"I'm going to go Drygioni on their asses."
Item #: SCP-8843
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-8843 is limited to census and population data — all historical public-facing data has been retroactively corrected. No further action is needed at this time.
Description: SCP-8843 is a statistical anomaly impacting global population data. All census data gathered after February 10th, 2019 has reported a 0.1-5% discrepancy between projections, simulations, and reported totals, such that the census data is inconsistent with birth, death, immigration, and emigration rates, as well as 2019 census data gathered before February 10th, 2019.
Dear Researchers at Site-43,
As an academically-inclined research site, the Foundation Department of Statistics wanted to ensure that the attached document was distributed, such that all relevant projects can be adjusted accordingly.
This is just a statistical anomaly, and should not impact any unrelated fields; if you have additional questions, you may reach out to me directly.
Lil, did you see that email? About the stats thing?
Yeah, I read it. Then I deleted it.
I think they're wrong.
What's new babe? Does this one matter? Does it change anything if an egghead made the wrong conclusion?
This time, yes. It's not just a one-off statistical weirdness.
Sure, I mean, probably not. When is it ever that simple?
But why do we care? We've got a big backlog of M&C tasks piling up that we really should get to. Eventually.
Look at the cut-off date.
Oh. Oh huh.
Nobody other than us would realize it.
'Absence'? Aren't we done with that?
Apparently not.
Okay, but think about it. It just doesn't make sense. Why would it all happen at exactly that same time?
What proof did they provide that it was just 'a one time thing'. What says that this is a statistical anomaly, instead of, for example, 'absence' or some other anomaly disappearing people around the world?
What if they're wrong?
God damn it, why are you always right in the worst situations?
Part of my girlish charm? So how do we want to handle this? I can do some more research first?
Nah, you're right. I read the email finally and… I cannot believe what other Sites think they can get away with. I'm going to yell at somebody, this needs a proper review.
I don't want to seem like a dick! Maybe we can be softer about it?
'I don't want to seem like a dick'
When, in all the months that I have known you, have you ever considered the optics of a situation before you jump in?
… Shut up
I just… what if I'm wrong this time? I don't want to make a big deal out of nothing, you know?
That's stupid. Don't be like that. You're beautiful, brilliant, and irritatingly correct about terrible things that happen in the Noosphere — if you say this is suspicious, then it is.
Are you sure?
Yeah. I'm going to go Drygioni on their asses
You're what?
I'm going to go Drygioni on their asses, keep up babe.
DRYGIONI PROTOCOL
As per request by Dr. Lillian Lillihammer, M&C Section Head at Site-43, SCP-8843's database file has been flagged for authenticity review. As a part of the Drygioni Protocol, the documentation is reviewed by independent researchers, such that a determination can be made. However, due to the minimal length, Dr. Lillihammer requested that additional data and reports be provided alongside the original document, for further review. The following personnel are assigned to assess this phenomena's documentation and associated materials:
Dr. Lillian Lillihammer
Section Chair of Memetics and Countermemetics,
R&C Site-43
Dr. Heather Garrison
Researcher of Memetics and Anomalous Ontology,
R&C Site-43
Lillihammer: I can't believe this worked.
Garrison: Is this not a thing that happens often?
Lillihammer: Heather, you know what working here is like. You think anything gets peer-reviewed in the Foundation? Know of any anomalies that go through the IRB?
Garrison: Shut up. Let's just start at the top?
Description: SCP-8843 is a statistical anomaly impacting global population data. All census data gathered after February 10th, 2019 has reported a 0.1-5% discrepancy between projections, simulations, and reported totals, such that the census data is inconsistent with birth, death, immigration, and emigration rates, as well as 2019 census data gathered before February 10th, 2019.
Garrison: Okay. They say its statistical, but based on what evidence? Did they do anything to rule it out?
Lillihammer: I think they just looked at the numbers and didn't really give a shit. Would you?
Garrison: I would if it was my fucking job. Did they provide any proof?
Lillihammer: Let me pull up the associated documents, those "should explain everything", according to the Department.
Population Discrepancy: The following table illustrates the population discrepancy, as caused by SCP-8843. As noted, this is exclusively a statistical anomaly.
| Source | Reported Totals | Actual Totals | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Population — UN | 7,764,951,032 | 7,547,532,403 | -2.8% |
| Global Population — SCP Foundation | 7,892,652,482 | 7,600,624,340 | -3.7% |
| US Population — US Gov't | 326,687,501 | 321,133,813 | -1.7% |
| US Population — SCP Foundation | 430,843,332 | 414,040,442 | -4.9% |
Lillihammer: I hate math nerds. This isn't science, this is just a table.
Garrison: Math can be science, this just… god, seriously? They have to have more evidence, right?
Demographic Analysis: The following demographic data highlights the fact that SCP-8843 is statistical in nature, and that the variations are anomalous in origin.
| Demographic1 | US Population Reported Total | Actual US Population Total | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 249,961,025 | 254,083,288 | +1.65% |
| Black or African American | 43,732,024 | 41,111,392 | -5.99% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 4,145,811 | 3,748,022 | -9.59% |
| Asian | 19,134,105 | 17,726,903 | -7.35% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 793,787 | 740,322 | -6.74% |
| Two or More Races | 8,920,749 | 3,723,886 | -58.26% |
| Total | 326,687,501 | 321,133,813 | -1.7% |
Given the overall minimal variance and disparity in population totals, this has been deemed statistical in nature, and requires no further intervention by the SCP Foundation.
Garrison: Lillian, before I go and kill somebody, am I reading this data correctly?
Lillihammer: Heather, hold on — do you really think that the Foundation is going to write off the disappearance of so many minorities?
Garrison: Yes.
Garrison: Like genuinely, what the fuck is this anomaly? What argument could they possibly be making right now? Look at all of the evidence; they just ignored it so they could sand down the rough edges on the totals. They are genuinely saying that the disappearance of nearly 10 million minorities is "statistical in nature, and requires no further intervention"?
