Saturday, December 5, 1992, 12:00 PM

"Hey, kid, you all right?"

"Ooohhh...what happened? What is..." Kevin slowly opened his eyes and saw a dense tropical jungle.

"Maybe I should be the one asking you. What was that blue light?" Kevin heard as he was helped to his feet by someone he could hardly see.

"Thanks. Okay, I remember now. Dr. Right and Lana were sent through a warp, and I have to - "

"Say what?" asked the someone.

Kevin turned around to see a tall brown haired soldier wearing a camoflauged suit. He had a backpack, along with a variety of equipment on his person.

"Say, don't I know you from somewhere?" Kevin asked.

The soldier gave Kevin a strange look. "You're with Fox Hounder, right? Man, you must have been hit hard."

"Fox Hounder?!" Kevin exclaimed. "Now I remember! You're Solid Snake!"

"Yeah, that would be me. And who are you?" Snake asked.

"I'm Kevin Keene. Some of my friends are around here somewhere, and I have to find them before something happens."

"Whoa, slow down! First we need - " Snake was cut off by his tranceiver. He turned away from Kevin and picked up the receiver. "Snake here. Go ahead."

There was a bunch of static. "Big Boss speaking. Operation: Intrude N313."

Snake finished his conversation with "Big Boss" and faced Kevin. "Okay, you're gonna have to come with me."

Kevin perked up. "All right! I've never been to this world before!"

"This world? Heh, heh, sure, whatever." Snake replied, laughing. "But first I think we need to do something about that." Snake said, pointing at Kevin's bright outfit.

Kevin and Snake were now walking down a dirt road through the jungle.

"Okay, now let me get this straight." Snake said. "You're from this whole different world. This scientist is fixing a gizmo in his lab. He trips and falls. You catch the gizmo, but you accidentally open up a 'warp' which sends you, the scientist, and someone else through it. You end up here, and now you're lookin' for 'em."

"Yeah." Kevin replied.

"You're insane."

"It's true!"

"Where's your proof?"

Kevin looked at his Zapper. "Watch."

He drew his Zapper and aimed it at a tree. He fired, sending a bright blue laser beam at the tree, burning it badly. He holstered his Zapper and looked at Snake.

"Whaaaa..." Snake couldn't make out any full words.

"So, now do you believe me?"

"No. But I do want one of those guns." Snake replied.

"Where did you find them?" asked an officer.

"Outside, at the loading station, sir." an armored guard replied. "It was right after that blue light that the 3rd patrol saw."

The officer thought for a second. "Yes, maybe they can answer some questions. Bring them in!"

"Right away, sir!"

The guard left the room, then returned with Lana and Dr. Right.

They sat down in front of the officer's desk.

"Okay, what are you doing here?" the officer asked.

"I'm sorry for this inconvenience. Our warp zone opener malfunctioned, sending us to this - " Dr. Right began, but was interrupted.

"What?! Do I look like a complete fool?! I want answers now, or - "

Lana interrupted the officer. "Listen! If you just tell us where Kevin is, we can get out of here!"

"Kevin? There's more of you?! Guard!!!"

The guard returned to the room and saluted. "Guard reporting, sir!"

"Be on the lookout for another intruder. He may be going by the name of Kevin. While you're at it, detain these two until I figure out what to do with them."

"Right away, sir! Come with me, you two!" The guard led them out of the officer's room and pulled out his radio. "Wide alert, level 2! All patrols be on the lookout for another intruder. Last known location near Building 1."

They were led through several hallways, until they came to a prison cell. The guard placed them in there, and locked the door with a keycard.

"Princess, do you know where we are?" Dr. Right whispered.

"I'm pretty sure it's Metal Gear. This place is very dangerous. I hope Kevin's all right."

Kevin and Snake were continuing down a partially cleared path through the jungle.

Kevin was explaining how his Zapper works to Snake.

"Wow, this thing could really come in handy. Too bad they don't have anything like that at headquarters."

Kevin holstered his Zapper. "I'll have to watch its energy level. There's no way for me to recharge it here."

"Er, yeah. I'm just worried about getting armed. They dropped me here with just about nothing. If I'm lucky, at Building 1 there will be some - " Snake paused, and motioned for Kevin to get down.

"What is it?" Kevin whispered.

Snake pointed to an area of dense undergrowth. Kevin looked and saw a guard standing there, his back to them.

"Your uniform. Now you watch." Snake said, grinning.

