Chapter III: Bridge of Sighs
A/N: I wanna thank everybody for the views, follows and favourites! I didn't think many people were as interested in a Metal Gear/Mass Effect as I was. As for all the questions and feedback, I'm planning on keeping this very Mass Effect, with small Metal Gear inclusions, and there is a very good and believable reason in the lore I'm building to combine the two universes.
I love the feedback! Keep asking your questions, and addressing your concerns, and I'll try to address them within the story. Thanks for reading! - AThousandSuns
Big Boss stood in front of the image of The Illusive Man, who sat before him in his casual repose.
"Boss, good work on Freedom's Progress. The quarians forwarded their findings from Veetor's debriefing. No new data, but it's a surprising olive branch, given our history."
"You and I have different methods, but I can't argue with your results." He said as he tapped his cigarette over an ashtray.
He added, "Diplomacy is great when it works, but difficult when everyone already perceives you as a threat. I'm sure you above all else know that. Regardless, you confirmed the Collectors are behind the abductions."
"You knew?" Snake questioned.
"I had my suspicions, but I needed proof. The Collectors are enigmatic at best. They periodically travel to the Terminus Systems, looking to gather seemingly unimportant items or specimens. Usually in exchange for their technology. When their transactions are complete, they disappear as quickly as they arrived; back beyond the unmapped Omega 4 relay. Until now, we've had no evidence of direct aggression by the Collectors."
Snake knew the man was hiding something. He did not like it at all. "How do you know these Reapers are involved?"
The Illusive Man snuffed his cigarette and took a glass of liquor into his hands. "The patterns are there, buried in the data. The Council and the Earth Alliance want to believe the Reaper threat died with Sovereign; the Reaper that Commander Shepard destroyed. But I know better. I won't wait until the Reapers are on the march. We need to take the fight to them."
He pointed to Snake. "You, need to fight them. You're the only one who can."
Big Boss was quiet, he ran a hand over his face with a tired sigh. There was so much he did not understand. So many new variables, that questioning them only brought on more questions.
The Illusive Man conjured a screen, tapping and sliding his fingers across it as he spoke.
"I've compiled a list of soldiers, scientists, and mercenaries. You'll get dossiers on the best of them. Finding them and convincing them to work with you could be a challenge… but you're a natural leader, Boss."
"I'll continue to track the Collectors. When they make their next appearance, I'll notify you and your team. Be ready."
Snake crossed his arms over his chest. "Before that—before any of this—I'm going to need an entire history recap. From Outer Heaven, to the death of Solid Snake."
"The real history." He added with weightiness.
The Illusive Man agreed with zero hesitation. "Done. I'll forward it personally to you after our debriefing. I'll include a dossier on Commander Shepard, and what she discovered of the Reaper threat. Full disclosure."
He took a drink from his glass. "Before you go, Boss. First, head to the space station Omega, and find Mordin Solus. He's a brilliant salarian scientist. Our intelligence suggests he may know how to counteract the Collectors' paralyzing seeker swarms."
"The other thing; you'll need more than a shuttle to get around so I'm giving you a ship to take command of. She's one of a kind. "
"Good luck, Boss." The Illusive Man finished, and tapped on the interface over the armrest, and the image of The Illusive Man disappeared.
The orange hue faded and Snake turned to leave the room where Miranda stood waiting. "So, you'll help us?" She asked.
Big Boss nodded, walking up the steps beside her.
"I'll show you to the ship. She's truly a piece of work. Almost as expensive as yourself." She mused.
They walked in unison through the hall to the elevator. "No doubt you have a lot of questions. Anything you'd like to know?" She asked.
Big Boss did not know where to start. What are Reapers? Who is Commander Shepard? Why him? Why did they not cryo-freeze Solid Snake before his death? Was there no one else that could have taken on this mission? What did The Illusive Man see in him? There was so much going on, that he could not find a single topic to start from. If he was being truthful to himself, he did not want to even think about it right now.
"Tell me about yourself." He asked, the words slipped from his lips as he reclined his head against the wall of the elevator.