Did they investigate that? Did they check for other anomalies? Did they do anything other than typing numbers into a calculator, and determine an 'acceptable variance'? Did they even fucking try?
Lillihammer: Okay, let's assume for a second that they are wrong, and there's more to it than just a rounding error. How can you prove that any of this is connected to 'absence'? Why do we need to be the ones to fix anything here?
Garrison: Okay, let's review what we know about 'absence'. It's a conceptual entity that deals in perception, information and memories. More specifically, it:
- Can abstract, erase or otherwise remove individuals from the Noosphere;
- Targets information that is irrelevant, unimportant, or neglected, regardless of how or why;
- Is obsessed with me.
The data tells us that, out of everybody in the entire country, the biggest demographic, the largest cultural norm has actually benefitted from this. Yes, once again, white people have benefitted from the disappearance of minorities. What a brand new situation.
And who are the ones most hurt by SCP-8843? The rest of us. The ones who cannot be categorized. The ones who are least relevant to the census. People who wouldn't be missed. People like us.
Lillihammer: Right. So if we know that 'absence' targets irrelevant information, and that can extend out to people and identities, then, what we're seeing isn't the manifestation of a statistical anomaly.
What we're seeing is a potential indication that the Noosphere itself is in danger. Think about it, Heath, we know that 'absence' feeds on information, and we know that it's ravenous. We thought that we had dealt with it, but if we hadn't, and it's still lurking, the Noosphere isn't just going to sit around and wait idly. It's going to do something. Self-preservation, no matter the cost.
So what if it starts to prioritize what it deems as relevant information? Some way of minimizing harm, risk reduction, a way to ensure that there is plenty of irrelevant information, while it can preserve the majority consensus, the ideas that are most prevalent, and therefore, the most 'important'.
What if the missing people are bait? A distraction? Something to keep 'absence' from going after more of the Noosphere, to stop it from erasing the majority?
Garrison: If we're right? If we're right about this, then we are the only ones who would have been able to anticipate this. We have to get to the bottom of this; nobody else can.
DRYGIONI PROTOCOL: INTERIM SUMMARY
Following review of the SCP-8843 file and associated addenda, Dr. Garrison and Dr. Lillihammer determined that there was insufficient evidence included to logically exclude other anomalous factors, such that the only remaining answer is a statistical anomaly. In fact, due to the minimal evidence provided, Dr. Garrison and Dr. Lillihammer have initiated an impromptu abnormal procedura—
Fuck it, this is scuffed as it is, it's not like me breaking clinical tone in this is going to mean anything. Basically, long story short, they gave us fuck-all and seemingly don't give a fuck about the people we are trying to save? So instead of letting this sit in arbitration and debate for a year, we're doing this differently.
This Drygioni Protocol is now a rolling review. Dr. Lillihammer and myself will be leading the investigative research into what was actually done here, and what is actively happening. This is more than just a few number problems; those numbers are people, and we're going to find out what the hell happened to them.
So, to rephrase it in clinical tone for all of you pearl-clutching 'traditional' researchers out there — Drygioni Protocol review will continue ad nauseum, until a determination on the validity of the conclusions can be made, as based on tangible evidence.
SCP-8843 — Initial Drygioni Protocol Follow-Up Meeting: Following the determination that the Drygioni Protocol would continue, a meeting was scheduled between the investigative panel, and Dr. Gage Afters, Coordinator for the Department of Statistics.
Drygioni Call #1
Date: 21 February, 2019
Interviewers:
- Dr. Heather Garrison, Leading
- Dr. Lillian Lillihammer, Assisting
Subject: Dr. Gage Afters
Note: The initial meeting took place through SCP Foundation Intranet Video Calling, and was recorded for Drygioni Protocol.
[BEGIN LOG]
Video recording begins once Dr. Garrison joins the call. Her camera is on, and she is sitting in a beige office. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Lillihammer joins the call. Her camera is also turned on, revealing a similar beige office.
Dr. Garrison: He's late.
Dr. Lillihammer: Calm down. He won't give us any answers if you jump down his throat as soon as he joins.
Dr. Garrison: I'm sorry, Lillian, but somebody who fucking says that the disappearance of millions of people is a fucki—
Dr. Afters joined the video call, and interrupts Heather.
Dr. Afters: Sorry about that, I was having some camera problems. Can you hear me?
Dr. Lillihammer looks off screen and glares. Dr. Garrison narrows her eyes, before smiling.
Dr. Garrison: Yep! Thanks for joining us.
Dr. Afters: Hopefully this doesn't take too long, after all, it's just numbers, right?
Dr. Afters laughs, and then pauses. The call is silent for a number of seconds.
Dr. Lillihammer: Right. Should we get started?
Dr. Garrison: Great idea ba— Dr. Lillihammer. <Pause.> Dr. Afters, have you read the SCP-8843 file?
Dr. Afters: Ye— yes? I signed off on it before submission, and distributed it. Of course I read the document.
Dr. Garrison: And you agree with the findings?
Dr. Afters: I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of my employees. Why?
Dr. Garrison: Okay. Wow. Well, have you read any of the Drygioni documentation that you've received?
Dr. Afters looks down.
Dr. Afters: I don't see why you are investigating an anomaly from the Department of Statistics, do you ladies know anything about statistics?
Dr. Garrison: Really?
Dr. Lillihammer: Heather.
Dr. Garrison looks away from her camera, at something off-screen.
Dr. Garrison: What?
Dr. Lillihammer says nothing, but arches an eyebrow.
Dr. Afters: I'm sorry, I think my connection is bad — what did you say? Are you familiar with advanced statistics?
Dr. Garrison clears her throat, and looks back to her camera.
Dr. Garrison: Right. To be honest, I don't need to understand statistics to know that 10 million minorities going missing is a bit more than a rounding error.
Silence.
Dr. Afters: I'm afraid I don't know what you mean.
