SCP-9888

I miss them so.

WaylandLaurencePan

As we approach the anniversary of last year’s events, this is a friendly reminder that all proposals for experimentation or recovery attempts linked to the following SCP will be summarily rejected. All ongoing related projects remain indefinitely suspended.

I know. I miss them too.

29/07/25
Dr. Mohammad Abdul bin Mohammad Nurul
Ethics Committee Liaison, Site-512

Item#: 9888

Level4

Containment Class:

safe

Secondary Class:

none

Disruption Class:

dark

Risk Class:

critical

link to memo

ASSIGNED SITE	CONTAINMENT SUPERVISOR
Site-512	A. Dir. Chu
CONTAINMENT HEADS	ASSIGNED SECTIONS
Dr. Pan, Chief Singh	Experimentation & Paratechnology, Site Security

The first item tested/destroyed by the NUMA.

SPECIAL CONTAINMENT PROCEDURES: SCP-9888 is to remain out-of-bounds to all personnel and foreign entities. To this end, the room containing SCP-9888 (3-5-20 Persistence Wing, Site-512, retroactively demarcated as CC-9888) has been clearly marked as a restricted zone, with biometric locks in place requiring at least three personnel with LEVEL 4 clearance or above to be present. In addition, a Foundation standard RS3 Vault Door has been installed to deter unauthorised entry.

Prior to the formation of SCP-9888, the attached annex to CC-9888 was a designated living space for Experimentation & Paratechnology (E&P) researchers. Rations for two individuals are to be delivered daily to that annex via the Site-512 internal chute system.

There are no special containment procedures for SCP-9888-1 instances, due to their inability to leave CC-9888.

There are no special containment procedures for SCP-9888-2.

DESCRIPTION: SCP-9888 is a 10.0m x 15.7m x 5.2m region of blank space. Any physical objects placed within SCP-9888 experience metastructural fission; their metastructures are torn apart, as the various composite meta-substructures of the objects are forcibly separated from the physical structures they were attached to, before dispersing throughout the surroundings. Prior to Incident 9888-B, this process was believed to invariably cause hyper-accelerated degradation of the respective physical structures.

SCP-9888, before the occurrence of Incident 9888-A, was the Nye-Uchiyama Metastructure Atomiser (NUMA), a piece of paratechnology developed by E&P. Further information on the NUMA can be found in ADDENDA I and II.

SCP-9888-1 instances are the surviving physical remnants of metastructural fission. The exact mechanism of their survival is unclear; due to their origin, only their external, physical characteristics are accessible, and even then unusable. Both SCP-9888-1 instances are housed within CC-9888.

SCP-9888-2 refers to the persistent metaphysical corruption of CC-9888, detailed in ADDENDUM 9888.XIV.

ADDENDUM 9888.I: NUMA Proposal Cover

PROPOSAL 23.5.97 ("NUMA")

EXPERIMENTATION & PARATECHNOLOGY, SITE-512

COMMISSIONED BY: Practician (O5-4)

SUPERVISED BY: Dr. Wayland Laurence Pan

17/09/23
Dr. Uchiyama Aiko
Senior Researcher (Metaphysics), E&P, Site-512

Forward: Metaphysical messes have always been a headache to manage. The dual challenge of dealing with the physical in conjunction with the metaphysical has often led to a paradox in containment: the latter renders containing the former impossible, while the former provides severe challenges in reining in the effects of the latter.

Abstract: The Nye-Uchiyama Metaphysical Atomiser (NUMA) is a proposed piece of paratechnology that could greatly aid in the containment and/or decommissioning of metaphysical anomalies. Through atomisation of their metastructure, we can contain their physical structures prior to their gradual metaphysical regeneration. In addition, this proposed paratechnology could lead to significant advancements in our understanding of metaphysics, specifically in the fields of conceptual attachment, perceptual characteristics, ontological structures, and parasemantics.

The NUMA is theoretically sound. It operates through the rapid delivery of multiple concentrated bursts of metaphysical energy, calculated precisely in order to just overcome the meta-binding energies without leading to physical damage. In order to prevent re-attachment to the physical object, following their separation, the relevant meta-substructures are accelerated temporally, leading to their natural dispersion and disintegration, in accordance with Thien's Law. The energy released in this disintegration will be recaptured by the NUMA, both in order to prevent metaphysical pollution of the surroundings, and to offset the energy usage of the machine.

