Target, Clear

Meanwhile.

In the suburbs of Halifax City, at the Troy Military Base, inside the command center;

There were nearly two hundred screens, each displaying the personal status of UBCS company soldiers.

Dozens of technicians sat behind them, responsible for observation and direct contact.

In the very center of the command center was a giant display screen, currently broadcasting real-time thermal imaging of the town of Athabasca.

One hundred and twenty-three flashing points showed the precise locations of UBCS soldiers and the Tyrant.

William and Andre were on a high platform within the command center, watching the footage on the screen.

It was already 3:30 AM. Andre had told William to rest.

But how could he sleep?

The first appearance of an anomaly had led to the quarantine of a town with two thousand people. He had to monitor everything here.

Furthermore, since they were unsure which SCP they would face this time, William had not allowed the UBCS soldiers to turn on their personal cameras.

If they encountered a 'shy' guy like SCP-096, it might charge all the way to the base four thousand kilometers away, which would be troublesome.

After all, before Sparta existed, even with Umbrella's entire current military force, they might not have been able to deal with SCP-096.

"Boss, Colonel."

At this moment, the supervisor responsible for coordinating the technicians turned to the two highest leaders and said:

"Company A has begun their sweep operation. Please give your orders."

Upon hearing this, Andre first looked at William.

William, sitting in the boss's chair, simply waved his hand, signaling Andre to take charge of the overall command.

After receiving approval, Andre ordered the supervisor:

"Understood, Second Lieutenant. Broadcast Captain Victor's squad's communications to everyone."

"Yes, Colonel."

The following is the dialogue from Captain Mikhail Victor's squad:

Rifleman: Damn, it's too quiet.

Support Soldier: Some houses still have faint lights on. Could it be ghosts?

Machine Gunner: Ghosts? Shoot them anyway.

Victor: Shut up. Command might be listening to our conversation.

Everyone: Yes, Captain.

Victor: Let's investigate the first house. Breacher, see if you can open the door directly.

Breacher: Yes (panting sounds as he runs).

A few seconds later.

Breacher: The door isn't locked.

Victor: Good. Breacher, you're point. Grenadier, watch the doorway. The rest of you, follow me and clear the first floor.

Everyone: Yes, Captain.

Everyone: Hoo-ha (steady breathing sounds from concentration)

About ten seconds later.

Everyone: Clear!

Victor: Alright! Rifleman, Machine Gunner, you two check the second floor.

The rest of you, thoroughly search the first floor. I don't want us getting ambushed when the technicians come to clean up!

Everyone: Yes!

Several tens of seconds later.

Rifleman: (Voice is very quiet, but clearly audible) Captain, there's an anomaly here. You should come take a look.

Victor: Got it. Grenadier and Assault Trooper, guard the first floor. Support Soldier, come with me.

About ten seconds later.

Victor: Command Center, this is Company A Commander Victor. We've discovered an anomaly.

Command Center: Please describe the situation.

Victor: There are three people in front of us sitting around a table with a lit candle, staring blankly.

Their lips and the corners of their eyes have dried bloodstains, and their skin is pale, as if... they've been dead for some time.

Due to safety concerns, I haven't had my men conduct a close-range inspection.

They haven't shown any hostility for now...

Wait, their gaze shifted from the candles...

They're staring at us...

Shoot.

Comms channel: Pop! Pop! (Suppressed bursts of gunfire)

Seconds later.

Victor: Command Center, targets are hostile and have been neutralized.

Other squads are encountering the same situation. No casualties so far.

Command Center: Received. Awaiting instructions.

Troy Military Base, inside the Command Center;

Everyone clearly heard the events Victor described.

Now, William could confirm that the SCPs appearing this time were definitely not the shy type like SCP-096.

And these special entities that could be shot weren't too dangerous, but he couldn't let his guard down.

William stood up from his chair and walked to the edge of the platform. Gripping the railing, he said to the supervisor below:

"Second Lieutenant, have the companies activate their personal cameras, and project Captain Victor's video feed onto the main screen."

"Yes, Boss."

Upon receiving the order, the supervisor had a group of technicians notify the UBCS companies on the front lines, and simultaneously had Victor's video displayed on the central screen.

Soon after, the screen showed a first-person perspective.

Victor, holding a rifle, aimed its muzzle at three corpses slumped over a table.

He then looked at the screen and continued to give orders: "Second Lieutenant, have Captain Victor observe one of the corpses up close."

"Yes."

Quickly, Victor received the order and acted as William had instructed.

On the screen, Victor held his gun with one hand, freeing his right to grab the male corpse by the hair, pulling it up and leaning it against a chair.

William looked at the male corpse, whose face appeared to be around thirty years old. There was a bullet hole in its left chest cavity and another on its forehead.

This was a UBCS habit: shoot the heart first, then destroy the brain.

However, no blood flowed from the bullet holes, and the deceased's pupils and the whites of their eyes were grayish.

They looked like zombies.

But ordinary zombies wouldn't light candles and sit around a table.

'Most likely SCP-049's doing.'

William then looked at the supervisor and gave another order: "Second Lieutenant, have Company A's soldiers search for a 'person' wearing a heavy robe and a bird-beaked mask."

"Yes." The supervisor quickly relayed William's command.

Suddenly, the supervisor looked up at the platform again and said urgently, "Boss, Captain, the situation in the town has escalated."

Andre, who was accompanying William, saw the urgency of the situation and took over command: "Switch the screen back to the drone's perspective, and have all UBCS withdraw from the residential buildings."

"Yes, Captain."

The main screen switched back to a thermal imaging display.

On the street, glowing dots in groups of six were indiscriminately firing in all directions.

The thermal imaging could faintly see humanoid figures charging at the UBCS soldiers, indicating they were zombies with no signs of life.

And the three Tyrants standing at three points in the town were assisting the UBCS in clearing the threats at extreme speed.

"Company A, Third Platoon, encountering numerous hostile targets, currently clearing!"

"Company A, First Platoon has secured the south end of the town!"

"One T-103's trench coat is damaged, the other two show no abnormalities."

Within minutes, various technical personnel's reports came in one after another in the command room.

Shortly after.

The supervisor, unable to suppress his excitement, turned and said, "Boss, Company A, with the cooperation of the three Tyrants, has successfully pacified Athabasca.

Company A suffered no casualties, and Captain Victor successfully apprehended the 'person' you described, Boss!"