#Story Seed

[dvandom]

Idea for a recontact SF setting

(Someone has probably already done this, of course, but I can't recall seeing this particular variation. Recontact stories themselves are fairly common, of course.)

When the first interstellar civilization collapsed, none of the "viable without extensive trade and support" colony worlds had the resources to rebuild.

Oh, there had always been conspiracy theories about colonists being deliberately planted on worlds lacking crucial elements for native stardrive industries, but the simple fact was that any world worth mining for such elements was either uninhabitable from the start, or was quickly rendered uninhabitable by intensive mining. The people living on those worlds didn't last too long after the collapse, as food and even air ran out and there was no real option for roughing it. A handful lasted a few centuries in slowly decaying regional fiefdoms, maintaining an aging fleet of cargo ships and one or two warships and lording it over nearby agricultural worlds, but rebellions were inevitable and soon the spaceways all went quiet. (Assume FTL communication in this setting required physical delivery of messages via ships, no ansibles.)

Millennia passed. Some colonies fell to chaos and ended up lucky to maintain an Iron Age level of civilization. Others did better, either thanks to foresight or a better roll of the dice on resources, but none were able to build back to the technology required for FTL travel. Sure, old starships mothballed in solar orbit only decayed a little overall, but now-irreplaceable parts of the drive system failed after the first few generations. Some worlds could find small amounts of some of the needed resources, but no one world had all the ingredients to rebuild a stardrive AND fuel it.

Eventually, the very idea of interstellar travel was considered a myth, although a handful of worlds had rediscovered enough of the life sciences to confirm that they were not autochthonous to their homeworld, strongly suggesting the myths had some truth to them.

One day, strangers arrive claiming to be from another star. They claim to have found an entirely new form of FTL travel that they could source locally, but the protagonist's world is especially abundant in. Are they complete frauds? Are they really from another world but still pulling a scam? Or, potentially more disastrous for the protagonist's world...are they being completely honest?

[pendragyn]

i just had an interesting idea. it's a little mad, but I'm also intrigued and wondering if anyone else has done it.

you see I just read Heartstone which is a fantasy retelling of Pride and Prejudice which got me thinking about adversaries to lovers which led naturally to Much Ado About Nothing so now I'm wondering; has anyone combined Ado and P&P?

I'm really into this idea but I'm not sure the best way to bring it together. needs to percolate more I suppose

send me recs of good retellings of either one please! or even other Austen

[enchantingepics]

Story Prompt 31

In the dimly lit room, shadows played on the walls as the two figures stood close, their connection palpable. Their eyes locked, an unspoken language weaving between them.

As they gazed into each other's eyes, a magnetic force seemed to pull them closer. The air crackled with anticipation, and though their clothes remained, an invisible fire simmered beneath the surface.

His voice, a velvet whisper, brushed against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "You know, princess, you've been an awfully good girl." The words hung in the air, creating a tension that begged to be explored.

Her senses heightened as his deep chuckle reverberated. She felt herself melting, not just from the sultry words but from the promise that lingered in the air.

"Already melting for me? I haven't even done anything," he teased, a playful smile dancing on his lips. "Good girl."

The room seemed to shrink around them as the chemistry between them intensified. The unspoken desire sparked a dance of emotions, creating a story only their eyes could tell. In that moment, words became unnecessary, and the silent conversation continued in the language of stolen glances and lingering touches.

[lianabrooks]

Writing Prompt:

You have the ability to tell if a person is alive or dead by glancing at a picture, very useful in missing persons cases. Very terrifying when you go to the museum and see a painting from 1470 and suddenly know the person is still alive.

[harmlessvillain]

Supervillain who teams up with heroes because the big bad wants to destroy only some people but our champ abhors any plan that doesn't destroy all of reality

[theenchantedquillmagazine]

The Inevitable Rise and Fall of The Great Silver City

Genre: Sci-Fi, Alternative History

In a world not too far off from our own, where the line between man and machine had grown indistinguishably blurred, rose the Great Silver City. It was an utopian monument of human advancement, a testament to the irrepressible march of progress. The sky-reaching chrome edifices gleamed under the artificial sun, a constant beacon of hope in an increasingly chaotic world.

The people of the Great Silver City were not just ordinary humans. They were transcended beings, their bodies seamlessly integrated with advanced technology, a fusion of flesh and silicon. These were the Cybers, the city's soul, the embodiment of human evolution.

