Instant Story

Challenge #03685-J032: Your Plastic Pal...

"I have my best friend in my pocket!"

They press a button on their wrist unit, and a small holograph showed smiling and saying hello.

"Is that an AI?"

"Yep! Their name is KIP, and we've been best friends since we met when I was 8. And we still are!" -- Anon Guest

Kindly Interactive Pal was made for children in remote vessels or settlements, so they would not feel lonely. Kids could personalise them. They were meant to be put away or 'retired' when the child grew up and could more easily participate in adult interactions.

The makers of KIP never anticipated Humans.

Humanity spread their pack-bonding wherever they went. They named, felt affection for, and mourned inanimate objects. When faced with an AI ally of cusp cogniscence, the Humans were more likely than not to do anything they could to keep their artificial friend with them.

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Challenge #03684-J031: Gezundheit

The human always wears a livesuit, or at least a protective head covering with full face mask when around havenworlders. Even when other humans were not. When asked, the human would sigh, sadly, and say, I'm allergic to everyone. -- Lessons

Some people should never go to space. Some people go anyway. I mean, who wouldn't right? Space is where all the cool stuff is. All the interesting people and fun places to see.

Hi. I'm Human Vaun, and I'm allergic to

Challenge #03683-J030: The Best Time to Mend

"I can't... keep up, even with... magic."

"Worry not, I help."

The giant grabbed Wraithvine, his young mage apprentice, Gikka, and the cat, put them on their shoulders, and kept running. Time was running out, that bad storm was getting closer, and safety was a distance yet. -- Anon Guest

Cikaros ran hell for leather, feet making craters in the otherwise blasted landscape. Normally, she would have to step carefully to avoid villages, hamlets, and isolated cottages, but nobody came to the

Challenge #03682-J029: Shortcut to Catharsis

"Of all the species in this universe, HUMANS are my least favorite."

"Why?"

"They're cruel, they're selfish, they're relentless, they're greedy, and they have absolutely no remorse for any of they pain they cause, or the planets they destroy."

"Aren't... you human?"

"That doesn't change how I feel about them." -- Anon Guest

"And what's worse," continued Human Vid as she waited for her turn at the buffet, "is that we're so very stupid. You know the system I'm from? Planitia Magus?

Challenge #03681-J028: Sweet Poison

Brain: They're definitely a red flag.

Heart: But red is my favourite colour…

Brain: no.

You know: Hey-

Brain: You, shut up

You definitely know: But I didn’t say anythi-

Brain: we a part of the same body, I KNOW what you about to say -- Anon Guest

The adults of the Elven community called it the battle of head, hand, and heart. The wants of different parts of the whole. Qimaris was warned that this would happen when hir body

Challenge #03680-J027: Come Relax by the Volcanoes

Humans build a wonderful resort station where the main attractions are a large assortment of hot spring baths and plenty of food. -- Anon Guest

Only Humans could look at a planet that was, essentially, a bubbling cauldera on every continent and say, "This is the best place to build a resort!"

This is just one among many reasons why the Alliance believes that the Humans are insane.

That said, Humanity also loves an engineering challenge. A planet ripe for geothermal energy

Challenge #03679-J026: A Gift and a Price

A goddess offers Wraithvine's apprentice mage the ability to resurrect the newly dead. But the price is that their magic, and most of their stamina, is wiped out for the next 24 hours. -- The New Guy

Of offers from the gods is meant to come in crumbling temples. In deserts, where the Divine can find a mind crying out to the stars. In working with Wraithvine, and walking with Wraithvine, he had seen and heard many things.

He never expected to

Challenge #03678-J025: Mandatory Teenaged Rebellion

A: What did I say about demon summoning?!

B: You’ll never keep us apart!

A: I don’t care if your boyfriend is a demon, JUST STOP SUMMONING HIM THE CHURCH! Their blood and brimstone gets everywhere. And he's literally being incinerated by god light! -- Anon Guest

[AN: I do NOT know what happened, but I wound up working on a prompt scheduled for the distant future. Normal services will resume tomorrow. Apologies to everyone about this]

"I'll go through

Challenge #03677-J024: For Intended Use Only

Human Child: This! Is! SPARTA!

