Metal Gear Solid radio conversations

This article is a list of optional Codec conversations in Metal Gear Solid as well as its remake Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, which can be either humorous, or contain additional information that is not revealed during normal gameplay.

NBC warfare troops
Meryl: Dr. Emmerich should be in the laboratory area in the 2nd-floor basement. Heavy-arms fire in that area is strictly prohibited. An explosion could cause nuclear material to leak from one of more of the warheads, and that would be a very serious problem. Please be careful.

Snake: It looks like they're equipped with gas masks.

Meryl: That's because they are not supposed to use heavy arms.

Snake: Ah. You mean they use chemical weapons, instead.

Why the lab was gassed
Meryl: Dr. Emmerich is probably being held in his lab in the northeast part of that floor. They've flooded the area with gas to prevent him from escaping. But there should be a gas mask on that floor too. If you use it, you'll be able to make it through easily.

Holes in the walls
Snake: Meryl, what are these holes in the walls for?

Meryl: That's an air cleaner for blowing tiny particles of dust off people's bodies before they enter the lab.

Cardboard Box
Meryl: A cardboard box? I heard stories from my uncle, but I always though he was pulling my leg...I...I've got no comment.

More information on the stealth nuke
To get this conversation, contact Otacon after he reveals what REX is fully capable of

Snake: How about it? Did you find the override system file?

Otacon: Not yet. I need a little more time. Well, I found lots of information about that new nuclear weapon... There are 4 stages involved in launching a ballistic missile. The first one is the Boost Stage. It starts at the point the missile is launched and ends after all the rocket fuel is burned and the missile is propelled into the exosphere. The next stage is the Post-Boost Stage. It starts after all the fuel is burned and ends after the re-entry vehicle is ejected. Next is the Intermediate Course Stage. It takes place after the re-entry vehicle is ejected and lasts until the missile enters the exosphere. Then comes the Final Stage. It starts when the re-entry vehicle enters the exosphere and it lasts until it reaches its ultimate target on the ground. Missile defense systems use military satellites to detect rocket emissions during the initial Boost Stage of a missile. But this new nuclear weapon employs the rail gun's ability to fire projectiles at ultra-high velocities, instead of using a rocket. That's why it can't be detected by today's missile defense systems! And on top of that, the re-entry vehicle also uses Stealth technology... It's so accurate that its fifty percent zone comes close to 50 meters. That's as good as the best ICBM.

Snake: A highly accurate, undetectable, uninterceptable nuclear weapon. We wouldn't even be able to tell where it came from...

Otacon: And that's not all. A standard ballistic missile uses a 2-stage or a 3-stage solid fuel rocket for its propulsion system. Besides costing lots of money, safely maintaining the solid rocket fuel and readying the missile for launch requires a lot of work. But a railgun-launched nuclear warhead avoids all of those problems. And it's cheap too.

Snake: It's the perfect nuke. A general's dream...

Otacon: And the world's nightmare.

REX's joint development
To get this conversation, contact Otacon after Otacon reports on ArmsTech's reason for undergoing the REX project.

Snake: Did you find the file for the override system?

Otacon: Just wait a little longer. I found out a lot about the arms industry though... After the Cold War ended, the United States slashed its defense budget by more than 15%. Naturally, the arms industry was severely affected. It resulted in an orgy of mergers and acquisitions. Some of the big arms conglomerates today are made up of what 10 years ago would have been 20 or more smaller arms companies. ArmsTech is one of those. But we lost our bid to produce the US Air Force's next line of fighter jets. Then we took a stab at civilian applications, but that was a failure too. The company was about to go belly up. Ironically, the Defense Department was in pretty much the same situation. Thanks to big budget cuts, they were forced to turn to the private sector to help fund their weapons development. On top of that, the government began to actively export their advanced weapons technology to the private sector in order to maintain a high standard of quality in the country's defense armaments. Eventually they decided on a joint development project for new weapon systems between the DOD and the private sector. And since both sides were in such bad financial shape, that's where all the backscratching came in. So there was another reason for the joint development of Metal Gear, huh. It wasn't just President Baker trying to keep ArmsTech afloat...

Enemies off screen
To initiate this conversation, call Campbell after being attacked on the communications towers' connecting bridge.

Naomi: Snake, you're under attack from off screen.

Snake: What should I do?

Campbell: First find out where the enemy is. Use your binoculars, then use your sniper rifle or something with a longer range than an ordinary weapon.

