The Pacific Islanders navigated the great expanse of water by looking at the stars by night. Little did they know that the stars they looked at held so much more surprises for them. One fateful moment, their chief disappeared for several days and when he returned, he was a changed man.
Upon his return, he told of stories of advanced beings from another dimension who shared their technology while everyone thought he had gone away. Time dilation was a reality in the passage between the two worlds.
Soon enough, their skill of navigation and the technology they possessed paid off and they established great cities on the larger continents as they journeyed all over the Pacific and beyond.
The younger generation of explorers continued the journey, and in time, were able to create cities on Earth and on other worlds while remaining true to their heritage as sailors in the vast ocean.
This alternate reality comes from the what if of the great explorations in the 16th and 17th century. Instead of Magellan and Columbus sailing around to discover new territories, the native Pacific Islanders did that with the help of a benevolent race from another place.