"Mimic planes" are a species of highly derived, cryptonatural organisms. Members of this species take on a plethora of phenotypic forms or "pseudomorphs". All specimens possess the same internal physiology, however, general morphology can vary wildly between individuals.
The species has been given the scientific name Mutozoa omnifigura (roughly translating to "changing animal of many forms"), and appears to be the only species present within the genus. Genetic samples indicate that various regional populations may develop signature genetic mutations, but are still capable of producing viable offspring with any other M. omnifigura specimen. Certain lineages, especially those with historical or modern prominence, are denoted as subspecies (M. o. aquatica, M. o. aeronautus, M. o. leviathan, M. o. behemoth, M. o. exotica, etc).
All instances of M. omnifigura, regardless of their particular pseudomorph variety, possess a relatively rigid body supported by an internal calcium-based skeleton. The general body plan displays little cephalization in terms of a neck or cranial trunk, instead, the exhibited skeletal structures fuse the head region to the general frame of the core body. This limitation generally causes increased efficiency in features such as limbs, primarily because they must compensate for this weakness by increasing the overall maneuverability of the organism.
The skeletal system consists of a spine and ribcage. Up to 8 pairs of limbs may extend from the spine. These limbs are comprised of multiple joints. The base of each non-terminal segment is connected to the end of the segment closer to the body than itself. From each joint there also extends a long-type bone of either calcified or cartilaginous nature. These bones are considered "accessory" bones in relation to the main, femur-like structures present in the limbs. While not necessarily fused to the structural bone, they may act in a manner similar to the tibia or fibia, reinforcing the limb's stability. Generally, however, they can take on a variety of forms, such as supports for membranous wings or as extra digits or spines used to grasp and/or manipulate objects. In some localities, the accessory bones may even form into small structures resembling ribcages.
Typically, the limbs are arranged in a manner similar to those of terrestrial organisms, whether vertebrate or invertebrate. It is not uncommon for the excess appendages to form bony structures present near the mouth, appearing as articulated mandibles or jaws.
It should be noted that commonly, some of the spinal, and limb bones may appear absent. It is rare for specimens to completely lose these features; they often fuse together during development, which can give the appearance of a reduced skeletal structure. In actuality, they are retained either by fusion or by genetically-induced reduction. Regardless, all individuals of the species display the genetic material necessary for the formation of such features.
The digestive systems of M. omnifigura organisms are often considered to be some of the most advanced in the Eukaryotic domain, being adaptable to almost any lifestyle: herbivorous, carnivorous, omnivorous, or detritovorous dietary needs can be met by the organism based on its needs and intended purpose.
Dissections of the nervous tissue present with the core brain of deceased individuals yields insight into the mechanisms behind the behavior of specimens. Evaluations indicate that M. omnifigura possess redundant decision-making mechanisms. The primary ganglion of a specimen is located at the head of the body, enabling sensory information to be transmitted directly to the brain. However, this data can be processed in multiple different ways simultaneously due to the unique structure of the nervous system. Several centralizations are present in the form of auxiliary ganglia, smaller copies of the brain that are used to evaluate the actions and reactions of the organism. Often, these secondary iterations can specialize in certain tasks, such as behavioral regulation, data intake, memory recall, memory storage, or even intermediate organs between other instances of the "mini-brains". In the case of the ladder, high amounts of a cellular substance known as Heimdall tissue are present. This special flesh, when arranged into connective glands, can act as nodal processors to help the primary brain regulate its subordinates. This also allows some subspecies to predict the actions of other organisms, to a limited degree of accuracy, by simulating the various possibilities in different auxiliary ganglia.
It is this very predictive ability, when combined with a non-baseline reproductive cycle, that gives M. omnifigura its name and title. All members of the species are hermaphrodites, but are incapable of self-fertilization. Thus, 2 individuals are necessary for replication to occur, but both will give birth to offspring fertilized by their counterpart.
During gestation, the fetal specimen will be physically and genetically altered from its generic state by a special organ within the parent. This organ, known as the Prometheus gland, secretes chemicals that enable or disable the expression of different genes within the DNA of the offspring. Certain regions of the developing individual's body will also be stimulated with various hormones designed to suppress or engage different bodily features, such as limb size and shape. This in vivo modification of the unborn offspring means that a parent specimen can alter its child in a fashion that makes the young creature more suited for its parent's environment post-birth.
Because of this, M. omnifigura lineages do not always follow the standard laws of evolution. The occurrence of mutations is not random, rather, an actively guided process carried out by the parent. In order to continue the propagation of its species, a parent specimen must be capable of accurately predicting the needs of its progeny, and then altering the offspring's body to suit those needs. This means that every modification made to the next generation is a gamble, because if the parental prediction is incorrect, the offspring faces little chance of survival. Due to this pressure, natural selection has endowed the surviving populations with high intelligence so that the changes made to their children might not be in vain.
The high complexity of the organisms' nervous system, when combined with its sharp instincts and cunning intellect, have the ultimate effect of creating an uncannily intelligent animal.
