CHAPTER ONE: Melting pot
NEW YORK CITY, 7/7/07, STEEL MILL KNOWN AS "COLD STARE"
"Snake, remember when Arsenal was removed from its place in the center of Manhattan two months ago?"
"Sure."
"After some research, I turned up the location. The metal materials from it are being processed at a steel plant called "COLD STARE"."
"COLD STARE?"
"Philanthropy suspects that the Patriots are planning on rebuilding Arsenal."
"Where?"
"I have no idea. But ever since Arsenal's emergency ascent course, New York's been on the fritz."
"So, it's no where near here."
"Exactly. But if we can stop production."
"We can put an end to Arsenal Gear."
"And throw a monkey wrench in the Patriot's gears."
"The Patriots? Aren't they dead?"
"Just the wise men's committee. They still exist. Your mission is to infiltrate COLD STARE, retrieve any info you can find, and."
"Blow the house down?"
"Not exactly. Ever since Philanthropy was branded as a terrorist organization after the tanker sank, we've been closely watched by the government, and the media. Find another way."
"Any specifics?"
"I couldn't dig them up, but I'll try and find out something. The plant's layout is made up of two buildings, connected at the ground floor and with a walkway at the top. The left building is ore processing, the other is storage and construction."
"Construction?"
"Originally, the plant's right building was made for material storage and the assembling of products. It's really an all-purpose facility. It both produces the material and constructs the product. It was intended to build automobiles, but was shut down two years ago after a worker was killed in an accident. It's been open for two months."
"Insertion method?"
"We're flying a private jet over it."
"A private jet? Where did we get that?"
"I've got friends in high places."
"...Anyone going with me?"
"Yes, for once. We're sending Raiden, er, Jack, in through the front. Contact him before you proceed with the operation."
"You're sending a rookie right into the place?"
"I, uh, bought him a toy."
"Stealth?"
"Something like that. You have two mission objectives. First, infiltrate COLD STARE, collecting intel, and meet up with your contact. Second, foil the Patriot's plans by any means necessary, as long as it doesn't involve blowing up the place."
"Just like old times."
"Right. Now get moving."
The facility was guarded by two security guards at the front gate. They chatted back and forth.
"What the hell's going on in there?"
"Don't ask. It's a lot better of that way."
Jack marched along the street, wearing a small trench coat. He pushed his slightly shorter, brown hair out of his face. Rose had made him cut and dye his hair. She wanted to be seen for whom she was, yet she couldn't stand Jack's previous hair style.
The march quickened, then to a jog, then to a run. The dimly lit night streets sped by him. The trench coat flew back, and he disappeared.
A light green blur did a cartwheel onto a dumpster, then over the wall surrounding the facility.
"What was that?" the security guard said as he heard the sound of something landing on the other side of the wall.
"What was what?"
"Um, nothing. Never mind."
Meanwhile, the private jet was taking off from a small airfield in New Jersey.
"Remember, Snake, don't kill any of the personnel." Hal reminded Snake.
"Yeah, I know the drill. I shouldn't get caught either." Snake said, slipping on the left leg of his sneaking suit. "This plane sure has everything covered." Snake said as he looked around the passenger area, which was cluttered with computer monitors, satellite trackers, and communication equipment.
"Mei Ling brought it. We'll track your every movement from the plane." Otacon replied.
"Ready for takeoff!" Mei Ling said from the cockpit.
"Mei Ling can fly?" Snake asked.
"Well, she has had training. We'll both be supporting you by Codec."
"How can Mei Ling fly and talk with me?"
"We've programmed a course into the autopilot. We'll just be circling around Manhattan."
"Sound good. Frequency?"
"The usual."
"141.12 and 140.96, right? You people never change." Snake said, smirking.
"Call us if anything important happens."
"Right." Snake said "And don't call and tell me the obvious, Otacon. I have eyes, too."
"Alright, Snake."
The private jet flew through the night sky. After about fifteen minutes, it entered New York airspace.
