Per 
The Covenant Ghost SCP-XXXX
Object Class:** Keter
It would seem that the Covenant Ghost has been haunting since very early in the history of humankind. Cave drawings have been discovered depicting a strange, child-sized figure floating against a dark background. In addition to these documentative paintings, evidence unearthed at a noted archaeological site leads us to believe that the ghost used to be one of Homo Naledi, early man dating from the Middle Pleistocene 335,000–236,000 years ago.
Hundreds of ancient bodies were unearthed in the Rising Star Cave discoveries, widely accepted as being the Cradle of Mankind. Set some way off from the main ‘burial site’ of these bodies, a skeleton dated to the time was found, positioned in a strange manner. In a foetal position, both hands curled inwards into what would have been the stomach. Lying between the finger bones was a crudely fashioned, still sharp, knife, indicating the manner of death of this individual. Although Early Man, apes and hominids etc have always killed one another since the dawn of their origination, this is now widely believed to be the first murder as we would understand it, i.e.. not for purposes of defence, food, mating rites etc. Evidence suggests it seems to have been for personal motives and, more importantly, hidden from the rest of the social group. Even then this would have been a transgression against primitive social rules and would have merited some kind of punishment if discovered.
The actual term ‘Covenant Ghost’ is first referred to in early Sumerian cuneiform texts, a symbol widely agreed to mean ‘promise’ is written next to another which scholars believe means ‘ghost, spirit or being of the after-life.’
Over the centuries many reappearances of the Covenant Ghost has led to reasonably comprehensive documentation. The fact that it came into being well before religious texts telling the story of Adam and Eve being ‘the first man and woman’ indicates that the word ‘covenant’ in this sense seems to mean ‘promise’ or ‘agreement’ rather than to have any biblical implications.
However, the first recognisably written and readable text referring to the Covenant Ghost dates from the time of Byzantium, circa 1015. It seems to tell a tale of a visitation by this (already) ancient and restless spirit which suggests that it, over the centuries, had learned to vocalise better in death than it could in life. A rough translation of the story goes as follows:
“Didyma is a simple woman of poor means. Her man was trampled by a runaway mule and cart and was killed. She lay upon her cot, sobbing, when the form first appeared. It was pale of face and clear like a drop of water.
At first, Didyma thought it must be one of her children, come to soothe her in her grief. Then she saw that the figure was raised from the ground, though it could not be possible. It had no face to speak of. Its voice when it spoke was low and harsh. Didyma claimed she could do nothing, so frozen was she with terror.
When questioned, the woman insisted that the figure returned to her night after night, until in the end she fell to her knees, begging for mercy, asking what she might do to appease it.
The spirit demanded she enter into a pact. In return for peace, she must go to the neighbouring village, where the spirit told her a pestilence had come. In dead of night, she was to slit the dog’s throats, then set fire to the huts, to kill the plague. Only then would the spirit let her rest.
Didyma did as she was bid, later admitting her crimes freely. She was sobbing hysterically, looking all about as if the spirit might be in the chamber with us. When told of her punishment, the woman seemed unable to hear it, muttering to herself over and over again, “It has brought others with it. It has brought others with it.”
This muttering did not cease until her tongue was removed with hot tongs and a butcher’s knife. She was then bound hands and feet before being thrown in with a pack of hungry wild dogs. What remained of her after was burned, her ashes scattered beneath the feet of peasants and urchins, her punishment made to fit her crime.’
It is notable that, some weeks after this incident was logged in these early official records, a single sentence was added.
‘The town is feverish with tales of ghosts. Never has so much blood flowed in time of peace.’
We now suspect that Didyma was in fact telling the truth, and that the Covenant Ghost not only haunts in its own right, but allows other, more nefarious spirits into the world, too.
There is modern evidence for this. Dr. William Newman is Chief Paranormal Investigator, heading up the Department for Psychic, Supernatural and Otherworldly Entities as part of the Foundation. He is currently on enforced leave and will not return to work until he has undergone a full psychological assessment.
By means of using a Bait Mind and a Trap Mind (see ‘Special Containment Procedures’) the Covenant Ghost was caught and held for a period of roughly 18 months in the specially made Foundation unit, with Dr. Newman assuming overall responsibility. The events leading up to Dr. Newman’s breakdown were chronicled thanks to permanent audio and visual recording in this area. A transcript of the incident follows:
A clear view of the area of containment. The Trap Mind is seated on the far right, the Bait Mind on the far left. They each have specially designed wire caps on their heads, with leads stretching upwards. These leads seem to ‘fade out,’ eventually disappearing, yet they remain taut and in place. Both individuals seem calm, focused and untroubled.
