Prologue: Last Day in Outer Heaven
"Frontline combat is going to be suicide for us...
"Frontline combat is going to be suicide for us...
Metal Gear Solid V: Chronicles of Outer Heaven (MGS/Valkyria Chronicles)
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Last Day in Outer Heaven
konamikode
Cooking Harder
Prologue: Last Day in Outer Heaven
"Frontline combat is going to be suicide for us despite our tech lead due to numbers alone. The most we'll be able to effectively fight against and win with a conventional force would be an over strength company comprised of infantry and tanks."
---
*Jesus Christ Cookie, can you hurry the fuck up with my ammo!? We've got a five to six fucking hour long drive ahead of us and we're already fucking late!*
---
"I'm bringing someone home."
---
"That is why we… no.
I.
I will fight for you, Gallia."
---
"That's a nice dream, isn't it Kaz?" Snake chuckles fondly, reaching for the sun with his remaining hand, playing with the beams of light shining down from the sky.
Isara's eyes widen, looking up at the both of us as we lay splayed out against the deck of Mother Base
"Yeah Boss. A place where everyone is needed? Sounds like a real heaven. Something impossible." He spits a bloody wad of phlegm to the side and rises, once again coming into that stance.
---
"Yeah." I look up into the sky.
A minute later the thunder clouds roll in and the rain begins to pour.
I stay there staring at the heavens, reaching out with a hand to grip the intangible.
Another minute passes by and I slowly lower my arm and turn to walk to the Command Center while shaking my head.
Not yet.
We're not there yet.
---
"What took you so long?"
[x] Continue
"What… what happened…?" I muttered, coming back to consciousness from the strange, wondrous dream of a place I had never been filled with people I would never meet.
Smoke filled the room, the scent of cordite and blood floating in the air as I came back to wakefulness.
I didn't have the strength to move my legs-
Ah.
Yes, I remember now
Blood still oozing from the many holes in my legs, I reach down, picking out a cigar covered in my own dark life fluids, lighting it up in a long practiced motion.
It takes a few tries for me to work the zippo. Fingers numb and unresponsive.
And then my radio scratches to life, the voice of an old friend filling the heavy air.
"Hello Ahab"
"Ishmael… you've really kept me waiting." I mumbled, leaning back just as much because it was physically impossible to do otherwise and that I felt the great weight atop my shoulder lighten for the first time in a decade.
As our conversation flowed through my ears like the silky smoke of my cigar spiraling into the air, I saw her.
Just as beautiful and silent as she was in life, the ghost from my past settled down near me with a hand pressing forward to brush against my cheek.
I see… so you've come to pick me up then?
Then I guess…
… My battle really is over…
My eyes closed and the cigar held between my lips dropped into the puddle of blood leaking from my many wounds.
And with a soft sigh, the last breath I would ever take, I exhaled-
...
.......
............
.......
............
New Game + Activated
-because the stench of an unwashed body, the cloying scent of gunpowder, and the ever present tang of blood nearly gagged my throat…
What…?
When my eyes opened again I was standing over the pale, glassy eyed body of a girl still barely clinging to life.
From my hands, the bomb that was just removed from Paz's stomach was plucked by…
The gloved hands of an old friend.
"Good work. Stitch her back up."
Ishmael.
What?
"No. Something isn't right. I'm checking again." I heard myself mutter as I brushed past my original, the phantom pain of my left arm still present despite it being visibly returned.
I've done this before. In a dream within a dream.
My body moves on it's own without command. A passenger trapped within an oh so familiar and regretful memory.
But it's different.
Something is strange.
But it doesn't feel wrong.
...
Maybe I'm stuck in hell, reliving all of my past mistakes over and over until the end of time.
But I have to make this right.
Paz struggles, hoarsely screaming even after her voice dies out to a silent, pained screech when my hands move automatically, searching for the second bomb that I know is there.
The sensation of plastic rubs against my gloved finger tips and I go deeper, carefully pulling the explosive out despite the urgency telling me that I need to be faster.
There was never time for anesthetic. The most I could do for the poor girl who had sacrificed herself to save us, and spat in the eye of Skull Face, was to lubricate my hand with her own blood.
Even within an impossible dream I hurt the people I'm trying to save.
Even when the second bomb is retrieved and disposed of over the ocean, I know that the likelihood of Paz surviving the night is slim to none.
I didn't need to see the lack of kidneys when I cut her gut open to remember that they'd been taken out prior to Snake's recovery of the tortured young woman.
Even if we could get her on the dialysis machine back at Mother Base, the combination of malnutrition, infection, and previous trauma to the body would all but seal her fate.
Pacifica Ocean would die.
It would take a miracle, an act of God to save her. I knew this.
But my hands moved anyway, both the right and non prosthetic left doing their best to keep her stable within Morpho's helicopter.
Even after XOF landed at Mother Base uncontested due to Emmerich's betrayal. Even through the staccato of rifle rounds pinging against or digging into the armor of the helicopter, I still tried to save.
I only stopped holding down the mentally broken girl when that damned helicopter appeared next to us with a XOF operative aiming a missile launcher in our direction.
Time slowed, the familiar sound of my thudding heartbeat and the ringing of my ears overtaking my senses.
His finger depresses against the trigger, causing a bloom of fire to exit in a murderous backblast as the rocket streaked forward like syrup dripping from a bottle onto a plate of pancakes.
Again, my body acted before I could really think. Pushing Paz as far to the back of the helicopter as I could, I moved.
...
Hah.
Ha ha.
I guess I'll never reach Outer Heaven after all.
...
Don't worry Ishmael. Even if I already know how it all ends, I'll protect you until you turn this nightmare into a dream.
If there's anyone that can change Fate. It's you and me.
Together.
I leap forward without hesitation, shielding Big Boss with my body as the explosion rocks the chopper and sends a chunk of shrapnel into my temple-
VOTING MORATORIUM UNTIL 3PM PST.
VOTES WILL BE OPEN UNTIL THURSDAY AFTERNOON 3PM PST TIME.
VOTE BY PLAN
CHARACTER SUBMISSIONS NOT YET OPEN
The year is 1984.
While the Cold War still rages on, dozens upon dozens of brushfire conflicts, proxy wars, and rebellions are waged across the nuclear era. In this time, the formation of privately owned military organizations have risen to meet the demand for trained warfighters willing to fight and die by the rifle and for coin.
This is the world that you have awoken to after nine years Ahab.
While the whispers in the wind have labeled you as all three titles, as Big Boss, how did you historically grow your legend?
[ ] Hero: You tried to preserve lives when you could, only resorting to lethal options when you had no choice but to do so. Your compassion, valor, and impossible skill cloaked you in the mantle of the Righteous Hero.
[ ] Mercenary: You didn't go out of your way to preserve lives, but neither did you glut yourself on the blood of your foes. Resources, cash, and ruthless efficiency shaded you in gray as the Legendary Mercenary.
[ ] Demon: You gunned them all down. Regardless of who was standing in front of you, if they were an enemy, you acted without mercy. You penchant for inflicting pain, violence, and death bathed you in a river of sin as the Vengeful Demon.
How did you build Diamond Dogs?
[ ] Meticulously: You only turned the best people and repurposed the highest quality equipment. Quality and expertise mattered more than filling boots. The training you gave was often done personally, and you moulded a core of crack professionals up to your own, near superhuman, standards. You could be certain that those who fought for your dream would be the most fit to build Outer Heaven. You take pride in the fact that there is no other armed force in the world that can compare to your peerless warriors and top of the line gear.
[ ] Regularly: You took what you wanted when the opportunity presented itself, but you didn't needlessly pad your numbers with an overabundance of chaff. Each man you recruited and the equipment you took are comparable to conventional, elite branches of the world's militaries. That is the standard set to be rightly called a Diamond Dog.
[ ] Enthusiastically: You fultoned everything that could move regardless of whether the personnel, equipment, or supplies you were lifting were immediately useful. You needed to grow strong and grow quickly to better take the fight to where you were needed. While you didn't have much time to train your troops, you made sure you had more than enough people to ensure those who survived would be Diamond Dog material.
What type of combat was your PMC primarily trained and armed for?
[ ] Conventional Combined Arms: All of modern warfare is based upon this principle. It is exceptionally difficult to fight an army that seems to have all the answers to nearly every problem.
[ ] Asymmetrical Warfighting: This is the future of war, the anathema of conventional warfare with minimal resources spent. This is a nearly impossible to overcome paradigm without a great deal of ingenuity.
[ ] Technological Superiority: War is progress. Without it, humanity would stagnate into 'tried and true' methodologies based upon the last major war.
[ ] Logistical Juggernaut: An army marches on its stomach and if you fire enough bullets, you'll eventually kill whatever's on the other end.
What combat arm did you place the most focus on within Diamond Dogs?
[ ] Infantry: The queen of battle, there's no other unit that can take and hold ground as effectively as a man with a rifle.
[ ] Armor: There's nothing quite like hearing tanks rumbling by and ducking into your foxhole with the vain hope that the grumbling warmachine won't just flatten your cover under its treads and guns.
[ ] Naval: While lacking the speed of air transport, the seas are the primary route by witch troops and, munitions, equipment, and powder propelled death rove the world.
[ ] Air: Mobility, reconnaissance, and close air support are how wars are won. On a modern battlefield, none can hope to combat the sheer utility and combat power of air assets.
[ ] Experimental: The potency of air power was discovered during World War I and so far there hasn't been a contender. But who knows what can change with the advent of powered armor, infantry scale armored walkers, and more.
- This vote choice represents the most factual account of how Venom Snake operated as the leader of the Diamond Dogs.
- How did you, the player, conduct the majority of your missions leading up to this point in time within TPP. Were you madly giggling with every power drunk bullet that ripped through flailing bodies, or were you a CQC/Tranq maniac that used enough knockout drugs to flood the oceans?
[ ] Hero: You tried to preserve lives when you could, only resorting to lethal options when you had no choice but to do so. Your compassion, valor, and impossible skill cloaked you in the mantle of the Righteous Hero.
- Your message is one that resonates throughout the hearts and minds of the world. They see you as a near mythical hero who fights against tyranny and oppression.
- In the eyes of the common man, you are regarded in an incredibly positive light. You are the best of what humanity has to offer, struggling for a better tomorrow.
- The governments and polities of the world see you as a dangerous threat to their power base despite their vocal platitudes for your achievements and actively work against you. You are the most dangerous kind of leader, one who can sway the hearts of the masses and force them out of their comfortable sheep pens through deed and example. You are a threat to world order that must be neutralized at all costs.
- Soldiers of the world dream of meeting you, seeing you as an impossibly bright lantern who holds onto an ideal that shaves away the darkness in their hearts. Young boys and old men alike find their spirits lightening from your example, filling their spirits with a sense of purpose and rejuvenating their weary frames with a sense of pride. Because they know that they too fight for Outer Heaven regardless of their banner.
[ ] Mercenary: You didn't go out of your way to preserve lives, but neither did you glut yourself on the blood of your foes. Resources, cash, and ruthless efficiency shaded you in gray as the Legendary Mercenary.
- You are a neutral entity to the world at large. A man who is focused more on building himself power just like every other self-made warrior king in history.
- The common people see you as the pinnacle of commercial success at best and a money hungry despot at worst.
- The world powers see you as a useful tool, degrading and extolling your virtues as they see fit. Offers for Diamond Dog's services are always at a premium, and government organizations seek to have long, fruitful relationships with their new business partner.
- Soldiers regard you with a healthy respect and wistfully wish to follow your footsteps in order to achieve 'the dream'. Those with the skill and strength flock to the warzones in your areas of operation, hoping beyond hope that they can fight under your stewardship. They've heard the call, the foundations of Outer Heaven will be built upon the brick and mortar of their blood and bodies.
[ ] Demon: You gunned them all down. Regardless of who was standing in front of you, if they were an enemy, you acted without mercy. You penchant for inflicting pain, violence, and death bathed you in a river of sin as the Vengeful Demon.
- You are seen as a mass murderer, a tyrant, and a dangerously unstable monster leading an equally deadly band of bloodthirsty psychopaths. The world trembles when your bloodsoaked boots squelch against the recoiling mud of Mother Earth.
- You are universally disparaged by the civilian population of nearly every nation. A mad dog who needs to be put down before he becomes a threat encroaching on their doorsteps.
- Governments see you as a dangerous tool, but one that will burn itself out in the fires of hatred and war before you can become a true threat. They've seen you and your ilk countless times before, and the thought of you achieving stability through your murderous ways is laughable to them.
- Soldiers fear you. Just hearing your name is enough to send even the most hardened fighters packing for the most definitely greener pasture of life rather than certain doom. But they are also invariably drawn to you, calling for them to rage against the uncaring figures sitting untouched in their ivory towers while they bleed and die for the unthankful masses. In the darkest places within their disillusioned hearts, they yearn for the salvation of Outer Heaven.
How did you build Diamond Dogs?
- This vote choice represents how large Diamond Dogs are at the start and how 'easy' it is to grow your numbers and equipment due to your organizational standards. The amount of available manpower also determines how many actions you have to use in a turn.
- Are you one of those crazy Snakes that put a balloon on everything you could, or were you more subjective about the resources you fultoned out?
[ ] Meticulously: You only turned the best people and repurposed the highest quality equipment. Quality and expertise mattered more than filling boots. The training you gave was often done personally, and you moulded a core of crack professionals up to your own, near superhuman, standards. You could be certain that those who fought for your dream would be the most fit to build Outer Heaven. You take pride in the fact that there is no other armed force in the world that can compare to your peerless warriors and top of the line gear.
- Advantages
- Your troops range from Elite to FOX in skill, physical ability, and mental toughness, even freshly 'trained' units.
- You pretty much have the largest Tier 1 SF group in the world.
- Your tech, gear, and vehicles don't lag behind in this department either.
- Difficulty Checks are lowered across the board due to the skill and sheer grit of your people.
- Disadvantages
- This is a highly exclusive PMC, it is exponentially more difficult to raise and train troops of all types.
- Numbers do matter at times, and you don't have numbers. (Start with 4 Action Dice)
[ ] Regularly: You took what you wanted when the opportunity presented itself, but you didn't needlessly pad your numbers with an overabundance of chaff. Each man you recruited and the equipment you took are comparable to conventional, elite branches of the world's militaries. That is the standard set to be rightly called a Diamond Dog.
- Advantages
- Your troops range from Experienced to Elite in skill, physical ability, and mental toughness, even freshly 'trained' units.
- DDogs are comparable to an elite conventional unit such as US Army Rangers.
- Your tech, gear, and vehicles rate at average to above average.
- Difficulty Checks remain at normal levels.
- Disadvantages
- There's really nothing special to say.
- A middle ground does have its upsides? (Start with 6 Action Dice)
[ ] Enthusiastically: You fultoned everything that could move regardless of whether the personnel, equipment, or supplies you were lifting were immediately useful. You needed to grow strong and grow quickly to better take the fight to where you were needed. While you didn't have much time to train your troops, you made sure you had more than enough people to ensure those who survived would be Diamond Dog material.
- Advantages
- DDogs are comparable to a drafted cold war era military force, but you have enough people not to care. (Start with 8 Action Dice)
- Your tech, gear, and vehicles is made by the lowest bidder, but you have a lot of them.
- You can easily swamp many of your foes with standard troops of roughly equal value.
- Disadvantages
- Your troops range from Green to Veteran in skill, physical ability, and mental toughness, including 'freshly trained' units.
- Difficulty Checks are higher to account for the normality of your soldiers.
What type of combat was your PMC primarily trained and armed for?
- This vote represents the type of army that you field, it's starting composition, and how Diamond Dogs as an organization will grow.
- Think of it as your personal SOP when it comes to playing TPP and VC.
- This vote also influences Research Options.
[ ] Conventional Combined Arms: All of modern warfare is based upon this principle. It is exceptionally difficult to fight an army that seems to have all the answers to nearly every problem.
- Advantages
- You have an equally balanced PMC with roughly equal power in all aspects of war, adaptability is your game.
- There is a reason this concept is the ruling king of the current era.
- Disadvantages
- Generalization means you fight well on all fronts, but this is a complicated concept to put into practice.
[ ] Asymmetrical Warfighting: This is the future of war, the anathema of conventional warfare with minimal resources spent. This is a nearly impossible to overcome paradigm without a great deal of ingenuity.
- Advantages
- Diamond Dogs are specialized in small unit warfare tailor made to fight and start insurgencies.
- You are a conventional military killer, a hard to destroy thorn that'll eventually bleed out even the largest of giants.
- Disadvantages
- You lack punch when it comes to direct engagements with larger formations.
[ ] Technological Superiority: War is progress. Without it, humanity would stagnate into 'tried and true' methodologies based upon the last major war.
- Advantages
- DD focus on fielding the most high tech solutions on the battlefield and creating new combat paradigms.
- Enemies have no idea how to deal with you, how unwell in the head do you have to be to jump out of a perfectly good airplane?
- Disadvantages
- Sometimes your crazy ideas need to go back to the drawing board.
[ ] Logistical Juggernaut: An army marches on its stomach and if you fire enough bullets, you'll eventually kill whatever's on the other end.
- Advantages
- Diamond Dogs focus more on the strategic aspect of war rather than the tactical. Funding and logistics isn't a problem and humanitarian support is a drop in the bucket for you.
- Unit morale is high due to abundant amenities, a luxurious paycheck, warehouses full of spare everything, and not having to lug around 20+ pounds of food and water on a long patrol when it can just be air dropped by your fleet of ever present helicopters and cargo planes.
- Disadvantages
- The maximum veterancy of your troops is dropped by one tier when you start the game.
- For example, Experienced, Veteran,
Elite
What combat arm did you place the most focus on within Diamond Dogs?
- This vote determines where you focused your efforts when it came to training your soldiers regarding combat.
- In player terms, did you guys fill Mother Base up with soldiers, tanks, or other things?
- This vote also influences Research Options.
[ ] Infantry: The queen of battle, there's no other unit that can take and hold ground as effectively as a man with a rifle.
- Your infantry units start the game with additional kit options already researched such as Standard Line Infantry having (Jungle), (Arctic), (Desert), (ETC), specializations.
[ ] Armor: There's nothing quite like hearing tanks rumbling by and ducking into your foxhole with the vain hope that the grumbling warmachine won't just flatten your cover under its treads and guns.
- Your Armor units start the game with additional kit options already researched such as an M1 Abrams Tank Platoon having (Anti Infantry) (Anti Armor) (Air Defense), specializations.
[ ] Naval: While lacking the speed of air transport, the seas are the primary route by witch troops and, munitions, equipment, and powder propelled death rove the world.
- You start the game with a Carrier Strike Group consisting of a Troopship, 1 Cruiser, 2 Destroyers, an Aircraft Carrier, and a Supply Barge that you can use to land a Division sized unit anywhere in the world within a month.
- Do note, it takes a fuck ton of resources and personnel to run something like this, so you should probably choose your votes carefully if you go this route!
- While you do have choppers, you do not start with fixed winged vehicles!
[ ] Air: Mobility, reconnaissance, and close air support are how wars are won. On a modern battlefield, none can hope to combat the sheer utility and combat power of air assets.
- You start the game with a landing strut on Mother Base that allows you to field fixed wing vehicles and begin with 3 F-16 Fighter Jets, a C-5 Galaxy super cargo plane, and 5 A-10 Thunderbolts.
- The C-5 can take 3 companies of infantry, a company of mechanized infantry, or a company of Air Assault infantry along with their vehicles anywhere on the globe within 24 hours.
[ ] Experimental: The potency of air power was discovered during World War I and so far there hasn't been a contender. But who knows what can change with the advent of powered armor, infantry scale armored walkers, and more.
- You start the game with 2 Battle Gears in the hanger and Walker Gears fitted with D-Walker AI capability as a standard.
"Snake?"
"................"
"I'm sorry Snake..."
"It's time to wake up now."
"..."
"......"
"Quiet...?"
V HAS COME TO.
===============================
Metal Gear Solid V
Chronicles of Outer Heaven
Tactical Espionage Quest
Valkyrian War DLC
PRESS REPLY BUTTON
By Konamikode
================================
AN: I missed how fun it was to emulate Kojima's directorial flair through this medium :3.
Are you ready?
Just an annoying reminder that your friendly neighborhood Konami who the actual company totally ripped the Survive scenario from got no recognition or monetary compensation for coming up with the MSF transported to another dimension concept.
Please check it out if you want to support me <3
Kona's Patreon
Please check it out if you want to support me <3
Kona's Patreon
Last edited:
Turn 1 (Old World)
konamikode
Cooking Harder
Turn 1
=====
"Jack… is that you…?"
I awoke from my bed with a start, body tense in preparation for the concussion and heatwave of the blast. Long used to the sensation of cold sweat running down my back after a restless night of sleep, I waved away the foggy memories of a night I barely remembered to prepare for the day.
"He was always the best man we had." I remembered saying at his eulogy.
But that moment of memory for the fallen man who had saved my life is all that I could regretfully spare.
Skull Face was dead, but that didn't mean Diamond Dogs didn't have other things to worry about.
Strange, nonsensical dreams I couldn't make heads or tails of or not, Outer Heaven isn't going to build itself.
Not without Big Boss.
=====
Current GMP: 1,000,000 GMP
Upkeep: 222,000 GMP
-5% (GMP Supply Platoon)
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Total Upkeep: 210,900
Projected GMP Next Turn: 789,100
=====
Action Dice: 4 (Can be used as action or roll)
*I've purposefully made it so you can't research more actions right off the bat*
**Here's a hint, you need more manpower, more efficiency, or something autonomous that can do the work for you**
VOTE BY PLAN!
Vote moratorium until Friday, 6 AM PST
Votes will close Sunday at 3pm PST TIME
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Emergency Ops: High Priority missions that can pop up at any time, including between turns. Extremely time sensitive.
No Missions
=====
Main Ops: Story related missions, time sensitive
[ ] Main Ops 1: Recover Code Talker's Research
Mission Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Boost to Parasite Research, nearly eliminates threat of parasite tech leaking into the world.
Mission Brief: Cipher's still out there Boss and what's left of XOF is still reeling from Skull Face's death. We need to take the opportunity to get our hands on the Vocal Parasite research so that something like this doesn't happen again. You'll be going to a secure site in Africa so be prepared for an urban, mountainous, and woodland environment.
------
Side Ops: Semi-story driven missions, but still important and time sensitive
[ ] Side Ops 1: Miller Time
Mission Difficulty: Very Easy
Reward: Increase relationship with Kazuhira Miller
Mission Brief: You haven't had a chance to relax in a while and neither has Miller. Take a day off and finally give yourselves time for the Phantoms to settle.
[ ] Side Ops 2: Check on Paz *New Game+*
Mission Difficulty:Very Hard, Hard, Easy (Further Omake Bonus)
Reward: Increased relationship with 'Paz Ortega Andrade'
Mission Brief: You've managed to find an old photo of an MSF barbecue after taking down Zeke for the first time. Maybe some good memories will help Paz recover mentally after nine years without change.
[ ] Side Ops 3: No Son of Mine
Mission Difficulty:Very Hard, Hard (Pupper Omake)
Reward: Increased(?) relationship with Eli
Mission Brief: There's no explanation to be had. Eli is a little shit, but you can't just foist him off onto Ocelot to deal with. Probably.
[ ] Side Ops 4: Let's Talk Huey *New Game+*
Mission Difficulty:Very Hard, Hard (Omake Bonus)
Reward: Increased(?) relationship with Huey
Mission Brief: Skull Face is dead. Sit down and have a chat with a man who you thought was a friend and ask.
Why?
[ ] Side Ops 5: Saladin
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: ???, 100,000 GMP
Mission Brief: The Kurdish rebellion is fully underway and they've contracted Diamond Dogs to fulfill a job. Hitting a Turkish supply base should be easy enough for you Snake.
[ ] Side Ops 6: Denuclearization 1
Mission Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Lose nuclear capability. Get started on something bigger.
Mission Brief: A world without nukes...can you imagine it Boss? Living in an era where we don't have to worry about the concept of mutually assured destruction.
-------
PMC Ops: Missions for the grunts for everything else that requires manpower from small/large missions to building new outposts/structures and humanitarian aid.
[ ] PMC Ops 1: Mujahideen Support
Mission Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 150,000 GMP
Mission Brief: The soviets are attempting to muster men and material for a new offensive in the rural heartland of the Kandahar Valley. Increased soviet capability in the region would destabilize our own efforts and goals. This is going to be a large operation against a conventional force in mountainous terrain.
And we know exactly how to best fight against that.
[ ] PMC Ops 2: UN Peacekeeping in the Congo
Mission Difficulty: Very Easy
Reward: Possible Infantry Recruitment, 100,000 GMP
Mission Brief: Nothing much to mention here Boss. Just your standard peacekeeping op and making sure supplies get where they need to. We're not really expecting much opposition here.
[ ] PMC Ops 3: Kurdish Relief
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Guaranteed Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 50,000 GMP
Mission Brief: The Kurdish rebellion is in full swing. The rebels are on the ropes and they can't offer much. Well except manpower that is.
We've also heard word of rival PC's operating in the area, so why don't we take a few of their shiny new toys for our own?
[ ] PMC Ops 4: Operation Conservation
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: 100,000 GMT, Conservation Strut construction funded by PETA!
Mission Brief: PETA contracted us for this one Boss. They want us to… uh… relocate a bunch of endangered species onto Mother Base until they can set up wildlife preserves. They'll even fund the building of a new strut to house them in as well as paying us some pretty solid paper.
But how the hell are we supposed to transport hundreds of animal-
Boss, you've got that look in your eye again.
Boss. No.
I still got one leg and an arm Boss, don't make me hobble over there!
Boss!
--------
R&D: Includes missions to test prototypes
[-] R&D 1: Wormhole Technology
Mission Difficulty: DC 100 (Passed!), 200,000 GMP already paid
Research Time: Will finish in 2 Turns (Turn 3)
Reward: Gain Wormhole Fulton Technology?
Mission Brief: Emmerich says he's stumbled on something unbelievable. Apparently he's discovered some kind of new element that breaks multiple laws of physics. Could be something useful, I think.
[ ] R&D 2: Repairing Sahelanthropus
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 500,000 GMP
Research Time: 2 Turns (Turn 3)
Reward: ST-84 Metal Gear "Sahelanthropus" Repaired. Still requires an AI pod or child sized pilot to get it to work apparently.
Mission Brief: Emmerich's been on my ass all day begging for the funding to repair his little pet project. I told him I'd talk to you about it, but frankly it seems like a terrible idea.
Please tell me you're not actually thinking about throwing even more money at that traitor Snake?
[ ] R&D 3: The Chemical Burger
Mission Difficulty: DC 10, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Gain Chemical Burger Ration, Increased Relations with Code Talker, Large Morale Boost
Mission Brief: Kaz, what are you doing in the kitchen?
W-what!? Nothing Boss, just making sure that everything got brought in with the new shipment!
What the hell, why is that burger blue?
[ ] R&D 4: Ballistic Vests
Mission Difficulty: DC 15, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Infantry gain early Plate Carriers that increase survivability in case of a hit.
Mission Brief: This kevlar stuff has been around since the 60's, it's surprising that no one's thought to use it as body armor before. I bet with some kind of steel plate behind it, you'd be able to take a rifle round to the chest without serious harm!
[ ] R&D 5: Picatinny Rail System
Mission Difficulty: DC 15, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves Infantry adaptability by allowing them to slot Two specializations.
Mission Brief: What if we made a system where soldiers could add and replace any attachment they want on the go? It wouldn't take much work, we'd only need to fabricate some kind of… rail system.
[ ] R&D 6: Uparmored Vehicles
Mission Difficulty: DC 30, 200,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves all mechanized unit survivability with extra armor
Mission Brief: Sure, we could just bolt on a bunch of armor to make something tougher, but you gotta think about how it affects the weight, the balance, the load bearing capacity-
[ ] R&D 7: Armored Fuel tanks
Mission Difficulty: DC 30, 250,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves all air unit survivability with extra armor
Mission Brief: I think this is something we can do, see there's been research done on this new alloy that's just as light as aluminium and has the same properties as-
[ ] R&D 8: Basic Education Program
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 100,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Let's soldiers get their GED's. Allows child soldiers to begin rehabilitation. Increases morale all around.
Mission Brief: We're not the kind of people that'll force people to stay if they have any other choice. Get an education program made Kaz. We need to be more, not less than who we were going out than coming into this life.
-------
Omake Ops: Player created content for goodies. Can affect other Ops. (No Action Dice Required)
[ ] Omake Ops 1: A Better Life
Mission Difficulty: 500-1k words, High Quality
Reward: Snake's attempts at increasing his relationship score with Eli lessens in difficulty
Mission Brief: Write a piece involving the child soldiers DDogs have brought back to base and showing them how to be kids. Either Eli's, Ocelot, Miller, or your character's perspective.
[DONE] Omake Ops 2: Official Mascot (DONE)
Mission Difficulty: 500-1k words, no quality requirement.
Reward: Opens research for Combat Dogs
Mission Brief: What does D-Dog get up to when he's at Mother Base? DD's perspective.
[DONE] Omake Ops 3: Reminiscing with Paz (DONE)
Mission Difficulty: 500-1k words, High Quality
Reward: Snake's attempts at increasing his relationship score with Paz lessens in difficulty
Mission Brief: Paz has reverted to her old persona that she had back when she first met MSF in the 70's. The docs say that she could get better if we spent time with her. Must be in the perspective of a player character from the MSF days.
[ ] Omake Ops 4: Go Ham~ (Good Lord, why did I do this?)
Mission Difficulty: However much you wanna write, no quality requirement.
Reward: Depends
Mission Brief: Whatever you can think of, go for it~
======
Building Options
======
AN: Character Creation Thread will be up later today or tomorrow. I'll let you all know when it happens
.
Also if it isn't obvious, shit goes sideways at the end of Turn 3.
Be ready :3
=====
"Jack… is that you…?"
I awoke from my bed with a start, body tense in preparation for the concussion and heatwave of the blast. Long used to the sensation of cold sweat running down my back after a restless night of sleep, I waved away the foggy memories of a night I barely remembered to prepare for the day.
"He was always the best man we had." I remembered saying at his eulogy.
But that moment of memory for the fallen man who had saved my life is all that I could regretfully spare.
Skull Face was dead, but that didn't mean Diamond Dogs didn't have other things to worry about.
Strange, nonsensical dreams I couldn't make heads or tails of or not, Outer Heaven isn't going to build itself.
Not without Big Boss.
=====
Current GMP: 1,000,000 GMP
Upkeep: 222,000 GMP
-5% (GMP Supply Platoon)
------
Total Upkeep: 210,900
Projected GMP Next Turn: 789,100
=====
Action Dice: 4 (Can be used as action or roll)
*I've purposefully made it so you can't research more actions right off the bat*
**Here's a hint, you need more manpower, more efficiency, or something autonomous that can do the work for you**
VOTE BY PLAN!
Vote moratorium until Friday, 6 AM PST
Votes will close Sunday at 3pm PST TIME
=====
Emergency Ops: High Priority missions that can pop up at any time, including between turns. Extremely time sensitive.
No Missions
=====
Main Ops: Story related missions, time sensitive
[ ] Main Ops 1: Recover Code Talker's Research
Mission Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Boost to Parasite Research, nearly eliminates threat of parasite tech leaking into the world.
Mission Brief: Cipher's still out there Boss and what's left of XOF is still reeling from Skull Face's death. We need to take the opportunity to get our hands on the Vocal Parasite research so that something like this doesn't happen again. You'll be going to a secure site in Africa so be prepared for an urban, mountainous, and woodland environment.
------
Side Ops: Semi-story driven missions, but still important and time sensitive
[ ] Side Ops 1: Miller Time
Mission Difficulty: Very Easy
Reward: Increase relationship with Kazuhira Miller
Mission Brief: You haven't had a chance to relax in a while and neither has Miller. Take a day off and finally give yourselves time for the Phantoms to settle.
[ ] Side Ops 2: Check on Paz *New Game+*
Mission Difficulty:
Reward: Increased relationship with 'Paz Ortega Andrade'
Mission Brief: You've managed to find an old photo of an MSF barbecue after taking down Zeke for the first time. Maybe some good memories will help Paz recover mentally after nine years without change.
[ ] Side Ops 3: No Son of Mine
Mission Difficulty:
Reward: Increased(?) relationship with Eli
Mission Brief: There's no explanation to be had. Eli is a little shit, but you can't just foist him off onto Ocelot to deal with. Probably.
[ ] Side Ops 4: Let's Talk Huey *New Game+*
Mission Difficulty:
Reward: Increased(?) relationship with Huey
Mission Brief: Skull Face is dead. Sit down and have a chat with a man who you thought was a friend and ask.
Why?
[ ] Side Ops 5: Saladin
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: ???, 100,000 GMP
Mission Brief: The Kurdish rebellion is fully underway and they've contracted Diamond Dogs to fulfill a job. Hitting a Turkish supply base should be easy enough for you Snake.
[ ] Side Ops 6: Denuclearization 1
Mission Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Lose nuclear capability. Get started on something bigger.
Mission Brief: A world without nukes...can you imagine it Boss? Living in an era where we don't have to worry about the concept of mutually assured destruction.
-------
PMC Ops: Missions for the grunts for everything else that requires manpower from small/large missions to building new outposts/structures and humanitarian aid.
[ ] PMC Ops 1: Mujahideen Support
Mission Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 150,000 GMP
Mission Brief: The soviets are attempting to muster men and material for a new offensive in the rural heartland of the Kandahar Valley. Increased soviet capability in the region would destabilize our own efforts and goals. This is going to be a large operation against a conventional force in mountainous terrain.
And we know exactly how to best fight against that.
[ ] PMC Ops 2: UN Peacekeeping in the Congo
Mission Difficulty: Very Easy
Reward: Possible Infantry Recruitment, 100,000 GMP
Mission Brief: Nothing much to mention here Boss. Just your standard peacekeeping op and making sure supplies get where they need to. We're not really expecting much opposition here.
[ ] PMC Ops 3: Kurdish Relief
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Guaranteed Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 50,000 GMP
Mission Brief: The Kurdish rebellion is in full swing. The rebels are on the ropes and they can't offer much. Well except manpower that is.
We've also heard word of rival PC's operating in the area, so why don't we take a few of their shiny new toys for our own?
[ ] PMC Ops 4: Operation Conservation
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: 100,000 GMT, Conservation Strut construction funded by PETA!
Mission Brief: PETA contracted us for this one Boss. They want us to… uh… relocate a bunch of endangered species onto Mother Base until they can set up wildlife preserves. They'll even fund the building of a new strut to house them in as well as paying us some pretty solid paper.
But how the hell are we supposed to transport hundreds of animal-
Boss, you've got that look in your eye again.
Boss. No.
I still got one leg and an arm Boss, don't make me hobble over there!
Boss!
--------
R&D: Includes missions to test prototypes
[-] R&D 1: Wormhole Technology
Mission Difficulty: DC 100 (Passed!), 200,000 GMP already paid
Research Time: Will finish in 2 Turns (Turn 3)
Reward: Gain Wormhole Fulton Technology?
Mission Brief: Emmerich says he's stumbled on something unbelievable. Apparently he's discovered some kind of new element that breaks multiple laws of physics. Could be something useful, I think.
[ ] R&D 2: Repairing Sahelanthropus
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 500,000 GMP
Research Time: 2 Turns (Turn 3)
Reward: ST-84 Metal Gear "Sahelanthropus" Repaired. Still requires an AI pod or child sized pilot to get it to work apparently.
Mission Brief: Emmerich's been on my ass all day begging for the funding to repair his little pet project. I told him I'd talk to you about it, but frankly it seems like a terrible idea.
Please tell me you're not actually thinking about throwing even more money at that traitor Snake?
[ ] R&D 3: The Chemical Burger
Mission Difficulty: DC 10, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Gain Chemical Burger Ration, Increased Relations with Code Talker, Large Morale Boost
Mission Brief: Kaz, what are you doing in the kitchen?
W-what!? Nothing Boss, just making sure that everything got brought in with the new shipment!
What the hell, why is that burger blue?
[ ] R&D 4: Ballistic Vests
Mission Difficulty: DC 15, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Infantry gain early Plate Carriers that increase survivability in case of a hit.
Mission Brief: This kevlar stuff has been around since the 60's, it's surprising that no one's thought to use it as body armor before. I bet with some kind of steel plate behind it, you'd be able to take a rifle round to the chest without serious harm!
[ ] R&D 5: Picatinny Rail System
Mission Difficulty: DC 15, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves Infantry adaptability by allowing them to slot Two specializations.
