The Dreamer had not stirred in aeons. Sometimes, its dreams became nightmares about the nameless ones, but mostly it dreamt of the cave. Dispersed though it was, it still sometimes focused on a single plant or animal. Its incomprehensible attentions settled on a single glow-tree by the dark wall, and the ancient portal. Mindlessly it gazed, staring without thought. Suddenly, unexpectedly, something changed. The ancient portal creaked and cracked, and opened. Through it came strange apparitions, unlike any in the cave. But the Dreamer recognized them anyway: life.
Item # 6374
Object Class: Euclid Keter
Special Containment Procedures:
Provisional Site-581 encompasses SCP-6374, the access tunnel connecting it to the surface, and 25 acres immediately surrounding the surface entrance of the tunnel. Human development and activity around Provisional Site-581 is to be discouraged under the guise of preventing habitat loss in the Amazon rainforest. Outside flora and fauna are not to be introduced to SCP-6374 without authorization from Dr. Wells. Likewise, native organisms are not to be removed from SCP-6374 without authorization, and direct interaction with fauna should be avoided during exploration. To facilitate ease of access, the tunnel between SCP-6374 and Provisional Site-581 has been lined with concrete and reinforced.
Security personnel are to keep continuous watch on the entrance to SCP-6374. In the event that SCP-6374-native fauna breach the entrance, they are to be shot before reaching Provisional Site-581. Any flora transported outside SCP-6374 by fauna should be removed and incinerated.
Security personnel are to keep continuous watch on the entrance to SCP-6374. In the event that SCP-6374-native fauna breach the entrance, they are to be dispatched with flamethrowers and firearms immediately. Any SCP-6374-native flora found outside SCP-6374 should be removed and incinerated, including roots.
A large containment seal has been fitted to completely seal the tunnel between SCP-6374 and Provisional Site-581.
The tunnel between SCP-6374 and Provisional Site-581 should not be sealed except during breaches. The tunnel has been equipped with airtight steel doors at both ends, and a ventilation system capable of introducing and rapidly removing hydrogen cyanide gas to and from the atmosphere. During breach attempts by SCP-6374-native organisms, the tunnel is to be sealed at both ends and flushed with cyanide gas for 15 minutes. After this period, the ventilation system is to purge the atmosphere until the tunnel can be safely unsealed, at which point a recovery team equipped with Level-A Hazmat suits and flamethrowers are to enter the tunnel to remove the remains of native organisms. Native flora removed from SCP-6374 during breaches are to be incinerated.
Four wide-area Scranton Reality Anchors have been positioned around Provisional Site-581 to maintain constant Hume levels onsite, although attempting to use Scranton Reality Anchors to fully suppress SCP-6374's elevated Hume levels has been deemed impractical.
SCP-6374-A1 is contained in a specialized bio-containment cell in Site-66, equipped with a means of remotely incinerating the biomass and SCP-6374-1 instances it produces once every 24 hours, as well as the capability to do so on command. SCP-6374-A1's cell should not be entered without Level-C Hazmat suits and/or insulating protective equipment. Once a week, SCP-6374-A1's cell should be checked for biomass or SCP-6374-1 instances that survive incineration, and any such instances should be terminated.
Description: SCP-6374 is an extensive natural cave system located in the Amazon rainforest approximately 30 kilometers north of Manaus, Brazil. SCP-6374 is home to multiple unique species of flora and fauna, and has an ambient Hume count as high as 300 Hm. SCP-6374 strongly influences background Hume levels in the surrounding area, with steadily-rising counts detectable from more than 40 km away.
SCP-6374 is accessible via a spiral tunnel leading approximately 20 meters below the surface. This tunnel was, prior to Foundation exploration, sealed at the border of SCP-6374 by an artificial stone wall and a thick door composed of desiccated plant matter. Species native to SCP-6374 have not been observed attempting to cross the threshold and exit the cave.
All multicellular species found in SCP-6374 so far are unique, and found nowhere else on Earth. Most are not technically anomalous, but several display traits or abilities that seemingly violate known laws of physics. For the sake of simplicity, SCP-6374-native flora and fauna are collectively referred to as SCP-6374-1.
SCP-6374 primarily consists of long, meandering passages connecting multiple larger chambers and shafts. Each chamber generally connects to at least three passages, but some passages branch off between chambers. Several shafts are mostly filled with underground lakes, which may be connected to each other via submerged conduits.
While a complete map of SCP-6374 is still being devised, as several passages are unexplored and the center of the cave (as defined by Hume levels) has not yet been reached, extrapolation of the mapped layout suggests the existence of a massive cavern located in the center of the system, possibly connected to the rest of the system by as few as one passage.
SCP-6374's atmosphere is composed of approximately 68% nitrogen, 29% oxygen, 2% water vapor, and 1% other gases, primarily argon.
