The air about him was dense…humid, a probable result of a rain storm
that had just passed. The storm worked to his advantage however, wetting
the forest floor, thereby muffling the sound of his footsteps. These
measures of stealth were required…they always were. To give away his
position, to expose himself to the enemy was to risk his life and
compromise his mission, never a good thing. The figure grumbled to himself
as he stepped in a rather deep puddle, soaking him up to his shin. A curse
was muttered under his breath as he pulled his leg out of the water, most
likely containing the wastes of some kind of forest animal native to the
area.
No sooner had his legged been pulled free of the dampness when a loud ring erupted within his ear. As he had done many times before, the man fell to his knees and placed a hand over the corresponding ear, still buzzing with his Codec's trademark ring tone. The man was the first to speak as the conversation started.
"Otacon?"
"Snake? How's the mission progressing?"
"Well enough, though I can't say I enjoy trudging through collected rainwater. God knows what's in it…"
"Deal with it. Can you see The Dome yet?"
"I can see a clearing in the forest, but nothing on visual. Hold on, I'll try out my goggles."
"Hybrid ultraviolet and night vision goggles. It's the least expensive method of detecting stealth objects that don't put off enough heat to be recognized by infrared vision."
"Heh, always ready to advertise your new toys?"
"Don't thank me, Mei Ling was the one to send us this equipment, all free of charge for the most part."
Snake only chuckled as he reached down for a pair of goggles that hung loose around his neck. With the slight motion of a finger, he flipped it on before putting the binocular-like tool to his eyes. He could indeed see the exterior shell of The Dome, a military facility that used a large- scale stealth device, not unlike the one Otacon had developed years ago. It's function was, obviously, to conceal the installation, based in a large forest area of Montana. Many hunters and hikers came through this forest, and if any one of them were to discover its presence, well, it wouldn't be good…
"Alright, I have visual confirmation of The Dome. Any pearls of wisdom you'd like to share before I go in?"
"Just a quick review of your objectives and the background of the mission."
"Fair enough…"
"Alright then…as you know, this base, known by its nickname, 'The Dome', is rumored to be housing a new type of nuclear weapon. We have reason to believe it could very well be a new type of Metal Gear. We'll need you to confirm this, most likely with your Digital Camera-"
"Hold on, this is sounding far too much like that Tanker mission…"
"Don't worry, I didn't receive any anonymous tips regarding this mission, though I would advise you to shoot out any Cyphers that come your way…just in case."
"Funny."
"…At any rate, you'll need to gain access to the base and learn where the weapon is stored. Be careful though, the installation is guarded by several Army Ranger units, some of the best the military has to offer."
"Completely unaware of the situation?"
"Would it matter if they were? Report back to me once you gain visual confirmation of the new weapon and we'll decide what to do based on the severity of the weapon. I'll still check up on you periodically of course, but if anything comes up, contact me. My frequency is 141.12. I set up another frequency for the saving of mission progress data, 140.96."
"Saving mission data? This isn't a video game…"
"No, but it's always nice to have a record of things, and you can even use it to save pictures taken with your digital camera."
"You think of everything, don't you?"
"I am responsible for planning these things out you know…anyways, I've gotta get back to digging up some more info regarding the operation."
"Alright, Snake out."
Snake sighed in relief as he switched his Codec off and stood up once more. With a grunt, he trudged onward through the thick slush of water, leaves and twigs that had covered the entirety of the forest floor. The dome was just ahead, growing larger with each of his steps. In no time at all, he had left the safety and concealment of the trees. The dome itself was solid, though most likely transparent on a one-way level. He couldn't see through it, and wouldn't be able to unless he had a pair of x-ray goggles. His best chance of approaching was a slow and steady one.
With an outward sigh, he dropped to the ground and began to crawl forwards, slowly. Though the enemy wouldn't be able to fire upon him without leaving The Dome itself, there was no excuse for them not to sound the alarm, resulting in full preparation in the form of a firing squad once he set foot inside the base.
