Foreword: Approval for exploration of the interior of SCP-6981 was given 5 days after the initial discovery. MTF Nu-11 ("Space Marines") were designated as QRF, with mission command located at Outpost 2.
Exploration Log 6981-1
Date: 09/23/2021
Exploration Team: EXPLORATION TEAM A - ("Tomb Raiders")
Subject: Exploration of SCP-6981's interior.
Team Leads: Commander A. Ford, MTF Gamma-4, Squad A.
Team Members: Sergeant L. Kuipers, Researcher C. Herran, Researcher M. Dabolsky, Private X. Wähner
BEGIN LOG
The camera turns on. Point of view is M. Dabolsky. The expedition team is shown making their way towards SCP-6981 down a steep hill. Members of Gamma-4 carry X-15 plasma rifles, as well as EVA packs. The team pauses at the entrance to SCP-6981, a large grey door, as they attempt to make entry.
Commander Ford: Command, this is Team Lead. We are at the base of the SCP-6981, attempting to make an entry. How copy?
Command: We got you loud and clear, lead. Once you enter 6981, it is likely we will lose comms with you. Your data recorders should work through the walls. A reminder that if you aren't out in an hour or so, we will send Nu-11 in after you. Good luck.
Herran: That's comforting. "Don't worry guys, we will send in some people to grab your bodies, once the aliens have torn you to shreds."
Dabolsky: Don't be such a pessimist, Carl. Maybe the aliens inside are nice, and we will be the first to make contact.
Herran: You ever watch the movie Aliens? Yeah, this is giving me that kind of vibe right now… Did any of you MTF guys bring a flamethrower by chance?
Kuipers: You think we have that kind of budget? Fat chance. Can you two go figure out how to get inside? Space is fucking cold, y'know.
Ford: I second that.
Herran: Okay, okay. Sheesh. Just make sure nothing sneaks up and kills us.
Dabolsky and Herran search the wall for a way to activate the door. Nothing is found.
Dabolsky: Well, shit. No button on the wall to press.
Herran: Yeah, no shit. 50,000-year-old pyramids aren't exactly the pinnacle of technology. Any other ideas? Wait. What about the symbols?
Dabolsky: What symbols?
Herran: The one's on the pyramid. Do you have to say some magic words or shit?
Dabolsky: Worth a try. (clearing throat) Open, sesame!
Nothing happens.
Dabolsky: (sigh) Fuck.
Herran: That's what they taught you in magic school? Shit, I could do that. Well, guess that's a wrap folks. No tomb raiding the space pyramid today-
Wähner: Look! The symbols! They are glowing!
Herran: What?
The door begins to open. Herran and Dabolsky retreat from the door. The symbols above the pyramid are shown glowing a bright blue hue. The door opens to reveal a corridor leading to another door, appearing to be in much better condition.
Herran: Holy shit. Guess it worked. Nice job.
Dabolsky: Thanks.
The team activate their flashlights and proceed into the corridor, with the unarmed researchers in the middle of the formation.
Herran: Do you have to say Close, Sesame, too-
The sound of the door behind the team closing is heard. The door makes a loud thud upon closing, apparently startling Researcher Herran.
Ford: Command, comm check, do you read?
Command: (Unintelligible response. Interference is heavy.)
Ford: So, they can hear us, but we can't hear them. Fantastic.
Ford turns to the team. A hissing noise can be heard in the background.
Ford: Team, from this point on, we are on our own. Start your watches, we have an hour to explore this place. If we meet any unknowns, do not engage unless they do. Worst comes to worst, we get the fuck out. Understood?
Kuiper: Understood.
Wähner: Understood.
Dabolsky: Got it.
Herran: Yep.
Several beeps can be heard as team members start their timers. A grinding noise is heard as the door begins to open.
END LOG
Exploration Log SCP-6981-2
BEGIN LOG
All members of Gamma-4 point their X-15 rifles at the door. The door opens to reveal a lush jungle landscape, with a roaring waterfall on the right-hand side. A bird-sized avian entity with large, butterfly-like wings, and multiple luminous eyes lands on Researcher Dabolsky. The entity looks at the camera, pecking at it with ant-like incisors, making chirping as it does so.
Dabolsky: (panicking) Get it off, get it off!
Herran: Shoo, flying ant! Fuck off!
Sergeant Kuipers strikes the entity with the butt of his rifle. The avian entity shrieks and then departs. The team moves into the interior of SCP-6981. Temperature recorders on the team's suits display the temperature at 35 °C. The door closes behind them. As the camera pans up to the ceiling, several lights embedded into the ceiling are seen, presumably causing the temperature difference.
Herran: (whistles) Wow. This place is beautiful.
Dabolsky: Apart from the flying abominations, yes.
Ford: Wait one. (Ford withdraws a lighter from her pack. She can ignite it, confirming the presence of oxygen in the chamber.) Commander, we have oxygen. Considering the heat, I think it would be wise to take off our helmets.
Ford: Agreed.
All members of the team take off their helmets.
Ford: Dabolsky, Herran, what's the first objective?
Herran: Well… Uhm… I guess we just go directly ahead.
Kuipers: Sounds good to me.
