Lemuria by Burt Clinchandhill (epub e ink reader TXT) 📕

always adjusted to the needs, caused by our actions and surroundings.”

“And the tribes?” Lindsey asked.

“Okay, so the next step in evolution is more likely to be seen in tribes that are isolated from modern people simply because they evolve through inbreeding. The strong will survive and show the first signs of the next gene splicing, and the weak will perish. Their bodies and minds, at this moment in time, will be exactly fitted for the situation they live in. If you took them out of it and put them in our environment, they would never be able to adapt. Evolution simply couldn’t keep up. So, if you wanted to see how evolution works, you can use such a tribe for two things. One, you could use them as a time machine. If you dissected them, you could probably see how we looked a few thousand years ago.” Bishop took the last sip from his coffee.

“And secondly,” Ignatowski asked impatiently.

“Secondly, if you wanted to see how you could influence evolution, what better way to do that on a primitive species. If you were to experiment on them, you could see how they develop differently compared to how we developed to modern men. Look for the changes, so to say. And, of course, there’s the biggest advantage of experimenting with isolated tribes.”

“Who would notice?” Lindsey added.

“Or who would miss them?” Ignatowski finished.

“Exactly.”

“So why, or how, would you do it?” Ignatowski asked. “I mean, why would you experiment? To what goal, and how?”

Mansoer approached the table. “You finished your coffee?”

They all nodded.

“Good, good, then if you’re ready, I would like to be your guide. I know everything about the museum, the diggings and the area. Just ask Mansoer,” he said with pride.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Bishop agreed, and the three rose from their seats.

“Show us the way,” Lindsey suggested.

“So, your investigation, what is it about?” Mansoer asked as they walked from the restaurant in the direction of a small glass building on the other side of a field.

“We’re not quite sure ourselves,” Bishop replied. “We’re looking for anything related to the Pithecanthropus erectus.”

“Then you’re in luck. We know everything about the Pithecanthropus erectus. Just ask Mansoer.”

As they walked into the glass building, Ignatowski noticed there weren’t any doors. “You’re not afraid of theft?”

“This is a very safe place,” Mansoer replied. “It’s far away from the main road, and to the locals, there’s nothing of value in here. Nothing you can eat. And, of course, we do have cameras and an alarm system.” He spread his arms through the hall. The space was about one hundred feet long and thirty feet wide. Glass showcases, divided into three rows, formed paths through the hot room beneath the glass roof.

“Feels a bit like a greenhouse in here,” Ignatowski complained.

“I’m sorry,” Mansoer replied. “It’s the glass. We love the light shining in from everywhere, and usually, we have working air conditioning, but it seems to be broken today. I’m sorry. Here we have fossils and replicas of fossils that were found in digs around our museum grounds. Anything specific you are looking for? Maybe I can interest you in our cervus hippelaphus antler fossil? It’s probably the oldest one ever found.” He pointed to a showcase in the first row, containing a calcified tube shape. “Or maybe the extraordinary findings of our six-foot fossilized ancient elephant tusk and molars.” He pointed to a showcase in the second row.

Lindsey and Ignatowski both looked at Bishop in anticipation. “You took us here,” Lindsey reminded him with a smile.

Bishop gave a deep sigh. “True.” He turned to Mansoer. “Actually, I think we’d like to start with anything related to the Pithecanthropus alalus, or Pithecanthropus erectus, you probably call it now.”

“Ah, our prize findings,” Mansoer replied, pointing to the end of the hall. “Please follow me.”

“You have a lot of nice fossils here,” Lindsey politely remarked as they crossed the path with the somewhat run-down showcases.

“Some of these are actually very unique,” Mansoer replied.

“I’m sure they are,” Bishop agreed. At the end of the hall, they stopped at a diorama behind a white cable barrier. The diorama showed wax statues depicting a man, woman and what looked like their son.

“The Pithecanthropus erectus family,” Mansoer sounded proud as he waved his hand at the diorama.

The diorama was simple. The wax statues were made of a dark brown color. On the floor were some pieces of straw, and in the back was an artificial bamboo bush, all set up in front of an ancient landscape painted on the back wall.

“Do you mind?” Bishop asked, while putting one leg over the barrier.

“No, please do,” Mansoer replied. “But please don’t touch anything. If you tell me what you’re looking for, I’m sure I can help.”

“Maybe,” Bishop replied before turning his attention to Lindsey and Ignatowski by waving his hands to join him on the other side of the barrier.

“What do we look for?” Lindsey asked while stepping over.

“Just look for anything out of the ordinary, anything written down, or that seems misplaced. Maybe something recent. I’m not sure.”

The three dug through the area, scrutinizing every inch of the diorama. Ignatowski was down on his knees with a small flashlight sifting through the pieces of straw, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

“Mansoer?” Bishop asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“What can you tell me about Eugene Dubois?”

“Ah, just ask Mansoer. I can tell you everything about Mr. Dubois. Between 1891 and about 1900, Mr. Dubois did many excavations in the area, and apart from the hominin remains, he excavated thousands of other vertebrate and molluscan fossils. Wait....” He walked to the side of the hall, and with a key, he opened a showcase and took a wooden tray out of it. “Look here,” he called out enthusiastically as he walked back. The three moved up to the barrier.

“What’s that?” Lindsey asked, looking at what looked like a long old bone and the top of a dark painted soccer ball.

“That’s Dubois’s most important finding,” Mansoer replied. “Meet Pithecanthropus erectus, or alalus