Tevi's Dilemma

By AE Roud

In life, there are no certainties, but extinction is forever and when nature points its wrinkled finger at the oldest species in the universe, nature learns the Oredals are able to fight back.

• Language: English
• Publisher: eXtasy Books Inc
• Release date: Feb 27, 2012
• ISBN: 9781771110679

Book preview

Introduction

Known as the Royal or universal breeder, Tevi’s abilities helped species stave off extinction for as long as possible. Sometimes nature deemed a particular species to extinction despite her efforts.

Unique among the Oredals, the Royal branch consisted of a male and a female, who carried special crystals that aided their inherent abilities. The crystal allowed them to take the form of a targeted species and hold that form for as long as needed to complete their breeding requirement.

To satisfy the urge their genetics put on them, Royals only needed to mate one time, but often remained with a species for a week or longer, to give their genetically stronger offspring a better chance at survival so in the future, their offspring would strengthen the targeted species and thus keep extinction at bay.

During a Royal pairs reign, the death of one carried drastic changes for the other, if the surviving partner wished to live. Blaine’s death, Tevi’s male counterpart, in a shuttle accident two hundred years earlier, forced Tevi to endure a physical body manipulation that gave her the ability to become the breeder for both genders. The duality of her position through the following hundreds of years, took such a toll on her, that when Tevi reached the age of five hundred, she made changes to her activities that allowed her to continue to help the neediest of species.

She chose the Crotin species because their planet was only two light years from the Oredal Quadrant and the desert crabs needed her assistance more than other species, due to an increase of hunter incursions on their home planet.

During decades of visiting the Crotin planet, and before the hunter incursions became a threat, Tevi and Min might encounter a massive carapace, once the unseen desert creepy crawlies, carnivorous sand worms, beetles, and ants finished devouring the previous occupant that one day just walked off into the desert and died. Depending on the condition of a shell when they found it, Tevi sometimes took the carapaces back to the Oredal Quadrant where after a good cleaning and polish, she presented them to the Quadrants Natural History Museums. Other times she presented the Crotin shells directly to the schools, so future generations of Oredals, who would never venture far from their back yards, could see and learn of the natural diversity outside the borders of the Oredal Quadrant.

Tevi’s current visit to the Crotin planet however, was proving difficult. They could not locate any pods of the huge crabs. With her waist length reddish brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, and wearing jeans, a light colored shirt and hiking boots, Tevi stood on the planet in the hot sun, and looked at the entrance of a Crotin underground cavern. The caved in entrance tunnel and windblown sand piled around the area, indicated to her, that there was no recent Crotin activity at that pod.

Maybe they died of disease or a natural disaster, Min, Tevi’s living and sentient horseshoe crab-shaped ship and bond partner said telepathically.

Tevi shook her head. I can’t imagine all of them dying at one time and from the looks of things, this pod has been gone a long time. We go on to find another pod. A moment later, she disappeared from the desert sands courtesy of Min’s unique abilities.

Among the species of the universe, were the Marrotts. An evolved clam species, sentient and space capable. Long ago, they teamed up with the Oredals for survival and became an integral part of Oredal society. Their many colors, shapes and attitudes added sparkle to the unending darkness of the universe.

At the next pod, again Tevi found no sign of recent crab activity outside. Disappearing down into the underground cavern, Tevi walked to the nursery area and found six Crotin eggs. Each egg had a round cutout in the top of the shell and the contents were gone. She knew then the reason why there were no Crotins there.

She left that underground cavern and returned to where Min waited in his physical body form in the