URA-7DL is capable of emitting sarin gas, and has been reported to flay and devour children, using their skin as clothing.
Temporary Item Number: URA-7DL1 (official designation pending)
Containment Class: Uncontained
Special Containment Procedures: MTF Beta-7 (Maz Hatters) is currently assigned to locate and capture URA-7DL.
Description: URA-7DL is a bipedal chimerical entity, origin unknown, estimated to be two meters in height. It is composed of bodily features from a ram, tortoise, baboon, crab, scorpion, ox, and snakes. URA-7DL is capable of emitting sarin gas, and has been reported to flay and devour children, using their skin as clothing. Prior to Foundation discovery, it had been sighted seven kilometers southwest of ████████, but its current whereabouts are unknown.
Discovery: Restricted. Please enter Level-3 credentials.
Addendum: Restricted. Please enter Level-3 credentials.
Site-1295 Security Feed #3263827
(Researcher Jones is debriefing Containment Specialist Briscoletti on URA-7DL.)
Briscoletti: So am I being assigned to this?
Jones: No, it's just something that's being passed around to all Containment Crew in 1295. Just in case.
Briscoletti: Hence the restrictions, I see. Who's taking it?
Jones: Kemper.
Briscoletti: Is that so?
(silence)
Jones: Is there something wrong?
Briscoletti: Don't worry about it, Rolf. Thanks for the heads-up.
Site-1295 Security Feed #3263828
(Briscoletti knocks on Containment Specialist Kemper's office door and enters)
Briscoletti: Hey, what's up?
Kemper: Not much. Trying to decide what to have for lunch.
Briscoletti: Hmm. I heard you've been assigned to contain the U.R.A.
Kemper: Yep. If and when.
Briscoletti: Are you…okay with that?
Kemper: (scoffs) Why wouldn't I be? I've handled plenty of anomalies before. Hell, I've dated uglier men than this thing!
Briscoletti: I mean, do you need help?
Kemper: Nah, Mason and Luther will be working on it, too. Why, are you bored?
Briscoletti: No, I just…owe you one. For last time.
Kemper: Oh, that. (laughs softly) Tell you what: you can buy my lunch and we'll call it even.
Briscoletti: (chuckles) It's a deal.
(Briscoletti leaves.)
Kemper: Hey, wait a second! (Briscoletti stops and looks back. Kemper holds up a crossword puzzle.) What's a twelve-letter word for "defiant"?
Briscoletti: (smirks) Briscoletti.
Kemper: (scoffs) That's eleven letters.
Containment Specialist Hildegard Kemper
Site-1295 Security Feed #1176830
Note-1: Briscoletti's first day at Site-1295.
Note-2: During orientation, Briscoletti sat next to Kemper. The two had not been previously acquainted.
Kemper: Hey there, neighbor!
(Briscoletti appears confused.)
Kemper: It's my first day, too.
Briscoletti: Hmm. Small world.
Kemper: So, what Ivy League college did they pluck you out of?
Briscoletti: Uh, none. I studied in Toronto for a student exchange program. I'm originally from Naples.
Kemper: Toronto? No kidding! I'm a Winnipeg gal myself. Born and raised.
Briscoletti: Imagine that.
(Briscoletti and Kemper are silenced as the orientation begins. During an intermission, Kemper reaches her hand out.)
Kemper: Hildegard Kemper. German by name, Canadian by birth.
Briscoletti: (She shakes Kemper's hand.) Briscoletti. Oh, that's an odd tattoo. What do those numbers mean?
Kemper: Hmm? (Kemper touches her forearm.) Oh. It's a family heirloom. My great-grandmother was a Holocaust survivor. Her husband wasn't so lucky. I had this made in his honor.
Briscoletti: Oh, I…I'm sorry for bringing it up.
Kemper: Bah, don't be. It's more of an icebreaker anyway. So what sort of crazy history do you have, um…
Briscoletti: Most people just call me "Letty".
Kemper: Letty? What's your birth name?
Briscoletti: (sighs) Francesca, but I don't like it. People called me "Fanny Franny" when I moved to Toronto, to the point where I was bullied. Eventually, I just told people to call me Letty, and it stuck.
Kemper: I see. Letty it is, then. And call me Hilde, okay?
(silence)
Briscoletti: All right. Hilde.
Site-1295 Security Feed #1190104
Note: Archived feed taken six months into Briscoletti's employment.
(Briscoletti is seen inviting Kemper into her office.)
Briscoletti: Thanks again for the filter. Just put it over there.
(Kemper places a small box on Briscoletti's desk. Analysis reveals its contents to be a filtration system utilizing SRA properties.)
Kemper: No problem. It's been collecting dust for ages, so I was glad to finally put it to good use. Just gonna need your signature.
(Briscoletti signs an equipment transferal request. Kemper notices a poster on the wall and examines it.)
Kemper: What's this?
Briscoletti: It's a poster of Angkor Wat. Just another place on my bucket list.
Kemper: Oh yeah? Where is it?
Briscoletti: In Cambodia.
(Silence. Kemper stares at the poster in awe.)
Kemper: It looks amazing. How have I never heard of this place?
Briscoletti: I guess it's just one of those things. I'd never heard of Petra before I joined the Foundation.
Kemper: Oh yeah? Who's Petra?
Briscoletti: Not who, where. It's an ancient city in Jordan. You can see the temple exterior near the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Kemper: Is that what that place is? I thought it was made up!
