you're telling me these humans they evolved on a planet with 70% surface coverage of a highly corrosive universal solvent Captain CarX clicked his mandibles in disbelief all four eyes widening as he stared at the holographic display actually sir Lieutenant VZ adjusted her translation implant nervously that's not even the concerning part the bridge of the galactic Council exploration vessel Eternal curiosity had fallen unusually quiet even the normally chatty maintenance drones seemed to sense the gravity of the moment their usual worrying reduced to an anxious hum krx Pride of the zexer space force and self-proclaimed only death
worlder crazy enough to make Captain leaned forward in his command chair the reinforced titanium alloy creaked under his considerable weight a necessity for someone evolved on a 2.1g world Define not even the concerning part he said slowly vzna pulled up another hologram this one showing atmospheric composition readings their atmosphere is a approximately 21% pure oxygen what KX actually fell out of his chair his exoskeleton clattering against the deck that's that's impossible the combustion risk alone oh it gets better Vina continued warming to her subject with the enthusiasm only a xenobiologist could muster for potentially lethal
planetary conditions they evolved in an environment with regular electrical atmospheric discharges seasonal megastorms active plate tectonics and periodic ice ages their Planet hosts over 500 species of obligate Predators weighing over 50 kilogram and that's just counting the current surviving ones KX hauled himself back into his chair mandibles twitching and they survive this how intelligent are we talking about here they've achieved faster than light travel by the first egg KX whispered how did we miss them until now well VZ brought up yet another hologram this one showing a spiral arm of the Galaxy with a small
region highlighted in red they're from what we designated as the dead zone that region we assumed was uninhabitable due to the density of class 4 through nine death worlds you mean to tell me KX said slowly that we found intelligent life in the sector we marked hereby dragons on our Star Charts technically sir I believe the official designation was navigation Hazard extreme Environmental mental conditions but yes and humans well they don't just survive there they Thrive the bridge fell silent again as the implications sank in the zexi had always prided themselves on being the Galaxy's
Premier death worlders their home world with its crushing gravity and costic atmosphere had produced a species of hearty Warriors that other races regarded with a mixture of fear and respect but this this was something else entirely pull up their first Contact protocols KX ordered trying to maintain some semblance of professional Detachment let's see how they handled diplomatic sir the sensor operator's voice crackled with alarm unidentified vessel just dropped out of FTL it's it's broadcasting on all frequencies a new voice filled the bridge speaking in surprisingly good Galactic standard attention alien vessel this is the human
merchant ship Bob's your uncle we noticed you scanning our colony and thought we'd pop by to say hello also we brought snacks fair warning they're a bit spicy kx's mandibles worked silently for a moment before he found his voice did did they just casual FTL jump next to us to offer us food affirmative sir they're also requesting permission to dock they say and I quote we've got some great stories about this one time we accidentally terraformed a Moon by spilling coffee and we'd love to swap Tales over dinner krx started laughing he couldn't help it
after three decades of space exploration he thought he'd seen everything but this this was new vzna what's your professional opinion as our xenobiologist should we accept their invitation vzna was already reviewing the preliminary scans of the human vessel sir their ship's life support is maintaining Earth standard conditions that means their snacks probably evolved in an environment that would kill most species in the Galaxy their idea of a bit spicy might be classified as a chemical Weapon by Galactic Council standards perfect KX clapped his primary hands together open a channel I want to meet these humans
What followed was arguably the most interesting first Contact in Galactic Council history the humans as it turned out were exactly as crazy as their planetary conditions suggested and then some the human Captain one Sarah Chen stroe onto the Eternal curiosity with the Casual confidence of someone who had evolved on a planet where death by lightning was a common enough occurrence to have its own insurance category she was carrying what she called a picnic basket and wearing what she described as Casual Friday attire hope you don't mind she said setting down the basket but we brought
a variety of options never know what other species can safely eat you know though I've got to say you folks look pretty sturdy death worlders right KX puffed up with pride indeed we evolved on 2.1g planet with a corrosive atmosphere Sarah grinned nice we've got a colony on a planet like that great for extreme sports tourism kx's mandibles dropped you colonize worlds like ours for fun well yeah I mean you've got to do something on your vacation right can't spend all your time on those boring Paradise worlds no offense to the species that live there