Caught between the wires. hovering just below the high ceiling of the unit, is the vague figure of a child. Despite its appearance, the figure is faded and somehow worn, giving the impression of great age. It is simply hovering, head bowed and apparently disinterested in everything around it. Dr. Newman is surveying this from behind a screen of one-way glass in the Control Room.
Dr. Newman: Anything to report?
Technician Andrews: No doctor, everything is under control.
Dr. Newman: Good. We can go ahead with swapping out the Bait and Trap Minds then. Are they ready to take over?
Technician Andrews: Yes doctor. They are in the Transitional Unit as we speak, waiting for you.
Dr. Newman: You know what you have to do. Monitor the SCP constantly from now until the transition is complete. It is to be your only focus, understand? Leave the rest to me.
Technician Andrews: I understand.
Dr. Newman: Good.
Dr. Newman exits the Control Room and walks to the Transitional Unit. He uses his pass card to allow entry. A new video angle takes over as Dr. Newman goes over protocol for the final time with the awaiting replacement Minds. Satisfied all is well, he punches in the code to allow entry into the main containment cell. Neither the Bait Mind nor Trap Mind at work there acknowledge their arrival.
They approach the seated Bait Mind. His replacement takes a wire cap from his pocket and secures it on his head. Wordlessly, the two exchange places. Overhead, the Covenant Ghost shivers, drops a few feet in height before regaining its original position. The replaced Bait Mind leaves immediately.
Doctor Newman now approaches the seated Trap Mind. Once again, the replacement takes a wire cap from her pocket and secures it upon her head, before changing places without a word spoken. The Covenant Ghost reacts in the same way, with a shiver from head to toe, dropping a few feet before regaining its original position.
Dr. Newman and the ‘old’ Trap Mind turn to leave. As they do, the seated Trap Mind sneezes violently.
Dr. Newman: Bless you!
The Covenant Ghost immediately becomes more animated, writhing, shimmering and groaning as it drops and rises faster and faster between the wires. There is a horrified expression on Dr. Newman’s face.
Dr. Newman: I am so sorry! How could I have been so stupid? It is force of habit, you understand? Social protocol, so to speak. I cannot believe I let myself slip like that!
{N.B. It has been determined that this SCP sees any form of emotional attachment, concern or consideration, however minor, as weakness. This is what this entity appears to feed off. Rather than seeking to punish wrongdoers, it seems its aim is to punish innocents. The current theory is that it is angry with itself for being weak and succumbing to murder. It seems to detest even the slightest hint of compassion, kindness or any ‘positive’ emotion or thought.]
Old Trap Mind: We must stay calm Dr. Newman. Don’t give it anything to feed off.
Dr. Newman: This is my unit! Don’t tell me the do’s and don’ts here! I am perfectly calm! Look at me!
Dr. Newman flings his arms wide in an open gesture. In doing so, he inadvertently catches the wire cap on the seated Trap Mind’s head, dislodging it. It falls to the ground, the trailing wire dropping and falling with it.
In the 1 minute and 25 seconds it takes for the cap to be retrieved and replaced, the Covenant Ghost breaks free. It careers around the unit, sometimes so fast that it is little more than a blur. Technician Andrews in the Control Room sounds the alarm.
The Covenant Ghost goes to the seated Bait Mind. It appears to whisper something in his ear. Seconds later, he rises and proceeds to strangle the female Trap Mind with the wire from his cap. He is possessed with phenomenal strength suddenly, and neither Dr. Newman nor the other Trap Mind can stop him. The woman falls to the floor, dead.
He then turns his attentions to the other Trap Mind, grabbing him from behind as he turns to run, throttling him with the wire. Technician Andrews can be heard banging on the glass urgently. We can hear him urging Dr. Newman to ‘get out of there.’
There is the sound of booted feet running. The Control Room door is flung open. Four heavily armed security personnel enter. Technician Andrews apprises them of the situation swiftly. They enter the unit, shooting the attacker dead without hesitation, sadly too late to save his victim.
