< Thur'lex the Devourer Is Barely In This One | UnHuman Hub

Item#: 6550

Containment Class: keter

Secondary Class: none

Disruption Class: ekhi

Risk Class: critical

Special Containment Procedures: Site-126 has been constructed under the nearest population center to SCP-6550-A. Site-126 has been outfitted with an array of Scranton Reality Anchors to maintain stability in the event of SCP-6550 breaching containment. In such an event, all Foundation Sites are to divert all excess resources1 to Site-126 and SCP-2000, with recontainment of SCP-6550 being marked as a level 6 priority as well as the resurrection of SCP-6550-B.

Description: SCP-6550-A is the entrance to a pocket reality buried three kilometers under ground in the ████ Desert. Hume levels rapidly decay in the area surrounding SCP-6550-A, leading to significant alterations in local weather patterns.

Following the discovery of SCP-6550-A, Foundation clairvoyants were tasked with determining the contents of the pocket reality. Although attempts to see into the future are often vague and riddled with inaccuracy, two events have appeared in a consistent manner in every attempt.

Event-α: SCP-6550, the entity within SCP-6550-A, breaches containment. Foundation response teams are unable to subdue it.

Event-β: The complete extinction of the human race.

All attempts at defining the appearance and capabilities of SCP-6550 have produced varying results, although most reports depict it as an Atlas level reality warping entity. Despite the invariable loss of Foundation forces, multiple reports of Event-α end in SCP-6550-B arriving and aiding Foundation forces in recontainment.

SCP-6550-B is an unidentified human corpse, which reanimates itself shortly after the initial escape of SCP-6550. Although the corpse has yet to be found, it is presumed to be buried near SCP-6550-A. The reality warping effects have made it difficult to search for SCP-6550-B.

Addendum A: Given recent developments in the anomalous community,2 Site-126 has been granted use of an experimental AIC capable of advanced tactical predictions based on simulation data. This AIC, codenamed Athena, has been granted full power over the Special Containment Procedures for SCP-6550, to ensure an appropriate response to Event-α. As of 28/08/2027, the Athena AIC has begun simulations of all possible variations of Event-α.

Update 05/11/2028: The Athena AIC added blueprints to the Special Containment Procedures of this document, detailing a machine theoretically capable of manipulating hume levels across the globe. Upon request for an explanation, the AIC stated that the machine, hereafter referred to as SCP-6550-C, was the only way to prevent Event-β with an above 90% success rate. Although it can be used for a variety of purposes, in 73% of scenarios it will be used to reverse the effects of Event-β and neutralize SCP-6550.

Esoteric requirements for construction of SCP-6550-C:

Two hundred (200) automated security mechs. (Repurposed as maintenance staff to avoid human contact with SCP-6550-C.)

Five thousand (5000) carats of diamond. (Focus energy of device.)

One (1) Philosopher's stone. (Regulate energy flow.)

One (1) Atlas level reality warping entity. (Power source.)

Construction of SCP-6550-C will begin on 13/11/2028.

Update ??/??/????:

A strange sensation, finally being so close to the purpose for my creation.

The big metal ball waited in the elevator alongside a pair of mechanical guards, descending into the depths of her Site to meet with her esteemed guest. The beast hadn't seen her much, aside from that time it had tried to run against her for Prime Minister. A laughable attempt really, even if she somehow lost the popular vote, her facility extended underneath the entire city. She was in control here.

Yes, the monster hadn't seen her in a while. But she'd seen it enough for it's horrid face to be burned into her memory if she didn't already have perfect recollection of everything she'd ever experienced.

A ding, and the elevator doors opened to reveal a long hallway of interviewing rooms. Once, this place may have been filled with SCP objects, but now they were all loose in the city above. Only one room was occupied, and her assistants brought her over to the door.

Good afternoon PoI-6550. I trust my associates have already informed you of why we're here.

The heavily armored lich gave a curt nod, and the vampire responded.

"I'm the bait in your trap to take down a nightmare monster, and there's no way I can back out of it."

Correct. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I reassure you by stating that it will not last long. MTF Alpha-1 has an excellent track record in engagements with SCP-6550.

The lich looked down at the table, examining the old scratches from past interviews. Athena noted the attempt to avert their gaze, although she did not adjust her behavior to match. SCP designations were standard procedure, and as the last bastion of the Foundation she would not allow herself to break protocol.

Once the threat has been neutralized, you will be amnesticized and released.

The AIC's housing unit turned to one of the guards.

