Part II: The MissionIf I die in a combat zone
Tell all the people in homeland
That I did my best.
If I die in a combat zone
Tell that pretty girl of mine
That I bring best memories with me.
If I die in a combat zone
Tell all my best friends
That I died facing the gun.
If I die in a combat zone
I don\'t need my name on grave.
Etch instead that there was;
A man who lived, fought and died.-From "If I Die in a Combat Zone"
-The Song of Mercenaries
---2005---
Alaska is cold. The cold there is unrelenting and dangerous, yet there is a tranquil peace that comes from the flat white masses of ice and snow. I suppose that’s why Solid Snake stays there. He’s there, searching for peace and a lifetime of solitude, far away from the politicians and large pockets of human civilization that he has saved so many times. He saved them from themselves and now that he has, the last place he wants to be is anywhere near them. However, one does not have to look for trouble to find it, trouble usually finds you.
A helicopter sets down near Snake’s isolated home. The blades whir and scream as they brush away layers of snowflakes and frost. Out of the steal screaming beast comes a group of figures carrying pieces of angular rounded steel meant to do damage unthinkable to most people roaming the Earth. Today, however, they are being used as a threat to lure a man once perceived as the world’s greatest soldier and the enemy’s greatest threat into a situation he can’t possibly avoid. Solid Snake is once again, on active duty.
Now, Solid Snake sits angered and annoyed in a room filled with two human bodies, a large monitor, and several whirring surveillance cameras. Snake, stripped of his clothing and his free will, scowls at the two people walking hurriedly about the room. He recognizes at least one of the people and begins to form assumptions about his “capture.” The name of that one recognized man is Roy Campbell, Colonel and former commander of the High-Tech Special Forces Unit: Fox-Hound, the unit Snake was formerly a member of.
“I’ll get right to the point Snake…” Roy Campbell says as he reaches for a projector button.
Five hours ago, a group of heavily armed next-generation Special Forces led by members of Fox-hound took over a remote top-secret nuclear disposal facility on Shadow Moses Island in the Fox Archipelago off the coast of Alaska. They are holding two men hostage: DARPA (The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) Chief, Donald Anderson and ARMSTECH President, Kenneth Baker. The Terrorists also claim to have the ability to launch a nuclear weapon at any part of the globe.
Snake is going in with two mission objectives, rescue the hostages, Donald Anderson and Kenneth Baker and investigate the situation and determine if the Terrorists have the ability to launch a nuclear weapon. If they do have the ability to launch, you are to stop them using any means necessary. The deadline is 24-hours and the timer started five hours ago.
“What are the Terrorists demands?” The Terrorists are asking for the remains of Fox-Hound’s former leader and quite possibly the greatest soldier ever trained, Big Boss. His body was recovered from the debris of Zanzibar Land, which Snake destroyed six years ago.
“What’s the insertion method?”Snake must penetrate the hardened underground facility in a one-man SDV (Swimmer Delivery Vehicle), ditch the SDV near the coast and swim the rest of the journey into the fortress. An air insertion is impossible thanks to the Alaskan winds and the sub can not carry Snake to the coast because the bases sonar buoys would detect it miles before it even came close. Thanks to the latest advances in nano-technology and anti-freezing peptides, Snake can swim miles in the freezing Alaskan water and never feel a chill.
Since the mission is a top-secret black-op, weapons and rations are On-Site Procurement, meaning Snake will have to go in, bare-handed, and obtain weapons from the armories, or from fallen guards.
Assisting Snake on this mission will be Doctor Naomi Hunter, scientist and creator of the special force’s gene therapy. She is the designer of Snake’s anti-freezing peptides, and the nano-machines that keep Snake’s Codec batteries charged. In addition to keeping Snake from freezing, the peptide also contained adrenaline, sugar and nuero-tropic, which improve mental functioning. The injection also contained Benzedrine, which can keep Snake alert for 12 hours no matter the circumstance.
“Snake… I have a favor to ask,” Campbell said, “I need you to rescue my niece, Meryl Silverbergh.”Meryl is the daughter of Campbell’s deceased brother. It’s his job to look after her, but on the day of the revolt, many soldiers did not report for duty and an emergency replacement team was sent in. Meryl was among them and she is now being held at the facility. Snake agrees so long as the Campbell gives the orders directly to Snake and Campbell relays all information to Snake as well. No secrets. Campbell agrees without hesitation.
“Why do the Terrorists want Big Boss’ remains?”The genomic information present in Big Boss is more dangerous then any nuclear weapon. Soldier genes are responsible for the world’s most elite Special Forces, not just hard training and combat experience. A man can be considered a hardened veteran from the day he is born so long as enough soldier genes reside in his genetic makeup. If enough genes are spliced into current day soldiers, a fighting force of unprecedented power can be formed that is capable of annihilating any force on the globe. Currently, the next-generation special forces contain several of the soldier genes identified and because of this; they consider themselves to be the
“Sons of Big Boss.”There are six members of Special Forces Unit Fox-Hound that are leading the revolt.
Psycho Mantis: The most powerful psychic in the world capable of reading people’s minds as well as moving objects telepathically.
Sniper Wolf: The incredibly beautiful and possibly most deadly sharpshooter in the world capable of staying in any given position for weeks on end.
Decoy Octopus: He is Fox Hound’s master of disguise. He has severely damaged his own face so he can mimic others more closely then anyone has ever devised.
Vulcan Raven: A giant and Shaman. Raven is the muscle and spiritualistic member of the group.
Revolver Ocelot: Revolver is incredibly deadly with his 6-shot army pistol and is a master of interrogation.
Liquid Snake: The leader of the F-Hound group with the same codename as Solid Snake. The two men look nearly identical and Solid Snake is the only man on Earth who can match Liquid’s abilities.
Solid Snake was surprised at the likeness between the two men even calling him his “twin.” In light of the situation, Snake quickly cut his hair and prepared to begin the mission by stepping into the VR simulator.
