Unauthorized access is forbidden.
Special Containment Procedures: The public is to be made aware of unpredictable seismic activity in the Alaska Range. Denali National Park officials are to restrict access in an 5km radius from SCP-6715, citing danger of landslides and glacier outburst floods due to the aforementioned seismic activity.
Site-72 has been established at the base of Mt. Silverthrone, under the guise of a search and rescue station for the park. Site-72 personnel are to detain anyone entering the restricted area surrounding SCP-6715 for questioning and thorough psychological screenings.
Members of MTF Chi-17 ("Wake Up Call") are to be stationed in the nearby town of Healy, Alaska, U.S.A. Agents are to monitor police reports for any missing persons and are to regularly patrol local hiking routes. If any individual shows interest in going to Mt. Silverthrone, they are to be detained, questioned, and adminsitered Class-A amnestics.
Until an effective neutralization method is devised for SCP-6715-2, the entrance to SCP-6715 is to remain sealed and all personnel are to be denied access.
Description: SCP-6715 is a large subterranean facility constructed within Mt. Silverthrone, a summit of the Alaska Range, located in Denali National Park. The facility was previously operated by GoI-014 (Prometheus Labs) prior to its dissolution. Recovered documents indicate the facility operated under the leadership of Dr. Daniel Richards.1
The facility is laid out in a series of concentric rings, with the outermost rings containing living quarters and offices, while the inner rings contain a series of labs and storage rooms. The innermost chamber of SCP-6715 houses SCP-6715-1 and SCP-6715-2.
The walls separating each ring are lined with a material resembling SCP-148 in appearance and function, designated SCP-6715-A. The only known difference between SCP-148 and SCP-6715-A is that rather than releasing psionic energy when discharging, it releases tremendous amounts of kinetic energy.2
SCP-6715-1 is a large mechanical device of poorly understood design. SCP-6715-1 is roughly in the shape of an inverted cone that descends from the ceiling, terminating with a space for a human subject to place the top half of their head into. Through recovered documents it has been determined that the device serves two primary purposes:
- To contain and monitor the telepathic abilities of SCP-6715-2.
- To keep SCP-6715-2's consciousness active and alive regardless of any damage sustained by their physical body.
No power source has yet been discovered for SCP-6715-1, though given the length of time which it has remained active, and the amount of energy required to power such a device, it is assumed to be anomalous in nature.
SCP-6715-2 is a woman in her mid-to-late-thirties, currently contained by SCP-6715-1, suffering from severe malnutrition and muscle atrophy; their identity has yet to be confirmed. They possess unknown levels of telepathic abilities, however, it is currently theorized that they would be capable of bringing about an MK-Class "End of Human Consciousness" Scenario if they were not restricted by SCP-6715-1 and SCP-6715-A.
Addendum 6715-1: Discovery
On 01/24/2003 a 5.6 magnitude earthquake originating from the Alaska Range was detected. In the weeks following this event a number of park tourists and residents of Healy, AK were reported missing. Suspecting anomalous activity, Foundation agents embedded in the National Park Service initiated a full scale investigation.
Initial search parties found some of the missing persons scattered across less populated regions of Denali National Park, all deceased from hypothermia or exhaustion. Due to a lack of evidence indicating any struggle, it was assumed that the missing individuals had been under a compulsive effect. No progress in determining a source of the anomaly was made until the hospitalization and subsequent interview of a local.
Interviewer: Agent Vivian Hardy
Interviewed: Luke Ferguson
Foreword: On 02/26/2003 Luke Ferguson, a resident of Healy, AK, walked into oncoming traffic, seemingly unaware of his surroundings. He was hit by a car moving at non-fatal speeds and subsequently hospitalized. Following initial treatment, Mr. Ferguson was questioned by local law enforcement to determine the reason for his behavior. However, Ferguson claimed that he had not been in control of his body during the incident. The officers, who had already been cooperating with Foundation efforts in the area, reported the claim. Agent Vivian Hardy was sent to interview Ferguson to confirm anomalous activity.
[BEGIN LOG]
Agent Hardy: So how about you start with what you were doing before this all went down?
Luke Ferguson: Uh yeah, sure. I was in the middle of my shift down at the store. It was a slow day and I was sorta just… running out the clock.
Agent Hardy: And when exactly did things first seem to be unusual?
Luke Ferguson: Um, well I had this song that I kept playing in my head. Stuck on repeat, you know? It took me awhile to notice but the lyrics were starting to get drowned out, sorta like um…
Agent Hardy: … Like they were muffled and underwater?
Luke Ferguson: Yeah, actually… Um, it didn't take long before the rest of my thoughts started getting hazy too.
Agent Hardy: How did you respond to all of this?
Luke Ferguson: I mean, I was uncomfortable. It was weird, cause normally even if everything around you is silent, you still have your thoughts, you know? There's always something to listen to, even if it's just in your head. But this was dead silence. Turns out its hard to act if you can't hear your own thoughts. I think it was right around the moment that I lost my ability to panic that I finally heard that voice.
Agent Hardy: You heard a voice?
Luke Ferguson: Yeah, except, it was my voice? It sounded like me, but it didn't talk like me. And the thoughts that came out of that thing… those definitely weren't from me.
Agent Hardy: Do you recall any specifics?
Luke Ferguson: … It made me feel cold. As if suddenly all the warmth and light around me had disappeared. And there was something else. I wanted… no wait, sorry, it wanted out. It wanted to be free.
Agent Hardy: Free from what?
Luke Ferguson: The cold, I think? Or maybe I… it just didn't want to be alone anymore..
Agent Hardy: Did anything else stick out to you?
Luke Ferguson: I could see this mountain in my memories as if I had recently been there, and I had this need to go there, but I didn't know why. That was right around the point I walked outside of the store and into the street. Never thought I'd be happy to get hit by a car, but I think getting knocked out may have saved my life.
Agent Hardy: Do you think you could identify this mountain if you saw a photograph of it?
Luke Ferguson: Considering how deeply its been burnt into my head? Yeah, I bet I could.
[END LOG]
Closing Statement: Following the interview Mr. Ferguson was shown several images of mountains in close proximity to where the missing persons had been found. He identified Mt. Silverthrone as the mountain from his memories. Mr. Ferguson and the relevant hospital staff were subsequently provided amnestics and a cover story explaining Mr. Ferguson's hospitalization.
On 02/28/2003 a survey team was sent to Mt. Silverthrone in order to locate a potential source of the anomalous activity. Upon reaching the base of the mountain a trail of human and animal corpses were discovered. Subsequent investigation confirmed that the deceased were all individuals who had gone missing within the past week.
The trail led to a cave on the mountainside, within which was a large steel door and biometric scanner. Forensic evidence suggested that the deceased had been attempting to breach the door, with no success. Upon discovering this, the survey team was called back to allow for a full scale investigation by a proper task force.
Addendum 6715-2: Exploration
Task Force Creation Summary
Task Force Type: Provisional
Designation: Chi-17
Operational Name: "Wake Up Call"
Administrative Head: Dr. Simon Pace
Commanding Officer: Ben Schaefer
Operational Agents: 4
Mission Statement: Provisional Task Force Chi-17 has been formed in response to the recent anomalous activity centered around Denali National Park and Healy, Alaska. In particular, the recent discovery of a subterranean structure embedded in Mt. Silverthrone has made the need for a dedicated exploratory team clear.
Given how little is known about the anomaly, a number of field agents with different specialties have been requisitioned for PTF Chi-17. These include:
- Commander Ben Schaefer, an operative of MTF Zeta-9 ("Mole Rats"). Chosen for their experience in traversing unmapped subterranean spaces.
- Agent Jessica Patterson, an operative of MTF Nu-7 ("Hammer Down"). Chosen for their combat expertise.
- Agent Adrian Rivera, an operative of MTF Rho-9 ("Technical Support"). Chosen for their experience in developing digital security systems.
- Agent Samantha Raynes, a field agent with minor telepathic abilities. Chosen for their formal training in handling telepathic anomalies.
Assuming there are no complications, PTF Chi-17 will be formally disbanded following the establishment of containment procedures.
Date: 03/11/2003
Supervising Personnel: Dr. Simon Pace (Site Command)
Exploration Team: PTF Chi-17 ("Wake Up Call")
Foreword: PTF Chi-17 was tasked with breaching the sealed entrance previously discovered by the survey team sent to Mt. Silverthrone. Their primary objective was to explore the structure beyond in hopes of identifying a source of the recent anomalous activity. The team was flown as close to the cave entrance as was deemed safe, leaving the team with a hour and a half trek.
