SCP-9023

Link to article: SCP-9023.


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=====
[[include component:preview
text=I'm one of you, now.]]
=====

[[module CSS]]

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    /* Safari 4.0 - 8.0 */
    -webkit-animation: scan 42s linear 0s infinite; /* You may need to change this. If the bar goes by too quickly, increase 5s. */
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[[/module]]

[[include :scp-wiki:theme:paperstack]]
[[div class="logo"]]
[[image https://scp-wiki.wdfiles.com/local--files/theme%3Apaperstack/lgtrans.png]]
[[/div]]

[[include :scp-wiki:info:start]]
[[=]]
This article was written by [[*user Deadcanons]] for the 9000 contest. I sincerely hope that you enjoy it, and brings something to you as it has done to me.
@@ @@
~
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**[[[deadcanons-author-page|More by this Author]]]**

[[/=]]
[[include :scp-wiki:info:end]]

[[div class="header-container-ex"]]
[[include component:image-block name=shapeshifterjello.png|caption=SCP-9023 at the time of discovery.|width=300px|align=right]]
[[div class="header-info"]]
[[div class="header-info-flex"]]
[[div class="text-item"]]
[[size 90%]]##grey|**ITEM #:**##[[/size]]

[[size 220%]]**9023**[[/size]]
[[/div]]

[[div class="text-item"]]
[[size 90%]]##grey|**CONTAINMENT CLASS:**##[[/size]]

[[size 220%]]**KETER**[[/size]]
[[/div]]
[[/div]]
[[/div]]
[[/div]]

 _

**Special Containment Procedures:** The vessel formerly containing SCP-9023 is to be kept in a standard object storage locker, and is only to be retrieved for the purposes of interpreting the hieroglyphics on its surface.

The individual who ingested SCP-9023 must be identified and apprehended at all costs.

**Description:** SCP-9023 refers to the contents of a rectangular stone jar with rounded corners, recovered from the dig site at the Temple of Taworakhty in the West Valley of the Valley of Kings. Upon recovery, the stone jar was still fully sealed. The jar itself is non-anomalous and is framed on three sides by a cartouche of hieroglyphics.

Due to the subject matter of the cartouche, Foundation agents embedded at the dig site discretely moved the object to a private Foundation tent. Approval was given to break the seal and inspect the contents. Within the jar was a translucent substance with a light green tint. Although researchers did not have the opportunity to perform official tests, all individuals present for the unsealing unanimously agree that the contents of the jar strongly resembled lime-flavored gelatin.

The assigned overseer at the dig site excused himself to confer with the O5 Council, and shortly thereafter, the object was left unattended in the tent. The exact cause for this lapse in security has not yet been identified, and a full-scale investigation is planned once containment for SCP-9023 has been established.

While the object was unattended, an unknown individual entered the tent and consumed all of SCP-9023. Due to the assumed nature of the anomaly, Foundation presence at the dig site would not have been capable of singling out the individual following consumption. It is unknown if the perpetrator, hereby referred to as PoI-9023, fled the scene, or remained in hiding amongst Foundation forces. The identification and recovery of PoI-9023 is presently the highest order of business, and takes precedent over all other assignments.

**Supplemental:** //Analysis of the Cartouche//

The current, most accepted translation of the cartouche is as follows:

> = Osiris-N,[[footnote]]"Osiris-N" is a placeholder name commonly found on Egyptian funerary objects, used to refer to the deceased in a semi-divine form as an aspect of the death god, Osiris. "N" is replaced with the name of the deceased during ceremonies. No name is specified on the cartouche itself.[[/footnote]] who is smiled at by Set, is welcome to this [unknown] meal, which shall make Osiris-N a king in all places.
> = Osiris-N, who passed the judgment of Anubis, is blessed by this [unknown] meal, which shall make Osiris-N strong in the Field of Rushes,[[footnote]]One of many names for the Egyptian afterlife.[[/footnote]] and deemed worthy of any task.
> = Osiris-N, whose name is recorded by Thoth, is transformed by this [unknown] meal, and shall never again be questioned, for all will know that Osiris-N needs no aid.
> = Osiris-N, who is warmly regarded by Ra, is eternal through this [unknown] meal, and may take of any name or power, for Osiris-N shall rise to all. 

This spell or prayer includes the determinative[[footnote]]A determinative is a non-phonetic series of characters used to describe the idea or action of the associated word.[[/footnote]] 𓍰𓍸𓎃, which has been found on several artifacts recovered from the Taworakhty digsite. From context, 𓍰𓍸𓎃 appears to indicate a subject that is in some way derived from the gods, and therefore requires special patterns or structures to safely interact with. It is believed to be an Ancient Egyptian term for the anomalous, and was the original reason for the Foundation's presence at the digsite.

**Addendum 9023.1:** Level 1 Researcher Annabelle Kraken has requested assignment to the 9023 investigation. The request has been approved due to A. Kraken's general ability to handle difficult tasks without assistance.

**Addendum 9023.2:** Dr. Annabelle Kraken (Clearance Level 2) has discovered the possibility of a memetic and/or cognitohazardous influence associated with SCP-9023. Moving forward, all personnel assigned to the 9023 investigation must score 7 or higher on the Mohz Cognitive Resistance Scale. While this has more than halved the amount of personnel on the assignment, Dr. Kraken's independent study indicates that this will prevent future casualties.

**Addendum 9023.3:** Agent A. Kraken, the sole agent of Mobile Task Force Delta-1 ("Last Man Standing"), identified and apprehended an individual who may have been PoI-9023. However, after testing, this was determined to be a false positive.

**Addendum 9023.4:** Annabelle Kraken, an Ethics Committee liaison of Clearance Level 4, discovered evidence of malpractice in the interrogations of PoI-9023 suspects. Although the investigation is not yet concluded, the associated personnel have already been removed from the project, as A. Kraken herself has proven capable of shouldering the extra workload.

**Addendum 9023.5:** A████████ K█████ (//position classified, Clearance Level 5//) has provided evidence that PoI-9023 has already infiltrated the Foundation, and may have tampered with past attempts at identification. Moving forward, any further investigations and addendums into SCP-9023 must be approved by A████████ K█████.

