Day 1 (December 24)
Time: Afternoon
Expo Square
A massive Christmas tree towered over the square. Several soldiers in uniform were laboring over it, using ladders to reach the higher branches so that they could hang lights and decorations.
It was the day before Christmas. For most people, this was a day to stay home from work and do some shopping, spend time with relatives, or simply relax at home. But for one young man, this day did not mean anything at all. In fact, it just reminded him even more of what a failure he was—specifically, what a failure his peers and compatriots had judged him to be.
Adolfo Santos was a 20-year-old conscript in the Portuguese Army. But why exactly would he be ashamed by that—surely it'd be an honor to serve one's nation, no? Well, it certainly wasn't in Portugal. Although military service was supposed to be mandatory for all men, in practice there were multiple reasons that one could get excused from the draft: studying in a university or seminary, having family relatives in government positions, being an only son. Or alternatively, anybody could get out of military service by paying a fee.
But none of those were an option for Santos, who'd gotten the short straw in everything. He was born to a large family of five boys, so that ruled out being an only child. His home was a horse farm in the middle of God-knows-where, so tough luck being well-connected. His brain wasn't made to learn anything other than scrubbing stables, so forget about higher education. And his family was practically running on fumes when it came to finances, so bailing him was out of the question. In short, he was poor, dumb and a nobody—exactly the prime candidate for the Portuguese draft boards. And to top it off, he had to wear a uniform with the word "conscript" on his back, for the world to see.
At the Expo Park, Santos and his fellow platoon of conscripts had been assigned the duty of setting up decorations, in preparation for the Christmas Fair which was to begin in the evening. Right now, he had just finished hanging a bunch of snowflake-shaped ornaments on the big Christmas tree. He climbed down his ladder to admire his own work. Those snowflakes are quite nice, he thought. If only we had real snow here. Santos knew that it would be a green Christmas again this year—it hardly ever snowed in Portugal. He'd always wanted to go somewhere where there was snow, but he was way too broke for a vacation. So for now, he could only keep on dreaming. Santos imagined himself as a handsome skier rushing down the Alps, his hair flying in the wind. Still staring up at the Christmas tree, he was so immersed in his little daydream that he didn't notice the black Luso Grande Lisboa pulling up behind him. A man, also wearing a military uniform, stepped out of the car. "Private Santos!" he barked.
This startled Santos and snapped him out of his trance. He quickly spun around to see who it was, and was horrified to realize that it was his superior. Sergeant Carlos Pereira was a badass soldier that one did not want to mess with. A stickler for rules and discipline, Pereira frequently gave out whippings and push-ups for the smallest of mistakes, earning him the nickname "the Punisher". Now, he was standing face-to-face with the poor frightened Santos. "Salve Salazar!" greeted the private nervously, raising his right arm in a Roman salute. He was shaking with fear, at the thought of the ass-chewing he was about to receive from his sergeant.
But today, Pereira wasn't his usual self. His usual cold angry expression was replaced with a friendly smile. In fact, he looked genuinely happy, perhaps as the result of getting bitten by the Christmas bug. "Come here, my boy," he said. "I've brought something special just for you." Hesitantly, Santos stepped forward, not sure if the sergeant was playing a trick on him. But it wasn't a trick at all. Pereira reached into his car and produced a small wooden box from the passenger seat. "Go ahead and open it," he encouraged. Santos took the box and slowly opened it. Inside were five fine cigars—just what he wanted! The private was speechless. All this time, he'd thought his sergeant had absolutely hated his guts. So what Pereira did for him was the biggest surprise. "Thank you, Sergeant," he finally said. "No need to mention it. Merry Christmas, Private!" Pereira then got back in his car and drove off.
All of a sudden, Santos didn't feel so bad about being a conscript. In fact, thanks to the Christmas gift from his sergeant, he realized that others really cared about him and had his back. For the first time, he actually enjoyed being in the army. Armed with his new burning desire, he worked twice as fast putting up the Christmas lights and decorations. And in no time, the place was ready to welcome visitors for the Fair.
As the finishing touches were being put on, a nearby formation of police officers was getting briefed by their commander. This event was going to be attended by many people, including possibly foreign celebrities and dignitaries, so it was absolutely critical that no corners be cut on security. High-powered video cameras watched over every last square centimeter of the place, while unmanned surveillance drones circled the skies above. Steel barriers were placed around the perimeter to keep out unauthorized vehicles, and sniffer dogs were deployed to screen for weapons and explosives. A temporary hospital tent was set up to deal with any medical emergencies.
At 15:00, the gates of the Expo Park were opened up to the public. The Christmas Fair had officially started.