Date: June 2█, 20██
Subjects: Dr. J██████, Dr. ████████, Senior Researcher F. S██████
Test Administrator: Junior Researcher M. Desmond Michaels
Note: Dr ████████ has requested that h██ identity be completely withheld. Request partially granted. —Director ███████
Since the events of LOG-XSMK-1, a moratorium has been placed on testing SCP-XSMK with D-Class, and as such volunteers were requested for the next round of testing. Doctors J██████ and ████████ volunteered for testing and, since no other volunteers were found, Senior Researcher F. S██████ was selected to join them. Subjects were provided with a single isntance of SCP-XSMK-1 and a butane lighter and instructed to share it among the three of them.
Subject A: Dr. J██████
Subject B: Dr. ████████
Subject C: Senior Researcher F. S██████
[BEGIN LOG LOG-XSMK-2-A]
15:25: Subjects are gathered in interview room L-████
15:30: Subject C ignites the provided instance SCP-XSMK-1 at the behest of the more senior test subjects. Subjects engage in polite conversation while smoking. No apparent apprehension or unrest is shown by Subjects A and B, however Subject C exhibits signs of mild anxiety and low-level stress during testing, and complained twice that Subject B had excessively moistened the filter tip of the sample.
15:36: The instance of SCP-XSMK-1, being consumed to within 4-6mm of the filter tip, is collected by Test Administrator, who instructs the subjects to lean back into their chairs and relax. After approximately 10 seconds the subjects appear to be settled and calm. Test Administrator extinguishes the sample. All subjects immediately react in some way: Subject A inhales sharply and looks upward; Subject B rises from the chair, grabbing h██ left shoulder and chest, and emitting a slight yelp; Subject C sighs and appears more relaxed, and slouches in his chair.
15:41: All subjects appear to have calmed down. Unanimously, they have requested permission to rest and gather their thoughts. Senior staff approve a 4-hour recess, with access to facility break rooms, cafeteria, showers and interview rooms outfitted with furniture suitable for sleeping. Subjects are ordered to return to interview room L-████ by 20:00 for debriefing. Subject A remarks that the debrief process may take weeks to unravel, and recommends staff psychologists be brought in. Senior staff concur and order a panel of 3 psychologists per subject. Subjects depart for requested R&R.
[END LOG LOG-XSMK-2-A]
At approximately 18:51 Subjects A and B are discovered undergoing a physical altercation in break room B-012. Subject A is removed from atop Subject B, who has sustained mild to moderate injuries, including: lacerations on the face and head; contusions on the face and body; one broken and two cracked ribs; and a concussion. Subject A is restrained and placed in interview room P-████.
Subject B is taken to the medical bay at 19:02 and treated for h██ wounds, receiving 14 stitches and a 2 (two) week work release for light duty. Subject B is released from the the medical bay at 19:37 and requested to appear for rescheduled debriefing tomorrow at 10:00.
Interview with Subject A
Subject is restrained, in interview room P-████. The time is approximately 20:30, 5 hours post experiment. Subject has been present in the interview room in advance of interviewing staff for approximately 90 minutes, following an apparently unprovoked attack on Subject B of the experiment detailed in LOG-XSMK-2.
Interviewee: Dr. J██████ (Subject A)
Interviewer: [REDACTED]
"I don't like you pulling me in like this. I know it's late and much of the professional staff is unavailable, but Dr. J██████ is a personal friend. This is not an appropriate situation for me to be in." —[Interviewer]
[BEGIN LOG LOG-XSMK-2-B]
Interviewer: Do you mind explaining just what the [expletive deleted] happened in there?
Subject A: That [expletive deleted], that stupid [expletive deleted]! I demand to see a lawyer — RIGHT NOW!
Interviewer: Do you think this is some kind of [expletive deleted] court room? Are you out of your mind?
Subject A: Not for my defense, you moron, a divorce attorney!
Interviewer: [DATA EXPUNGED]
Subject A: I— I what? No, [expletive deleted], of course not. I have a wife. hah…
(Subject A laughs nervously, regains some measure of composure)
Subject A: I… I shall have had had a wife. I want that [expletive deleted] out of my life. NOW.
Interviewer: What does this have to do with ANYTHING? Are we having the same conversation?
Subject A: Are you stupid? Obvi—
Interviewer: This is way, way out of line, [Subject A]. You think maybe you want to try this over again?
(Subject A nods, straightens up, then slouches again. Subject A cries for a brief duration before regaining composure, and resumes interview)
Subject A: Sir. I'm sorry. [Subject B] slept with my wife. Kind of a lot. Honestly, I could probably let that go, but that… that… I'm sorry.
