Getting into the Christmas Spirit

Posted on Tue Feb 25th, 2020 @ 4:55pm by Captain M'Mira & Ensign Connor Turner & Candy Templeton & Lieutenant Oliver Radrick & Lieutenant John Fitzgerald & Lieutenant Tristian Hudson & Lieutenant T'Lena & Lieutenant JG Shannon Cosantior & Petty Officer 1st Class Grace Hudson & Dreyem Taga

2,760 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Mission 3: Diplomacy, what’s that?
Location: Faltan Station Commons

OOC: This will occur while Kara, Tomer, and Foster are meeting with the minors

Tensions seemed to be easing at Faltan Station. Christmas was a mere ten days away and people of all races and species seemed to be in a much more festive mood. It was easier to do so without any attacks on the station in the last few months. Also, having added a great deal of personnel, some experienced also bolstered the general mood of the inhabitants. Decorations were put up and more were coming as the holiday spirit took over.

The sinewy and petite M'Mira stalked her corridors like a proud lioness. She had vowed to herself by hook or by crook, she was going to save this station and now her dream seemed to be coming true. She smiled and nodded at anyone that looked in her direction.

However, from nowhere, a transparent figure appeared in the middle of the commons. The figure was wearing an apparent red robe and trousers. He was a heavy set man, and likely elderly, given the white tufts of hair that came out from under a red hat that had a white fluffy top and a fluffy white brim. He also had a snowy white beard. He looked around and laughed, "Ho ho ho!!!" He smiled at everyone. "I do hope that everyone here on Faltan has been a good boy or girl. I will be back to judge you all! Ho ho ho!!!" With that, the figure disappeared, as if it was never there.

Grace was visiting some stores on the Promenade looking around when the vision of Santa Claus popped up almost infront of her. For a moment it made her jump before she realised it was just a hologram of some sort. She listened to the message frowning as 'Santa' mentioned judging people before he suddenly vanished.

Shannon stopped, blinked then contacted operations, =/\="Consantior to Operations, did you notice any unusual energy readings?"=/\= She asked. The report back was inconclusive and Shannon cursed.

T'Lena had assumed that seven years assimilation with humans would have dulled all sense of culture shock. She had been introduced to any number of their holidays and celebrations, however foreign and archaic -- even primitive -- some seemed. So seeing a transparent man appear in the Commons, who so was similarly dressed like the Santa from a human's Christmas story, did not itself surprise T'Lena, especially when it was clear the station was in celebration of Christmas, Hanukkah, and many other beliefs which were held near similar dates at the end of the year.

She stepped by the apparition, seconds away from dismissing it entirely as just another oddity of humanity, but felt compelled to pause and analyze it upon close inspection of the reactions around her. Many of the people were oddly... Surprised by his appearance. Which made her instantly suspicious that this particular hologram was not anticipated. A prank, perhaps? Or someone's idea of getting 'into the spirit of the holiday'?

She stopped to fumble a tricorder into hand, then stepped toward the spot where the Santa had disappeared, beginning a scan of the area for any hints. She disliked questions that could not be answered through logical reasoning, and thus she turned to science for aid. Reporting for duty would just have to wait.

Shannon looked over at the vulcan with the Tricorder who at least looked like she was trying to figure out what happened. She went over. "Consantior, Intel. Anything useful?" She asked politely.

M'Mira strutted over to the Vulcan who was picking up some rather unusual readings. Something was there. It was not a holoprojection. The Caitian's tail swung pointedly from side to side in front of her body. "May I inquirrre, ma'am, who you arrre? I have not seen you herrrre beforrre."

T'Lena spared Shannon a quick glance in acknowledgement before returning to her study of the tricorder readouts. It was some strange data, and nothing she could understand without further analysis.

"I am Lieutenant T'Lena, Chief of Science," she answered M'Mira's query, again with only a glance, but even the Vulcan did a double-take at seeing the Caitian. This was not a species she had any previous interaction with. Almost, T'Lena lifted her tricorder as if to scan M'Mira, and only holding herself back from doing so out of social courtesy.

"I was about to report in for duty, when there was an unusual apparition. A man dressed like a fictional character, Santa Claus." She paused and motioned to Shannon, who had also been witness to the strange appearance. "My readings suggest this man is not simply a hologram."

"Considerrr yourrrself rrrreporrrrted in," M'Mira hummed. "I'm Commanderrr M'Mirrrra. I am in charrrge of this station. It is good to have you herrre, Lieutenant." The Caitian's head tilted at a near right angle and asked, "Then what was that thing and who is rrresponsible forrr it?"

