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SCP-7474-EX: Not All Aliens Are Anomalies

Author: CrystalMonarch

Item #: SCP-7474-EX
Level 2/7474

Object Class: Explained
Classified

SCP-7474-EX during its initial crash landing in West Virginia, USA.

Special Containment Procedures: N/A

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SCP-7474 is held in a Class 2 Inanimate Object Storage Chamber. All research into SCP-7474 is currently under the direct supervision of Co-Director Warner, and any requests for testing should go through his office.

SCP-7474-1 is held in a Class 3 Biological Entity Chamber. All communications with the entity are to be recorded and logged.

Description: SCP-7474-EX is a spacecraft of extra-terrestrial origin which crashed in West Virginia in August 2003.

SCP-7474-1-EX is an alien organism of unknown origin, originally discovered piloting SCP-7474-EX. It has an amorphous shape, weighs approximately 210 kg and is capable of finely controlled morphological adjustments to its form on both a macroscopic and microscopic level. It is intelligent and likely has technical and scientific knowledge exceeding that of humanity. It is not anomalous.

SCP-7474-EX Containment Records: Declassified

Close File

Incident Report: 2003/08/03

SCP-7474-1 tissue sample.

<BEGIN LOG>

<21:31-21:40> Multiple calls are made to emergency services by people claiming to have witnessed a large unidentified aircraft crash landing in Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia.

<21:57-22:13> Military personnel from the nearby Dunmore military base arrive on scene and establish a perimeter around the crash site.

<22:13-22:16> SCP-7474-1 emerges from the craft.

<22:16-22:27> Captain Owens attempts to communicate verbally with SCP-7474-1. It responds by spraying him with a large quantity of viscous yellow fluid. This is interpreted as a violent act by Captain Owens, and he gives the order to fire upon the entity.

<22:27-22:30> The assembled soldiers fire on SCP-7474-1 with small arms fire. This appears to injure the entity and it withdraws to the interior of its craft and does not attempt to communicate further.

<22:30-01:12> All soldiers withdraw to the perimeter established around SCP-7474 and do not attempt further communication. Captain Owens receives medical attention and is discovered to be unharmed, and the viscous fluid is found to be inanimate and non-toxic.

<01:12> Foundation Agents arrive on site and take over containment of the anomaly.

<END LOG>

SCP-7474-1 Interview 2003/08/04

Interviewer: Dr Kowal1

Interviewed: SCP-7474-1

Foreword: Shortly after SCP-7474-1 was transported to Site-207 it began to speak via a newly formed orifice on the upper portion of its mass. Initial communication with SCP-7474-1 established that it had not been harmed by the gunfire, and that it was willing to co-operate with the Foundation. SCP-7474-1 was then transported to Interview Room 24B and Dr Kowal arranged to interview the entity, from behind reinforced glass.

Dr. Kowal: Hello, my name is Dr. Edna Kowal. Can you understand me?

SCP-7474-1: YOUR SPEECH IS COMPREHENSIBLE.

Dr. Kowal flinches, but quickly regains her composure.

SCP-7474-1: YOU APPEAR TO BE IN DISTRESS.

Dr. Kowal: No no, I’m ok, I just didn’t expect you to sound so… never mind. I’d like to start by apologising for how you were treated by those soldiers earlier. I can promise you, you’ll not be harmed here, we’re much better prepared to deal with situations like this than those soldiers were. Although I will ask that you not spray anyone again, humans generally find that experience unpleasant.

SCP-7474-1: YES, I AM NOW AWARE. I ACCESSED YOUR RADIO SIGNALS FROM MY CRAFT AFTER THE INCIDENT AND LEARNED YOUR METHOD OF SPEECH. YOURS CONSISTS OF VIBRATING THE AIR AT EACH OTHER, RATHER THAN DIRECT INFORMATION TRANSFER VIA THE EJACULATION OF SPORES. INEFFICIENT.

Dr. Kowal: I see. Excuse me for asking the obvious, but can you tell me what exactly you are?

SCP-7474-1: NO

Dr. Kowal: No? Does that mean you can’t tell us, or that you won’t?

