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Semperoper
Item #: SCP-8962
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: Due to its location and prominence, SCP-8962 is to remain open for public performances. SCP-8962 is to be monitored by MTF Pi-1 ("City Slickers") to intercept and prevent sabotage of the anomaly by groups of interest. This includes background checks of all musicians and technical crew for any history with the anomalous.
If SCP-8962 is damaged or destroyed, Foundation contacts within the City Council of Dresden and the Landtag of Saxony are to publish plans for restoration and refurbishment, describing work as commencing immediately. MTF Psi-7 (“Home Improvement”), under the guise of local building contractors, will obfuscate evidence of self-repair of SCP-8962.
Description: SCP-8962 is the Semperoper opera house, located on the banks of the river Elbe in the city of Dresden, Germany. SCP-8962 is unable to be permanently damaged or destroyed, either by conventional or anomalous means. If damaged, SCP-8962 will reintegrate itself, restoring the building to its original exterior appearance over time. Based on historical evidence, this self-reconstructive action may have a retrotemporal element, with the result that SCP-8962 has existed throughout all time, including prior to its construction.
SCP-8962 has been the location of extranormal events involving groups of interest to the Foundation. Several such events have involved the destruction or attempted destruction of SCP-8962. It is speculated that SCP-8962 constitutes a nexus location, inciting or focusing anomalous activity.
History of Semperoper:
| Date | Relevant Event |
| 1838 | Gottfried Semper completes the design of SCP-8962. The building fuses Classical, Renaissance and Baroque styles, drawn from Semper's book The Four Elements of Architecture. |
| 12 April 1841 | Construction of SCP-8962 completed. The Semperoper is highly regarded across Europe for its architecture and performances. |
| 20 October 1842 | SCP-8962 hosts its first opera premiere, Rienzi by Richard Wagner. |
| 1843-1845 | SCP-8962 hosts premieres of Richard Wagner's The Flying Dutchman and Tannhäuser. |
| 3 May 1849 | Gottfried Semper joins the German republican cause and leads an uprising in Dresden. When the rebellion is overthrown by Prussian soldiers, Semper is forced to flee Dresden, never to return. |
| 21 September 1869 | SCP-8962 is destroyed by a large fire, the cause of which is unknown. |
| 2 February 1878 | SCP-8962 reopens, fully rebuilt. |
| 13 February 1945 | Allied firebombing of Dresden demolishes SCP-8962, leaving a burned-out shell. |
| 13 February 1985 | SCP-8962 reopens, fully rebuilt. |
| 16 August 2002 | SCP-8962 is severely damaged by flooding of the Elbe river. Foundation becomes aware of potential anomalous properties. |
| 9 November 2002 | SCP-8962 reopens, fully restored. Funding for the restoration comes from unspecified sources. Foundation classifies the Semperoper as SCP-8962 and assumes management of the building. |
Supplemental Materials:
WARNING - UNAUTHORISED FILE FORMATS DETECTED AMONG SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
"Foundation Personnel pursued SCP-353 to Dresden, Germany, where they determined that she had successfully contracted Marburg and redistributed said virus to [DATA EXPUNGED]. Subject was eventually subdued by physical means and taken into Foundation custody with minimal loss of life."
After-action report
1. Code Name: Operation Eagle Arrow
2. Date of Operation: 16 August 2002, 0800 hours – 1300 hours
3. Location: Semper Opera House (Grid 33UVS██████████) Dresden, Germany.
4. Task Organization: Mobile Task Force Beta-7 ("Maz Hatters") with support from two squads from MTF Pi-1 ("City Slickers"). MTF Beta-7 Commander Lehmann had operational responsibility, with oversight from European Command at Site-06-3.
5. Intelligence: The operation's target (PoI-353) was identified in 1996, when several Johannesburg hospitals reported unauthorised visitors to Ebola virus patients. Over subsequent years, further intelligence of suspicious activity by PoI-353 was received during bacterial and viral epidemics in a range of African countries.
In mid-2002, Foundation HUMINT learned that PoI-353 had arranged to sell anomalously modified viral and bacterial samples (including Marburg virus) to the Russian State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology, and were able to obtain her full description. Agents tracked PoI-353's movement from Burundi to Germany and subsequently to Dresden, with the Semperoper as the location for the exchange.
6. Concept of Operations: MTF Pi-1 Squad 1 follows the target from her hotel in Dresden to the site of the exchange. MTF Pi-1 Squad 2 and MTF Beta-7 Squads 2-4 establish a 50m perimeter, exclude civilians from the area to the extent possible and set up biohazard prevention measures.
Once PoI-353's contacts are identified, MTF Beta-7 Squad 1 apprehends the target and any contacts, and prevents the release of any bacterial or viral agents at the scene. MTF Pi-1 Squad 1 acts as support in case contacts are armed or civilian security forces attempt to intervene.
