Chapter 18 Silence in Outer Heaven Part 2 [V's Memories]

"If only we shared a common tongue…"

Quiet walks towards the desert, vanishing as the gust of sand clouds Snake's vision for a split second. On the way home, smoking a cigar, he was silent the whole trip, still in shock for what had transpired. Arriving on mother base, Code Talker was on the rooftop observing Snake descend from the chopper. He was received by Ocelot and Miller, Miller staying quiet as even though he was glad the woman disappeared he knew how important she was to the Boss. Ocelot greeted Venom Snake with a nod and asked him how it went. Snake refused to speak and decided to head towards his room. Dropping down his weapons he falls into the bed, exhausted.

He then wakes up during the night. Turning the light on, taking off his clothes, and heading to the shower. As the blood washes down, he still has the image of Quiet walking away from him burned to his retina. The stoic soldier begins to break down, his hands slipping down the glass and slowly falling to his knees. He feels great pain in his chest. He keeps seeing Quiet and hears the words "If only we shared a common tongue" over and over.

He lets out a slight scream of agony. As the water still falls on him, he grips his fists as hard as he can. His breathing becomes uneven, all the pent-up pain begins to catch up to him and he finally gives in to it. The night at Diamond Dog's mother base was filled with Venom Snake's silent cry and screams.

As dawn is about to arrive, another day on the battlefield. Snake wakes up, stretches his arms, and steps outside to the heliport roof to smoke another of his electric cigar. As he blows smoke, taking in the arrival of the day, not trying to remember what happened yesterday. He notices Code Talker beside him.

"Not many can sneak up on me…"

"The woman is gone, isn't she…"

"Yeah…"

"She was a tool for Skull Face's revenge, and even after he died, she remained as a trump card. But that is no longer the case, now everyone's safe."

Snake grips his fist.

"The cost of being Big Boss…"

Code Talker remarks catch Snake's attention, turning to him.

"The cost?"

"You know what I mean… even if you bought her back, your men would have killed her after learning the truth."

Snake starts to walk towards Code Talker in a slightly threatening manner, feeling frustrated at his matter-of-fact remarks.

"She knew what had to be done, she saved all of us, maybe the world when she chose not to speak. Just like you. She believed in your cause."

Looking at the rising sun, even though the beautiful sniper was gone, there was a faint glimmer of hope in his heart, he could not describe it. But this faint glimmer, sparked by Code Talker's word; carried him forward the decade that was ahead of him. A decade filled with death and loneliness. As the sun basks him over, and the cool wind complemented with the smell of the sea breeze. He stretches his arms and lets out a small smile, the last time he would smile because at that moment he turned into Big Boss's shadow.

5 years later…

In a night on Diamond Dog's mother base, a raining thunderstorm pounding against its walls, soldiers making rounds and on their posts with their assault rifles with the flashlight on. In the main structure tower, one of the top floors, a small, squared window shows a red blinking light peeking out. A light turns on the room. Snake gets up and answers the radio call.

Codec Call

"Ishmael? You kept me waiting…"

Ishmael: "Ahab… have you been well?"

Ahab: "The battlefield still goes on"

Ishmael: "You have done well for our dream, tomorrow we take the next step."

Ahab: "I'm listening."

Ishmael: "It's ready."

Ahab: "Ready?"

Ishmael: "Galzburg South Africa, all that's missing is the finishing touches."

Ahab: "You mean…"

Ishmael: "Your components will finish our dream."

Ahab: "Ishmael… what…"

Ishmael: "You will take charge, Miller and Ocelot will help you."

Ahab: "Where will you be?"

Ishmael: "In the shadows, as always, you are the light, continue our dream, thank you, my friend."

After the conversation finishes, Venom Snake settles down the microphone, his hand trembling. Slowly walking towards the window, the rain continues to pour down and the flashlights from the thunder grow more numerous. Puffing smoke this time from a real cigar, Snake sighs and punches the wall. He opens his drawer and takes something out to look at it. A picture he kindly liked to look at, it would put his tensions at ease, for the photo filled him with nostalgia and good times from the year 1984 but it also reminded him of what he lost. He continues to smoke and stare into the night.