Last option
Roy Campbell: Destroy Metal Gear! We're out of time! If you can't do it, I'll have to resort to my last option.

Snake: Last option?

Roy Campbell: We have a submarine prepared to deliver a full nuclear strike on the base.

Snake: What the hell!?

Hurry to the second floor basement
Naomi: Snake, Psycho Mantis has the power to read people's minds. He got the DARPA chief's detonation code. Hurry up or he'll get Baker's code too...

Roy Campbell: That's right. If the terrorists get Baker's code, they'll be able to launch that nuke anytime they want.

Snake: Yeah, they'll use Metal Gear to do it... Colonel, did you know they were conducting a military excercise here using Metal Gear?

Roy Campbell: ...I didn't know.

Snake: Really?

Roy Campbell: Snake, you've got to understand. I'm just the middleman in this operation. Anyway, hurry up and get to the 2nd-floor basement! You've got to save the ArmsTech president before the terrorists find out his code.

Ocelot
Roy Campbell: If you've got a question about FOXHOUND, ask Dr. Naomi.

Naomi Hunter: Revolver Ocelot is a former member of Spetsnaz. Afrer the fall of the Soviet Union, he apparently served in the Russian Tax Police's elite SWAT team. After that, he joined the SVR, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Agency, which was formerly a part of the KGB. But according to my sources, he was dissatisfied with the rigid system of the KGB and wanted to get out. That's when he was recruited by FOXHOUND. He's a gun fanatic totally obsessed with cowboy movies and spaghetti westerns. And he has a well-known taste for torture--when he was with Spetsnaz, he served as a special torture advisor in the concentration camps.

Roy Campbell: Yeah, he had plenty of practice. The Lubianka Prison is located right there inside KGB headquarters. In a gunfight, reloading is usually the most dangerous time. But he loves it. Use that to your advantage. You'll have to take him out when he's reloading. Can you see where his number of remaining bullets is displayed on the screen? Wait for the right moment and then take him out!

Alaska's weather
Master Miller: The weather in Alaska is very hard to predict. It can change on a dime. A lot of people say it's the worst weather in the world.

Wait after a meal
Master Miller: It's never a good idea to fight on too full a stumach. It'll make you groggy...maybe even sleepy. You should wait thirty minutes after eating before you play.

Target
Master Miller: Where I come from, a soldier who loses his head in combat is called a "target."

Reaction speed
Master Miller: People's reaction speed is slowest around three o'clock in the morning, and so is their judgment. If you're feeling drowsy, you should get some sleep.

Bodily functions
Master Miller: It's also important to be able to control your bodily functions. You never know when a long demo is about to begin, so make sure you're prepared to sit in front of the monitor for a long time if necessary.

Rations
Master Miller: Military rations place an emphasis on calories. That's why it's best to use them along with some other type of nutritional supplement such as vitamins or minerals.

Sleep
Master Miller: Soldiers who have learned their trade in the heat of real combat know how to sleep whenever and wherever they can. There's a big difference between them and the kids who have only been exposed to VR-simulation training. After playing for a long time, you should get some rest too.

The mind
Master Miller: Snake, you've got to think. Your mind is your most dangerous wapon. If things are getting too complicated, try to simplify your thoughts. You can also try calling Campbell for advice.

Gun velocity
Master Miller: The muzzle velocity of a bullet fired from a revolver is slower than one fired from an automatic. That's bad for you. The slower a gun's muzzle velocity, the more damage it does. That's 'cause the bullet will tend to lodge in the body instead of going right through. Those kinds of wounds take a long time to heal. Sometimes they never do. I think that's part of the reason he likes that gun. He's a real sick puppy, that Ocelot... The biggest drawback to a revolver is the reload time. That's your chance!

Cardboard Box
Master Miller: A cardboard box, huh. Just like Zanzibar Land.

Snake: It saved my skin more than a few times in Outer Heaven, too.

Master Miller: Getting the maximum use of ordinary on-hand objects is the first principle of survival. It's especially important for covert operations.

Snake: I haven't forgotten what you taught me.

Suspicious deaths
Master Miller: First the DARPA chief and then President Baker die of a heart attack?

Snake: Yeah. Smells pretty rotten to me. Master, do you know anything?

Master Miller: No... But there's definitely something going on. Keep your eyes open out there.

Sixth Sense
Master Miller: People who have been through war and survived develop a kind of sixth sense to warn them of danger. Trust your instincts as a soldier... As a gamer...

