SCP-2133

Item #: SCP-2133

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: A security perimeter must be maintained at a ten kilometer radius around SCP-2133, preventing access to and from the surrounding area. Guards are to be stationed along the perimeter at all times and are to maintain the facade of a Russian military facility. In the event of a security breach by civilians or hostile entities, lethal force is authorized. The remote nature of SCP-2133 ensures accidental discovery to be a rarity. Personnel are to be equipped with Level A hazmat suits when exploring SCP-2133 and when interacting with its community.

Description: SCP-2133 is an unnamed village in the Northern Urals and has an estimated population of fifty, although an exact number has been difficult to record. Various microbial pathogens have been discovered within the vicinity of SCP-2133, some of which were previously unknown. This has included:

Mycobacterium leprae and M. lepromatosis (the causative agents of leprosy)

Yersinia pestis (in the form of pneumonic, septicemic, and bubonic plagues)

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica (the causative agent of typhoid fever)

Influenza virus A, B, and C

Vibrio cholerae (the causative agent of cholera)

Variola major (the causative agent of smallpox, eradicated outside of SCP-2133 as of 1975)

The inhabitants of SCP-2133, referred to as SCP-2133-1, display a relative resistance to disease. While symptoms develop as per ordinary disease progression, resulting in disfigurement and debilitation, death is comparatively rare.

SCP-2133-1 have shown themselves to be either unwilling or unable to leave SCP-2133. Genetic analysis has revealed significant inbreeding, although SCP-2133-1 have never been observed undergoing sexual reproduction while in containment. It is hypothesized that the diseases are a symptom of their primary anomaly and are not themselves anomalous.

The most significant anomaly associated with SCP-2133-1 is a form of reincarnation. Deceased instances will rapidly decay and, on the night of the first new moon, are harvested from the fields as infants. SCP-2133-1 entities retain the memories and appearance of previous incarnations. Soil samples from the fields were found to contain embryonic fluid.

SCP-2133-1 speak an archaic dialect of Russian. Periodically willing to be interviewed, they commonly refuse to divulge substantial details about their history and traditions. Their lifestyle has been noted to be similar to that of 14th century peasant commune and display acute technophobia. Residents are believed to be illiterate, the village lacking books or any other use of written language. What is known about their culture and beliefs has been gleaned through behavioral observation and a limited number of successful interviews. SCP-2133-1 refer to their religion as the Church of the Red Harvest, whose doctrine and mythology remain poorly understood.

SCP-2133-1 tend to ignore Foundation personnel, displaying hostility only when their daily routine has in some manner been impeded. Personnel are able to enter and explore buildings without triggering a reaction from SCP-2133-1 - the church being the only known exception. All attempts to access the church have produced violent encounters with SCP-2133-1 and SCP-2133-2, resulting in several fatalities via damaged hazmat equipment and, in the case of SCP-2133-2, strangulation and impalement.

SCP-2133-2 are prehensile organic structures found throughout SCP-2133 and are dark red in color with a tentaculoid shape. SCP-2133-2 only appear to move to attack intruding personnel or to allow the entrance of SCP-2133-1 instances into the church, which it completely engulfs. Tissue samples removed from SCP-2133-2 are genetically identical and closely related to Homo sapiens.

A number of SCP-2133-1 in the fields.

SCP-2133-1 work the fields from dawn until dusk. At sunset, the entire SCP-2133-1 population will enter the church, apparently depositing the day's harvest and residing within for approximately three hours before retiring home. SCP-2133-1 will then sleep until dawn, beginning the entire process over the next day. There has been no significant variation in routine throughout SCP-2133's containment history. SCP-2133-1 behavior has also included staring aimlessly for up to two hours, self-amputation of gangrenous limbs and tumorous growths (then deposited within the church), and periodic, often incoherent mutterings.

Besides their anomalous usage, the fields are primarily used to grow turnips. Non-SCP-2133-1 cadavers fail to undergo anomalous regeneration. Fecal material recovered from SCP-2133-1 entities suggest a high protein diet despite turnips being their only apparent food source.

