2. Provided he passes post-installation loyalty testing, C-51174 
is to be promoted from LEVEL 4 to LEVEL 5 clearance. 


RELEVANT DOCUMENTS 


Vv PROOF OF REGIONAL DIRECTOR APPROVAL FOR DIRECTIVE 


EYES ONLY Exception Code A-42 is applied 
to this document. 


holds is his. 


Fullbrush: What my... associate means to 
say is that we work for the same organization 
but | am not directly responsible for him. 
Everybody you see here works for the same 
group of people. We want to learn about you. 


SCP-828: That's what he said. 


LeChatlier: | wasn't going to lie to you. You 
know how much those cost anyway. Too steep 
to lie to you. 


SCP-828: |, | don't know what to say. When 
you caught me | thought... [trails off] 


Fullbrush: You thought we'd dissect you or kill 
you or enslave you? Reasonable assumptions, 
but not what we do. We just want to keep you 
safe with us, and learn from you. 


SCP-828: [SCP-828 remains silent, looking 
thoughtful] 


LeChatlier Yeah, we'll keep you safe. You'll 
have a home. 


SCP-828: | wouldn't have to [hesitation] | 
wouldn't have to seek children anymore? 


LeChatlier: No. You're free to keep to yourself 
if you like. Probably won't see anybody unless 
somebody really wants to talk to you or 
something. Don't ask me why they'd want to, 
that's just their way. 


SCP-828: What if... [hesitation] 
Fullbrush: What if what? 


SCP-828: What if | want to talk to people? 


Vv PROOF OF ETHICS COMMITTEE APPROVAL FOR IMPLEMENT 


N3 
EYES ONLY Exception Code A-42 is applied 
to this document. 
Vv MK. Ill PI/NS3 
PROCEDURES 


13 


C-51174, A-1801, and B-8092, as well as up to FIFTEEN (15) 
additional personnel of their choice, must proceed to ROOM 
120B of SITE-42's medical wing at 09900 HOURS on JULY 

4 2041. 


. All personnel must undergo installation of MK. III PII/N3s. 
. All personnel must pass post-installation inspection by 


medical personnel and be deemed fit for short-term space 
travel. 


. When all personnel are cleared for safe travel, the personnel 


will board The Loose Neutron, SITE-42's main and largest 
offshore response vessel, and dock with SITE-3069 in the 
Atlantic Ocean. 


. Following the personnel's arrival, they will disembark from 


SITE-3069 in a Tsade-10H Transport Vessel and relocate to 
LUNAR AREA-32. 


. From LUNAR AREA-22, each individual and their selected 


group of accompanying personnel will be assigned and 
transferred to the following locations: 


1. C-51174 and associates: KUIPER BELT OUTPOST 
RED ZETA (Specialty Assignment) 

2. A-1801 and associates: ORBITAL AREA-11 (Extrasolar 
Activities Division Administration) 

3. B-8092 and associates: ORBITAL AREA-11 (Extrasolar 
Activities Division Research & Development) 


PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENTS 


C-51174: With the assistance of his selected field personnel from 


SITE-42, C-51174 will operate undercover to track and detain a 
Marshall, Carter and Dark sales team which is seeking to further the 
commerce of dangerous anomalous artifacts in the Kuiper Belt 
region, primarily through sales channels established inside 
ZETA-01. KUIPER BELT OUTPOST RED ZETA is located below 
the surface of a large ice asteroid, and is nearby to POINT OF 
INTEREST ZETA-01, a pocket dimension entrance which serves as 
an access point to ZETA-01, an unincorporated, ungoverned, 
extradimensional location with an established society and 
commercial structure. 


A-1801: Following briefing, A-1801 will be assigned the position of 
Operations Security Overseer, and will be expected to apply the 
knowledge gleaned from 20+ years as Director of SITE-42 in an 
effective manner. A-1801's selection of personnel from SITE-42 will 
be assigned to various positions in the same department. 


B-8092: B-8092 is tasked with leading her selected team of SITE-42 
researchers — as well as some researchers stationed at ORBITAL 
AREA-11 — in the further development of PII/N3 technology. She 
will be expected to manage the research team, manage allocation of 
testing resources®, and additionally provide input on the 
development of Ortothan to English translation systems. 


Agent Trauss sets the printout of Directive A-42 down on Site 
Director Radford's desk with a sigh. "Space?" 


"Space, kid." 
He puts his head in his hands. 
"Are you going to do it?" 


"The way that thing's written, it sounds like | have to do it. Well, like 
we have to do it." 


"The Ethics Committee specified that if you don't want that implant, 
you don't have to have it." 


"Well, | need it if I'm going to proceed with this directive." 


"Yeah, but that's not your only option. You could stay here." 
"There's nothing left here, Eric." 


Radford nods in agreement and swivels in his chair, turning to face 
the enormous flatscreen on his office wall. He picks up his remote 
and glares as he flips through the satellite records of each 
Foundation facility's surrounding area. 


