Chapter Fourteen: Weightless
The moments that followed were as endless as any Jack or Snake had ever experienced. It was like being on the opposite end of a transmission that has been cut with a scream. There is so much bewilderment…so much wonder. Like in Hell's Outpost, when Snake and Jack were abandoned by the faint glow of the moon, and to be locked within a single floor, a madman at their heels.
The two stood readily, Jack more leaning than truly standing. But, both of them held the same…fear. It was the same fear they had experienced in that very moment at Hell's Outpost…that wretched uncertainty that rocked them closer and close to the ebb of existence where they would fall…where they would drown in their own emotions, too afraid to sneak or hide or fight. They would die on themselves.
But, more than a test of strength, their predicament was one of the mind. Their opponents number five: Frost, Formal, the new shady figure, and themselves. They had to do away with their strengths – aim and stealth – and work primarily on their weakness – teamwork.
"I've got some Optic NVL's," Jack said, and quickly Snake turned to him.
"You're my eyes," he said, and Jack nodded, only seeing the faint blue outline of Snake's sharp features.
Pulling forth a small container, one like that used for a pair of contacts, Jack undid the top and reached within. Seperating his eyelids wide, he dabbed the surface of his most eyes, and blinked. He did the same with his other eye before kneeling and touching his neck. Slowly, the world around him lit up with a shade of bright green, and he stood. "They never fail," Jack said, referring to the Optic NVG's.
Supplied by 'Present Future,' one of Philanthropy's two greatest contributors in the technical field, the Optic NVG's were Night Vision Lenses. Tested for three years before reaching Philanthropy's gear cache, they had been released prior to the Hell's Outpost operation, and were part of the 'Compaction Project' of 2012 that also gave birth to the Z-Force and the Dead Drop equipment Snake had used during deployment.
"Hello?" a faint voice called, causing Jack to jump away from the shelf he leaned against. Looking at the shelf in amazement, one of the boxes fell to the floor and broke open, cleanly at the end. "Hello? How are you today?" the voice called again as a small-mechanized bear walked steadily out of the broken box. Snake looked at it in disgust, ready to step on it, but before he had moved in its direction it stopped.
Turning its head nearly 180 degrees, the bear's mouth widened and its eyes were glowing red. "You don't want to kill me," it said, and Snake stopped dead cold. "Let's play hide-and-seek," the bear paused, its smile menacing, "Solid Snake."
Aiming his SOCOM at the bear's head, he shot once and its parts were sent across the aisle. The voice faded, and just as Jack was about to complain of the noise they had made, Snake grabbed his shoulder. "Formal," Jack said, realizing only then how the bear had been willing to speak Snake's name. "Then, he knows where we are!" Jack cried, trying to keep fairly quiet.
Snake nodded wildly, and the two started down the aisle in a heated run as a 'ping' could be heard at their heels. Stopping and turning back, Jack saw a shiny silver knife resting in the cold, glassy floor. Calculating its angle subconsciously, he traced its path to the top of the shelf they stood beside. There, arms at his sides, stood Formal.
"Don't stand there!" Snake cried, grabbing a hold of Jack's arm, but struggling to move him. "Come on, Jack!" he tried, but Jack wouldn't budge. He wasn't running. He was determined not to leave without a fight. Formal stood there. He wanted it too.
"Hello, Solid Snake," a voice entered Snake's ear, and he turned in an instant. His eyes scanned the opposite end of the aisle as Jack left his side and as Formal dropped down from the shelves and found a rough landing at his feet.
"Frost," Snake breathed, and there was a short giggle. "Where are you?" he asked, and she chuckled again, her finger on the trigger of a sniper rifle…somewhere in the building. Watching…waiting for the moment that Snake would step into her crosshairs.
"And you honestly think I will tell you?" she asked playfully, following her remark with a soft, cold laugh that made the hair on Snake's neck stand on end. "Come to me, Snake. Come and find me. And when you do," she paused, letting Snake's mind race with unwelcome thoughts, "you and I can spend this day together. We can be in each other's arms forever…wouldn't you like that?" Snake shook his head furiously, trying to push the images away.
