The SCP Experience - Bag and Tag | SCP-096

Episode Date: September 8, 2025

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For the tape, this is Dr. Tillman with Captain Drake, former commander of Retrieval Team Zulu 9A. It is Wednesday, November 13, 24, 1033 a.m. The doctor turns his clear blue eyes to me. Captain Drake, tell me about the mission. I take a deep breath, but there isn't enough air in the world to make me feel calm after what happened. I clasp my trembling fingers together under the table. What do you want to know? Let's start from the beginning.

The beginning. I can do that. Nobody likes initial retrieval duty. We're rarely given enough information to prepare for the job, and this time was no different. We were simply told to bag and tag. That's it. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if we'd known more if we were given the full story.

Dr. Tillman frowns. The mission, Captain Drake? Right. Fine. So I was in one chopper with my team. and Dr. Caldwell was in the other with the backup team, Zulu 9b. We were given a patrol path, and it didn't take us long to find the thing. For the tape, the thing is SCP 96, the doctor interrupts.

I wait for him to say more, but he gestures for me to continue. I sigh and close my eyes, going back to that awful day. The woods were thick, but it was a clear day and the target stood out. Why is that? He was bigger than a bear for one, easily over seven feet tall, maybe even eight. Not to mention, he was buck naked. It was at least negative 25 degrees Celsius, but the thing didn't even have a stitch of clothing on. His skin was white, and his limbs were absurdly long.

My heart is pumping at the mere memory of it. We only saw him from behind, but even then, I sensed that something was off. Jeremy joked that he was Bigfoot and the guys laughed. Tears well in my eyes, but I blinked them away. That was the last joke they heard, and it wasn't even a good one. Captain Drake? I didn't realize I had stopped talking until the doctor spoke. Can we get back to the mission?

Right. Sorry. I clear my throat, the sound echoing off the sterile walls of the interview room. We touched down a few miles away and hiked towards the target. The backup team stayed in the air, ready if needed. Again, it didn't take long to find the target. He was walking away from us, but he paused when he realized we were there. I don't, I don't completely remember what happened next. It all happened so fast.

Take your time, Captain. Explain in as much detail as you can. The doctor's voice is calm and coaxing, but I hesitate to describe the memory I've tried so hard to forget. But I don't have a choice. I'm the only one who can do this. I was in the lead, but I got a call. from Dr. Caldwell and hung back while the others approached the creature. I turned around to answer it and then

I shudder, goosebumps rising on my arms. It screamed. The sound was unlike anything I've ever heard. It's what I imagine hell sounds like. It was a shriek of pain and fury, but not like an animal. It was distinctly human. I can still hear it. It gets loud in the middle of the night, as if I'm back in that forest about to witness the worst thing in the world. But other Sometimes it's quiet, a gentle reminder in the back of my mind. I don't think it will ever go away. I look at Dr. Tillman, expecting to find sympathy written on his face. But he remains blank, clinical. He doesn't speak, doesn't reassure me that the scream will go away. He patiently waits for more details, so I give them. When I turned around, the thing had its face covered,

and it was wailing and babbling. babbling? The doctor raises an eyebrow and sits up a little straighter. What was it saying? I have no idea. I'm not even sure it was English. But it had a deep voice like a demon, and it was creepy as hell. The men had already started firing at that point.

To be clear, Captain Drake, your orders were to capture and deliver the creature alive? The way he says it makes me want to punch him. Well, yes. But we didn't know what the thing could do. If you heard a scream like that, you'd be firing at it too, believe me. Didn't matter anyway. The creature didn't seem to feel anything. Bullets ripped through his skin, and blood ran down his limbs. But he kept on making those strange noises. Then, all of a sudden, he ran at the corporal with incredible speed. Just grabbed him in his arms like he was nothing. We stopped firing then, too afraid to hit Corporal Lane.

He was moving so fast, I never got a look at his face. Lucky me. Lucky me. That's what everyone tells me, you know, but I would give anything to be with my men now. I know, as I say it, that the doctor will probably refer me to a psychologist and tell them I have a death wish. Maybe I do, but I've sworn to tell the truth, and I'm sticking to it. What happened next? Dr. Tillman prompts with his gentle voice. That's when the massacre began. I take a sip of water, but my mouth remains dry.

This is the part I hate, the part I would pay all my money to forget. I've seen my fair share of horrors in this job, but this was something else. The thing ripped the corporal's leg off like he was a doll. And it was still screaming? No, but the corporal was he was begging for help. We made eye contact just as the thing ripped off his arm. It held him in the air, dangling him like a puppet. We had no choice then but to keep firing. As it happened, one of the bullets hit the corporal, but I think it was for the best at that point.

He may have been the luckiest of all of us. The doctor frowns, why do you say that? Because of what the thing did after that. We fired round after round, and chunks of flesh blew right off him. But it didn't matter. It just kept going. The thing picked them off one by one. Jeremy was next.

