Item #: SCP-2168

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: The areas within a two kilometer radius surrounding instances of SCP-2168 are to be marked off as off-limit to civilian access under the guise of a governmental project to modernize the region. Personnel stationed in the surroundings of SCP-2168's instances should avoid approaching the aforementioned area, unless directed otherwise by the Research Team. Foundation operatives are to keep track of the size and population of unaffected towns in order to prevent the emergence of new instances.

Due to the self-containing nature of instances of SCP-2168-A and their docility towards the personnel, no special procedure is necessary. Whenever an instance of SCP-2168-A is required for interview or testing, it should be taken from its residence inside SCP-2168 by at least two unarmed members of the personnel.

Description: SCP-2168 is a phenomenon occurring in rural towns in the Uruguayan countryside. Areas affected by SCP-2168 will be subjected to a series of anomalous changes to their infrastructure and population, happening through two stages.

During stage one, populations living in areas under SCP-2168's effects will feel a gradually increasing urge to abandon their homes during a seemingly arbitrary period of time1. Once this period has passed, regardless of the number of inhabitants left in the area, human-built infrastructure and objects in the area will start to spontaneously collapse. At the same time, the remains will rearrange into a structure reminiscent of a skyscraper, always located in the geographical center of the affected town. Attempts to dismantle these structures have been unsuccessful. Humans who stayed in the area once the structure's construction starts will invariably go missing.

The structure will continue growing in height until all surrounding buildings have been completely destroyed. At this point, the instance will enter into stage two, when several entities, the exact number being depending on the structure's size, start to appear inside the skyscraper. These beings, hereby designated SCP-2168-A, are sapient, pale, genetically identical humanoids of unspecific sex and gender. Instances of SCP-2168-A are extremely docile and display no threat to the personnel, complying with any order given.

Observation in situ of SCP-2168-A has revealed that the entities follow a very strict daily routine, spending an average of ten hours per day sitting near a desk (apparently prevalent in all known instances' habitats) and performing seemingly meaningless tasks, such as reading from blank sheets of papers, connecting and disconnecting USB devices and pressing random buttons on a disconnected keyboard.

Addendum 2168-1

+ POI 2168: Audio log

- ACCESS GRANTED

Interview POI 2168-5-07: Mr. Rodriguez

Date: 3/6/1999

Interviewer: Agent Sebastián García

Interviewee: Mr. Juan Rodriguez

Foreword: Mr. Rodriguez is a former resident of [REDACTED], Tacuarembó, town currently designated as SCP-2168-5. The exchange has been translated from its original Spanish.

<Begin Log>

Agent García: Thank you for accepting this interview, Mr. Rodriguez.

Mr. Rodriguez: Please, son, call me Peon. Mr. Rodriguez was my father.

Agent García: Okay, Mr. Peon. You lived in the town of [REDACTED], correct?

Mr. Rodriguez: That's right. Lived there my whole life, as everyone in my family since my good old grandfather came from Spain almost a century ago. Nice town, gotta say. Small, quiet, far from all the city noise, ya know? Everybody was polite and friendly with each other and the kids could play outside without fearing a car would run over them.

Agent García: I see. Why did you move from there, then?

Mr. Rodriguez: [After five seconds of hesitation] Heh… Well, you may find this unbelievable, young man…

Agent García: I have a pretty open mind, sir.

Mr. Rodriguez: Very well, then. You look like a city boy, so you probably don't understand it, but… The fields know. It's hard to explain. How the wind blows, how the grass grows. And the animals! The animals always know when something is wrong…

Agent García: Interesting. What made you think something wrong was happening?

Mr. Rodriguez: Everything, son, everything. The cows started to moo in the night, all night long, and stopped producing milk. The dogs were restless, jumpin' here and there, barkin', cryin'. And the chickens, good God, the chickens; they started to climb onto things and jump, over and over again until something breaks. And after all that, I myself started feeling uneasy there. Nausea, headaches, allergies. My gut started to tell me to get the hell out of there, and God forgive me, I did.

Agent García: I understand. Something else you wish to tell me about it?

