“It takes time. But in the mean time the shell has become a landmark, a symbol of environmental protection. Approximately six hours ago the Big Shell was seized by an armed group.”
“Do we have an I.D?”
“Former members of the Navy Seal Special Anti-Terrorist training squad Dead Cell. Russian private army members may also be involved. It is a highly trained group and they have the Big Shell under complete control.”
Jack put down the phone and inserted and ear piece known as ‘Codec’. It is a micro earpiece that directly stimulates the small bones of your ear when someone is trying to contact you. No one but Jack can hear it. Every important figurehead in the world has one…including the President. Jack figured he was close enough to the Big Shell, put on his diving mask and looked out of the space in the helicopter. He seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. All he could see was the infinite blue of the sea. He jumped out of the helicopter into the deep blue sea. He didn’t crash land but softly sank as he made impact with the water. The water wasn’t cold at all as Jack had braced himself for. It was quite warm and soothing, which suited his style of swimming. He swam towards the oil fence to find some sort of opening. He wasn’t expecting there to be one at all. As he swam to the base of the something caught the corner of his eye. As he swam looking confused he could see that there was a perfectly shaped hole cut in the fence. Someone else had obviously already been here but whom. It must’ve been a highly skilled person who wanted to get into the shell…but for what reason. He couldn’t ponder the problem for long and just decided to swim through.
“What are their demands?” Jack asked temporarily forgetting the hole.
“30 billion dollars”
“30 billion dollars!? What makes them think they can get that much?
“There was a government sponsored tour going on in the shell that day.”
“Hostages.”
“Not only that but the most important, person for some reason, happened to be there. George W Bush.”
“The President!!!”
“Unless the terrorists’ demands are met they intend to blow the Big Shell out of the water.”
“The crude oil would then ignite turning the whole Manhattan harbour into an inferno huh?”
“That’s not the worse case scenario poisons from the oil will be released and the sea will become a toxic ‘soup’ for centuries becoming the worst environmental disaster in history.”
Jack was inside the shell slowly swimming towards the surface when the small bones in his ear began to vibrate.
“Snake you have two mission objectives. One, infiltrate the Big Shell and make sure the hostages and the President are safe from any harm. And two, disarm the terrorists by any means necessary.”
“Just the way I like it” Jack thought to himself with a grin. His head reached the surface inside the Big Shell. He was inside a large room, which looked like the inside of a ship. It had diving suits lined up against the walls next to the many lockers. As he looked up he saw a mini submarine dangling just above his head. He decided to head for the ladder directly in front of him and climb out of the water. He could hear some rustling on the floor. He looked down and saw many beetles crawling out of the ventilation shaft on the floor. He also noticed that the gate blocking it had been removed and was lying in front of it. Someone had been climbing through these shafts. Could it have been the same person that had cut the whole in the fence? He was about to tell the Colonel everything up to this point but was interrupted.
“You should know that Seal Team 10 are also conducting a rescue operation”
“So is this a joint effort?” Jack asked still looking at the vent
“No FOX HOUND remains a covert body. Don’t alert them to you’re presence - that is an order! Are you inside yet?”
“Yes. It was pretty easy. There was a hole already cut in the oil fence and there is an open vent. There is definitely another intruder in here besides me.”
“That is not a possibility in this simulation, you’re role is to safe guard the hostages, the President and disarm the terrorists.”
“Simulation…role, what are you talking about?”
“Over and out!”
Simulation? Role? What the hell is going on?
Jack was getting more confused by the minute as he walked over towards the door ahead. Suddenly he could hear faint groans on the other side of the door.
“Colonel there is definitely someone else here,” Jack said opening the door, “There are two guards on the floor carrying Russian made equipment.”
“They must be abandoned Mercenaries. An army without a country.”
“What’s their stake in this one?”
“They must’ve made a deal with the terrorists.”
“Whoever they are, they’re out cold and it looks like a solo job.”
“One man?”
“We may not know who he is but he managed to take out every guard in the area. Whoever he is he has got some skills”
“We need an I.D but for now take advantage of the situation and get to work. Your codename has now been changed to Raiden”
“Wh-nev-Understood. What did you mean about my role?”
There was no answer but that was something Jack and been searching for his whole life. He stepped past the bodies towards the elevator and pressed the button. After a while the elevator came down and he stepped in. He wished he hadn’t pushed the button. The person that took out the guards had used this elevator and could be waiting. The Colonel spoke once again but Jack didn’t seem as interested. He wanted to know what the Colonel meant by ‘Simulation’ and ‘Role’.
“The terrorists call themselves ‘Sons of Liberty’.”
“Sons of Liberty?” Jack said taking off his swimming mask.
“The name of their leader is Solid Snake”
“It can’t be. He is a hero, a legend in FOX HOUND. Ahhh so that’s why you changed my codename.”
“Right but he can’t be the Solid Snake. He died two years ago on that tanker after he blew it sky high.”
“Could he of survived?”
“Not a chance…”
As the elevator was approaching the top floor it stopped suddenly half way. Jack didn’t notice it at first, as he was still shocked over what he had just heard. When he realised he looked around in a panic for an emergency button or a trap door. He couldn’t find one. He tried to phone the Colonel but strangely a woman said,
“The number you have dialled has not been recognised. Please check the number. If you need help please check the number on your Codec and redial.”
