February 15 --- Symbiosis

Holiday: Gum Drop Day


"You talkin crazy again, man. Knock it off!"

"But, BA, it's not crazy. It's... it's symbolic! It describes us so... metaphorically!"

BA waved him off and stalked away to the van. Face cocked an eyebrow as he sauntered over from the cafe.

"You driving BA up a wall again, Murdock?"

"I was trying to explain the symbiotic relationship we have, Face. As purveyors of transportation."

"Purveyors of - Murdock, what are you talking about?"

"Me and BA, Faceman. Look, who takes care of the ground transportation?"

"BA does. But - "

"And who provides the air transport? Me."

"Right, so?"

Murdock sighed. "It's so obvious. It's like Apollo 9, Face."

"Apollo 9? Now you've really lost me. That was ten years ago."

"But think about it, Face! The lunar module, the command module - it's me and BA. Don't you see that?"

Face sighed heavily, shaking his head. Not again.

"BA's the command module - the base, the vehicle that gets us where we need to be so I - the lunar module - can take it from there. And when it's done, we all come back to base, and that gets us safely home. Now do you see it?"

"Yeah, okay, Murdock, I get it. But you see why that kind of thing would, uh, irritate BA, don't you?"

"Well, there was a bit more to it than that." Murdock shrugged his shoulders in that way he did when there was a lot more to 'it'.

"Like what?"

"Well, I kinda thought, considering our close relationship and in honor of Apollo 9, we should... adopt the nicknames the astronauts used."

Face had a feeling of dread, but he asked anyway. "And those are?"

"Well, the lunar module was called Spider, so that would be my new name."

"And the command module?"

Murdock struggled a moment before the smile forced its way out.

"Gumdrop."

FINI