The next half-hour was nerve-wracking as Snake made his silent approach. His senses fully-tuned, ready to react at the slightest sign of danger. More than once a bird's chip or a coyote's howl made his heart skip a beat. Once upon the exterior wall of The Dome, Snake quickly flattened himself against the surface, and searched frantically for an entry. By luck alone, a small door-like entryway could seen several meters from his position. Snake sighed to himself as he side-stepped his way over to the entry. The back of his sneaking suit slid over the glass-like material that formed The Dome's shell. Snake sighed once more, this time in relief as he reached the door. With a deep breath, Snake approached the door, very much similar to the doors found in the Plant. However, instead of the expected 'swoosh' of the door, he was greeted by a loud buzz. Access denied…
"Dammit…"
In a small fit of rage, Snake slammed his fist down upon the door in defiance. He was quick to regret it however, as a muffled voice from the other side could be heard.
"Who's there?"
"Shit!"
Snake was quick to throw himself against the surface of the shell, though he remained calm. This calmness was broken however as his muscles tightened, a reaction to the 'fwoosh' of the now opening door. An Army Ranger, surprisingly young stepped out into the open, completely unaware of what he had gotten himself into.
With a smug smile, Snake threw his arms around the man's neck, applying pressure as he did. The Ranger yelled in surprise as he was dragged away from the door. Releasing one arm, Snake went for his M-9, the same one he used on the Tanker. He smiled some before speaking as he pulled the trigger, sending forth a small tranquilizer dart into the man's jugular vein.
"Nighty, night…"
The Ranger's struggles weakened as the sedation took effect. His grunts of defiance also weakened as he slowly, yet steadily slipped into slumber. With a gentle 'thud', the man fell to the ground, unconscious. Snake grinned slightly as he crouched, checking for weapons and ammo. The M4 was far too robust to use as a stealth weapon, though the Glock 31 could prove useful. Complimented by ammo and rations, Snake was set to go. Before he rose to his feet however, Snake did check one last pocket, of which his curiosity was rewarded upon finding a level 1 security card.
Silently thanking the man for the equipment, Snake stood up, stretching a bit before walking over towards the door, and entering as it slid open for him. What had been revealed was a long corridor, the interior of a building no doubt. Snake would have to find some kind of node to log into in order to gain access to the building's floor plans. With a soft sigh, he set out to do just that, taking his first steps inside The Dome.
No sooner had his legged been pulled free of the dampness when a loud ring erupted within his ear. As he had done many times before, the man fell to his knees and placed a hand over the corresponding ear, still buzzing with his Codec's trademark ring tone. The man was the first to speak as the conversation started.
"Otacon?"
"Snake? How's the mission progressing?"
"Well enough, though I can't say I enjoy trudging through collected rainwater. God knows what's in it…"
"Deal with it. Can you see The Dome yet?"
"I can see a clearing in the forest, but nothing on visual. Hold on, I'll try out my goggles."
"Hybrid ultraviolet and night vision goggles. It's the least expensive method of detecting stealth objects that don't put off enough heat to be recognized by infrared vision."
"Heh, always ready to advertise your new toys?"
"Don't thank me, Mei Ling was the one to send us this equipment, all free of charge for the most part."
Snake only chuckled as he reached down for a pair of goggles that hung loose around his neck. With the slight motion of a finger, he flipped it on before putting the binocular-like tool to his eyes. He could indeed see the exterior shell of The Dome, a military facility that used a large- scale stealth device, not unlike the one Otacon had developed years ago. It's function was, obviously, to conceal the installation, based in a large forest area of Montana. Many hunters and hikers came through this forest, and if any one of them were to discover its presence, well, it wouldn't be good…
"Alright, I have visual confirmation of The Dome. Any pearls of wisdom you'd like to share before I go in?"
"Just a quick review of your objectives and the background of the mission."
"Fair enough…"
"Alright then…as you know, this base, known by its nickname, 'The Dome', is rumored to be housing a new type of nuclear weapon. We have reason to believe it could very well be a new type of Metal Gear. We'll need you to confirm this, most likely with your Digital Camera-"
"Hold on, this is sounding far too much like that Tanker mission…"
"Don't worry, I didn't receive any anonymous tips regarding this mission, though I would advise you to shoot out any Cyphers that come your way…just in case."
