The door to the elevator opens with a thud, the two sides of metal screeching against the floor and walls as they reveal Light Containment Floor #3. The room it opened up into wasn't very large, only five meters from the elevator to the wall directly in front of it. It was more of a hallway, with two doors on either side of the room. That familiar alarm still blared throughout the facility, and the room was only illuminated by several, sporadically-placed dim, red lights. Immediately after the doors finished opening, D-9341 left the elevator and turned right, walking in a hurry towards the door.
"Uh, mister? Where are we going?" Twilight asked, following D-9341 through the right door and into another hallway.
"The only way out of this damn facility is through the Heavy Containment Zone. In order to get there, we need some supplies." D-9341 responded, stomping through the hallway and entering the next.
"The... Heavy Containment Zone? I just got here! What even IS this facility?!" Twilight yelled, stopping in place. D-9341 paused, before turning around to face Twilight.
"047? Do you-"
"Twilight."
"Sorry. Twilight, do you know anything about this facility?"
Twilight paused, racking her brain for answers.
"It's... uh, a top-secret research facility, I got that. It's dedicated to... securing and containing monsters and other creatures from the general public. Right?" Twilight responded, looking up at D-9341 nervously.
"Kind of. But it's not just monsters. Any and all creatures, objects or... anything, really, that either poses a threat to normalcy or human civilization as a whole. Anomalous objects, basically." D-9341 responded, leaning against a metal door. "And it's not just one facility. It's an organization, with hundreds of different facilities all over the world. We're in... what was it, Site-37? I'm not actually allowed to know most of this, but I did some snooping and I figure we're underneath Lake Mackay, Australia. Middle of nowhere. Perfect spot."
"Uh, 'Human Civilization'? Australia? What are those things?" Twilight asked curiously. D-9341 hesitated before responding.
"Uh, my species. Humans. And Australia's an island-continent. Basically, we're underneath a lake in the middle of an empty desert in the middle of a mostly barren island-continent in the middle of an ocean in the middle of nowhere. Like I said, perfect spot." D-9341 said, turning around and opening the door to the next room. This time, the room was a T-Shape, with a door both forward and to the left. Twilight blinked.
"Interesting. So, uh, is this place the facility where all the dangerous ones are stored?" Twilight asked, following D-9341 as he went left.
"Not exactly. In fact, from my intelligence, this facility isn't even supposed to hold any more objects than ten or twenty Safe and Euclid Class Anomalies. It's more of a research facility than anything. Apparently, some other splinter group attacked a bunch of facilities at once and stole a few objects, so the higher-ups decided to send a whole bunch of anomalies who's containment chambers were compromised in the attack here. This facility just couldn't handle such a load of objects." D-9341 said, pausing as he entered the next room. "And here we are."
Twilight began to examine her surroundings. The room she was standing in wasn't special or unique, basically the same exact thing. The only thing which really stood out was a door to the right, which looked very out of place. It had a sign above it reading 'Archive Room L-2'. D-9341 immediately took out his Janitor Keycard and tried to open the door.
"What SCPs do you know of?" Twilight asked as D-9341 opened the door to the Storage Room.
"Uh, a few. You've met Cap'n Crunch, but I believe SCP-131, SCP-106, and SCP-529 are also... here..." D-9341 trailed off, looking into the storage room in mild disbelief. "Speak of the devil."
Twilight looked around D-9341 in shock. The Archive Room itself was quite large, although basic- essentially consisting of about ten tall shelves stacked in a row, almost like a library. Sitting not too far away down the row you arrive in upon entering the room sat a cat. But not just any cat- it was, well, split in half. The cat itself was grey, with white paws and was standing perpendicular to Twilight. It's entire lower body and everything below the ribcage was completely gone, and in place was a completely smooth, black surface.
"Here, Josie Josie Josie!" D-9341 cooed, kneeling down and snapping his fingers to try and lure the half-cat towards him. "Hey, Twilight. Close the Archive Door. Here, take the keycard."
D-9341 handed Twilight the Janitor Keycard, before continuing to try and attract the cat. Twilight merely stood in shock for several more seconds before turning around and closing the door. By the time she had turned around, D-9341 had already attracted the cat and was currently stroking it's head.
"Awww. Who's a good girl? Adorable. Alright, now go on, then. Hope you'll be fine." D-9341 said, shooing the half-cat. The half-cat immediately jumped up and walked off somewhere else, disappearing from view behind a shelf. Twilight merely stood there, slack-jawed as D-9341 noticed.
"Heh. Bit surprised, huh? Can't blame you. That little girl's called 'Josie', or SCP-529. The half-cat. Now c'mon, we have work to do." D-9341 said, getting up from his uncomfortable position and walking away while Twilight gathered her bearings and followed.
