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/ NATURE / FLORA / DIGIVINE

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We wished to survive. We needed a back-up plan for if we lost the war - a way to become even greater gods.

— Sōzōryoku no Kaze-hakase

Digivine (CODENAME: Project Aiónios) is a genetically modified⁽ⁱ⁾ pipevine⁽ⁱ⁾ developed so İlerleme Tapınağı⁽ⁱ⁾ could endure Müthiş Savaş.
The plant constructs an integrated organic solar panel⁽ⁱ⁾ array to generate electricity. The Employed⁽ⁱ⁾ seeded the first generation of vines in the woods surrounding the town (present day Yeong-Wonhan Sup) two decades before the war's conclusion.

WARNING

- DO NOT IGNITE -

The vine's woody stem propagates flames between its oversized leaves. High levels of Aristolochic Acid⁽ⁱ⁾ and stored electrical energy prevent Digivine from self extinguishing and, in extreme cases, causes the burning leaves to explode.

- DO NOT INGEST⁽ⁱ⁾ -

The plant's bark, flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, seeds, and stems contain significant concentrations of Aristolochic Acid. Most creatures that consume this chemical develop urological cancer, irreversible kidney damage, or uterine bleeding.

- DO NOT TOUCH, CUT, PIERCE, TEAR, OR SEVER -

A full grown Digivine exposed to direct sunlight produces currents up to 3 A⁽ⁱ⁾. Touching or damaging the leaves or severing the stem or roots may cause painful shock, loss of muscular control⁽ⁱ⁾, respiratory paralysis, and/or ventricular fibrillation.

by xtremepsy (Mark Laybolt)

PROJECT AIÓNIOS

Research Chair Sōzōryoku no Kaze-hakase oversaw Project Aionios. Four self-managed teams, each specializing in a specific part of the plant (Leaf, Reproduction⁽ⁱ⁾, Root, and Stem), competed to solve problems determined by Kaze-hakase. Each team consisted of scientists, engineers, and plant biologists.

This report compiles the development record of Aristolochia macrophylla var. aióniosenérgeia (common name Digivine) during the eight phases of Project Aiónios.

LEAF STRUCTURE

NATURAL DESIGN

Leaves⁽ⁱ⁾ produce a plant's "food" energy through photosynthesis⁽ⁱ⁾, keep it cool, and enable it to transport water and minerals via transpiration⁽ⁱ⁾.

Colour:

Green

Phyllotaxy⁽ⁱ⁾:

Alternate⁽ⁱ⁾

Venation⁽ⁱ⁾:

Reticulate⁽ⁱ⁾

Type:

Simple⁽ⁱ⁾
Exstipulate⁽ⁱ⁾
Membranous⁽ⁱ⁾

Shape:

Cordate⁽ⁱ⁾

Margins⁽ⁱ⁾:

Entire⁽ⁱ⁾

Surface:

Glabrous⁽ⁱ⁾

Behaviour:

Deciduous⁽ⁱ⁾

Length:

6 - 12"
(15 - 30 cm)

GENETIC MODIFICATION

Phase 1 of Project Aiónios transformed the vine's leaves into individual organic solar panels. Changes made to the leaves during Phase 2 enabled them to store electricity.

PHASE 1 - ENERGY GENERATION

It took 32 experiments and 800 specimens to mutate the plant's natural photosynthetic structures (chloroplasts⁽ⁱ⁾) into organic photovoltaic cells⁽ⁱ⁾. Experiments 33-48 reduced cell mortality to levels sustainable by the vine's healing bio-mechanisms by reducing the heat it produced while generating electricity

Circuits within the leaf’s veins⁽ⁱ⁾ developed during Experiments 49-72 connected the individual chloroplasts. Experiments 73-96 balanced its natural photosynthetic behaviour with its new photovoltaic ability so the plant could stay healthy and grow.

PHASE 2 - ENERGY STORAGE

The location and method for energy storage was the 'hot-button' topic between Project Aiónios' research groups. An unending series of extended debates followed the success of Phase 1 until Sōzōryoku no Kaze-hakase intervened. Xe dictated the the leaf team would lead the next phase.

