Instant Story

Challenge #01570-D109: The Fall of the Hespruss

After two repetitions of a standard hazard announcement ("Warning: Shields Critical", or "Cabin Pressure Dropping", or "Warning: Heat Levels Critical", something like that) - something dangerous in meaning but pronounced in a calming voice and almost mundane, the ship says this:

Warning: Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here. -- RecklessPrudence

Alarms and klaxons filled the air with their noise. If it wasn't beeping or flashing, it was already broken. The computer struggled to keep up with the warnings.

"Warning: Lateral stabilisers offline. Warning: Engine temperatures beyond tolerance levels. Warning: Hull breach detected in levels one through seventeen. Warning: Engine failure imminent. Warning: Internal pressure dropping. Warning: Internal temperature controls are failing. Warning: Emergency warning system overloaded..."

The klaxons turned off. The alarms silenced. The automated warning voice glitched a few "war"s before it, too, fell silent. The crew, already in their emergency livesuits, slowed to a stop. Many were holding their breath.

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Challenge #01569-D108: Just Like Home

Australian States and Territories named by the British: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania (formerly Van Diemen's Land).

Australian States and Territories named by the newly-fledged Australians: Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia, Australian Capital Territory.

See a pattern? -- RecklessPrudence

The populace of New Australia spread out into their assorted wide, brown lands. In typical colonial innovation and enginuity, they named the continents after their old states and territories. New Queensland, Novo South Wales, New Victoria, and so forth. New Australia

Challenge #01568-D107: I Play to Relax, Damnit!

There was, after all, mad science to be done. Although it was only really mildly deranged science. -- RecklessPrudence

Curses filled the air. Since Amy wasn't one to curse, Tess left her bread in progress to investigate. "What's going on?"

"Therapy," said Amy. "I got recommended this... Minecraft... as a means to relax, but... this stupid stuff doesn't have any logic to it."

Tess finished drying her hands so she could lean on Amy's shoulder. Peering at the window, she read, "Redstone?

Challenge #01567-D106: Improbably Driven

[Person #1]: And you think this will work?

[Person #2]: We have the highest expectations of success.

[Person #1]: Highest expectations?

[Person #2]: Reasonable certainty.

[Person #1]: Reasonable certainty?

[Person #2]: Mild confidence.

[Person #1]: Mild confidence?

[Person #2]: We are drawing lots from a bowl of angry scorpions while ice skating downhill.

[Person #3]: YEAH! WHO'S WITH ME BABY? -- RecklessPrudence

Many a life-threatening adventure has both started and ended with the words, "The human has a plan." Many more have

Challenge #01566-D105: The Kindness of Strangers

A true pessimist is always pleasantly surprised. So if you're ever disappointed or upset at something, take heart! Some part of you believes in a better world. -- RecklessPrudence

The collapsible booth on Babel Avenue[1] simply had one word on its placard. Cheer. It was written in large, friendly letters and the person inside it bore a beatific expression and watched those passing by without the slightest hint of flagging spirits.

Rael, on his way to the Temple of Feasts[2]

Challenge #01565-D104: Not Fooling Me

You've got to be kidding? Right! that mask is supposed to hide who you are? -- Knitnan

The hero blushed a little and scratched the back of his head. "You'd be surprised how often it works, though," he said. "Like... people don't recognise my mum when she wears her contacts, so..." He shrugged. "The flashy costume helps a lot."

"If I knew who you were, you would catch so much shit, right now," said Pam. "Like, thanks for the rescue and all?

Challenge #01564-D103: Are You Valuable?

Prompted by recent disasters. Local Survivalist proves to be a helpful resource during bad weather event. -- Anon Guest

The town was practically atomised after the winds died down. There was very little left that was recognisable. There were streets, somewhere under the risen water, and people were clustered on the few buildings that both survived the storm and had upper floors to huddle in.

