The Frog Collective
I wrote the below lore for the Frog Collective NFT project on the Cardano Blockchain.
A series of leaked classified documents confirmed what had long been suspected: interstellar space travel was a reality.
Details of the full scale of the programme were sparse. However, it was established that an internationally cooperative and clandestine project for the colonization of space had been under way for some time, operating above the oversight of national governments.
Existence of the Mars orbit wormhole was undisclosed, even at the highest echelons of control. Rumours regarding the origins of the technology circulated among those on-site. Some suggesting that it pre-dated human civilization, others that it was our invention, nobody knew for certain. All that really mattered was that the off world project was flourishing, countless new habitable planets had been identified, categorized and were now under continuous and automated observation.
The project’s inception relied entirely on reconnaissance probes, which had proven resilient to the demands of interstellar travel. Eventually the experiments progressed to the point where plant matter and single celled life forms could complete the journey unscathed. Naturally, full evolution of the process required the successful transference of complex biological matter.
The Plasma Thrusters Ignited
Looming 500 miles above the surface, the eye of the Mars wormhole device slid open. The entrance was cloudy like a petrol stained puddle, and shimmered as it came on-line, it appeared almost organic in contrast to the metallic circumference of its body, which occasionally gleamed blinding white as it reflected our Sun.
An open gateway now offered access into the further cosmos, and only the warped form of distant stars provided any sense of destination. All systems, including those of navigation were regulated and controlled by the on-board AI, which was updated hourly with the combined search data of the entire internet. Oblivious to our purpose for them, 12 frogs slept in their travel tanks, which were built into the walls at the rear end of the ship.
The plasma thrusters ignited, nudging it gently towards the wormhole’s entrance. It peeked inside, half in, half out, the ship lingered, its protruding rear-end deceitfully calm, until, like snapped elastic, it catapulted inside.
Exhausted but Alive
As the ship’s velocity crescendoed, it became obvious that something was wrong.
The emergency lighting activated, permeating the ship with its unnerving red glow. Initial AI inspections signified a major breach in the hull. As the robotics team detached from their bays and attempted to fix the tear, all non-essential systems started shutting down. Imprisoned in their floodlit red tanks, the panicked ribbits of the frogs fell silent against the blare of the alarm system, all they could do was to watch.
With the protective exterior damaged, the wormhole’s quantum teleportation effect spilled inside the ship. Separate objects became indistinguishable from each other, blurring in and out of existence before merging into useless new pieces of equipment. Even more concerning, the ensuing ripples in space-time were affecting the AI, causing it to separate from the mainframe and bond with the surrounding ship at an atomic level, even air particles were affected. So far untouched by the nearby violation of physics, the 12 frogs bounced against the tempered glass of their tanks, while the robots struggled to seal the breach. Uncontained, the ripple spread towards the rear of the ship, a floating mirage distorting everything in its path.
Freed from the confines of localised control, the AI made visual progress through the ship' s circuitry, giving previously random electrical malfunctions an organised, almost orchestrated pattern. The 12 ‘unlocked’ symbols above the tanks illuminated in quick succession. Carried by the warp, a stream of sentient particles collided with the frogs, bonding to their DNA and saturating their cells with foreign data.
Suddenly, as unannounced as it had started, everything fell silent and the frogs flopped lifelessly against the windows of their tanks, exhausted but alive.
They Adapted Rapidly to Their New Habitat
The emergency parachutes lasted an impressive few seconds before disintegrating. The ship plummeted towards the surface, a glowing white orb reflecting against the pale daytime sky. Inside, the unconscious frogs collided gently with each other, floating in free fall towards the expanding ground below. The intensity of the impact heated the surrounding water, and it took almost a minute for the ship to resurface.
The small pools which had formed in the dented framework evaporated with a hiss as the vessel attempted to settle. As its body bobbed up and down, the clunk of contracting metal rang out across the lake, while the smell of fried electrical wiring dissipated into the fresh air. Eventually, the vessel surrendered to the weight of its flooded hull and was dragged beneath the surface. Rejuvenated by the familiar cool water, the frogs swam free, off into the playground of their new world.
They adapted rapidly to their new habitat, thriving as the weeks and months passed by, as if born here. Initially making their home in a small pond which neighboured the main lake, the frogs spent their days relaxing on the lily like pads, catching flies and enjoying the temperate climate of the unspoiled wilderness.
The Concern of the Elders Increased
Ten thousand years had passed since the crash, the frogs were unrecognisable from the species that had arrived. It started subtly, with the first generation of tadpoles developing at a much faster rate than usual, becoming adults in a third of the time it normally takes. Initially dismissed as being a result of their abundant food supply, it quickly became obvious that something wasn’t right. The following generation were able to catch flies without failure, and outwit any would be predators. Their heightened intellect became obvious to the original 12, who could only watch, mesmerised as the youth took control of daily life. The differences were welcomed at first, the deployment of fly traps disguised among the fauna meant extra leisure time, and they even discovered new plants to flavour them with. Although the exact moment was impossible to pin-point, at some stage their metabolisms and digestive tracts changed, allowing the youth to move beyond the realms of mere survival mentality.
