Weizhong 2 - SCP Sandbox III

Weizhong 2

weizhong's proposal: The Eventide

Author: weizhong

Included page "more-by:weizhong" does not exist (create it now)

Item #: SCP-001	Level 4/001
Object Class: Keter	Classified

Eventide comments

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“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”

-Edgar Allan Poe

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”

-John Lennon

This is the longest work that I've ever posted to this site, and perhaps the hardest draft I've ever worked on. I hope you all enjoy adventures into the realm of dreamtime.

This version of the draft took many, many iterations to get to, and I have a whole host of reviewers to thank for helping me reach this point:

As always, a heaping thanks to Riemann, my spiritual writing guru, for holding my hand through the most iterations of this draft and helping me narrow down exactly what was and wasn't working with it.
Similarly, thank you to Captain Kirby for nailing down the other components of the draft that also weren't working, and staying up late with me one night to help identify the exact problems.
Additional thanks goes out to A Random Day for his usual acerbic wit and ability to articulate problems that others wouldn't.
Finally, I must thank Flopmind, Grigori Karpin, forbiddenquest, Ihp, and RockTeethMothEyes for providing additional feedback on this draft that helped me refine the target message and narrative.

For people who don't get it, a spoiler post may (or may not) be incoming.

There's good and there's bad.

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I found the very start quite frustrating. There's something that ticks me off about compulsion effects, and particularly series of unwitting events. Unfortunately, this article hinges on exactly that. While a reason is given for it, it's never really explained, so it's not a frustration that I can handwave away.

The concept of 'an alternate world that has rules' I thought was a little derivative of 4000 (and I assume the green text later on was a reference to 4000, but if it was, its meaning was lost on me). However, I love 4000, so I'm here for it. I thought the list of instructions was particularly interesting, and would've loved to have seen the rules of -2 that necessitated them. Unfortunately, bar a few, that didn't really happen (though it was excellent when it did).

I thought the list of entities was a little shotgunny, but given that the majority of them appeared in the log, it's more than acceptable. I found the slug the most interesting. "Universally treated as hostile by other inhabitants of SCP-5975-2 for unknown reasons." is a very curious line. I wanted to learn more about the slug, though I didn't particularly care for any of the other entities, so it's a shame it didn't come up again.

I'm a sucker for rules - it's why I love 4000 and 1384. I wanted to learn more about your rules.

I didn't like, however, the descriptions of the entities' attacks - making this their primary focus came off to me as a little video-gamey. The description of -O, also, was frustratingly empty. It was clearly a half-load of information just to set up the next log, but presenting it on par with the other entries - even above, given that it was given a letter instead of a number - felt like bait to me.

At this point I had the thought: why even bother with killing the entities if the pictures can just be contained? The main character in particular seems obsessed with doing so. Without any evidence from Command to back him up, I'm happy to believe that this is the result of some compulsion, though why he would have been sent there in the first place eludes me. I didn't notice anything else in the article to either back up or challenge this.

The badger was a problem. It began as a source of exposition, and I admit it's not the exposition I wanted. I want to learn about the rules, but it told me about the lore. That's fine. I thought it was a bit expositiony, but there was no reason to assume it was telling the truth - after you, you made sure to emphasise how trustworthy these things are - so I was totally cool with it.

I liked that he killed the badger. It was quick and sensible. It was perfectly foreshadowed. There was very little fuss about it beforehand, which is very good, and a little fuss about it afterwards regarding mental consequences afterwards, which is also good and appropriate. I dearly hoped that the badger would not return. I hoped the plot would not be so predictable.

I actually liked the part about the mountain fox. It stood apart from the others. I didn't find much meaning in it, and I enjoyed that. It was a welcome break from the exposition.

-O showed up and rehashed a lot of what had already been said. I don't understand why it showed up at all, honestly - if the lion is getting a constant supply of meat, why taunt the zookeeper who's providing it? It felt like it only made itself known because the article needed to end. It didn't show up because it was asked to, or because the main character had reach the correct and foreshadowed and justified point. It just did. And then it began the sort of dialogue where one character asks questions and the other answers. I just don't know why.

And then the rules are broken. The main character dies and the rules we've established go out the window. This death is different, with no explanation why, beyond because it just is. The status quo is shifted, and there's neither justification nor consequence. The few rules that were actually defined have been broken, but for what? Why?

And then nothing. Everything is fine afterwards, and -O hasn't been seen. Really? After all that, everything is just fine?

Overall, I really really really wanted to get more out of this article. The concept was just enough to intrique me. There were enough rules and enough cognitive dissonance that you got my attention, but I don't think you really took me anywhere with it. I understand that you were sick of this draft but I think it could have really done with a couple more weeks of sitting in your sandbox, ignored, until you could come back to it with fresh eyes. I did try my best to internally justify a novote, and yes there's clearly lots of work put into this, but it goes in too many directions at once and not far enough for me in any particular one. -1

Photorealistic render of SCP-001 based upon testimony from MTF Mu-99 operatives.

