[Mikester92]

{UFP} Short Story Competition
Voting Period Open from the 1st of March to the 9th of March.

The {UFP} Short Story Competition has once again officially ended. Please read over the following five stories and cast your vote in favor of the story you feel deserves the winning prize. The winner of the competition will obviously go to the person with the most votes, and his/her name will be announced shortly after the voting period ends.

To all those who are competing: good luck, and happy voting to all!

**The stories produced below are all unique works from various members in the fleet, they are therefore not allowed to be reproduced or copied without direct authorization from the writer himself.

[Mikester92]

A Sea of Regret
Author: Tallaris

The reception tent was a blur of warm sunshine, white-and-gold dress uniforms, and shimmering gowns of every description. Data led the band in a warm and lively rendition of Blue Skies, revelling in the capabilities of his emotion chip, as Will Riker and Deanna Troi whirled across the dance floor with matching, dreamy smiles on their faces. All in all, it was the happiest occasion the Enterprise crew had known in months – the day that their soon-to-be former Counselor and First Officer finally tied the knot.

Nobody seemed to notice one large, chocolate-skinned man with thick cranial ridges and his hair in a tight braid, slumped over at one one of the tables with several empty glasses.

"Romulan Ale should be illegal," Worf muttered, and his face went down into his folded arms in a most un-warrior-like position.

Maybe it was the Ale talking, or maybe it was just the idea of weddings in general which was hateful to a man who'd seen two mates murdered. First K'Ehleyr, then Jadzia. And now, the third woman he had loved, the one he'd let slip through his fingers merely for that assignment on Deep Space Nine, was married to somebody else. If that wasn't a reason to get stupidly drunk, what was?

Not that the drinking helped.

He couldn't look at Deanna anymore. The sight of her, like a dancing rose in that floating pink bridal gown, her hair carefully ironed out and pulled into a knot, was damned painful. He liked her hair in its natural state, a coal-black riot of curls to tangle one's fingers in. And once upon a time, he had imagined her in a different wedding gown – a red one embroidered in cloth of gold, in accordance with Klingon tradition.

But no, he was confused…Jadzia had worn that blood-red gown, and less than a year later, her blood had stained his hands as she died.

"May I join you, Mr. Worf?"

The wry, elegant tone of the man startled Worf into straightening up. Jean-Luc Picard smiled; Kahless bless him, there was no pity in that careworn face, only understanding.

"Certainly, Captain," Worf grunted. "But I must warn you, I am very poor company today."

The Captain surprised him by letting out a sigh as he settled down opposite Worf. "That's all right," he said. "Neither am I."

The older man sipped a glass of wine, watching the dancers over Worf's shoulder with the air of a man looking far back into his own past. Glancing briefly in the same direction, Worf noted a flash of orange hair. Dr. Crusher was dancing by on the arm of her date, laughing at something he said. Worf glanced back at his Captain, but the look of raw longing in the other man's eyes as he watched his lovely CMO forced Worf to look away, out of respect for his Captain's dignity.

"I hate weddings," Worf burst out. "You Humans get so – so sentimental about them. Any unmarried being in attendance has to face the looks of all those happy couples," with a glare in the direction of the dance floor. "If Commander Riker and Counselor Troi had not been my comrades, I would not have come at all."

"I suspected as much," said the Captain. "I'm happy for them, of course, but…"

Worf nodded. They didn't need to talk about it – it would have not have sat well with their masculine dignity – but the same thought was on their minds like a layer of heavy smoke.

It's too late now. Why did I ever let her go?

Worf reached for the bottle of Romulan Ale. Another glass or two and the lake of self-pity he found himself swimming in might drain away, preferably replaced by unconsciousness. Instead the Captain pushed the bottle away.

"I think you've had quite enough for today, Commander," he said, in that ringing tone there was no arguing with. "I want you fit for duty tomorrow, remember? For the trip to Betazed? You wouldn't want to walk onto the bridge with a hangover, now would you?"

"You are right, Captain, as always," he rumbled.

"Now, while you can still converse with reasonable intelligence, tell me – what do you think of the new refits for the Enterprise?"

Worf smiled, fighting down a human impulse to hug the formidable Captain. He was letting Worf save face, steering the conversation back to safe and familiar ground, and implicitly showing his care and concern. As they talked enthusiastically about engine modifications, the third holodeck, and the seat belts for the chairs on the bridge, Worf thought, with a measure of surprise, that perhaps he was not alone in the universe after all.

[Mikester92]

Expect the Unexpected
Author: Thomas Mullaly

As the turbolift doors opened, she looked up to find herself staring open-mouthed at the imposing figure of Commander Worf. He grunted dismissively, and Ensign Emma Justman quickly closed her mouth, and scooted into the Turbolift beside the Commander.

“Hello Sir. Lovely day today isn’t it?”

Her sad attempt at small talk was a nervous reaction she had picked up since coming to the Enterprise. She had been transferred to the Soverign-class starship only two weeks prior, when the Enterprise had made a pit stop at Deep Space 4 for some repairs and shore leave. This was her first starship assignment, and so far the experience had left her wishing she was back on Deneva Prime. Although the inertial dampeners were designed to prevent a feeling of movement through space, Emma could still feel the ship hurtling through space. The sense of motion, however much Doctor Crusher advised her that it was imaginary, made her consistently nauseous.