[BEGIN LOG]
Camera feed begins. Members of Chi-17 are seated in a helicopter, performing inspections of their equipment and confirming that their helmet cams are filming. Agent Raynes looks out of the port side window to see the large expanse of snow blanketing the land.
(Audio feed begins.)
Agent Rivera: —at should work now. Testing, one, two, testing.
Site Command: We read you Agent Rivera.
Agent Rivera: And voilà. They're all yours captain.
Commander Shaefer: Thanks kid. Alright, so, how far out are we from the LZ?
Site Command: Should be no more than 20 minutes. Unfortunately we can only fly you guys so close due to the terrain and weather conditions. It'll be another hour and a half hike after that.
Agent Rivera: Sounds fun…
Agent Raynes: Sure we won't get lost down there? Hard to separate where you've been from where you're going when it all blends in together.
Site Command: According to the initial survey team, the bodies make a very distinct trail to the cave.
Agent Patterson: Isn't that just peachy.
Commander Shaefer: Well, seeing as we've still got some time to kill, is there any more info you could fill us in on? Anything that wasn't covered in the mission debrief?
Site Command: Everything is still pretty shaky. We aren't quite sure what we are dealing with.
Agent Patterson: You evidently knew enough to send a telepath with us.
Agent Raynes turns from the window to look towards Agent Patterson, who stares at her for a moment before looking away.
Site Command: We had already suspected a compulsive effect was at play, and Mr. Ferguson's testimony of what happened was remarkably similar to first person accounts of encounters with powerful telepaths.
Agent Rivera: So do we have any proper protections against this thing? I mean what's stopping it from just mind controlling us?
Commander Shaefer: Well, clearly, whatever the anomaly is, can't just control whoever it wants. A whole team of people were in that cave and they all got out just fine.
Agent Patterson: Plus the civilian guy got snapped out of it by getting hit by a car, so worst comes to worst, we'll make sure to knock you out.
Agent Patterson playfully punches Agent Rivera in the shoulder.
Agent Rivera: Hehe, right…
Commander Shaefer: But in all seriousness, that's what we've got Raynes here for. She's sorta our secret weapon.
Agent Rivera turns to Agent Raynes.
Agent Rivera: So what exactly can you do?
Agent Raynes: Well I can't control minds or anything like that. We call those active telepaths: individuals who can directly interact with others. I'm a passive telepath, and not a very strong one at that. I can pick up on strong empathic signals, or detect other telepaths.
Agent Rivera: You can read how people are feeling? What's that like?
Agent Raynes: I don't think it's all that different from just reading how someone is feeling normally. Like most people can tell if their friend is mad about something. It's sorta like that, except a bit more accurate.
Agent Patterson: Wait… so you're telling me that you're just a glorified mood ring? That's priceless. Alright, tell me what am I feeling right now?
Agent Raynes: Doesn't take a telepath to know you don't want me to be here.
Agent Patterson: Excuse me for not being comfortable working with an anomaly.
Commander Shaefer: That's enough. It's not my business how you two interact off mission, but right now we are on duty. You are both valuable members of this team and I except you both to treat each other as such.
(15 second silence.)
Commander Shaefer: Command, now that we know the equipment works I'm gonna have us disconnect till we land. Don't want to fill the logs with white noise to sift through.
Site Command: Understood.
Agent Raynes looks back outside at the white expanse before video feed cuts out.
Video and audio feed reconnects. The team has exited the helicopter and is observing the scenery. Several corpses can be seen at the mouth of a narrow passageway.
Agent Patterson: So I'm guessing that's the path.
Commander Shaefer: Certainly looks like it. Hey Raynes, you picking up anything yet?
Agent Raynes: Can't hear anything but you guys.
Agent Rivera: Well that's better than the alternative.
Commander Shaefer: Alright, looks like we've got all the equipment we need. We'll stay connected just in case anything unexpected happens on the hike up, sound good command?
Site Command: That would be preferable, yes.
The team begins walking through the narrow passage, using the dead bodies as trail markers.
Over the course of the next 34 minutes PTF Chi-17 follows the trail of bodies. The team makes occasional small talk but is mostly preoccupied with safely navigating their way to the cave. Commander Shaefer stops upon seeing a corpse, later confirmed to be a missing civilian named William Barker, age 17.
Commander Shaefer: Jesus… he's just a kid. Probably not much older than mine back home.
Agent Raynes: … If it's any help, I don't think he suffered. Based on our intel and my previous experiences, controlled subjects are often in a sort of trance. Wouldn't have suffered anymore than someone who passed in their sleep.
Commander Shaefer kneels next to the corpse and closes its eyes. He also begins searching its pockets.
Agent Rivera: Uh… chief? Whatcha doing?
Commander Shaefer: Looking for something to bring back to his parents.
Agent Rivera: Not sure how the higher ups are gonna feel about that.
Commander Shaefer: Well they're gonna have to deal with it. I'm taking something back; end of discussion.
Commander Shaefer finds a photo of William Barker and his younger brother and proceeds to place it in his pocket, before getting up to continue moving.
Commander Shaefer: Alright, let's keep going.
PTF Chi-17 continues on the path. Agent Patterson pauses over the body.
Agent Patterson: … Fucking monster…
Agent Patterson moves on, and the team remains silent for the rest of the journey.
After another hour passes the cave entrance finally comes into view.
Commander Shaefer: Command, looks like we're here.
Site Command: Good, please proceed inside. Agent Rivera see if you can bypass the biometric scanner.
Agent Rivera: Sure thing.
The team enters the cave. Inside is a large pile of recently deceased corpses besides a large steel door embedded in the cave wall. Agent Rivera takes off his ruck sack and proceeds to remove a large device from it.
Agent Rivera: Here, Jessica, you think you can set this up outside while I deal with the door?
Agent Patterson: Uh, what exactly is it?
Agent Rivera kneels besides the biometric scanner and begins to remove its paneling.
Agent Rivera: It's a remote transmitter. As long as I'm wired to it, it'll make sure command is still receiving our audio-visual even if this facility would normally block out communications. I just need you to secure it in the ground outside.
Agent Patterson: Right…
Agent Patterson heads outside to set up the remote transmitter. Agent Rivera is able to fully remove the paneling.
Agent Rivera: Alright let's see what they got go… Um, guys?
Commander Shaefer: What is it Rivera?
Agent Rivera: This is Prometheus tech.
Commander Shaefer: How do you know?
Agent Rivera: One of the guys in my squad used to work for them. He taught us how to bypass these locks back when they had us raiding all their defunct facilities.
Agent Raynes: I thought we got the last of their sites back in oh-one.
Agent Patterson finishes setting up the remote transmitter and returns to the cave.
Commander Shaefer: For all we know, whoever built this place just used Prometheus tech… but it's a connection worth looking into. Command, you think you can have someone comb through the old Prometheus files to see if there is mention of a facility in Alaska?
Site Command: Already getting people to look into it.
Agent Rivera: And… got it.
A large click is heard before the door slides open.
Agent Raynes: Nice work.
Commander Shaefer: Alright, I'm gonna head up the front, with Raynes behind me, and then Rivera. Patterson, you'll take up the rear. Always keep someone in your line of sight and stick close together. Command, we're proceeding inside.
Site Command: Good luck.
PTF Chi-17 enters a large circular hallway, with a series of doors lining the outer wall on either side of them. Commander Shaefer begins heading to the left. Agent Raynes begins following but quickly pauses, appearing confused.
Agent Raynes: Ah… sorry, one second.
Agent Raynes clutches her head for a moment before regaining focus.
Agent Raynes: Sorry, that was really disorienting. It just got really quiet.
Commander Shaefer: How do you mean?
Agent Raynes: I'm not picking up any signals anymore, not even from you guys. I've felt something like this before. The Foundation trains all of their telepaths to recognize this feeling so we can identify it in the field. It's caused by this metal called telekill alloy. Anyone want to guess who invented it?
Agent Rivera: Prometheus.
Agent Patterson: So whoever built this place either got a very large donation from our favorite tech company, or Prometheus had a secret facility… Yeah, I'm betting on the latter.
Commander Shaefer: Raynes, do you think you are ok to continue?
Agent Raynes: Yeah. I'm fine now, it just hit me really suddenly. I don't think I'll be able to use my abilities while we're in here though.
Agent Patterson: There goes our secret weapon…
Commander Shaefer: She's still got more experience with telepaths than the rest of us. But it's up to you Raynes. If you want to keep going, we'll keep going, otherwise you can hang back if need be.
Agent Raynes: No, I'm good. I want to keep going.
Commander Shaefer: Alright. Then let's keep moving.
The team proceeds down the hallway to their left, stopping at the first door.