Item #: SCP-001

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Access to SCP-001 is strictly limited to members of Mobile Task Force Mu-99 "Dreamcatchers." All neutralization efforts of SCP-001-1 instances are to be carried out by MTF Mu-99 in conjunction with SCP-001 researchers to ensure minimal cross-exposure to SCP-001-2 instances.

Surrealist art collectives with potential for producing instances of SCP-001-2 are to be monitored for possible containment breaches. Individuals involved in the accidental production of SCP-001-2 instances are to be remanded into monitored psychological care until subsequent neutralization of SCP-001-1 corollaries.

As of Revision 3/Omega, Foundation operations located in SCP-001 are to begin a scaled withdrawal to remove all non-mission critical assets from the anomaly. Additionally, henceforth, no attempts shall be made to recover expired personnel within SCP-001. Failure to observe this policy will be met with punishment up to, and including, termination of employment.

Description: SCP-001 is an extraplanar location, located adjacent to our present reality. The organization of SCP-001 is such that it forms an orthogonal basis¹ with the Foundation's home reality, resulting in an overlap in n-dimensional space that allows for limited two-way access between the two spaces.

Topographical analysis of SCP-001 suggests that the majority of the anomaly is largely flat, and possesses Earth-like atmospheric qualities, including localized weather patterns. The anomaly is consistently dominated by a perpetual layer of fog that obscures vision as well as a sunset-like coloration that similarly limits sight. This, combined with a lack of reliable landmarks, has made mapping the anomaly difficult. Beyond these known qualities, other temporo-spatial qualities within SCP-001 are highly unstable and difficult to predict. One notable consequence of this instability is that individuals present within SCP-001 are capable of restructuring the matter within the dimension should they demonstrate sufficient intent and willpower. This property allows individuals to create tools, garments, and weapons that cannot be directly brought to the anomaly through the access point.

An example of an SCP-001-1 instance. The entity has since been neutralized.

SCP-001 is populated by an unknown quantity of native inhabitants, who refer to the anomaly as the "Eventide." Although native inhabitants exhibit a wide variety of physical and mental characteristics, they share similar anomalous qualities, including, but not limited to: thaumaturgical capabilities, ideo-symbolic empowerment, and an innate ability to navigate within SCP-001. While the vast majority of native inhabitants encountered in SCP-001 demonstrate little more than animalistic intelligence and awareness of their surroundings, a small but significant quantity of native inhabitants demonstrate sapient-level intelligence, noted hostility towards Foundation assets, as well as a fine degree of control over the spatial and temporal instability of SCP-001 that generally exceeds that of Foundation operatives. These instances have been designated as SCP-001-1 following identification of sufficient intelligence and/or danger level.

SCP-001-1 instances generally display predatory and territorial behavior towards all other lifeforms, including other native inhabitants, though cannibalism is commonly observed in all SCP-001 inhabitants. Additionally, SCP-001-1 entities often exhibit the most variety in physical appearance; while other native inhabitants typically resemble mundane flora and fauna, SCP-001-1 instances often resemble amalgamations of different creatures, objects, and humans. The last defining characteristic of SCP-001-1 instances is their ability to cause SCP-001-home reality incursion events, designated as SCP-001-2.

Another SCP-001-1 instance. The entity has since been neutralized.

SCP-001-2 is a phenomenon affecting certain productions² of the "Exquisite Corpse" art exercise.³ While typical Exquisite Corpse games produce non-anomalous works of art, SCP-001-2 events result in accurate portrayals of SCP-001-1 instances. Upon finishing, the resulting artwork becomes cognitohazardous. Over the course of the next 1-3 days following the incident, all individuals involved in the production of SCP-001-2 will report symptoms of increasing fatigue and an inability to obtain restful sleep. Additionally, subjects will commonly report recurring dreams of SCP-001-1 instances that become increasingly pervasive, culminating in daily nightmares featuring the specific SCP-001-1 instance that was created in the corresponding SCP-001-2 event. Following this period, all affected individuals will eventually lapse into total unconsciousness during sleep, and cannot be woken through any conventional means. This effect extends to all subsequent individuals who witness the specific artwork in question.

It is believed that creation of SCP-001-2 events empowers SCP-001-1 instances through an unknown thaumaturgic connection. Critically, the only way to cure individuals affected by SCP-001 is to identify and neutralize the corresponding SCP-001-1 instance within SCP-001. Following successful neutralization, all individuals affected will eventually regain consciousness within a period of 18-24 hours.

Upon lapsing into a comatose state, individuals exposed to SCP-001-2 will wake up within SCP-001 in possession of all items on their body at the time of lapsing.⁴ Individuals who are exposed to the same SCP-001-2 instance tend to wake up near each other, though this is not guaranteed. Due to the esoteric nature of SCP-001, this experience can lead to significant mental trauma independent of the physical danger of SCP-001. Individuals who expire within SCP-001 cannot be retrieved, though their physical bodies will advance to a permanent vegetative state. As of Revision 3/Omega, said individuals are to be removed from life support and terminated immediately.