The NUMA has been designed with utmost practicality in mind. Its volume has been kept, non-anomalously, under 900 cubic meters, and its emergency cutoff system ensures that in the event of a catastrophic failure, the NUMA will absorb the resultant metaphysical explosion into the metastructure of its metaphysical cladding, followed by its own metastructure, shielding the surroundings from any contamination. The NUMA’s mechanisms are metaphysically isolated from the machine itself, ensuring minimal disruption to its functioning.

ADDENDUM 9888.II: Selected Correspondence Regarding the NUMA

From:	wl.pan@scp.int
To:	[MASKED]
CC:	uchiyama.a@scp.int, k.nye@scp.int, Site-512 Directors
Subject:	NUMA Updates

Good morning, afternoon or evening.

Construction of the NUMA has been proceeding ahead of schedule. Our preliminary component tests have produced exceedingly positive results, and we should be good to move into proper testing in under a month.

The testing list for the first test of the NUMA, preliminarily set on the morning of 01/06/24, is as follows:

Safety Pin, 1x
Stapler, 1x
Double Pendulum, 1x
Various non-Anomalous non-Generics, contributed by Site Staff
Earthworm, 1x
Laboratory Rat, 1x

Do let me know if you wish to attend.

Secure, Contain, Protect

Dr. Wayland Laurence Pan
Head Researcher
Experimentation & Paratechnology
Site-512

From:	k.nye@scp.int
To:	uchiyama.a@scp.int, wl.pan@scp.int
Subject:	RE: NUMA Updates

Hey, that’s the first time I’ve seen one of those [MASKED] addresses. Difficult to believe it's actually an O5 coming down to our little site.

Way, do you need help with preparing the backbrief to our overlord? It’s a lull period for both me and Aiko, so we can definitely provide assistance if necessary. I understand you’ve been swamped with that maritime thing lately. TL;DR: energy goes in, metastructures come out and… well…

Remember, Thien’s Law goes "Metastructures, in isolation, all tend towards decay."

Secure, Contain, Protect

Dr. Karl Nye
Senior Researcher (Metaphysical Energy)
Anomalous Energies
Site-512

From:	uchiyama.a@scp.int
To:	k.nye@scp.int, wl.pan@scp.int
Subject:	RE: NUMA Updates

I echo Karl's sentiments. I did hear recently about that side project ballooning in scope, so take care, Wayland. I’ve revised the testing list slightly, so do look at the updated version.

Regarding the non-Generics: I’ve managed to get a tied-down list that shouldn’t change very much. Everyone who contributed has assented to the destruction of the item. Take a look, you might find it interesting. I’ve removed the names, of course, but you can probably guess who contributed some of them.

Trophy — “won it from a track meet when I was thirteen.”
Photograph of a young woman — “no comment.”
Spinning top — “my first birthday gift, apparently”
Family portrait, in oil-based paint — “a few hundred years old, I think.”
An empty plant pot — “tried to plant a bonsai in this, multiple times… never succeeded.”
Timetable, printed — “my last year in high school.”
A metal dog collar — “she lived for sixteen years, but passed away last December.”
A pastry, purchased from a local bakery — this one’s mine. I think Kyle will know why it’s here.

Speaking of Kyle, my darling must be mistaken. Everyone knows Thien’s Law actually goes "All metastructures are inherently unstable." I think the person who designed the core mechanism of the NUMA should know what she’s talking about, hm?

Secure, Contain, Protect

Dr. Uchiyama Aiko
Senior Researcher (Metaphysics)
Experimentation & Paratechnology
Site-512

From:	wl.pan@scp.int
To:	k.nye@scp.int, uchiyama.a@scp.int
Subject:	RE: NUMA Updates

Thanks for the help, Aiko. And thanks for the offer, both of you. Never been more touched.

If I’m lucky, our overlord won’t need a backbrief at all. She’s expressed some interest in trying to understand the principles by herself, so I sent her some introductory papers. Unless it is explicitly asked for, I’m not planning to waste effort on it. (If it is asked for, be certain I’ll shovel the work onto you two. Thanks in advance.)

Incidentally, I’ve always thought Thien’s Law was best as “Metaphysical complexity tends to decrease”, but you two lovebirds can fight over the semantics. It’s all the same meaning, either way.

Secure, Contain, Protect

Dr. Wayland Laurence Pan
Head Researcher
Experimentation & Paratechnology
Site-512

From:	[MASKED]
To:	wl.pan@scp.int
Subject:	RE: NUMA Updates

Thank you for the readings, Dr. Pan. I think I understand the gist of it now.