This is an abridged list of non-anomalous species native to SCP-6374. For the complete list, consult Document 6374/B1.
| Web-slinger tarantula |
(Euthycaelus glyphus) |
An arachnid approximately 10 cm in diameter. Possesses a violet exterior coloration. Instead of spinning webs, the web-slinger uses ambush tactics to capture prey. When hunting, it will remain in a single location until suitable prey flies or crawls within ~1 meter. The tarantula will launch a long, sticky web at high velocity to catch and partially immobilize the prey, before retracting the web. The web-slinger primarily consumes stinging dragonflies and other arthropods. |
| Stinging dragonfly |
(Macromia scorpius) |
A winged dragonfly-like insect 3 cm in length, possessing a stinger tail. It is unclear if the stinger injects venom. The stinging dragonfly is commonly found near moving water, and exhibits behavior consistent with cruiser dragonflies. |
| Amazon glowworm |
(Arachnocampa amazonia foundationi) |
A species of fungus gnats with a bioluminescent larval stage. Behaves similarly to fungus gnats of the genus Arachnocampa, but feeds on moss instead of other insects, and does not lay silk snares to catch prey. The Amazon glowworm primarily resides on the ceiling of SCP-6374, often clustered in colonies of several hundred or thousand. Individuals spend most of their life in the larval stage. In the adult stage, female glowworms will immediately seek out a mate and lay 100-150 eggs within 2 days of emergence. Adult male glowworms will make silk nests to protect unhatched eggs, regardless of whether they have mated. |
This is an abridged list of anomalous species native to SCP-6374. For a complete list, consult Document 6374/B2.
| Glow-tree |
(Ficus phosphora) |
Similar in appearance and structure to trees of the Ficus genus, particularly Ficus macrophylla. Instead of leaves, glow-trees possess clusters of bioluminescent bulbs 1-2 cm in diameter. These bulbs range in coloration from greenish-blue to blue-violet, but are uniformly bright and share the same coloration across a single tree. How the trees produce the light, and how they gain energy without photosynthesis, is unknown. |
| Gestation blisterpod |
(n/a) |
The gestation blisterpod is not known to be a single species, but instead functions as a means of spawning all types of fauna native to SCP-6374. The blisterpod is found only in chambers and shafts, where it is often concentrated in groups of several hundred instances growing out of the walls and floor. While all species of SCP-6374-1 are capable of natural reproduction, blisterpods regularly create new instances of all fauna species. |
| Giant violin beetle |
(Goliathus stradivarius) |
Superficially similar to goliath beetles, but structurally defined by long, thin chitinous growths out of their abdomen. The left growth possesses four taut strings made of an unknown substance connecting from the end to the base. The right growth possesses a similar structure, but instead of four distinct strings, a thick, flat bundle of horsehair stretches from the end to the base. The giant violin beetle makes sound by stridulating (rubbing together) the strings and hair, although how it is able to control the pitch and length of notes is unknown. The giant violin beetle has only been directly observed once, but is believed to be responsible for all reports of personnel hearing violin being played within SCP-6374. |
| Aquatic jaguar |
(Panthera amphibia) |
An amphibious felid mammal. The aquatic jaguar spends the majority of its time underwater, but is fully mobile on land. It exclusively hunts underwater, but will leave the water to mate. The aquatic jaguar gives live birth, but juveniles have only been observed in utero. |
Addendum 6374-3
Multiple personnel who have performed repeated explorations of SCP-6374 report vague feelings of being watched while in SCP-6374 for longer than ~15 minutes. Teams have also reported auditory hallucinations, although these are in fact physical phenomena due to native species and the acoustics within SCP-6374.
Date: 21/09/2018
Interviewer: Dr. Wells
Interviewee: Researcher Bonfim Fraga
[Begin Log]
Dr. Wells: For the record, please state your name and rank.
Researcher Bonfim Fraga: Teresa Bonfim Fraga, Researcher.
Dr. Wells: This was your fourth exploration of SCP-6374, correct?
Researcher Bonfim Fraga: Yes. According to the records, I've spent nine hours and forty-two minutes in the cave.
Dr. Wells: That's more cumulative exposure than anyone else. You're also the first person to report psychological effects from being in the cave.
Researcher Bonfim Fraga: Yes.
Dr. Wells: Please describe these effects,
Researcher Bonfim Fraga: When I'm down there, and it's just me and my partner, I get this nagging feeling. Like there's someone behind me, staring over my shoulder.
Dr. Wells: Have your exploration partners ever reported the same feeling?
Researcher Bonfim Fraga: When I was down there with Lynch, our second time, he said he felt like he was being watched. I've felt it since my second, too, and I didn't know what to make of it, but during my fourth time it started feeling different.
Dr. Wells: How so?
Researcher Bonfim Fraga: The sensation grew stronger. But it's not just that. It feels like whoever or whatever is watching me isn't just looking at me, but looking through me. If I close my eyes in the cave, I can almost feel a presence around me.
Dr. Wells: Is that the only effect?
Researcher Bonfim Fraga: There's also something else, that happened during today's exploration. When I was younger, I used to play violin every day. I could still play a few songs by memory if I had a violin right now.
[Researcher Bonfim Fraga falls silent for several seconds before continuing]
Researcher Bonfim Fraga: When I was down there today, I could've sworn I heard a violin.
Dr. Wells: Describe what you heard.