Standard Operating Procedure: SCP-001

SCP-001 presents significant danger to all personnel who are involved in its exploration. Currently, the Foundation has prohibited all operations not directly involving neutralization of SCP-001-1 due to the risk of cross-exposure. In addition, a standardized set of operating procedures have been formalized with input from MTF Mu-99 operatives. While this remains on file, an abbreviated set of rules has been further drafted as the primary points for operatives to internalize.

SCP-001 Rules of Engagement

Compiled by Alex Zhang, former captain of MTF Mu-99

Utilize pre-agreed passphrases in order to identify team members upon sight. If an entity looks like one of your team members but can't remember the phrase, find an opportunity to escape as soon as possible.
Limit communications with native inhabitants to previously identified friendly creatures, and only enough to gain intel on the target. Words have power. Be polite if you can afford to.
Never lose sight of your equipment. Anything you aren't actively concentrating on can change at will. No one wants their gun to turn into a snake when they aren't looking.
Even though you can't sleep, take breaks when you can.
Communicate with your team verbally as much as possible. Visual indicators are unreliable.
If you spot a hostile creature, work together to avoid it at all costs. Neutralization is a last resort, reserved for the intended target only.
Never turn your back on a target until it's out of sight. Watch each other's flanks.
Do not trust the appearance and/or demeanor of any sighted entities.
Do not retrieve anyone who is downed.
Do not let yourself get captured alive.

Mobile Task Force Mu-99: "Dreamcatchers"

Mobile Task Force Mu-99's sole mission objective is neutralization of SCP-001-1 instances. Operatives are generally selected from existing containment teams with a high emphasis on strong Psychic Resistance Scale scores in addition to cognitohazard resistance.

Due to the mentally damaging nature of SCP-001, MTF Mu-99 maintains a large operations roster from which agents are selected for specific missions. Agents are not permitted to serve in MTF Mu-99 for longer than 6 mission cycles, due to concerns for the long-term mental health of operatives under its jurisdiction.

Since Incident SCP-001-Alpha,⁵ MTF Mu-99 has maintained a separate entry system for SCP-001 access independent of SCP-001-1 exposure, which is to be renewed following successful SCP-001-1 neutralization missions. Degradation in native inhabitant specimens utilized for this process is to be closely monitored in order to maintain portal integrity.

Curated Catalog of Active SCP-001-1 Entities

The following is an abridged list of active SCP-001-1 entities and non-hazardous descriptions. Alternate titles that said entities are referred to by other inhabitants of SCP-001, their known behavioral patterns, and response protocols are also included.

Alternate Titles: The Mother, Queen of Spiders, She Who Weeps

Description: 001-1-A is a bipedal entity that stands roughly 2.5 meters tall. The entity's face consists of a single eye placed at lip level, with a corresponding pair of lips at eye level, in addition to two sets of ears that continuously weep an unidentified clear liquid. The head of the entity is crowned with a large spider that, while physically connected to 001-1-A by a fleshy appendage, is capable of independent locomotion. 001-1-A's torso has no arms, but is ringed by a series of horse tattoos, and possesses a pair of breasts. The lower half of the entity consists of a "skirt"⁶ tipped with small bells, and a pair of legs. While both begin as humanoid, they terminate in a giraffe hoof and unidentified reptilian foot, respectively.

Threat Level: Medium

Intelligence: High, and capable of verbal communication.

Behavior: Extremely hostile, but only to individuals who come within 3 meters of it. 001-1-A is capable of generating an unknown quantity of terrestrial spiders to attack enemies, who generally expire from suffocation. Believed to occupy a high rank within SCP-001, as other entities are known to treat 001-1-A with great respect when encountered, though many native inhabitants prefer avoiding it entirely. The entity can normally be found surrounded by a variable quantity of spiders, which should be considered part of the effective danger radius of the anomaly, as 001-1-A is known to be protective of them.

History: Predates Foundation knowledge of SCP-001, and believed to have originated in the mid 1920s during the birth of the exquisite corpse exercise. Has caused the deaths of 2 personnel and an unknown number of civilians.

Protocol: Do not engage or approach. If spotted, personnel are to retreat together while making eye contact with 001-1-A. Once a distance of at least 100 meters has been established, personnel may return to normal activities.

Revision 3/Omega

On 12/15/2019, an SCP-001 instance manifested at a private art class hosted at a community center. Prior to Foundation contact, it is believed that between one and two hundred individuals had witnessed the artwork in question, leading to a mass containment breach. All individuals were transferred to a nearby hospital, and a cover story was created involving a widespread carcinogenic substance leak in the neighborhood water supply.

Two days later, MTF Mu-99 was mobilized to eliminate the corresponding SCP-001-1 instance, hereafter designated 1-Omega. An initial reconnaissance mission was launched in order to gather intelligence about 1-Omega. Utilizing experimental neural flash imaging technology, Foundation researchers were able to record MTF Mu-99 operations within SCP-001 for the first time. It was believed at the time that this would assist in training new operatives as part of an initiative to reduce first mission fatality rates.

