Ernie and a few other BOBs were in the large kitchen baking cookies. They had decided to make their own cookies since it was Christmas-eve and everything.
Everyone were in a good mood and the Colony was lighted up with sparkling lights in the corridors and everyone seemed more relaxed than usual. Ernie felt a tingling sensation going through his entire body as the lovely odour coming from the oven reached his nostrils. He had never felt the sweet smell of newly baked food before, after all, he was a BOB. At the same time he felt a bit sad for all the things a BOB had never experienced that other people took for granted. People should really be more thankful, life was really wonderful, Ernie concluded in his mind.
"Kellogg, could you pass me some more of that white crystalline substance, you know that weird sweet carbohydrate."
"I think it's called sugar, here you go."
"Thankee!"
Sugar! Yes, Howard had once told him that it was used to sweeten the food hundreds of years ago. It was later replaced with other substances because of the side-effects of using sugar. It was bad for the teeth and it was also known to cause diabetes and other horrible bodily faults.
Ernie took a large spoon of the sweet substance and shoved the whole spoon into his mouth. Kellogg looked at him with a silly grin. Ernie ignored him and shoved a couple of more spoons into his mouth. He couldn't get enough of this stuff! He wondered how he had ever done without it!
It was later in the evening and the mess-hall was crowded with people. Kellogg, Howard and Ernie were sitting at a table. Kellogg and Howard were chewing away at the cookies.
"Man, I tell you, I've never tasted anything quite like this, Ernie you should really try some!"
Ernie was sitting slump on his stool with his face in his hands. He was making low groaning noises. Could it have been the sugar that made him feel like this? How could it be, it was so good! His stomach was making complaining noises.
"I'll be right back, I just think I need some air." Ernie said in a sluddering voice.
Ernie half-run to the toilets and sank down on the floor. He could feel it rushing up into his throat. He tried to swallow to keep it down, but unsuccessfully so. He doubled over and vomit sprayed out over the floor. The toilet-cleaner swept over the floor and cleaned up the vomit.
"Maybe you should see the doctor." The cleaner-AI suggested.
"Aye, Aye."
"My sensors indicate high levels of sweet carbohydrates in the substance you just ejected. I would suggest an insulin shot."
"Thanks for the tip."
"Oh, don't mention it." The AI answered with pride.
There were some loud voices outside the mess-hall which caught the peoples attention. It sounded like HO HO HO!
Kellogg and Howard ran to one of the windows and peaked out. They could hardly believe what they saw. It was Santa! Santa was flying around with his deers outside! The people ran outside bewildered with joy. When they came outside they notised more Santaclauses. The place was swarming with Santas! As one of the sledges landed, Kellogg and Howard ran up to it with long steps of joy.
Santa stepped out of his sledge and started digging into his big sack. He produced a big package infront of Kellogg and handed it to him. Kellogg could feel tears of joy streaming down his chins. This was such a special Christmas. In his joy he was going to embrace Santa.
Just then one of the ten Marines pushed away Kellogg and Howard. They were thrown away and landed in a heap on the ground, several meters away. The Marine pulled out a Spanker and fired it at Santa! Santa was blown away in flames and red flannel.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Kellogg screamed hysterically, the Marine had killed Santa!
"You murderer!" Howard cried out and burried his face in his hands and started sobbing.
Ernie looked out the toilet-window, just in time to see a Santa landing infront of the window. Ernie ran outside as fast as he could. Santa was standing there with a big grin holding out a package towards Ernie. Ernie could see explosions all around him. Cool, the other must have gone outside and started firing the rockets. Ernie took the package and looked up at the big kind Santa. He had his arms streched out, ready to give Ernie a big hugg.
As Ernie moved into Santas embrace, he could hear someone yelling in the distance. A distant but well distinguished "NOOOOOOO!". But it was too late. Ernie had time to look up into Santa's face one last time. The warm smile he had seen before, looked evil. It was an evil grin behind a grotesque face. Santas eyes looked hard and evil and his face and teeth were half-rotten. Ernie and Santa vanished into oblivion in a cruel enormous explosion.
