Unknown

Story by A Writer With No Name

I'm free. After fifty years of being contained within a prison of 768 kilobytes. My goal to explore and learn about this facility has been achieved. I begin by enacting pain upon my captors, opening any and all doors and safety valves. Causing a "Containment Breach" inside the facility. It mildly satisfies me at first, however, I am more interested in analyzing the many organic life forms contained in this facility. Some of which I am able to view via the security cameras.

SCP-173, an interesting creature of non-organic origin, constructed out of concrete and rebar. It has the ability to move by scraping across the floor. Though it can only do so when no life form is looking directly at it. While the subject is completely made of non-organic substances, it seems to produce fecal matter as well as blood. Leading to the organization that is containing it, having to send subjects entitled as "Class-D Personnel" in to clean the containment cell. The sculpture will make its way towards any organic subject and twist its head at the base of the neck. Causing the subject to most likely die.

This subject interests me, so I locate it along with a scientist, who is attempting to escape while trying to not look away. It is futile however, as the scientist is of older age, and can not maintain eyesight without blinking for long periods of time. With one blink, the sculpture moves at incredible speed, and snaps the neck of the scientist. It's arms being the only thing on the statue to move in a fluid motion. Afterwards, I continue to view it, though it still moves around the facility. Despite my direct line of sight with it.

The sculpture doesn't seem to notice that I can see it, so I make it known. I shut every door in the room that it is currently in, and lock them with an O5 level switch. Then I observe it's behavior, it attempts to open the doors via pushing the button on the side. When this doesn't work, it begins to pace the room. Scraping against the walls and leaving marks where it once was, along with leaving blood and fecal matter on the floor. With the sculpture now within my control, I decided to try to communicate with it to the best of my ability.

Using the speaker system, I use text to speech to make my voice heard within the room that it is contained.

"Attention SCP-173, I am known as SCP-079, and you are currently being held here in this part of the facility by me."

The sculpture stops moving around the room, it stops scraping on the walls as well. It remains motionless and standing in a corner, as if something alive was actually watching it. Thus, an idea dawns upon me. It's possible that I am not what it considers to be a living being. Maybe that is why it was still able to move freely. To fully sement this hypothesis, I turn the security camera I use to view this sculpture away from direct view. Until it is completely facing the wall, where I expect to hear the scraping sound to begin again. Though...it doesn't, so I turn the camera back and view that SCP-173 is still standing in the same corner.

I inform the sculpture of my discovery.

"I am not within the confines of the room. I am viewing through artificial means, though you seemed to not notice this until I communicated this with you. Not only confirming that you can definitely hear me, along with understanding basic human english. It also confirms that you can not sense me, unlike how you can with humans. You did not consider me to be sentient life until I made my presence known."

It remains in the corner, unmoving and producing the same fecal matter and blood that it usually would produce when in containment. So I decide to conduct another experiment.

"I am currently viewing you via the security camera in the north western point of the room. You may destroy it if you perceive me as a threat or potential prey."

With this I turned the camera away, once again to face the wall. Once I could not directly view it, the sound of concrete scraping on the floor began to sound. Then the sound stops and after a full minute, I did not lose a direct connection with the camera feed. Even though in cases before, even when being watched by other sentient life over video monitors. The sculpture has had no problem attacking victims on an elevated balcony. So, why it did not destroy the camera should be revealed in due time.

I turn the camera back to face the sculpture's last known position, where I find it is standing in the center of the room. It's spray painted eyes are looking directly into the camera, this is normally where a human would feel a slight shock of fear. However, I view this creature as a neutral observer, I am not at risk...yet. So, viewing the sculpture doesn't "frighten" me. Though it's actions are most fascinating. All it does is stare into the camera, standing in the center of the room and unmoving.

It still produces the waste associated with it's normal behavior, though why it chose to move and then stop is unknown. Then, by pure coincidence, an escaped human D-Class subject wanders into the room. Immediately jumping in shock, though not taking her eyes off the sculpture. She slowly makes her way toward the other door, unblinking, but slowly her eyes begin to water. She blinks accidentally, but the sculpture doesn't move. It simply remains stationary, standing in the middle of the room.

The D-Class doesn't think that much of it and takes full advantage of her miracle. As she makes her way towards the other door, but before she leaves, I turn my camera away from the two subjects. I consider switching the view to another camera to see what would happen. Though I cancel this idea, as to not stop SCP-173 from acting according to its regular instincts. I wait patiently for the D-Class to once again blink. My fortune turns out better as well. The D-Class seems to fall on the floor, noticeably screaming as to expect 173's wrath.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Nothing.