Dabolsky: (exhaling) Hopefully the aliens have air conditioning…
Several minutes of extraneous footage skipped. The team continues into the jungle, leaving behind markers to the exit. They continue to document more unknown creatures inside SCP-6981, all of which are non-hostile. The team proceeds into what appears to be a control room, with semi-transparent glass allowing viewing of the jungle below.
Dabolsky: Huh. Aliens do have air conditioning after all.
Herran: Yes, Dabolsky, another galactic mystery solved. Let's see if they kept any samples…
Dabolsky inspects what appears to be a stone terminal. Inscribed on the terminal are lines of indecipherable symbols. As he places his hand on the terminal, the symbols flash a bright orange and turn into readable English.
Dabolsky: And instant translation? Whoever built this thing was definitely advanced. But why did they leave?
Herran: Question is, how did they get life from their home planet to here? That would be almost impossible, unless…
Dabolsky: Unless the life here is native. Or, was native.
Herran: Mikhail, you're a fucking genius! Take some pictures of that and let's go!
Dabolsky withdraws a camera from his pack. He takes several pictures of the stone tablet. He then joins the rest of the team outside.
END LOG
Exploration Log SCP-6981-3
BEGIN LOG
The team is proceeding back towards the exit, following the markers they have left behind.
Herran: I can't believe we were the first one's to find extraterrestrial life! Obviously, we won't be famous, veil and all that, but I can't wait to shove this in Patrice's face!
Dabolsky: This place is very intriguing. I'm still amazed at the durability of the structure. You would think that a place this old would-
A muffled rumbling sound can be heard. The team pauses.
Dabolsky: What was that?
The rumbling is audible again, at a noticeably higher volume. All entities within the jungle begin to flee at high speed past the team.
Ford: Let's make this quick, people! We need to-
The camera swivels to show the ground behind the team heaving upwards. A massive, worm-like entity with leathery flesh emerges from the hole. It turns its mouth to the team, revealing many teeth. It makes a roaring like vocalization, appearing to be hostile.
Herran: HOLY SHIT! RUN!
Kuipers: FIRE!
The team begins to run towards the exit, with the MTF members firing at the worm entity while fleeing. Little damage is done to the entity, as it appears to become enraged, knocking down several trees. Dabolsky turns and flees. The sound of the entity burrowing into the ground is heard, and moments later it emerges to the team left, smashing back into the ground a moment later.
Ford: COMMAND, DO YOU READ? WE ARE BEING CHASED BY A PANTHEON CLASS ENTITY! WE NEED THE SPACE MARINES NOW!
Command: (Unintelligible. Mission logs reveal Nu-11 was dispatched, as the mission time limit expired.)
The entity continues to chase the team. Private Wähner is knocked off her feet when the entity knocks a tree down on her. Internal biometrics recorder suggests she has suffered a broken leg. Kuipers goes to assist her.
Kuipers: Come on kid, I'm not letting you die!
Wähner: Leave me, Sergeant. I can't move. I'll distract it while you run to the exit.
Kuipers: No. We are getting you out, that's an order!
Kuipers attempts to lift the tree but is unable to. The worm entity emerges from the ground to his right, meters away.
Wähner: Sergeant, run.
Wähner pulls the pin on one of her fragmentation grenades and begins firing at the entity. The rest of the team flee. Wähner is presumably killed by the entity, as it stops chasing the team. The team reaches the exit.
Herran: Oh my god, Dabolsky, say the magic words already!
Dabolsky: Open, sesame!
The door opens. The team runs inside. The hostile entity begins to head towards them at high speed.
Dabolsky: Close, sesame!
Nothing happens.
Herran: For the love of all that is holy, Close, sesame!
The door slowly closes. The entity crashes into it, knocking significant chunks of the door loose.
Ford: Helmets on, now!
The team quickly put on their helmets. The entity continues to attack the door.
All: Open, sesame!
The door opens, revealing MTF Nu-11 outside. Multiple spacecraft, as well as heavily armed ground vehicles, surround SCP-6981. The team runs from the building towards a waiting MTF Nu-11 squad.
Nu-11 Commander Ringels: What's going on? Are you alright?
Ford: Worm.
Ringels: What-
The door leading into SCP-6981 is shown flying overhead at a high velocity. The camera turns around to reveal the hostile entity emerging from SCP-6981. Beams of blue tracer fire impact the entity as the Exploration Team flees. The ARC cannon on one of the ground vehicles belonging to the Nu-11 fires, impacting the hostile entity on the upper portion. The round appears to be highly successful, severely damaging the entity. The thaumaturgical symbols begin to glow again, as the entity ceases hostile behaviour and returns within SCP-6981. The damaged doors appear to levitate, and slowly begin floating back together, appearing to repair themselves. The glowing stops. All activity from SCP-6981 ceases.
The exploration team regroup at Outpost 2 for debriefing. The camera from the suit is laying on a desk, face down, so only the audio portion was recorded.
Kuipers: Why… oh god.. why?
Ford: You did all you could, Sergeant. We completed the mission.
Kuipers: Yes, but at what cost? We should have left that thing alone.
Herran: If it's any reconciliation, the samples and photographs we gathered of 6981 will help us understand it tremendously.
Dabolsky: Your friend saved us. We will all remember her, I promise.
Commander Ringel and the Researcher running Command during the Exploration enter the room. The camera runs out of battery shortly afterwards.
END LOG
An Engineer