Split-second
Master Miller: In war, a split second can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Don't ever hesitate. The slower you react, the greater the chance that you'll be beaten.

Inner voice
Master Miller: That inner voice that warns you when danger is nearby... You can't learn that in training. You've got to have survived a few firefights...seen a few friends blown away...before you learn that trick.

Hiding
Master Miller: When you're trying to hide, avoid places that look like the enemy might search. Think about how your enemy is going to move and then sneak in there. It doesn't matter how smart you are, just use your head out there.

Divide and conquer
Master Miller: Snake, divide and conquer. Try to take your enemies on one at a time.

Nuclear storage estimate
To get this conversation, contact Nastasha Romanenko a few times while in the Tank Hangar.

Nastasha Romanenko: Over 200 tons of plutonium and over 1,000 tons of high-grade uranium have been removed from nuclear weapons so far. And on top of that, nuclear reactors all over the world continue to produce and leak spent nuclear fuel. According to one estimate, as of the year 2005, America alone was storing over 50,000 tons of nuclear material. There is no room left in our nuclear material storage sites. That is why we need nuclear weapons disposal facilities.

Shadow Moses Island facility history
Nastasha Romanenko: The nuclear weapons disposal facility on Shadow Moses Island was built at the beginning of this century. It was made only to temporarily store the nuclear warheads.

Snake: Why? If they wanted to dispose of them, why wouldn't they just dismantle them right away? Nastasha Romanenko: They cannot do that. You see, when you dismantle a warhead, you still have nuclear materials that must be stored. At this point, all of the nuclear material storage facilities are way past capacity. But they could not stop dismantling weapons while at the same time pushing START-2...

Snake: So, you're telling me that this base was built so they could temporarily avoid being in conflict with START-2?

Nastasha Romanenko: Most people think that we live in a safer world now. But with all the dismantled nuclear weapons and waste around, the threat of nuclear terrorism has increased tremendously.

Snake: Ironic, isn't it?

Warhead dismantling
Nastasha Romanenko: The warheads are supposed to be dismantled at Pantex or some other dismantling facility, but there are limits to how many warheads they can process. We just don't have the capabilities to dismantle all the warheads that are out there.

START-2
Nastasha Romanenko: After the START-2 Accord was signed on January 3, 1993, Russia and the U.S. reduced their strategic nuclear warheads to between 3,000 and 3,500 warheads each. They completely dismantled all of the ICBMs which contained MIRVs (multiple independently targeted reentry vehicles). As a result of that, there are over 15,000 dismantled nuclear warheads waiting to be disposed of.

Nuclear Deterrence
Nastasha Romanenko: As long as the strategy of nuclear deterrence continues, nuclear weapons may be reduced, but they will never be eliminated. If you think about it, nuclear reduction does not mean much without elimination as the ultimate goal. I used to work in the DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency), I figured the only way to achieve nuclear elimination was to work from the inside to convince them of the ineffectiveness of the deterrence theory.

Snake: Seems like you're pretty focused on that issue.

Nastasha Romenenko: ...Victims of nuclear radiation are a sad thing to see...and I have seen a lot of it. ...I have seen more than enough of it...

Snake: ?

Nastasha Romanenko: I was born and raised in Prypiat, Ukraine. I was ten years old on that day...April 26, 1986.

Snake: You don't mean...

Nastasha Romanenko: Yes. Chernobyl. That is the day that changed my life and thousands of other lives. I lived just three kilometers north of there.

Snake: .........

Nastasha Romanenko: 600,000 to 700,000 people were evacuated. Over 650,000 children suffered the effects of radiation poisoning. Between 1986 abd 1993, 12,000 children died... My parents, and many others like them who helped in the cleanup, died a few years later from radiation sickness. We must rid this world of all nuclear weapons...before they cause more misery. Before they destroy the delicate environment that keeps us alive. I will not allow this pain and anxiety to pass on to yet another generation.

Metal Gear and PAL system
To initiate this conversation, contact Nastasha Romanenko after the "DARPA Chief's" death and aiding the female soldier.

Nastasha Romanenko: They were conducting exercisess with this new Metal Gear prototype. Is that what the DARPA chief said?

Snake: Yeah.

Nastasha Romanenko: What the hell!?

Snake: So you know about Metal Gear?

