The Road to Outer Heaven
Chapter 5: Double Down
By, Frank Hunter

Later that day, a plane glided fast over the Atlantic Ocean with two soldiers sitting in its cargo bay.

"You're nervous."

"No."

"That wasn't a question."

Solid Snake didn't look up, even for an instant. There was no use arguing with Fox. He was astute and confident, as always it seemed. Snake had never met a soldier as apparently flawless. Contemplating his own unease, he reached for his pack of cigarettes.

"It won't help you to be nervous. Nervousness will lead to carelessness and that can get a man killed. Take some deep breaths."

Snake placed a cigarette between his lips. "I plan on it," he said, lighting the tip.

"Heh," Fox chuckled. "Well that's one way."

The two sat there a few moments more. Snake took several long drags out of his cigarette and watched as the smoke filled the enclosed space. He knew what was really bothering him, what was actually weighing on his mind. It wasn't that he didn't trust Fox, but he wondered whether the other man would understand. Fox seemed to have a very different world view. On the other hand he'd also been around longer and he might be able to provide a satisfactory answer.

Snake decided to try his luck.

"Something feels wrong about this assignment."

"How so?"

"Well first, the U.S. government stepping in for an island nation like Outer Heaven? It doesn't make sense; we have no vested interest there."

"You really didn't buy the boss's tale of humanitarianism?"

"No, and his ulterior motive of curiosity was pretty flimsy too."

Fox nodded. At least he seemed to consider this seriously.

"I told you at the briefing," he said finally. "Secrecy is not unusual."

"Secrecy is one thing, but this may be a blatant lie on the part of Big Boss. Are we always expected to operate in the dark like this in FOX-HOUND?"

Fox considered this a little longer, while Snake puffed at his cigarette.

"Let me tell you something about the boss."

Snake looked straight at him for the first time since the discussion started, attentive.

"The boss is a patriot. A true patriot. The man has done things for his country that you and I cannot fathom. He fought the Cold War and lost countless friends and allies, some by his own hand. The pain he went through was all undertaken in the name of his country. The boss…finds significance in his patriotism."

"You respect patriotism?"

"No, I respect significance. Snake, there is nothing more meaningless than a soldier who does not understand what he fights for. Becoming a simple tool in a politician's war will not give your life worth. I am not advocating a blind faith in your government, but I am suggesting that you find a reason to fight."

"What's your reason?"

Fox looked at him as though the answer should be glaringly clear. "My reason is the boss. I've seen what he has managed to build by embracing his patriotism. He is truly an inspiring man. I respect and admire him, and I have no issue devoting myself to his aims, at least for the time being."

"For the time being?"

"Yes, and that is good enough for me, for now. My faith in the boss is enough to allow for a few botched details on an infiltration assignment. The simple fact is that we are soldiers and we know what we need to know in order to accomplish this mission. It will be for the best in the end."

Snake removed the burnt out cigarette butt from his mouth and tossed It to the floor, stepping it out. The dark room fell into silence again. Without windows, the two men had no way to see that they were already crossing over into African airspace.

Snake knew better than to call Fox hypocritical, but his devotion to Big Boss did not coincide well with his position against blind faith. There must be something else there. Big Boss must have done something for him, something to earn this kind of trust. It wouldn't have come lightly from a man like Gray Fox, but once you've earned it, Snake could see that he was a remarkably loyal ally.

He considered asking Fox this question as well, but decided against it. The answer would lie deep within his personal life and, Snake already knew, Fox was very unwilling to discuss that.

Setting his worries to the side, Snake decided to place a little faith in Big Boss himself. After all, he knew that his career in FOX-HOUND wouldn't go very far if he didn't trust his CO. Plus, the significance behind the snake title made it fairly clear that Big Boss trusted him more than he would have expected. Would it be so wrong to return that a little bit?

Maybe in the future he would ask Big Boss what he had done to turn Fox so completely to his side. In the meantime, he would have to let it go. The mission was more important to focus on at this point. Not only would it serve to get him into the unit permanently, but Snake also took a great deal pride in his work. He wouldn't stand for failure.

A curious Fox cocked his head as Snake pulled a bandanna from his pack and began tying it around his head. Feeling his eyes on him, Snake told his mentor, "It's for luck."

"There's no such thing as luck on a battlefield," came the reply.

Just then the pilot's voice crackled over the loudspeaker. "Entering South African airspace. T-minus 10 minutes to drop zone."

