fandomhigh | Keeping Your Advantage: Terrain and You, Week VII [Monday, Period 4]

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keeping your advantage

Keeping Your Advantage: Terrain and You, Week VII [Monday, Period 4]

"Welcome to your last official class of the semester," Ghanima said as the students arrived. "Today, we're looking at a type of terrain that is near and dear to my heart: the desert."

Deserts take up about one third of the Earth's land surface, and usually have a large diurnal and seasonal temperature range, with high daytime temperatures and low nighttime temperatures that can reach 45 °C/113 °F or higher. The dry desert air is incapable of blocking sunlight during the day or trapping heat during the night without water. Thus, during daylight most of the sun's heat reaches the ground, and as soon as the sun sets the desert cools quickly by radiating its heat into space."

"Most deserts are formed by rain shadows; mountains blocking the path of precipitation. Deserts are often composed of sand and rocky surfaces. Sand dunes called ergs and stony surfaces called hamada surfaces compose a minority of desert surfaces. Exposures of rocky terrain are typical, and reflect minimal soil development and sparseness of vegetation."

The Danger Shop rippled around them, and the students would find themselves standing on a rocky outcropping, looking out over a landscape of sand and blinding sun. "It is unfortunate that many people equate deserts with a hostile environment that conspires against human life," Ghanima continued easily, seemingly unbothered by the change in scenery. "In the popular media, desert areas seem to be considered to be at the top of the wilderness list for danger. The historical fact is, however, that the human race was cradled in arid lands and people are well adapted to survive in deserts. Learning to be part of the desert's ecosystem, and not view it as an antagonist is the first step of desert survival. Preparation starts with how you dress. People stand upright and receive only 60% of the solar radiation that animals on all fours do. By adding a proper hat, with a wide brim and closed crown, the head and body are further protected. A common mistake made by new desert visitors is wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts. Loose fitting long sleeves and pants provide good air circulation and much better protection than sunblock."

"Deserts are defined by their lack of water. Learn to ration sweat, not water. By staying in the shade, limiting activity to cooler times such as night and using your available water, your chances for survival increase greatly. Sipping water does not get it to the brain and vital organs. Take a good drink when you need it. People have been found dead from dehydration with water in their canteens. Also, do not rely on "parlor tricks" such as solar stills as a primary source. These will often produce more sweat digging the hole than is obtained from water gained. Learn to locate water through areas of green vegetation, flights of birds, converging animal trails and digging in the outside bends of dry creek beds."

"You're probably all expecting a final," she said, looking at the students. "I hate to disappoint you, but you aren't getting one here today. Instead, go ahead and play in the sand. Try not to get bitten by scorpions, get heatstroke, or burn your hands. Learn how to walk - and run - without falling."

"Next week, for those who are interested, we'll be going on a little trip." Ghanima tilted her face towards the sun, shutting her eyes and smiling. "Anyone is welcome, and we will be going to Arrakis. Dune. Seat of the Imperium and fiefdom of House Atreides. Those of you who want to go along will get a final of a different sort, something that cannot be replicated in the Danger Shop to any degree of accuracy." She waved one hand, and another hologram shimmered into being.

"You will ride the worms," she said simply, walking over to one of the rising behemoths and placing her hand against its side. "They say that God created Arrakis to train the faithful. In truth, I think he made it for Shai-Hulud to roam. Nowhere else in the Known Universe will you find these beautiful creatures; they are the life and breath of this planet, and the primary mode of distance transportation for the wandering tribes of Fremen. That does not, however, mean they are tame."

"The sign-up sheet will be on the door of my office until next Monday." Another wave of her hand, and the worms vanished as she turned back to them. "Now go play, and no throwing snakes at each other."

[OCD up]

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OMG. BIG THINGS. WITH BIG TEETH. AND THEY WILL EAT YOU.

Go ahead and wander up to the frozen hologram. Touch the skin, try and climb it to look into the mouth, hide behind someone taller than you. They're frozen in time, and won't hurt you.

