Killing Your Own Soldiers As They Salute You
The parasites in Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain hold a rather tenuous hold on every character of the game, from Quiet to Code Talker and then eventually, Venom Snake’s own personnel. When there is a huge outbreak of parasites in Mother Base, Snake has to take it upon himself to kill his own soldiers and burn their bodies to prevent any further infection. It’s not an easy thing to do, especially when you’ve built up your base and your staff from the bottom but it must be done. That’s not the worst of it though.
The worst of it is that each staff member knows what’s coming to them. Even as Huey protests over the comms, the soldiers themselves go so far as to salute the Big Boss they thought they knew before dying. The one shining hope in a single member not being infected is also shattered when you discover that the parasites have seeped in through his wounds. The man’s final words, “They’re all waiting. Do it” and Snake’s subsequent collapse among his fallen allies only punctuates how much his own soldiers mean to him.
It’s not enough to simply bury his allies by spreading their ashes at sea though.
