daisy023 | REPORT 023 :: DESERT // VOICE | WRITTEN

This is Daisy SPARTAN-023. All units picked for the Desert Op, sound off with your roles. ... I was picked as Field Guide.

[A leadership position. It's been so long.]

Those of you that have knowledge on desertic environments or general survival methodology, now's a good time to share it. Some of you must have more knowledge on this sort of environment than the average fighter, so while this guide may be moot in some way, use this as a way to reinforce old knowledge, and have an idea on what to do when we're out there.

Desert theaters... Are something I'm familiar with. [She has seen too many worlds burned to dust, ash, and glass.] It's a difficult environment, but not impossible.

- As always, equipment from last drafts counts: Compass, flashlight, first-aid kit, water purification kit, canteem, radios, sunscreen, hats, goggles, and a watch. More importantly now, keep the water purifier and the canteem with yourselves. The elements of the desert will make the body require more water than usual. Even the supplies we'll get will need to be taken care of.

- Pace yourselves out there. Strenous work will heat our bodies faster, so carry what's needed. Survival gear counts a lot more now, and with the recurrent shifts and sands of the desert, carry what you know will be reliable out there when both happen.

- Keep your bodies covered but loosely, carry enough clothing to stay warm during the nights, and wash your faces as often as possible, and breathe through a wet face cloth to protect your nose and mouth. You should use scarves and Bandannas to cover your heads and faces.

- All electronic equipment we carry should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Keep not only an electronic map of the area, but a drawn one on paper too, if you have the time. While we'll be given an one to keep track of the area, a physical one could still come in handy. Machines break; eyes don't.

- Drink even if you're not thirsty. Thirst is not an adequate warning of dehydration. And when possible, drink cool water. Normal measures are one quarter in the morning at each meal, and before hard work. Salt loss will be replaced through meals. TIP: Wrap a wet sock around your canteems to cool them.

- Keep watch on for both flora and fauna. The desert is a harsh environment, so a lot of creatures will be drawn to us as a source of moisture, shadow, and food. Watch your clothes and boots and make sure there's nothing in there before you wear them.

... I'm almost afraid to ask this, but I need to know if Shift Hunters have proven to be edible. ADDENDUM: They are not. The flesh of Shift Hunters is harmful to the human body. Should be avoided and disposed of whenever possible.

- Both jeeps are to stay close together. Even if we get working radios, we should be at a distance to assess the situation, and slow down if either group begins to have problems. Be advised: Jeeps will raise their own dust, so stay in line within sight.

- This is for marksmen: If you see something beyond one and a half klicks, assume it's going to be a little lower than what it appears. The hotter air is going to cause a refraction with the distance, making things look higher than they are in daylight, and lower in nightime.

- With the limited resources that will be in the desert, anything that can be safely consumed will have to do. Whatever biases you have against this, you'll have to overcome them.

[Om nom nom scorpions.]

- Use water filial magic whenever possible to extract water from wherever possible: Vegetation, groundwater, moisture. Use it along with the methods listed on the field manual attached with this transmission on getting water. This ability is going to be useful now, more than ever.

- Climatize yourselves while you still can. Five days will be too few days for everyone to adapt to the desert, especially so having spent the last months in winter. If you want to prepare, exercise and gradually increase the heat you're used to to ease your transition from the snow to the desert. If you volunteered for the mission... Let's hope we readied ourselves.

- The moment any of us gets the first symptom of heat illness, stop working, get into shade, and rehydrate. This is not about resisting the elements – It's something called “the weakest link rule”. The moment one person suffers heat exhaustion or a heatstroke, not only has he turned into a casualty and will need immediate medical attention, but the rest could follow, moreso with the shifts out there. This is why you must constantly hydrate yourselves throughout the day and keep the team informed of your status.

In this transmission is another field manual of the library that deals with desert environments. This one's even more outdated than the one given to UNSC Personnel, but it works for what we have.

Good luck, you guys. I'll be up for the days responding to this and preparing. We'll keep in touch. SPARTAN-023, out.

