Chapter Ten: The Perfect Cell
The elevator stopped on the third floor, and opened to the white, lit halls of Hell's Outpost. Ocelot led the way to the staircase, Desperado following close behind. Ocelot was not one to take trust in others, but Desperado seemed closer. It was clear that a friendship, or something of the sort, had been in place preceding their reunion. It was odd seeing Ocelot act like a friend; like a companion.
They came to the steps that led to the top of the building, and to the ground floor. Something lurched in Ocelot's stomach and he swiftly peered up the stairwell.
"Hmm," he thought out loud, "peculiar…" Ocelot turned back to Desperado who was standing perfectly content behind him. He looked ready for anything. The bulges in his jacket eluded to the fact that he was loaded with guns, and there was no doubt that he was nearly as speedy as Ocelot when the fighting grew intense. Ocelot seemed to respect him, and unless he had some sort of trick or skill, he would not be subject to such respect.
"Shall we?" Desperado slipped a Desert Eagle from a holster beneath his overcoat. He thirsted for battle, but Ocelot waved him down.
"No," Ocelot replied. "Nothing more than a rat," he said as he stepped in front of Desperado and started down the stairs. "Or a snake…" he muttered to himself, but it was too quiet for Desperado to pick up and so they continued down the stairs to the level below where Jack the Ripper had claimed he would be waiting.
When they reached the landing, Ocelot stepped into the hallway ahead of him, and tightened his belt before looking left and then right, examining his surroundings. The lurch had not left him, and Desperado sensed his concern.
"Are you sure, Shalashaska?" Desperado implored. Ocelot grimaced, and without turning, he replied.
"Curiosity killed the cat, my friend," Ocelot spoke softly: his way of saying that they would ignore his instinct. "Come," he pivoted to the right and continued down the hall, Desperado following him, a look of disappointment in his eyes.
Before long, the lurch in Ocelot's stomach had died away, and the two of them had reached a door that seemed to be their destination, for Ocelot had stopped at it. He looked back at Desperado and said before entering the room; "It is good having you by my side again." Desperado tipped his western-style hat and at that, Ocelot entered the room.
Sitting at a desk at the far end of the room, which was furnished quite nicely, was Jack. His feet were propped on the desk and he seemed to be admiring the room around him when the two entered. It was very different from the rest of the Outpost. The lighting was dim and yellow, giving the red walls a slight glow, and unlike the tiled and concrete floors, they were carpeted. Ocelot led Desperado to the desk and Jack lowered his feet and stood, then moved out from behind his desk to shake hands with Ocelot's friend.
"Hi," Jack shook the man's hand and then retreated to his desk again, pulling open drawers in pursuit of a certain something. Then, he held up a golden key. "Sorry I have not invited you to a glass of wine, but time is of the essence, and this," he paused to insert the key in another desk drawer, "is the key to your riches." The drawer slid open and from it Jack pulled a platinum suitcase, its shape rather odd, then set it on the desk.
Desperado moved in and peered into the suitcase as Jack opened it. 15 million dollars worth of green, paper bills sat there, looking back at him so invitingly. "Impressive," he said and then he set his own suitcase on the desktop next to the money, and after punching in a six-digit code on the side of the case, the locks released and an air tight mechanism slid open. Desperado lifted the lid and Jack's eyes grew with excitement.
Hovering in a complex case in the shape of a three-dimensional octagon was a glowing sphere. It was the Perfect Cell. Desperado could sense Jack's anticipation, as well as Ocelot's. "The octagonal cage is the only thing keeping it from dropping. It has a built-in anti-gravity system and the oxygen within the cage is composed of pure particles, unaffected by the particles in the air we breathe." Jack moved around the desk to get a better look, and as Desperado stepped away, he continued. "The Perfect Cell itself is too small to be seen, but the radiation, along with the sheer magnetic and electric activity within it causes that glow, making it seem much larger than it truly is."
"So it is safe?" Ocelot asked. Desperado shot a look at him and nodded.
"Completely. As long as nobody disturbs the cage that binds it, the Perfect Cell remains entirely safe," Desperado returned and then stepped up to the suitcase of money that sat open on the desk. He held out his arms to close it, and then lifted it off of the desktop. Jack's eyes were twinkling, centered on the Perfect Cell.
"Hold on," Jack called and Desperado waited. Jack turned back to him and smiled. "I was hoping you could stay with us for a while longer. We are running short on guards, and security is lacking…" Desperado could see that Jack had no intentions of letting him get away so soon.
