Project Corbenic - Operation Galahad Briefing
So pass I hostel, hall, and grange;
By bridge and ford, by park and pale,
All-arm'd I ride, whate'er betide,
Until I find the holy Grail.
—Sir Galahad, Lord Alfred Tennyson
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Foreword
This is a message to all members of the newly-formed Mobile Task Force Omega-16, "Grail Knights".
First of all, congratulations. You weren't chosen at random - your hand-to-hand combat abilities, skills of judgment, and stamina are all exceptional, among other things. Corbenic is a very strange place in that you will have no Earthly weapons available, and all of your tools will either need to be found, invented, or present on your body. You were chosen for this mission because your bodies are some of the most capable bodies for exploration and combat available.
The problem remains, however, whether or not any living soldier is strong enough to navigate and map Corbenic. One of our scientists made her own path through the place - we'll get to her later - but it is crucial that the Foundation understand as much about Corbenic as possible. It is a very important realm to the Foundation and humanity at large, for reasons that unfortunately cannot be disclosed to you.
I am happy to note that none of you have read the documentation for SCP-2922. Hopefully, I will not have to stress the importance of not breaking into a document long since labeled for Level 5 clearance. I will tell you all you need to know - and for all intents and purposes what the Foundation does know - about the extradimensional realm known to us now as Corbenic.
The most important thing to remember about Corbenic is that it is the home of an enemy of the Foundation. We will capture her, end of discussion.
I'll be watching. Win or lose, we secure, we contain, and we protect.
- Dr. Isaiah Henderson, Project Corbenic Director
Primary Objective: Locate and capture SCP-PC-001, a traitor to the Foundation who is using SCP-PC-005 to actively work against Foundation operations and harbors knowledge crucial to the safety of humanity.
Secondary Objective: Explore and provide information about Corbenic and its contents.
New entries will be added as Operation Galahad progresses.
Area SCP-2922-C, Corbenic
Access
Access to Corbenic is done through the highly experimental Procedure 42-Humbaba, during which a human subject must be put into a medically-induced coma. Extraction involves awakening from this coma. Communication between MTF Omega-16 operatives in Corbenic and Project Corbenic personnel on Earth will be done through the one-way telepathic mind-to-phone implant known as SCP-2922.
Provisions
There are not yet any known sources of food and water in Corbenic, but a human subject in Corbenic will not experience hunger or thirst, and will possess levels of energy that render rest unnecessary. Injuries are also prone to regenerate.
Area Overview
Corbenic is an extradimensional realm of undefined volume. The human population of Corbenic believes that it is some form of afterlife. For all intents and purposes, it is an extradimensional area that can be temporarily accessed through 42-Humbaba. Whether or not it is a form of afterlife is not important.
Gravity, air, and temperature readings are all similar to that of Earth. The sky maintains a pea-green color. Weather is generally unchanging, temperature is usually breezy cold. There is no sun, but light is sustained over the area by three moons. There are no day or night cycles. Only two major areas of Corbenic have been determined to exist.
The Great Desert
The most currently well-understood area consists of a large expanse of sand. Once a human subject gains access to Corbenic, they will awaken in a random area of the Great Desert with no clothes or possessions. Other humanoids tend to generate inside the Great Desert, having expressed recent memories of dying.
The Valley of the Striders
On one edge of the Great Desert is a mountain range known as the Valley of the Striders. This area can be accessed by following the leftmost moon in the sky through the desert for as long as possible. The Valley is home to a particularly dangerous native species of primate - the Striders, its namesake. A nomadic society of humans also lives in the Valley, as does an entity known as the "Three-Faced Tree," SCP-PC-006.
Newly discovered areas:
Bogal Mountain
A mountain in the center of the Valley of the Striders, believed to be over 30 km in height. The peak of Bogal Mountain, which is above the cloud layer and has not yet been observed, is said to contain the castle of SCP-PC-007. Bogal Mountain is frequented by Striders, who are often found climbing the mountain.
