Wanted: Home for 1001 Hamsters

Who: Rufus
Where: His Lab
When: After Jay's Announcement
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Thanks to his fathers rather large bank account, most of the scientific equipment and supplies that had been in Rufus lab had been secured and moved safely rather than via 'Thugs-U-Hire' the traditional way things got moved around BD. The Time Fridge had been padlocked closed and shipped off with everything else, alongside a myriad of other weird devices and machines. Everything was safe, he was fairly sure. As safe as anything could be on BD though.
 
The hamsters however, were a problem.
 
It had been strange, the moment they'd all simultaneous done a backflip. They'd never quite been he same since. No one seemed to be responding to the adverts he'd placed on the JMC e-mail system, no one seemed to want a hamster. They'd been moved to one of the cargo bays, ready to be shipped out with everything else.
 
He picked up Squeakers, his favourite hamster and put the thing in a safe pocket. The small critter had patches of bright purple fur from a bad encounter on an escape attempt, ever since then the rodent had been able to cough up tiny fireballs as well. Rufus thought it was rather cute and didn't have the heart to do anymore tests on the traumatised creature. 
 
He took one last look around the lab, empty now. He closed and locked the door and left back for the Promenade, hoping to run into Vanessa. She had been avoiding him recently and he had no idea why. He knew it was only a time before a girl like her broke up with a geek like him, he didn't want to.
 
"Oh Vanessa..." He sighed, moping over the lack of contact with his girlfriend recently. He was concerned as well, Rosette seemed to be getting over familiar with him, and sure he liked her, but only as a friend.
 
He saw no one on the way to the Promenade.
 
***
 
It didn't take long for him to find the signs and join the queue to the Job Auditions. He heard clapping and saw Efof come out with a grin on his face.
 
"It's just like that talent show on telly! I got through to the next round!" The Ffionian joyfully said, dancing his way down the line. Rufus watched him go with mild amusement, before someone shoved him in the small of the back and into the room. He tumbled over his own feet and his cane went sprawling across the room as he crashed to the floor, the door shutting behind him.
 
"Name?" One of the judges said.
 
"I...I.. I...Urm... Urm.." Rufus spluttered, nervous and clawing his way to his feet, leaning heavily on the walking stick. The judge peered at him.
 
"Ensign Rufus FeBuggure.... Oh... Another one." The woman looked up at Rufus with cold eyes. "So what can you do Ensign? You are a scientist like your father correct?"
 
"I... I... Y... Yes" Rufus stammered out.
 
"Come on then, prove your worth to the JMC. Everything you need is in here, we made sure that anything people would need is here." She gestured to the 'Junior Pioneer Science Kit for the Under 12' on top of which was a label saying 'some parts missing' in badly scrawled handwriting.
 
Rufus panicked, and fished in his pocket for a tube of GUNK. His hand grasped something small and furry, he pulled out Squeakers. The judges stared at Rufus, then at the hamster, and back again.
 
"Smeg." Rufus stated, "Other pocket." He grasped about again and fished out a vile of liquid and smashed it on the floor. The small hamster squeaked in alarm as part of the floor began to dissolve leaving a hole enough for a man to jump through behind.
 
"Is that all?" One of the judges said, obviously unimpressed. Squeakers chose this point to demonstrate his ability and coughed up a tiny fireball.
 
"He breathes fire." Rufus said weakly.
 
"Next!" The judges said. Rufus trudged out of the office, leafing the way for the next person. He made his way over to Efof.
 
"Don't think I made it through to the next round. I need a cuppa. Parrotts still open?" The T-total scientist asked the Alien bartender.
 
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