PsihoKekec
Swashbuckling Accountant
When life gives you lemons you squeeze them into eyes of your enemies or make lemonade, your choice. But it's kind of hard to do that in the Foundation because the lemons life gives you here tend to be rather abominable. Sure, everybody knows tons of horror stories, but deep down you keep telling yourself that nothing is going to happen on your shift, on this mission... And most of the time you are right, most of the people working for Foundation go through their workdays without anything more nerve wracking than being yelled at by an irate department boss. But when shit hits the fan here, it hits it with gusto.
It was at the Area 08 for a specialist course with personnel from other sites, areas and MTFs. After the theoretical part the course participants were split into four provisional squads and did the drills. My squad was already done and we were bullshitting and gossiping with guys from yellow squad in the ready room when the warning klaxons went off. That's always guaranteed to kill the mood. Deadly silence descended on the room, all faces telling the same story, hope that this is only part of the course, dreading the chance that it's not. I don't know how long the silence lasted, before one of the course staff burst in the room.
''Ok, listen up people, we have situation here! There is containment failure in the lower levels and we are mobilizing all available personnel to deal with it. Since you are all trained security personnel and already kitted up, you will form up as a reserve force. Proceed to the armory, where you will draw live ammo and additional equipment.''
We all moved, some with more enthusiasm, some with less. The guy from Rwanda asked the staffer what I was thinking and the two of us probably weren't the only ones.
''Our squads have very little cohesion, we know nothing of the site layout and the threats we are to face. If go in it will be a massacre.''
Staffer was unphased by this.
''If we can't contain this we'll have to activate nuclear failsafe, sending you into the thick of it is a step or two before that. We will act as squad commanders and guides, you will also get paper and electronic maps, along with data about the SCPs on the loose.''
Ah, the nuclear failsafe, always the crowd pleaser.
But we are all professionals and we silently drew the ammo and the flash bangs, they wouldn't issue us hand grenades or phosphorus bombs however, not to mention specialist gear. We set frequencies on our radios, downloaded data on our issue phones and either studied the layout of the lower levels or descriptions of the confirmed escapees. I was not looking forward to entering this horror show with just normal ammo and glorified firecrackers.
Then came a booming voice that sounded like Brian Blessed with saffie accent.
''Red squad form up! We are to provide additional security for the evacuation parties.''
So much for the force of the last resort.
It's a nerve wracking to just stand around and wait for reality violating abomination to come out of nowhere and do you unspeakably. All we had to do was to stand guard as technicians prepared something for move and give impression we are capable of defending them, so their minds would be at ease while they worked their precision work. The best we could do if anything came at them would be to draw attention to ourselves, so they could escape with the cargo. Nobody said it's fun to be security personnel in the Foundation.
The creepy part is that we couldn't hear anything going on, it was like we were intruding on the most sleepy graveyard shift ever. Sure this part of the site is supposed to be unaffected as of yet, but absence of sound gives your imagination a lot to work with.
''It's done.''
I could have kissed the head tech if I wasn't wearing the mask. We formed into vanguard, flank guards and rearguard. The lights started flickering and I took that as a sign that we are not leaving too soon and by the looks on their faces, the techs felt the same. BB (he did look a bit like Brian did in the Last Valley) led us surely through the maze of corridors at a healthy pace. I held the door open for our group, went through right after the rearguard and slammed into wall, the door hitting me on the back.
I don't know if this was due to my training or due to all the horror movies I have seen, but in my mind there was only one reason for wall appearing where there wasn't one a fraction of a second ago and that's because something will snatch me from behind. I immediately pushed away the door and turned around with rifle at the ready.
Nothing.
Though the empty corridor with flickering lights was anything but reassuring in this situation. I tried to call the BB first.
''Red actual, this is Red five, copy.''
Nothing.
''Red actual, this is Red five, copy.''
Still nothing, so I switched to the general channel.
''This is Red five, anyone receiving? Over.''
Again nothing.
Since the wall must be blocking radio waves, I fished the phone out of my pocket and saw that the intranet is down in this section. I could feel the creeping horror filling my bladder and bowels. In desperation I fired two rounds at the offending wall at an angle but it only chipped the concrete.
I turned back to the corridor and fished out the folded paper map and stenciled in the wall, then the path to bypass it. I tried to psyche myself up, telling myself how I aced all those navigation competitions when I was in the scouts, I'm well trained and well armed. And more scared than I ever was in my life. But I had no choice, it's either to wait here for rescue or more likely incoming horror from beyond the stars, or get moving and play the role of a mouse for whatever cat that can materialize damn concrete walls into corridors.
Here kitty, kitty.