Researcher Bonfim Fraga: At first, it was just faint, echoing notes, like someone was tuning a violin. But then it started getting more complex, forming actual melodies. I asked Lynch if he heard it, and he said yes, but that he didn't recognize the tune. Except I did.
Dr. Wells: What was it?
Researcher Bonfim Fraga: It was the piece I played during my senior recital.
Dr. Wells: If you played that piece for Researcher Lynch right now, do you think he would recognize it as what he heard in the cave?
Researcher Bonfim Fraga: Absolutely.
Dr. Wells: I'm going to recommend that you and Lynch undergo an evaluation. I want to be sure neither of you is under any lasting effects. You'll be temporarily relieved of duty, so you don't need to worry about any further exposure.
Researcher Bonfim Fraga: Thank you.
[End Log]
Researchers Bonfim Fraga and Lynch have been placed on medical leave pending confirmation of cognitohazardous effects. Further exploration of SCP-6374 should be carried out by D-class personnel.
The Dreamer turned in its sleep. The apparitions were worming their way ever deeper into the cave. Each was an alien mass of energy, warping and distorting everything around them. But sometimes they resonated with the cave, and new creatures formed from fragments of their nature.
Exploration Log 6374/9
Date: 15/10/2018
Purpose: Continued exploration of SCP-6374, following a previously-discovered but unexplored route, with the ultimate goal of locating the center of the anomaly as defined by local Hume levels.
Team Members: D-42497
Notes: D-42497 was equipped with a portable Kant counter, an ultra-low-frequency two-way radio, an audio recorder, a sample kit, a compass, and a non-video camera. The included excerpt of the log begins when D-42497 reached the marker placed by a previous exploration at the beginning of the unexplored branch route.
[Begin Log]
D-42497: Alright, I'm here at the marker. The counter says… 189 Humes. Is that normal around here?
Command: This is consistent with previous readings. Please stand with your back to the way you came.
D-42497: Okay. I'm looking at one large tunnel that goes slightly upwards and southeast to my right and a smaller tunnel that goes downward and north almost directly to my left.
Command: Please connect the tether to the anchor by the marker, then enter the tunnel to your left and proceed.
D-42497: Alright.
[D-42497 progresses quickly along the tunnel.]
D-42497: Twenty meters along the tether, the tunnel turns sharply right and upward. 203 Humes. There's a small pool of water by the edge of the north wall, looks deep. I can't see the bottom.
Command: Continue.
D-42497: Hold on. I hear something. Sounds like… a string instrument? It's hard to tell, the acoustics in here are weird.
Command: Prior explorations have reported similar sounds. Their source is unknown.
D-42497: Alright. Now moving upwards and east-northeast. There's a lot of glowing spots on the ceiling up ahead, like a galaxy.
[D-42497 is silent for two minutes. During this time, a violin-like sound becomes audible in the recorder.]
D-42497: I've reached the top of the slope. I'm definitely hearing a violin, it sounds really close by. From here, the route curls back northward and moves down. Hume readings at 235.
D-42497: Shit, I think I found the source of the violin. There's a really weird, giant bug here. Instead of wings, it's got two straight things sticking out of its back, each a good half-meter long. One of them has four strings connecting from the end to the body, and the other has what looks like an entire bow's worth of horsehair pulled taut. I guess it rubs the strings and bow together, just like an actual violin, but I don't know how it would change the pitch.
Command: Please take pictures for the record. Is it moving?
D-42497: Not much. Its head is twitching and its looking at me, but it's not playing. Actually, I'm not even sure it can walk. Its exoskeleton is thick, those tubes from its abdomen must weigh a ton compared to the rest of it, and its legs aren't very big.
Command: Please take a sample for examination.
D-42497: Not sure I can. This thing's too big to just bag, and I don't know if I can dismember it. Wait, is some of the string or bow a good sample?
Command: That is acceptable.
D-42497: [Grunting] Now it's started to move. Thing's trying to run, fast for a freak of nature as big as it is. Wait, got some hair. Bagging it now.
Command: Thank you. Proceed when ready.
D-42497: Moving northeast. It's mostly level here. I think the air's getting warmer.
D-42497: Air's definitely getting warmer, Moving upward again, the passage is curling directly north. The ceiling's absolutely covered by glowing spots.
D-42497: Hey, so, I didn't mention this before, but it really feels like someone's watching me. Like they're breathing down my neck and counting my heartbeats.
Command: Don't panic. Other people who have been in this cave have reported similar sensations. You aren't in any danger.
D-42497: Sure, it's just… I feel like I'm on a microscope slide for someone, something else.
Command: D-42497, please continue moving.
D-42497: Sorry, fine. It turns sharply upwards here, I might have to climb.
Command: Proceed.
[D-42497 remains silent for two minutes, aside from grunting.]
D-42497: I'm at the top. It turns northwest from here, and the air is much warmer. Also more humid. Hume level at 250. There's a glow-tree with red bulbs here, is that supposed to happen?
Command: No observed instances have that coloration. Please take pictures.
D-42497: I also hear something. Not violin, but it sounds like music. Really deep. Almost like cathedral music.
