It'll be Lonesome This Christmas

Who: Rufus
Where: Rufus' Quarters
When: Christmas Eve
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Rufus stared at the two parcels on his bed, it was late, and the Christmas coloured Skutters had delivered them early. He had given up in Supply Field B, only finding a discarded shoebox of nano-beads that he had shipped over to his lab, along with a bunch of other useful items. None of which would bring his mother back.

 
She was gone.
 
He had spent the last few weeks of his life, grieving and living off nothing. He had no more tears left now, sad as he was that Tara was gone. Nothing would bring her back. Not even with his intelligence could he work out a way. He sighed and stared out of the window into the blackness of space for a while. Minutes ticked past as he did nothing.

 
He snapped out of it and went over to the two parcels by his bed. His father was busy running the ship, but he didn't hold it against him. With the alcohol riots Rufus knew he'd be busy anyway, they'd just catch up another time. It was only another day of the year anyway. Rufus didn't really do Christmas, with his brain firmly on science, he went along with it because the rest of his family did.

 
He opened the picture first. He'd always been good at guessing presents, mainly because he was so bright. It was the same thing Amber had received. It made him smile and he placed it gingerly on the side next to his bed. his quarters were small, built into the side of his lab, where he'd spent a few months modifying it. Them he opened his sisters present. It was a new cane, ornately carved and decorated, with a silver handle in the shape of a snakes head. He grinned and picked it up. As he looked closer he saw a button, pressing it the wooden shaft fell limp and crackled with energy, forming a poor mans holo-whip. He pressed the button again and it returned to normal.

 
He looked at the picture and suddenly had a desire to get his life on track again. Tara wouldn't have wanted him to be like this, moping around trying uselessly to get her back. She'd have wanted him to go on living. He stuck his dirty clothes in the wash and cleaned himself up in the shower. Tieing his hair back as it had gotten rather unkempt and long he put on a pair of blue jeans and a black shirt, trying his best to achieve that smart casual look by leaving the top button undone and a pair of All-Stars.
 
He marched lop-sidedly out of the door, grabbing his lab coat and new cane as he went, walking largely without aim, but with purpose. As he went around trying to avoid the mobs of people, he found that the obs deck was the only place deserted, as he climbed the stairs to the viewing platform, he thought he head someone sigh.

 
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