Chapter 9: Shining Lights, Even In Death
None of the adults could believe what they just heard, yet wasted no time to get back to base as Mille gave further information.
“Here we go again…There’s been another outbreak in the laboratory – the Quarantine Platform. We sent a team to investigate and recover the survivors, but they haven’t returned.” He sad as the chopper of them and Snake arrived, stepping out.
“Nothing on the radio, either. We’ve got a backup team ready to go.” To Miller’s word, four soldiers stood at attention. “Just give the order…”
“I’ll go. Alone.” Snake cut him off and turned around, but Miller grabbed him, his clutch falling to the ground.
“Boss, what are you- There’s no need for that.“
“We can’t afford to lose anyone else.” Snake countered.
“We have no idea what’s going on in there!”
“Exactly. Anyone still alive’s at their breaking point. Last thing we need is another unit storming in.” Snake picked the clutch up and gave it to his second-in-command. “No telling how they’d react.”
Miller looked away for a moment. “Fine. First off, check how much of the infection has spread. Rescue comes next – after we know the situation.”
“Boss, allows us to go with you.” Lovec spoke up, “The children and our friends are in there.”
Snake just nodded, knowing how much they cared for their friends. He did too and he didn’t want that young lives would be lost here.
Before boarding the chopper, they all got outfitted with gas masks covering the mouth and nostrils yet otherwise leaving the eyes exposed, as well as protective boots, with the ponies and two soviets switching to normal Makarov pistols.
“Let’s go over the situation again,” Miller said as a video of the rescue team looking at a few dead bodies of the R&D team, who wore white lab coats and black trousers and shoes, with ID Cards on their person. The throat was bloodied
“Damn it!” One of the team members cursed as suddenly one of the bodies twitched. “What the? They started to rise. “Stay back! Stay back!” The rescue team member yelled before the infected persons lunged at them and the video cut off.
“We’ve sealed off all the exits to keep it from spreading. No one’s getting out.” Miller explained, “One of the researchers inside managed to isolate the parasite behind the outbreak. He faxed over his findings; Code Talker’s analyzing them now.”
“Why this new outbreak, despite our inoculation?” Code Talker wondered. “This is still unclear. Introducing the Wolbachia to the infected prevented symptoms during the last epidemic…The parasites lodge in the victim’s throat, forming a mating pair, but the Wolbachia turns the male to female. Two females can neither copulate nor lay eggs.”
“That’s why the rescue team went in with more Wolbachia.” Miller pointed out, “But the outbreak still isn’t under control.”
“They should not be capable of laying eggs…Yet, we have a new outbreak, and the Wolbachia have no effect…I pray this is not some new strain. If it is…”
“Then someone may brought it here.” Miller suspected, “If there’s a spy running around…”
“For now, we must focus on discerning the outbreak mechanism. The cases show another alarming new development. It is now even more difficult to tell who’s infected. The eggs propagate out of sight – no external symptoms. One who appears healthy, may be dying inside.”
“What the hell happened in there?” Miler wondered, “Boss, I still can’t raise the rescue team I sent in. We’d know how to proceed if we just knew how to ID the symptoms. Finding that out is part of your job in there.”
At the Quarantine platform, the group moved towards a sealed tent connected to the entrance as Miller reported in again. “Hang on. We’ve just had a transmission from inside. Here’s the audio…”
Heavy breathing could be heard. “It all makes sense now. I…I win.”
“Where is it coming from?” Snake asked.
“Unknown. It cut off before we could get a fix. ‘It all makes sense.’ Think he means the parasite?” Miller wondered. “No way to know, but right now that’s all we got. Hopefully he can tell us something. We’ll…have to close the tent behind you.” Miller added as the group entered. “Don’t think the infection’s airborne, but…Find the source of that transmission. Find our man.”
“You never know.” Snake commented as they came to the entrance and got in. A strange smell entered their noses. “Something sweet. We can smell it even through the masks.”
“The rescue team reported that, too. Said it smelled like ripe fruit.” Miller informed.
“We cannot allow the infection to spread. If anyone shows symptoms, you must put them out of their misery.” Code Talker warned.
