Dr. Incandenza

Shakespeare Virus

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SCP-XXXX Document Archive

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Do not write about SCP-XXXX. Writing about SCP-XXXX propagates a memetic virus and increases likelihood of certain K-class event(s). On-site staff will verbally deliver all containment procedures to assigned personnel.

Description: The Foundation can neither confirm nor deny that SCP-XXXX is an archive of documents and notes related to a hazardous memetic virus.

Addendum: Email XXXX-B-01

From: ████ ███████
To: ████ ████████
Date: June 14, 2004 at 3:04 PM
Subject: Ideas for the Novel

I said I would type up the notes I made w/r/t discussed ideas for the novel. Here they are:

Hamlet and The Tempest by William Shakespeare contain a memetic virus, affecting a very small percentage of people who read them, and causing these individuals to live out a real-life "play". The roles are derived from parts in each play, meaning that the parts contain the encoded instructions for each role (see below).

Affected individuals are given specific subliminal instructions and motivations, but the "play" cannot commence until all the roles are filled. Thus, many people throughout history (from Shakespeare’s time until the present) have assumed various roles, and acted out the first act of the "play", but only the characters in the novel’s present (approximately 2005-2025) are actually acting out the "play" Shakespeare intended to write in its entirety.

A new player cannot assume a role that has been taken until the player previously in that role has died (i.e. 2 players can’t be in the same role at the same time). This is due to the influence over the "play" of the Black King, the only player who is fully aware of the play and all its roles. Also, note that players who formerly fulfilled a role (see below) only fulfilled the first act of their role, due to the absence of certain players, and thus did many subsequent things that were not prescribed by the memetic virus.

The basics of the "play" consist of a power struggle between the White King and the Black King for world domination, supported / thwarted by characters in the other roles. For most of the play, the Queens are in power, but at the end the White King must defeat the Black King, and die in the process to bring about the second renaissance and new golden age of humanity designed by Shakespeare. The construction and destruction of a fusion power plant (the great dome in ████████ that becomes the █████ after it is destroyed by an atomic bomb) that tears a hole in reality is a central conflict that many of the parts wrestle over.

The roles are as follows:

The Black King: “The Wizard”
Derived from Claudius (Hamlet) and Sycorax (The Tempest)
Currently ████ ███████ — formerly Heidegger, others
Master hypnotist who believes it’s his job to program other players to do his bidding. Philosopher king who secretly seeks world domination through the people he controls.

The White King: “The Martyr”
Derived from Hamlet (Hamlet) and Prospero (The Tempest)
Currently █████ █████ — formerly ███, others
Ascends to world domination, then gets himself killed somehow to usher in a second renaissance and new golden age of mankind.
Infinite Jest, the White Rook’s work, turns the White King into the Pale King for Act 2.

The Black Queen: “The Apprentice”
Derived from Gertrude (Hamlet) and Caliban (The Tempest)
Currently ███████ █████████ — formerly Adolf Hitler, others
Apprentice of the Black King w/r/t to hypnosis. Fights the White Queen for world domination. Builds the ████████ power plant that becomes the █████.
Tractatus, the White Rook’s work, turns the Black Queen into the Dark Queen in Hitler’s case, with a different set of instructions.

The White Queen: “The Tactician”
Derived from Fortinbras (Hamlet) and Alonso (The Tempest)
Currently ███████ ████ — formerly ???
Manipulates everyone for personal gain, actually under hypnotic instructions from the Black Queen. Sacrifices herself to crown the White King.

The Black Rook: “The Ghost”
Derived from The Ghost (Hamlet) and Ariel (The Tempest)
Currently SCP-1875 — formerly ???
Shows the Black King how to direct the White Rook to write a new memetic virus based on actual chess games. Develops computer viruses that influence various players.