T'Lena paused in reply, not out of shame for lacking an answer to M'Mira's question, but because she wondered the same and had no definitive guess even to what it was. "I do not know," she stated simply. "Perhaps we should have the station on alert, and record any other these appearances? This could simply be some sort of complex prank."

"I am not going to put the station on alerrrt just because of a prrrank," M'Mira replied defiantly. "Besides, this prrrank has not caused any harm, only currriosity. And, I am currrious. I would like you to investigate this morrrre fully once you have settled into yourrr quarrrterrrs. Coorrrdinate with securrrity."

Grace was still mulling over what she'd seen, but the words of 'Santa' had been quite clear. "Excuse me Commander." She walked over to M'Mira. "I don't know what use it'll be but Santa, or whatever that thing was, said he'd be back to judge us. Since when does Santa judge people?"

"I don't know," M'Mira admitted. "Then again, I am not human and do not understand all of the human mythos. This is the one wherrrre, 'You'd betterrr watch out. You betterrr not crrry. You'd betterrr not pout, I'm telling you why, rrrright?" Her tail swished uncertainly and she held her hands out so that her palms were up and only the tips of her red nails showed to Grace.

"Sort of Yes ma'am" Grace smiled. "Santa brings gifts to the children every Christmas. The idea is that those who are good get presents, it's something parents tell their children to make them behave!" She grinned. "I always love Christmas, it's a festive time of year."

"But if he is going to find out who is naughty and nice, does not that mean that he will judge? If you ask me, it sounds a bit disturrrbing. Humans have interrresting customs, to say the least," M'Mira concluded. "Of courrrse, I am always up forrr a good parrrty."

Shannon had not been born on earth she didn't really know the stories about Santa. So was just as confused as anyone else, she wasn't sure why though no one seemed more concerned. Her family did have a version of Christmas though there wasn't some dude in a red suit judging everyone. She looked at T'len, "Perhaps we both should follow up with security." She said puzzled but always willing to focus on the perceived threat.

"Yes," T'Lena agreed simply, pulling her gaze from an intense study of the tricorder so as to politely acknowledge the order from M'Mira and Shannon's follow-up suggestion. "We should do so." Then lowering the tricorder, she stood and simply waited on Shannon to lead the way if she so pleased.

Shannon nodded and lead the way towards the security offices, "I must say." She said to T'Lena, "despite the often unusual items that tend to happen around here that is a new one."

M'Mira spied a buxom blonde woman taking notes on a PADD. She was energetically involved in conversation and being overly friendly with the male she was talking to. She whispered to Shannon and T'Lena, "I think that we should disappearrr beforrre she gets in our dirrrection. Tell me what you find out as soon as you can."

Shannon nodded and the group picked up their pace.

- Medical Bay -

In Medical, Tristian was finishing heart surgery on a patient who was in one of the stations' advanced Medical pods. With Petty Officer 3rd Class Katlyn Monroe.

The surgery was relatively a minor annoyance to the patient; however, in the long run, it would help the officer live decades longer.
The aortic valve malformation was corrected and double-checked by the computer and Gavin's handiwork.

Just then, one of the staff passed around some Christmas cookies. Gavin smiled, looking at the festive shapes and icing on them. "These look great. I'm stealing one for Gracie!"

- Falton Station Commons -

Out into the corridor, after having sterilized his self after surgery, Gavin met Grace. "Guess what I've got for us," Hudson held the cookies behind his back, a mum faced look. He was grinning.

Grace shook her head. “I don’t know, but would it happen to be food?” She grinned.

“YES!” He exclaimed. “But even better! Christmas cookies!” He knew Gracie loved Christmas and celebrations.

Her thoughts had wondered again to what she’d seen. “Sorry! It’s just...I guess you didn’t see him did you? Santa Claus was here, or at least a hologram of a man resembling Santa Claus! He said “he hoped we’d all been good, because he was coming back to judge us!” She looked concerned. “Am I right to be worried?”

"That so?" He quizzed. He began to pretend to take a bite out of Grace's cookie while thinking. "Kidding!" He laughed. "Here you go hunny." He gave her the cookie, and placed his shoulder and forearm around her.

"I didn't expect Santa to make a call this far from Sol?" He furrowed a brow. "Why?"

“I have no idea!” She shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe it’s just somebody’s idea of a prank?” She smiled and ate some of the cookie Tristian had brought her. “So how go things in Sickbay? Are you settling in okay?”

"I can't wait to show you." He strolled along with Grace holding her hand into his. "I have all the latest medical devices, all the beams, all the technology. I have this feeling for the first time, beyond a starship I can do real good!" He affirmed.

He looked around. "Is it a surprise that there would be a hologram of Santa, Grace? I mean look at this." He gestured to it all. "It's awesome!"