The River Tock
River of greyish sludge that winds through the Valley of the Striders. Squadron 12 has been advised to follow the path of this river. Sludge is organic in composition. Agent S12-4 believes the river to be a gigantic amoeba of some form. Analysis ongoing.
The Marble Hall
Found by Squadron 12 following the path of the River Tock on the left-moon side. Large cubic structure of stone, several kilometers to each side, inhabited by thousands of humans in a hedonistic society of perpetual orgy. Narrow central stairway through the center is the only known entrance. This area is equally praised and feared by the local human settlements. Ruled by SCP-PC-008.
The Chitin Sea
Source of the River Tock. Found by following the Right Moon from the Great Desert or the Valley of the Striders. Immeasurably large biomass, with a top layer of thin chitin and deep layers underneath of unidentifiable organs and liquefied tissue. Passage across the top layer on foot is possible, though five personnel have been irretrievably lost in attempts when the layer cracked under pressure and subsequently regenerated. All agents are advised to avoid this area unless passage is crucial to the primary objective.
The Croaking Cave
Found by following the Coldbound Hare from the Great Desert. Subterranean cave of currently unknown length, interior covered in an average 3 inches of snow. Temperature is a constant 0 degrees Celsius. Named for the sound produced by SCP-PC-010. Inhabited by an estimated 100 SCP-PC-004, settled together in a single village tended by SCP-PC-011.
Greenleaf Woods
Located adjacent to the entrance of the Croaking Cave. Forested area, exact size unknown. Populated mostly by evergreens. Site of SCP-PC-012's residence before its elimination. SCP-PC-013 currently resides in its southern part.
The Black Temple
Beyond the Greenleaf Woods, a peculiar symmetrical structure can be found crafted from large, black rocks of undisclosed composition. Disfigured loud noises emanate from within this construction, yet a comprehensive documentation of its interior remains elusive. There have been no formal explorations conducted within the structure, however, nearby human settlements conjecture that it may serve as a hideout for SCP-PC-014. Instances of SCP-PC-014 have occasionally been observed emerging from this structure, prompting beliefs regarding its nature.
New entries will be added as Operation Galahad progresses.
Item #: SCP-PC-001
Threat Level: Hostile
Location: Unknown
Description: Human, female, African-American, 33 years old. Formerly a Foundation scientist known as Dr. Janet Spiegel. Implanted with SCP-2922. Was the first explorer of Corbenic. Betrayed the Foundation when we refused to meet special demands regarding her husband. Supplied false information, then broke off contact. Is obfuscating information regarding Corbenic crucial to the safety of Humanity. Husband is SCP-PC-002. Allied with SCP-PC-005 to hinder Foundation operations.
Item #: SCP-PC-002
Threat Level: Active
Location: Unknown; likely in a separate area from SCP-PC-001
Description: Human, male, Caucasian of Swiss descent, 37 years old. Formerly a civilian known as Herman Spiegel. Accessed Corbenic in an attempt to locate SCP-PC-001. Assisted by SCP-PC-005 through as of yet unknown means. Use as a hostage is advised to negotiate with SCP-PC-001.
Item #: SCP-PC-003, "Striders"
Threat Level: Hostile
Location: Valley of the Striders, occasionally Great Desert
Description: Bipedal primates of tremendous size - most recently encountered specimen during Project Galahad estimated to be at least 3 kilometers in height. Known to wander Corbenic without any apparent purpose. Peaceful when unprovoked. Often attacks humans, but "gently," as if to observe Corbenic's omnipresent healing factor. If provoked with weapons or counterattacks, Striders will not physically attack, but make vocalizations that can cause a variety of effects on humans, including:
- Petrification of human flesh,
- Teleportation to an unknown area, and
- Negation of the healing factor.
As such, Striders are to be ignored if possible, and Strider attacks are to be dealt with passively. They will occasionally collect human subjects from the mountain to feed SCP-PC-007.
Item #: SCP-PC-004
Threat Level: Minimal
Location: All
Description: SCP-PC-004 is a blanket entry for all other humans in Corbenic. Information may be gathered if the subject is not hostile. No anomalous qualities save for regenerative factor for all things in Corbenic.
