"Is the recording on, AKASHA?" "Affirmative. Overwrite error. Report has been sent to Archival Staff. Affirmative. Overwrite error. Report has been sent to Archival Staff. Streaming feed in real time." "WE'RE ALREADY IN THE TIME LOOP WHAT DO WE DO NOW?"
Special Containment Procedures:
SCP-8088 has a scheduled maintenance check every month as agreed upon by the Storith City Council and the Foundation External Affairs department. Maintenance teams must consist of at least one machine engineer, one magitech engineer, one thaumaturge, and one archivist.
Description:
SCP-8088s are a series of 1 meter pillars surrounding Area S-531. They function as a passive security system and containment vessel for the city, trapping intruders in a Type-2 Temporal Displacement Area in which the perceived threat will repeat its actions within a three minute time frame, indefinitely, until relevant personnel arrive to investigate the matter.
INCIDENT REPORT 8088:03/02/2024
After an anomalous citizen of Storith broke instance #888 of SCP-8088 on a transfiguration accident, an off-schedule maintenance team from the Foundation was sent to fix it. The city council decided prior to this day that the culprit, juvenile, would have to assist fixing the pillar alongside the team then to be lectured about safety to atone for the mistake. Unfortunately, SCP-8088 seemed to have already considered the teenager as a threat, and activated its protocol autonomously. Following this report are the logs regarding aforementioned incident.
MISSION LOG 8088:03/02/2024
Supervisor: Dr. Athena Blake, Eng.D
Staff: Devon Daniels, B.Magtech; Arcanamagister Magnus Maxime; AKASHA.aic in automaton body
Other: Emily Sucrose, High School Freshman, Citizen of StorithDr. Blake: -cording on, AKASHA?
AKASHA.aic: Affirmative.
Dr. Blake: As per document I1.3.23.8088, the reason for this off-schedule maintenance trip is to fix an 8088 instance that was broken by force. Incident was an accident, with details printed on that I can read out loud, or the incident-related personnel can retell into the recording.
Ms. Sucrose: (sigh) I fucked up. Tried to shapeshift, did something wrong, stepped on the peg. I'm sorry.
Researcher Daniels: I think it's more wanting to know about how something hard as diamonds can break like that.
Am. Maxime: Technically diamonds break very easily which is why in mag-
Researcher Daniels: Yeah yeah yeah whatever did it crunch into a billion pieces or what?
Ms. Sucrose: Ugh, are all nerd-Foundies like this? I thought the MP2s were bad with the questioning shit.
Dr. Blake: We can get back on topic so this gets over with faster. At present, we are walking down the hill border where the eight-hundreds-numbered iterations are installed.
Am. Maxime: Wait so I can cast a barrier on all of us before proceeding. The air already smells like purple static.
Researcher Daniels: Yeah and I can see the. Yeah that's broken pretty bad, actually, that's awesome. (Whistle) Well, I guess that means you don't have problems turning kaiju-size, huh, kid? Oh- thank you Maxie.
Ms. Sucrose: (Humphs. Crosses arms, visibly disgruntled.)
Dr. Blake: Your friendliness sounds antagonizing, Daniels. If Ms. Sucrose punches you I won't help- ah, wait, I'm a little allergic to lightning magic, can you cast the barrier on me one more time, Arcanamagister?
Ms. Sucrose: Don't enable me, I might do it. Ah- thank you, uh, ser wizard. Does the robot not need it?
Am. Maxime: Not this one, no. If anyone is nauseous from the mana pressure as we walk nearer I have ante-potions on me as well.
Ms. Sucrose: Oh, uh… Dr. Blake, since I broke it, do I have to do anything specific to help fix the thing?
(There is sound of glass and electricity as Researcher Daniels performs a gravitational spell to sweep up the shards of SCP-8088.)
Dr. Blake: Not really, just hold the cords while Daniels and I fix it. If you'd like to learn the science, Arcanamagister Maxime used to tutor magical physics for kids your age.
Am. Maxime: Will not charge you a dime on the first lesson. On my word.
Dr. Blake: Okay, I'll begin the repairs now. Central knot in check, shards accounted for, all staff and presiding in check. Is the recording on, AKASHA?
AKASHA.aic: Affirmative.
Dr. Blake: As per document I1.3.23.8088, the reason for this off-schedule maintenance trip is to fix an 8088 instance that was broken by force. Incident was an accident, with details printed on that I can read out loud, or the incident-related personnel can retell into the recording.
