Stairwell within SCP-9423
Item #: SCP-9423
Object Class: Keter
Special Containment Procedures: Procedure Trial Bravo must be enacted every nine days within SCP-9423. Containment team members will conduct at least two ROC (rehearsal of concept) drills between procedures. During ROC drills, understudies will be permitted to watch and learn the procedures.
All thirteen participants and their understudies will report for duty at least three hours prior to the procedure. Each participant will fill out a self assessment for stress, illness, and dehydration. If their score on the form is higher than 17, the lead participant will decide if an understudy should replace the participant for the procedure.
All equipment involved in Procedure Trial Bravo must be inspected and tested for any faults prior to each iteration of the procedure.
Monitoring equipment will be limited to four security cameras located in the east hallway, the north hallway, the entryway, and the kitchen. Any other cameras, microphones, or other recording equipment must be removed prior to the procedure.
The three plants growing in the Bema require no watering, change of soil, or light. However, they should be pruned once a month to prevent overgrowth that might interfere with Procedure Trial Bravo.
Fifteen minutes prior to the procedure, all non-participants will exit the facility. Understudies will remain in the antechamber. Understudies and other non-participants will monitor the procedure through the security cameras, but will not intervene unless the lead participant indicates that the procedure has failed and fallback measures are to be taken.
Procedure Trial Bravo
Procedure Trial Bravo is a strictly ordered set of actions taken in sequence. The exact conditions required for a successful iteration are not fully understood. Because of this, all actions must be completed as precisely as possible, with no deviations allowed, no matter how innocuous or irrelevant an action may seem.
Steps in red have been determined to be unnecessary and are no longer considered part of Procedure Trial Bravo. Steps in green have been confirmed as necessary, and failing to complete them will result in a failed procedure.
Procedure Trial Bravo requires thirteen participants. The roles are as follows:
- Lead Celebrant: This role leads the procedure, calling out certain actions that must be performed. She must identify as female and be at least fifty years old.
- Bailiff: This role secures the procedure area and stands by the Lead Celebrant. He should identify as male and be at least forty years old.
- Three Responsals: Those in this role participate in call-and-response with the Lead Celebrant. They must identify as female and be under twenty years old may be of any age or gender.
- Two Readers: Each person in this role reads silently from the procedural book. They must be under thirty years old.
- Angel: This role walks from the Bema to the Narthex (see locations, below), and asks for their status. They may be of any age or gender.
- Patzer and the Master: Recreate chess sequence Trial Bravo. The Master must be at least ten years older than the Patzer, and should be of at least USCF Master status. The Patzer must have as little experience with chess as possible outside of the Trial Bravo sequence.
- Two Proctors: Observers. They watch the game between the Patzer and the Master, but otherwise take no action during the procedure. They may be of any age or gender.
Participants should show a high level of loyalty toward the Foundation and have strong, emotional ties to their family.
All participants must be in good physical health. No participant may be gluten or lactose intolerant.
The procedure area within SCP-9423 consists of three locations and connecting hallways:
- The Narthex: A small space set behind a chainlink fence. A wooden cable spool serves as a table, with two wheeled office chairs beside it. A cardboard chessboard with plastic pieces is set on top. Other items (a trash can, sections of carpet, etc.) are also within the Narthex, but are assessed to have no significance to the procedure. There is a mural along one wall depicting a pregnant woman standing in the middle of a field of grain, looking out over a pasture of yellow cattle. The significance of this is unknown.
- The Bema: A room with a conference table surrounded by chairs. There is a podium at the front of the table. Another table along the wall houses an Aiwa XK-S9000 cassette deck, a microwave, and an electric kettle. Two snakeplants (Dracaena trifasciata) and one saucer plant (Aeonium tabuliforme) are growing in pots in three of the four corners of the office.
- The Adytum: A storage closet of no significance where items necessary for the procedure are housed when not in use. It contains two overturned tables, a harpsichord, and a broken photocopier.
Two hours prior to Procedure Trial Bravo, all equipment must be checked, tested, and put in place.
The cassette marked "Music of the Spheres" will be placed in the Aiwa XK-S9000. Tea, sugar, and aspartame packets will be placed near the microwave.
The primary book will be placed on the podium. The two smaller books will be placed at the Readers' seats at the table, while the pages of the Responsals' section will be placed at their seats.