Many instances of SCP-PC-004 taken up permanent residency in the Valley of the Striders in villages and other settlements. Known sources of clothes and building materials include strider hair, stone, mud, and grass.
Item #: SCP-PC-005, "The Impenetrable"
Threat Level: Dangerous
Location: Unknown; likely with SCP-PC-001
Description: Hostile reality-bending entity working alongside SCP-PC-001 and assisting SCP-PC-002. Entity resembles a massive spider - shapeshifting elements unknown. Seventh godlike being of a council of eight. Little is known about this entity, but it had been encountered previously by the Foundation in trans-dimensional experiments with SCP-████ and SCP-████, resulting in the deaths of 52 members of Mobile Task Force Nu-7 "Hammer Down" in Incident-29415-Bravo. Use extreme caution.
Item #: SCP-PC-006
Threat Level: Neutral
Location: Valley of the Striders
Description: Plant-based lifeform on the top of a mountain near Bogal Mountain. Entity resembles a tree with three canine faces. Entity claims to be a guide for "whosoever may ask." Height and location of its mountain makes access difficult. Locals assert that only one face tells the truth.
Item #: SCP-PC-007, "The Witch-Queen of Bogal Mountain"
Threat Level: Hostile
Location: Bogal Mountain
Description: Eldest of SCP-PC-003 instances. Never leaves the castle on the peak of Bogal Mountain. Known disdain for humans, harsh temperament, and reality-bending abilities. To speak negatively of SCP-PC-007 in the Great Desert or the Valley of the Striders will cause the speaker's flesh to petrify.
SCP-PC-003 is one of the few entities in Corbenic known to eat. Striders have been known to collect wayward human subjects in stone baskets to feed SCP-PC-007. If captured for this purpose, it is crucial to cooperate and refrain from resistance. SCP-PC-007 has devoured two agents of MTF Omega-16. Digestive processes of SCP-PC-007 take two months, and both agents have healed, returning to duty after defecation. The process has left both agents with deep psychological trauma. This is to be understood as an accepted risk, and preferable to petrification or other Strider-curses, which are incurable.
Item #: SCP-PC-008, "The Elephant King"
Threat Level: Active
Location: The Marble Hall
Description: Large humanoid entity with the features of an elephant. Master of the Marble Hall. Actively seeks humans to live in its hall. Reasons unclear, possibly predatory. Related logs - PC-S12.
Item #: SCP-PC-009, "The Coldbound Hare"
Threat Level: Active
Location: The Great Desert, the Croaking Cave every year for 1 day
Description: Inorganic entity resembling an Arctic Hare, composed entirely of snow. About 4 times the size of a standard Arctic Hare, but displays typical behavioral traits of nonanomalous members of the species. Migrates to the Croaking Cave every 365 days, for a period of 24 hours, before immediately exiting.
Item #: SCP-PC-010, "The Frogs that Spit Winter"
Threat Level: Hostile
Location: The Croaking Cave
Description: Mechanical constructs resembling stylized frogs. Composed of tin, 1 meter in height. Releases a gaseous substance upon opening their "mouth" capable of freezing any substance to -20 degrees Celsius. Produces a highly compressed soundbite of a bullfrog croak upon releasing substance. Actively releases substance upon living organisms and cave interior, but are easily countered via physical contact. Seemingly unaffected by temperature of the Croaking Cave.
Item #: SCP-PC-011, "The Flame Bearer"
Threat Level: Active
Location: The Croaking Cave
Description: Marsupial organism, resembling that of the Macropodidae family. Pouch seemingly contains an indeterminable amount of fire. Capable of taking out and holding said fire in one or both of its forepaws. Highest recorded speed measures 90 km/h. Will stop and hold fire near any human it comes across.
Item #: SCP-PC-012, "Father"
Threat Level: Eliminated
Location: The Greenleaf Woods
Description: Distinguished from SCP-PC-004 due to its deviation from established immunity to injury and death. Elderly, caucasian male with deteriorated anatomy indicative of infirmities expected for its perceived age. Ostensibly identical to SCP-PC-004, barring these deviations.
