Nx-05 - SCP Foundation

Nx-05

EMBLA / LVL VI / STABLE

ASSIGNED FACILITES

Embla Protocol Site-0B, Secure Administration Site-01

ASSIGNED FACULTY

Overseer Council

Path within Nx-05.

INTERACTION PROTOCOLS: The Foundation's Overseer Council has been assembled to study Nx-05. All further procedures have been folded into the duties of the Council.

DESCRIPTION: Nx-05 is a large forest located in upstate [REDACTED], nearby Site-01. It is one of the smallest Nexuses on record, being only 8.3 acres of land in total. The active population of the area consists only of 37 people, all of whom maintain residences outside of its actual boundaries in order to prevent interference. All individuals within these lodgings are high-ranking members of the Foundation’s administration, including a majority of the current Overseer Council. As such, Nx-05 is known as the only Nexus entirely populated by Foundation personnel.

The area exhibits mild, albeit consistent non-Euclidean activity. This most often manifests in the form of its various hiking paths temporarily being subject to anomalous activity such as going upward endlessly when travelled in a certain direction, but operating normally otherwise. Nx-05 is unique compared to other Nexuses in that no other anomalous phenomena naturally forms in its confines, with all anomalies resulting from it being entirely manmade.

Despite its fairly unimpressive features, Nx-05 remains the only location known to the Foundation which can be accurately studied to provide information on how the anomalous as a whole operates; equations derived from this study have provided the basis for the entirety of the Foundation’s understanding of anomalies since the organization's inception. Nearly all breakthroughs within modern anomalous science began within Nx-05. As a result, the area can be credited with having been the basis for all modern anomalous paratechnology, including those made by several rival Groups of Interest due to leaked information or the reengineering of technology initially conceived through study of the area.

Being within the boundaries of Nx-05 produces a mild compulsory effect to study the area and use the acquired knowledge to create new anomalies. Any subject who observes non-Euclidean activity within the area will feel compelled to understand how it functions, even if having never previously expressed a desire to do so. Due to this, most of Nx-05’s resulting anomalous activity is functionally indirect, though still originates in the Nexus itself and due to its effects.

«Begin Log»

[The wind howls as Fritz makes his way through the dark forest. The starry sky and glowing moon illuminate the area as he pushes through thick brush and thickets.]

[He pushes away a large bush, revealing a clearing in the area: a straight, gravel path. On this path stands a man in a rippling trench coat, his hands in his pockets. His features are obscured by the darkness, but Fritz's gaze implies recognition.]

FRITZ: Aaron, I see you came.

[Aaron remains silent for several moments, appearing slightly startled. He relaxes quickly after, a faint sense of familiarity adorning what little of his features are visible.]

AARON: Of course I did. This is in both of our interests, isn’t it? We may no longer walk the same path, but, well, we can never forget the one that we spiraled down, the one that started all of this.

[Fritz nods, his gaze turning towards the gravel his feet crunch on as he walks.]

FRITZ: Have you been taking the time to study this one before I arrived for old time's sake? I know you probably miss those days being buried in your equations.

AARON: Somewhat. I only could take enough instruments with me to do the basics. Besides, it's not like that was the point of this meeting, anyway. Or, well, at least I presume it's not. Do you care to enlighten me?

FRITZ: Can't a man invite his own brother for a friendly chat?

[Aaron's gaze hardens slightly.]

AARON: I was under the impression we weren't brothers anymore.

FRITZ: Now, what gave you that idea?

AARON: Something about me engineering the creation of the Insurgency, perhaps?

FRITZ: Well, I can certainly say you founding your Insurgency didn't exactly make me pleased. Out of everyone in the old guard, you were the one I expected to defect the least, you know.

AARON: I would have assumed so. It's what made it the perfect crime.

FRITZ: You sound almost proud.

[Silence on recording.]

AARON: Can't a man enjoy his work?

FRITZ: Your hesitation tells me you don’t really think that.

AARON: Nothing gets past you, huh?

FRITZ: Do you have regrets?

[Aaron turns away from Fritz, staring off into the forest.]

AARON: No. I did what needed to be done.

«End Log»

Section 05.1

History

Nx-05 was first unintentionally discovered by paraphysicist and founding O5-1 Aaron Siegel in 1891. Upon this initial discovery, Siegel only discovered the area's non-Euclidean activity acting on one path, initially designated as SCP-001-MANN. Through study of SCP-001-MANN, Siegel and various other individuals who would eventually become high-ranking Foundation personnel closely studied the anomalous, believing the path itself to be the source of this ability to do so, unaware of the larger Nx-05. However, several years following this, the path's anomaly faded, as is the nature of Nx-05's activity. Nx-05’s true nature was subsequently recognized after the codifying of the Nexus classification system.