"I know how badly you want me," she said, her voice so cool and seductive. "You can't resist me, Solid Snake. My body," she paused, licking her lips and watching through her scope as he stepped out of the end of the aisle and entered one that was perpendicular to it, "you want to feel my body. You want to touch me…to kiss me…to caress me."
"You've got it all wrong," Snake said, a faint smile finding its way to his face. "I want to kill you." Sensing her presence, Snake bolted forward as something exploded behind him. Frost let her index finger lighten on the trigger as she assessed the damage of her attack. Peering back through her scope, she saw the scarred floor. Seeing no sign of blood or Snake, she smiled.
"You're quick," she said, her voice entering his ear again as he sat with his back against the shelves. Nodding and pulling out a cigarette, he lit it quickly and set it between his lips.
"You're slow," he answered and heard a vague laugh. "One shot, one kill. That's the way a sniper is supposed to take care of things." Hesitating, Frost's smile became a frown.
"Like I said," she said more spirited than before. "You're quick." Snake turned his head to the right, and strained his eyes to see Jack and Formal. He could not. He only could listen.
Formal spun away from Jack, deflecting several shots from Jack's Hammerli 280 as he retreated. Sending several knives into the air to form a shield, Formal grinned wide as his hand stretched to the right, activating another mechanized voice. "Jackie boy, don't you want to hear what I have to say?" Finding the origin of the voice, Jack fired at a box, and heard the machine sigh – its voice melting into silence.
Formal turned to Jack, removing his glasses and dropping them into his suit pocket. Lifting his index finger and waving it, he took his top hat and flattened it before sliding it into his suit as well. His over exaggerated frown was provocation enough to set Jack off again, for the hatred the two shared had opened a gaping hole in their hearts, and to fill it…death of the other was imminent.
"Save your confessions for purgatory," Jack added, and his eyes were locked with Formal's. There was a moment they shared, and as Jack became somewhat dazed the green glow of his Optic NVL's was blurred. Formal's hand stretched out to him like it had to the bear on the shelf. And then, he felt as if he was floating. Everything…every worry, every fear…it was washed away.
"Snake," Jack's voice called. Turning to the right, Snake squinted his eyes and strained his ears. "Snake…behind you, Snake," his voice called out, and slowly Snake turned his head. By the light of his cigarette he could make out a figure towering over him. As it's arm stretched back, he fumbled with something behind his back.
Then, as its arm flew forward, Snake dodged into the adjacent aisle and doused the figure with some sort of liquid. Realizing his position, he rolled to the left as swiftly as his body would allow. There was a crack as the floor exploded and the bulky figure stamped toward him. 'Frost,' he thought as he replayed the image of the floor cracking in his head.
Bolting toward Jack who was ahead of him, a number of 'swoosh' noises crept up on him and the stiff air stopped him. Touching the air like it was a wall, he stepped back and looked to the floor. Jack watched him maniacally. "Damn you, kid," he shook his head.
"Apocylai is our…pet," Jack said casually before he seemed to be released. He tumbled to the floor and Formal lowered his hand. Smiling, he looked up and with his seemingly glowing eyes he winked. There was a crash, and Frost landed beside Snake's 'box.'
"Wedding present?" Snake joked, and the bulky man ground his teeth. Formal seemed to enjoy the comment, and Frost only wished to be closer. "Not quite," Formal answered.
"FACtion's Attack Dog, you could say. The 2nd Officer Unit's guard," Frost claimed. Listening to her voice, Snake could sense the seductive tone that she used. 'FACtion,' Snake thought again. "Formal and myself are the two operatives of the 2nd Officer Unit, and Apocylai is our digital companion…something of a threat assessor."
"He has all of Manhattan logged into that hunky body of his," Formal added, stepping closer to Snake and moving beside Jack who lay unconscious. "Not a gun on him, but he has a mean left hook." Frost grinned.
"Could you two excuse us?" Frost asked politely. "Solid Snake and I have some…business to take care of," she said, winking. Formal nodded and cautiously removed the knives from where they waited, allowing a side of the 'box' to open. Grinning at Formal, Snake waited for Frost to near the opening before pulling forth his SOCOM and aiming it for Apocylai.