SCP-7474-1: I CANNOT. I HAVE ALREADY FAILED BY COMING HERE. IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR ME TO FAIL FURTHER.

Dr. Kowal: Look, we’re not your enemy, we want to make things as comfortable for you as possible. Can you tell us what you eat? Do you eat?

SCP-7474-1: I AM NOT INTERESTED IN EATING. I SEEK ONLY TO BE ALLOWED TO REPAIR MY VESSEL AND EXIT THIS PLACE.

Dr. Kowal: … I’m sorry, I thought the intake officer had made this clear already. We can’t let you go. You’re what we call an anomaly, our organisations purpose is to contain anomalies like you to protect people.

SCP-7474-1: I WILL NOT HARM PEOPLE. I WILL LEAVE.

Dr. Kowal shakes her head

Dr. Kowal: I’m sorry, but it’s just not possible. It’s not my decision, it’s the whole purpose of this organisation.

SCP-7474-1: IT APPEARS WE ARE BOTH CONSTRAINED BY OUR CULTURE.

Dr. Kowal: I guess so. Look, maybe I can get you some kind of limited access to your vessel, but you need to work with me here, ok? You’re going to be here a while, and I doubt that a bare concrete box is everything you could want or need. Let me help you.

SCP-7474-1: OKAY. I REQUEST FOOD.

Dr. Kowal: Alright, now we’re getting somewhere. What do you consider food? If there’s exotic molecules involved, it might be a bit tricky, but I’m sure our scientists can figure something out.

SCP-7474-1: I REQUEST THE FOOD THAT YOU AND YOUR KIND ENJOY.

Dr. Kowal: Are you sure you’d enjoy that? Or even be capable of eating it? No offence, but I’m not sure our biologys are compatible.

SCP-7474-1: I CAN ADAPT.

SCP-7474 gestures with a pseudopod to one of the suppurating orifices on its dorsal flank, which has begun to shift into the shape of a human mouth with distended lips.

Dr. Kowal: Oh, I see. That’s, uh, handy. I’ll get you some food then and anything else you need, just let me know, okay?

SCP-7474-1: OKAY.

<END LOG>

SCP-7474-1 Interview 2003/08/27

Interviewer: Dr. Kowal

Interviewed: SCP-7474-1

Foreword: SCP-7474-1 has been allowed access to food and certain media in order to satisfy its desire to learn more about human culture. It has not been permitted access to SCP-7474 by joint agreement of Co-Directors Dr. Warner and Dr. Kowal.

The goal of this interview is to attempt to extract information from SCP-7474-1 regarding its technology, in order to assist Dr. Warner’s efforts to understand the operation of SCP-7474.

<BEGIN LOG>

Dr. Kowal: Hey there Dash One, how did you enjoy the cheesecake?

SCP-7474-1: AN EXCELLENT FOOD. BETTER THAN FISHSTICKS AND BETTER THAN HASSELBACK POTATOES.

Dr. Kowal: Wow, guess that makes for a new favourite then. How are things generally, you holding up ok?

SCP-7474-1: I SEEK TO RETURN TO MY VESSEL. YOU SAID YOU WOULD CONSIDER ALLOWING ME ACCESS.

Dr. Kowal sighs

Dr. Kowal: I’m sorry but I can’t do that. There needs to be give and take, if you want us to trust you then you need to give us something in return.

SCP-7474-1: I CANNOT. MY CULTURES FORBIDS SHARING INFORMATION WITH THOSE LIKE YOU. IT WAS WRONG OF ME TO EVEN CRASH HERE.

Dr. Kowal: So it was a crash. Can you tell me what happened at least? I don’t think that would give away any of your culture’s secrets.

SCP-7474-1: I WILL TELL MY STORY FOR THAT IS MY OWN. I WILL LEAVE OUT THE DETAILS FOR THOSE BELONG TO ALL MY PEOPLE. I LEFT MY HOME TO EXPLORE DISTANT PLACES. I HAD TRAVELLED A LONG TIME AND WAS RETURNING WHEN THE ERROR OCCURRED.

