SCP-7027 : A is for Annihilation

POI-539

Dr. Jonathan Isaac

POI-539 is a Tibetan man estimated to be between the age of 50-60. Like other members of GOI-0184, all efforts to find further identification have failed. As he otherwise lives by the tenets of his order, his body appears malnourished and covered with infected wounds. Interview conducted in and translated from Lhasa (Standard) Tibetan.

Am I to understand that you have no name? You must have had a life before [GOI-0184].

We are a slate wiped clean. Past is erased along with the name. There is only the Way. If this one must be labeled, Bodhisattva will suffice, for it is this one’s purpose.

No, that won’t be necessary, POI-539. Simply a matter of record, though not required. Please, tell me about what you mean by “the Way”.

We follow the Way of the Black Buddha. To exist, to impose yourself on reality, is the foundational conceit upon which all suffering is derived. It is not a path to walk, not a goal to be sought. It is simply surrender.

And what do you become?

"Becoming" implies creation. We do not become anything. We are unmade. Śūnyatā2 embraces us. It is a truth without color or shape. It permeates, festers, [and] soaks us in darkness. Others would struggle, [they] would cling to the illusion of life.

But why this process? There are swifter methods to end your life.

You still fail to understand. Death is meaningless. The flesh is returned to the earth - the soul is returned to Samsara. The cycle continues. Sacrifice yourself in vain. There is no mercy, no enlightenment, in the turning of the Wheel.

Is existence really so awful? It seems that much of your pain is self-inflicted.

Life is suffering. But it is not without a certain insidious beauty. It fascinates, it enthralls, and it binds us to this realm, to fragile and fleeting forms. The illusion is dispelled the moment you recognize it for the falsehood that it is. There can be no return to ignorance, no matter how comforting the lie may be. We seek escape, before the truth is lost to death and rebirth - to the ceaseless turning of that hated Wheel.

I believe I understand you now. But tell me, why [SCP-7027]? Why this method? How does it work?

There are three great illusions; three shackles which bind us. Life, the world, and the self. We must surrender to the obliteration of the self, if we are ever to transcend. One cannot fight the self, for it feeds on struggle. This tether cannot be broken. But there is a way to slip free. One must sink so low, to the darkest, most wretched depths. When we achieve Śūnyatā, the void consumes that which we manifest - and a shackle cannot bind what no longer exists. It slips away, like rain from our hands, like dust upon a wind.

This is the obliteration of the self.

I see. That will be all. Thank you for your time.

Ground-penetrating radar detected the presence of man-made objects beneath the monastery and its surrounding land. Initial discoveries include a number of large ash deposits containing traces of paper, birch bark and silk (most likely immolated manuscripts) and heavily damaged Buddhist statues and murals which have been carbon dated to the 14th century CE. Reconstructed statues were found to resemble the Buddha seated in a lotus position but as no fragments of the face were discovered, it is hypothesized that the statues were procured intact, ritually defaced to resemble SCP-7027-1, only to be shattered and buried some time later. Careful restoration of the murals would reveal depictions of robed figures (presumably monks) wreathed by an aura of black flames which undoubtedly represented SCP-7027.

Based on this evidence, it can be surmised that GOI-0184 had not always forbade artistic representation but adopted aniconism3, resulting in or preceding an iconoclastic episode between the 14th and 15th century CE.

On 04/17/1987, the GoI-0184 monastery was damaged by a natural landslide. As the section was rarely used, there were fortunately no fatalities. The disaster would reveal the presence of man-made structures beneath the monastery. Following an archaeological survey of the site, it was determined that the ruins were Epipalaeolithic and built not long after the arrival of modern humans to the region. Building material consisted of stone, bone, and clay, though the architecture itself displays a level of ingenuity uncommon among contemporaneous cultures.

The structure had been built at the mouth of a natural mountain cavern, which was discovered to contain a gallery of well-preserved parietal art, including a pair of murals. The first depicts a tall white humanoid with their left hand over their heart (where splashes of red pigment suggest injury) and their right hand extended with the palm facing up. Six ochre color humanoids prostrate themselves before the larger white figure. A black formless substance rises from the ground and enters the opened mouths of the smaller, presumably human figures. Despite its greater size, the white humanoid is not depicted as domineering, more likely a teacher or spiritual leader than a king or conqueror. What at first was mistaken for a tail turned out to be a crack in the wall but its appearance, along with the figure’s enlightened countenance and pose, has led one Tibetan specialist to make a comparison to Pha Trelgen Changchup Sempa4, the mythical monkey-ancestor of the Tibetan people.

The second mural displays a complex three-leveled scenario centered around a tree with deep roots. Viewed from the bottom-up, it depicts black serpents gnawing on the roots which have black veins, perhaps to represent poisoning, infection, or the spread of a curse. The taint rises through the roots, into the second level, where humanoids bite into the roots, removing the taint as someone would suck out venom; the humanoids have missing limbs, and bear numerous black spots - the practice of purifying the roots shown to not be without a cost. At the highest level, the tree is healthy and full of leaves, surviving thanks to the sacrifice of those below.