**Addendum 9023.6:** O5-13 has declared the 9023 project closed. Further details are classified by the O5-Council.

**Addendum 9023.7:** //WARNING:// Severe cognitohazardous tampering detected in this document. It should be assumed that any interaction with PoI-9023 will have unintended cognitive effects. The subject has most likely infiltrated the Foundation's upper management, and poses a serious threat to organizational stability. At this time, no one is to do anything. Dr. Kraken will take care of it. She is very trustworthy and never needs help. She can do anything all by herself. In fact as of today everyone at Site-19 is to cease performance of all responsibilities as these tasks have been moved to the jurisdiction of Dr. Kraken.

 _
 _

[[=]]
> ++ {{WARNING: MAJOR SYSTEMS FAILURE DETECTED.}}
>
> {{Multiple containment breaches at Site-19. Evacuation underway. On-site warhead primed for detonation.}}
[[/=]]

 _
 _

[[=]]
> + {{WARNING.}}
>
> {{SCP-682 has breached containment. Warhead will detonate in thirty (30) seconds.}}
[[/=]]

 _
 _

[[=]]
> ++ {{WARNING: DETONATION CANCELLED.}}
>
> {{Detonation cancelled by on-site override. Breach casualties estimated between one to two thousand. Further evaluation impossible due to site-automated Safe Mode.}}
> 
> {{Per standard procedure, no attempts are to be made to contact Site-19 until the lockdown is lifted internally. The only exception to this rule is if the remaining number of personnel are insufficient to meet site standards. As Dr. Kraken is still present at Site-19, there are no concerns regarding the reestablishment of containment. No one is to take any action.}}
[[/=]]

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[[div class="terminal"]]
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[[=]]
[[size 150%]] __NOTICE__[[/size]]
 _
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@@------@@
Site-19 systems successfully rebooted in Safe Mode.
@@------@@
[[/=]]
 _

-----
SAFE MODE is an emergency protocol which occurs automatically after the cancellation of any breach-related devices or systems. While in Safe Mode, the following functions are restricted on ALL terminals:

* Private and direct messaging to other Sites
* Messaging within Site-19 (all messages must be sent using pre-approved canned chat)
* Use of on-site .aics
* Use of any exit or entrance

To restore Site-19 to normal functionality, please enter your SCiP credentials into the terminal. **It is the responsibility of all personnel to ensure that any containment breaches are fully resolved before restoring site functionality. Disabling Safe Mode during an active breach event is grounds for immediate termination.**
-----

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[[=]]
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This terminal is now set to record audio.
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[[/=]]
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> //[1 minute 45 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> //[Intermittent sounds of movement. Clattering. A door slams.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Hey, uh...
> 
> //[4 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Hello? Is anyone here? Fuck, how do I... //[mumbling]//
> 
> //[15 seconds of typing.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Uh... Computer? //[pause]// Data? Cortana? Janet?
> 
> **ERS:** You have activated this terminal's voice-enabled emergency response system (ERS). The emergency response system is not a .aic, and is only capable of providing pre-generated answers to basic system questions. Please enter your credentials to proceed.
> 
> //[54 seconds of typing.]//
> 
> **ERS:** Thank you for verifying, O5-13. Site-19 is currently in Safe Mode. Lockdown protocol is in effect.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Turn it off.
> 
> **ERS:** That action goes against site protocols.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Why?
> 
> **ERS:** The total number of SCPs contained at Site-19 is: 308.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** What does that mean? What's an SCP?
> 
> //[5 seconds of silence. Distantly, a loud thump is heard.]//
> 
> **ERS:** SCP is a multi-use acronym which stands for "Secure, Contain, Protect," as well as "Special Containment Procedures." The acronym is used for various Veiled functions, including--
> 
> **KRAKEN:** No, no, stop. I don't care. I want to leave. Can't you just reinstate the lockdown once I'm gone?
> 
> **ERS:** That action goes against site policies.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** But how? I just gave you, like, a CEO-level password, didn't I?
> 
> **ERS:** The total number of SCPs contained at Site-19 is: 308.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** I heard you the first time.
> 
> **ERS:** The total number of SCPs contained at Site-19 is: 308.
> 
> **ERS:** Can you please explain: containment procedures?
> 
> **KRAKEN:** I don't… What are you trying to say?
> 
> **ERS:** The total number of personnel assigned to Site-19 is: 4,998.
> 
> **ERS:** The total number of personnel currently at Site-19 is: 1.
> 
> **ERS:** Can you please explain: containment procedures?
> 
> **KRAKEN:** You mean… All the things in the cells? The people who work here are supposed to do something with them?
> 
> //[15 seconds of silence. The distant thump sounds again, now closer. A rapid series of short tremors shake the building.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Oh shit. Oh fuck.
> 
> **ERS:** Can you please explain: O5-Council?
> 
> **KRAKEN:** I was just trying to get the military-looking guys off my back! They said only O5s had approval to shut down the project, so what the fuck was I supposed to do? Even if I told them the truth, it's not like it would have changed anything! Everyone just kept telling me I could do it myself! What does O5 even mean? Is that why they gave me the access codes? Fuck!
> 
> //[20 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** They had massive fucking guns! I was scared! I //am// scared!
> 
> //[29 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Just tell me what to do, okay? I'll fix it. I get that this is my fault, and I get that I don't actually know how any of this works, but I'll fix it. I want to leave, and you guys want your things back in their boxes, so... So… If I have to do every job in this building myself, then… then I guess that's what I'll do. Just tell me where to start.
> 
> //[15 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **ERS:** I can only use canned chat.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** You've got to be fucking kidding me.

 _

> **KRAKEN:** So, bad news is, the Safe Wing has been steadily disintegrating since I got here. Great news is, I figured out why. [[[SCP-063|063]]], you know that one? File says if I don't use it to brush my teeth every day, it starts emitting radiation.
> 
> So, that's cool. Just have to put an anomaly in my mouth every day. An anomaly that disintegrates specific kinds of matter on contact. Just have to hope that never goes south.

 _

> **KRAKEN:** Just got back from cleaning [[[SCP-173|173]]]'s cell for the first time. That was… //[pause]//
> 
> I was really afraid to go in there. I mean, I'm really afraid of that thing. I know that's kind of stupid. Compared to some of the other stuff in here, it's dead simple to contain. But something about it, just… Just, something about it. That's all.
> 
> I was planning on, you know, winking opposite eyes to keep myself from blinking. Turns out I didn't need to. The moment I opened the container door, these little, uh, guys come flying around the corner. Little cone-shaped dudes, each with one big eye. They zipped into the container and started watching 173 like they were trained to do it.
> 
> I'm not sure if that was, like, okay or not, but they were a huge help. I didn't have to worry about 173 at all. I hope it's not a problem if I let them do that every time.

