Empyrean Iris Story Collection

Ice Skating

"So you're telling me that you want to go back to the giant planet covered in ice?" Krill wondered skeptically.

Commander Vir lounged a bit to the side in his chair. He was wearing his uniform, as he had taken to doing over the past few months, a good idea considering, his formal, and unexpected meetings with the GA were becoming more and more common.

Krill wasn't entirely sure how it happened, or entirely sure how he felt about it, but he had, somehow, and in some way become the defacto military leader for the entire galaxy, this young, crazy, and sort of air-headed human, not that he doubted the man's intelligence. He had gotten over that assumption months ago, but still there was something about him that just didn't scream I am ready to command an army for the entire Galaxy cluster.

Perhaps it had something to do with the ridiculous hat he was wearing: red and white, with a white pom-pom at the very end sort of floppy and hanging towards one of his shoulders. When Krill had taken the time to ask why he was wearing the stupid thing, the Commander had pointed out, "Because it's December." like that was supposed to explain anything.

"And why do you want to go back to the icy death planet?"

The human leaned back in his seat leaning over to glance at their coordinates on screen, "One word Krill, morale."

"Morale."
"Yes, the collective good will and team spirit of the crew."

"I know what the word means." Krill muttered in annoyance, "What I don't understand is how near freezing conditions, snow, and the possibility of lie-ending blizzards has anything to do with it."

The man stood for his seat adjusting his stupid hat and turning to walk towards the door, "Oh don't be such a grinch."

"A what?"

The human didn't answer, but laughed at him and stepped down the stairs with a clatter, "Months on end in the blackness of space, surrounded by the void and the monotonous routine of military work, nothing that seems like home, only a few comforts to remember our planet and during that time of year where we would wish nothing more than to be home with our families."

Krill scuttled after him, "Your point being?"

Commander Vir paused in the hallway to look down at krill, "My point being Krill, is if the crew feels anything like I do, they miss their families, and homesickness is bad for productivity, and it's bad for mental health, so I plan on giving them a small bit of home, and maybe some fun because I take the mental health and satisfaction of my crew very seriously."

He turned back on his heels and began walking.

"What is so special about December?" Krill wondered vaguely aware that the phrase indicated a specific time of year, though for the life of him, he didn't know what was so special about it.

"Christian appropriated pagan holidays hijacked by corporate powerhouses to make money by guilt tripping the already financially struggling capitalist populace into buying gifts for people they don't like."

"What?"

The man just grinned at him, "Tradition, Krill. Glorious pointless tradition, and a reason to eat too much and spend time with people you like, unless you are forced to spend time with people you don't like, in which case, I argue, you are doing it wrong."

"Does the rest of the crew know about your little stunt."

"yes , of course they do. I put out a memmo last week, and I have something special planned for the people who have to keep working as well, so no one is left out."

"Don't suppose I can opt out of this."

He wasn't entirely sure if the human blinked or winked at him, "Not a chance."