The creature was facing away from me when it took a bite out of him. It lifted him to its lips like a piece of fit. and tore open his stomach in a single bite. Didn't even bother to finish him off, though. It tossed him aside, organs flying through the air as the poor man thumped to the ground. I crawled towards him, held his hand as he bled out. What happened to the others while you did that? Some of them were still firing bullets, others going at him with knives.

Why weren't you? I knew it was no use. I knew we were all going to die. But you didn't? The doctor says it like a question. Even though we both know the answer. No, I didn't. My voice is hard, angry.

What happened then? I radioed for backup while I was with Jeremy. The others were being slaughtered. Nolan blew the things chest apart. But no matter what we did to it, it retained its skeletal structure. Just wouldn't die. It didn't slow down.

It didn't howl in pain. Nothing. Just kept going. It grabbed Nolan's gun and snapped it in half like a twig. Then it did the same to Nolan. The doctor told me they were on their way. I told him my men were going to retreat, but he insisted we stay there. Keep distracting it, he said, like we were simply keeping it occupied, not dying in a bloodbath.

Was the doctor aware of what was happening to your team? Oh yeah, he knew. Even if I hadn't told him what was going on, he could have heard the screams from miles away. There is no mistaking the screams of a losing battle. A pause, letting the words hang in the air. Do you believe the outcome would have been different if you had ordered a retreat? I glance at Dr. Tillman. He seems genuinely curious, but it might be a front. The doctors always protect each other, no matter how guilty they are. We all know that.

I honestly don't know, I answered truthfully. The new recruit, Ben, tried to run. I hate admitting it, sullying the man's name. I despise cowards, but that's not what Ben was. Anybody would have run from that. He didn't make it far. The creature went after him, caught him with its insanely long arm, and slammed him against a tree, again and again and again, until there was almost nothing left of him. I screamed at it to stop. But it either didn't hear me or didn't care.

Eventually, Chris jumped on its back. He wrapped his arms around its neck, but the creature bucked him off. It slammed him to the ground so hard we heard bones crack. When he picked up the body, it was obvious Chris was dead. But the thing threw him straight into the air just to watch him fall down again. I can still picture the way his body soared through the air. For a moment, he seemed suspended there, like he would never come down. He almost looked peaceful, weightless.

And then he came crashing down, all twisted and inhuman. His arms were out of their sockets, spread uselessly at his side. His shin bone stuck out of his leg, poking, straight through the uniform. I shake my head and gulp down water as if I can erase the memory. I want to remember my team as I knew them, alive and whole, laughing. But every time their faces swim before my eyes, the image distorts, and I'm back in those woods, surrounded by remnants of good men, their flesh torn and bloody, their smiles wiped clean off

along with the rest of their features. Are you all right, Captain Drake? I shake my head, but no words come out. Do you need a break? No, no, I have to get this over with. I take a deep breath and continue. At this point, there was only two of us left. Davies and me.

The backup team was on its way. I could hear them stomping in the distance. They didn't try to sneak up on the creature, catch it by surprise? No, they didn't bother. They recognized the urgency, I think. So what happened to Davies? He thought it was over. The creature stood between us, facing Davies.

Davies looked at me, and I could see the hope in his eyes. A second later, those eyes were gone, torn right from their sockets. I couldn't see what the creature did with them, but I heard chomping after that. I put the pieces together. Davies was still alive. Blood was pouring down his face as he screamed my name. But what was I supposed to do? Weapons were useless.

I tried yelling at the thing to turn its attention towards me, but it didn't even turn around. It's like I wasn't even there. So I just stood by and watched as the last of my team was pulled apart and beaten to a pulp. There was nothing I could do. I repeat, this time in a whisper,

I've been telling myself that over and over, but it doesn't ease the pain or the guilt. It doesn't stop me from imagining a different version of events. One where I fought like hell and destroyed the monster before it hurt anyone. But that was just a fantasy. In reality, the monster is always when. Humans don't stand a chance.

What happened next? Dr. Caldwell shouted something, and I turned around. The backup team arrived. Did you hear what he said? No, I wasn't exactly listening clearly. There was a lot going on. Of course. The doctor nods like he understands.

And I want to shout at him. He could never understand. No one could. Can you describe the scene when Team Zulu 9B arrived? It was... Carnage! Bones and bits of flesh were scattered all over the clearing. You couldn't tell who was who anymore. Everything was covered in blood. The trees, the ground, the creature, me. I looked down in my hands to remind myself that they're clean now. But they aren't, really.

The blood of my men remains on my hands. I was supposed to lead them, protect them, but I failed. Miserably. How did you manage to contain the creature? I blink away the blood bath and focus on the doctor's face instead. It was the strangest thing. I was expecting the creature to freak out again. I thought it would scream like it did before and start attacking the backup team. But it didn't. Two of the men approached it from behind, and it just stood there while they placed a bag over its head.