With regards to your invitation, I would love to be present. I can handle the transport arrangements on my own. Unlike some of my colleagues, I’ve always preferred to remain on the ground. I find the most interesting things happen there.

Secure, Contain, Protect

Practician
O5-4

ADDENDUM 9888.III: Extract from Modern Metaphysics, 2nd Ed.

The first thing most students in Metaphysics learn is Thien’s Law, that fickle thing taught in a thousand ways due to poor translation. Its well-recognised equation goes

(1)

\begin{align} P_{shift} ~\propto \frac{C}{|\Delta E|} \end{align}

indicating that the probability of a particular metaphysical shift happening is directly proportional to the complexity of the entity in question divided by the absolute energy transfer required. Although this is an approximation, in almost all cases it serves us well.

Let us break this down step by step.

A metaphysical shift refers to a conversion of one metaphysical entity to any other, such that the two are distinct in any way. The most common example will be metastructural decay; the textbook example would be conceptual association of an item as "novel" or "new" slowly decaying into "old" or "familiar". Another common example would be metastructural dispersion; for instance, "hatred" bleeds its way into various corollaries or sibling-items, such that they are "hated" as well; too much of this, and the original "hatred" is diluted (unless a physical source continues to supply the construct with the necessary energy). There are particular reasons why some shifts are more likely than others.

Remember, a metastructure is a structure that is the total description of a physical structure; alternatively, it can be defined as everything in an object, besides its physical structure. Every recognisable “thing” in the Universe is either a physical structure or a metastructure.

Complexity is a factor. The more complex a metaphysical entity, the more liable it is to shifts. At the highest tier are the entities most accessible to us humans, metastructures; at the lowest tier is the background of the Universe, with a complexity of approximately zero. In between is raw metaphysical energy, perceptions, ideas, feelings, and more: things that will often be component parts of metastructures, but are not structures themselves. This gives rise to the common adage of “no metastructure is innately stable”; mere observation of how quickly most metastructures collapse upon loss of their anchoring physical structure should suffice to convince anyone of this.

As for energy change? Metaphysical energy is not quantized; it cannot be discretely sorted. There is no "metaphon". In contrast, there are an endless number of forms of metaphysical energy. The absolute energy difference is the energy, normalised from a multi-dimensional vector into a scalar value, required to enact the metaphysical shift, which often will be absorbed from the surroundings. In practice, the conversion between different forms of metaphysical energy occurs with nearly-zero loss, meaning insofar as two forms of metaphysical energy do not annihilate or detract from each other, “any kind goes”.

Of course, given this sheer ease of conversion, a small unbalance in metaphysical energy can lead to any number of reactions, beyond easy predictability. This will be covered further in Chapter 11, "Superpositional Reactions".

ADDENDUM 9888.IV: NUMA Testing Logs, Bloc 1

NUMA Testing Logs Bloc: 1 Date: 01-06-2024 Supervising: wlpan Testing: ucha

- - - - - - - - -

Safety Pin (G) OBSERVATIONS: - Chamber becomes sharp. Estimated half-life: 15.4 seconds. Dissipates. - Air becomes silver. Estimated half-life: 2.0 seconds. Decays into bronze, before dissipating. - Safety Pin blunts, before collapsing into dust of an indeterminate colour. OTHER NUMA-DETECTED STRUCTURES: Safety, Mechanism, Convenience, Spring REMARKS: Owing to structural collapse of test object, tests of live creatures struck off from day's testing list. Unless noted otherwise, all subsequent test objects collapse in a similar manner.

Double Pendulum (G) OBSERVATIONS: - Air crackles with chaos. Estimated half-life: 9.0 minutes. Decays into unpredictability, before dissipating slowly. - Holding tray swings wildly on its axis. Estimated half-life: 10.0 seconds. Dissipates. OTHER NUMA-DETECTED STRUCTURES: Mechanism, Joint

Trophy (NG) OBSERVATIONS: - NUMA is a champion. Estimated half-life: 1.4 seconds. Dissipates. - Air is metallic. Estimated half-life: 2.7 seconds. Dissipates. - Holding tray is triumphant. Estimated half-life: 0.6 seconds. Dissipates. OTHER NUMA-DETECTED STRUCTURES: Pride, Symbol, Indeterminate Memory

Photograph (NG) Observations: - Air wells with heartbreak. Estimated half-life: 78.2 seconds. Decays into regret and pain, both dissipating. - NUMA displays rapid images that are alterations on the test object image. Estimated half-life: 33.1 seconds. Dissipates. - Holding tray becomes impermanent. Estimated half-life: 0.3 seconds. Dissipates. OTHER NUMA-DETECTED STRUCTURES: Indeterminate Memory

Spinning Top (NG) OBSERVATIONS: - Air rapidly spins. Estimated half-life: 19.3 minutes. Dissipates. - Holding tray becomes wooden. Estimated half-life: 10.4 minutes. Dissipates. OTHER NUMA-DETECTED STRUCTURES: Toy REMARKS: No memory attached to this NG. Expected result.