I am such a funny guy, I crack myself up, I think I'll piss myself from laughter. No wait, that's fear. Never mind then.
We always train to act like group in security section, so not having someone cover your six is hugely disconcerting, there is always this nagging feeling that there is something behind me, competing with fear that something will show up in front of me if I turn around. Like that wall. Or worse, much worse.
So the only way is forward, with no turning back.
Thus I boldly went where no sane mane would go alone, hurrying to the first corridor branching right, going down the corridor and, well, on the map there are left and right branches at the end, but here is also one going farther straight. I'm either reading my map wrong or there is more space, time and materium fuckery afoot. I decided that the more impossible option is more likely here and turned right. For some reason my brain decided to get stuck on Angel Holocaust by Iced Earth. Could be worse.
I reached locked doors and for the first time risked a look back.
Nothing was visible in the corridor, which was filled with nothing but oppressive silence, the only noise being my breathing and heartbeat. But they drilled into us that lack of sound and visage does not necessarily mean the absence of something. I pulled out my phone and nervously activated the emergency key. It worked! And there was no wall or scips behind the door! It was like I was hit by a bright ray of hope. I pocketed the phone as I darted through the doors and then tried to reach BB again, to no avail.
Then the lights died.
This wasn't just electricity going out, as emergency lights didn't turn on. The darkness quickly snuffed my short lived reign of hope and brought back creeping horror. The cone of light from the flashlight under the barrel of my rifle was not doing much to suppress it.
Still, two more turns and I will be on the route the squad took. If nothing catches me that is.
Upon turn left I noticed a glow of fire coming from what must be a containment cell with ripped off doors.
I stopped. I certainly didn't want to meet a scip, even if there were ''only'' Euclids on this floor, but I sure didn't want to backtrack either. Staying in place is death, it's either back or forth. I would throw a coin if I had my wallet with me, but in its absence I trusted my training. Advance to contact and asses situation, or in my case, creep along the opposing wall and try to avoid contact. Fortunately Foundation is not big on symmetric placement of containment cells, so I won't need to hug the wall with my back to another cell door.
When I could see into the cell through two expanded doorways the thing that caught my eye was something that could be generously described as humanoid, surrounded by force field that was under fiery onslaught. It was slowly advancing against something it was very happy to see, probably the source of flames, while the recipient of the advance certainly wasn't happy to see it, as I could hear the noises that were akin to screams of frightened rabbit.
Normally I couldn't care less about scip on scip violence, but I always found it hard to ignore people or animals in clear distress. I recognized this scip from the files we were given before departing into the bowels of the base. It has force field that stops all sorts of high energy or high speed attacks and possesses increased speed, strength and reflexes. I reread Dune recently so I decided there is something I could do while its attention is focused on Trogdor.
I unslung my rifle and while my uniform has limited resistance to fire, I still doused myself with water from the spare bottle, pulled out my knife and ran into the fire. Boy could I feel the heat when I stopped just on the edge of the force field and then slowly stepped right into it. Before creature realized I was there, I had knife on its neck and pulled hard, cutting deep into the flesh. Creature managed to grab me and fling me aside, I rolled away and looked at it just in time to see the force field flick and the invigorated flames enveloping its entire body. It trashed and writhed in agony as I crawled further away from the flames, but also noticing another figure huddled in the corner. As the creature finally collapsed to the floor I darted for the door. Behind the corner I picked up my rifle and like the figure in the cell I took to the corner of the antechamber, to cool down and catch the breath after this bout of stupidity. I was sweating, shaking, thirsty and really needed to take a piss. I think anyone who ever had a ''do or flunk'' test will understand how I felt. Attaching my rifle to my vest I decided I can't do rest of the path on overflowing bladder and it's better to do it in a nice defensible position rather than into trousers, while on the run.
While I drained the bladder I was thinking of my options. Charred scip and weeping scip on my left, hopefully still empty corridor on my right. I'll toss a glow stick on each side so I can see immediate vicinity of without flashlight, maybe then Trogdor can't sneak upon me, I'm not really willing to test its resistance to 5,56x45. So I fished out two glow sticks out of a pouch, bent them and tossed one at each side. Trogdor reacted to glow stick in her cell with a loud scared shriek,that really made me feel bad.
I reflexively yelled: ''Oprosti!''*
Which was the second most idiotic thing I did in the last five minutes. And this whole day. Probably in my whole service. But I had no time to reflect on failings of my intelligence, I needed to start moving. I couldn't see Trogdor near the glow stick, so I moved to the doors, checked the way I came and then the way I'm going. All empty. I ran to opposing wall and prepared to move on, glancing sideways to the doorway and there in the light of glow stick was the Trogdor. A rather pitiful female figure was practically glued to the wall, hesitatingly trying to wave to me and her mouth moving.
