(16) Under the Knife
*Beep*
*Beep*
*Beep*
Flurry’s eyes opened up and she gasped for air. As she looked at the ceiling of the darkened room, she became acutely aware of the sounds in the room. The constant beeping of a ‘Heart Monitor’ as she had been told by one of the doctors during their visits to her. Her heavy breathing. And finally the mechanical whirl of the room and most likely the rest of the facility.
“How long…?” Her head turned right and looked at the door. Blocking her view was a metal bar, ‘Not my bed,’ She noted in her mind. She shook her head and refocused on the door, there was light spilling into the room from under it, “have I been out?” She turned left, her half-lidded eyes scanned the room passed the metal bar of the gurney. It wasn’t the same room she went to sleep last night. ‘If it even is the night!’ She told herself as the feeling of sleep began to leave her, ‘For all I know, I could be two in the afternoon!’
Flurry Heart instinctively sat up in a somewhat more comfortable position. Flurry laid her head back on the pillow and looked back at the ceiling. ‘I feel like...’ She sighed, ‘I just need to go back to sleep, to contact Luna and tell her what is happening. They need to know if…’
Thinking of her Aunt had sparked memories of her and her family and friends. ‘If I’m okay…’ she finished her thought,’ She closed her eyes and thought back to her family. She hadn’t really been thinking about them in the recent days, and, seeing as her condition was, as the humans had told her, extremely vulnerable. She glanced around the room again, ‘They must’ve moved me to a new room overnight.’ She thought to herself, ‘They must’ve done it a dozen times.’
A slight sting of pain whisked through her right forehoof. ‘Oh yeah,’ She thought to herself, ‘That.’ She grimaced.
The princess chanced a look at her right forehoof, where the doctors had told her she was infected. It was covered with a white cloth. Maybe that was a small mercy, she couldn’t see what was going to kill her at least. It was better than that creature strangling her again. Or, some other creature that would be happy to end her life.
A thought hit Flurry that made her laugh. ‘I am going to die because of some infection,’ She thought, ‘In a place full of monsters and murderers.’ She laughed again and would’ve continued to laugh, but her laugh ended in with her wheezing and coughing. There was a pit in her throat, followed by a growl from her gut. ‘When was the last time I ate?’ she asked herself.
The need to cough came back, she and she did. She could feel her throat beginning to fill up with a substance, one that burned, ‘Ow…’ She thought. Flurry brought her good forehoof up and rubbed her throat, ‘That really sti-’ It began to travel up her throat like it has a mind of its own.
The white Alicorn’s eyes widened and she turned over fast, then she heaved. Black and brown ooze vomited up from her stomach and landed on the ground. She shivered, swallowed, then…
Huuuuuuuuuuuuuurg…
More of the dark substance left her body. Flurry continued to deeply breathe in and out. The Urge to vomit didn’t return, and, after a minute, she fell back onto the bed, exhausted. It was like all her energy had been sapped from her body.
The door slid up and open, light poured into the darkroom, Flurry faintly heard the sound of voices speaking. Her eyes wrapped around to the human to her left, white lab coat on. His mouth was moving, but she couldn’t hear anything.
Flurry’s eyes followed the doctor as he got up. He was talking to another one across the table, voices, or at least parts of a conversation began to trickle through her mind.
“Her condition is quite serious… We should get… down here now.” The doctor she was looking at said. “She’ll get better… monitor her condition and…”
“... minor sedative then.” A female voice said this time, “And move her to a new…” There was a pause, Flurry thought in the voice, “And get some of that down to the lab and… it might be useful for...”
“Flurry Heart!” Flurry opened her eyes. A giant white void surrounded her. “Flurry!”
The voice was soft, yet harsh. She knew that voice, “Aunt Luna?” She asked, her voice full of hope. “Is that you!?” The world slowly materialized around her. The cobblestone streets, various stalls and buildings, ‘The Crystal City.’
“Oh thank the stars!” Luna said as she descended next to Flurry Heart and wrapped her forehooves around her in a hug. Flurry returned the hug and smiled gingerly, “We have nearly given up hope of seeing you!” Her aunt added.
“What?” Flurry asked, “I… We spoke not too long ago I thought?” The youngest Alicorn asked. She pulled out of the tightening hug. “Right?”
