Challenge #03084-H176: Hello Again, Little Friend

They had crashed on a planet where the atmosphere was toxic. The pods were safe and able to be moved together to create a larger shelter, and with only four of them, the shelter was big enough for at least a month, though rescue stated they’d be there in about two weeks given the distance and lack of short cuts in that area. Their patient’s infection showed by day two. The human frowned, seeing it, then began to cut apart citrus peels that had developed a fungal mold, working with the fungus in a way that smelled awful.

“Human, what are you doing? You said you had a way to treat the infection?” The human looked upon their friend. “I do, it’s called penicillin.” – Lessons

Everybody knew that Humans were strange, but this… this had to take some variety of confectionery pastry. Human Vis, though ordered to rest, had taken to rummaging through the waste receptacles after his injury began leaking something green. There was no fully-trained Medik among the survivors to take over what they were doing. Therefore those with him at least attempted to help.

What Human Vis wanted was orange peels. He had already set one of the food printers to create as much sterile surgical-grade saline as it could. Further, they were processing the orange juice into citric acid. Once the orange peels came together, the next step was apparently sorting blue-green from black.

If the atmosphere around their crash site were not sulphur dioxide, the other three survivors might have suggested Human Vis take a walk in the fresh air. They were still more than a week from the arrival of the rescue team and this… was a regrettable necessity. What coffee filters had to do with it was currently baffling.

[Check the source to see the full story]

(Source: peakd.com)

Challenge #03083-H175: Anything is Ammo

A: “What’s that?”

H: “What’s what?”

A: “That odd thing you’re working on.” Indicating the odd contraption attached to the human’s suit that the human was carefully adding conditioning agent to the strong, stretching, straps

H: “Oh, this? That’s just my wrist rocket”

A: “Wrist Rocket?”

H: “My slingshot”

A: ……………………………………. – DaniAndShali

“Aw, don’t look at me in that tone of voice,” said Human Ess, still tinkering with the simple device. It was nothing more than a forked frame, some stretchy straps, and a sort of pocket in the middle of the aforementioned straps. “One day, you’ll be glad it’s there. Look, I even installed a strap wrangler in case of doorknobs.” At the press of a button, something whirred and turned the loose arrangement into a neat bundle that then folded away. “Neat and clear and ready to rock and roll.”

Companion Gorx continued to have his doubts. “Most enemies have defenses against simple projectiles. This is an effectively useless weapon.” In retrospect, he really should not have said that. Mostly because there is nothing a Human likes better than a challenge.

To which Human Ess grinned, cackled, and said, “You’ll see,” in a true and certain portent of doom. At least Gorx had the presence of mind to post a ship-wide brief that the Humans would be up to some new nonsense[1]. The crew, knowing this, were appropriately on guard for the week it took for the Ship’s Humans to brainstorm their shenanigans.

[Check the source to see the full story]

(Source: peakd.com)

Challenge #03080-H172: Defeating Monsters

There was a sign on the door. It read “Warning! Deathworlder story time! Humans inside!” Faintly, through the budget soundproofing, a cogniscent with good hearing could make out the wailing cry of an alarmed human larva. One with even better hearing would be able to make out the voices of other young humans, saying “It’s OK, it’s OK, it’s not real, it’s just a story. Right, Miss? It’s not real, right???” – Anon Guest

Fairy tales do not exist to tell children that monsters are real, they say. Fairy tales exist to tell children that monsters can be defeated. That acknowledged, there are some who are unprepared for the finer details. Precautions are always taken, by necessity. Warnings for the literate. Pictograms for the less literate. Hazard stripes[1] for those who fail to pay attention to words or pictures.

Those who feel brave enough, prepared enough, or simply curious enough are welcomed, warned, and permitted to sit with the others. Most of them are under five. A few are a little too enthusiastic for their own good. The storyteller is on an elevated seat, gesturing as the words flow from mouth to listening ears. Offensensitivity shields stand between the room and an observer just outside the door. Unfortunately for Dyw, that shielding was the budget variety that was not as effective as it should have been.