Portrait (NG) OBSERVATIONS: - NUMA becomes old. Estimated half-life: 2.4 minutes. Decays into ancient, before dissipating. - NUMA also becomes colourful, cycling through the primary colours used in test object. Estimated half-life: 4.7 minutes. Dissipates. - Holding Tray becomes important. Estimated half-life: 4.8 seconds. Decays into trivial, before dissipating. - Air bubbles with legacy. Estimated half-life: 0.2 seconds. Dissipates. OTHER NUMA-DETECTED STRUCTURES: Chaos, Oil, Eternal, Indeterminate Memory REMARKS: Not sure where chaos came from.

Plant Pot (NG) OBSERVATIONS: See remarks. OTHER NUMA-DETECTED STRUCTURES: Chaos, Empty, Blank, Disappointment, Indeterminate Memory REMARKS: See Log of Incident 9888-A.

ADDENDUM 9888.V: Log of Incident 9888-A

Audiovisual Transcript

Room: 3-5-21 Persistence

Date & Time: 01/06/24, 10:44

<The NUMA has just completed operations on a portrait. There are four observers present.>

Dr. Uchiyama: How colourful.

[MASKED]: Majestic.

<Dr. Nye turns his head to one side.>

Dr. Nye: Holding tray is unimportant too.

Dr. Pan: So it is.

[MASKED]: It says the NUMA became old. What does that mean, practically?

Dr. Pan: Indistinguishability — well, I'm not the expert here…

Dr. Uchiyama: Yes, Wayland is right. It is indistinguishably equal to something old. No timelines being overwritten here, that's another section's issue.

Dr. Nye: Never E&P's issue, is it, darling?

<Dr. Uchiyama rolls her eyes.>

[MASKED]: Professionalism.

<[MASKED] smiles.>

Dr. Pan: We aren't very big on professionalism in E&P, I must admit. My fault. We're big on results.

[MASKED]: And discoveries, I'm sure. Metaphysics wasn't even a thing when I joined the Foundation, you know? Suddenly there's a whole new branch of science dedicated to… all this.

Dr. Pan: We push the boundaries at this Site. It's expensive, of course.

[MASKED]: Duly noted.

<Silence for five minutes, as the NUMA grows less colourful.>

Dr. Nye: <whispers> Ai, you think we can wrap this up by noon?

Dr. Uchiyama: <whispers> Maybe. Normal place if we do?

Dr. Nye: <whispers> I'll love it.

<Silence for four minutes, as the NUMA's colours slowly fade away.>

Dr. Nye: <whispers> Way, you want to come?

Dr. Pan: <snorts silently, whispers> This isn't a tricycle. No need for a third wheel.

Dr. Uchiyama: <whispers> Aww, Wayland, we're so sorry.

Dr. Pan: <whispers> You're not.

<Silence for one minute.>

[MASKED]: <speaking to herself> We push the boundaries on this site.

<Dr. Pan looks apologetic.>

<Silence for five minutes. The NUMA reverts back to its base colours.>

Dr. Nye: Start the charging sequence?

Dr. Pan: No time like the present.

<Dr. Nye pulls out his phone, and sends a message. A pause.>

[MASKED]: And the next one is…

Dr. Uchiyama: Plant pot. Repetitive attempts to plant something, without success. We're digging for increasingly complex emotions here, seeing if the machine can break them down.

[MASKED]: And that's why the bun is there?

Dr. Nye: It's a very good bun.

<Dr. Uchiyama raises and lowers her eyebrows.>

Dr. Uchiyama: Either way, everything is going fine, right now, even though the last test had some weird results. Par for the course with metaphysics. Everything's an approximation, and there are no controlled tests.

Dr. Pan: Makes you almost wish you were in T&L, doesn't it?

<Dr. Uchiyama and Dr. Nye look at Dr. Pan in mock-disdain. A pause.>

<The NUMA beeps once. The plant pot is conveyed into the chamber.>

<The NUMA whirs as it processes the metastructure of the plant pot.>

Dr. Pan: Wonder what this will kick up.

