I couldn’t sleep. I was too excited about the new Starfleet Academy television series. Or maybe I was more excited about the new Mindfleet Academy series here on The Circular Journey. Either of the two was enough to keep me awake, and I was trying to process both at the same time.
"Can't sleep either, Ambassador?" she asked.
“I’m surprised you’re still up, Captain. I thought you would have finished logging the crew’s requests for admission to the advanced training program in the new Mindfleet Academy.”
“I've logged them,” she replied wistfully. “I’ve been rereading them. I asked them to include their plans for improvement during 2026, and each one of them revealed aspirations I wasn't aware of."
Before I could respond, the bridge lighting shifted to a golden caution alert.
“Captain!” First Officer Reason’s voice came over the intercom. “You need to see this!”
The Christmas Comet
“There,” Reason said, rushing onto the bridge and pointing at the viewport. “The Christmas Star comet. Right on schedule, just as the ancient logs predicted.”
A bright point of light moved through mindspace neural networks, leaving a trail of shimmering rainbow-colored particles.
“They say, if the Christmas Star crosses your mind's path, it brings clarity, peace, and good fortune,” whispered Communications Officer Joy as she approached the small group gathered around the command console.
“Aye,” crackled Chief Engineer Anxiety over the intercom, “But Captain, with our current trajectory, we won’t be close enough to even feel its wake as it passes us.”
The Wish List
Amy turned to her officers, now joined by Dr. Downer. “Before we get involved with the comet, I want to hear your self-improvement goals, in your own words.”
Joy spoke first: “I will endeavor to handle adversity without losing hope, and prove that joy is the right choice even in the darkest hour.”
“Noted and logged,” said Amy.
“Chief?”
Chief Engineer Anxiety spoke: “I'm determined to maintain courage and to worry less, to trust my instincts, and to believe in brighter outcomes.”
“Dr. Downer?”
Downer said softly: “I only hope to have the confidence to speak my truth.”
“Mr. Reason?”
Reason looked up from his console: “I wish to clearly see the patterns in random chance and to find practical guidelines, not just probabilities.”
“And you, Captain?” I asked Amy. “What did you plan for personal improvement?"
“I will practice trusting my crew, and become more of a guide and less a commander."
“You want to trust us?” Joy said.
“Yes,” Amy admitted. “And maybe that star is our first challenge. Mr. Reason, lay in an intercept course. Chief, increase speed to Warp 5. We will chase the star! Engage!”
The Chase
Reason called out coordinates. Joy broadcast to the United Federation of Emotional States that the Christmas Star had appeared. I stood beside Amy, watching the growing light as mindspace transformed in the comet’s wake.
“Captain,” Reason said, “We’ll intercept in fourteen minutes.”
“Steady as she goes,” Amy replied.
Minutes faded. “Engineering to bridge: unusual energy readings from the comet. Nothing dangerous—but it appears the comet is aware of us.”
“Aware?” Amy frowned. “That’s not in any legend.”
A moment later, Reason warned: “The comet’s changing course—our intercept window is closing.”
“Captain, the engines are already at recommended maximum sustained speed,” Anxiety reported.
“Push them, Chief! Bypass non-essential safety protocols. Do it now!"
Reason immediately interjected, “We won’t make it, Captain. Even beyond safety limits, we can’t intercept. We’ll get close, but...”
The comet crossed the path of the Coastal Voyager, close enough to bathe them in golden light, but distant enough to remain untouchable.
The Real Gift
“End pursuit protocols,” Amy commanded. "Chief, return to cruising factor 4. Bring all safety protocols back online with all systems reporting green immediately."
“Captain, we didn’t catch it, but look,” Dr. Downer gestured at the viewport. “The legend says the comet needs to cross our path, not coincide with our position. And it did cross our path, but only because we chose to chase it.”
“She’s right,” Joy said, awestruck. “The neural pathways we traveled through are glowing. We carried the light of the comet with us.”
“Lt. Joy is correct,” Reason confirmed. “Our trail matches the comet’s energy signature. We didn’t intercept it. We became part of it.”
“The journey!” I exclaimed. “The legend isn’t about catching the comet. It’s about being willing to follow.”
“Our planned personal improvements…” Amy mused, “We had what we wished for all along.”
“It was the act of intentionally writing them down that worked the magic,” I said. “Our faith that we could achieve our goals was made stronger in the chase.”
The New Course
“Mr. Reason,” Amy said, her voice filled with newfound joy.
“Captain?” Reason replied.
Reason’s hands flew over the controls. “Course correction plotted, Captain.”
“Chief Anxiety?”
“All systems stable and responsive. Captain. It’s as if the ship got a tune-up from chasing the comet.”
The GMS Coastal Voyager surged forward, and through the viewports, I watched mindspace transformed into streaming bands of color, the very fabric of consciousness bending around our velocity.
I moved to leave, but Amy called to me.
“Ambassador? Thank you. For being here. For bearing witness.”
“That’s what Ambassadors do," I said. "We watch, we remember, and we tell stories.”
“Then tell this one,” Amy said. “Tell the story of the crew that chased a bright idea, like a comet through the darkness of inner space, only to find it within themselves.”
I felt the dawn calling me back from the dream state, but I heard the captain exclaim as she faded from sight, “Merry Christmas to all...”
And I, standing at the threshold of the waking world and the realm where emotions pilot mindships through inner space, completed the blessing as naturally as breathing:
“...and to all a good flight.”
Ambassador's Log, Supplemental:
The GMS Coastal Voyager continues its mission through Mindspace, charting courses toward challenges and adventures in the New Year.End Log
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