Edmund Davids

Rage of the heavens. Death from above.

SCP-7193. Having deployed all instances of SCP-7193-1 and -2, the primary anomaly is dispersing into smaller, non-anomalous clouds.

Item #: SCP-7193

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: The North Atlantic Ocean is to be constantly patrolled by no less than four Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft, all of which are to monitor for any signs of SCP-7193 materialisation. In concert with other members of the NAPP, a minimum of 600 Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) batteries are to be maintained at strategic positions along all coasts adjacent to the North Atlantic Ocean, as far south as the equator. Such missiles are to have increased fuel capacities and be connected to AEW patrols via datalink.

Upon the detection of SCP-7193, it is to be closely monitored until the emergence of SCP-7193-1 and -2 instances. These are then to be tracked until they move within range of land-based SAM batteries, where all instances must be eliminated before they reach visual range of any North Atlantic coastline.

Description: SCP-7193 refers to a Stratocumulus cloud of dimensions and altitude within the expected ranges for the geographic area, that, regardless of the time of day and light conditions, will retain a consistently crimson-red tinge. In an occurrence that seems to lack predictable patterning, SCP-7193 will materialise over the North Atlantic Ocean. Visually, this is identical to the mundane water cycle, accelerated by a factor of 10. SCP-7193 will disperse into smaller, non-anomalous clouds upon deploying all instances of SCP-7193-1 and -2.

An instance of SCP-7193-1 moments before destruction, attempting to avoid missiles fired at it from land-based SAM batteries.

Between one and 48 hours after the complete manifestation of SCP-7193, instances of SCP-7193-1 and SCP-7193-2 will emerge from within the primary anomaly. SCP-7193-1 instances are similar in appearance to modern and historical strategic bomber craft1, predominantly the B-52 Stratofortress, although characteristics of the B-17 and B-29 have also been observed. SCP-7193-2 instances are visually identical to P-51 Mustang aircraft, with capabilities of supersonic speed, onboard radar tracking, air-to-air missiles, and modern countermeasures. These significant equipment upgrades appear to have been applied anomalously.

All instances of SCP-7193-1 are extremely hostile to human settlements and military assets, actively undertaking in destructive attacks upon both elements. SCP-7193-2 instances, while possessing similar hostility, will prioritise the protection of SCP-7193-1 from damage over the destruction of human presence. Instances appear incapable of running out of ammunition and fuel, with the only way to effectively cease an SCP-7193 attack being the disabling or destruction of every instance. If an assault is successful, resulting in the elimination of human presence in the area, remaining instances will proceed to belligerently seek out other human settlements and assets. Aside from these characteristics and an apparent lack of observable crewmembers, all instances appear non-anomalous.

The upper threshold limit to the number of SCP-7193 instances capable of being generated in a single manifestation event is 5000, with the approximate average being 1000. No instance of SCP-7193-1 or -2 has ever been successfully recovered, due to a vanishing phenomenon that affects severely damaged instances.

Addendum-01: Discovery

SCP-7193 first came to Foundation attention on 15/04/2023, when Foundation satellite 'Eye on the Sky' detected the anomaly's appearance over the North Atlantic Ocean. The Foundation research vessel Forecast was in the area and proceeded to investigate. No instances of SCP-7193-1 or -2 emerged for the first twenty-four hours of the anomaly's presence.

Video Log: Sinking of the SCPS Forecast

Date: 16/04/2023

Location: SCPS Forecast, ~45°28'N ~50°44'W, North Atlantic Ocean

Depicted: Agent Jennifer Stuart, Doctor Milford Cogent, Captain Heather Broughton (commander of the Forecast)

<BEGIN LOG>

Video recording is taken from Agent Stuart's body camera. It opens with her knocking loudly on a cabin door aboard the Forecast. Multiple sounds, including movement around the room and several expletives, are faintly audible from within.

Agent Stuart: Dr. Cogent?

The cabin door is opened, revealing Doctor Milford Cogent, who bears the appearance of having just been awakened.

