Chapter II: The Open Sea

Many years passed by after the shrimp started questioning its existence. By now, the Open Sea had seen many changes. Once a vast underwater desert, devoid of life, it was now home to four truly unique species. The largest in population were the hard-working shrimps, who the reader is already familiar with. 10,000 of these energetic, inquisitive and ambitious creatures now live in the sea, gazing at the depths of the underwater world with their big, curious eyes. Unfortunately, nature decided they were not destined to be free. Their only sustenance was the seaweed growing on the seafloor, so the shrimp could never swim further up for long.

The charming fish were the second species inhabiting the Open Sea. There were over 500 of these clever and charismatic creatures that established their habitat right above the shrimp. The fish always outshine the rest when it comes to negotiations and diplomacy. While the shrimp relied on safety in numbers, the fish were smart talkers and knew how to turn a situation to their advantage. They manage to establish their own territory, but these conditions covered only a specific area: the fish couldn’t go any higher or lower.

The third species were the dolphins. 100 of these creatures had grouped together in the sea, drawn together by their intellectual potential, which had no limits. Known as the geniuses of the sea, many of them were scientists, researchers and explorers. As they processed information the fastest, they were quick to figure out that there wasn’t much for them to do at the bottom of the sea. The Shrimp were low in nutrients and, after a couple of run ins, those cunning fish had negotiated a mutual immunity agreement that they felt benefited both species. Even though the dolphins were smart and capable, they didn’t dare to swim up closer to the surface for any other reason than gulping down a quick lungful of air and then heading back to their habitat. The reason for this was the fourth and most dangerous species of the watery depth: saber-toothed sharks.

The sharks were formidable predators. They lived just below the surface of the Open Sea, warming their fins under the heat of the scorching sun. Despite their frightening appearance, sharks were organised and principled creatures that lived by a simple code: survival of the fittest. Any shark seen helping others was considered weak and lost its credibility as an apex predator. The shark’s world was brutal and ruled by fierce competition. But the Sharks also had their own precise living boundaries: they couldn’t go any higher up, and sinking to the level of the dolphins was forbidden. 30 sharks battled among each other to hold their place at the top of the blockchain. This aggressive lifestyle kept order both among themselves and preserved the hierarchy in the depths.

For most of the Open Sea’s long history, this way of life went on unchanged. The species settled into their territories, kept apart and didn’t help each other. To you and I, this behaviour might look selfish. But the underwater creatures simply knew no other way. Their lives were consumed by the rituals of survival and nothing ever gave them the idea that their underwater world could change.