Christmas Cheer

A Space:1999 Round Robin Fantasy

 A group effort by the 1999 Divas

The music was loud and nearly everyone on the base was here. John took another swallow of beer. Tony's latest batch wasn't too bad if you ignored the occasional piece of pulp. John just pretended it was Corona with a badly cut twist of lime.

 Victor was presiding over the punch bowl and leading a small chorus of carolers. A messy combination, especially then he began conducting with the ladle.

 "I think he's about to reach his limit," Helena murmured, taking a sip of her own punch. Her voice was low and sexy. Koenig seemed especially well tuned to Helena this evening and knew she was in a good mood.

 John chuckled. "I'll make sure to take his keys."

 Unfortunately, he was also well tuned to the sound of his commlock. He was about to ask Helena to dance when it began to beep for attention. Helena gave him a sympathizing look. "Being Commander is almost as bad as being a doctor," she joked.

 "Almost!" he protested. "I have my arm around the most beautiful woman on the base and a halfway decent beer in my hand and I'm about to be called away. It couldn't be worse."

 She laughed. "Around here it could."

 John opened the channel on his commlock. Yasko's face appeared. She looked slightly puzzled, but she always looked like that.

 "Commander, I have a contact." She made the statement sound like a question.

 "We're in deep space Yasko. Is it a ship?"

 "No sir, it's a planet. It just ¼ appeared!"

 Okay, John thought, she has a right to be puzzled this time. "I'll be right there."

 John took Helena's elbow and steered her towards the door. Tony gave him a knowing wink and raised his glass. John glared back and motioned for Tony to follow. Tony frowned, but motioned to Maya and they made their way toward the exit.

 Command Center was quiet and nearly deserted. Mustapha Hakim sat at the computer station and Yasko manned communications. The planet on the big screen looked like a snow globe. It was covered with white cotton candy clouds that seemed to sparkle like glitter. Maya and Tony headed for their stations. John settled into his own chair and Helena stood next to him. Sandra and Alan had both followed them. Alan had a piece of plastic mistletoe in his pocket and Sandra had a bit of tinsel in her hair. Sandra stood behind Yasko, reaching over her shoulder to the controls.

 "I can't get this signal to come in right!" Yasko complained. Sandra shook her head impatiently and moved her hand across the board. As the signal grew in strength the sound became more familiar.

 "That sounds like sleigh bells," Alan said.

 The others nodded. The big screen lit up showing a petite young woman with long dark hair, a round face and elegantly pointed ears. She wore a little pointed hat of green felt with a bell on the end of it. The buttons of her red jumper also appeared to be bells.

 "Greetings Alphans," she said in a musical voice. She lifted a piece of paper from the desk in front of her. "According to our list, ninety-nine percent of you have been nice all year long, although we had a difficult time finding you. Hiding could be considered very naughty, but an Elf-B-I has cleared you of all naughty charges."

 "Elf-B-I?" John asked.

 "Elf Board of Inquiry. They are only convened on the most controversial cases. It was found that you were not hiding, but lost due to circumstances beyond your control. Your clearance by the board has entitled you to spend Christmas here at the North Pole. Your transportation will arrive shortly." The girl vanished and they once again had a view of the oddly glowing planet.

 "Will you look at that!"  Alan said with amazement.

 Flying out of the clouds was a small fleet. The formation moved oddly across the sky, and as they grew closer, the Alphans could make out the movement of tiny legs, and small antlers moving from side to side. Each ship was pulled by eight tiny reindeer ¼ at least they looked tiny from this distance. Alan counted thirty sleighs, each capable of carrying ten people.  

Other Alphans had grown curious when the command officers made a mass exodus from the party and followed them to Command Center. Victor stood in the doorway with a small crowd behind him. "Three cheers for the reindeer!" He led the others in a round of cheers, waving the ladle with each cheer. "Everyone to the sleighs!"

Everyone cheered and headed for the airlocks. The reindeer landed and took off smoothly and John soon found himself tucked under a cheerful plaid blanket with Helena next to him watching the snow globe grow in front of him, reindeer antlers bobbing and weaving in time to the sleigh bells on their harnesses.