"...Wh... what was that? How's that even possible?!" Twilight said, wide-eyed.
"Who knows? Like I said, anomalous objects and entities." D-9341 said, smiling as he browsed the shelves. Twilight immediately clamped her mouth shut in response, still wide-eyed. D-9341 paused for a second shortly afterward, browsing the documents.
"096... 096... ah, here we are. And, uh... here's 939. Here, read these." D-9341 said, handing Twilight two papers. Twilight immediately attempted to levitate them with her magic, but realized too late that she had ran out as the papers dropped to the floor. "...Nice." D-9341 said, rolling his eyes and walking off.
Twilight sighed and sat down, reading through the documents slowly as D-9341 went off somewhere else, looking through the shelves of supplies. Twilight grabbed a document after some difficulty with her hoof, reading through it slowly and deliberately.
Item #: SCP-096
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-096 is to be contained in its cell, a 5 m x 5 m x 5 m airtight steel cube, at all times. Weekly checks for any cracks or holes are mandatory. There are to be absolutely no video surveillance or optical tools of any kind inside SCP-096's cell. Security personnel will use pre-installed pressure sensors and laser detectors to ensure SCP-096's presence inside the cell.
Any and all photos, video, or recordings of SCP-096's likeness are strictly forbidden without approval from Dr. ███ and O5-█.
Description: SCP-096 is a humanoid creature measuring approximately 2.38 meters in height. Subject shows very little muscle mass, with a preliminary analysis of body mass suggesting mild malnutrition. Arms are grossly out of proportion with the rest of the subject's body, with an approximate length of 1.5 meters each. Skin is mostly devoid of pigmentation, with no sign of any body hair.
SCP-096's jaw can open to four (4) times the norm of an average human. Other facial features remain similar to an average human, with the exception of the eyes, which are also devoid of pigmentation. It is not yet known whether SCP-096 is blind or not. It shows no signs of any higher brain functions and is not considered to be sapient.
SCP-096 is normally extremely docile, with pressure sensors inside its cell indicating it spends most of the day pacing by the eastern wall. However, when someone views SCP-096's face, whether it be directly, via video recording, or even a photograph, it will enter a stage of considerable emotional distress. SCP-096 will cover its face with its hands and begin screaming, crying, and babbling incoherently. Approximately one (1) to two (2) minutes after the first viewing, SCP-096 will begin running to the person who viewed its face (who will from this point on be referred to as SCP-096-1).
Documented speeds have varied from thirty-five (35) km/h to ███ km/h, and seems to depend on distance from SCP-096-1. At this point, no known material or method can impede SCP-096's progress. The actual position of SCP-096-1 does not seem to affect SCP-096's response; it seems to have an innate sense of SCP-096-1's location. Note: This reaction does not occur when viewing artistic depictions (see Document 096-1).
Upon arriving at SCP-096-1's location, SCP-096 will proceed to kill and [DATA EXPUNGED] SCP-096-1. 100% of cases have left no traces of SCP-096-1. SCP-096 will then sit down for several minutes before regaining its composure and becoming docile once again. It will then attempt to make its way back to its natural habitat, [DATA REDACTED]
Due to the possibility of a mass chain reaction, including breach of Foundation secrecy and large civilian loss of life, retrieval of the subject should be considered an Alpha priority.
Dr. ███ has also petitioned for immediate termination of SCP-096 (see Interview 096-1). The order is awaiting approval. Termination order has been approved and is to be carried out by Dr. ███ on [DATA REDACTED]. See Incident-096-1-A.
Other Relevant Articles:
Interview 096-1
Document 096-1
Incident 096-1
Twilight gulped as she finished reading the document, putting it down in fear. Was this thing here, in this facility, waiting to kill her? She hoped it wasn't. She began to pick up the other document D-9341 had given her about 'SCP-939', when she heard D-9341 call out to her.
"Oh, shit. Hey, Twilight. Come and see this." D-9341 called out from a few meters away, in the corner of the room. Twilight quickly got up and gasped as her bad leg started to act up. She hadn't noticed it before due to the adrenaline rush of being unaware in an unsafe environment, but that sudden movement really showed her just how bad it was. As a matter of fact, it wasn't just her leg- her forehead really started to hurt as well. She didn't get any true sleep in hours, and she wasn't aware how long she was out in that Janitorial closet. Being knocked unconscious certainly didn't give as much rest as actually falling asleep.