It didn't make a sound. Didn't try to fight. Nothing. And then it just sat down cross-legged in a puddle of blood. Even as the team surrounded it, it didn't move. They had their guns drawn just in case. But they never needed them. They grabbed its arms and then. pulled it up. Still, it didn't struggle. Even as they led it through the forest and into the chopper,

it complied like a meek child. It never would have guessed such a creature could do what that thing did. Did it seem repentant? Not exactly repentant, no. It wasn't sorry for what happened, but it didn't seem to be aware of it either. It was like something in it snapped and turned it feral, but only for a few minutes. After that, it was just there. Do you know what happened to it after that? Once we got to the containment center, the doctor took it away. That was the last time I saw it. There is a pause, as if the doctor is waiting for me to say more.

What? What's going to happen to it? What do you think should happen to it? I shake my head, trying to reconcile the image of the meek captive with the monster in my nightmares. Dr. Caldwell said he thinks it only attacked because the men saw its face. It might be a docile creature otherwise, but I don't think the foundation should take that chance. I take a deep breath and find myself saying, I think it should be terminated. If not for the safety of the workers, then as justice for my men, their killer shouldn't be allowed to walk free.

I can assure you that creature will never be allowed to roam free again. The question we have now is whether to keep it contained or terminated. For the record, your professional opinion is that SCP-96, Should be terminated? My breath comes out in a sigh. I'm sure my answer would be different if the team hadn't seen its face, but... The doctor leans in, eyes wide with anticipation. But?

I close my eyes and I'm back in the woods again. The smell of pine and fresh, earthy air filling my nostrils. We approached the target, bag at the ready. And before the thing can turn around, its face is covered. It doesn't scream, doesn't cry out or attack. It lumberes along silently as we lead it back to the chopper. It sits down, arms and legs crossed, and doesn't move a muscle. We are happy, relieved.

Corporal Lane flashes a smile. Jeremy and Nolan crack jokes. Chris thumps Ben on the back and congratulates him on his first successful mission. We return to base and go out for beers to celebrate. Then we all go home to our families, safe and sound. How different everything would have been if we'd known. if Dr. Caldwell had known, if he'd warned us not to look. Captain Drake, you were saying?

I glance at the doctor with a frown as the pieces click into place. He did know, didn't he? I'm sorry? The doctor leans back. His eyebrows creased in confusion. You asked if I heard what Dr. Caldwell shouted to me, and I said no. But I remember now, he said, don't look. The doctor visibly pales, and his eyes shift.

back and forth, as if looking for an exit. Captain Drake, if we could get back on track, I clench my fists beneath the table. He knew. He knew what the thing was, what triggered it, and he didn't tell us. But why? Dr. Tillman reaches over to stop the recording, but I grab his wrist and hold it tight. He looks at me, full of terror. We weren't the retrieval team, were we? We were the experiment. We weren't meant to survive. We were sent there to die. I tightened my grip until the doctor winces in pain. Isn't that right? Please, I, I had nothing to do with this. But you knew. You just sat here and listened to me describe my worst nightmare, and all along

you knew it was planned. Spittle flies from my mouth as my voice gets higher and louder. That's why I survived, isn't it? It's not some fluke or luck or any of that bullshit. It's because you needed someone to tell you what happened. You needed a witness. I let go of the doctor's wrist to pound on the table, and he immediately retreats to the corner of the room. I rise from my chair and stalk towards him, my head still full of gore and blood. It wasn't my fault they died. He was yours. You doctors think you can just play us like pieces in a game. This isn't a game. These are human lives you're toying with. I understand the creature now. In this moment, we are one and the same. And I will tear

apart this doctor like he tore apart my friends. Before I can reach him, the The door opens with a bang. A woman in a white suit walks in bearing a needle. The doctor relaxes, his face resuming its usual condescending look. His voice barely shakes as he looks into my eyes and calmly says, Captain Drake, your request for amnestics has been approved and will be administered immediately. For the tape, this is Dr. Tillman with Captain Drake, former commander of Retrieval Team Zulu 9A.

It is Wednesday, November 13th, 2024, 403 p.m. Captain Drake, what can you tell me about this mission? What mission? I don't know what you're talking about. Interview terminated at 404 p.m. SCP 96 is a tall, emaciated humanoid standing 2.38 meters with disproportionately long arms, pale skin, and no body hair or pigmentation in its eyes. Normally docile and non-sapient.

It becomes violently distressed if its face is viewed directly, be a photo or video. After one to two minutes, it will relentlessly pursue and kill the viewer, designated SCP-96-1, regardless of distance or barriers, displaying extreme speed and an innate ability to locate its target. Victims are invariably annihilated without trace, after which SCP 96 calms down and returns to a docile state. Because of the risk of uncontrollable chain reactions and massive civilian casualties, its containment and retrieval are classified as top priority. Lasagne sur-goled, puissance-molyne for 15 minutes. We're like it's their dojo.

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