SCP-9100

Junior Researcher Vo struggles with a life-stealing anomaly, hostile bureaucracy, and her own conscience in this decade-spanning psychological thriller.

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    Author: Jezixo

    Preview: Junior Researcher Vo struggles with a life-stealing anomaly, hostile bureaucracy, and her own conscience in this decade-spanning psychological thriller.

    ⚠️ Content warning: strong language, time anxiety, mentions of a plane crash, self harm, suicide, trauma, mental illness, memory loss, regret, medical investigations, and implied (non-graphic depictions of) torture.

    rating: +414+–x
⚠️ content warning

Audit: A12.86.2026

User: AU-350

Greetings, auditor.

The committee requests you determine how actions at the Minor Anomalies Unit at Site-86 led to the expenditure of $890 million in Foundation emergency funds and $1.9 billion in estimated losses.

Relevant documents and events have been collected for your review.

Kindly submit your recommendations at least 24 hours prior to the A12 hearing.

2/9100 LEVEL 2/9100
CLASSIFIED
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Item #: SCP-9100
pending
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Akron, OH.

Special Containment Procedures

SCP-9100 is the subject of an ongoing investigation. Field operatives will monitor local news, social media, and assisted living facilities in Akron, propagating a cover story attributing all symptoms to age-related cognitive decline and/or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Description

SCP-9100 is an anomaly speculated to account for rapid mental health decline in a subset of the Akron, OH population immediately following the 2014 Akron mid-air disaster. Affected individuals, primarily senior citizens, become convinced they have "skipped" several decades of their life, with no memory of the intervening years.

  • The duration of missing time varies between subjects, averaging 35 years.
  • The whereabouts of every subject during the relevant time periods are accounted for.
  • With prompting, subjects are eventually able to recall the missing memories, albeit with a lower fidelity commonly described as a “dream”.
  • Most subjects express dissociation from their own appearance, with deprecating comments about the state of their hands, skin, or teeth.
  • Subjects affected by SCP-9100 exhibit a drastically increased likelihood of compounding comorbid mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal tendencies.

Discovery

On 3.1.2014, a Boeing 737-200 collided mid-air with a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 ascending from Akron-Fulton Airport. The 737 crashed in East Akron and the MD-80 in Goodyear Heights, killing all 112 aboard the two aircraft and 29 people on the ground. Scattered wreckage from the two planes set fire to several buildings and caused significant property damage.

During cleanup operations, Foundation personnel embedded with first responders became aware of a developing rumor that older members of the population had been unusually affected by the disaster. The extreme similarity of reported symptoms suggested anomalous phenomena.

28 Persons of Interest (PoI) have been identified with complaints matching the description of SCP-9100. All PoI were personally affected by the air crash, either by witnessing the event, suffering property loss, losing family members, or being directly injured by falling debris and resultant fires. SCP-9100-related complaints started immediately after these stressors occurred. Support networks (friends/family/caregivers) commonly reported this change as a sudden and unexplained shift in personality.

As SCP-9100 is presumed to pose a low risk to the public, it was assigned to the Minor Anomalies Unit at Site-86 in Medina County, OH.

Research Updates

4.2.2014: Site–86 initiated an investigation to identify SCP-9100’s cause and mechanisms of action, and if possible, develop a means to treat affected individuals or protect the public from future occurences.

[+2 DAYS]

4.4.2014: Head of Research Dr. Stuart Finlay was assigned by Site Director Harry Talbot. This was Finlay’s first case at Site–86 following his transfer from Site–210 in Dover, UK.

  • To assist in the investigation, Finlay requisitioned a seven-person team of statistics and parapsychology experts.
  • Finlay was assigned Junior Researcher Dr. Marissa Vo.

[+5 DAYS]

4.9.2014 – Interview 12 of 28 – Rhonda Barnes (PoI-12)

FACILITATORS: Drs Finlay and Vo

SUBJECT: Rhonda Barnes (76 y/o)

<Excerpt begins>

Barnes: I dropped my fork.

Vo: I’m sorry?

Barnes: My fork fell under the table, and I bent over to pick it up. That’s when it happened – that must have caused it, somehow.

Vo: Maybe we can start at the beginning, what–

Barnes: [Interrupting] We were at dinner. A friend's house – Owen Parsons – for dinner. It was Andy – my husband, and Owen, and Lauren – that’s Owen’s wife – and his kids…

Vo: [Interrupting] That’s okay ma’am, we don’t need everyone’s names. Just tell us what happened.

Barnes: We finished dinner, and we were talking about… football. I dropped my fork, I bent over to pick it up, and when I looked up there was a man, in a nurse uniform, in front of me. He was explaining that my husband had died. I thought, “that's not possible, he’s sitting right here.” And I looked around and realized I wasn't at dinner anymore. I was here.

[Subject gestures around the room.]

Barnes: I asked where I was, and they said this was… well I don’t remember what they called it, but it’s a nursing home, isn't it? They tried to tell me I'd been here a while.

Vo: Yes, we were told you’ve been at Sunrise Crossing for a few years. But you’re saying that, for you, this change was instantaneous?

Barnes: Instantaneous. That's a good word for it. Yes. Like… walking through a door.

Vo: Ma'am, I’d like you to think carefully for a moment – do you remember anything, between grabbing the fork and waking up here?

Barnes: No. I…

[Silence on recording.]

Barnes: Well, there is something. It was a dream. Some… long, complicated dream and there were… faces.

[Silence on recording, lasting over a minute. Indistinct conversations are audible from the corridor outside.]

Barnes: I suppose I do remember… people. That nurse, I remember him from my dream. So… what, I’ve been asleep, this whole time?

Vo: That’s what we hope to find out, Mrs. Barnes.

Barnes: And then you’ll fix it?

Vo: Well, we–

Barnes: [Interrupting] You have to. You can't leave me here. Look, this is all wrong– we only just moved in. Andy's going to paint the nursery… I can't be old already, it's not– well it isn't fair. I have to go back. How can I get back?

<Excerpt ends>

[+1 WEEK]

4.14.2014 – Voice Memo – Dr. Stuart Finlay

Finlay: I request a team of stats and parapsych, and Talbot gives me one – junior – researcher. Marissa Vo, practically an intern.

Ha. All these years, and Talbot's still pissed. Nursing his wrath to keep it warm, and all that. Well. He's the one who fucked up – I just found it. It's his own fault they buried him here.

Site-86. Minor anomalies. The knackers yard.

Put myself here now, I suppose. Making trouble, as per. Well, teach me for giving a fuck.

Course, they always make out like it's a promotion. “In light of your years of stalwart service, you have been reassigned… to the middle of fucking nowhere."

But what are the chances I should land in the same shitheap as Talbot? He was fair beaming at the door when I arrived, still the same black dye-job and Buddy Holly glasses. Aye, no doubt that toffee-nosed git had something to do with it.

Here's the thing though – Vo is quality.

First thing she says – "How come they call you Wee Rasputin?" Pure gallus1.

I told her it's on account of my shaggy beard and short stature.

Instincts are sound, though. Fourteen interviews in one week, and she led half of them – knows when to push, when to hush. Carries a wee notepad everywhere – good sign.

And she listens. Not just to them, but to me. Doesnae care for my language, but she doesnae moan about it either. Asks my advice, says she wants to be like me one day. Fuck's sake.

Vo: [Distant] Sorry Doctor – did you call me over?

Finlay: Oh, eh – no that's alright there, Vo. All good for now. Back to it.

Vo: [Distant] Will do.

[Silence.]

Finlay: [Whispered] She wants to get into Parapsych, and they stuck her in the dump with us. This case will do her good though – fine chance to earn her stripes, do some proper science and help people who need it – that's what we're about.

Talbot didn't have a clue when he sent her to me – his kind of sick joke. Well, the jokes on you Talbot, you fucking bawbag2.

[+1 WEEK]

4.23.2014 – Study – Biographical Review of Persons of Interest

METHODOLOGY: Retrospective longitudinal study of 28 subjects, noting each subject’s “onset date”: the last day they could clearly remember before experiencing an apparent time skip and “waking up” in 2014.

KEY RESULTS: Life histories varied widely, but following their onset date all subjects led average, unremarkable lives with no distinguishing successes:

  • Despite decades of employment, all subjects uniformly failed to achieve positions of significant responsibility or authority, nor did they achieve distinction in any particular field.
  • Performance reviews (where available) frequently contained descriptors signifying compliance, punctuality, and/or inconspicuousness.
  • Subjects scored within 3 points of the 50th percentile on standardized tests taken after their onset dates (where available), including:
    • Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)
    • Aptitude Testing (ASVAB, DOT)
    • Military performance (DD214)
    • SAT, ACT, GED scores
    • Presidential Fitness Test
  • The events surrounding the 2014 mid-air disaster constituted the first significantly traumatic event any of the subjects had experienced since their onset date.

Looking at the lives of 28 people, what stands out is how little they stood out. Average in every way. About what you'd expect of someone stuck in a daydream, away with the faeries. But their friends and family didn't notice anything strange, so whatever this thing is, it's subtle.

–F

[+2 DAYS]

4.25.2014: Vo completed an archival review, identifying several historical cases matching the description of SCP-9100:

  • On May 15, 1916, William Zachery survived the collapse of the Crystal Restaurant in downton Akron, but was later hospitalized with psychatric concerns. Doctor’s notes remarked: "Patient exhibits confusional state, believing it to be the year 1874, despite no prior history of mental disturbance".
  • On April 11, 1965, after an F4 tornado struck Pittsfield, OH, four people were admitted to psychiatric care with symptoms matching SCP-9100. One of these, Adrianne Sunderland, was the granddaughter of William Zachery.
  • On February 18, 1991, a story in The Akron Beacon Journal reported that suicide rates among Akron’s senior population were roughly 10x the national average.

[+3 DAYS]

4.28.2014: Finlay and Vo hypothesized that the Persons of Interest had been under the influence of an as-yet unknown anomaly for most of their lives, and that psychological stress (a collapsing building, tornado, and events surrounding the air crash) had somehow released them.

  • The revised research objective was to identify and study a member of the public who was still under this influence (speculatively designated SCP-9100-A), if such a person existed.

[+5 DAYS]

5.3.2014 – Voice Memo – Dr. Stuart Finlay

Finlay: Vo broke yesterday. The last PoI interview – old lady, Samantha Morris – it got under her skin.

She tried to hide it, but she'd stopped taking notes, hands were shaking. Soon as the interview's over, she belts it to the ladies room. Comes out half an hour later, barely keeping it together. She was pissed about it, angry at herself and all.

She’ll be fine.

It's my mistake. Too many interviews at once for a case like this. When you’re starting out, they get to you… till one day, they don't.

