Per 
Head Researcher: Martin Shaw
Site Director: Area-611 - Martin Shaw
Assigned MTF: MTF-Eta-61 “Dragon Slayers”2
Clearance Level 6: Cosmic Top Secret
Containment Class: Esoteric9
Esoteric Class: Tiamat10
Disruption Class: Ekhi11
Risk Class: Critical12
SCP-XXXX refers to a series of connected anomalies. All containment and observation of SCP-XXXX is handled by Area-61 Personnel and any change to SCP-XXXX is to be reported to Dr. Martin Shaw and a team of MTF-Eta-61 is to be deployed.
Addendum-XXXX-1:
Anomaly recontained and reclassified. Tests performed on SCP-XXXX are to be suspended indefinitely. See Event-XXXX-1.
Addendum-XXXX-2:
Tests on SCP-XXXX are to resume following new containment and testing procedures.
Addendum-XXXX-3:
All research into and tests performed on SCP-XXXX are to be immediately terminated and are suspended indefinitely.
SCP-XXXX-A is immobile and Area-61 is constructed above it. SCP-XXXX-A is currently under biohazard quarantine. SCP-XXXX-A-3 currently cannot be opened. SCP-XXXX-A-4 is neutralized.
SCP-XXXX-B is currently neutralized. Should any instances of SCP-XXXX-B appear, MTF-Eta-61 is to be deployed for containment. Under no circumstances should any part of SCP-XXXX-B come into contact with SCP-XXXX-C-3.
SCP-XXXX-B-6 is currently in containment at Area-61 Site-B. Direct containment is assigned to Captain Arnim Geoffersen under the oversight of Dr. Martin Shaw. Site-B is constructed around the anomaly’s containment facility, known as The Daedalus34. See Document-XXXX-3 for full containment instructions. Under no circumstances should SCP-XXXX-B-6 come into contact with SCP-XXXX-C-3.
SCP-XXXX-C-1 is to be contained in its specialized containment cell at Area-61. Direct containment is assigned to Commander Jane Gordon under the oversight of Dr. Martin Shaw. Containment cell is a 10x10x10 meter hermetically sealed room with tesla coils in the center of all 6 walls and all 8 corners. At least 50% (7) of the tesla coils must be active and able to receive an electrical discharge at all times. SCP-XXXX-C-1 poses no threat of breaking containment on its own and under no normal circumstances should be removed from containment. Should the order be given by unanimous decision between Dr. Martin Shaw, Captain Arnim Geoffersen3, Dr. Judith Low4, and O5-12^^18, SCP-XXXX-C-1 is to be released into the care of MTF-Eta-61. Should SCP-XXXX-C-1 breach containment, MTF-Eta-61 is to be deployed for containment.
SCP-XXXX-C-3 is to be contained within SCP-XXXX-C-1. SCP-XXXX-C-3 is immobile and poses no threat of breaching containment on its own. If at any point containment breach occurs, MTF-Eta-61 is to be deployed to retrieve SCP-XXXX-C-1 for recontainment of SCP-XXXX-C-3.
SCP-XXXX-C-4 is contained within the office of Dr. Martin Shaw at Area-61. Object poses no threat of containment breach or threat if containment breach occurs.
SCP-XXXX-D is currently neutralized. Should any instances of SCP-XXXX-D appear, MTF-Eta-61 is to be deployed for containment.
SCP-XXXX-A is an underground cave system.
SCP-XXXX-A-1 is a tunnel measuring 10 meters wide and 6 meters tall connected to a dome-like room (SCP-XXXX-A-2). Tunnel starts at the north end of SCP-XXXX-A-2 and continues for 610 meters, terminating at SCP-XXXX-A-3. Tunnel is straight and on a slight incline. It has smooth constructed stone walls with no discernable markings on the side.
SCP-XXXX-A-2 is constructed from plain stone matching SCP-XXXX-A-1, measuring 122 meters in diameter and 61 meters in height. Room has a plain wall for the first 6 feet of height. There is then a 10 inch tall space with etched and painted text within it. This text spans the entire circumference of the room. For the remainder of SCP-XXXX-A-1’s domed ceiling there is a painted mural. Room features furniture for 6 individuals and a small room in the centre of the floor. The room has a 1 meter stone disk cover with the image of SCP-XXXX-D-1 in the style of an ouroboros on it. A secondary cover of beryllium bronze was bolted down on top but has since been dislodged and is now loose. Files related to SCP-XXXX-A-2’s artwork are available in Document-XXXX-2.
SCP-XXXX-A-3 is a 10 meter wide and 6 meter tall ovoid Way1. The anomaly is connected to a stone wall that is impossibly smooth and soft to the touch, often being described as silk, that is covered in etched symbols of unknown origin randomly.
SCP-XXXX-A-4 is a vaguely humanoid entity that is permentantly fused and grown into the wall and floor of a small room located under the centre of SCP-XXXX-A-2. Entity is currently deceased, forensic evidence having concluded that their head was caved in and torso crushed by shifting rock. Evidence also showed that entity’s engorged abdomen had been torn apart from the inside out post-mortem. The face of the entity is vaguely pressed against the top of the wall, proportions mishappen. Abdomen rests roughly center of one of the walls, with all other parts of the anomaly’s form having spread along the wall and floor, becoming barely more than bubbling mush.
SCP-XXXX-B refers to a biological fungal system. The DNA of SCP-XXXX-B is a blend of local flora and fauna. Structure of SCP-XXXX-B is physically similar to a colonies of mushrooms but appears composed of biological systems of animals.
SCP-XXXX-B-6 refers to a modified and unique SK-BIO type 00635 instance. SCP-XXXX-B-6 is 2 meters long, physically resembling a pale lamprey but with the following changes:
- No eyes, but features 6 stalks similar to gastropods for thermal and motion detection.
- Gill holes instead are shaped and behave like human nostrils.
- A large retractable dorsal fin.
- A sphincter mouth lined with curved teeth36.
- Mouth features hundreds of tiny podia used for fine sensory input instead of a barbed tongue37.
- A secondary identical sphincter mouth on the other end, but features 6 50 centimeter long cephalopod tentacles with barbed hooks instead of teeth or tongue.
- Head and abdominal sections are enlarged by twice their proportionate size, with the thorax/tail being normally in scale for a 2 meter lamprey.
- A large gastropod “foot” encompassing the underside of the head and abdomen with cephalopod suckers along the edges that feature small clusters of human fingers and toes within them.
- A set of 10 hard enamel spider-like limbs that fold up to cover the underside of SCP-XXXX-B-6 within its “foot”.
- A extremely malformed and barely discernible human face in the center of the “foot”. Eyes are blind, crossed, burst, and do not react to stimuli. Skin is flat where the nose would be located and where the mouth should be is instead a sphincter surrounded by 6 spinnerets. Eyes are closer to the “rear” and sphincter is closer to the “front” of the entity.
SCP-XXXX-C refers to a series of items, of which SCP-XXXX-C-1 and SCP-XXXX-C-3 are the only remainder requiring containment and research. SCP-XXXX-C-1 is a beryllium bronze13 cylinder, 2.5 meters in height and 1 meter in width. 10 rings, 3 inches in diameter and made of an unknown material, are evenly spread and are wrapped around the object. The entirety of SCP-XXXX-C-1 is smooth, except for a set of symbols placed between the 4th and 5th rings on all 4 cardinal directions.
SCP-XXXX-C-3 refers to a combination endoskeleton and exoskeleton system. The shape of SCP-XXXX-C-3’s endoskeleton is vaguely humanoid with the following differences:
- Height is 2.08 Meters tall
- Ribcage is enlarged by half its proper size and contains an additional 3 sets of ribs.
- The inside of the rib cage contains 2 large sealed ovoid spheres.
- An additional set of prehensile arms resting along the bottom rib that end in scythes19.
- 6 1 meter long tails20, arranged together as if it was 1 tail.
- Neck features an additional vertebrae and is extended by 15.5 centimeters.
- The skull does not feature a lower jaw, only 2 enlarged canines for teeth, and 4 large forward facing tusks with barbs on the end. Tusks have a hollow point on the end.
- The skull has a single eyehole in the center of the face.
- Forearms are long enough to use for use in quadrupedal movement.
- Each elbow splits into 4 forearms that end in a small palm with a single finger and single thumb. Each set of 4 is arranged together as if it is one arm with an 8 fingered hand.
- The legs are shaped as the front legs of a feline.
- The feet are bird-like talons in a pamprodactyly arrangement21.
- There are two sets of wings22, with a wingspan of 6.1 and 4.16 meters. Wings are pressed against the back and feature elongated finger bones at the ends.
The exoskeleton of SCP-XXXX-C-3 is arranged around the endoskeleton. The majority of the exoskeleton are rough interlocking plates connected and suspended from the endoskeleton via thin growths23, though notable exceptions exist:
At the end of each tail is a stinger24. They are arranged outward like a spiked club.
The torso is composed of a complicated system of series of overlapping panels.
The area of the hands and arms have many plates stacked on top of one another25.
SCP-XXXX-C-4 is a beryllium bronze metallic tube and it’s accompanying beryllium bronze metallic sheet that is rolled and placed inside tube.
SCP-XXXX-D refers to animated SCP-XXXX instances.
SCP-XXXX-D-1 refers to the main entity of SCP-XXXX-D. Anomaly is of variable size, but the minimal proportions match those of SCP-XXXX-C-3. The shape and form of SCP-XXXX-D-1 does not shift but it can increase or decrease in size as it changes mass.
SCP-XXXX-D-1 matches SCP-XXXX-C-3 in look, with the following changes:
- The gaps between the two parts of SCP-XXXX-C-3 are filled with SCP-XXXX-B.
- The exoskeleton proportions will grow or shrink to match SCP-XXXX-D-1’s current size.
- Entity features one bloodshot cat eye, with a yellow iris and 2 parallel black pupils.
- Entity’s face appears as if the upper lip has been torn away.
- Missing a lower jaw with a large mass of tentacles that hang down. These tentacles are tongue-like in appearance and texture.
- The wings of SCP-XXXX-D-1 have a thin membrane between the fingers.
- The 6 tails of SCP-XXXX-D-1 are similar to cephalopods tentacles with a scorpion stinger.
The main mass of SCP-XXXX-D-1 is composed of SCP-XXXX-B and is similar in appearance. The texture of the entity is fleshy and covered in veins, with instances of SCP-XXXX-B-3 growing off of it. Large amounts of SCP-XXXX-C-3 exoskeleton cover the outside of the entity, causing it to be more white and smooth than red rough in appearance.
SCP-XXXX-D-2 refers to a series of anomalous entities, each unique in appearance. Common traits have allowed for loose categorization of the entities, though all instances are composed of SCP-XXXX-B. Entities have been recorded being roughly 70 centimeters to over 6 meters in height, with wingspans or similar appendages appropriately sized.
SCP-XXXX was first brought to Foundation attention on January 3rd, 2020 following a series of events.
