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Malicious-Monkey — A View of the Understory
Published: 2013-02-01 03:10:46 +0000 UTC; Views: 1217; Favourites: 24; Downloads: 13
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Aeneas Rainforest Mystery ResolvedThere has been a lot of speculation lately on the nature of the strange cobwebs visible in a photo attached to a recent Aeneid I daily status report (DSR). Ilion International released the picture six days ago, accompanied by a simple caption and not much else:
A view of the understory, Aeneas rainforest, day 7, photo by Dr. Yulya Angelova
At a press conference last Monday, II spokesperson Jackie Arashi made no attempt to dispel rumors of a flesh-eating mold, among other bizarre theories. “We really don’t know any more than what we’ve released to the public. All they sent us was the picture, a timestamp, and the coordinates.”
As it turns out, the flesh-eating mold hypothesis was not too far from reality. See what the crew had to say in today’s DSR.
“A thick fog of pseudofungus shrouds the understory, catching and digesting anything that falls into it. Usually it’s just leaves and such, but it’s not a picky eater. Just a couple days ago, we heard a commotion from above and lo and behold, a sloth-like animal, probably a starrus of some sort, was struggling to free itself from the threads. I wanted to watch it escape, but we had to leave; our oxygen was running out and Cameron chewed us alive last time we were late for dinner. Well, I’ll just say I didn’t eat much that night. I couldn’t get my mind off that poor sloth. So we returned to the spot the next morning. I didn’t have to look up into the trees to find what I was looking for. Floating in the muck were four sickle-shaped claws and the twisted fibers of a neuroskeleton.” (Yulya Angelova)
“There isn’t much that can grow down here, but I’m not certain the diffuse light is to blame. There’s a constant drizzle from the pseudofungus, even when it’s not actively raining. The moisture washes all sorts of chemicals out of the mold and collects in pools of gray water all over the forest floor. It goes up to our chests in some places. Maybe the armor is a bit excessive, but I’m glad we brought the barrier suits. I wouldn’t want this stuff getting in my hair or eyes.” (Roselind Oakes)
“We have a nickname for the soup. It has a high ethanol content, so we call it ‘Aenean Ale.’ But you wouldn’t want to drink it. It also has substantial amounts of ethylene glycol and methanol, both of which would make you dead in a few hours.” (Sandra Salazar)
These pseudofungus waste products are a boon to a variety of bacterioids that make a living fermenting the alcohols to acids for energy. Because they need oxygen to do the job, their domain is limited to a thin scum on the surface of the oxygen-poor standing water. Little else can tolerate the acidic conditions.
The habitat was deemed safe for further exploration. However, the team of three was instructed to use common sense and avoid obviously hazardous conditions.
“The fog is always a safe distance above our heads,” Angelova said. “We’re not worried about it. But we’re leaving at the first sign of devil’s archer.”
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Comments: 3
From the thumbnail I thought the wispy white signified clouds, not a web, and even now the faint glow seems to give a sacred natural feel, like winter winds or dandelions on a breeze, more than a spidery construction. Were it not for the backstory presented here I would have worried more about the forest bottom; the dark red and grey trunks, leafless and barren, seem torn and infected, giving an almost Mordorian feel.
I'm guessing that to be effective the all-hungry pseudofungus sticks to branches nearer to the ground, else they could only catch aerial or arboreal prey, but how high would you place them (I'm guessing above chest height, given that the pools reached that high)? Moreover, how is it that the trees protect themselves from being digested by the fungus or the toxic chemical cocktail they leave behind?
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I think it's a combination of web and moisture, that is, actual fog.
There's a limit to how high or low it can grow. Too high and like you said, it would only catch a few high flying red plant fruits and maybe some arboreal animals, but not enough leaves and branches, which is its primary source of nutrition. Too low, and it's left with the barest leftovers from the fungus living above. So the optimal place to grow would be about 20-50 feet off the ground.
The tree trunks and roots are protected by a many-layered waxy cuticle. Healthy leaves and end branches secrete a substance that is toxic to pseudofungus.
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