Wounds opened by time's fracture often cannot be closed. Star-crossed lovers torn asunder will bleed until death.
ITEM #: SCP-9769
LEVEL-
CONTAINMENT CLASS: PENDING - {$sc}
DISRUPTION CLASS: EKHI
ITEM: SCP-9769
LEVEL-
CONTAINMENT
CLASS: PENDING - {$sc}
DISRUPTION
CLASS: EKHI
Assigned Site
Site-76
Site Director
Dr L. V. Svetlovski
Research Head
Dr. I. M. Lokhvitskaya
Assigned MTF
Zeta-76
Assigned Site
Site-76
Site Director
Dr L. V. Svetlovski
Research Head
Dr. I. M. Lokhvitskaya
Assigned MTF
Zeta-76
SPECIAL CONTAINMENT PROCEDURES:
It is imperative that none of the stone plates surrounding SCP-9769 are moved, broken, destroyed, or otherwise damaged. Thaumaturgically inert wire mesh has been placed around the line of demarcation and covered with a layer of topsoil. Additional protective methods are being explored, as the ramifications of an uncontrolled breach may be world-scale.
Researchers are currently attempting to determine a manner by which temporally inconsistent items, people, and information may be smuggled beyond SCP-9769's perimeter on a selective basis.
UPDATE (05-20-1998): Until more permanent arrangements can be made, a secure outpost has been set up approximately 2km from SCP-9769. All anomalies and personnel recovered from Site-76 have been relocated.
UPDATE (03-01-2001): Following the death of SCP-9769’s head researcher, further precautions have been made to prevent unauthorized and/or unaccompanied entry.
DESCRIPTION:
SCP-9769 is a rectangular area of land located 70km outside Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, colloquially referred to as the exclusion zone. Encompassing an area of approximately 1,470km2, SCP-9769's perimeter is marked by 81 stone plates, measuring 1.5m in length and 1.2m in width. R&C Site-76 is entirely situated within the boundaries of SCP-9769.
The stone plates surrounding SCP-9769 were uncovered on May 8th, 1994, following a period of heavy rain. When viewed from within the exclusion zone, each stone appears to be carved with a Daevic rune symbolizing the concept of stasis. Conversely, when viewed from beyond SCP-9769's perimeter, they seem to depict a symbol used to represent progress. When and by whom the stones were placed is currently unknown.
DISCOVERY OF ANOMALOUS PROPERTIES:
SCP-9769's anomalous properties were discovered in 1996, when the first temporally inconsistent artifact was found. The item, a bladed weapon produced in the Daevite Empire between 1150 and 1210, was found buried within the boundaries of SCP-9769. Upon examination, it was noticed to have a striking resemblance to another artifact held at Site-76.
The artifact, another bladed weapon of the same age, was discovered by GRU Division Psychotronics in 1965. It was found in multiple pieces among the ruins of Raeseka, likely used in battle during the fall of the city, c. 1208. Comparative microscopic analysis of both items revealed identical defects on their blades. After controlling for differences in soil composition, samples taken from the corroded metal were found to be chemically near-identical.
Following the discovery of these temporally inconsistent artifacts, Site-76 researchers looked to SCP-140 for additional information, cross-checking it with additional copies of the book maintained at other Foundation sites. They found that all external copies ended with the fall of the Daevite Empire occurring c. 1220, while the copy maintained on-site ended with the empire falling at some later date. From what information could be provided, it is likely that the copy within SCP-9769 concludes with the Daevite Empire falling to Ivan III Vasilyevich c. 1490.
Attempts made by Site-76 personnel to communicate temporally inconsistent information to those beyond the perimeter have been unsuccessful thus far. Tested methods include mail, email, telephonic communication, radio, and SCiPNet Information Transfer. Verbal communication between individuals on either side of SCP-9769’s perimeter has also been unsuccessful, with those on the outside reporting that they were incapable of hearing significant parts of the exchange. In addition, personnel who have been sent beyond the exclusion zone seem to no longer possess previously held memories containing inconsistent information.
ADDENDA:
9769.01 (08-09-1997): Ten members of personnel have been contacted and requisitioned from the exclusion zone via email. Upon being administered Class W mnestics, one individual stated that they felt like what could be seen of Site-76 from beyond the perimeter "looked wrong", yet they could point to no specific discrepancies that purportedly exist. Each of these individuals were then given a personnel manifest and asked to mark the names of anyone they did not remember. Cross-referencing the results, it may be said with a high degree of certainty that no less than 5% of those assigned to Site-76 have been temporally erased.
