0:00

Screams echoed down the concrete

0:02

hallway. The sounds of human suffering

0:04

pulling me rudely back to consciousness.

0:06

The smell of gun powder and

0:08

blood produced a heady mixture in

0:10

my nostrils. I pushed myself up

0:13

from a prone position on the

0:15

floor with wobbly arms and spit

0:17

blood onto the tile between my

0:19

hands. My rifle lay in two

0:21

pieces nearby, broken in half before

0:23

I was knocked unconscious. I should

0:26

be dead, I thought. It didn't

0:28

make any sense that I wasn't.

0:30

Gunshots joined the screams from somewhere

0:32

down the corridor. An explosion shook

0:34

the building. Getting to my feet

0:36

produced a shooting pain in my

0:38

abdomen. I looked down to see

0:40

a nasty stab wound next to

0:43

my belly button. Growning, I pressed

0:45

my right hand on it to

0:47

slow the bleeding. Then I started

0:49

toward the sounds of violence. Bodies

0:51

littered the hallway. I passed a

0:53

dead junior researcher named Fong, whose

0:55

head had been sliced in half

0:57

down the middle. I passed one

0:59

of my security officers, who I

1:02

had watched die before I was

1:04

attacked and momentarily neutralized. His name

1:06

was Lorenzo, and he had three

1:08

kids at home who were now

1:10

fatherless. Feelings were bubbling inside, the

1:12

rage, despair, and dismay, but I

1:14

kept them from erupting, because I

1:16

couldn't let them get in the

1:18

way of what I had to

1:20

do. As I tottered down the

1:22

hallway, light-headed with pain and blood

1:24

loss, I saw more of my

1:27

security officers. stripped of their dignity

1:29

and death, turned into only meat.

1:31

Discounting the discarded assault rifles that lay

1:33

among the bodies was easy. They were

1:35

little more than BB guns to this

1:38

skip. I needed something bigger, like a

1:40

50 Cal. But as I rounded the

1:42

corner, I saw two members of the

1:45

site director's personal security detail rushing toward

1:47

me. I knew them by name, but

1:49

our interactions have been limited. Culver... A

1:52

compact guy who had retired special

1:54

forces written all over him ran up

1:56

to me and grabbed me by my

1:58

left arm. Bellamy. It was about

2:00

a foot taller, and several shades

2:02

darker than culver grabbed my other

2:05

arm. Come with us, sir, the

2:07

big guy said as they dragged

2:09

me backward. I tried to wrench

2:11

myself away, but I was too

2:13

weak. I'd lost too much blood.

2:15

What's happening? Why are we going

2:17

away from the fight? The fight

2:19

is lost, sir. Director Tabor ordered

2:21

us to come find you before

2:23

we enact the final option. A

2:25

sick feeling that rivaled the wound

2:27

in my abdomen came over me.

2:29

I had been walking backward as

2:31

the two men shoved me around

2:34

the corner. But now I stopped,

2:36

dragging my feet. The final option?

2:38

Are you fucking crazy? We can

2:40

stop him, God damn it! Let

2:42

me go! I can stop him!

2:44

It's Director Daver's order, Culver said.

2:46

We don't have a say, and

2:48

neither do you. So please, either

2:50

walk or we'll drag you out.

2:52

I'll stay. Give me ten minutes.

2:54

If I haven't neutralized him by

2:56

then, you can start the final

2:58

option. We can't do that, sir,"

3:00

Bellamy said. We have orders, so

3:03

do you. Fuck the orders. You

3:05

know how many people are here

3:07

right now? Just tell them I

3:09

was already dead. Let me go!

3:11

I finally managed to yank my

3:13

arm out of Bellamy's grip. I

3:15

swung at Culver, but he dodged

3:17

the sloppy punch easily and then

3:19

cracked me in the jaw. I

3:21

felt my teeth split my lip,

3:23

and the world went blurry. I

3:25

started to fall, but Bellamy caught

3:27

me, and dragged me down the

3:29

hall. The sound of destruction slowly

3:32

ebbed behind us. Then it eventually

3:34

faded away to nothing as they

3:36

pulled me up the stairs. My

3:38

feet practically off the ground. I

3:40

started to come back to my

3:42

senses just before we reached the

3:44

helipad. As soon as I stiffened

3:46

in their grip, Culver cracked me

3:48

in the face again, this time

3:50

breaking my nose. They threw me

3:52

into the helicopter, at the feet

3:54

of Director Tabor and his personal

3:56

secretary, who I had it on

3:58

good authority he was having an

4:01

affair with. The two security officers

4:03

got in after me and the

4:05

helicopter took off. I tried to

4:07

sit up and look at Tabor

4:09

with his frameless glasses that were

4:11

so tight and his face so

4:13

fat that the temple sunk into

4:15

his skin. I could hardly get

4:17

his large, besuited frame to stay

4:19

steady in my vision. You coward?

4:21

I managed. You fucking coward. I

4:23

just saved your life, Hawk, he

4:25

said. Did you call me a

4:27

coward? Shaking my head. I got

4:30

to my knees and managed to

4:32

look out the window. Back toward

4:34

the facility. I waited. I waited.

4:36

watching as it got smaller and

4:38

smaller. Finally, it happened. The explosion

4:40

erupted from the windows of the

4:42

two stories that were above ground.