If the radiocarbon dating of this site is accurate, it is possible that individuals have been working to contain SCP-7027 for 20,000 years.

On 09/12/1997, Security Officer Łukasz Maciejewski entered the Site-95 infirmary at 0600 hours to request medication for what he believed at the time to be a sinus headache. Medical personnel immediately noticed a black spot on Maciejewski’s forehead and after a thorough physical examination, determined that the subject was infected by SCP-7027 and exhibiting the first visible symptom of SCP-7027-1 transformation. Maciejewski was classified as anomalous and received the SCP-7027-1(251) designation, becoming the first and, at present, only recorded case of an SCP-7027-1 to not be a member of GOI-0184. SCP-7027-1(251) willingly cooperated with its containment and observation, becoming a critical source of information due to being the solitary SCP-7027-1 to not be bound to GOI-0184’s vow of silence.

SCP-7027-1(251)

Dr. Sui Miyazawa

I know this may be regarded as unprofessional but I wish to offer my sincerest apology. Had we known infection could occur in such a manner, we would have certainly taken stronger safety precautions.

You couldn’t know.

Well, still, we will do everything we can to undo your predicament and hopefully prevent this from happening in the future. OK. With that said, I wish to ask you a few questions about the days leading up to your current condition. Did you by any chance directly interact with any SCP-7027-1? Any physical contact?

No.

OK. And what of the monastery itself? Did you ever access the inner walls?

Just routine patrols. Never lingered long.

Well, how do you feel? You seem rather calm, considering the gravity of the situation.

I don’t feel anything. But I know I should. I should feel horror but instead I feel nothing at all.

Do you have a history of depression?

No. This isn’t a familiar experience.

So we can probably assume that this is a symptom.

[Subject nods] And I should be angry. Angry that I can’t feel, right? I know what my brain wants. It wants to scream. It wants to rage. But instead, nothing… Just emptiness. It’s like trying to locate a word in the dictionary, only to find that it's been cut out.

Now there’s just a hole.

By early 1998, SCP-7027 had spread to SCP-7027-1(251)’s left eye and formed a vein that wrapped around the subject’s neck and connected to a newly formed black mark located at the cervical region of the spine. SCP-7027-1(251) will occasionally report headache before expelling dark smoke and sludge from his mouth, with both substances/forms evaporating too rapidly to allow analysis. Subject suffers frequent and violent tremors, causing the body to contort unnaturally and for the subject to walk with a stiff, shambling gait. As SCP-7027-1 belonging to GOI-0184 do not display similar reactions, it is possible that their teachings and practices, particularly meditation, ultimately allows them to better tolerate the effects of SCP-7027 infection.

SCP-7027-1(251)

Dr. Sui Miyazawa

Hello, SCP-7027-1(251), I would like to ask you a few questions.

[Subject is curled on the floor, staring at the ceiling with their remaining eye]

You’re clearly in a state of acute distress. I’ve been told you’ve received morphine this morning. Has it helped?

No.

OK. On a scale from 1 to 10, how would you describe your pain? 1 being the lowest level of discomfort and 10 being…

[Interrupts] There is no scale that could possibly capture the pain I feel at this moment.

I’ll just write you down as a 10. You again display unusual calm and clarity, despite your ongoing predicament.

There’s a separation. I don’t, I don’t know what else to call it. The pain is visceral. Nauseating. I’m in unending agony. But it also feels like an out of body experience. [Subject suffers a coughing fit, causing black smoke to emanate from both natural and SCP-7027 created orifices]

We can end the interview early if you need rest.

[Wipes a black smear from his mouth and chin] No. But what else can I say? The monks. They can take a decade to change. It’s been what, only a year?

Actually, you’ve been in containment for about 5 months. Almost.

Is Khan5 on duty? Can you ask him to put a bullet through my head? Though I’m guessing it will just be another hole with my condition, right?

We believe that to be the case, yes. I will bring up your request for merciful termination to the Director but I can’t make any promises.

Due to the research potential presented by SCP-7027-1(251), the request for merciful termination was denied. SCP-7027-1(251)’s transformation displayed significant deviation from other SCP-7027-1, warping the body in conjunction with its increasing number of void pits (each of which steadily grew in circumference at a rate of approximately 1.3 cm/year) and fusing the subject to the containment room floor. Prior to the cessation of brain activity, the subject developed symptoms of dementia and acute memory loss, though it is unknown if these were caused directly by SCP-7027 or were a natural response to SCP-7027 induced trauma. By the year 2000, SCP-7027-1(251) lost the ability to see but retained its mouth and right ear.

SCP-7027-1(251)

Dr. Sui Miyazawa

Hello, SCP-7027-1(251). It’s that time again. How do you feel? Would you kindly describe your recent experiences?

The shadows won’t stop. They reach inside and take and take. Greedy claws that scrape and tear. I’d bleed for you, but all I have to offer is dust and oil.