Twilight grunted and put her hoof to her head, turning the corner and approaching D-9341. She stopped in shock at what she saw. Slumped against the wall, what was once a scientist with a white lab coat, was now a decomposed mess. The body was covered in a black, viscous goo, the same goo from back in the office. The body was entirely rotted and decomposed, several blackened tendons, muscles and bones showing through the skin and now black lab coat. The stench hit her like a brick wall as she approached, causing her to stumble back. The smell was somewhere between burnt chicken and rotten eggs. Whatever the case, it caused Twilight to dry heave for the seventeenth time since she arrived in this godforsaken facility.
"Wh- what happened to him?" Twilight asked, slowly approaching D-9341.
"He got grabbed by 106, I suspect. I overheard that Janitor and Scientist we stole the card from talking about him before you arrived. Apparently, he's an old man who can phase through walls, teleport people to pocket dimensions and corrode things with his sticky goo. This guy must have gotten jumped." D-9341 stated, turning towards Twilight. "But now that I look at you more clearly, what happened to you?"
Twilight looked at herself for a second. Sure enough, she had several visible bruises and cuts all over herself- not to mention matted and hard-sticky fur. Twilight bit her lip, racking her brain for an explanation that would satisfy D-9341. Something that wouldn't raise any suspicion.
"I fell."
Nice work, genius.
D-9341 raised one eyebrow in response, before rolling his eyes.
"Alrighty then. Okay, sit down now- you're only hurting yourself. We always keep medkits in these kinds of rooms... I'll see what I can find." D-9341 said, walking off to a nearby shelf. Twilight- albeit painfully- sat down, leaning against a shelf end and sighing. She really was a mess. She inhaled sharply as she tried to move her bad leg, causing a wave of pain to rack her body. She bit her lip to stifle a groan and started to rest as the pain subsided.
"Alright, I have a medkit here. Just hold on." D-9341 said, kneeling down at Twilight's side with a medkit. Quickly, he opened it up and scanned the supplies found there. He grabbed a small cloth and a small bottle of water from the medkit and soaked the cloth in water. He then took the cloth and pressed it against Twilight's forehead. Twilight inhaled sharply in response, gritting her teeth as the pain subsided.
"That feels better," Twilight said. "Thanks."
"No problem." D-9341 said, removing the cloth and wiping the cut free of blood. He then grabbed the gauze and quickly wrapped it around Twilight's head, effectively forming a bandage. He then turned towards her bad leg. Twilight bit her lips once more as D-9341 wrapped the gauze around her leg. He then quickly put a few bandages over any minor cuts Twilight had.
"Okay. I think that's about it... I can't do anything about the bruises, though. You feeling alright?" D-9341 said, standing up.
"...Uh, yeah. I think I'm alright." Twilight said, standing up with some minor difficulty. "Yeah, that feels much better. Thanks again."
Suddenly, something caught Twilight's eye. A small, yellow flash was seen, just for a second, in the coat pocket of the dead scientist. The very edge of what appeared to be a keycard stuck out from a mostly uncorroded part of his coat pocket.
"Uh, 9341? Look, I think there's a keycard over there." Twilight said, pointing towards the scientist. D-9341's eyes widened at the sight.
"Jackpot. Scientist Keycard."
D-9341 quickly approached the scientist, ignoring the horrible stench and kneeled down next to it. The pocket itself had very little corrosion, but a small stream was slowly making its way towards the keycard, not to mention just how close the corrosion already was to the keycard itself. If the corrosion hit the keycard, it would instantly be rendered useless. D-9341 made several rapid breaths, preparing to reach in and grab the card.
"Alright. Alright... Three, Two, One..." D-9341 said, before reaching into the pocket and grabbing the keycard in one, swift motion. He let out a cry as he stumbled back, his hand just barely nicking a drop of corrosion which quickly left a small burn mark on his hand. "G-got it! Ow..."
"Are you alright?!" Twilight asked, approaching D-9341 in worry.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. 'Tis but a scratch," D-9341 said with a chuckle, resulting in a questioning expression from Twilight. "Uh, nevermind. C'mon, let's go. This card will allow us to access the Low-Security Light Containment Euclid Testing Room. It's sure to have a better card in there."
"What's that?" Twilight asked as D-9341 grabbed another medkit from a shelf on the way.
"It's... well, there are multiple wings, zones, units and so on in an SCP Facility. We're in the Euclid Containment Wing. Basically, a whole bunch of Euclid SCPs are stored here. I believe we're in the low-security sector of that wing. The Testing Room is basically just the testing room for the section we're in." D-9341 said, leaving the Archive Room with a blink before scanning the environment for any threats, and deducing there aren't any, headed off.
"So, uh, is that a good thing?" Twilight asked.
