SCP-5700: So Says I

Author: ItsDenali.

Image Credit: See the Discussion page below.

NOTICE FROM THE FOUNDATION RECORDS AND INFORMATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

The following document discusses the subject of an on-going investigation; as such, information present

in this file is subject to frequent change. Check back regularly for updates to this file.

— Dr. Caballero, Director of SCP-5700 Operations

SCP-5700? I'll admit, it has a nice ring to it.

Item#: 5700

Containment Class: keter

Secondary Class: none

Disruption Class: vlam

Risk Class: caution

Assigned Site
Project Lead
Project Assistant
Assigned Task Force

Site-17
Dr. Caballero
Researcher Griffin
MTF Epsilon-06 ("Village Idiots")

SCP-5700-1 in Colorado, circa 1874.

Special Containment Procedures: The central northwestern region of the United State is to be continually monitored for SCP-5700-1 activity; should such activity be detected, members of MTF Epsilon-06 (“Village Idiots”) are to be dispatched to SCP-5700-1's location to engage and capture him if possible. SCP-5700-3 is to be monitored at all times and not be disturbed under any circumstances; any abnormalities in SCP-5700-3's behavior are to be recorded and reported to Dr. Caballero or Researcher Griffin immediately. Surviving SCP-5700 instances are to be housed at Site-17 and are permitted to interact with other residents once properly acclimated.

◆ Supplementary Containment Procedures ◆

◇ Supplementary Containment Procedures ◇

The following measures are to be followed in regards to individual containment of SCP-5700 instances. If an instance should die, their remains are to be cremated and stored in a designated locker at Site-64.

SCP-5700-1: Once captured, subject is to be housed in a standard Humanoid Containment Cell at Site-17 and may interact with other persons once properly adjusted. Immediate contact with SCP-5700-4 is permitted.

SCP-5700-2: Remains interred at Site-64.

SCP-5700-3: Containment Procedures still under development, refer to Project Director or Assistant Director for details.

SCP-5700-4: Subject is to be housed in a standard Humanoid Containment Cell at Site-17 and may interact freely with personnel. At no point beyond testing is SCP-5700-4 permitted to come into contact with any living plants over 0.5 meters in height.

SCP-5700-5: Remains interred at Site-64.

SCP-5700-6: Remains interred at Site-64.

SCP-5700-7: Location and collection of the subject's remains is of negligible priority, but are to be exhumed, cremated, and interred at Site-64 if discovered.

Alternative versions of historically-relevant instances' lives are to be inserted into public records as part of a general disinformation campaign. Moreover, any possible historical references to SCP-5700's activity or members are to be expunged from any records in which they appear.Some things are best left buried.

Several members of SCP-5700 and several Sioux native allies, shortly before a routine raid.

Description: SCP-5700 collectively denotes seven anomalous humanoids (designated SCP-5700-1 through -7) that appeared around and were primarily active throughout a period spanning from approximately 1872 to 1880 within the area now known as the central northwestern United States. SCP-5700 appears to have engaged in a form of guerrilla warfare against American settlers and government officials attempting to settle in their area of activity at the time in an apparent attempt to keep encroachers out of the area. SCP-5700 is believed to have coordinated with native American populations to this end.

Due to SCP-5700's activity having occurred prior to the establishment of the Foundation proper, it did not come to formal attention until shortly after 6/28/1979, following the capture and interrogation of SCP-5700-4, although other members of SCP-5700 had been encountered prior to that date. (See SCP-5700-2, -5). As such, a vast majority of information regarding SCP-5700 is unknown, with solid evidence of the group's activity remaining extremely scarce. Shortly after the Neutralization of SCP-1422 on 7/9/2007, more details about the history of SCP-5700's activity were able to be documented. SCP-5700 and SCP-1422 are thought to be unrelated at this time. I suppose my efforts on that front finally gave out, eh?

Lt. Col. Custer, killed at the Battle of Little Bighorn. SCP-5700-6 is thought to have impersonated him and other generals to cause disorder in the American military.

Historical Activity: While a majority of SCP-5700's historical activity remains largely unknown, historical and firsthand accounts have been able to confirm the presence of at least a few of its members at a variety of confrontations ranging small engagements to large-scale battles. Among the more well-known points of intervention are the battles of Rosebud and later Little Bighorn during the Great Sioux War of 1876, at which at least four members were present.

Soldiers at the battle recorded events verbally and in writing that likely corresponded to intervention on SCP-5700-2, -4, -5, and -6's parts; SCP-5700-1 is suspected to have also been present, though there is insufficient evidence to effectively support this.

The only known physical traces left of SCP-5700 activity are geological oddities generated by SCP-5700-2 and -4 utilizing their abilities, namely in the form of strange geological structures and increased crystalline mineral presence at battle sites. While literary mentions of SCP-5700 in soldiers' journals exist, they are considered extremely rare due to the infrequency of literacy among American citizens at the time.

Beyond these and related major events, SCP-5700 is believed to have engaged in smaller-scale raids on settler camps with the intent of expelling the settlers rather than killing them. The frequency of such raids is unknown but thought to have been high in SCP-5700's primary area of activity.

Addendum 5700.1: The following is a summary of all known data concerning the seven members of SCP-5700.

SCP-5700-1

SCP-5700-2

SCP-5700-3

SCP-5700-4

SCP-5700-5

SCP-5700-6

SCP-5700-7

SCP-5700-1, historically known as Harry Yount.

Designation: SCP-5700-1

Known Aliases: Harry Yount

Containment: Uncontained, Alive

Description: Caucasian male appearing to be in their late forties bearing brown hair and hazel eyes. Modern sightings of the subject describe them as having a large beard, as well.

Anomalous Abilities: SCP-5700-1 possesses anomalously sensitive electrosensitivity to the point of being able to detect and locate nearby organisms within a variable radius. Subject’s ability has also proven to be receptive to certain meteorological phenomenon such as thunderstorms, the presence of which is reported to cause SCP-5700-1 severe migraines. SCP-5700-1 also possesses negligible senescence, causing little to no aging since his abilities were initially obtained.

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Location: American Northwestern and Cascadia area

Date: Multiple

Summary: While successful containment of SCP-5700-1 has not yet been achieved, Foundation personnel have encountered and briefly interacted with the subject on multiple occasions, sometimes for up to several minutes at a time. To date, all attempts to capture SCP-5700-1 have failed, being generally attributed to pursuing personnel losing track of the subject. While SCP-5700-1's anomalous abilities as described by SCP-5700-4, are exclusively sensory, sparse evidence suggests the possible existence of at least one secondary anomalous ability that has yet to be formally identified or directly observed. As with the general search for SCP-5700-1, research is ongoing.