4:44

The roof exploded up on a

4:46

wave of superheated air. Most of

4:48

the facility was below ground, so

4:50

the explosion was fairly contained. But

4:52

the destruction to the building itself,

4:54

and to those inside, was immense.

4:56

God, I said. God Almighty. I

4:59

sank down to sit on my

5:01

feet and I finally let all

5:03

those emotions come to the surface.

5:05

There was despair, yes, and dismay,

5:07

but the one that really erupted,

5:09

drowning out the others, was rage.

5:11

I sat in that emotion for

5:13

a long time, wallowing in it

5:15

as a plan came rushing to

5:17

mind. Then I turned and glared

5:19

at Director Tabor, and I pictured

5:21

his death at my hands. I

5:27

hitched absently at the scar next

5:29

to my belly button as the

5:31

elevator slowed its ascent. The wound

5:33

had long since healed, but it

5:35

still itched on occasion. Usually when

5:37

I was feeling stressed, so it

5:39

was probably psychosomatic. As the elevator

5:41

door slid open, I rested my

5:43

hand on my side arm and

5:45

its holster. Two young faces looked

5:47

up at me on surprise from

5:49

the sparse and utilitarian area at

5:51

the top of the elevator shaft.

5:53

After a moment of slack-jawed amazement,

5:56

the two young men seemed to

5:58

remember their training. They straightened and

6:00

white- the surprise off their faces.

6:02

Evening, I said. Evening, sir. The

6:04

two men said in unison. They

6:06

didn't have name tags on their

6:08

security uniforms. Protocol. But I knew

6:10

their faces from the files I'd

6:12

studied. I stepped off the elevator

6:14

and extended my hand toward the

6:16

22-year-old with the sparse black mustache

6:18

and the close set walnut-colored eyes.

6:20

Cuevas, welcome to 25B. Cuevas shook

6:22

my hand. I shifted my attention

6:25

to the other man, 24-year-old Peck.

6:27

He gripped my hand hard and

6:29

looked me in the eye. His

6:31

clean-shaven, all-American face, approximating stone, but

6:33

without the gravitas it required. I

6:35

knew it wasn't an alpha thing.

6:37

He was trying to make a

6:39

good impression. I liked him for

6:41

it. Even though, if I really

6:43

wanted to, I could have crushed

6:45

his hand in mine without breaking

6:47

a sweat. When we finished shaking,

6:49

I stepped back onto the elevator.

6:51

and looked at them expectantly. You

6:54

have your stuff? After a moment,

6:56

they jumped to action, grabbing their

6:58

rucksacks from where they'd prompt them

7:00

on the wall nearby. Once they

7:02

got into the elevator, I used

7:04

my keycard and passcode to get

7:06

the car moving again. As the

7:08

elevator descended, I started my spiel.

7:10

The first thing you need to

7:12

know is that this elevator shaft

7:14

remains flooded, unless it's in use.

7:16

You guys saw where the base

7:18

was when you flew in. We're

7:20

in the middle of the ocean.

7:23

But the base disguised as an

7:25

oil rig is just the tip

7:27

of the iceberg. Most of the

7:29

base is underwater, and underground, embedded

7:31

in solid bedrock at the ocean

7:33

floor. Once the two guys you're

7:35

replacing leave tonight, the elevator shaft

7:37

will be flooded with seawater until

7:39

the next shift comes in a

7:41

month. Unless, of course, something happens.

