Subject: Starting with Beksis. I'm skipping a few questions, though...
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Posted on: 2023-04-29 16:18:56 UTC

Part I

What's your name?

Beksis.

Give me your full name...

That is my full name. I have not earned an epithet, and since I have not met another Eliksni since joining the PPC, I suppose I never will. Is that enough for you?

What species are you?

I am an Eliksni, though most would call me a Fallen.

Where/when were you born?

I was hatched in the Cosmodrome, the home of the House of Devils, about 80 years before its leaders were killed in what Lightbearers call the SIVA Crisis.

I see. And that would make your age...?

88 years.

Okay, now...are you a good guy, or a bad guy?

[This question would make Beksis end the interview, so I'm skipping it. Destiny, her home canon, would label her a "bad guy," but acknowledges that the question is... thorny, to say the least.]

Part II

How would you describe your personality?

I am practical. I work with others to accomplish things, but I do not hesitate to flee when a challenge is too great. To do otherwise would have been certain death.

Would you say you're someone who can handle pressure?

If I could not, I would be a Dreg or dead.

Do you like to read?

I did not get much time for it back home. I spent my time hiding in caves, raiding for supplies, and fixing broken equipment. I loved stories as a hatchling, and I still enjoy them today.

Do you get along with others?

I try to adapt to others, yes. However, I am used to everyone being an enemy unless we serve the same Captain. I am wary of others.

Do you have any enemies?

None of my enemies can reach me now. Back home, the threat of starvation made humanity my enemy. The Captains trying to earn glory by provoking the Guardians were not much better; the cycle of violence was a danger to us all.

How about friends?

I used to have friends. They cannot reach me here any more easily than my enemies can. Hopefully, I will make new friends here. A crew would be good to have again.

Are you patient?

Most Eliksni are starved and humiliated until they learn cunning and ferocity. I was no exception. If I did not know how to wait for an opening, I would have been killed before becoming a Vandal.

Part III

One of your enemies in question 13 just complimented you. Response?

I watch carefully to see if it is a trick.

One of your friends in Question 14 just insulted you. Response?

I try to find out if something else is on their mind.

If you could change anything about yourself...

I would give myself the confidence to increase my Ether intake and become a Captain. Even though I helped DoSAT build a Servitor, I do not feel like I have earned the privilege to have as much as I need.

About your home...

I would bring back Riis. The Great Machine abandoned us in favor of humanity, and our homeworld was destroyed. Perhaps we were unworthy of the Great Machine's gifts, but I do not see how humanity is any more deserving. If it had stayed, both our species could have lived together.

Part IV

What're your parents like?

I never knew them. They were killed by the Hive before I was even a Dreg. I was raised by the rest of the crew.

Do you have any siblings?

If I do, I do not know them as such. The Captain I had growing up saw family ties as a source of weakness: disciplining members of the crew makes their families angry, which leads to rebellion, which wastes precious time and resources.

What's your occupation?

Most people would call me a space pirate. I prefer "survivor." Now, I work in the Department of Bad Slash.

I see, that's a good job to have. Do you like it?

Ha, if you say so. I did enjoy it; I could see my contributions to the crew and the camaraderie was good. When Misraaks offered another way of life, I rejected him as another demagogue twisting our legends to build his own power. My Captain and crewmates disagreed, so I left. That was how I landed here. Now... I miss the community, but the alternative back home is constant danger from racists or warfare. This is better.

Are you seeing/dating anyone?

Not anymore.

Your worst fear? You don't have to answer this one if you don't want to.

My worst fear is that Bungie will decide Misraaks was correct. That I was wrong, and that the Eliksni should not expect more than a sleeping bag in a crumbling building after being beaten by mobs during the day. That a few mumbled apologies from a handful of Guardians should make up for their comrades wearing our bones as trophies. That is my greatest fear, and the last time I played the game, that was what I saw.

Favorite food?

My favorite food is tonkatsu ramen. Ether may sustain us, but we need meat, too.

Something embarrassing? You don't have to answer this one, either.

I have been docked three times. I will not tell you what that means. You can look it up.

Part V

Before I remove the fourth wall, tell me: would you be willing to accept the fact that you're actually a character?

Before joining the PPC, I would have been furious. What kind of storyteller would create a world like mine, just to then tell me that none of it was real? Now, though, I must accept that as truth.

This is your creator's world. What's the first thing you notice?

I see few weapons and fewer ruined buildings. The computers seem a bit archaic, though.

You just met your creator! First impression of him?

He is looking for a role to play in his world, and is denied the opportunity. Even the lowest members of a crew get the chance to prove themselves or die trying. He pities me for what he knows about my people; I pity him for having nothing better to do.

Part V

Are you satisfied with your life?

I am unsure how to answer the question. I am in less danger of dying here, but I lost my friends and community to get that safety. I want both.

What's your most valued possession?

My House Dusk banner, which is set up in my Response Center. My closest friend gave it to me when I left my crew. She had her doubts about Misraaks, but decided to follow our Captain. I could not accept helping the same Guardians that assassinated our leaders and drove us into the wilds, stealing away what little unity we had as a species. If we met again, we would probably be fighting on opposite sides.

She wished me luck as she pressed the cloth into my claws.

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