          **********************METAL GEAR SOLID**********************

            *****************PLOT SUMMARY & ANALYSIS*****************

BY GRANT MORRISSEY

Contents

1. Introduction, Legal mumbo-jumbo, Update History & Disclaimer
2. 'Metal Gear' 
     (i) Plot Summary
3. 'Metal Gear 2- Solid Snake' 
     (i) Plot Summary
4. 'Metal Gear Solid' 
    (i) 'Briefing'
    (ii) 'Shadow Moses Island'
    (iii) 'The End of the Run'  
    (iv) 'Legend'
    (v) 'Epilogue' 
    (vi) Conclusions
    (vii) Observations 
    (viii) Unanswered Questions
    (ix) 'Different Endings'
          *. Meryl
          *. Why?	  
    (x) Somewhat Frequently Asked Questions
5. 'Metal Gear Solid 2- Son's of Liberty' 
     (i) What we Know
     (ii) What I guess. 
6.  Conclusion and Contact Details.

                     ----========  1  ========----

          INTRODUCTION, LEGAL MUMBO-JUMBO & UPDATE HISTORY
    
		When I started summarising MGS I had no idea what I was 
getting myself into. When I started summarising it in November, 2000 I 
was thinking it would take a fortnight...one month at the most. Its only 
after roughly 5 months work that I've realised what a bugger it was. 
When I had finished up to Snakes battle with Psyco Mantis I *knew* why 
the plot had never been completely summarised before- its WAY to big and 
comprehensive. I intially thought that I could simply summarise the demo 
theatre- but the characters spoke way to quickly. So I ended up running 
the PSX through my VCR and recording the demo theatre. Once it had been 
recorded I was following the general cycle of watching for 15 seconds, 
pausing, writting down in point form what was said, and repeating the 
process. Watch, pause, write. Watch, pause, write. Watch, pause, write. 
Watch, pause, write. Watch, pause, write. Watch, pause, write......

	The main motivation for me to do this was my annoyance at the 
complete LACK of ANY comprehensive summary of Metal Gear Solid on the 
internet (to my knowledge) I also wanted to get some writting 
experience...and have something to do on Friday and Saturday nights 
beside's sit on the computer.

 	This document is copyright 2001 by me, Grant Alan Morrissey. No 
part of this document may be reproduced in any way, shape or form, 
without my expressed permission. And so on. Tresspasers will be 
prosecuted, motorcycle riding prohibited, employees must wash their 
hands. 
 	
	Seriously though- I put ALOT of work into this thing Ladies and 
Gentlemen! I want to be acknowledged for it if anyone should decide to 
use it (Not prior to recieving my permission, naturally) 

	All recognizable concepts from the Metal Gear series are copyright 
Konami, and their usage in this document does not constitute a challenge 
to that copyright (heh yeah- like I would) That last sentence was cut-&-
pasted from Thomas Wilde's Resident Evil FAQ (With the RE Stuff replaced 
by Metal Gear stuff) I still meant what I said Konami! Please don't sue 
me!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATES
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

June 1st, 2001 - 'Different Endings' section is UP! Both the endings are 
summarised including a rationale on why I chose my selected ending over 
the other.

May 17th, 2001 - Thanks to alert readers I recified some of my FAQ's and 
Unanswered Questions (as well as added a few more). Once again general 
odd's & ends added to this work.

April 27th, 2001 - Since the document got posted at Gamefaqs (to my 
immense surprise) I went crazy. The introduction and conclusion has been 
totally re-written. Some completely new sections have been added to the 
Metal Gear Solid section and I've added a disclaimer to the document as 
well. Some grammar and spelling errors were fixed in the summary of MGS 
as well as a few odd's-and-ends. The document has been posted online as 
well (See 'CONCLUSION')

April 25th, 2001 - Document posted at Gamefaqs for first time.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

***********************************************************************

                      WARNING DANGER CAUTION ETC

THIS DOCUMENT, LIKE ALL THE OTHER PLOT AFFILIATED DOCUMENTS ON THE 
INTERNET, DEALS WITH IN GAME REVELATIONS AND INFORMATION THAT WE KNOW. 

WE CAN CONJECTURE HEAPS OF THINGS FROM THE METAL GEAR SERIES, AND ITS 
VERY TEMPTING. BUT FOR THE MOMENT I INTEND TO HAVE THIS DOCUMENT DEAL 
STRICTLY WITH THE EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AND THAT WE'VE SEEN. I'AM 
NOT INTERESTED IN "THEORIES" ON WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED.

IN ADDITION, THIS IS THE ONE AND ONLY DOCUMENT THAT DEALS STRICTLY WITH 
PLOT ASPECTS OF THE METAL GEAR SOLID SERIES. IF YOUR DUMB ENOUGH TO ASK 
ME SOMETHING TO DO WITH GAMEPLAY- I WILL NOT RESPOND. ALL OF THE METAL 
GEAR SOLID DOCUMENTS ON THE INTERNET, MINUS THIS ONE, HAVE SOMETHING TO 
DO WITH GAMEPLAY

AND PERHAPS THE BIGGEST WARNING- THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS SPOILERS. IF YOU 
HAVEN'T PLAYED THE GAMES YET, I 100% GUARANTEE THAT THIS DOCUMENT WILL 
*RUIN* THE GAME FOR YOU AND *DESTROY* ANY PLEASURE YOU CAN GET OUT OF 
IT. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

METAL GEAR SOLID 2 IS DUE FOR A LATE 2001 RELEASE. IF ANYONE DECIDES TO 
DO ME A "FAVOR" AND "SURPRISE" ME WITH A COMPLETE SUMMARY OF THE GAME- I 
WILL NOT READ IT. THAT MEANS *IT WILL NOT GET POSTED* AND THAT MEANS 
***YOU WASTED YOUR TIME*** MGS2 WILL BE PLAYED AND ENJOYED BY ME BEFORE 
ANY COVERAGE ON IT IS DONE HERE- I DON'T PLAN ON HAVING THE GAME SPOILT 
FOR ME BEFORE I PLAY IT!!!

 And now...on with the show!!! (cliche #7361) 

***********************************************************************


                     ----========  2  ========----

                           ***METAL GEAR*** 

      (AS TAKEN FROM 'METAL GEAR SOLID - PREVIOUS OPERATIONS')

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PLOT SUMMARY
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

	The Year is 1995. Deep in South Africa, 200km north of Garzburg, 
Outer Heaven- an armed fortress nation, established by the legendary 
mercenary. He was feared in combat by both his friends and foes as a 
hero and a lunatic. The "Western" nations have found that a weapon  of 
mas destruction capable of rewritting war history is under development 
at Outer Heaven. They have called upon the high-tech special forces unit 
FOX-HOUND to take care of the situation. In response to this order, Big 
Boss, the commander-in-chief of FOX-HOUND, sent Gray Fox, the man with 
the code name "Fox" which is given to the best member of the unit 
"Operation intrude N313"
	
	After a few days, his last messafe being "Metal Gear..." Gray Fox 
was missing in action. Taking the situation seriously, the top men of 
the "West" again called for FOX-HOUND. Big Boss selected Solid Snake, 
who had recently joined FOX-HOUND, as the agent and entrusted everything 
to him.

	Successfully making a solo infiltration to Outer Heaven, Snake got 
in touch with local resistance members Schneider, Diane and Jennifer. 
With their co-operation, Snake suceeded in rescueing Gray Fox. Gray Fox 
laid out the terrifying facts about "Metal Gear" Metal Gear was the 
development name of a nuclear warhead-equiped twi-legged walking tank. 
It can walk through over the toughtest terrains that would stop normal 
tanks. It can conduct local warfare by itself with unique weapons like 
its vulcan-cannon and anti-tank missiles. It was indeed a new type of 
weapon that can conduct a nuclear attack against any place on the face 
of the Earth from any l and surface...
	With Metal Gear, Outer Heaven was trying to establish its military 
superiority over the entire world. In order to destroy Metal Gear, Snake 
rescued Metal Gear's chief engineer Dr. Pettrovich and his daughter, 
Elen, who was taken hostage to force her father to continue with his 
development. Snake hears from Dr. Pettrovich how to destroy Metal Gear.

 However, as Snake approached the heart of Outer Heaven and Metal Gear, 
well designed traps are set all around Snake- as if his actions are 
being leaked to the enemy...
	In the midst of the escalating battle, the leader of the 
resistance, Schneider, fell into the hands of the enemy, and Snake 
himself was injured through the deadly battles with Outer Heaven's best 
mercenaries. But Snakes indomitable spirit lead him to the 100th floor 
basement of the secret base where Metal Gear was developed. Evading the 
powerful defense system that wipes out all intruders, Snake ultimately 
succeeded in destroying Metal Gear.

	Snake tried to escape from Outer Heaven upon completing the 
mission. However, during the escape he was comfronted by one man- FOX-
HOUND's commander-in-chief Big Boss. Big Boss laughed at the astounded 
Snake and told him the truth behind his mission. While serving as 
commander-in-chief of FOX-HOUND Big Boss also ran a mercenary dispatch 
company utilizing his connections and capitals from his own years as a 
merc. He was planning on to build this company a larger military 
establishment, and he built Outer Heaven as its base. His purpose for 
sending the rookie Snake was to cause information confusion amongst the 
west. However, Big Boss miscalculated. He never thought Solid Snake 
would make it this far...

	Having lost Metal Gear, Big Boss activated the self-destruct 
system of the underground base. While the countdown to destruction 
continued, his screamed echoed in the emptiness 
	"YOU HAVE GONE TO FAR. TOO FAR!!!"
		
	On the 100th floor basement, the battle between the 2 men 
commenced- free of idealogy and politics. The armed fortress nation 
Outer Heaven collapsed. The impenetrabe fortress made from the best 
military technology and occupied by the toughest mercenaries burned in 
flames. Behind him, the flames reached skyward, as Outer Heaven fell 
leaving Solid Snake all alone...

                      ----========  3  ========----

                     ***METAL GEAR 2: SOLID SNAKE*** 

        (AS TAKEN FROM 'METAL GEAR SOLID - PREVIOUS OPERATIONS')

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PLOT SUMMARY
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

	1999, the world was facing an energy crisis. It was obvious that 
the petroleum would run out faster than what was expected. However, the 
development of an alternative energy resource is far from completion. 
The price of petroleum has skyrocketed and the world economy in 
confusion. The 21st century was expected to be one of chaos. One mans 
invention changed the entire situation. A Czech genius and biologist, 
Dr. Kio Marv, invented OILIX, a microorganism that refines petroleum to 
product a highly purified form of petroleum. The world was filled with 
hope upon the discovery of this messiah to solve the energy crisis, but 
at the same time the world entered a time of tension regarding this new 
algae.

	Just when the whole worlds attention was drawn to OILIX and Dr. 
Marv, he was abducted by someone and disapeared. Nations begun 
investigations immediatly and a name soon appeared...'Zanzibar Land'...
	Zanzibar Land was a democratic military regime that suddently 
appeared in central Asia in 1997. When their uprising took place, the 
CIS Army, formed around Russia, sent in a suppressive unit immediatly. 
Zanzibar Land resisted by gathering a band of Mercenaries from nations 
around the world and fortifying most of its land. As a result, the CIS 
Army was repeatedly defeated, and Zanzibar Land declared its 
independence. Due to the active role mercenaries played, this war was 
called the 'mercenaries war' and Zanzibar Land was referred to as an 
armed fortress nation. A military nation with a group of strong 
mercenaries, surrounded by a tough fortress.
	
	According to the latest information, Zanzibar suppoedly was armed 
with Nuclear Weapons. The whole scenario was crystal clear. By obtaining 
OILIX in addition to nuclear weapons, Zanzibar Land was trying to 
establishits economoic and military superiority over the entire world. 
Concerned about the situation, the United States of America ordered Roy 
Campbell, Commander-in-Chief of high tech special forces unit FOX-HOUND, 
to rescue Dr. Marv. Campbell was a former member of FOX-HOUND. He 
brought back Solid Snake, the man who single handedly brought down the 
armed fortress nation of Outer Heaven 4 years ago, and asked Snake to 
bring back Dr. Marv and OILIX.

	Successfully infiltrating Zanzibar Land and with help from CIA 
angent Horry and others, Snake was able to go deep into the fortress and 
meet again with Dr. Pettrovich, the chief engineer of Metal Gear from 
Outer Heaven. He too was abducted to Zanzibar Land and forced to develop 
another Metal Gear. He told to surprised Snake an even more shocking 
fact. Big Boss, the man Snake had defeated at Outer Heaven, turned out 
to be the General Commander of Zanzibar Land.

	Snake rescued Dr. Pettrovich in co-operation with Natasha, Dr. 
Marv's guard and former Czech International Secret Police agent, and 
then headed for the confinement facility deep in the fortress to save 
Dr. Marv. When Pettrovich and Natasha crossed the narrow suspension 
bridge over the deep valley, a missile blew the bridge away. Natasha 
flew into the air because of the explosion. While unable to do anything 
to save Natasha, Snake started hearing a well-known voice "Hey Snake, we 
are good buddies. I can let you go. Just leave this place at once!" Gray 
Fox. Snake saw Gray Fox controlling Metal Gear. The best soldier in FOX-
HOUND who, after the fall of Outer Heaven, disapeared as if he followed 
Big Boss. Losing Natasha infront of his eyes and letting Pettrovich get 
taken away, Snake screamed "Fox! I will not give up!"

	After a series of deadly battles with mercenaries, Snake finally 
made it to Dr. Marv's confinement facility. However, he arrived to late. 
He saww Dr. Marv's corpse and Pettrovich, who could do nothing but just 
stand there. Pettrovich told Snake that Dr. Marv could not withstand the 
repeated tortures because of heart problems. Snake then recieved an 
emergency call from Horry. The information she supplied was very 
shocking. Pettrovich had been voluntarily visiting Zanzibar Land to 
develop Metal Gear. The abduction of Dr. Marv was conducted under the 
the directions of Pettrovich himself. After the truth came out, 
Pettrovich attacked Snake, but Snake easily put an end to him and 
obtained the structual plan of OILIX.

	While trying to escape, Snake was confronted by Metal Gear again, 
controlled by Gray Fox. The tremendous battle took place in the 
underground base. Snake finally succeeded in destroying Metal Gear. 
However, Gray Fox did not submit and challened Snake to the final 
battle. In the midst of a minefield, Snake and Fox fought without any 
weapons. A fist-to-fist duel involving no hatred or murderous intent. 
During that moment of purity the 2 were bound by forces transcending 
words and emotions. Snake won the tough but pure battle against Gray 
Fox. However, there was still someone else. Snake had to fight Big Boss. 
Just like 4 years ago at Outer Heaven Big Boss was waiting for Snake. 
	"One who has experienced the tension of battle can never leave the 
battlefield. I'am the one giving you something to live for, and that is 
war" Snake was infuriated at the arrogant Big Boss "There is only one 
battle I have to fight. To free myself from you, to shatter the 
nightmare...Big Boss, I will kill you!"