Officer Ivan Finnegan went missing responding to a domestic assistance call5. Another officer was dispatched with instructions to not engage and observe from afar. Upon returning they reported to their superior officer and the SCP Foundation was notified. Officers administers amnestics. MTF-Eta-616 was formed and dispatched for primary containment. See Exploration-XXXX-1.
Exploration-XXXX-1 Video Log Transcript
Mission: Assess risk of anomaly and contain if possible.
Team: MTF-Eta-61. Commander Arnim Geoffersen, Sergeant Jane Gordon, Private William Harding, and Private Kimya Ahmadi. Dr. Martin Shaw on command.
Foreword: Team is equipped with bodycams and briefed on what was seen by the second officer to show up to the location. The pilot is to drop team off after visual of anomaly is made, establish contact between the field team and Command, and then wait for extraction. Team is to investigate all non-anomalous items upon arrival and wait for further instructions.
[BEGIN LOG]
Team arrives and establishes visual at approximately 18:10 local time via helicopter.
Harding: Holy shit, that’s a big ass hole.
The team laughs.
Harding: Guys don’t be children, c’mon.
Gordon: When they described it as covered in “big bloody mushrooms” I thought they were just exaggerating, I wasn’t expecting to see that.
Ahmadi: Anyone else seeing some yellow stuff in the air being blown around, I’m guessing spores? Masks on for this one, boys.
Geoffersen: We will have to rappel onto the roof of the house and go from there, (to the pilot) take us in slow just in case this crap’s alive, then find a clearing and set up.
Helicopter then flies in and team uses ropes to rappel onto the roof of the house. The team checks their gear, wave, and the vehicle leaves. The house the team has landed on is a log cabin in a small clearing of the woods. Surrounding the house and emerging from the edge of a 10 meter diameter hole nearby is a large ovoid overgrowth of a red fleshy amorphous substance. All over and spreading out from this substance is mushrooms of widely variable size, made of the same material, occasionally releasing clouds of yellow spores.
Geoffersen: Let’s check out this hut first.
Team enters the cabin through a door on the roof. It leads to a small staircase to the interior of the building. It is a 1 floor cabin with enough space for 1 individual to live in, the door it taken off the hinges by the red mushrooms and the windows are similarly overgrown with it. Team spends the next 6 minutes 1 second investigating the household. Extraneous dialogue removed.
Shaw: Team, this is command, do you copy?
Geoffersen: Geoffersen here, we copy loud and clear.
Shaw: Sitrep?
Geoffersen: Everything is clear so far with no incidents. We are just about finished with the cabin here before we move on to the good stuff. Haven’t touched any of the anomaly yet.
Shaw: Carry on.
Team finishes investigation of the cabin without finding anything out of the ordinary, then moves towards the front entryway. Extraneous dialogue removed.
Geoffersen: All done here command, not much going on that’s not typical old lady with a dog things. Want us to head outside?
Shaw: Thank you, and yes, please. Interact with the anomaly. See if it reacts to touch, and then your skin.
Team plays a single round of roshambo.
Gordon: Ugh fine!
Sergeant Gordon pokes at the ends and mushrooms of the anomaly with their weapon and feet for 37 seconds, then remove their glove and squat to lightly place their hand on it over the next 24 seconds.
Gordon: Oh fuck it’s warm. I’m 99% sure this is just arteries oozing blood. I’m not feeling any reaction, it looks really layered on close inspection, like it’s woven. Hold on.
Sergeant Gordon pushes some of the material aside and pushes their hand in deeper, it is halfway up their forearm now.
Gordon: Yup, there’s something else down here alright, different texture to the top layer, much squishier. Still not feeling any response though.
Shaw: Thank you, you can take your hand out now. The substance is likely safe enough to walk on if it isn’t reacting to you at all, continue forward and down the hole please.
Team continues forward, walking under and brushing aside huge mushrooms, then leans over the hole. After assessing the safety of getting down, three rounds of roshambo are played. Extraneous dialogue removed.
Ahmadi: Entering now, command. About a 2 meter drop to the top of the mushroom layer, best guess is another 2 and a half to 3 looking at the big ones up here. Shits too unstable to risk lowering me down by rope unfortunately.
Private Ahmadi jumps into the hole and lands on the top mushroom. It does not immediately collapse under their impact, but slowly bends under their weight.
Ahmadi: The hell? I thought I was gonna just fa-oh what?
Private Ahmadi slides down the side of the mushroom top and under the canopy, the mushroom then moves back into its original position.
Geoffersen: Ahmadi, report!
Ahmadi: (over comms) I’m okay! There’s a another layer that breaks that second fall. Just keep your masks on tight, that yellow stuff is thick down here.
The rest of the team tightens their masks and jumps down. Each time, the mushrooms don’t immediately bend, but slowly drop the team below. The cavern is pitch black and only illuminated by the teams’ lights. It is a tunnel: one end is clearly where the red substance came from before the roof collapsed, the other path has a small amount of growth but ends after 70 centimeters.
Shaw: Please secure the pathway that isn’t overrun.
Geoffersen: No arguments here, you heard the boss.
Commander Geoffersen gestures towards the path, Sergeant Gordon pumps their fist in the air. Team moves down the pathway for 1 minute 7 seconds until they come across a cave in.
Geoffersen: No dice, command, but my guess is that this tunnel serves as the main entry way, it’s probably about 10 meters wide like the hole there, but it’s 6 meters tall. Reminds me more of like an airplane hanger, minus a nice runway.
Shaw: Noted. Please turn back and go the other direction now.
Geoffersen: Copy, command.
Team returns back down the cave over another 56 seconds. Extraneous dialogue removed.
Geoffersen: You’re right, feels like this whole cave is on a decline, we may lose contact, you hear that, Command?
Shaw: Copy, team. Proceed with checks every minute and we will notify of any issues.
Team Continues for an additional 4 minutes 7 seconds. Extraneous dialogue removed.
Harding: Anybody else hearing that buzzing?
Shaw: We can’t hear it on our end, keep us informed of any changes to noise, please.
Team takes a moment and then all confirm. Team checks weapons and proceeds forward for an additional 10 minutes 10 seconds, utilizing noise cancelation. Extraneous dialogue removed.
Geoffersen: What the fuck am I looking at here, command?
The tunnel opens up into a massive domed cavern, nearly the entirety of which is overrun with the mycelium substance, most dense at the centre of the floor. At the far end of the room is a metallic cylinder floating in the centre of a metal frame lined with 14 metal coils. The red flesh and mushrooms avoid this area and it is entirely clear of it.
Gordon: At least we know what’s making all that damn racket, you getting this, Command?
Shaw: I see it, make your way around and touch the object, please, see if you can dislodge it.
Geoffersen: I know you said you don’t joke, but I’m not going to send my folks in there to get fried, command.
Shaw: I’m going to need you to elaborate, do you see something that would prevent you from proceeding?
Geoffersen: This thing that’s floating in the air is pumping an insane amount of blue electricity out to the objects on the frame, it’s jumping all over the place. You can’t see or hear any of this?
Shaw: No we can’t, describe the room to us before continuing please.
Team proceeds to describe the room, there are no differences to what Command sees other than the electricity the team sees. Team also notes upon closer inspection that the metal frame is surrounded by a 2 foot thick moat filled with an unknown sticky liquid.
Shaw: Thank you, there’s no where else to go and no sign of Ms. Chreknov or Officer Finnegan?
Geoffersen: Not that any of us can spot, things here seem rather tame aside from the spores. Time for the whitecoats?
Shaw: Understood, and yes, come back home. We will send the helicopter to retrieve you from directly from the hole.
Team returns to the hole without incident. The mushrooms push aside easily with slow movements and team is lifted out by the helicopter. Debrief is completed and all members pass physical, psychological, and thaumaturgical evaluations. Team completes 24 hour quarantine without incident.
//Ms. Brockner and local law enforcement are told Cover Story XXXX7 and Foundation personnel take control of the location. Dr. Martin Shaw assigns senior researcher Marco Perez to oversee primary containment and testing.
[END LOG]
Exploration-XXXX-2 Video Log Transcript
Mission: Determine state of SCP-XXXX-C-1 after Test-XXXX-7. Recover if at all possible.
Team: MTF-Eta-61. Commander Arnim Geoffersen. MTF-Theta-4. Private Martha Chang, and Private Nancy Olivera. Dr. Martin Shaw on command.
|Foreword: During Event-XXXX-1. Commander Arnim Geoffersen led team B to investigate the status of SCP-XXXX-A and if SCP-XXXX-C-1 is usable in the containment effort of new SCP-XXXX entity.
[BEGIN LOG]
Commander Arnim Geoffersen, Sergeant Jane Gordon, and Dr. Martin Shaw (joining via remote video) had just finished discussing next steps for handling Event-XXXX-1. Geoffersen walks towards the Theta-4 Team and directs all but Privates Martha Chang and Nancy Oliviera towards Gordon.
Chang: What are we up to, commander?
Geoffersen: Into the belly of the beast for us, unfortunately. There is an anomaly in there that could be imperative for containment.
Chang: Lucky us.
Geoffersen: Keep comms clean, Dr. Shaw is going to be splitting their attention between both teams and wants chatter low, considering the mess that’s already going on with the other team.
Oliviera: What are we waiting for?
Due to SCP-XXXX-B now missing from around the edges of the hole, it is safe to rappel down. Team enters SCP-XXXX-A-1 on top of the large amount of SCP-XXXX-B remaining in the base of the opening. There is a large line of broken SCP-XXXX-B-3 along the floor leading in a distinct line towards SCP-XXXX-A-2. SCP-XXXX-B-4 is present in high quantities, obscuring visuals beyond 6 meters. Team makes their way towards SCP-XXXX-A-2, trip is uneventful, though it is noted that lights placed by the Foundation have been destroyed. Extraneous Dialogue is removed.
Unknown: (whisper) hello.
Team immediately stops and aims weapons down the tunnel.
Unknown: (whisper) where did you all go.
An entity emerges from the clouds of spores. It is composed entirely of SCP-XXXX-B and is bipedal with one hooved and one human hand as feet, though they are both twisted and unusable. The entity features 5 arms in random placements along the torso. 3 arms end in oversized spider-like limbs that it uses to hold its body upright. 1 arm has a total of 9 oversized bird talons on it and the final has a massive canid mouth on the end. The torso has a mess of SCP-XXXX-B-3 instead of a head. The arm holding the mouth is abnormally long and is flailing through the air slowly. The mouth opens for a few moments, then closes for a few, like a fish gasping for air.
Entity: (whisper) hi.
Entity reaches towards Chang. Team dispatches entity.
Geoffersen: Dr. Shaw, you there?
Shaw: I am, I just got the tail end of that. Anything to report?
Geoffersen: It fucking spoke, Doc.
Shaw: What?
Geoffersen: Three distinct times. Greeted us twice and asked a question, except it sounded more like a statement than a question, they all sounded kind of deadpan to be honest.
Shaw: Will you be able to carry on?
Geoffersen looks at Chang and Oliviera, they nod.
Geoffersen: Good to go, Doc.