Ms. Sucrose: (sigh) I fucked up. Tried to shapeshift, did something wrong, stepped on the peg. I'm sorry… wait.
Researcher Daniels: I think it's more wanting to know about how something hard as diamonds can break like-
AKASHA.aic: Overwrite error. Report has been sent to Archival Staff.
(Researcher Daniels pauses, and pokes AKASHA.aic's chassis. Ms. Sucrose follows suit.)
Dr. Blake: You were saying, Miss Sucrose?
Ms. Sucrose: …ah, no, I. Well, part ancient dinosaur or whatever and I thought if I did it far away I wouldn't hurt anybody.
Researcher Daniels: Dinosaurs are ancient by default, by the way.
(Ms. Sucrose blinks hard at Researcher Daniels, both to express annoyance and as a method of trying to confirm the situation. Researcher Daniels tilts his head down in confirmation.)
Am. Maxime: I think based on context it would fit better to say arcane dinosaur. Is it a magical dinosaur?Dr. Blake: We can get back on topic so this gets over with faster. At present, we are walking down the hill border where the eight-hundreds-numbered iterations are installed.
Am. Maxime: Wait so I can cast a barrier on all of us before proceeding. The air already smells like purple static.
Researcher Daniels: Yeah and I can see the. Yeah that's broken pretty bad, actually, that's… can you read back what the thing does, specifically, Athena?
(Arcanamagister Maxime casts the protection spell on all personnel.)
Dr. Blake: It's Dr. Blake on official business, Daniels. But yeah, sure, SCP-8088s are a series of 1 meter pillars surrounding Area S-53. They function as a passive security system and containment vessel for the city, trapping intruders in a Type-2 Temporal Displacement Area in which the perceived threat will repeat its actions within a three minute time frame, indefinitely, until relevant personnel arrive to investigate the matter. Oh, can you cast the barrier twice on me, Arcanamagister? I'm a bit allergic to lightning magic.
Researcher Daniels: Uh-huh. And it took three minutes for us to walk down this hill?
Dr. Blake: Well, Type-2s aren't true timeloops as they can still be affected by things outside its range. We have safety protocols in case something happens.
(Researcher Daniels casts the same gravitational spell as before while dialogue continues.)
Ms. Sucrose: But in theory if something did f- mess up, or if we get stuck here, we would be fine, right?
Dr. Blake: Plenty are watching, because this is an unusual repair time. Besides, AKASHA just sent a report on some small error and is probably broadcasting or recording this somehow.
Am. Maxime: It is unusual that you don't know for sure, Doctor.
Dr. Blake: I was caught a little unprepared, is all.
Ms. Sucrose: Also, is there anything I can do to help fix it? I broke it, so this is kind of my fault.
Dr. Blake: Just hold this roll of cords while Daniels and I fix it. If you'd like to learn the science, Arcanamagister Maxime used to tutor magical physics for kids your age.
Am. Maxime: Will not charge you a dime on the first lesson. On my word.
Dr. Blake: Okay, I'll begin the repairs now. Central knot in check, shards accounted for, all staff and presiding in check. Is the recording on, AKASHA?
AKASHA.aic: Affirmative. Overwrite error. Report has been sent to Archival Staff. Affirmative. Overwrite error. Report has been sent to Archival Staff. Streaming feed in real time.
Ms.Sucrose: Oh no.
The reports continue cycling for several more minutes, until Archival Staff notified the Engineering Department and the local Foundation Security Staff on standby. An emergency meeting was soon held to deal with the incident.
EMERGENCY MEETING LOG 8088:03/02/2024
Mediator: Head of Thaumaturgic Engineering Prof. Dr. Diana Daniels, Magtech.D
Staff: Security Commissioner Assad Al-Azhar; Chief Billy Carryman, Storith Chief of Police
Archiving: Officer Magpie; AKASHA.aicProf. Daniels: With these files distributed I will formally start this emergency meeting. Issue du jour: SCP-8088's activation on off-schedule maintenance.
Al-Azhar: Thank you, Professor. I would have thought extracting the engineering staff in our usual method would prove success, but you summoning us onto a video call proves otherwise.
Carryman: (Whistles.) Jumping on business, apparently.
Prof. Daniels: Oh no, I much prefer this direct approach. We rescue my son faster if we move this along.
