The Christmas Star Disaster

Chapter 2

"This all looks in order."

Glen fidgeted with this tie while Captain Miller scrolled through his notes. "Thank you, Captain."

"But it's really not necessary to run all this by me in so much detail. You're the cruise director. I'm responsible for the ship and crew. You're responsible for the passengers and entertainments."

"I realise that, Sir. I just ... I wanted to make sure you were happy with everything."

"Relax. I know this is your first cruise as director, but you're going to be fine. Captain Tallis told me how good you were to work with back on the Legend. Just trust in your abilities and relax into it. You'll be fine."

"I'll do that." Glen stood. "But there was one other thing I wanted to run by you."

Miller looked stared back with anticipating eyes.

"I'd like to set up a Christmas star that the ship can follow through space on Christmas Eve. Some kind of light display."

"Sounds great."

"I'll need to requisition some ship's resources to make it a reality."

"Talk to whomever in the senior staff you need to. If they have any concerns, they can always come to me."

"Thank you, Captain. I think I'll start with the chief engineer."

*

Engineering was a hectic ant nest of activity. And yet Chief Engineer Sarah McLaughlin was a picture of tranquillity. How did she do it?

"Excuse me, Chief."

McLaughlin turned. "Taken a wrong turn there, have you?"

Australian. Glen hadn't expected that.

"No. I wanted to talk to you about a special project. Something I think you can help with."

"What's that?"

"I'd like to use a shuttle to ... project the image of a Christmas star just ahead of the ship. Something they can see from the lido deck at the Christmas eve party."

McLaughlin looked upward. "A star, you say." She paced. "So, we're basically just talking a bright light." She paced back toward Glen. "We could affix a distorting mirror to a shuttle and pump light through it, but to achieve the kind of effect you're talking about would take a whole lot of energy. More than a shuttle could spare."

"We could establish a power transfer beam from the ship," another engineer said. "Use a wireless transfer from the warp engines."

"I dunno, Jonah. It would be pretty involved to set that up. We wouldn't have the time to get it done properly at such short notice."

"There's no way?" Glen asked. "It's for the passengers. It doesn't have to be pretty in the back-end. You just need to make it work. The captain has given me discretion on this matter."

"I'd have to cut some corners."

"Safety corners?"

"Never."

"Okay. Do what you have to do, chief, but I want that star shining at that party tomorrow night."

Sarah frowned. Or was it a slight scowl? "Yeah, okay. I'll see what I can do."

*

Glen grinned as the music faded, concluding the nativity presentation on the small lido deck stage. Passengers lounged on deck chairs and floated in the pool enjoying the show. The time for his big moment had arrived.

He tapped his wrist band. "Price to shuttle."

"Sue here."

"Are you in position and ready to activate the light?"

"All systems go."

"Fantastic."

He tapped it again. "Engineering."

"I think we're ready down here," McLaughlin's voice said.

"Good. Activate the power transfer beam."

"Done."

There was no perceivable change. Nothing visible. No sound or feeling.

"Okay, Sue. You know your cue."

He swiped away the call and tapped his wrist-band one more time, to patch his voice into the sound system.

"And while all of this was happening, far in the east, wise men saw a star appear in the sky. A star that would lead them all the way to this new child."

A bright light appeared above the ship. Glen's face broke into a broad smile. It was beautiful. A dazzling twinkling star. Utterances of ooh and ahh wafted up from the deck.

Glen descended the stairs from the mezzanine platform and made his way up onto the stage.

"Please thank our performers tonight."

The crowd applauded.

"the party is far from over. We're going to enjoy some music well into the night. And I want all of you to sing along. Especially you kids. You've gotta be really loud so Santa Clause knows where to find our ship."

He glanced over his shoulder. The actors had left the stage. The band had taken their place.

"Hit it!" he yelled.

The band began to play a contemporary version of Joy to The World as Glen made his way down.

He looked back up at the star. This couldn't have gone better.

The deck was suddenly plunged into darkness. The sound from the band cut out as screams erupted from the passengers.