	With the structual plan of Oilix, Snake and Horry escaped from 
Zanzibar Land on a rescue helicopter. Snake once again saved the world. 
However, there was no smile on his face. Big Boss's last words kept 
ringing in his head "Whoever wins, out battle does not end. There loser 
is freed from the battlefield, the winner must remain there and the 
survivor must live his life as the warrior until he dies" Snake then 
disapeared into the whitelands of Alaska...alone...

                     ----========  4  ========----

                         ***METAL GEAR SOLID***

----------------------------------------------------------------------
(I) BRIEFING
----------------------------------------------------------------------
	The year is 2010. In the remote area of Alaska, located in the 
Bering Sea, is the Fox-Arcipelago. In that chain of Island's there 
exist's Shadow Moses island- the location of a top-secret nuclear 
warhead storeage facility. During an exercise on the Island involving 
ARMSTECH Inc. (Once the 2nd largest arms manufacturer in the world and 
primarily involved in the development of SDI and Rail guns) and DARPA 
(The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency. A government department 
involved in researching technology for implementation into military 
systems and weapons), Next-Generation Special Forces, lead by members of 
FOX-HOUND, invade the island and capture it. There, they make the 
(somewhat puzzling) demands- they want the remains of Big Boss. They 
state that if these demands are not met- they will launch a nuclear 
weapon within 24 hours.

	Understanding the seriousness of the situation, the secretary of 
defense, Jim Houseman, call's upon retired FOX-HOUND commander Roy 
Campbell to deal with the situation. In turn, Campbell call's upon the 
services of Solid Snake (now a dog musher in an isolated part of Alaska) 
Understanding Snake would not simply hear him out, armed soldiers are 
sent out to bring Snake in for a briefing. Within 5 hours of the 
terrorists taking over the island,  Snake has been stripped and is 
sitting down, alone, in an isolation chamber.

	Campbell comes in, he is quick and to the point, they are in an 
extremely serious situation and only Snake can get them out of it. 
Campbell introduces Snake to Dr. Naomi Hunter, FOX-HOUND's chief medical 
officer, and she gives him a quick injection. Campbell then briefs him 
on his 2 mission objects- he is to rescue DARPA chief Donald Anderson & 
ARMSTECH President Kenneth Baker and he is to, most importantly, access 
whether or not the terrorists have the ability to launch a nuclear 
weapon.
	
	Snake is quick to point out that he hasn't even agreed to the 
mission- Campbell wants to know whether living in Alaska is all that 
great. All he is is a dog musher. He then elaborates on the site- the 
disposal facility is a hardened underground base. For Snake to 
infiltrate the base, Air insertion is impossible. Snake must go in 
through the water- a submarine will go within a few miles of the island, 
but then will have to launch a SDV (Swimmer Delivery Vehicle. The sub 
must stay away from the island because it may be picked up on Sonar) 
Campbell also informs Snake that, unfortunatly, weapon and equipment is 
OSP (On Site Procurement. He cannot take anything with him)

	Campbell explains that the President is in supervisory control of 
the operation. But the Secretary of Defense is in operational control. A 
COG will not be issued until it can be determined, by Snake, whether or 
not the terrorists can launch a Nuclear Weapon. The National Security 
Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency will be working with them as 
well- but Snake is not interested in "desk jockeys" Campbells agree's 
and briefs him on Natasha Romaneko- she will act as an advisor on the 
nuclear weapons present on the island.

	Snake is curious- why is Campbell in on the mission? He replies 
that he knows FOX-HOUND. Snake doesn't believe him- he wants to know the 
real reason. Campbell apologises and admits its because his niece is 
being held hostage. The day of the revolt several soldiers didn't show 
up. Meryl was called in as a replacement. She is Campbell's little-
brothers daughter (he died in the Gulf War and Campbell was charged with 
looking after her) At this point Snake agree's to do the mission, on 2 
conditions. The first one being that no secrets are kept from him. He 
wants to know everything at all times. The second condition being that 
he will only accept orders from the Colonel and no-one else.

	Snake ask's Campbell about the injection Naomi gave him. Campbell 
gets Naomi to answer it- she knows the soldiers in FOX-HOUND better than 
anyone else. She explains that the injection was a combination of 
nanomachines and anti-freezing peptites. They will stop his blood from 
freezing (even at sub-artic temperatures) Many nanomachines are working 
in the bloodstream to replace adreniline, sugar and nutrition (Snake 
will not have to worry about food) Neotropics are present (these will 
improve mental functioning) and benzadrine as well (responsible for 
keeping him awake and alert for 12 hours) In addition, the nanomachines 
will also keep the CODEC batteries going.

	Snake wants to know why ARMSTECH and DARPA were present on the 
island. Were they there for a new weapon? Campbell explains he is not 
available to access that kind of information. Snake wants to know if 
they can launch- Campbell says that they have given a warhead serial 
number (seemingly the one they intend to use) and that it has been 
confirmed. However, the PAL (Permissive Action Link) system is present 
to prevent a launch- but the DARPA chief knows how to stop it...

	Campbell explains that the Next Generation Special Forces aren't 
just "grunts" They are heavily armed and their 6 leaders are hardened 
veterans. The terrorists are demanding cell specimins from a body 
(specifically, the individuals genomic information) the terrorists 
apparently *need* this information. The Next Gen Special forces were 
involved in the human genome project and, henceforth, have been 
strengthened through gene therapy. The military have indentified the 
genes that make effective soldiers and can put these into regular 
soldiers to make them better.

	Following the fall of Zanzibar, as is explained the Snake, Big 
Boss's body, though badly burned, was recovered. It was possible to 
restore his DNA profile from a single strand of hair. So far more than 
60 soldier genes have been identified and these are transplanted into 
soldiers. Superior soldiers aren't just trained- hereditary factors are 
just as crucial. The Next Gen Special Forces are mainly mercs from Outer 
Heaven- the U.S. government bought out their contracts. They were merged 
with Force 21 and have no real battle experience (they are "video game 
players" as pointed out by Snake) All of the Next Gen Special Forces 
conspired in the attack. The whole unit went through the same gene 
therapy and feel closer than brothers (Henceforth the title "The Son's 
of Big Boss") They see the unit as their only family. Campbell explains 
that there was no signs they were interested in partaking in an 
uprising- they were all evaluated through random, psycological testing 
as patriotic and upstanding soldiers. They all had IQ's over 180 and 
even, at strange intervals, partook in their own gene therapy 
experiments.

	Snake is then briefed on the worst part of the mission - the FOX-
HOUND members who are the leaders of the terrorists. Snake is briefed on 
them Psyco Mantis (who is the worlds most powerful tactioner of reading 
minds and moving objects with his own mind), Vulcan Raven (A giant and 
shayman) Sniper Wolf (who can stay in the same position, looking through 
a rifle scope, for days or even weeks) Decoy Octopus (Master of 
disguise) Revolver Ocelot (Gun fighting and interrogation specialist) 
and the leader of the terrorists...Liquid Snake...

	Snake is shocked- someone with the same code-name? Snake has his 
"brother" explained to him.  Following being the Youngest SAS soldier to 
be employed in the Gulf War, and penetraring Western Iraq for the Secret 
Intelligence Service, Liquid Snake was captured and not heard from for 
several years. He was rescued and joined FOX-HOUND after Solid Snake 
retired to Alaska. Snake is greatly concerned and nervous about the 
mission, and this is not helped when he is shown a picture of 
Liquid...with a face exactly the same as him. Just as Snake is leaving 
the room, preparing to prep for the mission, as an afterthought, he 
ask's to borrow Naomi scissors. He begins to snip his hair- he doesn't 
want to be mistaken for the terrorist's leader...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(II) SHADOW MOSES ISLAND
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

	Solid Snake arrives in the lower Dock of Shadow Moses island via 
the SDV and surfaces in scuba gear just in time to overhear Liquid Snake 
warn genome soldiers that "he" will be through the area they are 
patrolling (referring to Solid Snake) before Liquid makes his way up in 
the freight elevator.  Snake makes his way through the guards and waits 
for the elevator to return, then uses it to go to the surface. He hides 
behind a storage block & contact's Campbell VIA CODEC who alerts him as 
to how to go about infiltrating the main hangar of the complex where 
Metal Gear is stored further on. At that point a Russian Hind-D gunship 
(piloted by Liquid) takes off to intercept F-16 fighters sent as a 
diversionary operation to allow Snake to infiltrate the base. There is 
18 hours left till the deadline is reached. 
  
  	Snake goes through the base and sneaks into the DARPA chiefs 
(Donald Andersons) cell through the venting system. There he confirms 
the worst possibility- the terrorists can, indeed, launch a nuclear 
weapon. When Snake queries that the island complex is a Nuclear weapon's 
storage facility, so the terrorist's shouldn't be able to launch a 
weapon, Anderson reveals that Shadow Moses Island is, infact, the site 
where a new weapon is in development that will change the world with its 
ability to launch a nuke from anywhere on the globe. The weapon is a new 
version of Metal Gear known as Metal Gear Rex. The original 2 weapons 
didn't lead to the project being scrapped. It was actually the opposite 
- it led to a huge joint venture between ARMSTECH and DARPA.
  	
  	With the terrorists able to use Metal Gear to launch a nuke Snake 
ask's if there is a way of stopping a launch. He is told that there is 
the PAL safety system- 2 passwords are required to override the safety 
mechanisms. Donald Anderson had one and Kenneth Baker had the other. 
Psyco Mantis, however, discovered Anderson's one with his mind probing 
abilities. However, Anderson also informs Snake of a safety mechanism 
that can be employed to override even the passwords. Apparently Kenneth 
Baker had the 3 keys required to do this and was being held in the lower 
basement. After informing Snake as to the means to find him Snake tells 
Anderson his intentions to get him out of the cell and, ultimately, the 
compound. With that Anderson begins to press Snake for details as to 
whether the Pentagon will give into the terrorist's demands and whether 
there are any other safety measures for Metal Gear. Snake insists, in 
his usual nature, he doesn't know anything. With that the DARPA chief 
begins to convulse violently, falls to the ground and dies. Snake 
crouches at his side to confirm his condition and contacts Naomi and 
Campbell VIA CODEC where both parties conclude their belief that it was 
a heart attack that killed Anderson.

 	Snakes rises from the DARPA chief's side and hears the muffled 
sounds of a struggle in the next cell. Within a few moments his cell has 
unlocked. Leaving it Snake has a gun pointed at his head by the "guard" 
on duty. When Snake  looks at the guard he can tell from the shaking gun 
pointing at him that she is "green" and plays on her inexperience by 
taunting her. When things between them reach the tensest stage enemy 
guards swarm the cell. Snake fights back immediately. The female guard 
just stands there unable to say a word. While shooting the soldiers 
Snake shouts at the female soldier "What are you doing? Shoot! Don't be 
afraid!" As if woken up, she immediately begins shooting the guards 
storming the cell with her FA-MAS and soon the threat has been 
eliminated. She walks to the door of the cell block and sarcastically 
thanks him for his help. She begins jogging to the elevator. Just as 
Snake begins persueing- she turns around and shoots blindly into the 
area Snake was running through, he dodges the bullets and she escapes 
through the elevator. Snake looks to where she was...and hallucinates a 
man with a gas mask on floating at the elevators. The mysterious figure 
implies he had been controlling her at that point and disappears. Snake 
contacts Naomi to ask her about it and she informs him that it was most 
likely "psychometric interference coming from Psyco Mantis.." (As in, 
the brainwaves and thoughts of Psyco Mantis became un-controlled and 
found their way into Snake's mind)

 	Snake takes the elevator downstairs into the armory of the 
compound and uses C4 explosive to gain access to a secret area where the 
ARMSTECH president is being kept prisoner. When he arrives in the large 
room- he see's the president tied to a large central pillar. Upon closer 
inspection it is revealed the pillar is booby trapped with wires that 
would set off C4 explosive connected amongst the central column. At that 
point a gun shot is fired at Snakes feet...which he instinctively jumps 
back from...and he comes face-to-face with Revolver Ocelot- Fox Hounds 
torture and weapon's specialist. After a tense standoff Snake battles 
Ocelot and drives him to bay. When Ocelot hides behind a pillar to 
reload "...but I'm only gettin' warmed up" a quick, mysterious figure, 
with a metallic exoskeleton and a long samarai sword,  jumps out of 
nowhere and cuts off his right hand (with its gun still in it) as well 
as cutting Kenneth Baker down from his trap. Ocelot retreats and Snake 
confronts the figure demanding to know who it is- someone like Snake, it 
says, "without a name..." it then shakes uncontrollably and retreats. 
Kenneth Baker seemed to have identified the figure as he was still 
regaining himself after being cut down. Helping the ARMSTECH President 
to his feet, Snake sits him down against a wall and questions him about 
metal gear.
 
	Baker, to, gave the terrorist's his password. Psyco Mantis didn't 
succeed because of surgical implants inside the ARMSTECH President's 
brain that protected him from psycic probes. However, Revolver Ocelot 
used physical torture to get Baker to talk and, in the process, broke 
his arm. Baker is surprised and angry to hear the Anderson gave his 
password due to the mental probes of Psyco Mantis- because he received 
the same surgical implants as Baker. He is also angry when he hears that 
Anderson died of a heart attack- saying its impossible and is led to 
believe that Snake came to the island to "shut them up"  Calming him 
down, Snake ask's Baker about the 3 card keys he apparently has in his 
possession and Baker says that he gave them to a young female soldier 
who refused to take place in the rebellion and was incarcerated. Baker 
also says he was in contact with the soldier VIA the stolen guards CODEC 
and tells him he could contact her by finding her number "on the back of 
the CD case"
 Baker also tells Snake there may be one person who could find out a way 
to stop Metal Gear. Its chief engineer, Hal Emmerich, might know a way 
to stop or even destroy the weapon.
 
