Instant Story

Challenge #02010-E186: Steep Learning Curve on the Explorer Seventeen

There’s always talk of how humans pack bond to everyone and everything. But that sort of connection, especially with sentiments, needs to be mutual. So how do humans cope with being the only human on a ship? With loneliness?

Who supports the one who’s supposed to do all the supporting? -- Anon Guest.

"We are here because something is happening to the Ship's Human. Grox? You are the one who's been cataloguing symptoms."

"I'm the assigned envoy. I have to work with the human. Over these most recent weeks, I've noticed an increasing set of symptoms. Our Human has begun seeking increasing environments of warmth, needing more sleep, and experiencing some difficulty with their breathing. They have been seen holding their arms despite the optimal temperature settings for their physical needs. Their overall demeanour is becoming decreasingly energetic. I suspect we may have another broken human."

Scientist Prex was looking things up. "This is an... emotional issue," ze said. "According to my research, our human is suffering from a condition called 'depression'."

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Challenge #02009-E185: Barbarian Benevolence

What happened to the human dying the storm in “Challenge #01981-E157: One Educational Day on a Strange New World”? How did their relationship change after? Please write more of this story! It’s so fascinating! -- Anon Guest

[AN: Callback to this one for those who don't want to go hunting]

Stern mum Human Shaz was a fierce guardian. Horx understood that, now. The mother with one chick would protect it from even the mildest of potential hazards. And since Human Shaz's

Challenge #02008-E184: What About Me?

The older jade-skinned female shook her head with a sympathetic smile - not angry, but understanding good intentions gone misinformed.

"Lana, you're young and determined, but also human. Tall, white, human. Not short, not green, and definitely not goblin. I appreciate you wanting to plan this 'goblin pride' rally thing, but it's kinda romanticised. Just because we mixed into human society doesn't mean we risk losing ourselves. We still know our history and have our beliefs and traditions, as crude and vulgar

Challenge #02007-E183: Confounding Convergence

'Don't be silly', snapped Mara, 'cows have 6 legs'. (Mara from Feists 'Empire' trilogy, goes with Kevin to Midkemia) -- Anon Guest

[AN: Another book series I will likely forget to find and read. Whoops. I'm still trying to get into GoT...]

Yan stopped cold and stared her fellow human. "We are talking about the same animal, right? Terran origin mammal, about yae tall," she gestured with her hand. "Goes 'moo'. Herbivorous. Four stomachs. Gives milk?"

"Uh. No. I have no idea

Challenge #02006-E182: He's a Griefer

“How could you?"

“I trusted you and, and you played me!”

“Like the cheap kazoo you are” -- Anon Guest

Some tasks are harder than others. Some efforts are purely emotional. And by the end of this mission to Zangress Four, Arlo was feeling weak as a kitten despite having all her health stats in peak range. The explorer she'd been hired to escort, Thuxx, had managed to make it through all kinds of potential hazards, including being one of those types

Challenge #02005-E181: One Line to Cross

Humans are walking biohazard to everyone and everything. Our saliva can cause several pandemics alone is unchecked. If our gut is punctuated, the bacteria (and acid) inside us will eat us alive, not to mention whoever else may come into contact with it.

What happens when the galactic community first learns about this fact?

What happens when a human is found with an open gut wound that has been left untreated? -- Anon Guest

Humans will risk their lives for the beings

Challenge #02004-E180: Nice... Dog?

How do alien ambassadors to earth first react to trying to translate/figure out what is a dog and what isn’t? At this point it’s a minor policy at the embassy to just assume all furred quadrupeds smaller than a horse are dogs. -- Anon Guest

Terra's first unofficial ambassador was the dog. Closely followed by the cat. The cat was simply pest control, but the dog... there are few species of Terran origin that are more versatile. Some Havenworlders

Challenge #02003-E179: Adventure is Out There

“I hate you.”

“You just saved my life! Plus, we both know you adore me.”

“Well, finding someone else to hate is too much work.”

“And risking your own life to save me wasn’t?”

