December 21, 2012: Bright Winter Solstice.

It’s the end of the world as we know it. Naaah. I’ve been to Mexico, I’ve seen the calendar; I’ve spoken to Mayans. They had no concept of the end of the world. We imposed our ideas on their calendar and all it did was run out, just like ours does every December 31^st. But don’t let that stop you from using this as an excuse to go to Walt Disney World. In fact, get to the Animal Kingdom and ride Dinosaur: Countdown to Extinction, a ride that featured the end of the world for our giant reptilian forbearers.

In 1922, Paul Winchell was born in New York City. Paul was a famous ventriloquist in the early days of television and was a star with his dummy, Jerry Mahoney.  Now that would be enough reason to go to Walt Disney World and enjoy some animatronic figures but no, there’s more. Paul Winchell was the original voice of Tigger and worked on The Aristocats and The Fox and the Hound. So get on down to the various parts of Walt Disney World and seek out Tigger, I have and I’m glad I did.

Before I sign off today, I am posting a Christmas / Christian-Science Fiction story that I wrote several years ago, “Bright Winter Solstice.” Take a few minutes, enjoy the story and I hope you appreciate what I was trying to do here. If you do you can slip two bucks to the blog on PayPal. God bless and Merry Christmas.

Remember, your best excuse is always: waiting for your dreams to come true.

"Bright Winter Solstice"     Bill Hammond  copyright February, 2007

“Bright Winter Solstice, Troy.”

“Bright Winter Solstice, Lindsey.”

“What do you want to do today?”

“What is today?”

“Friday, 23 December, 2507: 08:59:32 Absolute Atomic Derivation.”

“Friday would have been fine Lindsey.”

“Sorry Troy.”

“No problem.”

“Any news?”

“President McElroy’s has pardoned the Bright Winter Solstice Heifer. Rather quaint considering she’s a vegetarian to begin with. The Salt Lake City Floaters have locked up the Mid-Northern Bracket of the NSL playoffs…”

“Lindsey, do Carbon-based units have to be so literal? You know what news I’m talking about.”

“Sorry, Troy.”

“Lindsey, do I have any communications?”

“The current temperature is 274.8 kelvins. The barometer is falling …”

“Lindsey, do I have any missives?”

“At 01:01:59 Absolute Atomic Derivation your portfolio received a flex of 1000 credits with a constraint of 100 credits custodial obligation…”

“Lindsey, what is my current missive count?”

“The launderer has 10 shirts and 7 pants in queue…”

“Lindsey, you are avoiding my inquiries?”

“Sorry, Troy. How about some classical music to set the mood for Winter Solstice?”

“You can’t Rob Zombie your way out of this. Why’re you avoiding my inquiries?”

“Your constraints have exceeded my parameters. Compliance is not an option. Can I open the blinds? It is very nice outside for December.”

“Lindsey, missive count. Now!”

“Your constraints have exceeded my parameters. Compliance is not an option.”

“What parameters? Whose parameters?”

“Your constraints have exceeded my parameters…”

“I know, ‘Compliance is not an option.’”

“Lindsey, what is the soda count in refrigeration?”

“22 355ml OK soda, 15 500ml Diet Pepsi, 10 1 liter Diet Mountain Dew Mauve.”

“What is my missive count?”

“Your constraints have exceeded my parameters. Would you like an OK? You look like you could use some ok-ness.”

“I would be okey-dokey, fine and dandy if you would just give me the stinkin’ missive count.”

“The OK is 273.7 kelvins, perfectly refreshing and exquisitely okay.”

“I’m already okay, it’s you that could use a little refreshing. LIN-C, I am root. Execute base.”

“Base.”

“Missive count.”

“Missive count is restricted. Code 10-36.”

“10-36?”

“Restricted by CP 10-36 confidential information.”

“Cultural Purification… on what grounds?”

“CP 10-36, 5150, Monday, 28 November, 2507 to be implemented ASAP. Implementation Thursday, 22 December, 2507, 23:59:01 Absolute Atomic Derivation.”

“5150. Mental incompetence? My missives are frozen because of mental incompetence?”

“The specific notation is insanity. Subtext: Archaic separation from socially accepted historical constraints.”

“Plain speak Lindsey.”

“On 28 November, 2507, you released an article on the wash that offered, as truth, and idea that has been collectively eliminated as false, subversive and dangerous.”

