Plant Chapter, Bomb Defusal

Raiden exited the mess hall and retraced his steps, heading toward the BC connecting bridge. When he reached the long planter, he checked his bomb sensor. The ladies' restroom was bathed in green on the display. Raiden cautiously entered the restroom, and immediately noticed a blinking green light reflected by the mirror in front of the right sink. Raiden moved closer to the countertop and found a packet of C4 attached to a high overhang above him. Raiden produced his coolant spray and sprayed the explosives until the small LED light ceased pulsating. He then contacted Stillman via Codec.

"Raiden here. I took care of the C4 in Strut C. The ceiling of the women's bathroom was set to blow."

"That's not like him," Peter replied.

"Anything wrong?"

"Maybe. Pliskin's reported other locations, too, and none of them are effective demolition points."

"What do you mean?" Raiden asked.

"It means that they wouldn't be the best places to choose if you wanted to destroy this place."

"Are you saying they don't plan on blowing the Shell up?"

"It certainly seems that way. So far, we haven't seen anything but a waste of good explosives. Unless, of course, we're missing something…"

"A trap?"

"Fatman couldn't have overlooked the fact that I would be called into this. There's something going on." Stillman then cut the connection.

Raiden headed northeast, passing the mess hall once again. He exited Strut C and found himself on the CD connecting bridge. He peeked out from behind a doorway and spotted a sentry on the far side of the dual-level bridge. The guard turned around and headed toward Raiden, passing the first set of stairs leading to the lower level of the bridge, then the second staircase as he neared the doorway Raiden was behind. The guard stopped just past the second set of stairs, then turned around and headed back to his original position. Raiden ran out onto the bridge and hurled himself off the platform, catching onto the footbridge with his hands. He hung off the side of the bridge until the Gurlukovich guard passed him on his way to Strut C. Raiden then quickly climbed back onto the connecting bridge and sprinted to Strut D, which he entered.

Strut D was a sediment pool; two levels of catwalks arranged in a half-circle connected to the sides of the strut, all suspended above a deep pool of shimmering green water. Four doors were present in the strut: One in the southwest, leading to the CD connecting bridge, which Raiden had just entered from, one door to the north, leading to the Shell 1-2 connecting bridge, and two doors to the southeast, one located above the other, both leading to the DE connecting bridge. There was a central hub on the top floor in the center of the strut, which had pathways directly connecting to each of the three doors. Two guards patrolled the top floor, while one patrolled the bottom. When all three had their back turned to Raiden, he moved out from the doorway and jumped over the side of the catwalk railing, hanging off the bridge once again. He let go of his handhold, and caught onto the catwalk directly below him. He lifted himself onto the bridge and checked his bomb sensor. The area in which he was standing in was covered in green. Raiden checked the underside of the bridge above him, but no bomb. He then noticed a maintenance hatch at his feet. Raiden opened it and spied another bomb. The special operative hastily froze the bomb with his coolant spray, and then closed the hatch. Raiden took check of the guards' positions; one was heading his way. Raiden swiftly hung off the side of the catwalk as the sentry made his way toward Raiden's position. He went unnoticed as the Russian continued his patrol route. Raiden returned to the platform and made his way around to the lower door to the DE connecting bridge, which he entered.

Raiden evaded the guard on the DE connecting bridge and made his way to Strut E, the material distribution facility. The strut was filled with waist-high conveyor belts, creating a sort of maze in the strut. On the moving conveyor belts were crates and boxes. The conveyor belts moved the crates from one strut in the Big Shell to another; Strut E was the hub of the system. When Raiden found a sufficient piece of cover to hide his presence from the two guards in the area, he checked his bomb sensor. A long line of green color filled the screen, replicating the path of the conveyor belt in the strut. Raiden was puzzled for a moment until a blinking green light caught his eye. He looked up and saw a bomb attached to the side of a box on the conveyor belt being circulated around the room. Raiden waited at his position for the crate to make its way to him. As it neared him, Raiden took his coolant spray in his hand and sprayed the bomb as it moved past him. The explosives moved out of range; they were still armed. Raiden would have to wait until the bomb made its way around the strut and came back to him again. Raiden peeked out from around his cover and checked on the sentries in the strut. They didn't look like they were aware of his presence. Raiden turned his attention back to the bomb, which was coming closer to him. Raiden once again readied his coolant spray and sprayed the bomb. After a few seconds, the green light on the packet of C4 switched off; it was disarmed. Raiden turned his focus to his surroundings and noticed a small hallway leading out from the east side of the strut. Raiden avoided the guards and moved to the passageway. It led to a staircase leading up, came to a small landing, then continued again. Raiden climbed the stairs and went through the door at the top of the stairs.