Significant Encounters:

Blackfoot, Idaho, 2/17/1970. SCP-5700-1 checked into a hospital using fake credentials for a gunshot graze to the shoulder; as per standard procedure, the local police force was notified. A Foundation webcrawler monitoring radio signals in that area detected the description of a person matching SCP-5700-1 over a broadcast and alerted nearby agents to the situation. SCP-5700-1 was driven to the roof of the building and all alternative exits were blocked. As agents stormed the roof in search of the subject, a report came from two floors down that SCP-5700-1 had been sighted. The reporting agent was later found incapacitated and SCP-5700-1 was seen exiting via the front entrance and escaping into a nearby forest. Further searching yielded no results.

Providence, Washington, 5/3/1976. Subject was spotted at a firing range by an off-duty agent and confronted on-site; SCP-5700-1 received a minor gunshot wound to his right arm but fired back, non-fatally wounding the agent and escaping shortly after. CCTV footage from the complex confirmed it was indeed SCP-5700-1.

Provo, Utah, 6/13/1984. Subject was seen in the background of a news broadcast by a Foundation webcrawler and agents were notified. Local security cameras allowed further tracking to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town where SCP-5700-1 was seemingly cornered. Agents entered the building, made visual contact with the subject, and were ordered to abstain from lethal force unless absolutely necessary. After a brief chase through the building, SCP-5700-1's voice was heard shouting “Run” outside the rear entrance, after which contact was lost.

Fort Collins, Colorado, 12/24/2009. See Interview 5700.1A.

A portrait of SCP-5700-2 taken sometime in the late 19th century.

Designation: SCP-5700-2

Known Aliases: Carter Brooke

Containment: K.I.A., Deceased

Description: Caucasian male appearing in their late forties or fifties with blonde hair, gray eyes, and a notably bulky physique. A man too stubborn for his own good.

Anomalous Abilities: SCP-5700-2 possessed considerable geokinetic abilities and was able to manipulate terrain in their vicinity with notable precision. Subject used his abilities for a variety of purposes ranging from combat to utility. Notably, SCP-5700-2 appears to have been capable of tapping into and amplifying local seismic activity in times of heightened emotion as a last resort for self-defense. Additionally, SCP-5700-2 possessed decelerated aging while alive.

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Damage caused to a local roadway following SCP-5700-2's death.

Location: North of West Yellowstone, Montana

Date: 8/17/1959

Summary: Originally encountered prior to the formal classification of SCP-5700 as a whole, SCP-5700-2 was marked as a person of interest after reports of a man anomalously manipulating rocks and minerals were intercepted by Foundation personnel in the southwestern Montana area. SCP-5700-2 was eventually located and engaged. The subject violently resisted detainment and fought with Foundation forces for approximately two hours, managing to severely injure several and kill two before being fatally wounded himself.

Before expiring from his injuries, SCP-5700-2 began screaming and clutching his chest while rambling incoherently. Then, at 11:37 PM MST, SCP-5700-2 emitted a series of extremely powerful seismic waves for about thirty seconds. The releases triggered tectonic movement in the nearby fault line, resulting in the creation of a powerful earthquake possessing a strength of 7.3 MW. This quake, eventually dubbed the “Hebgen Lake Earthquake” by the public, resulted in 28 non-Foundation casualties, extensive flooding, localized geological restructuring, and nearly $11 million1 in damages.

Due to the sheer intensity of the waves, all personnel engaging SCP-5700-2 at the time were instantly killed. Footage of the event was only available via bodycam footage being broadcast to a nearby Foundation Site that was monitoring the operation; all equipment on present personnel was subsequently destroyed. The remains of SCP-5700-2 and all engaging personnel were soon collected and transported to the supervising Site; an autopsy of SCP-5700-2 was deemed unfeasible due to the severely mangled state of his body, whose remains were cremated and moved to Site-64 for storage. Deceased personnel were transported elsewhere for processing and eventual return to their respective families. He died as he lived: stubborn as all hell.

SCP-5700-3's current location during an output event.

Designation: SCP-5700-3

Known Aliases: Nahimana,2 Nah

Containment: Pending, Unknown

Description: Native American female, estimated to have been around 7 years old, described as having dark hair and hazel eyes; appearance is not expected to have changed since estimated time of burial.

Anomalous Abilities: SCP-5700-3 possesses the anomalous ability to spontaneously generate and control water with notable precision; water created by SCP-5700-3 is allegedly superheated and quickly dissipates into steam; the volume of this water is said to vary, with some generation events creating nearly 10,000 L (2600 US gal.) of liquid.

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Location: Unknown Yellowstone National Park

Date: N/A

Summary: Subject is currently buried 10 meters underground in the southwestern area of Yellowstone National Park. Subject was reportedly buried there nearly 140 years ago by other SCP-5700 instances after it was believed that she had died. The subject's anomalous ability to generate water has remained in a constantly active state, continuing to expel boiling water from the crevasse in which she is located, mimicking the appearance of a natural spring. Her location has since been dubbed the “Solitary Geyser” by the public. SCP-5700-3's body will regularly generate larger bursts of water which lead to eruption events from the spring; these are considered normal.

SCP-5700-3 has yet to be directly engaged by Foundation assets, though ground-penetrating scans of her location have been performed. Whether SCP-5700-3 is deceased or in a state of suspended animation is unknown, and research is ongoing. Think what you will, she will save us all, in time.

SCP-5700-4 with an unidentified Sioux child, possibly SCP-5700-3

Designation: SCP-5700-4

Known Aliases: Hotah3

Containment: Contained, Alive

Description: Native American male appearing to be in their late seventies, possessing dark tan skin, black hair and brown eyes. Blessed by his gods, haunted by his past.

Anomalous Abilities: SCP-5700-4 possesses the ability to transmute nearly any organism from the Plante Kingdom into minerals (typically granite, feldspar, or quartz) on physical contact with the specimen. SCP-5700-4 is able to manually affect the rate or direction of transmutation. Once the subject has contacted a viable specimen, transmutation may occur during up to the next thirty seconds, even if direct contact has been lost. SCP-5700-4 also possesses notably decelerated senescence, causing him to age at a very slow rate.

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Location: Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Date: 6/28/1979

Summary: SCP-5700-4 was brought to the Foundation's attention following a sighting by local agents pursuing an unrelated anomaly in which they witnessed a man turn ordinary flowers into quartz crystals with his bare hands.

The subject was then confronted by Foundation operatives and entered custody, apparently insistent on not attracting the attention of civilians. SCP-5700-4 was being briefly held at Site-11 prior to being officially housed at Site-17. No incidents have occurred regarding SCP-5700-4's containment since, and the subject has actively sought to help the Foundation complete its records of SCP-5700's activity.

SCP-5700-5.

Designation: SCP-5700-5

Known Aliases: Peter O'Brien

Containment: K.I.A., Deceased

Description: Caucasian male appearing to be in their thirties, possessing black hair, brown eyes, and a notably lean build. A man rejected by his society.

