Chapter 17

Liquid and Ocelot

Snake walked up to the small doorway where he heard two voices conversing. He immediately recognized them. Oh, god, Ocelot and Liquid. He leaned against the wall closest to the door where they could not see him.

"Okay…" Ocelot's voice sounded. "I've entered the PAL codes and disengaged the safety device. We can launch anytime."

"There's still no response from Washington." Liquid's voice this time. "It looks like we'll have to show them that we mean business."

"Should I set it for Chernoton, Russia?"

"No. There's been a change. The new target is…Lopnor, China."

"Why, Boss?"

"I'm sure neither you nor Mr. Gurlukovich would really like to see a nuclear bomb dropped on your Motherland, right?"

"But why? There's nothing there."

"Wrong. It's a nuclear test site."

"A nuclear test site?"

"If we nuke a major population center, the game's over…But a nuclear explosion at a test site can still be concealed from the public. Meanwhile, Washington will be worried about the retaliatory strike from China."

"That'll probably mean top secret talks between both countries' leaders…"

"Of course. And in the process, the President will be forced to divulge the existence of a new and highly destabilizing nuclear weapon to the Chinese. What do you think that will do to the US's reputation? Or the President's?"

"And with the CTBT, that means that China and India…"

"I see…Yes…When the other countries hear about this new weapon, they'll all want to contact us. Washington won't be very happy when we start selling their own system to the highest bidders. Yes. The President will break. He will give in to our demands."

"Big Boss's DNA and one billion dollars…"

"That money will be used to cure our genome soldiers as well. I'm also including the FoxDie vaccine in our demands."

"FoxDie…It killed Octopus and Baker…So it's true that it affects older people first. Mantis might not have been affected because he wore a mask."

"Wolf wasn't infected either. Perhaps due to those tranquilizers she always took."

"Something to do with the adrenaline level in the blood? Or maybe it's just because this FoxDie was still experimental and they haven't worked out all the bugs yet…"

"In any case, have you heard from your friend, Colonel Sergei Gurlukovich at the Spetznaz?"

"He still has doubts about the ability of Metal Gear. He said we can talk after Metal Gear's test launch is successful."

"He's a very prudent man."

"There's nothing to worry about. The Colonel wants Metal Gear and the new nuclear weapon so bad he can taste it. If Russia wants to gain its position as a military superpower, they need to reinforce their nuclear arsenal. They need a nuclear weapon that can't be intercepted. Metal Gear will allow them to gain first strike capability over the rest of the world."

"Their regular army is in shambles and they think they can restore their country's military power with nuclear weapons? Gurlukovich…he's no warrior…he's a politician."

"But he's the one who gave us the Hind and most of our other heavy firepower."

"He's got over a thousand soldiers under his command. If we joined forces we could put up quite a resistance here. Since Mantis died, the genome soldiers' brainwashing has started to wear off. I'm worried about the men's morale. An alliance with the Russians would boost that as well…"

"What are you saying?"

"We're not going anywhere. We're going to dig in here."

"We could still escape."

"We've got the most powerful weapon ever made and we're about to ally with Gurlukovich's forces."

"Are you going to fight the whole world?"

"And what's wrong with that? We can launch a nuclear warhead at any target on this planet…A nuclear warhead invisible to radar. And on top of that, this base is full of spare nuclear warheads. Once we get the DNA and the money, the world will be ours!"

"What about your promise to Colonel Gurlukovich?"

"I have no interest in the revival of Mother Russia."

"…You're not thinking of reviving Big Boss's dream?"

"From today, call this place…'Outer Heaven'."

"But Boss, you're not worried about the PAL being overridden? If the code is entered again, it'll be deactivated."

"No need to worry. The DARPA chief and the ArmsTech president are both dead."

"Does Snake know how the override system works?"

"You interrogated him, don't you know?"

"He didn't have any keys on him."

"Good. Then no one can stop Metal Gear now."

"By the way, what should we do with that woman? Want me to kill her?"

"Let her live. She's Campbell's niece and Snake cares for her…We'll keep her as our ace in-the-hole."

Meryl…she's alive…

Hal called Snake. "Hey, I found Baker's top-secret files!"

"Great job."

"How's it going there?"

"They've finished inputting the PAL codes. So how do we deactivate them?"