Dr. Garrison: Excuse me? You signed off on something you didn't check yourself?
Dr. Afters: What is this, a disciplinary hearing? For your information, of course I read the document. A variance of +/-5% is notable, but not world-changing — it's just a statistics issue, isn't it?
Dr. Lillihammer: You're… you're going to wish this was a disciplinary hearing. At least those have rule—
Dr. Garrison: Seriously? Are you fucking kidding me? Jesus fuck, you haven't read anything we've sent you? And on top of that, you didn't even look at the fucking data?
Dr. Afters: Dr. Garrison, I do not care for your tone. As for the anomaly, I trust my employees to accurately represent their da—
Dr. Garrison: Then you're as stupid as they are. I'm sharing my screen, since apparently we know more about your anomaly than you do.
Dr. Lillihammer: While Heather does that, let me just take a moment and straighten some things out for you, Dr. Afters. This is more than just a 'statistical anomaly'; this potentially represents a K-Class scenario that your department was more than willing to sweep under the rug. You are at fault here — you failed to validate the data, and you distributed the information without verifying that the conclusions reached were accurate.
Dr. Afters: How dare you—
Dr. Lillihammer: You can wait your turn. If you wanted to do anything, you should have taken care of it when it first crossed your desk. Let me make this clear — if Heather and I had not dug deeper, asked for more data, and followed up on our suspicions, you would be directly responsible for the deaths of 10 million people. Now, we don't even know if we will be able to find out what happened—
Dr. Garrison: Hell! You still might be responsible for that!
Dr. Lillihammer: But, unless you are willing to work with us and accept that you made a mistake, there is no point to having this discussion. Now, let me ask you a very simple question: are you willing to cooperate with us, or should we escalate this to both disciplinary and ethics?
Dr. Garrison barks a laugh, as Lillian stares down her webcam, a smug satisfaction visible. Dr. Afters swallows hard, and takes a deep breath.
Dr. Afters: <Quietly.> Is… is the data ready for me to see?
Dr. Garrison: Great answer. <Heather shares her screen, displaying the data of the demographic analysis.> So, can you see why we're having this conversation?
Dr. Afters squints, as he reads the information on screen. As he does, he frowns.
Dr. Afters: I would just like to give you both my most sincere apologies. Dr. Lillihammer, I'm sure you're sympathetic, as a department head—
Dr. Lillihammer: Section chair.
Dr. Afters: Yes, right. As a section chair, I hope you can understand my desire to protect my subordinates.
Dr. Lillihammer: Sure. That doesn't excuse this.
Dr. Afters: Dr. Lillihammer, perhaps we could reach some agre—
Dr. Garrison clears her throat.
Dr. Garrison: Dr. Afters, you are aware I am leading this investigation?
Dr. Afters: Yes, but Dr. Lillihammer is your boss. Now, if you'll excuse us, Dr. Lillihammer and I were discussi—
Dr. Garrison: I'm done. Expect to see me at your personal ethics hearing.
Dr. Garrison disconnects from the video call, leaving Dr. Afters and Dr. Lillihammer. Dr. Afters appears annoyed, while Dr. Lillihammer is visibly unimpressed.
Dr. Lillihammer: Feeling good about your choices?
Dr. Afters: I cannot believe that your subordinate would speak to me so disrespectfully, and with her boss here no less! I'm sure that you will be disciplining her accordingly?
Dr. Lillihammer freezes, before letting out a belly laugh. As she does, Dr. Garrison is visible walking behind Dr. Lillihammer, shaking her head and tensing her fists, before slamming the door shut behind her.
Dr. Lillihammer: Yeah, yeah, no. Not at all. Unfortunately, unlike you, as a section chair, I like to think before I act. Good luck Gage, you're going to need it.
Dr. Lillihammer disconnects from the video call, leaving Dr. Afters, who stares at his camera in confusion.
[END LOG]
Lillihammer: So. Are we going to analyze this too?
Garrison: Oh, without a doubt. Starting with the fact that Afters is a glorified paper-pusher who allowed this document to be published in the first place, despite not verifying the data.
Lillihammer: Yeah. He is definitely at fault here, but it seems like he isn't going to be of much use. I think we're going to need to figure this out on our own.
Garrison: What's new?
Lillihammer: I feel like I have to address your conduct here. I agree with you, but I think you went a bit too far in your reaction. Now I just need to decide if it is actionable or not.
Garrison: Didn't you already punish me? I distinctly remember you reaming me out after the call.
Lillihammer: Oh. Yes. Right. And as this is official documentation, I will leave it there.
Drygioni Internal Discussion #1
Date: 22 February, 2019
Attending:
- Dr. Heather Garrison
- Dr. Lillian Lillihammer
Note: Following the interview with Dr. Afters, the researchers met to determine next steps. This impromptu meeting was recorded as part of the Drygioni Protocol — due to this, only an audio transcript is available.
[BEGIN LOG]
Dr. Garrison: —we're recording now. Fucking protocol.
Dr. Lillihammer: It's fine. Nobody can see what we're wearing, it's just audio. You were saying something, right before we started recording.
Dr. Garrison: Right. I was saying that, given how little information we gleamed from that call, I'm not sure where to go next. The Department of Statistics won't be much help, and there's only so far we can get by staring at numbers, but, how the hell do we even tackle this?
Dr. Lillihammer: Let's stop, and restart. From scratch, ignoring all of the 'evidence' that was gathered so far, we're going to walk through this and find out what is really going on here. Namely, what the fuck 'absence' has to do with any of this.
Dr. Garrison: Yeah. Okay, so we know 'absence' shouldn't exist, and we know that it destroys and consumes information, including memories. We also, unfortunately, know that it was trying to erase me. But then we erased my memories, and it should have gone away, right?
Dr. Lillihammer: Why?
Silence.
Dr. Garrison: Fuck.
