LEGACY ARCHIVE PROJECT

DIGITIZED REPORT

Designation: 7523
Report Originates: 1897

Classification: Safe
Procedures Unchanged

Dr. Charles Alderton, creator of SCP-7523.

Special Containment Procedures —

Dr. Charles Alderton, after being brought under the Foundation's employ, has freely assisted in the containment and concealment of SCP-7523. His company has been formally dissolved, and the chemical formula for SCP-7523 has been secured.

One bottle of SCP-7523, twelve fluid ounces by volume, remains. The beverage has been encased in a capsule of chromium steel and placed within Site No. 19's low-priority storage wing.

Alderton's beneficial variant of SCP-7523, created for exclusive use by the Foundation, is not to be considered for containment. Its production, distribution, and use by the Foundation, for the purposes of Foundation proceedings, has been approved indefinitely.

Description —

SCP-7523 is a carbonated soft drink sold under the name "Dr. Pepper's Phos-Ferrates," later abbreviated to "Dr Pepper." Its flavor has been likened most closely to cinnamon, although it is typically agreed to possess a taste wholly unique to itself. Advertisements for the beverage claim that it possesses broad health benefits; however, chemical analysis and practical application have not suggested that this is the case.

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Dr Pepper?

Hello, Dr. Braun? It's Murph again. Sorry.

I'm digitizing the 7523 report, and I guess I'm just kind of confused? Dr Pepper is still a very popular and common soda. I've never tried it, but I've seen it all over the place.

Is there information missing here? As-is, the implications of this article are a little concerning.

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 9.10.22

The consumption of SCP-7523 guarantees the consumer adopts a specific series of political, interpersonal, and religious beliefs, in a manner that aligns with the interests of Dr. Charles Alderton and his private corporation, the Dr Pepper Company. These beliefs do not form immediately after initial consumption, but rather are accrued gradually over the course of six to twelve months. SCP-7523 does not alter personal identity or directly control one's actions; only beliefs are influenced.

An incomplete list of the beliefs conferred through the consumption of SCP-7523 —

) An opinion that SCP-7523 is superior to other beverages in terms of flavor and health benefits;

) A general support for industrialization in all forms, including a strong opposition to labor unions;

) A positive perception of Dr. Charles Alderton and the Dr Pepper Company, when the consumer knows of them;

) A belief that the state of Texas is or should be the cornerstone of American culture and business.

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Dr Pepper

Hello. This is Murph.

Director Braun hasn't responded to any of my messages. Does anybody know how SCP-7523 relates to Dr Pepper as it currently exists?

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 9.22.22

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Dr Pepper

Murph again.

I've sorted through every report I have access to. The entire history of the Dr Pepper company post-1890 is completely missing. Either we've got a massive blind spot here, or there's just something I'm not in on.

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 9.24.22

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Formal Information Request - Dr Pepper

Hello. My name is Murphy Madison, and I am with the Legacy Archive Project.

This is a formal information request for any available reports regarding SCP-7523, Dr Pepper, the Dr Pepper Company, Keurig Dr Pepper, and Charles Alderton, with a specific focus on interactions between the Dr Pepper Company and the Foundation throughout the 20th century.

In addition, please search Level-1 clearance communication transcripts for mentions of Dr Pepper, Crush Soda, Sunkist, Canada Dry, and any other soft drinks currently produced or distributed by Keurig Dr Pepper.

Thank you.

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 9.28.22

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URGENT DR PEPPER

DOES ANYBODY BUT ME KNOW WHAT DR PEPPER IS

PLEASE RESPOND

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 9.30.22

History —

The Dr Pepper Company first produced SCP-7523 in the town of Waco, Texas in October 1885, and first sold it that December. Due in large part to the beverage's anomalous qualities, it saw rapid financial success, and the Company quickly expanded its operations throughout East Texas.

In 1887, Foundation operatives first received reports of sudden shifts in beliefs and values among Texas residents, corresponding to the exponential growth of the Dr Pepper Company. A fact-finding mission launched in August of that year uncovered documentation connecting Alderton to multiple known alchemists and alchemist groups, at which point he was formally apprehended.