Containment Specialist Ahmed al-Sadi was selected for the reconnaissance mission. The agent had no prior experience with SCP-001-1, but had extensive experience in extradimensional intelligence gathering. Shortly after the start of the mission, however, it was discovered that the typical protocol for SCP-001 egress was malfunctioning. The cause of this is unknown, and still under further investigation.

The following logs are an abridged account of Agent al-Sadi's reconnaissance mission. Full logs are available upon request.

The feed begins as al-Sadi awakens. The surrounding area is heavily forested, though a dense layer of fog clings to the ground, obscuring the tree tops. The overhead sky is violet-red, and somewhat overcast. al-Sadi gets to his feet and examines himself, revealing a standard issue MTF BDU.

al-Sadi: Wallah, my head…they weren't kidding.

al-Sadi looks around his surroundings and identifies a nearby pine tree. He walks up to the tree and snaps off one of the lower branches before stripping it of its needles. He places it on the ground, and quickly tears up the soil near it, before scooping the soil over the branch in the rough form of a rifle. He places both hands on the simulacrum, and closes his eyes for approximately ten seconds. Afterwards, the feed resumes, showing the form of a Foundation standard-issue assault rifle. He searches nearby for a few minutes, finding a handful of small pebbles. After briefly closing his eyes again, he opens them to reveal that his hand is now filled with bullets, which he places into one of his vest pockets after chambering a single round. al-Sadi picks up the rifle and looks around. He looks upwards toward the sky and identifies one tree that is taller than the others in its vicinity. The trunk of the tree appears to be roughly 3.5 meters in diameter.

al-Sadi: Right, tallest point nearby…

al-Sadi approaches the tree and slings his rifle over his back. He spends the next 15 minutes scaling the tree before arriving at one of the highest branches, some 8-9 meters off the ground. Looking out over the forest, the view appears to be largely obscured by fog, but he spots an empty winding path carved through the middle of the dense foliage.

al-Sadi: River. Good orientation source.

[Logs redacted for brevity. During this time, al-Sadi made the discovery that his egress method was not functioning.]

al-Sadi arrives at the riverbank and places a hand on a tree as he peers past it, towards the direction of the water. A native inhabitant can be spotted at the riverbank drinking water. The anomaly's head resembles a tree stump with the crude approximation of a passively expressioned face. The creature's body is badger-like, though its arms terminate in a wooden branch and a metal pole. It looks up as al-Sadi arrives, causing the agent to duck behind the tree.

Badger Entity: Oh, hello traveler. You're not from here, are you?

al-Sadi does not move from his position.

Badger Entity: You don't have to hide. I won't hurt you, you know. I'm not like them.

al-Sadi: What do you mean, like them? What are you?

Badger Entity: They are the hunters. We are the hunted.

al-Sadi slowly peeks his head past the tree. His rifle is readied.

al-Sadi: I see. Tell me, have you seen a stag-headed creature wearing a dark robe?

The entity appears to become agitated. It looks around hurriedly before returning its attention to al-Sadi.

Badger Entity: The Brazen One has power in the desolate places where things cling to life. You would be well advised to avoid him, traveler. Why do you seek him out?

al-Sadi: I don't have a choice, I'm afraid. There are…a lot of people who are in danger. They need me to find him.

Badger Entity: Ah…obligations. I understand. Then, what are we waiting for?

al-Sadi: What?

Badger Entity: You need to find the Brazen One, and I could use a friendly face to travel with. Come. Let’s find him together.

al-Sadi accepted the badger-like entity’s offer, and proceeded to follow the river for the next 32 minutes in real time, though due to time dilation within SCP-001, it is believed that his journey took between 2 and 3 hours within localized space. During this time, al-Sadi spent a significant amount of time conversing with the native inhabitant. A lightly edited transcript of their conversation has been included below.

al-Sadi: So, tell me more about this distinction between the hunter and the hunted. Are you a different species?

Badger Entity: No, not like that. They are simply above us.

al-Sadi: What do you mean, “above?” Why are they higher than you?

The carved face on the tree stump shifts into a frown, from its earlier pensive state.

Badger Entity: Hmm. How do I explain this to a man? Tell me, can a dream exist without a dreamer?

al-Sadi: I…uh…hm. I suppose not. Who would be dreaming then?

Badger Entity: Exactly. Without dreamers, a dream is nothing-it cannot live. Dreams need dreamers to sustain them, nourish them, and keep them going. They cannot be created from nothing, after all.

al-Sadi: So, if that’s true, then it would follow that dreams with many dreamers….ah, I get it.

The face shifts into a cheerful smile.

Badger Entity: You are a quick one, friend. Very quick.

al-Sadi: But why would they pull people in? Shouldn’t that take away their supply?

Badger Entity: Oh my, no. Your people are…travelers in our world. You touch upon our lands like a drop of water on a pond’s surface, hardly breaking the tension of the first layer during your nightly travels. Think of it this way: imagine a zoo filled with exotic animals. The zookeepers must come from time to time to feed the animals, but they never stay for long, only tossing in fruits and meats from behind the safety of their own fences. Most of the animals must subsist on these meager scraps…but why should a lion content himself with morsels when the zookeeper remains within reach?

al-Sadi: Oh…oh, Allah preserve.

