December 23rd
{Rather frightening, is it not?} Jym said as he and Adem witnessed the utter carnage of last minute shopping. {I believe that my memory processor has somehow intigrated data from Antartica into my visual sensors processor.}
"You mean that you're having a flashback?"
{Well, if you must nitpick, I would affirm that statement. It works a little different for me. I am, after all, an artificial intelligence.}
"Have you noticed....?" Different's voice trailed off as he nudged his way through the blob of erratic humanity.
{Noticed what?}
Adem's gaze took in all that was around him. His face scrunched up a bit. "This. All of this. It seems..... out of place. At least in relation to the rest of the island." He began to reach for a state of the art steroe system that sat on a shelf when it was snatched just inches from his hand by a wild woman foaming at the mouth with some strange Yule Tide disease. "It's like a pumpkin in a rose garden."
{Agricultural analogues. Interesting.}
"I've been reading. Did it work?"
{It lacks a certain poetic emphasis.}
"But did you get my point? Do you understand what I mean?"
{I believe so, yes.}
Different began to push his way back out onto the street. "This planet is so backwards. There are so many things that look the same on the surface but lack the same soul they had back home. I don't know if I can understand this place enough to participate in this celebration."
{There is another possible solution.}
"That being?"
{Celebrate the holiday in a fashion that you can understand.}
"A very ingenius idea. It causes me to wonder where you got it from."
{While you've been reading, I've been watching TV. Diff'nt Strokes, Brady Bunch, and The Cosby Show.}
"And that's helped you understand this holiday?"
{And the planetary slang. Outta sight!}
"Despite the source, I just may have to use your suggestion."
{Wha'chu talkin' 'bout, Adem!}