Commander Shaefer: It's got another one of those biometric scanners. Rivera, you think you can get this thing open?
Agent Rivera: No problem.
Agent Rivera removes the paneling to the scanner and proceeds to deactivate it.
Agent Rivera: Unlocking in three… two… one… go.
Commander Shaefer and Agent Patterson rush through the door, weapons hot. They scan the room around them finding a bed, a desk, and a poster of a beach.
Agent Patterson: It's just a bedroom…
Agent Patterson walks over to the desk.
Agent Patterson: And it's completely covered in dust. Probably hasn't been used in years.
Commander Shaefer: Doesn't look like they left anything behind. Rivera, go ahead and bypass the next door over, see if it's the same.
Agent Rivera: On it.
Agent Rivera proceeds to the next door and repeats the process to unlock the door. After one final sweep of the room Commander Shaefer and Agent Patterson exit back into the hallway and proceed to the next door. After a few more moments the second door unlocks and the two proceed inside.
Agent Patterson: More of the same.
Commander Shaefer: Chances are most of these doors will just be more rooms then. Let's keep going and look for anything different.
The team continues along the circular path until reaching a door on the inner wall. Agent Rivera looks towards Commander Shaefer who gives him a quick nod. He then proceeds to bypass the lock. The door slides open revealing a small intermediate hallway connected to a second circular hallway. Upon entering the newly unlocked section of the facility, the team notices another series of doors on either side of them.
Agent Rivera: Well they certainly loved their symmetry.
Agent Raynes: Not completely though: these doors have name plates on them.
Commander Shaefer: Go ahead and make sure to get clear shots of the names. We'll let the guys back at the base cross reference them with known Prometheus employees.
Commander Shaefer looks towards Agent Rivera and gestures to the nearest door. Agent Rivera moves to the door and proceeds to unlock it. The team proceeds inside finding a small office space. On the main desk is a computer monitor.
Agent Rivera: Perfect, something I can work with.
Agent Rivera approaches the computer and proceeds to power it on.
Commander Shaefer: What are you doing?
Agent Rivera: Looking for some concrete info on what this place actually is.
Agent Raynes swipes her fingers across the desk and looks at the accumulated dust.
Agent Raynes: If this place has been abandoned for awhile, how is it that everything still has power?
Agent Rivera: You kidding me? Prometheus could run a small city for a few decades with just the push of a button. Imagine what kind of power source they'd use for one of their black sites.
Agent Rivera accesses the computer's file directory. He then proceeds to download the contents with a flash drive.
Agent Rivera: Alright, while that downloads, let's check out the schematics for this place.
Agent Rivera pulls up a file detailing the layout of the facility.
Agent Rivera: Evidently they called this place Nirvana.
Agent Patterson: Hmm, certainly fits the snowy mountain aesthetic they were going for.
Commander Shaefer: Looks like this entire structure is a series of these circular hallways. You got personal rooms on the outer edge, then offices, storage rooms, and labs.
Agent Raynes: Wait, what's that chamber in the middle?
Agent Rivera: It just says 'the peak'.
Agent Patterson: Well now we know where to go.
Agent Rivera: Wait, before we head there, look at this office. It's twice the size of the others. Probably belonged to whoever ran this place. If anywhere is gonna have valuable info, it's there.
Commander Shaefer: Good eye kid. Alright, first we head to the office then to this so called 'peak'.
Agent Rivera removes his flash drive from the computer. The team then leaves the room and quickly arrives at the larger office.
Agent Rivera: This should be the one.
Agent Raynes: Door reads 'Dr. Daniel Richards'.
Agent Rivera quickly bypasses the biometric lock. The door slides open. Inside is a large office space. The walls are lined with bookshelves. Notably, one corner of the room has a rocking chair and a stack of children's books. Opposite the door is a desk and a large computer monitor. Agent Rivera immediately proceeds to the computer. The rest of the team begins scanning the books. Commander Shaefer focuses on the rocking chair in the corner.
Commander Shaefer: The hell? Did they have children living in this place?
Agent Raynes: Not exactly a healthy environment to raise one.
Agent Patterson: Adrian, you finding anything useful?
Agent Rivera: Way too much to comb through here, but I'm downloading as much as I can.
The team remains silent for the next few minutes. Agent Raynes continues to scan the shelves pausing at a section dedicated to private publications from Promtheus Labs. The publications appear to cover a wide variety of scientific material of both standard and esoteric nature. However, the vast majority of the collection is dedicated to the study of psionics.
Agent Rivera: Done.
Agent Patterson: Good, can we get out of this room now?
Commander Shaefer: Time to go see what this 'peak' is all about.
The team exits the room and proceeds to the nearest inner door. They quickly bypass it and continue to head to the center of the facility, only stopping once they reach the door to the innermost chamber.
Commander Shaefer: Alright this is it. Rivera get ready to open it. Patterson, on me.
Agent Raynes: Wait. Adrian, you need to shut the last door that we just came through.
Agent Rivera: Why?
Agent Raynes: Prometheus made telekill to contain telepathic threats. This place is loaded to the brim with the stuff, and yet somehow telepathic signals made their way all the way to Healy? If we leave all these doors open we'll basically be opening the floodgates to whatever telepath is on the other side.
Agent Rivera: Sealing that door will disconnect me from the transmitter outside, and more than likely cut off our communications with command.
Agent Patterson: Better than exposing the world to whatever is in there.
Commander Shaefer: Command will just have to settle for a recording instead of a live transmission. Rivera, seal it.
Agent Rivera disconnects from the remote transmitter; AV feed lowers in quality dramatically. He then proceeds to reseal the door. Upon the door closing the feed cuts out entirely.
Two hours pass with no further communications from PTF Chi-17. Dr. Simon Pace begins to mobilize a rescue team. After another hour AV feed from PTF Chi-17 returns. The feed shows Agents Patterson and Raynes carrying the unconscious bodies of Agent Rivera and Commander Sheafer respectively. They appear to be in the second outermost ring of the facility.
Site Command: Agent Raynes, Agent Patterson, do you copy.
Agent Raynes: Pace? Is that you? Can you hear us again?
Site Command: Yes. What's your status? What happened to your team?
Agent Raynes: We shouldn't have gone in there. That thing? We weren't prepared for her. I'm not quite sure what she did to the others but she had me in her telepathic grip almost immediately. She was playing with my head and made me experience things that never happened.
Site Command: How'd you escape?
Agent Raynes: She had a lot of power but she was inexperienced, just a kid. There's an old trick they taught us for dealing with stronger telepaths: you can get them to trap themselves in their own head if you play it just right. She wasn't quite ready for that.
Site Command: Patterson, did you experience something similar?
Agent Raynes: … Um, she hasn't spoken since we all got out.
Site Command: What do you mean?
Agent Raynes: I don't think she can talk.
Agent Patterson looks down.
Site Command: And what happened to the others.
Agent Raynes: D… Ben woke up and started screaming about his daughter. He was violent and refused to leave with us, so we knocked him unconscious so we could get him out. And Adrian just won't wake up for some reason.
Site Command: A rescue team was sent to your location about an hour ago, they already landed and should be reaching the facility within the hour. Head to the cave entrance and wait there for extraction.
PTF Chi-17 exits the structure and waits for the extraction team. Upon their arrival, Agents Raynes and Patterson disconnect their feed.
[END LOG]
Upon returning to the temporary site established in Healy, AK, Commander Shaefer and Agent Rivera were sent to the medical wing. Guards were stationed outside their rooms in the event that they were not amicable upon awakening. Agents Raynes and Patterson were held in their private quarters until they could be properly questioned on what had transpired.
Agent Rivera's thumb drive, which held a number of files detailing the function and purpose of SCP-6715, was found on his person. More notably, all PTF Chi-17 member's video footage of what transpired inside the central chamber of SCP-6715 was found to be corrupted. Efforts to restore the footage began immediately.
Addendum 6715-3: Recovered Documents
Following the discovery that SCP-6715 was created by Prometheus Labs, an investigation into previously archived files recovered from the defunct organization was conducted. Below are the documents believed to be the most relevant to the creation and purpose of SCP-6715.
GRANT REQUEST FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PSYCHIC BASED UTOPIA
PROBLEM
We as a species have long sought after utopia, it seems to almost be in our nature to chase after it: the very idea invites us to work towards it. However, in our journey to paradise, we have managed to damage the Earth in irreparable ways. In our single minded pursuit, we have forsaken the one planet we call home.
Our world is dying. The paranormal grows in abundance each and every day, and we have only accelerated the process. It seems that humanity, in its lust for Nirvana, cannot coexist with the Earth for much longer.
