PMC's, War Economies, and Fillies? I didn't sign up for this!

by Bronycommander


Chapter 15 Shadow Moses

Chapter 15: Shadow Moses

Edward found himself in the desert, wearing the uniform of a Soviet soldier consisting of khaki fatigue pants, green striped telnyashka, combat boots and a field cap, as weapon, an AK-47 in his hands.

A Gas covered the area, it was more a thick cloud of cyan mist.

It looks like a sandstorm, but it can’t be… The solder thought as he tried to find shelter from it.

After sometime, he came to an Army camp of the soviets. “Hello? Anyone there?” He called out but it was abandoned.

Then, he spotted 4 humans in the distance, they walked in a slow, stumbling motion.

“Edward, watch out – it’s the Skulls…!” A familiar voice warned him via radio.

“Father?” The young man wondered as he heard his father.

“Yes, it’s me, my son. Run, you won’t have a second chance in a direct fight with them!”

As his father warned him, the skulls’ eyes glowed bright and they leaped at an incredible speed and height and distance that made it appear as though they were flying or gliding for a short time.

Edward uses his binoculars to get a closer look. The Skulls wore technologically advanced suits, with a gas mask covering their mouths and headphones on the head. Only their eyes and forehead with a 2 on it were visible.

Edward heard a grunt of pain out of one of the many tents.

Turning his head, he saw how a soldier stumbled out, gasping for air and collapsed.

The soviet soldier twitched and rose again, but he looked different.

He had deathly pale skin, whitened pupils, blackening around his eyes and mouth, slight sores near the neck, enlarged veins, and several small blue orbs emitting from his head.

Like the Skulls, the soldier had a zombie-like gait.

There were Zombie-like groaning noises and other infected soldiers came out of the surrounding tents.

They surrounded Edward.

Then, three of the Skulls pulled bullpup assault rifles out of their hands while the fourth jumped into the air to strike the PMC soldier with a machete.

Edward didn’t know how he did it, but he countered by grabbed the machete and jamming it through the Skull’s neck. That Skull fell to the ground, the glowing eyes ceased to glow.

On a table was a RPG-7. The young man grabbed it and fired a rocket on the remaining Skulls who were close standing to each other.

The explosion didn’t take them out but damaged them heavily. Then he fired some rounds into their heads.

They also fell to the ground. He noticed that the infected soldiers also fell to the ground, reverted to their normal state, albeit in a state of deep unconsciousness, as Edward checked one soldier’s pulse.

What the…? The young soldier couldn’t believe his eyes. The Skulls he defeated got up while regenerating their bodies and vanished.

“Don’t tell me…you took them all out?! That’s incredible, son!” His father was impressed.

But then, Edward heard a moaning from behind.

Turning around, an infecting Noi with an animalistic sprint charged at him.

The infected filly knocked him to the ground, trying to feast upon him.

The man struggled against it. How can a filly be that strong?!

It was all in vain as she went for his throat.


Edward awoke with a gasp, Snake too.

“Everything all right, Snake?” Otacon asked as he piloted the helicopter towards Shadow Moses.

“I was having that dream again.” He replied.

“I had a very weird dream.” Edward checked his Mk.17.

“We’re here. Shadow Moses.”

At the cold and frozen Island, the PMC opened the door, Snake took the new Mk.III in his arm and jumped with Edward out, only to threw out his back.

“You ok?” Edward helped him up.

“Yeah, I just slipped a little. Have to hurry…Not much time left.”

“Meet the Mk.III. It’s our last replacement, so try not to break it,” Otacon introduced the new robot to them.

“Who, us? Never.” Snake putted the robot on his feet.

“One more thing…I don’t see anybody around, but there are unmanned sentries patrolling the area. Be careful out there.” Otacon flew away.

Before they moved out, Snake noticed Edward’s gear. A snow white uniform with a matching balaclava. “Is this the uniform of an Arctic warfare trooper of the Genome Soldiers?”

“Yep, my father used to be one…before he died here,” Edward sounded a little bit sad.

