"Agreed. For now, let's look busy." He opened up the dossier again. 
"All right, so... who was Ainsley Kerrigan?" 


Dr. Zhou looked at the chunk of mineral that had been recovered 
from the bank vault. He pushed his glasses up his face and picked 
up the faintly-glowing blue crystal, tapping it with a metal rod. He felt 
a soft jolt through the stick, and exclaimed, dropping it. "It still has 
some energy in it. That's good." 


"We believe that the vault managed to protect it," agent Dexter 
Adams explained from behind some plexiglass, adjusting his shirt, 
"But beyond that, we got nothing. We don't know why it opened up a 


via the central elevator. Signs designate this floor “Production 
03/1200 - OQ : 91”. The location is composed of conveyor belts, 
pneumatic tubes, electron tubes, and pipes — all of which connect to 
a large machine (since classified as SCP-748-2) located in the 
southern section of the chamber. Based on recovered documents, 
SCP-748-2's intended purpose was roughly analogous to a 
molecular assembler.4 However, its design and mechanics fail to 
correlate with such a hypothetical constructor or with established 
laws of nature, rendering the process entirely anomalous. 


It appears that SCP-748-2 suffered significant damage at some 
point in the past, an event likely related to SCP-748's neutralization. 
This is estimated to have occurred in the early 1950s despite 
records stating that the surface factory was shut down and 
abandoned in 1915. 


+ History and Discovery 


The factory that would eventually house SCP-748 was 
built in 1882 by Randolph T. Metzger and initially 
functioned as a textile mill. It is speculated that SCP-748 
itself was clandestinely built between the years 1896 and 
1908. 


Abandoned long before containment, the location was 
considered a popular, albeit dangerous destination for 
exploration and the source of several urban legends 
(none of which are believed to be relevant to its 
anomaly). On 09/04/1992, the Foundation began its 
investigation after years of disappearances being 
attributed to the location. SCP-748 would be under 
Foundation containment by October of that year. 


Randolph T. Metzger: A Biography 


Randolph T. Metzger (1840-1915) was an 
affluent textile magnate. Born to German 
immigrants, he was the object of significant 
praise - his life frequently cited as a "rags-to- 
riches" story. Owning several mills, his most 


portal to New York, or how nobody on the other end noticed it." 


Zhou looked back at agent Adams. "Where was this recovered from, 
exactly?" 


Adams flipped through a folder. "Um... says that this particular rock 
was found in a 'suddenly appearing outcropping of crystals' found 
in... you're kidding." 


"What?" 


Adams looked up from the file, looking like he was going to throw it 
into the air. "Found in Green Pastures, lowa, 1910. The birthplace of 
Ainsley Kerrigan." 


« Come Rest Your Head A While| Hub] 


Unfounded - Hub 


un-found-ed aaj. Having no foundation or basis in fact. 


On January 13, 1917, a boy was crossing the street. He was eleven 
years old, and he was going with his mother to see his father who 
had just returned from Europe. He knew his father was missing his 
left arm, but the boy didn't care. He would hug the man enough for 
the two of them. 


Foundation 


His mother looked both ways, holding his hand tightly. A 
moment later, an out-of-control automobile careened 
through the intersection. It passed close to the boy and 
his mother, nearly killing them. Despite the scare, life 
went on. History continued. 


Unfounded 


His mother had bought a gift for the boy's father, and 
was carrying it with her. The boy ran ahead excitedly. A 
moment later, an out-of-control automobile struck the 
boy, killing him instantly. His father and mother mourned 
him, but life went on. History continued. 


Overview 


"Unfounded" is exactly what the title implies: an exploration of a 
world without the SCP Foundation. There are two basic principles 
behind this canon. 


¢ The SCP Foundation doesn't exist. 
« Things are otherwise pretty much the same. 


Stories 


¢ Rascal One Actual by DrClef 


© Taken From A Global Occult Coalition Casefile by 
DrClef 


¢ Finding The Machine by Fantem 


© Interlude - Excerpt from an Auction Catalog, Marshall 
Carter and Dark, 2012 by DrClef 


* Six Little Mice by Pig_catapult 


© Text of a Condolence Letter, Federal Bureau of 
Investigation Unusual Incidents Unit by DrClef 


Special Assets by DrClef 

All Things Considered by Photosynthetic 
Da Capo Al Fine by DrClef 

Putting a Ghost in the Machine by Co/Cairn 


Show Contributor's Guide 


Before you start writing 


¢ Read every story in the canon 
¢ Read the rest of this contributor's guide 
information. 


Major Changes in Groups 
of Interest 


The Global Occult Coalition 


In the absence of the Foundation, the Global Occult 
Coalition has taken over its role as the primary agency 
dealing with the paranormal. Many of the more 
dangerous SCP artifacts have been destroyed by the 
Global Occult Coalition. Many others, especially 
humanoids, have been recruited by the Coalition under 
their "Special Assets Directive." 


