Smith: [whispering] | can see both of the lights 
now, and they look like they're getting closer. 
Are they torches maybe? | can hear footsteps. 
Villasenor: [whispering] Maybe? If they are, 2 
of whoever they are to 3 of us with only 
expedition gear is odds | don't want to play. I'm 
ordering a retreat. 


SCP-423: Self-Inserting Character 


Item #: SCP-423 
Object Class: Safe 


Special Containment Procedures: SCP-423 is contained ina5x5 
meter room containing three (3) 2 x 3 meter bookshelves. An 
incinerator is located adjacent. All personnel entering or leaving the 
room are to be searched for written material. Any written material 
must be checked for any trace of SCP-423 and then, if found clean, 
incinerated. 


At night, SCP-423 is to remain in a small, plain journal marked 423. 
Failure to remain in this journal at designated times will result in loss 
of reading material outside of scheduled experiments. 


Description: SCP-423 has no physical form. It appears to exist 
entirely within textual narratives. It was discovered in a used book 


store in , Texas, on , 19 ,in acopy of Tom Sawyer. The 
book was purchased by Agent , who located it during a routine 
search. 


Agent brought the book back to Sector 28 as instructed. The 
book seemed perfectly normal except for the inclusion of a character 
named "Fred," who was not known to exist in any other version of 
the story. However, it was not until it was left by a copy of Moby Dick 
that the anomalous nature of SCP-423 became clear. 


SCP-423 is able to enter textual narratives, inserting itself as a 
minor character. The details of the character vary from story to story, 
but it is always named "Fred," or something similar, and its role in 
the story is usually minor. Physical descriptions of the character are 
rare, but it usually appears as a human male of average height and 
middle years. However, this can change depending on the nature of 
the narrative. He has appeared as a student in narratives focusing 
on children (and thus presumably of an appropriate age) or even as 


Tennsion: [whispering] Dr. Young, I'm jogging 
back now. Engage the tether to spool up at my 
jogging pace. 

Young: Copy. Done. 

Smith: [whispering] Hey, are the footsteps 
getting faster? 

Villasenor: [whispering] | think so. | just 
checked our six and the lights seem to be 
closing faster too. I'd say that if they're torches 
they're only 500 meters out now. 

Smith: [whispering] We should run. 
Tennsion: [whispering] Agree. 

[NOTE: A loud snap is heard on the audio 
feed] 

Villasenor: RUN! 

[NOTE: The next several minutes are silent 
except the team's breathing and the two 
distinct groups of footfalls.] 

Smith: Fuck, whatever it is back there just 
screeched like a god damned barn owl! 
Tennison: | heard it too. 

[NOTE: A screech is audible on the audio 
feed] 

Young: That sounded close to you! How far 
out are you? 

Villasenor: House is just at the edge of visual 
range. We're almost there. Where's Arcia? 
Young: Don't tell him | told you, but he's in the 
bathroom. Nervous stomach. I'm going to 
smack the tether into fast wind mode, You're 
close enough that you shouldn't get too 
banged up and it will get you back faster. Grab 
onto officer Tennison please. 

[NOTE: A loud crack is heard] 

Young: SHIT! Shit! Shit shit shit shit shit shit! 
[Arcia's shoes are heard thudding into the 
room containing SCP-3283] 

Arcia: What the fuck happened? Why is it light 
through the door? 

Young: | switched the tether up to drag them 


back faster when they started hearing 
something screeching near them, but the 
tether snapped and smacked into 
SCP-3283-2! 

Arcia: Well flip it back! Shit! 

Arcia: Team, do you copy? Is anyone there? 
Smith: | copy but Tennison and Villasenor just 
vanished. 

Young: Their audio and video feeds are gone! 
Smith: Fuck! What's that? I'm almost there, 
get ready to slam the fucking door behind me 
and hit the switch. 

Arcia: Young, get on the door, I'll man the 
switch. Smith, count it down when you're 10 
seconds out. 

