Andy's Fan-Fiction Archive

SILENT NIGHT
By
Maxine McBrinn

Timeline: Time Unknown
Author's E-Mail: Kenneth.W.Howard@att.com

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Hi folks,
I have been lurking about since late summer, enjoying the great fan fiction. With some recent encouragement from Vicky and Jayel, I decided to try my hand at it too. Someone posted a couple of weeks ago wondering if and how Eden Advance would celebrate Christmas. I'm sorry now that I did not keep their name, because as I thought about it, I decided that I could write my version of their holiday, and I'd like to give credit where it's due. Anyway, this is my first attempt at fiction. Please give me any comments you can. I'd love to hear that you liked it (of course), but even more, I'd like some ideas on how to improve. Many thanks to Vicky for reading this story early and suggesting I go ahead and post it.
Maxine McBrinn (howard@drmail)

Silent Night, Part 1
by Maxine McBrinn

Voice of Yale:
As the winter solstice approaches we have all settled into a comfortable routine in this sheltered valley. We are grateful for the biodome and the easy life it has made possible. But as the days shorten, I feel the need for some way to mark our time here, both on this planet and in this valley.
Devon sat at a small table in the main room of the Biodome, pouring over maps of the continent and of the region. She had sent Walman and Alonzo out to check the northwest for a suitable route out of the area. She knew that they would be stuck here through the winter, but was eager to have done as much advance work as possible when spring did arrive. The waiting grated at her. She wanted to be in New Pacifica now, preparing for the colonists two years behind them. This unplanned trek across the planet was a constant frustration to her.
The winter weather they had experienced so far was mild, at least according to Yale and Bess, but had already made scouting difficult. The combination of intermittent snow and short days limited how long the scouting parties could stay out and where they could go. It was possible that they would not be able to establish their route out of here until spring. Patience had never been one of Devon's strengths, and she could feel how tightly she was having to restrain herself.
Danziger walked into the room with his usual slam of the door. "Can't that man be quiet?" Devon asked herself.
"Hey Adair. Have you heard from the scout party? It's starting to look kinda ominous out there. Storm looks like it's coming in from the northwest."
"No. It's been a couple of hours since they last checked in. Do you think I should call them? Alonzo and Walman are usually good about keeping us informed."
"Yeah, go ahead. Never hurts to be too cautious. For all we know, they're in terrain that is hiding the northwest sky."
The two of them walked over to the communications centre, and called Walman. He answered immediately. "Walman here."
"Walman, this is John. Have you and Alonzo noticed the dark clouds to the Northwest? You guys may want to start back early."
"No, the north side of the valley is steep, and we can't see that part of the sky." Danziger could hear Walman passing the information along to Alonzo, then he came back on line. "We're going to start back in a short while. We want to finish checking this drainage first. I'll let you know when we head out. Walman over."
Danziger turned back to Devon and said, "Well, good thing we called. I'm going to go back to work on that generator. I figure that if I can find some way to boost the efficiency, we stand a better chance of keeping warm this winter. I'll be 'round back if you need me."
"Thanks John."
John left with the same loud bang of the door with which he had entered, and Devon smiled in amusement. Honestly, he was as bad as the kids. She went back to her maps and plans.