but where's the excitement and perfect weather and no Predators the next few hours were a crash course in human Insanity Sarah and her crew shared stories that made kx's exoskeleton crawl Tales of humans deliberately jumping out of perfectly functional aircra craft for entertainment diving into the corrosive water that covered their planet to see what's down there and intentionally climbing Frozen mountains because they're there but it was the food that really drove home just how different humans were Sarah had thoughtfully brought environmental suits for the Eternal Curiosities crew explaining that some of the spices might be
a bit much for unprotected respiratory systems she wasn't wrong KX watched in horror as Sarah casually bit into something she called a ghost pepper while explaining that it wasn't even close to the hottest thing humans ate for fun wait vasna interrupted her scientific curiosity overriding her survival Instinct you're saying you deliberately cultivated plants that produce chemical irritants to make your food more interesting oh yeah Sarah beamed we've got this great restaurant back on Earth that makes you sign a waiver before they'll serve you their special sauce it's fantastic the conversation eventually turned to military matters
as convers ations between spacefaring species often do KX was proud of the zri combat record they were after all the galactic council's go-to species for handling hostile environments and dangerous missions so he said trying to steer the conversation back to familiar ground I assume your species handles most of your civilization's high-risk military operations Sarah looked confused what no we're mostly merchants and explorers our military is pretty small actually we figured out pretty early that trading is more fun than fighting but with your environmental tolerances your physical capabilities krex sputtered oh that Sarah laughed yeah we're
pretty tough I guess but we learned that you can get way more cool stuff by making friends and trading fairly than by trying to take it by force plus you know friends let you try their weird alien food it was at that moment that CarX had an epiphany the zri had always seen their death World Origins as a source of Marshall Pride a reason to stand apart from the softer species of the Galaxy but humans humans had taken their remarkable durability and turned it into a source of connection an opportunity to go places and meet
people that others couldn't Sarah CarX said slowly I believe this could be the beginning of a very interesting relationship between our species great Sarah grinned want to try some of this hot sauce I promise it's only rated as a class 3 chemical irritant by Galactic Council standards and that's how the Galaxy's Premier Warrior Race learned that there was more than one way to be a death worlder the zexi might have evolved to survive harsh conditions but humans had evolved to turn those conditions into opportunities for fun profit and friendship in the years that followed human
influence spread through the Galaxy not through Force of Arms but through an infectious combination of curiosity hospitality and what they called Extreme tourism they established colonies on World's other species considered uninhabitable set up trading posts in the most most unlikely places and generally treated the Galaxy's most dangerous environments as their personal playground the galactic Council eventually had to create an entirely new classification system for planetary hazards because humans kept colonizing worlds that were supposedly impossible to live on they also had to revise their first Contact protocols to include a section specifically about human food with
appropriate warning labels and liability waivers KX went on to become the galactic council's Chief liaison to human space a position that required him to sample a lot of human Cuisine he developed quite a taste for something called extra spicy chicken wings though he never quite worked up the courage to try the sauce that required a waiver as for Sarah Chen she parlayed her first Contact experience into a successful chain of extreme environment restaurants that catered to both humans and other death worlders her Flagship establishment located on Earth in a place called Texas became famous for
its Supernova challenge a dish so spicy that it had to be prepared in a sealed clean room by staff in hazmat suits the rest of the Galaxy watched in a mixture of horror and Fascination as humans continued to treat the most dangerous environments in known space as tourist destinations they set up ski resorts on Ice worlds deep sea hotels and ammonia oceans and extreme hiking trails on planets with active volcanic regions but perhaps the most telling sign of Humanity's unique approach to the Galaxy came in the form of a small addition to their standard ships
greeting where most species Broad cast their credentials and peaceful intentions human vessels added a simple postcript greetings from Earth we come in peace bearing snacks environmental suits recommended in the end it turned out that being a death worlder wasn't about being the toughest or the strongest it was about how you chose to use your abilities and humans in their peculiar wisdom had chosen to use their remarkable durability to make friends share meals and turn the most hostile environments in the Galaxy into vacation spots the zexi eventually adapted the their own approach opening a series of
high-gravity fitness centers that became popular with humans looking for an extra challenge because if you can't beat them and you definitely can't out eat them you might as well join them and somewhere in the Galaxy right now there's probably a human asking an alien if they'd like to try something called a Carolina Reaper while a zexy environmental safety officer frantically waves warning flags in the background with all due respect Captain curix Ambassador lain's hologram flickered with barely contained agitation you can't be serious about this cultural Exchange program krx now sporting several human merit badges for
