Mature SCP-667-2 organisms dwell exclusively on, underneath, and 
around SCP-667-1, and subsist by feeding on the nectar produced 
by SCP-667-1's flowers. When SCP-667-1's growth begins to slow 
due to deficiencies in its food supply, swarms of several hundred 
SCP-667-2 organisms separate from the main colony and will travel 
outward until encountering any medium-to-large sized mammal in 
the area. SCP-667-2 swarms are almost always active only during 
nighttime hours and are bioluminescent, producing a highly visible 
green glow throughout the entire organism. All human beings 
directly observing an SCP-667-2 swarm have described a strong 
hypnotic effect and a compulsion to follow the swarm, which 
inevitably results in the swarm leading the mesmerized human to the 
edge of SCP-667-1's current path of growth; non-human mammals 
have similarly displayed a compulsion to follow the swarm and 
obliviousness to outside stimuli. Upon reaching the edge of 
SCP-667-1, the mesmerized individual will sit or stand still and 
continue to observe the swarm until dying of thirst, exposure, or as 
the result of being engulfed by SCP-667-1. At the time of trimming, 
skeletal remains of approximately distinctly identifiable 
mammals, including humans, were recovered from the cleared 
area. 


SCP-667 came to the Foundation's attention in 20 , following a 
dramatic increase of missing persons within the [REDACTED] 
Wilderness Area in the state of . United States Forest Service 
officials identified SCP-667-1 as the cause of the missing persons, 
and upon the loss of several personnel to SCP-667-2 swarms 
contacted the Foundation's liaison within the Department of 
Agriculture, leading to the establishment of Foundation containment 
over the area. At the time of discovery, SCP-667-1 had become 
highly invasive and its growth was projected to reach the outskirts of 
the city of [REDACTED] within less than a decade; approximately 9 
% of SCP-667-1 was destroyed by incineration, under pretense of a 
forest fire, in order to reduce the colony's size to a manageable 
level. Examination of the region indicates that almost all of 
SCP-667-1's growth had occurred within the past 20 years; the 
Foundation's current working hypothesis is that SCP-667-2 was 
introduced to the region within that time, and that the development 
of a symbiotic relationship between itself and SCP-667-1 allowed it 
to begin expanding outward at a significantly greater rate than it had 


"Aw, don't feel too bad sweetie. We'll see you again at some point! 
It's not like you're losing anything of value. Your favorite Beatles 
song was from Magical Mystery Tour anyway, wasn't it?" They 
cackle as the background shatters, and my essence soars beneath 
the blue suburban skies. 


Year 23,984 


Nothing. 


« The Beginning, As Much of One as There Could Be | I See a Darkness | Castles 


2» 
Hub 


Castles 2 


A Year of Reprieve 


An Amateur Play in (Two) Acts 
by 
Researcher Talloran 


Copyright © 452381, by Researcher Talloran 


« | See a Darkness | Castles 2 | Only God Can Judge Me and More » 
Hub 


Cast of Characters 


Researcher Talloran: Foundation Researcher of 
indeterminate age 

eternally punished. 

The Being: The one who is correct. 
Doctor Hikari Yamada: Medical professional at 
Site-??. Hates being 

called "nurse". 


Doctor Simon Glass: Head of Psychology. Had 
two appointments with 
Talloran. 


Paul McGann: The Eighth Doctor. 


SETTING: 


Scene 


Beach-side resort. 


Time 
Data not found. 


ACT | 


Scene 1 


We are on the balcony of 
the second-floor of a 
lovely, expensive beach-— 
side resort. The weather 
is perfect for relaxing 
outside; at 35°C (or 
95°F), there is no reason 
not to get some fresh 
air. The wind is, at 
worst, incredibly light. 
Seagulls are out on the 
sand, and the ocean is 
still. We see our main 
star, RESHARCHER 
TALLORAN, lying in a soft 


AT RISE: 


chair underneath a 
parasol. Meanwhile, 
DOCTOR HIKARI YAMADA has 
opted directly for 
sunbathing. Despite the 
weather, both are in 
their professional work 
clothes. If one didn't 
know better, they'd think 
that it was colder than 
it actually is. PAUL 
MCGANN is on the beach, 
lying down on the sand 
and tanning. 

