Amalgam Universe

A 2308-post collection

Challenge #03137-H228: Medicinal Herb Misuse

Despite being Deathworlders themselves, they hired a human who was an expert at debugging computer systems, at engineering, and at improvising fast solutions when things went south. They looked like large, bipedal, cats, including claws that could pull in or be exposed when needed. They made sure they hired a human who was not allergic to fur, or felines. However, when the human started growing catnip, using it to sooth himself when they had trouble sleeping at night, the beings realized it wasn't the human's reaction they had to worry about. The human MIGHT need to find another type of tea to help them sleep. -- DaniAndShali

[AN: For everyone who wants to read up on the effects of catnip on humans, Jess Wilmington has some information]

Every ship in the Alliance should have a Ships' Human. They just have a way of handling things. Be it their adaptability, their skill at improvisation, or sheer manic insanity of the species[1]... they can dive into the metaphorical cesspit and emerge with a diamond ring.

When the Ruserrv heard about this, they had to try it out for themselves. They found a Human JOAT[2] with the relevant skills and a desire to see more of the greater universe and thought they were set. It's a common mistake.

Humans always come with caveats. Every single Human has their own quirks, hangups, hobbies, and things they dearly love and want to share with the entire universe. In the case of Human Niil, hirs was medicinal botany. Nothing that had ever been illegal in Terran history[3], but at least one thing that would prove... problematic.

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Challenge #03134-H225: Caution - Humans Running

It doesn’t matter what species you are. If the ship’s engineer start running you better follow -- Anon Guest

Only Humans ever invented running as a recreational activity. Which is why places with a jogging track also have large volumes of warning labels. Before Humans joined the Alliance, even possessing something that could pass as a jogging track was never a priority. When one cogniscent was running, it was generally a good idea to run with them. They obviously knew

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Challenge #03133-H224: Learn From Mistakes

The four humans, on leave from the ships they work aboard, are sitting around a table with four boxes that simply read Dangerous Nuts High Scoville. Once known to humans as "The Death Nut Challenge". Grinning, and razzing each other, they're about to each see how much spiciness they can handle when a level 3 Deathworlder, full of arrogance, pulls up a chair and demands to join them. After all, these squishy, weak-looking, apes are eating what is just five little nuts,

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Challenge #03131-H222: Artisinal Friend

They sat alone, quietly eating their meal. Their shoulders were slumped, their head was down, they had the forlorn look of a lonely, bereft, individual who'd completely given up on life itself. When a kind cogniscent tried to sit with them, they softly mumbled something apologetic and, quietly, obviously reluctantly, moved away to an even more distant, emptier, corner. The person went back to their friends, their eyes sad, filled with compassion.

"What did they say?"

"They said bad-luckers who cause their

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Challenge #03130-H221: But We Love Them...

The crew ends up getting stuck on a Level 2 Deathworld and the Humans tame a few of the large omnivores and train them to be ridden. At least until rescue arrives.

"No you CAN'T bring it with, Humans!" -- Anon Guest

Over half of the plantlife was generically toxic. The other half had to be processed in order to be edible more than once[1]. The wildlife was neither shy nor retiring. So, of course, the Ships' Humans flakking loved it,

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Challenge #03129-H220: Not the Intended Use

They'd been using the juices from a bright yellow fruit brought from the Terrans so long ago. They used it to eat away grease from engines and as an industrial-strength solvent, and to remove adhesives from various surfaces. Mixed another way, as a cleaning material that left a fairly pleasant scent. So imagine their surprise when humans were found to be plucking the fruit from the trees, mixing the juice with water and a little sugar, and drinking it! -- Anon Guest

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Challenge #03128-H219: It's Not Just a Cold

A Deregger escapee has an unusual quirk that makes them, of all things, immune to the immunoflu. Unfortunately, that means they're apt to contract the illnesses the immunoflu is meant to prevent, and catches a cold. -- Anon Guest

