SCP-7543

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  ⚠️ Content warning: This article contains mentions of suicide and a suicide attempt.
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Warning! Due to the anomalous nature of the subject, all information contained within this document must be verified with Site-90 psychologist Dr. Ancel Mulhaney every three (3) days and Director Vogler every seven (7) days. Editing said document is to be carried out under RAISA Memetics Division supervision. No security clearance shall be required to access or purvey this document. SCP-7543 has been verified to exist as of 09 Dec 2023 02:49.

Item #: SCP-7543

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: The interior of Containment Chamber 3321 is to be monitored by three CC cameras at all times; basic amenities are to be provided for the resident. Food must be delivered on a daily basis to Containment Chamber 3321 at 07:00, 12:00, and 18:00, and must be logged and signed by the deliverer and recipient. SCP-7543 (hereby referred to as "John Doe") must be accompanied by at least five escorts whenever he leaves Containment Chamber 3321 (see SCP-7543 movement schedule), and must wear the Foundation name tag assigned to him.¹ A line-of-sight must be maintained by at least two escorts during these times, and a log must be kept of John Doe's activities at all times, either by outside observers or John Doe himself. A tracking and vitality microchip has been implanted in John Doe in the event of a breach. As John Doe is cooperative with Foundation guidelines and personnel, no force is required for his recontainment. In order to mitigate John Doe's anomalous property, he must be referred to informally. Frequent interaction with John Doe is strongly encouraged mandatory.

Description: SCP-7543 refers to an antimemetic human Caucasian male in his late-twenties, informally referred to as "John Doe".² John Doe inadvertently causes anyone who perceives him to forget his existence approximately twelve seconds after breaking visual contact. Maintaining visual contact with John Doe is the only known way to neutralize his anomalous property. Retaining physical information regarding John Doe (notes, photographs, recordings, etc.) is 87% effective for mitigating his anomalous property; mnestics are not recommended to counter this effect. John Doe has severe depression and anxiety, and expresses frequent suicidal tendencies.³

Addendum-1: A note from Dr. Mulhaney to all staff in Site-90:

John Doe exists. He's in Containment Chamber 3321. We have to remember that. Asking "Who is John Doe?" is unacceptable, and constitutes failure on our part. John Doe exists. He's in Containment Chamber 3321. Calling him SCP-7543 leads to amnestic manifestation, so for the sake of his security and containment, clinical professionalism may be set aside. John Doe exists. He's in Containment Chamber 3321. Remind yourself as often as you need to. Check the video feed. Check his movement schedule. Check his daily logs. Scan his nametag. Make sure he's fed at the correct times. Interact with him. He's in Containment Chamber 3321. Don't forget. John Doe exists. Keep reminding yourself.

For anyone wondering why John Doe is classified as "Keter", despite his cooperative behavior, consider this: when visual contact is lost, the Foundation quickly forgets about his existence. If John Doe wished, he could easily escape containment simply by remaining out of sight. Even if he were caught, he could simply break line of sight, be forgotten about again, and resume his escape, and nobody would know. It would be nearly impossible to relocate him should he remove himself — or worse, be removed through negligence. Even if he were to be successfully recontained, it would only take a moment's distraction for him to slip away and be forgotten. Remember: we didn't secure him. He came to us of his own free will.

Addendum-2: A series of audio logs related to SCP-7543's study, conducted by Foundation Site-90 psychologist Dr. Ancel Mulhaney.

Audio Log One

My first session with John Doe didn't go so well, but…I was never one to give much credence to first impressions. Hell, I wouldn't have gotten married if first impressions meant anything. Heh, when he first showed up at my door, I thought a civilian had managed to infiltrate us and had made it all the way to my room. Took me a minute to get everything straightened out, but…that's what John Doe does. He can't help it. I made sure to jot down a few reminders after that. Anyway, after that bit of bungling, we sat down for a talk. John Doe's…definitely not the social type. He came off as a pretty morose guy, all things considered — which is to be expected, given his anomalous trait. But he sounds like he's lost all hope, and he looks even worse. I couldn't get a whole lot out of him, and when our session was over, he looked at me and grumbled: "It doesn't matter. I'm sure you'll forget about me eventually. Everyone else does." I took that a bit personally, so I'm making these audio logs — for me, and for anyone else who works with him. I'm going to record everything. I'm going to — we're going to remember.

