We will live and die as if we never were, in a thousand thousand scattered places.



SCP-4858: But the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place

Author: Tufto. More of Tufto's work can be found here.

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SCP-4858.

Item #: SCP-4858

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: An armed perimeter has been set up around SCP-4858. Guards and researchers are to be on-site at all times to deal with potential SCP-4858-A manifestations. All intruders and SCP-4858-A instances are to be detained, ideally before they are able to react and activate a suicide device.

Description: SCP-4858 is a ruined shrine in Kidal Region, Mali. It is of unknown construction and design, and is believed to have been built in the 4th millenium BCE, apparently for the worship of an unknown deity named Sap'e'ha.

Around the base of the shrine, inscriptions can be found written in English, French, Tuareg, Literary Arabic and an unknown dialect of Aramaic. These inscriptions have been variously dated to between the 4th millenium BCE and the 1st century CE. Several bricks found in the vicinity of SCP-4858 have been dated to the 9th millenium BCE, thousands of years before the technology which would have allowed their construction was available.

At entirely random moments, a single humanoid figure (hereafter referred to as an SCP-4858-A instance) will appear to manifest inside SCP-4858. SCP-4858-A instances typically expire shortly after arrival, due to severe burn wounds; of the 4% who do not, all have committed suicide shortly after being taken into Foundation custody through cyanide pills hidden in the mouth. Multiple SCP-4858-A instances often appear in short succession; genetic testing has revealed that these clusters ordinarily form family groups.

In cases where burn wounds occur, any clothing and items the SCP-4858-A manifestation has on its person will ordinarily be destroyed, although there are a small number of cases where objects have survived. The causes of this are unknown. SCP-4858-A manifestations frequently manifest while holding print books or manuscripts, although these have never survived intact.

On several occasions, individuals have been observed approaching and observing SCP-4858; they often appear to be in a state of extreme distress. Attempts to capture these humanoids ordinarily fail; only 4 have ever been apprehended, and have all committed suicide by the same method as the SCP-4858-A instances.

SCP-4858 was first discovered by the Foundation on 10/12/1972, following reports of "people emerging from the desert" in nearby villages. SCP-4858-A manifestations notably dropped in frequency following Foundation containment, with the 1515 manifestations reported in 1973 falling to just 13 by 1976 and only 5 since 2010.

+Log of inscriptions found on SCP-4858

-Log of inscriptions found on SCP-4858

Inscription 1: Dated to c. 400 BCE. Written in English.

Praise to the Sap'e'ha! The walls may crumble, but through the dark, it has led us into light! The books may burn, but it has led us to our salvation!

Long life to the Sap'e'ha! We cannot go back, but through their outstretched palm, they have led us to a new home!

Glory to the Sap'e'ha! All is imprisoned, but here, we can enjoy our sorrows with wine and song!

Inscription 2: Dated to c. 1200 BCE. Written in an unknown dialect of Aramaic.

My dearest Cephus,

If you are reading this, you have passed through the tunnels and made it out alive. I do not know where I shall find you, but if you have followed the instructions correctly, then I will see you before long. I cannot wait, my love. We shall journey by horse and camel until we find the fabled Babylon itself!

If you made a mistake, or something went wrong, then I beg of you - lead a good life. Whenever you are, be happy. Find some city on a hill, or overlooking an azure bay, where the sun shines bright upon the water. Find another man to love. And beware Their eyes, for They are everywhere.

Damos.

Inscription 3: Dated to c. 1800 BCE. Written in Old French in the Tifinagh script.

To whoever reads this: check the dial on number 64. People are going missing, or ending up after the cutoff point of 1972. At least 40 have gone so far.

If you can get a message to any of the Sap'e'ha's remaining members on the other side, tell them that they must fix this, and quickly. It'll only be a matter of hours back there before the Tunnels are broken into.

Inscription 4: Dated to c. 30 CE. Written in Modern Standard Arabic.

There used to be sand here, and a temple to Ba'al, until we started showing up. All those worshippers, constructing something so far from home, and we've gone and stitched it out of time. I feel bad about that. It's not right, really - but at least They are not here. At least we can have lives here.

I'm going to Carthage. I think this is during Roman times. Fatima, Henry, come and meet me if you read this. It is night and it is so silent. I've never heard anything so empty. It's dark, but the dark of the sky, not the dark of the cage.

Inscription 5: Dated to c. 3800 BCE. Written in English.

This stone is dedicated to Gengar, a noble friend, from Horatio. May she rest in peace.

I will never forget the sight of the books burning. The Sap'e'ha have done good work today. I hope they do not find these passages - the records say that only one got through, and many years from now, so I think we will be alright.

The records burnt on the way through, so we have nothing left. We will live and die as if we never were, in a thousand thousand scattered places. But it was worth it. Life was worth it.

+Log of items recovered from SCP-4858-A instances

-Log of items recovered from SCP-4858-A instances

Item: 4858-1.

Description: Headscarf, partially intact. Found on a female in their mid-30s who manifested on 20/06/1994.

Notes: Headscarf made from natural dyes and fabrics only. Several pieces of smashed silicon were found wrapped inside.

Item 4858-2.

Item: 4858-2.

Description: Photograph of a woman in a Pan American Airlines flight attendant uniform in the mid-1970s. Found on a female in their mid-20s who manifested 19/09/1980.

Notes: Written on the back are the words "Aunt Aada - look up!" in Finnish. An individual with an identical appearance to the woman named Aada Korhonen was found burnt to death in her apartment in New York on 25/01/1971.

Item 4858-3.

Item: 4858-3.

Description: Photograph of an urban settlement, believed to be the Finnish town of Puotinharju as it appeared in the 1970s. Found on a female in their mid-20s who manifested 19/09/1980.

Notes: Written on the back are the words "old homestead pre-cleansed - late 20th/early 21st?" in Finnish.

Item: 4858-4.

Description: Statuette in the shape of a serpent entwined around a human hand. Found on a female in their early 20s who manifested 01/03/1985.

Notes: Created from an unknown compound derived from undetermined plant matter. Written on the base is the word "Sap'e'ha".

Item: 4858-5.

Description: Page from a series of printed instructions for unknown machinery. Found on a male in their mid-20s who manifested on 19/12/1989.

Transcript: Turn in a circle until you hear 3 clicks. It is important that you only turn 95 or less, as turning numbers above this will result in an unsafe landing. Note that there is no guarantee in a safe landing despite this.

Upon the beginning of the transfer, you should see multiple forks of green fire. It is vital that you enter this fire; it is the only way to prevent severe burning. See Gengar (2099) for further details; can be found in the "Molotov Argenthought" section.

Upon landing, check to see if the temple is in a ruined or non-ruined state. If it is in a ruined state, then [illegible due to fire damage]

REMEMBER: The Other Ways should only be used as a last resort. There are more reliable routes of egress.

Item: 4858-6.

Description: Written note. Found on a male in their mid-teens who manifested on 29/12/2004.

Transcript: set 31, 31, twist 95 in a circle until clicks 3 times

tunnel 83

outpoint: hands temple, must be before 1972 (check precision on controls!!)

they are so many, i didnt realise before, they came down the mountain and theirs nowhere left to run just the black the inky black

the ports sent us back, they won't let us live and they call it "[incomprehensible]"

mary and martha i'm sorry

i go to the rock to hide my face

Item: 4858-7.

Description: Small badge containing the Foundation logo. Found on a technologically augmented male in their early 40s who manifested on 08/11/2019.

Notes: Item bears the large text "SCP Federation" above smaller text reading "One Containment. One Consensus. One Nation."