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Challenge #05039-M290: Improvements Are Impossible

Beware the furballs of orange, for they are the most cunning. Oh who am I kidding? They're all sweethearts, just the orange furballs are usually the ones most apt to start mischief. -- BKF

[AN: Have you not heard of the mythical Orange Cat Braincell? All orange cats share one braincell. Who has it is a total mystery. Then again, they may start mischief because action and consequence refuse to be linked]

Earth's pets made it into Galactic Alliance space decades before the first Humans did. Dogs were the best known, as they could easily be modified for the task they were assigned to do. Cats, on the other hand, were mostly useful for one thing: small pest control.

There were problems to solve.

Cats are a fecund animal. One pregnant queen can turn a station into a cat-infested facility in the matter of a very few years. So the gengineers went to work on the "base model" to make the creature functional biotech.

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Challenge #05038-M289: Mending Melancholy Moggy

They were sitting and softly crying. No real reason other than being overtired and homesick, first time traveling so far, even for work. Then a skitty crawled in their lap and began to purr, and they began to feel a little better. -- BKF

First-time Spacers are fine until they're suddenly not. It's all fun and games until the homesickness hits like an apophis-class asteroid. As Trainee Engineer Nauf just found out while staring at the stars.

Ze had just found the

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Challenge #05037-M288: Toxin Replacement Scheme

The Havenworlder-safe confectionary competition! Complete with legumes that taste just like peanuts but are not, in fact, peanuts, and havenworlder-safe chocolate! -- BKF

[AN: Was prompted in relation to yesterday's story, but has wound up being in relation to Pistil-Packing Researcher ]

There are many Humans who are psychologically incapable of keeping a treat for themselves. They find joy in sharing. And it is a regrettable fact that some things are just too dangerous for Havenworlders to enjoy. Which, once Humanity realised that,

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Challenge #05036-M287: The Extra Mile

"I need Chocolate!" -- Knitnan

"Attempted security breach detected in junction B-9," intoned the computer. Security Operator Vic stumbled out of his bunk. Why did this shit always happen on his rest cycle? He scrubbed the grit out of his eyes and attempted to focus on the screens. Which were needlessly tiny, lowest-bid, grainy-as-flakk monitors from the absolute dawn of screen technology. The only thing stopping the corp from using Cathode Ray Tubes was the radiation restrictions for the fluffiest Havenworlders on

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Challenge #05035-M286: Pistil-Packing Researcher

The human had a warning sign on their quarters: "Do not enter without mask". They had sealed their air vent and brought in their own supply. When one of the crew came in, they understood. The human was hand-pollinating a hybrid plant they were trying to develop, and was taking all precautions. -- BKF

Humans know they're dangerous when they're bored. Those knowing they were destined for long-haul travel got involved in long-term hobbies. Alternately, Humans who have long-term hobbies are destined

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Challenge #05034-M285: A Good Turn

They saved a young hellkin who had fallen into a pit-trap years ago. Now, they were sick and their farm was struggling, and a party of hellkin and halfbreds came and helped them. -- BKF

Fifteen years ago...

"Hey! Hey out there! Help! Please?" The voice was young, tearful, and on the very edge of utter despair. It was coming from a patch of weeds beyond the verge of the road.

It was because Naesel Dirgeye had been having a good day

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Challenge #05033-M284: Guidance of the Gods

Ereshkygal herself talked a young teen out of self-harm. -- BKF

It was a long way down. They said a lot of things about the heights of Pinnacle Peak's tallest towers. Some said that a copper coin tossed from the top could kill an innocent civilian below if it hit. Some said that if you jumped from the topmost parapet, you would be dead before you finished falling.

Tevan leaned on that parapet and stared down at the streets below. Further below

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Challenge #05032-M283: Small Moments

Small joys, the little things that lift your heart when all the world seems grey. -- Knitnan

Some people have all the luck. This is just as true as when that luck is only bad. A very unfortunate few get the kind of luck that is never enough. Enough bad luck would allow Hope to gain help. Enough good luck would mean that she would be managing well enough to not have a need.

Well, not many needs that could easily be

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Challenge #05031-M282: The Day of Laughs

The laughing game. The point of the game was to get people to laugh. BUT, it had to be laughter that was in good taste and kindness, not cruelty. For each person to gain an honest laugh was one point. Insults and hurt feelings meant losing points. Winner got a very nice prize, but most important was the fun! -- BKF

People assume that the followers of Loki are as evil as they think the god is. People assume wrong. Loki is

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Challenge #05030-M281: Surprise Family

The marines had picked up an escape pod with a young deathworlder child. They looked up how to care for them, how to help ensure their scales were kept clean, taught them to read and write. The child was one of the best protected kids in their sector, and had a whole bunch of unties. -- BKF

They were supposed to be in the middle of nowhere. A part of the spaceways that existed solely as a transit point. Yet they also

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Challenge #05029-M280: Pest Control System Volunteer Maintenance

The young humans, carrying fur-brushes, began hunting all of the skitties in the small station. Their mission? Give them all a full brush-out. Needless to say, the skitties enjoyed the attention. -- BKF

There's a very Human saying - the devil finds work for idle hands. Translated from their ancient superstitions, it boils down to: "Don't let your Humans get bored." Humans have a knack for finding trouble before it gets lost.

Especially the younger Humans.

This particular band were allegedly part

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Challenge #05028-M279: Mistaken Protection

They leapt in front of an attacker to save a deathworlder. The attacker fled in terror at a giant snake striking at them. -- BKF

[AN: Cogniscent species must have tool use to get into space, so interestingly snake-like sneople it is]

The Edge Territories have been likened to a box of chocolates. First, you never know what you're going to get. Secondly - it's highly dangerous for a lot of people who exist in there.

Shissothi didn't think of Trading Station

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Challenge #05027-M278: Little Devilborn, Lost

The human child was young, lost, and scared. Then a raven alighted upon their shoulder and gently, through soft pecks and the occasional hopping on the ground to lead, helped the child back to the Inn where their parents had taken up residence until hir mother gives birth to their sibling. -- BKF

The city was big and pretty and smelly and very, very distracting. Bug had slipped from Mama's hand, just for a moment, to look at something bright and shiny.

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Challenge #05026-M277: Wait, They're What?

A large band of rowdy adventurers came across a large village of those normally viewed as 'unwelcome ones'. They drop their swords, shields, and armor, seeing the village's main bridge was washed out in the last storm, and get to work helping clear debris and cutting wood so the village can have its bridge back. Others of the large band go to help the fields until the main group of villagers can get back out there, safely. -- BKF

They say that

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Challenge #05025-M276: Greater Treasure

"I'm too Fat" You're healthy. "I'm too old." You're mature. "I'm ugly" You're beautiful. "Why are you being like this?" Being like what? "So nice to me." Because you are the kindest, most wonderful person I have ever met. -- BKF

No matter what kind of Unwelcome People there may be, there's always somewhere where they may be welcome. The trick is finding where that is. There's the city ghettos, of course, where the Unwelcome are at least permitted. Sometimes, they're even

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