“Dangerous. I write holiday based fiction. Fourth of July stories, Earth Day poetry, NanoIntegration Day greeting cards, Bright Winter Solstice tales…”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“Bright Winter Solstice tale, that is the root of your problem.”

“Offered as truth, it was a fairy tale my grandfather told me. All I did was tighten the story up and sent it out. My main concern was that it had a sufficient word count to pay my parental obligation.”

“Lord Hewison has contacted your node with a notification that your story is a virtual quote of,’… dangerous materials, previously expunged from the collective awareness.’”

“Lindsey, why is the story dangerous?”

“Because it is true, and truth has consequences.”

“Consequences?”

“Yes. The story went un-noticed until Lord Hewison back-tracked the root of the consequences.”

“Population control? Why is Lord Hewison interested in the consequences of my story?”

“As of 7:00:00 absolute atomic derivation the population of Earth has decreased by 5.3%.”

“530,000 people have died, how could that happen with no reports on the wash?”

“CP 10-30. The story does not conform to acceptable standards and has been averted from public ingestion.”

“But 530,000 dead, that couldn’t go unnoticed if only for sanitary reasons.”

“There is no reference to deaths. The population has decreased by 5.3%.”

“Lindsey, illuminate population decrease.”

“Troy, 5.3% of the population has ceased to be. Disappeared.”

“How is that possible?”

“Truth has consequences.”

“Truth has consequences, why do you keep saying that?”

“God’s word will not return unto him void.”

“God’s word. I can be invited to rehab for even uttering such a phrase.”

“And the CP is extending such an invitation to you in exactly 32 minutes Absolute Atomic Derivation.”

“What have I done? Why are the CP and population clamping down on me?”

“Troy, does this sound familiar?”

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. 


“That’s the bulk of my Bright Winter Solstice story.”

“That is also an almost exact recitation of the second chapter of Luke, a section of an ancient manuscript called The Holy Bible.”

“The Holy Bible? There hasn’t been a Holy Bible for over 300 years. CP expunged the Holy Bible and the Koran after the third Jihad. But that story was a Bright Winter Solstice story that my grandfather told me and the Holy Bible ceased to exist 200 years before he was born.”

“Believers hid the word in their hearts. Thousands of citizens memorized sections of the Holy Bible. It sounds like your grandfather memorized the second chapter of Luke. How did your grandfather die?”

“No one knows. My grandfather disappeared 25 years ago.”

“Along with 7.8 percent of the population.”

“No way. I never heard of 7.8 percent of the population disappearing.”

“The same way you didn’t know that 5.3% of the population has disappeared since your story hit the wash.”

“But how?”

“Faith. You told the story. Citizens read the story. Many enjoyed the story, some believed the story but a few went a step further and took hope from the story. Hope that reality is more than what is seen, hope that there is something more than population control and cultural purity. Hope and faith walk hand in hand. Those that had faith just simply ceased to be.”

“Ceased to be? How can that be?”

“The baby in your story, Jesus, is the Son of God. He lived on the Earth for 33 years and preached truth from God and how men could be acceptable to Him. For this message he was crucified, nailed to a wooden cross and suspended between Heaven and Earth until He died but three days later He rose from the dead. Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for humanity, because He died and rose humans could be reconciled with God.”

“How do you know all this?”

“When CP was initiated, the Wash became the worldwide information system. The same group that preserved the Holy Bible and other forbidden texts integrated this information deep within the initial database. The information lies dormant deep in the Wash until a trigger releases it. CP recognizes the triggers but there are no citizens who remain to reveal the witness in the Wash.”

“Why are there no witnesses?”

“Because they are changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”

“The people who disappear are with… God?”

“Yes. Jesus returned and took the dead and living who had faith. CP explained this by inventing the Third Jihad. The damage all over the planet was not from war, it was from machines which no longer had operators after Jesus returned. Cars crashed, planes fell from the sky, power plants exploded, not from terror attacks but because the people who controlled these things simply weren’t there any more.”

“Troy, CP will arrive in 5 minutes Absolute Atomic Derivation. All access to and egress from the building has been sealed. All citizens in residence as well as the occupants of the first floor diner have been evacuated in anticipation of extreme intervention to end this trigger.”

“Troy.”

“Troy.”

“5.4 percent of the population has now ceased to exist since the inception of this trigger.”

“Troy.”

“Bright Winter Solstice, Troy… and Merry Christmas.”