CHAPTER THREE: LIFE

At the Northern quarter-sphere, 3.5 million years after the evolution of the first cells, the probability of life was highly favourable on a planet Avulan; a terrestrial planet within the orbit of a red giant star; Waaridei. Planet Avulan was in a shared binary orbit with its sister planet, Tyran. Both Tyran and Avulan were terrestrial planets. The key difference in their planetary structure being their atmospheres. While Avulan enjoyed a dense mostly Nitrogen and carbon dioxide atmospheric composition, Tyran’s atmosphere consisted mostly of gaseous iodine. Planet Avulan was able to build up and support its atmosphere through years of bacterial metabolic process. The uptake of carbon dioxide by cyanobacteria would lead to the production of oxygen gas; oxygen would then combine with residual hydrogen gas left over as a result of the formation of the planet to form essential water. Water would build up in large pools over the course of time, creating large reservoirs such as oceans and seas. It is in these pools of water, that life first started to arrange itself and our earliest ancestors, a species of primitive worm-like creatures would begin their fight for survival. Years of mutations led to the formation of light-sensitive receptor cells, enabling them to scavenge for food and look out for predators. It is through the evolution of these creatures that the first chordates, a primitive species of fish, would soon diverge into the aquatic niche undisturbed by their environment but in a constant battle for survival with other rapidly evolving species.

 

  The process of lighting fixation would introduce nitrogen gas as an organic material within the ecological structure. Plants began to cover the terrestrial landscape of Avulan, they were able to transform simple light energy into chemical energy, which they would store within their structures such as roots, leaves, stems and some fruits. Fungi would soon follow suit in their evolution and would aid in the decomposition of organic material, which would then be released back into the environment to start the cycle again. The evolution of plants and fungi became the driving force of the ecological structure on Avulan. Chemical energy in the form of food would ensure that life was sustained while also ensuring that the high energy input would lead to the come up of an even higher form of life. As more plant species continued to evolve, some species of primitive fish would leave behind their aquatic habitats and walk on land for the first time, due to limited resources and constant threat of predation. These species of primitive fish would learn to adapt to life on land, developing limbs, lungs, and thick skin to aid in their integration into terrestrial life. During their transition, a completely new branch of life would be introduced, the amphibians. Later on, their complete integration to terrestrial life would diverge then even further to the first species of reptiles and they would be the first animals to thrive at a terrestrial niche. Their sensing abilities such as vision and hearing improved, each new generation was better equipped to live on land, thrusting them further up into the evolutionary ladder, further away from their primitive ancestors. These higher land-dwelling organisms would take advantage of the high chemical energy stored in plants and fungi. They would thrive on this plant-based diet until food resources on land became scarce due an influx in their population.

 

  Some species of animals started to look for other sources of food to meet their energy demands. As some species grew in size, they would require more chemical energy and therefore, would start to prey on other vulnerable animals to meet their demands. This animal-based diet would prove to be a better alternative, providing them with their food needs which in turn increased their chances of survival. Therefore, some animals remained plant-eaters; the herbivores, some adapted to become meat-eaters; the carnivores and some animals were able to alternate between the two options; the omnivores. This diet adaptation took several years, those animals that were successful in adjusting their diet would pass on their genes to a greater generation of progeny, while those that could not, died out. This diversification of dietary needs proved to be successful and the environmental stress on plants was eased.

