From: brightfam...@webtv.net (Rob Morris) Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative Subject: NEW MIS Down Through The Village (The Infinite Paths Xmas), PG, 1/1 Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2002 12:33:23 -0500 (EST) Organization: WebTV Subscriber Lines: 164 Message-ID: <9280-3E04A5E3-149@storefull-2336.public.lawson.webtv.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: localhost.webtv.net Mime-Version: 1.0 (WebTV) Content-Type: Text/Plain; Charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7Bit X-WebTV-Signature: 1 ETAuAhUAx0q1k6mO3/xHh85euekM06YCndMCFQClhP1IydC7lN0I9bHoqVrJKVqdNg== Content-Disposition: Inline Title : Down Through The Village Author : Rob Morris Contact : brightfame66(at)webtv(dot)net Archive : www.southroad.com/brightfame Series : MIS - The Multi-AU adventure, The Infinite Paths Type : Xmas story based on 20th Century pop culture Characters : The basic cast of The Infinite Paths; Peter Kirk and Saavik of The Ancient Destroyer Universe; Wesley Crusher of The Starting Over Universe; Walter 'Radar' O'Reilly of The Never-Ending Battle Series; Will and Penny Robinson from The First Family In Space AU Part : 1/1 Rating : PG, for off-center refs Summary : Still on the run from Anthony Fremont (Cornfield Kid from ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Down Through The Village by Rob Morris UNKNOWN ALTERNATE EARTH, LATE DECEMBER, MID-20TH CENTURY As they emerged, Penny Robinson looked around and saw all the decorations. She smiled at her brother, and for once it was a smile free of complications. "Will, its nearly Christmas!" Will Robinson nodded, and laughed to see his own breath. "It just never really gets cold on Alpha Centauri." Walter O'Reilly looked to be only twenty years old, as he always would. But the Immortal had seen over seventy holiday seasons. "Gimme the West Coast, anytime. Three Christmases in Korea didn't make me like the cold so much. But ya know? There's somethin' about snow when it comes down, right about now. It could even make Hawkeye all misty." Wesley Crusher shook his head. "Guys, could we drop the whole Christmas routine? We each left our timelines in the fourth quarter of the year. We're going to run into more Christmases than not, so there's no sense getting overly sentimental abou a holiday most of the universe doesn't even celebrate. I like it, too. But how about some perspective? Saavik, is this logical?" The Vulcan stared up at the sky. She smiled. "I once met the true Saint Nicholas." Crusher turned to the one true warrior of the group. "Peter, would you please tell them we're in the middle of a war campaign?! That miniature psychopath-more powerful than you, by the way-- is hunting us through every reality concievable. As long as Anthony Fremont is out for our blood, I think we should literally cancel Christmas." But the son of his era's greatest Captain was almost crying. "I was in Bethlehem the night it happened. I saw the star. I stopped Kronos from reaching the Child, during the Slaughter. It was all so close. If I'd failed, then no matter who the Child really was, evil would have been emboldened in ways we can't even imagine." With Peter Kirk a lost cause, Crusher decided to do what he did best. He came up with an idea to buy them time. Searching the town, he saw a frustrated man leaving the local elementary school, casting something away. He smiled, took that something, and did the hyper-quick calculations that had earned him both praise and scorn. He walked back to his friends. "This archaic head-gear is perfect. Its silken threads can hold a trace of our unique energy signatures. Fremont will be thrown off our scent, at least for now." Saavik raised an eyebrow. "It seems expensive. Will its owner miss it?" Wes shook his head. "Its owner was a hack illusionist who was laughed out of a grade-school class. He threw it out, and didn't look back." First, Crusher put the hat in permanent temporal stasis, so the energies that followed wouldn't burn it. Walter O'Reilly placed a bit of his own Quickening in the threads. Penny and Will placed their newfound energies in the mix. Saavik followed. At last Peter placed the greatest portion, since the wicked brat Anthony seemed to hate him most of all. Wes then cast the hat to the wind. "Didn't mean to be a downer, guys. But until we destroy that monster, this is the way we've got to think. Presents and kiddie songs aren't going to be of help, there." But the leader of the group smiled. "Mister Crusher--do you have any idea what you just brought about?" Wesley then saw it, in the distance. Some children had found the top hat. "No. It just can't be." The kids all smiled. Their voice could be heard. *Its the magician's hat!* *Put it on him!* Crusher's eyes went as wide as the hull of the ship he once called home. For the children had taken that old silk hat they found, and placed it upon the head of their crude statue made of ice and snow. The awakened homunculus, powered as he was by a mix of energies unguessable, said two words that would stay with Wesley for the rest of his life. "Happy Birthday!" NewMessage: