>>5398905>>5398909>>5398911>>5398920>Far above, a titanic sheet of ice ruptures, cracked for the millionth going on millions more time. Part of it is flung deeper in many shards, where the increased pressure shatters them into many more chunks. These pieces of ice are small and move at dangerous speeds in the tide, most into rocks, but some into the many small, chthonic creatures lurking below. One lump of ice is tiny, but dense and rapid. In its path, a hungry Flounder Feeder treads water in its hunt for food. Moments later, it slams into its body with furious speed and is harmlessly deflected, as the predator acknowledges that it is not food and continues the search. Several hundred generations ago, this would’ve been a fatal or crippling encounter.The Flounder Feeder has failed to develop radiotrophic shielding and its movement is no swifter but the gauntlet of natural selection has, by killing every individual with a softer exterior, forced them into a sturdier constitution. Their pincers and stabilizers are still prone to chipping and cracking on rocks but these wounds are rarely shattering and rarely more than shallow and superficial. This has rendered its shielding much less vulnerable to wear and tear and as a consequence, its cancer rate has dropped to previous levels.
The only major threat is the predations of the Ripple Tracker, which have caused grievous damage to the Double Mouthers and make Flounder Feeder and Lazy Feeder young much less likely to reach adulthood. When they do, however, the durable Flounder Feeder packs tend to outmatch the nimble Ripple Trackers, who crack their pincers on their shielding. Even with this advantage, the Ripple Trackers are more numerous, better hunters, and in constant growth. In the end, the Flounder Feeder population has been left in a very small and precarious position but isn’t currently in decline.
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