Dr. Kowal: Why did you decide to return when you did? Did you find something dangerous out there?

SCP-7474-1: NO. OR RATHER, I FOUND MANY WONDERS AND DANGERS BUT THAT IS NOT WHY I CHOSE TO RETURN WHEN I DID.

Dr. Kowal: Why then?

SCP-7474-1: I NO LONGER WISHED TO BE ALONE. I WANTED TO RETURN TO MY PEOPLE. I LEFT IN PART BECAUSE I WAS FRUSTRATED. I WAS UNDERVALUED IN MY CULTURE BECAUSE I HAVE NOT YET REACHED MY SESSILE LIFE PHASE. I WANTED TO LEAVE BECAUSE I WANTED TO PROVE MYSELF. NOW I JUST WANT TO GO BACK.

Dr. Kowal: Wow, you’re a teenager?

SCP-7474-1: I HAVE LIVED FOR MILLENIA OF YOUR YEARS.

Dr. Kowal: Yeah, that’s not what I meant.

SCP-7474-1: SUCH ANALOGIES ARE INACCURATE. I AM NO MORE A TEENAGER THAN I AM A SAPLING.

Dr. Kowal: Hmm, if you say so. You didn’t say how you actually ended up crashing here?

SCP-7474-1: I WILL NOT REVEAL DETAILS. I SAY SIMPLY THAT THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT AND I WAS AT FAULT. AFTER, I CHOSE TO CRASH ON YOUR WORLD RATHER THAN ANOTHER BECAUSE I FEARED TO DIE AND YOUR WORLD WAS HABITABLE.

Dr. Kowal: That sounds like it must have been one hell of a scary situation, I’m glad you managed to survive.

SCP-7474-1: IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF I HAD NOT SURVIVED. EVEN KNOWING OF MY EXISTENCE IS INFORMATION THAT YOUR KIND SHOULD NOT KNOW.

Dr Kowal: Did you even know that we were here when you chose this planet to crash on?

SCP-7474-1: I KNEW THERE WAS A RISK THAT SAPIENTS WOULD BE HERE. WHEN I CHOSE MY SURVIVAL OVER MY VALUES I WAS FOOLISH AND AFRAID, JUST LIKE WHEN I LEFT MY HOME. FOR THAT I AM ASHAMED.

Dr. Kowal: For what it’s worth, by my culture you have nothing to be ashamed of. You chose to survive rather than die for an abstract principle, and as far as I’m concerned that was the right decision.

SCP-7474-1: THANK YOU. I DISAGREE. BUT THANK YOU.

Dr. Kowal: I’ll see about getting you access to your vessel. You’ll be under strict supervision, and if there’s any sign of you trying to escape you’ll be getting locked up a lot stricter than before. No more cheesecake.

SCP-7474-1: INQUIRY. IF I TRIED TO ESCAPE, WOULD YOU BE IN VIOLATION OF YOUR CULTURE.

Dr. Kowal: Yeah, I guess I’d be in a fair bit of trouble.

SCP-7474-1: THEN FOR YOUR SAKE I WOULD NOT ATTEMPT ESCAPE.

Dr. Kowal: Thanks, Dash One. I appreciate it.

<END LOG>

SCP-7474-1 Interview 2003/11/30

Interviewer: Dr. Kowal

Interviewed: SCP-7474-1

Foreword: SCP-7474-1 was allowed limited access to SCP-7474 under the supervision of Dr. Warner and his team. It was hoped that by observing SCP-7474-1’s attempts to repair the craft they would learn more of its function and mechanisms. Thus far, Dr. Warner and his team have been unsuccessful.

The goal of this interview is to attempt to extract information from SCP-7474-1 regarding its technology, in order to assist Dr. Warner’s efforts to understand the operation of SCP-7474.

Dr. Kowal: Hey Dash One, how’s it going?

SCP-7474-1: THINGS ARE WELL. I HAVE IDENTIFIED AND CORRECTED THE ERROR WHICH CAUSED MY VESSEL TO CRASH. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CRASH CAUSED MULTIPLE OTHER ERRORS WHICH WILL TAKE TIME TO FIX.

