Part 19: Episode XIV: Exposition Elephant

Control Office (Metal Gear Ac!d)


"Not so fast. First, tell me about Metal Gear."
"I thought you were going to help me!"
"Talk first."
"My 'rescue' is more a 'gather info if still alive' and less of a straight extraction. Sorry, kid."
"Well, that's just great."
"I can always leave you here. Are you going to give me answers?"
"All right, all right. Ask away, will you?"
"Where is Metal Gear, first of all?"
"In the maintenance base, to the north of the 1st- floor northwest exit of this barrack."
"What is with these bases and building everything in a line north...?"
"...What?"
"Nothing."
"Ok - first-floor northwest exit of this building, then north. Metal Gear's operational?"


"The assembly's done; that's why I got locked up. They're probably adjusting the power net now."
"It's really nuclear-capable?"
"No, they just named it 'Metal Gear' cuz it's catchy for investors..."
"....."
"Spoiler alert: I'm not being serious."
"So it...can...launch nukes...?"
"Yep. The South American trip was supposed to be for practical exercises. Brought real nuclear warheads along."
"That's crazy. How could you be permitted to take a nuke out of the country?"
"Parker, the Army Chief of Staff, is a big fan of the project."
"The Army's top brass."
"Yeah. So we got all the funding we wanted, and the project moved pretty quickly."
"Lucky break, really. Some jerks over in DARPA proposed outsourcing the development to some third party weapon developers earlier. But that project got scrapped when the lead developers draft included a function to make the Metal Gear roar like a dinosaur."
"Roar...like a dinosaur...?"
"Pfft. Yeah. Loser. Got tossed out and the Army stepped in right afterwards. And of course I got drafted to help and things have been perfect since then. Naturally."


"What were they planning to do with Metal Gear?"
"'Project Babel.'"
"What is it?"
"It's some project of Parker's. That's what Metal Gear's supposed to be for."
"What is it?"
"I don't know the details. They wouldn't tell me. Not like I care; I just want to be where I can make the best use of my talents."
"You make weapons of war that can kill millions of people. Look what's happening right now..."
"That's to do with people who use them, not with me, not with Metal Gear itself."
"Wanna play the blame game and say I'm soooo terrible? Then you'd just be going against the stegosaurus or whatever giant robot in a couple years instead. So cram it. Not like I built it for being used by these douches."
"But..."
"I don't care what anyone says; Metal Gear is a masterpiece, the product of every technical genius I possess. Nobody can build anything so -"

Everything goes black and the sound of something powering down echoes through the room...


Cavern Evasion (MGS: The Twin Snakes)


"Power failure - this could be bad..."
"Why?"
"They're going to go nuclear with Metal Gear."
"What?!"
"Metal Gear can launch warheads with a rail gun. But the rail gun has an enormous power consumption -"
"- so they're charging the thing up with all the power they can get."
"Yeah."
"That or someone stuck too many extension cords into an outlet and blew a fuse. This place looks like its architect was a five year old with Legos and its electrician was dropped on his head as a baby a few dozen times."
"How long till full charge?"
"About 30 minutes."
"30 minutes to a nuclear strike....!"

Snake busts out his Codec...


"Snake? The power plant just went into overdrive. What the hell...."
"No time to talk. I found the Metal Gear researcher. I'd like you to take over his protection."
"OK. But what about you, Snake?"
"I'm going after Metal Gear."
"Metal Gear? What's going on?"
"There's no time. I'm counting on you."
"But..."
"Giant robot. Nukes! Power drain! BAD!"

Snake hangs up on Chris...


"...north of this barrack, right?"
"Yeah, but....Wait a sec, what about me?"
"You stay here."
"Hey, weren't you supposed to get me out?!"
"What happens if a guard comes? How am I supposed to explain the blown up wall? Bomberman was in the area?!"
"Your new Delta Force bodyguard will be along shortly. You'll like her."
"What am I supposed to do alone until then?"
"What are you, a kid?"
"Okay, okay. Man, you really need to work on your people skills."
"People skills mean nothing on the battlefield."
"Neat. So how many times have you been shot?"
"Not often..."
"I see. So when everyone ignores you 'on the battlefield' cuz you've been a huge douchebag, maybe you'll rethink that stance..."
"...I'm leaving now. Don't do anything in the dark that you'd regret having a lady see..."


And so Snake runs off to begin backtracking through the previous level, but in the dark. Yippee...