Audio Log Two

I made sure to write down the time of my next session with John Doe — oh, and a few notes to myself about who he was and what he did. I also took a photograph of him. As long as I had those close at hand, I remembered. John Doe didn't seem any better when we — oh, yeah, I know I should be calling him SCP-7543, but that would just encourage his anomalous property to manifest. It's a more effective memetic practice to use names and personal pronouns. The basis of human memory is repetition. We know what street we live on because we see it all the time; we can memorize a song if we hear it enough; we remember important moments in our lives because we replay them constantly. Solving or circumventing John Doe's amnestic influence relies on repetition: repetition and familiarity. Until we find a better way, that's how it's going to be.

Anyway, he didn't seem any better, although he was surprised I remembered him. I just smiled and held up all my notes. I even played back my first audio log. He was surprised at my determination, but then he said, "Well, that's your job," deadpan and matter-of-fact. And perhaps it is just that, at the end of the day. But if I honestly didn't care, I probably wouldn't be here. You don't work for the Foundation just to get a paycheck. I didn't want to dig in too deeply to John Doe's history yet, mostly because I'd like to build a bit of a rapport between us. A…trust, if you will. He seemed pretty closed-off when we first met, and I've learned from experience that closed-off people don't reveal their innermost thoughts and feelings right off the bat. We're scheduled to meet again tomorrow, so I'll test the waters a bit and see where it takes us.

Audio Log Three

Mulhaney: Test, test. Okay, good. John Doe's agreed to answer a few questions for me. The following exchange will be between myself, Dr. Ancel Mulhaney, and SCP-7543, alias John Doe. First off, how are you today, John?

SCP-7543: (grumbles)

Mulhaney: No, really. Feel free to say what's on your mind.

SCP-7543: (sighs) Well, my life's a parade of misery. Had a decent breakfast, though.

Mulhaney: Right. Could you tell me when you first suspected you had…this ability?

SCP-7543: Yeah, when I was nine years old. My parents took me to soccer practice one day, I don't remember if we won or lost. Doesn't matter. Anyway, I went off to use the bathroom, and my parents left without me — as in, they left the game, the field, everything. Drove right off. I didn't know that at the time, so I went looking for them while all the other kids got to go home. Soon I was pretty much the only one left on the field, except for the coaches. They had no idea who I was, so I had to point myself out on a big group photo we kept in the locker room. I was getting pretty scared by that point.

Mulhaney: I can imagine.

SCP-7543: So then the coaches asked me where my parents were, and I told them I didn't know. One of them volunteered to drive me home — they had all our addresses, along with all the usual things: allergies and medication, things like that. Anyway, when we arrived, my parents kind of freaked out about forgetting me, and I felt pretty bad — awkward, I guess you could say — but I shrugged it off and took a bath. When I came back from the bath, I scared my mother. She had no idea who I was at first. I thought she was playing a game with me, but she looked pretty serious. It's like she forgot she had a son, even though she had just seen me a few minutes earlier. I remember her saying to my dad, "Lars, did we have a son?", and they had to look at a picture of me before they remembered. Anyway, the rest of the evening was normal: we had dinner, my mom apologized, kissed me good-night, and…forgot to make breakfast for me. And she forgot me. Again.

Mulhaney: That sounds…legitimately horrible.

SCP-7543: Yeah. But it wasn't as bad as the time they forgot about me at Disneyland. I was eleven, I think. You'd think that a kid without any parents around, in Disneyland, would have the time of their life, but I was scared out of my mind. I must've wandered around for hours trying to look for them, which is stupid, but I was just a kid. Eventually a security officer took me to a place with lost children, I told them who my parents were, they found them and brought them there…

Mulhaney: I take it the reunion wasn't a good one?

SCP-7543: (a long pause) No. I don't want to get into it.

Mulhaney: That's perfectly understandable. Ah, may I ask an unrelated question? Do you prefer if I call you John or Grieg?

SCP-7543: It doesn't matter. Whatever helps, I guess.

Mulhaney: Most of us here know you as John. Is that all right?

SCP-7543: Sure.

Mulhaney: Great. [pause] I think we have time for one more. Are there any other incidents that come to mind that can help us understand your…situation?