SITE-42 
SEABREEZE NORTH CAROLINA USA 
ORIGINAL POPULATION REMAINING: <3% 


"That's what I'm talking about." Trauss gestures to the video behind 
the text box, in which satellite imagery shows the sunny, warm 
streets of Carolina Beach and downtown Wilmington devoid of 
human life. "| mean, this is what I've been seeing since at least a 
few years ago. The people | meet have no idea who | am, with or 
without the Foundation employment part — even my neighbors. And 
hell, | haven't seen those neighbors in longer than | can remember, 
anyway." 


Radford looks back at the younger man. "Surely you aren't happy 
working in the containment wings." 


"| don't like being underground, but this isn't the era of first-choice 
job positions. And besides, | took a few shifts there once. | was used 
to it, at least enough to handle it." 


Radford doesn't say anything, instead pressing a button on the 
remote and flipping to the next satellite feed. 


SITE-92 
LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA USA 
ORIGINAL POPULATION REMAINING: <7% 


Trauss catches a glimpse of a very long-distance view of the city, 
but it's mostly static, and fails to display entirely after several 
seconds. Radford flips to the next feed. 


SITE-19 
[SENSITIVE INFORMATION RESTRICTED] 


ORIGINAL POPULATION REMAINING: 0% 


"| don't know what's going on in the other countries’ branches, but 
it's not looking good for us." Radford gestures to the satellite image 
of Site-19's main gate, which appears to have been heavily 
damaged, its bright steel gleaming in the southwestern desert sun. 


"| see." 


SITE-81 
BLOOMINGTON INDIANA USA 
ORIGINAL POPULATION REMAINING: <5% 


A top-down view of the supermarket adjacent to Site-81's perimeter 
fence shows a group of people assembling a massive structure 
similar to a radio tower. "What are they doing, do you know?" Trauss 
mutters. 


"Report out of 81 indicated that most of the people in Indiana forgot 
about cell phone service, so now the town's engineers and STEM 
students are trying to make their own town communications 
system." 


"But don't the cell towers still work?" 


"Of course. But they don't know that, and there's no way to teach 
them. You've been working with 3848's impact long enough to know 
how these things go." 


"It was rhetorical, | guess." 


Radford nods and turns off the monitor. "Look, Cyrus, we tried. We 
tried for ten years. You tried for ten years." 


"There are still humans here." 


"A higher percentage of the human population is now in space 
rather than on earth." 


"Our job isn't to protect 51 percent or more of humanity, it's to 
protect all of humanity." 


"Which is impossible and illogical. Of course your job is to protect 
the majority of humanity. That's the only way our mission can be 
effective." 


"Leaving Earth isn't the right thing to do." 


"This isn't about subjective ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. It's about the survival 
of our species. All of this is as perfectly in line with Foundation 
objectives as it could be." 


"There are innocent people getting mind-wiped into oblivion by an 
unstoppable Keter and you think the best option is to just eave?” 


"| told you that you can stay behind if you want!" Radford snaps. "If 
you want to waste your skills down here on a- on a fucking forgotten 
planet, bending over backwards to protect every single Wilmington 
resident that doesn't give a fuck who you are anymore, you have 
that right. But for God's sake, think about what you're doing. Your 
opportunities are out there. My opportunities are out there. The 
Foundation's op-" 


"I'm not going to stay here." 
"Oh, thank God." 


"| Know that it's not the logical option. And yes, | am absolutely 
miserable working in containment." 


Radford nods. "So you're coming, then?" 
"Against my better judgement, yes." 
"You mean in accordance with your better judgement." 


"| mean against my better judgement, and in accordance with the 
judgement Wickerford programmed into me ten years ago. | mean 
twelve. Thirteen." 


"Well, as long as you're self-aware about it." 


Trauss levels a stare at Radford, biting his tongue. "...Okay. Well, 
moving forward, then, do | really need to get brain surgery?" 


"It's not surgery, it's a one-hour process that isn't all that dissimilar 
from using a Schulman device." 


"And this... I'm not going to lie, Eric, the language used in this 
schematic is sending up a ton of red flags. They want remote 
override of pain and pleasure responses? Remind me what fucking 
year it is, again?" 


"It's 2041-" 


"Right, and see, | thought we wouldn't stoop this low until at least the 
2060s. How is this technology even stable yet?" 


"If | could answer that kind of question, | would be a researcher, not 
a site director. But | am certain that the anomalous technology 
present in the original Schulman device was the catalyst for these 
developments." Radford straightens the copies of Directive A-42 and 
sets them in a corner of the desk. 


"Okay, that's a given. But mind control? Have we collectively lost our 
sanity, here, or just the Ethics Committee?" 


"The Ethics Committee is fine with this because we're only doing it 
to personnel that fully consent to it. And 'mind control’, really? Pay 
attention to what parts of the brain the implant actually modifies. 
Your thinking is not impaired." 


"But my emotions are? What the fuck is that?" 


