Damion had ran back the way he came and saw SCP-173 on the floor below him. He had kept his eyes open, but soon blinked. However, the statue didn't move an inch closer.
"Ulgrin, look behind you!" the scientist had shouted.
He than looked over to see an agent and the scientist from before backing away slowly.
"Oh crap...Keep your eyes on it, Franklin".
The lights had flickered and SCP-173 moved closer to them. They started to back up even faster to a door behind them. The lights had flickered again and they all disappeared. Damion ran down the stairs and looked around. Tables were overturned and chairs were thrown on the ground.
He looked on the ground and saw a weird patch of black ooze. He didn't know what it was, but he certainly knew not to touch it. Damion walked though the door that Ulgrin and Franklin had walked through, blinking before went through. That was a habit he had to get used to with that statue on the loose.
He was brought back from his daydreaming as he heard something oozing. He looked above where he was standing and saw another patch of black sludge. He dived out of the way when he saw a body come flying out of it.
"What the hell?"
Damion looked at the body. It was covered in that black sludge and the face looked like it had it skin completely burned off until the skull was visible. Damion now knew that he shouldn't touch that stuff.
He went through the door in front of him and looked over the balcony and saw two scientists conversing.
"Is there a quick way out of here?" the first scientist had asked.
The second had replied,
"I think the shortest way out is through the southeast wing. Follow me".
The scientists were about to head up to the balcony that Damion was standing on, so he got ready to run. However. all three had heard shuffling in the air vents. Soon, the lights went out again and Damion heard 2 loud crunches.
He looked over the balcony and saw SCP-173 standing near the bodies of the scientists. He knew he would be fine as long as the door to his level didn't open. He went into the small storage room right next door and found a gas mask and a level 1 key card.
Damion knew that he couldn't get anywhere with a level 1 as he slipped the card into his pocket and put the mask around his neck. He looked on the shelves for a higher level on when he saw a piece of paper. He looked at it and saw that it was SCP-173's description.
Item #: SCP-173
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: Item SCP-173 is to be kept in a locked container at all times. When personnel must enter SCP-173's container, no fewer than 3 may enter at any time and the door is to be relocked behind them. At all times, two persons must maintain direct eye contact with SCP-173 until all personnel have vacated and relocked the container.
Description: Moved to Site-19 1993. Origin is as of yet unknown. It is constructed from concrete and rebar with traces of Krylon brand spray paint. SCP-173 is animate and extremely hostile. The object cannot move while within a direct line of sight. Line of sight must not be broken at any time with SCP-173. Personnel assigned to enter container are instructed to alert one another before blinking. Object is reported to attack by snapping the neck at the base of the skull, or by strangulation. In the event of an attack, personnel are to observe Class 4 hazardous object containment procedures.
Personnel report sounds of scraping stone originating from within the container when no one is present inside. This is considered normal, and any change in this behaviour should be reported to the acting HMCL supervisor on duty.
The reddish brown substance on the floor is a combination of feces and blood. Origin of these materials is unknown. The enclosure must be cleaned on a bi-weekly basis.
He already knew what to do with the statue so he didn't bother picking it up. Damion left the storage room only to be greeted with the balcony door open and SCP-173 standing by it. He slowly backed away to the door while keeping his eyes on the sculpture.
"Must...not...blink".
Unfortunately, Damion couldn't resist blinking and SCP-173 soon moved right in front of him. Luckily, the button to the door was right behind him. He it and while still looking at SCP-173, quickly shuffled backwards through the door and closed it.
Damion sighed. This trip was going to be a long and hard one. He kept walking through a nearly endless maze of corridors. Until he found a room that his keycard could actually get into. He opened the door and as soon as he stepped in, he heard sounds of stone scraping on the ground.
"Oh, great" he said with an annoyed tone.
He opened the next door to find SCP-173 in a small glass testing chamber. He was relieved, but still very cautious. He looked on top of one of the drawers to find a level 2 keycard, a couple of batteries and a radio.
"Nice!" Damion had thought, smirking.
"Now I can finally get somewhere".
He slipped everything into his other pocket and was about to leave when he heard the glass shatter. SCP-173 was right there.
Damion had to yell at this point,
"Are you kidding me!?"
He backed out quickly to avoid any incidents and locked the door back.
"Let's see you get out of this one, 173!" he taunted.
As Damion walked around, he found a room with another SCP in there. he looked at the poster for it.
SCP-914
Object Class: Safe
Seems useful, he had thought. He pulled out his level 2 and opened up the door. Inside was a giant machine with filled with gears, springs, cogs and other clockwork. He went over to one of the shelves and found an S-Nav map and SCP-914's document.
Item #: SCP-914
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: Only personnel who submit a formal request and receive approval from site command may operate 914. SCP-914 is to be kept in research cell 109-B with two guard personnel on duty at all times. Any researchers entering 109-B are to be accompanied by at least one guard for the entirety of testing. A full list of tests to be carried out must be given to all guard personnel on duty; any deviation from this list will result in termination of testing, forcible removal of personnel from 109-B, and formal discipline at site command’s discretion.
WARNING: At this time, no testing of biological matter is allowed. Refer to document 109-B:117. Applying the “Rough” setting to explosive materials is not advised.
Description: SCP-914 is a large clockwork device weighing several tons and covering an area of eighteen square meters, consisting of screw drives, belts, pulleys, gears, springs and other clockwork. It is incredibly complex, consisting of over eight million moving parts comprised mostly of tin and copper, with some wooden and cloth items observed. Observation and probing have showed no electronic assemblies or any form of power other than the “Mainspring” under the “Selection Panel”. Two large booths 3mx2.1mx2.1m (10ftx7ftx7ft) are connected via copper tubes to the main body of SCP-914, labeled “Intake” and “Output”. Between them is a copper panel with a large knob with a small arrow attached. The words Rough, Coarse, 1:1, Fine, and Very Fine are positioned at points around the knob. Below the knob is a large “key” that winds the “mainspring”.
When an object is placed in the Intake Booth, a door slides shut, and a small bell sounds. If the knob is turned to any position and the key wound up, SCP-914 will “refine” the object in the booth. No energy is lost in the process, and the object appears to be in stasis until the Output Booth door is opened. Intense observation and testing have not shown how SCP-914 accomplishes this, and no test object has ever been observed inside SCP-914 during the “refining” process. The process takes between five and ten minutes, depending on the size of the object being refined.
"Refines objects? I wonder if it could get these keycards to a higher level. That, and this gas mask. It looks pretty tight".
Damion dropped his level 1 keycard, gas mask, radio and navigator in the input booth. He turned the knob to "Very Fine" and winded the mainspring. A half a minute later, in the output booth was an upgraded gas mask, a radio and navigator with no need for batteries and a Keycard Omni.
He had tested out the gas mask and surprisingly, it felt easier to breath than normal. The navigator and radio no longer needed batteries and a Keycard Omni could get him anywhere, so Damion was finally ready to make his way to the surface and out of the Foundation.
He knew that it would be no easy task as he still had a long way to go, but at least now he would have a much safer time. He got ready to make his was out of the room, when he heard gurgling behind him. He turned around and what he saw could not be explained in anyway.
Whatever it was, it was coming out of the floor covered in that same black mucus that Damion kept finding on the floors and walls and it looked like it had on a light black vest. The eyes were dark and shiny and it had the most twisted grin on its face.
Damion instantly knew to high-tail it as he had seen what that sludge did the the scientist. He ran through all the doors, ignoring them whether they had something useful in them or not. All the while, the Old Man was slowly getting closer and closer...