“Sorry to hear that. I…”

Snake’s buddy waved his left hand. “Don’t be, you only did your mission and duty. My mother and I were never informed how he died. Plus, he never supported the plan of the Sons of Big Boss, he only wanted to keep me and mother safe. I don’t blame you or anything.”

Otacon interrupted them. “The heliport is to the west of there. Head west and find that heliport.”

“Ok, let’s move out.” Edward cocked his rifle.

They moved west, avoiding a Gekko on the way to the Disposal Facility.

Once it was in sight, a song started to play.

“Do you hear…music?” Edward looked confused around.

“I do…just like old times.” Snake smiled.

Then he had a flashback that his comrade was able to hear too.

“It’s Snake. I’m in front of the Disposal facility.”

“Excellent, Snake.” His commander replied.

“How’s that sneaking suit working out?” a female voice asked.

“I'm nice and dry, but it's a little hard to move.”

“Bear with it. It’s designed to prevent hypothermia. This is Alaska, you know.”

“Take it easy. I’m grateful.”

“Interesting,” Edward commented as they came to the heliport where another Flashback started.

“A Hind D? What’s a Russian gunship doing here?” Snake’s voice echoed.

“Wow… He must be crazy to fly a hind in this kind of weather.” A young female voice was impressed.

“…Who’s that?”

“Nice to meet you, Snake. It’s an honor to speak to a living legend like yourself. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…”

After that, Snake walked to the left into an open storage room. “A surveillance camera?” Snake’s voice echoed as he spotted an old surveillance camera on the wall. It broke and fell on the ground.

“Guess that camera has reached the end of its purpose.” Edward looked at the remains of the camera before following Snake through a vent.

The Veteran of the Shadow Moses incident found a SOCOM under a M548/M1015 Full Tracked Cargo Vehicle. “Just like old times.”

Otacon noticed that the hanger door was open. “It looks like the hanger door is open a little bit, at least. You can get in that way if you want.”

“I don’t think that is a good idea. It’s the easiest way to get in, yes, but they could expect us from there. Let’s find another way in,” Edward suggested.

“Yes, follow me.” Snake took the stairs up and entered another vent.

Edward heard Snake muttering, “Overhead view - just like old times… Now you’re talking! Overhead view! That’s more like it.”

Inside the vent, they both heard another flashback.

“Snake, this is McDonell Miller. Campbell told me about the situation here. I thought I might be of some use.”

“There’s no one I’d rather have in a foxhole than you.”

“Well I know lots about survival in a harsh environment.”

They got to the tank hanger where Scarabs guarded the area.

“Could you be Snake? Are you Solid Snake? The legendary Solid Snake…! You!?” a female voice was fascinated

“Don’t worry. You land back on them once you meet me. The reality is no match for the legend, I’m afraid.”

“I unlocked the cargo door for you.”

“Where are you?”

“Where – I – can – see – ya.”

“Don’t move around too much.”

Snake and Edward went prone to avoid the Dwarf Gekko, Snake found a Suppressor for his newly acquired pistol.

After this was done, they crawled outside to the canyon, avoided two Gekko and listened to another Flashback.

“Snake, be careful! There are claymore mines around there.” A male voice warned.

Who are you?”

“One of your fans.”

Edward crawled with Snake through a hangar door into the Nuclear Warhead storage building.

Even though Edward’s face was covered by the white balaclava, Snake could still see that he was fascinated by Shadow Moses. “Impressed by Shadow Moses Island?”

“Well, I’m just wondering why they leaved everything untouched after all those years after the incident. Hadn’t it been better if they demolished the weapons here or made a restricted area out of it?”

“Maybe, but I think they saw no longer use in it after the incident.”

Otacon called both.

“OK, we’ll go through the door all the way at the back.”

“Otacon, last time around we had a few complications and wound up going through the commander’s office in the basement,” Snake pointed out.

“That’s right…I remember now. But there’s no need to go all the way down here this time, right? The back door takes us straight where we need to go.”

“Good point. I have no desire to take the long way.” Edward didn’t want to waste time.

“OK, then. Let’s get to the back door.” But it was locked.