Mission Brief: What if we made a system where soldiers could add and replace any attachment they want on the go? It wouldn't take much work, we'd only need to fabricate some kind of… rail system.
[ ] R&D 6: Uparmored Vehicles
Mission Difficulty: DC 30, 200,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves all mechanized unit survivability with extra armor
Mission Brief: Sure, we could just bolt on a bunch of armor to make something tougher, but you gotta think about how it affects the weight, the balance, the load bearing capacity-
[ ] R&D 7: Armored Fuel tanks
Mission Difficulty: DC 30, 250,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves all air unit survivability with extra armor
Mission Brief: I think this is something we can do, see there's been research done on this new alloy that's just as light as aluminium and has the same properties as-
[ ] R&D 8: Basic Education Program
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 100,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Let's soldiers get their GED's. Allows child soldiers to begin rehabilitation. Increases morale all around.
Mission Brief: We're not the kind of people that'll force people to stay if they have any other choice. Get an education program made Kaz. We need to be more, not less than who we were going out than coming into this life.
-------
Omake Ops: Player created content for goodies. Can affect other Ops. (No Action Dice Required)
[ ] Omake Ops 1: A Better Life
Mission Difficulty: 500-1k words, High Quality
Reward: Snake's attempts at increasing his relationship score with Eli lessens in difficulty
Mission Brief: Write a piece involving the child soldiers DDogs have brought back to base and showing them how to be kids. Either Eli's, Ocelot, Miller, or your character's perspective.
[DONE] Omake Ops 2: Official Mascot (DONE)
Mission Difficulty: 500-1k words, no quality requirement.
Reward: Opens research for Combat Dogs
Mission Brief: What does D-Dog get up to when he's at Mother Base? DD's perspective.
[DONE] Omake Ops 3: Reminiscing with Paz (DONE)
Mission Difficulty: 500-1k words, High Quality
Reward: Snake's attempts at increasing his relationship score with Paz lessens in difficulty
Mission Brief: Paz has reverted to her old persona that she had back when she first met MSF in the 70's. The docs say that she could get better if we spent time with her. Must be in the perspective of a player character from the MSF days.
[ ] Omake Ops 4: Go Ham~ (Good Lord, why did I do this?)
Mission Difficulty: However much you wanna write, no quality requirement.
Reward: Depends
Mission Brief: Whatever you can think of, go for it~
======
Building Options
Command Strut
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 Turns
Research Buildings
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
Supply Buildings
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
Vehicle Struts
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 Turns
- Tactical and Strategic Operations Center LVL 2
- Unlocks Business Ops (Non Combat business opportunities such as Gun Running, Commercial Businesses, and Trade Deals)
- Communications Center LVL 2
- Unlocks QRF Support (Allows you to use GMP to 'Double Down' on an action by having a unit waiting in the wings to support deployed Diamond Dogs)
- Unlocks Continent End of Turn Reports
Research Buildings
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
- UNBUILT Tank Simulators (Armor)
- Tankers start at 1 rank of Veterancy Higher of the current recruitment Paradigm (Meticulous)
- Allows Advanced Armor Research
- UNBUILT Aerospace Engineering Shop (Air)
- Pilots start at 1 rank of Veterancy Higher of the current recruitment Paradigm (Meticulous)
- Allows Advanced Air Research
- UNBUILT Seychelles Naval Warfare Academy (Naval)
- Sea Crews start at 1 rank of Veterancy Higher of the current recruitment Paradigm (Meticulous)
- Allows Advanced Naval Research
- UNBUILT Robotics Research Station
- Allows Mech Research
- UNBUILT AI Pod Storage
- Allows AI Research
- UNBUILT Biological Research Station
- Allows Parasite Research
- Is this really worth it Boss?
- UNBUILT Nuclear Research Station
- Allows Nuclear Research
- Boss… alright.
Supply Buildings
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
- Dining Facility LVL2
- "Oh shit, pizza day!?"
- Your troops are fed
- Medium Morale Boost
- Lounge LVL 2
- "Gump's doing his own thing with Dan, but hey, we got an open bar!"
- Your soldiers can take some time off, grab imported booze, and relax.
- Medium morale boost
- Medical Center LVL 2
- "I hate needles too"
- Wounded or sick soldiers will be treated in 3-4 turns depending on the severity of their wounds.
- Barracks LVL 2
- "We get our own rooms and bathrooms? I've never lived this good before Boss."
- Your soldiers have a place to rest their heads on comfortable twin beds that aren't a bitch to sleep on.
- Medium morale boost
- No limit to housing, Diamond Dogs will build more as needed.
Vehicle Struts
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
- UNBUILT Landing Strip
- Builds an additional strut where Fixed Wing Aircraft may land for maintenance and repair.
- UNBUILT Dry Dock
- Builds an additional strut where large naval assets are anchored for maintenance and repair.
======
AN: Character Creation Thread will be up later today or tomorrow. I'll let you all know when it happens
.Also if it isn't obvious, shit goes sideways at the end of Turn 3.
Be ready :3
Just an annoying reminder that your friendly neighborhood Konami who the actual company totally ripped the Survive scenario from got no recognition or monetary compensation for coming up with the MSF transported to another dimension concept.
Please check it out if you want to support me <3
Kona's Patreon
Please check it out if you want to support me <3
Kona's Patreon
Last edited:
Turn 1 Dice Coupon Vote
konamikode
Cooking Harder
Okay, Votes closed with
[X] Plan Child Healing
-[X] Main Ops 1: Recover Code Talker's Research
-[X] Side Ops 1: Miller Time
-[X] Side Ops 5: Saladin
-[X] R&D 8: Basic Education Program
I've been pulled away from VC to get through all the omakes and stuff, for now gonna open up the new vote for the extra dice coupon.
I don't believe we have enough to get another action, so I'm gonna go ahead and go on with the dice vote.
Could be wrong though, be ready for a heads up.
Choose 1 more action for this turn, vote closes Monday 9 AM PST
[X] Plan Child Healing
-[X] Main Ops 1: Recover Code Talker's Research
-[X] Side Ops 1: Miller Time
-[X] Side Ops 5: Saladin
-[X] R&D 8: Basic Education Program
I've been pulled away from VC to get through all the omakes and stuff, for now gonna open up the new vote for the extra dice coupon.
I don't believe we have enough to get another action, so I'm gonna go ahead and go on with the dice vote.
Could be wrong though, be ready for a heads up.
Choose 1 more action for this turn, vote closes Monday 9 AM PST
Turn 1 Results
konamikode
Cooking Harder
Turn 1 Results
[X] Plan Child Healing
-[X] Main Ops 1: Recover Code Talker's Research
-[X] Side Ops 1: Miller Time
-[X] Side Ops 5: Saladin
-[X] R&D 8: Basic Education Program
Extra Votes
[X] Side Ops 6: Denuclearization 1
[X] PMC Ops 3: Kurdish Relief
[X] Main Ops 1: Recover Code Talker's Research
Mission Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Boost to Parasite Research, nearly eliminates threat of parasite tech leaking into the world.
Mission Brief:
"Cipher's still out there Boss and what's left of XOF is still reeling from Skull Face's death. We need to take the opportunity to get our hands on the Vocal Parasite research so that something like this doesn't happen again. You'll be going to a secure site in Africa so be prepared for an urban, mountainous, and woodland environment."
"Be honest Kaz, after the battle against Sahelanthropus, anything else you throw at me this month is gonna be a cakewalk." I grunted into the mike as I stalked through the brush towards the mansion in the woods I'd first met with Code Talker.
The terrain was familiar. No drawn out battle with the Parasite Unit either.
I'd yet to see anyone walking about the trails just yet, but there were fresh boot prints all over surrounding area.
And multiple skirmishes worth of bullet casings.
The foliage told the story, one I carefully tread a path through. Trees with holes blown out of them, dead or dying with freshly dried sap bleeding an eerie tone of orange red. Bushes and grass that had been trampled upon by the surprised, rain having washed away the bloodstains sunk into the very earth I was ghosting through.
The ambushed force had won judging by the lack of bodies. They'd had enough time to sterilize damning signs of their presence.
An ideal situation. Transport choppers had been moving back and forth over the jungle canopy with regularity, likely sending in fresh reinforcements, supplies, and ferrying back the casualties.
Whoever held control of the manor would be expecting an attack in force, not a single phantom striking their blind spots.
And as I slipped past wary sentries, tripwires, and the occasional whir of hastily installed cameras, I couldn't help but feeling the familiar sense of relaxation budding from the back of my mind.
'Just another day.' I thought, body moving automatically to lower my profile into a crouched walk as I heard footsteps brushing across grass in the distance.
-
Infiltration Detection Check (Easy): Undetected
Exfiltration Detection Check (Easy): Undetected
Loot Roll: 2, No fultons
Main Ops 1: Clear, S-Rank
[X] Side Ops 1: Miller Time
Mission Difficulty: Very Easy
Reward: Increase relationship with Kazuhira Miller
Mission Brief: You haven't had a chance to relax in a while and neither has Miller. Take a day off and finally give yourselves time for the Phantoms to settle.
"Snaaaaaake! The man of the hour! Get your ass over here and pull up a chair."Kaz shouts over the general din of the lounge, the cheering of everyone else in the watering hole near deafening when they notice my presence.
"Boys. Kaz." I nod once, moving to sit beside my old friend and accepting the mug from the bartender with a klink of my prosthetic arm against frosted glass.
I didn't need to taste the beer to know that it was the cheap, homebrewed swill the supply unit had spent months 'perfecting', but at the moment it was the crispest, most full tasting beverage I'd ever had the pleasure of partaking in.
One gulp turned into three. Without pause I downed the entire pint, slamming the glass down onto the counter with a soft noise of satisfaction followed by an uncharacteristically delayed "Ahh" of contentment.
Despite all the rumors to the contrary, I've always been able to read the mood. Here and now, the soldiers didn't need to see the distant commander, but a fellow man reveling in the great victory we had achieved together.
We'd avenged the great wrong done to us, and while there was more to be done, the men had earned this breather.
"Hah! Age and a missing arm hasn't slowed you down one bit Snake. Bartender! An Old Fashioned for the Boss here, and make it a double!" Kaz laughs for the first time in a long while, the atmosphere and alcohol furthering his already good cheer.
Personally I'd prefer a good bourbon on the rocks, but an Old Fashioned was something I'd been known to favor over the years.
I'd never had the heart to tell anyone otherwise.
"Cheers Kaz. To the future."
"To Diamond Dogs Snake."
Our cups clink audibly over the familiar racket of soldiers celebrating without thought of consequence, and as I slowly sip at my drink, I take the time to force myself to relax and enjoy the moment.
===
Side Ops 1: Clear, S-Rank
Ahab's Opinion +2
Miller's Opinion +2
[X] Side Ops 5: Saladin
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: ???, 100,000 GMP
Mission Brief: "The Kurdish rebellion is fully underway and they've contracted Diamond Dogs to fulfill a job. Hitting a Turkish supply base should be easy enough for you Snake."
"Hrm. '84 is shaping up to be a hell of a year."
"The last gasping breaths of a super power leading to regional instability? Who would've thought?" Kaz chuckles dryly before continuing. "The insertion point should be coming up shortly. We'll be dropping you on top of a mountain close to the target location, your NVGs should give you plenty of information about how you want to make your approach-"
Off in the distance, familiar flashes of muzzle flares draw my eyes immediately to the source of gunfire. Immediately I begin cross referencing my current location to the mental map I've memorized of the surrounding terrain before coming to a conclusion that weighs my bones with fatigue.
"I've got muzzle flashes roughly twenty miles to the east of my current location, too far for them to have noticed us in this dark. I'm diverting towards it."
"Boss… but the mission…"
"Can wait. Day or night doesn't make a difference to me. Pull a bird and detach a squad from 2-3 loaded for a medical op and get them in the air." I breathe softly, and quietly speak into the radio.
"We're not just a walking corpse of MSF Kaz. It's up to us to live and die for the dreams of the departed. That's always been our burden to bear."
"..."
"Yeah Snake. Solid copy. Diverting assets on an Emergency Op now." My Second-in-Command's voice is curt and clipped in his response.
But I can hear it.
The desperate internal struggle. Of a piece of the original man so filled with fire shaking loose the blood rusted shackles of the last nine years.
We are all changed men. Full of loss and pain. Bent and broken.
"DD. Are you ready?"
"Woof!"
But that doesn't mean we have to stand by and watch innocent people get dragged down into hell with us.
"Good. Let's go." I whisper into the night as my combat dog and I leap out of the helicopter to land deftly on the dirt below.
Running at full tilt, the two of us sprint towards the familiar orchestra of screams and gunfire.
---
Despite my advancing age, my body was as strong as it ever was in youth. A distance of three miles was a distance I could cover within twelve minutes on a good day.
DD and I made it to our target location in 10.
Without pause to recon the area, I stormed through the outskirts of the burning village, hurdling past a waist high stone wall to plant a metal and plastic fist straight into the face of a surprised Turkish rifleman, sending both teeth and his steel helmet flying into the distance.
With the heady surge of adrenaline rushing through my hungry veins, my focus sharpens to a razor's edge and the world seems to slow until I can feel individual heartbeats pulsing against my temple.
One Beat.
The first man to react attempts to bring his rifle up, nearly fumbling his trigger discipline and spraying his allies with a panicked burst of fire. My pistol lines up against his thigh and barks off a subsonic round that digs through major muscle groups, causing him to begin falling.
Two Beats.
Still moving with most of the momentum I've built up, I grab the flying body of the unconscious and toothless man. Gripping tightly against his collar, I burn my speed into force, spinning once and releasing the heavy body into two others who had begun to react. It gives me enough time to run towards them, stomping on the face of the screaming man with the gunshot in his leg and knocking him out cold.
Three beats.
Four quick shots of my fast acting tranquilizer pistol later, all of the men are down for the count and I turn towards the sound of scrabbling claws just as DD takes to the air and snags the arm of another man who had exited a hut with a fresh magazine in hand.
As time returns to normal, the last thing the soldier attempting to fend off the wolfdog sees is a boot flying directly at his temple.
In three seconds time, the immediate threats in the area have been taken care of without any other enemies having realized that I was in the middle of dismantling them piece by piece.
Within three minutes time, the entire area had been pacified and I set about looking for survivors.
"DD. Search and Rescue." I command, turning away from the young dog who huffs in affirmation and trots off at a brisk pace.
With him searching for anyone I've missed, I begin to secure the unmoving bodies of the unconscious men who had attacked this nameless village for what reason I could only imagine. Ever so slowly, the moans and pleading of wounded survivors and the emotionless silence of those few people who'd been physically unharmed descended in the area.
"I here. Help. More help come." I say, speaking what little Sorani I knew as civilians began to gather around the edge of my growing pile of prisoners.
It was expected that the onlookers would be frightened. Most adults would be rightly fearful of being in their current situation.
The majority of survivors who had gathered looked to be mostly children, with one or two older teenagers and several women left clutching at bruised faces and torn clothing.
I saw no men among the relatively untouched.
"Saladin." One of the children whispered, a blonde haired, blue eyed girl who had been insistently herded towards the gathering by a panting DD.
The girl who could be no more than seven or eight years of age gripped tightly to the handle of DD's combat harness, causing him to whine and pull at her unintentional interference of his mission.
He'd nip at her in warning if this continued.
"DD. Where?" At the command, the wolf dog immediately straightens, pointing with his nose for several short moments in the directions he had found survivors unable to be moved.
"Good, stay. Guard." I praise, nodding at him to which he replies with a pleased chuff and sits down attentively, ears swiveling and nose twitching for incoming threats.
It takes a little bit of time and horribly mangled speech on my part, but eventually we get some semblance of a triage center going by the time the detached squad from 2-3 arrives from the air.
"Boss!" Goose calls out as he jumps out of the chopper, barely waiting for it to land before he's out the door with multiple field trauma kits strapped to his rigging.
It only takes him a moment to process the triage priority I've gotten set up and immediately moves in to assist me in clamping a nicked artery within the thigh of an unconscious man I'd been holding shut with my prosthetic fingers.
Without further words, he and I move in tandem to clamp the artery while another Diamond Dog hurriedly set ups a bag of 0- at our side.
"I've got this Boss, go and fuck up the base with the guys who did this shit." Guardian Goose growls, calling for an assistant to finish up the work while he moves down the priority list and begins to work.
Nodding, I stand, wiping my hands on my fatigues before beginning to walk towards where the bird was parked.
Oddly it isn't the sound of DD's paws dancing along the ground next to me, but of a low pitched whine of distress. Turning towards the noise, I feel an eyebrow raise at the sight of the one-eyed dog being tightly held by that very same girl he'd brought over twenty minutes ago.
…
Hrm.
"DD. Stay. Wait for pickup. I'll see you at home." I command, turning and jogging towards the chopper with the radio turned on.
"Kaz. Send in Quiet. DD's been taken prisoner."
"Uh. What Snake? Say again?"
"You'll see what I mean when he gets back with 2-3-1. I'm moving to complete the mission now."
-
Infiltration Detection Check (Normal): 23, Undetected
Exfiltration Detection Check (Normal): 30, Undetected
Loot Roll: 65, No fultons
Refugees:
Side Ops 5: Clear, S-Rank
Gained Named Character: Hana (Sniper Wolf)
[X] Side Ops 6: Denuclearization 1
Mission Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Lose nuclear capability. Get started on somethingbigger.
"We've finished dismantling the warhead. The nuclear material has been vitrified and sealed away." My XO says quietly next to me, the thumping of his cane coming to a stop as I stare at the glittering rays playing off the waves below.
The two of us are silent for a time, simply listening to the crashing of waves and the whistling of Mother Earth's wind caressing our hair with tender care.
This was a good thing we did.
"Without nuclear capability and with Sahelanthropus all but unknown to the world at large, we've just painted a target on our backs, Snake."
"I know. But one day the world won't need us. No guns, no bombs. No one to pull the trigger." I said, offering my old friend a cigar.
He leans in, allowing me to light it with a zippo carrying our old logo.
Despite our earlier differing ideals of the timing of denuclearization, the two of us have always agreed that this was the path we, humanity needed to take in order to secure the future.
Thick clouds of fragrant smoke rise up into the sky, vanishing in the ether as we enjoy the bitter taste of what should be a momentous occasion blurred by the realities of the nuclear age.
"But that day isn't today. I doubt it'll even be in our lifetime." Kaz mutters, tapping his cigar and letting the ashes float away in the ever present ocean winds.
I chuckle in response, my left arm whirring and clicking as I bring it up to look at it and the phantom of flesh and blood laid transparently over it.
"No, probably not."
…
Our cigars are halfway finished before Miller fills the silence, shaking his head with a weariness that I've found so rare nine years ago, but sorrowfully commonplace now.
"It'll take at least thirty years of cold storage before it's safe… and even then we can't just dump it in the sea, bury it in the desert."
...
"We have no tomorrow, but there is still hope for the future." She said to me.
"Snake?"
"It's nothing. Just… something someone told me a long time ago." I uttered softly, remembering her words as if she was next to me, whispering in my ear. "In our struggle to survive the present we push away the tomorrow."
"The future huh… somehow I doubt we'll live to see it." Kaz chuckles ruefully, leaning his back against the railing and staring up at the cloudy sky.
"I guess this means we have no time to waste."
"Hrm." I nod in agreement, leaning forward to watch the sunset. "We have to build a better future for the generations that come after us. Our legacy."
"We'll need to get stronger. Far stronger than we ever were."
"And we will. But we won't sacrifice our humanity for power. We'll starve the demons within us by walking a different path."
The last of the ashes flake away, the stubs of our cigars falling into the deep blue below to be snuffed out.
We weren't finished with our plan.
Not by a longshot.
-
Side Ops 6: Clear, S-Rank
Heroism Gained: 10,000
Lose Nuclear Warhead
Side Ops: Nuclear Disarmament 2, "No Tomorrow" Available
[X] PMC Ops 3: Kurdish Relief
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Guaranteed Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 50,000 GMP
+Omake Bonus for troops
Units Deployed:
Mission Brief: "The Kurdish rebellion is in full swing. The rebels are on the ropes and they can't offer much. Well except manpower that is."
"We've also heard word of rival PC's operating in the area, so why don't we take a few of their shiny new toys for our own?"
-
"So how about some small talk? I heard 2-3 got a squad pulled out by the Boss for something." Tavish begins over the hum of the helicopter blades thudding through the sky.
I shrug in response, not really caring much.
Seeing that I was paying more attention to 'Betty', Arachne rolls her eyes and begins to blabbermouth noises that probably has something to do with the conversation.
"Didn't hear much before they double timed it out of the FOB. It was Goose's squad loading up on the transport so it's probably got something to do with enemy or civilian casualties." Her smile shows a hint of teeth for a moment before her expression becomes princessy again. "You think he caught someone for us to chew on and milk later? Kitty and I got permission from Ocelot to watch the next interrogation!"
The butt of a rifle smacks against the hull of the chopper, drawing attention to the large Irish man looking at the chatterbox like a group of homeless kids.
I tilt my head in thought.
How old is Wolfhound anyway? He's original MSF so his skill isn't in question.
Why are all the old guys all baddasses around here?
"Shut yer traps boyos. Get your heads in the game. 2-3's got their own mission and we got ours. Ain't no time to be worrying about other shite. We're not exactly going into a fight all silent and scantily clad like bikini and fishnet supergirl." Baying Wolfhound grunts, shooting a stinkeye at the younger Dogs.
"Yeah, no shit. It's why 1-3's already on the ground and we got 3-4 loaded up in the shit hooks with all their WG's strapped with the heavy stuff. You got anything else to add Barking Pup?" Sloth shoots back with a challenging eyebrow, rolling her eyes when Butterfly just keeps smiling and Weaver whistles while looking away.
Heh, so much for solidarity among youth.
"Fuck off ye bloody purple haired cunt muffler. Least my codename doesn't start with Idiot."
"Oh like I haven't heard that before, you old fuck-."
Kept you waiting, huh?: 96, Big Boss arrives personally to support this mission.
"Having fun?" The voice of Big Boss echoes over our radios, pausing the conversation entirely in heavy silence.
When no one responds due to all our mouths being held shut by the force of personality of our leader, he continues to speak away from the receiver.
"Hrm. Must be on the wrong channel. Pequod, let the taskforce know my schedule just cleared up. There wasn't much for me to do here. Drop me off at 3-2's secondary objective and I'll start cleaning up this mess from my end." Big Boss' mike cuts off in a blurt of static, allowing all of us to breathe again.
But not too loud.
Boss could be… tough on interpersonal difficulties.
Honestly he scares the living shit out of me.
One arm. One eye. Pushing fifty. And he can still kick all of 1st Co's asses without breaking a sweat.
The rest of the chopper ride is as quiet as a freshly vacated warzone.
By the time we land?
Shit, there's almost nothing for us to do besides round up the broken bodies and destroyed vehicles.
We linked up with the rebels who were busy shooting rounds into the air and screaming victory cries of "Saladin!"
The Boss tore through our AO like a fucking demon and left us to do the work of carrion feeders.
Fuck. What I wouldnt've given to have seen him in action.
--
Units Deployed:
PMC Ops 3: Clear, S-Rank
Heroism Gained: 1,000
Personnel/Armor/Aircraft Roll: 2, Armor
Type: Light/IFV/Tank: 3 Tank
Tank Type: Recon/SPG/MBT: 2 SPG
Gained: M270 MLRS
Crew: 3 (Training Complete beginning Turn 3) (Operator)
Snake's Fulton Roll: 85
Resources/Personnel/Armor/Aircraft Roll: 4, Aircraft
Type: Rotary Wing /Fixed Wing
Helicopter Type: Recon/General/Attack: 1, Recon
Gained: MH6 Little Bird
Crew: 2 (Training Complete beginning Turn 3) (Elite)
[X] R&D 8: Basic Education Program
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 100,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Let's soldiers get their GED's. Allows child soldiers to begin rehabilitation. Increases morale all around.
Mission Brief: We're not the kind of people that'll force people to stay if they have any other choice. Get an education program made Kaz. We need to be more, not less than who we were going out than coming into this life.
-
"S-so? What do you think Snake? Teaching isn't exactly my field, but I think I did a pretty good job considering I haven't been in school since graduating MIT!" Emmerich states proudly at the packet of documents in my hand that describes a series of courses good enough to earn anyone a high school equivalent degree in the United States.
"It's fine. And the people we have to talk to in order to make this work?" I ask pointedly.
There's no use in having all this if we can't apply for testing with our status as 'expatriots'.
A quarter of the personnel in Mother Base don't even have birth documentation or citizenship papers for their countries of origin.
"It'll be easy Snake! Really all it takes is a little money to grease the wheels, a few forged identities, and we're in business!" Emmerich nods to himself, mechanical legs whirring as he spins to face me with an arm pointed towards the outside.
"To be honest I was surprised that you asked me to do this, it feels like real progress you know? Not developing weapons or machines, but really doing something to help the men and refugees that come through here! New lives Snake, the first building blocks set down by our own hands!"
"Mm. We'll see. I'll keep you posted." Curtly cutting the conversation before he can begin grandstanding, I make my way out of the lab that acts as Emmerich's prison.
I wasn't looking forward to the task of telling the troops that they'd all have to get their general education completed, but it was something that needed to be done sooner rather than later.
You could only work harder so much before you burned out.
Working smarter, now that coupled with hard work offered so many more alternatives.
R&D 8:
Rolled: 60, Pass!
Gain General Education Program!
Gain bitching soldiers who realize they have first world problems!
[X] R&D 1: Wormhole Technology
Mission Difficulty: DC 100 (Passed!), 200,000 GMP already paid
Research Time: Will finish in 2 Turns (Turn 3)
Reward: Gain Wormhole Fulton Technology?
Mission Brief: Emmerich says he's stumbled on something unbelievable. Apparently he's discovered some kind of new element that breaks multiple laws of physics. Could be something useful, I think.
Something draws close. Something not of this world.
2 Turns Remaining.
Rumors Section (Local)
Mother Base:
Education: The new requirement of completing a general education program has met with not an insignificant amount of backlash by a majority of personnel from first world countries. Those from places where they weren't given such an opportunity as government mandated minimum education, there is a surprised elation that they are now given the chance to do improve themselves through learning.
Slowly but surely, this disconnect between soldiers of differing origins are bridging the gaps they hadn't even known was there. Those who already have acquired their general education are seeing this opportunity for what it is in the eyes of those who have never learned to read or learn basic mathematics. Many men and women have dusted off their old learnings and have begun to review, taking the time to teach their fellow Diamond Dogs and those who seek refuge here the basic knowledge they need in order to apply for a job nearly anywhere in capitalist society.
Several former educators have taken the lead on this program and have begun holding classes and tutoring lessons where both adults and children are present in order to further themselves for a future without war.
Rumor has it that the Sub Commander has had thoughts at the bar about starting a business class if we ever get to the point we're ready for the men to pursue college degrees.
It used to feel like a far off dream.
Now we've taken another step closer to a world where the people of Mother Base can choose a future away from blood and sorrow.
Denuclearization: There is heavy contention at the decision to dispose of the warhead Diamond Dogs were in possession of. The conservative and moderate factions are in an uproar that without the threat of nuclear deterrence, Mother Base is left vulnerable. However, all can agree that broadly, this is a powerful message about the future Big Boss and by proxy, Diamond Dogs are fighting for.
No one can argue that a nuke free world isn't a better alternative than one riddled with enough bombs to rid the Earth of all life a thousand times over.
It may be foolish and naive, but the hearts of even those who disagree feel the stirrings of a greater purpose tugging at their hearts.
Kurdish Refugees: Rumor has it that the Boss went on an absolute rampage during our time assisting the rebels in the Kurdish-Turkish conflict. He found a small, no name hole in the ground village being set upon by troops from the Turkish army.
Apparently he found that to be disagreeable because after he demolished the men responsible for the destruction of said village, he immediately finished his mission and dropped in to assist the greater conflict against the hired PC's and military units of Turkey with gusto.
The rebels and the refugees both have taken to calling him Saladin, and as for the refugees Big Boss had airlifted back to Mother Base, most of them have nowhere else to go.
Well, far be it for us to leave them to the wolves.
Speaking of, one of the kids have taken to following DD like a lost puppy on his rounds across the platforms. He seems to find it annoying, waiting impatiently for the puffing girl to catch up to him until he gives up and lets her hold onto his harness as they walk.
Seems.
He watches over all the kids like a hawk, even that little shit Eli. He'll warn off anyone he isn't familiar with that gets too close to them without either Boss, Ocelot, or Quiet around. He even herds them towards the nearest mess hall whenever meal time comes around, pushing insistently past everyone else waiting in line without any serious complaint from the chowhounds.
...
It's cute okay? What devil could kick the Kurds off the base after seeing that?
The munchkin that follows DD around is named Hana by the way. But in Diamond Dogs fashion, we've taken to calling her Wolf after her obvious reliance on DD. The other refugees have taken up similar callsigns in homage to their current status as the guests of Saladin.
It's a sucker's bet that they'll either end up as paid contractors or will enlist into Diamond Dogs by the end of the month.
It just…
It feels good man.
It feels like how it used to be back in MSF. I think things are finally starting to get better.
*Dried splashes of beer*
Wish you fucks could see what we're doing here.
Cookie, Out.
Diary of Michael Devries
June 22nd, 1984
Current GMP: 789,100 GMP
+150,000
-100,000
------
50,000
Projected GMP Starting Next Turn: 839,100
AN: A little shorter than I thought, but I'm counting Turn 2 as part of it. Should be out tmw before I get my ass back to doing turtles before I get accused of letting it die.
Not gonna post the full dice rolls and generally I'll just do a veterancy check unless a battle requires me to do more in depth rolling and looking at stuff from a deeper, tactical view. Helps save time.
[X] Plan Child Healing
-[X] Main Ops 1: Recover Code Talker's Research
-[X] Side Ops 1: Miller Time
-[X] Side Ops 5: Saladin
-[X] R&D 8: Basic Education Program
Extra Votes
[X] Side Ops 6: Denuclearization 1
[X] PMC Ops 3: Kurdish Relief
[X] Main Ops 1: Recover Code Talker's Research
Mission Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Boost to Parasite Research, nearly eliminates threat of parasite tech leaking into the world.
Mission Brief:
"Cipher's still out there Boss and what's left of XOF is still reeling from Skull Face's death. We need to take the opportunity to get our hands on the Vocal Parasite research so that something like this doesn't happen again. You'll be going to a secure site in Africa so be prepared for an urban, mountainous, and woodland environment."
"Be honest Kaz, after the battle against Sahelanthropus, anything else you throw at me this month is gonna be a cakewalk." I grunted into the mike as I stalked through the brush towards the mansion in the woods I'd first met with Code Talker.
The terrain was familiar. No drawn out battle with the Parasite Unit either.
I'd yet to see anyone walking about the trails just yet, but there were fresh boot prints all over surrounding area.
And multiple skirmishes worth of bullet casings.
The foliage told the story, one I carefully tread a path through. Trees with holes blown out of them, dead or dying with freshly dried sap bleeding an eerie tone of orange red. Bushes and grass that had been trampled upon by the surprised, rain having washed away the bloodstains sunk into the very earth I was ghosting through.
The ambushed force had won judging by the lack of bodies. They'd had enough time to sterilize damning signs of their presence.
An ideal situation. Transport choppers had been moving back and forth over the jungle canopy with regularity, likely sending in fresh reinforcements, supplies, and ferrying back the casualties.
Whoever held control of the manor would be expecting an attack in force, not a single phantom striking their blind spots.
And as I slipped past wary sentries, tripwires, and the occasional whir of hastily installed cameras, I couldn't help but feeling the familiar sense of relaxation budding from the back of my mind.
'Just another day.' I thought, body moving automatically to lower my profile into a crouched walk as I heard footsteps brushing across grass in the distance.
-
Infiltration Detection Check (Easy): Undetected
Exfiltration Detection Check (Easy): Undetected
Loot Roll: 2, No fultons
Main Ops 1: Clear, S-Rank
[X] Side Ops 1: Miller Time
Mission Difficulty: Very Easy
Reward: Increase relationship with Kazuhira Miller
Mission Brief: You haven't had a chance to relax in a while and neither has Miller. Take a day off and finally give yourselves time for the Phantoms to settle.
"Snaaaaaake! The man of the hour! Get your ass over here and pull up a chair."Kaz shouts over the general din of the lounge, the cheering of everyone else in the watering hole near deafening when they notice my presence.
"Boys. Kaz." I nod once, moving to sit beside my old friend and accepting the mug from the bartender with a klink of my prosthetic arm against frosted glass.
I didn't need to taste the beer to know that it was the cheap, homebrewed swill the supply unit had spent months 'perfecting', but at the moment it was the crispest, most full tasting beverage I'd ever had the pleasure of partaking in.
One gulp turned into three. Without pause I downed the entire pint, slamming the glass down onto the counter with a soft noise of satisfaction followed by an uncharacteristically delayed "Ahh" of contentment.
Despite all the rumors to the contrary, I've always been able to read the mood. Here and now, the soldiers didn't need to see the distant commander, but a fellow man reveling in the great victory we had achieved together.
We'd avenged the great wrong done to us, and while there was more to be done, the men had earned this breather.
"Hah! Age and a missing arm hasn't slowed you down one bit Snake. Bartender! An Old Fashioned for the Boss here, and make it a double!" Kaz laughs for the first time in a long while, the atmosphere and alcohol furthering his already good cheer.
Personally I'd prefer a good bourbon on the rocks, but an Old Fashioned was something I'd been known to favor over the years.
I'd never had the heart to tell anyone otherwise.
"Cheers Kaz. To the future."
"To Diamond Dogs Snake."
Our cups clink audibly over the familiar racket of soldiers celebrating without thought of consequence, and as I slowly sip at my drink, I take the time to force myself to relax and enjoy the moment.
===
Side Ops 1: Clear, S-Rank
Ahab's Opinion +2
Miller's Opinion +2
[X] Side Ops 5: Saladin
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: ???, 100,000 GMP
Mission Brief: "The Kurdish rebellion is fully underway and they've contracted Diamond Dogs to fulfill a job. Hitting a Turkish supply base should be easy enough for you Snake."
"Hrm. '84 is shaping up to be a hell of a year."
"The last gasping breaths of a super power leading to regional instability? Who would've thought?" Kaz chuckles dryly before continuing. "The insertion point should be coming up shortly. We'll be dropping you on top of a mountain close to the target location, your NVGs should give you plenty of information about how you want to make your approach-"
Off in the distance, familiar flashes of muzzle flares draw my eyes immediately to the source of gunfire. Immediately I begin cross referencing my current location to the mental map I've memorized of the surrounding terrain before coming to a conclusion that weighs my bones with fatigue.
"I've got muzzle flashes roughly twenty miles to the east of my current location, too far for them to have noticed us in this dark. I'm diverting towards it."
"Boss… but the mission…"
"Can wait. Day or night doesn't make a difference to me. Pull a bird and detach a squad from 2-3 loaded for a medical op and get them in the air." I breathe softly, and quietly speak into the radio.
"We're not just a walking corpse of MSF Kaz. It's up to us to live and die for the dreams of the departed. That's always been our burden to bear."
"..."
"Yeah Snake. Solid copy. Diverting assets on an Emergency Op now." My Second-in-Command's voice is curt and clipped in his response.
But I can hear it.
The desperate internal struggle. Of a piece of the original man so filled with fire shaking loose the blood rusted shackles of the last nine years.
We are all changed men. Full of loss and pain. Bent and broken.
"DD. Are you ready?"
"Woof!"
But that doesn't mean we have to stand by and watch innocent people get dragged down into hell with us.
"Good. Let's go." I whisper into the night as my combat dog and I leap out of the helicopter to land deftly on the dirt below.
Running at full tilt, the two of us sprint towards the familiar orchestra of screams and gunfire.
---
Despite my advancing age, my body was as strong as it ever was in youth. A distance of three miles was a distance I could cover within twelve minutes on a good day.
DD and I made it to our target location in 10.
Without pause to recon the area, I stormed through the outskirts of the burning village, hurdling past a waist high stone wall to plant a metal and plastic fist straight into the face of a surprised Turkish rifleman, sending both teeth and his steel helmet flying into the distance.
With the heady surge of adrenaline rushing through my hungry veins, my focus sharpens to a razor's edge and the world seems to slow until I can feel individual heartbeats pulsing against my temple.
One Beat.
The first man to react attempts to bring his rifle up, nearly fumbling his trigger discipline and spraying his allies with a panicked burst of fire. My pistol lines up against his thigh and barks off a subsonic round that digs through major muscle groups, causing him to begin falling.
Two Beats.