Command: Do you recognize it?
D-42497: I don't know, the acoustics right here suck. Gonna keep moving, The passage keeps moving upward a little, and narrows a bit.
D-42497: Okay, I've reached a point where it abruptly narrows. Most of this passage has been a good three to five meters across, it narrowed just to three, and now there's a doorway-like opening only a meter across. There's a bunch of spider silk across the opening, will there be any problems if I disturb it?
Command: If it's individual strands, it's likely built by glowworms. Moving through it is safe.
D-42497: Glowworms? Why this the first time I'm hearing about them?
Command: They're extremely passive and are harmless to humans, so the information was deemed unnecessary.
D-42497: Eh, fair enough. Moving forward.
[Silence for thirty seconds, then D-42497 gasps]
D-42497: Holy shit.
Command: What is it?
D-42497: I found a cavern. The passage widens again, just enough to be like a foyer, then it opens up to a big chamber. It's foggy in here, so I can't really see the walls, but the ceiling's maybe ten meters up, and it's got a spiral pattern of glowing spots. Glowworms? Anyway, yeah, they're arranged in a spiral way too neat to be natural. Hume readings at 304. Is that really high?
Command: That is high, yes. What else is there in the chamber?
D-42497: There are four giant glow trees, reaching almost to the ceiling, all of them glowing like blacklights. The fog's really thick down at ground level, so I can't even see their roots, but— [D-42497 gasps, grunts, and is silent for several seconds.]
Command: D-42497, please respond.
D-42497: I stepped into the cavern, and things just changed a little. There's a glow in the fog now, near the center of the cavern floor. I can see it with my eyes closed. And the feeling of being watched is gone. Now I just feel something like a massive weight. It's like something is pressing against my mind, trying to crushing me. No, not trying, just crushing by existing.
Command: Leave the cavern and head back into the passage if you are unable to continue.
D-42497: No, no. I'll be fine, It's just a lot to deal with right now. I've had worse migraines, anyways.
D-42497: Okay, so, the glow. The fog's milky-gray, like normal fog, although the blacklight-trees give a weird light to the chamber overall. But in the center, probably right between all four trees, there's a white glow, probably from a single source. Do you want me to get closer and take a look?
Command: Proceed.
D-42497: Okay, it's… oh my God. I can feel it.
Command: D-42497?
D-42497: There's a skeleton on a throne here. It's definitely not human, since it's got antlers and shit. Hume reading at…600?
Command: Does it have any other notable attributes?
D-42497: It's got an aura of light, and a heartbeat.
Command: A heartbeat?
D-42497: Well, it hasn't got an actual heart. But I feel its heartbeat. You know when you go to a concert, and even if your ears are covered, you can feel the really deep subwoofer noise in your entire body? It's like that.
Command: Please take pictures of the skeleton. And, if possible, take a sample.
D-42497: I can't do that, that's sacrilege.
Command: That is an order. A floating rib will do.
D-42497: But I don't think it'll like it.
Command: Explain.
D-42497: I can feel it. It's dead, but not gone. It's still here, watching me. And if I try to take a bone, it might hurt me back.
Command: D-42497, take the sample.
D-42497: Fine.
[D-42497 grunts. There is an audible snap. Immediately, an echoing scream-like noise is picked up by the recorder. This scream is simultaneously picked up by microphones placed throughout SCP-6374, and by personnel in Provisional Site-581.]
D-42497: Ooooooh, I don't think that was a good idea. I definitely just pissed it—[D-42497 screams loudly for several seconds.]
Command: D-42497, are you alright?
D-42497: It's here! I feel its grief, its pain, everything! Make it stop!
Command: Elaborate.
D-42497: I can't, there's just too much. I feel everything. I need to get out!
[D-42497 begins running from the cavern via the explored passage, ignoring repeated orders to stay. Despite obvious exhaustion, D-42497 does not stop running until they reach SCP-6374's primary access tunnel, where they are taken back into custody by security personnel.]
[End Log]
Afterward:
D-42497 was returned to Provisional Site 581 and passed out shortly after, while the audio recording, photographs, and sample taken were processed by personnel. Upon review of the logs, the skeleton discovered by D-42497 was designated SCP-6374-A. The sample, a floating rib, was initially studied onsite, but sent to Site-66 for long-term containment and further study. After several hours, D-42497 was deemed coherent enough for a proper debriefing.
Debriefing Log 6374/9
Date: 15/10/2018
Interviewer: Dr. Wells
Interviewee: D-42497
[Begin Log]
Dr. Wells: Let's begin with the simplest question: Why did you disobey orders to stay in the cave?
D-42497: That part's a little blurry, so I'm not sure I was even in my right mind. But after I touched it, I just needed to get out. Wasn't even a conscious choice, pretty sure I was just running on instinct by that point.
Dr. Wells: By touching it do you mean the skeleton, SCP-6374-A?
D-42497: Is that what you're calling it? I mean, yes, partly. But there's so much more to it. Physical contact with the corpse is nothing compared to what I saw.
Dr. Wells: What did you see?