He pulled the trigger. The bullet broke through the robot's giant body. Sparks flew from its interior, and as Frost stepped away, Formal closed the 'box' again. Snake turned to Formal and smiled. "Lighter fluid," he said.
At that, the sparks caught the lighter fluid, and Apocylai burst into flames. Frost dove to the floor, Formal guarded his face, and Snake simply watched as the fire parted around the box that protected him. Seeing licks of blue light in the red and orange that surrounded him, he smiled and turned to Jack who lay unconscious. The parting of the flames guided them away from Jack, and as the heat died away Formal went to Frost's aid.
"Colonel," Formal said as he touched his ear. "Apocylai has been destroyed…yes, sir…alive…what?!...yes, sir...thank you, sir." Formal helped Frost to her feet, and handed her the sniper rifle of hers that lay on the floor. "You are all right?" he asked, and she nodded.
Turning to Snake and glaring at him, he moved the knives from Snake to himself, creating a shield as he and Frost went off. Snake SOCOM was held high, but he did not fire. 'Waste of ammo,' he thought and turned to the black scar on the floor. 'Waste of metal,' he thought again and turned away from the tall flame that remained where the robot did not.
"You okay, kid?" he asked, kneeling beside Jack. There was no answer. But, slowly, his voice returned to him, and his eyes opened and closed, rapidly.
"C4," he said quietly. Opening his eyes wider, and seeing Snake's confusion, he held out his hand and pointed to the ceiling. "C4…everywhere."
Looking upward, and by the light of Apocylai's burning carcass, he could see small boxes installed about the ceiling. Turning back to Jack, he nodded as he rambled nonsense. "Jack…are you all right?" Snake asked, and Jack stopped talking. He looked upward in bewilderment, and then his eyes found Snake's.
"He spoke through me," Jack said. Snake understood. "I felt it, though…it was…I don't know. Everything was lifted off of my shoulders…I didn't have to worry…it was like…
…Weightless."
The moments that followed were as endless as any Jack or Snake had ever experienced. It was like being on the opposite end of a transmission that has been cut with a scream. There is so much bewilderment…so much wonder. Like in Hell's Outpost, when Snake and Jack were abandoned by the faint glow of the moon, and to be locked within a single floor, a madman at their heels.
The two stood readily, Jack more leaning than truly standing. But, both of them held the same…fear. It was the same fear they had experienced in that very moment at Hell's Outpost…that wretched uncertainty that rocked them closer and close to the ebb of existence where they would fall…where they would drown in their own emotions, too afraid to sneak or hide or fight. They would die on themselves.
But, more than a test of strength, their predicament was one of the mind. Their opponents number five: Frost, Formal, the new shady figure, and themselves. They had to do away with their strengths – aim and stealth – and work primarily on their weakness – teamwork.
"I've got some Optic NVL's," Jack said, and quickly Snake turned to him.
"You're my eyes," he said, and Jack nodded, only seeing the faint blue outline of Snake's sharp features.
Pulling forth a small container, one like that used for a pair of contacts, Jack undid the top and reached within. Seperating his eyelids wide, he dabbed the surface of his most eyes, and blinked. He did the same with his other eye before kneeling and touching his neck. Slowly, the world around him lit up with a shade of bright green, and he stood. "They never fail," Jack said, referring to the Optic NVG's.
Supplied by 'Present Future,' one of Philanthropy's two greatest contributors in the technical field, the Optic NVG's were Night Vision Lenses. Tested for three years before reaching Philanthropy's gear cache, they had been released prior to the Hell's Outpost operation, and were part of the 'Compaction Project' of 2012 that also gave birth to the Z-Force and the Dead Drop equipment Snake had used during deployment.
"Hello?" a faint voice called, causing Jack to jump away from the shelf he leaned against. Looking at the shelf in amazement, one of the boxes fell to the floor and broke open, cleanly at the end. "Hello? How are you today?" the voice called again as a small-mechanized bear walked steadily out of the broken box. Snake looked at it in disgust, ready to step on it, but before he had moved in its direction it stopped.
