Posted by Nathan Miller in Flash Fiction Friday- Dec 4th
Personal Log - Startdate 97122.5

I have been rescued and returned to Starbase 202. The circumstances of my rescue are murky, as I was lightly sedated to preserve life support on the runabout, and had… strange dreams during this time. Or I thought they were dreams.

I awoke, my head still quite fuzzy from the sedative. I was confused, stood too quickly, and hit my head on the bunk above. I heard a tinkling sound and shook my head, thinking it a remnant of a dream, and heard it again. I stood, more carefully this time, then felt a strong hand help me to my feet.

“Ho, there, Alex,” a voice boomed from beside me, where a large man in a brownish-red hooded coat stood. “Easy. Have some milk.” I hadn’t seen the glass in his other hand, but it felt good as I drank it.

“Who are you?” I said, my voice still scratchy from the sedation.

“I’m Nicholas,” he said, grin splitting his white-bearded face, and he turned to the nearby comm panel. “Let’s see…” he muttered, then pressed a few buttons. “That should do it.”

He turned back to me. “You should remember to put your distress beacon on next time, young man,” he said, and I felt more chided than I had before in my life. “Or that ship might have missed you.”

He turned and approached the port window, then looked to me. “See you soon. Merry Christmas!” He placed one finger aside his nose and disappeared in a spray of red sparkles.

Only then did I spot the… sleigh and reindeer outside that window.

And today I found a card signed “From Nicholas” in my quarters, with a half-eaten plate of replicated cookies.

Ensign Alex Haley - Science

I love this. :) ~Linds