And the pain? No need for a scale, just describe it as best as you can.

Oh, that? A part of me is in agony but that part is falling deeper and deeper. How afraid he must be. A cool sludge moves beneath my skin. As far as I remember, it was always there. [subject vomits and holds the black spewage in its hands] Oh no, it came out. [subject smears the substance across the floor where it rapidly evaporates] How clumsy of me.

You mentioned shadows a moment ago. Do you see something?

Because I don’t have eyes? You can’t just assume that, that’s… [trails off, evidently losing focus]

Do you see something?

There are skittering shapes in the darkness. Yellow carapaces; a pale gold. A hundred bodies, each a hundred legs. They were sacred, once. I know this now. How many memories were lost in that trade? Ha, ha- [subject wheezes and coughs]

Like centipedes? And who were they sacred to?

Can you smell my fumes? It’s incense. Did you know that? Like opium and myrrh and ancient books. It lingers on my tongue and tastes like forgotten dreams. It’s not my memory. Something else remembers it. Something down deep below.

Who remembers?

The librarians. It reminds them of the kingdom under the mountain. It reminds them of home. My home is a cage. Where they are just feels like one. The dark and cold preserves. That’s all that mattered… [subject slumps, losing consciousness]

SCP-7027-1(251) would not regain consciousness until 14 days after the 12/23/2000 interview and was unaware of its last conversation, displaying increased memory loss and confusion. By late 2001 the subject’s lower body and left arm coalesced into a shapeless, hardened mound and its remaining epidermis developed a gray, cracked appearance.

SCP-7027-1(251)

Dr. Sui Miyazawa

Hello, SCP-7027-1(251). Are you able to communicate today?

Spiraling, spiraling, ‘round… ‘round… [pauses, expelling a black effluvium from its orifices]

Do you remember my voice? Do you know who this is?

M-m-mommy? It’s cold. It’s so cold. Please, let me in… let… me… in…

No, no, I’m sorry. It’s Dr. Sui. Do you even remember your name?

A memory… of a memory… of a memory… then nothing! [subject vocalizes noise resembling a combination of laughter, crying, and screaming]

Describe what you feel.

‘Round, ‘round… always down, down… down the drain. Thrown away. Flushed. The scraps, the dregs.

Are you even in there, Maciejewski?

Their end comes for us all.

What do you mean? Do you mean the monks or something else?

The new king made them forget what the old king showed them. When they found the truth again, they buried it. The rituals remain but they don’t know what it means. Better not to know. Better a blessing than a curse.

Flesh to sponge up so much nothing. What a filthy, polluted filter we make. It isn’t a hole. It’s not. It looks like one but it’s not. I’m a hole but I’m not the darkness.

Then what is it?

[subject whispers in a secretive manner, its tone almost playful] It’s an eclipse. Did you not know? The highest did it, after what we did. All for trying to lift us to their heights. Tragic, tragic - what miserable ingrates we are.

Their moon is a deathless city - a city of knowledge, of secrets and forgotten things - and it casts a long, long shadow. Under the corpse light of their failed black sun, you would never know it was golden… You’d nev-[what remained of the subject’s skull suddenly caved in and was followed 4 seconds later by the complete collapse of its body]

Maciejewski? Shit! [to security officers] Get me out of here and secure the chamber!

SCP-7027-1(251’s) collapsed body spread across the containment chamber as its void apertures merged to create a single portal which was designated SCP-7027-2. Unlike other SCP-7027-1, SCP-7027-1(251) failed to fully annihilate, with its remaining husk forming a 3.2 m radius ring around the newly manifested anomaly and rendering SCP-7027-2 permanently fixed for the time being. SCP-7027-2’s interior displays properties identical to smaller SCP-7027 created void apertures. Due to SCP-7027-2’s size and apparent stability, unmanned exploration was deemed feasible.

SCP-7027-2’s interior environment is hazardous to organic life but exhibits conditions similar to the vacuum of space, though with abnormally low temperatures comparable to the Boomerang Nebula (LEDA 3074547)6. Despite these similarities, there is nothing else to suggest that SCP-7027-2 connects to outer-space as no stars have been observed from within. Though no conclusive evidence has been discovered, the most accepted hypothesis is that SCP-7027-2 leads to a dimension outside our own. There does exist a downward gravitational pull but its source has yet to be discovered.

Considering these factors, it was determined that the best method to survey SCP-7027-2’s interior would be through a remote probe designed for long-term space exploration. On 04/10/2002 at 09:00 hours, this probe was released into SCP-7027-2 from where it would record and transmit its findings to Site-95.

Site-95 did not receive any notable transmissions until 07/16/2020, more than 18 years after its delivery into SCP-7027. Collected data includes a number of images depicting gold-colored artificial structures which together appeared to form a sprawling metropolis. These images were captured approximately 46 hours earlier, over a 12 second period before all contact with the probe was lost, the device presumably destroyed upon impact.

Further research is pending.

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