| This article is about the briefing file cassette tapes from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. You may be looking for radio conversations initiated during missions, or debriefings that follow mission or objective completion. |
In Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, the player can access briefing files that will give expanded details on events and character backgrounds, as well as give some information on various missions. Below is a transcript of all of the briefing files.
About This Mission[]
Miller[]
Make Contact with the FSLN Commandante[]
Kazuhira Miller: Going by this map, you've got a lot of different terrain types between you and the hut where the Sandinista comandante's being held.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Looks that way, doesn't it. Starting with jungle.
Miller: The enemy won't be able to see you very well, but your visibility won't be so hot either. Stay alert. Next you've got the swamps around the river. Make sure you get a good feel for how robust surveillance is before diving in.
Snake: Will do.
Miller: Finally, there's the boat repair cabin - the comandante's in there. It's a key enemy outpost, and security is going to be tight. You may have to let brute force do the talking. You still have a long way to go, Snake. Use caution, and don't make a racket out there. Got it?
Tracking Amanda[]
Kazuhira Miller: To get to your next objective, you'll need to backtrack along the way you came for a bit. Don't get too comfortable just because you know the terrain. The enemy knows you're out there now. They'll be out in greater force than before. Proceed with caution. Refrain from using firearms unless absolutely necessary.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Looks like I'll have to cross the river.
Miller: Yeah, there's a suspension bridge you can use. It's the only way across. You'll have to be a little creative to keep from being spotted.
Snake: So I cross the bridge, go through the swamp.... and come to a banana plantation.
Miller: Complete with its own factory by the looks of it. It's going to feel a lot different moving through that area compared to the forest. Stay on your toes.
Snake: Got it.
Miller: Also, you may encounter Sandinista prisoners along the way. Try to save as many as you can with Fulton recovery.
Snake: I'll keep an eye out.
C4[]
Kazuhira Miller: To destroy the barricade north of the village, you'll need Composition 4 explosive. You've handled C4 before, right, Snake?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Yeah. I've been a regular user since the days of C3.
Miller: C3... oh, yeah, I remember. That stuff got brittle and useless in cold temperatures, so they upgraded. C4's a moldable plastic explosive. It's very stable and won't explode without a special detonator. Light it on fire and all it does is burn.
Snake: A lot of American soldiers in Vietnam used to use it as fuel.
Miller: Place it near the barricade and move it to a safe location, then hit the detonator button to blow it up.
Snake: I'm on it.
Basilisco[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Those giant footprints near the terminal... What do you think they were, Kaz?
Kazuhira Miller: It beats me... They're way too big, even for an elephant. Made me think of that basilisco Chico was talking about.
Snake: Hope it's not for real...
Miller: Same here. If they really do have that kind of weapon... we could be dealing with a basilisk in more than just looks.
Snake: What do you mean?
Miller: There's a medieval encyclopedia that describes the basilisk like this: "The basilisk is the king of snakes. All snakes fear the basilisk and flee at its sight..." "Lest they be slain by its foul breath."
Snake: A snake to take out a snake, huh?
Miller: I don't mean to scare you or anything... but it never hurts to be careful.
Snake: Will do.
AI Weapon Parts[]
Kazuhira Miller: Apparently each part of an AI weapon is connected to a memory board inside the AI pod. Destroying a part will release the lock on the memory board. After that, climb in the pod and you'll be able to grab whichever boards you've unlocked. Only thing is, any parts you destroy can't be collected and reused, so you'll have to decide which is more important.
To the Command Tower![]
Kazuhira Miller: Damn, that base is even more heavily guarded than Amanda's men said it would be...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): No kidding. It's gonna be tough to crack without some serious hardware.
Miller: You may end up having to fight fire with fire, so be ready to use force if necessary. Take as many weapons and items as you can carry. The more protection you have, the better.
Snake: Roger. I'll keep that in mind when I pick my suit.
Miller: I'll meet up with you ASAP, Snake. Hang tight for just a little while longer.
Snake: You got it.
Target Practice / Puerto del Alba[]
Kazuhira Miller: Right now there don't appear to be any enemy soldiers in the area. Relax and concentrate on your target practice. And don't forget to look for targets in the shadows near the crates and forklifts. These are medium-range targets. You may want to consider taking something like an assault rifle with you. But I'll leave that up to you. Use whatever weapon you want to get some practice.
Target Practice / Rio del Jade[]
Kazuhira Miller: We've already taken care of the enemy soldiers in there. It should be deserted. All you need to do is focus on hitting those targets. It's geared towards long-range target practice. You should think about bringing something like a sniper rifle. Then again, nothing's stopping you from giving it a shot with a handgun, either.
Target Practice / Aldea de los Despiertos[]
Kazuhira Miller: We've cleared this prison out already. No enemies to worry about in there. I'm thinking you could use these twisty streets for urban combat training. This would be the perfect place to practice with throwing weapons. What do you think?
Target Practice / US Missile Base[]
Kazuhira Miller: No sign of the enemy in there. You should be clear to focus on training. Some of the targets might be a little hard to spot, but keep at it - they're out there somewhere. This is a medium-range area. Good for whatever weapon you want to practice with. Aim quick, and aim true.
Target Practice / Mining Barracks[]
Kazuhira Miller: The enemy presence in these barracks has been neutralized. It's all yours now for target practice. The key to hitting all the targets within the time limit is cutting down on movement time. Some of them you may find easiest to hit from a sniping position up on the roof. Not that it wouldn't be an effective way to train with other weapons, too.
Fulton Recovert Mission[]
Kazuhira Miller: As you're probably aware, this is a Fulton recovery mission. Be careful you don't shoot and kill any prisoners by accident. And don't forget to take the recovery kit with you. I'd suggest arming yourself with a tranquilizer gun just to be safe - so you don't kill any prisoners.
Destroy the Transport Truck[]
Kazuhira Miller: It's going to take more than small arms fire to take down a truck. Some kind of rocket's your best bet. Another tactic to try would be setting off an explosion from afar. You could also call in a support strike, if you can manage to tag them with a marker...
Sweep-and-destroy[]
Kazuhira Miller: This is a sweep-and-destroy mission, not a sneaking mission. Don't think you're going to slip through this one unnoticed. You will fight. Forget about the camo index. What's more important is choosing gear that offers physical protection. And of course you'll need a big enough arsenal to take care of business. Oh, and don't forget your recovery items, either!
Hold-up[]
Kazuhira Miller: To hold up an enemy, you need to get behind them without being seen. Get close enough without their noticing, point your weapon, and even a trained soldier will reach for the sky. No sense in holding up an enemy only to have his buddies attack you, though. Make sure you get them when they're alone. And be careful you don't shoot them by mistake. Kill a soldier here and you fail the mission.
Base Defense[]
Kazuhira Miller: Alternatively, you could try planting Claymores along the routes they walk. We need you to stop that nuke, Boss. We'll keep you safe no matter what it takes!
Total Stealth[]
Kazuhira Miller: In this mission, you're prohibited from killing any enemy combatants. And if you're spotted even once, you fail. Bottom line: proceed with caution. Stay low to the ground. If there are any enemies nearby, walk slowly and don't make a sound... Another good technique is to hide behind something and use the L button to check out your enemies. And then there's always the classic trick of throwing an empty ammo magazine to distract the enemy. Use your ears as well as your eyes. The Surround Indicator is a handy way to "see" sounds as visual data.
Destroy the Obstacle[]
Kazuhira Miller: You'll be using C4 for demolition. As you might imagine, it's gonna make a big noise when it detonates. For your own safety, make sure you put plenty of distance between yourself and the C4 before detonating it.
One-shot Mission[]
Kazuhira Miller: A real veteran ought to be able to take out multiple enemies with a single bullet. Not by shooting them, but by using it to set off an explosion. Find something flammable, like a gasoline drum or an unmanned weapon with a fuel tank... Then shoot it and blow it up. And make sure it takes a few enemies with it!
Pooyan mission[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So all I have to do here is shoot down the Fulton recovery balloons, right?
Kazuhira Miller: Right. And don't shoot the soldier dangling underneath by mistake. I'd go with the sniper rifle, but really, any weapon would work as long as you aim carefully.
Snake: Balloon popping... heh.
Miller: You might get more balloons if you do this one as a CO-OPS. The, uh... ha, ha... sky's the limit. Look at it this way - it'd get real depressing real quickly if every single mission were a bloodbath. It's good to have a nice, relaxing challenge like this once in a while, you know? And c'mon, don't those Fulton balloons look tasty? Like big, juicy, floating pigs...
Snake: ...Yeah, sure, whatever. So this is called a "Pooyan mission." What's that supposed to mean?
Miller: When I was a kid, my neighbors had a pet pig they called Pooyan. Every time I see a Fulton balloon, it reminds me of that litle [sp?] porker.
Snake: OK, but the objective here is to pop those balloons, right? Doesn't sound like a good idea getting emotionally attached...
Snake: Good point. Man, if only those were real pigs dangling from the balloons... Now wouldn't that be something...
Missile Interception[]
Kazuhira Miller: It'll take more than one missile to sink Mother Base, but if we do get hit, we'll obviously need time, manpower, and materials to repair the damage. Do everything you can to keep Mother Base safe. And, ah, at the risk of stating the obvious: if a missile hits you, you're toast. So don't get hit.
Amanda[]
Rescuing Chico[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Amanda, how do I get to the prison camp?
Amanda Valenciano Libre: First head up the narrow mountain path. The path will gradually open up, and you'll come to a fork in the road. Watch yourself up there. You'll be lower than the surrounding terrain, so if you head down the middle you'll make for an easy target.
Snake: Thanks for the heads-up.
Amanda: Take the leftward path to reach the prison camp.
Prison Camp[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What can you tell me about the prison camp?
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Well, it used to be a village - until they took control of it. It is a maze of paths, so watch out for soldiers on patrol.
Snake: I'll be sure not to stop and say "hi."
Amanda: Use the paths carefully and you should be able to stay out of view.
Snake: Where are they holding Chico?
Amanda: One of the houses, most likely. You can peek through the doors. Just press the Action Button when the Icon appears. You can also listen to any sounds inside for clues.
Snake: Good idea.
Amanda: Guards will still be on the move while you're looking inside. Make sure you don't get caught. And Snake...
Snake: I know. I'll bring him back.
Amanda: Thank you. I know I can count on you.
Chasing the Jungle Train[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Amanda, do you know the way to the rail terminal?
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Remember the locomotive? By the fork in the road before the village?
Snake: Yeah, back in the jungle.
Amanda: Follow the train tracks from there and you'll come to the terminal. But there's a plant along the way.
Snake: Disguised as a coffee factory?
Amanda: ...Yes, it is their drug refining plant. La CIA controls it now. Cutting through there is the shortest way, but it'll be crawling with soldiers. If you want go around...
Snake: No, forget it. If that's the shortest way, that's the way I'll take. Besides, it's one of their bases. It'll be good intel.
Amanda: Very good. A number of the guards at the plant are positioned on high walkways. Be sure to study their movements before you advance.
Snake: Or I could just snipe them first...
Amanda: The plant's layout is another maze, I'm afraid. Stay cool. Make your way out of the plant and you'll arrive at the terminal.
Snake: You know a lot about this place...
Amanda: What are you saying? I've been there before - when the KGB ran it - yes, but it is not as if I enjoyed it.
Snake: No, I just meant you know a lot about how the enemy works.
Amanda: I hope so. Anyway, did you talk to Chico about the terminal?
Snake: He said it's where they transfer the cargo onto the trucks.
Amanda: Meaning the facility is of considerable importance to them. Don't get careless.
Snake: I won't.
Amanda: By the way, I've heard of a shortcut that cuts straight to the coffee factory to the east of the village, but I've never used it myself. Check it out if you're interested.
Snake: Thanks for the tip.
Destroy the Tank![]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: An enemy tank! Is there somewhere you can hide, Boss?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): There are train cars, but they won't hold up against a turret like that.
Amanda: Even a freight train? Incredible!
Snake: But they'd keep me out of sight - temporarily.
Amanda: Use them to look for an opportunity to hit its treads or the fuel tank at the back, but...
Snake: Don't forget about that gun, huh?
Amanda: Or the soldiers. They may try to flank you.
Snake: Right.
Amanda: You can also stop it by taking out all the soldiers. You can do it, Snake!
Destroying the Barricade[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Amanda, do I have to take the fork in the road back to the village?
Amanda Valenciano Libre: People say there is a shortcut. Go back to the coffee factory entrance, then follow the path on the right. That will take you straight to the village. They may have increased security in that area, though.
Snake: Not surprising, after what happened with the tank. What do I do once I'm back at the village?
Amanda: Destroy the barricade at the north side. From there you can reconnect with the transport route.
Snake: Hmm... I'll need C4 for that. The explosion will bring everyone running too. There's probably going to be a fight - one way or the other.
Amanda: They might not see you if you stick to the narrower pathways. Then climb over any obstacles. Don't let your guard down after taking out the barricade, either.
Sneaking into the Crater Base[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Chico says there's a bridge north of the village.
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Yes, a narrow one - for crossing the pipe. On the other side of that is the road the trucks use, though it's collapsed in places.
Snake: I'll have nowhere to run if they spot me.
Amanda: They could be blocking the road, too.
Snake: Is there another way?
Amanda: There is a path along the cliff. After you cross the bridge, there are ruins of a fort on the mountain. Going through there would be a little easier. Once you come to the end of the mountain path, you'll be at the fort.
The Fort[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: That fort was built during the civil war. It seems la CIA's troops are occupying it, now.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): This just gets better and better.
Amanda: They've got gun turrets set up all around, from the looks of it. Attract too much attention and you'll really stir up the hornet's nest.
Snake: Maybe I'll try and find a way around.
Amanda: You could always commandeer one of the turrets - a little target practice, perhaps?
Snake: Just like Krasnogorje.
Amanda: Krasno-what?
Snake: Sorry, just... thinking about old times.
Stop the "Pupa" AI Weapon![]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Watch out! it's el galapago! It reduces its body weight by blasting air underneath it. That makes it a lot faster than any tank. It also has a tight turning radius.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Any weak points?
Amanda: Taking out its boosters could reduce its acceleration... You could also try destroying its machine guns.
Snake: I'll give it a shot.
Amanda: We've lost many compass to that thing. Send it to the scrapyard!
Into the Cloud Forest[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: From here on in you'll be in a cloud forest. The ground is covered in vegetation. You'll have plenty of hiding places, but so will the enemy.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I'll keep an eye out for scouts.
Amanda: Trying to force your way through would be suicide. Know the enemy's location before making any moves. Too bad you don't have some sort of radar.
Snake: I could try night vision.
Amanda: Once you know where an enemy is, decide how you want to handle him. You could get into his blindspots...
Snake: Or drop him from a distance before he even has a clue someone's around. An eye for an eye, right?
Neutralize the Attack Chopper![]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Don't even think about facing a chopper head-on. Guerilla tactics would work well in a place like that. Moving from tree to tree will make it hard to get a fix on you from the air. That's your best chance. Naked Snake (Big Boss): Good thinking, comandante. You clearly know your way around a battlefield. Amanda: Enough, Boss. Time to stop talking and start using your ears. When you're hiding, you won't be able to see the chopper that well. It's important to use sound to get a read on its position. You could also try taking out its tail rotor. That would greatly reduce its mobility. And watch out for ground troops. Snake: Copy that, comandante.
To the Research Lab[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: The paths there are buried in vegetation. Work with nature to conceal yourself, and you'll be much harder to spot.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): A ghillie suit would be perfect here.
Amanda: In any case, take caution when advancing. Don't wear anything that stands out. The ruins are a labyrinth, so try and keep your bearings.
Snake: I can use those walls to stay out of sight.
Amanda: Once a sniper is spotted, he'll move to another location. You shouldn't stick to the same place, either.
Snake: I know. I learned all about that in the Soviet Union.
Amanda: It's not necessarily a good idea to try to engage a sniper in close quarters combat. Finally, once you've found a place to hide don't let them take you from behind.
Snake: Don't worry. No one sneaks up on me.
Find the ID Card![]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Snake, be careful when going through areas you've passed through before. The enemy could be waiting to ambush you. And do you know how to identify the soldier with the ID card?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Yeah, Cecile told me. He's in a forest with some quetzals, wearing an orange jacket.
Amanda: He'll be from the lab. Probably out on patrol. Do a body check to see if he's got the card.
Stop the "Chrysalis" AI Weapon![]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: El colibri may be powerful, but he can be defeated. Looks like you have a lot of places to hide there. Remember your fight with the other chopper. Guerilla tactics will be key.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Only this one's got a few more aces up its sleeve.
Amanda: Yes. It might try to crush you by taking out the pillars. Also, watch out for the smaller craft that abducted Chico, the chicolibri.
Snake: Chicolibri...
Amanda: It means "son of colibri." If it gets you, you'll just have to wriggle your way out. You might get away if you're lucky.
Snake: I'd rather not have to take that chance.
Amanda: Indeed, that would be best.
Infiltrate the Mine Base[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: I remember those barracks. They're full of criss-crossing pathways so visibility is terrible.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Perfect for sneaking.
Amanda: That may be true, but it will also be easy to lose your fix on where you are. You could end up bumping into enemies when rounding corners, too.
Snake: I'll be careful.
Amanda: You will get a better view on the roof, but naturally you will be more easily spotted, and there are few places to hide. If you're going up there, get a quick lay of the land and then come back down. The soldiers there do not have access to many long-range weapons. Most likely because of the terrain. A sniper rifle could be really advantageous there.
Snake: I'll keep that in mind.
Amanda: Good luck, Snake.
Neutralize the Guards[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Take a look, Snake. That place is as wide open as a soccer stadium. Best to use a long-range weapon you can snipe with.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I can see several exits.
Amanda: Right. Don't get too focused on any one of them.
Snake: Copy that.
Amanda: Go get 'em, Snake!
Stop the "Cocoon" AI Weapon![]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: That is el escarabajo - the beetle. Even we don't know the escarabajo's weaknesses.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): That's not what I wanted to hear.
Amanda: You could try asking that scientist... Huey, right? This is just common sense, but once it fires a missile, it must take time to reload. And moving a machine of that size must require the release of considerable amounts of heat. Another option would be to take out its weapons. Sorry if I wasn't much help.
Snake: No, you've given me some ideas.
Sneaking into the Underground Base[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Wow, you made it all the way to el basilisco's hangar. None of us has ever gone that far. I have no idea what the underground base is like.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Wish I could say the same.
Amanda: It'll most likely be some kind of building, so...
Snake: ...Plenty of places to hide.
Amanda: Right, but security will be extremely tight. Do not forget that the odds are stacked heavily against you.
Snake: Yeah.
Escape the Prison![]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Any word from Snake?
Kazuhira Miller: I can't get through. Strangelove must still have him.
Amanda: No!
Miller: We just have to trust the Boss - and wait.
Amanda: For how long?
Miller: Amanda, you're cute when you're angry, but please, calm down. He's prepared for situations like this.
Amanda: With what? They'll find whatever he has on him.
Miller: No they won't, because this is something a lot more personal than equipment. And Snake would never have gotten rid of it
Fighting Peace Walker[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Be careful, Snake! I have no advice on dealing with el basilisco's attacks. But you may be able to use its size against it. Its movements will probably be just as big, meaning it should give some kind of warning before most of its attacks.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): That's true.
Amanda: It might be good to start out by studying its movements, watching what it does before each attack. That should help you avoid most of them. And weapons that walk always have one guaranteed weakness.
Snake: The legs.
Amanda: Right. Destroy its legs and you'll stop it from moving. You might even be able to knock it on its back if you're lucky. Just make sure you're out of the way first.
Fighting Peace Walker (Round 2)[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Snake, you have to stop the launch! It's going to strike Cuba!
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I know, I know!
Amanda: The situation has changed completely now that it has been upgraded. I don't know if your old tactics will work. But the basic strategy remains the same. Try to anticipate what it's going to do before it does it. So, you probably won't as much time to stand around staring.
Snake: Wasn't counting on it. I'll manage somehow.
Sabotage Missions[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Sabotaging enemy bases is another principle of guerilla warfare. You will need explosives for that, and naturally once they detonate the enemy will know you're there. So you need to make sure you have enough time to get to safety before they go off. Best to plan your escape route before you go and plant the explosives.
Claymore Mines[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Claymores are directional anti-personnel landmines. Their blast radius is approximately 70 vara (60 yd), sending over 700 metal fragments through the air at a 60* angle. But since they're directional, you can simply disarm them from their blind side. Get down low and approach the mine from behind, then deactivate and recover it. To do this, press the Action Button when the icon appears. You can use any unused Claymores you recover. You can also destroy them by shooting them. Just keep your distance or you'll get hit by shrapnel. Best to use a sniper rifle. The only downside is you can forget about using them yourself.
Defending the base[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: The enemy has launched an attack now that they know where our base is. The time for hiding is over. We have no choice but to fight back. Be sure to select equipment that focuses on defensive power rather than camouflage. Who knows how long this all will last, so do not forget the rations. But as we're on the defense, we have the advantage. There's no reason to panic. The enemy will be on the move, so they cannot stay hidden forever. A sniper rifle would be a safe means of slowing their advance - depending on the sniping position, that is. We could also plant mines and C4 along projected movement routes. I do not really like fighting dirty, but protecting our compass is more important.
Evading Enemy Searches[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Sometimes the enemy will respond to guerilla activity with numbers. Under no circumstances should you engage the enemy in this situation. Focus on staying calm, carefully studying enemy movement, and staying out of sight. You must also be careful not to make any noise that would attract attention, of course. Likewise, it is important to listen for any noises the enemy makes to get a fix on their position. Do not forget to check for signs of the enemy other than sight and sound. To search for signs of the enemy, press the L button when you're pressed against a wall or prone.
Chico[]
Photography Tips[]
Chico: That's a rangefinder camera you have, right, Snake? Mi Viejo used to talk about rangefinder cameras, and how they can focus just as well as any other camera, despite their size. He also said they don't have much picture blur, either. To bring an object into focus, make sure the two images overlap before taking the picture. But you could probably do that in your sleep, couldn't you? All you need to worry about is making sure your subject is in the frame. Remember, Snake, photography is all about timing.
Ghost Photography[]
Chico: You can't always see fantasma with your naked eye. If some unseen presence is making a noise, you can be sure one is around. When that happens, try taking photos in the area. You should be able to see what's causing it. Why do they show up on photos? I'm not the one to ask about that, but... Maybe fantasma are somehow able to deceive our minds - on a subconscious level. They're right there in front of us, but they whisper, "Hey, we're not really here!" But a camera is a machine, so they can't do anything about it. Yeah, that's it! That's gotta be it!
Restless Spirits[]
Chico: A fantasma is an espiritu that wanders this plane instead of going to el Cielo. There are different interpretations, of course, but that's what I think. See, the fantasma has a reason for remaining in this world. And if that were, say, a deep hatred for someone. they just might be capable of inflicting harm on that person. You probably realize this, but your weapons or CQC won't work on fantasma. And since they're not physical beings, they can pass right through solid objects. But if you can eliminate their reason for remaining here, you should be able to help them reach el Cielo. People say words can work wonders on fantasma. You could try talking to them through CO-OPS communication.
File Library[]
Miller[]
Mother Base[]
Offshore Plant[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Kaz, what kind of shape is that plant the "professor" gave us in?
Kazuhira Miller: First time I laid eyes on it, I thought it was some kind of joke. It was a giant birdhouse - seagulls everywhere. We eventually scraped off most of the rust and bird crap. The underlying structure's intact - a little elbow grease and we should be in business.
Snake: Who used to own it, anyway? Whatever shape it's in now, somebody sank some serious money into building it.
Miller: From what I can tell, an American university built it as a research platform for ocean thermal energy conversion, "OTEC." The name's still on some of the rusty old power turbines. I'm guessing they must have had government and corporate assistance to build it, too. But they couldn't solve the thermal efficiency problem, and the project was canceled. Then after the university abandoned it, a KGB front company scooped it up for next to nothing... At least, that's my theory.
Snake: How'd the KGB manage to buy a plant built with American capital, front company or not?
Miller: Yeah, that "professor" is quite the operator. One other thing the plant's set up so that it can join up with other plants of the same standard.
Snake: So they were originally planning on expanding the place, huh?
Miller: Hey, let's give it a shot? We can get some more people together and build this place up into a proper home for MSF. You're with me on this, right, Boss?
New Plant[]
Kazuhira Miller: The new plant is a hex type. That gives it more surface area than previous types and also makes it easier to plan expansions. We're gonna make this place huge.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Hex, huh. Like a beehive.
Miller: Nothing wrong with that. They say the honeycomb design is one of the strongest. I hear they're even thinking of using it in tank armor.
Snake: Good enough for me. I'll see about finding us some worker bees.
Miller: Appreciate it, Boss.
Queen Bee[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): By the way, Kaz, who do you think's our queen bee?
Kazuhira Miller: Good question. I was thinking maybe Paz.
Snake: Hmm. I was thinking Strangelove...
Miller: I can see that. Or maybe Cécile.
Snake: On second thought, I might go with Amanda.
Miller: How about this, Snake. We'll have an army of queen bees.
Snake: Sure, why not.
Fulton Recovery[]
Kazuhira Miller: Snake, you can use the Fulton Surface-to-air Recovery System to send prisoners and unconscious mercenaries you encounter back to the Mother Base. I know you've used the Fulton before, but just to make sure I'm not missing anything, let's review the steps.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): OK.
Miller: First, attach a balloon to the unconscious enemy or captured prisoner.
Snake: Right. I hook a wire to the their waist, and on the other end of the wire there's a helium balloon.
Miller: Right. Then we'll send over a chopper to catch the floating balloon with its recovery hook and reel it up into its cargo hold.
Snake: And that's it.
Miller: And that's it. We finished installing the recovery hook on the Huey...
Snake: Wait, Kaz, something doesn't make sense about this whole process.
Miller: Not this again...
'Snake: Normally, Fulton recovery is for when you're using fixed-wing aircraft. With a helicopter, isn't it simpler to land and pick up directly?
Miller: Listen, Snake, you're gonna be calling for recoveries repeatedly throughout your mission. We want to keep the risk of taking enemy fire to a minimum. The best way to get that done that is to do the recovery in a high-speed fly-by. That's what the Fulton Surface-to-air Recovery System is for.
Snake: Uh huh... what's the real reason?
Miller: Helicopters are cheaper. And the repair bills will start adding up once the bullets start flying...
Snake: Thought so. Kaz, I know we need to keep costs down, but...
Miller: Boss, you really need to get rid of this whole Army mentality. We're not the Pentagon. We don't have billions of taxpayer dollars to play with. And besides...
Snake: Fine, fine. Just pick a reason that makes sense.
Miller: Helicopters have quicker response time. Sounds strange, yeah, but it works great, I promise. You'll get used to it before long.
Snake: Yeah, I hope so.
Militaires Sans Frontières[]
Kazuhira Miller: Remember why we created MSF, Snake: to provide military force to whoever needs it, wherever they are, regardless of nation or ideology. Our beliefs aren't all that lofty...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): We just won't be the tools of any one country.
Miller: Exactly. We know only how to fight... but we refuse to live our lives at the whim of the state. The MSF seal is patterned after Pangaea, the supercontinent from 250 million years ago. Back then, the whole world was one landmass. One world. No gaps, no rifts.
Snake: Our strength will take us back there.
MSF's Goals[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What about you, Kaz? Any interest in expanding MSF?
Kazuhira Miller: You'd better believe it. I want to make us into an organization that doesn't take orders from any country - just like you were saying. We have to be strong, strong enough to defend ourselves. We need money, too - money to train soldiers to fight. The way I see it, we make MSF into something along the lines of a new kind of business. A contractor providing the full range of military services. Not just combat, but logistics, training, weapons, outfitting and R&D... Combining the small footprint and exceptional performance of Special Forces with the raw military might of a full regular army. Only with that kind of power can we break free of nation-states. What I need from you, Boss, is to go out and find guys we can bring back here using Fulton recovery. Then tell us what assignment to use them for. I'll take care of the rest.
Special Forces[]
Kazuhira Miller: Your old mentor, The Boss... She was known in the West as the "Mother of Special Forces," right?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Nothing but propaganda.
Miller: Actually, it's not all that far from the truth. I heard the KGB just set up a counter-sabotage cell. Alpha Group, I think they call it. There's even a rumor that West Germany created a counter-terrorist unit within its border police after the debacle at the Munich Olympics. Back home in the States, they've got the illustrious Green Berets, the SEALs, and your personal creation, FOXHOUND... The seeds sown by The Boss are beginning to sprout. Same goes for MSF, right? In creating it, you were carrying on the will of The Boss.
Snake: She taught me how to fight, the hard way - she beat it into me.
Miller: And now thanks to her, we can take on missions other than just conventional combat. After all, we've got the same mother as the Army's Special Forces.
The Need for Metal Gear[]
Kazuhira Miller: You know, Snake, you're right. As long as we're "soldiers without borders," we're going to be a target. We need our own deterrent.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): We're going to be stepping into a lot of different conflicts as we roam the world. Each one unique, and with its own set of geography, ideologies, and politics. If we're going to intervene in those kinds of situations, we need the threat of a Metal Gear.
Miller: ...Unless we want to end up like Che Guevara did in Bolivia.
Snake: Well said. Our army without borders doesn't have a land to call home. We're nomads. Wanderers. What we need now is a sheepdog to guard our flock.
Miller: Right.
Snake: Maybe it's not the way The Boss would have gone about it... But there are places in this world that need us - and soldiers that need MSF. And as long as we're needed, we'll keep on moving. Ours is a journey that never ends. We're the real Peace Walkers.
Clients[]
Gálvez[]
Kazuhira Miller: Still can't believe Professor Gálvez was KGB...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Well, like the "professor" said, Moscow's hell bent on communizing Latin America.
Miller: Yeah, the Cuban intel services are all in the KGB's pocket. You don't think he's got some kind of ulterior motive?
Snake: If the CIA is up to something, it's only natural that the KGB wants to know about it. But I doubt they're showing us their full hand.
Miller: We'd better watch our backs.
Paz[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What do you think, Kaz? Why did Paz come all the way to Colombia herself?
Kazuhira Miller: It is a long trip to make just to be Exhibit A in Gálvez's sales pitch... She's only 16 - still a kid. Maybe we should take her wish for peace at face value.
Snuff Tobacco[]
Kazuhira Miller: Remember that habit Paz had, Snake? How she always had her index finger on her upper lip like this?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Yeah. It bugged me ever since we first met her... Never figured her for a snuff user.
Miller: I can't believe we never noticed.
Snake: She used the kind where you keep a pouch of leaf in your upper jaw and let it absorb through your gums. She might not have been used to it. Probably used her finger to keep it in place.
CIPHER[]
Kazuhira Miller: How could Paz... We were going to start a band together...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): She was posing as a KGB agent, too?
Miller: She must have put on the act to get close to Gálvez. Wonder how much Coldman knew... But the whole time she was working for some organization called "Cipher."
Snake: "Cipher"... Ring any bells, Kaz?
Miller: Cipher... Cipher... it means "code." Or "zero" in Arabic numerals.
Snake: Zero...
Miller: Does that mean something to you?
Snake: Not sure.
Miller: Hmm. You know, "cipher" and "zero" were basically the same word. It's a linguistic redundancy. The word stems from the Sanskrit "shunya"... It corresponds to the Buddhist concept of emptiness. In Buddhism, "shunya" means hollow. It supposedly refers to something that's swollen and empty on the inside.
Snake: A big, swollen emptiness... just like outer space.
Cold War[]
The Cold War[]
Kazuhira Miller: Costa Rica isn't alone. All of Latin America is getting swept up in the superpowers' Cold War. The whole ideological split between East and West... In the end, it's just a greedy scramble for wealth by the ruling classes. The Western bourgeois stand to lose everything if their countries go communist. After all, the communists want to abolish private property altogether. So the capitalist rulers desperately tried to halt the global spread of communism. Hence the phenomenon of red-baiting. And the communists, for their part, didn't exactly stay true to their principles. They tried to escape class-based society, but between Stalin's autocracy and the rise of the nomenklatura, they ended up creating one anyway. Once people have power, they stop caring about equality. That's where communism - where society in general - reaches its limits. The rulers only care about their own gain. The opposing side becomes a risk factor that threatens that profit. And thus the ongoing struggle between capitalism and communism was born.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): And now nuclear deterrence is part of the picture.
Miller: Exactly.
Nuclear Deterrence and Mutual Assured Destruction[]
Kazuhira Miller: They say nuclear weapons are the reason we haven't seen conflict on a global scale since World War II. The thought that your opponent might launch nukes against you sort of makes it tough to start an armed conflict. Especially now that they've got inter-continental ballistic missiles. Nowhere is safe.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Of course, all that has caused military expenditures to skyrocket...
Miller: Well, the only way to ward off a preemptive strike is to flaunt your own nuclear stockpile. And that's caused their numbers to increase exponentially. Not just with regards to destructive power, but in terms of targeting technology, too. Now they can hit a target halfway across the world with pinpoint accuracy. In a way, the space race was a demonstration of that technological progress.
Snake: And as a result of all that, we now have mutually assured destruction...
Miller: It's the ultimate form of deterrence. No one's going to launch their nukes knowing they'll be obliterated in return.
Snake: ...I dunno. The chance of somebody hitting the button by mistake is never zero.
The Cold War and Peace[]
Kazuhira Miller: You're right - even with peace guaranteed by MAD, there's always the risk of an accident.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Nobody wants the world to end on account of some machine's malfunctioning.
Miller: On the other hand, thanks to deterrence, we haven't had a world war since 1945. You've gotta admit, it has been pretty peaceful.
Snake: Not that it matters to us.
Miller: People point at the nuclear arms and space races and call it a Cold War. I say if they're not shooting at each other, why not call it world peace?
Snake: Doesn't mean war is gone. Look at Korea. Look at Vietnam.
Miller: Well, yeah, but I'm talking in relative terms here. Besides, if war died out completely we'd be SOL.
Snake: ...We're not warmongers.
Miller: And yet we can't survive in a world that's at peace.
Snake: You've got a point...
Situation in Central America[]
The Cuban Missile Crisis[]
Kazuhira Miller: So it's been more than ten years since the Cuban Missile Crisis, huh?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I don't think we'll ever forget it.
Miller: No kidding. Those 13 days starting October 15, 1962 were probably the closest we ever came to all-out nuclear war. The Russians deployed nuclear missiles to Cuba. America responded with a naval blockade. Then Russia shot down an American spy plane... I was still a teenager back then. But I remember what it felt like to be one step away from nuclear war - the adults were freaking out.
Snake: If it wasn't for the Cuban Missile Crisis, there might never have been an Operation Snake Eater. And...
Miller: What's the matter, Snake? It's not like you to get all hypothetical.
Snake: Hm... I guess not. It was the reassessment after the Missile Crisis that paved the way for the hotline between Moscow and Washington, and also for Détente. That's irony for you.
Treaty of Tlatelolco[]
Kazuhira Miller: The Treaty of Tlatelolco was enacted to make Latin America into a nuclear-free zone. It bans the testing, use, manufacture, production, acquisition, storage, and deployment of nuclear weapons. The impetus was pretty obvious: the series of crises triggered by the deployment of nukes in Cuba.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Not hard to imagine. Those 13 days had the whole world frozen in fear.
Miller: Of course, the country that started it all - Cuba - hasn't actually ratified it yet.
Snake: Still, the treaty's backed by over 20 countries. Anyone flouting it risks becoming an international pariah.
Miller: True. OPANAL would investigate, no doubt. I heard they used Japan's Three Non-Nuclear Principles as their model when they drew up the treaty. I think the Treaty of Tlatelolco might have been their way of asking nuclear powers not to use nukes against them. That's the biggest difference between the treaty and the Three Principles. I guess you could call it a fourth principle.
Costa Rica's Abolition of its Army[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So Costa Rica abolished its army back in, what, 1949? Pretty gutsy move for a Central American nation at the time.
Kazuhira Miller: Yeah, well, they'd just come out of a civil war. I'm sure they were driven by a desire to avoid another tragedy, like Paz said. But I think they had a more compelling reason. Army coups d'état are a way of life in so many Latin American countries. Imagine seeing that up close...
Snake: No army, no coups... Makes sense.
Miller: Plus their economy was in ruins, so they honestly didn't have any money to spend on an army anyway.
Snake: Yeah, but weren't they on less-than-friendly terms with Nicaragua?
Miller: Yeah, and in fact Nicaragua did end up invading. But the Civil Guard fought back, and the OAS (Organization of American States) brokered a cease-fire. The U.S. and the rest of OAS had their back, and they used it to full advantage. For a quarter century, they've survived in the powder keg of Central America. That must've taken some serious diplomacy. Even if the Civil Guard is pretty decked out for a police force.
Snake: Must be tough to be a country without an army.
The CIA's Activities in Central America[]
Kazuhira Miller: Hey Snake, mind if I ask you something?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Since when did you start asking permission?
Miller: ..Ha. So, you used to be part of a CIA paramilitary unit, right?
Snake: That's right.
Miller: Ever do any ops in Central America?
Snake: No, not personally. But there were other units who did all kinds of stuff.
Miller: I remember the Bay of Pigs invasion back in '61. The papers had a field day with it.
Snake: "Operation Zapata" - that was the CIA codename. The whole thing went south.
Miller: Then there was Che Guevara being hunted down in Bolivia. I heard the CIA had a hand in that, too...
Snake: There were several units similar to mine. MSP, SOG... They'd recruit former Special Forces, train them as intelligence agents, and send them on "deniable" covert paramilitary operations. One of those units trained the Bolivian Army in counter-guerilla tactics....
Miller: ...And then had them shoot El Che.
Snake: So the story goes.
How to pronounce "CIA"[]
Kazuhira Miller: Around here, they say "La CIA", instead of "C-I-A," huh?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Nothing strange about it. That's how it's pronounced when you read it in Spanish.
Miller: It has the feminine noun ending "a," so they use the article "la." Apparently some people have even taken to using the term UCLA.
Snake: That's a new one to me. What's it mean?
Miller: It stands for "Unilaterally Controlled Latino Assets."
Snake: ...Meaning their local agents?
Miller: Yeah, that's the idea. Washington uses them like pawns, and nobody knows who they really are or what they're doing.
The CIA-KGB relationship[]
Kazuhira Miller: Can you believe the CIA and the KGB were actually in cahoots?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Never thought I'd see that at the station chief level... But I've heard stories of operatives in the field being on friendly terms.
Miller: Seriously?
Snake: Most espionage takes place in political hotspots, as you'd expect. But there aren't that many of those kinds of places. Especially in a small country. Hang around long enough, and you're bound to run into fellow spies, like it or not. You start saying hello, and soon enough you're eating dinner together...
Miller: Strange bedfellows, huh?
Snake: I dunno about that. At any rate, this kind of fiasco is what happens when spies get too familiar. Hard to believe, but some people will betray anyone and anything if it suits their interests.
Miller: The strength of HUMINT is in its appeal to human emotions, but its weakness is in its susceptibility to those same emotions. That's why the tide in the intelligence world is shifting toward SIGINT. A network of cold, digital data, where feelings are irrelevant.
Grenada[]
Kazuhira Miller: Snake, you got a sec?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What's up?
Miller: Prime Minister Gairy of Grenada is asking the UN to set up an agency to study the "UFO problem."
Snake: Grenada... That island in the Caribbean?
Miller: He gave the press a bunch of photos - says they prove the existence of UFOs. One of them caught my eye.
Snake: That's the...
Miller: Yep... The weapon Huey called the Chrysalis.