Still moving with most of the momentum I've built up, I grab the flying body of the unconscious and toothless man. Gripping tightly against his collar, I burn my speed into force, spinning once and releasing the heavy body into two others who had begun to react. It gives me enough time to run towards them, stomping on the face of the screaming man with the gunshot in his leg and knocking him out cold.
Three beats.
Four quick shots of my fast acting tranquilizer pistol later, all of the men are down for the count and I turn towards the sound of scrabbling claws just as DD takes to the air and snags the arm of another man who had exited a hut with a fresh magazine in hand.
As time returns to normal, the last thing the soldier attempting to fend off the wolfdog sees is a boot flying directly at his temple.
In three seconds time, the immediate threats in the area have been taken care of without any other enemies having realized that I was in the middle of dismantling them piece by piece.
Within three minutes time, the entire area had been pacified and I set about looking for survivors.
"DD. Search and Rescue." I command, turning away from the young dog who huffs in affirmation and trots off at a brisk pace.
With him searching for anyone I've missed, I begin to secure the unmoving bodies of the unconscious men who had attacked this nameless village for what reason I could only imagine. Ever so slowly, the moans and pleading of wounded survivors and the emotionless silence of those few people who'd been physically unharmed descended in the area.
"I here. Help. More help come." I say, speaking what little Sorani I knew as civilians began to gather around the edge of my growing pile of prisoners.
It was expected that the onlookers would be frightened. Most adults would be rightly fearful of being in their current situation.
The majority of survivors who had gathered looked to be mostly children, with one or two older teenagers and several women left clutching at bruised faces and torn clothing.
I saw no men among the relatively untouched.
"Saladin." One of the children whispered, a blonde haired, blue eyed girl who had been insistently herded towards the gathering by a panting DD.
The girl who could be no more than seven or eight years of age gripped tightly to the handle of DD's combat harness, causing him to whine and pull at her unintentional interference of his mission.
He'd nip at her in warning if this continued.
"DD. Where?" At the command, the wolf dog immediately straightens, pointing with his nose for several short moments in the directions he had found survivors unable to be moved.
"Good, stay. Guard." I praise, nodding at him to which he replies with a pleased chuff and sits down attentively, ears swiveling and nose twitching for incoming threats.
It takes a little bit of time and horribly mangled speech on my part, but eventually we get some semblance of a triage center going by the time the detached squad from 2-3 arrives from the air.
"Boss!" Goose calls out as he jumps out of the chopper, barely waiting for it to land before he's out the door with multiple field trauma kits strapped to his rigging.
It only takes him a moment to process the triage priority I've gotten set up and immediately moves in to assist me in clamping a nicked artery within the thigh of an unconscious man I'd been holding shut with my prosthetic fingers.
Without further words, he and I move in tandem to clamp the artery while another Diamond Dog hurriedly set ups a bag of 0- at our side.
"I've got this Boss, go and fuck up the base with the guys who did this shit." Guardian Goose growls, calling for an assistant to finish up the work while he moves down the priority list and begins to work.
Nodding, I stand, wiping my hands on my fatigues before beginning to walk towards where the bird was parked.
Oddly it isn't the sound of DD's paws dancing along the ground next to me, but of a low pitched whine of distress. Turning towards the noise, I feel an eyebrow raise at the sight of the one-eyed dog being tightly held by that very same girl he'd brought over twenty minutes ago.
…
Hrm.
"DD. Stay. Wait for pickup. I'll see you at home." I command, turning and jogging towards the chopper with the radio turned on.
"Kaz. Send in Quiet. DD's been taken prisoner."
"Uh. What Snake? Say again?"
"You'll see what I mean when he gets back with 2-3-1. I'm moving to complete the mission now."
-
Infiltration Detection Check (Normal): 23, Undetected
Exfiltration Detection Check (Normal): 30, Undetected
Loot Roll: 65, No fultons
Refugees:
- 12 Children and Teenagers of varying age
- 5 Adults
Side Ops 5: Clear, S-Rank
Gained Named Character: Hana (Sniper Wolf)
[X] Side Ops 6: Denuclearization 1
Reward: Lose nuclear capability. Get started on something
"We've finished dismantling the warhead. The nuclear material has been vitrified and sealed away." My XO says quietly next to me, the thumping of his cane coming to a stop as I stare at the glittering rays playing off the waves below.
The two of us are silent for a time, simply listening to the crashing of waves and the whistling of Mother Earth's wind caressing our hair with tender care.
This was a good thing we did.
"Without nuclear capability and with Sahelanthropus all but unknown to the world at large, we've just painted a target on our backs, Snake."
"I know. But one day the world won't need us. No guns, no bombs. No one to pull the trigger." I said, offering my old friend a cigar.
He leans in, allowing me to light it with a zippo carrying our old logo.
Despite our earlier differing ideals of the timing of denuclearization, the two of us have always agreed that this was the path we, humanity needed to take in order to secure the future.
Thick clouds of fragrant smoke rise up into the sky, vanishing in the ether as we enjoy the bitter taste of what should be a momentous occasion blurred by the realities of the nuclear age.
"But that day isn't today. I doubt it'll even be in our lifetime." Kaz mutters, tapping his cigar and letting the ashes float away in the ever present ocean winds.
I chuckle in response, my left arm whirring and clicking as I bring it up to look at it and the phantom of flesh and blood laid transparently over it.
"No, probably not."
…
Our cigars are halfway finished before Miller fills the silence, shaking his head with a weariness that I've found so rare nine years ago, but sorrowfully commonplace now.
"It'll take at least thirty years of cold storage before it's safe… and even then we can't just dump it in the sea, bury it in the desert."
...
"We have no tomorrow, but there is still hope for the future." She said to me.
"Snake?"
"It's nothing. Just… something someone told me a long time ago." I uttered softly, remembering her words as if she was next to me, whispering in my ear. "In our struggle to survive the present we push away the tomorrow."
"The future huh… somehow I doubt we'll live to see it." Kaz chuckles ruefully, leaning his back against the railing and staring up at the cloudy sky.
"I guess this means we have no time to waste."
"Hrm." I nod in agreement, leaning forward to watch the sunset. "We have to build a better future for the generations that come after us. Our legacy."
"We'll need to get stronger. Far stronger than we ever were."
"And we will. But we won't sacrifice our humanity for power. We'll starve the demons within us by walking a different path."
The last of the ashes flake away, the stubs of our cigars falling into the deep blue below to be snuffed out.
We weren't finished with our plan.
Not by a longshot.
-
Side Ops 6: Clear, S-Rank
Heroism Gained: 10,000
Lose Nuclear Warhead
- Ahab dreams of a better tomorrow.
- Kazuhira's rage against the world lessens.
Side Ops: Nuclear Disarmament 2, "No Tomorrow" Available
[X] PMC Ops 3: Kurdish Relief
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Guaranteed Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 50,000 GMP
+Omake Bonus for troops
Units Deployed:
- 1st Co "Heaven's Devils", 3rd and 4th PLT's
- 2nd Co "Heart's of Darkness" 3rd PLT
- 3rd Co "Lords of War", 2st and 4th PLT's
Mission Brief: "The Kurdish rebellion is in full swing. The rebels are on the ropes and they can't offer much. Well except manpower that is."
"We've also heard word of rival PC's operating in the area, so why don't we take a few of their shiny new toys for our own?"
-
"So how about some small talk? I heard 2-3 got a squad pulled out by the Boss for something." Tavish begins over the hum of the helicopter blades thudding through the sky.
I shrug in response, not really caring much.
Seeing that I was paying more attention to 'Betty', Arachne rolls her eyes and begins to blabbermouth noises that probably has something to do with the conversation.
"Didn't hear much before they double timed it out of the FOB. It was Goose's squad loading up on the transport so it's probably got something to do with enemy or civilian casualties." Her smile shows a hint of teeth for a moment before her expression becomes princessy again. "You think he caught someone for us to chew on and milk later? Kitty and I got permission from Ocelot to watch the next interrogation!"
The butt of a rifle smacks against the hull of the chopper, drawing attention to the large Irish man looking at the chatterbox like a group of homeless kids.
I tilt my head in thought.
How old is Wolfhound anyway? He's original MSF so his skill isn't in question.
Why are all the old guys all baddasses around here?
"Shut yer traps boyos. Get your heads in the game. 2-3's got their own mission and we got ours. Ain't no time to be worrying about other shite. We're not exactly going into a fight all silent and scantily clad like bikini and fishnet supergirl." Baying Wolfhound grunts, shooting a stinkeye at the younger Dogs.
"Yeah, no shit. It's why 1-3's already on the ground and we got 3-4 loaded up in the shit hooks with all their WG's strapped with the heavy stuff. You got anything else to add Barking Pup?" Sloth shoots back with a challenging eyebrow, rolling her eyes when Butterfly just keeps smiling and Weaver whistles while looking away.
Heh, so much for solidarity among youth.
"Fuck off ye bloody purple haired cunt muffler. Least my codename doesn't start with Idiot."
"Oh like I haven't heard that before, you old fuck-."
Kept you waiting, huh?: 96, Big Boss arrives personally to support this mission.
"Having fun?" The voice of Big Boss echoes over our radios, pausing the conversation entirely in heavy silence.
When no one responds due to all our mouths being held shut by the force of personality of our leader, he continues to speak away from the receiver.
"Hrm. Must be on the wrong channel. Pequod, let the taskforce know my schedule just cleared up. There wasn't much for me to do here. Drop me off at 3-2's secondary objective and I'll start cleaning up this mess from my end." Big Boss' mike cuts off in a blurt of static, allowing all of us to breathe again.
But not too loud.
Boss could be… tough on interpersonal difficulties.
Honestly he scares the living shit out of me.
One arm. One eye. Pushing fifty. And he can still kick all of 1st Co's asses without breaking a sweat.
The rest of the chopper ride is as quiet as a freshly vacated warzone.
By the time we land?
Shit, there's almost nothing for us to do besides round up the broken bodies and destroyed vehicles.
We linked up with the rebels who were busy shooting rounds into the air and screaming victory cries of "Saladin!"
The Boss tore through our AO like a fucking demon and left us to do the work of carrion feeders.
Fuck. What I wouldnt've given to have seen him in action.
--
Units Deployed:
- 1st Co "Heaven's Devils", 3rd and 4th PLT's
- FOX vs Veteran
- Rolled 91 + 60(3x Veterancy Bonus) VS 42
- No serious opposition, no further rolls required
- 2nd Co "Heart's of Darkness" 3rd PLT
- Operator vs Green
- Rolled 67 + 40(2x Veterancy Bonus) VS 54
- No serious opposition, no further rolls required
- 3rd Co "Lords of War", 2st and 4th PLT's
- Operator vs Green
- 25 + 40(2x Veterancy Bonus) + 154(BB) VS 18
- What Enemy?
PMC Ops 3: Clear, S-Rank
Heroism Gained: 1,000
Personnel/Armor/Aircraft Roll: 2, Armor
Type: Light/IFV/Tank: 3 Tank
Tank Type: Recon/SPG/MBT: 2 SPG
Gained: M270 MLRS
Crew: 3 (Training Complete beginning Turn 3) (Operator)
Snake's Fulton Roll: 85
Resources/Personnel/Armor/Aircraft Roll: 4, Aircraft
Type: Rotary Wing /
Helicopter Type: Recon/General/Attack: 1, Recon
Gained: MH6 Little Bird
Crew: 2 (Training Complete beginning Turn 3) (Elite)
[X] R&D 8: Basic Education Program
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 100,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Let's soldiers get their GED's. Allows child soldiers to begin rehabilitation. Increases morale all around.
Mission Brief: We're not the kind of people that'll force people to stay if they have any other choice. Get an education program made Kaz. We need to be more, not less than who we were going out than coming into this life.
-
"S-so? What do you think Snake? Teaching isn't exactly my field, but I think I did a pretty good job considering I haven't been in school since graduating MIT!" Emmerich states proudly at the packet of documents in my hand that describes a series of courses good enough to earn anyone a high school equivalent degree in the United States.
"It's fine. And the people we have to talk to in order to make this work?" I ask pointedly.
There's no use in having all this if we can't apply for testing with our status as 'expatriots'.
A quarter of the personnel in Mother Base don't even have birth documentation or citizenship papers for their countries of origin.
"It'll be easy Snake! Really all it takes is a little money to grease the wheels, a few forged identities, and we're in business!" Emmerich nods to himself, mechanical legs whirring as he spins to face me with an arm pointed towards the outside.
"To be honest I was surprised that you asked me to do this, it feels like real progress you know? Not developing weapons or machines, but really doing something to help the men and refugees that come through here! New lives Snake, the first building blocks set down by our own hands!"
"Mm. We'll see. I'll keep you posted." Curtly cutting the conversation before he can begin grandstanding, I make my way out of the lab that acts as Emmerich's prison.
I wasn't looking forward to the task of telling the troops that they'd all have to get their general education completed, but it was something that needed to be done sooner rather than later.
You could only work harder so much before you burned out.
Working smarter, now that coupled with hard work offered so many more alternatives.
R&D 8:
Rolled: 60, Pass!
Gain General Education Program!
Gain bitching soldiers who realize they have first world problems!
Mission Difficulty: DC 100 (Passed!), 200,000 GMP already paid
Research Time: Will finish in 2 Turns (Turn 3)
Reward: Gain Wormhole Fulton Technology?
Mission Brief: Emmerich says he's stumbled on something unbelievable. Apparently he's discovered some kind of new element that breaks multiple laws of physics. Could be something useful, I think.
Something draws close. Something not of this world.
2 Turns Remaining.
Rumors Section (Local)
Mother Base:
Education: The new requirement of completing a general education program has met with not an insignificant amount of backlash by a majority of personnel from first world countries. Those from places where they weren't given such an opportunity as government mandated minimum education, there is a surprised elation that they are now given the chance to do improve themselves through learning.
Slowly but surely, this disconnect between soldiers of differing origins are bridging the gaps they hadn't even known was there. Those who already have acquired their general education are seeing this opportunity for what it is in the eyes of those who have never learned to read or learn basic mathematics. Many men and women have dusted off their old learnings and have begun to review, taking the time to teach their fellow Diamond Dogs and those who seek refuge here the basic knowledge they need in order to apply for a job nearly anywhere in capitalist society.
Several former educators have taken the lead on this program and have begun holding classes and tutoring lessons where both adults and children are present in order to further themselves for a future without war.
Rumor has it that the Sub Commander has had thoughts at the bar about starting a business class if we ever get to the point we're ready for the men to pursue college degrees.
It used to feel like a far off dream.
Now we've taken another step closer to a world where the people of Mother Base can choose a future away from blood and sorrow.
Denuclearization: There is heavy contention at the decision to dispose of the warhead Diamond Dogs were in possession of. The conservative and moderate factions are in an uproar that without the threat of nuclear deterrence, Mother Base is left vulnerable. However, all can agree that broadly, this is a powerful message about the future Big Boss and by proxy, Diamond Dogs are fighting for.
No one can argue that a nuke free world isn't a better alternative than one riddled with enough bombs to rid the Earth of all life a thousand times over.
It may be foolish and naive, but the hearts of even those who disagree feel the stirrings of a greater purpose tugging at their hearts.
Kurdish Refugees: Rumor has it that the Boss went on an absolute rampage during our time assisting the rebels in the Kurdish-Turkish conflict. He found a small, no name hole in the ground village being set upon by troops from the Turkish army.
Apparently he found that to be disagreeable because after he demolished the men responsible for the destruction of said village, he immediately finished his mission and dropped in to assist the greater conflict against the hired PC's and military units of Turkey with gusto.
The rebels and the refugees both have taken to calling him Saladin, and as for the refugees Big Boss had airlifted back to Mother Base, most of them have nowhere else to go.
Well, far be it for us to leave them to the wolves.
Speaking of, one of the kids have taken to following DD like a lost puppy on his rounds across the platforms. He seems to find it annoying, waiting impatiently for the puffing girl to catch up to him until he gives up and lets her hold onto his harness as they walk.
Seems.
He watches over all the kids like a hawk, even that little shit Eli. He'll warn off anyone he isn't familiar with that gets too close to them without either Boss, Ocelot, or Quiet around. He even herds them towards the nearest mess hall whenever meal time comes around, pushing insistently past everyone else waiting in line without any serious complaint from the chowhounds.
...
It's cute okay? What devil could kick the Kurds off the base after seeing that?
The munchkin that follows DD around is named Hana by the way. But in Diamond Dogs fashion, we've taken to calling her Wolf after her obvious reliance on DD. The other refugees have taken up similar callsigns in homage to their current status as the guests of Saladin.
It's a sucker's bet that they'll either end up as paid contractors or will enlist into Diamond Dogs by the end of the month.
It just…
It feels good man.
It feels like how it used to be back in MSF. I think things are finally starting to get better.
*Dried splashes of beer*
Wish you fucks could see what we're doing here.
Cookie, Out.
Diary of Michael Devries
June 22nd, 1984
Current GMP: 789,100 GMP
+150,000
-100,000
------
50,000
Projected GMP Starting Next Turn: 839,100
AN: A little shorter than I thought, but I'm counting Turn 2 as part of it
. Should be out tmw before I get my ass back to doing turtles before I get accused of letting it die.Not gonna post the full dice rolls and generally I'll just do a veterancy check unless a battle requires me to do more in depth rolling and looking at stuff from a deeper, tactical view. Helps save time.
Turn 2 Options
konamikode
Cooking Harder
Turn 2 Options
=====
"Why the hell did you jump in there?" I muttered under my breath towards the unconscious woman held in my arms.
Of course, she didn't answer.
Wouldn't have said anything even if she was awake.
Quiet...
=====
Current GMP: 839,100 GMP
Diamond Dogs Upkeep: 222,000 GMP
-5% (GMP Supply Platoon)
*Newly recruited units won't take GMP until they are accepted into DD*
*Not enough refugees to really hit GMP reserves*
------
Total Upkeep: 210,900
Projected GMP Next Turn: 628,200
------
Current Education Status of DD: Abysmal (No extra Actions)
General Education
Associate's or Trade School Equivalent
Bachelor's or other Graduate Degree Equivalent
Post Graduate Degrees, Doctorates, and other Equivalents
=====
Action Dice: 4 (Can be used as action or roll)
VOTE BY PLAN!
Omake submissions now open!
Vote moratorium until Thursday, 9 AM PST
Votes and Omake submissions will close Sunday at 3pm PST TIME
=====
Emergency Ops: High Priority missions that can pop up at any time, including between turns. Extremely time sensitive.
[ ] Emergency Ops 1: A Quiet Interrogation
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Quiet interrogated and her allegiance revealed. ???
Briefing: Boss, when we put Quiet through the medical scanner in the sick bay, we found an unknown strain of vocal cord parasites lodged in her throat. On top of that…
Her lungs are burnt to a crisp. We found traces of a Star of Bethlehem petal lodged inside the damaged tissue.
Snake. She was the XOF assassin sent to kill you back on Cyprus. We need to interrogate her.
Now.
*You can choose not to do this by not selecting it. It's your call.*
=====
Main Ops: Story related missions, time sensitive
[ ] Main Ops 2: Investigating Huey (AI Pod Recovery)
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Gain evidence of Huey's crimes
Mission Brief: The Mammal Pod is still in Emmerich's old lab at XOF's mountain base. If you can get in there and send it somewhere for pickup, I know that we can find dirt on that sack of shit.
[ ] Main Ops 3: Recover the Man on Fire
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Gain the Man on Fire's body.
Mission Brief: We found his body Boss. It seems inert as far as we can tell. We're sending you to pick him up, but be ready. As far as I'm concerned, history's shown that this walking anomaly is anything but safe.
------
Side Ops: Semi-story driven missions, but still important and time sensitive
[ ] Side Ops 2: Check on Paz *New Game+*
Mission Difficulty:Very Hard, Hard, Easy (Further Omake Bonus)
Reward: Increased relationship with 'Paz Ortega Andrade'
Mission Brief: You've managed to find an old photo of an MSF barbecue after taking down Zeke for the first time. Maybe some good memories will help Paz recover mentally after nine years without change.
[ ] Side Ops 3: No Son of Mine
Mission Difficulty:Very Hard, Hard (Pupper Omake)
Reward: Increased(?) relationship with Eli
Mission Brief: There's no explanation to be had. Eli is a little shit, but you can't just foist him off onto Ocelot to deal with. Probably.
[ ] Side Ops 4: Let's Talk Huey *New Game+*
Mission Difficulty:Very Hard, Hard (Omake Bonus)
Reward: Increased(?) relationship with Huey
Mission Brief: Skull Face is dead. Sit down and have a chat with a man who you thought was a friend and ask.
Why?
[ ] Side Ops 7: A Moment of Quiet
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Increased Relationship with Quiet.
Mission Brief: Your silent partner on the battlefield is acting slightly… off. She's acting more distant than usual while shooting you ever increasing glances that tend to linger long enough for you to notice.
What's on her mind?
[ ] Side Ops 8: Draw!
Mission Difficulty: Very Hard
Reward: Increased Relationship with Ocelot
Mission Brief: "Hey Boss, you got a moment? What say we have a practice duel, for old time's sake?"
[ ] Side Ops 9: Denuclearization 2 "No Tomorrow"
Mission Difficulty: Normal-Extreme
*Diamond Dog FOX Teams will be deployed alongside Big Boss.*
*Good chance of casualties*
Reward: PMC's, Terrorist Groups, and other 3rd parties lose immediate nuclear capability.
Mission Brief: Boss, we've gathered up all the intel we could on black market exchanges of radioactive material, covert nuclear programs of non-nuclear weapon states covered by the NPT, and agents within PC's that have built their own nukes.
God. I can't believe we're actually going through with this.
FOX teams are ready to deploy across the world at your command Boss. We're all standing by to see this through.
-------
PMC Ops: Missions for the grunts for everything else that requires manpower from small/large missions to building new outposts/structures and humanitarian aid.
[ ] PMC Ops 1: Mujahideen Support
Mission Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 150,000 GMP
Mission Brief: The soviets are attempting to muster men and material for a new offensive in the rural heartland of the Kandahar Valley. Increased soviet capability in the region would destabilize our own efforts and goals. This is going to be a large operation against a conventional force in mountainous terrain.
And we know exactly how to best fight against that.
[ ] PMC Ops 2: UN Peacekeeping in the Congo
Mission Difficulty: Very Easy
Reward: Possible Infantry Recruitment, 100,000 GMP
Mission Brief: Nothing much to mention here Boss. Just your standard peacekeeping op and making sure supplies get where they need to. We're not really expecting much opposition here.
[ ] PMC Ops 4: Operation Conservation
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: 100,000 GMT, Conservation Strut construction funded by PETA!
Mission Brief: PETA contracted us for this one Boss. They want us to… uh… relocate a bunch of endangered species onto Mother Base until they can set up wildlife preserves. They'll even fund the building of a new strut to house them in as well as paying us some pretty solid paper.
But how the hell are we supposed to transport hundreds of animal-
Boss, you've got that look in your eye again.
Boss. No.
I still got one leg and an arm Boss, don't make me hobble over there!
Boss!
[ ] PMC Ops 5: Kurdish Turnaround
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 200,000 GMP
Mission Brief: We've given the Kurds a fighting chance Boss. The Turkish army and government is reeling from the rebel attacks all across their borders. With how busy they are with sending more troops to the front, this is the perfect chance for us to get behind them and take out vital supply lines, leadership, and reserve units.
Uncle Sam definitely won't be happy about this, but at this point who cares if the target painted on our backs is a full sized tattoo?
[ ] PMC Ops 6: Contra War
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 150,000 GMP
Mission Brief: Boss, we've just received a call from Amanda… she sounds good, yeah. But this is business Snake. The Anti-Sandinista Counter Revolution, or Contras have renewed their offensive in Nicaragua. The FLSN are backed into a corner after thinking that the Contras had lost their staying power after the last major offensive in '83.
Politically Boss, I don't know if there's even a 'right' side to this conflict, but I guess that's par for the course. Personally getting involved in a counter revolution against a recently successful revolution sounds like a bad time. Both sides are corrupt, except one is currently in power and the other is backed by it. However, we have history with Amanda. Is that enough for us to get involved in another proxy war between democracy and communism?
--------
R&D: Includes missions to test prototypes
[-] R&D 1: Wormhole Technology
Mission Difficulty: DC 100 (Passed!), 200,000 GMP already paid
Research Time: Will finish in 2 Turns (Turn 3)
Reward: Gain Wormhole Fulton Technology?
Mission Brief: Emmerich says he's stumbled on something unbelievable. Apparently he's discovered some kind of new element that breaks multiple laws of physics. Could be something useful, I think.
[ ] R&D 2: Repairing Sahelanthropus
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 500,000 GMP
Research Time: 2 Turns (Turn 3)
Reward: ST-84 Metal Gear "Sahelanthropus" Repaired. Still requires an AI pod or child sized pilot to get it to work apparently.
Mission Brief: Emmerich's been on my ass all day begging for the funding to repair his little pet project. I told him I'd talk to you about it, but frankly it seems like a terrible idea.
Please tell me you're not actually thinking about throwing even more money at that traitor Snake?
[ ] R&D 3: The Chemical Burger
Mission Difficulty: DC 10, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Gain Chemical Burger Ration, Increased Relations with Code Talker, Large Morale Boost
Mission Brief: Kaz, what are you doing in the kitchen?
W-what!? Nothing Boss, just making sure that everything got brought in with the new shipment!
What the hell, why is that burger blue?
[ ] R&D 4: Ballistic Vests
Mission Difficulty: DC 15, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Infantry gain early Plate Carriers that increase survivability in case of a hit.
Mission Brief: This kevlar stuff has been around since the 60's, it's surprising that no one's thought to use it as body armor before. I bet with some kind of steel plate behind it, you'd be able to take a rifle round to the chest without serious harm!
[ ] R&D 5: Picatinny Rail System
Mission Difficulty: DC 15, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves Infantry adaptability by allowing them to slot Two specializations.
Mission Brief: What if we made a system where soldiers could add and replace any attachment they want on the go? It wouldn't take much work, we'd only need to fabricate some kind of… rail system.
[ ] R&D 6: Uparmored Vehicles
Mission Difficulty: DC 30, 200,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves all mechanized unit survivability with extra armor
Mission Brief: Sure, we could just bolt on a bunch of armor to make something tougher, but you gotta think about how it affects the weight, the balance, the load bearing capacity-
[ ] R&D 7: Armored Fuel tanks
Mission Difficulty: DC 30, 250,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves all air unit survivability with extra armor
Mission Brief: I think this is something we can do, see there's been research done on this new alloy that's just as light as aluminium and has the same properties as-
[ ] R&D 9: Refugee Integration Program (Refugee Tree)
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Begin a work program for refugees staying on Mother Base.
Mission Brief: Not all the people we pick up or come to us seeking safety are going to be fit for the mercenary life. We may be looking to build a nation of soldiers, but every nation needs a working population to support military power.
[ ] R&D 10: War Dogs (Advanced Infantry Tree)
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 75,000 GMP
Research Time: 2 Turns
Reward: Gain War Dog breeding and training program.
Mission Brief: DD has shown how useful a canine combat partner can be in the field. It'd take some time and effort, but I think with a good breeding program and the right training, we could start training both man and animal into a formidable fighting force.
[ ] R&D 11: Education 2: Associate Level Accreditation and Trade School Equivalents
Currently Locked Until General Ed is finished.
-------
Omake Ops: Player created content for goodies. Can affect other Ops. (No Action Dice Required)
[ ] Omake Ops 1: A Better Life [Done]
Mission Difficulty: 1-1.5k words, High Quality
Reward: Snake's attempts at increasing his relationship score with Eli lessens in difficulty
Mission Brief: Write a piece involving the children DDogs have brought back to base and showing them how to be kids. Either Eli's, Wolf's, Ocelot, Miller, or your character's perspective.
Omake Ops 4: A Needy Pup
Mission Difficulty: 1-1.5k words, High Quality
Reward: Lowers War Dog research time by 1 turn.
Mission Brief: D-Dog has picked up a stray and seemingly not by choice. Write piece between DD and Wolf in DD's perspective. Actual puppies in the scene from taking the War Dog research option is a plus.
Omake Ops 5: A Calming Hum [Done]
Mission Difficulty: 1-1.5k words, High Quality
Reward: Helps humanize Quiet in the eyes of Diamond Dogs.
Mission Brief: While DD is away on a mission, he parks Wolf next to Quiet for the time being. Do a slice of life piece in either Quiet or Wolf's pov.
Omake Ops 6: Canine Calamity *Only available if War Dog research begins*
Mission Difficulty: 1-1.5k words, High Quality
Reward: Increase the relationship between Miller and Ocelot
Mission Brief: When Snake and DD are on mission and Hana is stuck in the classroom, the first of DD's litter tend to trail after the Head Trainer Ocelot, and Snack Master Miller who spends long hours in the kitchen doing who knows what. Write a piece in either Ocelot or Miller's perspective when the two are forced to band together in order to deal with a gaggle of hungry pups ready for homemade wet food.
Omake Ops 7: A Snake and a Wolf
Mission Difficulty: 1-1.5k words, High Quality
Reward: Increase the relationship between Eli and Hana
Mission Brief: With an IQ of 180, Eli will likely grow up to be an extremely intelligent adult. As it is the boy is able to speak four languages fluently, including Arabic. While not fluent in Sorani, he knows enough to notice Hana is having difficulties in class and decides to intervene if only so they can move on from the boring stuff he's already long mastered. Written in Eli or Hana's perspective.
[ ] Player Omake Ops: Go Ham~
Mission Difficulty: However much you wanna write, no quality requirement.
Reward: Depends
Mission Brief: Whatever you can think of, go for it~
Hard Limits: 10 Player Omakes per turn, no more than 2 per person.
======
Building Options
*New Options unlocked through discussion!*
======
AN: Doggos. Doggos everywhere.
=====
"Why the hell did you jump in there?" I muttered under my breath towards the unconscious woman held in my arms.
Of course, she didn't answer.
Wouldn't have said anything even if she was awake.
Quiet...
=====
Current GMP: 839,100 GMP
Diamond Dogs Upkeep: 222,000 GMP
-5% (GMP Supply Platoon)
*Newly recruited units won't take GMP until they are accepted into DD*
*Not enough refugees to really hit GMP reserves*
------
Total Upkeep: 210,900
Projected GMP Next Turn: 628,200
------
Current Education Status of DD: Abysmal (No extra Actions)
General Education
- 50% Currently Qualified
- +25% qualified End of turn 2
- Projected completion date: End Turn 3
Associate's or Trade School Equivalent
- 25% Currently Qualified
Bachelor's or other Graduate Degree Equivalent
- 15% Currently Qualified
Post Graduate Degrees, Doctorates, and other Equivalents
- 5% Currently Qualified
=====
Action Dice: 4 (Can be used as action or roll)
VOTE BY PLAN!
Omake submissions now open!
Vote moratorium until Thursday, 9 AM PST
Votes and Omake submissions will close Sunday at 3pm PST TIME
=====
Emergency Ops: High Priority missions that can pop up at any time, including between turns. Extremely time sensitive.
[ ] Emergency Ops 1: A Quiet Interrogation
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Quiet interrogated and her allegiance revealed. ???
Briefing: Boss, when we put Quiet through the medical scanner in the sick bay, we found an unknown strain of vocal cord parasites lodged in her throat. On top of that…
Her lungs are burnt to a crisp. We found traces of a Star of Bethlehem petal lodged inside the damaged tissue.
Snake. She was the XOF assassin sent to kill you back on Cyprus. We need to interrogate her.
Now.
*You can choose not to do this by not selecting it. It's your call.*
=====
Main Ops: Story related missions, time sensitive
[ ] Main Ops 2: Investigating Huey (AI Pod Recovery)
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Gain evidence of Huey's crimes
Mission Brief: The Mammal Pod is still in Emmerich's old lab at XOF's mountain base. If you can get in there and send it somewhere for pickup, I know that we can find dirt on that sack of shit.
[ ] Main Ops 3: Recover the Man on Fire
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Gain the Man on Fire's body.
Mission Brief: We found his body Boss. It seems inert as far as we can tell. We're sending you to pick him up, but be ready. As far as I'm concerned, history's shown that this walking anomaly is anything but safe.
------
Side Ops: Semi-story driven missions, but still important and time sensitive
[ ] Side Ops 2: Check on Paz *New Game+*
Mission Difficulty:
Reward: Increased relationship with 'Paz Ortega Andrade'
Mission Brief: You've managed to find an old photo of an MSF barbecue after taking down Zeke for the first time. Maybe some good memories will help Paz recover mentally after nine years without change.
[ ] Side Ops 3: No Son of Mine
Mission Difficulty:
Reward: Increased(?) relationship with Eli
Mission Brief: There's no explanation to be had. Eli is a little shit, but you can't just foist him off onto Ocelot to deal with. Probably.
[ ] Side Ops 4: Let's Talk Huey *New Game+*
Mission Difficulty:
Reward: Increased(?) relationship with Huey
Mission Brief: Skull Face is dead. Sit down and have a chat with a man who you thought was a friend and ask.
Why?
[ ] Side Ops 7: A Moment of Quiet
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Increased Relationship with Quiet.
Mission Brief: Your silent partner on the battlefield is acting slightly… off. She's acting more distant than usual while shooting you ever increasing glances that tend to linger long enough for you to notice.
What's on her mind?
[ ] Side Ops 8: Draw!
Mission Difficulty: Very Hard
Reward: Increased Relationship with Ocelot
Mission Brief: "Hey Boss, you got a moment? What say we have a practice duel, for old time's sake?"
[ ] Side Ops 9: Denuclearization 2 "No Tomorrow"
Mission Difficulty: Normal-Extreme
*Diamond Dog FOX Teams will be deployed alongside Big Boss.*
*Good chance of casualties*
Reward: PMC's, Terrorist Groups, and other 3rd parties lose immediate nuclear capability.
Mission Brief: Boss, we've gathered up all the intel we could on black market exchanges of radioactive material, covert nuclear programs of non-nuclear weapon states covered by the NPT, and agents within PC's that have built their own nukes.
God. I can't believe we're actually going through with this.
FOX teams are ready to deploy across the world at your command Boss. We're all standing by to see this through.
-------
PMC Ops: Missions for the grunts for everything else that requires manpower from small/large missions to building new outposts/structures and humanitarian aid.
[ ] PMC Ops 1: Mujahideen Support
Mission Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 150,000 GMP
Mission Brief: The soviets are attempting to muster men and material for a new offensive in the rural heartland of the Kandahar Valley. Increased soviet capability in the region would destabilize our own efforts and goals. This is going to be a large operation against a conventional force in mountainous terrain.
And we know exactly how to best fight against that.
[ ] PMC Ops 2: UN Peacekeeping in the Congo
Mission Difficulty: Very Easy
Reward: Possible Infantry Recruitment, 100,000 GMP
Mission Brief: Nothing much to mention here Boss. Just your standard peacekeeping op and making sure supplies get where they need to. We're not really expecting much opposition here.
[ ] PMC Ops 4: Operation Conservation
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: 100,000 GMT, Conservation Strut construction funded by PETA!
Mission Brief: PETA contracted us for this one Boss. They want us to… uh… relocate a bunch of endangered species onto Mother Base until they can set up wildlife preserves. They'll even fund the building of a new strut to house them in as well as paying us some pretty solid paper.
But how the hell are we supposed to transport hundreds of animal-
Boss, you've got that look in your eye again.
Boss. No.
I still got one leg and an arm Boss, don't make me hobble over there!
Boss!
[ ] PMC Ops 5: Kurdish Turnaround
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 200,000 GMP
Mission Brief: We've given the Kurds a fighting chance Boss. The Turkish army and government is reeling from the rebel attacks all across their borders. With how busy they are with sending more troops to the front, this is the perfect chance for us to get behind them and take out vital supply lines, leadership, and reserve units.
Uncle Sam definitely won't be happy about this, but at this point who cares if the target painted on our backs is a full sized tattoo?
[ ] PMC Ops 6: Contra War
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 150,000 GMP
Mission Brief: Boss, we've just received a call from Amanda… she sounds good, yeah. But this is business Snake. The Anti-Sandinista Counter Revolution, or Contras have renewed their offensive in Nicaragua. The FLSN are backed into a corner after thinking that the Contras had lost their staying power after the last major offensive in '83.
Politically Boss, I don't know if there's even a 'right' side to this conflict, but I guess that's par for the course. Personally getting involved in a counter revolution against a recently successful revolution sounds like a bad time. Both sides are corrupt, except one is currently in power and the other is backed by it. However, we have history with Amanda. Is that enough for us to get involved in another proxy war between democracy and communism?