(Subject A chokes)
Subject A: My wife was, shall we say, convinced to leave me in a rather embarrassing fashion. In front of family, friends, MY CHILDREN! SHE… ugh. [Subject B] didn't just steal her from me, she caused as much destruction as she could. She ruined my life. The foundation released me 18 months later, and… I knew I only had one shot at salvaging this. I pretty much went wild after that, hedonism you'd call it. I did whatever the [expletive deleted] I wanted, whoever the [expletive deleted] I wanted, whenever… you get the picture. After about five years of that, I made up my mind. I left a bunch of money to my kids, not sure what good that did…
(Subject A chuckles, then becomes visibly uncomfortable)
Subject A: I drove to the beach one morning and I shot myself, OK? It was… it was a bizarre decision. Mulligan. I knew I'd get to start again, but I still wasn't comfortable with it. I know I'm not supposed to want to kill myself anyway, but… You know, the weirdest part was, I shot myself in the temple, but it didn't just… it didn't just, you know, end.
Interviewer: I… Go on, please.
Subject A: I don't know how long it was. I was sitting in a car by a beach. I got there a little after sunrise, and I did it, and the waves just kept coming in, and the sun kept going up, and really, the day just kept going on. I never saw anybody else. I wasn't breathing, man. After, well, it felt like years, but it was probably just a few hours, I sort of… woke up, back in the chair. I woke up, and I knew what I had to do.
Interviewer: Jesus, [Subject A], that's [expletive deleted] up, I know, but you still can't just attack other people like that. I mean, it didn't even really happen.
Subject A: It happened… I know it must have happened.
Interviewer: Even if it did, it was another world. It was another person. Nobody can blame you for being angry, but christ, [Subject B] hasn't even done anything yet. You're basing a lot of reactions here on something that might happen. I get that it's painful, I even get that it's completely real for you, but you're back here now, back in the real world, and I think you need to take some time to calm down before you go making any rash decisions.
(Subject A shifts uncomfortably, starts to stand but is stopped by the restraints)
Interviewer: Right, yeah. I'll have you taken out of those in a minute. I'm suspending you from duty for three weeks pending your debrief and psych eval. Tell the head shrinkers everything, everything about everything, especially what you just told me. We'll put a phone call in to your wife, whom I need remind you, at this point, as far as we know, hasn't done anything wrong, and let her know you'll be travelling for some last minute business, maybe Australia… doesn't matter. Anyway, jesus, [Subject A], listen to me— everything that happened back there, before this, that was all lies. You straighten up, and move on, and we'll all put this behind us. For now, get some sleep. Someone will be along in a moment to collect you and bring you to a secure facility for sleeping.
(Subject A Nods)
[END LOG LOG-XSMK-2-B]
Interview with Subject B
Subject is reclining on a couch, in interview room K-████. The time is approximately 07:30, 16 hours post experiment. Subject has been sleeping in the interview room under light observation, following an apparently unprovoked attack from Subject A of the experiment detailed in LOG-XSMK-2.
Interviewee: Dr. ████████ (Subject B)
Interviewer: [REDACTED]
[BEGIN LOG LOG-XSMK-2-C]
Interviewer: First of all, [Subject B], how are you feeling?
Subject B: I've been in worse shape for worse reasons, I guess.
Interviewer: Not exactly chipper, but I'll take it.
(Subject B chuckles, winces)
Interviewer: Before we get to the formal debrief of your experience with the experiment, I'd like to ask you a few questions about last night's scuffle.
Subject B: Okay…
Interviewer: Did [Subject A] say anything to you before it happened?
Subject B: No, he just… he'd been staring at me for a good 20 minutes, and I asked him if something was wrong, and he came over the table at me. I panicked, and froze, and… well, you saw the rest.
Interviewer: To your knowledge, did you do anything to provoke the attack?
Subject B: What have I ever done with [Subject A]? I think the minutes during the cigarette might've been the longest time we've spent talking to one another.
Interviewer: How about when you [were in the SCP-XSMK-T timeline]?
Subject B: Does that matter? …was that real?
Interviewer: Let's say that it isn't — I still want an answer to that question.
(Subject B looks at the floor)
Subject B: I… I may have had an affair with [Subject A]'s wife.
Interviewer: Interesting…
Subject B: Oh come on, are you telling me he's mad over something that happened in a [expletive deleted] dream? Just go tell him it wasn't real! Maybe if he hears it from you it'll hit home.
Interviewer: I'll consider relaying the message, but here's the thing. And you didn't hear this from me, because I don't talk to anyone about anyone else, but this is a… delicate matter. I get why you'd have an affair, I even understand why you'd run off with her, everybody just wants to be happy, blah blah blah. Why'd you have to make it so public, why do it in front of his family?
