♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦
Topic #467
Your character is being faced with an evacuation from a natural disaster.
What are they taking with them? (Based on an idea from Lena.)
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An evac in a natural disaster is a thought crossing the minds of many people in these days. What would you bring? First and foremost, you’re going to make sure your people are ok and getting to safety. Then there’s the things you can’t live without out. The high impact items you need to grab and dash. You should always have your documents in a lockbox ready to exit in an easily accessible space, by the way.
That last thing is advice given to domestic violence victims, if they’re able to comply. In many cases, an abuser will control those items. What then? Imagine that feeling in an emergency evac. Imagine that, even if you had control of your items, matters beyond control step in and prevent your access. Natural disasters aren’t as predictable as you think. Evacs happen suddenly.
For instance, here in the United States, our fellow citizens have gone through it season to season, whether they were prepared or not. Floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, and blizzards do not give a shit if you have your documents in a lockbox that’s accessible. It’s still a great idea, regardless. Make sure they’re waterproof, fireproof, and labeled. Why? Because if it’s any of these above things, you can probably get back to the box when it is safe to do so. Floods and mudslides can make that more muddled.
Natural disasters and extreme weather events are increasing in both intensity and frequency.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11370170/
Emerging evidence suggests that there is a relationship between intimate partner violence
(IPV) and natural disasters.
You may miss grabbing the box on the way out, but the likelihood it remains intact is higher than not having your documents in one. And, you’re gonna need the documents you put in there. So, do it! Sure, you can rent a bank box, but what if the disaster hits them, too? They’re not waterproof, fireproof, and they integrity is questionable. You’re not dealing with Fort Knox at your local bank.
Looking through my characters, I wonder what they’d grab. As I’m running out the door with my laptop and drives, daughter and dog… what are they grabbing?
In an evac, Emily would make sure that the children and her friends were brought to safety. I don’t think that girl would grab a thing. She doesn’t really think like that. She grabs people. Making folks safe is everything that is in her heart. Hettie would equally grab Emily and the girls under her tutelage. She might grab something like money purse or item she bought, because she’s used to dire situations and emergencies and knowing what is coming needed next. Emily’s mother would probably try to grab all the things she could hold under her arms on the way out. Like his daughter, Mister Conrad would be making sure people are out.
Joseph and the boys live through disaster after disaster with the Army of the Potomac, so you get to read how they deal with those things. Is a barn fire a natural type disaster?
In OP-DEC, you get a clue from the characters of what they would do in a disaster evac. They’re facing World War II and, although they have money, there are many hardships faced in mobilizing the nation and supporting the fight against the Axis Powers. Claire holds tight to her purse. It was the only thing in hand when things go south. Her Aunt is worried about her. Carsten, a military man, only concerns himself with his weapon and prisoners. Carroll carries only his arrogance and plans for a new life.
If the disasters were natural instead of manmade, Claire and her aunt may have packed the bags they brought Boston for their brief stay and go with those. Carsten would likely pack a bug out bag. Carroll would have gathered some papers and cash. An evac was pretty common in those days. People had plans.
Trailokya is more similar to OP-DEC in this manner when it comes to an evac. It’s a warzone, if you’re not familiar with the series, full of operatives and operations. Frankly, there are no disasters in Zion. It’s heaven! That said, in the lower realms, that is not the case. Avernus would undo you down to your atoms. Your mind might unravel in Astral. In Samsara, you’d face so many opportunities for suffering and disaster. A step worse is Jahannam where everything is waiting to feed on you. Then, there is oblivion–the eraser of all.
There are so many characters to choose from. How do I pick? Let’s go with Primus Gediel as our first evac choice. He’s going to take his pack, who are also well-trained military personnel. The squad will make sure each other get out. So, likely just whatever weapons and accoutrements are upon them. Gediel isn’t concerned with things, just tools he understands he needs and his squad.
Pretty much, all of the Duta function in this way. The big deal they would be sure to have on them is the penannular. They’re soldiers, so they’re not going to be concerned with household things. There’s nothing much to explore here. What about the Alders? They’re more interesting.
Can an alder pack up an entire library of bureaucratic documents? Duta do have technology. I imagine the tablets they use contain everything That said, what about the servers? I should really explore what that looks like. Imagine crystals and minds–Jungian universal mind stuff.
The Danava are completely opposite. That said, as greedy as they are, do they care about anything enough to preserve it? Do they run about like Gollum with their precious? Some, yes. So picture them running away with odd treasures. Kicking each other down in the fray so they can steal them. The more sophisticated ones might grab a feeder (meaning a atman they keep enslaved to feed themselves on). That’s going to attract their own, so they’re going to take weapons to protect their feeder. They sometimes becomes packs, sticking to each other in distrustful troop.
Circling back to duta, let’s look at a guardian–any guardian, in general. What would they grab in a disaster? Think about what their purpose is. They have an assign to protect, so whatever they grab has to do with that person. Weapons, armor, and tokens will be high on the list. While they can’t actually pick up their assign and move them (in 99% of the cases), they will stand with them through whatever comes. So will the danava seeking an opportunity to snatch them.
Making a conjecture about any of the characters in the Trailokya series is pretty easy based on what role they fill and their species. Perspectives are everything. What happens when the perspective a character has is skewed by something like an incarnation (being alive in a bio vessel in Samsara)? This is where things get far more interesting to think about. And then, I’ll point you to the start of this article, and what the humans in the other books choose.
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I always assumed that safety deposit boxes in banks were fireproof, but in the recent California fires, many were damaged or destroyed.
Living in England, we never have to face this sort of question (maybe climate change will alter that?). But having worked on ships, I know where my stuff is, ready to go at short notice.
It’s crazy to think about how little time we might have in an evacuation scenario. And as you pointed out, the challenge for people dealing with abuse would make it so much harder to get out safely with their essential things. It makes me realize how important it is to have a plan in place for everyone, no matter their situation.
I hadn’t thought about the extra layer of difficulty for those in abusive situations when evacuating. It really makes you realize how much of your safety depends on control over your personal items.
Fantastic post, cheers for the insight! ??