Can you handle the TRUTH?

(Analysis by Aries Draco and Wetstorm)
Written by: Aries Draco

Scene: The Torture Room

Solidus: This is my son... I taught him everything. Jack... I never thought I'd see you again...

Raiden: You... know me...?

Solidus: You don't remember...? Your name... your skills... everything you know... you know from me.

Solidus: The eighties... the civil war. You were one of the best among the child soldiers that fought in that conflict. When you were barely ten years old, you became the leader of the small boys unit...

*pause*

Wait a moment, let us review this situation here.

(Solidus and Raiden pause, wondering at the apparent voice from nowhere.)

Raiden: What's going on?

Well, there is a little something we must clarify here. Raiden, how old are you?

Raiden: Uh… hey, that's a good question! I've never really thought about it…

O…k… Solidus, how old are *you*, then?

Solidus: The same age as Solid and Liquid Snake, duh.

Which is…?

Solidus: Well… let's see… The 'Les Enfant Terribles' project was carried out in the 1970's. Now, it is 2009 [1] so I guess I'd be around thirty-four [2].

You said that you raised Raiden in the eighties, during the civil war, right?

Solidus: Yes.

How old would you have been in the eighties?

Solidus: 5 to 15…?

Raiden was 10 when he was made the leader of a unit, and the latest time in the eighties would be 1989. Working back, he would have been born in 1979 at the very least.

Raiden: But… that means… when Solidus took me in when I was 6 [3], he would have been…

At the very most, 10 years old.

Solidus: (jaw drop) You're… you're right… What the hell?!

It gets even weirder. You supposedly 'raised plenty of… child soldiers'. Why would you have done that at age 10? Would you even have had the ability to?

(Silence)

Raiden: So, by this reckoning, I would be… 30 years old? And Snake calls me 'kid'?!

Solidus: …So what the HELL is up with this… this time-warp?

Here's one theory: You were channelling Big Boss [4].

Solidus: …

Oh, wait, Big Boss was still alive back then… Scratch that theory, then.

Solidus: It must be the Patriots! Damn the Patriots!

(cough) Hey, they may be powerful but I don't think they have the ability to manipulate time… yet.

Raiden: Whoa… that's… messed up. Seriously messed up…

Okay, you may resume your torture sequence now.

Raiden: What?! You're gonna leave me here like this?!

Just look at him. Do you think this scene is going anywhere?

Solidus: (stares blankly into space) Uh… 10 years old… Jack… 30?! Urgh… Enfant Terribles…

Raiden: …Ri~ght.

End

So that was the TRUTH. Has your brain shorted out yet? Theories on this apparent time-warp would be greatly appreciated.

[1]: The year MGS:II, Tanker chapter occurred is generally accepted to be 2007, 2 years after MGS. That sets the Plant chapter in 2009, 2 years after the Tanker incident.

[2]: From Metal Gear Solid, we learn that the Les Enfant Terribles 'twins' had been apart for 30 years. The year MGS happened was 6 years after MG2, which was in 1999, making the year 2005. So, working backwards, we can conclude that the Snakes were born in 1975, taking Liquid's words to mean they were separated at birth, as most fanfic authors assume.

[3]: "I think I was only six when I held my first AK..." - Raiden

[4]: My brother had a whimsical theory that Solidus was channeling Big Boss. It would have made sense... had it been possible.

 

Disclaimer: The script was taken from Gamefaqs dot com. MGS and everything related to it (even the odd time-warp) belong to Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and Hideo Kojima