Portion of SCP-001-MANN.

Throughout 1944-1953, the central administrative body of the Foundation was positioned within Nx-05 in order to properly study it. Site-0, a small laboratory initially funded by Siegel, served as the primary meeting location of the Foundation administration at this time. Due to this, the leadership of the greater Foundation was far more informal than it is in the modern day. Much of this work was deferred to individuals such as Site Directors, granting facilities an amount of autonomy which would be considered unusual in modern times. In 1954, construction of Site-01 began, purposefully located close to Nx-05. Site-0 is still utilized, but Site-01 is considered Nx-05's assigned containment facility.

Upon designation of the Nexus as Nx-05, the primary administrative body of the Foundation became known as the 05 Council, though later renamed as the O5 Council for obfuscation purposes to restrict knowledge of Nx-05. The public reason for this change was listed as the solidification of the “Overseer” position. As of 1956, Site-01 and other secure facilities have begun to house several members of the Council to ensure all thirteen members are never in the same location, as was initially customary for study of Nx-05. Originally, the Council were the only individuals given the Level 5 clearance required to access Nx-05, though Level 6 clearance was later codified as the level exclusive to Council members, with Level 5 now given to a select few individuals within the larger Foundation administration.

Since 1945, all orientations for individuals being granted Level 5 clearance take place within Nx-05. Standard practice is for these personnel to be given enough information with which they can create a low-level anomalous item, many of which have been catalogued in various logs.

In 1947, the Embla Protocol was first set in motion (See Section 05.2).

During 1954, the Foundation underwent a brief conflict with the Global Occult Coalition after one of their most highly-skilled agents was sent to gather data on the O5 Council. Investigation efforts revealed they were unable to glean more than the information on the following file in regards to Nx-05, even believing a single one of the paths to be the only anomaly present.

UTE-0001-Kewpie.

Threat ID: UTE-0001-Kewpie

Response Level: N/A

Description: UTE-0001-Kewpie is a straight gravel path within a forest in northern [REDACTED]. Upon traveling forwards, the path goes on continuously, with a subject being brought back to the beginning of the trail should they reach the end. Upon a subject travelling the opposite direction, UTE-0001-Kewpie operates regularly.

Notably, UTE-0001-Kewpie has received extensive, seemingly-excessive, containment and security efforts from its current supervisor: The SCP Foundation.

Engagement Rules: Liquidation of UTE-0001-Kewpie is unfeasbile at the time of writing due to the various security measures established by the Foundation, though would normally be restricted regardless due to existing diplomatic relations with the organization.

Efforts are ongoing to determine the nature of the threat due to the unusual amount of protection it is receiving.

The Foundation is not to be made aware that the Coalition possesses any information about UTE-0001-Kewpie; the active investigation regarding the threat may jeopardize any diplomatic proceedings.

For further information, please consult the attached files.

After a diplomatic discussion between O5-4 and the Undersecretary General of the Coalition, she agreed to end all further efforts to gather information on the Overseers. Moles imbedded into the Coalition have been unable to find any information supporting them no longer following this promise.

«Begin Log»

FRITZ: People have died for our petty spat, you know — the one you caused.

AARON: The one I caused? That’s rich. You started all of this, you know.

FRITZ: Can you really say I did when you were the one who first found this place? That was decades before the Foundation even began.

AARON: You were always the Administrator, Fritz. I was just a physicist. Nothing more and nothing less.

FRITZ: The Foundation would be nothing if not for these paths.

AARON: It would have still been something. Ever since the end of that Occult War, everyone who wanted the Veil to remain needed one banner to rally behind. You were always the leader. I was just a scientist, a stubborn one, but one nonetheless.

FRITZ: We must remember things differently.

AARON: How so?

FRITZ: Your breakthroughs here, they’re what kept us all together. Everyone was scared of retaliation and of how we were going to maintain our control of the Veil after the War. But then every time the others were scared, we had something new to show them you helped cook up in that lab, in that Site-0 of yours.

AARON: The science is all that ever mattered to me, Fritz. The Foundation never did.

FRITZ: So, that's why you left.

[Silence on recording.]

AARON: I left because you changed, Fritz.

FRITZ: How did I change?

