ITEM #:

7614

CONTAINMENT CLASS:

SAFE

Fig. 1.1: Night sky within a nested filmic space, taken by D-917404 during phase four testing. No abnormal patterns detected. Research ongoing; see below.

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-7614 is stored in a high-value item locker at Site-19. Testing is currently suspended. SCP-7614 and all related documentation must be reviewed bimonthly by the Department of Entomology for the emergence of vespine patterns. New developments must be forwarded to High Command for deliberation.

Description: SCP-7614 is a handheld AAXA Tech brand P1 Pico Projector. SCP-7614 is functional and possesses no outward anomalous properties. SCP-7614 has moderate damage (scratches, depleted battery health) presumably from heavy use prior to discovery.

When plugged into any digital device, SCP-7614 can project media onto a flat surface consistent with other devices of its model. The projection creates a spatial distortion allowing one to physically become immersed in the flat surface. In essence, this allows for the exploration of the projected filmic space as if it were a three-dimensional environment.

The moment of transition is seamless and reversible, provided the individual can return to the point of entry, which appears from the inside as a “window” into baseline reality. From inside, the entry point is outlined in ornate brasswork featuring hexagonal prismatic cells. The words "THE APIARY" are engraved at the base.

Inside SCP-7614 projections, individuals have free movement in any direction including away from the central action of the scene, allowing for the observation of settings and figures not in the original script. This freedom of movement has no observed limit, as filmic spaces are theoretically indefinite. Minor deviations from baseline reality have been observed, typically relating to the foundational logic of the filmic space. These meta-anomalies vary depending on the media projected by SCP-7614 and are never questioned or acknowledged by filmic entities.

Scene breaks or transitions occur normally for individuals viewing SCP-7614 projections externally but are not reported by individuals inside, to which time elapses normally. Because of the frequency of cuts (in which the entry point of SCP-7614 rapidly shifts around a confined space) and chronological jumps (in which the entry point disappears entirely and reappears in the future or the past), individuals must be extremely careful while navigating inside SCP-7614 projections as not to become separated from the point of entry.

Because of the high likelihood of filmic dislocation, preliminary tests were conducted remotely via UAVs. Human tests were conducted in heavily-controlled environments of a single long take with minimal editing. Signals broadcasted from devices within an SCP-7614 projection can be received from operators in baseline reality if the entry point is within a certain distance from the transmitter both physically and temporally. Significant cuts or chronological jumps will sever any connection with electronic devices. Contact Archives for transcripts of preliminary first and second-phase testing.

Addendum 1: In order to determine the extent of SCP-7614’s anomalous properties, a more thorough exploration of SCP-7614’s filmic spaces was deemed necessary. A combination of UAV and human subjects was used; D-917404, formerly Doran █████, was procured from long-term care at Site-411, briefed on SCP-7614’s properties, and educated in standard explorative training.

The following is a log of notable third-phase tests.

Filmic Space: Better Call Saul

Description: First filmic space explored after preliminary tests. UAV enters to observe character Jimmy McGill working alone in his home office. McGill takes no notice of the device and continues behavior as scripted. UAV recalled prior to scene transition.

Filmic Space: Better Call Saul

Description: UAV enters to observe Jimmy McGill working in his office but remains after a scene transition. Connection remains functional for a short time, during which McGill is seen pacing the room before preparing to sleep. He becomes fixated by a poster on his wall of the fictional Albuquerque Stingers baseball team. This prop is not present in the original media. McGill removes it violently. No sounds from the environment or characters are recorded after the scene break. Connection to UAV is lost entirely fifteen minutes later.

Filmic Space: Better Call Saul

Description: D-917404 enters into a long take of characters Jimmy and Charles McGill arguing. Neither take note of his appearance. He is provided detailed information on the timing of cuts by researchers to prevent filmic dislocation. D-917404 instructed to manipulate objects in the McGill kitchen. Successful. D-917404 recalled before scene transition.