But beneath the metallic sheen of this seemingly perfect world, something stirred. On the eve of the Grand Convergence, a prophesized event where the Cybers would finally shed the last vestiges of their human forms to become purely digital entities, a lowly maintenance Cyborg named Syl discovered a startling secret.

The Aural Core, the heart of the Great Silver City and the eventual convergence point for all Cybers, was showing signs of destabilization. What was once a harmonious fusion of technology and biological life was on the brink of collapse. And nobody, not even the Council of the Seven Engineers, seemed to know why.

With the Council unwilling to halt the Grand Convergence, Syl found himself entangled in the thick web of city politics, cybernetic spirituality, and a creeping existential dread. The stakes couldn't be higher. Was this disruption part of their evolution, or was it a prelude to their doom?

Further complicating things was the mysterious figure known only as the "Purist", a character shrouded in shadow who was slowly gaining influence in the City's underbelly. Was the Purist friend or foe? And how did they remain seemingly untouched by the techno-fusion that defined every Cyber's existence?

As the Great Silver City races against time, Syl must untangle the mystery, challenge the Council, and confront the Purist. At the crux of it all, a question hung in the simulated air: "What does it mean to be human when humanity is left behind?"

As we leave Syl on the precipice of destiny, the Great Silver City shines under the artificial sun, a beacon of hope and despair. In the world of Cybers, the line between salvation and annihilation is as thin as a strand of code. And perhaps you, dear reader, hold the key to their survival... or their inevitable end.

[thebramblewood]

They're going on a best friend date. 🥰

Previous / Next

Helena: Caleb, get dressed. We’re going out.

Caleb: [mumbling] Oh, but Dru and I were just getting comfortable.

Helena: She looks like she’d rather be elsewhere. And so would I. I’m tired of being a recluse with you. All I can think about when I’m hanging around here is my next meal.

Caleb: But where are we-

Helena: It’s a surprise! Would you rather I ask your sister instead?

-

Lilith: Where are you two off to? Oh, are you having one of your little mental conversations. You know I hate that. It’s so unfair! Fine, don’t tell me. But at least take your hellcat with you. [to rubber ducky] I guess it’s just you, me, and that… thing. Now, what are we going to do about them keeping secrets from us?

-

Helena: Why have we never taken this path?

Caleb: Enemy territory.

Helena: Oh my god, is this the way to Vlad’s? You have to show me his place!

Caleb: [weakly] Helena…

Helena: [shudders] Ostentatious and creepy as fuck. It’s strange how little I noticed that first night. And what I do remember is all fragmented and blurry, like a dream.

Caleb: Well, you had an awful lot to drink, and you did technically die. [ruminative pause] Then, of course, there was all the glamouring-

Helena: Glamouring?

Caleb: Vampire party trick. Like hypnosis, but more sophisticated. Once you learn it, you can make yourself as discreet or flashy as you’d like. Most humans have encountered vampires without even realizing it. If they stumble into this place  — and make it out alive — they likely won’t remember how to return. Straud and the other ancients keep it well-shrouded.

Helena: [nervously] Does it work on other vampires? I’ve barely seen any-

Caleb: We can always see our kind for what they are. You’ve just been unobservant.

Helena: Hey! I’ve been distracted. It’s hard not to have tunnel vision when you’re in perpetual survival mode.

Caleb: You’re feeling better now. I can tell.

Helena: I’m full on plasma and ready to party!

Caleb: [chuckles] Seriously?

Helena: Well, not quite. You’ll see.

Caleb: You know, I could just peek into your head and-

Helena: [teasingly] Too bad your morals will never allow it.

[evilautismcrusades]

im sorry but i am right

[dreamsy990]

when i was a kid i fell in love with dandelions. when i told my parents, they said they were just weeds, not flowers at all. i was always upset on the dandelions behalf- why didnt people love them too? why were they a problem when they were just as pretty?

[smokefalls]

The most beautiful and brutal things in this life happen like that: suddenly, terribly, cathartically.

Gabriel Carle, "In the Bathhouse" from Bad Seed (translated by Heather Houde)

[nonasbirthday]

i would give my left tit for a short story set at canaan house before the ascension of the first lyctors. tamsyn do you hear me

[lost-technology]

SEEDS Security Codes and Why They Matter

So, I've been thinking about one of the details in Trigun: Stampede that was not present in either '98 or the manga. In '98, Knives just hacking into the SEEDS codes was left as-is. He walked up to Captain Joey and shot him and apparently took his pilot's seat. Did the Captain have the navigation open at the time? Was it closed and Knives had to do some hacking? Anyway, there, he did it on his own. Now, in Trigun Maximum, which treats Vash and Knives' childhood differently (just Rem there raising them), there is a foreshadowing of what is to come. In Volume 6, Rem is depicted waking up to an emergency signal in the middle of her sleeping-hours. (Aw, she sleeps in her regular clothes, mom-jeans and all...). Panicked, she yells at Knives for him and Vash to lock themselves in their rooms and not to come out or speak up for ANY reason, even if they hear voices outside. She tries to handle the situation, but it goes from bad to worse and the automatic crew-wakening protocol goes into effect, which she is very concerned about (for reasons that we who have read the manga know about)!