The M. omnifigura species appears to have arisen shortly after the last ice age. The taxonomic placement of the genus Mutozoa is still a subject of intense debate. It is believed by most researchers that its proper placement is located within the greater Cosmovivian clade (a group consisting primarily of vacuum-dwelling lifeforms), but some researchers argue that the organisms represent a genealogy basal to Cosmovivia. This can be easily determined by the presence of gravity-warping tissue, a method of propulsion generated by special organs found within M. omnifigura and space-native organisms.
The origins of the species also appear unclear. Some scientists believe that they represent a transitional stage between "deep space giants" (commonly referred to as DSGs) and terrestrial life on Earth. This has not been confirmed due to a lack of evidence; genetic comparison is impossible because no fully intact genetic material has been recovered from DSG specimens (most samples recovered from terrestrial impact sites are burnt beyond recognition, cooking and denaturing the DNA).
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| Fig. 1 - Diagram of life distribution within the solar system over time. Note that the x-axis represents time, and y-axis represents distance from the sun, neither of which are to exact scale. |
Another theory proposes that the species is the sole extant survivor of an extinction-level event known as the Charred Skies Cataclysm. This idea was originally proposed by Researcher Thomas J Franklin while under the employment of the Royal Society for Cryptonatural Biosciences in 1925. Franklin proposed that primitive space-bound lifeforms and terrestrial organisms were descended from a common ancestor originating on Earth. Though little was known about Inner and Outer variants of Proximal Heliospheric Astrobiological Gap Entities (or PHAGEs) at the time, Franklin claimed that while most life in the solar system became either planet-bound or non-planetary in nature, a small population may have adapted to occupy a third ecological niche: the "paraplanetary" lifestyle.
In his writings, Franklin described these paraplanetary organisms as living "alongside, but not directly upon [the surface of] planets or their moons". He suspected that these organisms occurred only within the Earth's general vicinity rather than in the asteroid belt or interplanetary space within the core solar system (these planets being Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars). The proposed lifeforms served as a biological "Jacob's ladder" between PHAGEs and terrestrial or lunar life. Larger paraplanetary organisms could venture into a farther radius around Earth, while smaller specimens would be restricted to a smaller range, such as Earth's outermost atmospheric layers and the surrounding space. Additionally, they would have needed to return to Earth's atmosphere at regular intervals to avoid suffocation (in a manner similar to how whales dive in Earth's oceans). This trait highlights a stark contrast between them and the PHAGEs, as PHAGE species do not need an atmosphere and can survive by consuming oxygen and carbon from space debris.
The Charred Skies Cataclysm is the event hypothetically responsible for the disappearance of paraplanetary organisms. Essentially, Franklin believed that a large solar storm occurred and repeatedly buffeted the Earth with intense solar flares and stellar wind. For PHAGE populations, this was not a significant issue, as they were already adapted for life in the harsh environment of space. This also did not affect life on Earth's surface, because they were protected by the Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field. However, the paraplanetary organisms could not maintain their lifestyle, because any time they left the atmosphere, they would develop radiation poisoning. This led to a split within the paraplanetary species; some would develop the adaptations to survive the hostile environment (such as regenerative armor and cancer resistance), while some would simply opt to confine themselves to Earth's magnetic field.
The species that chose to adapt to the flares would find themselves capable of surviving within interplanetary space. This meant that they were no longer bound to Earth's general vicinity, so they migrated to the asteroid belt. Their exodus could have possibly been the reason why DSGs arose; the migration would have evicted the PHAGE and forced them further away from the sun, where they would develop into DSG populations. The species that chose to stay within Earth's atmosphere as a permanent location would adapt to an aerial/terrestrial lifestyle on Earth, and thus lose their ability to venture into the vacuum of space.
Franklin's theory, contrived independent of the later observational studies of Jupiterian life that would occur in the late 1930s, is highly likely, as paraplanetary communities are known to exist within the moon and ring systems of the Jovian planets within our solar system. Franklin did not, however, propose an explanation as to why PHAGEs never returned to Earth to occupy the paraplanetary niche.
The theory also sets the stage for the known history of human interaction with M. omnifigura. It is commonly accepted among researchers that multiple human civilizations have interacted with the species throughout human history. These interactions typically took the form of conflicts or wars, although as humanity advanced, the species' numbers began to dwindle. The areas from which the species was first eradicated included ancient China and India, largely due to the advanced weaponry and the high populations. Over a relatively short period of time, civilizations in Africa and Western Asia also exterminated their local M. omnifigura populations. This confined the species largely to the territories in the Mediterranean area and in Northern Europe.
During this time, the general species population would undergo several important changes. The first was the development of strong, vertebrate-like lungs. Previously, individuals had relied on a series of 10 spiracles connected to 4 central book lungs. Each book lung was relatively inefficient due to the spiracles being the only method of transporting air. However, specimens began to activate latent genes, which allowed them the ability to expand and contract their lungs subconsciously or at will. The lungs, now increasingly efficient with every generation, enabled specimens to grow to much larger sizes.