	Baker elaborates on the history of Metal Gear. With the end of the 
nuclear age at the turn of the century it would be thought it would mean 
the end of the arms race- not so. Infact, the threat of nuclear war is 
greater than ever he says. With nuclear waste storage buildings filled 
to capacity uses for the material's had to be found. Greater pounds of 
MUF (Material Unaccounted For) are being reported every year and Russian 
nuclear engineer's had nowhere to turn, except terrorism, to find 
employment in their fields. This proves the existence of a well-
maintained black-market for nuclear weapons. Since pretty much any 
nation could afford to have a nuclear weapon's program- a new launch 
system of overwhelming power was required.
   ARMSTECH suffered badly due to cut back's in the military and their 
failure to produce the next line of fighter jets. The construction of 
Metal Gear was the company's last hope. However, the construction of 
Metal Gear was financed confidentially by the Pentagon so mainstream-
Government exposure to the project was unlikely. This means that the 
capabilities of Metal Gear are not restricted by "bureaucrats and hard 
liberals" But where that didn't work- bribes were used.
  
 	The exercise on Shadow Moses island was to test Metal Gears 
capabilities with a dummy warhead- after that the Metal Gear program was 
to be formally adopted. Baker gives Snake the sole remaining copy of 
metal gears test data- the main hard drive was destroyed by gunfire. The 
terrorist's also don't know of the existence of the disk.
 Snake ask's Baker about the mysterious Ninja that cut off Ocelot's 
hand- since Baker seemed to have identified him. As Baker is explaining 
the cyborg to be "fox hounds dirty little secret" and experimental 
genome soldier he begins to convulse like the DARPA chief...in the 
process talking to himself about how the Pentagon "actually went and did 
it!" His last words, before he succumbs to a heart attack are "Their 
just using you to...."
 Speaking to Campbell and Naomi via CODEC both parties agree that Baker 
died from what appeared to be a heart attack just like Anderson. Snake 
ask's Naomi about the Ninja and she stresses that no-one like it is in 
FOX-HOUND.
 
	Snake contact's Meryl and gets her to open the door of the hangar 
which will take him to the Nuclear Warhead Storage Building. She informs 
Snake that the island is owned and operated by a dummy corporation of 
ARMSTECH (It is a civilian base) Meryl also confirms to Snake her 
inexperience and her naive views on what she believed she had to become 
a soldier. Snake convince's Meryl to settle down for awhile and ask's 
her to meet him in the Nuclear Warhead Storage Building. Snake goes 
through the hangar door but while going across the field on the other 
side of it he receives a CODEC call from an unknown person called 
'Deepthroat' who warns him that a tank is behind a blast door on the 
otherside of the snowfield waiting to ambush him. Sure enough, when 
Snake moves on a blast is fired at him (which he just manages to dodge) 
and the tank roll's out from behind the blast door. The man controlling 
the tank is Vulcan Raven. Snake confuses the Tanks electronic's systems 
with chaff grenades and manages to kill the gunner of the tank (a genome 
soldier) to destroy the it. Solid Snake uses a card key stolen from the 
body to access the Nuclear Warhead Storage Building. Vulcan Raven, 
inside the tank wreckage, communicates with Liquid Snake and Revolver 
Ocelot (he actually names the latter "General Ivan" in this instance- a 
reference to "Ivan the Terrible" A Russian historical figure) He warn's 
the 2 not to underestimate Solid Snake- he is a worthy adversary. 

	Making his way through the storage building Snake comes to the 
computer labs on floor B2...and stumbles upon a metallic hallway filled 
with corpses of genome soldiers...they appeared to have been cut with a 
blade. Then a barely-alive soldier stumbles around the corner saying it 
was a ghost...just as another soldier is impaled on the blade of a 
Katana sword...by a molgy, barely seeable figure...who walks into the 
computer labs. Snake follows and see's it confronting a quivering, 
terrified scientist- so scared he soil's his pants. The Ninja makes it 
clear to Snake that he has not taken sides (is not there to help Snake 
or work against him- he is "from a world" where such terms are 
meaningless) But, however, seeks battle with Snake. With that the 
scientist runs into a storage closet and the ninja and Snake begin a 
tense hand-to-hand combat duel (The Ninja believes that it is foolish to 
use weapons- "hand-to-hand is the basis of all combat") 

 	By the end of it the cyborg Ninja's suit is malfunctioning and 
electric field's are stabbing out from all over his body. When the ninja 
is finally defeated it begins to suffer the same effects as the DARPA 
chief and ARMSTECH President. But instead of dying...it retreats. Snake 
realizes who the Ninja is and contact's Campbell via CODEC- the Ninja is 
Grey Fox. His old war Buddy from Zanzibar and Outer Heaven- believed 
dead. Naomi admits that he should've died but didn't. The body of a 
soldier from Zanzibar was used by Naomi's predecessor Dr. Clark into 
gene-therapy experiments. For 4 years he was drugged, and fitted with a 
prototype exoskeleton, purely for experimental purposes. The records say 
that the "ninja" died in a explosion, along with Dr. Clark, 2 years ago. 
Naomi ask's if Snake will kill the Ninja- he says he would prefer 
not...but that might be what he want's...

 	Snake walk's over to the closet where the scientist hid. After 
convincing him to emerge he confirm's the scientist's identity as Metal 
Gears Chief Engineer Hal Emmerich. When Snake ask's him about Metal Gear 
Emmerich explain's that its a mobile TMD (Theatre Missile Defense) to be 
used for defensive purposes. Angry, Snake grab's him by the collar and 
aggresively tell's him the terrorist's intention to use Metal Gear as a 
launch system for a nuclear warhead and Emmerich is shocked to find they 
plan to put a warhead in a TMD launcher. He convinces Snake he didn't 
know what Metal Gear was really used for by the fact that the armament 
of Rex was built a different department- supervised personally by 
President Baker who also supervised the assembly of the final unit. 
Because he wasn't involved with the armament directly Emmerich doesn't 
know what Rex is truly capable of and only know's it is armed with a 
rail gun (which uses magnets to fire projectiles at extremely high 
velocities), a laser and vulcan cannon.

  	According to Emmerich, Metal Gear has a launcher on its back for 8 
missiles. Snake questions this saying that if it just used standard 
warhead's then all the test data should have been collected before the 
exercise on Shadow Moses Island and Otacon realises Metal Gear's co-
developer Rivermore National Labs was working on a new technology that, 
up until that point, had only been tested in virtual environments. The 
test on Shadow Moses Island was for the new technology. Emmerich 
realizes the mistake he made in being so naive in the construction of 
Metal Gear and begins to blame himself (This is made all the more worse 
through his families connection to nuclear weapons- his Grandfather 
worked on the Manhattan project and his father was born on August 6th 
1945- the day of the Hiroshima bombing)

 	Snake gets Emmerich to pull himself together and ask's him about 
Rex's location, which Emmerich explains is in a underground maintenance 
base north of the Island. Emmerich also say's that since they haven't 
sent for him for a few hours they must be ready to launch. Snake tell's 
him to go and hide and contact's Meryl to get her to look after him, but 
before she can answer she is spotted by guards and communication with 
her is abruptly cut off. Emmerich explains that if he want's to find her 
he has to look in the only place where she will be by herself. Snake 
ask's where that is and Emmerich tell's him not to be so dense. Emmerich 
also tell's Snake to take his keycard so he can progress further through 
the base and as he is handing it to him Snake begins to worry about 
whether he will suffer the same affect's as the DARPA Chief and ARMSTECH 
President. Emmerich gets all defensive with Snake's sudden, caring 
change of character and is seemingly fine. He also tell's Snake to call 
him 'Otacon' (Which stands for Otacu Convention-  a person who likes 
Japan Animation or 'anime') Otacon originally got into science to make 
robot's like the ones in the cartoons. Otacon tell's Snake his CODEC 
frequency and then goes off- with the ability to hide easily because he 
has a stealth unit the same as the ninjas.

	Snake leaves the labs and makes his way upstairs- he spot's Meryl 
entering the female bathroom and follows her. Inside she sneaks up on 
him (again) and he confirms her identity with a few sexist comments. She 
talk's to Snake about her Uncle and himself and the glory days of FOX-
HOUND- they were real heroes and there was no such thing as gene-
therapy, they didn't need it.  Snake detests what she says saying that 
the only heroes he knows are dead or in prison. There are no heroes in 
war. All Snake believes is he is a man that is good at killing- nothing 
more. He has no ambition, no ultimate goal. He establishes himself as a 
cold individual who feels his best and most alive when his taking other 
lives. Meryl is shocked, to say the least, at this revelation of his 
character.

 	Changing the subject Snake informs Meryl of no progress being made 
in the negotiations & how, essentially, its all up to Snake. They find 
they have 2 options- initiate the safety system or destroy metal gear 
itself. However, to use the safety system, they need the 3 card keys- 
Meryl has the first one but the location of the other 2 is a mystery. 
Meryl works to try and convince Snake to let her go with him- she knows 
the base better than him and can act as a navigator. Snake is 
apprehensive knowing that Campbell would want Meryl to be safe & that 
she would slow Snake down as well. He allows her after she simply says 
he can shoot her if she does. 
 
 	Meryl walks over the mirror and looks at herself- talking about 
how she believed in following her fathers footsteps by becoming a 
soldier (She thought she could understand him better by following that 
course in her life)   She had never used make-up or been like other 
girls- she had had her heart set on the military her whole life. It had 
been her driving force. By being through the experiences on Shadow Moses 
island she came to realize something- up until that point she had never 
TRULY looked at herself. She had never made her own dicisions. She had 
always viewed herself as someone who had to follow. She cries, feeling 
the emotion of what she just realized.  Snake, in a disciplined and 
confident manner, gets her to bring herself together. This is a war- 
there is no losing. They will die if they do. Realizing the importance 
of their actions Meryl brings herself together & tell's him that they 
have to take the commander's room in order to get to where Metal Gear is 
being stored- the overland route is blocked by glaciers. They leave the 
bathroom and find all of the guards have left- and as they make their 
way to the commanders room Meryl begins acting weird...

 	When they get inside Meryl points her gun at Snake and, as if 
possessed, stumbles towards him coldly yet seductively muttering sexual 
phrases to him. Just when she is less than 2 feet from him a man in 
tight leather and a gas mask flashes behind her, floating. Psyco Mantis. 
The worlds best tactitioner of physical movement with the mind and 
controlling of others minds with his own. Realizing Meryl is under his 
mental control and will shoot him if he doesn't act, Snake knocks her 
out. 
 	After a few quick taunt's Mantis makes his appearance again and 
begins fighting with Snake. He dodges his attacks as if he knew they 
were coming. In a fierce yet extraordinarily difficult hand-to-hand 
combat duel Snake manages to outsmart Mantis (thanks to Campbell's help) 
and defeats him.

	Snake walk's over to Mantis- lying defeated on the ground. 
Realizing he will die soon he tell's Snake he will look into his future. 
He then uses an out-of-body experience to explain to Snake the way to 
get to where Metal Gear is being stored- through a secret door behind a 
bookcase. Asking Mantis why he is helping him Mantis explains that he 
has read thousands and thousands of minds & how each one contained the 
same selfish and disgusting desire- to reproduce. To pass on their DNA. 
Everyone was focused on the future. Mantis helped Snake because he is 
different- he has no future, no past- he lives in the moment. Mantis 
holds onto the belief that they aren't meant to bring each other 
happiness- from the moment we enter the world we are here to bring each 
other nothing but pain & misery (this is based on his awful experiences 
as a child- his mother died giving childbirth to him. When he looked 
into his fathers mind he saw nothing but hate & disgust for Mantis. This 
analysis of someone else's mind and the hidden elements within it waked 
up Mantis's own subconscious and made him kill his father. The power 
that was released from him during that episode wiped out his whole home 
town- of 1000 people- and horribly scarred his face making him lose his 
eye's and nose) 

 	Mantis somehow "bonds" with Snake because he understands they both 
have buried past's and they don't enjoy looking back on them. He 
explains why he became involved in the siege of the island- he didn't 
believe in Liquid Snake's ideals. He just wanted to kill as many people 
as he could. Meryl is disgusted and nearly hit's Mantis but Snake gets 
her to stop- Mantis doesn't have much time left. This prompt's Mantis to 
look into Meryl's mind- he find's Snake hold's a large place there. 
Nearly dead Mantis makes a last request- to have his mask put back on. 
With it other people's thoughts force their way into his mind and he is 
in his own "world" His last act is to move the bookcase blocking the 
doorway with his telekinetic power's- he admits its the first time he 
used his powers to help someone and it feels "kinda nice" He then dies.

  	Rising from his side Snake makes his way to the secret door 
prompting Meryl to follow. She stay's where she is, uncertain of herself 
after Mantis manipulated her the way he did. Snake disciplines her 
telling her never to doubt herself- just learn something from it and let 
it make her stronger. Meryl agree's and begins to ask Snake something, 
about what Mantis said, but Snake gets defensive and impatient. 
Reconsidering her questions & considering its a bad idea to ask, she 
ask's him different questions about his personal life- which only 
results in indirect and emotionless answer's that reveal he was raised 
by many people and is, essentially, a loner. Meryl expresses her 
sympathies and pity at his lonely, sad persona and Snake leaves the room 
through the secret doorway. Meryl follows.

 	Traveling through wolf-dog cavern's the 2 of them come to the 
communication's towers. A large, wide pathway lead's to the entrance. 
Just as they begin to make their way to the cavern's a laser-sight is 
pointed at Meryl. Snake yell's at her to get down, but he is to late, 
Meryl is shot in the left thigh. Falling to her knee's she is shot again 
in the right thigh. Now on the ground she reaches for her pistol which 
she dropped- and is shot again in the arm. Realizing the seriousness of 
her mistake Meryl tells Snake to leave her and run. Or, furthermore, 
shoot her so he can go on with his mission. He tell's her to save her 
strength. In the pain of the gunshot wound's Meryl realizes the mistakes 
and the untutoredness of her feelings of being a soldier. However, she 
selflessly call's Snake to run off and never forget her. To never give 
up on people. Campbell contact's Snake and inform's him that the sniper 
is trying to lure him out so that he can pick him off. Naomi add's that 
the sniper is most likely Sniper Wolf- FOX-HOUND's best shooter. 
Campbell begins to tell Snake how to go about saving Meryl- but Snake 
can tell he is getting alarmed and panicked. Snake reassures him that he 
will save Meryl- but Naomi scrutinizes him. Saying that his gene's are 
that of a soldier- not a savior. Snake barks back that he works on 
instinct (not on his genes) and that he will save her- he doesn't need 
an excuse.