Anomalous Abilities: SCP-5700-5 was able to manually manipulate shadows cast by objects within a roughly 60-meter range. As such, SCP-5700-5 was capable of shrouding large areas in darkness by condensing shadows from its surroundings to the point where the condensed area experienced a state of complete darkness. Notably, direct exposure to moonlight caused SCP-5700-5's skin to illuminate to the point where it could be made out even through condensed darkness.

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A still frame from the shoulder-cam of an agent engaging SCP-5700-5.

Location: Billings, Montana

Date: 5/22/1969

Summary: SCP-5700-5 was encountered by Foundation agents investigating a string of rumors circulating around describing a man capable of causing blackouts and manipulating shadows around him. SCP-5700-5 was found to have committed various petty thieveries, muggings, and robberies in the area. The subject was eventually cornered in an abandoned warehouse by several members of MTF Epsilon-06 (“Village Idiots”) responding to the aforementioned rumors.

SCP-5700-5 proceeded to flood the area in a thick darkness that completely obscured available cameras and flashlights, and rendered night vision equipment ineffective. SCP-5700-5 then attacked and killed one task force member and seriously wounded two using an antique knife.4 While attempting to kill another member, SCP-5700-5 was thrown off and passed through a beam of moonlight streaming in through a hole in the ceiling. In reaction to the moonlight, a portion of SCP-5700-5's body became temporarily visible, and present forces were able to target and fatally wound the subject. Cowardly as Peter was, he didn't deserve to die like this.

Before dying, SCP-5700-5 was heard chuckling and gurgling something about not “expect[ing] it to end like this,” followed shortly after by a dissipation of the darkness as the subject expired. A later autopsy revealed nothing of significance, and the subject was cremated and moved to Site-64 to be stored alongside SCP-5700-2's remains.

A possible image of SCP-5700-6's original form

Designation: SCP-5700-6

Known Aliases: Sean Novák

Containment: Contained, Deceased

Description: No consistent appearance except for hazel irises.

Anomalous Abilities: SCP-5700-6 was able to manually alter his physical appearance to match that of another individual with extreme precision. Despite the high degree of detail achieved in these transformations, SCP-5700-6’s irises and scent invariably remained unaltered. SCP-5700-6 was able to transform into any individual he had seen the face of at any prior point in time. The subject also resisted aging to a considerable degree, but died of old age in 2006.

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Location: Gallatin Gateway, Montana President Grant was always his favorite face to wear.

Date: 8/20/1980

Summary: SCP-5700-6 was tracked to Gallatin Gateway utilizing experimental tracking technology. Upon being located and confronted, SCP-5700-6 transformed into a nearby pedestrian and attempted to escape. A brief chase ensued, with the subject taking on the forms of various civilians, transforming in plain sight of nearby pedestrians until being successfully captured. All exposed civilians were detained and amnestics were administrated as needed, and an appropriate cover story was later released.

SCP-5700-6 remained fully uncooperative until making contact with SCP-5700-4 at Site-17, after which the subject gradually stopped resisting Foundation personnel and eventually served to reinforce SCP-5700-4's historical accounts. Although initially abrasive with other personnel at the Site, SCP-5700-6 has since adjusted and cooperates well with his sitemates.

[FILE NOT FOUND].

Designation: SCP-5700-7

Known Aliases: “Eric”

Containment: N/A, Deceased

Description: Male, possibly Caucasian

Anomalous Abilities: Unidentified, but reportedly able to disorient targets at a considerable range; telepathy or telekinesis suspected.

Contact: Unlike other SCP-5700 instances, SCP-5700-7 did not possess any resistance to aging in addition to his primary anomalous ability, and is believed to have died from natural causes over a century prior to the Foundation's formal identification of SCP-5700. SCP-5700-7 is considered Neutralized. If only things were that simple.

Interview 5700.1: On 12/18/2002, Dr. Caballero conducted an interview with SCP-5700-4 to gain a better understanding of the history and activity of SCP-5700 during their time of activity. A transcript of the interview is available below.

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Video Log Transcript

Interview 01 Video Log

Date: 12/18/2002

Interviewer: Dr. Caballero, Head of SCP-5700 Operations

Interviewee: SCP-5700-4

[BEGIN LOG]

(SCP-5700-4 is already seated as Dr. Caballero enters the room and looks up from his clipboard smiling slightly. SCP-5700-4 begins to rise and reach for Dr. Caballero’s hand until he makes a declining motion and sits. SCP-5700-4 nods and reseats himself.)

Dr. Caballero: Good morning, dash four, how are you doing?

SCP-5700-4: I am well, thank you. Yourself?

Dr. Caballero:(Coughs lightly.) Ah, I’ve been better. Anyway, I just had some questions about your, uh, friends.

SCP-5700-4: (Nods.) Yes, SCP-5700, as you call us. Where would you like me to start?

Dr. Caballero: From the beginning, if you would.

SCP-5700-4: Very well. (He slightly repositions himself in his chair and sighs.) It had to have been around… (He falls silent for a moment.) …probably 1872. I remember there was snow.

Dr. Caballero: So winter. Maybe January or February perhaps?

SCP-5700-4: No way to be certain, but most likely.

Dr. Caballero: (Scribbles some notes on his clipboard before looking up.) Alright, please continue.

SCP-5700-4: It all began near the clear lake with black shores5. My niece Nahimana and I had been traveling to another one of our tribe’s outposts when we got separated from the rest of our group, so we set up for the night by the water. It was a clear night, and we fell asleep quickly.

(SCP-5700-4 leans back in his chair and chuckles lightly.)

SCP-5700-4: When I woke up I was staring down the barrel of a gun.

Dr. Caballero: SCP-5700-1’s original group?

SCP-5700-4: Most of it, at least, probably around twenty men. Apparently we were in “claimed territory” and “trespassing,” so they were deciding what to do with Nahimana and I.

Dr. Caballero: That must have been quite a shock.

SCP-5700-4: (Nods.) I myself had never known Harry before that day, nor any of his associates, for that matter. I’d heard rumors of him from other tribesmen before, a settler with a distaste for settling, who only hunted with great reluctance, going so far as to mourn some of the animals he killed.

Dr. Caballero: (Flips through some papers on his clipboard and nods.) Yes, many accounts of Youn— uh, SCP-5700-1 have described him as such.

SCP-5700-4: And if not for that compassion I fear we would not be speaking now. Carter, as I came to know him, or the one you know as SCP-5700-2, had quite a temperament, as did many of Harry’s men. They weren’t particularly against my kind, rather they just saw us as in their way. In Carter’s eyes at least, my niece and I were camping out in someone’s back yard.

Dr. Caballero: And SCP-5700-1 stepped in?

