*yeah, I know, It's July for heaven's sake! But this idea came to me and well...*

---

"'Twas the night before christmas and all through the house,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...

"Hey, how about a monkey?" Jenny said as she read from the book. Donovan wasn't paying any attention, so she stood up and closed the book with a thud. "Hello, Earth to Dr. D."

"Just look at all the profits we've made from this Christmas season. Oh, I just love Christmas. It's the time where parents spend lots of money buying toys and more toys for their snotty little brats."

He pulled out a product mapping chart. All of the lines were going up. He chuckled gleefully. Then he turned on the television. A commercial was playing.

"And so, don't miss the Christmas pageant Alliance Technologies will be putting on. It's fun for the whole family."

Donovan snorted. What a stupid idea. He changed the channel, then changed it again and again. On every station there was a commercial showing each of Quark's major competitors putting on some sort of Christmas play.

"Jenny! get the advertising team in here! Hurry!"

"Okay, okay, keep your pants on." She paged the team and they came up to Donovan's office.

"Now, why didn't you tell me about our competitors doing the play thing?" Donovan asked, glaring at the lead ad man, a gawkey man with wire-rim spectacles.

"Umm...we did...sir. You said...."

"I don't care what I said! Get on this right now. Quark is going to put on the best Christmas play. I don't care how you do it."

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir."

"Wait. They are getting professional actors, right? I have a better idea. We'll use Quark employees."

"Well, okay, sir. What play do you want to do?"

"Whatever our competitors are not using, nerd," Jenny said.

The man nodded and walked off with his team to start on the promotions.

---

*okay that's the end of part one. More to come soon*

~Mary Christmas~