Doctor Rufus Weller is a character in gen:LOCK who, until his death in "The Only Me I Know", brought with him "both humor and seriousness".[1] A scientist in the Experimental Science Unit, Weller was the eccentric yet brilliant creator and overseer of the gen:LOCK program, designed to give the Polity an edge in the war against the Union. He was often accompanied by his android assistant Caliban.
Appearance[]
Rufus Weller was an older man with messy gray hair. He was of an average height with an average build. He was almost never without a serene smile on his face, even when dealing with horrifying situations, appearing to emanate a sense of calm.
Personality[]
David Tennant described Weller as the "scientific genius" who "enabled the technology that sets the story in motion."[2]
It was also made clear through the trailers that he was not fond of the fact that his program was militarized. He believed that gen:LOCK was the next stage of human evolution, viewing the program as an expansion of human life and consciousness.
He was also something of an eccentric intellectual, often purposely ignoring the seriousness and urgency of a situation that would overwhelm his colleagues. He maintained an otherwise unflappable and sometimes unsettling calmness in the face of emergencies.
Weller could also be rather ruthless to his enemies, as when Rob Sinclair's impostor insisted on being linked to one of the Holons. Weller allowed him to, knowing the process would kill the spy due to lacking compatibility with the program. This indicates a rather efficient personality, with Weller knowing that this method would result in minimal loss of life at the Anvil.
He also allowed Cammie to modify parts of her personality to make herself more aggressive. After forcibly downloading her, he used this demonstration as a lesson to her and the rest of the gen:LOCK team about what happens when one attempts to modify one's personality. He also sternly told her that this was not the right way to cope with her recent trauma.
Weller was rather witty, often making commentary that either diffused or inflamed a situation, seemingly oblivious to the ire he inspired in his colleagues.
He vehemently detested anyone intruding upon his lab, threatening to reprogram the MR assistant Able to only speak in Gilbert and Sullivan lyrics for mixing into the lab without permission. He also showed disgust and disapproval towards the usage of profane and vulgar language. This was shown when Cammie cursed in his presence while en route to Dallas and he asked that she refrain from doing so.
Weller held a great sense of responsibility for Julian Chase's situation, feeling a degree of guilt for not being able to give the crippled young man a better quality of life despite being the main reason he survived at all. He genuinely wished that his resources were enough to allow Chase to leave his life support capsule and move on while still continuing the gen:LOCK program. Furthermore, he quietly thanked Miguel Garza for visiting Chase and supporting him. Such behavior indicated a compassionate and very humane personality.
Along with his humane personality and sense of responsibility, Weller held immense guilt regarding Nemesis; quietly asking what the Union had done to break the original mind of Chase upon seeing the monster he has become, horrified at the implications.
Weller saw the gen:LOCK team through a paternal lens, calling them his children. He even kissed Yaz's forehead in a fatherly manner upon sending them out on their own during the Union invasion of the Anvil. However, he also noted that "they are hardly children".
Weller held an immense belief in the importance of connecting people as a way of evolving, and to an extent, correcting, the human condition. As gen:LOCK is all about making connecting humanity easier, his beliefs were justified by the progress he witnessed in his recruits. He proudly looked on them as living affirmations of his faith in humanity's greater potential.