BY ORDER OF THE O5 COUNCIL
The following file is Level 4/4797 classified.
Unauthorised access will result in immediate transfer to SCP-4797-2.
| Item #: SCP-4797 | Level 4/4797 |
| Object Class: Thaumiel | Classified |
The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
Special Containment Procedures 13/04/2018: SCP-4797 has been moved to Site 98, and is stored in Containment Zone Q. Site 98-دال has been established on the upper layer of SCP-4797-1, in order to properly study the technology and society found there. All exploration of the lower levels of SCP-4797-1 is currently prohibited.
SCP-4797-2 is currently in use in the Foundation Disciplinary Division. Work is currently underway to adapt SCP-4797-2 for use in the containment of humanoid SCPs. Proposals for use in the amnestics department are currently under review. In addition, Items 4797-A through -D are currently being tested for potential use in containment procedures.
Description: SCP-4797 is a rectangular glass tunnel, originally located at the mid-point of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. SCP-4797 is only visible and tangible to certain individuals with reality-bending properties, namely those related to an enhanced perception of light.
When looking through SCP-4797's walls, viewers describe a void which emits no light. Prolonged observation results in paranoia and discomfort.1 Upon emerging from SCP-4797, individuals find themselves on the top level of a complex structure in what is presumed to be an adjacent dimension.
The structure, henceforth referred to as SCP-4797-1, is a cylindrical tower, and extends for an unknown length towards a source of gravity below. Although a permanent layer of mist has prevented any observation from the upper level beyond 8km, preliminary analyses indicate that it extends downwards for at least 500km.
The top layer resembles a city that is thought to have been abandoned over a century ago. Few personal items or goods have survived. It is hypothesised that the city was very swiftly but thoroughly evacuated. A few inscriptions and documents in an unknown language and script have been found, but have not as yet been decipherable. Of note are the complex wall murals covering most external surfaces; a full iconographical analysis has been scheduled.
SCP-4797-1's architecture resembles a particularly monumental kind of Classical architecture, but with some influences from mid-19th century San Francisco. The structure of the upper layer is highly regimented, consisting of three concentric circles surrounding a central square: a commercial circle, a residential circle, and a leisure circle composed primarily of elaborate gardens and waterways.
The top layer appears to have been occupied by societal elites, and supplied by the layers beneath it, although the method of food production is as yet unknown without further exploration. A series of booths in the central square contain ladders which extend to the lower layers. A series of exploratory missions are planned, pending approval of Director Johannes Tufto.
MTF-Alpha-92 "Sare Gaav", a task force specialising in long-term, independent exploration and archeological missions, has been assigned to SCP-4797. The team's mission was to explore the two levels directly beneath SCP-4797-1's upper layer. MTF-Alpha-92 is composed of the following members:
- A92-Angel (Captain, Engineering Expert)
- A92-Salome (Linguistics Expert)
- A92-Descent (Archeological Expert)
- A92-Orellana (Memetics Expert)
MTF-Alpha-92's mission began on 03/07/2017 at 19:00 PT. After 20 minutes, contact with MTF-Alpha-92 was lost. A relief team sent down to the level below found a layout entirely inconsistent with the footage from MTF-Alpha-92's headset cameras; after 15 minutes, they returned to the surface without finding MTF-Alpha-92.
The bodycam from A92-Angel briefly reactivated at 22:00 PT on 04/07/2017. The following is a log of the footage recieved.
<Begin Log>
The camera is trained on a wall, apparently several metres high. A series of wall murals, heavily damaged and appearing to be centuries old, is visible; the scenes they depict are indistinct. There is no visible light except that of the MTF's flashlights.
A92-Descent and A92-Salome are visible in front of the camera. A92-Descent is examining the wall in detail; A92-Cortes is facing away, apparently keeping watch.
A92-Descent: -seems to have been a kind of… first abandonment? Well, maybe that's not the word. One group left and another immediately occupied it, and they seem to have deliberately neglected the artwork and buildings here. God, this is amazing…
A92-Salome: I agree, but we don't have time here, Des. We have to find some way out.
A92-Angel: Agreed.
A92-Orellana: (from behind) I don't think we need to worry. We have rations for 3 weeks. We'll find another door somewhere.