“Strength was most important for the leader of the peoples, even though it had taken him many years to reach the seat of power and strength was fading from his limbs,” said the storyteller. “So it came to be that the appearance of strength was as important as actually being strong. They used chemicals to put colour in his hair, and more chemicals to add colour to his face. They used clever speakers to interpret his ramblings, and always, he had to maintain a show of moral strength. That meant beating down on those judged as immoral, and enacting harsh punishments for the unlucky–” they stopped as one of the children burst into tears.

[Check the source to see the full story]

(Source: peakd.com)

Challenge #03078-H170: The Inherent Hazards of Knomiras

Common sense is not that common, this most people know.

When you lack even that basic knowledge, it’s sad how things can go.

They were listening to the instructions of the flight attendants as they had boarded their flight from the station. It was the usual routine safety instructions that all flights normally gave, and the usual “Here is what we do for this type of emergency” thing. Except, this time, a person scoffed, rolling their eyes, refusing to listen to a word. Then, half-way to the solar system that held the vacation resort they were going to, there was a system-wide malfunction. The gravy drive got sick, and the gravity was out. Of course, the scoffing person was screaming conspiracy and how it was “just to get back at them for not being sheep”, and the rest of the passengers were getting really sick of their horse-droppings. – DaniAndShali

“Thank you for choosing Barg'hain Transport, as soon as all passengers are seated, the safety briefing and launch will commence.” The message was on automatic and repeat while those headed for Resortia found their seats, stored their overhead luggage, and settled in.

Reis and Ney had heard it all before. For them, it was white noise. They were far too used to public transit safety briefings, automessages, and cardboard-tasting peanuts. So they did their best to get on, get settled, and get out of everyone else’s way as efficiently as possible.

One passenger, two rows ahead, was loud and annoying and refusing to co-operate. “You can’t tell me what to do! I am a free citizen, I know my rights. I don’t have to operate to your dictatorial screeds!”

[Check the source to see the full story]

(Source: peakd.com)

Challenge #03077-H169: Constant Vigilance

A Companion notices that the ship’s human’s livesuit is picking up on wild, unusual fluctuations in hormones related to emotions and high stress. On questioning, the human informs them that, due to a somewhat negligent upbringing and poor socialization as a child and adolescent, they suffer from underdeveloped emotional maturity… that will never fully develop. That ship has sailed, and they were NOT on board.

The explanation is delivered in a calm, somewhat bored tone, with a bland facial expression. The livesuit readout indicates a massive accompanying adrenal response, along with a host of other unpleasant chemical releases associated with fear and anxiety. – Anon Guest

Human Mar had volunteered for Companion Live-monitoring. Most Ships’ Humans preferred not to do that until they were in deep distress. They viewed it as an invasion of privacy. Human Mar must have had their reasons and Companion Fu decided not to pry. That was for a special bonding moment or something. When Human Mar was feeling more comfortable.

According to the Med records, Human Mar’s adrenal levels were at baseline or normal. According to the Human Companion Manual, they were at fifteen percent above the average Human baselines. There were so many pings at hazard spike levels that Fu had to breach her personal protocols and ask an invasive question.

“Human Mar, have we missed a set of comfort requirements? I have noted that your anxiety indicators are well above normal. You are not at peace. Is there something that can be done?”

[Check the source to see the full story]

(Source: peakd.com)

Challenge #03073-H165: Soft, Fluffy, Friendly

They had been working for a few months now with the havenworlders, who had gotten quite used to hearing them wake up screaming but it broke their crewmates’ hearts to hear it each night. A de-regger rescue who was still learning that the world was not as cruel as they believed. The companion goes in one sleep cycle as the human begins to whimper and thrash in the special sleeping bag. A gentle hand petting the hair, a soft, trilling, lullaby, the human settles back into slumber reaching out to hold their friend’s hand, a very, very gentle squeeze of sleepy gratitude. – Anon Guest

Not every Human is capable of bouncing back from utter deprivation. In a world where children are ‘freeloaders’ but every baby has the right to be born, there are many cruelties wearing the sheep’s clothing of charity. The people who made these worlds wanted to exist in an era of rofantasised[1] glory, and succeeded in recreating a great many of the factual and historical torments for those they dislike.