“Uhh, Otacon…the door is locked,” Edward reported.

“Security is shut down altogether. The lock can’t be released without activating it. We’ll have to log in somewhere. I’ve got it. My old office is close by. With the power on, you should be able to unlock the door from here.

And if we check the facility records, we can find out REX’s status and who’s been in and out. You remember where it is, Snake?”

“I’m not senile yet.”

“Just to be safe, I’m marking it on your map. You old geezer.” Snake coughed. “The password is 48273. Think you can remember that?”

“I told you, I’m not senile…yet.”

“Plus you have me, just in case.” Edward added proudly.

Otacon then told that he engaged the generator. Energy output was low, but it should be enough to power the elevator.

The elevator stopped, they came across a hallway with blood and bullet holes on the walls where screams of soldiers being killed echoed.

“That was…creepy.” Edward shuddered as they entered the office.

Otacon looked with the Mk.III around. “Hold on. I want to check security.” He showed with the robot that he wanted to be on the desk to turn the power on.

As Snake took him up, he coughed and got a seizure. He accidently knocked the Mk.III down.

“Are you all right?” Snake, are you OK?” Otacon was worried.

Edward reacted quickly, injecting the drug inside Snake’s neck.

“Don’t think you can get away that easily.” The young PMC then got the robot back on his feet.

“That password I told you before…You remember it, right?” Otacon asked, Snake tipped his forehead as he tried to think. “’Cause I completely forgot. Can one of you punch it in for me?”

A Touchscreen appeared on the screen of the Robot. “It’s a five-digit number…”

Edward punched the password 48273 in. A loading screen appeared after he hit enter, then in green “ACCESS PERMITTED.”

“Nice job,” Otacon complimented the young man.

The computers in the offices came to life.

Otacon groaned. “This version is totally obsolete. It’s going to take a little work.”

Edward looked around, thinking how it was for his father back then as Snake and Otacon had a conversation.

“This is the room where we first met, huh?”

“Yep.”

“It’s not conjuring any unpleasant memories, is it? Or do you feel unpleasant, Edward?”

“Actually no. It was the place where my father died, yes, but I was never told how he died. So, I don’t blame Snake for his death or anyone else.”

“I was attacked by Frank Jaeger.” Otacon sounded scared.

“Yeah…”Snake remembered, “I remember.”

“If you hadn’t shown up when you did…It gives me the shivers just thinking about it.” The Mk.III's head lowered in fear.

“Snake, you saved my life.” Otacon was still grateful.

“Naomi hated them for what they did to Frank’s body…But it was me that crippled him up in the first place. She must have hated me, too.”

Their friend couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation as he leaned on a locker and heard a flashback.

I’ve been waiting for you, Snake.” A robotic voice echoed.

“Who are you!?”

“Neither enemy nor friend.”

“Gray Fox…Colonel, that ninja is Gray Fox.”

“Ridiculous. You yourself…in Zanzibar Land…”

“Yes, he should have been killed. But, he’s still alive.” Naomi’s voice echoed.

“What!?”

“They were using a soldier for their gene therapy experiments.”

“How long are you gonna stay in there?”

“Are you one of them?” Otacon’s voice echoed at Snake’s question.

“No, I’m not. I always work alone.”

“Alone? Are you an Otaku too?”

“C’mon get out.”

Gene therapy experiment? If Liquid experimented on Noi then I hope there is a way to repair the damage he did to her.

“I just had a look at the security access logs…As I thought, people coming and going at frequent intervals. In fact, the records show some recent activity.” That tore Edward out of it and he looked with Snake at the monitor.

“It’s an image taken a few hours ago by a surveillance camera up ahead.”

It showed Vamp, Naomi and Noi. “The beauty and the beasts,” Snake commented.

“They’ve been through here. And from what we’ve gleaned from the security records, it can only mean one thing…They’re headed for REX’s old underground hanger.”

Otacon said as Edward putted the robot down on the ground,

As the Engineer had opened the door on the first floor, Snake commented that it made him almost nostalgic for the days when you needed a keycard for every door.

