Morgan's Early Life on Tamut
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| Image from an observatory |
STAR DATE: 13001, 13th month Galactic Calendar
It's Spacer Celebration time! That's the way most Tamutians celebrate the end of the year - what the ancient ones called Christmas and the New Year. Now it's one year end holiday.
There's no jolly fat old man that distributes toys, candy and other frivolous stuff. Most kids don't even know the old stories like I do. Mother gave me three books from the Terran archives, before she was declared missing: 'The Mouse before Christmas', 'A Grinch saves the Day', and 'Stockings on the Mantel'.
I hate this time of year. I never get to go to the Tamutian End of the Year celebration. Uncle doesn't approve of it. Just one - why can't I go to just one?
Our Tamutian forefathers wanted us to appreciate our own beginnings and revere our Spacer ancestors, the old time space captains who came on the original colony ship to settle here. Spacer Joe looked like that old comic book hero Flash Gordon. A kid can relate to a spacer who came from an old world to discover a new planet. With laser guns, and a fast starship, Spacer Joe beats a flying chariot pulled by reindeer, whatever they were. If the colonists brought reindeer with them on the mother ship, they must have eaten them or maybe they just died. Tamut didn't have any, we knew that for sure.
Dak, my best friend, called me and asked if I could go with him to the celebration this year. He told me about the laser light show, and the rockets exploding for the new year. There were copies of the antique spacer ships on display and real-life space pilots to talk to.
"It's one of the biggest shows for kids. We would have a great time and my dad said you could stay over one night, if you were allowed to. Please, please try. Maybe this time he'll soften up."
"I'll ask, but Uncle never lets me do anything." My stomach churned.
"But, this is our history. He's got to let you go. He doesn't have to do anything, my parents will take care of us."
I knocked on the library door; I knew Uncle liked to read in the evenings. I want to go to that Spacer Celebration so bad I could taste it.
It didn't matter. Uncle's way was the only way. He wouldn't listen to me
"Uncle said no, Dak. His exact words were, 'Morgan, you have better things to do than waste time watching rockets explode'."
Yeah, like what? Study?"
My friend went with another school mate of ours.
Just you wait, Uncle, I'll find some way to get off this planet. Just like my parents did. . .one day it will happen. When the stars call, you have to listen.
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Ten years later, I did just that.
HAPPY YEAR'S END!
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WC = 494
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| Observatory Images |
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DECEMBER 16-19: WEP Challenge
1000 words or less in your choice of Flash Fiction, Poetry, Non-Fiction, Playscripts, Artwork, and Photography
For this challenge, we want you to give your favorite celebration a Science Fiction twist. This month's judge is Alex J. Cavanaugh, author of the Cassa Series and 'Dragon of the Stars'.
Take us out of this world with a story told in whatever mode you prefer: fiction or non-fiction, poems, photography, artwork. For links to more stories and details about the WEP challenges, see the WEP Page: Write, Edit, Publish Thanks to the host bloggers: Denise Covey and Yolanda Renee.
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Can you imagine what a few centuries could change in our society? Do you like what you envision? Would we still have stress? What do you think?
Please leave a comment to let me know you were here and I'll respond! Thanks for dropping by! And don't forget to check the WEP Challenge page for other stories.
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