Filmic Space: Better Call Saul

Description: D-917404 instructed to interfere with the actions of characters. While Jimmy McGill attempts to call members of the Salamanca family, D-917404 repeatedly unplugs the phone line. This results in mild confusion from McGill. D-917404 is instructed to physically assault McGill, which results in significant distress despite his futile efforts at self-defense. Test halted after McGill sustains moderate injuries from the attack. Noticeably, scripted edits that should have occurred during the course of the test were not present. The entire interaction continued as a single long take. D-917404 extracted successfully. The remainder of the media played as normal, but McGill’s injuries persisted for multiple episodes. He made no mention of the assault to any other characters. SCP-7614 was cleaned thoroughly and the media reverted to baseline.

Filmic Space: Better Call Saul

Description: D-917404 enters the office of Jimmy McGill with a standard-issue kerosene blowtorch and is instructed to set fire to the building with the intent of observing significant alterations to canon events. D-917404 extracted successfully. McGill is observed to exhibit extreme distress and attempts to extinguish the fire but becomes trapped in the small room by the flames. He begins fervently praying for mercy and begs for forgiveness from his brother Charles. SCP-7614 unplugged before McGill could succumb to asphyxiation. As with prior tests, scripted events and editing were halted after the onset of the fire.

Filmic Space: Better Call Saul

Description: D-917404 provided with a standard-issue firearm and instructed to kill Jimmy McGill. Test suspended due to noncooperation.

Filmic Space: The Princess Bride

Description: UAV directed to explore Albuquerque after a scene transition. UAV piloted to the game room of a local retirement home. A projector is playing the film The Princess Bride during a scene where the man in black scales the Cliffs of Insanity. UAV investigates and discovers spatial distortion within the cinema's projection similar to SCP-7614’s primary effect. UAV becomes immersed within the projection and begins exploring it as a three-dimensional space. It is directed away from the central action to explore the cliffside. While bearing a strong resemblance to the Irish Cliffs of Moher, the landmass is surrounded by sea on all sides and is much smaller than its real-world counterpart. Besides a few notable landmarks from the film, the island is desolate and devoid of wildlife. UAV discovers the rotted remains of a large vessel while exploring the coastline. Its crew, skeletonized, is determined to have died from mass suicide. They possess hexagonal growths emerging from various orifices in the skull and chest. UAV rapidly loses connection as a result of the increased distance from baseline reality.

Addendum 2: Following the prior discovery, testing was postponed and preparations were made for a fourth phase of testing. Human subjects were deemed necessary in light of technological difficulties.

D-917404 was provided with basic survival gear suited for a range of environments, supplied for thirty days of survival if clean water could be located (fourteen if not), and instructed to proceed through as many nested filmic spaces as possible before supplies were depleted. Body-mounted cameras and microphones would record all encountered phenomena in case the data could be reclaimed at a later time. D-917404 was made aware of the risk of filmic dislocation and consented to the test, observed by Researchers Tobe, Tanequodle, and Security Agent Dittemore.

Below is an abridged log of D-917404’s video and audio records, recovered after his reappearance in baseline reality (see below).

D-917404 enters SCP-7614, which is displaying the home office of character Jimmy McGill. D-917404 enters and takes a moment to adjust to the change in environment. McGill is rearranging the furniture of the room.

D-917404: Hey. Hey man. Can you see me right now?

McGill does not respond. D-917404 waves a hand in front of his face. There is no reaction.

D-917404: Holy shit. Okay.

D-917404 looks at research staff through the entry point.

D-917404: Hey, how long do I have until—

The entry point vanishes. Baseline reality observers confirm a scene transition; entry point is opened three days and fourteen hours in the future at a separate location. D-917404 declared lost and testing phase four tentatively declared successful.

D-917404 exits the Day Spa and Nail salon and walks down the street.

