Exploration 4320-A Video Log Transcript
Date: 08/21/2017
Exploration Team: Mobile Task Force Pi-32
Subject: Unnamed city center, SCP-4320-1
Team Lead: Captain Juliet Mendez
Team Members: Lieutenants Matt Cyterski and Andrew Butler, Researcher Amelia Zhang, D-17391 (Caucasian male, aged 39, life sentence without parole for drug possession and dealing; selected for expedition due to photographic memory and SCP-4320-2 status)
Notes: Team boarded SCPS Amun-Ra at 0957 hours on 08/17/2017. Liftoff occurred at 1403 hours the same day. Objective was to explore a large city on the surface of SCP-4320-1 in order to gather information on it and its former inhabitants. All MTF operatives were armed with pulse rifles and sufficient ammunition, while Researcher Zhang (xenobiology and ancient cultures) was provided with a digital notepad, and D-17391 received a multitool. All team members received an additional non-lethal sidearm and a lightly armored biosuit with an integrated cognitohazard-filtering visor and respirator. Lt. Butler and D-17391 are both identified and confirmed members of SCP-4320-2.
[BEGIN LOG]
CPT Mendez: Alright, recorder's running. Sound off.
LT Butler: Butler, check.
LT Cyterski: Cyterski, check.
RSCR Zhang: Zhang, check.
D-17391: D-17391, check.
Mendez: That's everyone. Command, you hearing us?
Command: Roger that, Captain. Lieutenant Butler, what's your status on approach?
Butler: Still on manual, switching to automatic approach and landing once the rest of the crew can s-
(It is presumed that at this moment, Captain Mendez crossed her visibility radius for SCP-4320-1.)
Mendez: Whoa! Jesus fucking Christ, there it is!
Butler: Well, guess that's one. What do you think, cap'n?
Command: Captain, please describe what you see.
Mendez: I really don't know what to say other than it looks kinda like the moon, or Luna, or whatever we're calling it. It's just got these fucking massive circular cities and a couple thin, scattered clouds. I really don't know why I didn't see it before. It's like it was always there but only now did I notice it, if that makes any sense at all.
Zhang: Command, I'd like to report that I can see SCP-4320-1 as well now.
Cyterski: Same here. Mendez got the description spot on, basically.
Command: Roger that, team.
Butler: Command, I'm gonna start taking us in for automated landing, please confirm.
Command: Confirmed. You are clear for automated landing.
(At various points throughout manual and automated approach and landing, the video feeds began to display SCP-4320-1 in a manner that personnel not members of SCP-4320-2 were now able to see it.)
[EXTRANEOUS DIALOGUE REMOVED]
(Touchdown occurred 47 minutes after recording began, and took place in what appears to be a town hall or city center. Log resumes as team exit SCPS Amun-Ra and disembark on surface of SCP-4320-1.)
Mendez: Alright, where are we headed, Command?
Command: Researcher Zhang, before we send you in, why don't you give us a description of what you notice right off the bat?
Zhang: Well, it's strange that all the buildings seem to be integrated into the ground.
(Researcher Zhang indicates a smooth, contiguous transition from the metallic ground to the wall of the nearest building. No seams appear visible between them.)
Zhang: I'm pretty sure that if the buildings and ground are all part of a single structure, whoever built this city would have to know exactly how large every single part of the city would have to be and what purpose it would serve.
Command: Anything else? We're looking for anything we can use to figure out what kind of people - or whatever - lived where you are right now.
Zhang: I really can't say - it is weird that nothing is labelled, though. I can't see anything that resembles writing, but I've only seen this area, maybe there's something I'm missing.
Command: Alright, that's fine. You are clear to enter when ready.
Mendez: We're as ready as we'll ever be. Let's go.
(Team enters nearest building, MTF operatives leading.)
Mendez: Keep your weapons at the ready, boys. We don't know what we'll find in here.
Cyterski & Butler: Copy that.
(Interior of building consists of a dimly lit large circular area which extends upwards, tapering into a cone as it does. Balconies surround the upper levels of the cone, while the bottom floor is completely barren and shows no way of climbing to higher floors. Notably, both the area and height of the interior are significantly larger than the outer dimensions.)
Cyterski: Well, that's not normal. Ain't there that one skip that does this kinda stuff?
Zhang: You're thinking of SCP-184, but as far as I know, the thing's never been here, or off of Earth for that matter.
D-17391: Hey, guys? Were those there before?
(D-17391 points to the side of the room opposite the door, where 3 open archways now exist instead of the previous (presumably) solid wall. As the team turn to face the archways, at least one cognitohazard filter is triggered.)
Mendez: (quietly) What the hell? (normal volume) I don't know. I don't think so, but… maybe?