Experiments 104-112 adapted the leaf's spongy tissue⁽ⁱ⁾ into capacitors⁽ⁱ⁾ but ended in tragedy. Kaze-hakase abandoned Phase 2 after a fatality during Experiment 112 and redirected all remaining resources to the root research team (N/I Phase 2B).

MEMORANDUM
To: Sōzōryoku no Kaze-hakase
From: Soofaatasi Tagata

Subject: Project Aiónios - Experiment 112
It is our greatest regret to inform you that the lead for the leaf research team has died from the 
burns he received during last week's accident. The internal investigation is complete. It did not 
reveal any evidence of foul play.

Our team determined the stomata(i) allowed the leaf to release its stored energy. It is a simple matter 
of bad luck that he was the one who discovered this curious side effect of our work. Rather than 
abandon our spongy tissue design, we propose repurposing it as a "defensive feature".

Enclosed for your approval is "Proposal Phase 2B (Experiments 113-128)".

STEM STRUCTURE

NATURAL DESIGN

A stem provides a plant structure and protects its xylem⁽ⁱ⁾ and phloem⁽ⁱ⁾. Buds grow along the stem and become leaves, flowers, or more stems. The stem forms bark as new cells crush the previous layers into hard, dead tissue.

The twining behaviour⁽ⁱ⁾ of Digivine's stem allows it to grow vertically by wrapping itself around a climbable object. Its stem is narrow and flexible since another structure supports most of the vine's weight - only the stem tip remains rigid and self-supporting. The vine grows rapidly as it does not need to spend energy forming its own support structures.

Stem Colour:

Green

Stem Surface:

Glabrous⁽ⁱ⁾

Buds:

Hairy

Bark Colour:

Brown

Bark Surface:

Smooth

Form:

Zig Zag

GENETIC MODIFICATION

Phases 3 and 4 of Project Aiónios changed the vascular bundle⁽ⁱ⁾ to transport electricity and more inorganic material throughout the plant. To accommodate these changes, the Digivine stem's characteristic diameter is larger than the original species.

PHASE 3 - MATERIAL SUPPLY

The new photovoltaic and capacitive cells in the leaf required additional inorganic material from the roots. Experiments 129-144 adapted the xylem to move more mass at faster rates, but the design over-performed. The excess salt poisoned the plant, and specimen mortality rate increased to 72%.

Sōzōryoku no Kaze-hakase demoted and punished the original stem research team leader for the setback. The stem team recovered some credibility during Phase 4, but it was the root team that balanced the plant’s salinity in Phase 6.

PHASE 4 - ELECTRIC PATHWAYS

The four teams redesigned the plant’s internal circuitry to account for Phase 2’s and Phase 3’s shortcomings. Experiments 145-160 produced a wire-like pathway within the phloem to interconnect the leaves’ electricity production and deliver the energy to the root-based storage system (developed in Phase 5).

Formation of the "wire" consumed some of the excess inorganic material from Phase 3. The reduction in specimen mortality to 46% may have preserved the careers and well-being of the stem research team.

MEMORANDUM
To: Soofaatasi Tagata
From: Luce Confortante
Subject: Project Aiónios - Deformation Tests
You were technically correct about the stem's natural flexibility being a boon, not a flaw. The 
plant still grows vertically even with its increased weight. The new phloem structures have 
remained electrical continuous, and the bark continues to act as an insulator(i) despite its grooves.

Enclosed are our reports (PA-P4-145 thru -160) for the Phase 4 documentation package.

by xtremepsy (Mark Laybolt)

ROOT SYSTEM

NATURAL DESIGN

Plant roots have two primary functions:

• keep the plant in place
• gather water and minerals for the plant to grow and function

Cisgened⁽ⁱ⁾ pipevine are dicots⁽ⁱ⁾. In dicots, the radical⁽ⁱ⁾ grows downward from a germinated seed to form a taproot and secure the seedling. Lateral roots⁽ⁱ⁾ then develop to further anchor the plant and increase the area feeding the plant.

GENETIC MODIFICATION

Phases 3, 5, 6, and 7 of Project Aiónios heavily customized Digivine's root system.