SCP-2133 was discovered and contained on 10/03/1936 by GRU Division "P". Control would be later transferred to the Foundation after the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Archived documents suggest that GRU Division "P" became aware of SCP-2133 after a pandemic in the region. Several villages were placed under quarantine while proper procedures were established for the containment and research of SCP-2133.

The outbreak is hypothesized to have begun when a returning mineral surveying team was exposed to SCP-2133, contracting local contagions. The surveyors would die but not before inadvertently triggering an epidemic through contact with settlements as they journeyed south.

Interviews:

+ Interview 01: 06/14/1992

- ACCESS GRANTED

Interviewed: SCP-2133-1-10, "Aristarkh". Has the appearance of an elderly male, missing its left arm and much of its epidermis has undergone necrosis.

Interviewer: Dr. Judith Low

Foreword: First successful interview with an SCP-2133-1 instance. Conducted in Russian and edited for clarity.

<Begin Log>

Dr. Judith Low: Hello. I would like to ask you a few questions.

SCP-2133-1-10: Speak your words.

Dr. Judith Low: When did this begin? How far back are you able to remember?

SCP-2133-1-10: It was a time of Tsars and Khans.

Dr. Judith Low: Your condition. Does it hurt?

SCP-2133-1-10: Pain. Yes. Strife teaches. Rends sin from our bodies. Prepares us for paradise but paradise never comes.

Dr. Judith Low: The "rebirth" your people undergo. Can you explain it to me?

SCP-2133-1-10: This is the Church of the Red Harvest. We serve until the end. That is the terms of our agreement.

Dr. Judith Low: Are the dead healed? Or is it an entirely new body?

SCP-2133-1-10: The dragon slays itself, weds itself, impregnates itself. That is what she taught us. The covenant must not be broken. We are devoured and the land regurgitates us renewed.

Dr. Judith Low: Why do you continue to do this when you obviously suffer?

SCP-2133-1-10: There is no choice. The land calls. We answer. Nothing ever changes.

Dr. Judith Low: Let me rephrase the question. How did you come to be in such a state?

SCP-2133-1-10: The priestess came to our village. This was many deaths ago. She offered us a place in paradise, as long as we served until the end. She said the end would be soon but it has been so long.

We are so very tired. Is this hell? Did we fail the Great One somehow? Winter after winter. We tried to keep count but the number grew too large.

Have we been forgotten?

No. No. Must not doubt. The Church of the Red Harvest is truth. There is no other.

<End Log>

Closing Statement: Subject quietly wept and was unwilling to continue. A soil sample from the fields was retrieved and delivered for analysis.

+ Interview 02: 07/16/1992

- ACCESS GRANTED

Interviewed: SCP-2133-1-26, "Anya". Has the appearance of a female, six to eight years of age.

Interviewer: Dr. Judith Low

Foreword: Second successful interview with a resident of SCP-2133. Conducted in Russian and edited for clarity.

<Begin Log>

Dr. Judith Low: Greetings. We do not intend you harm. Would you be able to tell us about your community?

SCP-2133-1-26: You don't belong here. Leave.

Dr. Judith Low: I am afraid that is something we cannot do. You look ill. We could provide medical aid if you cooperate.

SCP-2133-1-26: You are not of the covenant. You would never understand.

Dr. Judith Low: I am trying to understand. Please. What covenant do you speak of?

SCP-2133-1-26: A pact signed in blood. Our redemption; our curse. We serve until the end of all things.

Dr. Judith Low: Would you tell us about your religious beliefs?

SCP-2133-1-26: Beliefs are for the unsure. Beliefs are for outsiders. For the heathens who neglect the old ways. We know.

Dr. Judith Low: Then could you at least explain the significance of the church? Food is brought inside but we've never seen it removed. A communal meal perhaps?

SCP-2133-1-26: You should not be watching us. You'll never understand. This is the land where gods of rust and blood come to die.

Dr. Judith Low: That doesn't answer my questions.

