June '09 Word Prompt

[Aquarius]

I am SOOO behind on these...

You know how it works: I give you a word, you write a Trip and/or T'Pol story inspired by that word. Any length, any style. Adult or logish responses should be submitted for archival. Shorter pieces suitable for a general audience are welcome to be posted to this thread. No time limit, no word count requirements.

Your word this month:


REGRET

[WarpGirl]

Thank God!!!! Oh I've been waiting impatiently... I must think... OK got it, this is a little vingette set after "The Aenar" as Trip leaves Archer's ready-room. Thinking aobut their friendship, or lack there of.

"I've just gotten through talking with the Captain about leaving Enterprise. This is a day that I could've never imagined coming. I thought I'd stay with Jon until they put us both in moth balls. But then, I never thought I'd lose my heart to T'Pol either. It's strange but I wouldn't trade a second of loving her even if I could go back and avoid this mess. But leaving Enterprise, and Jon, well it seems almost sureal. There was a time when I said Jonathan Archer would be my best friend until the day I died. Today I realized that he doesn't even know me anymore; he stopped knowing me the day he ordered Sim to be created. I wish he had trusted me to know how to take care of the mission even if I died. I prepared for my death in the Expanse, I would have been a fool and a terrible officer if I hadn't. Engineering can't be dependent on one man, even in peaceful exploration there are too many dangers. Jon didn't trust me to realize that. Sometimes, I can almost convince myself that he just couldn't let me go, because we were close. But I've grown since stepping aboard this ship, and I'm not niaeve anymore. His decision had nothing to do with our friendship, if it had, Sim would never have existed. Jon couldn't see that I had done my job, it hurts. To make matters worse, he still hasn't asked me about Lizzy. I know he had his demons out there, but we've been home for months. Finally I stopped waiting for him to show up with burbon and that God awful water polo. That hurts too, he knew Lizzy. Heck he came with me when she graduated Harvard. He just doesn't see that it still kills me missing her. He also has no clue about T'Pol, that is surprising to me. Jon is very territorial of her, it used to be lust, but now she's almost like a possession to him, or worse like Porthos. I can't say I like it, but then he's the same way with me. He always has been. It's never bothered me. I respect him, I always will. I was proud to be his engineer and prouder to be his friend. Now, he thinks I belong to him like Enterprise belongs to him. I can't do that anymore. I've become my own man now. Well... If T'Pol would let me, I would be her man. I have to leave before I make a mistake that kills someone. I know it. Jon is angry, but he'll move on. I only wish that it hadn't come to this."

Well I like thoughts. Hope you do to.

[panyasan]

I got inspired and wrote this little piece. Just for fun. Hope you like it. It's not beta-ed and now you know why I need a beta. (English is not my first language).

No regret

Starfleet Headquaters, 24th century

“Do you have any experience with this? We have capable engineers too and I haven't heard about your company," the gray-haired admiral opposite of the table asked him.

Only 2.500 years, he thought. Decades after decades fighting the floods and moods of the sea, creating land out of sea. Developing the best engineering tradition in water management.

His irritation wasn't shown. True to his nature, Jan de Lange listed calmly several projects, in past till now, starting with the famous Bangladesh works, that changed this delta to a save and prosperous area. Then he started again explaining in details the plan of the small lake, near a old Starfleet facility.
It was a piece of cake for him, he could do the job with his eyes closed. Part of him regretted that it wasn't a project which offered more engineering problems, so he and his team could start developing new possibilities.

His company needed the contact with Starfleet and this project was a start. Personally, Jan had a thing against very large, powerful organizations and Starfleet was powerful. Too powerful, for his taste.

Finally the meeting was over. He stretched his long legs. De Lange, true to his name, was a tall, capable men, with a great love for his job. He got the assignment. He selected a small team and started with the process.
 