7:43

The point I'm trying to make

7:45

here is that we're on our

7:47

own down in 25B. There's no

7:49

backup coming. We handle all our

7:52

own problems. And if we don't,

7:54

we die. You get me? Cuevas

7:56

and... Peck nodded solemnly. Peck looked

7:58

a little green, probably imagining how

8:00

much pressure was constantly on the

8:02

undersea base. I won't lie to

8:04

you too. This is not a

8:06

great assignment. I know you both

8:08

did something to get knocked down

8:10

here with me, and I know

8:12

what those things are. But I'm

8:14

not going to hold them over

8:16

your head. I know you're both

8:18

capable, and one mistake does not

8:21

make the man. So all I

8:23

ask is that you learn from

8:25

your mistakes, and do the best

8:27

you can while you're here. You

8:29

make a good impression. I'll write

8:31

recommendations for you both. It might not

8:33

mean much coming from me, but it'll

8:35

be something. I studied the two men,

8:38

practically seeing the questions floating in little

8:40

thought bubbles above their heads. Now, this

8:42

is a long ride, and I know

8:44

you both have questions for me. So

8:47

why don't you ask them now and

8:49

get them out of the way? Peck

8:51

and Cuevas shared a look, like they

8:53

thought this was a trap. Speak freely,

8:56

gentlemen. I'd rather you hear the truth

8:58

from me than some distorted version of

9:00

it from the people you'll be working

9:03

with." Peck swallowed loudly. Is it true

9:05

that you killed your sight director? Is

9:07

that why you got sent to this

9:09

base? I had to take a moment

9:12

to appreciate his brashness. Usually new guys

9:14

asked a couple of lead-up questions before

9:16

hitting me with the big one. I

9:19

couldn't help but recall the way sight

9:21

director Tabor looked when I slid the

9:23

knife up under his ribs. while he

9:25

lay on his thousand thread count sheets

9:28

and his gaudy McMansion. He had ordered

9:30

the death of nearly 500 people

9:32

that day over a year ago,

9:34

but his biggest mistake was saving

9:37

my life. I had no regrets about

9:39

what I'd done. I met Peck's eyes

9:41

and put steel into my gaze. No,

9:44

I did not. Do you think if

9:46

I had murdered anyone, much less a

9:48

site director, that I would be in

9:50

command of any base? Come on. Use

9:52

your head. At best. I would be

9:55

in an orange jumpsuit with a number

9:57

instead of a name. The truth was,

9:59

that's what I had expected to

10:01

happen when I killed Tabor. I

10:03

figured I'd be a D-class and

10:05

some heinous experiment, quicker than I

10:07

could spit. But I guess the

10:10

05 council was afraid of all

10:12

the secrets I had gathered over

10:14

the years. They were probably hard

10:16

at work, trying to find any

10:18

backups or contingency plans I had

10:20

squirled away before they finally had

10:22

been killed. You don't kill a

10:25

site director and get away with

10:27

it. I knew that. Everyone knew

10:29

it. But here I was. Alive.

10:31

and in charge of one of

10:33

the most dangerous bases in the

10:35

foundation. Peck looked sheepishly at his

10:37

feet and then murmured. You're right.

10:40

Sorry, sir. What else? I asked.

10:42

Kueva spoke up next. What exactly

10:44

are we containing down here, sir?

10:46

Now I smiled. You'll see soon

10:48

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at acorns.com/SCP. I showed the new

11:48

guys around the administrative support area,

11:50

which included the living quarters for

11:52

30 people, an armory, an array

11:54

of offices dedicated to operating the

11:56

base, and the control room where

11:58

we monitored the other side of

12:00

the... base, which was where we

12:02

contained as CP-76. Once we were

12:04

done with the administrative support area,

12:06

we stopped at a massive reinforced

12:08

door in a warehouse-like area with

12:10

sandbag barriers set up facing the

12:12

door. I gave the orders to

12:14

have the corridor on the other

12:16

side drained, and we stood there

12:18

discussing their duties while the hum

12:20

of pumps sounded from the other

12:22

side. When the corridor was fully

12:24

drained, and all the doors that

12:26

separated the different sections opened. I

12:28

ordered the control room to open

12:30

the main door. It slid open

12:33

to reveal a 490-foot killing corridor

12:35

that was the only connection to

12:37

the primary containment zone. Hanging from

12:39

the ceiling of the 10-foot tall

12:41

hall was an automated 50 caliber

12:43

machine gun. I moved over to

12:46

a stack of empty cardboard boxes

12:48

near the door and grabbed one.

12:50

Without warning the other two men,

12:52

I tossed the box into the

12:54

corridor. The 50 cows automated targeting

12:56

system immediately spotted the movement and

12:58

fire, turning the box into Swiss

13:01

cheese. Jesus! Beck said, hands to his

13:03

ears. There are 50 cows every hundred

13:05

feet, along with pressure plate explosives and

13:08

some other deadly treats. If Abel gets

13:10

past these weapons, it means we're in

13:12

the shit, gentlemen. And if he gets

13:15

past fallback zone 2, which is the

13:17

entrance to the living quarters, the entire

13:19

base will be flooded, and we will

13:22

all die. Hopefully it will be

13:24

enough to kill Abel as well. Abel?

13:26

Cuevas asked. That's what we call SCP

13:28

76. The point I'm trying to

13:30

make here is that we cannot

13:32

let him get past this point.

13:34

Do you understand me? Yes, sir.

13:37

They both said in unison. Your

13:39

training will start tomorrow. Pay

13:41

close attention, because if there's a

13:43

breach, and there will be eventually,

13:45

you will need to act without

13:48

thinking. That's why we train every

13:50

day down here. We won't let you

13:52

down, sir," Quiva said. How do you know

13:54

when the next breach will be? Peck

13:57

asked. We don't. That's part of

13:59

the problem. The last time he breached

14:01

containment was over a year ago.

14:03

It was that incident that sparked

14:05

all the crazy stories about me.

14:07

Gable was blown to bits in

14:09

that blast, but it didn't kill

14:11

him. Not permanently anyway. But there's

14:13

no telling how long it will

14:15

take for him to regenerate in

14:17

his coffin. It has already been

14:19

a year, but according to the

14:21

data we have, it could be

14:23

up to 25 years. There's just

14:25

no telling. Hope crept into the

14:27

two men's faces, and I squashed

14:29

it immediately. Do not for a

14:31

second think that there won't be

14:33

a breach while you're stationed here.

14:35

The only way to operate this

14:37

base is to know that there

14:39

will be a breach, and it

14:41

could happen at any moment. Complacency

14:43

is suicide here, you get me?

14:45

Yes, sir. Sir, yes, sir. I

14:47

nodded. Can you find your way

14:50

back to your quarters? They said

14:52

they could. Okay, dismissed. Culver will

14:54

be along to collect you at

14:56

1900 hours. Until then, you're free

14:58

to get settled in. The two

15:00

men left. and when they were

15:02

gone, I ordered the weapons in

15:04

the corridor put in safe mode.