The day arrived, and when Diamond Dog's mother base was dismantled it was a sad one for Venom Snake. For many memories, he had made there, for once he saved the world. However, on Ishmael's orders, he was sent to Outer Heaven, where he would take charge there. The many central components of the mother base would be transferred over there. Snake could only think as the real Big Boss takes everything he built on and tore it into pieces. He gets on the chopper, as the whole fleet of helicopters and ships carrying equipment and research materials begin departing.

The last remaining structure of Diamond Dog was being demolished with C4, soon to be claimed by the sea. He imagines the bodies of his fallen comrades below the water alongside all the tore down buildings. Standing on the edge of the chopper, he takes a photo from his breast pocket he had taken from his room. The photo of a long-lost friend; someone he shared the language of revenge. It was her, and she never returned home. He kept this photo, as a memento of the pain. But now that Diamond Dog was being destroyed completely, it seemed right… to let her go.

Snake exhales smoke and takes a last look at the photograph. For a slight moment, his chest gets heavy and a feeling of regret comes upon him. He slowly lets it go, the wind carries her to the heartless sea, taking it from his fingers. At that moment he made up his mind, he will not see her again. She never returned, why keep holding on. He gave up his identity and resolved to follow Big Boss. It was all he could do. What followed was years of violence. Giving orders, torturing people, rallying rebels. He had done it all. All for the nation of soldiers.

Five years after the dismantling of Diamond Dogs, Venom Snake years of carrying the burden as Big Boss's shadow had finally taken its toll. One day he woke up asking himself what he had achieved after all these years. What did he have to show for? He looks through the window of his room, watching the desert. He imagines seeing Quiet, looking at him through her scope. Even though he had gotten rid of all photos of her, her memory still lingered. He never truly forgot her.

He then takes a shower and readies himself for the day ahead. As the week went on, he began to see her more and more. Every night he would reminisce about her. Still looking out the window, seeing her silhouette standing at the top of the hill in the cold night. Even in his dreams, she would appear. He dreamt every day about the day Quiet left him.

Ending the communication with Pequod, she looks at Snake for one last time and walks away. He always extended his arm, trying to reach her. Wanting to tell her "Don't go". Following the week, the dreams and visions grew more vivid. Snake could no longer stop thinking about her.

His mind was now filled with a premonition, that his days were now numbered. Snake's last mission before Operation Intrude took place was in Northern Africa. He was instructed to kidnap an engineer. The mission was intense, for the doctor was in a secured area in a military compound.

The place reminded Snake of Camp Omega in Cuba. He took two soldiers with him to help on the mission. One lost his life while escaping the shooting. Snake received a few gunshots from an assault rifle but managed to get the doctor out.

The journey back was unusually long for Venom Snake. He stood on the edge of the chopper, puffing a cigar, exhaling the smoke into the glow of the full moon. When he arrived at Outer Heaven, he felt something off. He was taken aback when he was going to depart off to Afghanistan, heading to the chopper accompanied by Ocelot and Miller. Miller sensed the invisible sniper, giving a hard knock to the chopper's door revealing her.

However, Snake shrugged off the idea, no way the Sniper would be out here. He went to his quarters, exhausted and depressed. He removed the bullets and decided to take a shower. The warm water washing off the blood.

The day arrived when the operation intrude took place. Outer Heaven was a mess, and the metal gear was destroyed. Big Boss issued the orders for the staff to escape, those who survived the man with the bandana's onslaught. He knew now where he would confront him, but before heading to the battleground, he decided to make one last call to Ishmael.

Codec Call

Ishmael: "Ahab what's the situation? Is he dead?"

Ahab: "You, no we underestimated him, Ishmael, he's already destroyed the metal gear, and everything's ruined. I will do one last favor to you, but after this, discharge me from service!"

Ishmael: "Ahab don't…"

Ahab slams the microphone, breaking the radio and cutting communications with Ishmael once and for all. He grabs his assault rifle and heads towards his final mission as Big Boss.