[NOTE: A screech is heard. Its volume causes 
crackling on the audio feed.] 

Smith: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, HIT IT! 
[NOTE: The door is heard slamming shut. 
Approximately one second later an object 
audibly impacts the door with a great deal of 
force. Gunfire, from Smith, is heard.] 

Smith: FUCK! What the hell? God damn it! 
Arcia: Smith! Smith! Hold your fire, | got the 
switch. Nothing else is getting through. 
Smith: I'm going to make damn well sure. 
[NOTE: The sound of Smith peeling duck tape 
off a roll from his pack is heard.] 

Smith: OK, this shit stays taped in place. Got 
it? Arcia, is that your hiking stick over there? 
Jam it in the door. Make sure it won't open. 
Young: I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Sorry. 

Smith: You fucking piece of shit. Get over 
here. 

[NOTE: Dr. Arcia's report shows that at this 
time officer Smith began beating Dr. Young 
until another team member could be 
summoned to restrain him.] 


As a result of this incident, officer Smith was ordered to 


immediate debriefing. Dr. Young was terminated from his 
position, given amnestics, and reassigned elsewhere in 
the Foundation. Dr. Arcia received a formal reprimand for 
leaving a junior researcher unsupervised, but was not 
removed from duty. He was ordered to perform 
comprehensive analysis of the video and audio from the 
expedition to determine the feasibility of rescue 
operations. 


Exploration 2 debriefing notes and 
logs 


Inventory of officer Smith's pack 


¢ One standard field flashlight 

* One standard field headlamp 

Standard backup sidearm 

¢ 100 rounds of munitions 

¢ Standard ration kit 

* One personal utility knife. Engraving: "For Scout". 

* Camera and radio gear. 

¢ Duck tape 

¢ Leather gloves 

* Air filtration mask 

* One personal collapsible baton 

¢ Firestarter and tinder 

¢ Flare gun and flares 

¢ Binoculars. 

* One copy of the Book of Mormon. Appears old, 
heavily noted. 


By Order of O05 
Due to anomalous nature of Book of Mormon (was not in 
pre-expedition inventory of officer's gear), book is 
designated SCP-3283-A and is to be transferred to 
forensic literary team for analysis. 


Debriefing of officer Smith. Dr. Carlsbad, 
M.D. conducting, Director [REDACTED] 


supervising remotely 


Carlsbad: To begin with, tell me what 
happened in your own words. 

Smith: It was supposed to be a standard 
recon. At first things were just like the first 
expedition | went on. Everything quiet, all 
peaceful. Only sound was the wind rustling in 
the trees. Honestly? 

Carlsbad: Please, always be honest. Can you 
continue? 

Smith: Honestly, | couldn't wait to get out 
there again. It's pure serenity. When you're out 
there, no voices but your closest team mates, 
it's bliss. You can really let your thoughts spill 
out and float on them. Back here? Sometimes 
you drown in them. 

Carlsbad: So to start this mission, would you 
say you felt calm? 

Smith: Absolutely. | had my two favorite ladies 
with me and we were going for a walk in the 
woods. That's as good as this job gets. And 
then the stars were wrong. 

Carlsbad: What do you mean "wrong"? Can 
you elaborate? 

Director: [through Carlsbad's earpiece] That 
information is need-to-know. Redirect your 
inquiry. 

Carlsbad: Smith, sorry to cut you off. The 
details of the sky aren't relevant to me. Why 
don't you tell me how it made you feel? 

Smith: Like the gravity turned off. I'm looking 
up, and | felt like my body was being lifted from 
the ground but my stomach was still stuck 
down there. For a minute, it's like I'd left Cap 
and Tenny behind and I'd been ascended to 
my own world. 

Carlsbad: Like an out of body experience? 
Smith: Kinda the opposite? Like, my body was 
leaving me and | was there with my girls. Like | 


didn't need my body anymore. Then... 
Carlsbad: Please, officer, continue. 