A RECORD OF THE FIRST INTERROGATION BETWEEN OFFICER GLENN WALKER, FOUNDATION OPERATIVE, AGAINST DR. CHARLES ALDERTON, IN THE YEAR OF 1887

Begin.

Walker — Alderton. Have a seat.

Walker and Alderton each sit at opposing ends of a table.

Alderton — Have I done something wrong, officer?

Walker — Are you responsible for the chemical formula to Dr. Pepper's Phos-Ferrates?

Alderton — Yes.

Walker — Are you aware of the beverage's effect on its customers?

Alderton — A promoted sense of health and enjoyment. Might I interest you in a case?

Silence.

Alderton — Yes, I kid. Dr Pepper is a… persuasive beverage. The alchemy is uncomplicated, but its application here is unique, as far as I can tell. It bends belief to my favor.

Walker — Well. Thank you for your cooperation. Could you tell us why you set out to create such a product?

Alderton — Financial gain, pure and simple. I intended to cheat the market by way of mental manipulation.

Walker — …You're awfully straightforward with this information.

Alderton — You seem surprised. Did you expect me not to take a man of your position seriously?

Prolonged silence.

Alderton — I see. Still becoming acquainted with the role, are we? Perhaps a new recruit?

Walker — If we… (unintelligible) If we could remain on topic, please.

Alderton — Of course.

Walker — Would you be willing to provide full receipts for the sale and distribution of your product?

Alderton — I would. It appears, however, that I could do quite a lot more for you than that.

Walker stands.

Walker — Nothing more will be necessary.

Alderton — Officer, will all due respect, I see a wonderful opportunity for our interests to align.

Walker — We are not concerned with your interests.

Alderton — Oh, but I am concerned with yours! If I assume correctly, you are some manner of organization seeking to… silence the impossible, yes? My beverage defies reason, which is why you are interested? And your presence explains the disappearance of many of my fellow alchemists?

Silence.

Alderton — There is no need for secrets at this point, officer. I've suspected an organization such as yours may exist for some time now, and regardless, if I'm correct, you almost certainly intend to kill me anyways.

Walker returns to his seat.

Walker — You are correct on all counts.

Alderton — Excellent! Then you must see how my services could be invaluable to you!

Walker — Elaborate.

Alderton — I imagine your operation must be militant, and that a great deal of effort and resources must be dedicated to the disappearance of those like me, who have seen the impossible. Yes?

Walker — Yes.

Alderton — Therefore, I assume it would benefit you greatly to have a means of… un-seeing the impossible.

Walker — I don't understand.

Alderton — Pray tell - what is the difference between having a memory and believing yourself to have a memory?

Silence.

Walker — None.

Alderton — Exactly! Suppose I were to make some adjustments to my formula. Suppose, rather than introducing a belief in policies that benefit me and my company, Dr Pepper introduced a belief that, say, nothing particularly unusual has happened to the consumer within the past week. And suppose that, rather than gradually, its effects set in immediately.

Walker — You're suggesting that it's possible to induce targeted amnesia.

Alderton — I'm suggesting something identical in practice, yes.

Walker — And you seek to accomplish this through a carbonated soft drink.

Alderton — It need not be administered by glass. Only a drop of the formula would be necessary, possibly administered by pill. Regardless of form, though, think of the effect. If you want to hide the unusual, a few adjustments are all it would take for Dr Pepper to become your veil. I was able to deduce your organization's existence before you apprehended me. How would you like me to be the last one? How would you like to be the reason I am the last one?

Walker — What prevents you from, as you say, making it bend belief in your favor once again?

Alderton — Nothing would compel you to ingest the formula yourself, and if it does anything other than what I have promised, nothing prevents you from killing me as planned. Make no mistake, I am bartering for my life.

Walker — …We will be collecting your receipts now, Dr. Alderton. I will mention your proposal to my superiors tonight.

Alderton — Much obliged.

End.

Alderton showed an immediate willingness to cooperate, providing full receipts for the sale and distribution of SCP-7523. All known instances of SCP-7523 were either confiscated or destroyed over the course of the following year.

Alderton's proposal for a beneficial variant of SCP-7523 was tentatively approved. The variant was produced in 1888, and was fully incorporated into Foundation operations by 1890. The vast majority of remaining instances of SCP-7523 were used in the development and refinement of the variant.