As I fully turned towards her, she got spooked, her arms shot into defensive pose and I could see the first flames dancing around her.
I quickly jumped out of her field of view, I really didn't want to be cremated by panicking pyrokinetic scip. As the butt of my rifle grazed my mask filter it occurred tom that this might be what spooked her. I stopped and hugged the wall again. Alliance with scip might improve my survival chances. Alliance with panicking, unpredictable, burninating scip. I did enough idiocy for today.
OK, one try, then I run.
With practiced moves I kneeled, took off the helmet, rested it in on the knee, pulled the mask off and lodged it into the pouch. The horrible aroma of charred flesh welcomed me. With helmet back on I went to reintroduce myself to Trogdor.
I slowly went back into her field of view. I tenatively waved at her and she mirrored the gesture. She tried to say something, but a dry croak came instead. I pulled my canteen and screwed off the mask adaptor, took a sip and offered it to her.
We met at the middle and she hesitantly snatched it from my hand. I placed myself with my back to the wall while she alleviated her thirst. When I thought she had enough I asked her if she understands me and got myself a blank stare and increasing unease. Being a man of the world I tried with other languages.
''Vershtest du mich?''
I could feel her unease increasing, maybe it would be a good idea to scamper.
''Ali me razumeš?''**
Here face brightened and she nodded. Scip from my neck of woods?
''We must leave, will you go with me?''***
She nodded. Oh, how rude of me, I didn't introduce myself.
''I am Matjaž.''
''As the rebel,'' she croaked, ''I am Elizabeta.''
''As the saint,'' I replied.
She nodded, obviously deciding not to strain her throat any further.
''Come'' I motioned her and moved into corridor again. She hesitated, so I gave her my left hand, holding my rifle at magazine with my right. We moved slower than I would move by myself, but I doubt the squad would wait for me anyway as they had a precious cargo to escort and there is no way they would split it to leave somebody to wait for me.
As we moved past the stench of charred flesh I noticed another foul smell. It was truly rancid and it was like it was following me.
Oh.
There is guy at our Site who used to work in prison, housing IRA terrorists, during Troubles and he told us once that those had a dirty protest, where they refused all hygiene and some even smeared cell walls with feces, but female cells were much worse than male due to addition of menstrual blood to the mix. I thought I understood him, but now I know I didn't. I do now, for what it's worth. The idea of dragging the source of stench with me all the way to staging area was not appealing, but putting on my mask might freak her out into burninating despite the recent bonding experience.
Soon enough I spotted an emergency locker.
''There are some things here that we need,'' I told her.
I stepped aside and checked the corridor with my rifle mounted flashlight. I was careful not to point it at her, but she still twitched away from the light cone.
I pulled my little flashlight out of pocket, put it between my teeth and opened the emergency locker. I took a flashlight out, tested it on the corridor, turned it off and handed it to Elizabeta, who received it with some incredulity and begun turning it in her hands. I also took and unwrapped an emergency mask. She was still figuring out flashlight.
I pointed the button, ''Just press there and it will shine.'' But she couldn't do it. I guess some spcs become special needs due to their powers, I will have to deal with her delicately.
So I tactfully took the flashlight out of her hands, turned it on and handed it back to her, but she wouldn't take it. Aversion to technology or to the light?
''Please take it, it's only a flashlight, it will help us.''
She reluctantly took the flashlight from my hands.
''But not in the face,'' I warned her.
Now for the hard part, convince her to wear the mask so I too can. Explain to her in simple term, in case if she really is special needs.
''This mask protects from poison smoke.''
I showed her how to put on the mask on and handed it to her, then I pulled out my mask.
''Soldier mask.''
It felt good to breathe the blessed filtered air enriched by aroma of treated rubber. Not exactly aroma of untouched forest (all the animal droppings notwithstanding), but it will do. She fumbled with her own mask and twitchingly accepted my aid, I think I could feel flames emerging, but I did it and then we went on, a second cone of light calming me a bit. It sometimes vanished, so I reckon she was even more nervous about the rear than I was. I thought for a moment of sharing with her my candy bar, but it was probably more of candy slurry right now, didn't want to unnerve her with something that is currently visually more like diarrhea, than what I put in the pocket before the training.
We reached the corridor where the squad moved through and I tried the radio again.
''Red actual, this is Red five, copy.''
Nothing.
General channel was also silent.
The phone still showed network is down.