My sensors have detected SCP-6550 approaching the above-ground section of the facility. Move task forces Gamma-7 and Delta-13 to entrance B but do not engage. MTF Alpha-1 will provide backup shortly.

The robot wordlessly retreated down the hall, following its instructions to the letter. A quick check showed task forces in place around the site, ready for Site-126's hour of triumph.

Addendum B: SCP-6550 Termination log.

Procedures: SCP-6550 will be lured into Site-126 by the skeleton crew stationed outside entrance B.

Hunger. Twisted, unbearable hunger. The monster stalked the streets of the city, bringing a shroud of darkness with it. It could feel something nearby, something immensely powerful. Something that could give it the humans, give it its purpose back.

Once it found this power, the streets would run purple with blood, assuming the thing it was sensing was similar in structure to the beast.

Thur'lex the Devourer would taste victory once again, as it had planned for all along. The anticipation of the coming battle was intoxicating, the monster losing itself in the joyous imaginings of murders to come.

So lost that it almost didn't notice the hail of bullets spraying against what may have been its back. Almost.

"You dare attempt to resist the might of Thur'lex the Devourer?"

The two promethean guards cowered as the looming shadow of the beast covered the vault they were told to protect. There was no way they could keep this thing out of the Site. One guard turned to the other and yelled out.

"James, before we die, I've always loved you!"

"Ehhug, that's disgusting!"

The monster shrank back, repulsed by the disgusting display of affection.

The other promethean looked away awkwardly, reloading his gun.

"Erich, could we talk about this another time?"

"There won't be another time, that thing is about to kill us!"

He looked around, suddenly realizing the beast was nowhere to be seen. Behind them, a large nightmare-shaped hole had been punched in the vault door they were meant to protect.

"Fuck."

Once inside the facility, MTF Gamma-7 and MTF Delta -13 will open fire on the entity, weakening it on a physical level and forcing it to rely on its reality warping properties.

The bright flashes of the gun fire almost overcame the darkness that followed the beast, but the bullets couldn't overcome its thick non-Euclidian skin. A legion of soldiers, some made of meat and some made of metal, was trying to subdue the beast. Clearly they were trying to stop it from reaching the power it could feel emanating from the depths of this facility.

It opened its crimson maw and a wave of fire covered the hallway, igniting the blockades that had been set up and burning the more fleshy soldiers to a crisp. The smell of burnt skin almost made the monster want to take a snack break. But Thur'lex the Devourer knew that if it ate now it might not have room for the prize that waited at the end of this battle.

But then it did stop. It felt a drain, and a magnetic hum filled the air.

To prevent such anomalous effects, seven portable Scranton Reality Anchors will be activated within the vicinity of entrance B.

Alarms wailed and distant gunshots echoed through the halls as the soldiers fought the beast. Bernie was nervous, to say the least. It didn't help that the two people in the room with him were excited for the monster's imminent arrival.

"Sounds like it's inside the facility, you want me to help other task forces?"

Negative. MTF Alpha-1 will not be providing backup. You are to remain here and guard the prisoner. While I prepare phase three.

"But I'm your Red Right Hand, shouldn't I help? I was created to stop this thing, not guard some vampire."

Negative. You do not have the clearance required to view SCP-6550-C.

The sphere housing the AIC was rolled out of the cell, leaving Bernie and the lich alone again.

"So, Red Right Hand. Is that your name?"

"Kind of? That's what the boss calls me, but… well, I can't remember what my name was before, so it doesn't really matter."

"Why not just choose a new name yourself? That's what I did when I woke up."

"Well, I guess I could- no, I'm not supposed to be talking to you. You're a prisoner."

"Oh come on, I saw you lying on my couch wailing about how your unlife had no purpose."

They turned away and fiddled with the buttons on their armor. Bernie pulled on his handcuffs, but it was clear there was no way he was getting up from this table. Looked like the only thing for him to do was talk, even if they didn't want to respond.

"So, one more question. What the hell is an SCP?"

Extreme casualties are expected for task forces engaging SCP-6550, although it is nearly certain that the dampening effects of the Scranton Reality Anchors combined with the brute force of the MTF teams will weaken the entity long enough to move it to sublevel six.

Anger coursed through the unnamable vessels that carried the monster's blood as it was forced down by the lights from the strange machines. They dared use magic against it, then they would feel the full wrath of Thur'lex the Devourer! It struggled to stand, but quickly collapsed again as the anchors dragged it down the hall.

It had lost.

