Amalgam Universe

A 2297-post collection

Challenge #03415-I127: Convergent Evolution

The humans call us "foxes", close enough for them, since they have trouble pronouncing our proper name at the moment. We met these small, squishy, beings when we answered a distress call. Given our thick fur, our planet's pretty cold, and the pictures they showed us of their earth creature called the grey fox, we suppose, in their eyes, we do somewhat look like that. Still, at least these strangers are friendly. -- Anon Guest

Humans are great at misnomers. Just look at the red onion. They took one look at the bear-sized cogniscents who rescued them and named them "Foxes" without any other similarity but the muzzle shape and markings. This was their introduction to the "Walks Like a Duck" Principal[1].

"We are the--" Rrirru gave the trilling yip of a howl that their people named themselves. "Not... 'fox'."

"We understand," said the rescued Human, ze was still wrapped in a foil blanket. "We just cannot say that word. Vocal limitations. On the other hand, your people really look like Gray Foxes." Ze had been tapping on their datareader and now brought the screen around to show them. "See?"

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Challenge #03417-I129: Making it Look Easy

I love my job, I mean I REALLY love my job! I get up every day excited to go to work! What do I do? I run a multi-species salon and spa aboard a space station. Did I mention I really, REALLY, love my job? -- A New Guy

Livesuits don't tell the entire story, did you know that? Most species evolve in single gravity[1] environments and that means a mostly anthropoid body form. Some of them turn up in rented

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Challenge #03416-I128: Walking Carpets

A human who hires out as a protector has two large, beautiful, Newfoundland dogs. They gets some very interesting looks both on ships and on stations. -- Fighting Fit

The Human entered the ship with two bears. Not teddy bears, actual ursine life forms. The fact that they were padding amenably at Human Hip's heels did nothing to reassure the crew of the Indigo Shamrock. Companion Ty almost scurried onto a high shelf from the terror.

"How is having Ursid pet?" she

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Challenge #03412-I124: A Horse of a Different Choler

A ship is headed to a colonial planet and they have several full-sized clydesdales in deep sleep, the animals often otherwise having trouble with such confinement. Some of the other passengers, being dropped off in other places on the way to the planet, get to see the sleeping animals up close before leaving. -- Anon Guest

Tucked up in sleep pods made for Gaux[1], the frosted windows display an enormous land mammal. Those who peer closely at the animals realise their

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Challenge #03408-I120: Solid, Scientific, Documented Evidence

They say that whenever people have to choose between doing what's right, and doing what's easy, they choose what's easy. But what of those times where doing what's right is easy, and doing what's wrong is more difficult? Why is it so many choose what's wrong anyhow? Especially those who struggle to continue to deny basic scientific fact, and deny what's, quite literally, staring them in the face? -- Lessons

Humans are, as a species, considered insane. They do many, many things

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Challenge #03407-I119: Strained Benefit

A level two Deathworlder barrels toward Mr. Sunshine at full bore and slams into him, knocking him to the ground and landing on top of Sunshine, just as a large part of a scaffold falls. The Deathworlder is harmed though not fatally, but is glad they saved the Human from serious harm. -- Anon Guest

Humans are bizarre creatures to begin with. Members of Pax Humanis are what Humans consider abnormal psychology. In this case, it meant dismissing quite a lot of

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Challenge #03406-I118: Cracks Before a Breakthrough

The man who once "owned" his wife with an iron fist now finds himself in jail for violating no-contact. He HAD been warned, and now, much to the frustration of the therapists trying to work with him, is resisting the idea of change.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03342-i054-she-said-no-pickles#@internutter/re-bkf-r7txz0 -- DaniAndShali

"It's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair!" Maazdon Brandon was throwing his umpteenth tantrum of the day. It was nothing new. He'd been doing the same thing

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Challenge #03403-I115: They Call the Room Jim

A human starts up an exercise studio aboard one of the much larger stations. This place is reinforced to ensure humans can do their full exercise without harming the infrastructure, but its main focus is teaching isometric exercise routines to everyone, humans and galactics alike.

Here are some small examples of isometric training. But there are tons of others.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/isometric-exercises

https://blog.vantagefit.io/office-exercises/

https://www.vertimax.com/blog/top-20-isometric-exercises-for-static-strength-training -- Anon Guest

The Humans were

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Challenge #03402-I114: One to Grow On

The being is trying to be the most evil SoB in the entire Deregger polity. Problem is, they're so damn incompetent, they keep making things BETTER for their people, not worse! So how in the hell are they turning such huge profits?? -- Fighting Fit

Howlon Farmaul had inherited quite the region. Owning shareholder claim of a solar system within the Greater Pecuniary Empire of Fiduciary Expansion. Better known amongst those evil Alliance scum as Greater Deregulation Upper Northeast. The news filtered

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Challenge #03398-I110: Earned Trust

A colony of Phloran peoples that are a break-away from their normal polity are more open to strangers, albeit very carefully to avoid being eaten. They invite Xue to bring the child to the colony to learn to care for the child.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03341-i053-not-so-much-bullrush -- Anon Guest

Sprout wore Toxic Colours, as well as a patch that was their family crest. A Masked Lapwing, rampant[1], and the words, Death to All Threats on the scrolling underneath. Black

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Challenge #03397-I109: PEBKAC

I love my job, really I do. But these cats will not stop trying to nap on my workstation. I love them too, but I really need to get back to work. -- Anon Guest

"Aw come on, guys. Not again. Off! Off! Pssst!"

Companion Zan watched as her assigned human shooed a cluster of Skitties[1] off of their workstation console. The Skitties that didn't immediately scurry off to their corners were lifted gently off and placed on the floor. Which

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Challenge #03396-I108: Are You Sure They're Deathworlders?

A human brings their two beloved pets, a pair of gentle capybaras, aboard station with them. And their antics are just too adorable! -- Anon Guest

[AN: I have only witnessed capybaras being chill and hanging out like they have no flakks to give]

They were on leashes, so they had to be pets. Everything else was a matter of debate, especially among the Designated Companions who were watching them board. There was Human Gene and the two... creatures placidly following in

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Challenge #03394-I106: Lost Their Marbles

The human accidentally defeated an entire ship's worth of pirates. How? They were hiding in the maintenance ducts and accidentally dropped their bag with an impressive collection of decorative marbles. -- Anon Guest

It's the little things that are important. And some little things are more important than others when a Human has entered Crisis Think. Some may view these obsessions as ridiculous, but they have their merits. People have, for instance, been distracted from multiple fractures by the fact that they

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Challenge #03389-I101: Domino Choices

Havenworlders are planting dwarf fruit trees in pots so when the shipload of rescued humans - refugees from a Deregger polity currently in the middle of a civil war - arrives, can be given at least three plants per person. -- Anon Guest

They were hefty gifts for Havenworlders to carry, but even a weak Human could lift them with relative ease. The ship had said five hundred souls, so fifteen hundred pots now came with a very small tree. Free soil

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Challenge #03388-I100: Saved by Thermodynamics

Their crewmates have been running themselves ragged, panicking. Their ship wouldn't take off, the weather outside was dangerously cold with blizzards, and help wouldn't arrive for at least two weeks, minimum. Fortunately, napping rolls, a guitar, and hot tea, should help soothe frayed nerves. -- Anon Guest

"You did what?" Captain Karp bared her teeth at the ships' Human, who seemed very calm about present events. "We're stuck in a blizzard for two weeks[1], we're already in danger from the snow

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