Turns out she's a rescue3, too – it's harder for them.

Sent her to counseling. She tried to act tough and turn it down, said she wants to be like me, the “old robot”. Ha!

I was like, "how d’you think I survived thirty years? You take the fucking counseling. You get your shit straight, then you come back and do the work right, and never let it become personal."

We’ll never solve a thing if we let our feelings run away with us.

She seemed to get it. She's canny, though she's a bairn.4

Here's the thing, though – she closed out the interview all proper, first. Said thank you to Mrs. Morris, collected her notes, packed up the gear, and waited till she was out of sight before she lost her shit.

The kid's fucking phenomenal.

[+1 WEEK]

[+2 DAYS]

5.12.2014: Site Director Talbot changed the research status of SCP-9100 to CLOSED–UNEXPLAINED.

  • Vo was allocated as a permanent member of Finlay’s team, and both continued to work other active investigations at Site–86.

[+5 MONTHS]

10.17.2014: Finlay and Vo attended an off-site seminar on low-grade spectral anomalies led by Dr. Eckhart.

  • Finlay covered Vo's expenses with his own professional development allowance, as Vo had already exhausted hers.
  • The seminar described a novel method of paraspectrography capable of detecting extremely weak spectral entities, such as those encountered by Eckhart’s team at the Bøgebakken burial site in Vedbaek, Denmark.

[+3 MONTHS]

1.19.2015 – Voice Memo – Dr. Stuart Finlay

Finlay: Vo finally took some holidays. Thought she'd find a beach somewhere.

More fool me – she didnae leave the site. Found her in the archives looking for something on SCP-9100. Cannae let it go.

It’s no enough she's dragging me to every class she can find. Dinnae think I needed a refresher on Atypical Demonic Resonance Manifestations, but here we are. She's been on about that Samantha Morris again, and all.

I said she should focus on some easy cases, show off a bit and get in with Talbot or whoever till she can make Principal and get the fuck out of here.5

But she's just like I was. She doesnae stand a chance.

Still, now she's back on duty I'm giving her some time to look into it – I’ll handle her casework. Told her, if it were me, I’d go over the files again with all we know. Old data, new eyes, new story.

She's going to– [turning away] hold it, what's that?

Vo: [Distant] The requisition form, for surveillance?

Finlay: No no, those come out of site funds – I wouldnae wipe my arse with them – use these.

[Rustling of papers]

Vo: [Distant] The red ones? These are for imminent containment breaches.

Finlay: Aye, well, they never check that kind of thing. Breach reqs come out of the global budget – Talbot won't give two shits. Everything goes on red nowadays.

Note to the auditor: Utilizing breach requisitions in this way is not standard procedure.

[+2 WEEKS]

2.2.2015 – Study – Retrospective Review

OBJECTIVE: Identify one or more instances of SCP-9100-A.

METHODOLOGY: Review of existing case data.

KEY RESULTS: Relevant information surfaced:

  • SCP-9100 has existed since at least 1874, and no cases have been identified outside of Ohio;
  • At least two subjects contaminated with SCP-9100 were related, but most were not;
  • Every PoI identified a specific onset date – none were born with the condition, and onset dates were not correlated with any specific age;
  • Every subject recalled their moment of onset clearly – the only consistent detail between the described scenes was the presence of at least one other person.

HYPOTHESIS: SCP-9100 is transmitted virally between humans by unknown means; each moment of onset marked the instant SCP-9100 was transmitted to the subject.

REVISED OBJECTIVE: Locate all still-living persons named in PoI testimony; confirm via surveillance if they exhibit unusual behavior suggestive of SCP-9100.

KEY RESULTS:

  • 50 individuals were named in the testimony of the 29 PoIs;
  • 12 of these are still living and were surveilled;
  • 1 individual, Owen Parsons (age 65), was observed to exhibit abnormally consistent behavior:
    • Parsons walked from his private residence in Highland Square to a local bakery, departing at 9:14am and arriving at exactly 9:59am every morning for at least 5 days.

2.2.2015: Acting on Vo’s research, Finlay signed an emergency breach requisition to temporarily detain Parsons and conduct a detailed examination.

Note to the auditor: Evidence indicates that Finlay, in order to conceal this requisition, temporarily misappropriated Site Director Talbot’s authorization seal, which should have been stored securely in the Director’s office.

  • To mitigate the risk of decontaminating Parsons (i.e., breaking the influence of SCP-9100) before an examination could be conducted, Finlay determined he must be contained in a minimally stressful manner.
  • Finlay stipulated in the requisition that he and Vo would collect Parsons rather than field agents, overriding standard protocol. His documented rationale was "so they don't balls it up".
  • Compliance pharmaceuticals have a deleterious effect on cognition and performance, and were thus unsuitable.
  • Finlay and Vo reviewed surveillance data to identify potential leverage.

[+2 DAYS]

2.4.2015: Finlay and Vo arrived at Parsons’ residence posing as employees of National Geographic, to which Parsons had a subscription.

  • They informed Parsons he had won a subscriber contest granting an opportunity to travel with NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, provided he successfully clear a battery of physical and mental tests. A selection of fabricated proofs were provided.
  • Parsons was elated and spoke, unprompted and at length, about his interest in space travel before willingly accompanying the researchers back to Site-86.
2.4.2015 – Experiment – Examination of Owen Parsons (PoI 30)

OBJECTIVE: Determine if PoI 30 has anomalous characteristics.

METHODOLOGY: Comprehensive examination consisting of physical, psychological/behavioral testing, parascientific and occult screening.

KEY RESULTS:

Physical Evaluation

  • Standard workup, incl. blood panel and neuroimaging (fMRI, MEG) was unremarkable.
  • Anomaly screening (CRI, LOCI, Paraspectrography and Blood Dowsing) was unremarkable.

Psychological/Behavioral Evalation

  • Subject scored slightly above average (p₅₂) on standardized aptitude and intelligence tests, with a low Cognitive Resistance Value (0.5).
  • Subject displayed improbable consistency in test responses (WAIS-R, WCST, IGT, CANTAB), repeatedly achieving the same score where baseline subjects would fluctuate or show practice/fatigue effects.
  • Gait analysis, balance testing and fine motor skill testing also showed improbable consistency.
  • Subject’s mensemic index6 was very low (15), indicative of underdeveloped consciousness or deep sleep.
  • Subject scored very low (9) in the FA12–B Individual Initiative Test, a score typically seen only after the administration of compliance pharmaceuticals.

Conclusion
Subject exhibits statistically improbable consistency in performance; no other positive markers of anomalous phenomena were detected.

All this National Geographic shite was overkill. His initiative score was through the floor – he’d jump off a cliff if we asked nicely.

His metrics are unnatural, but we can't figure out what's causing it. Vo's got some ideas though.

-F

[+1 DAY]

2.5.2015 – Experiment – Paraspectrography of Owen Parsons

OBJECTIVE: Determine if SCP-9100 phenomena is attributable to low-grade spectral possession.

METHODOLOGY: Paraspectrographic (PSG) imaging utilizing the Eckhart-Mendel method.

KEY RESULTS:

scpbrain.jpg

EMPSG of Owen Parsons

  • EMPSG imaging of Parson’s brain revealed the presence of extremely faint spectral activity overlaid on Parson’s natural brain activity.
  • The spectral activity patterns were consistent with human consciousness, which is typical in cases of possession by human spectres.
  • SCP-9100 was thus determined to be a low-grade spectral entity. No explanation has yet been determined for the atypical behavior pattern of these spectres.
  • Based on these results, Owen Parsons was redesignated SCP–9100-A1.

Gotcha, you bugger. Here's what's making folks supernaturally average. They’re being haunted, by… the most boring ghosts in history, possessing people so they can do fuck all. This'll be a first.

But we've no budget to do more – Talbot'd shit a brick if he knew Parsons was even in the lab. We'll let him go and keep an eye on it.

-F

2.5.2015: Owen Parsons was amnesticized7 and returned to his residence, under periodic surveillance.

[+1 MONTH]

[+1 WEEK]

3.10.2015: Site Director Talbot began a series of 1:1 mentorship sessions with Vo, with the stated goal of providing Vo supplementary knowledge related to Parapsychology and behavioral anomalies, to accelerate her ambitions of securing a position in that department.

[+6 DAYS]

3.16.2015: Site Director Talbot updated the status of the SCP-9100 investigation to UNEXPLAINED–OPEN.

  • Additional funding and personnel were allocated to Finlay’s team for the investigation of the anomaly, including Principal Researcher Dr. Daniel Bakaluba.
  • Motion 1066-86-A, filed by Site Director Talbot and co-signed by Finlay, was approved. This motion allowed for the investigation of SCP-9100 to remain at Site-86 for further study.
3.16.2015 – Voice Memo – Dr. Stuart Finlay

Finlay: Talbot’s changed his tune. Yesterday he wanted it off his books, today he wants to keep it.

He must have some angle. Just as well – least this way we can be sure the work is done right.

Finally got a real team though, and we're off to the races after god-knows-how-long. We've half a chance of finding a cure and actually helping people. Shocker.

Bakaluba’s good shit – worked a few cases with him last year. But it was Vo's work that got us here. I'll see she gets her due.

I'm updating the docs… until we know how this thing spreads, we’ll call it Keter.8

Next up is field testing so we can get eyes on it. Then we'll test transmission. We'll be needing some D-Class9 for that… and fuck if they’re not a pain in the arse to work with. Cheeky buggers, never do what they’re told.

[+1 DAY]

3.17.2015: Site Director Talbot became aware that Finlay had been improperly utilizing breach requisitions to conduct unauthorized research on SCP-9100.

  • Finlay was issued an Administrative Reprimand for his failure to follow proper procedures, in addition to three minor charges related to his failure to disclose research activities.
  • Talbot did not report that his authorization seal had been compromised; as such, Finlay was not disciplined for that offense.

[+3 DAYS]

3.20.2015: For her work on SCP-9100, Vo received a commendation and promotion to Senior Researcher.

[+1 DAY]

3.21.2015: Vo opted to discontinue the 1:1 mentorship sessions with Site Director Talbot.

[+1 MONTH]

4.22.2015: Finlay's team led a study of the Akron population utilizing EMPSG imaging devices.

  • Devices were installed in ATMs, supermarket self-service checkout machines, and the drive-through menus of various fast-food establishments in the Akron Metropolitan Area.
  • 830 cases of SCP-9100 were positively identified. An additional 712 likely cases were detected, but could not be positively confirmed due to image clarity issues, bringing the total suspected prevalence to 1,542.
  • 14 individuals contaminated with SCP-9100 (SCP–9100–A2 through A15) were contained in the Keter-class holding facilities at Site–86 for further study.
  • Amnestics and tranquilizing agents, combined with careful selection of research candidates, effectively mitigated the risk of accidentally decontaminating subjects during containment.
  • The remaining extant SCP-9100-A instances in the general population were assigned periodic remote surveillance.

