The Portal: Solomon Islands

A Journey to a World Without Papua New Guinea

Dr. Alice Kere adjusted the settings on the quantum portal device, a large metal ring that stood in the middle of the lab. She checked the coordinates on the screen, making sure they matched the ones she had calculated earlier. She was about to initiate the first test of the device, which would allow her and her colleagues to travel to alternate realities.

"Are you ready, Ben? Lucy?" she asked, looking at her fellow scientists. Dr. Ben Talo and Dr. Lucy Nara nodded, wearing protective suits and helmets. They had volunteered to be the first ones to enter the portal, while Alice would monitor the process from the lab.

"Ready as ever, Alice," Ben said, giving her a thumbs up. He was the oldest of the three, a veteran physicist who had worked on the project for years. He had a calm and confident demeanor, which contrasted with Lucy's nervous and excited expression. She was the youngest, a brilliant biologist who had joined the team recently. She had a keen interest in exploring the diversity of life in different worlds.

"OK, then. Let's do this," Alice said, pressing a button. The portal device hummed and glowed, creating a circular opening in the air. A faint image of another reality appeared on the other side, showing a tropical landscape with palm trees and mountains.

"Wow, it worked!" Lucy exclaimed, staring at the portal in awe. "Where are we going, Alice?"

Alice checked the screen again. "According to my calculations, we are going to a reality where Papua New Guinea never existed. It was never formed by the collision of the Australian and Pacific plates, and instead remained as part of the ocean floor. This means that the Solomon Islands are the largest landmass in the region, and have a different history and ecology."

"Interesting," Ben said, rubbing his chin. "How will that affect the people and the animals there?"

"That's what we are going to find out," Alice said, smiling. "Remember, this is a reconnaissance mission. We are only going to stay there for 15 minutes, and then come back. We have to be careful not to interfere with anything or anyone there. And we have to avoid any paradoxes or anomalies that might endanger our own reality."

"Got it," Ben and Lucy said in unison. They grabbed their backpacks, which contained some basic equipment and samples. They walked towards the portal, holding hands.

"Good luck, you two. And be safe," Alice said, watching them enter the portal. She saw them disappear into the other reality, and then turned her attention to the screen. She had to keep track of their vital signs, their location, and the stability of the portal.

She hoped everything would go smoothly, and that they would return with valuable data and insights. She was proud of her work, and of her team. They were the reality shifters, the pioneers of a new frontier of science and exploration. They had the opportunity to witness the wonders and mysteries of the multiverse, and to learn from them.

She wondered what they would see and experience in the other reality, and what other realities awaited them. She felt a surge of curiosity and anticipation, mixed with a bit of fear and anxiety. She knew the risks and challenges involved in their project, and the ethical and moral dilemmas they might face. She also knew the potential benefits and rewards, and the responsibility they had to use their knowledge wisely and ethically.

She glanced at the clock, counting the minutes until their return. She hoped they would come back with good news, and with stories to tell. She hoped they would come back at all.