Christmastime is Here

Posted on Tue Jan 10th, 2023 @ 4:13am by Lieutenant JG Damien Blackford

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Damien's Quarters
Timeline: 2396
594 words - 1.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Damien sighed, leaning back on his sofa, running a hand through his hair, and glancing up at the clock on the wall. ‘Three, two, one.’ The date reader flipped over, and he let out another sigh. There it was. December 25th. It was officially Christmas. And it was now officially the first time he hadn’t spent Christmas on Earth. He’d always gone home for Christmas. Back at the Academy. Even when he’d been doing his training cruise. The ship was docked at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards, and the crew had been given a few weeks shore leave, which thankfully coincided with Christmas. But now, being out here in the unknown reaches of space, he’d known there was no way he’d be back home in time.

Standing up, he walked over to his desk, smiling as he looked at all the photos on the wall and desk. Not holophotos, which most people seemed to prefer, but old style Earth photography, which he’d always liked better. When he’d first moved into his quarters, the space on the walls had been mostly of himself, his time at the Academy, and his parents. And for the most part, it had remained that way. There were a few new additions though. His favourite spots around the ship and a couple of him and Vira. His favourite was the one of the pair of them at the theatre. Okay. They weren’t actually at the theatre. It was on the Holodeck. But still. It was a nice looking photo.

Sitting down at the desk, he pulled a sheet of paper towards him, picking up a nearby as well. He’d transcribe the words into a computer log later, but for now, he always preferred to handwrite his logs first. It gave them a more... Authentic feel, he felt. The trouble right now was... He didn’t know where to start.

‘Christmas has always been a strange time for me. Growing up with a father in Starfleet, and an Earthbound mother, I always knew that I’d have at least one parent home for the holidays. My mother always did her best to make the holidays a time to remember. But the years when my father was on assignment at Christmas time always made things more difficult. We were never sure where exactly he was when he was away, and although he always tried to call, when you’re in a completely different part of the Galaxy, time zones rarely match up. But that didn’t matter to me. As long as he called, that was the important part. I think it was harder on my mother, than it was on me. She’d been with him during the Dominion War, when he wasn’t allowed any contact at all, and she didn’t even know where he’d been deployed too. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it must have been for her...’

He paused, sighing, looking down at the paper, running a hand through his hair. He was rambling. Hell, he didn’t even know what he was writing. Shaking his head, he picked the paper up, screwed it into a ball, and tossed it into the bin next to his desk. Sleep. That was what he needed. Rising from his desk, he walked back over to the table, picked up his glass, and drained the last few remnants. “Merry Christmas.” He said with a smile to the empty room, before turning around, and heading into his bedroom.