completing various extreme sports challenges clicked his mandibles in Amusement I assure you Ambassador I'm perfectly serious the humans have already agreed but a joint Academy training both species young together have you seen their educational methods I have KX replied absent-mindedly adjusting the I Survived human hot sauce pin on his his ceremonial armor that's precisely why I proposed it the ambassador's Four Eyes blinked in Rapid succession a sign of extreme distress among the Zex they teach their children survival skills by abandoning them in Wilderness areas they call it summer camp actually a cheerful voice interrupted that's
just the basic course wait until you hear about our Advanced Wilderness Leadership program Sarah Chen now sporting the impressive title of human Galactic relations director and owner of the the increasingly Infamous restaurant chain death by dining stepped into view she was wearing what humans called a Hawaiian shirt decorated with patterns of Earth's most dangerous predators Sarah kx's mandibles spread in what had become his approximation of a human smile perfect timing I was just explaining to the Ambassador about our new joint venture Oh you mean the extreme Exchange program Sarah grinned we've already got over thousand
applications from Human teenagers they're super excited about learning High Gra combat techniques from the Zex the ambassador's exoskeleton actually creaked from tension and how many Zex applications have we received 327 so far KX reported proudly mostly from young ones who've been watching human extreme sports broadcasts we're calling it death World Academy Sarah added helpfully though legal made us add Safety First to the official title what followed was perhaps the most interesting educational experiment in Galactic history the first class of the joint death world species Safety First Academy JD ssfa or Death School as the students
immediately dubbed it opened six standard months later on a specially chosen planet that both species found pleasantly challenging the facility itself was a Marvel of cross species engineering One Wing maintained Earth standard conditions while another replicated the crushing gravity and costic atmosphere of the zeex home world the common areas existed in a carefully maintained middle ground that both species found uncomfortably exciting welcome to orientation Sarah stood before the assembled students a mix of human teenagers practically vibrating with excitement and young zexer trying very hard to maintain their species traditional dignified bearing before we begin please
make sure you've signed all 14 pages of liability waivers and yes the section about voluntary exposure to human cooking is mandatory krx standing beside her as co-administrator added remember the goal here is not just survival but understanding each species has something to teach the other the first few weeks were interesting the human students took to high gravity training with characteristic enthusiasm turning what was supposed to be a grueling endurance exercise into something they called Extreme parkour the zexer instructors watched in horror as their carefully designed obstacle course became a playground for backflipping teenagers in gits
meanwhile the young zri discovered something their species had never ever considered fun could be a powerful training motivator their natural durability combined with human creativity led to the invention of several new sports that would later be banned in three sectors of the Galaxy but it was in the classroom that the most surprising developments occurred so Jennifer Martinez a 16-year-old from Earth raised her hand during xenobiology class you're saying that most species consider both our worlds completely uninhabitable correct the instructor Dr vzan Who had eagerly transferred from the Eternal curiosity to study this unprecedented experiment confirmed
the combination of environmental hazards on either Earth or zri prime would be lethal to approximately 98% of known Sapient species cool Jennifer turned to her zri lab partner ctil want to help me with my science project I've got this idea for an extreme environment cooking show ctil who had already developed a concerning addiction to human energy drinks clicked enthusiastically only if you'll help me test my theory about using your Earth bungee jumping techniques in our gravity Dr vzna made a note to update the liability waivers again the Academy's first major crisis came during what humans
called parents weekend the facility's kitchens attempting to cater to both species tastes accidentally cross-contaminated a zri protein dish with human hot sauce the resulting chemical reaction melted three tables and created a new compound that was immediately classified as a controlled substance by the galactic Council the human parents thought it was hilarious the zri parents were impressively stoic about the whole thing though several were seen secretly sampling the remains of the contaminated dish when they thought no one was looking but the real breakthrough came during the end of term projects Kil and Jennifer's presentation titled extreme
environment Fusion Cuisine a study in cross species gastrochaenolites their demonstration of how to safely combine zri mineral supplements with human spices created what they called super hot sauce a condiment that technically qualified as a terraforming agent other notable projects included a modified high-gravity skateboard later patented and mass-produced a universal environmental suit that could handle both Earth's oxygen-rich atmosphere and zri Prime's custic conditions a new extreme sport called gravitational chess that somehow combines strategic thinking with freef fall combat a cooking method that used Earth's lightning strikes to prepare traditional zri dishes the Academy's success led to