 	Backtracking to the armory Snake aquires a PSG-1 sniping rifle and 
heads back to where Meryl was shot- but she has dissapeared. However, 
Snake can't investigate and must deal with Sniper Wolf. He uses his 
sniper-rifle against wolf and defeat's her. He makes his way towards 
where she retreated to look for clues as to where Meryl went-  but at 
the door to the base of the communications tower he is surrounded by 
soldiers and is confronted by Wolf. After she affectionately toy's with 
him he is knocked out and dragged off. He awakes to bright, circular 
lights lying down on a metallic bed with his arms and legs shackled by 
modern locks. He has been striped of his equipment and is lying down 
half-naked. He overhears a man telling others not to kill him- he want's 
no more accidents like the DARPA chief. Then the man begins to talk to 
Snake- unaware he is awake. Snake "stole" what was rightfully his- his 
birthright. He always knew he would meet Snake and finally they do- the 
brother of light, and the brother of dark. Liquid Snake. Liquid agrees 
to have some of his DNA taken while he is still alive- and use it to 
correct the gnome soldiers mutatons but not to "cure" them. Apparently 
Big Boss's DNA is required for that. With that Ocelot realizes Snake is 
awake and tilt's the bed from 180 degree's to a full 90- parallel with 
Liquid Snake. Solid comes face-to-face with Liquid for the first time. 
The first revelation made to Snake by Liquid is that they are the last 
surviving son's of Big Boss. He also realizes that 8 hours have past 
since the start of the mission- there are 10 hours until the deadline is 
reached. Oblivious to Snake's presence the FOX-HOUND parties in the 
room- Ocelot, Liquid & Wolf discuss the Ninja. It has killed twelve men- 
how did it learn of the incident? Ocelot conjectures that there must be 
a spy amongst them...

	Liquid receives a call from Vulcan Raven and must go to deal with 
more negotiations- he order's Ocelot not to screw up with Solid Snake 
like he did with "the chief". He also observes the seriousness of their 
current situation- Mantis is dead. They also have to find out what 
killed "Baker and Octopus"...he then leaves with Ocelot's correction 
that its an interrogation about to be conducted on Snake- not a torture. 
Ocelot asks Sniper Wolf, who was quietly hanging off in the background, 
if she want's to stay. She declines- citing she has to feed her wolves. 
She leaves and Ocelot & Snake are left alone. Snake asks Ocelot about 
the new technology on Metal Gear- Ocelot suggests Snake contact's 
Campbell for the full story. He asks Snake about the optical disk that 
Baker would have given him- Snake doesn't answer. Instead, he asks if 
Meryl is OK. Ocelot say's she is- but they are about to play a game. 
When the pain becomes to much for Snake he can submit and it will 
end...but if he does he will kill Meryl.
 
 	Snake resist's Ocelot's torture with Meryl's life at stake. He is 
taken to a cell in order to regain his strength. Inside he finds the 
DARPA's chief's corpse- drained of blood, apparently dead for days. 
Campbell contact's Snake and tell's him that the government won't give 
into the terrorist's demands. Snake gets annoyed- telling him to stop 
playing dumb. He tell's him to talk about the new kind of warhead for 
metal gear. He asks why Campbell can't "tell the grunts" & how deep the 
cover-up goes. Campbell admits that up until the previous day the 
President had not been briefed on the Rex project. The President could 
not be informed of the Rex project because the next day himself and his 
Russian counterpart are due to sign the Strategic Nuclear Missile 
Reduction Treaty-3 (START) Campbell explains that that is the reason for 
the terrorist's deadline- although START-2 hadn't even been ratified or 
the issue's of TMD's dealt with. If the deadline for the attack went 
public, when START-3 was due to be signed, it could compromise the 
Presidents reputation & America's place as a dominant world superpower. 
Campbell pleads with Snake to stop the terrorist's insisting he is the 
only one who can. The government simply can't give into their demands 
(The President had been vocal in  his opposition to eugenics' 
experiments- so the genome armies simply can't go public) Campbell then 
tells Snake not to worry about the safety keys- his priority now is to 
destroy Metal Gear itself.

	Once again Snake is taken into Ocelot's chamber and "interrogated" 
However, this time he simply can't last out against the pain he is 
enduring. He submits to Ocelot's torture. Snake is dragged back to his 
cell. Campbell contact's Snake, and he is overcome with feelings of 
doubt when telling Campbell that he gave into the torture. He couldn't 
save Meryl- how can he save the world? Snake gave in...he sacrificed her 
life to save his own. Campbell reassures Snake she knew the risks- she 
was a soldier. Naomi also reminds Snake he has a mission to do, he has 
to stop blaming himself. After a long pause Snake asks Naomi to talk 
about herself to get his mind of the pain from the extreme-electric 
shock's his body sustained, as well as the guilt he feels. She say's 
that it isn't a happy topic for herself. Snake tries to compel her to 
talk by telling her the story of the man who once claimed he was his 
father- Big Boss. She is even more shocked to find that Snake killed Big 
Boss knowing that. Asking how he could, Snake emotionlessly replies that 
he just needed killing, Big Boss wanted it. Snake also explains that 
that action was the hidden trauma that Mantis was talking about before 
he died- the one they share in common. Naomi explains that she never had 
any family at all- only a big brother that put her through school- he 
was much older and they weren't even blood related. Naomi ask's, as did 
Meryl, if there is a woman in Snakes life. He say's he feels like he can 
trust no-one after all his war experiences. Naomi then ask's if Snake 
has any friends- he without hesitation replies 'Roy Campbell' (who is 
surprised to hear that after all the lies he has told him) and one other 
man who taught Snake alot- Frank Jaeger. Gray Fox. Naomi is very shocked 
by this revelation- she is aware of their final battle. Snake counter's 
that they were just professional's on opposite sides- it was nothing 
personal. Jaeger showed him that ropes while Snake was still 'green' 
However, they didn't know each other well (Snake believed it was like an 
unwritten law not to talk about personal lives) Snake asks Naomi why she 
got into genetics' which she explains was because she wanted to analyze 
her fate- she never knew her parents and she she could analyze where she 
came from. 

 	Snake fool's a guard, who caught a cold off Meryl and went to the 
bathroom, into coming into his cell. He kill's him and escapes. He makes 
his way through the facility back to where Meryl was shot. He run's past 
the blood-soaked ground but then turns around and walk's back to the 
spot where she was shot. He remembers her final word's to him & her 
willingness to sacrifice herself in order to help Snake complete his 
mission.

 	"I was a fool. I wanted to be a soldier. But war is ugly, there's 
nothing glamorous about it. Snake...please...save yourself. Go on living 
and don't give up on people. Don't forget me"

 	Snake receives a CODEC call from Campbell who reassure's Snake 
that he knows he did all he could. He say's Meryl was a soldier and was 
prepared for that. She joined up of her own free will. But Snake say's 
his wrong- she felt she had to become a soldier to better understand her 
father. He also say's that Meryl was never prepared for real combat. 
Snake's old mentor, FOX-HOUND survival instructor Master Miller, then 
interrupt's their conversation. He tell's Snake he can have regret's- 
its only natural. But he can't let it interfere with his mission. Mei 
Ling, Snake's communications support person, back's him up. Then Naomi 
join's in adding that Meryl must be special to Snake. Snake moves around 
a direct answer (yet again) and in doing so reminds Campbell of a 
personal joke about Naomi's Grandfather. Apparently he rose as high as 
Assistant Director of the FBI during Edgar Hoover's time. Naomi add's 
that he was Japanese. However, Master Miller is skeptical, and presses 
Naomi for details. She answer's in a UN-confident manner the questions 
then abruptly wishes Snake good luck and disconnects.

	Snake makes his way up a massive communications tower- which he 
must pass in order to make it to the Metal Gear storage hangar. But when 
he reaches the top the large communications dish is blown up- as well as 
the bridge connecting the 2 rooftops. Then Liquid Snake appears in the 
Hind D gunship. He taunt's Snake with the helicopter's loudspeaker and 
Snake makes the only escape possible- by abseiling down the side of the 
building. He succeed's and arrives at the mid-section platform 
connecting the 2 tower's. He takes the bridge across
to Tower B and rises through the tower. However, near the top, he comes 
across Otacon. Otacon ask's Snake if he ever loved someone. Snake is 
confused- did he come all that way just to ask him that? But Otacon 
rephrases asking if love can bloom even on the battlefield. Snake says 
it can, he believes it can bloom anywhere, anytime. But if you love 
someone, he believes, you have to be able to protect them. Snake asks 
Otacon to fix the elevator in Tower B so he can access the bottom of the 
Tower. Otacon says he'll take care of it. Meanwhile Snake has to swat 
down a possersome fly...

 	Reaching the roof of Tower B Liquid surprises Snake by appearing 
suddenly in the Hind. He shines his spotlight on Solid Snake and bid's 
farewell to his "brother" Solid demands to know why his calling him 
that- Liquid say's he is Solid. He is his shadow. "Why don't you ask 
your father? I'll send you to hell to meet him!!!"  Snake uses a newly 
acquired Stinger missile launcher to shoot down the Hind. After many 
hit's the chopter finally crashes- Snake bidding him farewell in his 
usual fashion. Making his way to the base of the tower B Snake is sniped 
in the snowfield. He call's Otacon who confirms it is Sniper Wolf who is 
shooting at him. However, Otacon sounds happy. When questioned Otacon 
pleads with Snake not to kill her. He claims she's a good person. Snake, 
of course, disagrees with him trying to make him see she's a merciless 
killer. However, Wolf interrupts the CODEC conversation. She taunt's 
Snake and order's Otacon not to get in their way. In a silent yet deadly 
battle across the expansive snowfield Wolf is murdered by Snake. 
Believing her to be dead he makes his way to the warehouse where Metal 
Gear is being stored, however, on the way he see's a lone figure lying 
down in the ground.

	Lying down and coughing up blood Sniper Wolf is nearly dead. She 
say's she waited for the moment all her life. She is a sniper- all she 
does is wait. Wolf, with her last strength, urges Snake to kill her. She 
can't be saved- Snake has to put her out of her misery. Wolf explains 
that she was a Kurd- she always dreamt of dying in a peaceful place like 
the snowfield. She was born on the battlefield- gunshots and screams her 
everyday sounds. Hunted like dogs- that was her whole life. Everyday she 
would wake up and find a new family member or friend of her's dead. The 
government's of the world turned a blind eye to her suffering. Then one 
day he appeared- her savior. Her hero- Big Boss. She was taught to see 
war as a Sniper- through the len's of a rifle scope as an observer. She 
joined the terrorist's to take her revenge on the world. She believed 
now that she had shamed her people in the name of vengeance. She sold 
her body and her soul.

 	Snake assures her of herself. People like Snake (mercenaries) are 
called "The Dogs of War" and he agree's with the reasoning behind it. 
They are up for sale to the highest bidder. But Wolf is different- 
untamed & solitary. She's not a dog- she's a wolf.  Snake asks Wolf why 
she spared Meryl's life- Wolf says she was never her target & she 
doesn't kill for sport. Wolf call's Snake "hero" and ask's him to set 
her free. Just as Snake is standing above her, his SOCOM pointed at her, 
Otacon arrives. She beacon's to her rifle, which she dropped on the 
ground, and Otacon brings it over. The gun is a part of her- it must be 
with her when she dies. Now that she believes everyone is there she 
ask's, with her last ounce of strength, for Snake to put her out of her 
misery. Otacon turns his back and block's his ear's muttering goodbye to 
her. Snake shoots her in the head- the sound of the gunshot echoing 
throughout the snowfield. Snake then places her handkerchief, which he 
acquired earlier, on top of her head covering the bullet wound. Otacon 
ask's why he is returning it- to which Snake simply replies he has no 
more tears to shed. This distresses Otacon greatly. Snake reinforces 
that they're out of time- he has to act. He tell's Otacon to get away 
from the island. Get a new start on his life. But Otacon say's he want's 
to help him. Snake tell's him to hide and stay in touch. But just as 
Snake is walking off and nearly out of sight, the snow covering him up, 
Otacon yell's to him- what are the terrorist's fighting for? What is 
Otacon & Snake fighting for? What was Wolf fighting for? Snake yell's 
back that if they make it through the incident he will tell him.

	Snake makes his way past through the entrance to the underground 
base & the blast furnace of the facility. But as he is catching a large 
freight elevator down the bottom of the base he receives a CODEC call 
from Master Miller. Before anything he ask's Snake to make sure the 
conversation is secure. Snake ensures it is which prompt's Miller to say 
he was in the FBI and, because of that, has found many error's in 
Naomi's story about her Grandfather. He says it was all a big lie. Snake 
is disbelieving and Miller add's to his story that Naomi might be a spy. 
He informs Snake of the exact error's in Naomi's story about her 
grandfather- which are well founded. Miller observes that with the 
mysterious deaths of the ARMSTECH President & the DARPA Chief and the 
mysterious Ninja- to many strange things are happening. Snake suggests 
that she might be behind it- Miller say's either that or she is with the 
terrorist's.

	Snake makes way off the elevator and gets into the underground 
storage warehouse. On top of the massive crates of the room a dark, 
massive figure begins to lurk- with a large ammo back on his back and 
20mm Cannon in his arms. Vulcan Raven. He begins to taunt Snake & 
mentally paralyses him then control's a bird to place the "mark of 
death" on his cheek. Vulcan begins to elaborate on Snake's history- 
stating that Eastern blood flow's through his vein's and his ancestor's 
were raised on the plains of Mongolia. Apparently the Japanese & him are 
cousin's. Vulcan comment's that although Snakes & Vulcan's are not the 
best of friends, nethertheless it will be a glorious battle. This causes 
Snake to try and reason with Vulcan- it isn't glorious, its just plain 
killing. Violence isn't a sport. Alas, it is to no avail.

	The deadly battle between Snake & Vulcan Raven ravages on for 
several minutes. Snake hides himself amongst the boxes while Raven 
shoot's overwhelmingly with his cannon. However, Snake comes out the 
victor. Raven, his strength depleted, brace's himself against a wall for 
support. He begin's to reinforce "the boss's" idea that his existence in 
the world is no longer needed. His body, as well as his spirit, shall 
leave so that he may return to mother Earth and become one with the 
ravens. Vulcan scream's out Snake's name & declares he will be watching 
him. Then, like Mantis, he assist's Snake by giving him a security 
clearance card. He explains that he is helping him because Snake is not 
one that was created by nature. Him & Liquid are from a different world 
that he does not wish to know about. Before dying Vulcan say's he will 
give Snake a clue, when he saw the DARPA Chief die in front of him, it 
wasn't the DARPA chief at all. It was Decoy Octopus. He was able to 
deceive Snake, but he couldn't deceive the angel of death. Snake is 
confused- why did he impersonate the chief? Why go to all the trouble? 
Vulcan simply states he must solve the rest of the riddle himself. At 
that point the Vulcan's that surrounded Raven in the warehouse begin to 
converge on Raven eating at his flesh. As he is slowly pecked away,  and 
Snake turn's his back on him and begins to walk off, Raven haunt's Snake 
with  his belief that there is always an end to slaughter in the natural 
world. Snake is different- his path is littered with the corpses of the 
people he has killed. They will haunt him forever and he will never have 
any peace. The next time Snake turns around Raven's body is gone and 
there is only the remnants of his large machine gun.

