Forgive the lack of black redaction lines. - Researcher [REDACTED]
SCP-5268: Strange Bedfellows
Containment: SCP-5268 is the designation for the facilities and anomalies contained within Site-T3, located in the region of Hakone, within the Kanagawa prefecture of Japan. Foundation Personnel onsite are designated Mobile Task Force Epsilon-Vu-Alpha ("Referees"). Site-T3 Personnel from Groups Of Interest will be integrated into MTF-EV4 as required and on approval from the multi-organizational site directorate and the O5 Council. A full list of facilities and necessary containment measures may be found in Addendum-5268-1 [Level 4 clearance required]
Personnel visiting Site-T3 are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the following GOI and Persons of Interest:
The Global Occult Initiative
-GOC Attache Shiro Tokita
Sarkic Cults
-Volutaar Kozo Fuyutsuki
The Church of the Broken God
-Builder Ritsuko Akagi
Marshal, Carter & Dark Ltd.
-Product Management Agent…
Akimasu is a small village in the Sendai region. At least that was what the brief had said.
Misato Katsuragi, captain of MTF-EV4, banged her forehead against the steering wheel of her blue Alpine with a sigh.
"I'm going to rewrite that stupid entry, I swear to god." Misato said as she turned off the engine, finally just accepting what was to come.
"Akimasu is an itty bitty little craphole…" Misato said as she got out of her poor car. The entire bottom edge was visibly banged up from the hours of driving on unpaved mountain roads.
"Located in the ass end of Sendai. Bring a damn jeep, or better yet, a helicopter."
Misato took her black nylon bag from the passenger seat and locked the car, then looked up at the rocky trail winding up the mountain side. She could see trails of smoke ahead. The captain took off her jacket to put on her shoulder holster, then headed up the trail, reviewing her assignment to herself to stave off boredom and ever-deadly complacency.
Akimasu is a small village fifty kilometers Northwest of Sendai, with a population of less than two hundred individuals. Akimasu is the final remaining proto-sarkic community in the Japanese home islands. Estimate of population includes only observed humanoids. Sentience of observed constructs, or the buildings making up the community, is not known at this time.
"But is presumed to be made up of goddamn mountain goats..." Misato grumbled.
"Hi lady!"
Misato saw a child peeking out from behind a tree and waving at her. It was a little girl in a pink dress, maybe four years old.
"Hello there." Misato said with a weak wave.
"Are you from essie-pee?"
"Uh..." Misato said, sagging her head. To be honest, the veil had been dropped pretty hard fifteen years ago when second impact happened, but being recognized by kids barely big enough to wipe their own butts still stung a little.
"I am from the SCP foundation, yeah."
"You're here to see the healer?"
"Yeah, I need to talk to him. I guess you all knew I was coming."
"Yep!"
"Great." There goes any illusion of OPSEC.
"Hey lady, why are you coming up the back way?"
"The back way?"
"Yeah, we have stairs. And a parking lot."
"Oh… I didn't know."
"And wifi… I mean we are on google."
"Goddamn outdated intel…" Misato grumbled. "Okay kid, take me to your healer!"
The little girl left Misato at the door to one of the bigger homes in town. Not that bigger was saying much, Misato reflected. The thatched roof hut looked smaller than her apartment. The little girl scampered off, saying something about…
"Imma gonna go make butterflies!"
"Don't you mean catch butterflies?"
"Nope!" And she was gone, off into the woods again.
Misato sighed and knocked on the door. A middle-aged man with steely long hair answered the door.
"Um, hello, are you Healer Rokobungi?"
"I am. You would be Captain Katsuragii of the jailers then?"
"I suppose I deserved that… We are working with other organizations now though and I hope we can move forward."
Healer Rokobungi hmm'd and turned away from the door. He continued to block the doorway and did not wave her in.
"Shinji! The skippy is here!"
Misato groaned. Everyone's a comedian when the big bad Foundation has to be civil.
Shinji, it turned out, was a polite kid. Far from the traditional clothing worn by his uncle, Shinji wore a black school uniform and carried a blue backpack and a plastic cello case. Misato had seen nobody else in the village but that little girl. Just eyes that were quickly behind shut doors.