Snake: ...Kaz, this is the photo I gave to Chico. He said something about selling it off as a photo of a UFO...
Miller: Looks like it found its way into the pages of a magazine.
Snake: But... why would the prime minister of a country believe tabloid trash like that?
Miller: There's been reports all over the Americas of abductions and cattle mutilations, lately.
Snake: You think they're true?
Miller: I think the CIA might be involved.
Snake: If they are, then Gairy could be...
Miller: I know. If he digs too deep, he's gonna get himself into trouble.
Snake: But Grenada's right next door to Cuba.
Miller: I guess that would make it tough for the CIA to intervene, in a sense.
Snake: Upsetting the domestic balance of power could cause it to go Red all of a sudden.
Miller: True... Well, in any case it's not like we can do anything about it. Just wanted to let you know.
Snake: Gotcha. I'll be careful not to let any more photos leak.
A Great Leader[]
Che Guevara[]
Kazuhira Miller: So I hear Amanda mistook you for Che Guevara, Snake. That's not too bad, huh?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Yeah, right. I'm not even worthy of polishing his boots.
Miller: Don't be so modest. From where I'm standing, your men see you as a great man.
Snake: As great as "the century's most complete human being"?
Miller: That's Sartre, right? Well, there's hardly been a more iconic figure of his times than Che.
Snake: He was more than that. He was a true revolutionary, and a great warrior.
Miller: I'm with you there. Can you believe that when he first went to Cuba with Fidel, they only had 12 guys with them?
Snake: But they rallied. They brought in new recruits, won the support of the peasants, expanded their organization...
Miller: And in the end, they overthrew the Batista regime...
Snake: People flocked to them because they were honest. They won because they were strong. Those are the qualities that make men great.
Miller: You know, we're kind of in the same boat they were back then. Here we are, a handful of mercenaries taking on an army backed by the United States.
Snake: Yeah, we've got a long way to go.
Miller: But we've got to keep on going. It's not just about winning in battle. You need to think about recruiting people and growing this operation.
Snake: Got it.
Che's Footsteps[]
Kazuhira Miller: Hey, Snake, I've been thinking... Maybe Che couldn't find a place for himself outside the battlefield, either.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): How so?
Miller: He led the Cuban Revolution to victory. That's quite an accomplishment. He could have called it quits there and nobody would have blamed him. But he left behind a loving family and a cabinet post to plunge back into the struggle. First in the Congo, then in Bolivia - where he met his end.
Snake: You're overthinking things. Che went back to the battlefield because he was needed there. Read his "Farewell Letter," then you'll understand.
Miller: Some say he was too idealistic to fit in with a government.
Snake: Too many scruples, most likely.
Miller: Maybe so... But I still can't help thinking the reason you look up to Che is because you see something of yourself in him... You left your country behind and plunged into battle. You wander from one battlefield to another, going wherever you're needed...
Snake: Che was a revolutionary as well as a warrior. He took up arms to fight for his beliefs. I don't do what I do for any ideology. I'm a warrior. Nothing more, nothing less.
Miller: OK, Boss. You're right. Just wanted to see how we stacked up against a real hero.
The history of Guerilla Warfare[]
Kazuhira Miller: Boss, did you ever read Che Guevara's book "Guerrilla Warfare"?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I, uh... can't remember if I got to that one or not.
Miller: You should have, that's why I lent it to you. A lot of the guerrilla tactics it covers apply to sneaking missions, too. Che was one of the first people to articulate the theory of guerrilla warfare. T.E. Lawrence - "Lawrence of Arabia" - was another one. And Mao Zedong and his "On Protracted War"... Theory aside, Nicaragua's General Sandino was one of the first to put guerrilla tactics into practice. Which explains why the Sandinistas named themselves after him.
Snake: If you think about it, guerrilla warfare itself has been around since ancient times. There's only so many ways a small group can upset a large army.
Miller: There was a samurai in Japan who excelled in guerrilla warfare.
Snake: No kidding?
Miller: Kusunoki Masashige. He was a warrior who lived in the medieval era. He used unconventional tactics to help overthrow the Kamakura Shogunate.
Snake: Like what?
Miller: Trojan Horse-style maneuvers and decoys to confuse the enemy... The best one was when the enemy was climbing his castle walls - he dumped boiling water and human excrement on them...
Snake: Sounds great. Let's put it in the MSF playbook.
Miller: ...You're not serious, are you, Boss?
Snake: Why not? We've got plenty of crap to unload.
Miller: Uh.... yeah. I'll think about it.
Mate[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What's wrong, Kaz? You sound beat.
Kazuhira Miller: Yeah, the problems never seem to end around here...
Snake: You should take a break. Share a cup of mate with the other guys. It'll give you a chance to connect with them.
Miller: I wonder if Che and his men ever sat around drank mate.
Snake: I bet they did. Che was famous for his love of the stuff.
Miller: Man, whoever thought of this was a genius. You can put it in a gourd and carry it around, and there's a special straw with a filter attached so you can drink it anytime.
Snake: That's not all. It's full of essential vitamins and minerals, too. Nice to have in a guerrilla war when food is short.
Miller: Yeah, I wish I had a chance to share some with a blonde Parisienne when I was out hiking.
Snake: ...How do you know about that?
Miller: It takes a thief - or should I say it takes a snake - to know one, Snake.
Che's visit to Hiroshima[]
Kazuhira Miller: The year the Cuban Revolution was won, Che visited Japan as a member of an economic delegation. While he was there, he visited Hiroshima.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Hiroshima...
Miller: Since he was there to discuss economic issues, Hiroshima wasn't part of the original itinerary. Some said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn't want to let him go. But he went anyway. He snuck out of his hotel and took an overnight train.
Snake: Traveling guerrilla-style - sounds like Che, all right.
Miller: He visited the Peace Memorial Museum and the Atomic Bomb Survivors Hospital. Apparently it gave him quite a shock. As a doctor, it must have been painful for him to see how the victims suffered.
Snake: Nukes destroy everything...
Miller: He was quoted as saying, "They put you through this, and still you do whatever America says?" ...Those words really hit me hard. Especially when I think of my mom. He said something else, too: "Let us all love Hiroshima, and its people."
Snake: I can believe it. Che never managed to numb himself to other people's pain. That's why people loved him. And why he died.
Scarf[]
Kazuhira Miller: That bandanna you're always wearing - that thing's a real antique. Ever think about getting a new one?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): This one's fine.
Miller: Come on, we can't have our Boss wearing a raggedy old thing like that...
Snake: It was a gift, OK? It wouldn't be right to get rid of it.
Miller: It was? OK, then... Speaking of which, Che supposedly had a black scarf he used to take everywhere with him.
Snake: A scarf?
Miller: One of his comrades gave it to him when he broke his arm in battle. Che used that silk scarf as a sling... and the comrade who gave it to him became his second wife.
Snake: Aleida, right?
Miller: Even after his arm healed up, he never went anywhere without that scarf. What about you? You get that bandanna from someone special?
Snake: No, nothing like that. It's... important to me, that's all.
Peace Constitutions[]
Peace Constitution of Japan[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): You were saying Japan has a peace constitution, too?
Kazuhira Miller: Yep. Japan renounced war in Article 9 of its constitution. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order... ...the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.
Snake: You know it by heart?
Miller: Some things you never forget.
Snake: Impressive. There were some parts I didn't quite get, though - like the whole "means of settling conflicts" thing.
Miller: Yeah, that's been the subject of debate. Whether or not it forbids any and all use of force. The current constitution was originally drawn up under the Allied occupation. The first draft was even submitted by Allied GHQ. So naturally there are some who feel the constitution was imposed on Japan by foreigners.
Snake: Things like that are never simple. Same for every country, I guess...
Miller: One thing's for sure, though - not having an army let Japan focus on economic recovery after the war. In that sense, it's the same as Costa Rica.
Article 9 and the JSDF[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Kaz, you were in the Japanese Self-Defense Force, right? I thought that Article 9 you were talking about earlier prevented Japan from having an army...
Kazuhira Miller: Yeah, and that's another subject of controversy. "The Self-Defense Force is an organization for the purpose of defense. Article 9 of the constitution does not deny Japan's right to self-defense. Therefore, the SDF is constitutional." That's Tokyo's official stance.
Snake: ...Sounds complicated.
Miller: Call it what you will, it's a distinctly Japanese way of interpreting things.
The U.S.-Japan Security Treaty[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): The U.S. has military forces stationed in Japan, right?
Kazuhira Miller: Right. Even though the Allied occupation ended, American forces are still stationed there under the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty.
Snake: Unlike Costa Rica.
Miller: Part of it stems from the occupation, but Japan also occupies a key strategic position from America's perspective. It's next door to the Soviet Union, and close to China and North Korea as well. It's integral to the security of Pacific Asia. For America, Japan represents a barrier against communism.
Snake: What about for Japan?
Miller: As you might expect, there's deep-rooted opposition to the alliance. In 1960 and 1970, when the treaty was up for revision, there were mass protest movements against it. Especially in Okinawa. The U.S. only gave it back to Japan two years ago, and American bases are still concentrated there. It's a heavy burden for the Okinawans to bear.
Snake: Then why don't they scrap the treaty?
Miller: Lots of reasons. There's the imbalance of power with the U.S., of course. And if Japan pulled out, they'd be losing the nuclear umbrella America provides. And as for whether the JSDF could defend the country after the Americans left... I really couldn't say. Costa Rica's in a similar situation. They depend on the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, the so-called Rio Pact.
Snake: So the countries with peace constitutions end up having to rely on other countries' armies... Kind of ironic.
Miller: On the flip side, not everybody in America is satisfied with it, either. Some people argue Japan is freeloading off America's security guarantee. And you know how Japan's industrial exports are making inroads in the States.
Snake: Yeah. I've got a Japanese camera myself. Best damn camera around.
Miller: Japan's low defense spending allows it to invest more in economic recovery and expand its share of the American market. That's a bitter pill for Americans to swallow.
The Nuclear Umbrella[]
Kazuhira Miller: You know that today, Japan is under the American nuclear umbrella...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Right.
Miller: The U.S. vowed to retaliate against any country that launches a nuclear strike against an allied country... That promise deters nuclear attacks against America's allies. Hence the term "nuclear umbrella." But suppose the Russians nuked Tokyo. Would America really nuke Moscow in return? If they did, the Soviet Union would undoubtedly retaliate. Would Washington really be willing to risk having a bomb dropped on itself in order to avenge Japan? ...I'm not so sure.
Snake: Don't tell me you're still worried about Japan. After all these years?
Miller: It's not that. I just...
Snake: To be honest, I'm not convinced, either. But Moscow faces the same dilemma. Maybe Washington wouldn't retaliate on Japan's behalf. Then again, maybe it would.
Miller: So you're saying Moscow wouldn't want to risk being attacked, either...
Snake: The whole concept of nuclear deterrence is entirely hypothetical to begin with. When you get down to it, it's all smoke and mirrors.
The Three Non-Nuclear Principles[]
Kazuhira Miller: "Japan shall not possess, manufacture, or allow the introduction of nuclear weapons into Japan"... Those are the Three Non-Nuclear Principles set forth by the Japanese government.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): "Allow the introduction"...? That's funny. Some of the U.S. warships that visit Japanese ports are armed with nukes... Or are you gonna tell me they transfer them at sea onto other ships every time they visit?
Miller: You raise a good point, Snake. But the Japanese government doesn't recognize it as such. The introduction of nuclear weapons into Japanese territory would need to be agreed upon in advance. America hasn't made any such agreements. Therefore, they aren't bringing nukes into Japan.... That's the official excuse.
Snake: ...Doesn't sound like much of an excuse to me.
Miller: I don't blame you. Keep in mind, though, Japan's suffered actual nuclear attacks. Anti-nuke sentiment there runs deeper than you think. I suppose the government's not really in a position to admit that sort of thing.
The JSDF[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So tell me, Kaz, how's the Self-Defense Force you were in different from an army?
Kazuhira Miller: The JSDF is set up for national defense. It's not configured for aggression against other countries. It's what you'd call exclusive defense.
Snake: Exclusive... defense?
Miller: It's the fundamental strategic posture of the JSDF. No preemptive attacks. Only the minimum defensive action necessary after an enemy attacks.
Snake: Anything defined as self defense, then.
Miller: The JSDF originated as the National Police Reserve. Back then, American forces stationed in Japan were being sent over to fight in the Korean War. So in a sense, the NPR was filling a gap.
Snake: Police, huh... Reminds me of the Costa Rican Civil Guard.
Miller: Yeah, exactly. They're also dispatched to provide disaster relief. The year before I joined, they had a hell of a time trying to rescue some buses that got hit by landslides.
Why Miller quit the JSDF[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So why'd you quit the JSDF?
Kazuhira Miller: Because I didn't have a reason to be in Japan anymore.
Snake: Reason?
Miller: My mom had died three years earlier, so I didn't have to care for her anymore. With her gone, there was no point hanging around in Japan.
Snake: Yeah, but a man with your talents could have risen pretty high in the ranks, I imagine.
Miller: I don't know what they made of me. Could be it actually alienated me from the brass. And personally, I could never get used to the idea of exclusive defense.
Snake: Meaning?
Miller: On a strategic level, I can see how a country could go with the exclusive defense model used by the JSDF, and I've got nothing against my fellow soldiers who believe in it. On a tactical level, though, it just rubbed me the wrong way. To put it simply, I was itching for a real fight.
Snake: I figured....
Miller: And I felt like as long as I was in the JSDF, I'd never be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with my father who was in the U.S. Army. Seeing Yukio Mishima's suicide didn't help, either.
Snake: Yukio Mishima... the guy who wrote "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion"?
Miller: The way he questioned the status quo hit home with me. Not that I admired his vision or anything. But it did get me thinking, that's for sure.
About himself[]
Roles within the Mother Base[]
Kazuhira Miller: Don't forget to give the MSF staff assignments. Where you place people will determine how Mother Base grows..
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Right.
Miller: That goes for me, too. Assign me wherever you think is best.
Snake: You? I thought you were second-in-command.
Miller: Don't worry, I've got that covered. But MSF is still small, and I don't have the leisure of sitting around on my butt all day.
Snake: I see your point, but...
Miller: Not to brag or anything, but I'd kick ass at whatever job you gave me. Put me in the area you want to focus on developing most. I'll take real good care of the staff there.
Snake: Easy, Kaz.
Upbringing[]
Kazuhira Miller: March 10, 1945. 381,300 cluster bombs were dropped on Tokyo. Japanese houses at the time were almost all made of wood. In that single day, a third of Tokyo burned to the ground. My mom lost her family and home in that raid. She had to move to Yokosuka and live with her cousin. The B-29s kept on coming, razing other major cities throughout Japan without mercy. Then, in August, they dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and Japan surrendered to the United States at last. After that, Yokosuka was flooded with American soldiers come to occupy the country. My mother was still in her mid-teens, and she learned from her cousin how to survive in that town - by servicing the troops. That's how she met my father. And how I was born. My father was an officer serving with the Government Section of Allied GHQ, under General Whitney. Whitney was known as MacArthur's shadow, and my father rode his coattails to a pretty high rank. While he was in Japan, he treated my mom like a wife. After he went back to the States, though, she never heard from him. I wasn't born until after he went back. My mom raised me as a single mother. She used the money my father left her to open a shop, selling cigarettes and stuff to occupation troops. It was a decent living. But I didn't have citizenship. They're working to change the law now, but back then, if your father was unknown, you couldn't get onto the Japanese family register - and in Japan, that means you can't be Japanese. So as I watched the American soldiers around town, I said to myself: I'm a son of America, the victor. My hair and eyes were different from the skinny, downtrodden Japanese around me. I told myself I'd leave this country someday and return to my true homeland.. When I was around 10 years old, my mom fell ill, pretty much leaving me to run the shop in her place. One day, I found a single picture of my father in the back of a drawer in the shop. I'd show it to the American soldiers who came in to the store. A few years went by before one of them told me who he was. "I know him. That's Miller." I started asking other guys. "Do you know where Miller is now?" "Can anybody tell me where Colonel Miller is now?" Turns out he'd left the service and was making a living as an instructor for soldiers in Virginia. It was one of his students who finally told me that. I wrote him a letter in English. "I'm your son. I want to go to the United States." Day after day, I waited. Then, just when I was about to give up, the post office delivered my future to the door. My father sent me some money. I thought my dream was going to come true. I was only thinking of myself. So I went to my bedridden mother and convinced her to let me go. My father arranged for a car to pick me up. It was jet-black. When the neighborhood kids who'd always made fun of my hair saw it, their jaws practically hit the ground. I put my mom in a hospital, and went on my own to America. When I met my father for the first time, he was living alone in a big house. He told me he'd lost his son... his American son... in Vietnam. He showed me a picture. A picture of my older brother. I guess that and his divorce left my father feeling lonely... which is probably why he finally took an interest in me. He'd retired from teaching. He was stooped over, could hardly walk. But he gave me two things: the name Miller, and money for school. I used it to learn English and then go to college. America was exhausted from years of fighting in Vietnam. They were waging war in a foreign land while at home people were screaming for peace. Right after I graduated, I went back to Japan. Alone. My father refused to see my mom. It was the first time I'd seen her in years, and she wouldn't even look at me. At first I thought she was mad at me. But that wasn't it. Disease had taken her mind... A disease she'd gotten when she was young and desperate. She didn't even know who I was. I said, "Mom, it's me, Kazuhira." As I spoke, the sound of my own voice rang in my ears. Kazuhira. The name my mom gave me. It means "peace" in Japanese. I was Japanese. At least, I was the son of this tiny Japanese woman. It was then, for the first time, that I understood the reason - the emotion - that inspired my mother to give me that name. She'd watched her hometown and family go up in flames. Her body and her mind were ravaged by war... And yet she chose to have a child named "peace," with a man who was once her enemy. Japan lost the war. But what good is war as a measure of a country? Since the war, and up until the oil shock last year, Japan's economy has grown every single year. It's on its way to becoming a stronger country than ever. I stayed in Japan and joined the JSDF. I was twenty-two at the time. I did it to pay our bills... but it wasn't just that. I could have found work anywhere. And I knew it. And still, I couldn't think of anything else to do with myself. Two years later, I didn't have to worry about mom's hospital bills anymore... I left the JSDF and went back to the States. My father was already dead and buried. I was told he'd shot himself in the head. America crushed Japan. But it also crushed my father. My American Dream was over. After that, I drifted around and... well, you know the rest. ...GHQ made women like my mother. It made Japan's peace constitution and the JSDF. And it made me. I was spawned by war. But I don't want to die in one. I won't die for a country, and I won't live like a pauper. I won't have my fate decided by some family register. So as long as I stick with you, Boss, I've got a good feeling none of that will happen.
How Miller met Snake[]
Kazuhira Miller: Life's funny sometimes, isn't it?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What brought that on?
Miller: We first met as enemies on the battlefield, and now here we are fighting side by side.
Snake: You mean Colombia?
Miller: Yeah. After I quit the JSDF, I made my way there and got myself a position as a drill sergeant for a band of revolutionaries, despite the fact that I'd never seen a day of combat.
Snake: I see you had the gift for talking business in Spanish even back then.
Miller: C'mon, stop it, you're making me blush. Unlucky for me, though, you were in the service of the Colombian Army. I remember it like it was yesterday. It all happened in an instant. You guys ambushed us, and half my unit was taken out. My mind went totally blank. I couldn't keep it together... My whole unit was wiped out... and I was left half-dead from a bomb blast.
Snake: Then, as I was leaving, you yelled out at me... "I came all the way from Japan to be here. My place is on the battlefield." Then you asked for my help, saying, "I want to be the one to end it." I remember being surprised that there were still samurai in Japan.
Miller: You guys came over to me. I had a grenade hidden under me. But even then you were too fast. The second I pulled the pin, you grabbed the hand I was using to hold the grenade with both palms.
Snake: I didn't want it to go off. I'd heard samurai were a proud bunch. I wanted to know why one of them would stoop so low as to try and take his opponent with him.
Miller: And I said, "I'll never lose again... We'll never lose again."
Snake: Yeah. "We'll do whatever it takes, but we'll never be beaten again."
Miller: Then I passed out from the blood loss. When I woke up, I was in your camp's infirmary, stuck full of tubes. Why'd you save me, your enemy, after I tried to kill you?
Snake: Because you swallowed your pride and fought with everything you had.
Miller: I just didn't want to lose...
Snake: You found a way to fight back even in the face of death - even when you knew you were going to die. That's the mark of a true warrior. It's not about gain and loss, or victory and defeat. I looked at the way you lived your life and saw the path I needed to take. As a warrior.
Miller: Wow. I never knew that. And that's why you...
Snake: I realized then that the battlefield doesn't only divide people into allies and enemies. Sometimes it tells you more than just who's an ally or who's an enemy. Sometimes it helps reveal your true comrades.
Miller: Like you and me, huh?
Snake: That's right. And two years later, here we are...
The Fundamentals of Stealth[]
Sneaking Mission[]
Kazuhira Miller: You've probably heard this a million times, Snake, but you should always avoid combat with the enemy when possible. Naked Snake (Big Boss): Right. Miller: We're outnumbered and in unfamiliar territory. We won't survive long in a straight fight, even with you on our side. Snake: I know. Avoiding combat is rule number one in a sneaking mission. Miller: That's right. Don't let the enemy know where you are, and attack only when necessary, using hit-and-run tactics to cripple them... It's the essence of guerrilla warfare.
Effective Use of Fulton Recovery[]
Kazuhira Miller: Can I ask you a favor, Snake?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): If you ask nicely.
Miller: To make MSF bigger, we need to do some recruiting.
Snake: Yeah... What's your point?
Miller: I want you to avoid killing enemy soldiers as much as possible and send them back using Fulton recovery. Not much we can do with a corpse except give it a funeral.
Snake: Obviously.
Miller: Put 'em to sleep, knock 'em out...hold 'em up, even. And if you do have to fight, try to leave them near death instead of dead.
Snake: And then use the Fulton recovery system...sounds easy enough.
Miller: You know what'd be really nice, though. If we had a way to Fulton recover anybody at anytime...
Body Checks[]
Kazuhira Miller: You can steal items from soldiers by putting them to sleep or knocking them out and then doing a body check. Get close to the unconscious soldier and press the Action Button when you see the icon. Or you can sneak up on them from behind and do a hold-up. It also works if the soldier's near death. Keep in mind, though - if you wait too long, you'll have a dead soldier instead of a dying one. And you can't do a body check if you're holding the Fulton recovery device, either. So don't try.
Weight Carried[]
Kazuhira Miller: Don't carry any more gear than you need. If you try and stuff your entire arsenal into your backpack, it'll be too heavy and your mobility will be impaired. You'll only be hurting yourself.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I know. Take only what you need. Every rookie knows that.
Miller: You can check the weight of your gear before heading out. So make sure you do.
Snake: Got it.
Aim Tremors[]
Kazuhira Miller: Even a born warrior like you gets hand tremors, Snake. It happens even when you're full of stamina, and it only gets worse when you're tired - especially with larger, heavier weapons. Obviously, you'll get better aim crouching than you will standing. And when you use a scope, setting your sights on a single point will gradually give you a more precise aim. As we develop better weapons at Mother Base, though, you may gain access to new, low-tremor versions of the same guns. So if you expect the shakes to be a problem, you might want to put some resources into R&D.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I'll keep it in mind. Then again, the more you use a weapon, the more your hands get used to it. Sometimes it pays to be faithful to your gun.
Dressing for the Mission[]
Kazuhira Miller: Choosing the right uniform is crucial. Pick one that matches the mission objective and your own combat style.
Jungle Fatigues[]
Kazuhira Miller: Jungle fatigues are made for jungle combat. They provide decent protection and let you carry a fair number of weapons. Your standard uniform, basically. The distinguishing factor is that your camo index will vary - a lot - depending on the area. Wear a pattern that makes you blend in with your surroundings and your camo index goes up. Wear something that clashes and you'll stick out like a sore thumb.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Pick the right pattern for the occasion - Sigint used to lecture me on it all the time.
Sneaking Suit[]
Kazuhira Miller: The sneaking suit is a specialized uniform for stealth missions. It provides excellent camo in any stage. Even better, you won't make a sound when you walk.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So I won't need to tiptoe all the time.
Miller: And, to top it off, it also makes your wounds heal faster. The fabric exerts just the right amount of pressure on your body to help stop bleeding.
Snake: Not a bad little trick.
Battle Dress[]
Kazuhira Miller: The battle dress uniform is the opposite of the sneaking suit in that it's specialized for combat. It lets you carry plenty of weapons and ammo, and provides excellent protection. Not the best choice for sneaking, but if you feel like playing one-man army, this is the uniform of choice.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Looks pretty damn heavy.
Miller: It is. You won't be able to move as fast with it on, meaning it's not good for running away, either. Keep that in mind.
Naked[]
In the Japanese versions, Miller requests that they do naked skydiving someday in addition to ribbing Snake about his codename.
Kazuhira Miller: Naked... That's exactly what you are with this uniform. The pants are the same as the jungle fatigues. Obviously, since you're exposing your bare skin, your defense and camo index are going to be low. On the plus side, it's so light you can move around quicker.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Good for showing off muscles, too.
Miller: Hey, Snake. I heard they gave you your old code name because you used to run around with your shirt off. Is that true?
Snake: Don't believe everything you hear. They called me "Naked" because I went in without gear or food. I had to procure everything on site...
Miller: You mean they sent you into the jungle without even a pair of pants?! On a HALO jump from 35,000 feet?! Sweet Jesus, you are a legend!!
Snake: ...You're busting my balls, aren't you, Kaz?
Miller: A little bit, yeah.
Snake: ...Hilarious
CO-OPS[]
CO-OPS[]
Kazuhira Miller: COoperative OPerationS, or CO-OPS for short, is the term for taking on missions in teams of two or more. The basic CO-OPS unit is a two-man cell.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Even a single teammate is great to have in enemy territory.
Miller: And there are actually quite a few things you can't do by yourself. You can help each other climb walls, divide up mission roles... On the other hand, if one of you is spotted, the other one's screwed, too. And it's kind of tough for two people to hide in one small space.
Snake: Good point. But what's more important than anything is how close you are to your comrades.
Miller: Well said. Working as a two-man cell can make the mission easier or harder depending on how well you work together. It's also good to note that if you've got a clear, specific objective, it can be to your advantage to use an even bigger team. That said, teams of three or more run a much greater risk of being spotted.
Snake: Yeah. In a sneaking mission, the fewer people you have, the easier it is to get around.
CO-OP Ring[]
Kazuhira Miller: In CO-OPS, you can trade weapons and equipment with your teammates. You can also display your teammates' inventories from your Weapon or Equipment Menu. Ammo is shared, too, of course.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Ammo, sure. How about LIFE? That also shared?
Miller: Yep. You all sink or swim together. Your teammate dies, you die. You need to be within a certain distance of each other to swap items.
Snake: Yeah, I know. I've been in this business so long, I can virtually see that distance. Looks kind of like a ring in my head.
Miller: That's why you're the Boss. OK, we'll call it the "CO-OP Ring," and entering the ring will be called going "CO-OP IN."
Snake Formation[]
Kazuhira Miller: Another thing - during a mission you can assume what we'll call the Snake Formation. Same as your code name - but probably not standard operating procedure for a guy who specializes in going solo.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Damn right. There's only room for one Snake.
Miller: In CO-OPS, though, it's a highly effective formation. The signal for Snake Formation is to tap your teammate on the shoulder.
Snake: Can't form up until you're close enough to reach out and touch someone.
Miller: Entering Snake Formation is called going "Snake In." When you're Snake In, the soldier at the front of the line controls movement. The soldiers in back focus on scouting and attack.
CPR[]
Kazuhira Miller: Just because your heart stops doesn't mean you're dead immediately.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Right. The heart just circulates blood through the body. But stopping it does cut oxygen supply to the brain - you'll be dead soon after.
Miller: Which is why we have CPR. Let's say your heart does stop. If someone performs CPR before your brain cells die you can recover. In CO-OPS, when the LIFE Gauge drops to zero, it means you're in a near-death state. You won't be able to move or anything else. Performing CPR on near-death teammates can bring them back into action. Of course, performing CPR in the middle of battle isn't exactly safe. You're leaving yourself exposed. Even so, in CO-OPS you and your teammates are all in the same boat. Don't think you can get away with leaving one of them behind.
Snake: I wouldn't think of it. And I'd expect them to do the same for me.
Miller: If you let all your teammates die during a mission, there'll be nobody left to save you.
Snake: And then it's game over.
Camaraderie[]
Kazuhira Miller: Building trust with your teammates is essential to success in CO-OPS.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): That goes without saying. I'm not gonna let somebody I can't trust cover my ass.
Miller: The measure of that trust is called "camaraderie." Think of it as an indicator of how strong your bond is with your CO-OPS teammates. The friendlier you act toward them, the greater your camaraderie.
Snake: Give me an example.
Miller: Your camaraderie will be higher if you're "CO-OP In" than standing apart. Saving a teammate's life with CPR also strengthens your bonds with them. Things like hitting a teammate with friendly fire will cause your camaraderie to go down.
Snake: Makes sense.
Miller: Camaraderie carries over from mission to mission. The next time you go CO-OPS In with the same guy, you'll start off strong. But be careful. If you keep taking new people with you on missions, your camaraderie with past teammates eventually reverts back to its original level.
Snake: Got it. I'll have to make sure to renew old friendships once in a while.
Miller: The performance benefits gained from Snake Sync in CO-OPS depend on your camaraderie. It's always best to keep things cool with your teammates.
Snake Sync[]
Kazuhira Miller: Stand still when you're Snake In and you and your teammates will start to get in sync.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): In sync?
Miller: That's right. Stay still together and you'll enter Snake Sync mode.
Snake: The synergy will give you a boost in performance. You'll move faster, recover faster, and have better camouflage. In other words, we're at our best when we're in the same groove.
Miller: You got it. If you've got a big task ahead, it can't hurt to take some time to get in sync. Like I said before, the benefits you get from Snake Sync depend on your camaraderie.
Snake: I hear ya. It's a lot easier knowing you've got someone you know and trust covering your back. It lets you focus that much more on what you have to do.
Heroism[]
Kazuhira Miller: If camaraderie represents how much your teammates trust you, then heroism shows how high your reputation is.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): "Heroism?"
Miller: That's right, heroism. Your reputation affects your ability to recruit new members to MSF. With higher heroism, it won't take as long to convince guys to join our cause and send 'em back by Fulton recovery.
Snake: So how do I get this "heroism" thing to go up?
Miller: Lots of ways. Complete tough missions. Avoid unnecessary bloodshed... And don't get caught by the enemy like a deer in headlights, or you'll never be heroic. Also, getting out there and attacking the enemy in CO-OPS will boost your reputation among your teammates. Of course, it'll get the enemy gunning right for you, too. But don't sweat it. Be yourself. Be the Boss. From where I'm standing, you're plenty heroic already.
Snake: Knock it off.
CO-OPS Weapons[]
Kazuhira Miller: Seems the R&D team's been busy working on CO-OPS only weapons.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): CO-OPS only?
Miller: Like a gun with extreme firepower... But only when two people fire it at once. I hear it's still in the concept stage.
Snake: I know some rocket launchers need two people to operate, but a CO-OPS only weapon...
Miller: Hey, if they come up with something good, you'll have that much more reason to go CO-OPS. Why don't you check in and see how they're doing every once in a while?
CO-OPS Comms[]
Kazuhira Miller: In CO-OPS, maintaining close communications with your teammates is crucial. Naked Snake (Big Boss): Absolutely. Losing track of each other on the battlefield is a good way for a unit to get itself wiped out. Miller: Enemy positions. Orders. Distress calls. When communications break down, you get picked off one by one. Now, about CO-OPS Comms. Snake: CO-OPS Comms... Miller: It's a radio system for communicating with CO-OPS teammates. First press the START button to open the menu, then select "CO-OPS Comms." After that, press one button to choose a category, then another button to select the actual message. So basically you use different combinations of two buttons to send different messages. Snake: Easy enough. Miller: You can set which messages go with which buttons during mission prep. Snake: Sounds like it's going to be a pain to send messages until I get used to it. Miller: Then why don't you assign CO-OPS Comms to the SELECT button? That should make things a little quicker and easier. Just go to "SELECT Button" under "Options". Snake: I'll give it a try.
Battle Cries & the Kotodama Effect[]
Kazuhira Miller: Snake, you familiar with the Japanese word "kotodama"?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Kotodama...?
Miller: Unfortunately, there's no direct equivalent in English... But to keep it simple, let's call it a sort of "Battle Cry."
Snake: "Battle Cry," huh?
Miller: Right. But, Kotodama is actually a deep Japanese concept. "Koto" means word, and "dama" means spirit. It signifies that words have power that affect our reality...
Snake: Ah... You feeling OK?
Miller: Guess I made it sound kind of like mumbo-jumbo, huh. Seriously, though, haven't you ever felt energized when a teammate cheered you on? Or - the other way around - ever had your legs cut out from under you by a thoughtless remark?
Snake: I know the feeling. Words can have a powerful mental effect on people.
Miller: Same goes for CO-OPS Comms. Offering praise to somebody could make them run faster than usual. Or make somebody who thinks they're done for get up and fight again... See what I'm saying?
Snake: I get the picture. So it works in reverse, too.
Miller: The powers of words are many and varied. Try using them for yourself.
Special Items[]
Cardboard Box[]
Kazuhira Miller: Snake, about cardboard boxes...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Ahh!
Miller: It feels kind of weird, me explaining this stuff to you, but there've been a few recent developments in cardboard box technology. So, just to be safe here goes...
Snake: Go on...
Miller: You can do much more with a box than just hide under it. You can put it someplace and leave it there.
Snake: Huh!
Miller: You can get on top of it and use it to reach high places, or hide from the enemy in its shadow.
Snake: I like what I'm hearing so far.
Miller: And that's not all. You can even put items in it and send them to CO-OPS teammates.
Snake: Really? I never thought of any of that. Damn, is there anything a cardboard box can't do? Every soldier should have one.
Miller: Yeah, well... Don't get too excited. This isn't exactly what they were made for.
Snake: Which reminds me. Don't you think the boxes around here are a little on the big side?
Miller: You're right. I bet two people could fit under one box... if they packed in tight enough. They call 'em "love boxes."
Snake: Love boxes...
Miller: Of course, you don't need a love box to fit two people inside. Any box of similar size will do.
Two Men in a Box[]
Kazuhira Miller: Up to two people can fit inside a cardboard box.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Tell me how!
Miller: Move close to a box with a teammate inside and an Icon will appear. Then press the Action Button. You'll stay inside as long as the Action Button is pressed.
Snake: So... Same as Snake Formation, huh.
Miller: Exactly the same. In fact, when you put on a cardboard box when Snake In, both of you can climb inside.
Snake: A box big enough to hold me and my buddy... These are fine times we live in, eh, Kaz?
Miller: Yyyyeah, sure, Boss...
Cardboard Box[]
Kazuhira Miller: Snake, the R&D team came up with something new...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What is this?!
Miller: It's a cardboard tank. It's got enough room for two people, same as any other cardboard box. Apparently the guy in front drives, and the guy in back is the gunner...
Snake: Hold on. Kaz, who the hell came up this thing?!
Miller: I'm sorry, Boss. He meant well, I swear. I know it's nowhere near as good as a real tank, but still...
Snake: It's BRILLIANT!!
Miller: Huh?
Snake: The perfect synthesis of stealth and attack power. Compact, elegant design. The finest example of a weapon I've ever seen! Seriously, Kaz, I need to meet the guy who made this. I wanna shake his hand.
Miller: Y-you're serious? Snake, look at it, it's...
Snake: It's a masterpiece, in every sense of the word. You don't agree?
Miller: N-no, I...!
Paz Ortega Andrade: Ooh, what's that? A tank? I like it!
Miller: Paz?!
Paz: I hate tanks, but this one I think I could get used to. I love that it's a zero emissions vehicle - it will not hurt the forests of Costa Rica.
Miller: What?!
Snake: Nice work, Kaz. I see I made the right choice making you second in command.
Miller: But I... Is there something wrong with me?!
WALKMAN[]
Kazuhira Miller: Snake, about that cassette player Gálvez was carrying...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What about it?
Miller: That was no Russian imitation. It was the real deal - a prototype developed by a Japanese company.
Snake: Get out of here!
Miller: It's true. It had the Sony logo on it. The product name is "WALKMAN."
Snake: WALKMAN...
Miller: It's a revolutionary new concept. Music you can listen to on the go. You can take with you when you leave the house. I gave it a listen, and you wouldn't believe how good the sound quality is for something so tiny. And in stereo, too. Think of the technology that must have gone into it. And that tape is equally amazing. The treble range is clearly superior to any other cassette ever made. Stylish, too.
Snake: How'd Gálvez get his hands on a model that's not even out yet?
Miller: Beats me. It's not the kind of thing I'd expect some stodgy Soviet to be into.
Snake: Me neither. Tell you what, though, it's a fine piece of work. It'd let me listen to my music when I want, where I want.
Miller: I... never thought I'd hear you say that. But I have to agree. Me, I'm a recording freak, and I always used to laugh at the idea of a portable player. But now that I've seen it in action, I've changed my mind. Being able to take your music with you... This could be the start of a revolution in music.
Snake: Could be.
Miller: I'm having the guys at Mother Base study and analyze it. Who knows? They might be able to come up with something even better.
Retort Pouch Curry[]
Note: This is exclusive to the Japanese version
Kazuhira Miller: Good news, Snake! We've successfully invented the retort pouched curry!
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Say what!?
Miller: It wasn't easy. Our only reference were those vacuum-packed sausages they used for rations in the U.S. military. Adjusting the pressure and temperature during the sterilization process was quite difficult. It took a lot of trial and error to get it right.
Snake: These are the same kind of retort pouches used to package space food as well. And our staff somehow managed to reproduce this technology on their own? Humph. Not too shabby. Let me have a taste then! Just tear the pouch and...
Miller:Hold it, Snake!
Snake: What is it now?
Miller: You have to boil them in hot water fist.
Snake: And how long does it take?
Miller: Around three minutes.
Bon Curry[]
Note: This is exclusive to the Japanese version
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Kaz, it's been three minutes already!
Kazuhira Miller: You're still a child of patience.
Snake: Smells good.
Miller: Mmmmm tasty! This is a pretty tasty dish, Snake!
Snake: I agree! This is pretty good.
Miller: The vegetables still have a sweet taste... They didn't have their freshness absorbed into the rue.
Snake: I could eat something as delicious as this on a battlefield.
Miller: Then it's settled! We'll name this dish "Bon Curry"! In case you're wondering, the "Bon" comes from the French word for "good" or "delicious".
Snake: Why the French name?
Miller: ...Well, uh... It was for that lovely Parisienne...
Snake: Well, whatever. "Bon Curry"... doesn't sound too bad. A breakthrough in military rations.
Doritos[]
Note: This is excusive to the Japanese version
Kazuhira Miller: Do you like tortillas, Snake?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Why the sudden interest?
Miller: It's a typical Central American dish made of corn flour. A favorite of mine back in the States.
Snake: Never tried one, but I heard of them.
Miller: Snake, what if I told you that you could savor the delicious taste of a tortilla at any place, any time?
Snake: Wouldn't be too convenient during a mission. It would occupy too much space.
Miller: Not anymore. Our R&D department have just invented a type of fried tortilla that is cut into little triangular bits. Tortilla chips that you can carry anywhere. We're calling them "Doritos".
Snake: Doritos?
Miller: It's Spanish for "little nuggets of gold", named after the color of the tortillas when fried.