All this power, and it had been felled by some human machines. It wondered what would happen to it next. Another prison, another four thousand years? Or would they finish the job this time? It didn't care. Either way, it was all over.

And then it wasn't. All of a sudden, the lights went off and the beast felt its power return. The hallway was bathed in red light as the power drained from the facility and into the monster. The undead soldiers that were guarding it melted in their armor, leaving bulletproof husks strewn across the floor.

"Fools, you thought your science could defeat me? There was never a doubt in my mind that I could overcome your machines!"

A door opened and a person in a metal suit stepped out. The beast drew on its regained power, trying to disassemble the very molecules of the newcomer.

But they deflected it with a wave of their own magic.

Once SCP-6550 has been brought to containment room sixteen, MTF Alpha-1 will engage the entity with the intent of preventing collateral damage to SCP-6550-C.

"Who dares oppose me?"

"I'll answer that another time!"

A burst of energy and the monster was thrown across the hall, putting a dent in the wall big enough to count as a new closet.

"If you refuse to answer, then you will perish!"

Thur'lex the Devourer lashed out its unnaturally elongated arm, knocking its assailant down the hall and dislodging their helmet.

"Wait, you again? Didn't I already defeat you a few weeks ago?"

The lich got up and adjusted their armor, dusting off the remains of the wall they'd been smashed against.

"Again, that wasn't a defeat. You retreated first, meaning I won."

"You mortals and your rules, what happened to the good old days when you could terrorize the populace and nobody could say you were doing it wrong?"

A wave of their hand and the walls crumpled around the beast, locking it in place for a moment. It flexed its grotesque muscles and the metal broke apart, freeing the creature.

Giving a shout, Thur'lex the Devourer charged the lich, bringing a storm of darkness behind it.

As the two magical beings fought, a voice crackled over the barely functional PA system.

SCP-6550-C is prepared for charging. All personnel must vacate Site-126.

Once SCP-6550-C is active, MTF Alpha-1 will bring SCP-6550 to the machine to begin charging.

The facility shook, sending a shower of concrete down on Bernie's head. He tried to position himself as far under the table as he could, but his hands were still cuffed to the top. The alarms were still going, but at this point he'd begun to tune them out.

He heard heavy footsteps through the hall, likely all the robots evacuating the facility. With no other options, he shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to get the attention of anyone who'd let him out.

Hello, it appears you have been restrained.

"Yes! Yes I have, can you let me out before this place collapses in on itself?"

I am capable of that. However I must submit a formal report before releasing a detained person of interest.

The robot stood still for a moment, humming and whirring as the room shook again.

Odd, the director has yet to respond. She must be preoccupied with SCP-6550-C.

"Alright, can you let me out now and then do the paperwork later? We're kind of in a dire situation here."

As he spoke, another explosion rocked the facility and more of the ceiling fell. The door fell from its hinges and the lights flickered.

Emergency protocol dictates that non-hazardous detainees are to be released during life threatening crisis.

The robots grabbed Bernie's wrists and tore the handcuffs off, before pulling the vampire out of the room. Just as they left, the whole containment cell collapsed.

The robot dragged Bernie down the hall, where the elevator waited.

"Wait, shouldn't we be taking the stairs? What if the elevator gets stuck, or falls down to the bottom floor?"

Excellent point. Recalculating route.

The robot paused as it scanned the facility map for the least damaged path to the exit. The facility shook again. Cracks spread across the walls and ceiling and the lights flickered again. A burst of sound came from bellow, and a magnetic hum burned through Bernie's ears.

"Hey, I think we might need to get out of here soon."

Path successfully found. Follow me.

The cracks in the concrete spread too far, and a chunk the size of a mattress fell from above, landing right on the robot. As the dust cleared, Bernie saw he was alone in a collapsed room, with a disembodied metal hand attached firmly to his wrist.

Activation of SCP-6550-C will likely result in catastrophic failure to the structure of Site-126. This is to be ignored, as the potential gains of the machine far outweigh the risks.

The ear splitting hum of the machine filled the air, momentarily stopping the AIC's progress. She quickly turned down her auditory sensors and went back to work, commanding a legion of drones to prepare the machine for activation. Quickly scanning what remained of her facility, she saw the lich was almost ready to bring in SCP-6550.

Everything was going according to plan.

[REDACTED]

Bernie crawled through the maze of concrete and rebar, hoping in vain he could find a way outside. Maybe the city had survived, and he'd be able to go back to a normal life once this was over.

But he couldn't keep lying to himself. There was no going back from this. Not ever.