	Miller contact's Snake about Naomi. Before the monitor can be 
switched off Campbell interrupts and ask's what it is about Naomi. 
Miller reluctantly let's him  in on their speculation about Naomi. 
Miller reveal's that Dr. Naomi Hunter is not Dr. Naomi Hunter at all. 
There was once a Naomi Hunter- that disappeared in the middle east. 
Campbell ask's who she is- Miller reluctantly suggests she's a spy to 
him. Master speculates she may have been sent to sabotage the operation. 
Campbell also suggests she might have been part of the uprising. Master 
goes further to suggest she might be part of a different group 
altogether. Master say's she must be arrested.  When Campbell say's 
their in big trouble if she is with the terrorist's- Master angrily 
ask's Campbell if it has anything else to do with the deaths of the 
DARPA Chief & ARMSTECH President. Campbell doesn't know. In any case, 
Master say's, Naomi can't be allowed to participate any further in the 
operation. But Campbell say's the mission can't be completed without 
her, this confirms something to Snake, he is hiding something. Campbell 
tell's Snake to give him sometime, when he is questioned about this.

	Filled with feelings of doubt Snake arrives in the massive hangar 
where Metal Gear is stored. However there are no guards there. Otacon 
call's Snake & Snake ask's him about this- Otacon speculates that they 
might be ready to launch. He also say's he hasn't found out about the 
PAL safety system- his found something just as good. He accessed the 
secret Metal Gear file and found the secret technology on Rex- the 
warhead is fired from the railgun like a projectile. The missile's won't 
use fuel so, henceforth, it isn't considered a missile. This means it 
can get around all kinds of international treaties. But the even more 
shocking fact is its a stealth weapon. Although work had been conducted 
on a stealth missile since the 70's they could only develop it now 
because the propulsion system would show up on radar. The warhead's are 
also surface piercing so they can reach into hardened bunkers. Otacon 
also say's that if word got out of Metal Gear it could delay START-3, 
possibly get the US denounced by the UN & even bring down the President. 
Snake ask's the colonel if he knew about the real capabilities- Campbell 
admits he did & doesn't make excuses. Otacon say's the result's of the 
exercise were better than what they expected- but he can't find the 
actual data. Snake say's he had it- but Ocelot took it (seemingly much 
to Campbell's dismay) Snake ask's for Otacon's opinion on whether they 
can launch or not- Otacon say's they can most probably. The dummy 
warhead's are designed to be identical to the real ones so they should 
launch fine. Otacon gets back to trying to find out how activate PAL by 
looking through Baker's files. 

 	Snake makes his way up and over metal gear arriving at the command 
room where he see's Liquid & Ocelot talking. He hides and overhears the 
pair talking. Liquid confirms that no response has been given from 
America and changes the prime target, at Ocelot's question, from 
Tuniton, Russia to Lochnaw, China. When Ocelot questions why the change 
Liquid states he wouldn't want to upset Ocelot & Galouchovich (its their 
homeland) but Ocelot is skeptical & Liquid say's its really because if 
they nuke a major population centre "the game is over" However, Lochnaw 
is a nuclear test site (it can still be covered up) If Lochnaw is 
attacked Washington will be worried about the retaliatory strike- which 
would mean top-secret talks between the 2 countries resulting in America 
having to divulge the existence of a new & advanced type of nuclear 
weapon. This would also mean a breach of the CBTB (Comprehensive Test 
Ban Treaty. A treaty reached by the UN at the Geneva conference 
abolishing all forms of Nuclear Testing) meaning America's reputation 
would be in ruins and several nations would flock to the terrorist's 
wanting to purchase Metal Gears information of them. Liquid is sure this 
plan will ensure the President gives into their demands. Ocelot 
reiterates their demands- Big Boss's DNA & 1 billion dollars. Liquid 
reveals that the money can be used to cure the genome soldiers. Liquid 
is also including something called the "Foxdie" vaccine as part of the 
deal..
  	Ocelot observes that Foxdie killed Decoy Octopus & the ARMSTECH 
President. It seems that it affect's older people first, according to 
Ocelot. He speculates that maybe it didn't affect Mantis because of his 
mask, and Liquid speculates it didn't affect Wolf because of all the 
tranquilizer's she continuously took. Maybe its due to the amount of 
adrenaline in the blood? Maybe because Foxdie is experimental?

 	Liquid changes the subject regarding their ally in the terrorist 
attack- Colonel Serge Galouchovich. He ask's if they have heard from 
him. Ocelot say's that Galouchovich still has doubt's over the 
capabilities of Metal Gear- they can talk after the test launch is 
successful- Liquid observes his very cautious nature. But Ocelot 
reassures him- Galouchovich wants Metal Gear so bad he can taste it. 
Ocelot say's that if Russian wants to regain its strength as a military 
superpower they need a weapon that can't be detected- they need metal 
gear. However, Liquid is irritated at Galouchovich's plans to use 
nuclear weapon's as a way to restore their superiority- his army is in 
shambles. Liquid feels Galouchovich is more worthy of the title of 
"politician" than "warrior" However, Ocelot defends him, revealing that 
Galouchovich was the one that gave them the Hind Russian Gunship and 
most of their heavy firepower. Liquid suggests that they join forces 
with Galouchovich- he has over 1000 soldier's under his control. A 
alliance is just what's required- since Mantis died the genome armies 
brainwashing has begun to wear off. An alliance could boose the morale 
of the soldiers. Ocelot say's they can still escape- but Liquid refuses. 
They are going to dig in. He reaffirms their position- they can launch a 
nuclear missile, to anywhere on the planet, that can't be detected. They 
also have spare warheads. Once they have Big Boss's DNA & the money- the 
world will be theres! Ocelot ask's about Galouchovich's position in all 
this- Liquid simply states he has no interest in the rebirth of "mother 
Russia"  Liquid is going to revive Big Boss's dream- he say's from that 
day forth call Shadow Moses Island "Outer Heaven"

	Ocelot spot's Solid Snake on the video monitor but continues 
talking with Liquid about the PAL safety system. They discuss how, since 
it is the only thing that can stop them launching, its the number one 
priority. However they conclude that Snake doesn't have it in his 
possession. Ocelot also ask's Liquid about "the girl" asking if he 
want's her killed. Liquid refuses- knowing that Solid Snake care's for 
her & that can be used to exploit a weakness in him. At that point Snake 
receives an CODEC call from Otacon. Snake learns that Otacon has 
accessed the top-secret files of Metal Gear. Otacon tell's Snake that if 
the PAL is used when the warhead is active, it deactivates it. And vice-
versa. When Snake questions that he only has one key Otacon surprisingly 
say's he already has all 3 keys. The one card, it seems, is made of a 
Shape Memory Alloy. It changes shape at different temperatures- all 
Snake has to do is use it at room temperature, cool it and use it & heat 
it up and use it. When Snake looks into the command room to see the 
terminals that Otacon directs him to use the cards in Ocelot see's his 
arm and shoots at him. This causes Snake to drop the card into a 
drainage ditch. Liquid spot's Snake when he runs after the card & 
taunt's him from behind bullet-proof glass. At that point a red alert 
goes off and Snake must fight his way past genome soldier's that Liquid 
has alerted. Snake makes his way back to the command room at a later 
time, when Ocelot & Liquid have left, and uses the key at room 
temperature. He then makes his way to the warehouse where he fought 
Vulcan Raven & cools the card there. 

	After he uses the cooled card & he makes his way to the blast 
furnace, the hottest place in the facility, Snake receives a CODEC call 
from Master Miller who, once again, ensures that the CODEC monitor is 
off. Miller states he has a good friend in the pentagon and used him to 
find out about a assassination weapon called Foxdie. Miller ask's Snake 
if he knows about it- but Snake can only say he heard Ocelot & Liquid 
mention it. Miller say's its a virus that targets & kill's specific 
people. He also can't bring himself to deny that fact that the manner it 
kill's people is to similar to the deaths of the DARPA Chief & ARMSTECH 
President. It mimic's a heartattack. Snake, also, can't believe that 
Naomi was behind it when he understands what Miller is trying to say 
when he ask's if she gave Snake any injections. But Snake know's she 
did- the nano machines that monitor his body temperature & condition. 
Miller speculates she was in the best position- however he doesn't know 
her motive. When Snake ask's Campbell whats new with Naomi, since he was 
going to ask him if he knew about Foxdie, Campbell say's he placed her 
under arrest because she was sending coded messages to the Alaskan base. 
Campbell is sure at this point that she is with the terrorist's. Miller 
supposes that since Naomi might be involved in the Foxdie incident the 
vaccine must be around somewhere. Snake shrug's it off saying he has 
more important things to worry about- but Miller worries that Snake 
might have been infected with Foxdie as well. All he can do, Snake says, 
is leave it up to the colonel.

	Snake makes his way to the blast furnace and heats up the card. On 
his way back to the command room, however, he receives a CODEC call from 
Naomi. Naomi explains that she's using a hidden CODEC. Snake ask's if 
what's was said about her was true- she admits it is...but not 
everything was a lie. She did get into genetics for a genuine reason. 
She didn't know her parents, she doesn't even know who she is- she 
bought her identification. She became involved in genetics because she 
wanted to know her age, race. Anything at all. In Rhodesia (what is now 
known as Zimbabwe) she was found sometime in the 80's- an Orphan. Due to 
the English owning the nation until 1965 there were many Indian 
laborer's around and she conjectures that is where she got her skin 
color from. But she isn't even sure about that. She becomes angry at 
Snake's suggestion that she worry about herself now- stop worrying about 
the past. No-one else has worried about her. Naomi say's she was 
alone...until she met her big brother...Frank Jaeger. Snake is shocked & 
amazed at this unexpected twist. Naomi explains that she was nearly dead 
from starvation- but Jaeger shared his rations with her. And Solid Snake 
was the man that took away her only family. Jaeger & Naomi survived 
together- he protected her. She was in Mozambique when Big Boss came. He 
brought them to America. However, Jaeger & Big Boss returned to Africa 
to continue to fight & thats when Snake destroyed her only source of 
support. 

	Naomi vowed revenge & joined FOX-HOUND. For 2 years she waited, 
knowing that being in FOX-HOUND was the best way of meeting Snake, and 
she became entangled in the current crisis. She also say's she will get 
Liquid & the others. When questioned by Snake Naomi admits she was 
partly wrong about him & doesn't hate him. Snake also ask's if she 
killed her predecessor, Dr. Clark. Naomi say's that Gray Fox did that- 
she helped cover it up to look like an accident & helped Gray Fox hide 
out. Snake ask's for her opinion on Fox- does he want to kill him? Naomi 
say's she didn't understand before- but now she thinks she does. Gray 
Fox believes in a final battle with Snake- thats all he lives for. Snake 
can't believe it. Snake begins to ask Naomi a question but she 
automatically finishes it off- about Foxdie. She explains its a retro 
virus that target's & kill's specific people by essentially carrying the 
virus along the bloodstream to the heart. There it connect's with the 
heart cell's & mimic's a heart attack. Snake ask's if it was programmed 
into him- Naomi can't bring herself to answer. He reassure's her that he 
doesn't blame her for wanting him dead- but he still has a job to do. 
Naomi then reveals a shocking fact...she wasn't the one that made the 
dicision to use Foxdie. It was injected into Snake as a part of the 
operation. Just as Naomi begins to tell Snake something else, something 
seemingly more important, communication is abruptly cut off. She is 
wrestled away from the CODEC & Campbell returns. He tell's Snake he 
can't let Naomi make any more unauthorized transmissions- she's not a 
part of the operation. Campbell ignores Snake's enraged accusations of 
double-crossing & demanding to know what Naomi said about Foxdie being a 
part of the operation. Instead he order's Snake to stop Metal Gear- that 
being the number one priority at the moment.

 	Filled with suspicion for Campbell Snake find's his way back to 
the command room of Metal Gear. After he enter's the 3rd PAL key the 
siren's in the room begin to activate acknowledging the acceptance of 
the 3rd key. But the computer voice announces that the detonation code 
has been activated! Angry & confused Snake gets a CODEC call from Master 
Miller- who thanks him. He say's nothing can stop Metal Gear now. He 
also apologizes for getting him involved in the Shape Memory Alloy 
business. Master explains that he couldn't learn the DARPA chief's 
detonation code & even Mantis couldn't read his mind. Then Ocelot killed 
him. Because of this they couldn't launch- and understandably "they" 
were getting pretty worried. Thats when they decided Snake might prove 
useful. They believed they could get the info from him- so Decoy Octopus 
was made to disguise as the DARPA Chief. Unfortunately Foxdie killed 
him. Solid angrily ask's if he had it planned from the beginning to get 
Snake to plant the detonation code- Master is shocked by his naivity. He 
feigns that he can't believe Snake believed he got it that far by 
himself. Once again Master ignore's Snake demand to know who he is- 
instead says that the launch preparations are complete. Once the world 
glimpses the power of the weapon they will have no choice but to hand 
over the Foxdie vaccine. Master observes that the Pentagon's 'Ace-in-
the-hole' is useless now. Their plan to use Snake was successful- in the 
torture room. Master is sarcastically amazed, Snake is the only one that 
doesn't know, he pities him. Snake once again demands to know who he is 
talking to- Master's say's he will answer all when he finds him. His 
very close by. Campbell then interject's- the man Snake has been talking 
with hasn't been Master Miller, his body was just found in his house. He 
looked like it had been dead for 3 days, Campbell didn't know because 
his CODEC link with Master was cut. However, when Mei Ling did a line 
search, she found it was coming from inside the base! Snake ask's who it 
is and before Campbell can answer Master say's, in a totally different 
yet instantly recognized voice, "Me...dear brother" He then take's off 
his sunglasses & undoes his pony tail- revealing the face of Liquid 
Snake. Liquid say's Snake outlived his usefulness- he may die now.

