JOINT MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDATION AND THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
This document has been compiled from information traded under the Foundation-Unusual Incidents Unit Information Sharing Act of 2001.
A segment of SCP-8507, collapsed. Taken 2017; photographer unknown.
Special Containment Procedures: With the cooperation of the Unusual Incidents unit, Wunderpark has been purchased from the state of Missouri by Foundation front Specially Convivial Productions, under the guise of renovation and rebranding. SCP-8507 is to be disassembled.
Description: SCP-8507 was the Wunder Coaster at Wunderpark, located in Janisse, Missouri. Composed primarily of wood, SCP-8507 spanned 607 meters in length and possessed a height of 61 meters, with a drop off of 50 meters at this highest point.
Robert "Boss Coaster" Hoag, circa 1960s.
SCP-8507's anomalous properties manifested as an abnormally high rate of incidents, injuries, and fatalities associated with it. The cause is currently unknown.
Addendum 8507: Abridged Timeline of relevant SCP-8507 Events and relevant materials:
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 05 March, 1966 | Robert Hoag, after getting the required funding from an anonymous beneficiary, begins construction of Wunderpark in Janisse, Missouri. Construction of SCP-8507 begins in tandem. |
| 26 March, 1966 | First incident related to SCP-8507 occurs when a nail gun malfunctions, impaling construction worker Samuel Otte's hand against a wooden beam. Otte is hospitalized, but perishes from tetanus 3 weeks later. |
Note: A letter found within Robert Hoag's desk in Wunderpark. The letter was unsent; inside were three $100 bills.
To Mr. and Mrs. Otte,
I want to offer you my sincerest condolences for your loss. As a father myself, the thought of losing a child is paralyzing to me.
Samuel was immeasurably kind, full of life and wonder, and a dedicated worker to the very end.
Please accept the money, enclosed within this envelope, to ensure that Samuel gets a proper burial.
Sincerely,
Robert B. Hoag
| 20 April, 1966 | Samuel Otte is buried in the Janisse Cemetery. Robert Hoag and another unidentified man are witnessed in attendence. |
| 21 April 1966 - 31 March 1971 | Construction of Wunderpark and SCP-8507 continue. Workers report increasingly irritable and erratic behavior from Robert Hoag as the years go by, leading to resignations from 11 members of SCP-8507's crew. Despite these setbacks, however, Wunderpark is completed on time and under budget. |
| 01 April 1971 | Wunderpark opens to the public. Available attractions include SCP-8507, "the Wunderous Funhouse", "Madam Wunder's Spectacular Clownstraveganza", an unnamed ferris wheel, "Bobby's Bumper Cars", and 15 concession stands. |
Note: Excerpt of an interview with Andrea Murtaugh, one of the first riders of SCP-8507 on opening day, who was located via the use of newspaper archives and [REDACTED]. Murtaugh was interviewed under the guise of being for an episode of podcast "Strange Coaster Parables".
The Wundercoaster? (laughs) Now, why do you want to ask me about that decrepit old piece of shit?
…
I see. You people sure don't skimp out on your research, do you?
…
Oh, don't you worry about me. My mind might be foggy in a few places now, but my memories that day are still as sharp as a tack.
…
It started with the queue leading up to the Wundercoaster. There was a tape, played over the loudspeakers, with "Madam Wunder" - the creepy bitch - greeting everyone and getting them excited for the coaster. Standard stuff, for the day.
Until it happened.
Something must have fucked up when the recording was done, because suddenly the only thing myself and the dozens of other kids in line could hear was something that sounded like it came straight out of Hell itself.
The hiss of the tape became like the crackling of fire. I could swear I heard screaming from the loudspeakers, though it might have just been from the crowd…and myself.
…
Sorry, it's just…I can still hear that din in my mind sometimes, even all these decades later.
Eventually, it stopped, and Hoag himself came up and apologized to all of us, saying that the tape must have gotten garbled. The thing was, though, even as a kid, I had a gut feeling he wasn't sincere. Like he was more worried about his perfect opening day being ruined than how terrified the kids in line were.
However, we all did calm down eventually, as the prospect of going on a brand new roller coaster for the first time made us forget - even for a bit - all about what was assumed to be a technical error.
My dad and I got lucky; we ended up in the very front of the first cart.
It wasn't that great, in hindsight. The seats were uncomfortable, and the bar restraint was too tight against my stomach. But I didn't care, back then, because I had the privilege of getting the best view of the coaster.
Too bad the Wundercoaster stalled before we even went up the first incline.
…
Oh, it only took them about twenty minutes for the operator to reset the ride. I could tell that Hoag was pissed beyond belief when we came back down. I could see him arguing heavily with another man wearing a hat, though I couldn't make out what they were saying.