Al-Azhar: Of course, professor. Now explain how we can extract the crew effectively, if you will.
Prof. Daniels: Type-2 Temporal Displacement Areas differ from type 1s that are true time loops, meaning that we can directly interfere without causing damage to the flow of time outside of local spacetime. That is also its largest danger, as any variable can quickly change the procession and outcome of the loop. Considering SCP-8088's condition being in shards and looping directly as it is being repaired, the object cannot be reset from the grid like it usually is.
Al-Azhar: I asked how we can extract the crew effectively.
Prof. Daniels: And I am telling you the hazard of doing it by brute force. If you both fuck up, the loop will either take you both, rip spacetime, or some other unknown variable that we cannot foresee. We need a different approach, and preferably, doing so without touching SCP-8088.
(Carryman glances at Al-Azhar.)
Carryman: I mean I don't know, I didn't finish arcane school but can't we just un-magic it? Dispel it for a bit, get them out, put it back?
Prof. Daniels: The barrier is holding off the outside radiation and the creatures that come out of the deep woods. Foolishly, SCP-8088 was constructed on a single grid with a single cord of knots between every iteration.
Al-Azhar: A century ago there were no real engineering codes, so it's a reasonable flaw.
Carryman: Okay, what else can affect the crew?
Al-Azhar: Can we blast memetics in there, as to make them hurry up and fix it?
Prof. Daniels: Hm… not bad conceptually. They will have to fix the iteration in under three minutes, which will prove challenging.
Carryman: Three minutes isn't even enough time to glue that thing together, I'm guessing.
Prof. Daniels: I literally just said it like that. An-
Carryman: Wait, look at the feed.
(Feed shows Ms. Sucrose crying and hitting AKASHA's body, with Researcher Daniels attempting to get her to calm down. She repeatedly blames herself in frustration, and he eventually holds her in a light hug. Chief Carryman uses the video call draw function to circle Researcher Daniels' face.)
Carryman: I think your kid knows it's looping but isn't telling.
Prof. Daniels: I would not find that surprising. He has a very high cognitive resistance score, and I taught him to always gather data before moving forward.
Al-Azhar: In the first loop, he asked whether it "crunched into a billion pieces" when Miss Sucrose broke it. Did he ask that truly to make light of it, or could he have predicted this risk?
Prof. Daniels: That is… possible. Rather likely, actually.
(A silence passes.)
Carryman: Are we moving to strategy talk now?
Prof. Daniels: If my son is aware, then he can be our way into the system. The problem is that memetics aren't that effective on him due to his resistance.
Al-Azhar: What about the girl?
Carryman: She's just a kid, the others won't listen. The robot's a better bet than her.
Al-Azhar: She is least affected by the ordeal, and I assume we all saw the same footage. Several times over. She is a regular civilian with no resistance training, just immune to the time loop memory wipe out of natural talent. Not using her to succeed is willfully being ineffective.
Prof. Daniels: I agree conceptually, but your language needs work, Assad.
Al-Azhar: …of course, Professor. I'll get the memetics projector online.
Carryman: I'll get the usual rescue team to stand by.
Prof. Daniels: Thank you, gentlemen. Meeting dismissed.
A memetic projector filled with information regarding the mechanics of SCP-8088 soon arrives at the scene, with Commissioner Al-Azhar making a physical appearance to man the projector himself. Chief Carryman sends six policemen and an ambulance, but remains in his office throughout the incident. Miss Sucrose's mother arrives on scene as well as her family, having been notified by Carryman as per legal procedure.
Dr. Blake: Is the recording on, AKASHA?
AKASHA.aic: Affirmative. Overwrite error. Report has been sent to Archival Staff. Affirmative. Overwrite error. Report has been sent to Archival Staff. Streaming feed in real time.
Ms. Sucrose: WE'RE ALREADY IN THE TIME LOOP WHAT DO WE DO NOW?
Dr. Blake: God lord- why did you shout- oh. Wait, you've never read this document, how do you know about the temporal-
Am. Maxime: It would seem she is the only one unaffected, if true.
Dr. Blake: I have no reason to suspect she is lying, but, you did break it. Is this about something else, actually?
Researcher Daniels: I think, we should just keep going and fix it. Talking about the how it happened will take too long.
(Dr. Blake gives Researcher Daniels an incredulous look.)
Ms. Sucrose: My head hurts.
Dr. Blake: And you're making an excuse to get out of doing this?
