Walking into the Future

A "Walking with" Special

Note: Just a fun what-if series: not to be taken seriously. Walking with Dinosaurs intro music for fun to celebrate announcement of new WWD special coming 2025 watch?v=qj9qCA91NqA

Chapter 1: Desert Survivors

We are shown the planet Earth

(Kenneth Branagh) "Earth, year 2025, or at least those thousands of years mean something for human-kind, whom have recorded the years for the many centuries they have ruled this lush-green planet. Our species has been the dominant predator all over since we evolved from our primitive primate relatives….or perhaps, devolved. Never has a single species been so invasive, so destructive than the innovative primates that over the centuries continued to develop tools to dominate and decimate this planet of its resources."

We are shown images: Rainforests being bulldozed down. Factories and Trucks releasing smog and polluting the air, humans using fishing nets to snag a large quantity of fish from the Sea.

"Even since our primitive ice age days, humans have developed tools to hunt and adapt to survive and thrive. We shaped the very world around us."

We see images of native Americans in the Ice Age during the Walking with Beasts special throw spears at an adult Deer Megaloceros, humans inventing plane travel, and houses being made as trees around them are cut down.

"But now, our kinds success has gotten to our heads, and our once lavish life-style at the expense of the planet is about to come to an end. Overpopulation of our species has not only led to mass-extinctions of other species, but has led to infighting throughout history, fighting that now sealed our fates as well." The narrator says darkly as we soon are shown images of various war events throughout history such as Vietnam and WWII, soldiers shooting each other or stabbing each other with spears. Finally, we see what appears to be Hiroshima nuked by the Atomic bomb…..only to see it happening all across the planet from America to China, to various other nations, trillions of humans and animals being enveloped in fire.

"As Human-kind gained more power and intelligence, the forces of nature they bent to their ill-will has now fired back at them, and a collision of nuclear energy many violent nations, starting from the middle east and spreading throughout the planet as humanity is now wiped out, taking over 85% of all life on this once green world with them, leaving our planet, a smoldering rock of gas and fire."

We are shown Earth, now a brown gaseous planet with volcanoes following the nuclear explosions that enveloped the planet and disintegrated various humans and species with them.

"This is what became of our world now following the nuclear fallout. It is the year 5025, and now in this series, from the heavens, we shall explore how the Earth has evolved thousands of years without us humans to influence it. And while it may seem like a world filled with massive carbon dioxide and fiery sky's would be inhospitable, after 3 thousand years, some species have adapted to survive in this fiery world, able to patiently wait out the radioactive mess we have made."

We are shown an image of a dessert, filled with sand dunes and cracked rock, some towers from human civilization collapsed and in ruin. In the background are active volcanoes and mountains. From within the sand, however, something begins to claw out of the ground. We are now shown a small 6 inch feline with red spots and yellow fur, its claws slanted as shakes the sand of its body and opens its eyes.

"Meet one of the few mammals to survive the mass extinction, a burrow cat. While most domesticated species that survived the initial Armageddon went extinct due to being too reliant on humans, a few small feral members of their species managed to adapt and found ways to survive in the landscape. This female has special claws it retracts from its paws." He says as we see a pair of tiny shovel like claws retract from the cats paws. "These aren't meant to attack or scratch like their ancestors, but rather to dig burrows to help avoid dangerous climate and predators. Another feature is help dig up the only numerous source of food available in this dessert, the bugs."

We see the feline use its shove-like claws to dig up some beetles it scoops into her mouth.

"Digging is a very useful method to survive a harsh world with unpredictable weather. During nights when its cooler the burrow cat can come out and thrive for a few short hours and eat her fill, then burrow back into her hole to hibernate through the 185 degree Fahrenheit daytime with poisonous gas storms and radiation heat waves still persisting since the atomic Armageddon. She can enter a torpid state in which her lungs can keep the oxygen that is breathable for her kind only available at cool nights in their sacs, allowing her to avoid the need to breath while hiding under the sand."

We are shown a the planet shift from night to day after the feline burrows underground. The skies turn from dark black to red and green gases that fill the skies with clouds, fire and lightning erupting onto the ground, incinerating the few tumbleweeds and cactus we see.

"Still some plants and other species manage to meek out a living in this volatile world. Desert plants like cacti can normally survive and act as a source of nutrient even when burned, conserving what little drinking water absorbed from underground can be difference between life and death for many bugs, lizards, and other animals.

We see a thrilled lizard and desert dragon biting into a cacti and sucking on water with some ants and a small scorpion. One cacti even acts as a home for a burrow owl and its chicks.

"However, even without human warfare competition is still intense as resources are fought over, as too are mates."

We are shown night coming into view again, a scene of two snarling burrow cats at near dusk sizing each other up now shown. A third in the corner of them is licking her paw nonchalantly.

"Two male burrow cats are fighting each other for the right to mate. Mating season only comes once every 2 years for these little felines, as they have evolved to limit their need to reproduce to avoid using up what little resources are available for young too often. Even despite their small size, felines can be vicious."

The cats tiny fangs are shown as they bare their teeth and claw at each other, even tackling before backing off a bit, keeping their eye on each other as their tails are raised.

