Amalgam Universe

Challenge #01579-D118: Care and Attention to Detail

Something made for the buyer/giftee only, made to fit Them. -- Anon Guest

Getting used to a new Anywhere was an emotional task. Different customs. Different standards. Different ways of making clothing. Different standards of decency. And very different ways to treat people. This place... this new home of hers, was so very different from the home she still sickened for.

It started with the medical treatment. Waking up inside a medical coffin is no great for a claustrophobe. But... for the first time in her life... people listened. They accomodated. They treated her with respect and care.

The next thing to get used to was what they called underwear. The knickers were something she knew as "witches' britches" but skin tight and elastic. They clung like a second skin and, after a self-conscious half-hour, felt like they weren't there at all. The same went for the weird little crop top that was apparently made for all genders. T-shirt sleeves, and the length of the 'top' finished just below her ribcage. It lifted and supported her bosom without making it sweaty and, soon, also felt like it wasn't there. Unnervingly so.

Prompts remaining: 14 Submit a Prompt! Ask a question! Buy my stories!

Challenge #01573-D112: The Aptly-named Terra

Correct dress varies from full formal to the Northern Territory Australian version 'wear a singlet And thongs (flip flops). -- Knitnan

Welcome to the Terran Solar system. All Havenworlder species are advised to engage in tourism inside a livesuit, and with a bodyguard if your Havenworld is of Class 3 or above. For those species who can endure a Class 4.5 Deathworld, acceptable dress ranges from "full head-to-toe covering if female" to "we don't care, just cover your naughty bits". A

Challenge #01572-D111: Sauce of the Issue

Someone re-introduces the 'tomato sauce sandwich' N.B. There is a difference between tomato sauce and tomato ketchup. -- Anon Guest

Security went on high alert whenever Shayde felt 'out of sorts'. The fact that there was a permanent Security Counsellor assigned near the Ambassador was merely an indicator that 'trouble-magnet' was her default state. This time, she was 'out of sorts' and displayed it by wandering aimlessly through the byways of Amalgam station.

Rael walked with her for one day during

Challenge #01570-D109: The Fall of the Hespruss

After two repetitions of a standard hazard announcement ("Warning: Shields Critical", or "Cabin Pressure Dropping", or "Warning: Heat Levels Critical", something like that) - something dangerous in meaning but pronounced in a calming voice and almost mundane, the ship says this:

Warning: Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here. -- RecklessPrudence

Alarms and klaxons filled the air with their noise. If it wasn't beeping or flashing, it was already broken. The computer struggled to keep up with the warnings.

"Warning: Lateral stabilisers

Challenge #01569-D108: Just Like Home

Australian States and Territories named by the British: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania (formerly Van Diemen's Land).

Australian States and Territories named by the newly-fledged Australians: Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia, Australian Capital Territory.

See a pattern? -- RecklessPrudence

The populace of New Australia spread out into their assorted wide, brown lands. In typical colonial innovation and enginuity, they named the continents after their old states and territories. New Queensland, Novo South Wales, New Victoria, and so forth. New Australia

Challenge #01567-D106: Improbably Driven

[Person #1]: And you think this will work?

[Person #2]: We have the highest expectations of success.

[Person #1]: Highest expectations?

[Person #2]: Reasonable certainty.

[Person #1]: Reasonable certainty?

[Person #2]: Mild confidence.

[Person #1]: Mild confidence?

[Person #2]: We are drawing lots from a bowl of angry scorpions while ice skating downhill.

[Person #3]: YEAH! WHO'S WITH ME BABY? -- RecklessPrudence

Many a life-threatening adventure has both started and ended with the words, "The human has a plan." Many more have

Challenge #01566-D105: The Kindness of Strangers

A true pessimist is always pleasantly surprised. So if you're ever disappointed or upset at something, take heart! Some part of you believes in a better world. -- RecklessPrudence

The collapsible booth on Babel Avenue[1] simply had one word on its placard. Cheer. It was written in large, friendly letters and the person inside it bore a beatific expression and watched those passing by without the slightest hint of flagging spirits.

