Interlude: The Good Doctor

(Plague Doctor POV)

My teacher Dr. Bright had been an instrumental figure to my own improved abilitys. He had corrected my centurys old understanding of medicine under his tutelage, and had aided me in the fight against the Pestilence. Although I find the more esoteric abilitys jarring when practicing them I always felt a sense of familiarity. Like there was something behind a veil I couldn't open yet, but wqs right infront of its infuriating.

Enough of my failures what had my full attention however was the people in this Bulwark under my teachers employ. And as a man who bore witness to many historic wars and great sieges. Now I had seen why they had chosen such a name they had inticatly layed out plans for attackers. And a very small but elite guard force as their defenders.

Although what they were building was impressive what was moreso was the individuals themselves.

They didn't have the Pestilence

It was the discovery J had been waiting for my whole life. A community of people deducated to defending the earth and they were free of the Pestilence. I of course asked if I could commit on an autopsy to figure out why this was. An (Administarator) as they called themselves explained why I couldn't as they were having personell problems.

What they did offer me was a bottle of as they called it SCP-500. They explained that these were lesser versions of the Pancea my teacher had made and gifted me if I were to find myself fataly wounded. Even though they had said that even though they would be back in 2 weeks time they had explained how it could be longer if things were to go poorly.

I had trusted my teacher and in my respect for him hadn't betrayed their trust. Though I hadn't thought they had brought hundreds of the lesser versions they created with them. Were did they even store it? They didn't seem to have any kind of carrier, nor a bag, maybe the pockets in their coat are just like my medical bag. Back to my investigation in the days my teacher had been gone I had advanced to the 12th grade with an increased interest in chemistry as even though I had been with my teacher when they made the Pancea they hadn't described it in great detail on a chemical level probably due to my lackbof understanding at the time.

As I expected the people under his employ each took the pill at least once as was to treat any undiscovered ailments. As I was in my journey of delving further into he realm of medicine I was interupted. The intruder of my study was a guard captain who came to inform me of more of those Hand members popping up and had asked for anyonw relating to the Keeper as they called him. I remember from the guards talk about a survey about if people were conpelled to call my teacher the Keeper.

Being his student I accepted to have audience with these cultists as I understood them to be. But I understood my teachers willingness to be a godly figure and the advantages that came from a fanatical force. Even if I disagreed with it from a moral standpoint I wouldn't be able to claim rightousness with my previously poorly done medical practices. I was oddly okay with this turn of events I at least owed that muchbto them.

While walking I realized juat how understaffed the facility was. You were lucky to see anyone passing by in the halls that wasn't hauling materials for remodelling. As I made it to the front of the facility I was greeted by a group of Serpents Hand members. After spotting me they bowed and said, "student of the Keeper we are in your service." Having gone through this 2 other times I quickly assigned them to an (administrator) to which they had them help with the remodelling of Site-19.

I was wondering how my teacher was recruiting such dedicated people so easily. When I questioned one of them about this fact they informed me that my teacher had bested their best warrior in wingle combat in less than 5 seconds. That was the usefull information as for some reason they decided to inform me of how honourable it was to be in my presence multiple times before getting to that point. It was starting to get on my nerves and my manner were starting to slip. But I pulled out a bottle of fragrance from my bag and felt it envolop and calm me down.

My teacher had recommended it to me he called it aromatherapy although I wasn't doing it faithfully the smell of lavender did remind me of simpler times.

In the next few days another two groups each came out of what my teacher called the Way. Each with their own recounting of events. With the addition of their bumbers construction proceeded at a fast pace with bow the problem being the lack of technicians. But they had already forseen this issue and had trained various Serpents Hand members into respectable technicians to speed along construction.

2 days later remodelling was proceeding bicely. But the Site had a big scare when a force of 200 strong all in military uniforms appeared the guards stationed there instantly sounded the alarm and the facility was put into red alert. As the (administrator) tasked with personell plriceeded with a plan to move all personell to a defensible position at the bottom elevator killbox. What little of the weapons made for the still being constructed bunkers were handed off to scientists some of which had taken lessons from the Serpents Hand before remodelling.

Tensions were high until all the now identified Serpents Hand cell laid down their firearms. If anything it showed why we needed more guards and this fortress built.