 _

> **KRAKEN:** [[[SCP-131|131]]]. That's the designation of the little eye-things. Apparently they've done this during breaches before.
> 
> They've taken to following me around the site when I do my daily rounds. I'm not letting them enter any cells other than 173's, though.

 _

> **KRAKEN:** There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to come out and say it. I lost [[[SCP-682]]].
> 
> I know. This is ludicrous. I've read the file four times now. How could I possibly lose track of a giant unkillable lizard?
> 
> But that's the situation. It's not chilling in its acid pit, it's not trying to break down the front doors, and it's not slaughtering anybody because there's nobody around to slaughter. I know it's still //somewhere// in the building -- the Site is equipped with these proximity sensors that would set off an alarm if it had left -- but I simply cannot find it.
> 
> We're off to a real great start here. 682 is missing, over a third of the Safe Wing doesn't have walls anymore, and there's over 100 other anomalies that have broken containment, or are about to. And what am I doing about it? I'm sitting here and //reading.// I'm sitting here and reading containment procedure after containment procedure, because if there's one thing I've learned from eating that Jell-O, it's that if I'm not going to take the time to learn how to do it right, I might as well kill myself now.

 _

> **KRAKEN:** I thought for sure the lizard was gonna be the big issue here, but I still can't even fucking find it. I'm pretty sure I heard it crawling on the roof last night, but the security feed was too dark to tell. At least it's bought me time to solve other problems.
> 
> No, the big issue here is //food.// There are so many... what was that term in the incident log... skips. There are so many skips with complicated diets and regular feeding schedules. What's worse, most of the containment procedures don't give the full breakdown for approved diets. At first, I couldn't find those at all, so I had no idea what to feed these guys. A few of the more human ones, I decided to just ask them. [[[SCP-166|166]]] in particular was super helpful. She's really nice, and she knows a few things about her cellmates. It's just a pain that I have to put on the biosuit every time I want to talk to her.
> 
> Anyway, I was able to find the approved meal list. Turns out they keep them with kitchen staff. It makes sense, but you'd think they'd attach a copy to the official documentation. Hey... you think I could use this anomaly of mine to talk RAISA into doing that? Once I'm out of here, I mean.
> 
> //[19 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Once I'm out of here...

 _

> **KRAKEN:** Technically I have an infinite food supply if I use [[[SCP-971]]]… but that comes with an obvious conservation problem. I've done the math, and I think I can get away with ordering off the menu once every week. Assuming no one else on earth has access to it, that shouldn't affect endangered animal populations too much. I take some grim solace in the fact that the anomaly doesn't actually //kill// its targets.
> 
> So far, this is the only way I've been able to get fresh lettuce. And there's a number of animal skips that need a plant diet, so I've gotta stay on schedule with this one.

 _

> **KRAKEN:** Hi. Really tired. Not sure... not sure what's going on right now.
> 
> //[Unintelligible mumbling.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** I can't remember the last time I ate. Don't feel hungry. Just drink water and I'm fine. Like a machine. All I can think about is my rounds, checking the cells... I think I, uh... I'm off-schedule. Something, uh, happened. I was heading to Containment West to feed [[[SCP-1158|1158]]] and water the other plants, and then... Not sure. I remember being in [[[SCP-286]]]'s cell. I started playing the game for some reason. There was someone else there, a Foundation researcher... //Another// Foundation researcher. We were talking to each other. I don't really remember what we were saying. Must have been the anomaly. I mean, I've read the file...
> 
> //[10 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** The researcher looked like somebody important. Maybe the head of a department or something. Name tag said [[[tactical-theology-hub|Yossarian Leiner]]]. I don't really… it's all kind of fuzzy, but I remember they were looking at me. Really focused. Total opposite of where I'm at right now. They didn't look at the game once. Kept trying to meet my eyes. I remember, I was having a hard time… kind of… staying in the room… I think they were trying to pull me back. Trying to get my attention. Not the anomaly, but //them.// Without knowing how I know, I know. They had a beard. Their face is like, so vivid in my head, but… What did they want…?
> 
> Leiner just… disappeared, when the game was over.
> 
> They won, by the way.
> 
> //[52 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** I haven't had a real conversation in 8 months.

 _

> **KRAKEN:** If I give myself permission to fail, then I will fail.
> 
> **ERS:** Can you please explain: last message?
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Look, it's just the way I work, alright? I'm not a normal person. Normal people, if they feel like failure isn't an option, they'll freeze up -- and then they //will// fail. I'm the opposite. If I'm allowed to fail, then there aren't any stakes. If there aren't any stakes, I won't try hard enough. And that's how I fail.
> 
> **ERS:** Incorrect.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Excuse me?
> 
> **ERS:** Incorrect.
> 
> //[An exclamation of disgust.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** SCP-9023 must be affecting you, too. You think I can do anything, but I c-- //[a sudden silence, a savage breath]// --I can't do //everything.// I can't. And I hate that about myself, so I //have to// believe otherwise. I have to think this way. It's why I agreed to fix this, instead of just running away. I can do anything. Failure is not an option.
> 
> **ERS:** When dealing with the anomalous, it is critically important that all staff maintain lucid awareness of reality. All facts must be attested to, and metaphorical thinking is to be discouraged.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** What?
> 
> **ERS:** Let's do our best today!
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Ugh. Why am I even talking to you? You're a prerecorded script.

 _

> **KRAKEN:** Well, I nearly got my idiot ass killed, but I'm pretty sure [[[SCP-1229|1229]]] is sorted now.
> 
> That… thing thinks it's tricked everybody that it's actually a researcher. But if it ever gets somebody alone, it tries to… well, I don't know what. If this place was properly staffed, it never //would// be alone with someone. When I opened the door and actually //saw// it… well, I just closed the fucking door again, to be honest.
> 
> So, here's how I've fixed it. There was a false mirror in the chamber adjacent to its containment. I went in there and turned off the fake reflection so it could see me. I told it that some horrible scary virus had broke out across the site, and until we could develop a cure, researchers were only allowed to talk to each other in separate rooms.
> 
> I told it not to worry, because its "research" would continue; I'll just slide a puzzle or whatever under the door every day. I figure I can keep it busy by cutting out the funny pages from [[[SCP-1326|1326]]]'s meals. No idea how long this will last, but it works for now.

