering round for the feast.

'That will feed them for a week,' Watcher stated flatly.

Swan was still glued to his binoculars.

'So, what happens next?' he asked.

'Want to find out?'