Jordan aka FltAdmlWolf

Title: HALDANE: Ten Minutes and Not a Second More Author: Morgan St. Eyre (( Main Lounge )) o0 Always last to the party ... the one thing they didn't warn me about in med school. 0o :: Rhys Haldane stood in the doorway for a long moment summoning the courage to enter the lounge. In the great cosmic scheme of things, the universe had seen fit to give him a keen diagnostic sense and more than a little skill as a doctor. The universe had also seen fit to make him shy and ill at ease at parties. Go figure. He could perform surgery on a guy without a qualm but meet the same guy over drinks and he's be running for cover. :: o0 Yes ... the universe is really having a good laugh at my expense. Okay, Rhys. You can do this. 0o :: He moved into the room by slow degrees, making his way toward the buffet, threading his way through the crowd. Picking out patients as he went. This one had a bad rash. That one a broken arm. This one developed high blood pressure. That one a Grade II concussion. He remembered patients. He remembered their histories and their problems. :: :: It was everything else that was hard. :: :: People smiled at him as he passed. And why not? The likable young doctor with merry brown eyes and shock of unruly blond hair that refused to be tamed. All but taunted him whenever he got out of the shower. He wasn't particularly tall and tended toward slender. He was good-looking enough if you liked sensitive and shy. His eyes were easily his best feature, large and expressive, but getting him to look at you anywhere but on a biobed was quite an undertaking. :: :: He liked theater and music. He read voraciously. He was fluent in seven languages and he was brilliant at piecing together clues, forming a diagnosis. :: o0 ... just getting across the room is hard ... what idiot decided that officers had to make an appearance at ship functions? Scratch that. Its probably bad to even THINK things like that. 0o :: The buffet was under siege, crew standing two and three deep in some places, so he veered off, heading for his favorite position at the end of the bar, with his back to the wall. He could lean against the bar, watch the party, and interact with people one on one. That was the trick. Avoid the crowd, talk to people individually (at worst, two at a time). Individually, he was fine. He had a sharp wit, a keen eye, and an active intelligence. And while he sometimes stuttered in a crowd, he could hold his own just fine, one on one. :: :: As long as there wasn't too much small talk. :: :: He had only been at the bar for a few moments when Bailey approached. Lost his right eye, not a good candidate for an optical prosthesis. Pity but then, no one seemed to mind the black eye patch. Bailey was carrying his drink because, like Rhys, Bailey remembered that sort of thing. He liked to drink water with a touch of fellis juice. Non-alcoholic. Great taste. And a reasonable color so that he wasn't fending off questions about why he wasn't drinking all night. :: RHYS: :: Accepting the glass and taking a short sip. :: Thanks ... BAILEY: :: Leaning on the bar and observing the young doctor with his good eye :: So how long's it been ... RHYS: :: Sighing, watching the room :: Only five .... hey, how did you know? BAILEY: Not difficult, Doc. You time your visits to these parties. You're good for ten minutes about the time it takes to make it to the bar and drink one drink. RHYS: Well ... :: taking another sip :: I do have some reports to do. BAILEY: :: Nodding :: I'll bet you save them for such occasions ... RHYS: :: Grinning openly now :: Best excuse is the truth. Learned that a LONG time ago. BAILEY: Its not so bad, you know, getting to know them as more than just their injuries and diseases. RHYS: :: Sighing :: I know ... I know. Its not them, its me. :: He smiled, a rueful smile that spoke of bitter honesty :: Would you believe that my father wanted me to go into politics? I used to throw up before every debate class. Every single one. BAILEY: But you still debated? RHYS: :: Shaking his head as though trying to dislodge unwanted memories :: Oh yeah. And won quite a bit of the time. Learned that it was easier if I just focused on one person. Argued to that person and no other. Crowds get to me. People don't. BAILEY: A good distinction ... :: Bailey straightened as he saw the waitress returning to the bar :: Duty calls, Doc. RHYS: :: Smiling :: No problem. Time for me to leave anyway. o0 Ten minutes on the dot. 0o Rhys Haldane, M.D. Gamma Shift Medical Officer USS URSA MAJOR