	The command room door seal's and begins to fill with poisonous 
gas. However, thanks to Otacon's hacking skill's, the door is unlocked 
again and Snake run's outside. There he see's Liquid & chases after him. 
They find themselves opposite each other with Liquid right next to the 
cockpit of Metal Gear. Snake point's his gun at Liquid- but holster's it 
on Liquid's simple question that he'd shoot his own brother? Liquid 
discloses that he disguised as Master so that he could manipulate Snake 
more easily. And he also admits Snake did well- though the "boys at the 
Pentagon" would probably be saying the same thing as well. According to 
Liquid Snake has lost his warrior's pride- justified by Liquid's 
observation that Solid is following order's with no question's asked. 
Snake is no more than a pawn. Rescuing the hostages & stopping the nuke 
launch was a just a diversion, according to Liquid. The Pentagon needed 
Solid Snake to come into contact with all the terrorist's & kill them so 
that they could retrieve Metal Gear undamaged as well as the bodies of 
the genome soldiers- all Snake was was used as a tool to spread Foxdie. 
Snake is shocked- does that mean that Naomi was working with the 
Pentagon? Liquid say's that they thought she was- but she obviously 
couldn't be controlled to easily. A spy Liquid knew in the Pentagon 
revealed that Naomi changed the Foxdie program before the operation- but 
Liquid doesn't know how or why. Snake wonder's as well. Maybe she was 
arrested to find that out? Liquid had no idea she was motivated by such 
petty revenge. They still don't know what changes she made to the Foxdie 
program- but that doesn't matter because Liquid has added to vaccine to 
his list of demands. Snake ask's if there actually is one- Liquid would 
assume there is but acknowledges that only Dr. Naomi Hunter really 
knows.

 	It might not even be necessary, Liquid admits. Foxdie did kill the 
ARMSTECH President & Decoy Octopus- but Ocelot, himself & Snake remain 
uninfected. It might possibly be a bug- but if Snake isn't infected then 
Liquid certainly has no reason to worry. After all, he explains, there 
genetic code is identical. Snake half say's & half ask's 'its true'- 
their twins? Liquid say's yes but not ordinary twin's. They're linked by 
cursed genes. Solid Snake received Big Boss's dominant genes. Liquid got 
the flawed recessive genes. Everything was done so that Solid could be 
the greatest. The only reason Liquid exists so that Solid could be 
created. Liquid angrily ask's Snake if he knows what its like to know 
you were garbage from the day you were born? He got all the leftovers. 
Snake shakes his head in pity. However, Big Boss chose Liquid. And 
that's the reason Liquid is obsessed with Big Boss he ask's. Like some 
kind of twisted love. Liquid shockingly say's 'Love? Its Hate!' Big Boss 
would always remind Liquid he was inferior & Solid Snake killed Big Boss 
with his own hands. He stole Liquid's chance for revenge. Liquid want's 
to finish Big Boss's dream- he will surpass him. He will destroy him. 
Solid say's his just like Naomi- motivated by revenge. But Liquid 
observes his not like Naomi- his proud of the destiny imbedded into his 
genes. With that Liquid jump's into the cockpit of Metal Gear before 
Snake can get a shot off at him. The tremendous battle tank begins to 
tremble & begins to elevate on a raised platform. It reaches into a 
large hangar and begonia's to sit. Intimidatingly quiet.

	Metal Gear has finally been activated. Liquid mocks Snake who can 
do nothing against the overwhelming fire power of the nuclear equipped 
walking tank. Snake gets Otacon's advice via CODEC that if he destroys 
the radome it will disable all sensor's & force Liquid to open the 
cockpit and shoot inside it to destroy metal Gear. Snake, while dodging 
insistent missile attack's and heavy machine gun fire, manages to hit 
the radome enough to make the large weapon to start to shudder. It 
finally surges to a halt and rests. For a few moments it sit's still- 
until Liquid mockingly congratulates "Nice try!" Just as the tank 
regains its feet and begins to stomp towards Snake Gray Fox decloaks and 
lands on the ground in front of him. Just as the foot is about to step 
on Snake Fox jumps underneath the foot and hold it- stopping the immense 
machine from taking another step. Fox, underneath the staggering weight, 
admits he was the one who contacted him called 'Deepthroat' He also 
observes how Snake looks terrible & has aged well. Snake turn's around 
and runs & when the weight of Metal Gear becomes to much Fox uses the 
weight to spring himself out into a series of intricate flips- firing 
his plasma cannon at the radome. This causes Liquid to loose the pair of 
mercenaries as they hide behind a cargo container. 

	As Metal Gear hastily searches for them amongst the immense hangar 
Snake asks Fox what he want's - to which he replies that his a prisoner 
of death and only Snake can free him. Snake tell's Fox he has to stay 
out of this- for Naomi's sake. She is hell bent on taking revenge for 
Fox and only he can stop her. Fox say's he can't because he was the one 
that killed her parents. He was young and couldn't bring himself to kill 
Naomi as well. So he took Naomi and treated her like his own blood to 
soothe his guilty conscience. They might have seemed like a happy 
brother & sister- but everytime he looked into her eyes he saw her 
parents eye's staring back at him. Gray Fox makes his last request to 
Snake- tell Naomi Fox was the one that murdered her parents. At this 
point Liquid spot's them behind the container- Fox say's their out of 
time. He then tell's Snake he'll stop it from moving. Running out from 
behind the container, in a stunning display of skill & bravery, Liquid 
goes up against the immense weapon. After shooting its radome and losing 
his arm, yet continuing to fight, Fox jumps 30m up onto a ledge bringing 
him at the same level as the cockpit. Just as he flip's around and is 
about to shoot Metal Gear run's full-speed into him- the cockpit pinning 
him up against the wall. Liquid mocks Snake over the loudspeaker- "Are 
you just going to watch him die?" Summing up all his strength Fox uses 
his one arm, free from being pinned, to shoot the radome and finally 
destroy it. The cockpit opens and Liquid, now unable to pin Fox against 
the wall, comments on how Fox is indeed worthy of his codename. Fox 
urges Snake to fire the stinger at the pair to destroy metal gear- but 
Liquid say's he'll murder fox as well. Snake can't bring himself to fire 
the Stinger at the 2 as Fox mutter's his last words of being taken from 
Zanzibar & the battle, neither dead or alive. An endless shadow, in a 
world of light. The tip of Metal Gear nudges Fox from the ledge and 
brings him crashing to the ground. Liquid finally put's an end to Fox by 
stamping him on the ground. Under its giant foot- Fox say's his final 
words. 

 	"Snake...we're not tool's of the government or anyone else. 
Fighting was the only thing...the ONLY THING I was good at. But 
atleast...I always fought for what I believed in." 

 	He then bids Snake farewell, and is crushed by Metal Gear as it 
begins to trudge again towards Snake. Firing his stinger in anger and 
grief Snake manages to execute enough rocket's into the cockpit, sending 
Metal Gear crashing towards to ground. It erupts in a violent explosion 
and site's dead on the hangar. the force of the explosion propels Snake 
backwards into the hard, metal wall. Just before he loses 
conscientiousness he spot's Liquid slowly & patiently walking towards 
him. Snake wakes up to find himself on top of the "head" of metal gear 
with his hands tied with Liquid Snake standing over him. He comments how 
his still alive- Liquid say's he cannot die as long as Snake lives. 
Snake observes how Metal Gear is destroyed- Liquids revolution was a 
failure. But just because Metal Gear is destroyed, he say's, doesn't 
mean his done fighting. Snake asks Liquid what he really want's- to 
which Liquid replies he want's a world where warriors are honored as 
they once were. Thats how it should be. Snake says that was Big Boss's 
dream- but Liquid corrects that was his dying wish. When Big Boss was 
young, during the Cold war, the world needed people like him.  They were 
valued and desired. Things, though, are different now. With the 
bureaucrats & hypocrites running the world war isn't what it used to be. 
People like Solid & Liquid Snake are losing their place in a world that 
no longer needs them. they contempt their very existence. Liquid lays 
out his plans- after he launches the weapon and gets 1 billion dollar's 
they can bring chaos & order back to a world gone soft. Conflict's & 
conflicts will begin & reunite hatred's- then they can expand their 
"sphere of influence"

 	However, Snake say's that as long as there are people there will 
be wars. The problem, Liquid says, is balance. Big Boss knew the correct 
balance. Snake asks if thats the only reason. Liquid say's its reason 
enough...for people like them. Snake quickly retort's he doesn't want a 
world like that- Liquid say's his lying. Why is he here then? Why does 
he follow orders while his superiors betray him? Liquid answer's it for 
him- he enjoys the killing. Solid can't believe what Liquid has said 
about him. And he can't argue it- he has killed all of Liquid's 
comrades. Liquid has seen his face when he did it- filled with the joy 
of battle. He say's they can't deny it- they were created to be that 
way. Solid questions the use of the word "created" and Liquid explains. 
 
	'Les Enfants Terrible' (The Terrible Children) the project was 
called. It was started in the 70's. It was  a plan to artificially 
create the most powerful soldier possible. The model for that was taken 
from what was then known as the best soldier in the world- Big Boss. He 
was wounded in combat and in coma when he was brought in. Solid & Liquid 
were created from his cell's with a combination of 20th Analogue cloning 
& the superbaby mechanism. The superbaby mechanism involved fertilizing 
a egg with Big Boss's cells & letting it divide into 8 cloned babies. 
These were then transferred into a uterus but later 6 of the babies were 
intentionally aborted to promote strong feutal growth. Liquid & Solid 
were originally octuplets. 6 babies were sacrificed so they could be 
created. They were accomplices in murder before they were even born. 
Liquid & Solid both has the DNA but they weren't done yet. Liquid was 
used as a guinea pig to create a phenotype in which all the dominant 
gene's were expressed- to create Solid Snake. Liquid got all the 
recessive genes & Solid took everything away from Liquid before they 
were born.

	Liquid then goes further to reveal that they are not the only 
children. The genome soldiers are Big Boss's as well. Carrying his 
genetic legacy. With the completion of the human genome project, the 
mysteries of humanity were laid bare with Big Boss's DNA. With that they 
found nearly 60 "soldier" genes covering everything from strategic 
thinking to the proverbial "killer instinct" These soldier genes were 
then injected into the Next-Generation Special Forces- that is how they 
became "genome soliders" But they were the results of numerous 
sacrifices...specifically human experiments. In 1991, the Gulf War, the 
military secretly injected soldiers with 'soldier genes' The so-called 
'Gulf War syndrome' that hundreds of thousands of returning servicemen 
reported was a side affect of the experiments. When Solid laugh's what 
Liquid say's off, with the statement that it was really caused by 
exposure to depleted uranium in the anti-tank rounds, Liquid say's that 
was just a cover story the Pentagon made. The poison gas detection units 
& anti-serin injections were all just lies used to cover the 
experiments. Solid also realizes that that means the Gulf War babies, 
that vets of the war have reported, are their brothers & sisters as 
well. Solid interpret's this to mean that the genome experiments were a 
success- but Liquid quickly confirms it was a failure.

	Liquid uses the 'assymetry theory' to explain why it was a 
failure. Nature favors the assymetry theory. All species that have gone 
extinct show signs of symmetry. Liquid & Solid Snake do as well. They 
are all on the verge of death at a genetic level. They don't when or 
what disease will occur- thats why they need Big Boss's genetic 
information. Solid is humorously touched- Liquid want's the information 
to save his "family" Liquid puts it into perspective- in nature animals 
that don't mate with each other help each other to survive because they 
want to pass on their genetic information. Autism amongst blood 
relatives is a response to natural selection (called the 'selfish gene' 
theory) Solid is amazed- Liquids gene's are telling him to save the 
genome soldiers? Liquid says you can't fight your genes- its fate. All 
living things are created for the sole purpose of passing on their 
genes. Liquid will follow what his genes tell him. He'll go beyond it & 
break the curse of his heritage. And to do that he must kill Solid 
Snake. 

 	Liquid tell's Snake to turn around- Meryl is lying down unmoving. 
Snake tensely asks Liquid if Meryl is alive. He comments that she was a 
few hours ago, the poor girl kept on crying out his name. Liquid is 
disappointed in her- falling in love with a man with no name. Solid says 
he has a name, but Liquid barks back No! They have no name, no past, no 
future. And even if they did it wouldn't be theres- they are just copies 
of Big Boss. Snake tell's Liquid to let Meryl go- to which he replies as 
soon as their finished. They're almost out of time. Not from Foxdie- the 
Pentagon apparently knows of Metal Gears destruction & are launching a 
BDA. Liquid prompt's Solid to call the Colonel if he wants the full 
details.

	Snake CODEC's Campbell and ask's him what the Pentagon is trying 
to do- Campbell say's the secretary of defense has taken over the 
mission & is on his way via AWACS to bomb the place. Not only that, B2 
bombers have just lifted off from nearby Galena base armed with Surface 
Piercing Nuclear Bombs. Snake frantically tell's Campbell that Metal 
Gear is destroyed, but Campbell reveals that the secretary of defense 
knows that Naomi double-crossed them & is worried about Foxdie. Now that 
there is no more danger from Metal Gear, he will do whatever is 
necessary to cover it up. Snake understands- the strike will wipe out 
all the evidence as well as anyone who knows anything. Campbell tell's 
Snake not to worry- he'll stop the strike. He is still officially in 
charge of the operation & if he issues a delay order it will confuse the 
chain of command & buy some time to give Snake a chance to escape. But 
Snake is worried- if Campbell does that he will be seriously 
reprimanded. Campbell say's its OK. The truth is FOX-HOUND was already 
the subject of an undercover investigation & Meryl was transferred to 
the island, just before the terrorist attack, as a way of manipulating 
him. They forced Campbell to co-operate in exchange for her life. Snake 
is moved as he finally realises why Campbell had to lie to him...he 
tell's Snake to get out. Helping him is the least he can do after all 
the lies. Just as he tell's Snake he is ordering the bombing run to be 
cancelled, he is wrestled away from the CODEC. For a few brief seconds 
their is the muffled sounds of a struggle- until Jim Houseman, the 
secretary of defense, appears on the CODEC.

	Houseman explains that Campbell has been relieved of duty. He is 
under arrest for leaking Top-secret information & for the crime of High 
treason. He comments how Campbell truly believed he was in charge of the 
operation. He also reassures Snake there won't be a speck of evidence 
left on the island- the President would want that. Snake asks if the 
President ordered it- Houseman generalizes the President is a busy man- 
Houseman has complete authority. Snake also asks how they'll explain a 
nuclear attack in the middle of Alaska- to which Houseman reassuringly 
replies they've prepared a convincing cover story.  They'll simply say 
the terrorist's exploded a nuclear device. Snake also observes that 
they'll be murdering everyone & Houseman says he might reconsider if he 
got the optical disk. The metal gear test data. When Snake say's he 
doesn't have it Houseman say's its OK. Solid & Liquid Snake are an 
embarrassment from the 70's. They are America's dirty little secret & 
they can't be allowed to live. He farewell's Snake knowing he has allot 
of "catching up" to do.