Nastasha Romanenko: Just rumors. I heard it is some kind of walking tank that can deliver an accurate nuclear strike from any terrain... Mountains, deserts, swamps...wherever. But you are the real expert on Metal Gear, aren't you, Snake?

Snake: Yeah, I guess I am. But what about the PAL system that the DARPA chief mentioned?

Nastasha Romanenko: It is a device attached to a nuclear-weapon system to prevent the missile from being armed or launched. Usually a secret detonation code or combination is necessary to launch the missile. According to the chief, there are two codes, and the terrorists already know one of them. The other code... if the terrorists find out about that one too...

Snake: Yeah... I've got to hurry and rescue President Baker...

PAL definition
Nastasha Romanenko: PAL stands for "permissive action link." It's a safety system attached to nuclear-missile systems. The missile cannot be fired without the insertion of a special electronic code. But if the terrorists have found out the detonation codes, they can launch the missile anytime they want.

PAL destruction
Snake: Is it possible to destroy the PAL system so that the missile can be fired even without inserting the detonation code?

Nastasha Romanenko: I do not believe so. It is set up so that the warhead will become automatically inactive if any attempt is made to remove, deactivate, or destroy the PAL.

Snake: So unless the terrorists either learn the detonation codes or get their hands on the detonation-code override keys, there's no way they can launch...

Nastasha Romanenko: Don't be too sure. Any system can contain bugs or malfunctions. We cannot relax yet.

Metal Gear history
Nastasha Romanenko: I do not know much about Metal Gear. Just the little I have heard. I know it appeared in Outer Heaven in 1995 and then again in Zanzibar Land in 1999... Both were Third World countries led by military regimes. They secrety developed Metal Gear to increase their military and political power throughout the world. But both were stopped by a lone hero... You, Solid Snake.

Snake: ......... That was a long time ago...

Metal Gear capabilities
Nastasha Romanenko: All the ICBM silos are closely monitored by military satellites. SLBM-equipped submarines can move secretly, but naturally they are limited to launching from the water. Finally, there are ALBMs which can be launched from aircraft. They allow for excellent mobility, but they are somewhat unreliable... Metal Gear was developed to solve all those problems. It can move freely over any terrain and independently launch a nuclear missile at any target in the world. It completely changes the nature of the strategic-arms race and destroys the delicate nuclear balance... It is a weapon to be feared, believe me.

Metal Gear development
Nastasha Romanenko: The development of Metal Gear is a cynical attempt to consolidate and increase our military dominance while at the same time maintaining the pretense of disarming ourselves. Now that the SLCM zero option, allowing for the sneak inspections of submarines in international waters, has been concluded, the value of submarines as strategic weapons has greatly diminished. With Metal Gear, governments of the world will be able to avoid this type of inspection and, at the same time, stay in compliance with international nuclear treaties.

Three nuclear elements
Nastasha Romanenko: It is just like Baker said. We are facing increasing danger from stored nuclear materials. You see, there are three elements necessary in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Nuclear materials, nuclear engineers, and manufacturing technology. All three of them can easily be acquired by either legal or illegal means. If you have enough money, that is.

Nuclear engineers
Nastasha Romanenko: They say that there are 500,000 nuclear engineers in the world. But after the end of the Cold War, the demand for nuclear engineers dropped precipitously. In the Eastern Block countries, in particular, there is a tremendous brain drain. They cannot keep their scientists in the country, and each year more and more nuclear engineers go to work for the highest bidder.

MUF
Nastasha Romanenko: Just like Baker said, each year there are more and more cases of MUF coming from the nuclear material storage facilities. That stands for "Material Unaccounted For." It means that someone is stealing nuclear materials and probably selling them on the black market.

Bomb-sized nukes
Nastasha Romanenko: After the fall of the Soviet Union, the nuclear management program fell to pieces. In the late 1990s, there were rumors that nearly a hundred Suitcase-sized nuclear bombs mysteriously disappeared from the Soviet arsenal. We still do not know whether it is true or not, but it is possible that they fell into the hands of terrorists...

A "Strong America"
Nastasha Romanenko: Both the DARPA chief and President Baker still embrace the ideal of a "Strong America." They are enthusiastic advocates of the nuclear-deterrence policy. The idea behind a nuclear standoff is that both countries would be too afraid to use a nuclear weapon for fear of a nuclear reprisal. In other words, the only thing preventing a country from totally devastating another country with nuclear weapons is the fear of a nuclear counterstrike. Those two probably feel that Metal Gear will further promote that security...