15:06

Then I walked down the corridor

15:08

at a leisurely pace, sidestepping every

15:10

pressure plate from memory, even though

15:12

the explosives were set in safe

15:14

mode. Finally, I came to another

15:16

door. On the other side of

15:18

it was the primary containment zone,

15:20

which was little more than a

15:22

reinforced room, housing a 10-foot cube,

15:24

made of black speckled metamorphic stone,

15:26

with complex engravings on the inside

15:28

and out. Inside the cube was

15:30

a stone coffin held in place

15:32

by chains and complex locks that

15:34

operated anomalously on their own. Inside

15:36

the coffin lay able. A seemingly

15:38

normal Middle Eastern man with tattoos

15:40

all over his body. But he

15:42

was anything but normal. He was

15:44

immortal as far as we could

15:46

tell. Although he could be killed,

15:48

he didn't stay dead. He was

15:50

a killing machine. And his only

15:52

goal seemed to be murdering any

15:54

humans he came across. Which was

15:56

why I didn't understand how I'd

15:58

lived through his attack. He'd

16:00

stabbed me in the stomach, tore several

16:03

of my muscles, and broke several bones

16:05

in my left hand. But he hadn't

16:07

killed me. In fact, he'd talked to

16:10

me. I recalled our brief conversation as

16:12

I stood on the other side of

16:14

the massive door. My left hand pressed

16:17

to the cold metal. I knew it

16:19

was an unfinished conversation, but I wasn't

16:21

looking forward to Part Two. But I

16:23

was also reminded of Culver every time

16:26

I looked into the mirror. Culver, who

16:28

had been one of Director Tabor's two

16:30

personal security guards. Culver, who had punched

16:33

me once in the jaw and once

16:35

in the nose while he was trying

16:37

to pull me out of the building

16:39

on Tabor's orders. My nose hadn't healed

16:42

properly after that break, so each time

16:44

I glanced into a mirror. I thought

16:46

of him. But even worse, he'd been

16:49

assigned as my number two at the

16:51

base. I had no say in the

16:53

matter. I'd had a little under a

16:56

year to come to know the man,

16:58

and if I hadn't had anything against

17:00

him for lack of knowledge before, I

17:02

had now come to despise him. Not

17:05

only because I was sure he was

17:07

in charge of spying on me and

17:09

reporting back to the council, but because

17:12

he was a petty, vindictive man. He

17:14

knew I'd killed Tabor, and he wasn't

17:16

about to let it go. He was

17:18

biting his time. For all I knew,

17:21

he had asked to be assigned at

17:23

the base. Maybe so he could be

17:25

the one to kill me during the

17:28

inevitable breach. This thought wasn't lost on

17:30

me when the breach alarms woke me

17:32

in the middle of the night, a

17:34

week after Cuevas and Peck arrived. The

17:37

thought that I might be stabbed in

17:39

the back by my number two wasn't

17:41

a welcome notion, but it was there

17:44

nonetheless. It was a distraction I didn't

17:46

need. So I pushed it to the

17:48

back of my mind as I got

17:51

up, already dressed in a t-shirt and

17:53

sweatpants. My normal sleepwear. I grabbed my

17:55

radio and called the control room. Hebarra

17:57

answered with a fear-tight voice. It's happening,

18:00

sir. She said, brushing the words out.

18:02

The cube is opening. Where's Culver? I

18:04

asked. Whenever I was off shift, Culver

18:07

was supposed to be on. He left

18:09

as soon as the breach alarm sounded.

18:11

I cursed under my breath. So I

18:13

was going to have to worry about

18:16

being stabbed in the back. You know

18:18

what to do? I told her. Just

18:20

hold tight. Back up will be there

18:23

soon. He won't get far down the

18:25

kill corridor down the kill corridor. I

18:27

pulled my boots on and fixed a

18:29

concealed knife around my left shin, covering

18:32

it with my sweatpants. I grabbed my

18:34

M240, 7.62 machine gun from the locker

18:36

in my quarters. It wouldn't do much

18:39

more than slow able down, but it

18:41

was better than nothing. Protocol said everyone

18:43

was to be armed during a breach,

18:46

and that included me. The hallways through

18:48

the living quarters were alive with people

18:50

rushing around. Many of them still half

18:52

asleep. I came across Peck. who was

18:55

kneeling in the hallway outside his room.

18:57

His weapons and gear in a pile

18:59

next to him. He was trying to

19:02

tie his boot laces, but his hands

19:04

were shaking too badly. I set my

19:06

machine gun down on the floor, propped

19:08

on its bipod, and knelt in front

19:11

of the young man. I grabbed his

19:13

hands, stopping him from moving and getting

19:15

him to look at me. It's good

19:18

to be scared, I said. It's normal.

19:20

Just remember your training, how many hours

19:22

have you spent training for this in

19:24

the past week? I could

19:27

feel the shaking of Peck's hands,

19:29

getting less violent as he looked

19:31

at me, thinking. Over 40 hours,

19:33

I guess? That's right. Then there's

19:35

all the training you got before

19:37

coming here. You couldn't be here

19:39

if you weren't cut out for

19:41

this. You got me? I would

19:43

have rejected your file if I

19:45

didn't think you had it in

19:47

you. The truth was, I had

19:49

no say in who the council

19:51

sent me. This was the second

19:53

time I had lied to Peck.

