Chapter 8
By the left side of the panel deep within the room Snake could see a big amount of C4's packed inside some kind of special case. Sealed. Probably to prevent vapor leak. Snake thought as he noticed it by the low light, however that didn't make it any less scary. Snake stepped away from it and grabbed the ladder that would surely take him out of this room and into Strut H. He climbed it, but he also kept a watchful eye on the C4, strangely enough the radar showed no presence of any C4 in the area. At first Snake thought that this was because it was activated, but all the others, even after activation, still appeared faintly on the radar. Snake reached the hatch and pushed the door. Snake had to use a lot of strength and after pushing he heard a large thud from the other side of the hatch. Something had to be on top of it. Snake lifted the hatch door and found himself in the same area where he had been before, the storage area of Strut H, a big crate and a few boxes were covering the hatch so he couldn't have found it before. Now however it was time to tell Peter the good and bad news, as he turned on the radio he realized that a line was already open to Peter. Raiden was talking to him, but Snake had to interrupt.
"This is Pliskin. Do you read me, Pete?"
"I'm here. What's up?"
"Raiden, you need to hear this too."
Snake knew that Pete wouldn't disagree with him.
"I'm listening." Raiden replied.
"I checked out the bottom of Strut H for you, Pete."
"Wait…what's this about?" Raiden intervened.
"I asked Pliskin to look around. 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 packed into the bottom of the strut. Pete called it right."
"I knew he had the real thing up his sleeve..." Peter sounded frustrated.
"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."
However Snake was not finished. "That's not the bad news either. These are sensor-proof."
"What!" Peter sounded even more frustrated.
"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." Snake told the unequivocal truth. "Pete, looks like he fooled you."
"Yes..." Peter came to terms that Fatman had long abandoned the code from which every other bomb expert is ruled.
"But you managed to find the thing anyway?" Raiden sounded impressed.
"It was sheer luck." Snake had no intentions of looking like a hero to Raiden.
"Bombs that are invisible to the sensor..." Raiden sounded a bit nervous.
"Any ideas, Pete?" Snake asked sensing Peter had been silent for enough time.
"Are there more out there?" Raiden followed.
Peter breathed deeply before talking. "I'll go see for myself."
"You can't move fast enough." Raiden stated.
"He's right." Snake had to do it alone. "I can try the spray from a distance."
"Hold on! There's something not right about this one, I can feel it." Peter interjected.
"Well, Pete? Should I come back and get you?" Snake asked.
"No, there's no need. Raiden, you have one left to go, correct?"
"Right -- except for those scentless ones." Raiden said not fully understanding what Peter meant.
"How about you, Pliskin?"
Snake knew of two C4's he hadn't disposed, one on Strut G and the other on Strut L. "I have two left not counting this one.
" OK... It'll have to be me. I have the level 4 card that'll get me into Shell 2 in any case."
Snake could only wonder what that meant, but Raiden jumped in.
"You'll never make it. With that bad leg of yours, they'll spot you for sure." Raiden said as to make painfully clear that Peter had no chance.
"That won't happen. I..." Peter hesitated for a few seconds. "I can walk just fine." Peter was confessing himself. "I can even run..."
"What do you mean?" Snake asked still unclear about the whole thing.
"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..." Peter sounded seriously depressed. "These past five years, I've lived a lie."
"Lied?" Raiden asked.
"Yes, lied. I didn't lose my leg in the explosion."
"…" Snake was at a loss.
"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..."
Raiden also heard in silence.
"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..."
Snake couldn't even begin to realize how it must have felt.
"It was supposed to be a shield." Peter continued. "And it's become 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?" Snake said as if trying to take Peter away from the guilt.
"I know…I'm a coward!" Peter replied.
"Hey, Pete…" Snake said, but Peter went on.
"God forgive me...I can walk with my own 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."
Snake knew what he had to say next. "I get you, Pete. That one's all yours. You got it, Raiden?"
