Humans Are Infectious

A 2-post collection

Challenge #02620-G063: To Become Human

The memorial ceremony was solemn. As their crewmate was laid to rest, the family given the posthumus honors the crewperson had earned for their heroism, their crewmates and captain were stunned by what had happened. The human marines that had been invited to attend stood at attention and saluted the grave of this small, fluffy, Havenworlder one last time with all the respect a human could give for someone who'd shown such courage.

The crew had razzed their crewmate calling them human because they so very much liked to imitate that insane species. Too much exposure to their insanity, some crew would say. But that horrific night, that terrible storm, their crewmate had done a very Human thing. Something no Havenworlder had done before, at least that they knew of. This crewmate told the Last Lie.... and paid for the lives of their crew, by fearlessly sacrificing their own. -- Anon Guest

Human insanity is infectious. Somewhere, somehow, a nonhuman cogniscent starts to think that their Deathworlder illogic makes sense. After that, all might as well be lost. It was certainly lost for Gryx, honorary space marine. Ze had come to study Humans in something approaching a native environment, and the pack-bonders had done what they do best. Without even thinking about it. Without pause for due consideration. They bonded. Intensely.

So, when the storm came, and they crashed in a cliffside and the only shelter was the cavern beyond their scout ship... but not for very long... When there was a way to fix it so the storm would not come in, but the only opening was just wide enough for Gryx... ze acted without a thought. Ze said, "You go ahead, I will catch up." Ze patched the crack that would have let in toxic atmospheric particles.

They found hir later, halfway through the narrow gap that had allowed the little fluffy Havenworlder egress to save them all. Well. Almost all. They had made the repairs and saved the crew... finally perishing mere inches away from safety. Ze had given all they had for hir pack.

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Challenge #02025-E201: One Confounding Encounter on Argus Seventeen

Like all great things in life, you need to poke it to get it to do anything. -- TheDragonsFlame

Draes boggled at the merchant. "That is such a uniquely Human phrase," ze said. "Is it absolutely true? Will patience reward those who wait?"

"Uh. No," said the merchant. "If you wait, it does nothing. You have to interact with it to make it go."

"Hmf," again, almost typically Human. Hir own peoples much preferred a fully automatic system. Humans were compelled to

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