The Portal: Solomon Islands

The Island That Never Was

Dr. Alice Kere, Dr. Ben Talo, and Dr. Lucy Nara were a team of Solomon Islander scientists who worked at the Quantum Reality Lab in Honiara. They had developed a device that could open portals to alternate realities, where history had taken a different course. They called it the Quantum Leap.

The Quantum Leap was a large metal ring 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 wore special suits that protected them from the effects of quantum fluctuations and allowed them to communicate with each other and the lab.

The team had explored many realities, some similar and some vastly different from their own. They had seen worlds where the Solomon Islands were colonized by different powers, where the Second World War had a different outcome, where the climate crisis had been averted or worsened, and many more. They had documented their findings and published them in scientific journals, gaining fame and recognition for their groundbreaking research.

One day, they decided to try a new experiment. They wanted to see what would happen if the island of Guadalcanal, the largest and most populous island in the Solomon Islands, had never existed. They wondered how the absence of such a significant landmass would affect the geography, the culture, the history, and the people of the region.

They entered the parameters into the computer and activated the Quantum Leap. The metal ring hummed and emitted a bright blue light. A portal opened, showing a glimpse of another reality. The team put on their suits and stepped through the portal, ready to explore.

They emerged on a beach, surrounded by palm trees and tropical plants. The sun was shining and the air was warm and humid. They looked around and saw a vast expanse of water, with no sign of land on the horizon.

"Where are we?" Dr. Kere asked.

"We're supposed to be on the north coast of Guadalcanal, according to the coordinates," Dr. Talo said, checking his device.

"But there's no Guadalcanal here," Dr. Nara said. "It's just ocean."

"Maybe we made a mistake," Dr. Kere said. "Maybe we entered the wrong parameters."

"No, I double-checked everything," Dr. Talo said. "The portal is working fine. We're in the right reality. There's just no Guadalcanal here."

"Then how do we explain this?" Dr. Nara asked. "How can an island just disappear?"

"Maybe it never formed in the first place," Dr. Kere said. "Maybe there was a geological event that prevented its formation. Maybe a volcanic eruption, or a tectonic shift, or a meteor impact."

"Or maybe it was erased by some other force," Dr. Talo said. "Maybe a temporal paradox, or a cosmic anomaly, or a divine intervention."

"Or maybe we're dreaming," Dr. Nara said. "Maybe this is all a hallucination."

They looked at each other, unsure of what to believe.

"Whatever the case, we're here now," Dr. Kere said. "And we have a job to do. We have to document this reality and find out what else is different."

They agreed and began to explore the beach. They collected samples of sand, water, and plants. They scanned the area for signs of life, both animal and human. They recorded their observations and impressions.

They soon realized that the absence of Guadalcanal had a profound impact on the region. Without the island, the ocean currents and the climate had changed, affecting the biodiversity and the ecology. Without the island, the history and the culture had changed, affecting the people and the society.

They learned that the Solomon Islands were still inhabited by the Melanesian people, but they had a different name and a different language. They called themselves the Nara people, and they spoke a dialect of the Austronesian language family. They had a different religion and a different mythology, based on the worship of the sea and the sky. They had a different political and economic system, based on the trade and the alliance of the smaller islands. They had a different relationship with the outside world, based on the contact and the influence of the neighboring countries.

They also learned that the world had changed in other ways. Without the island, the colonial and the imperial powers had a different interest and a different involvement in the region. Without the island, the wars and the conflicts had a different course and a different outcome. Without the island, the global and the local issues had a different scope and a different solution.

They were fascinated and amazed by the differences and the similarities between the realities. They realized that the island of Guadalcanal was more than just a landmass. It was a symbol, a catalyst, a nexus. It was a factor that shaped the destiny of the region and the world.

They spent several hours on the beach, until they heard a beep from their devices.

"Time to go back," Dr. Talo said. "The portal is closing soon."

They packed their equipment and headed back to the portal. They stepped through the blue light and returned to their lab.

They took off their suits and looked at each other.

"That was incredible," Dr. Kere said.

"That was unbelievable," Dr. Talo said.

"That was impossible," Dr. Nara said.

They smiled and hugged each other.

They had just experienced the quantum leap.