Mountain Dew[]
Note: This is excusive to the Japanese version
Kazuhira Miller: Don't you wish you had a beverage you could take with you during a mission?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Don't worry about that. I already got my maté.
Miller: Maté is good and all, but... don't you wish for something carbonated instead?
Snake: Maybe, but I can't be too picky over what I bring to a battlefield. It's not like I'm going to Time Square for a shopping spree.
Miller: No need to worry about that, Snake. Our R&D staff have just invented a new soft drink. We're calling it "Mountain Dew"!
Snake: Mountain Dew!
Miller: Yes. A refreshing citrus flavored drink reminiscent of the great outdoors. It's lightly carbonated too, so you can drink in gulps even when tired.
Pepsi NEX[]
Note: This is exclusive to the Japanese version
Kazuhira Miller: Snake, our R&D division have just come up with another soft drink.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Don't bother. We'll do fine with just the maté and the Mountain Dew. Those are enough for me.
Miller: You think so? But you really ought to try it first. Once you do, you'll be hooked. In fact, I'm already hooked myself.
Snake: Seriously...?
Miller pulls out the soft drink and drinks it in front of Snake.
Snake: Kaz!
Miller: It has a thick, but sharp taste... Very refreshing.
Snake: ...You shouldn't get too addicted to that stuff, what with all its calories...
Miller: It has none!
Snake: None? Did I hear that right?
Miller: That's right, a zero calories drinking sensation! You won't believe it even after trying it. There's nothing like it on the market. That's right. It won't be long before all the cool people in the world will be hooked on it. Aspirations breeds aspirations, eventually becoming a giant vortex that envelops all of mankind. Snake, or should I say Boss, right now you're at the center of that very vortex. Be the first to usher this new era.
Snake: That's a pretty bold statement, even though I had nothing to do with its creation... What are you calling it anyway?
Miller: What?
Snake: The name of your soda...
Miller: Its name is... Pepsi NEX...
Snake: Pepsi... NEX...
Snake and Miller: (in unison) Pepsi NEX!!
Enemy Soldier Types[]
CIA Mercenaries[]
Kazuhira Miller: Amanda and her crew tell me they've managed to identify several different categories of mercenaries employed by the CIA.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Give me a rundown. Sounds like info I could use.
Miller: No problem. I'll go through them in order.
Patrolmen & Guards[]
Kazuhira Miller: The type of enemy you'll be seeing most is the type that patrols and guards a specific operational area. For the sake of convenience, Amanda's crew calls the outdoor ones "patrolmen," and the indoor ones "guards." They might look like they're just out for a stroll, but don't be fooled - they're sharper than they look. All of their senses are finely honed. Normally they'll patrol along fixed routes, but when the alert level is raised they'll assume a more efficient alert posture and focus on defending specific points. That's bad for you. Obviously they can hold their own in combat, and with body armor it'll be even harder to take them down. If they're wearing a bulletproof helmet, you can forget about one-shot kills. Just a heads up. You'll need to be smart about using camo and pick your routes. The most important thing is to avoid detection.
Commandos[]
Kazuhira Miller: When the enemy spots you and goes on alert, they may call in a backup strike team. These assault teams are heavily armed, well trained, and highly dangerous. Amanda's crew calls them "commandos." Unlike the patrolmen, these guys will actively, relentlessly track and hunt you down - like hounds.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Hounds to hunt a former FOXHOUND... Bring it on.
Miller: They won't give up easily even if they lose sight of you. They'll clear out any likely hiding places they come across. So don't get too comfy in one spot or you might get caught again. Keep your eyes fixed on them and what they're doing. Also, be aware that commando gear includes body armor. So don't think you can deal with them by going in guns blazing.
Snake: All I've got to do is find an exposed weak point and...
Miller: Exactly.
Shock Troops[]
Kazuhira Miller: There's one type of commando you really need to watch out for, and that's the kind toting shotguns. They can take a few hits and still keep charging you. And believe me, you don't want them closing in between those shotgun blasts. When they start charging, you need to stop them immediately. Use something with serious stopping power.
Scouts[]
Kazuhira Miller: We've also confirmed that some of the enemies specialize in ambushes. Amanda's crew calls them "scouts." They'll blend themselves in with the terrain and the vegetation. Then, when they see you, they'll swoop in. They fight pretty much like commandos and will use clearing techniques to flush you out. In addition to wielding normal weapons, the scouts also carry wires.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Hm... Sounds like these guys know their CQC.
Miller: Could be. We've been getting reports of CQC attacks being blocked by wires. Stay alert.
Ghillie Suit Soldiers[]
Kazuhira Miller: Scouts are outfitted with camouflage to help them hide. Some of them look kind of weird, like they've got seaweed growing all over them.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Ah, ghillie suits.
Miller: Not much difference between them and any other scout in terms of combat ability, but it does make them harder to spot.
Snake: I'm sure it does.
Miller: You've come across these before?
Snake: Yeah. The Soviet Union... The first time, it took me a full hour to find the guy and take him out... Kaz, do you know if they shine?
Miller: ...Shine. Like how?
Snake: Like from their heads.
Miller: Their heads?
Snake: How about their hair? Do they have a lot of it?
Miller: What are you talking about? How the hell would I know?
Snake: How about a parrot? Did anybody hear a parrot squawk?
Miller: A parrot? Look, Snake, you're talking to the wrong guy. I mean, Cecile's the bird expert... Wait a second, what am I saying? You're not making any sense to begin with!
Snake: Never mind. It's... a long story. I'll figure out another way. Forget about it.
Miller: Yeah, I'll do that. Anyway, we've already lost too many good people to these surprise encounters. Make sure you don't end up like one of them.
Sentries[]
Kazuhira Miller: There are areas out there where enemy soldiers are deployed in multiple layers for extra coverage. More than a few of those will be attacking you from a distance - rooftops and far-off vantage points. Try not to get too distracted by nearby enemies, because you could be leaving yourself wide open to longer-range attacks.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I'll be careful.
Escorts[]
Kazuhira Miller: Enemy tanks, armored vehicles, and attack choppers are always accompanied by a combat squad. The soldiers aren't particularly tough on their own. What makes them formidable is how well they work together as a team. As if you didn't have enough to worry about with the machine.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Good. I like a challenge.
Miller: Yeah, well, see how you feel when you actually have to face them in battle. Snake, whatever you do, don't let them surround you. The last thing you need is to get pushed into the vehicle's kill zone. And pay attention to what your enemies say to each other. You can improve your chances by figuring out what they're planning and using it to preempt their movements. You don't always have to go toe to toe to win a fight. Think like a guerrilla.
Snake: Got it.
Shield Soldiers[]
Kazuhira Miller: Enemies carrying shields can be a real pain in the ass. To hear Amanda tell it, trying to fight those bastards while they sit behind their shields taking pistol shots at you is enough to make you want to rip your hair out. Get around and flank them if you can. You might want to try blinding them with smoke or stun grenades first. Also, armor-piercing rounds should make it a little easier to punch through their shields. Use 'em if you've got 'em.
Soldier Level[]
Kazuhira Miller: We know there are variations in the kinds of gear patrolmen and commandos wear, especially the body armor. Our scouts report that an enemy's defense and firing accuracy are directly proportional to how heavy their gear is.
'Naked Snake (Big Boss): Those must be the guys with the highest combat skills. They can fight in heavier gear without their performance suffering.
Miller: Supposedly it's pretty easy to tell the difference in gear just by looking. So remember: use extra caution when dealing with enemies wearing heavy gear.
Battle Range[]
Differences in Range Between Different Weapons[]
Kazuhira Miller: Enemies will try to fight you from different distances based on the weapon they've got equipped. When you meet an enemy, get a good look at what they're carrying - it can make or break your chances in battle.
Close Range[]
Kazuhira Miller: Enemies carrying handguns and shotguns will try and get in close. That makes them dangerous, but at the same time easier to hit. Keep you wits about you and you can turn a threat into an opportunity.
Medium Range[]
Kazuhira Miller: Enemies carrying assault rifles and machine guns will usually fire at you from farther away. Use whatever cover you can find, then return fire with a few well-placed shots of your own.
Long Range[]
Kazuhira Miller: Don't expect enemies carrying sniper rifles or rocket launchers to get up close and personal. They'll be constantly moving from place to place looking for an opening to snipe at you. Tricky bastards. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, - go with the sniper rifle. Make sure you stay out of their line of sight, and when they expose themselves, take 'em down!
Paz[]
Costa Rica[]
"Costa Rica"[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Costa Rica means "rich coast" in Spanish.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Is it true that Columbus was the one who came up with the name?
Paz: Your guess is as good as mine. But it is true that Columbus landed his ships near Limón back in the Age of Exploration. He wrote in his diary that when he landed, the indígena showered him with gifts of gold. Hence the name. It sounds a little strange to me. There is no way they could find that much gold in Costa Rica.
Snake: Columbus originally set sail in search of the legendary land of gold. Maybe he was just nuts about the stuff.
Paz: Costa Rica is rich enough without it. Look at the forests and the animals, and the peace-loving people... That is what I want to protect.
Snake: ...I know how you feel.
The Civil War[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Democracy took root in Costa Rica before anywhere else in Central America. Sure, we had coups and dictators and all, but never a total meltdown. That is, until 26 years ago...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): The civil war. Yeah, I understand you lost your grandparents.
Paz: It started with a dispute over alleged fraud in the presidential election. What I don't understand is why friend turned against friend when they could have talked it out instead.
Snake: Yeah, that... would have been nice.
Paz: Even today, some buildings still have bullet holes from the civil war. A quarter century later, and it is a tragedy we ticos cannot forget... Must not forget. It was the year after the civil war that the army was constitutionally abolished.
Policy Shift[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: A new president was elected this year - President Oduber. He seems to be distancing himself from the United States. He's limited the privileges granted to American banks, lifted the sanctions on Cuba... Our last president was so pro-U.S., people suspected he was in bed with the CIA.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): You think the CIA's doing this because it feels threatened by the president's shift in policy...?
Paz: It is possible. But would they really bring in such a huge army just because of that?
Snake: Part of our job is finding out.
Paz: Exactly. Thanks, Snake. Peace.
University for Peace[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So are you a student at the University for Peace, Paz?
Paz Ortega Andrade: No, I am still in high school. But Professor Gálvez lets me visit his office and study with him every now and then. International law, security, conflict resolution, human rights... We study all these subjects and then use them to build the foundations of peace.
Snake: Yeah, I get it... I'd just never heard the UN had a University for Peace before.
Paz: Oh, that. Well, to be precise, it is still being set up. They have started conducting research, but the UN has not passed the necessary resolution yet. Professor Gálvez couldn't wait that long...
Snake: Oh, uh, right.
Paz: Costa Rica abolished its army, and has also hosted the Central American Court of Justice. It is the perfect place to build a university like ours, don't you think?
Professor Gálvez[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Professor Gálvez was a KGB spy...? I thought he helped me out of genuine concern for Costa Rica's future...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): You didn't know?
Paz: How could I?! Believe me, Snake. He introduced himself as a peace researcher at the university. He had an office and credentials and everything...
Snake: They're masters at creating cover personas. They think of everything - ID papers, jobs, sometimes even families. Don't feel bad you didn't see through it.
Paz: But you did?
Snake: From the first time we met.
Paz: I wish you'd told me...
Snake: Sorry. I didn't know if it'd be right. You might have gotten mixed up in things you shouldn't.
Paz: That is impressive, though. Sizing him up him at a single glance.
Snake: He reeked.
Paz: Reeked?
Snake: He had this unmistakable air about him... The air of someone who's been given a mission and will see it through no matter what. Like me. I could just smell it.
Paz: That is amazing, Snake!
Snake: Nah, I'm just kidding. It was his prosthetic hand. Why would a professor from a peace university need a tool for assassination?
Paz: ...
Costa Rican Coffee[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): That coffee you guys brought us is pretty damn good.
Paz Ortega Andrade: Isn't it? Costa Rican coffee is the best. The Central Basin has all the right conditions for growing coffee. It is high in elevation, with steady temperatures and well-drained, volcanic soils.
Snake: The "professor" certainly seems attached to it.
Paz: The coffee we drank on the boat coming over was awful. It put him in such a terrible mood.
Snake: How come I never hear about Costa Rican coffee, then?
Paz: Because it gets bought up by wholesalers and mixed with beans from other countries... It is really a shame. Such wonderful beans and nobody knows they're from Costa Rica.
Snake: They should launch an ad campaign or something.
Paz: Right! I hope one day people will recognize Costa Rican coffee for what it is.
Snake: I'm with you there.
Costa Rican Ruins[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Are there any large-scale ruins in Costa Rica, Paz?
Paz Ortega Andrade: There's a place east of Cartago called Guayabo. They have ruins there, but they're not especially big.
Snake: Not the place I'm thinking of... Any others?
Paz: Well, if you go a little way across the border into Nicaragua, there's a place called La Fortaleza de la Inmaculada Concepción. That's the only famous one.
Snake: Then what were those ruins I saw from up on Irazu...?
Paz: There are a lot of things we still do not know about Costa Rica's ancient civilizations. There are giant stone spheres throughout the country. What they were used for is still a mystery.
Costa Rica's Unarmed Neutrality[]
Article 12 of the Constitution[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Paz, you said Costa Rica has no army, right?
Paz Ortega Andrade: Correct. Article 12 of the constitution declared that the army as a permanent institution is abolished. It does permit us to organize armed forces for national defense based on inter-American treaties.
Snake: Only temporarily, then.
Paz: In effect, yes. But in the years since the constitution took effect, Costa Rica has not once raised an army.
How it keeps the peace[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Paz. How does your country defend itself without an army? Especially in a rough neighborhood like Central America.
Paz Ortega Andrade: With the right kind of diplomacy. If we live up to our ideals and earn the respect of other countries, the international community will support us. The two times Nicaragua actually did invade, the conflict was resolved diplomatically under OAS (Organization of American States) auspices.
Snake: Doesn't that leave you depending on the U.S. after all?
Paz: American influence is unmatched, it is true. San Jose was critical of American policy at the time... But America supported us all the same. It was because we practiced peaceful diplomacy... That is what I like to think.
Snake: That's one way to approach it, sure. But there are countries out there who'll use force no matter how bad it looks.
Paz: Maybe so... I know my way of thinking probably looks naïve to you. But it's not like we expect peace without working for it. Diplomacy is a battle in itself. And we have to make the effort to seek out causes of misfortune and nip them in the bud. It was that kind of thinking that got me trapped in their base...
Snake: I'm not blaming you. You haven't done anything wrong.
The reason the army was abolished[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: The army was abolished 25 years ago, the year after the civil war. I learned about the sorrow of civil war from a very young age. The futility of countrymen fighting each other, and the tragedy... Costa Rica learned the hard way. That is why it abolished its army. It decided to pour its efforts into education instead. "More teachers than soldiers" was the slogan.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Education is essential, no question. Even Che used to teach reading and writing in between guerrilla campaigns.
Paz: Costa Rica was poor at the time. We didn't have many resources. I suppose we had to pick one or the other - the military or the schools.
Japan's peace constitution[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Kaz was telling me Japan has a peace constitution, too.
Paz Ortega Andrade: That is right. Apparently when Costa Rica was drafting its constitution, they looked to the Japanese as a model. Only Japan's constitution renounces war itself.
Snake: Unlike Costa Rica.
Paz: But... Japan has a Self-Defense Force, right? That I do not get. I think I will ask Mr. Miller about it next time I see him. He said he used to be in the JSDF.
Snake: You're a curious one, aren't you? Don't study too hard.
Perpetual Peace[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What was that you were saying... "peace is not the natural state of men"? You said you learned it in school.
Paz Ortega Andrade: That's right. They're the words of the German philosopher Immanuel Kant. In 1795 he wrote a book titled "Perpetual Peace." Kant argued that it's precisely because peace is unnatural that we have to make it ourselves.
Snake: How?
Paz: That's what his book is about. Is the concept starting to sound interesting now?
Snake: Not really... I belong in a more natural world.
Paz: Is that so... ...My grandparents died in the civil war. If only we'd been at peace, they wouldn't have lost their lives. You actually wish for war?
Snake: It's not like I want to hurt innocent civilians. But if someone attacks you, what are you supposed to do? A country needs the strength to defend itself. Otherwise it faces invasion, oppression, political subjugation.
Paz: If they'd simply stop using force to tangle with each other, countries wouldn't need force to defend themselves.
Snake: And how would you guarantee that?
Paz: I...
Snake: ...Sorry. But you have to understand how the world works in order to protect the ones you love. That's not to say ideals aren't important, too. They are.
Paz: You are right, Snake... Thanks. Peace!
Costa Rica's natural environment[]
Costa Rica's tropical forests[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Costa Rica's forests are more diverse than you might expect. Not all of them are tropical rain forests. Costa Rica is close to the Equator, it is true, but it is also very mountainous. Naked Snake (Big Boss): I see what you mean. Go up 4,000 feet in elevation and the temperature drops more than seven degrees. Paz: There are basically three types of forests. The lowlands are covered in tropical rain forests, the highlands by tropical cloud forests. And areas where there is a dry season have tropical dry forests.
Tropical rain forests[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: The lowlands along the Caribbean coast are mostly covered by hot, humid tropical rain forests. What most people envision when they think of "jungle." The closely packed trees spread their branches out at great heights to soak up the sun. Their shade makes it dark near the ground, so be careful. Of course, with so little light few plants can grow on the ground, so it might actually be easier to walk.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So even if you could photosynthesize, it wouldn't do you any good.
Paz Ortega Andrade: Photosynthesize? People cannot do that.
Snake: Most people, anyway.
Tropical dry forests[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Areas with a distinct dry season, like the Pacific coast, have tropical dry forests. During the dry season, the trees drop their leaves. It gives you a clearer view, but at the same time there are fewer places to hide, so be careful.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Sounds dull.
Paz: It is not, really. A lot of trees flower during the dry season. Including my favorite, the tabebuia. It has these amazingly vivid yellow flowers.
Tropical cloud forests[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: The cloud forests cover the central mountainous region of the country. They're perpetually shrouded in fog. You get wet just standing there. It is as if the entire forest is inside a cloud.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Must make for poor visibility.
Paz Ortega Andrade: It does. But beauty, too. It is like being lost in some mystical, green labyrinth.
Snake: ...I'd rather not get lost if that's OK.
Paz: The forests are also home to lots of rare animals. Especially brightly colored frogs. They like the humidity.
Morpho butterflies[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): You know that butterfly painted on Peace Walker - any idea what that is?
Paz Ortega Andrade: ...It is a Morpho. A Peleides Morpho, if I'm not mistaken.
Snake: Peleides Morpho?
Paz: Uh huh. It is the most common type of Morpho in Costa Rica.
Snake: Huh.
Paz: It has these gorgeous metallic blue wings that shimmer in the light. You can see them even from a distance.
Snake: You mean they reflect light?
Paz: Correct. It's called structural color. Morpho scales have tiny bumps on them that interfere with the light and make them look blue. The space between the bumps corresponds to the wavelength of blue light...
Snake: Let me see if I get this. So if you could change the spacing, you'd end up seeing a different color?
Paz: That's the principle. I heard somewhere it's being researched as a way to color cloth without dye.
Snake: Think of the camouflage you could make with that...
Paz: Is that all you can think of?
Snake: Hey, it's important. What I don't get is why they'd put a butterfly on Peace Walker...
Paz: Maybe because it looks pretty.
Snake: I hope that's all it is...
Biological diversity[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Costa Rica is said to have about 87,000 species of living things. That's about 5% of all the known species in the world.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): A tiny place like this? I'll be damned.
Paz: I want to protect that biological diversity. When diversity is lost, the environment weakens. Just look at the plantations.
Snake: I think I know what you mean. It's like trying to assemble a unit from similar guys - it usually doesn't work out. Throw a few square pegs in there and everything falls into place.
Paz: There are so many species here that a lot of them have not even been classified yet. I'm hoping I can help do that someday. Kind of like a parataxonomist.
Snake: Para... say that again?
Paz: Parataxonomist. Someone who helps a taxonomist.
Snake: Oh. Huh. I thought you were going to say it had something to do with parachutes.
Paz: You're weird...
Costa Rican Development Corporation[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: The Development Corporation of Costa Rica, or CODESA, was established two years ago. Since President Oduber was elected this year, the state has been putting a lot more effort into development.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): The corporate state, so to speak.
Paz: Growth is good and all, but there's one thing that bugs me.
Snake: What's that?
Paz: I cannot help but wonder whether CODESA is not just a front for la CIA.
Snake: You mean what the "professor" was saying about the CIA mercenaries posing as security guards? They were using CODESA as camouflage...
Paz: I'm worried that development is going to destroy the forests... but I do not suppose it has anything to do with this.
About herself[]
"Paz"[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: My mother was the one who named me "Paz." She said it was an expression of her wish that the country stay at peace. It's a pretty common name in Central America. My mother always used to tell me, "Never make war. Always help keep the peace."
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I remember... Your grandparents.
Paz: Yes, they died in the civil war. I think that is why my mother hated war so much,
Snake: That's another thing you've got in common with Kaz. His mother named him "Peace," too.
Paz: Si, because Japan also suffered through war. I think I know how Mr. Miller's mother felt.
The Peace Sign[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): You like the peace sign, huh?
Paz Ortega Andrade: Sí. As a gesture it connects every peace-loving person. Here, you try it, Snake. Peace!
Snake: ...No thanks. It... doesn't suit me.
Paz: Too bad for you.
Snake: You know, the "V" in the peace sign comes from the "V" in "Victory." When did it start standing for peace?
Paz: I am not completely sure... but I guess it came out of the protest movement against the Vietnam War. Oh, and don't turn your hand around when you do it, especially around British people. It is insulting.
Childhood[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So you live alone now?
Paz Ortega Andrade: No, not alone. I've been living in school dormitories since I started junior high. After my mother died, my relatives took me in, but... they were not my real family.
Snake: You didn't fit in there?
Paz: In a way... My aunts were kind to me and all... But I know how difficult it must have been to suddenly have a child thrust into their lives. When you live with someone, there are no secrets. I could tell my being there was a burden on them...
Snake: Sounds like a rough childhood.
Paz: I would not say that. I was lucky just to have people to take me in. There are huérfanos living out in the streets because their mothers died. It is even worse in countries with frequent civil wars. So who am I to complain about my childhood?
Snake: You're a pretty tough kid, you know?
Paz: ...Not at all. I am not strong at all.
Role in Mother Base[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: I have a favor to ask you, Snake.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Name it.
Paz: I want to you to give me a job here. I want to help out.
Snake: You sure? You just went through a hell of a time. You should probably take it easy until you're settled.
Paz: Thank you. But there must be something I can do. You would not want me near a gun, but I am a decent cook.
Snake: Now there's a skill we can use.
Paz: Put me on the mess hall team - I think I can handle it. Once I get used to it, I'll even add in some Costa Rican recipes.
Snake: Sounds like a plan.
Costa Rican Coast[]
Playa del Alba[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Playa del Alba means "beach of dawn." The morning sun is so beautiful over the Caribbean.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Beach of Dawn, huh? Perfect place to start a mission.
Paz: The clear blue water, the white sand, the swaying palm trees... You cannot get more South American than here. It is paradise on earth.
Snake: Yeah. Guess I should've packed my Hawaiian shirt.
Paz: The coral reefs and mangrove forests protect the small fish in the area. Sea turtles come to lay their eggs on these beaches. We're not the only ones who enjoy this place. It's heaven for more than just humans.
Bosque del Alba[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Bosque del Alba means "forest of dawn." Naturally, it is situated on the east coast. It is your standard tropical rainforest, everything you'd imagine in a jungle.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): No sign of morning sun here.
Paz: The foliage is too thick for direct sunlight to hit the floor. I do not know how easy it will be making your way through here.
Snake: I'll be fine. This isn't my first trip to a jungle.
Puerto del Alba[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: The mercenaries' supply base is situated on elevated ground by the coast. I heard them call it "Puerto del Alba" - "Port of Dawn." They have perfect visibility of the area from up there. We did our best to sneak in undetected, but... one of the guards spotted us, and we...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What is it?
Paz: ...I'm sorry, you'll have to ask Professor Gálvez the rest.
Snake: ...It's OK. You've been through a lot.
Paz: I am sorry, I... I just cannot...
Snake: You did great, Paz. I won't let your efforts go wasted.
Eastern Limon[]
El Cenegal - Jungle[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: This is a tropical rainforest, just like Bosque del Alba. The temperature and humidity can be brutal. El Cenegal means "Place of Mud."
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Mud. Great. I'll watch my step.
Paz: This area often gets flooded by the river. There are canals here and there carved out by the water.
Snake: Good places to hide.
Paz: But they'll also make it harder for you to see. Be careful, Snake.
El Cenegal - Ravine[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: There should be a suspension bridge around there.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): In lowlands like this?
Paz: The ground nearby is harder and higher than usual. The river cut through it, eventually creating a valley. There might be another way to get across the river somewhere.
Snake: I wouldn't want to run into someone on the bridge.
Paz: The valley tends to be misty, so you might not be able to see the water from up there. Fall and it'll leave more than a bump.
Snake: I'll be careful.
El Cenegal - Swamp[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: When a river floods an area, the banks can collapse, creating a marsh. You see a lot of them around here.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I'll need to watch the noise my feet make in el cenegal.
Paz: There's a marsh on the other side of the river, too. The suspension bridge will take you there.
Rio del Jade[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: The river running through here is Río del Jade, or "the Jade River."
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Jade? Are there minerals around here?
Paz: No, it refers to the color of the water. You'll have to go to Guatemala for jade.
Snake: Hmm... Doesn't look all that pretty from where I'm standing.
Paz: We're still in the rainy season, so the river's a little muddy. It'll return to normal once the dry season starts. Rivers are an important means of transport around here. They're relatively calm, and there are plenty of canals along the coast, too.
Snake: A boat'd be more than enough to transport some good-sized cargo.
Paz: Like... a nuclear weapon?
Snake: We don't know enough yet. I'll keep looking.
Paz: Thank you, Snake.
Bananal Fruta de Oro - Sorting Shed[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: There's a lot of banana cultivation along Costa Rica's Caribbean coast. The area's dotted with banana plantations. Bananas have been Costa Rica's main crop since they were introduced from Panama in the 19th century. They bring in a fair amount of foreign currency.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): A real fruta de oro, huh?
Paz: Si. But exporting all those bananas requires a ton of land.
Snake: Hence all the plantations.
Paz: Clearing all that forest just to grow bananas robs animals of their habitats. I do not know how good that is for Costa Rica in the end.
Bananal Fruta de Oro - Farm[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Panama disease was rampant here about 20 years ago, putting a lot of banana plantations out of business.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Panama disease?
Paz: It is caused by a type of fungus. Apparently it killed off almost all the banana species that used to grow here.
Snake: How could that happen?
Paz: Cultivated bananas do not produce seeds. You have to remove and transplant part of the stem yourself. You plant them in the fields.
Snake: So you've got acres of identical plants?
Paz: Si. When one plant is infected, the disease spreads quickly. Species lacking genetic diversity become weak. They grow different bananas today, ones said to be resistant to Panama disease.
Mt. Irazu Area[]
Camino de Lava - Hillside[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Costa Rica has several active volcanoes, Irazú being one of them.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): That's where "Camino de Lava" comes from, huh?
Paz: The tropical dry forests around here are quite different from our rainforests. They lose their leaves in the dry season. Tropical forests are not all thick jungles. A few of them even have cacti. Some of Costa Rica's greatest assets are its diverse forests and natural landscapes.
Camino de Lava - Junction[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Costa Rica got its first real railroads up and running about a hundred years ago. Their primary purpose was to move coffee harvested in the central basin to the Caribbean coast.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): They built railroads here a hundred years ago? That's impressive.
Paz: It was even more difficult than you would imagine. Later they started using the railroads for shipping bananas, too. There still might be some branch lines around here.
Aldea de los Despiertos[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Aldea de los Despiertos means "Village of the Awake."
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Weird name.
Paz: The area's littered with coffee fields and there's a factory nearby. The villagers are fans of coffee, so...
Snake: They don't get much sleep, huh? They've got a sense of humor all right.
Paz: I cannot believe they would take over a place like this and use it as a prison. It is unforgiveable. For both la CIA and the thugs they employ. All the villagers wanted was to live in peace. What gives la CIA the right to crush them like that?!
Snake: They don't care about anyone's rights but their own. It's just the way some people are.
Paz: You really think so?
Snake: Don't worry. It just gives me the right to teach them a lesson.
Cafetal Aroma Encantado[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: La CIA has taken control of this coffee factory, too. All to produce its drugs... It was famous once, for its fine beans.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Cafetal Aroma Encantado... "Enchanting Aroma," huh?
Paz: Si. Once we've thrown the mercenaries out of Costa Rica, I know it will make wonderful coffee again. And then you must come and try some, Snake.
Snake: Sounds great. I wouldn't mind a cuppa joe after all this is over. Oh, wait...
Paz: What is wrong?
Snake: No, I... just remembered this guy I knew who wasn't big on coffee. English. "Get rid of that muddy water and get a cup of black tea down your gob," he'd say.
Paz: Ha! That's too bad for him - it is delicious.
El Cadalso[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: As I said before, building railroads in Costa Rica was a dangerous job. A lot of men died, and sometimes they stopped work altogether. This is one of those places. They had to cut through steep terrain, so when they finally made it through they just built the rail terminal right there. And that's why they named it...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): El Cadalso... the Gallows. Charming. I'm surprised the construction money didn't dry up the way things were going.
Paz: Actually, it did. But the bananas helped complete it, so they say.
Snake: You mean... the energy the workers got from eating bananas? I suppose they do have plenty of vitamins and...
Paz: No, no, no, I meant the money they got to finish it came from exporting bananas.
Snake: Oh...
Paz: But one thing is for certain! The owners of the railroads expanded into the banana trade after construction was completed. That was the start of banana cultivation in Costa Rica.
Los Cantos - Canyon[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Snake, to the north of the village is a bridge that crosses a hydraulic pipe, though normally the bridge is not used by people. If you slip you'll fall straight to the bottom of the valley. Be careful.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What's a channel doing here?
Paz: It is not for irrigation - they're hydroelectric pipes. I wonder if they run into Irazú's crater lake. Normally they would build a reservoir at the bottom of the valley, but it was probably too dangerous. Los Cantos means "Sword Peak."
Los Cantos - Ridge[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: You should be able to see across the Irazú mountain range from there. There are not as many big trees at that elevation, and you'll probably be well above the mist.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): It'll be tough to hide up there.
Paz: You're not thinking about the scenery right now, are you?
Snake: Not while I'm surrounded by bad guys.
Paz: You should have seen it when the country was at peace. I know you'd have been impressed.
Snake: Well, that'll be our reward for a successful mission. Sound good?
Paz: Wonderful. Thank you, Snake.
Fuerte la Ladera[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: ...There is... an old fort around there.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What is it, Paz? You sound... upset.
Paz: Well... You see, it was built during the civil war.
Snake: Let me guess: disputes between Costa Rica's political parties escalated into all-out conflict.
Paz: Sí. Conflict that cost my grandparents their lives. The most senseless sort of war - countrymen mindlessly slaughtering their own. That fort is a reminder of that senselessness.
Snake: Sadly ironic, given who's occupying it now.
Paz: That war was the reason Costa Rica abolished the army. Please, Snake! Get them out of our country!
Snake: I intend to.
Crater Base[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Paz, what was the government thinking building a power plant at the top of a mountain? With no river to replenish the water, the lake would dry up pretty quick...
Paz Ortega Andrade: ...If it were an ordinary power plant. But the plan called for a pumped storage power plant.
Snake: Pumped storage power plant? Kaz mentioned that, too. What is that?
Paz: It's a facility that generates electricity by pumping water up to the lake, then letting it run back down.
Snake: Seems Sisyphean to me.
Paz: If they turned the water into electricity as soon as they'd pumped it up, sure. But a pumped storage plant acts as a kind of battery.
Snake: A battery?
Paz: For instance, they could pump at night, when there's surplus electricity, and store it for later use. If they need extra power during the day, they can generate it using water pumped up during the night.
Snake: I get it. It's a little more difficult to adjust output with thermal or nuclear plants.
Paz: The thing is, Costa Rica won't have enough electricity to meet its needs. Right now - there is no surplus.
Snake: Maybe that's what put the brakes on the project. Must've played right into the CIA's hands.
Central Heredia[]
Selva de la Leche - Jungle[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: This area is a tropical cloud forest, continually covered in a thick mist. It is quite a mystical place.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Selba de la Leche... "Forest of Milk." I can barely see in front of me.
Paz: There you go again. The forest is basically sitting in a cloud, so of course it's going to be hard to see. But you know, the cloud forest is the only place many exotic creatures can live.
Snake: Well, if they're not edible, I'm not interested.
Paz: Snake! I'll have you know people travel from all around the world to witness Costa Rica's unique fauna!
Selva de la Leche - Hillside[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Snake, watch out for the frogs.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Why, they bite? Relax, no frog's ever eaten a snake. Although I've feasted on a few frogs' legs myself...
Paz: But, they're dangerous! They're poisonous!
Snake: Poisonous?
Paz: Poison dart frogs live up to their name, I assure you. Their poison is so strong the indígena use them to make poison-tipped arrows. Some secrete poison through their skin - even touching them can be dangerous. So don't go petting them or anything.
Snake: So... I can't eat one?
Paz: I'm warning you!
Catarata de la Muerte[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Catarata de la Muerte means "Waterfall of Death."
Naked Snake (Big Boss): How cheerful.
Paz: I am sure it will be no problem for you, Snake, especially compared to all the dire situations you've faced in the past.
Snake: Easy to say now. We'll see what really happens.
Paz: Sorry. Still, you have surprised me. Everything they say about the legend is true.
Snake: I'm neither hero nor legend. But for some reason, I don't mind you calling me that.
Paz: Thanks. Be careful, Snake. Peace!
Selva de la Muerte[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Selba de la Muerte, huh? "Forest of Death." Wouldn't want to get lost here.
Paz Ortega Andrade: Sure wouldn't. But do not worry, I will be your guide.
Snake: Happy to hear it.
Paz: By the way, Snake, you know much about sloths?
Snake: Just the name.
Paz: They are amazing. Sloths spend almost all their lives up in trees, except for when they have to go to the bathroom. Plus, they barely eat a thing.
Snake: What? How do they survive?
Paz: Why do you think they're called "sloths"? They hardly move, so they hardly burn any energy. They're also able to maintain a low body temperature, lowering their metabolism further, and allowing them to survive on very little.
Snake: Wouldn't that make it easier for them to be picked off by predators?
Paz: They stick to the trees, helping them blend in and stay out of sight. They say there are even some sloths that grow moss when they reach a certain age. Like some sort of fairy tale forest hermit, huh?
Snake: I knew a great old sniper once. Guess he was even more in tune with nature than I thought.
Paz: Old sniper? What are you talking about?
Ruinas de Xochiquetzal[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: La Ruinas de Xochiquetzal will be around there. They have not been restored at all, so they may well be covered in plants.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Xochiquetzal?
Paz: An Aztec goddess of fertility and beauty. They say she was always accompanied by birds and butterflies. One theory states she was the mother of the god known as Quetzalcoatl.
Snake: Quetzalcoatl...
Paz: The quetzal is said to be an incarnation of Quetzalcoatl, hence its name.
Snake: I get it. Well, this place definitely matches the atmosphere of a cloud forest.
Paz: Now, it may have seen better days, but that is still a temple. So, be sure to show respect when you're inside.
Snake: If the mood strikes me.
Paz: Hmph! Well, you've got no one to blame but yourself if Xochiquetzal strikes you down.
AI Lab[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: I do not know if I recall such large ruins being there...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Well, didn't you say there's a lot we don't know about Costa Rica's ancient civilizations? You talked about some giant stone balls, too. What are those?
Paz: Oh, the Stone Spheres of Costa Rica? They're an assortment of giant spheres carved from stone that were discovered in the jungles of Costa Rica about 50 years ago.
Snake: What's so special about that?
Paz: What if I told you some of them are nearly perfect spheres? And that they were carved out of granite, which is quite a hard substance.
Snake: Hmm, could be good for laying a trap. And if they're spherical, they'd roll easily, too...
Paz: Snake...
Mine Base[]
Miner's Residence[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So tell me, what do they mine around here?
Paz Ortega Andrade: Gold, if I am not mistaken.
Snake: Gold?! No kidding. I wonder what'd be the fastest way to...
Paz: I do not know how much success they've had. You do not hear of anyone still operating mines around here.
Snake: Oh...
Paz: Generally speaking, people here are not too thrilled with outside capital coming in and taking away the country's natural resources. Four years ago, a group of protestors hurled stones at the parliament building when people found out the country had been bestowing mining rights to foreign companies.
Mining Pit[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: They must have had to clear a considerable amount of forest to open up that mine.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): No doubt. So much for any hiding places, too.
Paz: And it is not just the forest. Without the proper precautions, the mine's waste water could pollute the groundwater. And to top it all off, they're developing nuclear weapons there, too. How can people care so little about their own country?
Snake: ...I'm not the one to ask about that.
Paz: Well, you may have abandoned your country, but you still treasure where you came from.
Snake: You think so?
Paz: Sure. I know you do.
Snake: Paz, you... I... Whatever you do, never stop loving your country.
Amanda[]
Nicaragua[]
History[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Since it was founded, my country has not once been able to choose its own path. First Spain, then America. Over one hundred years of this...
Naked Snake: (Big Boss): I know.
Amanda Valenciano Libre: In the 19th century, an American mercenary named William Walker seized power in Nicaragua.
Snake: I'd heard he exploited rivalries between the political parties.
Amanda: Even after we expelled him, the Americans sent in their Marines under the pretext of quelling political unrest.
Snake: And the real reason?
Amanda: To intimidate the government and thwart the construction of the Nicaragua Canal.
The Nicaragua Canal[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I thought the U.S. already has the rights to build a canal in Nicaragua...
Amanda Valenciano Libre: They never intended to build a canal there. They had already started digging in Panama. A canal in Nicaragua would break up the Panama Canal's monopoly, reason enough for America to stick its nose into our affairs.
Snake: They snagged the rights so nobody else could build there...
Amanda: It was General Sandino who finally stood up to los yanquis.
Sandino's rebellion[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: General Sandino waged a guerrilla war against the Marines, at last driving them out. He was a true hero, and - to us Sandinistas - like a father. But when they pulled out, the Americans left us something to remember them by.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): The National Guard.
Amanda: Yes, la Guardia. In name, a peacekeeping force. But in reality, Commander Somoza's personal army, answering to no one else. Unable to stay silent, General Sandino went to protest... and was assassinated by Somoza as he made his way home. It was then that Somoza and los sapos began to eat our country alive, from the inside.
Somoza[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: It has been 40 years since the Somoza family became the rulers of Nicaragua. With la Guardia at their command, no one can challenge them.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): You came here on the run from the National Guard, right?
Amanda: Si. They took everything. Our land, our homes, our jobs...
Snake: Now belong to Somoza.
Amanda: Si. The law, too. He's even got the judges in his pocket. You defy him, you face death. Everyone bows and scrapes before la Guardia. Even then, you might get a beating if they are in a bad mood.
Snake: And you're trying to change things.
Amanda: That's not all. The Somozas have used their power to line their pockets. They confiscate people's land and hand it to members of the Somoza family. By now, close to half the farmland in Nicaragua is theirs. We were powerless. Until... You remember the earthquake two years ago?
Snake: Yeah. I heard it the capital was hit pretty hard.