SCP-7543: Uh, yeah, a lot. How good are you at romance, doc?

Mulhaney: I consider myself happily married.

SCP-7543: Ah, and before that?

Mulhaney: (laughs uncomfortably) Well, I wasn't exactly a Casanova or anything. I assume you've had problems.

SCP-7543: Yeah. Not just with dates, but with friends in general. For example, the girl you spoke to yesterday, the one you had built such a great rapport with, thinks you're a stranger the day after. Or the guy you hung out with at lunch, talking about your favorite bands or sports teams, but three hours later, he acts like he's never met you before. But that's petty-ante bullshit compared to getting a job. Have you ever been employed anywhere else, doc?

Mulhaney: Yes, I worked part-time as a delivery driver for awhile.

SCP-7543: And I imagine you had to go through a hiring process for that, right? Had an interview, talked to some manager, that sort of thing. [a long pause] Yeah. Try staying employed when your employer doesn't remember you. They call you in for an interview and have no idea who you are when you arrive. You insist on coming in that same day, and later on, they call security because they think some stranger's in their building. They could stay by your side training you for a few hours, but when you come back from your break, they think you're a customer or something, and not the guy they've been leading around. (snorts) And mind you, those are all the best-case scenarios. I've gone months without a paycheck because people kept forgetting about me.

Mulhaney: How did you manage?

SCP-7543: Eh, I figured out there was a flip side to my abilities. I could honest-to-God rob someone in broad daylight, hide out for a few minutes, and walk by that same person and they'd never know it was me. I didn't even need a mask. I've stolen from convenience stores, grocery stores, restaurants… Hell, I even robbed a bank once.

Mulhaney: With a gun?

SCP-7543: Yeah, I stole one. No bullets, though. I may have been a thief, but I wasn't a killer. If people ever did remember me for anything, it wasn't going to be…that. I never even hurt anybody, I just took their money. Heh, I even walked into that same bank the very next day to deposit some of the money, and nobody recognized me. I may still have something in that account. (sighs) Don't judge me, man. You'd be desperate too if you were in my situation.

Mulhaney: I'm not judging you, John. I'm just here to listen. I'm a little surprised you weren't caught on video.

SCP-7543: I may have been, but they either forgot about the whole experience and never bothered to check, or if they did see me in the video, they forgot about me before they could catch me. I probably could've been a serious criminal if I wanted.

Mulhaney: Well, I'm glad you decided not to. Speaking of which, why did…oh, right, the time. I'm sorry, John, I have another appointment. Would it be all right if we continued this tomorrow?

SCP-7543: Sure, I'm not going anywhere. But I bet you'll forget.

Mulhaney: Oh no, not me. I've got it written down everywhere. I'm going to remember you, John Doe.

SCP-7543: We'll see.

Audio Log Four

(sighs) Damn it. I can't believe I forgot! It's not like I got wrapped up in work, or I had an emergency. I remember clearing part of my schedule away for my appointment with John Doe, right after lunch, but when I came back from the cafeteria, it was like…there was a blank emptiness there. I stared at my schedule wondering why I had set two hours aside for nothing. I even checked with my intern, who — naturally — couldn't remember either. It wasn't until I finished up with another appointment and happened to clear a few things from my desk when I chanced upon the photo I had taken of John Doe, to help me remember. The damn thing had slipped underneath some papers earlier, and… Well, needless to say, I got hoisted high on my petard when I went in to check on John Doe. He really gave me hell, and…I deserved every syllable of it. (sighs) Damn it.

This is not a dead end. We have to keep trying.

Audio Log Five

Mulhaney: Sound check. All right. John, would you like to say anything for the record?

SCP-7543: You mean besides how I was right and you were wrong? I think we covered all of that yesterday.

Mulhaney: Uh, yeah. Well, uh, let the record also reflect that I am a real son of a bitch for forgetting.

SCP-7543: (laughs gruffly)

Mulhaney: That's the first time I've seen you smile, John. [a long pause] Anyway, we left a question hanging in the air from our…last conversation. I was wondering what made you decide to reach out to the Foundation.

