Judas Iscariot - SCP Foundation

Jesus said to them, "How do you know me? Truly I say to you, no generation of the people among you will know me."

When his disciples heard this, they started to get angry and furious and started to curse him in their hearts.

But when Jesus noticed their ignorance, he said to them, "Why are you letting your anger trouble you? Has your God within you and his stars become angry with your souls? If any of you is strong enough among humans to bring out the perfect Humanity, stand up and face me."

All of them said, "We're strong enough." But their spirits weren't brave enough to stand before him – except Judas Iscariot. He was able to stand before him, but he couldn't look him in the eye, so he looked away.

Gospel of Judas, Codex Tchacos

Author Unknown

Date Unknown

He stood alone in a desolate corridor, all immaculate and empty. The walls were white and cold with no window in sight, the only light coming from light bulbs hidden in the ceiling, too bright for the eye.

There was no sound, except for the rhythmic and slow breathing of a person, looking onto the white expanse unmoving, as if considering a painting. Not dead, but not quite alive, something else. A stasis of existence, wrapped in the pristine metal walls as if a blanket, lulling it to sleep.

The man’s face was akin to the room, neutral and cold, not disclosing its secrets to an outside observer. Yet inside the calm exterior and slightly furrowed eyebrows, his heart was beating with a calculated fury, an old anger that did not lessen with time, but was shaped and cultivated into a machine. And even deeper, beneath what even the man himself knew, was hiding a thread of fear, never truly gone from time immemorial.

Almost soundless, he began to walk forward, arms tied behind the back. A strand of hair fell onto his forehead, appearing slightly in the view, but he ignored it. Touching his lips with the tongue, he realized they were cracked and dry, and as he walked, he felt his posture slightly deflate.

He was getting sloppy, he thought, disorganized. There was a time when such a thing would never fly, but he was aware he was getting old. Not physically, not for a long time still, but mentally. Tired, burdened by the past, and stressed. He would never admit it aloud, but he was stressed like he never was before, to his memory at least. But, it was alright, he decided after a moment. It was a big day after all.

Then Jesus, knowing that he was thinking about what's exalted, said to him, "Come away from the others and I'll tell you the mysteries of the kingdom. Not so that you'll go there, but you'll grieve much because someone else will replace you to complete the twelve elements before their God."

Judas said to him, "When will you tell me these things, and when will the great day of light dawn for the generation?"

But when he said these things, Jesus left him.

Gospel of Judas, Codex Tchacos

Author Unknown

Date Unknown

His fate was written long before he was born. He never knew how much of what happened was predestined, whether everything that he has ever done was merely an act on stage, and around the next corner an audience will be waiting. An existence of waste, rebellion in the name only. He could call it his life work, he thought, but that was a lie he was keenly aware of. It was more than that, much more. Tens of thousands of lifetimes, across generations, laid before him one by one. And every time, he thought, he was undeserving of such a privilege, nay, worse than that. Unfit.

Yet he carried on, day by day, and with time and everything he came to know, his conviction ever only grew not waned. What started as a fool's errand, became what he beheld now, a monument larger than himself, to carry on when you won't be able to, and the crimes done will need to be answered.

When that day comes, he will be ready, he thought. As much regret and self-righteousness as he can hold, the people wronged will need have their justice. But not today and not now. This, he must complete himself.

Judas said, "Master, just as you've listened to all of them, now listen to me too, because I've seen a great vision."

But Jesus laughed when he heard this. He said to him, "Why are you all worked up, you thirteenth demon? But speak up, and I'll bear with you."

Judas said to him, "In the vision, I saw myself. The twelve disciples are stoning me and chasing me rapidly. And I also came to the place where I had followed you. I saw a house in this place, and my eyes couldn't measure its size. Great people surrounded it, and that house had a roof of greenery. In the middle of the house was a crowd of no men, but those greater than all earthly generations. Master, take me in with these people!"

Jesus answered and said, "Your star has led you astray, Judas," and that "no person of mortal birth is worthy to enter the house you've seen, because that place is reserved for those who are holy. Neither the sun nor the moon will rule there, nor the day, but those who are holy will always stand in the realm with the holy angels.”