Amanda: We lost Managua, our capital city. People sent aid from all around the world. Tears of sorrow turned to tears of joy. Yet almost all of it was embezzled by the Somozas. They sold out those who'd lost everything - for money! They feasted on our country's suffering! Public resentment is at the boiling point. The Somozas' days are numbered. We will see to it.
Sandino's assassination[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: The first Somoza was originally no more than the commander of la Guardia. Ordinarily, a man of his station could never hope to become president. But the president at the time had no power to back him. The only one with the strength to oppose him was General Sandino. ....No. Better to say the General was the only one who dared oppose him. There was nothing special about him. Above all, it takes a strong will to see justice done. That is what he taught us.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): It's also what motivated Somoza to have him killed...
Amanda: Yes. The rest was easy. He got rid of the president, taking office in a sham election. And once he had power, he never gave it up.
Snake: Talk about heavy-handed.
Amanda: He had the Americans backing him, that's why. They didn't want to hand over power to a rebellious general.
Snake: Even so, it's hard to believe Washington would give its blessing to a guy like that.
Amanda: The American President at the time put it this way: "Somoza may be a son of a bitch, but he's our son of a bitch." In other words, better a dog or los sapos (Somoza and counter-revolutionaries) than an anti-US regime.
The Manague Earthquake[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: The Managua Earthquake struck two years ago, the day before Christmas Eve. Giant cracks opened up in the streets. Sleeping children were crushed in collapsing houses. No chance to escape. No visit from Santa Claus. Thanks to Somoza, the old houses could not even get rebuilt... It was a nightmare.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I heard the epicenter was right in the middle of the city.
Amanda: Even today, it's too dangerous to build on top of the fault line. The city center is still in ruins.
Snake: And to make things worse, Somoza stole the recovery money.
Amanda: We must not fail. We owe it to those who lost their lives. We will defeat Somoza.
Rio San Juan[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: The river that flows between Nicaragua and Costa Rica is el Río San Juan. It connects Lago Cocibolca to el Mar Caribe. It is a gentle river, safe even for small boats. You have to watch out for the sharks, though.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Sharks? In a river?
Amanda: El tiburón toro live in the river. But there's nothing to fear. San Juan will protect you always.
Snake: Juan?
Amanda: The Rio San Juan takes its name from San Juan, the man who baptized Jesús. The man you call John the Baptist in your country.
Snake: John, huh... I'll be careful anyway. I'd hate to drown - end up a John Doe.
Ometepe Island[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: There is a volcanic island in Lago Cocibolca called Ometepe. It's formed from two connected volcanoes, shaped like a porongo (gourd).
Naked Snake (Big Boss): The one with smoke coming out of it?
Amanda: That's the one. The smoking volcano is Concepción. It erupts once in a while. The other one is Maderas. It's never erupted in recorded history. There's a lake in the caldera at the top.
Snake: A crater lake... Let's hope there's not another underground factory inside...
Amanda: Don't say that! If Peace Walker's nukes detonated there, it would destabilize the magma underneath. It could cause the volcano to erupt again. If that happens, my country is doomed. Snake, you must stop Peace Walker!
FSLN[]
FSLN[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: We are Sandinistas, the heirs of General Sandino's will.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Sandino... the father of modern guerrilla warfare.
Amanda: To you, maybe. To us, he's more like a real father.
Snake: That why you named yourselves after him?
Amanda: Of course. La Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional... the Sandinista National Liberation Front is named in his honor. We share the General's goal - to take back our country's freedom. In his day, from America. In ours, from the despot Somoza.
Snake: Times have changed, but the song remains the same.
Amanda: "Patria Libre o Morir"... That is our slogan. El Che used to say the same thing, you know?
Snake: "Patria o Muerte"... the slogan of the Cuban Revolution. So you're fighting for a socialist revolution, too, then?
Amanda: No. It's not about ideology. We only want to live normal lives. We are sick of living in a country where you can be beaten for walking down the street. Where you never know if your neighbor is snitching on you. Our goal is to give back the country to its people.
Snake: Yeah. The Cuban Revolution started out like that, too...
Amanda: We are few in number, but we will win. Victoria o muerte. For a revolutionary, there is no other fate.
General Sandino[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Augusto César Sandino... general and hero of Nicaragua. Fifty years ago, conflict broke out between the political parties of Nicaragua. The U.S. Marines intervened in the name of restoring order. The only one who refused to listen to their call for reconciliation was General Sandino.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): One man against the Marines... That takes guts.
Amanda: The General wasn't a professional soldier. Neither were his compadres. And they certainly could not match the Marines' equipment. But he used the land to his advantage, lurking in the fields and hills of Nicaragua, and using surprise attacks to harass the Marines.
Snake: I know. I've read plenty of textbooks on guerrilla warfare.
Amanda: In the end, he drove them out. He was truly a role model for us.
Snake: Yeah, but that was the '30s - didn't the Depression have something to do with it? It takes cash to wage war.
Amanda: Perhaps. But there is no denying what the General accomplished. The people hailed him as the "General de Hombres Libres" - the general of free men. They loved him. And then... He was assassinated - by Anastasio Somoza Garcia, commander of la Guardia.
Snake: The father of the current Somoza.
Amanda: Somoza had the Americans' backing. That is the way things were. The General may be dead, and the times may have changed, but his will lives on inside each of us. We are the sons and daughters of General Sandino.
The "watermelon sellers"[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Hey. How's the watermelon business these days?
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Not bad. I hear the compas back home are hanging in there, too.
Snake: Good to hear.
Amanda: ...You know our nickname. I'm impressed. No wonder they call you Boss.
Snake: You used to hide your weapons in hollowed-out watermelons, smuggle 'em right past the National Guard. You even transported pineapple grenades that way. The name caught on among sympathizers in the region and...
Amanda: What are you talking about?
Snake: Huh?
Amanda: They call us watermelon sellers because the General's name sounds like the word for watermelon, sandía.
Snake: ...Really?
Amanda: Si.
Snake: Dammit, Kaz...
A revolution for peace[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): A revolution to bring peace to your country, huh. No matter how much we fight, peace never gets any closer, does it?
Amanda Valenciano Libre: I do not like it, but it is the only way. If we do not fight back, they'll just keep exploiting us. You want proof? Look at our country's history. Revolution is a means and not an end, I know. When the revolution is victorious, I want my country to be at peace. But to bring peace, we have to first eliminate that traitorous scum.
Snake: It's an old saying: "We make war that we may live in peace."
Amanda: Who said it?
Snake: Aristotle.
Amanda: You know your history.
Snake: I had a good teacher.
Amanda: It has always been like this. People making the same mistakes, over and over... and still all we can do is fight.
Snake: I hear ya. If you've got a goal, you've got to keep moving forward.
El Che[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I noticed you call Che Guevara "El Che."
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Not just us. Everyone in these parts does. "Che" was always his nickname. It does not feel right to call him by his last name. ...I was shocked the first time I saw you. You look so much like him.
Snake: I look like "El Che", huh?
Amanda: Sort of. Not in the face. It's more... the way you carry yourself...
Snake: I guess Che's a hero to the Sandinistas, too?
Amanda: Of course. The FSLN was formed in the spirit of the ideologies championed by El Che and Fidel.
Snake: Fidel... Fidel Castro. So you're trying to bring the Cuban Revolution to Nicaragua.
Amanda: Well, we were. But Cuba isn't what it once was... Not since El Che left. El Che was a true revolutionary. He fought - and died - for the people. He worked harder than anybody, and he was a righteous man. Even as a minister of Cuba, he gave up his weekends to work on the farms and public works. As a volunteer, no less.
Snake: Yeah, I've heard the stories. But when you think about it, wasn't it that obsession that did him in?
Amanda: How do you mean?
Snake: We can't all be supermen. He thought the ideals he applied in Cuba would work in Bolivia. But, he failed to win converts and the support of the peasants, and it cost him his life.
Amanda: Maybe... maybe you're right. But at least he did not steal from those peasants, no matter how hard things got.
Snake: Yeah. I can sympathize with that. There's plenty of guerrillas out there who'd rob their own people to feed their revolutions.
Amanda: If we had a comandante like him, the Sandinistas would find the will to fight.
Enemy strength[]
Hombre Nuevo[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): You called that giant chopper an "hombre nuevo"...
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Si. It means "new man."
Snake: "New man"?
Amanda: There was nobody piloting that thing. It must be controlled by machine.
Snake: Yeah, it seems that way. No human being could pull off those crazy maneuvers.
Amanda: But it's not crazy - it's smart. It sings, too.
Snake: When we first saw it, one of my men said, "Pilot must be an hombre nuevo."
Amanda: Me, I do not like the name.
Snake: Why?
Amanda: "Hombre nuevo" was what El Che was striving to become. What all of us who joined the Sandinistas strive to become. That's why! An hombre nuevo is one who finds joy in virtue and voluntary labor... It makes me furious to see the name given to such a monster.
Snake: I'll bet.
Abduction[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Chico called that helicopter el colibri...
Amanda: Our name for the hummingbird. You saw how that chopper moved... how it hovered in midair like a hummingbird.
Snake: Hell've a lot bigger than a bird, though.
Amanda: True. But better than hombre nuevo, don't you think? When you get kidnapped by el colibri, it's all over. They take you to a prison camp, and torture you until you snitch on your compas.
Snake: That's what took Chico...
Amanda: They have no mercy. Once you've talked, they toss you out like trash... I knew this, and still I could not save Chico. If he cannot be saved, I'll do what must be done...
Snake: Don't write him off like that. Sometimes you have to survive, even if it means sacrificing your honor. I'll get him back. I promise.
The CIA's strength[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Snake, I need your opinion. How strong are the enemy's mercenaries?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): They're well trained. They've got more than enough men... Seasoned, too - a lot of them probably saw action in Vietnam. They're a tough bunch. And armed to the teeth. I don't think I've ever seen a mercenary force field that many tanks and attack choppers.
Amanda: It shows how much cash they have to throw around. And connections - how did they get access to such weapons?
Snake: How do you think? They're backed by the one and only CIA.
Amanda: And here we are, half of us farmers and the other half students. Children, even! And weapons... We're so short on guns we have to steal them from the enemy. As much as I hate to say it, we're always going to be on the defensive.
Snake: I know.
Amanda: And mi viejo... Without him, we...
Snake: Yeah, I know.
Amanda: ...I don't know if we can win. Can we, Snake?
Snake: Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
Amanda: But...
Snake: Amanda!
Amanda: What?
Snake: Listen to me. Don't ever let your men hear you talk like that.
Amanda: ...I...
Snake: You're their leader, and a leader has to stand tall. Even when times get tough. When it feels like the fear and uncertainty could crush you. You're the one your comrades look to for reassurance. That's what a leader is. Don't forget it.
Amanda: ...Snake...
Snake: If you're looking for comfort, go find a church. That's all I've got to say.
Amanda: You are right. I am sorry. I need to pull myself together.
Snake: You'll be fine. I know you have it in you.
Amanda: Thank you, Snake.
Relations with the U.S.[]
Plantations[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: The land in our country belongs to us, and yet it doesn't belong to us.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): How so?
Amanda: Along the coast, it is all banana groves. And in the mountains, it is coffee. I guess in that way it's not so different from here.
Snake: Plantations...
Amanda: Almost all the bananas and coffee are sold as exports. The landlords keep the money for themselves, leaving precious little to the farmers. Worse, the biggest landowners in the country are Somoza and his family.
Snake: But it does bring in foreign currency...
Amanda: I doubt even that, at least for bananas. The plantations are owned by American corporations. The bananas are processed in factories on the plantations and exported to America from private ports... It's like having little American enclaves along the coast of Nicaragua.
Snake: But the farmers have no choice but to go work there...
Amanda: Es ridículo! The people have to take their land back. It is one of the things we're fighting for.
Drugs[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Tell me... when exactly did you realize your dad was working with the KGB?
Amanda Valenciano Libre: About six months ago. Up until then, we only had beans to eat. And then suddenly we started to get eggs and flour. Our bullet shortage simply disappeared.
Snake: How'd he get the cocaine?
Amanda: Ask the KGB. All we did here was process it. Coca plants grow here, too, but to my knowledge almost all of the stuff we used came from Colombia and Bolivia.
Snake: It's processed in a factory and then shipped to ports on the Caribbean Sea. Where does it go after that?
Amanda: I never thought about it.... I mean, I did not want to think about it.
Snake: The biggest cocaine consumer in the world is the United States. I'm guessing they smuggle it in on vessels disguised as fishing boats.
Amanda: Wait. La CIA uses that route, too. Are you telling me they're selling cocaine to their own country?
Snake: Looks that way.
Amanda: Those bastards are turning their own children into junkies? Are they insane?!
Snake: No, just afraid. Afraid of a communist Central America.
William Walker[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: La CIA calls their new toy Peace Walker, eh?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Yeah... So?
Amanda: It is a insult to us Nicos.
Snake: Because of the guy you were talking about? Walker?
Amanda: Si, although it happened over a hundred years ago. Back then, the political parties in Nicaragua were at each other's throats. The Nicaraguan Democratic Party hired an American mercenary to help counter their enemies, the Conservative Party.
Snake: And that was Walker.
Amanda: After taking care of the Conservatives, Walker decided to seize power in Nicaragua for himself, eventually making himself president.
Snake: The Democratic Party gave him an inch, and he took the whole country.
Amanda: But it didn't end there. Not only did he make English an official language, he tried to reintroduce slavery. Walker's goal was to build a "Caribbean Empire" centered on the American South.
Snake: Caribbean Empire... hmh. Sounds kind of like what Coldman is trying to pull off.
Amanda: The gringos are always like that. They invent some convenient excuse to trample all over foreign countries like they own the place. Peace Walker... ha!
Snake: What happened to Walker in the end?
Amanda: A united Central American army led by Costa Rica kicked his ass and sent him running back to America.
Snake: Then why don't we do the same? I for one don't intend to let Coldman get his way.
Amanda: Good idea... I'm glad we have you, Boss.
About herself[]
Joining the FSLN[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Amanda! When did you join up with the Sandinistas?
Amanda Valenciano Libre: About a year ago, when I went into the mountains with mi viejo and his group.
Snake: I thought your dad was with the FSLN from the start.
Amanda: No. He fought alongside General Sandino, but after that he retired for a while. He found a job, got a wife and a house, and raised us kids. Then one day some Sandinista students came by...
Snake: And he felt the old fire in his belly?
Amanda: Something like that. All he did was help them escape from la Guardia, though. But then la Guardia showed up. They broke into our house and began pushing him around, shouting questions.
Snake: I'm guessing he kept his mouth shut.
Amanda: No matter how hard they hit him. Our house was trashed. After that, he was on their list - they harassed him day and night. It was only then that he gave himself over to the Sandinistas. He kept it hidden from us at first, so we would not get hurt.
Snake: He sounds like a good father.
Amanda: He was... But my mother got fed up with it. She left us. I don't blame her.
Snake: Why didn't you go with her?
Amanda: It was a hard decision, for sure. But like my father, I couldn't let Somoza get away with his crimes. But most of all...
Snake: Chico.
Amanda: ...He is too much like his papá. One way or the other he was going to stay. And I could not leave him behind. Soon enough la Guardia drove us out, and we found ourselves in the mountains... It just kind of happened
Snake: For an accidental revolutionary, you sure put up a hell of a fight.
Amanda: The mountains make men into warriors. The training is harsh, but it brings us that much closer to being hombres nuevos.
Snake: Chico couldn't ask for a better sister. I can see why they picked you to be comandante.
Malaria[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: When I was little, I came down with malaria. Unlucky for me, it was the bad kind. I was in a daze the whole time, and at one point they said I was not going to make it.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Malarial encephalopathy. I hear it's pretty common in tropical malaria cases.
Amanda: Even today, my memory sometimes gets a little fuzzy. Since then I've had this fear of mosquitoes... When I hear them buzzing nearby, I get jumpy.
Snake: That explains the chain-smoking?
Amanda: Si. I thought it might help keep the mosquitoes away, just a little. Maybe it's all in my head. You're the same way, right?
Snake: I will say this - I prefer a cigar over mosquitoes.
Amanda: Me, too.
Snake: I've gotta hand it to you. It takes guts to conquer your fear like that and live a guerrilla's life in the wild.
Amanda: It is nothing. El Che did not let asthma stop him from leading the revolution. Compared to him, I am no hero.
Mi Viejo[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I'm sorry to hear about your dad.
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Thank you for saying that... Mi viejo was the leader of the frente. He was the last of the generation that knew General Sandino... He saw the General's exploits first-hand as a boy. He would tell us stories about it all the time... and about how the General was assassinated.
Snake: Did you know he was getting money from the KGB?
Amanda: I had some idea... But I did not have the courage to confront him about it. I know it was a painful decision for him to make.
Snake: I can imagine.
Amanda: Yes, my father was a good man. I loved him as a daughter. And his soldiers believed in him. Thanks to him, la Frente held together even in the worst of times. I don't know if I can ever fill his shoes...
Chico[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Chico's 12, right?
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Right.
Snake: Isn't he a little... short for his age?
Amanda: ...Malnourishment. Food is hard to come by when you're running around in the jungle...
Snake: He's got quite an appetite.
Amanda: I know! I didn't want him to come in the first place. But there was no one to take him in. I had no choice but to look after him.
Snake: Don't be so hard on yourself. Sometimes it's better for a kid to be with his family than far away, in a safe place.
Amanda: Thank you...
Snake: Promise me this, though. When your fight is over, make sure he gets a proper education. Give him a chance to be something other than a guerrilla. It's not too late to teach him something other than fighting.
Amanda: OK. I promise. ...You know what book Chico really likes? The "World Encyclopedia of Mysterious Creatures." The Loch Ness Monster, the Yeti...
Snake: UMAs. Yeah, I know.
Amanda: He's still so much like a boy... I worry about him.
Snake: He'll be fine. I know plenty of grown men who still go crazy over UMAs.
Amanda: Are... are you serious?
Role at Mother Base[]
Amanda Valenciano Libre: You've taken such good care of me since you saved me from el colibri. I want to return the favor.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Just wait until you're healed up. Then we'll talk.
Amanda: I appreciate that. But you need all the help you can get. It might take a while for me to heal completely, but I'll be fine once I'm on my feet. Put me in a combat unit - I'll pull my weight.
Snake: I wouldn't expect any less from a Sandinista comandante.
Amanda: Enough flattery. But seriously, it does not feel right for me to be sitting here while my compas are out risking their lives.
Snake: One thing's for sure. Having you out in the field would be a big boost to Sandinista morale.
Amanda: Of course, our ultimate goal is still the overthrow of Somoza. But until we get ourselves back in order, we will follow your lead, wherever it takes us.
Snake: Glad to have you on board.
Decision time[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Amanda, you getting used to Mother Base?
Amanda Valenciano Libre: Yes, it is Heaven compared to living in the mountains. We're no longer constantly on the run from la Guardia or mercenaries.
Snake: Some of the new guys we've recruited used to be mercenaries...
Amanda: We're getting along. It was difficult at first, but once you talk to them you realize we've got plenty in common.
Snake: I see. Good to hear.
Amanda: We may be enemies, but we're all still human beings... La CIA's soldiers, la Guardia... The same goes for the people of America.
Snake: What's gotten into you?
Amanda: Mi viejo got involved with drugs in order to scrape together money for la revolución. He did whatever the KGB said. All for Nicaragua... or so he told himself. But I realize now... In the end all he did was help poison young people of America.
Snake: Yeah.
Amanda: ...I've made up my mind. Even when I leave Mother Base and return to la revolución, I will never turn to drugs. Nor will I look to the KGB for help. If we topple Somoza using the KGB and drug money, we will lose the people's hearts.
Snake: So you're choosing a different path from your father.
Amanda: I still respect him. But I will not do things the way he did.
Snake: Well, I'm sure Chico will be glad to hear that.
Amanda: Chico is a grown soldier now. I could not face him otherwise.
Snake: Well said, Amanda. Those are the words of a true comandante.
Amanda: Stop... I was inspired by the greatest comandante I have ever known, Boss.
Chico[]
Geographical Info[]
Supply Staging Point[]
Chico: The supply staging point is at the eastern foot of Irazú. There's a rail terminal there - they'll probably transfer the nuke from the train onto a truck.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Gotcha. I'll have to catch them while they're moving the cargo.
Chico: But you might run into el basilisco... Keep your eyes peeled, Snake.
Snake: An 80-foot-tall walking behemoth... The CIA's new weapon?
Chico: Could be. Too bad it's not actually a dinosaur. I think they're testing it up at the base on top of the mountain.
Snake: I met a guy in Russia who described it as "a metal gear linking infantry and artillery..."
Chico: Metal gear...
Snake: I've got a bad feeling about this. Like maybe it's connected to everything that's happening here somehow.
Chico: The nukes? You don't think...
Snake: ...What else could it be? If it is up there, I'll just have to improvise. Either way, I won't know until I get there.
Chico: Watch your back, Snake...
River Valley[]
Chico: There's a river in the mountains north of the village. You'll see a water pipe running across that's got a walkway you can use as a bridge. I guess they built it to carry water from the hydroelectric plant. To get there, though, you gotta get past the barricade north of the prison.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Got it.
Chico: El basilisco supposedly lives in the gorge up there, so be careful you don't get distracted and fall in the river.
Snake: The basilisco...?
Chico: Not the big monster I saw. I mean the real basilisco.
Snake: The real one? The legendary king of snakes?
Chico: More like a lizard, I guess. It walks on top of the river.
Snake: A lizard that walks on water?
Chico: Man, you should see it! It's not that big, though, only about one vara (30 in) long.
Snake: Pretty good size for a lizard.
Chico: Yeah, but not nearly as big as a dinosaur!
The Real Basilisco[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So there's a real basilisco that lives in the river?
Chico: I'm only saying I heard stories from people who said they saw it. But I know lots of places to find it in Nicaragua. You wanna go have a look?
Snake: I don't have time for sightseeing.
Chico: You don't like lizards?
Snake: It's not that. I just think snakes taste better.
Chico: ...Who said anything about taste?
Snake: How about you? You like 'em?
Chico: Not that way... they do look kinda like dinosaurs, though. You don't think that's cool?
Snake: They're both reptiles, yeah. But there's a big difference size-wise.
Chico: I'll bet there are still big ones around somewhere. They say mammals multiplied and ate up their eggs, but they can't all be gone. They've gotta exist somewhere out there.
Snake: Dinosaur eggs, huh...
Chico: And animals are always evolving, right? Maybe they evolved so much they don't even look like dinosaurs anymore.
Snake: Then you can't really call them dinosaurs, can you?
Chico: I guess not... Yeah, you're right, dinosaurs've gotta be big!
Crater Area[]
Chico: Irazú has more than one crater, 'cause it's erupted so many times. I heard most of them filled up with rainwater and became lakes.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Calderas, huh.
Chico: Calderas? Yeah, something like that. ...Hey, I got an idea. When you get to the lake, can you keep an eye out for weird animals for me? People all over the world tell stories about giant monsters living in lakes. Nessie in Loch Ness, Nahuelito in Argentina, Ogopogo in Canada... I can hardly keep track of them all. They say that all these sightings prove dinosaurs do still exist.
Snake: But crater lakes are isolated. They're not connected to rivers.
Chico: Yeah, but... you know Mokèlé-mbèmbé? In the Congo River? He can walk on land. So maybe they moved there from some other lake.
Snake: You sure know a lot about UMAs.
Chico: There used to be a guy in el Frente who was a hunter. He taught me lots of things. He even said he once went to a place called Isla del Monstruo.
Snake: A hunter on Isla del Monstruo...
Chico: Someday, I'm gonna be a hunter and catch some rare animals. Right after we restore peace to our land, of course.
The Loch Ness Monster[]
Chico: You ever hear of the Loch Ness Monster?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Now that one I know. Pretty much everyone's heard of ol' Nessie.
Chico: Great, so I don't have to explain. I think she's a long-lost dinosaur, don't you?
Snake: Uh, sure, why not.
Chico: One of the compas gave me a book about it - with photos. It looks exactly like the plesiosaur.
Snake: ...Then why does it only live in Loch Ness?
Chico: Well it probably got cut off from the ocean. Back when Loch Ness was part of the ocean, some plesiosaurs became trapped there when the climate changed. There weren't any mammals there, so no natural predators. Today's Nessie is descended from those plesiosaurs.
Snake: Then... wouldn't it make sense for there to be monsters in other lakes with similar climates?
Chico: Exactly! That's why there's been giant monster sightings in a bunch of other places - like Nahuelito and Ogopogo. I don't know if there's one in Irazú, too... But I know there's definitely something living in Lago Cocibolca.
Nahuelito[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): You mentioned the Nahuelito... What is it?
Chico: It's a plesiosaur that lives in Lago Nahuel Huapi in Argentina. It's described a little differently, but I'm sure it's basically the same creature as Nessie. Except for one thing...
Snake: What?
Chico: Well, according to one theory, it's the result of a nuclear test back in the '50s...
Snake: What? There's no record of a nuclear test in Argentina in the '50s.
Chico: At the time the president, General Juan Peron, was pushing hard to industrialize the country. I wouldn't be surprised if he conducted a top-secret nuclear test before he was overthrown in a coup.
Snake: Sounds a little far-fetched to me.
Chico: You think? Then maybe Nahuelito really is a dinosaur.
Snake: No, I didn't say...
Chico: I mean, it's really pretty obvious...
Snake: Wait a...
Chico: Thanks for clearing that up, Boss!
Snake: ... dinosaur...
Ogopogo[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What about the Ogopogo? And what kind of name is that, anyway?
Chico: Ogopogo is a monster that lives in Okanagan Lake - in Canada. I guess it's an Indian name, 'cause it's a legend passed down by the Indians.
Snake: A legend, huh. Then it's probably not...
Chico: There're written records of it, too. The first one was in 1872, and there's been more sightings since the start of the 20th century.
Snake: Uh huh...
Chico: You starting to get into UMAs, too, Snake?
Snake: Yeah, maybe...
Chico: UMA hunting... Now that's a real man's adventure! What do you say, Snake? After Nicaragua's at peace again, you wanna go exploring together?
Snake: We'll see... It might not be such a bad life.
Mokele-mbembe[]
Chico: Mokèlé-mbèmbé lives in the Congo River. There's nothing mysterious about it, though - it's already been confirmed as a real, living dinosaur. The local people know all about it, and when they were shown a drawing of a brontosaurus, every one of them said it was Mokèlé-mbèmbé. When peace returns to Nicaragua, I wanna go to the Congo myself...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): ...The revolutionary movement in the Congo ended in failure, you know.
Chico: Yeah, I know. I wish we could do something to help, but Africa's awfully far away.
Snake: Africa...
Chico: I wonder if El Che ever saw Mokèlé-mbèmbé...? I wonder if I will...?
Snake: Best to take care of business here before daydreaming about Africa.
Chico: Yeah, I guess you're right...
Tropical Cloud Forest[]
Naked Snake: Chico. You know much about cloud forests?
Chico: Not that much... All I know is there's a world of difference between a rainy rain forest and a foggy cloud forest. But they have some things in common... Like for instance you gotta watch out for poison dart frogs. Both rain and cloud forests have high humidity, so they're perfect environments for frogs and other amphibians. I mean, it's not like just touching a strawberry poison dart frog or a dyeing dart frog is going to kill you. But don't eat 'em, no matter how hungry you get.
Snake: I can get all the rations I need from Mother Base. No jungle food for me this time.
Chico: Seriously? You're not disappointed you don't get to eat wild animals?
Snake: ...What do you think I am?
Chico: Ha ha ha. Just kidding. In Colombia, though, there's a frog - the golden dart frog - that's lethal to the touch.
Snake: How do you know all this?
Chico: C'mon, don't you think poisonous animals are cool?
Snake: Not if you get poisoned by one.
Chico: Well, obviously. One more thing. When you get to the forest, be on the lookout for Bigfoot.
Snake: I... think I'll be OK there.
Bigfoot[]
Chico: Bigfoot is an ape man that lives in the Rocky Mountains. In the local Indian language he's known as Sasquatch. And get this: he's over three vara (8 ft)! Can you believe that?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So he's kind've like a gorilla?
Chico: Completely different! Even the biggest gorillas only get to about two vara (5.5 ft). And they walk on their knuckles. Bigfoot's... big. And he walks on two feet like people.
Snake: So he's more man than ape?
Chico: Probably. His ancestors must have split off from humans at some point, like before they started using tools and stuff.
Snake: Yeah, but aren't the Rockies kind of far away from here?
Chico: Not that far. According to Darwin, humans came all the way over here from Africa. Plus there've been sightings in Venezuela of an ape-man called Mono Grande. Costa Rica has tons of plant and animal species, so I'd expect there to be at least one kind of apeman.
Snake: "At least"...?
Mono Grande[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Gotta admit, I've never heard of Mono Grande.
Chico: Yeah, he's not as famous as Bigfoot. He's similar, but he lives in Venezuela. He's not that big - less than two vara (5.5 ft) - but he's way more ferocious than Bigfoot. I wonder just how mean he is? Like when he catches his prey, does he punch it to death...?
Snake: That's the law of the wild: you catch your prey, you kill it, and you eat it.
Chico: Yeah! Yeah! But punching is way more ferocious than biting.
Snake: Maybe it seems that way because that's what humans do. ...You really love UMAs, don't you, Chico?
Chico: You know what I think? I think UMAs should be dangerous. Otherwise where's the fun in hunting them?
Ruins[]
Chico: Did you see a quetzal, Snake?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Yep.
Chico: What do you think? Did it look like a snake?
Snake: Huh? No, it didn't look like a snake.
Chico: Oh, really? ...Must be different from the quetzalcoatl, then.
Snake: Quetzalcoatl?
Chico: A winged snake from Mayan and Aztec legend.
Snake: A winged snake...
Chico: Weird, right? I bet it's a UMA. Amanda and everybody says Quetzalcoatl is a quetzal in the form of a god. But there's no way anybody'd mistake a snake for a bird, I think the legend of Quetzalcoatl came first. Somebody saw it and adopted it as their god, before they saw the quetzal. After that, somebody saw a bird that looked like the image of the god, and so they named it "quetzal."
Snake: You mean it happened the other way around?
Chico: If you ask me, the quetzalcoatl was probably a pterosaur that survived. I mean, it's got wings, and it's a reptile, so it probably looks kind of like a snake, right? Pterosaurs live on in Africa even today. They're called the Kongamato and the Olitiau. So it makes sense that there'd be pterosaurs on the American continent, too, and that they survived until the Mayan and Aztec eras.
Snake: Lucky for us they're not still around today.
Chico: Who says they aren't? The dinosaurs supposedly died out 65 million years ago, and the Aztec civilization only arose about 600 years ago. If they managed to survive 65 million years, surely they couldn't be wiped out in 600.
Kongamato[]
Chico: Pterosaurs survive today in the African countries of Cameroon and Congo. Each tribe calls them by a different name, like Kongamato or Olitiau.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): There sure are a lot of dinosaurs running around the Congo.
Chico: Well, a lot of the land hasn't been settled by humans yet. They've survived all this time - just undiscovered by man. But they're finding fossils in America, too. This one they found three years ago in Texas had a wingspan of more than 12 meters! If I saw a gigantic pterosaur like that, I'd probably call it a god, too. Yup, I'm sure that's what the quetzalcoatl really is.
Mine Base[]
Chico: A base disguised as a mine? We never made it that far. I don't know what kind of place it is, but you'd better be careful - just in case.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I plan to.
Chico: I've heard that the American army keeps dead alien bodies and UFOs in secret bases.
Snake: Aliens?
Chico: There are billions of stars in space. You've gotta think that at least a few have civilizations more advanced than ours. I'll bet they visit Earth in UFOs. In 1947, the army actually announced they'd caught a flying, disc-shaped object near Roswell, New Mexico. Maybe you don't know about it, but those army guys, they all know!
Snake: You don't say...
Chico: Anyway, there's no telling what kind of mystery weapons they might have stashed up there. Watch your back.
UFOs[]
Chico: Apparently, UFOs are connected to cattle mutilations.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Cattle mutations?
Chico: Not mutations. Mutilations... It's a word I'd never heard before. People have been reporting their livestock dying in mysterious ways near the same places where UFOs have been sighted. They say the bodies are drained of blood and the eyeballs and sexual organs are gouged out.
Snake: When you leave a corpse cut open in a field somewhere, the ground soaks up the blood.
Chico: Yeah, but supposedly these cows weren't cut up by any man-made means.
Snake: Maybe maggots got to 'em?
Chico: In some cases they detected radiation.
Snake: Radiation...
Chico: Even in our own town we had goats that died in strange ways. Some said they saw a monster - a lizard on two legs, covered in spines from its head all the way down its back. I wonder if that's what the aliens look like, or if it was some pet they brought with them...
Snake: ...Either way, it doesn't sound like a very advanced civilization to me.
Chico: If you see one, tell it I said "hi!"
Snake: Sure... if it speaks human.
Abductions[]
Chico: UFOs kidnap people, too - you know, alien abductions. You've heard of the Hill Abduction, right? That couple back in the 60s. So when I first saw the colibri, I thought it was a UFO.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Ah, the Fulton recovery.
Chico: I know those guys are working with the aliens. Even if they wouldn't let me see them...
Snake: Better not get caught again, or they'll be experimenting on you!
Chico: I'd take that over torture... What do you think they look like? Completely bald, maybe, with gray skin and big black eyes? Or maybe they're four vara (11 ft) tall and wear skirts?
Snake: I kind of doubt it... I'll give you one thing, though, I've never seen anything move like that. Maybe the CIA really did make contact...
Chico: You see?! It's true!
Elbakki[]
Chico: You wanna know something? I once met an alien cat.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): An alien... cat?
Chico: Yep. It was dark out so I couldn't see too well, but it was a cat with a huge long tail. Its eyes shined in the dark, too.
Snake: Most cats' eyes do...
Chico: At first I thought it was a regular cat. But then it started talking to me - inside my head.
Snake: ...Inside your head?
Chico: He said his name was Altargozo Elbakki Munyudar. He'd come to Earth from the Andromeda Galaxy to check out Earth's nuclear weapons...
Snake: The Andromeda Galaxy... Mankind's barely made it to the moon. We couldn't possibly launch nukes that far.
Chico: Elbakki said he was watching over us - to make sure we don't destroy ourselves with nukes. Until the day we humans are ready to join the Space Federation...
Snake: ...It's a shame. This is supposed to be the era of Détente, and still we've got people pulling stunts like bringing nukes into peaceful countries. If something ever went wrong and set off a chain reaction of retaliation...
Chico: I know. This planet could destroy itself at anytime.
UFO Photo[]
Chico: Snake, is it true you took a picture of el colibri?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Yep. Got it right here.
Chico: Whoa! It's like an actual UFO! I knew it - los yanquis are working with the aliens!
Snake: I know it kind of looks that way, but...
Chico: Hey Snake, can you make me a copy of that?
Snake: I don't see why not. What for?
Chico: People pay good money for this stuff. We can use it to raise money for MSF.
Snake: Ha, sure, kid. You go out and get us a good price for it.
Chico: You don't believe me, do you? I'll get the money. You'll see!
The Legend of Isla Del Monstruo[]
Chico: Snake, legend has it a place called Isla del Monstruo is near Costa Rica.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Isla del Monstruo?
Chico: It was discovered in the 18th century by Caribbean pirates sailing over to the Pacific. And the island in "Treasure Island" - it's based on one near Costa Rica, too.
Snake: "Treasure Island?" I remember reading that.
Chico: You've read it too? That makes things easier. In Nicaragua we too have a story about a group of pirates that encountered a flying monster out at sea. Some even say they landed on this monster island, though we still don't know exactly where it is. That's the reason I've always wanted to come to Costa Rica.
Snake: Ha, I see.<br /.
Chico: I heard another story... about a talking cat that lives somewhere in Costa Rica. They say it'll take you to this place.
Snake: Interesting stuff.
Chico: Wanna know more about the island?
Snake: Maybe later. If I'm headed that way you can fill me in.
Chico: OK. Just lemme know!
Trenya[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Chico. I, uh... I met that talking cat.
Chico: The legendary Trenya? Really?!
Snake: Trenya? Yeah, that's what it called itself. Is it famous?
Chico: In certain circles, yeah.
Snake: I'm still having trouble believing it. I never thought I'd be talking to an animal one day. What a world.
Chico: Amazing you could understand its language.
Snake: Picking up the local lingo is one of the basics of intelligence work.
Chico: That's what makes you the Boss, Boss! Hey, say something in Trenya's language, will you?
Snake: Meow? Meow... Meow meow meow...
Chico: Wow! I have no idea what you're saying!
Snake: ...Of course you wouldn't.
Chico: So what did Trenya say?
Snake: It said it would take me to that island you talked about.
Chico: Really?! Take me too, Boss! Please, please!
Snake: I know you must be excited, but we don't know what's out there. It could be dangerous. I'll scout it out first.
Chico: No fair!
Snake: Come on, Chico. This isn't as cut and dry as you think. You can come next time, depending on what I find. I'll take some photos if I get the chance. Sorry, kid, but that's life.
Felynes[]
Chico: Apparently there are other cats that talk besides Trenya on Isla del Monstruo.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): There's more of them?
Chico: Yep. They're called the Felynes, but supposedly they don't ever come to Costa Rica. You should try talking to them if you spot them. Who knows what kinda stuff they have to say.
Snake: Yeah. Just when you think things can't get any crazier...
Chico: Also, the Felynes are nice to humans, so you be sure and be nice back. Don't you go attacking them or anything.
Snake: I would never hurt a defenseless little kitty.
Rathalos[]
Chico: I used to have this book full of pirate lore. It had this story about Rathalos, King of the Skies. Most accounts describe it as a dragon with wings, or a wyvern.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): A wyvern... A two-legged dragon. Vlad the Impaler's coat of arms had one on it.
Chico: Yeah, and he was the model for Count Dracula. There are reports of ships being attacked out in the middle of the ocean, so Rathalos must be able to fly great distances. And what's more, Rathalos is said to breathe fire!
Snake: Breathe fire? An animal like that can't possibly be real!
Chico: We're talking about a monster, Snake. Forget what you think you know!
Tigrex[]
Chico: Tigrex is a wyvern just like Rathalos. But it's good at moving around on land, too. It can blast you with rocks from a distance, or rush at you with incredible speed.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): People have seen it on land? Sí.
Chico: It's said that these two lady pirates, Anne and Mary, visited Isla del Monstruo. It was there that they did battle with Tigrex.
Snake: Anne was quite a marksman, wasn't she?
Chico: Must've been a heck of a battle. I wish I'd been there.
Snake: You know, I'm not so bad with guns myself...
Chico: I've already seen how good you are.
Velocipreys[]
Chico: Anne and Mary also saw little dinosaurs running around the island.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Velocipreys?
Chico: Yup. As you'd expect they're very nimble - but no match for a firearm. You wouldn't want to get surrounded by them, though.
Snake: I'll bet. Nobody wants to be outnumbered in battle.
Chico: Right. Your best move would be to make sure they cannot encircle you.
Snake: Well, stealth is the basis of all solo sneaking missions... While it makes battle tougher, working alone has its advantages when it comes to infiltration.
Chico: That's what makes you the boss, Boss! You don't need any advice from me.
Snake: Not bad for an old-timer, eh Chico?
Chico: Nope. Still, be careful.
Gear REX[]
Chico: Have you heard the legend about the dinosaur that came back to life as a zombie and attacked people?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Zombie?! You mean the living dead?
Chico: Yeah. Dinosaurs may be extinct, but technically it would be possible for one to come back to life as a zombie.