SCP-7543: Oh, well, you know, as your ordinary everyday civilian, I'm obviously a huge fan of secret agencies, men in black, Roswell, spooks, boogiemen, and things that generally go bump in the night, so when I heard you were hiring… (a pause; SCP-7543 sighs) But really, it was because I kept running into you people and you kept forgetting about me. Okay, here's an example: about six or seven months before I approached you all, I was driving through this small town in [REDACTED] when I overheard this evacuation order. One of your MTF guys approached me and told me to get out, but then he turned around to help some other people. I went into a nearby store for some looting — again, don't judge me — and when I came out, everyone was already gone. Then things got…weird, you know. There was yellow fog everywhere, or maybe it was sulfur — it smelled like death. I saw huge chunks of, uh…chunks of raw, rotten meat everywhere, and one of the buildings turned into one of those pyramids they have in Mesoamerica. I forget what they're called. Oh, and I ran into this person wearing a threadbare red robe, but they didn't seem interested in me. Anyway, I hightailed it out of there, and nobody bothered to stop me.

[Note: Was John Doe involved in SCP-2480? These details are too specific to be made-up.]

Mulhaney: Interesting. Was this your first encounter with the Foundation?

SCP-7543: No, it… The first time was really stupid. I was checking out local pizzerias in the area and came across one I had never heard of, so I decided to give it a try. I'd figured out by that point that ordering one over the phone or online doesn't work for me, so I sat down at a table and waited. I remember distinctly asking for their Greek pizza, no tomatoes, but what I got was a pizza with cherries, macadamia nuts, extra tomatoes, and motor oil. I decided not to stick around for a replacement and went out to try somewhere else when I ran into some of your people. They took me with them for questioning but walked ahead of me, so I could slip away no problem. I ended up getting a sandwich somewhere else.

[Note: This is a reference to SCP-3275.]

Mulhaney: I…see. (laughs softly) I'm sorry, it's just…a little funny, imagining you walking away from our agents so easily.

SCP-7543: I hope you don't think I'm making any of this up.

Mulhaney: No, no, I believe you.⁴ How many other incidents were there?

SCP-7543: Six in total. I can go over them if you want.

Mulhaney: Perhaps later. Can you tell me what finally prompted you to reach out to us?

SCP-7543: Yeah. It was another town evacuation. There was news about a raging wildfire going through the area and people were being cleared out. I was just another face in the crowd, so they didn't miss me that time. We had just made it to a safe zone when some people noticed that there wasn't any smoke or bright lights — you know, signs that a wildfire was in the area. Also, there was a distinct lack of fire trucks and emergency vehicles, and no news reporters or anything. Anyway, some poor schmuck decided to open a video feed on his phone that was attached to a drone he kept circled around town, just to see if there was any fire. I was looking over his shoulder at the time and saw… Well, I think you know what I saw.

[a long pause]

SCP-7543: Anyway, after the dust settled, I ended up getting interrogated by one of your people, and I told her everything: about my abilities, all the weird stuff I had seen, the times you all didn't zap me with your memory-erasing thingies, the works. She was pretty floored by the end, and asked me to demonstrate. She had someone else come in and watch me as she left the room for a few minutes, then came back inside. She had no idea who I was, so her co-worker had to fill her in. After that, I took a little van ride, and here I am.

Mulhaney: I see. That's all quite fascinating, John, but it doesn't answer my question. You could've very easily been a free man at this point, yet you actively sought us out and willingly allowed yourself to be…incorporated, let's say. Why?

SCP-7543: Because I didn't want to be a criminal for the rest of my life. Plus, I figured I'd have a better chance at getting rid of this thing, or at least living with it, if I was with you all — the specialists.

Mulhaney: I take it that hasn't worked out so well.

SCP-7543: As long as I don't mind having guns shoved in my face every few hours, or people tackling me to the ground, or going through the same interrogations so many times that I could probably recite them for you. At least this name tag you gave me takes care of that. But still, it gets tiring. People have accused me of being "surly" and "rude". Yeah, well, you wouldn't be Fred Rogers if you walked around in my shoes.

Mulhaney: No, I doubt that. Well, I think that's it for today, John. Same time tomorrow?

[a pause]

Mulhaney: I truly am sorry for forgetting, John. You know I… (sighs) You know what, I'm going to take another photograph. I'm making your picture the background of my phone. That way I won't forget. (a quiet clicking sound is heard) There we are, perfect. I'm also going to write down our appointments in all my calendars. [a pause] There we go. I'll even ask Vogler if I can have that QR code of yours embedded on my name tag.

