An Europan Christmas (Destiny)

by Hawki , Monday, December 16, 2013, 15:19 (4001 days ago) @ Ragashingo

An Europan Christmas

“Crap, what a shithole.”
“That’s not a nice thing to say.”
“I want snow, I’ll go to the poles. I want alien worlds, I’ll go to Venus or Mars. I want the ruins of human civilization, I’ll go frickin’ anywhere. Nowhere in that job description does it say I have to visit Europa.”
“Maybe you should have read the fine print.”
Behind his helmet, Hal scowled. Not that Artemis could see it. But she’d known the man long enough to know when he was frowning. Or smiling. Or doing anything that a non-member of Fireteam Jackal would have no clue towards.
“Allahu akbar,” Magus whispered, coming to the starship’s cockpit. “Europa. It lies before us.”
“No shit,” Hal said, turning away and heading for the back. “I’m sure your god is pleased at your praise.”
“Regardless of what one believes, one can still appreciate beauty, yes?” the warlock asked.
“I’d appreciate being back home,” the team’s titan grunted. “Not in the outer planets.”
“And is that because of Alli or Christmas?” the Awoken smirked.
“Both.”
The smirk faded. She knew Hal. And never had she seen him so brutally honest.
“Hal…”
“Forget it,” the team’s leader said, walking to the weapons rack. “Let’s just get the job done.”

Artemis nodded.

Get the job done. As always. Every day. The reason for their existence.

Not even Christmas could change that.

##

Europa. The sixth moon of Jupiter. A relic of the Golden Age. A testament to humanity’s former glory. And after all these centuries, still an ice world.
“Traveller’s arse it’s cold.”
“The Traveller does not have a, er, buttocks.”
“Well if it did I’m sure it would be pointed this way.”
Artemis smiled but hung back as Hal and Magus walked forward, the two discussing how a sphere could have a posterior. Checking her suit’s reader, she saw that the temperature was a balmy 160 degrees Celsius in the negative. Why humanity’s ancestors had even bothered coming here she didn’t know, but they’d at least had the sense to construct their settlements in the moon’s equatorial regions. And peering through the snowstorm, she could see one of those up ahead.
“Tityas,” Magus said, gesturing towards the snow-covered structure. “First city of Europa.”
Hal grunted. The warlock glanced back to the team’s hunter.
“Does the cold faze you?” A ball of flame appeared in his hand. “Is extra warmth needed?”
Artemis shook her head.
“Well, come then,” Magus said, extinguishing the fire. “We’re here by your idea. It is fitting you take lead, no?”
Nodding, Artemis walked out into the cold. The ship’s hatch closed with a loud clunk that cut through the howl of the wind.
“Your sodding idea,” Hal murmured as Artemis walked forward. “I didn’t have to come here.”
“We’re Guardians,” Artemis whispered.
“So why not guard?” the titan snapped. “Why come to the arse end of the universe for relics?”
“It’s our job.” Artemis picked up her pace. “It’s what I joined for.”
“Well I didn’t.”
She kept walking. Magus said something, but his voice was lost in the wind’s howl. And to make sure it stayed that way, she shut her radio off.

She hadn’t wanted it to be this way. She’d wanted the trip to be “it.” The big one. A chance for Fireteam Jackal to get into the spotlight. The Queen of the Reef had directed them to fame and fortune before, so when she’d told them of a treasure on Europa, a treasure within Tityas that was beyond price (though she’d offer the next best thing). She’d put herself forward on Jackal’s behalf to take a trip to the ice moon and investigate the city.
“Artemis!”
Which in hindsight, had been a reckless move on her part. Hal was their team leader. He was obstinate, reckless, and had lost his first command, but he was still their leader, and after serving with him, Artemis could appreciate why. Just as she could appreciate that after a year of hell, of Fallen, cabal and vex, he wanted time with Alli. That he wanted to experience Christmas with his significant other on Earth.
“Artemis!”
She kept walking, ignoring the cries. Christmas. Some old human holiday that had undergone a recent revival.
“Artemis!”
Hal grabbed her by the shoulder. And spun her around.
“Keep your radio on,” the titan growled.
“It is on.”
“Don’t bullshit me,” Hal snapped. “You did that at the Reef, don’t do it here.”
“Hal, I thought-”
“Don’t think,” he snapped. “Don’t lead, don’t question, and don’t think you can make decisions for the rest of the team.”
“Hal, I get it, okay?” Artemis said. “I made a mistake. I took a chance, and you’re missing out on an old human holiday and-”
“And why’d you care about that?” he murmured. “After all, you’re not even human.”
Artemis froze. And Hal kept walking.

The cold didn’t touch her. When Magus put a hand on her shoulder, she didn’t feel it.
“Artemis, I heard what-”
And she didn’t hear him after those words.
Not human.
Hal had asked why he was here. For the first time, she asked why she was here. Why after a year of teamwork, of friendship, of everything else, why she even bothered.
Not human.
“Artemis, you-”
“He’s right,” she whispered. She looked at the warlock. “I’m Awoken. I’m not human.”
“That makes no difference,” he said.
“Doesn’t it?” she asked. “Why? Why am I among the ruins of human civilization? Why did I think I could drag us all here? Why…why…”
Magus hugged her.
Shivering in the cold, Artemis let him.

