Earth. A small blue marble drifting through the interstellar dust. A small planet with huge impacts upon the galaxy. The planet that created the one thing that hit me the hardest. My mandibles waved, captured by the sparkling ball as it drifted closer. Our previous visit here hadn't been under nice circumstances to begin with and it didn't end too well either. Well, not true, it depended on what perspective you looked at. A dozen Alliance frigates soared past, scouring the system like wasps gone mad. Nyryntha took the planet by surprise, took everyone by surprise. The Reaper had long fled the system by the time we arrived. Was Gideon still there, fleeing from Saboteurs and husks alike or had he fled and Nyryntha pursued him? If that was the case, we would never catch up to him in time. With only a small shuttle... No, no, be positive. He must be ok, he must! But then why did Nyryntha flee, why leave him? Please be the fleet, please be the fleet that drove her off and not the alternative... Spirits keep him safe; if only so I could look Dell in the eyes when we met on the other side should the worst happen.
The security measures in place tripled overnight. We waited in orbit, watching the Alliance fleet sway in the stars as their patrol scanned every ship that dared enter the system. No one took chances. We had been in a waiting orbit for hours now, waiting for clearance to land. Even Spectre status kept us here, although had pushed us towards the front of the line. Raisha rumbled behind me, muttering about 'wasting time'. My mandibles cracked against my cheeks, teeth grinding at the words. If Gideon was alright, then it didn't matter. If he was in Nyryntha's hands... Spirits, if he was in Nyryntha's hands... we'd have to abandon him, presumed indoctrinated. My shoulders shuddered at the words. Be positive, be positive... The ship shuddered, the engines powering up. Raisha lifted her eyes to the screens, the bow dipping towards the planet. Orbit Entry permission granted. My breath rushed out, talons tapping my hip plate as the atmosphere ionised. We had to reach Vancouver, where Nyryntha landed. Spirits knew how long it would take to get docking permission. Drutus and Rosmeni pushed every button they could, tugged every string. They would get us down as soon as they could. We just had to find where Gideon went.
The Intel team gathered what information they could, hacking systems and using intel from other species about the whole incident. The Alliance fought to downplay the situation, but with a Reaper attacking homeworlds, they struggled to keep a lid on information. From what the intel team pulled together, Gideon was last seen in the Alliance HQ. That was our first stop, assuming they could spare someone to talk to us. No, focus, focus! We would find answers; we would deal with this shit! The blue skies of Earth surrounded us, the ship coasting towards Canada, towards Vancouver. My anxiety only grew as we drew near. My blood pressure rose when they put us into another holding pattern. Deep breaths, deep breaths and we could be on our way. 2 hours later, they cleared us to land in Vancouver, although Alliance personnel waited for us dockside, something about a pickup. With my plates rigid on my face, my back pressed into the wall opposite the airlock, waiting with impatience as everyone prepared for landing. Once docked, Raisha thumped up the hall towards me, a scowl pinned to her face with the Spectres on either side of her. She folded her arms as we entered the airlock.
"This is a complete waste of time, Autillin," Raisha rumbled. My mandibles snapped against my cheeks.
"So you don't care about a boy you once used against Dell in multiple cases to stop her doing something?" I asked. Raisha's pupils shrank.
"He has Mat'al and Marruns by his side," she snapped.
"Ah yes, you'll forgive me if one ageing STG agent and an impatient turian Spectre aren't enough to take down a 2km tall Reaper," I said through gritted teeth. Raisha rumbled in her throat as the door opened, exposing us to the damaged dock. The Reaper's forces had also hit here, it seems. Blood stains from Hunters and husks stained the sleek metal walls and sturdy floors. Bullet holes decorated every surface, claw marks from the Hunter's scythes cutting through everything in their way. As we stepped outside, Alliance personnel lined the ramp leading dockside, saluting as an Admiral marched towards us. The dark toned man saluted. Out of curtsey, we did the same.
"Admiral Anderson, I presume you are the owner of the vessel?" he asked, glancing between us.
"I am," Raisha said. A crack from my mandibles narrowed her eyes.
"She's not but she is Captain. The owner is Gideon Shaik if we're going by inheritance. By that standing, it's Julian's until Gideon is old enough to own a frigate," I said. Raisha growled in her throat. Drutus and Rosmeni smiled behind us.