--------
R&D: Includes missions to test prototypes
[-] R&D 1: Wormhole Technology
Mission Difficulty: DC 100 (Passed!), 200,000 GMP already paid
Research Time: Will finish in 2 Turns (Turn 3)
Reward: Gain Wormhole Fulton Technology?
Mission Brief: Emmerich says he's stumbled on something unbelievable. Apparently he's discovered some kind of new element that breaks multiple laws of physics. Could be something useful, I think.
[ ] R&D 2: Repairing Sahelanthropus
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 500,000 GMP
Research Time: 2 Turns (Turn 3)
Reward: ST-84 Metal Gear "Sahelanthropus" Repaired. Still requires an AI pod or child sized pilot to get it to work apparently.
Mission Brief: Emmerich's been on my ass all day begging for the funding to repair his little pet project. I told him I'd talk to you about it, but frankly it seems like a terrible idea.
Please tell me you're not actually thinking about throwing even more money at that traitor Snake?
[ ] R&D 3: The Chemical Burger
Mission Difficulty: DC 10, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Gain Chemical Burger Ration, Increased Relations with Code Talker, Large Morale Boost
Mission Brief: Kaz, what are you doing in the kitchen?
W-what!? Nothing Boss, just making sure that everything got brought in with the new shipment!
What the hell, why is that burger blue?
[ ] R&D 4: Ballistic Vests
Mission Difficulty: DC 15, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Infantry gain early Plate Carriers that increase survivability in case of a hit.
Mission Brief: This kevlar stuff has been around since the 60's, it's surprising that no one's thought to use it as body armor before. I bet with some kind of steel plate behind it, you'd be able to take a rifle round to the chest without serious harm!
[ ] R&D 5: Picatinny Rail System
Mission Difficulty: DC 15, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves Infantry adaptability by allowing them to slot Two specializations.
Mission Brief: What if we made a system where soldiers could add and replace any attachment they want on the go? It wouldn't take much work, we'd only need to fabricate some kind of… rail system.
[ ] R&D 6: Uparmored Vehicles
Mission Difficulty: DC 30, 200,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves all mechanized unit survivability with extra armor
Mission Brief: Sure, we could just bolt on a bunch of armor to make something tougher, but you gotta think about how it affects the weight, the balance, the load bearing capacity-
[ ] R&D 7: Armored Fuel tanks
Mission Difficulty: DC 30, 250,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves all air unit survivability with extra armor
Mission Brief: I think this is something we can do, see there's been research done on this new alloy that's just as light as aluminium and has the same properties as-
[ ] R&D 9: Refugee Integration Program (Refugee Tree)
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Begin a work program for refugees staying on Mother Base.
Mission Brief: Not all the people we pick up or come to us seeking safety are going to be fit for the mercenary life. We may be looking to build a nation of soldiers, but every nation needs a working population to support military power.
- Refugees will automatically be placed in under the Contractor section of Diamond Dogs as part of a 'Working Party'.
- Working parties do everything from custodial duties, cooking, and other small, but important tasks that keeps Mother Base operational.
- Every 100 man strong Working Party will allow you to take a building action, but not have that action be slotted for however many turns it takes to build the building in question.
- An initial action dice will still be used to start the process of building.
- Upgrades available as Education is researched.
[ ] R&D 10: War Dogs (Advanced Infantry Tree)
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 75,000 GMP
Research Time: 2 Turns
Reward: Gain War Dog breeding and training program.
Mission Brief: DD has shown how useful a canine combat partner can be in the field. It'd take some time and effort, but I think with a good breeding program and the right training, we could start training both man and animal into a formidable fighting force.
- War Dogs are combat canines suited for Humanitarian and Patrol missions, acting as a living 'specialization' modifier when attached to a unit.
- While not suited for heavy fighting, well trained dogs provide companionship, psychological stability, tracking ability, early warnings, and deterrence against wild animals.
- That said, a pack of these guys will tear an unprepared enemy squad apart.
- The greatest friend you can have in a fight is one you trust implicitly to have your back.
Currently Locked Until General Ed is finished.
-------
Omake Ops: Player created content for goodies. Can affect other Ops. (No Action Dice Required)
[ ] Omake Ops 1: A Better Life [Done]
Mission Difficulty: 1-1.5k words, High Quality
Reward: Snake's attempts at increasing his relationship score with Eli lessens in difficulty
Mission Brief: Write a piece involving the children DDogs have brought back to base and showing them how to be kids. Either Eli's, Wolf's, Ocelot, Miller, or your character's perspective.
Omake Ops 4: A Needy Pup
Mission Difficulty: 1-1.5k words, High Quality
Reward: Lowers War Dog research time by 1 turn.
Mission Brief: D-Dog has picked up a stray and seemingly not by choice. Write piece between DD and Wolf in DD's perspective. Actual puppies in the scene from taking the War Dog research option is a plus.
Omake Ops 5: A Calming Hum [Done]
Mission Difficulty: 1-1.5k words, High Quality
Reward: Helps humanize Quiet in the eyes of Diamond Dogs.
Mission Brief: While DD is away on a mission, he parks Wolf next to Quiet for the time being. Do a slice of life piece in either Quiet or Wolf's pov.
Omake Ops 6: Canine Calamity *Only available if War Dog research begins*
Mission Difficulty: 1-1.5k words, High Quality
Reward: Increase the relationship between Miller and Ocelot
Mission Brief: When Snake and DD are on mission and Hana is stuck in the classroom, the first of DD's litter tend to trail after the Head Trainer Ocelot, and Snack Master Miller who spends long hours in the kitchen doing who knows what. Write a piece in either Ocelot or Miller's perspective when the two are forced to band together in order to deal with a gaggle of hungry pups ready for homemade wet food.
Omake Ops 7: A Snake and a Wolf
Mission Difficulty: 1-1.5k words, High Quality
Reward: Increase the relationship between Eli and Hana
Mission Brief: With an IQ of 180, Eli will likely grow up to be an extremely intelligent adult. As it is the boy is able to speak four languages fluently, including Arabic. While not fluent in Sorani, he knows enough to notice Hana is having difficulties in class and decides to intervene if only so they can move on from the boring stuff he's already long mastered. Written in Eli or Hana's perspective.
[ ] Player Omake Ops: Go Ham~
Mission Difficulty: However much you wanna write, no quality requirement.
Reward: Depends
Mission Brief: Whatever you can think of, go for it~
Hard Limits: 10 Player Omakes per turn, no more than 2 per person.
- For clarification since I know it's going to be asked, prompted Omakes do not count as part of the "Player Omake Ops" hard limit.
======
Building Options
*New Options unlocked through discussion!*
Command Strut
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 Turns
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 Turns
- Tactical and Strategic Operations Center LVL 2
- Unlocks Business Ops (Non Combat business opportunities such as Gun Running, Commercial Businesses, and Trade Deals)
- Communications Center LVL 2
- Unlocks QRF Support (Allows you to use GMP to 'Double Down' on an action by having a unit waiting in the wings to support deployed Diamond Dogs)
- Unlocks Continent End of Turn Reports
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
- UNBUILT Tank Simulators (Armor)
- Tankers start at 1 rank of Veterancy Higher of the current recruitment Paradigm (Meticulous)
- Allows Advanced Armor Research
- UNBUILT Aerospace Engineering Shop (Air)
- Pilots start at 1 rank of Veterancy Higher of the current recruitment Paradigm (Meticulous)
- Allows Advanced Air Research
- UNBUILT Seychelles Naval Warfare Academy (Naval)
- Sea Crews start at 1 rank of Veterancy Higher of the current recruitment Paradigm (Meticulous)
- Allows Advanced Naval Research
- UNBUILT Robotics Research Station
- Allows Mech Research
- UNBUILT AI Pod Storage
- Allows AI Research
- UNBUILT Biological Research Station
- Allows Parasite Research
- Is this really worth it Boss?
- UNBUILT Nuclear Research Station
- Allows Nuclear Research
- Boss… alright.
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
- Dining Facility LVL2
- "Oh shit, pizza day!?"
- Your troops are fed
- Medium Morale Boost
- Lounge LVL 2
- "Gump's doing his own thing with Dan, but hey, we got an open bar!"
- Your soldiers can take some time off, grab imported booze, and relax.
- Medium morale boost
- Medical Center LVL 2
- "I hate needles too"
- Wounded or sick soldiers will be treated in 3-4 turns depending on the severity of their wounds.
- Barracks LVL 2
- "We get our own rooms and bathrooms? I've never lived this good before Boss."
- Your soldiers have a place to rest their heads on comfortable twin beds that aren't a bitch to sleep on.
- Medium morale boost
- No limit to housing, Diamond Dogs will build more as needed.
- Conservation Strut LVL 1
- "Uh… why is there a petting zoo here?"
- A place where animal lovers can come to relax.
- Increase Environmental NGOs disposition of Diamond Dogs.
- Upgradeable to start breeding livestock.
- Farming Strut LVL 1
- "Who had the brilliant fucking idea of trying to grow crops in the middle of the ocean?"
- Greenhouses are built in order to start what is essentially a large scale gardening operation.
- Good for relieving stress and growing fresh herbs.
- Upgradeable to an actual hydroponics and underwater farm.
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
- UNBUILT Landing Strip
- Builds an additional strut where Fixed Wing Aircraft may land for maintenance and repair.
- UNBUILT Dry Dock
- Builds an additional strut where large naval assets are anchored for maintenance and repair.
AN: Doggos. Doggos everywhere.
Just an annoying reminder that your friendly neighborhood Konami who the actual company totally ripped the Survive scenario from got no recognition or monetary compensation for coming up with the MSF transported to another dimension concept.
Please check it out if you want to support me <3
Kona's Patreon
Please check it out if you want to support me <3
Kona's Patreon
Last edited:
Turn 2 Results
konamikode
Cooking Harder
Turn 2 Results
[X]Plan The Truth Will Out (Toughened)
-[X] Emergency Ops 1: A Quiet Interrogation
-[X] Main Ops 2: Investigating Huey (AI Pod Recovery)
-[X] Side Ops 3: No Son of Mine
-[X] Side Ops 9: Denuclearization 2 "No Tomorrow"
-[X] Side Ops 4: Let's Talk Huey *New Game+*
-[X] R&D 4: Ballistic Vests
[X] Emergency Ops 1: A Quiet Interrogation
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Quiet interrogated and her allegiance revealed. ???
Briefing: Boss, when we put Quiet through the medical scanner in the sick bay, we found an unknown strain of vocal cord parasites lodged in her throat. On top of that…
Her lungs are burnt to a crisp. We found traces of a Star of Bethlehem petal lodged inside the damaged tissue.
Snake. She was the XOF assassin sent to kill you back on Cyprus. We need to interrogate her.
Now.
-
POV: Kazuhira
"What were you thinking. Trying to panic us." I remembered saying not hours ago when the mysterious woman had jumped without hesitation into the chlorine tanks.
I'd heard her before I saw her. Felt the vibrations of her leaping and climbing to the lip of the chemical tank through my feet and cane.
While my sight wasn't what it used to be, my other senses had sharpened to make up for the deficiency. Made me more aware of the world around me in some ways while it remained blurred in the way I was most familiar with perceiving my surroundings.
I know.
I'm not the man I used to be. That idealistic, naive, skirt chasing fool.
As if anyone would want me now. Even my wife wanted nothing to do with me when I had all of my limbs.
She left with our daughter; not because I was unfaithful. I'm more than aware that even on good days that I'm a seething shell of my former self.
Hate. Rage.
Bitterness.
No.
What sight I had was lost nine years ago. Only capable of seeing the red strings connected to faces and the bullets that would eventually snuff out their miserable lives.
I know that who I am now can't entirely be blamed on the actions of others. I'm responsible for much of it. Could've walked away at any time, left this life behind me and started to build a future for a family I'd never meant to have.
One that I'd always wanted.
But not one that I deserved.
…
"I guess you didn't feel like you deserved to be happy either." I said to the woman staring at the bowl of hospital jello with what one could charitably call a suspicious glare.
With a small plastic spoon she tests the elasticity of the green cube of gelatin and fruit before putting the utensil halfway down to stare up at me with a soulful expression.
"We could be having this conversation in a less hospitable location you know." I muttered under my breath and resisted the urge to palm my face.
The woman had insidiously grown on us like the parasites infesting her. Had burrowed her way into the depths of Diamond Dogs through action and simple presence of being.
After her earlier stunt I'd come to realize that maybe I'd been lying to myself, holding onto my anger and suspicion and using that as an excuse to place her firmly in the corner of my mind labeled as a 'threat'.
…
That isn't to say the silent sniper isn't, but it isn't difficult to remember that many of us were enemies of the Boss at one point or another.
Myself included.
"I'm already a demon. Heaven's not my kinda place anyway." Snake had said. His regret voice tinged with a tired acceptance turned the atmosphere heavy.
If filled me with righteous fury, enough that I could push away the men attempting to help me so that I could stumble to the waiting gurney on my own. Snake was back, awake. With him here, we could take back everything. The past.
Ruin Cipher. Make them feel every bleeding drop of pain we've felt and more.
The bastards would pay for everything that we'd lost-
"Just one thing, Kaz. This isn't about the past. We're fighting for the future." Snake…
He'd already taken his first steps forward outside the muck and mud of the liquid hatred that clung to us.
While I'd been stuck in the past, falling into my own shadow with a smile.
He'd been looking up at the sky this entire time, climbing from the sea of regrets toward the long journey up the highest mountains, the closest we'd ever come to Heaven.
And he'd been dragging me along this entire time, waiting for the mud to dry off of my body and crack under the heat of the sun. Lending me his strength until I could see the path and begin walking on my own.
His abundant use of non-lethal takedowns.
The humanitarian missions that have been increasingly coming to the forefront of our mission briefings.
The support we send to those desperate people fighting for a better tomorrow.
This plan… this mad, insane plan to denuclearize the world, if only for a single day starting with ourselves...
Snake was doing his best to excise the demon haunting his own steps. To do away with the past and build a better tomorrow.
For a day where soldiers won't be needed to pull the trigger in hate or greed.
So what the hell was I doing?
We aren't meant for heaven, but that doesn't mean we can't help to build a road towards it.
*Clink.*
In response to my continued silence, Quiet had gingerly plopped a chunk of hospital jello into her mouth, chewing with a disgusted face before swallowing and pointedly putting the spoon down on the metal tray.
"What? Don't like the hospitality of our kitchen staff?" The dry attempt at humor is out of my mouth before I realize it, a small smirk twitching on my face before I'm able to will it away.
"..." Wordlessly as usual, Quiet mimes a dipping a stick into the plate followed by the eating of what could be a sandwich.
A show of some levity despite the hospital gown that must be stifling her breathing and ability to be more than a normal human woman trapped on a hospital bed.
"It's not ready yet. It's still… missing something." I admit with a mental groan and a frown.
Quiet had been coming by with Hana to the kitchen when DD wasn't around to shepard the dull-eyed child. Someway or another she'd overheard me talking with the Old Man about his love of burgers.
Apparently, the symbol of American Capitalism is a fan favorite for people all over the world.
The men liked it, the women guiltily so, and the kids?
Hell, even Eli wouldn't complain about waiting in line on burger and pizza days, as admittedly mediocre as our kitchen is.
And Hana… hah.
Suddenly my one man test group had expanded to include half the staff because a military force full of hardened sons of bitches were exposed to the sight of a quiet child being shown how to eat a cheeseburger by an equally silent woman dabbing at food puffed cheeks with a napkin.
A single, peaceful moment that wouldn't have looked out of place in a small diner back home.
"She's waiting outside you know." I say after a beat.
Waiting.
Watching.
Seeing the brown eyes of the woman soften minutely, I found what I was looking for and grunted to myself.
Quiet had made connections here, and we have made connections to her.
When I left the room, stalking past the waiting girl, boy and dog who rushed inside at my nod, I found myself halting in front of Snake and Ocelot.
"So? What's the verdict?" The Russian cowboy raised a brow, folding his arms as he looked past the one way window to watch Hana quietly sidle next to the older woman wordlessly. At the edge of the bed, the boy still clutching Shabani's necklace to himself hesitated, unsure of approaching.
Quiet reached out, humming softly to herself to beckon him closer and place a hand on his shoulder.
"Miller?"
"We're good. She's one of us."
I didn't need to read the scribbled letters on the napkin Quiet had given me in response to my earlier question to know.
"Who are you with?" I asked.
Without fanfare or hesitation, the mute woman picked up the pen I had given her and wrote two letters on the provided napkin before sliding it towards me.
DD
-
Emergency Ops 1: Clear, S-Rank
[X] Main Ops 2: Investigating Huey (AI Pod Recovery)
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Gain evidence of Huey's crimes
Mission Brief: The Mammal Pod is still in Emmerich's old lab at XOF's mountain base. If you can get in there and send it somewhere for pickup, I know that we can find dirt on that sack of shit.
The most difficult portion of sneaking into an enemy encampment isn't the infiltration part most days. It's the length of time you can stay somewhere undetected that is the true test of your ability to ghost in and out of an area.
Unfortunately, having to send the Mammal Pod rocketing away toward the preplanned pickup location alerted anyone still nearby that I missed.
"Intruder! There's someone in the lab!" The closest man still conscious and able to move shouted and came running with his rifle up and eyes wide.
I obliged by popping out of cover as his eyes grew to the size of ping pong balls.
"It's Big Boss- gack!?" The XOF agent gasped, letting loose a spray of automatic fire high into the air as he grasped at the dart sticking out of his neck before falling limp against the floor.
Hearing the man's cry before he fell, a dozen other boots began to echo down the hallways.
I could kill them all. It'd be easy. Far easier than the complicated series of actions I'd have to take in order to leave this place without bloodshed.
But that thought is quickly suppressed followed by the toss of a stun grenade into the pack of men entering the area much to their distress.
Hedging on my bet that XOF agents were too well trained to fire indiscriminately while blind and deaf, I rolled forward out of cover, tossing out a decoy behind me before slipping past the stumbling soldiers with long practiced grace.
By the time the the inflatable dummy had ceased to repeat the recording of "You're pretty good." every few seconds, I was gone.
===
Main Ops 2: Clear, A-Rank
Gained: Mammal Pod!
Infiltration Detection Check (Normal): 73, Undetected
Exfiltration Detection Check (Normal): 5, Caution!
Reflex Mode: 4, Fail! Alert!
I'm Already a Demon: 92, Non-Lethal
Combat: Snake stomps it. Easily.
Loot Roll: 53, No fultons
---
"Boss… you need to come take a look at this. It's pretty bad."
"Kaz?"
"Huey. I think he killed Strangelove."
"What!? Why?"
"There's a skeleton in this… coffin. We're doing a DNA test now to confirm. But the recordings… Snake. They don't point to anything good. You still wanna talk to Emmerich?"
"After I listen to this. Yeah. Regardless of his guilt, we'll give him a chance to explain himself."
"Boss…"
"We're not animals Kaz. I'll only pull the trigger if I have to."
[X] Side Ops 3: No Son of Mine
Mission Difficulty:Very Hard, Hard (Pupper Omake)
Reward: Increased(?) relationship with Eli
Mission Brief: There's no explanation to be had. Eli is a little shit, but you can't just foist him off onto Ocelot to deal with. Probably.
-
POV: Eli
It'd been a little over three weeks since Father left Mother Base along with a small group of men. The dangerous ones, the men and women personally trained by Big Boss in his own image and skills.
All of them had boarded the fleet of helicopters on station with the resolved eyes of those ready to charge a machine gun fully prepared to die for their cause.
It was admirable, the loyalty and belief that Father had built and drilled into the soldiers of his private army. Admirable but galling.
I'd be a fool to think little of the soldiers under his command. I've seen them train, watched them drill day after day with the skill of arms and furiosity comparable to the best I'd fought against in Angola.
It irks me to admit that Father has built something grand. A place where only the soldiers of the highest caliber are allowed to serve in its hallowed halls of orange painted steel. Even the freshest recruits are a cut above the chaff unable to run through a firing range without missing a shot.
That he'd been gone for so long without word is… concerning.
What kind of mission would be so difficult that he and the cream of Diamond Dogs would be gone for so long?
But without an answer to that question, I'd been left on Mother Base to stew in my powerlessness and attend the 'lessons' being given to myself and the others of my age currently residing in the Seychelles.
Agh.
Couldn't they have at least left the damned mutt for this annoying girl to follow around?
"Phutu…" Hana quietly mouthed in Swahili, pointing at a picture of the aforementioned dish in a book about local cuisine as one of the older boys of Mbele squad, Zuberi replied with the same word as an example of the correct pronunciation.
As for myself, I'd long finished my GCSE level coursework and had chosen to continue my learning in Sorani, through conversation with one of the older teenage Kurdish refugees.
"You're from England aren't you, Eli? What's it like there?" Roze, or Roz as many called her asked sweetly with a curious smile.
Pah.
I rolled my eyes, considering responding with a single word. That would make our current exercise meaningless however, so I thought for a moment how to best describe my time 'living' in the UK.
"I was raised in a lab most of my life. I wouldn't be able to tell you."
"Oh…" The sixteen year old bites her lip, looking away uncomfortably.
Oh for heaven's sake-
"I suppose if what few fond memories I have are the foods I was given to eat. Occasionally the staff at the lab would bring local dishes like jellied eels."
"Do you like seafood?"
"I… do enjoy fried things. Fish and chips day was something I looked forward to ever since I was young." And I still do.
One of the few perks of living in a 'civilized' area was the regular access to European menus to include a passable full english for breakfast and fresh caught Atlantic cod being regularly served in various forms at nearly every lunch and dinner.
"I'll have to try some next time… ah, cod is a scaled fish right?"
"Yeah, they're labeled at the self serve."
"R-right…"
"You can't read?"
"Not very well…"
"Then we'll learn together." I reply in english, waiting to see if Roz will understand my words.
The smile that blooms on her pretty face brings both an answer and a small sense of fulfilment. My own grin follows in reply with a level of grudging consent.
As much of a hassle as it is… tutoring is enjoyable.
Being looked upon as reliable and intelligent is a different feeling from the trust and camaraderie shared between myself and my soldiers in a fight.
It's difficult to describe.
In battle it's trust that allows for us to survive and laugh in euphoric senselessness after the bullets stop flying.
Here, in the shared bunks of the bay all of us reside in, those less learned then myself still trust in me, believing that I will guide them in bettering themselves for a future that seems so far away.
…
Hah. As if I could ever become an educator.
War is in my very blood. There's only one path I can walk.
But for now… I have time for a flight of fancy, small and insignificant as it is.
And it is just as I have that thought, the clicking of claws trotting along followed by the light, familiar footsteps that remind me of my own gait echoes down the hall and into the bay.
"DD!" Hana is up before almost anyone else can react, the younger girl hastily standing and stumbling past a bemused Zuberi who huffs in good humor before going back to his own studies.
I myself remain seated, hearing rather than seeing the grumbling of a large wolf who regally accepts being smothered in Hana's creeping affection.
I don't have to turn around to see that she's put her hand on his combat harness.
Much like I already know that Father is here, resting his back against the entrance with his arms crossed, a tired, but fulfilled glint in his eyes.
"... shouldn't you go greet your father Eli?" Roz asks carefully, likely having heard of our strained 'relationship'.
I wasn't deaf to the rumors that floated about Mother Base.
You'd only need to glance between myself and Father to see the similarities despite my body being made of his 'recessive' and 'lesser' genes.
What a crock of shite that was.
I read up on basic genetics by the time I was seven years old, right before I escaped to Africa. I had enough of my plate living up to the world's greatest soldier without the soldiers dressed as researchers droning on and on about my inferiority compared to my father and brothers.
…
But that means nothing. In the end, all I am is a shadow of Big Boss.
A copy.
A lesser replacement of a man deemed the greatest soldier in the world.
I hated it.
"No. If he wants to acknowledge my existence, he can do it himself-"
"Eli." Father interrupts with a single word.
I hate the fact that I turned to face him at that moment.
"What do you want?" I answered with a sneer, standing to my full height and aggressively posturing my body.
Big Boss remains in his relaxed stance, nodding his head towards the door he's leaning against before moving from his tired slouch. "We should talk. Outside."
Without waiting for me to reply, Big Boss exits the silent bay, leaving me with the choice of either staying put or following him outside.
I could've stayed, but my damned body moved on its own to follow the living legend outside.
There he stood, tall and strong with a cigar held to his mouth, uniform encrusted in filth and the blood of his enemies.
In comparison I was a gangly youth, still in the midst of growing. My clothes had even been cleaned recently, looking comparatively pristine when compared to the visage of the soldier freshly returned from battle.
"What do you want Father?"
At this question, the older man took a deep drag of his cigar, taking the time to visibly come to a conclusion only known to his own mind.
"I'm not your father. I don't have that right and I don't think that's the kind of relationship you want from me anyway." Father speaks softly, visibly thinking.
"But that doesn't mean that I don't hold any responsibility for your existence."
-
Side Ops 3: Clear, A-Rank
DC Revealed: 90 (-20 Omake) = 70
Rolled 68, +5 (School), +5 (Recent Heroic Deeds), +5 (Admiration of Meticulous), +5 (Feeling Needed) = 88
[X] Side Ops 4: Let's Talk Huey *New Game+*
Mission Difficulty:Very Hard, Hard (Omake Bonus)
Reward: Increased(?) relationship with Huey
Mission Brief: Skull Face is dead. Sit down and have a chat with a man who you thought was a friend and ask.
Why?
-
"Snake! I heard the news, you… you mad, insane son of a bitch!" Emmerich laughs loudly, spreading his arms wide and stomping down the stairs with the assistance of his powered legs.
"I can't believe it. The world is on proverbial fire! We… no, you just accomplished the greatest labor that modern man could have devised!" The spectacled man gushes, coming within hand to hand distance of me with an elated grin full of good cheer. "The threat of nuclear attacks rendered nonexistent… Snake… this…"
"Huey." I start, interrupting him in his tracks with the tone of my voice and the way I've said his first name since we'd met again in nine years.
"I know."
"You… what do you mean Snake? Of course you do-" He blusters, attempting to cover up the chill that runs down his back from my unyielding stare into his eyes.
He looks away.
"We retrieved the Mammal Pod and listened to the recordings. You killed the mother of your son."
"Wh-what!? Snake, what are you talking about? That's crazy!"
"Huey. Stop." I growled before getting a hold of myself and sitting at a nearby table to pull out a celebratory bottle of bourbon with a loud clink against the metal table.
Without further comment, I gather two well used coffee mugs and fill them both to the brim with liquid courage.
More for him than for myself.
"I. Know." I state again with no room for misunderstanding.
The bourbon goes down smooth despite the lack of ice. But rather than a comforting warmth, the liquor only fills my exhausted body with more fire than I thought capable of summoning in my current state.
"Why?" I asked, pushing the other mug towards the trembling man who lowers himself into a seated position with an accompanying whir of servos.
"I…" He stops, ready to curl into himself to hide away from reality.
Only, he unexpectedly straightens, taking a strong gulp of his drink with a series of choking coughs before he wipes his lips with an arm.
"I… I didn't know Snake."
"What didn't you know? That Strangelove was trapped in the pod?"
"No… that…" Huey slows his speech, stopping completely as he crumples on himself, clutching on the mug half filled with strong bourbon with a shaking hand.
With his other hand, he carefully grips his clattering mug before bringing it up to his lips and downing the entire thing in one go.
He doesn't speak for several minutes, allowing the alcohol to flow through him.
Huey pushes his coffee stained mug forward.
I oblige, pouring another heaping pint of liquor into the relatively large container.
"I didn't know that the U.N. inspection was a ruse." He finally says, bringing the mug in front of him to look deeply into the clear brown liquid held within his cup. "I really believed that what I was doing was helping MSF. Helping everyone by legitimizing our organization."
"Huey…"
"I didn't know Snake. Oh God, I didn't know." He admits, placing his glasses down with a muted noise on top of the table as he rubs his face with both hands.
"I didn't know…"
-
Side Ops 4: Clear, S-Rank
DC Revealed: 90 (-20 Omake) = 70
Rolled 65, +5 (School), +10 (Recent Heroic Deeds), +10 (Snake willing to talk despite Huey's crimes) = 90
[X] R&D 4: Ballistic Vests
Mission Difficulty: DC 15, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Infantry gain early Plate Carriers that increase survivability in case of a hit.
Mission Brief: This kevlar stuff has been around since the 60's, it's surprising that no one's thought to use it as body armor before. I bet with some kind of steel plate behind it, you'd be able to take a rifle round to the chest without serious harm!
R&D 4: Ballistic Vests
Rolled: 32, +10 (Huey) Pass!
Gain Ballistic Vests
When a unit is hit in combat, reroll a single wound. Does not apply to killing blows.
"H-hey, wait! We still need to do more stress testing Snake!"
[X] Side Ops9: Denuclearization 2 "No Tomorrow"
Mission Difficulty: Normal-Extreme
*Diamond Dog FOX Teams will be deployed alongside Big Boss.*
*Good chance of casualties*
Reward: PMC's, Terrorist Groups, and other 3rd parties lose immediate nuclear capability.
Mission Brief: Boss, we've gathered up all the intel we could on black market exchanges of radioactive material, covert nuclear programs of non-nuclear weapon states covered by the NPT, and agents within PC's that have built their own nukes.
-
"Kaz."
"Boss."
"It's done."
"Casualties?"
"None. Looks like those new vests were nothing but extra weight after all."
"Good. That's real good. Are we moving to phase three?"
"..."
"Snake?"
"Yeah. We are."
-
Side Ops 9: Clear, S-Rank
Heroism Gained: 50,000
The people of the world feel the change in the air while those in power scramble to maintain the status quo.
Side Ops: Nuclear Disarmament 3, "A Better Today" Available
DC's Revealed:
Rolls
Big Boss: Total disarmaments, 20 sites split into quarters.
Fox Team 1: Total disarmaments, 20 regions, 5 per squad.
"Ahab..."
"Boss? What is it?"
"It's nothing Fox. Just remembered I had something I needed to do."
[X] R&D 1: Wormhole Technology
Mission Difficulty: DC 100 (Passed!), 200,000 GMP already paid
Research Time: Will finish in 1 Turn (Turn 3)
Reward: Gain Wormhole Fulton Technology?
Mission Brief: Emmerich says he's stumbled on something unbelievable. Apparently he's discovered some kind of new element that breaks multiple laws of physics. Could be something useful, I think.
All will become dust.
1 Turn Remaining.
Rumors Section (Local)
Mother Base:
Ballistic Vests: So we got these brand spanking new vests of body armor fitted with ceramic and metal plates. Easier to move in, weighs less, and simple to fix in a pinch when in a field environment.
Saw Tiger get picked to field test one of these things and get knocked on his ass after taking a rifle round straight to the chest from a couple meters away.
Looks like it hurt, but better than having a bullet punch through your organs.
Denuclearization 2: Fuck. Ukraine.
Squad 1 got the shit end of the stick when it came to deployments, if it wasn't for Quiet we'd probably would have a few more impromptu tests conducted on the vests we were wearing.
If we made it back at all anyway.
Been partying all damn day since we got back, gonna hit the rack and get back to this when it really sets in.
-
Holy fuck, we just denuked half the world and didn't even lose anyone doing it.
Fuck it. Time for round 2 of breakfast shots.
Emmerich: Who the hell is this Emmerich guy that the old MSF crew are up in arms about?
They really aren't happy.
Apparently he's been hiding in the locked away portion of the R&D strut for the past… I don't know, four months?
Seems like a decent guy. Kinda cute in that dorky, nerd way.
Diary of Uma Dlamini
July 30th, 1984
Current GMP: 628,200 GMP
-50,000
------
578,200
Projected GMP Starting Next Turn: 578,200
AN: I think I got everything, the booze is starting to hit haaaaard~
Buncha bombs dropped in this update :3
Seriously, QM warning here.
Shit is about to get real.
[X]Plan The Truth Will Out (Toughened)
-[X] Emergency Ops 1: A Quiet Interrogation
-[X] Main Ops 2: Investigating Huey (AI Pod Recovery)
-[X] Side Ops 3: No Son of Mine
-[X] Side Ops 9: Denuclearization 2 "No Tomorrow"
-[X] Side Ops 4: Let's Talk Huey *New Game+*
-[X] R&D 4: Ballistic Vests
[X] Emergency Ops 1: A Quiet Interrogation
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Quiet interrogated and her allegiance revealed. ???
Briefing: Boss, when we put Quiet through the medical scanner in the sick bay, we found an unknown strain of vocal cord parasites lodged in her throat. On top of that…
Her lungs are burnt to a crisp. We found traces of a Star of Bethlehem petal lodged inside the damaged tissue.
Snake. She was the XOF assassin sent to kill you back on Cyprus. We need to interrogate her.
Now.
-
POV: Kazuhira
"What were you thinking. Trying to panic us." I remembered saying not hours ago when the mysterious woman had jumped without hesitation into the chlorine tanks.
I'd heard her before I saw her. Felt the vibrations of her leaping and climbing to the lip of the chemical tank through my feet and cane.
While my sight wasn't what it used to be, my other senses had sharpened to make up for the deficiency. Made me more aware of the world around me in some ways while it remained blurred in the way I was most familiar with perceiving my surroundings.
I know.
I'm not the man I used to be. That idealistic, naive, skirt chasing fool.
As if anyone would want me now. Even my wife wanted nothing to do with me when I had all of my limbs.
She left with our daughter; not because I was unfaithful. I'm more than aware that even on good days that I'm a seething shell of my former self.
Hate. Rage.
Bitterness.
No.
What sight I had was lost nine years ago. Only capable of seeing the red strings connected to faces and the bullets that would eventually snuff out their miserable lives.
I know that who I am now can't entirely be blamed on the actions of others. I'm responsible for much of it. Could've walked away at any time, left this life behind me and started to build a future for a family I'd never meant to have.
One that I'd always wanted.
But not one that I deserved.
…
"I guess you didn't feel like you deserved to be happy either." I said to the woman staring at the bowl of hospital jello with what one could charitably call a suspicious glare.
With a small plastic spoon she tests the elasticity of the green cube of gelatin and fruit before putting the utensil halfway down to stare up at me with a soulful expression.
"We could be having this conversation in a less hospitable location you know." I muttered under my breath and resisted the urge to palm my face.
The woman had insidiously grown on us like the parasites infesting her. Had burrowed her way into the depths of Diamond Dogs through action and simple presence of being.
After her earlier stunt I'd come to realize that maybe I'd been lying to myself, holding onto my anger and suspicion and using that as an excuse to place her firmly in the corner of my mind labeled as a 'threat'.
…
That isn't to say the silent sniper isn't, but it isn't difficult to remember that many of us were enemies of the Boss at one point or another.
Myself included.
"I'm already a demon. Heaven's not my kinda place anyway." Snake had said. His regret voice tinged with a tired acceptance turned the atmosphere heavy.
If filled me with righteous fury, enough that I could push away the men attempting to help me so that I could stumble to the waiting gurney on my own. Snake was back, awake. With him here, we could take back everything. The past.
Ruin Cipher. Make them feel every bleeding drop of pain we've felt and more.
The bastards would pay for everything that we'd lost-
"Just one thing, Kaz. This isn't about the past. We're fighting for the future." Snake…
He'd already taken his first steps forward outside the muck and mud of the liquid hatred that clung to us.
While I'd been stuck in the past, falling into my own shadow with a smile.
He'd been looking up at the sky this entire time, climbing from the sea of regrets toward the long journey up the highest mountains, the closest we'd ever come to Heaven.
And he'd been dragging me along this entire time, waiting for the mud to dry off of my body and crack under the heat of the sun. Lending me his strength until I could see the path and begin walking on my own.
His abundant use of non-lethal takedowns.
The humanitarian missions that have been increasingly coming to the forefront of our mission briefings.
The support we send to those desperate people fighting for a better tomorrow.
This plan… this mad, insane plan to denuclearize the world, if only for a single day starting with ourselves...
Snake was doing his best to excise the demon haunting his own steps. To do away with the past and build a better tomorrow.
For a day where soldiers won't be needed to pull the trigger in hate or greed.
So what the hell was I doing?
We aren't meant for heaven, but that doesn't mean we can't help to build a road towards it.
*Clink.*
In response to my continued silence, Quiet had gingerly plopped a chunk of hospital jello into her mouth, chewing with a disgusted face before swallowing and pointedly putting the spoon down on the metal tray.
"What? Don't like the hospitality of our kitchen staff?" The dry attempt at humor is out of my mouth before I realize it, a small smirk twitching on my face before I'm able to will it away.
"..." Wordlessly as usual, Quiet mimes a dipping a stick into the plate followed by the eating of what could be a sandwich.
A show of some levity despite the hospital gown that must be stifling her breathing and ability to be more than a normal human woman trapped on a hospital bed.