Taking the stairs, it was only a ten-minute walk back to the car.
"So…" Misato said. "You're a sarkist then? You know, besides just as a religion, I mean…"
"Are you asking if I am a flesh carver?" Shinji asked.
"Yeah."
"I am. I don't make creatures or anything. My uncle was teaching me to be his replacement as healer."
"Oh…" Misato said as neutrally as she could. "Okay."
"And we really don't like the word Sarkist, or Sarkism." Shinji said, watching the trees go by out the window.
"Right, sorry, Nalkon."
"You're saying the vowels all wrong."
"I am not even going to try saying it right."
We used to lock these people up, Misato thought to herself. Now we are working with them. Even working at Site-T3, it was still weird.
If it was weird to a veteran of the Foundation, it was downright disquieting to Shinji Ikari from a quiet little mountain town. Shinji understood that most towns didn't practice ancient thaumaturgical religions and most "old" people did not remember meeting, and driving off, the Tokugawas. But walking through the metal halls behind Misato, dodging and weaving past people in dark robes and white lab coats wearing symbols of every conceivable kind while sirens blared and lights flashed, it was all a little overwhelming.
"OKAY, short version then…" Misato yelled over the cacophony.
Description: SCP-5268 is a collection of anomalies contained within Site-T3.
SCP-5268-1A is [Classified SERAPHIM level. Submit all requests for SERAPHIM clearance to Site Director Gendo Ikari.]
SCP-5628-1B is [DATA EXPUNGED]. SCP-5628-1B is contained within the deepest and most secure portion of Site-T3, known as Terminal Dogma.
SCP-5268-1B produces substance LCL. LCL is vital to the operation of SCP-5268-3. With the advent of viable examples of SCP-5268-3, entrance into containment chamber of SCP-5268-1B should be only attempted by use of SCP-5268-3.
Any entity attempting to breach containment of SCP-5268-1B will be designated SCP-5268-2. All entities that have so far been designated instances of SCP-5268 have been extraterrestrial Eiganweapons (a fourth category of weapons of mass destruction which utilize anomalous properties) of disparate forms. All recorded instances of SCP-5268-2 share XX.X% genetic commonality with SCP-5268-1B as well as [DATA EXPUNGED].
A containment breach of SCP-5268-1B by SCP-5268-2 will result in an immediate XK-Class Scenario, the immediate extinction of all life on Earth.
SCP-5268-3 is the designation for copies of SCP-5268-1A/B constructed by humanity in order to combat instances of SCP-5268-2. Because of the immense resources required to build and operate instances of SCP-5628-3, the Foundation has entered into the Multi-Organizational Treaty with several GOI, with responsibility for the construction of a single unit assigned to each organization party to the treaty. All groups that have entered into the treaty have done so out of recognition that the destruction of life on Earth furthers none of our goals.
"So let me get this straight..." Shinji said. They were in an elevator now, just he and Misato. "You all hate each other's guts but nobody wants to see the world end so you put your least offensive people together and each of you are building a super weapon off the same plans, in your own way."
"That about covers it, yeah."
"And one of those people is my dad."
"Yep. He is the site director."
"So what, he keeps the lights on and the AC running?"
MIsato snorted a little into her hand. At least not everything was known about them yet. "No, he is the big boss in charge. Your dad answers only to the O-5 Council, and the multi-organization council that keeps the peace here has to resign if they ever successfully veto him."
"Oh, wow." Shinji said, genuinely surprised. His uncle had told him stories about his father, and most of them were less than kind.
"I guess you'll be working under Volutaar Fuyutsuki, though."
"Volutaar?" Shinji was even more surprised now. "You have a Karcist working here?"
Misato did not laugh, despite how shocked the boy looked. "I guess the presence of an assistant implies the presence of a master, but no, we don't have one. Not anymore. When she disappeared, Kozo refused to take up her title, said he wasn't ready."
Shinji nodded with a hm.
"Um, captain Katsuragi, I have what may be a dumb question."
