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fiercefauna · 8 months ago

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@tiredsn0w hello again - here is part 19 - 21. Next one, will be the last one - things are bit dicey now because it’s almost over.

To anyone else this is an SCP wiki project featuring 049 and 6118. The Doctor has issues adjusting to a new planet after an alien with an anomalous immune system peaks his interest, and affections.

Note - you can find the other parts by checking my earlier posts. Sp&g CREDITS - @ironymobile

Part 19.

“Something very big’s been through here. It seems impossible but, these things must have been hiding underwater.”

Seedy shut off the blower as they pulled in beside the mass of mangroves that concealed the grand shelter. “These things? Seems there was only one.”

“The only one we know about was dead, are you implying it came back to life?”

“So you’re just going to go in there and explain to a room full of prehistoric monsters whose dead relative was in our freezer that we would like to speak to the planet’s most notorious assassin?” Tasha was silent. Seedy launched themself into the dark water before their sister could object. She decided to leave her dive gear behind as well. Hopefully, if she hurried, her sibling wouldn’t be starting any unfortunate conversations.

While more aquatically adept than humans, (being able hold breath for 10 to 30 minutes at a time) the One of Kepler still prefer to be able to see where they are going. That there seemed to have been significant changes made to the submerged root scape around the shelter did not improve things. Tasha failed to find Seedy on the first attempt and was preparing to turn around when she grabbed on to something she couldn’t let go of.

Seedy watched their sibling slide out of the water on the end of the big Zero’s tail, the terrifying gaze of 5a82’s resident Earthling, 049 greeting her. “Not so easy to move around out here, is it, dreadful damp, hot as tetanus.” The Doctor lowered his lantern, put his hands behind him and retreated a few steps.

“Why are you here.” Five-aye regretted the tone, it sounded terribly rude. Seedy’s mouth was muffled by the oversized flipper hand of the already over-large, ancient Keplerian so Tasha answered. “You can’t stay here. Either the rebels or the Feds will kill both of you in the process of fighting over you and then kill each other and then all the rest of us.”

5a82 slumped on to a carved outcrop, causing his friend to fuss over him. “I’m fine! Try to relax!” The Doctor wasn’t ready to go back, but this wasn’t the right time or place to discuss the man’s mental issues.

“WE COME IN PEACE!”

Landing lines fell down the shafts of soft light piercing the dome of the root shelter and dark shapes descended from them.

The amplified announcement followed the soft whir of a Vahwhol’s textured blades. 7cb7 never thought they’d be dropping out of one these things like a meat drone on it’s way to a war crime. The Aven landed beside them, with the grunt of someone getting on in years, it didn’t immediately occur that their own legs had shocks. A small circle of security Twos moved inward.

5a82 approached with a weapon, but made a show of pointing it at the floor, he saw the Aven and just - froze.

“Simply Beautiful. Sure, the new units are healthier relatively speaking, but the compulsion to chain of command - second to none here.”

“Is not your dog!” Lover-bird slipped in front of his Asu, challenging the Aven as best he could in his broken language.

The Aven was slow to respond so 7cb7 stepped forward, hoping their English wasn’t too embarrassing. It was possible all the white-coats learned from private tutors and not a combination of internet videos and Brit-coms. “All this is our fault not yours. Neither of you seem used to being famous so let me explain that you can’t just go where you want without an escort.”

“Airborne intruder!” said one of the Aven’s Twos.

The little guy was sufficiently back to normal to pull the Doctor into a crouching position, so a small, lighted drone could be shot down. “Is it press?” said the Two leaning over it. “Get away from it.” said another.

049 reached for his thigh and tossed away a dart. He ran for the safety of his patient and its prisoners as fatigue set in, rummaging in his bag for a reversal.

A glue net was thrown on to him from a dark disk clinging to the ceiling of the root structure. The disk hovered over and began to enclose him in the claw structure beneath it - but was ripped apart and thrown aside by the instance.

Five-aye saw the Doctor, still trapped in the netting, being carried into the water by his patient but couldn’t follow, for he had to shoot down another dart drone and dodge a second glue net from a second capture disk. Dodging caused him to stick to another. He aimed his weapon as the disk made a pass overhead.