The White Rook: “The Scribe”
Derived from Horatio (Hamlet) and Gonzalo (The Tempest)
Currently David Foster Wallace — formerly Wittgenstein, others
Writes a new memetic virus (Infinite Jest in the case of DFW, the Tractatus in the case of Wittgenstein) that advances the play to the second act once all players are present, as directed by the Black King.

The Black Bishop: “The Technician”
Derived from Polonius (Hamlet) and Ferdinand (The Tempest)
Currently ██████ █████ — formerly Oppenheimer, the architect of SCP-1875, others
Designs the ████████ power plant, which creates the █████. Also designs the Black Rook. Dies at the hand of the Black Queen.

The White Bishop: “The Prophet”
Derived from Ophelia (Hamlet) and Miranda (The Tempest)
Currently ██████ █████████ — formerly Joseph Smith, Jim Jones, Mendel Schneerson, others
Inspires the religion of those (███████) who eventually come to worship the █████ and protect it to ensure the return of Shakespeare and Raleigh.

The Black Knight: “The Despot”
Derived from Laertes (Hamlet) and Sebastian (The Tempest)
Currently Kim Jong Un — formerly Josef Stalin
Tyrant who rules with an iron fist. Constantly threatening war against the White King.
Infinite Jest, the White Rook’s work, turns him into the Dark Horse, who actually launches a war against the White King by nuking the ████████ power plant and creating the █████, destroying himself in the process.

The White Knight: “The Broker”
Derived from Osric (Hamlet) and Antonio (The Tempest)
Currently ████ ██ ████ — formerly Robert Moses, others
Brilliant deal maker. Also a sociopath. Thinks he’s allied with the Black Queen, who turns on him, but ends up supporting the White King due to power balance calculations.
Tractatus, the White Rook’s work, turns the White Knight into the Pale Horse, who has a different set of instructions.

The Black Pawn: “The Fool”
Derived from Rosencrantz (Hamlet) and Stephano (The Tempest)
Currently ██████████ ███████ — formerly Richard Nixon, others
Supports other black pieces, believes he will ascend and become the Black Queen, but has flawed principles and limited outlook. Sacrifices himself for the black pieces.

The White Pawn: “The Jester”
Derived from Guildenstern (Hamlet) and Trinculo (The Tempest)
Currently ██ █████ — formerly Hunter S. Thompson, Mark Twain, others
Entertains the White King, supports/protects him in trying times. Succeeds the White Queen when the White King ascends to power.

I’ll let you draw your own conclusions from the information above. Obviously, these are just ideas, and none of this is set in stone, so please let me know if you have suggested alterations or additions.

The Dome

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SCP-XXXX in its active state

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be stored in a standard small storage locker at Site-31. Without exception, any individual who directly views SCP-XXXX in its active state for more than 15 seconds must be given a Class-C amnestic after testing has ceased and before being released from protective custody. Information garnered from interaction with SCP-XXXX is highly sensitive and may only be accessed by staff with Level-3 security clearance or higher.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a snow globe with a glass sphere measuring approximately 15 cm in diameter situated on a wood base approximately 7 cm in height. The globe contains water, a model structure, and black plastic particles that resemble falling soot when the SCP-XXXX is shaken. The structure contained within the globe has been identified as a model of a standard nuclear (fission) power plant.

SCP-XXXX was discovered among the personal effects of the late Dr. ███ ███████████ at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

SCP-XXXX exhibits no anomalous effect when undisturbed. However, viewing SCP-XXXX for at least 15 seconds after it has been shaken will cause subjects to experience one of two contingencies that have been designated SCP-XXXX-A and SCP-XXXX-B. Both concern an unrealized design for a massive nuclear fusion power plant in California's Yosemite Valley, known to subjects as "the dome".

The dome-shaped structure serves as outer shielding for the fusion power plant beneath it. It has been described as an extremely large geodesic structure, approximately 1 kilometer high and 2 kilometers wide, constructed from plexiglass and an unknown alloy. Inside it is a large concrete building that houses a toroidal chamber [DATA EXPUNGED] tokamak design.