Fox nodded slowly, standing up. He checked to make sure his knife was firmly in place. Tightening his bandanna, Snake followed suit. He hadn't brought a knife, not because he was necessarily disregarding Gray Fox's advice, but he hadn't had the time to acquire one before the mission.

"You've HALO jumped before?"

"Yeah, in training for the Special Forces. I've never done it into combat."

"That's fine. Try to follow me. If we get separated, this will become needlessly complicated."

Snake nodded. It would be a shame to disappoint his mentor before they even set foot on the ground.

One of the crew stepped into the cabin from behind them. He looked about ready to bark a couple of orders at the soldiers, but seeing that the two were already at their feet and at the ready, he closed his mouth and approached the hangar door. He ran a couple of checks on the opening mechanisms while Snake and Fox watched in silence.

"T-minus 5 minutes."

Finishing his diagnostics, the crew member moved to the control panel and pressed the sequence to open the door. "Put your masks on," he directed the soldiers. Unhooking the gear from their belts, Snake and Fox affixed the masks to their faces.

To Snake, the opening procedure seemed to take forever. The sun glowed out in the distance, setting on the horizon, and the golden light spilled over the men slowly as the door ground into its open position. Fox braced himself immediately and Snake, taking a moment to register that a gust of air was about to blast into the cabin, followed suit.

The wind hit them like a wall, but the two men held their position and soon the worst of it was over. They couldn't hear the countdown any further over the sound of the air, but watching the hand motions of the crew member at his station they counted down in their heads. The minutes ticked away to seconds and then it was time.

The crew member's hand gestured steadily.

3…

2…

1…

He swung his arm in a circular motion toward the door.

Fox turned quickly, tapped Snake on the arm and then made a run for the open door. Snake kept at his heels as both of them reached the end of the landing and found themselves free falling, as the plane disappeared into emptiness above them, presumably heading for the landing strip it would be waiting at.

As with everything Gray Fox did, he seemed to have a natural comfort with skydiving. He adjusted immediately into a head-first position and his speed picked up exponentially. Snake found it more difficult than he'd anticipated keeping up.

Clouds rushed past, ever more quickly, as the trees grew larger and larger on the ground. With a resolution not to let Fox out of his sight, Snake streamlined his body as best he could; falling faster than his gut told him was smart. The wind bit at him, even through his suit, but he thought of nothing else but the mission. Keep up with Gray Fox. Land safely. Get the blueprints. This was his entire life.

The miles shot past.

In another display of acrobatic excellence, Fox somersaulted into a spread eagle, slowing his fall. Snake knew this would be coming, and took the opportunity to close the distance between them. Dropping next to Fox, he awkwardly tried to mimic the maneuver, performing something that didn't look so smooth, and knocked the air out of his lungs, a dangerous effect given their circumstance. However, it achieved the same end, and Snake found himself pulling his parachute with Fox, at the same altitude.

Gliding slowly now, the village of Zamdela was now visible through the trees. The soldiers passed over the town, aiming their landing slightly to the north. They didn't want to land on top of the civilian population, but they didn't want to land too close to their target either. Fox tried to gauge the distance through the fall.

Approaching the tree line, the two ducked into a protective position, guarding their heads with their hands. The branches would hurt, but they would be the final obstacle before hitting the ground. Fighting their way through the limbs, keeping their chins to their chests, the earth finally came into sight. Fox hit and launched into a sequence of flips and somersaults to kill his momentum and came to a stop eventually on all fours.

Snake dove into a barrel roll and slammed into the base of a tree, genuinely grateful that he hadn't cracked any ribs.

Collecting themselves, the two got up and removed the oxygen masks. They dropped them on the ground and buried them next to a tree, concealing the evidence that they had ever been there. "You alright?" Fox asked his protégé.

"Yeah," Snake said, hoping he hadn't seen the ordeal with the tree.

"Good." Fox left it at that, apparently unconcerned. He took a knee and activated his radio while Snake surveyed his surroundings.

"This is Gray Fox," he spoke into the receiver.

Snake's own radio tuned itself to frequency 140.85 and another, deeper voice projected into his ear. "Big Boss here. Any problems?"

"None at all. Smooth sailing."

"Glad to hear it."

"We're ready to proceed north on your go."

"Then go, and keep me posted."

"Understood. Commencing Operation Divine Fire," he said, switching his radio off. Standing up and turning to Snake he said, "It's time."