	Liquid unties Snakes hands. Liquid then walk's over to Meryl, 
looking down on her he clenches his fist's in rage. Snake stole 
everything from him. Only Snake's death can satisfy him & return to him 
what is rightfully his. He comments how she will make a beautiful 
sacrifice. Liquid then gestures a box next to her body- a nuclear device 
timed to go off at the moment of her death. He then set's the box for 3 
minutes and activates it. In a purely hand-to-hand battle, Snake manages 
to overcome his "brother" and throw him off the top of Metal Gear. 
Liquid bays Solid Snakes name as he falls off into the top of the weapon 
into the infinite abyss below.

	Snake runs over to Meryl and undoes he wrist ties. He gently lifts 
her up against his chest...and she slumps in his arms. Snake is overcome 
with grief and rage. He screams her name out. He angrily ask's her to 
forgive him. He hits the top of Rex feeling worthless for giving into 
his fear and pain. He sold her life to save his own. He says his 
nothing. His a loser...and was never a hero. As Snake tenderly 
apologises to her Otacon arrives and say's she can't forgive him. She's 
gone. Snake reminds himself and Otacon that it was because of himself. 
Otacon understands- blaming himself makes it easier. It keeps the pain 
at a distance. Snake is enraged- she's dead, he lost. Otacon calmly 
ask's if Snake is going to stay and die along with her.

	Otacon reminds Snake that people die...but death is not defeat. 
Otacon lost Wolf...but that wasn't defeat. They'll be together forever, 
their love didn't die. Life is more than a game of win or lost. Otacon 
wants to live. He walks over to Snake and places a hand on his shoulder, 
drawing him away from Meryl's body. Otacon reassures Snake that they can 
escape in the nearby parking garage (Otacon has released all the locks) 
Otacon promises this to Snake. Snake, in turn, relises that Otacon has 
changed. Otacon says he is through regretting the past- life isn't all 
about loss. The hangar begins to shake and collapse...but Otacon isn't 
scared. He beckons them to destroy it. They can't destroy the human 
spirit. Snake gets himself together and speaks to her body. He hopes she 
is still watching him. Maybe he can still prove himself to her...

	Climbing down the wreckage, Snake retrieves his sneaking suit as 
Otacon runs out of the hangar. Just as Snake is nearly out the door, he 
turns around for a final look back on Rex and remembers Meryl's innocent 
body lying on top of it. He turns around and runs out of the hangar as a 
giant piece of shrapnel collapses over the door...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(III) THE END OF THE RUN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

	In the garage, Snake holds genome soldiers at bay as Otacon fights 
to get a jeep working. When he does Snake climbs aboard and mans the gun 
turret and he drives them through a goods tunnel towards the surface. 
Just as they are nearing the exit Snake hears an unmistakable voice call 
out his name which echo's down the tunnels. Liquid drives up behind them 
and starts to shoot at them. Snake manages to return fire, but as they 
emerge out of the exit they crash and are pinned by the weight of the 
jeep. Snake, in a sudden change of character, quirkily observes Liquid 
emerging from the jeep with a FA-MAS in his hand. As he walks over to 
Snake and points the barrel at his head he suddenly is struck by an 
invisible blow, he falls to the ground on his knees and his body 
finally, violently strikes the ground. FOXDIE has killed him. Solid 
Snake wonders- if both Solid and Liquid have the same DNA...that means 
his time will be up soon as well. Snake also notices the air raid hasn't 
begun...where are all the bombers?

	Right on cue, Campbell call's by CODEC. He informs Snake that Jim 
Houseman has been arrested- Campbell managed to get in contact with the 
President and inform him of Metal Gear, the training exercise, the 
"whole thing". All of it was Houseman acting alone. Campbell was 
reinstated in control of the mission and the bombers were ordered to 
return to base. He observes that Washington wasn't stupid enough to use 
Nukes to bury a few secrets. Campbell tells Snake he knows Meryl died. 
He then tells Snake something that makes the loss even worse- Meryl was 
Campbell's daughter. He had recently recieved a letter from Meryl's 
mother, Campbell's deceased brothers wife, telling him. Campbell was 
going to tell her the truth after the mission...

	Campbell is compelled to apologize to Snake for keeping so many 
secrets from him- Snake interjects that it is OK. Campbell is also 
compelled to remind Snake, as he did at the start of the mission, that 
he isn't a Colonel anymore. Campbell tells Snake of a nearby snowmobile 
(Mei Ling found it on Satellite photos) it would be good to use it to 
escape- the jeep they escaped in sunk into the ocean and they officially 
died when that happened. Campbell tells Snake of a helicopter on nearby 
Fox-island they can use to escape in. Snake thanks him one last time, 
for all of his support, calling him Roy.

	 Campbell reassures Snake that himself and Mei Ling will be OK as 
well- they have all of Mei Lings data from the mission on a hard copy. 
When Snake observes he will run out of battery power soon Campbell sadly 
observes that they probably won't meet again. Snake reassures Campbell 
that he will pay him a visit sometime. But Snake has to ask him one last 
thing...about Foxdie. Campbell says he will get Naomi to answer that 
question (She has been released and is in good health)

	Naomi has heard about what happened to Frank Jaeger. Snake gives 
her his final message- he wanted her to forget about him and get on with 
her own life. She chokes back tears as Snake also tells her Frank said 
he would always love her. Snake tells Naomi that Jaeger just saved him 
and, most probably, the entire world. Naomi says maybe it was for the 
best- maybe he has found some peace. He has never been himself since 
Zanzibar...he had been like a ghost...
Snake finally ask's Naomi about FOXDIE- if Liquid Snake died shouldn't 
he to? Naomi doesn't answer, instead she urges Snake to use FOXDIE as an 
incentive to appreciate what he has now- life. 

	Snake helps Otacon recover himself from for injuries from the jeep 
crash and, as they make their way down to the snow mobile, Naomi 
explains the nature of DNA and life to Snake. Each person has their fate 
written into their DNA when the are born- but that isn't all there is to 
life. Naomi has realized that- she'd been to focused on using DNA to 
learn about her past. DNA at its best can be used to determine 
*potential* strengths. It is up to the person to decide their strengths. 
They can't let themselves be chained to fate. Whether Snake is involved 
in the FOXDIE program or not isn't important- he has to choose LIFE 
regardless. And live. Naomi intends to do that as well.  As Snake and 
Otacon find the snowmobile and push it out of its hidden cave, Naomi 
states that ones hopes and dreams are passed VIA our dreams to our 
children. Life works in that way- living is a link to the future. Loving 
and teaching is how the world is changing- and Naomi has realized that.

	Snake & Otacon arrive at the snowmobile. After climbing on Snake 
observes how, up until that point in his life, he had lived only for 
himself. Survival was the only thing he cared about. Otacon reminds 
Snake that everyone is like that- not just him. Ignoring Otacon's 
perspective, Snake remembers how he only felt alive when staring death 
in the face. All Snake wants to do now is enjoy life, and Snake ask's 
Otacon about himself. Otacon say's he feels like a new man. Snake is 
curious- will he continue his research? Otacon decides he is finished 
with science, he is now more interested in human psycology. The whole 
reason he got into science was because he was not good with people. He 
was scared of them and life. He believed he could never understand them- 
people were to illogical. But now Otacon has become sick of being a 
spectator- he is going to enjoy life. His going to stand on his own 2 
feet and hide no longer.

	Snake jokes- does this mean his done with his stealth cammoflage? 
Otacon understands he will no longer need it, and they share a laugh as 
he hands it over to Snake. Otacon reminisces that they will both be 
saying goodbye to their loves now as well, and when Snake doesn't reply, 
Otacon ask's Snake if he wants him to drive the snowmobile. Snake 
refuses the offer. Otacon ask's him where to and the use of the word 
"Snake" prompt's Snake to tell him his real name is "David" They both 
share a laugh at their names- Hal & Dave. Maybe they should go to 
Jupiter...

	When Otacon ask's Snake where to, David comments his looking for a 
new path in life. His sure he will find it. Starting up the snowmobile, 
they ride off into the rising sun...

	
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
IV LEGEND
-----------------------------------------------------------------------	
In the 1980's, there were more than 60,000 nuclear warheads in the world 
at all times. The total destructive power amounted to 1 million times 
that of the Hiroshima A-bomb.

In January 1993, START2 was signed and the United States and Russia 
agreed to reduce the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 
3500 - 3000 in each nation by December 31, 2000

However, as of 1998, there still exist's 26,000 nuclear warheads in the 
world.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------
V EPILOGUE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

	Sometime after their escape, Revolver Ocelot, the sole terrorist 
survivor, communicates with an inaudible person. He informs the 
individual that the whole unit was wiped out except Otacon and Snake. 
FOXDIE should become activated soon. The warhead data was collected by 
Ocelot and his cover is stll intact. No-one knew his real identity, 
except the DARPA Chief, but he is dead anyhow. According to Ocelot the 
inferior one was the winner- Liquid though he was the lesser one until 
the very end. No-one knows that the person Ocelot is communicating with, 
Solidus, is the 3rd one...
 	
	Ocelot then bids goodbye to "Mr. President"....



-----------------------------------------
VI CONCLUSIONS
-----------------------------------------
	
From the ending of Metal Gear Solid we know the following things:

1) Solid Snake and Hal Emmerich have survived.

2) Psyco Mantis, Vulcan Raven, Sniper Wolf, Decoy Octopus, Liquid Snake, 
Kenneth Baker, Donald Anderson and Meryl Silverburgh are dead

3) Metal Gear Rex has been destroyed 

4) The hard-data on Metal Gear's test exercise has been acquired by 
Revolver Ocelot. He is the only survivor from the terrorists.

5) Campbell is in operation control of the mission, replacing the 
Secretary of Defense. He will be, most likely, controlling the de-
briefing and aftermath of the operation. His work is far from done.

6) In addition, we know that Meryl was not Campbell's niece, as stated 
in the briefing, but infact his daughter.

7) The President has been briefed by both the terrorist's, *and* the 
force's working against them, about the situation. He is the only person 
who has heard the story about the terrorist action from both sides.

8) Big Boss's DNA is still in government possession. In fact, the 
government did not give into any of the terrorist's demands.

9) More generally, most of what Liquid talked about in Metal Gear's 
control room, with Ocelot listening, has gone up in smoke.

10) There are still several genome soldiers on the island. Their fate 
remains a mystery.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
VII OBSERVATIONS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

1) For those of you wondering- the total time of all of the cutscenes in 
Metal Gear Solid runs at about 3hrs and 30 minutes. This is equivalent 
to watching 'Saving Private Ryan' or 'Ben-Hur'

2) Separated at birth- Revolver Ocelot and 'Wheel of Time's' Thom 
Merrilin?

3) Funny how Campbell, despite the fact he is a retired Colonel, showed 
up for duty in his Army uniform and Berret.

4) Also amusing to note how a cyborg that could kill a 5 genome soldiers 
at once was defeated by a guy with a fighting style consisting of 2 
punches and a kick.

   MORE TO COME LADIES AND GENTS. STAY TUNED.

----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
VIII UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

1) Naomi helped "Frank" hide for 2 years- but what was he doing in that 
time? Surely a person, with such an advanced exoskeleton, wouldn't 
stayed couped up in a house or equivalent space for that amount of time?

2) This is the most obvious one...but what is Revolver Ocelot's 
affiliation with the "President"? Why was he working for him? Why is he 
a double-agent? There are lots of questions to do with this and they'll 
obviously be answered In 'Son's Of Liberty'

3) The DARPA Chief & ARMSTECH President weren't the only important 
people present on the island. Important government and corporate 
officials were present also. Where were they?

4) What is to become of the bodies of all of the FOX-HOUND members? Will 
they be taken to be used in gene-therapy experiments as well?

5) What's to happen to the wreckage of Metal Gear Rex? Surely technology 
from the weapon is still able to be obtained from the remains (something 
equivalent to a black box)?

6) Why wasn't Snake affected by FOXDIE at the same time as Liquid?

7) Liquid detailed in his monologue on the top of Metal Gear that the 2 
of them were bore from a uterus. Who was Liquid & Solid Snakes mother? 

8) Did Big Boss ever know of Liquid Snake's existence? If he did...why 
didn't he ever tell Snake (Realistically I can see the logic in him not 
telling him- but its still an issue)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
IX DIFFERENT ENDINGS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

                                  MERYL    

Snake runs over to Meryl and unties her. He gently lifts her up by her 
shoulders and says her name....she comes to and instantly embraces him. 
He asks her if she's OK, to which she replies it wasn't to bad. She 
didn't submit to the torture...or things worse than that...
 Meryl says that fighting against the terrorist's when she was captured 
made her feel closer to Snake. He gave her strength despite her fears. 
She had held onto a single hope throughout all the pain and suffering- a 
pain that kept her alive. She wanted to see him again. Snake and Meryl 
affectionately stare at each other as Otacon calls by his CODEC. Snake 
confirms she is OK and Otacon is extremely relieved to hear this.

	Snake informs Otacon that the whole complex is to be bombed soon 
and they must evacuate. Otacon informs Snake of the parking garage 
located next to the hangar- with a goods tunnel leading to the surface. 
He reassures Snake that he will also take care of the security devices 
located along their escape route. But Snake wants to know what Otacon 
will do- Otacon says he is staying. Snake is angrily concerned for 
Otacon- staying behind is suicide. Otacon says he is the only one who 
can take care of security- he MUST stay. Otacon says he is a complete 
person now- he doesn't have to worry about the past anymore. He has 
found a reason to live. This prompts Snake to thank Otacon- who is 
genuinely flattered by the sincere comment.

 	Disconnecting, Snake can't bring himself to explain to Meryl what 
Otacon is doing. He simply says he is fighting his own battle to be the 
man he wants to be. Snake jumps off the top of Metal Gear and uses 
pieces of debris to reach the ground. Meryl jumps into his arms as she 
gets down. They enjoy each others company for a second before the wreck 
of Rex begins to violently shudder. Snake observes how they most 
probably won't have a love scene after all and Meryl is sarcastically 
disappointed. Making their way out, Snake finds his sneaking suit, and 
manages to escape the hangar (with one final look back) before an 
immense chunk of metal collapses infront of the door. 