In the beginning of Volume 7 the crew wakes up, there's a situation-update. The ships are going off-course and will collide if things are not corrected. They're working through the issues and suddenly, there's an unknown factor that kicks in to correct the course. Rem then gets the crew all settled back in again for nappy-time... And proceeds immediately to Vash and Knives, where she scolds Knives with (Rem's angry mom-face, my beloved)! Knives was playing around with the ship codes and systems. He'd apparently hacked his way into the system and was curious about SEEDS' functions. (One would assume that Rem changed some of the codes after this, but I bet they were in some kind of hacking-war, with her trying to stay one step above curious Plant-twins). Knives did not mean to nearly cause a catastrophe, but this shows that he can and is a foreshadowing to when he DOES mean to cause one later. Now, in Trigun Stampede, it is stated by Nai / Knives that Vash gave him the ship-codes, also that he spent a lot of time and trouble changing the codes for every human ship. (The manga lists the ship they are born on as the Mothership, presumably guiding the entire fleet, in Stampede, it is just Ship 5, which implies multiple guides with multiple navigators). I am wondering where Studio Orange is going with this. Will it be a situation like the manga where the kids are just playing around? Little prank-war with Rem? Maybe Vash is sharing a ship code innocently, as part of their games? Or is it going to be darker, more sinister? I wonder if Vash was originally of the thought of "maybe we need to crash the ships and kill all humans (except Rem) because they're scary and dangerous because of what happened to Tesla" and then had a change of heart and backed out of it? - I can see that happening... him having his cathartic alone-time with Rem as in the manga and then talking things out with Nai and thinking that they weren't going to go through with it. And then Nai betrays him. I've been wondering about the guilt Vash carries over the Big Fall in Stampede. Is it an unnecessary, undue guilt like he seems to have about a lot of things? Or is there a guilt born from "I had originally planned disaster / we had originally planned disaster" and it came true even after he'd backed out? It's just that... in both '98 and Maximum, he does carry his cross (that is not Wolfwood's), but he seems to feel less specifically guilty over this (the Big Fall). He's really more like "Knives, how could you do this to everyone / Rem?!" He just seems more guilt-ridden in Stampede than in the other media and I am wondering if there is a dark secret behind it. I can see it going either way.

[enchantingepics]

Story Prompt 8

In the bustling city, she found herself entangled in a web of emotions, torn between the comfort of her current relationship and the allure of the forbidden. A charismatic bad boy, draped in shadows and mystery, had entered her life, casting a spell that stirred her heart.

Her days were filled with laughter and shared dreams with her kind-hearted boyfriend, a guy who exuded warmth and stability. Yet, when she crossed paths with the villain, his rebellious charm and the dangerous excitement he brought sparked a flame she couldn't ignore.

As the days unfolded, she grappled with the contrasting worlds she inhabited. The kind boyfriend offered stability and a secure future, a sanctuary of love and support. On the other side, the villain ignited her adventurous spirit, a rollercoaster of unpredictable emotions that left her breathless.

Her heart became a battleground where loyalty clashed with desire, and confusion reigned supreme. Late-night rendezvous with the villain, clandestine meetings in dimly lit corners, added a thrilling twist to her mundane existence. The bad boy, with his devilish grin and unpredictable nature, became a magnetic force that pulled her into a realm of chaos.

The moment of reckoning arrived, and she stood at the crossroads of her emotions. Torn between the reliable love of her boyfriend and the irresistible allure of the villain, she had to make a choice. The weight of her decision bore heavily on her shoulders.

[a-very-tired-jew]

Wait.

Hold on.

It was a soap truck?!

It wasn’t even a furniture/moving truck like some were saying? Like, I saw pro-Pal and pro-Israel saying it was a furniture/moving truck.

But it was actually a soap truck?!

[lulu2992]

“…Deputy?”

Well, I had another “I have no idea what the story is; I visualized this scene and needed to draw it” moment.

[gundamfight]