Briscoletti: Nope, it's real.
Kemper: And that's on your bucket list, too? Do you have a lot of places you want to visit?
Briscoletti: Yeah. The world is strange and full of wonders, or so I hear, and I'd like to see a number of them before I get too old: Angkor Wat, Petra, the Nazca Lines, Gobekli Tepe, the terracotta army, the Parthenon… I thought the Foundation might help me put the proverbial foot in the door. Ancient cities and monuments are a hotbed for anomalous activity.
Kemper: No kidding. (silence) I hope you get to see them all.
Briscoletti: (snorts) I doubt I'll be able to see and do everything I've ever wanted, but…maybe one or two would be nice. Want to hear something strange?
Kemper: What?
Briscoletti: The last three times I actually tried to book a flight to Cambodia, they were sold out.
Kemper: Oh? That is strange. How many attempts have you made?
Briscoletti: Just a few, whenever I think I have the time and money for a vacation.
Kemper: Hmm. Well, I'm sure if you're patient enough, you'll get through. Hey, change of subject: would you like to grab some lunch with me? I've got a terrible craving for catfish, and I know this amazing Cajun place not far from here.
Briscoletti: I'm…going to be a bit busy installing this filter.
Kemper: Oh. So is…that a n—
Briscoletti: You know what? Screw it. I'd love to. I've always wanted to try jambalaya.
Angkor Wat
To: 1295.staff @scip.net
From: LBurdick4_1295 @scip.net
Subject: URA-7DL update
Greetings. This is a notice to all staff of Site-1295 regarding URA-7DL. Beta-7 made contact with the entity recently but it evaded capture and is presently mobile. Two operatives are missing, presumed dead. As of the time of this writing, its last confirmed sighting was fifteen kilometers northwest of this Site. All staff are strongly advised to exercise extreme caution when leaving the facility. Security escorts and filtration masks will be available upon request. Updates will be delivered every three hours until the entity is confirmed to have been captured, neutralized, or terminated. In the meantime, stay safe and do not take any unnecessary risks. Thank you for your cooperation.
Site-1295 Security Feed #3263829
Briscoletti: Hey, Hilde, are you okay? […] Where are you? […] Check your email. Burdick just sent one out to everyone. […] Do you need help? I can get a team to come get you if… […] Hilde, don't be ridiculous. You'd do the same for me if our situations were reversed. […] I'm sending a team out anyway. I'll come… […] Wait, Hilde? Hilde, are you there? Hilde! Ugh, damn it.
Note: Following this conversation, Briscoletti put in a request for a five-member security team to accompany her in retrieving Kemper. The request was granted, but Briscoletti's request to accompany them was denied. Two hours later, Kemper returned with the security team.
Site-1295 Security Feed #3263830
(Kemper is seen walking down the main hallway with five escorts. Briscoletti runs toward her, stopping short.)
Kemper: I'm okay, really. I came straight here as soon as you called. You didn't need to send security out for me.
Briscoletti: I just wanted to be sure. You got what you needed?
Kemper: No, I was halfway there when you called me.
(silence)
Briscoletti: Well, I guess we can worry about that later. As long as everyone's safe.
Kemper: Letty, this isn't the first anomaly we've dealt—
(Briscoletti silences Kemper by embracing her.)
Kemper: Um…okay, uh…
Briscoletti: (quietly) You would've done the same for me.
Kemper: (whispers) Yep. Guilty as charged. Thanks for looking out for me. (Kemper returns the embrace. Silence passes between them.) Okay, that's enough. We're still professionals here. (They release each other.)
Briscoletti: (laughs shakily) Yep. Come on, I'm in the middle of something that needs a second pair of hands, and you owe me for this.
Kemper: Sure, anything you want.
Site-1295 Security Feed #3263831
<17:00> Briscoletti clocks out for the day. She is given a security escort to her apartment.
<17:20> Briscoletti arrives at her apartment, and the escort returns to Site-1295.
<07:00> Briscoletti returns to Site-1295 and clocks in for the day. Security observes her to be "visibly shaken".
Letty had just stepped into her kitchen when she realized she was almost out of food. Once she grabbed a quick snack, she set out to go shopping, and maybe help Hilde along the way. Kemper's newest assignment (unrelated to URA-7DL) called for electromagnets, niobium-titanium, various superconductors, and helium gases set to cryogenic temperatures—not unlike a hadron collider. Most of the heavy stuff had already been delivered to Site-1295, but the electromagnets needed to be retrieved in person. Their most reliable supplier, Anderson Robotics, insisted on only "loaning" them out, and evidently didn't trust a faceless delivery driver with their merchandise. Both Kemper and Briscoletti had clearance to retrieve the item, but one had been prevented from this due to "excessive caution" (Hilde's words), so the other felt it necessary to pick up the slack.
Not wanting to leave such a valuable commodity in her car while she meandered around the market, Letty stocked up on groceries before retrieving the electromagnets. Ever since their official dissolution, Anderson Robotics had spread their facilities to smaller laboratories, factories, and various other locations. Site-1295 kept in contact with one about seven kilometers away, though Letty had never been there personally; she had to pull the address up from SCiPnet. Lab #3672. Right on the way home from the store.
She followed the road for a few minutes, squinting as darkness gradually overcame the world. The directions she pulled up weren't perfect; she accidentally missed a turn and took a slight detour, muttering curses over how inconvenient and out of the way this was. She drove through a small park she had never seen before, observing how oddly empty it seemed, even at this time of day. She also noted the absence of any other cars — whether on the road or parked anywhere — and soon she realized she was alone. No people walking around, no animals, nothing but a smooth road and immaculate trees and flowers that all looked the same. She was completely isolated.