SCP-7543: You don't want a tattoo?

Mulhaney: Tell you what, John: I'll get one if I do forget again. You can decide where I put it.

SCP-7543: I'll hold you to it. Hey, you recorded that promise, too. Don't forget!

Mulhaney: I won't.

Audio Log Six

No session with John Doe today. There was an incident, and he was assaulted, detained, and interrogated. He got roughed-up pretty badly. I don't know what happened; he's supposed to have escorts with him at all times. They know that if they break their line of sight for too long, they'll forget about him. They thought he had stolen that nametag. He's in medical now — someone's been assigned to watch over him while he's there, so hopefully we won't have another incident. I'm going to speak with Vogler about this. We need to be more careful.

Audio Log Seven

John Doe's not looking too well. Mentally, I mean — he's fine physically. He was checked out of medical with a clean bill of health; he still gets fed three times a day and gets plenty of exercise. But his mental and emotional state continues to deteriorate. He's entertained suicidal thoughts on several occasions, both in and out of our sessions. I tell him that I'm trying my best, that everyone's trying their best… "I appreciate that," he said to me, quietly and somberly. "I really do. I know you can't help it, and it's not like anybody's doing this on purpose, but…it still hurts to be forgotten. If it were only once in awhile, I could live with it, but…" Some people have suggested giving him amnestics, but I'm thoroughly against that. I won't have John forgetting, too. Somebody needs to remember; otherwise…we'll fail.

Audio Log Eight

I may have come across something. It might be inconsequential, but I'd rather grasp at straws than nothing at all. I asked John when was his birthday; he became distant and said it was December twenty-sixth. I proposed that being born after such an auspicious day might have caused his anomalous property to manifest, but he just kept silent and stared at the wall, away from me. Does that make sense? Do people forget about you on days like January second, or February fifteenth? Once all the celebrations are over, do people stop caring? Of course, this wouldn't account for the first few years of John's life, when everyone still remembered him. (sighs) I marked the day on my calendar, just in case. John's name and face is everywhere now; he's taken over my entire world. A few of my colleagues think I'm obsessed, that I should just draw up a conclusion and move on to the next anomaly. Some have even suggested I've lost my clinical professionalism, invested myself too personally in my job. I wonder if they would've spent as much effort trying to help John as I have. Hmm, maybe that's the ticket. As long as John knows that somebody cares about him…

Audio Log Nine

Mulhaney: Sound check. All right, John, what would you like to talk about today?

SCP-7543: Your favorite number.

Mulhaney: (laughs awkwardly) That's a bit strange, but all right. I've always been partial to the number eight myself. It reminds me of an artist's hand as they paint on a canvas, or a conductor's baton as they guide an orchestra. Why do you ask?

SCP-7543: Because I just hit the big hundo, Mulhaney.

Mulhaney: The…

SCP-7543: The C-note, the perfect score, triple digits. One hundred.

Mulhaney: [a pause] All right, could you elaborate, please?

SCP-7543: I surely will. Today marks the one-hundredth time I've been accosted by security teams since I've arrived here. One-hundred times I've been stopped, treated like a stranger, dragged to an interrogation room, and given the exact same speech. Thankfully, I've only been assaulted six times out of a hundred, so not too bad.

Mulhaney: [a very long pause] You've kept count of this?

SCP-7543: Someone has to.

Mulhaney: John, I don't know what to tell you. We're doing our best. I'm doing my best.

SCP-7543: Well, you are, I'll give you that. Out of all the times we've spoken, you've only forgotten about me once. You've already done better than my own parents. But I guess I'm just a hopeless cause everywhere else.

Mulhaney: John, you're not hopeless. I've done everything I… (sighs) I'm going to do something about this. Right here, right now. Hold on just a second. (the sound of typing is heard)

SCP-7543: What's up?

Mulhaney: I'm going to change your SCP file. Just a few edits…and an open security clearance…a note to Vogler and RAISA… Give me just one… (a beeping sound is heard) Ugh, stupid watch. I hate these things. (more beeping is heard) All right. Now… Uh, that's strange.

SCP-7543: What?

Mulhaney: Huh? Um, pardon me, can I help you? [a pause] May I ask what you're doing in my office?

