RAINBOW ROOT - TIMELINE #424910266

(Timeline Tuesday #182)

Rainbow roots are a unique and powerful plant species from a distant timeline. While they do not have any leaves, they do have the same trunk, branches and roots that you would expect to find with a naturally occurring tree. Rainbow roots are even covered in bark, although the bark of a rainbow root functions quite differently from the trees we know in this reality.

These plants are capable of producing undulating bands of vibrant color, which then move across their body in waves. These movements start at the base of the tree and work their way outward, ending at the tips of their branches. Rainbow roots can produce any color and alternate the speed of their waves, from too slow to notice with the naked eye, to so fast they appear to be flickering.

Rainbow roots have developed the ability to wield these patterns and produce incredible psychological effects on those who view them. This is their main defense mechanism, and it is highly effective.

For instance, when a rainbow root senses someone approaching it may flash a pattern that produces the effect of fear or terror on those who view it. It could also make you feel great affinity towards the tree, causing you to bring it water or fertilizer. Sometimes, rainbow roots will produce euphoric delusion in those who witness them, which suggests the plant might have an innate playfulness or sense of humor, despite their perceived low intelligence. 

The patterns and colors of rainbow roots will not affect those who do not look at them, but many of these configurations still work when viewing a recorded video. However, this depends on the speed of the pattern and the frames per second of the recording. Scientists have copied the repetitions and hues of a rainbow root and played them back in a laboratory setting, eliciting a similar response from viewers. In these laboratory studies, however, the response is always much less powerful.