If it has rained on the day of the procedure, two wet umbrellas will be placed inside the Adytum, with a third laying on the ground in front of the door.
Half an hour prior, two pizzas from Between the Devil and the Deep Dish any local pizzeria, one pepperoni and one cheese, will be placed on the table in the Bema. Paper plates and napkins will be placed next to them. Five minutes prior, the Lead Celebrant will begin making a cup of tea in the cup provided for the purpose, and all participants must be in position.
The Lead Celebrant will be standing next to the tea kettle. The Responsals and the Readers must be seated at the table. The Bailiff will be positioned at the entrance to the procedure area. The Patzer and the Master will be seated at the cable spool, with the chess board between them in the starting position. The Angel and the Proctors will be seated next to them.
Time 00:00
The Lead Celebrant pours a cup of tea, blows on it three times, and sips it, leaving it mostly full. She will then set it on the podium and not touch it for the remainder of the procedure. She will light the incense, and call for the procedure to begin (see Trial Bravo Script, Section 1). At this time, the Bailiff will lock the doors to the procedure area. He will test each doorknob or latch twice, only leaving the doors between the Narthex, the Bema, and the Adytum open.
Time 00:01
One of the proctors will press play on the cassette deck, starting the music. Simultaneously, the Patzer and the Master will begin the Trial Bravo chess sequence. The proctors will discuss local sports events converse as they like, so long as they do not distract the Patzer and the Master.
Time 00:03
The Lead Celebrant will pass out pizza. All participants in the Bema will eat one slice.
Time 00:05
The Angel will get up from their chair in the Narthrex and proceed to the Bema. They will ask "How's it going?" The Lead Celebrant will answer, "Just getting started." The Angel will nod, put five slices of pizza onto paper plates, and carry them back to the Narthrex, where they will be consumed by the Angel, the Patzer and Master, and the Proctors.
Time 00:06
The Bailiff will take his place next to the Lead Celebrant, who will place her book upon the podium.
Time 00:08
The Proctors will question the state of the procedure. The Angel will respond that it goes as well as it always does.
Time 00:09
The Lead Celebrant will give her name. She will then point to each participant in the Bema and name them. They will respond with "Yes, O mother."
Time 00:11
The Lead Celebrant will run her hand over the cover of the book left to right, and then open it. The Readers will do the same with their copies.
Time 00:12
The Lead Celebrant begins to read from the text of the book. The Readers will follow along. The texts are highlighted and numbered for convenience. The Responsals will say their parts when prompted.
Time 00:14
The Bailiff will move behind the Responsals. If one misses a section, he will tap them on the shoulder twice prompt them nonverbally as he sees fit.
Time 00:16
The lights in the Bema will begin to dim slightly. This is normal, and should not be a cause for alarm.
Time 00:17
Nothing occurs in the Adytum.
Time 00:18
The Angel will comment on the state of the Trial Bravo Chess Sequence, bemoaning the Patzer's chances of winning.
Time 00:23
The reading will finish. The cup of tea will be half-full half-empty. If the procedure has been successful, the lights will return to normal brightness. If it has failed, the lights will dim completely, and the room will go dark for approximately three minutes before coming on again. The tunnels around SCP-9423 will have changed their configuration, and amelioration efforts must begin immediately.
- Trial Bravo Chess Sequence
- e4 e5
- d4 exd4
- Nf3 Nc6
- h4 d6
- a4 Bg4
- Ng5 Bxd1
- Kxd1 h6
- Nf3 Qd7
- g4 Qxg4
- c4 Qxf3+
- Kd2 Qxh1
- Bh3 Qxh3
- f4 Nb4
- Nc3 dxc3+
- bxc3 Qd3+
- Ke1 Nc2+
- Kf2 Nxa1
- Ba3 O-O-O
- Kg2 Re8
- Bb4 Rxe4
- Ba5 Re2+
- Kh1 Qd1# 0-1
Following the procedure, all equipment will be stored in the Adytum, where it will be undisturbed until it is time to prepare for the next sequence.
When indoctrinated into the procedure, participants should initially only be shown the details of the procedure itself and their role in it. Only after they have participated at least once will they be informed of the true nature of SCP-9423.
Description: SCP-9423 is an underground complex, the primary hub of which can be found in Chicago, Illinois. It consists of concrete tunnels, rooms, and stairwells. The tunnels contain equipment for air circulation, cooling, and heating, as well as chain link fences, construction equipment, and fluorescent lights.
