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A Wrongdoing | Big Shell Evil | Confidential Legacy | Dead Man Whispers | External Gazer

A Wrongdoing

He was in. Snake's underwater infiltration of Big Shell was complete. As he entered the elevator in the lower part of Strut A, he paused to reflect on his briefing with Campbell. Six hours earlier, Big Shell had been taken over by a group of heavily armed extremists. The terrorists had kidnapped the President, who was visiting Big Shell on an inspection tour, and taken him hostage along with several employees of the facility. Now they were using hostages to blackmail the government. The terrorists' demands were a joke: a list of 20-odd trivialities, plus $30 billion in cash."Your mission objectives are as follows," Campbell had said. "First, infiltrate the ocean cleanup facility known as 'Big Shell' and rescue the President and the other hostages. Second, neutralize the terrorists. You are authorized to use any means necessary to complete this mission. Your contact will be able to fill you in with more details later." "Contact?"
"One of the President's Secret Service agents, a man by the name of Richard Ames, seems to have eluded the terrorists." The name triggered something in Snake's brain. He'd heard it before."Ames? Isn't that Nastasha's husband?" "Ex-husband," Campbell corrected him. "He's also the one who requested our help in the first place. But whatever means he was using to communicate with us has apparently been destroyed, and we can't get a hold of him any more. You've got to get in touch with Ames directly and find out anything you Can about the situation inside. His last Transmission came from Strut F, and he Should still be hiding somewhere in that Area. That's where you should head first." The elevator began its ascent. As Snake took off his diving equipment, he went over Campbell's last directive one more time in his head. Ames was supposedly hiding from these terrorists. Even if Snake managed to get close to him, Ames wouldn't come out of hiding if Snake were being followed. Once he Arrived at Strut F and started looking For Ames, he'd have to be extra careful to avoid being detected by the enemy. Strut F was located northeast of Strut A.

Mission Start

Snake addressed the man."You must be Ames." Ames nodded. "And you must be Solid Snake." Learning to read Snake's shrugs, Ames took this as a "yes". "I knew they'd send you. After all, I asked for the best man they had. That
was quite an impressive job you pulled On that tanker a few years ago." "You mean slaughtering those terrorists to the last man?" He felt the painful memories resurfacing in his mind -- scores of fresh, young soldiers lying dead in heaps on the deck, the acrid smell of blood permeating every corner Of the ship.... "But you managed to get all the
hostages out safely, didn't you?" asked Ames. Snake had heard these words countless times. They never helped ease the pain. They never would. Snake did not feel like explaining that. "Where is the President?" he said, getting to the point. Ames looked away. "I...don't know." "What about the other hostages?" "...I'm not sure." "Are you telling me you don't know anything?" "I've seen the leader of the terrorists." "Who? Who is it?" "Fatman." Snake searched his memory. It didn't Take long for him to trace the name. Fatman. A disgraced former Navy SEAL Turned mad bomber. The self-styled"Emperor of Explosives." A man with no philosophy or creed. A hardened criminal who'd sell himself to anyone for the right price. But hadn't he been arrested three years earlier after that Church-bombing incident?
"He was acquitted," Ames spat in disgust, as if anticipating Snake's question. "Even though more than thirty people
died in the blast?" "The jury found him not guilty. They said there was still a 'reasonable doubt' as to whether he had done it or not. Fatman's got a lot of rich and powerful friends who can afford to hire the best defense attorneys in the business. He bought his freedom -- with the same blood money he made from killing those innocent people!" Ames' mouth twitched. Maybe he was going to grin. "If he was judged correctly, this would not have happened.... In other words, the jury's mistake is about to kill us, and their President." Ames turned around toward Snake. "Snake, rescue the President. I know Fatman was at the heliport. He's probably still giving orders there now." "The heliport...On the roof of Strut E, right?" As Snake nodded and got up to leave, Ames stopped him. "Don't waste your time trying to take
him alive. He's got too many tricks up his sleeve. And the President's life is still in danger." Ames took out his USP and looked straight into Snake's eyes. "Promise me you'll kill him." He handed the USP to Snake. Then he produced a few more objects from his jacket. "Here, you'd better take these along with you, too. I picked them up on my way here. They should come in handy when you're taking care of Fatman." Coolant spray, the bomb-detecting Sensor A, and a Level 1 security card. Snake took the items and added them to his equipment. "All right. Leave the rest to me." "I'm counting on you, I think I'll just stay here for a while." "Sounds like a good plan to me." Snake left the room. He heard a "click" As the door locked behind him. True to his word, Ames was planning to hole up in that room. The Codec sounded. It was Campbell. "Snake, we've found out where the hostages are being held." "How?" "By e-mail. Someone in there is using their cell phone to send messages to the government - a Secret Service agent named Jennifer." "Where are the hostages?" "She says they're in the Shell 1 Core, on Level B1." "I found out where the terrorist leader is, too. What's my priority here: the leader or the hostages?" "I'll leave that up to you, Snake. Good luck."