“See? This is why I hate you. Nitpicking, and ungrateful.” -- Spotted

Everyone has heard of the Fisher King. Very few have heard of the Adventurer King, the one who decided to help his Kingdom by personally fighting the problems that plagued it. Unfortunately for Sir Dravyn,

Challenge #02003-E179: Sibling Ribaldry

How would aliens react to human-human relationships? Particularly close ones (best friends, romantic partners) where affection is mainly shown through quips and teasing? -- Anon Guest

Humans are pack animals. When enlisting Humans on to your vessel, one may consider the benefits of recruiting Humans who are already deeply bonded with each other. -- Galactic Advice Manual, The Care and Maintenance of Humans.

Humans accustomed to space tended to have monosyllabic names. Many were pronounceable by most Galactics. Such was the case

Challenge #02002-E178: Double Scheherazade

Alien crew explores a likely-haunted spaceship wreck they found floating around -- TheDragonsFlame

Afterlives are one of the more complicated cultural complications in Galactic Society. Though citizens are not encouraged to insist on inserting their beliefs into others' heads, the topic of assorted beliefs is not taboo, either. One is expected to not judge, and not be judged in return. For instance: most cultures believe that some form of animated spirit persists after the mortal shell is deceased. Where it goes and

Challenge #02001-E177: Ghosts... In... Space!

Alien crew spots ghost ship (not the derelict/abandoned kind, more like the ship itself is one of the ghosts) -- TheDragonsflame

In an infinite universe, all things are possible. The nature of time and events therein is cyclical. Of those tautologies, spaceport stories are made. This one just happens to come with documentation.

They were light years from civilisation, of course and without an accurate means of contacting anyone, of course. Because nothing interesting happens in the middle of civilisation with

Challenge #02000-E176: Biorhythm and Blues

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man a damn nuisance to live with. -- Anon Guest

If there is one thing more annoying than a morning person, it is a morning person who is at peak sunniness in the pre-dawn hours. Four in the morning becomes four in the fucking morning with extra singing.

To his credit, Barry knew that his fellow shipmates liked to lie in, especially the most wonderful woman in the multiverse - Lup. His main squeeze.

Challenge #01999-E175: Versatility

If at first you don't succeed, use a bigger hammer. -- Anon Guest

Thackians believed in hammers. Most societies prefer to believe in things which could not be proven to exist or not exist, but Thackians believed in hammers. Most importantly, they believed that there were few problems that the right kind of hammer couldn't solve.

This has caused much confusion amongst others. At least until Linguistics Professor Gorx decided to spend some time with them and analyse their usage and history

Challenge #01998-E174: Garry's God

Please write some more about the Goddess of Fools and her human sacrifices! That last one was such a cliffhanger! -- Anon Guest

[AN: That would be this story for those who don't have the time to scroll back that far. And I have to wonder... cliffhanger? The dude died and was headed for Paradise. That's pretty final IMHO]

She was about to collect her latest offering. A young man just before coming of age. He could see her, but his body

Challenge #01997-E173: With Understanding

Considering many herbivores on earth are gigantic and fully capable of hurting us “predators”, how would a group of humans handle a diplomatic encounter with a council of large, all herbivore, prey-species, in order to convince them to join the larger space society?

We need them to trust us but also respect us.

Fear is a powerful tool indeed. -- Anon Guest

Havenworlders amble gently into cogniscence and cautiously dip their toes into space travel. They are, by nature, the species most

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Challenge #02010-E186: Steep Learning Curve on the Explorer Seventeen

Challenge #02009-E185: Barbarian Benevolence

Challenge #02008-E184: What About Me?

Challenge #02007-E183: Confounding Convergence

Challenge #02006-E182: He's a Griefer

Challenge #02005-E181: One Line to Cross

Challenge #02004-E180: Nice... Dog?

Challenge #02003-E179: Adventure is Out There

Challenge #02003-E179: Sibling Ribaldry

Challenge #02002-E178: Double Scheherazade

Challenge #02001-E177: Ghosts... In... Space!

Challenge #02000-E176: Biorhythm and Blues

Challenge #01999-E175: Versatility

Challenge #01998-E174: Garry's God

Challenge #01997-E173: With Understanding