Editing Linda-058

===Childhood and conscription===

{{Quote|Every candidate has exceeded the selection criteria... and ''my'' expectations: superior strength and speed coupled with dazzling intellects and remarkable cognitive absorption rates. In another time, each could have been the next [[Wikipedia:Alexander the Great|Alexander]], [[Wikipedia:Cleopatra VII|Cleopatra]], [[Wikipedia:Hannibal|Hannibal]], or [[Wikipedia:Genghis Khan|Genghis Khan]]. One girl (Number 058) engineered her own intelligence network at school to spy on the teachers!|Doctor Halsey records her delight at the abilities of the selected children, and Linda in particular, in [[Dr. Halsey's personal journal|her journal]].}}{{Ref/Reuse|HJ91517}}

Linda Pravdin was born on [[2511#March|March 19, 2511]] on the [[Outer Colonies|outer colony]] world of [[Verent]].<ref name="WaypointLinda-058">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/linda-058 '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Linda-058'']</ref> There, she was taken care of by her mother.{{Ref/Reuse|HLW1}}{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR3}} As a child, Linda engineered her own intelligence network at school to spy on the teachers.<ref name="HJ91517">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''September 15, 2517''</ref> She was the very first child identified as a candidate for [[Spartan-II Program|Project: SPARTAN-II]].{{Ref/Reuse|WaypointLinda-058}} Ultimately, she was numbered the fifty-eighth of one-hundred and fifty children of similar age that had been selected based on specific genetic markers for inclusion in the Spartan-II program, which only had facilities and funding for half that number.{{Ref/Reuse|WaypointLinda-058}}<ref name="HTFOR2">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 2''</ref> She was screened by members of Doctor [[Catherine Halsey]]'s team at some point between July and September of [[2517]] and by September 23 of that year she had been abducted by the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]], rushed through [[slipspace]] to [[Reach]].<ref name="HTFOR3">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 3''</ref><ref name="HJ72117">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''July 21, 2517''</ref> She was stolen from her bed while she had been sleeping and a [[Flash cloning|flash clone]] was used to take her place.<ref name="HFORBC">''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]'', ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp|Boot Camp]]''</ref><ref name="HTFOR25">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 25''</ref> Once awoken from [[cryostasis]] shortly before 2300 hours on September 23, Linda and seventy-four other children were led into an amphitheater through four sets of double doors, each accompanied by a [[UNSC Navy|naval]] drill instructor.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR3}} There, at around 2300 hours, far below the ground within [[Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex|a FLEETCOM military complex]], Catherine Halsey informed them that per [[Naval Code 45812]], they were thereby conscripted into SPARTAN-II. She explained that they had been called upon to serve and that they would be the protectors of Earth and all its colonies. Halsey told them they could not return to their parents and that from this moment on, the complex on Reach would be their home and their fellow trainees would be their family. And through the training that lay ahead of them would be difficult, she expressed her full confidence in their ability to overcome it. With that said, she told them to rest and that they would begin the next day. [[Chief Petty Officer]] [[Franklin Mendez]] had the children escorted to their barracks, fed, and put to bed.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR3}}