##

Tityas was like an ancient castle. A castle with a recycled atmosphere and heating system, but a castle nonetheless.
“Magnificent,” Magus said, removing his helmet and putting on his glasses. “Stunning. Incredible.”
Hal took off his helmet also. And following suit, Artemis did as well.
“Built by a madman of course,” Magus said, walking around the entrance hall. “But by God’s grace, spectacular.”
Hal grunted and turned to Artemis. “Where now?”
Artemis blinked. “Pardon?”
“Where now?” the titan repeated. “You brought us here, where’s this treasure?”
Artemis kept silent. Hal – his brown hair a little longer, his greyeyes a little wiser, his pale skin baring more scars, but otherwise still the same Hal she’d met all those years ago.
“Artemis?”
And herself. Wispy white hair. Silver eyes. Lavender skin. The mark of an Awoken. Of a non-human.
“Artemis!”
She shook it off. “The bio-dome,” she whispered. “The treasure’s in there.”
“The bio-dome?” Hal asked. “What kind of treasure is this?”
“No-one knows. Not even the queen.”
“Great,” the titan murmured. “Mystery gift. Boy I love that game.”
Artemis lowered her gaze. More and more this was sounding like a stupid idea. The type of idea a stargazing “non-human” like herself would come up with.
“Alright,” Fireteam Jackal’s leader said. “Magus, you secure the entrance. Artemis, you’re with me.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because I say so.” Hal looked at his teammates. “Unless there’s any objections?”
Artemis shook her head. Magus remained still.

Taking orders. She’d have to get used to that.

##

“Well, this is it,” Hal said. “The bio-dome. The booty. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”
Artemis followed him, much against her instinct. She wanted to leave. But the bio-dome was keeping her in place.
“Nice place,” Hal said. “If you’re the tree hugger type.”
Artemis told herself she wasn’t. But looking at the trees before her, hugging them didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
“They’re…they’re so big,” she said.
“Course they’re big,” Hal murmured. “Europa’s gravity is one tenth of Earth’s. Taller growth and all that.”
‘Tall’ didn’t do them justice, Artemis thought. Eighty feet tall, all like pine trees, and all of them bearing a type of red fruit. Like decorations on a Christmas tree, she reflected. She’d seen the pictures. All that was missing was a star on top of them.
“And we’ve got fruit,” Hal said, walking over to one of the trees. “Fantastic.”
“Genetically engineered fruit probably,” Artemis said. “I wonder what it-”
Hal shot his pistol. One of the fruits came falling down into his hand.
“Hal, you can’t just-”
The titan popped it into his mouth.
“Eat it.”
The titan kept chewing. “Things must have been growing for centuries,” he said. “Water in the crust…must be some kind of super nutrient in the soil. Heck, no idea about the photosynthesis part.” He swallowed. “Gotta hand it to the Europans, they had some nifty long term plans.”
Artemis collapsed down against one of the trees. She drew out her own pistol and contemplated using it. On the trees. Or on herself.
“So,” Hal said. “We travel four astronomical units to Jupiter, land on this icehole, and find…fruit.” He took another bite. “Fruit that isn’t half bad actually.”
Artemis laughed. Or sobbed. Her mind was reeling so much that she wasn’t sure which.
“Artemis?”
“Fruit…” she whispered. “Frickin’ fruit.”
“Y’know, if we lugged this onto the ship, and if we could replicate the formula on Earth…well, I think there’d be a few customers in the Last City who’d pay a pretty bit of glimmer for it. Course the Reef Queen will want her share, but eh, what else is new?”
“Fruit!” Artemis exclaimed. “Don’t you get it Hal? It’s fruit! Fucking Fruit!”
And she tossed her pistol aside. She wanted nothing to do with it.

Useless. This entire trip had been useless. She’d gone to Venus. Luna. Mars. She’d fought, killed, and nearly died. All for a year. All for this. All for nothing.
“Artemis…”
“You hate me,” she whispered. “I dragged you away for this.”
“Artemis, I don’t-”
“Non-human,” she sobbed. “Why am I here Hal? What’s this to me? Why do you even put up with me?”
“Artemis, I don’t ‘put up with you.’ You-”
“You hate me! You said it yourself!”
“I…” Hal trailed off.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I led you to Europa. For this.”
“Well, y’know what they say…it’s the thought that counts.”
Artemis looked up at him. “Is that a Christmas platitude?”
“Could be.” The titan knelt down by her. “Don’t care. It’s a good lesson nonetheless.”
“And what’s the lesson here?”
“That treasure isn’t only glimmer.”
Artemis snorted. “That’s new, coming from you.”
“Call it a New Year’s resolution.”
Artemis sat there. Hal knelt there. Through the glass dome, she could hear the sound of the wind.
“You alright?” Hal asked her suddenly.
“Why would you ask?”

Hal sighed and got to his feet. Artemis looked up at him. She wanted to put on her helmet. She didn’t want him to see the tears.

“Artemis…what are you?”
What?
Hal put a hand on her arm and pointed it up to the dome’s roof.
“Look,” he said. “Look at the stars.”
“Hal, what-”
“Just look.”
Artemis did look. Stars looked back at her. One in particular. One brighter than the rest. One that looked like
“The sun?”
“Yeah. Home. Shining brightly. Like a star on top of the trees.”
Like a Christmas tree.
“Artemis, you were right to come here,” Hal said. “I mean, the fruit’s great and all. But that’s not important.”
“Then what is?”
“You came. That’s what’s important,” Hal said. “Here, on Europa…I see that now. You took us to the frontier. You discovered something…amazing. The moment you planned to take us to Europa, you were more human than any of us.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“It’s a reminder. Humans, Awoken, heck, even exos.” Hal pointed back at the star. “Earth’s our home. The Sol system’s our home. Europa is one of those homes.” He stood up, reaching for one of the fruits. He handed it to her. “And to the home owner go the spoils.”
Artemis held out a hand. The fruit hung there, red like an apple. Slowly, she took it. Slowly, she bit it. And slowly…slowly the tears stopped.
“Merry Christmas Artemis,” Hal said.
“Yeah…” the Awoken said. “Merry Christmas.”