"Shalashaska?" Desperado asked as he turned to face Ocelot.
"It…would be nice to have you around longer," he said, and Desperado nodded.
"Where am I needed, Mr. Ripper?" Jack seemed amused by the way he had been addressed. Ocelot called him by the same name. It was rubbing off.
"We are to be expecting guests," Jack said. "If you could…take a post in the Spire. If you see anything, contact us by radio." Jack went around behind his desk and pulled from one of the many drawers, a small radio transmitter. He handed it to Desperado who looked back with a penetrating look in his eyes.
"Yes sir," he said.
"Please," Ocelot said, "could you give us a moment, good friend?" Desperado nodded and started out of the room, closing the door behind him. Ocelot turned to Jack, somewhat disbelieving, somewhat enraged. "What do you want with him?"
Jack chuckled. "Oh, 'Shalashaska' it is nice to see you sticking up for your friends. I didn't know you had it in you." Ocelot pointed threateningly at Jack who calmly took a seat and propped his feet up on the desk, beside the Perfect Cell.
"Do not make me your enemy! I do not want it, and neither do you. Now why do you want him to stay?" Ocelot's voice rose.
"I am not letting him go so soon… I have reason to believe Snake has also found his way into the building. I heard some racket coming from above, and Turret has yet to respond to my calls. If he has fallen, certainly Snake has freed Jack from confinement. He is somewhere in this building…"
"Why are you afraid of him?" Ocelot questioned. Jack's eyes moved to the floor, attempting to avoid direct eye contact with Ocelot.
"You don't understand," Jack started, but Ocelot stopped him.
"Your identity from here on out does not matter. As soon as word circulates through the government, Jack will be history! If he manages to survive this account, he'll be imprisoned immediately!" Ocelot stated loudly.
"I never liked the name Jack," he said. "I think I will be…Rogue. That seems suitable enough," Jack (or Rogue) said. Ocelot grinned.
"It is surprising that you have the leadership skills that you do," Ocelot claimed. "Clones do not normally possess such advanced character traits." Rogue dropped his feet to the floor and stretched. He went around the desk and before closing the platinum suitcase he looked up at Ocelot.
"Do you know the code?" He asked. Ocelot nodded.
"128538," Ocelot recited and Rogue clamped the top down, locks engaging as he did. The Perfect Cell was secured.
The elevator stopped on the third floor, and opened to the white, lit halls of Hell's Outpost. Ocelot led the way to the staircase, Desperado following close behind. Ocelot was not one to take trust in others, but Desperado seemed closer. It was clear that a friendship, or something of the sort, had been in place preceding their reunion. It was odd seeing Ocelot act like a friend; like a companion.
They came to the steps that led to the top of the building, and to the ground floor. Something lurched in Ocelot's stomach and he swiftly peered up the stairwell.
"Hmm," he thought out loud, "peculiar…" Ocelot turned back to Desperado who was standing perfectly content behind him. He looked ready for anything. The bulges in his jacket eluded to the fact that he was loaded with guns, and there was no doubt that he was nearly as speedy as Ocelot when the fighting grew intense. Ocelot seemed to respect him, and unless he had some sort of trick or skill, he would not be subject to such respect.
"Shall we?" Desperado slipped a Desert Eagle from a holster beneath his overcoat. He thirsted for battle, but Ocelot waved him down.
"No," Ocelot replied. "Nothing more than a rat," he said as he stepped in front of Desperado and started down the stairs. "Or a snake…" he muttered to himself, but it was too quiet for Desperado to pick up and so they continued down the stairs to the level below where Jack the Ripper had claimed he would be waiting.
When they reached the landing, Ocelot stepped into the hallway ahead of him, and tightened his belt before looking left and then right, examining his surroundings. The lurch had not left him, and Desperado sensed his concern.
"Are you sure, Shalashaska?" Desperado implored. Ocelot grimaced, and without turning, he replied.
"Curiosity killed the cat, my friend," Ocelot spoke softly: his way of saying that they would ignore his instinct. "Come," he pivoted to the right and continued down the hall, Desperado following him, a look of disappointment in his eyes.
Before long, the lurch in Ocelot's stomach had died away, and the two of them had reached a door that seemed to be their destination, for Ocelot had stopped at it. He looked back at Desperado and said before entering the room; "It is good having you by my side again." Desperado tipped his western-style hat and at that, Ocelot entered the room.