Dr. Lillihammer: We just assumed that 'absence' would be forced out of existence without your memories but—
Dr. Garrison: But the idea of me is bigger than just my own memories.
Dr. Lillihammer: Exactly. You exist in the minds of everybody you have ever met, in the minds of people who have heard about you, read your paper, hell, even passed you on the street!
Dr. Garrison: No, that can't be right. 'Absence' wasn't connected to me, it was connected to the 'Deadname Meme'. It was— okay wait. Are you thinking the same thing?
Dr. Lillihammer: Your Deadname Meme was self-replicating and self-reinforcing. It spread, from person to person, whenever they would hear your name, hear about the idea of you.
Dr. Garrison: Exactly. By now, my Deadname Meme might have infected people all around the world, just because somebody told a story about me. Fuck, why didn't we realize this sooner?
Dr. Lillihammer: Hey, babe. Stop. Calm down, it's okay.
Dr. Garrison: Don't tell me to calm down babe! This is— this is my fault.
Dr. Lillihammer: It's not your—
Dr. Garrison: No, it is my fault.
Dr. Lillihammer: Prove it then.
Dr. Garrison: Fine. I made my Deadname Meme and connected it with 'absence', because I didn't think about the consequences. I brought 'absence' back into our world.
Dr. Lillihammer: Sure, but so have countless others throughout time? Why does this have to be you—
Dr. Garrison: I wasn't done. I made the meme self-replicating, self-distributing and self-reinforcing. And I put the idea of my deadname into the very core of that. I put 'absence' into that.
Dr. Lillihammer: But we destroyed your memories! Babe, did you forget about the fucking mountain of memories you sacrificed to escape 'absence'? We fucking beat it!
Dr. Garrison: We didn't though! As far as the story is concerned, hell, as far as the one we wrote, we didn't fucking beat 'absence'. We saved me, sure, but once again, I didn't think about the fucking consequences.
Dr. Lillihammer: What were the consequences? Other than, you know, you losing 20 years of memories? Which seems like pretty fucking severe consequences, but we knew that when—
Dr. Garrison: 'Absence' wanted me. We know this. But we made it impossible to get to me, we isolated me. I was quarantined from the idea, and I escaped. But—
Dr. Lillihammer: But nobody else did.
Dr. Garrison: So 'absence' has an eternal, self-propagating, self-replicating gate into our fucking Noosphere, all because I was too fucking lazy to correct somebody who used my deadna—
Dr. Lillihammer: Stop.
Dr. Garrison: What?
Dr. Lillihammer: Don't say that. One, we're still being recorded right now. Two, and more importantly, this is not your fault.
Dr. Garrison: How could it be anybody else's fault, Lillian? Who else broke the world?
Dr. Lillihammer: Babe. It's the Foundation. Half of the employees here have done what you did, if not worse.
Dr. Garrison: I'm not other employees.
Dr. Lillihammer: I know. So what are you going to do about it?
Silence.
Dr. Garrison: I don't know.
Sobbing can be heard.
Dr. Lillihammer: Come here. Hey, it's okay. Just focus on my breathing, alright? In, and out. Inhale, exhale. Listen to my heart — you hear it beating, right? Listen to that. Like a metronome. Just… let it wash over you, and just breathe. Breathe, my love.
Breathing, quiet crying and whispers can be heard.
Dr. Garrison: I just… what if this is all my fault? What if I'm the reason that so many fucking people like us are just… gone? What if I caused this?
Dr. Lillihammer: You are not responsible for the deaths of millions of people. We don't even know if 'absence' killed them, or some other anomaly, or maybe even another Foundation site that fucked up. There's no way to know that you are the reason they are dead.
Dr. Garrison: Wait.
Dr. Lillihammer: What is it?
Dr. Garrison: I… we didn't reset everything. We missed something.
Dr. Lillihammer: We started from the assumption that SCP-8843 somehow killed—
Dr. Garrison: There! How do we know that?
Dr. Lillihammer: What? That SCP-8843 killed the minorities?
Dr. Garrison: No. How do we know that they're dead?
Silence.
Dr. Lillihammer: It's 10 million missing minorities. Fuck.
Dr. Garrison: Yeah. But that's a good thing, right?
Dr. Lillihammer: Sure, but… Okay, idea. We've been frustrated because all we know is numbers. We just see raw data, and that means nothing. It's not who they are, it doesn't help us find out how or what happened to them, it just tells us that something happened.
Dr. Garrison: Exactly. We can't rely on the numbers, we need something else. I just wish we could find somebody and talk to them, but—
Dr. Lillihammer: We can.
Dr. Garrison: We can?
Dr. Lillihammer: Err, maybe. Probably. Maybe? If— yeah, okay, I have it.
Dr. Garrison: Are you going to share with the class?
Dr. Lillihammer: I was getting to it. Just let me grandstand, okay?
Dr. Garrison: I'm all ears, Lilli.
Dr. Lillihammer: Numbers are abstract, and more than that, they are so far removed from reality that it's practically meaningless. It tells us nothing about the anomaly, or why it's connected to 'absence', if at all. We need to be more specific.
Dr. Garrison: What? Narrow it down from global, to country, to state, and on and on, until we have a list of the tens of thousands of missing people in Seattle? Actually, no. We won't. Because they don't exist.
Dr. Lillihammer: What if we could get a primary source?
Dr. Garrison: Fuck, if we had a primary source, we wouldn't need to keep the Drygioni protocol going, we could actually get to the bottom of this. But, babe — how the fuck can we get a primary source if they're all fucking missing?
Dr. Lillihammer: When the voiceless and the nameless collide…
Dr. Garrison: Poetic.
Dr. Lillihammer: Jackass. You wrote it.
Dr. Garrison: What? I did?
Dr. Lillihammer: Babe, seriously? I know my memory is perfect, but come on. We deleted half of your memories, do you really have that much to keep track of?
Dr. Garrison: Shut up. Just remind me.