Badger Entity: That, friend, is why they are the hunters. To your kind and mine.

al-Sadi: So what can you do?

Badger Entity: What else? We hide. We run. We wait until our own power can grow. Some day, we will come out on top. Perhaps some day, you too will be free of the dreams that haunt you.

al-Sadi and the badger-like entity eventually reached a hill by the side of the river, which they proceeded to climb in order to gain a better vantage point of the surrounding area.

al-Sadi and the native inhabitant are crawling towards the top of the hill. The badger-like entity peeks out over the crest of the hill and immediately ducks its head back down.

Badger Entity: Oh no. That's not good.

al-Sadi: What? What is it?

al-Sadi peers over the top of the hill, which overlooks a small clearing in the forest. Sitting in the clearing is a towering figure, nearly 3 meters tall, who is facing away from the agent and the badger-like entity. A large spider-like creature appears to be attached to the head of the creature, revealing it to be 001-1-A. al-Sadi immediately ducks his head behind the hill once again.

al-Sadi: Ya lahwi, that can’t be good.

Badger Entity: What is she doing here? She’s not supposed to be here.

001-1-A: And yet, she is.

Both al-Sadi and the badger-like entity freeze. 001-1-A’s voice is composed of a multitude of voices speaking in parallel, so numerous that none can be individually resolved. The agent and the native inhabitant stand up, a healthy distance away from 001-1-A’s hostile range, to see that the spider-like appendage is looking at both of them, though 001-1-A’s head has not turned to face them.

Badger Entity: Ah, honored Mother. We didn’t mean to interrupt your rest.

001-1-A: And yet, you have. So this is where you’ve been hiding? In this guise?

Badger Entity: Ah…hiding is a…strong word, Weeping One. I merely keep to myself, is all. The better to avoid meddling in your affairs.

001-1-A: Ever the charmer. Your empty flattery means little to me.

Badger Entity: With all due respect, Weeping One, flattery helps keep me alive.

001-1-A: Yes…surviving. That is, after all, what you are best at.

al-Sadi: What is she talking about?

001-1-A rapidly swivels its entire body around to look at al-Sadi, who flinches.

001-1-A: You have no right to speak here, manling. You are a long way from home. You would be wise to leave this place, and count yourself lucky that I do not eat you.

al-Sadi: I apologize.

001-1-A: Some manners. Good. You are not half so stupid as you look.

001-1-A turns its attention back to the badger-like entity.

001-1-A: Have you grown sick of begging at the table, then?

Badger Entity: Oh Queen of Spiders…begging is not half so bad…but I can’t help but notice the feasts that you have been gorging yourself on. So many dreamers pass through your hungry maw.

001-1-A: I have many mouths to feed and many children to raise. I do what I must to keep them alive. Something you no doubt understand.

The badger-like entity bows.

Badger Entity: Of course, Mother. May you always be in good health, and the same to your brood. Once again, my apologies for disturbing you; I had not known you were here. We will be departing short-

Suddenly, a low noise can be heard, similar to rumbling. al-Sadi looks around wildly. The noise grows in volume, which begins to resolve into the sound of laughter. After a few moments, the laughter can be heard throughout the entire clearing. 001-1-A begins growling, which matches the rising pitch of the laughter to turn into a full shriek. Simultaneously, the ground suddenly begins to shake as spiders begin crawling out of the ground en-masse, blanketing the clearing with a variety of arachnids of all sizes. The swarm rapidly grows so dense that the ground can no longer be seen. al-Sadi turns towards the badger-like entity, whose face has shifted into a look of panic.

001-1-A: The Laughing One approaches. He will not have them. He cannot have them!

al-Sadi: What is-

Badger Entity: Oh dear, not him. Why now of all times?

Suddenly, the sound of laughter abruptly ceases for a few seconds. al-Sadi stops, listening. Then, a rhythmic thumping sound can be heard, becoming louder until it can be recognized as footsteps on the ground.

001-1-A: Defiler! You are no king of mine! You CANNOT HAVE THEM!

001-1-A screeches the last line at a volume that makes al-Sadi wince, clapping his hands over his ears. The badger-like entity moves in front of al-Sadi and places its arms on his chest.

Badger Entity: This is not meant for you to see, friend. You had best be off now. Try not to die.

al-Sadi: What are you-

The creature shoves al-Sadi, forcing him off-balance and causing him to fall backwards. The agent begins rolling down the hill. The thumping sound ceases, and al-Sadi catches a glimpse of a multi-colored creature leaping through the air towards the clearing, which is greeted with the sound of an inhuman shriek.

At this point, al-Sadi's feed becomes scrambled as he evidently rolled down the hill for the next 20 minutes. The following comes from his perspective after he managed to arrest his motion.

al-Sadi is lying on his back, looking towards the sky, and breathing heavily. The ground in this area is dusted with a light layer of snow, though the atmosphere is unchanged. He sits up and looks around at his surroundings, which now appear to have taken the shape of a mostly clear field filled with a few inches of snow. The hill is nowhere to be seen. al-Sadi looks down at his belongings and identifies his rifle. He takes it up in his hands and examines it for marks or scuffing.