One night he came to the site, checking the pumps that slowly removed the water from the lake. He liked working with the steady sounds of the pumps, all alone.
Suddenly, he saw on the monitors something blinking in the water. Metal. When the pumps continued to pump the water out, more and more was revealed of what laid beneath. It was a old fashioned shuttle pod.

The next morning the water was almost gone and you could see the shuttle pod clearly in the mud. He called the authorities to tell them about his discovery. By then, the lake was dry. Out of curiosity he went down to have a look. It was a small ship, probably 21st century and he admired the work of engineering that she was. Then he saw the hatch was open and he surprised himself by stepping in. It was dark and the smell was overwhelming. Still he walk a little further. And further. Then he saw something blinking in the dark. He picked it up, it felt like square object in his hand.

A hand was put on his shoulder and with a shock he turned. No ghost from the past, but a very angry men looked at him. “What are you doing here! This is Starfleet property. No strangers aloud!” the men shouted at him. Jan recognized the Starfleet uniform. In a abrupt manner, Jan was shoved out of the pod and accompanied to his office. A few well placed orders were given. He got the message. Stay out. None of your business. Vaguely he wondered about the men's attitude. His whole behavior was almost nervous.

It was not until he had come home and ready for bed, that he realized he had taken something out of the shuttle pod. Something that belonged to Starfleet.
In his pocket he found the square object. It looked... like a memory stick.
His eyes began to sparkle and he tinkered a few hours, before he could play the stick. Probably nothing really important, he thought, not even for Starfleet but to hear to voice of the people of the 21st century that had lived and flew with the pod. He placed the stick and all he heard was some wavering sounds.
Some beeps. He was disappointed. His hands moved to take the stick out. Then he heard a voice, speaking in an American accents, almost with a Southern twang “To my wife T'Pol, I have no regret. No regret at all.”
 
 

[WarpGirl]

THANK YOU!!! I was beginning to feel lonely responding to this one. I know I'm obsessed but part of the fun is reading other people's ideas. I really like this, I am so tempted to say make a whole epic out of it, but I want you to finish The Captives so I'll keep my big mouth shut. This was awsome though.

[Asso]

I got inspired and wrote this little piece. Just for fun. Hope you like it. It's not beta-ed and now you know why I need a beta. (English is not my first language).

No regret

Starfleet Headquaters, 24th century

“Do you have any experience with this? We have capable engineers too and I haven't heard about your company," the gray-haired admiral opposite of the table asked him.

Only 2.500 years, he thought. Decades after decades fighting the floods and moods of the sea, creating land out of sea. Developing the best engineering tradition in water management.

His irritation wasn't shown. True to his nature, Jan de Lange listed calmly several projects, in past till now, starting with the famous Bangladesh works, that changed this delta to a save and prosperous area. Then he started again explaining in details the plan of the small lake, near a old Starfleet facility.
It was a piece of cake for him, he could do the job with his eyes closed. Part of him regretted that it wasn't a project which offered more engineering problems, so he and his team could start developing new possibilities.

His company needed the contact with Starfleet and this project was a start. Personally, Jan had a thing against very large, powerful organizations and Starfleet was powerful. Too powerful, for his taste.

Finally the meeting was over. He stretched his long legs. De Lange, true to his name, was a tall, capable men, with a great love for his job. He got the assignment. He selected a small team and started with the process.
 
One night he came to the site, checking the pumps that slowly removed the water from the lake. He liked working with the steady sounds of the pumps, all alone.
Suddenly, he saw on the monitors something blinking in the water. Metal. When the pumps continued to pump the water out, more and more was revealed of what laid beneath. It was a old fashioned shuttle pod.

The next morning the water was almost gone and you could see the shuttle pod clearly in the mud. He called the authorities to tell them about his discovery. By then, the lake was dry. Out of curiosity he went down to have a look. It was a small ship, probably 21st century and he admired the work of engineering that she was. Then he saw the hatch was open and he surprised himself by stepping in. It was dark and the smell was overwhelming. Still he walk a little further. And further. Then he saw something blinking in the dark. He picked it up, it felt like square object in his hand.