This filled the ponies and two Soviets with unease. There was a chance that the children and their friends could be infected, they prayed it wasn’t too late as they entered and a terrible sight greeted them.
The walls were covered in blood, an alert was ringing and bodies of R&D members scattered around, causing Miller to comment, “Guess the pastes killed them. Don’t touch them. They’re covered in blood.
Moving through a corridor, they saw more bodies before a gunshot sounded out of a patent room, following by a cry of pain. “Stay back! Stay back!!” a soldier ran out of the room, firing his rifle at the group, yet missed completely.
Looking into the room, they saw a dead soldier with mask. “He’s got a mask. He’s with the rescue team. That the guy from before?” Miler wondered.
Sergei took a look at the body and shook his head to show it wasn’t Chernov and they moved on through the bloodied corridor, seeing an R&D member leaning against the wall, scratching his throat before static came through the radio.
“Was that more of the message? We’ll try to clean it up.” Miller said as the group got up the stairs, with the R&D member pleading for help as he saw them and another R&D member stumbling at the top of the stairs before collapsing dead.
Then again static, causing Kaz to comment, “Another transmission.”
In another patent room, they saw the soldier that had fled, with Snake approaching him and he looked at his Boss with fear in his eyes.
“Step aside, Boss. I just want to go outside.” The soldier said with desperation in his voice. I can’t die in this hellhole. I’m not infected. I can’t be right?” If I am…” He dropped his rifle and drew his pistol. “I don’t want to go out like this.”
Bang!
He shot himself in the head.
“Oh dear, this is very bad,” Blue said in shock and they slowly advanced, seeing other staff members that were still alive, starching their throats.
“Hang in there. The Boss’ll come.” A voice said from a room at the end of the corridor and Snake opened. A member of the Rescue team held him at gunpoint, two R&D survivors behind him and he lowered his weapon.
“Boss, it’s you…” The rescue member said with relief, it was Chernov.
“He’s wearing a mask. He’s part of the rescue team. Looks like he’s not the one who sent the message. I’d like what he has to say, but you need to keep going. “Miller reminded his leader.
“I’ll keep watch here. They opened fire on us when we entered. But I couldn’t bring myself to shoot back. Like you said, Boss – never point a weapon at one of your own.”
“Have you seen the others?” Fletcher asked worriedly.
“Sorry, no.”
They nodded and went up the stairs again as Code Taker radioed in. “I have analyzed part of the data that was faxed out. It appears even those who barely spoke became symptomatic. This must be some kind of mutation.”
“If it is a mutation…then…our friends could be…” Wolf trembled at the thought.
“We can only hope for the best,” Blue said with unease as they got up to the top floor, hearing gunshots and saw another survivor had killed another Rescue member, lying against the wall, his pistol drawn.
Snake took the lead through a door and saw a researcher lying against the wall next to the roof access. He was impaled and wore night-vision goggles.
“Boss…”
“What the hell happened?!” Snake wanted to know.
“At least…you’re okay.” The researcher took his goggles off, managing to smile. “I win…I’m no sail.” He said before dying to his injuries and the group saw a radio next to him.
“So he sent the transmission. Seems like he had a way of ID’ing who’s symptomatic.” Miller said as Snake picked the googles up. “But what was he trying to say?”
“Sail…yes, of course. It all makes sense now.” Code Talker understood, “Do not let ANYONE showing symptoms get outside. As infection progresses, it triggers an overwhelming urge to get out in the open That’s the parasite controlling them. Once outside, the birds will feed on the infected bodies, spreading the parasite on land.”
A loud banging noise startled the group and they aimed their weapons at a closed door. It got thrown open and a group of infected stumbled out. They struggled with the rescue team, holding them back as another group stumbled towards the roof.
While being overwhelmed, Snake and the others managed to draw their sidearm, shooting the infected in the heads, getting free but the other group managed to get outside, causing everyone to look in shock at it.
Had they failed?
Was this the end?
“Light ‘em up!” Miller yelled and a bomb got dropped on the roof while the rescue team dove to the ground.