Title: The Memorial Service Author: Mal Avatar ((Main Auditorium - StarBase 118)) ::Lieutenant Jacobs had arranged for the entire compliment of the Columbia to attend the memorial service dedicated to the 23 lives that were lost during their ill-fated mission. This was never a pleasant experience for anyone, especially their captain. Captain Avatar had ordered the engine-test and he was ultimately responsible for those lost on the mission, even if their deaths were not directly caused by him.:: ::The main auditorium at the StarBase 118 was actually a site that he had not be in since his promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade many years ago. Admiral Hollis had arranged for use of this room while Avatar still served aboard the Kodiak many years ago. That event was jubilation, this one was somber.:: ::A full Starfleet Honors funeral had been arranged. There were 23 coffins draped with the Flag of the United Federation of Planets. The flags would be folded and handed to the next of kin for those that were lost.:: JACOBS: All rise for the commanding officer. Captain Mal S. Avatar, commanding officer U.S.S. Columbia. ::The officers in attendance stood from their seats as Captain Avatar entered the room. He took his place at the podium and began his speech. It was a speech that was not entirely original, but one that he had taken pieces of after an exhausting search. He hoped that it would be appropriate:: AVATAR: I am here today to convey my condolences and the condolences of the Federation for the sudden loss that was suffered on board our starship, the Columbia during our most recent mission. Our fellow officers died because they were part of a Federation that believes in seeking out new technology to make space travel even safer for generations to come. We also know that those we honor here today died because of an institution that is a symbol of this generous creed and way of life. A symbol of technological power, to be sure, but of power used to do good, to help achieve a more perfect day when we can truly unite this galaxy and our own Federation. But until that time comes, the events of our mission remind us that space is dangerous and that there will always be danger as long as we look to the stars to grow as the many races of the Federation seek to improve themselves. While there is nothing any of us can do to bring those loved ones back, we can celebrate who they were, how they lived their lives, and remember how their lives were lost - in a struggle dedicated to the eternal truth of ambition and spirit. All this is important to remember. But those of you here today, who have lost loved ones, know that sometimes this too is hard. When this ceremony is over, you may look again at the stars, think of the names that are special to you, take a final moment - have a last word, or look, or prayer. Then turn and leave this place, feeling again the emptiness, thinking again of a "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" of an irreplaceable, seemingly endless loss. And you might say again, what so many times over the past few days you may have said to yourselves… that we can be grateful for the time we had with them. You might say to yourselves they would have wanted us to remember that life goes on, and that we must live each day for them, as for ourselves. You may remind yourselves that the memories, so hurtful now, will one day turn beautiful and bring solace and comfort. All this is hard. But all this is true. Your grief is great. Your love is stronger. A love seen so many times this last year. A love of who they were --your family members and friends; and, yes, your fellow-Starfleet Officers. And so, today, we honor the 23 officers who died either aboard the Columbia or on the surface of Ambrosia. They will be remembered. We will not forget. Thank you... ::With the close of the speech. Taps was played.:: Captain Mal Avatar Commanding Officer StarBase 118 Operations

This thread will list the top 10 sims which have made it into the "voting round" of the contest. These sims were chosen by the judges panel, which includes: Jessa Anassasi, Rocar Drawoh, Rhys Bejain, and Idril Mar. Alana Devar was a planned judge, but unfortunately time constraints did not allow her to participate in this first round of judging. To vote on your favorite sim, head to the Top Sims Contest Voting Yahoo! Group. You must be a member of the group, but there is no moderation -- just request membership and you will immediately have access to the poll. See the main thread for more information and closing dates of the contest.

No one here is obligated to consider or practice any of the feedback that is volunteered for you. You are, however, obligated to accept it with grace. I find the responses to the feedback appalling. These judges took time to critique the stories and give you their idea of how you could improve. It's called constructive criticism. If you are unwilling to hear criticisms of your own work, then you should not be posting your work in any kind of public forum. Get yourself a journal, because it's clear that you do not have the poise or dignity to let your work into the wild where others will read it. Writing is a two-way street. Anyone who behaves, in the future, in the manner that I have seen in some of the posts above will no longer be welcome to post their creative writing in any of the challenges, contests, or creative writing forums we have in this community. You are more than welcome to defend your tactics and techniques so long as you conduct yourself in the manner becoming of an adult. I will not entertain any further childish behavior.

I think this one will be pretty neat

Guidelines: To participate, create a new thread. The subject of the thread must be the title of your story. If it is a Work In Progress, denote that with the heart post icon. If your work is complete, use the horizontal arrow post icon. Items not marked with an icon or marked with the WiP icon will not be considered for judging and will be moved to the "Character Cafe" forum at the end of the contest. Your work must be entirely your own. No co-authoring. You are welcome to create any character you so desire, but they must be from the Star Trek universe. No "canon" characters allowed. (i.e.- No one who has been on a show.) Challenge: "The pretender" - Many have aspired to be something they are not. Show us who your pretender is. (Topic chosen by last winner, Julia Harden.) Length: No more than 3000 words accepted. Beginning Date: Fri., July 7th Ending Date: Wed., Aug. 23rd Judges: To be announced See Also: the Writing Challenge Website. Good Luck!

Please use this thread for any discussion or questions about this writing challenge.

Congratulations to Julia Harden, this challenge's winner for her story "The Window." The runner-up status goes to "Transparent Desires," by Ben Walker. Thank you to everyone who participated -- it's clear that these challenges are doing some great things for the writing abilities of members in our group! Kudos to everyone for their effort! The winner and runner-up can find their banners on this challenge's page on the website. Our next challenge will be unveiled in a few days.

Remember: we're not looking for the best SIMs of "all time;" we're looking for the best SIMs from the past month or so! At the end of the year, we'll compile all the top SIMs that have won, and they will compete in a cumulative contest for the year. So don't be afraid to submit a few of your best SIMs from the past few weeks. Anything good can compete! After all, you don't want to be embarassed when your crew doesn't submit anything, right? What does that say about the SIMming on your vessel?

The challenge submission period has closed. The judges for this round are: Rocar Drawoh, Rhys Bejain, and last month's winner Aresee Ventu. The winner will be announced soon. Good luck everyone!

