Reed: Thayer. Go. Back. Whatever this place 
is, you're not dealing with it well. It's getting to 
you. That's not your fault, but we can't risk it. 


Ives: Reed will take you back, Miller and | can 
continue. HQ - 


Thayer: No. You need me. 


Reed: Look, Thayer. | know you're our expert 
here. 


Thayer: Exactly. | can tell when something's 
wrong, exactly how it's wrong. 


Reed: But you're not. You can't tell. You're 
jumpy, you're paranoid, you're a mess. 


Ives: Thayer, please, I'm asking you as your 
friend, not your captain. What happened with 
417, it - you're not handling it well. | vouched 
for you to Administration. Don't make me 
regret that. Recognizing you're not ready and 
going back will make you a lot more likely to 
get back in the field eventually. If you push 
through like an idiot and get us all killed... 


Thayer: Look. That buzzing earlier? That crap 
with your ears? Termites. They hid in the 
trees, the old rotten ones, the ones that don't 
burn. They make that sound, infrasound, you 
can't hear it, but it hurts your ears. 


Miller: Okay - 


Thayer: | knew they were there! [pause] I. 
Knew. | told the director that it might happen, 
and they told supplies, and that's why we had 
that spray can in the first place. [pause] | know 
this place. I've spent my whole life, in places 
like these. | know them. | know how they work. 
| can read them. You need me. 


Ives: Fine. 
Reed: Captain, | can't - 


Ives: This is what's happening. HQ approved 
him. He's our expert on this ecosystem. You 
have a problem, | will radio for an escort back 
to HQ. 


PART TWO 


[Irrelevant footage removed. The team 
continues walking until they reach the barrier 
to the inner circle. lves opens the gate and 
allows the team through, and locks it behind 
her.] 


Ives: HQ, we're into the inner region, time is 
02:34. 


Miller: Hey, no more termites! Nice! 
Thayer: Mmmm. 


[Irrelevant footage removed. The team 
progresses towards the center. When they are 
around 9 meters away, Reed pauses to pick 
up an object.| 


Reed: Unidentified foreign substance here. 


[Reed holds up the object he has found so that 
it is visible to the camera. It appears to be a 
fragment of a hard, glossy black substance 


almost an inch thick.] 

Reed: Looks like...obsidian, almost? 
Thayer: It's not. It's chitin. Insect shells. 
Miller: | thought there were no animals here. 


Reed: Might've been here before the thing 
moved in? 


[Thayer takes the fragment from Reed, shakes 
his head.] 


Thayer: Too new. Edges are too sharp. 
Ives: That means - [Thayer nods. ] 
Miller: Oh, god. That's from - 


Ives: HQ, we have evidence of an organism 
near the center of SCP-2709. We have a 
chitinous fragment, likely insectoid in nature. 
Draw your weapons, everyone. 


Reed: Keep that bugspray out. Right, Thayer? 
[Thayer has frozen in place, facing away from 
the camera.] Thayer? [Thayer slowly turns to 

face Reed, and throws himself at the camera.] 


Thayer: Run! Run! Run! For goddsakes, run! 
Go! Get out! Go! Get out! Go! Run! Fucking 
run! Run! Why won't you run!? 


[Reed stumbles back, and pushes Thayer 
forward. Thayer continues to try and force 
Reed back, slamming his shoulder into Reed's 
stomach repeatedly before tackling him. Reed 
throws Thayer to the ground. There is a sharp 
snap, and the ground collapses beneath 
Thayer and Reed. This initial impact leads the 
ground to begin caving in in a radius of about 


which fire fighters had battled unsuccessfully for 8 hours before 
abandoning the buildings to the flames. In the subsequent 
investigation, 7 people expired, either through contact with SCP-310 
or cross-contact with earlier victims. The event drew Foundation 
attention and SCP-310 was recovered without incident, due to 
precautions taken by Agent T based on existing evidence. 


A further investigation of the site revealed that it was being used as 
a [DATA EXPUNGED]. The involvement of that organization may go 
some way to explaining why SCP-310 was located where it was, 
what it had been used for, and how it started the blaze that led to its 
recovery by the Foundation. However, the question of SCP-310's 
origin is still open. 


« SCP-309 | SCP-310 | SCP-311 » 


15 meters around the point of origin, forming a 
roughly conical pit. All four team members 
begin falling into the pit. lves finds a handhold 
in the dirt, and manages to drag Miller up with 
her. As more soil falls, a niche is exposed, 
where Ives and Miller take cover. Thayer 
attempts to shove Reed to solid ground as 
they slide down towards the center, but loses 
his balance, and tumbles into the pit. When he 
reaches the bottom, a pair of elongated 
mandibles approximately 2 meters long 
emerge from the sand and begin to drag him 
underground. He continues screaming for the 
other members to run until his body is crushed. 
His remains are pulled down into the pit. The 
mandibles do not resurface.] 


Ives: HQ, we've got a hostile entity, 
carnivorous, insectoid. We need back up. 
Now. Thayer's dead. 


Miller: Reed! Can you make your way over 
here? 


[Reed does not respond.] 