Rael, on his way to the Temple of Feasts[2]

Challenge #01563-D102: The Birth of the Vardian Empire

Follow up to "Designer Babies". Other less reputable Medical facilities, pounce on the process, Dr Vardian is praised for actually trying to talk vanity parents out of bad choices instead of offering a range of "options", athletic ability, perfect pitch, genius I Q. Which leads to the sad question asked by the results. "Why don't I look like Mummy and Daddy?" -- Anon Guest

It only took two years for other gene therapy organisations to spring up in the void left by

Challenge #01560-D099: Unintended Consequences

One man's trash is another man's treasure. -- Knitnan

Sooner or later, someone will buy it. This is the mantra of both Junker Nomads and Tall Tale Tellers alike. Some of whom do both jobs at once. The further one goes, the more one can sell it for. Unless, of course, said object is everywhere. In which case, one has to take it to the Edge Territories or beyond.

And every trader, large or small, has a minimum of one Standard Weight

Challenge #01556-D095: Intellectual Pollution

(Follow-on from the tramp freighter pilot finding Earth)

What really excited the scientific and engineering community was the 'build-your-own' educational manuals from [Space SCA] - centuries out of date tech for the pilot's society, but theory backgrounds and detailed instructions on how to build everything for a number of tech levels with tools from a number of tech levels, some of which we can build the tools to build the tools for. -- RecklessPrudence

Galrax had left it behind by mistake, in

Challenge #01555-D094: What the Hell, it Goes!

It's often held together with paper clips, wire coat hangers and duct tape. But it will last 'long enough' and get you to where you are going safe and sound. -- Knitnan

Unriddling a kludge is half the problem. Engineering a permanent solution that works as well as the kludge is nigh impossible. Desperation makes truly bizarre engineering. Rael, who had spent some time with actual engineers, thought he was getting pretty good at translating kludges to semi-proper engineering that did the

Challenge #01554-D093: A Rovin' Heart

"Scrounger" Noun, a person or being who collects discarded objects and turns them into (a) ready cash. (b) something useful - often re-purposed. -- Knitnan

Tolerance is a wonderful thing, and more of it happens on the relatively lawless edges of society than it does in the lawful middles. Law likes to build a bubble around itself and eliminate everything that exists outside of it. But edges... edges are where interesting things happen. Sometimes, it's a plummet into destruction, but other times.

Challenge #01552-D091: A Lesson to Learn

Something from a non-human perspective about the deaths-per-terawatt-hour rates of various power sources in the early 21st century [source #1, #2, update of #1], and the irrationality of pushing for more coal over renewables (cough cough current Australian government), or literally anything over nuclear - even without fusion - please?

...especially when you take into account that living within 50 miles of a coal-fired plant exposes you to over three times as much ionising radiation per year as living within the same

Challenge #01551-D090: Case Studies in Strangeness

(A scientist's notes while monitoring a human's thoughts)

While trying to focus, the subject held an intense discussion with itself berating itself to focus.

If the scans are anything to go by, it has not enabled the desired effect. -- RecklessPrudence

Everyone knows that humans are insane. The extent of that insanity and the resultant dysfunctions have yet to be completely mapped. Which is why the Centre For Human Studies exist. Sometimes, people are so desperate to know what's wrong with them

Challenge #01550-D089: Inspired Desperation

This is dumb, like dosing Tasmanian Devils with meth and then stuffing them down your pants dumb. -- RecklessPrudence

"So let me get this straight," said B'tiz. Who clearly thought that ze was in error. "You are building a catapult to literally throw yourself at the enemy ship, where you will somehow infiltrate and then suborn one of their vessels, rescue me, and leave them stranded on this micro-planet."

"Trebuchet, but yes. That's the gist of it. Trebuchet's are easier to make.

Menu

A 2290-post collection

Challenge #01579-D118: Care and Attention to Detail

Challenge #01573-D112: The Aptly-named Terra

Challenge #01572-D111: Sauce of the Issue

Challenge #01570-D109: The Fall of the Hespruss

Challenge #01569-D108: Just Like Home

Challenge #01567-D106: Improbably Driven

Challenge #01566-D105: The Kindness of Strangers

Challenge #01563-D102: The Birth of the Vardian Empire

Challenge #01560-D099: Unintended Consequences

Challenge #01556-D095: Intellectual Pollution

Challenge #01555-D094: What the Hell, it Goes!

Challenge #01554-D093: A Rovin' Heart

Challenge #01552-D091: A Lesson to Learn

Challenge #01551-D090: Case Studies in Strangeness

Challenge #01550-D089: Inspired Desperation