[DATA EXPUNGED] and if realized, Foundation analysts estimate that such a project could supply ██% of the world's energy through the year ████.

SCP-XXXX-A
To date, ██% of subjects have experienced SCP-XXXX-A. In this scenario, a transmission of knowledge regarding the structure will occur via dreams or hallucinations 8 to 72 hours after SCP-XXXX has been viewed. While differing slightly between individuals, the information received will include [DATA EXPUNGED] resulting in at least partial comprehension of general design specifications. Subjects with pre-existing backgrounds in engineering and physics have come away with a deeper understanding of specific features, including the exact mechanism allowing Yosemite's natural granite walls to be used as a conduit for [DATA EXPUNGED]. All those who experience SCP-XXXX-A will initially believe that the fusion reactor is their original idea. Some will attempt to keep the knowledge to themselves, while others will advocate openly for its construction. SCP-XXXX-A is not known to have any negative long-term effects.

SCP-XXXX-B
To date, █% of subjects have experienced SCP-XXXX-B. As in SCP-XXXX-A, subjects will receive information via dreams or hallucinations beginning 8 to 72 hours after SCP-XXXX has been viewed. However, unlike the relatively benign SCP-XXXX-A experience, SCP-XXXX-B experiences tend to be disturbing. No technical specifications are provided. Instead, subjects witness a catastrophic failure of the fusion reactor in vivid detail, resulting in a YK-class reality failure scenario. After experiencing SCP-XXXX-B, subjects will insist that such an event has already occurred, despite any contradictory evidence presented.

Staff theorizes that SCP-XXXX-A was the original intended message of SCP-XXXX and that SCP-XXXX-B resulted later due to [DATA EXPUNGED] and interference on behalf of persons attempting to halt [DATA EXPUNGED]

Addendum-01: Interview Log XXXX-A-11

Interviewed: D-XXXX-11

Interviewer: Dr. █████

Foreword: Subject is D-XXXX-11: 38-year-old male who was exposed to SCP-XXXX in its active state on ██/██/20██ at 9:35 am. Subject does not possess advanced physics or engineering knowledge. Per standard protocol, subject was isolated in a containment cell until he experienced SCP-XXXX-A. After 18 hours in containment, subject experienced SCP-XXXX-A for approximately 48 hours, after which he was removed for interview and debrief.

<Begin Log>

Dr. █████: D-XXXX-11, please tell us what you experienced over the past 48 hours.

D-XXXX-11: I'm not sure what you're talking about … are you talking about the dreams?

Dr. █████: Yes, if that is how you received the transmission, please tell us about any dreams you had.

D-XXXX-11: Well, it was strange. You see I had the same dream both nights. Each time, I'm hiking alone in the woods. I walk up a steep, rocky hill to the edge of the cliff, and in the valley below I see this … this enormous dome.

Dr. █████: Tell me about the dome.

D-XXXX-11: It was metal and glass … beautiful … must have been at least half a mile high, since it reached almost to the height that I stood at. I could see inside of it was [DATA EXPUNGED] and for some reason I knew the whole thing was for generating electricity.

Dr. █████: If I wanted to build a dome like this one, where would be a good location?

D-XXXX-11: Mirror Lake in the Yosemite Valley in California. The granite walls are important. It's a natural [DATA EXPUNGED] moves around—that's all I know. I didn't understand a lot of the other stuff.

Dr. █████: Other stuff?

D-XXXX-11: Yeah, well, all the nuclear fusion stuff … the tritium and deuterium, and the [DATA EXPUNGED] all I know is that it seemed like the perfect energy source. The dome.

<End Log>

Closing Statement: After a complete debriefing, D-XXXX-11 was given a Class-C amnestic per standard SCP-XXXX protocol.

Addendum-02: Document XXXX-B-6

Dr. ████████, a member of the research staff, attempted to file the following document after experiencing SCP-XXXX-B. (The image he attached is from the 1976 fire at the Montreal Biosphère and bears no relation to SCP-XXXX.)