	In the garage, Snake holds genome soldiers at bay as Meryl fights 
to get a jeep working. When she does Snake climbs aboard and mans the 
gun turret and she drives them through a goods tunnel towards the 
surface. Just as they are nearing the exit Snake hears an unmistakable 
voice call out his name which echo's down the tunnels. Liquid drives up 
behind them and starts to shoot at them. Snake manages to return fire, 
but as they emerge out of the exit they crash and are pinned by the 
weight of the jeep. Snake, in a sudden change of character, quirkily 
observes Liquid emerging from the jeep with a FA-MAS in his hand. As he 
walks over to Snake and points the barrel at his head he suddenly is 
struck by an invisible blow, he falls to the ground on his knees and his 
body finally, violently strikes the ground. FOXDIE has killed him. Solid 
Snake, however, if both Solid and Liquid have the same DNA...that means 
his time will be up soon as well. Snake also notices the air raid hasn't 
begun...where are all the bombers?

	Right on cue, Campbell call's by CODEC. He informs Snake that Jim 
Houseman has been arrested- Campbell managed to get in contact with the 
President and inform him of Metal Gear, the training exercise, the 
"whole thing". All of it was Houseman acting alone. Campbell was 
reinstated in control of the mission and the bombers were ordered to 
return to base. He observes that Washington wasn't stupid enough to use 
Nukes to bury a few secrets. Snake tells Campbell that Meryl is fine and 
he can barely control his joy. Campbell is compelled to apologize to 
Snake for keeping so many secrets from him- Snake interjects that it is 
OK. Campbell is also compelled to remind Snake, as he did at the start 
of the mission, that he isn't a Colonel anymore. Campbell tells Snake of 
a nearby snowmobile (Mei Ling found it on Satellite photos) it would be 
good to use it to escape- the jeep they escaped in sunk into the ocean 
and they officially died when that happened. Campbell tells Snake of a 
helicopter on nearby Fox-island they can use to escape in. Snake thanks 
him one last time, for all of his support, calling him Roy.

	Campbell reassures Snake that he'll take care of Hal Emmerich who 
is still on the island. Campbell himself and Mei Ling will be OK as 
well- they have all of Mei Lings data from the mission on a hard copy. 
When Snake observes he will run out of battery power soon Campbell sadly 
observes that they probably won't meet again. Snake reassures Campbell 
that he will pay him a visit sometime. But Snake has to ask him one last 
thing...about Foxdie. Campbell responds, before Snake can even ask, that 
Meryl was not in the Foxdie programming and she will be fine. When Snake 
ask's about himself, Campbell says he will get Naomi to answer that 
question (She has been released and is in good health)

	Naomi has heard about what happened to Frank Jaeger. Snake gives 
her his final message- he wanted her to forget about him and get on with 
her own life. She chokes back tears as Snake also tells her Frank said 
he would always love her. Snake tells Naomi that Jaeger just saved him 
and, most probably, the entire world. Naomi says maybe it was for the 
best- maybe he has found some peace. He has never been himself since 
Zanzibar...he had been like a ghost...
Snake finally ask's Naomi about FOXDIE- if Liquid Snake died shouldn't 
he to? Naomi doesn't answer, instead she urges Snake to use FOXDIE as an 
incentive to appreciate what he has now- life. 

	Snake helps Meryl recover herself from for injuries from the jeep 
crash and, as they make their way down to the snow mobile, Naomi 
explains the nature of DNA and life to Snake. Each person has their fate 
written into their DNA when the are born- but that isn't all there is to 
life. Naomi has realized that- she'd been to focused on using DNA to 
learn about her past. DNA at its best can be used to determine 
*potential* strengths. It is up to the person to decide their strengths. 
They can't let themselves be chained to fate. Whether Snake is involved 
in the FOXDIE program or not isn't important- he has to choose LIFE 
regardless. And live. Naomi intends to do that as well.  As Snake and 
Meryl find the snowmobile and push it out of its hidden cave, Naomi 
states that ones hopes and dreams are passed VIA our dreams to our 
children. Life works in that way- living is a link to the future. Loving 
and teaching is how the world is changing- and Naomi has realized that. 

	And Snake and Meryl climb on the snowmobile. Snake observes, in a 
optimistic tone, how he had lived only for himself up till that day. 
Survival was the only thing he cared about and he only felt the most 
alive when staring death in the face. Now maybe his genes (as they might 
have been governing his past) are telling him to live for someone else. 
Someone like Meryl. She is speechless, yet happy. She asks him where 
they are going- but the use of the name "Snake" prompts him to tell her 
to call him by his real name "David" He comments how its time to look 
for a new path in life. His sure they will find it. Filled with a new 
appreciation for life, and observing how Alaska has never looked more 
beautiful to him, he rides of with Meryl into the rising sun...

                                WHY?

	This is the age old question. We've been wondering for years what 
the "official" ending of MGS is and this will no doubt be answered in 
the sequel (as well as the other glaring questions) The following is a 
rationale on why I believe the "bad" ending is the official one. Please 
be made aware that these are my own personal opinion and many people 
(hopefully not a majority!) could disagree with my statements.

	In order to get the "bad" ending of MGS one must fail in the 
torture room. That is the easy part. But if you, as the player, make 
Snake fail- does that mean, plot wise, that he was just to weak to 
endure the pain? Maybe. Snake has been isolated in the Alaskan 
wilderness for 11 years and WOAH! all of the sudden he has been thrust 
back into combat! Is he as strong as he was a decade previously? I find 
little credibility in ANYONE, after that period of time, being able to 
endure that kind of torture. 
	Snake's failure on the torture bed shows that he is human, like 
you and me, and proves to us he is no superhero- no matter what praise 
the manual or those countless Metal Gear Solid pages say. Then again- 
the guy had a 6 pack still. That might be our one clue as to whether he 
was keeping himself (physically and mentally) his old self in Alaska. 

	Everyone knows the good ending- hero rescues the heroine and they 
ride off together. Its cliched and boring. I know in Metal Gear Solid 
there is alot more to it than that- but I personally like the "bad" 
ending more. Its original. I'am aware, however, it will take more than 
that convince you.

	The good ending is cliched because you and I, as western 
audiences, have all of our entertainment medium's (with basic premises 
the same as MGS) end the same way- happily. Its the "western" ending. 
However, the bad ending see's our protagonist lose the other central 
figure and feeling deeply hurt and a great sense of loss, and seeking 
refuge from that pain in the form of another figure (Otacon) This is 
made most apparent on the top of Metal Gear when, after lossing Meryl, 
he says to Otacon "You've changed" This is common with Japanese anime (I 
believe) so I consider this to be the "Eastern" ending.

	Because of the nature of the development of the game and the key 
figures surrounding its production (Made in Japan by Japanese) I believe 
the game will follow the bad or "eastern" ending.

	The ending of Metal Gear Solid see's Solid Snake and Otacon riding 
away from the ordeal they had been experiencing for 18 hours. However, 
the ordeal led to a great change in both their personalities that made 
them aware of how much more potential they had. The bad ending see's 
this happen to both Snake and Otacon, as opposed to the good ending 
where Snake is the only one who seems to have had a prominent changed 
perspective. Meryl remains her old naive self. 

	This change in character for Snake and Otacon is symbolised 
through the use of their "real" names- Hal & David. They've stripped off 
their "isolated" exterior (both of them were nigels- they had no or few 
friends) and stated the extent they will go to in order to become 
"human" again. It was certainly clever of Mr. Kojima to work on not just 
the plot of MGS- but character development as well. We're seeing some 
dramatic (yet justified) behavioral changes over the course of this 
game. 
	Snake's revelation of his real name to Otacon demonstrates the 
trust he has developed with the man, that he has never developed with 
another person before besides Campbell, and this trust is made apparent 
in the context that he told it to Otacon in (IE. He didn't take a deep 
breath then hesistantly say "Look...my names...uummm...David") True- 
this occur's also in the Meryl ending, but I still believe it to be a 
valid point.

	By having Meryl die at the end of MGS, it makes Snake a enraged 
war machine. The loss of Meryl to Snake, on the top of Metal Gear, makes 
him susceptible to emotions that he has never felt before and he finds 
no way to express them except through the only way he ever does- 
violence. Otacon, the wise Jedi Master that he is, manages to calm Snake 
and console him. Snake is going from one extreme in this circumstance to 
another at the end- when he finds himself manifisting some passive 
attitudes to where he wants his life to go. The loss he feels has been 
manifested into Otacon (as mentioned) so he feels OK to take an optistic 
approach. Heres a simple formula to explain it:

Meryl's Alive (Good) GOES TO Snake's Newly Developed Attitude to Life 
(Better)

Meryl's Dead (Bad) GOES TO Snake's Newly Developed Attitude to Life 
(Good)

There's a dramatic change in character and I believe that is a reason 
why the bad ending is the "official" one.


 	The death of Meryl gives Snake another motivation for MGS2- his 
not trying to stop Ray because he want's no nuclear war, he wants to 
avenge Meryl's death. He wants to get back at Ocelot. Ocelot threatened 
Snake himself that he would kill Meryl- it wouldn't take Snake long to 
put 2 and 2 together and assume Ocelot killed her. 
	However, the footage we have seen of MGS2 so far has supplied us 
with other cryptic clues as well as to what the "official" ending is. A 
very minor clue is the presence, at the very start of MGS2, of the 
stealth camo. The "bad" ending is the one where the stealth camo is 
acquired. This is un-credible clue, however, because it wouldn't be hard 
for Snake to get one of the units in the months between the 2 games. The 
voice actor of Meryl, Kyoko Terase, from the Japanese release of MGS 
will be returning in MGS2...as the voice of Olga...go figure...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
X SOMEWHAT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Q. How was Decoy Octopus "...a master of disguise"?

 Decoy Octopus is a former Hollywood movie star- he's good at acting. He 
speaks 10 languages & he has no ears, a flat nose and and has shaved the 
bones from his jaw and cheeks. He can contort his body into any shape 
and is very flexible. He must use steroids to change his physique and 
metabolism.
	Whenever he is finished "impersonating" someone he must go through 
psycotherapy in order to remove the identity of the individual he 
impersonated from his sub-conscious mind.

Q. Who were the 'Kurds' Sniper Wolf referred to?

A. The Kurds are a band of tribal nomads, numbering about 26 million, 
that reside in parts of Iran, Turkey & Iraq. The area's they inhabit all 
connect into a mountanous region known as Kurdistan.
	
	Sniper Wolf is probably refering to the repression of the Kurds 
during the Gulf War. The Kurd's had always fought for independence and 
the fighting reached its height at that point in time.

Q. There was no way Mr. Kojima was going to let Liquid die there...but 
how in the hell did Liquid survive the Hind crash?

A. When your finished fighting the Hind and you go down to fight Sniper 
Wolf, take out your scope and look to the right. Somewhere in the tree's 
is a parachute (Thanks to Eric Mendoza for the heads up)

Q. If Vulcan Raven could see into the future wouldn't he have seen that 
Snake would defeat him? Why did he bother fighting then?

A. Raven is established very early as an honorable fighter. He is 
simular to Ninja in a way- he doesn't care about the outcome, he just 
wants to fight. He enjoys the battle ("violence isn't a sport!")

Q. How come Otacon wasn't affected by FOXDIE?

A. Because the Pentagon didn't forsee Snake running into him, so they 
didn't include Emmerich in its "programming"

Q. Did someone actually ask these questions?

A. Some of them! SEND ME IN SOME QUESTIONS TO ANSWER!! YOU DON'T EVEN 
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE 'FREQUENTLY' BIT FOR THE TIME BEING...


                      ----========  5  ========---- 

                ***METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY***


Q. When's it coming out? 

A. "Winter" in America. The friendly staff down at my Local EB give it a 
November 30 Australian release date.

Q. Whats going to happen?

A. Do you want to be any more general with your question? The recent 
footage from IGN has already made me conclude its going to take me a 
LOOONNNGGG time to get this plot down. If I get an ulcer you know why.

      MORE INFORMATION TO COME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!! STAY TUNED.

                    ----========  6  ========----

                   CONCLUSION AND CONTACT DETAILS

Any of you with an elementary gaming knowledge would no-doubt be holding 
this in comparison with Thomas Wilde/Dan Birlew's EXCELLENT Resident 
Evil Plot Thesis. One day I hope this thing will be a quarter-way as 
good as theirs but that is unlikely. A big thanks go out to Thomas for 
letting me essentially "rip off" the plot thesis idea from him.

And thanks to all those giving this document a shot. I hope it was as 
enjoyable for you to read as it was for me to write...

	I have no doubt, this being my first posting of the document, that 
I have made somekind of of error regaring Metal Gear Solid. All I can do 
is just pray for your forgiveness and hope you'll drop me a line and 
POLITELY explain to me if I went wrong anywhere. I'm prepared for ALOT 
of flaming about how I forgot to mention what color that little dot on 
Sniper Wolf's hankerchief is.

	You may have noticed that several sections from the contents are 
not present in ths document- don't worry. I've spent several months 
working on this and I'm not planning on letting this document die down.
Allow me to repeat myself- THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!! I know 
whats it like to see something you really like but knowing it will never 
be updated- I'm not going to let it happen to this thing. The online 
version of this document is available at:

www.geocities.com/zoobra101/Metal_Gear_Solid.htm

Its also availble in .txt format at:

www.neoseeker.com
www.gamefaqs.com
www.psxcodez.com

 At the moment I'd be happy for anyone with a half-way decent Metal Gear 
website to post this there (However you NEED my permission first or 
you'll be infringing copyright- then al' sue yo' azz!)
 
	At the moment, me being in my final year of highschool, I'm pretty 
damn busy. Whenever I find time I plan to update this document as often 
as I can (And NO. This does NOT mean when Metal Gear Solid 2 comes out I 
will be letting people summarise the game for me. I plan to play the 
game and I'm not going to let it be spoilt for me!!! HA!) As a warning- 
any summary someone wants to "surprise" me with, to save me the effort 
of having to write it up myself, will be instantly deleted (I won't even 
read it) Because I'am GOING to have to read it if I want it posed in 
this document, and if I READ it I will find out what happens in the 
game. I let it happen with Star Wars: Episode 1 and I don't intend to 
let it happen again.

	For the moment Metal Gear Solid is the main game that I will be 
working on detailing. In the future (and when I get a GODDAMN PS2!!!) I 
intend to start work on MGS2.

Anyway- best be to you all. At the moment I can be reached through 
zeobria@hotmail.com with any questions about the game, this thesis or 
myself. Thanks for being here!! 

Grant Morrissey

zeobria@hotmail.com

AKA Oracle at Evil-Online Message Boards

www.geocities.com/zoobra101/Metal_Gear_Solid.htm

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COPYRIGHT 2001. Grant Morrissey.
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