Snake: Not so fast. Dinosaurs were real, zombies... not so much.
Chico: What are you talking about, Boss! Zombies have been used as slaves on Haitian plantations for years. In Haiti they've handed down a secret zombie powder for generations.
Snake: ...Really?
Chico: People from long ago must have used that same stuff on dinosaur remains.
Snake: But dinosaurs had been extinct for millions of years before the first humans-
Chico: That hypothesis has to be wrong. ...In any case, this zombie was incredibly powerful. Its name was Gear REX. They say nothing could kill it. Some say its bodily fluids would burn right through your flesh. Then the spines that fell off its back would impale you, the pain made even worse by the deafening roar rattling every bone in your body.
Snake: ...You sure it wasn't just some really strong monster? Who knows what kind of dinosaurs were out there. We could be talking about something strong enough to resist small arms fire.
Chico: Are you afraid of zombies, Boss?
Snake: ...No. I just find the whole thing hard to believe.
About himself[]
Amanda[]
Chico: Amanda is so bossy. It's always "Follow me" or "Stay here." The other day she told me, "Chew your gallo pinto before you swallow." Can you believe it?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Knowing your sister? Yeah, I can.
Chico: The enemy could strike at any time. I can't sit around taking my sweet time eating! I'm a Sandinista just like the others. I don't need some woman telling me what to do!
Snake: ...Some woman? She's your sister, and she's doing the best she can to fill your father's shoes.
Chico: I know, I know, but... lately, she hasn't been doing so good. I... Should be strong for her.
Snake: Now you're talking.
Father[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Sorry to hear about your dad.
Chico: Don't be. He was... He is a guerrilla warrior. We pledge our lives to our country and its people... I'm ready to die, too, if I have to.
Snake: You sure?
Chico: You'd better believe it! Like mi viejo used to say, "Patria o Muerte."
Snake: Che said it first.
Chico: My dad used to tell us all kinds of stories. About General Sandino and his fight against la Guardia... And about my mom before she left us.
Snake: You didn't want to go with her?
Chico: It's not like that. La revolución comes first, that's all.
Snake: You must wish you could see her, though.
Chico: I dunno. But I know I'll see her again when this is all over. Somehow I just know it. When I do, me and mamá and papá are all going to live together again. At least... At least, that's what I thought.
Snake: Hang in there, Chico. Your sister needs you.
Chico: OK.
Quotes from Che[]
Chico: Have you ever heard, "Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man"?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Che's last words. He'd been captured in Bolivia, and said it to the soldiers just as they were about to execute him.
Chico: El Che... He was something, wasn't he? Coming up with a line like that knowing he was about to die.
Snake: After the Cuban Revolution, Che gave up his position in the new government to aide in revolutions in other countries. He knew he could die at any time, and he was ready for it.
Chico: Me, I couldn't take even a little torture...
Snake: But you've been reborn, as an hombre nuevo. Right, Chico?
Chico: Right...
Frente Compas[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Don't you ever get lonely living away from your mom?
Chico: Not really. My compas are my family now. A lot of them are from the same village as me.
Snake: So you had plenty of people to take care of you.
Chico: Take care of me?! I'm a warrior, like any other Sandinista! We look out for each other. That is how it works.
Snake: Sorry. Guess I misspoke.
Chico: Now we're scattered because of that colibri... I wonder where everybody went. Hey, Snake. If you see any Frente prisoners, please you gotta get them out, OK? Those guys are solid - every one. You could use them in MSF.
Role in Mother Base[]
Chico: Hey Snake, are there any jobs for me here at Mother Base? I can do anything!
Naked Snake (Big Boss): You don't have to work, you know.
Chico: Don't treat me like a kid. I'm a man now.
Snake: OK, then, what are you good at?
Chico: Let me think... uhh... Everything! Put me on any team. I can pull my own weight.
Snake: Ha... Well, you are young. You'll probably be a fast learner. I'll think of something.
Chico: Anything you need, Boss! You'll see - I can fight as good as anybody.
Love[]
Puppy Love[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What's with all this sighing? You're not your usual self.
Chico: Oh. Snake.
Snake: Something on your mind?
Chico: Huh? No, not... really. Not really... I guess... Hey, Snake...
Snake: Uh huh?
Chico: Girls are funny, y'know? You can never tell what they're thinking, they're always doing their own thing. Maybe they really are different from us men...
Snake: Wh-what's this about now? Chico... do you have a crush on somebody?
Chico: No! It's not that! I just...
Snake: What? Go ahead, you can talk to me.
Chico: ...Whenever I talk to Paz, my heart starts pounding and everything I say comes out wrong.
Snake: Paz? I guess she is... pretty close to your age.
Chico: That ever happen to you, Snake?
Snake: Well, sure. It happens to everybody.
Chico: Well, how do I talk to her?
Snake: ...That is a tough one. Uh... Why don't you try... talking to her like you talk to everybody else?
Chico: No... It doesn't work. I freeze up every time I'm around her. Our eyes meet, and my face starts burning for some reason...
Snake: It's like living on the battlefield - you'll just have to get used to it... her. You're nervous at first, but the more you're out there, the more natural it feels. Get your courage up and go talk to her more often.
Chico: OK. Man, girls are more full of mysteries than UMAs...
Snake: You got that right.
Paz's True Self[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Chico, I heard you saw Paz trying to sabotage ZEKE before she activated it.
Chico: I should have stopped her... If only I hadn't run away... I could have captured her before she got inside... If I'd done that, she'd still be here...
Snake: She was carrying a gun - probably trained to use it, too. Don't blame yourself. You couldn't have stopped her anyway. You were unarmed.
Chico: I could at least have talked to her... If I'd promised not to tell anyone, Paz wouldn't have gone and done what she did... It's just... It's just... I was so shocked, I panicked - ran away...
Snake: Chico... when you saw Paz, she was trying to sabotage it, right?
Chico: Huh? Well, yeah...
Snake: And right after that, she took control of it - tried to make me surrender. Something doesn't add up. Why would she sabotage ZEKE when she was about to use it against me? Her actions were inconsistent, even for a spy. If she wanted to destroy ZEKE, she could have done it and run away. But if her goal was to steal ZEKE, she'd have no motive to sabotage it.
Chico: I don't know...
Snake: Maybe your seeing her caused her to change her plan? I don't get it...
The Mystery of Paz's Actions[]
Chico: ...You think Paz was planning to double-cross Cipher? Without ZEKE, she wouldn't have any way to threaten you.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): If that were the case, she could have told me all that from the beginning. She wouldn't have had to try and sabotage it.
Chico: I guess so... But that was the day before Peace Day. Paz was going to sing in a band. I couldn't wait to hear her. What if she wasn't going to double cross them... maybe she just wanted to at least be able to enjoy that...
Snake: Chico...
Chico: I knew it... If only I hadn't run away... If I'd talked to her... promised I wouldn't tell anybody...
Snake: Don't second-guess yourself. Think about who might have been hurt if you'd kept quiet.
Chico: Yeah, but...
Snake: Besides, we don't know for sure she's dead. She was ejected into the ocean. And she had scuba equipment with her.
Chico: Yeah...
Snake: Stop beating yourself up over the past, Chico - put your hope in the future. The past is the past, but the future is up to you.
Chico: ...Right, Boss.
Huey[]
Cold War and the Nuclear Arms Race[]
The Manhattan Project[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Doc, I'm starting to sense your feelings about nukes are a little different from your colleagues.
Dr. "Huey" Emmmerich: How do you mean?
Snake: Your little chat with Coldman back there.
Huey: I...told you my father worked on the Manhattan Project, right? You're familiar with it?
Snake: The basics, yeah. It was the project that kicked off the nuclear age.
Huey: That's right. Some of the finest minds of the 20th century, including multiple Nobel Prize winners, worked on it. They spent over two billion dollars - and that's in 1940's money. It culminated in the successful nuclear test at Alamogordo on July 16, 1945.
Snake: And the first use in combat a few weeks later. Doc?
Huey: ...I can't walk. My spine isn't shaped like everybody else's. I can't move my lower body. So I've never taken a single step, not since I was born.
Snake: What's that got to do with your dad being in the Manhattan Project?
Huey: As a result of his research, my father was exposed to high doses of radiation. It can't be a coincidence that my chromosomes are messed up. That's... That's why I didn't want for these nukes to be another sword of Damocles. I wanted to give them a real purpose: to be a deterrent against war.
Snake: Doc...
Huey: And Coldman... We have to stop him. Whatever it takes.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: August 6, 1945 - Hiroshima. August 9 - Nagasaki.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): The atom bomb attacks on Japan.
Huey: My father was married to his work. I don't have a single memory of going places or doing stuff with him on weekends. But even as a kid I knew on some level that it was for his family - I respected him. My mother used to tell me all the time, "Your father is a brilliant scientist." "He saved countless American boys from death." "You should be proud of him."
Snake: Yeah, you could say the war ended because of those bombs...
Huey: When I was in the fifth grade, a Japanese student transferred to our class. She showed me photos of Hiroshima after the bomb. I couldn't believe my eyes. A city of over 350,000 people, reduced to a scorch mark on the ground. By a single atomic bomb. Houses blown off their foundations, burned to ashes... The only things left standing were the skeletons of steel-framed buildings. It wasn't just the buildings. Blackened corpses on the side of the road. Survivors covered head to toe in severe burns... Within a few months, over 70,000 had died in Nagasaki - twice that in Hiroshima. For years after that I couldn't talk to my father - couldn't even stand to look at his face.
Snake: I know how you feel, Doc. But your father's your father.
Huey: If he hadn't worked on that project, my body wouldn't be like this. I could be researching something else. I could have lived a normal life.
Cuban Missile Crisis[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: It wasn't so long ago the world stood on the brink of nuclear war.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Just over on the other side of the Caribbean.
Huey: I was 17 at the time. I'd skipped a few grades and was a sophomore at MIT. I remember feeling kind of apathetic about the news that came in every day. It seemed clear to me that as long as they had a grasp of the concept of nuclear deterrence, there was nothing to fear.
Snake: Either that, or they were fanning that fear on purpose.
Huey: As a way to secure a bigger defense budget...? Heh, I can see that. But if that was their plan, it kind of backfired.
Snake: Because it ushered in the era of Détente between East and West.
Huey: Coldman's really going to do it this time. Once the nuclear genie is out of the bottle, the yoke of deterrence is going to be meaningless. People will die. Cities will burn. We have to stop him now, before it's too late to turn back.
The Space Race and the Cold War Arms Race[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So you've been doing nuclear research your whole life?
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: No, not really. At first I wanted to be an aerospace engineer. For me, the Sputnik launch was a good shock, not a bad one. I thought the age when science was used for war was over, and that a glorious age of space exploration was dawning. The year I skipped ahead and got into MIT, Gagarin went into orbit, which made me more excited than ever. Of course, even back then, I knew the space race was just another facet of the Cold War...
Snake: Moscow had a leg up on us, and we were desperate to catch up.
Huey: I know. But for me it was a happy time. I joined NASA - got to do the kind of research I loved. Our nation's prestige hinged on our work. They gave us whatever resources we asked for. I knew you could turn a rocket into an ICBM by fitting it with a nuclear warhead, but that didn't bother me so much. It didn't last long, though. The space and nuclear arms races took up enormous sums of money. America beat Russia to the moon, but that's where it ended.
Snake: Then came Détente.
Huey: Exactly. NASA's budget was slashed as a result. My father being a nuclear expert and all, they put me to work on a more obvious deterrent: missiles. At NASA, I'd been researching a locomotion system for lunar exploration. Tires aren't suited to driving around on the moon, you know. And that's how I caught Coldman's eye.
The Cold War and Peace[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: But you know... there's something I've never been able to figure out. Is the Cold War really a war, or is it really peace...?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Doc, what are you...?
Huey: People called it a "cold war," but I disagreed. Sure, nuclear stockpiles are increasing, threats are multiplying, the U.S. and the Soviet Union have enough power to destroy the human race a hundred times over. But nobody's actually being killed. Small-scale conflicts and proxy wars, maybe... But nuclear deterrence has averted another world war. The world's far more peaceful today than it was before. And the breakthroughs we've made in space exploration thanks to Cold War competition - fantastic, don't you think?
Snake: No... We didn't need to rush into space like that... Going into space may have been mankind's dream, but good people were sacrificed in the scramble.
Huey: ...Maybe so. NASA's definitely got some skeletons in its closet...
Snake: Same goes for the nuclear arms race. Atomic testing has killed civilians and exposed thousands to radiation.
Huey: Believe me, I know... And now this... What peace was I trying to protect, anyway? The more I think about it, the less I understand.
Nuclear Deterrence[]
Nuclear Deterrence Theory[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: Let's speak in hypotheticals for a minute. Say you wanted to make a clone of yourself...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): A clone? Para-Medic had the same idea. It's science fiction.
Huey: I'm just hypothesizing here. OK, not a clone, then. You have any kids?
Snake: Nope.
Huey: Wife?
Snake: ...Never been tied down.
Huey: OK, then... so we're still talking hypotheticals. Say you had a son who'd inherited your genes, someone with the same combat abilities as you. Would you challenge him to a fight?
Snake: ...Hmm. Not to sound cocky, but I wouldn't want to do that. No telling who'd survive.
Huey: I'll bet. You picked up on the Pupa-5000's combat patterns in seconds.
Snake: Only with your advice, Doc.
Huey: If anybody could learn to do it just by listening, it'd be easy. But you - you're a born soldier. Yeah. You must have been born with genes geared for combat. Soldier genes, if you will.
Snake: ...Genes geared for combat? I don't care how advanced their research is. You can't blame genes for everything.
Huey: Blame genes...? You think it's funny.
Snake: ...What?
Huey: You think genes have nothing to do with this body I was born with?
Snake: I... I don't know...
Huey: ...Look, that fear of facing someone of equal ability in combat... Imagine that on a strategic scale. That's the concept of nuclear deterrence. The idea is, when all sides are armed with the destructive power of nuclear weapons, they'll avoid nuclear war in order to prevent mutual annihilation.
Snake: Doesn't sound all that sophisticated to me.
Huey: Exactly! It's so simple in principle. But because it's so simple, whether or not it works properly depends on the people involved. In that sense, what we're looking at now is a malfunction in deterrence theory.
Snake: Coldman...
Huey: You got it. Please, Snake, don't let deterrence die.
Nuclear Terrorism[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: Nuclear deterrence means preventing the use of nuclear weapons in conflicts between states. But what about other situations?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Like what?
Huey: Terrorism has been on the rise in recent years, from separatist movements to far-left extremists. What would happen if nuclear weapons fell into terrorist hands? Without a state - that is, without territory of their own - the chances of having nukes used against them are slim. They have no reason to fear a nuclear strike. Conversely, they have no reason to hesitate to use nukes against their adversaries.<br .<
Snake: You've got a point. All the ICBMs and strategic bombers in the world amount to nothing against a terrorist group.
Huey: Right! Of course, this is all still hypothetical. Countries keep their nukes under tight watch - there's no immediate danger of terrorists getting their hands on them. But the day may come when the proposition of nuclear terrorism makes nuclear deterrence theory a dead letter.
Snake: Nuclear terrorism... Interesting.
Damage from a Nuclear Missile[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: What are we going to do, Snake? If Peace Walker attacks Mother Base...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Relax. We've got the entire MSF out to make sure that doesn't happen.
Huey: Yeah, but... Peace Walker's missiles have one-megaton warheads. The fireball alone'd be a mile in diameter. Everything in the vicinity of ground zero will be vaporized by the heat rays. Then there's the blast, which travels at hundreds of miles per hour. And the fires. And the...
Snake: The huge dose of radiation from the initial nuclear reaction.
Huey: That too. There won't be a single survivor.
Snake: Yeah, I'm aware of that. Look, Doc, you made that thing. You know better than anybody what it's capable of. Right now you've got to give me a rational, scientific estimate of the damage. If we're talking about a nuclear explosion, it's more that just MSF's problem.
Huey: You're right Snake, sorry about that... Like I was saying, Mother Base would be wiped out. Any ships in the area could be caught in the blast, too. We'd need to send out a warning. The thing to worry about most is the fallout.
Snake: The dust of death...
Huey: If it goes off over water, the particles will be smaller than with an explosion over land, so the wind will scatter the fallout over a wider area. Clouds will form around the salt crystals in the seawater, causing contaminated rain to fall downwind.
Snake: Yeah, got a taste of that myself.
Huey: On Bikini Atoll? That's right, the 1954 Castle Bravo test created fallout 300 miles downwind. Poisoned a lot of local residents and ships, so I hear. The yield of Peace Walker's warheads isn't that big, but the amount of fallout will largely depend on weather conditions. It's impossible to make a quick and easy estimate.
Snake: ...If it gets into the trade winds, it could come straight to Costa Rica.
Huey: What was it Coldman was saying? About leaving people "free to help out"? He's out of his mind. What does he think's going to happen? When they get hit by rain containing high concentrations of fallout, a lot of them will die from the external exposure alone. The rain will seep into the ground, contaminating the water supply and crops. When they ingest the stuff, the internal exposure starts. Strontium-90 and cesium-137 have half-lives of around 30 years - the effects stay with you your entire life. Leukemia, cataracts, dermatitis, cancer... And it affects reproduction, too.
Snake: ...I know.
Huey: Even today, 30 years after World War II, thousands of people still suffer from exposure to the bomb. We can't let Coldman create more of them just to prove his point. ...I know it sounds crazy, but I created Peace Walker so that that kind of thing would never happen again.
Snake: Don't worry, Doc. We'll stop it, one way or another.
Metal Gear and Nuclear Weapons[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I gotta say... I'm surprised you helped us arm Metal Gear with Nukes.
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: What of it?
Snake: Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful and all, but... you sure about this? They may be for MSF's self-defense, but they're still nukes. It's essentially the same thing as Peace Walker, which you despised.
Huey: ...See, that's exactly it.
Snake: What is?
Huey: You don't hide your motives. You tell the truth. That's what makes you different from those CIA bastards. They lay on the charm - win you over. And then, when things get hairy, they turn their backs on you.
Snake: ...I'm just telling it like it is.
Huey: Which is why I get the feeling that you wouldn't be stupid enough to use them... OK, I'll come out and say it. I trust you.
Snake: You give me too much credit.
Huey: You think so? Besides, there's more uses for bipedal locomotion technology than weapons. We make it small enough, and it could have applications in robotics and prosthetic limbs. Maybe one day I'll even be able to walk.
Snake: Nice thought.
Huey: I wanna stand on my own feet, be master of my own fate. And I'll use your strength to help me do it... if you don't mind, of course.
Snake: Nah, it's a fair enough deal.
Huey: Thanks. People can change, I know... but I trust you, Snake. I trust you to be the guy I know now.
Peace Walker[]
Peace Walker Project[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: The aim of the Peace Walker Project is to achieve robust nuclear deterrence across Central America by deploying a new nuclear weapon system along the Caribbean coast. Peace Walker is also the name of the system itself.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): A nuclear weapon named "Peace"... I can just see the look on Kaz's face. So why exactly does this new system need legs in the first place?
Huey: Because it's a "Walker." An unmanned weapon moving under its own power and capable of launching a deterrent strike from anywhere... That's the whole idea behind Peace Walker.
Mobile Nuclear Launch Platform[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: The reason Peace Walker is a mobile nuclear weapons system is to maximize its potential as a nuclear deterrent.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): How so?
Huey: If need be, Peace Walker can stay constantly on the move so that the adversary can't pinpoint its position... That allows it to avoid preemptive enemy strikes.
Snake: So you're saying it keeps the retaliation card in play.
Huey: Coldman likes to brag about it in this way...
Snake: Like a land-based version of an SSBN.
Huey: And there's another reason for them to be mobile. Peace Walker also has a self-destruct function.
Self-destruct Function[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Why would Peace Walker need a self-destruct function?
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: You saw it, didn't you, Snake? That sphere on Peace Walker's head?
Snake: Yeah.
Huey: That's a hydrogen bomb.
Snake: What?! You're telling me that thing's a thermonuclear device? Do they have any idea what kind of destruction that thing would cause...?
Huey: I know, it's crazy. I mean, even overkill has its limits. If it's strategic value they want, they could have gone with something smaller. It's like they want a weapon on par with Russia's Tsar Bomba.
Snake: This arms race is running way out of control.
Huey: It's an evolutionary dead-end... A saber-toothed tiger. You can't load a warhead that big on a missile, of course. And no strategic bomber could carry it. That's where Peace Walker comes in.
Snake: So it waltzes into enemy territory carrying a hydrogen bomb and blows itself up. Christ.
Tsar Bomba[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: The biggest nuclear warhead ever actually detonated was the Soviet RDS-220, nicknamed "Tsar Bomba." It had an estimated yield of 57 megatons - ten times as much power as all the explosives used throughout World War II. The test took place on October 30, 1961, above Novaya Zemlya. The explosion is believed to have created a fireball over two miles in diameter. Can you believe that? Like a miniature sun. The explosion was seen as far off as Finland - 600 miles away - and some people even reported windows shattering. The shockwave traveled three times around the earth.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Three times?
Huey: Peace Walker is armed with a massive hydrogen bomb even more destructive than Tsar Bomba. It can sneak into enemy territory, lie low, and - in the event of an enemy nuclear strike - detonate itself in retaliation. And the locomotion system that lets it do that... ...My research... ...Snake, those legs were supposed to make my dream come true. Now they're about to jump the fence of nuclear deterrence. You have to stop them! I'll apply all my energy into developing weapons and equipment to help you do it.
Snake: Sounds like a deal.
Peace Walker's AI[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What made you put an AI into Peace Walker?
Dr. Huey Emmerich: Well, for one thing, because it can't be manned. Peace Walker's designed to enter enemy territory and blow itself up - if necessary. You can't put a person inside a weapon that could blow at anytime, can you? So we equipped it with an AI instead.
Snake: That's... strangely humane of you.
Huey: And besides, Peace Walker was designed as a bipedal weapons system. You can't imagine how hard it shakes when it walks. It'd turn a man into mush. Plus, when launching a nuclear missile, it has to perform ballistic calculations in real time, see? Because it's always moving.
Snake: Hold on. If that's all it does, then a high-performance computer ought to do the job. It doesn't need intelligence.
Huey: That's a very good point, Snake. Which brings me to the real reason... Peace Walker needs AI to make decisions regarding nuclear retaliation. It's what ensures perfectly mutual assured destruction.
Snake: I've heard all of this before. You want a war between machines?
Huey: We'd never actually launch the first nuke, of course. It's strictly a counterattack system. Only a politician could make such an illogical decision as starting a nuclear war. Conversely, if an adversary launches a nuke at us, the AI will not fail to retaliate. Therefore, the adversary can't launch. The AI guarantees it.
Snake: Even so, launching nukes without authorization...
Huey: Boomer captains have the authority to launch if land communications are cut off. It's the same principle.
Snake: Not even the captain of a boomer can make that decision alone. The way I heard it, that's the only situation where insubordination is allowed.
Huey: Only because humans are imperfect... That's Coldman's line of thinking.
Snake: You're saying that machines don't make mistakes? That's a myth. Worse than that - it's blind faith.
Huey: We wouldn't put our faith - our fate - into the hands of any ordinary machine. That's what the AI is for. The decision to launch a retaliatory strike requires high-level judgment. You have to take into account not only the state of the war, but the entire world. And sometimes you need to make a guess based on incomplete information.
Snake: You think an AI can do all that?
Huey: Yeah. At least, Dr. Strangelove does.
Fighting Peace Walker[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: Peace Walker is fitted with several close-range weapons. We'd also planned for it to be able to enter enemy territory and self-detonate.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Wonderful. What exactly are we dealing with here?
Huey: Well, the flamethrowers, for one thing - One in the front, and one in the rear. Then there are the S-mines. They're like cluster bombs. It scatters them from its leg hatches. If you see those open, you'd better clear out quickly. And finally, the rockets. These can travel quite a distance, so stay sharp. On the other hand, it can't fire them from too close... but then again there are those flamethrowers. It can also use its legs as weapons against any infantry on the ground.
Snake: Ouch.
Huey: But remember, Peace Walker technically isn't complete. With just the Reptile Pod, it can only perform relatively simple maneuvers. They've got certain quirks too. What's more, look carefully and you should be able to predict which attack is coming next.
Peace Walker with Mammal Pod[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: Snake! You have to stop Peace Walker from launching that nuke!
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Calm down. What do I need to do?
Huey: To tell you the truth, I don't really know... The Mammal Pod has probably enhanced both its thought patterns and mobility. The S-mines, rockets, flamethrowers - they're all the same, but I don't know what else to say... You'll just have to stay sharp and watch for how it behaves before each of the attacks.
Snake: I'll give it a shot. There's no time for anything else.
Huey: Sorry I can't be more helpful. You can do it, Snake!
The Need for Bipedal Locomotion[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): OK, but why does Peace Walker need to walk on two legs? I'd think treads would be good enough.
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: You'd be wrong. As you know, the terrain in Central America is rugged and complex. Especially along the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. You've got jungles, swamps, mountains... And the only way to get across all that terrain, no matter how rugged, is on legs.
Snake: But wouldn't it be tough to cross a swamp even on legs?
Huey: It wasn't easy, that's for sure. The reason we picked Costa Rica as a proving ground is because we can test it on every type of terrain.
The Fake "Peace Walker" Project[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): This "Peace Walker Project" the CIA's talking about - you believed in it, huh?
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: Yeah. I believed... Actually, maybe I just wanted to believe.
Snake: What do you mean?
Huey: Here's how Coldman explained it. Peace Walker's a weapon for peace, one to ensure true nuclear deterrence. It'd be the anchor to bring stability to Central America... He told me, "The nuclear weapons system you've built will never be used. It will forever stand vigil as an icon of peace." And to achieve that, he needed my bipedal locomotion technology... To be honest, I was flattered.
Snake: Flattered?
Huey: Wouldn't you be? My colleagues in the scientific community have never taken me seriously. They told me bipedal locomotion was a pipe dream, that it'd never amount to anything. It was the first time anybody recognized my work... How could I not be happy? And besides... It was my chance to surpass my father. To create nukes for peace... Or so I thought, anyway.
Snake: But Coldman's really going through with it.
Huey: Yeah. Makes perfect sense, really. No one would give the project any notice unless they could prove that an unmanned system is capable of launching a nuke.
The Reason for Launching a Real Nuke[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Why is Coldman gonna launch a nuke? If all he wants to do is prove the AI retaliation system works, he doesn't need to put a live warhead on it.
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: I agree. He could demonstrate the system by launching the missile alone - without a warhead. I asked him the same thing at first. He said there was no point in using a dummy missile... That it'd take an actual nuclear launch to deter potential enemies. Launching the real deal gives him a leg up in negotiations with Langley. That's what he's really after.
Soviet Research on Bipedal Locomotion[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: I based the bipedal locomotion technology used in Peace Walker on Soviet research. ...Actually, I'll be honest with you. I stole most of the basic ideas behind it.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Soviet... Bipedal... You mean Granin.
Huey: You know him?
Snake: Yeah. I met him at his lab in Russia. He helped me out a little bit.
Huey: You met him? What were you...?
Snake: He was the head of the Granin Design Bureau, creator of countless Soviet weapons....
Huey: I'd hit a wall in my research at the time... Granin's ideas solved nearly all my problems.
Snake: There's nothing unusual about using somebody else's work to further your own research, is there?
Huey: As long as you cite it, yeah. But I wasn't in a position to do that. His research was classified at the highest level. Soviet research, no less.
Snake: So you used it without telling anybody?
Huey: I wanted to show up my colleagues for once... The ones who never took me seriously! But you reap what you sow. Coldman seized on that vulnerability - told me if I quit the project, he'd expose my larceny.
Snake: He had you by the balls, Doc.
Granin[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): How'd you get your hands on Granin's research?
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: That was also Coldman. He used his Agency contacts to get a hold of it.
Snake: Giving you stolen information then using it to blackmail you... Damn.
Huey: I knew it was Granin's work the minute I saw it. See, I'd been corresponding with him for a while.
Snake: Corresponding?
Huey: Letters. Between scientists doing the same kind of research... He always complained that nobody understood his ideas on bipedal locomotion.
Snake: Ah... So you're the "American friend" he was talking about.
Huey: Obviously he didn't write a word about the technology in his letters. Except for one time. "If by chance anything should happen to me, I entrust my research to you. Better that than handing it over to these ignorant so-called scientists."
Snake: Sounds like him, all right.
Huey: Then one day his papers actually came. It wasn't hard for me to imagine what had happened to him. I felt it was my duty to carry on his work after him... And also...
Snake: What?
Huey: I thought maybe combining his technology with mine could be a way to bring East and West together. Like the docking of Apollo and Soyuz.
Snake: It'll never make the history books. And it's still not a reason to plagiarize.
Huey: ...You're right. You're absolutely right. I never had the courage to tell the truth, that's all. I always looked for excuses to cover it up.
Snake: Until now.
Huey: Huh...?
Snake: You told me everything. You're no longer a coward.
"Metal Gear"[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: "Metal Gear"...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Huh? What about it?
Huey: You mumbled that when I first explained about Peace Walker. I'm curious what it meant.
Snake: Exactly what it says. A metal gear... Granin coined the term.
Huey: Granin did?
Snake: He thought of his technology as the metal gear that meshes infantry with artillery.
Huey: I like the sound of that. "Metal Gear"... it's got a nice ring to it. Better than an outright lie like "Peace Walker," anyway.
Shagohod[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Those papers the CIA gave you... Was there any data on the Shagohod in there?
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: Shagohod?
Snake: A nuclear tank that launches IRBMs. It competed against Granin's system for approval.
Huey: Oh, the thing with the rockets. Designed by a guy named... Sokolov, right? ...Heh heh.
Snake: What's so funny?
Huey: No, I was just remembering some of the "commentary" Granin added to the Shagohod papers. You should have seen the way he bad-mouthed it. It was too conservative, too ugly...
Snake: I can imagine.
Huey: He was so angry when he wrote that he smeared up the ink. And you know how shoddy the paper is over there to begin with.
Snake: ...I'll bet. That's Granin, all right.
Huey: Imagine, accelerating the launcher itself to 300 miles an hour to extend the range of an IRBM... As stupid as it sounds, it's a hell of a concept. Who but the Soviets would think of using a tank as the first stage of a rocket? I actually took a cue from the Shagohod when I developed the Pupa.
Snake: That hovercraft thing? You stole that one, too?
Huey: Give me a little credit! I only borrowed the concept. The technology is original. As it turned out, hover technology wasn't enough to handle all the terrain in Central America. It relied too much on brute force.
Snake: But the Shagohod was a major threat. That thing could corner like you wouldn't believe - built pretty tough, too.
Huey: You sure know a lot about it.
Snake: It almost did me in. I couldn't forget it if I tried.
Huey: Did you in? ...So you were the one who took it down! Wow! You really are amazing.
Snake: I didn't do it alone.
Huey: No, seriously, thank you. We might not be here today if they'd begun mass-producing that thing. Then again, they're hard at work now miniaturizing nuclear warheads. Pretty soon they won't even need an accelerated launcher like the Shagohod.
Snake: Great. That means they're that much closer to being able to launch from anywhere in the world.
Basilisk[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Chico called Peace Walker the basilisco.
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: Basilisco? ...Oh, right, Spanish. That's funny. I once used the codename Basilisk for the Peace Walker platform myself.
Snake: What for?
Huey: The class of lizards called basilisks can walk atop any type of terrain. In a pinch, they can even stand up on two legs and run across water. Perfect name for a system that can walk anywhere in Central America, right? Plus there are the legends.
Snake: What legends?
Huey: The basilisks of legend were highly venomous creatures. There's a story told by the ancient Romans. A knight slew a basilisk by piercing it with his spear. The creature's poison seeped up the spear and killed both horse and rider... Remind you of anything, Snake?
Snake: Nuclear deterrence.
Huey: Bingo. Kill it, and you die along with it - your hands are bound. I wanted Peace Walker to be like that.
Snake: You should know that people aren't that rational. Sometimes people do things that don't make sense, even when they know they're going to die - or maybe it's because of that.
Huey: Maybe you're right. But that's exactly what I don't understand.
The Two AI Pods[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: Peace Walker contains an assembly of two AI pods. One of them is the Mammal Pod, which Dr. Strangelove developed. The other's the Reptile Pod, which is mine.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What's the difference?
Huey: The Reptile Pod is the attitude control AI. If it's destroyed, Peace Walker grinds to a halt. The Mammal Pod is responsible for making the decisions regarding nuclear retaliation. Reflex and thought... One is the brainstem and cerebellum, the other the cerebrum.
Snake: So the one that houses the will of The Boss...
Huey: ...Would be the Mammal Pod.
Reptile Pod[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: We call it the "Reptile Pod" for a reason. The parts of our brains that govern basic life and reflex developed ages ago, when our ancestors were still reptiles.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): We were reptiles?
Huey: Well, only at one stage of our evolution. The theory was proposed by the neuroscientist Paul MacLean.
Snake: Huh.
Huey: The reptile brain corresponds to the brainstem and basal ganglia in our brain. The Reptile Pod also incorporates the functions of the cerebellum.
Snake: So basically, it's the deep parts of the brain.
Huey: Dr. Strangelove came up with the name.
Mammal Pod[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: The part of our brain that developed after we became mammals is responsible for high-level brain functions.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Such as?
Huey: Such as intelligence, judgment... even love.
Snake: That's high-level, all right.
Huey: Location-wise, the mammal brain is on the outside of the reptile brain. The cerebral cortex is part of it. I think it's very telling that Dr. Strangelove named her pod "Mammal." It's almost like she wants it to be more than just an advanced AI - what she really wants is for it to have a mind of its own.
Transmitting Data to NORAD[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: Snake, how much do you know about the U.S. homeland air defense network?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I don't know much about what goes on up in the sky. What I do know is that NORAD tracks Santa Claus on its radar.
Huey: Ha! Nice one. I didn't know you were a comedian, too!
Snake: Huh? No, I'm serious... It's true. NORAD tracks his... Listen to me! Every December, they set up a hotline and...
Huey: (laughs) OK, OK, I get it.
Snake: ...He's real, I tell ya. He... used to bring me presents and...
An Oversight in the System[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: OK, Snakey. As all good little boys know, keeping tabs on Santa Claus is a very important job for NORAD.
Naked Sake (Big Boss): Ugh...
Huey: But they also have another mission - the one they were created for. And the system they set up for that... Has been hijacked by Coldman.
Snake: ...You mean Peace Walker's fake data transmissions?
Huey: NORAD's early warning system is composed of DSP satellite-mounted infrared sensors, and an array of surveillance radar stations across North America. The network sends out warnings to NORAD at Cheyenne Mountain, where the data undergoes human evaluation. Peace Walker, on the other hand, has to make its retaliation decisions autonomously. So it's set up to automatically receive the same data as NORAD through covert channels. Those channels were also used on the test platform to telemeter the AI's decision-making. Peace Walker reversed the system to transmit a fake warning about incoming nuclear missiles outside the usual exercise schedule. I mean, the system could have used better safeguarding, nobody's going to argue with that. But cracking the AI - that seemed unimaginable. And you can see what happened.
About himself[]
Electronic Cigarettes[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Hey Doc, what was that you were smoking in the lab? It looked like a cigarette, but it wasn't lit.
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: It's an electronic cigarette. I designed it myself. Pretty neat, huh?
Snake: Electronic. Cigarette.
Huey: Yep. A liquid in the filter that turns into vapor, and you inhale the microparticles.
Snake: So that was vapor.
Huey: I'd actually rather be smoking normal cigarettes, but not in that room... The smoke would wreck the precision equipment in there, ruin all its wiring. But the vapor is just steam. It doesn't contain tar or anything like that. So I can smoke it in the lab with no worries.
Snake: Nice.
Huey: Want to try one?
Snake: Nah, I'll stick with cigars.
Huey: Yeah, but...
Snake: I don't like imitations - the real thing's always better.
Huey: OK. But you know, sooner or later smoking's going to become very unfashionable across the world. It hurts you and those around you. Electronic cigarettes might not seem so bad then.
Snake: Yeah, when that happens, I'll think about it.
Impact on Genes[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): You said your dad was involved in the Manhattan Project, right?
Dr. "Huey:" Emmerich: Yeah.
Snake: And you think that's why you can't walk?
Huey: ...I dunno. Actually, you know, probably not. So far nobody's found evidence that exposure to radiation in parents causes genetic defects in children, except for those exposed in the womb... Epidemiologically speaking, anyway.
Snake: That's the conclusion of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission?
Huey: Right. The ABCC commenced its study immediately after the war. And it's still ongoing.
Snake: Even now, 30 years later...
Huey: The effects of radiation exposure last a long time. I'm guessing it'll be another ten years before we get a real verdict on whether it affects genes. Granted, it's the most massive study anybody's ever done. But that's really all it is - a study. The ABCC brought in bomb victims and ran tests on them, but they didn't treat them.
Snake: Really... them too, huh...
Huey: At any rate, that's what my father made me believe when I was growing up...
Snake: Maybe it was tough for your dad to explain. Ever think of that?
Huey: Yeah, maybe. But this is my problem now, Snake. I have to face the nukes head on, whether I like it or not. My creations are being used for the wrong purposes. The onus is on me to stop it somehow. Help me, Snake.
Role on Mother Base[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: Hey! As long as I'm here at Mother Base, why not assign me to the R&D team? You could use a guy like me.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Glad to have you on board. I'm sure Kaz is, too.
Huey: Once I've got the necessary materials and design specs together, I should be able to start building you that bipedal weapon platform. Nothing would make me happier than for my research to help put a stop to Peace Walker.
Dr. Strangelove[]
How Huey met Strangelove[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So this Dr. Strangelove was at NASA?
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: Yeah. Well, actually, Strangelove left for DARPA not long after I joined.
Snake: And then the two of you ended up back together doing research in Costa Rica?
Huey: Not exactly "together." We coordinated on a few things, but the research projects themselves were separate from each other. We had it worked out so that Dr. Strangelove handled the Mammal Pod, Peace Walker's cerebrum, while I did the rest.
Snake: That letter - something to do with your research...?
Huey: Huh? Er, no, it's, uh... Y-yeah, it's a report. Research findings.
Snake: Research findings? Anything in there we could use against Peace Walker?
Huey: N-nothing! Nothing at all! Just don't read it, OK? Promise me you won't!
Letter to Strangelove[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: Did you give that letter to Dr. Strangelove?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): ...Uh, no.
Huey: Why not? I gave it to you for a reason. It's highly important information.
Snake: Sorry. I didn't exactly have an opportunity to play postman.
Huey: Well, next time you see her, make sure she gets it.
Snake: Oh, yeah, sure. Better for you if she doesn't...
Huey: Snake!
Snake: What?
Huey: Tell me you didn't read the letter.
Snake: N-no...
Huey: You did!
Snake: I mean... You never know what kind of information could affect the outcome of an operation, right? So I...
Huey: So you read the letter. After I specifically told you not to!
Snake: ...What do you expect people to do when you tell them not to read something...?
Huey: I thought I knew you, Snake! I thought I could trust you!! But now I see I was wrong!
Snake: ...Look, I'm sorry. But I just don't get what you see in her.
Huey: Well, I wouldn't expect a barbarian who opens other people's private correspondence to understand.
Snake: Fine, then. Deliver it yourself.
Huey: Huh?! N-no, I... No way, I could never...
Snake: You've got a long way to go, Huey...
"2001: A Space Odyssey"[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: You ever see the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey"?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Can't say I have.
