Fic: Christmas on Mars (On Her Majesty's Martian Service)
Wishlist fic for derien! Merry Christmas!
Christmas on Mars
There being no officers in view, Gedge quickly took off his helmet and mopped at his hot face with his handkerchief.
'Whew!' he whistled. 'It don't seem right to be so 'ot at Christmastime.' He put his helmet back on to protect himself against the scorching rays of the Martian sun, staring dreamily out over the reddish-brown landscape. Nothing moved and he could see that the rest of his turn at sentry-duty would not be very interesting. Watching the heat shimmer in the air, as if reflected from pools of water, Gedge turned his thoughts to memories of Christmas in London, remembering the snow lying in dirty drifts, the heavy fogs that made people cough and choke, the bitter tang of frost in the air. He smiled at the thought of his mother, hiding her tears the first time he proudly brought in a goose for her to cook on Christmas Day. He'd saved and scrimped so she could buy fruit to make a plum pudding, and she'd thought that was all they'd have to mark the day's festive nature. He hoped she would use some of the pay he had sent to her each week to buy herself something nice this year. A sound from further down the wall brought him back to himself and he saw the next sentry along come to attention as an officer strolled past. By the time Lieutenant Bracy had reached him, Gedge was the very model of the dutiful soldier once more. He came smartly to attention as the young officer smiled at him as if he well knew that Gedge's mind had been elsewhere.
'A hot day, Gedge,' said Bracy.
'Yes, sir,' said Gedge. 'Unnatural for December, ain't it?'
'I suppose this is what counts as the native winter,' smiled Bracy. 'Look, those boys are swimming in the canal.'
They watched the Martian youths swimming, quiet and peaceful with each other. 'Oh,' thought Gedge, 'how I'd like to be nice and bare in this heat like them.' He looked up at Bracy, saying, 'C'n you swim, sir?'
'Yes, I can,' said Bracy. 'It does look tempting, doesn't it, Gedge? Perhaps we could absent ourselves from the fort at some time and indulge ourselves in that manner.' He shot Gedge a pleasant, open smile as the young private looked longingly at him. 'Not today, however, for I believe you will soon be relieved so that you may go in to dinner. You do not wish to miss Christmas dinner, I am sure!'
'Is it true we're to 'ave goose, sir?' said Gedge wistfully. 'I do miss proper English food now and again!'
'Why, Gedge!' laughed Bracy. 'I would have sworn you were the most dedicated of gourmets when it came to the native cuisine! Well,' he continued, patting Gedge's shoulder reassuringly as that young man flushed, 'I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm sure we shall all be given one of the native fowl rather than goose - it shall be a good meal, nonetheless. The kitchen staff have been labouring for many hours.'
Gedge smiled happily, for the smells wafting from the kitchens had indeed been exciting his hunger for some time. His smile vanished in confusion as Bracy diffidently brought out a small package wrapped in a scrap of cloth.
'I thought you might like this,' said Bracy. 'It's the right size for cigarettes. Merry Christmas, Gedge.'
Gedge unwrapped a box made of warm-coloured bronze, bearing upon its lid engravings of stars done in the Martian style. He traced a finger over it in wonder, looking up at Bracy in some consternation, for he had not thought of including Bracy in his preparations for Christmas gift-giving and had, moreover, only bought cigarettes of the types his friends enjoyed, and he knew full well that Bracy did not smoke anything but cigarillos. 'Thank you, Mr Bracy,' he said. 'I ain't got -- I mean I didn't get you anything, sir, I'm sorry.'
'Oh, don't concern yourself,' said Bracy quickly. 'It was just a chance purchase.'
'I like it,' said Gedge, blushing to be so forward. 'Thank you. Merry Christmas, sir.'
Bracy smiled cheerfully, taking out his watch. 'You'll be relieved in just a few minutes, Gedge. I must finish my rounds. Enjoy your dinner.' He turned to go as Gedge hurriedly saluted, then, looking back said impishly, 'And remember, keep some time free to go swimming!'
'Yes, sir!' said Gedge eagerly, saluting again as Bracy walked off down the wall. He tucked both the cigarette case and the cloth it had been wrapped in inside his tunic and smiled happily out at the sere Martian terrain.