"Okay…y'see the override system that the president was talking about…It can also be used to input the detonation codes. Y'see, if you insert the keys when the warhead is active, you deactivate it. And vice-versa. You can only use the keys once."

"Only once…"

"Yeah…you'd better get started. We don't have much time."

"But it takes three keys! I've only got one!"

"That's the trick. You already have all three keys!"

"What are you talking about?"

"The card key is made of a shape memory alloy…a material that changes shape at different temperatures. That card key is made out of it."

"Ah…clever."

"Can you see the input terminals in the center of the Control Room…?"

"I see them…"

"Those three laptop terminals are for the emergency input. There's a symbol on each screen corresponding to a different key. Input the keys in order from left to right. Room, low and high temperatures, got it?"

"Yeah."

"Remember…the keys can only be used once, it's an emergency override system. The world is riding on those keys."

Ocelot sees the card out of the corner of his eyes and shoots it. It flies over the edge far from sight.

"Damn! They key fell in the drain ditch."

"Snake!" Liquid yells. "This is bullet-proof glass. There's no way in! I'll enjoy watching you die." Liquid shuts the door and laughs.

Riki, Hal, and Nikita

"Damn!"

"What?" Riki asked walking toward Hal who was in the middle of the room again.

"He lost the key…now he's got to waste time trying to find it."

"It will be okay…" Riki obviously completely trusted in Snake, or completely didn't, because as she was walking closer to him she was gradually taking off her clothes.

"Is this all you can think about at a time like this?" Hal said trying not to laugh.

"Well, yeah…" she said, dropping her shirt to the floor. "If the world is gonna end because of them dimwits, why not let us end our lives with a bang…no pun intended."

Hal burst out laughing. "Ya know? You're right." He reached for her and drug her closer to him. He felt her back and reached for her bra. When he got a hold, he unclamped it.

Nikita yawned and looked up. Alarmed at what he had seen, he turned around and faced the other way.

Just as Hal had dropped her bra to the floor, he got a call on his codec. He closed his eyes and started to breathe in slowly than out. "What's wrong?" Riki asked.

"Turn your codec on. Snake never fails, does he?"

Riki laughed and answered, "'Sup?"

"Master called me back and told me more 'bout Naomi."

"And?"

"He said that the DIA recently developed a new type of assassination weapon called FoxDie. It's a virus that targets specific people. It kills its victims by simulating a heart attack."

"Like Baker and Anderson?"

"Yeah, but Master says that Naomi's behind it. Naomi did give me a lot of injections…ya know, the nanomachines…you, too, Rik…anyway, Master can't come up with a motive. Campbell told me that she was sending coded messages towards the Alaskan base. But that's about it."

"Well, thanks for the tip," Hal said. "How's it goin' on your end, anyway?"

"I got one more key to go…"

"Good job." The conversation ended.

"Well, let's continue…"

Hal quickly cleared off some room on the nearest desk. He wiped his arm across the top and papers and computer disks went flying. He lied Riki on the desk and rested on top of her. He leaned in to kiss her when Snake called again.

"Yeah?" Hal asked sort of aggravated.

"Naomi just called…"

"What happened?" Riki asked, concerned.

"She told me that it's true but not everything she said was a lie. She doesn't even know her own identity. She had to make everything up. She got into genetics to find out who she was. She was found in Rhodesia in the 80's. Frank Jaeger found and raised her."

"Gray Fox?" Riki asked.

"The ninja?" Hal this time.

"Yeah…Big Boss brought her to America. She wanted to kill me because I killed her benefactor and sent her guardian home a cripple. She joined FOX-HOUND. She did inject me with FoxDie but not you, Rik. She used to want me dead and now I'll probably die…She doesn't know when it'll take effect, if it ever does. After that, Colonel Campbell interrupted and she was taken away."

"Oh, Snake…" Hal didn't know what to say in order to comfort him.

"I gotta get goin'…got a world to save." The codec clicked off.

"Oh, boy…that really got me outta the mood…" Riki was mumbling as she sat up on the desk.

Hal went back to his computer and started typing again. "Well, I'll see if I can find anything else out."

After about ten minutes, Snake called again.

"Otacon! Help! The door's shut and there's gas! The glass is bullet-proof!"

"Hey, I know where you are! Hang in there for a sec…" Hal went to the computer next to him and started typing something. "Got it! Is it open?"