[+2 MONTHS]

6.22.2015 – Experiment – SCP-9100 Transmission

OBJECTIVE: Observe transmission of SCP-9100; determine criteria

METHODOLOGY: SCP-9100-A instances were situated in a testing chamber with a member of D-Class personnel. Participants were instructed to perform various tasks, such as modifying posture or gaze, remaining silent or speaking freely.

EMPSG imaging was used to determine whether transmission had occurred.

RESULTS: Across 117 tests, transmission was observed 9 times, after which both the original host and target individual were contaminated with SCP-9100.

In all observed transmissions:

  • The originating host had been contaminated for at least 5 years (maximum recorded was 8);
    • This suggests SCP-9100 has a “gestation period” before it becomes transmissible.
  • The recipient host was not paying attention;
    • Brain imaging indicates activation of the default mode network, which is associated with mind-wandering or daydreaming.
  • Participants made eye contact.

There are no identifiable visual or auditory clues to indicate that transmission has occurred; only EMPSG imaging can detect SCP-9100.

Three months and barely any useful data. The D-Class were a mess, and the facilities are crap – we've still fuck-all budget for testing.

Bakaluba's new folks are fumbling too. Had to do half of it myself.

Still, we know enough to write something down.

-F

DMN.jpg

The default mode network.

6.22.2015: Finlay formalized a procedure, designated 9100-DOVER, to create new instances of SCP-9100-A where necessary. This procedure enabled a ready supply of subjects for testing.

  • Site Director Talbot subsequently redesignated this procedure 9100-TAPS.

[+5 DAYS]

6.27.2015: Site Director Talbot established Project-DAYDREAM, a Level-4 classified initiative.

  • The announcement memoranda for Project-DAYDREAM was leaked to Site-86 staff by an unknown source, and the classification was subsequently reduced to Level-2.

Note to the auditor: Collected evidence indicates the source of the leak was Dr. Finlay.

[+2 DAYS]

6.29.2015 – Memorandum – Project-DAYDREAM

From: Site Dir. Harold Talbot
To: Site-86 Research Staff

Colleagues,

After a thorough review of the available data on SCP-9100, I have established Project-DAYDREAM: the development of a revolutionary human resource management tool, and a true paradigm shift for Foundation operations.

In short, SCP-9100 presents an unprecendented opportunity to address chronic inefficiencies with our D-Class program and other unskilled support staff.

DAYDREAM will transform our approach to behavior and performance and, thanks to the reduced fidelity of recovered memories, lessen our reliance on amnestics for information security.

Imagine a Foundation without workplace conflicts, violent incidents, or escape attempts, with unwavering adherence to the protocols and procedures that keep us all safe.

Now, let us build it together.

The road ahead won’t be easy. We have much to learn: we must define reliable decontamination procedures, and we must learn how to control the transmission of SCP-9100.

Senior leadership shares our excitement for this project, and new funding has been made available. We will spare no expense.

Above all, know this: Site-86 will be remembered as the site that ushered in a new era – a new Foundation, freed at last from the foibles of human error.

Harry Talbot

6.29.2015 – Voice Memo – Dr. Stuart Finlay

Finlay: Ta-da! Talbot kept SCP-9100 here for his new pet project. Merry Christmas.

He’s off his fucking head. He wants to play with it, but we still dinnae ken how the fuck it works. The ghost theory's swiss cheese – why are the ghosts so weak? How are they still strong enough to possess anyone? And how the fuck are “ghosts” reproducing?

We'll never solve the bloody thing at this rate.

Vo was fair scunnered10 when she saw the memo. Said she couldn't see how DAYDREAM would help – well aye, no shit. But she's going along with it for now. Why? Well, apparently Talbot assured her – assured her – that he'd pay to decontaminate the public after DAYDREAM goes live.

She cannae see through his bullshit yet. Still thinks he's the boss for a reason. But he's all fur coat and nae knickers.11

He just wants a shiny project to slap his name on. Get a wee pat on the back, maybe nab a SCODA12.

Then he can claw his way back to the good books, and out of this hole he stuck himself in.

Well I'm in this hole too, Talbot. You're not about to fuck up the work just to get your name in lights.

[+2 DAYS]

7.1.2015: Finlay’s objections to DAYDREAM were recorded at an O4 council hearing.

  • Finlay highlighted the elevated risk profile of utilizing a Keter-class SCP for a novel research project, noting that a reliable method of containment had not yet been found.
  • Finlay was subsequently reprimanded for the unprofessional tenor and personal nature of his remarks.
  • Nevertheless, the O4 council voted to pause DAYDREAM, citing SCP-9100’s Keter object class.

[+2 WEEKS]

7.17.2015: The Northeastern Classification Board voted 6-3 in favor of reclassifying SCP-9100 from Keter to Euclid, as the transmission vector for SCP-9100 was fully understood.

  • Finlay’s inquiries after the fact revealed that some information from the SCP-9100 file, notably the experiments on transmission criteria, had been omitted from the hearing due to a clerical error.

[+2 DAYS]

7.19.2015 – Voice Memo – Dr. Stuart Finlay

Finlay: Clerical error, clerical error. Is this a professional org or a fucking clown car?

It's always the same, he’s not subtle. He was all smiles at the hearing.

Fact that he still has a job, let alone Site Director… there’s your clerical error.

[+1 DAY]

7.20.2015: DAYDREAM was re-initiated, as the concern around the Keter classification had been resolved.

  • Finlay immediately submitted Form-ECB01 to request an expedited re-classification hearing, under his authority as Head of Research.

[+1 WEEK]

7.27.2015: At a departmental update meeting, Talbot announced that the instances of SCP-9100-A would be relocated from Site-86’s Keter containment facilities to the lower-security Euclid facilities.

  • Finlay’s strong objections on this matter were again recorded.

[+6 DAYS]

8.2.2015: While the transfer of SCP-9100-A instances was underway, Finlay made a series of unprofessional comments, and took actions unbecoming of senior leadership, in an apparent attempt to prevent the transfer from occurring. He was detained by a security officer while the transfer was completed.

  • Finlay was reprimanded for his actions. Owing to the severity of the offence, and his prior reprimands, Finlay was stripped of his title as Head of Research, and returned to the role of Principal Researcher.
  • Daniel Bakaluba, who previously reported to Finlay, was named as the new Head of Research for SCP-9100.

[+1 DAY]

8.3.2015: The expedited re-classification hearing Finlay had requested was cancelled, as Finlay no longer held the authority as Head of Research to request it.

8.3.2015 – Voice Memo – Dr. Stuart Finlay

Finlay: Still here. Cracker of a week I’m having, though.

Talbot’s obsessed with DAYDREAM, with nary a fuck what the data says. Tunnel vision – what happens when you get attached, when you make it personal. He can carry his grudge long as he likes – I don't work that way. It's aye about the work for me.

Vo heard about my wee wrist slap. Stormed in, pure radge13, like she was gonnae malky14 Talbot then and there. Never seen her like that. Said she'd fight him, fight DAYDREAM.

I says, "no you willnae. Talbot’s had it out for me since Dover, dinnae get pulled into our shite. You don't owe me a thing."

Then she goes all quiet, says she’s got to "confess" – like she’d murdered my fucking dog, right dramatic and all – and says it was her that told Talbot about the breach reqs, about Parsons… says she didn't know he'd use it against me, and she was sorry.

I was like that – “Aye, so what?”

The look on her face – pure gobsmacked.

I says, "good on you. You played the game, you got Talbot to give a shit, and you got a promotion. I'm chuffed with that. Fuck does it matter what happens to me?"

Then she goes, “I’ll no let you down again – promise.”

Still didnae get it.

"Mind your career," I says, "Aye we get along but we're colleagues, you know? You want tae go help people, you need influence, you need power. You've no time for that Hallmark shite."

I just– it's not her fault they stuck her in the bin with us fossils. But I'm not her fucking– I cannae be the…

She can't get stuck here. It's a fucking waste.

But then, after a bit, she says, "what if we use the cash from DAYDREAM to research and solve this thing? You know, do some real work by accident?"

Now you're talking, I says.

[+2 DAYS]

8.5.2015: DAYDREAM research commenced in the Site-86 Euclid containment facility, under reduced security protocols. The primary research objective was to identify an effective and reliable method of decontamination, under the designation Procedure 9100-NAPEAGUE.

[+2 MONTHS]

10.5.2015 – Experiment – NAPEAGUE #6

OBJECTIVE: Identify novel methods of decontamination as an alternative to psychological stress.

METHODOLOGY: Subjects were educated on mindfulness meditation techniques, and instructed to meditate for periods lasting up to 12 hours, with the goal of raising their awareness.

KEY RESULTS: All subjects reported restlessness and impatience.

No effect on SCP-9100.

It was worth a shot. But ghosts aren't so easy to shake.

– F

[+1 WEEK]

10.12.2015 – Experiment – NAPEAGUE #14

OBJECTIVE: Identify alternate decontamination methods.

METHODOLOGY: Occult exorcism rituals (Procedures RED-PYRAMID and ASHLANE) were performed to expel the occupying spectral entity. The Pennsylvania Agricultural Center contributed a suitable goat.

KEY RESULTS: 4 subjects vomited and 1 lost consciousness, but this was likely due to the nature of the ritual. Spectral distortions unrelated to SCP-9100 manifested in the test chamber and required intervention from the operations cleanup team.

No effect on SCP-9100.

Security Footage – Site-86/Research Wing/Courtyard

<Excerpt begins>

[Vo slams open the fire exit and walks into the center of the courtyard. The sleeves of her lab coat are rolled, and her hands are coated in blood up to her elbows. She stands for a moment, breathing heavily.]

[Finlay emerges from the fire exit and follows to stand beside Vo. His hands and forearms are similarly coated with blood.]

[Vo does not acknowledge him, but retrieves a notebook from her pocket and begins to write. Her hands are visibly shaking, and the notebook becomes smeared with blood.]

[Finlay retrieves a tin from his coat pocket and removes a lighter and what appears to be a hand-rolled cigarette. He lights it and silently offers it to Vo.]

[The pen slips from Vo's hand and lands on the ground. She looks over to Finlay, and down at his outstretched hand, before turning back to stare at the ground.]

Vo: I don't smoke… and neither do you.

Finlay: Aye, well. "Ceci n'est pas une cigarette."

[Finlay inhales, and matches Vo's gaze to stare at the far wall. Neither party moves or speaks for several minutes.]

Finlay: Long time ago, you asked why they call me "Wee Rasputin". I wasnae entirely honest.