SCP-2133-1-26: [a tone suggestive of annoyance] The church was here long before the village. A church of stone beneath the earth. It is sacred. A church of wood was built atop it, for the heresy of the cross - before we embraced the true faith. The Karcist Alka will enlighten you. You are only alive because she has chosen to let you live.

Dr. Judith Low: Serve who? Do you speak of a god or…

SCP-2133-1-26: [Interrupts] Our Immortal Father. Sorcerer King of the Adytum. You cannot know his love. Leave. The Church of the Red Harvest is not for your kind.

Dr. Judith Low: Please cooperate. Just answer one last question. This village, does it have a name?

[SCP-2133-1-26 vomits a black, viscous liquid]

Dr. Judith Low: I'll see about getting you medical attention. We'll speak again when you're feeling better.

<End Log>

Closing Statement: A greater success than originally anticipated. A sample was gathered from the emesis and delivered for analysis. Research will be done to see if SCP-2133-1-26's comments coincide with any known religion or cultural tradition. This region has a history of producing and protecting unorthodox sects. I strongly advise that we enter the church. The Foundation should be able to subdue the SCP-2133-1 population without much difficulty.

Exploration:

Mobile Task Force Beta-7 ("Maz Hatters") was able to subdue SCP-2133's denizens without casualties to Foundation operatives or SCP-2133-1 entities. An exploration team composed of twelve MTF Beta-7 operatives were equipped with head mounted radios, video recorders, type B hazmat suits and cylinders containing uncontaminated air (3 hour supply). After significant incendiary damage, SCP-2133-2 tendrils receded into the soil.

Within the church were several fetishes (fashioned from bone and leather) and organic material (later identified as tumorous masses) hung by iron hooks and chained to the ceiling. Discovered at the center of the building was a large fissure, the entrance to a system of caverns beneath SCP-2133 and later determined to extend well into the nearby mountains.

Several organisms, since classified as SCP-2133-3, were discovered after approximately 25 minutes of exploration. Due to their size and unwillingness to leave, MTF Beta-7 terminated a single instance of SCP-2133-3 and retrieved it for autopsy.

+ Autopsy Report

- ACCESS GRANTED

Autopsy Report

Mass: 181.437 kg

Height: 270 cm

Age: Unknown

Cause of Death: Head trauma

Stomach Contents: Brassica rapa subsp. rapa, also known as the white turnip.

Details: Subject displays an overgrowth of fatty tissue and bone, as well as gross physical reconfiguration. Organs are swollen and flesh shows evidence of repeated incision and regeneration. Possibly harvested for meat. Tattooed to the epidermis of the left forelimb is the letter "P" crossed with a sickle and hammer. A common tattoo for operatives of the now defunct GRU Division "P".

After depositing the deceased SCP-2133-3, the expedition team replaced their air canisters and returned to the mission. At approximately fifty minutes of uneventful exploration, video and radio contact were lost without any sign of struggle. Radio contact would be reestablished after approximately six hours of silence - video feed remained disabled.

+ Audio Transcript

- ACCESS GRANTED

Dr. Felsenstein: Is anyone receiving this? Oh god, please… somebody answer me!

Site Command: Felsenstein? We lost you hours ago. Where's Myers? We need a status update.

Dr. Felsenstein: Dead. I think. I've been alone for awhile now. It got… it got pretty ugly. [audible sobs] They're all dead. Or gone. There was a scream. I think. Maybe… something loud, I felt my bones vibrate. Briggs… Oh god. Oh god. Something got him. We tried to pull it off. Looked like… I don't know. It was long. No idea how long. Slippery. And… and… [hyperventilates] I saw a grown man pulled into a tiny hole…

[whispers] I'm a coward. I left them behind… I…

Site Command: They were trained for combat. You weren't. You did what you had to do. Any estimate on where you are? We can send reinforcements.

Dr. Felsenstein: No. Oh god, please don't. I'm nothing but a walking corpse. I slipped into a crevice. Think I broke my ankle. Suit tore. The air. It sets my lungs on fire. I'm bound to be riddled with every disease in this awful shit hole.

