Human: "Excuse me?"
Alliance Member: "Yes?"
Human: "I .. um.... kinda... messed up again."
Alliance Member: "Oh it's you.... OH! You didn't, please not again!?"
Human: "I really thought I could do it this time." The human held their broken arm and looked over at the trees that looked as though something large had just ripped through several of the small branches and leaves.
Alliance Member: "HOW many times do we have to tell you? Stop trying to get to the very top the branches are too thin!"
Human: "I know.. just... I thought I could make it this time."
Alliance Member: Face-palm! -- DaniAndShali
Humans do not easily accept defeat. They have to be trained to it. Spacers, especially, know better than to resign to hopelessness. This can often work to the Humans' detriment, often through their own actions. Such as the instinctual action to climb something very tall.
Humans, descended from arboreal apes, have an innate desire to climb things. Though the instinct is stronger in some than it is in others, it is advised that trained Companions watch out for any Human they see evaluating any tall structure in their general range.
All of this came with sharp recall as Companion Zuuk turned to see Human Ford in the entrance to her personal habitat, one arm cradled carefully in the other, a collection of bruises and lacerations on hir exposed flesh. She had only turned away to fix something for a minute, and Human Ford had gone and done something... silly.
"You did not," sighed Zuuk, her hands already reaching for the emergency medkit. "Not again. Please not again."
"Thought I could make it," at least ze had the decency to be embarrassed. Sure enough, the big tempting tree near their planetary survey campsite now had a clear path of broken branches, from near to the top all the way down to the uncomfortable rocks below.
Zuuk had a withering glare for her Human. "We've been through this. Those branches are too thin to support your weight. As you have found out. Again."
"Nearly got there," she had half a smirk, which vanished as soon as Zuuk took her arm to apply the temporary splint.
Scans indicated that it didn't need resetting. Good. "Now there is less tree to climb, have you learned that it is not safe to climb?"
"Yeah... I think it's sunk in..." Ford winced. "I really thought I could get there."
"Please consult me next time you feel the desire to get to the top of something," said Zuuk. "Then I can tell you if it is ill-advised."
"Yeah, but then you'd stop me," complained Ford.
Zuuk glared patiently into Ford's eyes, looked meaningfully at the temporary cast, and then back into Ford's eyes.
"Oh. Yeah." Ford sighed. Message received. "Right. For my own good."
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / Smileus]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends!
Send me a prompt [51 remaining prompts!]
