This was originally written for the Karlsweb.com "Home for Christmas?" Fic
Contest
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"Home for Christmas? - Past, Present and Future"
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Christmas' Past:
December 18, 1958
Test pilot Lt. Jack Crichton had just landed at the "Skunkworks" airfield. Chuck Yeager looked at his eager young colleague and said "You look too happy for someone who just had a sixteen-hour day," and slapped him on the back.
"That's because they approved my leave this morning - I'm going home for Christmas!" Jack was grinning from ear to ear. He took a small jeweler's box out of his flight suit pocket. "I'm going to propose to Leslie. Man, I already feel nervous - like I've got rattlers in my stomach," the young pilot said.
"Don't worry about it too much - it can't be any worse than trying to break the sound barrier," Chuck said as they walked into the hangar.
"Hey everybody, it's on!" one of the airmen clustered around a radio said. Jack and Chuck rushed over to the radio. They heard Dwight D. Eisenhower's voice:
"This is the President of the United States speaking. Through the marvels of scientific advance, my voice is coming to you from a satellite circling in outer space. My message is a simple one. Through this unique means I convey to you and to all mankind America's wish for peace on Earth and goodwill toward men everywhere."
Jack sighed as he looked out the hangar doors and up to the sky. "What's got your head in the stars?" Chuck asked.
Jack looked at him and said, "That Atlas rocket they launched from Cape Canaveral was unmanned. How long you think they'll take to send men into space?"
"The way I hear it, they're already looking for candidates for something called the Mercury program. They're lookin' at guys like us: test pilots with a military background, and 1500 hours of flight time."
***********
December 11, 1972
The Moon
Jack Crichton, commander of the Apollo 17 mission, landed the Lunar Rover near the Taurus Mountains of the Moon for the first EVA of the trip. The mission was essentially a geologic expedition: collecting rock and soil samples; and assist in mapping the surface of the moon. But, before he started his official duties, Jack Crichton had some personal business to take care of. "You ready, Tony?" he asked as they got out of the Rover.
Lieutenant Anthony Bowen bounced a few steps away and said, "I am so ready for this!" Jack took a football from the Rover and tossed it to Anthony. They threw the football back and forth a few more times, laughing constantly. "Oh, man! Of all the kids who'll get footballs for Christmas, your son will be the only one in the world who will have one that's been on the moon!" Anthony said.
Jack laughed and said "I've waited twelve years to get to the Moon, and now that I'm here, I can't wait to go home for Christmas so I can see John's face when he opens this present!"
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Christmas Present:
December 20, 2000
Jack Crichton, retired astronaut, started to feel each and every one of his sixty-six years as he steered his wife's wheel chair up the walk to their front door. The hospital discharged Leslie Crichton not because she was getting better; they were sending her home to die. Beyond "pain management," there was nothing more they could do for her. Jack's heart broke as he maneuvered the wheelchair through the door. He was engulfed in a sense of finality: this would be his last Christmas with Leslie; she was so ill that Jack was afraid they might not have New Year's together.
"The girls are coming in on the 3:05 train," Jack said almost as much to cheer himself up as to cheer up his wife. "It'll be good to see them again. Seems like yesterday they were in kindergarten, now they're seniors in college."
"It's too bad John couldn't be here," Leslie said in a thin, weak voice.
Jack tried to placate his wife. "John tried to get leave, but you know how stringent the astronaut training program is."
Leslie laughed, and said, "I remember when you went through it. But for heaven's sake, he's been training for almost two years now - can't they let him come home for Christmas?" Leslie had stopped laughing, and suddenly seemed close to tears.
"Ask and ye shall receive," John Robert Crichton, Jr. said as he walked from the living room to greet his parents.
Leslie cried as her only son knelt down and hugged her. "Welcome home," mother and son said to each other at the same time.
*************
Christmas Future:
December 24, 2004
Jack Crichton, his once jet-black hair now a steel gray, knelt down between two grave markers. He placed wreaths first on his wife's grave, then on his son's. This was Jack's second Christmas without his son, and his fourth without his wife. Jack still had difficulty accepting that neither would be home for Christmas ever again. After a short prayer, Jack wiped away his tears, stood up, and walked away.
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December 25, 2004 (estimated)
Aboard Moya
John Crichton stood on the terrace of Moya, looking out at the vista of stars. Although normally gregarious, he now wanted some time alone. Perhaps calculating what the date on Earth is was a mistake. John wanted to be home for Christmas, to be with his family and friends. If he were home, the family would have a big breakfast spread after opening up their gifts. After church, he'd watch the game with Dad, then tease his sisters about their boyfriends, and maybe hash over theories with DK before sitting down to the Christmas feast. Instead of being home for Christmas, he was on the other end of the universe.
"Hey," Aeryn Sun said quietly as she entered the terrace.
John said "Hey," in response, but continued to gaze out at the amazing vista.
Aeryn was immediately concerned; it wasn't like John to be so quiet. "You didn't come to dinner," was all she said.
"Wasn't in the mood for food cubes," John said, without looking at Aeryn.
Aeryn was afraid for John - perhaps he was having more hallucinations of Scorpius? Aeryn moved next to John and said, "Whatever is wrong, you can talk to me about it," and placed a hand on John's shoulder. She could feel John stiffen at her touch, then relax.
John turned his head and finally looked at Aeryn, revealing the tears in his eyes. "I'm just a little homesick is all." John looked into Aeryn's eyes and thought to himself, 'But if home really is where the heart is, maybe I'm home for Christmas after all.'