The jet's side door opened. Snake saw the COLD STARE coming into view, a single smokestack sticking out of the ground, surrounded by two buildings.
"Good luck, Snake."
"I'm going to need it, right?"
"I guess."
Snake leaped out of the plane. He plummeted through the dark skyline. Snake pulled a small grappling gun from his belt and fired it at a light fixture on the top of the left building. The grapple hooked onto the light and Snake's fall was stopped, just short of the roof. He unhooked the grapple, kneeled down, and pressed his hand to his ear.
"This is Snake; I'm on top of the left building."
"Damn." Otacon cursed, "I set up the mission plan, and Raiden should be waiting in the right tower. You're going to have to use the walkway."
Snake got out his trusty binoculars and looked over the edge of the roof. He zoomed in on a guard patrolling the premises down below. The guard had a black uniform and carried a small sidearm.
"The guards aren't guarding anything with much firepower." "Huh?"
"The guards only have sidearms."
The Codec switched frequencies. "It's a Beretta M9." Mei Ling commented.
"M9-Nothing special."
The Codec switched frequencies again. "Snake, I forgot to go over your gear. You've already used your grappling gun, so dispose of it. You won't need that weighing you down. Your weapon is a silenced USP-just in case, as well as a small dart gun loaded with tranquilizers. You can take down a whale with those darts. I also packed some gum for you. It suppresses your urge to smoke."
"Hey, I smoke those nicotine-less ones now. I haven't had a smoke in a week."
"That's a good thing. I also packed some matches for you."
"Matches? Oh, a less cancerous way of seeing lasers. Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"The guards-without the black uniforms, they would look like normal cops."
"Well, they didn't want anything too suspicious-looking, I guess."
Suddenly, a guard walked around the side of a container near Snake. Snake quickly rushed behind a bunch of boxes.
"There a guard up here!"
"That's strange, I don't recall a guard being posted up-"
Snake heard a chopper.
"Otacon, there's a chopper coming!"
A chopper pulled over the roof and dropped a line. Snake watched ten men in army regalia drop down from the copter. The chopper pulled away from the roof, and Snake caught a glimpse of the logo on the side.
"Next-Gen special forces?!"
"What?"
The guard walked to the men, and Snake heard them talking. "Thanks for the help. The colonel really appreciates this."
"Thank you." The guard said.
"There are two more choppers coming. Guard this area until they both arrive."
"Right."
The soldiers walked to a door near the containers, and entered it.
"Snake! What the hell happened?"
"I'm not sure yet."
Snake stood up and ran along the walkway to the other building, passing containers with suspicious labels on them. He stopped at the door leading to the right tower's stairwell, pulled out the USP and kicked open the door.
Nothing. Snake ran down the stairwell, pointing his gun downwards. The stairwell had a green iridescent glow emanating from below. Snake ran down several flights of stairs, and came to a door. He slowly opened it, peeking the USP inside. It was a science lab of some sort, with computers and various vials lying about. Snake put his hand to his ear.
"Otacon, I've found a lab of some sort. It seems out of place in a steel mill."
"Oh, yes. That's for chemical testing and experimentation, as well as monitoring the activities below."
"What are they testing?"
"I don't know."
Snake crouched behind a small cubicle near the door. He heard a conversation going on.
"Smash it. We don't need that stuff getting out of this room."
Snake heard the sound of a vial smashing.
"Now, get out of here before we're all infected. Blast the computers, too."
He heard the sound of silenced machine gun fire rip through several monitors.
"Sir, I don't feel so good." He heard another man say, uneasy. "UUGGGGHHGHGHGG!!! IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Snake peeked around the corner just in time to see one of the soldiers clutching his chest in pain.
"Bill!" Another of the men shouted in anguish.
"Remember orders. Terminate infected men."
The platoon sergeant pulled out a SOCOM and shot the writhing man in the forehead, blood spattering the area around him. "Let's go." he said calmly.