19:55

a little bit of stone coming

19:57

into his eyes I let go

19:59

of his hands. They weren't shaking

20:01

so bad anymore. Good. Now tie

20:03

your boots and get moving. Peck

20:05

turned his attention to his laces

20:07

and got them tied quickly. I

20:10

gathered my machine gun and headed

20:12

down the hall. When I glanced

20:14

behind me, he was pulling his

20:16

vest on. I couldn't help but

20:18

feel a little pride as I

20:20

hustled toward the control room. When

20:22

I got to the room, I

20:24

saw that culver still wasn't there.

20:26

Six people, men and women. sat

20:28

at computers monitoring the defense systems.

20:30

On one wall was an array

20:32

of screens showing feeds from various

20:34

cameras. My gaze fixed on Abel

20:36

immediately. He was out of his

20:38

coffin and out of his stone

20:40

cube, currently working on busting through

20:42

the door that led to the

20:45

water-filled killing corridor. He had two

20:47

strange blades, one in each hand,

20:49

that he seemingly produced out of

20:51

nowhere. The research team who had

20:53

studied him upon capture several years

20:55

ago said that he pulled these

20:57

blades out of pocket dimensions through

20:59

some unknown means. It was with

21:01

one of those blades that he

21:03

had stabbed me during our last

21:05

encounter. Now, he was using them.

21:07

And his tremendous strength to hack

21:09

through the huge door. He was

21:12

shoeless, shirtless, and wore a pair

21:14

of black silk-like pants. Almost every

21:16

square inch of his brown skin

21:18

was tattooed, and his considerable muscles

21:20

flexed underneath as he worked. It's

21:22

working. The door is weakening." Abara

21:24

said from her desk, studying her

21:26

computer screen. Let's see how he

21:28

does in the crushing depths, I

21:30

said. A moment later, Abel hacked through

21:32

enough of the door that the pressure

21:35

became too much. The door split open,

21:37

and thousands of gallons of water rushed

21:39

into the room, crashing into Abel, and

21:42

sending him smashing into the opposite wall.

21:44

It took only moments for the entire

21:46

room to fill up, but the water

21:49

and pressure-proof camera kept operating. Although I

21:51

never imagined it would be easy as

21:53

flooding the chamber, I must admit that

21:56

I felt a paying of disappointment when

21:58

I saw that Abel was... still alive

22:00

and still fully able to maneuver

22:03

in the immense pressure of the

22:05

deep ocean. He swam across the

22:07

room and through the broken door

22:09

into the flooded killing corridor, which

22:12

was broken into sections with heavy

22:14

doors between each one. Try the

22:16

electricity, I said. Ebarra nodded and

22:18

punched a command into her computer.

22:21

A moment later, Abel convulsed in

22:23

the middle of the chamber. We

22:25

couldn't see the electricity flowing through

22:27

the water. But his reaction was

22:30

confirmation enough that it worked. Keep

22:32

going, I said. Keep doing it.

22:34

Abel's convulsions went on for a

22:36

good two minutes, before Abara said.

22:38

It's redlining, sir. I have to

22:40

shut it off. Okay, do it.

22:42

The entire control room held our

22:44

breath, while we watched Abel floating

22:47

limply in the flooded chamber. My

22:49

eyes shifted to another screen that

22:51

showed the near end of the

22:53

killing corridor. All the rest of

22:55

the staff was there. 22 people

22:57

all told. A raid behind sandbags

22:59

with their weapons pointed toward the

23:02

metal door. I spotted Peck and

23:04

Cuevas there. But no culvert. Where

23:06

the hell are you? I thought.

23:08

What are you up to? A

23:10

dismayed groan swept through the control

23:12

room. I shifted my gaze back

23:14

to Abel, who was swimming again,

23:16

toward the next door. I clenched

23:18

my teeth for a moment. Okay,

23:20

drain everything. Time to see how

23:23

he holds up to explosives and

23:25

50-cal rounds. This was just what

23:27

I was worried about. I'd had

23:29

a faint hope that the water and

23:31

the electricity would do him enough to

23:34

send him back into his coffin. That

23:36

was the first line of defense down.

23:38

We only had two more before an

23:40

automatic process would flood the entire base,

23:43

with everyone in it. Shortly after that,

23:45

a warhead would detonate. But at that

23:47

point, it would be out of my

23:49

hands and into gods. Both compartments were

23:52

fully drained by the time Abel made

23:54

it through the door. Since we didn't

23:56

want the water affecting the bullets or

23:59

the explosion I had ordered a

24:01

barra to drain all the sections,

24:03

which prevented water from pouring through

24:05

as able broke into the next

24:07

compartment. As soon as he stepped

24:10

foot into the space, the 50

24:12

cal positioned near the ceiling lit

24:14

him up. Bullets punched through him,

24:16

but he kept coming, rushing toward

24:19

the machine gun despite the serious

24:21

damage his body was taking. Then

24:23

he stepped on a pressure plate.

24:25

The feed went blank light with

24:27

the explosion, then black. Smoke lingered.

24:30

I found myself leaning forward, trying to

24:32

see through the obscuring haze. The audio

24:34

told me that the machine gun had

24:36

stopped firing at about the same time

24:39

as the explosion. I hoped it was

24:41

because Abel was dead and no longer

24:43

moving. But as soon as the smoke

24:45

cleared enough for me to see, I

24:47

knew that wasn't the case. Abel was

24:50

crouched in the middle of the space.