Bess and Julia were testing some of the local plants for nutrition and taste. Julia tested them for vitamins and mineral content, after first establishing that they were edible, then Bess examined them for suitable cooking styles. Bess was finding Julia's response to her cooking expertise funny. Julia honestly couldn't guess how Bess was proceeding. Cooking was a mystery to her and enough of an artform that she found it difficult. A cookbook would have been very welcome. Bess, on the other hand, reveled in the range of possibilities before her. She eagerly anticipated the combinations of taste and texture that would make a successful dish. Between the two of them, though, they had all the bases covered. Bess was holding up a tuber that Baines had found.
"I think that this would be really good roasted in its skin. We could serve it with a stew of those greens, or could add it into the stew itself and serve that with spirolina. It reminds me a bit of parsnips or a turnip. Actually, it could be really good mashed too." Bess waxed enthusiastically.
When Bess talked about food, Julia could see what she and Morgan had in common. They were sensual people who appreciated food. "Uh, sure Bess. Whatever you say." Julia didn't have a clue how Bess was deciding what to do. Food was fuel to her, and she never paid too much attention to it, as long as it didn't taste bad. Still, she knew that Bess was by far the best cook in their group, and she knew that Bess' help now would ensure that all of them ate better all winter, even when Bess was not doing the cooking. Bess was creating a cookbook of sorts for the less sure cooks in the group.
Julia's thoughts turned toward Alonzo. He appreciated real food more than most of them since he had grown up with it and was enjoying the return to his boyhood, as it were. She was looking forward to his being back home. She knew he loved to go out on the scouting trips, they gave him a sense of freedom and exploration that before now he had gotten through flying, but she was always anxious for his safety until his return. She would never admit this to anyone, especially not to him, but love had made her cautious, at least for his sake.
Bess was also reliving her childhood, cooking and appreciating the warmth inside the kitchen all the more for the cool crisp air outside. Her thoughts turned toward the season. Where she lived on earth, they didn't get much snow. Winter there just meant cold rain, lots of it. Here, the hills and trees were all coated with snow, just like on the Christmas cards her family had exchanged. Christmas... This would be a beautiful place to have an old fashioned Christmas, with good food, gift exchanges and caroling. They had lots to be grateful for. They had survived so much, traveled so far, and now found a place to rest and wait out the winter. She would have to talk to Yale. Perhaps he could even conduct a Christmas service, just like she had attended at home.
Later that afternoon, Bess caught up with Yale after the children's lesson was over for the day. "Yale, what do you think about us having a Christmas celebration here? It's getting close to that time of year."
"Christmas Bess?"
"Yeah, you know Yale. A time to celebrate the past year, exchange gifts and have a huge feast. We could maybe even sing carols! I know a lot of us are not religious, but we could make it a thanksgiving event."
Yale looked down into Bess' face. She was smiling and happy, and even her eyes sparkled at the thought of Christmas. "Well, you certainly are enthusiastic about it. I think some sort of a celebration is a good idea. We have been through so much and accomplished a great deal. You are right too, this is a good time to celebrate. Many of the world's religions have some sort of a feast around the winter solstice, probably a hold-over from the days that people depended on the sun for all the blessings of life. The solstice is the shortest day of the year. After that the days begin to get longer again, and spring is once again ensured. Come to think of it, we are living a life similar those of old. Bess, I think a feast of thanksgiving is a great idea."
"Wonderful! I will talk to Danziger if you'll talk to Devon. Then maybe we can hold a group meeting and talk about how to proceed. Oh Yale, this will be great! Just like the old time Christmases on cards and in books!" Bess was so excited, she gave Yale an enthusiastic hug, surprising the tutor.
He watched as she rushed off in search of Danziger. Well, he had better go talk to Devon now. It looked like Bess was not in the mood to wait.