Dr. Lillihammer: You wrote that. In the story, the one we made. The prophecy you rewrote.
Dr. Garrison: So?
Dr. Lillihammer: So? Isn't it obvious what that means?
Dr. Garrison: You know I ha— oh my god.
Dr. Lillihammer: You're the nameless.
Dr. Garrison: It's Heather, in case you forgot.
Dr. Lillihammer: Shut up. You know what I mean.
Dr. Garrison: Yeah. I'm the 'nameless' because my deadname is lost. So… if somebody is voiceless…
Dr. Lillihammer: Then they can't speak?
Dr. Garrison: What if it's not literal? Voiceless because… because they're…
Dr. Lillihammer: Missing.
Pause.
Dr. Garrison: Those are the voiceless. The millions who are missing, the ones who are affected by SCP-8843.
Dr. Lillihammer: But they're not the missing. You didn't write that. You wrote the 'voiceless'.
Dr. Garrison: So… if they're not missing then we just… we can't hear or see them?
Dr. Lillihammer: And they're all still here. Just—
Dr. Garrison: Invisible. Ignored. Forgotten.
Dr. Lillihammer: But how did they disappear in the first place? 'Absence' would have consumed them entirely and destroyed them, how could they just… wake up one day, unable to be perceived? What is it about those people that let that happen? It's not your deadname meme, how would it be global and equal? So what could it be?
Dr. Garrison: Ontological. It's an anomaly interacting with the Noosphere. Like you taught me — it's always the fucking Noosphere.
[END LOG]
Garrison: Do we have to review this? Do I really have to point out that, yes, despite having an emotional breakdown, a mental break, and crying in the recording, the logic is sound and the conclusions are valid?
Lillihammer: I think we do? But also, do you think anything in this renders our conclusion invalid?
Garrison: Not in the slightest. I know the Foundation doesn't like to say this, but you can have emotions and still be a good researcher! Insane, right?
SCP-8843 — ONTOLOGICAL/MEMETIC ANALYSIS
To identify SCP-8843's influence in the Noosphere, it is critical to define what it is. To define SCP-8843, we need to understand its ontological basis — effectively, we need to know what it means at a basal level. We need to find it. This is typically accomplished by examining the anomaly itself. However, given the fact that the anomaly is imperceptible, the current priority is in identifying the rules that govern its behaviours. We need to know why it disproportionately impacted minorities, especially mixed-race individuals.
To do this, we need to define the ontological traits of being a minority, compare those with the ontological traits that govern 'absence', and identify where the overlap is. The following table categorizes, defines and contrasts the two.
| Question | SCP-8843 | 'Absence' | Similarities / Differences |
|---|---|---|---|
| What governs how their victims are chosen? | It primarily impacts racial minorities. | It exclusively targets concepts that are not considered 'relevant'. | Both appear to impact individuals who are abnormal and ideas that are not universal. |
| What does it do? | It appears to erase an individual from perception. | It appears to erase/consume the concept of an individual. | Both cause an individual to disappear. SCP-8843 causes them to be imperceptible, while 'absence' requires that an individual is irrelevant. |
| What is the range of their impact? | Global, across all known human populations. | Global, across all known human populations. | Both impact all of humanity; therefore, we can assume that both exist on the same plane of conception, most likely, the Noosphere. |
| How does it interact with information and memories? | It appears to prevent certain information from being perceived, thereby causing it to be forgotten. | It consumes information, but only once the information has been forgotten. | While SCP-8843 causes individuals to be forgotten, 'absence' only impacts those who are not remembered. Therefore, we can assume that 'absence' does not cause the initial effect. |
| How do we stop it? | Unknown. | Unknown. | Both are unknown. |
Based on the above ontological comparison, the following conclusion was drawn:
Both anomalies interact with the Noosphere, however, their method is different. While 'absence' removes information from the Noosphere, SCP-8843 appears to isolate an idea in the Noosphere, and prevent it from being perceived in reality. However, while 'absence' causes an individual to no longer exist, SCP-8843 appears to only cause an individual to be imperceptible. Therefore, while it is impossible to determine the victims of 'absence' following their disappearance, it is possible to identify the victims of SCP-8843 as based on the evidence they leave behind. Namely, while we cannot perceive those impacted individuals, we can perceive the impact they leave on the world.
Based on this, the researchers determined the following plan to isolate and identify a primary source, to fully understand SCP-8843:
- Identify a population group impacted by SCP-8843. This has already been done; SCP-8843 disproportionately impacts multi-racial minorities.
- Locate a database that includes historical and active data regarding populations, resource use, facility use and more. This has been identified as the SCP Foundation internal personnel database. Notably, the personnel database also experienced an approximately 1.7% variance.
- A location is identified, wherein the resource consumption does not equal that of the projected consumption as based on the population. Site-72U, near Toledo, Ohio was selected based on the criteria: while the Site has a roster of 15 employees, utility usage and funding suggests that Site-72U has an actual population of 25 employees. In addition, SCP Foundation DE&I records indicate that Site-72U had a 60% rate of racial minorities as of October, 2018. That rate, as of February 24th, 2019, is 33.4% — therefore, we can assume that there are 10 individuals impacted by SCP-8843 at Site-72U.
- An individual that has been impacted by SCP-8843 is identified. Due to the nature of SCP-8843, this appears to be impossible, however, SCP-8843 only renders those individuals to be imperceptible. Therefore, we must identify an alternative method of perceiving and identifying those individuals.
- 'Absence' consumes information and individuals that cannot be perceived. If a method of tracking and identifying 'absence' can be created, then hypothetically, we can use 'absence's ontological signature as a method of identifying locations that are less relevant than others. Therefore, if we are able to isolate a conceptual space that is significantly correlated with the presence of 'absence', we may be able to indirectly perceive a victim of SCP-8843.
