The Bacterium  (Part One) - SCP Foundation

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Incident Report 5615-XX-16

Witness: Charles Vuncouth Date: ██/██/██/

Synopsis: At 1500 hours, I was told by my direct superiors that I was going to be airdropped into a neighborhood in the city of ██████, to deal with a situation that had been positively confirmed by previous field agents to require Foundation assistance. The problem was told to me to be of a viral nature, far beyond the means of the Health Department and we were to take over for them, using any means necessary to stop the Virus from leaving the city-

Extract from Incident Report 5615-XX-3

Witness: Jonathen Toque Date: ██/██/██/

-and by following the pathway of fallen civilians and general chaos, we discerned that it traveled in a rather sharp curve from where it was first discovered in a northwest direction. The streets that had been affected were in a state of panic, caused by terror, and most of the populace was either hysterical or rioting. The surrounding environment was in flames, cars were flipped over, and-

Memo from team Doctor:

Doctor: And the symptoms are headaches, nausea,-

Partial Transcript of Agent Filding and Agent Cincluire's Conversation:

Agent Filding: I hate it when Doctor Figerald leaves the worst symptoms for last. The list just goes on and on and then…

Agent Cincluire: I know what you mean. I think he gets some sadistic glee out of it. Starts it out slow and then… by the end you're shivering, crapping your pants.

Audio Log 5615-YY-1

Agent Filding: JESUS CHRIST! How the hell did it do that?! (Agent Filding is indicating a large smoking hole on the chest of victim Number 348.)

Extract from Incident Report 5615-XX-5

Witness: Cuthbert Figerald Date: ██/██/██/

-spontaneous combustion, the searing of limbs, the flesh exploding off the frame of the body, and first degree burns. As most of the effects of The Virus seemed to involve heat and large outpouring of energy, tentatively identified as plasma beams, I advised the team to-

Extract from Incident Report 5615-XX-3

Witness: Jonathen Toque Date: ██/██/██/

-All of the survivors have been terminated so far, and the Virus was quarantined in ██████████████ Hostipal. We blocked off the entrance and exits, and did a quick sweep of the area. After this was completed, I was ordered by Commander Riger to split up with a second squad and patrol the first floor, while squad four was to search for any ways out of the building and guard them, and squads three and five searched for any other civilians. Squad One-

Transcript of conversation between Commander Riger and O-5 ███████████:

O-5: You know what I'll have to do if it isn't stopped in an hour.

Commander Riger: Planes already ready, sir?

0-5: Affirmative.

Commander Riger: Napalm?

O-5: Something like that, but a little more advanced. You know the boys, always finding ways to reinvent the wheel.

Commander Riger: Well, it's not like we can use the procedures we normally do on this virus.

0-5: (chuckles) You're right about that, Jim, you're right about that.

Commander Riger: You know what Charles Vuncouth said he was going put in his report if he survived? Some little quip. Little Bastard. He's like-

Log of Agent Robertson and Agent Dunkupt conversation:

Agent Dunkupt: AH! AH! (sprays the ceiling with bullet fire)

Agent Robertson: What's your problem man! Calm down!

Agent Dunkupt: I thought I saw something up there, man! Jesus. This whole thing is creeping me out. (Looks around corner nervously)

Agent Robertson: Just take a deep breath and focus.

Agent Dunkupt: I know, I know, I just… have you seen what it does to its victims? I don't want to end up like them!

Extract from civilian interview 5435:

███████████ ████ : It came at me on these freakish spidery legs. My husband, can you believe it-

Extract from a Foundation handbook: Most of the infections we deal with only catch our attention because they pose an incredible danger, for one of two reasons; a high rate of transfer, or the disease will in some way transform the sufferer instead of killing them, either into a simple carrier with violent or unsettling traits, or in the case of a complex SCP, a single part of a hive mind. These victims are to be treated as enemies, and given no mercy or quarter.

Camera Footage from Agent Bykansis' Helmet:

(a civilian is on his knees. Agent Cunderham is pointing a rifle at his forehead)

██████ ██████: You don't have to do this! Please! I have a family, I have-

Agent Cunderham: Yes I do…

Agent Bykansis: Shoot him before the virus-

(the civilian begins moaning and twitching)

Agent Cunderham: Jesus!