Pushing all this to the back of her mind, Letty had just made a turn into what she hoped was the right street when she skidded to a halt, staring into the distance as her hands squeezed the steering wheel tightly. Slowly, she stepped out of her car.
The road terminated a few meters ahead of her — not into a dead end, but into a massive white space that separated it from…
From…
She couldn't say. Letty was petrified, more amazed and intrigued than afraid, and gazed solidly at the white void. It was almost cartoonish how abruptly everything terminated — the road, the grass, the trees, even the sky it seemed — culminating into this blankness. Instinctively, she stretched her hand out to touch it…
She jerked back as the blare of a horn brought her back from the daze. A large truck had almost careened into her, its headlights blinding her as it swerved away. She stood trembling as the driver rolled down his window and shouted. She couldn't see his face clearly in the darkness.
"Hey, what the hell's wrong with you? What are you standing out in the middle of the road for? I almost ran over you!"
Letty blinked as her senses returned to her. Where had that truck come from? She hadn't seen it before, unless it…
No. Couldn't be.
She took a tremulous breath and shook her head.
"Sorry. I must've gotten distracted. Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm okay," the driver replied gruffly. "What about you? Do I need to call an ambulance or something?"
"Uh, no, I'm all right. Just a bit out of sorts. I guess I should head home."
"Yeah. Just be careful from now on, all right?" He grumbled and rolled his window up, driving off. When he had passed out of sight, Letty glanced around one more time. There was nothing out of the ordinary. The road went on, the white space gone. Briefly she peered into the distance, wondering if…
She decided to cut her losses, got in her car, and drove straight home.
Site-1295 Security Feed #3263832
(Briscoletti and Kemper are conversing in the lounge)
Kemper: Yeesh, Letty, you look like hell.
Briscoletti: Yeah, I…I didn't sleep well last night.
Kemper: Mmm. Something you ate? (She visits the coffee machine and pours two cups.)
Briscoletti: No, it was just one of those nights where I couldn't get comfortable. Insomnia, I suppose. (Kemper gives her a cup.) Thanks. (She drinks it.) Ugh. Nastiest coffee I've ever had in my life, but somehow it hits the spot.
Kemper: That'll do it. You know, I could probably grab something out of the clinic to help you sleep.
Briscoletti: I'm fine, Hilde, real—oh, damn it, I forgot to pick up…
(Silence. Briscoletti stiffens. Kemper appears confused.)
Kemper: You forgot what?
(Briscoletti appears nervous.)
Briscoletti: Um…milk and soap. This coffee reminded me that I forgot to pick up milk. Plus I'm out of soap.
Kemper: (laughs quietly) You're all kinds of discombobulated today, aren't you?
Briscoletti: Yeah, I guess so. But this coffee helps. (She drinks it and scowls.) Blech. So what's new with the U.R.A.? I haven't had time to look at my email today.
Kemper: Well…they found those two missing MTF members. (She shakes her head grimly. The two women are silent for a moment.) Burdick says it's on the move again, about ten or so clicks away from us. Do you think you can go a few more days without milk or soap?
Briscoletti: I'll manage. What about that electromagnet?
(Kemper appears confused.)
Kemper: Uh, what about it? (silence) OH! For my assignment! (laughs nervously) Don't worry, Burdick's got it covered. Mason and I'll go pick it up later with Beta-7.
Briscoletti: Not taking any chances, I guess.
Kemper: Not after what happened, that's for sure. (Silence passes as the two women drink. Kemper picks up a crossword puzzle.) Oh, say Letty? What's a nine-letter synonym for "pugnacious"?
Briscoletti: (smirks) Hildegard.
Kemper: (glares) Hey, I take offense to that.
Briscoletti: (laughs quietly) I'm just kidding. It's "truculent".
Kemper: Cool, thanks. (She writes the word in.) Spell it for me?
Briscoletti: D-I-C-T-I-O-N-A-R-Y.
(Kemper glares at Briscoletti again, who laughs.)
Kemper: Shut up.
Site-1295 Security Feed #3263847
(Briscoletti and Researcher Jones are conversing prior to an experiment.)
Briscoletti: Morning, Rolf.
Jones: Morning. Here's everything I have. (He hands her a folder.)
Briscoletti: Thank you. Any news on the anomaly?
Jones: I would tell you to check your email, but…
(silence)
Briscoletti: Another casualty?
Jones: (nods) A child this time. I…don't need to go into detail.
Briscoletti: No.
(silence)
Briscoletti: It never gets easy, does it?
Jones: Nobody ever said it would.
Briscoletti: Yeah… Say Rolf, odd question: you know the nearest Anderson Robotics site to us, right? Number 3672, I believe.
Jones: I know of it. I've never been there myself. Why?
Briscoletti: Have you heard any rumors about construction going on in the area?
Jones: No. Why?
Briscoletti: I was driving past the road that leads into it and I saw some flashing lights. They weren't like police lights or anything, just—
Jones: What were you doing driving around there?
Briscoletti: Just picking up groceries. I drive past the road all the time—I mean, the road that leads into it. You know what I mean.
(silence)
Jones: Letty, there's no reason for you to be around that area.
Briscoletti: What? I was just passing by on my way home from the store.