7. Execution: All aspects of the operation were severely disrupted by flooding of the Elbe River. The evacuation of major portions of Dresden made both MTFs more conspicuous, impeding close-range surveillance and shadowing. Beta-7 Squads 3 and 4 were delayed in crossing the river, and did not reach the operational location on time. Pi-1 Squad 1 requested mission abort at 0715, but was denied by Command.
The remaining MTF agents arrived at surveillance positions at 0800. Pi-1 Squad 2 posed as local emergency services, encouraging civilians to evacuate and gaining access to buildings to establish line of sight to PoI-353's hotel. The target was observed within the hotel, packing a small bag.
At 0946, PoI-353 left the hotel, carrying the bag, and walked in the direction of the Semperoper. MTF squads employed standard urban tailing methods, with Pi-1 Squad 2 moving ahead to clear civilians where possible. Full biohazard countermeasures were not established, due to continuing delays to Beta-7 Squads 3 and 4.
At 1014, PoI-353 arrived at Theaterplatz on the banks of the Elbe. The area was partially flooded, with water at ankle height. With the evacuations leading to few civilians in the area, MTF agents held position at the perimeter of the plaza to avoid detection. PoI-353 waited outside the main entrance to the Semperoper.
At 1034, two men (Target W and Target X) entered Theaterplatz from the North-West corner and approached PoI-353. Target W was identified as an operative for GRU-P, and Target X is suspected of being a member of the Russian State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology. The men spoke briefly with PoI-353, but due to Pi-1's revised location, the conversation was not captured on surveillance equipment. After approximately 3 minutes, PoI-353 handed her bag to Target X.
Pi-1 Squad Leader ordered agents to move in. Due to the MTF's removed position and the absence of civilian cover, Target X detected the agents as they entered the square, and alerted Target W.
Target W opened fire with an anomalous projectile weapon, and Pi-1 Squad 1 and Beta-7 Squad 1 retreated to cover. Target X took the bag and ran towards the Western side of the square. PoI-353 spat into the water in the plaza, then entered the Semperoper.
After approximately 2 minutes of sustained fire, Target W was shot and killed by agents from Pi-1 Squad 2. A detachment of agents from Beta-7 Squad 2 pursued Target X, but was unable to locate the target.
Beta-7 Squad 1 followed PoI-353 into the partially flooded Semperoper. As the team spread out to search, Agent Radbruch was assaulted by PoI-353, who kissed the agent several times on the mouth and face before fleeing. Agent Radbruch reported sudden blindness and pain in the extremities. Agent Spencer discovered Agent Radbruch in the course of an aneurysm that led to her death on the scene. Remaining Beta-7 agents were advised to approach PoI-353 with caution.
Pi-1 squads in outside the Semperoper reported rapid symptoms of illness, including eczema, skin ulcers, disorientation and faintness. Beta-7 Squad 3, arriving at the scene, identified skin contact with local water as the likely cause, and removed all affected agents to dry ground. Beta-7 agents attempted to contain the water within the plaza, rendering them unable to support Beta-7 Squad 1 within the Semperoper.
PoI-353 threw blood towards the pursuing agents, who delayed action to equip their SCBA devices. During this time, PoI-353 appeared to drink rapidly from the floodwater. As the agents proceeded forward, PoI-353 announced a plan to infect all of the flood waters with an anomalous form of cholera, with the aim of causing significant civilian casualties.
At this time, Beta-7 agents within the Semperoper reported the sound of a loud bell (not heard outside the building). The floodwaters within the foyer spontaneously retreated, leaving PoI-353 without access to drinking water and unable to disperse anomalous bacteria. PoI-353 exhibited symptoms of extreme dehydration and began to suffer a seizure. Agents proceeded to physically restrain PoI-353, containing her within a Hazmat suit for transport and proceeding to Extraction Point Delta.
8. Results: Initial operational parameters were not achieved. PoI-353 was successful in distributing unknown materials (presumed to be an anomalous variant of Marburg virus) to agents of the Russian government. The capture and containment of PoI-353 was achieved, but at the cost of 17 casualties, including one MTF agent and one hostile KIA.
Agent Radbruch was found to have been killed by an anomalous form of Treponema pallidum causing sudden-onset tertiary syphilis. The waters in Theaterplatz tested positive for a highly-transmissible and aggressive variant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PoI-353's blood was found to contain virulent Streptococcus pyogenes, and her digestive system a previously-unknown form of Vibrio cholerae. All anomalous microorganisms were successfully contained at the scene.
MTF Beta-7's ability to contain the threat of anomalous disease was significantly aided by PoI-353's inability to spread the anomalous cholera strain to the civilian population. This was possible only through the spontaneous ebbing of floodwaters within the Semperoper foyer, an occurrence which has not adequately been explained. Investigations are ongoing.
