006: Group Introductions and AMAs - Second Round

[tarnishedavenger]

[Armstrong hates to do this after so many people have introduced themselves in locked channels, but they at least need to put on a show of meeting for Jorgmund's sake.]

So, we've got a few new people here since the last time we did something like this. Time to get introductions done and over with. Just list your name, powers, if any, relevant facts, and, if you feel like it, answer reasonable questions that people have. We'll be able to function together more effectively if we know more about each other. Keep it sensible and try not to wheedle out any dark secrets.

Or, you know, old people can tell people why Taco Tuesday is the best.

Comments

[greyaria]

[RvB is vague so uh let's go with Halo canon.]

Schism. The Swords of Sanghelios faction is now allied with Earth. There was also some sort of big mission by the Spartans, but that's all still classified.

[Not entirely accurate but Emily's a rando doctor from nowheresville--she doesn't know details.]

Oh, Spartans are...kinda like you, actually. Augmented soldiers in state-of-the-art armor.

[greyerrant]

How augmented are we talking?

[ Xenos forms allying with Terra sounds suspect, but better to ask about what kind of warriors she's used to dealing with for the moment. ]

[greyaria]

[The Arbiter and Lord Hood bonded over how much they both love the Master Chief.]

It's highly classified, so I really couldn't say! Judging by the publicity material, they're somewhere between a tall unaugmented adult and you, and there is definitely something going on with their armor. I would love to get my hands on a set of that!

[greyerrant]

With our luck, one will probably get dragged here and we'll have to brief them on the situation. How much adjustment do you think they'd need to understand and deal with things as they stand?

[greyaria]

Well, they're highly-trained elite special operatives, so I assume they're psychologically resilient!

[greyerrant]

You would think that.

[ Loken himself is haunted by his own PTSD, as well as seen how various soldiers can crack under the weight of conflicting loyalties during the heresy, so he is a bit suspicious of any elite unit even now. ]

[greyaria]

[Yeah, it turns out Dr. Halsey is way better than the Emperor of Mankind at creating stable supersoldiers.]

I'm sure the Office of Naval Intelligence has excellent psychologists on staff.

[Not necessarily ethical ones, mind you.]

[greyerrant]

What is a psychologist?

[ Maybe Big E should have re-invented those instead of just letting some shifty chaplains take care of everything instead.]

[greyaria]

[What.]

A scientist or clinician who studies the mind. A psychiatrist is the medical version. I am one!

[greyerrant]

Ah, a psycho chirugeon. I am familiar with those, but they're quite rare. We mostly concern ourselves with physical maintenance, our conditioning generally takes care of the rest.

[ Except when it doesn't.]

[greyaria]

[Emily hisses between her teeth.]

Ooh, that's a recipe for disaster.

[greyerrant]

Why?

[greyaria]

Your PTSD rates must be staggering, for one thing.

[greyerrant]

YOu will have to define that word, doctor.

[greyaria]

Post-traumatic stress disorder. It's a common reaction in soldiers.

[greyerrant]

Can you explain how it manifests?

[ I mean you could basically ask yourself Garviel, not that you know how PTSD works. ]

[greyaria]

Hmm, it's got quite a few symptoms, but they fall into categories--flashbacks and other disturbing recollections, including nightmares, depression and emotional numbness, especially survivor guilt, and increased arousal such as insomnia, irritability, or hypervigiliance.

[greyerrant]

Do you... see people? People that are dead, I mean.

[greyaria]

Mmm, hallucinations aren't a common symptom, but they can pop up in cases where the patient experiences a lot of dissociative episodes.

[She has some suspicions about whom "the patient" might be.]

[greyerrant]

I see. How does one treat it? [ I mean aside from letting them garden or fight through it or sending them to the company chaplain.]

[greyaria]

The standard treatment is neural remapping, but if that's not available, [idk some space future drug] and cognitive behavioral therapy.

[greyerrant]

We use hypno-indoctrination to protect against this, I believe, and sessions with our chaplains.

[ Which is way not sufficient.]