"Their teeth and nails aren't normally strong enough to inflict lasting damage, at best being used for insects and baby lizards, but wrestling with them is still a risk. Losing any resource like an eye, can spell your doom in these deserts."

Soon one of the males charges, headbutting the rival and staggering it, leading it to pounce on his throat, the two rolling on each other before one male is thrown off, getting up dizzy and staggering.

"This male has been defeated, he will not challenge again for the right to mate." He says as the small cat collapsed, breathing heavily as its eyes grow cloudy as if concussed. "Our victorious male walks over to his prize, the female waiting for him. However, even winning a fight and showing his prowess may not be enough to win this female over." He says as she averts her gaze, still licking her body remaining uninterested.

"Females, are very choosy and somewhat greedy. Normally he'd prepare a small lizard for an offering to sweeten the deal, but he saved all his energy for the mating season, not hunting."

The cat tries tenderly pawing at the female, but she snarls in response, unnerving him a bit as he crouches.

"Still, our male has one trick left up his sleeve. His spots." He says as the male begins to have its hair stand up, its red spots growing a bit larger and brighter.

"Unlike his ancestors, burrow cats don't raise their fur on their backs to ward off enemies or show anxiety, but use it to attract mates. Much like stegosaurus from the dinosaur period, male burrow cats can flush blood to their spots to be a larger presence, this is useful when trying to impress a unsure female."

The female tilts her head, soon walking up to examine the male. After a few minutes of sniffing him she nuzzles his cheek and chin.

"Finally, she accepts him. Now the two mates with dig a small burrow together and begin their courtship, where the female will soon kill the male after mating and devour him, thus giving her the food and strength she needs to raise almost a dozen infants to adult-hood, hence another reason for only a 2 year mating season."

Soon we see the two begin digging, but over the hill of a sand dune, some sand gets kicked up as a shadowy figure appears.

"However, these two may need to dig faster to hide rather than breed, if they are to both survive the danger that awaits. In this land of the small, there is one big predator in the wind that dominates them all." He says as we see a 20 inch tall yellow dog-like animal with brown stripes, small pointy Doberman ears and 2 sets of small sabers along its mouth.

"Meet Takeo Cairo, or strong desert dog. He is a lethal predator that has evolved from strong domesticated animals like Labradors and Dobermans. He is an ambush predator who relies on his powerful hind legs to propel himself across the thick desert wasteland to ensnare prey in his incisors. And now he has locked his eyes onto the pair beginning their dig." Narrator says as the dog crouches behind the dune, moving slowly to get into position. "Slowly this male walks, relying on his fur coloring to camouflage himself and get close enough for his sprint to catch the two cats before they can detect him and dig down deep enough. His paws have evolved for running not really for digging like his ancestors who ruined our backyards."

"Too in heat and busy digging, the male does not see the predator begin stalking them, but the female serves as a look out, and quickly her sharp eyesight picks up the shifts in the sand." He says as the female hisses and the male finally notices too. Quickly they both begin to dig together. The Cairo hound charges, but just as he tries to bite them, the tails of the burrow cats cover the hole they go down into with sand.

"The carnivore has missed his chance…..or has he?" He says as the hound sniffs, soon turning around to see another prey before him, limply digging. He crouches before lunging at the male, who screeches in pain before we hear a bone crunching sound and it dies, blood dripping from the hounds mouth.

"The rival male burrow cat, too disoriented and exhausted from his battle, cannot dig fast enough or run away from this monster dog. His desire to reproduce, has sealed his fate. This is a world, where dogs do eat cats." He darkly says as the hound walks away with his prize limply hanging in his mouth.

"Quickly as the sun begins to rise he must make it to his shelter or die in the blistering heat that consumes this desert world. But despite the harsh sunlight arising and sandstorms that plague his home, he has evolved an evolutionary milestone for his kind in his eyes." He says as the hounds eyelids cover his eyeballs but he still runs. "Much like Great white sharks, he can have a skin sac cover his eyes to protect them from dangers, but unlike sharks, the hound can see through the translucent sacks and avoid the sand damaging his eyes as he makes for his home with his prize. But his kill was not simply for his sake. And as he hurries to his own shelter from the elements, we soon see why." The narrator says as we see in a dark burrow a female brown and yellow Cairo waking up as the male enters the room with his prey.

"There's a reason dogs our man's best friend. Our kind may have once doomed this planet, but the monuments and buildings we left behind now serve as shelters for our pets descendants, keeping Cairo's cool and protected from the elements. Like us they have strong social bonds and unlike the burrow cats, they mate for life."

We see the male nuzzle the female as he feeds her half the cat while we see some infant Cairo's suckling on her stomach nipples for milk on some fur and branch bedding.

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"Over the next few million years, our planet will slowly begin to recover as animals like the Cairo will adapt to their surroundings and wait out the nuclear fallout and volcanic activity, and soon these near lifeless desert plains will taste the cool life granting rains that they have been denied for centuries. But next time, the waters our canine friends depended on for life may soon spell their doom, as a legendary monster sizes up to take them on.

We see an image of a long-neck sea monster with sharp teeth burst out of a sea and roar at a swimming Cairo before snatching it up in its fangs and jaw and descending into the dark ocean, blood and bubbles rupturing the once calm water.

The end….for now