Raiden found himself outside, on a narrow catwalk around the circumference of the strut. Raiden moved forward and came to a long set of stairs. He heard voices from above, at the top of the staircase. Raiden knelt at the base of the stairs, out of view and listened in.

"I've taken care of that annoying fly. What's the situation over there?" crackled a man's voice from over a radio.

"Puzzling. I saw a man dressed like a ninja just now," replied a female voice with a Russian accent.

"Ninja?"

"It's the only way to describe it. A kind of cyborg ninja, complete with a sword."

"What! Are you hiding something from me? Olga, are you sure it wasn't an Arsenal Tengu?"

"Don't be a fool. Think I wouldn't know the difference? I've never seen field gear like that, ever."

"All right. We'll intensify patrols. Anything else?"

"Actually, one more thing. You'll find it hard to believe, though. I saw a man hiding under a cardboard box."

"Where?"

"On the connecting bridge to Shell Two."

"Hmm."

"So you believe me this time?"

"I've seen someone use that box trick before. We'll lay a trap on the Shell 2 connecting bridge."

"Over and out, then," the woman said. As soon as she placed the radio she held in her hand on her belt, Raiden swung into view and raised his pistol at the woman.

"Freeze!" Raiden yelled. The Russian woman turned to look down at Raiden. She had short, nearly-white hair, even though she was very young. She also wore an urban camouflage BDUs, the same uniform as the other soldiers on the Big Shell. A pistol holster was on her right hip, and a large knife on her left. "Are you one of Dead Cell?" Raiden inquired.

"Of course not. What a thing to say!" she returned. Raiden suddenly noticed the small pistol she had been holding in her right hand.

"Drop your gun!"

"Not a chance!" the woman quickly leaped off of the staircase and gracefully landed on the EF connecting bridge below, then sprinted to Strut F and disappeared from sight. Raiden raised Pliskin on the Codec.

"I saw a female soldier – Russian," Raiden said to Pliskin.

"Must be Olga Gurlukovich, Pliskin relpied.

"How do you know?"

"Unlike you, I've been briefed."

"She's not part of Dead Cell?"

"No, she commands a Russian private army."

"They must be the ones patrolling the Big Shell," concluded Raiden.

"That's right. She's led the group ever since her old man, Colonel Gurlukovich, died. Watch yourself with her. She's a tough one," Pliskin cut the connection.

Raiden continued up the stairs and reached the south side of Strut E's flat roof. There were nearly ten large shipping containers on the roof, each raised about a foot and a half by legs on each corner. Raiden moved towards the north side of the roof, evading guards. Raiden made it to the very north of the strut and found a Harrier airplane sitting idle on the roof. Upon further inspection, Raiden eyed a packet of C4 on the right-rear wheel chock. Raiden waited until the guards in the area left on their patrols, then ran to the aircraft and laid down to get access to the bomb. Raiden produced the coolant spray and deactivated the bomb. Raiden got back up and ran to one of the shipping containers. He then proned, and crawled under the container. Safe, he then contacted Stillman via Codec.

"Raiden here. The C4 reported on the roof of Strut E has been taken care of. Explosives were planted on the Harrier 2 stationed on the roof."

"This is all wrong," Stillman said. "This is something only an amateur would do."

"What do you mean?"

"All the bombs that have been found so far don't appear to be in the right kind of locations. And the quantity of explosives isn't sufficient, either."

"Even Fatman can makes mistakes, right?"

"No. There's something else going on here. Get a move on with the disposal, Raiden. I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Do you think it's a trap?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to tell Pliskin to watch his back, too. Just hurry." Stillman cut the connection. Raiden made his way back to the stairs at the southern end of the roof and moved down to the conveyor area. Strut E clear of bombs, Raiden exited the strut and emerged on the EF connecting bridge. The EF connecting bridge also connected the Shell One Core with the outer rim of struts, forming another T-shaped connecting bridge. There was a noticeable absence of guards on this bridge, though. As Raiden moved to the are of the bridge where it widened to almost fifteen feet, he received a Codec call.

"Be careful! There are Claymore mines around there," said a voice that had obviously been run through a modulator to hide the owner's identity.

"Who is this?" Raiden asked.

"Stealth-equipped Claymore mines, invisible to the naked eye. Use the mine detector."

"Identify yourself!"

"Just call me 'Deepthroat.'"

"Deepthroat? You mean from Shadow Moses?"

