Chapter 4
When Snake awoke, he felt abnormally weak. The last thing he remembered was the destruction of a Metal Gear Rex, before he woke up wherever he was. The previous days were cloudy, almost like a bad dream. And now, his entire body felt alien to him as if he'd never used his muscles a day in his life. He knew that wasn't true though. He was the best of the best, trained at birth to be an elite fighting machine. There was no way he should feel so week. His mind raced. He didn't know where he was. He only knew he was in an unfamiliar environment.
In his line of work, unfamiliar almost always meant hostile.
Snake rolled out of the makeshift cot, his calf muscles straining to hold himself up. He ran a hand over his bald head that was starting to stubble. He started to make his way to the entry hatch when the wheel turned suddenly and the black man from a few nights ago entered.
"I am Morpheus, Captain of the Nebuchadnezzar. Snake, I know you've got to be questioning why we," he paused ever so slightly, "why I've brought you here."
Snake grunted his response, "Don't give me this shit again. I know the Colonel is behind this."
"I insure you, Snake. This is no ploy."
"Well then what the hell is it?"
"Snake, I don't know where to begin. It isn't the year you remember it. Things aren't what they appeared to be at all. Follow me."
Wearily, Snake followed Morpheus through the belly of the hovercraft never letting his guard down. He didn't stay alive as long as he did by letting his guard down. Morpheus was pointing at random things throughout the ship, giving Snake a sort of tour, but Snake really wasn't listening. He was observing the surroundings, scanning for something; anything that would aid in an escape. This situation brought a whole new meaning to the term OSP (On-Site Procurement).
Snake's attention finally returned to Morpheus as Morpheus said, "and this is the command center. Now it's time to introduce you to the crew."
"Trinity," he pointed in Trinity's direction, "you know already."
Then a tall, slender man walked over. He had black hair and deep brown eyes. He was a little taller than Snake.
"This, Snake, is Neo."
Neo nodded succinctly.
"I know you've got a lot of questions, Snake. You will have answers shortly. Have a seat."
Morpheus beckoned Snake to one of the reclined seats in the large room. Snake sat, compliantly.
"This may hurt a bit."
- - -
The next thing Snake knew, he was back in his sneaking suit. He no longer was bald. He felt alive again. Everything around him was white, everything. He saw Morpheus walking towards him but he wasn't wearing the tattered clothes he wore mere minutes ago. Now he was wearing something similar to what he wore a few nights ago: a long black snake-skin coat, and fashionable slacks and shirt under it. He had the same mirrored out sunglasses as well.
"Snake, do you know what the Matrix is?"
"The Matrix? Yeah, I've heard it mentioned a few times before. It sounds like bullshit to me. The world is just one big VR Mission? I don't buy it."
Well buy it, because the Matrix is real. Look at yourself, Snake. Your sneaking suit, your hair, it's all back to the way it was, when just minutes ago you were wearing rags and were hairless."
Snake stayed silent for a moment.
"What year is it?"
"Somewhere near 3000 AD. We can't be certain."
"Fine. Mind telling me what exactly this Matrix is?"
"I'm sure in your world, Snake, there were movies in which an A.I. becomes self aware, leaving the human race to struggle for survival. Well, we've been struggling, Snake. The Matrix is, as you so eloquently put it, a big VR Mission. Only where you're used to it simulating combat situations, it simulates everyday life. There's another big difference, Snake."
Snake's gruff reply: "What's that?"
"No one knows it's a simulation, except for those who've been unplugged; you, me, Trinity, Neo, and a few others."
"So where are we now? This isn't the Matrix. Is it some kind of prompt?"
"In fact it is. This is where we go before we jack into the Matrix. We load up anything we need from here-- Guns, clothes, vehicles."
"A staging area."
"Exactly."
"Still sounds like bullshit."
Snake took a few steps back and began searching the infinite white.
"COLONEL! GODDAMN YOU CAMPBELL! SHOW YOURSELF YOU GUTLESS BASTARD!"
"Snake, calm down. Your Colonel has nothing to do with this."
Morpheus reached his right hand out slowly. Out of a blend of anger and instinct, Snake snatched Morpheus' hand and tried to compress his wrist. Too fast, Morpheus yanked away and instantly brought his left hand around for a sweeping crane attack. Snake ducked it narrowly and followed up with a powerful right uppercut, striking Morpheus in the jaw. Morpheus' glasses flew off of his face from the power of the impact. He jumped in the air, caught them on the way up, flipped end over end and landed fifteen feet behind Snake. He smiled as he rubbed his jaw.
"Who the hell are you?"
Morpheus continued smiling. "That's enough for today, Snake."
Everything went black again.
When Snake awoke, he was back on the Nebuchadnezzar, his body feeling rejuvenated and tired all at the same time.
The jack slid out of Snake's neck.
"You must be tired, Snake. Time to rest. You've got a big day tomorrow."
Snake staggered out of the chair to see Trinity and Neo looking at him in awe. He saw Morpheus still rubbing his chin. He referred to his cognitive map of the Nebuchadnezzar and made his way back to the makeshift cot. In moments, Snake drifted to sleep.
- - -
"Trinity, he is the One."
"No way, Morpheus. He can't be. He just can't."
She looked up at Neo with her big blue eyes.
"Trinity, he could be," Neo thought back to the confrontation with the Architect, "Maybe he's the successor of the One, and when the I chose to save you, he was still awaken anyway."
"No, it just can't be like that."
"Why are you so adamant, Trinity?"
"Because of what the Oracle told me."
Neo held her tightly.
"She does that, sometimes."
"So what do we do now?"
Neo looked at Morpheus.
"Tomorrow, training exercises. We see if Solid Snake, the man, can live up to Solid Snake, the legend."