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| Survival |
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The most important asset in any kind of survival situation remains the
ability to think. Problem solving is not always easy when people
are confronted with unfamiliar situations, but avoiding panic and
working with the local environment are two sure ways to increase odds
of survival. Every situation differs a little, but the basic
principles of survival remain consistent in all circumstances:
1. Defend your core body temperature.
2. Limit your exposure to environmental threats.
3. Keep your body hydrated.
4. Conserve energy.
In Crisis, Brenna Velez is weak, hungry and thirsty when she escapes from the Casa del Matados.
While story heroines are seldom valued for their intelligence, Brenna
knows from experience that she has to evaluate conditions carefully and
respond to environmental threats using her mind, because she simply
can't prevail against the dry, hot and hostile landscape through which
she travels.
Shelter From Daylight
She's been cooped up
in prison for many weeks and escapes wearing maiden clothing that
exposes most of her skin. Though she is partly Kamerese and her
skin tans quickly, exposure to strong daylight will create two
problems. Firstly, sunburn is a serious threat. Sun damaged
skin is not only painful, but it loses some of its insulating value,
leading to chills or fever, and loses its waste-processing
function. Further, sunburned skin depresses the immune system,
making the victim more prone to infection. At that point in the
story, she's suffering from grievous mistreatment, her body is covered
in cuts, scrapes and bruises, so she can ill-afford to increase her
vulnerability to infection. Because Brenna is Lithian and her
eyes are adapted to seeing into the UV spectrum, she also has to be
careful about exposing her vision to excessive daylight. (This is
one reason why Lithians nap so much during the day and sleep for only a
few hours at night.) The second problem, is that activity during
the daytime requires the body to sweat in order to maintain its core
temperature. After her escape she's already dehydrated, and if
she exerted herself during daylight hours, that would compound her
thirst.
Brenna does three important things to protect herself. First, she
creates a shelter within the confines of a large chamise bush and rests
during the heat of the day. Secondly, she travels only at night,
when the air is cool and she can move without sweating. Thirdly,
when she has the chance, she robs a rebel soldier of his hat and coat,
so that later, when she has to float down the Virgin River during
daylight hours, much of her skin is covered in clothing.
Chamise is a common chaparral plant. They can
grow large enough to comfortably shelter an
adult, if the lower branches are trimmed away.
Water
Though Brenna is
Lithian, her physiology is similar enough to ours that many parallels
can be drawn. People can survive a long time without food, but
not without water. In a dry climate, finding water can be a real
challenge. Careful observation of wildlife, particularly in the
early evening when larger mammals are active, can lead to discovery of
water sources. Natural drainage patterns and the presence of
green vegetation can also be useful. Paying attention to how the
aroma of the air changes in the presence of water can lead us to lakes
and rivers. We can often smell the ocean long before we see it,
and though we most often pay little heed to how moisture changes the
scent of the air, it is noticeable. When thirst is a problem, the
sense of smell can be a savior.
Once she's in the hill country, Brenna climbs uphill beneath the
shelter of a live oak tree canopy. Live oaks drop their leaves
continually throughout the year, creating an insulating blanket on the
ground that slows evaporation. Further, when growing in linear
groves along the sides of an arroyo, their canopy creates a sheltered
environment that can be significantly cooler than the outside
surroundings on a hot day. This also reduces evaporation.
Deer will often dig through the leaf litter and create troughs with
their hooves that fill with water seeping in from upslope. Brenna
copies this technique to find water, using her blouse to screen out
dirt and debris.
Building a Fire
There
is something
primordial about fire. It gives us warmth, helps frighten
potential predators, and drives loneliness away. Small fires are
easier to control and use significantly less fuel than do
bonfires. Careful positioning of large rocks around the blaze
also helps reflect some of the heat, too. Why build a fire in the
desert? Because the nights are cold, and defending core body
temperature is a priority! When Brenna finally escapes from the
rebel soldiers in pursuit, she builds a bow drill to make a
fire, similar to the one shown below:
In the story, she uses a bit of ear wax as a lubricant and the scapula
from a deer skeleton as the handle for the drill.
Return
to the Technology Page
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