This is pretty funny.

The submission period closes this Friday!

This is an area for members of this training class to keep in touch with each other. DATES: The class began on May 25, 2006, and ended on June 16, 2006. LIST: sb118-academy3 COMMANDING OFFICER: FltCapt. Jessa Anassasi FIRST OFFICER: LtCmdr. Eskyys CLASS MEMBERS: - Tabour Flux - Kan'gashk - Tsodi Rama Sumataran - Lilly Johnson Congratulations to you all, and welcome to our fleet!

Don't forget, the challenge ends on Fri., June 23rd!

Remember, June 23rd is the deadline submission for this Challenge!

Guidelines: Anyone can submit anyone else's SIM. You do not need permission to submit a SIM. You are welcome to submit your own SIM. Submissions are only accepted via the submission form, however. (Link below.) When a SIM is submitted, it must not be more than 150 days old. The SIM must be written with good spelling, good grammar, and be in the correct format. Poorly structured SIMs will be ineligible. SIMs must not include any "canon" characters. (i.e.- No one who has been on a show.) Length: To be included in the contest, a submitted SIM must be at least 300 words long but not more than 3000. Dialogue: If the SIM uses a dialogue from a character which is not owned by the author of the SIM being submitted, then the owner of the other character must have officially given permission for his or her dialogue to be used. Joint posts are fine. The SIM may not have any open dialogue tags. (i.e.: [respond here]) All dialogue in the SIM must be filled in. (Just find the responding author's SIM and fill in the blanks.) Submissions allowed: Thurs., June 1st - Fri., June 30th Voting period: Sat., July 1 - Fri., July 28th Judges: Jessa Anassasi, Rocar Drawoh, Rhys Bejain, Idril Mar Submission form: Link See also: the Top SIMs Contest Website Good Luck!

Must be a post format. You can put bolding, italics, etc. in while you're creating the post.

Sounds trippy.

The winning SIM, as well as all the other entrants, are included in a thread in the Hall of Fame. You can also find more information about the contest round you're referring to at the Top SIMs Contest area on the website. Hall of Fame forum: http://www.starbase118.net/forums/index.php?showforum=51 Top SIMs area of website: http://www.starbase118.net/members/events/topsims/

Very amusing. The graphics are pretty interesting for a hobby vid StarBase 118 would never go down as easy as that spacedock in the video did, though!

Guidelines: To participate, create a new thread. The subject of the thread must be the title of your story. If it is a Work In Progress, denote that with the heart post icon. If your work is complete, use the horizontal arrow post icon. Items not marked with an icon or marked with the WiP icon will not be considered for judging and will be moved to the "Character Cafe" forum at the end of the contest. Your work must be entirely your own. No co-authoring. You are welcome to create any character you so desire, but they must be from the Star Trek universe. No "canon" characters allowed. (i.e.- No one who has been on a show.) Challenge: "Windows" - Are the eyes the windows of the soul? Are people really like stained-glass windows? How long would God's windows last on Earth? What exactly is window dressing? Windows represent so many things to modern man, but what are their timeless qualities? What are their metaphoric meanings? Ruminate on this. (Topic chosen by last winner, Aresee Ventu.) Length: No more than 3000 words accepted. Beginning Date: Fri., May 5th Ending Date: Fri., June 23rd Judges: To be announced See Also: the Writing Challenge Website. Good Luck!

Please use this thread for any discussion or questions about this writing challenge.

Congratulations to Aresee Ventu, this challenge's winner for his story "The Last Entry." This is the second time Ventu has won the challenge. The runner-up status goes to "The Fruit Born of a Poisoned Tree," by David Cody. Great entries on this challenge, considering how "challenging" the topic was. Kudos to everyone for their effort! The winner and runner-up will receive their banners within the next few days.

Here's a quote from Abrams about the movie: http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/04/25/abrams-c...ar-trek-rumors/

I'm not sure that any premise outside of a new crew is really plausible. As illuminated above, most of the rest of the crews are wrapped up. - No one wants to see ENT (clearly). - A pre-TOS story is really pointless -- there is nothing big that can happen in their lives that we don't know about, so why bother? - TNG really needs to retire with grace without another movie. Trying to cobble together another movie on the TNG would be both contrived and tired. Probably the only movie I'd be willing to see from this era would be something with Titan. The question, as always, is how to get Worf back involved. I hated how they shoe-horned him into the last two movies, and the fact is that they can't do a movie without him. So how they will get him back, I have no idea. But they could definitely do Riker/Troi on Titan with some cameos by the other crew. - DS9, as said, is mostly wrapped up. Everyone went elsewhere, and there's not much of a point in trying to bring them back together. - VOY, as said, is pretty pointless. The only crew I would imagine seeing from VOY might be a Titan story with one or two of the crew as part of the new Titan crew. (B'Elanna and Paris, maybe Kim, possibly 7 of 9 in a non-crew role.) I think the possibilities and desire are there for a Titan story, which gives us some of the main TNG characters without forcing everyone back into some kind of awkward reunion. The only hitch is Worf. They took him out of the action, and now trying to bring him back to the ship(s) is just forced.