Grace smiled as she looked around. “That it is. So all this technology and the medical devices you have, do they include pre and postnatal care? Is there everything you’d need in the case of an emergency?” She was understandably nervous incase there were any complications with the birth of their baby.

"Oh, Grace. We wouldn't be here if there weren't the natal program!" He stopped, picking up a hot chocolate. There was a side counter along the concourse.

He handed a mug to Grace. Tristian took a sip from his own. He then pressed a kiss to Grace's cheek. "I should get back to Sick Bay!" He then left back, turning and stating, "If I get off early enough, maybe we can check out a station restaurant."

"I'd like that" Grace smiled. "I'll join you in Sickbay shortly, I have a few more minutes left before my shift."

-----Inside a service corridor above the commons-----

Oliver was just traveling through the cramped corridor checking power divertion relays to the transport monitoring systems, which was his final task to complete before turning in his reports in about an hour from now. When he hurd a familiar voice. It sounded like Santa Claus , but he ignored it thinking there was no way it was. Then he noticed a surge in the relay and he made a note of it.

-----Faltan Station Flight Ops office-----

Fitz was sitting down at his desk, going through the reports for the day, not thinking about anything, except that he needed more coffee, he stood up, still reading from the PADD that he held, and walked over to the replicator. "Coffee, double strong, double sweet, please" he said, his usual coffee order. The replicator hummed and whirred for a moment, and beeped, signaling that the beverage was ready. He picked up the mug from the replicator, put it to his lips, and took a sip. Whatever the replicator had made, it wasn't Coffee. He took another sip from the mug, which he only just realized was red, green, and white striped, and took a moment to process the taste. Cocoa, the replicator had given him hot cocoa, with peppermint. He only hoped that this was someone's version of a joke, if so, pretty funny too. He thought about his first week or so on the Triton, how he and the security chief had played transporter golf, which led to himself being one of the architects of The Golfball Incident of 2388. He then tapped his Combadge "Flight Ops to Engineering."

"Go ahead lieutenant," Came the reply from one of the junior Engineers

"When someone gets a second, I think something's wrong with the replicator in my office, I asked for coffee and it gave me hot chocolate."

"Understood, someone should be up there in an hour,"

"Thanks, Fitzgerald out." he then continued to drink the hot chocolate and read through the reports.

Connor had happily been talking with his computers. All of Faltan's computers had their own personality, or so Connor insisted. And lately, all of them seemed to be in good order. He was stroking the consoles lovingly when he heard that there was a problem with a replicator. He wondered who would do anything to a replicator. He definitely was going to have words with whomever messed up his machinery. Within a minute, he was in Flight Operations and looked around, carefully avoiding the gaze of anyone that was an attractive female. He called out, "Um, uh, did someone report something about a replicator malfunction?"

Fitz walked over to Turner, "That would be me ensign, right this way," he said, gesturing towards his office.

Thanking whatever Gods were listening, he kept his gaze levelly on Fitz. "Yes, sir," he told Fitz in a decided British accent.

John then walked toward his office with the ensign in tow, he walked over to the replicator, which he had put a table next to. On said table were about four or five festive mugs all red, green, and whit striped. "Coffee, black," he said, the replicator whirred and beeped when it was done, which again, was another green and white mug with a brown liquid that smelled of peppermint. "You see, ensign, I have now tried six time to get coffee from my replicator, and it keeps giving me Hot Chocolate with Peppermint, I tried ordering Hot cocoa with peppermint, and still got the Hot Cocoa, would you be able to shed any light on the issue at hand?"

"Christmas prank?" Connor offered. "I have not heard of this issue with anyone else, as of yet. You're quite certain that you have not seen a man emerge out of a blue police box?" Connor's eyes hit the ground. "Sorry, sir. I do not know what got into me." With that, he talked to the replicator and stroked it, "Alright, now. Tell me what seems to be the trouble...."

Fitz looked at the engineering Officer, "Well, if you don't mind, I'll be heading to get a cup of real coffee, call if you need, ensign." he said, turning around and leaving to find the coffee he so desperately needed.

"I should have this right as rain in a few moments." Connor started inspecting the replicator. After a few seconds, he opened it up, scanned it with a tricorder and then made a few adjustments. Not realizing that Fitz had left, he started talking as he came out. "See, what you had here was a duplication in the resonance pattern buffers. Just a random bug, but all fixed now." He looked around and to his surprise, nobody was there. "Well, where did he go?" He told the replicator, "Coffee, two spoonfuls of milk, a dash of sugar." The replicator hummed and complied with Connor's wish. "I suppose I should leave a note somewhere, shall I?" he asked the empty room.

 

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