NOTE: The next few events occur in rapid succession, and entail numerous seemingly-contradictory observations or readings. They have been reproduced as accurately as possible. To aid in comprehension, detailed timings have been provided.

11:06:01.00 | <The NUMA verifies that the chamber, holding tray and itself are metaphysically clean.>
11:06:01.25 | <The NUMA delivers its first energy packet. The plant pot is no longer ceramic.>
11:06:02.15 | <The NUMA detects ceramic.>
11:06:02.27 | <The holding tray becomes ceramic.>
11:06:03.89 | <The NUMA delivers its second energy packet. The plant pot is now a solid chunk of material.>
11:06:03.91 | <The air crackles with chaos.>
11:06:04.80 | <The NUMA detects empty.>
11:06:04.83 | <The air sputters.>
11:06:04.87 | <The air becomes oil.>
11:06:04.90 | <The air begins to spin.>
11:06:05.00 | <The NUMA delivers its third energy packet. The plant pot is now colourless.>
11:06:05.01 | <The NUMA becomes eternal.>
11:06:05.03 | <The NUMA detects oil. Emergency cutoff mechanism activates.>
11:06:05.07 | <Chamber is sealed in second cladding.>
11:06:05.10 | <Plant pot becomes empty.>
11:06:05.11 | <Plant pot visibly lifts in the air, due to strong suction forces caused by the sudden vacuum in the pot. The surrounding air, which is oil, vaporises.>
11:06:05.40 | <Plant pot begins cracking.>
11:06:05.62 | <Physical damage to the chamber by the air, which is oil, triggers the NUMA to run through its energy disconnection sequence. As a result, it delivers its fourth energy packet. The plant pot briefly fuses back together, before cracking again.>
11:06:05.67 | <As the plant pot's metastructure has altered significantly, beyond just stripping another meta-substructure, the energy packet disperses metaphysical energy throughout the chamber.>
11:06:05.68 | <The NUMA detects broken.>
11:06:05.70 | <The metaphysical cladding is broken.>
11:06:05.72 | <The chamber is broken.>
11:06:05.73 | <The emergency cutoff mechanism is broken.>
11:06:05.76 | <The air, which is oil, and the pieces of the broken plant pot begin flowing out of the chamber.>
11:06:05.89 | <The NUMA delivers its fifth energy packet. The plant pot's pieces do not visibly change.>
11:06:06.00 | <The NUMA detects blank, and an indeterminate memory.>
11:06:06.04 | <The NUMA becomes blank.>
11:06:06.13 | <The NUMA detects disappointment.>
11:06:06.15 | <The NUMA, including its internal mechanisms, dematerialises. The air, which is oil, and the pieces of the plant pot begin falling.>
11:06:06.22 | <The NUMA begins to rematerialise.>
11:06:06.24 | <Due to the excess of foreign material within the NUMA, it automatically discharges all remaining metaphysical energy.>
11:06:06.34 | <Plant pot pieces become explosive.>
11:06:06.37 | <Air becomes rancid.>
11:06:06.39 | <The NUMA becomes eternal, again.>
11:06:06.40 | <The NUMA becomes empty. Air and plant pot pieces dematerialise.>
11:06:06.44 | <Air and plant pot pieces rematerialise.>
11:06:06.49 | <Plant pot pieces explode.>
11:06:06.53 | <The NUMA becomes explosive.>
11:06:06.58 | <The NUMA explodes.>
11:06:06.60 | <The NUMA has potential.>
11:06:06.63 | <The NUMA becomes empty, again. Air and plant pot pieces dematerialise. Particles from explosion continue to move as normal.>
11:06:06.69 | <The NUMA implodes.>
11:06:06.75 | <Air and plant pot pieces rematerialise.>
11:06:06.80 | <Air bubbles with potential.>
11:06:06.83 | <Air crackles with chaos.>
11:06:07.02 | <The NUMA crackles with chaos.>
11:06:07.35 | <The NUMA becomes blank.>
11:06:07.64 | <The NUMA becomes blank.>
11:06:08.02 | <The NUMA becomes blank.>
11:06:08.57 | <The NUMA becomes blank.>
11:06:09.41 | <The NUMA, air and plant pot pieces collapse into themselves. There is a brilliant flash of a ceramic-coloured light. There is a brilliant flash of a metallic light. There is a brilliant flash of an airy light. There is a brilliant flash of a chaotic light. There is a brilliant flash of a blank light. The room is empty.>

<There is silence for eighteen seconds.>

[MASKED]: What the fuck?