They made their way through the clouds and across the snowy landscape below them. Christmas trees decked out with tinsel and icicles dotted the landscape, and ahead was an ornate village brightly lit and vividly decorated with candy canes and lollipops. A larger house stood on a hill above the village. Snow adorned its roof like frosting and the shingles were the pastel colors of candy wafers. Two small slender beings dressed in green jumpsuits, pointed hats and pointed shoes were rolling a red carpet across the snow. And the sleigh carrying John, Helena and the others landed gently and pulled up to stop just at the end of the carpet.

With a booming "Ho, ho, ho," a rotund bearded man appeared at the doorway.

"Welcome, Alphans, welcome!"

John helped Helena down from the sleigh. She was wearing that blue velour dress that always drove him wild, with one bare shoulder. She was also wearing clear high-heeled sandals, and John had been concerned that she would not be able to walk on the carpet-covered snow, but it was steady as a boardwalk.

He noticed Maya staring at the man in the doorway and turned to take a look at him again. White beard, red nose, merry cheeks, large belly, he was the image of the classic Santa Claus ¼ right out of a Coke commercial. But something about his bearing did remind John of Mentor.

"Come in, come in out of the cold!" the man called.

John noticed Helena looking the man over carefully. He was also reminded of Cabot Rowland somehow, and Helena's reaction to Rowland had certainly provoked a streak of jealousy in John. He put a protective arm around his lady and led her forward. The others exited the sleigh behind him and the next sleigh landed smoothly as soon as the first one pulled out. John looked up at a deep midnight blue sky with twinkling stars and a full silvery moon giving off a reassuring glow. He didn't feel cold at all, despite the surrounding snow. He headed toward the welcoming light of the house before him.

Inside, the house was aglow with light and life. Polished wood surfaces gleamed, reflecting the light of thousands of tiny candles in their reflectors. A fireplace burned cheerily. Small people with pointed ears, all wearing a livery of red striped shirts and green overalls rushed around offering steaming mugs to the Alphans. There were overstuffed chairs by the fire, a conversation pit with a view of the snow on the hills, trestle tables laden with turkey and dressing and all the trimmings.

Alan stood near the fire, his arm around a red-headed elf a head shorter than him. She was pointing out the fresh mistletoe bedecked with ribbon and suspended from a rafter above them. Alan was grinning as a cute brunette elf offered him a hot buttered rum.

An elf with long dark hair approached and handed Helena an ornate pewter mug with handles like reindeer antlers.

"Hot chocolate!" she oohed, peering into the mug. "With little marshmallows!"

John knew how she felt about chocolate. A mug of hot buttered rum appeared in his hand. An elf passed by with a platter filled with a variety of Christmas cookies. He helped himself to a handful of cookies as the large man approached the pair and said, "The name's Kringle, Kris Kringle".

In spite of his attempt to remain the ever-dignified Commander of Moonbase Alpha, John smiled at the old man.  "Kringle? Like in Santa Claus?" A small group of the senior staff gathered around Koenig.

Santa laughed loudly, "One in the same.  You know something, John?  You haven't changed a bit.  You doubted my existence as a child and you are still doubting it."

John glanced at Helena then back towards Santa, " You know my name?"

"I know everything about you."

Santa raised his hands and gestured to the group of Alphans.  "I know everything about all of you. I'm Santa!"

Victor Bergman stepped up beside John Koenig.  "Tell me Santa," he said with caution.  "What exactly do you know about us?"

Santa walked over to Victor and patted him on the shoulder.  "I know that you are Victor Bergman and from the time you were six you asked for a microscope for Christmas.”  Victor rubbed his chin thoughtfully.  Santa chuckled, "You do remember the microscope?"

A smiled crept across Victor's face, "Yes.  I'd walk passed the toyshop everyday on the way home from school and stare at it through the window. I wanted that toy more than...well, I wanted it."

Santa looked around and noticed Alan standing behind John.  He pointed to Carter.  "And that one there, Alan Carter.  He always wanted the fast and dangerous toys."  Santa chuckled.  "First five-year old on his block to ask for a go-cart."

  A wide grin spread across Alan's features. "I always had a sense of adventure, even as a kid."