Continued in Part 2
Maxine McBrinn (howard@drmail)
//From e-mail on 13 Dec 95

Silent Night, Part 2
by Maxine McBrinn

Devon, in the meantime, was beginning to get worried about the scout team. It had been hours since they had called to let her know that they had turned back and were heading home. The storm was definitely going to hit that night, and she didn't want to think about what it would be like to be caught in it in the DuneRail. She walked over to the comm center and tried to call them again. She got no indication that they had heard her. Was their gear turned off, or was it broken somehow?
Julia chose that moment to walk in. "Have you heard from the scout team?"
"No Julia. I was just trying to call them, but there is no answer." Julia's face was rigidly blank, expressing her dismay all too clearly, so Devon added, "But I'm sure they are all right. Alonzo and Walman are both level-headed and experienced."
"None of us are experienced with this sort of weather Devon. I think we should send out a search team."
"Julia, I am as concerned as you about the scout team, but they are only due back now. We should wait an hour or so before we panic."
"But Devon, there are only a couple of hours of daylight left, and if they got caught in that storm..." Julia couldn't continue. The thought was just too terrible. "Look, I volunteer to go out in the ATV to look for them. Devon, I just can't wait here with no word from them. I have to go do something."
Devon could see how important it was to Julia to know that the team was safe. There was no way that Julia would sit and wait any longer. "OK, I'll just go get Danziger. You can't go alone. In the meantime, why don't you start packing food, clothes and any medical equipment you think you may need. Don't forget to include extra blankets and some shelter."
"Great, tell Danziger I'll be ready to go in 10 minutes." Julia took off to pack with a little hop and a near run. Devon went around to the back of the Biodome in search of Danziger.
A quarter of a hour later, Danziger and Julia headed out of camp in the ATV. Danziger drove while Julia sat in the back, precariously perched on a pile of gear. They were both bundled up against the wind and cold, and took along two pairs of gear, just in case. Most of the crew clustered around watching them depart. People moved off in different directions, back to their various chores.
Bess and Yale met briefly, and agreed that they would postpone the feast idea until everyone was safely back in camp. With that, Bess went off in search of Morgan and Yale went looking for True. He knew that True would be anxious about her Dad and wanted to distract her with an idea for a Christmas gift that she could make for him.
Julia and Danziger didn't talk much as they followed the tracks left by the DuneRail that morning. The wind made it hard to hear and the sitting arrangement didn't make conversation easy. More than that, though, Julia was feeling too tense to chat, and would not allow herself to articulate her feelings. Danziger seemed to realize that she was in no mood for idle chit-chat, and left her largely to her own thoughts. He contented himself, unwittingly echoing Devon, by saying, "Those guys are no fools. They knew a storm was coming in. I'm sure they are just a little behind schedule."
"I know," Julia said, "but I feel better checking anyway." He couldn't see her face, but her voice was tight and she sounded scared.
They drove on in silence for half an hour, then Julia, who was looking for any sign of the scout team through the jumpers, said "I see someone up ahead." Sure enough, Walman was trudging along in the knee deep snow, heading toward them. Danziger pulled the ATV to a halt just in front of him.
"Man, am I glad to see you two! Just the people we need."
"What happened? Where's Alonzo? Is he OK?" Julia was in no mood to have to wait for answers.
"Hold on a second Doc. Walman, are you all right?"
"Yeah, just a little chilled. My feet are frozen. But we need to get to the DuneRail and Alonzo as soon as possible. We had an accident. He's OK, Julia, nothing terrible happened. Let's get moving and I'll fill you in as we drive." Julia had turned white at the start of Walman's narrative. She nodded tensely at the directive to move. It agreed exactly with her sentiments.
Walman jumped onto the back of the ATV and held on as they moved off. "The 'Rail hit a rock that was hidden under a snow bank and it flipped. We were both thrown clear, but Alonzo was knocked out. Unfortunately, the gear got broken in the crash so we couldn't call you. I stayed until Lonz came to. We both decided that one of us had to start walking back, and the obvious choice was me. Lonz was feeling a bit disoriented and nauseous. He said he'd stay with the 'Rail." Walman had to shout over the noise the ATV made running over snow. "The 'Rail's just a little way on up the track. It'll only take us 15 minutes to get there."