ADDENDUM 9888.VI: Extracts from the Personal Log of Dr. Uchiyama Aiko, Translated to English

1/6/24

It’s a forsaken day. This is definitely going on file. I don’t really understand what happened, it was so fast. Our masked friend looked interested and left, and Wayland quarantined off the room and told us to take two days off.

If the Site collapses tomorrow and takes most of Singapore with it, let it be recorded that I was put on mandatory leave.

So much for a lunch date, too. Maybe tomorrow.

2/6/24

It was a good date. Been a while since I went on a long walk like that.

Karl thinks everything points towards some overload in energy. He’s probably not wrong, but the temporal aspect must come in too. Everything got accelerated, and something happened that fundamentally broke the NUMA.

Tomorrow we’re reviewing the footage and logs.

3/6/24

What seems clear is we’re in uncharted territory. This is the first time we’ve seen a severe shift in physical form as a result of metaphysical influence; specifically, it seems we’re not really capable of perceiving it as anything other than blank space. I guess we’ll see how this turns out after we place new things inside it.

Karl pointed out something strange. The wiring that connected to the NUMA to our anomalous energy central plant is simply not there anymore. It’s not that it’s been destroyed; we simply cannot perceive it. It’s a bit of a hassle, but not a danger. But that’s an issue for Anomalous Energies, I guess.

Well, Anomalous Energies has a shit ton of issues right now, anyway.

I think the best model for what's going on is a metaphysical singularity, of sorts. Too much energy and time manipulation in one placed made a "black hole". Or a blank hole. Basically, its sucked all the other concepts into itself. We should expect its gradual dissipation.

Wayland had another idea. He started off in Metaphysics, after all. He thinks the best description is some kind of annihilative effect, as the energy caused so many iterative shifts that the anti-concepts of each concept were generated, subsequently annihilating each other. I'll admit it does account very prettily for the flashes of light at the end, but it feels kind of wishy-washy to me. But we are in very new waters, after all.

5/6/24

Those fucking bastards in HR.

Wayland said he'll fight back on this, but it will take a long, long time. Our benefactor from up above hasn't been seen for a while. Don't know if we'll see her again.

My guess is no.

8/6/24

We've got a third opinion. Jayden thinks we can salvage some part of our effort. The energy levels in the room are still significantly above baseline, and are reacting in ways that far exceed our expectation; it all should have collapsed and/or dissipated by now. Jayden suggests that the NUMA, which no longer exists in the way it used to, is somehow acting as a physical anchor for all the metaphysical nonsense. We've submitted that upwards. We'll wait and see what our betters decide is best.

9/6/24

Jayden was right, by the way. There's something very curious about the space the NUMA last occupied.

13/7/24

Good progress. We've checked and double-checked, and the metaphysical energy in the room has dissipated to baseline levels. Should be good to go. The continuation of the project is imminent. Wayland is excited, very much so.

14/7/24

I can't believe they actually did this.

Karl plans to retire once all this is over. Honestly, I won't mind him getting out of this line of work. He always wanted to be a teacher anyway, and my salary is enough for both of us.

16/7/24

It's been approved. We start testing in August, or once we get word back from our dear overlord. I would be more excited if I wasn't so disgusted at what they did to Karl. Fuck HR, and fuck AE. I've never heard anything good about that shithole, anyway.

20/7/24

Happy anniversary to us!

1/8/24

Sometimes, I feel like the universe is playing a cruel joke on us all. On myself, on the Foundation, on the whole Site. It's like Murphy's Law, but enhanced. There is a sick kind of humour at work. I investigate metaphysics, and the universe is made of structures, all to be assorted and neatly packaged and catalogued and recorded. And then we come across a gap in our model, and of course this kind of thing happens. Everything always goes wrong. I don't know how. Everything always goes wrong. It's all messed up. Why am I here? Why did I choose this line of work? Why did everything align so perfectly for something so terrible to happen?

The universe is ordered into structures, and they all hate us.

I will get him out.

2/8/24

Good morning. There is no way to deal with this.

On the bright side, I know what I will do. I have not given up.

When this goes on file, give my love to Wayland.