SOLUTION
We propose the creation of a collection of psychic realties[1] that can be customized to fit personal interpretations of utopia. As opposed to virtual reality systems, which require an unfathomable amount of processing power to host any meaningful number of individuals,[2] a psychic reality utilizes the processing power already present in the human mind to simulate reality.
Our minds are highly adept at interpreting large volumes of input to create the image of the world we see before us. Certain telepaths posses the ability to manipulate these interpretations to create an illusion that is indistinguishable from baseline reality.[3] Through telepathic manipulation, individual subjects could be perpetually convinced by their own minds that they are in their own personal paradise.
Given the potential backlash to existing alone in a psychic reality, these worlds would also require the ability to be merged. To achieve this, we propose the use of single, sufficiently powerful telepath that would act as the host and architect of these worlds. As opposed to a multi-telepath model, a singular telepath would allow for compatibility between individual worlds, as well as a reduction in the difficulty of finding two applicable telepaths.
Beyond the potential benefits to humanity, this solution would also significantly reduce the current environmental strain on the Earth. With a large enough number of subjects no longer interacting with the physical world, carbon emissions would be significantly reduced. Humanity would get its utopia, and the Earth would be allowed to live on.
BUSINESS CASE
Though this project is ultimately intended to be a humanitarian endeavor, with access to these psychic realties offered to any who seek it, we also understand the need to recuperate financial loses from the development of this system. For this, we plan to sell off initial access to the system. Aside from the many hedonists who would spare no expense to be admitted into their image of paradise, these psychic worlds can be marketed as an opportunity for the terminally ill to live out the life they never could.
Initial research suggests that we can charge up to $25 million for initial access upon the completion of all necessary technologies.
USE OF FUNDING
A total of $2.02 billion is sought for this project, to be allocated as follows:
- $2 billion for the construction of an isolated facility with proper psychic shielding to insure the safety of the general populace during testing.
- $10 million for the construction of a device capable of containing and sustaining a Prophet-level telepath (see KNOWN ISSUES).
- $5 million for researching ways to enhance natural telepathic abilities (see KNOWN ISSUES).
- $4 million for the stocking of the facility with research supplies.
- $1 million for pay of staff and researchers.
KNOWN ISSUES
Two primary issues exist in properly executing this project:
Finding a sufficiently powerful telepath
The ability to create realistic telepathic illusions is exceedingly rare, even among groups with natural telepathic abilities. Meanwhile, those that do posses such abilities are rarely capable of actively managing more than a few psychic realities at a time. To add on to this, maintaining the majority of humanity in a telepathic illusion would require a Prophet-level telepath.[4]
Due to the near impossibility of finding a natural candidate who meets all these conditions, we instead propose the modification of an already extant telepath's abilities to meet these requirements. To this end we request access to Prometheus Labs asset "Alice", which already possesses the ability to create telepathic illusions and is currently classified as an Priest-level telepath.
Sustainability
A major concern of living in a psychic world would be the care of our physical bodies. In line with this concern is worry over the degradation of the host telepath's body. After all, paradise cut short is no paradise at all.
Fortunately, these problems have a common solution: the preservation of the host telepath. Recent studies have shown that a telepathic link between two individuals will not break even upon the death of one of the subjects.[5] This would allow us to maintain all individuals and their respective psychic realties so long as we maintain the host telepath.
In order to indefinitely sustain the host we plan to develop a device capable of continuous stimulation and repair of their brain tissue, insuring their consciousness remains active at all times regardless of any physical damage their body may sustain.
Bibliography
1. A mindscape induced by psychic phenomenon in which the subject is convinced that their experiences are genuine. See Farley, C. (1987). "Alternatives to Standard Reality: Virtual, Psychic, and Otherwise"; PL Journal of Metaphysics; Vol 78(3); pp. 13-17.
2. Ming, Y. (1990). "On the Failures of Virtual Realities"; Prometheus Publications.
3. Richards, D. (1989). "The Practicality of Telepathic Illusions"; PL Journal of Psionics; Vol 52(1); pp. 4-9.
4. An individual with the ability to telepathically interact with nearly all of humanity simultaneously. See Samuels, S. (1962). "The Telepath Classification System"; PL Journal of Psionics; Vol 9(2) pp. 3-4.
5. Richards, D (1992). "Telepathic Immortality"; PL Journal of Psionics; Vol 54(3) pp. 1-9.
No official documents stating whether the above grant was approved could be found, however the following email chain was discovered.
FROM: Dr. Jeremy Bennett
TO: Dr. Daniel Richards
SENT: 10/22/1993
SUBJECT: Requested Assets
Daniel,
First off, I'm not sending this message in any official capacity; the board has no idea I'm reaching out to you. That being said, we need to talk about this project you are proposing.
The board is all but ready to approve your idea, in a more covert manner. They believe that if word got out about any of the specifics of your plan there may be some consumer backlash, as well as a PR fiasco. However, as the asset is under my jurisdiction, they need me to sign off on the idea as well.
Before I agree to anything, I need to know I can trust your judgement on this. I wouldn't even be considering this if it wasn't for all the work you've done with telepaths in the past. However, your plan to increase the kid's power is a risk we can't take lightly. How do you plan on insuring the safety of humanity?
-Dr. Jeremy Bennett, Head of Psionics Division
FROM: Dr. Daniel Richards
TO: Dr. Jeremy Bennett
SENT: 10/23/1993
SUBJECT: Requested Assets
Dr. Bennett,
I understand your concerns but let me reassure you there is nothing to worry about. My team will not proceed with any enhancements until such a time that the asset's cooperation can be guaranteed.
In terms of general safety we have already chosen a location that will be sufficiently isolated. Though given the asset's docile nature, and a lack of any incidents while under our organization's care, I personally believe that we would still be safe even with less restrictions. That being said, my team is still going beyond the standard safety measures for this project.
Additionally, I'm sure you've heard that the metallurgy division has developed plans for a material capable of containing telepathic threats. By the time we begin any enhancements on the subject we should be able to commission a substantial amount of the material.
-Dr. Daniel Richards
FROM: Dr. Jeremy Bennett
TO: Dr. Daniel Richards
SENT: 10/26/1993
SUBJECT: Project Approved
Daniel,
I've taken some time to think it over. There are many reasons I shouldn't approve this project; the potential dangers speak for themselves. However, with the precautions you've laid out I feel comfortable approving things on the safety end. Beyond that I do believe in the benefits this research will provide, and I can't in good faith deny the world a chance at paradise.
Just know that I will be keeping a close eye on this venture, and if at any point I sense things are going in the wrong direction, I will shut everything down.
-Dr. Jeremy Bennett, Head of Psionics Division
The following are a series of journal entries composed by Dr. Daniel Richards. These particular entries were selected for their relevance to SCP-6715. The files were recovered from Agent Rivera's personal thumb drive following PTF Chi-17's exploration of SCP-6715.
06/22/1996
I arrived at Nirvana today. It's been nearly three years since I originally proposed this whole project. I wish we had been able to start sooner, but the recent budget complications slowed the already arduous task of constructing this facility.
Luckily, the delays have been somewhat beneficial. Recent developments in the field have lead to a device capable of containing a telepath. It unfortunately requires a great deal of energy for more powerful subjects; a problem me and my team hope to solve in the meantime. Additionally the metallurgy division thinks they are close to creating a more passive approach to telepath containment.
Speaking of my research team, they should all be arriving over the next few days. A small group came in advance with me to help prep all the lab equipment we have stored here. I'd like to say it's nice that Prometheus spared no expense, however, most of this equipment has clearly seen better days.
Still, despite the many delays and cuts, I'm excited to begin, to properly change the world for the better. The asset should be arriving by week's end, and then things will truly get under way.
07/08/1996
Initial testing has gone… less than smoothly. The asset has shown a reluctance, or perhaps inability, to create illusions that mimic reality with any degree of accuracy. Our volunteers report that the illusions take on a dream like quality, and always seem to be childish in nature, oftentimes something akin to a storybook.
I'm not necessarily surprised by these results, she is just a child. However, I suppose I expected something more powerful or frightening given how much of a fuss Bennett made out of using her for the project. She could supposedly trap an entire city in a fake reality, but I truthfully can't see her ever doing that.
After our last test she apologized to me, clearly aware of my frustrations thanks to her abilities. She told me that she doesn't like tricking people, which makes it difficult for her to make the illusions realistic. She also said that it's easier to make them mimic things she knows well.
Thinking this over, I believe the key to getting her abilities to work in the way we want is more psychological than I would have initially anticipated. Perhaps the best course of action would be to teach her why this project is for the betterment of mankind. And given her interest in stories, giving her books to read may prove helpful.
