INTERVIEWER: Agent Abramo Ricci

SUBJECT: Cardinal Ettore Greco

«BEGIN LOG»

GRECO: Hello, Agent.

RICCI: Cardinal. How are you?

GRECO: Worried, my child. And how are you?

RICCI: Fine. Worried about?

GRECO: What you've come here to discuss. Please, take a seat.

RICCI: Right. What can we help you with?

GRECO: We've always been ardent financial supporters of the Foundation, yes?

RICCI: Please, Cardinal. Let's cut to the chase. What's wrong?

GRECO: There is… something in the crypts.

RICCI: What?

GRECO: … Have you visited the Vatican before, my son?

RICCI: Once, as a child. With my mother.

GRECO: Did you visit the baldachin?

RICCI: Of course.

GRECO: Then I regret to be the one to inform you that it is a monument to a grave that no longer exists.

RICCI: … I don't understand. St. Peter's tomb? What happened to it?

GRECO: The Holy See has endeavored to make sure that the public at large is unaware of certain facts. Not unlike how your Foundation maintains the Veil.

RICCI: Okay.

GRECO: The Basilica sits on top of a complex network of catacombs and tunnels that date back to the 3rd century AD. Most people are aware of the Vatican Necropolis — but very few know how large, complex, and far-reaching the tunnels are. Even fewer are aware of the fact that they contain the remains of most Popes, as well as most historic figures of the Church. Including the Apostles.

RICCI: That's impossible. You've confirmed that the remains of the apostles are in other churches.

GRECO: Yes, we've confirmed. Bigger lies have been fed to the world, Agent.

RICCI: … Point taken. Why, though? What do you gain from hiding this?

GRECO: At first it was simply that it was safer to have them all in a central location, back when those who controlled the relics controlled the interpretation. Now… it would be a matter of admitting to centuries of falsehoods and deception. It would be catastrophic to the church.

RICCI: Christ- sorry. Okay, why are you telling me this?

GRECO: This is… a delicate matter, Agent. A sensitive matter.

RICCI: If it's so sensitive, why aren't you handling it in-house? The Vatican Relic Recovery Office is a capable group, we've seen that firsthand.

GRECO: We did, at first. We sent down two armed teams to assess any further damage and find who or what ever caused it.

RICCI: What did they find?

GRECO: They have not been heard from in thirty-four hours. These catacombs are centuries old, unmapped and unstable. Anything could have happened. We fear the worst.

RICCI: Why not the Horizon Initiative, then? They hang on to your every command. A third of them anyway.

GRECO: They would be far less willing to obey should they learn their cache of holy artifacts are neither holy nor artifacts.

RICCI: … I see. And I suppose you would like for us to go in and succeed… since we can't tell anyone about the graves. But you still haven't told me what exactly we're dealing with here.

GRECO: We… do not know. We know that this is a relatively recent development - we have keepers regularly clean and maintain the crypts, and they have not reported anything until recently.

RICCI: Well, what did they report?

GRECO: They discovered that… one of the sepulchers had been unsealed. The sarcophagus forced open. The remains… desecrated.

RICCI: Desecrated how?

GRECO: The bones had been damaged. Shattered and broken in parts. We believe that… they were bitten with great force.

RICCI:Bitten? Whose bones?

GRECO: Yes. The sepulcher was believed to contain… Saint Bartholomew.

RICCI: … Oh Christ. Er, my apologies.

GRECO: Now you see why this is such a sensitive matter. Are you able to assist us?

RICCI: I'll have to talk to my superiors, Cardinal. But you'll have an answer soon.

GRECO: Do not misunderstand me, Agent. His Holiness and the College are acutely aware that this is a mess of our own making. We come to you asking for your assistance and calling upon your experience and most importantly, uponyour discretion. Go in peace.

«END LOG»

PREFACE: A video-equipped armed drone deployed into the Vatican Necropolis.

«BEGIN LOG»

Drone is in the entrance to the deeper necropolis, a cramped stone space covered in archaelogical equipment and floodlights. The walls are covered in reliefs and engravings, but have been highly damaged from exposure. The drone turns and moves into the main tunnel, where there are no floodlights. External lights activate, revealing a stone corridor with rib vaulted ceiling, built in a pseudo-Gothic style. Tunnel continues for several minutes before smaller doorways appear, set into the sides of the tunnel at staggered intervals. Drone manuevers through one such doorway, into a sepulcher.

The sepulcher is largely bare aside from stone, dirt, and dust. A stone sarcophagus is on a dais, with a series of candles arranged around it. No candles are lit. The foot of the dais is surrounded with small gold coins and items, likely relics. The lid of the sarcophagus has been damaged at various points and the upper half has simply been thrown to the floor to shatter. Drone camera zooms in. A number of split and cracked bones are visible inside. Cardinal Greco confirms that this is the tomb of Saint Philip.

Operator notes several indents in the stone wall, set in arcing groups of three, similar to claw marks. Nothing else is noted, and the drone returns through the doorway, into the hallway. It moves into another of the doorways, but finds itself in an entirely different chamber. There is no doorway behind it when inspected. Operator confirms inconsistent topography.

