SCP-4190 / Discussion

This is the discussion related to the wiki page SCP-4190.

It was all a dream, I used to read Shark Punch magazine.

Lt Flops 15 Mar 2019 05:02

SCP-4190: A Twenty Thousand League Delay
Author: Lt Flops

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▷ Entry for DAY ONE ◁

▷ Entry for DAY TWO ◁

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This is an SCP for the FINAL DAY of the 144-Hour Jam Contest! The theme was "So it was all a dream". It's also a coldpost, but Uncle Nicolini gave me the motivation to continue writing.

Spelling Bee
I coin a new term in this one: Ephialteic. Derived from the Greek "Ephialtes", meaning "nightmare". Ephialteic is on the flipside of Oneiric.

• Oneiric = of or related to dreams.
• Ephialteic = of or related to nightmares.

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▷ Image Attribution

Image Attribution

Filename: arrival-of-the-mistaken-beast.png
Name: Mort Kunstler, Shark Attack, Adrift for 43 Days, Male magazine front cover, April 1968
Author: Susi Pator
License: Public Domain Mark 1.0
Source Link: Flickr
Note: Edited by Lt Flops. Added borders, censor bars.

▷ Spoilers/Background Information

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This article is tagged "shark-punching-center". The image is titled "Arrival of the Mistaken Beast".

We created the Shark Punching Centre's entire universe through a typographical error. When we stop finding the SPC universe funny, it ceases to exist. So what's going on? The Centre is communicating through the Foundation universe to the authors — that's us!

The Centre is saying:

1. Hello, we exist! You're doing a great job!
2. Keep it up, okay?
3. We kinda like things the way they are.
4. We're not mad at you.
5. Well, even if we were, it doesn't matter.
6. Just keep the joke alive.
7. For our sake.

There's a loose strand hanging here. In the SPC universe, what the Sharkic Cults see as God is the Mistaken Beast, an eldritch Selachian abomination they're trying to eat. But what they don't realize is that God is the Authors, and if they eat them, their entire universe will cease to exist.

So perhaps it's not just the Centre communicating — it's their entire universe. Whether it's the Mistaken Beast arriving and getting eaten, or the Authors (us) not finding it funny anymore, they just don't want to fade away.

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If you liked this, check out my Author Page!

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https://scpwiki.com/floppyphoenix

Last edited on 11 Apr 2021 06:01 by Lt Flops Show more

Solitary

Lilily 16 Mar 2019 07:08

Putting someone with paranoid hallucinations, anomalous or otherwise, in solitary confinement for three days would likely psychologically damage them for life, so I'd at the very least expect an explanation for why this method of containment is needed. It's not described as being contagious or otherwise dangerous to others, so it seems very out of place for the foundation to basically torture affected subjects for no (stated) reason.

Re: Solitary

Lt Flops 17 Mar 2019 22:15

Oh, absolutely, that's a good point.

I was trying to go for "what is the wackiest, creepiest, most out-there containment procedure I could pull off to draw people into the work?". I think I was expecting to tell more of a horror story here. But I decided instead to slot in the story behind the ALL CAPS note at the end of writing, without changing its setup to match. One of the consequences of having no time to get critique, I suppose.

I'll try to work the containment into something more realistic after the contest is over and I can freely edit the work without being penalized.

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https://scpwiki.com/floppyphoenix

Re: Solitary

MobRules 19 Mar 2019 01:23

Well, it did draw me in — in that it built up the anticipation of the explanation for WHY the severe containment procedure was needed — especially the bit about vocalizations being ignored(!). But then the skip just ended without mentioning it again.

TheJonyMyster 19 Jul 2021 21:31

"Personnel are informed to continue dreaming." Whoa, what does that mean lol