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Challenge #02512-F322: One Complex Thought Experiment in the Void

An empath and a sociopath trying to help each other interact with people. -- Anon Guest

Here are two humans. Call them Abe and Bee. Abe cares too much about others and other's feelings, to the point of neglecting their own. Bee doesn't care about anyone but themself. They are both abnormal Humans. They are both trying to get back to civilisation as they know it with a group of strangers for a crew on their kludged vessel. They're a rag-tag bunch of misfits in a bucket that was held together with spit and hope.

"Okay," said Bee. "I acknowledge we need the rest of these people, but... do I really need to care about their emotional wellbeing?"

"For the thousandth time, yes," said Abe. "Caring about them means that they will care about you. You want someone who's got your back, right?"

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Challenge #02511-F321: A Pound of Cure

I told you not to come here during New Years but nooooooo “I want to experience the culture there” and now we’re running low on stress relief medication -- Anon Guest

"In my defence, the cultural displays looked very pretty and relatively harmless," said Prrit. Ze was currently huddled under a big, soft blanket and had mufflers over hir tympanum. "They looked so pretty and the music was so nice."

"Mus--" Human Dee tutted and tisked. "You had the offensensitivity filters

Challenge #02510-F320: Fractal Flaws

it just basically just captured lighting -- Anon Guest

Humans can freeze lightning. That was the original claim. On the edge territories, blocks of acrylic plastic or panes of glass are sold with 'frozen lightning' patterns etched impossibly into the inside of the structure. Some carry them in their vehicles as protection against plasma storms in Hyperspace. Nobody's certain if they work, but belief in sympathetic magic is a powerful thing.

The actual trick of it got out eventually. Of course it

Challenge #02509-F319: Berry Small Problem

It's inevitable that one person's treat is another person's hallucinogen, especially when it comes to dealing with various species in the Galactic Alliance. There is a plant that, for most Galactics, it's no worse for them than a human having some chocolate. In fact, it's sweet fruit is quite popular. However, if a human eats some, it's inevitable the human will sit for hours completely blitzed. So while it's a treat for some, for humans, it's a potential medicine to help those

Challenge #02508-F318: An Asynchronous Encounter in Ships' Night

You ever fall asleep on the couch only to wake up in your own bed? Ever fall asleep in your bed and wake up realizing you're standing in your living room? Sleepwalking can be from stress, it can be from night-terrors, it can be from many things. When they hired their young warrior / linguist, they didn't realize he sleepwalks. It wasn't in the file, after all, and this was the youth's first assignment. Though they would find him asleep in the oddest

Challenge #02507-F317: The Jewels of the Tour

A feathery flash of ruby red, then several bright flashes of green. These tiny birds flit amongst the gardens on the space station as the havenworlders watch them in wonder. They came from a 4.5 deathworld. These beautiful, flying gems. They are more delicate than the most delicate of havenworlders, some humans brought them here to the garden to act as pollinators and to make the place, "more like home,' she'd said. Little nectar-filled feeders can be seen swarming with

Challenge #02506-F316: Put a Saddle On

Havenworlders, depending on where they're from, are generally small, fairly lightweight, and fragile. On their own homeworlds, they have little to fear. But outside their own homeworlds, there is a vast array of things that can harm them even when just trying to get around. However, one group of Havenworlders find an interesting way to go around the space station without risking getting stepped on, or harmed. They ride on the back of their new, well loved, and very well trained animal

Challenge #02505-F315: Useful in a Pinch

A: how pure should the acid be?

B: doesn’t matter as long it be acidic

A: kk

then I proceeded to watch the human put their finger down their throat -- Anon Guest

[AN: Content warning for vomiting]

Humans are great at improvising. Provided, of course, that you don't mind the kind of improvisation that Humans are capable of. For example, do not lock them in an empty room with nothing but a screwdriver and a hammer. Don't even think of

Challenge #02504-F314: Who Waits Forever Anyway?

This Prompt harkens back to the lich who talked to an adventurer explaining how he made sure the corrupt got the karma they deserved. https://steemit.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-02264-f074-health-spa-and-karma-services.

It had been a few hundred years since the talk with adventurer, the "spa service" was going well and a few innocents would wander in from time to time hoping to be healed from illnesses no others seem to be able, or willing, to help them cure. Surprising how many clerics are

Challenge #02503-F313: Life Echoes Art

Sometimes reality is indeed Stranger than Fiction... As far as finding strange space-faring beings, humans had a knack of seemingly finding those that somehow matched almost exactly the "creatures" of their wide and varied mythologies. From the Thumruth (whom bare an astounding resemblance to Qu-tze Bears) to the Karmorp'se, Humans had learned that pretty much anything was possible! That's when humans came upon a society that developed on the outer regions of their stars habitable zone(thus darker and colder than an

Challenge #02502-F312: In a Minute

A: not exactly “capture” more like take a moment and put it on a pixelated screen. Here

B: is something supposed to be on this slate?

A: what? It’s right here can’t you see?

B: see?

A: when light passes through ya eyeball

B: light? -- Anon Guest

There were moments like this all over Galactic Space. One participant in a conversation would realise that the other they had been communicating with freely until this moment did not possess the

Challenge #02501-F311: Special Skill

I have the unique ability to become very flexible after cracking every joint in my body -- Anon Guest

On a kludge station like Amalgam, you get repair junctions like these. They were spaces where cables, pipes, and the occasional load-bearing strut ran through because they were convenient, and then access was added as an afterthought because it was all becoming inconvenient. Time and entropy had made it even moreso.

"Can you get up in there?" asked Engineer Laisse. They were quite

Challenge #02500-F310: Bear's Big Story

Human Ryan came highly recommended by other Galactic Alliance Scientists and Explorers who had worked with him. As a 'gun for hire' he had survived more than a few wars, notably against other humans and the Vorax Fleets (notes that also had me reaching for my calming medicine). On the flip-side he was highly protective of the lives put in his charge. Braving hostile Flora, Fauna and even the very planets themselves to keep his promise of "no one is left behind.

Challenge #02499-F309: A Different Key

I have a highly adaptive tendency to assume that the people around me know better than I do. -- Anon Guest

Anthe had spotted the weakest link. It was hard to avoid, really. A beefy boy not nearly yet a man, perhaps twice the size he should be and clumsy with it. His tasks were always the ones with heavy lifting. Take things in, take things out. Take things up, take things down... and always, always, take the blame. They called him

Challenge #02498-F308: Sleepless With Sialith

They knew humans could last a long time without sleep, but most had regular sleep intervals. When choosing a new man, they heard he was very reliable, fiercely protective of whatever crew he served, and anyone who'd worked with him were more than a little disappointed when he would be reassigned. Things seemed to be working out fine, until they noticed he was sleeping a lot less than most humans, but when he did, he crashed hard! So much so it was

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Challenge #02512-F322: One Complex Thought Experiment in the Void

Challenge #02511-F321: A Pound of Cure

Challenge #02510-F320: Fractal Flaws

Challenge #02509-F319: Berry Small Problem

Challenge #02508-F318: An Asynchronous Encounter in Ships' Night

Challenge #02507-F317: The Jewels of the Tour

Challenge #02506-F316: Put a Saddle On

Challenge #02505-F315: Useful in a Pinch

Challenge #02504-F314: Who Waits Forever Anyway?

Challenge #02503-F313: Life Echoes Art

Challenge #02502-F312: In a Minute

Challenge #02501-F311: Special Skill

Challenge #02500-F310: Bear's Big Story

Challenge #02499-F309: A Different Key

Challenge #02498-F308: Sleepless With Sialith