Unidentified male voice: How droll! A man-shaped creature!

al-Sadi whips around, rifle raised. The perspective feed shows 001-1-C towering over al-Sadi at a distance of a few feet, though it does not appear to be approaching. Both of the entity's heads appear to be directing their attention to al-Sadi, who slides backwards a few inches.

Female head: Curiouser and curiouser. And what name do you go by, young traveler?

al-Sadi: I…uh…I'm afraid that I can't answer that question. What may I address you as?

Male head: Who are we? A great puzzle, is it not. We have many names.

Female head: The Twins.

Male head: The Two Who are One.

Female head: Or perhaps just….C.

al-Sadi: I…I'm charmed to make your acquaintance.

Male head: The little man-thing is charmed! How whimsical, how droll, how positively delightful.

Female head: You've come a long way from home, have you not, man-thing?

al-Sadi: I…yes. I'm looking for something. I just have so many questions.

Male head: Ooooh yes, we have helped the man-things in the past.

Female head: When we were not hungry, yes. Such delicious dreams from your heads…

Male head: So succulent! So sweet!

al-Sadi: You're not hungry now, are you?

Male head: Lucky man-thing! Fortunate man-thing!

Female head: Yes, yes. We have just eaten, man-thing. You are in luck. A man-thing such as yourself wandered our way and did not play our game. He was….most delectable. He had grown so much power.

al-Sadi: Oh…that’s…good, I suppose.

Male head: So we feel delighted to help, man-thing! Ask your questions.

al-Sadi: I…where am I? What are you?

Female head: It asks such questions!

Male head: So simple!

Female head: This is the Eventide, dear man-thing. The place from which all dreams arise. The birthplace of your most wondrous flights of fancy and your darkest, most terrible secrets. The echo in the cave, the image in the water, the face in the mirror. The land of dreams is not meant for you to stay long, man-thing, so you'd best be scurrying along.

al-Sadi: I meant where am I specifica-gah. Okay. What exactly are you? What kind of dream are you supposed to be?

Male head: Again it asks!

Female head: Ask not a third time, sweet man-thing. Some questions should not be asked of us.

al-Sadi's vision blurs somewhat at the last statement, and he clutches his head for a moment. After a few seconds, he shakes his head and resumes.

al-Sadi: I-I apologize. That was impolite of me. May I ask one final question of you?

Male head: One last, one last, yes. Perhaps we shall answer it, perhaps we shall not.

Female head: We are feeling pleasant today, man-thing. Ask your question, but let it be your last.

al-Sadi: I'm looking for a creature with a crowned set of antlers, and wearing a dark robe.

001-1-C freezes. The entity leans forward until it is nearly touching al-Sadi, both heads now fully turned to look at the agent. It moves back and forth for a moment, regarding al-Sadi from many different angles.

Male head: It seeks the Brazen One.

Female head: You ask much of us, man-thing. Even we who are ancient have taken notice of the One Who Stands.

al-Sadi: Please. I need to find it.

Female head: Very well, man-thing. But do not blame us if he eats your heart. Find the highest peak of the Eventide. After climbing its peak, take that which you hold precious and burn it with the leaves of the Song of the Mountain. The One Who Stands will come to you.

al-Sadi: Thank you. Thank you kindly, honored Twins.

The entity gives a bow, before bringing itself up to its full height. It begins sinking into the snowy soil, only pausing to give al-Sadi a look with both of its heads before fully disappearing into the earth. al-Sadi lets out a deep breath and begins gasping while clutching at his chest.

al-Sadi proceeds to travel for the next 18 hours and 34 minutes of real time, though due to the aforementioned time dilation, it is believed that this journey took 17 days within localized space. The operative did not encounter any more SCP-001-1 instances, nor did he speak at any point in this journey. Approximately 12 real time hours after his encounter with 001-1-C, al-Sadi had reached a mountainous region of SCP-001, and had begun climbing to the top peak after manifesting a set of climbing tools. Approximately 3 real time hours into this climb, al-Sadi encountered a native inhabitant of SCP-001 for the first time since he began his summit of the mountain.

al-Sadi is currently climbing a snowy portion of the mountain. He has materialized a set of ice axes and crampons¹⁰, and looks to be targeting an exposed rock located approximately 10 meters up and to his right. al-Sadi adjusts his right ax's position and looks upwards.

At this moment, a native inhabitant can be seen lying on top of the rock. The entity's body is roughly vulpine and approximately one meter long. Patterns of fur running along its body spiral in a manner reminiscent of heating coils. The entity possesses no visible head, though a trim of thick fur surrounds its neck. It appears to have taken notice of al-Sadi, who has completely frozen. al-Sadi lets go of one of his ice axes with his right hand, which moves downwards towards his belt, where he has a manifested side-arm in a holster.

