Chapter 43

Rose saw as the Ray started to fly away from the abandoned factory towards the Metal Gear. She started to move as well towards the tunnel for Raiden had said to her that Meryl and Naomi would come out from there. The child was getting restless on her arms. "It's okay we're going someplace safe." She was speaking to both the child and herself. It was still raining and the absence of lights in this place scared her a bit. She hastened to call Meryl on the CODEC.

"Snake?" Meryl sounded fearful.

"No sorry it's me, Rose." Rose was walking towards the tunnel entrance as she was speaking

"Rose where are you and what are you doing with Snake's CODEC?"

"I'm going to the entrance of the tunnel?"

"Alright we'll meet you there."

"Okay." Rose turned off the CODEC.

Within a minute she got to the tunnel entrance and peered down. The tunnel was immensely wide and high, it had to be in order to fit the Ray, but why had the Patriots created a facility like this one?

As the jeep approached the entrance, with Meryl behind the driver's seat and Naomi by her side Rose cleared her mind of questions.

"Where's Snake?" Meryl asked as she stopped right beside Rose.

"They've gone after it." Rose sensed that Meryl felt towards Snake the same way she felt about Jack.

"Get in." Meryl waved her in.

Naomi held the child until Rose sat in the backseat.

"Where are we going?" Rose asked as Naomi handed the child back to her.

"After them, any objections?" Meryl looked to her side and to her back. "Alright then." She pressed the accelerator and off they went.

As the timer reached zero Liquid got ready. It's time to show the world the potential of this machine. Liquid had a purpose for the Metal Gear Ray, but he also craved for destruction and what better way to start than the nation's capital. The control came back to Liquid's hands. He quickly turned on the outside viewer and looked for Snake. After a few seconds he found him and the others outside a helicopter. So I was right it was Emmerich. Liquid hoped that Snake would follow him so he could witness the destruction. Liquid quickly pressed the same button he had pressed before. Letters appeared on the screen again "Laser Charging Up – Phase 2 – 2:32" Yes, soon.

Liquid started moving the Ray towards the center of the city with a keen eye on the helicopter to see if Snake would follow him. Suddenly the helicopter disappeared. "Huh?" Liquid pressed a few buttons and the viewer changed to thermal vision. Stealth Camouflage! That won't help you. Liquid grinned as he steered the Ray.

The old iron stairs rustled again as several soldiers, accompanied by scientists, got to the hangar. There they saw the floor populated by dead bodies and an empty wheelchair.

A soldier took the lead "Alright we'll head towards the door and then to the surface by car. Is that clear?" A soldier with a red square in his balaclava spoke out.

The scientists agreed by nodding or saying an enthusiast "Yes.". They were more than happy to leave this place.

Several soldiers were talking amongst themselves.

"Yes, since the facility has been in lockdown the reinforcements were called."

"How long does it take them to get here?"

"Beats me."

They were all waking towards the hangar door being lead by the soldier with the red square on the balaclava when suddenly one of the soldiers on the rear screamed from the top of his lungs. All turned around to see what had happened.

"My god what happened?" A scientist quivered behind a soldier.

Blood was gushing out from the soldier's throat.

"People get in line!" The commander shouted, but it was too late. Without a lot of trouble the rest of the soldiers fell to the ground, hit with small pointy daggers, leaving only the scientists standing.

"What's happening here?" One scientist shouted as he took his hands to his head.

The scientists, it seemed,were scared to death.

"I hope your blood tastes better than that of dead soldiers." A voice echoed across the hangar.

"Who's there?" A bald scientist asked boldly.

Vamp appeared behind the bald scientist. "I am." Vamp jammed his mouth into his neck. His colour had changed, he was invigorated again.

A scientist that was just a few inches away fell to ground frightened.

Vamp took his mouth from the scientist neck. "Ah, fresh blood."

The scientist on ground shivered as Vamp threw the bald scientist's body to the ground as if it was a doll.

"Please don't kill me?" The scientist trembling on the floor wet himself as he cowardly held up his arms to defend from any attack.

The other scientists started running to the hangar door shouting and screaming for help.

"You are already dead." Vamp spoke out as he moved his tongue to clean his bloody teeth.

The cries of the scientists died out very quickly.

"What's your plan Snake?" Raiden asked as the Kamov was taking off.

"I'll think of something." Snakesounded like he hadno idea on how to stop the Ray.

"Maybe I can help." Otacon replied through the open door that lead to the cargo room.

"What do you mean?" Snake asked puzzled.

"Hold on a sec." Otacon reached for his CODEC while steering the Kamov in an interception route with Metal Gear Ray. "Mei you there?"

"Yes." Mei Ling responded swiftly.

"You can stop the transfer now." As they were getting away from the facility the computer's signal would get weaker and the transfer would be impossible.

The Ray was heading towards a few buildings across the roads. As some roads were smaller than others Ray's leg's smashed the buildings to widen the passage. The only thing on Liquid's mind was the charging up of the laser and the destruction of Solid Snake.

"And maybe you can help me finding a weak spot on the Metal Gear." Otacon wondered what kind of reaction this would have on Snake. After all he had ordered Otacon not to let anyone in the control center.