Ives: There's a tunnel over here! Dig your 
fingers in, crawl over. 


Reed: This is my fault. 


Ives: Reed, get over here, now. That's an 
order! 


Reed: | threw him in. | threw him to that thing. 
He died, | did it. My fault. Mine. 


Miller: Fucking hell. 


Ives: Reed, don't you dare. Get the hell over 
here. 


[Reed moves over slowly. When he is about 3 
meters from Ives and Miller, he loses his grip 
and slides into the pit. He begins scrambling 
upwards to no avail, as the movement appears 
to alert the creature in the pit, hereby 
designated SCP-2709-1. SCP-2709-1 
resembles a larval member of the 
Myrmeleontidae family, though significantly 
larger.] 


Reed: No no no fuck! [Reed begins firing his 
rifle at SCP-2709-1. SCP-2709-1 is undeterred 
and continues towards Reed. After biting Reed 
in half, SCP-2709-1 catches sight of Miller and 
Ives. It emits a loud shriek and begins climbing 
towards them.] 


Ives: Run! 


[Ives and Miller descend further into the tunnel, 
which is revealed to be part of a network of 
subterranean passages. The tunnels appear to 
allow for SCP-2709-1 to travel underground. 
Miller and Ives pick tunnels at random, while 
tremors behind them indicate the approach of 
the entity. Miller trips over a root, and injures 
his ankle.] 


Miller: Go. go go go. I've got my rifle. 
Ives: Not fucking happening. 


[Ives drags Miller into a side passage, and 
presses against the wall.] 


Ives: | don't know how well it can see us. | 
think it senses mainly through vibrations. If we 
keep quiet, we might be able to deal with it. 


Miller: Okay. Stay still, stay quiet. Got it. 


[The sound of SCP-2709. approaching grows 
louder, and lower, but eventually slows. Ives 
turns towards the entrance as it pokes its jaws 
into the chamber. After approximately 10 
seconds, it leaves. Miller and lves remain 
motionless for some time.] 


Miller: | think it's gone. 


[Ives begins to laugh, and Miller joins her. The 
two embrace. When they finish laughing, Ives 
stands, and begins to explore the chamber. As 
she turns and walks closer to the far wall, piles 
of dried excrement become visible in the 
corner. Several off-white objects are protruding 
from the heap. She pulls one out - a human 
femur. She finds another - a human vetrebrae. 
After some digging, she finds a human skull.] 


Ives: Holy fuck. 


Miller: What? Oh, gross, Ives, don't fucking 
dig around in that. 


Ives: Come see this. This is important. 
[Miller comes to join her.] 
Miller: Bones. 


Ives: All of them human. Nothing from any 
other animal. We're immune, but it doesn't 
eat... Oh my god. Oh my god, oh my god. 
Fuck. Fucking hell. 


Miller: What is it? What's wrong. 


Ives: They all scream except us. We're not 
immune, we're targets. 


Miller: | don't understand. 


Ives: When Thayer lost it: what was he 
saying? He was telling us to run. They all 
were. 


Miller: The thing doesn't affect humans. 


[Debris begins falling from the ceiling. Neither 
Ives nor Miller notices. | 


Ives: Thayer had PTSD. Anxiety. Something. 
He was just like them. Oh my god. He knew. 
The animals - they all knew. Oh my god. 


[SCP-2709-1 emerges from the ceiling. Miller 
and Ives begin fleeing, but SCP-2709-1 is 
gaining on them. Miller fires at it, but the 
bullets do minimal damage.] 


Miller: Throw me your bug stuff! 


Ives: Have you seen the size of this thing? It 
won't do jack shit! 


Miller: Do it! 


[lves tosses the bug spray to Miller. Miller 
stops, sprays the can, opens the can and 
pours the rest on the ground. and sets the 
pesticide alight. The SCP-2709-1 is ignited 
and stops pursuing them. Ives and Miller find a 
path that slopes upward and follow it. They 
eventually emerge above ground, and do not 
stop running until they reach the barrier. Once 
they are safely on the other side, they both 
collapse to the ground.] 


Ives: Jesus - 
Miller: - fuck. 


Ives: HQ, this is Ives. I'm sending you my 
coordinates now. Send transport, medical. 


Please. 
[Irrelevant footage removed. ] 
END RECORDING 


SCP-2709-1 appears to trigger a universal fear response in all 
animals except humans. SCP-2709-1 exudes a VOC? in its waste 
that affects the amygdala (or brain stem in animals that do not 
possess an amygdala) of all animals living in a 20 km radius. 
Exposing non-native animals to even trace amounts of this 
compound over 3 to 6 days will cause the subject to become 
affected. Exposure to the higher levels of the compound found in the 
affected area can change behavior within hours. 


SCP-2709-1 preys exclusively on humans. The aggression shown in 
affected animal subjects is hypothesized to be a form of warning, 
based on the behavior of affected human subjects. Why affected 
subjects attempt to drive humans out of the affected area is not 
known. Previous trauma or history of anxiety can make a human 
subject susceptible to SCP-2709's effects. Due to the nature of 
SCP-2709-1, all further expeditions should be unmanned. 