Fatman Option (Without Hostage Rescue)

A huge shadow appeared from behind the crate - Fatman. Ames had been right. Fatman turned to face Snake and
shouted: "WHERE IS THE PRESIDENT?!" Snake felt a wave of relief wash over him. So they hadn't found the President
yet, either. "You're that guy who's been sneaking around here, aren't you?! Fatman's enormous body trembled as he spoke. "Hand over the President!" What was he talking about? Had someone already helped the President escape? Snake tried to mask his bewilderment with a bluff. "Not a chance!" Fatman thrust out his right hand to Reveal a small object with a switch. "This is a remote triggering device for a bomb. Hand over the President or the hostages die." He's not bluffing, thought Snake as he searched frantically for a response. Noticing Snake's silence, a gruesome smile spread across Fatman's grotesque features."Well then..." He raised his right hand into the air. "Stop!" yelled Snake.
Fatman pushed the switch. An explosion rang out in the distance, causing the entire Big Shell to shake violently. Whirling around, Snake saw a thick plume of black smoke rising from the Shell 1 Core. Fatman's cackles echoed in his head. "They're all dead now. And it's all your fault." "Fatman..." "OK, now I'm gonna give you a few seconds to reflect on what just happened. I don't want to kill you without giving you a chance to mourn. For those poor, innocent people, now. 1... 2..." Fatman lifted his fingers one by one as he counted. "... 3... 4... 5! Are you finished? "Cause it's time to die!"

Fatman Defeated (Without Hostage Rescue)

Fatman fell with a sickening thud. Snake stood silently over his bloated corpse. No doubt dozens of hostages were lying in a similar fashion over in the Shell 1 Core. "Why did things turn out this way?" Snake wondered. "Everything went wrong.... No, I'm the one who went wrong. There must have been some other way". The Codec sounded. It was Campbell he reported that the Coast Guard had the President safely in their custody. He'd already managed to escape from Big Shell in a patrol boat. Moreover, the SEALs had just entered the facility. They were going to clean up
the rest of the terrorists and rescue any hostages who were still alive in the wreckage of the Shell 1 Core. Snake
knew, though, that their search would be fruitless. "There's no sign of Ames anywhere," said Campbell. "Do you have any idea where he might have gone?" "Negative..." "I see..." Campbell's reassuring voice offered encouragement, but Snake wasn't listening. His ears were already deaf to the world.

Hostage Rescue

Snake entered the assembly hall. There were the hostages -- more than twenty of them by the looks of it. Terrorist guards patrolled the area checking in every so often by radio. If they got even a whiff of anything suspicious, the whole place would be flooded with reinforcements in no time. Once that happened, there'd be nowhere to run. Snake would somehow have to get in touch with Jennifer without being detected. There was, however, another problem -- how to tell which hostage was Jennifer? Snake called Campbell on the Codec. "Colonel, can you tell me if Jennifer has
any distinguishing features?" "Sorry, I'm afraid I can't help you there." "Why not?" "Jennifer is apparently sending us
e-mail with her hands tied behind her back. You wouldn't be able to tell which one is her even if we sent her mail from here." Snake clicked his tongue in frustration. Campbell thought for a minute. "I've got it. If you hear the sound of
someone punching keys on a cell phone, that person must be Jennifer. Listen for that sound." "The sound of keys on a cell phone..." "There should be a directional microphone somewhere in the Shell 1 Core. Look for it before you go in."

Hostage Location (Without Mic)

As Snake entered the assembly hall, Campbell's voice sounded on the Codec. "Good, you found the microphone.
Now use it to find Jennifer." Campbell continued, "Jennifer is using her cell phone to send us e-mail. If you hear the sound of someone punching keys on a cell phone, turn towards the nearest hostage and press the Action Button to talk to that person. If it really is Jennifer, she should give you some sort of response." "What if I'm wrong?" "The enemy might hear the noise and come to investigate. Don't talk to just anyone. Don't press the Action Button until you're absolutely sure that it's Jennifer you're talking to."

