: Yes, | wanted to ask. You know, 

died recently. [audience sighs, sadly] How 
has it affected you? 
Beck: Why don't | just say... | think we'll stay 
together. [audience cheers] 


The network is contacted by the Foundation, and 
releases a public statement that is “suffering from 
exhaustion” and will not be taping episodes in the 
following week. is unable to be located for 
detainment. 


Day 16 (Tuesday, 5/7): Since Day 12, several dozen 
instances of behavior similar to that of the Boyar family 
have been publicly reported. The mental illness is 
dubbed “Ojai Syndrome” in television, online, and 
newspaper reports, and is, to the general public, entirely 
unexplained. Foundation testing on subjects with the 
disorder has demonstrated that a moderate dosage of 
Class B amnestics is effective in treating Ojai Syndrome. 


Broadcast intercepted by Protocol Ophiuchus: 24-hour 
news network, an interview between pundit 

and Parliament member [REDACTED] began to cover 
events which have never actually occurred. The MP, for 
example, considers the consequences of a revolution in 
India in 1921, which he describes as “shorter than the 
Boston Massacre and ten times as bloody”. A transcript 
of the end of the interview is provided here. 


Interviewer: You know, there are some people 
out there who believe that, if we wish 
something didn’t happen hard enough, it really 
didn’t happen. 

MP: And they’re right, you know. 

Interviewer: It’s about quantity, isn’t it? They 
don’t have to wish very hard, but there have to 
be a lot of the suckers. 

MP: It works both ways, you know. | find my 
own assistants unable to tell me whether 
Gandhi ever committed public suicide. They 
honestly can’t remember. And this isn’t a 
matter of poor education. In university, they 
were completely aware of what had happened 
at the time. 

Interviewer: Ask them about the machine 
elves sometime. See how many they can 
name. 

MP: At this point? Goodness, no. They 
couldn’t name a Dero that killed their own 
parents. 

Interviewer: [laughs] Hey, why hasn’t your 


prime minister been eaten yet? 

MP: Give it a week. [laughs] Hell, give it until 
Friday. 

Interviewer: It’s always great to see you. 
Come back on if you can be outside next 


week. 
MP: [laughing] Thanks. I'll take you up on that. 
Interviewer: Anyway, let’s get back to... ? 


[The interviewer's co-host is visibly 
uncomfortable.] Are we still on? 


Day 17 (Wednesday, 5/8): The recall is a moderate 
success. Approximately 200,000 instances of SCP-1425 
are confiscated and destroyed by incineration. An 
additional claim is released to the press indicating that 
copies of Star Signals may have been contaminated with 
ricin due to an attack by domestic terrorists. 


Various subjects who are afflicted with Ojai Syndrome 
are gathered by the Foundation and administered a 
series of doses of Class B amnestics. They are returned 
to their mental facilities with a sharp decline in 
symptoms. The Foundation is granted emergency 
permission by the CDC and the NHS to treat Ojai 
Syndrome sufferers, following a partially fabricated 
presentation in which the illness is presented as a 
condition caused by a parasitic organism. Several 
international cases are reported, but these are highly 
sparse and too difficult to track. 


Broadcast intercepted by Protocol Ophiuchus: North 
Carolina public access children’s program “Peppy’s 
Backyard”. The host, a man in rabbit makeup referred to 
as “Peppy”, is speaking to several children sitting on the 
set in a semicircle. 


Peppy: Alright, kids, | think you’ll be surprised 
by our next guest. He’s a clown that teaches 
as well as he learns, and dishes it out as well 
as he takes it! Because nobody hates...! 
Producer: [off-screen] We don’t have any 


guests today, Peppy. 

Peppy: [looking toward the producer] Then 
what are we doing? 

Producer: This episode is about being 
creative. 

Peppy: Really? Sorry, | got distracted, | guess. 
Kids, pay close attention. I'll teach you how to 
make candles out of whoever you find lying 
around! 

Producer: <inaudible> 

Peppy: | have what? No. Stop being such a 
square! 

Producer: Cut. 


Day 18 (Thursday, 5/9): The rate at which instances of 
SCP-1425 are confiscated begins to slow. Most 
remaining readers are under the influence of SCP-1425’s 
suggestion and have no intention of relinquishing their 
copy of the text. In metropolitan areas across coastal 
America and major cities in Britain, as well as towns in 
the southern US near Foundation facilities and known to 
be areas where the sect known as “Southern Fifthism” 
has taken root, agents travel from door to door in 
hazardous materials suits, using the cover story that 
copies of Star Signals have been contaminated by ricin 
powder. A small percentage of occupied houses 
contained subjects moderately affected by SCP-1425 
who resisted agents, who resorted to physical coercion 
in confiscating SCP-1425. During the personal 
intervention operations of Days 18 and 19, nine subjects 
under the effects of SCP-1425 are terminated in America 
due to their impeding the continued execution of Protocol 
Ophiuchus, and only four such incidents occur in 
England. In Britain, where the Fifth Church’s influence 
seems to be much weaker, SCP-1425 is believed to be 
almost entirely eradicated. 