10/13/1996
Despite a rough start we've finally started to make some progress here. The team has begun construction on the machine that will help us contain the kid's abilities. They've taken to calling it 'The Peak' due in part to the fact that it looks like an upside-down mountain, but mostly because that machine is the closest we as a species have ever been to heaven. I'm happy to know so many of them are loyal to the cause. It also doesn't hurt that the kid will be exposed to more minds that are in alignment with the mission.
Speaking of the kid, we've made some significant progress in that department as well. We've started teaching her about the natural world, and given her a lot of reading material on the subject. Needless to say, it has had a noticeable impact on the tests. The illusions grow more realistic every day.
I never realized it, but that poor girl has been kept sheltered by Prometheus for so long that she knows next to nothing about the world we are trying to save. Her understanding of reality is one of grey walls and picture books. I wish we could let her go out and experience some of the world for herself, but for now stories will have to suffice.
01/24/1997
I… I made a terrible mistake.
Over the past few months we started to grow more fond of Alice. Unfortunately progress in improving the quality of her illusions had slowed. There is only so much one can learn from books.
She has been so passionate about the project, she wants to learn more and help however she can. After discussing the issue, a few members of our team, myself included, volunteered to let her access our memories, so she could experience nature more directly. We were letting her walk amongst our memories of beautiful forests and winding rivers.
We were careful at first. Most of us have been trained to deal with telepaths, namely by hiding our more sensitive memories when one comes probing around. So for a few weeks Alice was getting used to walking around the more open parts of our minds. The plan was working: the illusions were becoming indistinguishable from reality.
Alice got a little too comfortable with the arrangement, and one day, in an attempt to see why Conners was upset accessed his mind when he wasn't ready for it. It didn't take long before he noticed and alerted the rest of the staff, but by that point Alice had already dug around inside his mind. I tried to find out what she had seen but she refused to speak after the event. However, we ended up finding out soon afterwards anyways.
That night, Alice had a nightmare, and we all had to live through it with her. It started in a car, I was driving… or I suppose it was Conners who was driving, but, it felt too real. Before then none of Alice's illusions had been strong enough to make anyone feel like they were actually living through the experience, but even though I've never been in one I now know what a car crash feels like:
There is a sudden bright light, I know what's coming. The moment before the impact feels like it lasts an eternity, yet I can't do anything in that time to change what is about to happen. Suddenly my head is on fire and every movement is pure agony. I slowly turn my head, tears welling up in the process, hoping to get a bearing on my situation. I finally notice the other car, it's a black pickup, and the details stick out to me even now. The front is slightly caved in from the impact, the diesel engine hums loudly, the windows are tinted, though the front one is badly cracked. I see the dust outlining the wheel wells, and the various scratches along the side of the truck. Finally I look towards the driver's seat.
The details of his face are blurry but I know he is looking back at me, I know that asshole sees me. I look to the dashboard only to see it littered with bottles. He takes one last look at me before he begins to pull away. I try for what must be the thousandth time to make out the license plate, but I still can't remember.
I'm suddenly hit with a realization: Eliza. I turn to the passenger's seat, only to see her sitting there, motionless. I try calling to her, but I can only croak out a sad excuse for words. I, Daniel Richards, have never met this woman, yet seeing her like this hurts me more than my shattered bones ever could.
I woke up shortly after, not quite sure where, or even who I was. After some time regaining my bearings I rushed to Alice's room. She was crying, and kept apologizing for what happened. I wasn't sure how to comfort her, but I told her it wasn't her fault. I can't blame her, no kid should have to experience those things, and I know she didn't chose to subject us to her nightmare.
Nearly a quarter of my team has resigned or requested a transfer. I approved all of it. How could I not? We are now all grieving for a woman we never even knew existed. Conners in particular was… he was forced to relive the worst moment in his life all over again. I reached out to Bennett to make sure that he gets properly compensated… not that we could ever truly fix what happened.
02/10/1997
Bennett was planning to shut us down. After I told him about the incident he told me he was going to come here to take Alice back to her old holding facility.
We were too close though. Too close to creating something truly meaningful for Bennett to pull the plug now. I wasn't quite sure what to do, but Alice, as keen as ever, could tell I was concerned.
I didn't want to lie to her (not like I could if I wanted to) so I told her that we would have to stop the project. I tried to reassure her it wasn't her fault, but I could tell she felt guilty. I should've paid more attention though.
When he finally arrived he took to scolding my carelessness almost immediately. He then quickly went to retrieve Alice alone, refusing to let us say goodbye to her. However, when he came back from her room, she wasn't with him. I asked what happened, and he told me he had a change of heart and realized that 'everything is fine here.'
I'm grateful for whatever Alice did; it saved the project, I just never realized she would do something like that of her own accord. I also can't help but hope that this is the last time it comes to something like this.
05/13/1997
After a few rough months, we are finally back on track. The Peak is fully operational, already programmed with the means to solve our sustainability problem autonomously.
Additionally Alice's illusions have started to reach amazing heights. She's learned how to stretch our perception of time, effectively making a five minute session feel like upwards of an hour, and we have reason to believe she can push this ability even further.
We still needed to confirm that the illusions were indistinguishable from reality, so we had a few volunteers agree to be subjected to them at random times. Out of our seven subjects only one ever realized when the illusion was occurring. Excellent results, but still not enough. Hopefully soon she'll be ready.
Alice is… she is doing better. She still won't talk much about it but she blames herself for the incident, and I know she still occasionally has nightmares. I can't imagine what it must have been like for her to live someone else's trauma. The minds of children and adults aren't always compatible when it comes to coping, yet Alice couldn't even develop her own natural feelings, she had to feel the feelings Conners felt.
Beyond that, she keeps herself busy and distracted with the project. She is determined to save the world. I've never seen someone so young with so much passion about something. I'd almost say that she wants this to work more than I do. She's grown to care about the planet and the wellbeing of humanity as a whole.
As happy as I am that she cares so deeply for the work we are trying to accomplish, I can't help but wonder how much of this was within her to begin with, and how much was caused by our influence. We often worry about how telepaths will alter us, but they are the ones who are being constantly exposed to our every thought. I know if I heard people talking about the same goal for months on end I'd start caring too.
09/04/1997
Alice's abilities have reached their current peak. None of our test subjects have been able to distinguish them from reality, she can stretch a single minute into a week, and though we can't properly test it we are almost certain she could hold a small town in a shared illusion effortlessly.
As it stands, with the Peak completed and Alice pushing herself to her current max, there is only one path left to take. We need to increase the strength and range of Alice's abilities.
Truth be told, she has been ready since July, but the procedure to improve her telepathy is one I would rather put off. It won't be painful, but after we go through with it, any chance of her having a normal life will be gone.
There was a time when I would have willingly sacrificed anyone in this position, myself included. A chance for humanity to reach utopia, by sacrificing a single individual? I thought anyone would make that decision, but now that I'm faced with the choice of leaving this poor girl out of heaven, making her the Atlas of our new world… I'm uncertain.
Her birthday is in October. I have no plans of making any decisions before then.
11/06/1997
My staff have been asking me when we will move to the next phase of the project. I know many of them have grown to care for Alice and her wellbeing, but there is still a large number that only see her as a means to an end. A mentality I can't help but feel responsible for fostering during our first few months at Nirvana.
I've spent the past several months trying to think of alternative ways to reach our goal. However, to create the perfect life for humanity without tearing apart the Earth in the process, seems… impossible. The laws of nature work against us at every turn. Fighting against entropy alone would require the constant intake of new material to stave off deterioration. The only way is to circumvent natural laws.
The problem with that approach is that anomalies are… unpredictable. To find the right combination of longevity, stability, and reliability was seemingly impossible. Then came Alice, who, in combination with the Peak, not only has all three traits, but the actual potential to create this new world.
Despite those facts, and the insurmountable challenge of finding a suitable replacement, I still couldn't go through with it without at least giving her the choice. I explained to her that if she wanted, me and several of the other doctors would be willing to help her escape, help her find a normal life away from all of this. I told her that she would get the chance to live a normal life if she wanted.
I don't know what reaction I expected from her, but it certainly wasn't the confused stare she gave me. After I finished speaking she just sat there in silence for quite awhile. I told her to take her time to think it over and got up to leave when she turned to me and said 'I want to stay'.
I tried to figure out why, but the only explanation she would give was that this project was important to her.
… The operation is in three weeks.
11/30/1997
The past few days have been difficult. We finally went through the procedure to enhance Alice's abilities. Fortunately, there were no complications during the operation, and Alice came out without a scratch. Unfortunately, the enhancement of her abilities went too well, and now she is one of the most powerful telepaths on the face of the Earth, with no idea how to control this magnitude of power.