some unexpected diplomatic developments other species watching from a safe distance began to realize that perhaps they had been too quick to write off the deadly sectors of the Galaxy if humans in zexi could not only survive but actively enjoy such conditions maybe there was something to learn from their approach the galactic Council faced with the undeniable success of the program and only three minor explosions reluctantly approved funding for an expanded exchange initiative they did however insist on maintaining a minimum safe distance for observation Sarah Chen reviewing the first Year's results couldn't stop grinning see I
told you it would work nothing brings people together like shared danger and good food KX who had finally worked up the courage to try the legendary waiver requiring hot sauce and only spent 3 days in medical recovery nodded indeed though perhaps we should reconsider allowing the students to name their own training exercises I'm still not sure Yeet or be yeated properly conveys the gravitational physics involved the Academy's motto suggested by the first graduating class and approved despite the administration's better judgment said it all what doesn't kill you makes you hungrier and somewhere in the Galaxy
a new generation of humans in Zex are discovering that the most dangerous thing about being a death worlder isn't the environment it's the ideas you get when you meet someone else who thinks your deadly home World sounds like a fun place to visit the second Year's applications doubled the liability waiver grew to 20 pages and the Galaxy watched with a mixture of horror and Fascination as two species of deathworlders learned that education was a lot more interesting when there was a chance of explosions as Sarah likes to say in space no one can hear you
scheme but they can definitely hear the boom when your Chemistry project gets a little too creative this is absolutely unprecedented the galactic Council health and safety inspector declared his protective suit worring as its filters worked overtime I'm looking at what appears to be a voluntary vacation destination on a class n death World welcome to extreme Horizons Resort and Spa Sarah Chen beamed now sporting both her restaurant chain owner credentials and her newly minted title of Chief experience officer at the Galaxy's first cross species extreme tourism company would you like to try our signature acid rain
mud bath it's very exfoliating the inspector's environmental suit gave a concerned beep as it detected yet another potentially lethal environmental hazard Miss Chen there are active volcanoes within viewing distance of the main Lodge oh yes KX chimed in his exoskeleton gleaming with a fresh coating of protective resin that's why we chose this location the lava flows provide excellent ambient heating for our spa treatments and the volcanic lightning makes for spectacular evening entertainment the inspector scrolled through his data pad with increasing distress your activities list includes anti-gravity bungee jumping into active geysers don't worry Sarah reassured
him we have a comprehensive waiver system and the rescue drones are top of the line they were designed by our first graduating class at the Academy indeed the resort was the latest joint venture between humanity and the zexer staffed largely by graduates of the now famous Death School the the facility itself was a testament to what happened when you combined human Hospitality concepts with zexi engineering the main Lodge a stunning piece of architecture that somehow managed to look both inviting and like it could withstand a direct meteor strike housed three different atmospheric zones the human
section maintained Earth standard conditions complete with what they called a weather room that simulated various Earth natural disasters for homesick guests the Zex Wing recreated their home world's crushing gravity and costic atmosphere featuring what they marketed As relaxing acid pools but it was the common area that really showcased the insanity of the Venture designed to be challenging yet survivable for both species it had quickly become the Galaxy's hottest meeting spot for thrill-seeking diplomats and here's our Premier restaurant Sarah gestured proudly to a reinforced structure with Hazard warnings in 12 languages The Last Resort where every
meal is an adventure the restaurant had already gained notoriety throughout the Galaxy it's head chef none other than Jennifer Martinez the former Death School student who had invented super hot sauce had created a menu that required graduated tolerance testing before guests could advance to the higher tiers we've had to update our insurance policy six times this month alone CarX noted proudly apparently we're now classified as our own category of risk the inspector watched in horror as a group of human tourists cheerfully headed towards something called the lightning surfing experience while a family of zory Youth
eagerly signed up for extreme sports hurricane Edition but why he finally managed to ask well Sarah explained helping a Zex guest adjust their I survived Earth gravity anti-rush suit we realized something important during our educational Exchange program both our species evolve to not just survive extreme conditions but to adapt and thrive in them so why not share that perspective with the rest of the Galaxy CarX nodded his mandibles clicking in Amusement as he watched a mix group of humans in zri playing something they called volcanic volleyball besides he added you haven't lived until you've tried