Chamber is roughly hexagonal, 2m in height, and covered in loose debris. A vaulted ceiling leads to a small shaft, presumably for ventilation. Additional floodlights activate, bathing the chamber in light. A cluster of blankets and fabrics is spotted in the corner, and the drone moves in to investigate. A number of dirty blankets and linens are wrapped around to form a small nest. Infrared sensors indicate they are of slightly higher temperature than the surroundings, possibly indicating recent use. Small, snapped bones are littered around the edges of the nest.

Camera zooms in. A small crucifix and a box of communion wafers sit on a flattened stone nearby. Several crumpled polaroid photographs are visible in the folds of the blankets. Most are too degraded and weathered for their contents to be discerned, but one depicts the Pope and an individual reminiscent of Cardinal Greco. He displays surprise at this.

Mics pick up a noise and the drone rapidly rotates while a nonlethal projectile weapon unfolds from its body. Another passageway, previously unnoticed or not present, is set in a wall. Mics confirm the noise originated from this hallway, but visibility is limited. The drone focuses its lights forward and slowly advances into the hallway. The walls of the hallways are rough and knobbled - closer inspection reveals they are made up of tightly stacked bones, sealed with a brown substance. The low ceiling is made of the same brown substance.

A noise ahead of the drone causes it to activate all lights. A streak of dark liquid is splattered across the wall, the bones near it smashed and damaged. A rapid onboard chemical analysis of a sample confirms it to be dried human blood with a BAC¹ of 0.6%, but not matching that of any of the missing team members. Continuing forward, a streak of blood on the floor extends for about 7 meters, culminating in the severed torso of a man dressed in black body armor. His arms are extended outward - it is deemed likely he died using his hands to drag himself away. He is flipped onto his back, and Cardinal Greco confirms his identity as Guardsman Vittori, an agent in the service of the Vatican Relic Recovery Office.

His armor is heavily damaged, and a large chunk has been taken out of his shoulder. Rigor and livor mortis have set in, but purge fluid has not been forced out of the nose and mouth, indicating he died only several hours ago. A blood sample is taken - this sample has a negligible BAC and matches the DNA sample of Guardsman Vittori on-file.

The passageway the drone came through has been replaced with a wall of tightly-packed bones and skulls, and the continuing path has grown increasingly narrow and stone-like. All lights are turned on, and the drone prepares to continue forward.

A deformed shadow is seen from behind the drone and it spins rapidly, unfolding and firing a small rubber bullet cannon. Its overhead lights are smashed. Mics capture a loud roar, and structural damage signals begin to come in. 2 seconds later, telemetry stops being received, indicating the drone has been destroyed.

«END LOG»

AFTERWORD: While the blood sample itself was lost, the analysis of the sample retrieved by the drone was run against the staff registry of the Vatican Relic Recovery Office and all databases of the Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City. A match was found against Paulo Cibin, a 26-year-old former altar server in the employ of the Holy See, who had disappeared several months prior.

Cardinal Greco could not give an adequate explanation as to the presence of a photo of him in the supposedly-abandoned Necropolis.

MTF ZETA-9 "MOLE RATS" FIRETEAM ELEVEN

• Z9-ALPHA - G. ESPOSITO
• Z9-BETA - M. ROSSI
• Z9-GAMMA - C. CAPUTO

«BEGIN LOG»

ALPHA: Sound off. Alpha.

BETA: Beta.

GAMMA: Gamma. Clear.

ALPHA: Move in, arrow formation. Drop a marker. Safeties off.

[Z9-GAMMA cracks a glow stick and attaches it to the wall. All members raise their weapons and proceed into the main tunnel with ALPHA at the front. At occasion, rumbling noises are heard from deeper in. ALPHA signals to maintain radio silence unless necessary.]

[Fireteam arrives at tunnel with doorways into the sepulchers. Looking through without entering, they mark which sepulchers have been breached and which figure they are associated with - of 12 sepulchers, 8 have been tampered with to some degree, and one is entirely empty. Team continues down main hallway, arriving at another doorway. Through it, a shadow of a kneeling figure is visible against the wall. Upon registering the weapon-mounted flashlights, it hurriedly retreats into the darkness, letting out a hiss.]

Camera still.

[Team moves in through the doorway, but find themself in a completely different chamber, similar to the one the drone exited into though considerably smaller. Instead of debris, a number of grimy vestments cover the ground in heaps. Several are stained with a dark liquid, possibly wine or blood. GAMMA expresses confusion and collects samples.]

[BETA notices a heap of bloodied vestments and investigates, discovering a body underneath. A young white man dressed in the garments of a priest, exsanguinated and covered in small bite marks. Several silken robes are stuffed into his mouth and his genitalia have been violently removed, indicating a death by suffocation or blood loss. ALPHA expresses disgust and instructs GAMMA to take samples.]