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SCP-XXXX

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Run.

Description: For the past two years, I have been plagued by a recurring dream nearly every night. In these dreams, I see the dome.

Each rendition begins with me, alone, hiking in the wilderness. It appears to be a high-altitude wilderness without trees or significant vegetation, only fields of short grass scattered across a hilly landscape of boulders and scree. I walk alone up a steep hill to the edge of a cliff, and at that moment, I know I'm standing atop Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. In the valley below, I see it: an enormous geodesic structure—a perfect demi-sphere of glass triangles, supported by an intricate metal lattice. I can't judge its exact size, but the drop from the cliff's edge appears to be at least 1 km, and the structure's apex reaches nearly the height at which I stand.

It inspires a feeling of dread each time I see it. It's not the dome itself that disturbs me, but what I see inside it. The glass shimmers, but its surface is nearly opaque. Whatever the dome contained has burned—has been burning—for a long time. A deep orange glow emanates from beneath the billowing layers of smoke, swirling in what looks like the severed hemisphere of a dark gaseous planet. Beams of smoke pour from empty triangles across the lattice structure, spots where the glass windows on the surface have broken, presumably pressured loose by the inferno within.

And the dream always ends the same way: a rock beneath my foot gives way, then I'm plummeting downward toward the structure's surface, screaming as I accelerate toward the dark, swirling form. I crash through it, and suddenly I'm inside. It's difficult to breathe, and I can see something huge and orange glowing in the center.


4 Mobile Phones

FOUR MOBILE PHONES

SCP-XXXX is a set of four (4) portable wireless communication devices, designated SCP-XXXX-1 through -4, that appear to function without integrated circuitry or digital components of any kind. Each is identical in every respect except the color of its rotary dial, with dimensions of 8 x 4 x 2 cm and a weight of 410 grams.

Engraved text on the front of each device reads "ROTARY MECHANICAL". The back of each device is engraved with text that reads "█████ ██████ ██". Despite this brand and model designation matching that of the widely-used smartphone manufactured by █████, Inc, the Foundation has not discovered any other connection between that corporation and SCP-XXXX.

Research staff confirmed that SCP-XXXX are fully mechanical upon disassembling SCP-XXXX-3. The devices are powered by a torsion spring winding system similar to that of a modern self-winding mechanical watch. The speaker and microphone components employ a design notably different from any known example, relying on levers that transfer sound vibration between a membrane and a gearbox. Other internal components of SCP-XXXX have been difficult to identify, as the disassembled device (SCP-XXXX-3) ceased functioning once its outer case had been opened. The devices are capable of transmitting and receiving wireless data signals through unknown means.

Fifthist Missionaries

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SCP-XXXX-03/11/07

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be monitored on location at the 4800 m2 public park where it appears in Northern California.

At least one (1) undercover field agent must be stationed on top of the large boulder at all times. If an instance of SCP-XXXX approaches a member of the public, the on-duty agent must intervene and ensure its request is fulfilled.

In addition to standard regional field kit, the agent will be issued:

  • $10 USD in coins
  • One (1) package of twenty (20) class A cigarettes; and
  • Two (2) durable windproof lighters.

Description: SCP-XXXX is the designation for anomalous activities occurring in and around ██████ Rock Park in ████████, California.

The central feature of the park is a large boulder, known as ██████ Rock, on the west side of ██████ Rock Avenue.1 Volcanic in origin, ██████ Rock is the largest of a number of similar rhyolite rock formations in the vicinity.

All recorded SCP-XXXX encounters have occurred immediately after dusk on top of the large boulder, and its appearance is known to change between sightings. In the past, SCP-XXXX has appeared as two young men, a young man and a young woman, a middle-aged woman, and a hooded figure of indeterminate age.2

SCP-XXXX has never been observed climbing up or down the boulder. It has been encountered only by visitors seated on top of the boulder, and it always approaches from behind. Attempts to locate its source remain unsuccessful.