"It's not ready yet. It's still… missing something." I admit with a mental groan and a frown.
Quiet had been coming by with Hana to the kitchen when DD wasn't around to shepard the dull-eyed child. Someway or another she'd overheard me talking with the Old Man about his love of burgers.
Apparently, the symbol of American Capitalism is a fan favorite for people all over the world.
The men liked it, the women guiltily so, and the kids?
Hell, even Eli wouldn't complain about waiting in line on burger and pizza days, as admittedly mediocre as our kitchen is.
And Hana… hah.
Suddenly my one man test group had expanded to include half the staff because a military force full of hardened sons of bitches were exposed to the sight of a quiet child being shown how to eat a cheeseburger by an equally silent woman dabbing at food puffed cheeks with a napkin.
A single, peaceful moment that wouldn't have looked out of place in a small diner back home.
"She's waiting outside you know." I say after a beat.
Waiting.
Watching.
Seeing the brown eyes of the woman soften minutely, I found what I was looking for and grunted to myself.
Quiet had made connections here, and we have made connections to her.
When I left the room, stalking past the waiting girl, boy and dog who rushed inside at my nod, I found myself halting in front of Snake and Ocelot.
"So? What's the verdict?" The Russian cowboy raised a brow, folding his arms as he looked past the one way window to watch Hana quietly sidle next to the older woman wordlessly. At the edge of the bed, the boy still clutching Shabani's necklace to himself hesitated, unsure of approaching.
Quiet reached out, humming softly to herself to beckon him closer and place a hand on his shoulder.
"Miller?"
"We're good. She's one of us."
I didn't need to read the scribbled letters on the napkin Quiet had given me in response to my earlier question to know.
"Who are you with?" I asked.
Without fanfare or hesitation, the mute woman picked up the pen I had given her and wrote two letters on the provided napkin before sliding it towards me.
DD
-
Emergency Ops 1: Clear, S-Rank
- Ocelot: "Mm. Alright, I'll take your word for it Miller. Boss? Don't take too long, we still got an OP to plan."
- Ahab: "I… shouldn't interrupt."
- Miller: "Just go Snake."
- Quiet: "Hm?"
- Trusted Comrade 5/10
[X] Main Ops 2: Investigating Huey (AI Pod Recovery)
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Gain evidence of Huey's crimes
Mission Brief: The Mammal Pod is still in Emmerich's old lab at XOF's mountain base. If you can get in there and send it somewhere for pickup, I know that we can find dirt on that sack of shit.
The most difficult portion of sneaking into an enemy encampment isn't the infiltration part most days. It's the length of time you can stay somewhere undetected that is the true test of your ability to ghost in and out of an area.
Unfortunately, having to send the Mammal Pod rocketing away toward the preplanned pickup location alerted anyone still nearby that I missed.
"Intruder! There's someone in the lab!" The closest man still conscious and able to move shouted and came running with his rifle up and eyes wide.
I obliged by popping out of cover as his eyes grew to the size of ping pong balls.
"It's Big Boss- gack!?" The XOF agent gasped, letting loose a spray of automatic fire high into the air as he grasped at the dart sticking out of his neck before falling limp against the floor.
Hearing the man's cry before he fell, a dozen other boots began to echo down the hallways.
I could kill them all. It'd be easy. Far easier than the complicated series of actions I'd have to take in order to leave this place without bloodshed.
But that thought is quickly suppressed followed by the toss of a stun grenade into the pack of men entering the area much to their distress.
Hedging on my bet that XOF agents were too well trained to fire indiscriminately while blind and deaf, I rolled forward out of cover, tossing out a decoy behind me before slipping past the stumbling soldiers with long practiced grace.
By the time the the inflatable dummy had ceased to repeat the recording of "You're pretty good." every few seconds, I was gone.
===
Main Ops 2: Clear, A-Rank
Gained: Mammal Pod!
Infiltration Detection Check (Normal): 73, Undetected
Exfiltration Detection Check (Normal): 5, Caution!
Reflex Mode: 4, Fail! Alert!
I'm Already a Demon: 92, Non-Lethal
Combat: Snake stomps it. Easily.
Loot Roll: 53, No fultons
---
"Boss… you need to come take a look at this. It's pretty bad."
"Kaz?"
"Huey. I think he killed Strangelove."
"What!? Why?"
"There's a skeleton in this… coffin. We're doing a DNA test now to confirm. But the recordings… Snake. They don't point to anything good. You still wanna talk to Emmerich?"
"After I listen to this. Yeah. Regardless of his guilt, we'll give him a chance to explain himself."
"Boss…"
"We're not animals Kaz. I'll only pull the trigger if I have to."
[X] Side Ops 3: No Son of Mine
Mission Difficulty:
Reward: Increased(?) relationship with Eli
Mission Brief: There's no explanation to be had. Eli is a little shit, but you can't just foist him off onto Ocelot to deal with. Probably.
-
POV: Eli
It'd been a little over three weeks since Father left Mother Base along with a small group of men. The dangerous ones, the men and women personally trained by Big Boss in his own image and skills.
All of them had boarded the fleet of helicopters on station with the resolved eyes of those ready to charge a machine gun fully prepared to die for their cause.
It was admirable, the loyalty and belief that Father had built and drilled into the soldiers of his private army. Admirable but galling.
I'd be a fool to think little of the soldiers under his command. I've seen them train, watched them drill day after day with the skill of arms and furiosity comparable to the best I'd fought against in Angola.
It irks me to admit that Father has built something grand. A place where only the soldiers of the highest caliber are allowed to serve in its hallowed halls of orange painted steel. Even the freshest recruits are a cut above the chaff unable to run through a firing range without missing a shot.
That he'd been gone for so long without word is… concerning.
What kind of mission would be so difficult that he and the cream of Diamond Dogs would be gone for so long?
But without an answer to that question, I'd been left on Mother Base to stew in my powerlessness and attend the 'lessons' being given to myself and the others of my age currently residing in the Seychelles.
Agh.
Couldn't they have at least left the damned mutt for this annoying girl to follow around?
"Phutu…" Hana quietly mouthed in Swahili, pointing at a picture of the aforementioned dish in a book about local cuisine as one of the older boys of Mbele squad, Zuberi replied with the same word as an example of the correct pronunciation.
As for myself, I'd long finished my GCSE level coursework and had chosen to continue my learning in Sorani, through conversation with one of the older teenage Kurdish refugees.
"You're from England aren't you, Eli? What's it like there?" Roze, or Roz as many called her asked sweetly with a curious smile.
Pah.
I rolled my eyes, considering responding with a single word. That would make our current exercise meaningless however, so I thought for a moment how to best describe my time 'living' in the UK.
"I was raised in a lab most of my life. I wouldn't be able to tell you."
"Oh…" The sixteen year old bites her lip, looking away uncomfortably.
Oh for heaven's sake-
"I suppose if what few fond memories I have are the foods I was given to eat. Occasionally the staff at the lab would bring local dishes like jellied eels."
"Do you like seafood?"
"I… do enjoy fried things. Fish and chips day was something I looked forward to ever since I was young." And I still do.
One of the few perks of living in a 'civilized' area was the regular access to European menus to include a passable full english for breakfast and fresh caught Atlantic cod being regularly served in various forms at nearly every lunch and dinner.
"I'll have to try some next time… ah, cod is a scaled fish right?"
"Yeah, they're labeled at the self serve."
"R-right…"
"You can't read?"
"Not very well…"
"Then we'll learn together." I reply in english, waiting to see if Roz will understand my words.
The smile that blooms on her pretty face brings both an answer and a small sense of fulfilment. My own grin follows in reply with a level of grudging consent.
As much of a hassle as it is… tutoring is enjoyable.
Being looked upon as reliable and intelligent is a different feeling from the trust and camaraderie shared between myself and my soldiers in a fight.
It's difficult to describe.
In battle it's trust that allows for us to survive and laugh in euphoric senselessness after the bullets stop flying.
Here, in the shared bunks of the bay all of us reside in, those less learned then myself still trust in me, believing that I will guide them in bettering themselves for a future that seems so far away.
…
Hah. As if I could ever become an educator.
War is in my very blood. There's only one path I can walk.
But for now… I have time for a flight of fancy, small and insignificant as it is.
And it is just as I have that thought, the clicking of claws trotting along followed by the light, familiar footsteps that remind me of my own gait echoes down the hall and into the bay.
"DD!" Hana is up before almost anyone else can react, the younger girl hastily standing and stumbling past a bemused Zuberi who huffs in good humor before going back to his own studies.
I myself remain seated, hearing rather than seeing the grumbling of a large wolf who regally accepts being smothered in Hana's creeping affection.
I don't have to turn around to see that she's put her hand on his combat harness.
Much like I already know that Father is here, resting his back against the entrance with his arms crossed, a tired, but fulfilled glint in his eyes.
"... shouldn't you go greet your father Eli?" Roz asks carefully, likely having heard of our strained 'relationship'.
I wasn't deaf to the rumors that floated about Mother Base.
You'd only need to glance between myself and Father to see the similarities despite my body being made of his 'recessive' and 'lesser' genes.
What a crock of shite that was.
I read up on basic genetics by the time I was seven years old, right before I escaped to Africa. I had enough of my plate living up to the world's greatest soldier without the soldiers dressed as researchers droning on and on about my inferiority compared to my father and brothers.
…
But that means nothing. In the end, all I am is a shadow of Big Boss.
A copy.
A lesser replacement of a man deemed the greatest soldier in the world.
I hated it.
"No. If he wants to acknowledge my existence, he can do it himself-"
"Eli." Father interrupts with a single word.
I hate the fact that I turned to face him at that moment.
"What do you want?" I answered with a sneer, standing to my full height and aggressively posturing my body.
Big Boss remains in his relaxed stance, nodding his head towards the door he's leaning against before moving from his tired slouch. "We should talk. Outside."
Without waiting for me to reply, Big Boss exits the silent bay, leaving me with the choice of either staying put or following him outside.
I could've stayed, but my damned body moved on its own to follow the living legend outside.
There he stood, tall and strong with a cigar held to his mouth, uniform encrusted in filth and the blood of his enemies.
In comparison I was a gangly youth, still in the midst of growing. My clothes had even been cleaned recently, looking comparatively pristine when compared to the visage of the soldier freshly returned from battle.
"What do you want Father?"
At this question, the older man took a deep drag of his cigar, taking the time to visibly come to a conclusion only known to his own mind.
"I'm not your father. I don't have that right and I don't think that's the kind of relationship you want from me anyway." Father speaks softly, visibly thinking.
"But that doesn't mean that I don't hold any responsibility for your existence."
-
Side Ops 3: Clear, A-Rank
- Ahab: "Just… think about it Eli. We make of ourselves the men we become."
- Eli: "... whatever."
- Ahab's Opinion of Eli rises 3 points.
- Eli's Opinion of Snake rises 2 points.
DC Revealed: 90 (-20 Omake) = 70
Rolled 68, +5 (School), +5 (Recent Heroic Deeds), +5 (Admiration of Meticulous), +5 (Feeling Needed) = 88
[X] Side Ops 4: Let's Talk Huey *New Game+*
Mission Difficulty:
Reward: Increased(?) relationship with Huey
Mission Brief: Skull Face is dead. Sit down and have a chat with a man who you thought was a friend and ask.
Why?
-
"Snake! I heard the news, you… you mad, insane son of a bitch!" Emmerich laughs loudly, spreading his arms wide and stomping down the stairs with the assistance of his powered legs.
"I can't believe it. The world is on proverbial fire! We… no, you just accomplished the greatest labor that modern man could have devised!" The spectacled man gushes, coming within hand to hand distance of me with an elated grin full of good cheer. "The threat of nuclear attacks rendered nonexistent… Snake… this…"
"Huey." I start, interrupting him in his tracks with the tone of my voice and the way I've said his first name since we'd met again in nine years.
"I know."
"You… what do you mean Snake? Of course you do-" He blusters, attempting to cover up the chill that runs down his back from my unyielding stare into his eyes.
He looks away.
"We retrieved the Mammal Pod and listened to the recordings. You killed the mother of your son."
"Wh-what!? Snake, what are you talking about? That's crazy!"
"Huey. Stop." I growled before getting a hold of myself and sitting at a nearby table to pull out a celebratory bottle of bourbon with a loud clink against the metal table.
Without further comment, I gather two well used coffee mugs and fill them both to the brim with liquid courage.
More for him than for myself.
"I. Know." I state again with no room for misunderstanding.
The bourbon goes down smooth despite the lack of ice. But rather than a comforting warmth, the liquor only fills my exhausted body with more fire than I thought capable of summoning in my current state.
"Why?" I asked, pushing the other mug towards the trembling man who lowers himself into a seated position with an accompanying whir of servos.
"I…" He stops, ready to curl into himself to hide away from reality.
Only, he unexpectedly straightens, taking a strong gulp of his drink with a series of choking coughs before he wipes his lips with an arm.
"I… I didn't know Snake."
"What didn't you know? That Strangelove was trapped in the pod?"
"No… that…" Huey slows his speech, stopping completely as he crumples on himself, clutching on the mug half filled with strong bourbon with a shaking hand.
With his other hand, he carefully grips his clattering mug before bringing it up to his lips and downing the entire thing in one go.
He doesn't speak for several minutes, allowing the alcohol to flow through him.
Huey pushes his coffee stained mug forward.
I oblige, pouring another heaping pint of liquor into the relatively large container.
"I didn't know that the U.N. inspection was a ruse." He finally says, bringing the mug in front of him to look deeply into the clear brown liquid held within his cup. "I really believed that what I was doing was helping MSF. Helping everyone by legitimizing our organization."
"Huey…"
"I didn't know Snake. Oh God, I didn't know." He admits, placing his glasses down with a muted noise on top of the table as he rubs his face with both hands.
"I didn't know…"
-
Side Ops 4: Clear, S-Rank
- Huey: "How many lives ended because of my hubris? My naivety? My work?"
- Snake: "..."
- Ahab's Opinion of Huey rises 4 points.
- Huey's Opinion of Snake revealed.
- My Friend, My Abel 8/10
DC Revealed: 90 (-20 Omake) = 70
Rolled 65, +5 (School), +10 (Recent Heroic Deeds), +10 (Snake willing to talk despite Huey's crimes) = 90
[X] R&D 4: Ballistic Vests
Mission Difficulty: DC 15, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Infantry gain early Plate Carriers that increase survivability in case of a hit.
Mission Brief: This kevlar stuff has been around since the 60's, it's surprising that no one's thought to use it as body armor before. I bet with some kind of steel plate behind it, you'd be able to take a rifle round to the chest without serious harm!
R&D 4: Ballistic Vests
Rolled: 32, +10 (Huey) Pass!
Gain Ballistic Vests
When a unit is hit in combat, reroll a single wound. Does not apply to killing blows.
"H-hey, wait! We still need to do more stress testing Snake!"
[X] Side Ops9: Denuclearization 2 "No Tomorrow"
Mission Difficulty: Normal-Extreme
*Diamond Dog FOX Teams will be deployed alongside Big Boss.*
*Good chance of casualties*
Reward: PMC's, Terrorist Groups, and other 3rd parties lose immediate nuclear capability.
Mission Brief: Boss, we've gathered up all the intel we could on black market exchanges of radioactive material, covert nuclear programs of non-nuclear weapon states covered by the NPT, and agents within PC's that have built their own nukes.
-
"Kaz."
"Boss."
"It's done."
"Casualties?"
"None. Looks like those new vests were nothing but extra weight after all."
"Good. That's real good. Are we moving to phase three?"
"..."
"Snake?"
"Yeah. We are."
-
Side Ops 9: Clear, S-Rank
Heroism Gained: 50,000
The people of the world feel the change in the air while those in power scramble to maintain the status quo.
- Ahab sees her guiding hand and gently pushes it away for another path.
- Kazuhira takes his first steps on a path towards an impossible dream he can now see.
- Ocelot sees a Phantom becoming something more.
- Quiet hardens her resolve, knowing she's part of something greater.
- Code Talker chuckles at the morning news, new energy renewing his ancient bones.
- Huey opens his eyes, seeing images of the past. And a future for his son.
- Pacifica leaves her room in a daze before returning to a fitful dream.
- Eli watches the gulf between him and his father widen and thinks on his words.
- Hana waits for a long time for DD and Saladin to return.
Side Ops: Nuclear Disarmament 3, "A Better Today" Available
DC's Revealed:
- Extreme: 120
- Very Hard: 90
- Hard: 70
- Normal: 50
Rolls
Big Boss: Total disarmaments, 20 sites split into quarters.
- North Korea (Extreme): 89 +50 (Big Boss) +50 (The Man Who ****** the World)
- 189
- S Rank
- India (Extreme): 45, +50 (Big Boss) +50 (The Man Who ****** the World)
- 145
- S Rank
- Pakistan (Extreme): 16, Reroll 92 (Heroic action) +50 (Big Boss) +50 (The Man Who ****** the World)
- 192
- S Rank
- Israel (Extreme): 78 +50 (Big Boss) +50 (The Man Who ****** the World)
- 178
- S Rank
Fox Team 1: Total disarmaments, 20 regions, 5 per squad.
- Ukraine (Extreme): 66 +40 (FOX) +70 (Quiet)
- 176
- S Rank
- Belarus (Very Hard) 30 +40 (FOX) +40 (Ocelot)
- 110
- A Rank
- Kazakhstan (Hard) 90 +40 (FOX) +20 (DD)
- 150
- S Rank
- South Africa (Normal): 37 +40 (FOX)
- 77
- S Rank
"Ahab..."
"Boss? What is it?"
"It's nothing Fox. Just remembered I had something I needed to do."
- Ishmael stirs from beneath the waves and prepares to send a message to The Man Who ****** the World.
Mission Difficulty: DC 100 (Passed!), 200,000 GMP already paid
Research Time: Will finish in 1 Turn (Turn 3)
Reward: Gain Wormhole Fulton Technology?
Mission Brief: Emmerich says he's stumbled on something unbelievable. Apparently he's discovered some kind of new element that breaks multiple laws of physics. Could be something useful, I think.
All will become dust.
1 Turn Remaining.
Rumors Section (Local)
Mother Base:
Ballistic Vests: So we got these brand spanking new vests of body armor fitted with ceramic and metal plates. Easier to move in, weighs less, and simple to fix in a pinch when in a field environment.
Saw Tiger get picked to field test one of these things and get knocked on his ass after taking a rifle round straight to the chest from a couple meters away.
Looks like it hurt, but better than having a bullet punch through your organs.
Denuclearization 2: Fuck. Ukraine.
Squad 1 got the shit end of the stick when it came to deployments, if it wasn't for Quiet we'd probably would have a few more impromptu tests conducted on the vests we were wearing.
If we made it back at all anyway.
Been partying all damn day since we got back, gonna hit the rack and get back to this when it really sets in.
-
Holy fuck, we just denuked half the world and didn't even lose anyone doing it.
Fuck it. Time for round 2 of breakfast shots.
Emmerich: Who the hell is this Emmerich guy that the old MSF crew are up in arms about?
They really aren't happy.
Apparently he's been hiding in the locked away portion of the R&D strut for the past… I don't know, four months?
Seems like a decent guy. Kinda cute in that dorky, nerd way.
Diary of Uma Dlamini
July 30th, 1984
Current GMP: 628,200 GMP
-50,000
------
578,200
Projected GMP Starting Next Turn: 578,200
AN: I think I got everything, the booze is starting to hit haaaaard~
Buncha bombs dropped in this update :3
Seriously, QM warning here.
Shit is about to get real.
Just an annoying reminder that your friendly neighborhood Konami who the actual company totally ripped the Survive scenario from got no recognition or monetary compensation for coming up with the MSF transported to another dimension concept.
Please check it out if you want to support me <3
Kona's Patreon
Please check it out if you want to support me <3
Kona's Patreon
Last edited:
Turn 3 Options (Final Tutorial Turn)
konamikode
Cooking Harder
Turn 3 Options
Standing on the edge of the crater. Like the prophets once said.
And the ashes are all cold now. No more bullets and the embers are dead.
It comes.
Current GMP: 628,200 GMP
Current GMP: 1,828,200 GMP (+1.2M Omake Bonus)
Diamond Dogs Upkeep: 222,000 GMP
-5% (GMP Supply Platoon)
------
Total Upkeep: 210,900
Projected GMP Next Turn: 1,617,300
*Newly recruited units won't take GMP until they are accepted into DD*
*New Units recruited at the end of this turn. For gameplay purposes I won't be keeping the 'washing out and retry' system, manpower is hard enough to get as it is.*
*Not enough refugees to really hit GMP reserves*
Current Hopefuls Undergoing Diamond Dogs Training
M270 MLRS Crews x3
MH6 Little Bird Pilots x3
Current Education Status of DD: Abysmal (No extra Actions)
General Education
Associate's or Trade School Equivalent
Bachelor's or other Graduate Degree Equivalent
Post Graduate Degrees, Doctorates, and other Equivalents
Action Dice: 4 (Can be used as action or roll) +4 Bonus Dice =
8 Actions
VOTE BY PLAN!
Omake submissions now open!
Vote moratorium until Thursday, 3 PM PST
Votes and Omake submissions will close Sunday at 3pm PST TIME
Emergency Ops: High Priority missions that can pop up at any time, including between turns. Extremely time sensitive.
Soon
Main Ops: Story related missions, time sensitive
[ ] Main Ops 3: Recover the Man on Fire
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Gain the Man on Fire's body.
Mission Brief: We found his body Boss. It seems inert as far as we can tell. We're sending you to pick him up, but be ready. As far as I'm concerned, history's shown that this walking anomaly is anything but safe.
[ ] Main Ops 4: The Trial
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Dr. Huey Emmerich tried and brought to justice by Big Boss.
Mission Brief: Boss, I can't believe this, but… it's Emmerich.
He walked into my office, in broad daylight where everyone could see him. The old bloods are up in arms about his presence and they're quickly infecting the newer troops with the stories of his betrayal of MSF.
...
Christ Snake, Emmerich wants to turn himself in for a trial.
What the hell did you say to him in the lab?
[ ] Main Ops 5: Denuclearization 3 "A Glimpse of Today"
Mission Difficulty:European Extreme Extreme (Omake Bonuses)
The Soldiers of the World Hear the Call of Outer Heaven.
Reward: ???
Mission Brief: This is it Boss. A mission only you could hope to accomplish.
Take a warhead from each of the major powers and leave behind our calling card.
Let the world listen to what we have to say.
Side Ops: Semi-story driven missions, but still important and time sensitive
[ ] Side Ops 2: Check on Paz *New Game+*
Mission Difficulty:Very Hard, Hard, Easy (Further Omake Bonus)
Reward: Increased relationship with 'Paz Ortega Andrade'
Mission Brief: You've managed to find an old photo of an MSF barbecue after taking down Zeke for the first time. Maybe some good memories will help Paz recover mentally after nine years without change.
[ ] Side Ops 7: A Moment of Quiet
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Increased Relationship with Quiet.
Mission Brief: Your silent partner on the battlefield is acting slightly… off. She's acting more distant than usual while shooting you ever increasing glances that tend to linger long enough for you to notice.
What's on her mind?
[ ] Side Ops 8: Draw!
Mission Difficulty: Very Hard
Reward: Increased Relationship with Ocelot
Mission Brief: "Hey Boss, you got a moment? What say we have a practice duel, for old time's sake?"
[ ] Side Ops 10: The Girl Who Cried for a Wolf
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Increased relationship with Hana
Mission Brief: "DD? Hana? What is it?"
"This child must be weaned. You must teach her to be human Hunt Brother." I grumbled, gently nipping at the confused girl's sleeve and placing her small hand in the blood colored ore of Ahab's false one.
"I will go sleep now."
"What? DD, wait-"
[ ] Side Ops 11: Beach Party *Must take Denuke 3*
Mission Difficulty: Varies
Reward: Overall increase in morale of Diamond Dogs and relationship points between the main cast. Slice of life DLC
Mission Brief: Well, there's one thing I'm better at than you Father. You are horrible at fishing.
[ ] Side Ops 12: An Interview with the World
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Gain 'Confessions of a Phantom' interview/tape 1
Mission Brief: Boss, a war correspondent from CNN just called in. Probably the first of many, but this one is a respected reporter known for his unbiased and factual reporting.
I'll take care of it myself if you don't feel up to it Boss, but I thought I should ask if you wanted to take a shot at the big screen first.
PMC Ops: Missions for the grunts for everything else that requires manpower from small/large missions to building new outposts/structures and humanitarian aid.
[ ] PMC Ops 1: Mujahideen Support
Mission Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 150,000 GMP
Mission Brief: The soviets are attempting to muster men and material for a new offensive in the rural heartland of the Kandahar Valley. Increased soviet capability in the region would destabilize our own efforts and goals.
This is going to be a large operation against a conventional force in mountainous terrain.
And we know exactly how to best fight against that.
[ ] PMC Ops 2: UN Peacekeeping in the Congo
Mission Difficulty: Very Easy
Reward: Possible Infantry Recruitment, 100,000 GMP
Mission Brief: Nothing much to mention here Boss. Just your standard peacekeeping op and making sure supplies get where they need to. We're not really expecting much opposition here.
[ ] PMC Ops 4: Operation Conservation
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: 100,000 GMT, Conservation Strut construction funded by PETA!
Mission Brief: PETA contracted us for this one Boss. They want us to… uh… relocate a bunch of endangered species onto Mother Base until they can set up wildlife preserves. They'll even fund the building of a new strut to house them in as well as paying us some pretty solid paper.
But how the hell are we supposed to transport hundreds of animal-
Boss, you've got that look in your eye again.
Boss. No.
I still got one leg and an arm Boss, don't make me hobble over there!
Boss!
[ ] PMC Ops 5: Kurdish Turnaround
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 200,000 GMP
Mission Brief: We've given the Kurds a fighting chance Boss. The Turkish army and government is reeling from the rebel attacks all across their borders. With how busy they are with sending more troops to the front, this is the perfect chance for us to get behind them and take out vital supply lines, leadership, and reserve units.
Uncle Sam definitely won't be happy about this, but at this point who cares if the target painted on our backs is a full sized tattoo?
[ ] PMC Ops 6: Contra War
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 150,000 GMP
Mission Brief: Boss, we've just received a call from Amanda… she sounds good, yeah. But this is business Snake. The Anti-Sandinista Counter Revolution, or Contras have renewed their offensive in Nicaragua. The FLSN are backed into a corner after thinking that the Contras had lost their staying power after the last major offensive in '83.
Politically Boss, I don't know if there's even a 'right' side to this conflict, but I guess that's par for the course. Personally getting involved in a counter revolution against a recently successful revolution sounds like a bad time. Both sides are corrupt, except one is currently in power and the other is backed by it. However, we have history with Amanda. Is that enough for us to get involved in another proxy war between democracy and communism?
[ ] PMC Ops 7: Wannabe Heroes
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Guaranteed Infantry, Armor, or Fixed Air Elite Company/Squadron of your choice. Stacks organically with other actions. Like every other action listed so far
Mission Brief: "God damn it."
"Something wrong Kaz?"
"All the ports in Seychelle waters are under threat of closing down."
"A naval blockade?"
"More like a body blockade. Snake, there are literally thousands of hopeful recruits attempting to board the tankers that bring our monthly supplies in. I don't think we'll be needing to fulton anyone for this OP."
R&D: Includes missions to test prototypes
[-] R&D 1: Wormhole Technology
Mission Difficulty: DC 100 (Passed!), 200,000 GMP already paid
Research Time: Finishes at the end of this turn. Be ready.
Reward: Gain Wormhole Fulton Technology?
Mission Brief: Emmerich says he's stumbled on something unbelievable. Apparently he's discovered some kind of new element that breaks multiple laws of physics. Could be something useful, I think-
"What the hell was that noise?"
[ ] R&D 2: Repairing Sahelanthropus
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 500,000 GMP (Can be split into halves)
Research Time: 1 Turn (End Turn 3 / Start Turn 4)
Reward: ST-84 Metal Gear "Sahelanthropus" Repaired. Still requires an AI pod or child sized pilot to get it to work apparently.
Mission Brief: Emmerich's been on my ass all day begging for the funding to repair his little pet project. I told him I'd talk to you about it, but frankly it seems like a terrible idea.
Please tell me you're not actually thinking about throwing even more money at that traitor Snake?
[ ] R&D 3: The Chemical Burger
Mission Difficulty: DC 10, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Gain Chemical Burger Ration, Increased Relations with Code Talker, Large Morale Boost
Mission Brief: Kaz, what are you doing in the kitchen?
W-what!? Nothing Boss, just making sure that everything got brought in with the new shipment!
What the hell, why is that burger blue?
[ ] R&D 5: Picatinny Rail System
Mission Difficulty: DC 15, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves Infantry adaptability by allowing them to slot Two specializations.
Mission Brief: What if we made a system where soldiers could add and replace any attachment they want on the go? It wouldn't take much work, we'd only need to fabricate some kind of… rail system.
[ ] R&D 6: Uparmored Vehicles
Mission Difficulty: DC 30, 200,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves all mechanized unit survivability with extra armor
Mission Brief: Sure, we could just bolt on a bunch of armor to make something tougher, but you gotta think about how it affects the weight, the balance, the load bearing capacity-
[ ] R&D 7: Armored Fuel tanks
Mission Difficulty: DC 30, 250,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves all air unit survivability with extra armor
Mission Brief: I think this is something we can do, see there's been research done on this new alloy that's just as light as aluminium and has the same properties as-
[ ] R&D 9: Refugee Integration Program (Refugee Tree)
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Begin a work program for refugees staying on Mother Base.
Mission Brief: Not all the people we pick up or come to us seeking safety are going to be fit for the mercenary life. We may be looking to build a nation of soldiers, but every nation needs a working population to support military power.
[ ] R&D 10: War Dogs (Advanced Infantry Tree)
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 75,000 GMP
Research Time:2 Turns 1 Turn (Omake Bonus)
Reward: Gain War Dog breeding and training program.
Mission Brief: DD has shown how useful a canine combat partner can be in the field. It'd take some time and effort, but I think with a good breeding program and the right training, we could start training both man and animal into a formidable fighting force.
[ ] R&D 11: Education 2: Associate Level Accreditation and Trade School Equivalents
Currently Locked Until General Ed is finished.
Omake Ops: Player created content for goodies. Can affect other Ops. (No Action Dice Required)
Omake Ops 4: A Needy Pup DONE
Mission Difficulty: 1k words, High Quality
Reward: Lowers War Dog research time by 1 turn.
Mission Brief: D-Dog has picked up a stray and seemingly not by choice. Write piece between DD and Wolf in DD's perspective. Actual puppies in the scene from taking the War Dog research option is a plus.
Omake Ops 6: Canine Calamity *Only available if War Dog research begins*
Mission Difficulty: 1k words, High Quality
Reward: Increase the relationship between Miller and Ocelot
Mission Brief: When Snake and DD are on mission and Hana is stuck in the classroom, the first of DD's litter tend to trail after the Head Trainer Ocelot, and Snack Master Miller who spends long hours in the kitchen doing who knows what. Write a piece in either Ocelot or Miller's perspective when the two are forced to band together in order to deal with a gaggle of hungry pups ready for homemade wet food.
Omake Ops 7: A Snake and a Wolf DONE
Mission Difficulty: 1k words, High Quality
Reward: Increase the relationship between Eli and Hana
Mission Brief: With an IQ of 180, Eli will likely grow up to be an extremely intelligent adult. As it is the boy is able to speak four languages fluently, including Arabic. While not fluent in Sorani, he knows enough to notice Hana is having difficulties in class and decides to intervene if only so they can move on from the boring stuff he's already long mastered. Written in Eli or Hana's perspective.
Omake Ops 8.1 DONE, 8.2, 8.3 DONE: Ghost in the Machine *Repeatable*
Mission Difficulty: 1.5k words, High Quality
Reward: A song flows beautifully through the ocean air.
Mission Brief: When the Mammal Pod is brought back to the R&D facility, several characters take the time to visit the scrambled and nearly destroyed machine copy of the Boss' mind in search of answers.
They don't find one.
Written in Ahab (8.1), Ocelot (8.2), or Eli's (8.3) POV. Can be written a total of three times, once for each point of view.
Omake Ops 9: Frenzied Repair *Must take Repair Sahelanthropus* DONE
Mission Difficulty: 1.5k words, High Quality
Reward: Time to fully repair Sahelanthropus reduced to 1 Turn.
Mission Brief: Before his trial and possible execution, Huey works as if possessed. Fully aware that Diamond Dogs have made many enemies in their mission to spread their message of denuclearization, Emmerich intends to leave behind a weapon that can protect Big Boss and his people. Write it in Huey or another researcher/support type PC's POV.
Omake Ops 10.1 - 10.6: Philanthroper's Legacy *Repeatable* *Must complete Denuke 3*
.2 .4 .5 Done
Mission Difficulty: 2k words, High Quality
Reward: 200,000 GMP per Omake
Mission Brief: A mysterious backer has sent an untraceable sum of funds into the Diamond Dog's offshore account for reasons unknown.
Illuminate that reason.
Written in either Zero's memoirs (10.1), Dr. Clark's musings (10.2), Chief Anderson's notes (10.3), EVA's journal (10.4), Dr. Sokolov's last updated will (10.5), or Ishmael's tape (10.6). This can be written a total of six times, once for each point of view.
[ ] Player Omake Ops: Go Ham~ Done
Mission Difficulty: However much you wanna write, no quality requirement.
Reward: Depends
Mission Brief: Whatever you can think of, go for it~
Hard Limits: 10 Player Omakes per turn, no more than 2 per person. Done
Building Options
*New Options unlocked through discussion!*
*No new options this turn*
AN: This is the last tutorial turn. You have all the tools you need at your disposal Ahab.
Let open the Gates of Outer Heaven.
Standing on the edge of the crater. Like the prophets once said.
And the ashes are all cold now. No more bullets and the embers are dead.
It comes.
Current GMP: 1,828,200 GMP (+1.2M Omake Bonus)
Diamond Dogs Upkeep: 222,000 GMP
-5% (GMP Supply Platoon)
------
Total Upkeep: 210,900
Projected GMP Next Turn: 1,617,300
*Newly recruited units won't take GMP until they are accepted into DD*
*New Units recruited at the end of this turn. For gameplay purposes I won't be keeping the 'washing out and retry' system, manpower is hard enough to get as it is.*
*Not enough refugees to really hit GMP reserves*
Current Hopefuls Undergoing Diamond Dogs Training
M270 MLRS Crews x3
- 3 Artillery crews of 3 finish training at the end of Turn 3
MH6 Little Bird Pilots x3
- 3 Pilots and Copilot crews of 3 finish training at the end of Turn 3
Current Education Status of DD: Abysmal (No extra Actions)
General Education
- 75% Currently Qualified
- +25% qualified End of turn 2
- Projected completion date: End Turn 3
Associate's or Trade School Equivalent
- 25% Currently Qualified
Bachelor's or other Graduate Degree Equivalent
- 15% Currently Qualified
Post Graduate Degrees, Doctorates, and other Equivalents
- 5% Currently Qualified
Action Dice: 4 (Can be used as action or roll) +4 Bonus Dice =
8 Actions
VOTE BY PLAN!
Omake submissions now open!
Vote moratorium until Thursday, 3 PM PST
Votes and Omake submissions will close Sunday at 3pm PST TIME
Emergency Ops: High Priority missions that can pop up at any time, including between turns. Extremely time sensitive.
Soon
Main Ops: Story related missions, time sensitive
[ ] Main Ops 3: Recover the Man on Fire
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Gain the Man on Fire's body.
Mission Brief: We found his body Boss. It seems inert as far as we can tell. We're sending you to pick him up, but be ready. As far as I'm concerned, history's shown that this walking anomaly is anything but safe.
[ ] Main Ops 4: The Trial
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Dr. Huey Emmerich tried and brought to justice by Big Boss.
Mission Brief: Boss, I can't believe this, but… it's Emmerich.
He walked into my office, in broad daylight where everyone could see him. The old bloods are up in arms about his presence and they're quickly infecting the newer troops with the stories of his betrayal of MSF.
...
Christ Snake, Emmerich wants to turn himself in for a trial.
What the hell did you say to him in the lab?
[ ] Main Ops 5: Denuclearization 3 "A Glimpse of Today"
Mission Difficulty:
The Soldiers of the World Hear the Call of Outer Heaven.
Reward: ???
Mission Brief: This is it Boss. A mission only you could hope to accomplish.
Take a warhead from each of the major powers and leave behind our calling card.
Let the world listen to what we have to say.
