This was a Havenworld, at least for those native to it. Peaceful, utterly harmless.... everything. For those not native to it? They had to stay tightly in their livesuits, or in the special habitats, or risk death. Knomiras saw people walking outside with no livesuits and threw a fit. Fortunately, they got pulled back inside before too much damage was done. -- Fighting Fit
This world only looked like a paradise. Gatekeeper Ulf had the annoying duty of making sure that only prepared people or the actual natives exited into the natural atmosphere.
Most of the tourists were there to see the sky whales, and some were disappointed that they looked more like jellyfish than the Terran titans of the oceans. Some were there to see one of the few Havenworlds that could kill. A very few were nerds who actually cared where hydrophillic fluff came from.
All the same, Spore Season on Sofflox was very beautiful.
Regardless of the safety notices, the warning signs, and even people like Ulf, there's always someone who wants to be out there in person.
"I can see people out there without livesuits on," raged the Knomira who apparently couldn't read. "Why do I have to wear a livesuit when they don't?"
Ulf took a deep breath and tried to explain, "The people without livesuits are native to this environ--"
"Don't give me those long-winded self-important science words! I want a plain language explanation."
Ulf had to remember his zen yoga lessons. "The people you see have natural filters in their bodies so they won't choke on the fluff in the air. That's the same kind of fluff that's in everyone's hypertowels."
"Don't you dare condescend to me! I can tell exactly when anyone's being condescending! I am smart! I am powerful! And I do not have to put up with people who try to put me down and lie to me! I have the same rights as everyone else!"
"Yes you do," said Ulf. "Can you list the responsibilities that match them?" Such as acting in a way that best suited the comfort of all cogniscents around them.
"I am reporting you to your supervisor!" They turned on their heel and stormed off.
Ulf knew what would happen next, and flagged them in advance for close watch by the rest of Security as well as the ERT's. Every damn year. No matter what preventative measures they put in the way... there was always someone who thought that the spores were harmless fluff.
Every year, there was someone clever enough to subvert the security precautions that protected them and dumb enough to ignore every single warning there was to not flakking DO that.
And every year, they hired more gatekeepers, guards, Security staff and ERT's.
Every year, they tried to redesign the measures to stop some idiot finding or making a way out into the fluff.
Ulf was reminded of some wisdom from Pre-Shattering Terra, concerning a park with famously yellow stones, and famously clever wildlife. There is a significant overlap between the smartest bears and the stupidest tourists.
Out here on Sofflox, there was a significant overlap between the willingness to escape and the ignorance necessary to do so.
Ulf didn't have to wait long. This particular Knomira was tracked through all their efforts. Every airlock was guarded and all the Gatekeepers were there to discourage them from the whole "bolt through and hope for success" tactic. Which was phenomenally stupid but they kept trying it anyway.
Once the Knomira was done trying that on every. Single. Airlock. They then went out sabotaging the already hyper-engineered tourist vehicles. Specifically, they hot-wired the emergency release catches. They then deliberately ran as far and as fast as they could for anywhere that was away from tourist facilities.
They made it twenty-five distance units before the choking commenced. Even then, they still tried to run until they were no longer able to run.
The ERT's had to tranq them just to begin extracting the fluff that had almost completely blocked their air ways.
They would be extracting the expanding spores from that Knomira's air passages, and possibly their digestive system, for the better part of a year.
At least they would have plenty of time to review all available material on the spores of Sofflox during their treatment.
[Photo by REGINE THOLEN on Unsplash]
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