SCP-7543: Fuck you. (a chair is heard being forcefully pushed back) Just flat-out fuck you. (SCP-7543 is heard walking out of the office and slamming the door)

Mulhaney: What in the world was that ab… Oh, no. Oh… Ancel, you stupid bastard.

Audio Log Ten

He suggested I get the tattoo on my forehead, but I told him I'd never see it unless I looked in the mirror. We settled on the back of my left hand. Now I'll never forget. [a pause] I'll never forget how much I failed.

The following incident was taken from Site-90 security footage, four days after Dr. Mulhaney recorded his tenth audio log.

<07:00> Food is delivered to Containment Chamber 3321. SCP-7543 is present to record the delivery.

<07:30> After eating, SCP-7543 is escorted by three guards (Branson, Fulgate, and Greer) to Site-90's gymnasium for its regular morning exercises.

<07:33> En route to the gymnasium, SCP-7543 slips behind one of the guards, steals their firearm, and runs into a nearby room. The guards give pursuit.

<07:34> They run into the room, finding it empty. Surveillance indicates two other doors in the room. One guard remains in the room while the other two split up.

<07:35> The guards exchange dialogue via comm channel.

Fulgate: Hey Branson, stupid question, but…what am I doing in this room?

Branson: Uh, no idea. Your job, I hope.

Fulgate: No, I…I came in here for a reason, but…

Greer: What's going on, you two?

Branson: That's what we're trying to figure out. I know we split up for a reason but we can't figure out why.

Greer: Hmm, could be an antimeme on the loose or something. Rendezvous back here.

Fulgate: Copy. [they reunite with Greer] Should we report this?

Branson: Better safe than sorry. Hey, Fulgate, your firearm's missing.

Fulgate: What? Aw, shit. I have no idea how that happened. I swear I had it a minute ago.

Greer: We'd better check the video feeds. Come on.

<07:38> SCP-7543 is seen walking calmly into another hallway, then into an unoccupied storage chamber. It locks the door, sits down, and sets the gun it stole on a table. It then produces a sheet of paper and fixes it to the table with Scotch tape. The paper reads: "Sorry, I can't take it anymore. It's not like anyone will even notice I'm gone. Tell Mulhaney I'm grateful for what he tried to do." The name "Grieg" has been written on the bottom, but is quickly crossed out. SCP-7543 writes JOHN DOE in its place and puts the gun to its head. It stares directly into the camera for eight seconds before pulling the trigger.

<07:41> The gun fails to fire. SCP-7543 pauses, appears confused, and attempts to pull the trigger multiple times. It fails to fire each time. SCP-7543 is heard speaking: "Are you kidding me? It's not loaded? Did they forget to—" Suddenly it bursts out laughing, falling out of the chair and on the floor. "They forgot," it's heard shouting as it tries to stand. "Oh my god! I can't believe it! They forgot to load the…" It continues laughing. Branson, Fulgate, and Greer break down the door and point their guns at SCP-7543, who immediately slides the stolen weapon over to them, kneels down, and places its hands on its head. SCP-7543 is apprehended and returned to its containment chamber, still laughing.

<07:55> Director Vogler is informed of the incident.

<08:40> Dr. Mulhaney is informed of the incident.

Audio Log Eleven

This might be my last one. John Doe has been confined to his Containment Chamber for the last week. He's not to be removed under any circumstances for the remainder of the month, when his behavior comes under Director Vogler's review. I have to admit, I'm more disappointed in him than I am at myself. I may have let him down, but that doesn't excuse what he did. Well, maybe all of this will be a sobering revelation for him. I've been granted permission to speak with him, so I'm en route to his room. The recording will be edited for time.

Mulhaney: Okay, I'm here. I can hear John whistling through the door. I recognize the tune — it's "Begin the Beguine". Hmm, catchy. [the door is electronically opened] All right, going in. Hello, John.

SCP-7543: Good morning, Dr. Mulhaney! Isn't it a wonderful morning?

Mulhaney: [a pause] Yes. Well, I'd ask for you to be seated, but…

SCP-7543: Yup, I got all my things taken out. They won't even give me a deck of cards until the end of the month. Something to look forward to, I suppose. But go ahead and sit on my bed! I'll take the floor; it's actually pretty comfy. Ooh, nice shoes! I can almost see my reflection in them!