[Vo does not react.]

Finlay: I survived… things I probably shouldn't have. Doesnae matter what, now. But I kept going, anyway. Did my job. You tell yourself, “I’m no here, this isnae happening”, you know? And then you do whatever you’ve got to.

[Vo does not react. After a few minutes, Finlay looks over to Vo, and hesitates before patting her once on the back. He turns and leaves. A red handprint is visible on Vo's lab coat.]

<End excerpt>

[+3 WEEKS]

11.4.2015: Having failed to identify alternative decontamination approaches, the team's focus shifted to identifying effective, reliable and repeatable methods of inducing psychological stress in instances of SCP-9100-A.

[+5 MONTHS]

4.4.2016: Vo drafted an email to the Site-86 research team:

The email was never sent. Vo retained the draft, however, and surrendered it during discovery for the A12 Audit.

[+2 DAYS]

4.6.2016: Vo accepted Finlay’s referral to Foundation counseling, attending for the second time.

[+2 MONTHS]

6.9.2016 – Experiment – Seance

OBJECTIVE: Communicate directly with an instance of SCP-9100 and ascertain its terminal narrative15.

METHODOLOGY: An occult seance (Procedure 128–ENDOR) was conducted individually with 5 instances of SCP-9100-A.

KEY RESULTS: Failure to make contact. Revised hypothesis is that the spectral entity responsible for SCP-9100 is too weak to communicate coherently.

Vo has a theory for why the spectre is too weak to talk. Thinks these are the ghosts of sick children who died dreaming of a normal life… and this is their idea of what a normal life looks like.

So, consumptive Victorian bairns taking our brains for a joy ride?

Well. It would explain the low-intensity signal – undeveloped consciousness, more prone to degradation. And it would explain where these extra ghosts are coming from. "Synergistic terminal narratives" – something she picked up from Eckhart. When ghosts – when spectres – find a haunting pattern they like, it attracts others with the same narrative. So our joyriding Victorian kiddos are calling in their friends.

I'll buy it, if the data supports it. But I warned her against getting too attached. Can’t develop pet theories. Or you end up like Talbot.

–F

[+4 DAYS]

6.13.2016 – Experiment – Trigger Word Response

HYPOTHESIS: While SCP-9100 entities are too weak to communicate, they will still exhibit a measurable response to key phrases.

METHODOLOGY: SCP-9100-A instances were monitored via EMPSG. Non-anomalous biometrics, including brain activity, were also measured. A set of 250 potential trigger words were spoken aloud to determine if spectral activity spiked on any of the words.

Security Footage – Site-86/Research Wing/Test Chamber C

<Excerpt begins>

[SCP-9100-A30 is lying in the imaging chamber. Per containment protocol, they are blindfolded to prevent SCP-9100 transmission. Finlay stands two feet away, reading from a clipboard.]

SCP-9100-A30: So do I need to answer some questions or–

Finlay: Don’t speak during the test, ta. I’ll say some words, you don’t need to respond.

[SCP-9100-A30 audibly yawns.]

Subject: We needed this rain.

[Silence on recording]

Finlay: I’m sure your crops will be fine, pal. Now haud yer wheesht16 and listen… please.

Finlay: [Reading from the clipboard] Tree.

<End excerpt>

KEY RESULTS: Statistically significant spikes in spectral activity were associated with the following key words:

  • Home
  • Bones
  • Mother
  • Happiness
  • Lost
  • Love
  • Sick
  • Mine
6.13.2016 – Voice Memo – Dr. Stuart Finlay

Finlay: Seems Vo’s theory might be right after all. The keyword spikes - you can see how they might line up with children. We’ll have to decide what we do next with this–

Vo: [Distant] The biometrics spiked too. 9100 might just be responding to the subject’s natural reaction.

[Silence]

Finlay: Aye, that’s true. Didn’t catch that.

Vo: [Distant] So… we should run a control, right?

Finlay: Ah that's… smart thinking, yeah. Always good to check.

[Silence]

Vo: Are you alright?

Finlay: Aye. My head’s just mince, is all.17

[+1 DAY]

6.14.2016 – Experiment – Control

OBJECTIVE: Verify the results of the previous test by repeating with an uncontaminated control subject.

KEY RESULTS: The results were identical to the previous test, indicating that the microspikes in spectral activity were a result of, not the cause of, the concomitant spikes in biometric activity.

Finlay: C’est la vie. That’s the way things go sometimes. What can you do?

-F

[+3 WEEKS]

7.8.2016 – Experiment – NAPEAGUE Methodologies #32

OBJECTIVE: Identify decontamination methods.

METHODOLOGY: An epinephrine injection was administered to heighten the subject's awareness.

KEY RESULTS: 1 subject experienced medical complications from the injection, leading to cardiac arrest.

Security Footage – Site-86/Research Wing/Observation Ward

<Excerpt begins>

[The subject is convulsing on the table, while the emergency medical team works to stabilize them. Vo stands in the corner, writing notes.]

EMT: V-fib on the monitor. Start compressions and bag-mask ventilation. I need pads on and charging to 200. Can someone move this camera?

[Vo looks up.]

Vo: Don't touch the paraspectrograph. I need to observe how the anomaly responds if the subject dies.

<End excerpt>

Subject was successfully resuscitated. The stress of the experience was sufficient to decontaminate them; in other subjects the procedure had no effect on SCP-9100.

[+8 MONTHS]

3.8.2017: Finlay’s team finalized Procedure 9100-NAPEAGUE, intended to provide a reliable and humane method of decontamination for SCP-9100.

Procedure 817-NAPEAGUE

NAPEAGUE is a set of decontamination methodologies for SCP-9100, organized into seven stages of escalating intensity. NAPEAGUE is to be enacted only by trained research staff, to ensure fidelity to the procedure and the wellbeing of the subject.

The procedure begins at Stage 1, with a methodology selected randomly from the collection. If decontamination fails at the first stage, practitioners proceed to the next, and so on until decontamination is achieved.

The methodologies in each stage are designed to arouse a psychological stress response in the subject, with the goal of heightening their awareness via sympathetic nervous system response to such a degree that the effect of SCP-9100 is nullified. NAPEAGUE currently maintains a 100% success rate, though the precise means by which this response nullifies SCP-9100 is still unknown.

Awareness of specific NAPEAGUE methodologies has been demonstrated to increase resistance to them. As such, it is imperative no single individual be made aware of all of the potential methodologies. To date, over 150 methodologies have been approved for NAPEAGUE, contributed by eight staff members.

It is hypothesized that, in some cases, prior knowledge of the existence of NAPEAGUE, combined with deliberately vague public documentation of its methodologies, may be sufficient to cause spontaneous decontamination.

Following successful decontamination, all subjects are to receive rigorous psychological aftercare to minimize the likelihood or severity of post-traumatic stress disorder.

NAPEAGUE Stages

Stage 1 consists of informational stress, in which the subject is given information that should be highly distressing.

Stage 2 entails enhanced informational and sensory distress. The subject is given information combined with sensory stimuli (visual, auditory and olfactory) sufficient to cause significant mental stress.

Note: During application of NAPEAGUE, researchers are temporarily excused from stipulations in the ethical code of conduct which prohibit lying to a contained subject.

Stage 3 involves the application of cognitohazardous information18 of sufficiently low intensity as to avoid long-term psychological damage. This stipulation greatly reduces the number of viable cognitohazards available.

Note: Due to the extreme risk posed to the subject, Stages 4 and 5 require the express approval of the relevant Site Director.

Stage 4 introduces physical stress on the subject through a variety of means, including the application of force.

Stage 5 enhances the techniques used in Stage 4 by combining them with methods of psychological manipulation, prolonged deprivation, and sensory assault.

Note: Stages 6 and 7 require express approval of the O4 Council.

Stage 6 intensifies the methods introduced in Stage 5 via use of anomalous tools, materials, and effects to impart psychological stresses that would not be possible in standard euclidean geometries and/or linear time.

Stage 7 is without description.

Note: Additional experimentation is required to validate these approaches.

[+1 MONTH]

4.11.2017: With the completion of NAPEAGUE, Project-DAYDREAM entered the pilot deployment phase, while the remaining research focused on finalizing methods of preventing unwanted transmission.

  • An initiative to decontaminate all instances of SCP-9100-A in the Akron population, designated Operation-REVEILLE, was approved by Site Director Talbot and entered the planning phase.
  • Vo received a special commendation for her rigorous work on DAYDREAM, and was promoted to Principal Researcher.

[+1 WEEK]

4.20.2017: In her authority as Principal Researcher, Vo signed a requisition to surveil the SCP-9100 Persons of Interest she and Finlay had interviewed 3 years earlier in Akron.

  • The requisition was initially denied due to lack of funding; Vo re-submitted it as part of Project-DAYDREAM, and received approval.
  • Of the 28 PoIs, 21 were now deceased. Post-mortem examinations confirmed causes of death consistent with natural causes (15) and suicide by various means (6).

[+3 WEEKS]

5.11.2017: At a routine meeting of the Northeastern Classification Board, Finlay’s prior arguments in favor of Keter classification were reviewed.

  • Finlay and Bakaluba were given an opportunity to speak, but both declined.
  • The consensus decision was to let the Euclid classification stand.

[+2 MONTHS]

7.14.2017: Finlay received a behavioral commendation, with special notice given to his steadfast commitment to DAYDREAM.

  • This was the first behavioral commendation of Finlay’s career.

[+3 WEEKS]

8.4.2017: In light of her achievements, Vo received an invitation for transfer to the Parapsychology Division at Site-20. Vo replied requesting additional time to consider, which was granted.

[+3 DAYS]

8.7.2017: Vo submitted a formal complaint regarding Finlay’s “uncharacteristic” behavior, detailing 55 research-related errors he had committed in the prior month.

Note to the auditor: Due to a clerical error, this concern was misfiled and undiscovered until the A12 Audit. Evidence also identified Vo as the author of an unsigned internal memo, delivered to all Site-86 staff at this time, advising team members to avoid eye contact with Finlay until the formal complaint had been processed.

[+2 WEEKS]

8.23.2017 – Voice Memo – Dr. Stuart Finlay

Finlay: Vo told me about this transfer offer she got, to Parapsych.

Told her to take it. Don't waste your life kicking about with us, you know? She deserves better.

But… that’s her gone and turned it down, now.

She was dead set on staying, said we’re doing the real work here, or some such.

I dunno, maybe I could’ve pushed more. Didn’t want to rock the boat too much. It is what it is.

[+2 MONTHS]

10.23.2017: Vo signed an emergency breach requisition to begin regular PSG screening for research personnel assigned to DAYDREAM.

[+3 DAYS]

10.25.2017: At the first such scan, Finlay was found to be an instance of SCP-9100-A.

