TALES OF THE RELIANT

A FUTURE CHRISTMAS STORY

Captain Yager stepped on the bridge of The Reliant and announced that he had just been informed by Admiral Renjay the crew was due for some much-need shore leave.

"So does anyone have any idea where they would like to go?" asked John of the crew.

"I have an idea, Captain," said Tamala.

"What is it, Tamala?"

"Well, I was searching through the historical records and I found an old Earth celebration called Christmas."

"Christmas?" asked John curiously. "What's that?"

"Well, according to my research, it was where people would get together around a tree, exchange presents and eat a big meal."

John nodded. "Sounds intriguing."

"If I may also interject, Captain," the ship's android Roger interjected, "Christmas was regarded as both a secular and religious holiday."

"Religious?" John asked curiously. "How so?"

"A religious group called Christians celebrated the holiday as the birth of Jesus Christ whom they regard as the Son of God."

John nodded. "I've actually served with a few Christians, although I don't remember them celebrating any holiday called Christmas. Though I do recall some of them putting up some weird lights and things in their quarters around the same time every year."

"Yes, sir," Roger said, nodding. "The holiday started as a pagan winter festival during what was known as the Roman empire called Saturnalia."

"Saturnalia?" said John with even more curiosity.

'Yes, sir." Roger nodded again. "It became Christmas when Roman emperor Constantine the Great who was a Christian himself declared December 25th on the old Earth calendar a holy celebration. He kept certain aspects of Saturnalia such as the gift-giving to appease both pagans and Christians who, as you know from old Earth history. Romans used to execute Christians after they were accused of setting what came to be known as the Great Fire that burned down much of the city."

"How were they executed?" asked John.

"They were executed through methods such as crucifixion, which is how Jesus Christ was executed by the Romans after he was arrested for treason, and by feeding them to lions."

"That sounds pretty gruesome," chimed in first officer Lisa Steiner.

"It does?" interjected chief of security Bortis.

"So what does this celebration entail exactly?" John asked Roger, ignoring this often surly Morlon chief of security the way he often did.

"Well, let's see, there's the exchanging of gifts that were placed wrapped underneath a tree that people would bring into their house they would decorate with lights, balls and tinsel."

"So people would bring they would in an actual tree into their house?"

"Yes sire. Though some people preferred to use an artificial tree."

"Okay. What else?"

"Well, after they would exchange gifts, they would all sit down and eat a huge feasts which often included turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy and cranberry sauces which sometimes would come in a can."

"Sounds yummy," said Lisa.

"So this is what you want to to do for shore leave, Tamala?"

Tamala nodded and smiled. "Yes, sir."

"So is there any place where we can still celebrate this Christmas?"

"As a matter of fact, Captain, there is."