Mei Ling

Mei Ling (美玲, Pinyin: Měi Líng) was a Chinese-American data analyst who served on Solid Snake's radio support team during the Shadow Moses Incident. Afterwards, she joined Philanthropy, an anti-Metal Gear organization, and assisted Snake in secret by providing stolen military equipment. Years later, Mei Ling became Captain of the museum-turned-training vessel USS Missouri, commanding it in battle at the time of Liquid Ocelot's Insurrection.

Early life
Mei Ling became well versed in many forms of literature, familiarizing herself with everything from Shakespeare to Chinese proverbs. She did this to help "keep in touch" with both sides of her heritage, as both her parents were from Guangdong, China, though she herself was born in America and grew up in Chinatown.

Mei Ling had always wanted to be a fighter pilot after she fell in love with jets, watching them in the movies, though she did not want to kill people. After learning that the U.S. Air Force needed pilots to perform battle damage assessments (BDAs), she decided to major in aerial photography and air intelligence at MIT, becoming an expert in her field, and joined the ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps). However, her dreams of becoming a pilot were crushed after she learned that there weren't any pilots who only did BDAs, along with failing an aptitude test, due to her poor vision. Discovering that she was not suited to be an officer, she withdrew from the ROTC program.

While still an undergraduate, Mei Ling worked alongside scientists from the NRO (National Reconnaissance Office) and ENPIC (International Photoanalysis Center) on image processing and satellite-based ELINT (electronic intelligence) and SIGINT (signals intelligence) research. As a specialist in image and data processing, she developed the Codec and Soliton Radar systems, the latter from then-currently existing technology. At some point, Mei Ling heard about the exploits of the legendary soldier Solid Snake.



By the time of the Shadow Moses Incident in 2005, Mei Ling was still actively enrolled at MIT. During said incident, she served as a data analyst on Solid Snake's radio support team, and was placed in charge of recording his mission data. She provided Snake with information on the Codec system and Soliton Radar, as well as offering advice through Chinese proverbs and quotations from Western authors.

During the incident, Mei Ling traced the source of Master Miller's Codec transmissions, revealing that the signal had originated within the base on Shadow Moses. However, her discovery that "Miller" was an enemy imposter came too late, as mission advisor Roy Campbell was unable to warn Snake before the latter unintentionally activated Metal Gear REX. Snake also requested that, as insurance, she create a hard copy of all the Codec transmissions during the mission. Although the incident was ultimately resolved, Mei Ling made a hard copy of all the intelligence she had gathered, concerning the Pentagon conspiracy surrounding the mission, in order to protect Campbell and herself from any political fallout.

Post-Shadow Moses
After 2005, Mei Ling started working for the U.S. Army SSCEN (Soldier Systems Center), a research and development center for the U.S. military.

In 2007, she helped out the anti-Metal Gear NGO Philanthropy, illegally appropriating equipment from the SSCEN. During one of these instances involving Natik flashware, Snake told Otacon to tell Mei Ling to quit, as the military would find out sooner or later. Because she was busy during the Tanker Incident, Mei Ling left Otacon a cheat sheet for deciphering Chinese proverbs every time Snake wanted to save (although Snake admitted that he didn't miss her). However, this plan backfired as Otacon had "mislaid" the cheat sheet and kept misinterpreting the translations, leaving an annoyed Mei Ling to correct one of the proverbs for Snake.

Post-Big Shell
After 2009, Mei Ling lost her position as a military researcher. She eventually joined the Navy, where she was presented with the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, the second Navy "E" Medal, the Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal, and one other medal.



In 2014, Mei Ling became the commanding officer of the museum-turned-training vessel Battleship USS Missouri, with her promotion to Captain being rumored to have been the result of her catching the eye of a lecherous admiral.

Mei Ling continued to aid Snake and Otacon through the procurement of satellite imagery, providing the location of Liquid Ocelot's facility in South America. After Liquid hijacked the Sons of the Patriots battlefield control system, she provided confirmation that he had returned to Shadow Moses Island, using data from Metal Gear Mk. II prior to its destruction. Mei Ling later had the Missouri journey to the island itself, arriving just in time to save Snake and Raiden from being crushed to death by Liquid's Outer Haven, and driving off the submersible warship with her ship's gunfire. She provided Snake and Otacon with backup during the subsequent assault on Haven at the Bering Sea. Shortly after Snake managed to destroy Haven 's on-board AI, GW, she ordered the surrender of any resisting Haven forces on the Missouri.