It was like I was alone in the entire underground area, with nothing but scips around. And the nuclear failsafe. Further down the corridor I noticed something akin to corrosion marks and black mucus on the concrete wall. Must be work of a scip, another reason to hurry forth.
Some two hundred meters further I spotted a cone of light shining at the next intersection. I quickly keyed my radio.
''This is Red five, anyone copy? Over.''
I slowly moved towards the intersection, hoping the reply will be on the radio and not with firearms.
''This is Rabbit three, I'm at D3-F4 intersection. Over.''
Well that's a relief.
''This is Red five, coming with scip in tow. Hold your fire. Over''
Two quick clicks confirmed the message. I turned to Elizabeta.
''There is another soldier behind the corner, he will help us escape.''
She nodded and we continued. At intersection a masked and helmeted head leaned from behind the corner.
''Hey mate, nice from you to join in, I see you brought your squeeze with you.''
Great, a comedian.
''I got separated from my squad and I'm trying to rejoin them at the cargo lift 4A.''
He shook his head.
''Something is fucking with the layout of this floor and one-o-six is on the prowl. Better to bugger out through emergency staircase and rejoin your squad on the upper level. This level is borked until they feed him some Ds and find out who is bending the reality.''
I nodded.
''Lead the way then''
As he started down the corridor I turned to Elizabeta.
''We must follow him, he knows the way out.''
She glumly nodded and followed me.
Rabbit three turned his head to me as we moved along the corridor.
''Have you two lovebirds seen any signs of one-o-six on the way?''
SCP-106 was not amongst the files we were given before moving out.
''I was not informed about its characteristics before moving out.''
Rabbit groaned. ''It's a fucking Keter, it corrodes anything it passes through and will munch you for shit and giggles.''
This alarmed me.
''There were sort of corrosion marks and black goo on both walls of the corridor we passed through, some three hundred meters before intersection.''
Rabbit stopped and turned around.
''You mean the bloody bastard could be on the side of this corridor?''
''I don't know?'' I really didn't.
''We need to run.'' He turned and bolted.
I yelled to Elizabeta, ''Quick!'' and pulled her after me as I ran after Rabbit.
Wouldn't need to bother though as a figure pulled itself out of the wall on the right cutting our way to the staircase. I raised my rifle, cone of light illuminating a moving rotting corpse with eyes, that were the purest essence of malice, gazing past me.
Elizabeta started screaming behind me while Rabbit yelled as he tried to run away from the creature.
''Don't shoot, just r...AAAA'' he screamed as creature grabbed him by the arm and flung him behind.
It was a most perfect shot I ever took, a short burst from chin to forehead, it would have blown off a head of normal creature, but this wasn't one of them, bullets passing through it as it wasn't here, not leaving a mark. My hands let go the rifle, going for the pouch with flashbang, hoping it would disorient him while I grabbed Elizabeta and ran. I started to turn when I saw white hot flame shooting out through its throat. I worked in steelworks before and recognized it as a steel melting blaze.
The searing heat was filling the corridor as the thing's neck muscles failed and the blazing head fell backwards, the flames also breaking through between the ribs. I could see the Rabbit scrambling away from the inferno and I ran behind the Elizabeta, who was transfixed on the collapsing anomalous pyre, grabbed and dragged her away before she cooked herself with her own powers.
It didn't take long for the flames to die down, creature being turned to ashes. Elizabeta was shaking, either from fear or exhaustion, perhaps both, her eyes wide and unresponsive. With no other chance I picked her up in my arms and carried her over, past the cremation point, to where Rabbit sat down, trying to treat his wound.
I gently sat her down near him, then helped him cut the sleeve of his uniform. The wound looked ghastly, like strong acid was splashed on where the thing touched him. I didn't have anything better in my personal aid kit, so I only splashed his wound with remaining water in my canteen to wash away as much of acid as I could.
''She did it, she burned the bastard.''
''Yes she did,'' I replied as matter of fact.
''We tried everything through years, nothing touched him. And she just burned him to ash.''
''Second scip today.''
''We must be careful, he likes to pretend, he likes to trick us. Keep the eyes on the ashes.''
He was obviously going into shock, so he had my full attention, not the corridor, not the ashes, nor Elizabeta. So I was taken off guard when she giddily leaned over and put her hands on his wound. Her dirty hands, with legions of bacteria on a painful open wound. I expected a scream from Rabbit, but instead there was just surprised silence. As she removed her hands, the wound was no more, only a stretch of hairless pink skin. I had a slight feeling that whatever there is in her Foundation file, there must be a huge gaps. Rabbit and I glanced at each other through tinted lenses of our masks, understanding that we still needed to get out.
