Realm of the InterNutter

Challenge #03004-H081: Guilt of the Survivor

I was a trained soldier, I taught others how to fight.

I was a trained soldier, I taught others how to escape.

I was a trained soldier, I taught others how to kill.

I was a trained .....soldier..... I taught them... how to die well.

A flower was placed upon the stone, tears sliding down their face. Two dozen stones, each one with the same, white and red, flower, upon it. The old man's head bowed. His caretaker, a gentle havenworlder, placed a hand on his shoulder. The human looked to them, bent, broken, the voice metallic from an artificial voice box, the prosthetic hand upon a cane. "Alright, we can go back home now. I just wanted to see my friends again." -- Fighting Fit

Humans have a saying for everything. If not a saying, then a quote. As storytellers, they are a species that have a way with words. The one that came to mind now was, There are old soldiers, and there are bold soldiers. There are no old and bold soldiers. Walking now through the serried ranks of Humanity's dead, in a monument the size of a small city, Companion Thruk could understand why.

Human Sam marched past the monuments. Columns in the style of a past age, all cut short. Some were much shorter than others. This, the unspoken words said, is where the bold ones went. Human Sam was one of the rare ones who had grown old. They were lined up as they had been lined up in battle. Each troop. Each sergeant. Here and there, amidst the rows and columns, were gaps. Other old soldiers had yet to join the army of the dead.

Human Sam sometimes joked that ze was halfway there already. Two and a half legs, one arm, one eye, and a few internal organs had been replaced with artificial substitutes. Age had indeed wearied him. If the years condemned, he gave no sign. Companion Thruk had to trot to keep up with hir as ze marched through the troops of the dead. So many of these columns had had time to age. So few were complete, indicating that the deceased had lived a full life before they assembled for the hereafter.

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Friday, Day 0, Fish Day

TEN firkin new cases, but only one of those is local so whack-a-doo, let's go to the coast YAAAAAAAYYYY... Eighty-two active cases, sixty-seven in hospital, one in the ICU; which leaves FOURTEEN of them to go out and create havoc if they come over with a massive case of the Knomira's.

Yeah nah I'm not going firkin anywhere these holidays and I shall be watching all of this inevitable mayhem unfold from my mountain fastness. Thank you for asking. Door price is

Challenge #03003-H080: An Honest Mistake

These havenworlders were marsupials and, as such, it was not unusual to see a tiny head poking out of a specially modified set of ship skins from time to time. When the human said she was expecting, her spouse was excited, but the havenworlders were confused that the humans politely turned down the offer for a modified set of skins with a pouch opening. -- DaniAndShali

It was hot news on the Trembling Whisker - the Ships' Humans were reproducing! The pair

Thursday, Day 0, Maundy Moneys

Not only is it Maundy Thursday - the traditional day when the highfalutin hand out "Maundy Money" - it's also April Fools' Day. At least in Aus. Tomorrow's when the pranks really emerge from the intertubes. Be warned.

I'll probably stick to puns when I get to thinking them up.

Today, the PLN is to do my usual work nonsense with unfucking the house on the side because tomorrow is a public holiday. Yay.

I may or may not get on that

Challenge #03002-H079: Friendship Offering

They were used to having humans aboard ships over the years. One group or another would work with them to protect them whenever they were heading out to map the Edge. As usual, they had four humans with them. Two scientists, two guards. But one of the guards was different. Unlike all the humans the havenworlders had worked with in the past, this individual politely declined all of the sweet desserts that were offered in friendship and preferred fresh fruits and sliced

Wednesday, Day 0, Wordpress

TEN new cases, eight of those local transmissions. Seventy-eight total, sixty-four in hospital, two in ICU, which leaves twelve with the relative freedom of a hotel room until they are clear. Masks are mandatory for when you go anywhere and we are hunkering and bunkering and just being blobs for the interim.

Judging by the acceleration, we're going to be locked down for a lot longer than the three days. We've done this before and we can do it again. Of course,

Challenge #03001-H078: How to Befriend a Monster

An alien meets human's pet cat and has an existential crisis dealing with the fact that their seemingly sane friend keeps a tiny ferocious predator around and thinks it is cute. -- Anon Guest

"[GENDER PRONOUN] is just an old softie," should definitely be classified as words of impending horror. Brex had just been told not to mind Meep, and then spotted a low, fast shape zip through his peripheral vision. Human Pod had assured him, "He's just an old softie, really.

