(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/0a/Rudy_reyes.jpeg)<br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">Santiago, first mate of <em>Man's Ruin</em></span></span><br/>2519, present day<br/>Approaching Eavesdown Docks, Persephone<br/><br/>Beep-beep beep-beep beep-beep beep-beep...<br/><br/>Emergency klaxons sounded while red lights flashed.<br/><br/><em>"It sounds like she's gonna crash!"</em><br/><br/>It was Thalia.  I responded.<br/><br/><strong>"Excellent diagnosis, doc.  Don't suppose you got prescription to remedy this particular situation."</strong><br/><br/>The radio.<br/><br/><em>"Man's Ruin.  You have clearance to land.  Bay 51.  Do you need emergency assistance?  I repeat - do you need assistance?"</em><br/><br/>I was just about to respond.  Thalia again.<br/><br/><em>"I'm pretty sure that red button over there shuts off the alarm."</em><br/><br/><strong>"Red button.  Right."</strong><br/><br/>It took some effort with all of us leaning one way and the aforementionedbutton being the other way, but eventually I was able to press the flat red circle and make current events at least<em>seem</em>a bit less dire.<br/><br/>I cleared my throat, my voice calm despite our chances, as I spoke into the microphone on the headset.<br/><br/><strong>"Mayday, mayday.  This is <em>Man's Ruin</em>.  <em>Man's Ruin </em>is going down.  <em>Man's Ruin </em>is coming in hard.  <em>Man's Ruin </em>is going down.  <em>Man's Ruin</em>... aw, the hell with it."</strong><br/><br/>The ship jumped and Thalia got a bit closer to me in the co-pilot's seat of the cockpit.<br/><br/><strong>"I'd rather regret doing this than never doing it at all."</strong><br/><br/>I planted a kiss right on Thalia's lips, then sat her in my lap and wrapped my big arms around her to hold her tight against me.  She wasn't strapped in like me and Samson was.  Maybe I'd be able to hang on enough to keep her from bouncing around the cockpit.  Her ass sure did feel nice on me.  And she smelled real good too.<br/><br/>There could be worse ways to go.<br/><br/>