Miranda smirked. "Well, I guess that's fair, I've spent the last two years learning everything there is to know about you." She propped herself against the wall opposite him.
"You should probably know that I've had extensive genetic modification. Not by decision, but I make the most of it. It's one of the reasons the Illusive Man handpicked me. I'm very good at just about anything I choose to do." She said, with confidence in her voice.
Snake raised a brow. "Genetic modification?" He mused.
"Yes. My reflexes, my strength, even my looks —they're all designed to give me an edge." She explained matter-of-factly.
He struggled to not stare at her figure when she mentioned her looks.
"No point in hiding from it. It's the reason I'm trusted to oversee the most dangerous, risky, and technically demanding operations Cerberus undertakes." She added, stepping off the elevator and leading Big Boss down through an armory.
"And it's why I was assigned to you. It's my job to make sure you succeed, Boss."
"So, what kind of genetic modification?" He asked.
Miranda lifted her omni-tool, tapping at the interface as they walked. "It's all very thorough. Physically, I'm superior in many ways. I heal quickly, and I'll likely live half again as long as the average human. "
"My biotic abilities are also very advanced... for a human anyway. Add to that, some of the best training and education money can buy and, well, it's pretty impressive, really."
Big Boss shrugged. "You don't lack for confidence."
"It's just a fact. But I'm not perfect, I'm still human. I make mistakes like everyone else. But when I do, the consequences are severe. Everyone expects a lot from someone with my... abilities." She said, revealing a softer tone he had not seen from her yet.
Snake nodded, feeling a slight of remorse, as he had felt the same way a long time ago when his memories returned, and when Solid Snake stood before him; dumbstruck and in awe with the horror of betrayal that his mentor was behind Outer Heaven.
He pushed the thought out of his mind. As far as he could.
They entered another bulkhead and turned left before Miranda stopped and peered into one of the windows.
"There she is." She said.
They stood outside an enormous hangar bay, and the lights flickered to life to reveal a ship the length of a skyscraper. It was pristine and sharp, elegant and frightening. It was of a white-silver and black—something he had seen a lot around the space station. It gleamed beneath the overhead lights like the new car in a car lot. Snake had never seen such a vessel before in his life, he could not help but feel in admiration.
"Do you ever smile, Boss?" Miranda grinned slyly at his face, stoic and expressionless.
Big Boss smirked as he gazed at the ship.
"She got a name?" He asked.
She shook her head. "No. But it'll need one."
After seeing the Ship to be his, Snake stood in his quarters—provided to him as the ship finished its final checkups—He dressed down to his fatigues, his armor and weapons loaded onto the ship already.
Did he really think he could take on this mission? Save 'humanity' from these so called Reapers? The threat seemed real enough in that security footage that the alien Veetor had shown them…
Aliens… space travel… He felt even more out of his skin than he did usually. Like he was in some sort of video game. The more he thought about it, the more difficult the answer was to decipher on if this was reality or not. He dipped his hands under the pouring faucet and let the water cool his calloused hand, and drip over his aging bionic one.
His breath fell short when he noticed both his hands were covered in mud and old blood; dried and crusted from years of warfare, hands sullied forever by the years he lived. He looked at his fingers—worn from scars and cuts that lined his knuckles and palms. His smallest and third fingers were misshapen; the result of a bad break.
He turned over both hands and let the water fall between the cuts and creases of his skin that reached the hollowness inside. He pooled the water in his conjoined palms and splashed his face.
When he looked in the mirror, he saw blood—not water—smeared across his face. The red crawled deep into his scars and buried itself deep into his skin like ticks. He splashed his face again, only for more blood to hit his face.
He inhaled heavily. A diamond tear glistened in his eye.
In his reflection, he saw all the dirty little things he had done. All the men and women he killed, all the friends he let die, all the family he betrayed. Chico, Paz, his Diamond Dogs, Quiet, Kaz… and himself.
They were all tombstones in his wake, killed by the earthquake of his footsteps. He could barely remember his name—his real name.
He could not even remember the face of his mother, or of his father.
He abandoned them all. Leaving the world as himself, and returning as The Legendary Big Boss. A character in a very real play.