Site Command: Try to pull yourself free. Don't let the others die in vain. You can still retrieve data for us. Give us a better understanding of the threat.

Dr. Felsenstein: Yeah… Yeah. I owe them that much, don't I? I'll give it a try.

Okay. One, two, three…

[fumbling is audible] Fuck!

Site Command: Status report.

Dr. Felsenstein: [a mix of crying and laughter] I'm wedged deeper. Too much slime. Too slick to get a grip. I slip any further… and I'll be crushed. [sound of struggling, heavy breathing; there is a crack and a quick gasp for air]

I'm free. Can't feel my legs. Everything else hurts like hell. But I'm free.

Site Command: Tell me what you see.

Dr. Felsenstein: I'm really going to die down here, aren't I? I'm… I'm at the edge of some kind of chasm. I can't see the bottom. This place goes deep. I think we might have ended up in or under the mountain. The smell is putrid. My eyes, my skin - everything burns. I think it's the slime. Like rubbing lye in an open wound.

Site Command: I'm glad you're able to stay relatively calm. There's still a chance we'll get you out of there.

Dr. Felsenstein: I've never felt pain like this. Never been this close to death. Nothing left to lose though… so nothing left to fear. Doesn't stop the pain.

Site Command: We're getting reports of hostiles on our end. Looks like there were some SCP-2133-1 we failed to properly secure. Nothing we can't handle.

Dr. Felsenstein: Going to keep… crawling along, I guess? I'm heading down there. There's no hope for me anyway. I'll tell you what I see. Maybe it'll be enough to convince the O5s to raze this place.

Site Command: Things are getting bad topside. We've got hundreds of presumed SCP-2133-1 coming from the mountains. We're evacuating. Keeping this channel open. Everything is being recorded. Describe what you see. We'll be back with reinforcements.

Dr. Felsenstein: Understood. I have my orders and you have yours. Godspeed and get the hell out of here.

Site Command: I'm… I'm sorry. We had no idea…

Dr. Felsenstein: You have your orders.

[site command remains online despite evacuation; recording continues]

[five minutes of heavy breathing, coughing, and vomiting]

I've descended into the chasm. [coughing, followed by heaving] The yellow fog is thick. The stone is warped and porous. Like the inside of a hive. I can't feel anything anymore. Don't think I've much time.

There are eggs. Hundreds. Thousands. Maybe more. Hard to see from the floor. I see mounds of meat where creatures about… about [cough] about the size of cats seem to be feeding. They have bodies like grubs. Faces like a human infant - about the same size too. They don't notice me [cough]… or maybe they just don't care. I can't look at those faces anymore. Too close to human. Too close.

There's some sort of structure. Looks like a temple. Architecture like nothing I've seen before. It's black. [coughs violently] Polished yet sharp. The angles… the angles hurt to look at. Don't work right. Why am I still moving? Why…

[laughs hysterically] I'm being dragged. Roots… tentacles, tendrils… whatever… they caught me. I'm completely numb. Didn't even notice… ha ha… he… [weeping is heard] The gasses… the slime… bleeding out too, I can see it. Just a trail of blood… just a… didn't even… didn't… why? Why?

They've not… torn me apart yet. Why? Kill me! [pleading weakly] Just kill me and get it over with… [shifts between frantic screaming and incoherent mumbling]

There are more down here. More dirty peasants. No. Not like the others. Not sickly and weak. They are strong. They watch me… watch me as I'm dragged along. Staring at me with their dead fucking eyes. Fuck…. fuck all of you… I can't… I can't breathe. I can't feel… [whimpers] What does it want… What does it want…

An angel… I see an angel…

She embraces me… with her thousand wings… so beautiful… so…

She is… she's bringing me… to her… to her… bare breasts… [static]… I… I… [a rustling noise, possibly the sound of the hazmat suit (and its equipped radio) being removed]

[connection lost]

<End Log>