Human Parent: This is not Sparta, and you won't like what happens next if you hit your sister with that broom. -- Escla

"I told you not to let them go through the archives unchecked," said Mami. "Now you know why there's 'parental guidance' advisories."

Deni lowered his broom, knowing better than ticking off Mom. "I was just playing," he protested.

"You were just playing a little too dangerously," insisted Mom. "Brooms are for sweeping up garbage,

Challenge #03676-J023: Learning of Life and...

A young orphan's pet has passed on, their mentor, a very kind giant who guards the orphanage, soothes the young human when they don't understand why their pet won't wake up. -- Anon Guest

Feslas found Allyl in the stables, cradling one of the barn cats. Which was limp and unresponsive and... very dead. Nobody had killed the beast. It had been an old cat before Allyl took a liking to sitting still in the sunshine and straw with the animals.

"She's

Challenge #03675-J022: Desperate Measures

An emergency ship lands on a pax humanis sanctuary planet. The medics beg for emergency blood donations. The people there are all too eager to roll up their sleeves. -- Anon Guest

They say that you have to be desperate to crash-land on a Pax Humanis sanctuary. It is, after all, a world full of killers. For interesting values of 'full'.

Most of the planet is wilderness. Empty of intelligent life.

The Fittleton Driver was desperate. They tried for a soft landing,

Challenge #03674-J021: If You Can Hear This...

"I will be honest with you. Pax Humanis is coming to haul you to court, your chances of escape are slim. What, they're sending a Humanis member that's a lucker? Turn yourself in, now, and spare yourself the pain. Your chances just became none." -- Fighting Fit

Humans are, possibly, the strangest Deathworlders known to intelligent life. Those weird little apes had a rough evolutionary path. They almost went extinct several times, and for at least one of those, it was self-induced.

Challenge #03671-J018: Were You Talking to Me?

"Do that again, I will take you over my knee!"

"Y..you don't have knees...."

"You KNOW what I mean!"

".....sorry...." -- Anon Guest

[AN: I don't endorse abuse so I'll have to figure a way around this prompt]

Of every unlikely adventuring companion, the least likely to share adventures with in the frozen mountains was a Sserith. If it wasn't for magical means to keep a body warm, everything would have stopped -ha- cold.

And some idiot at the bar had

Challenge #03673-J020: Audience Survey

The bard saw Wraithvine and Gikka's camp, saw Wraithvine was sleeping, Gikka on guard. They quietly came up, asked to join the camp, and in return, offered to play music to while away some time -- Anon Guest

[AN: Elves don't sleep, Nonny, but I understand what you mean]

A wandering minstrel needs many things, it is true. Besides sustenance, rest, and shelter, a minstrel also needs an audience. So, footsore and travel weary, Chantalla Pascadill was glad of a fire with

Challenge #03672-J019: A Wolf With Honour

I am a member of Pax Humanis. I have sworn my very life, my SOUL, to this Havenworlder and their family. I will protect them for as long as I can draw breath. They saved my beloved family, they saved my children, anyone that touches them, or my family, will pray that death finds them before I do. -- The New Guy

Once upon a time, a Human decided that it was a good idea to throw food to a wolf. Eventually,

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Challenge #03685-J032: Your Plastic Pal...

Challenge #03684-J031: Gezundheit

Challenge #03683-J030: The Best Time to Mend

Challenge #03682-J029: Shortcut to Catharsis

Challenge #03681-J028: Sweet Poison

Challenge #03680-J027: Come Relax by the Volcanoes

Challenge #03679-J026: A Gift and a Price

Challenge #03678-J025: Mandatory Teenaged Rebellion

Challenge #03677-J024: For Intended Use Only

Challenge #03676-J023: Learning of Life and...

Challenge #03675-J022: Desperate Measures

Challenge #03674-J021: If You Can Hear This...

Challenge #03671-J018: Were You Talking to Me?

Challenge #03673-J020: Audience Survey

Challenge #03672-J019: A Wolf With Honour