D-917404: Shit. Shit, man. This is fucking crazy.

He notices two people approaching from the other direction walking a dog. He increases his pace but slows when they do not notice his presence.

D-917404: You guys know where to find a…

The people pass. D-917404 follows them for half a block then stops. He begins heading in the direction of traffic noise.

D-917404 approaches the entrance of the Edwards Cinema in downtown Albuquerque; traffic is light and few people are out. The theater is mostly empty. All sound is slightly muted; the audio volume has decreased steadily since he exited the salon. There is no one attending the entrance counter. D-917404 walks through the cinema halls. A man exits one of the auditoriums wearing a baseball cap with a stylized yellowjacket on it. D-917404 steps to the side to let him pass then enters the auditorium. It is empty. The projector is playing Good Will Hunting during a scene where Matthew Damon and Robin Williams talk in an open park. There is no audio from the film, nor ambient noise from the building. D-917404 approaches the screen hesitantly, then presses a palm against it. It passes through and reaches up to his elbow before he retracts it entirely. He glances around once more. No one has entered. The auditorium is empty.

D-917404 steps into the nested filmic space and immediately turns around. The auditorium is still visible, albeit as a two-dimensional surface. Outlining the perimeter of the entry point is an ornate brass frame decorated in hexagonal cells. D-917404 inspects it to find it dripping with a viscous amber substance. The entrance point moves steadily away from D-917404 to follow Damon and Williams as they walk. D-917404 trails behind before the entrance point vanishes entirely. Damon and Williams enter a parked car and drive away. The ambient sound immediately drops and the once-crowded park begins to empty.

D-917404 jogs in the direction of Damon and Williams’ car but finds the effort futile. Ambient light drops to a dull grey-yellow hue. He produces a coat from his supplies and puts it on, adjusting the microphone and camera appropriately. A man on the street holds a sign reading, "THE WINGS CAST US IN THE SHADOW OF GOD." He stares blankly at the road. D-917404 notices a technologies shop further up the street and investigates. He initially believes the shop is empty but is startled to find the shopkeeper, a young woman dressed in white, idly staring at the products from her counter. She takes no notice of D-917404 nor the sound of the door opening. She does not appear to be breathing. D-917404 enters a showroom at the back of the shop. Inside is a 35 mm slide projector, powered, displaying a children's film titled “Inspector Buzz,” indicated by a nearby movie poster featuring an image of Tom Hanks dressed in classic noir clothing. D-917404 approaches and enters the projection.

D-917404 is sitting in the seats of an empty theater auditorium. The screen displays the words “Film starting soon.” D-917404 eats from his provided rations. After several minutes, the doors to the auditorium open and Tom Hanks enters, dressed as he was in the poster from the prior filmic space. He sits in the front row and stares and the blank projection. He begins smoking a cigarette.

Hanks: Where’d everybody go?

A hornet lands on his shoulder and he brushes it off.

D-917404 is standing at a bus stop. Rain pours from above and pools on the sidewalk. The sound of it hitting the plastic covering is grating on the microphone. A van drives past and sprays water from a puddle along the curb. Along its side is written, "AMCE Exterminators." D-917404 curses and shields the camera with his coat. A stranger approaches from the dark and stands beside him. The two stare down the road.

Stranger: It’ll be a while, you just missed one.

D-917404: What?

Stranger: I said you missed one. Where you going?

D-917404 doesn’t respond.

Stranger: I get it. Sorry.

D-917404: You can see me?

The man doesn’t say anything.

D-917404: I'm trying to see a movie. The theater. I’m going to the theater.

The man doesn’t say anything.

D-917404: A movie. You know where I can see one?

The man laughs.

Stranger: You’re trying to see a movie? Fuck, man.

He laughs again.

Stranger: Goddamn. A fucking movie. Yeah, there’s a place down there. You people and your movies.

He points down the street. The street lamps are burned out. It is impossible to make out any features.

