Critical information for FOXHOUND members

[RoyCampbell]

I'm glad all of you could join me.

I'm sure some of you know that 16 fresh young FOXHOUND recruits went on a mission to the Gobi Desert six months ago. They were going to investigate a Chinese nuclear missile base that we understood was underneath a tremendous stealth camoflauge generator - the entire base was completely invisible. When the team arrived on site, what I didn't know is that among them were actually three spies from a secret society known as the Patriots, which supposedly controls all governments and media with a massive amount of money they laundered decades ago. Former Secretary of Defense Alan Richardson was apparantely one of their agents. Through him, we learned much of the Patriots' secrets, including what they were planning to do with a supertank called Metal Gear GHOST - an invisible, nuclear-equipped walking battle tank capable of firing a nuclear missile from any sight on the globe.

We also realized how the Patriots were controlling our operation - they had 3 agents jacked into the consciousnesses of 3 of our agents, completely inserting their minds into our agents' bodies. The subterfuge was undetectable...until they tried to attack on board our command plane. Our medical officer, Dr. Roberts, was killed, and I was shoved out of the plane with no parachute. Thankfully, Lt. Founders, our computer scientist, was able to maneuver herself with her parachute and save me. I was paralyzed from the waist down by the impact, and if it weren't for Founders pulling some strings to get ourselves saved with her Codec, I wouldn't be here today.

We thought we had destroyed Metal Gear GHOST and saved the day - they were going to use it to attack Japan to position themselves higher in the world economy and prevent some other faction from being able to rival their power. And that's just what they did - I'm sure you all heard how Japan was obliterated.

The only two remaining members of FOXHOUND were codenamed Flypie and GuidoHunter, and both of them were genuinely astonished at what happened. They had been trained to lie, though, so we couldn't trust them. Neither of them are in front of me right now. I wanted to get to you 15 - the only 15 left in our unit. I don't know where Flypie and Guido are right now, but it is extremely evident that either they are our enemies, or there was more than one GHOST under development. We have to take our chances and assume the latter.

We made a grave mistake, though. We contacted Guido and Flypie in the desert and told them we were alive. They didn't come after us - guess they didn't want any blood on their hands - but I'm sure they told the Patriots about it. Founders and I both know of their existance - neither of us can set foot on an Army base ever again and expect to live. The Patriots control everything.

I managed to get back here in one piece. Soon afterwards I received a communique from an old friend of mine who's currently a member of an anti-Metal Gear NGO. He got intelligence about not only where GHOST was, but also a Patriot base. It's underneath a cloak generator west of Johannesburg. I want you to infiltrate it. This is a personal request, but it would be silly to deny it. FOXHOUND could be history soon if the lower branches of the government suspect we're involved with the Patriots. We must destroy them and provide the evidence of their existance to the American people.

Down in the basement are some ancillary supplies I requisitioned in case of an emergency - 20 sneaking suits and 20 silenced SOCOM pistols. After we get that equipment, we're leaving this house and burning it to the ground. I'm going to make for Switzerland with Founders' help - she has a small telecommunications shack set up there that we're going to be broadcasting from. You, meanwhile, are going to sneak onto an African-bound cargo freighter with your equipment. From there, make for Johannesburg at the latitude/longitude coordinates I give you. It is essential that you eliminate GHOST - the fate of the world depends on it.

Sorry to interrupt, Colonel.

(Guido and Flypie still may be playing this game, depending on who I choose to cut from the applicant pool. Like all of you, though, they're playing different roles this time around. Their old characters, from TWG VII, are not involved in this operation.)