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Challenge #02339-F149: Taking Account

Political Hopeful scouting for votes and says "Those Words" - "How can I help?" You can spin this anyway you like. -- Anon Guest

There's two ways to be a Politico of the People. One is to take the vocal majority's word and run with it all the way to a populist poll... and the other is to actually listen to all of the people. The latter is far more difficult to do and harder to accomplish, so many Politico's don't even try.

Not Solomon Grady. Sol absorbed a popular speech about choosing to do the things because they were hard. The difficult things to do were, ultimately, the most rewarding. Science is still ploughing through all the data and samples they got from going to the moon. Therefore, he gathered data from the neighbourhoods where he was running.

Not just a survey, but opinions. The phrase, "How can I help?" became his catch phrase. The data he returned with was phenomenal, but it became a plan. Step one: ignore the racist and sexist trolls with self-entitled whining about how such-and-such group of people 'stole their job' or any other like thing. It is the peak of entitlement to claim something as one's own before it is ever earned.

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Challenge #02338-F148: Words May Never

They meant to hurt you with words and bring you down by demeaning you. You became inspired to do something entirely different. -- Anon Guest

Say something long enough, it becomes true. Words like weirdo, freak, idiot, and so forth don't hurt in small doses, but if they are said often enough, by enough people, to one, that one can easily believe they are worthless. It happens so often, but it does not happen to all.

Consider Suz' Mayberry, iconoclast of Elderwine

Challenge #02337-F147: A Challenge Presents

The darkest place in the universe, as distinct to a black hole which traps light, is known as the the Nothingness, the Big Black or the Deep Dark.

Some species even Deified it as the 'anti" to whatever particular flavour of saviour their belief systems held on high. and appropriately avoided such an abhorrent place. Officially it was called Boötes Void (a distinctly Human moniker, as only humans would NAME such a place)

So naturally the humans wanted to explore it.

The

Challenge #02336-F146: We Can be Heroes

Almost everyone remembers where they were the week the Sun turned Green. Scientists the world over confirmed it was an interstellar dust wave caused by an ancient supernova that had interacted with our atmosphere.

Humanity had continued mostly unaffected. But this was the stuff of comic books and movies. the changes were subtle at first. People noticing enhanced benefits from consuming certain plants, others started tapping into new abilities, and as time progressed things became... strange

now we had almost legitimate "supers"

Challenge #02335-F145: Non-Solutions

"We need options."

"Well, I would say 'kill them all', but none of you ever remember it's a joke."

"HOW IS MASS MURDER A JOKE!?"

"How is mass murder NOT a joke when we're not actually gonna do it?"

"Ok new rule, no more dark humor during meetings." -- Anon Guest

"This isn't a meeting, it's a tragedy in progress."

"How is death possibly funny?"

"All of you. Can it for a sec'. We actually need a working plan," Grax sighed as

Challenge #02334-F144: Unexpected Testing Results

Due to the educational curriculum, I am unfortunately good at regurgitating information. Thus, my speaking patterns are about 90% references. -- Anon Guest

Shayde didn't like the SPOEns, mostly because they disturbed her on an emotional level. This was a pity because, as a group, they were among the few that could understand her. Rael, one of that select group, had to reflect that it was the fault of the pre-shattering education system of the late twentieth century.

Creeping featurism on a

Challenge #02333-F143: This is How a Heart Breaks Back

Human teenagers had terrible lives in their intergalaxy school. When humans joined to Galaxy Alliance they're started to sending their children to schools on other planets. Well... Teenagers have been harassing and bullying without any kind of defence because "humans will always be barbarians and if they do something to someone is abuse and they should be held in cages like animals". One time some Havenworlder starts to offend [name]. He choose wrong person. This was last time that anyone tried to

Challenge #02332-F142: Just Playing

Human: Floor is lava! Alien: WAIT, WHAT?! — Anon Guest

Humans love to play. This does not always mean games of logic and reason, since many Humans lack the capacity for one or both of those attributes. Humans will not always play physical games with solid rule sets, either. Sometimes... they prefer to play with reality.