Command: Team, please confirm a cognitohazard ping.
Mendez: Uh… yeah, my indicator's on.
Cyterski: Same here.
Zhang: Me too.
Butler: Mine's not.
D-17391: Uh, yeah, I've got the same thing. Is that bad?
Command: Yes, it is very bad. You are advised to proceed together and with great caution. Butler, D-17391, please activate manual cognitohazard filters before you proceed.
Butler and D-17391: Copy.
Mendez: Alright, let's go.
(Team walk through middle archway and enter a hallway long enough that its end cannot be seen in camera feeds. The entire length of the hallway takes approximately 32 minutes to cross, but at no point does the end appear to be getting closer. Instead, a phenomenon similar to the appearance of SCP-4320-1 in the perception of non-SCP-4320-2 team members and camera feeds occurs, as the team reaches the end of the hallway without a discernible exit time. Upon exiting the hallway, team enters a large dome-shaped room, the walls of which)
Command: Team, please describe what happened as you were walking down that hallway.
Mendez: Well, it was long as shit. Took maybe half an hour.
D-17391: The hell? It was only a couple of minutes.
Butler: I'm with the D-Class. Taking a piss would take longer.
Cyterski: Command, do you still have cognitohazard pings on us?
Command: Negative. Could you five do an atmosphere reserves sound-off?
Mendez: Ninety-naught point six percent.
Zhang: Same as the captain.
Cyterski: Same here, too.
Butler and D-17391: Ninety-six point nine percent.
(Team members visible on others' cameras appear visibly confused. No communications are exchanged for several seconds.)
Command: Ok, it seems you encountered some form of spatial-temporal anomaly. We're going to reiterate - proceed with EXTREME caution.
Zhang: Command, I can see drawings or engravings or something on the walls.
Command: Yes, we know. We need you to take a look at them - see if you can figure anything out about whatever civilization lived there.
(Zhang walks to the nearest wall and begins examining the images one by one. The engravings depict several aspects of a humanoid society who, presumably, lived on SCP-4320-1 at some point in time.)
Zhang: So, if I'm getting this right, the bottom row is describing their biology and physiology. I really can't tell if there was actually any difference between them and us. As far as I can tell, they were essentially humans. Close enough even that they could reproduce with humans.
Command: How many rows are there?
Zhang: Three. The second one looks like it's about-
D-17391: Culture. They were highly religious, and were governed by an enlightened elite.
Zhang: …how did you know that?
D-17391: Know what?
Zhang: (pauses) Why were you selected for this mission again?
Command: Researcher Zhang, D-17391 was selected for his ability to see the moon you're standing on and for his photographic memory.
(Zhang mutters unintelligibly for several seconds before standing up abruptly, facing upwards, and turning in a circle, seemingly to capture all the engravings with her camera.)
Zhang: Command, I need you to make sure that this footage is coming through alright.
Command: We don't see flaws with it - why?
Zhang: We have to get out of here. Now.
Mendez: Zhang, what is going on with you?
Zhang: I'll tell you when we get back to the- Where's Butler?
Mendez: Butler? Butler's… the fuck?
Command: Lieutenant Butler, please respond.
(It was now discovered that Butler's camera feed and vitals readings had halted broadcasting. Mendez approaches D-17391.)
Mendez: What the hell is happening? Where’s my lieutenant? You knew that stuff about the aliens, so you know what this is, right?
D-17391: I swear to God, I don’t know what you’re talking about! There was never a Lieutenant Butler here! I’ve always known that about them! You guys do too! That was discovered the last -
(At this point, D-17391’s feed stops broadcasting in a similar manner to Butler’s.)
Mendez: Fuck! What the hell is happening?
Zhang: I think I have an idea, but it’s not good news.
Mendez: I don’t give a shit if it’s good news! I just lost my subordinate! Do you think I want good news?
Command: Captain Mendez, we respect your wish to mourn Lieutenant Butler, but you need to abort the mission. Get back to your ship and extract from SCP-4320-1. Researcher Zhang can inform you of her discovery there and you can pay your respects to Butler.
Mendez: Oh, we’re going. And then Amelia here will tell me what the hell is going on on this rock.
(All three remaining team members exited the dome-shaped room the same way through which they entered as fast as possible. Notably, the hallway only took a perceived 2 minutes and 43 seconds to cross, but maintains its lack of a discernible exit point.)
[END LOG]
(//No recording or trace of a recording history matching either Lieutenant Butler or D-17391 were found during debriefing. Additionally, all records of them were missing from Foundation databases.
No prior expedition to SCP-4320-1 had taken place until Expedition 4320-A. The source of D-17391’s knowledge is still unknown.//)