Kevin watched as Snake stealthily advanced on the guard's position, came up from behind, and knocked him out with his bare hands. This was all in a matter of a few seconds.

Kevin walked up to Snake, wearing the uniform. "Am I convincing?"

"Well, - " Snake was interrupted by a voice from his tranceiver.

Again, there was a lot of static. "...the lookout for...intruder near Building 1..."

"What? I parachuted in miles away! So, they must mean - "

Kevin looked shocked. "Me! They must've captured Lana and Dr. Right!"

"Hmm, they know you're here. They're only looking for one intruder, though. This could be good."

"What do you mean, Snake?"

Snake rubbed his chin. "There will be heavy security surrounding Building 1, no matter how we approach it. So, you're gonna capture me."

Kevin grinned. "I gotcha! They'll think I'm a real guard, and I caught you! I mean me!"

Snake smiled. "Right. Let's go!"

Two guards were walking around outside Building 1. One was sharing a war story with the other, who looked like he was about to fall asleep.

"Yeah, so then, after I ran out of ammo, and they were surrounding me, I had to use my Kung Fu on those - "

The dozing soldier suddenly jumped up. "Who goes there?!"

Snake and Kevin approached, with Snake holding his hands high in the air as if he was under arrest.

"So, what's this guy's story?" the guard asked Kevin, pointing at Snake.

"I caught this trespasser about a mile back."

The guard looked suspiciously at Kevin. "Let me see your papers."

"All right." Kevin pulled an I.D. card out of his pocket and gave it to the guard.

He looked it over for a few seconds, then handed it back. "Nice, you finally got that haircut. Take him inside, and put him with the other two."

"What other two?" Kevin inquired.

"Yeah, there were these two we caught earlier today, some old guy and a girl. Weirded out the colonel, too."

Kevin and Snake proceeded inside the complex and closed the door behind them.

"We're in!" they both exclaimed.

"Cool, now it gets fun. We need something to fight back with if they see us." Snake told Kevin.

"Didn't that guard you jumped have a gun?"

Snake grumbled. "Ehhh,...yeah, but I kind of dropped it in a ravine."

"So, now what?" Kevin asked.

Snake looked around. "We'll clear out that room and rest there. We need a plan if we want any chance of finding Pettrovich and your friends."

Kevin and Snake stealthily went through the large open hallway and into the small room. A guard was sitting in a chair, half asleep.

However, the half that was awake saw the pair enter. "Huh, what? Freeze!"

Snake, being unarmed, dove to the ground to avoid the guard's fire. Kevin fired his Zapper at the attacker, out of reflex. The zap hit the guard square in the right leg, and he fell to the ground, dropping his weapon and screaming.

Kevin and Snake tied him up with some rope from Snake's backpack.

"Yeah, this guy'll have to take the elevator for a while." Snake mused as he picked up the Beretta lying on the ground. "We should keep going now."

Several uneventful minutes passed as the two continued their search through the compound.

Suddenly, they came to a room with two hallways.

"Which way do we go?" Kevin asked.

"Hmm,...I know! I'll flip my lucky coin!" Snake said.

"What?"

Snake pulled out a quarter from his pocket. "This thing has gotten me out of jams before. It's right almost half of the time!"

"Oooh." Kevin said, moderately impressed.

"Heads we go left, tails right." Snake said, after thinking for a second. He tossed the coin into the air, and let it fall back in his hand. "Tails. Right."

They proceeded down the right hallway for a while, but suddenly Kevin slowed down, with a worried look on his face.

"Hmm, what is it about this part of the game..." Kevin mumbled to himself as he continued walking.

Snake looked at him. "Huh? What do you - "

"Look out!!!" Kevin screamed suddenly.

Kevin grabbed Snake by the back of his uniform and quickly pulled him backwards, landing him somewhat uncomfortably on the solid floor.

"All right, hotshot, what's the big idea?!"

Kevin pointed.

Snake looked at the ground where he was once standing, only there was no longer any ground there. Only an immense hole that didn't seem to have a bottom anywhere near.

"Okay, yeah, um,...do you have x-ray vision or something?" Snake managed to stammer out.

"That pitfall got me the first time I played, too."

Snake looked confused. "Played what? This isn't a game!"

"Nevermind. We should head back the other way. I don't think we are gonna be able to jump over this."

"Yeah." Snake said, still totally confused.