Smith: Huh? Oh, sorry. Then | was suddenly 
back and everyone else seemed a bit 
concerned. | tried to pull myself together. My 
team needed me. We carried on and 
eventually we got to the woods. 

Carlsbad: Tell me about that. 

Smith: The woods felt like they were made of 
darkness. Like if you didn't bear your own light 
in, you'd be snuffed out by it. | requested that 
we get our headlamps on before we went in. | 
didn't want to be in a situation where | lost my 
flashlight and had to struggle through my pack 
in the dark for the headlamp. 

Carlsbad: Did the headlamp make you feel 
safer? 

Smith: Safe doesn't feel like the right word... 
Carlsbad: Take your time. 

Smith: More like, well... 

[There are about 20 seconds of silence in the 
audio record] 

Smith: Like protected. Like the desire to 
illuminate creates a barrier around you. 
Carlsbad: And then you went in? 

Smith: Yeah. It was fine at first, but once we 
got a ways in Cap realized there weren't any 
sounds. No animals, no bugs, no people. Just 
us crunching on twigs and branches. We were 
talking to base about that when | saw the 
lights. 

Carlsbad: What did you feel when you saw 
the lights? 

Smith: | couldn't tell what they were at first, 
but my body knew to be scared. When we 
realized they were moving we switched to 
whispering through our radios. When we 
started hearing twigs we got the hell out of 
there. 

Carlsbad: Did these lights confer any type of 


feeling to you? Like your headlamp did? 
Smith: Yeah, | felt instantly that these were 
weapons. Like they wanted to break through 
my light and take me. So we ran. 

Carlsbad: And they kept closing? 

Smith: Yeah, and then the screeching started. 
Like a freaking barn owl. 

Carlsbad: Tell me about when you lost 
contact with base. 

Smith: Lost contact? What are you talking 
about? We just kept running. 

Carlsbad: Interesting... 

Director: [in Carlsbad's earpiece] The audio 
logs show a gap on the base side but none in 
his radio's local recording unit. Try asking 
about when he lost his team. 

Carlsbad: Sir, that feels rather insensitive to 
do at this time. We need to approach the topic 
carefully. 

Smith: What's going on doc? Who are you 
talking to? 

Director: [in Carlsbad's earpiece] Use your 
best sensitivity but this is critical. 

Carlsbad: Ok. Smith? Can you tell me about 
when you lost Villasenor and Tennison? 
[Approximately 1 minute of silence. Some 
sobbing is heard at approximately 45 seconds 
into this period] 

Carlsbad: Take your time son. 

[Sobbing continues for approximately two 
more minutes. | 

Smith: There's nothing to say really. We were 
running, and when we got in sight of the house 
| suddenly realized they weren't with me. | 
didn't even have time to slow down before | 
heard a screech practically on top of me and 
realized | couldn't stop to look for them or I'd 
be gone too. 

Carlsbad: That must have been a difficult 
choice to make. 


Smith: It wasn't at all. I'm going back with 
more guys and big ass guns as soon as we're 
done with this conversation. | just put 
everything | had into running and told the docs 
to be ready. The moment | got through the door 
| turned and opened fire in case they weren't 
ready. Young got the door closed in time and 
the bullets didn't even scratch the fucking 
thing. No anomalous materials my ass. 
Carlsbad: You're going back? | don't see 
orders for that. 

Smith: Listen, the only reason my feet found 
the power to get to that door was that they 
were going to turn around and get my girls 
back. They're not dead until they're gone. | 
need you to submit the request, | think. This is 
a psych eval isn't it? They don't have M.D.'s do 
the debriefings usually. 

Carlsbad: We have everything we need. Why 
don't you go get some bunk time? 

Smith: Sure, I'll do that. 