While Danziger drove, Julia called camp to let them know what had happened. Baines answered and heard the story. He told her that the storm was probably only an hour away, so it was imperative that they not linger. He promised to update the rest of the camp and signed off.
They got to the crash site in less than 10 minutes. The DuneRail was lying on its side, and surrounded by a scatter of equipment thrown out of the vehicle by the force of the wreck. A deep track had been dug into the snow by the 'Rail before it had come to a stop. There was, however, no sign of Alonzo. Walman and Julia hopped out even before the ATV had quit moving. "Alonzo!" they both started calling. "Alonzo! Where are you?" Danziger indicated that they should start a systematic search of the ground. They fanned out, each calling for the pilot as they walked the area. Danziger found him just inside some trees, next to a big rock that was free from snow. It looked like he had sat there to wait and had passed out. He lay on his side in the snow, untouched except for a bruise on his forehead.
"Julia! Walman! He's over here." The other two came running as fast as they could in the snow.
Julia used her diaglove to scan his condition, "Well, no broken bones. Let's move him to where I can see him better. Let me put a blanket down in the clearing next to the 'Rail, and we can put him on that." She cleared the area of as much snow as possible and covered the ground with a reflective blanket. Walman grabbed Alonzo's feet and Danziger placed his hands under the pilot's shoulders. As they picked him up off the ground where he lay, Julia supported his neck and head with her hands. They lay him gently on the blanket. Julia began to scan him, frowning as she read the results. "He's got a concussion. I'm most concerned about his core body temperature. It has dropped dangerously. He's been lying in the snow for a while by the looks of it. We need to get him out of these wet clothes and into some dry ones."
"Julia, once you get Lonz stable, I think you should also look at Walman. He said his feet were cold. I just hope he doesn't have frostbite."
"OK, Danziger. Good point. In fact, Walman, come over here now. John, could you start changing Lonzo's clothes?"
"Sure Julia. Lucky we brought lots of extra clothing with us."
Walman sat on the edge of the blanket and pulled off his boots. "You do have a small touch of frostbite on your left big toe. Good thing we caught it now. Change into some dry socks now and I'll help you treat it when we get back to camp."
Walman pulled his boots back on and got up to help Danziger with the 'Rail. The two of them, with some help from Julia, were able to heave it upright after Danziger had made simple levers from two long straight tree branches and fulcrums with a couple of the big rocks that littered the area. They all threw the various pieces of gear into the vehicle, then covered the back seat with a blanket. They placed Alonzo on the seat and wrapped him up well with extra blankets. Danziger drove the 'Rail, Julia in the passenger seat, and Walman drove the ATV. They had informed the camp of what was happening before they set off.
The wind was picking up and the daylight was almost gone by the time the camp was in view. Twilight was so short in the winter, Danziger thought to himself. That storm was certainly moving in. They were extremely lucky that they had made it back before it did hit. He looked over at Julia. She had spent most of the drive trying to care for Alonzo in the back seat. He had regained consciousness shortly after they had started the drive back, but was confused and feeling ill. That was an advantage to an open vehicle, he thought as Alonzo was sick again. Julia said that nausea was common with a concussion, and not the biggest concern. She was more worried about his lack of awareness, and said that was probably due to hypothermia. She was eager to get both Alonzo and Walman inside where she could treat them properly.
As they pulled into camp, the whole crew came tumbling out of the biodome. True attached herself to her father with a limpet-like grip, and he hugged her tightly before peeling her off to help Walman walk to the medtent. Cameron and Baines had reached for Alonzo and were, one to each side, guiding him to the same destination, as Julia rushed ahead to be ready for him. Yale had taken the precaution of preparing the tent for them. He had a warm bath ready for Alonzo and a foot bath ready for Walman.