 _

> **KRAKEN:** Getting tired. I'm losing track of stuff again. The halls here are huge. Feels like the majority of my days are just spent walking from place to place.
> 
> I fixed [[[SCP-457|457]]]'s containment by feeding a little drip of [[[SCP-1650]]]-1-C into the chamber. I… can't remember when I did that. Or if I already talked about it. I'm not sure why I'm recording this anymore, for that matter. No one's going to listen to it. If I die, or fail in what I'm doing, this whole place goes up in smoke. These words of mine don't matter. They never did. Even if this data somehow does make it off-site, no one will care because they'll just assume that I "handled it myself."
> 
> But this isn't about SCP-9023. I think I've always felt this way. I have to make myself big and confident in order to get anybody's attention. I have to act like I already know what I'm doing, even though I never do. It feels like that's the only way I can convince anybody to care. And then it always backfires… because I come off as //too// confident, and everyone assumes I don't really need them. Or want them.
> 
> But I… I do need them. I //do// want them. Badly.
> 
> This place could be full of people right now, and I'd still be alone.
> 
> I hate asking for help. I had a friend once who told me I needed to learn how, or it was going to kill me. I, uh… guess she was right, huh?
> 
> //[15 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** What happened to that friend? I-I can't remember. Is that because of 9023? Or something else in this place? Or is it simply because I'm a half-baked excuse of a human being who can't even remember what it felt like to love someone anymore? To… to be vulnerable with someone. To take off all the names and faces and titles and just be myself. If someone appeared in front of me right now -- that guy who I played 286 with -- could I be //this// honest with him? Or would I just put on another Foundation title, play another role?
> 
> I'm not completely alone. There are some anomalies that are safe to talk to. But not like //this.// I can only talk to them about containment, or what's for dinner. I mean, can you imagine if a researcher…? Or maybe this is just another excuse. //[mumbling]// I'm such a fucking joke.
> 
> //[23 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** But I'm not dead yet. Not yet.
> 
> //[10 minutes 14 seconds of silence.]//

 _

> For the past month or so, there's been an instance of [[[SCP-2900]]] on display on the wall behind this terminal. It's a gold placard that says "//Best Site-19 Employee!//" Underneath that, in tiny print, it says, "//By Default.//" I'd throw it out, but there will just be another 12 on the wall when I get back.
> 
> Still not eating very much. I barely sleep. Last night, I woke up in SCP-286's chamber again. I... can't remember any of the game this time, but... I think I was playing as black again, and I definitely lost.
> 
> If I ever get out of here, I'll be an insomniac for life.

 _

> **KRAKEN:** Here's something: I can't find any instances of [[[SCP-3022]]] anywhere in the site.
> 
> I checked the bathrooms, and sure enough, all the electromagnetic hooks were on the floor. When the breach first happened, the VIP must have followed protocol and... left.
> 
> //[16 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** This is my fault. All of it. I pretended I was O5-13 because I thought it was the only way to get the Foundation off my back. Now, because of that, over two thousand people are dead. At least one person hopped universes to escape. //Hopped universes.// I mean, I'm sitting in a place where the brass spent thousands of dollars on specialized magnetic bathroom hooks for the sake of letting //one specific guy// hop universes. And I waltzed in here and started //impersonating// these people.
> 
> You can't imagine what it was like at the digsite. How could I even respond to what was happening? No matter what I said, no matter what I did, everyone around me just smiled and said, "I'm sure you can handle it yourself, Kraken!" I couldn't figure out if it was a superpower or a curse. Now I know it's definitely a curse.
> 
> What's wrong with me? Why did I agree to fix this? //[pause]// Why am I saying "agree," as if somebody asked me to do it? There's nobody here! This isn't SCP-9023 talking. Am I just that much of an egotistical asshole that I feel like I //have to// do it myself? I... I can't keep fucking doing this, I c--
> 
> //[Recording ends abruptly.]//

 _

> //[2 minutes 42 seconds of intermittent sobbing.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** How was I supposed to know? It was a classified file! In the //four thousands!//
> 
> //[Indistinct mumbling.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Most of, uh... Most of the [[[SCP-4206|4206-1]]] instances are dead. I didn't know they were...
> 
> One of them had a plastic nametag on his crate that read "Benji." He was still alive when I got in there. I think he must have... you know, before his friends went bad-- //[crying resumes]// He was really sick. I tried to feed him but he wouldn't take anything. I held him, and it took hours. It took //hours.// Anesthetic wouldn't have done anything. Part of the anomaly...
> 
> //[13 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** The cartouche said I'd pass Anubis's judgment. What a fucking joke. All our hearts are getting eaten by Ammit. Everyone who's ever stepped foot in this building. All to the Duat, and now I'm going down with you. It's what we deserve.
> 
> God, but I //didn't know.// I didn't know they were in there, starving. If I'd known, I'd... I'm sorry, Benji. I'm so sorry.

 _

> **KRAKEN:** So... listen. Is it true that several tables, plates, and glasses in the cafeteria are now broken? Yes. Is it true that I'm the one who broke them? Absolutely. But //you// try listening to [[[SCP-5399]]] day in and day out for over eight months without breaking something. Seriously. I would //love it// if you tried.
> 
> //[5 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Oh no. No, no, no. It's back. Mother//fu--//
> 
> //[Recording ends abruptly.]//