Hostage Location (With Mic)

Snake entered the assembly hall. There were the hostages -- more than twenty of them by the looks of it. Terrorist guards patrolled the area checking in every so often by radio. If they got even a whiff of anything suspicious, the whole place would be flooded with reinforcements in no time. Once that happened, there'd be nowhere to run. Snake would somehow have to get in touch with Jennifer without being detected. There was, however, another problem -- how to tell which hostage was Jennifer? Snake called Campbell on the Codec. "Colonel, can you tell me if Jennifer has
any distinguishing features?" "Sorry, I'm afraid I can't help you there." "Why not?" "Jennifer is apparently sending us
e-mail with her hands tied behind her back. You wouldn't be able to tell which one is her even if we sent her mail from here." Snake clicked his tongue in frustration. Campbell thought for a minute. "I've got it. If you hear the sound of
someone punching keys on a cell phone, that person must be Jennifer. Listen for that sound." "The sound of keys on a cell phone..." "Snake, use the directional microphone." Campbell continued, "Jennifer is using her cell phone to send us e-mail. If you hear the sound of someone punching keys on a cell phone, turn towards the nearest hostage and press the Action Button to talk to that person. If is really is Jennifer, she should give you some sort of response."
"What if I'm wrong?" "The enemy might hear the noise and come to investigate. Don't talk to just anyone. Don't press the Action Button until you're absolutely sure that it's Jennifer you're talking to."

Jennifer is Found

Jennifer looked as if she were about to say something. Snake swiftly reached out and covered her mouth with his
hand. "Keep your voice down. They'll hear us." Snake removed her blindfold, keeping an eye out for approaching guards. Upon seeing Snake's face, Jennifer's clear brown eyes glowed with joy. But now was not the time to grant her wish. Snake said to her. "I don't mean to disappoint you, but my first priority is to rescue the President. You'll just have to be patient until I get him to a safe place." Jennifer's shoulders sagged. "First, though. I need you to tell me
everything you know. If you understand me, nod your head." Jennifer nodded. Snake lifted his hand from her mouth.
"What's going on here?" "Well, when they tied me up and dumped me here on the floor, I thought I'd never get out alive. Then this guy came to rescue me. But he turned out To be a cold-blooded jerk, and now I'm really mad." Snake was at a loss for words. "I... that's not..." "Just kidding. You're looking for the President, right? He's already gone,"
said Jennifer, almost casually. She continued while enjoying Snake's puzzled look. "He escaped through the bottom of one of the struts. He should be on a boat back to Manhattan right about now. One of my fellow agents managed to sneak him out as we were being attacked." "Are you sure?" "Yes. Pretty good, aren't I?" Jennifer beamed with pride. "Too bad we got caught before we could see him off.... So, that's that. Maybe it's about time for you to save me." If the President had escaped safely, Saving the hostages was the new Mission. Snake nodded. "...OK. I've gotta take care of that guard first." As Snake rose, Jennifer stopped him. "That's not a good idea." "Why not?" "They supposedly set a bomb in here. They said they'd set if off if we tried to escape." Snake made a small grunt. This wasn't going to be that easy. "Do you know where is it planted?" "As far as I've been able to tell, it should be somewhere here in the Shell 1 Core." "All right. I'll get to that first." Just then, he overheard one of the terrorist guards talking to his comrades on the radio. It sounded like they were going to tighten the security in the hostage room. He'd have to get out fast. "The terrorists don't seem to have any intention of harming the hostages. For now, at least, sit tight and pretend to be captured for a little while longer." "Sure. I've got a Level 2 security card hidden in my jacket. Go ahead and take it." As Snake felt through the jacket for the Card, Jennifer lets out a squeal. "Hey, watch your hands, mister!
... that's it, just a little lower... there, there it is." As Snake retrieved the level 2 card, Jennifer looked into his eyes.
"Hurry back, okay?" "Don't worry, I will." Snake put the blindfold back around Jennifer's eyes, then made his way out
of the assembly hall.