24:52

His left leg had been blown off

24:54

up to the knee, but he was

24:56

busy disassembling the machine gun. which he

24:59

had ripped down from the ceiling directly

25:01

after the explosion. Soon, I saw why.

25:03

He snapped the barrel off the gun

25:05

like it was little more than a

25:08

twig. Then he jammed one end of

25:10

the barrel into the gory nub

25:12

where his left leg ended. He

25:14

was giving himself a new god

25:17

damn leg. We're evacuating now, I

25:19

said, although barely loud enough for

25:21

anyone to hear me. Abara looked

25:23

at me with a puzzled expression.

25:25

We're evacuating now, I shouted. Get

25:27

up. Get to the elevator now!

25:30

The six other people in the

25:32

room shared uneasy glances. Ibarra stood

25:34

up. Sir, that's against orders. We...

25:36

fuck the orders. There's no need

25:38

for everyone here to die. I can

25:41

slow them down for long enough to

25:43

get everyone topside. We have a... history.

25:45

Still, everyone was looking at each other

25:47

like I was crazy. Go! Finally, they

25:49

went. Ibarra lingered, and I called her

25:52

over. I gave her my key card

25:54

and told her the code that would

25:56

drain the shaft and operate the elevator.

25:58

It'll take two trips. to get everyone

26:00

up. Can I trust you to make

26:03

sure that happens?" The young woman blinked

26:05

her large eyes and nodded. Yes, sir.

26:07

Good, now go. As she left, I

26:10

pulled my radio up and switched to

26:12

the base-wide channel, so I could broadcast

26:14

through the speakers. Everyone evacuate

26:16

now. I repeat, everyone get to

26:19

the elevator now. That's in order.

26:21

As the control room emptied, I

26:23

watched the screen, seeing Abel work

26:25

his way into the next section.

26:28

It seemed that losing a leg hadn't

26:30

slowed him down much. There were only

26:32

three sections left. Time was short.

26:34

I saw that most of the people arrayed

26:36

outside of the killing corridor had

26:39

heated my order. But there were a

26:41

couple of stragglers. They hadn't moved

26:43

from their positions and were pointing

26:45

their weapons at the door still.

26:47

Damn it! I said, raising the radio

26:50

to my lips to repeat the order.

26:52

What the hell are you doing? Culver

26:54

asked from behind me. I paused with

26:56

the radio halfway to my face and

26:58

glanced at the M240, which I had

27:01

set down on a nearby table next

27:03

to the coffee fixings. Then I turned

27:05

slowly around to see that Culver had

27:07

a pistol pointed at me. You don't

27:09

get to evacuate this base? It's not

27:12

your call. The hell it isn't? I

27:14

said, I'm the base commander, am I

27:16

not? Culver took a step forward. You're

27:18

a chicken shit. Too scared to face

27:20

Abel. Too scared to put lives on

27:22

the line for the greater good. I'm

27:25

staying, I said. I'll handle Abel. You

27:27

should go with the others. Get topside.

27:29

This seemed to surprise Culver. I

27:32

despised the guy, but I also didn't

27:34

really want him to die. Besides, there

27:36

was no time for this. I had

27:38

to get down to the corridor to

27:40

head Abeloff. You're staying, huh? Culver

27:43

asked, putting his pistol and his holster,

27:45

and then taking his knife out of

27:47

its sheath. We're all staying. Because with

27:50

enough of us, we can end this

27:52

before the place floods. I guess that

27:54

means you're relieved of duty, sir." He

27:56

eased forward, angling toward the M240 to

27:59

get between... and the weapon. I dropped

28:01

into a crouch and got ready to

28:03

counter his inevitable attack. I heard you

28:05

stabbed him, Culver said, clearly talking about

28:07

his old boss, Tabor. I heard you

28:10

snuck into his place and slapped a

28:12

hand over his mouth and then shoved

28:14

a knife into his abdomen. Is that

28:16

right? So that's why you're using a

28:18

knife? I thought to myself, smiling inwardly.

28:20

Culver darted at me, feigning with a

28:22

slash to my face and then jerking

28:25

his knife hand down to stab at

28:27

my chest to stab at my chest.

28:29

I threw my radio into his face

28:31

and moved in close, but I had overestimated

28:33

how much time the radio would buy me.