Phase 3 altered the primary and secondary roots to absorb additional inorganic material, and Phase 5 (Experiments 161-176) converted the tertiary roots into chemical storage for electrical energy (i.e. made it a battery).

Phase 6 (Experiments 177-192) developed a new quaternary⁽ⁱ⁾ root that conducts electricity. Phase 7 (Experiments 193-208) tuned the quaternary root growth behaviour so multiple plants could form a power grid⁽ⁱ⁾.

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SCIENTIFIC NAME

Aristolochia macrophylla var. aióniosenérgeia⁽ⁱ⁾

by xtremepsy (Mark Laybolt)

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TAXONOMY

Superkingdom:

Eukaryota⁽ⁱ⁾

Kingdom:

Plantae⁽ⁱ⁾

Subkingdom:

Viridiplantae⁽ⁱ⁾

Infrakingdom:

Streptophyta⁽ⁱ⁾

Superphylum:

Embrophyta⁽ⁱ⁾

Phylum:

Tracheophyta⁽ⁱ⁾

Subphylum:

Spermatophytina⁽ⁱ⁾

Superclass:

Angiospermae⁽ⁱ⁾

Class:

Magnoliopsida⁽ⁱ⁾

Superorder:

Magnolianae⁽ⁱ⁾

Order:

Piperales⁽ⁱ⁾

Family:

Aristolochiaceae⁽ⁱ⁾

Genus:

Aristolochia⁽ⁱ⁾

Species:

A.macrophylla⁽ⁱ⁾

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QUICK FACTS

Created by:

The Erudite of İlerleme Tapınağı

Current Status:

Undiscovered⁽ⁱ⁾

Geographic Distribution:

Yeong-Wonhan Sup

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BIOLOGICAL TRAITS

Plant Type:

Liana⁽ⁱ⁾

Form:

Twining⁽ⁱ⁾

Width:

15 - 20 ft

(4.6 - 6.1 m)

Length:

15 - 40 ft

(4.6 - 12.2 m)

Growth Rate:

Rapid; 5⁺ ft/yr

(1.5⁺ m/yr)

Lifespan:

Perennial⁽ⁱ⁾

Reproduction:

Polycarpic⁽ⁱ⁾

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RESISTANCES

Pollution:

High

Disease:

High⁽ⁱ⁾

Black Walnut:

Moderate⁽ⁱ⁾

Herbivores:

Moderate⁽ⁱ⁾

Insect Pests:

High⁽ⁱ⁾

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INTOLERANCES

Perpetually Shaded Areas
Dry or Sandy Soil
High Winds

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by xtremepsy (Mark Laybolt)

Digivine Swallowtail Butterfly

LARVAE

Unmodified pipevine host Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly⁽ⁱ⁾ larvae. This species' caterpillars absorb Aristolochic acid while consuming the toxic plant's leaves but, unlike most creatures, they are unaffected. Instead, the acid renders the caterpillars and butterflies poisonous, protecting them from their would-be predators.

by xtremepsy (Mark Laybolt)

BUTTERFLY

Once in nature, Digivine became another haven for Battus Philenor. However, over the generations of butterflies, a form of benign digital cancer afflicted the species until a new species emerged - the Digivine Swallowtail Butterfly, Battus Philenor var. enérgeia⁽ⁱ⁾.

The creatures remain poisonous but can now also produce and store electrical energy. The luminous bands in the caterpillars' bodies and the butterflies' wings make this change apparent.

(Don't) Light the Way

Both the caterpillar and butterfly use these lights for camouflage on the Digivine, but male butterflies have also incorporated flashing and changing light patterns to individualize their courtship displays.

by xtremepsy (Mark Laybolt)

RELATED ARTICLES

LOCATIONS

İlerleme Tapınağı

Yeong-Wonhan Sup

ORGANIZATIONS & CHARACTERS

Geschichteter Fels
Luce Confortante

Soofaatasi Tagata
Sōzōryoku no Kaze

HISTORIES, IDEAS, & ITEMS

Müthiş Savaş - The 999 Year War

by xtremepsy (Mark Laybolt)