Elizabeta was coherent enough to accept piggyback ride from me and so the three of us went off to cover the remaining distance to the emergency staircase and possibly safety.
* ''Sorry''
** ''Do you understand me?''
*** From now on Italics denote conversation between the two in Slovenian language, I decided not to expose you to the horrors of Google translate
It was at the Area 08 for a specialist course with personnel from other sites, areas and MTFs. After the theoretical part the course participants were split into four provisional squads and did the drills. My squad was already done and we were bullshitting and gossiping with guys from yellow squad in the ready room when the warning klaxons went off. That's always guaranteed to kill the mood. Deadly silence descended on the room, all faces telling the same story, hope that this is only part of the course, dreading the chance that it's not. I don't know how long the silence lasted, before one of the course staff burst in the room.
''Ok, listen up people, we have situation here! There is containment failure in the lower levels and we are mobilizing all available personnel to deal with it. Since you are all trained security personnel and already kitted up, you will form up as a reserve force. Proceed to the armory, where you will draw live ammo and additional equipment.''
We all moved, some with more enthusiasm, some with less. The guy from Rwanda asked the staffer what I was thinking and the two of us probably weren't the only ones.
''Our squads have very little cohesion, we know nothing of the site layout and the threats we are to face. If go in it will be a massacre.''
Staffer was unphased by this.
''If we can't contain this we'll have to activate nuclear failsafe, sending you into the thick of it is a step or two before that. We will act as squad commanders and guides, you will also get paper and electronic maps, along with data about the SCPs on the loose.''
Ah, the nuclear failsafe, always the crowd pleaser.
But we are all professionals and we silently drew the ammo and the flash bangs, they wouldn't issue us hand grenades or phosphorus bombs however, not to mention specialist gear. We set frequencies on our radios, downloaded data on our issue phones and either studied the layout of the lower levels or descriptions of the confirmed escapees. I was not looking forward to entering this horror show with just normal ammo and glorified firecrackers.
Then came a booming voice that sounded like Brian Blessed with saffie accent.
''Red squad form up! We are to provide additional security for the evacuation parties.''
So much for the force of the last resort.
It's a nerve wracking to just stand around and wait for reality violating abomination to come out of nowhere and do you unspeakably. All we had to do was to stand guard as technicians prepared something for move and give impression we are capable of defending them, so their minds would be at ease while they worked their precision work. The best we could do if anything came at them would be to draw attention to ourselves, so they could escape with the cargo. Nobody said it's fun to be security personnel in the Foundation.
The creepy part is that we couldn't hear anything going on, it was like we were intruding on the most sleepy graveyard shift ever. Sure this part of the site is supposed to be unaffected as of yet, but absence of sound gives your imagination a lot to work with.
''It's done.''
I could have kissed the head tech if I wasn't wearing the mask. We formed into vanguard, flank guards and rearguard. The lights started flickering and I took that as a sign that we are not leaving too soon and by the looks on their faces, the techs felt the same. BB (he did look a bit like Brian did in the Last Valley) led us surely through the maze of corridors at a healthy pace. I held the door open for our group, went through right after the rearguard and slammed into wall, the door hitting me on the back.
I don't know if this was due to my training or due to all the horror movies I have seen, but in my mind there was only one reason for wall appearing where there wasn't one a fraction of a second ago and that's because something will snatch me from behind. I immediately pushed away the door and turned around with rifle at the ready.
Nothing.
Though the empty corridor with flickering lights was anything but reassuring in this situation. I tried to call the BB first.
''Red actual, this is Red five, copy.''
Nothing.
''Red actual, this is Red five, copy.''
Still nothing, so I switched to the general channel.
''This is Red five, anyone receiving? Over.''
Again nothing.
Since the wall must be blocking radio waves, I fished the phone out of my pocket and saw that the intranet is down in this section. I could feel the creeping horror filling my bladder and bowels. In desperation I fired two rounds at the offending wall at an angle but it only chipped the concrete.
I turned back to the corridor and fished out the folded paper map and stenciled in the wall, then the path to bypass it. I tried to psyche myself up, telling myself how I aced all those navigation competitions when I was in the scouts, I'm well trained and well armed. And more scared than I ever was in my life. But I had no choice, it's either to wait here for rescue or more likely incoming horror from beyond the stars, or get moving and play the role of a mouse for whatever cat that can materialize damn concrete walls into corridors.
Here kitty, kitty.
I am such a funny guy, I crack myself up, I think I'll piss myself from laughter. No wait, that's fear. Never mind then.
We always train to act like group in security section, so not having someone cover your six is hugely disconcerting, there is always this nagging feeling that there is something behind me, competing with fear that something will show up in front of me if I turn around. Like that wall. Or worse, much worse.
