Record 2001/09/15 - 200153
Statue of Liberty's Crown
Members:
- Provisional Task Force Zeta-0726 "Damn Thieves" Members
- Commander Nieves Rosa Arcadio (GOC)
- Captain Abbas Laabi (HI)
- Agent Santiago Arango Nassar (SCPF)
- Doctor Frida Haussmann (PL)
- MTF Nu-7 Deputy Commander Rex Alces
Alces' body camera begins recording. The group are now inside of the crown of the Statue of Liberty. Red light streams in through the vents at the front, casting panels of red against the beige walls of the interior. Haussmann kneels on the raised section of walkway at the very front of the chamber, the streams of light illuminating an expression of barely contained worry in the semi-darkness. Arcadio and Nassar stand on either side of her, peering out of the crown and out toward Manhattan. On the far side of the crown, Laabi's face and upper body can be seen through one of the vents, illuminated by a faint purple light. Based on the visibility, he appears to be laying across several other vents.
Laabi: Almost ready? Just did my third sweep of the rods up here, and if any of them were gonna come loose, they would've by now.
Haussmann: Nearly. How're things looking?
Nassar: Looks to be a swarm of winged demons amassing near Battery Park. No word from any forces about movement nearby. Looks like we might have company soon. [He sticks an arm out of the window, pistol in hand, and seems to aim at the out-of-sight swarm.] Better be ready by then, you two.
Arcadio: Ready as I can be. [She checks the clip on her assault rifle, before pointing the muzzle out of the vent.] Laabi?
Laabi: [He seems to grin.] Born ready. I've got enough caffeine in me to kill an elephant. Soul isn't demanifesting any time soon. I'll be out as long as you need.
Haussmann: Your proclivity for choosing the most suicidal course of action in any situation is both awe-inspiring and deeply concerning.
Laabi: Alhamdulillah, I always seem to make it out just fine. I don't plan on this being the place I die, or any of you die, either.
Alces: Very reassuring, all this talk about death.
Nassar: We can talk about kittens instead, if you'd prefer.
Alces: Ha ha ha. No.
Haussmann: A bit less bickering, please?
The group promptly goes silent. They remain as such for roughly ten seconds, before Haussmann takes a deep breath and stands.
Haussmann: Alright. I've managed to lure something big in. I think I'll be able to control it for… a few hours, at the very least. More, if my sugar intake's high enough.
Just out of view, Alces fumbles with something, before extending an arm, holding a bottle of Orangina toward Haussmann. She takes it, and nods in appreciation.
Alces: Have, uh, a few more of those. Vending machine exploded in my face not long after I got here, and it might be a little flat. Still, it should help, at least a little.
Haussmann: [She opens the bottle and drinks from it, draining about half of it in a matter of seconds. She stops, closes the bottle and frowns slightly.] A bit warm, too. But thanks, either way. I should be ready now.
Her teammates nod. Laabi seems to stand, and moves toward the top of the statue at a near-horizontal angle. Alces, Arcadio and Nassar grab a hold of the nearby railing, leaving Haussmann with ample space to perform.
09/15 14:27:32: Foundation drones around Liberty Island are alerted to a likely threat. Footage from each drone's recording apparatus shows the swarm of winged demons mentioned by Nassar beginning to cross the mouth of the Hudson river. Foundation, Pentagram and Horizon Initiative forces on the island are alerted and prepare anti-air measures. In the water below, a number of dark spots can be seen approaching.
Haussmann extends both arms, hands open and facing upward, forming a "T" shape. Sand trickles out from between her fingers, vanishing into the air as it falls. Slowly, she turned her hands to face downward, only to find them empty when she does so.
09/15 14:27:58: Nu-7 artillery fires at the approaching aerial swarm. No difference is noted.
09/15 14:28:13: Half a dozen reptilian entities begin to disturb water off the southeast coast of Liberty Island. Pentagram and Nu-7 infantry fire at the source, killing one of the entities. The waves caused by the disturbance make landfall, and begin to soak through supplies along the southern seafront. Civilians begin to pull back toward the centre of the island.
Arcadio and Nassar begin to fire at the approaching swarm. Alces grips the scaffolding, hyperventilating. Haussmann continues, bringing her hands in front of her, presumably to form a hand sign, but the camera's angle obscures it from viewing. The air within the crown begins to hum faintly.
09/15 14:28:51: Further aquatic disturbances are recorded off the northern and southwestern coasts. Horizon Initiative forces utilise holy water cannons to drive the entities away from the island, but the holy water quickly mixes with the bay's water, greatly lessening the effect to the point of near-inertia.