RESEARCHER TALLORAN 
awakens with a startle, 
with it being the first 
time in 452,380 years 
that a new cycle began in 
a place not born of 
darkness. The area is 
unfamiliar; when was the 
last time TALLORAN ever 
been to anything like a 
hotel, let alone a beach? 
To the right is someone 
real familiar; DOCTOR 
HIKARI YAMADA. It doesn't 
take YAMADA long to 
notice TALLORAN, now 
shuffling around the 
balcony in a nervous 
sweat. She looks up from 
her Wired June 2017 issue 
and chuckles. 


YAMADA 


You're finally up and about. You've been conked 


out for such a while, 


I thought maybe you'd have 


Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. 


(TALLORAN continues to pace around, looking 
frantically over the area.) 


TALLORAN 


Hey, hey hey hey hey hey, w-where are we exactly? 
This is different. It's way, way different from 
before. Are... are, crap, are you — 


YAMADA 


Relax. The Being can't follow you here. You 
managed to get some breathing room. 


(TALLORAN continues to pace around, looking 
frantically over the area.) 


TALLORAN 

B-but I don't understand. What's — 
YAMADA 

If I knew the answers here, so would you. 


(YAMADA takes out a lantern from underneath her 
chair and starts to light it. TALLORAN continues 
to pace around, looking frantically over the 
area.) 


Right now, I'm just an extension of your memories 
and emotions. I guess you always thought highly of 
me, huh? Calm under pressure, even when shit hits 
the fan, the Foundation ideal. You definitely 
wanted that. Maybe that's why I'm here? 


TALLORAN 


But, but.. I just don't understand. It's... it's 
bright out here, and happy, it's gonna get fucked 
isn't it? 


(YAMADA smiles, finishing the process of lighting 
the lantern. She gets up and gestures to the door 
of the resort.) 


YAMADA 


Try and relax. It gets dark in there, so you'll 
need to just trust me and follow closely so you 
don't get lost. We have to move fast in there. 


(TALLORAN halts, looking towards the inside of the 
resort. Now that it was mentioned, it is 
incredibly dark in there. Before TALLORAN can get 
more confused, YAMADA grabs TALLORAN's arm and 
walks over to the door. With that forceful 
determination, even if the world isn't making 
sense, an obvious, if small, look of relief 
spreads over TALLORAN's face.) 


TALLORAN 


I.. sure. Only as long as you explain to me what is 
happening with all of this. 


YAMADA 


I will. Just do us a favor. The moment I open the 
door, close your eyes and imagine this is 
Site-118. And if you must open your eyes, don't 
look up at me. 


(Before TALLORAN can say anything, YAMADA opens 
the door. Immediately, an overwhelming sense of 
darkness and fluidity floods the area, and 


TALLORAN is forced not to look. Site-118 starts to 
come to mind. TALLORAN remembers; that was where 
last worked. Shit, THE BEING'S claws are 
scratching the eyelids. Site-118. It was a small 
enough site that it was easy to map out the area. 
That's right.. down the stairs. Then take two 
lefts. Go down another flight of stairs. Claws 
have reached the cornea. Circle around behind the 
stairs, then open the door in front. You take one 
more right, and that's how you get to...) 


YAMADA 
We're outside again. Open your eyes now. 
(TALLORAN'S eyes open. It's a starry night.) 


(BLACKOUT ) 
(END OF SCENE) 


1-2-4 


ACT | 


Scene 2 


SETTING: It's a clear, starry 
night. The resort is 
behind RESEARCHER 
TALLORAN and DOCTOR 
HIKARI YAMADA, and a path 
in a sparse forest 
stretches outwards. 