Maybe... just maybe if he did this—took command of this ship, saved a new world he didn't belong in, they would forgive him. Absolve him of this blood and bathe him in waters of clarity, to free him of the demon he had become, and let him rest as the man he had forsaken, to actually feel something real again.
He wished to see Kaz's face, as it was when they were on MSF, a proud smirk on his face instead of the cloud of red revenge that hung over him. He wished to see Quiet, to tell her how he loved her in their final moments. To share a cigar, one final time with Big Boss.
He ran a hand over the mirror and wiped away the blood from his face, but he only saw himself—from before the incident in Cyprus. He stood scarred and bruised, bearded and tan, he looked just as he remembered. Jet black hair, two, blue eyes, that scar that had once been over his right brow.
"One last time... I'll wear Your skin… I'll use Your voice, and speak Your words. I'll carry Your name and think your thoughts. I'll use Your hands for war, one last time." He whispered and turned the faucet off. He stared at himself for a moment longer and watched the blood stream from his face to see the phantom of Big Boss staring back.
"Boss, deployment is in twenty, we'll meet you on the CIC. Out." Jacob's voice sounded over the radio.
He blinked and the blood was gone, the shrapnel tucked into his hairline was the length he used to, not the mark of the demon he became. He exited the bathroom, clenching a fist tightly as he walked down the corridor to the hangar bay.
He'd play his part, one more time. He would be The Legend, one more time.
"Welcome aboard the Ishmael, Boss." Miranda greeted as Big Boss and Jacob entered the star ship by means of the airlock.
He returned her greeting with a nod, taking a good long look at the interior of the ship. Crewmen stood from their stations, standing tall and saluting as he walked by, he made a point to meet their gaze and offer a curt dip of his head before they turned back to their tasks.
The ship was impressive—stations lined the corridors, filled with monitors and holographic-interfaces.
As he approached the center of the CIC, he saw the map that took up the whole middle of the room, a map of the entire galaxy. Everyone stood at attention, saluting and standing at the ready. He gestured them at ease and they returned to their work.
Miranda conjured her omni-tool. "I've been looking over the dossiers. I'd strongly recommend starting by acquiring Mordin Solus, the salarian professor on Omega."
He glanced at her with mild confusion. "Salarian?"
Jacob filled him in. "They're a species of alien, smart guys, talk fast, tech wizards."
Snake held his tongue on whether to ask if they were really wizards.
"We know the Collectors use some type of advanced technology to immobilize their victims. We'll need him to develop a countermeasure to protect us." Miranda continued.
"Without it, we'll be Collector food." Jacob said.
"Acquiring Professor Solus seems like the most logical place to start." Another woman's voice boomed around them, speaking over the intercom.
Snake lifted a brow. "Who?"
A holographic image of a sphere appeared over the console surrounding the galaxy map, lines visualized across the center of the sphere as the voice spoke. "I am the Ishmael's artificial intelligence; the Enhanced Defense Intelligence. The crew refer to me as EDI."
"EDI is in control of the ship, she gives us an edge in cyber warfare and data mining." Jacob said.
Though the sphere flickered in protest. "Actually, I am not in full of the ship. Due to potential dangers of a rogue AI, Cerberus has severely restricted my capabilities. During combat, I operate the electronic warfare and cyber warfare suites. Beyond that, I cannot interface with the ship's systems. I observe and offer analysis and advice. Nothing more."
Snake turned his attention back to Miranda and Jacob. Alien wizards and now AI's. He had hoped the mammal pod would have been the last AI he would ever see. "Anybody else I should meet?" He asked. Miranda nodded. "The Ishmael has a full crew. They're at their stations awaiting your orders. It'd be good for you to meet them—they've only heard myths of you."
Another voice appeared over the intercom. "Final preparations for takeoff are complete, Big Boss. When you're ready to go, just pick a destination from the galaxy map in the CIC and I'll plot a course."
Snake looked to Jacob.
"That's Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau, goes by Joker."
Miranda dismissed her omni-tool. "Jacob and I should return to our posts. Come find us if you have any questions."