Subject B: What? …is that… is that what he told you? That I humiliated him? No. We tried to keep our affair a secret, and when we got caught he pretended everything was fine, even acted relieved. He had me convinced he wasn't going to do anything about it. Then one day, about a month down the road, he shows up at my door, drunker than hell, and tells me I can have her. The next day she calls me in tears, says they're getting divorced, how could this happen, and when can she come over. I told her never. I told her I couldn't be there for her. I hung up. I cried.
Interviewer: You seem fairly calm about all of this.
Subject B: That was a long time ago, [Interviewer]. It's lost a lot its sting, but there's more to it than that. A few years later he [DATA EXPUNGED].
Interviewer: How long did that keep going?
Subject B: We stayed in touch until he died. I attended his funeral, gave a eulogy… [Interviewer], I'm having a lot of trouble believing all of this right now. I think I need to be alone.
Interviewer: I'll get you some alone time right now, but the directors aren't going to want to wait. Just, talk about other things that happened, especially things that seem out of place.
Subject B: Okay.
[END LOG LOG-XSMK-2-C]
Interview with Subject B (Part 2)
Date: June 1█, 20██
Time: 11:05 (approximately 3.5 hours after the previous interview)
Interviewee: Dr. ████████ (Subject B)
Interviewer: Dr. P██████ (Staff Psychologist)
Two other staff psychologists, doctors M███████ and B████, are in attendance, but do not comment
[BEGIN LOG LOG-XSMK-2-D]
(Most of the data of this log has been expunged due to irrelevance to Foundation affairs. The following excerpt was left)
Dr. P██████: What was it like, at the end?
Subject B: I was pretty weak from several heart attacks by then, so when the last one hit, as much as I felt like it was just another one, and I'd make it through, somehow, I knew I wouldn't.
Dr. P██████: Was anyone else around?
Subject B: No, I was alone in my home. God, I was smoking. Never did manage to quit these things. You know, I'd never smoked before… Hah, yesterday… right. It took 40 years to get from yesterday to now, you know?
Dr. P██████: So then what happened?
Subject B: I felt the pain, and I fell, and I waited for it to subside so I could make the call, but it just didn't. After I while I became aware of the fact that I hadn't been breathing, and couldn't move anymore. Just me, and my thoughts. Then, after a while, I was here again.
Dr. P██████: Knowing what you know, do you think you'll continue smoking from here on out?
[DATA EXPUNGED]
[END LOG LOG-XSMK-2-D]
Interview with Subject C
Date: June 1█, 20██
Time: 10:00 (approximately 18.5 hours post experiment )
Interviewee: Senior Researcher F. S██████ (Subject C)
Interviewer: Dr. J████ (Staff Psychologist)
Two other staff psychologists, doctors N█████ and L██████, are in attendance, but do not comment
[BEGIN LOG LOG-XSMK-2-E]
(Most of the data of this log has been expunged due to irrelevance to Foundation affairs. The following excerpt was left)
Dr. J████: What did you do with your life?
Subject C: What didn't I do? I was free, you know, cause I knew I had one coming back to me. I just did everything I wanted. Cave diving, base jumping, hazardous duties. I got into bar fights, I hunted big game, I… I just did everything I could think of, no regrets, no caution.
Dr. J████: Approximately how long did you remain on the SCP-XSMK-T timeline? How long until you died?
Subject C: Almost 25 years.
Dr. J████: And how did you die?
Subject C: Skydiving "accident".
(Subject used fingers to mimic quotation marks while saying the word "accident")
Subject C: Honestly, there's only so long you can do everything. Or so long I can, anyway. It's a frustrating feeling, that not only is there nothing left to do, but that you've somehow still, literally, got your whole life ahead of you.
Dr. J████: That seems like a pretty violent and terrifying way to go. I'd expect someone in your situation to be less… you look calm, contented, rested. Why?
Subject C: I got into deep meditation during the last few years of my life. I don't believe in anything spiritual — anything we don't contain, that is — but it became a calming place in my life, my meditation. Eventually I realized I'd never be free to truly live my life until I stopped living that lie, that… that dream. One morning, I centered myself, went up, and came down. That's it.
(Subject pauses, takes a drink of water)
Subject C: The funny part was, I know I had to have died on impact, but it felt like I stayed there for a while, just sort of… being. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move, so I did the only thing I could; I meditated. After a while, I was back here again.
Dr. J████: Alright, [Subject C], thanks for all this. We'll meet up again in a few hours, after lunch, and go over some more details.
Subject C: My pleasure.
[ENDLOG LOG-XSMK-2-E]