Jones: You should take a different route for the time being.
(silence)
Briscoletti: Was it…was the anomaly sighted around there?
Jones: I don't know, but as long as it's loose, don't take any chances.
Briscoletti: I know. I just think it's strange we haven't gotten any updates on it at all. Not even from the civvies.
Jones: It's predatory; it doesn't want to be found. Just…from now on, don't go anywhere without an escort, all right? Even if it's just to pick up groceries.
Briscoletti: Yeah, okay, I got it. I don't suppose you want to help me with setting all this up. (She gestures to her equipment.)
Jones: Sorry, Burdick's got me on another job. Ask Kuramitsu. She'd know more about this than me, anyway.
Briscoletti: Got it.
(Jones leaves. Briscoletti appears bewildered, shakes her head, and contacts Researcher Kuramitsu.)
To: 1295.staff @scip.net
From: LBurdick4_1295 @scip.net
Subject: URA-7DL update
Greetings. This is an update regarding URA-7DL. Beta-7 has limited its movements to within five kilometers of Site-1295. Fourteen civilians were killed in the process; amnestics have already been dispersed, with a cover story of sarin gas leaks being distributed. I have been informed by Captain MacLeod that they expect to capture the anomaly within the next two weeks, so until you hear otherwise, armed escorts are mandatory for all outgoing staff. Any staff member seen outside Site-1295's perimeter without an escort will face harsh disciplinary action — no exceptions! Living quarters have been arranged on-site if you do not feel safe going out. Thank you for your cooperation, and hopefully we can all put this behind us soon.
Site-1295 Security Feed #3263850
(Briscoletti and Kemper are conversing in Site-1295's arboretum during a break.)
Kemper: (grunts) And I had a date planned, too!
Briscoletti: I'm sure he won't mind putting it off. Just come up with a plausible excuse and apologize.
Kemper: Yeah, but I was really looking forward to this!
(Briscoletti pats Kemper's shoulder.)
Briscoletti: Hey, if I can go without soap for a few days… Oh, did you ever get those electromagnets?
Kemper: Hmm? Yeah, Mason and I went with Beta-7 to pick em' up. Heh, I guess I could just tell my date that I'll be busy at work.
Briscoletti: And the truth sets you free. Say, do you know if he has a friend you could set me up with? You know, once all this is over.
Kemper: (chuckles) Maaaaaaybe.
Site-1295 Security Feed #3263851
<17:00> Briscoletti clocks out for the day. She is given a security escort to her apartment.
<17:20> Briscoletti arrives at her apartment, and the escort returns to Site-1295.
She couldn't help herself: she had to go back, to see for herself, to be sure. Letty waited fifteen minutes after her escorts left her street before starting out. At first, she stayed close, driving down roads she was familiar with. Where there were people, cars, signs of life. Then she decided to explore streets she had always seen in her peripheral vision, but never had any reason to venture into. Unfamiliar neighborhoods. Shopping centers. Asphalt rivers intertwining with train tracks, sidewalks, bicycle lanes, roads, streets, paths.
Empty. Every single one. It was as if she had passed through a curtain: on one side, humanity, and on the other…
She drove around long after sunset. Turned her headlights on and kept going.
She passed into the road that would take her to Anderson Robotics lab #3672, the one that had led her to that white emptiness. Her eyes darted nervously around her. She was completely alone. Nothing but trees planted in perfectly perpendicular rows and indistinct buildings — a world of pure anti-human order. She bit her lip. Slowed down.
Found the street. Looked around. Nothing suspicious. Everything was normal. Quiet. Pristine.
She didn't know whether to be relieved or concerned.
She looked at her dashboard clock. It would be midnight in a few hours. She should probably go home. Have dinner. Rest. Tomorrow's another busy day.
She found the address. Parked her car in an empty lot. Got out. Looked at the building. Of course, it wouldn't say Anderson Robotics: it'd be some nondescript front company, with a forgettable generic name.
But there was no name. No signs. No street numbers. Just a few street lights, and a blank building.
But there was a door. Letty stared at it, motionless. Wondering what was behind that door. Debating if she should even approach it.
Every thought screamed for her to get back in her car, drive home, and forget about this place.
She walked until she was within arm's reach of the door. It was probably locked. She pulled on the handle to assure herself that this was a pointless venture.
It opened. Her heart stopped. There were no lights on inside the structure. She put one foot over the threshold, taking one more glance over her shoulder. The act likely saved her life.
In the far distance, silhouetted against the emptiness of night, a large shape moved. Letty froze, halfway trespassing, her focus fixed. It moved again. Carefully she withdrew, closing the door. A gurgling roar broke the silence and turned her beating heart into a jackhammer. The shape flailed — was it approaching her? It hurled unimpeded in her direction, snarling and hissing. She was petrified only for a moment before she bolted. It hissed again — no, it was releasing fumes…
She caught only the briefest glimpse of it bounding after her before it was lost in the inky darkness. The very same misshapen mélange of life Beta-7 had been pursuing. Their sparse descriptions did its horror no justice. Letty nearly tore her car door open in a panic and almost rammed through the foliage separating the parking lot from the road. She didn't bother to buckle up until she hit her first traffic light.
She locked her door when she returned home and collapsed in her bed. Couldn't sleep a wink.
Anderson Robotics Lab #3672. Photographer unknown.
Site-1295 Security Feed #3263852
(Briscoletti runs into Kemper as they sign in at reception together.)
