End-of-World K/O Failure Scenario
The Executive Pugilist skimmed over the title of the young researcher's proposal and furrowed his brow.
"What the hell is an End-of-World K/O Failure Scenario?"
The researcher grinned, excited to discuss her work.
"Any scenario in which the Centre is compromised in such a way that it is permanently and utterly unable to complete its mission, sir. In technical terms, the sharks win."
"Isn't that a little broad?"
"Maybe, but do we really need a million subclassifications to tell the reader that X causes the Centre to fail in this specific way? In the end, it's always the sharks winning."
"Fair enough," he shrugged. "I do suppose that would get a little redundant after a while. I'll send this up to the rest of the Executive Pugilist Assembly. No promises they'll do anything with it."
"Wonderful," the researcher beamed. "I've taken the liberty to include several different examples in the packet. Nothing fancy, just a couple of unique ways the scenario can go down."
The Executive Pugilist nodded and watched the young researcher take her leave.
"I remember sitting in the Site-71 cafeteria, eating pickled cabbage and creamed corn salads with my comrades, when I finally heard someone ask aloud what we'd all wondered in the dark corners of our heads.
What if they don't come back?"
"Only the tips of Denver's skyscrapers still protruded above the sea: glass tombstones for citizens that were washed away years ago. Within one of those lonesome monoliths, a young man in a red and black life jacket watched the surf. Despite the knowledge of what lurked within that water, he felt a sense of calm as the sunrise illuminated its surface."
"SPC-172 is a selachian entity known to civilians as the narwhal."
"It was like someone shit in a dead fish and left it in the hot summer sun for a few days. The flesh around his foot was all kinds of black and green and maroon. There were these sharp, tooth-like protrusions sticking out of the skin where I'd put the sutures. They'd chewed their way through the thread, leaving open gaps that exposed more rows of smaller, sharper teeth inside."
Skimming over the list of examples, he furrowed his brow once more.
"What the fuck is an SCP?"
He then sighed and resumed punching his stress-shark.