Side Ops: Semi-story driven missions, but still important and time sensitive
[ ] Side Ops 2: Check on Paz *New Game+*
Mission Difficulty:
Reward: Increased relationship with 'Paz Ortega Andrade'
Mission Brief: You've managed to find an old photo of an MSF barbecue after taking down Zeke for the first time. Maybe some good memories will help Paz recover mentally after nine years without change.
[ ] Side Ops 7: A Moment of Quiet
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Increased Relationship with Quiet.
Mission Brief: Your silent partner on the battlefield is acting slightly… off. She's acting more distant than usual while shooting you ever increasing glances that tend to linger long enough for you to notice.
What's on her mind?
[ ] Side Ops 8: Draw!
Mission Difficulty: Very Hard
Reward: Increased Relationship with Ocelot
Mission Brief: "Hey Boss, you got a moment? What say we have a practice duel, for old time's sake?"
[ ] Side Ops 10: The Girl Who Cried for a Wolf
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Increased relationship with Hana
Mission Brief: "DD? Hana? What is it?"
"This child must be weaned. You must teach her to be human Hunt Brother." I grumbled, gently nipping at the confused girl's sleeve and placing her small hand in the blood colored ore of Ahab's false one.
"I will go sleep now."
"What? DD, wait-"
[ ] Side Ops 11: Beach Party *Must take Denuke 3*
Mission Difficulty: Varies
Reward: Overall increase in morale of Diamond Dogs and relationship points between the main cast. Slice of life DLC
Mission Brief: Well, there's one thing I'm better at than you Father. You are horrible at fishing.
[ ] Side Ops 12: An Interview with the World
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Gain 'Confessions of a Phantom' interview/tape 1
Mission Brief: Boss, a war correspondent from CNN just called in. Probably the first of many, but this one is a respected reporter known for his unbiased and factual reporting.
I'll take care of it myself if you don't feel up to it Boss, but I thought I should ask if you wanted to take a shot at the big screen first.
PMC Ops: Missions for the grunts for everything else that requires manpower from small/large missions to building new outposts/structures and humanitarian aid.
[ ] PMC Ops 1: Mujahideen Support
Mission Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 150,000 GMP
Mission Brief: The soviets are attempting to muster men and material for a new offensive in the rural heartland of the Kandahar Valley. Increased soviet capability in the region would destabilize our own efforts and goals.
This is going to be a large operation against a conventional force in mountainous terrain.
And we know exactly how to best fight against that.
[ ] PMC Ops 2: UN Peacekeeping in the Congo
Mission Difficulty: Very Easy
Reward: Possible Infantry Recruitment, 100,000 GMP
Mission Brief: Nothing much to mention here Boss. Just your standard peacekeeping op and making sure supplies get where they need to. We're not really expecting much opposition here.
[ ] PMC Ops 4: Operation Conservation
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: 100,000 GMT, Conservation Strut construction funded by PETA!
Mission Brief: PETA contracted us for this one Boss. They want us to… uh… relocate a bunch of endangered species onto Mother Base until they can set up wildlife preserves. They'll even fund the building of a new strut to house them in as well as paying us some pretty solid paper.
But how the hell are we supposed to transport hundreds of animal-
Boss, you've got that look in your eye again.
Boss. No.
I still got one leg and an arm Boss, don't make me hobble over there!
Boss!
[ ] PMC Ops 5: Kurdish Turnaround
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 200,000 GMP
Mission Brief: We've given the Kurds a fighting chance Boss. The Turkish army and government is reeling from the rebel attacks all across their borders. With how busy they are with sending more troops to the front, this is the perfect chance for us to get behind them and take out vital supply lines, leadership, and reserve units.
Uncle Sam definitely won't be happy about this, but at this point who cares if the target painted on our backs is a full sized tattoo?
[ ] PMC Ops 6: Contra War
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 150,000 GMP
Mission Brief: Boss, we've just received a call from Amanda… she sounds good, yeah. But this is business Snake. The Anti-Sandinista Counter Revolution, or Contras have renewed their offensive in Nicaragua. The FLSN are backed into a corner after thinking that the Contras had lost their staying power after the last major offensive in '83.
Politically Boss, I don't know if there's even a 'right' side to this conflict, but I guess that's par for the course. Personally getting involved in a counter revolution against a recently successful revolution sounds like a bad time. Both sides are corrupt, except one is currently in power and the other is backed by it. However, we have history with Amanda. Is that enough for us to get involved in another proxy war between democracy and communism?
[ ] PMC Ops 7: Wannabe Heroes
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Guaranteed Infantry, Armor, or Fixed Air Elite Company/Squadron of your choice. Stacks organically with other actions. Like every other action listed so far
Mission Brief: "God damn it."
"Something wrong Kaz?"
"All the ports in Seychelle waters are under threat of closing down."
"A naval blockade?"
"More like a body blockade. Snake, there are literally thousands of hopeful recruits attempting to board the tankers that bring our monthly supplies in. I don't think we'll be needing to fulton anyone for this OP."
R&D: Includes missions to test prototypes
Mission Difficulty: DC 100 (Passed!), 200,000 GMP already paid
Research Time: Finishes at the end of this turn. Be ready.
Reward: Gain Wormhole Fulton Technology?
"What the hell was that noise?"
[ ] R&D 2: Repairing Sahelanthropus
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 500,000 GMP (Can be split into halves)
Research Time: 1 Turn (End Turn 3 / Start Turn 4)
Reward: ST-84 Metal Gear "Sahelanthropus" Repaired. Still requires an AI pod or child sized pilot to get it to work apparently.
Mission Brief: Emmerich's been on my ass all day begging for the funding to repair his little pet project. I told him I'd talk to you about it, but frankly it seems like a terrible idea.
Please tell me you're not actually thinking about throwing even more money at that traitor Snake?
[ ] R&D 3: The Chemical Burger
Mission Difficulty: DC 10, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Gain Chemical Burger Ration, Increased Relations with Code Talker, Large Morale Boost
Mission Brief: Kaz, what are you doing in the kitchen?
W-what!? Nothing Boss, just making sure that everything got brought in with the new shipment!
What the hell, why is that burger blue?
[ ] R&D 5: Picatinny Rail System
Mission Difficulty: DC 15, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves Infantry adaptability by allowing them to slot Two specializations.
Mission Brief: What if we made a system where soldiers could add and replace any attachment they want on the go? It wouldn't take much work, we'd only need to fabricate some kind of… rail system.
[ ] R&D 6: Uparmored Vehicles
Mission Difficulty: DC 30, 200,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves all mechanized unit survivability with extra armor
Mission Brief: Sure, we could just bolt on a bunch of armor to make something tougher, but you gotta think about how it affects the weight, the balance, the load bearing capacity-
[ ] R&D 7: Armored Fuel tanks
Mission Difficulty: DC 30, 250,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Improves all air unit survivability with extra armor
Mission Brief: I think this is something we can do, see there's been research done on this new alloy that's just as light as aluminium and has the same properties as-
[ ] R&D 9: Refugee Integration Program (Refugee Tree)
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 50,000 GMP
Research Time: 1 Turn
Reward: Begin a work program for refugees staying on Mother Base.
Mission Brief: Not all the people we pick up or come to us seeking safety are going to be fit for the mercenary life. We may be looking to build a nation of soldiers, but every nation needs a working population to support military power.
- Refugees will automatically be placed in under the Contractor section of Diamond Dogs as part of a 'Working Party'.
- Working parties do everything from custodial duties, cooking, and other small, but important tasks that keeps Mother Base operational.
- Every 100 man strong Working Party will allow you to take a building action, but not have that action be slotted for however many turns it takes to build the building in question.
- An initial action dice will still be used to start the process of building.
- Upgrades available as Education is researched.
[ ] R&D 10: War Dogs (Advanced Infantry Tree)
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 75,000 GMP
Research Time:
Reward: Gain War Dog breeding and training program.
Mission Brief: DD has shown how useful a canine combat partner can be in the field. It'd take some time and effort, but I think with a good breeding program and the right training, we could start training both man and animal into a formidable fighting force.
- War Dogs are combat canines suited for Humanitarian and Patrol missions, acting as a living 'specialization' modifier when attached to a unit.
- While not suited for heavy fighting, well trained dogs provide companionship, psychological stability, tracking ability, early warnings, and deterrence against wild animals.
- That said, a pack of these guys will tear an unprepared enemy squad apart.
- The greatest friend you can have in a fight is one you trust implicitly to have your back.
Currently Locked Until General Ed is finished.
Omake Ops: Player created content for goodies. Can affect other Ops. (No Action Dice Required)
Omake Ops 4: A Needy Pup DONE
Mission Difficulty: 1k words, High Quality
Reward: Lowers War Dog research time by 1 turn.
Mission Brief: D-Dog has picked up a stray and seemingly not by choice. Write piece between DD and Wolf in DD's perspective. Actual puppies in the scene from taking the War Dog research option is a plus.
Omake Ops 6: Canine Calamity *Only available if War Dog research begins*
Mission Difficulty: 1k words, High Quality
Reward: Increase the relationship between Miller and Ocelot
Mission Brief: When Snake and DD are on mission and Hana is stuck in the classroom, the first of DD's litter tend to trail after the Head Trainer Ocelot, and Snack Master Miller who spends long hours in the kitchen doing who knows what. Write a piece in either Ocelot or Miller's perspective when the two are forced to band together in order to deal with a gaggle of hungry pups ready for homemade wet food.
Mission Difficulty: 1k words, High Quality
Reward: Increase the relationship between Eli and Hana
Mission Brief: With an IQ of 180, Eli will likely grow up to be an extremely intelligent adult. As it is the boy is able to speak four languages fluently, including Arabic. While not fluent in Sorani, he knows enough to notice Hana is having difficulties in class and decides to intervene if only so they can move on from the boring stuff he's already long mastered. Written in Eli or Hana's perspective.
Omake Ops 8.1 DONE, 8.2, 8.3 DONE: Ghost in the Machine *Repeatable*
Mission Difficulty: 1.5k words, High Quality
Reward: A song flows beautifully through the ocean air.
Mission Brief: When the Mammal Pod is brought back to the R&D facility, several characters take the time to visit the scrambled and nearly destroyed machine copy of the Boss' mind in search of answers.
They don't find one.
Written in Ahab (8.1), Ocelot (8.2), or Eli's (8.3) POV. Can be written a total of three times, once for each point of view.
Mission Difficulty: 1.5k words, High Quality
Reward: Time to fully repair Sahelanthropus reduced to 1 Turn.
Mission Brief: Before his trial and possible execution, Huey works as if possessed. Fully aware that Diamond Dogs have made many enemies in their mission to spread their message of denuclearization, Emmerich intends to leave behind a weapon that can protect Big Boss and his people. Write it in Huey or another researcher/support type PC's POV.
Omake Ops 10.1 - 10.6: Philanthroper's Legacy *Repeatable* *Must complete Denuke 3*
.2 .4 .5 Done
Mission Difficulty: 2k words, High Quality
Reward: 200,000 GMP per Omake
Mission Brief: A mysterious backer has sent an untraceable sum of funds into the Diamond Dog's offshore account for reasons unknown.
Illuminate that reason.
Written in either Zero's memoirs (10.1), Dr. Clark's musings (10.2), Chief Anderson's notes (10.3), EVA's journal (10.4), Dr. Sokolov's last updated will (10.5), or Ishmael's tape (10.6). This can be written a total of six times, once for each point of view.
[ ] Player Omake Ops: Go Ham~ Done
Mission Difficulty: However much you wanna write, no quality requirement.
Reward: Depends
Mission Brief: Whatever you can think of, go for it~
Hard Limits: 10 Player Omakes per turn, no more than 2 per person. Done
- For clarification since I know it's going to be asked, prompted Omakes do not count as part of the "Player Omake Ops" hard limit.
- I know I'm probably gonna drown here, but Kona will suffer with you
Building Options
*No new options this turn*
Command Strut
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 Turns
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 Turns
- Tactical and Strategic Operations Center LVL 2
- Unlocks Business Ops (Non Combat business opportunities such as Gun Running, Commercial Businesses, and Trade Deals)
- Communications Center LVL 2
- Unlocks QRF Support (Allows you to use GMP to 'Double Down' on an action by having a unit waiting in the wings to support deployed Diamond Dogs)
- Unlocks Continent End of Turn Reports
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
- UNBUILT Tank Simulators (Armor)
- Tankers start at 1 rank of Veterancy Higher of the current recruitment Paradigm (Meticulous)
- Allows Advanced Armor Research
- UNBUILT Aerospace Engineering Shop (Air)
- Pilots start at 1 rank of Veterancy Higher of the current recruitment Paradigm (Meticulous)
- Allows Advanced Air Research
- UNBUILT Seychelles Naval Warfare Academy (Naval)
- Sea Crews start at 1 rank of Veterancy Higher of the current recruitment Paradigm (Meticulous)
- Allows Advanced Naval Research
- UNBUILT Robotics Research Station
- Allows Mech Research
- UNBUILT AI Pod Storage
- Allows AI Research
- UNBUILT Biological Research Station
- Allows Parasite Research
- Is this really worth it Boss?
- UNBUILT Nuclear Research Station
- Allows Nuclear Research
- Boss… alright.
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
- Dining Facility LVL2
- "Oh shit, pizza day!?"
- Your troops are fed
- Medium Morale Boost
- Lounge LVL 2
- "Gump's doing his own thing with Dan, but hey, we got an open bar!"
- Your soldiers can take some time off, grab imported booze, and relax.
- Medium morale boost
- Medical Center LVL 2
- "I hate needles too"
- Wounded or sick soldiers will be treated in 3-4 turns depending on the severity of their wounds.
- Barracks LVL 2
- "We get our own rooms and bathrooms? I've never lived this good before Boss."
- Your soldiers have a place to rest their heads on comfortable twin beds that aren't a bitch to sleep on.
- Medium morale boost
- No limit to housing, Diamond Dogs will build more as needed.
- Conservation Strut LVL 1
- "Uh… why is there a petting zoo here?"
- A place where animal lovers can come to relax.
- Increase Environmental NGOs disposition of Diamond Dogs.
- Upgradeable to start breeding livestock.
- Farming Strut LVL 1
- "Who had the brilliant fucking idea of trying to grow crops in the middle of the ocean?"
- Greenhouses are built in order to start what is essentially a large scale gardening operation.
- Good for relieving stress and growing fresh herbs.
- Upgradeable to an actual hydroponics and underwater farm.
Mission Difficulty: 300,000 GMP, 2 turns
- UNBUILT Landing Strip
- Builds an additional strut where Fixed Wing Aircraft may land for maintenance and repair.
- UNBUILT Dry Dock
- Builds an additional strut where large naval assets are anchored for maintenance and repair.
AN: This is the last tutorial turn. You have all the tools you need at your disposal Ahab.
Let open the Gates of Outer Heaven.
Just an annoying reminder that your friendly neighborhood Konami who the actual company totally ripped the Survive scenario from got no recognition or monetary compensation for coming up with the MSF transported to another dimension concept.
Please check it out if you want to support me <3
Kona's Patreon
Please check it out if you want to support me <3
Kona's Patreon
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To the Man Who Guided the World
konamikode
Cooking Harder
Naked Snake
Voice Actor: David Hayter
--
Ahab.
…
I wonder, what am I supposed to say?
Now that the moment is here, it's as if all the thoughts that were in my head have fled into the darkness.
But maybe that's only right. Right that it's you who is to face the world and all of its combined horrors.
But you've already made peace with that already, haven't you my friend?
Without reservation, without fear, you are the proud, unbent symbol who faces the cycle of hatred and greed.
The innocent people who've felt the touch of war, huddle behind your aegis and come to see the cruel world in another light.
The soldiers who watch defiantly by your side, unflinching at their coming doom…
They follow you because they believe.
...
There you stand, proud underneath the warm rays of the shining sun, ready for the tide that comes to sink you beneath it's cold waves. You know it's coming, but for you it's the only path left.
No.
It's the only choice that is acceptable.
The only way forward.
There can be no other way. No other path that leads to salvation.
Hrm...
No, not salvation.
A Future.
The only future you can see, spinning through the emptiness of space... Slowly spreading to the eyes of all who follow at your side.
Full of love, hope, and the voice of humanity that so desperately cries for absolution.
Soon, all those who remain at the sidelines will rise.
Your vision, Ahab.
It's impossible.
Naive.
...
Beautiful.
…
I…
In another time, another age, I would've…
No…
Heh.
When did I change. Become this distorted shell of who I used to be…
*The crackling of clenched fists, ripples through the recording*
I'm no longer that man. Not anymore.
I guess that idealism has never left you, even after nine years.
Ahab...
Now do you remember? Who you are? What you were meant to do?
I cheated death, thanks to you. And thanks to you, I've left my mark.
You have too. You've written your own history.
You're your own man.
...
I'm Big Boss. And you are…
...
No.
That's a lie.
A falsehood.
You're not me.
Not anymore.
…
You were always the best of us.
Strong, skilled, uncompromising.
Good. Moral. Heroic.
The one who would wade through bullets, fire, and certain death to reach out to those calling for salvation.
@You.
The voice, the heart of Militaries Sans Frontieres.
The one who kept us on our path…
Kept me on the right path…
Heh.
Ahab…
If only…
…
*Breathes deeply*
Where you are today, this story, this legend. You built it.
This story, this legend. It's yours.
You've changed the world. And with it?
The future.
…
You're the guardian of Outer Heaven. Carry that with you, wherever you go.
Ahab…
Thank you my friend. From here on out, you're Big Boss.
I'll see you soon.
Ishmael.
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3 ACTIONS
konamikode
Cooking Harder
2CP, 200k.
Not gonna lie, I skimmed through this with how close to the deadline it was posted. Looks solid.
Winning plan
[X]Plan Exiting In Style
-[X] R&D 2: Repairing Sahelanthropus
-[X] Main Ops 4: The Trial
-[X] Side Ops 2: Check on Paz *New Game+*
-[X] Main Ops 3: Recover the Man on Fire
-[X] Main Ops 5: Denuclearization 3 "A Glimpse of Today"
-[X] Side Ops 12: An Interview with the World
-[X] Side Ops 11: Beach Party *Must take Denuke 3*
-[X] PMC Ops 7: Wannabe Heroes
You have 3 Bonus Dice.
Votes close Monday at 3PM PST
VOTE BY PLAN
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Turn 3 Results
konamikode
Cooking Harder
Turn 3 Results
[X]Plan Exiting In Style + Missions and Puppies
-[X] Main Ops 3: Recover the Man on Fire
-[X] Side Ops 12: An Interview with the World
-[X] Main Ops 5: Denuclearization 3 "A Glimpse of Today"
-[X] Side Ops 2: Check on Paz *New Game+*
-[X] PMC Ops 5: Kurdish Turnaround
-[X] PMC Ops 7: Wannabe Heroes
-[X] PMC Ops 4: Operation Conservation (Cecile)
-[X] R&D 10: War Dogs (Advanced Infantry Tree)
-[X] R&D 2: Repairing Sahelanthropus
-[X] Main Ops 4: The Trial
-[X] Side Ops 11: Beach Party *Must take Denuke 3*
[-] Main Ops 3: Recover the Man on Fire
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Gain the Man on Fire's body.
Mission Brief: We found his body Boss. It seems inert as far as we can tell. We're sending you to pick him up, but be ready. As far as I'm concerned, history's shown that this walking anomaly is anything but safe.
--
"I barely recognize you. Colonel." Ocelot chuckled to himself as he walked away from the cage where the undecayed corpse was left to rot in the open air.
The spurs of his leather boots clinked as he walked towards me, shaking his head the entire way with the expression of man who found satisfaction in the most unexpected place.
I could relate.
But in this moment, I found it difficult to do so.
"Boss?" My old friend wonders, raising an eyebrow and placing his hands against the holsters resting against his hips.
"He's still in there." I mumbled, not entirely sure of the recent events playing over and over through my memories.
I lowered my rifle, feeling the visible rage that was flaring all along the Man of Fire's heat melted suit trailing up and down his clenched fists.
Except… I didn't.
His rage.
His hate.
It…
It wasn't meant for me.
I'm not sure what it was. All I knew was that there was only one person that he meant harm to.
And that someone wasn't me.
Even when he gripped and pushed me to the ground, I felt no hate.
Even when I pulled my rifle back up after he let me go and stumbled backwards in confusion, there was no malice there.
…
"I saw his face Adam.." I whispered, voice nearly lost in the ocean winds.
How his eyes widened in confusion to be followed by disbelief and…
Peace.
"John? What do you mean?" Adam wondered, walking close and clasping a hand on my shoulder.
It only took me a moment for me to shake my head, showing him that it was nothing and giving him time to replace his hand away from my side and out of my zone of certain death.
"It was nothing. Just… an old memory." I replied softly.
The Ocelot only stared at me for several moments before nodding to himself and making a noise of comprehension despite his confusion. "Alright Boss."
His spurs clinked and clacked in time with the step of his boots as Adam walked away from the area.
The brass of the two bullets held in my hand continued to click against one another for a long time afterwards.
--
Main Ops 3 Clear: S-Rank
[X] Side Ops 12: An Interview with the World
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Gain 'Confessions of a Phantom' interview/tape 1
Mission Brief: Boss, a war correspondent from CNN just called in. Probably the first of many, but this one is a respected reporter known for his unbiased and factual reporting.
I'll take care of it myself if you don't feel up to it Boss, but I thought I should ask if you wanted to take a shot at the big screen first.
--
POV: Unnamed Reporter
Hello everyone at home, I'm sure many of you are confused as to why we are broadcasting live with no imaging equipment to record this special report from the Seychelles.
Security in the home of the Diamond Dogs, Mother Base they call it, is as tight as you would expect it to be. There were a long list of stipulations give that I signed off on in order to bring all of you this report on the organization of the former decorated war hero of the United States, current mercenary, and possibly the most controversial man in the known world, Big Boss.
To make it clear to those listening around the globe, what we're about to play for you is a tape recording with narration done by myself with my own personal views.
In journalism, in factual reporting this would be considered a grave error.
However, I believe that no human being can truly stay detached from the world shaking events of these recent months. We shouldn't.
Without further ado ladies and gentlemen, capitalist and communist, let me introduce to you...
Big Boss.
--
I'd scarcely taken several steps off of the military styled transport fitted with familiar armaments from my time covering the Vietnam Conflict when the mercenaries I'd just finished a rather eye opening conversation with, leapt out of the vehicle with military poise and almost unbelievable speed.
Boots thundering against the deck plating, the mercenaries, no, the soldiers had taken their place in formation to stand at a picture perfect parade rest in front of two men.
As I quickly scrambled out of the helicopter, my heart pounding with a mix of anticipation, fear, and excitement, I found myself first staring into the polarized lenses of the Sub Commander of Diamond Dogs.
Kazuhira Miller, the son of an American officer and an unknown woman from Japan cut a stern figure. The wind flapping against the sleeve of his missing arm and the fabric covering the thin metal of his aluminium leg painted just as much a picture of a man who'd lost much in combat as did his grim expression. Surprisingly, it was him who powerfully strode forward, extending a hand towards me with a respectful, and powerful shake.
"Mr. ********. I grew up watching your reports on Vietnam. Diamond Dogs are honored to have you aboard our home." He said, his strong and weathered voice filling me with a small sense of pride that a man such as himself knew of me by name.
"Commander Miller. It's my pleasure to be here and…" I found myself freezing like a deer standing on the road.
Haha.
It'd probably be more accurate to say that I was stuck gaping at the legendary soldier whose presence I'd only just noticed. How such a powerful and noticeable figure stayed out of my attention for so long I'll never know.
"Mr. *******." The heavily scarred man with metal shrapnel jutting out of his forehead and a bright red bionic left arm closed the distance slowly. Curt and to the point he nodded once before extending his flesh and blood hand with careful, deliberate movements.
God. I knew when his hand gripped my suddenly sweaty palms that this living hero could could take me apart at his leisure.
Yet I knew that he wouldn't. A closer moment of inspection of his piercing blue eye shocked me to the core.
It was the eye of a gentle man. One who'd seen an untold amount of hate and bloodshed, but had come out of the vagaries of an endless war with his sense of self still intact, no.
Stronger.
That is what it feels like to match gazes with the man known as Big Boss.
It'd taken me some minutes to realize that I'd been wordlessly escorted to a mess hall of sorts and while I was ashamedly attempting to get my vocal faculties in order, my eyes and ears had noticed the going ons around us.
There was an energy in the air. Positive and wholesome.
At the ends of a table I could see the figures of men, women, and children who looked to be civilians, possibly refugees speaking in stilted, broken english towards one another.
One child in particular, a blonde boy was fluently speaking a multitude of different languages, bridging the gap between children, teenagers, adults, and two older soldiers. One being one of the largest men I'd ever seen who was gregariously dumping an entire bottle of tabasco into his food. The second man was shorter, slimmer, but let out a dangerous air about him that only a longtime combat veteran could. He looked to be the quiet sort, a ghost of a smile gracing a stony expression as he occasionally commented here and there.
To my shock and slowly growing confusion, I saw another child. A small blonde girl sitting quietly alone next to a large, one-eyed wolf who sent curious glances towards a gaggle of pups and another large wolf seated atop a table next to the mess line.
What looked to be the father of said pups had to quickly turn his head each time, the warning growl of the mother followed by a soft stroke of the girl's hand along his back causing him to chuff and grumble audibly.
This place felt less like a military base and more of a group home for people all over the world.
A melting pot of cultures in the best way possible.
"I'll leave you two to it, then. Boss." Sub Commander Miller nods his head, standing and heading towards the kitchens while waving at the various calls of the soldiers and civilians in the area.
With a slightly less shaky grip on the cup of provided coffee, I took a quick gulp of the steaming hot liquid whose quality was about as expected as any I'd drank at a military base.
Strong, but it went down like sandpaper.
Just what I needed to get my head back in the game.
"It's so good to finally meet with you in person Big Boss. As you know, I'm-"
"It'd be better if your name isn't mentioned. Safer that way." The man who is of age with myself shakes his head, tapping a prosthetic finger against the table as he pulled a curious looking apparatus out of his pocket.
Some sort of cigar analogue?
"I suppose, but wouldn't it lend less credence to your part of the story?"
"I'm not worried about legitimacy. Whether the people who listen to this recording believe in my words or not is irrelevant. They'll form their opinions anyway."
"Well, you're not wrong but…"
"It's fine. Ask your questions." The eyepatched man shook his head minutely, taking a deep drag of the mechanical cigar and releasing a large cloud of vapor into the air with a relaxed sigh.
It was truly unfortunate that I'd quit smoking recently, but my wife would kill me if she heard I started again.
"Alright then, Big Boss. You are known in America as a hero of the Cold War. Your military career started in your youth when you lied about your age to join the army during the Korean War."
"That's right." He replied without fanfare.
"And after you returned, you stayed in the military and found yourself entering Special Operations as an apprentice to the infamous hero of World War 2 turned traitor, The Boss?" I knew I'd asked a dangerous question the moment I'd started my sentence.
It was minute, but I could see the tensing of his expression before he calmed and took another deep hit of his cigar.
"She was no traitor."
"Pardon? But official sources say… could you comment further?"
"No. I swore an oath to her that the conversation between us would remain a secret to the world at large. What I can say is that she loved her country enough to give up everything for a future only she could see." Big Boss spoke, the emotion in his voice hard to capture, but significant in a personal way.
"Of course. Let's move on to the next series of questions, I'm sure your open record is available for anyone with a library pass as it is. So how about your days after you left the military? The formation and destruction of Militaires Sans Frontieres felt like a turning point in history, and now after nearly ten years of silence you've returned to the world's limelight at the head of Diamond Dogs. Could you explain your stance of nuclear disarmament? It's well known that in 1975 your organization was purported to have bought nuclear fuel from Uzbekistan. Were those rumors unsubstantiated or…?"
"No, you're right. MSF was a private military force capable of nuclear warfare by the end of 1974."
"But then what happened? It was said that the oil rig you based your operations in was completely destroyed. Was the nuclear device stolen, or possibly even now releasing contaminants into the sea?"
"No. The nuke was taken by a second party."
"Then…"
"They and the nuclear warhead are no longer a problem. We take care of our messes here in Diamond Dogs."
"No longer a…? Yes, I see." There was a finality to his statement that made it quite clear what had happened to this second party. "Does this mean you are currently nuclear capable?"
"No. Every nuclear device we've built or taken has been vitrified and placed in cold storage until the material becomes safe."
"That is a strong message you are sending to the world Big Boss. But with the enemies you've made across the globe in doing so, aren't you worried about the potential consequences of your actions? Especially if the hushed whispers in the upper echelons of NATO and the Warsaw Pact ring any truth on the matter of The Phantom."
At this, Big Boss made a strange noise. A half chuckle followed by a considering grunt. "... The Phantom huh?"
He shook his head in answer to my question of his worry regarding possible retaliation against himself and Diamond Dogs.
It's not the confidence of a man whose pride will damn him nor the ignorance of naivety that will see a foolish man doomed. It's here that I realize Big Boss fully knows the danger coming his way and that I can see it.
The legendary hero is just that. A man who knows the end is coming, but refuses to back down in the face of a greater calling.
A purpose.
"Or so several of my sources whisper. They say that each of the world's major nuclear powers are in a silent, frozen uproar that a single nuclear weapon from each facility was taken and that a message of sorts was left in the form of a cassette tape filled with a woman's singing. Would you perhaps know anything about this unsubstantiated rumor…?" My voice trails off with increasingly lessening disbelief and whole lot of growing discomfort.
But not in the sense that I'm becoming uneasy. It's rather the opposite. I'm starting to feel a stirring in my heart that tells me that a lie I've told myself for years is slowly unraveling into an undeniable truth.
The longer I stay here and speak with this hero of the modern age, the more I realize that the words impossible and insane are just that.
Words to describe lesser men.
Big Boss, I am coming to understand, is much more than a mere man.
"It's true. All of it. China. France. The United Kingdom. The Soviet Union. And the United States of America." He closes his eye before opening it, a bright, shining glint seeing something in the distant fog that is only just beginning to show itself to me.
He is a hero in the truest sense of the word. A symbol of peace who wants to show the world that there is a better way.
By God. I would give up so much to follow this man so that I may tell his story when the inevitable end arrives.
"And what is your message, Big Boss?" I ask, mouth dry.
This last segment of the recording goes unnarrated by myself. I ask that you listen and form your own opinions ladies and gentlemen, for I'd dare not color his finishing words with my own mangling of his impossible dream.
[-] Main Ops 5: Denuclearization 3 "A Glimpse of Today"
Mission Difficulty:European Extreme Extreme (Omake Bonuses)
The Soldiers of the World Hear the Call of Outer Heaven.
Reward: ???
Mission Brief: This is it Boss. A mission only you could hope to accomplish.
Take a warhead from each of the major powers and leave behind our calling card.
Let the world listen to what we have to say.
--
As the recordings of Big Boss' conversation is repeated all over the world, the nuclear powers of the modern era can do little but flail in the attempt to divert attention.
It is meaningless.
Those who answer to the public are frozen in indecision, wishing to demonize Big Boss, but are unable to.
Those who rule with an iron fist, find that grip crumbling ever further as the voices of hundreds of millions drown powerful, previously untouchable men and women who attempt to rally ineffectually.
Both sides attempt to find scapegoats to punish, to make examples of.
None can be forced to walk forward. Those that do under the threat of imprisonment or punishment of their fellow comrades, never step forth alone. The vast majority of their soldiers in arms step forward in tandem, unwilling to let those few conspirators that aided Big Boss suffer on their own.
The superpowers of the world are forced to a standstill.
To imprison or execute the traitors would see public and military opinion turn against them. Mutiny was a very real threat.
One man, a single, mad, man had stood up to call upon the world to stand with him to fight against impossible odds.
His message?
"We fight today… so that we can secure a better tomorrow. One day in the future, there won't be a need for guns, bombs, or spears. There won't be a need for soldiers to pull the trigger in hate."
"It may only be for a single moment in the history of humanity, but today and tomorrow. We can see it."
"A future without war."
Grizzled veterans and fresh faced recruits. The old and the young. Man and woman. Soldier and civilian.
The world had heard Big Boss' call to arms.
Almost overnight, the status quo that had so far froze humanity in its cold clutches had destabilized and called into question the madness of nuclear proliferation.
Though the concept of nuclear deterrence would remain, and the powers of the world would slowly put the blindfold back over the eyes of the people, August of 1984 would mark a milestone in the history of humanity.
The day where mankind glimpsed today, what could be a better tomorrow.
-----
Main Ops 5: Clear, S-Rank
Heroism Gained: 100,000
DC's Revealed:
Rolls
Big Boss: Total disarmaments, 5 sites
[ ] Side Ops 2: Check on Paz *New Game+*
Mission Difficulty:Very Hard, Hard, Easy (Further Omake Bonus)
Reward: Increased relationship with 'Paz Ortega Andrade'
Mission Brief: You've managed to find an old photo of an MSF barbecue after taking down Zeke for the first time. Maybe some good memories will help Paz recover mentally after nine years without change.
--
It'd been months since I'd last worked up the courage to visit Paz in her room.
The old photo of our fishing trip on the beaches of Nicaragua was placed safely in the pocket of my fatigues. I wondered for a long moment outside of her door how she'd react. If she'd react sensibly at all before 'resetting'.
She'd shown some signs of improvement if the doctors and staff are to believed. It'd taken a long time, but now she seemed to perceive the passage of time. Even if mentally she remained 'Paz', I'm told this is a good thing.
Even if Pacifica were to never return, the part of her that was with us during those days early days, that part is slowly inching its way back.
So imagine my surprise when I see that the two of us aren't alone in her observation room.
"Snake! You're here! Come, sit, sit!" Paz laughs joyfully as she reads through the morning newspaper with a cheerful smile.
At her side sits Nuke, the old cat who we'd picked up so long ago who…
"Snake! It's so good to see you." Says a familiar french parisian, who had taken the growing kitten with her back to Paris after Zeke's destruction.
"Cecile? What…?"
"I can answer that Boss." Kaz says, looking up from the paper at Paz's bedside. "Turns out she's the representative from PETA that's here to make sure the animals on the conservation strut are taken care of. Cheeky minx wanted to keep her involvement a secret."
"Ach. And you Monsieur Miller have made it irritatingly difficult to do so. I suppose that there are some things that stay the same." She finishes with a fond tone, eyeing Kaz's and my own missing limbs with well hidden sadness.
"Hah! Well, some things I guess. You know I'm married now? With a daughter?"
"What!? Say it isn't so! Who is this saintly woman that has taken your boorish self into her heart!"
As the two old 'friends' jab at one another, I gingerly settle myself down next to Paz who only continues to smile softly at the two loudly chatting across from us.
"It's good to see Cecile again, even if she'll be leaving in a few days." Paz notes softly, gently scratching her fingers against the scruff of the black cat curled up at her side. "I think Mister Miller… Kaz needs to look back once in a while and remember the good things."
"... yeah." I reply with my hands folded together as I look down at the ground.
Sometimes I wonder if Paz being alive is real. I have dreams of moments like this, dreams where she's just a figment of my imagination and guilt for having failed to save her.
Except I did.
Didn't I?
"Snake." Paz grumbles, shifting slightly so that she can bump her shoulder against my prosthetic arm.
"You need to lighten up too! You can't hide and sneak in the shadows forever. Come up and enjoy the sun! Look!" The younger woman says, the first lines of age beginning to show on her dimpled cheeks.
She slaps at the newspaper on her sheet covered lap with a hand, smacking loudly against the headlines.
"Peace Day, Snake. It might not be forever, but you did it. One day where no one has to die or get hurt because of war. You should be happy." Paz rolls her eyes, waving her hand up in the air aimlessly. "Everyone on Mother Base, even all over the world are taking the chance to open their eyes and see."
"Paz…"
"You made this happen Snake. You. You're a hero."
"..."
"I'm no hero, Paz-"
"No! No, no no! Cecile's is right. Some things don't change even after nine years." Paz sighs, staring aghast in my direction with something resembling pity.
"You still have trouble looking at yourself in the mirror."
"What was that?" I asked, taken aback by the momentary dulling of the room around me and the distorted voice of the ghost who shifts in and out of reality at my side-
"Hm? I said you're still terrible at speaking with women." Paz says with a small frown, looking up at me with narrowed eyes.
"Snake? Are you okay?" The young school girl wearing a bloody uniform looks up at me with empty eye sockets-
…
I don't know.
"I'm fine Paz. Just a headache." I say, shaking my head and watching the 34 year old woman hum to herself with a frown before leaning into my side wordlessly.