  Tony laughed, "And by the way he crashes eagles, I'd say he still hasn't grown out of it."

"How did you find us?"  Alan asked.

"NPDR."

"What's NPDR?" Victor asked.

"North Pole Doppler Radar."  Santa said with a smile.

"North Pole Doppler Radar?" Maya asked, curiosity in high gear.

Santa chuckled, "Ah yes, Maya...Always the curious one."

Maya gave the old man an odd look, "You know me?"  Santa gently took Maya's hand and led her to a nearby chair.  When he pulled her on to his lap, she shot Tony a nervous look.  As Tony started to move toward them, Santa waved him off.

"Don't worry Anthony Michael, I'll give her back."  He smiled indulgently at Maya. "Now Maya, when you were a young girl, I used to visit you once a year, as I did with all good children.  But when you were about seven, your planet went through some terrible changes.  It turned into a dry desolate land.  The atmosphere became so dangerous that I was unable to continue to visit you."

The group watched a sad expression cross Maya's face. Santa gently took her hand in his.  "But when I was able to visit Psychon, I did.  I remember you had a brother.  How is he?"

Maya looked at the old man, "I don't know.  I haven't seen him for a long time."

Santa squeezed her hand. "Well, maybe we can do something about that.  After all, you are at the North Pole, where all dreams are possible."

Maya regarded Santa seriously but he only smiled.  He assisted her back into a standing position and stood.  Santa placed his arm around Maya's waist and led her back to Tony's side.  "Here you are Tony.  Safe and sound, just like I promised."

"Excuse our curiosity, Santa."  John said.  "We've had our share of misadventures since we..."

"Since you left orbit.  I know, I know.  But this is no misadventure, this is the North Pole and I am the real deal." Santa extended his arm out to Helena. "Tell me Helena Susan, why did you always ask for the same thing every year?"

Helena thought for a moment. It had been a long time since she believed in Santa. Suddenly, a smile crept across her face and she began to laugh.  "I always asked for the same thing because you never brought it to me."

Santa joined in her laughter.  "Well, it was impossible to bring it. You should have known that."

"Oh, I knew it. That's why I always asked for it."

Santa patted her hand as it lay across his arm.  "Well my dear, as I told Maya, this is the North Pole anything is possible".   Santa indicated a door across the room.  " Follow me.  I'll show you my toy shop."

The entire group took several steps toward a hall off the main room.  Before they reached the door, John stopped abruptly and whispered in Helena's ear. "Just what did you ask for?"

Helena leaned close to John and said. " I feel a little foolish telling you.”

He nuzzled her ear, “Come on.  You can tell me.”  His lips barely grazed her bare shoulder.

“It’s silly.”  He held her arm and she realized he was determined to have an answer.  She sighed, “Happiness.”  John’s brow crinkled.  “I wished for happiness, for everyone.  It was my ¼ sort of Miss Universe wish.”

She moved back in to the stream of Alphans moving through the hallway and continued.  “I think it was around the time I stopped believing in Santa Claus that I started to realize that happiness had to come from inside.  We could give each other love and friendship and respect, but no one could bring happiness to anyone else.  I guess Santa’s real gift to me was the chance to learn that lesson.”

John turned to meet her smile with his own.  The cavernous corridor suddenly felt cooler and John surmised they were moving deeper into the rock.  His head felt musty and he shook it to clear it.  Was it the effect of the rum?  Why hadn’t they tested it?  Wait a minute, why hadn’t they followed any normal procedures?

He took Helena’s elbow and pulled her against the smooth cool rock wall, allowing the other happy Alphans to pass ahead.  He smiled so as not to cause alarm and whispered. “Helena, something isn’t right.”

She frowned, “What John?”

“Something isn’t right – how do we know we can trust this guy? Who is he really?”

 Helena sighed in frustration, “John, must you always assume the worst?”

 “Didn’t you notice how this Kringle looks a little like Mentor and a little like Cabot Rowland?  Why would he look like people from our past?”