Kemper: Morning, Letty. Jeez, you look awful! More insomnia?
Briscoletti: Yeah, something like that.
Kemper: Are you sure you don't need me to get you something? You know it's no trouble at all.
Briscoletti: I'm fine, Hilde, really.
(silence)
Kemper: (sighs) If you say so, but just remember the Rule of Three! If this happens one more time…
Briscoletti: Then you can pump me with whatever drug you want. Scout's honor.
Kemper: (snorts) I didn't know they had Girl Scouts in Italy. Anyway, I've got bad news: Luther's going into Class-E quarantine for a few weeks, and I need a replacement for my project.
Briscoletti: Hilde, you know I'd love to help you, but I'm tied up with my own problems. I even pulled Kuramitsu from her project to help out.
Kemper: I was actually hoping you'd be able to recommend someone.
Briscoletti: I know the same people you do, Hild.
Kemper: No dice, huh? Well, I still have ten days to finish the project. Hopefully something can come up soon.
Briscoletti: Do you think the anomaly will be caught by then?
Kemper: (shrugs) Burdick's optimistic. Beta-7 thinks they have it cornered now. Only a matter of time.
Briscoletti: Yeah.
(Silence. The two women walk down the hallway together and pause in front of Kemper's office.)
Kemper: Are you sure I can't get you anything, Letty? You look like you can barely stand.
(Briscoletti smiles thinly.)
Briscoletti: Just knowing you've got my back is enough. (She embraces Kemper.) Don't worry, I'll take it easy today, and go to bed early.
Kemper: Um, yeah. (She awkwardly returns the embrace.) Keep me in the loop, okay?
(Kemper goes into her office. Briscoletti waves to her and heads further down the hallway.)
<07:09> Briscoletti arrives at her office. She unlocks the door and goes inside.
<07:10> Briscoletti puts her lunch in her office mini-fridge and logs into her work computer. She opens the site-wide email sent by Director Burdick and reads it first. She opens up emails sent to her by various coworkers. Refer to email correspondences #8299 - #8310 for further details.
<07:27> Briscoletti resumes her regular duties.
<17:00> Briscoletti clocks out for the day. She is given a security escort to her apartment.
<17:20> Briscoletti arrives at her apartment, and the escort returns to Site-1295.
<17:26> Briscoletti showers.
<17:37> Briscoletti attempts to book a flight to Cambodia. All flights remain sold out in accordance with Protocol A0-73B. She makes attempts with multiple other locations and airlines, with identical results. She gives up thirty minutes later and makes dinner.
<18:30> Briscoletti finishes her dinner. She goes outside her apartment.
<18:31> Briscoletti gets into her car and drives into town.
To hell with the Foundation's restrictions, she thought, and to hell with the anomaly: Letty was getting to the bottom of all this even if it killed her. She only wished she could ask Hilde for help, but no, she had to do this herself. It just felt personal somehow.
Her first destination was the park she had passed several days earlier. Its disquieting emptiness and supposed perfection had left an indelible impression in her mind that wouldn't leave her alone until it was addressed. There was a parking lot that she could ease into: no other cars were around, as she expected, as it was getting late, but there was also no trash, no debris, not even a single loose stone or misplaced leaf. The grass looked like it had been manicured by a machine, the trees flanking her in flawless lines, each one precisely identical. Letty touched one; it felt hollow, artificial. She didn't dare go very far, just enough to study the phenomenon more closely, and turned around after only a brief excursion. On the way back she found a flower bed, hosting twenty perfect pink nightshades, and what seemed to be a space for more. She spuriously took one and kept it close as she hurried back to her car.
Then she drove back to Anderson Robotics Lab #3672.
Letty briefly debated whether to keep the engine running or not, but decided that silence would serve her better. Cautiously, she approached the door, and found it unlocked. She glanced around, relieved to find herself alone. Then she stepped inside, propping the door open, just in case.
The interior was dark and deathly silent, and what little she saw suggested that she was the only person that had ever set foot inside. Her eyes darted to a cubicle barely visible in the dim haze. It was bare, as were its neighbors: row after row of cubicles, each one pristine and identical. It was as if the rote sterility of the park had bled into this building — but did that imply it had a source? There were signs of civilization but no sign of life, no people, no disorder, just a copy-paste world filled with…
Decorations.
Letty swallowed; her throat felt paper-dry. She looked around a bit longer before leaving the building.
She felt like she was being watched as she jogged back to her car. Got in. Buckled up. Tried to calm her nerves. Started. Backed out of the parking lot. Drove off.
Saw something as she put the building in her rearview window. A light, turning on. From a window. Third floor. She kept driving. Didn't bother turning her headlights on. Just drove, far away.
Letty stalled at a red light just long enough to notice she was nearly out of gas. She had already been fairly low when she left home, and all that driving around had done her no favors. She bit her lip nervously, wondering if she could risk going back home without stopping. A childhood dread of being pursued by strangers niggled in the back of her mind (eyes darting quickly to her rearview mirror every so often). She hated the thought of stopping anywhere, even in public with lights and cameras and…
Cameras. She felt her throat constricting in terror at the thought. The thought of being watched.
Her low-fuel indicator came on a few seconds after she cleared the traffic light. There was a gas station close to her apartment. She'd go there. It seemed better than being stranded somewhere. Soon the needle was fondling the bottom of her gauge. Letty found the station, signaled, and eased her way in. There were two cars there already, so she gave them space and settled in somewhere else. Just pay at the pump and fill up. Real casual. Just another woman getting gas at the station. Nothing strange or unusual.