09/15 14:29:01: Several smaller winged demons arrive at Liberty Island.
Laabi's body camera begins recording.
He stands at the top of the State of Liberty, facing the oncoming horde of airborne demons. A small stream begins to break off, seemingly having noticed his presence on top of the statue. The vaguely humanoid forms flap towards him, screeching as they close the distance.
Quietly, Laabi begins to pray the Shahada, and draws his nimcha.
Haussmann extends her right arm to the side, index finger curled back. Red sparks dance along the length of her arm, coalescing in her palm. She copies the motion with her other hand, to a similar effect. The statue rumbles around them. Slowly, she begins to chant.
Haussmann: Falling fires.
09/15 14:29:30: Several of the reptilian demons emerge from the water and begin to attack the Pentagram forces on the southwest side of the island.
09/15 14:29:37: Nu-7 artillery fires on the demon swarm again. Despite noticeable losses, it continues to converge on the island, with several groups beginning to make landfall.
[Dr. Haussman groans. Her hair stands on end. Researcher Alces takes a step towards her. Then he takes two steps back.]//
Dr. Haussman: Got it.
09/15 14:29:42: The beachhead of the swarm advances on full force towards the Nu-7 soldiers. A couple of shots ring out from the crown of the Statue, hitting tartarean entities below.
[Laabi's camera shows him slicing winged demons. He then screams.]
Laabi: You're trying too hard!
Nassar: Shut up! I hit them!
Haussman: Both of you shut up. Frida needs to concentrate.
09/15 14:29:50: The Nu-7 forces start to retreat while firing at the swarm.
Haussman: It is in here.
Alces: What is?
[Haussman closes her eyes, concentrating again.]
Haussman: Humanoid thoughtform. That's good. It won't need that much time to adapt to its new body. And… [She relaxes.] it is angry at the demons below. It… She? She wants to defend herself.
Nassar: So it's good? Are we good?
Haussman: Yes?
[The room shakes. Through one of the windors, the camera catches a glimpse of the right arm of the statue moving on its own.]
Haussman: I think i may have put the living concept of the Statue of Liberty itself into the Statue of Liberty.
09/15 14:30:12: A metallic grinding noise fills the battlefield. The retreating Nu-7 forces look up to see the Statue of Liberty, henceforth referred to as SCP-XXXX lifting its right arm. It swats the winged entities, crushing them against its torch or making them fall to the ground below.
09/15 14:30:19: SCP-XXXX moves its lower half, seemingly crouching. The Nu-7 survivors run to safety inside the Liberty Island Command Center. The swarm follows them in toe.
09/15 14:30:23: SCP-XXXX jumps from its pedestal and lands in the middle of the swarm, crushing most of the tartarean entities.
[Haussman is still standing, imitating the normative position of SCP-XXXX, the rest of the team is on the floor, trying to stand up.]
Alces: What? What is happening?
Haussman: That, my friends, is Lady Liberty.
Arcadio: [While running towards one of the windows.] And you said you couldn't animate statues!
Haussman: Again, the Bethesda angel is Bronze. This is copper. Different things!
09/15 14:30:28: SCP-XXXX brings its left foot up and down repeatedly, smashing the infrastructure of Liberty Island but also the demons below. The Liberty Island Command Center's seismometer registers a magnitude 3 earthquake.
09/15 14:30:42: SCP-XXXX swings its right arm again, terminating more winged entities. The last survivors congregate outside of the range of its right arm and then launch an attack against the head.
[From Laabi's bodycam, as he stands on the forehead of SCP-XXXX, the oncoming onslaught of winged demons can be seen approaching.]
Laabi: We got enemies on our 12!
[Haussman shouts from inside SCP-XXXX's head, and the voice can only be heard faintly in Laabi's footage.]
Haussman: She'll handle it!
[Another metallic grinding noise can be heard, overpowering every microphone. Then, SCP-XXXX lifts her left arm, using the tabula ansata it's holding as a shield. The entities can't evade it and collide directly with it, terminating themselves.]
Laabi: (I need him to say goddamn or something like that in arabic)
[Inside the crown of SCP-XXXX, the other Zeta-0726 celebrate by patting each other on the back.]
Arcadio: And now what?
Haussman: Well, I have ideas. Have any of you watched Godzilla?
Nassar: Nope.
Arcadio: Me neither.
Haussman: Well, this can be our kaiju, I guess.
Alces: As long as we don't end up like Planet of the Apes, I'll take anything.