 Helena tried to pull John to join the last of the Alphans passing them by. “John, Santa was right – you are so skeptical?“

“Helena – without taking any pre-cautions to safeguard the base or our people, I climbed into a sleigh pulled by ten reindeer.  Then I rode through space without any oxygen.  I watched you walk through snow in heels and an off the shoulder gown.  I tossed down rum that may be making me hallucinate. And that’s not even the worst of it.”  

Helena squinted, trying to make sense of what he was saying.  She waited for him to continue.

“Helena, I left Moonbase Alpha under the supreme command of Yasko!”

Just then an elf ran up to them and exclaimed: “Please don’t dilly dally, come along. You don’t want to be late. Santa’s about to hand out presents.”

The elf hurried them along to an immense ice-encrusted cavern.

“For you Mr. Verdeschi, a guide to home brewing,” Santa told him.

That remark brought much laugher from the Alphans.

“Yeah, he can sure use that!” Alan exclaimed.

“And for you Alan, a genuine boomerang to remind you of home.”

“Speaking of home, what I’d really like for the Alphans is a home, but I suppose that’s beyond even your capabilities, Santa.”

“Don’t be such a doubting Thomas, John. I’ll just have to prove you wrong. Behold.”

A large view screen in the side of the cavern wall sprang to life.  On it was a planet.

John’s commlock beeped for attention.  It was Yasko.  “Commander, we’re receiving images of a planet. It appeared out of nowhere.  Preliminary reports indicate that it is habitable.”

“Of course it is habitable,” Santa exclaimed.

“I don’t know how you did that,” John told him.

“I’m Santa. I have magical powers!”

“I’d like to check out that planet.”

“Of course you would. Why not now?”

In an instant John and Helena were transported to the planet.

“Ho. Ho. Ho. Merry Christmas.”

Was it John’s imagination or was there a slightly evil tone to Santa’s laugh?  And where was the rest of his crew?

John took a moment to get his bearings: he and Helena were standing in the middle of a beautiful green meadow, surrounded by pine trees on three sides and a small winding brook on the fourth.  Helena let go of his hand and twirled in front of him.

“John, it’s beautiful…look at the trees, the birds, the sun…”

“Helena,” his tone was apprehensive, but he enjoyed seeing her so happy, “I don’t know…this just doesn’t seem right.  Who is this guy? And don’t say ‘Santa’, ok?  I’m serious.”

“John,” she returned to his side and took his hands once again, “what if he is?”

“Helena….”

“John, I don’t mean really Santa Claus, but what if he’s a man, a being, that can make our dreams, our fantasies, come true?  How bad is it if we just accept it?  We deserve to be happy.”

“Darling, it’s tempting, but we just can’t let someone take charge of our lives.  Now,” he squeezed her hands and gave her an understanding smile, “let’s find out where we are and where the rest of the Alphans are, then maybe I’ll relax.”

John picked a direction, towards the stream, and they set off to find their friends and some answers.

They crossed the meadow to the stream and stopped for a quick drink. 

“Ideas?”  She asked as she bent down for a sip of water.

He squatted down beside her.  “We could sit and wait.” 

“Not your style at all.”

He sighed.  “I just have a bad feeling about this.”

Back in the cavern the others watched as John and Helena sat beside the stream. 

“You see, the perfect place for you.”

“We usually need a little more information than pretty pictures, Santa.”  Tony said.

“Take me back and get me a eagle and we’ll give it a good look.”

“Not without John and Helena.” Victor interjected.

Santa looked at the group and smiled.  “Now, now. Let’s not get all excited.  Your Commander and Doctor are just fine.” 

On the planet, John was ready to move.  “Let’s see what we find upstream. Maybe there is someone around here.”

He took her hand and they started out.

After a bit of walking, Santa appeared to them again.  “Well, does it meet your requirements?”

They stopped and looked at him.  “It’s beautiful.” Helena said.

“But is it real?”  John asked.

“Is it?”  Santa said snapping his fingers. They re-appeared in the cavern with the rest of the Alphans.

The group gathered around them both quickly and John stepped toward Santa.  “Just who are you?”  he asked. 

“John, John, John,” Santa said in a condescending, singsong way.  “You truly are the Scrooge of Moonbase Alpha.”  The gentle looking man snapped his fingers again.