Lana and Dr. Right were sitting in the prison cell somewhere in the compound. Lana was pacing, trying to think of a way to escape.

"They're solid." said Dr. Right as he examined the walls. "The only way out of here is through that door."

Lana pointed to the large armored guard outside the door. "There's a slight problem with that plan, Doc. Kevin would be able to find a way out of here. I wonder what he would do - " Lana was interrupted by the wall that she was leaning against suddenly moving aside.

"Probably something like that." Dr. Right said.

A groggy voice was heard from the other room, which was also a cell. "Who's that?"

"We've been seen!" Lana exclaimed as she stepped back quickly and drew her Zapper.

"No, wait! It's another prisoner!" Dr. Right said as he ran forward.

The two approached a man in a prisoner's uniform, who had obviously been here for a few days.

"You must be newcomers to the movement. Am I ever glad to see you!"

"What movement?" Lana inquired.

"Fox Hounder. We were sent here to infiltrate this compound and stop the terrorist regime operating within. I'm agent Grey Fox!"

Dr. Right looked disturbed. "What regime? What is going on?"

"The enemy is constructing the final weapon - the Metal Gear. It's a walking tank."

Lana looked over to Dr. Right. "Sounds like one of Wily's machines."

Dr. Right nodded.

"Wily? Anyway, this is no ordinary weapon. It has full nuclear capability and can traverse any type of ground."

Dr. Right looked increasingly worried. "A walking tank that can use nuclear weapons?"

Grey Fox nodded. "If the enemy can complete this, they can launch a nuclear attack from any spot in the world."

"Is there any way we can help?" Lana asked.

Fox thought for a moment. "There's only one way to destroy it. The inventor of the Metal Gear, Dr. Pettrovich, is the only one who knows it. He's being held somewhere in Building 1."

"That's this building!" Dr. Right interrupted. "We must find a way out of here!"

"I doubt we'll find another secret passage." Lana said.

Fox stood up. "There were others that were supposed to come if I was not contacted. With any luck, they should be around."

Suddenly, they heard a noise. They turned and looked at the door to Lana and Dr. Right's cell.

The guard's face was now partially imbedded in the bars of the cell's door. As he fell to the ground, his face was replaced by that of Kevin's.

"You guys having a party without me?" Kevin teased.

"Kevin!" Lana shouted as Snake unlocked the cell door. "Oh, who's this?"

Snake looked uneasy. "Um, Snake. Solid Snake." He extended his right hand to Lana, but instead was nearly knocked down by a bearhug encompassing Lana, Kevin, and himself.

"If you are all done, I think we should get out of here!" Grey Fox said.

"What, huh? Oh,...yes,...of course." Snake said. "Fox, have you been able to gather any information on the Metal Gear?"

"Intelligence indicates that it's nearly finished."

"We gotta find Dr. Pettrovich. And I mean yesterday!" Snake said.

Kevin, Lana, Dr. Right, and Snake proceeded through a hallway next to the prison cell.

Kevin looked back at Fox. "Hey, aren't you coming along?"

"I'll meet up with you. I'm going to check out the lab for myself."

Kevin nodded and continued with the rest of the team, but they all halted abruptly.

"You aren't going any farther!" shouted a huge armored soldier carrying a large double barreled shotgun.

"Who are you?" Kevin asked, stepping back.

The soldier laughed. "I am the shotgunner! No one has ever escaped here alive!" With that he unloaded both barrels in the team's direction, just as they were diving for cover.

Snake stood up from the crates the team was hiding behind. "You shouldn't underestimate us!" He then fired several shots at the shotgunner.

The large soldier groaned as he stumbled back slightly. However, he quickly regained his composure and started laughing again.

"Bah! His armor is bullet proof!" Snake shouted as he ducked behind the crates again.

Kevin raised an eyebrow, and he stood up with his Zapper. "Let's see if it's laser proof!"

Kevin fired his Zapper directly at the shotgunner. This seemed to have a greater effect on him, knocking the guard against the wall.

"All right!" exclaimed Snake as he looked at the shotgunner's burnt uniform.

The shotgunner, however, was not in as quite a happy mood. Looking at his smoldering outfit, he quickly reloaded two rounds into his weapon. "I think I'll take care of you now!"

"Whoa!" Kevin shouted as he was barely able to duck in time to miss the oncoming spread of shots.

Dr. Right turned to Snake and Kevin. "I estimate that only a heavy explosion could penetrate his armor."

