He, born to dirt, smoke, and blood-stained rocks, watched his clan diminish in this harsh environment.

Now alone, longing to share his fire, he searched empty horizons.

His journey is inscribed in etchings and ochre on cave walls.

The Neanderthal’s light dimmed, never knowing his distant spark would reach us.

Mike (and his 3.2% Neanderthal DNA) uses speculative fiction to explore the boundaries between what was, what is, and what could be.