SCP-001: A Test of Character
Life holds no shortage of critics, haters, blind supporters, and every shade of thing in between. It is very easy to lose yourself in the ocean of opinions and give in to the emotions and group identities that can rob you of your Self. As every author, every person, lives the struggle to find out who they are and what type of person they will be I pray that each and every one of you reading this will find the space and patience to define that future authentically.
Thank you for all of your readership in the three years I have been posting my works to the wiki. I have so much more I want to share and I only now feel as if I have learned how to skitter between the legs of these literary giants that I am privileged to share the space with.
A special alphabetically sorted thank you to users
Calibri Bold,
Dysadron,
LordStonefish,
Marcelles_Raynes,
plaidypus,
Quadraginta who all provided several rounds of critical feedback on these drafts and helped me realize a much more rounded final product. An additional and special thanks to
MalyceGraves for their help in brainstorming and critting for the long game over the many months it took me to arrive to this destination. And perhaps most importantly, 'keeping it real' with me as I explored this journey.
I would also issue a different sort of thank you to
A Random Day and
Captain Kirby for their frank and critical feedback on earlier versions of this proposal that guided me to a new direction for this piece. Your efforts exemplify the spirit of critical peer review which makes this wiki work. Thank you.
The quote, "Church is a hospital for sinners", is attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo, John Chrysostom, and Abigail Van Buren, among others.
The quote "They shall beat their swords to plowshares" is Biblical, Isaiah 2:3-4
Administrator Oleander's paraphrase about looking glasses and mirrors from his epistolary is derivative of a Biblical quote, 1 Corinthians 13:12
If you're confused after reading, maybe this'll help.
Reminder that all my answers are strictly the context of my own work.
The O5s dont exist in the flesh and blood sense; there is no tangible O5-1 you could go talk to or have a real, truly two-sided conversation with. What they are instead is representative of high degrees of order and of group-think. Repeated entries refer to the O5s expressing doubt and being swayed by reaction. A force of nature, almost. Strictly defining "what" that means isn't the goal of this piece beyond to establish the 001 is inhuman and ultimately a secondary force.
The other half of this The Administrator, and that "office" is the main character of this piece. The Administrator is the individual. The tight, explicit will of a single mind with power who can do what they want, but are constantly constrained and buffeted by external/exterior opinions.
The 15 people that are selected at random to vote must cast their ballot in order to access the O5 Council. This represents the option to "Decide" to give up control, which intrinsically requires consent. The goal with the end of the piece was to establish that the 001, the O5 Council, has been tamed and put in check by a competent and capable administrator who respects the opinions of experts, who governs fairly but doesn't lose their mission or their Self to pressure.
The voting system exists should the next person be too weak to follow in the footsteps of the final named Admin, Michelle Wilkes. A final test of character knowing that, if you can't get the job done, you can always give up control to the group.
Hope this helps.