DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Metal Gear is created by Hideo Kojima and owned by Konami. Genshin Impact is owned by miHoYo.
METAL GEAR SHOGUN
Episode 18
FOXTROT
/-\ FOXHOUND Headquarters, January 21st, 2007 /-\
Ei awoke in the designated sleeping quarters of the FOXHOUND base, starting her first full day as an agent-in-training. She rose out of her bed and dressed herself in a uniform before exiting the room. The first place she went was the mess hall, to eat some food before beginning her day. Returning to the FOXHOUND building, she came to Maxine Work, a data management officer who was in charge of some details of her training here.
"Good morning, Max." Ei called out to her.
"Oh, good morning, Snake!" Max replied.
In an incredible turn of events, Ei had been assigned the code name "Snake," after the famous Solid Snake. It was almost surreal that she was even being referred to by the same name as the legendary soldier, especially since she was now part of said soldier's former unit. Now, when someone were to call for "Snake," Ei would have to get used to responding to that call.
"So," Maxine continued speaking. "Ready for your first day on the job?"
"Yes, I feel mentally prepared for the day ahead." Ei responded.
"Good." Max spoke. She typed something into the computer station she was sitting at. "Alright, I've got a schedule set up for you. First off, you'll be running obstacle courses and doing exercises for an hour before you return here. Then, it's VR training for a couple more hours. Next up, learning various weapons systems, electronic equipment, a bit of language practice, then a lunch break. After which, you report back here for another round of VR training, including hand-to-hand combat. Finally, you'll end the day with another exercise session. Sound good?"
All of that seemed excessive for the average soldier, but Ei reassured herself that she was no longer the average soldier. She was now a member of FOXHOUND, and would be trained as such. She would definitely need it for the dangerous missions she would no doubt perform in the future. Besides, it was likely that Solid Snake himself was put through a similarly challenging regimen.
"Very well." Ei spoke. "I suppose I should get started now."
"Absolutely. 'Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.'" Max quoted. Ei looked at her with slight interest. "That's William Shakespeare." Max explained. "I'm a big fan of his quotes. Now get moving, Snake."
Ei nodded and left the building for the gym.
The beginning of Ei's first day at FOXHOUND wasn't too much to handle. She was given a set of exercises to complete, including weight training, pull-ups, and other miscellaneous stamina-building exercises. After this, she was to run through an obstacle course. It was somewhat similar to what she had been put through during her time in Force XXI, but still different. The layout was different, as well as more difficult, but Ei was able to clear it with limited struggle.
After the allotted hour of exercise, Ei returned to the FOXHOUND main building and reported to the VR training labs. Entering the room, she saw various server systems lining the walls, with cables forming a web across the floor, connecting the servers to one another. A plastic walkway was placed in the center of the room, over the various cables and wires that were lined on the floor.
"Welcome to the VR Labs." A low but quiet voice spoke to her. Ei turned to face the source of the voice to see a man in his early thirties, with glasses and a white coat. "You must be the new FOXHOUND agent, Snake, yes?" The man asked.
"That is correct." Ei answered, still not yet used to being called "Snake."
"My name is William Wilson." The man introduced himself. "I am a mathematician who specializes in AI. My achievements include the creation of an AI that bested Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer that famously beat the world chess champion of its time. I also worked on AI for soccer robots, winning successive championships at the World Robocup Tournament. I was then approached by FOXHOUND, where they put me to work developing their revolutionary new VR system. I assume you are here to be tested in it?"
"Yes, Doctor Wilson." Ei spoke.
"I see, but you don't have to be so formal with me. Just call me 'Doc.'" Wilson spoke. "Now, follow me."
Ei followed the Doc down the plastic walkway, eventually reaching a set of VR setups. They comprised of futuristic chairs with attached headsets and haptic suits, notably more advanced than that she saw within Force XXI.
"Now, in you go." The Doc spoke up. "Change into the suit and get in position."
Ei complied with the instruction, putting on the haptic suit and sitting down in the chair. As per usual, the headset lowered onto her head, flashing a light into her eyes, and bringing her into VR.
BGM:
Deus Ex – Intro Sequence
By Alexander Brandon
The virtual reality environment that was generated seemed different than the one she was familiar with. For one, the background seemed a brighter, but more muted color, being close to gray. Second, her body was much more detailed than the polygonal shape she previously took. It looked much more similar to a real human.
[Can you hear me, Snake?] Doc's voice echoed through the VR environment that just finished loading.
"Yes, Wilson." Ei responded.
[Good.] He continued. [As you can see, our FOXHOUND VR system is much more advanced than that which is used by TF-XXI. While Force XXI's system is generally oriented towards the training of general soldiers, we at FOXHOUND will accept no better than the best, both when it comes to equipment and personnel.]
Ei nodded her head. It did seem better to use a more advanced system to train special operatives, rather than the same garden-variety system that trained ordinary soldiers.
[Now, in accordance with your training here, you shall be subjected to VR training exercises, more difficult than the ones you are familiar with.] Doc continued. [You will first run through a series of simulations three times over: the first time, to simply reach the end without being detected, the second to reach the end in as short a time as possible, and the third to take out all targets on the way to the end. Do you understand?]
"I do." Ei answered.
[Excellent. Then let's begin, shall we?]
BGM end
The VR training sessions were more difficult than what she experienced beforehand. Not only were the courses themselves more complex than in Ei's previous training, but the enemy soldiers' AI was also more advanced. They communicated information to one another, were more observant, and were overall more equipped to deal with a now more experienced Ei.