Personnel retrieved from within SCP-9769 have been shown to lack knowledge of non-anomalous Eastern European and Asian history. With assistance from the Department of History's Sub-Department of Daevic Anomalies, it has been determined that the exclusion zone currently represents a small piece of a world in which the Daevite Empire did not collapse until the end of the 18th century. Which nation or group it fell to is unknown, as the impact of its continued existence on the course of history cannot be determined within an acceptable margin of error. Despite these setbacks, the status of those within the exclusion zone has been valuable in estimating the danger posed by SCP-140.
9769.02 (05-19-1998): Ten individuals were called out of the exclusion zone via email. Every email sent was returned with an error message stating that the receiver's address was not valid. Another twenty-five emails were sent, with only eleven yielding responses. Those summoned were instructed to bring another member of personnel, in the hopes that additional information may be gathered.
Only the eleven contacted appeared at the scheduled meeting. Upon being administered Class W mnestics, three purported that just a moment prior, they'd felt someone standing next to them. As the fate of these temporally inconsistent individual(s) remains unknown, all attempts to facilitate the removal of persons from within SCP-9769's timeline without approval have been prohibited.
9769.03 (12-30-2000): Three attempts have been made to summon Foundation personnel from the exclusion zone. Each yielded no reply. Site-76 has been declared lost.
9769.04 (01-10-2001): Six armed members of MTF Zeta-76 ("Tsar Bombers") were sent into the exclusion zone and given a low probability of survival. After eight days, all members of the task force emerged from beyond SCP-9769's line of demarcation. None were carrying the rifles they had entered with, and four of the six were in various states of undress. All were given extensive physical examinations that yielded no evidence of injury, beyond a mild cut on one officer's knee that was likely accidental.
9769.05 (02-23-2001): Another four members of Zeta-76 were sent over the perimeter, alongside SCP-9769's head researcher, Dr. Ivana Lokhvitskaya. This time, each individual carried a concealed pistol and a change of attire. After three days, all personnel emerged unharmed and fully dressed, save for Lokhvitskaya, who was missing a necklace. All were administered Class W mnestics, after which Lokhvitskaya's demeanor was described as sorrowful.
9769.06 (02-28-2001): Dr. Lokhvitskaya requested three members of Zeta-76 to accompany her into the exclusion zone. On this occasion, all were administered Class W mnestics prior to entering the area. Within the mission debrief that occurred approximately twelve hours later, it was determined that the change in timing did not result in any increase in clarity.
Of note, Lokhvitskaya reportedly felt uncomfortable about the prospect of being examined physically, making this known soon after returning from SCP-9769. She described this apprehension as a 'gut feeling'. When she later acquiesced, two sets of oblique scratches were observed on her back, made by humanoid hands. Further missions into the exclusion zone have been halted.
9769.07 (03-02-2001): At 08:22, Dr. Lokhvitskaya made unauthorized entry into SCP-9769 without armed accompaniment. This development was not discovered until she had been inside for just over six hours. Zeta-76 was quickly sent across the perimeter, charged with returning Lokhvitskaya to the Site-76 Outpost.
After a fifteen day search, Lokhvitskaya was retrieved by two members of the task force. Upon crossing the threshold, she appeared to be in significant distress. Her face was flushed and her eyes teary. A precursory physical examination revealed runic symbols on the palms of both hands, appearing to have been carved with a non-serrated blade. Despite the prompt administration of Class W mnestics, Lokhvitskaya was unable to recall any helpful information regarding the events that transpired.
Her hands, nose, and the inside of her cheeks were swabbed to ensure that no disease had been contracted during her time within the exclusion zone. No pathogens were found, but the samples taken from her hands and cheeks contained foreign DNA. Upon comparison to stored samples belonging to SCP-9140-A-0, the collected genetic material was confirmed to have originated from another female member of Species of Interest #140 (Homo sapiens daeva).
Lokhvitskaya remained under observation, notably forlorn. She reported experiencing an overwhelming sense of longing, frustrated at her inability to determine a cause. Over the course of the following days, her mental and physical state deteriorated until she spontaneously expired at 15:22 on 03-16-2001. An autopsy was performed, revealing that the proximate cause of her death was a five centimeter long tear across the center of her heart.