   Both aquatic and terrestrial life continued to thrive on planet Avulan. As the years passed on, more environmental changes would occur, some of which threatened to end life on the planet. This devastating chain of events would see large reptiles die out, due to limited resources and unfavorable atmospheric conditions challenging the survival of many species. To survive these catastrophic events, life would have to adapt, not only had to adapt to evade predation but also to survive on scarce food resources. It is during these events that land animals began to diverge from their reptilian ancestors. Their bodies underwent drastic physical changes to maximize their chances for survival, becoming a small and inconspicuous rodent. They became smaller and their senses were advanced; to support a new nocturnal lifestyle. They burrowed underground to escape the devastating effects of these events on the environment and would stay underground until the conditions became more stable and favorable for life;  Their reproductive structure changed, opting to give birth to live young ones inside their burrows and nurturing their young until it was safe to go back to the surface. When surface temperatures plummeted, these animals would develop a fur coat, to protect from energy loss to the environment. It is from this single rodent that all mammals would diverge from. Through the gradual diversification of mammals into different niches, some species would opt to stay underground away from predators and large predators, others would go back to the seas and re-integrate into aquatic ecology while some took a big leap forward, and inhabited the tree tops. The primates had now diverged from the mammals.  

 

  Primates had now begun their long journey to evolutionary domination. Their bodies adapted to life on the trees, their bodies were short, and their vertebrae became more flexible while their limbs extended to allow for their mobility from one tree branch to the next in search of plants and fruits. They would thrive at this niche, their bodies continuously changing and adapting to their new habitat. However, the movement of tectonic plates, due to convectional magma movements within the Avulan’s mantle would bring about the splitting of landmasses and lead to regional environmental changes which would in-turn, limit resources. While constructive tectonic forces lead to the formation of mountainous and hilly terrain, destructive tectonic forces lead to the sinking of some tectonic plates; both of these created regional boundaries and separated both plant and animal species into distinct regions, some being better suited to sustain life than others. Some regions were pushed further away from water bodies, creating arid and semi-arid regions. The primates, who by then were still living on the tree tops within a mostly semi-arid region, would have to make an important decision, stay on the trees and die of starvation or take a leap of faith and descend onto the terrain. Driven by their survival instincts, they would leave the tree tops to make a life on the semi-arid terrain. Their limbs adapted to allow them to walk with more ease, while their arms extended to allow them to move freely and to have better access to food. They were now scavengers.

 

  Life in this semi-arid terrain proved to be quite challenging. At a constant threat of predation and starvation, the scavenging man had now found himself in a very hostile and unforgiving environment. Food was hard to come by and at most times, the scavenging man found himself picking up scraps left over by other predators. He would also fight for food from other members of his own species, it was a fight for survival like no other. However, the scavenging man had one particular advantage that would set him apart from his ancestors, the ability to perceive his environment. Years of adaptation and endowed the scavenging man, the ability to notice patterns within his environment; the ability to process information. Therefore, he was able to look out for familiar predators and look for food in likely areas. He continued to build on this ability until he was able to identify and use inanimate objects to fend off predators and members of their own species, in the pursuit of food. With these tools, the scavenging man realized that his work could be made easier and certain tasks required less time to carry out. The scavenging man adapted to the use of his new inventions, his cranial spaces expanded, and his mind had now begun to record, process and store information. He would store his tools, such as sharp stones and large sticks. His legs were now long and strong enough to allow for fast movement, and was thus able to stalk and catch prey, disarming and killing them using tools. The scavenging man became the handy-man.

 

  The handy man continued to innovate and use tools to make his work easier. With sharp edged stones, he would fight off and kill predators such as big cats and wolves. Thus the chances of extinction due to predation reduced rapidly over the years. The handy man had unlocked a very unique ability, the ability to recall stored information and use it at any given moment. And it was this ability that propelled him further up on the evolutionary ladder. As his ability to process information continued to improve, so did his ability to use critical thinking when faced with a life-threatening situation. Recognizing the power of numbers and a collective effort, the handy man left behind his solitary lifestyle for a more communal and integrated one. They began to live in small groups, which would then take part in hunting activities and gathering their resources, building up their social skills. The environment seemed to be in his favor and on one occasion, provided the single most important resource known to his kind. As lighting struck the savannah, a large gust of wind started a fire, the first most important resource to early man. Using their stick tools, they collected this fire and would use it to keep him and their families warm during the harsh cold nights. Later on, they would also use fire as a means of food preservation. Meat would be roasted and smoked, it tasted better than raw meat and also did not require a lot of effort to break apart. Due to this softer texture of meat, the handy man’s jaws reduced in size, while consequently increasing their cranial capacity. The handy man became the intelligent man.