Human Jef and Tharyx were standing on an inactive console and an otherwise vacant chair, respectively. Xarq stared at the tableau. He knew their Ships’ Human was

Challenge #02331-F141: One Quiet Evening a Long Time Ago

"I do not sleep. I Wait." -- AmberFox

Marvin didn't understand a lot of things. He certainly didn't understand how an Elf and a Kobold managed to sweet-talk him away from the gang. The gang who -they had said- he should be grateful to forever because they let him live. The Elf and the Kobold said he shouldn't have to be grateful for table scraps and daily beatings.

He was sixteen, and already taller than most grown men. Some folks whispered that

Challenge #02330-F140: Take Art

it is not hard to tell the difference between a human run ship and one that is run by others, for humans love color, ships run by humans often have painted walls and images everywhere, for ships that have a 'ships human' it is often best to allow them to decorate their living spaces to avoid agitation from staring at monochrome walls all the time (humans that don't decorate generally enjoy music, writing or other creative acts) -- Anon Guest

Every species

Challenge #02329-F139: Playtime With Humans

There was one human who always pack bonded with others the same way: laying on the floor and talking, softly singing, and telling stories. -- Anon Guest

Some habits are hard to shake. For Human Steve, it was bonding with the ships' babies. Not every cogniscent species has the same lifespan as a Human. Some have very brief lives, indeed. After twenty years with assorted short-term ships, it was hir habit to go directly to the nursery and play with the little

Challenge #02328-F138: Recommended Serving Size

(I thought of this and didn't know what to do with it. My apologies if it is not your style.)

"If you got drunk ONCE by ACCIDENT then you CANNOT call yourself an alcoholic!" -- Anon Guest

Most intelligent creatures have something close enough to alcohol for Humans to drink it and find it close enough to get drunk on. Elves have a potent honey brew that, after a few beginning incidents, were served to the Humans in thimble-sized glasses. Elves drink

Challenge #02327-F137: That's a Lot of Samples

An Exploratory Team stumbles upon a Pirate Hideout and gets ambushed. The scientists make peace with their imminent demise and the pirates begin to prematurely celebrate....Until the ships human shows up, very very angry. -- Anon Guest

They had been excited to see smoke. Specifically, controlled columns of smoke. That meant controlled fires. This, in turn, meant that there was intelligent life present. Science Team Four proceeded cautiously. They didn't want to pollute a starter civilisation with sightings of alien life.

Challenge #02326-F136: At Least They Don't Speak Owo

Humans meet a species that looks very similar to a creature from a franchise. -- Anon Guest

Ensign Jans was vibrating in her seat. She was evidently using every atom of restraint to keep her reaction to a minimum, but Captain Thorne had learned to react to crew-member's tells before said crew-members could explode. In this case, Ensign Jans was a lit keg of fandom enthusiasm and would therefore be unfit for duty in seconds or less.

Therefore, Captain Thorne said, "Ensign

Challenge #02325-F135: Where the Mouth is

"That will never Work!"

"Bet you a (Insert Currency) that you can't."

"Be ready to lose that (Insert Currency)!!!" -- Anon Guest

If there is anything that a Human can be relied upon, it is their ability to take on ridiculous wagers and then win them. No matter how impossible the task. No matter how ludicrously low the bet. Humans will move galaxies to get those bragging rights. Even the tenderest and least offensive Havenworlder can goad a Human into action with,

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Challenge #02339-F149: Taking Account

Challenge #02338-F148: Words May Never

Challenge #02337-F147: A Challenge Presents

Challenge #02336-F146: We Can be Heroes

Challenge #02335-F145: Non-Solutions

Challenge #02334-F144: Unexpected Testing Results

Challenge #02333-F143: This is How a Heart Breaks Back

Challenge #02332-F142: Just Playing

Challenge #02331-F141: One Quiet Evening a Long Time Ago

Challenge #02330-F140: Take Art

Challenge #02329-F139: Playtime With Humans

Challenge #02328-F138: Recommended Serving Size

Challenge #02327-F137: That's a Lot of Samples

Challenge #02326-F136: At Least They Don't Speak Owo

Challenge #02325-F135: Where the Mouth is