And with that, she walked away while Jacob offered a final salute, following her to their stations.
Snake walked back up to the bridge to meet the helmsman. "Joker." He called.
The pilot's seat spun around and Big Boss saw the young man, his body oddly misshapen—some of his bones contorted and his legs looked frail and weak. Other than that, Joker looked like a regular young man.
"Big Boss." He replied, in a gruff voice that mimicked Snake. Big Boss smirked. "So you can fly this thing?" He asked, gesturing to the screens and holographic-interfaces around him.
Joker scoffed. "Yeah, well, if that's what you want to call it. I mean—I like to think of it as; carrying everyone's ass out of the fire and out of future danger with my awesome, sweetly natural skills." He joked as he leaned an elbow on the armrest.
"So, uh... you're pretty old, huh? Like… from the 1980's or something?" Joker asked, carefully.
"1995, is the last year I remember." Big Boss said, looking out the skyline windows above to see the stars floating above.
Joker whistled. "Yikes. Did they even have planes back then? I'm not too good with history."
Big Boss shrugged.
Joker tapped nervously on his arm rest. "... Aaaanyway, this is my baby. Pretty, right? I mean, look at my seat! Real leather! Military may set the hardware standard, but on a first-gen frigate they could care less if the seats breathe. Civilian sector comfort by design."
EDI's sphere appeared beside Joker. "The reproduction is not intended to be perfect, Mr. Moreau. Seamless improvements were made." She said helpfully informative.
The pilot groaned. "And there's the downside. I liked my ship when she was beautiful, and quiet. Now she's got this thing I don't want to talk about. It's like ship cancer." He said irritated.
Big Boss uncrossed his arms with a snicker, amused by the piolet's antics. "Take us to the Omega station Joker." He said.
"Sure thing, Boss." Joker spun around in his seat reach the controls and cracked his knuckles.
Snake walked away from the bridge, Joker's whispers a fade in the distance. He stepped around the CIC, and stood in front of the giant galaxy map, looking at the masses of star clusters and galaxies pinged for voyage. He stared at it so long, he did not even realize there was a woman standing at attention beside him near one of the terminals.
"Welcome aboard, Big Boss." She said in a friendly manner.
He dipped his head in greeting.
"I'm Yeoman Kelly Chambers. I've been assigned as your administrative assistant. I'll manage your messages, and help you monitor the crew. And I must say, it's an honour to work under you, I've read over your history extensively; if you have any questions about anything, please, don't hesitate to ask."
Snake nodded. "Thanks." He said, to which the woman smiled.
"Is there anything I should know?" He asked, returning his attention to the galaxy map.
"Just one, The Illusive Man forwarded another dossier of a potential ally—a mercenary by the name of Zaeed Massani. He'll be on Omega as well."
"Good." Snake said, turning his attention to the map. A mercenary, huh? He wondered if mercenaries now were any different from then.
He figured they should retrieve Mordin Solus now, and stared at the galaxy map before looking over to the yeoman.
"How does this work?"
"Omega in sight, Boss, approaching hangar bay entrance." Joker announced over the intercom.
Snake stood in his quarters, clipping the chest plate of his Ajax Armor to the back and double-checked the rest of his armor. He opened his omni-tool, tapping on invisible buttons slowly and with unfamiliarity to bring up the screen for his suit diagnostics.
Everything checked nominal and he reached for his helmet to clasp it to his side as Jacob had shown him. He entered the elevator and got off at the CIC, joining Jacob and Miranda the equipment table in the Armory.
Jacob looked in his direction and tossed him the Mattock. "Omega's a mean place, Boss. There's no central government, no real law. It's the wild west down there."
Snake caught the rifle with ease, checking it over and arming himself with as many thermal clips his suit would allow.
They finished gathering their weapons before they approached the airlock.
Joker spun in his seat to see them. "We're connected and good to go, Boss."
The team entered the airlock and Joker called after them. "Hey, bring me back one of those drinks with an umbrella while you're down there."
The door shut, and a decontamination spray engulfed them.
A second passed and they entered the threshold that bridged the Ishmael and Omega together.