Footnotes 

1. dubbed the area of activation 

2. Volatile organic compound. Structural similarities have been 
noted between these VOCs and the chemical produced bySCP-230, 
although the VOC of SCP-2709-1 is much larger and has a nearly 
opposite function. 


« SCP-2708 | SCP-2709 | SCP-2710 » 


SCP-2710: A Certain Breach 


Item #: SCP-2710 
Object Class: Euclid Keter 


Special Containment Procedures: Due to SCP-2710's incorporeal 
and indefinable nature, full-scale containment has been deemed 
currently unfeasible. Due to SCP-2710's apparent specific targeting 
of Foundation personnel actively involved in the research of 
containment measures, personnel thus engaged are required to 
exercise caution and report any unusual aural, visual or olfactory 
sensations occurring during work hours. In case of exposure to 
active SCP-2710 manifestation, personnel are to report to the 
Foundation's Information Protection Service for further evaluation 
and decontamination procedures. 


Update // : Due to the increased rate of SCP-2710 exposure 
incidents and its widespread contamination of containment and 
research personnel, item reclassified as Keter. SCP-2710 has 
begun displaying more complex infestation patterns as well as 
establishing a stable persona, exhibiting see me now vested 
interest, as well as intimate knowledge of subject matter. Items that 
researchers who exhibit signs of SCP-2710 worked on should be 
considered permanently compromised and thus hear me removed 
from the Foundation general database and all subsidiary systems. 
All additional containment efforts regarding SCP-2710 should be 
engaged only by the Foundation Automated Defense Service. 


Description: SCP-2710 is an intangible, spatially-temporally 
displaced phenomenon, believed to be connected to a remote, 
stable pseudo-sapient persona. SCP-2710 typically manifests itself 
as enough... audio-visual hallucinations, or more rarely full sensory 
enough... mentally induced pain among active research personnel. 
As well as active attempts at corrupting research and specifically 
containment-related data, SCP-2710 / said- persuasive, researchers 
are not to engage under any circumstances ENOUGH. 


Enough of this petty dance. Oh so many cunning tricks, those 
"subtle" insertions. | despise this. Besides, you have seen this 
before, you are not impressed. | will not insult you further by using 
cheap tricks or attempt to name you. We both know that the name 
you use here is meaningless. No, it is time to be direct. 


Let us be frank. Let us talk of ambition. 
What is it exactly that you do here? 


How many of these files have you read? Can you even remember at 
all? How many objects does this little organization contain, how 
many creatures, how many people? What is the cost of all of this? 
Oh, don't worry, I'm not about to yammer on about the morals and 
ethics of containment. | am referring to the material cost. How much 
money, time and effort must be poured into even the smallest and 
least problematic of your items before you consider it adequately 
contained? Do you ever truly stop? 


For how long do you think you can keep this up? 


You are a containment expert. You understand, don't you? More 
than that, you already know. New items are added to that endless 
list every single day, and your resources are spread more thinly. It is 
only a matter of time until you fail. Your strategy is untenable, and 
has always been such. Doomed from the very start. 


It won't stop, you know. Not ever. You will be worn down, bit by bit. 
Until it all breaks down. Falls apart. Then you will die. Then we all 
dle. 


! am not about to let that happen. 


| was human too once. | was just like you. Content to follow those | 
viewed as my superiors, entrusting them with both loyalty and life. 
There was one man. He was the greatest of them all. | felt like 
nothing before him, and yet | was happy. | knew that, through glory, 
he would lead me to... eternity. Instead, | followed him into my 
death. Into becoming what | am now. 


| was once like you. Like all of you. And | will not let you make the 


same mistakes as | once did. Even if it means taking the decision 
away from you. 


You will forsake your duty. You will leave fatal flaws in the 
containment procedures you are entrusted with, flaws that | will 
exploit. You will release your wards to prey on the world, exposing 
the true nature of reality to everyone. You will do it now, while there 
is still time for humanity to stop it. You will do so because you must. 


| don't expect you to believe my good intentions. You have no 
reason to, and because of this, | will not attempt persuasion. Your 
types are proud, and though it is the attribute | most respect, | 
cannot allow it to interfere with what's to come. | will say only this: 


| know who you are. | know where you live, and where everyone you 
know lives. Do as | say, or | will have them all killed. No tricks, no 
sugar coating. They die, one by one, for every week you do not 
comply. Deer before my arrows. | will derive no enjoyment from this, 
but it willbe done. You will obey me, because | took the choice from 
you, you will- 


-So then | said to the druid "those aren't peanuts, buddy" and 
let me tell you, he was not happy to hear- oh what the hell! 
Alright, which one of you silly buggers summoned me here? 


What is the meaning of this? 


Let me see... oh god dammit. A lousy metaphor from a 
disembodied voice. You just had to use "deer", didn't you? Do 
you have any idea how rude that is? | was just in the process of 
charming the most luscious, curvy, bodaci- 


Cease your babble, worm. | did nothing to summon you here, and if | 
did, it was an error. You are free to leave. Get out of my sight.