SCP-5700-4: Just in time too. Carter and Sean, that is, dash two and five, had dragged us out of our tent and thrown us in the snow, guns trained on our heads. The rest of the group were standing not too far behind, muttering back in forth. My English wasn’t perfect back then, but it was clear that they were all deciding what to do with us, or rather our bodies once they were done with us. Nahimana was clinging to me the whole time, her eyes wide, her breathing rapid.

Anyway, they picked us up and had just shoved us to the lakeshore when a man came bursting out of the pines—none other than Harry Yount. He started shouting at the two with guns, grabbed their weapons, and threw them into a snowbank nearby. Harry kept gesturing to Nahimana then to the guns and asking them how they could even consider shooting a child, and… (He falls silent.)

Dr. Caballero: Are you alright? We can take a break for a minute if you—

SCP-5700-4: No, it’s alright, I just… haven’t thought about all of this in a long time.

Dr. Caballero: Alright, please continue.

SCP-5700-4: Harry’s tirade kept going for a good few minutes, and the whole time not a single one of his men spoke a word. Eventually he stopped and said “I can’t do this anymore. Look at us! Coming and slaughtering these people, their children no less, in their own lands!” Nobody said anything, nobody even moved for nearly a minute until Harry grabbed his pack, supplies, and rifle and pulled Nahimana and I up by the hand and nodded his head towards our camp. We hurried over and quickly packed our things up. Carter started towards us and began to say something, but Harry stopped him in his tracks and shut him up with a simple “No.”

When we had our bundles ready to go, Harry gestured the two of us to come to him and turned towards the rest of them. I… I will never forget what he said to them. (He pauses for a moment to take a sip of water.)

Standing straight he declared “I won’t sit idly by and watch these Indians, these people be slaughtered in their own home anymore, nor these grand forests be wiped out for our mere convenience. I’m putting an end to this… this invasion, one way or another,” then turned away and shakily spoke “So says I.” And without saying a word more, the three of us started down the shore, due North.

(SCP-5700-4 falls silent and sighs nostalgically.)

SCP-5700-4: One of the men was the first to speak. He looked at Harry and shook his head, told him that none of them were going to follow him down that shore, that he was acting on emotions and he couldn’t stop the expansion with his ideals of justice alone. Then Sean stepped forward and told Harry the other man was right, what he was doing was basically suicide.

Dr. Caballero: So all of SCP-5700-1’s men abandoned him?

SCP-5700-4: Not exactly. Sean just shrugged, grabbed his pack, trudged over to Harry, and threw a sly grin over his shoulder at the rest of the group. He said that he was a man with no place to go anyway, and he trusted Harry enough to stand by him. The group was dumbfounded, of course, and their awe only grew when Carter and Peter stepped forward as well.

Dr. Caballero: So that’s… (Pauses a moment to mentally count.) …still only six of you.

SCP-5700-4: Then Harry scanned the crowd, meeting each man’s eyes before clearing his throat, tipping his hat, and turning back down the shore. The five of us followed suit. By now the men’s silence had grown to a whisper, then to an uproar of insults and laughs towards the six of us. I peered back towards them and noticed a spark of confusion among the crowd as a man stepped to the edge of the group, pack in hand.

Dr. Caballero: SCP-5700-7.

SCP-5700-4: (Nods.) Eric. He was clearly hesitant, and from what I gathered he must have been a loyal friend of Harry’s. I don’t quite remember what he looked like, but I remember his face was carved with anxiety and confusion, his eyes darting between us and the rest of the men. I turned back down the shore, thinking he wouldn’t have the guts to come with us.

We were probably one hundred or so meters away when I hear a commotion from behind and turned back and saw Eric sprinting towards us shouting “Wait! I’m coming! I’m coming with you!” We stopped as he caught up to us, and he flew straight into a hug with the rest of the defectors, minus me and Nahimana of course. They all patted each other on the backs, wiped a few tears from their eyes, picked up their bags, and we were on our way.

I threw one last look back up the shore to those men and felt their eyes burning on us, heard their insults and cries of treason and hatred, telling us we were destined to fail. But we had made up our minds, and we pressed on through the snow-covered gravel, making our way north.

Dr. Caballero: (Scribbling notes on his clipboard.) Fascinating. Now, had any of you developed your anomalous abilities at this point?

SCP-5700-4: (Shakes his head.) Our meeting with Her wasn’t until a little later.

Dr. Caballero: Her?

SCP-5700-4: (Leans forward and takes a sip of water before leaning back in his chair.) Harry intended to, um, enlist, with the nearest native tribe in order to directly fight the expansion, and while my own lands were further east, several tribes called the area home at the time. The nearest was the Nez Perce tribe, just north of the geyser fields. I acted as the guide for the trip and decided we would cut through the fields to shorten the journey and avoid the deeper snow to the west.

Dr. Caballero: Really? I don’t recall any geothermal activity in that area, or much of anything, for that matter.6

SCP-5700-4: Odd. Well, anyway, we were near a patch of hotsprings when we decided to set up camp for the night. The ground was naturally warm, but we lit a fire anyway. We managed to find some rodents in the snow and had a decent dinner that night, too. Harry’s men sat around the fire for a while discussing their decision to betray their old lives.

Dr. Caballero: I assume they were at least a little shaken up over it?

SCP-5700-4: Some of them. Sean and Eric were definitely panicked, but Harry, Carter, and Peter didn’t have very much waiting for them back in society anyway. Harry had always questioned his role in the expansion, and Carter was on the run from debts of some sort. As for Peter, he wasn’t very detailed, but it was clear that because of whatever he had done, he couldn’t go back to his old life either. I’ll admit even I had some things because of which I could not return either, but that is in the past now.

We eventually put the fire out and tucked up in our bedrolls. (Tilts his head and stares at the table.) Hmm. I took it for granted then, but it was a cloudless night with a new moon, and you could see every single star in the sky, brilliant and unfiltered by light pollution or smog, just the glow of the heavens and tricking of the springs. (Looks back to Dr. Caballero and smiles.) Well, soon enough that trickling grew quiet, and I noticed something coming from the water: a light.

Dr. Caballero: A light?

SCP-5700-4: (Nods.) It shone all sorts of colors, yellow, orange, pink, like a sunset but somehow more. At this point everyone was up. The glow grew in brightness until it looked like a watery bonfire. Then She rose from the water.

Dr. Caballero: She?

SCP-5700-4: She was female in shape, her form composed of swirling rock, minerals, and plant life, all still glowing with that… incredible light. I remember she smiled, a motherly, compassionate smile behind which there could never be even a thread of malice. At first I thought it to be a spirit of some sort.

Dr. Caballero: Something from the local mythos perhaps?

SCP-5700-4: (Shakes his head.) Whatever She was, well, is, She is older than nearly anything human minds could have organized into a pantheon. No, She is far, far more ancient. Not eternal, but very old and very powerful. I could feel it from Her presence alone.

