Amalgam Universe

A 2271-post collection

Challenge #01569-D108: Just Like Home

Australian States and Territories named by the British: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania (formerly Van Diemen's Land).

Australian States and Territories named by the newly-fledged Australians: Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia, Australian Capital Territory.

See a pattern? -- RecklessPrudence

The populace of New Australia spread out into their assorted wide, brown lands. In typical colonial innovation and enginuity, they named the continents after their old states and territories. New Queensland, Novo South Wales, New Victoria, and so forth. New Australia was a warmer planet than Earth, prone to deserts and hostile life forms. But that was nothing new for Australians.

Though some continent names were complicated, they were quickly abbreviated in the typical Australian style. In three generations, they were Nu'kinsl'nd, Nu'Suthoz, Nu'act, Nu'Vicky, Nu'Tazzie and so on. None of the continents so named had any relationship to their original placement in their origin island/continent. But they did have an intense relationship with the general environment. Nu'kinsl'nd, for example, features thick rainforests, blasting deserts with intermittent plainlands, and is ringed by deadly coral reefs. Nu'act is mostly a dormant super-volcano known for its random expulsions of deadly gasses[1].

Most hostile of all was Nuwa, a mountainous desert with harsh winds and a tendency to spontaneously combust in the summer[2]. Most of it, like Western Australia, was extremely hostile desert, but it was rich in mineral wealth. Fortunately, the N'Ozzies were already used to building some towns under the surface of the baking earth. It also lead to the 'elevator oven' or 'liftbaker', a simple set of pulleys and a black, metal box that was designed to rise to the heat and, after some interesting work with sensor systems, return to the cooler interior when the roast was nearly done.

Continue Reading

Prompts remaining: 19 Submit a Prompt! Ask a question! Buy my stories!

Challenge #01567-D106: Improbably Driven

[Person #1]: And you think this will work?

[Person #2]: We have the highest expectations of success.

[Person #1]: Highest expectations?

[Person #2]: Reasonable certainty.

[Person #1]: Reasonable certainty?

[Person #2]: Mild confidence.

[Person #1]: Mild confidence?

[Person #2]: We are drawing lots from a bowl of angry scorpions while ice skating downhill.

[Person #3]: YEAH! WHO'S WITH ME BABY? -- RecklessPrudence

Many a life-threatening adventure has both started and ended with the words, "The human has a plan." Many more have

Read more »

Challenge #01566-D105: The Kindness of Strangers

A true pessimist is always pleasantly surprised. So if you're ever disappointed or upset at something, take heart! Some part of you believes in a better world. -- RecklessPrudence

The collapsible booth on Babel Avenue[1] simply had one word on its placard. Cheer. It was written in large, friendly letters and the person inside it bore a beatific expression and watched those passing by without the slightest hint of flagging spirits.

Rael, on his way to the Temple of Feasts[2]

Read more »

Challenge #01563-D102: The Birth of the Vardian Empire

Follow up to "Designer Babies". Other less reputable Medical facilities, pounce on the process, Dr Vardian is praised for actually trying to talk vanity parents out of bad choices instead of offering a range of "options", athletic ability, perfect pitch, genius I Q. Which leads to the sad question asked by the results. "Why don't I look like Mummy and Daddy?" -- Anon Guest

It only took two years for other gene therapy organisations to spring up in the void left by

Read more »

Challenge #01560-D099: Unintended Consequences

One man's trash is another man's treasure. -- Knitnan

Sooner or later, someone will buy it. This is the mantra of both Junker Nomads and Tall Tale Tellers alike. Some of whom do both jobs at once. The further one goes, the more one can sell it for. Unless, of course, said object is everywhere. In which case, one has to take it to the Edge Territories or beyond.

And every trader, large or small, has a minimum of one Standard Weight

Read more »

Challenge #01556-D095: Intellectual Pollution

(Follow-on from the tramp freighter pilot finding Earth)

What really excited the scientific and engineering community was the 'build-your-own' educational manuals from [Space SCA] - centuries out of date tech for the pilot's society, but theory backgrounds and detailed instructions on how to build everything for a number of tech levels with tools from a number of tech levels, some of which we can build the tools to build the tools for. -- RecklessPrudence

Galrax had left it behind by mistake, in

Read more »

Challenge #01555-D094: What the Hell, it Goes!