Luna also pulled out of the hug, and looked down at Flurry Heart. “Young Flurry,” Luna said with a hint of her old equish accent, “We- I… I haven’t been able to sense in the dream world for a month.”
Flurry remained silent. Dumbstruck by the fact.
“I… don’t know how, but, you are back,” Luna added, “There is a great unease in you Flurry,” She paused, “I am sorry, is there anything that I should know?”
“Um… yeah!” Flurry blurted out, not really hearing all of Princess Luna’s statement, “It’s just… I’ve been just… gone for a month.”
“Yes,” Luna answered, “Your parents were worried that I was starting to think I would need to start lying to them about you being-” Princess Luna caught herself, “I uh… well, I won’t need to do that now.” She went up and hugged her niece again, “I am just elated to see that you are unharmed.” She pulled out of the hug when it was not returned, and gave Flurry a concerned look.
That stung Flurry, “I have… a disease, Luna.”
“A disease?”
“Yeah… they… don’t have a cure for it,” Luna didn’t need to ask who they were, “They don’t even know what it is, but it has something to do with the creature that attacked me, back in the palace.” Luna nodded in acknowledgment.
“We are still working on retrieving you from their grasp,” Luna stated, “Do you have any idea where you are?”
Flurry shook her head, “I haven’t even seen the outside since I got taken,” She said, “For all I know, they’ve been moving me in my sleep.”
“That is disconcerting.”
“Yeah,” Flurry replied, “It is.” She looked back up at her aunt, “But, they’re trying to cure me, or. At least I think they are.” Flurry smiled, “They’ve shown me some of their other SCP’s y’know?”
“Oh really,” Luna returned the smile, “I assume by the smile on your face, they are all not terrible monsters?”
“No,” Flurry stated, “Some of them are actually really cool.”
“Well,” Luna sat down on her haunches, “I would be delighted to hear about them.”
Paige was always cool when she was doing a given task. Whether that be performing surgery to a robotic child or watching some old man getting cut up while on tape to the point that blood is spewing out of him. This time, she was sweating.
“Alright,” She breathed out through her face mask, “Making the incision,” Now Senior Researcher Paige stated as she brought the scalpel to the edge of the brown and blackened flesh. In her other hand, she brought a pair of tweezers and clapped them down on the edge of the bullet entry hole. Paige took the blade and then sliced a piece of the infected tissue off of the unconscious pony.
She carefully placed the skin in a test tube. An assistant took the tube and placed it with the others. Paige stood up and rubbed your face. The 05 who was watching her was standing in the back of the room. She looked to the other researcher, “Take half and put them in cold storage,” She ordered, “Then give a few to 049. We’ll begin testing after lunch.”
“Of course ma’am.” She replied before taking the cart full of tubes of flesh away.
She looked back at the 05, who had already begun to walk towards her, “Well done,” 05-9 said, “I couldn’t have done it better myself.” He said as he glanced at Flurry Heart. He smiled at her and nodded before walking out of the operating theatre. The metal door sliding shut behind him. She sighed, ‘For an 05, he’s pretty laid back,’ She thought, ‘Still scares the shit out of me.’
The door opened and the doctor walked in. She stood up and straightened her back, “Redress the wound and monitor her condition,” She directed, “If there are any new symptoms, get a hold of me immediately.” The doctor nodded.
“Of course ma’am.”
“Okay,” She replied, “Have her ready in one hour then, we’ll need her conscious too. God only knows how much anesthetic one can take.”
He nodded again. “Alright, ma’am.” He repeated.
She walked out of the room, stripping off the bloody gloves and facemask and putting them in the incinerator. ‘Ma’am.’ She repeated in her mind, ‘I hate that word.’ It was just… too much for her taste. She walked along the winding corridors of Site 45 to her quarters. The door to her room slid up and open, followed by her tired yawn.
And as much as she wanted to fall asleep, she glanced at the time on her laptop, ‘Only 02:22, I thought it was later.’ She couldn’t, she had a job to do. She plopped herself down at her desk and began to plan the newest rounds of tests.
‘Let’s see, we still need to test the effects against Amoxicillin, Doxycycline, Cephalexin, Ciprofloxacin, Clindamycin, Metronidazole, Azithromycin, Sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim. What fun!’ She typed out the request to 05-9 and the site quartermaster and sent the email. She looked at the monitor on the other side of the laptop that showed the cell of 049.