"Well, half-yes, half-no. You see, the only way out of here is through the Heavy Containment Zone. The only entrances to the Heavy Containment Zone from the Light Containment Zone are on Floor 1. The Facility has been locked down, so we need to disable the-" D-9341 started. He stopped mid-way through his statement, interrupted by concrete shuffling from the other side of a wall. He listened intently as the sound of concrete against concrete slowly faded into oblivion.
"...Uh, sorry. Cap'n Crunch. But anyway- we need to disable the Light Containment Zone Lockdown, fast. It should be in the Electrical Room, or the Surveillance Room. They're the same things, anyway." D-9341 said, opening the door into a four-way intersection, with a dead body slumped over near the left door. They both ignored it as a small pool of blood formed underneat the body.D D-9341 thought for a moment before turning right.
"What's the rush? Uh, I mean, besides the obvious." Twilight asked curiously as D-9341 opened the next door.
"Didn't you hear? This is a Full-Site Lockdown. A Class B3, to be precise. Now, I'm not an expert on what that means, but I'm certain that-" D-9341 tried to say, before being interrupted once more, this time by the intercom.
"This is an automated message from the Site Director Office. As per the requirements of a Class B3 Lockdown, Light Containment Zone will undergo a complete decontamination procedure in T-180 Minutes. All organic materials in Light Containment will be purged from the facility. All Ventilation Shafts in Light Containment are now being locked down. The Air Conditioning Systems have been shut down to conserve energy, as we are currently operating on Emergency Generator power only. We advise all personnel currently in Light Containment to seek out your nearest Evacuation Shelter or enter Heavy Containment immediately. Thank you."
"...Fucking shit! See, THAT'S why! C'mon, hurry up. We need to find the testing room ASAP." D-9341 said, picking up his pace. Twilight followed him through the winding and turning tunnels, halls, paths and rooms that made up the maze that was Site-37. 'All organic materials will be purged'? Twilight wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but she had a few guesses. Also, all ventilation shafts were locked down? At least that meant that SCP-173 wouldn't be surprising her through there anytime soon. Thank Celestia for that. But it also meant the facility was getting quite stuffy and warm, especially taking into consideration the whole 'Air Conditioning' bit.
D-9341 opened another door, leading to another standard hallway. However, something stuck out about this one. It seemed to have something in the middle of it. Dead-center of the hallway there was a blue-ish gate, stretching from top to bottom to left to right of the hallway. On occasion, a small spark will fly out of it. A faint humming sound could be heard. D-9341 paused as he saw it.
"Uh, what's this?" Twilight asked, approaching the gate.
"Wait, wait! Don't go near it!" D-9341 said, pulling Twilight back. "It's, uh... a Tesla Coil, I believe. A very new addition. These things were placed sporadically throughout the facility, and in the event of a breach, they were supposed to turn on and zap anything that didn't walk exactly like a human being." Twilight's ears flattened against her head as she heard that.
"...So, basically, I can't head through it. Is there any way around?" Twilight asked.
"Not any way that I know of. And it's not just you, either. Nobody can pass through these things. They were faulty, and zap anything that moves even the slightest bit different than the person who created them. They were supposed to be removed, but then... you know, the whole breach thing happened." D-9341 stated, slowly approaching the Tesla Coil. "Fuck."
Suddenly, Twilight's ears perked. She heard something approaching, fast. Somebody was behind the door, running towards them, their footsteps heavy against the concrete floor. A human woman, wearing a white lab coat, burst through the door and towards them, panting heavily, before rushing through the Tesla Coil.
Instantly, the Coil went off, causing a huge wave of electricity to fly out from either side of the gate, connecting to the human woman's body. A flash of light burned its way into Twilight's retinas, but only for a second, and as the light faded, Twilight could see the now lifeless, smoldering and charred body of the woman standing up for a split second before her legs gave way. Her momentum kept her going, causing her to collapse and roll around on the floor. She finally came to a stop at the feet of D-9341, her hair, fingers and lab coat burned to a crisp, and a faint wisp of smoke rising from her body.
Twilight jumped back in terror, letting out a short scream at the sight before a monotone voice, originating from the Tesla Coil trumped hers.
"Tesla Coil Activated. Hostile eliminated. Rebooting Systems... Recharging Tesla... Tesla recharged."
Twilight stood in shock, gazing at the smoldering body that had once been a living, breathing person.
"Oh, fuck. See? Like I said, defective. But this gives me an idea..." D-9341 said before he slowly approached the Tesla Coil. As he approached, Twilight felt the electricity in the air rise, her fur standing on end.
"Wh- What the hell are you doing?! Stop!" Twilight screamed, rushing after D-9341.
"Wait, wait! Just hold on. I know what I'm doing." D-9341 said, holding out his hand to Twilight to prevent her from coming closer. "Just watch."