It's often held together with paper clips, wire coat hangers and duct tape. But it will last 'long enough' and get you to where you are going safe and sound. -- Knitnan

Unriddling a kludge is half the problem. Engineering a permanent solution that works as well as the kludge is nigh impossible. Desperation makes truly bizarre engineering. Rael, who had spent some time with actual engineers, thought he was getting pretty good at translating kludges to semi-proper engineering that did the

Read more »

Challenge #01554-D093: A Rovin' Heart

"Scrounger" Noun, a person or being who collects discarded objects and turns them into (a) ready cash. (b) something useful - often re-purposed. -- Knitnan

Tolerance is a wonderful thing, and more of it happens on the relatively lawless edges of society than it does in the lawful middles. Law likes to build a bubble around itself and eliminate everything that exists outside of it. But edges... edges are where interesting things happen. Sometimes, it's a plummet into destruction, but other times.

Read more »

Challenge #01552-D091: A Lesson to Learn

Something from a non-human perspective about the deaths-per-terawatt-hour rates of various power sources in the early 21st century [source #1, #2, update of #1], and the irrationality of pushing for more coal over renewables (cough cough current Australian government), or literally anything over nuclear - even without fusion - please?

...especially when you take into account that living within 50 miles of a coal-fired plant exposes you to over three times as much ionising radiation per year as living within the same

Read more »

Challenge #01551-D090: Case Studies in Strangeness

(A scientist's notes while monitoring a human's thoughts)

While trying to focus, the subject held an intense discussion with itself berating itself to focus.

If the scans are anything to go by, it has not enabled the desired effect. -- RecklessPrudence

Everyone knows that humans are insane. The extent of that insanity and the resultant dysfunctions have yet to be completely mapped. Which is why the Centre For Human Studies exist. Sometimes, people are so desperate to know what's wrong with them

Read more »

Challenge #01550-D089: Inspired Desperation

This is dumb, like dosing Tasmanian Devils with meth and then stuffing them down your pants dumb. -- RecklessPrudence

"So let me get this straight," said B'tiz. Who clearly thought that ze was in error. "You are building a catapult to literally throw yourself at the enemy ship, where you will somehow infiltrate and then suborn one of their vessels, rescue me, and leave them stranded on this micro-planet."

"Trebuchet, but yes. That's the gist of it. Trebuchet's are easier to make.

Read more »

Challenge #01549-D088: Reminiscing

How do you know I was cursing at you back then, love? You didn't speak my language yet, and I doubt you remember exactly what I said. For all you know I was paying you lots of loud, angry compliments. -grin- -- RecklessPrudence

"You forget," said Pal. "My livesuit was recording everything. I got a full translation in time, and you were cursing me out for everything under the sky."

T'tin was taken aback. "You knew what I was calling you, and

Read more »

Challenge #01548-D087: The Good Word

We all know "Abracadabra," or, "Hocus Pocus," and sometimes, "Just Like That! Just Like That!" Then of course there's, "Please," "Excuse Me," and, "Thank You," which might stop you getting hit by someone. -- Knitnan

There was one door in the Vault that had not been opened. The SPOEns had been at it for almost a year. And it wasn't often that Shayde took her Ambassadorial Yacht anywhere at all, because she didn't like to travel without Rael by her side. And

Read more »

Challenge #01547-D086: Custom Made Babies

"No matter what side of the argument you are on, you always find people on your side that you wish were on the other." -- RecklessPrudence

"All I'm saying is that a certain amount of strengths are needed in the human genetic structure," argued Doctor Vardian. "My plan was to eliminate genetic disorders. Not... what has happened."

"Purity is more important than anything else," shouted the skinhead in the gallery. "We need to separate ourselves from the filth that has come to

Read more »

Challenge #01543-D082: No More Tea!

"What are They doing here?" he pointed to a pile of colourful objects.

"Oh, the Tea Cosies, we find them very handy in the Experimental Maths Lab."

Kudos for referencing The Goodies, "I'm a Tea pot! I'm a Tea pot" meltdowns. -- Anon Guest

"People actually go mad and think they're tea pots?" said Kerl. "That happens?"

"Not... quite," allowed Mars, who was the head of the department. "Have you any understanding of five-dimensional math?"

"I don't think five people alive have

Read more »