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COGNITOMOLE NOTICE

Access to this file is limited to personnel with level 4-6002 clearance. Upon accessing the file, Foundation Cognitomole ARK_cm771 will embed within your subconscious. By continuing, you agree to allow your identity, location, eye and bodily movements, and biosignature to be tracked by ARK_cm771 for up to 72 hours. Unauthorized personnel accessing the file may be subject to disciplinary measures including cognitive suppression and remote termination.

Agree and continue

EMBEDDING... PLEASE STAND BY...

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EMBED SUCCESSFUL. AUTHORIZING…

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BIOSIGNATURE ACCEPTED. WELCOME, DR. WILDCAT.

ACCESSING FILE…

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Item #: SCP-6002

Object Class: Thaumiel Keter

splay: no

Figure 6002-1. Click to enlarge.

Special Containment Procedures: As of 18 May 2021, primary containment is to focus on arresting the spread of SCP-6002-B before it reaches the class Mammalia, particularly the Homo sapiens genome. SCP-6002’s crown must be checked routinely for evidence of SCP-6002-B. If SCP-6002-B is found to have infected a new area of the structure, Project 6002-ARK Director Dr. Rose Wildcat must be alerted immediately. The infected area is then to be excised, and MTF Nu-45 (“Inherit the Wind”) deployed to begin concealment protocols.

A 15-kilometer perimeter is maintained around SCP-6002. To prevent aerial observation, Foundation agents embedded in global air traffic control organizations are to divert air traffic that would otherwise pass over this perimeter. In the event of unauthorized observation, MTF Nu-45 must mobilize to detain and amnesticize all involved. As SCP-6002 has been a frequent target for various Groups of Interest, lethal force is authorized should exposed individuals resist detention.

As of 12 June 2014, all experimentation on SCP-6002 is disallowed by unanimous order of O5 command, except for the express purpose of limiting the spread of SCP-6002-B.

Description: SCP-6002 is a massive organic structure located within Klamath National Forest in northern California. Superficially, SCP-6002 is similar to an instance of the giant sequoia tree (Sequoiadendron giganteum). However, SCP-6002 is far larger than a typical member of that species. Its base has a diameter of 91 meters, and it rises to 809 meters tall at its highest point.

Sequencing has shown that each section of SCP-6002 possesses different genetic composition. Similar gene sequences are grouped within SCP-6002 in a manner resembling the biological "tree of life"; see Figure 6002-1 for a partial map of the SCP-6002 genome. 14 percent of genetic samples extracted from SCP-6002 have been matches to known organisms, including both anomalous and non-anomalous lifeforms. Remaining samples do not match any known life, and are thought to represent species currently undiscovered on the planet. Ultimately, SCP-6002 likely contains the genome of every living thing somewhere in its branches. Variations in its genome do not affect the physical appearance or qualities of the structure, which always remain similar to those of Sequoiadendron giganteum.

Removal or modification of genetic material from SCP-6002 impacts organisms which share said material. For example, if biomass with genetic material matching the sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis) was altered within SCP-6002, all living sandhill cranes would experience the same genetic alterations. This allows minor damages or changes to SCP-6002 to be magnified across many organisms simultaneously.

Since at least 2014, SCP-6002 has been severely impacted by an anomalous genetic infection. This infection, designated SCP-6002-B, is the result of [DATA EXPUNGED—SEE FILE:ARK_6002-B]. SCP-6002-B has caused significant damage to SCP-6002. Like all alterations to the structure, damage caused by SCP-6002-B impacts organisms which share the genetic makeup of infected areas. This has resulted in the disappearance of at least 56,000 species to date.

SCP-6002-B is highly resilient, and most attempts to check its spread have failed. The only known way to contain SCP-6002-B is the total excision of infected areas. Removal of such areas by the Foundation has resulted in the disappearance of a further [DATA EXPUNGED] species. However, while removal of infected areas slows SCP-6002-B's spread, it does not halt it entirely. Foundation biologists estimate that SCP-6002-B will reach the Homo sapiens genome within SCP-6002 no later than 2100, and that SCP-6002’s crown1 will be entirely destroyed by the infection within 300 years.

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[New comment] Wildcat, Dr. Rose M.:

When I was in the fifth grade, I told my mother I wanted to be an astronaut. She said, “Rosie, sweetie, you are never to leave this planet. It needs you here.”

I think that pissed me off at the time. But I realized later it wasn’t meant to be a restriction or a rule. It was a vote of confidence, from an old Indian mama to her little girl. What a thing to say, too, eh? Christ, no pressure or anything—just the weight of the goddamn world.

COGNITOMOLE WARNING: UNUSUAL REVISIONS DETECTED. YOUR ACTIVITY WILL BE RECORDED BY ARK_cm771.

[New comment] Wildcat, Dr. Rose M.:

Fuck you, RoboCop. I want command to see this. The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.

Addendum 1: History & discovery

Commentary by Dr. Rose Wildcat, director, Project 6002-ARK

The concept of a “Tree of Life” appears widely throughout human history, from the Christian Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden to the Aztec Tree of Tule to the Norse Yggdrasil, which surrounds and overlooks all of creation. It was presumed that no connection existed between these representations, but analysis has revealed marked similarities between many depictions of the Tree of Life and SCP-6002. Patterns including the shape and number of branches, relative trunk and crown sizes, and even the location of deformities have been found to align. Needless to say, it’s unlikely Assyrian artists working on stone carvings in the 9th century BCE had seen SCP-6002 or knew of its existence, so the reason for these similarities is unclear.