The left ice-axe dislodges, causing al-Sadi to abruptly begin sliding down the slope as his crampons simultaneously lose their grip. He tries to grab back onto the right ax, but is unable to do so before he slides out of its reach. Simultaneously, the entity climbs down from its perch and begins climbing down towards al-Sadi. It begins to pick up pace from a slow walk to a full gallop down the snowy slope.

al-Sadi manages to self-arrest his fall by grabbing his remaining ice axe with both hands and stabbing it into the ice with his full weight leaning against the mountain. At this moment, he glances upwards and sees the entity tensing on the side of the slope, low to the ground. It leaps off of the side, flying through the air at al-Sadi. The agent braces both feet against the mountain and pulls, sliding out of his self-arrest position and down the incline as the creature passes through the space where he had just been, nearly coming into contact with his left hand.

al-Sadi: Ah, fuck!

al-Sadi arrests his fall once again, and holds up his hand. The glove appears to be singed and the material has partially melted. He looks down towards the creature, which has landed approximately 30 meters below him, but appears to be re-climbing the mountain. al-Sadi takes the opportunity to draw his sidearm with his right hand, pointing it down at the entity. He fires 3 rounds at the creature. None appear to be hit. al-Sadi fires two more shots, both of which appear to be on target, but the entity does not react.

al-Sadi fires one more round, and as the entity comes closer, it can be seen that a spark of fire erupts approximately one meter in front of the point at which the gun was aimed. al-Sadi fires two more shots, and once again, it can be seen that the bullets burn out before contacting the target. The creature continues climbing upwards towards al-Sadi unabated.

al-Sadi pauses for a moment and closes his eyes briefly. When he reopens them, his sidearm has been replaced with a flare gun. He takes aim at a point just above the target, and fires off a flare. The flare round traces a hot glowing trail from the barrel down to the base of the mountain, bouncing a few times in the process. The entity immediately redirects its attention at the flare, looking away from al-Sadi. al-Sadi closes his eyes again briefly, and then reopens them to fire another flare at the same position, before doing it a third time.

The entity turns downwards, and bounds down the slope towards the location of the flares. al-Sadi closes his eyes, and is breathing heavily.

al-Sadi: Ya lahwi…

He looks towards his flare gun, which has now shifted into the form of a replacement ice ax. The operative looks back towards the rock it had been heading towards, and resumes climbing, slower than he had been before.

al-Sadi continued climbing for the remainder of the aforementioned 18 hour journey. At one point, the agent made the following statement while resting on a ledge, using vocalization as a means to record a log, which he repeated during rest periods.

al-Sadi is resting underneath a pine tree, on a ledge overlooking the thickly fogged valley floor below. There is a light snow falling, though the sky overhead remains the same color as has been previously observed. al-Sadi is watching the valley below, but little is visible through the dense fog.

Hello, anyone who’s listening. It’s been days since I spoke to anyone, it seems, so my own demons will have to do for company. I only talk to myself now. “Keep moving. Keep climbing. Don’t stop.” My little mantra. It has replaced the Salat for me, seeing as though Mecca is nowhere to be found.

al-Sadi laughs. His voice sounds more hoarse than in prior recordings.

Sorry. I've found little humor in the past few days. It's hard. Nothing changes in this world. Without clocks, sunrises, or even the need to eat or sleep, even time has lost all meaning. Everything I see is the same endless sunset that it always is here. Nothing changes. It's all the same bullshit. It’s…depressing.

al-Sadi pauses.

I wonder sometimes if it wouldn't be better to just lie down and accept my fate. By myself, what can I hope to do? Would it be better to simply wait for something to send me home?

al-Sadi pauses again, and looks skywards towards the mountain peak. He then looks downwards at the set of ice axes in his hands, which are scuffed and chipped from use. He tightens his grip on them for a moment, and closes his eyes for a brief moment. When he reopens them, the tools appear to be brand new, free from any damage.

For now, the answer is no. There are still hundreds who could be saved. I can keep moving. That is all I have left.

If anyone is listening, I want them to know that I tried. If not for myself, then what keeps me going is the others that could be saved. For them, I keep moving. I cannot fail.

I wonder where I'll go if I die in here.

At the conclusion of this journey, al-Sadi reached the top peak of the mountain range he had been climbing. The following is the log of his actions after reaching the top of the mountain.

al-Sadi is sitting in front of a small hole that he has dug in the ground. He reaches into his pocket and retrieves a blue-grey flower that resembles a snowbell. He picks the leaves off of the flower and places them in the hole, before looking at his left hand, and the ring that adorns it. He closes his eye for a moment before removing the ring and placing it in the hole.

al-Sadi: Now, where to get a…ah, of course.

al-Sadi retrieves a nearby twig and closes his hands over it. He opens them again to reveal a lighter.

al-Sadi: Perfect.

al-Sadi flips the lighter open and after a few tries, manages to ignite the leaves in the hole. The fire starts as a reddish orange color, but after burning for a few moments, it shifts hues to a bright blue. The gold ring begins to glow before softening and slowly melting, mixing with the leaves. al-Sadi retrieves his rifle, and brings it to his shoulder, aiming it at a point above the hole.

