SCP-3456: The Orcadian Horsemen Part 2
INCIDENT LOG I-3456-032
WARNING, ATTEMPTED ACCESS DETECTED. SCANNING FOR PROPER CREDENTIALS.
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CREDENTIALS RECOGNIZED, LEVEL 5 ACCEPTED
The following incident details an SCP-3456 manifestation in Fukushima, Japan, following the 2011 earthquake. Several Foundation reconnaissance teams were deployed, following the evacuation of the city, to assess whether or not the earthquake had been caused by an anomaly. SCP-3456 manifested in several locations during and shortly after the quake, resulting in 2,562 missing persons. Foundation reconnaissance personnel were not expected to encounter SCP-3456, as manifestations had ceased in the prohibited zone 64 hours after the majority of the civilian population was evacuated.
Incident Log I-3456-32
Foreword: Reconnaissance teams were deployed in squads of 4, with one member of each team possessing helmet-mounted camera equipment. The following log details the events surrounding Squad 3. 3 of the 8 teams were noted to have encountered SCP-3456; however, the cameras for Squads 1 and 6 were destroyed early during interaction with SCP-3456 entities. This log is a transcript of the audio and visual feeds between Squad 3 and Command. Other members were not subject to audio communications between Commander Bryans (who was briefed on SCP-3456 during evacuation efforts, but failed to encounter any manifestations) and the communications officer.
<Begin Log>
[The helmet mounted camera is switched on as the reconnaissance squad departs the helicopter transport. The street depicted both in front and behind the unit, as the camera swerves with the operative's head, is noted to have sustained significant structural damage, with many visible points where the concrete has buckled or split apart.]
Bryans: This is reconnaissance squad 3, Orange Leader. Command, do you read?
Command: We read you, Orange Leader.
[The feed turns to the left and right, noting two other individuals, each equipped with standard field agent equipment.]
Bryans: Mic check?
Lopez: Lopez reporting.
Chou: Check, check, is this thing working?
Byers: Reading you loud and clear, Commander.
[Bryans is seen pointing at the screen.]
Bryans: Command, is the camera in in Byer's helmet transmitting?
Command: We're getting clear transmission from the camera. Navigation is sending you coordinates. Agents Lopez and Chou have been provided Kant counters. Remember, any deviation from the norm is grounds for further investigation. Should you encounter an anomaly, radio in its location and containment teams will be deployed. Under no circumstances is your squad to engage an anomaly. From this point forward, communications with Command will be directed to you.
Bryans: Roger, Command.
[The camera tilts slightly downward, pointing at a square device on Agent Byers wrist.]
Bryans: Okay, our target is 3 clicks south. We'll have to cross the Arakawa River. Chou, Lopez, I want those Kant counters counting as we're moving. The moment those levels look weird, you say something, got it?
Lopez: Yes sir!
Chou: Got it.
Bryans: Byers, you stay close to me.
[For the next 10 minutes, Squad 3 moves through five blocks of damaged buildings and roadways, with no signs of anomalous activity.]
Lopez: Hey boss, my counter just got a huge spike.
Chou: Was about to say, my needle went all the way into the red for about three seconds.
[Bryans holds up his hand to stop; the reconnaissance members stop in the street. Byers moves slowly in a 360 degree arc as she attempts to locate the source of the elevated Hume readings.]
Bryans: Command, you got all that, right?
Command: We got it, Orange Leader. We're not picking up anything on the visual or au–
[At this point, Command noted the presence of a dull, rhythmic thumping noise. Intensity of the thumps indicated a distance of roughly 300 meters between the source of the disturbance and the camera's microphone.]
Bryans: Command?
Command: Please hold your position, Orange Leader.
Lopez: Boss, do you hear that?
[The sound is noted to have grown slightly louder, and decreased in distance from 300 to 250 meters away.]
Chou: Sounds like a horse walking on pavement.
[The camera begins another 360 degree arc as Agent Byers scans the surrounding environment. The noise abruptly ends after two minutes of continuous increase in intensity.]
[A crash is heard, and the camera swivels 180 degrees. Lopez's Kant counter can be seen on the pavement, glass shattered.]
Lopez: Holy shit.
Chou: Commander…
Bryans: Command, we might have a problem.
[The camera pans up from the Kant counter on the ground, and captures SCP-3456 standing in an intersection 200 meters away. The camera zooms in on the entity, and Command notes the translucent skin, and fused human torso in the middle of the horse's back. The torso appears to remain limp and motionless for approximately 30 seconds.]
Bryans: Command, believe we have identified the entity responsible for the quake.
Command: Negative, Orange Leader. SCP-3456 is not responsible for the earthquake. [The communications officer begins talking to one of the higher clearance reconnaissance Command officials] O'Donnel! We have an SCP-3456 manifestation!
Bryans: What? That's 3456? What is it doing here?
[The torso begins to move, slowly straightening into an upright position. Its arms begin swinging, damaging and or destroying several structures around it, and drawing Bryans' attention.]
Command: Orange Leader, Command has authorized a UAV drone strike. Move your team out of the street and into the high-rise two buildings to your left.
Bryans: Roger, Command.
[The camera focuses on Bryans for another five seconds as he turns to address the squad, before focusing on the entity. SCP-3456 has stopped moving its arms. The entity turns towards the reconnaissance team and it emits a loud vocalization for five seconds.]
Command: Orange Leader, get your team out of there! It's seen you!
[Bryans points to the side street, and the camera swivels in that direction bringing a large high-rise into frame.]
Bryans: Everybody move! Now!
[The camera begins to shake, and tilts down as Byers briefly looks at the ground, before returning to a level view. The feed swivels to the left briefly, and captures the approaching UAV drone, before swiveling to the right. The entity can be seen charging towards the squad, appendages reaching towards the screen. The UAV drone is seen as a blur by the camera, and there is an explosion, as the entity emits a wail and disappears beneath a cloud of smoke.]
Bryans: Did that kill it, Regina?
Command: No, George. It only slows it down.
[The squad enters the high-rise and begins climbing the stairs. The camera stops shaking as the squad stops on the 8th floor of the building.]
Bryans: Regina, why the hell is it here?
Command: [An argument can be heard between the communications officer and the head of reconnaissance. Other communications officers later reported that the debate pertained to whether or not the situation superseded the higher level classification of SCP-3456's documentation, and thus required full briefing of the team.]
[The screen begins to vibrating excessively, and the sound of SCP-3456 approaching the building can be heard. Bryans is seen directing the squad members to the door of a large utility closet. As Byers closes the door behind them, the video displays a shadow blocking out the light of the window.]
[The camera is switched, temporarily, to night vision by Byers. The camera vibrates four more times, before the sound of SCP-3456 approaching stops. The entity can be heard breathing heavily outside the window.]
Bryans: Regina, come in Regina.
Command: [The previously mentioned argument can still be heard.]
Bryans: God dammit.
Lopez: Wish we had a way to see what that thing is doing out there.
Bryans: We do have a camera.
Byers: I'm not sticking my head outside that door.
Chou: Hey, this is a utility closet, right?
Lopez: Yeah.
Chou: Byers, is there a broom in here?