Concluded in Part 3
Maxine McBrinn (howard@drmail)

Silent Night, Part 3
by Maxine McBrinn

Julia had snapped into full doctor mode and briskly said, "Walman put your foot into that warm water. Baines, please stay and help me strip Alonzo out of these clothes. We'll put him in the bath and see if that starts to raise his core temperature." Although Alonzo was nominally awake, he was dizzy and disoriented enough that he couldn't do much to help himself. Once he was in the bath, he started to doze off, but Julia wouldn't let him. She wanted him awake until she knew the extent of his concussion. "Keep him in there and awake, Baines, and I'll see to Walman."
Walman's toe had started to hurt so he did have some tissue damage, but Julia was pretty sure that he would only lose the top layer of skin. He had been lucky. After 20 minutes or so in the bath, she allowed him to replace his boots and walk over to the Biodome common room. "Keep your foot elevated for the next day or so, and don't even think about spending much time outside until I OK it. All right?" Walman nodded. "And Walman," he stopped and turned around, "thanks for looking after Alonzo."
"Sure, Julia. I just wish I had done a better job of that."
"No, you did the best you could. We're all learning about this planet. But he's going to be fine."
That night the storm hit. The wind howled and shook their tents and the Biodome so that the world was filled with the clatter and snap of their shelters. It was impossible to keep the rooms warm since the wind managed to sneak in through every crack in the insulation. Snow blew so wildly that it was impossible to navigate around camp without holding on to something. It would have been easy to take a wrong turn and walk right out of camp. The storm soon blew itself out, and the morning brought clear skies and a winter wonderland. Everything had been coated by the snow; the branches of the trees were weighed down by pure white sparkling drifts.
By that morning, Alonzo was, indeed, doing fine. His core body temperature had risen to normal thanks to the warm bath, and that had reduced his confusion appreciably. He had a good night sleep once Julia had determined that his concussion was minor. Now he just had a terrible headache and felt ill whenever he moved his head too quickly. Julia had let him out of bed with stern injunctions against trying to do anything other than sit in the Biodome common room. Since that was all he really felt up for, he agreed readily to her terms.
He walked carefully over to the Biodome with her at his side. Food was not appealing, he was still feeling too ill for that, but a warm drink did sound good. He was greeted at the door with a round of 'hellos' from all who were assembled there, and that seemed to be the whole camp. Walman was over in a corner with a bowl of porridge and his foot up on another chair. Devon and Bess were in front of the crowd like they were about to say something.
"Good, I'm glad you two are here," Devon began. "Bess and Yale have a proposal they want to put before the group. Bess?"
"The weather outside lately has reminded me of all the stories about Christmas that I used to hear as a child. The snow is so pretty when the sun shines on it. I know that the cold is dangerous," she looked to Alonzo and Walman, "but the white snow, green trees and bright blue sky that we have today...,well it looks just like the Christmas cards we always exchanged when I was a kid. And I was thinking, we have a lot to celebrate and a lot to be thankful for. I propose that we have a feast to mark the end of this year and the beginning of the next."
Yale stood up and walked over to stand next to Bess. He turned to address the group. "I agree with Bess. Next week is the winter solstice. After that, the days will start to get longer again. This time now is the darkest and hardest of the year. Most old world civilizations had a celebration at this time of year. They had a connection with the earth and the sun like we are trying to develop with this new Earth2. We have had a hard year, with the crash, a Z.E.D., Gaal, illness, sabotage and the ominous presence of Reilly. We have weathered all that, and our scare of yesterday," he nodded at Alonzo and Walman, "Let's celebrate the dawn of a new year. We can have good food, gift exchanges, singing...a party! We deserve it, after all."
Devon stood up, "All those in favor?" All fifteen hands went up. She smiled at them all and said, "OK, I guess we're going to have a thanksgiving feast. When should we have it Yale?"
"Five days from now is the solstice. Let's have it the day after that. That's the turn around day for the amount of sunlight."
For the next few days, the camp was filled with the bustle of people getting ready. Food had to be prepared, gifts were surreptitiously being made, and Bess had a wonderful time decorating the Biodome common room and making a list of seasonal songs. A "yule" log was found by Cameron back in the woods, and he insisted in it being brought back to the camp. This presented more of a problem than just getting it to camp. They had decided at the beginning of their stay at Mary's Garden that they would not allow a fire in the Biodome. In the end, Cameron was willing to compromise on a bonfire outside the dome. They could start the festivities there and move inside if it got too cold.