Letty didn't notice the man wandering around at first. Why should she? She was just minding her own business. Not drawing any attention at all. He was talking to everybody; she didn't know why. Maybe he was begging for money. What did it matter? Just pump the gas and move on, she thought. Go home and try to sleep. You've got a busy d—
"Pardon me, ma'am." His voice was gentle and pleasant but it still made her jump. He apologized and Letty tried to laugh it off. He even tipped his cap. "I don't mean to bother you. I think I lost my wallet when I was here earlier. I was driving around like usual when I noticed I didn't have it with me. I haven't been anywhere else today and I know I had it when I was here. If you see it anywhere, do you think you could let me know?"
Letty attempted a smile and noticed a name tag sewn into the man's shirt: Kent.
"Sure," she said. "What does it look like?"
"Just a beaten-up old black leather wallet."
She pursed her lips. It felt like she was being stalled deliberately, like a child held back by pesky relatives in order to delay a surprise. Or that this was bait for a trap.
"I don't think I've seen—" Chancing to look around led her to spot something small and dark next to the station's convenience store. She pointed, "Is that it over there?" The driver looked across, ran over, let out a laugh, and bent over to pick it up.
"There it is!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "I thought I had lost it! I owe you, ma'am."
"It's no problem," she assured him, trying not to sound nervous. He just grinned.
"Hey, I mean it. Here, lemme get you something to drink from the store."
"That's okay, I'm just on my way home."
"It won't take but a second, ma'am," he insisted, still smiling. "Please? My folks raised me to always repay my debts."
She hesitated. Wondered if she could send him in and drive off while he was occupied.
"Just some unsweet iced tea, then."
"You got it," he said with a wink, promising to return. Every instinct in Letty's body screamed for her to make a break for it, get back home now, you did what you came here to do, don't stop for anything else, just GO. She was about to get in her car when the man came back, a small plastic bottle in hand.
"There you go. One good deed deserves another."
"Thanks," she said as she took it. A heartbeat passed before she added, "Kent." The man's face warmed, and he tipped his cap again.
"It was my pleasure, ma'am. Drive safe now."
"Thanks, you too."
She locked her door when she returned home. Dumped the tea in the sink, put the flower on her dresser, and fell into a leaden sleep the instant she laid down.
Site-1295 Security Feed #3263853
(Briscoletti and Kemper are researching in the latter's office)
Kemper: Here. The filtration sucks out the sarin gas, separates all the molecules, gives us oxygen, and converts the leftovers into energy. Easy.
Briscoletti: Well I'll be. The wonders of technology.
Kemper: Heh, this is nothing. Teague's been developing something that converts waste products into fuel. Trash, bodily fluids, nuclear toxins, even greenhouse gases. In his spare time, of course.
Briscoletti: Yeesh, and I thought most people only flexed at the gym.
Kemper: I know. Oh, did you hear the rumor?
Briscoletti: You mean about our gym?
Kemper: No, there's talk that someone here at 1295 was seen outside without an escort.
Briscoletti: (smiles) That wouldn't happen to be you, ignoring orders just so you could go on a date, would it?
Kemper: Letty, I'm serious. Someone could get demoted or fired, or even killed for… (She notices Brisoletti's flower, which is pinned to her breast pocket.) Oh, where'd you get that?
(Briscoletti withdraws slightly.)
Briscoletti: I found it.
Kemper: Found it where, our garden?
(Kemper reaches for the flower. It becomes dislodged and falls, breaking into pieces on the ground, causing Briscoletti to exclaim. Its colors fizzle out.)
Kemper: You hypocrite! You went out by yourself, didn't you? I know you gave me flak for doing it, but this is…irresponsible. What the hell were you thinking? Do you know how dangerous it is out there? It's not ready yet!
(Briscoletti stares at Kemper in surprise.)
Briscoletti: What…do you mean…
Kemper: (sighs) It's nothing, forget it. I'm sorry I blew up at you.
Briscoletti: No, Hilde. What did you mean, "it's not ready yet"?
(silence)
Kemper: (quietly) Why did you go there? You were told not to go there. Rolf and Burdick told you to stay away from there. We did everything we could to keep you away from there. It wasn't ready yet. Now you've ruined it.
Briscoletti: Hilde, what the hell are you talking about? What's going on here?!
Kemper: Just forget it, Letty. Forget everything I said.
Briscoletti: Hildegard, please.
(silence)
Kemper: (nervously) All right. You'd better sit down.
(Briscoletti sits down, looking pale and shaky.)
Kemper: We're building as fast as we can, Letty. But there's a lot of world left, and we can only go so fast—
Briscoletti: That! What do you mean by all that? Why are you building the w…
(Briscoletti's mouth hangs open. Her eyes grow wide.)
Briscoletti: The world ended, didn't it?
Kemper: I think so. I'm pretty sure.
Briscoletti: You think so?! You mean you don't kn… Wait: were you and I put under some kind of amnestics?
Kemper: Just listen, Letty. I don't know what happened before we arrived. (Briscoletti appears to speak but stops herself.) All I know is that most of this world…wasn't there. But we managed to find enough information to recreate it. And we found you. You were the only…
(silence)
Kemper: You were the only human left alive. And we—
(Briscoletti jumps out of her chair.)
Briscoletti: BULLSHIT!!! Quit joking with me, Hilde!