Am. Maxime: Athena.
Dr. Blake: Okay. Let's go, then. We can get back on topic so this gets over with faster. At present, we are walking down the hill border where the eight-hundreds-numbered iterations are installed. The extra weight is proving to be a hindrance, and babysitting some kid isn't worth the disturbance to just doing our jobs.
(Researcher Daniels casts the same gravitational spell as before, but now deliberately manouvers the shards so that the residue dust gets into Dr. Blake's shoes and jacket.)
Ms. Sucrose: Ugh… ow…
Am. Maxime: I think you might have pressure sickness. I have antepotions on my person for that. One moment.
Ms. Sucrose: Thank you. I think the electricity is giving me visions or, something, I dunno.
Dr. Blake: If you're going to help, hold these. Daniels and I will fix it and we can all go home. Central knot in check, shards accounted for, all staff and presiding in check. Is the recording on, AKASHA?
Ms. Sucrose: Hey Mister Daniels…
AKASHA.aic: Affirmative.
Dr. Blake: As per document I1.3.23.8088, the reason for this off-schedule maintenance trip is to fix an 8088 instance that was broken by force. Incident was an accident, with details printed on that I can read out loud, or the incident-related personnel can retell into the recording.
Ms. Sucrose: Mister Daniels can, if he wants to.
Dr. Blake: …sure I guess? Why him when you know the story best, being the direct person responsible?
Ms. Sucrose: Why indeed.
Researcher Daniels: Well, uh. She told me a little ago she's been getting visions about the peg. Maybe it has memetic effects we don't know about?
Dr. Blake: …when was this?
Ms. Sucrose: On the walk-
Researcher Daniels: In the car-Dr. Blake: …Daniels. Just because you're childish does not mean you can collude with the child to pull whatever prank you're trying to do.
Researcher Daniels: But you love me?
(Dr. Blake makes a mock-gagging noise.)
Am. Maxime: Speaking of that. If any of you get nauseous from the mana pressure, I have antepotions on my person. Wait while I cast the protection spell, as we approach, I can smell the purple static.
(Arcanamagister Maxime casts the spell, and everyone thanks them. They cast it one more time for Doctor Blake when requested. They approach the broken SCP-8088 instance wordlessly.)
Ms. Sucrose: Hey, is there anything specific I can do to help?
Dr. Blake: Noth-
Ms. Sucrose: Not even helping anchor the central knot, putting a conductor inbetween the nodes temporarily so the grid doesn't disconnect as you and Daniels fix it? Which is why you're about to ask me to hold the extra rope?
Dr. Blake: Daniels, ping security.
Researcher Daniels: I think they're already here, actually. Memetic cannon, can pierce distortions. My mother was on the team that made it.
Am. Maxime: We would have all seen the same visions if that were true. Well, I mean, technically. Unless it were mounted on and shot directly at Miss Sucrose.
Researcher Daniels: SCP-8088 is already a strong memetic on top of a temporal anomaly. It's why it's the security system. We have resistance training for that, and she's a kid, so they probably thought this was the best bet.
Dr. Blake: Okay, okay, okay, let's just fix this. Really fast and we can talk later. Is the recording on, AKASHA?
AKASHA.aic: Affirmative. Overwrite error. Report has been sent to Archival Staff. Affirmative. Overwrite error. Report has been sent to Archival Staff. Streaming feed in real time.
Dr. Blake: As per document I1.3.23.8088, the reason for this off-schedule maintenance trip is to fix an 8088 instance that was broken by force. Incident was an accident, with details printed on that I can read out loud, or the incident-related personnel can retell into the recording.
(Miss Sucrose looks expectantly at Researcher Daniels.)
Researcher Daniels: …hey just for a refresher, can you re-read what it does? Not aloud. Read it word for word.
Dr. Blake: …uh huh, okay, what's this about?
Researcher Daniels: Specifically, the perceived threat will repeat its actions within a three minute time frame, indefinitely, until relevant personnel arrive to investigate the matter.
Am. Maxime: Oh… shit.
Dr. Blake: Fuck.Researcher Daniels: Athena, you swore! In an official document!
(Dr. Blake smacks her mouth shut.)
Ms. Sucrose: The Outside is streaming in information right now. Uh, we have to fix it within three minutes.
Researcher Daniels: Like a bomb defusing.