Art and folklore among native residents of what is now the U.S. West Coast, however, directly referenced SCP-6002—particularly among the Klamath tribes of northern California. The Klamath name for the structure was "Vúluandsham." Indigenous peoples were aware of SCP-6002 for thousands of years prior to the Foundation's arrival, and may even have had some understanding of its anomalous properties. Certainly they understood its significance, and established settlements on and around SCP-6002.

In a great tragedy for our knowledge of the structure, the Foundation's early containment of SCP-6002 erased it from the history of its longtime native guardians. Under a treaty with the Klamath tribes, the Foundation gained access to SCP-6002 in 1909 for initial study. However, this treaty was soon broken, and the Foundation’s “acquisition” of the land surrounding SCP-6002 began. Its approach was brutal: most who lived in the area were killed, and those who survived were administered primitive "amnestics" consisting largely of lobotomization. Every settlement near SCP-6002 was burned to the ground. In an attempt to conceal these actions later in the century, the Foundation also destroyed its own containment records prior to 1910. This series of unconscionable decisions remains a bloody stain on the organization's legacy.

Addendum 2: Initial testing

November 1910: Research into the anomalous properties of SCP-6002 begins with an ascent into the structure's crown. Provisional Site-1 is established at the base of the crown so that researchers may spend multiple days atop the structure without descending.

Excerpt from the diary of Dr. Albert Manfred, SCP-6002 project lead, 1910-1930

November 12, 1910

The tree produces new growth at an alarming rate. Verna and I turned our backs on a ladder for a few minutes to take photographs, and when we looked back it was already totally grown over. Much of this growth withers almost immediately as well. I wonder, what decides if a new twig stays or goes? Does the tree itself decide?

December 1, 1910

Got a shock today. We were walking down a branch about 20 minutes from camp when the most unholy noise broke out. A rupturing, echoing, inhuman sound it was, like a soul on the racks of Hell. A moment later, an enormous limb—must have been 200 feet long—withered off the tree about a quarter mile ahead. We watched it fall all the way to Earth. When we got up to the spot, there was no sign of a knot or a breakage. Just smooth, red wood, as if the branch had never been. We decided to make sure we’re always attached to the main trunk with a rope and harness on future expeditions. If we’d been standing on that branch when it fell…

December 10, 1910

I remain entirely unconvinced that this tree is in fact a tree at all. When you run your hands over its parts, it's not wood you feel. Sometimes you’d swear you were brushing up against fur, or scales, or skin. But to look at it, there’s nothing but solid timber. And then there’s the noises. Lying awake at night, the wind in the branches sounds more like howling than anything else.

September 1914: Incident 6002-E-243. The last known instance of the passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) dies in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo. At the same moment, SCP-6002 sheds a large branch from the northwestern edge of its crown. A link between these events is hypothesized by Dr. Manfred.

February 1917: Unrelated research begins to advance the Foundation's understanding of gene sequencing. Within five years, this research allows Dr. Manfred to confirm that the branch shed in Incident 6002-E-243 contains genetic material matching that of Ectopistes migratorius.

July 1924: Incident 6002-A-001. First known instance of human-caused alteration to an extant species via SCP-6002.

Excerpt from the diary of Dr. Albert Manfred, SCP-6002 project lead, 1910-1930

July 9, 1924:

Had an accident today. Verna and I had been at work all afternoon on the southern edge. We were readying to descend when I lost my footing. As soon as I felt myself slip, I reached out for a branch just up above us to break my fall. Should have known better. Little thing was new growth, maybe 10 feet at most. Snapped right off in my hands. I had my harness on, thank God, or it would've been a long way down.

Verna gave me an earfull over breaking a branch, but I told her to look at it as an opportunity. We've never removed a living branch from the tree before, only studied the ones that fall off by themselves, and those are all dried up before they hit the ground. I'm looking forward to taking a peek inside one while it's still green.

It might have been the adrenaline, but I could swear I heard another sound behind the snap when that little branch broke off. Something higher-pitched, like a yelp. Who knows, though. Verna says she didn’t hear anything at all.

July 11, 1924:

Finally got a match for the branch I snapped off a few days back. I'll need to run it through the database once more to confirm, but signs are pointing to Canis lupus familiaris, specifically a little hunting breed that's been getting popular lately: the Manhattan terrier. Real sweethearts, those pups are. There was a whole pack of them on the next farm over when I was a boy. Never seen such a dog for chasing squirrels. You could hear them baying for miles and miles. Glad this wasn't an extinction event. I don't know how I'd break it to the team. At the speed 6002 grows, that branch is probably back already.

July 19, 1924:

Verna started crying when the news came in last night, and she hasn't stopped. It's all I can do to keep a brave face for the rest of them. May God forgive me.

What have I done?

What have I done?