Mr. Rodriguez: Uh, well… There was this thing. Everything started when this man with the hat appeared. Polite but very weird. Smelled like smoke, not good old tobacco but like an exhaust pipe of an old car. Came, talked with the Capitán Suarez, invited him for a few shots and then left. The Capitán always liked to talk with strangers, specially city dogs like this guy. No idea who he was, but he made my gut feel the same shit that I felt before I moved.

Agent García: Hmm… Any idea of who this man was?

Mr. Rodriguez: Didn't give his name. Suspicious, heh? I am pretty sure he was a foreigner, if the accent means anything. I think he may be some kind of white glove criminal or one of those secret agencies' guys!

Agent García: Very well. Thank you Mr. Rodrig- I mean, Mr. Peon.

<End log>

Addendum 2168-2: On 2/4/2001, 2:00 am -3 GMT, a squad of Foundation operatives were deployed to explore the location affected by SCP-2168-7. Exploration of the surroundings of the structure revealed that natural resources including bodies of water, wild animals and vegetation in the affected area were depleting. At this point, operatives were ordered to enter the main building.

Operatives crossed the main entrance of the structure without inconvenience and proceeded to explore the building. The structure was discovered to contain only a few rooms inhabited by instances of SCP-2168-A, while several hundreds of other rooms were empty of occupants. All rooms displayed the exact same minimal organization and furniture, containing:

A bed for one person

A single plastic desk with a single plastic chair

Standard bathroom equipment

A prismatic structure resembling a modern refrigerator with several pipes emerging from behind2.

In order to find out more about these entities, Foundation operatives were tasked to take a single instance under custody for studying and interviewing purposes.

+ 2168-A: Audio logs

- ACCESS GRANTED

Interview 2168-A-01

Date: 2/4/2001

Interviewer: Dr. Daniel Adams

Interviewee: SCP-2168-A-176

Foreword: SCP-2168-A-176, seventeenth instance of SCP-2168-A discovered in the area of SCP-2168-7, was taken to a nearby Foundation's facility, two kilometers west from the affected area. The entity displayed no resistance and followed willingly.

<Begin log>

Dr. Adams: Good morning. Please state your name for the record.

SCP-2168-A-176: Huh… a name? I… hum… I don't know.

Dr. Adams: You don't have a name?

SCP-2168-A-176: I-I… Well, if by n-name you mean how people… call me… I guess n-no. I don't have one. Hum…

Dr. Adams: I see. Well then-

SCP-2168-A-176: Wait! Eh… Huh, sorry… but, the Director calls me… eh… Peon. I-Is that… fine with you? Be-Because if it is not…

Dr. Adams: Yes, it's alright. Very well, Mr. Peon, my name is Dr. Adams, nice to meet you. I would like you to answer some questions regarding your residence.

SCP-2168-A-176: M-My cubicle? There is not much to say actually… I sleep there, and eat there and work there… I live a simple and productive life.

Dr. Adams: Right. Actually, we are more interested in hearing how you came to the skyscraper you live in.

SCP-2168-A-176: A-A skyscraper? Like… tho-those huge buildings? The… The ones that… almost scrape the skies?

Dr. Adams: Yes… You are saying you never knew where you were?

SCP-2168-A-176: I-I knew where I was. I was inside my cubicle. Wo-working, being productive… I wonder if my shift is about to start…

Dr. Adams: Your job, yes. Could you please explain to me what it implies?

SCP-2168-A-176: O-Of course! My job… I am productive. I sit at my desk and think ways to be productive… more efficient. I check how much energy and food I consume and see how much can I reduce it…

Dr. Adams: I see. How do you achieve this, may I ask?

SCP-2168-A-176: Oh, through a lot of ways… Uh, like eating less. Or using less electricity. Oh! And I thought of a very good one yesterday. Listen, listen. Ready? I sleep as few hours as possible so the bed never breaks! Am I smart or what! Heh…

Interview 2168-A-02

Date: 6/5/2001

Interviewer: Dr. Adams

Interviewee: SCP-2168-A-176

Foreword: Second recorded interview with SCP-2168-A-176. Dr. Adams was tasked to gather as much information as possible about the supposed entity SCP-2168-A-176 designated as "the Director" in the previous interview.

Dr. Adams: Hello Mr. Peon. How are you feeling today?