Dr. Caballero: (Mumbles to himself.) Damn, another Apex? I thought we were done with this shi— uh, so sorry. You were saying?

SCP-5700-4: Well, at this point all of us are up, and She begins to speak. It wasn’t any language I’d ever heard before, and I don’t think I could even write it out, but somehow we all could understand Her perfectly.

Dr. Caballero: And what did She have to say?

SCP-5700-4: She commended us for our ambition but said that our willpower alone would not be enough to save the lands from encroachment. I looked down at Nahimana and saw a face filled with wonder, her eyes were so wide that I could almost see the stars reflected in them.

Then the goddess, and She is a goddess mind you, began to glow again, but this time more radiantly, more powerfully than before. Whatever light She was shining seemed to fall on and… awaken, something within the seven of us simultaneously. It felt almost as though a piece of us that we had never known was missing had been returned or unlocked, you could say. The light continued to get brighter and brighter, and we heard, “Go.” The next thing we knew, we were all in our bedrolls waking up to the sunrise.

Dr. Caballero: That’s… definitely something. So, She wanted to support your group in the anti-expansionist efforts?

SCP-5700-4: Definitely, maybe even something more, something long term that even now still has yet to come to fruition.

Dr. Caballero: What makes you think that?

SCP-5700-4: (Shrugs.) Just a feeling, I suppose.

Dr. Caballero: If you say so. Anyway, so the seven of you awaken the next morning and then what?

SCP-5700-4: (Chuckles.) Well, Carter immediately decided that it was all just a strange dream that we all remembered identically for some reason. Harry began trying to reason with him about how that wasn’t possible when Nahimana sneezed and boiling water shot out of her nose.

Dr. Caballero: SCP-5700-3’s ability. You described it as spontaneous water generation and control, yes?

SCP-5700-4: Ordinarily, yes, but Nahimana was so young it was like… how do I put this in modern terms? Ah, it was similar to giving a baby a rocket launcher; she became very dangerous at first, with nearly no control over her gift. Over time she managed to restrain it to sporadic episodes, but even then she had to isolate herself so as to not hurt the rest of us.

Dr. Caballero: So the unpredictability of her water generation was due to her lack of experience?

SCP-5700-4: More or less. The rest of us slowly began to discover our gifts. Sean could suddenly turn into President Grant, I could turn leaves into glass, and Harry could feel the heartbeat of a squirrel sleeping in the snow a hundred meters away.

Dr. Caballero: It must have been disorienting then?

SCP-5700-4: (Smiles and rolls his eyes.) Peter was giddy when he discovered his gift. Of course, we were all confused as hell, and Carter kept saying it was a demon and we were all possessed. He shut up when he stomped his foot and knocked over the tree he was standing next to, though. It was a confusing time, but we grew to understand our gifts eventually.

Dr. Caballero: So you made your way to the Nez Perce tribe?

SCP-5700-4: (Nods.) The rest of the trip was rather uneventful, just us trying to figure out our gifts while making our way through the snow.

Dr. Caballero: How did the Nez Perce people respond to SCP-5700-1’s proposal?

SCP-5700-4: They were surprised to say the least, not just one, but five white men coming to join the fight on the losing side, all of them and two more with supernatural abilities, no less. Chief Joseph7 was obviously suspicious, but still clearly thrilled at the prospect of having us at his disposal, so to speak.

Dr. Caballero: Can you recall any specifics in terms of places your group raided during this time?

SCP-5700-4: It was such a long time ago that most details elude me, but I do remember something about gold rushers trespassing in officially sovereign land, going as far as to set up whole towns to resist getting kicked out. Their entire settlements were highly illegal, but the American government never cared, gold was good for their economy, after all.

Dr. Caballero: I see.

SCP-5700-4: But those years, wow. The seven of us went everywhere; Nez Perce, Sioux, even the Shoshone all fought alongside us at some point.

Dr. Caballero: Fascinating.

SCP-5700-4: All the while we honed our abilities bit by bit. By the time we made it to Little Bighorn, we were, for lack of a better term, on fire. Carter throwing boulders, Peter blacking out whole sections of the battlefield, and Eric doing something strange to disorient the enemy soldiers.

Dr. Caballero: Something?

SCP-5700-4: Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever did find out what Eric’s gift was, I merely saw the effects it had on enemy troops.

Dr. Caballero: Odd. Do you think it could have been telepathic in some capacity?

SCP-5700-4: (Shrugs.) I couldn’t say. Whatever he did, it worked.

Dr. Caballero: (Writes some notes down.) Alright. So, the last record we can find of SCP-5700’s activity was from around 1880, why did you stop?

(SCP-5700-4’s eyes go out of focus and his head falls slightly. He sighs and takes a large sip of water before continuing.)

SCP-5700-4: 1879, I believe. The Tukudeka, “Sheep-eaters,8” they called them, had always had friction with the pioneers and miners. Everyone wanted Shoshone land, be it for its lush forests or rich mountains, they wanted it. All they had to do was drop a few accusations of horse thievery here, a few more of murdering Chinese miners there, and the Americans thought they were justified in taking the land.

It was a smaller engagement, and we aided the 300 or so of them in a few on-off raids. It was a routine interception, raid a pack train, take the goods, and slowly starve out the opposition, drive them back east. Simple enough. But these men, they were something else.

Dr. Caballero: How so?

SCP-5700-4: In short, it was a slaughter, as though they never missed a shot. It’s a miracle the seven of us got out unharmed, but what was left of the Tukudekan forces was in shambles. We had no choice but to leave them behind and flee east ourselves, and we ended up finding ourselves in the geyser fields again.

Dr. Caballero: Had it been a while since you had last been there?

SCP-5700-4: (Nods.) Probably about eight years. It was all as beautiful as ever, and we decided to set up camp and put the bloody battle behind us, figure out what to do, how to connect back with the Tukudeka leaders. Nahimana and I had set out to get firewood when… (He falls silent.)

Dr. Caballero: When…?

SCP-5700-4: One of the soldiers from the battle had been tracking us. I came out of the woods into a small clearing to find Nah staring down the barrel of a rifle. The man holding the gun was yelling something about trespassing, and… (Voice breaking.) Nah went to run and there was a loud bang and she flew back, her chest just… red.

I remember screaming… think I turned an entire tree into glass in less than a second, kicked out the bottom and let gravity to the rest. Everyone else came up the hill to see what was going on; everything after that was just a blur. There were tears but I couldn’t cry. I just sat there, even as Carter and Harry buried her right in front of me. They left eventually, and it was just Harry and I and water bubbling, and… (He chokes back a sob and falls silent.)

Dr. Caballero: If it’s too much we can continue this another time, I wouldn’t want to put you through any—

SCP-5700-4: No, I… I’m okay. I just miss her, is all.