AT RISE: TALLORAN is in awe of the 
surroundings. It's been 
ages since there was such 
a peaceful moment as this 
one. Back when reality 
still existed, if one 


were to be generous. 
YAMADA waits a few 
seconds for TALLORAN to 
get a bearing for the 
setting before walking 
forward, dragging 
TALLORAN along with her 
with the lantern in the 
other hand. 


YAMADA 
See, isn't it fine? 
TALLORAN 


Yeah... I guess it was. It's uh. Wow. Shit. It's 
really nice out here, isn't it. Is this stilla 
trap? 


YAMADA 


No. If it was a trap, you'd have been caught in it 
already. We have a bit of a walk to get to what I 
want to show you, so let's talk some. 


TALLORAN 


I guess. You're not The Being, but what are you? 
Why is everything here all safe and cozy? How come 


TALLORAN YAMADA 
I still remember you? You still remember me? 


YAMADA 


Hah! Thought you'd say that. I mean, you do have 
to keep in mind, I am only an extension of you in 
here. You must remember enough about me though, if 
I'm here now. 


TALLORAN 


So you... aren't actually Dr. Yamada then. For 
certain. 


YAMADA 


Yeah, though I can't say that's a bad thing. I'm 
sure the real real Yamada would hate to be in the 
position we're in right now. 


TALLORAN 
But wait! 


(TALLORAN slips out of YAMADA's grasp and looks at 
her quizzically.) 


You don't.. you don't fully act like her. She was... 
shit. I can't remember that well. She wasn't as 
dry though. 


(YAMADA pauses to think of an answer. Only the 
sound of crickets float by the two, before all she 
is able to do is shrug.) 


1-2-5 
YAMADA 


Not sure! I guess it's because you can't remember 
me well enough to fully capture my personality. 
How do you think I acted then? 


TALLORAN 


More uh... playful? Sparkly? Yeah. I think so 
anyway. 


YAMADA 


Alright then. Just — 


(Immediately, YAMADA spins once on her heels.) 


— like —- 


(After spinning, she lands on her feet and points 
her finger in TALLORAN'S face.) 


— that? 
(TALLORAN snorts.) 
TALLORAN 
A little bit too peppy, but in the right ballpark. 


(The two share some laughs as they continue to 
walk on, conversation having died down a 
substantial degree. It's only a full minute before 
TALLORAN speaks up again.) 


1-2-6 


Why is it that I'm safe here? What makes this 
different from all the other times The Being got 
to me? 


YAMADA 


You'll have to think about what was different from 
usual in the past couple years then! Surely you 
must have an idea, O Grand Researcher Talloran. 


TALLORAN 


That's just it though. You obviously don't 
remember because I can't remember. I don't know 
why The Being would let up on me now when it never 
has. At least, I don't think it ever has. Maybe 
this thing has happened before, and I can't 


previously. 


« SCP-666 | SCP-667 | SCP-668 » 


remember that! Fuck, why does any of this happen? 


(There is a short pause as they approach a grand, 
scenic gate by the end of the path.) 


YAMADA 


Maybe it's because you came to an understanding 
about something. You didn't just spend the last 
few hundred thousand years in vain. I'm not sure 
what you finally understood, but it had to have 
been something, right? That's the only thing I can 
think of. And maybe that's why we're coming here. 
Do you remember now, where we are? 


(YAMADA sets the lantern down and opens the gate 
with both of her hands, motioning for TALLORAN to 
go in.) 


TALLORAN 


I definitely would have remembered this giant 
gate. I guess the forest and its path are 
familiar... shouldn't it be ladies first? 


(YAMADA smiles and continues to motion. TALLORAN 

breathes in deeply, exhaling with as much force. 

TALLORAN sighs, tenses up, and heads through the 
gate.) 


1-2-7 


(The dirt path quickly transitions into one made 
of stone. As TALLORAN continues on it, a look of 
familiarity and shock starts to appear, eyes 
opening wide. YAMADA follows behind, quickly 
keeping pace. The two eventually reach their 
destination, and TALLORAN quickly runs over to it; 
a calm, quiet pond. ) 


Oh... oh wow. How serene. It's still here... 
YAMADA 


Mmhmm! Spick and span, isn't it? No ducks out 
here, unfortunately. I really wish they came by 
more often. Once in a while was never enough. 