Tuesday, Day 0, Locked Down

Brisbane, and perhaps the greater portion of Southeast Queensland, has been locked down for three days. I got this news in the afternoon of yesterday. Ten new cases this morning, four of them local. Seventy-three total active cases, sixty-three in hospital, and two in the ICU. That means eight people are stuck in a well-furnished box and bingeing Netflix or whatever.

I... am trying my hardest not to spiral into my previous lockdown mood, which was huddling in the bedroom and seeking

Challenge #03000-H077: Scheherezade III

I can't help it, I gotta know, how DO people react at the royal event seeing the twins together?

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-02929-h006-the-trouble-with-tails -- DaniAndShali

Viceroy Jubilation Araveth Falsworth Merrimine could always tell when the rest of the room spotted his brother, Apprehension. It was not quite a universal gasp, but there was a definite chorus of indrawn breaths. Usually from the gallery of those waiting to see who was whom as they arrived. Then the musicians would stutter to

Monday, Day 0, here comes Scheherezade

Three new cases, Seventy-one total, sixty-six in hospital and two in the ICU. So that's three left spinning their wheels in a hotel somewhere. According to our PM, only one of those new cases is a local transmission.

Adding to the panic is the fact that the bloke initially diagnosed said he held a party whilst still infectious. Miscommunication, actually, since the party consisted of him and his four housemates, who are already isolated.

Grrr.

TAFKASPG has continued being an annoyance, so

Challenge #02999-H076: Full on Pinkies Up

There were cupcakes, which immediately drew attention to the activity. There were also the ship's humans, both of them, sitting quietly and sipping from fancifully patterned drinking vessels, despite usually becoming a shrieking maelstrom of highly active competition when interacting with one another. There was a small container with a spoon in it that, upon inspection, contained sugar. ...there were more cupcakes than two humans could reasonably eat on their own. There were extra cups. There was, it turned out, an open

Sunday, Day 0, It's Loose

There's another case of local transmission this morning. Six new cases. Seventy-one total. Sixty-two in hospital. Two in the ICU. That's seven with the potential to cause even more trouble.

I'm not looking at the news this morning because Toasty's streaming already and there are untold PLNs of Beloved happening later on after sunrise. So now I'm trying to get as much done before I find out what else is going on.

I may be required to drive after minimal sleep -_

Challenge #02998-H075: With Great Power...

Power is power; it is pure, cannot be corrupted, intentions can. It is up to the individual whenever or not they use their power to ascend to divinity or fall to hell -- Anon Guest

They say, Power corrupts. They say, Absolute power corrupts absolutely. What they fail to recognise is that those who grasp for power are already corrupt. There is a true difference, indeed, between those who grasp for power and those who have to accept it. It begins with

Saturday, Day 0, Scramble

According to the government, there's seven new cases and the news is a new local transmission. I heard ten cases yesterday afternoon, but I have to trust the official sources.

Sixty-nine total cases [not nice], sixty-two in hospital, two in the ICU... and five remaining in captivity. It's hard to not panic.

Case 0 is in Stafford and has been communicable for a week. The alert is out for the Brisbane and Moreton City areas, so not in my or MeMum's neck

Challenge #02997-H074: For Neurochemical Imbalances

A level 3 deathworlder has to come bail their human out of jail again! The human has an arm band showing they are currently battling a mental health issue. The poor person is an addict undergoing treatment and had escaped from the care center. The havenworlder medic at the caretaker's side sighs, shaking their head as the human is dealing with a major hangover. Helping addicts clean up is so incredibly frustrating! Sure the work is rewarding, but it's no wonder the

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Realm of the InterNutter

Thoughts, stories and ideas.

Challenge #03004-H081: Guilt of the Survivor

Friday, Day 0, Fish Day

Challenge #03003-H080: An Honest Mistake

Thursday, Day 0, Maundy Moneys

Challenge #03002-H079: Friendship Offering

Wednesday, Day 0, Wordpress

Challenge #03001-H078: How to Befriend a Monster

Tuesday, Day 0, Locked Down

Challenge #03000-H077: Scheherezade III

Monday, Day 0, here comes Scheherezade

Challenge #02999-H076: Full on Pinkies Up

Sunday, Day 0, It's Loose

Challenge #02998-H075: With Great Power...

Saturday, Day 0, Scramble

Challenge #02997-H074: For Neurochemical Imbalances