It is the belief of the research team in charge of the Drygioni Protocol that such indirect perception will negate the effects of SCP-8843, thus, returning said individual to perception. Therefore, given Dr. Garrison's ontological connection to 'absence', their continued involvement is critical; Dr. Lillihammer's ontological stability is also believed to negate aspects of 'absence's anomalous influence, therefore, her continued involvement is needed.
At present time, a request for remote research has been granted, and Drs. Garrison and Lillihammer are to travel to Site-72U at their earliest convenience. Once a victim has been saved, it will be possible to determine the full impact and cause of SCP-8843, thus concluding the Drygioni Protocol investigation.
Lillihammer: Now, that is what I call a sound fucking argument. No notes.
Garrison: Agreed. This appears to be the only objective aspect of SCP-8843's documentation thus far.
Lillihammer: We just had to show them how it needed to be done.
Drygioni SCP-8843 Field Investigation Log #1
Date: 25 February, 2019
Investigators:
- Dr. Heather Garrison
- Dr. Lillian Lillihammer
Additional Staff Present: Dr. Jordan Wheeler, Containment Specialist
Note: Both researchers were equipped with a hands-free recording device to ensure full documentation. The following is a composite between their feeds, and the security cameras within Site-72U.
[BEGIN LOG]
Security footage displays a brown-haired man, of medium build, standing outside of a concrete wall, with a steel door. He checks his watch, and fidgets. After a minute, he pulls out his cellphone — as he does, a sedan arrives, and two women step out, dazzlecoats billowing behind them.
Dr. Wheeler: Hi! Are you Dr. Garrison and Dr. Lillihammer?
Dr. Lillihammer: Yes. Out of the way, please.
Dr. Garrison: Lillian. Really? <Dr. Garrison shoots a glare at Dr. Lillihammer, before turning to face Dr. Wheeler.> You're Dr. Wheeler?
Dr. Wheeler: Yes! I think we spoke over email a bit. You two are here for some kind of investigation?
Dr. Lillihammer: Something like that.
Dr. Wheeler stands awkwardly, as the two women stare back.
Dr. Garrison: Can we go inside?
Dr. Wheeler: Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I just… <A pause.> I thought there was something I was going to say but… I can't remember it.
Dr. Garrison: <Frowning.> Lilli, you think?
Dr. Lillihammer: At least we know we're in the right place.
The three researchers stand inside a meeting room within Site-72U. It's a medium size, but bland.
Dr. Wheeler: So feel free to use this meeting room as a temporary office, it's too big for our team. We used to have to meet in here to accommodate everybody but… <He freezes.> Sorry. Never mind. Ignore me.
Dr. Garrison: Hold on, Jordan. Sorry, can I call you Jordan?
Dr. Wheeler shakes his head, and regains awareness of the situation.
Dr. Wheeler: You can! I'm sorry about that, I don't know what's going on with me. I wasn't like this before, but ever since late last year I've been…
Dr. Lillihammer: Foggy?
Dr. Wheeler: Like the idea disappears while I'm thinking it.
Dr. Garrison and Dr. Lillihammer share a look, and frown.
Dr. Garrison: Well I'm Heather, and this lovely lady is my girlfriend, Lillian. Hopefully, we should be out of your hair soon, but if I can ask you some questions, it would really help us out!
Dr. Wheeler: Oh yeah! For sure, I'd be happy to help! We don't really deal with too many anomalies here at Site-72U. Our motto is "We're Here if They Need Us." <Laughs.> What did you want to know?
Dr. Garrison gestures to a chair, and the three sit down at the conference room table. Dr. Garrison pulls out a portable terminal, and logs in. She pulls open a spreadsheet — it has demographic data on it.
Dr. Garrison: So, Jordan, how many people work at Site-72U?
Dr. Wheeler: We just hired our fifteenth researcher, so we're still small. We do what we can, but we're just a skeleton crew, ma'am.
Dr. Garrison flinches.
Dr. Lillihammer: Ha, you got called "ma'am", and I'm older than you. <She turns to face Dr. Wheeler.> And you're sure about that?
Dr. Wheeler: Yes, I just finished their orientation yesterday. We have fifteen employees at the Site.
A pause. Dr. Garrison and Dr. Lillihammer share a look. A moment later, and Dr. Garrison clears her throat.
Dr. Garrison: Dr. Wheeler, you seem to have a strong understanding of this Site, is that correct?
Dr. Wheeler: I would hope so! I'm the facilities coordinator too. <He smiles.> Like I said, skeleton crew. We've all been picking up the slack lately.
Dr. Lillihammer gives Dr. Garrison a pointed stare. She nods in return.
Dr. Garrison: Can you tell me how many dormitories you have?
Dr. Wheeler: Our staff tends to live on-site, since it's more convenient, so we built the site with 40 dorms, with room to expand.
Dr. Lillihammer: How many rooms are unoccupied right now, Jordan?
Dr. Wheeler: Fifteen.
Dr. Garrison: Are you sure? Completely certain?
Dr. Wheeler: Positive. We fill them in order, and Dr. Kenneth just moved into room twenty-five.
Beat.
Dr. Lillihammer: Did you hear it?
Dr. Garrison: I did. Did you, Jordan?
Dr. Wheeler: Hear what? No?
Dr. Garrison: By your account, you have fifteen employees. And your fifteenth employee was just placed in room twenty-five. <A pause.> How can that be right?
Dr. Wheeler: That can't be right. It shouldn't be… No. That doesn't make sense.
Dr. Lillihammer: Well shit, Heather, you broke his brain.
Dr. Garrison lightly slaps Dr. Lillihammer's arm.
Dr. Garrison: Shut up, I didn't break his bra—
Dr. Wheeler: Is that who you're here for? For…
Dr. Lillihammer: Your missing ten coworkers? Yeah. That's why we're here.
Dr. Garrison: Now we just need to break a few rules.
[END LOG]
Note: Following this exchange, video capture experienced interference and digital corruption. Investigations into the cause were inconclusive.