Shaw: Please continue
Team continues down towards SCP-XXXX-A-2. Geoffersen stops team.
Geoffersen: Dr. Shaw, you there?38 Damn, we’re on our own.
Chang: Oh, absolutely delightful.
Geoffersen: Stay focussed, stay tight. These things don’t seem very smart, use that to our advantage.
Team enters the area, the sound of large entities shuffling can be heard, along with voices in the distance. Voices are all identical, barely talking above a whisper and over one another. Team makes it across the majority of the room towards SCP-XXXX-C-1, stopping with it just out of sight. One entity can be heard coming from in front and higher than the team. Geoffersen advances the team slowly.
Entity: (above, whisper) is it all okay.
Team steps forward and SCP-XXXX-C-1 comes into visual. Object is overgrown with SCP-XXXX-B. Around the object, two large arms extend high above the team. On the ground they are similar to bear paws instead of hands. One moves and plants itself in a new location next to Oliviera. They inhale sharply but don’t make a sound.
Entity: (above, whisper) will mother be okay.
Team inspects SCP-XXXX-C-1 to see if it is possible to remove object easily. Chang pulls out a knife and cuts a portion off, waiting for a reaction from the entities. Without a reaction, team gets to work removing SCP-XXXX-B from the object. Over the next few minutes, entity above team moves occasionally, never travelling too far from the object. Team lifts anomaly and begins travelling towards SCP-XXXX-A-1. As they do, entity swings their arm and bumps into the object, knocking the team over. Anomaly bends down and reveals itself. It features the arms connecting to a human head out of the eye sockets, which composes the entirety of the rest of the anomaly. The face features many worm-like tentacles coming out of sphincters along the face, with an ant like mouth opening and closing every few seconds.
Entity: (whisper) i found you.
Entity begins reaching towards team with its tentacles, team quickly cuts off the legs, causing it to lose balance. Team quickly terminates instance. All around the team, the entities can be heard moving on the direction of the team, all whispering.
Entities: (whisper) heretic. metalman. hurt. tinder. weak. kill. hunger. enemy.
The team all stand back-to-back as the entities enter their visual, all mutated beyond recognition39. Team dispatches organisms with incendiary and gardening tools until they no longer move, visuals on all team cameras are obscured by viscera.
Shaw: Impressive display, team. Please wipe your gear down for a clean visual.
Geoffersen: Thank you, Doc, glad you finally arrived. How is the other team?
Shaw: The new entity they’re engaging is still a ways off from civilization. How are you all?
Geoffersen: We just managed to dispatch… all of the entities in here by the sound of it. I can see the markings on this cylinder much more clearly… wait a second, does this thing look different?
Oliviera: Holy shit, look there.
Geoffersen directs camera at the hole that was ripped in SCP-XXXX-C-1, which is slowly repairing itself, bending the metals back into place. They then direct the camera at the markings along the side of the object.
Shaw: That’s great, Arnim, I’ll have this sent to the translator. Clear the SCP-XXXX-B and finish securing the location in the meantime, the airlift is still on its way, give it 10 minutes before leaving.
Team begins cutting away remaining SCP-XXXX-B. A large set of stone furniture with a small metallic cylinder on top is present underneath at the west end of the room, as well as larger metallic cylinders in the east end of the room, like previous imaging showed. Extraneous dialogue removed.
Geoffersen: These look like bronze, probably beryllium.
##blue|Geoffersen open the latches and removes the top of one of the large vats.
Geoffersen: Holy shit, I think this is more of C2. Doc, you hear that?2 Hey, Chang, grab that trolley from the Tesla coil, let’s use that to move one of these and the cylinder out.
Oliviera: what’s this stuff? It stinks.
Geoffersen takes a handful of the substance from the vat and tosses it at the wall, then lights a match and throws it at the substance. The glob of residue instantly ignites in a small explosion and rolls of bright green flame curl up the wall, instantly igniting and incinerating the SCP-XXXX-B that covers it. The fire turns into plumes of electrified smoke, like tiny storm clouds, and then dissipates into nothing. The fire extinguished and the bare wall is shown, a substantial amount more is destroyed than if it was non-anomalous fire.
Oliviera: Point taken, nice.
Geoffersen: Unfortunately they didn’t get around to testing it themselves, but from Perez’s report Dr. Shaw hypothesizes that this stuff is the only thing that can hurt whatever is out there. We just thought it avoided crossing the jelly because it wasn’t a solid enough substance to grow on.
Geoffersen gestures to SCP-XXXX-C-1.
Geoffersen: Mushrooms wanted to reach this big thing but were too afraid to cross the moat, is my best guess. And now we know the answers to both questions of ‘why’.
Chang: How about an answer to the question of what’s behind these big scary discs here?
Geoffersen and Oliviera walk over to Chang, who is in the center of the room and cleared away some SCP-XXXX-B that was covering the trolley. They uncover a small recessed area with a metal disc on top of a stone disc. Both appear to have been on the floor at one point but were pushed loose by the high amount of SCP-XXXX-B emerging from below them.
Geoffersen: I think we found where this stuff came from. Patient zero must be inside.
Geoffersen grabs the small metallic cylinder from on top of the furniture, then looks between all the objects in the room.##
Geoffersen: Leave this, this shit is someone else’s problem to deal with later, right now we need to contain the anomaly. Let’s strap it down with a barrel of the goo and get the hell out of here.
Team proceeds to carry out Geoffersen’s orders and leaves towards the artificial exit of SCP-XXXX-A-2. On the way, Dr. Shaw checks in to inform the team the helicopter will be waiting for them at the hole. Team arrives and Dr. Shaw checks in again. Extraneous dialogue removed.
Geoffersen: You two help pull these out of here and then get them and yourselves loaded. I’m going to check on something, just be a few minutes.
Chang and Oliviera proceed to attach SCP-XXXX-C objects to helicopter crane for extraction from SCP-XXXX-A-1. Geoffersen moves down SCP-XXXX-A-1 in the direction opposite of SCP-XXXX-A-3.
Geoffersen: You still there, doc?
Shaw: I am, apologies for being so absent, it’s a real mess down there.
Geoffersen: You’re only doing your best, doc. Hey, any clue what you want to do for dinner later with the team?
Shaw: Well given the circumstances, I think it’s safe to say anything without meat and mushrooms.
Both Geoffersen and Shaw switch to a private channel.
Geoffersen: I’m glad the room is empty. Something has been bothering me about all this. This tunnel has no surface entrance, right?
Shaw: Correct, surveys show no possible surface entrances, and seismic scans show that the tunnel just ends abruptly after the cave in.
Geoffersen: Why the hell would you build a tunnel with no surface entrance? And how the hell did these guys get in here and build this without a surface entrance. On top of that, whatever that thing they’re chasing is, Jane said it looked like it slithered through all the XXXXB to get to this side of the tunnel before sending out drones. But why, other than using the tunnel for its intended purpose, as an exit.
Shaw: The entity could have been just moving forward on instinct.
Geoffersen: I’m gonna have to disagree, it came back to the hole and knew we were there, and being around it and seeing how it looked at us, I’d say this thing is at least a smidge more intelligent than a rock, right? I’ll take that as a yes.
Shaw: It reacted differently to a thaumaturgist on Epsilon-9. Rather than ignore them like everything else Jane has been throwing at it, it sprayed B4 at them.
Geoffersen: Wait, it tried to turn the thaumaturgist into the mushrooms? And I’m willing to guess the running theory is that XXXXB becomes these new entities.
Geoffersen arrives at the cave in at the end of SCP-XXXX-A-1. A substantial amount more of the cave is overrun with SCP-XXXX-B, though it is impossible to see it entirely due to the overwhelming presence of SCP-XXXX-B-4. Geoffersen walks along the wall from one end to the other.
Shaw: Yes, that’s my current hypothesis. After it couldn’t convert them because of the mask, it just killed them. It hadn’t bothered to kill anyone yet unless it was a result of the new anomaly getting through whatever obstacle we put in the way or it was feeding. This was a deliberate kill, as if the agent themself was an obstacle.
Geoffersen comes across a section of the rubble that has been dug out and pushed aside, he runs over and peers further down.
Geoffersen: That’s pretty heavy, doc. Yeah the scans were right, this goes for another couple meters. My guess was that this thing did try to use this as an exit. Now let’s figure out why it thinks it can leave through here.
Geoffersen walks down the dug out corridor in the rubble. It is larger than him and could easily fit the new SCP-XXXX entity. They make it to the end of the tunnel, which ends in a flat wall. Geoffersen rubs their hand on it.
Geoffersen: This is perfectly smooth, doc. like it’s been sanded down, smooth as silk almost. Very soft to the touch, and warmer than stone should be. Hold on.
Geoffersen touches a small area that has a symbol on it. It is partially covered by rubble.
Shaw: Is it possible to move the rubble without compromising yourself?
Geoffersen tugs a rock away and more rubble falls down the pile, they step out of the way to let it settle, they turn their cam to the symbol, which is clearly visible.
Shaw: Fuck, I’m pretty sure that's a Way.
Geoffersen: I’m glad that thing couldn’t use it then. Should I head back?
Shaw: Yes, please meet with Team A and start attempting containment. Your new team is another squad from Epsilon-9. They’ll need to be briefed on the C2.
Geoffersen begins jogging back to the helicopter.
Geoffersen: One more thing doc, I tested the new C2 on the mushrooms in A1 and I think I uncovered something.
Shaw: Another anomaly?
Geoffersen: No, like art, on the wall. Underneath all the XXXXB, about 6 meters up, there looked to be a line of text, and above that, a picture, at least colours and the start of one. It wasn’t much and Oliviera was too busy staring at the C2 to notice.
Shaw: Noted, I’m going to switch back to Team A, see you there.
Geoffersen and Shaw switch back to public channels.
Chang: -[deci]ded to take a stroll, I’m not his keeper! Just finish loading already, damn.
Geoffersen: ETA 1 minute. We better be ready to go.
Oliviera: By the time you get here.
Geoffersen arrives at the entrance to SCP-XXXX-A-1, a single tether is hanging down into the hole, attached to a helicopter that is hovering above it. Geoffersen boards the helicopter and it begins making its way to Team A.
Event-XXXX-1 details the results of the containment breach that occurred on January 6th. Log of Event-XXXX-1 is compiled based on a combination of forensic evidence, recordings, and eyewitness testimony.
Event-XXXX-1 starts due to an unexpected result of Test-XXXX-7, an experiment performed on SCP-XXXX-C-1 within SCP-XXXX-A-2 before it was deemed possible and safe to relocate. MTF-Eta-61 Sergeant Jane Gordon and Privates William Harding and Kimya Ahmadi were on watch at the artificial entrance to SCP-XXXX-A-1. Much more of the area is consumed and mutated by SCP-XXXX-B, including Mrs. Chreknov’s cabin. A small amount of SCP-XXXX-B-3 has managed to be pushed aside and a small clearing is made in the hole. Scaffolding with a staircase and lift is present for accessibility to SCP-XXXX-A.
