Amalgam Universe

A 2287-post collection

Challenge #04202-K184: F(r)actions

Parasites are not always a bad thing, it is found in areas where people end up with SOME parasites in their systems, allergic reactions to things reduces. But parasites also means a body can be damaged, starved of vital nutrients. So now it becomes, are these microscopic creatures vital to the survival of the species, or should it be systematically removed from their biology, vaccinated into oblivion, and therefore freeing them from constant, voracious, hunger?

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04090-k072-festival-of-change -- Fighting Fit

Deathworlders are generally terrible at long-term planning. Most of their history contains ample evidence of this statement. Forgoing long-term public health in favour of short term excitement, political gain, or fiscal profit is a popular one. Then of course, there's the hardy perennial war against their worst enemy - themselves.

So when the Thranityr got news of the parasite that caused the Vorax appetite, there was an immediate argument about what to do about it.

There was the faction for tradition - which included the Vorax tradition of eating their dead. Which, incidentally, was how the parasites got passed along in the first place. There was the faction for a cure, citing the potential for peace between the species henceforth. Which the traditionalists decried as siding with weakness. A third faction - told to shut up by the other two - offered to let willing volunteers try the cure, and then standing back to watch what happened next.

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Challenge #04197-K179: Caveat Emptor Abundant

The ship was up for sale, cheap. I went aboard and was rather shocked it had a gravy drive, though it looked old. I spoke to a close friend of mine who is Nae'hyn to help restore it. It actually had been given a voice! Sorta. Either way, it didn't take long before we became best friends. At least my travels won't be lonely anymore. -- The New Guy

This was a rare find in more ways than one. I know. The

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Challenge #04196-K178: Contractually Obligated Self-Maintenance

You asked for the harshest training I can give you so you can grow stronger? Are you sure about this? I would say it'll be hell, but I'd be lying. You'll have to look UP if you want to see hell. -- Anon Guest

Part One: Sleep Schedule.

Up at four in the morning no matter the season. Bullied into bathroom, bathing, and breakfast in that order. Then off to a brisk run over a set obstacle course as fast as possible.

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Challenge #04192-K174: Downtime Invention

A: Happy Family!

B: Royal Straight Flush!

C: UNO!

D: COME FORTH BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGON!

E: I activate my credit card. -- Anon Guest

[AN: Changed one part of the prompt to be a completely different game. Pretty sure Nonny gave me two poker wins]

Boredom and captivity does strange things to Humans. As evidenced by Silly Season outbreaks. When it's a salvage vessel crewed by Humans, beset by twists of luck, it can get even stranger.

None on board had

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Challenge #04190-K172: Balanced Out

A person with a really strong good luck gene keeps asking questions like "How bad could it possibly be?". And saying things like "Things could never get any worse" just to try to tempt fate. -- Fighting Fit

There is balance in the universe. For every death, there is life. For every darkness, there is a light. For every fortune, there is poverty. And for every good, there is something bad.

The forces of nature are said to dislike certain things, like

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Challenge #04188-K170: Kill List

The lucker who was a killer meets again with their allies, Sunshine and Jay. The two invited the individual because they did need a third pair of hands. This case was going to take a while.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03986-j334-outsourcing-horror -- Anon Guest

Poetry. Art. Culture. Always held away from the more common throng. Always used as a means by which to point and laugh at those artificially held apart from the more valued media. Ridiculous, considering how often those

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Challenge #04186-K168: Calculated Risk

They warn knomiras time and again not to touch the pretty plants. And, yet again, they get to deal with complaining and screaming while treating injured hands. -- Anon Guest

Some exhibits are a nightmare. The slow-moving cruise vessels housing them are literally made for the exhibits. Kept in excellent condition by the crew and staff. It's not the exhibits that are the problem. It's the people who pay to share the experience presented.

"I paid to see these plants," insisted the

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Challenge #04185-K167: The All-Purpose Animal

Humans bring to multiple Thranityr worlds the farming of goats and cattle. How to properly raise them, how to milk them, and how to make cheeses and butter. Along with other human foodstuffs they've not grown or raised yet. -- Anon Guest

There exists a perfect machine for turning cellulose-based life into protein. It's versatile, self-powered, self-replicating, and capable of adapting to most terrains. It can flourish in deserts. The byproducts of its processes are excellent for fertilising crops. It's even autonomous.

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Challenge #04182-K164: Death By Stabby

The Roomba with a knife duct taped to it: sup -- Anon Guest

[AN: This prompt was edited for IP erasure and brevity]

Something horrible had happened here. The signs were clear. Foreboding and hurried grafitti on the walls. Signs of struggle. Signs of chaos. And an ominous trail of reddish-brown smears that had nothing to do with children's hospitals[1].

...the distinct lack of survivors...

Well. There was a reason why this station had fallen silent. There was nobody around to

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Challenge #04180-K162: Innocent Mistake

A: Human, we found an abandoned mineshaft! (cracks flare)

B: Dumb question, what were they mining down there?

A: (pulls out data pad) umm records says... they were harvesting a resource called petroleum. Why?

B: No reason. Imma go fire up the ship... -- Anon Guest

[AN: This seems very erroneous. On multiple levels]

There are reasons why graveworlds are graveworlds, and many of them do not leave the infrastructure intact. Well. Intact except for a fine layer of carbon. Everything organic

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Challenge #04178-K160: For the Love of Gravy

They ran a shipyard where old ships were completely refitted, rebuilt if need be, and sold at a price that allowed people to get their very first ones. The interesting area was where the gravy drives were repaired, cared for, and helped back into service so they could once again travel to the stars. -- Anon Guest

[AN: Gravy drives are very rarely abandoned. The Nae'hyn who care for them will go to extreme lengths to see them to an area of

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Challenge #04175-K157: Ferocious Saviour

A severely depressed new rescue manages to slip away from hir therapists. They'd tampered with an airlock, about to harm themselves, but Jay quickly knocked them out, to get them back to their therapists. -- Anon Guest

[AN: If you're feeling like life is not worth it, please get help as I'd much prefer you'd keep existing. The world will not be as good without you]

Being sick was the worst. Mak could feel the costs piling up. The meals. The medicine.

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Challenge #04173-K155: What the Boss Makes

You do not want to go there!

"Why not?"

For every day you earn working, they only allow you to keep a few seconds of it, their taxes will take EVERYTHING from you. You make clothing, and you will have it ripped from your hands and you will only be allowed to keep a few threads. They say it's for your own good, but the truth is, if you make a dollar, you will only keep a dime, and THAT is only

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Challenge #04171-K153: Against All Odds

They were running with several of their friends toward the emergency escape vehicles away from a nasty, previously unknown, hazard on the planet.

Their friend starts to mention on how slim their chances are on escaping unscathed.

"Don't tell me the odds, just keep running, I always beat the odds!" -- Fighting Fit

Inspired desperation is one heck of a drug. When the chips are down, when it's do or die, incredible feats are possible.

So when the swarm burst forth from

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Challenge #04170-K152: Do Not Disturb

A deregger grabbed one of the station cats by the fur dismissively. The cat clawed the he** out of them, and then several other cats pounced, biting and attacking.

Jay merely looked up from his tea with Lilicoon and Sunshine and stated "They did it to themselves." And pretty much ignored the chaos. -- Anon Guest

Of the many unwritten rules of the Alliance, one of the lesser-known classic blunders is: Never abuse a Skitty.

A regular cat, if seized roughly by

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