Christmas Shorts

Gears

Gears

Emeline took hold the thick-lensed goggles that rested atop her unkempt hair, and after bringing them level with her eyes, she gave a tug and let go. They snapped against her eager face in a satisfactory way, and she rubbed her calloused, grease-laden fingers together enthusiastically. She wore a simple brown jacket, and strong work pants. Thick black boots covered her feet, and she smelled something akin to motor oil.

The machinery in front of her gave off numerous whirs, ticks and clicks, and it churned and turned in perfect harmony. One of the pipes made a strong hissing noise, followed by a solid whistle. She reacted by cranking several levers, and turned a sizable copper wheel until the noise subsided. She watched several gears as they turned, waiting for the appropriate moment to further react. After another minute passed, Emeline flipped a half dozen switches, and turned numerous knobs. This was her work – this was her life; and she loved it. Everything had its purpose and place, and all her cogs and wheels worked in harmony to produce perfect results. It was always the same – and this constant repetition gave her comfort.

Her work was interrupted by the opening of two massive doors. Through the doorway shone a blast of energy so brilliant and white, it would blind the frailty of human eyes – there were, however, no human eyes around. A figure entered, and shut the doors behind him. He was clean cut, well groomed, and wore a simple white traveler's cloak. He walked with an air of humble purpose, and greeted Emeline with a friendly nod. She seemed to only half notice his arrival, as she waited by a particular meter, reading its measurements.

The man cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Oh, I see you, Chael," she told him. "I'm just waiting to release this power buildup in just....one..." Without finishing her sentence, Emeline pulled hard on a thick crank, and a rumble outside was heard.

"Was that a flare?" Chael asked only mildly interested.

"Sure was!" she replied with glee. "A beauty too. Been working on that all morning."

"Well done," he said with a genuine smile.

"Well now," Emeline exclaimed, bounding up to him, and proceeding to give her visitor a tight, greasy embrace. "It's been quite a while since you graced this humble place with your presence."

Chael nodded, doing his best to ignore the inky stains that now adorned his clothing. "Yes, I'd say about three centuries at least."

"Has it been that long? Wow, time flies when you're well occupied. It was the last Keepers meeting that I saw you. You came to cover for me while I was gone." Then she made a sour face. "But you made everything go out of whack, and it took me weeks to get things back in order."

"Ah, yes," he said, nodding with understanding. "You have a well-ordered system here."

"You bet I do."

"I know you are busy, Emeline, but do you have a moment?" Chael asked, showing her his messenger bag.

She nodded, but then a second later, held up a hand. "Hold that thought!" She reached behind her, and pulled a cloak off revealing two pristinely white wings. Flying high up into the mesh of machinery, she made some adjustments, and then floated back down.

"Sorry, I had to pull back the output on that last burst."

Chael sighed, but still held his genuine smile. "It amazes me how clean your wings are, considering your normal appearance.

She laughed in response. "Well, I hope your not bringing bad news – asteroids, black holes, collinding galaxies and what-not. Things like that really upset the flow of things."

"Well," said Chael, taking some parchment out of his sack. "I don't have news – it is more of an order."

She didn't respond, waiting to hear more.

"It is a mandate to increase the output level of your entire assigned station to a maximum, and to sustain it for a specified amount of time."

"What?!" She cried. "But that will take at least five years to prepare! Who gave this order? Was it Alarik? What is his reason? He knows I keep everything tuned perfectly and evenly – every knob and dial has it's point and purpose. Every glisten and twinkle seen from every angle of space has a great beauty...and it will be ruined if I put this star at full blast!"

Chael was ever patient as he said, "No, it wasn't Alarik who gave the order."

"Then who? Michael? I can appeal to him if so."

"This order cannot be appealed. It came from the top."

Emeline was silent for a moment. Her whole demeanor changed, and she gave a long sigh. "Well, if our Father gave the order, then it will be an honor to carry out."

Chael put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He knows you, Emeline. Just as he knows the heart of every angel, and the state of every star. He has chosen you for this task, because he knows you can complete it, and do the job well. Out of the billions of Keepers and their stars in this galaxy, there are none that that match you in your sheer passion for your work. You know every inch of this gas giant, and will have no trouble matching the specifications perfectly!"

Emeline beamed. "Thank you for that vote of confidence! You should consider changing careers – you're a great messenger, but you'd make an excellent guardian angel – you're the best motivational speaker I've ever known."

"Thanks," he said with a chuckle. "But I have my calling."

She disappeared for a brief moment to flip a few levers, and then returned, saying, "What is the reason for the order anyways? Do you know, or is it secret information?"

He smiled mysteriously. "This is in preparation for thee event."

She blinked. "For humanity? Will they see the full power of my star?"

"Yes," he said. "It is to be the herald for their redemption."

"You do know that it takes 75 earth years for this starlight to reach human eyes, right?"

He gave her a wry smile. "The order came from the maker of the universe – of course He knows that."

"Right, right," she said, smacking her forehead.

"The order is coming now, so that the light will be on its way in time for birth of God's son."

Emeline was suddenly filled with great purpose, and realized the immense honor she had been given. "Well, I better get started then! There's a lot of work to be done."

"Indeed!" Chael replied, glad to see her enthusiasm. "But you are not to start the prep work until three earth days from today. He is quite specific in the instruction, and wishes the light to appear at exactly the right time."

Emeline nodded. "Alright. Well, then I can't wait until then!" She turned and looked at her cherished framework, the control center for her star, and said aloud, "You know, I've always loved how all my gears worked together in beautiful unison...but how much more glorious are the gears that God puts to turning the universe to bring about his glory? It always amazes me, the mystery of his plans."

"I heartily agree," Chael answered. "Well, I better be off. There are more messages to deliver. It was wonderful seeing you again."

Emeline gave him another hug, which further smudged him garment, and he departed with a wave through the massive doors. The light of the star bathed the work hall with its brilliance, until the doors closed once more.

Emeline stood quietly listening to the comforting clicks of the churning gears she knew so well. Then, she grabbed a well-used wrench from a nearby table, and dove joyously back into her work, giving thanks to her Father.