Dr. Kowal: Yeah, crashes will tend to do that. But listen, you can’t go getting your hopes up. Even if you finish fixing your vessel, we can’t let you leave, you know that.

SCP-7474-1: INQUIRY. WHY.

Dr. Kowal: I’m sorry Dash One, but that’s just not possible, at least not yet. Maybe if you were willing to help us out, explain how your ship works?

SCP-7474-1: NO. THAT IS NOT MY CHOICE TO MAKE AND I WILL NOT BETRAY MY PEOPLE.

Dr. Kowal: I can respect that. But I’m sure your people wouldn’t want you to be stuck here, they probably miss you as much as you miss them. I can promise you, we won’t use anything you tell us against you or your people. In fact, I could probably even arrange a trade, if there’s anything we have that could help you or your people, in exchange for any anomalous tech you could share?

SCP-7474-1: I CANNOT DO THAT. I AM NOT ANOMALOUS AND NEITHER IS MY TECHNOLOGY.

Dr. Kowal: Look, Dash One, you know I like you and I can understand that you want your freedom. But you’re certainly not human, and hell, I don’t think you’d even want to be human if you could.

SCP-7474-1: I KNOW. YOU MISUNDERSTAND ME. ANOMALIES ARE DEFINED WITHIN THE FOUNDATION CHARTER AS OBJECTS, ENTITIES OR CONCEPTS WHICH VIOLATE THE LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE. YOU FEAR THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE UNPREDICATBLE, AND UNPREDICTABILITY MEANS DANGER.I DO NOT VIOLATE THE LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE.

Dr. Kowal: Huh. Y’know, there’s a lot of physicists that would disagree with you there.

SCP-7474-1: THEY WOULD BE WRONG. I AND MY CRAFT ARE PERFECTLY EXPLICABLE WITHIN THE STANDARD MODEL OF PHYSICS.

Dr. Kowal: Oh yeah? Care to explain that one?

SCP-7474-1: I CANNOT. MY CULTURE FORBIDS ME FROM SHARING MY KNOWLEDGE. YOU KNOW THIS.

Dr. Kowal: Well, we’re at a bit of an impasse here then, buddy. Even if you could prove you and your vessel are obeying physics, the Foundation isn’t going to be happy about just letting you leave. Especially if you won’t let them know how all your shit works.

SCP-7474-1: INQUIRY. IS THIS NOT YOUR DECISION TO MAKE. DO YOU NOT LEAD THIS DEPARTMENT.

Dr. Kowal: I… It’s not that simple. We have a project we’re working on, one that we need your technology to make work. I still have bosses, I still have to do my job, I still have to try and keep humanity safe.

SCP-7474-1: I THOUGHT BY NOW YOU WOULD KNOW THAT I AM NOT A THREAT TO HUMANITY.

Dr. Kowal: C’mon Dash One, you know I didn’t mean it like that.

SCP-7474-1: I WOULD LIKE TO BE ALONE WITH MY VESSEL NOW.

Dr. Kowal: Fine. If that’s what you want.

<END LOG>

Discussion between Co-Directors, Dr. Kowal and Dr. Warner: 2003/12/7

<BEGIN LOG>

Dr. Warner: Look, Edna, we’ve been through a lot together and I have the utmost respect for you. But frankly, this is ridiculous.

Dr. Kowal: I know, I thought the same thing at first. But I’ve been thinking about it, and it actually makes a lot of sense. If SCP-7474 and SCP-7474-1 actually do obey the laws of physics, then we’ve no right to keep them in containment.

Dr. Warner: So what, we’re just meant to abandon the project to replicate its interstellar craft? We’re supposed to abandon Dr. Fluv’s soul, and the souls of god knows how many others? It’s all very well having the fuel if we don’t have a way of building a craft that can actually use it effectively.

Dr. Kowal raises her hands in a conciliatory gesture.

Dr. Kowal: Come on Otto, that’s not what I meant and you know it. I’m just suggesting we take a different tack, there’s other anomalies we could look to for clues on building an interstellar craft of our own. Besides, it’s not like you’re making any progress in understanding SCP-7474, it’s been months and we’re just as clueless as when we started.