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Test

This is a test email. Please respond if you can see this message.

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.04.22

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Re: Test

Received.

Dr. Carmen Braun

Director, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.04.22

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Re: Test

Message came through!

Donna Harvey

Transcription Lead, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.04.22

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Re: Test

Yes, I got the message. Are you having problems with the email system?

Jonah Odeon

Intelligence Officer, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.04.22

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Test 2

This is a test email. Please respond if you can see this message.

Dr Pepper is a popular and common drink.

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.04.22

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Test 3

This is a test email. Please respond if you can see this message.

I think amnestics are made out of one specific brand of soda. Somehow.

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.04.22

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Test 4

Hello????

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.05.22

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Yes, Murphy?

Dr. Carmen Braun

Director, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.05.22

A RECORD OF THE SECOND INTERROGATION BETWEEN OFFICER GLENN WALKER, FOUNDATION OPERATIVE, AGAINST DR. CHARLES ALDERTON, IN THE YEAR OF 1888

Begin.

Walker enters Alderton's laboratory. Alderton is using a siphon to transfer droplets of liquid into small capsules.

Alderton — Ah, Officer Walker! Come on in, come on in! I am almost finished!

Alderton takes a drink of the bottled beverage at his desk.

Walker — Queer of you to drink from your own formula, isn't it, doctor?

Alderton — Perhaps. But this is my confidence.

Walker — Yes, I've been known to drink my way to confidence myself.

Alderton laughs.

Alderton — A quick wit! But it's nothing like this, I assure you. This beverage here grants me an unwavering belief in my own competence and the importance of my work.

Walker — Self-esteem in a bottle.

Alderton — Indeed. It's quite motivating.

Walker — I'm sure such a product would sell even better than your "Dr Pepper."

Alderton — Yes, but it would have also garnered your attention much more quickly. You seem interested, officer. Would you like to try a drink?

Walker — Only after you.

Alderton — I wouldn't propose alternatives.

Alderton hands Walker the bottle. Walker drinks and coughs.

Alderton — Yes, yes, my apologies. Without the beverage itself causing you to believe in its own quality, the objective taste is… lacking.

Walker — Quite all right. When do the effects set in?

Alderton — Very shortly. In the meantime, I have something else to offer you.

Alderton finishes transferring liquid into the final capsule.

Alderton — One hundred capsules of Dr. Pepper's Amnestic. Never before has the world had a way to remove experiences from the human mind, let alone such a simple one to use!

Walker — Incredible. And you're certain it works?

Alderton — It operates on the same principles as formulas I've created before. But I'm sure you will want to test its abilities extensively.

Walker — …Right, of course. Pending internal testing, my superiors have approved a three-month trial using your "amnestics" throughout the Southern United States.

Alderton — And if it succeeds?

Walker — When it succeeds, doctor, I suspect we will be ordering many, many more pills.

Alderton — That sounds like employment.

Walker — And I look forward to our working together.

Walker collects the capsules and places them in a small bag.

Alderton — Thank you for your business, officer! I accept payment in the form of check, banknote, or my continued survival.

Walker laughs.

Walker — All we have for you now is your survival. But I think the future is bright, doctor. The Foundation could make great use of a mind like yours.

Alderton — I'm glad you think it so.

End.

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Possible Security Breach

Hello, this is Murphy. I'm sorry if this message comes across as vague. I need to be very careful with my words.

After reading a Legacy SCP Report, I have come to believe that there may be a major leak in the Foundation's security operations that has gone unreported and unacknowledged. The leak takes the form of two objects: one available to the general public, and one commonly used by the Foundation. As a side effect (or maybe as an intended consequence) of the leak, the latter causes most Foundation personnel to be permanently unaware of the former. I do not know the direct relationship between the two objects, but I would hazard a guess that under chemical analysis they would be almost identical.

I am requesting authorization to forward a report to antimemetics. I cannot ask you to forward the report yourself, or even tell you which report needs to be forwarded, or else you will not see this message.

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.11.22

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Re: Possible Security Breach

Request denied. The thing you are describing is not possible, and if it were, it would not be under our jurisdiction. Our job is to transcribe our legacy reports, not to speculate on them.

