Hour Zero - SCP Foundation

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Co-written by Jasiu06 and Ralliston

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For translators, here is a direct link to each iteration:

https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/fragment:hour-zero-1

https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/fragment:hour-zero-2

https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/fragment:hour-zero-3

https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/fragment:hour-zero-4

https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/fragment:hour-zero-5

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F.A.Q.

Council of 108 Conclave

T-Minus One Month

If there was a single thing that united all of the brilliantly different and freakishly diverse members of the Global Occult Coalition's Council of 108, it was the fact that all of them hated conclaves.

In all of its seventy-six years of existence, there had only been two times a global gathering of all the member groups actually resulted in full attendance. The first time was during the group's formal founding, just a few months after the end of the Seventh Occult War. The second: one minute before midnight, during the height of the Cold War's paraweapon arms race that nearly blew up the planet five times over.

It took more than just routine bureaucracy to bring together the representatives of the world's largest gathering of occult groups, all in a single conference at a single time. It therefore came as a surprise to all of the attendees to see that among the audience of its 14th Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly — one which was meant as nothing but a formality to dispel slander after the whole crisis, at that — all those who were invited did indeed show up.

Illuminated Master Wilhelm of the Bavarian Illuminati was the first to speak. "This is ridiculous," his sharp voice echoed through the hall as he stood up, his bulky features illuminated by the beacon of white light coming from the spotlight above. "With all due respect, Madam, this topic barely requires discussion, let alone a global summit."

The place reserved for the D.C. Al Fine, Undersecretary General of the Global Occult Coalition, did not greet him with an answer. The lamp right above the International Center for the Study of Unified Thaumatology's representative however wasn't so hesitant.

"Honorable Master, if there ever even was a topic we all needed to hear about, it's without a single shred of doubt this one," Xenia Dufort, Archidirector of ICSUT London, loudly replied, brief sparks of purple fire flickering in and out of her purple eyes. "This is not just a debate about how we manage our internal bureaucracy — this is the biggest threat to our shared existence we have ever encountered. A threat that is a direct danger to the Coalition's First Mission. The data that ICSUT has gathered suggests—"

"Please." The German rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "There is also data that suggests the SCP Foundation punches sharks. Just because your numbers say something doesn't mean it's true." He turned his sight to the rest of the audience. "This, my fine friends, is the most ridiculous accusation I have ever heard. We've heard rumors like this before. During the Seventh Occult War. How do we know your little 'apocalypse' isn't just another global working, akin to the Rite of Solomon? Or that it's a natural process that some anomalies appear and disappear?"

Before Dufort could raise her hand in protest, a third light flickered into existence. "There is more than just numerical evidence to suggest the Impasse is real, you know," Olivié Gwyneth, the Head Archivist of the Sidhe Lounge, said firmly. "You like to hide the discussion beneath classifications and codewords, but prophecies, research, and authorized seances point us to a single very damning conclusion: we are all fucked, and we are only fucked because of our actions."

Her tone was cold, and so were her eyes — whether it was at the fact she would vomit if she heard the words "KTE-6500-Goodrickbuster" ever again or the fact the stakes of this debate were more than personal to her, it was hard to say.

"With all due respect," she continued, unwilling to drop the anger dripping from every word, "you call yourself the defenders of the interests of humanity, yet when the hour calls, you refuse to actually get down there and help people. This here is rather plain and simple. You either give your all — which here amounts to the direct compromisation of the Second Mission and dropping the Veil — or you watch everyone you've sworn to protect fucking die, goddamn it!"

It took but a few seconds for the words to spawn a general ruckus among the gathered.

"Objection!" came the voice of Lord Marcus Crowley, the Antipope of the United Church of Satan, Scientist. "One of your conclusions being true does not automatically make all of them correct. The world spins, people die, and magic changes. The Impasse might be real, but to say that is it caused by the actions of his honorable Council is not just a disgrace, but borderline treason! Your radical proposition of a Veil-drop is a ridiculous overreaction that borders on sabotage of the Fivefold Mission."

Both sides of the discussion exchanged murderous looks.

"Gentlemen," Omodaru, Earth Army Chief of the Gogyō-Kessha interrupted both parties before they reached for violence, his sharp and straightened posture contrasting widely with their exasperated silhouettes. "I fail to see how this… supposed death of magic is meant to be seen as a negative? The Coalition's First Mission is to ensure humanity's survival, so the final, irreversible removal of supernatural phenomena would surely be seen as nothing but a positive, no? What truly does it matter who caused it? And why should we even react?"

The entire room exploded with protests. Everyone seemed to immediately begin to shout atop their lungs, filling the summit with a combination of unholy — both metaphorically and literally, in some cases — voices that all seemed charged with nothing but the intent to kill.

And still, among all of that chaos, both O5-5, Overseer of the SCP Foundation, and Undersecretary General D.C al Fine remained silent. The two battlemages simply exchanged looks. The diplomatic newcomer was grinning, her eyes filled with fire proud to have ignited such a brilliant inferno with her arrival. The General remained pensive, her blue irises just irritated at the smug superiority displayed by the Overseer.

Still, the Undersecretary clapped her hands all the same. "SILENCE!" Her words of power rang out throughout the hall, their sheer thaumic magnitude silencing everyone present. "This discussion will continue in a civil manner. This is an official order." Before any of the proverbial firestarters could once again ignite the discussion, she added, "All of your approaches are irrational. You look at the situation like a political game, instead of the emergency it is." She stood up, her wide hat hiding most of her features. "Just because there is a Foundation Overseer present does not make this an open war front. She — and her arguments — are of a purely diplomatic nature, and they will be heard. "

"If you are unwilling to accept the goodwill of someone that extends the hand in spite of the differences that set our organizations apart, I do not know what to tell you. This isn't the first time this Council has debated a drop of the Veil, nor will it be the last. So behave like your position requires you to. Is that clear?" She put careful emphasis on her final words, narrowing her eyes as she looked upon all one hundred and eight of her subjects.

