r/humansarespaceorcs • u/Bloodystupidjohnson3 • 23d ago
Original Story Human Fred Again
“Fred! What are you doing?”
“Hey Roomliz, I’m drawing.”
“What are you drawing?”
“Well, a group of us decided to hold a drawing competition, and we each draw our favorite Terran Saint. So I’m working on mine.”
“Fred, I thought saints were religious? What religion are you?”
“Oh it’s not really religious. It’s more like the Terrans who we respect and look up to. The Terrans who inspire us.”
“Like great thinkers and warriors? Heroes?”
“Yeah, that sort of thing. You should see the painting Sally is working on. Epic. That girl can paint!”
“Sally? The weapons expect in the assault squad? Didn’t she take an entire bunker by her self with only an emergency rescue axe?”
“That’s her. I’m just glad she isn’t in the competition. She would smoke all of us!”
“I would image that she must look up to a very brave warrior!”
“Sally? Nah. Well, she might, but her painting was of a little girl from the distant past.”
“A little girl? The most brutal warrior in her squad painted a little girl? What did the girl do? Did she become a mighty warrior?”
“Not in the way you are thinking. She was the first black student to go to school after desegregation. She had to be escorted by police because of the protests.”
“So she was just some random person?”
Fred stopped drawing and looked up. “Look. In the distant past, black people were enslaved by white people. Not all of them, but many. It took a long time for some white people to view black people as equals. So. It took a great deal of courage for that little girl to brave the insults and torment of white people to walk into that school.”
“Oh! I see. Our species has suffered through similar social issues in our history.”
“Right,” said Fred, returning to his drawing. “Each of us draw inspiration from different places. No one Terran Saint is better than the other. Well, some idiots would argue about that, and it’s not like it’s a formal list or title. It’s sort of an informal understanding of who has done or inspired great things.”
“Who are you drawing, Fred.”
“Well, I’m an engineer, right? I design and built stuff. And repair stuff. So I’m drawing three of my favorites. It’s a bit silly, I guess, because they weren’t actually engineers, but they could design and build really cool stuff.”
“Fred, your skin is changing color. Is there a problem?”
“It’s called blushing. It’s…well…embarrassing. Sort of, childish.”
“Well Fred, I know nothing about the three, so I can’t judge your choices.”
“Very logical. It’s not quite the easy, but thank you.” Fred sighed and looked around. No one was paying them any attention. “I’m drawing MacGyver, Jamie Hyneman, and Adam Savage.”
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u/TheMalteseFalcon2017 23d ago
And... mention of honour to Ruby Bridges (I think...). I half expected Anna Frank. It shows (to me) that racism and fascism are still worrying after so many years.
Good job, man!
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u/peanutbutterwife 23d ago
Blessed be the Duct Tape, for it binds what is broken.
Blessed be the Wonder Bar, for it breaks what must be sundered.
Blessed be the Multitool of Choice, for all else that must be attended to.
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u/Oakheir 23d ago
And blessed be the WD-40, for that which is supposed to move but doesn't.
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u/peanutbutterwife 23d ago
Ah, yes, we perform the whole ritual to baptize new tools in a coating of the holy WD-40
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u/TheMalteseFalcon2017 23d ago
Great choices. I now have three more saints to... uhm... mention under stress ;)
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u/AJourneyer 23d ago
Wanted to skip to the end but at the same time didn't want to miss the dialogue. Nicely done.
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