Amalgam Universe

A 2268-post collection

Challenge #04639-L255: The Kindness Cut

The comments from you both make me want to turn it into a prompt.

A haven world the humans turned into a massive farm planet with tons of crops and lots of well-kept and cared for farm animals. Heh, and that "small amount"?

"We just want around 2% of the total harvest to feed the needy in return for this, if that's ok?"/"Only 2%? Hell take 5%!"

"You sure? That's a lot."/"It's only 5% of the total harvest, not as much as you think"

And the Gyiiks end up having to call in a huge number of ships to help haul away that 5%, which is enough to feed several planets worth of hungry. :-)

internutter: The Humans definitely do not mind. Totally worth it.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04616-l232-disaster-relief#@internutter/re-bkf-t1ba37 -- Anon Guest

[AN: You can scroll up to read the original story]

No matter what, a deal is a deal. Humanity had spent centuries causing wars with their eternal enemies - other Humans - by going back on their words. There were large groups of Humans who had learned from the endless echoes of history[1].

The people of "Bread Basket" said, "Take five percent," and they meant it.

The math was simple. Miss out on five percent of the harvest with help or miss out on most of it without. The thin population of "Bread Basket" could only harvest enough to maybe seed the fields the next year. If they worked to the point of exhaustion for every waking hour they had.

So they let in all the help that offered, knowing that five percent was way less than they expected to lose under normal circumstances.

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Challenge #04620-L236: Lasting Impression

"Why didn't you kill him?"/That's your job, I'm not a killer.

"But you delivered him to me."/That was my job. Besides, I'd be too merciful, and after what he did....

"They will help all of you recover."/This lady with the kind eyes who gave me a hug with her tail already has helped a lot. -- The New Guy

[AN: This post has been edited to improve brevity]

You can call me what you like. It doesn't matter. Not

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Challenge #04616-L232: Disaster Relief

It was the summer harvest on a massive planet. The human colony was very small, but they had several Gyiik friends who were more than happy to help. After all, while some can be left to go to seed for the next year, it's all but a crime to let all that abundant good food go to waste. -- Anon Guest

What to do when the farm machines that had made everything easier were out of commission thanks to a rogue solar

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Challenge #04614-L230: Recovering Lost Information

The Machine was defeated. The all-seeing eyes, gone. The mouths now open, all of them, but silent. Prisoners, slaves released. The dying, saved. The Oppressors, stopped. Their children? Taught a new path. The Faith in the Machine, now Faith in the Future.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04594-l210-general-ludd-returns -- The New Guy

The Machine provided everything. That was what they knew. It provided food, shelter, work... and a swift death. The mouths of The Machine no longer ate them. It no longer

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Challenge #04608-L224: There's a Song About Smiling For Them

Galactics learn about some of the large predators that still live on earth. Including enormous reptiles like the Nile Crocodiles. Which are not only known to eat humans, if they can catch one, but are among the largest reptilian predators on the planet next to some snakes. -- The New Guy

The Alliance Guide to Galactic Wildlife has this entry on Terran reptiles: Most of them are venomous, poisonous, or otherwise dangerous. Do not approach unsupervised. Not even if their owner has

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Challenge #04606-L222: Nonviolent Defeat

"You WILL tell us how to undo this ship's lock-outs!" / 5...

"You know we'll find your crewmates before too long an FORCE them to tell us if you don't!" / 4...

"Playing ignorant Human??" / 3...

"What... why are you counting down like that?" / 2...

Good night.

(Immense amounts of gasses flood the system, no one, pirate or human, is left awake.) -- Anon Guest

[AN: This prompt was edited for better brevity shorter prompts are better for me]

There's an ancient -and very

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Challenge #04598-L214: Lool-lay Nee!

How did the human toy collector scare the wet out of several pirates and have them begging for mercy without firing a single shot?

Three words - Lots of Furbies! -- The New Guy

Specific and unnerving hobbies are not merely a Human thing. Obsessions can overwhelm anyone, though exposure to Humans has been correlated with those who do have odd obsessions. One statistical outlier on that imaginary chart is Navigator Nor of the Mass Transit Vessel, Evergreen.

Hir hobby was a

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Challenge #04597-L213: Save Every Library

Her library was immense, taking up over 90% of the station. She wasn't a member of the archivaas, but they did help her maintain it. Checking out materials was free, reading lessons were free, and if materials were returned late, rather than a fine, the person simply had a choice of making a donation, be it a book or monetary, to the library, to spend one hour working in the library to help maintain it. The dereggers that sometimes visited hated the

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Challenge #04594-L210: General Ludd Returns

It was subtle at first. A friend who lost a friend. Others who saw. What happens to the body, any body, when the most vital parts refuse to keep going? Fewer workers were showing. Fewer willing to go to the Machine. More vanishing. What happens to The Machine, when its lifeblood chooses to stop flowing?

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04576-l192-sacrifices-for-the-cargo-cult -- Anon Guest

There was a fine, fine line to tread. Keep up the expected minimum, avoid the ideal maximum. Waver

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Challenge #04583-L199: One Small Freedom

Writing is one of the best ways to heal a broken heart. Especially when finally allowing someone to see the break, and that someone holds you close and says "It's ok, we can rebuild together" and mean it. -- Anon Guest

[AN: The urge to write Murderbot is fucking strong with this one]

Sweet merciful Powers, this Deregger conglomerate had gone too far. They had achieved almost godlike prowess with their technology, to the point of making cyborg servants for every need

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Challenge #04578-L194: When Prey Turns Around

The body lays beaten and bloody on the floor. They were breathing, they would not be killed, but they'd had plenty of chances to back out.

"I have to bring you in alive. I even offered you the chance to come peacefully. Why do you guys always insist on doing things the hard way? You want to kill, fine, but missiles like you need to be launched at the proper targets." -- Anon Guest

[AN: Offensensitivity warning for the perspective of a

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Challenge #04576-L192: Sacrifices For the Cargo Cult

The Machine towers over the city, a gargantuan maze of steel, cogs, and steam. Thousands slave away to feed the beast lumber, coal, and blood to build it bigger. No one knows anymore why it was made, who made it, or what it was meant to do. But if anyone is heard questioning The Machine, that individual can expect no mercy. Those who came before can't have dedicated their lives for nothing, they can't have! They cant! -- Anon Guest

[AN: Nonny

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Challenge #04564-L180: To Stop the Smouldering

They say he who works hard will be wealthy. In the Alliance, your effort is actually rewarded. You're a hard worker, you deserve this apartment, and all that you have. Please do not deny yourself simply because of what you were so cruelly told in your past. -- Anon Guest

Where I grew up, you had to earn air, and pay back the debt you accrued when you were too young to work. You had to earn enough air to sleep, the

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Challenge #04563-L179: History Returns

Zack woke up to the sound of the fat Gulgarren Korg dragging in an unknown spacecraft. “Zack, my people found this ancient hunk of junk floating near the outer colonies. After our scientists spot some human symbols I thought I could bring it to you to identify it.” The dish was smashed by space debris and the body eroded by solar winds. Zack place a hand on the only thing relatively intact; a golden record. “Man, this thing was supposed to find

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Challenge #04550-L166: Zen Yoga Lesson

Pissing off a human is bad enough. When you do that to a N'Ozzie? Well, they'll do more than just kick your tail. -- Anon Guest

Do not anger a Human, for you never know how they will seek vengeance - Galactic Alliance proverb.

N'Ozzies are generally laid back and easy-going. That's their reputation in the greater portions of the Galactic Alliance. They're masters of making do, dealing with surprising situations, and creative problem-solving. What few people learn is that they're slow

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