A92-Angel: We can't just take that on chance, and we don't know what's down here. We need to find shelter and set up a base immediately. We don't have time to examine this stuff.
A92-Descent: But- look, it's fascinating. These images seem to show two- groups? castes? I think it's been painted to promote the rulers' point of view. They keep the other one below them, I think. It's portraying them as willing slaves.
A92-Salome: Awful. But that's how propaganda works, I suppose.
A92-Angel: Focus up, Salome. Ortellana, if you take the right wa-
The feed abruptly cuts out.
<End Log>
In addition to this, Drs. Holloway and Ghazali have completed an initial analysis of the society and technological capacity of SCP-4797-1. A summary of their conclusions can be found below.
There are two key findings of our initial study. The first is that technology in this city is likely founded on supernatural or magic-based system. Aside from the numerous objects and tools found with thaumaturgical runes, the most compelling evidence is the construction of SCP-4797 itself. Repeated tests for anomalous activity have revealed a strong presence within the tunnel, which possesses a reality-bending potential far beyond anything seen on earth. This analysis has also revealed that the tunnel does not form a connection between dimensions, but between two different parts of space; SCP-4797-1 is a location somewhere within our universe. A motif of a thread between two rocks has been found near the entrance to SCP-4797 within SCP-4797-1, which provides a fascinating insight into how they percieved this technology.
The second finding relates to the structure of SCP-4797-1's deeply stratified society. The wall murals seen on the footage from MTF-Alpha-92 are remarkably similar to those in the central rings of the upper layer: depicting a harmonious society wherein an upper caste has absolute control over a lower caste. As we move into the residential and garden rings, however, these murals are replaced by more pleasant, harmonious images. On the few occasions the lower caste is depicted on these images, it is invariably as something ridiculous and clownish, with figures covered in black hair and possessing grotesque faces.
These and other findings have lead us to the following hypothesis: the construction of the tower was a way of "renewing" the civilisation in order to preserve the societal caste system. As each layer was deemed "imperfect", a new layer would be constructed on top of it. The elite caste would move into the new top-layer; the lesser castes would be relegated to the immediate layers below, converting these once-luxurious dwellings into their own homes and houses. It is also believed but presently unprovable that each layer was designed to be similar, if not identical, to the layer below. By all indications, they exercised little-to-no authority over the society of the lower layers provided they supplied the needs of the upper layer.
How the elite caste was able to enforce this is unclear, but the apparent anomalous re-arranging of the penultimate layer demonstrated by MTF-Alpha-92's disappearance could have been related to some kind of mechanism that prevented potential sedition. Either way, this was clearly a society of deep injustice that reaped its own rewards. This should serve as a cautionary tale to the fragility of any society that is dependent upon rigid hierarchies.
The following is a brief transmission from the personal feed of A92-Descent. It was recieved 09/12/2017. This is only the second transmission since MTF-Alpha-92's disappearance.
<Begin Log>
The camera opens on the interior of one of MTF-Alpha-92's tents. A92-Angel can be seen lying down on one end of the tent, reading; A92-Salome is sitting cross-legged in front of the camera, poring over a small tablet with writing in both SCP-4797-1's script and the Latin script on it.
A92-Salome: -is influenced by Spanish, and I think some Ohlone2. I boned up on both prior to coming here, and there's definite influence. It's a miracle you managed to find this.
A92-Descent: I can't believe it myself. I had a hunch that this level's commercial district would be the best place to find something.
A92-Angel: Don't get too wrapped up in your discoveries, Des.
A92-Descent: Christ alive, cap, can't you be happy for five minutes? We've been stuck down here for months but you don't see Salome or I complaining.
A92-Angel: We need to find a way out of here- some way of controlling whatever mechanisms caused this. The overhunting and overgathering we keep doing on each level worries me, I-
The tent flap opens, and A92-Orellana enters, carrying several small birds.
A92-Salome: Oh, bless you, Or.
A92-Descent: Thank Christ above.
A92-Orellana: Not a problem. And look- from the perimeter-
A92-Orellana holds up a clear plastic bag, with indistinct orange objects inside.
A92-Descent: More mushrooms?
A92-Orellan: Sorry. They're the only thing that reliably grows down here. Hunting only gets me so far.
A92-Salome: God, I miss real food. We ate burgers just before we entered here, staring over the bridge onto the bay. It was beautiful. You could really see the shape of the thing.
