Amalgam Universe

Challenge #03226-H317: Those Who Cut It

A new cooking school opens up that is considered one of the hardest schools of that type to be in. Where almost all classes were like competitions and the instructors were very strict. Even to become a student, one had to sign a waiver stating that they knew they could be dropped from the program at any moment if their scores in the classes got too low. Still, for those that graduated, they were considered among some of the best chefs in the galaxy! -- Lessons

Education in an interesting field in the Alliance. Some classrooms are designed with an atmosphere of peace and calm. Some teachers will do anything to get the lesson through to their students. Many build on a basework of understanding. One insists on perfection above all else.

In order to get in, one has to demonstrate a certain level of skill. One has to be able to tell one kind of knife from another, and have a working knowledge of food safety ingrained into one's soul. Even chicken soup has its high stakes. Those who arrive with hair nets and sneeze guards already donned have a mark in their favour.

Welcome to Ramsey's School of Culinary Excellence. In signing up, you recognise that you may not make it all the way through.

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Challenge #03225-H316: A Different Cause For Tears

A human was crying, their friend asked what was wrong. They'd heard all their lives of all the wild cruelties humans had done to each other, then found an ancient, archived, video of humans in the past acting in kindness. The video really made them smile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmcSh0GdPlc -- Anon Guest

Humans don't always have good angles. The stories of them having murderous rampages against species that wronged them abound. Other stories... not so much. The stories

Challenge #03222-H313: Necessary Adjustments

Master Twii was taking a class on programming, taking time away from the Dojo, on a station when a lifepod, or what was left of it, docked heavily. The smoking maw of the airlock opening up to disgorge disheveled, frightened, and wounded kids, the accident had killed the very few adults that had been there. The most scared of the kids hid behind the first adult human they saw, never having seen any other species before.

From this prompt - https://peakd.

Challenge #03221-H312: Sunshine - Guide and Guardian

I wonder... what would Mr. Sunshine do / think if Jay decided to ask the gentle Lilicoon on a date?

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03030-h107-tea-and-socialisation -- Anon Guest

Mr Sunshine was calmly painting as Jay was attempting to calmly wait for Miss Lilicoon to show up. Jay had done their best to scrub up, and was now in the middle of Choice Anxiety. Otherwise known as Maybe I should have...

"Deep breaths, apprentice," said Sunshine, carefully adding gloss to the coat of

Challenge #03220-H311: Pieces of a New Life

"You've been up for nearly 72 hours, again! Are you finally going to tell me what's going on?"

"Sorry, I'll get some sleep soon, I promise."

"Isn't your insomnia medicine helping?"

"I've not been taking it."

"Why not?"

Hesitation... a deep breath... slowly they turn around and present a beautifully carved statue of stone with small gemstones inlaid and the etchings reading "To my first true friend."

"Because I wanted to celebrate the anniversary of the day you took me from that

Challenge #03213-H304: Human Violence

"My dear colleagues and guests, this morning we are going to study human games and how, throughout their history, their games have both brought them together, and caused some of them to tear their own cities apart." -- DaniAndShali

It is often said that many Human games are war by more civilised means. After all, people follow the rules when they're playing a game. The fans of the game are the most dangerous. Their tribal identity lies in the team they support.

Challenge #03210-H301: Actually Fair and Balanced

A - "I'm innocent your honor, I didn't DO anything wrong!"

B - "You struck your employee for refusing to endanger their safety."

A - "I'm allowed to do that, though, they're my property, they work for me!"