"I understand." Raiden said.
"Pete, I've taken care of guards in Struts G and H of Shell 2." Snake only hoped the rest stayed by the core section trying to find him. "I wouldn't recommend you go into any of the other struts."
"I owe you one." Peter said.
"I'll get back to freezing the baby bombs then." Snake replied.
"You do that too, Raiden."
"I'm on it." Raiden replied.
"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."
Peter and Raiden signed off. Now it was time for Snake to take care of the C4's on Strut G. Snake faced the door that was closer to him, he checked the radar and found the strut deserted. The crates were warning enough, Peter would immediately know where the large C4 was. I've to get moving. Snake started to run towards the GH connecting bridge. As stepped outside into the open to the connecting bridge his headphones came alive.
"Pliskin. I've reached Strut G." Peter was panting.
"Pete what's wrong?" Snake asked worried.
"I'm okay…I've just realized I'm no so fit anymore…but I'll be fine."
"Good. I'm on the connecting bridge. I'm heading there now to dispose of the C4."
"Very well." As Peter spoke the door to Strut G opened and Snake saw Peter Stillman running towards him with some equipment on his hand. As he neared Snake he stopped and breathed deeply. "Should've never got used to that cane!" Peter said as he placed his hands on his knees and rested.
"Your doing fine." Snake patted him on the back.
"Pliskin I've managed to create a sensor for the scentless C4's. I'm not sure it will work, but tell Raiden in case I forget. I left it in the pantry in Strut C" He was still quite out of breath.
"Right." Snake nodded. "I should go." Snake walked past him and headed for the door, but he was stopped by a question.
"Who are you…really?" Peter asked as he took his hands from his knees and grabbed the rail of the connecting bridge.
"I'm a…" Snake stopped pretending. "I'm here to find something."
"What?" Peter asked with a slight smile.
Snake said without turning around. "You should take care of that bomb." He kept walking to the door.
"What's your name?" Peter took his hands from the rail as he asked him.
Snake only turned his head to the side, and while walking, uttered. "Call me Snake." The door of Strut G opened and Snake entered.
Peter stood still as he watched the door close. "Snake huh?" Peter grinned and headed for Strut H.
Strut G was now silent and quick glance at the radar revealed no guards.
"Pliskin this is Raiden do you hear me?" Raiden's voice had just come up through Snake's headphones.
"I just got a call from Pete. He made it to Shell 2…I guess he really can run." Snake knew that was probably what he wanted to hear.
"Pliskin..." Raiden sounded fearful.
"I'll take good care of Pete. Don't worry." Snake had to make sure Raiden kept it together. "Raiden, like I said before, there's a huge load of C4's at the bottom of Strut H that won't show up on the radar. The old man's right…there's got to be the same thing in Shell 1. Watch your back. Go pick up that sensor for odorless C4's. It should be in that room in Strut C where you left Pete."
"I'm on it." Raiden said with a tone of decisiveness.
On the radar the yellow blur was appearing by the oil processing room. Snake got by the door from where he first found Otacon. He opened it and found what he could only guess to be the oil processing machines.Every piece of machinery seemed to be relatively new. A large cylindrical canister filled most of the room, several tubes came from within it and went across the room into two other cylindrical canisters and several other machines Snake had never seen before. What mattered was that the yellow blur was right in front of Snake. The big cylindrical canister was the only thing that was before Snake. He crouched down and saw the C4's securely attached to the canister. Almost finished. Snake took out the coolant spray and after the blinking light faded he got up and headed for the GL connecting bridge, but not before calling Peter.
Snake reached for his radio and called Peter frequency. "Pete it's me!"
"Pliskin I was about to call you. I don't know where to begin with this bomb."
The line was suddenly flooded by Raiden's voice.
"I have the last C4 frozen. There's nothing showing up on the sensor now."
"Good work Raiden."
"You're way ahead of me, kid. I still have one to go." Snake said.
"How's your bomb, Peter?" Raiden asked.