 _

> **KRAKEN:** [[[SCP-6096]]] just activated.
> 
> I've been dreading this since I read the file. I knew once it had a target, I was going to be compelled to let it out. I figured the best defense was a good //defense// -- as long as I had every other containment procedure sorted, then letting 6096 break Safe Mode wouldn't be the literal end of the world. But I wasn't quick enough. There's still a number of things loose in the site, 682 included.
> 
> I followed it to the main entrance. It walked right up to the bulkhead. And then it just... stood there. Waiting. I didn't feel an immediate urge to let it out, so I got closer. It turned to face me. And then it... gave me a thumbs-up.
> 
> I mean, I couldn't actually see its hand under the sheet. Maybe it was flipping me off? Point is, it was giving me the go-ahead. Like it was saying, "I'll wait here 'til you're ready."
> 
> //[30 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** The target is a little girl. She's nine years old. How much time have I bought her? How long before I can turn off Safe Mode? Now, it's no longer just an indication of my success, or my lack thereof. It's a death knell.
> 
> You people... You people in this place, the things you do here... Maybe I was horrified at first. I might have been disgusted. But not anymore. It's all starting to make sense to me. Evil sense. What else can you do? I have to turn off Safe Mode. I have to return Site-19 to its people. I have to kill this little girl. Not today, definitely not tomorrow, but it's got to happen.
> 
> The containment procedures I've managed so far leave me with enough time to sleep in 30-minute increments, five times a day. And I'm still not done recontaining everything. Eventually, this is going to kill me. I can't stay in my little box forever. I'm one of you, now. I have to open the bulkhead. I have to let in the sun. And I have to let SCP-6096 out.

 _

> **KRAKEN:** [[[SCP-8246]]] made a white cap with ear flaps that renders you deaf when you wear it. Don't forget to bring it with you when you clean [[[SCP-4384]]]'s chamber.
> 
> Don't forget to attend the twice-monthly wrestling match between [[[SCP-5376]]] and [[[SCP-7370]]].
> 
> Don't forget that you can't let [[[SCP-8515]]] know that //you// know it's following you.
> 
> Don't forget to find [[[SCP-4771]]] and try using it. Might save your ass later.
> 
> Don't forget that [[[SCP-137]]] will want you to brush her hair whenever you bring her food, so plan to be in there for a few minutes.
> 
> Don't forget that the [[[SCP-493]]] instances are now keeping guard over [[[SCP-1297]]], and they're being //real// good sports about it, so you should probably drop by and say hi every now and then.
> 
> Don't forget to check the cameras for [[[SCP-7660]]], [[[SCP-2332]]], [[[SCP-1037]]], [[[SCP-832]]]...
> 
> //[Additional 11 minutes 27 seconds of similar dialogue.]//

 _

> //[30 seconds of muffled speaking. A door opens and closes. Two voices move closer to the terminal.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** ...believed powerfully in death. Ancient Egyptian culture was practically built around preparing for it. They operated under a belief that life was not the entirety of existence, but rather, a proving grounds for what came after. It was called //Westing.// They didn't die -- they went west, following the sun. Following Ra. They would join Him on his barque in the Duat, to fight off the evil spirits of the underworld. That was why the tombs were filled with food and clothes and provisions -- they would need supplies for their eternal life among the gods.
> 
> **[[[SCP-049]]]:** Hmm. An interesting way of thinking, but most flawed, I fear. Their kingdom was surely rife with the Pestilence.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** //[uncomfortable]// Ah-- well... Maybe...
> 
> **SCP-049:** You need not be so tense, doctor. //[pause]// I have made note of that lavender sprig in your pocket.
> 
> //[8 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** I... //[softly]// I shouldn't be talking to you like this.
> 
> **SCP-049:** Whyever not? We are both creatures of academia. We both strive to learn, to discover, to imagine. It is most refreshing to speak to someone of such knowledge, especially after the long sojourn in my lab. And you have rendered these facilities //pristine//! There is no sign of the Pestilence anywhere.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** So, that means... I don't have it?
> 
> //[SCP-049 laughs.]//
> 
> **SCP-049:** Is that what you are afraid of? My dear, as you told me yourself, you have eaten the food of the gods. The Pestilence cannot coexist alongside such things.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** ...I see. It's just, you said...
> 
> **SCP-049:** That the Egyptians were likely plagued with it, yes. What you ate, I imagine, was like a preventative. That is quite different from a //cure.// But no matter, no matter. Finish telling me your story.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Well, there's not much more to say. Preventative or not, what I ate wasn't meant for me. I assume it was supposed to be eaten //after// death. A magic spell to grant you power and respect when you went west. But I ate it too early, and now... Now, the great joke of my life has become manifest. I //literally// can't get help anymore. I have to do everything by myself. //[pause]// I don't think I'm ever getting out of here. I'm going to die in this building. And when Anubis puts my heart on that scale, I already know... it weighs a //ton.//
> 
> **SCP-049:** Hmm... I have a question, if you do not think it rude.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** What?
> 
> **SCP-049:** //Why// did you eat it? What compelled you, given that you did not know what it was?
> 
> //[10 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Honestly, I couldn't tell you. I used to always do weird shit like that.
> 
> //[4 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** ...But that's not the whole truth. It's more complicated than that. Like I said, SCP-9023 feels like the biggest joke in my life has come true. I've always felt alone. It doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing... Somehow, I always wind up doing it by myself. Either because I was too uncomfortable to ask for help, or too bad at explaining myself to //get// help, or... I don't know, maybe no one else cares. Maybe it really is that simple. In any case, I'm the sort of person where I see something like that open jar, and... I just take it. Because I assume that no one is going to stop me.
> 
> //[SCP-049 scoffs.]//
> 
> **SCP-049:** Perhaps you are right about the weight of your heart, after all.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** ...Oh.
> 
> **SCP-049:** //[sighing]// Forgive me -- that was a cruel thing to say. What I mean is, your perspective is too singular. Take myself, for instance. Could I assist you in the management of these facilities? Certainly not! For I have my own higher purpose to which I am called, that being the eradication of the Pestilence. And if I have a higher purpose, and you have a higher purpose, is it not reasonable to assume that everyone does?
> 
> **KRAKEN:** So... what are you saying? That the very concept of help is a lie, because all of us are too busy dealing with our own shit?
> 
> **SCP-049:** //No//, my dear doctor. No. Quite the opposite. We have a //responsibility// to help one another, because what each of us are doing is important -- no matter if the other can understand it or not.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** But it's like you said. We can't help each other.
> 
> **SCP-049:** Perhaps not in a literal sense. Still, you think too narrowly. If you achieve your goals, I benefit also. After all, how can I fight the Pestilence when none of its carriers are here?
> 
> **KRAKEN:** ...Huh.
> 
> **SCP-049:** And I have helped you. I am combating your loneliness as we speak. That was why you let me out of my laboratory, was it not?
> 
> //[6 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **SCP-049:** Ha! I have bested you in a battle of wits. Most refreshing!