"Mr. X, then."

"Mr. X now, is it? Why would it matter if I called you Deepthoat?"

"Nevermind about that," Mr. X said.

"Why did you contact me?"

"Let's just say I'm one of your fans," Mr. X said as he cut the connection. Raiden contacted Colonel Campbell.

"Colonel, someone calling himself Mr. X just contacted me. Do you know anything about it?"

"No – and whoever it was, it wasn't a burst transmission. The transmission was sent from within the Big Shell," Campbell replied.

"He called himself 'Deepthroat' at first. Do you think…?"

"I caught that part too, but the possibility of it being true is none. Gray Fox used that alias in Shadow Moses, and he's dead."

"Is it an enemy trap?" asked Raiden.

"Could be. Exercise extreme caution." Campbell cut the connection.

Raiden thought about what Mr. X had said. Modern Claymore mines used infrared sensors to trigger the explosives in them. If Raiden moved in one's range, which was about three feet, the Claymore would detonate, more than likely killing him. Mr. X said that a mine detector would work, but Raiden didn't have one, and the bomb sensor wasn't picking up anything. Raiden decided to hang off the side of the bridge and move across that way. Raiden walked slowly toward the side of the connecting bridge, keeping as close as he could to the railing. Once he got to the side of the catwalk unharmed, he flipped off the side and caught himself on the bottom of the catwalk. Raiden shimmied over to the other end of the bridge, then hoisted himself up. Again, he slowly walked to the bridge's exit, then entered Strut F, unharmed.

Strut F was the Big Shell's warehouse. It was comprised of two levels, with the top level nothing more than a catwalk around the rim of the strut, looking down on the first floor below. There were several small rooms branching off on both floors. Raiden found himself on the top floor. He moved down a short hallway to arrive in the main room. There was one guard on the top level, and one on the bottom. The one on the top went around to the right, moving away from Raiden. Raiden moved left, heading toward where the bomb sensor indicated the bomb was located. He reached the spot, but found no packet of C4. He looked over the railing and saw the explosives in a small alcove made of heavy crates. Raiden hung off the railing when the guards weren't looking, and dropped into the alcove. Surrounded by boxes, Raiden quickly froze the C4 with coolant spray. Raiden climbed on top of the boxes, then dropped down and exited the strut when it was clear.

Raiden moved onto the FA connecting bridge and found a guard patrolling, as well as a Cypher unmanned aerial vehicle. The guard kept on the top level of the connecting bridge, and the Cypher alternated between the top and bottom levels. Raiden quickly crossed the bridge unseen and entered Strut A, the first strut he had infiltrated.

There was still a guard in the small cubical patrolling; Raiden passed him with ease, and moved into the pump room to the south. This room was unguarded, and was comprised of a complex of pipes and pressure tanks and pumps. The bomb sensor displayed a patch of green in the middle of it all. Raiden climber over the pipes and eventually found the packet of C4. He took out his coolant spray and froze it. He then called Stillman on the Codec.

"This is Raiden. The C4 found in Strut A has been frozen and disposed of. Explosives were planted in the Pump Room on the first floor."

"Good work. Only one more left to go," Stillman said.

"This is Pliskin. Do you read me, Pete?" Pliskin joined the conversation.

"I'm here. What's up?" Stillman answered.

"Raiden, you need to hear this, too," Pliskin said.

"I'm listening," Raiden replied.

"I checked out the bottom of Strut H for you, Pete."

"Wait, what's this about?" asked Raiden.

"I asked Pliskin to look around," Stillman informed Raiden. "Knowing Fatman, I can't shake the feeling that all the bombs so far were just wrong."

"So, did you find anything?" Raiden asked.

"A hell of a lot of C4's packed into the bottom of the strut. Pete called it right," Pliskin stated.

"I knew he had the real thing up his sleeve…" Stillman said.

"So all the other ones were dummies?" Raiden inquired.

"No, they're a threat all right, but the detonation wouldn't be enough to destroy the entire shell. But the C4's Pliskin found would inflict serious structural damage."

"That's not the bad news, either. These are sensor-proof," Pliskin said.

"What!" Stillman exclaimed.

"New model, I guess. The ionization sensor can't detect them. The whole thing is sealed tight to prevent vapor leak, and there's no trace of that cologne signature," Pliskin said. "Pete, looks like he fooled you."

"Yes…" Stillman said regretfully. "But you managed to find the C4 anyway?"

"It was sheer luck," Pliskin said.

"Bombs that are invisible to the sensor…" Raiden worried.

"Any ideas, Pete?" Pliskin asked.

