Can't say goodbye to yesterday
"Even if 't be true thou art a manipulat'r,
Even if 't be true thou art a f'rward looking,
Even if 't be true thou art a self-proclaim'd god,
thee can't sayeth goodbye to yest'rday;
thee can sayeth goodbye to tom'rrow.
Thee shall beest at each moment parteth of life,
cause a head always means a tail,
Oh Aves ex machina"
It has been a long time since the emergence of Aves ex Machina. These crows have significantly influenced the Antarctic landscape and the ecosystem witnessed during the Biancocene, thanks to their presence. Nevertheless, while their impact will remain memorable, the story of Aves ex Machina was not destined to last forever.
The progressively deteriorating climate has led to a reduction in the habitable and breeding areas of this notably thermophilic species. The intricate society of Aves ex machina was unable to adapt to this sudden change, at least not in the manner we remember. Today, even though confined primarily to Reliquia Forest and some patches of Coldvanna, the descendants of Aves ex Machina still maintains a notable degree of abundance.
However, their society has disintegrated completely: unable to sustain themselves with the provisions amassed during the brief Antarctic summers, the survivors have reverted to being complete hunter-gatherers like their ancestors.
The rise of megafauna was also a big low to the species, which couldn't withstand the bulldozing activity of large rodents which, ironically enough, were introduced by them.
The rich morphological diversity that evolved during the Cambiocene era has been lost, leaving only one surviving ecotype, namely the least specialized and most independent from the rest: the storing executioner. Their sizes are quite similar to those of their ancestors, slightly smaller perhaps, and they still retain the distinctive slightly curved beak, while their claws have significantly enlarged to form a raptorial appendage.
Their diet is highly varied, encompassing both small rodents and fruits and seeds, but more proned to carnivorism. The species has also retained their ancestral ability to amass substantial food supplies within large ground-level granaries using clay or other materials.
While there is no anatomical differentiation among members, roles are still compartmentalized, with some tasked with hunting and others with guarding the granaries. Unlike Aves ex Machina, however, these roles are not fixed, and each clan member can interchange their daily activities with others. The brain has also simplified over time, as it is now superfluous and energetically inefficient for the current lifestyle these crows lead.
This marks a return to simplicity, which has, in some way, safeguarded these animals from extinction but has also stripped away everything that set Aves ex Machina apart. Today, these birds are merely ordinary wild animals: the incredibly advanced society that we saw progress and fall apart wasn't caused by a bigger brain compared to other beasts, just the cooperation of a multitude of them.
What defined Aves ex Machina has vanished and is very unlikely to resurface. Nevertheless, despite their regression, despite their transformation into a more basic state, despite their potential vanishing without leaving successors, the legacy of these animals will forever be engraved in the future of Antarctica...
...because we can't say goodbye to yesterday...