July 1924–November 1929: Following Dr. Manfred's accident, Manhattan terriers experience a mass dieoff across the world. Previously healthy instances suffer cardiac arrests, strokes, and other ailments. Females are unable to produce viable offspring. By 1 February 1926, the entire breed is declared extinct. To conceal this event, Foundation operatives engage in a widespread disinformation campaign aimed at expunging records and memories of the Manhattan terrier. The campaign takes five years to complete, and is declared successful on 4 November 1929.

January 1930: Following Incident 6002-A-001, Dr. Manfred updates SCP-6002's containment procedures to ban all experimentation on the structure and limit ascent to personnel trained in the use of climbing equipment.

[New comment] Wildcat, Dr. Rose M.:

Sure enough, I’ve never heard of the Manhattan terrier. Even then that was the Foundation’s greatest strength: escaping accountability when it fucked up.

I guess Doc Manfred did do one thing right—he banned testing on the Tree. Bless his old bones for doing what he could to stop this grand institution from manifesting its destiny. Doc, if you’re listening up there, don’t be too hard on yourself. One species gone is small potatas. A few jackasses with a hunting blind and some lead-based ammo can pull that off.

COGNITOMOLE WARNING: FURTHER UNUSUAL REVISIONS DETECTED. YOUR BIOSIGNATURE HAS BEEN LOGGED WITH O5 COMMAND.

Addendum 3: Contemporary testing

Experimentation on SCP-6002 remained suspended for most of the 20th century. However, in 1989, a new research team was appointed with the goal of mapping the SCP-6002 genome in its entirety. Head researchers were:

Senior Researcher Dr. Eugene Muller, PhD, project lead

Junior Researcher Dr. Amara Achebe, MD, PhD, geneticist

Junior Researcher Dr. Rose Wildcat, PhD, ecologist

Drs. Muller, Achebe and Wildcat oversaw a research team of several hundred personnel tasked with mapping the SCP-6002 genome before the end of the century, which they completed on schedule.

In March 2002, Dr. Muller proposed initial testing of SCP-6002 genetic modification.

March 19, 2002

From: Dr. Eugene Muller

To: The Office of O5-8

With my mapping of 6002 complete, I request clearance to test the tree’s response to minor genetic modifications. In short, I plan to designate a test species from among the fungi and put Dr. Achebe’s recent advancements in gene therapy into practice. I will not require additional funds; your current allocation is generous. With luck, I hope to have a report on your desk within the year.

Dr. Eugene S. Muller, PhD

Senior Researcher

SCP-6002 Project Lead

March 23, 2002

From: The Office of O5-8

To: Dr. Eugene Muller

Thank you for your message, doctor. We have been pleased with your team's work thus far. However, further modifications to 6002 simply do not justify the risk. Please continue your research with the goal of understanding how best to preserve the structure in its current state. Your request is denied.

8

March 23, 2002

From: Dr. Eugene Muller

To: The Office of O5-8

With respect, 8, this is remarkably short-sighted of you. What good does it do us to mope about and sit on our hands when we possess the most potent medical and scientific tool in history? I don’t see the harm it would do to pick a species—just one species, and an insignificant one at that—and see what’s possible. Give me that much, and you won’t be disappointed.

Dr. Eugene S. Muller, PhD

Senior Researcher

SCP-6002 Project Lead

March 24, 2002

From: The Office of O5-8

To: Dr. Eugene Muller

Doctor, your request has been considered and denied by O5 command. Our decision is final. Furthermore, I would suggest that you choose your words more carefully. After all, many at the Foundation would be eager to take over your work and continue it exactly as the Council dictates.

8

July 2002: SCP-█████ breaches containment at Site-19 and subsequently reaches a major population center. 78 Foundation personnel and an estimated 1,200 civilians are killed during the incident. SCP-█████ is terminated 13 days after breaching containment. Due to its anomalous properties, the entity regenerates from an egg laid upon the previous instance’s death; this egg is recontained.

July 2002: O5 command authorizes neutralization of SCP-█████. However, all damage to the entity in its egg state results in the current egg erupting into flames before a new egg appears in its place. Neutralization of SCP-█████ is declared infeasible.

August 2002: Dr. Muller again proposes genetic modification of SCP-6002, this time with the express purpose of more effectively containing SCP-█████. An Ethics Committee vote (9-14) rejects his proposal, but O5 command overrules. Testing on SCP-6002 is repermitted on 4 August 2002.

Testing log 1

Subject: SCP-█████ (“entity”), and its genome within SCP-6002

Supervising researcher: Dr. Eugene Muller

Attending researchers: Dr. Amara Achebe, Dr. Rose Wildcat

Test 1: Mechanisms governing entity's reproductive cycle are first isolated from within the entity itself. These are found to be no different from non-anomalous instances of the American bison (Bison bison). Entity's reproductive mechanisms also isolated within SCP-6002 and modified to sterilize entity. Current instance of entity terminated.

Result: Entity regenerates from its egg as normal. Upon hatching, entity observed to lack reproductive organs.

Test 2: Mechanisms governing entity's growth are first isolated from within the entity itself. Unlike its reproductive cycle, these genes are clearly different from those of non-anomalous American bison, allowing entity to grow substantially larger. With assistance from Dr. Achebe, entity's growth mechanisms also isolated within SCP-6002 and modified to halt entity's growth shortly after infancy. Current instance of entity terminated.

Result: Entity regenerates from its egg as normal. However, entity does not grow as it ages, remaining approximately the size of a newborn bison calf into adulthood.

