SCP-1428 – "Cortexichildren"

Chapter 11: Identity

Disclaimers: During the writing process, all of the SCP number selections I have used were / are vacant. I don't intend to publish this on the wiki, so if the series number is now taken… I DON'T GIVE A FUCK FUCK IT. This is mainly a crossover fic, not a SCP event log that will go on the site.

Forever reminder that I do not own anything. Fringe belongs to J.J. & co. Each SCP belongs to their respective individual author. The SCP universe belongs to that collective on that site. I do not own anything. I am a fan.

Forever reminder of how I handle alt!characters: Over There: Bob. Over Somewhere Else: Bob.

Author's Notes: I was stuck on this chapter for a long time. But then me getting stuck also helped me – it changed how the chapter played out. It was originally going to be a lot more Olivia-based, but then it turned into more of a Doctor-focused chapter. & the story needed one.

I've also come up with an indicator of true success for this story: if Markiplier reads this, likes this, & encourages others to do so, then I have truly made it. I'm kidding. I'm not kidding. I don't know about my life anymore.

Cortexichildren

Item #: SCP-1428

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-1428-1 and SCP-1428-2 are to be contained in separate five-by-five meter rooms and must be sedated at all times. A constant flooding of Class A sedatives in gaseous form will be used to keep the subjects in a docile, non-violent state. Direct and sustained contact from unauthorized personnel with either subject is prohibited. Violators will be immediately terminated to prevent further deaths via the hosts. Food and water must be provided three times a day through the airlock tubes installed in their cells. Separation of the two humanoid hosts has been authorized indefinitely.

Transportation Procedures: Under no circumstances is SCP-1428-1 to be transported individually. And under no circumstances is SCP-1428-1 to be removed from its containment cell.

While SCP-1428-2 is being transported from its cell to a research facility, the highest sedatives must be used at all times. Upon entering the cell, Class A sedatives must be administered immediately and must continue to be administered until the subject is docile and cooperative enough to move without incident. Those transporting and those having any other form of contact with the subject must have Class A sedatives on them at all times. Once the subject has been successfully transferred to a secure research room, sedatives given to the subject will be lowered to Class B. Once questioning and research have finished, repeat transportation procedures.

Description: SCP-1428 is an unknown chemical substance called Cortexiphan. The Foundation assumes that it is man-made, but the exact nature of its ingredients are unknown at present time.

SCP-1428 was given to SCP-1428-1 and SCP-1428-2 as children [exact ages unknown] during the drug trials [DATA REDACTED]. The administering and activation of SCP-1428 spawned the abilities SCP-1428-1 and SCP-1428-2 now possess. However the way of administration, amount needed to trigger the onset of such abilities, and the specifics of the activation process are unknown.

SCP-1428, according to SCP-1428-2, acts on the host's perception, allowing for the control of the reality around it. It widens the possibilities and awareness of each host's mind uniquely, which may explain the stark differences between SCP-1428-1 and SCP-1428-2. Although despite their differences [or perhaps because of them], during the drug trials, SCP-1428-1 and SCP-1428-2 were paired together, forming a psychic bond. The strength and specifics of this bond are unknown, but according to SCP-1428-2, it can sense SCP-1428-1's presence and emotional state, especially in times of heightened stress. SCP-1428-1, before dual containment had been granted, expressed a frantic desire to be reunited with SCP-1428-2. SCP-1428-2 especially harbors protective feelings toward SCP-1428-1. When SCP-1428-2 learned that SCP-1428-1 was going to be moved to an armed containment facility, it breached, successfully negotiated its way to SCP-1428-1, and attempted to escape with SCP-1428-1. When both hosts are separate from each other, the two frequently demand to know where the other is and express great concern in the other's welfare.

SCP-1428-1 is a white male of average height with blond hair and blue eyes. It refers to itself as "Nick." SCP-1428-1 is a reverse-empath, with the capability of transferring its emotions to those around it. SCP-1428-1 is emotionally unstable and highly suicidal. It is prone to self-hatred and self-harm, which are highly dangerous when they are transferred to innocents around it. The violent manifestations of SCP-1428-1 are varied, ranging from [DATA REDACTED] to even the most brutal displays of [DATA REDACTED]. The range of these abilities and whether only negative emotions can transfer to humans around it is unknown. So far SCP-1428-1 has been responsible for ██ Foundation deaths.

SCP-1428-2 is a white female of average height with blonde hair and hazel eyes. It refers to itself as "Olivia." According to SCP-1428-1, SCP-1428-2 is the stronger of the two. Prior to its containment breach, SCP-1428-2's known abilities were: abnormal acute hearing; the power to manipulate certain metals; and the ability to see different outcomes and potential futures. However during its breach, SCP-1428-2 displayed signs of pyrokinesis, telekinesis, and electricity manipulation. SCP-1428-2 expresses that it lacks adequate control of its abilities. So far SCP-1428-2 has been responsible for ██ Foundation deaths.