Quiet murmurs of vague agreement echoed through the hall.

"Excellent." She sat back down, crossing her legs. "Now, if I may." With a snap of her fingers, she manifested a sheet of paper before her and straightened it. "The files gathered before me very clearly indicate the involvement of clairvoyance." She looked at one of the points gathered in the distance. "Am I reading them correctly, honorable Nornir?"

"Indeed, Madam," said the electronic Speaker to Humans of the Silicon Nornir. "Decades of careful research and data analysis undertaken by the most brilliant Urthor, Verthandi, and Skuldir do indeed show a select few futures for our reality, all of which inevitably terminate at an Impasse. If need be, our friends over at ICSUT may confirm the thaumic imprints of the seances as nothing but truthful."

Dufort nodded. "If you recall," she said, her tone snide, "The Center and the Servants have been vocal about this exact issue for decades. If you're unwilling to trust us, at least extend a hand to our political friend from the Foundation." She pointed with her hand towards Five. The Overseer Council's external relations and legalities expert didn't greet her with a gesture of her own.

"My bias aside, I fail to see any reason to not believe our colleagues," sighed Michelle Dahl, Oecumenicus Volgi of the Ancient Noble Order of the Gormogons. "Data from untold independent sources points to a single conclusion. If you happen to dislike that conclusion, well, that's on you, but the Coalition as the protector of the world should operate beyond these prejudices."

"But what the Foundation is proposing is too extreme, any changes should be gradual and controlled. We cannot allow the system to be completely destroyed and remodeled in the name of some external vague agenda," exclaimed Master Wilhelm in response, lifting himself up from his seat.

"My dear pseudomasonic friend, we aren't strangers to radical movement in response to emergent threats. The Council already had plenty of time to take gradual steps to prevent this whole mess in the first place, but we didn't do that, and now we have to suffer the consequences," replied Michelle, carefully eyeing Master Wilhelm, never quite letting the anger go. "So either we accept the option left to us or we accept our demise."

"That doesn't change the fact that saying it is the Coalition's fault is ridiculous, and so is proposing such radical solutions!" Chevalier Ludwig Bernard of the Holy Order of Knights Templar, Reformed chimed in. "The world isn't black and white, Miss Dahl. You cannot simply attribute a complex issue to a single party and propose a single way out and expect everyone to just go along with it."

"Oh, you do not seem to understand," Dahl said, narrowing her eyes. "I— We are not saying the Coalition is to blame. We are saying that the Coalition and the SCP Foundation are to blame."

Wilhelm's eyes widened. He exchanged a quick look with the Undersecretary General, then O5-5, then Bernard, and then Dahl, never quite letting go of the shock. "Michelle Dahl," he said coldly, putting his hands together. "You come before this Council and first betray our core principles of integrity and unity for cheap political attention, only to also attempt to sabotage our already damaged relationship with the SCP Foundation?" He looked back at al Fine, furrowing his brows. "Honorable Undersecretary, if this is not treason, I—"

"Oh shut up." Xenia Dufort rolled her eyes. "You cannot seriously just shout 'treason' at everything that doesn't align with your reactionary worldview, you arrogant cretin." She crossed her arms, and both Gwyneth and Dahl follower her in the gesture. "We've been willing to make radical changes before. From the looks of things, the discussion of further such movements is more than needed again."

"You will not insult the honorable Master!" Chevalier Bernard shouted, slamming his fist at the control panel of his seat. "Your presence here is enough disrespect on its own, young l—"

"ENOUGH!" Al Fine proclaimed. She looked at all eight standing, then sighed and shook her head. "You behave like children. Stop this immediately." She rubbed her temple, and looked at O5-5, seated across the room. "Madame, if you may? My colleagues have failed to prove themselves as mature enough for this discussion. Your input will surely provide a fresh angle they are all refusing to see."

The Overseer arched an eyebrow, a barely noticeable smirk of satisfaction entering her face. Still, she uncrossed her arms and stood up all the same. "You do not seem to understand. The decision will be made, regardless of your approval," she said, her tone firm and unaccepting of any opposition. "This isn't a call that you can make. This isn't an issue regarding the internal bureaucracy of your Council that you can just vote over, hoping the mostly unrepresented unsatisfied parties will remain silent. This is an unprecedented global armageddon. Whether you like it or not, the whole world will get a part in deciding how to approach it, and trust me, it will not want to hear anything about your Fivefold Mission. In the grand scheme of things, your final choice barely matters."

Al Fine blinked twice. "What are you even trying to say? That the move of your Foundation is equally unimportant?"

"No," the Firestarter said. "I'm saying that the decisions of all of us are important. I didn't come here to somehow force you to do what needs to be done. I'm a diplomat, not an authoritarian." She shot al Fine a quick glance. "The Foundation has already made its decision, and I hope you will join us in it soon enough. But I also want you to know that no matter your ultimate choice on how to approach this issue, it is the voice of the whole world that will end up mattering, not just that of the Foundation or the Coalition."

She briefly paused, looking around the room. "And for what it's worth, that world has already decided the days of the Veil are nothing but counted. So either join change, or prepare to press back against it."

The tension that now lay the room was practically palpable.

Eventually, a figure stood up, her movement hesitant. Olivié Gwyneth put her hands together, cleared her throat, and uttered a single sentence: "Shall... Shall we put it to a vote, then?"