It is likely that the majority of "monsters" or "dragons" encountered by humans within the previously mentioned geographical areas were, in actuality, different subspecies of M. omnifigura. While it cannot be confirmed that other organisms did not inspire such tails, archeological and paleontological evidence indicates that the species was relatively abundant in the area.
The last stronghold of the species was Europe, particularly the waterways. Taking the form of sea serpents and other aquatic monsters, their last refuge was destroyed by the expanding Roman Empire.
One recorded encounter with a member of the species is that of the legendary whale-like creature known as Porphyrios. In the 500s AD, this specimen terrorized the waters off the coast of Constantinople, until it became stranded on the shore. The local townsfolk then swarmed the individual and hacked it to pieces in an act of violent revenge.
Over hundreds of years, M. omnifigura populations waned still, and eventually, the species became functionally extinct. The few individuals still left alive were either so large than their necessary hunting grounds did not overlap with those of humans, or were adapted to be small, lake-dwelling predators. Eventually, contact between specimens became impossible due to the long stretches of land uninhabited by the species. This appeared to be the death blow to the organisms, and most likely would have been, if not for the British industrial revolution.
One of the last surviving specimens, resembling a large serpentine animal with 4 limbs at the anterior end of the body, took refuge within the Loch Ness waterway.
The invention of the engine, and the age of industrialization that soon followed, marked a time of rapid human expansion. Suddenly, mines and factories spread across the British isles. One of these mining operations would stumble across a large, cavernous sinkhole, in which hibernated a single M. omnifigura individual. Its 4 hindmost limbs were flattened into large, roughly disc-shaped protrusions that utilized gravity-manipulation to propel the creature through the water. Its flattened, stingray-like body also endowed the specimen with the ability to "hover" on a watery surface and rapidly accelerate. By some strange quirk of nature, the individual would head South along the Eastern coastline, placing it on a course directly towards Loch Ness.
It was during the 2nd Industrial Revolution that the 2 remaining specimens would eventually come into contact with each other. It was inevitable that they would mate, and once they did, their offspring would go on to repopulate the species.
The offspring acquired traits from both parents: 4 jointed legs for the forelimbs, 4 wing-like projections for the hindlimbs, and the ability to manipulate gravity for locomotion. The first generation spawned a slew of "monster sightings". During the time, paleontology was an emerging science, and many eyewitnesses described the organisms as "prehistoric" in nature.
Not all the offspring would survive. Only those capable of living under the shadows of human influence were favored by the environment, so most of the progeny would resemble their smaller parent: possessing rigid wings and the ability to fly. The species also drastically shrunk in size, allowing them to survive off less food.
For decades, specimens lived near the outskirts of civilization. It was the advent of World War 2 that allowed the species to build its numbers back to a resilient size. The second great war brought with it the mass manufacturing of planes. While the machines had been used in World War 1, it was not until the late 1940s that they were created on such a large scale.
Aerial combat created a new environment in which M. omnifigura individuals could hunt. As the war progressed, the organisms became better and better at modelling the behavior of piloted planes. In fact, it is thought that the legends of "ghost planes" and "silent piloted rogues" are in fact accounts of interaction with the subspecies M. o. aeronautus.
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| Fig. 2 - Dorsal view of a mimic plane. Note that the line represents the reflection plane of bilateral symmetry. |
This particular subspecies, known as "mimic planes", emulate aircraft in form and function. The hind 4 limbs have come to resemble the wings and tail fins of a fighter jet from the 1950s. Housed in these wings are special gravity-manipulating organs, which when combined with the sleek shape, allow for aerial locomotion. The front 4 limbs have become long and spider-like, with a small hook at the end of each to help snag prey items. One tactic used by some M. o. aeronautus specimens involves lift the prey off the ground and then dropping it repeatedly, incapacitating or killing the victim so that it can be safely consumed. These appendages, when not in use, are slotted into grooves behind the mouth.
The visual system also underwent radical changes. Each eye, previously capable of independent movement, became more unified in structure. The pupils expanded to fill the externally exposed surface area, and clear, scale-like structures developed to protect the now delicate retinas. This adaptation also meant that the eyes could no longer rotate in their sockets.
While flying, mimic planes do not breathe. Instead, they use air stored in a specially designed lung. This lung is large cylindrical in shape, allowing it to generate strong resonant sounds. Because gravitational propulsion is silent, the organisms must vocalize to produce a plane-like sound.
Mimic planes are considered to live primarily in Africa and Eurasia, with some sparse populations being present in Polynesia. While the species is also present in North America, they share the American continents with a certain subspecies known as M. o. exotica, so named after their item of mimicry: extraterrestrial spacecraft. The American subspecies is thought to have diverged from the baseline mimic plane population in the early 1970s, and primarily feeds off livestock found in North American deserts.
For information concerning baseline M. omnifigura specimens, see the mimic plane gallery.