(Commander Riger walks over to the civilian, and discharges a service pistol to his head)

Extract from Incident Report 5615-XX-3

-There was a slight scratching behind the wall. We were worried that it might be civilians, so we sent a team through the door. The noise soon became even louder, and highly audible. It would stop and the start, making a disturbing sound, like something was clawing lightly on the other side. Most of the men became frantic and seemed to be waiting for something, although I commend their courage. When-

Extract Incident Report 5615-XX-6

Witness: Melissa Elle Date: ██/██/██/

At this point, the Virus burst through the wall. It landed and then almost in the same instance impaled Agent Robertson on one of its extremely thin spidery legs. After that, it lifted up another appendage. The limb was razor sharp all the way up until the middle, where it became slightly, almost unnoticeably bulkier. From my view, it looked like some sort of mechanism was strapped on. From this thickness out of what I perceived to be a hole, shot a quick beam of light, with a tail much like a flare. This rocket, in my belief, hit Agent Mer, exploded, killing him and wounding those near by. The Virus then climbed up the wall and onto the ceiling, where it moved quickly from side to side, avoiding us. It attacked almost like it was trapped. Although I could not fully perceive it due to its speed, it looked like a thin metallic looking tube with a crystalline many-faceted shape on top. This shape was transparent and filled with one small strand, and many little air bubbles containing glowing lights. The Virus then landed in the middle of our squad and begin emitting lasers out of its pores on its outer shell. These lasers decapitated Agents Munch and Agents Doorctun, and severed the hand of Doctor Vanesten. Its crystalline part then begin to spin and emit a throbbing pulse that had no observed effect.

Extract from the rough draft of a SCP report:

Description: SCP-XXX is a bacteriophage approximately 1 billion times larger than found in nature. It has several alterations from our knowledge of a common virus, although if this is because it is changed in different ways along with its size, or because these weapons and abilities simply can not be detected by our technology (microscope and otherwise) is unknown at the time. It has the ability to reason and strategize, although it was described as "skittish" "afraid" "confused" and "unsure of its self" by civilians at the scene of its capture. Once again, if this intellect is a natural product of the environment, found in our world as well, or a mutation is deeply related to the question above.

A note from the Administrative Secretary to Charles Vuncouth:

You think you're funny throwing in all your snide comments? "Of a viral nature" and "you don't think the heath department can handle it". No shit they can't handle it up! You need to stop with the jokes… this is serious business.

Extract from Incident Report 5615-XX-2

Witness: Norman Riger Date: ██/██/██/

It must be remarked that almost all The Virus' actions besides its ambush were of a defensive nature. Although it is of a highly advanced design, it was bewildered and most likely experiencing a sensory overload. I decided to capitalize on this and overwhelm it with firepower. My men and I formed a circle around the virus (unsafe, I know, but it was in the heat of the moment) and began shooting away. It seemed frightened and quelled. A grenade thrown bounced off it and exploded. At this point, its head begin spinning again, however this time extremely rapidly. Its legs began jerking and moving, and as it rotated it began to drill into the ground. It soon drilled through the second floor and then while falling, pierced the first. We had planned for this eventuality and an explosive in the sewer tunnels launched the object up into the air, which is when we shot several nets at it, entangling it. It fell on the street. After a few minutes of laying there, its legs retreated into its body and it righted itself, so only the transparent part was laying there. As we reached it, a beaded red light projected from a specific follicle. This light scanned the entire area around it and continued to do so even after we loaded it up into the helicopter.

Interview with civilian 135345:

██████████████ ██████████: I was there when it appeared. It was in the middle of the mall and all of a sudden this rip in the middle of the air appears. It's just floating there, and it starts getting bigger and bigger and this sucking sound comes from it. Then this leg gracefully extends, hovers for a second, and the whole monster comes hopping out. It lands, and then just stands there, turning its ah… head thing slightly. Everyone screaming and running away but after five minutes, all the cowards are gone, and it's just the adventurous souls like me left. We start going around it. It's still just standing there, motionless, like a statue. And then this one guy, he's like full of awe or something, reaches out to touch it. He gets like a centimeter away, and all of a sudden there's this weird machine sound and the head spins, and attached to it on the bottom is this blade, slices the guys head off. Then the thing just breaks loose and starts sprinting, I mean, really all out, towards the window. There's this fat security cop in the way and he can't get away in time, so the creature lifts one of its legs while still running and just blows the guy away. Then when it gets to the window it leaps through the glass and lands on the street, in the middle of the busy street and starts running down it, flipping over cars and getting hit by them, too. And you could tell it was freaking out. It didn't know what way to go. It would stop and then head some other direction. I don't think it was bad, just… so alien…

Footage from Sergent Mongel's helmet camera:

(Sergent Mongel and Agent Hitchins are shooting wildly at the Virus with assault rifles.)

Mongel: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! God! God! Get back!

(It begins heading towards them. They move backwards and then kneel, expending even more ammo, which seems to have no effect.)

Hitchins: Fuck! OH GOD! shit! Kill the motherfucker, kill it!

Mongel: (screaming)

(The virus is a few feet away, it lifts a foot. Before it can activate any attack, Agent Lukcan jumps in the middle and stabs it with a knife. Only the hilt is pulled away, smoking, and he is knocked aside with one leg, slamming against a wall. Both Hitchins and Mongel are now screaming unintelligibly.)

Memo from the team Doctor:

Doctor: And the symptoms are headaches, nausea, nightmares, shock, flashbacks, and inability to live daily normal life. Post combat stress disorder is a serious illness, please come to me, someone who was there with you, or one of your counselors. It was quite a battle we faced yesterday.