John blinked twice trying to see his surroundings.  He sat on a wooden stool and in front of him was a worn wooden desk complete with quill pen drooping from an ink well.  Across the dimly lit room was another desk with a single candle burning for light.  Koenig was not alone for a man sat at the desk, and they both were dressed in shabby Victorian style clothing.  The room was freezing cold so that John could see his breath.  The other occupant’s head came up from the ledger on the desk and the quill pen he held fell limply from his hand.

“Bob?”  Koenig inquired.

Mathias turned around slowly.

  “Commander?”  He paused and looked about the room with awe and puzzlement in his eyes.  “I was with the rest of command staff watching you and the others with that ‘Santa’ character.  Then I was here.”

  “Santa seems to be a right mischievous old elf.”  John said as he stood and put on the heavy coat hanging on the hall tree next to the desk.  Through the filthy, frost-covered windows at the front of the shop Koenig could see shadows of movement.

  “Bob, I am going…” Before John could finish, the door burst open with a howl of wind and blowing snow, and two people stepped into the office.

  “Shut that door, please!”  Bob Mathias called plaintively.  “It is already far too cold in here!”

  “You may have an extra lump of coal, Mr. Mathias, with my good wishes for a happy holiday for you and yours!”  Tony Verdeschi smiled and took off the tall hat he wore and banged in on his knee to shake off the snow.  Maya stood silently next to Tony in her floor length, billowing, red dress festooned with green and silver sequins.  Her hair was demurely coiffed atop her head and she wore a red hat to match her dress.  In her gloved hands she held a canister with “Help the Poor” printed on it.

 “Commander Scrooge, I presume?”  Tony asked, then broke out in laughter.

 Koenig looked at him sternly.

 “I’m glad someone is enjoying this.”  John said as Tony recovered his composure.            

 “No harm in enjoying yourself, I always say.  You should try it John---or should I say Ebenezer?”  Tony paused.  “John, the streets are filled with people!  They are all out there smiling and living!  It would do you good to come out and see.”  Tony smiled again. 

 “Commander,” Maya said softly, “the people here are all human and they keep walking up to me and saying ‘Merry Christmas’ and dropping metal disks into this container.  They seem quite happy.”

 John was not swayed by either of them, but there was something more important on his mind.

 “Have you seen Helena?”  John asked.  He needed her near -- as much to steady him as to make sure she was safe.

 “No we have not.  But she could still be with Santa at the North Pole.”  Maya replied.

 “That is what I fear.”  He grabbed his hat and cane from the table near the door and pushed by Tony and Maya.  “All of you stay here together, and I will try to find Helena.”

 He opened the door, having to hold his hat in place and close his eyes to the brightness and blowing snow.

 Koenig felt the cold wind blast his face, forcing him to keep his eyes closed for a moment longer than he planned. The snow swirled around him in a great white ice storm, and an involuntary shiver ran up his spine.  

John opened his eyes, relieved to see he was no longer on a Victorian era street, and his Dickensian Christmas Carol nightmare was over. But where was he now? The Commander looked around, realizing he was in the midst of a blizzard, but was unaffected by the elements. Not that he was really surprised. The environment around him -- hostile or friendly --  had not been affecting him since the appearance of the being calling himself ‘Kringle’.

  However, one thing had not changed and that was John’s intention to finding Helena. He was very uneasy about being separated from her, and was determined to remedy that situation.

  Slowly John turned in a circle, and as he did, the snow began to calm, the blizzard to change from a  fierce winter storm to a  gentle snowfall. He realized he was back on the planet, North Pole, and looking through a giant picture window at the ice cave where the rest of the Alphans were gathered. He could see what was going on, but could not hear the conversations.  What he saw distressed John. Helena was clearly upset, Maya, Tony and Sandra all trying to comfort and console her while Alan Carter was having more than a few words with ‘Santa’.

  Carter scowled at their host, using the age-old tactic of counting to ten to control his temper before speaking. No matter what the provocation, he didn’t want to be the one to piss off Santa. Even with making an effort to stay calm, Alan’s voice held an angry note. “We understand what you’re trying to do, but you’ve gone too far. Your lesson to John…”

“Is having the desired effect,” assured Santa.