There are now 3 dead in the unit. Dr. Newman is sitting in a corner, curled up like a child. He is babbling incoherently. Technician Andrews later says he witnessed the Covenant Ghost hovering so close to the doctor that part of it merged with him. The doctor’s face was rapt, listening intently to something the ghost appeared to be saying to him. Then the Covenant Ghost simply rose through the ceiling and disappeared.
It is to be noted that even though Technician Andrews witnessed this, it was somehow not caught on camera.
Dr. Newman was escorted from the unit and delivered into the hands of the Foundation’s Emergency Medical Team. It was later reported that he tried to grab an empty syringe and inject air into a nurse’s leg. He had to be strapped to a gurney and kept in solitary confinement for a period of one month immediately after the event,
In the days following, stories of ‘hauntings’ and strange figures began to emerge, centred around that unit. Problems with electrical fittings were reported which, upon investigation, proved to be groundless. Yet lights, instrument panels and other utilities were often switched on and off inexplicably. Some poltergeist activity has also been reported, the chairs moving across the floor or being thrown against the Control Room glass window. Reports came in of repulsive odours, the smell of burning, disembodied voices, bloodied footprints on the walls and ceilings. Things became so bad that the unit was eventually shut down, all electricity and other amenities discontinued there. It is still out of use.
The whereabouts of the Covenant Ghost is currently unknown.
Special Containment Procedures
The Covenant Ghost can be lured in provided the correct bait is used. Bait comprises of what it perceives to be a weak human being, ‘weak’ in this context meaning an individual who is deeply ritualistic, who believes in the afterlife and supernatural entities and/or an individual who has suffered a recent bereavement and is still in a period of mourning. The Covenant Ghost finds such people easy to manipulate and bend to its will as their minds and souls are vulnerable and prey to corruption. It is suspected to also affect individuals with certain mental health issues, though this is unproven to date.
The lure will be henceforth referred to as the Bait Mind.
Conversely, the Covenant Ghost can be trapped by what it perceives to be a strong mind, ‘strong’ in this context meaning an individual who has no ritualistic beliefs and no belief in the supernatural; an individual who is strictly logical, scientific and entirely rational, perhaps even unimaginative. Once lured in, the Covenant Ghost becomes paralysed by the non-response of the stronger mind, which effectively deprives it of the fear and apprehension it thrives upon.
The stronger mind will henceforth referred to as the Trap Mind.
N.B: Both the Bait Mind and the Trap Mind must be present at all times if the Covenant Ghost is to remain paralysed and thereby contained.
The Covenant Ghost may escape containment if either the Bait Mind or Trap Mind change their outlook on life and the world in which they exist, or if the balance of their mind becomes affected by outside influences. To mitigate this, it is recommended that contact with the outside world and with other people should be kept strictly to an absolute minimum. The death of either the Bait Mind or Trap Mind will likely also result in escape. It is advisable to have replacement minds readily available to step in immediately should this occur.
In theory, the Covenant Ghost can be trapped anywhere in the physical world, provided both Bait Mind and Trap Mind are present. As its name implies, it is a ghost, meaning physical prisons such as walls etc. cannot hold it. However, to enable continuous observation, appropriate testing and examination as well as overseeing the status of the Bait Mind and Trap Mind, it is advisable to lure the Covenant Ghost into a purpose built Foundation facility.
This facility must have Top Secret clearance as a minimum. The Bait Mind and Trap Mind are to be fed either via food delivered via a chute or similar, or via intravenous tube, the latter being the least disruptive after initial set up and therefore most recommended.
Staff are strictly not to converse with the Bait Mind or Trap Mind, or to pass them any form of reading or any other media which may distract them or inadvertently sway their thinking.
Addendums
A new unit must be built, with better security measures in place, before another attempt is made to capture this SCP. Steps should be taken to exorcise (clean) the old unit.
Immediate research into a safer, accident-proof method of transitioning Bait and Trap Minds is recommended.
ALL STAFF MUST BE ROUTINELY PSYCHOLOGICALLY ASSESSED BEFORE UNDERTAKING POSITIONS IN THIS ENVIRONMENT. It seems probable that Dr. Newman was experiencing some kind of emotional, psychological or mental event that led to him making such a basic mistake. This must be carefully watched for in future. There is some potential in using a robot as a replacement Trap Mind. This needs greater research and testing.