"Gideon Shaik?" Anderson asked. My eyes locked to the human. My head nodded once. "Ah, so this is his mothership then... I presume you are here for him,"
"We are... is... is he alright?" I asked, heart threatening to break ribs.
"He's on-board the Normandy last I heard. Commander Shepard took him, a salarian and a turian with him after the Reaper attacked us, something about keeping them safe. Shepard is hunting for a way to stop this Reaper,"
"He's... With Shepard... he's safe?" I asked.
"Shepard said all was well when we last spoke 2 days ago," Anderson said. My eyes drifted closed, a heavy weight dropping from my shoulders. He's safe... he's safe. Nyryntha didn't get him! "I believe we are also holding one of your shuttles here too," he added, glancing down the starboard flank of the ship. "The colour scheme matches, at least. Commander Delern asked us to return it to you if you came around,"
"Thank you, Admiral. We appreciate you holding onto it for us," Raisha said. Her eyes drifted towards me. "As I said, XO, he is fine," My eyes narrowed, my relief vanishing as frustration rose.
"Only because of Shepard," Anderson said, noting the tension. He didn't flinch as my head snapped towards him. "Shepard warned us to keep an eye on a few people, one of which is Megan Prosser, a N7-"
"We know of her," Drutus said. Anderson blinked.
"Yes... I'm not sure what the boy was thinking, but he jumped before the Reaper before he had to flee. He jumped out a window onto a shuttle to escape the husks. Megan was inside," Anderson said. My heart thundered again. "And a second Saboteur, according to Shepard. Gideon climbed onto the roof, but Megan followed. Shepard intervened but the shuttle crashed into a building and the Spectre pulled him out. The salarian fought against the second Saboteur. Commander Delern asked to give you his remains to deal with due to the Reaper tech inside him," Spirits... so close. They got so close! They nearly had him! Raisha rumbled.
"Thank you for the information, Admiral. We will pick up the Saboteur corpse and deal with it. At least we know Megan is still on the prowl and another Saboteur is dead," she said. "Is she still in Vancouver?" My mandibles smashed against my face. She... Gideon was fine and all she cared about was... was hunting more Saboteurs?!
"No comment. We haven't been able to find her," Anderson said, noticing my rising temper. Or maybe he was just as taken aback as I.
"I see. Well we will collect our shuttle, the Saboteur and be on our way. We can run our operations as per normal with a full complement of shuttles again," Raisha said. She turned back towards the airlock. "Autllin, make the arrangements. We need to be off. We have wasted too much time here," She didn't wait for confirmation. She marched back inside the ship. Drutus tutted once the krogan vanished from earshot, my teeth ground as agitation built.
"I suppose it would be too much to ask for help then," Anderson said. My gaze returned to the man. "And you seem more reasonable,"
"She's suffering from OTT tunnel vision. Nothing else matters to her," I growled. "What kind of help?"
"The whole situation with the Reaper and these husks have made the city insecure. Even now as are still finding new hordes of husks. The Reaper dropped a large number of them, we've quardened off entire sections of the city. Shepard told me your crew has experience dealing with Reaper forces, we could use your help with dealing with some strange behaviours we've noticed with the husks. Parts of the city are still no go zones even for the military" he said.
"For better or worse," I grumbled. My shoulders squared, lifting my frame. "Admiral, as much as I would like to help, we are a specialised Reaper team. Unless you've seen Megan Prosser in the area, then there is little we can do. Besides, I doubt any further delays will please my captain and her outrageous schedule,"
"XO, we have salarian husks tearing through our defences. You say you are a specialised Reaper team, do husks not count for anything? They seem too organised to be remnants of a Reaper attack," Anderson said. My mandibles clicked, breathing through my nose.
"We hunt Saboteurs, Admiral, not husks. Hell, we don't even hunt Reapers. I appreciate that your problem is big, but we aren't mercenaries... although you say they look organised. What do you mean?" I asked. Anderson rolled his shoulders back, straightening his back. He saw an opportunity.
"I've seen husks before, XO. The behave ike wild beasts, charge at anything that moves. But these husks are concentrating their attacks on specific sectors, specific buildings. Someone or something is directing them. Shepard said little about these 'Saboteurs', but if these husks are being ordered and striking specific pockets of the city, then you may find what you are hunting for," Anderson said. My mandibles waved, glancing towards the cityscape. Dust and smoke rose from where the Alliance HQ stood and in the general vicinity. It could be Megan, she may still be in the area. Or it could be something else...