"Funny."
"…At any rate, you'll need to gain access to the base and learn where the weapon is stored. Be careful though, the installation is guarded by several Army Ranger units, some of the best the military has to offer."
"Completely unaware of the situation?"
"Would it matter if they were? Report back to me once you gain visual confirmation of the new weapon and we'll decide what to do based on the severity of the weapon. I'll still check up on you periodically of course, but if anything comes up, contact me. My frequency is 141.12. I set up another frequency for the saving of mission progress data, 140.96."
"Saving mission data? This isn't a video game…"
"No, but it's always nice to have a record of things, and you can even use it to save pictures taken with your digital camera."
"You think of everything, don't you?"
"I am responsible for planning these things out you know…anyways, I've gotta get back to digging up some more info regarding the operation."
"Alright, Snake out."
Snake sighed in relief as he switched his Codec off and stood up once more. With a grunt, he trudged onward through the thick slush of water, leaves and twigs that had covered the entirety of the forest floor. The dome was just ahead, growing larger with each of his steps. In no time at all, he had left the safety and concealment of the trees. The dome itself was solid, though most likely transparent on a one-way level. He couldn't see through it, and wouldn't be able to unless he had a pair of x-ray goggles. His best chance of approaching was a slow and steady one.
With an outward sigh, he dropped to the ground and began to crawl forwards, slowly. Though the enemy wouldn't be able to fire upon him without leaving The Dome itself, there was no excuse for them not to sound the alarm, resulting in full preparation in the form of a firing squad once he set foot inside the base.
The next half-hour was nerve-wracking as Snake made his silent approach. His senses fully-tuned, ready to react at the slightest sign of danger. More than once a bird's chip or a coyote's howl made his heart skip a beat. Once upon the exterior wall of The Dome, Snake quickly flattened himself against the surface, and searched frantically for an entry. By luck alone, a small door-like entryway could seen several meters from his position. Snake sighed to himself as he side-stepped his way over to the entry. The back of his sneaking suit slid over the glass-like material that formed The Dome's shell. Snake sighed once more, this time in relief as he reached the door. With a deep breath, Snake approached the door, very much similar to the doors found in the Plant. However, instead of the expected 'swoosh' of the door, he was greeted by a loud buzz. Access denied…
"Dammit…"
In a small fit of rage, Snake slammed his fist down upon the door in defiance. He was quick to regret it however, as a muffled voice from the other side could be heard.
"Who's there?"
"Shit!"
Snake was quick to throw himself against the surface of the shell, though he remained calm. This calmness was broken however as his muscles tightened, a reaction to the 'fwoosh' of the now opening door. An Army Ranger, surprisingly young stepped out into the open, completely unaware of what he had gotten himself into.
With a smug smile, Snake threw his arms around the man's neck, applying pressure as he did. The Ranger yelled in surprise as he was dragged away from the door. Releasing one arm, Snake went for his M-9, the same one he used on the Tanker. He smiled some before speaking as he pulled the trigger, sending forth a small tranquilizer dart into the man's jugular vein.
"Nighty, night…"
The Ranger's struggles weakened as the sedation took effect. His grunts of defiance also weakened as he slowly, yet steadily slipped into slumber. With a gentle 'thud', the man fell to the ground, unconscious. Snake grinned slightly as he crouched, checking for weapons and ammo. The M4 was far too robust to use as a stealth weapon, though the Glock 31 could prove useful. Complimented by ammo and rations, Snake was set to go. Before he rose to his feet however, Snake did check one last pocket, of which his curiosity was rewarded upon finding a level 1 security card.
Silently thanking the man for the equipment, Snake stood up, stretching a bit before walking over towards the door, and entering as it slid open for him. What had been revealed was a long corridor, the interior of a building no doubt. Snake would have to find some kind of node to log into in order to gain access to the building's floor plans. With a soft sigh, he set out to do just that, taking his first steps inside The Dome.