Chapter Three
The phone was ringing.
Otacon rose from the floor slowly. He didn't know how long he'd been crying for or even fully what he had cried about; just that the apartment telephone was now ringing. He shuffled towards it, wiped his eyes and picked up the receiver by instinct alone. A cold chill ran down his spine in tune with the thrashing wind outside the window.
"Hello?"
There was silence on the line, and for a second Otacon thought that the caller had hung up. Otacon repeated himself and, hearing no reply, was about to hang up himself.
"Hello, Hal."
It was a familiar voice, one that Otacon had heard many times before, though not recently. Otacon reaffirmed his grip on the receiver.
"Mei...hi." Otacon answered, trying to remember the last time he had spoken to Mei Ling.
"Hal, I'm sorry to call you at this hour but...I've just received an anonymous e-mail," she paused, and Otacon strained to hear her quiet voice. "It said that my dad is still alive."
Otacon withdrew breath sharply, without meaning to. He was still crying softly. "Have you tried to trace it?" he asked eventually.
"My equipment was stolen." Mei Ling iterated. "That's why I rang. The digital tracer, the ET I sent you...is it still working?"
She sounded so distant..."I haven't tested it for a while. I give it a go though. Forward it to me."
"Okay." She spoke more softly than ever. It was at that moment that they both realised that the other one had been crying. There was more silence on the line as Mei sent the message through her broadband connection. Otacon felt her pain: he too had lost his father, because of his own selfishness. No doubt in a few days he would sit beside the phone and listen all about yet another break up with one of her boyfriends, offering comfort from time to time despite knowing the real reason why she cried. It had become their ritual: her attempting to hide her feelings despite realising Otacon's true knowledge; him never letting on.
"I've got it." Otacon heard the computer bleep. He sat at his desk, only to find that he couldn't see a thing. He instinctively touched the top of his head for his glasses, only to remember their smashing in his tantrum before. Otacon felt more ashamed than ever. "I...I can't see, Mei," he began reluctantly. "My glasses broke."
"Oh..."
"Hang on..." Otacon remembered his spare pair. They were in a cupboard in the kitchen. He struggled forward, the wireless receiver tucked between his head and shoulders and his arms outstretched, into the kitchen. He squinted around, trying to remember which way the cupboard was.
"Are you okay?" Mei Ling asked over the phone. Otacon replied that he was, and reached for the nearest door handle to steady himself. However, presently he slipped on water that had dripped from the windowsill into an untidy puddle and fell hard. He went crashing to the floor, bringing several television dinner trays down on top of him. The receiver flew from his hand, and he heard a shout on the other end of it before it slid under the filthy breakfast table. His head throbbed, and his entire left leg stung.
"Shit..." Otacon tried to stand, but his leg ached when he did so. He thought he must have gone over on his ankle. He lay on the cold tiled floor, crippled, blind, and alone.
"Need a hand?" The voice that spoke was familiar and nearby. Otacon recognised it immediately. Relieved, Otacon forgot all about their previous argument.
"Snake..." Otacon began. "You're back." A strong arm helped Otacon to his feet and silently led him through the doorway and back to his desk. Otacon was about to tell Snake about Mei Ling, but he was quickly handed the receiver. He took it, and spoke quickly. There had been something unnerving in Snake's voice that Otacon was yet to fully pick up on...
"I'm back, Mei. Are you still there?"
"I'm still here, Hal. What happened?"
"Took a tumble. Snake helped me though."
"Oh good," Mei replied. "Is he still there?"
"Sure. You wanna speak to him?" He was about to call Snake, but Mei declined.
"I'd rather just get this e-mail thing over with," she explained.
"Fair enough. I'll tell him you said "hi"." Otacon put his hand down on the desk as he cheerfully told her this, and felt his spare glasses.
"Oh, thanks Snake," he shouted. There came no reply. Otacon thought aloud rather disappointedly that he must have gone back out anyway (and a spectacle-assisted quick glance around confirmed this), before starting the tracing program up at Mei Ling's prompt.
The Electronic Tracer was a hardware addition, created by Mei Ling herself. It was a very advanced piece of technology, beyond perhaps even Otacon of inventing, engineer though he is. It could trace e-mails, phone calls and even codec conversations back to their source using US Military Satellites already in orbit. Although strictly illegal, Otacon had found it to be invaluable when Philanthropy came across these types of situations. Unfortunately, a high tech Patriot virus that had temporarily disabled the Tracer had enforced the e-mail signed E.E. that Otacon had received in 2007. In a fit of inner rage, Otacon had never used it since, despite fixing it.
While waiting for the trace to finish, Otacon decided to have a look at the e-mail itself. He clicked on it onscreen, hoping that he wasn't taking to far a personal liberty. It read:
ML,
I HAVE BEEN FORBIDDEN FROM REVEALING THIS TO YOU FROM MORE THAN ONE SUPERIOR, BUT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW.
YOUR FATHER STILL LIVES.
