![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
REPORT 001 :: CONSCRIPTION // ACTION
[There is a girl in a delicate sundress advancing through the snow with her head down, stopping behind every tree big enough to cover her position, to look at the area around her. She shivers, and her hair had collected frost that had stuck on her blond hair, but her eyes continuously scan every tree in the environment with distrust and paranoia, ignoring the environment around her, as if she was being hunted.
Those that have spent time in the military would recognize her movements resembled that of a soldier. A weaponless soldier without protective armor or equipment, but a soldier nonetheless.
More specifically, a SPARTAN-II. And a Spartan was never weaponless.
Her breathing condenses with the frigid air around her, but she ignores it. This girl continues advancing through the forest, but she abruptly stops mid-way, looking at something in the snow, for a long moment uncaring of the alien woods that held her. She slowly bends down, and picks it up.
She mutters to herself.]
I've seen this before... I left this back there.
Those that have spent time in the military would recognize her movements resembled that of a soldier. A weaponless soldier without protective armor or equipment, but a soldier nonetheless.
More specifically, a SPARTAN-II. And a Spartan was never weaponless.
Her breathing condenses with the frigid air around her, but she ignores it. This girl continues advancing through the forest, but she abruptly stops mid-way, looking at something in the snow, for a long moment uncaring of the alien woods that held her. She slowly bends down, and picks it up.
She mutters to herself.]
I've seen this before... I left this back there.
no subject
One, there's the scent of something being grilled; steak, to be precise. Second of all, it's making a loud sizzling noise, and there's a smoke plume coming from a charcoal grill, so it's difficult to miss. And then there's a man standing at said grill near a house. He's of course really bundled up from the cold. She'll probably hear the man mumbling to himself while watching his food cook; and he doesn't seem aware of her presence yet.]
Colder than hell out here...
no subject
And she is tempted. All she had to eat, last she remembered, were MRE rations they could gather from fallen units. And it was well-agreed that MRE stood for Meals Rejected by Everyone.
So she puts her back on the wall of a nearby building, and carefully moves towards the cooking spot.]
no subject
Probably a small animal.]
Looks about done...
no subject
But, she reconsiders.
This man had a uniform, and she recognizes it from old videos Déjà used to show them about twentieth-century warfare. Someone from a military... and from Earth of her past?
Even if she could've killed him, she did not know how many of him were here. And the last thing she needed was to be identified as an enemy in a strange land with no backup.
That, and right now, he was the closest thing she had to her world.
She comes out, looking at him, searching for an insignia that could tell his rank.]
Tell me you're from Earth.
no subject
Rank insignia are present on his outfit would no doubt be recognizable. By some case of dumb luck, Erusea used a similar rank insignia that the USA did, revealing a gold leaf; signifying his rank as a Major. He has his flight wings too, strongly suggesting that this man is... or was, a pilot.]
Can't say I am. Strangereal is the name of the world I'm from. ...You're new to Luceti, aren't you?
no subject
Not an UNSC world.
[She finds it. But she is torn between the instinct of saluting and not doing so. Code forbids saluting in a war zone, and for all she cares about, this is one. That, and she doubts he would be from his military.]
That is correct.
[The "new to Luceti" hints that this has gone longer than she thinks.]
I suppose this place has gone a long time?
no subject
I've been here for... about thirteen months now. I'd heard of people stuck here for more than two years when I first arrived, so this place is at least that old.
no subject
Two years? Some have been in this... Colony, for that long? [Pause. She takes a breath.] Everything is happening too soon, Major.
no subject
I'm David Jordan, major in the Federal Erusian Air Force, commander of the 156th Fighter Wing, "Aquila." Callsign is "Yellow 13."
no subject
Chief Petty Officer SPARTAN-023, United Nations Space Command, Naval Special Warfare, ONI Section Three.
[The fact he is a pilot, given the war she was waging before she was pulled her, makes him win respect from her.]
...May I ask, Major, how did you cope?
no subject
Nice to meet you, Petty Officer.
Cope with war? Or with this place?
no subject
I'm well used to warfare. [She cherishes it more than she'd admit.] I mean this place. All the "differences".
no subject
Getting used to this place... it can happen surprisingly fast. Day to day life is usually peaceful and uneventful, so long as the scientists aren't running one of their infernal experiments on the village.