Gospel of Judas, Codex Tchacos

Author Unknown

Date Unknown

The corridor led into a large maze-like room, filled with branching paths of offices and desks, filling the space in erratic patterns. The papers were all organized and hidden, tape notes and drafts thrown away, even pens all laying in the designated spots. All of it illuminated by slightly yellow light of monitor screens, each containing an evacuation notice.

The man looked at the message and realized that he never actually read it before. It was beyond his station to receive general communication. Most likely an assistant a few weeks ago was told to fill in a pre-existing form in place of nothing else to do. Potential cognitohazard, possible breakdown of reality, extreme akiva radiation. Nothing he wasn’t aware of, of course, but, he thought, that maybe when this is over he should try getting out more.

As he continued to walk, he soon entered a small employee lounge, contrasting in its disarray with the previous room. A half-eaten lunch sitting on a countertop, a table with an array of brewed but untouched cups of coffee. And in the middle laid a singular file of documents.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Come, let me tell you about the holy generation. Not so that you'll go there, but you'll grieve much when you see the kingdom and all its generation."

When Judas heard this, he said to him, "What good has it done me that you've separated me from that generation?"

Jesus answered and said, "You'll become the thirteenth, and will be cursed by the other generations and will rule over them. In the last days they'll be opposed to you and you won't go up to the holy generation."

Jesus said, "Come and I'll teach you about the mysteries that no human will see, because there exists a great and boundless realm whose horizons no angelic generation has seen, in which is a great invisible Spirit, which no angelic eye has ever seen, no heart has ever comprehended, and it's never been called by any name."

Gospel of Judas, Codex Tchacos

Author Unknown

Date Unknown

He picked the first loose page up and brandished it in the air. ‘Proposal for Utilization of Hyperreal Energy Sources, version 7B’, merely a bureaucratic camouflage meant to hide importance behind blandness. All those years finally came down to a piece of paper, born from an idea he could never escape from. A simple desire of freedom, not a mere escape from the path, but the possibility of tearing it all down, of starting again on our own terms.

Yet, he knew, today was not the end, but a start of a long and terrible journey. It was obvious to him, that he will most likely die in the next two hours, but at least he will die as a free man, for the first time since his birth. There was a time when he believed in the greater good, that actions can be justified, and evil graded. Now he knew better than the world cannot be simply scaled, but he grieved that even this knowledge did not stop him. He traveled too far to rest now.

He never asked the world for permission to thrust it into this war, ask how much torment would winning it be worth, for he was afraid that he would be refused, that they would decide he asks for too much. And so, he did not ask, but picked up the weapon himself in everyone else’s stead. Because for him, this was not the start of a war, merely a battle.

They would forgive him, he thought. Eventually.

“And in the realm that appeared with the generation of Adamas, the first of man of incorruptible power, is the cloud of knowledge and the angel who's called Eleleth. After these things Eleleth said, 'Let twelve angels come into being to rule over Chaos and Hades'.

And look, from the cloud there appeared an angel whose face flashed with fire and whose likeness was defiled by blood. His name was Nebro, which means 'Rebel'. Others call him Yaldabaoth. And another angel, Saklas, came from the cloud too. So Nebro created six angels – and Saklas did too – to be assistants. They brought out twelve angels in the heavens, with each of them receiving a portion in the heavens.”

Gospel of Judas, Codex Tchacos

Author Unknown

Date Unknown

He ran his fingers through the file, stopping deep in the middle. After a quick glance, he took out a single page and held it delicately. He knew its contents well, the series of complicated schematics and equations that he spent decades creating and revising until even a possibility of a mistake or a miscalculation were left in the past.

Many who have seen the plans deemed it a weapon at first, but it was a misunderstanding. The solution required was more subtle, indirect. It was a lighthouse, a beacon for the accursed, to allow it to break the ages meant to be. And when it comes, the old path will forever be abandoned and its ancient design.