Jack couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
Suddenly the elevator shot up with great speed forcing Jack to the floor. The pressure was too great. It was crushing his chest. The elevator then stopped along with Jacks heart for a moment. He got up and straightened himself out. The door opened. It opened to a room that looked similar to Jacks. It was very dark with one window, a desk and a chair. He could hear the echoing of footsteps in the room. He could also see a shadowy figure moving from left to right synchronizing the steps. With his eyes squinting in interest he stepped out from the elevator and saw a short pale man with flimsy grey hair in a very smart looking suits.
“Mr President?” questioned Jack. The man slowly turned himself around. When he saw Jack absolute shock spread all over his face. This quickly disappeared and turned into the type of expression as if he was expecting him, he looked a defeated man for some reason.
“Who are you?” he said.
“Raiden sir from FOX HOUND”
“FOX HOUND. So…go on then get on with It.,” the President said raising his arms in surrender.
“What are you talking about sir?” asked Jack with total confusion written all over his face.
“Stop fooling around and kill me. I need to die for betraying my country.”
“What?”
“You really have no idea. I would’ve thought the powers that be at FO HOUND would’ve figured it out by now. I wasn’t kidnapped or taken hostage. You could even say I am one of the terrorists. I, alongside Snake, wanted to end their control over our lives.”
“Who are they?”
“They call themselves The Patriots. They are the ones with the power in America.”
“But you’re the President.”
“No. I am just their puppet. They send me newspaper cut outs of my instructions - my role. I’ve never actually met them in person.”
“A puppet, but what about the Presidential election?”
“Quite a show wasn’t it! Even Al Gore was dancing to the Patriots tune. I wanted complete control which is why I told Snake to steal RAY two years ago on the tanker.”
“RAY…that’s that huge amphibious like machine that can destroy and fire a nuke from anywhere around the globe.”
“Yes, it was built by the Patriots. They were going to use it to stamp their authority on the world. If I had RAY under my control I thought I would have some sort of temporary power over them. I have lead as where they are located.”
“So you are going to fire a nuke using Ray somewhere in the world and kill innocent civilians. You’re sick!”
“Am I? They control everything. The way we think, how we feel, what we do. Why can’t we think for ourselves?”
“So are you saying that what we are experiencing right now is fake, a story, a simula-“ it finally clicked in his head. Everything the President made sense now. Jack remembered,
“That is not a possibility in this simulation, you’re role is to safe guard the hostages…”
Jack didn’t know what to think or to believe. Was everything a lie? Is he a puppet? Are the nightmares he has about his childhood real or are they stories written by the patriots.
“What is this lead you have?” Jack asked looking like a man possessed.
“You are”
“What!!?” Jack said looking shocked. He needed somewhere to sit down. He felt weak.
“Someone who wanted to remain anonymous told me that FOX HOUND would send someone to kill me. He would be wearing dog tags. On those tags would be a mini disc and the name of a patriot. That person is you” the president said pointing towards Jack.
Jack didn’t want to look down. He felt he couldn’t take anymore. He couldn’t resist. As he slowly looked down he saw hanging from his neck a pair of silver dog tags. He had sworn he had never seen them before. With his trembling hands he picked up one tag and turned it over. The name ‘Max Buadi’ was engraved on it. On the other tag was a mini disc attached. Jack didn’t know what to do. He felt like he had turned to stone. He couldn’t move. He stood there expressionless.
Suddenly the elevator door opened. Jack didn’t even move. What could possibly shock him even further? He could hear footsteps getting closer and closer towards him. Jack looked up and saw man exactly the same height as him, broad chest, and spiky brown hair with a bandana wrapped around his forehead. He had a rugged beard like he was living rough and was wearing the exact same suit as he was. Jack looked at the man up and down slowly and noticed a beetle crawl out from under his boot.
He must be that intruder crawling through the vents. Jack thought to himself.
“Only members of FOX HOUND wear that. Who exactly are you?” questioned Jack with his hand still firmly clenched onto his dog tags. But taking a closer look he realised,
“No…can’t be…you’re Solid Snake. The Solid Snake.”
“How’d you know?”
“I’ve got to tell the Col-“ Jack stopped and realised what he was about to do. He was going to contact the Colonel, as he would’ve if he hadn’t of found out the truth.
“I don’t think you want to do that. I have reason to believe you’re Colonel is indeed a Patriot. This whole scenario is a lie. They knew what I was up to and sent you to kill me. This is how they wrote it. But what they didn’t expect was Solid Snake to return from the grave. After the tanker sank I had my secret police have a boat ready to save him. We were lucky. We three are the only ones who know the truth. It has to stay that way.”
“The President is right,” Snake said, “we need to find out where they are. Give me the disk and stay with the President just in case.”
Jack detached the disk from the tag and handed it to Snake.
“I’ll call you in five minutes.” Jack said eager for answers. Snake nodded in agreement.
Snake entered the door on opposite the elevator and walked up the wooden steps making a creaking sound with each step he took. He found himself alone in another room but a computer strangely sat in the middle of the room. It was strange as it was the only thing in this room. He approached it and the CD drive automatically opened for him as if it was waiting for him to come. The bones in his ear began to vibrate. He too had a Codec.
“It’s me did you upload the disc?”
“Yeah it had all their info on there. Names and where to find them.”
“Good, then lets go and take care of them.”
“Wait…we can’t!”
“Why?”
“…They’re all dead”
“What!! When?”
“Err… about one hundred years ago.”
“What the…!”