She had made a point to avoid the object as much as possible and always send a subordinate to address it. 049 said that whatever was infecting Flurry has very similar properties to the pestilence and that it would assist in finding a way to reverse the effects of the infection.
That was the only good news to come out of all the testing as of late.
Each sample of the infection they had introduced to any form of medicine was, at first, successful, slowly killing the infection and halting its growth. But then it would explode. It would multiply at an exponential rate. ‘It’s like a cruel joke or… or some sort of trap,’ She rested her face in her hands, ‘If anyone had rendered any type of antibiotic, she’d be dead by now.’
She shook her head, ‘What did 106 do to you?’
Paige closed the laptop and stood up. She made her way to her bed. ‘There’s always an explanation.’
Paige spoke into the recording device, “This is Senior Researcher Allison Paige, ID number: 876121, testing SCP 427’s effects on what is believed to be a poisonous secretion of SCP 106, henceforth referred as SCP 106-I. The test subject is a Pony of the Alicorn subspecies, approximately 12 to 13 years old. The subject has received a physical wound, a bullet fired through its front right hoof. And an Infection, possibly transmitted by SCP 106 has infected the subject’s Respiratory, Circulatory, Digestive and Immune Systems.” She put the recording device down on the metal tray. “For this test, the subject was placed into a medically induced coma as to avoid any pain or disturbance.”
She reached for the locket. “Introducing SCP 427. The total time of exposure test will be approximately five minutes. Scans for SCP 106-I throughout the body at 1-second intervals.” Paige pressed the button on the scanning machine.
The blonde researcher placed the locket on Flurry Heart’s chest. Paige ground her teeth together. She had heard what happened to the people who had left these things open too long. ‘I am NOT going to become a giant flesh monster.’ She told herself. She exhaled as she opened the locket. A small and yellow light appeared inside the locket. Paige sat back as she examined the wound on the pony.
It was like the skin was sewn together like cloth. The black substance began to turn back and burned skin began to turn back and the hole was stitched up. Then something went wrong.
The skin began to turn black where the wound originally was. And it was spreading up her hoof.
“Aborting test!” She said as she closed the healing locket.
“Two minutes after introducing SCP 427 to subject’s wound, the infection began to grow exponentially after healing the primary wound.” She looked up and down the hoof. “If SCP 106-I is still spreading it is most likely doing it at its original rate. Further testing required.”
She turned off the recorder. ‘That seems in line with what we’ve seen with the antibody tests,’ She looked back at the wound on Flurry Heart. The bullet hole was no longer there, but the infection was still present. She put on a white glove and touched the burned skin.
It began to burn her finger.
She retracted her hand and looked at the finger, the same viscera from 106’s body was on that glove. ‘What is it doing to her?”
“Okay Flurry Heart,” Luna said, “Enough about this… ‘Giant Blob of goo’ as you put it, we need to talk,” Luna could already hear the response ‘Aren’t we already,’ about to come out, “Talk seriously.” She amended. Flurry visibly deflated at that.
“Okay,” The 12-year-old Princess sighed.
“Okay,” Luna repeated, “have you any idea how you have been gone for over a month?” She asked as softly as possible.
“N-no… I don’t, I woke up and I was in a different room, then… they put me back to sleep… I think.” Flurry reasoned. “They don’t really tell me anything…”
“It’s alright to not know, I just was hoping you knew how,” Luna looked off to the side before looking back to Flurry, “Flurry, are you alright?” Luna asked.
Flurry kept looking down and away, ‘I can’t worry my parents, if they try to come for me to fast, they could make mistakes, they could get hurt, they could die.’ The memory of the attack came back to her, ‘Or something could get out and destroy the world or kill ponies.’ Luna said something, but all she heard was her own thoughts, ‘It would be my fault…’
Something soft touched her shoulder, Flurry jumped at the sudden and unexpected touch. “Flurry,” She spoke in a reserved tone, “I need to know if you are alright. It will be alright if you aren’t, we’ll get through this together.”
Flurry nodded, “Luna,” Flurry spitted what she was about to say, “I’m fine, it’s just… it’s just been a lot to deal with.” She looked at her aunt who was now sitting next to her with her giant blue wing around her. “How’s Mom and Dad?”
“They…” Luna put the tip of her hoof to her chin, “Are weathering the storm so to speak. This situation has taken a toll on them.” Luna stood up, Flurry mirrored her, “Twilight is in Ponyville right now, she has is… unwell according to her friends.”