Many of the floors are covered in a layer of dirt and dust consistent with that around Chicago, Illinois, but with trace amounts of gasoline and kerosene. Other tunnels have puddles of standing water with no obvious source.
Footprints coming from the areas of dirt are common, showing shoes, bare feet, and even what appear to be claw marks. However, no living creatures have been found inside the SCP-9423 tunnels [See Incident 9423-54].
The surrounding civil infrastructure of Chicago is untouched, even though the tunnels would be expected to pass through sewers, water mains, and pedestrian pathways.
Seismic surveys show that the complex extends under two city blocks. However, the tunnels extend significantly further when accessed from the interior of SCP-9423. Under normal conditions, they cover a region between three and four square kilometers, with two to seven levels. The layout remains consistent as long as Procedure Trial Bravo is performed successfully. This is referred to as the "standard state." In this state, the tunnels terminate without intersecting any other locations.
If Procedure Trial Bravo is not completed successfully, the tunnels will extend into SCP-9423's "unfolded state." Expeditions in the tunnels have observed additional doors and extended passageways. The longest route mapped in this state was over twenty kilometers. Due to the danger of exploring these tunnels, an upper limit has not been established.
When SCP-9423 is in its unfolded state, the anomaly will affect other locations. These tend to be places of personal significance to the celebrants. When a location is connected to SCP-9423, walls of that location will rapidly decay, revealing concrete tunnels and hallways identical to those that make up SCP-9423. These locations are referred to as intrusion sites.
Intrusion sites can be reached from SCP-9423 through the unfolded tunnels. Distance through this extradimensional space is typically much shorter than the real-world distance. However, due to the convoluted nature of the tunnels and dangers associated with the unfolded state, less than half of all expeditions reach an intrusion site before having to return for the next procedure.
Hole exposing an instance of an Intrusion Site.
Once Procedure Trial Bravo has been successfully completed, the connections to intrusion sites will cease and SCP-9423 will return to a more typical size. though the layout of the standard state will not conform to previous observations.
History
SCP-9423 was discovered in September, 1993, when the Foundation was contacted by the Golden Order of Columbia, a secret society based in Chicago that had previously enacted Procedure Trial Bravo.
The Golden Order of Columbia had become aware of the Foundation through Moses Torrio, an information broker who specialized in information on the anomalous.
The Order was initially interested in having the Foundation take over responsibility for Procedure Trial Bravo, going as far as letting the Foundation watch the procedure through closed circuit cameras.
However, negotiations broke down after the Foundation neutralized Torrio. This led to a raid by MTF Upsilon-8. This raid coincided with Procedure Trial Bravo, and resulted in the death or disappearance of all members of the Order.
This was the Foundation's first exposure to the spatial anomalies of SCP-9423. The tunnels extended over ten kilometers. An exploration team eventually emerged in a parking garage in southern Oregon (approximately 2800 kilometers from SCP-9423).
Footage of much of the previous uninterrupted procedure were recovered from short-term archiving of the security system. Forensic study of the area, along with debriefs from Upsilon-8 operatives, added additional context, and researchers were able to create the initial containment procedures.
Notable Incidents
Incident 9423-17
In 1997, Dr. Olleby, a Foundation environmental scientist, recommended air quality test kits to aid in discovering breaches more quickly. He had noticed that normally the air quality in the complex matched local conditions in Chicago. He theorized that exploration teams could check for differences in air quality to find breaches into other locations, especially those that reached the surface (where containment could be particularly time-sensitive).
However, the first team did not receive sufficient training on the use of the test kits, and ended up following the wrong set of tunnels several kilometers. When they attempted to receive guidance over the radio, Dr. Olleby responded, "You only need to change your direction."
Shortly after this, communications ceased. The team could not be located before the next procedure, and was presumed lost.
The air conditions reported by the team have not been replicated since this incident.
Incident 9423-36
After a failed iteration of Procedure Trial Bravo in February of 2010, rather than the normal presentation of SCP-9423, a single uninterrupted tunnel appeared leading south from the facility. At the same time, net connections were detected on Foundation communications equipment. The SCIPRNet computer network was temporarily brought offline by a flood of traffic, while the phone lines and Foundation encrypted radio frequencies were jammed by overlapping voice transmissions. This lasted for twenty minutes before stopping abruptly.
