John-117/Early life: Difference between revisions
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{{Quote|no=three|q1=No one’s being left behind. We’re going to figure a way to get ''all'' of us out.|John-117|q2=How? Mendez said—|Kelly-087|q3=I know what he said. But there’s got to be a way—I just haven’t thought of one yet. Even if it has to be me that stays behind—I’ll make sure everyone gets back to the base.|John-117|John demonstrates his commitment to his fellow trainees.}}<ref name="HTFOR5"/> | {{Quote|no=three|q1=No one’s being left behind. We’re going to figure a way to get ''all'' of us out.|John-117|q2=How? Mendez said—|Kelly-087|q3=I know what he said. But there’s got to be a way—I just haven’t thought of one yet. Even if it has to be me that stays behind—I’ll make sure everyone gets back to the base.|John-117|John demonstrates his commitment to his fellow trainees.}}<ref name="HTFOR5"/> | ||
[[File:John2519.png|thumb|300px|right|By the age of eight, John's previous life on Eridanus II had already begun to seem like a distant dream. He had become convinced that his new life as a soldier was what he really wanted.<ref name="HTFOR5"/>]] | [[File:John2519.png|thumb|300px|right|By the age of eight, John's previous life on Eridanus II had already begun to seem like a distant dream. He had become convinced that his new life as a soldier was what he really wanted.<ref name="HTFOR5"/>]] | ||
John learned more during the first few years of training on Reach than he almost certainly would have ever learned at Primary Education Facility 119 on Eridanus II.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> Déjà taught he 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"/> Human history classes included a module devoted to [[Earth]] in which John first saw images of [[Wikipedia:Whale|whale]]s.<ref name="HSS27">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 27''</ref> Through simulations the trainees learned to pilot various crafts, including the predecessors and variants of the [[GA-TL1 Longsword]].<ref name="HEP9">''[[Halo: Evolutions]]'', ''[[Pariah]]'', ''Chapter 9''</ref> These simulations even included what to do in the event of a crash landing.<ref name="HEP9"/> By mid-[[2519]], John could string a trip line, fire a rifle, and treat a chest wound.<ref name="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"/> As a result of the demanding challenges Chief Mendez put the children through, John spent plenty of time in Painland's emergency first-aid station.<ref name="HTFOR27">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 27''</ref> [[Fenyot Basin]] was a favorite training spot for John and his comrades; there they played month-long games of sniper elimination and stealth tag within its [[Wikipedia:Hoodoo (geology)|hoodoo]] maze.<ref name="HSOR1">''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 1''</ref> Training often involved obstacle courses and mock patrols.<ref name="HEP2">''[[Halo: Evolutions]]'', ''[[Pariah]]'', ''Chapter 2''</ref> Mendez tricked, trapped, and tortured the children to the point where they hated, but then eventually, admired him.<ref name="HGOO6">''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'', ''Chapter 6''</ref> John 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> John often teased [[Serin-019]] for her habit of taking the leftovers of every other kid she could.<ref name="HMD15">''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]'', ''Chapter 15''</ref> Training in the Highland Mountains was split between Painland, facilities within [[CASTLE Base]], and [[Highlands|another location]].<ref name="HFS19">''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', ''Chapter 19''</ref><ref name="HRH">''[[Halo: Reach]]'', ''[[Highlands]]''</ref> At these locations, John and the others began to be tested against a company of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper|orbital drop shock trooper]]s in jungle maneuvers.<ref name="HSS7"/> Amazingly, the children, who averaged around eight years old, often won.<ref name="HSS7">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 7''</ref> By the time John and the rest had all reached that age they had already earned every combat rating.<ref name="HSS4">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 4''</ref> All were subjected to [[Wikipedia:Endocrine system|endocrine]] therapy and medical interventions to make them stronger, more resistant to injury, and in possession of quicker reaction times while they were still prepubescent.<ref name="HG14">''[[Halo: Glasslands]]'', ''Chapter 14''</ref> Combat psychology training also supplemented the trainees' education.