Snake Leaves

Snake called Campbell by Codec and reported that the President had already escaped and that he'd neutralized the
bombs with the coolant spray. "Good Work," said Campbell. "Now it's time to take out Fatman. I don't think even you could get all those hostages out at once. You'll have to take care of the terrorists first." Snake nodded. He was worried about Jennifer and the others, but he had to agree with Campbell's assessment. "According to Ames, Fatman should be at the heliport." "That's on the roof of Strut E. Snake, head for the heliport and take out Fatman. Make sure he stays down for good this time." "Roger that, Colonel."

Fatman (With Hostage Rescue)

A huge shadow appeared from behind the crate -- Fatman. Ames had been right. Fatman turned to face Snake and
shouted: "WHERE IS THE PRESIDENT?!" "You'll never find him," answered Snake. "I don't believe you! You're lying!"
"You go ahead and believe what you want." Fatman thrust out his right hand to reveal a small object with a switch. "This is a remote triggering device for a bomb. Hand over the President or the hostages die." "It's no use, Fatman," Snake replied coolly. Fatman pushed the switch. Nothing Happened. He pushed it several more times. Still, nothing happened. "Do you believe me now?" asked Snake. Fatman tossed the switch aside and Stamped his feet in anger. "That bastard Ames! I pay him good money and he can't even manage to keep an eye on one old man! I never should have agreed to work with that amateur in the first place!" He turned back to face Snake, the color rising to his
cheeks. "Look like our little plan has failed. I'm getting out of here while the getting's good. But first I'll take care of
you!" Fatman's skates sprang into motion.

Fatman Defeated (With Hostage Rescue)

Fatman fell to the ground with a sickening thud. A pool of blood began to spread under his grotesque body. The
so-called "Emperor of Explosives" had finally met his match. Snake called Campbell by Codec and told him what had happened. Campbell reported that the President was safe in the custody of the Coast Guard. Moreover, the SEALs had entered the facility while Snake was fighting Fatman and were in the process of cleaning up the last remaining terrorists. Yet something about the whole situation seemed odd to Snake. "Fatman said that Ames was the one who had captured the President. I don't think he was lying. But if Ames was involved, then why did he ask for my help...?"
Suddenly, Snake heard a women's voice. It was Jennifer. The SEALs had rescued her, she said. The other hostages were safe as well. But she was disappointed that Snake didn't come to rescue her personally. She asked him if he was happy now that the mission was over. "Yeah, but something's bothering me," Snake responded. "Something just... doesn't seem right." "What doesn't seem right?" "Fatman said that Ames was in league with the terrorists, But he -- " Jennifer's eyes widened. "That's impossible! Richard's the one who helped the President escape!" "What are you talking about?" Something didn't add up. Fatman seemed to be telling the truth. But it was also true that Ames had cooperated with Snake. Now Jennifer was saying that Ames had helped the President escape. Even if Fatman was lying and Jennifer was telling the truth, why would Ames neglect to mention that he'd already rescued the President? Snake pondered this riddle in silence. Jennifer seemed to take offense at this."I don't know what you're thinking, but I can assure you that Richard is one of our finest agents. There's no way he could be working with the terrorists." "And why's that?" "Because he lost his sister in a terrorist bombing attack. Three years ago..." A chill ran down Snake's spine. The words came together in a rush. Three years ago... terrorist bombing... sister... church... Fatman. Snake suddenly recalled Ames' strange behavior. The way he spat as he said that Fatman had been acquitted. His passionate conviction that the jury did not bring justice to Fatman. The look in his eyes as he gave Snake his gun and said,"Promise me you'll kill him..." The pieces were all falling into place now. Fatman had killed Ames' sister and gotten off scot-free. Ames promised revenge. He plotted his revenge. He approached the extremist group and proposed kidnapping the President. He hired Fatman to help carry out the job. He led the terrorists. He helped the President escape, but didn't bother to contact the authorities. Finally, he called and asked for Solid Snake, the notorious terrorist-killer, to intervene personally. Big Shell was the execution ground. The President was the bait
used to lure Fatman to his doom. And Snake himself was the executioner"Where is Ames?! Have you seen him?!"
Jennifer looked startled by Snake's sudden change in attitude. "No. He's probably still hiding somewhere. He's actually pretty timid, you know. But I'm sure he'll come out once he hears that the terrorists have all been captured."
Snake knew Ames wasn't coming out. Later, they conducted a search for Ames, but there was no trace of him anywhere in the country, let alone Big Shell. He was gone.

The End...