Part 3 - Pandora's delayed opening

"What are you doing here in Japan Logan? Especially after what I--"

"It's a long story. I was in the area, and we heard you and Lambert on the radio about Shetland. Where looking for him too, but for different reasons."

"Such as?"

"Biological weapons for starters. Shetland has...had contacts with some people we've been trying to find. The Intel we were able to dig up on them and it lead us to Tokyo and Doug. But you got to him first."

We both look at the hole where Shetland was forced back, I sigh.

"... Sorry."

"No... It's okay. Someone had to stop him. I'd be surprised at this turn of events, but I guess I should have seen it coming when he left over that incident in 02 and founded Displace. Not to mention my mess with the Agency in 99. Big boss' defection over Outer Haven in 95...Shadow Moses of 2005…the list goes on."

"We all should have."

"Hindsight see's 20-20, but that's the problem. It only see's the most clear from behind... seldom what's ahead. I'm still in disbelief though, I guess since we all in the same camp. Like the operations in South America in the 80's for starters, and later during the Gulf."

"...Big boss...I wondered."

"About what?"

"There were times when we were on the battlefield...it's as if he knew that... never mind... we can talk about old war stories later, we've still got a crisis."

He sighs, I could tell an extent of frustration in his voice.

"...I knew it wasn't going to just end with Shetland's death."

"How much do you know about the situation?"

"When I got here, I made my way up into a room, where two displace guards were barricaded, I took them down, and was just in time to see things go to hell. Displace and ISDF are in cohorts with the Walsh's sinking... this complicates things...even on our end."

"Far as I know, only a squad reporting to Kaneda, and in turn Otomo are involved, but we don't know if the Japanese government themselves are involved or not."

"I hope not for obvious reasons. If the Japanese are involved in trying to push us, the Koreans, as well as the Chinese into war...it'll be chaos."

"Exactly what Shetland wanted, His own Chaos theory."

"Chaos theory?"

"Throw the world into war. Make people like us, like David, like the Ghosts, Rainbow…Black Talon… child soldiers like Frank…monsters like us…all the more necessary."

"Big Boss' dream...I'd wonder...but you were right...you've got a crisis to Resolve."

"…As in Me?"

"Sorry…I've got my own, and if either of us fail... if any of us fails…if he of all people fails..."

"David..." He was doing us all, even whom I would find out as them, even they were having favors done by them, much as they wanted him dead as well.

"There will be a war...and the end may be for us all."

He stopped, before starting again; it was back to the tasks at hand.

"...It would be appreciated if 3rd Echelon were to give us some data on Shetland's contacts once you get them."

"I'll see what I can do about that but I can't promise anything given the situation surrounding you and your team Logan."

"...Yeah. I know."

Lambert then got on the phone...

"Fisher?"

"Yeah Lambert?"

"Thanks to the access you got on Shetland's computer, we'll be able to get his personal files."

Grim then cut in...

"…And from there, we'll be able to get what we'll need. Including data for your friend Logan."

Logan then cut in..

"How soon can you get it to us?"

"It shouldn't take long. The line I've got on his shadow net is pretty secure. That tech fisher interrogated just outside the bathhouse was right, it's almost impossible to tap, and just outside what even I could pull off even if I had help from Otacon."

"Otacon?" Logan asked...

"As in Hal Emmrich Otacon?"

"Yeah. We knew each other pretty well before... "

Lambert was back on the line again.

"It's okay Grim. Logan knows about Shadow Moses."

"Wait...how... how does he know about it?" Grim started, questioning Lambert... and I understood why, because I didn't know until now either. It was then another familiar voice cut in, the voice of the other colonel, Colonel Roy Campbell.

"It's because he was there with Snake."

"What?" I asked...as Lambert continued.

"During Shadow Moses... when Metal gear rex was taken care of, but not FOXDIE, Jim Housemen, then the sectary of defense, decided to cover up what really happened with a nuclear strike. But neither I nor Campbell would stand idle over it, Roy tried to delay the attack to give Snake time to escape, but he was detained, I frankly didn't agree with Jim Houseman's way of thinking. I was one of those in the NSA who watched Snake during Shadow Moses, but for me to act alone would have put me in a suicidal position. I pushed things getting Logan inside as insurance to get the job done, then as if Campbell read my mind, he contacted me in private."

"Private?" I asked...

"I was the one who suggested to bring in Campbell in for Shadow Moses 2 hours after the uprising, as well as bringing Solid Snake into it, given his experience against Metal gears, he was our best and only viable option outside of maybe Logan and Big Boss, of course BB not an opinion for obvious reasons, apart from being dead. An hour later, I secretly sent him a special phone. I suggested he only use it, when every other option was not available. That time came when he was detained and he used it to contact me without alerting others, and then I got him a line with the president.

Even with that, I was less than two steps from getting detained and being made a scapegoat of the incident myself. Thank God Aimes stepped in and decided to detain Houseman. In addition, backups of everything that took place including the conversations between me, Campbell, Aimes, Fisher and Logan have also been recorded by Mei Ling. I have more than one hard copy of this. Any dirt that did hit the fan was all dumped on Houseman, but that decision was beyond my control."

I had to ask.

"Did Snake have any idea about it?"

"Not really, but I'm sure he knows by now."

Grim spoke.

"The official report stated that Lambert never talked with anyone directly involved with the mission, not to mention Solid Snake was on his own."

Lambert continued.

"And that's how it will stay. Along with the fact that Fisher himself was the man sent in to get Otacon out."