The events following Test-XXXX-7 are handled by two separate teams; one led by Sergeant Gordon and one led by Commander Arnim Geoffersen. The events are recounted in Interview-XXXX-370, Expedition-XXXX-2, and concluded below.
Gordon orders Team A to retreat, Geoffersen and Team B engage entity from the air. Chang fires an incendiary round at the entity, and it goes up in flames. It attempts to let out a shriek but is being burned away too fast.
Team B engages entity on ground. All that is left is a smoking skeleton and a charred smouldering mass in the centre of the chest. Team has cryogenic containment units for any samples, the mass being the only one remaining. Skeleton slowly shrinks in size and returns to a prone position. SCP-XXXX-C-1 opens automatically when brought within 10 meters of skeleton, and seals when it is deposited within.
Team completes containment without further incident. Theta-4 and Epsilon-9 teams were administered amnestics.
After Event-XXXX-1, all traces of SCP-XXXX-B were removed from SCP-XXXX-A and destroyed. Site-61 was constructed for initial containment and testing of SCP-XXXX. Items of interest removed from SCP-XXXX-A-2 and catalogued. Trace amounts of SCP-XXXX-B-4 make continued study of SCP-XXXX-A unsafe and it was put under biohazard quarantine. Once specialized containment procedures were implemented, The Daedalus and Site-B was constructed and SCP-XXXX-B-6 was relocated. SCP-XXXX is recontained and reclassified.
Test-XXXX-7 Video Log Transcript
Test: Determine how SCP-XXXX-C structure interacts with electricity from foreign sources.
Team & Equipment: 5 Foundation researchers (led by senior researcher Marco Perez). 1 Tesla Coil.
Foreword: Multiple tests performed show that SCP-XXXX-C-1 electricity does not interact with foreign non-organic objects but metallic structure surrounding SCP-XXXX-C-1 is non-anomalous in nature. Foundation supplied a Tesla coil to determine how foreign electricity interacts with SCP-XXXX-C-1 and its structure.
[BEGIN LOG]
SCP-XXXX-A is under constant multi-video surveillance, SCP-XXXX-B-4 is present and makes all video have a yellow tint. Videos are taken and compiled from multiple sources. Test-XXXX-7 begins at 16:00.
Video log shows 4 Foundation researchers within SCP-XXXX-A-2 utilizing polearms wedged within SCP-XXXX-B-3 to hold a Tesla coil steady, aimed towards SCP-XXXX-C from a distance of 20 meters. Perez is standing nearby and activates the coil.
The test proceeds, the electricity from the Foundation’s coil striking the structure around SCP-XXXX-C-1 in a non-anomalous manner. As Perez is observing and taking notes, one of the polearms slips further into SCP-XXXX-B, dislodging the Tesla coil from its orientation. The arc of electricity strikes the moat of SCP-XXXX-C-2, instantly igniting it and setting off a small explosion.
Most cameras in SCP-XXXX-A-2 and all of those surrounding SCP-XXXX-C were disabled or destroyed as a result, new permanent angle for video takes place closer to the entrance of SCP-XXXX-A-1. The 2 researchers closest to SCP-XXXX-C-2 were instantly killed in the explosion. Both of their masks were destroyed, causing them to be exposed to SCP-XXXX-B-4 and undergoing instantaneous breakdown and mutation into SCP-XXXX-B.
Another researcher holding the coil also had their mask broken, becoming part of SCP-XXXX-B. The last researcher steadying the coil was flung back and presumed deceased. Perez was knock down but relatively unharmed.
Perez dry heaves for a moment and stands. Large amounts of SCP-XXXX-B that surrounded SCP-XXXX-C-2 is burned away and singed. Majority of the structure surrounding SCP-XXXX-C-1 is destroyed and cylinder is now no longer suspended in the air. Perez removes noise cancellation and walks across the boundary without immolation, suggesting deactivation of SCP-XXXX-C-1. They study the anomaly for a moment then run to check on the other un-mutated researcher.
They spends 370 seconds calling for help. SCP-XXXX-B experiences rapid growth and crosses the SCP-XXXX-C boundary for the first time. SCP-XXXX-B-2 is shown to concentrate in a line along the length of SCP-XXXX-C-1, eventually prying the edge of it open and creating a small hole, entering through it.
Perez takes note of the noise, looks at SCP-XXXX-C-1, and flees down SCP-XXXX-A-1. As they are leaving the scene, a large amount of SCP-XXXX-B-4 is expelled, obscuring much of the visual.
SCP-XXXX-B is seen undulating from the center of the room in the direction of SCP-XXXX-C-1. Movement stops for 1 hour. A second expulsion of spores occurs, obscuring almost all of the room. SCP-XXXX-B is seen retreating from the edges of the camera.
A large figure is seen rapidly scuttling through the fog from the direction of SCP-XXXX-C-1 into SCP-XXXX-A-1.
[END LOG]
Interview-XXXX-370 Video Log Transcript
Interviewer: Dr. Martin Shaw
Interviewee: //MTF-Eta-61 Sergeant Jane Gordon
Foreword: Debrief of Event-XXXX-1. Sergeant Jane Gordon was the commanding officer on site supervising the entrance to SCP-XXXX-A-1. She originally responded to the situation and then led team A of the containment force for SCP-XXXX-D-1 until Commander Arnim Geoffersen and team B arrived.
[BEGIN LOG]
Dr. Martin Shaw enters the room carrying a boxed case with a handle on top. They place the box on the table and then remove the lid. Inside is a hot plate, kettle, 2 small teapots (each with a matching teacup). They start the hot plate and take a seat.
Shaw: Hello, Jane, I apologize for taking so long to get to you.
Gordon: It’s alright, doc, I understand how it is, especially considering the mess.
Shaw: Thank you, as always. Now, whenever you’re ready, please begin when you first noticed something was wrong.
Gordon: Harding was on watch at the bottom of the hole. He radioed up talking about hearing something running down the hole, minute later he says it’s screaming things at him. Luckily Harding doesn’t shoot Perez, running towards him screaming bloody murder all covered in gore like he decided to take a swim in XXXXB.
Gordon: The man runs up and basically starts shoving Harding up the stairs, telling him we need to leave, that the mushrooms are tearing C3 open. At this point I have no clue what’s going on, so that’s when I radioed you and Arnim.
Shaw: Yes, I asked you to send Marco back to us for a debrief, and I sent Arnim and a team of Theta-429 to help secure in the meantime.
Gordon: Yeah, waiting for them, we went to make sure the hole was secured and I noticed there were mushrooms that were broken, fallen off and stuff from Perez running through. Radioed in to you, blah blah blah.
Shaw: I asked your team to begin with removal of XXXXB on the surface, and to put the refuse in the hole.
Gordon: Yeah, that. We broke as much as we could, it tore up as easily as you’d expect against the equipment Theta-4 lent us30, managed to get the majority of it dumped back in there.
Shaw: Did you notice anything that you didn’t think important to report at the time?
Gordon: Oh yeah, the smell. Shit’s made of plant matter but stinks like a fucking carcass on the inside, even through the masks.
Shaw: Anything else?
Gordon: Nothing noteworthy until the mushrooms moved, in a way like something was squirming through it, pushing from the cavern to the caved in area. Radioed you and you said that you were sending in Ep Nine31 too.
The tea kettle Dr. Shaw brought in begins hissing.
Shaw: Excuse me.
Dr. Shaw turns off the hot plate and pours hot water into each of the teapots.
Gordon: That’s really not necessary, Doc.
Shaw: I doubt you’ve had anything good since being out in the field. Please, continue with the day’s events, Jane.
Gordon: Yeah, yeah. Right, well, nothing changed again until the mushrooms stopped moving. Stopped pushing out B4, and then it all fell to the ground at once. Arnim and Theta-4 were almost there, but Ep Nine was still a ways out, so we were pretty sure we were fucked.##
Sergeant Gordon rubs her eyes.
Gordon: It just felt so strange. These damn mushrooms hadn’t reacted to anything for days, just sat there growing and then all of a sudden, total behaviour change. Like they were waiting for something and all of a sudden it got new orders.
Gordon: It sat, still as the dead, and then we heard a shriek, or a cry, and it started moving, just ripping itself apart and writhing and twisting around itself, slipping and sliding all over the place. We didn’t realize exactly what was going on at first.
Gordon: Then it pulled itself up, all over the hole, things pulling themselves free from the pile and climbing up the walls. Things with 4 legs and no legs, there was even one big fucker walking upright.
Shaw: How would you describe the behaviour of these new entities?
Gordon: Not friendly worth a damn, that’s for sure. They came out and we’re headed straight for us, like they knew we were there despite having no eyes and just being birthed. Totally uncoordinated as well, just scrambling up the wall and over each other as best they could.
Gordon: They managed to make their way over the hump, of course, they always do. These guys absorbed ammo like it was going out of style and it didn’t bother them one bit either. No reaction at all, even when chunks of their bodies came falling off and they were dragging or flinging themselves toward us.
Gordon: Theta-4’s gardening tools worked a lot better than any guns we had, sliced right through them. We took out maybe 10 to 15 assailants, only Kimya got scuffed up, but nothing above a scraped arm. Definitely could have gone a lot worse.
Shaw: This would be right about when Theta-4 and Arnim show up, correct?
Gordon: You’d be right, we saw them in the air right as we were tearing up the last of them, the big 2 legged thing. They came down and immediately started cutting everything down to size, tearing right through it. Even ended up burning most of it up. Before the Commander could update me the situation escalated.
Sergeant Gordon puts her head in her hands. Dr. Shaw pours the tea into their cups and takes a sip from theirs. They wait for Sergeant Gordon to start talking again.
Gordon: After they started torching it, That’s when the queen came out, and she was pissed. She tore her way through the rest of XXXXB that was sitting in the hole. I swear parts of it were fusing to the body, making it even bigger.
Gordon: It scrambled out of the hole, and just bee-lined for Billy, fuck. He was the closest one and it just, wrapped all of its arms around him and started twisting and squeezing him. Shoving him further into its mouth.
Gordon: We tried to shoot at it, but either they bounced off the shell of that thing or it just didn’t care about the bullets that got lodged between, same as the smaller ones. After a couple seconds of it chowing down, it turned to one of Theta-4, and leapt at her. Pinning her and just holding down as she screamed.
Gordon: It made her fucking wait, doc. It still had Harding’s legs in its mouth and it was just pinning her down while it finished sucking him down. Fucking staring her right in the face as it finished, and then it just went for her immediately after, still alive.
Dr. Shaw pushes Sergeant Gordon’s teacup closer to her. She looks over and shakily takes a sip of her tea.
Gordon: Sorry, It’s just been a while since the last time I saw action, and for it to be… whatever this was.
Shaw: I believe Arnim described it as “FUBAR32”.
Gordon: He’d be right with that. It took out 4 of us; Harding, and 3 from Theta. I swear it got bigger, like the only reason it took its time eating us was because it had to wait before moving on to the next meal, it couldn’t go any faster.