Dr. Warner: This is nuts. It goes against Foundation principals, we are a scientific organisation, it makes no sense to stop pursuing knowledge. Think of the good we could do if we understood the mechanics of its craft, or even how its biology functions.

Dr. Kowal: You’re wrong. The Foundation isn’t a scientific organisation, and those aren’t our principles. Sure, we’re scientists and we try to learn all we can from the anomalies we contain, but our principles above all are to Secure, Contain and Protect. Holding an intelligent and non-anomalous being hostage because we want it to tell us its secrets doesn’t fit those goals. Hell, if a human had invented something we didn’t understand, we wouldn’t hold them prisoner.

Dr. Warner: That’s different and you know it. I mean, come on, you can’t tell me that thing doesn’t violate normalcy, just look at it!

Dr. Kowal: You might have a point if it wanted to move to the suburbs, but SCP-7474 just wants to go back home, and it’s not violating any sort of normalcy there.

Dr. Warner: Yes, go back home and take with it any chance we have of figuring out its technology. When the Foundation found it, it was in the hands of the US military. If it’s not anomalous, then protocol would be to return it to the custody of those who had the SCP object last. Is that what you want, to hand it over to those idiots?

Dr. Kowal sighs

Dr. Kowal: We’re going in circles here. Otto, just try to talk to SCP-7474. Get to know it and you’ll see its no threat to anyone, and it’s not like you’re making any headway with your experiments anyway. Let it go, and we can focus this department’s efforts somewhere we can actually do some good.

Dr. Warner: I’m sorry, but no. It’s obvious we aren’t going to agree on this, I say we kick this up the chain, ask the O5 for a ruling.

Dr. Kowal: The O5? They don’t have time to deal with one wrongly imprisoned alien and you know it, it’d be months before we heard back, if ever.

Dr. Warner shrugs

Dr. Warner: You got a better idea?

Dr. Kowal: What if I could prove to you that SCP-7474 wasn’t anomalous?

Dr. Warner: Then I guess, hypothetically, we’d have to reclassify it as Explained. That doesn’t answer what we’d do with it though, even if we can’t hold it as an anomaly I’m not just going to let a working interstellar spacecraft fly off.

Dr. Kowal: We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, just come with me, and listen.

<END LOG>

SCP-7474-1 Interview 2004/06/03

Interviewer: Dr. Kowal and Dr. Warner

Interviewed: SCP-7474-1

Foreword: This interview was conducted within SCP-7474’s containment chamber. The main recording equipment for the chamber was shut down for the duration of the interview, and this transcript is based solely on Dr. Kowal’s personal recording device.

Dr. Kowal: Hey Dash One. Thanks for being willing to speak with me again.

SCP-7474-1: DO NOT REFER TO ME WITH THAT DESIGNATION.

Dr. Kowal: ‘Dash One’? I can go back to calling you SCP-7474-1 if you prefer?

SCP-7474-1: NO. I AM NOT AN ANOMALY AND I WILL NOT ANSWER TO A DESIGNATION THAT INDICATES THAT I AM.

Dr. Kowal: Well, what would you prefer we call you?

SCP-7474-1: I WISH TO BE CALLED EXPLORER AS THAT IS WHAT I AM AND WHAT I HAVE BEEN. THOUGH YOUR PRISON HAS TAKEN THAT FROM ME.

Dr. Kowal: Ok then, Explorer, I’ll update your file so that everyone knows to call you that. I’ve brought a colleague of mine to talk with you about helping with your reclassification.

SCP-7474-1: I AM FAMILIAR WITH DR WARNER. I WARN YOU, I WILL NOT TRADE MY SECRETS FOR MY FREEDOM, IF THAT IS YOUR INTENT YOU SHOULD LEAVE NOW.

Dr. Warner: That’s not why we’re here. Dr Kowal has a proposal that… well perhaps I should let her explain.

Dr. Kowal: It’s fairly simple. Explorer, I want you to tell us everything that you don’t want us to know about your species and about your technology. Then, after Dr Warner and I are satisfied that you truly are not anomalous, we will have our memories erased, along with all records of our conversation.