"Fine, but only because this 'organising of husks' could be a Saboteur or a remote Reaper command device Nyryntha left behind. We can't risk millions of people becoming indoctrinated either way. I'll speak with the Captain," I said, shaking my head.
"Thank you, I understand this mission has it risks, but we must sort this out, if the Reaper is leaving control points without our knowledge, then when the Reaper war begins, they'll take us by surprise," he said.
"And what better target than a massive city with the heart of the human military stationed there... We'll investigate," I said. Before the admiral could side-track me, my gaze swung to the airlock, marching inside. Now to feel the sting of Raisha and her scathing words... Inside the bridge, Raisha sat, waiting for take-off clearance with a finger tapping the back of her intertwined hands. My mandibles pinned to my cheeks, stopping beside her while dread filled me. Her eyes swivelled up, narrowing.
"We've caught wind that something is controlling husks in the area, directing husks to attack specific targets," I said. Raisha blinked.
"Have they? Or is this some story the admiral cooked up to encourage you to stay?" she rumbled. My eyes narrowed.
"A simple mission, we have a few places to investigate. If it is a Saboteur, good. If it's a Reaper control device, good, if it's nothing, then at least we know a populated city will not fall prey to indoctrination before the Reapers arrive," I said. Raisha growled.
"We move, Autillin. We have stronger hits elsewhere in the galaxy than some concoction of a tale to make you waste your time," Raisha said.
"And you don't want to take this time to get ship repairs and maintenance done?" I asked. Raisha narrowed her eyes, the barest hint of teeth emerging. "No one has mainainence to her in 2 weeks. We need to test and repair systems. I have been reading Shayan's reports too,"
"The ship will be fine-" Raisha said with a wave of her hand. My mandibles cracked.
"We are not risking the ship for your impatience, Raisha!" I snapped. Raisha's glare swung around, pupils thin slits as she snarled at my defiance. "She needs work, Raisha! You are running everyone into the ground; people, ships, equipment, resources. We need to stock up on food and medical supplies, we need to fill up on fuel and water, we need new materials to repair our weapons and armour, we need to make sure the ship runs without breaking apart on us! What does running the ship and us to our deaths get you? Short term gain? What about the long term, what about 3 months down the line when everything breaks! Don't you remember what happened when we ran from the Council? Do you think the Saboteurs won't attack us when we are at our most venerable? We can't go to the Constellation because if we do, Julian will want to see Dell, whom is a) dead and b) not here! We need to look after ourselves, Raisha!" I thundered. Raisha stared, eyes hardened as fire burned through the sky blue hue. her lip trembled, teeth grit as fury shook her clenched fists.
"Fine," she said. My eyes narrowed. "Shayan, collect the engineers. Repair the ship. We leave as soon as we are able," she rumbled. My shoulders rolled back, cautious.
"Good. Indira, make sure the requisition orders are in and collected," I said, eyeing the drell as she gawked from outside the Control ring. Shayan trembled beside her.
"Aye aye," the pair said. It took a heartbeat for either to move though.
"Phentos, grab people who want to stretch their legs and fight a few husks. Have equipment on standby in case a Saboteur appears," I ordered.
"Aye, aye, sir," Phentos said, eyes swinging over Raisha as he marched down the hall towards the Combat department. My shoulders squared, giving Raisha one last, hard look before walking to the elevator, to the armoury.
At least the Starquake would get the TLC she needed. We didn't need to risk our safety because of one person's impatient drive to move onwards. Oh sure, we've killed two Saboteurs since Dell passed, but Zeedra and the current state of health of the equipment and crew paid the toll. In the armoury, my battered armour pulled free from the locker, dented, scratched and burned. If Dell was still here, This shit would be fixed days ago if Dell was here. Instead, the engineering crew kept their focus on the ship, on keeping our beast oiled. Without her, the Saboteurs would win. My mandibles clicked. Dammit, what to do? Raisha showed no signs of letting up, of retuning her focus to the real danger at hand; herself. Mutiny crept like a shadow, low murmurs in under the breaths of the crew. Without Dell, without her here to mediate everyone and everything, things risked falling apart. What to do, how to stop it, how to keep the crew together?! My teeth grit. Bodies marching inside the ship caught my attention, snapping me from my mind.
