Following the trail of breadcrumbs, Timothy found out that the other 
workers had received similar envelopes. Each time he approached 
one of them, it turned out that the blueprints fit together in a way 
suggestive of a collaborative project. In the process, Timothy found 
himself gradually opening up about his old ideas over the next days. 
Instead of scolding him, his co-workers gave him smiles overflowing 
with admiration and curiosity. The old bureaucrat's amazement and 
joy were such that he had to excuse himself for a moment to wipe a 
tear from his face. They told him that whoever was sending him 
these envelopes and messages was no prankster, but someone 
who sincerely believed in his potential. Some went as far as to say 
that if Timothy ignored these challenges, he'd inevitably let his 
dreams escape. 


And that was all the motivation he needed to tackle them head on. 
During the next week, he worked overtime to be free for talking with 
his co-workers about the blueprints. In the middle of all the technical 
jargon, he found himself genuinely connecting with people after a 
long while of sulking and aimless drudgery. His eyes seemed 
brighter and he walked without dragging himself like a sack of 
bricks. The people around him noticed the improvement and even 
invited him to parties. All of this combined gave an unprecedented 
boost to his creativity, which he applied to solving the treasure hunt 
with childike enthusiasm. 


The resulting device incorporated ideas from all around the office. It 
was essentially a game where the workers would pledge to 
complete certain office tasks the most efficiently by inserting cards 
into the device. Winners would accumulate credits, which could be 
spent to turn on a mechanism that was like a prototypical version of 
a 3D printer, with more complex objects requiring more credits. 
People could form teams and challenge each other, trade objects 
they no longer wanted, or feed them back into the device to get their 
credits back. And to top it all off, the device always played catchy 
and triumphant music when a player accumulated enough credits to 
create the object they wanted. The invention caused a massive 
increase in the workplace's productivity, and Timothy was offered 


another promotion. He accepted, but this time, he wanted something 
more. 


Soon after that episode, Timothy's birthday came. All of his co- 
workers sent him incredible and thoughtful gifts as thanks for having 
brought so much fun to their lives. However, one gift among them 
had a name that drew his attention: "From the Old Prankster". 
Timothy understood who it was right away and saw a certain charm 
in it. When he opened the gift, the bureaucrat found the anti-gravity 
yo-yo, his old notebook full of schematics, and a picture of his 
family. 


He sat there for a long time, trying to understand what this could 
mean. And it suddenly made sense. There was still resentment 
between him and his relatives. As much as he'd like to dismiss it as 
typical bickering, he could not remember the last time they had 
reunited. Would they want him around if he revealed that he still had 
the same dreams? Did he have to pick one or the other? 


There was only one way to find out. 


[End Of Part 1] 


Experiment Log 914 


Note to all Researchers: 
Please include your name on all records, along with date and total 
number of items "refined". 


Researchers are responsible for all "Output". Should damage or loss 
of life occur, the researcher will be subject to administrative review 
and possible disciplinary action. 


Biological testing has been suspended. Any biological testing must 
be cleared by O5 Command. 


Test Log Format: 

All test logs should be written in this form. 
Name: 

Date: 

Total Items: 


Input: 
Setting: 
Output: 


+ Show Test Logs, Part 1 


Test 11828-U5: Tests on the nature and construction of 
SCP-914 


With approval from 05 Command, a single gear was 
removed from one of the "outer" sections of SCP-914. 
Placement was carefully documented, and was ina 
location that would not release tension on any belts or 
damage any documented sections. Testing area was 
cleared and sealed after placing a steel block in the 
"intake" booth. D-00104 was dispatched to SCP-914, 
and instructed to turn the key and activate SCP-914. 


Site 11, Conference Room K, 8:58 AM, July 12, 1982 


Alright, everyone let's - everyone? Alright, let's sit down. Today, | 
want to welcome you all to the first meeting of Mobile Task Force 
Sigma-3. Well, the new Sigma-3. We don't have a nickname yet, but 
that's not particularly important. We can discuss it later. 


So, as you know from the pre-meeting reading- the, uh, five hundred 
pages of light reading- this task force came about after the incident 
with the uncontained anomaly known as the Library. Mobile Task 
Force Sigma-3, with support from Rho-2 and Beta-18, attempted to 
contain it. Well, invade might be a better word. Howe- 


Yes, Dr. Yi? 


No, the documents are correct. We don't know precisely when this 
happened. Foundation documentation, readouts of non-anomalous 
indicators that correlate with the event, even memories of those 
directly involved, they're all contradictory and give different times 
and places for the event. 


