Assigned Site | Site Director | Research Head | Assigned Task Force |
Observational Site-89 | Roland Matheson | Thomas Lawley | STF G-3 "Border Patrol" |
Special Containment Procedures: A secure perimeter is to be maintained around the town of Coatesville. All roads leading to the anomaly have been purchased by the Foundation and are marked as private property with security checkpoints situated at the North and South entrances to the town. These checkpoints are to be manned by members of Stationary Task Force Gamma-3 "Border Patrol" dressed in 80's era police attire and are to divert any civilian vehicles that attempt access to the area.
Observational Site-89 is to be established 500m West of SCP-8081 and staffed with round-the-clock personnel consisting of no less than twelve active staff members at a time including security personnel. Entry into the anomaly is to be authorised solely for research and welfare purposes, and personnel are not to introduce elements not native to the 1980's unless permitted to do so. Resources, including food, power, leisure and other necessary items, are to be supplied monthly by D-Class personnel with non-violent criminal histories and are to be closely monitored by security.
SCP-8081-1 are to remain oblivious to the existence of the outside world and are to be handled with politely and accordingly so as not arouse suspicion towards Foundation research teams. Interaction with residents should be met with appropriate 80's fashion and unauthorised introduction of modern era elements will be met with immediate disciplinary action. Should SCP-8081-1 attempt to leave the confines of the perimeter, they are to be intercepted, interrogated, and supplied with pre-prepared false memories at Observational Site-89.
Description: SCP-8081 is a memetic influence located in the town of Coatesville, ████████ County, Georgia. Although no record of this town exists in historical records, it has been confirmed by Foundation researchers to have been established since the 1980's. The town's architecture is also identical to that of a typical 80's era society with corresponding technology, media and fashion.
SCP-8081 is currently secluded to Coatesville. Whilst the true extent of the anomaly has yet to be properly determined, its most obvious trait causes residents to believe that the current decade is the 1980's. On the eve of the alleged 1990, affected individuals will believe that the previous ten years occurred within the 1970's and think that the new year is 1980, thus re-starting the cycle1. Since its initial discovery in 20██, SCP-8081 has yet to show signs of transferring to outside parties.
The populace of Coatesville, designated SCP-8081-1, are non-anomalous humans and are considered normal, its current total estimated to be around 1100. Instances of SCP-8081-1 have adopted the traits of people living in the 1980's including fashion, pop culture, and slang.
SCP-8081-1's behaviour is no different to that of regular humans, and individuals go about their daily lives in Coatesville very rarely ever intending to leave the town. Introduction of modern-day stimuli2 to SCP-8081-1 have shown signs of confusion as well as an inability to properly comprehend what they're perceiving. Most individuals result getting migraines/headaches that last for as little as 3 hours to as long as a full day. Any deviation from this behaviour is to be investigated.
Addendum 8081.1: Discovery
SCP-8081 was first discovered by an Atlanta news station who received multiple claims from viewers about a 1980's-themes town within the county of ████████. After a news reporter successfully traced their way to the location of this alleged town, it was pitched as a story for broadcasting.
Following further investigation, the town of Coatesville was not found on any map and not designated as a real town in the state of Georgia, attracting the attention of the Foundation.
Upon discovery of anomalous properties, a Foundation cover story discredited the reporter's claims and all necessary parties were amnesticized.
Addendum 8081.2: Interview
In order gain a better understanding of SCP-8081, the history of the town and its residents, Foundation personnel, dressed in an according fashion to the 80's era, posed as members of a historical records organisation and interviewed several residents.
Whilst most interviews provided no reports of abnormal events, a select few provided potential leads into the town's history of anomalous activity.
Addendum 8081.3: Historical Overview
Following initial statements gathered from local residents, Research Team BP-1 Arnold were assigned with researching Coatesville's origins and any potential links between aforementioned people and events.
SCP-8081 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
Date: 05/13/██
Author: Researcher Brenda Harrigan
We began our investigation within the parameters of the town hall. If there was anyplace that would hold any historical value on the town of Coatesville, it would be there. At first, we had trouble trying to get past the mayor who was understandably opposed to our intrusion. Eventually, we successfully convinced him to let us carry out our research.