They could only stare as the roof access was engulfed in flames, the infected screamed in pain and rolled around before dying.
None of the group could say a word, only staring at what had just happened.
Then a groan greeted their ears and the saw three more infected stumbling into the room.
“You have to shoot! We can’t let them outside!” Miller yelled on the radio.
Snake, Lovec and Sergei quickly fired their rifles, killing the infected with headshots, breathing heavily at what they just had done.
“Do you still have those goggles? If you see a glow in someone’s throat, that means they are infected.” Code Talker explained and Snake out them on.
Fletcher used a spell that allowed him and the others see the glow as well through the modified thermal goggles. He and his friends looked at each other with unease, unable to say a word at what they had to do.
Going back down the stairs, they saw that everyone wounded they had encountered was infected.
“Why me…Why me? Why?” One of the infected exclaimed in desperation as Snake aimed at him. He took a deep breath and pulled the trigger, killing the staff member with a headshot.
“You’re kidding…right?” One of the R&D members cried out as Lovec aimed at his head.
“Comrade…I’m sorry…” Lovec said with regret as he fired and killed the researcher.
He and his friends were slightly trembling, they didn’t wanted to do this. But there was no other choice. The ponies hadn’t much contact with the other staff, yet were treated equally and with respect, thus also had a comradeship like feeling to the infected.
“Snake you just…killed your own!” Emmerich exclaimed in horror on the radio.
“Emmerich? What the hell? Nobody asked for your opinion!” Miller scolded.
“You expect me to just stand by and watch this?”
Snake had a neutral expression, yet felt regret for having to do this.
I’m sorry, men…It’s the only way. I know I said myself never to point a weapon at a fellow comrade… He thought.
Sergei shot an infected near the wounded soldier who had still his pistol drawn.
“So you ARE here to kill us!!” The infected yelled in disbelief and anger, aiming his pistol at Sergei, who took cover until the pistol ran dry, then shot him too.
“You’re insane! He was one of your own men!” Emmerich exclaimed, “You said yourself we’re a family. Or was it all lies?!”
No Huey, but don’t see the suffering? Their misery? All I can do is to make it quick for them, to end their pain.
The other infected pleaded the ponies and men to put then out of their misery, thanking as they did so. But Lovec noticed that Chernov was no longer there.
One of the R&D members looked with fear at Snake. “Wait…”
Snake hesitated and sighed before pulling the trigger.
Seeing not any more infected, they followed a bloody trail, coming to a locked door, music played from the other side.
“Let go of me! I’m going outside!” A voice yelled from inside.
“No! We’re dead anyway!” Another voice replied as Snake opened the door.
He saw a staff member being forced to his knees, another aimed a pistol at him, yet dropped it as he saw their leader. “Boss?!”
“Hey, let’s let the Boss decide.” All three, together with five others struggled to salute. “We live and die by your order, Boss.” One of them said and they all started to hum the music that was playing from a radio.
The ponies and two Soviets were shocked to see the other ponies and the children behind the staff members. They all lay against the wall, holding their throats with painful expressions.
“H-Help me…” Patch cried.
“It hur…it hurts so much…” Dinky’s voice was one of pain, tears leaving her eyes.
Wagensroll and Dawnwind managed to stand up. “Make it stop, Fletch…please…” The green Earth pony said with a weak smile, “I will always be with you…in your heart…”
The deer’s eyes were bloodshot as she looked at White Wolf. “Do what you have to do…Wolf…”
Abstraction also stood up with his fellow Dark Horse members, struggling to salute. “We die and live by your order, Enteral Knights."
The ponies raised their weapons. As Blue looked at the crying children, she saw that they had the same fearful expressions as Pip and Nancy back then. She trembled, she didn’t want to this, couldn’t bring herself to pull the trigger.
Fletcher and his friends couldn’t either. They were there to get the children and Dark Horse members home. How could they tell their families at home that they had killed those they were supposed to bring back?
“I am sorry, children…so very sorry…” Fletcher had regret in his voice as he took aim, they looked at him in horror.
“Wait!” Snake exclaimed, “Look.”