Gordon: Theta tried torching the bitch but it just walked through the fire like it wasn’t there. Never seen something not made of fire so unfazed by it. It didn’t even mind the charred bits of us that it ate. We even tried slicing it open and gutting it with Theta’s equipment but it just bounced off the scales of this thing.
Gordon: As soon as it finished the last it wanted, it turned and started running southwest, on its arms and legs and wings, like a goddamn gory mushroom spider.
Shaw: This would be when you and Arnim split?
Gordon: At this point, yes. Arnim and I got each other caught up, we decided I would take the main group of joint task force and go see if we could slow this thing down at least. He stayed and secured XXXXA and C1.
Gordon: I don’t know what I can really tell you from this point, doc. We didn’t do shit to this thing. I rerouted Epsilon-9 to converge on our position. It was totally undeterred by us tossing anything at it, and the one time we had a team go down it just ate the ones in its way and got even bigger. It was like almost 3 times the size as when it came out of the hole.
Gordon: We couldn’t for the life of us figure out what it was going for. Both Prague and Moscow were in a direct line but they were way too far. Tons of settlements of people on the way that would have been much easier pickings.
Shaw: Did you observe any strange behaviours from the anomaly during the time? Relatively speaking, of course.
Sergeant Gordon takes a minute to think. She places her empty teacup back on the dish.
Gordon: It didn’t care about spreading XXXXB anymore. Whatever that stuff was, it served its purpose, the mission was different now. It stopped only once, we has a thaumaturgist in the team from Epsilon-9 and they used some shit to try to slow it down. That was the only time it paid attention to any of us after it started running, it turned straight towards them and shot out a bunch of B4 from its horns. Luckily the breathing mask saved them but it almost…
Shaw: Go on, Jane.
Gordon: It looked… confused, I guess. It stood frozen for a split second and then then just mauled them to death instead, ate the body and kept moving.
Shaw: And there was no abnormal behaviour from this point onward?
Gordon: Well, not behaviour, but just a small thing. It’s flesh and mushrooms were back to behaving like normal XXXXB, the impenetrable and unmovable stuff. The little drones it sent out were breakable, but this thing was unstoppable.
Gordon: At least, until Arnim showed up with his team and C1, took over, and whatever they did to all the XXXXB on that thing. They walked away with it put back in C1 and whatever samples they managed to grab in a cryo-containment unit. Then we headed home.
Dr. Shaw puts their empty teacup back on the dish. They put the tea set and kettle away and cover the case back up.
Shaw: Thank you for your work as always, Jane, take some time off, you’ve earned it. I’ll have a welcome back package prepped for your return.
Gordon: How long, 1 week?
Shaw: Take the time you need, Jane. Come back to me when you’re ready to, and not a second beforehand.
Sergeant Jane Gordon returned to active duty after 11 days. They receive a promotion and special commendation for saving the life of Sergeant Kimya Ahmadi. Commander Jane Gordon is given control over the newly permanent MTF-Eta-61 “Dragon Slayers” and assigned containment of SCP-XXXX-C-1 at the newly constructed Area-61 under the oversight of Captain Arnim Geoffersen and Dr. Martin Shaw.
Area designated SCP-XXXX-A. Tunnel is designated SCP-XXXX-A-1, cavern is designated SCP-XXXX-A-2.Way designated SCP-XXXX-A-3. Deceased lifeform designated SCP-XXXX-A-4.
Biological fungal system is designated SCP-XXXX-B. Undergrowth is designated SCP-XXXX-B-1. Mycelium is designated SCP-XXXX-B-2. Mushrooms designated SCP-XXXX-B-3. Spores designated SCP-XXXX-B-4. Large masses designated SCP-XXXX-B-5. Progenitor of fungal system designated SCP-XXXX-B-6.
Related items designated SCP-XXXX-C. Metallic cylinder designated SCP-XXXX-C-1. Structure suspending SCP-XXXX-C-1 found to be non-anomalous in design and function. Liquid surrounding SCP-XXXX-C-1 structure is designated SCP-XXXX-C-2. Skeleton within SCP-XXXX-C-1 designated SCP-XXXX-C-3.
Active instances designated SCP-XXXX-D. Primary instance designated SCP-XXXX-D-1. Secondary instances designated SCP-XXXX-D-2.
SCP-XXXX-A-1:
Tunnel extends from SCP-XXXX-A-2 in the direction of true north. Scans and foot surveys cannot find a surface entrance. Tunnel has a shifting HUME level that wobbles but does not seem to be increasing or decreasing in any meaningful pattern.
SCP-XXXX-A-2:
Room is a nearly perfect dome, suggesting artificial construction. Scans indicated presence of stone furniture and small metallic cylinder in west of room and several large metallic cylinders in the east of the room underneath SCP-XXXX-B. After Event-XXXX-1, SCP-XXXX-B infestation was removed and objects were removed.
SCP-XXXX-A-3:
Way requires a knock3 to work. It is unknown where the other side leads to. It is believed based upon information from SCP-XXXX-C-4 that this Way is only operable from this side.
SCP-XXXX-A-4:
SCP-XXXX-A-4 is currently petrified4 and features no vital signs or radiation of any kind.
SCP-XXXX-B:
The entirety of the system is impervious to any type of physical damage. Flesh of structure tenses when a single force greater than 61 psi is applied to it, preventing movement of structure and redistributing kinetic energy. Gentle, slow movements 60 psi or lower allow mild manipulation. Large amounts of SCP-XXXX-B are used in the creation of SCP-XXXX-D-2. The anomaly will grow back to recover area lost in the formation of a SCP-XXXX-D-2 instance, but will be unable to generate an additional SCP-XXXX-D-2. SCP-XXXX-B becomes vulnerable to damage once SCP-XXXX-D-1 becomes active.
SCP-XXXX-B-1:
Intestine-like appendages that appear to be the main structure of SCP-XXXX-B. They do not appear on the surface level, always obscured by SCP-XXXX-B-2. Utilized by SCP-XXXX-B-6 as a method of protected and discreet passage.
SCP-XXXX-B-2:
Mycelium structure that is the main spreading and outer protection for SCP-XXXX-B. Designed similarly to arteries, veins, and capillaries. Structure grows at a consistent rate14 of 6.1 meters per hour15 at a temperature of 98.6o Fahrenheit16 while SCP-XXXX-B-6 is within a SCP-XXXX-B-5 instance.
SCP-XXXX-B-3:
Various mushrooms that grow out of SCP-XXXX-2. Similar in texture to flesh, musculature, and fat. No single design is favoured and all appear to be amalgams of known and unknown varieties of mushroom. All variation feature a method of distribution for SCP-XXXX-B-4 in the form of gills, pores, or pustules. When a SCP-XXXX-D-2 spawning event occurs, the SCP-XXXX-B-3 that are going to be used in the transformation cease production of spores.
| Distribution Organ | Distribution Method |
| Pore | Constantly pushes out a small steady stream. |
| Gill | Lets out large clouds of spores every few minutes, depending on the size of the SCP-XXXX-B-3 instance. Gills around a SCP-XXXX-B-5 instance will breath in unison, no matter the size. |
| Pustule | Membranous sack that fills with spores. Varies in size and pops randomly. Regrows afterwards. |
SCP-XXXX-B-4:
The spores of SCP-XXXX-B. Any subjects that inhale the anomaly experience instantaneous termination in the form of mutation into SCP-XXXX-B. Mutation involves the immediate breakdown of cells into a more malleable and gelatinous state, which is followed by redistribution, reformation, and finally integration into the already existing SCP-XXXX-B system. SCP-XXXX-B-4 never travels more than 70 centimetres from the current boundary of SCP-XXXX-B unless removed. Spores are observed to utilize an enzyme that aids in the restructuring of foreign flora and fauna into SCP-XXXX-B-2. When a SCP-XXXX-D-2 spawning event occurs, all SCP-XXXX-B-4 in the area stops floating and rapidly falls to the ground.
SCP-XXXX-B-5:
What is left of an organism after it inhales SCP-XXXX-B-4 and becomes part of SCP-XXXX-B. These masses retain much of the DNA of their original form and are the main sources of fauna DNA within SCP-XXXX-B. These instances serve to stimulate rapid growth of the anomaly by converting the previous life form’s biomass into additional SCP-XXXX-B. These portions of the system are also the primary masses that become instances of SCP-XXXX-D-1.
SCP-XXXX-B-6:
Modified SK-BIO-006 organism. Origin unknown. SCP-XXXX-B-6 is observed to have 4 distinct states, Hunting, Seeking, Biding, and Weaving. The anomaly is in constant movement, and only has 2 observable objectives (in this order):
1. Feed on the nearest biological organisms until either a calorie total of less than 14,640 or higher than 204,960 is reached.
2. Seek out and connect with SCP-XXXX-C-3.
Completion of objective 1 is to be avoided at all costs, and results in either SCP-XXXX-B-6 entering either a Biding (underfed) or Seeking (overfed) state. It is impossible to disengage SCP-XXXX-B-6 from objective 2 in a Biding state until it accomplishes said objective. Due to the damage and risk associated with SCP-XXXX-B-6 being in a Biding State, it is to be overfed if either of the two options are unavoidable.
If objective 1 is met through overfeeding and the calorie total of SCP-XXXX-B-6 rising above 204,960, it will not make any attempts to further feed40 and will make a direct path towards SCP-XXXX-C-3 no matter how far or where it is located. SCP-XXXX-B shows no indication of slowing until it reaches a calorie total of 29,280, at which point it will enter a Hunting State until objective 1 is reached again and then repeat the process until it is connected with SCP-XXXX-C-3.
If objective 1 is met through underfeeding and the calorie total of SCP-XXXX-B-6 lowers beneath 14,640, it will not give any indicators but will burrow into the next organism it encounters, after which the subject experiences an immediate mutation into an instance of SCP-XXXX-B-5 large enough to hold SCP-XXXX-B-6.
From this point forward, SCP-XXXX-B begins to spread out from the new SCP-XXXX-B-5 instance, and will continue to do so until it reaches SCP-XXXX-C-3.
Once SCP-XXXX-B comes into contact with SCP-XXXX-C-3, SCP-XXXX-B-6 makes direct movement to it via SCP-XXXX-B-1. Once the entity reaches as far as it can in SCP-XXXX-B-1, SCP-XXXX-B-6 bursts through and engages with SCP-XXXX-C-3, beginning a Weaving State. Any attempt to prevent this is met with lethal force, typically by burrowing into and mutating the assailant into a SCP-XXXX-B-5 instance.
There are no hostile fauna or flora within a Biding State biome except for SCP-XXXX-B-4. SCP-XXXX-B-6 can be extracted from a SCP-XXXX-B-5 instance without resistance, but as soon as it is removed it will immediately seek another host to then burrow into and repeat the same process. Any attempt to feed SCP-XXXX-B-6 and return it to the safe threshold does not work and the only way to cause a change in state for SCP-XXXX-B-6 would be to allow it to come into contact with SCP-XXXX-C-3.
