Doodle Of Boredom

Christmas on the planet Demeter

Christmas Day

The snowstorm began to thin out, and the ship found smoother skies. Up ahead, just short of the horizon, towers of light pierced the early morning sky. An alert sounded through the corridors of the St. Nicholas, making notice of the final approach to Haven.

The captain was already on his way to the bridge, readying his mechanized crew for preparation of the shipment. 

The ground crew of Haven stood by, anticipating the St. Nicholas’ arrival. 

The captain came down with broad strides. The large beard, rough-textured scarf and goggles failed to hide the grin on his face. He greeted the crew, which was preparing to refuel his ship. Under his arm was a long box. He told the crew it was a rare and special gift, to be placed in the square of the complex.

Right behind him, a swarm of small robots, each carrying a box, scurried past the men and into the hangar, through the corridors and into the residential complex. They each knew exactly where to go, based on the data contained in the tags on each toy. Their motors nigh silent, and their little feet well padded, they were able to run along floor grates and catwalks without much sound at all. As most everyone, save for people who maintained Haven’s support systems, were fast asleep, there would be no one wandering the cold hallways to get in the way or be startled by the nimble little robots. They would pause at the doors, first sensing for movement to make sure no one would notice. When determined the coast was clear, in they went, to drop off their gifts.

In lieu of a proper tree, children used what they could to set up their own. As quickly and quietly as the deliveries came, the robots scurried back to the ship, and back to their stations to get back to work.

The captain left supply crates for the people of Haven, which will last them long enough before getting their farming facilities off the ground. The captain gave his goodbyes and went back to the ship, followed by his swarm of mechanical helpers. With a great whoosh the St. Nicholas was airborne again, and disappeared into the morning sky.

As people awoke, some came out to the square, amazed by something they’ve never seen before. It was a tree, but not just any tree. It appeared as a small pine tree, something many only vaguely remembered from photos of Earth. But, this tree was special. It was a bioluminescent fir that gave off small points of light from its needles. The children played in the snow around it, many captivated by its constant glow. Haven’s residents basked in the bounty from the captain, as children pranced about in the square, bundled with their new gifts in hand.

Christmas on the planet Demeter

Christmas Eve

The fierce and steady wind howled over the snowy plains. Cloudy sheets of ice, spanning for miles, poured into valleys like ghostly waterfalls. In the deep gray of the stormy sky, a lone red beacon shone brightly, cutting through the icy deluge, visible for miles away. The aerial freighter St. Nicholas careened through the air, unfazed by the intense crosswinds and the oppressive, icy downpour.

Aboard the ship, a man tinkered away in his workshop, fashioning bits of plastic and fabric with great speed, aided by mechanical assisting arms affixed to his workstation, effectively creating a tabletop assembly line. He was a large, rather portly fellow. His long white beard draped across his chest, covering the tools, pens and various spectacles clipped to his breast pockets. His eyes hid behind telescopic lenses, which he used to carefully tweak and tinker, and assemble delicate parts. His expression was that of a man immersed in his work. His gaze never veered away from the objects in hand. His large, work-worn hands delicately handled precision tools, applying components and finishing touches as the mechanical arms completed assembly.

The completed set was comprised of various knick-knacks. Toy robots, stuffed animals, dolls and tiny replica vehicles lay in neat piles, tagged and categorized. Each toy had a small silver tag on each, etched finely with an alphanumeric string of characters. On the other side were the names of the children receiving them.

Just as quickly as gifts were fashioned, gifts were stuffed and wrapped into boxes by little mechanical figures that scampered to and fro about the room, while others cleaned up and sorted tools and building material. They were clever little devices of his own design. They not only helped in the workshop, but also manned the speeding freighter, guiding it through the darkness while their creator worked tirelessly throughout the night. They kept the ship surprisingly steady, so that work can be completed with little disturbance.

The St. Nicholas pulled along in the bitter cold and intense wind, steadfast in reaching its destination.  The Haven colony, one of the last enclaves of humanity in the farthest reaches of the galaxy, awaits its final shipment for the year, while its children slept, dreaming of their first real Christmas since making their home on Demeter…