In response, his companions lowered their weapons and noticed something.
There was no glow in the throats of the children and ponies.
A stone fell from the hearts of the knights, Blue and Soviets to see that their friends weren’t infected. Chernov was also next to the children, holding his chest but had no glow either.
“At least you are okay,” Fletcher spoke with relief as he levitated Dinky on his back, the siblings were carried by Midnight and Wolf, and Blue carried Lily, Patch and Dawnwind got assisted by Midnight and Wolf, the Dark Horse members managed to get up and walk on their own, with Lovec and Sergei leading them to the exit.
Chernov looked up as Snake took aim.
Bang!
Then the body hit the ground. Another gunshot and another body fell to the ground.
“Shooting your own men…That’s not the Big Boss I knew!” Emmerich exclaimed disgustedly.
As all infected were put out of their misery, Snake walked over to Chernov, who managed to smile under his mask. “Thank you…”
“Got a survivor, unlock the door.” Snake called to the guard on the other side after carrying him to the exit, yet the Soviet felt a pain in his throat.
“Wait.” Chernov said weakened, “I…I don’t think I after it after all.”
“What?! You just checked him.” Miller couldn’t believe it.
“Could it have progressed this quickly?” Code Talker wondered as Snake took another look after gently dropping him and to his horror, Chernov’s throat started to glow. “So he is infected…”
“Maybe it got in through my wounds.” The soviet suspected and looked Snake into the eye. “They’re waiting now. All of them. Do it.” He held out his arms, accepting his fate.
Big Boss took aim. “You were a good soldier.”
Bang!
The knights, Blue and the two Soviets brought their friends to the medical team, where Code Talker took a look.
“It seems you are immune to the mutation as well. Looks like the infection caused only a serve cause of Sore throat.”
“That’s good…” Dinky managed to smile.
As treatment, the medical team brought them herbal tea and throat drops for first relief, which as very pleasant for them all, but also antibiotics for a quick recovery.
“Wait, what about Chernov?” Lily asked Lovec, who sighed.
“I am afraid he was infected too. You are the only survivors of the outbreak.”
The filly stared for what seemed like hours before she sniffed with her friends and mourned him. “No…”
“But he will always be with us in our hearts.” Sergei pointed out before Snake, Ocelot and Miller walked in.
“Sorry to bother, but can you tell us what happened in there?” Ocelot asked.
“Well, we can remember much,” Wagensroll started, “Dr. Emmerich inspected the x-ray equipment that is used to monitor the parasites. After his inspection, we used them as usual, radiation doses in mind and shortly after that, the outbreak started, just like that.”
“Okay. Miller, I guess we should have a chat with the Dr.”
“Agreed. Get well soon, all of you.”
The treatment was going well and they were allowed to attend the burial at sea in the next morning. As they arrived, they heard Emmerich yelling at Snake, who stood at the edge of the helipad, watching the sea.
“It’s your fault! They’re dead because of you!”
“What?!” Miller couldn’t believe what he just heard, glaring at him. Wolf growled, while the others stared in shock. They hadn’t had a choice in there.
“He’s right.” Snake stated clammy, “I killed them with my own hands.”
“They were on your side. I’m on your side! And you turned them all to ashes.” Huey said with disgust before Ocelot put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.
Miller walked up to Snake. “They wanted you to shoot. It was that, or burned alive. C’mon. Let’s get this over with.”
Lovec and Sergei brought the Urns forward but Snake held up a hand. “Wait!” He took the Urn Lovec was carrying and kneeled at the edge of the helipad.
“I won't scatter your sorrow to the heartless sea.” He opened it and painted his face with the ashes. “I will always be with you. Plant your roots in me. I won't let you end as ashes. You're all diamonds.”
“We're not burying them at sea? What then?” Miller asked.
“We'll mine diamonds from their ashes. Take them into battle with us.”
“A shining light to our brothers in arms, even in death.” Miller understood.
“We are Diamond Dogs.”
After that, the kids and their friends got back to the Medical platform and focused on getting well. At lunch, they saw Lovec with a Diamond attached to his chest pocket.
