Devotion (Chosen by the Karal #5)(32)

And then they were heading for the beach, the water too shallow for the fish, and they broke off and disappeared back into the blue depths of the ocean.

“That was the most amazing thing I have ever seen,” Tikki said, while Charlie was speechless, still staring back out of the window to catch a glimpse of the fish.

“Now let’s go paddle in the ocean,” Okil said.

“Is it safe? Will those fish come and bite my feet?” Charlie asked.

“No, the water is too shallow; they only swim where it is deep. They are long gone and you are safe, Charlie.”

“Will you hold my hand?”

“Of course.”

The three of them stripped off their shoes and socks, and with wild abandon ran in the surf and played on the beach. It was the best day of her life. Tikki knew it because she had never felt so free, so alive, and for a precious hour, the three of them lived in the present, no cares for the past or the future.

At last, they sat on the beach, the breeze soft in her hair as Okil brought the food for them all to eat. It was while they ate that she asked him the question that she needed an answer to. “What happened, Okil?”

“It seems surreal now, as though it can’t be true,” he said, staring out to where the twin suns were beginning to descend over the horizon.

“But it is real. Whatever it is, so tell me,” she said firmly, not wanting to be kept in the dark any longer.

“Elissa went in to see Darl this morning.”

“Yes, I know. She told me.” Tikki stopped eating, shock on her face. “It’s the baby. There’s something wrong with the baby?”

“Not exactly wrong. At least not in the way you imagine.” Okil seemed to be choosing his words very carefully. She let him take his time, wondering how bad it was if it was this hard for him to put into words. “We have been searching the universe, generation after generation, for a species to mate with. Each time we have until the prime to find a suitable species and breed. We hoped when we found humans that we would be able to set up a colony somewhere and use you to make our future secure.”

“Use us,” she shuddered, but understood his meaning. “I already know that is why the deep space pilots are being sent out. That’s what you said, Okil. Was that a lie?”

“No. At least for now it is the truth.”

“Okil, I can handle the truth. Tell me everything.”

“The deep space missions are the only hope Earth has. Or at least the human race has for its survival. They need to find a planet to relocate to, and the Hier Council have accepted this because they want to ensure our species always has females to breed with. Your human females are very important to us. To maintain your species so that our next generation can breed with them, the council will allow some of the males to go to. Our lifespans are so different; we need humans to breed a new generation while ours ages to maturity. You understand that?”

“Yes.”

“The mission has not begun yet. The pilots are preparing for the mission and in the next few weeks, the females will be chosen.”

“To go with them?”

“Yes. They will be from the lottery pool. Only they will not only be chosen for their breeding capabilities, but also for their suitability to go with a pilot to explore different worlds. The decision was taken so that the pilots do not lose their chance to breed before their prime ends.”

“What if they conceive and are stuck out in space?” She shuddered at the thought.

“It is not my decision or yours Tikki. The council rules on all things and that is their decision. ”

“So what has changed? You still need us to breed with, and we need you to find us a new planet. So we both make sacrifices.”

“But what if the Karal no longer need humans?” Okil looked at her, and she felt cold dread seep into her bones.

“Is that what has happened? You don’t need us anymore? Have you found a new species to breed with?”

“No. We need this generation of females, your generation. But after Elissa’s scan, Darl has found that we might not need the colony.”

“I still don’t understand.” Tikki said thinking over all he had said and wondering why he didn’t simply come out and say what was on his mind. “Okil, tell me.”

“If we were not confined to just breeding males. If the balance of our species was restored. We would not need humans.”

“How is that possible? I thought you could only have boys.”

“Until now, yes. But Elissa is having a baby girl.”

“What? That’s impossible.” She shook her head.

“That is what I believed, what we all believed, until this morning.” He took a long, steadying breath. “You have seen Elissa’s hands. I told you about them.”

She nodded, trying to connect the dots, but they kept moving.

“Well, Darl thinks that when Marin tried to mend her skin, the procedure transferred enough DNA into her body to change things. In some way that has resulted in her conceiving a female. He has analysed her blood and thinks he can replicate the outcome.”

“Your race would once more become self-sufficient. Able to conceive girls and boys.”

“Yes. We would no longer need the colony.”

“The council will cancel the mission. And humans will likely become extinct.”