Christmas Spirit (short story): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Story
{{Infobox Story SMW
|image=
|series         = ''[[Bernice Summerfield (series)|Bernice Summerfield]]'' short stories
|series=''[[Bernice Summerfield (series)|Bernice Summerfield]]''
|main character = [[Bernice Summerfield]]
|main character=[[Bernice Summerfield]]
|featuring     = [[Jason Kane|Jason]], [[Irving Braxiatel|Braxiatel]], [[Adrian Wall|Adrian]], [[Crofton]]
|featuring= [[Irving Braxiatel]]
|setting       = [[Braxiatel Collection]], [[December]] [[2599]]
|setting=[[Braxiatel Collection]], [[2600]]
|writer         = Cavan Scott, Mark Wright
|writer=[[Cavan Scott]] and [[Mark Wright]]
|anthology      = Professor Bernice Summerfield and the Dead Men Diaries (anthology)
|publication=''[[The Dead Men Diaries (anthology)|The Dead Men Diaries]]''
|release date  = September 2000
|prev=Step Back in Time (short story)
|prev           = Step Back in Time (short story)
|next=The Door into Bedlam (short story)
|next           = The Door into Bedlam (short story)
}}'''''Christmas Spirit''''' was the seventh story in the [[Bernice Summerfield]] anthology ''[[The Dead Men Diaries (anthology)|The Dead Men Diaries]]''. It was written by [[Cavan Scott]] and [[Mark Wright]].
}}
'''''Christmas Spirit''''' was a [[2000 (releases)|2000]] short story written by [[Cavan Scott]] and [[Mark Wright]] and released in the ''[[Bernice Summerfield (series)|Bernice Summerfield]]'' anthology ''[[The Dead Men Diaries (anthology)|The Dead Men Diaries]]''.


== Summary ==
== Synopsis ==
Bernice leaves the Mansionhouse to find the [[Braxiatel Collection|Collection]] decorated for [[Christmas]], to her dismay. She chats with Mister [[Crofton]], who reminds her of the memorial service for [[Steven Mead]]. She runs off to attend.
''To be added''


At the service, Steven's friend [[Tony Deek]] listens to [[Irving Braxiatel]] speak about Steven. He notices that Steven's [[fiancée]], [[Vivian (Christmas Spirit)|Vivian]], is smiling slightly. It seems to Tony that the holographic image of Steven is looking at him. Suddenly, blood appears on the image's face and the head explodes. Tony screams.
== Plot ==
[[Broderick Naismith|Mr Naismith]] has had the [[Braxiatel Collection]] decorated for [[Christmas]] and [[Irving Braxiatel|Braxiatel]] is holding a memorial service for [[Steven Mead]], a [[student]] killed when a [[hover bridge]] gave out at a dig on [[Anibus]]. [[Tony Deek]] sits next to Steven's [[fiancée]], [[Vivian (Christmas Spirit)|Vivian]], and notices that she is smiling slightly during the service. What seems to be a [[hologram]] of Steven mouths Tony's name before his skin is stripped away, leaving a screaming [[skull]]. It charges as Tony and he screams.


Two days later, Benny talks to Tony, at Braxiatel's insistence. She asks him about their recent trip to the dig on [[Anibus]], wondering if Tony picked up anything there that could explain what he saw. When he replies in the negative, she asks about his Psi-Test and learns he is a natural empath. Before she can get to the bottom of whatever's bothering Tony, he looks in the mirror behind her and runs away screaming.
Two days later, Tony is believed to have had some sort of episode and Benny speaks with him at Braxiatel's request. He explains that [[Yakkle|Dr Yakkle]] believes that he is a natural [[empath]] and runs away screaming after seeing Steven in the [[mirror]] when she asks if he brought anything back from Anibus. He runs to Vivian, who is wearing a [[Memory Stone]] that Steven gave her on Anibus, but Steven appears and prevents him from talking to her or from leaving the Mansionhouse.


Tony goes to the Mansionhouse, looking for Vivien. He finds her seated, fingering the [[necklace]] that Steven gave her. He then sees Steven's "ghost" again, which tries to block him from leaving.
Whilst Benny is scrolling through the Anibusian inventory on her [[data-pad]], [[Adrian Wall|Adrian]] bumps into her and tells her that Tony is sat at the top of the clock tower and seems to be intending on committing [[suicide]]. She climbs the tower and sees Steven, who gets Tony to admit that he knocked off a [[stabiliser]] on the hover bridge so that he could get to the dig first. Benny notices that Tony is wearing a Memory Stone, which the Anibusians used to help them through the grieving process. As Tony is a [[human]] as well as an empath, it is working differently.


Benny has finished going through the catalogue of artefacts from the Anibus dig. Coming outside, she (literally) runs into [[Adrian Wall|Adrian]], who tells her one of the students is up on the clock tower. When Benny gets there, she sees that it is Tony.
Vivian, wearing the other half of the Memory Stone, steps up to the ledge with a handsome ghost of Steven, intent on joining him in the [[afterlife]]. Before she can do so, Benny rips the Memory Stone from her and she sees [[Jason Kane|Jason]]. He tells her that he is not dead and that she has lost everybody that she ever cared for, leading her to throw the Memory Stone through him to the frozen [[lake]] below, where it explodes, before she passes out. By [[Christmas Day]], Vivian has returned to her family on [[Earth]].


Benny climbs to the top of the tower, expecting to find Tony ready to jump. Instead, he is curled up in a ball, repeating, "He's everywhere". Tony tells Benny what he sees, and admits that he accidentally caused Steven's death by messing with his equipment.
On Christmas Day, Benny drinks a glass of [[bourbon]] with Braxiatel, pleased that Vivian has returned to Earth but afraid that Tony will never forgive himself for Steven's death. She avoids answering when Braxiatel asks her what she saw when she held the Memory Stone and goes to give [[Wolsey]] his present, not noticing a spring of [[mistletoe]] swinging gently above her.
 