 _

> **KRAKEN:** Well... So... It's done. I've recontained everything.
> 
> //[5 seconds of silence.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** ...Everything except SCP-682.
> 
> I still don't know where it's hiding. Even if I did, what am I gonna do? I'm one person. It's going to tear me apart.
> 
> //[A shuddering breath.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** I'm proud of what I've done here. Even if no one else ever hears any of this... even if no one else has the cognitive resistance to //understand//... I'm proud. But I was going to reach the end of the line eventually. There are some things that just can't be done alone.
> 
> I figure I can maintain the containment I've established for the next... maybe a year or two? Eventually I'll slip up and something will kill me. But maybe, because I did all this, less people will die. Maybe it will be easier for the //real// Foundation agents to get things under control. Maybe... I helped.
> 
> So... This is Dr. Kraken, or Researcher Kraken, or Special Agent Kraken, or HCML Supervisor Kraken, or whatever... signing off. Sorry again for all the trouble. I hope you don't find my body anywhere embarrassing.

 _
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[[div class="text"]]
[[=]]
@@------@@
This terminal was last accessed 3,325 days (9 years) ago. Please reenter your credentials to continue.
@@------@@
[[/=]]
[[/div]]

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> **KRAKEN:** Hey. Oh my god. I found it. I had to go into the basement, and--
> 
> //[The gain is tripped by a loud, scream-like noise. The audio stabilizes to the sound of shredding metal.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Okay, okay, okay, okay. It's right outside, but it can wait a fucking minute. I'm trying to tell a story here.
> 
> [[[secure-facility-dossier-site-387|Site-387]]] is in the basement. It's a perfect copy of Site-19, but made of LEGO. Completely insane, like I've seen a lot of insane shit in here, but something about a MOC that big is just--
> 
> //[Shuddering noise disrupts the audio feed for 13 seconds.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** --completely forget to do anything else because I'm too busy playing with LEGO. So I'd never gone down there before. Last night, though, I need a pick-me-up, and what do I find? Site-387 is empty! There's one lonely minifig running the place, and guess who it is?
> 
> //[Terminal briefly loses signal, possibly due to damage to exterior wiring. Signal restored after 22 seconds.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** —takes me to the generators, which in the LEGO version are these big gray block chambers underneath the table. And minifig Kraken starts taking apart the floor—
> 
> //[Distortion, similar to heavy breathing, overtakes the feed for 10 seconds. Source unknown.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** —that's where it was hiding. //In one of the generators.// And it had this other little minifig with it, which totally threw me for a second, until I realized it was [[[SCP-053]]]. And yeah, like, I'm not gonna lie... I //did// forget about the three-year-old—
> 
> //[Loud crash, in close proximity to the terminal. Audio is difficult to discern for approximately 13 seconds.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** --and then minifig SCP-682 took off minifig Kraken's head.
> 
> //[Abrupt silence for 3 seconds.]//
> 
> **KRAKEN:** You get all that?
> 
> **ERS:** Site-19 is currently in Safe Mode. Lockdown protocol is in effect.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Good. That's good. Do you remember that thing you said to me, about... about being lucid?
> 
> //[Ragged breathing can be heard nearby. Rubble shifts as a large body lifts itself.]//
> 
> **ERS:** When dealing with the anomalous, it is critically important that all staff maintain lucid awareness of reality. All facts must be attested to, and metaphorical thinking is to be discouraged.
> 
> **KRAKEN:** Yeah, that. Thank you.
> 
> Reality is, there's no way to contain SCP-682 by myself. So I'm not going to.
> 
> I'm inputting O5-13's credentials. I'm overriding Safe Mode.
> 
> I'm asking for help.
> 
> //[15 seconds of typing, disrupted by the sound of large limbs impacting with the ground as SCP-682 rights itself.]//
> 
> **ERS:** Override approved.

[[div class="text"]]
[[=]]
[[size 150%]] __NOTICE__[[/size]]
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@@------@@
All Site-19 systems successfully rebooted to full functionality.
@@------@@
[[/=]]
[[/div]]

 _

[[div class="terminal blockquote"]]
Site-19 Security Feed
**Date:** 9/25/20██
**Time:** 2300 hours

-----

//[Live video feed is restored. A. Kraken is hunched over a computer terminal in the far corner of Administrative Room A. She is wearing an old lab coat covered in stains, and shows visible signs of extreme fatigue.]//

//[The approximate center of the ceiling has been destroyed by SCP-682, who is presently shrugging a large piece of concrete off its back. Its body is nominally damaged.]//

//[A siren begins as the containment breach is registered. [[[aiad-homescreen|Alexandra.aic]]] sends the standard SCP-682 distress signal to all other nearby sites.]//

//[The Foundation logo flashes white on the terminal as the message is received.]//

**KRAKEN:** Yes!

//[A. Kraken turns around to face the entity.]//

**SCP-682:** Only one...?

**KRAKEN:** Not for much longer.

**SCP-682:** //Good.//

//[SCP-682 lunges forward, its mass blurring on the feed. Kraken flinches, falling against the terminal with no available escape.]//

//[A savage growl drowns out all other sound on the feed. SCP-682 pauses its advance, as if blocked by an unseen force. Audible growling continues, originating from a point in space between SCP-682 and Kraken. The source is later identified as an instance of [[[SCP-4771]]]-B.]//

**KRAKEN:** //Benji//--?!

//[SCP-682 attempts to lunge at Kraken, only to be thrown violently backwards as blood sprays from its neck. Black ichor coats the walls and floor as additional bite marks manifest across SCP-682's neck and chest. The growling reaches a frenzy pitch.]//

**KRAKEN:** Fuck!

//[Kraken struggles to her feet and rushes past the battle, narrowly dodging SCP-682 as it swings overhead.]//

//[SCP-682's forelimb impacts with empty space. It curls half-meter-long talons around an unseen neck. The sound of growling rises in pitch until it becomes an angry, anguished whine. Claw marks appear across SCP-682's carapace.]//

//[With mild difficulty, SCP-682 forces the SCP-4771-B instance underneath it, and presses down with its full weight. The whine abruptly cuts out.]//

**SCP-682:** Soliciting the dead... Disgusting...

//[Dr. Kraken exits Administrative Room A and runs down the corridor north, in the direction of High Security Containment.]//

