Chapter 6 The Future in the Islands
A cave in Maluku, sometime in the future.
Parker jumped out of the jeep; not bothering to open the door, he merely hopped over the side of the front seat, much as Booth would have done in earlier years. He walked around to the passenger side of the vehicle, and opened the door to help Brennan alight from the front seat. By this time, Booth had clambered out as well. The two of them moved a bit more slowly, and silver glints in their hair caught the dappled sunlight filtering down through lush jungle foliage overhead.
"Watch your step, Dad," he cautioned while taking Brennan's arm to guide her down a path still partially littered with tangled roots and vines. Ahead of them were a collection of tents and open air pavilions which sheltered several excavation areas. Brennan's eyes sparkled with anticipation. In the years since her seven month soul-searching stint in the archipelago, the political situation among the Melanesian natives had settled. Once the diverse sub-groups were allowed to work out their differences without outside pressure, a 'live and let live' atmosphere developed. The cessation of tribal conflicts had allowed more extensive anthropological exploration without fear of reprisals. The cave currently being excavated was at a higher elevation than where Brennan had worked. She and Daisy had found no evidence of Homo floresiensis but that had recently changed.
The top of a skull had been excavated, at first thought to be that of a child, due to the small size of the brain case, but as more bones were uncovered the specimens includes sections of cranium and a mandible holding permanent teeth. This was a mature adult individual. Eventually more of the hominin's skeleton was recovered; unlike any species found before. This individual from Liang Bua was indeed the holotype specimen for homo floresiensis. The diminutive creature was closer to Australopithecus afarensis than Homo sapiens, but it was a distinct link between them.
During one ancient period of lower sea levels, land bridges had connected the Southeast Asian mainland and Australian continent with these now remote islands. Both animals and early humanoids had migrated to the Moluccan region before rising water levels had isolated their new habitats. Stone tools found in the area dated to 800,000 years ago, yet the Liang Bua skeleton was dated to 18,000 years ago. What had occurred in the huge time gap between was the subject of Parker's doctoral thesis. If the Liang Bua individual had been found in East Africa where he had worked on Lee Berger's project with Brennan, the discovery would have sparked no surprise, but her presence in these islands raised numerous questions. Homo floresiensis was a human ancestor that "had some " 'splainin to do" as Booth teased Ricky Ricardo might have declared.
Parker had completed his graduate work but had chosen to explore such a puzzling athropological inconsistency that he was finding the scope of the question too large for one dissertation. The subject of Homo floresiensis could provide enough material for a whole university anthropology department faculty. He had brought Brennan and Booth out to see his work in hopes that she could suggest a specific focus for his final paper.
Walking through the expedition's work areas, the bone cleaning operation, the cataloging and data description project, and specimen storage cabinets, Brennan thought she would burst with happiness. One glance at Booth revealed his quiet but immense pride in what his son had accomplished. The relationship between an awkward scientist and an exuberant little boy had borne fruit in so many ways. A family had been forged, a scientist had been educated, and discoveries had been made to advance the world's knowledge of humankind's history. What had begun in Sid's restaurant all those years ago after an exasperating Christmas quarantine had affected not only their three lives, but touched many beyond them.
Brennan would contemplate how to simplify and pinpoint a dissertation topic for Parker. But right now, her mind was filled with memories, satisfaction, and love for the tall man she considered her son.
BBB
A/N: A Smithsonian online article I read sparked this story. It can be found at .edu/research/asian-research/hobbits . Any inconsistencies are my mistakes. I actually think Razztaztic's projection of Parker's future as a rock guitarist like Angela's father is more likely and that Christine might be the one to continue her mother's scientific work, but who knows? When an idea pops into a writer's head, it must be expressed. I hope you enjoy it, and apologize if you don't. There's plenty more out there to read if this isn't to your liking. A recent conversation with another fan fiction friend about some readers leaving unkind reviews has left me wondering what motivates some people.