The Pink-Eyed Leatherskins are so frustrated with their experiment to create a civilization of intelligent apes that they wipe them out with a catastrophic flood, or so they thought. Yessah had the creativity and salesmanship to con his skeptical companions into building a huge ship to house his family and most of the local animals. When the Leatherskins found him floating above the devastation, they collected his genetic material with the hope of using it to create a more promising human colony. After terra-forming the tiny planet of Wee Whoopie, they deposited Emilion, the first "intelligent ape" inhabitant, and the adventure begins. The project almost fails when Bubblebeez the snake destroys the idyllic and nave life of Emilion and Morn, his mate. The Leatherkins intervene in a highly unusual way, and the couple reunites. The twins, Krutch and Kant, a born soon after, followed by Bom and Meno. The siblings embark on separate journeys of growth that expand the capabilities of the species and eventually bring them to reunite just before the dreaded Cataclystor invades to devour all humans. The fate of the species is directly linked to solving the mystery that lurks within a cave that has been too dark to explore. Now that Bom has discovered fire, the solution may be at hand. Will it come too late to save the species?