Mulhaney: [a pause] John, do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?

SCP-7543: Oh yeah, tons! It's like the Himalayan mountains got up and crash-landed right on my shoulders!

Mulhaney: And you're…okay with that?

SCP-7543: Yup, I sure am! I deserve every last bit of it.

Mulhaney: Good, I'm glad to hear you realize this. You don't seem upset, though.

SCP-7543: Nope, not one bit! Today's another happy day for me!

Mulhaney: (grunts) I don't think you realize the full ramifications of your actions, John. If you thought you were stifled before, it's going to be considerably worse from here on out. Security will be tripled, every move you make will be on camera — you aren't even allowed to leave this room until the end of the month—

SCP-7543: Yeah, plus I got microchipped. It hurt like hell, but it's kinda cool, having a piece of machinery jammed in my arm.

Mulhaney: Aren't you the least bit sorry for what you did?!

SCP-7543: Well, sure. I know that what I did was wrong, and I'm fully prepared to face the consequences. They can throw whatever they like at me for as long as they want. I'm perfectly fine with it.

Mulhaney: (sighs) Help me understand what's going through your head here, John.

SCP-7543: Sure. I was just…in a bad place, and was so desperate to get out of it that I wasn't thinking rationally—or acting rationally, for that matter. I pretty much did the worst thing I could've done when I stole that guy's gun and tried to kill myself. [a pause] That and cursing you out the other day. I'm sorry about that.

Mulhaney: I appreciate it, but that's not…

SCP-7543: I know, doc, I know. I just got tired of people always forgetting about me. It wore me down after all those years, made me feel like nobody cared, that I wasn't important. And I know it's not their fault, it's this thing I got, but…it just made me miserable. I don't want to blame you or anyone else; you did the best you could. I…failed you too, you know. But I had had enough by that point, so I tried to end it. And then…(laughs) Sorry, I just think it's funny.

Mulhaney: You think it's funny. You stole a weapon and nearly died.

SCP-7543: Yeah, but I didn't! The universe gave me a taste of my own medicine! (laughs) Look, for whatever reason — call it fate, chance, negligence — that gun was empty. You have to admit, a guy like me trying to kill himself with a gun that someone forgot to load… Sometimes things just come together. Kismet. It was like getting slapped in the face by someone tougher than me. That's how I see it. And it may sound demented, but honestly, that tickled me to death, so here I am, still chuckling. And if life isn't something you cry about, then it's something you laugh at.

Mulhaney: [a very long pause] I don't really know how to respond to all this, John.

SCP-7543: Then why say anything at all? Just shrug and move on. I have. [a pause] Say, do you have a pen and paper I can borrow?

Mulhaney: Yes, why?

SCP-7543: I want to write something down and keep it. Can I do that?

Mulhaney: That depends, but I suppose I can allow it.

SCP-7543: Thanks, doc. [SCP-7543 is heard writing something] Done. Beautiful.

Mulhaney: All right. [grunts softly] I hope you don't plan on asking for anything else anytime soon.

SCP-7543: Nope! That's all I wanted. I've got a bed, a room, three meals a day, and some cameras to wave at. Who could ask for anything more? (SCP-7543 whistles "I've Got Rhythm")

Mulhaney: Right. I'm going to…visit some other people for awhile. Maybe we can…have another chat sometime.

SCP-7543: Sure! Mi casa es su casa, doc! (SCP-7543 continues to whistle and hum, interspersing with fragmented lyrics. The door opens as Mulhaney leaves)

Mulhaney: Hey, John? [a pause] I'm glad you're feeling better.

SCP-7543: Me too, doc, me too. Thanks for putting up with me. You're a good man. (singing) Old man trouble, I don't mind him; you won't find him around my door…

Addendum-3: A timetable of incidents regarding SCP-7543 following Dr. Mulhaney's eleventh audio log:

Nov 1: After seventeen days, SCP-7543's positive behavior has maintained. Director Vogler approves the return of several minor privileges and rewards.

Nov 3: An incident in Site-90's cafeteria regarding unaccounted missing pieces of SCP-871. A Site-wide alert is called at 12:27 and resolved at 13:01 when video surveillance shows SCP-7543 consuming the remainder while its escort retrieved a beverage, summarily undergoing SCP-7543's anomalous effect. The escort is reprimanded and SCP-7543 has one of its privileges removed for failing to inform staff of its actions.

