Writing

A 317-post collection

Challenge #00611 - A246: Every Apprentice Does It

My god… it’s full of spelling errors.

Alani was going after Extra Credit. Finding the Original Source was always good for that. She traced it from planetoid to planetoid, from reference to reference to sub-reference and finally… in the Dark Rooms where only special lights were allowed… a yellowed and rather small booklet kept in its own rarified atmosphere and handled only through waldoes.

To show willing, Alani used the special scope to view the myopic scribble of an ancient hand.

All unaware that Tutor Els was right behind her until the venerable Archivaas spoke.

“What do you see, Apprentice?”

“By the Powers… it’s full of errata…”

“We tell you, do we not, that seeking information from the Original Source is not always as educational as you think it might be.”

“Yes,” sighed Alani. “Yes, you do.” Moisture gathered in her eyes and she retreated from the scope to wipe the tears on her sleeve before they could drop and spoil something precious. “I see, now. And I especially see why this author switched to digital entry only.”

“That, and hir handwriting is deplorable.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t have new insights for the extra credit.”

“Nonsense! Seeking knowledge of any kind is credit-worthy work. And seeking this lesson out so early in your learning will serve you well.”

“Yes, Tutor Els.”

“And next time you feel tempted, check the notes on the condition of the piece.”

“Yes, Tutor Els.”

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Challenge #00610 - A245: One Stormy Afternoon in a Spaceport Drydock

…but for all that they’re effective, they’re about as far from efficient as trying to run a car via rocket motors.

The geiger indicators were still rattling like a drawer full of loose beads as crew working on the dilapidated vessel did what they could to reduce the risk to other citizens on the station. They were dressed head to toe in anti-radiation armour. And worked in shifts of ten minutes at a time.

In the nearest emergency med-bay, similarly-clothed

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Challenge #00609 - A244: Intervention

[species] Science: It gets results! Just… not always the ones you want. (Alarm sound) Oh [deity] there’s another containment breach!

“Another? This happens frequently?” asked the visiting human.

“Oh yes. Researching the makeup of the universe is a dangerous pastime.”

“Uhm… It doesn’t have to be. You could make sure the reactor is secure before continuing your research.”

The lizard scientist stared at her as if she’d grown two heads.

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Challenge #00608 - A243: Wait, what?

Found embedded in the radio signature of almost every star that had a sapient species evolve in orbit around it:

Couldn’t solve the heat death problem in this version. By the time we figured that out, life had evolved. Sorry about that. Good luck.
-The Creators

“It’s the same message. Encoded into every star that evolved life over sixteen billion years ago.”

“It’s taken two thousand years of research and decoding to decipher the

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Challenge #00607 - A242: One Disasterous Afternoon, Mid-Alien-Invasion

Most certainly a [species] spy in disguise. I mean not. Not a [species] spy. Human. Completely human. Yes.

“Oh, now, come on,” said the Doctor. “That can’t be a Friendly. That’s obviously a Golgafraxan spy in disguise. Do none of you notice her complexion?”

“Doctor…”

“If it is a her. They get the genders mixed up.”

“Doctor…”

“Look I’ll prove it. Golgafraxans react

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Challenge #00606 - A241: Essential Equipment

Recalibrate your sarcasm detector.

“All right,” said Ama. “Where we’re going has lots of humans. So let’s make sure we’re prepared. Remember, even though they’re Class Four Deathworlders, they don’t mean to harm us. They’re aware of our relative frailties and will act accordingly.”

“Yes’m,” said the entire class. They were halfway into their safety suits.

El struggled with her Permaseal Line, panicking, and desperate to not be left

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Challenge #00605 - A240: Tax Haven

“I like paying taxes. With them I buy civilization.” – Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes

Patriot Imbaw swaggered up to the immigration counter, and pressed his paperwork through the little slot. “I need citizenship on this here Galactic Station ay-sap. How can we -ah- accelerate that process?” He had a greasy smile and greasy hair. In fact, just about everything about him could be described in terms of grease. It seemed like he perspired oily residue that had no origin in the

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Challenge #00604 - A239: One Stormy Evening in a Spaceport Bar

You’ll make it in five days, boosting six points past emergency max the whole way. If the engineer’s been doing his job, the engines won’t blow until you hit eight. Quite safe.

Plasma from Hyperspace leaked with every ship that travelled through a wormhole. And when it reached a certain density, or a one-way wormhole ‘popped’ into a two way passage, electrons discharged through it in a pattern that still baffled mathematicians everywhere.

And for those caught in Crossroads

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Challenge #00603 - A238: Bad, Bad Intel

I may be small, but I screw up big because I’m standing on the shoulders of GIANTS.

The dangerous mammals were clustered in one area. One area full of volatile chemicals, dangerous levels of electricity, and heavy concentrations of methane and pathogens.

Hundreds of them gathered in the night to observe some ritualistic activity that involved rhythmic gyrations and consumption or production of the above substances.

They were a threat to the Mo'fathan Empire.

Which was how Kirxaan the Mighty opened

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Challenge #00602 - A237: Don't Panic!

“I’m not panicking, I’m watching you panic. It’s more entertaining.”

This was the first time she’d been locked in a room with a human. While it did bring people watching to new and increasingly intimate levels, it did rather limit the options, should said human start lashing out.

As it was, this one seemed to like saying ‘okay’ a lot.

“Okay… Oh….kay. Okay, okay, okay. Okay. Okayokayokayokayokayokay… Ooooohhhhhhh&

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Challenge #00601 - A236:

“The point is, you haven’t let the lack of Seconds stop you. Or the rules. Or respect for reality, as far as I can tell.”

Shayde still wore Public Property Grey, but this time, her footwear was a pair of Hazard Yellow thongs. Indicating that she was both off-duty, and a potential danger to the public. Someone had given her a silver fan brooch, indicating that she was also offensive without training.

“I take it you’ve

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Challenge #00600 - A235: The Challenge at the Third Act

“I never saw you face a wall that, if you couldn’t go over it, you’d not try to find some way around, through, or under, or blow it up with sapper’s charges. Or just bang your head against it till it fell down.”

Ten Standard Years can make a lot of differences. Most of them physical. They can also serve to emphasise the similarities.

Sahra sized up the area. This was open ground in the Cursedland wastes.

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Challenge #00599 - A234: The Worst Levels of Fame

“All the geniuses I ever met were so just part of the time. To qualify, you only have to be great once, you know. Once when it matters.”

He’d called it the Spline Actuator out of self-amusement and it turned out to be the most useful tool in the Galactic Standard Toolbox. It had spread virally across the Galactica alliance as thousands of JOATs made their own from equally viral how-to-make-it videos.

Every now and again, someone remembered

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Challenge #00597 - A232: Detective Work

“We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement.”

The body in the vents was hundreds of years old. Dating back to some of the last territorial wars that occurred in or near Cuidgari space. Tracking down the insignia remaining on the body required nosing around in the Archivaas networks.

Something which Lyr had drafted Rael for on Hours Plus. In this case, Hours, plus food and lodging. The food part was going to set her back a great

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Challenge #00596 - A231: One Miserable Afternoon in an Observation Lounge

An attempt at discussing the weather:

“My, the vacuum is hard out today…”

There is something about human nature that compels them to look up at the stars. And, once in space, staring out a window at them will suffice. Shayde had managed to perform both, thanks to a pillow pit in this particular lounge.

The faintly luminous cushions gave enough light to find her by. Lounges like this were deliberately dim so that observers could see the stars as

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