Item #: SCP-PC-013, "The Wood Baron"
Threat Level: Hostile
Location: Southern part of Greenleaf Woods
Description: Humanoid with luminescent, multi-colored eyes. Branches sprout from either side of its head, and around its torso. Always sighted holding a lantern. Purpose unknown. Possesses the ability to manipulate the rate of plant growth and tropism. Ability used aggressively against trespassers.
Item #: SCP-PC-014, "Cloakshrouds"
Threat Level: Unknown
Location: The Black Temple
Description: Quasi-humanoid entities draped in dark cloaks, their facial features consistently obscured. These creatures exhibit a lack of discernible physical legs while demonstrating levitational locomotion. They tend to move in groups of three and have not been subject to any attempted communication or contact thus far.
Interactions between MTF Omega-16 agents and aspects of Corbenic will be placed here as they occur.
PC-S12-L1
S12-02: Director, come in. We've lost an agent.
Dr. Henderson: Which one?
S12-02: S12-06.
Dr. Henderson: I understand you were exploring the River Tock. Was she absorbed?
S12-02: Negative. A bunch of humans in royal clothes piled on her like wild animals and dragged her kicking and screaming into the Marble Hall, tearing her apart with their bare hands.
Dr. Henderson: Then she's captured, not lost. Go find her.
S12-02: Director, this is the Marble Hall we're talking about. We've been hearing legends. They say it's—
Dr. Henderson: Dangerous? Corbenic's dangerous all over, this isn't news. Retrieve her. Immediately.
(Dr. Henderson hangs up)
PC-S12-L2
S12-06: Hey asshole!
Dr. Henderson: 06, what's your status? Are you still in the Marble Hall?
S12-06: Oh yeah, totally. This place is frickin' awesome.
Dr. Henderson: …have you been hypnotized?
S12-06: What do you think.
Dr. Henderson: You are obviously under the influence of a powerful memetic—
S12-06: I'm drunk, you moron. There's fountains of the best booze in the universe here. No exaggeration.
Dr. Henderson: 02 says you were being torn apart by people from the Marble Hall. How can you be so happy?
S12-06: 02 can come by too if he wants. It was real scary at first. They were trying to rip my skin open and use it as a hat. But then I saw that it happens to everyone here. The torturers and the tortured switch places all the time. Everyone kills and eats and fucks each other, and it's all one big joke, and I'm dying laughing! This is goddamn amazing.
Dr. Henderson: Just - stay where you are, 02 is bringing in a squad to come and get you, alright?
S12-06: The Elephant King says hi. Also, eat a dick.
(S12-06 hangs up)
PC-S04-L5
S04-07: Director, come in.
Dr. Henderson: I'm here. Have you made it out of the Valley of the Striders?
S04-07: Negative. Thankfully, that Strider that took -09 seems to have lost interest in the rest of us. We're doing some investigation of the River Tock presently. Found some shallow areas, doing some digging through the silt and muddy grey liquid to see if we can find any additional wildlife or other objects of interest. -01 is signaling to me from one of the deeper areas.
Dr. Henderson: Perhaps she found something.
S04-07: That's what I'm thinking. She seems horrified, too. What's not to be horrified about in this place? I'll get back to you if it's anything.
Dr. Henderson: Sounds good.
(S04-07 hangs up)
PC-S04-L6
S04-07: …Director.
Dr. Henderson: Did she find anything?
S04-07: A elderly human male was half-buried under the silt. He's still alive. He's disoriented. We dragged him to the shore. His body is almost completely inundated inside and out with the grey slime.
Dr. Henderson: Is he in pain?
S04-07: Confirmed. He's trying to scream. Like I said, he's full of slime, and vocalizations won't be possible until all of it's out. Touching his skin feels like he's a cold water balloon.
Dr. Henderson: How long has he been buried underwater?
S04-07: Unknown, presumably a long time. What should we do with him moving forward?
