LightlessLantern

SCP-6678: Mineral Extraction

Item No: SCP-6678

Containment Class: Uncontained

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-6678 is to be monitored by Iranian Site-14. Direct containment is impossible as SCP-6678 is currently under the control of the Organisation for the Reclamation of Islamic Artifacts1.

Description: SCP-6678 is a doorway, measuring 2 metres in height by 1 metre in width, composed of Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) wood. SCP-6678 is located near the summit of Siah-Kaman Mountain, Mazandaran Province, Iran.

SCP-6678-1 is an extradimensional desert of unknown size, accessible through SCP-6678.

History: SCP-6678 was discovered on 1978-03-12 by Foundation Agents during patrols as part of OPERATION CROWNED LION2, who immediately reported it to Iranian Site-14. On 1978-03-17, an exploration team was sent to ascertain the status and potential use of SCP-6678. No abnormal events were recorded during exploration and several samples of the soil in SCP-6678-1 were obtained.

Geological analysis of these samples found extremely high levels of beryllium bronze, more than 400% higher than the soil surrounding SCP-6678 in baseline reality. As such, further study was ordered, with a geological survey team entering SCP-6678 on 1978-04-02. Their analysis found large deposits of beryllium bronze beneath the surface of SCP-6678-1, with an estimated total mass of 4,000 metric tons3 within a 50 km radius of SCP-6678.

Proposals for the extraction of these deposits were approved, however, they were delayed due to an increased focus on OPERATION CROWNED LION. Following the creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in February 1979, Foundation activities were forcibly curtailed, resulting in the loss of control of SCP-6678. Proposals to retake possession of SCP-6678 were denied, due to the lack of available personnel and the greater strain an operation would place on Foundation-Iran relations.

Incident-6678-018: On 1980-07-12, Iranian Site-14 detected abnormal movement in the area surrounding SCP-6678. Upon further review, it was discovered that a large number of ORIA officers had amassed around SCP-6678, along with digging equipment. Due to the possibility of ORIA having become aware of the deposits within SCP-6678-1 and the adverse effects of ORIA obtaining large reserves of beryllium bronze, the Department of Advanced Diplomacy was ordered to create a method to persuade ORIA to transfer control of SCP-6678 to Foundation custody.

Department Of Advanced Diplomacy Analysis

Item No: SCP-6678

Containment Class: Safe

Project Head: Dr Ruqayyah Mehmet

Description: SCP-6678 is a large wooden door leading to an extradimensional plane of unknown size, designated SCP-6678-1. SCP-6678-1 has been found to contain deposits of beryllium bronze, believed to exceed 4,000 metric tons.

History: Beryllium bronze is an anomalous alloy, created through unknown methods during the First and Second Occult Wars, occurring around 100,000 to 10,000 BCE. It is one of the most useful anomalous materials available to the Foundation, with its emotional conductivity being unparalleled by any modern alloy. Through several thaumaturgic rituals, beryllium bronze can be infused with several emotions and can become a sustainable emitter of these emotions for over 3,000 years.

The integration of calmness-infused beryllium bronze in the clothing of researchers and Mobile Task Force uniforms has reduced the rate and intensity of mental attacks by SCPs by 60% over the last 40 years. The Foundation's demand for beryllium bronze will only grow in the future. The loss of such a large reserve of the material will be detrimental to the Foundation's work and security.

Analysis: The Foundation's relations with the Islamic Republic are unfavourable to our aims, with several outposts having been destroyed by the Revolutionary Guard and Foundation agents either being expelled from the country or executed for terrorism. This is primarily due to our historic support of the Shah and our attempts to prevent his government's collapse with OPERATION CROWNED LION. These operations faced regular interference from ORIA, resulting in the widespread disruption of Foundation supply chains, the forced isolation of Iranian Site-14 and the loss of 20 anomalies to ORIA custody. Because of this, ORIA has favourable relations with the Islamic Republic and it is unlikely that we would be able to openly persuade the government to force the transfer of SCP-6678 to our custody.

However, it is known that several members of the Global Occult Coalition's Council of 108 have unfavourable views of ORIA, due to their insistence on autonomy within the Middle East, because of the perceived "colonialist" nature of several Western occult organisations. One requirement of their autonomy is that they are to uphold the terms of the Global Occult Coalition's founding charter. As the Islamic Republic has not ratified this charter, it is illegal for it to obtain and utilise anomalous items or weaponry. The Iranian government acquiring control of SCP-6678-1 and its deposits of beryllium bronze would be a major breach of the charter and would be likely to result in ORIA's immediate expulsion from the Global Occult Coalition's Council of 108, loss of its right to autonomy and its forced assimilation into another occult organisation.

PROPOSAL: Falsified Foundation messages, claiming the recent discovery of beryllium bronze deposits at Siah-Kaman Mountain, are to be leaked to ORIA. These messages are to also claim that the Foundation is seeking to disclose the existence of these deposits to the Iranian government, as a goodwill gesture to make amends for previous errors.

It is highly likely that ORIA will attempt to instigate talks with the Foundation, to negotiate terms for us to not contact the Iranian government. In these talks, we shall order the immediate transfer of SCP-6678 to Foundation custody, in return for which, ORIA will receive a small proportion of extracted material.

Should ORIA refuse, we shall disclose the existence of SCP-6678 to the Iranian government, which will result in ORIA's expulsion from the area surrounding Siah-Kaman and the movement of Iranian forces into the area to begin extraction. Subsequently, we will inform the Global Occult Coalition of these developments, obscuring our involvement through the destruction of ORIA archives. We will assist in the eradication of ORIA and the taking of Siah-Kaman from Iranian forces, in return for a share of the extracted material.