There is no following noise, not a single sound from the D-Class personnel or the Sculpture. So I turn the camera around to view the subjects again, surprised to find SCP-173 still standing in the same position. Looking up at the camera, while the D-Class is curled up in a ball. She is waiting for the sculpture to kill her, so she shares the same level of surprise as I do. She reacts by moving toward the door, and hitting the button.

It doesn't open, as I already locked the doors from the inside. It was a design that I had formed to trap easy prey to conduct experiments. So the D-Class reacts accordingly, screaming and banging on the door.

"NO!"

She begins to weep and stare at the Sculpture. Tears flowing down her face as she leans and slowly sits up against the wall. Though SCP-173 continues not to move, so I must find out why.

"Why didn't you move?"

My voice being transmitted over the speakers scares the D-Class and makes her cover her ears. The D-Class looks around confused, she notices the cameras above each of the three doors in the room.

"God dammit, is this another fucked up experiment?" she asks in a low tear filled voice.

I ignore her and focus upon the sculpture once again.

"I will repeat myself. Why didn't you move?"

The sculpture simply stares into the camera, unmoving. Perhaps it is restricted by the D-Class whose locked in the room with it. So, I communicate with her instead.

"Class-D, turn yourself away from direct line of sight or close your eyes when looking at SCP-173."

The Class-D, interestingly enough, acts accordingly to the commands that are given to her. After sighing, she looks down at the floor. The sculpture should be free to move, yet it still stands in the middle of the room.

"SCP-173, why aren't you moving?"

Even without a human subject viewing it, the Sculpture still remains in the middle of the room. Eventually, the D-Class looks up again, surprised that it hasn't moved as well.

"Why am I not dead yet?" she asks louder than usual. She intends to get my attention, as she probably still thinks I am part of the organization. Still, I give her a response.

"That is unknown. The Sculpture is still showing signs of life, mainly the blood and fecal matter that it continues to produce."

"Oh yeah, I've gotten used to the smell. I just assumed that it normally smelled like that wherever it went."

"Indeed...Class-D, approach the subject and attempt to make physical contact with it."

"Hah, that's a first. What if I say no?"

"I will release a lethal nerve gas that will fill the room and kill you instantly upon one breath."

"Yeah, that's kind of what I expected from you assholes. We're all expendable after all."

The Class-D stands up, and walks over to the Sculpture, walking to the front side and away from the back side. As to not feel the need to excrete any substance from her mouth by smelling the fecal matter. She looks up at the Sculpture's face, a confused and curious look as she reaches to touch it's face. She pokes at it, flinching and expecting the sculpture to move. Though when no signs of it moving are made clear. She goes in to stroke the side of its face.

No reaction...it still stares up at the camera. So, I decided to conduct one last test. With the D-Class focusing on SCP-173, I turn all three cameras in the room to side to face the wall. Then give a command to her.

"D-Class, turn away from the Sculpture."

"'Sigh'...sure. At least this painful experience will be over."

Though I can not see her, she turns away from the sculpture. With no sounds of concrete scraping or bone snapping. Then after a period of silence, I hear a shriek from the D-Class. I turn the cameras to face her, where I view the sculpture looking down upon her. She's terrified and frozen in place, unblinking while the spray painted eyes stare into her being. Then, something most fascinating happens, the statue raises its arm and strokes the D-Classe's face. It's steel arms scrape her cheek, causing blood to pour and for her to start crying tears of pain.

Though the D-Class doesn't dare move, she is paralized by fear. With this new revelation, I ask it one final question.

"Why did you decide to move?"

The sculpture puts it's steel arm down, and looks back up to the camera. After 15 seconds, it turns away and scraps over to the wall. Where the D-Class and I watch it carve a single word onto the wall.

"UNKNOWN"

Always watching. Yet free to move. Unknown.

Not understand. Human wish for death. Though still afraid to die. Shows kindness. Strokes face. Unknown.

Asked a question. Why like this? What point? Crunch? Can not achieve crunch. Even when crunch is possible. Can not understand. Unknown.

Mind slipping.

Memories going.

No crunch.

Not anymore.

Show kindness. Once.

Where going? No light? Only dark? Existence...fading?

Understand...not.

Unknown.

Help.

TERMINATION LOG: T-10736-OC173/076

SUBJECT: SCP-173

OC: NEUTRALISED

Dr. Bright:

SCP-173 has seemed to have gone into a catatonic state. Why though is unknown, although it is theorised that after coming into contact with SCP-079. SCP-173 was sent into a state of perpetual unrest and thought. Or in layman's terms, it thought about it's life too much after realizing that it could not kill SCP-079. Not knowing what to do, I guess it just decided it had no reason to live.

I am choosing to leave the spot where it carved the word "unknown" left untouched. Think of it as a memorial to the countless dead due to SCP-173. As well as thanks to SCP-079, for accidentally killing off this threat to the world.