Hividot

As the network peridot stayed relatively unchanged for eons, the competition near it increased. New predators arose in the area, and the previously sparse deserts of Darwin have become lush tropical forests. Evolution’s answer to this problem was the Hividot.

The Hividot is far more adaptable than its ancestor. It uses asexual reproduction to form large colonies of interconnected hividot crystals, all able to distribute nutrients with each other through their roots. Though they are able to distribute nutrients evenly, this is seldom the whole case. The more productive crystals often end up receiving the most nutrition in order to sustain their productivity, while the crystals in very poor conditions often end up with stunted growth, only kept alive to act as a bridge between healthier groups of crystals.

This sharing of nutrients is controlled mostly by chemical signals, allowing the crystals to communicate with each other like neurons in an extremely slow brain. This allows it to make simple unconscious “decisions”, such as growing more new crystals in areas with more nutrients and sunlight, or starving crystals that don’t benefit the colony. Over the years, this allows a colony to slowly move and expand strategically.

Each new individual is also able to change slightly as they grow, allowing them to take more advantage of their environment collectively. For example, individual crystals that grow in harsh sunlight will be larger and more green to absorb more light, and ones near decaying matter will produce more enzymes and have longer roots.

On the occasion that two similar colonies encounter each other, they will usually attempt to mate. This creates new crystals in the middle which eventually grow up to become independent colonies of their own.