PLEASE, HOWEVER, DO NOT TRY TO SEEK HIM OUT. THE REBELLION CANNOT SUCCEED WHILE HE LIVES. HE WILL FALL AT OUR HAND.
I KNOW YOU WILL TRY TO TRACE THIS NO MATTER WHAT I WRITE HERE. SO I BID YOU FAREWELL, AND GOOD LUCK.
CF
Otacon rounded immediately on the signature. "I thought you said it was anonymous."
"It is," Mei answered, before defining the term: "CF doesn't want us to know who he is."
"You're right. Sorry, I don't have much experience with this type of thing," Otacon lied unconvincingly. Mei Ling ignored it. The rain still tapped sharply on the windows, and from time to time the wind would whistle strongly through the cracks in the walls. Otacon shivered again.
"What do you think it means about "The Rebellion"?" Otacon inquired, trying to further conversation.
"I really couldn't care less..." She was getting distressed. Otacon decided not to say any more until the trace had finished. A pleasant beep eventually signalled this, to Otacon's relief. He had grown to hate silence over his solitary life.
"The location is just coming through..." Otacon clicked on the necessary icon. It took a few seconds before a latitude/longitude sequence was revealed. "39º 15' North, 119º 74' West," Otacon quoted.
"That's not very exact," Mei Ling almost sobbed. "That covers the whole of the Nevada Desert."
"Don't worry Mei. Snake and I will look into it for you"
"Thanks, Otacon." In her house miles up the coast, she wiped her eyes and smiled. "You're a really good friend. I'm so lucky to have you."
"Don't mention it Mei," Otacon answered. "I'll be in touch."
It was a while after Otacon put the phone that a thought suddenly jumped into his head. He left his desk and ran over to a box that was serving as their bookcase. Tearing the sellotape from the top, Otacon rummaged through in search of his military atlas.
Eventually, he came to what he was looking for. He ripped the atlas from the bottom of the box and went back his desk. It was top secret; anyone less than a CIA director wasn't supposed to have it. Holding the atlas under the reading light, he flipped through the pages towards the location that the ET had come up with. Coming to the page, he dropped the book in amazement as it all came to him. He murmured something, almost inaudible, under his breath.
"Area 51..."
--
Author's note: I know, I know, another short chapter. This will continue for some time due to the constant change of locations, but bear with me. I'm building to something.
P.S. At the risk of giving away the storyline, can I just say that "CF" has nothing to do with me. I may be a confessed egomaniac, but I'm not putting myself into the story.
The phone was ringing.
Otacon rose from the floor slowly. He didn't know how long he'd been crying for or even fully what he had cried about; just that the apartment telephone was now ringing. He shuffled towards it, wiped his eyes and picked up the receiver by instinct alone. A cold chill ran down his spine in tune with the thrashing wind outside the window.
"Hello?"
There was silence on the line, and for a second Otacon thought that the caller had hung up. Otacon repeated himself and, hearing no reply, was about to hang up himself.
"Hello, Hal."
It was a familiar voice, one that Otacon had heard many times before, though not recently. Otacon reaffirmed his grip on the receiver.
"Mei...hi." Otacon answered, trying to remember the last time he had spoken to Mei Ling.
"Hal, I'm sorry to call you at this hour but...I've just received an anonymous e-mail," she paused, and Otacon strained to hear her quiet voice. "It said that my dad is still alive."
Otacon withdrew breath sharply, without meaning to. He was still crying softly. "Have you tried to trace it?" he asked eventually.
"My equipment was stolen." Mei Ling iterated. "That's why I rang. The digital tracer, the ET I sent you...is it still working?"
She sounded so distant..."I haven't tested it for a while. I give it a go though. Forward it to me."
"Okay." She spoke more softly than ever. It was at that moment that they both realised that the other one had been crying. There was more silence on the line as Mei sent the message through her broadband connection. Otacon felt her pain: he too had lost his father, because of his own selfishness. No doubt in a few days he would sit beside the phone and listen all about yet another break up with one of her boyfriends, offering comfort from time to time despite knowing the real reason why she cried. It had become their ritual: her attempting to hide her feelings despite realising Otacon's true knowledge; him never letting on.
"I've got it." Otacon heard the computer bleep. He sat at his desk, only to find that he couldn't see a thing. He instinctively touched the top of his head for his glasses, only to remember their smashing in his tantrum before. Otacon felt more ashamed than ever. "I...I can't see, Mei," he began reluctantly. "My glasses broke."
"Oh..."
"Hang on..." Otacon remembered his spare pair. They were in a cupboard in the kitchen. He struggled forward, the wireless receiver tucked between his head and shoulders and his arms outstretched, into the kitchen. He squinted around, trying to remember which way the cupboard was.
"Are you okay?" Mei Ling asked over the phone. Otacon replied that he was, and reached for the nearest door handle to steady himself. However, presently he slipped on water that had dripped from the windowsill into an untidy puddle and fell hard. He went crashing to the floor, bringing several television dinner trays down on top of him. The receiver flew from his hand, and he heard a shout on the other end of it before it slid under the filthy breakfast table. His head throbbed, and his entire left leg stung.