[He pauses for a moment, realizing she might not exactly be liking this weather.]
...Do you want to come inside out of the cold, Petty Officer? You're welcome to join me for lunch if you're hungry. [He motions back over his shoulder at the steak cooking.]
no subject
[The mention of lack of combat makes her frown, depressing her. Spartans were meant to fight. They were meant to defend their race. All of this is too alien to her. She hates it. And the mention of experiments only worries her even more.
The offer for food... should not be accepted, but truth is, she hasn't eaten anything since the last op. And as used to cold as she is, all she has is a sundress.
She nods, and follows him, careful not to bump her head with the lintel of the doorframe.]
You mentioned experiments, Major.
no subject
He leads her into the dining area and sets part of the meal down, then heads into the kitchen to grab the rest, along with a couple of plates and settings.]
I did. Experiments around here usually come toward the end of the month and can have a very wide range of effects on the populace. It seems pretty random who does and who doesn't get affected... though there are times everyone gets hit with it.
Probably the worst experiment that hit us came at the end of October. Mass hallucinations of various strengths struck people in the village. I'm guessing people who suffered from trauma or phobias were hit the hardest. The environment in the village was also made to look more spooky. Seasonal for Halloween, if they still celebrate that where you're from.
Most aren't nearly that bad. A more minor one involved people wanting to change careers. Either way, the effects of experiments are usually temporary and go away within a week.
no subject
So every month I will have to be prepared for either a bad joke or a sick one.
[By the way, even though Daisy eats as politely as she was trained to, the serving in her plate disappears in less than a minute.]
"Usually"?
no subject
Sometimes they last a little longer, or they vanish earlier than a week. I've seen people affected by experiments lasting as little as a few hours, but never anything more than maybe ten days. One week is usually just the meterstick we set things by.
They sometimes don't happen in a month... or if they do, they're so subtle no one notices.
Help yourself to some more if you're still hungry, by the way.
no subject
These experiments... Why are they doing them? I was told everyone was here because of a dimensional shift. Of what use is it?
[Something tells her she won't like the answer.]
no subject
no subject
This time, she does not serve herself.]
I understand.
[She crosses her hands. She feels helpless. She feels powerless. It sickens her. She remembers things she wanted to forget.]
Has a resistance movement been organized?
[It may be her only hope. She had made an uprising before, and perhaps she could create another.]
no subject
[Thirteen leans on the table, pressing his hands together.]
The Malnosso themselves seem to be divided. They're an organization, perhaps a corporation. The current leader, a man who goes by the obvious codename of "Catherine", seems somewhat sympathetic to our plight. Since he took control of the organization, our living arrangements have improved. He was the one responsible for getting us electricity and other things here. Of course, it's obvious that our presence here somehow serves his needs or goals. After all, if we weren't necessary for something he probably would've let us go by now if he was genuine.
But there's another faction within the Malnosso who don't agree with how he does things and are more willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want. From what I can gather, they're fairly numerous and very skilled at being undercover. They tend to be responsible for a lot of abductions and possibly some of the experiments in the enclosure.
...And worse yet, there's another force outside of the enclosure that opposes the Malnosso called simply "the Third Party." They're dedicated to... basically wiping out everyone who's not them. They're crazy, ruthless, and relentless. The Malnosso are fighting an ongoing war against them... and sometimes they enlist our help fighting them. After all, if the Third Party overrun the Malnosso, we'll be next.
And of course, there are civilians outside of the barrier as well who aren't affiliated with either. We hope that by fighting to defeat the Third Party we can generate enough popular support to generate sympathy and put pressure on the Malnosso.
[He pauses, running a hand back through his hair. That was... depressing to explain.]
...Suffice it to say, we're in a very difficult position.
no subject
At least the UNSC isn't as divided or as ruthless as the Malnosso are.]
So we might as well be resources. Something they want to use. And the third party... It is not known why do they want us all dead, but if we lose the Malnosso, this town will be attacked.
[More Covenant. At least it means an enemy to fight, but she does not change her expression.]
I think some of this is old hat for me.
[She stands up, slowly and cordially. This man had willingly helped her, after all.]
Thank you for the meal, Major.
no subject
no subject
[Sob. He has already been too kind to her.]
But thank you, Major.