Unidentified voice: Nice work.

al-Sadi spins around, revealing a figure leaning against a nearby tree, in shadow. Before he can focus his attention on the figure, his eyes flick upwards, to the sight of a rock that's been tossed through the air. His attention snaps back to the figure, and he squeezes the trigger of his rifle. A stream of water jets from the barrel, and splashes harmlessly on the ground. The rock lands at his feet.

Unidentified figure: Ah, ah. You weren't focusing.

The figure stands upright, and walks forward into the dim light of the sunset sky, revealing the badger-like entity. al-Sadi pauses for a moment.

al-Sadi: It's you, isn't it. You're him. The Brazen One. The thing I've been looking for all this time. You're 1-Omega.

The carved face grins. The appearance of the entity begins to grow blurred, until it melts away to reveal the true appearance of 1-Omega, an antler-crowned stag wearing a set of dark robes. It walks closer to the fire, causing al-Sadi to back up. However, rather than attacking, it sits down by the fire cross-legged, sighing as it does so. It motions to al-Sadi, gesturing for him to sit down. al-Sadi hesitates, but takes a seat at his current position, far away from the anomaly.

1-Omega: As I said before, you are a quick one. I shouldn’t be surprised, but so many of your kind wander through here like lost lambs that you’ll forgive me if I underestimated you.

al-Sadi: Well, most of them haven't gone through what I've had to.

1-Omega: That's certainly true. You've lasted longer than almost anyone else.

al-Sadi: And how would you know? You've hardly existed for longer than I've been here.

1-Omega chuckles. It picks up a stick and begins poking at the fire absentmindedly.

1-Omega: Is that what you think, child? You think that a finger-painted strip of canvas is what gave birth to me?

al-Sadi: …I'm guessing the answer is no, then.

1-Omega: Dear child, no. Dreams are persistent. Your kind aren't so clever as to have wholly new dreams. Generations come and go, but they all want similar things. Money. Power. Safety. A quiet life. The forms that we take may change, but at our core, we stay the same. And the more of you there are, the more real we get.

al-Sadi: So then whose dream are you?

1-Omega: A better question is, whose dream am I not? You must have gotten an idea by now. Who do you think I am?

al-Sadi: …ah. So it's been you this whole time, then. You're the thing pushing me to keep going. That's…ironic.

1-Omega: You truly are a clever one, Ahmed, son of Mohammed.

al-Sadi: But why push me if you knew that I was coming to kill you? Why did you help me?

1-Omega chuckles, and stands up, dusting itself off as it does so.

1-Omega: First of all, don't get ahead of yourself, child. I am older than you could possibly imagine. Secondly, have you forgotten what I told you about dreamers and dreams? Lions and zookeepers?

al-Sadi: What do you mean?

1-Omega: Child, if there's anything you have learned about the Eventide, it should be the importance of intent. You are living in a land of dreams, Ahmed. Remember that here, your willpower is what shapes reality. And lest you forget, your desires and intent can give life to many things….or creatures.

al-Sadi rises to his feet, staring the entity down.

al-Sadi: Explain yourself. I'm tired of the games.

1-Omega: You have suffered much during your journey here, child. That, I know. We have watched you with great interest. You have reverted to your basest instincts, turning yourself from a man into a beast with but one desire: to survive. That desire is something that burns in my heart as well, and for that, I must commend and thank you. For what is a desire if not a waking dream?

al-Sadi: …Oh, oh fuck. So this whole time, me pushing forward was feeding…

1-Omega: Don't overestimate yourself, child. That most primal of desires is what every life form on your planet has dreamt of since your planet was little but expanding gases. Your dream is little different from those of the others who feed me. Still…I must admit, your continued presence here has been delicious. The lions are feasting like we never have before. You have my thanks.

al-Sadi: No…it can’t be like this…

1-Omega: Take heart, boy. You have accomplished your dream. You live. You continue to draw breath. What is it to you if it happens to benefit another? Why do you care about the lives of a few prey?

al-Sadi pauses for a few moments, and turns away from the entity.

al-Sadi: Ach. Seems like there’s only one way out, then.

1-Omega: What do you-

al-Sadi: You are not the master of my dreams.

al-Sadi pulls out an unseen knife from his combat vest and slits his own throat, spraying blood across the ground. He collapses onto the ground, lying on his side. As his vision fades, 1-Omega's shocked face can be seen for an instant, though it quickly shifts into a sad frown.

1-Omega: Oh, child. You think you are enough to stem the tide of this many dreams?

Following this, agent al-Sadi's brain activity began registering massive spikes in activity consistent with those found during REM sleep. After a few minutes of this, al-Sadi's body began actively convulsing, at which point the decision was made to terminate the agent. Revision 3/Omega was enacted shortly thereafter, greatly reducing the scope of Foundation operations within SCP-001 to the absolute minimum required for neutralizing SCP-001-1 instances. No patient hospitalized during 1-Omega's associated SCP-001 incident has awakened.

Entity 1-Omega has not been seen by Foundation personnel since this incident.

‡ Licensing / Citation

Footnotes

SCP Sandbox III

Sandbox III: Revenge of the Sandbox