[i]Table of Contents of "For What It's Worth": [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/257262707/0/0][/url][/i] [i]Previously:[/i] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/257236109/0/0][/url] [i]Life is a farce, but no less reality. Escape is always next door, should you find yourself there. Had you been inside the helm, well, it went something like this:[/i] In all this commotion and many test flights, it hadn't occured to me that this skipper was a death trap.. at least, not like this. My equipment on-person mostly failed in the field during intense firefights; when I became the fan blades of which all the bullshit was processed like a blender. I thought that the kinetic dampeners overloaded my suit during the clash of so many melee finales, shields reported every time, but modifications did not. There was an 8in screen that extended from the back of my chair, in to view, monitoring my transducer. That monitor was dead, just like everything else. There have been reports of Guardians losing their light after years of service, the phenomenon has had little study; they don't last very long there-after. Had I truely lost it? My heart had been burdened with much, but where there is will, there is a way. I always push through.. to another day. The many disciplines of light were a fine focus.. I sought to bring the energies of conflict together, in unity, for a soul purpose. This was a mistake to think that I could power the transducer perpetually with biorythms alone, without failure.. ..but if only the transducer failed, my ship would merely lean to the left, as it had before. This was complete electromagnetic failure. The only contingency for this, was a seatbelt.. and lead pouches. I strap myself in, but didn't have much room in 5-point harness. Bay 4 of the Annex was in sight, yet several hundred meters out. The ground wasn't so far down, along with busy streets and buildings. If I jettisoned the jump-drive, it could cause fatal collateral damage. Quickly, I flipped open a yellow striped glass emergency hatch with a direct input to the main engines. This socket was for a direct line to grounded power, during testing. On the ground I could put a hand in the pocket to give it a little pep, it was a simple solution to my power problem. Sure, it may seem out of hand, but at least I had my own ship. It had character, I made it personal. Unfortunately, I had no funk to fet with. I could feel gravity taking affect, listing towards the earth, port-side. The two anti-grav generators underneath me weren't working either. I pull 'Merciless' free of its holster, and a golden drum from the pouch on my left. This may be the end, but I'm not going down without a fight. I locked and loaded..operating the internal charger with a hard slap. [i]-("pull up.")-[/i] Like a siren's cry, Failsafe's harping voice was still in my head. That ghostly whisper.. ..she wasn't even there. All I had left was my mind.. ..and it was already gone. I shook my head, and smirked. [i]"F."[/i] [i]'Merciless'[/i] was forced in to socket.. [i]..all the way to the trigger guard.[/i] I disengage the clutch.. ..and reach over with my left .. pulling the port-side airbrake; with force, before I lost any more altitude. One long panel extended from underneath the portside drive, throwing weight under the rear. This sent me in to a forward tumble. [i]There goes my scotch.[/i] Firmly, I pull the trigger. [i]'Merciless'[/i] was slowly coming to life. Out the window, I was now looking at the ground. Wesley, who once had risen, was out like a light. His shell tossing to and fro about the cockpit. The silver seed floated like a bubble in a carpenter's level, not even phased. I would have been impressed, but, I didn't have that long to rip; The Tall Tale was on the highway to hell.. and the three things I worked so hard for.. were now the world's most expensive lawn-dart. This big -blam!- battery didn't like to be cold. [i]"COME ON, THEN!"[/i] Merciless sprung to life for what felt like an eternity. [i]*bzrrsrrrttddrttTTTTTkKKKAaOW[/i] Nothing.. [i]..but sparks that ripped through every internal quarter panel I had.[/i] The sky of purples and oranges came in to view. [i]though I was blinded at the time[/i] There went 3 seconds.. [i]..and possibly everything else.[/i] A swift left hand pushed in every breaker button but to the main engines. I left the pistol-grip of 'Merciless' on to a starboard handle. I pushed out, pulling the foil inwards. Simultaneously, I secured the small back hatch I opened for earlier, for fresh air, with my left. I pulled the trigger.. Harder, this time; twice. [i]The gun loved that.[/i] I could still hear it.. [i]the spark of a rear thruster.[/i] [i]'Merciless'[/i] had just started, and so did my engines. I increased power to full-throttle, in kind. Such path of trajectory was travelling directly in to sky-traffic, drastically losing altitude.. I never installed an ejector seat, despite the Tower's regulations. There simply wasn't enough room, and the rules are for the Tower, not space. I regretted that now, having to go through all this, but only a little. I was only 200 meters from the ground, [i]I pulled the trigger, and it fired twice.[/i] In-between [i]'Merciless'[/i] second wave, I engaged the clutch, which caught the engines at full-blast, sending me in to another front-spin, narrowly missing the ground, but with enough momentum to arc around for altitude. The Tall Tale soared striaight up through high-line traffic, now hindered by the leverage of drag and weight to starboard side, it careened off to the east towards the courtyard. Grabbing the port airbrake again, I pushed out, returning it.. ..and flipped a switch with 5 last breakers The Tall Tale was somewhat level, listing towards the weight of the engine. Bestowingly, as a mad scientist, I laughed.. [i]..and held the trigger.[/i] The fuelpumps bet wind, and ignition stroke true. The five-pack of thrusters engaged with thunderous backfires, as I soared under Hawthorne, juling banners of the most reknown clans up-top her post, while Ikora rounded her way from the ramen shop, already ahead of all of us. Wesley came right to me like a football. He was adeptly caught with a good left. I re-adjusted him between my fore and thumb. [i]'Merciless'[/i] had gone rogue, oscillating a noise quite organly of a retort, as the gas from the motor was carrying its wake. I zipped behind Shaxx hailing red coats.. I could see the entire courtyard.. ..and Zavala, uploading a 10 parsec stare through the traveler. Depressing two more breakers with my pinky and ring, and a lone switch with my middle for both gravitors, they reported to life, courtesy of [i]'Merciless'[/i]. My right glove was on fire.. ..melted to the pistol grip. I pulled the G-brake, engaging the generator. [i]"Yeah, I've got time."[/i] π π π π π π π π π Next post in the series: [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/257260309/0/0][/url]