"Yeah…No more gas…listen…Master called me back. Tell Rik to get on."

Hal did as he was told.

"Look. Rik. Master's not Master…Hal, you were right. It's Liquid…"

"WHAT!"

"Yeah…um…Liquid killed your uncle to impersonate him to get me to enter the detonation code… Rik…I'm sorry."

"NNOOOO! THE ASSHOLE! I'm gonna kill him…" Riki broke into a fit of horrible sobs.

"Snake," Hal talked to him as he was holding Riki. "We ran across Master's file on the computer earlier. It looked like research…this totally makes sense."

"Hey, Liquid, asshole, I'm coming to kill ya, ya bastard!" Snake yelled a whole bunch more obscenities before the codec cut out.

"Oh, NO!" Riki yelled.

"What's--"

"I had a vision…we need to get down there." Riki runs out of the room and grabs her scattered clothes and starts applying them on the way. Hal starts to run after her but loses her before he can even start. Nikita walks up to him.

I sent Riki a vision of what was happening in an effort to get her down there. Snake and Meryl need you guys' help. Follow me, I can get down there pretty quick. She runs faster so will probably be there before us, but that's okay.

Riki, Hal, and Nikita ran all the way to the underground area where Metal Gear was being kept. By the time that Hal got there, Riki was climbing onto the side of a destroyed Metal Gear. He looked up and saw Snake and Liquid fighting hand-to-hand on top of it. Riki got to the top just as Liquid was about to kick a fallen Snake off the edge.

"Hey, asshole, you killed my uncle!"

"What of it?"

"You're gonna pay."

Riki ran to him and started to fight Liquid. Snake could not because he was totally beaten.

Hal made it to the top with Nikita in his jacket. He stood watching Riki fight when he noticed Meryl. "Oh, god…" He checked her pulse and breathing. Everything was okay.

Nikita nudged Hal's mind, Bomb, bomb, bomb, BOMB!

What are you talking---then he noticed. Damn!

The ticking of the timer made it very hard to concentrate on the disposal of the bomb. Nikita reached him trying to calm him. It apparently worked because the ticking stopped. Hal heard a scream and looked up. He saw Liquid flying over the edge of the Metal Gear with his hand clung to the back of Riki's shirt.

"Noooo!" Hal ran to try and catch her but it was too late. She'd gone over the edge. Hal hit the floor and started to cry… "I couldn't save her either, dammit! I'm useless!"

"No you're not!" he heard from over the side. "Help me up, willya?"

He looked over and saw Riki hanging from one arm very close to the top. "Snake, can you help me?"

"Yeah…I think so…" Snake and Hal pulled her up.

"I've dislocated my arm. Can you…?"

"Yeah…" Snake answered. "It's gonna hurt like hell…"

"Just do it…"

"Okay…" Snake pulled her arm and a sickening pop resounded through the echo-y room.

Riki cursed every way she could think of, but was alright. Snake went to Meryl, who was also okay.

"Yes, we're all fine…" Hal said. "But the only problem is…we have to actually get down now."

Chapter 18

The End of Liquid…?

Snake carried Meryl down to the floor from the top of the huge pile of Metal Gear trash. "Hey," he called up. "Can you guys make it down?"

"Yeah!" Riki yelled down. "We can. Give us a few sec's."

"Okay!"

"Hal, can you carry Nikita? I lost my jacket when I took my little tumble of love."

"Yeah…come here, Niky."

"I'll meet you at the ground."

Before Hal could make it all the way to the ground, the whole place began shaking violently. "Snake," Hal said jumping off the last rung of the ladder at the side of the big machine. "Why's the ground shaking?"

10 minutes

"Oh…um…Campbell called me. The Secretary of Defense has taken control and plans to bomb the place now that word is out that we destroyed their long-time project. The Secretary says he's worried about FoxDie, but I know better. Campbell's trying to stop this nuclear strike from happening. He was forced to cooperated with the government in exchange for Meryl's life…Meryl…he's doing this for you. The Secretary put him under arrest. The Secretary's such a bastard!"

"Um…okay…" Riki started. "Since we're about to be bombed…is there any way out of here?"

"Yeah," Hal said. "We can take the loading tunnel to the surface. There's a parking garage right next to us. The tunnel leads to the surface. I unlocked the security before I left…just in case."