The second day of training, [[2552#September|September 25]], began just like the first.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR4}} The trainees spent the morning doing calisthenics and in the afternoon reported to Déjà to learn. This day, she taught them about the hunting strategies of [[Wikipedia:Wolf|wolves]] and emphasized the importance of the pack over the individual in accomplishing a challenge, such as taking down a [[Wikipedia:Moose|moose]]. When it came time for the "playground" again, Mendez declared that they were to keep the same teams they had the prior day. The teams had a brief moment to strategize, as the course had been made more complicated as compared to before.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR4}} Three days later, on [[2517#September|September 28]], all the trainees were given haircuts.<ref name="DHPJS28">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''September 28, 2517''</ref> On [[2518#May|May 24, 2518]], the children were forced at 0920 hours to run through a course while being shot at with [[paint pellet gun]]s.{{Ref/Reuse|HFORBC}} Each trainee that was hit was made to do an exorbitant amount of push-ups.{{Ref/Reuse|HFORBC}} During the first few years of training, Déjà taught Linda and the others [[Wikipedia:Algebra|algebra]], [[Wikipedia:Trigonometry|trigonometry]], and the history of numerous battles and the rulers they happened at the direction of.<ref name="HTFOR5">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 5''</ref> By mid-[[2519]], Linda had been taught how to string a trip line, fire a rifle, and treat a chest wound.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR5}} Much of the Spartans' early training took place at [[Military Reservation 01478-B]], known as "Painland" to the soldiers made to endure exercises there.<ref name="HTFOR27">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 27''</ref> Linda and the others regularly made covert treks to [[Camp Hathcock]] in the [[Highland Mountains]] to pilfer food and supplies.<ref name="HTFOR24">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 24''</ref> Training in the Highlands Mountains was split between Painland, facilities within [[CASTLE Base]], and [[Highlands|another location]].<ref name="FS19">''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', ''Chapter 19''</ref><ref name="HRH">''[[Halo: Reach]]'', ''[[Highlands]]''</ref> At these locations, Linda and the others began to be tested against a company of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper|orbital drop shock trooper]]s in jungle maneuvers.{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS7|HSS|Chapter=7}} Amazingly, the children, who averaged around eight years old, often won.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS7}} At some point during their training, Linda and the others accompanied Mendez to the colony of [[Emerald Cove]], where they were given a mission that involved spending time underwater.<ref name="HFS24">''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', ''Chapter 24''</ref> Mendez sabotaged half the air tanks provided to the trainees, and in response they ended up stealing his. Afterwards, they all ditched the Chief for a whole week while they camped on an island with nothing to do but light bonfires, eat [[Wikipedia:Clam|clam]]s and [[Wikipedia:Calamari|calamari]], and surf.{{Ref/Reuse|HFS24}}

On [[2519#July|July 12, 2519]], all seventy-five children were transported, via [[D96-TCE Albatross]], to a [[Reach Military Wilderness Training Preserve|military wilderness training preserve]] in the Highland Mountains.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR5}} While ''en route'', Chief Mendez explained that each trainee would be dropped off alone in different locations throughout the preserve with only a piece of various maps provided to them. Their goal was simply to reconvene at a designated extraction point, but the last one to arrive would be forced to walk back to base. [[John-117]] sighted a lake and the river which fed it and had [[Samuel-034]] let the others know to use it to meet back up with one another. Dressed in fatigues, a heavy parka, and boots, Linda was dropped off like the rest within a snow-covered forest.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR5}} Linda soon met up with John, Sam, [[Kelly-087]], and [[Frederic-104]].<ref name="HTFORTAS">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series]]''</ref> Sam decided to carve a mark into a tree that they could remember the location by for years to come.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFORTAS}} They soon after gathered everyone else together in one place.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR5}} John told Sam to pick three others to help him scout the area and Linda was chosen, along with [[James-005]] and [[Fhajad-084]]. The four of them took off together into the brush and only returned after John whistled to signify they were ready to move out as one group again, the extraction point's location having been pinpointed as a full day's hike away. At noon the children stopped to stretch and eat berries they had gathered along their journey. It was near sundown when they finally came upon their destination in a meadow where another Albatross dropship sat.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR5}} This one was guarded by six men without any uniforms. John was certain that the men wouldn't just let them board peaceably, so he devised a plan wherein the men would be lured into a trap. Once [[Vance|one man]] had been tricked into chasing after Kelly to where Sam was feigning an injury, Linda hit him in the head with a stone before he could use a [[humbler stun device]] on him, knocking the man to the ground.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFORTAS}}{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR5}} She then dropped down from where she had been perched in a tree as the rest of the children continued to pelt the man.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFORTAS}}{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR5}} Their efforts left Sam's would-be aggressor bloody and barely conscious.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR5}} This basic strategy was repeated, but the second time the remaining five men were set upon at once by the trainees, who assaulted them with rocks, fists, and boots.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR5}} John opened a link to [[Déjà]] within the dropship and asked if she could teach him to fly it.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR5}} Déjà responded by saying he was in no way authorized to do so, but that she could take control of it herself if he gave her access. One all seventy-four others were aboard, Déjà lifted them off the ground and returned them home.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR5}}

