Chapter Text
Year 3048, After Extinction (A.E) Era (henceforth all the years will be addressed as either A.E or B.E - Before Extinction)
Earth, the Green Planet as we know it, is no longer the same
Earth, with its long, long history of 4.6 billions years has gone from a mass of dust and particles, to a planet rich in resources to nurture life.
As the course of time unfolds, Earth - the womb of the Solar System - has cradled from the simplest of organisms, such as the methanobacterium, to some of the most developed and intelligent of life forms, such as Homo sapiens.
Despite her seemingly tranquil surface, Mother Earth is a dynamic and active planet, capable of violent upheavals and destructive rampage. Many tsunamis and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions later, what started with Pangea - our one Continent, is now 6 Oceanic Kingdoms.
So as She nurtures, so then She destroys.
Every wave of disaster puts a massive strain upon species and organisms. Many cannot adapt, and surrender in the siege of destruction. Many of them were the dominant species once upon a time on Earth. Our Mother's natural rhythms is as cruel as it is kind: from the womb that one has arisen, one shall return, embraced in Her hold, in a never-ending Circle of Life.
A tiny percentage, however, will have survived. They maybe small, or mayhaps insignificant in the big picture of species, but they have what it takes to endure. Never be surprised at how quick the dominant species could change, only the fittest will survive in this evolutionary race, and sometimes, the "fittest" takes on a literal meaning - that one has the right, "fitting", conditions to emerge victorious.
75 million years ago, Dinosaurs were dethroned. Such strong, majestic species that once ruled over the sky, the ground, and the water, they were wiped out by a meteor crashing on Earth, changing the living conditions so drastically, that with their sheer size, the Great Lizards were unable to cope with the change, and went extinct.
The mammals, small and hot-blooded, went from being a small, nocturnal species to a massive Class in taxonomy. Many would argue that Homo sapiens, or Humans, were the pinnacle of evolution for the mammals. For years and years, they thrived, reaching nigh impossible populations, dominating Earth, and leaving behind great cultural feats and heritage.
But...during the course of time, 99% of species ever present on Earth, had gone extinct.
And time came again, when Mother Earth quakes and rumbles and shifts herself. Roughly 7 million years ago, the ozone layer completely disappeared, bringing along with it the protection against harmful radiations. Temperature on Earth reached a record high 50 degrees Celsius in the day, but was as low as - 50 degrees Celsius in the night. Unable to cope with the drastic change in climate, the human population dwindled from 20 billion, down to a measly 50,000, all clustered on one archipelago that was still able to grow crops.
Tragedy struck, however, when the then Pacific Ring of Fire, Earth's most seismically active region, went through its most violent plate tectonics shift. The archipelago, right next to the Ring, disappeared, marking the end of Homo sapiens, one of the greatest species to have ever walked on Earth.
Thousands of years and changes later, Earth no longer holds any continents afloat. Instead, it is composed of one Ocean, the PanOceania, and stretches of majestic subcontinents and deep underwater valleys. Aquatic species, the single candidate solely fit to inherit the throne, has developed into the civilization they are today, with 6 Oceanic Kingdoms, full of diverse aquatic life forms.
Nevertheless, we must never forget, nothing is everlasting. We are but a tiny spec compared to the life span of Mother Earth. No one knows what the future holds for us as species, and for Mother Earth as a planet.
In this never-ending evolutionary race, who will emerge as the next victor?
We shall see.
Hans Lee-Townsende - Circle of Life, Preface (3048 A.E, Echinoidea Publications)