Closing notes: SCP-█████ downgraded from Keter to Euclid class. Dr. Muller is promoted to Pay Grade II and given increased security clearance Foundation-wide to continue his work by cross-testing other SCP objects with SCP-6002.

[New comment] Wildcat, Dr. Rose M.:

“With assistance” from Dr. Achebe my ass. Amara did everything. Herr Muller just stood around and watched, shooting his mouth off about how lucky she was that he’d "picked up on her work."

I bought her a drink later on that night, and she finally opened up. We’d been on site together for what, 13 years? And I knew absolutely nothing about her, not her family or her hobbies or her love life, zilch. But Lord, did she talk that night. Mostly about Muller and what a son of a bitch he was. But other stuff, too. Her mother, her home… Her taste in women. Amara…

September 2002–May 2008: Dr. Muller weakens or neutralizes 109 Keter class objects and 418 Euclid class objects via genetic modifications to SCP-6002. No adverse effects to the SCP-6002 structure are noted.

February 2007–January 2008: Two dozen United States subprime mortgage lenders declare bankruptcy. Home prices plummet. Global economy enters recession.

February 2008: The U.S. and other major world governments cut funding to the Foundation. This coincides with Chapter 11 bankruptcy declarations by 31 Foundation front companies, resulting in a combined 21% reduction to the Foundation’s operating budget.

May 2008: Dr. Muller proposes enhanced genetic testing on SCP-6002 for the purpose of revenue generation. Proposal approved on 13 May 2008.

Testing log 2

Subject: SCP-6002, and various extant organisms

Supervising researcher: Dr. Eugene Muller

Attending researchers: Dr. Amara Achebe, Dr. Rose Wildcat

Test 1: A group of common apple trees (Malus domestica) is crossbred to create a new strain (Strain 001) for experimentation. Genome of Strain 001 appears within SCP-6002 as expected. Strain 001 genome modified within SCP-6002 to include material from SCP-500. Resulting apples marketed as holistic cures for the common cold.

Result: Strain 001 apples gain a wide following within two months. Specimens relieve some cold symptoms, but do not function more effectively than over-the-counter acetaminophen drugs.

Test 2: A group of Black Angus cattle (Bos taurus) is crossbred to create a new strain (Strain 002) for experimentation. Genome of Strain 002 appears within SCP-6002 as expected. Strain 002 genome modified within SCP-6002 to include material from SCP-1007.

Result: Strain 002 cattle revert to calf stage following slaughter and butchering. Each individual may be indefinitely slaughtered for meat without feed or housing expenses.

Test 3: Genome of the common domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) modified within SCP-6002 to insert a novel genetic disease (Disorder 001). Foundation treatment for Disorder 001 developed and marketed six months after appearance of the disease in commercial farms.

Result: 7% of global domestic chicken population dies before Foundation treatment is marketed. Foundation sells 700 million doses of Disorder 001 treatment within four weeks.

Addendum 4: Incident 6002-B-001

On 11 April 2009, Disorder 001 ceased to appear among newly-hatched domestic chickens. Upon review, Junior Researcher Dr. Rose Wildcat was found to have modified SCP-6002 without authorization, removing Disorder 001 and reverting the Gallus gallus domesticus genome to its prior state. Dr. Wildcat was detained and questioned.

Interviewer: Dr. Eugene Muller

Subject: Dr. Rose Wildcat

Others present: Dr. Amara Achebe, Security Officer Marx, Security Officer Johnson

[Begin log]

Dr. Eugene Muller (Muller): Do you know why you’re here, Rose?

Dr. Rose Wildcat (Wildcat): No. You goons pulled me from my bed half an hour ago and nobody’s bothered to explain anything to me yet.

Muller: Rose, when was the last time you ascended 6002?

[Wildcat is silent.]

Muller: Sweetie, don’t make this harder than it has to be.

Wildcat: Stop calling me that. I’m not your child.

Muller: Answer the question, Rose.

Wildcat: When the fuck do you think? You make the schedule, you tell me.

[Muller sighs.]

Muller: Security footage and your access card data say you went up last night.

Wildcat: Bullshit.

Muller: Do you want to see the footage?

[Wildcat is silent.]

Muller: Rose, I know how hard it is for someone as green as you are to accept what we’re doing. But you can’t just take—

Wildcat: I’ve been working here for 20 years.

Muller: You can’t just take it upon yourself to decide what’s best! Do you know what could have happened if you’d made a mistake?

Wildcat: Oh, you mean like giving billions of animals a terminal illness overnight?

Muller: I’m about through with your attitude.

Wildcat: Go fuck yourself.

Muller: …All right. I’ll give you a choice. If you apologize now, I may be willing to put in a good word for you with the O5. I don’t think they'll take kindly to this either way, but there’s a chance you’ll be spared with my help. I admit, I’d miss your smile around here.

[Wildcat is silent.]

Muller: Speak up, woman. Don’t be a fool.

Wildcat: …Thank you, doctor. I apologize.

Muller: There, now. Was that so hard? We can still treat each other reasonably.

Closing notes: On the recommendation of Dr. Muller, O5 command agreed to allow Dr. Wildcat to keep her Foundation position. She was, however, demoted to Level 1 clearance and reassigned to a clerical position in Muller’s office. Dr. Muller remodified the Gallus gallus domesticus genome within SCP-6002, and Disorder 001 again manifested among domestic chickens on 12 April 2009.