“That is a matter of opinion.”

Worf shifted uneasily as the Turbolift continued to its destination. Emma wasn’t sure whether he was uncomfortable with the small talk, or if he just didn’t appreciate associating with junior officers, but she decided to let him be. This was just another example of why she wasn’t cut out for serving aboard the Enterprise.
Worf turned to her and was about to say something when Emma heard a single click, and with a lurch the turbolift began to accelerate downwards, throwing Emma into Worf. The turbolift began to gain speed, falling through the ship. Emma screamed in fear, clinging to Worf. With a grunt he shoved her aside and reached for the control panel, attempting to slow their descent. As his hand approached the panel, the turbolift stopped suddenly, with its occupants thrown to the floor.

“Ensign, are you injured?”

“Just a few scrapes and bumps. Nothing serious. Are you okay Commander?”

“I cannot move my right arm. I believe the bone is broken.”

Emma surveyed the scene, as Worf eased his arm into a more comfortable position. The turbolift looked like a war zone, the side and ceiling panels littering the floor, and the glass of the display shattered. She reached out to activate the sensor opening the door, however the door remained shut. Worf reached up with his uninjured hand to activate his comm badge.

“Worf to Bridge. Worf to Bridge, respond.”

They listened as no reply came. Emma could hear static coming from Worf’s comm badge. Her own attempt yielded the same results. Trying to escape through the roof exit, they discovered the true extent of their peril.

“Commander, I can’t get the panel off. I think there’s something covering the exit. We’re trapped in here!”

Emma could hear her heart beating as she said this. They were trapped, their only hope of escape from this situation was rescue from their shipmates.

“Ensign, we will be trapped for an extended period of time. I suggest we use this opportunity to become better acquainted.”

“Sure Commander. Sounds good to me. I’d rather do anything then just sit here in this tomb in silence.”

And so Ensign Emma Justman told Worf about her hometown of New Canada on Deneva. She grew up in her Grandmother’s house, after both her parents were killed serving aboard the USS Aphrodite. The ship had gotten stuck in an astral eddy, and all hands perished.

“At first I hated Starfleet. They had taken my parents away. But eventually I understood why my parents decided to become explorers, and I understood the sacrifice that they made. And that’s when I decided to join Starfleet. I’ve never looked back since.”
Worf looked at her and it felt as if he was looking straight through her, lost in thought. She knew about his parents as well – she had made it her business to know everything there was to know about her new XO – and she suspected he was reliving the death of his own parents at Khitomer. She was about to say something about it when there was a knocking on the door.

“Hello..? Anyone in there?”

“YES! We’re in here! We’re trapped. Commander Worf is hurt. Can you get us out?”

“Hold on – I need to shift the rubble out here. It’s blocking the door”

As Emma and Worf waited, they could hear a group of people on the other side of the door, presumably shifting whatever was on the other side of the door. After a couple of minutes, the door opened a crack, and light from the hallway shone down onto the two officers. The door was pushed open enough to pass through, and a Lieutenant pushed his way through crack, brandishing a tricorder.

“You two aren’t that badly injured. I’ll help get the Commander over to Sickbay to treat his injuries. Ensign, you’re required in Engineering to help with the repairs. We hit a subspace entanglement – the ship stopped instantly, the inertial dampeners couldn’t compensate.”

Emma nodded and turned to go, but felt Worf’s good hand on her shoulder stopping her.

“Ensign,” he started, unsure of himself, “welcome to the Enterprise.”

Emma smiled to herself. Maybe this whole starship thing wouldn’t be so bad after all.

[Mikester92]

A Man
Author: Zach

Every night, it's the same. The same bed, the same thoughts, the same dream. He was trapped in a hole. A rut, for lack of a better term. He couldn't get out of it, especially in the city where the government was always down his back about every little thing. Being the Chief Executive Officer for a major defense contractor will do that to you. The Defense Ministry needed their contracts to be fulfilled, the Revenue Ministry needed their imposed taxes..everyday, it was the same. Even with all of this money, he wasn't happy. He couldn't hold down a good, loving relationship. He couldn't do anything but the basics. Worst part is, he didn't know how to fix his own personal problems effectively.

[Mikester92]

The Runaway
Author: Soundwave

Daniel surveyed the plain below him for what must have been the twentieth time that day. He hadn’t seen a patrol for three days now. Could it be he’s finally escaped the long reach of the Provincial Guard? They may have sent out the Dark Seekers. Men who blend with the shadows, following your every footstep only to maim you while you’re sleeping. A brief shudder ran down his spine. Daniel had used such men in the past, never seen them in action and only witnessed the aftermath. An other-worldly scream from far up in the mountains startled Daniel out of his ponderous thought. If the Dark Seekers didn’t get him, the creator of that scream might. It had been a difficult journey so far and it looks to be no better in the immediate future. So this is where your love for a woman gets you, he thought dryly. Time to stop day-dreaming and mush on, no point in dwelling on the past. What’s done is done. Blood that’s spilled cannot be unspilled, even the blood of a Duke...