Now Benny can see Steven, too, up on the ledge. She notices he is wearing a pendant, and suddenly she remembers — it's an Anibusian [[Memory Stone]]. She tells Tony the ancient [[Anibusian]]s used the stones to help grieve for a loved one. One stone stayed with the corpse, and one with the loved one. The stones would help gradually lessen the grief, letting the loved one let go. However, the stones don't work the same way on humans, and Tony's guilt and his telepathic abilities are causing him to see Steven.
 
Vivian appears on the ledge, also wearing a Memory Stone. She is accompanied by a healthy, naked version of Steven. She seems dazed, and it tries to convince her to jump off the ledge. Benny rips the necklace from Vivian's neck, and Tony, Vivian, and both Stevens are gone, but Benny is still on the ledge.
 
Steven appears, and taunts Benny with the fact that she didn't care about the students until they needed to be saved. It says she wants to save others but she can't save herself. Suddenly Steven disappears and an image of [[Jason Kane|Jason]] appears, but when he tries to appeal to her, she becomes angry and throws the Memory Stone at the image. The stone hits the frozen lake and explodes.
 
Benny enjoys a glass of [[bourbon]] with Braxiatel, and wishes him a Merry Christmas.


== Characters ==
== Characters ==
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* [[Irving Braxiatel]]
* [[Irving Braxiatel]]
* [[Adrian Wall]]
* [[Adrian Wall]]
* Mister [[Crofton]]
* [[Crofton|Mister Crofton]]
* [[Tony Deek]]
* [[Tony Deek]]
* [[Vivian (Christmas Spirit)|Vivian]]
* [[Vivian (Christmas Spirit)|Vivian]]


== References ==
== Worldbuilding ==
* The Collection is decorated for [[Christmas]] with [[snow]], [[holly tree]]s and [[mistletoe]]. This was [[Broderick Naismith|Mr Naismith]]'s idea.
* Tony does [[Psi-Test]]s with [[Yakkle|Dr Yakkle]] at the [[Grand Trianon]].
* [[Anibusian]]s are said to have controlled [[dream]]s and conjured [[phantom]]s.
* Adrian goes to fetch [[Clarissa Jones|Ms Jones]].
* Benny sees an image of her ex-husband, [[Jason Kane]].
* Benny sees an image of her ex-husband, [[Jason Kane]].
* Benny mentions [[Sigmund Freud]], [[Charles Dickens]] and [[Alastair Sim]].
* Benny mentions [[Sigmund Freud]], [[Charles Dickens]] and [[Alastair Sim]].
* The Collection is decorated for [[Christmas]] with [[snow]], [[holly tree]]s and [[mistletoe]].
* Benny and the three students were part of a dig on [[Anibus]].


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
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{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[Category:Bernice Summerfield stories]]
 
[[Category:Bernice Summerfield sources]]
[[Category:The Dead Men Diaries short stories]]
[[Category:The Dead Men Diaries short stories]]
[[Category:Irving Braxiatel short stories]]
[[Category:Irving Braxiatel short stories]]
[[Category:Short stories set in the Braxiatel Collection]]
[[Category:Short stories set on the Braxiatel Collection]]
[[Category:Stories set in 2600]]
[[Category:Stories set in 2600]]

Latest revision as of 20:35, 7 March 2024

RealWorld.png

Christmas Spirit was a 2000 short story written by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright and released in the Bernice Summerfield anthology The Dead Men Diaries.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

To be added

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

Mr Naismith has had the Braxiatel Collection decorated for Christmas and Braxiatel is holding a memorial service for Steven Mead, a student killed when a hover bridge gave out at a dig on Anibus. Tony Deek sits next to Steven's fiancée, Vivian, and notices that she is smiling slightly during the service. What seems to be a hologram of Steven mouths Tony's name before his skin is stripped away, leaving a screaming skull. It charges as Tony and he screams.

Two days later, Tony is believed to have had some sort of episode and Benny speaks with him at Braxiatel's request. He explains that Dr Yakkle believes that he is a natural empath and runs away screaming after seeing Steven in the mirror when she asks if he brought anything back from Anibus. He runs to Vivian, who is wearing a Memory Stone that Steven gave her on Anibus, but Steven appears and prevents him from talking to her or from leaving the Mansionhouse.

Whilst Benny is scrolling through the Anibusian inventory on her data-pad, Adrian bumps into her and tells her that Tony is sat at the top of the clock tower and seems to be intending on committing suicide. She climbs the tower and sees Steven, who gets Tony to admit that he knocked off a stabiliser on the hover bridge so that he could get to the dig first. Benny notices that Tony is wearing a Memory Stone, which the Anibusians used to help them through the grieving process. As Tony is a human as well as an empath, it is working differently.

Vivian, wearing the other half of the Memory Stone, steps up to the ledge with a handsome ghost of Steven, intent on joining him in the afterlife. Before she can do so, Benny rips the Memory Stone from her and she sees Jason. He tells her that he is not dead and that she has lost everybody that she ever cared for, leading her to throw the Memory Stone through him to the frozen lake below, where it explodes, before she passes out. By Christmas Day, Vivian has returned to her family on Earth.

On Christmas Day, Benny drinks a glass of bourbon with Braxiatel, pleased that Vivian has returned to Earth but afraid that Tony will never forgive himself for Steven's death. She avoids answering when Braxiatel asks her what she saw when she held the Memory Stone and goes to give Wolsey his present, not noticing a spring of mistletoe swinging gently above her.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

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