Dr. Carmen Braun

Director, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.11.22

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Re: Re: Possible Security Breach

Why? What makes it not possible?

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.11.22

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Re: Re: Re: Possible Security Breach

Hello? Can you see this message? What makes it not possible?

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.12.22

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Possible Security Breach

Braun, listen to me. If there was even a chance that I'm right, you'd be negligent not to let me go to antimemetics, right?

WE. HAVE. A. SECURITY. BREACH.

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.12.22

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Possible Security Breach

BRAUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.13.22

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Possible Security Breach

Can you even see me anymore? People have stopped recognizing me, Braun. Or maybe they've started pretending not to recognize me. I don't know anymore. Please respond. Please.

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.14.22

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Possible Security Breach

Please. I don't know what anyone knows. I talk and people act like I didn't say anything, or like they can't understand me. I've tried everything. I've tried showing people the report. I've tried bringing bottles of Dr Pepper into work. Nobody believes me. Nobody even understands what there is to believe. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do.

Murphy Madison

Transcription Assistant, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.14.22

A RECORD OF THE INTERROGATION BETWEEN ADMINISTRATOR M.H. FOLKESTONE, RESIDENT SITE AUTHOURITY, AND DR. CHARLES ALDERTON, CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER, AGAINST OFFICER GLENN WALKER, IN THE YEAR OF 1897

Begin.

Folkestone and Alderton enter Walker's office.

Walker — Doctor! …Administrator. Is there a problem, gentlemen?

Alderton — Administrator Folkestone pulled me aside to share some… inconsistencies within the Department of Self-Concealing Items.

Walker — Inconsistencies?

Folkestone places a stack of papers on Walker's desk.

Folkestone — We've discovered invoices attributed to the Department transferring funds and resources to a private corporation - albiet one suspiciously omitted from all documentation.

Walker — What?

Alderton — Folkestone showed me the evidence, and while most of it had been redacted or defaced, I cannot disagree with his assessment. We have evidence of embezzlement, smuggling, fraternization, and breaches of confidentiality originating in 1890 - the year you were promoted to director.

Folkestone — It goes further. We have encoded messages, attributed to your office, containing confidential information. Updates on Foundation proceedings. Directions on where to move to avoid detection. You've been collaborating with people on the outside, it seems.

Walker — I honestly have no idea what you're referring to.

Folkestone — As Dr. Alderton has already proposed, that may be true regardless of your guilt.

Walker — How so?

Alderton — Glenn, have you or have you not requested amnestics for personal use?

Walker — …Everyone has by now.

Folkestone — Answer directly, director.

Walker — Yes! Where is all this coming from? Are you really accusing me of crimes against the Foundation and of cleansing them from my own mind?

Alderton — A person in your seat of authority would have ample opportunity to take advantage for personal benefit. If you could remove your own guilt, your own accountability, from the matter, then all the better, yes? What was it you called my formula, around when we first met? A "confidence?"

Walker stands.

Walker — You called it that, doctor! Furthermore, it did not succeed for that purpose!

Alderton — I'm afraid your memory deceives you, director.

Walker — And whose fault is that?

Folkestone — Enough of this! Walker, you are now under detainment for suspected acts against the interests of the Foundation.

Walker — You have nothing to detain me on! Why would I go against my station? I gave my life to this organization!

Alderton — From my perspective, all you've ever done is defer the real work to me.

Walker — Because I trust you! Because I admire what you do! Look me in the eyes, doctor! You trust me, do you not? You know I wouldn't do this!

Alderton turns away.

Walker — I-

Prolonged silence.

Walker — I wouldn't do this. Would I? Tell me I wouldn't do this.

Folkestone — Walker, come with me. Alderton, search through Walker's amnestics requests and compare them to our invoices. If your theory is correct, the dates will align.

Alderton — With pleasure, administrator.

End.

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On Murphy Madison's Absence

Hello all,

As some of you already know, Murphy Madison has been admitted to Site-19's psychiatric help center and will be out of office for the immediate future.

While I cannot speak to any details, I am happy to report that they have responded well to amnestics and are already eager to return.

Dr. Carmen Braun

Director, Legacy Archive Project

Sent 10.20.22

More from this author?