AARON: You started hurting people.

FRITZ: I'll ask again: how did I change?

«End Log»

Section 05.2

Embla Protocol

Initially proposed in 1947 by the founding O5-11, Dr. Everett Mann, the Embla Protocol was an attempt to leverage Nx-05 to boost the Foundation's position on the world stage. While study of the area was initially only used to create beneficial paratechnology or simply study various facets of the anomalous, the protocol was for the purposeful development of various hostile anomalies to be later recontained by the Foundation in public spectacles. After the fall of the Veil, such events would both sponsor support among the general population and governments.

The remainder of the Overseer Council voted almost unanimously to approve Mann's proposal, with the sole exception being Aaron Siegel, who was still O5-1 at the time. Siegel was eventually convinced with the stipulation that all of these anomalies would be easily recontainable by the Foundation and only appear dangerous to outside observers. Site-0B, a former storage facility for Site-0, was converted into an advanced subterranean Foundation installation for the covert development of anomalies part of the Embla Protocol. Such anomalies would have falsified documentation personally approved by the Overseer Council to shroud their true natures from the greater Foundation.

While the first several anomalies developed through the Embla Protocol operated effectively, unforseen consequences throughout the world stage followed:

Funding granted to the Foundation by world governments did increase, but the events also resulted in many more localized anomalous organizations directly under government control, such as the United States' PENTAGRAM. However, the Department of Analytics has confirmed the competition created by these new organizations was far outweighed by the funding increase.

Support for the Foundation and other organizations such as the Global Occult Coalition among the general population increased as expected, but tensions and fear towards the anomalous also increased astronomically. A collaborative audit by the Department of Public Relations and Department of Groups of Interest deemed this to have been relatively acceptable.

Various terrorist organizations began more substantial attempts at weaponizing anomalous phenomena. This, in turn, bolstered more fear among world populations and governments, serving to unintentionally assist the Foundation's efforts.

In 1948, without Siegel's knowledge, the remainder of the Council began colluding to unleash dangerous anomalies through the Embla Protocol. Enraged, Siegel defected from the organization alongside a large group of personnel who would later become the primary faction of GoI-003 ("The Chaos Insurgency").

«Begin Log»

AARON: I couldn't just stand by anymore, Fritz. You were using my work to hurt people in our name. It was intolerable.

FRITZ: So, you responded by becoming a terrorist?

AARON: I'll admit my methods aren't exactly—

FRITZ: Methods? Your people slaughter civillians in the streets. They march throughout the world causing nothing but, well, chaos.

AARON: You can't stand all high and mighty here, Fritz. The amount of atrocities you've committed are too numerous to mention here.

FRITZ: Everything I did was because I had to.

AARON: Did you?

[Silence on recording.]

AARON: For the love of—, Fritz, why am I here, exactly? Did you contact me for the first time in decades just to have a recreational spat?

FRITZ: I called you here because I want answers.

AARON: Answers?

FRITZ: Why have you never attacked this place?

[Fritz outstretches his arms, gesturing to the surrounding forest.]

AARON: I don't understand.

FRITZ: Trying to take over this place would cost us significantly and you know that. I've been waiting years for an attack that never came. Why leave this place alone?

[Silence on recording.]

FRITZ: Well?

AARON: This place is special.

FRITZ: Special?

AARON: I told you, Fritz. I never cared about the Foundation. Hell, the Insurgency is only my way of righting the wrongs I did while there, even if others have to get hurt on the way. This place, however… it represents science, innovation, nature, and beauty all wrapped in one. To tarnish it, to even risk damaging it with some sort of raid, would go against everything I believe as a scientist.

Someday, when the Foundation is finally gone, when the freedom you prevent the world from realizing it can have is finally in our reach, I'll return to this place a happier man, satisified my job is done. Until then, I'm content to let you keep it warm for me.

[Aaron abruptly turns around and walks deeper into the brush, eventually exiting view. Fritz stares at him until he can't anymore.]

«End Log»

Section 05.3

Possible Conflict

Due to the fact Siegel remains one of the few individuals on the planet with knowledge of Nx-05's location and maintains hostile intentions towards the Foundation at large, an Insurgency raid of the area was considered inevitable by onsite personnel soon after his defection. However, no Insurgency activity close to the area has ever been reported. Nearby security has still been otherwise increased since the Insurgency's formation, with more periodically being added.

As an attack on Nx-05 would presumably deal a powerful blow to the Foundation, it remains unclear why the Insurgency would refuse to attack it.