That being said, about 70% of the documentation puts the event in a 
three-week window in July of last year, with the teams entering from 
several Ways found in the greater metro Atlanta area. So we're 
reasonably sure that that is the time and place. We believe that it 
has something to do with the nature of the Library and the entrance 
of Sigma-3, Beta-18, and Rho-2 into an area called "the Archives." 
But that's mostly conjecture. 


Anyway, as you no doubt have read, what happened next was, uh, 
well, it was a clusterfuck. The anomaly - it has extensive self- 
defense mechanisms, which it made use of. We were expecting 
some pushback, but mostly from the patrons. 


What we got instead was, well, Rho-2 suffered a 100% casualty 
rate. 


Beta-18 managed to make it out of the Way with two members. 
Sigma-3 was luckier, making it out of there with five. 


If those of you who were in the first version of Sigma-3- if you could 
just raise your hands, then we- no one? Alright, well | suppose that 
that's fair. | don't think I'd want to either. 


At any rate we don't think that those listed as MIA have been killed, 
but rather, um, transformed into servants of the Library. So that's 
nice, | suppose. 


What? No, there's not much we can do to get them back, at least for 
the time being. They are fine, after a sort. 


Since then, attempts by Foundation and D-Class personnel to enter 
known Ways has lead to either being immediately captured by the 
Library, probably for use as servants, or else walking into a plane of 
fire or caustic gas or some other nasty thing. So we're discontinuing 
exploration into the Ways, at least for the time being. 


The thing is that the white paper, the, uh, the Kamelov memo - 
about the Library being "a loaded weapon" - it wasn't wrong. The 
Library represents a threat to normalcy. It serves as a base for 
terrorist groups. It has served as the point of origin for several 
hugely disruptive anomalous events. We need to deal with it. 


But our previous attempts- trying to watch from behind bushes and 
never involving ourselves or getting our hands dirty? That didn't 
work. You just read five hundred pages about how badly it failed. 
Hell, some of you can say firsthand how badly it failed. 


Which brings me to why we're here. Majority decision by the O5 
council has ruled that Sigma-3 is changing its focus. We are now 
going to be doing hands-on investigations of anomalous 
phenomenon. This means interacting with Type Blues - wizards, uh, 
shamans, sorcerers. No more of this "Witchfinders General" crap. 
More deep cover cooperation wit- 


Agent Smithson? Yes, yes it does. But the Foundation's mission isn't 
necessarily black and white. In the best of all worlds, yes, we would 
maintain an absolute distance between ourselves and the 


anomalous world. But that's no longer feasible. In the best of all 
worlds, we wouldn't have do the horrible shit that we do in the name 
of protecting people. So this is a fairly minor compromise. 


Think of it this way: letting smaller stuff slide in order to focus on and 
coordinate against more significant threats. Like a Cl. Er, that's 
confidential informant, | mean. 


Anyway, some schmuck in Hoboken who moves dish soap with his 
mind isn't the same level of threat as a death cult trying to summon 
an elder god. In the past, we've gotten lucky and mostly caught 
these things before they blew up. But there have been a lot of close 
calls. Too many. 


But the thinking is, if we maybe manage to, y'know, infiltrate the 
community, the, uh, "anomalous underground," like they say, we can 
learn about some of this stuff earlier. Give us time to prep, note 
threats as they emerge. We can't contain the Library, but we can 
mute its influence, or at least the disruptive stuff. Violent terrorists, 
dangerous or noticeable anomalies, dark gods, that sort of thing. 
And if the price for that is letting the dish soap guy go free, then 
that's fine by me. 


Yes, Perez? Oh, uh, no. Not as of yet. For obvious reasons, 
members of the Hand that are in Foundation custody- they're not 
super excited about the possibility of informing on their comrades in 
arms. Right now, we're looking at offering a sort of commuted 
sentence to some of the less dangerous anomalous entities that can 
offer us connections to lower-level people. 


What? Right, no, | know. "Commuted sentence" was probably not a 
good choice of words. Maybe something more like "we'll leave the 
door open, and if you happen to leave, well then maybe we won't 
look too hard for y-" 


People, calm down! Quiet! Jesus, alright? | get that this is a shift, but 
seriously. We're not releasing anything dangerous, here, alright. 
We're talking dish soap guy again. 


