Second Exploration of SCP-3173

1/1/20██

Exploration Personnel: MTF W-8: “The Librarians”

After Dr. █████ left the project, Dr. Nelson took over the oversight and exploration of SCP-3173. The transfer of the project and approval of another exploration took just over a month

[Start Log]

W8-1: Alright Doctor, is everyone online?

Dr. Nelson: Yes, I am receiving all 5 video feeds

W8-5: Alright, let's go check out this “angry fart”

Dr. Nelson: This isn’t to be taken as a joke W8-5, we don’t know what 3173-1 is capable of, only that it has high physical strength. Now; proceed into the barrier with caution.

W8-1: Alright, guys let’s move. Oh, happy new year Doc.

Dr. Nelson: Thank you… As you move in make sure you keep your eyes open. The D-Class who explored this prior to you claim that 3173-1 is difficult to see.

W-8 passes through the barrier. They hold their rifles down, having been informed that the entity is not likely to be damaged by bullet fire. They are there to investigate as they are more reliable than D-Class and can get more information.

W8-1: Anyone got eyes yet?

W8-2: Nothing yet. The fog is limiting vision to about 4 meters.

W8-4: Thermal isn’t picking anything up either. It seems to have the same body temperature as the surrounding air

W8-3: Assuming it’s still here.

Dr. Nelson: We have no reason to believe it left. I’m almost certain it’s still there. Fan out and search cautiously.

13 minutes of extraneous dialogue and footage have been cut from the log

W8-4 walks up to a clearing in the forest. The area is a few meters wide and filled with tall grass. She stops suddenly on the edge of the clearing

W8-4: [quietly] Hey doc, I found your fart.

Dr. Nelson: Are you sure? I can’t make anything out.

W8-4: I'm sure. It's just like the D-Boy described it. Looks like the air above a fire.

W8-1: Alright Librarians, report to W8-4’s location pronto.

W8-4: It’s in a clearing ahead of me. Don’t go into the clearing; I don't think it knows we're here yet.

W8-4’s camera picks up the clearing with no movement, save for a brief shimmer in the air directly in the center, mostly covered by the grass. The thick fog obstructs vision of the opposite end of the space. After 2 minutes, the rest of W-8 arrives at W8-4’s location.

Dr. Nelson: I still don’t have vision of 3173-1. I believe the fog is interfering too much with line of sight. See if you can get closer without alerting it.

W8-4 moves out of the forested area. She moves forwards for about 7 seconds before a sudden movement can be seen directly ahead of the camera. The fog disperses, and briefly, 3173-1 can be seen. It appears shapeless, and is only distinct from the air around it by its aforementioned shimmer, and the way it moves. It moves slowly forwards towards W8-4 before she turns around and runs back towards the rest of W-8

W8-4: Shit! Here it comes!

W8-1: Back away Librarians, and get ready to run.

W8-1 fires his rifle at the entity, after which it shoots downwards and isn’t visible on the camera feed

W8-5: Haha! Scared that fart straight!

W8-1: Doc, 3173-1 appears to have vanished into the shrubbery. We can't see it at all.

Dr. Nelson: Keep your eyes out and cameras moving, it has to still be nearby. We know for a fact it's slow.

W8-4: If it's in the grass we can't track it. It's concealed by the foliage and the fog.

Dr. Nelson: It can't have gone far, look for a sign, shaking grass, parting fog, we can't lose it.

2 minutes pass without anyone saying anything, scanning the area for 3173-1

W8-1: It's gone Dr. Nelson. It's been long enough that it could have made it anywhere by now. Requesting permission to return to camp and start again tomorrow.

Dr. Nelson: [sigh] Ok, return to camp for debriefing and review.

The 5 MTF units move in a singular direction until they begin to approach the border of the forest. As they get near the edge of the forest, W8-1 signals his team to stop.

W8-1: Wait, hold up Librarians. Something's been bothering me.

W-8 stops moving suddenly and looks at their leader.

Dr. Nelson: What’s the issue Whiskey One?

W8-1: Gas can’t move outside of the barrier, correct? And that creature, as far as we can tell, is made totally of gaseous matter.

Dr. Nelson: What are you suggesting?