28:35

As I grabbed for his knife arm with

28:38

one hand, he whipped the weapon underneath and

28:40

plunked the blade into my stomach on the

28:42

other side of the scar next to my

28:45

belly button, knowing I couldn't let him pull

28:47

the knife back out for another strike. I

28:49

kept my momentum going forward, wrapping him in

28:51

a bear hug. We crashed into the coffee

28:54

table, sending the coffee fixings and my machine

28:56

gun falling to the floor. Then I pulled

28:58

him down on top of me, yelling with

29:00

the pain of the knife going deeper

29:03

into me with the impact. I released

29:05

him with one hand and grabbed my

29:07

knife from my ankle. He was busy

29:09

trying to pull his own knife out,

29:11

but I had hold of his wrist

29:13

with my other hand, keeping the blade

29:15

in my stomach, despite the immense pain

29:17

and the almost unbearable instinct to get

29:19

it out. As I got my own

29:21

knife up, he wrenched his blade sideways,

29:23

tearing through my insides and creating a

29:25

massive gash in my stomach. I groaned

29:27

and fought the pain, even as I

29:29

jammed my knife up under his

29:31

ribs. Culver's eyes bugged with agony

29:33

and surprise. I pulled it out

29:35

and then plunged it in

29:38

again. I felt the tension draining

29:40

from his body as he struggled

29:42

to breathe. His lungs filling with

29:44

blood. I pushed him off of

29:46

me and crouched next to him

29:49

as he lay on his back, dying

29:51

with the blade still between

29:53

his ribs. It was just like

29:55

this. Then I got to my feet rolling the

29:57

blade out of my stomach and dropping it to

29:59

the floor The world tilted. I

30:01

grew light-headed. Pain pulsed sickeningly from

30:03

my wound. I didn't dare look

30:05

at the damage. I just pressed

30:07

my left hand to the area

30:09

as I gathered my M240 with

30:11

my other hand. As I moved

30:13

out of the control room, I

30:15

looked over my shoulder to see

30:18

that Abel was nearly through the

30:20

killing corridor. He'd handled the other

30:22

machine guns and pressure plates with

30:24

relative ease, it seemed. Then I

30:26

glanced to see that Peck, Cuevas

30:28

and two others were still there.

30:30

waiting at the end of the

30:32

killing corridor. Cremissing, I rushed out

30:34

of the room, tottering like a

30:36

drunk after a night at the

30:38

bar. Get out! I screamed as I

30:40

came into the wide room at the

30:43

end of the killing corridor. All four

30:45

security personnel looked back at me. Cuevas,

30:47

Peck, Ibarra, and a man named Keys.

30:49

I told you to get everyone out,

30:51

I said to Obara, as I stumbled

30:54

up to the sandbags behind which she

30:56

and Keys crouched. I thought it was

30:58

some kind of test, a drill or

31:00

something. Max said in a voice that

31:03

gave me a glimpse of what he

31:05

must have sounded like as a small

31:07

child. I didn't want to let you

31:09

down. The sound of Abel trying to

31:11

break through the last door was unmistakable.

31:14

I pointed at the door. You think

31:16

that's fake? Before anyone could answer, I

31:18

shook my head. Just go. This is

31:20

not a test. It's not a drill.

31:22

Get out of here before he gets

31:24

past this room. Because when he does,

31:27

this place will flood and there's nothing

31:29

I can do to stop that. You

31:31

can't override it or something?" Guavas asked.

31:33

I shook my head. Just go! As

31:35

the four of them finally started moving,

31:37

Abel broke a small hole in the

31:40

door. The metal folded as he forced

31:42

his arm through, leading with one

31:44

of his anomalous blades. Panic crept

31:46

up my throat as I struggled to

31:48

get my M240 set up on the

31:50

sandbags with one hand. Abel made the

31:53

whole bigger, bending the metal like it

31:55

was made of clay. I took my

31:57

left hand away from my wound and

31:59

felt something shift. Now I couldn't help

32:01

but look down to see some

32:03

of my intestines poking out. Forcing

32:06

myself to look away, I put

32:08

both hands on the machine gun.

32:10

Then I noticed someone next to

32:12

me. I looked over to see

32:14

a bar on my right and

32:16

Peck settled down on my left.

32:18

Cuevas and Keys got behind the

32:21

adjacent pile of sandbags. I shared

32:23

a look with them all as

32:25

Abel pushed through the hole he'd

32:27

made and stepped into the room.

32:29

His gray eyes were full of

32:31

fires he gazed around, a small

32:33

smile on his lips. His gun

32:36

barrel leg clacked on the floor

32:38

as he stepped toward us, arms

32:40

out as if daring us to

32:42

fire on him. No one fired.

32:44

Maybe they were waiting on me,

32:46

or maybe they sensed that Abel

32:48

was waiting to be attacked, to

32:51

be provoked, before he tore through

32:53

us. He'd taken several bullets and

32:55

was bleeding badly, but I knew

32:57

he wasn't close to death. He'd

32:59

looked worse during our last encounter,

33:01

and he'd gone on to kill

33:03

dozens of people after stabbing me

33:06

and leaving me bleeding in the

33:08

hallway. I replayed our brief conversation

33:10

in my head, along with the

33:12

moments leading up to it. I

33:14

had gathered a bunch of security

33:16

officers in that hallway to try

33:18

and buy time to get the

33:21

floor cleared of other personnel. I

33:23

was the one orchestrating the attack

33:25

against him, and he'd been paying

33:27

close attention, even as he tore

33:29

through my people like we were

33:31

children with pop guns. I had

33:33

doubted that decision every day since

33:36

it happened. I wasn't able to

33:38

throw more people at him now,

33:40

which was why I had ordered

33:42

the evacuation. But here I was

33:44

again, with my people, facing off

33:46

against him in a situation where

33:48

death was by far the most

33:51

likely outcome for us. Unless... I

33:53

stood up from behind the sandbags,

33:55

letting the machine gun fall to

33:57

the floor. This movement caught Abel's

33:59

attention, and he looked at me.

34:01

His smile growing slightly wider wider.