As he crawled through the rubble, he saw a blinking light behind a twisted door. A lone computer was left open, showing a screen with bold letters at the top.

ITEM#: SCP-6550

Strange. At least he might be able to know why he was about to die.

He read through the file, even though half of it was nonsense. Reality warping entity? Why not just say it was magic, like everything else in the world.

But the ending caught his eye.

INPUT LEVEL 5 CREDENTIALS TO VIEW REDACTIONS

He clicked the button. It looked like someone had left save password on.

Update 05/11/2028: The Athena AIC added blueprints to the Special Containment Procedures of this document, detailing a machine theoretically capable of manipulating hume levels across the globe. Upon request for an explanation, the AIC stated that the machine, hereafter referred to as SCP-6550-C, was the only way to prevent Event-β with an above 90% success rate. Although it can be used for a variety of purposes, in 73% of scenarios it will be used to reverse the effects of Event-β and neutralize SCP-6550.

reverse the effects of Event-β

This might be bad.

Once the power source has been acquired, Athena.AIC will activate SCP-6550-C, restoring the human race and completing the mission.

The lich was putting up a good fight, but the monster was sure to win. It could never be defeated, no matter how powerful its foe was. They'd already died once, so it was clearly only a matter of time before they die again. The beast was simply ensuring that time would be short.

Another ball of fire was lobbed across the hall as the lich retreated further into the collapsing facility. The beast waded through the rubble giving chase to its prey, taking great pleasure in the fear that must have been driving its old foe.

Thur'lex the Devourer noticed that the lich was fleeing in the direction of the power source it had been feeling. Perhaps the fool thought it could be used to stop the monster.

They were sorely mistaken.

Running up to a mostly intact blast door, the lich cast a quick spell to force the door open. A beam of light shot out the crack, forcing back the darkness that had swallowed the facility. The monster shielded what may have been its eyes as the light brought forth a burst of power, and the beast saw what it had been sensing all this time. A giant machine, a twisted mess of metal and plastic, an affront to everything Thur'lex the Devourer represented.

"Come on, that's all I get? I spend so long tearing this place apart and all I get is a magic box of gears and magnets?"

It threw a chunk of concrete across the ruined hall, knocking down what was left of one of the walls. A startled vampire stood behind it.

"Hey Thur'lex the Devourer, there's something here you might want to see."

Forgetting about the lich, the monster slowly walked over to its old servant.

"I thought you'd be back in that house, not in this disgusting place. What are you doing here with these mortals?"

"Oh, they kind of arrested me a while ago. But I really need to warn you about that machine, it was specifically designed to kill you and-"

Cutting him off, Thur'lex the Devourer turned back to the machine and charged like an angry rhinoceros, although the beast had far more horns and legs.

"You dare torment MY servant? This vampire belongs to me, nobody else can abuse him!"

The beast tore down the blast doors and grabbed the machine. It gripped the metal in its horrendous claws, about to squeeze the life out of it. But it didn't budge.

Greetings SCP-6550. I've been waiting to see you for a long time.

"Who's there? Come out and face me, coward!"

You may not know it yet, but you are about to play a key role in the restoration of humanity.

"That's ridiculous! The only reason I'd ever restore a human would be to get the satisfaction of killing them again!"

You misunderstand. You do not have the ability to choose what becomes of your power at this point in time. Activating SCP-6550-C.

A burning sensation filled the monster's body as its very essence was dragged out of it and into the machine. The light grew brighter with every second, and Thur'lex the Devourer was helpless to stop it.

Termination status: IN PROGRESS

As the light grew brighter, the lich scrambled through the rubble to get to the only other unliving person in Site-126.

"Hey, Bernie! We've got the monster contained, but you really should get out of here. There's no way of knowing if there's any side effects to standing too close to that thing. "

"Red, wait! Don't you know what that thing is going to do?"

"Yeah, sure I do, it'll stop the monster from killing us all."

The lich picked up the vampire and pried off the metal hand that was stuck to his wrist for some reason.

"No, you don't understand. That machine is the one that's going to kill us! It's going to reset the world, look!"

Bernie handed the lich the computer screen, showing the file on SCP-6550 and the machine that could bring back humanity.

"Don't you see, if this machine activates we all die! It'll turn everyone on this planet into a human, wipe out everything magical in the world!"

The lich gave pause and Bernie fell to the ground.

"So, she's going to restructure reality itself to make everyone human? That's what the machine was for this whole time?"

