A wee bit more of Pendragon's history.
"What's that?" With six wide, curious eyes, Pendragon looked up at the strange device held by his companion.
The young man favored him with a look that was half irritated and half charmed. "It's a secret," he said, nimbly tossing the cube from hand to hand.
"Can I hold it? Please, Marcus?"
Marcus ruffled Pendragon's messy black hair. "I'm afraid not, kiddo."
"I won't break it." Pendragon was all offended petulance. "I'm not going to chew on it or something."
Marcus laughed. "I'm sure you won't."
"Then can I hold it?"
Marcus looked around. "Ah, what the hell. But be careful." He handed the little cube to Pendragon, who eagerly accepted it. Turning it around in his hands, he traced the raised ridges and buttons.
"Does it do anything?"
Marcus merely smiled.
Pendragon frowned at Marcus. "I'll find out." He pressed the buttons and twisted the knobby protrusions of the grey metal cube, but to no avail. His tongue sticking out of his mouth in frustrated concentration, he poked at it for at least five minutes while Marcus looked on silently. "If you need any help," he said mildly, "just let me know." Pendragon scoffed, and continued working the strange little device with his long fingers. Finally, he sighed. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes.
"I can't figure it out," he said, defeated.
Marcus knelt down beside Pendragon, brushing his ashy blonde hair out of his eyes. "Here, let me show you. You press the two round buttons at the same time while twisting the disc on the bottom." Pendragon followed the instructions, and let out a gasp of amazement as the top of the cube folded open. Inside there was little hologram of a...was that a cake? Ten candles blossomed from the top of the cake, and a tinkly song started playing - "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."
Marcus grinned. "You didn't think I had forgotten, did you kiddo?"
Pendragon flung his arms around Marcus' neck. "Thank you!" He sniffled a little, keeping down his tears. He had hoped so much for Marcus to remember, but he had so much on his mind. Like his father, so much on his mind...but Marcus had remembered. The young man broke the embrace. "Now, that's a fine holo-player. It doesn't run the new programs, but I still have some old ones lying around. I just thought you might like it."
"Like it? You're kidding, right? I'll keep this forever and ever!" And he did. It was sitting on his shelf on the Etherium even now, a little memento of a happy day.