Chapter 19
After some lengthy conversations about this proposed Federation, the senior staff had begun exchanging secret Santa gifts.
Kostopoulos stood out of the way by one of the function room's tall windows, looking out at the night sky. Stubbornness had always been her problem. Sometimes she liked to excuse it as certainty, but she knew what it really was. The way she had been reacting to Commander McQueen's festive efforts had been childish and selfish, as Father Gomez had pointed out; she had just been too damn stubborn to admit 'defeat.'
She had attended the Midnight Mass last night, and Gomez had quite obviously tailored his sermon accordingly once he noticed her presence. Lots of talk of forgiveness and tolerence.
This, combined with what Nathan Samuels had said about humanity putting aside its petty differences to become something greater had made her realise how small she had been. If four disparate species could learn to work together, then she had no excuse.
"Colonel?"
She turned to see McQueen approaching while the others swapped presents behind her.
"Commander," she said. "I… I owe you an apology for my behaviour these past few days…"
McQueen waved her hand. "No worries, Colonel. This is an important time for you."
"It's an important time for a lot of people. I should have seen that and let you, and anyone else who wanted to, contribute."
"Let's just say mistakes were made on both sides. I was a little short with you too. After that business with the Draco…" McQueen looked away a moment.
"I understand," Kostopoulos said.
McQueen smiled at her. "I guess it's also 'cause Christmas was the one time of the year my family would all stop shouting at each other and at least pretend to get along. We… We'd use presents and decos as substitutes for feelings… Tacky, right?"
McQueen seemed a bit choked up, so Kostopoulos stepped forward and rubbed her arm. The colonel had never been one for warm gestures, but the science officer's story had struck a bit too close to home.
"It's okay, Commander," she said. "I can relate. I suppose we've both been a bit…" She searched for the phrasing.
"Up ourselves?" McQueen offered with a smirk.
Both women laughed. "Yeah," said Kostopoulos. She noticed that McQueen was holding two packages wrapped in red and green striped paper. "Who did you get for secret Santa?"
"Actually… I swapped around to get you." McQueen blushed slightly. "Just to show there's no hard feelings."
Kostopoulos was genuinely touched. "Oh, thank you."
She took one of the parcels as it was handed to her. Carefully removing the paper, she found a small, intricate diorama of the nativity scene. She smiled as she admired it.
"Commander, that's beautiful. Thank you."
McQueen looked away bashfully. "Ah, well, to be honest, the kids in the rec room kinda… trashed the nativity models you had set up, so I felt I owed ya."
A few days ago, that would have infuriated Kostopoulos. Now, she just laughed. "At least they had fun. That's the main thing."
"Yeah." McQueen handed her the other package. "I cheated a bit and got you two. For both sides of Christmas." She nodded to the diorama. "That's the serious…"
Kostopoulos took the other package, opening it to reveal a pair of foam antlers, like those McQueen herself had worn earlier in the week.
"And that's the silly," McQueen finished, grinning.
Kostopoulos suppressed a smirk and put the antlers on over her short hair, looking at McQueen with her usual 'stern soldier' expression, in an absurd juxtaposition.
"I love it," she said, her tone deadly serious.
They both laughed again, their feud already a fading memory.
"Maybe it's time we started some new traditions, huh?" Kostopoulos said.
McQueen shrugged. "It's gonna be a whole new era."
Kostopoulos smiled. "I can't wait."
North watched his officers exchanging their gifts from the back of the room, like a wallflower. Or a Christmas tree, he mused.
Colonel Kostopoulos had received her gifts from Commander McQueen and was now walking around wearing a comedic pair of faux antlers. She handed Commander Patel a cardboard box with a lid, inside which was half of a Christmas cake. It seemed a strange present to North, but it looked to have meaning for Patel, who was very grateful.
Patel had got Dr. T'Ling a small figurine of Surak carved out of coal. Evidently this was something of a private joke, and, although not outwardly amused, the doctor was appreciative.
T'Ling, who had agreed to take part in the "Earth custom," then gave Sylor a metal brooch in the shape of the Vulcan IDIC symbol. North knew that this was a significant icon in Vulcan culture, and Sylor had apparently once told T'Ling that he did not possess any such examples. North found the meaning behind the IDIC - Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations - to be especially relevant after today's announcement.