NEW YORK CITY, 7/7/07, STEEL MILL KNOWN AS "COLD STARE"
"Snake, remember when Arsenal was removed from its place in the center of Manhattan two months ago?"
"Sure."
"After some research, I turned up the location. The metal materials from it are being processed at a steel plant called "COLD STARE"."
"COLD STARE?"
"Philanthropy suspects that the Patriots are planning on rebuilding Arsenal."
"Where?"
"I have no idea. But ever since Arsenal's emergency ascent course, New York's been on the fritz."
"So, it's no where near here."
"Exactly. But if we can stop production."
"We can put an end to Arsenal Gear."
"And throw a monkey wrench in the Patriot's gears."
"The Patriots? Aren't they dead?"
"Just the wise men's committee. They still exist. Your mission is to infiltrate COLD STARE, retrieve any info you can find, and."
"Blow the house down?"
"Not exactly. Ever since Philanthropy was branded as a terrorist organization after the tanker sank, we've been closely watched by the government, and the media. Find another way."
"Any specifics?"
"I couldn't dig them up, but I'll try and find out something. The plant's layout is made up of two buildings, connected at the ground floor and with a walkway at the top. The left building is ore processing, the other is storage and construction."
"Construction?"
"Originally, the plant's right building was made for material storage and the assembling of products. It's really an all-purpose facility. It both produces the material and constructs the product. It was intended to build automobiles, but was shut down two years ago after a worker was killed in an accident. It's been open for two months."
"Insertion method?"
"We're flying a private jet over it."
"A private jet? Where did we get that?"
"I've got friends in high places."
"...Anyone going with me?"
"Yes, for once. We're sending Raiden, er, Jack, in through the front. Contact him before you proceed with the operation."
"You're sending a rookie right into the place?"
"I, uh, bought him a toy."
"Stealth?"
"Something like that. You have two mission objectives. First, infiltrate COLD STARE, collecting intel, and meet up with your contact. Second, foil the Patriot's plans by any means necessary, as long as it doesn't involve blowing up the place."
"Just like old times."
"Right. Now get moving."
The facility was guarded by two security guards at the front gate. They chatted back and forth.
"What the hell's going on in there?"
"Don't ask. It's a lot better of that way."
Jack marched along the street, wearing a small trench coat. He pushed his slightly shorter, brown hair out of his face. Rose had made him cut and dye his hair. She wanted to be seen for whom she was, yet she couldn't stand Jack's previous hair style.
The march quickened, then to a jog, then to a run. The dimly lit night streets sped by him. The trench coat flew back, and he disappeared.
A light green blur did a cartwheel onto a dumpster, then over the wall surrounding the facility.
"What was that?" the security guard said as he heard the sound of something landing on the other side of the wall.
"What was what?"
"Um, nothing. Never mind."
Meanwhile, the private jet was taking off from a small airfield in New Jersey.
"Remember, Snake, don't kill any of the personnel." Hal reminded Snake.
"Yeah, I know the drill. I shouldn't get caught either." Snake said, slipping on the left leg of his sneaking suit. "This plane sure has everything covered." Snake said as he looked around the passenger area, which was cluttered with computer monitors, satellite trackers, and communication equipment.
"Mei Ling brought it. We'll track your every movement from the plane." Otacon replied.
"Ready for takeoff!" Mei Ling said from the cockpit.
"Mei Ling can fly?" Snake asked.
"Well, she has had training. We'll both be supporting you by Codec."
"How can Mei Ling fly and talk with me?"
"We've programmed a course into the autopilot. We'll just be circling around Manhattan."
"Sound good. Frequency?"
"The usual."
"141.12 and 140.96, right? You people never change." Snake said, smirking.
"Call us if anything important happens."
"Right." Snake said "And don't call and tell me the obvious, Otacon. I have eyes, too."
"Alright, Snake."
The private jet flew through the night sky. After about fifteen minutes, it entered New York airspace.