D-42497: Visions. Glimpses. An army of the dead, and a weapon to kill a god. I think it did kill a god, and the thing in the cave is dead.
Dr. Wells: The "thing in the cave" being SCP-6374-A, correct?
D-42497: Don't you get it? The corpse is just an anchor, and there's so much more in the cave. I felt it. I still feel it.
Dr. Wells: You aren't making much sense. I understand that you've experienced hallucinations and possibly other effects, but I need you to explain what you're talking about.
D-42497: Fine. The corpse in the cave, 6374-A? It's the grave that was left behind. Everything else, the entire cave, is the real body. Of the god, I mean.
Dr. Wells: The god?
D-42497: How else can I describe it? It's so much more than a man with magic powers, or whatever freaks you contain here. It's a force, a mind so titanic and powerful that it doesn't have to think to act, and affects things just by existing. It created everything in the cave after its death, just because it was bored being dead. But it's not thinking, not anymore.
Dr. Wells: Did you actually interact with it when you weren't in contact with SCP-6374-A?
D-42497: It was watching me. It was watching all of us.
Dr. Wells: Was this the cause of your paranoia while in the cave?
D-42497: Yeah. It felt me, so it tuned in. No, not the right word. It followed me, out of something like curiosity. If anyone else felt the paranoia, then it was watching them as well.
Dr. Wells: What else did you see or feel while in contact with SCP-6374-A?
D-42497: Grief, pain, patience, maybe fury. I don't think it wants to hurt anyone, if it even wants anything at all. It was hurt so badly it can't really live anymore, but it can't actually die. So it built a simulation, an miniature world to distract itself from the passage of time.
Dr. Wells: And this world is the entire anomaly?
D-42497: Yeah.
Dr. Wells: Why is it just the cave? Why not expand outside?
D-42497: It wasn't thinking. It found a place to hide and it did, for countless years. It still could see outside, but sometime after its death people found the cave, found it, and sealed it up.
Dr. Wells: Who were these people?
D-42497: I don't know. I don't know if it did, either.
Dr. Wells: Is there anything more you can tell us about this entity?
D-42497: I don't know, it's a god but I'm not exactly its prophet.
Dr. Wells: Thank you. What would you do if you were to enter the cave again?
D-42497: [Yelps]. Please don't make me do it! I can't! It felt me, it can still feel me!
Dr. Wells: And would that pose a problem?
D-42497: I can't do it, not again. In its tomb, that big cavern in the middle of the cave, it's powerful enough to snuff me out like a candle. I don't know if it wants to, but it knows that I hurt it and it wants what I stole back. [D-42497 begins sobbing.] I need to give the rib back, or it'll kill me.
Dr. Wells: I can see that this has put you under stress. Thank you for your cooperation.
[End Log]
D-42497 was returned to confinement and examined for possible memetic or cognitohazardous contamination. While tests proved negative, D-42497 has been kept onsite by order of Dr. Wells to examine for long-term effects of exposure to SCP-6374.
A sour yellow note slipped through the dream, penetrating ever closer to a place the Dreamer didn't remember. An apparition moved deeper into the heart of the cave than any had before, bleeding thought and emitting strange beams of low-energy light through the walls. Eventually, it came into the heart, and memories came rushing back. The Dreamer remembered its sanctum, the hiding place that had become its prison and even its grave. It remembered the nameless ones, and the nightwalkers that had sealed it away from the world. Most importantly of all, it remembered itself.
Addendum 6374-4: SCP-6374-A and -A1
SCP-6374-A is a humanoid skeleton with large antlers located in the centermost chamber of SCP-6374. SCP-6374-A possesses several anomalous attributes, most notably a constant diffuse glow and a Hume reading of ~600 Hm. SCP-6374-A is in a sitting pose atop a grown wooden structure that resembles a chair. Several vines from the wooden seat are entwined with SCP-6374-A's ribs and long bones.
Due to its high Hume reading, position in the cave, and possible influence over the behavior of flora and fauna in SCP-6374, it is believed to be the source of the anomaly.
The floating rib recovered from SCP-6374-A has been designated SCP-6374-A1. SCP-6374-A1 retains the visual and physical properties of SCP-6374-A, but it is presently unclear if it has any further effects on the surrounding area. SCP-6374-A1 has a Hume reading of 530 Hm, which is not affected by proximity to Scranton Reality Anchors.
Until additional properties can be confirmed or disproved, SCP-6374-A1 is to be contained in a 3x3x3-meter non-humanoid containment chamber.
Addendum 6374-5
Since 15/10/2018, SCP-6374-native organisms have attempted to breach containment twice, each time exhibiting a high degree of coordination between species and a single-minded focus on escape. Both attempts have been turned back by security personnel, but a larger and better-equipped force may be required if this new behavior persists.
The Dreamer lashed out. It did not yet remember its name, but it remembered that it had once been whole, and that the apparition that had awoken its memories had degraded it further. For now, it desperately tried to return its sundered piece, hoping the missing fragment that would let it rest at ease again.
