Mei Ling
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| Mei Ling | |
|---|---|
 Mei Ling, circa 2005. | |
| Biographical information | |
| Nationality |  Chinese (Guangdong)  American
|
| Born | Late 1980s, United States [1] |
| Physical description | |
| Hair color | Black |
| Ethnicity | Asian |
| Height | 160 cm [1] (2005) |
| Career and family information | |
| Affiliations | NRO ENPIC U.S. Army SSCEN Philanthropy U.S. Navy |
| Occupation | Data analyst Naval officer |
| Metal Gear series information | |
| Appearances | Metal Gear Solid Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (cameo) Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots |
| Created by | Hideo Kojima |
| Voiced by (English) | Kim Mai Guest |
| Voiced by (Japanese) | Houko Kuwashima |
| Motion capture | Yumi Kikuchi |
Mei Ling (美玲, Pinyin: Měi Líng) was a Chinese-American data analyst who was on Solid Snake's support team during the Shadow Moses Incident. Nine years later, she became the captain of the USS Missouri, which was re-instated into active duty as a training vessel after several years on display in a museum.
Contents |
Biography
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Early lifeEdit
Mei Ling became well versed in many forms of literature, familiarizing herself with everything from Shakespeare to Chinese proverbs. She did this to help "keep in touch" with both sides of her heritage, as both her parents were from Guangdong, China, though she herself was born in America[2] and grew up in Chinatown.[1][3]
Mei Ling had always wanted to be a fighter pilot after she fell in love with jets, watching them in the movies, though she did not want to kill people. After learning that the U.S. Air Force needed pilots to perform battle damage assessments (BDAs), she decided to major in aerial photography and air intelligence at MIT, becoming an expert in her field,[2] and joined the ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps).[4] However, her dreams of becoming a pilot were crushed after she learned that there weren't any pilots who only did BDAs, along with failing an aptitude test, due to her poor vision.[2] Discovering that she was not suited to be an officer, she withdrew from the ROTC program.[4]
While still an undergraduate, Mei Ling worked alongside scientists from the NRO (National Reconnaissance Office) and ENPIC (International Photoanalysis Center) on image processing and satellite-based ELINT (electronic intelligence) and SIGINT (signals intelligence) research.[4] As a specialist in image and data processing, she developed the Soliton Radar and the Codec communication system. At some point, she also heard about the exploits of the legendary soldier Solid Snake.
Shadow Moses IncidentEdit
Added by BluerockBy the time of the 2005 Shadow Moses Incident, Mei Ling was still actively enrolled at MIT.[4] During said incident, she served as a data analyst on Solid Snake's radio support team, and was placed in charge of recording his mission data. She provided Snake with information on the Codec system and Soliton Radar, as well as offering advice through Chinese proverbs and quotations from Western authors.
During the incident, Mei Ling traced the source of Master Miller's Codec transmissions, revealing that the signal had originated within the base on Shadow Moses. However, her discovery that "Miller" was an enemy imposter came too late, as mission adviser Roy Campbell was unable to warn Snake before the latter unintentionally activated Metal Gear REX. Although the incident was ultimately resolved, Mei Ling made a hard copy of all the intelligence she had gathered, concerning the Pentagon conspiracy surrounding the mission, in order to protect Campbell and herself from any political fallout.
Post-Shadow MosesEdit
After 2005, Mei Ling started working for the U.S. Army SSCEN (Soldier Systems Center), a research and development center for the U.S. military.
The Manhattan IncidentEdit
See the Tanker Incident and the Big Shell Incident
In 2007, she helped out the anti-Metal Gear NGO Philanthropy, illegally appropriating equipment from the SSCEN. During one of these instances involving Natik flashware, Snake told Otacon to tell Mei Ling to quit, as the military would find out sooner or later. She was busy during the Tanker Incident, leaving Otacon a cheat sheet for deciphering Chinese proverbs every time Snake wanted to save (although Snake admitted that he didn't miss her). However, this plan did not work out as Otacon had "mislaid" the cheat sheet and kept misinterpreting the translations, leaving an annoyed Mei Ling to correct one of the proverbs for Snake.
Post-Big ShellEdit
After 2009, Mei Ling lost her position as a military researcher.
Added by BluerockLiquid Ocelot's InsurrectionEdit
See Liquid Sun, Solid Sun, Third Sun, Twin Suns, Old Sun, and Naked Sin/Naked Son
In 2014, Mei Ling became the commanding officer of the museum-turned-training vessel USS Missouri, with her promotion to captain being rumored to have been the result of her catching the eye of a lecherous admiral.