Sitting at a desk at the far end of the room, which was furnished quite nicely, was Jack. His feet were propped on the desk and he seemed to be admiring the room around him when the two entered. It was very different from the rest of the Outpost. The lighting was dim and yellow, giving the red walls a slight glow, and unlike the tiled and concrete floors, they were carpeted. Ocelot led Desperado to the desk and Jack lowered his feet and stood, then moved out from behind his desk to shake hands with Ocelot's friend.
"Hi," Jack shook the man's hand and then retreated to his desk again, pulling open drawers in pursuit of a certain something. Then, he held up a golden key. "Sorry I have not invited you to a glass of wine, but time is of the essence, and this," he paused to insert the key in another desk drawer, "is the key to your riches." The drawer slid open and from it Jack pulled a platinum suitcase, its shape rather odd, then set it on the desk.
Desperado moved in and peered into the suitcase as Jack opened it. 15 million dollars worth of green, paper bills sat there, looking back at him so invitingly. "Impressive," he said and then he set his own suitcase on the desktop next to the money, and after punching in a six-digit code on the side of the case, the locks released and an air tight mechanism slid open. Desperado lifted the lid and Jack's eyes grew with excitement.
Hovering in a complex case in the shape of a three-dimensional octagon was a glowing sphere. It was the Perfect Cell. Desperado could sense Jack's anticipation, as well as Ocelot's. "The octagonal cage is the only thing keeping it from dropping. It has a built-in anti-gravity system and the oxygen within the cage is composed of pure particles, unaffected by the particles in the air we breathe." Jack moved around the desk to get a better look, and as Desperado stepped away, he continued. "The Perfect Cell itself is too small to be seen, but the radiation, along with the sheer magnetic and electric activity within it causes that glow, making it seem much larger than it truly is."
"So it is safe?" Ocelot asked. Desperado shot a look at him and nodded.
"Completely. As long as nobody disturbs the cage that binds it, the Perfect Cell remains entirely safe," Desperado returned and then stepped up to the suitcase of money that sat open on the desk. He held out his arms to close it, and then lifted it off of the desktop. Jack's eyes were twinkling, centered on the Perfect Cell.
"Hold on," Jack called and Desperado waited. Jack turned back to him and smiled. "I was hoping you could stay with us for a while longer. We are running short on guards, and security is lacking…" Desperado could see that Jack had no intentions of letting him get away so soon.
"Shalashaska?" Desperado asked as he turned to face Ocelot.
"It…would be nice to have you around longer," he said, and Desperado nodded.
"Where am I needed, Mr. Ripper?" Jack seemed amused by the way he had been addressed. Ocelot called him by the same name. It was rubbing off.
"We are to be expecting guests," Jack said. "If you could…take a post in the Spire. If you see anything, contact us by radio." Jack went around behind his desk and pulled from one of the many drawers, a small radio transmitter. He handed it to Desperado who looked back with a penetrating look in his eyes.
"Yes sir," he said.
"Please," Ocelot said, "could you give us a moment, good friend?" Desperado nodded and started out of the room, closing the door behind him. Ocelot turned to Jack, somewhat disbelieving, somewhat enraged. "What do you want with him?"
Jack chuckled. "Oh, 'Shalashaska' it is nice to see you sticking up for your friends. I didn't know you had it in you." Ocelot pointed threateningly at Jack who calmly took a seat and propped his feet up on the desk, beside the Perfect Cell.
"Do not make me your enemy! I do not want it, and neither do you. Now why do you want him to stay?" Ocelot's voice rose.
"I am not letting him go so soon… I have reason to believe Snake has also found his way into the building. I heard some racket coming from above, and Turret has yet to respond to my calls. If he has fallen, certainly Snake has freed Jack from confinement. He is somewhere in this building…"
"Why are you afraid of him?" Ocelot questioned. Jack's eyes moved to the floor, attempting to avoid direct eye contact with Ocelot.
"You don't understand," Jack started, but Ocelot stopped him.
"Your identity from here on out does not matter. As soon as word circulates through the government, Jack will be history! If he manages to survive this account, he'll be imprisoned immediately!" Ocelot stated loudly.
"I never liked the name Jack," he said. "I think I will be…Rogue. That seems suitable enough," Jack (or Rogue) said. Ocelot grinned.
"It is surprising that you have the leadership skills that you do," Ocelot claimed. "Clones do not normally possess such advanced character traits." Rogue dropped his feet to the floor and stretched. He went around the desk and before closing the platinum suitcase he looked up at Ocelot.
"Do you know the code?" He asked. Ocelot nodded.
"128538," Ocelot recited and Rogue clamped the top down, locks engaging as he did. The Perfect Cell was secured.