W8-1: But the gas in our lungs isn't pushed out when we enter 3173. Or leave.

There is a slight pause as W-8 begins to think about what W8-1 said. Suddenly, W8-4 begins to run towards the barrier. W8-4 makes it to about 6 meters from the barrier before W8-1 fires 4 rounds into her legs

Dr. Nelson: What are you doing W8-1!

W8-1: SCP-3173-1 vanished suddenly. I assumed he entered the respiratory system of one of our troops. If we had let W8-4 leave 3173, 3173-1 would have breached containment.

W8-4: So, close.

Dr. Nelson: Wait.. that’s incredible! SCP-3173-1 appears to be capable of taking over the functions of a host through the respiratory system.

W8-1: Gawk later Doc, we can’t let 3173-1 get out of the barrier. We have to ensure 3173-1 remains contained.

W8-4: So close.

W8-4 continues to crawl towards the barrier, despite her legs being disabled. W8-1 warns her multiple times to stop, threatening to shoot her. She comes within 2 meters of the barrier, and W8-1 shoots her in the head, presumably killing her instantly. The rest of W-8 looks away. There is a short pause in radio chatter.

Dr. Nelson: You did what you had to W8-1. Now get out of there.

W8-3: I don’t think that’ll be easy. 3173-1 is still there. It’s 4 or 5 meters ahead.

W8-1: Don’t let it near you, we don’t know how long it takes to— shit it moved!

W-8 backs up from the location of W8-4’s corpse. There is another momentary pause where coms are silent.

W8-2: Fuck, d’ya think it’s still there?

W8-1: Doubtlessly, it could have already possessed one of us.

W8-5: Don’t think that fart touched me. Plus it couldn't talk right when it was possessing W8-4, and I'm talking fine.

W8-3: And with me, that makes 4, we can all talk as normal. I don't believe that SCP-3173-1 entered any of us.

W8-5: Alright are we clear to go?

W8-1: No, I don’t trust that, I’m sure one of us is possessed. 3173-1 wouldn’t just vanish, I’m certain. It displayed some level of sapiance, and it has us fenced off.

Dr. Nelson: I’m going to contact command, see what they can do

W8-1: It’s not worth our time, if 3173-1 can simulate our speech it can use a gun. If we wait, it'll kill us and leave anyways.

W8-3: What are you saying One? It doesn’t make logical sense. How could 3173-1 learn how we function so fast. It spent minutes controlling Four, but still couldn't speak.

Dr. Nelson: It learned how to control W8-4’s motor functions in a matter of seconds. I’m sure it has some kind of ability to connect to the brain. The respiratory system sends oxygen into the blood and all over the body. It would only take a few moments to reach the brain with how high your heart rates are right now.

W8-1: It could even have access to our memories by now.

W8-5: Hey, no farts touched me, I'm normal and not posessed

W8-2: Why’d’ya keep calling it a fart man? That’ll only piss it off, and it already seems angry enough with us for not letting it out.

W8-5 raises his rifle up to W8-2, who raises his hands.

W8-5: You could have at least made it less obvious you flatulent fucker.

W8-1: Whoa, Calm down Five, just put the fucking rifle down.

W8-5: He’s defending the damn thing, it’s gotta be him. My gut’s telling me that I can’t trust that. My gut's never wrong.

W8-1: And by shooting first, if you are even innocent, you just thin out our numbers and play into his hands. We don’t know how the Skip thinks. For all we know it’s W8-3 because he’s been too quiet so put, the fucking, rifle, down.

W8-5: Alright, fine. I just think tha-

W8-2 quickly raises his rifle and shoots W8-5 in the forehead. He falls backwards and stops moving, presumably died instantly. He turns to shoot W8-1, who already has his rifle aimed back. W8-1 fires first, firing a total of 5 rounds into W8-2. W8-2 crumples to the ground, and curtly, the distorted air synonymous with SCP-3173-1 rises from the corpse.

W8-1: To the barrier, go!

The two remaining MTF units sprint towards the wall, as away from 3173-1 as they can. The entity is much slower than the two MTF, and fails to catch them. They reach the wall. The mic inputs for 3 minutes is exclusively heavy breathing. Afterwards, W8-1 begins to cry.

[End Log]