Upon analysing the town's records, we found nothing noteworthy about its origins. There were records of several townspeople who apparently fought in the second world war, none of whom survived. We were unable to get their names and the deeper we tried to dig into their identities and potential relatives came up inconclusive.
I then decided to turn our attention to the local graveyard. Naturally, the majority of residents died before 1980, likely confirming Coatesville establishment prior to anomalous affect. However, several researchers theorised that those who SCP-8081-1 believed to have died during the war could have actually passed ██ years prior. Obviously, we cannot order the excavation and study of the bodies to prove their theory so we continued to analyse the population of the deceased throughout the alleged 1980's. Observations of the condition of the tombstones concluded that the last resident was buried between 1995-1997, yet no record of death date is inscribed on it.
Our last location of interest was the public library. Initial analysis of SCP-8081 resulted in pop culture and media spanning as far back as 1920's era to as late as 1989, resulting in the supposed qualities corroborating to the library.
First, we looked into books on recent history, all covering basic American culture and events spanning as far back to the establishment of the English colonies in 1620 to the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Despite the acquired textbooks originally being written in [REDACTED], it has had no affect on SCP-8081-1. One member of our team even analysed a Geography textbook in an attempt to find any records of Coatesville on any maps to no avail.
Overall, it is open to suggestion that Coatesville was absent of anomalous activity prior to 1980 and had establishments during the early '20s, but it seems local history is either of no interest to residents, or, to maintain SCP-8081-1's illusion of reality, it has been erased.
DATE: 05/14/██
FROM: Researcher Brenda Harrigan
TO: Sen. Researcher Thomas Lawley
SUBJECT: Historical Overview of SCP-8081
Thomas, I have something else I need to inform you of, and I prefer this be left out of my report. During our investigation we encountered an individual who was noticeably suspicious, resulting in an attempt to establish contact. Naturally, he fled and Smith advised it be better not to attract a lot of attention to ourselves.
When we were ready to return to Site-89 we encountered him again, and this time he confronted us. Whilst at first he seemed hostile, he later asked if we were "loopy". After brief deliberation we learned that he wasn't affected by SCP-8081 and had been following our investigation for quite a while now.
I tried to get more information from him, but he stated that he didn't want us to screw anything up; that the people here didn't need outside interference and that there is nothing dangerous about what is happening to them. Attempts to reassure him failed and he fled.
I am writing to you to further advise on how we should proceed.
DATE: 05/15/██
FROM: Sen. Researcher Thomas Lawley
TO: Researcher Brenda Harrigan
SUBJECT: RE: Historical Overview of SCP-8081
If there is an individual unaffected by SCP-8081's influence then they may have taken residence in the town of Coatesville before anomalous activity first surfaced. If that is the case, they could be key to gaining a further understanding of the origins of this anomaly.
Should you, or anyone else in your team sight them during your next research expedition, contact Site-89 and a detachment of STF Gamma-3 to apprehend him.
Addendum 8081.4: Interrogation
On May 23rd 20██, STF Gamma-3 sighted and apprehended PoI-8081/13 and was brought to Site-89 for interrogation.
PoI-8081/1 Interrogation Log: [CENSORED VERSION]
Date: 05/23/██
Interrogator: Sen. Researcher Thomas Lawley
Interrogated: PoI-8081/1
Subject: Residency in SCP-8081
[BEGIN LOG]
Researcher Lawley: So, let's start with your name, shall we?
PoI-8081/1: Leave me alone, I haven't done anything wrong. This is unlawful arrest.
Lawley: Please, sir, we just want to ask you a couple of questions about Coatesville.
PoI: [EXPLETIVE] you. You're not here for journalism or whatever the [EXPLETIVE] you call it. You're here to control us. I won't object to you evaluating us, but I will object to you interfering in our lives. These people have done nothing wrong, and they shouldn't be your own personal lab rats.
Lawley: I can assure you that that is not what we're here to do. We're here solely for research.
PoI: And why should I believe you?
Lawley: You can't.
PoI is hesitant for a few moments.
PoI: Fine. My name's Timothy Osborne.
Lawley: Thank you, and how long have you lived in Coatesville, Mr. Osborne?
Osborne: Almost ██ years now. I came back here with my father in '9█ and the townspeople were already "loopy".
Lawley: Wait, came back? Can you elaborate on that?