Stuart: Still in bed, sir?

Dr. Cogent: I'd appreciate it if you didn't make fun of my jet lag.

Stuart: Captain Broughton wants us on the bridge.

Cogent: Now? Or later?

Stuart: Two minutes ago. Just toss on a coat and some trousers.

Dr. Cogent retreats into his cabin to dress himself, emerging in under a minute.

Cogent: Why on earth are you wearing your body cam?

Stuart: Do you want me to quote the rulebook?

Cogent: Yeah, yeah. 'First contact with new anomalous phenomena requires twenty-four-hour recording of events,' I know.

Stuart: Why did you ask then?

Cogent: I'm tired and I feel like crap. Please excuse me for being a little out of it.

Stuart: Duty calls for all of us, Dr. Cogent.

Cogent: Why can't it call at a reasonable hour?

Agent Stuart and Dr. Cogent reach the bridge of the Forecast, where they meet Captain Broughton.

Captain Broughton: Sorry to wake you, Doctor, but we really can't afford time to catch up on sleep. We've had a development with the meteorological anomaly. (She directs their attention towards the bridge radar display) About half an hour ago, we started picking up a solid contact on the radar from somewhere inside the anomaly.

Cogent: 'Solid contact'? Forgive my inexperience over technical jargon.

Broughton: It's either a plane or some other aerial vehicle. Definitely not anything weather related.

Cogent: Is it possibly just a lost civilian?

Broughton: The radar station is manned constantly. According to the operator, the blip appeared inside the anomaly.

RADAR operator: Ma'am, I just got another contact. Quite close to the first… Jesus Christ, it's multiplying!

Broughton, Cogent, and Stuart gather around the station. The markers on the radar screen are rapidly increasing in number, reaching approximately 100 within twelve seconds.

Cogent: Let me take a look.

He appropriates a pair of binoculars and steps out of the bridge. Stuart moves to accompany him, allowing her camera to visually record SCP-7193.

As per standard policy, the Forecast has not anchored directly beneath the anomaly, keeping the minimum distance of one kilometer away at all times. It is possible to make out the red cloud as a broad smudge towards the north of the Forecast. As Stuart comes alongside Dr. Cogent, who is examining the anomaly through the requisitioned binoculars, multiple tiny black specks are observable, emerging from SCP-7193.

Cogent: What in the world…? They look like aircraft.

It takes ten minutes for the full formation of SCP-7193-1 and -2 instances to emerge from SCP-7193, gathering up into a massive rectangular arrangement that begins moving to the west. Four instances of SCP-7193-2 detach from the main formation and dive down towards sea level.

Cogent: Did you see those ones just break away? They're headed right for us.

Stuart: (over her shoulder, towards the bridge and Captain Broughton) Captain, we've got incoming! Not sure if they're hostile!

The camera catches a series of white contrails detaching from the four instances and speeding towards the Forecast. The shipboard alarm begins to sound.

Broughton: Brace for impact!!

Stuart pulls Cogent down to the deck, jostling the camera as she does so. Two seconds later, the missiles strike the Forecast, registering as two loud concussive blasts. Later examination of the wreckage revealed that one penetrated the vessel's hull at the waterline, and the other destroyed part of the rear superstructure, disabling the propellers and the rudder.

The Forecast immediately starts listing to one side as it begins to sink. Stuart's camera catches the instances of SCP-7193-2 executing an overhead flyby, traveling at a speed which should be impossible for Second World War fighter aircraft.

<END LOG>

The SCPS Forecast sank twenty minutes after being attacked. While the majority of the crew were able to successfully evacuate the vessel, the four instances of SCP-7193-2 used machine guns to kill survivors on the life rafts and in the water. Only 10 percent of the crew of the Forecast survived long enough to be rescued, including Doctor Cogent and Agent Stuart. The larger formation of SCP-7193-1 and -2 instances were intercepted and eliminated by a force of Global Occult Coalition and United States Air Force aircraft near Bermuda. Alerted to the aggressive nature of the anomaly, containment was immediately initialised with approval from both the GOC and the US Government.