Sweatshops, workhouses, prison sentences for poverty, depersonalisation that went hand in hand with pointless labor. Slavery that was everything about slavery except the name. True evil in all its depravity, with blatantly treating people as things. Most of them are known as Deregger Worlds, where all that matters is the making of money by those who already have too much.

Human Roi was a Rescue from one of those Deregger worlds. Taken by force from a slaver colony by the CRC. Rehabilitated to a point, and leased with caveats to the Fiscal Upside with the condition that their therapy continued at a comfortable pace. The Neotomin aboard pretty much fell in love with Human Roi when they referred to the crew collectively as “My ratties.” Then they learned about the Workhouse Howl.

[Check the source to see the full story]

(Source: peakd.com)

Challenge #03070-H162: Weighed and Found Wanting

Entitlement. When one thinks of that word, they think of humans, especially stuck up females, though some males are as well, that are self-centered jerks who thinks the world should do everything THEIR way. But it comes in all forms. This havenworlder was self-centered, a total brat, and thought that just because the humans were kind to their kind and often allowed their people to ride on their shoulders to get from point A to point B safely, that the humans were a servant race and MUST obey them. After all, they were their superiors, right? Humans were just… their horses. – Anon Guest

[AN: It is precisely “The Karen” and its effect on real people named Karen that I invented the term “Knomira”. Not only is it gender neutral, but it encapsulates the usual rallying call of their kind, “I know my rights!” Corrupt that into a jumble and you get, “I knomiraah!” Boom. Knomira.]

There are, unfortunately, people who trade on their assumed fragility. They use the people willing to defend them to get exactly what they want whenever they encounter the slightest kind of opposition. Even when their own kind call them out, they refuse to acknowledge anything but their own right to do what they please.

They used to bear a common name. A more accurate term has evolved based on their shared claim. One of them is about to learn a lesson. Meet Acquirer Vidath, known to many as, “That flakkin’ Havenworlder Knomira.” Usually, after the fact that they quit their service for good.

Human Karyn knew the type. She had used the lure of knowing her rights before she learned the corollary responsibilities that came with them. The right to remain delicate came with the responsibility to accept one’s own limitations. The right to be strong came with the responsibility to protect the weak. The right to enforce one’s will on others came with the responsibility to accept all of the consequences. That last lesson was about to come to land on Vidath. Karyn was going to make sure.

[Check the source to see the full story]

(Source: peakd.com)

Challenge #03069-H161: Steep Repair Work

Hello InterNutter, long time reader, first time poster here. I was wondering if you could give us the other sides’ view on this? How the parents, and students, felt and viewed things as they were being forced to watch the videos showing their actions and her pain? What the CRC’s reaction was seeing something like that happen in their schools? How the witnesses who watched the trial, and the others following with the timeline, reacted to it all? How the administrators thought and felt as they were faced with the enormity of the crimes they committed against an innocent child?

And also, did Barbara finally recover and become that bright, happy, girl again? Though we both know, emotional scarring never, ever goes away, not with pain of that magnitude.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03026-h103-worn-away – Anon Guest

[AN: Hello and welcome to the process, Nonny. I hope you enjoy whatever comes out next]

It was a slow death by papercuts, in its way. There was nothing wrong with displaying fear of a Deathworlder. Children were allowed to express themselves, so long as they didn’t cause provable harm. That was the rule. None of the teachers saw anything beyond a natural reaction to an unwelcome Deathworlder in their midst.

Many of those same teachers hadn’t wanted to integrate with those mad balding monkeys in the first place, so some of their disregard for the finer points of the balance was… deliberate. None of it could be proven so, and skating on that thin ice was an art that many latched on to.