D-917404: Thanks. When’s the next bus you think?

Stranger: Soon. What’s your name?

D-917404: Doran.

The man laughs hysterically.

Stranger: Doran? You got to be joking. Your name is Doran and you're out here to see a movie. Let me ask you something, Doran. What kind of movie are you gonna see? Something funny, maybe? Or, or. Historical. Yeah. A nice biopic. Something visceral.

D-917404 turns and stares into the dark.

Stranger: No. No no no no.

He laughs.

Stranger: No, no. You want something scary. Yeah. You want a scary movie. Well, you’re in luck, Doran. They just came out with a sequel to the other one, what was it? The one with the wasp lady. Yeah. Stinger… something. You’ll love it.

D-917404 turns to leave. He walks out into the dark in the direction of the theater.

Stranger: Hey, Doran. Doran! Let me ask you, Doran. You look like a guy who knows his movies. How many movies have you seen? That new one, Inspector Buzz? Oh, oh. You look like you watch The Sopranos. Let me ask you, how many more do you want? They keep getting longer, you know. Can’t tell where they stop and start. Bet you don’t even know what this one’s called. Hey, you got enough food there? Looks like you’re running out.

D-917404 walks faster. He leaves the light of the bus stop and is plunged into darkness. The man laughs behind him and then yelps in pain. D-917404 turns to look and sees him swatting at his arm.

Stranger: Damn bugs.

D-917404 sleeps on a couch in an empty hospital waiting room. The building is only partially powered; D-917404 lays under the only functional light in the room. Outside is dark and soundless. D-917404 snores softly. He mumbles something indiscernible.

D-917404: [Unintelligible].

An insect briefly hovers above the camera before darting off at the approach of a woman from the darkness of the lobby. She wears the garb of a nurse but her upper body is obscured by shadow. She stands at the edge of the camera's vision and waits.

D-917404: Beshult… search the cosmic background… the sign…

The woman produces a bouquet of flowers, vibrant red roses.

D-917404: The… the hive… vibrates my soul and… doom for the people…

She steps forward but her face remains obscured. She places the roses on the floor in front of D-917404.

D-917404: …search for… the pattern… there's a pattern… a pattern…

Woman: The constellation.

The woman retreats to the darkness. D-917404 begins to thrash.

D-917404: The constellation… oh God the constellation… why is it closer?

He suddenly stops moving. He is heaving, and his breath lingers in the cold air. He sits up and wipes the sweat from his forehead.

D-917404: Jesus Christ.

He scans the lobby and notices the flowers at the edge of the light. He picks them up and returns to the couch. He is weeping quietly.

D-917404 is walking down the street. It is night.

D-917404: Fuck this. Can you hear me?

He taps the microphone.

D-917404: I don’t know what you want me to find. I know I’m never coming back. You fucks thought you could pull that shit on me. I signed the paper, yeah. I know. I don't care anymore. But what am I supposed to find here? It’s all the same, pointless infinity.

He kicks a rock into the darkness. It does not hit the pavement.

D-917404: It’s all falling apart. Dead and rotting. Every time it gets colder like I'm walking away from the fire into some place hungry.

He stops and looks around. Coniferous trees line the road but beyond a few meters, all is dark. The road extends in a straight line in both directions. He looks up into the night sky. No stars are visible.

D-917404: I bet this is the end of the line. I don’t even know where I’m supposed to be. The last theater was playing this road on a loop. No movie. No poster.

He continues to walk in silence. The air is still except for the sound of crickets. A car approaches from ahead. As it drives by the driver stares at D-917404. His head swivels as the car passes. It continues on, red lights vanishing behind a hill.

D-917404: There’s a pill in my bag for when I reach the end. You told me to take it if I can’t find a projector. Painless probably. You guys know medicine.