Kemper: (softly) It's not a joke.
(silence)
Kemper: Letty, I know you're upset, but please, just list—
Briscoletti: Why should I?! Are you saying I'm the only human being left alive on the ENTIRE PLANET?!
(Kemper nods. Briscoletti falls back in her chair, groaning quietly.)
Briscoletti: Then what the hell are you?
Kemper: I'm your friend, Letty! I'm your best friend. Isn't that good enough?
(silence)
Kemper: I love you, Francesca! We all do. Every one of us. We adored you the moment we found you—and we adored your world, or at least the parts we learned about. But you were very sad, so we decided to recreate everything. For you.
(silence)
Briscoletti: Who's "we"?
Kemper: (hesitates) Everyone.
Briscoletti: In Site-1295?
Kemper: (hesitates) In the world. Everyone but you.
(silence)
Briscoletti: (quietly) How long has it been like this?
Kemper: From the time we arrived, your planet has made ten revolutions around its star. Once we'd rebuilt enough, we erased your memory a little, and…here you are.
Briscoletti: But…I remember living in Naples, and transferring to Canada, and being recruited for the SCP Foundation! You and I met at orientation! Was all of that a lie?!
Kemper: I don't know how many of your memories we removed, Letty. They didn't tell me that.
(silence)
Briscoletti: Were you planted there to befriend me? At orientation?
Kemper: No. I was what you might call an "extra", just another face to fill up the crowd, make you feel at ease, watch over you. It was just a coincidence that you sat next to me.
Briscoletti: Then that story about your great-grandmother being a Holocaust survivor…
(Kemper shakes her head.)
Kemper: That's the backstory they gave me to use, in case you talked to me. But I never thought you would. I never… (She begins to cry.) I never thought we'd ever be close. And I… You have no idea how grateful I am for…
(Briscoletti slowly approaches Kemper and moves to touch her, but withdraws. Kemper sniffles. Briscoletti silently walks past her and opens her office door.)
Kemper: Letty, wait.
Briscoletti: (quietly) Do you really expect me to just sit here after everything you've said? (She leaves her office.)
(Burdick is walking down the hall to her office. He intercepts her.)
Burdick: Ah, Briscoletti, I was looking for you. Could we have a word in my office? (Kemper appears, wiping her eyes with a tissue.) Kemper, are you all right?
Kemper: She already knows, Larry.
(Silence. Burdick looks between them.)
Burdick: I see.
Briscoletti: So you're in on this too, Burdick?
Burdick: I… (He hesitates.) Perhaps you should let me speak with her, Hilde. I — Letty!
(Briscoletti brushes past him and heads down the hall towards the stairs.)
Burdick: Where do you think you're…
Briscoletti: Why does it matter? (She glares at them.) Why should I even trust you anymore? Either of you?! (She continues down the hall. Kemper wipes her eyes.)
<09:02> Letty races down the hall. She runs through a door marked "Restricted: Level 4 clearance only!" and briefly stops in front of a Containment Cell labeled "Danger: cognitohazardous Euclid-class object!". She looks inside, sees nothing, and runs off.
<09:03> Letty stops at another Containment Cell labeled "Keter". Inside is a table with a placard reading "Reserved" on it. Letty growls and runs off.
<09:04> Letty briefly examines a Containment Cell labeled "Thaum" [sic]. She touches the sign, staining her finger with ink, and runs toward the stairs.
<09:12> Letty takes the stairs down to the first floor.
<09:13> Letty arrives at the first floor, running down the hallway to the main entrance.
<09:15> Letty arrives at the main entrance. As per Director Burdick's request, security officers make no attempt to stop her. Field Agent Reed is contacted.
<09:18> Letty gets into her car and drives out of Site-1295's garage.
<09:26> Letty merges onto the road that leads to her apartment. Field Agent Reed is notified.
<09:38> Letty attempts to leave the city. She encounters Unit 82 under construction. Note: Unit 82 had nearly completed the "bridge" module, but the Overseer Council deemed it unsafe for travel, and thus the area remained restricted. Letty resumes driving; Field Agent Reed is notified.
<09:59> Letty turns onto the road that takes her to Anderson Robotics Laboratory #3672. Field Agent Reed is notified.
<10:05> Letty comes into contact with URA-7DL.
It stood before her in the road, flailing about, groaning in guttural proclamations. A soft rain accompanied by quiet thundering provided an ominous backdrop as Letty stared at the creature. It did not advance or retreat. Carefully, she stepped out of her car, the engine still running, and approached it.
Closer.
Closer.
Suddenly it hissed and emitted a fume. Letty jerked back and shrieked, but held her ground as the cloud dissipated. The creature kept gesturing and groaning as if nothing had happened. Carefully, she crept towards it. The creature remained fixed.
Fumes came out of it again. Letty didn't flinch.
Mere steam. Harmless.
She reached out. The creature didn't so much as register her presence. Didn't even seem to look at her. It was almost as if…
She pushed it firmly and it fell over, still gesticulating and gargling. Another burst of steam issued forth. Letty lifted its tattered covering and noticed a vent. There was also a switch, which she flicked. The creature stopped moving, and was silent. Letty lifted up more of its rags, and to no surprise at all, saw the words ANDERSON ROBOTICS printed on its surface, underneath the company logo.
She stood there, motionless, in the rain.
Eventually she heard a car door opening. Footsteps. Someone speaking.