The sheer scale of planned containment necessitated the formation of the North Atlantic Protection Pact (NAPP), a multilateral cooperation treaty between the Foundation, Global Occult Coalition, and every country that possessed coastline adjacent to the North Atlantic Ocean. This allowed the current containment procedures to be maintained, despite the high equipment and monetary expense.

Addendum-02: Operation Actium

Prior to Operation Actium, every attempt to explore the interior of SCP-7193 had proved difficult to the point of being impossible, due to the aggressive nature of SCP-7193-2, and resulted in loss of multiple unmanned drones.

On 03/06/2024, following an informal discussion regarding alternate containment strategies and further opportunities for research regarding SCP-7193, Doctor Milford Cogent and Commander Daniel Courtier presented an early proposal for Operation Actium to Director Harold Monarch.

By utilising the new X-181 CounterStrike (an experimental supersonic troop transport aircraft under development by the NAPP) and Reaper High-Altitude Combat Suits (at the time being tested at Site-12), Commander Courtier theorised that a small MTF could access the interior of SCP-7193 before any instances had a chance to respond.

Despite reluctance from Director Monarch, who believed this proposal to be testing the limits of practicality, Mobile Task Force Tau-70 ("Going Head First") was formed within two months, consisting of five operatives, under the oversight of Commander Courtier.

The task force trained for an entire year with the high-altitude combat suits, including the practice of air-to-air boarding operations and insertion from the CounterStrike. Their final test was a joint training operation to board a GOC cargo aircraft that was concealed within a cloud of similar dimensions to SCP-7193. Tau-70 passed with distinction, and Operation Actium was ready to be executed upon the next emergence of SCP-7193.

Video Log: Operation Actium/01/Tau-70/Stuart

Date: 19/07/2025

Location: Cabin of X-181 CounterStrike (codename: Watcher), North Atlantic Ocean.

Depicted: Agent Stuart (Task Force Second-In-Command), Agent Jones (Task Force Medic), Agent March (Task Force Pilot), Agent Bourne, Agent Dyer, Commander Courtier (Task Force Commander, based at Mobile Site-101 HQ)

<BEGIN LOG>

The cabin of Watcher is viewed through Agent Stuart's helmet camera. Visible are the other members of Tau-70, strapped into seats with crash webbing.

Commander Courtier: (relayed from HQ) We’re picking up the first appearance of Ones and Twos. Stand by to dive.

One minute passes. As the majority of the SCP-7193-1 and -2 formation emerges from SCP-7193, Aerial Task Force Nu-44 engages in a flyby of the anomaly, attracting 60 percent of -2 instances in pursuit.

Courtier: Dive.

The view outside Watcher’s windshield changes as Agent March sends the craft into a sharp nosedive. SCP-7193 is now visible below, as is the SCP-7193-1 and -2 formation, both of which are extremely small from Tau-70’s current altitude. It takes twenty seconds for the distance to close. Only audible sound from the task force members is heavy breathing.

Courtier: Clear skies, Tau-70. Now for the moment of truth. Good luck.

At this point, Watcher enters SCP-7193. Datalink to Stuart’s camera feed is instantaneously lost, along with all readouts from Watcher and other members of Tau-70.

Courtier: HQ to Tau-70? What’s happened? We’ve lost your signal. Are you reading me? Hello? Anybody there?

<END LOG>

All contact with Tau-70 was lost upon entry to the anomaly, and the team was listed as missing in action after two weeks. For approximately five further months, there was no new information on the status of Tau-70, until the next occurrence of SCP-7193. While monitoring the anomaly's location, radar picked up a small contact emerging from within SCP-7193. Shortly after landing in the ocean, it began emitting a signal identical to the tracking beacon utilised by Tau-70’s CounterStrike. The item was retrieved and brought to Mobile Site-101.