So the only way is forward, with no turning back.
Thus I boldly went where no sane mane would go alone, hurrying to the first corridor branching right, going down the corridor and, well, on the map there are left and right branches at the end, but here is also one going farther straight. I'm either reading my map wrong or there is more space, time and materium fuckery afoot. I decided that the more impossible option is more likely here and turned right. For some reason my brain decided to get stuck on Angel Holocaust by Iced Earth. Could be worse.
I reached locked doors and for the first time risked a look back.
Nothing was visible in the corridor, which was filled with nothing but oppressive silence, the only noise being my breathing and heartbeat. But they drilled into us that lack of sound and visage does not necessarily mean the absence of something. I pulled out my phone and nervously activated the emergency key. It worked! And there was no wall or scips behind the door! It was like I was hit by a bright ray of hope. I pocketed the phone as I darted through the doors and then tried to reach BB again, to no avail.
Then the lights died.
This wasn't just electricity going out, as emergency lights didn't turn on. The darkness quickly snuffed my short lived reign of hope and brought back creeping horror. The cone of light from the flashlight under the barrel of my rifle was not doing much to suppress it.
Still, two more turns and I will be on the route the squad took. If nothing catches me that is.
Upon turn left I noticed a glow of fire coming from what must be a containment cell with ripped off doors.
I stopped. I certainly didn't want to meet a scip, even if there were ''only'' Euclids on this floor, but I sure didn't want to backtrack either. Staying in place is death, it's either back or forth. I would throw a coin if I had my wallet with me, but in its absence I trusted my training. Advance to contact and asses situation, or in my case, creep along the opposing wall and try to avoid contact. Fortunately Foundation is not big on symmetric placement of containment cells, so I won't need to hug the wall with my back to another cell door.
When I could see into the cell through two expanded doorways the thing that caught my eye was something that could be generously described as humanoid, surrounded by force field that was under fiery onslaught. It was slowly advancing against something it was very happy to see, probably the source of flames, while the recipient of the advance certainly wasn't happy to see it, as I could hear the noises that were akin to screams of frightened rabbit.
Normally I couldn't care less about scip on scip violence, but I always found it hard to ignore people or animals in clear distress. I recognized this scip from the files we were given before departing into the bowels of the base. It has force field that stops all sorts of high energy or high speed attacks and possesses increased speed, strength and reflexes. I reread Dune recently so I decided there is something I could do while its attention is focused on Trogdor.
I unslung my rifle and while my uniform has limited resistance to fire, I still doused myself with water from the spare bottle, pulled out my knife and ran into the fire. Boy could I feel the heat when I stopped just on the edge of the force field and then slowly stepped right into it. Before creature realized I was there, I had knife on its neck and pulled hard, cutting deep into the flesh. Creature managed to grab me and fling me aside, I rolled away and looked at it just in time to see the force field flick and the invigorated flames enveloping its entire body. It trashed and writhed in agony as I crawled further away from the flames, but also noticing another figure huddled in the corner. As the creature finally collapsed to the floor I darted for the door. Behind the corner I picked up my rifle and like the figure in the cell I took to the corner of the antechamber, to cool down and catch the breath after this bout of stupidity. I was sweating, shaking, thirsty and really needed to take a piss. I think anyone who ever had a ''do or flunk'' test will understand how I felt. Attaching my rifle to my vest I decided I can't do rest of the path on overflowing bladder and it's better to do it in a nice defensible position rather than into trousers, while on the run.
While I drained the bladder I was thinking of my options. Charred scip and weeping scip on my left, hopefully still empty corridor on my right. I'll toss a glow stick on each side so I can see immediate vicinity of without flashlight, maybe then Trogdor can't sneak upon me, I'm not really willing to test its resistance to 5,56x45. So I fished out two glow sticks out of a pouch, bent them and tossed one at each side. Trogdor reacted to glow stick in her cell with a loud scared shriek,that really made me feel bad.
I reflexively yelled: ''Oprosti!''*
Which was the second most idiotic thing I did in the last five minutes. And this whole day. Probably in my whole service. But I had no time to reflect on failings of my intelligence, I needed to start moving. I couldn't see Trogdor near the glow stick, so I moved to the doors, checked the way I came and then the way I'm going. All empty. I ran to opposing wall and prepared to move on, glancing sideways to the doorway and there in the light of glow stick was the Trogdor. A rather pitiful female figure was practically glued to the wall, hesitatingly trying to wave to me and her mouth moving.
As I fully turned towards her, she got spooked, her arms shot into defensive pose and I could see the first flames dancing around her.