Sylor, following suit with T'Ling's cultural integration, had gotten McQueen a biology textbook - From Amoebas to Empires: Parallel Planetary Development by A.E. Hodgkins. Sylor intimated that the book may help McQueen to develop more accurate names for the wildlife of Berengaria; something which she took in good humour.
On the other side of the room, Ambassador Mamao'lani had received a woolen hat and scarf from Captain Thorpe, who had recalled the Hawaiian ambassador's complaints about the cold climate on the planet. Mamao'lani had immediately put the items on, posing proudly.
Thorpe had then got his gift from Lieutenant Vaughn - a bottle of bright green Aldebaran whiskey. Thorpe announced that this was a favourite beverage of his, and asked Vaughn how he had known and where he had obtained it. Vaughn, with a twinkle in his eye, merely said that Santa's elves had brought it. North was continually astounded by the young man's prescient people skills, and wasn't entirely convinced that the psychic enhancements he'd received last month had faded.
It was North himself who had drawn Vaughn's name from the hat, and he had gotten his aide an ornate silver picture frame that he'd seen in a store in the Commercial Complex. He had remembered how Vaughn and his fiancée liked to display photographs of their travels. It wasn't much, but Vaughn had loved it.
With a bemused sigh, North realised there he was the only person left to receive a gift, and only one person left to give it.
Still wearing his white and blue hat, with bobble, and matching scarf, Mamao'lani walked over to him with a big grin and his hand behind his back.
"You just happened to get my name, did you?" North asked him.
Mamao'lani shrugged in mock innocence. "There may have been some swapping involved. I assure you, I didn't initiate it though. Maybe some of your staff found it too daunting to get the boss a present. Thankfully, I had the perfect thing in mind."
From behind his back, he produced a flat, square package, about a hand's breadth, wrapped in colourful paper.
North put on a sceptical, haughty air that was mostly for show, but it was not without a little trepidation that he took the proffered package and started to unwrap it.
Inside, there was a picture frame - plain in comparison to the one he had gotten for Vaughn - holding a photograph of blackness marred only by a pinhead-sized red dot just off-centre.
He tried to put on a look of surprised gratitude, but it gave way to visible confusion. He had no idea what this was.
"That," Mamao'lani started to explain smugly, "is the first ever photograph taken from Earth, via telescope, of the Berengaria system. I know you used to be a stellar cartographer."
North looked at the picture again with newfound appreciation. Astronomy, especially early astronomy, was indeed of great interest to him. This was humanity's first glimpse of the star system in which he now lived, a profound example of how far they'd come. He opened his mouth to thank the ambassador for such a meaningful gift, but Mamao'lani held up a finger.
"There's more," he said. "It was taken by Sir John Burke of the Royal Academy… in 2067."
North's brow wrinkled in thought. He had, of course, heard of Burke, a famous 21st century Earth astronomer, but he couldn't figure out why Mamao'lani had emphasised the year.
Then it hit him.
"Ninety-three years ago," he said, his voice quiet with realisation. "And Berengaria is-"
"Ninety-three light-years from Earth," Mamao'lani finished for him. "Give or take a parsec."
North now understood the significance. "That means that… the light that left the Solar System when this photograph was taken…"
"Would only just now be reaching us here on Berengaria." Mamao'lani's smile widened. "If we had a powerful enough telescope, we could point it towards Earth and maybe see John Burke taking this picture. Say cheese!"
North chuckled and cradled the frame with reverence. It was such a poignant, sentimental gift. He had not expected it, and was overwhelmed. He had no idea how to show his thanks.
He put his hand over his heart. "Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. This… This means so much to me."
Mamao'lani smiled. "Starbase One's first Christmas didn't turn out so bad after all, huh?"
"No," said North. He thought about his recent traumatic experience and how, while he would always carry it with him, it wouldn't prevent the good times ahead. Similarly, while the mystery of Berengaria's ancient visitors lingered, now was the time for looking forward. The past would remain where it was.
"No, it did not."
He looked around at his officers, all happy and hopeful, then back to Mamao'lani. The two men held their gaze a while.
"Merry Christmas, Ambassador," North said.
"Merry Christmas, Commodore," Mamao'lani replied. "And a happy new year."
North smiled. "Yes. I'm sure it will be."