We knew there would be a learning curve. Alice was particularly well adapted to her level of powers, considering she has had them since birth. She was able to execute control over her abilities down to the most precise scales. But now, we've effectively taken a professional driver and replaced their gas pedal with something ten times as sensitive.
Almost immediately she was struggling not to read our thoughts or control us. Every slight desire or suggestion she had was impossible not to obey, even if she wasn't trying to actively force us to do anything. Additionally there was all the extra noise. To go from only being able to read a few people in the same building, to being able to hear thoughts from across the globe, it must have been overwhelming.
She was subconsciously begging us to help her in some way, and we couldn't refuse. We ended up putting her in the Peak and activated its telepathic shielding. It isn't quite as strong as we thought it would be though, as she still can't filter out all the noise, or stop her subconscious commands. The machine is working double time just to make it bearable for her, and we can't let her out until we find a way to properly shield her.
The damn metallurgy division has been working on the same Telekill project for years at this point, but I think they finally have a workable prototype. I've requested some of the early samples in the hopes that we can use it to help Alice.
01/02/1998
Damn Telekill is useless. I know this stuff is still in development, but the metallurgy division doesn't know what they are doing. We got a shipment of the stuff last week and I've been running tests on it to make sure it's safe. Turns out the stuff is just a time bomb.
The main problem is that they essentially tried to make a conductor for psionic energy, something that could act as a faraday cage and cancel out telepathic signals. That plan would have been fine but there is no such thing as negative psionic charge. Psionic charge arises from consciousness, and since there is no such thing as negative consciousness, negative psionic charge isn't a thing. It's the same reason you can't create a faraday cage for gravity: no negative mass.
What they created is more akin to a spring. The material soaks up a lot of energy and eventually discharges it all after it has hit its limit. Which makes it unusable for trying to contain a telepath as strong as Alice. The pent up telepathic signals would be released on the Earth like wildfire.
Fortunately that is a problem we may be able to fix. Considering the fact that it acts like a spring we may be able to redirect that stored energy into something else. One way or another it will have devastating effects, but hopefully the alternatives won't result in us accidentally enslaving humanity.
The other issue is more difficult to fix. There is no way to pick and choose what psionic energy to absorb. This stuff will slowly suck the consciousness out of me and my team. Luckily, Alice is safe, as she is effectively an infinite source of psionic energy; it will never be able to reach her actual consciousness, she'll just keep feeding it energy.
Leaving us with two choices: 1) Get rid of the Telekill and run the risk of the Peak breaking down from the excess strain, which would only unleash Alice's uncontrolled abilities on humanity, or 2) Modify the Telekill, incorporate it into Nirvana, and spend as little time here as possible. Though we'd more than likely be able to have people here taking small shifts, we'd effectively be leaving Alice alone.
I can't keep putting her into these awful situations, but if we can finish the project quickly we can start getting people to enter the psychic illusions. Once we get enough people the strain of the world's minds will lessen and then we can tear out the Telekill as well. We're so close, and soon Alice won't have to suffer anymore.
I know we don't really have a choice, but I almost can't bear to tell Alice that we have to leave her alone here. The worst part is that I don't even know when the next time I'll be able to see her is. Prometheus would have to sign off on all the trips here as it isn't exactly easy to reach on foot, and I doubt they'd ever send more than a few caretakers at a time. Though considering the Peak will keep Alice alive they may not even afford her that.
I will come back for her, I have to. Maybe I can't free her from this life but I can at least be there for her. But for now, I have to say goodbye.
No more journal entries were recovered by Agent Rivera. Given the collapse of Prometheus Labs on ██/██/1998 it is unknown if Dr. Richards was able to return to SCP-6715. Additionally, his current whereabouts are unknown.
Addendum 6715-4: Mission Debrief Interviews
Interviewer: Dr. Simon Pace
Interviewed: Agent Samantha Raynes
Foreword: The following is an official debriefing interview of Agent Raynes conducted on 03/13/2003, following the exploration of SCP-6715. Primary objectives of the interview included: determining what transpired in the central chamber of SCP-6715 and confirming that Agent Raynes was free of any telepathic influence.
[BEGIN LOG]
Dr. Pace: Hello Agent Raynes. I'm terribly sorry about the wait, we've been trying to sort through all the new information your team brought back.
Agent Raynes: It's fine… can we just get this over with? I'm ready to get home.
Dr. Pace: Ah yes, that's actually something I wanted to ask you about. Since returning from your mission you've put in several requests to be put on leave as soon as possible, and I've heard you are considering resigning from the Foundation altogether?
Agent Raynes: What of it?
Dr. Pace: I hate to seem accusatory, but you were just on a mission engaging with what we can now confirm to be a telepathic threat. I'm sure you have your own reasons, but surely you can understand our concerns.
Agent Raynes: … Look, I just… I was supposed to protect them, you know? The whole reason I was picked for this mission was so that I could prevent any telepathic attacks from hurting the team… and I completely failed. Jessica can't talk, Ben lost it, and Adrian still hasn't woken up. That girl basically tore our psyches to shreds and it's all my fault. I don't want to see that happen to anyone else again, and that's why I'm trying to get out.
Dr. Pace: I see… I'm sorry for insinuating—
Agent Raynes: No, I get it. That's the type of caution we should've had.
Dr. Pace: Once we get you cleared I'll put in a recommendation for you to go on leave, hopefully it'll speed up the process.
Agent Raynes: Thank you.
Dr. Pace: Of course. Now, I hate to ask this of you but could you go over what exactly happened after we lost contact with the team?
Agent Raynes: Right… Well, we all got ready to enter the chamber. Ben and Jessica were standing besides the door ready to charge in, while Adrian was disarming the lock. And then there was me, completely useless.
Dr. Pace: We both know that isn't true. It was your skills in handling telepaths that allowed your team the chance to escape.
Agent Raynes: … Thanks. Anyways, imagine our surprise when we opened the door to find this teenager all alone, strapped into this huge device ripped straight out of a sci-fi film. She couldn't see us, that machine covered her eyes, but she heard us, both physically and telepathically. Rivera collapsed almost immediately, just went from standing there as confused as the rest of us to passed out on the floor.
Dr. Pace: She made no attempts at communication before attacking?
Agent Raynes: It wasn't an attack… or at least not an intentional one. I think she just wanted to know who we were and pushed a little too hard. To her we are the psychic equivalent of flies, able to crush us with the lightest poke if she isn't too careful. It doesn't matter what her intentions were though because Jessica shot her.
Dr. Pace: Agent Patterson fired on the telepath?
Agent Raynes: Yes. Three bullets straight to the chest… I can still hear the girl's screams. The problem though was that she didn't die, she was bleeding out in front of us but that machine wouldn't let her. It didn't stop the pain either, it just kept her from passing on. That's about when everything went to shit. I don't know what she did to the others but she wrapped me in my own personal torture den.
Dr. Pace: I'm terribly sorry, that must have been a very difficult couple of hours.
Agent Raynes: Hours?! It felt like fucking years! I almost forgot who I was in there. Eventually she stopped caring about me just enough to let me form a plan. I took the first chance I got to trick her into looping those illusions back on herself. Once I woke up I tried to get the rest of the team up, but you already know how that went.
Dr. Pace: Do you believe you were able to properly contain her by using her illusions against her?
Agent Raynes: Not even close. It was basically the psychic equivalent of getting someone to punch themselves in the face. It may leave them stunned but usually people can take what they can dish out.
Dr. Pace: I see. Is there anything else you would like to add for the record?
Agent Raynes: … Yeah. Don't go back in there. I'm sure removing her from that machine will result in her dying, given the wounds she has suffered, and ultimately remove any threat she poses. However, in that split second before she dies, she could kill us all with a thought. That machine may be the only thing protecting her, but it's also the only thing protecting you.
Dr. Pace: Rather insightful. Well, thank you for your time Agent Raynes. I'll see what I can do about expediting your request.
[END LOG]
Closing Statement: Following standard quarantine protocols and testing to confirm she is free of any external telepathic influences, Agent Raynes will be permitted to return home on 03/27/2003. In addition Agent Raynes' request for extended leave has been granted, and will begin upon the end of her quarantine.
Interviewer: Dr. Simon Pace
Interviewed: Agent Jessica Patterson
Foreword: The following is an official debriefing interview of Agent Patterson conducted on 03/14/2003, following the exploration of SCP-6715. Primary objectives of the interview included: confirming what transpired in the central chamber of SCP-6715, determining if Agent Patterson was free of telepathic influence, and determining why Agent Patterson had not spoken since the exploration.