Three strategic shots into its inner workings sent it crashing to the pavers behind him. Greasing his dive knife with oil from the battered machine he cut himself free of the glue, and remembered, that he had once again been separated from his friend.

Part 20.

“Looks like the fog’s rolling back in.” Tasha commented as she was pulled from the water.

“Don’t say “l told you so” just don’t.” Seedy reminded themself. “She’s learned her lesson. We stuck out our necks and got squat in return.” Instead they said, “So - how do we convince the neighbors not to kill us?”

Tasha flipped a lock of wet hair away from her eyes. “I think the radio’s in the supply case.”

Seedy opened the craft’s storage compartment and was confronted by the specter of death.

“S-Sorry, f - force of habit.”

Five-aye put away his gun, unfolded his small body from the cramped compartment and quickly seated himself at the prow, his back submissively turned to the siblings. So close to another murder, so close. So easily he’d drawn a loaded weapon. So many times, right-between-the-eyes.

Seedy steered the craft into a root shelter and tied it. The Asu did not object. A long, tense silence followed.

Tasha had to make the first move. “Okay, so you’re armed, we’re not. Do you want us to take you somewhere or do I need to further explain the concept of a hijacking?”

“We need to find him.”

“049? Do you have any idea of where he could be?” She stepped carefully over the thwarts and sat beside the small Two. It so happened that she’d managed to miss glancing over at just the right moment when the muzzle of the weapon had made contact with her sibling’s face. Seedy was well aware but planned to drink about it later, right now the continued safety of their world depended on a very dangerous, person-shaped animal getting back to the trained professionals. “We were heading back to the eel farm. It’s full of resistance, but I’m sure they’ll go easy on you.”

“Where else could I go?”

“Unless you have a better idea? That’s it.”

“Just - do whatever.”

Mists concealed them until they were within a span of the agricultural complex. At that point, the loud engine was powered down and they coasted forward on acquired momentum, the fan softly whipping the air. Tasha put down her binoculars. “Did you radio in?”

“Five-aye has it.”

“Um could we have the mic? The people at the farm might think we’re a threat.”

The boat stopped, turned at a right angle, then began to drift in a new direction, the siblings hanging on for dear life despite the slow, ambling pace.

“It’s alright.” Five-aye carefully and conspicuously stowed his weapon. “Lazare knows where the Doctor is.” Fuck it, until he had a better name, the big instance was Lazare.

Part 21.

“Wakey! Wakey!” The sound of 0pt8’s rifle’s casing being dragged along the bars of a cell made for exotic animals woke 4b80 from a pleasant dream about none of this actually happening. What the cell held previously was probably not something Seedy would ever divulge, though a smell lingered. “I’ll give you some privacy, just plug yourself in and show me the empty cartridge when it’s done. Don’t worry it’s fine. I still have a soul.”

Someone other than Feds and Resistance had needed to reach the lovers first, but drugging 0pt8 had still been a traitorous act that was going to haunt. The Two seriously considered imbibing what could very well be a tainted ration, yet if death was in that infuser it might not be a kind one. Letting the victim of an attack guard their attacker was never smart.

It seemed like someone was trying to discretely remove the infusion device from the bars. Forby wasn’t sure the shadow in their peripheral was real but they whispered to it anyway. “I can’t vouch for the safety of that. There is no shortage of Two juice on this planet so why don’t the pair of you just stop trying to run away?”

The soft, metallic whisper had a loudness despite its low volume. It seemed the words would have been unmistakable even if they had only been thoughts.

“Need him, he, the missing piece.”

“To what?”

“Pestilence.”

“Yes, he was hacked to produce an anti-agent for the Sentinel disease but we already did that. He loves you, and will be much better able to help you with the whole planet at his beck and call. There’s something wrong with you. You ignore certain things as though you can’t perceive them. You work yourself nearly to death, and can’t shut down.”

“Useless.”

“You don’t have to be useful just some kind of healthy! This planet is full of people grown in labs for Oseo knows what. We can treat the conditions that arise from that. Been doing it for ages!”

Where was the guard? Forby had never really experienced a waking dream but there had to be a reason no one had responded to the sound of conversation.

#scp 6118 #alien worlds #short story

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