"What the schematic neglects to disclose is that the neural network 
may be constantly active, but it is not constantly affecting you. You 
will always be in direct communications with your handler, who will 
be the only one capable of altering anything, and will be a person 
you trust who respects your personal autonomy." 


"Right. Them, and the O5 Council." 
Radford scowls behind his glasses. "...| wouldn't know." 


Trauss crosses his arms. "Okay, let me get the picture, here. You 
said our future lies in space, and now I'm reading that anyone who 
wants to be part of that future has to undergo this procedure. That's 


my only hold-up." 


"That is true, yes. Look, this is above me. You can infer that from the 
way this document talks about the both of us. I'm not your superior 
anymore, Cyrus. At least, I'm about to not be. This is up to you and 
you alone. If you're not going to proceed with any of this, | can't do 
anything other than try to talk you into it." 


Trauss stays silent, thinking. 


Radford leans forward. "But after knowing you for twenty years, | do 
have to wonder: What is it about the N3 that puts you off? Rather, 
what is it about the N3 that's somehow worse than the ED-K 
compliance scripts you yourself were programmed with and 
programmed other people with? This isn't that extreme, to me." 


"That was just an idea. It was putting an idea in someone's head. It 
added things, but took away nothing. Meaning it didn't change a 
person's identity, only threw in additional traits while leaving the 
originals intact. This is just... this is just letting the Foundation take 
hold of someone's agency." 


"| don't see how control over physical stimuli response meets those 
criteria. I'm not blind to the general creepiness of what's involved, 
but it's not making personality changes. Changing how someone 
responds to stimuli in-the-moment isn't brainwashing, it's minor 
altering." 


"Who's on the other end of this shit, though? Who's pressing the 
buttons? Who's going to be piloting my body when-" 


"No one, Christ. No one is going to be controlling anything unless 
there's an emergency. Weren't you listening to me a minute ago?" 


"You said my ‘handler’, but | don't know how I'm supposed to trust 
someone that I'm just going to meet out there on some rocket. | 
mean really, all this is crazy. And what kind of ‘emergency’ requires 
taking over my emotional reasoning?" 


"| have the perfect example for that. Do you know how it feels to die 
in space?" 


"| always heard your blood boils. | don't really know." 


"Nope. The first thing you should do is exhale, or the gases in your 
lungs will expand and rupture your lungs. You might live for two 
minutes, give or take. The whole time, you'll be suffocating while the 
radiation from the nearest star burns all of your exposed flesh." 


"Alright." 
"And the moisture on your tongue will boil, too." 
"I get it now. Okay." 


"My point is, imagine if your handler detected that happening to your 
body and was able to artificially counter that pain response. Would 
that not be preferable to a visceral and agonizing death?" 


Trauss shudders and takes off his vest, sweating. "| guess. I'm going 
to need to be briefed about most of this. Which I'm sure is going to 
happen." 


"Of course it is. And look, the most important thing to take away 
from this is that anyone 'remotely managing' — as the schematic put 
it — will be doing it as a last resort, and obviously you will be 
meeting your handler beforehand so that you do know who it is that 
can override your actions if necessary. There are threats you can't 
imagine out there in space, and I'd bet that once you're lightyears 
away from Wilmington and everyone you ever knew, you're going to 
feel a lot less scared and alone with the Foundation in your head." 


"This is insane." 


"Are you really surprised? And besides, don't bullshit me. Just look 
at your history. You would let the Foundation do whatever it wants 
with you and your body." 


"Fuck no. That's a dangerous blanket statement." 
"You're blushing, so you know it's true." 


"Fuck off, Eric." 


He smiles for the first time since Trauss walked in the door. "See 
you in Room 120B, then?" 


Trauss shakes his head and stands up to leave. "This is going to be 
one hell of a midlife crisis." 


"Welcome to the club, | guess." 


{$previous-title} 
Ad Astra Per Aspera 
Autonomy, Part | 


Footnotes 

1. AGENT C TRAUSS 

2. SITE DIRECTOR E RADFORD 

3. RESEARCHER M WICKERFORD 

4. Solar System Oversight Department and Extrasolar Activities 
Division 

5. Mark III Personnel Identification Implant with Nanoscopic Neural 
Network 

6. Including but not limited to D-class personnel, finite scientific 
resources and materials, and network availability for successful 
transmissions and grid operation. 


Disciplinary Report 51b-46 


This is a formal request filed with the intent to report and log 
improper conduct by a Foundation-employed individual. Associated 
recommendations of disciplinary action have been selected and 
included with this report. Filed on / /20 by Dr. . See attached 
report for details. 


Disciplinary request denied. For wasting time and effort on this petty 

report you are assigned as Dr. Burns' temporary assistant until / 
/2011. 

- 05-5 


What if | need to? 


Fullbrush: Well, typically we only keep things 
like you as restrained as they need to be. 
There are incentives for good behavior, 
cooperation. 


SCP-828: What does it mean for me to 
cooperate? What do you want? 


LeChatlier: You wanna kick this up the chain, 
Brushy?