There was a sudden silence after those words were uttered. It was true... Between the mess with Georgia and what would happen later with what we would find out as Pandora Tomorrow, I was asked to be stationed some 10 miles southwest of Shadow Moses Island, to stand by for anything, but wasn't told much.

Then I was given an order to infiltrate, and locate Hal Emmrich, aka Otacon and bring him to the extraction point, the next generation Special Forces were detained by another unit not long after I got Otacon out.

"Lambert. I..."

"Sorry Fisher. You know how it is."

"...need to know basis?"

I didn't know why now and not then, but I was starting to grow tired of simply following order as Lambert replied. Maybe it was a simple case of things coming to a head.

"...Fisher... for now, I'll just say, you're not the only one who isn't being told all there is needed to be known, only relevant to the situation."

Grim then cut on...

"... Aside from that book 'In the Darkness of Shadow Moses', I didn't know you were there Sam, or Lambert was directly involved. Logan was mentioned...but...why weren't we in the operation if Fisher was?"

Lambert paused... before he started.

"...I had to contact a separate team and work with them, I could not risk having you and anyone else with Fisher in the last few years involved with it. I learned that from what happened with Logan and the Agency from 99 to 01."

"…What about now?" She asked.

"It doesn't matter now. Thanks to Revolver Ocelot, data of Metal Gear is available almost anywhere. Not to mention knowledge of the Next Generation Special Forces. To take any of you out the picture now would be redundant."

"...So... we aren't expendable?"

"Not yet. Besides...so far every transmission during this operation, has been kept under my supervision. I've only relayed the very relevant data to the joint chiefs."

"Why is Campbell here to begin with?" I asked, to which Campbell replied.

"It's because Lambert needed someone to observe another operative on other operations that had some bearing on what is happening here, including Shetland's side deals. Not to mention, he was one of the few on this operation to trust me, and the only one in real power, to have had my back... so to speak."

"Perhaps." Lambert replied. "But I can't help but wonder if Ames could have taken me down for trying to do something about it as well."

"He could do that?" I ask

"More than possible."

I sigh...

"Fisher... what we do isn't the only thing in the world...I can't even begin to count the number of missions that are going on even as we speak. I have authority, but there are people who can throw even that into the null and void easily."

"I know...I know… anything else?"

Grim started "I'm going to go over all of what's been found in Shetland's files. It will take a while but I should be able to uncover what's there. But in the meantime, we have one more person to deal with."

We all thought the same person.

"Otomo?" I ask anyway...

"Yes." Lambert asked.

"But for now, just head to the extraction point, it's marked on your opsat."

"What about Logan?" I asked.

"I'll find my way back." He answered, he sighed, before grim chimed in.

"Logan, I've noticed you've got a PDA, Fisher, you can use the EEV and open a line, from there, I'll send Shetland's contacts far as biological weapons go... as well as a few other things you could use."

"Thanks." he replied, as Lambert continued...I accessed Logan's PDA as the files transferred over the next few minutes, during that time Lambert broke the awkward silence.

"I should be stepping in your way. But...no. Good luck on your end Logan, you're going to need it."

"Thanks." He replies.

"Fisher, there should be a ladder not far from your position, it'll lead you to the top of the Bathhouse, you'll be extracted from there."

"Alright."

"Logan...it's Grim. The data's been sent. Hope that helps."

"Thanks Grim, I'm certain it will, Logan out."

"You're welcome, and see you later."

"I hope so."

He replied as he made his way back into the house, he looked at me, a little sad, I was sad too.

"See ya around fisher."

I shake my head... "No... We never met here."

He sighs, before looking up into the sky, and then at the door.

"Yeah... I know."

"... ... Any idea where David could be?"

"Rumor is he was in Seoul some 38 hours when war broke out in the Koreas, and before that… at some obscure Battery denied by the NKA to have been the one where the missile came from… but the only way to know… to actually ask Snake about it."

"Alright..."

And to that... he left. A few moments later, a blackhalk showed up as I got on. The doors closed as it took off, I place my multi-goggles to the side after removing them off my head and place, and take a deep breath.

"What a mission." I say to myself.

"So what now?" I ask Lambert on the radio.

"Get some sleep, you'll head back to operations, and then from they're... probably the Kokubo Shouso to deal with Otomo."

"Right... and Lambert... one more thing."

"Yeah?"

I take another breath; I wanted to be sure to say it the way I wanted.

"... We've known each other for a long time... and along this time we've both known a lot of people... and a lot of secrets."

"... What are you getting at Fisher?"

"For a very long time Lambert, I've been ... an instrument... a tool. I did what I did, because I believed it was for the greater good, not just for America, but the world. But I think it's time... I was told a lot more than what I'm already being given Lambert. I tolerated it because I figured it was for my benefit, but with what's been going down... I can't be left in the dark anymore."

He sighed... "Sooner or later, I knew you would be wanting to ask. ... I'll do it. But I warn you Fisher, you're not going to like a lot of what you're going to find out."

"... I know. But ignorance is bliss...until the bullet hits your brain."

"Agreed. Now get some rest... you've got a lot to do."

"I know... Fisher out."

I already had a clue... but it would be some time before I would know the true meaning... of an Instrument that thinks.

And that's it. I'd go an explain, but that's going to be left for a forum, till next time.

"This may be too much for a blunt instrument to understand" - M, Casino Royale 2006.

Useless trivia: I was about halfway thru SC:3 (about to complete the Penthouse level) before I saw Casino Royale. I'll say no more than that for now.

A/N 2: Incase anyone asks… decided to do a few spelling grammar corrections, and then re-put them up here. That's about it.