"Are there more out there?" Raiden asked.

"I'll go see for myself," Stillman said.

"You can't move fast enough," Raiden stated.

"He's right," Pliskin said. "I can try the spray from a distance."

"Hold on!" Stillman demanded. "There's something not right about this one. I can feel it."

"Well, Pete? Should I come back and get you?" Pliskin suggested.

"No, there's no need," Stillman said. "Raiden, you have one left to go, correct?"
"Right – Except for those scentless ones," Raiden answered.

"How about you, Pliskin?"

"I have two left not counting this one," Pliskin said.

"OK…It'll have to be me. I have the level four card that'll get me into Shell Two in any case," Stillman said.

"You'll never make it. With that bad leg of yours, they'll spot you for sure," Raiden said.

"That won't happen. I…I can walk just fine. I can even run." Stillman said.

"What do you mean?" Pliskin asked.

"That bomb, five years ago. I messed up. Even with all my experience, I lost it. And a church was lost in the explosion. All those kids playing nearby, too…These past five years, I've lived a lie."

"Lied?" Raiden said.

"Yes, lied," Stillman began. "I didn't lose my leg in the explosion. So many dead – all because of my mistake. All I could think about was hiding from the crime, shielding myself from the public outcry. I wanted people to be sorry for me…for my weakness. I faked being a victim myself because I couldn't bear to face the families of the real victims. This is no prosthetic. I can keep my footing on catwalks and hike over deserts. I lived my lie so well I haven't even answered to myself for my sins…It was supposed to be s shield…and it became a shroud instead. I've killed my soul by playing the victim. Instead of protecting me, it's made my life even more hellish."

"What good can that do the victims?" Pliskin asked.

"I know! I'm a coward!" Stillman said.

"Hey, Pete…"

"God forgive me," Stillman said. "I can walk with out two feet. And I need them to stop Fatman. His crimes are also mine – one of omission, and arrogance. No one should teach the skills I taught him without a clear conscience. This is the only way I can defuse my own sins."

"I get you, Pete. That one's all yours. You got it, Raiden?" Pliskin asked.

"I understand," Raiden said.

"Pete, I've taken care of guards in Struts G and H of Shell Two. I wouldn't recommend you go into any of the other struts."

"I owe you one," Stillman said.

"I'll get back to freezing the baby bombs, then," Pliskin said.

"You do that, too, Raiden," Stillman said.

"I'm on it," Raiden said.

"I'll have the radio with me, if you need to get in touch. Just don't ask for 'Peg-Legged Peter.' He's gone for good," Stillman said as he cut the connection.

Raiden climbed back over the pipes and exited the Pump Room. Raiden passed the cubical sentry and emerged on the AB connecting bridge again. Raiden crossed the bridge like he did the first time. He hung off the side of the catwalk and shimmied to the other side of the bridge. The guard began to move to the opposite side, and Raiden pulled himself back up, and entered Strut B.

The hallway outside the transformer room was still bloodied from Vamp's attack earlier. The smell had gotten worse. The SEAL team's bodies had been removed, however. A single guard patrolled the hallway. As the guard began to move down the hall, Raiden entered the transformer room. A guard was walking to and fro in the lower section of the room. Raiden moved north, and was about to exit the transformer room when he saw a part of the wall behind an open locker door bathed in green light. Raiden shut the locker to find the last packet of C4. Raiden hurriedly froze the explosive, then called Stillman on the Codec.

"I have the last C4 frozen. There's nothing showing up on the sensor now," Raiden explained.

"Good work, Raiden," Stillman praised Raiden.

"You're way ahead of me, kid," Pliskin joined the conversation. "I still have one more to go. How's your bomb, Peter?"

"It's a bomb all right. Sealed C4, and in huge quantities."

"You think there's another one in Shell One?" Asked Raiden.

"For sure. Somewhere at the bottom of Strut A," Stillman said.

"Why are you so certain?" asked Raiden.

"If this bottom section of the strut is demolished, Shell Two will be on its way to destruction." Stillman replied.

"You mean that Shell Two will actually sink?" Pliskin asked.

"Not immediately. There'll still be five struts left." Stillman responded. "But if Shell One loses a strut at the same time, it'll be a very different story. The Big Shell's structural integrity depends on a very exact balance. If both Shells lose a strut each, the whole structure will tear itself apart under its own weight."

"What do we do?" Raiden inquired.

"I have a sensor that can locate even those scentless C4's. It makes combined use of a neutron scintllator and a hydrogen bomb detector."

"You brought that stuff with you?"