Addendum-03: Operation Actium - Exploration

Examination of the contact that was broadcasting Watcher’s tracking beacon revealed it to be the main cargo compartment from a Reaper High-Altitude Combat Suit, specifically that of Agent Stuart. The compartment was sealed against the water, but proved easy to open. The interior contained the following:

Tracking beacon from Watcher, 20% battery charge remaining2.

The recording of Agent Stuart's logs from the exploration.

Video Log: Operation Actium/02/Exploration of SCP-7193/Tau-70/Stuart

Date: Exact date unknown — Total Log Elapse Time (DD/HH/MM/SS): 00:01:09:11

Location: SCP-7193 interior, exact location unknown.

Depicted: Agent Stuart, Agent Jones, Agent March, Agent Bourne, Agent Dyer, SCP-7193-3

<BEGIN LOG>

Upon loss of contact with HQ, Agents Stuart and Bourne attempt to re-establish communications unsuccessfully for six minutes.

Agent March: Nothing?

Stuart: Nothing. No word from HQ or on any emergency radio channels. We're completely cut off from the outside world.

Agent Dyer: (muttered) Use radios, they said. Nothing to worry about, they said. They'll totally work, they said.

Stuart: Cut that out, Dyer.

Dyer: Jen, this op is turning out to be a worst nightmare scenario. We have no recon, no backup, no evac, and no overwatch. By all accounts, this should be a suicide mission.

Stuart: First of all, we are the recon. Also, so long as we’re out of contact with HQ, I’m in charge of the mission, as the second in command. As for the rest, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Understood?

Dyer: Alright, alright. Whatever. I mean, sorry ma'am, won't happen again.

Stuart: It had better not.

Ten minutes of silence amongst the task force follows. Only notable sound is the engines of Watcher.

March: I think I see something, ma'am. Dead ahead of us.

Stuart moves to check over March’s shoulder. From this perspective, looking through the cockpit windows towards the front, Watcher is completely surrounded by a red fog in all directions. An unknown light source somewhere within SCP-7193 is providing a reasonable measure of illumination.

Directly ahead of Watcher is a massive silhouette, stretching vertically in both directions as far as Stuart's camera can capture. The approximate shape of the silhouette is cylindrical, with several large spokes jutting horizontally off the main body.

March: Should we, um, go around?

Stuart: No… I think this is exactly what we’re looking for. Try to land us on one of those spokes.

March slows the airspeed of Watcher as the silhouette approaches. One of the spokes, a large metal platform, begins to emerge from the cloud further forward and just below the aircraft, wider than Watcher's wingspan and longer than can be visibly caught by Stuart's camera.

The landing proceeds without issue. Before Watcher slows to a complete stop, the metal wall of the structure emerges from the cloud just ahead, with a large doorway sliding open.

Stuart: Alright. As soon as we've stopped, we're getting out. Everyone to the rear.

Tau-70 gathers at the rear exit of their aircraft. After Watcher's engines slow, and finally stop, March joins the rest of the task force.

March: I checked the surrounds when I brought her to a stop. Couldn’t see anyone.

Stuart: Alright. Crack the door open and let’s take a look.

The rear door of Watcher opens, angling down and forming a ramp to the metal-plated floor of the facility. The operatives cautiously advance out, weapons ready for hostile activity, scanning the area. The location appears to be a large aircraft hangar, at least a quarter of a kilometer from the entrance in the outer wall to the inner wall. About 750 meters to both the left and the right, the hanger curves slightly inwards, disappearing around a wide corner. Between twenty and thirty instances of SCP-7193-1 and -2 are visible, parked across the area, some of which have suffered physical damage.

Jones: If you don't mind me saying, ma'am, but this place looks very… human. I mean, built by humans. Of human origin.

Stuart: Yes, I know what you mean, Jones. For now, that door looks very promising. I don't like this open area. There’s barely any cover. Let's move.

It takes Tau-70 approximately five minutes to reach the indicated door, which is on the 'inner' wall of the hanger. The corridor beyond the doorway is reminiscent of shipboard corridor, not quite wide enough to admit two people. It immediately splits into three pathways, which the operatives sweep simultaneously, until Stuart directs them down the central pathway, leading deeper into the facility. After thirty paces, the task force encounters the first door. It is constructed of wood and starkly contrasts with the metal walls.

