The Question Mark: Chapter 18

Chapters:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18

So Nastasha is dead. In the present at least. We now get a chance to flash back to the events leading up to Mei Ling finding Nastasha’s body in pieces in the submarine. You thought it was confusing jumping between different characters on Shadow Moses? Try keeping track of the events in the right order on the timeline. What do you think killed Nastasha? Throw your theory in the comments below.

Disclaimer: The main story contains violent scenes that some younger readers may find disturbing. Many chapters contain detailed scenes of gore and peril. If you haven’t played the Metal Gear series, there will be spoilers in this story. If you haven’t read the previous chapters, just select the chapter number you want to read above.

The Alternate Perspective

… [Three Hours Earlier] …

“Nastasha.”

“Mei Ling. You’re away from your desk?”

“I’m using one of the portable codecs. You should try it.”

“No thanks. I like solid hardware. Equipment that you can see, examine, care for.”

Nastasha detailed her love of bulky equipment to Mei Ling in her Ukrainian accent, comparing it to the machinery and intricacy of weaponry. It sooned turned to hatred, and her tone of voice grew sour as she began on nuclear weaponry. Mei Ling understood her. Her knowledge of mannerisms was outstanding.

“Is something bothering you?”

Mei Ling giggled under her breath momentarily at Nastasha’s seriousness while she smoked, questioned her feelings and eyed her own bulky computer equipment with lust all at the same time.

“Nastasha. I need to talk with you.”

“We’re talking darling. Speak your heart.”

Mei Ling walked back to the door and pulled tight at the rusting grey wheel at its center, sealing the room shut. A small thick circular window displayed the silhouettes of those who walked back and forth down the hall, sourcing communications and retrieving intelligence on the current situation from both Solid Snake and the American government. The submarine around them groaned as it continued on its course around the perimeter of the island, so as not to be detected.

Nastasha’s room was full of junk. One uncomfortable sleeping compartment was embedded into the corner, surrounded by empty cigar and cigarette packets. The computer equipment took up the other half of the room. Wires traced back and forth to each ominous piece of whirring metal. The room was hot. Despite the eerie green light that lit them both in a manner to promote friendliness, but only exaggerating the dark patches on the walls, Nastasha sat next to one standing fan, which blew tepid air across her hands and lap. It was broken, with the only directional options being down and even further down.

“Must be serious. Did you want a cigarette? Oh, sorry. My mistake. Filthy habit.”

Nastasha dropped the cylinder of smoke from her mouth and flattened it with her boot.

“Nastasha, when was the last time you looked at the Colonel?” Mei Ling asked as she pulled up a chair.

“Is this about his weirdness? Yes. I have to admit, I’ve seen it too.”

Nastasha continued to look at the ground as the disposed cigarette sparked under her foot. She stomped on it again.

“What do you think it is? He hasn’t been himself for quite some time.”

“When did it start?”

“Soon after Snake reached the island. He’s just… not right.”

Nastasha leaned back into her seat.
“I’m sure it’s just nervousness. It’s a male thing. Where is Snake now? Do you know?”

“He’s just coming up to the DARPA Chief.”

“Huh. Didn’t take him long.”

“Nastasha, if you see anything, will you tell me?”

“What… in here?”

Mei Ling nodded.

“The Colonel is really acting strangely. I can’t put my finger on it. I can still talk to him. He’ll talk back in a normal conversation. But there are just moments… out of the corner of my eye… he twitches. I swear when I’m looking at the monitor, he just sits there and stares at me. No emotion. I’m sure his head is turned, facing me. Just looking at me. I look up, and he’s looking at his own monitor. I never see his head move,”

“Sounds like a medical problem. I’d stay away from men and their medical problems.”

Mei Ling looked nervous.

“I’ll keep my eye on him, don’t you worry ‘Ling. I’m just in this room. If you ever need me, you know where I am.”

“Ok.”

Nastasha lit up another cigarette as Mei Ling unlocked the door.

“He’ll be ok, don’t worry. You know Roy, it’s probably just sea sickness. We all feel a little cramped down here.”

“Thank you, Nastasha.”

“No problem. Come and see me in a little while, ok?”

… [Present time] …

Snake picked up the codec. It was ringing hard in his ear.
Click.
The other side had signed out. He tried calling back to no response.

“That’s odd.” Snake spoke to himself as he walked back towards Otacon.
Otacon still lay with Wolf in his arms.

“Why are you holding her? She’s dead Otacon”

“That’s exactly why.”

Events had changed. Otacon had loved Wolf before, and fate had to course-correct itself.

“What exactly compels you to love her?”

“I don’t love her!” Otacon shouted back through watery eyes.

“Ok then. Let’s keep going.”

Otacon stood up and wiped his face. The two walked together towards the underground hanger, leaving Wolf’s body to the fierceness of the approaching blizzard.

“Are you alright?”

“I’ll be fine.” Otacon sniffed once they were inside.
He looked towards Snake to show that he still had strength. His expression dropped however into a look of shock.
“Snake! Look at your face!”

“What is it? I can’t see”

Snake’s eyes looked downwards, crossing paths infront of his nose. Nothing apart from burn marks were visible below. Otacon approached him. David took off his glove and raised his hand to his face to feel for anything peculiar.

“Oh my God, your hands too!”

Wrinkles. Snake’s hands were beginning to wrinkle.
This was a shock to Snake too. He had never had a chance to look in a mirror since he had arrived, and he hadn’t considered much what time would have done to his body on his return. He was no longer the old man he had once been. While it was simply the FoxDie that had given him the looks of old-age, he now seemed much more youthful in visage. He was happy, yet Otacon still looked shocked.

“You didn’t look like that before! There’s wrinkles. Tiny wrinkles all over your face.”

“So? It could be a lot worse. Why are you so bothered anyway? You’ve seen Mantis. That’s enough to frighten anyone senseless.”

Otacon fell quiet and checked his own hands. He was still relatively soft-skinned. He sighed to himself, hoping Snake wouldn’t hear him. He did, but Snake ignored it anyway.

“Pick it up.”

“Damn it Otacon. Stop telling me to pick up my own codec!”

Snake rubbed a dab of blood that had ran down to his chin and clicked the codec on.
Heavy breathing was audible on the other end.

“Hello?”

Heavy breathing.

“Hello?” David was getting frustrated.
“zero one one zero zero zero zero one zero one one zero one one zero zero zero one one zero one zero zero one zero one one one zero one one zero zero one one zero zero one zero one”

An automated voice read digits down the line.

Click.
The line went dead again.

“Who was it?” Otacon asked.

“Let’s just go. I don’t like this at all.”