"Of course. I made the calibrations while I was in the pantry."

"Does it work?"

"I just tested it, and it definitely responds. But the best I can do is a sound beacon, not a display."

"Sound?"

"The shorter the interval between beacons, the closer the target."

"I get you."
"There's another one in that pantry I was in. You can go back and get it."

"It's all yours, Raiden," Pliskin said.

"I'm going to study it some more, and see if the freezing process will work. Don't touch the other one until I say so," Stillman said.

"OK, I'll standby until you radio in," Raiden said.

Raiden exited the transformer room and Strut B to come out onto the BC connecting bridge. There was no guard; instead, a Cypher was present. As soon as Raiden saw it, the Cypher descended below the connecting bridge. Raiden seized the opportunity and sprinted across the bridge. Fortune's handiwork was still present, as the connection to the Shell One Core was still destroyed. Raiden entered Strut C.

Raiden sprinted down the empty hallway and entered the kitchen. The entire strut had been deserted. Raiden saw the sensor on one of the shelves in the pantry and took it, then called Stillman.

"Peter, I have Sensor B."

"Good. Head to the bottom of Strut A," Stillman instructed.

"How's your invisible bomb?" Raiden asked.

"I'm looking at it, but I'm keeping my distance. How's Pliskin doing?" Stillman said.

"A few more minutes," Pliskin informed. "I just got to the last strut, but there are a few enemy sentries I have to take care of. Does it look bad, Peter?"

"Maybe. It's an odd one – the detonator hasn't been activated."

"What?" Raiden asked.
" But the sensors are live. Which means…"

"This is Pliskin. I've located the last C4."

"Is that it?" Stillman said.

"I'm about to freeze it. Then –" Pliskin said.

"Wait! Pliskin!" Stillman yelled over the hiss of Pliskin's coolant spray. A click of the bomb freezing was heard, then a beep. "Damn! That was it!"

"What's going on?" Pliskin demanded to know.

"The detonator just woke up. It's counting down!"

"What happened?" Raiden asked.

"The big ones were rigged to be activated when all the baby C4's went offline…Raiden, the one in Shell One should be counting down, too. Hurry!"

"What's the remaining time?"

"400 seconds."

"400 seconds?"

"Raiden, move! Get to the bottom of Strut A now!" Stillman cut the connection.

Raiden sprinted out of the kitchen and down the hallway toward the BC connecting bridge. Just as he got onto the bridge the Cypher descended below the connecting bridge again. Raiden entered Strut B and entered the transformer room. The guard on the other side of the room was descending the stairs to the lowered section of the room. Raiden continued his run and exited the southern transformer room door, then exited the strut altogether. He ran onto the AB connecting bridge, and one of the guards patrolling the rectangular bridge left; only one sentry was posted to the bridge. This made crossing the bridge much easier, and he did so swiftly, evading the soldier. Raiden entered Strut A.

Upon entrance into Strut A, Raiden immediately ran south, past the cubicle guard, then turned to ascend the long set of stairs leading to the roof. Raiden passed through the door, and made his way to the large freight elevator. The elevator began to descend, and Raiden received a Codec message.

"Raiden, Pliskin, listen carefully," Stillman said.

"What is it?" Raiden asked.

"I fell for it."

"Fell for what?" Pliskin asked.

"Fatman has my number."

"A proximity trigger. Microwave."

"Microwave?" Raiden asked.

"With a seven-foot range," Stillman said. "It's not a technique I taught him. Neither was that multi-bomb booby trap. Looks like he's far surpassed me as far as explosives technique goes. As for the rest…"

"Pete, get the hell out of there!" Pliskin said.

"There's less than thirty seconds left. It's too late."

"No!" Raiden shouted.

"Pliskin, get away from Strut H, as fast as you can."

"Pete…" Pliskin said.

"Raiden, keep your distance. Use the spray from as far away as possible."

"Me?" Raiden said.

"You can do it. I know that."

"I'm not so sure…" Raiden said.

"But I am. Do it. I know you can." Stillman said. A loud explosion was heard through the Codec, then static. Pliskin and Raiden said no more, and the connection was cut.

The elevator reached the bottom of Strut A, and Raiden exited the elevator. He ran south with the new sensor in his hand. He ran through the door and moved down the hallway into the sea dock. Raiden began to walk toward the pool as the beeping became more constant. Raiden moved around the pool to the southern wall, and spied the C4. It was attached to the underbelly of a submersible hanging above the pool. Raiden stayed back as much as possible, and took out his coolant spray. Raiden squeezed the trigger and froze the bomb.