Snake however had no reaction, the thoughts of the Patriots controlling someone were not important anymore. He started to believe that he was in fact sent by the Patriots to kill Big Boss twelve years ago. Snake feared that if he continued to suspect everyone and anyone the shadow of Big Boss would always loom over him, he didn't want to become like his mentor. He shook the thought from his head and listened carefully to what Otacon was saying.

"Yes Mei some kind of way to bring the Metal Gear down." Otacon feared Mei Ling's next question.

"Okay – what kind of weapons do you have?" Mei asked.

Otacon looked over at Snake as Metal Gear Ray got closer.

"Well you better just tell me what weak spots the Ray has and we can work from there." Otacon began to think this had been a very bad idea.

Raiden got his gun ready knowing full well it would have the same effect on Ray as a tennis ball.

"According to these plans this version of Metal Gear Ray is impregnable. It uses the same system on its armour and its laser 'Diamond Reflection System' that's how it's called…"

Otacon interrupted. "I understand that but it must have a weak point." There was silence as the Kamov got behind the Ray. It was heading near the city buildings.

Mei Ling interrupted the silence. "No, sorry – wait."

Otacon listened carefully as he hoped Mei Ling had the solution.

"According to this some of the systems of this Metal Gear Ray had to be arranged in order to install the cockpit." Mei Ling said as if she had just found gold.

Otacon had to repeat Mei Ling's words for Snake and Raiden to hear. He saw the weird looks in Snake's and Raiden's face and explained.

"It seems that someone changed the inside of the Metal Gear in order to be controlled by a person." Otacon simplified.

Liquid's word repeated in Snake's mind. "The Ray was intended not to carry a person, but something else. It was designed to carry the Patriots consciousness whatever that means. " The thought of GW, the Artificial Intelligence, created by the Patriots to censor digital information also came to his mind. Are they connected somehow? What do the Patriots want to do? Snake was brought to reality while Otacon repeated Mei Ling's words.

"It seems that the navigation system was seriously compromised, the radar and the control system that makes Ray's navigation possible are located outside near the laser system. According to what I'm reading they're behind a white panel."

"Can we hit it?" Snake asked hoping for an affirmative answer.

"Can we hit it with a gun Mei?" Otacon asked.

"No because of Ray's shielding, the only possible way would be to pierce through Ray's armour."

"Well we can count that out!" Otacon replied as he piloted the Kamov very close to Ray's rear. They're separated by just a few feet.

"What did she say?" Raiden asked.

"Hold on." Otacon said to Snake and Raiden as Mei Ling hadn't finished talking

"You have to be careful about that laser Otacon." Mei continued.

"Yeah I know it's really powerful, but it takes time to charge up." Otacon replied. He had read the plans of the laser before sending them to Mei Ling.

"According to the new designs it charges faster and after it's fully charged it only takes about one minute to charge up between shots."

Otacon followed the Ray closely has he talked with Mei Ling. "Are you sure?" He was definitely getting worried as the Kamov got even closer to Ray's head.

Unexpectedly a colossal beam of light came from the small obelisk that stood between the Ray's head and spine.

"Damn!" Otacon shouted as he veered the Kamov away from the light.

It seemed like dawn had come sooner. The light was immensely powerful and even the heat could be felt inside the Kamov.

The laser hit a couple of houses that were behind the Kamov putting them instantly on fire. Then the light faded away giving place to the rainy night.

"What the hell was that?" Snake was shaken from Otacon's manoeuvre and the massive quantity of light.

"It was the laser!" Otacon shouted.

"I thought you meant the one on his mouth!" Raiden looked over at Snake sensing he thought the same thing.

"Well its not." Otacon was upset. "How the hell did he see us?"

"He probably has thermal vision in there." Snake knew the situation was getting worse by the minute. "We have to move before he launches missiles at us."

"He doesn't have missiles, he only has that laser." Otacon said remembering the Metal Gear plans he had seen.

The news weren't all that good for the laser was even worse than any kind of missiles.

"What now?" Raiden sounded desperate.

Otacon was still flying behind the Ray. At any time he could fire up again.

"How did it feel brother?" Liquid was shouting through Ray's speakers. "Ready for more?"

The Ray's arms raised and pointed at the Kamov.

"Oh no…hold on!" Otacon said as he pushed the controls left to avoid the Ray's arms powerful machine guns. The bullets sprayed across a line, just a few inches away from the Kamov, shattering windows in the nearby buildings.

"Snake?" Otacon turned to him. "We have to abort, there's no way he can take that thing on."

Snake was definitely considering it. He had been too careless, Liquid was able to fool everyone and the Ray was much too powerful.

"What did Mei say before Otacon?" Raiden asked looking out of the left side door window at the Ray.

"Oh – she said that the only possible way to destroy the radar would be to pierce through Ray's armour."

Raiden forgot the idea instantly, it would be impossible to stop this Metal Gear.

Snake turned to Raiden and saw him with his back turned to him.

"Good work Raiden." Snake had an idea, but he needed to act before Liquid fired the laser again.