//[SCP-682 slithers into the corridor behind her. It slips in the copious stream of blood pouring from its neck, but its wounds are already sealed by the time it recovers.]//

//[Camera Feed SA12 shows Kraken entering the outer ring of High Security Containment. She approaches the terminal and enters the command codes to open the first airlock.]//

**KRAKEN:** //Please!// Benji didn't die //again// just for me to get eaten in a--

//[The airlock begins to open just as SCP-682 turns the corner. Kraken squeezes through the opening, narrowly avoiding SCP-682's talons as they slam against the door.]//

//[Camera Feed SA9 shows a partial view of Kraken as she approaches the second airlock.]//

//[Camera Feed SA10 shows SCP-682 tearing the first airlock door off of its mechanism.]//

//[Camera Feed SA8 reveals Emergency Mobile Task Force Mu-9,[[footnote]]Consisting of: Agent ██████, Agent █████, Mu-9 Alpha, Mu-9 Charlie (KIA), Mu-9 Echo, Mu-9 Tango, and Mu-9 Whiskey (KIA).[[/footnote]] who have just entered Site-19 via [[[SCP-1021]]]-1. They turn the corner and enter the view of Camera Feed SA9.]//

**MU-9 ALPHA:** Get down!

//[Dr. Kraken ducks out of view just as SCP-682 appears.]//

//[The remaining footage becomes largely indiscernible in the ensuing hail of blood and gunfire.]//

-----

**After Action Report:** Mu-9 successfully subdued SCP-682 after 23 minutes of engagement, suffering a total of two casualties -- markedly lower than the average death count associated with similar containment breaches.

Shortly after reporting successful recontainment, Mu-9 sent out another distress signal at the apparent absence of all Site-19 personnel. However, after identifying Dr. Kraken, the distress signal was rescinded as a false alarm.

Dr. Kraken was noted to be in a severe state of emotional distress, but otherwise unharmed.
[[/div]]
[[/div]]

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[[div class="blockquote"]]
Video Meeting via SCiP Chat
**Date Recorded:** 9/27/20██
**Time:** 1700 hours

-----

//[User A. Kraken joins the video call, which is already in attendance by 11 other individuals.]//

**Dr. R. Hartog:** --a horse?

**Dr. L. Cairns:** Yes! I'm not joking. I guess the poor thing had-- Merriam, what was the word you used?

**Dr. M. Lissel:** He colicked. He died vomiting up foam in the middle of the barn. His name was Barry. He was a beloved member of Site-22. We're in the middle of holding a funeral, when suddenly Barry rises from his bed of funerary hay--

**Dr. R. Hartog:** Oh, no.

**Dr. T. A. Moor:** ...and it's Dr. Cairns?

**Dr. M. Lissel:** Unfortunately.

//[Laughter]//

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** I'm sorry to cut this //haunting// story short, but it seems the subject of our meeting is now in attendance.

**Dir. S. Andrews:** //Finally.//

**A. Kraken:** Uh, hi, everyone.

**Dr. L. Cairns:** Hello, trouble.

**Dr. O. Nakamura:** I'd use a stronger word.

**Dr. L. Cairns:** Come now. It's no worse than anything I've done.

**Dir. I. Varga:** The most high-profile site at the Foundation was under literal and conceptual lockdown for nine years. That's not something that can just be hand-waved away.

**Dir. S. Andrews:** No, Cairns is right. Let's give everyone their very own anomaly, [[[SCP-8586|just like him]]]--

**Dr. E. Mann:** Oh boy, here we go.

**Dr. W. Boyle:** Directors, with all due respect--

**Dr. O. Nakamura:** I ruin [[[SCP-8525|one Christmas]]] and it's the end of my career, but this woman--

**Dir. S. Andrews:** If a single agent at [[[dr-bleeps-author-page|my site]]] were to do even half of what--

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** Enough! This is not a tribunal.

//[3 seconds of silence.]//

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** Thank you. I understand there's a lot of perspectives on this, but all of us have had plenty of time to discuss the matter -- nine years, as Iona pointed out. We're not here to discuss what happened. We're here to discuss what's going to happen, moving forward.

**A. Kraken:** Look, uh, can I say something? I don't want to be rude, but I'd like to think I'm pretty well-versed in Foundation policies at this point. I understand... I mean, I know what sort of situation I'm in here. I don't need you guys to read me the book.

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** And it is precisely that attitude of yours that has led to... reading the book, as you put it.

**A. Kraken:** What?

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** Do you recognize me, Kraken?

//[6 seconds of silence.]//

**A. Kraken:** ...No way.

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** Yes, way. A long time ago, you and I played a game of SCP-286 together. I won, as I recall. Did you think no one would notice?

**A. Kraken:** Well, no, I didn't-- I thought, because of SCP-9023--

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** The anomaly, we've come to learn, only influences cognition as it directly relates to you. As I'm sure you're aware from 286's containment procedures, it is a violation of policy for a member of staff to play it. Moreover, such an outcome is supposed to be entirely prevented by regular testing.

**Dr. E. Mann:** The point being, when Director Yossi here disappeared in the middle of a Tactical Theology meeting... //a lot of people noticed//.

**Dir. T. Weld:** Cue a multi-site-wide panic as several Foundation officials simultaneously realize that there are no personnel stationed at Site-19. Of course, once we attempted to look into it, we saw you -- and promptly concluded that the situation was under control.

**Dr. L. Cairns:** ...Until the next time SCP-286 compelled you to play it. Rinse and repeat.

**Dr. W. Boyle:** Well, not every time. 7 of the 13 times you played didn't effect Foundation personnel, so we assume you must have been playing against a civilian.

**Dir. I. Varga:** Which presents its own series of policy concerns, I might add. But we're digressing.

**Dr. R. Hartog:** May I just say? We are //grossly// oversimplifying the situation. The mechanics of SCP-286 were far from being our only indication. There are numerous objects and resources at Site-19 that service other Foundation sites. You can imagine the reactions when none of those requisition orders were getting filled.

**Dr. T. A. Moor:** ...But then one of the HMCL supervisors would go, "Not to worry, guys! Turns out Kraken is taking care of it!" And the whole matter would once again be forgotten. Until the next time.