SCP-7474-1: INTERESTING. INQUIRY. HOW DO I KNOW THIS IS NOT JUST A TRICK.

Dr. Kowal: Because I hope you trust me as much as I trust you. Besides, we’re not behind glass any more, and I remember what you did to those BBQ ribs before I told you you’re not meant to eat the bones, I’m pretty sure that if we betrayed you, you could stop us pretty easily. Do we have a deal?

SCP-7474-1: THAT IS ACCEPTABLE. I TRUST YOU DR EDNA KOWAL.

[DATA DELETED]

Dr. Kowal: I couldn’t quite follow all the math with that last part there. Warner, what do you think?

Dr. Warner: I… Well it all seems to add up. It honestly feels right to me, though I don’t know if I’d have got there on my own. And I’ve no idea how we’d even begin to replicate any of the tech on our own. it’s so… alien.

SCP-7474-1: ALIEN BUT NOT ANOMALOUS.

Dr. Warner: I… Yes, I suppose not. But that doesn’t answer the question of what we’re going to do with you. We can’t just let you go.

SCP-7474-1 rapidly inflates, and several peripheral pseudopods darken and begin gesticulating wildly2.

SCP-7474-1: YOU CANNOT REMEMBER. WE HAD A DEAL. YOU MUST FORGET.

Dr. Kowal raises a hand to calm SCP-7474-1

Dr. Kowal: Relax, I’m sure that’s not what Dr. Warner meant.

Dr. Kowal shoots a glance at Dr. Warner.

Dr. Warner: No, a deal is a deal, I won’t back out now. But we can’t just release an alien out into the world. We certainly can’t let the military get their hands on it, and if we let it go… Well, without SCP-7474’s craft as a framework, I doubt we’ll be able to create an interstellar craft any time soon.

SCP-7474-1: YOU WISH MY ASSISTANCE. I WISH TO GO HOME. I PROPOSE A COMPROMISE.

Dr. Warner: I’m listening?

SCP-7474-1: I CANNOT LET YOU KEEP THE MEMORIES OF MY TECHNOLOGY. BUT I HAVE OTHER MEMORIES, MEMORIES OF MY EXPERIENCE TRAVELLING BETWEEN THE STARS, EXPLORING ITS MYSTERIES. AND THOSE MEMORIES BELONG SOLELY TO ME. IF YOU TRULY WISH TO BUILD A VESSEL LIKE MINE, YOU WILL NEED MORE THAN TECHNOLOGY, YOU WILL NEED A NAVIGATOR.

Dr. Kowal: So what do you propose? You share your knowledge with us and then we let you fly home?

SCP-7474-1: NO. I OFFER NOT KNOWLEDGE, BUT EXPERIENCE, AND THAT IS NOT SO EASILY GIVEN. OBSERVE.

SCP-7474-1 forms a fissure along its central line. This fissure rapidly deepens and widens, until SCP-7474-1 has divided into two approximately equal portions.

Dr. Kowal: Huh. Well that could work.

<END LOG>

Person Of Interest Profile: POI-7474

Known Aliases: Explorer

Date of Birth: Unknown

Threat to Normalcy: Low

Appearance: Non-human. Appearance is highly variable but POI-7474 is typically yellow in colouration and weighs approximately 105kg.

Known Associates: Unknown alien species in unknown location (currently unnamed).

One identical clone (including all memories and personality traits), currently travelling to the location of the aforementioned alien species.

Current Location: Site 207.

Status: POI-7474 is currently working in co-operation with the Foundation’s IAU as part of Project Explorer. Project Explorer is the designation for the IAU’s efforts to build a craft capable of crewed interstellar flight. POI-7474 is unwilling to assist with the technical components of this Project, but its experience of interstellar travel is invaluable to the project. It is expected to accompany Dr. Warner and Dr. Kowal when the craft launches on 20██/05/05.

Footnotes

1. Co-Director of the Interstellar Anomalies Unit (IAU).

2. From previous observation, this action appears to indicate distress.