Exploration Video Log Transcript
Date: ██/05/21 21:53
Exploration Team: Lambda-12 - Zeta-9
Team Lead: ███ Silver (L-1), █████ Blanco (Z-1)
Team Members: █████ Ford (L-2), ████ Bicho (L-3), █████ Herrera (Z-2), ███ Smith (Z-3)
[BEGIN LOG]
L-1: Mic check.
Z-1: Check.
L-2: Check.
Z-2: Check.
L-3: Check.
L-3: Check.
L-1: Command, you hear us?
Command: Loud and clear.
Z-1: Ey, Smith, get those charges ready.
Z-3 produces several 4kg C-4 breaching charges, repurposed for the mission. He places one of them next to the hole.
Z-3: Step back.
The squad moves away from the hole and charge. Z-3 detonates the charge, opening the tunnel further.
L-2: I don't think that's big enough.
L-1: That's what sh-
Command: Stay on task.
Z-3 tosses four more charges into the newly-opened hole. He detonates them and the hole opens large enough for the squad to rappel into it.
Z-3: Alright, we can head in now. Set up your rappels on the scaffolding over there.
The team walks over to the construction site nearby, snapping their rappelling ropes onto the scaffolding. They move back over to the hole.
Z-1: Everyone ready?
The squad responds in unison.
Z-1: We go in order of command. Zeta-9 first, this is our jurisdiction now.
Z-1 begins rappelling down the side of the hole, followed by L-1, Z-2, L-2, and so forth. Something crunches under Z-3's foot.
L-2: Smith, was that you? What was that?
Z-3: Fuckin' centipedes on the walls. Look, they're probably everywhere.
Z-3 activates his helmet-mounted flashlight. It illuminates large amounts of SCP-XXXX-1 crawling across the walls of the tunnel.
Z-2: Jesus Christ. That's a lot more than the three we're looking for. What've we found?
Z-1: Command, do you have anything on this?
Command: We have no record of anything like this. You may be at the point of SCP-XXXX-1's convergence. Continue into the hole.
Z-1: Copy.
The squad descends for another 4 minutes, deploying charges every few metres.
L-3: How much deeper do we need to go?
L-1: Th-
L-2: Don't even fucking think about it, ███.
L-1 laughs.
Z-3: Last charge. Deploying.
Z-3's last breaching charge is thrown down and detonated. A large opening is blown up, revealing hundreds of centipedes crawling in the same direction towards another opening. It is not visible what is inside the opening.
L-3: Finally. We have reached ground.
Z-1: Alright, descend and hook your ropes onto the rock over there. Be careful of the centipedes.
The squad begins touching down, in order of command once again. They hook their rappel ropes onto a secure rock arch before carefully regrouping in a small area free of centipedes.
Z-2: So what about the big hole? I think I see movement.
L-3: Let's just shine our head lights into the hole, make sure it is safe before we go.
Z-1: Command, please advise.
Command: We're ha.. [static] ..ifficulty mainta.. [static] signal. Ple.. [static] wit.. [static] ..tion.
L-2: The signal shouldn't be this bad. The relays Silver put up on the cave walls on the way down should be working, right?
L-1: Oh, fuck.
L-2: You didn't put them up, did you..?
All signal was lost at this point. The following transcript is directly from the team's local recorders recovered after the incident.
Z-1: You god-damned moron. Alright. We have a choice here. We can either head back up and report back to base, or we can continue on without command advising. We're gonna vote here. Raise your hand for continuing.
4 of the 6 squad members raise their hands.
Z-1: Alright. Standard clearing procedure on the hole.
The squad assumes positions before moving in a single file line into the opening. The opening is clear for a few metres save for the few hundred crawling centipedes. After the first few metres, an extremely long opening is visible, extending to what appears to be approximately 1800 km. An incredibly large mass of centipedes is visible spanning almost the entire opening, reaching at least 1 km upwards and almost the entire 1800 km length. It is estimated to weigh at least 52600000 metric tonnes in total. The centipedes previously visible are seen crawling towards the mass and then joining it, constantly.
L-1: My God.
Z-1: What the fuck is this shit?
Squad members are visibly panicked, most of them beginning to back away towards the exit.
Z-3: We gotta get out of here.
L-2: Yeah, no shit, Smith.
Instances begin redirecting themselves from the mass of centipedes towards the squad, moving abnormally fast towards them. Several snag on to the closest member, L-3.
Z-2: Run! Get out of there, ████!
L-3 is quickly engulfed in a mass of centipedes, screaming. Z-2 attempts to fire at the mass and free L-3, but is also killed by the instances in the process. Z-3 begins to attempt a rescue, one of the instances crawling onto him unseen.
Z-1: You can't save them, they're gone! Just fucking run!
Z-3 hesitates, before turning and sprinting for the hole they entered through.
Z-1: Grab your ropes, we need to go!
Z-1 attaches a rappelling rope to his belt and begins an attempt to scale the tunnel back to the surface. Before he can get halfway up, SCP-XXXX-1 instances have chewed through the rope. Z-1 falls, and collides with L-2. They both expire, presumably due to broken necks from the fall.
L-1: Come on!
Z-3 begins scaling the tunnel with L-1, whilst using his sidearm to shoot SCP-XXXX-1 instances off the walls of the cave. They both successfully evacuate the cave.
Z-3: Command, do you read us?
Command: What's going on down there?
Z-3: Everyone is dead but L-1 and I. We discovered something big underground, and we're gonna need evac back to the site ASAP.
Command: Copy, we're sending a helicopter out there now. Estimated arrival time is 30 minutes.
L-1 and Z-3 walk to the construction site and remove their ropes. Z-3 sits against the side of the building. L-1 and Z-3 briefly converse for a minute, before L-1 begins pacing around the building. After approximately 15 minutes, Z-3 falls asleep and SCP-XXXX-1 infection begins to take place. L-1 does not notice until 5 minutes pass.
L-1: Command, ███ is compromised. Please advise.
Command: Copy. Proceed with termination.
L-1: What? There has to be another way. You can just.. airlift him back to base and do something. Right?
Command: Negative. Terminate it.
L-1 hesitates for a moment.
L-1: Understood.
L-1 draws his sidearm and shoots Z-3 several times in the head and chest. A single SCP-XXXX-1 instance is produced, and is swiftly terminated. L-1 continues to stand in front of the body for 2 minutes before walking to the back of the building. 8 minutes later, the helicopter arrives and the mission is concluded.
[END LOG]
Note: An hour after debriefing, L-1 ███ Silver was found to have hanged himself in the barracks with a belt.
Per 