[Mikester92]

A Fatal Experiment
Author: Stormy

It was by chance Dr. Armineus Kelley had stumbled upon this breakthrough. Even now, as final testing was underway, he himself could not believe it was possible.

While running biological spectrum analysis testing on a transporter sequence, Kelley had discovered a pattern in human genetic code which had until now gone unnoticed by the scientific world. If this code proved as accurate as he believed, it would reveal the likelihood a human would turn out to be a criminal. The stronger the genetic sequencing, the more violent or severe the crime they likely would commit.

"Sir, all tests have been confirmed to this point. One final analysis remaining and we can take the results to Starfleet," said Ensign Katelyn Crimson.

"Excellent, Ensign. Proceed with the final test."

Crimson was a promising doctor and scientist with a bright future ahead of her. Her scores at the Academy were in the upper two percentile and those scores had been affirmed by her invaluable assistance throughout this research.

As Kelley watched his assistant run through the final test, he thought of how lucky he was to have found her and to have had her join his team. Kelley suddenly noticed the smile on Kelley's face turn to one of shock and disbelief. "No, this can't be right," said Crimson. "I must have done something wrong."

As her expression worsened, Crimson frantically worked the the controls to check and recheck the findings. She finally looked up at Kelley and exclaimed, "Sir, there must be some mistake here. These findings can't be true."

"What are the findings, Ensign?" he asked.

"The result of testing on subject 8N45JB show this person will commit the most heinous of crimes, possibly even murder," said Crimson. "I have checked and double-checked the findings and can not find the error, but there must be one."

"Why do you believe there is an error?" asks Kelley, whose face then took on an expression of shock and disbelief.

"Wait a minute. I think I see this more clearly. Is your disbelief because the subject of the testing is someone you know?" asks Kelley.

"Yes, doctor, and because I do know this person, I know they are incapable of such an act," said Crimson.

Kelley began to move slowly to his right, keeping an eye on Crimson without blinking. "I see. Is the concern you have because you know this subject too well?" Kelley was certain he knew the answer before asking the question.

By this time sweat was beginning to roll down Kelley's face. The sweat was beginning to sting his eyes but he knew blinking now could be fatal.

"I believe your doubt is much too personal. I believe subject 8N45JB is you, Ensign Crimson and I also believe the analysis is true," said Kelley.

Still moving across the lab, Kelley had finally made it to his desk and slowly reached for the top right drawer with his left hand. Without looking down, his hand moved nervously inside the drawer, searching.

"If it is true, and you are the subject of the final analysis, there is only one reason you would want to commit murder. You see the value in our experiments here and you know the lead scientist will get much of the credit. It is clear to me you want the credit for your own, and will stop at nothing to get it. The only way this can happen would be if I were somehow eliminated. You plan to kill me, Ensign, but that's not going to happen," exclaimed Kelley, his face now knotted in anger.

Finally the left hand found what he had been searching for and his fingers wrapped around the grip of a phaser pistol.

"No, sir. That's simply not true. You don't understand," pleaded Crimson.

"I understand all too well, Ensign," said Kelley. "I understand, and I won't let this happen."

With the statement, Kelley withdrew the phaser from the drawer and pointed it at Crimson, his hand shaking but his face determined. A quick glance told him the weapon was set to kill.

"Please, sir. I'm begging you," cried Crimson.

"Begging won't save you," said Kelley in a cold, calm voice. "I will not allow you to take my life and steal what is rightfully mine."

As Kelley's trigger finger engaged the phaser, he heard Crimson say before falling to the floor, "But sir, subject 8N45JB is you."

[Zach]

Only 5....*shrugs* At least they are all good.

[Seeker]

Only 5....*shrugs* At least they are all good.

If you haven't already, you should post a short story then it would be 6

[washproof]

loving the effort here, some great little reads there guys, awesome work!

gonna be tough to choses one, will have to think about which one I vote for

[Dodgers]

Some very good stories, hard to decide between the first one and last one, but I will go with the first as Worf as had a hard life

[Josh Broughm]

All of them are great! I loved CENSORED for its context in the canon world.

[Mikester92]

The voting period will be coming to an end soon; so get those votes in guys!

[Mikester92]

The voting period has now officially ended. I would like to extend my congratulations to our new winner, Stormy, who has received the most votes for his story: A Fatal Experiment.

I would also like to thank all the other authors who submitted stories for this month's competition. You guys all did great! Be sure to check back again on Saturday for some of their names!

Nice work everyone!

[Soundwave]

Nice work Stormy! My story (The Runaway) wasn't all that good, now I know what quality to expect for the next one

I enjoyed reading all of the other stories and I'm looking forward to the next competition.

[Stormy]

Thanks! I feel honored to have been selected by my peers. We have talented people in this fleet, so I knew the competition would be tough. It was fun working on the story, even though I did have to rush it a little. I look forward to the next one.