Debriefing Report, Dr. Carlsbad writing 


Smith is an intelligent young man with a flair for the 
dramatic in his speaking. He's emotionally and 
intellectually quite intelligent and has a gift for oratory. 
During our session he appeared to be of sound mind in 
spite of a normal and healthy grieving process. 


Smith is extremely motivated by his emotions but 
channels them into surprisingly sound decisions with 
remarkable conviction. He doesn't seem like the sort who 
changes his mind easily. He was fiercely loyal to his lost 
team mates and although he made a proper evaluation 
of his situation while fleeing, he shows more hope than 
Director [REDACTED] as to the survival of his team 
mates. It's not really my position to say who | agree with. 


Smith has requested permission to mount a rescue. In 


my opinion he is of sound mind and able to make rational 
decisions, so | see no reason not to pass along his 
request. I'll leave it to the wise men upstairs whether they 
feel the lost officers are worth the risk. 


Dr. [REDACTED] Carlsbad, M.D. 


Rescue Expedition 


By Order of 05] 
O5 has determined that a rescue attempt is worthwhile. 
Officer Smith is ordered to take 5 men and heavy 
armaments into Boise-3283 and attempt to locate 
officers Villasenor and Tennison along the route of 
retreat. AS a secondary objective, team should attempt 
to subdue or kill any of the torchbearers (to be 
designated SCP-3283-B) encountered and bring them 
back for analysis. 


Officer Smith (designated Lead) was permitted to select 
five task force members to form an assault team. 
Officers Marcus, Johnson, Diaz, Seung, and Russel 
(designated 1 through 5) were selected and were 
outfitted with assault and retrieval gear. As a precaution, 
SCP-3283-2 was duck taped in the OFF position anda 
technican was readied to shut and bar SCP-3283-1 if 
needed. No tethers were utilized due to the undiagnosed 
failure on the previous expedition. Dr Arcia (designated 
Base) supervised. 


Base: Alright, try to find your people. And 
remember, kill the hell out of anything else you 
find and bring that back too. 

Smith: Damn straight. Let's move out! 

[NOTE: a few minutes of silence pass as the 
team initially heads along the route still marked 
by the snapped tether] 

3: Hey boss, it's scary quiet out here. What 
should we be listening for? 

Smith: Listen for snapping branches and 


freaky owl screeches. And watch for those 
damn torches. 

3: Copy. 

1: Hey, Lead, | got a pack over here on the 
ground. Looks like Foundation-issue. 

Smith: Any tracks around it? 

1: No sir, not that | can make out. 

Smith: OK, so they break twigs but they don't 
leave tracks? Shit. Ok boys, | want headlamps 
on and guns ready for the rest of this trip. | do 
not want to get caught by surprise again. 
Mouths shut, ears open. 

[NOTE: silence for several minutes] 

Smith: Base, we're at the treeline. We're going 
to fan out and check for any disturbances in 
the trees or brush that could be an entry point. 
Arcia: Copy. Be careful Joe. 

Smith: Wish you would have said that last 
time. 

[NOTE: about 20 seconds of silence] 

Arcia: Well... please be careful anyway. 
Smith: Copy. Boys, you see anything? 
Smith: Everyone reports negative, Base. Ok 
guys, come back to my position and we'll enter 
from here. 

1: Copy. 

2: Copy. 

4: Copy. 

5: Copy. 

Smith: Diaz, do you copy? Diaz! Anyone got 
Diaz? 

1: I'm the furthest out to this side, | can see 
you and he's nowhere between. 

5: Same. 

Smith: Shit. | knew they weren't right. 

Arcia: Who? 

Smith: Cap and Tenny. 

2: Wait, you saw them? Why didn't you signal? 
Smith: Huh? No, didn't see 'em. | just, you 
know, kinda fe/t them when we came through. 


Like they were telling me "it'll be ok, they don't 
need any more of you." 

1: Ok boss, you're sure you're ok? 

Arcia: This isn't really the time for psychology, 
but that's a pretty normal grief reaction. Smith, 
you sure you're OK to proceed?