B - Pinching the bridge of their nose in exasperation. "Ok, let's go over it again why that is NOT allowed in Alliance Space and why your employees are going to be compensated." -- Lessons

"It isn't Alliance Space, it's my space," argued CEO

Challenge #03208-H299: Breaker of Bad Habits

The Human is only four foot in height, even with the battle-hardened live-suit. The recruits for this new marine outfit are six to seven foot Deathworlders from level three, and a couple near level four Deathworlds. The Human teaches them why you don't laugh at someone just because they're smaller. -- Anon Guest

Gurhag's Grunts were supposed to be meeting the maddest, baddest Deathworlder to train them in new combat techniques. When a child-sized entity in a livesuit appeared and took up

Challenge #03204-H295: Surgical Precision Strike

A Human and a Havenworlder are both trapped in a cargo bay of a medical transport ship. The Human is in a support frame due to an illness that had created serious malformations in the spine before they were rescued as one of the last few survivors from a failed Deregger colony. The door is forced open by the pirates and the only one to save them is a Havenworlder with a scalpel. The Human reassures the Havenworlder, "you're not as weak

Challenge #03203-H294: A Machine With Real Heart

They had an android body, they were an AI, and yet, we fell in love. Some in my family tell me they're just a machine despite the AI within and cannot feel real love. But, how do you define a machine? Can we truly be together? We love each other, this is so hard. -- Anon Guest

What is life? What is real? Does it even matter? My family thinks so. When I met P3T3R Five at Docks and Locks, it wasn't

Challenge #03202-H293: Hey There Li'l Partner

A security officer aboard a space station has a nice, quiet, day with little going on, and happily entertains a human child who is well behaved and delights in being able to pretend they're "helping". At least until the parents show up, thank the officer for finding their child, who'd been a little scamp and had run off, and their shift ends without incident. -- Anon Guest

"Well hello there, Wandering Star," Security Officer Bytto had spotted the small Human in a

Challenge #03201-H292: Therapeutic Tales

The Havenworlders who were saved when the scaffold fell decided to visit the Human that saved them. The medics realized having the Human sit alone in silence, while it did help the body heal, was damaging to a human's mind and caused them to become agitated. So the medics invited the visitors to come, to chat, and explained that it helped a human recover. The workers who had put up the scaffolding incorrectly, which lead to the accident, also visited, to apologize.

Challenge #03200-H291: Between a Rock and...

The human had, somewhat grudgingly to start with, accepted a job from a havenworlder who read too much from the infonets and didn't always understand the gist of what was put there. The job sounded dangerous, so they prepared for the worst. The planetary survey, a small ship just big enough for the human and a very, very small crew, was likely the most boring one they'd ever been hired as guard duty for. It was like being paid to go on

Challenge #03199-H290: An Honest Mistake

Dear General,

It is true that your soldiers may outnumber mine.

But the ocean runs deep.

I am certain that you will run out of men, before the ocean runs out of space. -- Anon Guest

It only looked like a Graveworld. There were all the signs. Ruined buildings in the midst of assorted plants run amok. Domesticated animals turned wild, creating an ecology of their own. There were even apocalypse journals left where they might survive until discovery.

More Graveworlds were

Challenge #03198-H289: I Am Not Here, I Did Not Die

There are many stories of first contact, what about a last contact? When a species is so doomed that no technology could help them recover? -- Alex

We are the Elm, and we are dying. We have accepted this, and send this to you. By the time you translate this message, we will likely be gone. Do not mourn for us, as we have had enough of mourning.

No grand mistake has caused this end. We have merely reached the end of

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A 2141-post collection

Challenge #03226-H317: Those Who Cut It

Challenge #03225-H316: A Different Cause For Tears

Challenge #03222-H313: Necessary Adjustments

Challenge #03221-H312: Sunshine - Guide and Guardian

Challenge #03220-H311: Pieces of a New Life

Challenge #03213-H304: Human Violence

Challenge #03210-H301: Actually Fair and Balanced

Challenge #03208-H299: Breaker of Bad Habits

Challenge #03204-H295: Surgical Precision Strike

Challenge #03203-H294: A Machine With Real Heart

Challenge #03202-H293: Hey There Li'l Partner

Challenge #03201-H292: Therapeutic Tales

Challenge #03200-H291: Between a Rock and...

Challenge #03199-H290: An Honest Mistake

Challenge #03198-H289: I Am Not Here, I Did Not Die