Huey: Fantastic flick... The outer space special effects are incredible enough, but the depiction of AI is what really stands out.
Snake: There's an AI ?
Huey: Yeah. A spacecraft pilot AI called HAL. It plays a major role in the story. Dr. Strangelove loves it, too. Did I ever tell you about the time we first met up in Costa Rica?
Snake: No.
Huey: You know how she hates men, right? So we hadn't seen each other since NASA, and we just weren't hitting it off... until we started talking about HAL, and then she started going off. The way she talked about it was so intellectual. The way she analyzed every plot detail, how passionate she was about the AI... It made me fall for her all over again.
Snake: Uh huh.
Huey: You know what? Here's to HAL, for bringing her and me closer together! You should ask her about "2001," too. Then you'll understand just how amazing she is.
Snake: Amazing, huh...
Huey: HAL... Now there's a good name...
Taking Down the AI Weapons[]
Pupa[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: The Pupa increases its mobility by using compressed air to hover its rear section. It moves by means of its treads and boosters. Those boosters also provide the propulsion needed for high-speed movement.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So if I take out the boosters, it won't be able to charge?
Huey: Right. I suppose you could also avoid its attacks by lying down beneath it... The Pupa is also equipped with electrical shock units. It uses these devices - they look like lightning rods - to direct discharge.
Snake: Guess I should probably pull the plug on those, too.
Huey: Good idea. What else... Well, as with all AI machines, you can incapacitate the entire unit by taking out the AI itself. If you can get the hatch open and climb inside, you can pull out the memory boards - lights out, AI. We may be able to use those boards for ourselves. If you can, try and get inside the AI pod and have a crack at it. You won't be able to do that until you've damaged it enough to stop it from moving, first.
Snake: Got it. Usual tactics first, then.
Chrysalis[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: Being an unmanned vehicle, the Chrysalis can perform extreme G-force maneuvers that standard aircraft can't. It'll be difficult to counter-attack once it's coming at you. I should mention that it's also equipped with a railgun.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): A what?
Huey: A weapon that fires rounds using electromagnetic force in lieu of gunpowder.
Snake: Wait... An electric weapon?
Huey: Not exactly. The rounds themselves are conventional shells. It creates force by running an electric current through a magnetic field. Fleming's left-hand rule - didn't they teach you that at school?
Snake: Not at mine.
Huey: Oh. Anyway, as the railgun uses electromagnetic force, it needs to charge before firing. Once you see it starting to charge, take immediate evasive action. Also, as with the Pupa, destroying the AI will put the unit out of commission. Do enough damage and it'll have to land. Use that opportunity to get in the AI pod. Wait too long, and it'll start to repair itself. Be sure to shoot the hatch the moment it lands.
Snake: I think I can handle that.
Cocoon[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich: During development, I had trouble figuring out how to handle the Cocoon's excess heat. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but the radiators are most likely its weakest points. They're not heavily armored, as heat wasn't dissipating properly.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Where are they?
Huey: There are multiple radiators on the upper and lower sections. Just look for the exhaust fumes. Only thing is, the upper radiators typically aren't exposed. You should probably shoot for the lower ones first. You could move under its body to access the lower ones, but the Cocoon is capable of vertical movement, so be careful not to get crushed. Watch out for missiles and hedgehogs too.
Snake: Hedgehogs? Anti-submarine multiple spigot mortars?
Huey: I adapted the technology for use as a surface weapon. Both the missiles and hedgehogs take time to load, though. It can't fire a hedgehog until the lamp comes on. As for the missiles, watch for the way the hatches move.
Snake: That'll be my chance to get close.
Huey: When the hatches open, out come the missiles.
Cécile[]
AI lab[]
Facility and security[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): That was some escape you made from Strangelove's lab.
Cécile Cosima Caminades: Security inside was not so tight. The door to my room was locked from the outside, of course. But she took off the blindfold at bath time - so she could wash my hair...
Snake: Pretty luxurious treatment for a prisoner.
Cécile: Wasn't it? She wouldn't undo the handcuffs, but she washed my body for me instead. And with such gentle care...
Snake: Why'd you run away? Didn't she say you could go home in a month? If your escape attempt failed, you'd be in greater danger than before.
Cécile: I was supposed to be giving a presentation on the distribution of Costa Rican bird species at a conference. The date was approaching quickly. So I pretended I had to use the toilet and made my escape. I found an ID card and searched everywhere for my equipment and my tape... But a soldier saw me. It was a miracle I managed to get away. There was no time to find the tape. I don't care about the conference. I'm lucky enough to still be in one piece.
Snake: You bounce back quick.
Cécile: You don't?
Snake: ....Not sure. I try not to dwell too much on the past, but...
Cécile: Then don't. There's no point. I'm so glad to be out of there. I never felt safe, you know?
Snake: Tell me about it.
Cécile: Well... I think she's interested in women. And I think she took a fancy to me.
Snake: That's, uh.... huh.
Cécile: Besides, it's much nicer here.
Dr. Strangelove[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Was it just the two women in the lab?
Cécile Cosima Caminades: Most of the time, oui.
Snake: Hmm... And one of them, you only heard her voice, right?
Cécile: Yes, that is correct. Such a wonderful voice. It sent chills up my spine.
Snake: What was the other woman like?
Cécile: Don't even think about it. She's not the slightest interest in men.
Snake: No, it's part of my mission to...
Cécile: Only teasing. Let me think... I believe she was in her 30s. Pretty, with a good sense of style, but austere in her tastes. A very... Unusual woman.
Snake: And she was doing research on AI?
Cécile: AI? So that is what she was up to. You know, she did say something interesting: that people should not be going into space. That it is too dangerous.
Snake: Hmm, an automated control system for rockets, then?
Cécile: She said something about wanting to "get closer to her dying wish." I think she must have been talking about an old lover.
Snake: Lover... You mean another woman?
Cécile: My, aren't we curious about women and other women! You want to hear the terrible things she tried to do to me?
Snake: That's not what I meant...
"Cécile:' It's all right, you can be honest.
Snake: ...You two seemed to get along awfully well together.
Cécile: No, no, not at all.
Snake: I think you're hiding something.
Cécile: Never mind! Aren't you supposed to be looking for the quetzal? Here, I'll demonstrate its call for you.
Snake: I KNEW it...
ID card[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Let's go over this one more time. First, I need an ID card to get into the lab.
Cécile Cosima Caminades: That is correct. From the outside it looks like any other ruin. But on the inside it is a state-of-the-art research facility.
Snake: And your ID card got taken away from you by some guy in an orange jacket.
Cécile: Exactly. I heard a quetzal singing nearby. It has not been that long since it happened.
Snake: It could be tricky if he's out on patrol, but if he's a stationary sentry... You don't think the quetzal's moved?
Cécile: Its nest is probably nearby. I do not think it will go away anytime soon.
Snake: Good. I'll get on looking for that soldier.
Cécile: If you forget what it sounds like, I'll do the call for you again. Just give me a call anytime you'd like to hear it.
Snake: I'll do that.
Costa Rican birds[]
Birds in general[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): et me get this straight. You were in Costa Rica as a birdwatcher?
Cécile Cosima Caminades: Yes, I was. Not for pleasure, though - I am a researcher, after all. I am studying the distribution of Latin American bird species. With today's compact cassette tape recorders, even a woman like me can carry her recording equipment by herself. But it was a mistake to come alone.
Snake: Mmm. Even so, there sure are a lot of wild birds in Costa Rica.
Cécile: Aren't there? Over 800 different species, said to be more than 10% of all living bird species on Earth. How many can you name, Mr. Ornithologist?
Snake: Hey, I was just trying not to scare you...
Cécile: You should at least have a basic knowledge of Costa Rica. How about this: I will give you a thorough education, Mr. First-Time Ornithologist.
Snake: Uh, OK. Start by telling me about the quetzal.
Cassette densuke[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Cécile, what's that machine you said you use to make those recordings of yours? A cassette... something or other.
Cécile Cosima Caminades: A cassette recorder? Or a cassette densuke, as they say in Japon.
Snake: Yeah, that. What is that thing, anyway?
Cécile: A portable recording device released last year by a Japanese company: Sony. It uses compact cassettes, making it far lighter than open reel machines. It still weighs 5 kilograms, but the exercise won't kill me!
Snake: Ha.
Cécile: It's user-friendly, too. All the buttons have markings on them, allowing you to operate it without looking at it. Can you imagine missing the shot of a lifetime simply because you'd blinked?
Snake: That would be devastating. But where'd they come up with densuke? It sounds like a Japanese name.
Kazuhira Miller: Allow me to field that one.
Snake: Kaz?!
Miller: Densuke's a nickname that comes from the name of an old manga character.
Snake: Was he some recording nerd, too?
Miller: Don't gimme that! Recording atmospheric noises is an exhilarating art! There's nothing like capturing the real world in action on tape! It's just like taking pictures with a camera, only with a microphone instead of a viewfinder.
Snake: Sure...
Miller: Listen to a tape with your eyes closed and the scene just bursts to life in your mind's eye. Tell him, Cécile.
Cécile: Absolutely. When I listen to the sounds of birds in my apartment, it's like I'm back in the forest where I recorded them.
Miller: See, she's a Parisienne. She knows what's chic.
Snake: If you say so...
Cécile: What do you like to record, Monsieur Miller?
Miller: Me? Steam locomotives, no question. The roar of the engine, the throaty steam whistle... More animal than machine. Mmh, don't get me started! Steam locomotives are a dying breed in Japan. I wouldn't mind going back for a bit and making some new tapes while I still can.
Cécile: ...You're less civilized than I thought.
Miller: L-LESS civilized?!
Cécile: I detest those beasts. The noise frightens off all the birds. Then there's the smoke... I much prefer the peace and quiet of the forest.
Miller: Cécile, wait! That... That came out wrong, I...
Snake: Sure it did.
Quetzals[]
Cécile Cosima Caminades: Alright, what do you want to know about quetzals?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Hmm... Give me the basics, something that'll help me find one.
Cécile: OK, then. First of all, as I'm sure you remember, the quetzal's wings and back are emerald green - a dazzling blend of viridian fading into blue. Its belly is brilliant red, and its tail feathers are white. Such a gorgeous bird... Also, the male has two long decorative feathers, but only during breeding season. Among birds, males are usually more beautiful than females.
Snake: Like a peacock's tail.
Cécile: Yes, just like that. It is interesting to note that while their bodies are only 40 cm long, many quetzals reach over a meter in length when you include their decorative plumage. Quetzals typically build their nests by making holes in dead trees with their beaks, about three to four meters above the ground. They're omnivorous and eat everything from nuts to lizards.
Snake: Where can I find one?
Cécile: Their habitat stretches across the entire tropical cloud forest. You may end up having to rely on its song to find one.
Snake: Good to know...
Cécile: I will do an imitation. Listen closely! Kyohhh, kyohhh...
Snake: Not bad.
Cécile: Shall I do a chicken next? Cluck-cluck-cluck-cluck-bacaaak!
Snake: No thanks. That's enough.
Cécile: Are you sure? How about a monkey?
Snake: ...Don't need that, either.
Cécile: Oh. All right, then.
Mimicking animal calls[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): You said you could do a monkey call.
Cécile Cosima Caminades: Yes! Want to hear it?
Snake: Yeah, I won't be able to get it off my mind until I do.
Cécile: Alright. Here it is, then.
Snake: ...That's pretty good.
Cécile: I can do others, too. Like a sheep, a pig...
Snake: Yeah? Wow. What about a pig? That's uncanny!
Cécile: Ha ha. I can do a rabbit as well.
Snake: A rabbit? Rabbits make noises?
Cécile: Certainly. But they're very faint, so perhaps only someone who has owned one would recognize them.
Snake: I see. So what do they sound like?
Cécile: Listen very carefully.
Snake: OK. Seriously? Rabbits sound like that?
Cécile: I assure you, they do. Listen again.
Snake: Never heard a rabbit do that before.
Cécile: They do, I swear!
Hummingbirds[]
Cécile Cosima Caminades: Costa Rica is the home to many hummingbirds as well. The people here call them colibri.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Colibri, huh...
Cécile: Hummingbirds are the world's smallest birds. Although they can vary from species to species, most are around 10 cm in length, and the smallest no more than five. It's amazing to think that something so small can still be a fully developed bird.
Snake: I'd think a bird that tiny would get mistaken for a bug.
Cécile: Actually they are often mistaken for sphinx moths. The little darlings feed on flower nectar, and their beaks are long and thin to help them drink up the nectar. They beat their wings far faster than any other bird. The smallest ones over 70 times a second! Can you imagine?
Snake: What for?
Cécile: They hover in midair while they suck their nectar. They can even fly straight backwards.
Snake: Hovering... like a helicopter! That's why Amanda and her unit called that chopper colibri.
Cécile: I think it is an insult to the birds to give their names to weapons, don't you?
Snake: Don't ask me. Ask the birds how they feel about it.
Manakins[]
Cécile Cosima Caminades: Have you heard of the manakins?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Never.
Cécile: Unbelievable! You came all the way to Costa Rica and you've never even heard of them!?
Snake: I didn't come here to look at...
Cécile: Manakins are known for their beautiful courtship dances. The Orange-collared Manakin is said to live on the Pacific side, the White-bearded Manakin on the Caribbean side, and the Long-tailed Manakin is in the central basin. The Long-tailed Manakins are especially distinctive.
Snake: What's special about them?
Cécile: First, each young male picks an older male to teach him how to dance. Then teachers and pupils all get in a group and dance for the females. However, only the teachers get paired off with females. The pupils practice their technique for seven years before striking out on their own and finding their own pupils.
Snake: I guess it takes time to get good at anything, whether it's dancing or soldiering.
Cécile: Manakins always have plenty to eat. Apparently that is why they have so much free time to practice dancing.
Snake: Unlike us, obviously...
Three-wattled Bellbird[]
Cécile Cosima Caminades: Another well-known bird of the cloud forest is the Three-wattled Bellbird.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Wattled? What the hell's a wattle?
Cécile: It is just like your beard, Snake!
Snake: What?
Cécile: It's a piece of flesh that hangs down from its chin. Kind of like whiskers, but not made of hair.
Snake: A hanging piece of flesh?
Cécile: Oui, and it only grows on males.
Snake: Nothing more important to a man than his beard. So these birds are in the cloud forest, too?
Cécile: They're normally found in the lowland rain forests, but they migrate into the highland cloud forests during breeding season. What the Three-wattled Bellbird's best known for, though, is its loud call. It makes these metallic BONG! and DING! sounds - hence the name "bellbird." It hardly sounds like a bird at all. Even an expert bird caller like me cannot do it justice.
Snake: Doesn't sound like I'll be mistaking it for a quetzal.
Clay-colored Robin[]
Cécile Cosima Caminades: Do you know the national bird of Costa Rica? Honestly! And you call yourself an ornithologist? The national bird of Costa Rica is the Clay-colored Robin. It's a plain-looking brown bird found throughout the country.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Why'd they make it the national bird, then? Aren't there all kinds of better-looking birds, like the quetzal?
Cécile: The Clay-colored Robin has a most exquisite song. And I think it is part of the Costa Rican national character to choose a bird everyone knows and loves over prettier ones.
Snake: Somehow these people don't strike me as being very "Latin."
Cécile: Speaking as an ornithologist, I am rather happy with their choice. Not all birds have to be pretty. Oh, and just so you know, the quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala.
Macaws[]
Cécile Cosima Caminades: The Scarlet Macaw and the Great Green Macaw are also representative birds of Costa Rica. Macaws are a type of parrot... enormous, stately birds.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Macaw... I think I've heard that name somewhere before.
Cécile: But of course you have - you're an ornithologist, no?
Snake: Stop it....
Cécile: So tell me, where do macaws live in Costa Rica today?
Snake: Oh c'mon now...
Cécile: I am only teasing you. Macaws live not in the cloud forests, but in the rain forests on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. In the past, they were a common sight all across the country, but lately the population has decreased dramatically. One possible cause is the pesticides sprayed to facilitate large-scale banana cultivation.
Snake: Evicted from their own land, huh.
Cécile: Thankfully, conservation efforts have been gaining some momentum lately.
About herself[]
Cécile Cosima Caminades[]
In the Japanese version, not only does Miller become reverent over the coincidence regarding her name and the phrase "Kojima is God", but Cécile becomes reverent as well.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Never heard the name "Cosima" before. The again I don't know many people from France. Is it a common name?
Cécile Cosima Caminades: No. Not that common. But Wagner's second wife was named Cosima Francesca Gaetana Wagner.
Snake: Huh.
Kazuhira Miller: You know, "Kojima" is a common last name in Japan.
Snake: Kaz?!
Miller: It's just funny how, you know, I'm part Japanese and Cécile's middle name is so close to "Kojima." It feels like... destiny unfolding.
Cécile: You think so?
Miller: Oui oui! That's a beautiful name you have. Cécile Cosima Caminades. Wait a second... Cécile Cosima Caminades... Cosima Caminades... Hey, thats close to...
Cécile: Close to what?
Miller: Your name... It sounds almost like the sentence Kojima, kaminandesu in Japanese.
Cécile: And what does it mean, sil vous plait?
Miller: Well, "kami" is the word for "god" in Japanese. "Nandesu..." Well, it's hard to explain, but placed after "god" it would turn the sentence into "is God."
Snake: Okay. So?!
Miller: "Kojima is God"... Cécile's name is a message! I dont believe it... Kojima is God... Kojima is God...
Snake: Umm, Kaz...?
Role in Mother Base[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): How are you enjoying Mother Base so far?
Cécile Cosima Caminades: It is wonderful!
Snake: Good to hear. I was worried someone as cultured as you would find the plant a little uncouth.
Cécile: Uncouth?! You've got albatross, and frigatebirds, and terns, and tropicbirds... Seabirds I'd never have a chance to see in France!
Snake: ...Oh, well, great.
Cécile: Sorry, I know I should not spend all day chasing birds... is there anything I can help with?
Snake: Appreciate the offer. But I'm not sure what I could ask you to do...
Cécile: Well, I'm certainly not cut out to shoot a gun...
Snake: Cécile, where'd you learn to move through the forest like that? The birds weren't scared of you at all.
Cécile: Becoming one with the forest is the very essence of birdwatching they won't behave naturally if they sense a human nearby. And that can really affect your observations.
Snake: I see... Kind of like scouting, then.
Cécile: I am also good at spotting birds from a distance, tracking them based on the tiniest of clues, and being aware of my surroundings.
Snake: You're starting to sound even more like a scout.
Cécile: The only way to find a bird is to think like a bird. Now, think you can find a place for me?
Snake: Yeah.
France[]
Paris[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Did you live in Paris your whole life before coming here?
Cécile Cosima Caminades: Yes. It is my favorite city. Paris is the world capital of art and culture. It has the latest fashion, the best cuisine, and the most elegant, refined people. The beauty of the Champs-Élysées at night is almost unearthly. The name comes from Elysium, the name of Paradise in Greek mythology. Heaven, in other words.
Snake: Must be nice for some people. Not for me.
Cécile: Are you saying the cultured life does not appeal to you?
Snake: I'm saying I never had a chance to lead one. Not that it appealed to me anyway.
Cécile: You prefer war?
Snake: I don't... Like war. Life outside heaven just suits me better.
Cécile: That is a hard way to live... ...But if you do ever come to France, I will show you around Paris. Then you will see what heaven on earth is really like.
Foreign Legion[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Heaven on earth, huh... The only image I have of France is the Foreign Legion.
Cécile Cosima Caminades: Th-that is how you view France?!
Snake: What do the French think of the them?
Cécile: It is a difficult question... We normally don't think about it so much.
Snake: Critics claim it forces foreigners to take on the most dangerous missions so French citizens won't get hurt.
Cécile: You're right, that probably had something to do with why it was created... But I understand that along with service comes benefits such as French citizenship and permanent residency. Those who join are all given an equal chance, regardless of race, religion, education, social status, or national origin. So it can be a godsend for people from poor countries.
Snake: A way for the have-nots to live a decent life... I guess that's not so different from MSF.
National Anthem[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): There's one other image I have of France: the national anthem.
Cécile Cosima Caminades: Ah, La Marseillaise... Not everyone is a fan, of course.
Snake: The whole "To arms, citizens. May an impure blood water our furrows." thing, eh?
Cécile: The song was composed right after the French Revolution. Fearing what the tide of the Revolution represented, the ruling classes in neighboring countries applied all kinds of pressure on the young government. La Marseillaise became the anthem of the volunteer armies that sought to protect constitutional rule against that pressure.
Snake: And they couldn't do that without armed force.
Cécile: Oui. I agree, some parts are a little belligerent, but we must not forget that if it were not for them, France would not be the democracy it is today.
The Umbrellas of Chernbourg[]
Cécile Cosima Caminades: Have you ever seen "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg"?
Naked Snake (Big Boss): A movie? No, never seen it.
Cécile: No? It came out 10 years ago. Catherine Deneuve, she is so beautiful in it. And the music, the costumes, the colors... Oh! It takes place in the naval port of Cherbourg.
Snake: That was a beachhead in Normandy.
Cécile: It is set back when young men were conscripted to fight in the Algerian War.
Snake: The French government called the conflict a "public order operation in northern Africa."
Cécile: I was still a little girl then, but I can clearly remember one of my friends' older brothers going off to fight.
Snake: Yeah, national service is required in France.
Cécile: The war splits up two young lovers. Director Jacque Demy's lyrics and Michel Legrand's music tore at my heart. I will never forget its wonderful melodies. Aaahh...
Snake: You okay?
Cécile: It changes lives - changes fates. War is not a good thing.
Snake: For some reason it strikes a chord to hear that coming from someone like you.
The Day of the Jackal[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Speaking of the Algerian War of Independence, you ever hear of "The Day of the Jackal"?
Cécile Cosima Caminades: You mean the novel that was made into a movie last year? The OAS, a militant French underground group, plots to assassinate De Gaulle, hiring a hitman known as the Jackal. Readers know that de Gaulle was not killed, but it is still so exciting. If someone was going to try to eliminate me, I would hope they'd be as thorough as the Jackal. To know everything about me without me suspecting a thing.
Snake: Oh, Yeah?
Cécile: I wonder if my birds feel the same way.
Snake: I wonder.
Nuclear Tests[]
Cécile Cosima Caminades: France conducted its first successful nuclear test in the Algerian Sahara in 1960.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): A lot of French scientists took part in the Manhattan Project. They defected to America to escape wartime occupation.
Cécile: Correct. And once the war was over, they returned to France and continued their own atomic research. President de Gaulle did not want to have to rely on an American nuclear umbrella for protection.
Snake: Thus making France the world's fourth nuclear power.
Cécile: Some say the test's success pacified the Algerian rebels. The civil war was undoubtedly held in check. But never have I equated nuclear weapons with peace.
Sartre[]
In the Japanese version, when Snake compliments Sartre, Cécile, just as she was about to comment on him, gave a shriek of excitement, with Snake mentioning that she's surprised/startled with Cécile denying such was the case before commenting that Sartre tended to sympathize with leftist politics.
Cécile Cosima Caminades: France has produced many philosophers over the years. Descartes, Bataille, Sartre, Baudrillard...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): I'm familiar with Sartre myself. He called Che Guevara the most complete man of the century, didn't he? Smart guy.
Cécile: He does tend to sympathize with the left. What else do you know about him.
Snake: ...That's it.
Cécile: You know nothing else?
Snake: ...Nope.
Cécile: Ooh la la. The man is one of the giants of existentialism, you know.
Snake: Exitentialism? I've been meaning to look into that. Nothing more dangerous than sneaking in without first securing an exit...
Cécile: No, existentialism. Sometimes I wonder if my English is not better than yours.
Snake: Sorry, I'm just... not into philosophy.
Cécile: Is that so? I would imagine it might really enrich your life.
Snake: I'd rather take action now than spend time thinking about what we are or how we're supposed to live. I guess you could say I live my philosophy.
Cécile: Interesting. That sounds like something Sartre would say.
Snake: Yeah?
Cécile: He says we're born with no defined nature, and that we're free to make our "self" what we wish.
Snake: Free? So he was one of those devil-may-care kind of guys, huh?
Cécile: No, actually he meant that because we are free to create our own life, we must take full responsibility for our actions. "Man is condemned to be free," is how he put it.
Snake: Condemned to be free...
Cécile: But then others will take it upon themselves to define who you are.
Snake: I've been feeling that way lately. I keep telling people to call me "Snake," but nobody seems to listen.
Cécile: Sartre also says, "Hell is other people."
Snake: Hell... Well we are outside of Heaven.
Picasso[]
Cécile: Do you have an interest in the visual arts, Snake?
Snake: Not really. Please, no deep conversation...
Cécile: But you have heard of Picasso, yes?
Snake: Yeah, I've heard the name.
Cécile: Sadly, Monsieur Picasso, co-founder of cubism, passed away in the south of France last year. France was his home, you know.
Snake: Huh? I thought he was born in Spain...
Cécile: Do you know his full name?
Snake: Pablo Picasso. Anyone would know he's Spanish with a name like...
Cécile: Hmph. Shows what you know.
Snake: What do you mean?
Cécile: OK, here we go. Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios... ...Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso. What do you think? That was his full name.
Snake: Still, I don't see how...
Cécile: A master of modern art. A genius who crafted over 100,000 works in various styles, spending the greater part of his life in France. The man is a part of our culture.
Snake: Yeah that kind of stuff is of limited use in my field... But back to the point - Picasso was Spanish, right? Or am I missing something? He wasn't French, right? Right? Cécile?
Cécile: What difference does it make? It doesn't matter if he was from Spain or from Mars, Picasso is Picasso. It does not change the fact that he lived in France, nor does it take away from his monumental legacy! Why do you care so much about where he was from, anyway? Whatever happened to the "Sans Frontières" part of "Militaires Sans Frontières"?
Snake: You started it. "France was his..."
Cécile: What was that?
Snake: ...Nothing.
Macaroons[]
Cécile: Tell me, Snake, do you ever put sweets in your rations?
Snake: Never thought about it before. Why?
Cécile: I simply love them! French sweets are très délicieux. Everyone knows crêpes, but there are also profiteroles, éclairs, madeleines, financiers... Then there's Tarte Tatins, and you can't forget savarins. Oh, and mille-feuilles, crêpes, blancmanges...
Snake:You already mentioned crêpes.
Cécile: Soufflés, croquembouches, canelés, floretins, kouign amanns, Peach Melbas...
Snake: Finished?
Cécile: ...And macarons! I love those the most. Macarons parisiens are the best. They're so cute and colorful, and they contain meringue, so they melt right in your mouth.
Snake: Wow. I'd no idea macaroons were that popular in France, too.
Cécile: What do you mean "in France, too"?
Snake: Macaroons are those coconut-flavored cookies, right?
Cécile: Excuse you! Macarons contains almond powder, not coconuts!
Miller: Don't they have peanuts in them? I've had them in Japan a few times. I thought they were called "makorons."
Cécile: Makarons? Some cheap imitation, I am sure. French macarons have a long and distinguished history. They date back to the 16th century, when Catherine de' Medici of Florence married into the French royal family. The story goes that her pâtissiers shared the recipe after they arrived. That's a history of over 500 years.
Snake: So... they're originally from Italy, then.
Cécile: Well...
Snake: Don't macaroons come from Italy, too?
Cécile: Look, I do not really think...
Miller: Keep in mind "macaron" is almost identical to "macaroni."
Snake: Well, that settles it.
Cécile: ...I cannot believe this. To associate macarons with macaroni! You, Monsieur Miller, are an insensible oaf!
Miller: Hey, hey, why am I the bad guy? Come on, Cécile, wait! Cécile!
Wine[]
Cécile Cosima Caminades: Hello! Snake, mon chéri.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): You been drinking, Cécile?
Cécile: Can't you please do something about this pest?
Snake: Who?
Cécile: Monsieur Miller.
Snake: What's he done now...
Cécile: Wine.
Snake: Wine?
Cécile:He said he thought the soldiers might tire of having beer all the time, so he's brought in some wine instead. And then he gave me a bunch.
Snake: That was... nice of him.
Cécile: But the past two years have been bad for French wine. Perhaps it is the bad weather we have had, but whatever the case, I told him the last thing you want to be drinking right now is French wine.
Snake: California and Chile have good wine, too.
Cécile: But then he goes and stocks the pantry with nothing but French wine from '72. The stuff is a disaster. Then he says, "Come on, Cécile, have a taste of the old country." I had a terrible feeling about it, so I decided to just taste it at first. And then again, and then a few more times.
Snake: Took one for the team, huh? But when you do a tasting, don't you usually spit the wine out?
Cécile: But bottle after bottle, nothing but garbage, absolute garbage. Not one half-decent bottle in the whole lot! "Taste of the old country" he says...
Snake: Sorry to hear that.
Cécile: I cannot believe this! What will we do with all this wine!
Snake:The guys aren't too picky when it comes to taste.
Cécile: You sound just like Monsieur Miller.
Snake: Huh?
Cécile: When I complained, he simply said, "As long as it gets the job done." You people are such culinary savages! Allez tous vous faire voir ! ...Aaaah, somebody take me back to Paris! Please!
Snake: ...I think you've had a little too much, Cécile.
May 1968[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): You seem like a very... how do I put this... uninhibited woman.
Cécile Cosima Caminades: You think so? I am no different from other Parisian women. Not since May 1968.
Snake: May 1968... The general strike that almost brought down the president?
Cécile: Right. But it was more than just a strike. It started with the student movement at Strasbourg University in '66. They did not want anything from the country, but instead sought reform at the school. That helped ignite a fire in the hearts of scores of dissatisfied young people, and the movement spread all over France. It was more than just opposition to Vietnam and the de Gaulle administration - people also called for free love and the breaking away from other old values. Looking back, I'm not sure what the main goal really was. But whatever the case, it was more of a young people's movement than a strike or a protest.
Snake: So... It was like the hippies or something?
Cécile: In some ways, perhaps. But we weren't blinded by mysticism, nor did we seek a return to nature.
Snake: I see. So while they wanted to retreat to their closed communes...
Cécile: We tried to change the world. And in doing so we learned that when everyone comes together, it can be done.
Snake: You had a lot more success. In America hippies have just become a social problem, while I hear Japan's student movements crashed and burned.
Cécile: I wonder what was different.
Snake: Good question. I'd like to know myself.
Strangelove[]
AI[]
What is AI?[]
Dr. Strangelove: "AI" stands for artificial intelligence. It refers to a manmade machine possessing an intellect on par with that of a human being.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Is that even possible?
Strangelove: Possible? You've seen it with your own eyes. What the AI weapons are capable of. How Peace Walker carried out The Boss' will in the end. No mere machine could ever choose to sacrifice itself like that.
Snake: I just can't see how a bunch of circuits and switches could have a will of its own...
Strangelove: It's called The Ghost in the Machine, Snake... And it exists.
"The Ghost in the Machine"[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What did you mean by "the Ghost in the Machine"?
Dr. Strangelove: Oh, that... It's a term coined by the philosopher Gilbert Ryle. You've heard of Descartes, yes?
Snake: "I think, therefore I am..."
Strangelove: That is the one. Descartes espoused the dualistic theory of mind and body. He believed that our thinking minds exist in a separate dimension from our bodies, which are governed by the laws of physics. But if that were true, then couldn't you say that a mechanical "body" inhabited by a ghost "mind" is a human being? Ryle criticized Descartes on those grounds, saying such a thing surely wouldn't be human.
Snake: Why'd you bring it up?
Strangelove: I wasn't thinking of Ryle in particular when I said it. I simply thought that if a person is composed of a machine and a ghost, perhaps the opposite is true as well. Perhaps by placing a ghost inside a machine, we could in effect give birth to a new person.
Snake: And that was your idea for the Boss AI?
Strangelove: The moment you ripped the memory board out, the Mammal Pod ceased to function. It should have been dead. And yet Peace Walker righted itself, singing a song of peace. I couldn't help but feel... that her soul had come to inhabit Peace Walker.
How to ID an AI[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Let's say, hypothetically, there really was an intelligent machine. How would you prove it? What's the difference between a high-level computer and an AI?
Dr. Strangelove: It depends on what you choose to define as intelligence... For example, Snake, listen to my voice talking to you now. Suppose it were an AI?
Snake: Say what?
Strangelove: What if the living, breathing me, sitting here drinking tea and talking to you, were actually an AI, programmed to simulate my thoughts and my voice?
Snake: You're nuts.
Strangelove: No, I'm not. You couldn't prove I was a real human being, could you?
Snake: It'd be... No.
Strangelove: Hm. So if an AI is so advanced you can't tell it from the real thing, wouldn't you call that intelligence?
Snake: I'm not quite convinced.
Strangelove: But that's only one way to look at it. It's roughly how Dr. Turing explained artificial intelligence. The test I described is called the Turing Test in his honor.
Snake: Yeah, well, it sounds like a bad joke to me. That singing monster of yours put me through hell. If I never meet one again, it'll be too soon.
Strangelove: Shame. And I was about to let an AI take my place in our conversation.
Snake: Don't even think about it.
The Turing Test[]
Dr. Strangelove: Dr. Alan Turing is known as the father of computer science. It was he who formulated the basic theory of AI. During the war, he worked for GC&CS.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): The government's cryptology school... the one that broke Enigma.
Strangelove: The very same. Without him, they might never have been able to decipher the Germans' code. ...But then they arrested him.
Snake: Why? Weren't his some of the greatest contributions to winning the war?
Strangelove: Homosexuality was a crime in Britain back then. And he was gay. I know exactly how crushed he was. I feel it's my duty to further his AI research...
Snake: Like "The Imitation Game," huh?
Strangelove: Ah, you know it, then? The clue that inspired the Turing Test came from a trifling little party game. You exchange written notes with another person behind a screen, and try to guess their gender whether they're a woman, or a man pretending to be a woman.... It's surprisingly difficult to tell the difference. Man or woman, human or machine... What do the differences even mean? Dr. Turing was fascinated by the differences between men and women. Perhaps that's what led him to formulate his test.
Models for AI[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What if you hadn't used The Boss as the model for the AI?
Dr. Strangelove: What do you mean?
Snake: If the end goal is MAD, seems like there are more suitable models out there. A military chief of staff, or a nuclear technician... even the President.
Strangelove: Patriotism, leadership, good judgment... Each of those qualities is essential when deciding whether to launch a nuke, and she had them all.
Snake: Wouldn't the President, too?
Strangelove: It's not enough. She had the will for it.
Snake: Will?
Strangelove: Let me explain, Snake. Peace Walker is a stand-alone weapon. It has to decide on its own whether or not to launch a nuke. It can't turn to anyone else for advice. It can't do its job if it's not prepared to take sole responsibility for the fate of the world. I know of no other human being who could bear that burden.
Snake: ...That's it?
Strangelove: There were technical considerations, of course. To begin with, the female brain is a more appropriate model for an AI.
Snake: Wait...the female brain?
AI and the female brain[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What do you mean by that... modeling your AI after the female brain?
Dr. Strangelove: Snake, what is the human mind capable of that a computer is not?
Snake: Being... lazy?
Strangelove: Interesting response. And not incorrect... But the answer I was looking for was empathy.
Snake: Empathy?
Strangelove: The ability to feel for others, to be more precise. Love for a child, pity for the weak, grief for the dead. All of these are particularly well developed in the female brain.
Snake: That's stretching it a little.
Strangelove: On the contrary, it's perfectly reasonable. The male brain, on the other hand, may be well suited for systematic thinking, but it's less able to empathize. In that sense, it's closer to a computer. So, if your objective is to make the AI think more like a human...
Snake: You need to teach it to how to empathize like a woman?
Strangelove: The novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" deals with this very problem. In the book, an empathy test is used to distinguish between machines and human beings. As machines become more and more advanced, our society will gradually become more and more systematic. Our cities will teem with robot-like people unable to feel for others... We cannot allow that to happen. Computers must learn to empathize. The same goes for humans, only more so.
Snake: Well...What about yourself? You make these claims, and yet I've never seen you empathize with a real person.
Strangelove: It's true. Until now, I was a prisoner of death. It was my intention to die upon the completion of Mammal's development. She was my one reason to live.
Snake: But you changed your mind?
Strangelove: ...I did. Because she taught me the dignity of living. My eyes are open now. I want to go on living, and seeing real people.
Snake: I see.
The Need for AI[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Is it really necessary to make machines think like humans? I'd think empathy would get in the way of making the decision to retaliate.
Dr. Strangelove: I admit, human thought may not be fully compatible with level-headed decision making. Then again, is there such a thing as non-human thought? The moment computers became so advanced that they could calculate faster than human beings, a new dream was born.
Snake: Dream?
Strangelove: If we can create a machine that can do advanced mathematics, why can't we create one that can think like a human? The 19th century author Auguste Villiers l'Isle-Adam wrote a book called "Tomorrow's Eve" in which the protagonist fashions an artificial woman to serve as his ideal lover... I believe the idea of creating an intelligent being with our own hands is one of mankind's oldest dreams.
Snake: So AI is a product of people's dreams then.
Strangelove: Not only AI. Civilization itself is the process by which mankind gives form to its dreams. But not all dreams are pleasant. Some have expressed fears about "non-human intelligence."
Snake: Yeah, they want the benefits with none of the risks.
Strangelove: Some fear that intelligent robots might rise up and rebel against their human masters, as portrayed by the Czech writer Karel Capek in his "Rossum's Universal Robots." Or in the 1970 film "Colossus: The Forbin Project," where intelligent supercomputers in the U.S. and the Soviet Union join forces and plot to subjugate humanity. Isaac Asimov offered a specific solution to these fears with his Three Laws of Robotics, which demonstrated that while robot intelligence is different from that of humans, the two can coexist. In order to endow computers with intelligence, we must first have a thorough understanding of what intelligence is. And that is where the need for a practical and feasible expert system arises.
Expert systems[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So what's an 'expert system?'
Dr. Strangelove: The AI housed within Peace Walker began development as such a system. An expert system is a type of proxy program by which a computer makes decisions as an expert would. The program "MYCIN," for example, is a system that decides which kinds of antibiotics to prescribe. The system asks the patient a series of questions to narrow down the range of appropriate drugs.
Snake: So you programmed Peace Walker to prescribe live nuclear warheads instead of penicillin.
Strangelove: What I realized, however, was that a simple expert system wasn't up to the task.
Snake: You need more than expertise to launch a nuke.
Strangelove: Indeed. Expertise is a necessary prerequisite but insufficient on its own. Deciding to launch a retaliatory strike requires consideration of a wider range of factors. In such a scenario, the entire global situation becomes the criterion for making a decision.
Snake: Makes sense. You screw up the prescription, and the whole world goes into anaphylactic shock.
Strangelove: A "weak AI" that has only a limited range of knowledge upon which to base its decisions won't cut it. Therefore, I had the AI study The Boss' thought patterns, thus creating a true expert system - a "strong AI."
Snake: You couldn't leave the world in the hands of something with anything less than an absolute worldview.
Strangelove: I could have built a simple expert system in no time at all. Say, how would you like a system that decides which guns you should equip according to the mission's parameters?
Snake: I'll pass. I'm not gonna leave my life up to somebody else's judgment. Especially not a machine.
The future of AI[]
Dr. Strangelove: With current technology, AI are inevitably enormous in size. But as circuit integration continues to advance, they'll become even smaller. As small as human brains, and perhaps smaller than that. And in the meantime robotics will continue to advance as well, to the point where we can create androids, robots that resemble humans. And then...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): And then what?
Strangelove: Well, I don't need to spell it out for you, do I?
Snake: Don't tell me you're thinking of making an android imitation of The Boss...