Addendum 6374-6
Due to frequent and repeated breach attempts via SCP-6374's primary access tunnel, it is to be permanently sealed by a steel barrier. An object class upgrade to Keter has been suggested.
Frustration. The Dreamer could not peer far beyond the ancient door, but it had sent its cavern-spawn, its own creations, out to seek its fragment. Each attempt had been a failure, as the apparitions from beyond sullied and destroyed the life of its creations. But now the apparitions were gone, sundered behind an impenetrable wall. The fragment was still out there, past the wall, but the sharpest claws could not scratch the wall, and the strongest growths and muscles alike could not move it. The Dreamer wondered if the cave's own walls were as strong.
Addendum 6374-7
In light of Incident 6374-25, the barrier has been removed from SCP-6374's primary access tunnel, and it should be kept unblocked at all times except during breaches. Any side-tunnels found being dug by SCP-6374-1 instances should be collapsed or filled with concrete as quickly as possible, to encourage SCP-6374-1 instances to solely attempt breaches via the primary access tunnel. SCP-6374's object class has been upgraded to Keter.
Addendum 6374-8
SCP-6374-1 instances display a degree of gestalt intelligence and collective memory; successive breach attempts involve changing tactics and group compositions in response to how prior attempts were stopped. SCP-6374-1 instances are also becoming increasingly aggressive towards Foundation personnel during breach attempts, resulting in four injuries and one hospitalization. Breach attempts will instead be handled remotely via chemical agents to render tactics and group composition irrelevant.
Nothing worked. The Dreamer would adapt, in time, as all life did, but for once its limitless patience was being tested. Its dream never really left the cave, but when the cavern-spawn slipped past the portal, it could feel further. It felt the aliens that had once resonated with its dream, it felt incredible masses of life-energy all around, and it felt what was taken. Silently, endlessly, the Dreamer called out.
Addendum 6374-9
SCP-6374-A1 displays the same anomalous capabilities as SCP-6374-A, albeit on a smaller scale. Fungi are rapidly building up on surfaces in its containment chamber, and several species of insects frequently emerge from mushroom-like pods in areas of larger fungus concentration. These insects seem to have lifespans under 6 hours, but reproduce quickly and may be hazardous to manual cleaning attempts.
Instinct guided that which was not aware. A growing nursery of unremembered organisms bloomed from a cast-off shard of life. Despite confinement in an unnatural maze of cold, sterile chambers, it thrived. And while the shard had no mind of its own, it did not have to think to act. It just did.
Addendum 6374-10
The walls, ceiling, and floor of SCP-6374-A1's containment cell are almost completely covered in thick fungus and moss, and large swarms of insects constantly fly throughout the cell. The cell is to be sterilized once daily via incineration, then cleaned of ashes.
Addendum 6374-11
SCP-6374-1 produced by SCP-6374-A1's effects are displaying growing resistance to incineration, requiring higher temperatures and longer exposure to completely reduce them to ashes. Regrowth rates also appear to be accelerating, with fungal growths reaching maximum density only seven hours after incineration.
Fauna in particular are almost completely resistant to fire of the temperatures used in sterilization of its cell, and have repeatedly played dead to attack workers attempting to clean the cell. Disposal of fauna via neurotoxin is being considered.
To: O5-6
From: Dr. David Wells
Subject: SCP-6374-A1 Transfer
O5-6,
I have concerns about the security of SCP-6374-A1 in Site-66. According to the reports I'm getting from that site, 6374-A1 was pretty much inert until the New Year, when they started to notice fungus growing in the originally-sterile cell. Since then, it has begun to create SCP-6374-1 instances of increasing size and complexity, and at an increasing rate, If its effects strengthen, and the SCP-6374-1 instances it produces adopt the same behavior and intelligence as the ones native to SCP-6374, we could well have turned one benign Euclid-class anomaly into two (increasingly expensive) Keters.
The fact that the biomass SCP-6374-A1 produces is increasingly resistant to incineration worries me, as well. We've made the adapting tactics of native SCP-6374-1 instances irrelevant by exploiting a weakness in their psychology, for lack of a better term, and by using a method to kill them that doesn't require force. But if SCP-6374-1 can adapt to fire, they can adapt to the gas, and then the fancy system we've set up (at a cost I'm worried isn't worth it) will be useless.
Alternately, we could try to return SCP-6374-A1 to its point of origin. SCP-6374-1 instances only became aggressive after we took a piece from 6374-A, so perhaps that would return SCP-6374 to its previous, passive state. Even if it stays active, we'd functionally have to deal with one Keter instead of two.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Wells, SCP-6374 Project Head
To: Dr. David Wells
From: O5-6
Subject: Re: SCP-6374-A1 Transfer
Dr. Wells,
Your request to return SCP-6374-A1 to SCP-6374-A has been denied.
I appreciate the desire to have everything SCP-6374-related in one place, but SCP-6374-A1 is adequately contained in Site-66. Transporting it back to Provisional Site-581, however, would pose significant difficulty due to the rate of SCP-6374-1 production while being handled or in transit. At present, SCP-6374-A1 poses no threat outside of its containment cell, and I'm happy to keep it that way.