**************
"Home for Christmas? - Past, Present and Future"
***************
Christmas' Past:
December 18, 1958
Test pilot Lt. Jack Crichton had just landed at the "Skunkworks" airfield. Chuck Yeager looked at his eager young colleague and said "You look too happy for someone who just had a sixteen-hour day," and slapped him on the back.
"That's because they approved my leave this morning - I'm going home for Christmas!" Jack was grinning from ear to ear. He took a small jeweler's box out of his flight suit pocket. "I'm going to propose to Leslie. Man, I already feel nervous - like I've got rattlers in my stomach," the young pilot said.
"Don't worry about it too much - it can't be any worse than trying to break the sound barrier," Chuck said as they walked into the hangar.
"Hey everybody, it's on!" one of the airmen clustered around a radio said. Jack and Chuck rushed over to the radio. They heard Dwight D. Eisenhower's voice:
"This is the President of the United States speaking. Through the marvels of scientific advance, my voice is coming to you from a satellite circling in outer space. My message is a simple one. Through this unique means I convey to you and to all mankind America's wish for peace on Earth and goodwill toward men everywhere."
Jack sighed as he looked out the hangar doors and up to the sky. "What's got your head in the stars?" Chuck asked.
Jack looked at him and said, "That Atlas rocket they launched from Cape Canaveral was unmanned. How long you think they'll take to send men into space?"
"The way I hear it, they're already looking for candidates for something called the Mercury program. They're lookin' at guys like us: test pilots with a military background, and 1500 hours of flight time."
***********
December 11, 1972
The Moon
Jack Crichton, commander of the Apollo 17 mission, landed the Lunar Rover near the Taurus Mountains of the Moon for the first EVA of the trip. The mission was essentially a geologic expedition: collecting rock and soil samples; and assist in mapping the surface of the moon. But, before he started his official duties, Jack Crichton had some personal business to take care of. "You ready, Tony?" he asked as they got out of the Rover.
Lieutenant Anthony Bowen bounced a few steps away and said, "I am so ready for this!" Jack took a football from the Rover and tossed it to Anthony. They threw the football back and forth a few more times, laughing constantly. "Oh, man! Of all the kids who'll get footballs for Christmas, your son will be the only one in the world who will have one that's been on the moon!" Anthony said.
Jack laughed and said "I've waited twelve years to get to the Moon, and now that I'm here, I can't wait to go home for Christmas so I can see John's face when he opens this present!"
**************
Christmas Present:
December 20, 2000
Jack Crichton, retired astronaut, started to feel each and every one of his sixty-six years as he steered his wife's wheel chair up the walk to their front door. The hospital discharged Leslie Crichton not because she was getting better; they were sending her home to die. Beyond "pain management," there was nothing more they could do for her. Jack's heart broke as he maneuvered the wheelchair through the door. He was engulfed in a sense of finality: this would be his last Christmas with Leslie; she was so ill that Jack was afraid they might not have New Year's together.
"The girls are coming in on the 3:05 train," Jack said almost as much to cheer himself up as to cheer up his wife. "It'll be good to see them again. Seems like yesterday they were in kindergarten, now they're seniors in college."
"It's too bad John couldn't be here," Leslie said in a thin, weak voice.
Jack tried to placate his wife. "John tried to get leave, but you know how stringent the astronaut training program is."
Leslie laughed, and said, "I remember when you went through it. But for heaven's sake, he's been training for almost two years now - can't they let him come home for Christmas?" Leslie had stopped laughing, and suddenly seemed close to tears.
"Ask and ye shall receive," John Robert Crichton, Jr. said as he walked from the living room to greet his parents.
Leslie cried as her only son knelt down and hugged her. "Welcome home," mother and son said to each other at the same time.
*************
Christmas Future:
December 24, 2004
Jack Crichton, his once jet-black hair now a steel gray, knelt down between two grave markers. He placed wreaths first on his wife's grave, then on his son's. This was Jack's second Christmas without his son, and his fourth without his wife. Jack still had difficulty accepting that neither would be home for Christmas ever again. After a short prayer, Jack wiped away his tears, stood up, and walked away.
*************
December 25, 2004 (estimated)
Aboard Moya
John Crichton stood on the terrace of Moya, looking out at the vista of stars. Although normally gregarious, he now wanted some time alone. Perhaps calculating what the date on Earth is was a mistake. John wanted to be home for Christmas, to be with his family and friends. If he were home, the family would have a big breakfast spread after opening up their gifts. After church, he'd watch the game with Dad, then tease his sisters about their boyfriends, and maybe hash over theories with DK before sitting down to the Christmas feast. Instead of being home for Christmas, he was on the other end of the universe.
"Hey," Aeryn Sun said quietly as she entered the terrace.
John said "Hey," in response, but continued to gaze out at the amazing vista.
Aeryn was immediately concerned; it wasn't like John to be so quiet. "You didn't come to dinner," was all she said.
"Wasn't in the mood for food cubes," John said, without looking at Aeryn.
Aeryn was afraid for John - perhaps he was having more hallucinations of Scorpius? Aeryn moved next to John and said, "Whatever is wrong, you can talk to me about it," and placed a hand on John's shoulder. She could feel John stiffen at her touch, then relax.
John turned his head and finally looked at Aeryn, revealing the tears in his eyes. "I'm just a little homesick is all." John looked into Aeryn's eyes and thought to himself, 'But if home really is where the heart is, maybe I'm home for Christmas after all.'