I quickly jumped out of her field of view, I really didn't want to be cremated by panicking pyrokinetic scip. As the butt of my rifle grazed my mask filter it occurred tom that this might be what spooked her. I stopped and hugged the wall again. Alliance with scip might improve my survival chances. Alliance with panicking, unpredictable, burninating scip. I did enough idiocy for today.
OK, one try, then I run.
With practiced moves I kneeled, took off the helmet, rested it in on the knee, pulled the mask off and lodged it into the pouch. The horrible aroma of charred flesh welcomed me. With helmet back on I went to reintroduce myself to Trogdor.
I slowly went back into her field of view. I tenatively waved at her and she mirrored the gesture. She tried to say something, but a dry croak came instead. I pulled my canteen and screwed off the mask adaptor, took a sip and offered it to her.
We met at the middle and she hesitantly snatched it from my hand. I placed myself with my back to the wall while she alleviated her thirst. When I thought she had enough I asked her if she understands me and got myself a blank stare and increasing unease. Being a man of the world I tried with other languages.
''Vershtest du mich?''
I could feel her unease increasing, maybe it would be a good idea to scamper.
''Ali me razumeš?''**
Here face brightened and she nodded. Scip from my neck of woods?
''We must leave, will you go with me?''***
She nodded. Oh, how rude of me, I didn't introduce myself.
''I am Matjaž.''
''As the rebel,'' she croaked, ''I am Elizabeta.''
''As the saint,'' I replied.
She nodded, obviously deciding not to strain her throat any further.
''Come'' I motioned her and moved into corridor again. She hesitated, so I gave her my left hand, holding my rifle at magazine with my right. We moved slower than I would move by myself, but I doubt the squad would wait for me anyway as they had a precious cargo to escort and there is no way they would split it to leave somebody to wait for me.
As we moved past the stench of charred flesh I noticed another foul smell. It was truly rancid and it was like it was following me.
Oh.
There is guy at our Site who used to work in prison, housing IRA terrorists, during Troubles and he told us once that those had a dirty protest, where they refused all hygiene and some even smeared cell walls with feces, but female cells were much worse than male due to addition of menstrual blood to the mix. I thought I understood him, but now I know I didn't. I do now, for what it's worth. The idea of dragging the source of stench with me all the way to staging area was not appealing, but putting on my mask might freak her out into burninating despite the recent bonding experience.
Soon enough I spotted an emergency locker.
''There are some things here that we need,'' I told her.
I stepped aside and checked the corridor with my rifle mounted flashlight. I was careful not to point it at her, but she still twitched away from the light cone.
I pulled my little flashlight out of pocket, put it between my teeth and opened the emergency locker. I took a flashlight out, tested it on the corridor, turned it off and handed it to Elizabeta, who received it with some incredulity and begun turning it in her hands. I also took and unwrapped an emergency mask. She was still figuring out flashlight.
I pointed the button, ''Just press there and it will shine.'' But she couldn't do it. I guess some spcs become special needs due to their powers, I will have to deal with her delicately.
So I tactfully took the flashlight out of her hands, turned it on and handed it back to her, but she wouldn't take it. Aversion to technology or to the light?
''Please take it, it's only a flashlight, it will help us.''
She reluctantly took the flashlight from my hands.
''But not in the face,'' I warned her.
Now for the hard part, convince her to wear the mask so I too can. Explain to her in simple term, in case if she really is special needs.
''This mask protects from poison smoke.''
I showed her how to put on the mask on and handed it to her, then I pulled out my mask.
''Soldier mask.''
It felt good to breathe the blessed filtered air enriched by aroma of treated rubber. Not exactly aroma of untouched forest (all the animal droppings notwithstanding), but it will do. She fumbled with her own mask and twitchingly accepted my aid, I think I could feel flames emerging, but I did it and then we went on, a second cone of light calming me a bit. It sometimes vanished, so I reckon she was even more nervous about the rear than I was. I thought for a moment of sharing with her my candy bar, but it was probably more of candy slurry right now, didn't want to unnerve her with something that is currently visually more like diarrhea, than what I put in the pocket before the training.
We reached the corridor where the squad moved through and I tried the radio again.
''Red actual, this is Red five, copy.''
Nothing.
General channel was also silent.
The phone still showed network is down.
It was like I was alone in the entire underground area, with nothing but scips around. And the nuclear failsafe. Further down the corridor I noticed something akin to corrosion marks and black mucus on the concrete wall. Must be work of a scip, another reason to hurry forth.
Some two hundred meters further I spotted a cone of light shining at the next intersection. I quickly keyed my radio.