D-917404 takes off his bag and rummages through it. Inside are his supplies, almost fully depleted, and a bouquet of roses. He locates a small pouch and produces a translucent pill. He holds it up to the camera and contemplates it. Through the pill, a dull red glow appears. He lowers his hand and stares at the horizon. Light appears as if from a sun yet none is visible. It grows brightest directly above the road ahead. He stares at it as dull light blankets the sky. The crickets have stopped chirping. D-917404 slips the pill into his pocket and walks forward, wordlessly.

D-917404 approaches the source of the light, a large abandoned building. There are no people present. Blinding red light emanates from the cracks and broken windows of the structure. D-917404 enters, shielding his eyes. Resting on a table in the empty center room is an ornate gold lantern. It rotates slowly on a spinning plate. Projected on the wall behind it is a forest path, trees swaying softly in the wind. The rotation of the lamp creates the illusion of movement in the image. It squeaks quietly as it moves. A bright flame in the core of the lamp glows red, casting a great swath of light into the sky and directing a portion at the projection. D-917404 approaches the image. Next to the projection is graffiti of a hornet, wings outstretched. Written beneath it is the word “Constellation” and an arrow pointing at the projection. D-917404 enters. He looks back to find the entrance point has vanished.

D-917404 maneuvers forward through a thicket of trees. The air is pleasant and the nature is serene. He sheds his jacket and walks at a comfortable pace. Birds and other wildlife can be heard and he passes over several brooks and small waterways, using them to refill his supplies. After resting at a rocky outcrop, he proceeds into an open clearing and finds a man in dirty garb hanging upside down by his ankles from a tree branch. A hornet rests on his cheek and bites at a festering wound. D-917404 approaches and the man’s eyes open. He swats the hornet away and laughs.

Hanged Man: Come a long way, have you? A true pilgrim. Yes, yes. You’ve walked so very far. Look at those shoes, torn to ribbons. You're not from here, are you? Of course not, they're all eaten or fled. I can tell you’ve got that look to you. Your eyes burn with a yellow flame. You feel like there's something else, right? Something more to this whole thing. You want to see? You want what waits for you at the end? Beshult, look no further. It's right down there.

He arcs his arm in a semicircle, halting when he points to a break in the trees where the beginnings of a dirt path form.

Hanged Man: The nest waits at the end of the branch. You’ve kicked it enough and now they stir. Not many come looking for them, you might yet catch them off-guard if you’re quick about it. Ahhh, to be young again. Young and out for adventure.

He chuckles.

Hanged Man: Don't mind me, I've had my time long ago. Tried and failed. The wasp knows not defeat, eh? No matter, you'll see soon enough.

D-917404 does not say anything. The hornet returns to the hanged man's cheek and bites down. Blood trickles up his face and reddens the dirt beneath his head. His eyes shut and his body stills but he remains pointing. D-917404 leaves and continues down the indicated path.

Hanged Man: Oh, try not to be disappointed. People love reading into patterns. But if you must, don't forget to look up.

D-917404 stands before a city of unfamiliar architecture. It is ancient and thoroughly empty. In the center is a crumbling tower, riddled with holes. D-917404 approaches and navigates through the debris of the ruined structures. Many appear to have been burned. He enters the base of the tower. Inside are piles of books filled with rotted pages. Bodies lay huddled around mounds of ash. A staircase spirals upward lined by burnt-out torches. D-917404 ascends. Outside the sun begins to set and the forest grows still.

D-917404 steps over the corpses carpeting the tower's highest floor. He looks over the room and says nothing. The people are curled in a way suggesting death by malnutrition. They all wear simple clothes of a medieval European style. In the center of the room sits a figure in a wooden chair. D-917404 approaches. The figure wears eccentric clothing decorated in bright colors and patterns. They wear a necklace inlaid with a yellow jewel and a flowing red cape. The eccentric is emaciated and has charred skin and hollow eye sockets. Their head is craned upwards, mouth slightly agape. D-917404 follows the eccentric's gaze through a hole in the ceiling. The sky is a deep blue on the verge of night.