"What's that, Shinji?"
"What am I doing here? Did my dad want me? Because all Uncle told me was that the Foundation was going to send someone to pick me up."
"I think Kozo will want to explain the details. But don't worry, we are all pretty friendly here." Misato smiled down at the boy. "Oh hey Ritsuko."
Misato waved at a blond woman in a white coat rounding a nearby corner ahead of them. She waved back and Shinji saw her right hand was made of metal. Not like she was wearing a glove or armor. Her fingers were made of plates and wires and he could see right through her palm. Looking at her face, Shinji noticed one of her eyes was metallic as well, a flat grey color. Behind her was a girl in a school uniform. She had red eyes and blue hair and when her eyes met Shinji's it felt wrong.
Shinji pressed himself against the wall as the two women passed without a word. Something about them, the blue haired girl especially, made him want to stay as far away as possible.
"Well, most of us are friendly anyway." Misato said with a shrug.
"Who was that?" Shinji asked, watching the pair until they turned another corner.
"That was Builder Ritsuko Akagi with the Mekhanites. You might have heard them called the Church of The Broken God. I understand there is some history between your faiths."
"You could say that." Shinji said, getting his breathing back under control as the sheer panic that had gripped him began to recede. "What was that thing with her?"
"That wasn't a thing, that's Rei Ayanami. She is the pilot for Unit Zero. You'll be the pilot for Unit One, provided you all can finish it."
Misato did not deign to explain any further. They continued walking until she brought Shinji to a door in an otherwise unremarkable hallway. There was a nameplate by the door announcing that this was the office of Volutaar Kozo Fuyutsuki, along with a simplified seal of Ion, a sharp looking 4-armed vortex.
"Do come in." A polite and elderly sounding voice came from within when Misato knocked.
The door slid open and Shinji was… further confused. The office was not a ritual chamber, or a workshop, or even a modern laboratory. It was an office. Shinji had seen offices on TV. It had inoffensively beige walls, a metal desk and file cabinets painted in an off brown color, and plain black chairs with nylon covered cushions. A single steel bookshelf was behind the desk.
There was a paper calendar with a sunset scene on the wall with notes scribbled all over it and the days crossed off in red marker. Today had a bold red ring around it.
"Good afternoon Captain, you are looking lovely today as always." a tall man with deep wrinkles and very gray hair said as he rose from his desk, who Shinji assumed was Volutaar Fuyutsuki.
"Good afternoon, Volutaar." Misato said.
"Oh I've told you time and time again that Kozo is perfectly acceptable between us." Fuyutsuki said with a smile, standing to shake Misato's hand as she and Shinji entered the small room.
"Oh and this must be Yui's son, how pleasant to see you again young man." Kozo said, giving a small bow as he enthusiastically shook Shinji's hand, which the young man returned.
"It's nice to meet you Sir, um, I don't think we've met."
"It was a very long time ago, I would not have expected you to recall. I don't think you were even talking yet." Kozo said, still smiling warmly. He then turned to Misato.
"Well I shall take it from here Captain. See you at tomorrow's early meeting. Hm, yes goodbye."
Kozo told Misato all this in the kindest of voices while rushing her out the door as rapidly as possible. With her gone and the door locked, Kozo let out a sigh.
"Dear me, it is sometimes so tedious working with them. Right, let's have a look at you. Naked from the waist up if you would please."
"Yes, Volutaar." Shinji quickly responded. A Volutaar was second only to a Karcist, who themselves were second only to, for all intents and purposes, God. "She seemed nice."
"Oh they all do. We all do I dare say." Kozo said, taking off his dark robe and throwing it over a chair, followed by the jacket of his three-piece suit. "Less than twenty years ago we were all trying to kill each other and look at us now! Amazing what a common enemy will do. Nice as they are, trust no one here."
"Even my father?"
"Most especially your father." Kozo said with a smirk.
With Shinji bare from the belly up, Kozo leaned down and placed the index finger of his right hand on Shinji's chest, near the sternum and over the heart. With a puzzled look on his face, he pushed down his thumb, then slowly the rest of his fingers. Finally, he made a disappointed 'hmph'.