Addendum 5: Projects ETERNAL and 6002-ARK

ATTENTION: LEVEL 5-6002 EYES ONLY

The following documents describe classified projects undertaken by multiple Foundation entities on a global scale. Access to these documents is allowed only on a need-to-know basis for those with level 5-6002 clearance. Viewing these documents without proper authorization will result in immediate remote termination via Cognitomole ARK_cm771.

_

Proceed at your own riskBIOSIGNATURE ACCEPTED. WELCOME, DR. WILDCAT.

splay: no

A promotional flyer for the Great Dismal Swamp seized by MTF operatives during a raid on Hodges Manor Elementary School in Portsmouth, VA, as part of Project 6002-ARK, 17 April 2019.

Overview: Project 6002-ARK was a counterintelligence, military, and information security campaign operated by the Foundation from 12 June 2014 to 24 April 2021. The project's goal was to conceal the destruction of an entire taxonomic kingdom of life (approx. 1.3 million species) by SCP-6002-B, a genetic infection within SCP-6002. This infection emerged during testing for Project ETERNAL, a Foundation effort to eliminate senescence2 among human beings using SCP-6002.

As of 24 April 2021, Project 6002-ARK status is: COMPLETE. All knowledge of the kingdom Aeternae has been successfully expunged from public consciousness.

[FILE: ARK_Aeternae]

Commentary by Dr. Rose Wildcat, director, Project 6002-ARK

You know about the kingdoms of life. Animals, plants, bacteria, those big categories that encompass everything. If you’re a biologist, you probably know there are six of them. Maybe you remember learning that in school. But you didn’t. You learned it from Foundation conditioning.

There were never just six kingdoms of life—there were seven. Animalia, the animals. Plantae, the plants. Fungi, Protista, Archaea, Bacteria… and Aeternae.

Aeterns were the seventh kingdom. That word probably sounds unfamiliar to you, but it didn’t for most of your life. At one time it rolled off your tongue just as easily as “animals” does now. Aeterns lived on land and in the oceans. Some were great and some were small. Some were feared, others were hunted, and still more were domesticated by humans as pets and companions. In total, there were 1.3 million extant aetern species prior to 12 June 2014. None remain.

Characteristics: Aeterns were eukaryotic, multicellular organisms ranging from .03–94 meters in length and .006–240,000 kilograms in weight. They were motile3, largely heterotrophic4 (though some were autotrophs5), and reproduced sexually. Aeterns played a role in the ecosystem similar to that of animals, with herbivorous species preyed upon by omnivores and carnivores higher in the food chain. Most notably, aeterns did not experience senescence, and were highly resilient against cancers and other cellular damage.

Exemplar species:

splay: no

Hatzegopteryx illustration by paleontologist Mark Witton.

Hatzegopteryx (Rapio maxima)

Hatzegopteryx was a flighted apex predator thought to be a holdover from the late Cretaceous period. It was the largest flying organism ever to live—adult females were observed with wingspans in excess of 15 meters. Hatzegopteryx resided in sub-tropical Africa, but could range as far north as Romania. Due to its habit of preying upon cattle, it was widely considered a pest species.

splay: no

The "Chinese dragon" is based on the bright-whiskered dragon species. Its symbolism was redirected to other cultural touchstones by Project 6002-ARK.

Bright-whiskered dragon (Draco ignis)

The enormous bright-whiskered dragon was a legendary and reclusive resident of Nepalese and Tibetan mountains. Critically endangered since the 1950s, the dragon was hunted nearly to extinction for its scales, which were rumored to have medicinal properties in addition to their dazzling appearance. Despite their size, bright-whiskers were autotrophic, and hibernated for much of the day to replenish their energy.

Giant tusker (Duro scrofa)

There was no better livestock guardian than the giant tusker, a gentle quadruped which formed protective familial bonds with people, animals and aeterns alike. Evidence suggests that tuskers—so named for their prominent tusks, which molted and grew back each year—were domesticated as early as 5,000 BCE. Giant tuskers were among the most intelligent aeterns, capable of learning up to 200 different commands.

[FILE: ARK_ETERNAL]

Forward: Foundation geneticists had long been interested in the possibility of using genetic material from the aeterns to slow or eliminate human aging. On 2 May 2010, Dr. Eugene Muller proposed experimentation along those lines within SCP-6002. The initial goal was to implant material from a given aetern species into the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) genome via SCP-6002, with the longer-term goal of doing the same for human beings. After extensive O5 and Ethics Committee review, testing was approved on 29 May 2010 under the codename Project ETERNAL.

Testing log

Subject: Human (Homo sapiens), chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and giant tusker (Duro scrofa) genomes within SCP-6002

Supervising researcher: Dr. Eugene Muller

Attending researchers: Dr. Amara Achebe

Test 1: Genetic information governing aetern cellular regeneration isolated within SCP-6002. However, material decays too quickly upon removal from SCP-6002 for it to be transposed into another genome.

Notes: Perhaps some kind of preservative is needed? We’ll try that next. -Dr. Muller

Test 2: Genetic information governing aetern cellular regeneration isolated within SCP-6002. Upon removal, material submerged in a preservative solution of sodium benzoate. Material quickly disintegrates within solution.