“That way, Chernov will always be with me.” He said and they nodded.
“A good idea from Snake. Yet, it will be a hard burden of having killed his own men.” Insistra replied with pity.
“Yes, it wasn’t easy for us either, “Midnight added, “We may have been little social with many but they treated us still equally.”
Suddenly the door was bashed open and a staff member with angry expression walked in. “What’s wrong?” Sergei asked.
“That scientist betrayed is, he caused the outbreak on the Quarantine platform!”
“What?” The former commander was surprised.
“Commander Miller is about to trial him, I can’t wait to see this traitor punished!”
As the fellow soldier stomped out, the group looked at each other before following to a warehouse, where they saw Emmerich handcuffed on his knees and his prosthetic legs removed next to him, watching from a catwalk how Ocelot spoke up.
“Nine years ago, this man acted as accomplice to the attack on Mother Base. He then provided support to Skull Face. Conspiring with Eli, he repaired Sahelanthropus in secret. His ‘research materials’ caused the leak at the quarantine facility. Which in turn caused the Wolbachia mutation, letting the parasites off their chains. We lost a lot of good men.
He also stands accused of murdering one of his own family, hiding the body.”
“I haven’t killed anyone. The rest is all wrong, too. The inspection was supposed to help everyone! I sacrificed myself for my companions just as much as any of you…Why won’t you believe me?!” Huey exclaimed before the crow made way for Miller.
“The prosecution calls a witness.” He said and the soldiers stepped aside as the pod Abstraction had seen in Afghanistan was brought forward by a crane. “Strangelove’s gravestone. Haunted by her phantom.”
“It’s just a machine…” Emmerich mumbled as suddenly, the red light went on and it beeped and sounds of someone knocking from the inside could be heard.
“Open this thing!” A female voice cried out muffed, “Huey! Damn it, Huey! Open it now! Please…Let me out…Kill me…”
Huey’s expression was one of shock as Miller stated, “It recorded it all.” He threw some family pictures and memories from MSF on the ground. “Everything…Everything you did living together.” He put his clutch on a group photo, covering Huey’s person on it.
“How could a machine…” The doctor mumbled before Miller continued.
“You forced your own son into the cockpit of a Metal Gear. A test subject.”
“Hal…”
“His mother had to hide him away…And for that you locked her into that coffin.” Miler looked with hate at the pod.
“No!” Huey exclaimed, stuttering a bit, “She...She did it herself! It was suicide! And even if I did, what right do you have?”
“There’s more. We have you to tell us everything you’ve done –everything you’ve thought – all this time.” Miller walked back and forth, “Nine years ago, you agreed to the inspection in return for Cipher’s guarantee that you’d be spared.”
“I thought it was real!” The doctor stated.
“We reviewed into everything else that’s happened since you arrived here.”
Huey just stared for a moment “Please…”
“Guilty. All counts.” Miller announced and hit the ground with his clutch to simulate a hammer of a judge.
All soldiers percent cried to kill Huey, making suiting gestures, Lovec and Sergei did too.
The children could only stare in shock, seeing how the ponies had neutral expressions. Yet, they could understand the fury of the soldiers, they had lost many good friends in the Outbreak.
Bang!
Everyone became silent, seeing that Ocelot had fired a shot into the air and Miller stated, “We exist outside the law.” He turned to Snake. “What should we do, Boss? Just give the order…” He turned back to Huey. “We’ll handle the rest.”
Snake walked up to the Doctor with a neutral expression and the kids held their breaths at what he would do. After all, he was forced to kill his own men thanks to Emmerich.
“Prepare a life raft.” He said, surprising everyone. “Big enough for one. Food and water, too.”
“Boss?” Miller was puzzled.
“He’s leaving.”
“You…He’s responsible for…all of this.” Miller raised his voice, “Think of all the men…He didn’t lose a damned thing. This is the enemy, and he’s here – on his knees!” He yelled, pointing his clutch at Emmerich.
“Kaz,” Snake replied calmly, “You are right. He is not one of us. But we are not responsible to judge an enemy. He leaves Mother Base and that’ll be the end of it.”