A92-Orellana: The gardens seem to have been turned into some kind of bed of edible mushrooms on this level. It's the same stuff we've seen all over- houses and parks built for beauty and transformed, crudely, into something utilitarian. They're long abandoned, and the veg has all grown wild. I think we'll be able to stay here for a while.
A92-Angel: That's excellent, Orellana! First good news in weeks.
A92-Salome: Hey-
A92-Orellana: One thing though, cap- I've noticed something odd, something that didn't occur to me before. All of the birds here- well, they're frightened of people, like in our world. But that doesn't-
The feed abruptly cuts out.
<End Log>
The following is a summary of a report by Dr. Holloway on the iconography of SCP-4797-1's upper levels.
The iconography on the top level is more complex than it initially appeared. Several motifs, especially in the residential districts, appear to represent the "seizure" of various items from the lower caste by the upper one. The images indicate that these were primarily weapons and tools, but there are also representations of brickwork, documents and even people.
The common feature visible all these depictions is a series of similar thaumaturgical symbols. This is highly reminiscent of those recently found on tools, weapons and structures across the upper level. From what I can glean, there was some kind of mechanism or principal component that was involved in the co-ordination of this- a kind of yellow spike that is pictured prominently above many of these murals. Murals with this particular motif are much more common in the inner square and the commercial ring than in the outer ring.
My working hypothesis is that the upper caste, recognising the dangers of the anomalous, took active efforts to contain the magical practices of the lesser caste. Their desire to preserve normalcy in the face of such powerful anomalies could provide us with useful pointers for our own procedures and the integration of containment into broader society.
The following is a summary of an analysis by Dr. Ghazali concerning the technology of SCP-4797-1 and its potential uses.
There are 6 items which we believe worthy of further investigation, due to their potential utility to the Foundation. 4 of these have been found; 1 is surmised to exist somewhere within SCP-4797; 1 exists only hypothetically.
Item 4797-A
A spear, with several thaumaturgical symbols inscribed on it. Wounds made with the blade of the spear result in burns and instant cauterisation.
Item 4797-B
Item is a leather3 whip. When used on a living subject, subject will experience extreme pain, with consistently more extreme reactions than a similar non-anomalous whip. Humanoid subjects struck are unable to vocalise for 2 minutes.
Item 4797-C
Item is a stone tablet with what are believed to be names written on it. Replicating its symbols on any list of first names has resulted in the individual holding the list being able to induce extreme pain in any humanoid subject through vocalising the name. Potential use in crowd-control situations is being explored.
Item 4797-D
This item is only known to exist from what has been deciphered of SCP-4797-1's script thus far, and is believed to have once existed in some form and instructions for it may still in SCP-4797-1's lower levels. From what has been gathered, it appears to be a form of verbal command in the language of the elites, which was able to prevent communication in the dialect of the lesser caste. Whether this was a temporary or permanent effect is unclear.
Item 4797-E
This item is some form of large light-emitting object, believed to have existed in the central square of SCP-4797-1's upper layer. Dr. Holloway's extensive research has determined that some form of "centralised" control system of the anomalous systems used was necessary for full pacification of the lesser caste and solidification of elite legitimacy. The repeated "spire" motif on many of SCP-4797-1's wall murals is believed to show, metaphorically or literally, this object.
The potential utility of these items is thus without doubt. Dr. Holloway's recent demonstrations of how these items were retrieved from and used on the lesser caste is clearly able to be applied. I am formally putting in a request to reclassify SCP-4797 as Thaumiel, and to funnel more research into funding for further study.
The following is a brief transmission from the personal feed of A92-Angel. It was recieved 17/05/2018. This is only the third transmission since MTF-Alpha-92's disappearance.
<Begin Log>
The camera opens on the interior of a room in one of SCP-4797-1's residential dwellings. It is dark, and the headset has been placed onto a side-table. All four MTF members are lying in makeshift beds; they are conversing.
A92-Orellana: -since China.
A92-Descent: God, I remember China. Those were the days.
A92-Angel: The nights.
A92-Salome: The nights were fine too. Warm. Pleasant.
A92-Descent: That mine, though.
A92-Salome: Oh God, don't remind me.
A92-Orellana: It was a good thing Angel had those demolition explosives.