The Serpent's Hand 


Many other SCP objects and persons are now affiliated 
with the Serpent's Hand. In particular, a fictional 
character named "Fred" has been seen entering the 
texts of various books in the Wanderer's Library... 


National Governments and 
Agencies 


One major change from the original "Foundation" canon 
is that world governments and agencies now take a 
much more active role in dealing with the paranormal. 
The Unusual Incidents Unit of the FBI, for instance, has 
been revitalized and renewed after the fairly recent 
replacement of its director. The Hartle Anomaly is now 
the purview of NASA. And most recently, the U.S. 
Department of Defense's "Pandora's Box" program to 
weaponize the paranormal has come under fire in the 
Special Operations community after an incident in which 
an entire SEAL team lost their lives. 


The Chaos Insurgency 


As an off-shoot of the Foundation, this Group of Interest 
does not exist. 


Major Changes to Key 


SCP Foundation 
characters. 


Dr. Clef never existed. Agent Ukelele never left the 
Global Occult Coalition, and now serves as a 
department head in its "Physics" (special 
operations) division. 

Charles Ogden Geirs is the new head of the 
Unusual Incidents Unit. Along with his assistant 
Jack Dawkins, he works to turn the much-maligned 
UIU into a true player in the world of the 
paranormal. 

Lament is an engineer living in Las Cruces, New 
Mexico. 


Suggestions for writing in 
the Unfounded canon 


This isn't "Game Day" or "Broken Masquerade." 
This is a world that hews as close to the site's 
established tone and canon as possible in the 
absence of the Foundation itself. This isn't a place 
where the blatantly paranormal is openly known, or 
the world has fallen into chaos. Remember: the 
Foundation doesn't exist... but things are 
mostly the same. 

A story in the Unfounded canon is not just a story 
about a GOI aside from the Foundation. Whether 
it's a story about a certain GOI getting ahold of an 
SCP object, or a person from the SCP Foundation 
taking a new job in another GOI, there should at 
least be one element that could not exist in the 
standard canon. 

Please do not come up with more entries in the 
Interstitials (like "Taken From A Global Occult 
Coalition Casefile"). Rewriting an SCP object as a 


"GOC casefile" or a "Marshall, Carter, and Dark 
auction item" is the least interesting thing you 
could do with it. If you'd like to do a new Interstitial 
that covers a GOI that hasn't been covered yet, 
this might be acceptable, but you should probably 
run this idea by someone else first. 

¢ You don't have to run your ideas by someone else 
who has already written for the Unfounded canon 
(especially Clef, Photosynthetic, Pig catapult, or 
Fantem), but it may be a good idea, especially if 
it's your first time writing for it. 


Story ideas for the 
Unfounded canon 


¢ What if a different GOI owned [SCP OBJECT]? Or 
what if [SCP OBJECT] was still "in the wild"? 

* What would [SCP PERSONNEL] do if they didn't 
work for the Foundation? 

* How does the relationship between [GOI] and 
[GOI] change without the Foundation's influence? 

¢ "This Hartle thing is heating up..." 

¢ Dr Clef Sez: I'd personally like to see some stories 
about the Serpent's Hand and the Wanderer's 
Library. 


Rascal One Actual 


"So, um... this whole Hartle Anomaly thing seems to be heating up. 
Think they'll send us in?" 


"Hartle's scientific, not paranormal," Bullfrog said, as he carefully 
replaced the battery cover on a slim, 3 inch LCD screen. "We don't 
do scientific." 


"Scientific' can become ‘paranormal’ in an instant," Fartboy pointed 
out. He turned the page of his magazine. "Line between normal and 
weird's a fuzzy one, and this looks like it's about to tip over." 


"Well, then, when they send us in, you'll get to say 'I told you so.' 
Until then, focus on the mission." Bullfrog flipped a switch on the 
side of the little screen, nodded in satisfaction, then turned the 
monitor back off and slid it into its pouch on his backpack. 


"Yes, sir, team leader sir, abso-fucking-lutely Semper Fi Do or Die 
Airborne fucking Garry Owen Who Dares Wins, team leader," 
Fartboy muttered, turning the page. 


"Heads up," Kitten said. "Spook and stars incoming." 
Bullfrog glanced over at the barracks door. "| don't see..." 


Two sharp knocks, followed by the door opening, letting in a brief 
gust of hot desert air. Two men walked into the room. One was a 
short, incredibly ugly man with a cheshire-cat smile wearing an 
expensive but shabby black suit. The other man was tall, barrel- 
chested, and had a bearing so military that the stick up his ass 
probably had campaign ribbons and a Silver Star. 


"Don't you fucking people salute?” the military man growled. 


"Actually, no, General," the smiling man in the suit said. "We're 
technically a civilian organization under the—" 


"Civilians. God. Don't remind me. Bunch of fucking sheep, bean- 
counters, and fat lazy fucks. Aren't you going to introduce me?" 


"| was just getting to that," the smiling man said. "Team Sparkplug, 
meet General Bowe. General Bowe, Team Sparkplug is one of our 
top infiltration and assessment teams. Their real names are 
classified, of course, but you can call them Bullfrog, Kitten, and 
Fartboy." 