During the event [DATA REDACTED], SCP-1428-2 was seen trying to calm SCP-1428-1 down from its suicidal state. However, SCP-1428-2 failed, resulting in [DATA REDACTED]. During this event, SCP-1428-2 expressed concern for the innocent people affected. However, the extent of these feelings is unknown.

Note-02: All unauthorized contact is prohibited. SCP-1428-1's empathic abilities are too great and our understanding of SCP-1428-2's abilities has only just begun.

[[THE INFORMATION BELOW IS FOR PERSONNEL WITH LEVEL 4 CLEARANCE AND ABOVE ONLY]]

…

Addendum-06: Neither host must be allowed to breach again. There have been too many fatalities. SCP-1428-1's effects on people have been… disturbing. And SCP-1428-2's growing hostility and increasing instances of violence is a topic of great concern.

O5-2 : The O5 still stand with the original Euclid rating. These events, however troubling, do not remotely resemble a XK scenario. SCP-1428-2 will undergo questioning today. Whoever helped it escape will be immediately terminated via firing squad.

Log 1428-2-11:

Dr. J. Kwon:

I think it's safe to say that Dr. Warren and I have made a break through.

After hours of testing SCP-1428-2's blood, we've found some interesting results:

SCP-1428-2's blood contains elevated amounts of [DATA REDACTED], trace amounts of [DATA REDACTED], abnormal amounts of [DATA REDACTED], and the presence of [DATA REDACTED], which is not seen in normal humans.

Personal Log of Dr. Jung Kwan:

The results of the blood test prove more than promising. I wonder if those measurements are the secret to unlocking Cortexiphan. Are those the building blocks for creating it?

I can see myself in the O5 Command already. And I can see the removal of Dr. Hendricks and the promotion of Dr. Warren, too. Everything is in position. The time has come.

Personal Log of Dr. Brenda Montgomery:

I'm still new around here. And because I'm so new, I don't exactly know who has access to these personal logs. I'm not sure how secure this all is. But I have to get this off my chest. It's burning me up inside:

What exactly IS humanity? Where do we draw the line between something that is human and something that is humanoid? This job requires that I draw a line and yet… I find myself unable to do so. And because I'm unable to do so, I'm looked at as a lesser being – some idiot that shouldn't even be here but by the grace of affirmative action. My colleagues mock me, reprimand me, and threaten me because I can't draw this distinction. But no one will tell me the finite answer: WHAT is the distinction? WHERE is the line? What is the list I have to check off in my mind? What are the diagnostics and guidelines for me to follow?

I've been taught to value the humanity of a person, no matter how small – even traces of humanity in a thing. And I believe that… that "it" is human. And thus I believe that "it" has value.

I've heard that there's a difference between a human with abilities and a humanoid with scientific anomalies, but somehow that does not apply here. Why doesn't it apply here? What makes this Foundation so different? Why does everyone around me conduct themselves in such a cold, removed manor?

Was it a mistake to come here? Should I have worked at Zoetics instead?

"Why don't you care to inform us what you REALLY are?"

Olivia's throat seized up. She couldn't breathe, let alone speak.

'That's Walter's voice. But how? How could that be? Unless-'

No. No this was the absolute worst case scenario she could ever come up with. She had been put in a containment cell, she had been tested on, she had been tortured… and it had all been Walter's doing. The Walter of this universe was with the likes of them.

Suddenly nothing was safe. Olivia wasn't safe; Nick wasn't safe; the secrets they held were far from safe. Walter would find out. Walter had the intellect – because a version of him had created the substance in the first place. And another version of him had correctly isolated and recreated Cortexiphan and used it for his side. Surely this Walter, this mastermind, could do something similar, if not worse. He was the enemy she knew nothing about.

But despite the odds stacked against her, she still wouldn't tell them – tell him. They would have to force the information out of her dead body. Only when she was DEAD would her body unlock its secrets. And even then, they – he – still wouldn't get everything they wanted. She could not trust ANY information with that man, a man as motivated as him, with no sense of morals or ethics when it came to greatness, hubris, godliness. Being part of the O5 class probably was god status for these SCP fucks. He was far greater than anything Walter ever had or tried to become.

Why did she fail? Why couldn't they have escaped? Now their fate was sealed. Now there was no hope to be found. She could kiss Peter and any chance of having a normal life good-bye. She would be a lab rat and a prisoner for the rest of her life. And she would be indirectly the cause of so many innocent deaths, so much suffering.

And even worse, they were probably going to question her about her release. They HAD to have known that someone helped her. Surely they couldn't be that stupid, right? Nick and her were spotted with a S-Nav with a calibrated route; they knew where they were going. And only someone with the proper clearance could have given Olivia that information. It couldn't have been a guard or one of those D-class personnel; it had to have been a Doctor or higher.

Olivia looked up. Through a pane of glass, directly in front of her, she saw a panel of doctors. They were probably too terrified to come any closer to Olivia [she couldn't blame them.] She also had no idea when they had arrived.