These new advanced soldiers were responsible for causing a few failed missions for Ei, but each time that happened, she would simply reload the level and try again. Such was the miracle of VR training: the option to retry the exact same scenario with new insight. Using this, one could easily correct bad habits or develop specific strategies based on the exercises.
The first time Ei ran through the sequence of courses, she was provided no weapon, and very little items to use to her advantage. But this was the point of the exercise: to familiarize the one running it with unarmed evasion and traversal of fortified locations. For every time Ei was caught or shot, she would learn something – be it about the behaviors of the guards themselves or the simulated environment. This information would be especially useful for her next two run-throughs of the training simulation.
The second time Ei went through the exercise, she had to do so within a time limit. Certain courses were not too different from her first time around, but there were some courses where she would have to rush through. This would be difficult due to the fact that patience was needed to safely navigate some of the courses, a luxury that was not available in a time trial. However, only a slight change of strategy was required. Instead of waiting for the guards to move or look away from her, Ei would instead swiftly navigate around their lines of sight, making sure not to be caught while running past them. It took some time, but she was able to get it down, eventually.
Finally, Ei ran through the exercise with a weapon. It was only a silenced pistol, with just the bare minimum number of rounds to clear each course. Ei would have to make each bullet count, while still making it to the end of each course in time. It was a very delicate balance to strike, as she had to eliminate every enemy in the course in order to exit. However, now she did not have to wait for the guards to look away or navigate around them. Now, she simply had to shoot them. Ei managed to make it to the end of all three courses, ending the training session.
Next up on Ei's schedule was a sequence of three classes. The first was familiarizing herself with various weapons systems: their makeup, composition, strengths and weaknesses, and how to properly perform maintenance on each firearm. A few of them were similar in mechanics, but there were still varying differences between them. The next class was learning about various pieces of equipment she may be able to procure and use in the field. It was similar to the previous class, only with items like night vision goggles, mine detectors, radar systems, and other such items.
The final of the three classes was world languages. As an agent of FOXHOUND, Ei would probably be deployed to regions of the world that didn't predominantly speak English. Either that, or there would be individuals who spoke in a different language present during such missions. Ei was able to learn the basics of a few languages, though some were easier than others. She felt somewhat envious of Solid Snake, as according to rumor, he was a man who was fluent in six languages. The very fact that Solid Snake was a polyglot was impressive itself, but he was also stated to be a genius with an IQ of over 180. She had a long way to go.
Ei's lunch break wasn't particularly too short or long, but she decided to take what she could get. A good meal and a cigarette would do well for one's mentality, especially considering the training she would soon be going through again. Back in VR, Ei was put through simulations which taught her about fighting in close-quarters combat. She was instructed in hand-to-hand from standing and crouching positions, alongside how to integrate the use of firearms and other weapons in closer ranges.
Ei was already knowledgeable in fighting in close proximities. After all, back when she was still the Electro Archon, many of her martial arts and swordplay techniques provided a sort of "baseline" from which most schools of martial arts and sword-fighting in Inazuma were derived from. Ei had little struggle in this field, integrating her own martial arts skills with the hand-to-hand combat skills she was being taught.
As for swordplay, Ei could do very little, given the available weapons. Most firearms' center of gravity lied in an uncomfortable or unwieldy position, as opposed to the hilt of a katana or the grip of a polearm. The least she could do with such weapons was bashing their stock into whatever enemy was in front of her. Though, when she picked up a knife, she began to feel uneasy.
[Is something wrong, Snake?] Doc asked from the real world.
"I…" Ei began to say. "I have a strange feeling about this… There is something… off-putting about this blade to me."
[I see.] Her instructor noted. [Well, you're still gonna have to show us how well you're able to use that thing. Come on, Snake.]
Ei was reluctant to use a knife. She didn't know why, but she did feel the same kind of anxiousness she felt during and after her nightmares. She looked at the simulated soldier ahead of her, and her body began to move. She dashed behind the soldier, stabbing him in the back and then slitting his throat. Her movements were filled with brutal efficiency, the kind which was only seen in men who could only be described as killing machines.
After that, the close-quarters section of Ei's training was concluded for the day. The second physical exercise section was similar to the first one in the morning, albeit slightly modified. She cleared the obstacle course with little difficulty, much like the first one. After which, she got ate some dinner and prepared to go to sleep for the night. She returned to the FOXHOUND main building, ready to rest.
"Tough day?" Maxine asked Ei.
"Somewhat." She responded. "But that is to be expected. I'm training to become an operative of Solid Snake's caliber. Of course it's going to be tough."
"Hm, that's for sure." Max replied. "Well in case you need any motivation, I'd be more than happy to share some quotes with you."
"Thank you, Max." Ei spoke. Max simply gave a smile.
Ei arrived back at the sleeping quarters assigned to her and undressed. From there, she lied in her bed and slowly drifted to sleep. Maybe tonight would bring another nightmare for her. Or maybe she would sleep peacefully this night. She knew uncertainty would always affect her. But now, at least, she was striving to become like the man she saw as a hero. Even if her journey would be difficult, the reward would very much be worth it. Anything that would get her closer to reaching Eternity was worth it.
Okay, this chapter is done now. I'm not gonna lie, I feel like it's kind of scuffed. But that's alright, in about two chapters, we're going to get introduced to a very important character. But for now, here are the reviews.
rama alif: Me too, but maybe in a little bit. Possibly after I finish adapting MGS2.
See you next chapter!
-Azzy Asbourne
Music: watch?v=orHNj_d2tlo