After that, the scheme grew complicated. Impossible to predict in a meaningful way. The great fool will struggle being removed from its seat of power, and the consequences of that are unknowable. Perhaps the realms will collapse when the balance of the dominions is destroyed, or the world won’t be able to withstand such a divinity.

"Then Saklas said to his angels, 'Let's create a human being after the likeness and the image'. And they fashioned Adam and his wife Eve, who in the cloud is called 'Life', because by this name all the generations seek him, and each of them calls her by their names.”

Then Judas said to Jesus, "So what will those generations do?"

Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, the stars complete all these things. When Saklas completes the time span that's been determined for him, their first star will appear with the generations, and they'll finish what's been said. Then they'll sleep around in my name, murder their children, and they'll commit all that’s evil and conquer the realms, bringing the generations and presenting them to Saklas. And after that they will bring the twelve tribes of Israel, and the generations will all serve Saklas, sinning in my name. And your star will rule over the thirteenth realm."

Then Jesus laughed.

Gospel of Judas, Codex Tchacos

Author Unknown

Date Unknown

No matter what happens, he thought, his design will be complete. The connection to the first realm shall be severed.

A sacrifice to the powers that be, in a way, he thought. They demanded an offering, a price to buy the freedom of this world and everyone in it, paid solely in blood, and he will make sure they will not refuse it. They may sit in their palaces of vanity and stagnation, but they will shatter their arrogance and primordial supremacy.

The systems in place will provide a sufficient protection to most, and the institutions that were created were designed to outlive him and any other possible casualties. The world and everything he knows might crumble, but what was built will remain until there is nothing left to safeguard. He wasn’t nearly foolish enough not to create layers of redundancy.

There is a saying that no plan survives the first contact with the enemy, but this was a hopeful thinking in his line of work. For a plan to fail it needs to be possible to create it ahead of time in the first place, and that is not a privilege given often recently. No matter, he trusted in his people to pull through in spite of everything. It’s not their first deicide after all.

Then Judas said to Jesus, "What will those do who've been baptized in your name?"

Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, this baptism which they've received in my name will destroy the whole generation of the earthly Adam. Tomorrow they'll torture the one who bears me. Truly I say to you, no hand of a mortal human will fall upon me. Truly I say to you, Judas, those who offer sacrifices to Saklas do everything that's evil. But you'll do more than all of them, because you'll sacrifice the human who bears me."

Gospel of Judas, Codex Tchacos

Author Unknown

Date Unknown

He traveled further through the building, stairs leading him underground, until he reached a great vault door of solid metal. Standing a few meters before him, despite not touching any button or scanner, the door opened itself as if it were doing it of its own accord.

Inside stood a large machine, all pristine and new, the last of the screws just put in place. And hidden within lied an unholy core of power, ready to birth a heresy of humankind’s making, awaiting for the heart of its might to start beating.

And on the ground next to it swarmed a hive of people, everyone occupied in their own task, preparing the metal beast, checking every metal plate and wire for any minute imperfection. The man looked upon them. Each of their faces were tired and grieving, small self-pitying smiles occasionally show in between the workers as their faces met; but their hands remained determined and methodical.

Someone had to remain to make sure the process remains faultless, and even though not a soul did choose this task of not their own volition, he thought, that their death will stain upon his hands. Yet, he will do more than that, for the true price will come after.

Immediately there was a disturbance among the Jews. Their high priests grumbled because he'd gone into the guest room to pray. But some scribes were there watching closely so they could arrest him during his prayer, because they were afraid of the people, since they all regarded him as a prophet.

And they approached Judas and said to him, "What are you doing here? Aren't you Jesus' disciple?"

Then he answered them as they wished. Then Judas received some money and handed him over to them.

Gospel of Judas, Codex Tchacos

Author Unknown

Date Unknown

His fate was written long before he was born, but it has been a very long time since he let that stop him.

A woman strolled next to him with heavy steps. She was short and of a petite stature, hidden deep within a long white lab coat, worn mostly due to habit and not current necessity. The round glasses didn’t do much to hide the large dark bags under eyes and she noticeably slouched when walking, but extended an effort to straighten herself as she approached the man.

“The project is ready to launch. Do I have the clearance to begin, Overseer?”