"Is something wrong, Volutaar?"
Kozo took his hand from Shinji's chest and stood straight. "Have you any changes at all to yourself? Everything seemed quite… normal."
"No, Volutaar."
"Well why not? Fifteen years of life and you've lived with one of the more skilled shapers in Asia, I would have expected some optimization at least, a poisoners gland, some gills, something. I had a rather fetching set of horns when I was your age."
"Uncle said those were all child's play."
"Did he now? And what was he teaching you instead?"
"Body control mostly. I mean I can heal just about anything on another body too, but Uncle thinks control of our own flesh is the most important thing there is."
"Indeed." Kozo said, now a great deal more interested. "And to what level can you control your own body, m'boy?"
"Well, all of it, Sir."
"All of it?"
"All uncle had to teach me." Shinji said. "Uncle forbade me from anything too radical until after puberty, and I wasn't allowed to ask about the white worm, but I can adjust my metabolism, filter toxins, transmute nutrients. Uncle said a poisoners gland was a crutch."
"Indeed." Kozo said, eyebrows raised in mild surprise. "He's not wrong either. What about practical skill, what do you know besides healing?"
Shinji shrugged. "I can modify life, but I've never made something from scratch. I'm a pretty good healer, but brain damage and telomeres still give me trouble."
They give me trouble too, Kozo thought, though he did not voice it. It was like the boy's uncle had bypassed everything not absolutely required of a master. The boy knew everything he needed to figure out the flash things for himself.
"I see." Kozo said instead. "Shinji, I am going to put you on a somewhat accelerated course of study, so that you may understand what we do here. I need you to be able to start work as soon as possible. You see the other organizations here have quite broad staffs of personnel, hundreds if not thousands. However due to our people's way of doing things, bringing you in only brings our number to five. Six if you count a construct."
"Oh." Shinji said.
"Do put your clothes back on." Kozo said, turning to the bookshelf behind desk.
"Oh, yes. Thank you, Volutaar." Shinji said, picking up his shirt.
"Sir is fine, Shinji." Kozo said, taking books from the shelf. "Though if you would find Sensei more comfortable, it would also be acceptable. Should I assume you are intimately familiar with the Valkzaron?"
"Chapter and verse, Sir. Uncle insisted."
"Good. In Japanese, english or…"
"Proto-Uralic, I think is what the language is called."
Shinji flinched when Kozo dropped a stack of books he had already collected. Shinji ducked his head as the Volutaar slowly turned his gaze to him. When Kozo spoke, it was slow and deliberately.
"You can read the script of Adytum?"
"Y-yes."
"Who taught you?"
"Um, well nobody Sir. There was a ritual and… Sir, I'm sorry I didn't say anything before, I thought it was normal and someone of your, well I mean, I thought."
"Shinji, I am not mad. Just rather surprised." Kozo said in a reassuring tone. "Here come pick these up."
Kozo turned back to the bookshelf and started grabbing volumes much more quickly. Once he handed them to Shinji, the boy suddenly felt rather top heavy and the books were stacked over his head. The Volutaar did not seem to care, quickly picking up the handset of the phone on his desk.
"Aoba, my office if you please. Our pilot has..." Kozo said. He had intended to tell his assistant to get the boy some proper clothes and see to his quarters.
However the sirens had just begun to sound.
Kozo pulled on his robe and called for Shinji to follow. Kozo moved at a rapid walk and Shinji was weaving around the mass of people running in all directions around them. Kozo it seemed moved aside for no one, they all moved for him.
"Move it idiot!" A loud and shrill female voice said. Before Shinji could move he was slammed into the hallway wall from behind. All he saw of the one responsible was a flash of red hair in a black coverall suit disappearing into the crowd.
Shinji and Kozo passed through a door with a code lock into an empty hallway with a very large door at the end.
"What is your experience with constructs, Shinji?"
"Um, I mean a little sir." Shinji said as Kozo set his chin on a bar before a machine began to scan his eye. "I've helped with the dogs and stuff."