34:03

Then his eyes moved down to

34:06

the wound in my stomach and

34:08

his smile fell away You remember

34:10

me? I asked walking out from

34:12

behind the sandbags Of course, Abel

34:14

said, speaking excellent English with a

34:16

Middle Eastern accent. How is it

34:18

that you are injured already? I

34:21

was looking forward to facing you

34:23

again. I could sense your presence

34:25

as soon as I woke. You

34:27

told me that once you respected

34:29

me, that you reminded me of

34:31

your brother. Is that still the

34:33

case? Abel nodded, but stood where

34:36

he was as I walked up

34:38

to him. His expression changed to

34:40

one of concern as I got

34:42

closer. I have no fight left

34:44

in me. I can barely stand,

34:46

but I present myself to you

34:48

as a sacrifice. Just give my

34:51

people 10 minutes to evacuate, and

34:53

you can do whatever you want

34:55

to me. I know your brother

34:57

killed you. I know you were

34:59

the first murder victim in all

35:01

of mankind. You must want revenge.

35:03

You must be angry. So take

35:06

your anger out on me, not

35:08

on my people." Abel seemed to

35:10

inspect me for a long moment.

35:12

Then his eyes went beyond me.

35:14

to my people. This is why

35:16

I respect you. You are a

35:18

true warrior, but you care. My

35:21

brother didn't care for anyone but

35:23

himself. In a way, you're the

35:25

brother I wish I had. But

35:27

it aims me to see you

35:29

like this. I was looking forward

35:31

to going against you again. Why

35:33

do you think I let you

35:35

live last time? So we have

35:38

an agreement? My people can leave?

35:40

I held my breath as Abel

35:42

studied the four arrayed behind me.

35:44

Finally, he nodded. Yes, but they

35:46

must take a message with them

35:48

to your superiors. Tell them that

35:50

next time, I want a true

35:53

warrior to face. An opponent worth

35:55

beating. If they do not provide

35:57

this, I will not stop until

35:59

I kill every human I come

36:01

across. They can do that? I

36:03

turned to Abara. You got it?

36:05

She nodded. Good. Now go, get

36:08

out of here. You've all done

36:10

well. I nodded to all of

36:12

them as they left, feeling the

36:14

pride of a father. Then they

36:16

were gone, and it was just

36:18

Abel and me. When I turned

36:20

to face him, he was smiling.

36:23

Unable to hold myself up any

36:25

longer, I stumbled. Abel darted forward

36:27

and grabbed me before I hit

36:29

the ground. He guided me gently

36:31

to the floor. Then he brought

36:33

one of his blades up and

36:35

showed it to me. You truly

36:38

are a rare man. I hope

36:40

they can find one half as

36:42

good as you for me next

36:44

time. It has been a pleasure.

36:46

I twitched as he slid the

36:48

blade up under my ribs. My

36:50

insides spasmed painfully as I looked

36:53

into his eyes. Then he pulled

36:55

the blade out and stood up.

36:57

After nodding at me once, he

36:59

headed back the way he'd come.

37:01

The last thing I saw before

37:03

death took me was able climbing

37:05

back through the hole he'd created

37:08

in the final door. made of

37:10

black speckled metamorphic stone. Radio isotope

37:12

analysis indicates that the object is

37:14

approximately 10,000 years old. A door

37:16

is located on one side, sealed

37:18

with a lock 1.5 feet in

37:20

width, surrounded by 20 smaller locks

37:23

in a circular pattern. As of

37:25

yet, none of the keys have

37:27

been found, making the door impossible

37:29

to lock once closed. The interior

37:31

temperature is approximately minus 292 degrees

37:33

Fahrenheit. and cannot be altered by

37:35

any means, internal or external. Directly

37:38

in the center of the room

37:40

is a seven-foot tall stone coffin,

37:42

held in place and sealed shut

37:44

by several chains of unknown make

37:46

and substance, which are attached to

37:48

the inner corners of SCP 76-1.

37:50

SCP 76-2 resembles a lean, semitic

37:53

human male in his late 20s.

37:55

His hair is black and eyes

37:57

are gray. Skin tone olive. Subject...

37:59

is 6 foot 4 inches in

38:01

height and 180 pounds in weight.

38:03

Numerous tattoos depicting arcane and occult

38:05

iconography are present all over the

38:08

body, mostly in the form of

38:10

leering, demonic faces. When encased inside

38:12

the cube, the subject is technically

38:14

dead. However, occasionally the entity will

38:16

awaken, effectively reanimating. Subject will then

38:18

attempt to leave SCP 76-1. If

38:21

successful, the subject will enter

38:23

a trance state and seek out

38:25

the nearest human being. ignoring

38:27

all other living things in the process.

38:29

Upon coming into contact with

38:31

living humans, the entity will

38:34

enter a rage state in

38:36

which it attempts to engage

38:38

and kill all human beings

38:40

encountered. Terminating the entity is

38:42

often problematic due to its

38:44

significant physical abilities. The subject

38:47

has superhuman strength and speed,

38:49

and although not invulnerable, has

38:51

shown a remarkable ability to

38:53

ignore pain and shock, pressing

38:56

on. despite what would be

38:58

debilitating wounds and normal

39:00

humans. Thanks for listening.

39:02

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39:05

please take a second to

39:07

leave a rating for the

39:09

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39:11

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39:14

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