The final animal

Invasive species are a serious porblematic across the entire world, being among the greatest causes of biodiversity loss and human welfare problems. Although many international laws were established in past centuries to reduce this threat, the rise of the Dystopia-Paradoxia organization has once again endangered ecosystems worldwide, including Antarctica.

Advanced human technology once sharply limited the risk of illegal species introductions, but it was only a matter of time before such tools fell into the wrong hands. Thousands of subsonic drones were launched toward Antarctica within the first century after the organization’s creation, each carrying various organisms (mostly plants, fungi, and animals) meant to be released across the continent. While many plants and fungi successfully colonized, animal introductions proved more difficult, as they were often detected during transport or by ground-scanning land rovers. However, even with high surveillance, oversights occur daily. Small species in particular often went unnoticed until their populations suddenly explode after an initial period of low density. Once the population boom occurs, eradication becomes virtually impossible.

This was the case for a small but resilient insect from Eurasia: the Siberian locust (Gomphocerus sibiricus). This grasshopper thrives in Siberia’s frigid climate and at high altitudes in mid-latitude regions. It is extremely frost-tolerant, with eggs capable of surviving temperatures down to -33 °C thanks to high concentrations of glucose and other sugars that act as natural antifreeze. The first drones carrying Siberian locusts were intercepted shortly after the official formation of Dystopia-Paradoxia, but a decade later, some undetected drones successfully reached the Antarctic coast. The first confirmed record of the species came in 5116 on Brabant Island, in the Palmer Archipelago. Despite eradication efforts, the locust population remained stable for several decades only to suddenly boom and spread across nearby regions. Within just 50 years, it reached the continental mainland, and by then, it was too late for any type control measure.

Fortunately, Antarctica’s harsh climate prevented the locusts from entering the “swarming phase” typical of other species, keeping them solitary and reducing their ecological impact. Even so, native vegetation suffered unevenly: true Antarctic flora such as mosses, Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis proved more vulnerable, while neo-native and introduced plants such as Poa annua, Salix alba, and Acaena magellanica were far less affected.

The sharp rise in insect biomass has indirectly benefited some local fauna, particularly coastal birds, which have expanded inland to feed on the locusts—the largest insect currently in Antarctica. Sheathbills, in particular, have seen remarkable population growth, with breeding success increasing by 34% in regions where locusts are present. This rise in insect and bird populations has, in turn, boosted the accumulation of detritus, enriching the soil and opening new spaces for plant colonization.
Antarctica is becoming greener once more, this time due to a small, hopping invader. And this is only the beginning: the full impact of Dystopia-Paradoxia is yet to come.
As one of their anonymous communications ominously stated, “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”