Fic: The Programmer's Tale (Valiant Tales)

[lindenharp]

Title: The Programmer's Tale
Series: Valiant Tales.  Read them in order here.
Rating: G
Characters: The Master (Simm), other characters
Genre: drabble
Spoilers: Minor spoilers for The Sound of Drums and Last of the Time Lords.
Summary: A series of drabbles about the people who lived, worked, and suffered on the Valiant during the Year That Never Was. 100 words according to MS Word.
Disclaimer: The sandbox belongs to RTD and the BBC. I'm just playing here, in the corner, making little sand-TARDISs.
A/N: 'Tis the season for holiday-related fics.  I was inspired to write one for my own religious tradition.  It seemed especially relevant to this series of drabbles.  This year, Hanukkah begins on the evening of December 21, and lasts for 8 nights and days.  For more information about the holiday, go here.


I remember our Hanukkah candles flickering on the windowsill, "proclaiming the miracle," Dad said.  He told the ancient story: the tyrant desecrating the Temple, slaughtering those who resisted.  After the tyrant was overthrown, one flask of oil for the holy lamp lasted eight days.  For me, the oil symbolizes the true miracle -- the restoration of freedom.

I have no candles here, only bottlecaps filled with salad oil that Carmela gave me, and wicks made from a rag.  If the Tyrant discovers my "crime", I may die.

I don't care.  Sometimes, you have to proclaim the miracle before it happens.

Comments

[kensieg.livejournal.com]

Excellent!

[lindenharp.livejournal.com]

Thanks! The muse struck fast and hard with this one.

[wendymr.livejournal.com]

Sometimes, you have to proclaim the miracle before it happens.

Nice!

As always, excellent work: thought-provoking and insightful.

[lindenharp.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.

[garpu.livejournal.com]

Wow. Can't imagine the Master would like his slaves commemorating resistance...

[lindenharp.livejournal.com]

No, somehow I don't think he'd approve. And he probably wouldn't want them thinking that there is any power higher than himself.

[garpu.livejournal.com]

Or he'd openly mock the idea. Can't see the Master (even the earlier ones) being tolerant of others, either.

[tempusdominus10.livejournal.com]

Damn straight.

[lindenharp.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much.

[crabby-lioness.livejournal.com]

Wonderful.

[lindenharp.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[kaffy_r]

Thank you so much for this. As always, your "Valiant" drabbles paint more of a picture for me than many other full-length fics. Have a peaceful season of light!

[lindenharp.livejournal.com]

Thank you for reading and commenting.

Have a peaceful season of light!

And to you. I hope to be with family on Sunday, weather permitting. I'm in the northeast U.S., where it is getting very white, and they're calling for a second round on Sunday.

[hab318princess.livejournal.com]

Loved that, faith is so important!

[lindenharp.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I think this is the kind of situation in which people will either lose their faith or cling to it like a life-preserver.