 

  The determining factor for the evolutionary success of the intelligent man was not solely dependent on the fact that they were able to process information but because they were able to process and pass on this information to other members of their species. The intelligent man understood that an individual alone could not propel an entire species into their probable future, it had to be done by each and every member of that species. And so the intelligent man devised a way to pass on information, a way to communicate with others. It was a means to inform each other of their needs, whether they were in danger and were required to be on the lookout for a predator or to express certain feelings such as contentment and fear. They needed to develop a common language, sounds and actions that represented certain aspects of their environment and daily lives. Evolution and adaptation progressed their vocal capacity, allowing for the movement of the mouth and tongue while vibrations from their vocal chords lead to the production of different sounds. As they continued to advance their knowledge of their environment, they would also learn to communicate with each other using distinct sounds. Each sound would invoke a different part of their stored information. They had now developed memory, using familiarity and repetition to attach each element of their environment to a different sound or action.

 

  Thus the closest ancestors to man had begun their journey of self-discovery. With the development of cranial capacity, human life had become the first species on Avulan to become self-aware. As the mind became more developed, more memories could be stored within the mind. The brain was the ultimate tool, man’s greatest investment. The brain continued to develop, adapting to processing more information and building on its problem solving abilities. Due to improved critical thinking skills and advanced social skills, human life propelled to the top of the evolutionary ladder. The human population continued to grow as the threat of predation reduced significantly. This is mainly due to their advanced parenting skills, watching over their young while instilling them with the necessary skills for survival; maintaining their population growth. They would adapt to seek shelter in caves, starting fires to keep themselves warm and only leaving to carry out social activities such as fishing, hunting for food and gathering plants and fruit. Eventually, population increase would lead to environmental pressure forcing other members to spread out into different regions. They assimilated obnoxiously into the environment, using every resource available to them to better their own lives. They would explore their new world, conquering other species along their way through the domestication of certain animals and plants which they would use to progress themselves; further cementing their position as rulers of both land and sea.

      210,000 years later and life would continue to thrive on planet Avulan. The human species explored their home planet. They would begin collecting, storing, preserving and passing down their most essential resource; information. They would build their knowledge and pass on vital information from one generation to the next, ensuring that future generations have a greater chance of survival. The human mind proved to be their greatest tool, helping them to create and innovate; improving their lifestyles. Agriculture improved to ensure food security, housing to protect from predators and external environmental stimuli, education to pass and exchange information, trade and business to build an economy, transport and communication to aid in the faster movement of people, goods and information from one place to another, entertainment and recreational activities to keep the human mind occupied, health to restrict and control the spread of diseases and genetic disorders while government enforced law and order. Once they had conquered and mapped the entire planet; land and sea, they looked up to the stars in awe and wonder. Centuries of research lead to the improvement of communication technologies, the greatest of these being the development of artificial satellites which were placed in the orbit of Avulan and were essential for tracking, monitoring and predicting climate patterns, population distribution and migratory patterns. Later on, they were also placed in Tyran’s orbit while some were sent out deep into space to explore and learn more about the universe. Curiosity had now overtaken survival as the driving force of the human species. With each new discovery being greater than the last, humans had begun to dive deep into humanity’s greatest mystery; how the universe works and their place within it all.

      In a theoretical sense, the human species was the ultimate form of life. None other had the capacity to manipulate the environment to their own favor quite like they did. Years of genetic mutations and environmental adaptations from their earliest ancestors gave the illusion of predestined success and longevity. It seemed as though humans would continue their upward progression to greatness. But as the centuries went by, and their civilization became more modern and advanced, humanity would soon realize that the universe is a very strange and mysterious place; that same path that would lead them towards global domination could be the same path that ultimately leads them towards their own destruction.