ADDENDUM 9888.VII: Site-512 Employment Record of Dr. Karl Nye

request: er: knye
1: HIRED as Research Assistant @ 512AE
Approved by: 512AE on 030614
2: PROMOTED to Senior Research Assistant @ 512AE
Approved by: 512AE on 040115
3: PROMOTED to Junior Researcher @ 512AE
Sponsored by: changyk
Approved by: 512AE on 120618
4: PROMOTED to Researcher @ 512AE
Approved by: 512AE on 251120
5: PROMOTED to Senior Researcher @ 512AE
Sponsored by: sohj
Approved by: 512HR and 512AE on 010122
6: DEMOTED to Senior Research Assistant @ 512AE
Sponsored by: rgtan
Approved by: elim and 512AE on 140724
7: PROMOTED to Senior Researcher @ 512AE
Sponsored by: wlpan
Approved by: lchu and 512HR on 200824

ADDENDUM 9888.VIII: Log of Incident 9888-B

Audiovisual Transcript

Room: 3-5-21 Persistence

Date & Time: 01/08/24, 08:00

<The room is empty.>

Dr. Pan: Well, let's do our last checks. The time has come.

Dr. Uchiyama: Is our benefactor watching us?

<Dr. Pan looks up, directly at the camera.>

Dr. Pan: No doubt. Well, Karl, if you may.

Dr. Nye: Always ready to help, Way.

<Dr. Nye dons protective equipment.>

<Dr. Nye enters the room, wielding a metathermographic camera.>

<Dr. Nye waves the metathermographic camera around.>

NOTE: The next few events occur in rapid succession. Detailed timings have been provided.

08:05:34.10 | <The metathermographic camera beeps. The sound is muffled almost instantly.>
08:05:34.24 | <The entire room, and its contents, vibrate.>
08:05:35.91 | <A slight hole forms in Dr. Nye's protective equipment, specifically at the suction joining the trousers and overshirt.>
08:05:36.00 | <Briefly, the room becomes Dr. Nye. For a slightly longer period of time, the room is white-beige and wronged and qualified. For an even longer period of time, the room is loved.>
08:05:36.04 | <Previous effects fade. The room is filled with endurance. Dr. Nye is gone. Something remains in the room.>

Dr. Uchiyama: Karl?

Dr. Uchiyama: Wayland, where…

Dr. Pan: Oh, there's… no…

Dr. Uchiyama: Karl?

Dr. Uchiyama: Karl!

Dr. Uchiyama: KARL!

ADDENDUM 9888.IX: NUMA Testing Logs, Bloc 2

NUMA Testing Logs Bloc: 2 Date: 01-08-2024 Supervising: ucha Testing: ucha

REMARKS: Testing was conducted in the brief interval where Dr. Pan had left the room to alert higher authorities. It was unauthorised and unsupervised.

- - - - - - - - -

Rope (G) OBSERVATIONS: - Room becomes knotted, manifesting as the material on the walls peeling and forming knots. Estimated half-life: 0.2 seconds. Dissipates. - Room becomes long, manifesting as a non-Euclidean expansionary phenomenon. Estimated half-life: 1.3 seconds. Dissipates. - Room becomes brown. Estimated half-life: 0.7 seconds. Dissipates. - Room becomes rough, manifesting as the floor changing texture. Estimated half-life: 2.4 seconds. Dissipates. - Room remains filled with endurance. Estimated half-life: 6 months, dissipating slowly. - Rope collapses into dust. - Something does not change.

Hook (G) OBSERVATIONS: - Room becomes sharp, manifesting as the walls turning spiky. Estimated half-life: 3.0 seconds. Dissipates. - Room becomes metal. Estimated half-life: 1.5 seconds. Dissipates. - Room becomes silver. Estimated half-life: 0.3 seconds. Dissipates. - Room becomes curved, manifesting as a non-Euclidean expansionary phenomenon. Estimated half-life: 1.3 seconds. Dissipates. - Room remains filled with endurance. Estimated half-life: 6 months, dissipating slowly. - Hook collapses into dust. - Something does not change.

Scream (G) OBSERVATIONS: - Room becomes shrill, manifesting as a pure note of 18235 Hz emerging from an indeterminate source within the room, at a volume level of 75 dB. Estimated half-life: 5.0 seconds. Dissipates. - Room becomes desperate. Estimated half-life: 0.1 seconds. Dissipates. - Room remains filled with endurance. Estimated half-life: 8 months, dissipating slower. - Scream becomes muffled. - Something changes. REMARKS: Specific words screamed were "fuck you". The auditory protection in the observation room prevented propagation of the pure note out of the room. Testing was halted immediately after due to the arrival of Dr. Pan and members of security.