SCP-2168-A-176: H-Hi Doctor. Very well, actually… Th-The food tasted weird… Delicious, but… weird. And the room you gave me is very nice too… though it feels strange not having the Director to talk with me…

Dr. Adams: I am glad. Now, as we are talking about this "Director", could you please tell me about them?

SCP-2168-A-176: Th-The Director? Sure… He is m-my friend. He is everyone's friend… He is the bond between the cubicles, between all the workers of the company. He is everywhere… He feeds us and keeps us safe and we are productive in exchange…

Dr Adams: So he is in control of the skyscraper's facilities?

SCP-2168-A-176: Uhh… I guess so. I haven't seen anyone else until… you appeared, but the Director says there are other employees, so I-I can't tell for sure…

Dr. Adams: I understand. How do you communicate with the Director?

SCP-2168-A-176: I… He talks to me. Through the walls. Because, he is everywhere you know? Looking after us. Complimenting us when we do a good work. Punishing us when we do not.

Dr. Adams: Punishing you?

SCP-2168-A-176: Uh… Yes. He does that from time to time… Cutting our food and water supplies, for example… He always says it is to compensate for what we have not produced, so I have no problem at all with it! Really!

Dr. Adams: I see. Do you know anything else about him?

SCP-2168-A-176: I-I… I do-don't know! H-He never said a-anything about himself!

Dr. Adams: Mr. Peon, please, if you do know something, we would be very grateful if you told us.

SCP-2168-A-176: …Eh … W-Would y-you release me… i-if I told you?

Dr. Adams: I can make no promises, that depends entirely on when the medical test's results are finished. I can, though, tell you that once they are done we will return you to your cubicle.

SCP-2168-A-176: O-Okay… He… He once said he was the most important thing that the building has. Its root and gardener, and what feed it. I know no clue of what he meant, though… Oh, goodness, I am not supposed to talk about this…

Dr. Adams: Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Peon.

Interview 2168-A-03

Date: 20/5/2001

Interviewer: Dr. Daniel Adams

Interviewee: SCP-2168-A-176

Foreword: Interview requested by SCP-2168-A-176. Request approved unanimously by the research team.

<Begin log>

Dr. Adams: Did you wish to talk with me, Mr. Peon?

SCP-2168-A-176: Y-Yes. I-I demand to go home!

Dr. Adams: Excuse me?

SCP-2168-A-176: Uh… Yeah… Yeah! I-I've been here for too long. I have… I have to go to work! So… P-Please, let me go.

Dr. Adams: Oh, don't worry about that. I am sorry the testing is taking longer than we thought, but I can assure…

SCP-2168-A-176: S-Shut up! I am tired of your lies! I… I have to go home! The Director needs me. The company needs me. My coworkers need me…

Dr. Adams: You said you didn't know your coworkers.

SCP-2168-A-176: Th-That doesn't matter, at all! I know they are out there, and they need me, as much as I need them. We are a company. A family. A community. We need each other, and y-you are a… a bad person for not allowing me be there with them!

[SCP-2168-A-176 becomes visibly distressed, covering its face with its hands while its body shakes erratically.]

Dr. Adams: Mr. Peon…

SCP-2168-A-176: [Yelling. Highly agitated] He is calling me! He is right here but so far away… The progress needs everyone… The progress needs everyone. The progress needs everyone!

[SCP-2168-A-176 jumps suddenly towards Doctor Adams and start shaking him by the shoulders.]

Dr. Adams: Get away. Security!

<End log>

Closing statements: SCP-2168-A-176 was taken out of the interview room by a security guard and was put in a Type C sapient entity containment room. SCP-2168-A-176 was found dead in its room the following morning, with heavy damage in its forehead and knuckles. The room displayed bloodstains on its the eastern wall. Dr. Adams was uninjured but reported minor psychological distress and required counselling afterwards.

Proposal to limit all further interactions with instances of SCP-2168-A to areas affected by SCP-2168 in order to avoid further incidents is pending approval.

Footnotes

1. The longest recorded timespan being 6 months, and the shortest being 16 days.

2. Dismantling of this piece revealed that it serves as some sort of container for SCP-2168-A's food, which is provided through the pipes in the form of capsules.