"So let's crack this thing open then!" Snake said, pointing to one of the crates they were hiding behind.

"But it's locked!" replied Kevin.

Snake then saw a large metal latch keeping the crate closed. He pointed his Beretta at it and fired point blank. "No, it was locked. Now let's search!"

Kevin found some 9mm clips and some rations. Dr. Right located a broken tranceiver and some blueprints. Lana discovered a grenade launcher.

"How about this?" Lana asked as she handed the large weapon to Snake.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about." said an obviously happy Snake as he took the weapon. "They were nice enough to load it for us, too."

"Hurry up, Snake!" shouted Kevin as he saw the still dazed shotgunner approach the team.

Snake looked around. "Get back...and cover your ears!" He got up and pointed the launcher towards the shotgunner. "Smile!"

"What the - " started the large soldier as he tried to dive to the ground, but he didn't quite make it.

The explosion knocked Snake to the ground.

Kevin, Lana, and Dr. Right slowly got up and examined the damage.

Lana looks back at Snake, his right arm burnt. "You've been injured!"

Snake managed to at least sit up. "Nah, it's nothing. I'll be all right."

Kevin looked at a container of rations next to him and got an idea. "Here, try some of these."

"Rations? Oh, well, what have I got to lose?"

The team sat down to rest as Snake devoured some of the military's food supply.

"Hey, I'm feeling better already!"

Dr. Right looked at the open crate. "It would be a good idea to re-equip ourselves now."

Snake got up. "Yeah, you're right." He then took a couple of grenades from the crate and attached them to his uniform. "Everyone else ready?"

They nodded.

Dr. Right saw something in the crate that caught his eye. He put it into one of his coat pockets and caught up with the rest of the team.

The two guards patrolling the entrance to Building 1 were sharing war stories. Except one of them seemed to be doing all of the telling.

"Yeah, so there I was, alone in the field, with my M16 jammed and only half a mag in my Beretta - " said one of the guards.

The second guard, nearly asleep, suddenly came to as he saw someone coming down the dirt path.

"Halt! Who goes there?!" he asked, drawing his pistol.

The unknown man seemed to have trouble keeping his balance, in addition to wearing only a t-shirt and boxer shorts. His face bore a slight resemblence to Kevin's. "You've got to...stop them!"

"What are you talking about? That you, Robert?" asked the guard, holstering his weapon.

The man stumbled, nearly falling flat on the ground. "They came up from behind, some guy in a camo suit,...then - "

Both guards jumped up. "The prisoner!"

The team had entered a nearly empty storeroom, with only a single crate in the center of the room. Snake, weighted down by the equipment in his backpack, sat down next to it.

"Whew, this place is like a maze!" Kevin said.

Snake nodded. "Yeah, I guess we're the rats, and the Metal Gear is the cheese."

"Some cheese." Lana replied.

Snake was about to respond with his own comeback, but was interrupted by a loud alarm coming from an intercom on the wall. A few seconds later, the noise was replaced by a voice.

"BUILDING 1, INTRUDER ALERT! PERSONEL TO ALL NON-SECURE EXITS! REPEAT: BUILDING 1, INTRUDER ALERT! ONE WEARING A GUARD'S UNIFORM, OTHER A CAMOFlAUGED SUIT."

Snake jumped up. "They know we're here!"

"What do we do?" asked Kevin.

"We have to get out of this place before they seal off the building. We're like sitting ducks if we stay here!"

"What about Dr. Pettrovich and the Metal Gear?" Dr. Right asked.

Snake grumbled slightly. "Let's hope that Agent Fox has that taken care of."

Lana began sniffing the air. "Guys, do you smell something?"

"I didn't do it." Kevin replied swiftly.

Snake sniffed the air several times. He then noticed a light green mist slowly coming from a vent in the wall. "It's a gas trap!"

The team hurried to the other side of the room, where there was a large door.

Snake took out a keycard with a large "3" written on it and placed it into the access panel. Nothing happened.

"It's no good!" shouted Snake.

"Shoot it!" Kevin yelled.

Snake just shook his head. "Too secure."

Snake pulled a hand grenade from his backpack and looked at the door for a second. He then motioned for everybody to get back, which they gladly did.

Kevin, Lana, and Dr. Right ducked and covered themselves as Snake tossed the grenade at the door. Snake quickly followed suit.

The grenade exploded loudly.

TO BE CONTINUED...