Stuart: Breach.

Bourne covers the rear. Jones moves forward to cover the corridor ahead. March and Dyer manoeuvre into position on the left and right of the door, weapons pointed. March reaches and turns the doorknob, before pushing it open and drawing back.

In contrast to the rest of the facility, the area beyond the door is completely lacking in illumination. Stuart activates her Reaper Suit's built-in night vision function as she, March, and Dyer step inside. A row of double bunks lead along each side wall, close enough together that March's shoulders brush the metal frames.

Dyer: Cosy.

March: And this means that somebody lived in this place at some time.

Stuart: The million-dollar question is: when?

Dyer: Got something, ma'am.

Dyer lifts up a brittle, faded piece of paper from the gap between two of the bunks. It displays a crude, hand-drawn representation of a bald man with an elongated nose, peering over a wall towards the viewer. Accompanying text reads "Kilroy was here".

Stuart: Huh. What do you make of it?

March: I think I know, ma'am. 'Kilroy was here' was a Second World War era graffiti meme. American troops drew and carved it everywhere. Nobody knows where it came from, exactly.

Dyer: (putting the page back on the bunk while muttering) Meme, eh? Damn well hope it ain't a memetic skip.

Stuart: Bag that picture, Dyer. We're taking it with us.

Dyer grumbles under his breath but complies with orders. With nothing further of interest located within the room, Stuart orders the task force to continue.

In the interest of locating a central hub, Stuart decides against further searching of rooms, unless they appear significant.

Jones: I see something lying against the wall ahead, ma'am. It looks like a person.

Stuart: Let's see. Forward.

Tau-70 advances until they surround the figure lying against the wall. Stuart crouches to get a better look. The figure is dead, with the body heavily decomposed and desiccated, leaving the skeleton largely visible. It is wearing a ruined and decayed desert-camouflage uniform, with a PASGT flak vest and helmet. A M16 rifle, surrounded by bullet casings, is clutched in the body's hand.

Dyer: Poor fellow. Looks like he got screwed hard.

March: What do you think got him?

Stuart: Don't know. What doesn’t make sense to me is this uniform and equipment. It all looks very modern. They definitely didn't have this stuff during the Second World— Jesus!

Stuart jumps backwards. The end of a thick cord is animatedly sliding out from behind the flak vest near the body's neck. The members of Tau-70 train their rifles towards the cord. Its end sways from side to side in the air, appearing similar to a snake ready to strike, before moving back underneath the flak vest through the armhole gap, leaving a length of the cord wrapped across the corpse's chest.

Dyer: What the hell was that?

March: I don't know, but I think we should move on before it decides to do to us whatever it did to that soldier.

Stuart: One moment.

She leans forward and takes hold of the corpse's shoulder.

March: Wait—

Stuart twists the corpse to the side, revealing the other end of the cord emerging from near the tailbone. It trails into a metal grating mounted on the wall.

Dyer: (as Stuart puts the corpse back into its original position) Living cords in the vents. What's up next, I wonder?

Exploration continues. After a further half an hour of travel, the task force reaches a door at the end of the corridor, with a brass plaque of which reads "Central Elevator".

Stuart: (after Jones reads the name of the room aloud) Sounds like a good place to work from.

Bourne: Maybe they'll even have a map in there.

Tau-70 opens the door and enters the Central Elevator room. It is shaped like a squat cylinder, a quarter of a kilometer across and two stories high. Multiple doors provide access at the ground floor, totalling to twenty. More are visible on the next level, with gantry platforms running around and stairs leading down to the floor.

In the centre of the room is a series of four vertical frames arranged around the corners of a quadruped hole in the ground. The frames reach to the roof where an identical hole is also visible. Tau-70 moves to take up positions on the closest side of what is presumably the elevator system.

There is a single button on a raised metal plinth near the left side of the elevator system, with another brass plate: "Call Elevator". Stuart presses the button.