  • In accordance with protocol, Vo immediately hit the panic button at Section 9-17, activating the following procedure:
    • A site-wide lockdown commenced, lasting three hours;
    • Comprehensive headcount identified 74 staff members present on-site at the time of lockdown, and 7 others off-site for various reasons;
    • All Site-86 staff were scanned with PSG imaging to determine the scale of the containment breach;
    • Off-site staff were located and isolated by security teams until a PSG scan could be completed.
    • Bakaluba and 3 other junior staff members were found to be instances of SCP-9100-A. No off-site staff were contaminated.
  • As a subject of special interest, Finlay was designated SCP-9100-B.

[+1 DAY]

10.26.2017: Decontamination efforts were initiated.

  • Two of the affected staff members spontaneously self-decontaminated between their initial detection and a followup scan 24 hours later, likely owing to the stress of sudden containment, and awareness of Procedure-NAPEAGUE.
    • By contrast, a member of security staff reported that Finlay had an unusually reserved response to the news that he was contaminated. He was heard to remark “it was bound to happen sooner or later”.
  • Due to the urgency of prompt decontamination, Director Talbot ordered that decontamination of newly discovered SCP-9100-A instances begin at Stage 4, starting with prior Principal Researcher Hakeem Bakaluba.
    • Vo failed to execute this order, however, citing a fault with the electrical components of the necessary apparatus, and instead started the decontamination of Bakaluba at Stage 1, with successful decontamination occurring one hour later, at Stage 3.
    • Following successful decontamination, Vo remained in the chamber with Bakaluba for 2 hours, far in excess of the recovery period stipulated by the protocols.
    • A subsequent service inspection was unable to locate any fault with the electrical components.

[+2 DAYS]

10.28.2017: Decontamination of the four staff members was completed, and counseling provided.

  • Citing inefficiencies related to the decontamination of Bakaluba, Site Director Talbot amended Procedure-NAPEAGUE to stipulate that decontamination procedures should be performed by security staff instead.
  • As a result, Vo had no involvement with decontamination procedures for SCP-9100-B.

[+2 DAYS]

10.30.2017 – Experiment Log – Decontamination attempts for SCP-9100-B

KEY RESULTS:

  • 0830: Stage 1 commenced
    • Failed
  • 0845: Stage 2 commenced
    • Failed
  • 0915: Stage 3 commenced
    • Failed
  • 1015: Stage 4 commenced
    • Failed
  • 1045: Stage 5 commenced
    • Failed
  • 1130: Request for Stage 6 decontamination sent to O4 council
    • Approval pending

RESULT: SCP-9100-B remains contaminated.

[+1 MONTH]

11.30.2017: Bakaluba requested a transfer from Site-86, less than a month after his successful decontamination, citing personal issues.

  • The transfer was approved by Site Director Talbot.
  • Vo, previously reporting to Bakaluba, was named Head of Research for Site-86.

[+1 WEEK]

12.7.2017: A breach report issued by Site Director Talbot identified Finlay as the likely source of the containment breach, under the assumption he had accidentally made eye contact with an instance of SCP-9100-A at some point.

Vo’s email did not receive a reply.

[+2 MONTHS]

2.7.2018 – Study – Revised Population PSG survey

OBJECTIVE: Reassess the prevalence of SCP-9100 in the civilian population.

METHODOLOGY: Paraspectrascopic analysis of civilians in the Akron Metropolitan Area, and other neighboring cities.

To avoid the image clarity issues of the previous survey, the methodology was revised.

PSG cameras were covertly installed in optometry and dental clinics, nail and hair salons, and - where possible - the rear walls of restroom cubicles.

RESULT: Quantity and quality of images captured increased drastically. The total number of extant SCP-9100-A instances detected was 15,021. The majority of cases were identified in Akron (OH), followed by Cleveland (OH) and Pittsburgh (PA), with scattered cases in other urban centers.

SCP-9100-A contamination was correlated with loneliness, chronic disease, addiction and unemployment.

[+1 MONTH]

3.10.2018 – Memorandum – Resourcing

Attention Site-86 personnel:

In light of:

  • Dr. Finlay's 12 years of satisfactory service to the Foundation;
  • SCP-9100-B's continued (if average) proficiency in cognitive/behavioral test scores;
  • The impracticality of decontaminating SCP-9100-B;

SCP-9100-B has accepted the offer of reinstatement to active duty, with the title "Lab Technician".

SCP-9100-B consents to being medically blinded in order to prevent further viral spread of SCP-9100, and will be provided whatever accessibility considerations are needed to perform his new role.

SCP-9100-B's performance is to be monitored and reviewed on a quarterly basis, acting as the first trial of Project-DAYDREAM. Neutralization of unplanned transmission remains the primary research focus.

[+1 WEEK]

3.18.2018: 2 days before the procedure to medically blind SCP-9100-B, Vo submitted a study for review.

3.18.2018 – Study – SCP-9100-B Contamination Report

OBJECTIVE: Identify the source of SCP-9100-B’s contamination

METHODOLOGY: Comprehensive review of 100+ hours of security footage, cross referenced with Finlay’s performance metrics, badge in/out time, and cafeteria purchases to determine the precise moment such statistics became average.

KEY RESULT: Analysis indicated the apparent moment of containment breach was when Finlay heard an SCP-9100-A instance speak the phrase: “We needed this rain”.

[+1 DAY]

3.19.2018: In light of Vo’s report indicating that SCP-9100 had heretofore unknown infection vectors, the blinding procedure was cancelled. Pending a more effective way to limit transmission, SCP-9100-B’s re-assignment to Lab Technician was cancelled.

[+1 WEEK]

3.27.2018: A subsequent review identified that the 4 staff members had each been contaminated by a different instance of SCP-9100-A.

  • All 4 used different phrases:
    • “It is what it is”
    • “You know how it goes”
    • “Here today, gone tomorrow”
    • “That’s the way the cookie crumbles”
  • All of the containment breaches occurred within the Euclid containment facilities; the Keter-class containment facilities are soundproofed by default.

[+3 WEEKS]

4.17.2018 – Experiment – Transmission Vectors

OBJECTIVE: Identify “trigger phrase” transmission vectors and constraints

METHODOLOGY: Observation of contained individuals, case retrospectives and experimentation with D-Class personnel.

KEY RESULTS: SCP-9100 has two independent transmission vectors: eye contact and trigger phrases.

  • Subjects begin to use trigger phrases in speech almost immediately after infection.
    • These utterances do not transmit SCP-9100.
  • Frequency of trigger phrase usage increases drastically once the gestation period is complete.
    • At this stage, the trigger phrase will transmit SCP-9100 to any nearby inattentive individual that hears it.
    • After infecting one other individual, subject gestation period is presumed to begin again – trigger phrases have no further impact.
  • Written communications by SCP-9100-A (such as diary entries) feature trigger phrases with the same frequency as in speech, but the written artefacts do not transmit SCP-9100.
  • The identified phrases are “phatic expressions”; they convey little semantic value but serve a purpose in building social bonds, especially in “small talk” between strangers or loose acquaintances.

[+1 WEEK]

4.24.2018: An emergency meeting of the O4 council was held.

  • The discussion centered on the council's concerns that Finlay's resistance to decontamination was due to his long tenure at the Foundation, which had rendered him highly tolerant to psychological stress.
    • As these qualities were shared by all of the Foundation’s senior leadership, the ongoing failure to decontaminate Finlay indicated that SCP-9100 posed a critical risk to senior management.
    • The council demanded that a suitable method of decontamination be found for SCP-9100-B as the highest priority.
  • The request for Stage 6 and 7 decontamination for SCP-9100-B was denied by the O4 council.
    • Site Director Talbot received a private memo by the O4 council explaining the reason for this denial, but Talbot was unable to furnish this document to the A12 Audit, claiming it had been lost due to clerical error.

[+2 DAYS]

4.26.2018: An inter-departmental Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued to garner input on potential decontamination approaches, within NAPEAGUE Stages 1–5, for veteran Foundation personnel.

[+2 MONTHS]

6.25.2018 – Voice Memo – Dr. Marissa Vo

Vo: Trying out these voice memos. Finlay used to swear by them… and in them. He said it helped him think.

Everything about this is weird.

Today, they were moving his effects to long-term storage, and I saw his personal hard drive, and I appropriated it.

So now I have them – thousands of memos from decades of work. He should have saved them to the central database, but of course he didn't. It'd take me years to sort and file them all, and I… haven't had time to listen to any yet.

He used to burst into the room, clap his hands and say, “right!” in his big, booming voice. You could tell he loved making everybody jump, even though he never cracked a smile.

I'm sitting in his lab now, and I suppose I'm still waiting for him to slam open the doors, clap his hands, and tell me what to do.

Knowing that he's not dead, that he's sitting in a cell just down the hall, somehow only makes it worse.

Talbot set up another transfer offer to Parapsych. A second chance to say yes. I’m not so naive – he wants me out of the way. But I can’t let–

[Silence]

I’m the best qualified to manage 9100.

Besides, REVEILLE will start soon. Its what Finlay and I fought for all these years – to get out there and actually cure people. It won’t be pleasant, applying NAPEAGUE methodologies to… civilians. But we’ll do what we have to.

And it’ll be good to be in the field again. I need to get out of this lab.

[+1 WEEK]

7.2.2018: Decontamination efforts of SCP-9100-B were halted due to lack of success.

  • Project-DAYDREAM was placed on indefinite hiatus until such time as SCP-9100-B could be successfully decontaminated. The budget allocated to DAYDREAM was frozen.
  • The in-progress Operation–REVEILLE was halted due to lack of funds.
7.2.2018 – Study – Operation-REVEILLE

OBJECTIVE: Eradicate SCP-9100 in the general public.

METHODOLOGY: Operation-REVEILLE is an attempt to decontaminate all 15,021 known or suspected SCP-9100-A instances.

Scalable elements of Procedure 118-NAPEAGUE were repurposed for field use. A target list was assembled, prioritizing ease-of-access and cost-effectiveness.

KEY RESULTS: 156 civilians were successfully decontaminated before funding was exhausted.

12 individuals were resistant to NAPEAGUE, establishing that SCP-9100-B is not unique.

Resistant individuals all had isolated lifestyles with few social connections, and various comorbid mental illnesses. During decontamination procedures, these subjects become less responsive over time, in contrast to the “awakening” typically observed.

The resistant individuals were assigned periodic surveillance, but were not contained due to lack of funding.

[+2 WEEKS]

7.17.2018 – Interview – SCP-9100-B

OBJECTIVE: Utilize subject's experience to identify optimal research direction.

Note: Known trigger phrases have been highlighted below.

