Day of the Fat Man

Chapter 1: Shooting Stars

When I was a little Noocar I learned the meaning of cold and hunger. My home world was a poor farm world with short summers and harsh winters but still we usually were able to grow all we needed.

But that year, it started bad. The winter was long and cold and the spring wet and stormy. Our grain didn’t grow, the root-vegetables were foul and the cattle got sick. We barely made it through the summer and in autumn food become scarce. Then the early winter started with our reserves depleted.

On a cold and clear morning I woke up hungry again and sneaked out of the nest where my family shared their warmth, out of our community hall. I decided to collect some bark in the near forest. The bark was hard to chew but filled my stomach and sometimes I found a larvae or a mushroom.

Just when I tried swallowing a really hard piece of bark a loud bang made me look up into the sky. A large and bright shooting star, in broad daylight. I was told I could make a wish now. I wished for food and warmth.

Another shooting star. And another. And many more! Dozens of them! They slowed down, took turns and swarmed in every direction. I had never seen that kind of shooting stars. And one was heading towards our small village. As it came closer it features became more clear. It was a metal construct riding on a blue flame coming out of its back side. As I ran towards my village the construct became larger until it dwarfed every house in the village except the community hall.

When it landed on the large place before the community hall, right in front of me I, was baffled – I had never seen so much metal in one place. Our village was slowly awakening to the loud noises coming from the vehicle, people looking through doors and windows, fear in their eyes.

But I knew they meant no harm. Because they were shooting stars and granted me my wish.

When a huge door opened I stepped closer and looked inside. Warm Air rushed over me from the inside. Then the strangest Noocar I had ever seen handed me a box, talked in a strange language to me, tried to explain something to me. But even though I couldn’t understand his words I knew what he was saying, took the box and ran back to my house!

“Food, they brought food!”

Chapter 2: New Hope

People from beyond the Stars! I couldn’t believe it! Our elders taught us Stars were the tears of the gods but in fact they were the home of these Terrans as they call themselves.

They saw from afar how dire our situation was and organized the largest rescue operation in their entire history. But even for them it was hard to feed an entire world so far away, it cost them huge amounts of resources. Thus we had to sustain on dried food, tasteless but nutritious. Still it filled our stomachs and secured our survival. For days star ships arrived and landed pallets of dried food until our storage was full.

Meanwhile their wise taught us to build better shelter, better fireplaces, gave us better crops and more sturdy cattle. They told us our world was entering an ice age but they had lots of experience with creating global warming and would try to come up with a solution. I thought global warming sounded nice.

When the Terrans finally left there was lots of work to do. Even we kids had to work dawn to dusk for weeks to help building all the new things the Terrans taught us. And finally we were done with our new community hall. It was warm and big and for the winter time we all would sleep in this new and modern building, share a cooking place. After the winter we would build more houses like that but for the time it was good.

It was at the coldest, most quiet time of winter when the Terrans came back one last time.

Chapter 3: First Arrival of the Fat Man

At the falling dusk our community had just gathered in the town hall and started to prepare the evening meal. Salty powder soup with water, like every day for weeks.

Suddenly we hear the sound of a Terran Star Ship circling over our hall – unmistakeable but different? Like many small bells ringing?

We kids ran outside and looked stunned at the strange Terran Star Ship – it was red with horned quadrupeds painted on its side in a way it looked like they pulled the Ship – and while it circled over our small village it rained colourful sparkles and a fat Terran with red clothes and a white beard stood in its side door, laughing loud and deep while throwing little packages outside, gliding slowly down on parachutes.

“HOHOHO! Merry Christmas! HOHOHO! May the warmth of Christmas fill your heart, and its magic spread joy right from the start! HOHOHO!”

After several more turns he shouts “Happy Holidays!” and his ship vanishes in the night.

We collected the colourful packages and found little presents inside. Toys for the kids, nice clothes for the adults, sweet cake for everyone!

We decided to forgo the powder soup. Instead we feasted for the first time in years with the kids laughing and playing with their new toys!

Chapter 4: The new Fat Man

I stand in front of a mirror, checking my outfit. Perfect. Today is Fat Man Day! A very special Fat Man Day for me! Live wasn’t easy but we made it. The Terrans rarely show up nowadays, told us we are masters of our own future.

Sure, we remember the day when the Terrans arrived with boxes of powder soup. It is a holiday we take very serious, where we tell the story about the time of despair and hunger and take an oath to prepare for the next winter.

But the real holiday is the Day of the Fat Man, were we sing and party, feast and drink. Where we give presents to our young and praise the old for having cared well for us in their past.

My wife opens the door, looks outside and giggles me “They are ready!”

I close my red mantle, pull my white beard straight one last time and grab my bag, stepping into the community hall “HOHOHO! The Fat Man is here! Happy Holidays Everyone!”