(SA) 80-12-20 (x) Silent Night, Deadly Night

Adventure! For most people, Christmas is a time of warm family reunions, parties and a chance to celebrate the fundamentals of Christianity. But not everyone's that lucky, as in tonight's story by Roger Servis, which he calls Silent Night Deadly Night.

Good evening, Parks. Evening, Skipper. Anything interesting coming through? There is for Wardroom Steward, I don't know you. Oh, why? the father of a bouncing boy, eight pounds, two ounces. Well done, that man. Anything else?

Oh, well, for a dozen personal messages for crewmen, sir. Nothing for the bridge. I don't know what the bloody navy's coming to. Admiralty's signals for the benefit of ordinary seaman. Faking your pardon, sir. You could hardly call anyone on board vigilant, ordinary.

Point taken, sparks. But I still think some of the navy's traditions are dying a little too easily. Perhaps you're right, sir. You know, when I was a boy, going to see men just that. Going to see.

No contact with friends and family for months on end. None of this molly cuddling you get today. Well, I do say in those days no one would have believed we'd elect a female Prime Minister either.

At least he said about that. Our bridge radio? Yes, he is. It's for you sir. Chief Engineer Robby. Well thanks. Yes Chief. Can we be sure about this? I see. When can we be certain?

I'll stay right here. Let me know as soon as you can. Anything wrong, skipper? I can't be sure for the moment, Sparks, that the Chief's just reported a warning signal from the engine room. Fire has it, sir?

Something rather worse than that, I'm afraid. Unless we have a malfunction of the automatic alarm system, we have a full-blown radiation leak from the reactor. Radiation leak? Shall I sound the emergency procedure alarm, sir?