<Excerpt begins>
[Vo enters the chamber, and freezes in apparent surprise. SCP-9100-B is lying on the bed, recovering from injuries sustained during decontamination.]

[SCP-9100-B nods to Vo, and sits up in the bed. Vo pulls a chair from the desk in the corner, and sits with her back against the wall, opposite the subject. She begins to write in her notebook, and does not look up as she speaks.]

Vo: 9100-B. Are you aware–

SCP-9100-B: [Interrupting] Head of Research – there’s a turnup.

[Vo pauses, then notices her ID badge, which states her title.]

Vo: 9100-B, you're aware that you're still contaminated by SCP-9100?

SCP-9100-B: That's been made readily apparent, aye. But what can you do? Bound to happen sooner or later. In our biz, you retire, you die, or you get an SCP label. Sometimes all three. It is what it is.

Vo: Why do you think the decontamination procedures have been ineffective?

SCP-9100-B: Well it wasn’t for lack of trying. But I don't know why it didn’t work. I suppose that’s for you to solve now, isn't it?

[Vo does not respond, but continues writing.]

SCP-9100-B: Tell the truth, I thought you’d be the one testing positive. Them's the breaks. Then again, you’re always looking in that notebook. Not much risk of eye contact there.

[SCP-9100-B watches as Vo continues to write.]

SCP-9100-B: Must say, I'm impressed. Proud of you, for… keeping things professional. You had some wobbles, at the start, aye. That's just the way the cookie crumbles, you know? But look at you now. You've grown up.

[Vo stops writing, but does not look up.]

Vo: I've been offered a transfer, again. To Parapsychology.

SCP-9100-B: About time.

Vo: You understand, if I take it, I won't be back here for… a long time.

[SCP-9100-B shakes his head.]

SCP-9100-B: Sounds grand. It's what you've been working for, and all. Go help the people that need it. What possible reason would you have for staying in this dump?

[A minute passes in silence before Vo stands.]

Vo: Thank you, 9100-B. That's all for now.

SCP-9100-B: [Nodding] If you need me… you know where I'll be.

[SCP-9100-B lies back down on the bed. Vo leaves the chamber.]

7.17.2018 – Voice Memo – Dr. Marissa Vo

Vo: I scanned myself immediately – I’m clean.

I'm not sure if I was more afraid of being contaminated, or what they'd do to me if I were.

Avoiding eye contact was easy. Maintaining attention was… not. I tried mental arithmetic, but it was just another kind of distraction. I settled on counting his syllables.

Every time he used a trigger phrase, it was like an assault. I could feel him trying to… pull me down, drag me under the waves. I barely made it out.

Why did I take a risk like that? Why am I still here at all?

He was right. I've grown attached to… this case, and I'm not thinking clearly.

I was so excited when I first came here. After everything with Mom and Dad, I thought the Foundation were superheroes. I wanted to be one too, swooping in to rescue people from nightmares.

I want to feel that again.

[+3 DAYS]

7.20.2018: Vo accepted a transfer to Site-20, joining the Parapsychology Division as a Principal Researcher.

  • No progress was made on SCP-9100 in the next 7 years.
  • During this time, Vo maintained a written correspondence with SCP-9100-B, exchanging letters around once a month.
    • The content of these 71 letters (collected in Appendix A and available on request) exclusively concerned various unrelated research projects.
    • Vo’s stated purpose for this correspondence was to access and utilize the decades of research experience that SCP-9100-B still possessed.

[+7 YEARS]

11.26.2025 – Voice Memo – Dr. Marissa Vo

Vo: This came out of nowhere. Talbot loves Saturday surprises.

It's been a long time since I thought about this case. I suppose I’d accepted we’d never get an answer.

Looking back at my memos, it's hard to say where the last seven years went. We've been busy here, and I fell into some kind of routine. His letters were like a clock – steady, dependable. Forgettable.

I know how that sounds… but I have an EMPSG camera in my office, and I step in front of it every week. I’m clean. I'm always clean.

Even so, this memo was a wake-up call. I tried to forget, and get back to work, but I can't. Everything at Site-20 feels… irrelevant.

If they send 9100-B back, and amnesticize him, he’s gone, and I’d – we’d lose decades of knowledge and experience.

Not to mention it’s the best case of treatment-resistant contamination we’ve seen. He's key to solving that problem.

I need to act. I have to speak Talbot's language. Do something Finlay never could… never would, have done.

[+1 DAY]

[+4 DAYS]

12.1.2025: Vo rejoined Site-86 as a Senior Researcher.

  • Talbot re-allocated Site-86 funds for SCP-9100 research; SCP-9100-B and two instances of SCP-9100-A were retained for study.

[+3 DAYS]

12.4.2025: Site Director Talbot arranged for Vo to lead a tour of Site-86 for O5-919, along with their retinue of security and administrative staff and several members of the O4 council, with the goal of renewing interest in DAYDREAM.

  • Vo ordered that SCP-9100-B and the two -A instances be comprehensively re-tested for performance during this tour, in order to demonstrate the consistent nature of the anomaly and highlight its potential utility.
12.4.2025 – Experiment – Behavioral Testing

METHODOLOGY: Routine re-testing of behavioral and performance metrics. O5-9 and retinue observing.

KEY RESULT: Performance of all three individuals was found to be 18% higher on average than their previous test 6 months ago. This is the first significant change to these scores in nine years. Performance was still anomalously consistent, but at a new higher baseline.

REVISED OBJECTIVE: Determine if the presence of senior leadership affected the previous test.

METHODOLOGY: Subjects were tested again one day later, in the absence of senior leadership.

KEY RESULTS: Performance scores returned to their previous baseline.

REVISED HYPOTHESIS: Subject’s performance matches the average of the local population, not the global average. Introducing high-performing staff members to Site-86 raised the local average significantly enough to be measurable. Therefore, some connection exists between SCP-9100 and the minds of uncontaminated humans.

[+1 WEEK]

12.11.2025 – Experiment – Novel Phrase

OBJECTIVE: Determine if information can travel between instances of SCP-9100-A through anomalous means (i.e. telepathy).

METHODOLOGY: Contained subjects were isolated for a week, during which all Site-86 staff were instructed to use the phrase “kangaroos can't dance” as frequently as possible.20

SCP-9100-B and SCP-9100-A34 were then placed in a chamber together and allowed to converse freely.

KEY RESULTS: Both subjects used the phrase “kangaroos can’t dance” during conversation. Whereas SCP-9100-A34 used it to express commiseration, SCP-9100-B used it as an exclamation of surprise. Neither remarked on this discrepancy.

Confirmed. The subjects’s speech is influenced by the local population, just as their performance appears to be. They’re telepathically linked.

Telepathy requires extremely high menseme scores – an intense level of consciousness. But SCP-9100-A scores are extremely low. How is it possible?

As an aside, I analyzed SCP-9100-B’s speech patterns before and after contamination, and noticed a substantial reduction in the use of Scottish phrases, which backs this theory. How did I miss that?

[+1 DAY]

[+3 DAYS]

[+4 DAYS]

12.19.2025 – Voice Memo – Dr. Marissa Vo

Vo: Like I suspected, the scan matches.

This kills the ghost theory, finally. A human spectral imprint overlaid on a conscious mind – what we were seeing was an active telepathic link.

I have a hypothesis.

I dug through the archives for cases of low menseme telepathy. I found a case from the UK. A coma patient, nearly dead, but its dreams were a reflection of global consciousness, like a weather vane. Someone had been using it to predict the stock market.

Telepathy requires a higher intensity of consciousness to detect what’s happening in someone else’s brain. But that's because our own consciousness is so loud. It’s like doing astronomy in the middle of the day.

But if your own consciousness is dimmed… it’d be easier to detect, or be influenced by, others.

Our subjects aren’t being haunted. They’re telepathically linked, to… someone. Who?

[+6 DAYS]

12.25.2025 – Voice Memo – Dr. Marissa Vo

Vo: I’ve gone through the logs and there’s no record of Sarah-Anne visiting Site-86, or any DAYDREAM experiments involving a telepath. Besides, I’d remember something like that.

[Silence]

Wait. Finlay tracked everything in his voice memos.

[Recording resumed an hour later]

It took me an hour, but I found it. According to Finlay, Talbot led the visit, and Finlay deleted the file afterward.

[Recording resumed 30 minutes later]

Finlay didn't delete the file properly. It was in the longterm backup array.

1.7.2017 (8 YEARS EARLIER) – Experiment – Telepathic Analysis

OBJECTIVE: Assess information security risk of SCP-9100

<Excerpt begins>

Talbot: Thank you, Sarah-Anne, for coming. You’ve read the files?

Manderley: You want me to tell you what’s in there… what’s causing SCP-9100.

Talbot: If you can. At the very least, I need to know if there's any danger to information security, especially if a senior member of staff were to be contaminated. Could 9100 be some kind of monitoring system?

Finlay: We've got a subject just through here you can read. A-25, this is Sarah-Anne. She’s here to… well, just let her do her thing and you’ll be back in your cell in no time.

[Silence]

Talbot: How long will this take?

Manderley: It’s done already. I can hear her, A-25, but she’s faint, far away. Under a blanket. The static, the sea, is so much stronger… it’s… god it makes me sick.

Talbot: Static? What kind of static? Is someone listening in?

Manderley: No, no. It's the noise that's always there. The sound of everybody, everywhere, thinking at once. The collective consciousness. It's an ocean, but its quiet, like a background hum. You get used to it. But here, in her… it’s so loud.

Finlay: What kind of ghost is it, can you tell?

Talbot: Finlay, one question at a time.

[Silence.]

Manderley: This one is the same way. I can barely hear him at all, the static is… deafening. It’s closer, somehow. I can feel its movement. Like a riptide.

Talbot: Don’t worry about Finlay. He’s nowhere near the gestation cut-off.

Manderley: [Whispered] No, it’s not- I don’t think I can… wait-

[Rustling sound]

Talbot: Easy now, we’ve got you. Look, sit down. We’ll get you some water. Finlay, take A-25 out of here and bring Ms. Manderley some water.

[Silence]

Manderley: [Calmly] Is there anything else I can help you with?

Talbot: From what you’ve seen, do you think someone could be using this entity to monitor us?

Manderley: I doubt it. What they’re tuned into… it isn’t a person. Not a single person, I mean. It’s every person. But it's impossible to say for sure. That’s just how it goes sometimes. You win some, you lose some.

[Silence]

Talbot: Oh, christ on a bike– that'll be all today, Sarah-Anne, let's get you out of here. Finlay, make sure you delete this recording. Understood?

Finlay: Aye, I can do that.

12.25.2025 – Voice Memo – Dr. Marissa Vo

Vo: I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. Despite everything, I still believed Talbot was trying to help, in his misguided way.