===ASTER===

On [[2524#August|August 22, 2524]], the Spartan-II candidates were rerouted during a training exercise  to the opposite side of [[Reach]] from which they normally trained.{{Ref/Reuse|DHPJA22}} This was done at the behest of interested parties in ONI who wished to observe them firsthand.<ref name="DHPJA22">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''August 22, 2524''</ref> At some point after the trainees had began to physically mature, an incident in which one of them, [[Margaret-053]], was blinded during a beating meted out by four other teens, caused Chief Mendez to replace everyone's mess hall time with a period of fasting until [[Red Team|the perpetrators]] were identified.<ref name="HBL4">''[[Halo: Blood Line]]'', ''[[Halo: Blood Line Issue 4|Issue #4]]''</ref> It was not uncommon at this time for two trainees to [[martial arts|spar]] one another with [[pugil stick]]s while trying to balance on floating logs while the rest watched.<ref name="HBL3">''[[Halo: Blood Line]]'', ''[[Halo: Blood Line Issue 3|Issue #3]]''</ref> On [[2525#March|March 9 of 2525]] Linda and the other Spartan-II candidates were transported to [[Medical Facility Endurance]] in orbit over [[Reach]] in order to undergo a series of invasive procedures designed to physically, chemically, and genetically augment their bodies.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFORTAS}}<ref name="HTFOR6">''[[The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 6''</ref><ref name="H5GL">''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'', John-117's loadout</ref> The procedures began with the administration of an intravenous [[Drugs|sedative]] and the lasering of incision vectors onto each teen's body.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR6}} The various augmentations, under the purview of [[Project ASTER|Project: ASTER]], were carried out the following day.<ref name="DHPJA1">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''April 1, 2525''</ref>{{Ref/Reuse|HOSFM83}} With the assistance of surgeons, biotechnicians, and automated robotic machinery, the surgical procedures Linda endured included occipital capillary reversals, the carbide ceramic ossification of her bones, the insertion of a catalytic [[Wikipedia:thyroid gland|thyroid implant]], injections to enhance muscle strength and endurance, and the fibrification of neural dendrites to make them superconductive.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR6}} She also was treated with [[Wikipedia:Gene therapy|gene therapy]] and underwent [[Wikipedia:Transgene|transgenic hybridization]].<ref name="HOSFM83">''[[Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual]]'', ''page 83''</ref> When the procedures had been completed, only thirty-three of the teenagers had ostensibly been augmented successfully.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR6}} As far as Linda was made aware, twelve others had been injured during the operations so severely that they would be unfit to be Spartans and the remaining thirty had died.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR6}} The truth, conversely, was that those pronounced dead were in fact cryogenically preserved in the hopes that they could be revived later, and some of those that were crippled would go on to be rehabilitated and join the ranks of [[Spartan-II]]s in the future.<ref name="DHPJM10">''[[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]'', ''January 7, 2535''</ref><ref name="HW2PLA130">''[[Halo Wars 2]]'', [[Phoenix Logs|phoenix logs]], [[Phoenix Logs#Alice-130|Alice-130]]</ref> But at midnight at the start of [[2525#March|March 30]], Linda had been made to believe that forty-two of her fellow trainees had become casualties.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR6}} The thirty-three to have officially come through the procedures unharmed and the twelve to have been grievously injured both gathered together at that point within the missile launch bays of the {{UNSCShip|Atlas}}, an {{Class|Epoch|heavy carrier}} heading for the [[Lambda Serpentis system]].{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR6}}<ref name="CF100">[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/sweet-centennial '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Canon Fodder #100: Sweet Centennial'']</ref> Adorned in black dress uniforms, they bid farewell to what they thought were twenty-nine of their lost brothers and sisters as stainless steel canisters were ejected into space.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR6}} Linda and the others saluted in unison. Chief Mendez then commanded two full days of bed rest to be followed by microgravity physical therapy aboard the ''Atlas'' until they had all fully recovered. In the days ahead [[Déjà]] also planned to run the teens through some dropship pilot simulations and to cover some more organic chemistry and complex algebra, as long as they were up to the challenge.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR6}} For the next three weeks, Linda and the others were put through a routine of stretching, isometric exercises, and [[Martial arts|light sparring]].<ref name="HTFOR7">''[[The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 7''</ref> They were also under orders to consume five high-protein meals per day, each followed by mineral and vitamin injections in the ship's medical bay. By April 22, the ''Atlas'' was still patrolling the Lambda Serpentis system.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR7}}