D-9341 approached extremely close to the Tesla Coil, mere inches further and the thing would undoubtedly go off. And then, he waved his hand outwards, moving it within the Tesla Coil for just a second before pulling it back out. The Tesla Coil activated, sending out a charge of electricity which blinded Twilight for just a second. When Twilight regained her vision, D-9341 was on the other side.
"Hurry, come across before it recharges!" D-9341 called out, urging Twilight to rush forward.
"Tesla Coil Activated. Hostile eliminated."
Twilight stood there, frozen for a second before rushing out towards the coil.
"Rebooting Systems..."
She reached the coil.
"Recharging Tesla..."
She passed the Tesla Coil, and as she did so, she could swear she felt the electricity in the air rise as it recharged.
"Tesla Recharged."
She just barely managed to cross the Coil when it activated once more, blasting her towards D-9341, barely singing her tail. She collided with D-9341, both of them rolling around on the floor before smashing into the far wall. Twilight immediately jumped up and started yelling.
"Wh- what kind of idea was that?! I nearly died!" Twilight screamed.
"Well, it worked, didn't it?" D-9341 stated matter-of-factly, smiling before turning around and leaving the hallway. "Now, c'mon. We're almost at the testing room!"
Twilight just stood there, slack-jawed as the same Tesla recharged. Shaking her head in disapproval, she followed D-9341 towards the Low-Security Light Containment Euclid Testing Room.
"Here we are."
Twilight and D-9341 stood in front of the Testing Room door, located in the side of a long, albeit cramped, hallway. The door itself was constructed entirely out of metal, with a small slot for a keycard located to the right. A sign above the Door itself said 'Low-Security Light Containment Euclid Testing Room'.
Sighing, D-9341 slid the keycard into the slot, causing the doors to slide open with a bang. It lead to another, much smaller chamber, with two doors on either side. D-9341 quickly marched in and pressed a button, opening the second door. Immediately, D-9341 stumbled backwards in shock, eyes bulging.
"What is it?" Twilight asked, nervously looking back and forth.
"Come here right now!" D-9341 demanded, moving over slightly to give Twilight space to look into the room. As Twilight did, she too stumbled back, eyes widening.
The second door lead to a small chamber, with several desks and other items, including a shelf. The chamber was only about eight meters wide and five meters long, with a large glass plane in the far wall from Twilight's vantage point. The glass plane revealed a small testing room, layered with steel and containing none other than SCP-173.
"Don't break eye-contact." D-9341 said, slowly entering and searching the room.
"But- why not? I mean, he's behind the glass! He can't get-" Twilight said.
And then the lights went out with a blink, just for a second.
Concrete shuffling immediately preceded the sound of glass shattering.
The lights came back on.
SCP-173 had apparently heard Twilight's remark and broke through the glass plane, mere inches from D-9341. Glass shards covered the floor. Twilight screamed and stumbled back in fear. D-9341 reacted swiftly and fixed his eyes on SCP-173, not daring to move them. Slowly backing up, he searched a nearby shelf with his hand. His hand made contact with a thin piece of plastic. Quickly grabbing them, he backed out of the room, pressing the button and watched intently as the door closed with a small puff of dust before SCP-173 began scrambling around the room once more.
"D-damn it. That was close." D-9341 stated, heaving and breathing heavily, putting his hands on his knees while leaning against the door. "Didn't you hear what I said?!"
"The lights went out!" Twilight said, scrambling back up to stand up straight.
"...Uh, yeah. I suppose it wasn't your fault. Sorry about that. C'mon, we have to go. Remember? Three hours until this entire Zone gets flooded with anti-organic agents. Follow me, we got the Major Scientist Card." D-9341 said, rushing out of the testing chamber. Twilight took a moment to catch her breath before following.
"...Wow. That guy really isn't happy." Twilight said, perking her ears as she listened to SCP-173 scuffing up the room inside, scratching at the doors and knocking over the shelves. With the ventilation shafts down, he had no way out.
"No kidding. I would be angry, too. Now c'mon. We have to move." D-9341 said, sighing as he went towards the exit of the hallway, Twilight following. Entering the next room, Twilight looked around. It wasn't anything special, with two possible directions to take, one right and one forward. D-9341 spent a moment thinking before trying to head forward but hesitating, looking up. Twilight tried to ask what was wrong, but stopped herself and perked her ears. She heard a sort of sloshy sound, like something passing through wet sand coming from above her. Looking up, she stared in confusion.
A black corrosion spot was gradually getting bigger on the ceiling. Twilight just barely managed to see the tip of someone's hand peaking through it. Within seconds, the rest of the body came, too; what appeared to be a guard, with a completely corroded and blackened body, fell through the ceiling, coming down towards Twilight fast.