Turning its head nearly 180 degrees, the bear's mouth widened and its eyes were glowing red. "You don't want to kill me," it said, and Snake stopped dead cold. "Let's play hide-and-seek," the bear paused, its smile menacing, "Solid Snake."
Aiming his SOCOM at the bear's head, he shot once and its parts were sent across the aisle. The voice faded, and just as Jack was about to complain of the noise they had made, Snake grabbed his shoulder. "Formal," Jack said, realizing only then how the bear had been willing to speak Snake's name. "Then, he knows where we are!" Jack cried, trying to keep fairly quiet.
Snake nodded wildly, and the two started down the aisle in a heated run as a 'ping' could be heard at their heels. Stopping and turning back, Jack saw a shiny silver knife resting in the cold, glassy floor. Calculating its angle subconsciously, he traced its path to the top of the shelf they stood beside. There, arms at his sides, stood Formal.
"Don't stand there!" Snake cried, grabbing a hold of Jack's arm, but struggling to move him. "Come on, Jack!" he tried, but Jack wouldn't budge. He wasn't running. He was determined not to leave without a fight. Formal stood there. He wanted it too.
"Hello, Solid Snake," a voice entered Snake's ear, and he turned in an instant. His eyes scanned the opposite end of the aisle as Jack left his side and as Formal dropped down from the shelves and found a rough landing at his feet.
"Frost," Snake breathed, and there was a short giggle. "Where are you?" he asked, and she chuckled again, her finger on the trigger of a sniper rifle…somewhere in the building. Watching…waiting for the moment that Snake would step into her crosshairs.
"And you honestly think I will tell you?" she asked playfully, following her remark with a soft, cold laugh that made the hair on Snake's neck stand on end. "Come to me, Snake. Come and find me. And when you do," she paused, letting Snake's mind race with unwelcome thoughts, "you and I can spend this day together. We can be in each other's arms forever…wouldn't you like that?" Snake shook his head furiously, trying to push the images away.
"I know how badly you want me," she said, her voice so cool and seductive. "You can't resist me, Solid Snake. My body," she paused, licking her lips and watching through her scope as he stepped out of the end of the aisle and entered one that was perpendicular to it, "you want to feel my body. You want to touch me…to kiss me…to caress me."
"You've got it all wrong," Snake said, a faint smile finding its way to his face. "I want to kill you." Sensing her presence, Snake bolted forward as something exploded behind him. Frost let her index finger lighten on the trigger as she assessed the damage of her attack. Peering back through her scope, she saw the scarred floor. Seeing no sign of blood or Snake, she smiled.
"You're quick," she said, her voice entering his ear again as he sat with his back against the shelves. Nodding and pulling out a cigarette, he lit it quickly and set it between his lips.
"You're slow," he answered and heard a vague laugh. "One shot, one kill. That's the way a sniper is supposed to take care of things." Hesitating, Frost's smile became a frown.
"Like I said," she said more spirited than before. "You're quick." Snake turned his head to the right, and strained his eyes to see Jack and Formal. He could not. He only could listen.
Formal spun away from Jack, deflecting several shots from Jack's Hammerli 280 as he retreated. Sending several knives into the air to form a shield, Formal grinned wide as his hand stretched to the right, activating another mechanized voice. "Jackie boy, don't you want to hear what I have to say?" Finding the origin of the voice, Jack fired at a box, and heard the machine sigh – its voice melting into silence.
Formal turned to Jack, removing his glasses and dropping them into his suit pocket. Lifting his index finger and waving it, he took his top hat and flattened it before sliding it into his suit as well. His over exaggerated frown was provocation enough to set Jack off again, for the hatred the two shared had opened a gaping hole in their hearts, and to fill it…death of the other was imminent.
"Save your confessions for purgatory," Jack added, and his eyes were locked with Formal's. There was a moment they shared, and as Jack became somewhat dazed the green glow of his Optic NVL's was blurred. Formal's hand stretched out to him like it had to the bear on the shelf. And then, he felt as if he was floating. Everything…every worry, every fear…it was washed away.