Now… the harm could be demonstrated. Lingering psychological scars, even in a species agreed to be insane, were a bad thing. Some insisted that the Deathworlder deserved it. Some fell silent about the entire matter, attempting to hide from notice. Many avoided Barbera, but far more quietly than before. Only a bare handful were remorseful enough to attempt… friendship.

[Check the source to see the full story]

(Source: peakd.com)

Challenge #03068-H160: We Agree With You

HAH! (Heavenworlders Against Humans!) stated as an small movement which mutated into an organisation that had only 3 “simple” demands/ goals

1 Rid Alliance space of humans

2 Restrict Greater (and lesser) Deregulations to their own space and strictly guard and monitor their borders

3 Return to the peace and safety that was pre Human Alliance.

the Alliance was at a loss as to what to do with this steadily growing absurdity, as Heavenworlders had never recorded instances of *rofanticising past civilizations.

*Rofanticise: the romanticised and fanticised way people look at past civilisations (living or dead), without taking into account the hardships, shortcomings, small mindedness, and general crappiness those ways of living or societies generally contained. see; 1940’s/50’s America, Hunter gatherer tribes, Ancient Rome, Ancient Norse, medieval Europe, Victorian England, and on and on and on.

(please note Rofanticise, Rofanticised and Rofanticising is a word group I came up with to describe this phenomenon, as simple romanticising and nostalgia did not adequately define what it is humans do, and i couldn’t find any word that fit so i made one in urban dictionary to cover it.) – Adam in Darwin

[AN: Rofanticise is a perfectly cromulent word. I fundorse it entirely]

“Back before things were ruined,” they whine. “Back in my day…” or, “Things were better when…” Always beware those who long for an era they weren’t an adult in. Those pining for a time long lost, when things were allegedly better because time has eroded many signs of the inherent flaws.

They don’t actually miss the entire era. Just aspects of it. Chiefly, the aspect that they imagine would give them everything they believe they miss out on now. When they would take their rightful place by the alleged natural mechanics of the cosmos. Havenworlders against Humans is just the latest iteration of the phenomenon.

All civilisations have had things like it. Vocal groups protesting the loss of an advantage they never possessed, fighting to gain it ‘back’ without fully examining the downsides of everything they seek to restore[1]. Never at any time understanding that, in their goal era, there were those who longed for even simpler times, when things were easier for them. Hindsight may be twenty-twenty, but Nostalgia adds rose-coloured glasses.

The Havenworlders at Edge Trade Station were rowdy. Specifically, those who wanted to revoke Humanity’s general acceptance into the Galactic Alliance and put Humans back onto the planets they had already 'infested’. It’s language like that that lets a casual observer know that they’re not welcoming all of the facts.

[Check the source to see the full story]

(Source: peakd.com)

Challenge #03066-H158: Stolen By the Fae

Especially at the beginning of integrating humans into the Galactic Alliance, there are still humans that have never been to space, don’t really need any training. What do a fierce crew who have 2 (as many as you want) death-defy-ing humans think of this? do they visit earth and see this? or is a human with no training forced out into space. how crazy can a human with no training be? probably just as crazy but that’s not the point lol. Chaos ensues, have fun! – DisasterPan

Humans went from “to be avoided” to “in high demand” practically overnight. Which resulted in a lot of Humans entering employment whether they wanted it or not. The Alliance didn’t necessarily travel all the way to Terra to get them, since Human colonies were abundant. However, many of them were… not exactly prepared for a spacer’s life.

Call hir… Den. Ze had just been minding hir own business, eking out hir existence on a poultry farm in the middle of almost-nowhere. Then the sky lights came and now ze was… here. A smooth, neutrally-coloured area that may or may not be one of the circles of hell. The bed upon which Den lay was comfortable, but the clothes were… not hirs.

Gone was the homespun cloth from hir mothers’ loom. Gone was the handmade quilt from hir grandmother. Gone was the poppet ze had had from childhood. This was not hir home. Everything was too clean. There was no way anyone had been living in this space before Den had been deposited here. There was so much to take in…

[Check the source to see the full story]

(Source: peakd.com)