Adem set his presents for the rest of the team under the tree. It was green, decorated with lights and ornaments, and made of plastic. Certain concessions have to be made when celebrating in the tropics.

"I hope you got me that new DVD player I was asking for," Phil said as he entered the room. His smile stretched across his face.

"How is disappointment handled on Christmas morning," Adem retorted with a sly grin.

"Huh!" Phil laughed. "But enough of the Holiday banter. Griss needs you down in the computer room. They're at it again."

The two made their way downstairs to the main computer room. As they approached, red, blue, green, and white lights sparkled through the open door. "Would you stop it?!" a British voice also flowed out.

Upon entering, all of the monitors in the room could be seen flickering in one or many of the colors except the center one. That one was blocked by the angry frame of Grissom Montag. "This is not a bloody playpen! It's the nerve center to the entire network!"

{It also happens to be my home.} Jym's face replied. {As I have noticed, it is customary for people during this season to decorate their homes with bright, flashing lights of these colors. It is supposed to bring out the spirit of Christmas in everyone.}

"I can't run my bloody tests on the system if you've got those blasted blinking lights on every monitor!" Grissom took a breather as a cigarette manifested in his mouth and his Zippo lighter in his hand.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Adem asked without really needing to. It proved to help break up conversations between other people when they are arguing. It was a tactic used in almost every culture throughout the universe.

"He's the bloody problem! He's invaded my system yet again."

{It is called spreading the Christmas cheer, you Grinch. Besides, it is not your system. It is my home.}

"Listen," Adem began before the argument had a chance to become even more heated, "you two need to work this out. Jym, you've put yourself in another computer matrix. You're going to have to make room for all the things it's supposed to do. Grissom has to run updates and checks on the building's systems. He needs the mainframes for that. Give him a hand.

Grissom, he's an AI from my world. They're pains more times than not, but useful. My civilization has thrived by learning to compromise with them. The two of you are going to have to learn to work together."

{It could be possible.}

"Eh.... Well, I guess." Montag said as he took another drag.

Adem walked out of the room. Phil came up behind him, "That was pretty impressive work. You get that from one of those psychology books I gave you?"

"No. I just asked myself, 'What would my mother do in this situation.'"