Cara piloted her larger boat to the old town hall. It had been built in the era

Challenge #01563-D102: The Birth of the Vardian Empire

Follow up to "Designer Babies". Other less reputable Medical facilities, pounce on the process, Dr Vardian is praised for actually trying to talk vanity parents out of bad choices instead of offering a range of "options", athletic ability, perfect pitch, genius I Q. Which leads to the sad question asked by the results. "Why don't I look like Mummy and Daddy?" -- Anon Guest

It only took two years for other gene therapy organisations to spring up in the void left by

Challenge #01562-D101: In the Neighbourhood

There are those who delight in annoying their neighbours. This one had made an art of it, noisy music, renovations at the crack of dawn or into the night. For sale signs went up and people moved. Then the new owners arrived next door and retribution ensued. -- Anon Guest

Skating on the thin ice of the letter of the law was an art form that Gary indulged in. He didn't like Those Types living nearby, so he did everything legal to

Challenge #01561-D100: Time For Change

Stranded alien offers gender re-assignment technology in return for fuel and food. Afterwards people can father or bear a child. What happens next? -- Knitnan

Communicating had been the first hurdle. Bella had managed most of it with pantomime and imitation. The second hurdle was that Earth technology was centuries behind what this stranded entity had on hand. Most of their months together were spent building the tools to build the things that Yrxnahb needed to repair their vessel.

Bella tried to

Challenge #01560-D099: Unintended Consequences

One man's trash is another man's treasure. -- Knitnan

Sooner or later, someone will buy it. This is the mantra of both Junker Nomads and Tall Tale Tellers alike. Some of whom do both jobs at once. The further one goes, the more one can sell it for. Unless, of course, said object is everywhere. In which case, one has to take it to the Edge Territories or beyond.

And every trader, large or small, has a minimum of one Standard Weight

Challenge #01559-D098: He's Only One Year Old

My brow furrowed. "You're a thirty-foot-tall robot. How did you order solar panels?"

"Ebay." -- RecklessPrudence

I tutted at him. "You do know you can order them direct from cheaper places, right? And they're more likely to work."

"But those need a drivers licence and I can not get one."

"Show me those sites, please." The screen on his midriff lit up, displaying the sites in question. And they were all questionable sites to begin with. "Rugro... have you been using Bing

Challenge #01558-D097: New Start

For a star to be born, there is one thing that must happen: a gaseous nebula must collapse. So collapse. Crumble. This is not your destruction. This is your birth. -- RecklessPrudence

There's a saying in the streets, It's easy to fall, harder to rise. The streets are hard, and hot, and freezing cold at the same time. It makes people that are hard, who have hot tempers and cold hearts. They grasp for anything that will get them ahead. Even if

Challenge #01557-D096: Strange Fellows

They were canvassing house to house (try political candidate or party member).

"Oh! Oh! I think we might want to miss this one."

The letter box was a suspiciously shaped blue object, the bin left out on the kerb was full of empty jammy dodger packets, and the clothes line, well it didn't bear thinking about! -- Anon Guest

Paula looked. Dangling in the breeze from the hills' hoist were three Starfleet uniforms she recognised and potentially three more that she didn't.

Challenge #01556-D095: Intellectual Pollution

(Follow-on from the tramp freighter pilot finding Earth)

What really excited the scientific and engineering community was the 'build-your-own' educational manuals from [Space SCA] - centuries out of date tech for the pilot's society, but theory backgrounds and detailed instructions on how to build everything for a number of tech levels with tools from a number of tech levels, some of which we can build the tools to build the tools for. -- RecklessPrudence

Galrax had left it behind by mistake, in

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Challenge #01570-D109: The Fall of the Hespruss

Challenge #01569-D108: Just Like Home

Challenge #01568-D107: I Play to Relax, Damnit!

Challenge #01567-D106: Improbably Driven

Challenge #01566-D105: The Kindness of Strangers

Challenge #01565-D104: Not Fooling Me

Challenge #01564-D103: Are You Valuable?

Challenge #01563-D102: The Birth of the Vardian Empire

Challenge #01562-D101: In the Neighbourhood

Challenge #01561-D100: Time For Change

Challenge #01560-D099: Unintended Consequences

Challenge #01559-D098: He's Only One Year Old

Challenge #01558-D097: New Start

Challenge #01557-D096: Strange Fellows

Challenge #01556-D095: Intellectual Pollution