A92-Angel: Yeah. That must have been the longest job we ever did.
A92-Descent: Before this one.
A92-Angel: Yeah.
There is a pause for several seconds.
A92-Descent: I'm sorry about last week.
A92-Salome: It's OK. We're all highly strung. It's tough down here. I think-
A small, indistinct humanoid shape appears at the entrance of the room. It looks startled to see the MTF there. A92-Salome immediately sits up.
A92-Salome: H-hell- ah, damn, what's the- "Ahghva! Kim amcus."
The creature visibly relaxes, and approaches the bed. Its features are still indistinct.
Humanoid: Koi hala! Quin sakrif?
A92-Salome: "Sakrif", I think that's "story"- ah, "juntil, honkolim." Stories, I think they're a kind of gift to them. Memories seem to be important down here.
The creature begins to talk rapidly in its language; A92-Salome starts to translate its speech.
A92-Salome: There was- there was once a man, a hero, from the- the land beyond, I think.
A92-Angel: This is amazing.
A92-Salome: Shh- the man was- healthy? Strong? He was from the downward place, the- oh, the levels below.
All 4 MTF members are now sitting up and awake.
A92-Salome: He came from below, with fire and magic. He forced the others into the, the, I can't quite translate all this- there was a battle, I think…
The creature continues to rapidly talk for several seconds without interruption.
A92-Salome: OK, I think I've- he, the hero, he forced some people into a cell, but they left it on the other side? And they found themselves on a thread that- bound? strung? And they thought it beautiful, and left the box for others to find, for the more- perfect, uh, complete, or- I think that was something about lacking histo-
The feed abruptly cuts out.
<End Log>
The following is an extract from the personal diary of Dr. Holloway, shortly before his disappearance. Dr. Ghazali has requested it be placed here for posterity, due to the insights it provides into the effects of prolonged exposure to Item 4797-E.
I am coming to despise them. It's crept up on me, day by day, and it worries me.
I was born and raised in San Francisco. How many of those who fled, how many of those who left this godforsaken place, ended up among my ancestors, or the ancestors of those whom I grew up with? How many have helped to construct this city's fabric?
Calvino thought this place would become the capital of a new empire, born from siege, combining all races into one unity. Or at least, he placed that idea in the thoughts of his Kublai, surveying the complexities of all cities. I see in it a kind of perfection. It's the city on the edge of forever, its spindle crossing two worlds. You look beyond it and you see eternity.
So much possibility! And so much existed in its mirror, in this tower. The elites were geniuses. Their technology was so advanced, and so little is left. Maybe more, the stuff they took with them, is lying all around.
And beneath their feet lie those who killed this dream.
But I know I shouldn't this like that. I know I shouldn't harbour such cruelty. Posterity demands that I am kinder. I must be kinder. They were subjugated, brutally. I am wrong to think this. I am wrong, but when I close my eyes, all I see is the spire, looming over me, ordering it all.
Imagine a perfect axis of construction. Imagine cities, all fed in orderly unity, all in orderly locations, airy and beautiful and standardised. Imagine the energy from farms funnelling into cities and up through towers and towers to the one, the true, the spire that reaches beyond, its hand leaning into the cosmos. I think it was designed to enter the stars. I think it was designed to create something perfect. And it was all taken away, for such trivialities as hunger.
I must see their suffering. I must reclaim my humanity. I must descend.
The following is a brief transmission from the personal feed of A92-Orellana. It was recieved 23/03/2019. This is only the fourth transmission since MTF-Alpha-92's disappearance.
<Begin Log>
The camera feed shows what is believed to be a walkway in one of the commercial districts of SCP-4797-1's levels. Although the structure remains identical to the other levels, it is in a clear state of extreme disrepair.
Several humanoid entities can be seen in front of the camera. They are largely identical to humans except their skin, which is coloured as various shades of grey. They are dressed in primitive stitched hides and cotton cloth, and are pointing a variety of crude weapons in the broad direction of the camera. Several of them appear to be muttering among themselves. Notably, they are all facing downwards, only occasionally looking up at the MTF members.
At the head of this group is an individual wearing a red cotton cloth, and holding a knife to the throat of A92-Angel, who is facing the camera. Another individual, wearing a blue cloth, is conversing with the red-clothed individual in a heated debate.