Once objective 2 is reached, SCP-XXXX-B-6 begins a Weaving State. Entity beings weaving between the endo and exoskeleton of SCP-XXXX-C-3, similarly to when building a cocoon for prey but with more complicated designs. A Weaving State will last 1 hour at 98.6° Fahrenheit41, with entity typically weaving through SCP-XXXX-C-3 from the outside inwards, obscuring internal visuals.
Using SCP-XXXX-B pulled from the sphincter underneath, anomaly weaves the form of SCP-XXXX-D-1 around/within the skeleton. There are no external visual indicators of completion of this state, as SCP-XXXX-D-1 will move suddenly. SCP-XXXX-B-6 remains within SCP-XXXX-D-1 during the latter anomaly’s active state.
In a Hunting State, entity actively seeks and consumes the nearest biological organism and will continue to do so until Objective 1 is met. Entity uses Gastropoda foot as main method of locomotion, though when a prey item is within line of sight it will utilize its tentacles and legs for more dexterous movement.
Entity has proven itself to be completely impervious to any and all conventional damage, resisting and rendering kinetic energy greater than 60 psi inert. Anomaly displays no fear or hesitant behaviour when facing prey.
SCP-XXXX-C-1:
Unknown artifact. Object consistently gives out an electrical field that shocks and incinerates any organic materials that pass the structure’s boundary. Devices cannot record any data regarding the electrical discharge8. Object gives off large amounts of Akiva radiation17. Symbols around object readdarkred|42##. “Seal”, “Protect”, and “Eternity”. Object is capable of self-repair when removed from SCP-XXXX-B.
SCP-XXXX-C-2:
Substance is a thick, sticky, liquid jelly and is to be kept away from any flame or flammable substances. Chemical testing returned results27 matching those from SCP-2406. SCP-XXXX-C-2 is currently the only substance known to be able to harm SCP-XXXX-B. The foundation currently has no recorded instances of SCP-XXXX-C-2 outside of Area-61.
A dilution ratio of 1 SCP-XXXX-C-2 to 6 mineralized water is an acceptable midpoint between effectiveness and minimizing usage of the anomaly. Specialized weaponry utilizing this distilled substance is to be distributed to staff during SCP-XXXX containment breach. Pure and diluted SCP-XXXX-2 is stores at Area-61 Site-B.
The combination of the limited quantity remaining, the lack of knowledge of reproducing it, and the fact that it is the only thing capable of harming SCP-XXXX-B-6 has led to a unanimous agreement between DR. Martin Shaw, Captain Arnim Geoffersen, Dr. Judith Low, and O5-12 to limit the usage of the anomaly to be only against SCP-XXXX-B-6.
Any SCP personnel inquiring about "Greek Fire" is to be directed to SCP-blue|2406##. Any SCP Personnel inquiring about SCP-XXXX-C-2 is to be told that the remainder was destroyed during Event-XXXX-1. In both cases, personnel is to be placed on a 1 week surveillance.##
SCP-XXXX-C-3:
The entirety of the SCP-XXXX-C-3 structure is composed of bone, keratin, chitin, and enamel28. When disconnected from SCP-XXXX-B-6, anomaly will remain in the current position and size of SCP-XXXX-D-1’s last active moment. Over the course of 1 minute, anomaly will return to its default size and resting position.
SCP-XXXX-C-4:
Sheet has been engraved (See Document-XXXX-1 for translation). Material of SCP-XXXX-C-4 is the only anomalous property of object.##
SCP-XXXX-D-1:##
SCP-XXXX-D-1 posses the ability to spray large quantities of SCP-XXXX-B-4 out of the tips of the 4 tusks. It is also observed to be capable of sustained short distance flight.
SCP-XXXX-D-1 is the only entity to be able to generate the signal that causes SCP-XXXX-B-5 to change into SCP-XXXX-D-2.
SCP-XXXX-D-2:
SCP-XXXX-D-2 is a series of anomalous entities. Instances do not show any examples of a higher intelligence but appear to share a collective consciousness. Instances lack eyes or other sensory organs. Some instances have been shown to have the capability of speech, though it is unknown what the trigger for this mutation is. The voice that SCP-XXXX-D-2 instances use is of an indeterminate age or gender and all speech is monotonous.
MTF-Eta-61 has created their own set of identifiers to distinguish between different SCP-XXXX-D-2 variants. Identifiers are based on the entity’s physical structure, typically in reference to their body shape or supposed method of locomotion33. Variant identifiers are not to be used to identify the definite appearance of an instance, as all SCP-XXXX-D-2 pull mutations from a collective ‘pool’.
It is imperative that a catalogue of all possible SCP-XXXX-D-2 variations and mutations is kept and new ones are added as they are discovered.
| Variation Designation | Main Identifier |
| SCP-XXXX-D-2-Biped ("D2B") | 2 legs. |
| SCP-XXXX-D-2-Quadruped ("D2Q") | 4 legs. |
| SCP-XXXX-D-2-Serpentine ("D2S") | No legs with a long body. |
| SCP-XXXX-D-2-Insectoid ("D2I") | 6-8 legs with only one body segment as a thorax. |
| SCP-XXXX-D-2-Avian ("D2A") | Wings with any amount of legs. |
| SCP-XXXX-D-2-Limacine ("D2L") | No legs with a gastropod foot. |
Document is a translation43 of events44 described on SCP-XXXX-C-4. Events depicted are from the perspective of the leader of a group coming across the location and original inhabitants of SCP-XXXX-A.
We followed and stormed the lair of the beast, expecting to find the monster we sought, but instead saw many flesh priests in a room with no flesh, only stone.
We slew them all, for we took them unawares and they seemed weakened. After the last fell from our holy fire the room spoke at us.
“Fools.” It hissed. “You have damned us all.”
“Show yourself, heretic.” We beckoned. “Or are you too fearful of us that you hide in shadows like a coward you are.”
“Fear is all I feel, but not to you and your kind.” It groaned. “The beast you seek is here, but it cannot be killed, not by us or you or your liquid flame.”
“You lie.” We shout. “You attempt to shake us but our faith is unwavering and our mission true.”
“I exist as it’s caretaker and entertainer, but in your stupidity you have eliminated it’s trainers and directors.” It whispered at us. “Come, find me in the heart of the room. I cannot defend myself, and if you refuse to listen and help I only ask that my death from you is swift and painless.”
We found the heart of the nest, under a disc bearing the image of the serpent. Inside the room was nothing, save a bare woman with her gore pressed into the stone and dirt walls. Only remaining was her face and bulging womb, within it a form squirming as it wrapped within itself.
“Here I am, and the one you seek.” It cried. “I plead. I beg. Not even masters of our craft can stop them, only distract like a dog with a bone. You have seen it destroy your titans. I expose us to you in hopes you believe the truth.”
“What would you have us do?” We asked. “How does this beast stay asleep?”
“It rests as I feed it my Halkost, keeping it from being satisfied until a rider requests.” It told us. “But now my siblings are gone, and none know how to tame our serpent.”
“You wish to stay here, and keep it at rest for eternity?”
“I wish to suffer the damnation I deserve.” It shuddered as it opened the floor, revealing the bones of the beast. “Use your sacred flame and spark to hide this, and seal me within here.”
We did as we must. The heretic lays sealed beneath holy metal, never to breath fresh air again. The body of the monster is held firm within the grasp of our Mother, protected from all who would seek to open her hands.
After days of work, the Wayfinder we brought with us says that the doorway to the nest is only meant to open from one side.
We decided to lock the door, and leave the key and all the contents of this corner of damnable hell, still inside.
I have hope that none will read this. And if you are, turn, and leave now. Forget you have come here and how.
I am haunted by the sound of a mother coddling their babbling child.
Document is a file regarding the artwork on SCP-XXXX-A-2’s ceiling. There is a single line of text, starting at 6 feet and is 10 inches in height, that spans the entire circumference of the room. Within the boundary created by this text there is a mural that encompasses the rest of the dome.
The mural is 2 part, featuring a small round circular picture at the centre, and the main area is a donut shape around it. The circular area features a stylized front view of SCP-XXXX-D-1 with the base emerging from the rear of the room, furthest from SCP-XXXX-A-1.
The second part of the mural is reflected down the middle of the mural. 12 o’clock features an image of an individual5 standing before a mechanical city. Individual’s shape is vaguely humanoid but is a mass of flesh below the waist, and continues on bordering around the centre image of SCP-XXXX-D-1. Their left hand is raised holding a staff with a heart in the middle, and their right hand is pointed to the right. To the left of the individual is 4 others.6
2 and 10 o’clock feature a structure similar in look to a palace7, but constructed with bone and flesh, being consumed by green flames at the base. Image also has indiscernible humanoid figures running from 12 to 2 and 10 o’clock.
4 and 8 o’clock feature 3 large mechanical humanoid figures8, with the left arm of each raised. At the tip of each left hand is design like a swirl on top of a starburst. The right arms are stretched outward and feature a hand holding the same green flames from 2 and 10 o’clock. The image also features images of humanoids and non-humanoids running from the large figures at 4 and 8 towards 6 o’clock.
6 o’clock features a huge mass of SCP-XXXX-B growing out of the centre border (which originally started at 12 o’clock and the figure there.) The shape of SCP-XXXX-B here mirrors the shape of SCP-XXXX-D-1 in the centre of the mural.
The line of text around the circumference of the room is currently undeciphered.
Area-61 Site-B is constructed around SCP-XXXX-B-6’s containment facility, The Daedalus. Site-B serves as storage for items necessary for SCP-XXXX-B-6 containment and the staff attending to SCP-XXXX-B-6 containment.
The Daedalus is a seismically stabilized 3 dimensional labyrinth composed of 125 10x10x10 meter steel boxes arranged in a 5x5x5 grid. Each box is uniquely designed and equipped with various implements to create a difficult path through. Boxes may have a hole in the centre of each wall, and can in total have anywhere between 1-6 holes. Each month, 11 boxes are to be internally modified/changed as well as having all 125 boxes arranged into a new configuration, with a full system change in the event of a containment breach. Entire facility is equipped with full temperature control and can reach temperatures as low as -425° Fahrenheit.
Caloric count of SCP-XXXX-B-6 is to be monitored closely. SCP-XXXX-B-6 requires a minimum intake of 14,640 calories a day. Entity does not suffer if it is exceeded or missed, though both options are to be avoided at all costs. SCP-XXXX-B-6 total calorie count should not dip below 14,640 or rise above 204,960. SCP-XXXX-B-6 burns a consistent rate of 610 calories per hour no matter what activity it is currently performing.
A single D-Class personnel is to be released into the maze as far from SCP-XXXX-B-6 as possible each time the previous one expires. D-Class personnel used are restricted to the following criteria:
- Only physically healthy subjects45.
- Only subjects with an endomorphic body type are allowed to participate46
- No single subject should provide more than 50,000 calories to SCP-XXXX-B-6.
- Mental well-being of subject does not matter aside from having a working fight-or-flight response.
- Subject does not show any aptitude for thaumaturgy or other anomalous abilities.