D-917404 stares intently at the sky as stars begin to emerge. The eccentric in the chair stirs.

Eccentric: Do you see it?

D-917404 does not respond.

Eccentric: Look closer. Do you see it now?

D-917404 says nothing.

Eccentric: The pattern. Doran, look for the pattern. There. Those yellow stars

D-917404: Yes. Oh my God.

The camera records only stars.

D-917404: Oh my God, yes. There. There. I see it. Jesus.

Eccentric: Good.

D-917404: What is it? What does it want?

Eccentric: It is our doom, Beshult. It does not want.

D-917404: What can we do?

Eccentric: Doran. We can do nothing. We can run. Or we can wait. You have run for so long. Why don't you sit with us? We are all so tired.

D-917404 remains standing.

D-917404: Is this the end?

Eccentric: This is as far as you will go. Please, sit with us. Watch the stars fall. Surely you hear the buzzing? It won't be long now. Sit. Stay.

D-917404 does not move. The camera records no abnormalities in the sky.

D-917404: The constellation. Is it always there?

Eccentric: Always. But the mind plays tricks. Best to look for it near the end. When there's nothing left to lose.

The eccentric reaches up and rests a skeletal hand on D-917404's shoulder.

Eccentric: You're safe now, Doran. This is it. This is what you've been looking for. A resolution, at long last. Release your pack, so. Sit with us.

The eccentric tugs on D-917404's pack, loosening the latch and opening the center compartment. A red glow emanates from within.

Eccentric: What is this? This cannot be.

They reach in and remove the now-luminant roses. The eccentric smiles and laughs softly.

Eccentric: But I suppose there is always more to lose. They glow for you, Doran. The rose Piercea smiles. There is more for you to find and I see that now. Hold these close. Cherish them. The constellation will wait.

The eccentric looks toward the sky once more and holds out the roses. D-917404 rubs tears from his eyes with the back of his hand, then takes the roses back.

D-917404: Where am I supposed to go? I have a pill, I can take the pill.

The flowers grow brighter. D-917404 looks to the sky.

D-917404: I need to return. Please tell me how to return. I need to go home.

The eccentric does not respond.

D-917404: Please help me. Help me. Please.

D-917404 looks at the eccentric. They are dead. One hand clutches the jeweled necklace. The other rests on the chair, one finger pointing at the wall of the tower. D-917404 turns to look and sees a painting propped against it. He approaches. It is half-finished and beaded with paint. It depicts a plain hallway illuminated by electrical light strips. D-917404 looks back at the eccentric, who is now smiling. Their necklace glows yellow through their fingers. D-917404 steps into the painting. The camera's feed after this point devolves into static and is unrecoverable. The audio is overtaken by a low buzz.

Forty-six days after the filmic dislocation of D-917404 and the subsequent conclusion of testing, SCP-7614 inexplicably reactivated despite being disconnected from power. The projected display was of a field of red roses stretching far into the horizon. Billowing white clouds flowed overhead. D-917404 sat among the flowers facing away from the projector. Researchers observed the scene for over an hour to determine if it would be safe to investigate without risking dislocation. Since the footage appeared to be unedited, a small team was dispatched to retrieve D-917404 and verify the integrity of the expedition data.

D-917404 was found deceased, having ingested the potassium cyanide pill provided in his supply kit. The data was intact and recovered successfully. In his hands was a handwritten note addressed to an unknown person, listing a series of interactions from childhood through adulthood and ending with his incarceration and service as a D-Class personnel, along with the now-wilted bouquet of roses. The body and all belongings were recovered successfully with no further complications. The research team gathered to view the remainder of SCP-7614's projection. As daylight waned, the sun cast glittering shadows across the endless petals. In the distance the clouds began to rain.

The sun set and the stars emerged. SCP-7614 deactivated.