deep sea fishing in a methane ocean the catch may be toxic to most species but the views are spectacular the Resort's success spawned a whole new industry soon extreme Horizons locations were popping up on death worlds throughout the Galaxy each Resort specialized in showcasing the unique hazards of its location turning what other species considered lethal environmental conditions into tourist attractions popular packages included the lightning strike golf Challenge on electric storm Prime zerog G wrestling in the crushing gravity Wells of neutron Beach Resort acid rain rafting adventures in the costic rivers of morean 6 Sandstorm surfing
on the glass deserts of silica major but perhaps the most surprising development came from the Resort's unexpected role in Galactic diplomacy it turned out that something about facing potential death by entertainment made traditional diplomatic tensions seem rather trivial it's hard to maintain a species rivalry Sarah often observed when you're both trying to survive the Ultimate Death world to cathlon the resorts Conference Center built to withstand everything from meteor strikes to Quantum fluctuations became a popular location for difficult diplomatic negotiations more than one Intergalactic treaty was signed in the aftermath of what became known as survival
bonding sessions the inspector's final report report to the galactic Council was succinct while I cannot in good conscience approve of any of this I must admit that the safety Protocols are impressively thorough if only because both humans and zexer seem to enjoy surviving increasingly improbable situations he added a personal note also the gift shop selection of I cheated death on my vacation merchandise is surprisingly extensive the Resort's success led to yet another collaborative Venture Sarah and KX announced the creation of death World Adventures an educational tourism company specializing in what they called survival tourism experiences
think of it as a gap year program Sarah explained to a horrified panel of Galactic education officials but with more lava the first group of students a mix of various species under the guidance of human and Zary instructors set out to explore the Galaxy's most dangerous environments their blog dancing with death responsibly became an instant hit ENT trees included how to make friends with local Mega Predators note results May Vary top 10 most delicious possibly toxic plants fashion guide accessorizing your environmental suit dating across species when your idea of a fun first date involves possible
death the galactic Council eventually created a new Department specifically to handle what they termed human zory collaborative Insanity the Department's first action was to establish a new Hazard classification system that included the category technically survivable human XX standard and somewhere in the Galaxy right now a human and a zeex are probably planning their next relaxing vacation to a planet that would kill most species instantly they'll probably open a coffee shop there as Sarah likes to say in the hospitality industry you haven't really made it until your establishment requires a Quantum physicist to calculate the insurance
premiums the Resort's latest edition a Time dilated bungee jumping experience near a black hole the waiver for that one is still being written the Galaxy may never be the same but at least it's never boring and the gift shop does amazing business breaking news across the galactic Information Network the holographic announcers tentacles waved with barely contained excitement the latest season of survival death World Edition has broken all previous viewing records with an estimated 40% of the Galaxy's population tuning in for last night's finale the show a joint production between human and zeex entertainment companies had
become the Galaxy's most unlikely cultural phenomenon the premise was simple take contestants from various Standard Environmental worlds and have them attempt to complete challenges designed by humans and zexy all while learning to appreciate the charm of death world living can you believe Sarah Chen mused watching the broadcast from her office in the newly constructed extreme Horizons corporate Tower built to withstand direct asteroid impacts naturally that just 3 years ago most spe es wouldn't even consider visiting a class 4 world krx now sporting the impressive title of Galactic minister of extreme tourism and cultural exchange clicked
his mandibles in Amusement my favorite part was when that floan contestant discovered they could use their natural buoyancy to Surf Earth's hurricane winds the latest season had featured everything from cooking challenges using volatile Earth ingredients to survival exercises in zri Gravity the finale which involved a scavenger hunt through an active volcanic range while dodging lightning strikes had kept the Galaxy on the edge of their seats but the show's true impact went far beyond entertainment Minister Kirks a young zexi burst into the office their exoskeleton still smoking slightly from their morning extreme commute through the acid