"Smart boy!" Riki said and patted him on the head.

"Hey! Nikita's the dog, not me…pet him…"

Everyone laughed. Hearty, happy laughs. You wouldn't think you would hear such laughs here in a place like this. Laughs that aren't maniacal are hard to come by.

"Let's go…" Meryl said.

9 minutes

They all headed for the door but Snake said, "Stop! My Sneaksuit…" He ran to the far corner of the room and grabbed his Sneaksuit. They all went for the parking garage.

When they got there, there was a car ready. Hal jumped in the driver's seat and hot-wired it. "Wow…" Riki said. "I didn't know you could do that."

"My friend's dad taught me when I was a kid. He was an ex-con."

8 minutes

Just as the car started up, a pack of guards came through the door. "I thought you took care of security!" Snake yelled.

"I did…the doors…not people!"

7 minutes

Snake, Riki, and Meryl jumped into the back of the jeep. There was a gun on the car, so Snake claimed that one. Riki pulled out two socoms. One for her and one for Meryl. "Thanks…" Meryl told Riki.

"No prob.…now, let's kick some ass!"

They all started shooting the guards. "Hey, shoot the barrel!" Hal yelled.

Snake got there first. The barrel exploded and the nearby guards got blown up. "Yay!"

6 minutes

The car went through the tunnel for a few minutes before stopping at a checkpoint. "God!" They all shot at the guards until the coast was clear. Then, lo, and behold, the came to another checkpoint. This time was a little easier. They continued down the tunnel.

5 minutes

Right behind them, an all too familiar voice ran out, "Not yet, Snake…"

"Liquid!"

"What the hell? He fell all that way!" Riki didn't know what else to say, so she took out her gun and started shooting at him. Meryl and Snake did the same. Liquid tried to shoot back, but driving and dodging three people's bullets was more than he could accomplish.

4 minutes

At the end of the tunnel, Liquid ran his car right in front of them. There was a horrible sound of metal on metal. Both cars tumbled over. Riki, Hal and Nikita were thrown from the car and Snake and Meryl were caught under it. Nikita was the first to get up. Hey, guys, are you okay? He was talking to Riki and Hal.

They nodded and got up. They saw Snake and Meryl and went for them. The car was too heavy for the two of them to move it enough for them to get out. Liquid came up from behind them.

3 minutes

"Snake! Snaaaake… Fo…Fox…?"

"…Die…"

Liquid fell to the ground…dead…

"If he's dead…that means…"

"Don't say it Snake," Meryl told him.

2 minutes

"What happened to the air raid?" Snake wiggles out from under the car and helps Riki and Hal get Meryl out. They all get a call from Campbell.

"Can you all hear me?"

"Yes," they all said in unison.

"The Secretary of Defense has been arrested."

"Is that all that anyone does, anymore," Riki said. "Get arrested? My god, you guys really do need a life."

Riki was ignored.

"I was able to get into contact with the President." Campbell continued. "This whole exercise was the Secretary alone. The orders for the air raid were rescinded. I have complete authority of this mission once again."

"Yay, Roy!"

"The danger's over. Thanks, you guys."

"Colonel, you can rest easy. Meryl's fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Uncle…I'm here."

"Well, I was gonna tell you when you got home, but I'll tell you now. Meryl, you're my daughter."

"What…how?"

"That part…I'll tell you when you get home…"

"Well," Snake said. "Dad…How do we get outta here?"

"Ther—Dad? Ha…anyway Mei Ling saw some snowmobiles on the satellite, so that's how you guys can leave. There's a helicopter on Fox Island…get there."

"The batteries on the nanomachines are running out, so I'll—well, we'll pay you a visit some time…probably sooner than later."

"Well, I'll see you…"

"Bye…Roy," Riki said. "I'll see you soon, too, probably."

"Bye. Make it home safe." The codec conversation ended for the last time…

They walked down to the snowmobiles and Meryl and Snake got on one and Riki, Hal, and Nikita on the other. They rode of into the sunset—wait…no cliches…sorry…to make a long story short…they make it home. There.

WAIT IT'S NOT OVER YET

Only a couple more chapters to go…so, I hope you enjoy and will continue reading my next story…Arsenal Shadow…which is also being written by Shadow-Ocelot in Shadow's POV. Tsugs