After a minute, the elevator ascends to the current level Tau-70 is on, despite there being no observable method of propulsion beyond the guide of the four frames. The task force checks the interior for hostiles, before boarding. Once the last operative is inside, the doors shut and the elevator begins to ascend further, seemingly without prompting by the operatives. Attempts to manually stop the elevator at other levels proves unsuccessful, and its interior is resistant to melee weapons mounted on the Reaper Suit.

The elevator passes thirty levels, corresponding to approximately sixty stories, before it begins to slow down and finally stops at the thirty-fourth level. Here, the elevator seems incapable of proceeding higher, even though more levels are visible above in the shaft. There are no gantries on this level, and only a single doorway, directly in front of the elevator entrance and marked with a plaque that reads: “Strategic Command and Control Centre”. The task force opens it up.

March: Oh my god.

Beyond is a single, massive room, with no windows, a large table in the centre, and dozens of work cubicles and dark computers along the walls. Positioned on the table, and reaching almost to the ceiling, is a semi-transparent tube, filled with a swirling blue liquid and shadows. A computer terminal is attached to the front of the tube near its bottom. Multiple cords, identical to the one discovered earlier, are filling the room, connecting the top of the tube with several additional corpses sprawled across the area, each in a similar state of decomposition and wearing military desert camouflage uniforms. More cords lead into ventilation grating on the ceiling and walls.

Tau-70 enters the room cautiously and approaches the table, avoiding physical contact with the cords.

Bourne: What in the world is this?

Stuart peers at the computer screen. A cursor is visible blinking on the screen. She types in the word 'Hello'. Upon pressing the 'Enter' key, the word disappears. After approximately ten seconds, blue text appears, reading 'who there?'. With contact established, Stuart conducts the following makeshift interview with what was later designated SCP-7193-3.

<BEGIN INTERVIEW>

SCP-7193-3 (S3): who there?

Agent Stuart (AS): I want to talk

S3: who are you?

AS: who are you?

S3: asked first. want name.

AS: Jennifer

S3: nice name. mine peter

AS: Hello Peter. Where are you?

S3: not sure. here? place

AS: Can you see anything? What does it look like?

S3: cant see. only talk

AS: Do you remember anything before when you got here?

S3: fire. smoke. ash. rubble

AS: You were in an accident?

S3: don't know. it hurt. cant feel now. cant cry now. only talk

AS: Is there anyone else there with you?

S3: no. hear nothing. see nothing. except for sometimes

AS: Sometimes?

S3: sometimes can see planes. clouds. sometimes can see fire and smoke. can hear booms and cracks. must be dreams

AS: What kind of planes?

S3: don't know. sometimes saw same planes back home. mother said planes bad

AS: Has anyone else spoken to you since you got here?

S3: not to me. strange dreams. saw men. men with guns. men do stuff. write words on screens. heard same words in head like right now. was strange

AS: What happened to these men?

S3: not in dreams now. not write now. went away?

AS: Did the men type anything that made sense?

S3: sometimes big words. wrote other words under big words. Gomorrah. Thunderclap. Rolling Thunder. Linebacker. Desert Storm. that was last. then men went away

AS: What happened after they wrote each big word?

S3: had dream of fire and planes. still have dreams but no big words now

<END INTERVIEW>

The interview is halted here, due to interjection from Bourne, and was not resumed.

Bourne: Ma'am!! Your leg!!

Stuart looks down and spots one of the animate cords intertwined loosely around her right leg. She reflexively jerks away, causing the cord to instantly tighten against the kevlar armour plating. The untethered end of the cord stabs downwards, penetrating a weak spot in the Reaper Suit. Stuart emits a vocalisation indicating pain, which increases in volume as she falls off the chair and tries to remove the cord with her hands.

Further shouts of surprise and pain indicate the other operatives are coming under similar attack. Bourne enters the camera view as he attempts to help Stuart. He engages his wrist-mounted heat-cutter, clearly intending to bisect the cord. Before he is able to, he freezes in place, and shudders twice. One of the animate cords, covered in viscus, emerges from inside his faceplate, shattering the acrylic surface.

