METAL GEAR SOLID: KINGDOM OF NOTHING

CHAPTER 2: THE GREAT KILL

It almost seemed apropriate. The afternoon passed and entering the evening, the sun set and the sky parted, turning from a purpled orange to almost a crimson red.

But we were still not going to move. We had an electric repairs van outside of the building Hal had scoped out, and we waited, doing surveillance. There was a camera at the door. Civillians came in and out of the building but they wouldn't acknowledge each other. Not a "hello". Not a "how are you doing". New York is a big city and its citizens, very reserved, but this was a big red flag. Emmerich was right. They were hiding something at the top of the building, and we couldn't let this chance slip through our fingers.

The evening arrived. The twilight sky had almost entirely blackened the sun, leaving this muddy crimson visage atop our heads. The moon was nowhere to be seen. No light for us fugitives, I suppose.

"I've had Mei Ling do a surprise inspection at the natural gas conversion plant north of Manhattan", Hal explained, "specifically, the department that is charged with supplying electricity to the areas around the Empire State. She's going to slip in a rootkit I made into their network has a virus bundled into it. It'll automate the work for us."

"So you're kicking the lights off?"

"Right. But only the street lights. Everything else will still be working, so no computer systems around here will be damaged by suddenly turning off. Knowing how their IT department works, they should have it all fixed in about 15 minutes after the lights cut off."

"That's almost enough to get in and get out."

"Yeah, well I know you, and I know how these things always go. Don't go trying to take out any guards in there." I didn't know what he meant with that, but for the sake of keeping the conversation civil, I kept my mouth shut. "Remember: you're here to get into that secret floor atop the building, get whatever intel you can find and get back in here. Then we ride off to somewhere safe."

"Understood."

Hal's laptop started ringing a notification all of a sudden.

"That's Mei Ling's signal. She's plugged in the thumb drive." Hal's eyes brightened and he adjusted his glasses, turning to me as he did. "Get into position."

I placed myself by the van doors, ready to bust out and find a way into the building. I was running every possible scenario in my head, and was afraid of the correct one being that the jig was up and that the Patriots had guards by the van ready to capture us. I started sweating a little but kept my composure. I wasn't going to let them take me without a fight, and Otacon made sure I wouldn't. He upgraded and downgraded my gear since the Big Shell. Instead of the tight suit I had, we had to make due with normal black BDUs, since we were running out of money. But he had forked a bit more for a chest rig equipped with pouches for anything needed for improvised infiltration, for everything from urban settings to jungles and deserts.

I'd have to bring in a bag with me too, equipped with some additional gear. It was a grapple hook with a rope attached so I could quickly climb up to one of the higher floors, and some electronic gadgets that Hal concocted. Some pocket computer, pen drives and a bunch of cables for any needed cyber attacks.

I placed my hand on the van's door latch. A few more seconds...

Then a few more...

...

And it was almost in a blink of an eye. Not a gradual hit, the entire neighbourhood's streetlights turned off simultaneously, cloaking Hell's Kitchen in complete darkness.

"Now! Go, go, go!" Otacon shouted.

I reached into my bag for my old pair of Night-Vision Goggles, turned the latch and ran out of the van. I strapped the goggles around my head, and was greeted with the familiar green visage of the infrared lamp shining through the darkness. Less than 5 seconds was what was needed to reach the outside. Hal had briefed me before coming here and the plan would go in smooth sailings.