Side Ops 2: Clear, A-Rank
DC: 10
Rolled: 19
[ ] PMC Ops 5: Kurdish Turnaround
Mission Difficulty:Normal Very Easy
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 200,000 GMP
Mission Brief: We've given the Kurds a fighting chance Boss. The Turkish army and government is reeling from the rebel attacks all across their borders. With how busy they are with sending more troops to the front, this is the perfect chance for us to get behind them and take out vital supply lines, leadership, and reserve units.
Uncle Sam definitely won't be happy about this, but at this point who cares if the target painted on our backs is a full sized tattoo?
--
POV: Unnamed Turkish Soldier
The camp was in complete chaos. The formerly well ordered defensive line of our outpost was in shambles. Men who were supposed to be on the machine guns and on watch were instead running about with terror and hate in their eyes while others fell to their knees while facing the holy land.
Around us our officers were shouting at one another, pistols pulled out and furiously pointed in one another's faces as several of the younger men had fallen to fistfights in the middle of the operations center.
Over the radio we heard scattered reports of similar events blooming all over the combat theater.
This was not the result of enemy action, no.
My comrades had gone mad. I had gone mad.
I can't even begin to cohesively explain the chain of events that led to this moment in time.
It began with a whisper in the wind. Of a horned demon who the rebels titled Saladin. A ghost in the wind who would appear just long enough for his presence to be noted before men went missing or were found unconscious.
Supplies would suddenly disappear, followed by the manic ravings of men who swore entire vehicles were lifted into the air and taken away far into the skies.
Not a single man had been killed by this demon as far as we could tell.
Then came the news broadcasts.
The demon had a name. Big Boss. The legendary mercenary who was a damn near walking mythological figure come alive from the ancient histories.
But we soon learned as we listened, huddled over the radio rather than patrolling the areas as we should.
He was no demon.
Last month the nuclear arsenals of second world powers, terrorist organizations, and black marketers had their weapons of mass destruction stolen, destroyed, or rendered inoperable.
And this month? The man whose name was whispered on the lips of every soldier from young boy to old man had taken from the Superpowers who ruled through threat of military annihilation.
God be praised.
He truly was Saladin reborn.
To know that we had been fighting him all this time. The people whom he was championing in his name.
Were we wrong?
Was I wrong?
Yes. I was.
When the call came that Saladin and his band of heroes were sighted all along the front, I and many others could stand still no longer.
Following orders… pah. As if I could swallow that load of dung anymore.
He had showed me a better path forward. An honorable fate that I would be proud to tell tales of to my father and his father before him after the end of my time on earth.
By the time the helicopters had landed and unloaded the first of Saladin's men… and women, the majority of us were standing at attention in the hopes of being chosen for a greater calling.
The fools who could not accept Saladin's message of peace were pacified or left rotting on the ground as they should be.
Kept ya waiting huh?: 96 (Big Boss arrives to take part in combat)
Then he came.
Standing on the landing skids of a small helicopter, Saladin rode with only a single arm to secure him to its side while the other held a rifle loosely against his hip.
Not waiting for the machine of war to land, the man leapt the last ten feet to the ground with nary a sound and stood to his full height.
As all of us saluted at a single, piercing glance, he walked up to us.
Then he proceeded to test each and every one of us with a blistering series of blows that only the strongest had any chance of lasting against.
I could only shake.
Not in fear, but anticipation.
I would show Saladin that I am a warrior worthy enough to join him.
--
Units Deployed:
PMC Ops 3: Clear, S-Rank
Heroism Gained: 2,500
Recruitment Roll: 99 "Oh yeah, let's bring these sweet, sweet babies back home!"
Personnel/Armor/Aircraft Roll: 2, Armor
Type: Light/IFV/Tank: 3, Tank
Tank Type: Recon/SPG/MBT: 3, MBT
Gained: Leopard 2 Tank Platoon (3x Tanks)
Crew: 4x3 (Training Complete beginning Turn 7) (Operator)
Snake's Fulton Roll: 98 "You're pretty good."
Resources/Personnel/Armor/Aircraft Roll: 4, Aircraft
Type: Rotary Wing /Fixed Wing
Helicopter Type: Recon/General/Attack: 3, Attack Chopper
Gained: AH-64 Apache Gunship Squadron (3x Gunships)
Crew: 2x3 Pilot/Co Pilot (Training Complete beginning Turn 7) (Operator)
[ ] PMC Ops 7: Wannabe Heroes
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Guaranteed Infantry, Armor, or Fixed Air Elite Company/Squadron of your choice. Stacks organically with other actions. Like every other action listed so far
Mission Brief: "God damn it."
"Something wrong Kaz?"
"All the ports in Seychelle waters are under threat of closing down."
"A naval blockade?"
"More like a body blockade. Snake, there are literally thousands of hopeful recruits attempting to board the tankers that bring our monthly supplies in. I don't think we'll be needing to fulton anyone for this OP."
--
POV: Ocelot
"Right. Next." I waved off the newest hopeful into the 'worthless' bunch to be given a second screening to see if they had the right stuff or not to make it through the training.
The broody hen perched on top of my breakfast bowl of boiled eggs clucked irritably and pecked at my gloved hand, quickly forcing me to tactically withdraw lest the formerly domesticated chicken attack to defend it's newly claimed nest.
Grumbling under my breath, I chalked up the angle as a bad one and planned to try again with a different tactic after the next of the useless chaff was placed along with the other wide-eyed hopefuls full more of piss and vinegar than well aged wine.
"Military experience and other relevant qualifications?"
"Well I'm blah blah blah blah blah, green beret, blah blah blah, two tours of duty in Vietnam, blah blah-"
We'd unleashed a monster onto ourselves the day Boss convinced us that this animal conservation mission was a vital morale booster for Diamond Dogs.
If there's one thing that hasn't changed in twenty years, it's John's stomach. He was driven by it.
I knew all too well that familiar glint that would enter his eye whenever he looked at a new and interesting animal he'd never tried eating. The demon that resided inside his stomach, hidden from the view of those who only saw skin deep.
'But then again', I thought while glaring at the hen who stared back with unflinching determination, 'fried chicken would be a nice change from our current lackluster menu at the mess.'
Just you wait and see.
After all this paperwork is done, you'll be plucked and roasted in an oven faster than I can put a bullet through your damned heart.
The fearless chicken simply pecked at my extended finger, forcing me to draw back the barrel of my 'finger gun' since I couldn't kill it with an imaginary iron.
Damned bird.
"Right. You, over there. Next."
--
Choose 1
[ ] Infantry Company (Conventional Elite)
*Marines and Mechanized come with vehicles*
-[ ] Marine
-[ ] Mechanized
-[ ] Airborne
-[ ] Air Assault
[ ] Infantry Company (Asymmetrical)
-[ ] Recon (LRRP/LRS)
-[ ] Foreign Operations (Green Berets)
-[ ] Intelligence Operations (CIA)
-[ ] Hyper Specialists (Seal Teams)
[ ] Armor Company
-[ ] Recon
-[ ] Artillery
-[ ] MBT
[ ] Rotary Air Squadron
-[ ] Recon
-[ ] General
-[ ] Attack
[ ] Fixed Air Squadron (Not Deployable)
-[ ] Transport
-[ ] Ground Attack Jets
-[ ] Fighter Jets
-[ ] Air Artillery
[X] PMC Ops 4: Operation Conservation
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: 100,000 GMT, Conservation Strut construction funded by PETA!
Mission Brief: PETA contracted us for this one Boss. They want us to… uh… relocate a bunch of endangered species onto Mother Base until they can set up wildlife preserves. They'll even fund the building of a new strut to house them in as well as paying us some pretty solid paper.
But how the hell are we supposed to transport hundreds of animal-
Boss, you've got that look in your eye again.
Boss. No.
I still got one leg and an arm Boss, don't make me hobble over there!
Boss!
--
POV: Nuke
Voice Actor: Antonio Banderas
"Mon Dieu. I've forgotten just how quickly you could have something built when you put your heart into a task, Monsieur Miller." My blonde caretaker of many years whispered to the sardonically smiling human male next to her.
"Sometimes I don't believe it myself. Just goes to show how much money makes the world turn around." So said the familiar, yet unfamiliar form of the battle scarred male who had so aggravated Cecile in their youth.
"I will leave you be to reconnect, old friends." I spoke, brushing myself against Cecile's leg and Kazuhira's metal crutch that acted to balance him.
I heard them call after me, but with a long practiced movement, I'd jumped above their reach to make my way to one of the railings along the bridges between structures.
I'd no fear of falling into the sea. Different as it was, I was home. The spirit of Mother Base would guide and protect me from the cold sea who gave as much as she took.
...
But how my first home had changed much during my absence.
Much like the old and worn human covering tied around my neck, patterned to resemble a human skull and our world in its earliest youth, I had expected Mother Base to have aged just so.
It had, but not as I expected. The structure itself was located elsewhere, and the materials that made up her sturdy frame, new. Even the humans here were different; my caretakers from the past had seemingly all been ravaged by time and war.
The ones I knew in youth as the Man with One Eye, He Who's Hair Smells of Oil, and Paz… all had changed. It was a fortunate thing that dear Cecile had taken me with her and away from the great disaster that befell my old companions and our shared home on the sea.
I was but a kitten then, weak, small.
I would not have survived.
At first I thought that we were simply traveling through the air to visit foreign lands and people as we were to do. Militaires Sans Frontieres, our name, our bond. Warriors one and all who smelled of blood, dirt, and the sea. A pride composed of humans that I had been taken into.
Young and bold, I'd taken to my duties with gusto, bringing the corpses of the vermin who ate away at our stocks and supplies as I was meant to do.
I was praised, loved, and happy.
How foolish I was to believe in my childish mind that Paz had simply left on a long mission. That in a few short weeks I would soon return to Mother Base where I would resume my duties once Cecile had completed her own task.
I knew in my heart that something terrible had happened when Cecile held me in her arms one night and sang in sorrow.
Weeks had turned months.
Months, into seasons.
Seasons, into years.
Nine winters I had lived, with my tenth soon approaching. I was old now, weathered.
But strong.
I had been well cared for by Cecile, and our adventures together across the world had taught me many, many lessons.
And now, I have returned to stay.
She would understand. While we may never see one another again in my lifetime, my human who had shown me the world had her duties and I had mine. I'd taught my children well of their responsibilities to her, thus I had no regrets, no fears that Cecile would be left alone.
"Elder." The young, one-eyed hunter greeted me with respect as he paused in the middle of the walkway across metal islands.
Behind the powerful wolf followed a trail of young, excited pups being shepherded by a young human girl that looked to be as old as I.
Hmph. To stay children for so long. It is no wonder that humans can grow to be so scarred and cruel when not properly raised.
At least this one was being properly looked after by one of Snake's own companions.
"DD." I slowly blink back and wag my tail once in a dog-like manner, practiced in the languages of many animals. "The training goes well I see."
Leaping down from the railing, I stride next to the blooded wolf's side to watch the next generation of hunters make their way towards us for inspection.
"My thanks for speaking with their mother, Elder Nuke. I feared that she would coddle them for too long."
"No, both you and she were incorrect in your assumptions. The lady CC was right in introducing your sons and daughters to the greater whole of Diamond Dogs, but she held them too close for nearly too long. While you were right in wishing to show them the lessons of the hunt early, you wished for it far too quickly due to your own upbringing. Balance must be struck so they are properly raised."
"Your words are wise as always. It is true that I am… different."
"Bah. They are your first litter and you both are young still. You will learn the lessons you weren't taught in time and those around you will ensure the pups are properly educated."
"It is true then? You are to remain?" The young wolf releases a small breath and slumps slightly in relief. "I do not believe myself ready for what Ahab has tasked me with."
"And that is one of the reasons I shall stay. While I may be reaching old age, I will pass on my learnings to you and all who will listen. That is the duty I have to the future."
"I trust in your wisdom elder, and eagerly await your instruction."
Kept You Waiting Huh?: 88, Big Boss decides he's hungry.
"Then prepare yourself, young wolf. Do you sense it? Scent the caress of the west winds."
"The west…?" DD quirks his head before facing westwards and inhales deeply. His eyes widen in shock, his body rigid and tense. "The Fulton Balloons… but so… so many?"
"Indeed. Snake and the warriors return with a great bounty of predator and prey. Go, they will need you. I will return the pups to the kennels and send lady CC your way. She will teach what you need to know." I replied easily, walking forward to stand in front of the human girl and the confused pups sitting at attention by her feet.
DD barks an affirmative, immediately turning around and dashing toward the newly risen island of steel. I could imagine that Cecile and Kazuhira were currently gaping towards the sky filled with a menagerie of animals.
I'd seen this once before in my youth and froze at the incomprehensible sight. The skies filled with the hanging forms of men both asleep and awake in terror.
After two such migrations of screaming and panicking humans in that same month, the cacophony of animal calls of today wasn't all that strange.
"Come children. We will go play elsewhere." I mrowled, rolling my throat with a deep purr.
"DD…?" The human girl, Hana made to follow, but I quickly blocked her path and butted my head against her leg.
"Now is not the time. Your caretaker has his duties to perform and you have no place among the coming riff raff. Come. There will be time to greet the new arrivals once they have been shown their place."
--
Units Deployed:
PMC Ops 4 Clear: S-Rank
Heroism Gained: 1,000
[X] R&D 10: War Dogs (Advanced Infantry Tree)
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 75,000 GMP
Research Time:2 Turns 1 Turn (Omake Bonus)
Reward: Gain War Dog breeding and training program.
Mission Brief: DD has shown how useful a canine combat partner can be in the field. It'd take some time and effort, but I think with a good breeding program and the right training, we could start training both man and animal into a formidable fighting force.
--
POV: CC
"That time already huh? They sure do grow up fast." The man with missing limbs who had adopted me into his home many months ago smiled happily as humans tend to do.
Carefully I nipped at the scruffs of my unrulier pups that whined at the foreign, but delicious scent of what I knew was a ground up mixture of deer, steer, and pig meat being carefully prepared by the single hand of Kazuhira.
Not too long ago, I'd been a youth nearly grown. Born and raised on a ranch, I'd been taught as my mother and father have before me to herd and guard the prey animals from the many predators who would seek to infringe upon our livelihood.
I was a wolfdog, my sires carefully chosen and my lessons taught with a dedicated hand of my mother's human and her own, gently nibbling teeth.
"Be patient my pups. This is the most important and basic of skills you must learn before the hunt." My mate chuffed, pressing a paw atop the head of our most rambunctious daughter before curiosity overwhelmed her easily lost discipline.
Fang Who Cuts the World was strong and smelled more of wolf than he did dog. Unlike me, he'd been born to a wild tribe in the wilderness before he was orphaned and taken by the man whom the humans reverently whisper of in awe.
It was well deserved, and the newly christened DD had grown bold and powerful under Ahab and Ocelot's tutelage. I knew of no other canine as deadly as him.
I doubt even the great brown bears who prowled my old home would've proved a match for the sharp, man-made steel weapon strapped on his shoulder.
"Haa…" Speaking from the perspective of duty, DD was the very ideal of what I should've looked for in a potential sire for my future pups.
He was strong, intelligent, disciplined, and in the prime of his youth.
"CC? Is something the matter?" My mate glances towards me, shifting so that he could see me over his missing eye.
"It's nothing. Just relieved that I'll get a chance to sleep every now and again." I chuckle half-heartedly, nosing him in the side so that he doesn't worry overly so.
"As you say…" He says awkwardly, still somewhat unused to the language shared by those of our kind.
He was strange for a dog or wolf. Weaned much too early and socialized by human hands, it was difficult to connect with him.
Gentle in small, vanishingly rare ways, but mostly he was… aloof or cold wasn't the right word for it.
Distant. Awkward. Odd.
More at home in battle than he was in the den among his pups and mate.
Pups he is beginning to teach his way of the hunt, the human thing known as War.
I know that they are excited to follow in his paw steps. The duty that is expected of them is a great one.
But it fills me with unease, knowing that they will soon learn how to kill. Not for food or self protection, but for something beyond my understanding.
"CC? What's wrong girl? C'mere…" Kaz notices my discomfort, moving towards me with pained movements that he has long hidden underneath a veneer of a human smile or grimace.
"It's nothing Kaz. Dinner smells delicious." I whined softly, pressing myself against the broken man's side with controlled care.
I just don't wish to see my children have something taken from them like war has done to so many of those that live in our new home.
But duty is duty. That is everything for those that walk with Man.
--
Research Complete!
[X] R&D 2: Repairing Sahelanthropus
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 500,000 GMP (Can be split into halves)
Research Time: 1 Turn (End Turn 3 / Start Turn 4)
Reward: ST-84 Metal Gear "Sahelanthropus" Repaired. Still requires an AI pod or child sized pilot to get it to work apparently.
Mission Brief: Emmerich's been on my ass all day begging for the funding to repair his little pet project. I told him I'd talk to you about it, but frankly it seems like a terrible idea.
Please tell me you're not actually thinking about throwing even more money at that traitor Snake?
--
I stood in the shadow of Sahelanthropus once more. Folded back into its 'walker' configuration, the hunched over beast of metal and death loomed over me with a menacing glare of it's skull faced cockpit.
I stared back with an unyielding look of my own.
A part of me wishes to destroy this walking nuclear bomb and be done with it.
Another sees the potential usefulness of its existence and sees it as too valuable to toss.
The demon within laughs.
At my side, Huey looked away from his creation even as Dr. Emmerich quietly preened beneath his skin.
--
ST-84 Metal Gear "Sahelanthropus"
Operational Capacity: 100%
Pilot: AI or Human under 4'5
Sahelanthropus available for Deployment
Heroism: -10,000
Mercenary Points Gained: +10,000
Demon Points Gained: +10,000
[X] Main Ops 4: The Trial
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Dr. Huey Emmerich tried and brought to justice by Big Boss.
Mission Brief: Boss, I can't believe this, but… it's Emmerich.
He walked into my office, in broad daylight where everyone could see him. The old bloods are up in arms about his presence and they're quickly infecting the newer troops with the stories of his betrayal of MSF.
...
Christ Snake, Emmerich wants to turn himself in for a trial.
What the hell did you say to him in the lab?
--
The men file into the hangar where Sahelanthropus is housed with quick, ordered steps. Many are barely restrained in their fury while others watch with cautious curiosity.
At the front of the impromptu stage, Emmerich kneels on the ground underneath the shadow of the Metal Gear he built as his magnum opus.
The weapon of mass destruction he built for Skull Face.
At the edge of the teeming mass of Diamond dogs stand myself, Ocelot, and Miller.
The others…
They don't need to be here for this. Don't even know that Huey is here.
Adam begins, his voice echoing loudly with every footstep he takes.
"Men, this man here stands accused of many crimes. While our existence is one that is outside the law, Dr. Huey Emmerich has come to us with the request to stand trial."
Miller takes up the next part.
"As a former member of Militaries Sans Frontieres. As a Diamond Dog. Boss?"
I nod, stepping forward to address the occupants of the hanger.
"It's not our place to judge an enemy. But that's not what Dr. Emmerich is. Whatever happened these past nine years, he decided to make a choice. To face the judgement of his former comrades with the full knowledge that death is a real possibility."
"I haven't forgotten. We were friends once. Comrades looking to better the world and build a better future, together."
…
"Huey Emmerich stands accused of betraying us to Cipher nine years ago. The destruction of Mother Base." I say, closing my eye and breathing deeply.
The grumblings of outrage and hate begin the infest the crowd behind me, slowly, insidiously do the black, oily tendrils of negativity spread from one man to the next.
I whip my bionic arm to the side, silencing the screams for vengeance before they can truly take root.
"He's not guilty, not of destroying our former home and organization. Not wholly." I turn, facing the crowd with a stony expression.
"He thought the inspection legitimate. He went behind our backs to make it happen, but fact is, the real thing would've happened sooner or later. None of us even suspected Cipher's reach to extend so far in the first place."
On the ground, some of the tension releases from Emmerich's shoulders, but he tightens once more when I begin to speak again.
"However. He also stands accused of murdering the mother of his child after said child was sent away, to be hidden from him after he used his son as a test pilot for Metal Gear."
I turn to face him fully, looking down at the man who'd slumped heavily against himself.
"How do you plead?"
"I…" Emmerich begins, clearly attempting to find something to say, but is unable to.
Long seconds pass before I see the last of Emmerich fade, leaving only Huey behind.
"Guilty. I'm guilty." He starts, nearly babbling as the floodgates open and he begins to speak openly and candidly.
"I did it. I pushed her into the pod and locked her in. I heard her screams, begging to be let out of the pod. But…"
"But…"
"I just left her there. I didn't do anything." Huey moaned, falling to his side as the truth played inside his head, over and over.
Silently, without a word, Adam stepped up to my side, handing me a loaded revolver.
Kaz instead looked away with gritted teeth, fighting with his desire for vengeance and his memories of a better time.
Breathing softly, I take the revolver from Ocelot's hand, turning to face Huey with the gun pointed at his temple.
He doesn't react, too lost in his own pain to do much more than mumble against the cold ground and wish for the end that may or may not come.
"Hal…"
--
Phantom Pain Vote: The synesthesia of another time fills your mouth with the curdled taste of bloodlust. You stop to watch, seeing yourself standing amidst hundreds of screaming soldiers calling for the execution of Huey Emmerich who believes himself absolved of all of his many failures.
You can see yourself doing the same thing, but will you?
[ ] Hand the Gun Back: "No. There's been enough pain. You'll live with it for the rest of your life, but you won't do it alone."
[ ] Fire into the Air: "Prepare a bird. Charter him a boat to the mainland and back to his son. He's no longer one of us."
[ ] Cock the Gun: "Goodbye Huey. I'll make sure your son is cared for."
[X] Side Ops 11: Beach Party *Must take Denuke 3*
Mission Difficulty: Varies
Reward: Overall increase in morale of Diamond Dogs and relationship points between the main cast. Slice of life DLC
Mission Brief: Well, there's one thing I'm better at than you Father. You are horrible at fishing.
--
Love Deterrence - (Paz Theme) [Acoustic Guitar Duo]
SECRET POV UNLOCKED: The Tattered Man
I should've left as soon as I saw them approach the beach I was fishing on.
Should've just left my rod where it was and disappear back into the nearby vegetation without turning back.
But I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Hidden underneath my cloak, scarf, sunglasses, and straw hat, it's not surprising that they thought me to be just another fisherman relaxing on the beach.
One or two familiar faces had even waved hello to me before moving nearby to other good fishing areas I silently pointed towards.
I'd almost felt the nostalgia overtake me and thought over and over about opening a conversation if only to see how my old compas had weathered the years.
Heh. Better than me I'm sure.
I saw him in the distance, Snake I mean. Fishing with a boy that looked remarkably like him.
I didn't know he'd had a son, but it didn't surprise me.
The son looked strong, proud, and had a self-assured swagger to his measured movements that screamed to me of his martial skill. Impressively, his fieldcraft skills were obviously well practiced from years of use as were his fishing techniques.
Snake was… about as good at surf fishing as he ever was.
That is to say abysmal.
Hah.
Miller too had changed over the years, but seemed familiar in the way he and… Cecile were drinking together on the beach over a conversation I could already imagine was about their differing hobbies.
I didn't know she'd came back. I thought she was done with this sort of living.
Maybe she's visiting for old time's sake.
I'm sure my sister would know more, but we don't speak much these days. Not after what happened nine years ago.
Not that I deserve to be forgiven.
"Hello?" The soft, familiar voice of the girl I'd fallen in love with so long ago called out from behind.
I'd heard her familiar gait, slowly walking along the sand to stand at my back.
…
The biggest reason that I'm rooted to my spot.
Paz.
"You seem a little lonely… would you mind some company?" She asks when I don't reply.
It's all I could do to nod, my voice having been taken from me years ago, I gestured with a hand towards the dry sand at my side.
"Thank you, Mr…" She quirked her head when she saw me write what I went by these days into the sand.
"Kid…? That's a strange name, but it's… somehow fitting?" She says happily, sitting down next to me.
A glance to the side shows her almost unchanged from the first time I'd met her. She'd aged well, covering her scarred midsection with a dark and baggy t-shirt.
We spent the day together, silent, but comfortable as my nerves eased and Paz watched the waves as I fished.
By the time the sun went down and everyone was beginning to pack their things to head towards the boats, I'd nearly caught a dozen fish.
Most I gave to her for keeping an idiot like me company, even if she didn't recognize me.
"You remind of someone I used to know Mr. Kid." Paz says softly, thanking me for the cooler of fish with a smile. "He was a good friend of mine, silly, but kind."
…
I'm happy you remember me that way Paz.
Goodbye.
I waved backwards, my tattered cloak with the roughly painted peace sign on the back flapping in the ocean winds as I walked into the forest path.
…
I'm satisfied with this, I think.
--
Side Ops 11 Clear: S-Rank
[-] R&D 1: Wormhole Technology
Complete.
Spinning Dimensional Rift Drive…
…?
Error.
Drive Failed.
…
Dimensional Breach Detected.
Location…
Afghanistan.
[X]Plan Exiting In Style + Missions and Puppies
-[X] Main Ops 3: Recover the Man on Fire
-[X] Side Ops 12: An Interview with the World
-[X] Main Ops 5: Denuclearization 3 "A Glimpse of Today"
-[X] Side Ops 2: Check on Paz *New Game+*
-[X] PMC Ops 5: Kurdish Turnaround
-[X] PMC Ops 7: Wannabe Heroes
-[X] PMC Ops 4: Operation Conservation (Cecile)
-[X] R&D 10: War Dogs (Advanced Infantry Tree)
-[X] R&D 2: Repairing Sahelanthropus
-[X] Main Ops 4: The Trial
-[X] Side Ops 11: Beach Party *Must take Denuke 3*
[-] Main Ops 3: Recover the Man on Fire
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Gain the Man on Fire's body.
Mission Brief: We found his body Boss. It seems inert as far as we can tell. We're sending you to pick him up, but be ready. As far as I'm concerned, history's shown that this walking anomaly is anything but safe.
--
"I barely recognize you. Colonel." Ocelot chuckled to himself as he walked away from the cage where the undecayed corpse was left to rot in the open air.
The spurs of his leather boots clinked as he walked towards me, shaking his head the entire way with the expression of man who found satisfaction in the most unexpected place.
I could relate.
But in this moment, I found it difficult to do so.
"Boss?" My old friend wonders, raising an eyebrow and placing his hands against the holsters resting against his hips.
"He's still in there." I mumbled, not entirely sure of the recent events playing over and over through my memories.
I lowered my rifle, feeling the visible rage that was flaring all along the Man of Fire's heat melted suit trailing up and down his clenched fists.
Except… I didn't.
His rage.
His hate.
It…
It wasn't meant for me.
I'm not sure what it was. All I knew was that there was only one person that he meant harm to.
And that someone wasn't me.
Even when he gripped and pushed me to the ground, I felt no hate.
Even when I pulled my rifle back up after he let me go and stumbled backwards in confusion, there was no malice there.
…
"I saw his face Adam.." I whispered, voice nearly lost in the ocean winds.
How his eyes widened in confusion to be followed by disbelief and…
Peace.
"John? What do you mean?" Adam wondered, walking close and clasping a hand on my shoulder.
It only took me a moment for me to shake my head, showing him that it was nothing and giving him time to replace his hand away from my side and out of my zone of certain death.
"It was nothing. Just… an old memory." I replied softly.
The Ocelot only stared at me for several moments before nodding to himself and making a noise of comprehension despite his confusion. "Alright Boss."
His spurs clinked and clacked in time with the step of his boots as Adam walked away from the area.
The brass of the two bullets held in my hand continued to click against one another for a long time afterwards.
--
Main Ops 3 Clear: S-Rank
- Gain the Man on Fire's Body
- Another floats into Mother Base, confusion warring within.
- Dark clouds in the distance weighs down on the world.
- A bolt of lightning charges in response.
[X] Side Ops 12: An Interview with the World
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Gain 'Confessions of a Phantom' interview/tape 1
Mission Brief: Boss, a war correspondent from CNN just called in. Probably the first of many, but this one is a respected reporter known for his unbiased and factual reporting.
I'll take care of it myself if you don't feel up to it Boss, but I thought I should ask if you wanted to take a shot at the big screen first.
--
POV: Unnamed Reporter
Hello everyone at home, I'm sure many of you are confused as to why we are broadcasting live with no imaging equipment to record this special report from the Seychelles.
Security in the home of the Diamond Dogs, Mother Base they call it, is as tight as you would expect it to be. There were a long list of stipulations give that I signed off on in order to bring all of you this report on the organization of the former decorated war hero of the United States, current mercenary, and possibly the most controversial man in the known world, Big Boss.
To make it clear to those listening around the globe, what we're about to play for you is a tape recording with narration done by myself with my own personal views.
In journalism, in factual reporting this would be considered a grave error.
However, I believe that no human being can truly stay detached from the world shaking events of these recent months. We shouldn't.
Without further ado ladies and gentlemen, capitalist and communist, let me introduce to you...
Big Boss.
--
I'd scarcely taken several steps off of the military styled transport fitted with familiar armaments from my time covering the Vietnam Conflict when the mercenaries I'd just finished a rather eye opening conversation with, leapt out of the vehicle with military poise and almost unbelievable speed.
Boots thundering against the deck plating, the mercenaries, no, the soldiers had taken their place in formation to stand at a picture perfect parade rest in front of two men.
As I quickly scrambled out of the helicopter, my heart pounding with a mix of anticipation, fear, and excitement, I found myself first staring into the polarized lenses of the Sub Commander of Diamond Dogs.
Kazuhira Miller, the son of an American officer and an unknown woman from Japan cut a stern figure. The wind flapping against the sleeve of his missing arm and the fabric covering the thin metal of his aluminium leg painted just as much a picture of a man who'd lost much in combat as did his grim expression. Surprisingly, it was him who powerfully strode forward, extending a hand towards me with a respectful, and powerful shake.
"Mr. ********. I grew up watching your reports on Vietnam. Diamond Dogs are honored to have you aboard our home." He said, his strong and weathered voice filling me with a small sense of pride that a man such as himself knew of me by name.
"Commander Miller. It's my pleasure to be here and…" I found myself freezing like a deer standing on the road.
Haha.
It'd probably be more accurate to say that I was stuck gaping at the legendary soldier whose presence I'd only just noticed. How such a powerful and noticeable figure stayed out of my attention for so long I'll never know.
"Mr. *******." The heavily scarred man with metal shrapnel jutting out of his forehead and a bright red bionic left arm closed the distance slowly. Curt and to the point he nodded once before extending his flesh and blood hand with careful, deliberate movements.
God. I knew when his hand gripped my suddenly sweaty palms that this living hero could could take me apart at his leisure.
Yet I knew that he wouldn't. A closer moment of inspection of his piercing blue eye shocked me to the core.
It was the eye of a gentle man. One who'd seen an untold amount of hate and bloodshed, but had come out of the vagaries of an endless war with his sense of self still intact, no.
Stronger.
That is what it feels like to match gazes with the man known as Big Boss.
It'd taken me some minutes to realize that I'd been wordlessly escorted to a mess hall of sorts and while I was ashamedly attempting to get my vocal faculties in order, my eyes and ears had noticed the going ons around us.
There was an energy in the air. Positive and wholesome.
At the ends of a table I could see the figures of men, women, and children who looked to be civilians, possibly refugees speaking in stilted, broken english towards one another.
One child in particular, a blonde boy was fluently speaking a multitude of different languages, bridging the gap between children, teenagers, adults, and two older soldiers. One being one of the largest men I'd ever seen who was gregariously dumping an entire bottle of tabasco into his food. The second man was shorter, slimmer, but let out a dangerous air about him that only a longtime combat veteran could. He looked to be the quiet sort, a ghost of a smile gracing a stony expression as he occasionally commented here and there.
To my shock and slowly growing confusion, I saw another child. A small blonde girl sitting quietly alone next to a large, one-eyed wolf who sent curious glances towards a gaggle of pups and another large wolf seated atop a table next to the mess line.
What looked to be the father of said pups had to quickly turn his head each time, the warning growl of the mother followed by a soft stroke of the girl's hand along his back causing him to chuff and grumble audibly.
This place felt less like a military base and more of a group home for people all over the world.
A melting pot of cultures in the best way possible.
"I'll leave you two to it, then. Boss." Sub Commander Miller nods his head, standing and heading towards the kitchens while waving at the various calls of the soldiers and civilians in the area.
With a slightly less shaky grip on the cup of provided coffee, I took a quick gulp of the steaming hot liquid whose quality was about as expected as any I'd drank at a military base.
Strong, but it went down like sandpaper.
Just what I needed to get my head back in the game.
"It's so good to finally meet with you in person Big Boss. As you know, I'm-"
"It'd be better if your name isn't mentioned. Safer that way." The man who is of age with myself shakes his head, tapping a prosthetic finger against the table as he pulled a curious looking apparatus out of his pocket.
Some sort of cigar analogue?
"I suppose, but wouldn't it lend less credence to your part of the story?"
"I'm not worried about legitimacy. Whether the people who listen to this recording believe in my words or not is irrelevant. They'll form their opinions anyway."
"Well, you're not wrong but…"
"It's fine. Ask your questions." The eyepatched man shook his head minutely, taking a deep drag of the mechanical cigar and releasing a large cloud of vapor into the air with a relaxed sigh.
It was truly unfortunate that I'd quit smoking recently, but my wife would kill me if she heard I started again.
"Alright then, Big Boss. You are known in America as a hero of the Cold War. Your military career started in your youth when you lied about your age to join the army during the Korean War."
"That's right." He replied without fanfare.
"And after you returned, you stayed in the military and found yourself entering Special Operations as an apprentice to the infamous hero of World War 2 turned traitor, The Boss?" I knew I'd asked a dangerous question the moment I'd started my sentence.
It was minute, but I could see the tensing of his expression before he calmed and took another deep hit of his cigar.
"She was no traitor."
"Pardon? But official sources say… could you comment further?"
"No. I swore an oath to her that the conversation between us would remain a secret to the world at large. What I can say is that she loved her country enough to give up everything for a future only she could see." Big Boss spoke, the emotion in his voice hard to capture, but significant in a personal way.
"Of course. Let's move on to the next series of questions, I'm sure your open record is available for anyone with a library pass as it is. So how about your days after you left the military? The formation and destruction of Militaires Sans Frontieres felt like a turning point in history, and now after nearly ten years of silence you've returned to the world's limelight at the head of Diamond Dogs. Could you explain your stance of nuclear disarmament? It's well known that in 1975 your organization was purported to have bought nuclear fuel from Uzbekistan. Were those rumors unsubstantiated or…?"
"No, you're right. MSF was a private military force capable of nuclear warfare by the end of 1974."
"But then what happened? It was said that the oil rig you based your operations in was completely destroyed. Was the nuclear device stolen, or possibly even now releasing contaminants into the sea?"
"No. The nuke was taken by a second party."
"Then…"
"They and the nuclear warhead are no longer a problem. We take care of our messes here in Diamond Dogs."
"No longer a…? Yes, I see." There was a finality to his statement that made it quite clear what had happened to this second party. "Does this mean you are currently nuclear capable?"
"No. Every nuclear device we've built or taken has been vitrified and placed in cold storage until the material becomes safe."
"That is a strong message you are sending to the world Big Boss. But with the enemies you've made across the globe in doing so, aren't you worried about the potential consequences of your actions? Especially if the hushed whispers in the upper echelons of NATO and the Warsaw Pact ring any truth on the matter of The Phantom."
At this, Big Boss made a strange noise. A half chuckle followed by a considering grunt. "... The Phantom huh?"
He shook his head in answer to my question of his worry regarding possible retaliation against himself and Diamond Dogs.
It's not the confidence of a man whose pride will damn him nor the ignorance of naivety that will see a foolish man doomed. It's here that I realize Big Boss fully knows the danger coming his way and that I can see it.
The legendary hero is just that. A man who knows the end is coming, but refuses to back down in the face of a greater calling.
A purpose.
"Or so several of my sources whisper. They say that each of the world's major nuclear powers are in a silent, frozen uproar that a single nuclear weapon from each facility was taken and that a message of sorts was left in the form of a cassette tape filled with a woman's singing. Would you perhaps know anything about this unsubstantiated rumor…?" My voice trails off with increasingly lessening disbelief and whole lot of growing discomfort.
But not in the sense that I'm becoming uneasy. It's rather the opposite. I'm starting to feel a stirring in my heart that tells me that a lie I've told myself for years is slowly unraveling into an undeniable truth.
The longer I stay here and speak with this hero of the modern age, the more I realize that the words impossible and insane are just that.
Words to describe lesser men.
Big Boss, I am coming to understand, is much more than a mere man.