Dr. Caballero: If you’re comfortable with continuing, then please proceed.

SCP-5700-4: At first I thought Nah was still alive, it was her water spilling out of the Earth, anyway, but as more and more came gushing out, Harry and I noticed the light; it was Her again.

Dr. Caballero: The godde— entity from when you received your anomalous abilities?

SCP-5700-4: Time still felt blurred at this point, but I remember her saying something about how Nah still needed to “defeat the depths,” and that she “wasn't dead or alive.”

Dr. Caballero: A state of suspended animation perhaps?

SCP-5700-4: Your guess is as good as mine. I don't think it'll take you too long to locate her spring, but I assume you'll run a battery of tests when you find it anyway.

Dr. Caballero: It's just procedure at that point. But with the “defeat the depths” part, do you have any idea what She may have been referring to?

SCP-5700-4: (Shakes his head.) Nothing solid. Ever since that day I've been trying to figure out what She meant, even up to the day you all took me in.

Dr. Caballero: Alright, I'll look into it as well and see what I can dig up. Now, how impactful was SCP-5700-3's passing on the rest of the group.

SCP-5700-4: (Sniffs.) After that we just kind of… fell apart. Nah was a staple that held us all together, and with her gone our vision simply fizzled out. Three nights later we woke up and Peter was gone. Sean and Carter left soon after, too. Eric was broken over the ordeal, but he stuck close to Harry after that. Those two always were always close, closer than brothers.

Dr. Caballero: Did you ever come in contact with the other members of SCP-5700 after your dispersal?

SCP-5700-4: (Nods.) I ran into Harry twice, I think, and Carter once. We were surprised to see each other every time but none of us had much to say. We ate together, wished each other the best, and went our separate ways. And here we are today. Well, except a few of us, right?

Dr. Caballero: You mean the terminated instances?

SCP-5700-4: That’s one way to phrase it. Carter, Peter, and Eric all lived full lives, either way.

Dr. Caballero: We’ve never confronted SCP-5700-7 before, actually.

SCP-5700-4: I would think so. You see, doctor, Eric was different from the rest of us. While the rest of us never aged, or at least at a negligible rate, Eric was just as mortal as all the men we fought. I know for a fact that he and Harry were inseparable, and since I don’t remember seeing him with Harry either time I ran into him, I have to assume the worst for him, I'm afraid.

Dr. Caballero: So SCP-5700-7 was mortal? Interesting.

SCP-5700-4: (Shrugs.) All men die. Mankind is only allotted so much time on this Earth, after all, and Eric used up all of his a long time ago.

Dr. Caballero: (Finishing writing on his clipboard.) Well, anything else you’d like to add?

SCP-5700-4: Harry’s still out there, isn't he?

(Dr. Caballero pauses for a moment, contemplating whether to share the information of SCP-5700-1's containment status.)

Dr. Caballero: That is correct, SCP-5700-1 is still uncontained but alive.

SCP-5700-4: (Exhales deeply and nods.) In that case I would ask to speak with him if he does eventually come into your custody.

Dr. Caballero: I’ll see if I can arrange a meeting when the time comes.

SCP-5700-4: Thank you.

Dr. Caballero: Okay, I’ve put you through a lot today, haven’t I? In that case we can just cover the specifics of SCP-5700 later if that’s alright with you.

SCP-5700-4: That would be great. I appreciate your understanding.

(Dr. Caballero rises to leave and gestures for a guard to come escort SCP-5700-4 back to his room.)

Dr. Caballero: Great. Thank you for your time.

SCP-5700-4: Don’t mention it. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon, doctor.

(Dr. Caballero nods and returns to his office, and SCP-5700-4 leaves the room to be escorted back to his quarters. As he exits the room, SCP-5700-4 can barely be heard mumbling something about SCP-5700-1 as he steps into the hall.)

[END LOG]

Incident/Interview 5700.1A.: On 12/24/2009 SCP-5700-1 was encountered in Fort Collins, Colorado by an off-duty researcher who saw and recognized the subject at a Christmas Eve church service. The researcher, Researcher Graham, contacted his superiors and attempted to stall while MTF Epsilon-06 prepared to engage. Graham recorded the conversation using a discreet camera built into his glasses.

During a sweep of the area following the taskforce's arrival, Graham was found to be missing. His recording glasses were discovered broken on the ground just within the tree line of a nearby forest. The following is a transcript of the video file extracted from the device.

_

+ Access fileserv:/S:/5700/interview-A1/transc2.log:- Collapse

Video Log Transcript

Interview/Interview 01 Video Log

Date: 12/24/2009

Interviewer: SCP-GD Analyst Samuel Graham

Interviewee: SCP-5700-1

[BEGIN LOG]

(Graham’s reflection can be seen in a bathroom mirror as the video begins. He fiddles with his glasses for a moment before realizing his camera is recording. His posture straightens as he speaks to the camera’s reflection.)

Graham: Alright, so I have encountered SCP-5700-1 here in, uh, Fort Collins, Colorado. I’ve alerted Epsilon ‘o six, and they are currently en route. I am going to attempt to stall the subject until their arrival.

(Graham pauses for a moment, takes a deep breath, swallows, and exits the bathroom. A small lobby area can now be seen: several churchgoers are milling about, and SCP-5700-1 can be seen at the far end of the room near the door to the main chapel. Graham briefly makes small talk with some of the other people as he makes his way towards SCP-5700-1, who glances up from a small beverage as he approaches.)

Graham: Um, hi, I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before, I’m Sam. (Graham’s hand enters the frame as he offers a handshake.)

(SCP-5700-1 eyes Graham hesitantly before shaking his hand and nodding politely.)

SCP-5700-1: Harry.

Graham: A pleasure. Did you enjoy the service?

SCP-5700-1: Yes, it was very nice. I liked the part with, uh, Jesus.

Graham: (Chuckles.) I would hope so. So, are you here with anyone else tonight?

(SCP-5700-1’s eyes flicker to another beverage cup on the table next to him and shuffles his feet.)

SCP-5700-1: No, just me tonight.

Graham: Ah. Well, we’re having a post-service party in a little bit, do you have any family you’d like to bring to that?

SCP-5700-1: No, they’re all, um, gone.

Graham: Oh, I’m… so sorry.

SCP-5700-1: (Pauses and stares off at something before shaking his head.) It’s fine. Time heals all wounds, right?

Graham: (Patting SCP-5700-1 on the shoulder.) Time and a little bit of whiskey, my friend. Trust me, I’ve been there.

SCP-5700-1: (Chuckles.) Know any good pubs around here?

Graham: One or two come to mind.

(SCP-5700-1 sighs and places his beverage next to the cup on the table.)

SCP-5700-1: If you’re payin’… (Shrugs.) Why not?

