Instant Story

Challenge #02733-G176: The Old One Two

Hey if I fight back it would be considered self-defence right? -- Anon Guest

"Pro tip, kid. Don't ask that kind of question when you're surrounded by ten armed adults," said Pirate Vlex. They were facing down a small, scrawny Human who the crew had been feeding and coaxing out into company like a Human might do for a stray cat. They were a wild one, wearing whatever fit their body and not caring for any conventions about what should be worn, by whom, or where.

Despite the situation, the small Human was showing their teeth. This, according to Vlex's knowledge base, was not a threat display, but an expression of happiness. They started chanting in a limited singsong. "I know something you do not, I know something you do not, I know something you do not..."

They fell silent when Vlex put the business end of their gun to the whelp's nose. "You had better pray it is enough information to save your life."

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Challenge #02732-G175: Rescue Human

A human stands still, eyes closed, at their work station. Their lips move. They are talking to themself, softly.

"You're having a flashback. You're having a flashback. It's over, it's done with, you're healed. There's nothing wrong with your wrist, and no one can ever make you that helpless again. You're having a flashback." -- Anon Guest

The Galactic Alliance had initially shunned Humans, save for those existing in or near the Edge Territories. Shortly after their admission to the Alliance, the

Challenge #02726-G169: Only Two? Since When?

A: are you a guy or a girl?

B: yes

A: no, what’s in your pants

B: 1.50 and some lint

A: ok, what’s in between your legs?

B: DETERMINATION

A: alright then guess my race

B: human

A: why yes but actually no -- Anon Guest

[AN: I don't think any decent person would actually utter the words "what's between your legs" because that's way too intimate a question for casual conversation. Person A in the above interchange

Challenge #02731-G174: A Cautionary Tale

“If you want to hurt a man, do not target him. Target what he loves. Take that which he holds dear to his heart and twist it, corrupt it, or destroy it altogether. Then and only then will you hurt him in a way that he will feel in his soul. But take heed. When you hurt a man in this way, you twist him, corrupt him, drive him to heights of rage never before thought possible. You will have turned that

Challenge #02730-G173: Hunting for the Delicate

Some older humans bring their alien friends to a bingo parlor for a night of playing bingo and having snacks. -- Anon Guest

[AN: Though I am of bingo-playing age, I only have the vaguest idea how it is played]

"This is a perfect game for the frailer sort," said Human Jem. "Little strenuous activity, but it still tests observation, response time, and searching skills."

This was a Deathworld game, so Glex knew the right question to ask. "What are you hunting?

Challenge #02729-G172: Tis the Season

Human 1: so what about you?

Human 2: I learned how to make paper cranes so I'm going to make them in different colors and put them in everyone's bedroom with notes like "this little bird told me xyz"

Human 1: ...

Human 1: epic. -- Anon Guest

Aprilfools: A Human holiday/tradition involving trickery, deceit, pranks, and practical jokes. Owing to many Terran Colony calendars becoming out of sync with the planet of origin, the entire Terran month of April has become

Challenge #02728-G171: Inner Motivation

I am thou, thou are I, from the sea of thou soul I come forth. Pity a man who yearns for their own protection, and become the spearhead that pierce through the oppression! -- Anon Guest

[AN: Thee, thou, and thy are hard pronouns to use. My grammatical arse had to provide a correction to balm my soul: "I am thee, and thou art I, from the sea of thy soul I come forth." I have no idea why, but I can

Challenge #02727-G170: Doing What You Can

The human was not the ship's human. They were a passenger. They were also paralyzed from the waist down. When she ship crashed, when the human's movement assistive device was rendered inoperable, when the human found themself trapped in the wreckage with half a dozen fellow passengers, all either injured or too distressed to move... Well. A sufficiently determined human with two working limbs, several cases of dental floss, a non-operative movement assistive device, and six people to rescue...is still going

Challenge #02725-G168: A Matter of Technicality

Human1: Damn if Australia pushed our level 4 deathworld to a 4.5 I’m worried about you guys exploring the unexplored 70% of our ocean.

Human2: it’s not 70% it’s 95%

Crewmate: wait what? -- Anon Guest

"Ah... that's a mis-assumption," said Thorq. "The Deathworlder classification is based on how many environmental factors are hostile to the development of intelligent life. In the case of most of the Earth, it's the fauna, the weather, the flora, and the ocean.

Challenge #02724-G167: There Goes Mischief

Ze was confident in zer ability to handle this. Ze was a level three deathworlder who worked with dangerous animals for a living! Watching a human toddler for an afternoon and evening would be no problem.

Of course, ze had made an elementary mistake...ze had failed to realize that just because the child still spoke Scribble and could only walk at a slow, bobbling shuffle on two legs didn't stop them from booking it on all fours, or climbing the furniture.

Challenge #02723-G166: Just Add Zombies

This prompt issues to an earlier story from two years ago. https://steemit.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-01928-e104-tag-you-re-undead. One that gave me a wicked little grin, though I did have to search a bit to find it again.

Zombie tag. That was a game, and an experiment, that was both famous and infamous. Since its inception a few years ago, it had become a wildly popular thing that became a new sport. How long could teams last against the "zombies"? Rules were drawn

Challenge #02722-G165: A Rough Gem

Me playing support: get the f back here so I can heal you!

Some dumbbutt: but dps go bam... -- Anon Guest

"WHY, in the name of the Living Light, do you keep forgetting that you're squishy?"

"I'm used to being strong. I'm used to fighting the world. On the plus side, I have a pretty good grasp of tactics, so I'm not squishy for long..."

Gaarsh snorted an aborted growl. Being a Cleric of the Light wasn't always easy, but being

Challenge #02721-G164: Hail Poetry!

The sign said "Old Terran style poetry for sale! Custom sonnets, written for you about what you love, in GalStand! Please fill out form and provide one Hour; finished poem will be sent to you within the next ten days. 50% discount for JOATs." The human seated at the table the sign hung from had a large stack of blank forms, a couple of completed forms, several one Hour notes, a notebook, and what looked like several kinds of dictionary. They were

Challenge #02720-G163: A Short Sharp Lesson

Have you even seen humans stomping their feet while chanting the same thing all at once? It’s sometimes hard to believe they’re not a hive mind https://youtu.be/PmILOL55xP0 -- Anon Guest

[AN: Video linked contains swearwords and is a war scene]

They said the Human colonists were sessile. They were weak and vulnerable. Look at them, not a single weapon in their entire set of settlements. They were fat and lazy. Allegedly. I learned, just as many of

Challenge #02719-G162: Played For a Sap

Come on body, just hold it in. Suppress the emotion for a few more hours. We can die from embarrassment when we get home. -- Anon Guest

He might have said they called him Sap because he was a blunt instrument. There was a story he told about being found in the woods, covered in tree sap and using it to trap and eat small animals to survive. The truth was, he was a City Tief[1], raised in the gutter, educated

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Challenge #02733-G176: The Old One Two

Challenge #02732-G175: Rescue Human

Challenge #02726-G169: Only Two? Since When?

Challenge #02731-G174: A Cautionary Tale

Challenge #02730-G173: Hunting for the Delicate

Challenge #02729-G172: Tis the Season

Challenge #02728-G171: Inner Motivation

Challenge #02727-G170: Doing What You Can

Challenge #02725-G168: A Matter of Technicality

Challenge #02724-G167: There Goes Mischief

Challenge #02723-G166: Just Add Zombies

Challenge #02722-G165: A Rough Gem

Challenge #02721-G164: Hail Poetry!

Challenge #02720-G163: A Short Sharp Lesson

Challenge #02719-G162: Played For a Sap