Hazard Detector

Written by Cyborg Starfish

Tamar's guide to Safe Travel, part II

So now you've got yourself a Filter Mask that suits your purpose. The next thing you need is a hazard detector. This trusty little device will help you identify known environmental hazards, and like filter masks, they come in various shapes and sizes, fit for any purpose. This guide will help you find the right hazard detector for your journey.

One: research the areas you will be travelling through

Obviously, you can't predict exactly what hazards you will be facing with one hundred percent accuracy, but some regions are known for their hazards, and many of these hazards will spill over into ther regions from time to time. By researching the regions you will be going through or will be close to at one point, you can make a base estimate of what hazards you will likely encounter, and you can seek out a hazard detector that can recognize those hazards. As you will likely already know, the same goes for filter masks. There is unfortunately no one size fits all solution, so be sure to prepare yourself.

Two: know how the detector works

Regardless of what kind of detector you choose, unless you got it from the other side of the world, the vast majority of detectors will function in the same way. A hazard detector consists of two parts. The first part is what we call the lantern, it is a small container at the top of the device that is filled with an alchemical liquid that will heat up when reacting to a hazard, causing the lantern to become warm to the touch and emit a bright red light that is impossible to miss. We call this liquid the fuel. The second is a small glass vial, filled with identification fluid. This alchemical mixture will react to certain hazards by changing its colour. When it's not detecting anything, the fluid will be either transparent or black, depending on how advanced your detector is. Each colour the fluid changes into will represent a different hazard, so you know what you're dealing with. When in doupt, ask your outpost to provide you with a list of colours and their corresponding hazards. For a short overview, here is a general list of common hazards and their corresponding colour.

• Red: heavy air pollution
• Green: Poison Light
• Blue: toxic spores

Note that the specifics of each hazard will alter the colour of the fluid. For example: the fluid will react to the spores of a specific fungus by turning a different shade of blue.

Three: get your detector from an outpost you know and trust

Unfortunately, there have been recent reports of so-called 'for profit' outpost springing up along the Rolonuxanan river. These outposts will charge you for essential survival tools, forcing you to give them some of your recources before they give you the tools you need. Most of the time, the tools you get from these outposts are of sub-par quality, because these for profit outposts are only there to maximize their resources, not actually help travellers stay alive. Legitimate outposts will always give you the essential tools for free and allow you to donate some of your resources to them if you can.

Four: get your refills

If your detector's lantern starts dimming, or your identification fluid reacts more slowly, that means it's soon time for a refill. You can get new fuel and fresh identification fluid as any outpost, but it's also reccomended to have some refills on hand, especially when you know you're going to be on the road for quite some time. No-one wants to end up with an empty detector lantern or inadequate identification fluid. It can literally be a matter of life and death. But don't worry, properly designed hazard detectors will last quite a long time without needing a refill. Somewhere around fifteen days at least. More advanced detectors can even last twice as long. Make sure you have a base estimate of how long your journey will take, and remember: as long as you can store them in places where they won't be at risk of breaking or spilling, there is no shame in bringing way more refills than you need.

And last but not least: a general health and safety warning

The detector lanten fuel and the identification liquid are poisonous. Ironic, no? But seriously, although both fluids won't burn through your skin when touched, they will cause food poisoning when injected, blood poisoning when coming in contact with open wound, and severe eye irritation and even blindness when coming in contact with your eyes. Don't do anything that these liquids weren't designed for, and keep them away from children, or your animal companions.

And remember, don't travel alone.