D-9341 and Twilight just barely managed to dive out of the way as the body hit the floor, causing a wave of that same black substance to wash over the floor near the impact site. Falling backwards, Twilight stared in shock at the body. The left arm was completely missing, and the black vest completely corroded into a pulp. The head was held on by a sliver of flesh, the normally golden visor cracked, blackened and corroded. A single, blue, lifeless eye stared at Twilight through the crack, causing Twilight to scream to horror.
And then the lights went out once more.
"H-hold on, Twilight! Don't move!" D-9341 called out to her, panic evident in his wavering voice. A deep, booming laughter of an old man echoed from somewhere mere meters away from Twilight. Twilight immediately put her hoof in her mouth to stifle a scream. An odd sloshing sound came from the direction of the body, and then vanished, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.
Seconds later, the lights came back on, revealing that the body had completely disappeared, and in its place was a huge puddle of black goop, corroding the floor underneath it. In the few seconds it had been there, it had transformed the middle of the room into a huge, gaping hole- or at least something that looked like one. Twilight immediately scooted back away from it, her ears flattening against her skull as she could swear she heard faint whispering and screaming coming from the puddle.
"...Holy shit. That was... Twilight, we have to move, now! Come to where I am!" D-9341 called out to Twilight, jumping up and gesturing for Twilight to come over. Twilight sighed and flexed her wings, taking to the sky to avoid contact with the puddle that now covered the intersection entirely, heading towards D-9341. D-9341 blinked in response.
"...You can fly?" D-9341 said as Twilight landed, giving her a look of awe and confusion.
"Uh, yes? I have wings." Twilight stated, flexing her wings once more. D-9341 simply gave a 'deer in the headlights' look, muttered a silent 'oh' and turned around to the door, opening it. Twilight giggled in response, following D-9341.
"What, did you seriously not notice?" Twilight said, smiling as D-9341 walked down the hallway.
"...Uh, I didn't, really... yeah. It just never crossed my mind." D-9341 stated, scratching the back of his head nervously.
"Oh, really? Aren't you observant?" Twilight giggled as D-9341 entered the next room.
"Uh, okay. So... ah, here it is. SCP-914." D-9341 stated, gesturing towards a huge, metal door with a giant 'X' across it, just like SCP-173's Containment Chamber door. D-9341 took out his Major Scientist Card and slid it into a nearby slot, opening the doors to reveal an odd machine. It had two doors, both wide open on either side, with the words 'Input' and 'Output' written across each. In the center, a giant box of metal, gears and all sorts stood, with one single dial in the middle of it all.
"What- what's this thing?" Twilight asked, gesturing towards SCP-914. D-9341 merely rolled his eyes in response.
"There's a document on it over there, I believe." D-9341 said, pointing towards a shelf on the right side of the room. Twilight immediately walked over to it and began reading as D-9341 put his keycard into the machine.
Item #: SCP-914
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: Only personnel who submit a formal request and receive approval from site command may operate 914. SCP-914 is to be kept in research cell 109-B with two guard personnel on duty at all times. Any researchers entering 109-B are to be accompanied by at least one guard for the entirety of testing. A full list of tests to be carried out must be given to all guard personnel on duty; any deviation from this list will result in termination of testing, forcible removal of personnel from 109-B, and formal discipline at site command’s discretion.
WARNING: At this time, no testing of biological matter is allowed. Refer to document 109-B:117. Applying the “Rough” setting to explosive materials is not advised.
Description: SCP-914 is a large clockwork device weighing several tons and covering an area of eighteen square meters, consisting of screw drives, belts, pulleys, gears, springs and other clockwork. It is incredibly complex, consisting of over eight million moving parts comprised mostly of tin and copper, with some wooden and cloth items observed. Observation and probing have showed no electronic assemblies or any form of power other than the “Mainspring” under the “Selection Panel”. Two large booths 3mx2.1mx2.1m (10ftx7ftx7ft) are connected via copper tubes to the main body of SCP-914, labeled “Intake” and “Output”. Between them is a copper panel with a large knob with a small arrow attached. The words Rough, Coarse, 1:1, Fine, and Very Fine are positioned at points around the knob. Below the knob is a large “key” that winds the “mainspring”.
When an object is placed in the Intake Booth, a door slides shut, and a small bell sounds. If the knob is turned to any position and the key wound up, SCP-914 will “refine” the object in the booth. No energy is lost in the process, and the object appears to be in stasis until the Output Booth door is opened. Intense observation and testing have not shown how SCP-914 accomplishes this, and no test object has ever been observed inside SCP-914 during the “refining” process. The process takes between-
Suddenly, a bell started to ring, and the doors to SCP-914 closed, distracting Twilight Sparkle from her reading. D-9341 had his hands around the key and had just released it, activating SCP-914. The gears began to turn, and several pulleys and other devices began spinning, creating a sort of mechanical opera.
