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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 ourselves. All things must end. Civilisations, empires, species... everything that begins comes to a close. Soon, perhaps very soon for you, you can say what we were.

Do you believe, as we do, that a thing is not dead so long as the name is spoken? Be it a person, an empire, or a peoples? We can only hope you do.

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Challenge #03197-H288: Dietary Restrictions

A Human has a very sensitive digestive system due to the damage done from multiple illnesses before they escaped the Deregger world they'd come from. Now working aboard a Havenworlder ship, they found even many of the Havenworlders' foods too harsh for their digestion, and had to explain why the foods they made, while nutritionally balanced, were bland even to the Havenworlders. -- Anon Guest

Human Roi was a Rescue. The crew of the Pohkit Ansee knew this on an intellectual level,

Challenge #03196-H287: Not Singing With Them

The humans were having ice cream sundaes, as much as they can eat, while their superiors reported to their allies about the battle, and their allies read the battle reports and all the horrors within.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-02772-g215-to-aid-in-aggression -- Fighting Fit

"All the little angels rise up, rise up. All the little angels rise up high," the Terran Space Marine Corps were singing over ice cream sundaes with all the lashings. There weren't as many of them singing as

Challenge #03195-H286: Dished Out

They left no bodily mark on their torture subject, but the being was screaming for mercy within but an hour, maybe less. The chamber was pitch black, it was not warm, nor cold, the walls were so soft they could practically not be there, though they were strong to hold the subject in, and there was no gravity, so no pressure on the body. Total sensory deprivation. The subject was not even able to hear their own voice.

When cruel people want

Challenge #03194-H285: Stumbling Blind

Poor Jay develops a crush on Lilicoon and asks if she would be ok to date her.

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

Uplifts were literally made to be attractive. It wasn't their fault. On planets and in polities where they weren't outlawed yet, a certain type could have an Uplift made to order. Some called them Anthros, some called them Beastfolk... but the important part to remember was that they were victims.

Jay and Lilicoon had that starting

Challenge #03193-H284: To Hear Them Singing

A hearing impaired human, now with implants to allow her some ability to hear, but is also telepathic, has saved up to purchase a ship and start their own business. She ends up finding a ship for sale and, while touring it, hears a familiar 'voice'. She buys the ship on the stop and joyfully reunites with her old friend.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-02621-g064-reach-out-and -- Anon Guest

This is space, nobody can hear you scream without special equipment. There's not

Challenge #03192-H283: A Bad Lucker's Best Friend

How do Deregulations keep popping up? Even in times when most galactic Cogniscients know that they are a generally bad idea.

The founding reason for this actually comes from Alliance law, what Terran lawyers call "quae non inhabitabantur planeta indici" or, for those that don't speak legalese, an uninhabited planet belongs to the discoverer.

In this instance though, it suited Phy just fine, an unclaimed planet in a quiet corner of space. Somewhere that ze and hir Biogen pet Porgy could live

Challenge #03191-H282: This is Us, Us is Good.

"Human? I've been studying your world's history, as much as I safely can, why is it so many people seemed so happy to kill each other for a piece of colored cloth?" -- Anon Guest

Human Van thought, very briefly, about saying, Oh, it got worse than that. There had been those perfectly willing to indirectly murder the weaker of their own kind just so they could "live pure". There were those who were ready and eager to use an army's worth

Challenge #03190-H281: The Classics

A human introduces their friends to 2001: A Space Odyssey and its sequel 2010: The year we make contact. -- Anon Guest

Humans love to share things. Food, games, experiences, and culturally significant milestones. One common way they do this is a phenomena known as Movie Night, where the Human in question shares entertainments from an astonishing store of media ranging from subtle to gross.

The CRC are still looking at how to handle Humanity's media made for their children. That stuff

Challenge #03189-H280: Visual Aid

Sometimes, despite the CRC's best efforts, you have to be cruel to be kind. In this case, a person has been abusing themself and all therapies and medications are not helping much. So, instead, a non-sentient construct is made of the person so the person is forced to see, and hear, the pain inflicted as if to another person, and realize what it is they are doing, and find out WHY this is happening. -- Anon Guest

Humans are very strange. This

Challenge #03188-H279: Calling it a Day

A human is having a very stressful day at work, one of their coworkers is small, fuzzy, and just got done with work. So the human asks if their coworker would sit with them and talk for a while to help alleviate the stress. -- Anon Guest

Life as a Human's Companion has all sorts of interesting angles. The best ones for the job are what they call "Tactilely Rewarding". Either soft and fluffy and pleasant to pet, or possessing smooth scales

Challenge #03187-H278: The Real Monsters

They looked like monsters, but when children, any children, were being mistreated? The ones that mistreated the children learned what real monsters really looked like. -- Anon Guest

The wrought-iron gate declared it to be the Everkind Sanctuary for Unwanted Children, and one running waif had incidentally sent Wraithvine their way. The child that the Elven Wizard had found went away with basic survival tools and a pouch full of New Start Money[1]. Now the alleged sanctuary was going to get

Challenge #03186-H277: Pax Draconis

A massive dark dragon, breath of great flame. Enormous wings, hide oddly smooth and soft. The maw was filled with large teeth, the dark red eyes slitted and serpent-like. Yet the voice? Warm, unusually kind, intelligent, gentle. The feared, hated, creature, has never killed save non-intelligent animals for food, and only wanted peace between itself and others. Yet the only ones willing to listen, were the kobolds who'd made their home within its den. Then, came travelers, would they listen to the

Challenge #03185-H276: Divine Intervention

Poor Kevin. Due to the nature of his fate, or perhaps destiny and prophecy had decided to be particularly interesting, a new bow showed up one evening as everyone slept. It only worked for Kevin, each time he pulled back, an arrow forming. The arrow type depended what was on his mind and in his heart, from healing ones that, when striking an ally, healed their illnesses and wounds, to deadly ones. He shot in anger into the trees after someone insulted

Challenge #03184-H275: Twinkle Twinkle

A young individual is learning to sail and decided to sneak off to practice their lessons in the harbor alone. They are blown out to sea due to a sudden squall and now must remember how to navigate to get back to the harbor and safety. -- Anon Guest

Could'a, Would'a, Should'a was going to kill her. She could'a stayed home. She should'a listened to Old Terry, who could predict the weather by his knees. If she would'a taken along a compass,

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

Challenge #03197-H288: Dietary Restrictions

Challenge #03196-H287: Not Singing With Them

Challenge #03195-H286: Dished Out

Challenge #03194-H285: Stumbling Blind

Challenge #03193-H284: To Hear Them Singing

Challenge #03192-H283: A Bad Lucker's Best Friend

Challenge #03191-H282: This is Us, Us is Good.

Challenge #03190-H281: The Classics

Challenge #03189-H280: Visual Aid

Challenge #03188-H279: Calling it a Day

Challenge #03187-H278: The Real Monsters

Challenge #03186-H277: Pax Draconis

Challenge #03185-H276: Divine Intervention

Challenge #03184-H275: Twinkle Twinkle