Note: Due to Agent Patterson's inability to speak she was provided with a keyboard and monitor to type her responses. Agent Patterson's responses have been directly copied for this log.
[BEGIN LOG]
Dr. Pace: Hello Agent Patterson. I know you've been… unable to speak, so we've provided you with this equipment so we can conduct a proper interview.
Agent Patterson: Thank you
Dr. Pace: First, I'd like to confirm the story we received from Agent Raynes.
Agent Patterson: Ok
Dr. Pace: When the four of you entered the chamber, who was the first to collapse?
Agent Patterson: Adrian
Dr. Pace: Is it true that you fired at the girl?
Agent Patterson turns away from Dr. Pace in apparent shame.
Dr. Pace: Jessica, you need to tell me what happened. I need to make sure the stories line up.
Agent Patterson: Yes, I did. 3 times
Agent Patterson pauses for a moment and covers her eyes with her hand. After a minute she continues typing.
Agent Patterson: I know she is just a kid, but in the moment I thought she killed Adrian. I kept thinking about the bodies on the mountain. I thought we were dealing with a monster. I acted on instinct and only made things worse
Dr. Pace: … We can deal with that later. For now we're just gonna focus on these questions. So, who ended up waking you?
Agent Patterson: Samantha
Dr. Pace: Right, well your stories both line up. I still need to ask some questions about your personal experiences though. What did the girl subject you to?
Agent Patterson looks at Dr. Pace with a worried expression.
Agent Patterson: No
Dr. Pace: What do you mean by 'no'?
Agent Patterson: I dont want to relive it
Dr. Pace: I won't force you, but we can't help you regain your speech if we don't know how it happened.
Agent Patterson pauses to think this over. Eventually she begins typing.
Agent Patterson: Started small. She made me feel the pain she was feeling. For the first few months I had 3 bullet wounds in my chest. Eventually that dulled. She was still angry but was unsure what to do with me. She decided to use another pain she was familiar with: Isolation. My surroundings were slowly stripped away until it was just darkness. After that went sounds and sense of touch. I was completely alone. My voice was the only thing that kept me sane, so she took that away too. I sat there alone in darkness for years
Dr. Pace: I'm sorry for what you had to go through, but I don't understand… You are free of her influence now, you should be able to speak again.
Agent Patterson: Tried. Doesnt work. I know language, know how to read and write, but I don't know how to speak anymore
Dr. Pace: … I hate to inform you of this, but it's possible she is still affecting you. We will need you to stay here in quarantine till we can remove her influence completely…
Dr. Pace gets up to leave the room.
Dr. Pace: I promise you we will do everything in our power to free you.
[END LOG]
Closing Statement: Agent Patterson will be held until she is confirmed to be fully cleared of any telepathic influence from SCP-6715-2. To this end, several telepathic resources under Foundation control have been requested. Additionally, Agent Patterson has expressed interest in retiring from field duty following her release.
Interviewer: Dr. Simon Pace
Interviewed: Commander Ben Shaefer
Foreword: Commander Shaefer has been uncooperative with debriefing efforts, refusing to speak with staff and mounting several escape attempts. It was believed that, like Agent Patterson, he was still under the influence of SCP-6715-2. This behavior continued until 03/18/2003 when he requested an interview.
[BEGIN LOG]
Dr. Pace: Well, I'm glad to see you are finally starting to come around Commander.
Commander Shaefer: About that… you've got the wrong guy.
Dr. Pace: Is your name not Ben Shaefer?
Commander Shaefer: It is, but I've never been a commander of anything, and I've certainly never met any of y'all.
Dr. Pace: … This may be worse than I thought. Fine, so you don't remember me or anyone else who works here, but you remembered your daughter at least. What has you so concerned about her?
Commander Shaefer: How could I not be concerned? One minute I was with her celebrating her getting her driver's license, and the next I'm in some giant facility getting knocked out by this lady wearing tactical gear… Look, I'm sure y'all are some very important government agency, and I accidentally stumbled onto something I shouldn't have, but I just need to know she's safe.
Dr. Pace: Of course, we'd never do anything to hurt Katherine.
Commander Shaefer appears confused.
Commander Shaefer: … I'm sorry, did you say Katherine?
Dr. Pace: Yes, is there a problem with that?
Commander Shaefer: Its just… that isn't my girl's name.
Dr. Pace: I…
Dr. Pace pauses for a moment to contemplate this.
Dr. Pace: My mistake. So tell me, what is your daughter's name?
Commander Shaefer: Alice.
Dr. Pace: I see… this has uh… helped clarify some things for me, thank you.
Dr. Pace gets up and opens the doors to the interview chamber.
Dr. Pace: We'll do everything we can to make sure you get back to you family as soon as possible. You have my word.
Commander Shaefer: Much appreciated doc.
[END LOG]
Closing Statement: Commander Shaefer will be held until he is confirmed to be fully cleared of any telepathic influence from SCP-6715-2. To this end, several telepathic resources under Foundation control have been requested. Commander Shaefer's wife has been informed that he is being held indefinitely, and that she and their daughter will be unable to visit him during this time.
Interviewer: Dr. Simon Pace
Interviewed: Agent Adrian Rivera
Additional Personnel: Agent Jacob Durand
Foreword: Following several failed attempts to wake Agent Rivera from his coma using conventional means, it was decided that an active telepath would be used to determine if the issue was psychic in nature. Agent Durand was brought in to assist in this matter, as well as other issues surrounding PTF Chi-17. This interview was conducted on 04/02/2003.
[BEGIN LOG]
Agent Durand is sitting beside Agent Rivera's bed with his eyes closed.
Dr. Pace: So, what can you tell me?
Agent Durand opens his eyes and looks towards Dr. Pace.
Agent Durand: He's convinced he's asleep.
Dr. Pace: Yeah, so am I.
Agent Durand: It's like with the other two you had me look at. I'm not picking up any actual foreign signals here, they are just genuinely convinced of these ideas.
Dr. Pace: So you're telling me that all these side effects are just psychosomatic?
Agent Durand: How long were they all in there for?
Dr. Pace: Three hours.
Agent Durand: And how long was it for them?
Dr. Pace: Years. We can't exactly get any concrete answers, and it seems they all experienced different lengths of time. Raynes only felt a couple of years, five tops. Patterson didn't have a good way to measure it, but she has described it as decades. And Shaefer told us that Alice was seventeen when he woke up, and since there's no reason to imagine she did anything more than make him play dad, that's the best estimate we got for him.
Agent Durand: So tell me, what do you think would happen if you spent two decades being forced to be someone else? It's no wonder they are so convinced of this shit.
Dr. Pace: You said the others may take years of therapy to readjust, but what about Rivera is there anything you can do for him?
Agent Durand turns back towards Agent Rivera and once again closes his eyes.
Agent Durand: The thing is… he's less convinced than the others. This one feels like a rush job in comparison. I think I can wake him up.
Dr. Pace: Do what you can.
Agent Durand nods before falling silent. Three minutes pass when Agent Rivera suddenly jerks upright.
Agent Rivera: Where's Samantha?! Commander? Jessica?
Agent Rivera gets out of the bed before collapsing.
Dr. Pace: Adrian, calm down, you're back at the base, and your team is safe and secure. It's alright now.
Dr. Pace and Agent Durand help Agent Rivera back into his bed.
Agent Rivera: I… I don't understand… I thought…
Agent Rivera appears to get lost in thought.
Dr. Pace: How about we start with what happened back at Nirvana?
Agent Rivera: How… how long ago was that?
Dr. Pace: About three weeks. You were in that chamber for three hours before your team got you out. Now can you tell us what you remember from before the telepath entered your mind?
Agent Rivera: You mean Alice?
Dr. Pace: Yes, but when did you learn her name?
Agent Rivera: She told it to me.
Dr. Pace: We were under the impression that you were in this coma state from the start.
Agent Rivera: My body was, but my mind was active for most of it. I can't remember it all, but we spent a long time just… talking.
Dr. Pace: How do you mean?
Agent Rivera: She was curious about us, about who we were. She was just asking me questions. I tried to to hold back any information I could, but I was unable to lie, my only hope was that she wouldn't get too specific with the questions.
Dr. Pace: Did you reveal sensitive information?
Agent Rivera: Yes. I told her about the Foundation, but she wasn't at all surprised to hear about us. She said she had heard of us before. Even said it was a pleasure to finally meet us.
Dr. Pace: What else did she ask about?
Agent Rivera: After awhile she got bored with that line of questioning and started asking me about my life, about the outside world. She wanted to know everything, didn't let me spare a single detail. She looked so intrigued by everything I said, but also so sad. I think that's when I first realized I could ask questions too because I asked what was wrong. She explained that the real world was so full of pain and suffering, that all those imperfections of life, big and small, were what drove her to make a better world.