Eleanor would just be watching from over here, thank you.

Tahiri wandered up to look at the sandworm much more casually than she would have if it hadn't been frozen and a Danger Shop hologram.

". . . huh."

They were large creatures, and they did have really sharp teeth. But Ender knew a hologram when he saw one, and he let an innate curiosity towards the alien take hold as he walked up to the sandworm, testing its skin with a hand.

Whoooooa. Leto and Ghanima's step-mother hadn't been joking yesterday when she'd told Zack how huge these things were. They looked almost identical to the ones from home, but the ones from home weren't nearly so massive.

He couldn't wait to come across a real one, now! Too cool!

"Isn't it coooool?" Dinah said, bouncing up to him. "And mind-numbingly terrifying?"

"Cool," Zack agreed, standing up on his tiptoes and craning his neck as though it would actually afford him a better view. "But not too terrifying. I see these guys on a much smaller scale back on Gaia, actually."

And, okay, these ones sure looked far, far more formidable than the little landworms that they had back home. But still!

"It's not moving-- and did you see the teeth?" Dinah checked. "Professor Atreides shared a memory of one of these almost eating the helicopter she and Leto were in, a while back. BIG. Sheeeesh."

The tiptoes thing wasn't working. And if Zack leaned any farther back, he was going to topple over and end up on his rear.

"They're pretty awesome teeth," he decided. And then he grinned. "Wanna get a closer look, while we know these things aren't going to eat us?"

"You mean--" Dinah paused, slowly pacing around to the front, eyes wide. "Inside?"

"Up top! And then we can lean over and see what we can see!"

Because massive fake worms were totally asking to be climbed up onto!

Dinah looked up, then over at Zack. "Last one to the top is a chocobo!" And jumped up on one scale, looking for a hand-hold.

"I'll have you saying Wark in no time!"

See, Zack could make running leaps that would make a cricket hang its head in shame. And so he was going to back up, and take this one at a run.

It possibly helped that his DNA was practically indistinguishable from that of any of the monsters back home, huh? Not that he knew that.

"Woooooo!" Okay, so he wasn't on top yet, if they were considering the creature's head to be the top. But on the back was a good start, right? "You need a hand up?"

"Dude!" Dinah flailed for a second, then got her grip and balance back as she made her way upward. "Okay, maybe...." She shook her head and yelled up, "Sometime I'll be able to walk on air and just glide up there!" Maybe. Possibly?

"Well, then I guess I'll be the chocobo once you can!" He took a seat and grinned, waiting for her to catch up. "I hear I do a killer chocobo stomp!"

Someday, he'd do it right beside a real one. That would be so cool.

That might, or might not, be a "Wark! from Dinah's position. "What's a chocobo stomp?" she called up, when she was less than ten feet below Zack.

"It's when you stomp," Zack said, matter-of-factly, "like a chocobo."

There... really wasn't a better description than that. Sadly.

"Sort of like a strut."

He leaned over to peer down at her, smirk, and then wave a little hello. She was making good headway, there!

"Pbbbttt," was Dinah's response, then she finally crested the edge of the sandworm, rolling over on her back to catch her breath. Looking up at Zack, she said, "I wanna see the stomp."

"What, right here?"

That would be an interesting sight to see, stomping about like a chocobo on the back of a giant sandworm!

"Pleeease?" Dinah asked, trying the puppy eyes on the puppy guy. "I'll wark if you do?"

... Puppy eyes were really, really hard to say no to! That was like cheating or something!

"Maybe just once," Zack decided, laughing and hopping to his feet.

He then proceeded to do the most heartfelt chocobo stomp he'd ever done, complete with the jump-flip-kick combo at the end. And a bow. And a Kweh!

Because he could.

Edited 2009-06-23 00:26 (UTC)

Dinah was both amazed and highly amused, and chortled, "Again!" Then tried to to the part that didn't have an hugely high jump-kick-kweh at the end.

They had to look pretty weird up there, jumping around on the back of a giant sandworm.

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