Thankfully, the second attempt went off without a hitch, and we got free popcorn and cotton candy to make up for the mess.
Shame what happened to the coaster later. Especially a few years ago…
[EXTRANEOUS DIALOGUE REMOVED]
Note: Tape recovered from the office of Robert Hoag. Due to the decades of degradation, extensive audio reconstruction was required to fully ascertain its contents.
"Madam Wunder": Hello, hello, hello, everybody! We are oh so excited to welcome you to Wunderpark's pride and joy, the eighth "wunder" of the world, the one! The only! Wundercoaster! Built by our good friend Mister Hoag with his own two hands, you can expect a super fun ride with lots of twists, turns, and most importantly—
(Significant audio distortion follows; the rest of the tape is indiscernable.)
| 19 June 1973 | A malfunction with one of SCP-8507's carts causes the restraint holding ten year old Tyler Dougall to release during SCP-8507's drop. This results in Dougall receiving a concussion, leading to them suffering from partial brain damage and a severe stutter. |
Note: Excerpt of interview conducted with Tyler Dougall in their assisted living residence, under the guise of being for an episode of "Strange Coaster Parables". Dougall was administered a Class-S mnestic to temporarily alleviate their symptoms.
Yeah, I remember that day.
I was so excited to ride the coaster that I ran ahead of my mom and got onto the first seat I could.
It was exhil… fun. I never experienced anything like it before or s-since. The way it twisted and turned, the wind blowing against my face, how high we went up…
But then, I felt the bar release right as we went to drop.
I…I don't remember much after that.
I woke up in the hospital to my parents arguing with Hoag, threatening to sue him to hell and back. But the guy didn't even seem bothered by it; he almost looked bored.
Finally, he told them, "You can spend everythin' you have tryin' to sue me, which'll end with you penniless and payin' my lawyers' fees. Or you can shut up and accept this."
He then handed them something, and they quieted down.
I only found out later that it was a check for $100,000.
I heard that they claimed it was just a malfunction with the bar, but I know better.
I guess I should count myself lucky. At least I couldn't be there, in 2012…
…
Um, can you let me keep a bottle of that s-stuff you gave me? It feels nice, to be able to think clearly again…
Post Scriptum: Mr. Dougall's request was denied, and they were administered class-E amnestics.
| 20 June 1973 - 11 July 1973 | The bars on SCP-8507's carts are replaced with over-the-shoulder restraints. |
| 20 March 1975 | During a College Students' Night, James Collins becomes intoxicated and attempts to climb SCP-8507's tracks. Suddenly, SCP-8507's train activates, running over Collins and killing them instantly via dismemberment. |
SCP-8507 supports, 20 March 1975, following the recovery of James Collins' body parts.
Note: Excerpt of file pertaining to 20 March 1975, recovered from the Janisse Police Department by the Unusual Incidents Unit.
| Case File #: 2003758 |
| Disturbance at Wunderpark |
Call was made at 10:15 PM by a Jane Doe from a payphone near Wunderpark. Caller was hysterical, claiming that one of their friends had been ran over at the "Wundercoaster".
Four officers were dispatched to Wunderpark at 10:30 PM, in order to corral witnesses and collect statements. All students corroborated Ms. Jane Doe's statements, specifically noting that the coaster seemed to run on its own, with the operator being nowhere in sight.
Paramedics were called in order to collect the body parts of James Collins, which had fallen off of the roller coaster and onto the ground and supporting infrastructure. During collection, backup was requested, as paramedics on scene became ill due to body parts continuing to move post-mortem.
| 21 March 1975 | Robert Hoag quietly pays a cumulative sum of $500,000 to witnesses of James Collins' death as well as his family. |
| 04 May 1983 | One of SCP-8507's trains stalls at the precipice of its drop, causing 12 passengers to be stuck for two hours. |
Note: Excerpts of collected statements by riders of the 04 May 1983 SCP-8507 incident, under the guise of being for an episode of "Strange Coaster Parables".
Denzel Carver: …That bastard Hoag claimed it was some kinda mechanical error, when he offered to pay for my therapy, but I could tell that he was lyin' through his teeth. What kinda mechanical error takes more than two fuckin' hours to fix?! I swear, that piece of shit cared more about his precious coaster than us…
…
Summer Weiss: …The Fire Department should've came sooner! Do you know what it's like, being stuck 200 feet in the air, on a very windy day? With only thse flimsy shoulder restraints, that are cold and rattling against your body from the air being blown in your face? Never trusted those fuckers since…!