Kozo thought for a moment about how casually the boy had said that. The guardians that watched over villages of Ion are the stuff of the common man's nightmares. As large as men, covered in eyes and razor sharp scales, usually with several extra limbs. And yet to Shinji they were simply dogs.
The scan complete, there was a hiss before the vault door began to open. The familiar smell of flesh and viscera washed over Shinji. It was comforting in a way. Everything had smelled… not clean really, but sanitized since he arrived here. The overwhelming smells of bleach and ammonia.
"Well, this will be more simple than that to a degree…" Kozo said as he stepped through the great door into darkness, the floodlights of the simply massive room audibly warming up.
"... While on the other hand being an order of magnitude greater."
SCP-5268-3 Unit One, delegated to the Sarkic cults, was to be the second active unit. It was anticipated at the time that of the construction methods to be employed the 'growing' of a flesh construct would be outpaced only by the Church of The Broken God. However, due to an accident early in the process which resulted in the loss of Sarkic chief of operations Yui Ikari (also known as Karcist XXXXXX), production was stalled. (See Incident Log 5268-Beta-1). The skeleton of the construct had been completed along with those organs deemed necessary and 63% of the major muscle groups. Containment equipment in the form of Scranton Pylons have also been installed.
Very little progress was made on Unit One before the events surrounding the attempted containment breach by SCP-5268-2-Gamma, referred to in [DATA EXPUNGED] as "Sachiel", eleven years later.
Asuka ran towards her hanger, shoving a slack jawed menial out of the way.
"Move it idiot!"
Asuka tapped her foot, waiting for the console to verify her identity.
"Come on, come on, come on…" Asuka grumbled before all but jumping through the gap as soon as the vault door opened. She sprinted up the gantries, past the Sable and Or giant. Asuka barely slowed down to strip off her jumpsuit, revealing the skin tight neuro-reactive garment beneath. As she slid into the pilot's throne, hexagrammic wards danced in lightning bright light. She could feel the hum of the ouroborus Thorium-Aether reactor spooling up. Unit Two was truly the greatest of all of the giants, Asuka thought, and she owned the controlling shares. The amalgamation of every technology and technique money could buy, and stolen if it could not be bought, in this dimension and many others.
"Asset Specialist Asuka Carter Soryu, Marshall Carter and Dark, ready for launch!"
In the next bay over, a Beryllium-Bronze cyclops began to stir, a cacophony of noise as gears ground together, punctuated by the hiss of great gouts of steam heralding the sealing of armor. Unit Zero's crimson eye flickered to life.
The voice of Ritsuko Akagi came into the cockpit, tiny through the speaker. "Adept, does all lie well?"
Rei closed her eyes, the data flowing through the hard wire connection of the port at the base of her skull. She communed with the spirit of her Kolossus, feeling the heat of the plasma reactor that would fuel the Thermal Lance that made up her right arm, while sparks danced over the gauntlet of Mekhane on her left.
"All functions with his blessing, Builder Akagi."
"Then go, to do his work."
"Apprentice Adept Rei Ayanami, Church of the Broken God, ready for launch."
Several bays away, things were much less orderly.
"Shinji, I need you to keep an eye on that artery..." Kozo chided, working on a rather tricky gland.
"I'm tryin' over here!" Shinji shouted back, slapping away a tentacle while fighting off another that had hold of his leg.
When the designated pilot of Unit One was first brought into contact with the construct, there was an immediate reaction. Uninhibited and explosive growth, described as being "in the style of a cancer" by Volutaar Fuyutsuki, on the part of the construct threatened a containment breach. With mainline assets oriented towards the arrival of Gamma, Volutaar Fuyutsuki made the decision to utilize the growth to complete the construct. The plan was ultimately successful, which was fortunate given how other forces fared.
Incident Report: 5268-Gamma
...verifying secure connection.
...verifying Foundation credentials.
WARNING: Your access credentials are provisional. Accessing further documentation on SCP-5268 will alert Site Director Ikari and require debrief by an Ethics Council representative.
[Open Y/N?]