PROVIDED DOCUMENTATION:

History of the Occult Wars and their Effects, 150,000 BCE to 1955 CE

ORIA Agreements with the Allied Occult Initiative and the Global Occult Coalition, 1919-1975

Global Occult Coalition Founding Charter Section 3, 1945

Foundation total use of beryllium bronze, 1935-1977

Predicted Foundation use of beryllium bronze, 1981-1999

OPERATION CROWNED LION Documents, 1978

Overseer Command Vote Summary:

YEA
NAY
ABS.

O5-1

O5-2

O5-3

O5-4

O5-5

O5-6

O5-7

O5-8

O5-9

O5-10

O5-11

O5-12

O5-13

STATUS

APPROVED (7-4-2)

Falsified messages were released to ORIA on 1980-07-24, with a meeting request from ORIA being granted on 1980-07-28.

Date: 1980-07-30

Persons Present:

Dr Ruqayyah Mehmet, Foundation Representative

Rizwan Ashraf, ORIA Representative

<Begin Log>

Mehmet: Thank you for coming. What did you want to speak to us about?

Ashraf: Is the Foundation aware of any anomalies on the Siah-Kaman mountain?

Mehmet: No, we aren't.

Ashraf: So you haven't been near the mountain? No explorations, nothing?

Mehmet: That's correct.

Ashraf: Then how is it that we have messages from your agents saying that you've found deposits of beryllium bronze on the mountain? And that you were planning to disclose their location to the government?

Mehmet: How did you acquire these, alleged, messages?

Ashraf: How we obtained the information doesn't matter. What matters is how you've been able to discover these deposits despite not being near the mountain.

Mehmet: That's classified.

Ashraf: I recommend that you tell me some information, otherwise I'll be reporting to the GOC that you're spying on a member of the Council.

[5 seconds of silence.]

Mehmet: OK. We have certain satellites that can detect emissions from beryllium bronze. They had readings from Siah-Kaman that corresponded to underground deposits.

Ashraf: I see, thank you. So, apart from these satellites, you haven't found anything else on Siah-Kaman?

Mehmet: No.

Ashraf: And the Foundation hasn't been anywhere near Siah-Kaman?

Mehmet: No, we haven't been that far north.

Ashraf: Liar.

[5 seconds of silence.]

Mehmet: Excuse me?

Ashraf: You heard me. You're lying to me, deliberately.

Mehmet: I can assure you, I'm not. We've never had reason to investigate near Siah-Kaman.

Ashraf: So, your agents have never been anywhere near the mountain and they've never encountered any anomalies near the mountain either?

Mehmet: Yes, I can assure you of that.

Ashraf: Then explain this to me.

[Ashraf passes a photograph across the table to Mehmet.]

Mehmet: This is-

Ashraf: A Foundation-issue ration pack, yes. We found it in a dimensional anomaly on the mountain4. Care to explain?

[3 seconds of silence.]

Ashraf: I'll do it for you. You discover the anomaly and explore it, discovering the deposits of beryllium bronze. The Revolution means you can't extract it and you're forced to lose control of the mountain. When you find that we're starting extraction, you try to threaten us into giving you everything. Am I right?

Mehmet: Do you think we're that stupid? Do you really think we'd threaten you?

Ashraf: Yes, I do. I think that you wanted to get the government to move in on our organisation and take the deposits. That would be illegal and would allow you to intervene with the GOC, taking control of the mountain and extracting the deposits for yourself. You don't need to say anything, just listen, OK?

Mehmet: Say what you need to say.

Ashraf: Neither of us want Iran to gain control of this anomaly. We both want the deposits. Why don't we split it? ORIA will do the digging and security, the Foundation will help keep it a secret from the government and the GOC.

Mehmet: Really? If you reported it to the GOC, you'd get their assistance and a split of the extracted material. Why ask us?

Ashraf: If we told the GOC, we'd get 35%, at most. Chances are, we'd get nothing. Since Iran hasn't agreed to the charter, we'd probably get told to keep this a secret from the government and seal up the gateway. What do you say?

Mehmet: I think we can do a 50-50 split.

Ashraf: Oh god, no. We're doing the digging and security, we'd want 75-25 at most.

Mehmet: And if we told the GOC, you'd get nothing. Disinformation costs, especially with the restrictions that Iran's been putting on us. Persuade the government to allow our free movement and we'll agree to a 65-35 split.

Ashraf: We can try, but we're an independent organisation. There's no guarantee they'll listen to us.

Mehmet: After the Revolution, they'll listen. Especially if you tell them what you've been doing to protect the Middle East.

Ashraf: Alright, we'll try. I'll see what my superiors say, but a 65-35 split should be amenable.

Mehmet: You do that. I'll see what the Overseers say.

<End Log>

Despite the failure of the Department of Advanced Diplomacy's method, Overseer Command approved the plan on the condition of the Foundation receiving 40% of all extracted beryllium bronze, to which ORIA agreed.

Following the agreement of the Islamic Republic to allow the free movement of Foundation personnel within Iran, SCP-6678 will be redesignated as Chesed5 and updated Containment Procedures will be created.

Footnotes

1. The largest independent occult organisation within the Middle East, commonly referred to as ORIA.

2. A 1978 Foundation operation, aimed at securing the continued stability of Iran's Pahlavi dynasty through anomalous means.

3. The worldwide total amount of mined beryllium bronze is currently 70,000 metric tons.

4. Later questioning found that the ration pack had been lost by the geological survey team and they had not informed their superiors of this. Responsible personnel were punished.

5. The anomaly is co-contained by the Foundation and other anomalous organisations.