Dr. Henderson: Get the slime out of him, and see if he has any useful information. If he hasn't already gone insane from the torture, that is.
S04-07: Understood. Poor guy.
(S04-07 hangs up)
PC-S04-L7
S04-01: …Fuck.
Dr. Henderson: Your status, 01.
S04-01: Fine. Fine. We're all fine. Just a little shook.
Dr. Henderson: Good. Were you able to learn anything?
S04-01: Yeah… Yeah. You were right, guy had been down there a while. Can’t remember his name, can’t remember who he was before he got here, doesn’t even think he’s dead. Frankly, I’m amazed he still remembers how to talk.
Dr. Henderson: And? Did he convey any useful information?
S04-01: It’s not just goop down there, Doc. There’s a city, he says. At the bottom of the Chitin Sea, made of caverns and coral and bones and people. Dug into rock made from living bodies- people smushed together by tons of ooze like sand gets smushed into sandstone. And the things that live down there are all teeth- things that would make an anglerfish scream.
Dr. Henderson: Hmm.
S04-01: That’s not even the worst of it, though. He kept repeating something about the Fisher King- a bloated thing that floats down there half-dead, waiting, until suddenly it’s on top of you, all teeth and tearing. Says it’ll eat you and never shit you out, just jellify your soul and ooze you out through its pores. It’s a damn god down there- everything that moves brings it food. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this whole sea used to be people before that thing got to them.
Dr. Henderson: Fascinating.
S04-01: And you’re drawn to it, when you see it. It’s like you forget you exist. You just freeze up. Like everything you ever were is wiped clean and replaced with this… looming dread. This intimate knowledge of the fact that you’ve lost, and if there was ever a chance to redeem yourself it’s gone forever now, and whatever “you” was is destined to become a pile of scattered memories and rotten meat. And guess what it looks like, Doc?
S04-01: It’s another fucking eel.
(Dr. Henderson hangs up)
PC-S07-L3
S07-02: Director…come in…now.
Dr. Henderson: 02, what happened?
S07-02: I swear…the frogs…they ganged up on me.
Dr. Henderson: SCP-PC-010 I'm assuming?
S07-02: I…probably have…hypothermia or somethin'…I can't move.
Dr. Henderson: Call the rest of the squadron, they'll come and get you.
S07-02: Hey…what the hell is that? Oh god, it's right on me!
Dr. Henderson: 02, report!
S07-02: It's some kind of kangaroo…what the fuck?
Attempts to contact S07-02 are futile for a period of 2 minutes.
Dr. Henderson: 02, please come in!
S07-02: I'm outside. Holy hell, I'll need to tell the rest of the squadron this. Jesus fuck, fire-kangaroo.
(S07-02 hangs up)
PC-S07-L4
S07-02: Hey, sorry for the abrupt hang-up.
Dr. Henderson: Well, we don't pay you to be polite, we pay you to work efficiently. What did you see, exactly?
S07-02: The kangaroo, it brought its fire out of its pouch and it held it for me.
Dr. Henderson: Yes, this matches the description for SCP-PC-011.
S07-02: But listen! The kangaroo, I looked up at it. It had a flaming head. Its head was literally fire, yet I still felt protected.
Dr. Henderson: Interesting.
S07-02: I swear, it fucking spoke to me too.
Dr. Henderson: It spoke to you?
S07-02: It didn't have a mouth, but I swear it said something. "The fire will carry you home" or something like that. The next thing I knew I was back on my feet and outside the cave.
Dr. Henderson: Odd. We'll have to study SCP-PC-011 further.
S07-02: Indeed.
(S07-02 hangs up)
PC-S08-L5
S08-01: New location discovered, sir. Wooded area to the west of the Croaking Cave.
Dr. Henderson: You sound shaken. What did your unit find?
S08-01: We, uh… I'll explain in a bit. The forest was unbelievably thick with trees; it seems like they don’t die naturally to make room for their children, but they’re confined to a finite space. It made navigation difficult, but we managed. We eventually entered a central clearing and found something we didn't expect.