Miller looked irritated at his leader, then walked away.
Still, Snake’s men did as told and one of the soldiers placed a care package onto the raft.
“I’m innocent! You’re the murders! Snake, you should be in this boat!” Emmerich pointed at him. “There’d have no inspection if it weren’t for your precious nuke! I risked my life trying to save you all! How can you do this?!” He protested as the raft got lowered.
“Am I the only sane one here?! I…my…It’s not my fault.”
To his horror, the raft was too small to support his legs' weight, forcing him to dump the legs overboard to stay afloat.
“Look…You can’t disregard your phantoms forever, Doctor.” Ocelot commented as they watched him drafting away.
“He’ll make it, you know. I can see it now. In no time he’ll be telling tales about the black-hearted Diamond Dogs. The shining white knight. Blabbering on about our injustice, hiding behind his fool’s idea of morality…” Miller said, “And all other fools will stand around, nodding with every word he says.
“No.” Ocelot objected, “One day he’ll see through the lies he built up. Realize what kind of man he really is. What goes around comes around. You can’t run from yourself forever.”
With that, everyone went back to his business.
“I had loved to see him executed who his disgusting actions but it’s very poetic at what Snake did.” Siyarjit had hate in his voice.
“Yes. It was very wise and humane by Snake, exercising restraint with his authority. He managed to bridle his anger and act reasonably, that’s a good example.” Insistra added.
The kids said nothing as they walked back to the medical platform, still trying to process how Huey could do such horrible things
For the rest of the day, they focused on recovering, the knights, Blue and two Soviets helped out on the base.
As they had dinner, Abstraction spoke up. “You know, I thought about the wedding when I ask Lyra to marry me.”
“So?” Blue asked.
“Well…”He lowered his head, slightly blushing. “Would you want to be the groomsmen? I think you should have this honor after we did so much together.”
The others looked at each other and the prince slowly smiled. It would be an honor for me.” The other dark horse members nodded.
“I am touched and I accept,” Blue added.
“Count us in, Abstraction, you proved yourself.” Midnight spoke for his knights.
“It would be a pleasure for me,” Dawnwind said, Wagensroll and Patch nodded.
“And we could bring the flowers,” Dinky said with pride, her friends smiled.
“Glad to hear it.” He smiled at them.
In the next morning, they had fully recovered, breakfasting as Wolf asked, “So, how did Huey cause the mutation?”
“Well, he modified the x-ray to also emitting beta ray. The mutation was caused as the beta ray had high concentration of radiation.” Wagensroll explained, “Huey’s been in frequent contact with people in America: a private biotech company, a client of which is DARPA, and they are connected to Cipher. He made a deal with them. He offered them a new parasite in exchange for his safety. This was the only place in the world where the vocal cord parasite still exists. And he used it as a testing ground, tried to resurrect their bioweapon.”
“Bastard. He can be lucky Snake let him alive.”
“Mind if we play outside?” Dinky asked, “I could need some fresh air.”
“Not at all. Have fun.” Fletcher smiled warmly at them.
With that, the kids got outside, taking a deep breath. “It’s so nice to be outside again.” The little unicorn smiled at Lily, who returned it.
“Yep! Tag! You’re it!” She ran away, laughing, her friends chased her across the struts of the medical platform, the soldiers who saw them smiled happily.
Blau managed to catch the Earth pony filly. “Got you!”
Lily laughed, Katja and Dinky did too before the girl looked around and saw Quiet walking around. “Good morning!” She called out.
To their surprise, the woman staled and started to run. “Wait!” Dinky called out and they ran after her out of instinct.
Quiet ran towards an opened container and the children followed her inside. “Where did she go?” Lily wondered as they couldn’t see the woman anywhere.
Clang!
They all startled by and turned around to see that the container got closed the sound of a chopper greeted their ears.
“No! No! No! Anyone! Help!” Lily yelled and hammered against the door.
“It’s useless, the chopper drowns out any sound!” Dinky realized before they felt how the container got lifted up.
“Calm down, Lily, I am sure our friends will notice our absence.” Blau tried to calm her down.
Yet they could only pray for the best.