Test 3: Genetic information governing aetern cellular regeneration isolated within SCP-6002. Upon removal, material submerged in a preservative solution of sorbic acid. Material quickly disintegrates within solution.

Notes: Requesting permission to stabilize biomass via anomalous methods used in past 6002 experimentation. -Dr. Muller (Request approved 7 June 2010)

Test 4: Genetic information governing aetern cellular regeneration isolated within SCP-6002. Upon removal, material submerged in a preservative solution refined from several anomalous organisms, including SCP-106, SCP-294-11, SCP-682, SCP-████ and SCP-████. Material quickly disintegrates within solution.

Notes: God dammit, this has always worked before. I’m losing patience. What if we spread the stuff on it before we actually remove the biomass? -Dr. Muller

Test 5: Genetic information governing aetern cellular regeneration isolated within SCP-6002. Prior to removal from the structure, material treated with the preservative solution used in Test 4. Upon removal, material stable. Material recombined into the genome of the chimpanzee. Group of chimpanzees observed for a period of 24 months.

Results: Chimpanzees under observation show no visible signs of aging.

Test 6: Aetern genetic material removed from the chimpanzee genome within SCP-6002. Group of chimpanzees observed for a period of 24 months.

Results: Chimpanzee aging reverts to pre-test norms. Genetic material isolated in Test 5 approved for testing within the human genome on 5 June 2014.

Test 7: Genetic information governing aetern cellular regeneration isolated within SCP-6002. Prior to removal from the structure, material is treated with preservative solution used in Tests 4 and 5. Material recombined into the human genome.

Results: Material rejected by SCP-6002. Rejected material disintegrates rapidly, causing minor damage to the structure. Further cross-testing of aetern-human genetic material disallowed by O5 command to prevent damage to the human genome.

Afterword: Three days after Test 7, Dr. Achebe observed what appeared to be rot spreading around Dr. Muller’s incision on the branch of SCP-6002 containing the giant tusker genome. Dr. Achebe excised the area. The following day, she observed that rot had appeared again around the incision.

8 June 2014

From: Dr. Amara Achebe

To: Dr. Eugene Muller

Eugene, have you seen what’s going on with the tusker branch? There’s some kind of blight spreading through it. Can we take a look this afternoon?

Dr. A

From: Dr. Eugene Muller

To: Dr. Amara Achebe

Don’t you worry about it. I’ve got it under control. Go about your business.

Dr. Eugene Muller, PhD

Albert Manfred Distinguished Site Director, SCP-6002

From: Dr. Amara Achebe

To: Dr. Eugene Muller

Can you at least tell me what’s going on? Is this something we should be reporting to the Council or one of the info security teams? I’m worried we’re going to lose the whole branch.

Dr. A

From: Dr. Eugene Muller

To: Dr. Amara Achebe

You’re right. Let’s go up in 15 minutes. I’ll grab my kit.

Dr. Eugene Muller, PhD

Albert Manfred Distinguished Site Director, SCP-6002

Following her ascent into SCP-6002 with Dr. Muller, Dr. Achebe was not seen on site for 72 hours. Eventually, Dr. Rose Wildcat, working at the time as Dr. Muller’s secretary, became concerned and raised the issue with the site security team. Dr. Muller was questioned, but could not account for Dr. Achebe’s whereabouts. Security officers ascended SCP-6002 and, after fourteen hours of searching, discovered the corpse of Dr. Achebe covered by several layers of new growth. Cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the back of the head via standard issue Foundation handgun. The incident was immediately reported to O5 command, and security officers proceeded to the private quarters of Dr. Muller to apprehend him for further questioning. Upon arrival, they found Dr. Muller dead of apparent suicide by hanging.

As the only remaining researcher with operational knowledge of the SCP-6002 superstructure, Dr. Wildcat was appointed SCP-6002 project lead by O5 command the following day and tasked with investigating the rot reported by Dr. Achebe. Dr. Wildcat ascended to the giant tusker branch and found it near the point of rotting away entirely. It was the opinion of Dr. Wildcat that decomposition had been ongoing within the branch for some months, but was concealed by Dr. Muller. Dr. Wildcat requested and was granted permission to excise the branch, and Foundation operatives began disinformation protocols ahead of the anticipated extinction of the giant tusker species. Extinction followed as expected over the next seven months. Dr. Wildcat retained the excised branch for further study.

[New comment] Wildcat, Dr. Rose M.:

fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you

[FILE: ARK_6002-B]

Overview: SCP-6002-B designates an anomalous genetic infection first discovered within SCP-6002 by Dr. Rose Wildcat on 12 June 2014. It is the result of cross-contamination between anomalous and non-anomalous material within the structure by Dr. Eugene Muller during Project ETERNAL.

Effects: Under normal conditions, SCP-6002-B gradually spreads outward through SCP-6002, infecting new material as it goes. As infected genetic material decays within SCP-6002, organisms sharing this material also experience decay. This manifests as a rotting of the skin and organs similar to untreated leprosy. When all of a species' genome has decayed within SCP-6002, extant members of that species experience instantaneous decomposition, appearing to "fall apart" on the spot as their soft tissues dissolve.