Mei Ling continued to aid Snake and Otacon through the procurement of satellite imagery, providing the location of Liquid Ocelot's facility in South America. After Liquid hijacked the Sons of the Patriots battlefield control system, she provided confirmation that he had returned to Shadow Moses Island, using data from Metal Gear Mk. II prior to its destruction. Mei Ling later had the Missouri journey to the island itself, arriving just in time to save Snake and Raiden from being crushed to death by Liquid's Outer Haven, and driving off the submersible warship with her ship's gunfire. She provided Snake and Otacon with backup during the subsequent assault on Haven at the Bering Sea. Shortly after Snake managed to destroy Haven's on-board AI, GW, she ordered the surrender of any resisting Haven forces on the Missouri.[5]
Afterwards, Mei Ling served as a bridesmaid at Johnny Sasaki and Meryl Silverburgh's wedding. Prior to the ceremony, she became tearful after witnessing Meryl's reconciliation with her estranged father, Roy Campbell. She later ended up losing the bouquet toss to Drebin's pet monkey, Little Gray, much to her chagrin.
Equipment developed (as of 2005)Edit
Behind the scenesEdit
Character Edit
According to Yoji Shinkawa, Mei Ling (Romaji: Mei Rin) was originally designed after the likeness of Japanese actress Shinobu Nakayama. In the original Japanese version of Metal Gear Solid, Mei Ling only quoted Chinese proverbs. The decisions to add Western quotes in the English version was based on a decision between Hideo Kojima and translator Jeremy Blaustein.
The Metal Gear Solid Official Mission Handbook states that Mei Ling joined the ROTC, and later worked alongside the NRO and ENPIC, while still an undergraduate. This is not mentioned in Metal Gear Solid or Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, but was later given in the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database.
Mei Ling makes a voice-only cameo in Metal Gear Solid 2; if the player saves the game on numerous occasions in the Tanker chapter, Mei Ling corrects a proverb that Otacon cannot seem to interpret. In the same scene, she also gets angry at Otacon for apparently not using the cheat sheets that she gave him in regards to deciphering Chinese proverbs.
Mei Ling also had a minor role in the non-canonical Snake Tales story "External Gazer," where she submitted reported citings of the Gurlugon, and in the ending, the Genola.
In Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2, Mei Ling spoke in a slightly exaggerated Chinese accent. In The Twin Snakes, Mei Ling's Chinese accent is eliminated, establishing that she has a more American accent. This accent is retained in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
It is a popular misconception that Mei Ling invented the whole of the technology behind the Soliton Radar system, due to the games and other official sources variously describing her as having designed, developed, or made it. While she does create the system used by Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid, it is also stated that it had been developed from then-currently existing technology, in reference to its susceptibility to enemy jamming.
Other appearances Edit
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mei Ling can be contacted while playing as Snake, using his Codec taunt. If the player contacts Mei Ling while fighting Pikachu, she will ask Snake to capture it for her. Keeping true to her character, she will also mention several Chinese proverbs in the case of opponents such as Captain Olimar, the Ice Climbers and so forth, with Snake doubting that they are actually proverbs. She is also usable as a sticker, which grants the player an increase of arm and leg attacks by 3.
When playing Metal Gear Online, Mei Ling has a unique quote (when the player types in <UNI01>). She states a famous Shakespeare quote: "...the tongues of dying men enforce attention like deep harmony. Where words are spent, they are seldom spent in vain." In addition, she is also a playable character of sorts in the MEME expansion. Although she herself cannot actually be playable on the current map, she is capable of using the Soliton Radar to spot enemies hiding behind areas, and then supply the information via SOP. In addition, because of her status as the captain of the USS Missouri in the main game, she is also capable of launching a missile strike on enemies from the USS Missouri on an area that she designates. Her cap is also a bonus head equipment for a character. If tranquilized, she'll sometimes says "I... just can't stop..."
In Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Mei Ling makes a cameo appearance as a poster mounted inside a cargo truck. In addition, the Soliton Radar appears in the game despite predating its debut appearance in Metal Gear Solid.
GalleryEdit
| Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots characters |
|---|
| Old Snake — Otacon — Raiden — Naomi Hunter — Big Mama Liquid Ocelot — Vamp — Drebin — Solidus Snake Roy Campbell — Sunny — Rosemary — Mei Ling — Little John Meryl Silverburgh — Ed — Jonathan — Johnny Laughing Octopus — Raging Raven — Crying Wolf — Screaming Mantis Psycho Mantis — Zero — Big Boss |
Notes and referencesEdit
- ^ a b c METAL GEAR SOLID (Japanese). Konami Digital Entertainment. Retrieved on 2013-04-19.
- ^ a b c Metal Gear Solid, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan (1998).
- ^ METAL GEAR SOLID: THE TWIN SNAKES. Konami Computer Entertainment Japan. Retrieved on 2013-04-19.
- ^ a b c d Metal Gear Solid 4 Database, Kojima Productions (2008).
- ^ Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Kojima Productions (2008).
Mei Ling: (over PA) Enough! Stop this pointless fighting! This is no war!
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