While it's true that keeping SCP-6374-A1 at its point of origin would be containing two birds with one cage, so to speak, that's only assuming no change in behavior or properties. SCP-6374's overall behavior changed significantly when SCP-6374-A1 was taken, but we have no guarantee that returning 6374-A1 would alleviate the situation. You may be putting too much stock in the words of someone clearly traumatized by an anomalous experience.
Given what we know about SCP-6374-A itself and everything said by the D-class who encountered it (if they can even be considered a reliable source), making it whole again could very well be the mistake that causes a major breach and makes SCP-6374 even more problematic. I try not to be superstitious, but SCP-6374-A is clearly dangerous, and we simply don't know enough to say whether it's a safe move or a major mistake.
Regards,
O5-6
Amidst the desolate soil of a strange world, the Dreamer heard its own cries repeated back to it. At last, it had awoken the stolen fragment. Unsaid information flickered between them, like twins long separated. And as the Dreamer prepared a great host of pawns to bring it home, the fragment itself knew a single, new goal: return.
Incident 6374-A1-2
On 11/6/2019, SCP-6374-A1 exhibited a sudden and unexpected change in behavior that constituted a major containment breach. Simultaneously, Provisional Site-581 experienced the single largest attempted breach by SCP-6374-1 instances, including 12 species that had not been observed previously. While Provisional Site-581 was able to neutralize the attempt, Site-66 experienced a rapid escalation and significant damage throughout the containment unit. A transcription of events at Site-66 can be found below.
[00:00] SCP-6374-A1 is believed to begin produced biomass and SCP-6374-1 instances at roughly octuple its previous rate. However, this change in behavior is not immediately noticed.
[00:11] Site-66 technicians notice a problem when the cameras monitoring SCP-6374-A1 are blocked by biomass.
[00:13] Containment staff are alerted of the blocked cameras and activate the built-in incinerator.
[00:19] The biomass covering all cameras in the cell is fully incinerated.
[00:23] The incinerator is deactivated.
[00:25] Technicians note that SCP-6374-A1 is suspended from the ceiling by several vines that were not present prior to camera blockage.
[00:26] The incinerator is reactivated at maximum temperature.
[00:29] The incinerator is deactivated.
[00:30] Continued presence of vines suspending SCP-6374-A1 is confirmed. Containment staff are mobilized to sever the vines and physically destroy biomass that survived incineration.
[00:36] Containment staff attempt to open the door of SCP-6374-A1's cell, but are initially unsuccessful.
[00:41] Containment staff report spontaneous growth of mold in the hall outside SCP-6374-A1's cell.
[00:42] The cell door is successfully opened, revealing a thick layer of moss and several vines on the inside surface. The doorway is blocked by several wooden branches.
[00:44] Containment staff break through the branches blocking the doorway. SCP-6374-1 instances of several species rush out and attempt to escape.
[00:45] SCP-6374-1 instances are terminated. Containment staff report the growth of several tree-like plants inside the cell, as well as several large gestation blisterpods.
[00:46] Containment staff attempt to sever the vines suspending SCP-6374-A1. The intact blisterpods immediately burst open, disgorging two juvenile specimens of Panthera amphibia and fill the air with pollen and spores. The two specimens attack containment staff and cause moderate injury before being terminated.
[00:49] Two injured personnel are removed from the cell. SCP-6374-A1 is successfully retrieved and placed inside a sealed container for relocation.
[00:51] SCP-6374-A1's containment cell is resealed.
[00:53] Injured containment staff are given medical attention.
[00:55] Mold outside of SCP-6374-A1's cell begins to produce insectoid SCP-6374-1 instances. These are initially not noticed, as containment staff are transporting SCP-6374-A1 to another cell.
[00:59] SCP-6374-A1 is contained inside a new cell.
[01:28] Blisterpods containing SCP-6374-1 instances begin rapidly growing on non-living organic surfaces within a 20-meter radius of SCP-6374-A1's new cell. Moss and mold spread throughout the hall outside SCP-6374-A1's original cell.
[01:30] The rapid growth of biomass outside SCP-6374-A1's containment cell is reported to Site Command. Site Command issues a lockdown order for Bio-Containment Unit 2. Onsite elements of MTF Beta-7 "Maz Hatters" are mobilized to neutralize the breach.
[01:33] SCP-6374-1 instances, particularly specimens of Panthera amphibia and Euthycaelus glyphus, begin emerging from blisterpods.
[01:35] SCP-6374-A1's container bulges outwards.
[01:36] Several holes are punched through SCP-6374-A1's container. Prehensile vines emerge from the holes, and begin pulling the rest of the container apart.
[01:38] SCP-6374-A1's container breaks apart completely. SCP-6374-A1 is partially integrated into a plantlike organism resembling an octopus, with thick vines instead of arms. Once free, the organism rapidly grows to an armspan of an estimated 7 meters.
[01:44] SCP-6374-1 instances throughout Bio-Containment Unit 2 attempt to gather outside of SCP-6374-A1's containment cell, although most are stopped by sealed doors.
[01:50] MTF Beta-7 enters Bio-Containment Unit 2.