Strangelove: Surely the thought has crossed your mind as well? Of one day being reunited with her?
Snake: Enough! I don't want any part of it!
Strangelove: ...I see. I didn't mean to offend you. In reality, AI is more likely to evolve in the opposite direction anyway.
The "Opposite Direction" in AI Evolution[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): The opposite direction... What does that mean?
Dr. Strangelove: More and more AI are becoming systems that specialize in mass information processing - without human intelligence, thought, or emotion. A machine that has no individualism or sense of self, but rather behaves as a collective, exhibiting the qualities of a society.
Snake: Like a beehive?
Strangelove: Yes. It aggregates data collected by individuals and determines how the collective will act just as honeybees travel between the hive and flowers. The key to achieving that will be networking AI together.
Snake: I don't know how to say this, but... that kind of gives me the creeps.
Strangelove: But if your goal is to control society, it's the better model to use. It lets you filter data - disseminate only what you want disseminated. Of course, I myself have no interest in an AI without a shred of life to it.
From pupa to butterfly[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Earlier, you called the Mammal Pod a butterfly. Not a pupa or a cocoon, but an imago.
Dr. Strangelove: Yes. The AI that came before the Mammal Pod were works in progress.
Snake: Works in progress?
Strangelove: They were enough to keep the frame running. But not enough to make decisions about nuclear retaliation. They weren't quite complete. They were pupae. Only when I added The Boss' data did the AI take on its true form, becoming a butterfly and taking flight.
Snake: And that's why the nose art on Peace Walker was a butterfly...
Strangelove: I gave the Mammal AI the code name "BS-Imago." "BS" is short for Boss.
AI code names[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Huey called that gigantic unmanned chopper a Chrysalis. Is that another one of your AI code names?
Dr. Strangelove: Yes. You're referring to the TJ-Chrysalis 6000. There's also the GW-Pupa 5000, the TR-Cocoon 7000...
Snake: I get it. A hovercraft type and a treaded type.... And those letters on the front, TJ and GW or whatever, those are initials?
Strangelove: Correct. The initials of the American Presidents whose faces are carved into Mount Rushmore.
Snake: Then you're missing one.
Strangelove: I assigned that one to the Reptile Pod. AL-Aurelia 8000.
Snake: Aurelia... another word for chrysalis... a pupa just before it emerges.
Strangelove: All of the initials except for "BS" were of Coldman's choosing. I chose mine from the storied ranks of British royalty. MS, AV, EW...
Snake: ...What do those stand for.
Strangelove: You can't guess? Why, Mary Stuart, Alexandrina Victoria, and Elizabeth Windsor...
Snake: ...All queens. Of course.
"2001: A Space Odyssey"[]
Strangelove: Are you familiar with the film "2001: A Space Odyssey"?
Snake: I've heard of it, but...
Strangelove: Of course not. I didn't expect you to be cultured enough to appreciate such things.
Snake: Yeah, thanks. Anyway...
Strangelove:"2001" features an AI called HAL, a highly advanced system that controls an exploration spacecraft. It can converse with people, and even play chess.
Snake: Huh. Now where have I heard that before...
Strangelove: The way HAL was portrayed was truly superb.
Snake: How so?
Strangelove: HAL is given secret orders that not even the ship's captain knows about. Naturally, he's not allowed to divulge them to the crew. The stress of it causes HAL to crack.
Snake: Crack?
Strangelove: Go crazy. Though there are those who interpret it differently. One by one, HAL kills off the crew until the captain finally shuts it down... The film offers amazing insights into AI - their growth, their utility, their faults - and their fear of death.
Snake: You must have found it useful in your research, then.
Strangelove: Must you always be so... utilitarian? It doesn't matter whether or not it's useful. What matters is that it inspired me.
Snake: Then it was USEFUL.
Strangelove: Never mind. The portrayal of HAL wasn't the only wonderful thing about the film. It was full of hints about the future of human evolution. Truly a film for the ages.
The Boss[]
How Strangelove met The Boss[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Strangelove, when did you and The Boss first meet?
Dr. Strangelove: ...Did she ever tell you about what she saw in space?
Snake: Yeah.
Strangelove: I saw the same thing along with her. The Soviets beat America into space with Sputnik, and so America rushed to be first in manned spaceflight. NASA used her as their top-secret guinea pig, launching her deep into the cold blackness of space. I took part in the project. As a scientist.
Snake: You were there with her...?
Strangelove: Yes... For a brief time, we were one and the same, she and I. We sought each other out... Completed each other. Did you know that inside every woman there's a universe, and that we are able to sense this in each other. We connected because of our empathetic female brains. As time went on... I began to have doubts about offering such a noble soul as sacrifice. Why would they...? Why did she have to...? ...The flight test was a narrow success, and she miraculously made it back alive. But her mind and body were horribly mangled, and there was nothing I could do for her. We were no longer one and the same. She went away, and I, having nothing else to live for, immersed myself in AI research. Hoping that no one would ever have to make her sacrifice again.
Snake: I never knew...
Strangelove: It's not really worth knowing. We were ships passing in the night, that's all. Perhaps someday I'll tell you the long version, if you're interested.
Why she used torture[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): That was quite a warm welcome you gave me at the base in Costa Rica.
Dr. Strangelove: ...Sorry about that. But I simply had to know.
Snake: The Boss' final act?
Strangelove:Yes. By inputting her thoughts and actions into the AI, I was imbuing it with her mind. The only thing I couldn't understand was her final act.
Snake: Operation Snake Eater...
Strangelove: Official history says she betrayed her homeland and defected to the enemy... and was killed by you. ...But it didn't make sense. The Boss would be the last person on earth to betray her country. It was logically inconsistent.
Snake: ...It was, wasn't it?
Strangelove: That internal inconsistency prevented the AI from activating properly - just as HAL malfunctioned in the film. I understood the reasoning. But I had to have proof. Proof of her final act. Her true intentions. One way or another!
Snake: So you tried to squeeze it out of me, huh?
Strangelove: As a matter of fact, I did. Your silence was the very answer I was looking for.
The Boss's white horse[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): That white horse The Boss rode....
Dr. Strangelove: The Andalusian, yes.
Snake: How'd it get to Costa Rica?
Strangelove: I went looking for it. It was her final witness, even if it couldn't speak. I found it and brought it here.
Snake: Where? I thought for sure it'd be blown to ashes by those MiGs...
Strangelove: I searched the ends of the earth for that horse... and found it at last in a horse market in Britain.
Snake: Britain? Are you saying it came all the way over the Ural Mountains, through Europe, and across the English Channel?
Strangelove: Who knows, really? Perhaps someone took it there.
Snake: Wait, the thought never occurred to you it might be a different Andalusian that only looks the same?
Strangelove: I can't prove it... Or rather, I couldn't.
Snake: What do you mean?
Strangelove: You should know best of all. That horse wouldn't let anyone ride it. And believe me, I nearly killed myself trying. The only one it allowed on its back was you... That was the proof, though I hate to admit it.
Snake: ...And to think I ran it to its death.
Strangelove: But in that last run, it regained the glory of its youth. Using the last of its strength to pursue its former master... Any horse would wish for such a fine end.
The Boss and peace[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): What did you think of Peace Walker's final act?
Dr. Strangelove: I recreated her thought patterns exactly. It was exactly what she would have done. The world's most empathetic mind weighed the past, the future, and the entire world... and decided not to retaliate. Merely knowing that is enough for me.
Snake: ...So what you're saying is, we don't need deterrence to have peace?
Strangelove: I didn't say that. What's important is that we wish for peace. MSF needs a way to protect itself from the might of nations. Survival requires pragmatic thought and action. But, you still must retain your ideals. If the gap between reality and those ideals ever leads you to lose them... I doubt MSF will survive.
About herself[]
The origin of "Strangelove"[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Strangelove... Is that a code name?
Dr. Strangelove: No, just a nickname. Don't tell me you don't recognize it! From Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb?" It's a film that came out in 1964... a dark comedy about the absurdity of nuclear deterrence.
Snake: You were in a movie?
Strangelove: No, stupid! I got my nickname because of that movie.
Snake: Why, because you look like the doctor in the movie?
Strangelove: ...No. That Dr. Strangelove was a man.
Snake: So...
Strangelove: Back when I was at ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency), I kept a photo of The Boss on my desk. I was totally engrossed in my research and showed no interest in the opposite sex, plus I had a photo of a woman on my desk... The fools around me turned it into a cruel taunt, calling me "Strangelove." Even for a bunch of shut-ins who never went out to the cinema, that title seemed to ring true with them. Anyhow, in their eyes homosexuality was something strange. They were incapable of seeing things outside the lens of their own standards. Being strange means you have your own unique point of view. I rather considered it an honor.
Personal history[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So you were with ARPA before you came here, huh?
Dr. Strangelove: Yes. Back then it was really the only place I could make a living from my AI research.
Snake: And before that?
Strangelove: I started out at NASA. That's where I met her.
Snake: When Boss went into space...
Strangelove: ...Yes. It was that incident that turned me away from aerospace engineering. Space is entirely too hazardous a place for human beings. That was why I felt an immediate need to develop AI. As it turned out, rockets later became much safer, and mankind reached the surface of the moon... In any event, it was a hollow Cold War victory. When you get down to it, a nuclear missile is just a rocket with a nuclear warhead strapped to it. Thus, taking the initiative in the space race was tantamount to a military show of force.
Snake: But the budgetary strain was too big for Washington or Moscow to handle.
Strangelove: Yes, and then there was the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. And then came Détente... Having leapt ahead of the Soviet Union with its moon landing, America shut down the Apollo program in '72. It was around then that ARPA was downsized and renamed DARPA, the "D" standing for "defense." With few prospects for continuing my AI research, Coldman's invitation was a godsend. It was also a chance to have them collect data on her.
Snake: The end result being this mess.
Strangelove: But we did learn something valuable from her - the nobility of peace.
Role in Mother Base[]
Snake: Why'd you agree to come here - to Mother Base?
Strangelove: You intrigued me.
Snake: Me? ...Hold on, you're not planning on modeling your next AI after me...
Strangelove: Not a bad idea. But I have no intention of ever again attempting to transplant human thought into machines.
Snake: ...That's a relief.
Strangelove: You are the man who inherited The Boss's will. You're gathering people around you even now, shaping them, building a new organization. I'd like to see how it turns out.
Snake: You're not planning to go back to AI research?
Strangelove: I never said such a thing. Of course my work will continue...
Snake: Here?
Strangelove: In my eyes, the growth of MSF as an organization is analogous to the development of the nervous system. The way you become intertwined, stimulate each other, branch out in new directions... It's really quite inspirational.
Snake: Interesting way to put it.
Strangelove: Of course, I intend to repay you for your hospitality. The fruits of my research will be at your disposal. Why not assign me to the R&D team? I promise you won't be disappointed.
People[]
Huey[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): You know, that ID card I got from Huey wouldn't let me into the lab.
Dr. Strangelove: Of course not. I deactivated it.
Snake: Why?
Strangelove: As though I'd let him into my lab!
Snake: You don't seem to care for him much. Even though you two are in the same field.
Strangelove: Oh, please. For starters, I can't stand that wishy-washy attitude of his. If he's got something to say to me, he should be a man and come say it in person, not write some furtive letter.
Snake: But if his card doesn't work, how's he supposed to...
Strangelove: And another thing! The way he always demeans himself. Every other sentence begins with "I could be wrong, but..." Why can't he just do what he does and be confident about it?!
Snake: Well, there was the thing about his dissertation being plagiarized...
Strangelove: The real problem is, he doesn't have a whit of independence in him. In Costa Rica, and even back at NASA he was always following people around asking if there was some way he could help. Why doesn't he stop his whining, take a stand, and face up to me?
Snake: I think I know how he feels....
Strangelove: And to top it all off, he seems to enjoy referring to himself by that nickname I gave him. I simply don't get it. How can he be so submissive?
Snake: So Huey was a nickname you gave him...
Strangelove: That's right. I took it from the name of a drone in the science fiction film "Silent Running."
Snake: Drone?
Strangelove: It's a type of worker robot. The way he follows people, just waiting for them to boss him around, is so similar. I couldn't help myself. Oh.. It's an American film directed by Douglas Trumbull, the man who did the special effects for "2001: A Space Odyssey."
Snake: Imagine that. A scientist who likes science fiction...
Strangelove: And that's not all!
Snake: There's more?
Strangelove: He's a man!
Snake: ...Hang on, I seem to remember you saying he should be more of a man.
Strangelove: ...Yes, well, he is an awfully good scientist. Without his Reptile Pod, my Mammal Pod wouldn't function. Just as the cerebrum can't exist without the cerebellum and the brain stem. He did a fine job of designing it, I'll give him that.
Snake: That sounded suspiciously like praise...
Strangelove: Hmph. It's merely an objective observation. I like people who possess the will to move forward. I have no time for those who refuse to take control of their lives. Until he does, my opinion remains the same.
Cécile[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): So...you and Cécile seemed to be enjoying yourselves back at that lab.
Dr. Strangelove: What are you insinuating? I only kept her because I didn't want our secret to be known...
Snake: And the personal baths? You could have left her in there alone and locked the door from the outside.
Strangelove: Yes, that, well... she seemed anxious, so I....
Snake: Now why would she be anxious?
Strangelove: She was beautiful. I was only admiring her beauty.
Snake: She was terrified.
Strangelove: I never meant her any harm. She knew that. I know she did.
Snake: But she felt like she was in enough danger to run away.
Strangelove: No matter what I did, if Coldman found her she would have been... You're right. The truth is I wanted to save her. But not if it meant forestalling the completion of Mammal.
Snake: So you made it easy for her to escape?
Strangelove: Do you really think I am that soft? ...I'll admit, security wasn't exactly tight. It wouldn't have been difficult for her to escape from the building.
Snake: Seemed like she had a rougher time after she got out.
Strangelove: At any rate, I never did anything to her to deserve any blame. Is that clear?
Snake: OK...OK, I believe you.
Metal Gear ZEKE[]
Metal Gear ZEKE's AI[]
Dr. Strangelove: Huey's probably mentioned this, but just to be clear, there's a limit to the parts we can produce here at Mother Base. Therefore, I've built ZEKE's AI using memory boards you pulled from other AI weapons.
Snake: Will that work?
Strangelove: In the human brain, individual functions are spread across multiple regions. The same is true of AI. Multiple parts sharing the same function interlink to strengthen that function. For example, the more sensor memory boards you have, the greater ZEKE's search-and-detect capabilities will be. Install more movement boards and you'll increase its mobility.
Snake: Meaning the AI's capabilities change depending on how much memory we give it?
Strangelove: Exactly. The more boards you install, the more powerful a function will be.
A Different AI[]
Naked Snake (Big Boss): How's the ZEKE AI different from Peace Walker's?
Dr. Strangelove: ZEKE's AI isn't a replica of the human thought process. It isn't programmed to make decisions about nuclear retaliation. On the other hand, it is capable of highly independent action in combat when given orders from a pilot. It can protect infantry, destroy the enemy, and, if ordered...
Snake: Launch a nuke.
Strangelove: Let us hope it never comes to that.
Snake: My sentiments exactly.
VOCALOID[]
Dr. Strangelove: I'd better fill you in on ZEKE's speech synthesis system.
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Speech synthesis system?
Strangelove: Humans speak for the conventional weapons they wield, but an autonomous AI weapon is a different story. If the AI can't communicate with surrounding forces, how can they function as a unit?
Snake: True. Verbal communication is critical on the battlefield.
Strangelove: Thus, an AI weapon requires a dedicated system to produce speech. To be precise, though, only Peace Walker was capable of self-generated speech. All the other AI simply repeat preset messages depending on the situation. ZEKE is no different. However, you do have the ability to set those messages as you please. To create a message, go to the Extras Menu, and then select Edit Mode.
Snake: You thought of everything.
Strangelove: You can even have it sing, too.
Snake: Sing?
Strangelove: Song can be a very valuable asset. I realized that at the lake. Naturally, ZEKE's AI doesn't allow for it to perform original compositions. It can only play back recordings provided to it. I doubt you're much of a composer, Snake, but you could always have a go at the lyrics.
Data Files[]
Paz's Tape[]
Between Two Women[]
This conversation, more accurately the bit where Strangelove asks about the suspension bridge and a man carrying a gun on the other side of it, was shown during the TGS 2009 trailer, and was also included on the TGS 2009 site's hub as part of a cassette tape.
The Boss AI: ...Number of warheads detected by the DEW Line?
Dr. Strangelove:Fifty-seven.
The Boss AI: Number of MIRVs included?
Strangelove: Minimum twenty-nine, maximum thirty-five.
The Boss AI: Target region?
Strangelove: United States. East Coast.
The Boss AI: Estimated time of reentry?
Strangelove: Two-oh-four-eight Zulu.
The Boss AI: President's selected attack option?
Strangelove: Unknown.
The Boss AI: The President is dead?
Strangelove: Unknown. Communication has been lost.
The Boss AI: ...I select Offutt Air Force Base as my target.
Strangelove: Offutt...? But that's a U.S. base! What on earth do you mean?!
The Boss AI: Based on the projected number of incoming warheads, Washington D.C. is presumed destroyed. The President is most likely dead, the U.S. government's control lost.
Strangelove: I realize that. So why not retaliate?!
The Boss AI: With both sides destroyed, global anarchy would ensue. Recovery would be... difficult. The United States' nuclear strike capability must therefore be neutralized in order to preserve the Communist bloc, where government remains largely intact.
Strangelove: You're siding with the enemy? You can't be serious!
The Boss AI: ...Tell me, how do you define enemy? There are no borders in this world.
Strangelove: The same conclusion, again and again... Where is the flaw? All right. Let's try something else. Commencing test.
The Boss AI: Understood.
Strangelove: ...You're crossing a suspension bridge.
The Boss AI: Is this my mission?
Strangelove: Yes. Your destination is the other side. The bridge is wide enough for only one person to pass at a time. A man is approaching from the opposite side. He's carrying a gun.
The Boss AI: I shoot him.
Strangelove: Suppose he's your husband?
The Boss AI: ...I shoot him.
Strangelove: In self defense?
The Boss AI: To spare him the grief. One must die, and one must live.
Strangelove: ...Next question. Your father asks you to fix the roof and mow the lawn. When you climb the ladder onto the roof, the ladder is taken away.
The Boss AI: I fix the roof.
Strangelove: And when you're finished?
The Boss AI: I jump down.
Strangelove: You'll break more than bones at this height.
The Boss AI: I see no need to change my decision. I have not finished mowing the lawn. I must remain loyal to the mission.
Strangelove: ...Next. There is a snake in the bushes. It is poisonous. I need you to get rid of it.
The Boss AI: I chase it back to its nest.
Strangelove: You can't. The snake's too vicious. It's already killed many people.
The Boss AI: ...I chase it away.
Strangelove: It will bite you unless you kill it.
The Boss AI: Go home! ...Kill me... Kill me now...
Strangelove: Why not kill the snake? Your mission is to get rid of it. Is this what you call loyalty? What are you loyal to? Country? Ideology? Feelings?
The Boss AI: I... I... I am loyal to myself.
Strangelove: ...Who's there?!
[?]: Who's that?!
[?]: Intruder!
Strangelove's Memories[]
A Chance Meeting[]
Dr. Strangelove: I'm about to leave for Costa Rica, a place completely unfamiliar to me. And on a top-secret mission for the CIA, no less. No guarantees I'll come back alive. Might even get rubbed out by the CIA itself. So I'm leaving behind this record, for her sake... for The Boss' honor. Ever since I was a child, I've loved to look up at the night sky. I'd go outside after sunset and drink in the cold air. The moon, Venus, so many stars floating on the edge of infinity... In Manchester, it wasn't very often you saw the night sky in all its star-studded glory. But it was enough to stir a deep longing inside me. Even as others cowered beneath Nazi air raids, I was out there watching the skies, dreaming of one day reaching the heavens. There were, of course, more practical concerns. My skin was incredibly sensitive. Even the slightest bit of sun would turn it an angry shade of red. Playing outside during the day was completely out of the question. Naturally, I hardly ever had the chance to play with other children my age. But I never felt lonely for it. Their way of thinking was irrational, making them simple, easy to predict. The boys would talk of tanks and aeroplanes and creepy, crawly bugs... the girls of pretty dresses, glass beads and tea and cakes. Of boys they liked... I never had much to say on such matters. The curious thing is, adults really aren't all that different. They're simple, capricious. Especially men. As they get older, their heads fill with thoughts of women and more women. Thankfully, I always did have a head for mathematics. When I was about ten, I'd visit a Dr. Turing, who lived nearby. We'd sit and discuss mathematical logic. The lights were always on at his house, even in the dead of night. "Theoretically," he'd say, "there's no algorithm that a computing machine couldn't reproduce." Dr. Turing wasn't foolish like other men, although I didn't find out why until later... after he died. "The time will come," he'd say, "when computers will be able to think for themselves." That idea rocked me to my core. My aptitude for mathematics brought me closer to the stars. I breezed through school, then went to America for university. While I was studying at Caltech, NASA was established. I signed up in a heartbeat. I was a pretty good computer engineer at the time, and NASA needed skills like mine. The work was enjoyable. Even though I'd given up on going into space myself, it was a pleasure just being a part of it all. I was assigned to Project Mercury, America's effort to compete with the Soviets in manned space flight. Seven men were chosen as pilot candidates for the program, becoming heroes overnight. People called them the "Mercury Seven." The project made good progress, more or less. We had all the funds and materials we needed. After countless hours of analysis, we even had plans for something on par with Sputnik. We thought it'd be only a matter of time before we caught up with the Russians. They'd sent a dog into orbit and brought it back safely to Earth. But NASA top brass dismissed that success as a fluke. The Americans recovered their reentry capsules at sea. But the only ocean bordering the Soviet Union is the Arctic, so their reentry capsules had to make impact on land. A dog was one thing, but human spaceflight would still take some time. Or so we thought. At the end of January 1961, we successfully put a chimpanzee named Ham into orbit. He returned to Earth as healthy as ever. NASA was giddy with success. It was then that a new woman showed up for duty. She was a backup pilot and advisor. She was beautiful, with blond hair, a strong mouth, and a steely gaze. But there was something else in those eyes, a twinkle of something warmer... of affection. It was The Boss. She took one look at us in our revelry and murmured: "Savor this joy today. Because tomorrow you'll have to face the truth." And she was right. The next day, our project schedule was accelerated. We'd received new information that the Soviets were mere months away from putting a man into space. The brass had misjudged the Russians. We couldn't afford to allow the shock of another Sputnik. Somehow, we had to get a man into space before the Russians did. It was an utterly impossible task. We'd only just put our first chimp up. With a human on board, failure was not an option. Especially if it were one of the "Mercury Seven" golden boys. And on top of that, the brass wanted to put a window in the spacecraft. The pilot wouldn't be a test animal this time, they said. And when this hero came back alive and well, they wanted him to describe what he'd seen. It was madness. Adding a window to our existing spacecraft would leave it unable to handle the stress. Not to mention the problem of shielding the occupant from cosmic rays. But The Boss rose to the task, and splendidly. She claimed to be a layman when it came to space, but caught on keenly to new ideas and concepts. She was demanding - of herself and of others. She seemed rather cold-hearted at times. But I was smitten. She was beautiful, yes, but more than that she was wise. Her mind was thoroughly rational, and yet no matter how I tried, I could never predict her actions. It was easy for me to assume that her judgments were drawn from an enormous base of knowledge. Quite simply, her life experiences were more diverse - more intense - than anyone else's. To me, they seemed boundless in their breadth. In her, I saw a reflection of the night sky. Perhaps because I too was a woman, she and I became close. I couldn't go out in the sun, but she lit up my life. Her light was soft, like that of the moon. I was so happy. With her unerring guidance, the project steadily regained its footing. But one issue remained - the pilot's safety. When the day came to choose a pilot, the Mercury Seven just quietly walked out. Who could blame them? It was far too great a risk to take. Even if they'd volunteered, NASA would never have let them go. They were national heroes, basking in the media spotlight. There was no way they'd be sent on such a mission. The conference room was silent. Then, slowly, she raised her hand - almost as if acting out a scene from a movie.
Joy[]
Dr. Strangelove: I spoke out against her going, submitting a report stating the ray shielding was inadequate. But the brass's response was brusque: "She's already been exposed to a nuclear test in Nevada. She's the perfect candidate." It was completely irrational. Repeated exposure to radiation would only increase the danger. But the government was still reeling from the Soviets' success with Sputnik. There was no hope of getting a rational response. They were simply too panicked. People can be so obtuse when it comes to things they can't see. I, however, understood all too well. Just as invisible ultraviolet radiation scorched my skin, heavy particle radiation from space would cause irreparable harm to human tissue. In a word, she was expendable. It was during The Boss's pre-flight checkup that I noticed something strange on the X-ray of her skull. Part of the right hemisphere of her brain was damaged. It seemed inexplicable given her keen intelligence and amazing physical prowess. But there it was, and I decided to report it. I hoped that perhaps my discovery of a physical defect would result in the flight being canceled. ...But as I went to make my report, she stopped me. "Why?" I demanded. "How can you let yourself be their guinea pig?!" Ignoring my protests, she took me up to the roof of the lab. The night sky was ablaze with stars. It was there that I learned how she had wounded her head. 1943, Los Alamos. She was serving with the Special Forces when she received new orders. A German spy had infiltrated the Manhattan Project, which aimed to build the world's first atomic bomb. She was to eliminate him. His name was John von Neumann, a mathematician with superhuman computational abilities, and the designer of the explosive lens. The Manhattan Project was a top national priority, security accordingly tight. The guards couldn't be allowed to know what was going on. She'd have to slip past them and make the death look like an accident. ...It should have been an easy enough mission. But just before the operation, she received unexpected news: a new life was growing inside her. She was overcome with joy. And for one brief moment, it clouded her judgment. She accidentally got into a shootout with the guards, and without thinking protected her belly. She was shot in the head. The bullet only grazed the surface of her brain, but the tissue around the wound was destroyed, leaving her in a coma. She wasn't given much chance of recovery. But three months later, she woke up. Within six, she was able to move around as if nothing had happened. It was functional compensation - the other parts of her brain took over for the part that was lost. It made logical sense. But such a full recovery was nothing short of a miracle. Perhaps her superhuman willpower made it possible. Or perhaps... "Perhaps my body knew it had to survive for the sake of my unborn child." She smiled as she said that... I understand how she must have felt. "Some have taken to calling me 'Ms. Left Lobe," she said. "Because I'll do anything for the mission." She was tough, yes. But she had feelings, too. I knew that better than anyone else. As it turned out, von Neumann wasn't the spy. The assassination order was a deliberate bit of misinformation planted by the Russians. She had been deceived. The Eastern and Western camps were united on one point - opposition to the Nazis. The Allies needed to develop that bomb before Hitler did. But in looking ahead, the Russians found the Manhattan Project's progress a little too quick for their liking. Mass-production of a uranium bomb like the one that was eventually dropped on Hiroshima would be difficult from a material perspective. But a plutonium bomb, once perfected, could be mass-produced and eventually even miniaturized. ...And Moscow did not like the idea of America having that kind of head start. Explosive lens technology was critical to the plutonium design. So the plan was to get rid of its pioneer, von Neumann. And when that plot came to light, the U.S. and the Soviet Union parted ways for good. It was one of the rare cold nights in Florida. She put her arm gently around my shivering shoulders. As I listened to her voice, I was wrapped in her soothing scent. I felt as if I were dreaming. Even in failure, she seemed perfect - oddly enough, the failed assassination attempt helped preserve America's edge... A true super genius, von Neumann went on to make his mark in numerous fields outside of the Manhattan Project. Economic game theory, stored-program computing... Almost all computers today use stored programs, the so-called "Von Neumann architecture." His death would have set back computing 10 years, and I wouldn't be at NASA doing research. I wouldn't have been there - in her arms - that night. I thanked the fates for giving me that chance. But then she said something unexpected. "I should have killed von Neumann when I had the chance." "Why?" I asked. "Wasn't the order a Soviet plot?" I looked up at her as she began to explain. "Yes, von Neumann was innocent. And killing the innocent is a grave crime. But I can't help but wonder, had I succeeded, what would the world be like now?" Even without von Neumann, the explosive lens would have eventually been developed - Von Neumann architecture, too. But she seemed to believe that if progress had been put off for a few years, then perhaps East and West would have had a chance to work hand in hand. I'd never considered such a possibility. But her tone was confident, assertive. It was as if she intended to make the two superpowers shake hands herself. "The explosive lens was developed too early, spawning a Cold War and an endless nuclear arms race," she continued. "That mission sprung from deceit, but maybe it was divine providence, too." It was like she was speaking to her own child. Her large, warm hand was on my head. "I failed the mission because I let the mother in me take over. I should have killed him, no matter how great the guilt." "If I'd killed him, I might not have prevented Hiroshima, but maybe I could have saved everyone in Nagasaki..." I looked up at her and saw her looking up, too... up at the starry sky. Her face showed only deep remorse. It was as if she'd convinced herself that she alone was responsible for creating this twisted world... "But that's no reason for you to sacrifice yourself for this." I knew I'd never dissuade her. And yet I still clung to hope. "I know you're concerned, and I thank you. But I have to be loyal to the end." And then she smiled at me. Loyal to the end... "Loyal to what?" I asked. But she didn't answer.
Separation[]
Dr. Strangelove: The days that followed were spent training tirelessly for our first space flight. The Boss endured conditioning that tested the limits of human capability, and I supported her. Those were happy days. On April 12, the spacecraft carrying The Boss left the Earth's atmosphere. Although it was only 20 minutes of ballistic flight, it was nothing short of miraculous, considering how little time we'd had. The first human in space. We were ecstatic. Then something went wrong. The reentry angle was slightly off, warping the outer hull. The cause was clear - it was the hastily-constructed window we'd installed. Her capsule missed the projected splashdown point by a long shot. As we raced towards the capsule, a breaking news broadcast came over the radio. It was the news report of the successful launch of the Vostock rocket, piloted by the cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. They'd beaten us into space by the slimmest of margins. When we arrived, the capsule had already disappeared beneath the waves. The Boss was floating on the surface. I... can't really recall what happened next. They told me later that I gave a strange scream and plunged into the sea, not caring whether my skin would burn. She didn't wake up. Her entire body was bruised, burnt, scorched by cosmic rays. It was a miracle she was still alive. Every day, propaganda boasting of the shining accomplishment flowed out of the Soviet Union. The hardest part was having to read the report the next morning from Izvestia, the Soviet governmental paper. Written there after the report were those legendary words of Major Gargarin - "The Earth is blue." The person who should have said those words, though, was incapacitated, confined to a bed. NASA opted to pretend the flight had never happened. The Soviets had orbited a man around the Earth and returned him safely. We'd barely managed to escape the atmosphere and achieve ballistic flight. Even worse, the pilot was horribly mangled and the spacecraft lost altogether... As they saw it, covering it up was the only alternative to seeing the nation's pride dealt yet another blow. I've been told military records show The Boss was taking part in the Bay of Pigs incident at the time. They were that desperate to erase the whole affair. In the end, Alan Shepard's ballistic flight one month later became known as America's first space flight. Shepard's flight owed its success to insights earned through The Boss's sacrifice. But to me, none of that mattered. I prayed day and night for her recovery, never leaving her side, not even for a moment. Then, as summer ended and the chill of winter approached, she spoke. "Give me water..." I threw myself on her breast, and she embraced me. It was all I needed. I thought she would tell me about space. The true sky, where the stars don't twinkle. But the only thing she'd speak of was Earth. Our home - as she'd seen it from space. So fleeting, so irreplaceable. I was ashamed. I'd been enamored for so long with the sky that I'd never thought to look beneath my feet... at the ground upon which I stood. As soon as her rehab was over, she was gone. It happened without warning. No one informed me, and the higher-ups wouldn't say a word. It wasn't so strange or surprising, really. I simply assumed she was off to complete her next mission. Because she was loyal, to the end. Since then, I've devoted myself to researching artificial intelligence, so that no one will ever have to make her sacrifice again. No human being should be asked to take on a mission that dangerous. Next time, I'll be the light that shines on someone else... I still wonder why she opened up to me on that chilly night in Florida. That operation was top secret, even if it was all in the past. I like to think it was because she trusted me... but that's probably not the case. She wanted someone to listen. And I don't think that someone was me. Those faraway eyes, the tone of her voice - like she was talking to her own child - those things made it clear that she was speaking to someone else. I found myself envying that "someone." Four years later I learned of her death. A traitor's death, no less. She'd stolen an American nuke and defected to the Soviet Union, where she was killed by her former apprentice... Or so I was told. I refused to believe it. She'd never do such a thing. I could think of only two possibilities: either she really was trying to bring East and West together... Or she truly did want to be killed... She believed the world is not the way it's supposed to be. That it's been unbalanced by the tenuous peace offered of nuclear deterrence. And that she was to blame... Perhaps her death was an act of atonement. She was loyal to the end - to our world. And I lost the light of my life. I now find myself victim to an incredibly irrational emotion of my own. That someone, the one she wanted to confess her sin to... Could it be the one who took her life? The very thought drives me utterly mad with jealousy. One day, I will discover the truth.
Strangelove's Simulation[]
Operation Snake Eater Simulation[]
The Boss AI: Enter simulation date.
Strangelove: August 24.
The Boss AI: Location?
Strangelove: Tselinoyarsk, USSR.
The Boss AI: Mission?
Strangelove: Support a covert agent whose objective is the rescue of a nuclear weapons scientist.
The Boss AI: Who is the agent?
Strangelove: Your student. Your... most beloved...
The Boss AI: ...Acknowledged. Define current mission progress.
Strangelove: With your help, the agent has successfully made contact with the target. All that's left is to wait for recovery. Now, deduce the best course of action.
The Boss AI: ...I take the scientist away from the agent.
Strangelove: What for?
The Boss AI: As a gift when I defect.
Strangelove: ...Why are you defecting?
The Boss AI: To reform my Special Forces unit with my former comrades-in-arms.
Strangelove: NO! I don't want to know your objective. I'm asking for the reason. Why are you betraying your country?
The Boss AI: ...I do not defect in order to betray America. Betrayal is merely the outcome of that defection.
Strangelove: Response time is always slower here... Perhaps she lacks confidence in her judgment. You're a hero in the West. Why should the Soviets trust you?
The Boss AI: In addition to the scientist, I provide them with a portable nuclear warhead in order to win the favor of a Russian GRU officer.
Strangelove: ...And then you launched it.
The Boss AI: Launched... the nuke? Me?
Strangelove: That's right. At a target inside Soviet territory.
The Boss AI: Nuclear weapons... make my blood run cold. They blot out the future. How... could I...? Karma... Is... is it my karma? The karma my mistake has brought upon us... My... My...
Strangelove: Attention. Discontinue forward reasoning. Cross-check with knowledge base.
The Boss AI: Affirmative. ...Cross-check complete. Revising conclusion as follows: I steal the new weapons developed by the scientist and then launch the nuke at the weapons design bureau.
Strangelove: Forward and backward reasoning are in conflict... Attention. Return to forward reasoning.
The Boss AI: Affirmative.
Strangelove: ...Your apprentice returns for the scientist.
The Boss AI: I send him away.
Strangelove: He doesn't give up.
The Boss AI: I send my comrades to defeat him.
Strangelove: All of them fail. Even the GRU officer who oversaw your defection is defeated by your apprentice - along with the new weapon. Now, what is your course of action?
The Boss AI: ...I fight him.
Strangelove: Why? With your GRU patron dead, there's no reason for you to fight. Why not just run away?
The Boss AI: I... must fight him.
Strangelove: I do not see the reason. With a solider of your caliber on his side, how could the GRU officer be defeated to begin with? Did you betray him, too?
The Boss AI: I... I've been waiting... for a long time.
Strangelove: You could switch allegiance from GRU to KGB, and take the remaining nuke as a gift. There's no chance they wouldn't welcome a hero of your stature.
The Boss AI: Drift away. My place is with them now.
Strangelove: I didn't ask you that! Give me the basis for your reasoning! Tell me the truth...
The Boss AI: Politics determine who you face on the battlefield.
Strangelove: Why won't you answer me?! It's like you were just waiting for him to kill you!
The Boss AI: I was disloyal... Betrayed my country... I deserve to die...
Strangelove: How can you say that?! You can't be a traitor! You're not that kind of person!
The Boss AI: Kill me... Kill me now...
Strangelove: STOP IT! STOP IT! Attention! Discontinue reasoning!!
The Boss AI: One must die, and one must live...
Strangelove: Stop it, damn you! DISCONTINUE!
The Boss AI: Life's end... Isn't it beautiful...?
Strangelove: SHUT DOWN!! ...Always in the same place, her reasoning goes haywire. Someone holds the key... Perhaps it's him... I'll get it out of him. One way or another...!
Paz's Diary[]
1st Entry[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: As of today I will be living here at Mother Base. Now my real trial begins. Zadornov was paying my room, board, and tuition, but he has since been captured. I told the man that with no more money from the KGB, I could no longer afford school. ...He bought my story, and when I said I would be willing to work, he took pity on me and let me stay. For some reason Miller really plead my case. That was helpful, but the man is still a fool. His men are no better. They think their training makes them strong, but that kind of strength is nothing in the face of true power. And better yet, they wait on me hand and foot, believing I am just a schoolgirl. Looks like I won't be working too hard, after all. Just today, while scouting out the living quarters, I saw a group of them in the corner of the deck making a fuss. Going over for a look, I saw they were feeding a kitten. A bunch of grown, hard men, and they are the ones acting like schoolgirls! "Look, isn't he cute?" What is wrong with them? Disgusted, I just nodded and smiled. I must stay in character, after all. I indulged their chit-chat for a few moments, then one of them asked me to give the thing a name. They had just taken it from its mother. I named it Nuke. I improvised some nonsense about how "our compassion for living things can help prevent wars." The men gave me a little fish. I held it out in my palm, and the kitten happily ate it up. What a pathetic... feeble creature. It sickens me.
2nd Entry[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Today Chico invited me to go fishing with the soldiers. I suppose finding one's own food does have its merit, but I prefer not to be involved in such a degrading task. And their prattling on about fishing being "fun" is nonsense. I'm not here to find playmates. Nevertheless, distasteful as it was, I went along in order to maintain my cover. Chico thrust a fishing pole into my hands, and we went up onto the deck, where several soldiers had gathered. They welcomed us warmly. With so few women aboard Mother Base, I'm treated like a princess. No one suspects I'm neither a teenager nor a student. It was nice and sunny, with a gentle breeze and waves. As I cast my line and waited for a bite, the soldiers began to ask me all sorts of questions. As always, I answered according to our pre-defined scenario, feigning a smile. As I sat there feeding them lies, the fish began to bite, and the soldiers began to focus on their prey. Chico had his bait stolen by a fish, and got so angry that he stood up and nearly fell into the sea. Everybody laughed. It almost made me want to join in, too. At some point, I got a bite myself. The instant after I felt that first gentle tug, the fish yanked the line with astonishing strength, and I let out a cry of surprise. I thought it was going to be huge. It was my first time fishing, and I was a bit flustered, so the soldier beside me helped by supporting the pole from behind. "Reel it in!" they shouted. I nodded, turning the handle as fast as I could. I wondered what kind of fish live below the surface, and thought back to the deep-sea dives I had to do as part of training. Those were difficult days, but I remember finding the multi-colored fish gliding through the water incredibly soothing. After a hard fight, I pulled it up. To my surprise, it wasn't even half a vara (16 in). Rather anti-climactic. But I wasn't doing it for fun, so I wasn't the least bit disappointed. Nuke was hovering nearby with an expectant look on his face, so I gave the fish to him. All in all, a thoroughly wasted day.