ADDENDUM 9888.X: Message sent to Dr. Uchiyama Aiko's room, dated 01/08/24

Aiko, I know what happened just now was deeply affecting. I can barely function. I'm being honest.

I've shut down the room. Nobody is allowed to enter. Tomorrow, we will find a way to deal with this. But, in total honesty, I think Karl is inaccessible to us. It's not a matter of physical possibility anymore. Metaphysically, Karl doesn't really exist in the same way he used to. Not outside the chamber.

You should take a break. Do what you will tomorrow, and I'll be there.

I'm sorry, I know this is quite shit. I've never been good at emotions. But please, don't give up.

- Wayland

ADDENDUM 9888.XI: Message sent to Dr. Wayland Laurence Pan's room, dated 01/08/24

Wayland, we need to talk

Table 12 at the cafe 9pm

- Aiko

ADDENDUM 9888.XII: Notepad found in Dr. Uchiyama Aiko's room, dated 02/08/24

Thien's Law: in isolation, all tends towards decay.

In isolation.

ADDENDUM 9888.XIII: Transcript from Meeting 9888/010824/1

Audiovisual Transcript

Room: 1-1-5 HQ

Date & Time: 01/08/24, 17:57

<Dr. Pan, A. Dir. Chu and Dir. van Rijn are seated around a round table. Dr. Pan's eyes are red.>

A. Dir. Chu: Bad enough that something went wrong with an O5 watching. Now we've lost someone.

Dr. Pan: I emailed you about this. He didn't have that secondary layer of protection all Senior Researchers are afforded.

A. Dir. Chu: If you knew he wasn't well protected, why did you let him in?

<Dr. Pan looks up.>

Dr. Pan: Who approved the plans?

<A. Dir. Chu looks away.>

Dr. Pan: And, yes, I thought it would be fine. I checked the gear myself. I didn't think… the camera…

A. Dir. Chu: Look, be that as it may, we've still lost —

Dr. Pan: Oh my god, Lucinda. Yes, we lost Karl. So? Want to demote me too?

A. Dir. Chu: You know I won't do that.

Dr. Pan: Okay. So what the fuck are we seated here for, then? I've reviewed the footage. I know what happened. I think there's no saving the situation. Something's in the chamber. What value can this meeting possibly add?

<Silence.>

A. Dir. Chu: Wayland, this isn't a trial. We're shutting down this project.

Dr. Pan: The O5?

A. Dir. Chu: I'll take over the external parties. You focus on what you ought to.

Dr. Pan: Okay. So we seal away the chamber and pretend Karl never existed, sure. It's nobody's fault, and all that.

Dir. van Rijn: Dr. Pan, calm down.

<Silence.>

Dir. van Rijn: Here is what will happen. Tomorrow, you will hand over the project. The new team will deal with the technical and logistical matters, before handing over the chamber to Security. Security will secure the chamber. We will remember Karl.

Dr. Pan: Oh, wonderful. I thought we were planning to forget him.

Dir. van Rijn: I know you're deeply affected right now. It's okay. Just keep an eye on Aiko. She… well, I don't know if you know what she's been up to. She's not doing so well. Just try to calm her down. Get her to attend the counselling.

<Dr. Pan has no reaction.>

Dir. van Rijn: I know you're listening. Just know that… well… I'm sorry, too.

<Tears glisten in Dir. van Rijn's eyes. Dr. Pan looks away.>

Dr. Pan: Okay, Director. I'll do what I can.

<Dr. Pan stands up and leaves the room. A. Dir. Chu and Dir. van Rijn do the same shortly after.>

ADDENDUM 9888.XIV: NUMA Testing Logs, Bloc 3

NUMA Testing Logs Bloc: 3 Date: 02-08-2024 Supervising: ucha Testing: ucha

REMARKS: Testing was conducted in the brief interval where Dr. Pan had reverted the system to allow conditional entry into the room, in order to facilitate the hand over. At the time, he was not close enough to Dr. Uchiyama to stop her.

- - - - - - - - -

Dr. Uchiyama Aiko (NG) OBSERVATIONS: - Instantly, there are two somethings, instead of one. Briefly, the two somethings become one something, before reverting back to two. - Various flashes of light, which are swallowed up too fast by the following effects to clearly register. - The room is filled with love. - The ground is covered in love. - The ceiling is dripping with love. - The walls are splattered in love. REMARKS: The half-life of the above effects cannot be ascertained, as they have shown no signs of dissipating.