But this…

He knew, for months, that Finlay was contaminated… and he buried it. Endangered the entire team to protect his project. Never mind how useful this info would have been to our research. Years wasted.

And Finlay… asking leading questions? He would never make mistakes like that. Hearing him make a fool of himself, it makes me… well, it’s unprofessional.

At least he was too incompetent to delete the file properly.

I have a hunch about Sarah-Anne - I’ll need to follow up on that later.

I need to know what else they buried, and I'm running out of time.

12.25.2025 – Interview – SCP-9100-B

OBJECTIVE: Assess subject’s prior knowledge relative to current research objectives

<Excerpt begins>

[SCP-9100-B is sitting upright in bed as Vo enters.]

SCP-9100-B: You're back.

[Vo stands by the door, writing in her notebook as she addresses SCP-9100-B.]

Vo: 9100-B. I've found the file you deleted for Talbot, a visit from Sarah-Anne Manderley in January 2017. We've only got a few days left here, and I need your… input.

SCP-9100-B: Marissa Vo still needs my advice? Well, kangaroos can’t dance.

[Vo puts out a hand to steady herself against a wall. After a moment, she stands and continues.]

Vo: I need to know what else you learned from her. I know that SCP-9100 is connected to the collective consciousness. Did you gain other insights?

SCP-9100-B: I suppose this explains all the excitement of late. It was nice to get back in the test chamber, catch up with my buddy A34. What was that experiment measuring? How long he could–

Vo: [Interrupting] Answer the question, 9100.

[SCP-9100-B sits up straight, apparently startled by the interruption.]

SCP-9100-B: Alright, alright, I’m sure you have your reasons. I remember the telepath – nice lady. God, it was yonks ago. After she came, Talbot said we should drop it and move on. I figured he… he had his… reasons. Didn't want to rock the boat.

[Vo stands silently writing for a moment, then sighs.]

Vo: That's all for now. Thank you.

SCP-9100-B: You win some, you lose some.

[Vo leaves the chamber.]

<Excerpt ends>

[+1 DAY]

[+5 MINUTES]

12.26.2025 – Voice Memo – Dr. Marissa Vo

Vo: It’s over. For Finlay's sake, I hope NAPEAGUE works, but I know it won't.

[A door opening.]

I’ll have the team pack up the files and prepare it for storage.

[Footsteps.]

There are acres of files from this project. Some of them I haven’t seen in years.

[Boxes being moved.]

Here's a box from the very start, right after the air crash.

[Rustling of papers.]

This is a throwback. I know this one.

5.2.2014 (11 YEARS EARLIER) – Interview 28 of 28 – Samantha Morris (PoI-28)

FACILITATORS: Drs Finlay and Vo

SUBJECT: Samantha Morris (80 y/o)

<Excerpt begins>

Morris: It smells like old people here. And everyone is mean.

Vo: Can you tell me the last thing you remember, before you woke up here?

Morris: I was with daddy in the front room. He was talking about the weather. I don’t like it here.

Vo: Can you – try to remember any of the events that happened after that, before you woke up here – what do you remember about your children, John and Terrence? Or your grandchildren?

Morris: I said, I don’t like it here. I want to go home now. Everyone keeps saying “ma’am”, I don’t like it. I don’t like these mirrors. Where’s my mommy? Why do I look like grandma?

Vo: I – thank you, I – that’s… I think that’s all we need right now, please excuse me.

<Recording terminated>

12.26.2025 – Voice Memo – Dr. Marissa Vo

Vo: Strange… I remember this interview. I remember ending it.

All the interviews that day, that whole week, just endless stories of suffering, and… loneliness, were filling something up inside me. I didn’t know it was there – I thought I was handling it – until suddenly it was overflowing.

I ran to the bathrooms. I had to keep smiling, keep the mask on, just long enough to keep the dam from bursting. When I got to the cubicle I didn’t even lock the door, just collapsed on the ground and cried so hard I almost threw up. My hands were shaking, my whole body – it felt like nothing would ever be okay again.

When I came outside, Finlay was there.

He didn’t… give me a hug, didn’t pat me on the shoulder or anything like that. He was just… there. Like a rock. Something to hold onto. And I knew that as long as he was there, I wasn’t going to drown.

He stood me up, and sent me for counseling. Made me go.

Foundation counseling was nothing like therapy. They were trying to somehow… harden my heart. Make me – okay – with everything I was seeing, so I could get back to work.

Just like Finlay. I wanted so badly to be like him. When you’re that low, you’d do anything to escape. You want to shut it off, shut yourself off, completely.

So I listened to him. Found ways to survive. I learned I could take notes, or pretend to take notes, so I didn’t have to see their faces.

It must have worked, because watching this recording, all these years later… it’s so distant. I barely recognize myself.

But that girl, crying on the bathroom floor, who was willing to do anything – give anything – to help those people… she’s still in here. The things in my life that I'm proudest of, I did because of her.

I never want to lose that part of me. Why did I let them convince me I should?

And what else was Finlay wrong about?

12.26.2025 – Study – Meta-Analysis of SCP-9100 Case Files

OBJECTIVE: Identify gaps in experimental approach. “Old data, new eyes, new story”.

METHODOLOGY: Review SCP-9100 case files, and Stuart Finlay's personal memos; mitigate Site Director's arbitrary time limit by barricading door to the storage room.

KEY RESULTS:

Finlay: […] I survived… things I probably shouldn't have. […] You tell yourself, “I’m no here, this isnae happening”, you know? […]

During decontamination procedures, these subjects become less responsive over time, in contrast to the “awakening” typically observed.

There’s no doubt Finlay and the others are dissociating as a coping mechanism. But how do we reach him now?

To date, over 150 methodologies have been approved for use in NAPEAGUE, contributed by no fewer than eight staff members […]

Site-86 has issued an inter-departmental Request for Proposals (RFP), to solicit input on potential decontamination approaches […]

We kept looking for ideas on how we could hurt him more. And none of it worked.

…unwavering adherence to the protocols and procedures that keep us all safe. […] a new Foundation, freed at last from the foibles of human error.

How and when do we allow ourselves to ask that question, and are we even interested in the answer?

Of course DAYDREAM was popular with leadership. Humanity is a chaotic variable.

The identified phrases are “phatic expressions”; they convey little semantic value but serve a purpose in building social bonds…

It’s trying to reach out. Form some connection.

Manderley: The collective consciousness. It's an ocean […] I can feel its movement. Like a riptide.

If the subjects are drowning in the collective consciousness, maybe they're not trying to drag others in with them. Maybe they’re reaching for someone to pull them out…

The kid's fucking phenomenal.

Wait, when was this?

Vo is quality. […] And she listens. […] Asks my advice, says she wants to be like me one day. Fuck's sake.

I've never heard him speak this way.

I just– it's not her fault they stuck her in the bin with us fossils. But I'm not her fucking– I cannae be the…

We’ll never solve a thing if we let our feelings run away with us.

You've no time for that Hallmark shite.

I have an idea.

It makes perfect sense that this would be the one thing the Foundation never thought to try.

–Vo

[+1 HOUR]

12.26.2025: Via the Site-86 intercom, Site Director Talbot ordered Vo to report directly to his office.

  • 10 minutes later, Talbot ordered security staff to search Vo's lab and the document storage rooms, but they could not locate Vo.

[+20 MINUTES]

12.26.2025 – Experiment – Decontamination

OBJECTIVE: Decontaminate SCP-9100-B.

METHODOLOGY: It’ll work or it won’t matter.

[Vo enters the containment chamber hurriedly and closes the door. She stands facing the closed door for a few moments, hands on the doorframe, in an apparent attempt to calm herself.]

[SCP-9100-B is sitting on the bed, staring at the opposite wall, and does not acknowledge her entrance.]

[Vo removes her notebook from her coat pocket, and throws it onto the table. She claps her hands together.]

Vo: [Loudly] Right!

[The clap echoes in the chamber. Finlay does not react.]

Vo: We need to talk, Finlay.

SCP-9100-B: Yes, that's just how it goes.

[Vo begins to pace back and forth, staring at the floor. Finlay does not move.]

Vo: I've come to realize you've been wrong about… a lot of things.

[Vo stops pacing while waiting for a response, but SCP-9100-B does not react. Vo is visibly counting on her fingers.]

Vo: I've been at Site-20 for seven years. They talk about “Wee Rasputin” there all the time. You’re a hero to them, too. But something stood out, a throwaway comment at lunch. “Finlay and Talbot,” they said. “Do they want to kill, or fuck each other?”

SCP-9100-B: Well, boys will be boys.

Vo: I know it was a dumb comment. Childish. But it stuck with me.

[Vo begins to pace again.]

Vo: I was digging around in the old files just now, and a few things stood out.

[Silence. Vo is counting on both hands, still pacing.]

Vo: You named the procedure for transmitting SCP-9100 "Dover", because you wanted to provoke Talbot. You spoke up in the hearing to stop DAYDREAM, when you could have submitted objections in writing. You pretend to keep things professional, but you enjoy your childish rivalry as much as he does.

SCP-9100-B: What can you do. It is what it is.

Vo: Then I found the motion Talbot passed, to keep SCP-9100 here at Site-86, instead of going to Major Anomalies. Here, with so few resources, where we struggled to solve something so big with so little funding. Site-86's budget is small because it's the Minor Anomalies unit. It's not supposed to handle things like this. Talbot was trying to turn this site into something it isn't, because he had a personal agenda.

But Finlay… you co-signed his motion.

[Silence]

SCP-9100-B: That’s just the way the–

Vo: [Interrupting] You kept it here so you could work on it. You talked about “making sure the work gets done right”. But I think maybe you wanted a way out, just like Talbot. A big case to rescue your career. Get yourself the SCODA you always wanted.

I realized you're both stuck in your childish patterns. Neither of you will grow up.

[Silence. SCP-9100-B is still staring at the wall.]

Vo: Well?

SCP-9100-B: Many a mickle… maks… a muckle.21

Vo: Just trigger phrases, Finlay?

[Vo turns to look at SCP-9100-B for the first time. She approaches, and inspects him.]

Vo: God, what did they do to you?

[Vo pulls the chair from the desk and sits directly in front of SCP-9100-B, looking down at her lap. SCP-9100-B does not react.]

Vo: [Quietly] Look, you told me time and again, whatever happens, “never let it become personal”.

I understand why – the Foundation is a cold place. It doesn't know… doesn't want to know, about our feelings. We give up everything to work here. Family, friends. It’s full of people so detached, so… professional… they can think of a thousand ways to torture you, but they – literally cannot imagine how they might actually reach you.

You survived thirty years here because you learned to detach. You didn't care what happened to your body. But anyone could see what you were really afraid of – it was plain as day. It was in your gruff voice and your rudeness and your… just, constant swearing.

