After ending the small meeting between the original five members of the O5 council, the rest of the council was informed, after all, having them on the line would mean they couldn't speak freely about Solomon's wisdom, and as such they were left out.
Not that they didn't need to know what was going on, they very much did need to know, and so they were all swiftly informed, and the three new members were quickly summoned to SITE-001.
Alexander, in particular, was very happy with O5-7 being summoned since it would mean he could free himself from the burden of the Ironsuit program and leave it to the hands of someone both capable and loyal to himself.
And far away from that, over in the world behind SCP-7995, things were suddenly going very fast. So far everyone was merely nervous and on guard, but with the confirmation that a CK-class event was unfolding, everyone grew far more serious.
Thanks to their training that they didn't outright panic at the end of the world.
One by one, teams packed up everything they could, they kidnapped targets they had been watching, no longer caring about being subtle about anything, and just made their way back to their base camp.
Even the camp, which had been built up and expanded almost daily, was also a hive of activity, with everything not nailed down being packed up.
Back in Ironwood, the Captain of the Foundation team and a member of Alpha-1 were also briefed on the information.
"Personnel A44-01. This is a one-time communication, as of now, you are ordered to begin immediate extraction from SCP-7995. SCP-001 has been confirmed active, and a CK-class event is currently underway." The voice of someone sounded within his ear.
"It has been confirmed that any contact with light from the sun, including reflections of the moon, is fatal and will result in immediate death and transformation into a monster."
"Ensure that no members of the team are exposed to light, and withdraw back to basecamp and then to the real world." The command continued on, and the line went dead.
Normally, the Foundation wouldn't send long-distance transmissions like that. Afraid of the risk of the Sentinals picking up the signal and tracking them back to their base, but since they were about to leave the place, there was no need to worry, nor any time.
While it might be night within the US, that didn't mean there were no risks; after all, the moon was still up high in the sky, and while most people were inside and sleeping, that wouldn't last for long, so time was of the essence.
The captain listened carefully to the message, and then, without hesitation, he went to work carrying them out.
"2, 3! We got new orders." He quickly informed his fellow members of Alpha-1, before quickly setting out to find Bruce Banner, the most important asset within SCP-7995.
Bruce Banner had been a priority since the moment he joined the Foundation. His mind was a priceless resource, and the potential for him to be compromised was unacceptable.
Bruce was asleep at this time of the night, and wasn't much happy about being woken up,
"Banner! Wake up; we are leaving right away; gather your data; we have no time to spare." The captain wasted no time, and poor Banner was left confused.
Bruce groggily rubbed his eyes, still trying to process the urgency of the situation. "What's going on? I thought we were—"
"No time for questions," the captain cut him off sharply. "You have five minutes. Pack everything essential. We're pulling out of SCP-7995. An XK-class event has been announced, and if we stay, we will die."
The words "XK-class event" made Banner's drowsiness evaporate instantly. While he wasn't entirely sure about all types of different events that the Foundation had come up with, but there wasn't anyone within the Foundation that didn't know about XK-class events.
Without another word, Banner threw himself into action, grabbing his laptop, hard drives, and a few notebooks filled with sensitive research. He stuffed them into a large duffel bag, his hands shaking slightly with the urgency. He couldn't afford to leave anything behind, especially if the world around them was about to be reshaped in ways unimaginable.
The captain stood by the door, tapping his wrist impatiently. "Four minutes, Doctor."
Banner zipped up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "Isn't there anything we can do? These people? They are having it difficult enough without another XK-class event."
The captain led them to next room over where Dr. Lena Morris stayed. "There is nothing we can do; the sun itself is the threat; nothing can be done. Or do you have an idea for how to eliminate the light of the sun?"
Banner's face tightened as the reality of the situation set in. The captain's words were harsh, but they were true. There was nothing any of them could do to stop the sun from turning deadly. Still, that didn't make it any easier to accept.
As they approached Lena Morris's door, Banner's heart sank. She had been one of the few constants in his tumultuous life, someone who grounded him even amidst the chaos of the Foundation's work. Now, waking her up to tell her they had to flee from yet another apocalyptic threat was something he dreaded more than anything. He knocked gently on the door before opening it slightly.
"Lena," Bruce called softly, trying not to startle her too much. "We need to leave. Now."
Lena, groggy and disoriented, blinked at him, confusion clouding her expression. "Bruce? What's going on?"
He hesitated for a second, trying to think of the gentlest way to explain, but there wasn't time. "It's an XK-class Scenario. The sun's light is lethal. We have to leave now."
Lena's eyes widened in shock, but she was quick to push aside her confusion and fear. She had been working with the Foundation long enough to know that when an XK-class event was declared, there was no time for debate or second-guessing. She threw back the covers and started packing.
Bruce moved to help her, grabbing some of her personal items and research equipment while she grabbed clothes and anything she couldn't leave behind. The tension in the room was palpable, every second ticking away felt like another reminder of the impending doom.
…
While the Captain was busy getting the two Foundation scientists ready to leave. 2, his second in command had been given a far more difficult task, to get captain Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter, and Bucky Barnes to also retreat back.
The reason this could be considered a more difficult task was that Steve was someone who wanted to save the world, and this one was now doomed, so he was unlikely to just easily give up and leave.
He knocked sharply on the door and entered. Steve, Peggy, and Bucky were seated around a table, still awake and clearly discussing the events that had been unfolding. They looked up as 2 entered, concern etched on their faces.
"Captain Rogers, we need to move now," 2 said without preamble. "We've received confirmation that an SCP has triggered an XK-class event. The sun itself is now lethal. Any exposure, even from reflections off the moon, is fatal. We have orders to retreat immediately."
Steve was sleepy, and confused, he also didn't know all that much about the Foundation, and even what he knew he was having trouble to remember due to being woken up like that.
Thankfully, he wasn't alone in his bed. With him was Peggy Carter, who had been paying attention to their Foundation training, so she was aware of what such a thing as an XK-class event was.
Peggy, having heard the words "XK-class event," sat up straight, her mind already working through the implications. She placed a hand on Steve's arm, trying to calm him while explaining the gravity of the situation. "Steve, an XK-class event means end-of-the-world stuff."
Steve blinked, still processing. "But the people—how can we just leave them behind? We're supposed to help."
2, sensing the resistance, stepped forward. "Captain, I understand how you feel, but there's nothing we can do. This is bigger than us. The entire planet is doomed, and if we don't leave now, we'll be caught in it too. The Foundation's priority is keeping key personnel like you alive."
While 2 might be speaking reason, Steve was never one who would listen to such things, instead following his heart most of the time. And the idea of simply leaving these people was not something he could just accept.
Steve stood, his jaw tightening as he wrestled with the idea of abandoning the people he had come to protect. He was Captain America—leaving people behind, no matter the odds, wasn't in his nature.
"I can't just walk away," Steve said, his voice filled with frustration. "These people don't deserve to die because of something they don't even understand. We have to do something."
Peggy was clearly troubled and couldn't help but look at 2. "Is there anything we can do to help at all?"
A/N
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