The Forever War Chapter Summary & Analysis - Private Mandella, Chapters 4-6 Summary

Private Mandella, Chapters 4-6 Summary

Using Sergeant Cortez as a model, the armorer demonstrates the multiple features of the fighting suit. Every command to the suit is given by its wearer, utilizing a series of minute motions of the body. The company is reminded that while most of them can apply a hand grip of over a hundred pounds, in the fighting suits that grip is multiplied exponentially, making it possible to easily tear a thick shaft of steel in two as well as break their own necks if they are not careful. In the outside environment on Charon the suit is a deadly weapon, especially to the person inside if its powers are handled carelessly. The armorer explains that within the last two months alone, eleven casualties have occurred as a result of the suits' exhaust systems coming into contact with the plentiful pools of frozen helium and hydrogen located all over the planet.