Pack Bonding

A 72-post collection

Challenge #03940-J288: Looks Innocent Enough

The human is albino, white hair, pale skin, pink eyes. Their much taller havenworlder friends that they are protecting have white fur and light colored eyes. The human wears the same colors as their crewmates for a uniform. The Pirates learn the lesson of the "hidden guard dog" the hard way. -- Anon Guest

The lighting on the ship was dim. They liked it that way. Their homeworld was, as some might say, slightly frosty. Thus, things like pale colouration and a coat of fur made sense. Their Ships' Human was the same colour as them for completely different reasons.

They called it Spacer's Albanism. In environments with artificial light and little in the way of natural radiation, those who spent generations on stations or in ships tended to lose all need for melanin. Those who had it ranged from blond and blue-eyed to white as the proverbial sheet with pink or even red irises. That was just one reason why Human Ness fit in with his crewmates so well.

Those familiar with Humans know many of the others. They may be self-sacrificing, terminally curious maniacs, but they're our self-sacrificing, terminally curious maniacs. It's that darn pack-bonding of theirs. It gets everywhere.

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Challenge #03875-J223: Point of Disorder

The CRC and several Alliance officials come together to discuss the shocking turn of events. The humans have begun to befriend, the Thranityr and help more and more clans go from being Vorax to being contributing citizens. Even to the point of becoming full allies with the humans. -- Anon Guest

"They're Humans," said one of the board members present in the quorum. "They'll pack-bond with anything alive. Even the things so toxic it'd kill them to touch it. They just invent

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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

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Challenge #03523-I235: Meet Your Teammates

Yautto looked upon Wraithvine, Kevin, Gikka, and, Abundance, and Venin, never having had seen such kindness in their lives before. They were grateful, but nervous, as they went on the adventure. Would these people remain friends, or would they chase Yautto out, too, eventually?

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03357-i069-surprise-guest

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03360-i072-hello-all-over-again

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03336-i048-youve-been-mothered -- Anon Guest

[AN: While I don't always pay attention to continuity in these works (10-minute limit on Wiki Walks)

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Challenge #03465-I177: Missed Connection

The downside to being giant, intelligent, arachnid-like beings is that the ones you want to befriend so often run away. Even many of those lovely ones they call humans. -- Anon Guest

Sargasso stations are always "interesting" in the sense of "interesting times". They're either run by Nae'hyn who use them as retirement homes for decommissioned or retired Gravity Drives, or they are run by low-G insectoids. There is no middle ground.

Welcome to Pappus[1] Station. Bring your own gravity.

Low-G

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Challenge #03463-I175: Adventures in Pet-sitting

A human with a new puppy is often quite tired lately. Their friends had seen them play with the animal a lot, so they understood, but wow, the happy, hyperactive, puppy had more endurance than the human! -- Anon Guest

Doug was a puppy. A neotenous canid, true. He was also a squiggly, wiggly, squirming, wagging ball of excitement with the unstoppable inclination to lick the entire universe. Human Thu had been playing with the creature for most of their day off.

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Challenge #03387-I099: Complicated Human Rituals

The ships humans, after having ordered a larger than normal amount of supplies, decide to surprise their crewmates in the survey camp, by getting up extra early to fix a big, lovely, breakfast. -- Anon Guest

It's not easy to sleep when there's a predator trying to be quiet in the immediate vicinity. Humans count as predators. Surveyor Thait was finding this out, as she tried to sleep, at the hour that the team Humans were calling "Sparrow Fart". Humans. They had

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Challenge #03330-I042: Fun Times With a Friendly Monster

It's been many, many, years since the Pax Humanis agents attacked the pirate ship and freed the children. Some of the children, with permission of parentals and guardians, kept in touch with the agents who became friends with them. Sometimes even being allowed to visit in person, carefully of course.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-02519-f329-for-the-greater-good -- Anon Guest

Cem sprang back into full excitement mode when the dark sky changed to the unique glow of atmosphere. They were finally here! Unty

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Challenge #03296-I008: You Humans and Your Rituals

The Vorax has been practicing, watching the vids of the game, studying the humans movements and coordination. And they request a rematch, besides, that was.. kinda fun.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-02472-f282-gg-tho -- Anon Guest

Lesson one of the paint marker game: Clean camouflage colours are actually worse for you. The arena is marked with assorted paint splotches, and one's best bet is to also wear assorted paint splotches. Or get them, which is a losing condition.

Lesson two: Humans are

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Challenge #03262-H353: Positive Reinforcement

They had raided the ship with a band of pirates. Left behind when the others fled, the humans adopted them and began to teach them a new way. They still had to answer for the crimes they committed, but remanded into the humans' care, they began to learn how to care about others, but, more important, how to be able to care about one's self as well.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-02820-g263-you-re-adopted -- Anon Guest

Krez often had the chance to

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Challenge #03171-H262: Visiting Day

The Havenworlder writes their Human friend on occasion even knowing the kid cannot read well. And, as the child grew older, they sometimes visited to chat and the Havenworlder learned the safe hiking areas.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03094-h186-they-will-write-to-each-other -- Anon Guest

There is such a thing as an unequal relationship that is nevertheless wholesome and good. Such as the relationship between Poflid Leez, a fully-grown adult of her species, and Human Dru, aged four. A Havenworlder and a Deathworlder respectively,

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Challenge #03164-H255: Earth Plus Water Equals Friendship?

The path to real friendship is paved with really stupid shit. Hey my friend, sorry about that! Here, let me get that mud off of you. -- Anon Guest

There is a saying among Galactics, Pack-bonding will happen whether you want it or not. It is never said by Humans. When they found out about it they laughed.

It was certainly a very true saying for Companion Tros, who had just met her Ships' Human in a cascade of mud, tumbles, and

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Challenge #03130-H221: But We Love Them...

The crew ends up getting stuck on a Level 2 Deathworld and the Humans tame a few of the large omnivores and train them to be ridden. At least until rescue arrives.

"No you CAN'T bring it with, Humans!" -- Anon Guest

Over half of the plantlife was generically toxic. The other half had to be processed in order to be edible more than once[1]. The wildlife was neither shy nor retiring. So, of course, the Ships' Humans flakking loved it,

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Challenge #03121-H212: Call For the Doctor

They sat with popcorn and their best friends from the station and began with the earliest seasons. They had done this for quite some time, twice a month, since they moved here. Twice a month, on a weekend, they made popcorn, and invited friends for a couple of hours of watching Dr. Who, discussing the episodes, and enjoying themselves. And, of course, enjoying being fans of the show. -- HelloImTheDoctor

[AN: You know I can't sell my anthologies for potential money if

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Challenge #03095-H187: Only Among Siblings

Human: We're going to die.. it's over, we're done for.... I'm.. so tired.

Havenworlder: Stop that, we're NOT going to die, you're the human, you're supposed to be comforting me!

Human: I can't do this anymore.. I want to go home, this is hopeless it's over....it's over.. it's over...

Havenworlder: I beg forgiveness in advance for this! - gives the human a sharp slap! -

Human: -- startled --

Human: Sorry... sorry... yeah.. needed that... c'mon, little brother, let's go home

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