…
Rhys Wallace: …I swear on my mother's grave… After a point, the wind sounded less like wind, and more like someone…some thing was laughing at us…
…
Noel Melendez: …You know what's fucked? Even after all the bullshit, I was tempted to come back to Wunderpark, that day in 2012. I count it as a blessing every day that I didn't…Those poor people…
| 01 April 1990 | Due to years of neglect, the support beams of SCP-8507 have rotted and become unstable, with no attempts to replace them. As a result, the beams of one of SCP-8507's sharp turns collapses in on itself, and - with no time to stop the ride - causes the running train to fall off, the restraints releasing through currently unknown means and ejecting all 15 passengers. All are killed near-instantly, with five more parkgoers - including three children - killed from being crushed by the falling carts. |
Note: Excerpts of newspapers detailing the events and aftermath of 01 April 1990, recovered from the archives of The Janisse Dispatch.
Tragedy at
Janisse's Wunderpark!
20 dead and numerous parkgoers injuried as the park's flagship "Wundercoaster" undergoes a devastating collapse.
BY: SAUL OVARCO
…The worst were the ones impaled clean through the rotted wooden beams, their eyes open and unblinking as their blood dripped down from the cracked supports onto the ground below…
Robert "Boss Coaster" Hoag
announces yearlong closure of Wunderpark!
"I do this with a heart heavy with regret," claims amusement park owner
BY: SARAH MCGRAW
Class action lawsuit
filed against Robert Hoag, Wunderpark, et al
Plantiffs are looking for $10,000,000 in damages, according to filed documentation
BY: NEIL THANES
…The Plantiffs accuse Robert Hoag and Wundercoaster of deliberate negligence, manslaughter, irreperable psychological, emotional, and physical damage…
| 02 April 1990 - 14 January 1991 | Reconstruction of SCP-8507 proceeds, even as Robert Hoag's court case goes on. Support beams are replaced and reinforced with steel, and rigorous safety compliance tests are performed on every train. |
| 15 January 1991 | The class action case against Robert Hoag is dismissed with prejudice, with the families of SCP-8507's victims having to pay for Hoag's legal fees. |
| 01 April 1991 | Wunderpark and SCP-8507 have a "Grand Reopening". Attendance is muted due to the accident and lawsuit still being cognizant in the Janisse public's eyes. |
| 01 April 1996 | Another incident with SCP-8507 occurs, with a wheel popping off of one of the carts and striking a parkgoer, severely injuring them. Operation of SCP-8507 is suspended for the rest of the day. |
sixsixsixflaggs 04/02/96 (TUE) 09:45:04 #06120107
For a roller coaster that isn't as well known, the Wundercoaster at Janisse, Missouri's Wunderpark might be one of the most cursed ones I've ever heard about. It doesn't seem like a year can't go by without someone losing their wallet, getting hurt, maimed, or dying on that thing.
I was there yesterday, actually, when the coaster experienced yet another "malfunction". If you can call a wheel flying off and decking someone in the head a "malfunction".
I'm surprised that Hoag can even keep this park running afloat, with all the payouts he's had to make over the decades. I'm sure this time won't be any different.
You know what's a strange thing about this one, however?
I was standing in line for the Wundercoaster, before it all went down, and when I looked to the side, I saw a man in a brimmed hat, watching the passing trains go by with some strange intent. The only time I saw him break eye contact with them was when that wheel popped off. I could've sworn he smiled when it happened.
I don't know who it was, and he seemed to disappear into the crowd that gathered around the injured woman who'd been unfortunate enough to be in the wheel's trajectory.
But I had a strange feeling about him…
| Circa 2000s | Thanks to the adaptation of the internet, and wider access of information becoming available to all, more awareness is spread of SCP-8507's reputation, causing urban legends to proliferate about it. A marked decrease in attendance to Wunderpark is noted during this time period, though it is unknown if there is any correlation. |
Sampling of claims surrounding SCP-8507, with Foundation commentary attached.
- SCP-8507's incidents are caused by the vengeful spirit of Samuel Otte, taking revenge on Robert Hoag for his death. - False. The Department of Spiritual Affairs examined SCP-8507's site thoroughly and could find no trace of Otte's spirit residing within the premises.
- SCP-8507's incidents are due to the plot of land being built over a Niúachi burial ground. - False. This claim hinges on an outdated and stereotypical superstition; and regardless, there is no evidence to suggest that members of the Niúachi tribe ever resided in what's now Janisse, Missouri.