To my surprise, Algenis pulled his armour free, the quiet drell had all but vanished after Dell's death. Julian assigned him as Dell's bodyguard, but illness had kept him from the STG base. Maybe he could have stopped it... no, no don't think about that. My head shook hard, the thick droplets of regret flicking free. He must've been in the same situation, gone through the same thought process. The krogan trudged in, always ready for a fight. Cathleen too, although Alder remained in med bay after the last little mission. Mindless husks tore a few ligaments in his right leg. Iona and Searte joined us, as did Rosmeni. Phentos strode in last, mandibles waving. No sign of Laegan. Was he hurt, sick? He was a damn good soldier, but no one was invincible. Maybe he wanted to take the time to rest up for the next insane Saboteur mission. Armour on, weapons locked and loaded, shields active and the team assembled, we exited via the cargo hold, unwilling to pass Raisha's scathing gaze again. The admiral, as expected, waited for us to leave the ship. we climbed the ramp to meet him on the passenger dock. He nodded his head towards a series of military shuttles waiting nearby. My eyes drifted over Lanster as he emerged from the dock, preparing to collect our wayward shuttle. His pinned mandibles kept me from raising a hand in greeting. Movement near the shuttles pulled my attention back, mind set into motion. My feet echoed in inside the shuttle, Anderson joining me in the lead shuttle. My fingers gripped the holds above me, swaying my weight with the shuttle as it carted us over the bay towards the carnage.
"Admiral," I said, eyes on a small camera feed beside me. "Just... Just to put my mind at ease..."
"The boy was fine," Anderson said, tone softening. "He looked tired, maybe in distress, but was fine otherwise. He injured himself after the Reaper attack but nothing serious. Although, he didn't look like he held much hope," My mandibles waved, a trickle tension curling my shoulders.
"Tell Shepard next time you get in contact with him," I said, eyes narrowing as the smoke thickened in the horizon. "That if anything happens to Gideon, and I ever get my hands on him, he will wish he died on that Collector base mission,"
"I'll... make sure he gets it," Anderson said. He cleared his throat, moving away from my growled threat. "I appreciate you helping us, XO, I know we are asking for much from you,"
"Autillin," I said with a shake of my head. "XO Autillin. And don't mention it, we needed to stop for ship repairs anyway,"
"I'll tell the dockworkers to give you anything you need. No charge," he said. My gaze swung around, mandibles flared. "I did looked into this 'Endellion Shaik who served with the Alliance'. I spoke with her a few times, can't say I knew her, but Shepard spoke highly of her. Consider it a thank you for not only agreeing to help us, but also for Gideon getting Shepard out of custody. We need Shepard out there, her boy gave us more than enough pull to do that,"
"Our boy," I sighed, a cold weight forming in my stomach. "Dell trusted me to look after him should anything happen. Judging by his reaction, Gideon doesn't care about guardianship..."
"He's grieving, or trying to outrun it at least. Give him time," Anderson said. My eyes drifted to the camera feed, to the thick smoke coating the air as we soared towards the drop-off point.
"Where are we heading?" I asked.
"Coal Harbour, the Reaper touched down right in downtown Vancouver. The husks have been gathering around a hotel, but we can't find the source that is directing them," Anderson said.
"Just give us nav points and we'll take it from there. We'll report back on what we find," I asked as the shuttles lowered.
"Roger that," Anderson said. The doors popped open.
"Move out, people!" I ordered, jumping on the rubble invested ground.