''This is Red five, anyone copy? Over.''
I slowly moved towards the intersection, hoping the reply will be on the radio and not with firearms.
''This is Rabbit three, I'm at D3-F4 intersection. Over.''
Well that's a relief.
''This is Red five, coming with scip in tow. Hold your fire. Over''
Two quick clicks confirmed the message. I turned to Elizabeta.
''There is another soldier behind the corner, he will help us escape.''
She nodded and we continued. At intersection a masked and helmeted head leaned from behind the corner.
''Hey mate, nice from you to join in, I see you brought your squeeze with you.''
Great, a comedian.
''I got separated from my squad and I'm trying to rejoin them at the cargo lift 4A.''
He shook his head.
''Something is fucking with the layout of this floor and one-o-six is on the prowl. Better to bugger out through emergency staircase and rejoin your squad on the upper level. This level is borked until they feed him some Ds and find out who is bending the reality.''
I nodded.
''Lead the way then''
As he started down the corridor I turned to Elizabeta.
''We must follow him, he knows the way out.''
She glumly nodded and followed me.
Rabbit three turned his head to me as we moved along the corridor.
''Have you two lovebirds seen any signs of one-o-six on the way?''
SCP-106 was not amongst the files we were given before moving out.
''I was not informed about its characteristics before moving out.''
Rabbit groaned. ''It's a fucking Keter, it corrodes anything it passes through and will munch you for shit and giggles.''
This alarmed me.
''There were sort of corrosion marks and black goo on both walls of the corridor we passed through, some three hundred meters before intersection.''
Rabbit stopped and turned around.
''You mean the bloody bastard could be on the side of this corridor?''
''I don't know?'' I really didn't.
''We need to run.'' He turned and bolted.
I yelled to Elizabeta, ''Quick!'' and pulled her after me as I ran after Rabbit.
Wouldn't need to bother though as a figure pulled itself out of the wall on the right cutting our way to the staircase. I raised my rifle, cone of light illuminating a moving rotting corpse with eyes, that were the purest essence of malice, gazing past me.
Elizabeta started screaming behind me while Rabbit yelled as he tried to run away from the creature.
''Don't shoot, just r...AAAA'' he screamed as creature grabbed him by the arm and flung him behind.
It was a most perfect shot I ever took, a short burst from chin to forehead, it would have blown off a head of normal creature, but this wasn't one of them, bullets passing through it as it wasn't here, not leaving a mark. My hands let go the rifle, going for the pouch with flashbang, hoping it would disorient him while I grabbed Elizabeta and ran. I started to turn when I saw white hot flame shooting out through its throat. I worked in steelworks before and recognized it as a steel melting blaze.
The searing heat was filling the corridor as the thing's neck muscles failed and the blazing head fell backwards, the flames also breaking through between the ribs. I could see the Rabbit scrambling away from the inferno and I ran behind the Elizabeta, who was transfixed on the collapsing anomalous pyre, grabbed and dragged her away before she cooked herself with her own powers.
It didn't take long for the flames to die down, creature being turned to ashes. Elizabeta was shaking, either from fear or exhaustion, perhaps both, her eyes wide and unresponsive. With no other chance I picked her up in my arms and carried her over, past the cremation point, to where Rabbit sat down, trying to treat his wound.
I gently sat her down near him, then helped him cut the sleeve of his uniform. The wound looked ghastly, like strong acid was splashed on where the thing touched him. I didn't have anything better in my personal aid kit, so I only splashed his wound with remaining water in my canteen to wash away as much of acid as I could.
''She did it, she burned the bastard.''
''Yes she did,'' I replied as matter of fact.
''We tried everything through years, nothing touched him. And she just burned him to ash.''
''Second scip today.''
''We must be careful, he likes to pretend, he likes to trick us. Keep the eyes on the ashes.''
He was obviously going into shock, so he had my full attention, not the corridor, not the ashes, nor Elizabeta. So I was taken off guard when she giddily leaned over and put her hands on his wound. Her dirty hands, with legions of bacteria on a painful open wound. I expected a scream from Rabbit, but instead there was just surprised silence. As she removed her hands, the wound was no more, only a stretch of hairless pink skin. I had a slight feeling that whatever there is in her Foundation file, there must be a huge gaps. Rabbit and I glanced at each other through tinted lenses of our masks, understanding that we still needed to get out.
Elizabeta was coherent enough to accept piggyback ride from me and so the three of us went off to cover the remaining distance to the emergency staircase and possibly safety.
* ''Sorry''
** ''Do you understand me?''
*** From now on Italics denote conversation between the two in Slovenian language, I decided not to expose you to the horrors of Google translate
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