Reading Ripcords Mind

To make amends for not returning to base, Ripcord volunteers to have the cerebro-shell that was extracted from the dead Tucaro's brain implanted into his own with the hopes that they can trace the signal back to where Cobra is broadcasting them. After being successfully implanted with a cerebro-shell, Ripcord comes back to consciousness

 

Ripcord: Hey… hey guys…

 

Scarlett: Ripcord, are you ok?

 

Ripcord: I’m fine Scarlett. Killer headache though… What hit me?

 

Recondo immediately notices something.

 

Recondo: Look! We can see ourselves through his eyes!

 

Duke: And I bet all of Cobra is looking too. Close your eyes Ripcord!

 

Ripcord: I don’t get it? What’s happening?

 

Duke: Just close ‘em! That’s an order!

 

Ripcord does as ordered and closes his eyes

 

Scarlett: Rip, you’ve been implanted with a…

 

Suddenly Duke covers Scarlett’s mouth.

 

Duke: Don’t tell him! I’m sorry Ripcord, but we are going to have to blindfold you and plug your ears.

 

Ripcord: What? Why? What happened to me? What’s wrong?

 

Outback gets to work blindfolding Ripcord.

 

Duke: Let’s just say that you’ve become a liability to this mission. I wish there was another way but until we can be sure of anything, we can’t take any chances.

 

Ripcord: (The fear evident in his face) Scarlett?

 

Scarlett grabs Ripcord’s shoulder and squeezes it.

 

Scarlett: I’m here Rip. I’m here…

 

Duke talks quietly to Dataframe.

 

Duke: So how far away is that signal broadcasting?

 

Dataframe: Luckily not that far; about a full days hustle... But don’t forget that whoever is monitoring Ripcord’s thoughts can pinpoint his exact location. He doesn’t need to see anything through Ripcord’s eyes to know where we are. Ripcord knows he’s with us, and that’s enough to give them all the information they need. Look.., this cerebro-shell transmits everything in Ripcord’s mind. It’s up to the user to know how to control it. If I had different software, I could make him dance the boogaloo with his pecker tucked between his legs in front of the President!

 

Recondo: It’s not safe to leave him anywhere…

 

Outback finishes stripping Ripcord of weapons has him blindfolded with his ears plugged and his hands tied.

 

Outback: It’s a lot safer now. If he goes psycho, there’s not going to be much he can do.

 

Dataframe: But there’s no way we can sneak into a Cobra base with him around!

 

Duke: Now that we have the coordinates, I don’t suppose there’s anyway to take the shell out is there?

 

Dataframe: Not without him being dead. I have no idea what taking a live shell out of a live brain would do to his mind. Besides, with all due respect sir, I’m a technical specialist, not a damn doctor!

 

Barbecue: I could try cutting his head off in the way that it could be put back on. I have’na dunnit before but if Storm shadow can do it, it cannaw be too harrrrrrd.

 

Scarlett: That’s not going to happen Barbecue.

 

Duke: Once we get closer to the base, we’ll split up. Outback, I’ll need you to take care of Ripcord. The heat is going to be coming down on you, and that will be the diversion we need to sneak right in.

 

Outback: So I gotta keep me and Ripcord alive right next to the snake den with the spot light shining right on me? Sounds like fun…

 

Duke: If anyone can do it…

 

Dataframe: Ha! Look at this! I can access different levels of consciousness in his mind! This is his subconscious!

 

Duke: I don’t think you should be doing that…

 

Suddenly an image appears on the laptop of Ripcord and Scarlett.

 

Dataframe: Looks like he likes you, red!

Done