- SCP-8507's incidents have no supernatural cause at all, and are simply very unfortunate accidents. - False. The chances of all of these accidents having mundane causes is unrealistically high, as determined by the Analytics Department.
| 07 June, 2012 | Despite the day's fogginess, SCP-8507 goes ahead with operation. At 12:00 PM, an SCP-8507 train disappears into the fog while ascending its peak, and returns empty. Panic and chaos ensues throughout the park, and the park is closed while staff attempt to ascertain the whereabouts of the passengers. |
| 08 June, 2012 | In the town of Chelsea, Missouri - 30 miles away from Janisse - a muddy, but still intact camcorder is recovered inside of a cornfield. The contents are never revealed to the public, being seized by the Unusual Incidents Unit. |
Note: Summary of the camera's conetns. Extraneous footage has been removed.
<00:00:00> A young man, later identified as amusement park content creator Beck Horner, records himself in closeup, making an introduction for his Youtube channel. He claims his intent to attempt to smuggle the camera onto SCP-8507 and film the experience.
<00:05:30> Horner removes his camera from its bag, as the cart he is situated in begins to move. The next two minutes of footage are incomprehensible and blurry, but the sounds of SCP-8507 turning and passengers cheerfully vocalizing can be heard.
<00:07:45> The train begins ascending SCP-8507's peak. Horner adjusts his camera to point upwards, showing that the entirety of SCP-8507's highest point is obscured by fog.
<00:08:13> The train enters the fog. Cheers by Horner and the other passengers turn into noises of confusion when they don't reach SCP-8507's drop.
<00:08:25> The fog completely obscures the camera's view.
<00:08:29> Horner and the other passengers begin to scream.
<00:08:42> The sound of crackling fire abruptly comes in, clipping the camera's audio.
<00:14:23> The passengers are still screaming; audio analysis confirms that Horner's screams are the loudest.
<00:46:42> One by one, the screams of the passengers cease.
<01:00:00> The distorted sound of the fire almost completely overwhelms any remaining audio. A thump, presumed to be from Horner's camera, is heard.
<01:02:03> The fog and the sounds of fire abruptly cease. Visuals are restored, and show Horner's camera freefalling an estimated 1100 feet in the air.
<01:05:17> The camera crash lands inside of the cornfield in Chelsea, Missouri.
<02:47:05> Footsteps can be heard. The feet of a well-dressed man can be seen.
<02:47:50> The man chuckles. The camera's battery runs out.
| 09 June 2012 | Faced with public outcry, and unable to explain the circumstances of the 18 passengers' disappearance from SCP-8507, Robert Hoag announces the immediate and indefinite shuttering of Wunderpark. |
| 20 June 2012 | A social pariah facing innumerable lawsuits from the public, as well as the State of Missouri and the federal government, Robert Hoag passes away in his home at the age of 79. Present at his passing is his granddaughter, Bobbi Hoag. |
Note: During the end of the Foundation and the UIU's joint investigation, Bobbi Hoag was apprehended at her home in St. Louis, Missouri, and was brought to Site-ARCH for an interview.
The last time I saw my Grandpa, he looked like he was already on the verge of death's door. Pale, gaunt, already losing weight from the stress…it was like he was more skeleton than man.
My dad didn't really like talking about Grandpa, even before the worst of the incidents started happening. So seeing him in such a wreck… I almost pitied him. Almost.
I tried making small talk with him, asking how he was doing, and he snapped at me, fire in his eyes. "How the fuck do you think I'm doin'?" he roared at me.
He calmed down after a few moments, resting against his headboard and glowering at me. "Did you have more to say," he grumbled. "Or did you just come in here to waste what's left of my fuckin' time?"
I, of course, asked him what he was talking about, and he just…stared at me. Stared at me like he was trying to look right through my body and into my soul. Finally, he just let out a sigh, and beckoned for me to come closer.
He told me to pull out my phone, and record what he had to say, "for posterity", he told me.
…I still have the recording, if you want it….
<RECORDING BEGINS>
Robert Hoag: —The damn thing recordin', or not?!
Bobbi Hoag: Yes, Grandpa…
RH: Good, now sit your ass down and listen!
(BH sits down, the sound of her chair creaking audible)
RH: I was twenty four years old, Fresh-faced, with a master's in engineerin', and havin' a dream to make a name for myself in the rollercoaster business, like that Wynne fella in Texas.
BH: Who's—
RH: Shush! … Anyway, I pitched my idea to as many influential people as I could find, tryin' to drum up interest for the idea for my own theme park. But I just got laughed in the face by every single person I came to. They told me things like I was "too inexperienced", "didn't have the cash", "a fool to take on the likes of Disney and Wynne…"
And it all got to me. Hard.
I was driven to drink, in the dingiest bar I could find, when he approached me.