The landing zone was loud—shouts and heavy traffic echoed from round the corner at the end of the hall. Snake set the Mattock on his back harness, the magnetic lock latching onto the rifle.
The others followed suit as they were approached by a jittery alien with giant black eyes, slim lips and his hands only three digits each.
Jacob leaned close to Big Boss. "Salarian… and looks like a drug addict." He whispered.
"Ah!" The salarian extended his arms in welcome, though his fingers twitched rapidly.
"Welcome to Omega! You're new here, aren't you? I can always tell. Allow me to—"
Another alien stomped toward them He pushed the salarian out of the way with minimal effort and stood a few feet from Big Boss. He was wide and tall, had four eyes and no nose. His skin was oily and reflective, almost like a fish. He was about the ugliest thing Snake had ever seen.
Jacob leaned over again and whispered that he was a batarian.
The salarian rose from his fallen spot, his hands shaking in front of himself. "Oh! Hello, Moklan, I was just—"
Moklan pointed back to the way he came. "Leave, Fargut. Now." His voice was deep and metallic, a growl covered in nails.
Fargut bowed his head rapidly, turning and running down the corridor.
"Blasted scavengers... Welcome to Omega, Cerberus." The broad chested alien said, though it was hardly welcoming.
Big Boss cast a look at Miranda who shrugged in response.
"You know who we are?" She asked, a hand on her hip.
Moklan snorted a sneer. "Of course. We had you tagged the moment you entered the Terminus Systems. You're not as subtle as you think. Aria wants to know what brings a bunch of xenophobic zealots to Omega, so I suggest you go to Afterlife now and present yourself."
He turned around and left the way he came, not waiting for a response from them.
Snake gestured for the others to follow him as he followed after the alien.
EDI's voice chimed in over the radio. Radio communication seemed universal now, when Snake first arrived at the space station, they had implanted a small communications device into his ear, It was able to become loud enough to hear over a fire fight, but only he could hear it. When he stared at the doctor with confusion, he said it was based on an older communications device called at Codec, but that it now included a translator for every learned language in the galaxy.
"I'm receiving quarantine warnings about the slums where Dr. Mordin Solus runs the clinic. Anticipate resistance at the sector station." EDI informed.
"I have also accessed messages between mercenary groups regarding plans to deal with Archangel, one of our dossier recruits. There's a recruiting station at Afterlife that may have information on him."
Down the corridor, a heavily armored man was beating a batarian harshly, he struck his fist into the alien's stomach with enough force that Snake could almost see his fist come out the other side.
Miranda gestured to him. "That's Zaeed Massani, one of our other dossier recruits."
Snake called to the man. "Zaeed Massani?"
The alien he was beating fell to the ground, heaving for breath. He looked at Big Boss with bruised eyes. All four of them. "Please... you have to help me." He begged.
The bounty hunter kneed him in the face. "No one said you could talk, jackass." Zaeed said.
He was an older man, roughly around Snake's age. His face was heavily scarred and his right eye was damaged, replaced with was what clearly a mechanical eye. The similarities weren't lost on Snake.
"Yeah, that's me. You must be Cerberus. I hear we have a galaxy to save." He said in a gruff British accent.
"We assume you've been briefed?" Miranda asked.
The man frowned. "I've done my homework. Cerberus sent me everything I needed to know."
Jacob pointed to the injured alien. "What about him?" He asked, he didn't look to keen on the mercenary.
Zaeed placed a hand on the alien's head, patting him hard. "Batarian delinquent. Pissed off someone rich enough to hire me to go after him. And for my 'Bring 'em in alive' rates, even."
The batarian shook his head. "Please... I didn't do it..." He pleaded.
"I said shut it!" Zaeed backhanded him with a closed fist.
"Tried to lead me on a chase all over the Systems. Should've known better. These people always run to Omega." He cleared his throat as he gestured for the batarian to stand up and looked back at the Boss.
"I assume The Illusive Man's told you about our arrangement?"
Snake looked to Miranda for an answer, but she shook her head. "What kind of arrangement?" He asked.