"Shit..." Otacon tried to stand, but his leg ached when he did so. He thought he must have gone over on his ankle. He lay on the cold tiled floor, crippled, blind, and alone.
"Need a hand?" The voice that spoke was familiar and nearby. Otacon recognised it immediately. Relieved, Otacon forgot all about their previous argument.
"Snake..." Otacon began. "You're back." A strong arm helped Otacon to his feet and silently led him through the doorway and back to his desk. Otacon was about to tell Snake about Mei Ling, but he was quickly handed the receiver. He took it, and spoke quickly. There had been something unnerving in Snake's voice that Otacon was yet to fully pick up on...
"I'm back, Mei. Are you still there?"
"I'm still here, Hal. What happened?"
"Took a tumble. Snake helped me though."
"Oh good," Mei replied. "Is he still there?"
"Sure. You wanna speak to him?" He was about to call Snake, but Mei declined.
"I'd rather just get this e-mail thing over with," she explained.
"Fair enough. I'll tell him you said "hi"." Otacon put his hand down on the desk as he cheerfully told her this, and felt his spare glasses.
"Oh, thanks Snake," he shouted. There came no reply. Otacon thought aloud rather disappointedly that he must have gone back out anyway (and a spectacle-assisted quick glance around confirmed this), before starting the tracing program up at Mei Ling's prompt.
The Electronic Tracer was a hardware addition, created by Mei Ling herself. It was a very advanced piece of technology, beyond perhaps even Otacon of inventing, engineer though he is. It could trace e-mails, phone calls and even codec conversations back to their source using US Military Satellites already in orbit. Although strictly illegal, Otacon had found it to be invaluable when Philanthropy came across these types of situations. Unfortunately, a high tech Patriot virus that had temporarily disabled the Tracer had enforced the e-mail signed E.E. that Otacon had received in 2007. In a fit of inner rage, Otacon had never used it since, despite fixing it.
While waiting for the trace to finish, Otacon decided to have a look at the e-mail itself. He clicked on it onscreen, hoping that he wasn't taking to far a personal liberty. It read:
ML,
I HAVE BEEN FORBIDDEN FROM REVEALING THIS TO YOU FROM MORE THAN ONE SUPERIOR, BUT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW.
YOUR FATHER STILL LIVES.
PLEASE, HOWEVER, DO NOT TRY TO SEEK HIM OUT. THE REBELLION CANNOT SUCCEED WHILE HE LIVES. HE WILL FALL AT OUR HAND.
I KNOW YOU WILL TRY TO TRACE THIS NO MATTER WHAT I WRITE HERE. SO I BID YOU FAREWELL, AND GOOD LUCK.
CF
Otacon rounded immediately on the signature. "I thought you said it was anonymous."
"It is," Mei answered, before defining the term: "CF doesn't want us to know who he is."
"You're right. Sorry, I don't have much experience with this type of thing," Otacon lied unconvincingly. Mei Ling ignored it. The rain still tapped sharply on the windows, and from time to time the wind would whistle strongly through the cracks in the walls. Otacon shivered again.
"What do you think it means about "The Rebellion"?" Otacon inquired, trying to further conversation.
"I really couldn't care less..." She was getting distressed. Otacon decided not to say any more until the trace had finished. A pleasant beep eventually signalled this, to Otacon's relief. He had grown to hate silence over his solitary life.
"The location is just coming through..." Otacon clicked on the necessary icon. It took a few seconds before a latitude/longitude sequence was revealed. "39º 15' North, 119º 74' West," Otacon quoted.
"That's not very exact," Mei Ling almost sobbed. "That covers the whole of the Nevada Desert."
"Don't worry Mei. Snake and I will look into it for you"
"Thanks, Otacon." In her house miles up the coast, she wiped her eyes and smiled. "You're a really good friend. I'm so lucky to have you."
"Don't mention it Mei," Otacon answered. "I'll be in touch."
It was a while after Otacon put the phone that a thought suddenly jumped into his head. He left his desk and ran over to a box that was serving as their bookcase. Tearing the sellotape from the top, Otacon rummaged through in search of his military atlas.
Eventually, he came to what he was looking for. He ripped the atlas from the bottom of the box and went back his desk. It was top secret; anyone less than a CIA director wasn't supposed to have it. Holding the atlas under the reading light, he flipped through the pages towards the location that the ET had come up with. Coming to the page, he dropped the book in amazement as it all came to him. He murmured something, almost inaudible, under his breath.
"Area 51..."
--
Author's note: I know, I know, another short chapter. This will continue for some time due to the constant change of locations, but bear with me. I'm building to something.
P.S. At the risk of giving away the storyline, can I just say that "CF" has nothing to do with me. I may be a confessed egomaniac, but I'm not putting myself into the story.