[Vo takes SCP-9100-B's hands in her own, and looks down at them.]

Vo: I didn't refuse my first transfer because of the work we were doing. I didn't save you from blinding out of academic interest. I didn’t write letters for seven years because I needed your input – I barely used the advice.

When I left, it was because… all those times you said I owed you nothing, to forget about you, that we're just… colleagues, I believed you.

And you were wrong.

I’m your friend, Finlay, and I’m tired of pretending otherwise. You inspired me. You made the work fun, even when it was horrifying. In the lab with you, I never doubted myself or… questioned what I was doing with my life.

Half of who I am is because of you. I’ll always be your friend, even when you’re an idiot. Even when you disappoint me.

"That Hallmark shite" is not weakness, Finlay. It's how we survive.

[Vo drops SCP-9100-B's hands, and places her hands on his shoulders, avoiding eye contact by staring at his chest.]

Vo: I know you're still in there. I know you’re afraid. So hold on to this: hold on to me.

[Vo locks eyes with SCP-9100-B. They do not move, or blink.]

[Twelve seconds pass in which neither party breaks eye contact.]

[Finlay blinks first.]

[Finlay looks around the room, then at his hands and the containment uniform he’s wearing. Vo releases his shoulders and leans back, breathing heavily. She rubs her eyes.]

Finlay: How long?

[Vo sighs, and smiles.]

Vo: Nine years.

[Finlay runs his hands through his hair.]

Finlay: Christ. You look old.

Vo: And you look… terrible.

[Finlay gestures to Vo’s ID badge, which is hanging from a lanyard around her neck.]

Finlay: Senior Researcher…

[Finlay takes the ID badge in his hands.]

Finlay: Site-86? How are you still here, Vo…?

[Vo tucks her ID badge into her lab coat.]

Vo: "Making trouble, as per." Had some cases to finish up, that’s all.

[Vo stands and begins to pace slowly around the room. Finlay remains seated.]

Finlay: So… what’d I miss?

Vo: You got a commendation for good behavior. From Talbot.

Finlay: Jesus, you should've euthanized me.

[Neither speak for several seconds.]

Vo: Did you hear… any of what I said, just then, before you woke up?

Finlay: I… was running the trigger word test on a subject. Couldn’t get the poor sod to shut up… Next thing I’m here, with you. So, no, I don’t suppose I did hear it, whatever you said.

Except… I dunno, there is something there. Like they all say – feels like a dream I had. Something important. Maybe I didn’t hear it but… maybe I felt it.

[Vo abruptly moves across the room and hugs Finlay, who stares, unmoving, for a moment before reciprocating.]

Finlay: Alright there, Doctor. It’s all good–

[Finlay pats Vo on the back in an apparent attempt to disengage. Vo does so, slowly, and sits in the chair once more.]

Finlay: So, you solved it, then? 9100, all figured out?

Vo: Well… almost. We’ve got a lot to catch up on. I need your help – your connections, if you still have them.

[Vo stands and moves to the recording controls.]

Finlay: You mean, if any of the old buggers are still alive.

<Recording ends>

12.26.2025: Paraspectroscopic imaging confirmed both Vo and Finlay were clear of SCP-9100 contamination.

  • Following decontamination, Finlay was offered comprehensive Foundation counseling, which he accepted.
  • Vo revised the protocol for Procedure 9100-NAPEAGUE to prioritize “connection-based guided recovery”, with the induction of trauma as a second-line treatment only.

[+2 WEEKS]

1.13.2026: The O4 council declined to reinitialize Project-DAYDREAM until Vo’s novel decontamination method had been studied. Consequently, Site Director Talbot permitted Finlay and Vo to seek outside assistance in properly mapping the mechanisms of SCP-9100’s effect.

[+2 DAYS]

[+2 MONTHS]

3.17.2026 – Voice Memo – Dr. Marissa Vo

Vo: As frustating as it was, I understand why Finlay didn’t want SCP-9100 to go to another team. The Foundation is based on secrets. When they take your project away, whether they solve it or not, you might never find out what the answer was. For a curious mind, that’s a terrifying prospect.

I’ve been doing what Finlay and Talbot both did, holding on to it, trying to be a hero.

But ultimately, it's not about us. It's about the people who need our help.

And today, Velicheti’s team delivered. We've got the full picture, finally.

I’ll annotate with my observations.

3.17.2026 – Study – SCP-9100

SCP-9100 is a progressively erosive thought pattern which subsumes the consciousness of affected subjects (designated SCP-9100-A) into the global metacognitive aggregate (the “psychosphere”).

A contagious pattern. Like a prion disease for thoughts.

[…] Consciousness is not vital for bodily operations, yet it is fundamental to the brain's nature; a healthy brain lacking consciousness will continually attempt to reinitialize it, for reasons that are currently unknown. […]

Consciousness serves no biological purpose, but our brains keep trying to restart it anyway.

dendrite.bmp
dendriteanimation.gif
Visualization of SCP-9100's propagation pattern.

[…] Upon contamination with SCP-9100, the subject’s loss of awareness is immediate. However, the individual's consciousness slowly falls deeper into the collective over time. This depth can be measured on the Velicheti-Torrance Scale of Subsumptive Depth (vt) […]

Once they're under, they start sinking deeper still, into the collective consciousness. Like quicksand.

[…] As subject's individuality is subsumed deeper into the aggregate – a process that takes several years – a reflexive action can be observed, caused by the brain’s attempt to regain consciousness […] This reflex manifests as verbal utterances and attempted eye contact, and can be likened to other automatic actions such as the mammalian diving response, hypnic jerks, or cadaveric movements. […]

When they get deep enough, the subjects reflexively start reaching out for help.

[…] at a critical subsumptive depth (varying between subjects, but observed within the range of 0.12–0.20vt), these reflexive movements obtain a psychokinetic quality, engaging the nearest conscious individual (recipient) in a unilateral rescue attempt, with the goal of extricating themselves […]

Like a drowning person grabbing your hand. They grab the nearest mind and try to to pull themselves out…

[…] Absent mitigating variables, these rescue attempts invariably fail, pulling the recipient individual’s thought pattern within the critical margin necessary for subsumption. […]

…but it just pulls the second person in with them.

[…] Even if the rescue attempt fails, the resultant co–antagonistic psychokinetic pull accomplishes a reduction of subsumptive depth, temporarily abating further reflex for five to seven years. (This process was previously referred to as a “gestation period”; an erroneous label based on a misapprehension of SCP-9100’s function.) […]

It works to pull them out a little, but not enough to be free.

[…] The reflex which causes the transmission of SCP-9100 is an inherent quality of a functioning brain. It cannot be suppressed without concomitant cessation of vital function. […]

In other words, we can't stop subjects spreading SCP-9100 without killing them.

[…] Ad-hoc research has demonstrated that, where the recipient consciousness possesses sufficient unidirectionality, and an interpersonal bond to act as psychokinetic reinforcement, the rescue attempt can succeed. In such an instance, both subjects are cleared of SCP-9100 influence.

It's possible to pull them out, if you try hard enough and you actually care.
– Vo

3.19.2026: Site Director Talbot changed the status of SCP-9100 to EXPLAINED-CLOSED.

[+1 MONTH]

4.23.2026: Velicheti’s team led a decontamination effort utilizing the revised NAPEAGUE methodology, and succeeded in eradicating SCP-9100 in the general public.

  • Velicheti's team received the Special Commendation for Outstanding Dedication and Achievement (SCODA) for their breakthroughs in cognitive science.

[+4 DAYS]

4.27.2026: The O4 council approved the reinitialization of Project-DAYDREAM. The renewed research focus was to find a solution to the problem of unintended transmission.

[+3 MONTHS]

7.30.2026 – Voice Memo – Dr. Marissa Vo

Vo: Finlay retired, finally. He's earned it – people don’t retire here very often.

Hard to believe it’s over… the problem I've spent my career trying to solve. We couldn't help the ones who woke, but at least we woke everyone still asleep.

Talbot is happy DAYDREAM is moving again, but Velicheti’s conclusion was firm – there's no safe way to prevent transmission. Talbot will keep trying anyway, forever. Trapped in his patterns, like all of us.

I had time, finally, to pick up threads I noticed earlier, and it confirmed my suspicions. So, now I have to decide what to do with it.

If I used the formal channels, Talbot would kill it, and bury me. But Bakaluba at Site-25 still owes me a favor.

Look at that, Finlay – I know people now, too.

In this job, we're often forced to choose between what we want to do and the right thing to do. This time, though, they’re one and the same.

I know what it will cost me, and I don’t care. I’m through doing what I’m told.

The difference between me and Finlay is that I don't need to lie to myself – this is fucking personal.

[+1 DAY]

7.31.2026: Bakaluba alerted Site-25 leadership that he had received a dossier via a source he claimed was anonymous.

  • The dossier included an audio recording of Sarah-Anne Manderley’s visit to Site-86.
  • It also included a comprehensive analysis of Site-49’s performance metrics over time, demonstrating that these metrics began to decline immediately after Manderley returned from her Site-86 visit, plateauing at a near-average level which had been maintained consistently since.
  • Site-25 leadership immediately initiated emergency recovery operations.

[+4 DAYS]

8.4.2026: PSG screening revealed that all 848 members of staff at Site-49 had been contaminated by SCP-9100. Decontamination began immediately and was concluded successfully 3 weeks later.

[+2 WEEKS]

8.21.2026: Operation-CLEANSWEEP was undertaken to screen all Foundation staff members globally.

  • This initative surfaced 2,871 additional cases of SCP-9100 and cost ~$890 million.
  • The rapid spread of SCP-9100 through the Foundation was traced to the movements of Sarah-Anne Manderley, whose telepathic abilities effectively broadcasted its effect to all nearby personnel.
  • The global reduction in performance standards caused by the 2,871 contaminated staff members was deemed responsible for at least 18 other containment breaches, resulting in 138 deaths and approximately $1.9 billion in losses.

[+1 MONTH]

9.23.2026: In response to the SCP-9100 crisis, the O5 council ordered a comprehensive A12 Audit to evaluate the case history of SCP-9100, Project-DAYDREAM and operational practices at Site-86.

  • The A12 audit is currently ongoing.

[+4 DAYS]

9.27.2026 – Memorandum – Resourcing

Per recommendation of Site-86 Director Talbot, and in light of her years of stalwart service, Marissa Vo has been reassigned to the Archival Division outpost in Nebraska.

Thank you, auditor.

As a reminder, the committee requests you submit your recommendations at least 24 hours prior to the A12 hearing.

Logging off…



rating: +414+–x



Show footnotes

« SCP-9099 | SCP-9100 | SCP-9101 »

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