Flurry felt her heart skip a beat, “She’s sick?” She asked maybe too quick.
“No,” Luna replied, not looking at Flurry, “She’s been… excessive in her studies to find out more information. My sister and her friends are barely keeping her fed. I’ve sent a letter to Spike to request him back, but I’ve yet to receive a reply.” Luna began to walk down the streets of the dreamscape, Flurry followed.
Flurry decided that was a too somber note to end on, She smiled and looked up at Luna, “How’s Sunburst and Starlight? Have they at least gotten together yet? I had a bet with my Dad that by June they would be-” Before she could finish she saw the look on Luna’s face, “What happened?” She asked, “They’re okay, right.”
“Yes, Sunburst is fine,” She sighed, “He got hurt, when you were taken. I will just have to check in with them later.”
“And Trixie?”
“She is acting Headmare for the School of Friendship in Ponyville, at least until Starlight gets back.”
Now Flurry felt even more down. She looked up at Luna, “Is there any good news?” She asked desperately.
“Well, I guess that’s some good news?” Paige semi-asked and semi-stated.
The playback of the procedure repeated again the black lines that represented the virus ran throughout her body. As the locket began its effects on Flurry, the infection, seemingly retreated to the right forehoof, until only a small black spec of it remained, then it began to expand almost as quickly as it had been cleansed.
“It seems to adapt too quickly to any treatment,” 05-9 said as he reviewed the scans, “How in the world is that good news.”
“No, you aren’t seeing what I am,” She scrolls back through the video until the entire infection has retreated into where the bullet had made entry and to where it began its spread. “It has been purged from the body, and in the hoof,” Paige explained, “If we have too, we can amputate the hoof and save her life by making it retreat again.”
05-9 sat back in the chair he was in, “I suppose that could be the way to go about it, but we should at least hear what progress 049 has made on its cure.” He said as he got up, “I feel that she would prefer to have all four of her hooves. And even then, we have 2295, we’ll see what it can do, before we take off the leg.”
05-9 paused for a second, “And, if it spreads too far, before 049 can create its ‘cure’ and if 2295 fails, we put her under and take it off, just like that, no fuss.”
“I know we haven’t been able to meet for a while, and I know what we’re all going to say, so, I’m just going to say it.” Said the leader, “106 breached containment far too early. It was an honest mistake, everyone makes them.”
“You can say that again, I thought you said you had control over the switch.”
“I did,” A third voice said, “But it must’ve shorted out. I'm just lucky we weren't in the room when it happened.”
"None of that would've mattered if we could've killed ponies, lulled them into an attack." The man groaned, “We should’ve put a loyal MTF at site 26, from the start. Teams that would've followed our orders.”
“Well, in any case, what’s done is done,” another member of the group butted in, “But at least phase 2 is set right, right?”
“Phase two didn’t take into account a pony coming back from the pocket dimension!” She fumed, “How did that thing escape anyway? There hasn’t been a successful escape since D-9341.”
“But the modified, phase 2 is good, right?” He asked again.
“Yes.” She answered reluctantly, “The strain of 008 was put in its wound during its last check-up. The Alicorn should be dead within a month,” She changed tone, “Speaking of the Alicorn, do we know where it is? Or 05-9?”
“We’re working on it,” The leader said, “You two heard 05-1’s explanation, said he was on special assignment, and that’s as far as he went.”
“05-1 needs to go. And 05-9. Along with the rest of your colleagues.”
“We’re working on it commander. Just sit tight and have your men ready. Once we get all the other 05 assembled, we terminate them.”
“But the savages need to attack us first, right.”
“Yes.”
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If Flurry’s infection is based on SCP-008, then I would think that 500 would work as it is stated that it can completely cure 008, unless this foundation has used up all of their 500 pills.
10279314
I highly doubt they used all of the SCP 500 pills, the only way I could see them losing them is if they were destroyed
Wow things are heating up with a traitor as a member of the 0-5 council things are even more serious than before
YASSS THE SITE IS BACK ONLINE!!!
10282804
Yea, I had just finished fixing the prologue to better match the golden rule, then the site went down.
More AWESOME chapters! Xd
Wait, if that's 008, the universal pill should work on it, it was documented
10279809
Vendor machine and dublicator can make a weaker version of 500 <.<