The need for a counterstrike threat
Nastasha Romanenko: The conservatives believe that as long as other countries have nuclear capability, they must maintain a credible deterrent. They are therefore opposed to the elimination of nuclear weapons. And with each new country that acquires nuclear capabilities, the need for maintaining that counterstrike threat increases. As long as the nuclear-deterrent policy continues, we'll never be rid of nuclear weapons...

Nuclear Deterrence
Nastasha Romanenko: The theory of nuclear deterrence was born during the Cold War, at a time of great suspicion between the U.S. and the USSR. The great gulf between the ideologies of East and West caused a dramatic escalation in the arms race. And this escalation of the arms race in turn fueled mutual distrust and fear between the world's two great superpowers. The last half of the twentieth century was shaped by the policy of nuclear deterrence. But the world has changed. The Cold War has ended, and we are now living in a world where small, regional conflicts are breaking out all over. Things are not so simple anymore, and the policy of nuclear deterrence is obsolete. Most of these regional conflicts are the result of age-old enmities between different ethnic groups and religions. In those cases, the hatred often runs so deep that rationality is thrown out the window. For people such as them, the fear of a counterstrike often means little, and that is why the nuclear-deterrence policy has lost much of its efficacy. A nuclear standoff is not a sufficient deterrent in the current world climate.

Grenades
To receive this conversation, contact Nastasha Romanenko while holding the grenades

Nastasha Romanenko: I see you found the grenades. Antipersonnel hand grenades. They produce a burst of shrapnel on detonation. Explosive power is provided by Composition B, consisting of a mixture of 40% TNT and 60% RDX. Needless to say, you do not want to stand too close when one detonates.

Chaff Grenades
Nastasha Romanenko: That is a chaff grenade. It is a special grenade that dispenses thin, narrow metallic strips of various lengths and frequency responses. It can also confuse electronic equipment. It will be useful against machines, which depend upon electronic sensors. Naturally, for it to be effective, you must use it before you are attacked. If you are expecting an attack, spread the chaff beforehand.

C4
Nastasha Romanenko: That is C4 explosive. A plastic explosive with a texture similar to clay, so you can shape it in almost any way you want. Although it has 1.4 times the destructive power of dynamite, it is highly stable and will not explode without a detonating device, even if it is shot, burned, or beaten. You are using a wireless detonator. The detonator is equipped with a scrambler so you don't have to worry about interference from any other radio source. Make sure you are sufficiently far enough away when it goes off. Also, as you know, the sound of the explosive will alert your enemies, so be careful.

SOCOM
Nastasha Romanenko: Good! You found a SOCOM. That's a Special Operations Command pistol. It's a .45 caliber pistol with plenty of stopping power. It's also equipped with a LAM (Laser Aiming Module) for nighttime combat. If you find a SOCOM suppressor, you can equip that, too. That pistol was designed specifically for use by special forces, so I think it will be useful. Some people find it a little heavy and hard to use, but it shouldn't be a problem for you.

Cigarettes
Nastasha Romanenko: Nuclear weapons, nuclear reactors, hazardous waste... We're constantly being exposed to plutonium and other radioactive materials. Compared to that, smoking seems not so bad, huh?

Single Action Army
Nastasha Romanenko: He's using a Single Action Army? The first model of that gun was made in 1873...over 130 years ago. Today they're still being made in small numbers, but that's just for collectors and such. Nobody uses them in combat anymore... Biggest drawback to revolver style handguns is the reload time. That's your chance.

Cardboard Box
Nastasha Romanenko: A cardboard box. A cardboard box usually consists of a thin pasteboard with a corrugated paper center. They are usually made of recycled paper. It was first invented in Europe over one hundred years ago. It was originally used to absorb one's sweat when wearing hats. With the same amount of wood to make one wooden box, you can make six or seven cardboard boxes. And since it's recyclable, it's highly economical. In addition, it is strong and easy to store. That is why it is widely used for packing.

SOCOM suppressor
Nastasha Romanenko: Good. You found a suppressor for the SOCOM pistol. If you equip that, you won't have to worry about being noticed by the enemy when you fire. It will greatly reduce the sound and flash from your muzzle. It uses a multilayered chamber to lower the velocity of the gas emissions and thus reduce the sund and flash when you fire your weapon. The suppressor is narrow enough so you can still use the gun's original sight even when it is equipped. It shouldn't change the feel when you fire it.