Garrison: By this point, our theory was pretty much confirmed, but we had to isolate an individual to verify our hypothesis. Thankfully, due to our memetics expertise, and unique predisposition towards locating ideas that should not exist, we felt that this would be the easy part.
Lillihammer: And when this comes up in review, because I know it will — Dr. Wheeler was not the problem here. He might be green, or just a small-Site researcher, but he is not responsible for their disappearances. He is not responsible for finding them.
We are. The Foundation, as an organization, is.
The problem is in how little the Foundation prioritizes education, memetics training and continual reinforcement. This wasn't a one-off, we just chose a Site that would be easiest to prove our theory. Somebody other than us should have noticed the missing researchers, and the fact that nobody did is on the Foundation.
Drygioni SCP-8843 Field Investigation Log #2
Date: 25 February, 2019
Investigators:
- Dr. Heather Garrison
- Dr. Lillian Lillihammer
Note: Due to video corruption, the following conversation was only captured in audio recording.
[BEGIN LOG]
Dr. Lillihammer: Are you sure you want to do this? We haven't tested this yet.
Dr. Garrison: It's just like MC-88,2 isn't it? And that wasn't that bad.
Dr. Lillihammer: Sure, but, are you willing to take that risk? We don't know what it could do, especially with your…
Dr. Garrison: It's fine. We need to save these people, Lillian. I'm the only person who can help them.
Dr. Lillihammer: For now, but we might be able to find anot—
Dr. Garrison: In the future? Yeah. But right now, we don't know if they are alive, dead, or about to be erased from existence. We can't know that until we can talk to somebody. If there was another option, I'd be all ears — but we would have thought of one by now.
Silence.
Dr. Lillihammer: Once you take this, you will exist and experience both the physical, and the Noospheric worlds at the same time. I have no idea what that will look like, but…
Dr. Garrison: Babe. It's okay. Breathe. <A pause.> I've got this. Do you really think that I would be overwhelmed by a new experience? This is where I thrive. You know that.
Dr. Lillihammer: I know, just… this will also turn you into a fucking lighthouse babe. Anything in the Noosphere will know that not only are you there, but that you shouldn't be like this. Nothing is supposed to exist in both, not in this way.
Dr. Garrison: So what? People say that shit about us all the time.
Dr. Lillihammer: Just… What about 'absence'?
Silence.
Dr. Garrison: Babe. I won't let 'absence' consume that many people, just because I can't face it. You remember what I wrote, right? It was always going to end that way.
Dr. Lillihammer: You know that I can't lose you, right?
Dr. Garrison: I know. But I won't do nothing. Will you pass me the vial?
Dr. Lillihammer: I love you.
Dr. Garrison: I love you too.
[END LOG]
Note: Dr. Garrison and Dr. Lillihammer deny having manufactured MC-88.
Lillihammer: There is no evidence here to suggest that it was ever created in the first place. MC-88 is restricted under Foundation Anomalous Pharmacological Regulations, and as such, was not manufactured for the purposes of this investigation.
Garrison: And to be clear, I never said it was MC-88, I just said that it was like MC-88.
Drygioni SCP-8843 Field Investigation Log #3
Date: 25 February, 2019
Investigators:
- Dr. Heather Garrison
- Dr. Lillian Lillihammer
Additional Staff Present: Dr. Jordan Wheeler, Containment Specialist
Note: Following Log #2, video capture was restored.
[BEGIN LOG]
Dr. Wheeler and Dr. Lillihammer stand in an empty hallway, each staring at a door. Soft rustling can be heard from within. Dr. Garrison is on the other side of the door, but not visible on a camera feed yet.
Dr. Wheeler: So what's the plan?
Dr. Lillihammer: No clue. It's Heather's show, after all.
Dr. Lillihammer picks at her nails.
Dr. Wheeler: You seem to really care about her.
Dr. Lillihammer glares at him.
Dr. Lillihammer: Is that a problem?
Dr. Wheeler raises his hands in defense.
Dr. Wheeler: No! Not at all! Actually, I was just going to say that it's nice to see. You know, love, in the Foundation. People actually finding each other, despite this fucked up world we live in.
Dr. Lillihammer: I don't get you, Dr. Wheeler.
The door opens, and Dr. Garrison steps out — she is hesitantly walking, as she looks around, before covering her eyes with hand. Dr. Lillihammer rushes over.
Dr. Lillihammer: Are you—
Dr. Garrison: I'm fine. It's just a lot to process.
Dr. Lillihammer: What are you seeing?
Dr. Garrison: Everything I usually see, but… strings. Connections. Context, ideas, meaning, it's all everywhere and it's overwhelming. Like a kaleidoscope of thought, cascading away from every single object I can see.
She opens her eyes, staring at Dr. Lillihammer.
Dr. Garrison: But not you. When I see you, I just see Lillian. <She takes a breath.> Okay. I can do this. I think I have it figured out.
Dr. Lillihammer: Are you sure?
Dr. Garrison: Fuck no, but we have no time to waste.
Dr. Garrison grabs Dr. Lillihammer by her coat lapels, and pulls her into an intense kiss. A few seconds later, they separate, breathing heavily.
Dr. Garrison: Okay. Let's do this shit.
Dr. Wheeler: What do you need from me?
Dr. Lillihammer: Just help us navigate. What's going on, Heather?
Dr. Garrison crouches to the floor, reaching out to the concrete below, and grasping at the air.
Dr. Garrison: There are colored strands everywhere, running like wires throughout everything. They overlap and look like they're pulsing, like a subway map — Noospheric connections?
Dr. Lillihammer: Most likely. Anything stand out?
Dr. Garrison: Yeah. There's this one that's different. Most of them, they look like thin wires, colorful strands that pulse with energy, wrapped around each other. Almost delicate, a silk strand that crosses over others, interwoven into a tapestry — and then there's this one. It's deep purple, almost black. It pulsates, like a worm inching forward with every second. It's thick, strangling, almost like a kudzu vine. <She shakes her head.> Yeah. I think this is it?
