Christmas Story

by Michele deBes

His boots crunched on glass, his beam slicing though the dust still sifting down as the pounding of mortars continued close by. The dome was filled with debris from its shattered shell but his extensors took the brunt of the load as he forced his way through. He found the blackened bodies, huddled together and still blistering.

Swinging his gloved hand over their remains he scanned their ID’s. They matched his data in his brief. His instructions had been to save the scientist and his family before the front crossed their location but battles have a habit of escalating. He wasn’t worried that he’d failed. He soon realised after he had taken the lucrative post with the rescue squad that he wasn’t always expected to succeed. It was enough that his superiors could say, “We sent in our best man. We tried.” They were always well pleased when he returned with minimal damage whether he had rescued anyone or not. It wasn’t his speed strength or complete integration with the latest suits that got him the job, it was his ability to coolly evaluate risk under pressure and act accordingly.

There was a body missing. The youngest child was not among the grisly heap and he continued his search. He turned on his infa red scanners and did another sweep. Nothing. Another mortar landed close by, kicking up more dust and he turned to leave. The tide was turning his way again. That’s when he noticed the Live Sample Containers. Just big enough for a small child and virtually indestructible, a desperate parent might just take a chance on one. He swept aside some debris causing another section of the dome to cave in, but the tiles bounced harmlessly off his Exo. There was one container that was active and he grabbed the handle and swung the box up over his shoulder where his Magpack sucked it to his back plate. He’d check it later at a safer location.

The splatter of munitions signalled the proximity of troops and he smashed through the outer wall of what was left of the dome and headed down the smoke filled street. Map overly showed his route in glowing red across his vision, the troop locations in green clustered around him, and he broke into an accelerated run. He’d have to skirt around the trouble to get back to the rendezvous point. He wasn’t worried. He was faster than the troops and their tanks and their poxy smart bombers and the noise and vibrations quickly fell behind him as he bounded through the city.

When he was satisfied he’d put enough distance between him and the fighting he chose a building less damaged than the rest and after a thorough scan entered the quite interior. He released the container and placed it on the floor in front of him. The seal broke with a hiss of air and he heard a tiny voice gasping. It turned into a shriek of terror as wide blue eyes stared up at him and he clamped his gloved hand over her mouth. With his other hand he quickly cracked his faceplate and slid his helmet back.

“It’s OK, I’m here to rescue you, I’m human too, see.” He said.

The small smudged face nodded and he released her mouth.

“What’s your name?” He asked although he already knew that from his files.

“Shazzy what’s your’s?” she said as he helped her climb out of the container.
He had to stop himself from quoting his number. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had asked him his name. “Oh um, Gardner. Are you Ok?”

“Sure, she said straightening her pink overalls and gazing around her. Then she turned her big eyes on him. “Their dead aren’t they? My family.”

The blunt question from a seven year old surprised him and he searched for the right words. He didn’t come into contact with many children but he was pretty sure they didn’t ask questions like that.

“Other wise you would have rescued them too.” She said and he just nodded.

“We’ll have to lay low, wait here a while until we can get to the pick up point.” He said finally.

They settled down as night set in and the fighting continued red and angry across the city. He kept lookout by the window occasionally donning his helmet to scan the area but there was nothing near.

Shazzy dragged a bag out of the container and carefully took out a collection of brightly wrapped parcels.

“What are they?” he asked.

“Their Christmas presents silly, its Christmas eve.” she said. “Here, this ones for you.”

“But they were for…” Again he was lost for words.

“I want to give you a present for rescuing me.” she said and pushed a parcel into his hands. He had to remove his gloves to unwrap it and found a glowing blue crystal inside a little box.

“Do you like it?” she pressed.

“Yes very much. It reminds me of something… I’m not sure, Thankyou sweetie.” He said.

She smiled. “Now this one’s for me. You have to give it to me, other wise it’s not a proper present.”

He took the parcel and gave it back to her.

“You have to say merry Christmas.” she said.

“Merry Christmas.” he said. The words brought back images from a childhood he had put far behind in his training.

She ripped the paper away to reveal something fluffy and pink that he couldn’t recognise. She turned her face up to his and her eyes were filled with tears.

“Thankyou so much. I’ve always wanted one of these.” she said and she flung her arms around his neck and he felt her tears wet on his skin.

An intense pain filled his chest, worse than any wound he had received and his eyes stung with unfamiliar tears.

Merry Christmas, he kept saying, until their tears had dried.