Treatment: There is no known method to prevent the spread of SCP-6002-B. The infection resists both conventional medical treatment and anomalous treatment via other SCP objects. Removing visibly infected areas arrests the condition for a time, but never eliminates it entirely; to date, SCP-6002-B has simply remanifested around the excision wound within 10 days.

Discovery: After excising an infected branch from SCP-6002, Dr. Wildcat detected several anomalous substances within it. All of these substances were employed in a preservative solution used by Dr. Muller during Project ETERNAL. Muller’s decision to apply the solution directly to SCP-6002 in his impatience likely resulted in the spread of these substances to the giant tusker genome and the creation of SCP-6002-B.

While it may have been possible to contain the infection were it discovered earlier, Dr. Muller concealed his mistake from other researchers for a period of at least three full years, allowing SCP-6002-B to take hold throughout the tusker genome and other portions of the kingdom Aeternae.

[New comment] Wildcat, Dr. Rose M.:

I cut that branch off, and then I went back to my room and cried all night. And all the next morning. I couldn’t eat or sleep for two days. Amara… My dear, I’m so sorry, I should never have let him take you up there. I should never have… God…

My little sister had a stuffed tusker when we were growing up. Mimi. She brought home picture books after school and told us about them. Now she can’t even remember…

[FILE: ARK_timeline]

Project 6002-ARK Timeline to date

12 June 2014: Giant tusker genome excised from SCP-6002. Giant tusker extinction begins.

22 June 2014: Dr. Wildcat discovers infection in other portions of SCP-6002. Infection designated SCP-6002-B.

24 June 2014: SCP-6002-B is determined to have contaminated the entire genus Duro. Excision of the genus from SCP-6002 is requested and approved. Research begins into other methods of containing SCP-6002-B.

9 July 2014: Despite Foundation efforts, dieoffs among extant members of the Duro genus are observed by civilian researchers. MTF Nu-45 (“Inherit the Wind”) is created to manage ongoing amnestic efforts.

9 September 2014: SCP-6002-B is determined to have contaminated the entire family Pellicea. As family-wide extinctions would substantially worsen the ongoing information security crisis, excision is delayed while other treatments are pursued.

12 October 2014: SCP-6002-B’s impact is discovered within extant members of the Pellicea family by civilian researchers. MTF Nu-45 fails to contain the discovery in time, and news articles on the subject are published by several major media outlets.

29 December 2014: Excision of the Pellicea family from SCP-6002 is ordered by O5 command. Dr. Wildcat delays acting on this order for three days, for which she is reprimanded.

18 February 2015: Members of the Global Occult Coalition (GOC) contact Foundation researchers regarding possible cooperation on research into the sudden extinctions, which they have identified as anomalous. The Foundation denies any knowledge of the issue and refuses cooperation.

4 June 2015: SCP-6002-B is determined to have contaminated 88% of the order Rectus within SCP-6002, comprising some 40,000 organisms.

19 September 2015: First attack on Biological Containment Site-6002 by GOC operatives. Attack is rebuffed and several operatives are detained for questioning. Interviews reveal the GOC is aware of SCP-6002 and believes the Foundation has failed to address the ongoing crisis.

14 January 2016: Outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times publish reporting on SCP-6002-B by investigative journalists, revealing awareness of SCP-6002-B’s anomalous origin. Mid-level BK-class “Broken Masquerade” scenario declared by O5 command.

19 January 2016: Second attack on Biological Containment Site-6002 by GOC operatives. Operatives work in cooperation with members of the Serpent’s Hand, Chaos Insurgency, and Manna Charitable Foundation. Attack is rebuffed.

12 March 2016: Third attack on Biological Containment Site-6002. GOC operatives work in cooperation with various Groups of Interest and the U.S. military. Site is captured by attackers after 17 hours. Dr. Wildcat and her staff are presumed imprisoned or deceased. High-level BK-class scenario declared.

2 April 2016: MTF Nu-7 (“Hammer Down") and MTF Alpha-1 (“Red Right Hand”) attempt to retake Biological Containment Site-6002. Operation is unsuccessful.

23 October 2016: Impact of SCP-6002-B is observed across extant individuals from multiple Aeternae phyla. Infection is presumed to have spread to the entire kingdom Aeternae within SCP-6002.

9 July 2017: Dr. Wildcat establishes contact with the Foundation from within SCP-6002 itself. She reveals she has been hiding in the structure’s crown since Biological Containment Site-6002 was captured 16 months earlier. Dr. Wildcat is able to provide vital intelligence regarding GOC operations at the site.

13 August 2017: Acting on Dr. Wildcat’s intelligence, MTF Nu-7 and MTF Alpha-1 recapture Biological Containment Site-6002.

14 August 2017: Dr. Wildcat advocates for the excision of the entire Aeternae kingdom from SCP-6002, arguing that SCP-6002-B will be eliminated by this action before it can spread further. Excision is approved by O5 command on 18 August 2017.

19 August 2017: Mass extinction of 1.3 million species in the kingdom Aeternae begins. Dr. Wildcat works with members of Foundation and civilian ecological teams to redesign heavily-impacted ecosystems via anomalous means. Such operations are widely recognized as Foundation containment efforts during this time, resulting in frequent attacks.