The computer programmer responded that it’s been nine years, that all you really have to do is reinterpret the old technology on terms of the new and that getting old wasn’t that bad.

Edward suppressed a giggle as that reminded him when his father told how annoying it sometime was to always get the keycard out of the pocket for every door.

They moved back to the elevator but a Gekko dropped through the sealing, blocking the way.

“That Gekko is blocking the way. Got an idea, Snake?”

“Yes, Edward. Watch this.”

Snake putted a PlayStation 3 controller out and steered the Mk.III to the other side where the generator of the electric floor was, once the Gekko had its back turned.

Seriously? A PlayStation 3 controller? Edward shook his head in disbelief.

As the floor was activated and the Gekko ended up paralyzed and screaming before collapsing and then exploding.

“Ok, let’s move.” The PMC pushed the elevator button.

Back at the first floor, they vaulted over the catwalk as the robot worked on the door to open it.

The elevator they just had taken moved again and another Gekko came out.

“The Mk.III is totally defenseless while working on the door. Distract it!” Otacon warned.

“Do you thinking what I’m thinking?” Edward equipped his Mosin-Nagant, Snake Raven’s Grenade launcher.

The Gekko jumped down his back to them. Edward fired some at the legs as they were semi-organic nature and was susceptible to it.

After 3 to 4 shots, the Gekko fell over on his back, screeching like a wounded, frightened animal, making Edward feel sorry for it.

After Snake fired 4 shots with on the Gekko, it elicited a loud groan and exploded.

“Ok, it’s open now.” They moved out to the snowfield and Communications Tower.


Sometime earlier, Broken Pony and Crying Wolf walked through the snow to their position to intercept Snake. Wolf stopped and knelled down.

“Come, climb on, no need to walk, young member, no need to walk.”

Noi climbed on her back and held on as Wolf started to run.

The filly laughed. “This is so much fun just like with Raven! I just wish she would be still with us…”She was sad, then angry. “But that is one more reason to make Snake pay!” she exclaimed.

“That’s right, we will make him cry!” She stopped to let her down.

The suit the foal was wearing kept her warm, even in this blizzard.

You wouldn’t mind if I take a look around, do you?” She asked her larger friend.

“Not at all, I call you if he comes.”

And so, Noi explored the snowfield with her childlike curiosity. Her helmet had night vision, so she could see perfectly even in this kind of weather.

At the side of the Tower, she found a crashed helicopter and heard an echo of his crash nine years ago.

“C’mon! Fly! Damn!! Snake!!”

“See you in hell…Liquid.”

This flashback made her buck the snow in anger. “Snake your death will be slow and painful!”

Then she walked to a filled-in trench leading up to the Comm Towers.

She heard a gunshot and a woman let out a cry of pain.

“Snake, leave me and run…”

“Meryl…”

“War is meaningless. Nothing comes out of war. Snake, please! Save yourself! Go on living and don’t give up on people! Don’t forget me!”

This scared her. “Please, Carrot Top…sister….Please, don’t forget me…”

After that, she walked to the exit of one of the Towers where her ears heard another Flashback.

“Snake!! What was she fighting for!? What am I fighting for!? What are you fighting for!?”

“If we make it through this, I’ll tell you!”

“Okay. I’ll be searching too.

This Flashback made her sad as it reminded her of Edward.

“D-daddy…please…stay alive…” She whimpered before she had an idea. “Oh, I know!”

She trotted back to Crying Wolf and built a snowpony. “What’s that?” The B&B member asked confused.

“A snowpony! Do you like it?” Broken Pony asked, jumping up and down in joy.

“Yes, it looks pretty nice.”

“Do you think Edward will like it too?” Noi asked sad which made Wolf cry. "What’s wrong?”

“It’s just…Your friend… reminds me of someone I used to love but I lost him… But I promise, not to hurt your friend…So you won’t suffer the same fate as I once had.”

The filly couldn’t reply as her night vision spotted two lifeforms in the distance.

“Looks like Snake showed up after all! Let’s make him cry!” She exclaimed getting ready, to make him cry, until his eyes would be red.