In an incident quickly concealed by the United States 
Government, three senators—[NAMES REDACTED]— 
attempt to report President George W. Bush to the FBI. 


In the official report, the legislative officials claim that 
President Bush is “impostoring” because “he was 
executed months ago”. The senators go on to suggest a 
live execution on broadcast television which “will 
definitely take”. They unanimously insist that it be hosted 
by comedian Dana Carvey, who “could have his fingers 
force-fed to him as an opening sketch”. 


Broadcast intercepted by Protocol Ophiuchus: The May 
9th episode of popular talent show American Idol is 
removed from air in its entirety. After approximately ten 
minutes of advertisements and preliminary introduction, 
the host, Ryan Seacrest, stops when introducing the first 
contestant. Transcript follows. 


Seacrest: Now let’s get down to business. You 
probably remember our first singer from last 
week, when he made his version of—Paula 
[referring to judge Paula Abdul], are you 
crying? 

Abdul: [The judge’s hand is over her face, and 
her voice is shaking.] | just feel kinda sick. 
Seacrest: Ladies and gentlemen, Paula’s had 
a long week. [Audience laughs.] You think it 
might be happening? 

Abdul: | think you need to go... go on with the 
show. 

Cowell: [Simon Cowell, another talent judge 
on the program, is sitting to Paula’s left.] No, 
no, we want to hear about this. 

Abdul: | think it’s coming up. 

Seacrest: | just want to let everyone know, 
right now Paula can’t see us. Her vision is 
obscured by a world that’s being slaughtered 
like a cat. Fresh cavities open in the earth like 
sucking maws, because it doesn’t want to wait 
for the flesh to cool. Their teeth melt as they're 
cremated alive. [The host looks toward the 
camera.] Come on, Jim, focus in on her pain. 
We might need it for later. [Several members 


of the audience laugh.] 

[Paula Abdul sits up as her neck wrenches 
back, as if by soasm. Her mouth opens wide 
and a thick, black smoke begins to spew forth. ] 
Seacrest: And there you go. Randy, [referring 
to the third panelist on the far left, Randy 
Jackson] take a deep breath, you might be 
able to join her in hell. 

Jackson: I'll do that shit in my own home. 
Ryan, just take off the mask. We aren't even 
on the air right now. 

Seacrest: This? /The host tugs at his cheek 
with his left hand.] This is real. They'll have to 
rip it off me. You're alive with the words, right? 
Jackson: I’m alive with the words. 

[This is followed by two minutes of silence 
from the host, judges, and audience. After that, 
Seacrest, Cowell, and Jackson imitate Paula, 
emitting smoke upward from their mouths into 
the studio. At no point does the audience 
audibly react. This continues until the end of 
the episode, with the camera angle focused on 
the judges, occasionally interspersed with a 
closeup of an audience member frozen in 
shock or weeping silently]. 


Day 19 (Friday, 5/10): As efforts made to enforce the 
Protocol Ophiuchus reach their peak, behavior 
consistent with descriptions of Ojai Syndrome reaches its 
zenith. Foundation patrols find Ojai Syndome sufferers in 
the streets, claiming to be “following smoke” as outlined 
in the text (see Document 1425-A). The event is 
presented to the news as the result of a foodborne 
parasite, and individuals are instructed to report to local 
hospitals, where the Foundation provides amnestic 
therapy. A total of 400 individuals in the US and 300 
individuals in Britain are located and treated with Class B 
amnestics. Note: This indicates that efforts prior to 
5/10/05 in Britain were much less sufficient than 
previously thought. Further inquiry is recommended. 


Broadcast intercepted by Protocol Ophiuchus: On the 
daytime talk show “ ”, host hosts an 
episode alone. The studio is dark, and apparently 
contains no audience. The host carries a lit candle for 
illumination. Two cameras are used, though it is 
unknown how they are being operated; one is set up to 
capture and the seat across from her; one is 
directly in front of her. 


greets the audience, her face lit from 
below. Her face is flushed and bears smeared 
makeup, indicating recent crying. She explains 
in a flat voice that the lights in the studio have 
been shut off, an act which she finds 
preferable, as she does not “want to see 
what’s in here”. She conducts an interview 
which, she claims, is with comedian Dave 
Chappelle; however, he is never seen, nor is 
the chair he is claimed to be seated in, and no 
response to her questions is audible. She 
reacts as if hearing responses, however, 
sometimes breaking into laughter or wiping 
tears from her eyes. Subjects range from the 
mundane (the latest season of the sketch 
comedy series Chappelle’s Show) to more 
anomalous topics, such as astronomical 
events related to the text of SCP-1425, 
including [REDACTED]. At the 20-minute 
mark, is speaking directly into the 
camera when she is interrupted by a black- 
gloved hand grabbing her mouth from behind. 
A muffled scream is heard from the host as 
she is pulled backward from her seat and the 
candle’s light is snuffed below the frame. 
Foundation agents who were deployed to the 
studio arrive, presuming that ’s statement 
that the show was airing live were accurate, 
six minutes after this event. The studio is 
completely empty, with no sign of recent 
activity. 