Nyryntha had left her mark. The Reaper's feet left craters in the tarmac, carving up the roads and walkways. Water and flames poured from burst pipes that flowed through the ground. Teams worked to seal what burning gas pipes they could. A scattering of Alliance soldiers jogged through the area, either on the prowl for prey or on securing the site. My omni-tool lit up, highlighting a path through the churned city towards the location. In the distance, the circular hotel trembled, glass shattered and bare metal exposed to the elements. The team pressed through the carnage, towards the building. The Alliance watched us, but they didn't disturb us. A radio hail from their superiors left us alone. We approached a barrier overlooking the street towards our destination, snipers on lookout behind the front-line soldiers preparing for any assault. Despite the activity, my attention remained forward, trusting the team to watch the flanks. They knew the routine. The barrier closed behind us, the Alliance watching us walk down the deserted stretch of city. The silence stretched, pushing my nerves to the limit. Spirits knew how many husks crawled around us and we just didn't know. My mandibles pinned, SMG primed in my hand. Without a clue as to the numbers, we walked blind. Scratching in the nearby buildings sent my skin crawling, waiting for the Hunters to surface. Every step closer to the building we took, the sounds only worsened. We entered a nest yet saw no beasts. They waited, silent hunters, waiting for the opportunity to strike. We huddled close, all sides watched, all heights. We took no chances with the threat of being jumped on around every corner. A few blocks away from the hotel, movement caught my eye, a brief flicker of a sickle disappearing deeper into the ruins of building. My teeth grit, Tempest raising in my hands. Guns clicked to eye level, all armed to shoot. A long gouge ripped a street in half, the remains of a powerful laser from Nyryntha. The experimental jump boosters launched us over the crevasse before us.
We pushed inside the lobby, concern rising by the lack of husks, despite seeing and hearing them everywhere around us. Despite this, we pressed deeper, taking the carpeted stairs to the upper floors. Aside from damage from the husks and collateral from Nyryntha, nothing seemed unusual. The faux wooden walls shuddered on their fixings, the crackling sounds of Hunters sending chills over my skin. We climbed the entire building but sound nothing that could explain the behaviour the Admiral spoke of. No signs of Saboteurs, no Reaper tech. But why weren't the Hunters crawling all over us just now? What of the husks? No, something was wrong here. Very wrong.
Phentos and a group descended into the basement, seeking anything unusual there. The rest of us scoured each of the rooms for anything. Something! Top floor penthouses, nothing. 30 floors worth of rooms with nothing. Not even a sign of the Hunters or husks despite the rumblings around us. It only made my skin itch. About halfway down the building in a mid-building restaurant, our first signs of trouble. A peek through the shattered glass pane in the stairway door, into the carnage beyond, released a groan. Filled to the brim with hunters and husks. Inside, a strange statue of abstract shape stood in the middle. A swirl of metal like a lazy tornado made from kelp. The statue formed the hotel's logo, judging by what remained above the door. The husks swarmed about the blue/grey statue. My heart thumped. Was… was that a…
"Target located… maybe," I said. Iona frowned over my shoulder.
"It looks Reaper-ish," she mumbled. "The room is packed with husks though…"
"I say we toss as many grenades in there as possible. Keep the doorway between us and them," I said.
"Roger that," she said, unhooking her grenades.
A barrage of grenades, biotics and tech abilities blinded me as my ears bled from the screeching. The fire burned like fluorine, claws and scythes bursting from the flames towards us. The raging shotguns hurt my already aching ears. After the initial wave died, the second wave from the other floors pressed in. Glass shattered from the room beyond, husks clambered up and down the stairs towards us. The team pressed back to back, keeping the majority of the husks at bay while the biotics held a barrier around us. It saved a few nasty injures at least. The shield fluttered, but those with the shotguns and assault rifles stepped up their game to give the biotics a breather. As the second wave eased, the third wave would take a few minutes to come. With the immediate danger passed, my attention could return to the room. Aside from the burning masses of husks, the swirling metal structure allured me, a glittering statue normal people wouldn't think twice about. Getting closer to the statue soured regret in my bones for leaving Indira on the ship. The thing looked damn heavy. It took all the krogan to heave the statue a few m to see a network of cables growing out from the device. Algenis frowned by my side.
"It is a Reaper Outpost Artefact," he said. My mandibles clicked. "I have seen several with Admiral Shaik. We aren't sure of their purpose, but Saboteurs plant them in locations across the galaxy. We don't know how many they have on each planet let alone in total. They attract husks to them, and indoctrinated servants,"
"Wonderful. Do you know how to destroy them?" I asked. Algenis straightened.
"A sun does the job. But a large enough explosion will destroy it enough to top any functional use of the machine," he said.
"Good. Alright people, we're blowing this thing sky-high. Let's put on a show!" I ordered. A chime of 'yes sir' echoed around the halls, the faint screeches of husks hanging in the air.