<ref name="HO1">''[[Halo: Oblivion]]'', ''Chapter 1''</ref> At some point during their training, John 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"/> 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 name="HFS24">''[[Halo: First Strike]], ''Chapter 24''</ref> At some other point a training mission found John, Kelly, Sam, Fred, and Linda descending [[Black Iron Gorge]].<ref name="HSOR9"/> The five of them rode through the gorge atop rafts of lashed logs and only nearly got through the worst of the rapids in one piece thanks to Sam's natural skills as a riverman.<ref name="HSOR9">''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 9''</ref> | John learned more during the first few years of training on Reach than he almost certainly would have ever learned at Primary Education Facility 119 on Eridanus II.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> Déjà taught he 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"/> Human history classes included a module devoted to [[Earth]] in which John first saw images of [[Wikipedia:Whale|whale]]s.<ref name="HSS27">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 27''</ref> Through simulations the trainees learned to pilot various crafts, including the predecessors and variants of the [[GA-TL1 Longsword]].<ref name="HEP9">''[[Halo: Evolutions]]'', ''[[Pariah]]'', ''Chapter 9''</ref> These simulations even included what to do in the event of a crash landing.<ref name="HEP9"/> By mid-[[2519]], John could string a trip line, fire a rifle, and treat a chest wound.<ref name="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"/> As a result of the demanding challenges Chief Mendez put the children through, John spent plenty of time in Painland's emergency first-aid station.<ref name="HTFOR27">''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 27''</ref> [[Fenyot Basin]] was a favorite training spot for John and his comrades; there they played month-long games of sniper elimination and stealth tag within its [[Wikipedia:Hoodoo (geology)|hoodoo]] maze.<ref name="HSOR1">''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 1''</ref> Training often involved obstacle courses and mock patrols.<ref name="HEP2">''[[Halo: Evolutions]]'', ''[[Pariah]]'', ''Chapter 2''</ref> Mendez tricked, trapped, and tortured the children to the point where they hated, but then eventually, admired him.<ref name="HGOO6">''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'', ''Chapter 6''</ref> John 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> John often teased [[Serin-019]] for her habit of taking the leftovers of every other kid she could.<ref name="HMD15">''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]'', ''Chapter 15''</ref> Training in the Highland Mountains was split between Painland, facilities within [[CASTLE Base]], and [[Highlands|another location]].<ref name="HFS19">''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', ''Chapter 19''</ref><ref name="HRH">''[[Halo: Reach]]'', ''[[Highlands]]''</ref> At these locations, John and the others began to be tested against a company of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper|orbital drop shock trooper]]s in jungle maneuvers.<ref name="HSS7"/> Amazingly, the children, who averaged around eight years old, often won.<ref name="HSS7">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 7''</ref> By the time John and the rest had all reached that age they had already earned every combat rating.<ref name="HSS4">''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]'', ''Chapter 4''</ref> All were subjected to [[Wikipedia:Endocrine system|endocrine]] therapy and medical interventions to make them stronger, more resistant to injury, and in possession of quicker reaction times while they were still prepubescent.<ref name="HG14">''[[Halo: Glasslands]]'', ''Chapter 14''</ref> Combat psychology training also supplemented the trainees' education.<ref name="HO1">''[[Halo: Oblivion]]'', ''Chapter 1''</ref> At some point during their training, John 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"/> 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 name="HFS24">''[[Halo: First Strike]], ''Chapter 24''</ref> At some other point a training mission found John, Kelly, Sam, [[Fred-104]], and [[Linda-058]] descending [[Black Iron Gorge]].<ref name="HSOR9"/> The five of them rode through the gorge atop rafts of lashed logs and only ''nearly'' got through the worst of the rapids in one piece thanks to Sam's natural skills as a riverman.<ref name="HSOR9">''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]'', ''Chapter 9''</ref> | ||
