Distress Call

Pardon me, Doctor. I am receiving a number of distress calls”

“I don’t doubt it.

-Spock and McCoy, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Distress calls are routinely sent when a person, group or organisation have come across a situation that they cannot deal with alone. This can be as simple as a mechanical breakdown, as dangerous as an enemy attack or as time sensitive as a medical emergency.

Your task, should you choose to accept it is to write a short story based on the following scenario:

Your ship is travelling through Federation space when you receive an automated distress signal from the captain of a Federation freighter. What will you find when you reach it?

Criteria

• Submissions should be a minimum of 1,000 words and a maximum of 3,000 words, exclusive of titles.
• Submissions should be written as a BFMS story. To enter, put a link in the competition submission box.
• Submissions should contain a complete narrative with a beginning, middle, and end. Entries will be judged on creativity, style, adherence to the prompt, and appropriateness for the setting. Spelling and grammar will not be important judging criteria but will be used to break ties.