Zaeed turned away from the batarian address Big Boss fully. "Picked up a mission a little while back, just before I signed on with Cerberus. Thought you'd be interested. You heard the name Vido Santiago?"
Snake shook his head.
"He's the head of the Blue Suns. Runs the whole organization. Seems he recently captured an Eldfell-Ashland refinery on Zorya and is using their workers for slave labour. The company wants it dealt with."
"Fine." Big Boss said.
Zaeed looked pleased. "Good. Get it out of the way so we can concentrate on being big goddamn heroes." Just as he finished speaking, the batarian made a mad dash for the airlock.
But as quick as he sprinted away, Zaeed drew a Carnifex with quick prowess, shooting the fleeing man once in the leg.
He shrieked and fell to the ground, crying in agony.
The mercenary stepped around Big Boss and called over his shoulder. "I better turn this thing in before it starts to stink. Radio me when you're finished with that bitch, Aria." And dragged the batarian away by the ankle.
"Charming guy. Afterlife is just ahead." Jacob cracked.
They left the hallway out into the open street, traffic bustled in the air above them as people laughed and shouted on the streets below. They stood outside a large building; Afterlife, etched with holographic letters above.
Snake led them past the line of people waiting to get in and met the Moklan who greeted them before. He stood beside a giant creature on four powerful limbs, its face monotonous and uninterested. The batarian gestured his head for them to go on through the large doors and they walked into the club.
Instantly, Big Boss' hearing was overburdened with noise. Was this supposed to be music? If you could even call it that. He had thought the 80's had changed music, and he loved it, every bit of it. It was the only thing that felt genuine and real anymore. He could see most of everything in his memory that Big Boss had done, but it had never really felt like he had done it, like he was watching from the outside, of the events that had transpired. He could remember when he first met Ocelot, when he was known as Major Ocelot, a cocky soldier with a lot of skill, but no disciple. But when he met him again, after Cyprus… He felt nothing. He felt hollow.
Music was the one good thing that was constant.
But this pulsing beat… the static distortion… the shrieking melody… It cut straight through his ears and vibrated his chest. He did not like it at all.
"Do you see her anywhere?!" He called over the noise to Miranda and Jacob.
The dark skinned soldier looked around before he pointed up to a loft overlooking the room. "There!" He shouted.
They brushed past a few dancing salarians and humans before standing in front of a heavily armed batarian, a bored look on his face. "Go on up." He groaned, barely registering the trio.
They climbed up the steps to see more armed batarians and one seated turian, a glass in his hand. A woman stood with her back to them and as soon as they came in view, guns were drawn on them.
Snake dropped his hand to the Carnifex at his leg, while the other two did the same with their guns.
The woman raised a hand. "Ah-ah-ah!" She said and spun around.
One of the batarians stepped forward, conjuring his omni-tool. "Stand still." He ordered.
He then guided his hand a few feet from Big Boss' face as it scanned his biometrics.
Snake looked past the batarian at the woman. She was slim and well-muscled. Her skin appeared the shade of violet like an exotic flower, the contours of her face even and smooth, stern and serious.
The batarian's omni-tool beeped and he took a step back. "They're clean." He announced.
The exotic flower sat down and crossed one leg over the other, a drink in her hand.
Snake spoke first. "So, you run this place then?"
She laughed, and took a drink from her glass.
The music was drowned out by the glass overlooking the dance floor, so Snake could hear the fullness in her voice, the authority it carried with a simple cackle.
She shot him icy stare. "I am this place. I'm the boss, CEO—queen, if you're feeling dramatic. It doesn't matter. Omega has no titled ruler and only one rule. She took a sip from a green drink.
"Don't fuck with, Aria." She spat out vehemently.
Snake blinked, his face stoic and unamused. "Easy to remember." He replied leisurely.
"If you forget, someone will remind you." She countered, taking another drink.
The batarian closest to them spoke next. "And then I toss your sorry ass out the nearest airlock."
Aria smirked and gestured for the three of them to take a seat somewhere. Snake took a seat on the lounge chair nearest her, but just outside of arm length. Jacob and Miranda remained where they were standing, eying the batarian guards carefully. "So, why are you here?" She demanded more than asked.