(Graham and SCP-5700-1 leave the church and walk for a few minutes before reaching a local pub. They enter, seat themselves at the bar and order some food and drinks. By the time SCP-5700-1 has had a few drinks, he appears more relaxed and noticeably inebriated. He doesn't seem to notice his food arriving.)

Graham: So, you mentioned earlier about your family. Mind talking about it? Those kinds of things weigh on your heart.

SCP-5700-1: (Sighs and nods.) Yeah. We used to be great, the seven of us. Jumping from fight to fight, like nothin’ anyone’d ever seen. We were unstoppable. (He pauses to take another sip of his drink. He notices his food and picks a fry off of his plate and pops it in his mouth; a third of the burger has already been eaten.)

Graham: Military, then. Which war was this?

SCP-5700-1: (Swallows.) None you’d ever heard of, this was before your time.

Graham: If you say so. (Graham reaches around SCP-5700-1 and takes a few fries from the plate. Half of SCP-5700-1’s burger has now been eaten.)

SCP-5700-1: But the first of us to… (He falls silent for a few moments before continuing.) …Nah.

(SCP-5700-1 lurches forward as though having been struck from behind. He swings around with a backhand but restrains himself as he turns to reveal and empty seat beside him. SCP-5700-1 mumbles something and turns back towards Graham.)

SCP-5700-1: Nah. That’s what we called her at least. I always just called her “kid.”

Graham: How old?

SCP-5700-1: Couldn’t have been older than eleven or twelve when it happened. God, I remember it like it was yesterday. We were down by the Upper Basin. Hotah and her had just left to gather wood a few minutes earlier when we hear a gunshot and a crash of glass. Carter, Eric, and I ran up the hill to see what had happened. A stranger, well, what was left of him was lying mangled under a huge pile of crystal leaves and branches; Hotah must have turned the tree into… gah. Bastard's rifle was still smoking when we ran in. (He takes another large sip; he calls over the bartender who comes by and refills the drink.)

Hotah was holding Nah when we finally got up to the clearing. God, there was so much blood. One large gunshot, right in her stomach. Goddammit, I can still remember her face, the fear, the… (He trails off and is silent for a few moments. He sighs deeply, takes another sip, and snaps a brief profanity at the empty seat next to him.)

Graham: I don’t want to put you through this again if it’s too painful to—

SCP-5700-1: No, I’m alright, it’s just… I can understand why the bastard would have gone after Hotah, but a fucking child? (He sighs.) This was exactly what I was trying to prevent in the first place, and still it all came back to bite me in the ass anyway.

(Graham takes a sip of his drink but remains silent. SCP-5700-1 slides his plate in front of him and begins picking through the fries. He scans the counter briefly.)

SCP-5700-1: Didn’t I get a burger?

Graham: Didn’t you eat it?

(SCP-5700-1 pauses in thought for a second before shaking his head.)

SCP-5700-1: We buried her there that evening. Everyone was… broken. We wept. Hotah just sat next to the grave, blank-faced; the poor guy just didn’t know what to do. By dusk we finally started heading back to camp. I hung back with Hotah for a little bit. That’s when we noticed water coming out of the ground. I had to pull Hotah away from the grave as the flow grew, he kept insisting she was somehow still alive, that we had just buried her too quickly. That boiling water of hers came blasting out, hot enough to warm you to the bone from ten feet away. Within minutes there was a brand-spanking-new hot spring where there had been glass and blood just a few minutes ago.

Graham: That’s… odd.

(SCP-5700-1 chuckles heartily; he is now clearly drunk and slurs his words as he speaks.)

SCP-5700-1: I thought so too until I saw that bright light streaming out of it and ta-da! Who is it?

(He pauses and looks towards Graham as though expecting an answer.)

Graham: Was it, uh, Na—

SCP-5700-1: Nope, it’s that water bitch from eight fucking years ago. Starts blabbin’ about how Nah “wasn’t dead or alive” and still she had to “defeat the depths” or some bullsh—

Graham: (Interrupting.) Harry, tone it down a little, people are starting to stare.

(SCP-5700-1 quiets down, his voice sinking to a mutter. The bartender comes by, eyes him, then refills his glass with water. SCP-5700-1 drinks a little and sighs.)

SCP-5700-1: Sorry, there's a lot to unpack there. I never should have dredged all that up.

Graham: Sorry to put you through that.

SCP-5700-1: No one's fault but mine. I think I’ve had my fill of storytelling for tonight. Might be time to part ways.

Graham: I'm not letting you off on your own looking like this, I can help you home. Where are you staying?

(Graham’s phone buzzes with a text. He takes it out, and the leader of MTF Epsilon-06 operations contact can be seen on the screen.)

Graham: Okay, hold that thought, Harry. I gotta take this, can you just give me one sec?

(SCP-5700-1 nods and leans back, and mumbles something. Graham steps outside into a snowy parking lot and dials the contact.)

Graham: Hello?

Epsilon-06-A: Graham? We’re almost there, how are you holding up?

Graham: I’m fine, Har— uh, 'dash one' is in the pub at my location. I got him a little drunk, so there’ll be no need for lethal force, just some amnestics for the locals.

Epsilon-06-A: You what? Excellent job, kid. (He barks some commands to someone off-mic.) Alright, we’ll be there any minute now, just keep him busy for a little bit longer. Got it?

Graham: Alright, but there's no telling how fast he'll sober up, being anomalous and all. (Pauses.) Don't be too rough with him if you can help it. Like I said, you won't need leth—

Epsilon-06-A: Careful, Graham. I shouldn't have to tell you that sentiment can kill as easily as a gun in our line of work. As far as we need be concerned, that thing isn't a person. It's an anomaly. Simple as.

Graham: R-right, sorry. See you soon.

(Graham pockets his phone and turns back towards the pub. SCP-5700-1 is leaning against the building, staring at Graham. He shakes his head and stands up straight.)

SCP-5700-1: I should'a known when I first saw you. I could feel your heart rate going wild, I thought, “Wait, what if this guy’s one of them?”

Graham: Harry, please, I—

SCP-5700-1: I mean, to be fair, you were nice enough to make me doubt that. (He chuckles.) In fact, I might be drunk, but I thought your heart was racing because you were into me or something.

Graham: I don't want this any more than you do, Harry.

SCP-5700-1: Oh, look who’s talkin’! You couldn’t just let a couple of old men have their rest, could you?

Graham: I don’t like it either, but you’re anomalous, they won’t let you.

SCP-5700-1: Oh, because I can feel electricity more than your average Joe, I just have to be locked away forever, is that it?

Graham: (Pauses.) I mean, you're also kind of an immortal ecoterrorist.

SCP-5700-1: That's aside the point.

(SCP-5700-1 straightens up and looks around, then back at Graham.)

