Part 17: Episode XIII: Prisoner Peacock

Zanzibar Breeze (Metal Gear 2)


Right then. Time to infiltrate the fabled eastern part of the first floor of the barracks. An area accessible only via conveyor belts and past a pitch black laser maze. I wonder what kind of hazard pay Gindran soldiers get. By the way, you can take off those goggles, Snake. They do nothing here.


So, it's pretty much a linear path from the stairs to where James Harks is being held. For some reason the Kool-Aid man is also being imprisoned in the area. Weird.


The cardboard box helps a lot in this area since it actual blends in and guards won't say boo unless Snake moves. But there are only two or three guys in the area so no biggie. Now, about that prisoner...




"...But you sure do."
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"...Nevermind."
"Get me out of here? Or do you want me to yell for the guard?

Snake walks up to the cell bars...


"Yeah. They're like complete losers. At first, I got to do whatever I wanted, then once Metal Gear neared completion, I got thrown into this dump..."
"Buncha newbs. Didn't even give me any internet access. I'm wasted in here. Idiots."
"...You're James Harks?"
You can call me Jimmy - if you're gonna get me out of here."
"They let a kid lead the Metal Gear development..."
"Oh yeah? I may be half your age, but I'm twice as smart as you, buddy."
"I'm not that old."
"Really? You look it, man."
"Don't smoke, kid."
"Don't worry. Already said I'm twice as smart as you."
"How'd you like to be twice as left in that cell?"
"Who're you anyway?"
"Does it matter? I'm the guy sent to get you and destroy Metal Gear, and that's all you need to know."
"Whatever, Lone Ranger. You with the U.S. military?"
"I'm not with any military."
"What, then?"
"Just a misfit."
"What the hell kind of answer is that? Ah. Who cares, as long as you get me out. Come on, I'm sick of this place."
"There's no way past these bars. Any other way into this room?"
"No, but..."
"But what?"
"I tapped on the walls and the east one sounds different. It may be thinner than the other ones."
"The east wall, huh. OK, I'll get a hold of some explosives and try blowing through it."
"Well if you got explosives why don't you just like blow up the bars here? They've gotta be less resistant then a wall."
"East wall, got it."
"....."


So we now need to acquire some C4 in order to bust into Jimmy the Goon's cell. C4 to blow up week walls. Where have I heard that one before...?


Thankfully, some C4 is being stored in a guard's bedroom just down the hall. Unfortunately, the wall we actually need to blow up is not over here.




Instead we need to backtrack across the area we just covered, back upstairs, and through the laser maze one more time and then down through the conveyor belt to the south.






Remember the break room where we got the thermal goggles?


Well, we're supposed to go back there. Given there's no real reference in geometry as to where the conveyor belts are heading and no map to speak of when we get there...good luck realizing this is the right room. Tapping on the wall to the left does indeed sound different than every other one. But that is the only tip we get as to this being the correct stop.




Anyway, it's just a matter of planting a bomb by that wall and blowing it open. Hopefully Jimmy wasn't leaning his girth against it while it was exploding. If so... Eh... No big loss, from what I've seen.

On a related note, blowing up C4 in an area with enemies will automatically cause an Alert status. But the end of mission tallies are only for Snake actually being spotted. Spooking the shit out of sentries and making them hit the alarm doesn't count.

Snake enters the new entrance to the cell...


*waddles over* "Are you really as great as you say you are?"


Oh, for FUCK SAKE! Did you not see the conveyor belt maze, game?! DID YOU NOT FUCKING SEE IT?!?!

*****

Alternate Jimmy Harks Meeting


Infiltration (MGS2)


So, it turns out there is actually an alternate meeting with James Harks if Snake decides to just take the initiative in blowing up the wall leading to him before actually meeting the guy first. No idea why he would do this. But here we are...

Snake blows open a random break room wall and stumbles through the smoldering ruins into the next room...


"W-who the hell are you?!"
"Who're you?"
"You crashed in through the wall and you're asking ME who I am?! What's up with that!?"
"The Kool-Aid man start working out or something?!"
"Not from where I'm standing..."
"You a hostage?"
"Didn't your parents tell you to listen when other people are talking?"
"My parents are dead. Are you a prisoner?"
"You've got an awful lot of questions for a guy busting through random walls, Bruce."
"My name's not Bruce."
"...It was a joke. Ya know... Parents are dead. Bruce Wayne...?"
"..."
"Batman...?"
"Not ringing any bells."
"...You've never heard of Batman...?"
"I'm not big on sports. My place is the battlefield."
"...Oh...kay..."
"You're not one of the soldiers here, are you?"
"I'm looking for a man called James Harks. The one who developed Metal Gear."

The portly fellow backs up slightly...

"....."
"You know him?"
"...Maybe."
"Where is he?"
"What're you going to do when you find this guy?"
"Rescue him."
"Why?"
"Because that's my mission."
"Are you from the U.S. military?"
"I'm not with any military."
"What, then?"
"Just a misfit."
"Whatever that means... Of course, I admit that you don't exactly look like an officer and a gentleman..."
"What I want to hear is Harks' whereabouts, not your candid opinion. You know it or not?"
"You know, you're very egocentric. You must not have many friends."
"Friends mean nothing on the battlefield."
"Cool story, bro."
"How about it?"
"Okay, I know where he is."
"Where?"
"Right in front of you. I'm James Harks. You can call me Jimmy, if you're gonna get me out of here."
"They let a kid lead the Metal Gear development..."
"Oh yeah? I may be half your age, but my brain's twice the quality of yours."
"I'm not that old."
"Really? You look it, man."
"...Coming from a kid with the body of a forty year old."
"Oh. Fat jokes. Really taxing those rusting gears, huh?"
"Who're you anyway?"
"That doesn't matter. I'm the guy sent to rescue you and destroy Metal Gear, and that's all you need to know.
*walks toward Snake* "Whatever, Lone Ranger. I mean, who cares, as long as you get me out. Come on, I'm sick of this place."


And so the level ends like before.