"We're looking for a scientist—salarian—Mordin Solus." Big Boss asked.
She raised a curious brow. "Last I heard he was trying to help plague victims in the quarantine zone." She informed, she then leaned back with a smug expression.
"I always liked Mordin... he's as likely to heal you as he is to shoot you." Aria mused.
"He used to be part of the salarian STG; Special Tasks Group. He's brilliant, and dangerous. Just don't get him talking. He never shuts up."
"If you really need to find him, take a shuttle to the quarantine zone. No guarantee they'll let you in, of course." She brought up her omni-tool and pushed a few keys. Big Boss' omni-tool sprang to life and he looked down. The red ping showed on his map, detailing an entrance to another sector of Omega. He closed the tool down and stood. "Thanks." He said turning back to the exit. "Wait." Aria, stood from her seat, Snake turned and looked up at her. "Who are you?" She urged.
"Big Boss." Snake said, turning back and leaving the loft with Miranda and Jacob in tow. Aria returned to her seat. She leaned back with an arm draped over the back.
"Big Boss..?" She pondered aloud.
They traveled across the sector until they approached a door where a turian guard stood posted with a scowl on his face while a human woman was shouting at him. As they approached, Jacob tapped Snake on the shoulder. "He's a turian." He informed. Big Boss felt mild shock at the turians appearance; the more aliens he saw, the easier it got.
"...to get lost, lady! The plague has the whole zone quarantined! Nobody gets in!" The turian guard exclaimed irritated.
The woman in front of him fumed. "I'm human, you ass! Humans can't get the plague! Now, let me get my stuff out before looters get it!"
The turian would not budge. "This thing affects every other race out there! We're not taking chances. Nobody gets in until the plague has run its course." He said with finality.
The woman shook her head in disbelief. "You can't keep me out, I'm going to lose all my stuff!"
"I'm doing you a favour, human. Anybody in the quarantine zone will be dead from the plague or the gangs in a few weeks."
Miranda stepped forward and said. "There's a salarian by the name Mordin Solus in the slums, we need to get in there to find him."
"The doctor? I hear he's trying to deal with the plague. I wish him luck, but the area is still locked down. Our orders are to wait until either the plague or the Blue Suns kill everyone, then go in and clean up." Jacob crossed his arms and sighed sympathetically. "Look, you're stuck here 'til this quarantine is over. That could take weeks. What you want is to get this problem solved right now. That's us—let us in, and we'll get this mess sorted out by tonight so you can get your freak on."
The turian flicked his mandibles in thought before shrugging. "What the hell, you think you can fix this, why not. The quarantine is more to keep infected people in, anyway. I'll radio ahead, tell them you're coming in." He said, turning away and lifting his finger to his ear piece.
The woman gawked. "What?! You're letting them in and not me?!" The turian turned back to her, "You're not armed to the teeth lady. Get lost." Snake turned to his companions, giving a nod of approval.
"Hey!" A voice shouted behind them, they turned to see Zaeed saunter toward them, a furrow in his brow. "You're, Big fuckin' Boss?!" He jabbed his finger into Snake's chest.
Snake nodded.
Zaeed's face contorted from anger to shock. "Unfuckin' believable, there's no way." He said in disbelief.
Miranda spoke next. "It's true. Cerberus recovered him from cryogenic storage and revived him."
Zaeed opened his mouth to speak, but then scratched his chin. "You… you're the reason I—" He shifted on his feet.
"Ah, hell." He uttered before he held a hand out to Snake. "It's an honour, Boss. You're a goddamn legend in the mercenary world."
Snake smirked and shook Zaeed's hand with is bionic one.
"You know about Big Boss?" Jacob asked with an amused snicker.
The aged mercenary took his hand back and glanced angrily at him.
"Of course! Any human merc who doesn't know the about Big Boss, doesn't deserve to call himself a merc."
Miranda brushed a strand of hair from her vision. "We'd better get a move on, who knows how long Dr. Solus has left."
"Right. I've got your back, Boss." Zaeed said, dipping his head.
Snake nodded, and shortly after, he led the group into the next sector.