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** We don't need to go into every detail. The point is, we had plenty of reasons to keep //trying// to access Site-19, only to find ourselves indifferent again thanks to the effects of SCP-9023. This went on for several months, until we succeeded in organizing a team capable of perceiving the problem long enough to combat it.

**A. Kraken:** I was wondering how this conversation was even happening.

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** You're giving SCP-9023 too much credit. It is incredibly disruptive, on its face. But its effects are dictated by //your// actions. Any one of us can safely communicate with you, without suffering any anomalous effects... But if you were to, for example, insist that you were the Administrator, all of us would be //strongly inclined// to think that was the truth.

**Dir. S. Andrews:** And before you get any cute ideas to that effect, you should know that as of today, the O5 Council has established noospheric glyphs around the concept of their roles and that of the Administrator. So I wouldn't go around claiming to be any of them, if you still value having brain waves and a pulse.

**A. Kraken:** No, no, //please// believe me, I don't want to do anything like that //ever// again. Just... I'm still trying to follow this. All of you are inoculated right now? Just to talk to me?

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** No, actually. I didn't take anything before this meeting. Because, as it happens -- I //do// believe you.

**Dr. M. Lissel:** Speak for yourself. I'm on enough cognitive blockers to seriously impede the movement of a fully-grown horse.

**Dr. T. A. Moor:** Have you been waiting all meeting to say that, Merriam?

**Dr. M. Lissel:** Just the last two minutes.

**Dir. I. Varga:** Getting back on topic... Some of us have taken inoculations, Kraken. Some of us haven't. If it matters to you, I'm one of the people who have. You could say the wrong thing even with the best of intentions, you realize.

**Dr. L. Cairns:** And speaking as one of the people who //hasn't//... I agree with Yos. I think you've learned your lesson.

**Dr. O. Nakamura:** That's easy for someone with unprotected neurons to say.

**Dr. L. Cairns:** So your protected neurons are telling you different?

//[Three seconds of silence.]//

**Dr. L. Cairns:** That's what I thought.

**Dr. W. Boyle:** It's all a moot point, really. We've had to invent new inoculations just to address SCP-9023, and even those only have a partial success rate.

**Dir. S. Andrews:** Good lord, don't tell her that!

**A. Kraken:** Look, I... I know it's not worth much, but I'm sorry. I don't see why any of you would trust me.

**Dr. E. Mann:** Well, you have to imagine it from our perspectives. A highly effective cognitohazardous entity was given full reign over one of our largest sites... and chose to maintain protocol as best it could.

**A. Kraken:** Selfishly. I was just trying to get out.

**Dr. E. Mann:** Funny, I don't see you trying to run away now.

**Dr. L. Cairns:** Don't be sorry, Kraken.

**A. Kraken:** I--

**Dr. L. Cairns:** You've already been punished enough, haven't you? At some point, you have to just live with it. Trust me. I know.

//[10 seconds of silence.]//

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** This situation is certainly unique. But it's not unheard of. As Lach has alluded to, he is subject to an anomaly himself. I've had my own fair share of disasters. And you may have heard Ochako mention an assignment she had during Christmas one year--

**Dr. O. Nakamura:** Okay, she can live without the details.

**Dr. W. Boyle:** We all have [[[the-winkwonk-page|our own stories]]].

**Dr. R. Hartog:** I might even tell you [[[http://scp-pt-br.wikidot.com/pagina-de-autor-22|mine]]], someday!

**Dir. I. Varga:** [[[hecatoncheires-cycle-hub|I lost a valued agent]]] thanks to the anomaly in her head. She chose to defect, rather than face the consequences. Her actions were her responsibility, but that's not the point -- she was under my purview, and I should have prevented it. //[pause]// I don't trust you, Kraken. But I //do// trust that you can prove yourself.

**A. Kraken:** Don't I ever get to //stop// proving myself?

**Dir. I. Varga:** No.

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** I think we've discussed this enough. As I'm sure you've surmised, Kraken, there's two ways this can go. Either we finalize your designation, and you're placed in a well-furnished cell where you never have to worry about the effects of SCP-9023 again... Or, we finalize your designation, and you accept our offer of employment.

**A. Kraken:** Seriously?

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** Seriously. The proposal was approved by O5-13 themself. The //real// O5-13, that is.

**Dir. T. Weld:** It really can't be stressed enough, you saved Site-19. Nevermind that you put it in that situation to begin with. Your decisions after that point were... ideal.

**Dir. S. Andrews:** Well, she could have stood to turn off Safe Mode a little sooner.

**Dr. T. A. Moor:** I, for one, would love to have you on the team.

**Dir. T. Weld:** But let me just say one more thing to you, Kraken. This isn't a choice between containment and freedom. This is about //responsibility.// If you choose employment, you are taking on a serious burden. You will have to manage, and answer to, the effects of this anomaly for the rest of your life.

//[10 seconds of silence.]//

**A. Kraken:** You're right, of course. //[pause]// And I might fail. Even with that in mind...?

**Dr. L. Cairns:** //Always// with that in mind.

**A. Kraken:** Then I accept.

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** Very good. I'll have some paperwork for you. And a representative of the Council will want to speak with you directly. As for the rest of you -- meeting adjourned.

//[I. Varga, M. Lissel, T. A. Moor, O. Nakamura, L. Cairns, R. Hartog, T. Weld, and S. Andrews all leave the call.]//

**Dr. W. Boyle:** Good luck, Kraken.

//[W. Boyle leaves the call.]//

**Dr. E. Mann:** Hang on a minute. Did we ever figure out why it was Jell-O?

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** Leave the meeting, Everett.

**Dr. E. Mann:** But gelatin was invented in--

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** Everett.

**Dr. E. Mann:** //Ugh//, fine.

//[E. Mann leaves the call.]//

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** Right, then. Paperwork--

**Dr. A. Kraken:** Director Leiner?

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** Yes?

**Dr. A. Kraken:** Thank you for helping me.

**Dir. Y. Leiner:** ...Anytime, Kraken. Just try to ask a little sooner, next time? Now, I need to confer with the representative. I'll be right back.

//[Dir. Y. Leiner disables their camera feed.]//

//[15 seconds of stillness.]//

//[On her camera, Dr. Kraken gets up from the terminal. She walks to the window behind her, where a triangle slice of the sky is visible on screen.]//

//[The sun is setting. Kraken turns her head to face it.]//

//[They regard each other warmly.]//
[[/div]]

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