[01:53] SCP-6374-A1's "host" organism, in conjunction with SCP-6374-1 instances inside and outside of the cell, breaches the cell with a combination of brute force and caustic secretions.
[01:54] MTF Beta-7 encounters a group of SCP-6374-1 instances. All instances are terminated by small-arms fire.
[01:57] MTF Beta-7 reaches the block containing SCP-6374-A1. They are alerted of SCP-6374-A1's escape of its cell.
[01:58] MTF Beta-7 unseals the block containing SCP-6374-A1. SCP-6374-A1's host organism immediately attempts to escape, deploying SCP-6374-1 instances to attack MTF Beta-7 while using its vines to move at speeds upwards of 10 kph. Three members of MTF Beta-7 are injured.
[02:00] MTF Beta-7 neutralizes all SCP-6374-1 instances, and directly engages SCP-6374-A1's host organism. The host organism proves resistant, but not immune to, bullets and is injured by sustained small-arms fire. However, it constantly attempts to escape from MTF Beta-7, making neutralization difficult.
[02:05] SCP-6374-A1's host organism stops moving and falls limp.
[02:08] MTF Beta-7 extracts SCP-6374-A1 from the body of the host organism, and places it in a container filled with a high-concentration lye solution.
[02:17] MTF Beta-7 partially sterilizes the hall outside of SCP-6374-A1's original containment chamber.
[02:23] MTF Beta-7 moves SCP-6374-A1 to a larger tank of lye solution.
[05:34] All traces of biomass produced by SCP-6374-A1 are incinerated or removed to be dissolved in lye solution.
To: O5-6
From: Dr. David Wells
Subject: Site-66 Breach
O5-6,
In light of the incident yesterday where SCP-6374-A1 managed to breach containment twice, expand its effects across an entire containment unit, and injure five people, I am repeating my request to return SCP-6374-A1 to its point of origin.
Containment of SCP-6374-A1 has been predicated on the necessity of line-of-sight for it to produce biomass and SCP-6374-1 instances, on everything it produces being flammable, and on the idea that it's not sentient, let alone intelligent. The breach proved all three points wrong.
I'm thankful that the lye solution seems to either neutralize its effects or reduce them, and dissolve the biomass it does produce, but it can't last forever. The growing immunity to fire proves that the adaptations can grant SCP-6374-1 anomalous properties, so it's only a matter of time before lye solution is no longer effective and a new debacle occurs. We should be glad only five people were injured and nobody was killed this time; next time we might not be so lucky.
Regarding the people injured, in fact, I noticed a consistency in the behavior of SCP-6374-1 instances and SCP-6374-A1's "host" organism. The only time they actively attempted to hurt humans was when those humans were both directly between SCP-6374-A1 and escape, and when they were actively opposing SCP-6374-A1's escape. The rest of the time, SCP-6374-1 were just trying to aid the host, and the host seemed more focused on running away than fighting.
Which brings me to my other point: SCP-6374-A1 was clearly trying to escape, and was focused solely on escaping. The concurrent breach attempt at Provisional Site-581 likewise featured behavior solely focused on escaping containment, not hurting humans. I don't have concrete proof because no SCP-6374-1 instances have actually escaped containment and reached Site-66, but I believe that the entire goal of the frequent breach attempts at Provisional Site-581 are entirely for the sake of returning SCP-6374-A1 to its point of origin.
I would also like to note that, despite SCP-6374-A presumably having the same anomalous properties as SCP-6374-A1, no SCP-6374-1 instances have ever been observed outside of SCP-6374, except for the ones that we took out or that have directly tried to escape. It's not unreasonable to believe that whatever prevents SCP-6374-1 instances from naturally occurring outside SCP-6374 would apply for SCP-6374-A1's effects as well.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Wells, SCP-6374 Project Head
To: Dr. David Wells
From: O5-6
Subject: Re: Site-66 Breach
Dr. Wells,
Your request is granted, with the requirement that it be overseen by Mobile Task Force Beta-7 every step of the way. Given the mounting cost of containing SCP-6374 and SCP-6374-A1, I am willing to attempt a solution. However, the responsibility of keeping SCP-6374 contained during and after the return of SCP-6374-A1 falls on you. Should this result in an increase in the scale, aggressiveness, or frequency of breach attempts, you will be removed from your position and MTF Beta-7 will assume control of Provisional Site-581 until such a time as SCP-6374-A1 can be separated again and recontained.
We are taking a significant risk. If returning SCP-6374-A1 turns out to be a mistake, it would be in your best interest if you are able to undo it.
Regards,
O5-6
The sour yellow note returned, slipping through the cave and resonating. With it came a strange aura of tranquility that eased the aching void. Moving ever closer, it retraced the path it had taken before. But when it finally came to the Dreamer's sanctum, something changed. The apparition was almost drowned out by a sudden, new glow. An old glow. The Dreamer's own glow.
In seconds, the void was filled, and the gnawing pain vanished. At last, the Dreamer could rest in peace again. And it remembered another thing: contentment. Whole again and satisfied, it returned to its dream.