- Subject must be alive but would otherwise die of non-infectious and non-anomalous means within a week if they were not introduced into SCP-XXXX-B-6 containment.
- Subject must be briefed and sign a consent form47.
If calorie count nears minimum, either action can be implemented:
- Immediate termination of a D-Class subject currently inside SCP-XXXX-B-6 containment.
- Release of a new D-Class subject near SCP-XXXX-B-6 with as close to a <1% chance of containment breach as possible.
A minimum (and typically maximum) of 1 (living or deceased) D-Class subject is to be inside SCP-XXXX-B-6 containment at any time. Once the previous D-Class has been fully terminated, a new one is to be released into containment immediately, failure to do so could result in a containment breach of SCP-XXXX-B-6. Each D-Class is to be given the following before entering containment:
- 1 handheld flamethrower.
- 3 canisters of flamethrower fuel.
- 10 canisters of smokescreen.
- 1 machete.
- 10 8 hour industrial chemical glow sticks.
- 5 days worth of MRE food rations.
- 5 days worth of water.
- 1 thermal insulating blanket.
- 1 medium sized backpack.
- 1 deck of cards.
- Personal effects.
If at any point the minimum or maximum threshold for calorie count is passed, MTF-Eta is to be deployed in two teams, one from Site-B to slow the movement of SCP-XXXX-B-6 and one from Area-61 to retrieve SCP-XXXX-C-3 and bring it to the anomaly and allow it to enter and complete a Weaving State. Upon activation of SCP-XXXX-D-1, teams are to use specialized equipment for total immolation of SCP-XXXX-D-1, separating SCP-XXXX-B-6 from SCP-XXXX-C-3 and returning both to their individual containments. SCP-XXXX-B-6 will spend 1 hour at 98.6° Fahrenheit48 recovering from being immolated, and upon recovering will enter a Hunting State at 29,280 calories.
1 NEW MESSAGE!
To: O5-12, Dr. Judith Low, Captain Arnim Geoffersen.
From: Dr. Martin Shaw.
Re: SCP-XXXX.
I took a closer look at the mural after our meeting and the imperfection seems even more peculiar. The brushstrokes appear to move in both directions rather than just one way from an accidental slip of the brush, same way the centre mural blends with the border and 6 o’clock. Another clue it seems.
~Shaw
You have been given this file due to you being a Clearance Level 6: Cosmic Top Secret Head Researcher of SCP-XXXX, Captain of MTF-Eta-61 "Dragon Slayers", Director of Kelipat Nogah, or are a member of Overwatch Command working for the SCP Foundation.
“We’re going a little further than you were originally told, Dr. Low. Apologies for the deception, but it’s a necessary precaution for what we have down there.”
Arnim Geoffersen was about as loyal as they come, could have been on Alpha-1 if he wanted. But once Shaw got their teeth in them, Geoffersen was committed to staying. Dr. Judith Low had heard about how Shaw makes fast friends.
The Captain of MTF-Eta-61 surely wasn’t betraying the foundation, but could they be so loyal to Shaw, and them in turn so good at being conniving that they managed to convince Geoffersen they’re doing the right thing? Perhaps if not, it was one of the SCP-XXXX objects, so little is known of them, a combination of their nature and Shaw being so thorough with vagueness.
Dr. Low reaches for her hidden holster, she keeps up with Foundation mandatory firearms training, but a woman of her age needs every split second advantage she can get. Geoffersen’s office suddenly seems a lot smaller.
“Where exactly are we going?” She asked
“Well we’re still going back to Area-61, but Martin- Dr. Shaw, has asked to meet us inside A2.” Dr. Lows blank expression clues him in “Ah, sorry, the team just calls everything by short form here. SCP-XXXX-A-2. Dr. Shaw loves their designations”.
“Is there not both a Way and a Karcist in there? I’m Class: A, I can’t waltz into an anomaly”
“The Way as far as we can tell is only meant to be opened or closed on this side, and our thaumaturgists can’t figure out how to activate it. As for the Karcist, well she’s definitely not going anywhere, she’s dead. No brain activity or radiation of any kind. Just won’t rot away.”
Dr. Low sits for a moment, contemplating.
“Dr. Shaw isn’t usually one for breaking protocol, or pomp in general, so this meeting was planned this way and we just weren’t informed until now.” Geoffersen sighs and stands “I keep telling them what a great O5 they’re going to make some day. Shall we?”
“Were those staff gearing up for a hunt? I saw rifles and jackets” Dr. Low asks as they board the Area-61 Shuttle.
Area-61 is over 1500 kilometers away from its Site-B, the location under control of Geoffersen, under the oversight of Shaw, of course. Travel by helicopter can take over 6 hours, but travel by magnetic rail train? Just a few minutes.
“The staff is encouraged to go hunting during their downtime, most don’t do it because it feels like a weird ethical grey area, but it helps limit the animals in the region in case of a B6 containment breach, and a little activity to do during… downtime. Everything is brought in and used, turned into food, clothes, compost. Dr. Shaw made us as close to zero waste as possible. Lots of neat hobbies picked up by the folks here.” Arnim scratches their chin “It’s kind of… morbidly inspirational, I suppose? Their commitment.”
“Their commitment to getting the job done? According to the files, this is no 110-Mo-“
Arnim Laughs
“No doctor, forgive me, you must not have been informed. The entirety of my staff at 61B that’s not researchers or MTF agents are the D-class who signed up for the procedure.”
Dr. Low sat there as the shuttle took off, speeding down the tunnel, the rumbling muffled by the walls and soundproofing. All of the non-research or military staff were D-class?
The receptionist that checked her in, the cafeteria workers, Geoffersen’s desk assistant, all D-class? Serial killers, rapists, addicts, those people were just allowed to walk among an A-class, and no one informed her prior? Such blatant disregard for her safety, and the security of the site.
But Dr. Low knew of the XXXX-B-6 procedure. Geoffersen sends out recruiters, looks for D-class that are just tired of living, want a way out, hate working for the foundation at the prospect that they MIGHT die.
They want a guarantee they’re going to die, dammit.
And that’s where Shaw comes in. They have an SCP that needs constant nourishment, but the prey needs to be something that’s smart enough to avoid something designed to hunt and kill. Essentially, Shaw needs the perfect prey, humans.
But Shaw isn’t an idiot, they made sure that any recruits go through psychological testing to guarantee they have a working fight-or-flight response, they want to provide their SCP with a challenge, to prolong the necessary use of yet another D-class. Either the D-class fights and loses, quickly, or they run and give a little chase, but the door stays shut so B6 wins eventually.
And so the cycle repeats.
“Why the hell are D-class walking around like they’re not thinking about murdering us all?”
“Well, that’s the kicker, doc. The recruitment process is super specific. These guys have no harmful urges or tendencies anymore, they’re just simple people who come here to die. These guys know they’re going to end up in Daedalus within a week, so Dr. Shaw afforded them one last shred of dignity, to be treated like a human. The option to work, contribute, and give back to others, while having tons of comfort items and everything they could ever want, that’s why it’s inspirational.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Dr. Shaw gives theses guys a whole new lease on life basically, and they’re just so blindly committed to dying none of them have backed out yet. Given guns and told to hunt, to kill again, and they come back and cook what they shot for all the researchers who are going to watch them die in a few days. Fucking unbelievable.”
Dr. Low and Captain Geoffersen sit in silence for the rest of the ride.
As the shuttle approached the platform at Area-61, Dr. Low sees Commander Jane Gordon, leader of the MTF-Eta-61 stationed at the site, which constitutes the bulk of the task force. They report directly to Shaw at this site, and also work in tandem with Geoffersen at Site-B to facilitate the dual containment procedures.
Geoffersen reports to, and also works alongside Shaw. There are some decisions they are valued equally on, and others where one is valued over the other. A very contentious relationship to have in the Foundation, but they seem to make it work.
“Welcome back Dr. Low” Gordon calls over as the shuttle slows, docks, and opens “Nice to see you again, Captain.”
The passengers exit, Geoffersen holds out their hand to Gordon, who immediately embraces him in a quick bear hug.
“Is this a work or pleasure visit” Gordon asks
“Work unfortunately, for the time being at least.” Geoffersen responds
“A shame, Kimya has been practicing their scrabble, almost lost my dinner to them the other day” Gordon turns and waves, beginning to walk deeper into the facility “Come, where am I taking you?”
“We’re going to meet Dr. Shaw in A2.”
“They seem rather excited today, I think they figured something out, lucky you!”
Commander Gordon dropped off Dr. Low and Captain Geoffersen on the lift to bring them down into SCP-XXXX-A-2, wearing a mask and blabbering on about safety procedures regarding how SCP-XXXX-B-4 is so potent that a single spore causes a whole-body mutation.
Once the reached the bottom of the cavern, they boarded another train that took them over to the domed part of the structure, SCP-XXXX-A-1.
“You can remove your mask, we’re safe down here” Geoffersen says as he takes his respirator off his face. “The report about trace amounts of B4 down here are falsified, made so Dr. Shaw could control the flow of information regarding this place.”
Dr. Low waits for a moment as Geoffersen stares at her and nods. She slowly reaches up and takes off the respirator, handing it to him.
“Dr. Shaw wanted this place locked up tight after what we found during Event-XXXX-1.” Arnim fiddled with the respirators in his hands. “They believe what’s here could tip some scales, and I’m behind them on it. I’m the only one from the expedition down here that day that actually remembers it.”
“Misleading information and amnestics aren’t new to the foundation, captain.” Dr. Low responds “I’ve had my hand in a fair few myself”
Geoffersen shakes his head. “No, doctor, I’m saying that Dr. Shaw purposefully filed the documents wrong, leaving out entire sections of information deliberately, just so they could control who knows the whole story.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Dr. Shaw is a complicated character.” Arnim scratches their chin. “We love them to bits, they seem to genuinely care about others, and tries to do good by everyone. But they also won’t hesitate to jump sometimes, run the full mile even if they don’t have to, so to speak. And if they gotta jump, they’re not all too worried about whose along for the ride, or getting left behind.”
The tram arrived in the big domed room, Dr. Low stood up and turned around, turning to see a small pathway lit by LED lamps being swallowed by a huge shadowy cavern. The path of light Dr. Low walked along led to the west side of the room, where O5-12 and Shaw were seated in stone chairs at a plain stone table.
“Pleasure to see you, Dr. Low.” O5-12 says as the newcomers sit. “Decided I would drop by, since I wanted us all talk I figured it would be convenient during your visit.”
A tray sat on the table, with a hot plate and kettle currently letting out steam. 4 teapots and marching cups were laid out, an assortment of teas displayed in the centre.
“Doctor Martin Shaw, I presume?” Dr. Low asked.
“Just Dr. Shaw, but if you’d like, do
call me Martin.” They said, taking a sip from their cup. “Feel free to help yourself, a warm beverage is always nice to help loosen the throat before lots of speaking.”
Geoffersen grabbed a pouch of Earl Grey and mixed it with hot water in his teapot. Dr. Low took peppermint and did the same. They all sat for a few moments as the two newcomers prepped their beverages.