---

[ACTION]

[And as noted in her post, she'll be around the village gathering the gear that won't be supplied to her. Perhaps you have something she may need, or simply may want a few words with her prior to the mission.

She's currently wearing clothes for the desert in case her request for a Helljumper suit is rejected, and chances are you'll find her in a bench, with those clothes, struggling to tie down her long hair. This giant girl needs someone to help her turn it into a braid.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'll be at the Item Shop to check on some gear. See you there, Miss Solana.

Let me wrap up a few things and I'll meet you there. And please, just Ginia.

--Yes, Ginia. I'll be waiting.

[Living just north of the village is convenient when it comes to heading in for any shopping. It doesn't take her too long to arrive at the item shop. If Daisy isn't there yet, she'll do a bit of browsing to see what's in and useful. If Daisy is? Well, it's not hard missing her given how tall she is.]

[In spite of the gear the Spartan has to gather herself, and living on the south of the village, she arrives at a decent time.

By the time she does, the very tall girl with a very long braid comes over. From up there, she tries to look for someone else that might be looking for the same survival gear.]

[The journal really does little as far as providing any sort of scale. Ginia is surprised at how tall Daisy is, but recovers quickly as she ventures over, matching the face in the journal to the person in the store.]

Daisy?

[The tall woman hears the word almost immediately. As she approaches the woman with her own gathered equipment, she doesn't seem to be bothered by the surprise.

Daisy lowers her coloured scarf from her mouth.]

Ginia.

A pleasure to meet you, ma'am. [Ginia smiles and offers a curt nod of her head.] I look forward to working with you out there.

Likewise.

[She grabs a few extra tidbits. In her hands is a manual as well.]

How much have you gathered about it for the moment, ma'am?

[The book she has has a few, but some signs are outdated. Better know what to communicate with the rest.]

[In response, Ginia begins running through hand signs:

A circular motion of her arm: Start engine.

An extended arm toward Daisy, then raising it slightly, palm out: Ready to move.

An arm raised with the palm front: Halt.

An arm parallel to the ground, cutting across her body in a throat-cutting motion: Stop engines.

Both arms cross over her head at the wrist, palms forward: As you were.]

[Daisy nods in approval with each of them. The only one that raises any confusion is the "As you were" signal, having been updated with a more practical single-armed variant where she's from, but she'll have to stick with the older one for common knowledge.]

Good. Just as a warning, we'll probably have to halt the jeeps as well to engage targets when necessary. Whenever if we find a settlement, or we find hostiles up ahead, it'll be just as necessary in case when need to do a more silent Op.

Of course. I won't know until I've had a chance to drive the vehicles they'll be providing, but hopefully they aren't too noisy.

Not just about the noise they'll make, but the chance they might hear what we speak. Just as a safety measure.

[She makes a few sketches over a recently obtained journal the handsigns used by the UNSC -- motions to drop from the vehicle, to get aboard, to freeze, to advance with cover. It's either paranoia or just experience fit for her world, but it's still caution.]

Of course.

[Ginia leans over to look at the sketches, nodding.]

May I ask what military branch or organization you served in?

United Nations Space Command. Naval Special Warfare. SPARTAN-II Program. Utmost elite of humanity where I'm from.

[While she contains it, it's a small source of pride. It's in cases like this when she shines. When she fights.]

[Ginia nods slowly.]

May I ask if you're from Earth? Or is Earth a part of the... area you are from?

I'm from the Inner Colonies. Earth is the capital of the human government, encompassing hundreds of worlds -- Including the Outer Colonies.

[The best it can. Otherwise, the Insurrection wouldn't have gained as much power.]

Wow. Space travel technology is big in your time?

Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engines are mandatory for ships. Not that it is a perfected science... They're unpredictable sometimes.

[Damned things.]

...Sorry, I'm afraid you lost me. Space travel isn't something common in my time. We're just beginning to explore with satellites and probes.

[Early twentieth-first century Earth.]

My apologies, Ginia. It's an engine for Faster-Than-Light technology. We go through an alternate dimension for months of travel before returning to the original one.

REPORT 023 :: DESERT // VOICE | WRITTEN | ACTION

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