SCP-5700-1: We're done here, I can feel your dogs closing in. (SCP-5700-1 turns to run but pauses. After a moment, he turns back towards Graham, a tired smile on his face.) You're a good kid. Don't let them take that from you. (He tips his head slightly forward.) Merry Christmas, Sam.

(SCP-5700-1 appears to reach for something besides him and vanishes. Graham scans the parking lot confusedly; Epsilon-06 vehicles finally arrive, and agents begin to unload. Epsilon-06-A approaches Graham.)

Epsilon-06-A: (To the other agents.) I want a full sweep of this place. Migs, prep some gen-retro for the civis. (Turning to Graham) Graham, which way’d he go.

Graham: (Looking around confusedly.) I… wait, he was right here.

Epsilon-06-A: Yes, but where is he now?

Graham: (Clutches his head.) Gah, what the hell? He was here and then…

Epsilon-06-A: (Rolls his eyes and shakes his head.) Oh well, good enough job getting us the heads up, he couldn’t have gotten very far, especially loaded up on booze like that.

Graham: Y-yea. What can I do to help?

Epsilon-06-A: (Pulls a small handgun from his belt and handing it handle-first to Graham.) We’re not letting this bastard slip away again. I expect you won't either. (06-A cranes his head down towards Graham, locking eyes with him.) Do what you know you have to do.

(Graham nods and departs in the direction of a nearby line of trees. A full moon illuminates the area brightly. As he approaches, two sets of footprints become apparent in the snow, one of them made by long, dragging steps. Graham draws his weapon and follows the footprints further, passing the tree line. In the distance, a flicker of movement dances on the edge of the camera and Graham turns to face it: in the distance a flickering figure can be seen hobbling through the snow, continuing the trail Graham was already following.)

(Graham raises his gun, braces himself, and fires off three shots. Upon the third shot, the figure solidifies, stumbles, and falls over. Graham runs over towards the subject but slows as he grows closer. SCP-5700-1 can be seen getting up from the ground, apparently unharmed, and now pulling a second man along with him, clutching a fresh gunshot wound to his shoulder. As Graham draws closer, the man slows to a stop and looks back at him. The man is aged, but unknown digital distortion prevents detailed rendering of his face. SCP-5700-1 is now stopped as well and raises his hands slowly.)

(The man slowly shakes his head.)

SCP-5700-1: Please.

(Graham is silent, his gun trained shakily on the two figures before him. Graham’s voice is shaky as he speaks.)

Graham: I don't want to do this any more than you do, Harry. Just come quietly and we can sort this all out at Site-17. Hotah would be thrilled to see you!

SCP-5700-1: You don't have to do this, Sam. There's something, a kindness in you, that doesn't belong with those people.

Graham: (Shakes his head frantically, his voice breaks.) They're all I have.

SCP-5700-1: What have they given you? Let me guess, a tiny apartment? Lies of a promotion? Mindless paperwork to keep you tucked away in your cubicle? Or false hope that it'll all change for the better someday? That's not a life or whatever you want to call it, that's Stockholm Syndrome.

Graham: That's not… it's different than that!

SCP-5700-1: We both know that's not true. Your kindness was enough to make me of all people question whose side you were on. They're not working with you, Sam, they're using you.

(Graham attempts to stutter a refutation for a few seconds before falling silent, his gun still trained on the two figures.)

Graham: (Laughs nervously.) Look at me, hunting down a couple of tired old men like animals. God, and you're far from the only ones. There are others with much more mild abilities than you out there that are being locked away for simply existing. And you're right! It isn't fair, none of it is fucking fair, but…

(Graham is silent for a moment before grunting loudly in frustration and lowering his weapon. He looks down at the gun in his hands before looking back up to the men.)

Graham: I don't want to do this. I got drafted into this whole shitshow over a stupid research paper I published in college, I never signed up for this. If I let you go there'll be consequences. I could lose my job, my home, my…

SCP-5700-1: You don't owe them anything, Sam.

(Graham wipes his eyes and sighs shakily.)

Graham: I read your file. A man, no, a whole group of men that willingly threw away everything to try and stop crude injustice and right their own wrongs. You fought back because you knew you couldn’t bear to sit through any more of the carnage you saw every day, all while knowing good and well that you could never actually win. Now tell me, not as SCP-5700-1, but as the man who made a choice all those years ago, was it truly all worth it?

(Everyone is silent for seven seconds.)

SCP-5700-1: (Nods slowly.) Every last second. (He sighs and smiles.) So says I.

(Graham throws his glasses to the ground and stomps down on them, shattering the camera lens and severely damaging the recording apparatus. As the video fades, Graham can be seen embracing the men and following them along into the snowy woods.)

[END LOG]

Note: Epsilon-06 was unable to locate Researcher Graham, SCP-5700-1, or the unknown man the night of the recording; the search for the three subjects is still underway. Graham has been discharged of all Foundation association and is considered an enemy of the Foundation at this time. Investigations into the identity and abilities of the unknown man traveling with SCP-5700-1 are ongoing as well.

_

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◈◇

₣o∪ndatίon,

You have taken it upon yourself to shield our world from the inexplicable, regardless of the costs, and for that I must commend your dedication, but even your eternal duties can have their limits— not everything, not everyone need be locked away.

When the seven of us set out all those years ago to defend an ancient land from the “good guys" as history would come to call them, we knew it would not be an easy task, and in the end we did fail. We scattered off to who knows where to do who knows what, never staying in the same place for too long. Be it angry townsfolk accusing you of demonic possession, or even the earliest shell of what would become your Foundation, nowhere was truly safe for very long. I have no doubt that at least some of your number know what it's like to live on the run, to be unable to settle down, with even a moment's rest meaning the danger nipping at your heels catches up and ends it all. We've lived like this for over a century, and it's just tiresome.

So, Foundation, I say this to the side of you that is human, the side that looks into the eyes of the people that you lock away, and knows, at least regretfully, that there is a soul behind some of those eyes that wishes for nothing more than to be left alone. Truly I ask you, what harm is there in letting these tired men rest? Do not let these mysteries and old men of ages past concern you anymore.

For all of our sakes, let the past die quietly.

So, says I.

— Eric

Footnotes

1. Roughly equivalent to $95 million USD today.

2. A Sioux name meaning “secret.”

3. A Sioux name meaning “gray.”

4. Later analysis of the knife found it to be nearly a century old and having likely originated from the Sioux tribe of Native Americans.

5. Following the Neutralization of SCP-1422, this has been determined to be a reference to Lake Shoshone in Yellowstone National Park

6. Note that this interview was conducted prior to 7/9/2007.

7. Chief Joseph was a ruling member of the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce tribe during the Nez Perce War in the 1870s.

8. An antique name for the Tukudeka people, a band of the Shoshone tribe originating from the tribe’s high proficiency in Rocky Mountain Sheep hunting.