General Bowe frowned at the sandy-haired young man sitting with 
his feet up on the table, flipping through an issue of TIME magazine. 
"Fartboy? What the fuck kind of name for a soldier is Fartboy?" 


"| didn't pick it, General. They, unmmm... gave it to me after the first 
time | failed stalking course at scout-sniper school," Fartboy 
admitted sheepishly. "In my defense, they served red beans and rice 
at the mess hall the night before." 


"Really. Well, ain't that just fucking great," General Bowe muttered 
sarcastically. "Well? Tell them the news." 


The smiling man's expression didn't change from its fixed, mirthless 
grin. "Mission's scrapped," he said shortly. "Word's come down from 
the top. We are no longer assessing the target, we are assaulting it." 


"Fuck," Bullfrog growled. "That's exactly what we need. A blind 
assault into a secured structure. Fan-fucking-tastic.” 


"Well, then, you're in luck. You're not assaulting, you're overwatch. 
The assault and perimeter security elements are coming from 
Pandora's Box," the smiling man said. 


The silence in the room was palpable. 
"Boss?" Bullfrog said, slowly and carefully. "Can we talk?" 


"Of course, Bull. General, may | have a moment to speak to my 
team in private?" 


"Take your time, Director. Boys." 


"Pandora's Box is active?" Bullfrog asked, once the General had left 


the room. 


"This is going to be their first mission," the smiling man said. "From 
what I've heard from on high, General Bowe is being pressured to 

justify his budget: not surprising in this economy. He asked for this 
one, and they gave it to him." 


"And what did they give us in return for stepping all over our 
territory?" 


"Don't worry about that part, Bull. Let the Scary Lady and her Twelve 
Evil Minions worry about that." 


"I've uhhh... I've got a concern," Fartboy said, raising his hand. "This 
ain't our field of expertise, Boss. Assaulting a building's a job for 
Strike, not Assessment. We're not exactly equipped for it." 


"I'm aware. General Bowe has generously offered to loan us the use 
of some equipment from his armory." 


"Kitten?" Bullfrog asked. 


"We'll need uniforms to match what the rest of them are wearing. 
Body armor too. We brought our weapons, but we need ammo," 
Kitten said curtly. 


"You didn't bring ammo?" 


"| packed some ammo, but this was supposed to be a covert 
assessment mission. If we needed to start shooting, things would be 
fucked to pieces, so | spent our weight allowance on other things. 
Like COLLICULUS." Kitten frowned. "Damn. | need to train the 
perimeter team on setting up the nodes. Any of them trained to use 
COLLIC? 


"Not that | know of, no," the smiling man said. 


"I'll pre-calibrate the emitters for them, then," Kitten said. "That way 
they can just turn them on and slap them to the outside of the target 
building. | won't get as good a picture, but it should be fine." 


"Out of curiosity, how were you planning on disguising the nodes, 


anyway?" Fartboy asked. 


"| wasn't. R&D gave me this little drill-robot thing. | was going to 
tunnel under the building from the sewer systems." 


"Oh. Neat." 
"Any other questions?" the smiling man asked. 


"| want a complete briefing on the assault plan and our place in it," 
Bullfrog said. 


"The assault plan you'll have to get from General Bowe or one of his 
subordinates. As for your place in it... same as before. Infiltrate, 
observe, assess, and report. This is General Bowe's show, not ours. 
If all goes well, you'll just watch the mission take place and report 
the details back to us." 


"And if it doesn't?" Bullfrog asked. 


"If it doesn't? Consult the handbook and do what you feel is best. 
Good luck, team." 


"This is fucked," Fartboy sighed, once the smiling man had left the 
room. 


"Yeah, | know, "Bullfrog said. "All right, then. Time to fucking 
unpack. Kitten?" 


"I'm on it. What do we need?" 
"5.56 and 9mm for you and me. Fartboy?" 
"7.62 and .45," Fartboy said. 


"I'm on it." Kitten turned and left the room quickly. She always did 
things quickly if she could afford to. 


"You know," Fartboy noted, "General Bowe is obviously not a 
student of mythology." He opened up a battered rifle case and 
pulled out a heavily customized sniper rifle. 


profitable was located in the city of Lowell, 
Massachusetts, where he employed an 
estimated 70% of the local population. Metzger 
was also celebrated for his charitable 
contributions, including the management of 
"Metzger's House for Wayward Youths" and 
the "Organization for the Betterment of Man". 


Despite his charitable works, he remained a 
contemptuous figure in the eyes of organized 
labor. Conditions within the factory were 
reportedly dismal and devoid of safety 
regulations. His conflict with the labor 
movement would culminate in the bombing of 
the Lowell factory in 1895, resulting in 23 
fatalities. The incident was blamed on 
anarchist provocateurs and six men were 
arrested and executed for their involvement 
despite a lack of evidence. The actual cause of 
the incident remains unknown, police refusing 
to investigate the matter further; corruption is 
suspected.