Instances of SCP-XXXX are also known to evangelize subjects with pseudo-religious material. When a visitor notices SCP-XXXX, the latter will usually engage the former in conversation. SCP-XXXX will make a request, typically for "spare change" ("for the cause"). In rare instances, SCP-XXXX has been known to make an alternative request—authorized personnel may refer to Addendum-2 for additional details.

If its request is fulfilled, SCP-XXXX will express gratitude, appear to retreat down the boulder, and will not reappear for at least 24 hours. If its request is not fulfilled, SCP-XXXX will appear to retreat down the boulder, and will not reappear for at least 72 hours. Individuals who refuse its request may experience severe consequences, as detailed below.

The Foundation became aware of SCP-XXXX in 1971, when local police believed a series of ritualistic murders had been committed in or around the park. Over a period of 4 months, █ mutilated bodies were discovered atop the boulder in █ separate incidents. Corpses showed evidence of vivisection, and all victims had visited the park within 72 hours of their disappearance.

Since its discovery, SCP-XXXX has appeared approximately ████ times. Some affiliation with the North American cult known as The Fifth Church has been theorized, but remains unconfirmed.

Addendum-1: Excerpts from Early Appearance Logs

Addendum-2: Incident XXXX-████



IDEAS TO WRITE UP

  • Film roll or CD of memetic images with various properties, and camera capable of creating memetic images (use photo of sculpture from Berkeley craft fair 6/10/12)
  • Hammer from dystopian regime that sings propaganda "work makes you free" songs all day, locks you in. When someone else wearing hammer in vicinity misbehaves, user's hammer compels them to "destroy the traitor!" shocks you until it senses no pulse in 2nd hammer. (Photo of welded sculpture hammer I made)
  • Abandoned Chapel in NC
  • Factory Loom
  • "The Firm" - Evil Hedge Fund - Maudley, LLP. at 15 Central Park West vis a vis -1875 & Maudley Sons, and Field; vis a vis The Factory (Maudley = subsidiary) - pt 1: Glowing Description (JP/Goldman wiki pages), pt. 2: Missive from 05-1 (level = same as -001) - "Hello Researcher, youve made it this far. Do you want to know where our money comes from? I didn't think so. But I'm going to tell you anyway: it's war. We're the largest arms dealer on the face of the earth. Do you see what the U.S. govt does in the open light of day? Selling a few dozen F-22 raptors to South American juntas and Saudi kings … compared to what we do, that's as innocent as a child's lemonade stand. // Do you like the spectacular budgets and state-of-the-art equipment we provide? Do you like having countless D-class to run every last god damn test you wanted to run? Or perhaps you'd like to take their place—personnel downsizing can be quite hazardous for employees at your pay grade. // And some of the salaries we pay—hazard pay for contractors in Afghanistan is pocket change compared to what we have to pay our senior staff to work a keter-class detail.

Do you really think any insurance firm on earth would have us as a client? We needed our own firm—some of my colleagues joke that we're just a hedge fund that happens to own The Foundation, but that's truly not the case.

The Foundation pays its bills. We must pay them. Because good people cost money, reliable equipment costs money, and we take only the best of both. The stakes are too high for us to do anything else.

  • Crashed airplane/spacecraft/etc where boarding it results in experiencing the crash due to technology-induced time loop.
  • Shoe with senitent gambling computer in it (connected to Maudley, LLP / scp-1875) composed of tissue from horse racing gambler's brain—loses badly at Roulette

TEMPLATES

Useful templates and other bits to copy and paste

PUBLISHED WORK

These are final drafts of work that I've posted to the SCP wiki, as they existed prior to publication.

Live Versions: SCP-1875, The Keterlord, SCP-1343

FAILURES & ABANDONED DRAFTS

A catalogue of failures and partially-completed drafts that I may return to at a later date.

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