Wapsi Square Forum

Hmmm.

Katherine is scary now...

I think Castela is a bit shaken.

I think she was definitely in the "fight" portion of the fight or flight response...

Question: How?

We know what and who and why... but how?

And people ask me why I am not comfortable with the idea of women in combat- I have SEEN women in a fight- I was trained in Army Ranger School back in '77 before they toned it down- I can easily see a situation where I HAVE to pull a female combatant OFF an enemy soldier and the prospect frightens me...

OK I'm a combat vet, sort of. I didn't actually shoot at anybody, but I have seen people get shot/blown up. Having said that, and also having seen what happens to soldiers/civilians in combat and followed some of them after, and the odds of a random civilian getting PTSD from witnessing such an event are pretty close to even. This pretty much lines up with what we know about Katherine's character development from her early appearances. IOW she was a mess, barely functioning as a human being outside of work. She spent most of her time not at work naked, alone with her fish. That is very common condition for people with PTSD.

She was an Air Force veteran, and, judging by the image of her in uniform working on an aircraft, she was in pretty good shape then.

The Dead Sea Dig would have been after she was a civilian and working on her PhD, i'd guess.

AnotherFairportfan wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:03 am Question: How?

We know what and who and why... but how?

Possibly a standard entrenching tool (they're very common even outside the various military organizations), or maybe NSN# 5120-01-416-8568.

Or, given that Kath was an anthropologist at the time, I wouldn't rule out a bit of impromptu flintknapping. I understand that it's possible to skin and cut up a deer faster with a freshly-broken flint blade than it is with a steel knife, if you know what you're doing.

Dave wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 2:47 am

AnotherFairportfan wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:03 am Question: How?

We know what and who and why... but how?

Possibly a standard entrenching tool (they're very common even outside the various military organizations), or maybe NSN# 5120-01-416-8568.

Or, given that Kath was an anthropologist at the time, I wouldn't rule out a bit of impromptu flintknapping. I understand that it's possible to skin and cut up a deer faster with a freshly-broken flint blade than it is with a steel knife, if you know what you're doing.

While I was at college skool, there was a guy in the dorm that was an anthropology type. He knapped in his room- you did NOT walk in there barefooted. He went so far as to create arrows, a bow, a spear, along with deerskin breechclout and quiver.

Out of curiosity, I just searched his name and got several hits. He went on to have a career working for the Army Corps of Engineers and still knaps as a hobby- his specialty is andice style points. Even had some photos of him in images, turns out it's the same guy- just older like me.

What Kath did to that guy might be part of her own mental scarring - she has to face the fact that she IS the sort of person who would do that sort of thing.

(Not that she really needs that to justify the scars - she's had quite enough other bad stuff happen.)

Dave wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 2:47 am

AnotherFairportfan wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:03 am Question: How?

We know what and who and why... but how?

Possibly a standard entrenching tool (they're very common even outside the various military organizations), or maybe NSN# 5120-01-416-8568.

Several militaries - mostly the special-forces - use sharpened entrenching tools . . .

She also could have used a knife - either her own knife - a knife is a very useful tool - or his knife.

Or just a sharp piece of metal, possibly a bit of wreckage.


In any case, mental scars are to be expected.

--FreeFlier

...Uh, it took me a few reads to realize what Kath meant there.

I guess it’s just a good thing she didn’t say anything about fava beans.