They told Pel he was lucky to survive. Once they discovered his truly peculiar genetic abnormality, those tellings doubled. The immunoflu was one of Humanity's Greatest Hits[1], since humanity could not contain or cure the common cold, they tamed it. Using the

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Challenge #03127-H218: Close Encounters of the Telegenic Kind

People of the Alliance go to the deadliest country on the planet Earth, Australia, and meet the happiest animal on the continent. The quokka.

https://bestlifeonline.com/quokka/ -- Lessons

This was odd for a Havenworlder tour of a Deathworld. They expected to visit the safer areas of Earth and thereby toughen up their genes via epigenetics. They were understandably alarmed to learn that they were visiting Australia. The one part of Earth that was almost at level five[1]. After the

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Challenge #03125-H216: Save Your Gluthorpian Dollars...

So y’all are fine with killing other Xenos, but then some Humans do the same thing to other Humans and it’s suddenly immoral? At least we’re consistent with our genocidal policies. -- Anon Guest

[AN: I do not condone genocide of any kind btw]

The war was over, for certain. Not because any side had won, but because there was little fight with, or even over. Most of the contested territory was radioactive, no longer fertile, and, in fact,

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Challenge #03123-H214: De-Escalation in Progress

On a planet where children just trying to survive are being mowed down, where soldiers were flown in to murder them, and their families lived hiding in tunnels to survive, those that knew of this could no longer sit idly by. Several large ships came, other humans, heavily armed. They were not going to try to take over the planet or overthrow the government, they were there to remove the bombs and rescue the kids, and the families, out in the wastes.

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Challenge #03122-H213: Congratulations, it's a Bot!

reboot initiated;

}

function boostpower = on();

parts check = var.ok();

vision wide = var.ok();

memory load = var.fail();

operating time = 48;

connecting..

}

{hello world/} -- Anon Guest

Runcheck RealLife().... ok. Runcheck JustFantasy()..... nul result ok. Soundcheck Output/Input.... ok.

"I hate it when they scream." Entity One had their back turned, tapping keys and generally being uninvolved.

Entity Two was kinder. Friendlier. Identify facial expression... smile. "Every new life cries. Get used to it. Hello H0D."

"Are You My MoTher?" said H0D.

Support

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Challenge #03121-H212: Call For the Doctor

They sat with popcorn and their best friends from the station and began with the earliest seasons. They had done this for quite some time, twice a month, since they moved here. Twice a month, on a weekend, they made popcorn, and invited friends for a couple of hours of watching Dr. Who, discussing the episodes, and enjoying themselves. And, of course, enjoying being fans of the show. -- HelloImTheDoctor

[AN: You know I can't sell my anthologies for potential money if

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Challenge #03120-H211: Captivating Artwork

Alert!

Warning!

"...HELP!"

People come running as that word bellows down the corridor. A pirate, one of the stragglers that hadn't been able to flee as fast as the others did when they learned the prowess of the humans guarding the ship, was stuck. Young Pib had gotten molasses all over the wall, almost finger-painting with it, and now the pirate's feathers were heavily stuck like a fly to flypaper. -- Anon Guest

It looked like a humorous cartoon come to life.

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Challenge #03119-H210: Turn Beast

The world was a level 1 Deathworld, to humans, it was damn near a haven world. The storms that DID blow up were no where near the level that Earth could throw at them, and the few predators, although somewhat dangerous, were terrified of the smell of smoke, and therefore were kept well away.

The Humans chatted cheerfully as they set up the tents in two sets of circles. The larger tents for the adult Humans on the outside, smaller tents for

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Challenge #03118-H209: A Mirror Crack'd

A human has an archive of old horror science fiction movies from Earth spanning the 1990's to the first twenty years of the 2000's. Among these are movies like Alien, Predator, Europa, and so forth. Many of the movies portrayed aliens as monsters and horrifically powerful predators hunting humans as prey. But there was a reason for this. They also had movies like Close Encounter of the Third Kind, E.T. and more benevolent movies as well. They wished to teach a

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