He was a tall fella, and I couldn't see the top half of his face because of the shadow his brimmed hat gave. I could see, though, that he had a crooked nose, and an even more crooked smile.
He had the gall to clap me on the shoulder, and drawl out, "Why so glum, chum?"
Normally, I would've just slapped his hand away, but…
(Silence on the recording for 10 seconds)
BH: …Grandpa?
RH: …I don't know why - maybe it was just the buzz the liquor was giving me - but I felt like I could trust this man. And so I broke down, dumping my woes onto this complete stranger, who just stood there silently the whole time.
I looked up at him with bleary eyes, expecting him to dismiss it all.
But his grin only grew wider.
"Well, you're in luck, friend," he said. "I happen to be a man with certain…connections, and I can do much more than make your dream a reality. I can make it surpass your wildest expectations."
I couldn't believe my ears. It sounded almost too good to be true. But I felt sobriety creep back up onto me, and I asked, "What's the catch?"
The man just chuckled. "Nothing you have to worry about for many, many years," he reassured me.
I shoulda seen that for the warning sign that it was, but I was drunker than a skunk and bein' told my dream could come true.
He then pulled out a checkbook, and signed a check for a million dollars right there at the bar, slidin' it towards me.
I only hesitated for a moment, to look at the signature - "Mr. Nick" - and then snatched it up.
That wasn't the only thing "Nick" gave me. Soon, I had some of the best contracters, construction workers, and advertisers from the whole state workin' around the clock to help make "Wunderpark" a reality!
Of course, it wasn't all smooth sailing. There was the death of Samuel Otte, but I managed to bounce back from it pretty quickly…
Before I knew it, the park was open, and despite a few setbacks, things were goin' swimmingly. I had a successful local amusement park, a steady supply of income, and while I didn't have the nationwide fame I'd been wanting, I still made a name for himself in the local circles!
But then…
BH: The incidents?
RH: …Yeah.
There was that kid that got concussed, then the college student, then all those people getting stuck. I would always find myself in a panic every time it happened, wonderin' if this was the "catch" that "Nick" had told me about! But I'd managed to pay my way out of the troubles that came to me.
And for the one time I couldn't, even with some of the best lawyers I could afford during that damned class action suit, I still managed to make my way out unscathed!
…I could never prove it, of course. But I had a feeling that sunuvabitch played a part in getting me off the hook!
…Then I had that dream…
…The night before it happened…
"Nick" and I were sittin' across from each other in armchairs, only a small table with cigars between the two of us.
"The time to pay your debt is approaching, old chum," he told me, taking one of the cigars and lighting it with just a flick of his fingers, taking a few puffs from the damned thing so smoke would blow in my face. "You best prepare yourself."
(Silence on the recording for 30 seconds)
BH: …Grandpa? …Grand—?
RH: I shoulda never trusted that fuckin' bastard. I knew, right then and there, "Nick" had been responsible for everything that'd soiled my beautiful coaster! That he'd been Jewin' me—
BH: (Simultaneously) Grandpa, you can't say that—
RH: — since day goddamn one! Every death, every injury, every hit to my bank account and reputation, it was all because of that bastard!
I don't know who, or what, he really is, but he'll rue the day he fucked with—!
(RH gasps)
RH: He's here…
BH: …Grandpa… There's no one there…
RH: No no no no no no, please! I didn't mean it, Nick! S-stay back… I'm beggin' you, stay away from me—!
BH: Grandpa… There's—
RH: Stop! D-don't come any closer—!
(The sounds of a body thumping against wood, the creaking of a mattress, a rattling gasp of air)
<RECORDING ENDS>
…My Grandpa was dead.
I put my hand on his arm, and jerked away immediately after.
It was cold as ice, like if the warmth had been completely sucked out from him.
…
Now, I don't believe in no devils, or whatever my Grandpa thinks he saw before he passed, Doctor.
I think, personally, he was just trying to find a way to shift the blame on somebody else, even to the very end.
But something had terrified him in those final moments, and I don't want to ever find out what it was…
Post Scriptum: Bobbi Hoag was given a class-C amnestic and released back to the public. A file on Entity of Interest-8507 "Mr. Nick" was opened shortly thereafter.
| 21 June 2012 - 21 June 2017 | Wunderpark and SCP-8507 languish in an abandoned state for five years, its plot of land seized by the Missouri government. It becomes a popular target for vandalizers and urban explorers over the years. No deaths or incidents have been recorded since. |
| 22 June 2017 | SCP-8507 and Wunderpark are seized by the Foundation after negotiations between it and the Missouri government - meditated by the Unusual Incidents Unit - come to pass. SCP-8507 has been deemed neutralized. |