"It's true. All of it. China. France. The United Kingdom. The Soviet Union. And the United States of America." He closes his eye before opening it, a bright, shining glint seeing something in the distant fog that is only just beginning to show itself to me.
He is a hero in the truest sense of the word. A symbol of peace who wants to show the world that there is a better way.
By God. I would give up so much to follow this man so that I may tell his story when the inevitable end arrives.
"And what is your message, Big Boss?" I ask, mouth dry.
This last segment of the recording goes unnarrated by myself. I ask that you listen and form your own opinions ladies and gentlemen, for I'd dare not color his finishing words with my own mangling of his impossible dream.
[-] Main Ops 5: Denuclearization 3 "A Glimpse of Today"
Mission Difficulty:
The Soldiers of the World Hear the Call of Outer Heaven.
Reward: ???
Mission Brief: This is it Boss. A mission only you could hope to accomplish.
Take a warhead from each of the major powers and leave behind our calling card.
Let the world listen to what we have to say.
--
As the recordings of Big Boss' conversation is repeated all over the world, the nuclear powers of the modern era can do little but flail in the attempt to divert attention.
It is meaningless.
Those who answer to the public are frozen in indecision, wishing to demonize Big Boss, but are unable to.
Those who rule with an iron fist, find that grip crumbling ever further as the voices of hundreds of millions drown powerful, previously untouchable men and women who attempt to rally ineffectually.
Both sides attempt to find scapegoats to punish, to make examples of.
None can be forced to walk forward. Those that do under the threat of imprisonment or punishment of their fellow comrades, never step forth alone. The vast majority of their soldiers in arms step forward in tandem, unwilling to let those few conspirators that aided Big Boss suffer on their own.
The superpowers of the world are forced to a standstill.
To imprison or execute the traitors would see public and military opinion turn against them. Mutiny was a very real threat.
One man, a single, mad, man had stood up to call upon the world to stand with him to fight against impossible odds.
His message?
"We fight today… so that we can secure a better tomorrow. One day in the future, there won't be a need for guns, bombs, or spears. There won't be a need for soldiers to pull the trigger in hate."
"It may only be for a single moment in the history of humanity, but today and tomorrow. We can see it."
"A future without war."
Grizzled veterans and fresh faced recruits. The old and the young. Man and woman. Soldier and civilian.
The world had heard Big Boss' call to arms.
Almost overnight, the status quo that had so far froze humanity in its cold clutches had destabilized and called into question the madness of nuclear proliferation.
Though the concept of nuclear deterrence would remain, and the powers of the world would slowly put the blindfold back over the eyes of the people, August of 1984 would mark a milestone in the history of humanity.
The day where mankind glimpsed today, what could be a better tomorrow.
-----
Main Ops 5: Clear, S-Rank
Heroism Gained: 100,000
- Ahab stands at the top of the highest mountain, determined to reach the skies.
- Kazuhira follows closely. Breathing and seeing for the first time in nine years.
- Ocelot receives a tape and wonders.
- Quiet leans back to back with Ahab, a sense of peace growing between them.
- Code Talker sees something he thought would never come, and sees a future.
- Huey finishes his final preparations, and waits for judgement.
- Pacifica dreams of Peace Day, and awakens to find it just within reach.
- Eli comes to a fork in his path, both leading to a Father he sees.
- Hana sees Saladin smile for the first time. She will remember this moment.
- The World Has Changed.
DC's Revealed:
- Extreme: 120
Rolls
Big Boss: Total disarmaments, 5 sites
- China (Extreme): 77 +50 (Big Boss) +50 (The Man Who Guided the World)
- 177
- S Rank
- France (Extreme): 58, +50 (Big Boss) +50 (The Man Who Guided the World)
- 158
- S Rank
- Russia (Extreme): 94, +50 (Big Boss) +50 (The Man Who Guided the World)
- 194
- S Rank
- UK (Extreme): 16, Reroll 32 (Heroic action) +50 (Big Boss) +50 (The Man Who Guided the World)
- 132
- A Rank
- US (Extreme): 88 +50 (Big Boss) +50 (The Man Who Guided the World)
- 188
- S Rank
[ ] Side Ops 2: Check on Paz *New Game+*
Mission Difficulty:
Reward: Increased relationship with 'Paz Ortega Andrade'
Mission Brief: You've managed to find an old photo of an MSF barbecue after taking down Zeke for the first time. Maybe some good memories will help Paz recover mentally after nine years without change.
--
It'd been months since I'd last worked up the courage to visit Paz in her room.
The old photo of our fishing trip on the beaches of Nicaragua was placed safely in the pocket of my fatigues. I wondered for a long moment outside of her door how she'd react. If she'd react sensibly at all before 'resetting'.
She'd shown some signs of improvement if the doctors and staff are to believed. It'd taken a long time, but now she seemed to perceive the passage of time. Even if mentally she remained 'Paz', I'm told this is a good thing.
Even if Pacifica were to never return, the part of her that was with us during those days early days, that part is slowly inching its way back.
So imagine my surprise when I see that the two of us aren't alone in her observation room.
"Snake! You're here! Come, sit, sit!" Paz laughs joyfully as she reads through the morning newspaper with a cheerful smile.
At her side sits Nuke, the old cat who we'd picked up so long ago who…
"Snake! It's so good to see you." Says a familiar french parisian, who had taken the growing kitten with her back to Paris after Zeke's destruction.
"Cecile? What…?"
"I can answer that Boss." Kaz says, looking up from the paper at Paz's bedside. "Turns out she's the representative from PETA that's here to make sure the animals on the conservation strut are taken care of. Cheeky minx wanted to keep her involvement a secret."
"Ach. And you Monsieur Miller have made it irritatingly difficult to do so. I suppose that there are some things that stay the same." She finishes with a fond tone, eyeing Kaz's and my own missing limbs with well hidden sadness.
"Hah! Well, some things I guess. You know I'm married now? With a daughter?"
"What!? Say it isn't so! Who is this saintly woman that has taken your boorish self into her heart!"
As the two old 'friends' jab at one another, I gingerly settle myself down next to Paz who only continues to smile softly at the two loudly chatting across from us.
"It's good to see Cecile again, even if she'll be leaving in a few days." Paz notes softly, gently scratching her fingers against the scruff of the black cat curled up at her side. "I think Mister Miller… Kaz needs to look back once in a while and remember the good things."
"... yeah." I reply with my hands folded together as I look down at the ground.
Sometimes I wonder if Paz being alive is real. I have dreams of moments like this, dreams where she's just a figment of my imagination and guilt for having failed to save her.
Except I did.
Didn't I?
"Snake." Paz grumbles, shifting slightly so that she can bump her shoulder against my prosthetic arm.
"You need to lighten up too! You can't hide and sneak in the shadows forever. Come up and enjoy the sun! Look!" The younger woman says, the first lines of age beginning to show on her dimpled cheeks.
She slaps at the newspaper on her sheet covered lap with a hand, smacking loudly against the headlines.
"Peace Day, Snake. It might not be forever, but you did it. One day where no one has to die or get hurt because of war. You should be happy." Paz rolls her eyes, waving her hand up in the air aimlessly. "Everyone on Mother Base, even all over the world are taking the chance to open their eyes and see."
"Paz…"
"You made this happen Snake. You. You're a hero."
"..."
"I'm no hero, Paz-"
"No! No, no no! Cecile's is right. Some things don't change even after nine years." Paz sighs, staring aghast in my direction with something resembling pity.
"You still have trouble looking at yourself in the mirror."
"What was that?" I asked, taken aback by the momentary dulling of the room around me and the distorted voice of the ghost who shifts in and out of reality at my side-
"Hm? I said you're still terrible at speaking with women." Paz says with a small frown, looking up at me with narrowed eyes.
"Snake? Are you okay?" The young school girl wearing a bloody uniform looks up at me with empty eye sockets-
…
I don't know.
"I'm fine Paz. Just a headache." I say, shaking my head and watching the 34 year old woman hum to herself with a frown before leaning into my side wordlessly.
Side Ops 2: Clear, A-Rank
DC: 10
Rolled: 19
- Paz Relationship Score Revealed
- A Torn Symbol of Peace 6/10
- Ahab Relationship Score + 3
- Relationship Changes to
- A Living Ghost 1/10
[ ] PMC Ops 5: Kurdish Turnaround
Mission Difficulty:
Reward: Possible Infantry/Armor/Fixed Air Recruitment, 200,000 GMP
Mission Brief: We've given the Kurds a fighting chance Boss. The Turkish army and government is reeling from the rebel attacks all across their borders. With how busy they are with sending more troops to the front, this is the perfect chance for us to get behind them and take out vital supply lines, leadership, and reserve units.
Uncle Sam definitely won't be happy about this, but at this point who cares if the target painted on our backs is a full sized tattoo?
--
POV: Unnamed Turkish Soldier
The camp was in complete chaos. The formerly well ordered defensive line of our outpost was in shambles. Men who were supposed to be on the machine guns and on watch were instead running about with terror and hate in their eyes while others fell to their knees while facing the holy land.
Around us our officers were shouting at one another, pistols pulled out and furiously pointed in one another's faces as several of the younger men had fallen to fistfights in the middle of the operations center.
Over the radio we heard scattered reports of similar events blooming all over the combat theater.
This was not the result of enemy action, no.
My comrades had gone mad. I had gone mad.
I can't even begin to cohesively explain the chain of events that led to this moment in time.
It began with a whisper in the wind. Of a horned demon who the rebels titled Saladin. A ghost in the wind who would appear just long enough for his presence to be noted before men went missing or were found unconscious.
Supplies would suddenly disappear, followed by the manic ravings of men who swore entire vehicles were lifted into the air and taken away far into the skies.
Not a single man had been killed by this demon as far as we could tell.
Then came the news broadcasts.
The demon had a name. Big Boss. The legendary mercenary who was a damn near walking mythological figure come alive from the ancient histories.
But we soon learned as we listened, huddled over the radio rather than patrolling the areas as we should.
He was no demon.
Last month the nuclear arsenals of second world powers, terrorist organizations, and black marketers had their weapons of mass destruction stolen, destroyed, or rendered inoperable.
And this month? The man whose name was whispered on the lips of every soldier from young boy to old man had taken from the Superpowers who ruled through threat of military annihilation.
God be praised.
He truly was Saladin reborn.
To know that we had been fighting him all this time. The people whom he was championing in his name.
Were we wrong?
Was I wrong?
Yes. I was.
When the call came that Saladin and his band of heroes were sighted all along the front, I and many others could stand still no longer.
Following orders… pah. As if I could swallow that load of dung anymore.
He had showed me a better path forward. An honorable fate that I would be proud to tell tales of to my father and his father before him after the end of my time on earth.
By the time the helicopters had landed and unloaded the first of Saladin's men… and women, the majority of us were standing at attention in the hopes of being chosen for a greater calling.
The fools who could not accept Saladin's message of peace were pacified or left rotting on the ground as they should be.
Kept ya waiting huh?: 96 (Big Boss arrives to take part in combat)
Then he came.
Standing on the landing skids of a small helicopter, Saladin rode with only a single arm to secure him to its side while the other held a rifle loosely against his hip.
Not waiting for the machine of war to land, the man leapt the last ten feet to the ground with nary a sound and stood to his full height.
As all of us saluted at a single, piercing glance, he walked up to us.
Then he proceeded to test each and every one of us with a blistering series of blows that only the strongest had any chance of lasting against.
I could only shake.
Not in fear, but anticipation.
I would show Saladin that I am a warrior worthy enough to join him.
--
Units Deployed:
- 1st Co "Heaven's Devils", Full Deployment
- FOX vs Shell Shocked Turkish Veterans
- Rolled 51 + 60(3x Veterancy Bonus) VS 32 - 30 (Sons of Saladin)
- Enemy Command Structure in disarray (FOX Teams).
- Limited Opposition.
- "They're here! They're here- agh!?"
- 2nd Co "Heart's of Darkness", Full Deployment
- Operator vs Disillusioned Turkish Elite
- No opposition. The enemy throws down their arms in disgust.
- "Take us with you sons and daughters of Saladin! We hear the call and answer!"
- 3rd Co "Lords of War", Full Deployment
- Operator vs Routing Experienced
- No opposition. The enemy flees the field of battle in terrified awe.
- "Flee! Flee if you wish to be spared his wrath!"
- 1st Sqn "Carrier Pigeons", Full Deployment (Gunship Configuration)
- Air Support vs Routing Infantry: Saving Ammunition
- Air Support vs Enemy Air Assets: What the fuck? Where is the enemy air?
- HQ Co "Cerberus" Deployment, Big Boss
- Big Boss vs Disillusioned PMC Operators
- No opposition. The enemy throws down their arms in disgust.
- "That's him… Big Boss. Sir! Wait! We… fuck the money, we're with you sir!
PMC Ops 3: Clear, S-Rank
Heroism Gained: 2,500
Recruitment Roll: 99 "Oh yeah, let's bring these sweet, sweet babies back home!"
Personnel/Armor/Aircraft Roll: 2, Armor
Type: Light/IFV/Tank: 3, Tank
Tank Type: Recon/SPG/MBT: 3, MBT
Gained: Leopard 2 Tank Platoon (3x Tanks)
Crew: 4x3 (Training Complete beginning Turn 7) (Operator)
Snake's Fulton Roll: 98 "You're pretty good."
Resources/Personnel/Armor/Aircraft Roll: 4, Aircraft
Type: Rotary Wing /
Helicopter Type: Recon/General/Attack: 3, Attack Chopper
Gained: AH-64 Apache Gunship Squadron (3x Gunships)
Crew: 2x3 Pilot/Co Pilot (Training Complete beginning Turn 7) (Operator)
[ ] PMC Ops 7: Wannabe Heroes
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Guaranteed Infantry, Armor, or Fixed Air Elite Company/Squadron of your choice. Stacks organically with other actions. Like every other action listed so far
Mission Brief: "God damn it."
"Something wrong Kaz?"
"All the ports in Seychelle waters are under threat of closing down."
"A naval blockade?"
"More like a body blockade. Snake, there are literally thousands of hopeful recruits attempting to board the tankers that bring our monthly supplies in. I don't think we'll be needing to fulton anyone for this OP."
--
POV: Ocelot
"Right. Next." I waved off the newest hopeful into the 'worthless' bunch to be given a second screening to see if they had the right stuff or not to make it through the training.
The broody hen perched on top of my breakfast bowl of boiled eggs clucked irritably and pecked at my gloved hand, quickly forcing me to tactically withdraw lest the formerly domesticated chicken attack to defend it's newly claimed nest.
Grumbling under my breath, I chalked up the angle as a bad one and planned to try again with a different tactic after the next of the useless chaff was placed along with the other wide-eyed hopefuls full more of piss and vinegar than well aged wine.
"Military experience and other relevant qualifications?"
"Well I'm blah blah blah blah blah, green beret, blah blah blah, two tours of duty in Vietnam, blah blah-"
We'd unleashed a monster onto ourselves the day Boss convinced us that this animal conservation mission was a vital morale booster for Diamond Dogs.
If there's one thing that hasn't changed in twenty years, it's John's stomach. He was driven by it.
I knew all too well that familiar glint that would enter his eye whenever he looked at a new and interesting animal he'd never tried eating. The demon that resided inside his stomach, hidden from the view of those who only saw skin deep.
'But then again', I thought while glaring at the hen who stared back with unflinching determination, 'fried chicken would be a nice change from our current lackluster menu at the mess.'
Just you wait and see.
After all this paperwork is done, you'll be plucked and roasted in an oven faster than I can put a bullet through your damned heart.
The fearless chicken simply pecked at my extended finger, forcing me to draw back the barrel of my 'finger gun' since I couldn't kill it with an imaginary iron.
Damned bird.
"Right. You, over there. Next."
--
Choose 1
[ ] Infantry Company (Conventional Elite)
*Marines and Mechanized come with vehicles*
-[ ] Marine
-[ ] Mechanized
-[ ] Airborne
-[ ] Air Assault
[ ] Infantry Company (Asymmetrical)
-[ ] Recon (LRRP/LRS)
-[ ] Foreign Operations (Green Berets)
-[ ] Intelligence Operations (CIA)
-[ ] Hyper Specialists (Seal Teams)
[ ] Armor Company
-[ ] Recon
-[ ] Artillery
-[ ] MBT
[ ] Rotary Air Squadron
-[ ] Recon
-[ ] General
-[ ] Attack
[ ] Fixed Air Squadron (Not Deployable)
-[ ] Transport
-[ ] Ground Attack Jets
-[ ] Fighter Jets
-[ ] Air Artillery
[X] PMC Ops 4: Operation Conservation
Mission Difficulty: Normal
Reward: 100,000 GMT, Conservation Strut construction funded by PETA!
Mission Brief: PETA contracted us for this one Boss. They want us to… uh… relocate a bunch of endangered species onto Mother Base until they can set up wildlife preserves. They'll even fund the building of a new strut to house them in as well as paying us some pretty solid paper.
But how the hell are we supposed to transport hundreds of animal-
Boss, you've got that look in your eye again.
Boss. No.
I still got one leg and an arm Boss, don't make me hobble over there!
Boss!
--
POV: Nuke
Voice Actor: Antonio Banderas
"Mon Dieu. I've forgotten just how quickly you could have something built when you put your heart into a task, Monsieur Miller." My blonde caretaker of many years whispered to the sardonically smiling human male next to her.
"Sometimes I don't believe it myself. Just goes to show how much money makes the world turn around." So said the familiar, yet unfamiliar form of the battle scarred male who had so aggravated Cecile in their youth.
"I will leave you be to reconnect, old friends." I spoke, brushing myself against Cecile's leg and Kazuhira's metal crutch that acted to balance him.
I heard them call after me, but with a long practiced movement, I'd jumped above their reach to make my way to one of the railings along the bridges between structures.
I'd no fear of falling into the sea. Different as it was, I was home. The spirit of Mother Base would guide and protect me from the cold sea who gave as much as she took.
...
But how my first home had changed much during my absence.
Much like the old and worn human covering tied around my neck, patterned to resemble a human skull and our world in its earliest youth, I had expected Mother Base to have aged just so.
It had, but not as I expected. The structure itself was located elsewhere, and the materials that made up her sturdy frame, new. Even the humans here were different; my caretakers from the past had seemingly all been ravaged by time and war.
The ones I knew in youth as the Man with One Eye, He Who's Hair Smells of Oil, and Paz… all had changed. It was a fortunate thing that dear Cecile had taken me with her and away from the great disaster that befell my old companions and our shared home on the sea.
I was but a kitten then, weak, small.
I would not have survived.
At first I thought that we were simply traveling through the air to visit foreign lands and people as we were to do. Militaires Sans Frontieres, our name, our bond. Warriors one and all who smelled of blood, dirt, and the sea. A pride composed of humans that I had been taken into.
Young and bold, I'd taken to my duties with gusto, bringing the corpses of the vermin who ate away at our stocks and supplies as I was meant to do.
I was praised, loved, and happy.
How foolish I was to believe in my childish mind that Paz had simply left on a long mission. That in a few short weeks I would soon return to Mother Base where I would resume my duties once Cecile had completed her own task.
I knew in my heart that something terrible had happened when Cecile held me in her arms one night and sang in sorrow.
Weeks had turned months.
Months, into seasons.
Seasons, into years.
Nine winters I had lived, with my tenth soon approaching. I was old now, weathered.
But strong.
I had been well cared for by Cecile, and our adventures together across the world had taught me many, many lessons.
And now, I have returned to stay.
She would understand. While we may never see one another again in my lifetime, my human who had shown me the world had her duties and I had mine. I'd taught my children well of their responsibilities to her, thus I had no regrets, no fears that Cecile would be left alone.
"Elder." The young, one-eyed hunter greeted me with respect as he paused in the middle of the walkway across metal islands.
Behind the powerful wolf followed a trail of young, excited pups being shepherded by a young human girl that looked to be as old as I.
Hmph. To stay children for so long. It is no wonder that humans can grow to be so scarred and cruel when not properly raised.
At least this one was being properly looked after by one of Snake's own companions.
"DD." I slowly blink back and wag my tail once in a dog-like manner, practiced in the languages of many animals. "The training goes well I see."
Leaping down from the railing, I stride next to the blooded wolf's side to watch the next generation of hunters make their way towards us for inspection.
"My thanks for speaking with their mother, Elder Nuke. I feared that she would coddle them for too long."
"No, both you and she were incorrect in your assumptions. The lady CC was right in introducing your sons and daughters to the greater whole of Diamond Dogs, but she held them too close for nearly too long. While you were right in wishing to show them the lessons of the hunt early, you wished for it far too quickly due to your own upbringing. Balance must be struck so they are properly raised."
"Your words are wise as always. It is true that I am… different."
"Bah. They are your first litter and you both are young still. You will learn the lessons you weren't taught in time and those around you will ensure the pups are properly educated."
"It is true then? You are to remain?" The young wolf releases a small breath and slumps slightly in relief. "I do not believe myself ready for what Ahab has tasked me with."
"And that is one of the reasons I shall stay. While I may be reaching old age, I will pass on my learnings to you and all who will listen. That is the duty I have to the future."
"I trust in your wisdom elder, and eagerly await your instruction."
Kept You Waiting Huh?: 88, Big Boss decides he's hungry.
"Then prepare yourself, young wolf. Do you sense it? Scent the caress of the west winds."
"The west…?" DD quirks his head before facing westwards and inhales deeply. His eyes widen in shock, his body rigid and tense. "The Fulton Balloons… but so… so many?"
"Indeed. Snake and the warriors return with a great bounty of predator and prey. Go, they will need you. I will return the pups to the kennels and send lady CC your way. She will teach what you need to know." I replied easily, walking forward to stand in front of the human girl and the confused pups sitting at attention by her feet.
DD barks an affirmative, immediately turning around and dashing toward the newly risen island of steel. I could imagine that Cecile and Kazuhira were currently gaping towards the sky filled with a menagerie of animals.
I'd seen this once before in my youth and froze at the incomprehensible sight. The skies filled with the hanging forms of men both asleep and awake in terror.
After two such migrations of screaming and panicking humans in that same month, the cacophony of animal calls of today wasn't all that strange.
"Come children. We will go play elsewhere." I mrowled, rolling my throat with a deep purr.
"DD…?" The human girl, Hana made to follow, but I quickly blocked her path and butted my head against her leg.
"Now is not the time. Your caretaker has his duties to perform and you have no place among the coming riff raff. Come. There will be time to greet the new arrivals once they have been shown their place."
--
Units Deployed:
- 2nd Co "Heart's of Darkness", Full Deployment
- Operator vs Unsuspecting Animals
- Livestock animals successfully bargained for, rare prey species noted and captured.
- "Bahh!?!?"
- 1st Sqn "Carrier Pigeons", Full Deployment (Transport Configuration)
- Air Support vs Legions of Balloons
- "Uhh, Command we're gonna need a whole lot more fuel and fulton supply drops."
- HQ Co "Cerberus" Deployment, Big Boss
- Big Boss vs Dangerous Predators
- Sleep darts and stun grenades on horseback are super effective.
- "Growf? Groooooooooowww-"
PMC Ops 4 Clear: S-Rank
Heroism Gained: 1,000
- +100,000 GMT
- Conservation Strut LVL 1 Constructed!
- Common livestock, rare prey animals, and dangerous predators obtained!
[X] R&D 10: War Dogs (Advanced Infantry Tree)
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 75,000 GMP
Research Time:
Reward: Gain War Dog breeding and training program.
Mission Brief: DD has shown how useful a canine combat partner can be in the field. It'd take some time and effort, but I think with a good breeding program and the right training, we could start training both man and animal into a formidable fighting force.
- War Dogs are combat canines suited for Humanitarian and Patrol missions, acting as a living 'specialization' modifier when attached to a unit.
- While not suited for heavy fighting, well trained dogs provide companionship, psychological stability, tracking ability, early warnings, and deterrence against wild animals.
- That said, a pack of these guys will tear an unprepared enemy squad apart.
- The greatest friend you can have in a fight is one you trust implicitly to have your back.
--
POV: CC
"That time already huh? They sure do grow up fast." The man with missing limbs who had adopted me into his home many months ago smiled happily as humans tend to do.
Carefully I nipped at the scruffs of my unrulier pups that whined at the foreign, but delicious scent of what I knew was a ground up mixture of deer, steer, and pig meat being carefully prepared by the single hand of Kazuhira.
Not too long ago, I'd been a youth nearly grown. Born and raised on a ranch, I'd been taught as my mother and father have before me to herd and guard the prey animals from the many predators who would seek to infringe upon our livelihood.
I was a wolfdog, my sires carefully chosen and my lessons taught with a dedicated hand of my mother's human and her own, gently nibbling teeth.
"Be patient my pups. This is the most important and basic of skills you must learn before the hunt." My mate chuffed, pressing a paw atop the head of our most rambunctious daughter before curiosity overwhelmed her easily lost discipline.
Fang Who Cuts the World was strong and smelled more of wolf than he did dog. Unlike me, he'd been born to a wild tribe in the wilderness before he was orphaned and taken by the man whom the humans reverently whisper of in awe.
It was well deserved, and the newly christened DD had grown bold and powerful under Ahab and Ocelot's tutelage. I knew of no other canine as deadly as him.
I doubt even the great brown bears who prowled my old home would've proved a match for the sharp, man-made steel weapon strapped on his shoulder.
"Haa…" Speaking from the perspective of duty, DD was the very ideal of what I should've looked for in a potential sire for my future pups.
He was strong, intelligent, disciplined, and in the prime of his youth.
"CC? Is something the matter?" My mate glances towards me, shifting so that he could see me over his missing eye.
"It's nothing. Just relieved that I'll get a chance to sleep every now and again." I chuckle half-heartedly, nosing him in the side so that he doesn't worry overly so.
"As you say…" He says awkwardly, still somewhat unused to the language shared by those of our kind.
He was strange for a dog or wolf. Weaned much too early and socialized by human hands, it was difficult to connect with him.
Gentle in small, vanishingly rare ways, but mostly he was… aloof or cold wasn't the right word for it.
Distant. Awkward. Odd.
More at home in battle than he was in the den among his pups and mate.
Pups he is beginning to teach his way of the hunt, the human thing known as War.
I know that they are excited to follow in his paw steps. The duty that is expected of them is a great one.
But it fills me with unease, knowing that they will soon learn how to kill. Not for food or self protection, but for something beyond my understanding.
"CC? What's wrong girl? C'mere…" Kaz notices my discomfort, moving towards me with pained movements that he has long hidden underneath a veneer of a human smile or grimace.
"It's nothing Kaz. Dinner smells delicious." I whined softly, pressing myself against the broken man's side with controlled care.
I just don't wish to see my children have something taken from them like war has done to so many of those that live in our new home.
But duty is duty. That is everything for those that walk with Man.
--
Research Complete!
- Breeding program begins
- 1 Litter of 8 pups currently at 4 weeks old, ready for action in 3 turns (Beginning of Turn 7) (Working pups)
- For gameplay purposes I'll be fudging a few things regarding doggie growth, numbers, and training.
- The War Dog population will grow organically with Diamond Dogs for gameplay purposes even if narratively I don't make mention of it or add in complicated mechanics for doggo breeding. Any other dogs that get added to the front page post turn 7 will be old enough and trained for action.
[X] R&D 2: Repairing Sahelanthropus
Mission Difficulty: DC 25, 500,000 GMP (Can be split into halves)
Research Time: 1 Turn (End Turn 3 / Start Turn 4)
Reward: ST-84 Metal Gear "Sahelanthropus" Repaired. Still requires an AI pod or child sized pilot to get it to work apparently.
Mission Brief: Emmerich's been on my ass all day begging for the funding to repair his little pet project. I told him I'd talk to you about it, but frankly it seems like a terrible idea.
Please tell me you're not actually thinking about throwing even more money at that traitor Snake?
--
I stood in the shadow of Sahelanthropus once more. Folded back into its 'walker' configuration, the hunched over beast of metal and death loomed over me with a menacing glare of it's skull faced cockpit.
I stared back with an unyielding look of my own.
A part of me wishes to destroy this walking nuclear bomb and be done with it.
Another sees the potential usefulness of its existence and sees it as too valuable to toss.
The demon within laughs.
At my side, Huey looked away from his creation even as Dr. Emmerich quietly preened beneath his skin.
--
ST-84 Metal Gear "Sahelanthropus"
Operational Capacity: 100%
- Railgun: Green
- Autocannons: Green
- Archaea Grenades: Green
- Radome: Green
- Nuclear Enrichment: Green
Pilot: AI or Human under 4'5
Sahelanthropus available for Deployment
Heroism: -10,000
Mercenary Points Gained: +10,000
Demon Points Gained: +10,000
[X] Main Ops 4: The Trial
Mission Difficulty: NA
Reward: Dr. Huey Emmerich tried and brought to justice by Big Boss.
Mission Brief: Boss, I can't believe this, but… it's Emmerich.
He walked into my office, in broad daylight where everyone could see him. The old bloods are up in arms about his presence and they're quickly infecting the newer troops with the stories of his betrayal of MSF.
...
Christ Snake, Emmerich wants to turn himself in for a trial.
What the hell did you say to him in the lab?
--
The men file into the hangar where Sahelanthropus is housed with quick, ordered steps. Many are barely restrained in their fury while others watch with cautious curiosity.
At the front of the impromptu stage, Emmerich kneels on the ground underneath the shadow of the Metal Gear he built as his magnum opus.
The weapon of mass destruction he built for Skull Face.
At the edge of the teeming mass of Diamond dogs stand myself, Ocelot, and Miller.
The others…
They don't need to be here for this. Don't even know that Huey is here.
Adam begins, his voice echoing loudly with every footstep he takes.
"Men, this man here stands accused of many crimes. While our existence is one that is outside the law, Dr. Huey Emmerich has come to us with the request to stand trial."
Miller takes up the next part.
"As a former member of Militaries Sans Frontieres. As a Diamond Dog. Boss?"
I nod, stepping forward to address the occupants of the hanger.
"It's not our place to judge an enemy. But that's not what Dr. Emmerich is. Whatever happened these past nine years, he decided to make a choice. To face the judgement of his former comrades with the full knowledge that death is a real possibility."
"I haven't forgotten. We were friends once. Comrades looking to better the world and build a better future, together."
…
"Huey Emmerich stands accused of betraying us to Cipher nine years ago. The destruction of Mother Base." I say, closing my eye and breathing deeply.
The grumblings of outrage and hate begin the infest the crowd behind me, slowly, insidiously do the black, oily tendrils of negativity spread from one man to the next.
I whip my bionic arm to the side, silencing the screams for vengeance before they can truly take root.
"He's not guilty, not of destroying our former home and organization. Not wholly." I turn, facing the crowd with a stony expression.
"He thought the inspection legitimate. He went behind our backs to make it happen, but fact is, the real thing would've happened sooner or later. None of us even suspected Cipher's reach to extend so far in the first place."
On the ground, some of the tension releases from Emmerich's shoulders, but he tightens once more when I begin to speak again.
"However. He also stands accused of murdering the mother of his child after said child was sent away, to be hidden from him after he used his son as a test pilot for Metal Gear."
I turn to face him fully, looking down at the man who'd slumped heavily against himself.
"How do you plead?"
"I…" Emmerich begins, clearly attempting to find something to say, but is unable to.
Long seconds pass before I see the last of Emmerich fade, leaving only Huey behind.
"Guilty. I'm guilty." He starts, nearly babbling as the floodgates open and he begins to speak openly and candidly.
"I did it. I pushed her into the pod and locked her in. I heard her screams, begging to be let out of the pod. But…"
"But…"
"I just left her there. I didn't do anything." Huey moaned, falling to his side as the truth played inside his head, over and over.
Silently, without a word, Adam stepped up to my side, handing me a loaded revolver.
Kaz instead looked away with gritted teeth, fighting with his desire for vengeance and his memories of a better time.
Breathing softly, I take the revolver from Ocelot's hand, turning to face Huey with the gun pointed at his temple.
He doesn't react, too lost in his own pain to do much more than mumble against the cold ground and wish for the end that may or may not come.
"Hal…"
--
Phantom Pain Vote: The synesthesia of another time fills your mouth with the curdled taste of bloodlust. You stop to watch, seeing yourself standing amidst hundreds of screaming soldiers calling for the execution of Huey Emmerich who believes himself absolved of all of his many failures.
You can see yourself doing the same thing, but will you?
[ ] Hand the Gun Back: "No. There's been enough pain. You'll live with it for the rest of your life, but you won't do it alone."
[ ] Fire into the Air: "Prepare a bird. Charter him a boat to the mainland and back to his son. He's no longer one of us."
[ ] Cock the Gun: "Goodbye Huey. I'll make sure your son is cared for."
[X] Side Ops 11: Beach Party *Must take Denuke 3*
Mission Difficulty: Varies
Reward: Overall increase in morale of Diamond Dogs and relationship points between the main cast. Slice of life DLC
Mission Brief: Well, there's one thing I'm better at than you Father. You are horrible at fishing.
--
Love Deterrence - (Paz Theme) [Acoustic Guitar Duo]
SECRET POV UNLOCKED: The Tattered Man
I should've left as soon as I saw them approach the beach I was fishing on.
Should've just left my rod where it was and disappear back into the nearby vegetation without turning back.
But I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Hidden underneath my cloak, scarf, sunglasses, and straw hat, it's not surprising that they thought me to be just another fisherman relaxing on the beach.
One or two familiar faces had even waved hello to me before moving nearby to other good fishing areas I silently pointed towards.
I'd almost felt the nostalgia overtake me and thought over and over about opening a conversation if only to see how my old compas had weathered the years.
Heh. Better than me I'm sure.
I saw him in the distance, Snake I mean. Fishing with a boy that looked remarkably like him.
I didn't know he'd had a son, but it didn't surprise me.
The son looked strong, proud, and had a self-assured swagger to his measured movements that screamed to me of his martial skill. Impressively, his fieldcraft skills were obviously well practiced from years of use as were his fishing techniques.
Snake was… about as good at surf fishing as he ever was.
That is to say abysmal.
Hah.
Miller too had changed over the years, but seemed familiar in the way he and… Cecile were drinking together on the beach over a conversation I could already imagine was about their differing hobbies.
I didn't know she'd came back. I thought she was done with this sort of living.
Maybe she's visiting for old time's sake.
I'm sure my sister would know more, but we don't speak much these days. Not after what happened nine years ago.
Not that I deserve to be forgiven.
"Hello?" The soft, familiar voice of the girl I'd fallen in love with so long ago called out from behind.
I'd heard her familiar gait, slowly walking along the sand to stand at my back.
…
The biggest reason that I'm rooted to my spot.
Paz.
"You seem a little lonely… would you mind some company?" She asks when I don't reply.
It's all I could do to nod, my voice having been taken from me years ago, I gestured with a hand towards the dry sand at my side.
"Thank you, Mr…" She quirked her head when she saw me write what I went by these days into the sand.
"Kid…? That's a strange name, but it's… somehow fitting?" She says happily, sitting down next to me.
A glance to the side shows her almost unchanged from the first time I'd met her. She'd aged well, covering her scarred midsection with a dark and baggy t-shirt.
We spent the day together, silent, but comfortable as my nerves eased and Paz watched the waves as I fished.
By the time the sun went down and everyone was beginning to pack their things to head towards the boats, I'd nearly caught a dozen fish.
Most I gave to her for keeping an idiot like me company, even if she didn't recognize me.
"You remind of someone I used to know Mr. Kid." Paz says softly, thanking me for the cooler of fish with a smile. "He was a good friend of mine, silly, but kind."
…
I'm happy you remember me that way Paz.
Goodbye.
I waved backwards, my tattered cloak with the roughly painted peace sign on the back flapping in the ocean winds as I walked into the forest path.
…
I'm satisfied with this, I think.
--
Side Ops 11 Clear: S-Rank
- Ahab and Eli do some bonding
- Miller relaxes in old memories with Cecile
- Quiet glares at the water, and occasionally glances towards NAKED Ahab.
- Ocelot keeps getting his bait stolen by the chicken that's taken over his office
- Hana and pups make Diamond Dogs want to squee
- Paz and Chico have a moment of closure
Tutorial Turns: End.
Continue?: Y/N
Continue?: Y/N
Y
[-] R&D 1: Wormhole Technology
Complete.
Spinning Dimensional Rift Drive…
…?
Error.
Drive Failed.
…
Dimensional Breach Detected.
Location…
Afghanistan.
AN: Here we go~
Just an annoying reminder that your friendly neighborhood Konami who the actual company totally ripped the Survive scenario from got no recognition or monetary compensation for coming up with the MSF transported to another dimension concept.
Please check it out if you want to support me <3
Kona's Patreon
Please check it out if you want to support me <3
Kona's Patreon
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