The jet's side door opened. Snake saw the COLD STARE coming into view, a single smokestack sticking out of the ground, surrounded by two buildings.
"Good luck, Snake."
"I'm going to need it, right?"
"I guess."
Snake leaped out of the plane. He plummeted through the dark skyline. Snake pulled a small grappling gun from his belt and fired it at a light fixture on the top of the left building. The grapple hooked onto the light and Snake's fall was stopped, just short of the roof. He unhooked the grapple, kneeled down, and pressed his hand to his ear.
"This is Snake; I'm on top of the left building."
"Damn." Otacon cursed, "I set up the mission plan, and Raiden should be waiting in the right tower. You're going to have to use the walkway."
Snake got out his trusty binoculars and looked over the edge of the roof. He zoomed in on a guard patrolling the premises down below. The guard had a black uniform and carried a small sidearm.
"The guards aren't guarding anything with much firepower." "Huh?"
"The guards only have sidearms."
The Codec switched frequencies. "It's a Beretta M9." Mei Ling commented.
"M9-Nothing special."
The Codec switched frequencies again. "Snake, I forgot to go over your gear. You've already used your grappling gun, so dispose of it. You won't need that weighing you down. Your weapon is a silenced USP-just in case, as well as a small dart gun loaded with tranquilizers. You can take down a whale with those darts. I also packed some gum for you. It suppresses your urge to smoke."
"Hey, I smoke those nicotine-less ones now. I haven't had a smoke in a week."
"That's a good thing. I also packed some matches for you."
"Matches? Oh, a less cancerous way of seeing lasers. Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"The guards-without the black uniforms, they would look like normal cops."
"Well, they didn't want anything too suspicious-looking, I guess."
Suddenly, a guard walked around the side of a container near Snake. Snake quickly rushed behind a bunch of boxes.
"There a guard up here!"
"That's strange, I don't recall a guard being posted up-"
Snake heard a chopper.
"Otacon, there's a chopper coming!"
A chopper pulled over the roof and dropped a line. Snake watched ten men in army regalia drop down from the copter. The chopper pulled away from the roof, and Snake caught a glimpse of the logo on the side.
"Next-Gen special forces?!"
"What?"
The guard walked to the men, and Snake heard them talking. "Thanks for the help. The colonel really appreciates this."
"Thank you." The guard said.
"There are two more choppers coming. Guard this area until they both arrive."
"Right."
The soldiers walked to a door near the containers, and entered it.
"Snake! What the hell happened?"
"I'm not sure yet."
Snake stood up and ran along the walkway to the other building, passing containers with suspicious labels on them. He stopped at the door leading to the right tower's stairwell, pulled out the USP and kicked open the door.
Nothing. Snake ran down the stairwell, pointing his gun downwards. The stairwell had a green iridescent glow emanating from below. Snake ran down several flights of stairs, and came to a door. He slowly opened it, peeking the USP inside. It was a science lab of some sort, with computers and various vials lying about. Snake put his hand to his ear.
"Otacon, I've found a lab of some sort. It seems out of place in a steel mill."
"Oh, yes. That's for chemical testing and experimentation, as well as monitoring the activities below."
"What are they testing?"
"I don't know."
Snake crouched behind a small cubicle near the door. He heard a conversation going on.
"Smash it. We don't need that stuff getting out of this room."
Snake heard the sound of a vial smashing.
"Now, get out of here before we're all infected. Blast the computers, too."
He heard the sound of silenced machine gun fire rip through several monitors.
"Sir, I don't feel so good." He heard another man say, uneasy. "UUGGGGHHGHGHGG!!! IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Snake peeked around the corner just in time to see one of the soldiers clutching his chest in pain.
"Bill!" Another of the men shouted in anguish.
"Remember orders. Terminate infected men."
The platoon sergeant pulled out a SOCOM and shot the writhing man in the forehead, blood spattering the area around him. "Let's go." he said calmly.