A Christmas Miracle
Posted on Sun Dec 25th, 2022 @ 2:08am by Karrun North
Edited on on Sun Dec 25th, 2022 @ 2:09am
Mission:
Back Post
Location: USS Vesta
Timeline: Christmas
990 words - 2 OF Standard Post Measure
“‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the ship, not a creature was stirring, not even a Xe’ceda. Stockings were hung by the Slipstream core with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; the Mirians were were all snug in their beds, while visions of chemical explosions and calibrations danced in their heads; And Alice in her kerchief, and Yoshi in his cap, had just settled their brains for a long slipstream nap,” Karrun sang to herself as she strode through the corridors of the Vesta, spiked eggnog in hand.
The ship truly was quiet the night before Christmas though not everything was quiet the way her singing made it out to be. Gamma shift was up and about, the lights lowered within the ship to the standard nighttime setting. Galaxy’s End had been shut for the night, decorations still adorned its many walls and tables and the tree still shined brightly in the corner as she had left. Yet the ship still ran, the crew still worked, and life went on. Karrun still moved on, never stopping, never looking back except for one day a year.
Christmas had always held a special place in her heart, it was a happy time, a joyful time of the year. Being an El-Aurian, she had grown up with her own cultural traditions her parents had made sure to instill in her but growing up on Luna she had also known man Earth cultural holidays. One had always felt more special than the rest, one had always felt so uniquely human.
Christmas.
Passing a rather intoxicated looking crewman in the corridor, Karrun flashed a smile and wished him a Merry Christmas. The man simply grunted a reply as he held himself up on the wall. Too much to drink at someone’s gathering.
Despite the multi-species and multi-cultural world that was Starfleet, the Vesta was still a largely human crew and largely human traditions tended to take the limelight among the crew. This had suited Karrun well, her own fascination with humans ever since she was little had made it easier to assimilate into their traditions. They had given her something to research year after year, decade after the decade and if you could find someone that knew more about Christmas then Karrun, she’d fight them.
Literally.
Apparently or so the rumour went, no one had tried to test it. Rumours about Karrun had a weird way of coming true, the more you found out, the odder it seemed the truer it probably was.
“Now, Rufus! Now, Buck! Now, Morwen and Durst! On, Amelia! On Calley! On, Kairishana and Emergency Medical Holographic program….” Karrun sang as she came to a stop, “Hmm that last one didn’t really rhyme…” She shrugged and continued down the corrider taking another sip from her drink.
This Christmas this year though, it seemed different for Karrun.
It felt sadder.
Karrun had always made a point of trying to see her children now and again despite her travels. Even a call as best she could now and then, but this year Morhan had ignored her calls and Samantha been tied up.
Morhan not accepting her call had hurt more than anything. She wasn’t sure what it had been that had caused this rift to open, he was her little man, her first born child. It just hurt that he wouldn’t talk to her and even explain why this rift had happened between them the last few years. This would be the first year in decades that she wouldn’t even have spoken to him once. Thus, she had been drinking.
Far more than normal.
The smile to the passing crewman had been fake, the alcohol had helped.
She was sure the phase would pass, that he would tell her what had happened and how she could fix it, but until then she’d push on and try to be better, try not to let it get to her.
It was just a bad time of the year for it.
She missed her children. She missed her family. Christmas was all about family and while the crew of the Vesta had become a family of sorts it just wasn’t the same as her own blood.
She entered the corridor to her quarters, downing the rest of her drink, staring at the empty mug as the first true look of sadness crossed her face. She let out a long sigh as she muttered, “He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night…..””
The doors swished open at her approach, the tree in her corner being the only source of light. She set the mug down on the desk beside the door as she entered the room, the door closing behind her.
The room was bathed in the coloured lights of the tree.
Karrun stopped, leaning against the table as she pulled down the zipper of her boot,
“Hey mom…” A voice said from the dark, “Soo…”
Karrun shot upright, forgetting to let go of her boot as she did, stumbling forward and almost falling before she managed to catch herself. “Computer lights.”
The lights in her quarters warmed up gradually revealing Morhan standing by the couch, “Hey?”
Karrun smiled, tears starting to form. It was the alcohol of course, that’s what she told herself.
It was a Christmas miracle after all, here was Morhan, here was her boy. She leaped forward, tripping over her table as she pulled him into a hug. “You’re here!”
“Well, you always told me an apology was best in person…” Morhan said with a laugh as he caught his mother. “Merry Christmas Mom.”