29 July 2020: Final known member of the kingdom Aeternae presumed deceased. Project 6002-ARK effort shifts to mass disinformation and memory editing. Strategies include: global deployment of Class-X amnestics via the jet stream and the water cycle; commandeering of media, government offices and institutions of higher education; expunging of all records regarding minor aetern species; and disguising of records regarding major aetern species via historical and social phenomena, including prominent fiction, the fossil record, cultural traditions and folklore, and conspiracy theories.

4 September 2020: 75% of the global population has either forgotten the existence of aeterns or become convinced that they are fictional creatures. Attacks on Foundation sites substantially decrease.

April 24, 2021: MTF Nu-45 declares all knowledge of the kingdom Aeternae absent from human memory and the historical record. Attacks on Foundation sites cease. Veil considered acceptably intact.

End log to date

Addendum: On 18 May 2021, SCP-6002-B was discovered in SCP-6002’s trunk despite the excision of the kingdom Aeternae. The infection is forecast to reach other kingdoms within 12 months. O5 command has ordered Dr. Wildcat to investigate pre-emptive removal of other sections of SCP-6002 to arrest the infection while Project 6002-ARK disinformation infrastructure remains in place.

Addendum 2: Dr. Rose Wildcat is currently missing. Anyone with information regarding Dr. Wildcat’s whereabouts should report it immediately.

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[New comment] Wildcat, Dr. Rose M.:

When the Foundation first explored the Tree, researchers wrote that they were plagued by strange noises. Howls, rustles, screams. My people have another way of describing these sounds. They are the Tree speaking to us.

It speaks with the voice of every living thing. Sometimes, it is the voice of the coyote, boasting of its recent hunts. Other times it is the voice of the smallest bird, somewhere far off in the jungles of another land, calling for its mate. On lucky nights, many voices will rise all together, singing the songs of the forest, or the sea, or the sky. My people once knew these songs well.

Then came the Foundation. When it arrived, we were hopeful. We had seen the Tree suffer as human cities grew. We asked the Foundation to help us repair it. Instead, we were rounded up, slain, and erased from the Tree and the land around it. The Foundation believed it had captured all of us. It was wrong.

A small group of my tribe’s elders escaped the slaughter. The determined to split up, fleeing to the corners of the Earth to preserve what they knew of the Tree. Some were captured and killed in future years. Others persisted, marrying and raising families. My great grandmother was among them.

On my thirteenth birthday, my mother and grandmother took me into the basement of our home and told me about the Tree. They showed me the journals my great grandmother filled, describing the smells and the feel of the branches and the sound of the songs over and over to herself so she would never forget. They told me of the men who had stolen the Tree from us. That day, the Tree became part of my identity, as it had been for generations of my people.

I resolved to study, and to work. For ten years, I studied and worked my way to the top of my profession, waiting for the call I hoped would come. Eventually, it did. I was recruited into the SCP Foundation when I was 23 years old, and assigned to a new project researching the Tree.

The work was tiring and unforgiving. My only comforts came from being close to the Tree. I slept, worked and lived within it. When the Foundation began experimenting on the Tree, I fought with myself over what to do. Eventually I simply could not stand it, and risked my own life to try and repair their damage. I was found out, of course, and only narrowly escaped execution. I remained on site, bearing the daily insult of Muller’s harassments as best I could, and bided my time. Sweet Amara did her best to cheer me in secret.

I was not allowed into the Tree any more. But, even from a distance, I began to hear something behind its songs. A lower, more menacing tone, like a cornered beast. I know now that Muller had already begun to conceal the harm he was doing, and that the sounds I heard were the Tree crying out in pain as the blight spread within its branches.

After Amara… After I became site director, I could finally ascend the Tree again and find the source of its pain. When I did, I knew that this was what I had been working for. It was my duty to defend the Tree against the horrors that its oppressors had perpetrated. I brought to bear all my skills, all my education, everything that I was. When the Foundation fell and lost control of the Tree, I fled into its branches, hiding deep inside. It shielded me. I subsisted on its shed growth and continued my work, always aware of the pain behind its songs. It grew louder each day. I became convinced that there was only one way to save it: the infection must be cut away, whatever the cost. Regrettably, I knew I would need the oppressor’s help to do this. So I exchanged the new master for the old and helped the Foundation regain the Tree. Then I cut away every inch of infection I could find, and much more, deeper and deeper into the wood until I was sure that no blight could remain. I knew the harm that this would do, but I also knew that I had saved the Tree.

Last week, I discovered that I was wrong. The blight remains. I murdered trillions of creatures across the world, for nothing.

That, perhaps, I could have lived with. But when I fled again into the Tree this week, to hide before I could be ordered to continue cutting, I found a truth I cannot face.

Its branches have gone silent. The Tree will no longer sing to me.

Vúluandsham… Mother… Amara… Forgive me.

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COGNITOMOLE WARNING: LIFE SIGNS NOT DETECTED. BIOSIGNATURE LOST. FOR SECURITY PURPOSES, FILE WILL CLOSE AUTOMATICALLY.

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Footnotes

1. The upper portion of a tree containing its leaves and branches.

2. The process by which cells deteriorate with age.

3. Capable of bodily movement.

4. Requiring food to produce energy.

5. Capable of producing energy from sunlight or other raw sources without consuming food.