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 name="HTFOR5"/> While ''en route'' at 0630 hours, 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.<ref name="HTFOR5"/><ref name="HFORBC"/> 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.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> Mendez announced that John would be dropped off first. He had just enough time after this revelation to sight a lake and the river which fed it out the Albatross' windows and point it out to Sam, who understood John's plan and passed it along to the rest. Dressed in fatigues, a heavy parka, and boots, John ran down the ramp and into the snow-covered forest when the dropship landed just before 0645 hours.<ref name="HTFOR5"/><ref name="HFORBC"/> He immediately set out in the direction of a particularly sharp mountain peak since he knew from getting an aerial view that the river was in that direction. When he found a stream which led to the larger water body, he followed the direction it took but still kept to the cover offered by the forest. Wild [[Wikipedia:Blueberry|blueberries]] served as a brief snack as he hiked. Once he eventually arrived on the shore of the lake that he'd meant to meet the others at, the sound of someone hooting like an [[Wikipedia:Owl|owl]] signaled that Sam was near at 0801 hours.<ref name="HTFOR5"/><ref name="HFORBC"/> John and Sam traversed the shoreline, eventually adding Kelly, Fred, and [[Linda-058]] to their number.<ref name="HTFORTAS"/> Sam decided to carve a mark into a tree that they could remember the location by for years to come.<ref name="HTFORTAS"/> They soon after gathered everyone else together in one place.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> John had Sam take [[James-005]], Linda, and [[Fhajad-084]] to scout around them while he watched Kelly piece together the maps from everyone's pieces. It turned out that the extraction point was a full day's hike from where they were so John told the children to move out as soon as the scouts returned. Several miles into their trek, Sam told John he thought that the mission was too easy so far and John agreed that there was likely some part that Mendez hadn't told them about. At noon the children stopped to stretch and eat berries they had gathered along their journey. During the break Fhajad broached the subject of who among them would be left behind, to which John replied that he didn't intend for anyone to be left, but that if someone had to be, he would willingly volunteer.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> | 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 name="HTFOR5"/> While ''en route'' at 0630 hours, 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.<ref name="HTFOR5"/><ref name="HFORBC"/> 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.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> Mendez announced that John would be dropped off first. He had just enough time after this revelation to sight a lake and the river which fed it out the Albatross' windows and point it out to Sam, who understood John's plan and passed it along to the rest. Dressed in fatigues, a heavy parka, and boots, John ran down the ramp and into the snow-covered forest when the dropship landed just before 0645 hours.<ref name="HTFOR5"/><ref name="HFORBC"/> He immediately set out in the direction of a particularly sharp mountain peak since he knew from getting an aerial view that the river was in that direction. When he found a stream which led to the larger water body, he followed the direction it took but still kept to the cover offered by the forest. Wild [[Wikipedia:Blueberry|blueberries]] served as a brief snack as he hiked. Once he eventually arrived on the shore of the lake that he'd meant to meet the others at, the sound of someone hooting like an [[Wikipedia:Owl|owl]] signaled that Sam was near at 0801 hours.<ref name="HTFOR5"/><ref name="HFORBC"/> John and Sam traversed the shoreline, eventually adding Kelly, Fred, and [[Linda-058]] to their number.<ref name="HTFORTAS"/> Sam decided to carve a mark into a tree that they could remember the location by for years to come.<ref name="HTFORTAS"/> They soon after gathered everyone else together in one place.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> John had Sam take [[James-005]], Linda, and [[Fhajad-084]] to scout around them while he watched Kelly piece together the maps from everyone's pieces. It turned out that the extraction point was a full day's hike from where they were so John told the children to move out as soon as the scouts returned. Several miles into their trek, Sam told John he thought that the mission was too easy so far and John agreed that there was likely some part that Mendez hadn't told them about. At noon the children stopped to stretch and eat berries they had gathered along their journey. During the break Fhajad broached the subject of who among them would be left behind, to which John replied that he didn't intend for anyone to be left, but that if someone had to be, he would willingly volunteer.<ref name="HTFOR5"/> | ||