"Reed here. I found her, Larry. She's right where you said she'd be. Yeah, URA-7DL is here, too. She neutralized it. Do you want us to retrieve it?"
Letty turned around, soaked and trembling. Standing behind her was the same man she had seen at the gas station — the same truck driver she had met earlier. Their eyes met and he gave her a sympathetic expression.
"I'm sorry, Letty."
She swallowed and took a deep breath.
Site-1295 Security Feed #3263854
<11:00> Letty is safely returned to Site-1295. Director Burdick informs the O5 Council.
<11:15> Director Burdick meets with Letty in her office. They briefly converse.
Briscoletti: What about all the casualties? Those MTFs, those children, the fourteen people…
Burdick: There were no casualties. There never have been. That was just another means of…restricting you.
Briscoletti: Along with the anomalies.
Burdick: Yes. They were all deceptions. I don't expect you to forgive us for lying to you, but…
(silence)
Briscoletti: Was this the first time I've done that? Seen through your veil of secrecy?
Burdick: No, you've done it at least one other time, before you and Hilde met. I don't know any of the details, though.
Briscoletti: I can only assume you amnesticized me when I did.
Burdick: Yes. At your own behest.
(silence)
Briscoletti: What will you do now?
Burdick: That's entirely up to you. Amnestics are available, if you wish to use them. It's your choice, though; it always has been, and always will be.
Briscoletti: Can I think it over?
Burdick: Of course. Say, twenty minutes?
Briscoletti: Fine.
(Burdick gets up and heads to the door. He glances back.)
Burdick: Letty, whatever you think of us, Hildegard was right: we liked you the moment we found you. And we pitied you deeply. We felt what you would call sympathy. We did our best to secure and protect you, and while we may not be perfect, we still… Anyway, we're all glad you're safe, especially Hilde. (He leaves the room.)
<11:20> Letty retrieves a sheet of paper from her desk and begins to write on it.
Item Number: SCP-9199. The latest in a long line of deceptions.
Containment Class: As safe as safe can be.
Special Containment Procedures: The anomaly is contained inside Site-1295 five days a week, from 07:00 to 17:00, and its apartment for approximately eleven hours every day. In the remaining time, it goes shopping, tends to personal affairs, and entertains itself at various locations in a ten-kilometer radius, where it is constantly monitored. It is currently impossible for SCP-9199 to travel anywhere else, though efforts to remedy this are ongoing.
Description: SCP-9199 is the only remaining member of the Homo sapiens species on Earth: female, Domain Eukarya, Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Mammalia, Order Primate, Family Hominidae. It has no other anomalous traits. It is 1.67 meters tall, weighs 66 kilograms, and was presumably born in Naples, Italy, on the fourteenth of August, twenty-seven years prior to the composition of this document. Its name is Francesca Briscoletti. It alone survived the end of the world, and ten years prior to the composition of this document, came into contact with extraterrestrial (or extradimensional) entities. In order to safeguard, confine, and placate the anomaly until they could reconstruct the world, these entities became the SCP Foundation, utilizing false anomalies to accomplish their goal.
Discovery: See Security footage #3263853 for details.
Addendum: Nothing is real except me. I'm an animal in a zoo, or an artifact in a museum, or a pet, something that's being cared for and preserved. I'm Robert Neville2. A curiosity. An abnormality. A unicorn in the glass menagerie, to be kept in this corner of a lost world until my keepers can finish rebuilding it. I have no idea how long that will take, or what that means for me and my future, or how all this came about. All I know is that I glimpsed past their veil, saw the world for what it was, and I can either forget it all happened and go back to blissful ignorance or let the knowledge devour me until it drives me mad. I genuinely can't decide which fate is worse.
I guess I'm never going to see Angkor Wat.
I really, truly, genuinely believed that Hildegard Kemper was my best friend. I don't know what she is anymore. If I choose to remember, I know I can never look at her the same way again. I can never fully trust her. But if I choose to forget…will I ever see her again? Or will they just give me another "friend"?
If I take their amnestics, they'll probably destroy this document and keep the original URA file. It'll be easier to keep up the facade of false monsters, to make sure I don't go anywhere I'm not supposed to, until they're ready. But if I refuse, what then? Would that dissolve the entire SCP Foundation? How would they treat me, knowing I "ruined" everything? Will I even want to go anywhere, knowing it's just a facsimile? It weighs quite heavily on the mind to know that the entire world is a — a containment cell. All for me. All for me. All for me. For me.
Who would have thought that a world without anomalies would be just as terrifying as one with them?
They're at my door now. It's time. Whether I choose to forget that all this happened, or to remember it, one thing is certain: this is my reality now, and I must live with it, forever.
SCP-9199
<11:39> Letty finishes writing.
<11:40> Before she answers the door, Letty looks into her office mirror. After a few seconds, she presses her finger against the glass, and realizes the mirror is two-way. She spits on the mirror and answers the door.
I swung round the corner and dashed through the gate, I ran up the steps and I felt simply GREAT! For I had a story that NO ONE could beat! And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street!
But Dad said quite calmly, "Just draw up your stool, and tell me the sights on the way home from school."
There was so much to tell, I JUST COULDN'T BEGIN! Dad looked at me sharply and pulled at his chin. He frowned at me sternly from there in the seat, "Was there nothing to look at…no people to greet? Did NOTHING excite you to make your heart beat?"
"Nothing," I said, growing red as a beet, "but a plain horse and wagon on Mulberry Street."