This was the best Christmas he'd ever had, he thought.
Christmas on Mars
There being no officers in view, Gedge quickly took off his helmet and mopped at his hot face with his handkerchief.
'Whew!' he whistled. 'It don't seem right to be so 'ot at Christmastime.' He put his helmet back on to protect himself against the scorching rays of the Martian sun, staring dreamily out over the reddish-brown landscape. Nothing moved and he could see that the rest of his turn at sentry-duty would not be very interesting. Watching the heat shimmer in the air, as if reflected from pools of water, Gedge turned his thoughts to memories of Christmas in London, remembering the snow lying in dirty drifts, the heavy fogs that made people cough and choke, the bitter tang of frost in the air. He smiled at the thought of his mother, hiding her tears the first time he proudly brought in a goose for her to cook on Christmas Day. He'd saved and scrimped so she could buy fruit to make a plum pudding, and she'd thought that was all they'd have to mark the day's festive nature. He hoped she would use some of the pay he had sent to her each week to buy herself something nice this year. A sound from further down the wall brought him back to himself and he saw the next sentry along come to attention as an officer strolled past. By the time Lieutenant Bracy had reached him, Gedge was the very model of the dutiful soldier once more. He came smartly to attention as the young officer smiled at him as if he well knew that Gedge's mind had been elsewhere.
'A hot day, Gedge,' said Bracy.
'Yes, sir,' said Gedge. 'Unnatural for December, ain't it?'
'I suppose this is what counts as the native winter,' smiled Bracy. 'Look, those boys are swimming in the canal.'
They watched the Martian youths swimming, quiet and peaceful with each other. 'Oh,' thought Gedge, 'how I'd like to be nice and bare in this heat like them.' He looked up at Bracy, saying, 'C'n you swim, sir?'
'Yes, I can,' said Bracy. 'It does look tempting, doesn't it, Gedge? Perhaps we could absent ourselves from the fort at some time and indulge ourselves in that manner.' He shot Gedge a pleasant, open smile as the young private looked longingly at him. 'Not today, however, for I believe you will soon be relieved so that you may go in to dinner. You do not wish to miss Christmas dinner, I am sure!'
'Is it true we're to 'ave goose, sir?' said Gedge wistfully. 'I do miss proper English food now and again!'
'Why, Gedge!' laughed Bracy. 'I would have sworn you were the most dedicated of gourmets when it came to the native cuisine! Well,' he continued, patting Gedge's shoulder reassuringly as that young man flushed, 'I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm sure we shall all be given one of the native fowl rather than goose - it shall be a good meal, nonetheless. The kitchen staff have been labouring for many hours.'
Gedge smiled happily, for the smells wafting from the kitchens had indeed been exciting his hunger for some time. His smile vanished in confusion as Bracy diffidently brought out a small package wrapped in a scrap of cloth.
'I thought you might like this,' said Bracy. 'It's the right size for cigarettes. Merry Christmas, Gedge.'
Gedge unwrapped a box made of warm-coloured bronze, bearing upon its lid engravings of stars done in the Martian style. He traced a finger over it in wonder, looking up at Bracy in some consternation, for he had not thought of including Bracy in his preparations for Christmas gift-giving and had, moreover, only bought cigarettes of the types his friends enjoyed, and he knew full well that Bracy did not smoke anything but cigarillos. 'Thank you, Mr Bracy,' he said. 'I ain't got -- I mean I didn't get you anything, sir, I'm sorry.'
'Oh, don't concern yourself,' said Bracy quickly. 'It was just a chance purchase.'
'I like it,' said Gedge, blushing to be so forward. 'Thank you. Merry Christmas, sir.'
Bracy smiled cheerfully, taking out his watch. 'You'll be relieved in just a few minutes, Gedge. I must finish my rounds. Enjoy your dinner.' He turned to go as Gedge hurriedly saluted, then, looking back said impishly, 'And remember, keep some time free to go swimming!'
'Yes, sir!' said Gedge eagerly, saluting again as Bracy walked off down the wall. He tucked both the cigarette case and the cloth it had been wrapped in inside his tunic and smiled happily out at the sere Martian terrain.
This was the best Christmas he'd ever had, he thought.