Day 20 (Saturday, 5/11) and onward: Fewer than 
copies of SCP-1425 are believed to be extant in society, 
not counting any which remain directly in the hands of 
the Fifth Church. Over the next week, a further 200 
sufferers of Ojai Syndrome are cured and released, and 
24 celebrities offer apologies for erratic behavior 
displayed during the SCP-1425 event. Note that all 
personalities involved in televised incidents claim to have 
no memory of the events, including any crew and 
audience members present. Continued monitoring of 
subjects treated for Ojai Syndrome indicates no apparent 
long-term effects. Protocol Ophiuchus enters its final 
stage. The first part involves continuous international 
surveillance for SCP-1425-related incidents and 
[REDACTED]. Since then, only one broadcast has been 
interrupted due to the Protocol: a British celebrity news 
program which aired footage of Prince Harry [DATA 
EXPUNGED] consistent with the 5/10 broadcast. The 
second part consists of the systematic elimination of all 
records of Star Signals, Ojai Syndrome, and any related 
incidents from public record and public history. All film 
and print records of SCP-1425-related events have been 
eradicated. Unclassed amnestic program 1425-LETHE 
[DATA EXPUNGED]. Measures to neutralize the Fifth 
Church as a threat to the goals of the Foundation are put 
into the planning phase in a mission which would later be 
designated Operation Stargazer (see Stargazer 
documentation.) 


Addendum 1425- 
A [LEVEL 3 CLEARANCE OR HIGHER ONLY] 


If you're learning of Event 1425 for the first 
time, the details reported here may come as a 
surprise. It’s a hard notion to swallow, even for 
a Foundation researcher, that we could cut 
three weeks of Western culture from memory 
and history. That doubt is justified. 


The party line is that the SCP Foundation is 


all-capable and all-prepared. But, if you’re 
reading this, you’ve earned a little candor. The 
incontrovertible fact of Event 1425 is that we 
got lucky. Circumstances won the day, for a 
number of reasons. Those reasons are not 
listed in the event log; not all omissions leave 
helpful little notes behind. 


One: The situation was much worse than 
we realized. In case you haven’t been here 
long enough to learn to read between the 
lines: this wasn’t just a containment breach. 
One reality-warping, memetically active 
fantasy book outside of custody is a 
containment breach. A million such objects in 
uncontained circulation... well, the official term 
is “impending CK-class reality-restructuring 
event’. And they would have gotten away with 
it, too, as I’m about to explain. 


Two: the cleanup in England was a fiasco. 
The eradication of SCP-1425 from Great 
Britain failed substantially, and we didn’t 
realize it until it was nearly too late. On 
Sunday, a day after the officially-marked end 
date of the Event, there was an existential shift 
during a royal parade, when thousands of loyal 
subjects were together on the streets. From 
11:00 to 11:45, London looked, to anyone 
paying attention, like it had been dismembered 
and sewn back together with a Glasgow smile 
and things wriggling under the skin. Even | will 
not describe what they did to the Queen. 
Nobody remembers it, of course, and the only 
camera that captured it was an old Betamax 
camcorder. Yes, we have the tape. It’s a taste 
of what would have happened if we had not 
acted quickly or effectively, or if we hadn't 
been assisted. 


Three: we had help. We had a lot of it. For 
one, the Fifth Church was covering up its own 
actions for us, especially once its focus shifted 
from remaking the world to damage control 
and PR integrity. We don’t know how they 
managed to keep basically everyone from 
discussing the actual contents of SCP-1425 
(chalk it up to mind control), nor how they kept 
the memories out of the heads of any 
eyewitnesses, including studio audiences 
(chalk it up to reality-bending, | suppose) but 
their secrecy did half our work for us. 


| should add that that [FURTHER ACTION 
REDACTED] covers a lot of messy business. 
(Most of it was taken out in case the Fifth 
Church got their hands on the information—but 
I’m getting ahead of myself.) One such point is 
the full cooperation of the FCC and Ofcom in 
allowing us to kill broadcasts whenever we 
required. The favor we did them to make them 
owe us like that is beyond even my clearance. 


Four: it wasn’t enough. Protocol Ophiuchus 
—spookiest of all soookshows—was a 
massive expenditure of resources which did a 
lot of good, but it wasn’t a complete success. 
Our expert procedures for voiding Star Signals 
in the public consciousness, primary among 
them being the expectation that the cover story 
would be swallowed and society’s attention 
would move on, left certain gaps behind, to 
say the least. Another point in the Protocol 
was a Certain SCP object which was to be 
used only if absolutely necessary, and we 
used it. We’re still dealing with the 
consequences of activating Project LETHE, 
but | do not regret the decision. Sometimes 
you have to cut deeper into a wound to clean 
the infection.