Dr. Wheeler: What is 'it'?
Dr. Garrison: 'Absence'. Or at least, it feels like 'absence', feels like… like it's a part of me.
Dr. Garrison begins to walk through the hallways, staring at the floor, tracing an invisible rope, as Dr. Lillihammer and Dr. Wheeler trail behind her.
After 10 minutes of methodic traversal of Site-72U, Dr. Garrison stops in front of a doorway.
Dr. Garrison: This is it.
Dr. Wheeler: What's it?
Dr. Garrison: Who lives in this room, Dr. Wheeler?
Dr. Wheeler looks at the door. It reads, '#21'.
Dr. Wheeler: What? Nobody. This is a storage room.
Dr. Lillihammer: It is? Why is a storage room in the dormitory hallways?
Dr. Wheeler pauses.
Dr. Wheeler: I don't—
Dr. Garrison: And why would a storage room have a sign that reads 'Knock First'?
Dr. Wheeler freezes, turning to look at Dr. Garrison.
Dr. Wheeler: I didn't realize. How long have I been ignoring the—
Dr. Garrison: Hey. Don't do that. You didn't know.
Dr. Lillihammer: You couldn't know. You are not to blame. All we can do now is help out whomever we can. Whoever used to live in here. <She turns to Dr. Garrison.> Ready?
Dr. Garrison: I guess so.
Dr. Garrison scans her keycard and the door unlocks. She pulls it open; the dormitory appears as a standard Foundation-issue personnel dormitory, with unidentified personal effects strewn within. There are no identifying items within the dormitory, however, there are clothes strewn across the room, indicating that a male-presenting individual resided in this dormitory, at some point. Otherwise, the room is empty.
Dr. Garrison: <Panicking.> Do you two see that?
Neither Dr. Wheeler or Dr. Lillihammer responds.
Dr. Garrison: You don't see him? Standing right there? A person, in the fucking corner of the room?
Dr. Lillihammer: We… we don't see anybody in there babe.
Dr. Garrison: The cord, the vine — it's winding around him, wrapping tight, like a strangling snake, choking him out of existence. Fuck, what am I supposed to do here, Lillian?
Dr. Lillihammer: I… I don't know. Do we want to regroup, and fi—
Dr. Garrison: Hello? Can you hear me? <Shakes her head.> No, they're not responding. It's like they're in some kind of conceptual stasis…
Dr. Lillihammer: Can you get rid of the influence? Can you remove the vines?
Dr. Garrison: No. I can still feel 'absence'. It was weak, almost like it had forgotten about them too, but now… it's getting stronger. It's throbbing through the vines and getting tighter and tighter — god babe, I think 'absence' is coming.
Dr. Wheeler: What's going on?
Dr. Lillihammer: One second, Jordan — Heather, we need to get you out of here. Now.
Dr. Lillihammer moves to grab Dr. Garrison's hand, but is slapped away.
Dr. Garrison: No. I can't. If I leave, then 'absence' is going to come back and who knows what the fuck will happen next. They might not be here any longer, not after… No, I can't run. Hey! Hey! Hey, fuckhead! Wake up!
Dr. Lillihammer: Babe, we need to leave. Now.
Dr. Garrison: No, I'm not going to just—
Dr. Lillihammer: That's not a question, that's a—
Dr. Garrison: Lillian, I can't run away anymore. <She enters the room.> Okay, fine. If you can't hear me, I'll drag your ass back into the real world myself. <Dr. Garrison grabs towards the corner of the room.>
Interference and static cuts in through all recordings of this moment. The cause is believed to be linked to SCP-8843 or 'absence', though this is unconfirmed. When footage returns, an unknown individual stands, the front of their shirt grabbed in Dr. Garrison's fist.
Unknown Individual: Who— who are you?
Dr. Garrison: Funny. We were about to ask you the same question.
[END LOG]
Note: Following the conclusion of this recording, the unknown individual was identified as Dr. Winston Cheung-Levitt, an employee of Site-72U. This knowledge retroactively propagated throughout SCP Foundation documentation accordingly, following their redefinition into baseline reality.
DRYGIONI PROTOCOL: CONCLUSION
Following the completion of the Drygioni Protocol investigation by Dr. Garrison and Dr. Lillihammer, a determination was made regarding the validity of the original SCP-8843 documentation. As based on evidence collected during the investigation, namely, the appearance of a missing Foundation researcher that self-identified as mixed-race, it was concluded that SCP-8843 was more than a simple 'statistical anomaly', and in fact, was anomalously responsible for the active disappearance of millions of minorities around the globe.
Following this review, an updated proposal for documentation was provided by the leading researchers. It is included below:
Item #: SCP-8843
Object Class: Safe Keter
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-8843 is uncontained at this time, and cannot be contained through traditional means. SCP-8843 must be negated at a conceptual level — development of a solution is presently underway by the lead SCP-8843 Researchers, Dr. Heather Garrison and Dr. Lillian Lillihammer.
Description: SCP-8843 is an ontological anomaly existing exclusively within the Noosphere, influencing all information in human consciousness. SCP-8843 causes individuals to attempt to categorize others, as based on major groupings, stereotypes or categories. If an individual cannot be easily categorized, due to existing across multiple groupings, or due to other alternative sources of ambiguity, SCP-8843 causes that individual to 'abstract', and be imperceptible within baseline reality.
As a result, while these individuals may continue to exist for a period of time, they will inevitably conceptually destabilize, either resultant from natural ontological erosion, or Noospheric predation from entities such as 'absence'.
At present time, there is only a single method of reversing the effect of SCP-8843, that is unable to scale to save all impacted individuals. Research into negating SCP-8843, or isolating those individuals from 'absence' is the primary focus of research.
Garrison: We are going to figure this out. Even if that takes neutralizing 'absence', I won't give up until I have saved everyone I can. I won't let anybody else end up in the fate that was meant for me.