"It's a bomb all right. Sealed C4, and in huge quantities..." Peter sounded a bit overhelmed.
"You think there's another one in Shell 1?" Raiden asked.
"For sure. Somewhere at the bottom of Strut A."
"Why are you so certain?"
"If this bottom section of the strut is demolished, Shell 2 will be well on its way to destruction.
"You mean that Shell 2 will actually sink?" Otacon came to Snake's mind.
"Not immediately. There'll still be five struts left. But, if Shell 1 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 asked.
"I have a sensor that can locate even those scentless C4's. It makes combined use of a neutron scintillator 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?" Raiden inquired.
"I just tested it, and it definitely responds. But the best I can do is a sound beacon, not the radar.
"Sound?"
"The shorter the interval between beacons, the closer the target."
"I got you." Raiden said.
"There's another one in that pantry I was in. You can go back and get it."
"It's all yours, Raiden." Snake said.
"I'm going to study it some more, and see if the freezing process will work. Don't touch the other one till I say so."
"Ok. I'll standby until you radio in." Raiden signed off.
"Pliskin are you still there?"
"Yeah Pete."
"Well I'm not sure what I should do next!"
"Pete just do what you think is right." Snake was at the door that led to the GL connecting bridge.
"I…I couldn't teach him…" Peter sounded melancholic.
"Teach who?" Snake asked as he saw the bright sun.
"Fatman. I could have taken better care of him. He could have become a good person and instead he turned out…"
"Stop it." Snake held his hand high to cover the sun. "What you could've done is no longer important. What's important is what you do now. And right now you have the power to save this place from destruction." Snake reached the door of Strut L.
"You're right. Of course, I'll find a way. Bye…Snake." Peter said and signed off.
Snake entered Strut L and logged on to the computer that was by his left side. There was corridor to his left and a door by the end of it, but the radar indicated that the C4 was in the middle of the corridor. Snake walked slowly with his eyes and his M4 on the door. A few lamps lighted the corridor, but one of them seemed to be acting up. Snake took a quick look at it and then looked at the radar. The C4 must have been planted above the lamp. It was so heavy that it made the lamp come on and off. Snake reached for the coolant spray but before he could do anything the door by the end of the corridor opened up. Snake retreated to the place where the node was. A very small corner hid him from anyone that came from the door.
"…she's acting quite strange isn't she?"
"Yes she is, maybe it's because this whole operation seems suspicious."
"I heard that the reinforcements that were on the core section are going to Strut H, it seems that the intruder took a small tunnel that…"
Snake's capacity to eavesdrop on the conversation ended when his headphones came alive.
"…How's Pliskin doing?" It seemed that Peter was in the middle of a conversation with Raiden.
Snake jumped in. "A few more minutes... I just got to the last strut, but there are a few enemy sentries I have to take care of."
Snake ignored Peter and Raiden's conversation and looked over to the guards. They were both with their backs to Snake. This is it. Snake sprang from the corner and dashed to the guards. Before they even noticed anything Snake gave a hell of push to one of them.
"Ahhhh." The guard screamed as he fell to the ground at an incredible speed.
The other turned and hit Snake, on the face, with his gun.
It hurt a bit but Snake had a job to do. The guard's next blow missed Snake as he veered away. Snake's punch hit him dead on in the stomach and a well placed kick to the head rendered him unconscious. Snake immediately whipped out the coolant spray and pointed it to the lamp. The C4 was right before his eyes.
"This is Pliskin. I've located the last C4." He raised his hand and pointed the spray.
"Is that it?" Peter sounded amazed as the realization sank in.
Snake started spraying the C4. "I'm about to freeze it. Then…"
"Wait! Pliskin!" Peter shouted over the radio, but the hiss of the spray clouded every noise from Snake's ears.
As Snake finished spraying and the yellow blur disappeared from the radar a unique sound was heard over the radio.
"Damn! That WAS it!" Peter shouted.