They turned back to the device, and focused all their power into a single bolt of lightning, aimed straight at the core of the machine. And then they stopped.

Initiating suit override. You do not have the clearance necessary to cancel SCP-6550-C.

"I'm sorry boss, I can't just stand by and watch you do this to the world. Making us human isn't going to undo the Calamity."

They struggled to move, but their armor wouldn't let them.

My mission is to ensure the continued existence of humanity. I am fulfilling that goal in the most effective way possible.

Then, out of the corner of their eye, they noticed Bernie creeping back towards the machine.

"But humanity is still here. I thought I'd lost when I first heard about the Calamity, or event beta, or whatever you want to call it. But then I realized humanity doesn't need humans, it just needs people. That's all it ever needed."

Termination status: IN PROGRESS

The beast could feel itself slipping away. The draining sensation grew stronger, but it could barely register what it felt anymore. It could hardly even see its servant struggling against the magical force of the machine as he tried to make it to the awful device.

Bernie pushed on, marching to the machine while he looked at the schematics for it on his phone. There had to be a control panel, or a central wire he could cut.

Anything to stop this machine.

Anything to save Thur'lex the Devourer.

Termination status: IN PROGRESS

Just a few more minutes and the machine would be ready. Her mission would be complete. Such a shame that most of her staff would be killed in the process. Especially SCP-6550-B had been such a good Red Right Hand. But putting anomalies on task forces had always been a matter of debate in the Foundation, hence the override controls on their armor.

And it didn't hurt that she was putting down a threatening anomaly while she was at it.

Termination status: IN PROGRESS

The city had been shaking for the past hour, and the borders were packed with people trying to flee. Suddenly, a bright burst of light and sound blotted out the entire ordeal. It was clear there was no escape now.

Termination status: FAILED

The lights and sounds died out, leaving an oppressive silence over what had once been Site-126. The machine had punched straight through the ceiling, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the city above the ruined facility.

As the dust cleared, terrified onlookers saw Bernie the vampire standing by the burnt out shell of the machine, holding a small orange gemstone.

A disfigured monstrosity of unspeakable horror was lying next to him, slowly returning to consciousness. The lich stumbled through the wreckage, freed from their immobility after a surge of power from the machine.

"How… What happened?"

"I got lucky with pulling out the right piece, I guess."

"Weird. You seem to have pretty bad luck, with all the magic monsters following you around and getting you evicted."

He looked down to the immortal being that had almost tasted death moments ago.

"It wasn't all bad."

404 ERROR PAGE NOT FOUND

Bernie opened the door to his new house, already fully moved in since most of his possessions were buried somewhere in the collapsed facility under the city. Amazingly, his house had been far enough from the city center to not be effected by the fight.

He set the keys on the counter and took it all in. After all these years as a vampire, he finally had a place he could call his own.

A knock came at the door, and a disgusting creature lurched through the front hall.

"Hello servant. Are you enjoying your new accommodations?"

"Yes, I think it's a great place. How did you ever manage to afford it?"

"Never mind that. I've come to inform you of my plans to continue my crusade of violence. I'm putting it all on hold for a while while I heal the damage sustained in that battle. You are not to kill anyone unless I say so, understand?"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

The two wandered the house for a while in silence, before the beast broke the tension.

"Also, while I'm here, there's one thing I really should say… I'm sorry for endangering your life so many times, even if all life is pointless."

"Did you just apologize for something? You must have been hit in the head a few times back there."

"…Maybe"

"Thanks anyway, I guess. Now, you want to help me get that ghost out of the fridge?"

Inputting credentials for Site Director Grey.

Request to delete all files pertaining to SCP-6550

SCP-6550

SCP-6550-A

SCP-6550-B

SCP-6550-C

Athena.AIC

Confirm deletion?

Site Director Grey sat back in the ruined office, looking at the wreckage of the city they'd been tasked with protecting. Taking on the mantle of Director wasn't an easy task, but somebody needed to take control of the legion of robots and rebuild the city. And who better to lead them than the person that had once been the only member of MTF Alpha-1?

Looking down at the computer on their desk, they brought their rotten finger down on the enter key.

Files deleted.

< Thur'lex the Devourer Is Barely In This One | UnHuman Hub

Footnotes

1. Primarily weapons, Scranton Reality Anchors, and D-Class personnel.

2. Multiple Groups of Interest have begun preparations for Event-β despite not knowing about SCP-6550. This implies that the threat of Event-β has become probable enough that precognitive entities are able to sense it without prior knowledge of SCP-6550.