With Algenis guiding us on the terror that was the self-defence mechanisms – ie, intense indoctrination devices, small drones and even a bomb – the team inched the massive structure closer to the window where we could take it out onto the ruined street for detonation. Each tugged wire needed a careful hand to sever, each shove towards the edge caused a howl from the rushing husks. Once the final cable tumbled free, the husks arrived. The krogan focused on shoving the device to the edge; detonating the damn thing here could collapse everything around us with us in it if the husks stopped or slowed our escape. Everyone else focused on the assault of Hunters and husks. Smoke from erupting grenades blinded me, forcing a spray and pray manner of fighting. A scythe pierced the cloud. Only watchful Algenis spotted it before it slammed into my shoulder. The krogan grunted, husks swarming through the window. How many damn husks did Nyryntha drop?! The floor creaked. In a heartbeat the crew scrambled away as the floor creaked. A hike of husks cried as the device crashed, crushing many as it tumbled through floor after floor. My mandibles clicked, turning to those around us.
"Fuck the building and blow it?" I asked.
"Fuck the building and blow it," the squad echoed.
"Anyone have explosives, throw them down. May need to cut through a few layers of husks," I said.
"And our escape?" Phentos asked.
"We have the jump jets, I'm sure they can break the fall. Spectres use them all the time… and Cerberus," I grumbled. A mutter rumbled through the team. "Let's blow this thing and get home,"
"That's what she said," Iona said.
"Not now!" I barked. Iona laughed as she brought out a bar of high explosives.
Sticks of explosives tumbled down the husk abyss. The building rumbled as husks threw themselves between the hole the relic now sat in within the basement and the explosives. The building trembled, but the husks couldn't block the damage forever. After three failed attempts, 3 sticks made it to the bottom. The resulting eruption blinded us as a white light poured from the hole. We dived towards the windows seeking an escape from a potential firebomb. What glass hadn't shattered did now as the team launched from the windows, dropping through the urban canyon towards the ground. 20 floors off the ground, the jets on our suits hissed behind us, slowing our descent into the crater filled road. Without the Reaper device, the husks howled, maddened by the loss of connection from their masters. We didn't want to fight any more husks, not with Raisha's current track record. Fearing for our lives, we retreated towards the Alliance front lines. The soldiers are about to get a lovely gift. The screeches didn't cause falter as we neared the line. As we turned a corner towards the barricade, the Alliance soldiers snapped straight, noticing movement. The relaxed. For about 4 seconds. A wave of husks tore after us. The Alliance soldiers drained of blood as their commander barked out orders. We ducked down a side street as the tanks rolled in. Back on another main road, we fought through the masses of Alliance equipment to get around the barrier. With a glance behind us, we jogged away, away from the tank fire and husk growls. At the extraction point, Admiral Anderson remained attentive, noticing the change of the husks behaviour already from the radio chatter. He noticed our approach. His eyes scanned behind us, towards the increased fighting and gunfire.
"I presume you found something," he said.
"A Reaper Outpost Artefact. We aren't sure of their uses, but they cause indoctrination at least. We destroyed it. May have destroyed a building in the process, we didn't hang around to see if it collapsed or not. That and the husks screaming has deafened us a little. Spirits, we need to wear ear protection from here on out," I grumbled.
"A Reaper… Dammit, they have out stations on our planets? Right in plain view? He asked. My nod tightened his hackles. "We need to be vigilent. If you have resources that can help us identify them, we would be grateful,"
"We'll pull together what we can and send it your way. It's… the least we can do for making sure Gideon was alright," I said.
"I wish I had more information for you, XO. If I learn anything, I'll pass it direct to you. Otherwise, your best bet would be to speak with Shepard himself." Anderson said.
"I appreciate it, thank you," I said. "Excuse us, I don't think my captain will wait much longer. With luck our ship has had some needed maintenance," My eyes followed the team as Phentos guided them to the waiting shuttles. "Good luck with the clean-up,"
"Thanks, we'll need it," Anderson said, eyes returning to the burning city as smoke drifted higher into the sky, the gunfire refusing to quieten. But away from the gunfire, our minds returned to the ongoing problem. How much longer would we last under this strain?
The Timeline and Galaxy Map have been updated for this chapter. Please see profile for link to Archive.
A/N: Sorry for taking so long. With the end of this chapter suddenly deleting itself, my life has also been in utter turmoil. I've completely run out of motivation for this chapter (as you can probably tell) and decided to wind it down quick so I can move on. I should be able to improve on it later when my life isn't going to shit.