"Snake," Jack's voice called. Turning to the right, Snake squinted his eyes and strained his ears. "Snake…behind you, Snake," his voice called out, and slowly Snake turned his head. By the light of his cigarette he could make out a figure towering over him. As it's arm stretched back, he fumbled with something behind his back.
Then, as its arm flew forward, Snake dodged into the adjacent aisle and doused the figure with some sort of liquid. Realizing his position, he rolled to the left as swiftly as his body would allow. There was a crack as the floor exploded and the bulky figure stamped toward him. 'Frost,' he thought as he replayed the image of the floor cracking in his head.
Bolting toward Jack who was ahead of him, a number of 'swoosh' noises crept up on him and the stiff air stopped him. Touching the air like it was a wall, he stepped back and looked to the floor. Jack watched him maniacally. "Damn you, kid," he shook his head.
"Apocylai is our…pet," Jack said casually before he seemed to be released. He tumbled to the floor and Formal lowered his hand. Smiling, he looked up and with his seemingly glowing eyes he winked. There was a crash, and Frost landed beside Snake's 'box.'
"Wedding present?" Snake joked, and the bulky man ground his teeth. Formal seemed to enjoy the comment, and Frost only wished to be closer. "Not quite," Formal answered.
"FACtion's Attack Dog, you could say. The 2nd Officer Unit's guard," Frost claimed. Listening to her voice, Snake could sense the seductive tone that she used. 'FACtion,' Snake thought again. "Formal and myself are the two operatives of the 2nd Officer Unit, and Apocylai is our digital companion…something of a threat assessor."
"He has all of Manhattan logged into that hunky body of his," Formal added, stepping closer to Snake and moving beside Jack who lay unconscious. "Not a gun on him, but he has a mean left hook." Frost grinned.
"Could you two excuse us?" Frost asked politely. "Solid Snake and I have some…business to take care of," she said, winking. Formal nodded and cautiously removed the knives from where they waited, allowing a side of the 'box' to open. Grinning at Formal, Snake waited for Frost to near the opening before pulling forth his SOCOM and aiming it for Apocylai.
He pulled the trigger. The bullet broke through the robot's giant body. Sparks flew from its interior, and as Frost stepped away, Formal closed the 'box' again. Snake turned to Formal and smiled. "Lighter fluid," he said.
At that, the sparks caught the lighter fluid, and Apocylai burst into flames. Frost dove to the floor, Formal guarded his face, and Snake simply watched as the fire parted around the box that protected him. Seeing licks of blue light in the red and orange that surrounded him, he smiled and turned to Jack who lay unconscious. The parting of the flames guided them away from Jack, and as the heat died away Formal went to Frost's aid.
"Colonel," Formal said as he touched his ear. "Apocylai has been destroyed…yes, sir…alive…what?!...yes, sir...thank you, sir." Formal helped Frost to her feet, and handed her the sniper rifle of hers that lay on the floor. "You are all right?" he asked, and she nodded.
Turning to Snake and glaring at him, he moved the knives from Snake to himself, creating a shield as he and Frost went off. Snake SOCOM was held high, but he did not fire. 'Waste of ammo,' he thought and turned to the black scar on the floor. 'Waste of metal,' he thought again and turned away from the tall flame that remained where the robot did not.
"You okay, kid?" he asked, kneeling beside Jack. There was no answer. But, slowly, his voice returned to him, and his eyes opened and closed, rapidly.
"C4," he said quietly. Opening his eyes wider, and seeing Snake's confusion, he held out his hand and pointed to the ceiling. "C4…everywhere."
Looking upward, and by the light of Apocylai's burning carcass, he could see small boxes installed about the ceiling. Turning back to Jack, he nodded as he rambled nonsense. "Jack…are you all right?" Snake asked, and Jack stopped talking. He looked upward in bewilderment, and then his eyes found Snake's.
"He spoke through me," Jack said. Snake understood. "I felt it, though…it was…I don't know. Everything was lifted off of my shoulders…I didn't have to worry…it was like…
…Weightless."