===MJOLNIR===

The ''Pioneer'' did not return to [[Reach]] until [[2525#November|November 2 of 2525]].{{Ref/Reuse|HTFORTAS}} John rode a Pelican to the military complex on the surface with the other members of Blue Team and was met by Chief Mendez, who told them they were to assemble in the amphitheater with haste.{{Ref/Reuse|HTFORTAS}} There, at 0600 hours all thirty-three Spartans gathered, in their dress uniforms, to hear from [[Vice Admiral]] [[Michael Stanforth]].{{Ref/Reuse|HTFOR11}} All the Spartans rose and stood at attention when Mendez entered and remained standing until Stanforth gave them permission to be seated. The Admiral informed the teenagers that the [[Outer Colony]] of [[Harvest]] had been [[First Battle of Harvest|annihilated]] some time ago by what appeared to be alien attackers. The adversary responsible called itself "the [[Covenant]]" and had broadcast a message announcing that the destruction of [[humanity]] was the will of its [[Forerunner|god]]s. Stanforth told them that the UNSC had been ordered to full alert and that the largest fleet action in human history was being mobilized in response. And because of the UNSC-wide mobilization, the Spartans' training was to be accelerated to its final phase: [[Mjolnir|Project MJOLNIR]]. The briefing on the new threat and the UNSC's reaction to it concluded, Stanforth then let them all know that Mendez would be leaving them to begin the training of a second class of Spartans. John called for everyone to stand and salute the Chief a final time.<ref name="HTFOR11">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 11''</ref>

===Reunion===

{{Quote|Palmer's here? On Sanghelios?|Linda reacts to hearing that the commander of the ''Infinity''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Spartans might be somewhere nearby.}}{{Ref/Reuse|HBB1}}

It only took a few minutes to traverse the portal through slipspace.<ref name="HBB1">''[[Halo: Bad Blood]]'', ''Chapter 1''</ref> When the Pelican emerged, the Spartans found themselves flying through a cavernous cave, which they exited to be faced with a deep [[Sanghelios]] night. Locke was determined to get back to the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}}, and Linda was surprised when he mentioned that Commander [[Sarah Palmer]] might still be on the planet. John apologized for everything that had recently happened but Linda responded by putting a hand on his arm and saying he had only done what he thought was right. She additionally pointed out that he had been backed up by she, Kelly, and Fred every step of the way and that they would do it again if they had to. Locke soon mentioned that if they could get back to the ''Infinity'', Halsey might be able to work out a solution, which caught Linda and the other [[Spartan-II]]s by surprise. Both Locke and Buck explained that they had rescued the doctor from Jul 'Mdama and brought her back to the Infinity and that she had subsequently insisted on accompanying them to Sanghelios.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB1}}

Everyone was awake around an hour before sunrise and all the humans piled into the Pelican.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB1}} Then they were off, soaring through and past the planet's atmosphere on a trip that took them just a few hours. With about twenty minutes until the ''Infinity''{{'}}s projected arrival, Fireteam Osiris broke out a game of [[Wikipedia:Hearts|Hearts]], but Linda and the others declined playing. When ''Infinity'' finally did show up, Kelly landed ''[[India 127]]'' in its fifth portside bay.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB1}} The Spartans were met there by a [[lieutenant]] who announced that Halsey, Locke, Palmer, and John were wanted on the bridge.{{Ref/Reuse|HBB2}} Palmer instructed the rest of them to get cleaned up and to decompress for a bit and soon a team of engineers was scanning and getting readings from their armor. The engineers brought Linda and the others to the ship's assemblage bay so they could then have it removed. The Spartan-IIs had to be taken to a different section than Buck, Tanaka, and Vale due to having slightly different frames.<ref name="HBB2">''[[Halo: Bad Blood]]'', ''Chapter 2''</ref>{{Ref/Note|According to author [[Matt Forbeck]], early drafts of ''[[Halo: Bad Blood]]'' featured the Spartans of [[Blue Team]] being present for the marriage of [[Edward Buck]] and [[Veronica Dare]] aboard the ''Infinity'' near the start of November [[2558]]. Forbeck says [[343 Industries]] asked him to remove them from this scene however, claiming that it was not yet determined whether or not they were still present on the ship at that time.}}<ref name="MFI">[https://soundcloud.com/archiveinstallation/004-matt-forbeck-interview '''The Archive Installation''' - ''Matt Forbeck Interview'']</ref>

===Raid on CASTLE Base===