The shouts from other agents cease. Bourne expires completely, collapsing to the floor. Stuart continues fighting against the cord that has now emerged from within her suit, and presumably from within her body, but her efforts are decreasing in strength. The cord emerges for a second time, somewhere off-camera and clearly vital in nature, as Stuart immediately ceases movement and expires.

The cord pauses in the air, its end facing directly towards the camera. It then jerks forward, presumably disabling the camera and recording devices.

<END LOG>

Interview Log: SCP-7193/Apex

Interviewed: Michael Duncan, Brigadier General USAF (retd)

Interviewer: Senior Agent Grant Burke

Foreword: As part of his service in the USAF, Michael Duncan's fully declassified vitae listed him as serving at 'Apex Air Force Base' for two years, a location that appears nowhere else in USAF records. Suspecting a connection with SCP-7193, in light of new evidence uncovered by Operation Actium, Director Monarch dispatched Agent Burke to interview the retired officer.

<BEGIN LOG>

Burke: General, the Department of Defense is very sorry to have to bother you during your retirement, but the Space Force has a proposal for a future orbital facility, and they want me to take your statement.

Duncan: Space? What the hell do I know about space stations? I watched the moon landings when I was a kid. That's the limit of my space knowledge.

Burke: Sir, the reason we need your statement is because you had ties to Apex Air Force Base.

Duncan remains silent.

Burke: Sir?

Duncan: Apex was a foul-up from start to finish. You want my advice, sergeant-major? Stay away from anything to do with Apex.

Burke: I'm sorry, sir, but I really need you to tell me about Apex.

Duncan: Jesus. God. Okay. I don't know the full story, but I know that Apex had its origins back in the Second World War. Some advanced tech that would help us defeat the Nazis, made by the Brits, which we "borrowed", quote-unquote, from them after the war was over. Whole thing was extremely classified, of course. I worked there as admin during Operation Desert Storm3, and the whole thing baffled me. It was like no base I'd ever seen. Planes appeared out of nowhere with crews, our mechanics repaired them, and then they were flown out again into that strange white cloud that constantly surrounded us. I remember they closed all the windows on the plane whenever I flew to and from there. There was so much cloak and dagger stuff it was impossible to breathe. I swear there was one spook for every three aircrew at that base.

Duncan: Anyway, I was rotated off Apex after Iraq. About a year later, I got this official memo. "Apex Base is no longer functional. All former personnel are not to divulge information regarding Apex Base to non-cleared individuals". Pretty suspicious, right? So I pulled some rank to try and take a glimpse at the pieces of the puzzle I couldn't see. I found out that the Air Force had just lost contact with the base one day. Out of the blue, aircraft weren't showing up at the normal bases, rendezvous were missed, communications cut, the base had just vanished. About a thousand personnel with it! I don't know how they managed to cover that up.

Burke: I understand. If you don't mind me asking, sir, does this picture look familiar?

The picture Burke shows to Duncan is a freeze-frame from the Operation Actium exploration log, depicting the interior of the 'Strategic Command and Control Centre'. It has been doctored to remove the translucent tubular container, the cords, and the deceased military personnel.

Duncan: Of course. That's Apex's command centre. We called it 'The Roost', mostly because General Rowley practically lived in there. He was a hard man. Known behind his back as 'Death from Above' and with good reason. In Iraq, he essentially dictated what the strategic bomber corps did and where they bombed. He had them bomb everything and everyone that wasn't American or Allied. Soldiers, women, children, didn't matter. We protested, of course. But he'd always point to that portrait that hung over the entrance to the command centre and say: "the first man to oversee this base knew what it took to win a total war, and so do I".

Burke: Who was this first overseer?

Duncan: Arthur Harris4. There was this plaque underneath his portrait that read: "A kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being, nor can the dead ever be brought back to life"5. That gave me the chills every time I read it.

<END LOG>