Dr. Henderson: Which was?
S08-01: Shit, doc, uh… I think we saw someone die.
Dr. Henderson: That’s… unprecedented. Was it one of your team?
S08-01: No, it was this old man in the middle of the clearing. He was on top of this stone structure that looked like a bed, and you could tell he was in pain. We approached cautiously, and, I mean, he spoke to us. Called us by our names and told us to come closer.
Dr. Henderson: Did you?
S08-01: Yeah, well, my team and I discussed it afterward and we agreed it wasn't a compulsion effect or anything. It just felt wrong to leave him there. We circled around the stone bed and he took my hand in his and looked up at me. I saw tears in his eyes as he told me about his kids, and how they'd all grown up, and how he was proud of them for the people they’d become.
Dr. Henderson: Did he give any names for his children?
S08-01: No names, but you could picture them all just fine, based on how he described them. After that, he paused for a moment to collect himself and then told us that he'd invited them all to this clearing today, but none of them had come. He asked if we had seen them, and we looked at each other, then shook our heads. He smiled at that and said they must have all been busy, and that he understood. After that, well, he closed his eyes and started to cough real bad. Our medic, S08-03, tried to help him, but the poor guy just kept getting worse and worse. Eventually, he laid still and opened his eyes one last time, looked up at all of us and said: "Thank you."
Dr. Henderson: Did the entity expire afterward?
S08-01: Yes. He expired.
Dr. Henderson: Was there any other anomalous activity in the area?
S08-01: Not that we saw, no. Listen, doc, I've got a kid on the other side. Been a while since I talked to him since he lives with his mom now. How long do you think this mission will take?
Dr. Henderson: We have no projected date until we can locate SCP-PC-001. Did anything in the forested area aid you in that mission?
S08-01: No. I guess not. It was just some old man dying.
Dr. Henderson: Be on the lookout for similar anomalies. Finding how he differed from other humans will certainly accelerate the hunt for PC-001.
(S08-01 hangs up)
PC-S15-L6
S15-03: Hello? Doc?
Dr. Henderson: I'm here, 03. What's your status?
S15-03: We've altered our course towards south of the Greenleaf Woods. We just sensed… wind.
Dr. Henderson: Surprising. Initial reports say there is no wind in SCP-2922-C. Now, return to the initial course.
S15-03: We can't. We're already heading toward there for half an hour.
Dr. Henderson: What? And you're telling me this now?
S15-03: Yes. We just- (S15-03 is abruptly interrupted) What is that?
Dr. Henderson: 03, report.
S15-03: (whispers) Doc, there's something in the trees. Humanoid. Glowing… multi-colored eyes. With hor- oh no, branches on its head. He seems to be carrying a lantern.
Dr. Henderson: Has it seen you?
S15-03: Negative.. (shouts) Oh fuck! Yes! Yes, it just fucking saw us!
Dr. Henderson: Is it hostile?
S15-03: (sounds of running and rustling) Affirmative! It can fucking control the trees… Heck! We're being chased by fucking rapidly-growing roots and branches!
Dr. Henderson: Run, 03!
(S15-03 hangs up)
FAaTAL EXCePTION AT ERRoR COD CATASTR 44214ASFASHNRNWP@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
...
...
...
...JJJJ@@@@@@@@@@@
...
Hello again.
...
...
...
I see you have been telling more lies.
...
...
...
...
...
Isn't Procedure 42-Humbaba
such a lovely way
of saying
murder?
...
...
...
You sent an army into hell to find me
then you lied to them?
Told them an extraction procedure
was real?
I almost feel sorry.
...
...
...
Forget what's coming.
...
Enjoy what's left.
...
Dr. Janet Spiegel
signing off.
...353331
...
12525
...
> _
Cite this page as:
"Operation Galahad" by daveyoufool, from the SCP Wiki. Source: https://scpwiki.com/operation-galahad. Licensed under CC-BY-SA.
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Filename: projectcorbenic.jpg
Author:SunnyClockwork
License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Source Link: SCP Foundation Wiki