"What are you doing?" Twilight asked.
"Upgrading our keycard," D-9341 said nonchalantly as SCP-914 whirred into action, a small vent letting out steam. "I figure we can make a better one by using the 'Fine' Setting."
Twilight Sparkle got up from her seat, and, putting the document down, walked up to D-9341, observing SCP-914's intricacies closely. It was mind-blowingly complex, she got that part down- and honestly, she couldn't even begin to fathom how this worked. Suddenly, D-9341 looked towards Twilight with concern.
"Uh, Twilight, did you read that document I gave you earlier?" D-9341 asked.
"...What, you mean 914, 096, or 939?"
"The latter. 096 and 939."
"Uh, I read SCP-096's Document, but not 939's. Why?"
"Oh, god damn it. I told you to read it!"
"You called me over! I was about to before that happened."
"Uh, right. Sorry."
The two stood there in silence for a minute as SCP-914 did its work.
"So. What IS SCP-939?" Asked Twilight, looking towards D-9341.
"SCP-939? I don't know much, really. I didn't read the document in full myself- but if I recall, it's not just one creature. Several creatures, I believe. More than a hundred. Only about- what, thirty of them were stored here after the attack and relocation. The rest of them probably went to some base in India or Indonesia." D-9341 stated, leaning against SCP-914. "Maybe Antarctica."
"What are all of those places?"
"What, SCP-93- oh. India's a large country, full of jungles and exotic culture. The land itself is a huge peninsula. If I recall, the second largest peninsula in the world. Indonesia is just a bunch of islands extremely close to here, and Antarctica? Just a huge, frozen wasteland down south."
"Huh. Interesting."
"But anyway. Back on the subject of SCP-939. They're large, red, endothermic reptiles- with huge teeth. The worst part is that they can mimic speech, and often times use the voices of their past victims. Completely blind, though, so they can only see you if you get too close or make too much noise."
"That's... horrifying. How do you know all this?"
"Like I said, I did some snooping."
"Gotcha."
The two stood there, waiting as SCP-914 whirred and buzzed, the machinery refining their keycard into a better one, hopefully. Silence reigned for at least another minute.
"What's your name?" Twilight asked.
"Pardon?"
"Your name. Like, your real name. It can't be D-9314, can it?"
D-9314 opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, racking his brain.
"I... I'm not sure." D-9314 said, scratching his head.
"Wh-what? How can you just 'not be sure'?!"
"...I don't know. They... they must have done something. I recall them being able to use amnesiacs, or something like that." D-9314 said, sighing. "I think... it was Benjamin. Benjamin... something. I don't know." Silence.
"I'm sorry."
"Oh, no. It's fine. I just... oh, nevermind."
Silence once more, except for the occasional whir of SCP-914, beginning to slow down.
"What's your full name?" D-9314 asked, looking at Twilight Sparkle.
"Uh, Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle." Twilight responded, looking in the opposite direction.
"Really? Heh, that's a bit... excessive, isn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's... It's just that- oh, nevermind. It's... it's a nice name, is all."
"Thank you."
Silence.
Finally, SCP-914 began to settle down, the gears whirring to a stop before the doors opened with a ding.
"Finally." D-9314 said, before moving over to the 'Output' slot of SCP-914. Looking inside, he gasped. "Yes! I was right! Look, it's a Zone Manager Card now!" D-9314 picked up the card in celebration.
"What, that's good?"
"Yeah, of course! Now we can access the, uh... the Electrical... room..." D-9314 trailed off, looking around nervously. Twilight was about to ask what he was so jittery about, but stopped herself and perked her ears. She could just barely hear a faint sloshing sound, quickly approaching from behind the right wall, where D-9314 was standing.
"Do you hear tha-" D-9314 began to say. But before he could finish, a man- an old man- seemingly phased into existence, simply walking through the right wall, appearing mere decameters away from D-9314, his harsh breathing echoing throughout the chamber. SCP-106, Twilight presumed. SCP-106 immediately phased through the floor behind D-9314, chuckling as he grabbed D-9314's calf with his thin, bony hands. D-9314 immediately screamed, flailing his arms around and dropping the keycard in a blind panic, attempting to find something to grab onto as the old man dragged him into the floor.
"Wh-OH MY CELES- WHAT DO I DO?!" Twilight screamed, reaching out with her hoof to try and allow D-9314 something to grab onto, trying to funnel all her magic into pulling D-9314 out of the floor. By this point, SCP-106 had completely disappeared beneath the floor and D-9314 was waist deep in a puddle of the corrosive liquid, which quickly made work of him.
