Challenge #02646-G089: Nothing?

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Vorax-Ambassador: "Alright. I'm all decked out; got my calming Medication, my Weapons, my Suit, my Everything. I'm ready for this and nothing can Stop me!"
---'laughs in 4.5 Deathworld'--- -- Anon Guest

The Vorax are not mindless eating machines. Their metabolisms just happen to be set on 'rush' and they actively need dense calories to make it through the day. Usually. The advent of calming medication to keep their rage/pillage instincts curbed had helped diplomatic relations intensely. Therefore, the new livesuits for Vorax included automedication for the calming drugs.

Weapons, in Alliance ships and stations, were stunners only. This was far less than any Vorax was used to, but it was also nothing greater than any other species in an Alliance ship or station had with them. Therefore, Xarq was ready for an Ambassadorial Encounter.

The calming meds laid a soft blanket over his mind, and slowed his hearts. Not enough to be dangerous, but enough to put the edge off of his needs. Enough to curb the fight-or-flight response to literally everything around him. Enough, in short, to make sure he would think about how his responses might be received before he actually responded.

Everything checked, double-checked, and triple-checked enough to sate Xarq's native anxiety and, since the calm meds were kicking in, that was lowered enough to get him out of his Ambassadorial Yacht.

Straight into the face of a Human Security Officer. They were also in a livesuit. "Good morrow, Ambassador, welcome to Way Station Customs. Are you carrying any unsealed consumables in your luggage, today?"

This... was not what Xarq expected from one of the few species to face down Vorax raiders and win. "Er," he said. "What counts as luggage? Because I have mandatory calming medication integral to my livesuit and the spare canisters have to be free of their packaging..."

"We're specifically looking for loose fruits and vegetables, live prey-type cargo, and unprinted food products in unsealed packaging, sir."

"Then... no. Nothing that qualifies for those."

"Have you been in any locale that may have been contaminated with the following fungal spores..."

Of all the things that had stopped the Vorax, customs and immigration protocols was the one least expected by anyone.

[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / lineartestpilot]

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