Instant Story

Flash fiction fresh from my fingers to your mind!

Challenge #02508-F318: An Asynchronous Encounter in Ships' Night

You ever fall asleep on the couch only to wake up in your own bed? Ever fall asleep in your bed and wake up realizing you're standing in your living room? Sleepwalking can be from stress, it can be from night-terrors, it can be from many things. When they hired their young warrior / linguist, they didn't realize he sleepwalks. It wasn't in the file, after all, and this was the youth's first assignment. Though they would find him asleep in the oddest places. His kitchen, standing up as if looking out the window, sometimes wandering down the hall, until someone turned him back toward his quarters. When awake, though often tired, his skills were very much the high quality they'd hoped for, patient, soft-spoken, and yet strong. But these poor havenworlders had to deal with a sleepwalker, what in Power's name were they to do? -- Anon Guest

"Human Wyn... these are your scheduled rest hours, are you having a problem?" Shrui asked. Ze had never seen Human Wyn so unprepared for duty, in fact the Human was dressed only in hir Skins, and barefoot with it.

"I've come seeking the crystal of enclave," said Human Wyn. There was something strange about the way ze said it. "I have been through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered. I have fought untold foes... I have endured decades of pain. It is my right."

Shrui attempted to process this information from what ze knew of Human Wyn's file. "You have given your age as seventeen. You can't have endured decades, and your health profile was High Green with no problems..."

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Challenge #02507-F317: The Jewels of the Tour

A feathery flash of ruby red, then several bright flashes of green. These tiny birds flit amongst the gardens on the space station as the havenworlders watch them in wonder. They came from a 4.5 deathworld. These beautiful, flying gems. They are more delicate than the most delicate of havenworlders, some humans brought them here to the garden to act as pollinators and to make the place, "more like home,' she'd said. Little nectar-filled feeders can be seen swarming with

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Challenge #02506-F316: Put a Saddle On

Havenworlders, depending on where they're from, are generally small, fairly lightweight, and fragile. On their own homeworlds, they have little to fear. But outside their own homeworlds, there is a vast array of things that can harm them even when just trying to get around. However, one group of Havenworlders find an interesting way to go around the space station without risking getting stepped on, or harmed. They ride on the back of their new, well loved, and very well trained animal

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Challenge #02505-F315: Useful in a Pinch

A: how pure should the acid be?

B: doesn’t matter as long it be acidic

A: kk

then I proceeded to watch the human put their finger down their throat -- Anon Guest

[AN: Content warning for vomiting]

Humans are great at improvising. Provided, of course, that you don't mind the kind of improvisation that Humans are capable of. For example, do not lock them in an empty room with nothing but a screwdriver and a hammer. Don't even think of

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Challenge #02504-F314: Who Waits Forever Anyway?

This Prompt harkens back to the lich who talked to an adventurer explaining how he made sure the corrupt got the karma they deserved. https://steemit.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-02264-f074-health-spa-and-karma-services.

It had been a few hundred years since the talk with adventurer, the "spa service" was going well and a few innocents would wander in from time to time hoping to be healed from illnesses no others seem to be able, or willing, to help them cure. Surprising how many clerics are

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Challenge #02503-F313: Life Echoes Art

Sometimes reality is indeed Stranger than Fiction... As far as finding strange space-faring beings, humans had a knack of seemingly finding those that somehow matched almost exactly the "creatures" of their wide and varied mythologies. From the Thumruth (whom bare an astounding resemblance to Qu-tze Bears) to the Karmorp'se, Humans had learned that pretty much anything was possible! That's when humans came upon a society that developed on the outer regions of their stars habitable zone(thus darker and colder than an

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Challenge #02502-F312: In a Minute

A: not exactly “capture” more like take a moment and put it on a pixelated screen. Here

B: is something supposed to be on this slate?

A: what? It’s right here can’t you see?

B: see?

A: when light passes through ya eyeball

B: light? -- Anon Guest

There were moments like this all over Galactic Space. One participant in a conversation would realise that the other they had been communicating with freely until this moment did not possess the

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Challenge #02501-F311: Special Skill

I have the unique ability to become very flexible after cracking every joint in my body -- Anon Guest

On a kludge station like Amalgam, you get repair junctions like these. They were spaces where cables, pipes, and the occasional load-bearing strut ran through because they were convenient, and then access was added as an afterthought because it was all becoming inconvenient. Time and entropy had made it even moreso.

"Can you get up in there?" asked Engineer Laisse. They were quite

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Challenge #02500-F310: Bear's Big Story

Human Ryan came highly recommended by other Galactic Alliance Scientists and Explorers who had worked with him. As a 'gun for hire' he had survived more than a few wars, notably against other humans and the Vorax Fleets (notes that also had me reaching for my calming medicine). On the flip-side he was highly protective of the lives put in his charge. Braving hostile Flora, Fauna and even the very planets themselves to keep his promise of "no one is left behind.

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Challenge #02499-F309: A Different Key

I have a highly adaptive tendency to assume that the people around me know better than I do. -- Anon Guest

Anthe had spotted the weakest link. It was hard to avoid, really. A beefy boy not nearly yet a man, perhaps twice the size he should be and clumsy with it. His tasks were always the ones with heavy lifting. Take things in, take things out. Take things up, take things down... and always, always, take the blame. They called him

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Challenge #02498-F308: Sleepless With Sialith

They knew humans could last a long time without sleep, but most had regular sleep intervals. When choosing a new man, they heard he was very reliable, fiercely protective of whatever crew he served, and anyone who'd worked with him were more than a little disappointed when he would be reassigned. Things seemed to be working out fine, until they noticed he was sleeping a lot less than most humans, but when he did, he crashed hard! So much so it was

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Challenge #02497-F307: Beginning to Look a Lot Like TERROR

A: oh god, oh fuck it’s happening again

B: what? What wrong?

A: not again, I’m not strong enough

B: for what?!

A: it’s coming, it’s coming

B: WHAT THE FUCK IS COMING

A: Christmas -- Anon Guest

Some Humans are major league into their holidays. Often to the point that Station Regulations have to intervene in regards to what is on public display. Some are not very excited by their holidays, and some... despise them. Companion Huruk

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Challenge #02496-F306: Legend Commence

I may be blind but I can still kick your ass -- Anon Guest

"Do not act incautiously when confronting little bald wrinkly smiling men," -- Terry Pratchett.

He was old, and balding, and had the kind of life-worn face that could make a raisin look youthful. He was feeling his way along the road with a staff, and seemed to be deliberate about being slow about it. Fortunately for Threnody, she had heard of Rule One.

"Ho there, Uncle," she said.

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Challenge #02495-F305: Goofy Scary Skeletons

"Be careful of humans this time of cycle; because this is when they perform a ritual they call 'Halloween.' They place images of human skeletal structures, women with green skin, humans biting into other humans' necks, and other frightening images." -- Anon Guest

Some Humans celebrate mortality. Others celebrate horror and the unknown. In both circumstances, part of the celebration involves dressing up and a certain volume of depictions of Human skeletons. The cultural significance of these have been through more

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Challenge #02494-F304: Mr Sunshine's New Friend

His name was Mr. Sunshine. One of the better known, and as properly feared, members of Pax Humanis. He had been working on a station for some time now when he meets a member of a fluffy, bipedal, cat-like species. They were frequent visitors to this station because it was one of the regular trade stops along their delivery route. They delivered medical supplies and mail, mostly. And, occasionally, carried passengers. One young female of the species meets the cat-loving Mr. Sunshine

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