Am. Maxime: Technically this is a re-fuse-ing. A rope is a fuse, so the pun-
Researcher Daniels: Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll race all of you there!
Dr. Blake: Hey wait!
(Everyone runs downhill towards SCP-8088. Arcanamagister Maxime does not cast the barrier spell in time before Researcher Daniels casts the gravitational spell. This causes Doctor Blake to sneeze repeatedly, and the cycle repeats before the instance is fixed.)
AKASHA.aic: Affirmative. Overwrite error. Report has been sent to Archival Staff. Affirmative. Overwrite error. Report has been sent to Archival Staff. Streaming feed in real time.
Dr. Blake: As per document I1.3.23.8088, the reason for this off-schedule maintenance trip is-
Ms. Sucrose: Ser Maxime, please cast protection now, we have to fix it in three minutes. Cast it twice for Doctor Blake. She'll sneeze really bad without it.
Researcher Daniels: I think I can sweep from here while you do that. Sorry. Thank you.
(Arcanamagister Maxime shrugs and does the spell. It is unclear whether they have realized their perdicament or not.)
Dr. Blake: Daniels, hey, you'll tell me if we fucked up, won't you?
Ms. Sucrose: I'm the only one who fucked up here, Doctor Blake. Just like that judge asked, I should be the one to fix it.
Dr. Blake: …alright. Well, I mean, if you'd like to learn the science, Ser Maxime used to tutor kids your age.
Am. Maxime: Will not charge you a dime on the first lesson. On my word.
Ms. Sucrose: I'll ask my mom if we can.
(Engineering team descends the hill, and fixes SCP-8088. Researcher Daniels uses his wand as a flashlight as he helps Ms. Sucrose assist Dr. Blake.)
(The instance was physically fixed with three people working on it. However, nothing happens, and Dr. Blake realized she never confirmed the recording status of AKASHA at the start. The loop begins again.)
The reports from AKASHA.aic continue. The first loop after the one above had Ms. Sucrose yelling at the crew that it was futile and they were trapped forever. Researcher Daniels tried his best to re-center her to the mission at hand. During this time, Ms. Sucrose's mother requested to say something into the projector. Commissioner Al-Azhar granted the request out-of-procedure to mitigate stress, but immediately contacted Director Blockplan within unexpected incident protocol.
(For brevity, this is part of the loop where Arcanamagister Maxime offers their tutoring, just when SCP-8088 was to be fixed.)
Mrs. Sucrose: Hey kiddo.
Ms. Sucrose: Oh, augh, what- mom? My mom's on the projector now.
Researcher Daniels: Tell us what she's saying, I'll point where your hands need to go.
Mrs. Sucrose: I know you're stressed in there, but, I-
Ms. Sucrose: Sorry I failed the whole. Becoming a dinosaur thing, mom. I'll be responsible like this from here on out.
Mrs. Sucrose: That's okay. It's getting dark on the outside. I read the file on what the barrier is… and then I watched the CCTV of you doing it the first time again and I was just thinking…
Ms. Sucrose: My mom has an idea. Maybe.
Researcher Daniels: I'll try anything at this point.
Mrs. Sucrose: I think it wants to catch giant you. Because maybe it doesn't think you're the monster, but you kind of are, so it's confused.
Miss Sucrose: I think it wants to catch giant you. Because maybe it doesn't think you're the monster, but you kind of are, so it's confused. Is what she says.
(SCP-8088 is fixed with thirty seconds to spare.)
Miss Sucrose: Dinosaur transformation, take two.
AKASHA.aic does not declare an error. The engineering team escapes, with only Miss Sucrose3 left looping in the temporal anomaly. The loop does not start atop the cliff like the other iterations, but starts at the very moment she stepped on SCP-8088 in the first place.
Ms. Sucrose(Kaiju): Oh fuck-
(Miss Sucrose flicks her tail to counterbalance, landing clear of SCP-8088. Her neck sways in excitement at the sight of the now fixed and working post.)
Ms. Sucrose(Kaiju): Alright! Now I just gotta… Oh. Right.
Thankfully, extracting her proved no further incident. Commissioner Assad helped Miss Sucrose walk to the medical tent, where the rest of the engineering team were waiting. Mrs. Sucrose, her husband, and second child were waiting with food, comforting Miss Sucrose from the ordeal she went through.
She will be lectured regarding safety practices at a later date, by Arcanamagister Maxime, as is bound by protocol.