TITLE: Try It, You'll Like It
AUTHOR: Michael J. Gallagher ( mikejoe@odyssey.net )
SYNOPSIS: Answers SSBB challenge WRT Sparky Cola: Harper tries to get Tyr to loosen up. Bad move.
RATING: PG-ish
DISCLAIMER: GRA is owned by Tribune. I just drove 6-7 hours and didn't sleep well before I wrote this, so this made sense. Please don't sue me.
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"C'mon, try it!" Harper said, looking between the work he was doing on the _Maru's_ flight controls and Tyr, who was looking at the can of Sparky Cola in his hand like it was some alien creature he was deciding whether to kill or not. "How do you know you won't like it if you don't try it?"
"This has no nutritive value," Tyr said. "And some of its ingredients are harmful to bodily functions."
"Next question -- why aren't you and Rommie a couple?"
"I wasn't kidding."
"Neither was I."
"I do not see how imbibing this .... substance will contribute to my survival."
"The 'substance' itself doesn't." Harper put his tools down, sat back on his heels, and faced Tyr. "It's what it represents, a process called 'kicking back.'"
"Recreation? I've never seen the value in that."
"Yeah? Next time you're agreeing with Rommie about my diet, ask her to show you the part of her medical database about how people -- even Nietzscheans -- need 'recreation' to relieve stress. Too much stress can kill you. Heart attacks, strokes, nervous breakdowns, you name it."
"And drinking a stimulant is supposed to prevent that?"
"And not doing _anything else,_ yes. Look, Tyr, just take one sip. If you don't like it, I will personally clean your gauss guns myself, at no charge, for a month. If you do like it, consider it an educational experience as part of self improvement."
"I don't trust anyone to clean my guns, but as a matter of self improvement ... " Tyr took a sip, swirled the soda around in his mouth, and swallowed. Then he drank some more. And more. And MORE.
And belched.
"You have more?" Tyr asked.
"You finished that can that quickly? Well, ok, here's the rest of my twelve-pack, but leave one or two for me, ok .... ?"
***************************
The 27th time Tyr ran -- actually sprinted -- by Machine Shop 5, Rommie's hologram appeared in front of Harper.
"I know!" Harper said. "I'm sorry -- "
"I'm not here to chew you out again, Harper, just to ... advise you. Look at this as a reason to be more careful in your dealings with other species. In this case, try and remember that Nietzscheans, because of their lifestyle, have no tolerance for things like sugar and caffiene."
THE END
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