Osborne: I was born here in the 60's, but later moved after my parents split up. I barely knew my mother and never thought much about her. My father and I returned following her death. I had very little memory of Coatesville, due to me leaving at such a young age, but from what I could remember almost nothing had changed about the town.
Lawley: What exactly do you remember about this place?
Osborne: Not much. Just the same housing estate, the same parks and gardens, even the people hadn't changed all that much. When my dad and I returned, he caught up with an old friend, I forgot her name, she was about 60 years old and she acted like she saw him just last week.
Lawley: And this was the first you began to notice that people were—
Osborne: —loopy?
Lawley: (Groans) Yes, "loopy". But we prefer not to call it that.
Osborne: Why not?
Lawley: Because it sounds ridiculous.
Osborne: Well, I've been here longer than the rest of you, so I'll call it whatever the [EXPLETIVE] I want.
Lawley: Let's stay on topic, please.
Osborne: Fine. Yes, that was when I first noticed it. My father introduced me to his friend and she was surprised to see how much I had grown, saying how last she saw me was when I was just a young boy. I didn't even remember her but she kept talking like it hadn't been too long since we last met, but I didn't pay that much attention to it.
Lawley: And further symptoms of this became more apparent?
Osborne: Yeah, wasn't freaky or anything, but it was weird. They all shared the same likeness to stuff from the '80s. I just thought they hadn't yet moved on, but soon they had no concept of any time after they year 1989. Anyway, we went back to my childhood home and settled in. The loss of my mother was not that much of an impact on my life, but I at least expected it to effect my dad, yet nothing. It was as if he forgot about her.
Lawley: Was there a service her memorial?
Osborne: No, it supposedly happened before we arrived in Coatesville.
Lawley: Where is your father now, Mr. Osborne?
Osborne: He died in (hesitates) 1998, I think. It's hard to keep track of the present when you live in a place like this. What is going on in this town? Do you guys know?
Lawley: I'm afraid I'm not cleared to tell you that.
Osborne: [EXPLETIVE]! Look, I've shared enough about this topic to you, it's time you gave me some answers!
Lawley: Even if I wanted to I'm not authorised to divulge any information relevant to our investigation to you, Mr. Osborne. Now can we please—
Osborne: [EXPLETIVE] this! If I'm not allowed answers, then this interrogation is over!
(Sounds of a chair scraping across the floor)
PoI-8081/1 attempts to leave the interrogation room.
Lawley: (To the guard) Restrain him.
(Sounds of a struggle)
A security guard restrains PoI-8081/1 and forces him back into his chair.
Lawley: Listen to me, if you co-operate with us, I'm sure I can get the authorisation to clear you for a proper debriefing. But if you continue to resist or further impede our investigation, then I'm afraid you'll have to be dealt with accordingly.
Osborne: What's that supposed to mean?
Lawley: Do you want to find out?
PoI is hesitant for a few moments.
Osborne: (Murmurs) No.
(Room is silent for 12 seconds)
Lawley: How far has the toll of each reset impacted the residents of Coatesville?
Osborne: How should I know? I've only been here long enough to see them relive the 80's [REDACTED] time[s]. When everything started from scratch, I thought I would probably start doing the same thing. But…
Lawley: Nothing.
Osborne: Yeah, nothing. Maybe it was because I wasn't living in Coatesville when this whole thing started and I honestly do not care. I mean, would it really be that much of an impact on my life if it started happening to me?
Lawley: It wouldn't be the worst thing, in my opinion.
Osborne: Are we done here?
Lawley: Just one more question, Mr. Osborne.
Osborne: (Sighs) Of course.
Lawley: Have there been any strange deviations in behaviour from the locals? Any notable events or things that don't correspond with what you've currently witnessed?
Osborne: Only one thing, but it's very minor and it's never really bothered me before.
Lawley: Anything is still something, Mr. Osborne. No matter how small.
Osborne: My father's old friend - the 60-year-old I mentioned - when she met me she said something like: "Been a few months since I last saw you", or something like that. According to my dad, we left Coatesville in the late '60s and I had no memory of this woman whatsoever.
Lawley: I'm sorry, what's your point?
Osborne: Well, if last she saw me was when I was just a kid, and to her it was only a few months since I was last in Coatesville, then how did the affect keep looping before the introduction of the 80's?
[END LOG]