There was this car. A real classic of its type, a true masterpiece.
But this vehicle had seen a lot in its “life”. Driven all over the country and held by several owners, it had racked up some mileage, experienced some wear and tear.
In other words, it had fallen on hard times. Depreciation and degradation had begun to set in.
So its current owner took it to a mechanic. The expert scrutinised the car, considered the damage and concluded it should be scrapped. It should be destroyed.
The owner wanted a second opinion. The next mechanic disagreed with the first.
The second mechanic accepted there was a lot wrong with the car, but he knew it could be repaired. It was simply a case of eliminating the bad parts, the bits that were causing faults in the car and replacing them with new, improved parts.
The owner went with the second mechanic and, after considerable work, the car was fully repaired and restored. It once again ran like a dream for the greater good of its owner.
OSW is like an old car that has been chugging along for many years. It is a true showpiece; a one of a kind even!
But it has seen better days. This “old car” has had a few owners and been taken from coast to coast. Some owners have treated it well, others have been negligent. So OSW has a little rust on its body and some of the parts have become so corrupted they are now damaging “the engine”.
Now it’s being examined by two “mechanics” with divergent opinions on what should be done with OSW.
Chronoa, you are the first mechanic, whose only solution to OSW’s degradation is to kill it; send it to the cosmic scrapheap.
While, I am the second mechanic, who believes, for all its faults, OSW can be repaired.
If Fate is the ultimate owner of OSW, it must decide on what service should be rendered.
The Black Hand sees a lot of miles left in the tank and believes this old banger can be restored to its former splendour.
We agree, Chronoa, that the problems are severe and critical. There are parts in the machine that are doing real damage. Parts like Sigil, who works only for his own ends, not for the good of the whole, is actively causing the engine to fault.
But like the faithful mechanic, I will not give up on OSW. Every single part in this machine – from the largest to the smallest – will fall under my scrutiny. All those stopping this great vehicle from performing to its highest capacity will be extracted, destroyed and replaced by better parts.
You see, Chronoa, I believe anything can be restored, even old, beaten up bangers like OSW.
They just need the mechanic with the right outlook.
Rather than send this motor to the scrapyard, The Black Hand will have it repaired, restored and it’s engine purring better than ever.
For the greater good.