A flowering nuisance

A decade after the arrival of locusts in Antarctica, and following numerous failed attempts to introduce other allochthonous species, the criminal organization Dystopia Paradoxia managed to successfully establish another organism, this time a plant known as the spiniest thistle (Cirsium spinosissimum). Native to the alpine regions of Europe, this hardy plant thrives near the snow line, enduring extremely cold and windy environments.

The method of introduction was as ingenious as it was simple: after countless failures using drones, all intercepted or hijacked by government defense systems, a subgroup within Dystopia Paradoxia adopted a low-tech approach. They began deploying small, fast "boat-rockets" equipped with technology comparable to that of the 20th century. Lacking any advanced guidance systems that could be hacked or detected, these primitive yet effective devices dramatically increased the success rate of introductions over the following decades. This, in turn, forced a massive rise in global economic investment to counter the organization’s activities.
It is estimated that at least 125 boat-rockets reached Antarctic shores, carrying a total of around 25,000 thistle seeds. Since the devices were not radio-controlled, their landing sites were often random or unsuitable for colonization, and most seeds failed to germinate. However, in the few areas that provided the right conditions, the spiniest thistle established itself rapidly, spreading at an astonishing pace. Within just twenty years, its presence was confirmed across nearly all the islands of the South Shetland archipelago.

The choice of this particular plant was far from arbitrary: the spiniest thistle is a well-studied species, and its ecology and phenology are well documented. Another key advantage lies in its exceptional dispersal ability: in its native mountain habitats, the plant relies on powerful winds to carry its seeds over great distances, a strategy equally effective in the extremely windy climates of Antarctica. Moreover, it can be pollinated by a wide range of insect species, which have become increasingly abundant on the continent after centuries of biological introductions.

In only a few decades, the spiniest thistle became the dominant flowering plant in the northernmost regions of the Antarctic Peninsula, together with the first willow shrublands.
As with the Siberian locust, the introduction of a single species triggered a chain reaction of ecological consequences, accelerating the continent’s ongoing terraforming process.
The Antarctic biota is now approaching an important critical point.