Meanwhile.
On the outskirts of Halifax City, inside the Command Center at Troy Military Base;
Nearly two hundred screens displayed the individual statuses of the UBCS soldiers.
Dozens of technicians sat behind them, responsible for monitoring and maintaining direct contact.
At the very center of the Command Center was a Giant Display Screen showing a live thermal-imaging feed of the town of Athabasca.
One hundred and twenty-three points of light displayed the precise locations of the UBCS soldiers and the Tyrants.
William and Andre stood on the raised platform inside the Command Center, watching the footage on the screen.
It was already three-thirty in the morning, and Andre had told William to get some rest.
But how could he possibly sleep?
The first abnormal phenomenon had already led to a town of two thousand people being quarantined. He had to monitor the entire operation from here.
On top of that, they were uncertain which SCP they would be facing this time, so William had not ordered the UBCS to activate their personal cameras.
If they encountered a "shy" fellow like SCP-096, it might charge straight into the base four thousand kilometers away. That would be troublesome.
After all, before Sparta existed, even deploying all of Umbrella's existing forces might not have been enough to deal with SCP-096.
"Boss, Colonel."
At that moment, the supervisor responsible for coordinating all the technicians turned around and addressed the two highest-ranking leaders:
"Company A has begun its sweep operation. Awaiting instructions."
At that, Andre first looked at William.
William merely waved his hand from the boss's chair, indicating that Andre should take command of the entire operation.
After receiving approval, Andre ordered the supervisor:
"All right, Second Lieutenant. Broadcast the communications of Captain Victor's squad over the speakers."
"Yes, Colonel."
The following was the conversation from Captain Mikhail Victor's squad;
Rifleman: Damn, it's far too quiet.
Support Gunner: There's still a faint glow coming from some of the houses. Could they be ghosts?
Machine Gunner: Ghosts? We'll shoot them all the same.
Victor: Shut up. Someone up top may be listening to our conversation.
Everyone: Yes, Captain.
Victor: Check the first house. Breacher, see if you can open the door directly.
Breacher: Yes. (Panting while running.)
A few seconds later.
Breacher: The door isn't locked.
Victor: Good. Breacher, take point. Grenadier, watch the entrance. The rest of you, come with me and clear the first floor.
Everyone: Yes, Captain.
Everyone: Hoo—haa— (Steady breathing caused by intense concentration.)
More than ten seconds later.
Everyone: Clear!
Victor: Good! Rifleman, Machine Gunner, you two check the second floor.
The rest of you, search the first floor carefully. I don't want us getting ambushed when the technicians come to clean up!
Everyone: Yes!
Several dozen seconds later.
Rifleman: (Very quietly, but clearly audible.) Captain, there's an abnormal phenomenon here. You should come take a look.
Victor: Understood. Grenadier and Assault Trooper, hold the first floor. Support Gunner, come with me.
More than ten seconds later.
Victor: Command Center, this is Victor, commander of Company A. We've discovered an abnormal phenomenon.
Command Center: Describe the situation in detail.
Victor: Three people are sitting around a table with lit candles, staring blankly and not moving.
There are dried bloodstains at the corners of their mouths and eyes. Their skin is deathly pale, as if... they've been dead for some time.
For safety reasons, I haven't had my men approach them for a close inspection.
They haven't shown any signs of hostility so far...
Wait. Their gazes are shifting away from the candles...
They're staring at us...
Open fire.
Communications Channel: Crack! Crack! (Short bursts of suppressed gunfire rang out.)
A few seconds later.
Victor: Command Center, the targets were hostile and have been eliminated.
The other squads encountered the same situation. No personnel have been injured so far.
Command Center: Received. Await further instructions.
Inside the Command Center at Troy Military Base;
Everyone had heard Victor's description of the incident clearly.
William could now confirm that the SCP that had appeared this time definitely wasn't that shy fellow, 096.
Moreover, a supernatural entity that could be killed by gunfire wasn't particularly dangerous. Still, they couldn't afford to let down their guard.
William rose from his chair and walked to the edge of the platform. Gripping the railing, he said to the supervisor below:
"Second Lieutenant, have the company activate their personal cameras. Also, put Captain Victor's video feed on the Giant Display Screen."
"Yes, Boss."
After receiving the order, the supervisor had a group of technicians notify the UBCS company on the front line. He also had Victor's video feed displayed on the central screen.
Before long, the screen showed a first-person perspective.
Victor held his rifle in both hands, aiming the muzzle at the three corpses sprawled over the table.
He then looked at the screen and continued issuing orders: "Second Lieutenant, have Captain Victor examine one of the corpses at close range."
"Yes."
Victor soon received the order and proceeded as William had instructed.
On the screen, Victor held his rifle in one hand, freed his right hand, grabbed the male corpse by the hair, and pulled it upright against the chair.
William examined the male corpse, whose face appeared to belong to someone around thirty years old. There was a bullet hole in the left side of his chest and another in his forehead.
That was the UBCS's usual practice: shoot the heart first, then destroy the brain.
However, no blood flowed from either bullet wound, and the dead man's pupils and sclera had turned gray.
He looked just like a zombie.
But ordinary zombies didn't light candles and sit around tables.
This is very likely 049's handiwork.
William then looked toward the supervisor and ordered again: "Second Lieutenant, have Company A search for 'people' wearing heavy robes and bird-beak masks."
"Yes." The supervisor quickly relayed William's order.
Suddenly, the supervisor looked up at the platform and said urgently, "Boss, Colonel, the situation in the town has suddenly escalated."
Andre, who was accompanying William, took over command upon seeing the emergency and said, "Switch the screen back to the drone feed, and have all UBCS personnel withdraw from the residential buildings."
"Yes, Colonel."
The Giant Display Screen switched back to the thermal-imaging feed.
The points of light on the streets, grouped six to a unit, were firing indiscriminately in every direction.
The thermal imaging faintly showed humanoid creatures charging at the UBCS soldiers, indicating that they were zombies that had already lost all signs of life.
Meanwhile, the three Tyrants positioned at different points in the town were helping the UBCS eliminate the threats at incredible speed.
"Third Platoon of Company A has encountered numerous hostile targets! We're eliminating them!"
"First Platoon of Company A has secured the southern end of the town!"
"T-103 Number One's trench coat has been damaged. The other two are showing no abnormalities."
Over the next few minutes, reports continued coming in from the technicians in the Command Center.
Not long afterward.
The supervisor could barely contain his excitement as he turned around and said, "Boss, Company A has successfully subdued Athabasca with the assistance of the three Tyrants.
Company A suffered no casualties, and Captain Victor has successfully secured the 'person' you just described, Boss!"
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