A92-Salome and A92-Descent are standing in view of the camera, slightly ahead and on either side of A92-Orellana. All three have their guns trained on the red-clothed individual.
Blue-Clothed Humanoid: J'ki ahuya! J'ki ahuya, lekon! Ki haspanya!
A92-Descent: Do you…?
A92-Salome: No. Doesn't matter. We're not negotiating any more. I've heard enough stories.
A92-Descent: Christ alive, Sal-
A92-Salome: Just shut the fuck up, Des, the cap has a knife to his throat and I don't-
A92-Orellana: Quiet.
Blue-Clothed Humanoid: Creya ui, lekon! Ki haspanya! J'ki vera nam j'has idom! J'ki ahuya!
Red-Clothed Humanoid: Haspanya, ahuya, ki qual. Siki ham mor.
A92-Angel: Sal…oh…
A92-Salome: For fuck's- ah, "kim amcus. kim sapsap nir".
Several of the humanoids appear to be very startled. The red-clothed humanoid lets out a strangled cry.
Red-Clothed Humanoid: Ki ahuya! Ki ahuya! Spa-ya! Spa-ya! Spa-ya!
The assembled humanoids let out a loud roar.
Red-Clothed Humanoid: Saki em biham!
A92-Orellana: What's he saying?
A92-Salome: Ah… they are spire, they are spire, from, er, from us they made? Took? I'm not- this is ridiculous, they have the cap, the goddamn cap-
A92-Descent: Sal, no, the blue-clothed one, she's tryin-
The feed abruptly cuts out.
<End Log>
The following is a brief transmission from the personal feed of A92-Salome. It was recieved 01/08/2019. This is only the fifth transmission since MTF-Alpha-92's disappearance.
<Begin Log>
The camera is looking at a series of drawings on a large sheet of paper. They appear to be a form of blueprints for a large spire, to be placed over a central city square at four points.
The spire is portrayed as being composed entirely from light. This light is portrayed as being transmitted directly into the skulls of a large crowd surrounding it. The people around it are staring up in a worshipful posture. The alchemical symbol for gold is positioned above the spire; a faint hand can be seen drawn in the background of the picture, reaching towards this symbol.
The camera looks up. A92-Descent is standing directly in front of the camera, clearly agitated. A92-Orellana is standing several feet back, his expression indistinct due to shadow. The MTF members are standing near the edge of one of SCP-4797-1's pleasure garden rings, a few metres away from the edge. A table has been erected to place the blueprints on in the middle of one of the gardens.
A92-Descent: -won't do it. The chances are tiny. The only thing that would allow that is some greater intent, some greater design that we can't see.
A92-Salome: It comes and goes. I have seen the logs, I looked at the files.
A92-Descent: You can't send- Christ alive, Sal, you know as well as I do what they'll do with it. It's in all our dreams and it's not even there any more.
A92-Salome: Exactly. Useful. They just need to tweak it, fine tune it. Make it something better than it was. We're Foundation, Des, we have three simple rules. Secure. Contain. Protect. Think what we can do with this!
A92-Orellana: There isn't a "we" any more. We're stuck down here.
A92-Descent: You don't know that.
A92-Salome: It doesn't matter if we are.
A92-Descent: Our limitations are what keep us honest. The things we could do! You've seen the tech the natives have. If we, we c-converted them, if we helped them underst-
A92-Salome: You can't make a savage understand. That's all they are. Savages. It gets so cold down here, and it's even colder in their dens.
A92-Descent: They have fire.
A92-Orellana: They don't want our help, Des.
A92-Descent: Oh for- why are you even still here, Or? You never do anything. You just hunt your birds and murmur those fucking songs about the trams of San Francisco. It makes me sick.
A92-Salome: He's a member of the team. He's not a traitor.
A92-Orellana: Sal-
A92-Descent: I'm not-
A92-Salome: The Foundation has one duty and one duty only. I'm not going to stop just because some light-addled-
A92-Orellana: Your headset, Cortes. Is that a green light?
There is a pause of several seconds. A92-Salome reaches up to check something on his headset.
A92-Salome: Half a minute. More than enough time. They must have seen the blueprints.
A92-Descent: So it's over, then.
A92-Descent slumps to the floor. A92-Orellana approaches the others.
A92-Orellana: We need to get moving. The tribes will catch up with us soon.
