Dr. Alice Kere, Dr. Ben Talo, and Dr. Lucy Naro were the most brilliant scientists in Solomon Islands. They worked at the National Institute of Advanced Research (NIAR) in Honiara, where they had developed a device that could open portals to alternate realities. They called it the Reality Shifter, or RS for short.
The RS was a large metal ring, about three meters in diameter, that emitted a blue glow when activated. It was connected to a computer that controlled the parameters of the portal, such as the destination, the duration, and the stability. . The scientists had already visited several realities, such as one where Solomon Islands was a superpower, one where dinosaurs still existed, and one where magic was real.
The RS was a breakthrough in science, but also a source of danger. The scientists had to be careful not to alter the course of history, or to encounter hostile beings, or to bring back any harmful substances or organisms. They also had to avoid attracting the attention of the government, the media, or the public, who might misuse or abuse the RS for their own purposes. The scientists had sworn to keep the RS a secret, and to use it only for research and exploration.
One day, the scientists decided to visit a reality where the Pleistocene epoch never existed. . . The scientists wondered what the world would look like without the Pleistocene, and how it would affect the evolution of life.
. They put on their protective suits, backpacks, and helmets, and stepped through the portal.
They found themselves in a lush forest, full of greenery and wildlife. They saw birds, insects, reptiles, and mammals, some familiar and some unfamiliar. They heard the sounds of water, wind, and animals. They smelled the fresh air and the flowers. They felt the warmth and the humidity. They were amazed by the beauty and diversity of the environment.
They walked around, taking samples, measurements, and photographs. They noticed that the forest was dominated by tropical and subtropical plants, such as palms, ferns, orchids, and lianas. They also saw some temperate and boreal plants, such as pines, oaks, maples, and birches, mixed in with the tropical ones. They deduced that the forest was a result of the lack of glaciation, which allowed the plants to migrate and intermix freely.
They also observed that the animals were larger and more diverse than in their own reality. They saw elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, lions, leopards, hyenas, wolves, bears, and many more. They also saw some animals that were extinct in their own reality, such as giant beavers, ground sloths, glyptodonts, and terror birds. They also saw some animals that were completely new to them, such as winged monkeys, horned deer, and feathered snakes. They hypothesized that the animals were a result of the lack of human interference, which allowed them to evolve and diversify without competition or predation.
They were fascinated by the flora and fauna, but they also wanted to find out if there were any humans in this reality. They scanned the area with their devices, looking for signs of intelligence, such as tools, structures, or art. They found none. They concluded that humans either never evolved, or evolved differently, or were isolated in some other part of the world.
They decided to explore further, hoping to find some clues. They followed a river, hoping to find a lake or a coast. They encountered more plants and animals, some friendly and some hostile. They avoided the dangerous ones, and admired the harmless ones. They collected more data, and marveled at the wonders of nature.
They reached a clearing, where they saw a large lake. They approached the shore, and saw something that made them gasp. They saw a group of creatures that looked like humans, but not quite. They had dark skin, long hair, and muscular bodies. They wore simple clothes made of animal skins and plant fibers. They carried spears, bows, and knives. They were fishing, hunting, and gathering. They were talking, laughing, and singing. They were humans, but not as they knew them.
. . . The Homo erectus was the human of the Pleistocene.
But in this reality, where the Pleistocene never existed, the Homo erectus never faced the challenges and pressures of the Ice Age. They never had to adapt to the cold, the dry, and the changing environments. They never had to compete with other human species, or with the megafauna. They never had to innovate, to cooperate, or to create. They remained in their original state, unchanged and unchallenged.
The scientists watched the Homo erectus with curiosity and awe. They wondered what they thought, what they felt, what they dreamed. They wondered if they had any culture, any religion, any art. They wondered if they had any potential, any destiny, any purpose. They wondered if they were happy, if they were content, if they were fulfilled.
They wanted to communicate with them, to learn from them, to share with them. But they also knew the risks, the dangers, the consequences. They knew that they could not interfere, that they could not disturb, that they could not change. They knew that they had to respect, that they had to observe, that they had to leave.
They decided to return to their own reality, to their own time. They had seen enough, they had learned enough, they had experienced enough. They had seen a world without the Pleistocene, a world without the Ice Age, a world without the modern human. They had seen a world that was different, that was beautiful, that was possible.
They activated the RS, and opened a portal back to their lab. They stepped through the portal, and closed it behind them. They took off their suits, backpacks, and helmets, and looked at each other. They smiled, they nodded, they hugged. They had done it, they had succeeded, they had survived.
They uploaded their data, their measurements, and their photographs to their computer. They analyzed their results, their findings, and their discoveries. They wrote their report, their paper, and their story. They shared their knowledge, their insights, and their emotions. They were scientists, they were explorers, they were reality shifters.
They had visited a reality where the Pleistocene never existed. They had seen a reality where the Homo erectus still lived. They had experienced a reality where the Homo sapiens never evolved. They had learned a reality where the human was different.
They wondered what other realities were out there, waiting to be discovered. They wondered what other realities they could visit, explore, and understand. They wondered what other realities they could create, imagine, and write.
They looked at the RS, and felt a surge of excitement, curiosity, and wonder. They decided to continue their research, their exploration, their adventure. They decided to continue their reality shifting.
They were ready for their next reality.
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The Portal: Solomon Islands
Science FictionA group of Solomon Islander scientists travel to different realities.
