The Nightsky

Description

The galaxy is a beautiful expanse of stars, planets, and endless wonders. Every tiny speck of light in the sky holds a story billions of years old, just waiting to be discovered. 

Stars have always been a source of hope, guiding travelers across unknown paths and sparking the imaginations of dreamers and storytellers.When we look up at the night sky, we can’t help but feel a connection to something greater – a sense of wonder and curiosity that keeps us exploring and dreaming.

For this competition, your challenge is to craft a piece of flash fiction from the perspective of one of your characters as they stand beneath foreign stars and unfamiliar constellations. Perhaps they are alone, lost in thought, or sharing the moment with someone significant. What do they see in the endless expanse above? What memories or dreams do these alien skies evoke? And how does this moment shape their thoughts, their feelings, or their journey?

 

Criteria

  • Stories should be input in the text box.
  • Stories should contain a maximum of 300 words. You can get your point across in much less than that? Great, go for it! :)
  • Stories will be graded using the Bravo Fleet Fiction Rubric, which marks on the following criteria: Language, Style, & Mechanics; Adherence to Canon; Perspective; Characterization; Originality; Use of the Prompt.
  • Stories must be written during the competition period and should not be a reuse of an existing story. Stories written before or after the competition begins will be disqualified. The BFMS publication date will be used.
  • The story must be a single author post in BFMS and not a joint post with another author.

Winners

Submissions

User ID Content Date Entry
Alaric Constantine 1651

Freshly-commissioned Ensign Shahr Th'thollar sat on the roof of his dormitory. It was his last night here on Earth. Right as he had been drifting off to sleep, Shahr realized he'd never spent any time staring into the night sky here on this strange planet. And so, that's how he found himself on the roof, at 0300 hours, watching the sky twinkle.

Of course, the vast majority of his companions from his graduating class were from Earth, so the sight was old hat to them. But Shahr was from Andoria. The constellations he saw now were alien, unrecognizable. He tried looking towards home, and realized he didn't even know which way to turn his gaze.

That realization had scared him, at first. But that fear quickly melted away, morphing into something else. Was it excitement? After all, what was there to fear? Shahr had come here to escape life in the Imperial Guard. There was nothing there for him. This unknown starscape before him, this foreign architecture beneath his feet; it represented the openness of his future. Starfleet was giving him a future. Out there, between solar systems and nebulae, or standing on foreign soil. It didn't matter if he hadn't been there. In fact, that was the point. Those strange, new worlds would be his strange, new life, and Shahr couldn't wait to get started.

 2025-01-25 06:01:52
Nathan Hawthorne 2199

https://bravofleet.com/story/143349/

 2025-01-23 20:55:02
David Martel 3007

Captain Orex stood on the surface of Vespen II, where he awaited transport to his first command, the USS San Diego. He hadn't been entirely happy with it. A California-class was not what he had had in mind for his first, or any command. He wanted to explore, to SEE. Vespen II's night sky only reminded him of that. It was, frankly, the most beautiful sky he had ever seen. The planet's three moons hung in the sky. The two furthest a silvery grey and the closest, which seemed so close that Orex could reach out and touch it, sat as a cratered crimson crescent in the sky. That was only the beginning of the beauty. Two nebulae were close enough to take up a fair portion of the sky, one a bright, icy blue the other a pinkish hue.

Orex had a few days to await the starship transporting him to the San Diego and he had decided a couple of days hiking outside of the colony’s main settlement would help him relax and clear his mind. Seeing the absolute plethora of stars above him,bright jewels in the void, he achieved that state. He stared in absolute awe. The ambient light was so bright he could see the tree-like structures around him clearly.

The San Diego was a necessary step, Orex decided. Up there in the sky was the proof he needed that he needed to stay the course. Some member of the local fauna began to warble, but Orex was gazing skyward in wonder, like a monument to explorers. He stared for a long time.

 2025-01-21 18:42:28
Sazra Kobahl 2545

Under Foreign Skies

On the promenade of Hecate Station, a lone Andorian walks back to his quarters. The station has its quiet times, and the good doctor had worked long hours. The deck is silent, with only the low hum of the station and the glow of the stars illuminating the promenade. Kossaal cracks his neck as his gaze shifts to the stars.

The emotional toll of a recent patient’s death weighed on him, a young woman from the lower decks who had trusted, no, begged him to save her. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t. Leaning on the railing, he stared at the stars. They seemed so far away, yet up close, they were immense. He felt a mix of insignificance and wonder. Stars were eternal and unchanging, in contrast to the fragility of the lives he worked so hard to protect.

Taking a deep breath, the memory of his first mentor at Starfleet Medical Academy came to mind. She had reminded him why he chose this path.

"We save lives, no matter where we are, what we do, or what situation we’re in. If someone passes away, it’s sad, but know you did everything in your power to save them."

Her words echoed in his mind, grounding him. They gave meaning to his purpose and career, and reminded him why he endured.

Kossaal rubbed his face and looked back at the stars. "You are a bright reminder of the greater purpose behind my work. Taking a step back is part of processing loss." Nodding to himself, he whispered, "More people need my skills, my knowledge."

He straightened and resumed his walk, the weight a little lighter.

 2025-01-18 21:41:02

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