rain the galactic council's cultural exchange committee has just released their annual report the report displayed in hovering holographic text told an extraordinary story in the 3 years since the establishment of the joint death world species safety First Academy and the subsequent tourism Ventures there had been a 300% increase in cross species adaptation training programs more surprisingly species that had traditionally avoided any form of environmental challenge were now actively seeking out controlled exposure experiences look at these numbers Sarah grinned scrolling through the data the flans have opened their own gravity adaptation centers the crystallines are offering
extreme temperature tolerance workshops even the vapori have started a solid state Appreciation Society the cultural shift hadn't stopped there fashion trends across the Galaxy now Incorporated elements of human and Zex protective gear battle scard Chic as fashion magazines called it had become the latest rage environmental suits were no longer merely functional but had become status symbols with the most prestigious designs featuring authentic Scorch marks from Earth lightning or acid etching from Zex storms even Cuisine had undergone a revolution Jennifer Martinez's The Last Resort had spawned a whole new category of dining establishment the survival restaurant
these establishments offered increasingly adventurous species the chance to sample carefully controlled portions of human and zri Cuisine complete with Medical Teams on standby did you see the latest application numbers for next year's Academy class KX asked pulling up another holographic display we've got candidates from 27 species that were previously classified as extremely environmental sensitive the academy at itself had evolved what started as a human zexy Exchange program had grown into the Galaxy's Premier Institution for cross species adaptation training the curriculum now included everything from introduction to breathing optional environments to Advanced interspecies emergency response techniques
but perhaps the most significant change was happening in Galactic politics another trade delegation requested to hold their negotiations at the lightning surfing Resort Sarah noted checking her messages apparently they believe that facing possible death by electrocution together will help break their diplomatic deadlock she wasn't wrong the phenomenon had become so common that political analysts had coined a term for it death World diplomacy the theory was simple species that survived extreme conditions together tended to develop a bond that transcended traditional political barriers the galactic Council initially skeptical of the whole movement had been forced to adapt
they now maintained a permanent diplomatic facility on Earth complete with what they called graduated exposure Chambers to help Representatives acclimate to human conditions The facility's Motto suggested by a particularly enthusiastic vapore Diplomat if we can survive this together we can negotiate anything even Warfare had been impacted the traditional approach to conflict resolution was being replaced by what humans and zexi called Extreme Sports competitions why fight a war when you could settle disputes with a multispecies Team Challenge in deadly conditions oh this is interesting KX said reviewing another report remember that group of crystallines who went
through our thermal shock therapy program they've just announced the opening of their own volcanic spa resort they're marketing it as extreme meditation the influence of human and zexi culture had created entirely new Industries death World Insurance had become one of the Galaxy's most profitable sectors extreme wedding planning was gaining popularity among adventurous couples there was even a dating service specifically for beings interested in high-risk romance but the most profound change was in how species viewed their own limitations we've got a vapori applying for a position as a volcanic diving instructor Sarah announced holding up a
particular application they've developed a specialized containment suit that lets them maintain their gaseous form while operating in extreme pressures krx clicked his mandibles thoughtfully remember when most species thought we were insane for living on our home worlds now they're developing new technologies just to experience our kind of fun the Galaxy was changing one extreme experience at a time species that had once feared death World conditions were now seeking them out safely and under proper supervision of course the liability waivers were still extensive but now they came in more languages next week's pretty busy Sarah noted
checking their schedule we've got the inauguration of the first zerog gravity acid rain dance club the opening of a new chain of extreme coffee shops called deadly brew and the Galaxy's first cross species extreme sports championship don't forget the new reality show krx added So You Think You Can Survive starts filming on that nice class8 death world we found last month somewhere in the Galaxy a being that evolved in perfect environmental conditions is probably right now signing up for their first introduction to Earth weather course they're probably terrified and excited in equal measure and that's
exactly how humans and Zex like it as the saying goes in the newly established Galactic extreme tourism board life begins at the edge of your comfort zone just make sure your insurance is up to date the latest addition to the extreme Horizon's Resort chain a facility specifically designed to help beings face their species traditional environmental fears they're calling it phobia Factor death World Edition the waiting list is already 6 months long and the gift shop it's expanding into a mall because if there's one thing the galaxy has learned from humans in zory it's that anything
can be an adventure if you're brave enough to try it just remember to sign the waiver