[A noise is heard from behind BETA, who spins around, her gun raised. Where there was previously a solid stone wall is now a shattered hole, leading into a side chamber. Team progresses through, into what appears to be a natural cave system, low and wide. Water steadily drips down from the ceiling. Up ahead, two eyes are visible in the darkness.]

Camera still.

[BETA fires her weapon, resulting in a pained screeching that echoes through the system. A deformed figure, SCP-5653, rushes across the team's line of sight into a forked side tunnel. Team pursues, noting a greyish liquid dripping onto the floor, marking the SCP-5653's path. They turn a corner and hit a dead end, turning around into a tunnel heading downward into the earth.]

[Team travels down this tunnel before coming across another cluster of blankets and linens reminiscent to the nest found by the drone. A fist-sized bone, roughly carved into a cross, sits next to the nest. Small polaroid photos are littered in the nest, but the faces of all figures therein have been roughly removed, rendering identification impossible. Fecal matter is smeared on the wall near the nest. Team continues forward into the narrowing passage.]

[Passage opens up into a longer antechamber of brick and stone. One wall is dominated by a large mosaic; a rendition of DaVinci'sThe Last Supper, but the faces of the apostles have been crudely painted over with the faces of other individuals, apparently from the polaroid photos previously discovered. All are unknown, save for that of Judas Iscariot, which has been replaced with a headshot of a considerably younger Cardinal Greco. Jesus of Nazareth's face is entirely obscured by a smear of the same gray liquid dripping from SCP-5653's body.]

[A moaning is audible from the corner of the antechamber. Team turns toward it, flashlights focusing on a body in the corner. SCP-5653 is curled in the corner in a pool of its own blood, finally fully visible. It resembles two different figures joined at the legs and chest, resulting in four arms and three legs. One figure is a Middle-Eastern woman of about 60, and the other is a young white man bearing a strong resemblance to Paulo Cibin, albeit highly disfigured. The entity's arms end in long, rough claws and it is covered in fleshy, tumourous growths. It appears to be dead.]

[As the team watches, the wall behind it gradually slides and bends apart, forming a new passageway into a massive chamber, far bigger than any previously encountered. At minimum, it is 60m in length and 15m high. The center is dominated by a large bonfire that reflects off the wet cave walls. Surrounding this bonfire are the bodies of the Vatican Relic Recovery Office team, a number of priests, and several altar servers. Surrounding the bodies are a number of figures highly reminiscent of SCP-5653, at least two to three dozen. They appear to be feasting on the corpses. With a screech, one notices the presence of the team and all gradually turn towards them.]

[A second passes.]

ALPHA: Command, instituting Plan Black immediately. Goodbye.

[ALPHA, BETA, and GAMMA simultaneously arm and remove their strapped explosive vests, throwing them, along with their body cameras, forward into the path of the SCP-5653 entities. Cameras go dead.]

«END LOG»

AFTERWORD: A large explosion was sensed by seismographers under the Basilica moments after the feed shut down. The immediate area was evacuated under the cover story of excavation revealing a natural gas pocket, and permanent guard placed around all entrances to the Vatican Necropolis. After a week, no further activity was recorded.

INTERVIEWER: Agent Abramo Ricci

SUBJECT: Cardinal Ettore Greco

«BEGIN LOG»

RICCI: Cardinal.

GRECO: Agent… we have encountered no more troubles in the Necropolis after your intervention. I must thank you.

RICCI: The people you should be thanking are dead.

GRECO: Yes. We regret their sacrifice, but it was not in vain. Rest assured, they will be honored with full rites, even if their bodies are not recoverable.

RICCI: Cold comfort, Cardinal. Why didn't you tell us that there were more dead down there? Why did you hide this?

GRECO: We are an organization centuries old, Agent. We have our secrets too, and sometimes they must stay buried. God guides us as he does you.

RICCI: You really believe that?

GRECO: Why, of course. He shepherds us on our course through life, and all journeys must end… it is unfortunate that your people's journeys ended here, but nothing happens without a purpose.

RICCI: God is just, right?

GRECO: God is just.

«END LOG»

AFTERWORD: Cardinal Greco was found dead in his quarters twelve days after this interview with a BAC of 0.7%. Cause of death was deemed to be alcohol poisoning, and Vatican officials quickly suppressed the story. However, contacts inside the Vatican Relic Recovery Office claimed that the autopsy report had been falsified; while the BAC was factual, the cause of death was suffocation from a combination of silk robes forcibly stuffed into the throat and a tightened clerical collar. Photographs of the face appear mid-scream.

No other incidents have been reported in the Vatican Necropolis.

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Filename: catacomb.png
Author:Rounderhouse
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Source Link:SCP Foundation Wiki
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Name: Paris Catacombs
Author: Julian Fong
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Filename: catacomb2.png
Author:Rounderhouse
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Name: Catacombs Cave 1.jpg
Author: Dzala
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
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Filename: catacomb3.png
Author:Rounderhouse
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Name: Entrance to the Paris catacombs, 30 June 2015.jpg
Author: Joe deSousa
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