"AHH! G-GRAB THE CARD! RUN! RUN! RU-AHHHHH!" D-9314 screamed in pain, but before he could finish his sentence, a single, wet, slimy hand reached out from the floor and grabbed D-9314's head, laughing as he pulled him under. The immense force pulling D-9314 into the puddle caused D-9314's grip to loosen just enough for him to slide into the puddle, which let out a small bubble before silence. Twilight stared in shock at where D-9314 had once been, the same person who she had come to know as her hero of sorts. Without him, undoubtedly she would either be a corroded puddle of flesh on the ground or simply dead, with a neck the wrong way around. Granted, the former was still a possibility.
Shortly after, the same old man popped his nasty, ugly face up from the ground, smiling with horrible yellow teeth, the only thing about him that wasn't dark and slimy. Twilight screamed in fear, stumbling backwards as SCP-106 slowly climbed out of the ground, his breaths both deep and shallow at the same time, an almost omnipresent sound that sent chills up her spine.
Twilight immediately began scrambling up, grabbing the keycard with her mouth and just ran. She just ran in a blind animal panic to escape, on pure instinct. She practically skidded out of SCP-914's Chamber, SCP-106 still in hot pursuit despite only walking to catch her. She turned back the way she came, screaming in terror the whole way. Her breaths were quick and shallow, each step she took burning both her legs and her lungs with what felt like hellfire. But she couldn't stop now.
Each door she came to, she had to press the button and then wait for the door to open. This easily allowed SCP-106 to catch up, despite her speed. His thin, bony hands, covered in sticky goo were practically touching her each and every time. Then she arrived at the Tesla Coil. Sucking in a breath, she ran towards it, the breathing of SCP-106 being left several meters behind her. She waved her hoof in front of it, activating the coil and blinding her, her retinas screaming as the light entered them. She didn't even wait to regain vision before she ran through the coil, tripping over the body of the woman from earlier and collapsing onto the floor, unable to move another inch.
"Tesla Coil Activated. Rebooting Systems... Recharging Tesla... Tesla Recharged."
Turning back the way she came, she looked in horror as SCP-106 stood at the end of the hallway, the way she had just come. It wasn't even moving; it knew it had her. And indeed it did. Twilight couldn't move another muscle without her bad leg practically screaming in agony. It took all her willpower just to keep her from doing so now, with her leg already coursing with unbearable pain. Her eyes wide-eyed and heart moving at a thousand miles an hour, SCP-106 slowly approached, smiling.
This was it.
She was going to die.
She thought back to all of her friends, all of those days she had taken them for granted. Months. She had been working on that damn spell for months, barely saying a word to them before she activated it. And now she was never going to see any of them again. Her last words to them? 'Could you please leave me alone? I need to finish this.'
She did finish it.
And Celestia knows she wishes she hadn't.
She didn't hold back as she felt tears pour from her eyes. Why? Why hadn't she had spent more time with them? She... she was obsessed with the spell. But it wasn't like it was necessary... she could have had breaks. She could have and she would have if she knew it would be the last time they would ever meet... They would never know what happened to her. What if... what if they thought she had left? Had just run away, that she didn't care for them anymore? She couldn't bear that thought. And... Spike. Oh, Spike. How was he going to react when they told him she had just... vanished? Just left him? She hoped it would be quick. But judging from what the thing had done to her friend, she doubted it would be.
She cried.
And she closed her eyes.
"Tesla Coil Activated. Hostile Eliminated."
Twilight slowly opened her eyes, tears still streaming down her cheeks like a waterfall. Slowly directing her gaze towards the Tesla Coil, she found... nothing. A small corrosion spot near the Tesla Coil... and nothing else. SCP-106 was nowhere to be seen. Her mind was racing and her eyes slowly darted around the room, trying to figure out where he had gone. But yet, no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find him. The only conclusion she could draw was that the Tesla Coil had either killed him or made him disappear into the floor.
She lay there, her leg on fire and tears streaming down her cheeks for what seemed like forever, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Her friend had... he... he was dead. He was gone.
She dropped the keycard from her mouth, watching as it clanked against the concrete floor. She stared at it for a minute before closing her eyes once more, trying to console herself. She slowly attempted to stand up, her heart still beating at a hundred miles an hour. She groaned in pain as every muscle in her body screamed at her to stop. But she kept going. Slowly pushing herself up, biting her lip to the point where it bled to stifle another scream, she straightened her legs out, before leaning against the wall for a second to catch her breath. She thought back to all her friends and Spike, who she had left behind in the dust to finish her project
And with that, she made a decision.
She was going to see her friends again.
She was going to get out of here.
And she was going to go home.
No matter what.