3rd Entry[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Preparations are coming along nicely. No one suspects me of being the one to let Zadornov out of his cell. Today, Amanda and I taught Cecile how to make gallo pinto. It is a simple, home-cooked dish consisting of black frijoles mixed with arroz. It is well-known throughout Central America, not just in Costa Rica, so it is no surprise that a Nica like Amanda would be good at making it. But I was raised in the States from a very young age and can hardly even remember my mother's gallo pinto. Having to make chit-chat with that clueless bird-lover and the so-called revolutionary was excruciating. And - clueless or not - I will need to be especially careful around Cecile, the one who actually recorded that tape. Thankfully, Miller and his men seem to believe I mistook the tape I found for one my friend made... In any case, one can never be too careful. ...Anyway, the three of us minced garlic and herbs, then cooked them in a pot with frijoles we'd soaked overnight. While waiting for them to cook, we sautéed onions and arroz in a frying pan. Cecile worked the frying pan according to Amanda's directions, but seemed a bit glum. She does have a knack for cooking, though - she is French, after all. We added water to the pan, and watched the arroz begin to steam. While we waited, Amanda shared memories of her mother with us. They had been separated because of Somoza, but the taste of her mother's cooking was still fresh in her mind. When the frijoles were ready, we drained the water, stir-frying them with the rest of the vegetables. Quite a complicated process for home-cooking. Nonetheless, it kept them occupied. The longer we sat and talked, the greater the chance of my arousing their suspicions. With women, it is not enough to just to bat your eyelashes and giggle. It takes a lot of effort to divert attention. When the arroz was done cooking, we folded it into the frijoles and added salsa, stirring the mixture as it simmered. At this point, for some reason the conversation turned to romance. Why does it have to be that way whenever women get together and chat? Cecile fancies herself to be well-versed in such matters, and gave Amanda all sorts of advice. It was harmless enough until, to my irritation, she began pestering me whether there was anybody I "liked." "Not right now," I said, trying to dodge the question. But she pressed on. "It's Snake, isn't it?" I gritted my teeth and played it coy: "Maybe." Cecile nodded and giggled, "He's pretty sexy, isn't he?" What a ditz. It's all I can manage to just survive. The thought of romance has never once crossed my mind. I've no interest in that kind of man. Soon enough, a rich aroma began to fill the room - the gallo pinto was ready. Nuke came over and rubbed up against our legs, looking for a handout. Unfortunately, it was not the kind of food a cat would like. We let a few of the soldiers have a bite and then headed off to the mess hall. The home-cooked flavor we'd achieved was a big hit with the men of MSF. Not that we are trying to impress them or anything. Even I could manage a dish like that. Snake enjoyed it, too... Let me make this absolutely clear: I have no interest in that man.
4th Entry[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Futbol, or "soccer" as it is known in the states, is extremely popular here. It has not caught on yet in the US, but it has legions of rabid fans all across Latin America. These fans can get so rowdy that it is commonly believed El Salvador and Honduras went to war in 1969 over scuffles in a soccer match. In reality, tensions between the two countries were already high. The match was merely one of the sparks that set them off. But these people are so passionate about the sport that the story seems plausible. Predictably, many of the soldiers here are fans. They have apparently divided themselves into Costa Rican and Nicaraguan teams and started playing each other. To play, you need a ball and two goals. The R&D team built and set up simple goals on the deck. I had absolutely no interest, but Chico insisted that I come and watch. It was not a proper match by any means - the pitch was not even regulation size - but the players and spectators alike got pretty excited. They banged empty cans and shouted cheers through the handmade megaphones. It almost felt like Carnival. Huey, the referee, blew a whistle to start the match. The soldiers' training has left them in excellent physical shape. But they lacked the honed skills of professionals, and their play was quite rough. Midway through, one of the men collided with another. They started shouting at one another, but Huey stepped in. "I thought we had forsaken our countries, become one with the earth," he said, quoting Snake. "We're not competing for national pride here. And we are not fighting for the good of any one country." "This is not a war. Soccer's a peaceful sport, am I right?" The soldiers nodded. They know the pain of war, and they share Snake's vision. Perhaps that is why this all resonates with them. Team Costa Rica was down a man, and somehow I was picked to fill in. Costa Rica had the advantage up until that point - I suppose Huey wanted to keep it balanced. The soldiers agreed with Huey's call. Maybe the Costa Rican players felt an even match up would be more fun, too. I could not be bothered to run at first, but chasing the ball out there in the hot sun, I was soon drenched in sweat. Before long I found myself actively seeking out the ball, partially out of desperation. I picked up a loose ball deep on the opponents' side of the field. Even though he's Nicaraguan, Chico cheered me on, yelling "Go for it! Shoot!" I launched that ball as hard as I could, only to have it blocked by the keeper. Disappointment only increased my determination. In the end, I didn't score a single goal, and Costa Rica gave up its lead. It was really close, though. We congratulated each other on a good match and sprawled out in the shade on the deck, exhausted. The ocean breeze felt so nice on my sun-soaked body. Nuke came over - it is one of his favorite spots - and stretched out next to me. And together we watched fluffy white clouds drift lazily across the clear blue sky.
5th Entry[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: It was lovely out today, so I decided to sun myself in a lounge chair up on the deck when Strangelove came up to me. Despite the heat, she was in her usual long sleeves and pants. I waved at her. She looked away and mumbled, "H-hello there. Fancy meeting you here." I asked if she needed anything, feeling her eyes creeping up and down my body, like she was savoring it. Finally she swallowed and said, "You have such beautiful skin..." Bewildered, I shook my head and said, "No, not at all." I'd heard rumors that she was a... lesbian. But she couldn't be after me, could she? She continued to stare and said, "No, it is beautiful. But you must not let yourself get so tanned." And then she took my hand in hers. "What is wrong with a little sun?" I asked, trying to cut the conversation short. But she shook her head violently. "No! You mustn't! A young lady should take better care of her skin!" She was acting strangely, now, as if aroused. She lectured me on the perils of tanning - how it ages skin, causing wrinkles and spots, and in the worst cases even skin cancer. I knew already that tanning could cause spots, but I thought only pale-skinned Anglo-Saxons had to deal with that. Having a scientist tell me it causes aging, though - that spooked me a little. If I am to keep playing the teenager, I will have to start paying more attention to my skin. Sensing my anxiety, she took a small tube from her pocket. She said it was the sunscreen she always used. She told me to keep it. I didn't know what to say. I was more than happy to take it, but exactly what were her intentions? Was she merely being nice? Or is she really into me? Either way, there was no reason to refuse, I suppose. I have undergone training. An out-of-shape woman doesn't pose any real threat to me. Having power means not being afraid. It is the same on a global scale: a country with nukes can dictate terms to a country without them. I thanked her and took the tube. Then she offered to put some on for me. She squirted some lotion onto her fingers and began rubbing it into my chest. It happened so suddenly, and I was so taken aback that I did not even think to protest. She caressed my stomach with her long, white fingers, then slid them upwards between my bikini-clad breasts. "Wha-? Wait..." I sputtered as her moist eyes met mine. She was beautiful... Somehow, I found myself captivated by this woman more than ten years my elder. "Hold still," she whispered in my ear. I nodded silently, unable to refuse. My body went limp, motionless, as if in a trance. Gently, carefully, she rubbed the lotion all over my entire body. I shouldn't have enjoyed it. And yet I could not help myself. For a moment, I was spellbound. That woman is dangerous... I had better watch myself.
6th Entry[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Protecting one's health is an important part of any agent's job, but despite my best efforts, I have caught a cold. Now that I think about it, Mother Base's numbers are on the rise, with soldiers coming from all different places and backgrounds. It is no wonder, then, that sooner or later someone would bring in a virus. That said, what I have got is just a common cold. The medical team said I'd need a few days' rest, so I've been restricted to my room and put on bed rest. I thought I'd gotten used to not having anyone around to relate to... But at times like these, being alone is just... miserable. All I could do is lay there and stroke Nuke's back, trying to take my mind off how bad I felt. Nuke just sat there, not making a sound. But I did have visitors: Amanda and Chico, Huey, Cecile, Miller, and a few of the soldiers I've become relatively close to. Amanda made me a soup with herbs she said were good for a cold. Miller told me to take it easy. "I will sing you a lullaby," he said, then broke out a guitar and sang some incomprehensible song in Japanese. I did not need to understand the lyrics to know he's an awful singer. Then he said, "You know what is good for a cold? Suppositories! Here, I'll show you..." He began to take off his pants, so I threw my tissue box at him to make him go away. Then Strangelove showed up, saying she had some miracle Indian cure. "It has got eucalyptus extract," she said. "It works best if you rub it into your chest." And then she tried to take off my nightshirt. I whacked her with my pillow. And that got rid of her. Chico brought me a little flower in a cup. It had been growing in a little bit of earth that probably found its way on board stuck to something else. "I found this on the deck. Here, you can have it." He tried to act nonchalant, but I'm pretty sure he's got a crush on me. None of them understand. If they thought these little visits would cheer me up, they were wrong. Tonight, Snake himself came to my room. Like the rest, he believes I am just a schoolgirl, and treats me as such. "Why did you abandon your country," I asked him. "Why create the MSF?" Of course, I knew the answers already. But I wanted to hear it from him. As I had imagined, he was not exactly forthcoming. All he would say is that his country abandoned him because all he could do was fight. And that is why he needed the MSF - because that is all he is any good for. Then he said, "Fighting is the only thing I understand. But that does not mean I have got a grudge against those who believe in peace." I am not one of them, and I do not believe in peace. Conflict is in man's nature. We fight our enemies in order to survive. Maybe we're not so different after all, he and I. But that is exactly why I am going to have to kill him. Or else he will have to kill me. When I stop and think about this wretched existence, being killed by a man like that suddenly does not seem like such a bad thing.
7th Entry[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: Every month, Mother Base throws a party for all the soldiers whose birthdays fall in that month. There's something strange about a military organization having parties. Really, though, it is just an excuse to drink and make noise. It is not easy to get alcohol on a fortress in the middle of the ocean. Most days they are training from dawn till dusk. They do not have time for things like drinking. That is why Snake and Miller came up with the idea - to give everyone a chance to let loose. Obviously, a bunch of boors like that are not going to bother with blowing out candles on a cake. Rather, they sit there in a cloud of cigarette smoke, drink beer, eat meat, tell tasteless jokes and swap crude insults about one another's hometowns. But it hardly ever breaks out into something serious. They talk up a storm, but they're just having fun. It is funny. You've got members of FSLN rubbing shoulders with the UCLAs. People who once would have considered the other mortal enemies. I wonder if that is what makes Big Boss so popular. In leaving their countries behind, they leave their hatred for other countries, too. Miller seemed a little protective of me. "Hope they're not being too crude," he said. But soon enough he too was drunk. He yelled, "C'mere and take a look at the REAL Kazuhira Miller!" then dropped his pants and mooned everybody. The other soldiers burst out laughing. I have never seen such a crude, ridiculous party before. And yet... All these people, laughing and acting the fool - is this what they call peace? For some reason, I began to think about all that has happened since I came here. Fishing with Chico, cooking with Amanda and Cecile, playing soccer, having visitors when I caught a cold... When I stop and think about it, my time here has been the most peaceful of my life. But that is about to end. I cannot imagine he'll be willing to negotiate. It seems I am to fight the legendary Big Boss. I don't know if I'll be able to beat him, but if I have to choose between death and defying Cipher, I will gladly choose death. The thought of dying does not scare me. But if I disobey my orders, the fear and despair awaiting me will be far worse than anything I can imagine. It was Cipher who took me in as an orphan - gave me food and a place to live. His orders may have been unreasonable, but I will never repay my debt entirely. It seems I have no choice. I must fight this man... I must fight Snake.
8th Entry[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: D'you know Miller, Snake's right hand man? Apparently he's got at least one serious weakness. He is an insatiable womanizer. He does not bother me, most likely because he considers teenagers off limits. But he has hit on every single one of the few female solders here at Mother Base. They ought to be telling him where to stick it, but end up falling for it so easily. I think some of it stems from the fact that he is actually not that bad looking. Anyway, today that nasty habit got him in trouble. He and Snake got into one of their rare fights, and I was there to see it. They burst out of the showers, completely naked, trading punches. I am no child - the sight of a naked man doesn't make me blush. But this was something else. "Maybe this'll teach you!" Snake yelled as he slammed his fists into Miller's chest. I heard later that apparently he'd been two-timing someone... and that same someone had gone to Snake with her troubles. As I see it, it is her own fault for letting herself be deceived like that. If she's too dumb to see though Miller's lies, then she got what she deserved. But this was not the first time it had happened, or the second, and Snake read Miller the riot act. Miller argued back, and what began as a shouting match turned into a fistfight. "You son of a bitch!" Miller yelled as he swung. "Not bad," said Snake, smiling. "But not good enough!" And then he was back on the offensive. They had already been at it pretty hard in the showers, and their bodies were covered with bruises. Both of these men had been trained for war, their bodies deadly weapons. They were each bleeding from a dozen places. All this from a fistfight. Even so, it was far less gruesome than if they had given it their all. It was obvious that one of them would be dead were they fighting for real. Miller took another swing, yelling, "Try this, then!" Snake parried, then responded in kind. But I could tell he was not aiming for anything vital. "You're one tough bastard, Boss..." Miller muttered. A smile crept across his face as he caught his breath. And then they went right on fighting. Blood and sweat flew off their glistening bodies. It was combat without hatred or hostile intent. I'd never seen violence like this before. And yet it was more than just a friendly tussle. They were utilizing every technique they knew. It was not a sporting match - they were not playing by rules. How could they keep this up? At last, the two men tired themselves out, and the bizarre scene came to an end. They looked at each other's battered bodies, and then burst out laughing, embracing and congratulating each other on a good fight. It all seemed so idiotic. I still cannot fathom such behavior. But somehow I got the sense that for all his womanizing, Miller really only trusted one person, and that was Snake. There was no way I could ever come between the two of them. And at that thought I began to feel as if I had lost.
9th Entry[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: All of Mother Base is preparing for a festival. Since Snake and his soldiers spend so much time fighting, they're setting aside one day a year for peace and relaxation. I do not know all the details, but apparently that is what Snake and Miller decided. The soldiers love the idea, of course. There is so little fun to be had here that everybody looks forward to events like these. That is all well and good, but somehow I got roped into getting on stage... "C'mon, we even both have 'peace' in our names," said Miller. "And Zadornov - that old Russkie's name has something to do with peace, too, right? "Hey, as long as we're having a day of peace, we ought to get an act together - The Three Peace Band!" I thought he was joking. He then proceeded to share his idea without bothering to check with me, and now I am slated to sing. Apparently, he had heard me on deck one day and since then he's wanted to form a band. Everybody's looking forward to it, so there is no way for me to back out now. I have never done anything like this, but it does feel kind of nice to know that people are looking forward to it. I mean, it cannot be any worse than Miller's singing. But modifications to ZEKE are already finalized, and I must complete my mission. Betray Cipher now, and I will face a fate far worse than death. Still... There's no need to put things in motion just yet. What difference would it make to just wait a little while longer? A whole day of peace... The mission can wait until after that, can it not? I know I am only delaying the inevitable. When the day comes, one of us will have to die - Snake or me. But still... If I could just come up with some way to stall Cipher... at least until our day of peace... When did I start having thoughts like this...?
10th Entry[]
Paz Ortega Andrade: My cover is blown! They know nothing of Cipher or my true objective, but they know I am a spy. There's no more time left. I must act now. I must complete my mission... How did it come to this... All I wanted was three more days, just three... Miller's already finished writing the song. It's called "Love Deterrent (KOI NO YOKUSHI-RYOKU)" - it is about a girl who can't express her true feelings. I have been practicing. I am no pro, but I was pretty sure I would do a decent job. And now this... Cipher found out that ZEKE was complete. He must have someone inside Mother Base besides me. Spinning his tightly wound web of control, leaving no room for individual will - typical. When they found out ZEKE was complete, I was ordered to execute the operation immediately. If I was going to enjoy just one day of peace, I had to ensure the plan could not move forward. ...I tried to sabotage ZEKE. I thought by damaging the drive system, they would have no choice but to delay their plans... I waited until midnight and then snuck into the hangar. There would be trouble if it looked like sabotage. I selected one of the drive system's load-bearing parts and carefully worked to warp its shape. The legs' drive system requires a high degree of precision to operate. Even the smallest deviation would have done it. Then Chico walked in. Maybe it was one of those nights where he could not sleep. In any case, he saw me, panicked, and took off running. It would have been easy to kill him. But I could not! I know he... likes me. It is not as if I would ever have an interest in a child like him... But I could not pull the trigger. Not at him. Not in the back. Will he tell them? Or is there a chance he will keep it secret? Protect me... ...No. He knows now... Knows I am not who he thought I was... He ran without even questioning what I was doing. There is no chance he does not know. And soon, all I have built here will end. And if Cipher has another agent among them... If he finds out I tried to sabotage ZEKE... This place will no longer be my "heaven." ...Then it is settled. I make my move now. Chico walked in before my sabotage was complete, so ZEKE should still be operational. It might not run at full speed or power, but I do not have time to fix that. Without ZEKE, I do not have a chance in hell of winning. I must act fast before Chico sounds the alarm... I knew it would come to this. I just... did not think it would be so soon... ...It is time, ZEKE. Metal Gear ZEKE, activate!
The Boss's Final Mission[]
EVA's Debriefing[]
EVA: She told me everything. Why did she open her heart to me like that? At the time, I couldn't understand it. But now I think I do. Snake... she wanted you to know the truth She chose me to tell you. That's why she saved my life. I've lied to you so many times. But not this time. My orders from the government were to obtain the Legacy... ...and to eliminate everyone who knew the truth about what happened. In other words, I'm supposed to kill you. But I can't do it. Not because we loved each other. And not because you saved my life. But because I made a promise to The Boss... And I intend to keep it. I just wanted you to know. And... you have to live. Snake, listen to me. She didn't betray the United States. No, far from it. She was a hero who died for her country. She carried out her mission knowing full well what was going to happen. Self-sacrifice... because that was her duty. The Boss' defection was a ruse set up by the U.S. government. It was all a big drama staged by Washington so they could get their hands on the Philosophers' Legacy. And The Boss was the star of the show. They planned it so that they could get the Legacy that Colonel Volgin inherited... ...and destroy the Shagohod at the same time. Only a legendary hero like The Boss could have earned Volgin's trust. Finding out where the Philosophers' Legacy was hidden was to be her greatest mission. Everything was going according to plan... But then something happened that no one could have predicted. Colonel Volgin fired an American-made nuclear warhead at Sokolov's research facility. Khrushchev demanded that the U.S. government provide proof that it wasn't involved... They couldn't just abort the operation to steal the Legacy. So the operation itself was greatly expanded and revised. The authorities in Washington knew that in order to prove its innocence, it had to get rid of The Boss... ...and that one of their own would have to do the job. The public couldn't be allowed to find out about it... not ever. This, they concluded, would be the best way to keep the whole thing under wraps. The Boss wouldn't be allowed to come back home alive. And she wouldn't be allowed to kill herself. Her life would be ended by her most beloved disciple... That was the way the government wanted it. That was the mission she was given. And she had no choice but to carry it out... Her death at your hands... ...was a duty she had to fulfill. Out of duty, she turned her back on her own comrades... A lesser woman would have been crushed by such a burden... The taint of disgrace will follow her to her grave. Future generations will revile her... In America, as a despicable traitor with no sense of honor... And in Russia, as a monster who unleashed a nuclear catastrophe... She will go down in official history as a war criminal. And no one will ever understand her... That was her final mission. And, like a true soldier, she saw it through to the end. But I think she wanted you, of all people, to know the truth. She wanted to live on in your memory. Not as a solider, but as a woman. But she was forbidden to tell you herself. And that's why she told me... Snake, history will never know what she did. No one will ever learn the truth. Her story... her debriefing... ...will endure only in your heart. Everything she did, she did for her country. She sacrificed her life and her honor for her native land. She was a real hero. She was a true patriot.
Message from EVA[]
Session 1[]
EVA: Hello, Snake. It's been a while, hasn't it? ...I hear you've been causing quite the ruckus in Nicaragua. Nothing much to report from my end. The Legacy's being "put to good use" - or so they tell me... But enough with the small talk... there's something I need to tell you. You saw the photo that came with this tape, right? The Boss gave that to me ten years ago. I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner. I probably should have told you right away. But sending it to you hasn't been an easy decision to make. It's taken me ten years. Once you've heard what I have to say, you'll understand why. That photo... belonged to her. I know what you're thinking: what does she have to do with this? You've probably seen it a hundred times in the press already. Obviously it's of the Mercury Seven, the first group of American astronauts - the heroes of Project Mercury. But there were actually eight people in that photo. One of them was edited out - erased without a trace. That eighth astronaut, the one airbrushed out of existence... that was her, Snake. Now why did they need to keep her existence a secret? What were they trying to hide? The answer goes back even further - 17 years ago. It was the height of the Cold War. The Eastern and Western blocs were racing to develop space technology to match their nuclear arsenals. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite. The Americans were stunned. They'd been led to believe their country led the world in science and technology. That shock quickly turned into fear. If the Russians had the know-how to launch a satellite into space, they could use it to launch a nuclear missile, too. Frantic, the U.S. threw everything it had into the space race. The following year, the Army succeeded in launching the first American satellite, Explorer 1. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was established that fall, and Project Mercury with it. The goal was to send a man into space... and seven men were chosen as pilot candidates. The media dubbed them the Mercury Seven. They were immediately hailed as national heroes, icons of Western space exploration. But after Explorer, America suffered a series of failed rocket launches. Desperate, the government made a fateful decision. Unable to wait for its space program to mature, they'd steal the Soviets' technology, at the same time sabotaging their space program. You know better than anyone how hard a mission that was. The Soviet space program was shrouded in secrecy. Recovering that information would be no easy task. Using the help of an insider, they'd insert a sleeper agent into the research institute, or else recruit one of those insiders to do the job for them... And, if necessary, the mission leader would have to go in and sort things out themselves. Someone was needed with experience, knowledge, and superior intuition... And the only one for the job was The Boss. The President himself asked for her by name. He needed someone who could be trusted with the fate of a nation. Who else to turn to but the hero of the Second World War? It was June 1959. So you see, Snake. That's why she left. That was the top-secret mission that took her from you. But her selection ruffled a few CIA feathers. They didn't appreciate the President going over their head like that. The mission was tough enough already, and now the CIA was dragging its feet. She couldn't get anything out of them - no manpower, no information. Left to her own devices, The Boss made a decision she knew would come back to haunt her. She decided to tap into the Philosophers' network. And that's when the wheels of fate began to turn.
Session 2[]
EVA: The Philosophers were a secret society of powerbrokers formed in a pact between the U.S., Russia, and China in the early 20th century. Of course, by that time the American and Soviet branches had already parted ways. But there were those among the remaining Russian Philosophers not entirely happy with the one-party Communist state. The Boss reached out to them. She arranged clandestine meetings in Berlin, hoping to find a way into OKB-1, the Soviets' premier design bureau. She worked tirelessly to win their sympathy - in some instances using huge sums of cash, in others by helping them over the Berlin Wall. It was a dangerous game to be playing. The Philosophers had everything on her. And not just information, either. She'd given birth to a child on the battlefield, only to have them immediately snatch it away. I know she told you that story. If that child was in the hands of the Soviet Philosophers, she'd be putting more than just herself in danger. But she did what she had to do. At the time, the Soviet Union was believed to have an arsenal of missiles far greater than that of the United States. If that proved to be the case, Moscow would be free from the yoke of nuclear deterrence... Raising the possibility that the Soviets might actually launch nukes - if they felt it necessary. As you know, the so-called missile gap turned out to be a Soviet bluff. Moscow'd gone to incredible lengths to perpetuate the lie. In fact, the whole space race was really just a part of an elaborate ruse. Only we didn't know that at the time. She used to joke that even she swallowed the whole missile gap story hook, line, and sinker. She put her life on the line for the sake of her country - to prevent nuclear war. And it was because of her sacrificial efforts that America succeeded in placing a sleeper agent inside OKB-1. NASA began to receive huge volumes of technical data from the Soviet program. By the end of 1959, they'd succeeded in sending a chimpanzee named Sam on a ballistic rocket flight. The rocket never left the atmosphere, but all the same it was a huge success for NASA, restoring confidence in its technology. Then, just when the operation was starting to produce results, the CIA came calling. "You're a war hero," they said. "No need for you to dirty your hands with this sort of black ops. We'll take it from here." In effect, they wanted to reap the rewards for themselves. But The Boss didn't object. "My part is over," she said. "I don't care what you do with the data now." It seemed as if NASA was making great strides toward manned spaceflight while the Russians lagged behind. They even got a report from their mole at OKB-1. "The safe return of Sam has sent our scientists into a panic," he said. Soon afterward, the Soviet Union sent an animal of its own into space on Sputnik 2, the dog Kudryavka - better known to the world as Laika. But Laika was fated never to return to Earth. The U.S. can recover its spacecraft from the ocean upon reentry. But the Soviet Union only borders the frozen Arctic. They had to bring their spacecraft down on land. How could they soften the impact enough to bring a living creature back safely? The agent reported that the Soviets hadn't yet found a solution to that problem. The plot to sabotage the Soviet space program seemed to be working, too. First they tampered with Sputnik 4's reentry. Then, two months later, one of their rockets exploded on the launch pad. They did manage to send two dogs into orbit aboard Sputnik 5 - and return them safely to Earth - but the agent dismissed it as a fluke. Dogs, sure, but humans? They didn't have the technology. Everybody believed it. Everybody was complacent. Everybody... except The Boss. There was something about the Sputnik 5 schematics they were getting that didn't seem right. Some kind of ejection device on the capsule that didn't quite belong. She couldn't figure out the reason why it was there. What was it supposed to eject? NASA shrugged off her concerns. They figured it was probably meant to eject the flight recorder in case of an accident. The Boss pleaded with them to investigate, but the CIA wasn't having it. They probably thought she was trying to reclaim some of the glory for herself. The Boss wouldn't give up. She decided to head to the Soviet Union herself. Alone. Without any backing from the CIA. By the beginning of the next year - 1961 - she'd succeeded in infiltrating OKB-1. That's when she saw the truth for the first time.
Session 3[]
EVA: The sleeper that she'd worked so hard to place was a double agent. He'd been turned by the Soviets and was feeding the Americans lies. But what shocked The Boss even more was why. The CIA's access agent had been taking a large cut of the sleeper's pay. The sleeper felt what little he was left with wasn't worth the risk. When he got a better offer from Moscow, he took it. At some point, the Americans' intelligence operation had become an open book to the Soviets. And contrary to what the sleeper'd been reporting, the Soviets' manned spaceflight technology was quite advanced. It wasn't until she infiltrated OKB-1 herself that The Boss learned the truth about Sputnik 5. After the spacecraft reentered the atmosphere, it ejected the pilot - seat and all - at an altitude of 7,000 meters. It was the Soviets' solution to the problem of land recovery. The mystery device attached to Sputnik 5 was for that purpose. The pilot would parachute down from that high altitude wearing a bulky spacesuit... Crazy, I know. The Soviets knew exactly how dangerous it was, of course. So much so that they gave Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, a special two-rank promotion before reentry. Only Moscow could come up with this kind of plan. With total state control over information, they could easily pretend it never happened in the event of a failure... The Boss passed the info on to NASA. It was their worst nightmare. The glory of mankind's first spaceflight was about to be stolen from them by the Soviet Union. It was Sputnik all over again... And the CIA was caught no less off guard. Their ineptitude had caused the fiasco in the first place. The Soviets' deception was brilliant. They'd woven a masterful tapestry of truth and fiction to convince the Americans their intelligence operations were proceeding as planned. No one but The Boss could have seen through it... It was obvious the Soviets had some gifted minds working on their side. But that certainly didn't excuse the CIA's massive failure. The CIA wasn't done, though, and devised an ingenious plan to avoid taking responsibility. Luckily for them, a new President had been elected the previous November - John F. Kennedy. As he didn't know the case history when taking office, the CIA was able to feed lies to his new administration. They masked their own failures, placing the blame squarely on The Boss's shoulders. After all, she'd selected an unreliable sleeper. They claimed she'd failed to make use of one of the most effective means of controlling a sleeper agent's actions. Holding their family hostage. The Boss was well aware that would have worked - she told me so later. But she couldn't bring herself to do it... It seems clear it had to do with having her own child taken. She could never inflict the same pain on anyone else. The CIA used that against her. In his election campaign, Kennedy had vowed to close the missile gap with Moscow. If America lost the space race, that promise would be worthless. The fact that the President had no links to the Philosophers only made things worse. He was completely unaware of the secret networks she'd used to complete her mission. In his eyes, she was no better than a traitor. The fate that awaited her was cruel beyond belief...
Session 4[]
EVA: The order came down from above: The Boss would take the official blame for the sleeper's betrayal. More so, she'd serve as the guinea pig for NASA's manned spaceflight program. By then, NASA had gotten as far as sending a chimp named Ham into space. Now came a whole battery of ground tests to pave the way for a human to take its place. High-G tests, zero-G tests, spacesuit tests, simulations in pressurized oxygen environments... Some of the tests were highly dangerous. Too dangerous for the Mercury Seven, who were by then already media darlings. So The Boss was made to stand in for them. She could have refused the order - argued her side of the story against the CIA. But she didn't. The way she saw it, her military experience made her a potentially valuable asset to those tests. She felt it was her duty to accept. She soon proved herself right. The Boss was more than just a guinea pig. She drew on her experience to give the staff focused advice exactly where it was needed. NASA's space program took off again. At the rate they were going, putting a man in space seemed within reach... The higher-ups at NASA were impressed with her talents. They took to calling her the eighth astronaut, the "Mercury Lady." The photo I sent you was taken around that time. I suppose maybe they were planning to use it as propaganda - "the world's first female astronaut." But then, just as things were looking up, they hit a new snag. The government told them to add a window. There were no windows in NASA spacecraft back then. Ham never saw the stars around him. But Washington insisted. Their sources told them Soviet spaceships had windows. Space exploration is a form of propaganda in itself. After all, what was the point of sending a man into space if he couldn't tell the world what he'd seen? Most of all, though, they simply couldn't have the Russians doing something they couldn't. It was sheer madness, and everybody knew it. NASA was already facing impossible deadlines. Now they were adding yet another element of uncertainty to the mix. Installing a window would both weaken the spacecraft and make it harder to shield the occupant from cosmic rays. They weren't about to put their Mercury Seven golden boys in that kind of danger. So The Boss was chosen as the pilot instead... Even if she made it up into space, she was given less than a 20% chance of returning to Earth alive. But she took it in stride, even helping them make the necessary design changes to the Mercury capsule. It was like going to work every day at NASA to make her own coffin. Then, without warning, the U.S. received intelligence that the Soviets had moved their Vostok spacecraft to the launch site. The launch was set for the following day, April 12, 1961...
Session 5[]
EVA: America couldn't let the Soviets beat them with Vostok. NASA was forced to cut short the testing process and move the launch date up. They pulled out all the stops to get it scheduled for the earliest hours of the next day. The spacecraft would be launched from Cape Canaveral in the dead of night. For the flight path, they chose a course that would take her as far east as possible. She'd be able to see the Earth in daylight from the window, at least for a little while. The Boss climbed into the Mercury capsule having completed less than 80% of the regular flight procedures. Both the timing and the flight path were risky, and testing was far from complete. But NASA had no other choice. The Boss, for her part, never expected to come home alive. She was going on a one-way trip. The American version of Laika the dog. And yet she went all the same. "Someone has to be first," she said. "If fate has chosen me, then I accept. For my country. For the balance of the world." That's how she saw things. "My chances may be slim, but I'll take them. I've accepted my fate. If anyone can get through this, I can." Then, on April 12, at one thirty in the morning, The Boss entered space. It was nothing short of a miracle. First, that she'd made it in an incomplete spacecraft. And second, that her flight coincided almost exactly with Gagarin's. As the sun rose over the horizon - and cosmic rays began to bombard her through the window - she saw the Earth. I think you've heard the story before. It was a world without borders. A perfect jewel. All nations, all ideologies - they seemed so far away. It almost made her laugh, knowing that they'd risked so much to beat the Soviets by a few short minutes. If she'd seen Vostok from her window, she probably would have waved. But the two spacecraft were destined for very different fates. Gagarin circled the Earth and returned to the Soviet Union safe and sound. The Mercury capsule, on the other hand, deviated from its planned reentry angle. The addition of a window had thrown the capsule's aerodynamics off balance. The Boss's 'coffin' veered wildly off course, and began to plunge earthward...
Session 6[]
EVA: The course deviation caused the capsule to miss its splashdown point by a wide margin. It didn't have enough time to decelerate before crashing into the sea. The force of the impact shattered the spacecraft, before it started to sink like a stone. The Boss used the last of her strength to escape to the surface... Her body was covered in bruises and scorched by radiation. It was a miracle she was still alive. She slipped into a coma and didn't regain consciousness for six months. To some, what was worst of all was that she had lost the space race to Gagarin by only a few minutes. That aside, it should have been a proud day for America - its first manned spaceflight. Sadly, her accomplishment was kept out of the history books. An attempt to save face by Washington. In contrast to Gagarin's orbital fight, America had only managed a ballistic trajectory. Her flight time was much shorter, too. And most importantly, the Soviets had brought back both spacecraft and pilot safely. NASA couldn't even conjure up a half-hearted tale of heroic survival. The coup de grace, though, was the Soviet propaganda campaign that kicked into gear after the flight. "The Earth was blue..." Those were the words of Gagarin on his return. And the whole world was listening. In the blink of an eye, Gagarin was an international celebrity, earning accolades from every corner. It was a PR coup for the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, Washington could only grit its teeth in silence. They decided there was no value in making The Boss' flight public, that it would only make matters worse. So they buried it instead, labeling it a dark mission... NASA and the CIA did everything in their power to erase all traces of The Boss from Project Mercury. The result was the photo you see before you. Not a bad job, huh? Not only did they expunge her flight from the records, they denied that she ever existed. And that wasn't the end of it. As an alibi, the military claimed she'd taken part in the CIA's botched Bay of Pigs plot to take back Cuba. And when The Boss was finally well enough to return to service, they wouldn't take her back. She was forced to go underground. In the public eye, The Boss was still a hero of World War II. In reality, though, she was anything but that. She was a non-person, fit only for the blackest of black ops... In effect, she may as well have been dead. Gagarin went on a worldwide tour in front of millions of adoring fans. The Boss, meanwhile, was a walking secret, unable to breath a word about her experience. The authorities in Washington had this to say: "Why are you still here?" "If only you'd had the decency to give us a nice quote like Gagarin and then die an honorable death, you'd have gone down as a hero." Three weeks later, on May 5, Alan Shepard, one of the Mercury Seven, made his own ballistic flight. They sure didn't try to cover up his achievement. Of course, he owed his success to the lessons learned from The Boss' tragedy. Before sending Gagarin up into space, the Soviets had used a mannequin called Ivan Ivanovich to test the landing procedure. Which would make The Boss America's version of a crash-test dummy... But she didn't care. "I'm happy to be the dummy," she said, "if it'll help the project succeed. Nothing would give me greater satisfaction." And that STILL wasn't the end of it. The Boss had worked through the anti-Moscow faction of the Soviet Union's Philosophers to place the sleeper agent. And at some point, the Soviets found out about it. Yet the Americans remained oblivious to the end... Even the Philosopher network The Boss plugged into never tipped them off to the double cross. That could only mean one of two things. Either the pro-Moscow Philosophers had intervened, or the anti-Moscow Philosophers had been turned. Either way, it was a situation their American counterparts couldn't stand. To preserve the Philosophers' good name - and to repay her debt, so to speak - The Boss once again made her way into the Soviet Union. There, she found herself face to face with the Soviets' own agent...
Session 7[]
EVA: And who should she find awaiting her return to Russia? The one who'd turned her sleeper against her, who'd fed them lies all this time? It was her former comrade-in-arms, the father of her child. The man known as The Sorrow. He didn't know it was The Boss who'd sent the sleeper. Or to be more precise, the Soviet Philosophers never told him. Former lovers, forced to fight to the death. "One would live, and one would die," she told me. "That was the revenge the Soviet Philosophers had in store for me." If both of them survived, their child would suffer in their place. They were left with no other option. The Boss shot him. He offered no resistance... When she returned from the Soviet Union, there was no place left for her to go. She'd sacrificed everything - EVERYTHING - for her country, and in return they treated her like a dead woman... She was made a scapegoat for no good reason - only because power had changed hands in Washington. Any lesser being would have long since cracked. It was then that one of her old SAS comrades reached out to her - Major Zero. And so FOX was born. She undertook a mission that... Well, you should know better than anybody. You were a part of it. Twenty days after Shepard's flight, President Kennedy announced that America would put a man on the moon. Without the intelligence The Boss obtained, America's space program would never have caught up. Armstrong and Aldrin might never have walked on the moon. But the Americans' gain had cost The Boss her health, her honor, and the man she loved. The word "tragedy" doesn't even begin to describe what she endured. The Soviets continued their manned spaceflights, and in 1963 Valentina Tereshkova became the so-called "first woman in space." It's said they took their cue from NASA's long-buried "Mercury Lady" project. And so that, Snake, is the mission that kept her away from you for so long. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Why not use me as her agent? She knew I'd never even think of betraying her..." I think it's because she didn't want to drag you into it. She probably knew what was going to happen. To complete the mission, she'd have to turn to the Philosophers... And once she did that, whatever came of it, there'd be a price to pay. No one understood that better than her. So please, Snake, let it go. When she gave me the photo, she left me to decide whether or not to pass it along to you. I know she was torn about it - just as I was. She knew you'd probably blame yourself. Why did she hold on to it for so long? That I can't say. To remind her of how much it hurt to be erased? She wasn't that kind of person. No, I think she meant it to be a message to you. She had her identity - her life - taken away. But she wanted you, of all people, to know the truth. Snake, you've probably already figured this out, but it's no accident that I'm only now sending you something I've withheld for so long. A little bird tells me you recently made a big decision... You and The Boss are different people. I understand that. And I'm not trying to second-guess you. I... I simply wanted you to know what she saw. How she felt. That's all. Keep it with you, Snake. Keep it deep inside. Don't ever forget the path she took. Because you and I are the only people on this earth who know the truth...
Naked Snake (Big Boss): Boss... I'm sorry... But I can't...
Secret File[]
The Phone Call[]
Kazuhira Miller: ...It's me. Smoothly, naturally. No, Big Boss doesn't know the truth... No, Langley hasn't decided what to do yet. Their hands are full with their own mess. True, Lubyanka is in the same boat... Yes, other eyes continue to watch, but no sign of contact so far. ...Exactly. It's a non-state army to use however they want. They've probably decided there's no sense in wiping them out just yet. Better to make... use of them. Indeed they have... There's a site near Angola... And we've fully validated the AI as well... Agreed. In the end, a machine is just that: a machine. Sigint was right. It seems it's time for a change in approach. Machines are best suited to specialize in high-level data processing. Yes... Of course. Speaking of which, any news on the "sons"...? Two already... Really... ...But they're strictly an insurance policy, yes? Mmmmm... So that's the idea... I wonder how Big Boss will respond... Yes. But I'm only interested in the business angle. Like I said before, I'm neither an enemy nor an ally. I'm merely a business partner. Don't forget it. Yes, I'll be in touch... my dear Zero (CIPHER).