A hand was put on his shoulder and with a shock he turned. No ghost from the past, but a very angry men looked at him. “What are you doing here! This is Starfleet property. No strangers aloud!” the men shouted at him. Jan recognized the Starfleet uniform. In a abrupt manner, Jan was shoved out of the pod and accompanied to his office. A few well placed orders were given. He got the message. Stay out. None of your business. Vaguely he wondered about the men's attitude. His whole behavior was almost nervous.

It was not until he had come home and ready for bed, that he realized he had taken something out of the shuttle pod. Something that belonged to Starfleet.
In his pocket he found the square object. It looked... like a memory stick.
His eyes began to sparkle and he tinkered a few hours, before he could play the stick. Probably nothing really important, he thought, not even for Starfleet but to hear to voice of the people of the 21st century that had lived and flew with the pod. He placed the stick and all he heard was some wavering sounds.
Some beeps. He was disappointed. His hands moved to take the stick out. Then he heard a voice, speaking in an American accents, almost with a Southern twang “To my wife T'Pol, I have no regret. No regret at all.”
 
 

Panyasan, this one is simply great! So short and so perfect. And in how many ways it's capable to move.

[Alelou]

Very nice, Panyasan, and the English is pretty smooth too.

Though I have to admit when the guy seemed to be saying he had 2,500 years of experience, I was wondering if he was Q (played by John De Lancie, right, so the name was similar) or a young God, or WHAT... but I guess it's just all that Dutch knowledge of fighting back the ocean, huh?

[panyasan]

Very nice, Panyasan, and the English is pretty smooth too.

Though I have to admit when the guy seemed to be saying he had 2,500 years of experience, I was wondering if he was Q (played by John De Lancie, right, so the name was similar) or a young God, or WHAT... but I guess it's just all that Dutch knowledge of fighting back the ocean, huh?

Yes, it is, he was refering to the Dutch knowlegde.
Q is French , his name is any way. "De" in French means "from" (my French is terrible rusty, so I could be wrong).
"De" in Dutch means "the". Lange means the long one. So Jan's last name means "the long one." You also have names like "de Boer" which means "the farmer" or names like "Van der Veld" which means "from the field." Or "Roosevelt" which means field of roses or "Van Buren" which means "from the place Buren".

I must stop now. I just love to get behind the meaning of words. When I studied Japanese and found out that the verb "kimas" means (among other things) "to wear" and "mono" is thing in Japanse, I was all exited to found out that "kimono" means "thing to wear".
Me to my Japanese teacher: "Kimono means thing to wear."
Teacher (giving me a look, didn't get my enthousiasm) "No, it means kimono."

[WarpGirl]

I wish I had you're linguistic abilities. I'd love to see how you write Hoshi.

[Alelou]

Well, Panyasan, you could have a ton of fun in English with the unabridged Oxford English Dictionary. Those etymologies are a thrill for people who love words. I particularly enjoy the words that end up meaning the opposite of what they started out meaning, like "nice" and "condescending," which essentially exchanged places with each other.

[Silverbullet]

I regret that I cannot write a nice little Regret story.

[WarpGirl]

Oh Please! If not a "story" try some dialog. How can you know until you try.

[panyasan]

I wish I had you're linguistic abilities. I'd love to see how you write Hoshi.

I struggle through most of my language studies, so I am not a natural talent like Hoshi. I am even a tiny little bit dislestic, especially with numbers.

[panyasan]

Well, Panyasan, you could have a ton of fun in English with the unabridged Oxford English Dictionary. Those etymologies are a thrill for people who love words. I particularly enjoy the words that end up meaning the opposite of what they started out meaning, like "nice" and "condescending," which essentially exchanged places with each other.

I love browsing through dictonaries. Hardly a suprise, isn't it?

[evcake]

Lovely, panyasan.

I have another grumpy neighbor story simmering,

[WarpGirl]

ooooh good! I can't wait evecake. I love dictionaries too.