A92-Salome: Let them come. We've done our duty now.
A92-Orellana: I don't intend to die down here. Think of Angel.
A92-Descent: Angel decided to run in the middle of their camp, brandishing a weapon. He wanted that. It was suicide, not murder.
A92-Salome takes out a match from her jumpsuit.
A92-Descent: You still have one left?!
A92-Salome lights the match, and watches it burn down towards her finger.
A92-Salome: All that we were is a tool. A weapon, sent downwards, to illuminate the hidden places on a map. Now it's done, and I want to feel again. Something, again. We're never getting out of here with our selves intact.
A92-Orellana reaches forward and snuffs out the match.
A92-Orellana: Enough of that. There's plenty of life to go around. Nobody else is going to die around here. We still have our eyes and our wits. I barely remember the world above, but I remember you two, and I intend to keep it that way. We have to keep moving. We have to surv-
The feed abruptly cuts out.
The following document was provided by the Ethics Committee for posterity.
Vote 17927 on Approval for Project A72.
For Against Abstain 14 3 6 Majority Opinion by Dr. Borges:
While we appreciate the concerns about coercion and lack of agency in experimental subjects, it is the Ethics Committee's decision that the recent prototypes of Project A72 "Spire", also designated Item 4797-E or SCP-4797-2, have vital implications for the success of future Foundation plans. Subjects who have been exposed have not experienced any particular discomfort or animosity towards the Foundation; indeed, we have managed to transform the most hardened activist of the Hand into a model agent with only two sessions.
The preservation of normalcy cannot be done with total coldness, but there are still necessary sacrifices. Just as the members of SCP-4797-1's society used SCP-4797-2 to contain the anomalous elements of their own society, we can continue their legacy by doing the same ourselves. We are pleased to give Project A72 our full support.
Minority Opinion by Dr. Running Deer:
It's happening again and you can't even see it.
The following is a brief transmission from the personal feed of A92-Orellana. It was recieved 24/12/2024. This is the ninth and to date final transmission since MTF-Alpha-92's disappearance. For purposes of morale, it has been restricted to Level 5 access only.
<Begin Log>
The camera is trained on the open sky; A92-Orellana is apparently lying on the very edge of one of SCP-4797-1's layers. It seems to stretch indefinitely into the distance; only mist can be seen, several kilometres up.
The only audible sound is extremely heavy and phlegmatic breathing. After approximately 2 minutes, A92-Orellana seem to start slightly and check their headset.
A92-Orellana: Oh… you're listening. Shoulda known.
There is a pause of several seconds.
A92-Orellana: Every night, I have bad dreams. I close my eyes and it's there. On top of everything, staring down. It's complete, the point to the heavens and the rooftop of the world. It bores down at me. It reminds me that I am one part of a chain of the centuries, going forward, forward, forward ahead. It's only a ghost, but it's still here, in the bones of this place.
There is a pause of several seconds.
A92-Orellana: They can't bear to look up. The things… you see, the visions, the perfection. An enterprise fulfilled. Reason, science, the unimpeachable state, the white man's burden, trains and railways, smoke and steam, land put to its proper purpose and the other in his p-proper place-
There is violent coughing for several seconds, followed by another pause.
A92-Orellana: Des disappeared, with fever dreams of converting the tribes. Sal drank her way off a cliff. Only me now. Only me…
There is a pause of several seconds.
A92-Orellana: But it doesn't- doesn't do its job properly, you see. They mourn. They are sad, they remember something else, down here, down where the rays are less. But they can't even say what. It's like rain, and dirt, and, and-
There is more violent coughing.
A92-Orellana: There is a bridge, over a bay. We saw a gate and thought it made of gold. It's like a thread, that binds two halves together. The bay was never a bay before we looked upon it and made it so. And now it is tied together, all disparition made one. A place that's stolen and bound in service of another's creation.
There is a pause of several seconds.
A92-Orellana: Where else would they go, when their spire was felled by the howling of the wolves? They saw our work and smiled. I looked out from that bridge, once, and saw all the worlds ahead of me. The empires we would forge. The history that would be written-
A92-Orellana once again coughs extremely violently, and slumps backwards for several minutes before speaking again.
A92-Orellana: The dirt is so beautiful here.
After another few minutes, the feed cuts out.
<End Log>