At last the day after the solstice arrived. It was a mild winter day, warm and sunny. Bess had gotten Danziger and Morgan to cut down a perfectly shaped evergreen tree. She had directed its placement inside the dome, where it scented the whole building with its pitch. She made pretty decorations from cut-out pieces of spirolina tin and cloth, and had gotten Uly and True to gather pine cones which they then placed on the tree. Lumalights were strategically placed in the foliage to light the tree, and streamers were made from strings of colorful berries to complete the pretty picture. A bigger-than-usual meal using the local produce Julia and Bess had gathered was dished up early that afternoon. Everyone was seated together inside the Dome. After enjoying the tuber and greens stew served with spirolina, coffee and cake were served. Magus had gotten into the spirit of the event and had shown a hitherto unknown talent for baking. She had, after some experimentation, created a spirolina and nut cake that was actually delicious.
Yale stood to make the first speech of the evening. "My friends, we are gathered together here to remember the year that is now passed. Most of us were strangers when we began this odyssey, many of us were not expecting to ever set foot on this planet. We landed here with great ignorance and lots of trauma. Together, we have survived a crash, illness, the deaths of crew mates, sabotage and plotting from a council watcher, a Z.E.D., and the winter cold. Despite these dangers, perhaps even because of them, we have become a cohesive group, learning to help and care for one another, and to love one another. I thank you for this precious gift. Speaking of gifts...," Yale laughed, "I believe that Santa Claus has visited while we ate. There seem to be some gifts under our tree. Uly, perhaps you and True would bring them to me one at a time?"
Uly and True had craned their necks to look at the tree when they heard the word 'gifts', and were only too eager to carry the presents to Yale, who acted as the Master of Ceremonies. Most of the gifts were for the children, since almost every one of the adults had included a gift for them. Otherwise, gifts were exchanged between those who had extra strong ties. Alonzo actually blushed when his gift to Julia was opened in front of everyone, but not as deeply as Julia. He had made her a hair tie with pretty stones and pieces of brightly colored material. Julia had made him a thick pair of boot liners and a cozy hat. Everyone laughed at just how appropriate a gift that was. Walman surprised Magus by giving her a new frame for a holo of her family. He had carved it out of a red tinted and deliciously scented wood he had found in the woodpile. Morgan gave Bess a potpourri bowl he had made from an old spirolina tin, and she gave him a moisturizer scented with herbs and flowers she had collected over the summer and fall.
After the gifts were opened and admired, Bess suggested singing songs. She and Yale had collected a number of Christmas carols, Hanukkah songs and even a Kwanza song. It turned out that Eben had a lovely soprano and Baines a well tuned tenor. Even more remarkable, those two already knew most of Bess' songs. With them in the lead, all the others joined in.
As the sun went down, they moved outside and sat around the blazing yule log. Hot drinks and more cake were passed around. Danziger and Cameron, the acknowledged story tellers, told tales that had their listeners, even the kids, sitting as still a stones. The huge bonfire ensured that no one was outside the circle as the warmth and firelight lit their faces with a rosy glow. The night was clear, stars twinkled overhead and the twin moons of G889 lit the camp with a clear blue glow. Away from the fire, the moonlight was bright enough as it reflected off the snow to cast shadows. Songs and stories continued late into the night; no one wanted to break the spell of comfort and friendship. Finally, the kids were asleep, cuddled in their parents laps, when Yale suggested that they finish the evening with one last carol, "Silent Night."
"Silent Night, Holy Night,
All is calm, all is bright..."
Yale:
Our Solstice celebration gave us a chance to stop and express to ourselves and to each other how much this group has become our surrogate family. We know that we will continue to be surprised by our life here on G889, but it is greatly comforting to know that those surprises are good ones as often as they are bad.
-The End-

Hope you like it. Again, please send any comments to: howard@drmail.
Maxine McBrinn
//From e-mail on 13 Dec 95

This text file was ran through PERL script made by Andy. Original text file is available in Andy's Earth 2 Fan Fiction Archive.