Afterwards, Mei Ling served as a bridesmaid at Johnny Sasaki and Meryl Silverburgh's wedding. Prior to the ceremony, she became tearful after witnessing Meryl's reconciliation with her estranged father, Roy Campbell. She later ended up losing the bouquet toss to Drebin's pet monkey, Little Gray, much to her chagrin.

Equipment developed (as of 2005)

 * Codec
 * Soliton Radar

Character
According to Yoji Shinkawa, Mei Ling (Romaji: Mei Rin) was originally designed after the likeness of Japanese actress Shinobu Nakayama. In the original Japanese version of Metal Gear Solid, Mei Ling only quoted Chinese proverbs. Western quotes were added in the English version due to a decision between Hideo Kojima and translator Jeremy Blaustein.

The Metal Gear Solid Official Mission Handbook states that Mei Ling joined the ROTC, and later worked alongside the NRO and ENPIC, while still an undergraduate. This is not mentioned in Metal Gear Solid or Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, but was later given in the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database.

Mei Ling makes a voice-only cameo in Metal Gear Solid 2; if the player saves the game numerous times during the Tanker chapter, Mei Ling corrects a proverb that Otacon cannot seem to interpret. In the same scene, she also gets angry at Otacon for not using the cheat sheet that she gave him in regards to deciphering Chinese proverbs.

Mei Ling also has a minor role in the non-canonical Snake Tales story "External Gazer," where she submitted reported citings of the Gurlugon, and in the ending, the Genola.

In the English versions of Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2, Mei Ling speaks with a Chinese accent. In The Twin Snakes, she speaks with an American accent, which is retained in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Metal Gear Solid 4 assistant producer Ryan Payton explained his decision to remove Mei Ling's Chinese accent, saying that it contradicted the "true fiction" that Mei Ling is American born and that the accent in the original Metal Gear Solid was a mistake.

Other appearances
Mei Ling also appears in the Game Boy Color game, Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (known as Metal Gear Solid internationally). She serves the same role as she did in Metal Gear Solid, being in charge of saving Snake's mission data, and even reads him proverbs after he saves.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mei Ling can be contacted while playing as Snake, using his Codec taunt. If the player contacts Mei Ling while fighting Pikachu, she will ask Snake to capture it for her. Keeping true to her character, she will also mention several Chinese proverbs in the case of opponents such as Captain Olimar, the Ice Climbers and so forth, with Snake doubting that they are actually proverbs. She is also usable as a sticker, which grants the player an increase of arm and leg attacks by 3.

When playing Metal Gear Online, Mei Ling had a unique quote (when the player types in &lt;UNI01&gt;). She states a famous Shakespeare quote: "...the tongues of dying men enforce attention like deep harmony. Where words are spent, they are seldom spent in vain." In addition, she was also a playable character of sorts in the MEME expansion. Although she herself had a limited array of weaponry that restricted her to handguns, she was capable of using the Soliton Radar to spot enemies hiding behind areas, and then supply the information via SOP. She couldn't use CQC, but could charm nearby enemies with her "Salute" ability. In addition, because of her status as the captain of the USS Missouri in the main game, she was also capable of launching a missile strike on enemies from the USS Missouri on an area that she designated. Her cap was also a bonus head equipment for a character. If tranquilized, she'd sometimes says "I... just can't stop..."

In Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Mei Ling makes a cameo appearance as a poster mounted inside a cargo truck. In addition, the Soliton Radar can be developed in the game despite predating its debut appearance in Metal Gear Solid.

Mei Ling also appears in Versus Battle.

"STRENGTHS: Smart, Hot, Commands USS Missouri WEAKNESSES: Lacks 20/20 Vision & Killer Instinct FEATURED FACT: An expert intelligence analyst, Mei Ling supported Snake on multiple key missions, from Shadow Moses to the Big Shell FEATURED GAME: METAL GEAR SOLID: THE LEGACY COLLECTION"

- Mei Ling's bio on Versus Battle

Appearances

 * Metal Gear Solid
 * Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions (non-canon)
 * Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (non-canon)
 * Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (mentioned and voice)
 * Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (Snake Tales; non-canon)
 * Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
 * Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
 * Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (poster cameo; non-canon)
 * Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops (trading card)