1-2-8 
TALLORAN 


That's right. Yeah. Yeah! The one time I was here, 
we both came together on assignment. And, and we 
stayed here for the full week. This place was... 
real nice. Why didn't we get assigned to it more 
often? 


YAMADA 
I don't know. You were always so stressed, why 


didn't you come here more often? Also, I'm not 
exactly — 


TALLORAN 


Please don't remind me of that. I just need this 
bit of joy right now. 


(TALLORAN splashes the pond, sighing.) 


That also explains the gate; I remember you 
showing me that once. 


(YAMADA sits down by TALLORAN, dipping her feet in 
the water.) 


YAMADA 


Ah, how nice. You remember working with me, right? 
You got to hear my patients express gratitude for 


my work... heh, they even called me something real 
particular around you. You remember, right? 


TALLORAN 


Yeah. "My ray of light." How endearing. You were 
some people's reason for living. That's an amazing 
quality in and of itself. 


1-2-9 


Somehow, I forgot about this... I didn't think I'd 
be finding the pond here of all places. But wait... 
I remember. When we were here, we got interviewed 
by... uh, by... 


YAMADA 
Dr. Glass, wasn't it? 
TALLORAN 


Yeah, but I didn't see him when we walked in. I 
don't even know if I can see more than one of my 
own manifestations of people I know. 


(TALLORAN looks up at YAMADA before realizing 
someone is sitting on the bench behind her. The 
figure's back is to everyone. He waves his hand 

and calls out.) 


GLASS 
Hey! Long time no see, Talloran. 


(BLACKOUT ) 
(CURTAIN) 
(END OF SCENE) 
(END OF ACT) 


II-1-10 


ACT Il 


Scene 1 
SETTING: Titre duck pomrd. 
AT RISE: TALLORAN, YAMADA, and 


GLASS are all on a bench 
overlooking the pond. The 
perspective has shifted 
now, as everything but 
the bench have moved 
around to accommodate the 
three overlooking the 
pond. While GLASS and 
TALLORAN are in full- 
focus, YAMADA starts to 
loose transparency and 
clarity. 


GLASS 


Funny that you remember me better than Yamada. If 
she were here, that'd be real insulting to her, 
wouldn't it? 


(GLASS takes a bite of an apple. Despite the apple 
and GLASS appearing solid, GLASS phases through 
the apple. Crunching noises can be heard as GLASS 
continues to chew, throwing the apple in the pond 
for the ducks.) 


YAMADA 


I still feel insulted, you know! Hmmph. I guess I 
get it though. 


TALLORAN 


Huh? 
GLASS 


Well, people tend to remember the negatives much 
better than the positives. That's just how our 
brains adapted to survive. You may have been great 
friends with Dr. Yamada, but the two times you've 
spent with me is easier to remember specifics for. 
We didn't exactly talk about the happiest of 
stuff, right? 


TALLORAN 


I guess not? I guess if I'm seeing the Head of 
Psychology himself, then it's very much not a 
happy case. 


YAMADA 


What did you two talk about anyhow? That's not 
something the calm and steadfast side of you would 
be dealing with. 


TALLORAN 


I remember the first session for sure. It was 
about the uh... the roughness I've had dealing with 
anomalies. No one tells you this when you first 
join, but you're just so likely to end up 
traumatized and messed up. I thought I got through 
my first couple years fine before they found me 
having a meltdown by some humanoid's cell. 


I-1-11 
GLASS 


Do you remember the anomaly? 


TALLORAN 
Would that even matter, really? 
GLASS 


No wonder I couldn't figure out which one that was 
just now. And the second session? 


TALLORAN 


Hey, wait.. if I remember it, that means you would, 
so why don't you say it? 


(TALLORAN stares down at the ground, frustrated, 
as GLASS gets up to pick another apple off of a 
nearby tree.) 


GLASS