30 July 2009

So, we've been having a bit of a dust storm...

though you can't tell as well in this photo.

There is a quality of living in a video game here. The dust drops the visible horizon to a couple hundred meters, and everything just gets fainter the farther you are from it. Even before this storm, everything was coated in a layer of dust so that nothing looks as it did when it was new. Everything blends together - there are sand drifts that lead into the concrete barriers, the dust sticks to any and everything, lending everything a mottled tan hue. Essentially, there are a limited number of textures that get repeated throughout the world.

More than just visually, though it seems the analogy holds. There are no windows in our tents and buildings, so when you exit buildings there are often dramatic light changes as the sun has set or risen. The map here is fixed - we stay within the limits of the camp, being stopped by fences and berms. Finally, is the voice of God. A massive speaker system/siren is mounted throughout the camp. It sounds taps and the Third Corps Song (the theme from the movie Patton) twice daily, and conducts a weekly test, running through its various alarms and warnings.

This is the weirdest part, as they very nearly use the same semi-robotic voice used the Half-Life game sequels. The disembodied voice that seems to come from every direction warns you of fire, artillery attack, ground attack or air attack, preceded by unique sirens and alarms. During this test, the constant discordant sound, the quality of the light, the visibility, and the difference of this place from normal life sends my mind to the closest parallel. As I walked though the din, I felt disappointed there weren't helicopters overhead, nor Combine soldiers firing at me.

And then there is the mildly surreal act of walking into a Starbucks with a gun.

posted by Interested Soldier @ 01:23