Dr. Pace: Did she ever inform you of what was happening to your teammates?
Agent Rivera: Alice didn't want to talk about it, but I kept prying. She said that she knew it wasn't ok to mess with people's heads, but that she just wanted to experience what she never had the chance to. As I kept prying she started apologizing for whatever she was putting Jessica through. Kept saying how she can't always control what she makes people see, and that it was all just a reflex.
Dr. Pace: Did she ever mention Agent Raynes?
Agent Rivera: I… I can't remember. There's something there, some memory, but it feels twisted.
Agent Durant: Perhaps I can assist in recovering the memory, if that's alright with you?
Agent Rivera: … go for it.
Agents Rivera and Durant fall silent for several minutes.
Agent Durant: Oh shit…
Agent Rivera turns towards Dr. Pace.
Agent Rivera: Pace, where is Samantha?
Dr. Pace: We cleared her of telepathic influence last week and sent her home.
Agent Rivera: You need to send a team to recover her now.
Agent Rivera gets out of bed and starts heading for the door.
Dr. Pace: I don't understand, and where are you going?
Agent Rivera: I know how to get the video footage. I'll explain on the way.
[END LOG]
Closing Statement: Following an unrecorded conversation between Dr. Pace and Agent Rivera, the latter was escorted to where the gear of PTF Chi-17 was stored. Agent Rivera revealed that he had been developing and testing a personal video backup system and was able to recover the footage of the team's exploration of SCP-6715's central chamber.
Addendum 6715-5: Additional Recovered Files
Foreword: The following video log details PTF Chi-17's exploration of SCP-6715's innermost chamber. The footage was originally believed to be corrupted beyond repair, however, Agent Rivera's private backup of the footage was unaffected.
[BEGIN LOG]
Agent Rivera: And it's sealed. We are officially cut off from command.
Commander Shaefer: As long as we're keeping the people out there safe. Alright, everyone on the door.
Agent Rivera moves to the biometric lock and prepares to disarm it. Before finishing he turns to Agent Raynes.
Agent Rivera: Any last minute advice?
Agent Raynes: … Telepaths use your mind against you. They're dangerous because they can take your insecurities, fears, even your happiest memories and turn them into ammunition. What they always forget is that the people they are turning those feelings back onto are also the most capable of dealing with them… Just make sure to stay you.
The entire team gives Raynes a quick nod before turning their attention back to the door.
Agent Patterson: Count us down Rivera.
Agent Rivera: Three… two… one… go.
The door clicks and slides open. Chi-17 rushes inside and scans the room. In the center is a young girl in her late teens (SCP-6715-2). Her arms and legs are strapped to the chair she is seated in, and the top half of her head is obscured by the device above her (SCP-6715-1).
Agent Patterson: What the fuck…
Commander Shaefer: Jesus, she looks like she's starving to death… We need to get her out of that thing.
Agent Patterson: Commander, with all due respect, that girl is probably what killed all those people outside.
Commander Shaefer: She's just a kid. We can help her.
Commander Shaefer begins walking forward before Agent Raynes grabs his arm.
Agent Raynes: Sir, Jessica's right. We don't know what we are dealing with. Plus, for all we know, that machine may be what's keeping her alive.
Commander Shaefer: Look, we aren't gonna just let some innoc—
Agent Rivera suddenly collapses to the floor. The team stands in shock for a moment.
Agent Patterson: Alright, that's it. It's us or her.
Agent Patterson raises her weapon and aims at SCP-6715-2.
Agent Raynes: Jessica, wait!
Agent Patterson fires three consecutive shots at SCP-6715-2 before Commander Shaefer is able to disarm her. SCP-6715-2 begins screaming and convulsing from the pain. Soon after Agent Patterson, Agent Raynes, and Commander Shaefer all collapse. The room falls silent save for SCP-6715-2's screams.
Approximately two and a half hours pass with no movement from the team. SCP-6715-2's screams have subsided to ragged breathing. Agent Raynes suddenly wakes up and begins searching her person.
Agent Raynes: Where is it?
Agent Raynes pulls out the medical equipment she had on her person and stands up.
Agent Raynes: Right, so based on standard protocol I don't have long.
Agent Raynes proceeds towards SCP-6715-2 and begins treating her wounds.
Agent Raynes: I know it isn't much, but it should help, at least until I can come back. Unfortunately I can't patch you up too good, otherwise the others will notice.
Agent Raynes finishes tending to SCP-6715-2's wounds and takes a step back.
Agent Raynes: I'm sorry that it's me, and not you who gets to walk out of here today. When I come back I'll be sure to share all my stories with you. And then we can save the world together. Now, what was next.
Agent Raynes pauses for a moment to look around the room.
Agent Raynes: Right, cameras.
Agent Raynes detaches her camera and begins to tamper with it. She then proceeds to Commander Shaefer and crouches over him, performing the same technique on his camera. After a moment she stands up and moves to Agent Patterson, repeating the process. Finally she stands over Agent Rivera.
Agent Raynes: And thank you Adrian, I appreciate all the information you gave me. Wouldn't have been able to do this without you… I'm also sorry that I have to put you to sleep for awhile. I'm sure they'll figure out a way to fix it, but I can't have them catching on too quick.
Agent Raynes begins to tamper with Agent Rivera's camera, ultimately corrupting the standard video file, however, Agent Rivera's backup of the footage remains unaffected.
Agent Raynes: That should do it. Now to wake them all up.
Agent Raynes walks back towards Agent Patterson and begins shaking her in an attempt to wake her.
Agent Raynes: Jessica, hey, you need to get up now.
Agent Patterson sits up and looks around her. Upon seeing Agent Raynes she hugs her and begins to cry.
Agent Raynes: Hey, it's alright now. Whatever hell you were in is over, but we need to help the others.
Agent Patterson nods and moves towards Agent Rivera attempting to wake him. Agent Raynes moves to Commander Shaefer and successfully wakes him up.
Commander Shaefer: Where… Where am I? Wait, who the fuck are you?
Commander Shaefer shuffles to his feet and slowly backs away.
Commander Shaefer: What did you do with my daughter? And why the hell am I in these clothes?
Agent Raynes: Commander, we need to go, I'm not sure how much time we have.
Commander Shaefer: I… no, no, no, wait. You're not taking me anywhere until I figure out what's going on. And… why did you call me Commander. And, again, where is my daughter?
Agent Raynes turns to Agent Patterson, who motions a strike to the head. Agent Raynes nods in response.
Agent Raynes: I'm really sorry about this sir.
Agent Raynes knocks out Commander Shaefer with the butt of her pistol.
Agent Raynes: How's it going with Rivera?
Agent Patterson shakes her head in response.
Agent Raynes: Alright, well grab him and go. We're getting out of here, now.
Agent Raynes picks up Commander Shaefer on her back while Agent Patterson does the same for Agent Rivera. The two exit the central chamber and shut the main door. They then begin exiting SCP-6715.
[END LOG]
Closing Statement: Following review of the above footage Dr. Pace dispatched a detainment team to Agent Raynes home address.
Upon arrival, Agent Raynes' home was found to be empty. She has since been designated as PoI-6715, with investigations into her whereabouts being conducted globally. A full sweep of her home found a single letter of interest located on her bed.
Dear Foundation,
I almost didn't leave this for you, but I felt that I needed to apologize for my actions. I never meant to hurt all those civilians. I didn't even realize I had been abducting people until I saw inside Jessica's mind. I know I can't undo what I did, or give back the lives I took, but I'll make it up to humanity one day. I'll make sure something like this never happens again.
I also know you probably see me as a monster, or something to be contained, but I need you to know we are on the same side. Back when the doctors were still at Nirvana they would occasionally mention the Foundation, that's how I first learned about your organization. The doctors always spoke of you with such disdain, they believed you were a hinderance to progress. I, on the other hand, always saw your goals as noble. Deep down you just wanted to secure a home for humanity, to let people live in the light. Even if we don't agree on how to achieve that, we still want those same things.
I also need to apologize for what I did to Samantha, Adrian, Jessica, and Ben. They may not be saints, but they're good people, and they were loyal to the mission you gave them… until I ruined that. I'll make sure to save a special spot in paradise for Jessica, Adrian, and Ben. As for Samantha… she's still here, in part. I hold her memories with me, and I even remember what it was like to be her, but I needed a way to slip by your detection. I couldn't just control her, I had to convince her that she was me, and now, I am.
I hope one day you understand that what I'm doing is for the best. Until then though I'll stay out of your hair. Besides, I've got to get some help from an old friend.
Best wishes,
Alice
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