“How so? By upsetting Helena, by spoiling her Christmas, by making her worry about John? If you really are who you claim to be, the all-knowing Santa Claus, you’d know this was not a good idea,” Alan stated.

“John Koenig is safe and has come to no harm.”

“Good, then end this, let Helena know it. John is not a man to take things at face value. This could go on for days and the only thing he’d become is more skeptical,” Carter reasoned.

“I assure you, Mr. Carter, I am aware of that,” stated Santa, his expression enigmatic and unreadable.

Alan felt a firm but gentle touch on his arm and glanced to the side to see Helena standing beside him. She was calmer now, her expression equally unreadable. When she spoke, her voice used what most on the base knew as her ‘doctor tone’, no nonsense and to the point. “John will continue to doubt until he has a firm, solid reason not to. Give us what we both want, to be together. If you do so, you will finally be able to bring me what I asked for each year as a child .”

Too many times Helena had seen John whisked off by some outwardly appearing friendly or benevolent alien, only to have his life or health endangered. She refused to believe the being claiming to be Santa wasn’t aware of this. Her gaze met Santa’s and they stared at each other for several long moments. Finally Santa blinked.  As he did, he snapped his fingers and Helena vanished from the ice cave.

“Helena!”

John stared through the window at the place where Helena had been standing, straining to break through the glass but unable to do so, his shout echoing in the room.

“John….”

Helena’s voice, warm, soft, and loving enveloped him, wrapping around him in the room like a blanket. He frantically looked for her, hoping ‘Santa’ had sent her to be with him, but he remained alone in the observation room.

“John, I’m here… John…”

  Again her voice, a little more urgent and insistent than before, surrounded and caressed John. He closed his eyes and like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz”, wished for Helena to be beside him when he opened them again. Instead of chanting Dorothy’s mantra, John substituted his own. “Take me to Helena… Take me to Helena… Take me to Helena…”

A gentle touch that he knew so very well caressed John’s face and again he heard Helena’s soft, loving voice, “I’m here, John. Everything is all right. I’m here…”

“Helena?”

“Yes, John, I’m here. You’re going to be fine.”

Cautiously he opened his eyes and found Helena kneeling beside him, one hand resting on his chest while her other hand touched his cheek, checked his pulse, and caressed his brow. Behind Helena, the others were gathered around her, Victor still holding the dripping ladle, watching with concerned expressions. It very much reminded John of the scene in “The Wizard of Oz” when Dorothy wakes up after her blow to the head.

John brought his gaze back to Helena, who smiled at him. She helped him to sit up and he realized he -- all of them -- were back on Alpha, back in the Command Center. John twisted around to look at the big screen. The unbroken expanse of space filled the large monitor.

Confused, John raised his hand to his head, then met Helena’s gaze, “Helena?”

“You passed out, John.”

  “From what?”

  “Too much of Tony’s swill,” Alan declared, over loud denials on Verdeschi’s part.

  John glanced at Alan and Tony, then looked back at Helena. “I only had a couple.”

  “That was enough,” Alan stated, always one to give Tony as much guff about his beer as possible.

  John grimaced, remembering his attempt to think of Tony’s brew as a Corona with a badly cut twist of lime. He looked at Helena again as she slid her hand from his shoulder to his arm. “Let’s get you to Medical, John. I want to check you over.”

He nodded and allowed Tony and Alan to help him to his feet. His head was pounding, and he felt a little legless. John put his arm around Helena, welcoming her assistance. It must have been some kind of alcoholic hallucination. It had to be. Santa wasn’t real. The popular image of Santa had been created by some guy in the 1800’s.

Taking one last glance at the big screen, seeing only the same spacescape they’d been staring at for weeks, John gladly left the Command Center, determined to have Verdeschi’s beer declared toxic if this turned out to be any kind of poisoning. No one saw the red-suited man driving a sleigh pulled by reindeer when he made a brief appearance on the big screen. Nor did they hear his called greeting of “Happy Christmas to All,” as the door closed behind them.

It would be three days later when first contact was made with a small scout ship, of Psychon design, carrying Maya’s brother to a long over due reunion with his sister.

The End