Low level Blues, sometimes wanderers from other worlds. People 
that we don't do any research on, we just lock them up because 


that's what we feel we should do. People that don't pose any real 
threat to the Masquerade, but maybe were just in the wrong place at 
the wrong time. 


| know that the pack rat thing is what we pride ourselves on, but it's 
not always the most useful mentality. These people can give us an 
in. We're giving them a second chance. 


Yes, Agent Johnston? 


"Kumbaya bullshit?" Really? Great. I'll be sure to pass that upstairs. 
They'll definitely consider it. 


| mean, yes, we'll be interacting with weirdos. Probably even some 
people with the Hand. But it's not as though we're going to be going 
on magical fairy rides or whatever with them. Like | said, we can't 
use Ways any more, and that's how they get around. What we are 
doing, though, is trying to work our way into the anomalous 
community. Think of it as deep cover, alright? 


What was that Lee? You need to, uh, you need to speak u- ah! 
Alright, that's a fair question. 


There are a few reasons, and it depends on where you're coming 
from. Some of you were selected because of your, uh, your firsthand 
knowledge of the Library, for better or for worse. And those of you 
on the old Sigma-3 - back when it was "Witchfinders General" - have 
probably the most extensive working knowledge of the Serpent's 
Hand and its operations of anyone in the Foundation. Not directly 
applicable, but still it has the potential to be useful. 


As for the rest of you? It depends, like | said. Some of you are 
trained in research, infiltration, all that fun stuff. 


Yes, Perez? What? No! Sweet Christ, no! 


Let me be clear here: there is a blazing, huge line between 
"integrating ourselves with the anomalous community" and "being 
goddamn wizards." People who can do it naturally are freaks - 
sometimes useful freaks, but still freaks. The Foundation locks them 
up or, if we find it useful, maybe release them and use them as a 


contact. We do not employ them, at least intentionally. 


As for the other stuff, rituals and all of that? Things where ordinary 
people can do it? That is acceptable, if avoiding it would blow your 
cover. But we're not going to try to do this stuff on our own for fun. 
Leave that to the Hand and the GOC. We'd be out of our depth very, 
very quickly. And you don't screw around with magic. 


Are there any other questions? 


Look, | know that this is a lot to take in. But think of it this way: that 
uneasy feeling you're having? About wandering into a world you 
didn't even know existed? That's what you felt - or at least, that's 
what / felt - when you joined the Foundation. 


We're still working for humanity. Still preserving the world. Just 
trying to be smart about it. 


Nor Shall My Sword Sleep 


| found this in You-Know-Who's latest cache of papers. I'm inclined 
to believe that it's from one of his not-so-parallel iterations, given 
that the thing appears to be dated to the 1930s. Still, I'm sure our 
friends would stump up something for it if they were to be persuaded 
of its provenance. 


—Marshall 


Item designation number: #45393BE-048 


Warning: Phenomenon presently encloses and has been 
determined to present an existential risk to the Earth. Its appearance 
on 1903/03/01 has caused an irretrievable breach of secrecy for the 
Foundation and the Overseers have directed that the Foundation is 
to lend all assistance, including the utilisation of any and all objects 
under its control, to the governments of the United Kingdom of Great 
Britain and Ireland, Third French Republic, German Empire, United 
States of Austria, Kingdom of Italy, Russian Empire and their allies 
in the preservation of the world. 


Description of item: 


Initially reported as a cloud or nebula enclosing the Earth, it has 
been determined that the phenomenon actually comprises the 
interior of a cube approximately 66,580 miles wide. This volume has 
been determined to be inhabited by an inconsistent number of 
humanoid entities some 25.5 million times larger than homo 
sapiens. These entities have been observed to enter and leave the 
space surrounding the Earth, suggesting that the extent of the 
phenomena may be much greater than previously suspected. 


The difficulty currently experienced in imaging these entities and the 
interior of the cube is a product of the anomalous qualities of light 
incident of Earth from this volume—experiments indicate light 


quanta emanating from the phenomenon are scaled identically to 
the humanoid entities. Once refracted from non-anomalous matter 
the light behaves normally—however, it has been calculated that to 
properly resolve images from the phenomenon, a lens 126 miles 
across would be needed. 


The fate of the cosmos beyond the phenomena has not yet been 
established. It is entirely possible that the Earth and its near-space 
environment has been removed to a new location rather than the 
phenomenon manifesting in Earth's original environs; in which case 
the phenomena may comprise the immediate universe. Extreme 
tidal anomalies since the appearance of the phenomenon indicate 
that traditional heavenly bodies are no longer present, or that their 
gravitational effect is entirely masked by the phenomenon.