Network forensics were able to piece together a number of partial calls and text messages, apparently from persons who had gone missing within SCP-9423. Following are a selection of logs. Full logs can be found under the archive files for SCP-9423.
"911? Operator? Is anyone there? I found some sort of maintenance tunnel in my apartment building, and I'm lost. Can you hear me? There's someone else here."
"-trol, this is tunnel rat fi-" "-isolated, and the route has been changing more rapidly si-" "-compass isn't working, but we're keeping track of the lefts-" "-ssible hostiles, but no contacts-" "-ing to reach the main 9423 annex. It's a slim hope, but-" "-ight be possible we might be able to find our way back. I'll try calling again later. Five, out."
dad, you were right. the old factory was too dangerous to explore. im lost. i cant get signal for a call. if you read this please come get me
Incident 9423-54
In 2019, Procedure Trial Bravo failed due to a power outage in the complex. The outage only lasted five seconds before backup power started, but this caused a fuse to blow, resulting in the cassette stopping. The participants attempted to continue the procedure, but it still resulted in a failed procedure.
The tunnels terminated in an intrusion site in Bakersfield, California, in the home of Michael Rios. Michael Rios was the ex-husband of Dr. Deborah Rios, a geologist studying SCP-9423 who was performing the role of Lead Celebrant. Their child, Christina Rios, entered the doorway that appeared in the wall. Exploration teams were unable to find her prior to the next procedure, and she was presumed lost. Foundation agents amnesticized Mr. Rios. Director Comstead (who also served as a Responsal) made the decision not to tell Dr. Rios about the breach. Dr. and Mr. Rios were instead told that their child had been kidnapped.
Three weeks after the incident, Dr. Rios was brought on an expedition into the tunnels. During the expedition, Agent Whitby reported seeing shapes in the shadows. He became increasingly agitated. Shortly after this, the team noticed a figure running toward them. Agent Whitby discharged his weapon five times, hitting twice.
The figure was Christina Rios, the only known person to be recovered after a reset of SCP-9423. She died on the scene.
Three days later, Dr. Rios insisted on participating in Procedure Trial Bravo, forgoing her daughter's funeral. This was interpreted as dedication by Director Comstead and approved.
When it came time to name the other participants, Dr. Rios instead named each of them 'Christina Rios.' She tore pages from the Lead Celebrant's book, and attempted to smash the cassette player before being thrown down by the bailiff and restrained.
The failure of the iteration resulted in an intrusion site at Site 86. This resulted in a cascade of containment breaches, leading to the loss of several hundred Foundation personnel and the permanent loss of the site.
Dr. Deborah Rios was terminated, and Director Christina Rios was relieved of his position.
- Too late now
You've now completed your first procedure. Whether it was a success or not, you are now one of us.
I am so sorry. I wish it didn't have to be this way.
Hopefully, you have not found out the cost of being here yet. Hopefully things went well. Hopefully, they will always go well.
Because if they don't, it's not just this facility that suffers. Your people will also pay.
It takes them. Whatever this whole thing is for, if we don't perform it perfectly, it takes from us. Sometimes it's from the Foundation. But sometimes, it's from our families.
That was part of why you were chosen. You have something to lose. You have people you would give anything for. We all do. We would never have done this to you if we didn't. You'll understand in time. One day, someone else ends up in one of our seats and you'll let them set their foot in the trap.
Read the incident reports. Read how the tunnels pop up in places where we have people. Friends and colleagues at other sites, or at our homes, or the homes of those we love.
We don't know what the words in the book mean. We don't know what we've promised or offered. But it takes. If we don't do the procedure perfectly, every nine days, someone may die. Maybe my grandchildren. Maybe your spouse. Maybe some agents and doctors halfway across the world. But the only way to save them is to do our job.
Some of the steps seem unnecessary. But we don't know what parts are vital and what parts are guesswork. We need to eat together. We need the music, and it has to be on that cassette deck. Why? We don't know. But people die when those steps are skipped. This is too important for trial and error.
This is a lifetime obligation. Even if you end up replaced to go work somewhere else, your family will always be at risk. Few of us agree to leave, because that means leaving your family's safety up to a stranger.
You will practice your role until you have it down perfectly. You will do it until it becomes a part of you. Whether it's leading the procedure or simply watching two people play chess, you must do it flawlessly.
You no longer have a choice. None of us do.
—Director Henry Croom, Bailiff