Nyoko's Christmas Story

==Nyoko's Christmas Story by Nyoko==
For as long as anyone in Honda family could remember. Little Nyoko always had a data-pad computer handy. She had one in Middle School, then later on in Military School, and threw out college, and of course Starfleet Academy. Even her friends weren’t so committed to such devices. Some used there pads for school, but none of them really utilized its potential as Nyoko did. 
She not only did her homework on one, she had every feature of a day planner tweeked and optimized. She was aware of every hardware upgrade, software update, and overlock tricks there was for such a device. She even would jailbreak the software allowing her to gain access to memory usage that her datapad wouldn’t normally allow. Using that space she installed programs, and networked it’s interface with the Galatic Network for old earth movie downloads, of course little board game applications such as chess, checkers, and even solitary.
By the time she reached Starfleet Academy, Little Miss Honda had all kinds of powerful science software, complete navigation charts, entire stellar encyclopedias, medical databases, and of course all her personal event planner. Which listed class schedule, test dates, quizzes, homework assignments, research paper due dates, lab report due dates, e-mail address, senior boys’ comm number, and of course her oldest program her LazCam the ultimate reason why Nyoko Honda had always carried around such a device.
It was 2388 and it was charismas time in Japan, a religious holiday that had survived global catastrophe of 2000s, world war three. This holiday had an interesting meaning to most Japanese people as the holiday was a suggested westernized custom. Although in the early days during Earth’s digital age, these customs were widely religious, by the time the federation was created and science had captured the hearts of those who looked outward into space. It had become celebrated more stake of nostalgia then for the birth of Christ. 
Nonetheless, these specific holidays which happen to fall a few days after Earth’s Winter Soloists had become known too Little Miss Honda as rip open the presents under the charismas tree day. Like any eight hour old girl she had a long list of all kinds of toys, and devices that would suggests children weren’t much different in the 24th century as they where with their 20th century counter parts 
Still Ayoko Honda, raising her only child at that time did what any earth mom would do for her beloved daughter. She wanted to grant Nyoko’s wishes as best as she could. Sadly despite all the distractions she could provide her daughter with. Nyoko still wanted her father. 
Ayoko sat on her knees at the base of the Christmass tree early that morning waiting for her daughter to wake up. She wasn’t long to wait before her small little girl ran down the steps and turned the cornor to see her mother sitting at the base of the tree. Nyoko smiled with excitement and although there was a few other wrapped packages under the tree. Her mother held specific one in her lap. 
Nyoko looked at that one as it seemed to be important to her mom. It was thin rectangle box. In fact it didn’t even look all that promising. It actually came off as a disappointment to Nyoko compared to some of the larger boxes under the tree.
So Nyoko did what any little eight year old girl would do. She went around her mother and tugged the biggest one out from under the tree. However she was stopped by one sharp Japanese word. 
“Teiryuu!” Ayoko scowled at her daughter.
Little Miss Honda froze in her motion. She knew her mother was angry, perhaps more then angry, maybe even disappointed in her. Nyoko turned walked over to her mother with her head down. She slipped to her knee which was a common posture for her culture and she still didn’t look at her mother. She didn’t even have to look, she could feel the disappointment of her mom. 
“Shuuyou!” Ayoko said sharply. Little Miss Honda knew the word all to well. It stood for self-discipline. Oh the eight year old was on the edge of tears of how bad she felt. How selfish she was in front of her mother.
All the young girl could do was utter softly “Domo.”
Then her mother made her look at her. Nyoko did fearing her mother’s expression. When Nyoko looked upon her mother’s face she saw no emotion. She was a little confused too. Then after an uncomfortable moment of silence her mother explained the gift that was in her hands was from her father. That he wanted this one to be the first one she opened this morning.
Ayoko handed the small package to her, and Little Miss Honda ripped open the salivary wrapping paper that in fact wasn’t the same as the other gifts. When she finally ripped away enough paper to see what the gift was. She looked up at her mom in confusion. It was a rectangular device, with a smooth flat glassy surface, and several buttons on the side of it. It was an electronic device. 
Nyoko looked to her mom In confusion and her mother smiled to her. She still didn’t understand why this thing was so important.
“What is it mommy?” Nyoko asked ignorantly.
“It is a computer Nyoko, a lot like the one we speak to daddy on.” Ayoko explained in her native tongue.
Then it hit Nyoko as if god came down and enlighten her that very moment.
“You mean, I can see dady on this?” she asked looking up from the device with wounderment.
Ayoko laughed softly, “when he’s available to take your call that is.” She explained.
“Anywhere?” Nyoko asked now trying to understand the power of this new device.
“Anywhere you have service,” her mother clarified
“Now?”
“Give it a try”
Then Nyoko looked to see how to turn it on. She held the green button on the side and the device powered up. She learned quickly it was touch screen unlike the dated computer her family had been using to communicate with her father previously. 
With in several minutes she had accassed LazCam and had her father on her own tablet computer. Nyoko was able to walk all around the home with it, showing her father all the wonderful gifts, her mother’s laughs, and the joy in perfect video connection. Even after she had open all her gifts the datapad computer remained the best gift she ever received. 
Nyoko used it all the time, and almost every night before bed was able to speak to her father for a few minutes. She would fall asleep with her datapad, and she would later take to school with her, and as grew, her need for advance datapads grew.
Category:Short Story