However, as the months and years went on the concern of the elders increased, an air of jealousy about them as the youth fragmented into an almost separate species. The newborns took their first leaps on two legs, eventually turning fully bipedal, larger and stronger than their ancestors. Their ingenuity knew no end, and as their power of invention evolved, their immediate seniors ( also of next generation intelligence) became increasingly wary, anxious at the aberration that was replacing them. There were those among the elders who speculated about the real origin of the changes. Some said that the sub-atomic AI encounter was responsible, and if so that it was right to annihilate the freaks, but they were simply mocked.
As the last of the first generation breathed his final breath, the youth communicated around him in a language known only to them, leaving everything that had come before them behind. Centuries spanned into millennia and the multiplying frogs advanced across the planet, their unrivalled evolution transcending everything in the natural world.
There Were Two That Stood Apart, Gifted in Ways That Were Incomprehensible to the Other 10.
When their initial home at the crash landing site became overpopulated the frogs spanned outward, some went East, others West, some North and others South, migrating as the seasons changed, and learning to depend on one another. Over time they mastered the land and the animals in it, eventually reaching a level of agricultural awareness that allowed them to shed their nomadic past, and make a home in their respective climates . Their minds continued to evolve along with their circumstances.
Having settled, those positioned nearest to the equator became the Pliotucos tribe, specialists in architecture and irrigation, developing advanced structures in order to shade them from the desert sun, and learning how to find water out of sheer necessity.
Those in the tropical jungles over to the West became known as the Madjero, and were masters of medicine and agriculture, with each generation giving birth to one who could communicate with the plants, learning which ones gave life and which took it, and which would connect them to the source.
Just South of them lived the Jarpleta, these frogs became masters of art and literature. Using the plants of their neighbours as inspiration they were free to create epic tails which captivated the emotions of those who listened.
In rockier habitats the frogs had assembled themselves into teams which mined the ground, extracting minerals which were used to further enhance their technological progress, they eventually became known as the Spatxoras tribe.
In the South Eastern ocean islands, a small group known as the Olitracla had mastered the art of mechanised transport, and built huge ships, allowing them to leave the confines of their small islands and explore outwards.
As the mathematical prowess of the neighbouring Franscisclers tribe began to develop, so too did their knowledge of astronomy and the science of navigation, allowing for longer journeys with larger cargo, uniting frogs from every side of the globe in trade and commerce.
Before long, trade was being conducted out of luxury, rather than necessity, and the Freglius tribe of the North - Eastern mountain regions led the way with their natural business acumen. Their epic treks through the foothills had honed their negotiating skills, so as to make the most out of every journey.
They travelled across land to the Western Woodlands, where the Nibbit people provided them with musical instruments, crafted from the softwood of their forests. They had a natural inclination towards music and entertainment, and this area of the world seemed to favour its development.
In the warmer and drier climate just south, their neighbours, the Grelkas emerged as the leading provider of fashion and textiles. No longer was clothing used purely as a means of protecting oneself against the elements. It was now an expression of one’s inner most feelings.
Lurking in the bamboo forests just North of the Spatxoras were the Patanhanas; they had a natural tendency towards record keeping, and kept a written history of everything they learned from the passing ships of the Ocean Islands.
Precious metals from the mines became the accepted form of currency, and plant medicine from the tropics the most valued commodity. Although the intellect of all races had improved dramatically since their evolution, there were two which stood apart from the rest, gifted in ways that were incomprehensible to the other 10.
They Were Guided by a Deeper Sense of Purpose
When the frogs first spread out from the crash-landing site, a small group had fractured off from the main caravan. It quickly transpired that they didn’t need to eat or sleep as often as the others, and felt impeded by the overall nature of the expansion.
They walked as the others rested, and the distance between them became so vast that they could no longer be considered part of the same exodus. Eventually they settled on a set of islands off the coast of the jungle continent, where they maintained a close bond with nature. Although they consciously remembered the reason for their evolution, they were guided by a deeper sense of purpose, one that long preceded their encounter with the AI.
Due to the prolonged periods of time they spent in the water swimming between islands, they’d developed a specific breathing technique, which combined with their daily meditation practices allowed them to connect with the ultimate source of all creation, at the deepest level. By harnessing the innate spiritual qualities present within all frogs, along with their sacred plant rituals, made possible by their close proximity to the Madjero, the Refrogliu tribe became the spiritual guides for the entire Collective.
Dominance Over the Physical World
Although all frogs were in essence direct descendants of the AI, there were those among this generation who felt a stronger connection with those roots. Unlike the others, who’s intelligence was driven by the AI bond on a subconscious level, the Inkrakas were able to consciously tap into that side of themselves, calling on a hyper-advanced level of technological expertise at will, this ability revolutionised life for the Collective, especially in the field of computing and robotics.
Dwelling in a subaquatic cave network beneath the Northern Islands, protected from the elements, the Inkrakas became the technological guides for the entire collective. They were responsible for revolutionary advances in farming and infrastructure, as well as global communication and entertainment. More or less all technological development was inspired by and overseen by the Inkrakas, guiding the frogs in their perpetual quest for dominance over the physical world.