Free Human by Hayley Camille

became Homo sapiens and eventually anatomically modern humans- that is, you and I.”
    “In the so called ‘new world’ of Europe and Asia, they’re considered to have given rise to archaic Homo sapiens and Neanderthals,” Ivy tapped at the wall map with her fingers, “and new research suggests at least one erectus population may have actually co-existed with modern humans in Indonesia only 40,000 years ago.
    So, the question begs to be asked; could there have been even more descendant species of Homo erectus that haven’t been discovered yet? How big was this branch of our evolutionary tree?” Ivy stood in front of the class, animated, her eyes bright. “In those dark, hidden forests and caves of the new world, what other types of humans existed before we arrived from Africa? How did they evolve? And most intriguing of all,” Ivy paused for dramatic effect. “ Why did they die out?”

    Ivy lay her cello gently back into its case. She stood up stretching and pulling at her aching neck and shoulders. Once again she'd lost track of time. She crossed the small tutorial room, leaning out the shuttered window before pulling it shut. The sky was darkening outside and Kyah would be waiting for her to visit before she left for the day. As Ivy bent to pick up the cello case, there was a knock on the door. Without waiting for a response, Orrin's head popped around the corner.
    “Found you.” Orrin winked at her.
    Ivy raised an eyebrow, pausing midstep. “Apparently so, although I'm not sure how-”
    “Jayne again.”
    “Aah.” Damn that girl. Ivy pushed her fringe behind her ear, balancing the cello case on her foot.
    Orrin looked around the room curiously. “Did you have an audience?”
    “No, I just like practicing in here sometimes,” Ivy replied, critically conscious of their last conversation. The one where she’d rejected him. “The acoustics are good,” Ivy said, “and there's an audio recording facility set up for tutorial sessions. Students use it so they can slacken off in class and download the sessions later.” Orrin laughed and Ivy shrugged, smiling. “When it's quiet, I record my cello practice so I can play it back at home. It helps me pick up mistakes.”
    “I bet there aren't any. Mistakes, I mean.”
    “Ha, no of course not. I'm a regular Offenbach.” Ivy rolled her eyes, good naturedly. Damn you Jayne. She changed the subject. “You were looking for me?”
    “Oh yeah.” Orrin took a deep breath. “The other night, I think I might have given you the wrong impression. Well, not entirely wrong maybe, but, I didn’t mean to mess you about. I was actually wondering if perhaps you might consider-” he paused, his eyes shining hopefully. Ivy felt a familiar twisting in her stomach. No, no, no. Don't get distracted, you've been down this road. It’s messy. It hurts. You don't need this. You have work. Research. Kyah.
    “Kyah. Kyah! Sorry Orrin, I have to go.” Ivy pushed past him, ignoring the rush that came when her shoulder grazed his arm. She could feel the heat course her neck and face and cursed having such pale skin. “I just remembered I was meant to call into the biology lab earlier – Kyah’s, um, medication. Damn it. I just- I really have to go. We’ll talk soon.” Ivy smiled apologetically over her shoulder as she walked away as fast as she could with the unwieldy cello case, lugging it down the stairs to avoid the risk of getting caught with Orrin in the elevator.

 
     
    “The Dish”, Parkes Observatory, New South Wales
     
    As Neil pulled into the Parkes Observatory he never failed to be impressed by the sixty-four metre radio telescope. As the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere, “The Dish” as it was affectionately known, had become an Australian icon. The facility had become legendary for its role of receiving the images of the first Moon Walk in 1969. Now, over 120,000 visitors travelled the vast emptiness of Western New South Wales to marvel at