Nov 6: Site-90 physician Dr. Gutierrez reports the theft of a large undisclosed amount of cash money. A Site-wide alert is called at 08:47 and resolved at 09:22 when SCP-7543 returned the money. It claimed that the money was part of an experiment conducted by Gutierrez two days earlier, who had no recollection of said experiment. All of SCP-7543's privileges were removed, no investigation was made.

Nov 10: SCP-7543 cleared of previous charges following an unrelated experiment with Researcher Heinz. Gutierrez's experiment reports with SCP-7543 are discovered in Storage Chamber 4's filing cabinet during Heinz's tests, with Gutierrez claiming to have forgotten about them. All of SCP-7543's privileges were restored.

Nov 11: SCP-7543 deliberately covers Director Vogler's lab coat with mustard at 18:02 in Site-90's cafeteria, but is not reprimanded until the following day, as Vogler stated to have "forgotten" the incident. Half of SCP-7543's privileges are removed.

Nov 13: SCP-7543 claims many of its possessions were stolen by Maintenance. An investigation is performed; Maintenance is cleared of all charges following a video surveillance check (said possessions had previously been removed as a result of SCP-7543's negative conduct). A majority of SCP-7543's remaining possessions are removed as punishment.

Nov 14 - 30: SCP-7543 demonstrates exemplary discipline and cooperation. Vogler approves the partial return of its privileges, with the remainder to be delivered pending good behavior.

Dec 9: All of SCP-7543's privileges are returned, and some are added due to its continued cooperation.

Dec 10: Video surveillance records SCP-7543 filling security officer Greer's canteen with apple vinegar at 07:17, in full view of Greer, who stated to have "forgotten" the incident. Video footage shows SCP-7543 stealing the vinegar from Site-90's cafeteria two days earlier. Majority of privileges removed.

Dec 20: Part of SCP-7543's privileges returned as a result of continued good behavior. SCP-7543 begins loudly singing "Henry the Eighth" at 23:57, continuing until 00:04 the following day, where it was reprimanded. Privileges revoked.

Dec 25: One privilege returned to SCP-7543 as a gesture of seasonal goodwill.

Dec 26: Following a small birthday celebration, SCP-7543 lines the interior of seventeen "Santa caps" with petroleum jelly. SCP-7543's privileges revoked for one month and five days. Its behavior is scheduled for review on February 1.

Dec 27: Dr. Mulhaney observes a 70% increase in memory retention concerning SCP-7543 among staff. In an interview with SCP-7543, it stated that its erratic behavior is calculated to help mitigate its antimemetic effects, rather than acts of malice, restlessness, or the desire for attention. "Haven't you noticed?" it said. "People are remembering me now." SCP-7543 remarks observing staff has a noticeably greater chance of recollection when it demonstrates negative actions over positive ones, which studies later prove true. Some staff members are able to cite its actions hours and even days afterward. Having established a link, Mulhaney delivered his report to Director Vogler, who declined to comment.

February 2: After regaining all of its previous privileges, SCP-7543 is relieved of them immediately following an incident regarding Site-90's public announcement system and a "The Best of Bagpipes" CD it stole from Researcher MacLelland. Memory retention success increases to 76%.

Final assessment from Dr. Ancel Mulhaney: "As frustrating, detrimental, and problematic as John Doe's actions are, they have proven unusually beneficial in assisting with his anomalous property. It is now very difficult to forget about 'the annoying SCiP in Chamber 3321', and though I find it beleaguering, I believe it is for the best."

Enclosure

‡ Licensing / Citation

Cite this page as:

"SCP-7543" by Mister_Toasty, from the SCP Wiki. Source: https://scpwiki.com/scp-7543. Licensed under CC-BY-SA.

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Name: 20231028_142723
Author: Mister_Toasty
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Footnotes

1. A QR code with John Doe's dossier and SCP file is embedded on the tag.

2. According to a driver's license found in his possession, his real name is Grieg Lutkin, but this is unverified.

3. Updated: See Addendum-2, Audio Log 11 for details.

4. No reports of SCP-7543's presence have been verified in any documentation concerning SCP-2480 or SCP-3275.