“Dr. Low, how are you enjoying Area-61?” Dr. Shaw took a sip, cup blocking the smirk creeping upon their face. “Up to your standards?”
“I’m finding parts of your methodology to be unorthodox, but the site functions tightly and you have a firm grip on your anomalies here” Dr. Low says begrudgingly “nice work, but down to business, I presume.”
“Of course” O5-12 lays their cup down “Dr. Shaw has informed me that a development has occurred regarding this very SCP.”
Dr. Shaw presses a button on a remote in front of them, causing floodlights around the domed room to light up, illuminating a donut shape of light along ceiling and rest of the area, leaving the centre of the roof darkened still. Dr. Low had seen photos of the room, and even a recreation of the huge mural that spanned the ceiling, but seeing it’s size up close was something else.
Geoffersen refills his teacup.
Dr. Shaw stands and places some documents on the table, O5-12 and Dr. Low taking photos from the pile.
“The mural here, is not exactly news, it depicts the defeat of Ion at Kythera on 12 o’clock, the fall of Adytum at 2 and 10, the Colossi exterminating the Kalmaktama at 4 and 8, and a colony of SCP-XXXX-B at 6 o’clock.”
“You’ll notice slight variations between the official versions and the pictures in front of you, which match the actual mural above us. The Kalmaktama love their ouroboros, and so I doctored the photos to prevent the wrong people from making the right connections. Wanted it to look like it was just mirrored on the other side.”
“Ion and XXXX-B make the 12 and 6 o’clock, respectively, so they aren’t changed. You’ll notice the people running from the colossi at 4 towards XXXX-B at 6, but there’s instances of XXXX-D-2 running towards the colossi at 8 o’clock instead of people. You’ll also see that the hands of the colossi are missing at 8.”
“The Adytum at 2 is surrounded by fire that’s bright green, while the one at 10 is coloured a deep red. I see this as a visual representation of Adytum emerging from flesh rather than being consumed by fire. The people are also facing outwards here, rather than inwards like at 2 o’clock. Emerging from Adytum towards Ion, rather than running into it from them.”
“You think the second half of this is meant to display some expectations they had? The prophetic return of the empire?” Dr. Low took a sip “The Valkzaron talks about a lot of this stuff, they’re likely just depicting their interpretation of the events, linking it to whatever happened here.”
“From my hypothesis, we’ve seen the majority of this. In fact, 10 o’clock, the return of Adytum and the Kalmaktama empire, has probably already happened or is currently happening, depending on your optimism.” Shaw takes out a laser pointer from their pocket and points it at the respective picture on the ceiling. “Look at the architecture of the Kiraak, totally different here as opposed to the opposite side. This looks like one huge mansion rather than a palace with many towers, wouldn’t you say?”
“Are you suggesting what I think?” O5-12 leans forward “SCP-2480 is Adytum?”
“Not entirely, I believe rather than depicting a single event like it’s counterpart, this picture is showing us more of concept, the idea that the empire has entered the modern age.” Dr. Shaw pours more tea into the cup without looking “The Kalmaktama have persevered for so long, thinking there’s any way to stop or slow this 10 o’clock from happening is just foolish. They’re already here, and have been here the entire time. Just waiting, like our pal in the hole next to us.”
“All official reports say they’re deceased” O5-12 states
“Oh they definitely are, got their head smashed and body crushed during an earthquake it seems, they’re just petrified like an old tree.” Dr. Shaw hands them a document “but if you’ll reread the inscription on C4, it seems like this karcist managed to convince the Mekhanites that found them to bury them alive with B6. But the Mekhanites didn’t know that this was just a cave in the ground, they thought the Way in A2 led to a pocket dimension, not a quarter kilometre in the ground in Russia. Our Karcist down here knew they were still on earth, so close to home, that their people had longevity, and they’d be found eventually.”
“They don’t usually have such desires for self preservation, why was it so important to them that they stay alive?” Dr. Low thought for a moment as she refilled her tea “and if they wanted to be found, why not just use SCP-XXXX-B to be found faster?”
“That’s exactly what I asked originally, and my running theory is that B6 isn’t exactly meant as a weapon, per se, it’s definitely designed as one. But it was originally made as a gift from our Karcist to Ion. They wanted to be alive, and found, but by someone who won’t be here for a long time.”
“And why Ion?” O5-12 asked “other than the obvious answer, what gave you definitive proof this is meant for them and not a klavigar or other karcist? A gift to be held on to rather than tool to be used.
“The ring of text here” Dr. Shaw gestures to the carved and painted single line of text that stands the circumference of the room, forming the border between the regular stone wall and the bottom of the mural. “Official reports say it’s untranslated, but we just figured it out the other day. With you visiting, Dr. Low, I let O5-12 know the good news”
Dr. Shaw pulls out three folders and hands one to each of the other attendees. Geoffersen, who has been half paying attention the entire time, finally leans forward. This is new information for him too. The three of them scan the pictures and words.
“For context, this group believes their Karcist, who they call their mother, to be a pseudo reincarnation of Ion.” Dr. Shaw clears their throat. “An excerpt reads: ‘Upon completion of this night, our child walks. And it is up to you all to lead us to a brighter future and to prepare them for their true purpose. For Grand Karcist Ion’ and followed by ‘For the Mother’. I think this is a call and response between the Karcist and the group.”
“Well that much seems obvious, no?” Geoffersen asks, curious.
“Yes, but what if it wasn’t. Just because they thought of this Karcist as an aspect of Ion, doesn’t mean the Karcist did. Carbon dating put the paint on the text as several years after the paint on the ceiling and it’s obviously written from the perspective of the group, not the Karcist.” Dr. Shaw clears their throat “Remove the period in that sentence, listen to how the karcist speaks. ‘And it is up to you all to lead us to a brighter future and to prepare them for their true purpose for Grand Karcist Ion.”
“That’s a very big jump” O5-12 nearly spills their tea, underestimating how full it was. “Quite a hunch and nothing to go on, really.”
“On here” Shaw pulls out a metal cylinder, SCP-XXXX-C-4 “translated and fully unredacted for Clearence Level 6 in Document-XXXX-1. The Mekhanites quote the Karcist below us as describing the other ones here as their ‘siblings’ and the ‘trainers and directors’ of what we assume to be SCP-XXXX-D-1. And yes, other karcists. The Mekhanites also describe the other people here as ‘flesh priests’, and another quote from the text on the wall states that the Mother taught fleshcrafting to many of them. I’d say without a doubt this was what amounted to a coven of Karcists.”
“And so this Karcist wants to do what, give Ion a pet? A little slug he can keep in a fish tank?” Dr. Low replies, setting her cup down “There’s no doubt that the people loved Ion, and would do anything for him. But what makes this so special?”
“Where’s the cherry on top, doc?” Geoffersen asks, having been subject to this before.
Dr. Shaw presses another button on the remote, and the centre of the ceiling lights up, depicting the centre of the mural, and the huge image of SCP-XXXX-D-1 it encompasses.
“There’s a small section, right at top of the head of our friend, that sticks right out. It’s rather unremarkable, and when I had the artist in to make a reproduction of it they called it an imperfection based on the fact that the outside of D1 is smooth. I had them keep it for posterity, and I’m glad I did.” Dr. Shaw reached into their labcoat and pulled out a photograph. “After having this gift hypothesis fresh on the mind and preparing for the meeting today, I took another look at the photos of the mural and was reminded of the imperfection. Then it hit me. I rushed down here this morning with a lift and a chemical analyzer. This imperfection wasn’t an imperfection at all. You see, the last line of the wall text is ‘At dawn, we ride.’”
Dr. Shaw tossed the photograph onto the table. The other three stared at it, the sense of realization as they looked the chemical residue and 12 o’clock on the mural.
“What…” Dr. Low could barely get out. “The same pose… you can’t mean…”
“Chemical residue left from the original painting, showing that this tiny imperfection was originally a tiny Ion.” Dr. Shaw pours the last of the tea from their pot into their cup. “The karcists here learned how to not only take care of D1 and point it in a direction, like a moth drawn to a flame, but to ride, master, and teach it. I’ve long suspected it capable of basic instincts and learning, but that I know it’s capable of being domesticated, I fear what would happen if it was ever allowed to be put into the hands of someone like the Grand Karcist.”
“This is some pretty heavy stuff, Doc.” Geoffersen says, taking the photograph into his hands and turning to stare at the hole in the ground, and the dead Karcist within. “Isn’t B6 just a modified SK-BIO?”
“An Akuloth, yes” Dr. Low responds “They help their hosts with fleshcrafting. Which explains a lot of the capabilities of SCP-XXXX-B-6, but they’re not generally intelligent. Which is why SCP-XXXX-D-2 instances are so odd, there’s no Karcist here to use -B-6 to control or even make the Halkost in the first place.
The four of them fell silent. O5-12 spoke up first.
“How long ago did the Mekhanites invade this place?”
“Carbon dating puts a bunch of the stuff here at about 1000 BCE. Just after the War of the Flesh.” Dr. Shaw places an empty teacup on its saucer and lets out a heavy sigh before speaking. The rest of group sits in contemplative silence.
“How smart could B6 have gotten if they had spent the last 3000 years being trained by their riders?”
After the fall of the great Ion, we searched for a new home, and instead we found our mother reborn.
In our travels we came upon the child, an infant tadpole that required care, and so we gave it to them. We took it as a sign and set roots down, making a home for ourselves, in hope of preserving our people.
Over time our mother grew strong, they showed great skill in the art of fleshcrafting, and far surpassed even our Karcist. They taught us all, and brought us all up with them. Truly, she was among us again.
We told them stories of the Machine Titans. Great contraptions that burned our flesh with their liquid flame and sought to destroy us utterly. They showed no fear. “I will help us” they said. “I will show them fear like they have made me feel”.
Nearly 2 years passed. Our great mother worked below the earth. They toiled without telling us, a secret. But when they showed us, none could guess.
They opened a door on a wall, and beckoned us entrance. Through it we walked, and they showed us our new home.
“Here, is my new home, our bed is my womb and this great workshop is my bosom. Together we will show all who doubt, the true freedoms of Nalka.”
She showed us our work, taught us to be great trainers and commanders, taught us compassion and care for a child beyond belief. Truly we were both lover and fighter.
“I will be born again soon.” She told us “We all must contribute. We have heard the machinists Answer, and now they will hear ours”.
Over the next 6 new moons, we pulled our bones from our bodies, she weaves them into a beautiful form. She tells us that no wood, nor plant, nor flesh of any kind beyond our own Halkost is to be within her bosom. No mortal is to set foot within her womb.
“Now, I lay to sleep for the last time” she says on the 7th. “This is not goodbye, dear family, but merely farewell. Upon completion of this night, our child walks. And it is up to you all to lead us to a brighter future and to prepare them for their true purpose. For Grand Karcist Ion”.
“For the Mother”.
She descends into her womb, and our mother weeps as we close the world upon her, we hope like us, they are tears of joy.
Tonight, all we hear is the anguished throws of creation.
At dawn, we ride.