But Olivia did notice that Dr. Montgomery was amongst them. And that she looked quite worse for wear. Her normally dark face was ashen, pale. She was sweating, shaking. It was so painfully obvious to the point that Olivia wanted to get up, blast through the glass, and slap the woman; she had every tell showing in the book. Unless she could play it off like she was coming down the flu, the Foundation would find her guilty. And she would break. She would crack faster than Nick. And then any small glimmer of help would be gone. It would be Nick and Olivia versus the world – versus the Foundation – with no chance of hope left.

And this SCP Foundation was hoping for Olivia to break. And if she didn't… she would probably face the consequences. Death would be a gift for her.

"Who was it that helped you, SCP-1428-2? Who gave you that S-Nav and set you free?" It was Walter's voice again.

Olivia couldn't help but shudder from that low, menacing tone. Even the Walter of the Other Side could not compare to the sheer power of this man. Even Walter had humanity. But this version… any traces of humanity had long since expired. Any traces of a conscience, of compassion, pity, or any emotion, had long since disintegrated from his system completely.

But she would hold her ground against this disembodied voice. Because this Walter was still only a voice; she did not see him and his truly appalling face. As long as he kept himself distanced from her, she would remain strong.

And she had another thing going for her – an ace in the hole: the fact that she KNEW who he was. It was only one man on a panel of unknown potential, but it was a start. And it was something she would keep in her pocket.

She smirked at the speaker, smirked directly at the man behind it, behind the veil of power. "I won't say another word to you the likes of you."

Personal Log of Dr. Wallace Hendricks:

SCP-1428-2's status has been elevated since the recent breach. The situation has only gotten graver. And there are less and less staff qualified to deal with the matter. For that reason and for that reason only… I am being kept on this project. I'm walking on the smallest of wires. The margin of error, the expectation of perfection… I thought it was unbearable a week ago, but it's stifling now.

I should consider myself lucky, because they're offering to turn a blind eye. And I DO consider myself lucky. And I'm not going to turn this down, but… something tells me that I should.

I'm slipping. Being in contact with SCP-1428-1… it's pushed me to the brink. I'm especially susceptible to it. And I'm surprised that no one has noticed – not even Dr. Kwon and all his supposed brilliance. I want to alert everyone, because I am potentially endangering this whole operation, but I don't want to see Dr. Kwon's smug face when I admit defeat. When I admit that I am a coward.

No. I can't lose it. And I can't let myself be brought down to Dr. Winters' sadistic ways, either. I can't fall into drastic measures. And yet… I RESENT that SCP-1428-1 and its power. I RESENT the fact that it can make me feel like a helpless human being, completely devoid of any substance, of any worth in this world. Even now, I can barely keep myself under control. Even now, when I'm not even in direct contact with the organism, I feel these urges… and I gratify them. I cut into myself – just a little bit, but I do. I can't let my colleagues see all the little lines covering my wrists. I can't let anyone see. I don't even know if I should be writing this. Do the O5 have access to personal files? Oh god.

How many close calls have I had with the SCP-1428-1? 3? 4? I'm the sole survivor, out of every single empathic event. I see everyone else busting their heads open, slicing their necks up, strangling themselves with their innards… and yet I remain. I'm still here. Does the host single me out to live every time? Does it know about its effects on me?

And the host has killed SO MANY good doctors. Some of them were my friends. Some of them I didn't even know, but… they were still human. And now they're dead. And it's all its fault.

I've had problems removing my feelings from situations in the past – I understand that; it's a character flaw and I should be working on it. But… no other SCP experience has prepared me for this. I've had to deal with colleagues dying, yes… but never in such a brutal way. Or in such a personal way. I've never seen so many die right in front of me. I've never had an organism literally control me, driving me to madness. I've never felt THIS much of a grudge or THIS much hatred. Or fear. I'm afraid of what it can do – especially after the breach. And I'm afraid of what I will do in light of the breach.

And now I have reason to fear SCP-1428-2. It used to be almost harmless, only yelling at us empty threats. But now… it can burst through walls with fire; it can deflect bullets in mid-air; it can bend electricity to its will. It's even more powerful than SCP-1428-1. The possibilities of its power… it's seemingly limitless. It truly IS the stronger one of the two. Why didn't we listen to it?

And what about the rest of the potential Cortexichildren? What have we done? How many more innocent people will have to die, if all these potential hosts have powers like the specimens we have here? Would we be able to contain them all? Do we want to contain them all? Should I put a stop to all of this – to SCP-1428-1's reign of terror and SCP-1428-2's breaches? Is that what I have to do? Is that my true purpose, instead of scientific brilliance?

I can't even think straight anymore.

"Olive? Olive, where are you? I… I can't see. I can't see, Olive! Are you in here with me?"

He woke up in blackness, blackness everywhere. Was he blind or was the room made of blackness, the same blackness the demons in his mind were made of?

"Olive?! Answer me! Please!" His voice broke. He was broken. Everything was broken.

His voice echoed in the black room. It terrified him. It made his blood boil. It made his skin crawl. It made his lungs contract and his voice shrivel to a wretched whimper. "I… I can't do this anymore. You've beaten me. You've won. Can you hear me? Leave Olive alone. Let her go."

But no one was listening to him, were they? He was forgotten, wasn't he? Just like he always was. Even in this scientific hell hole, nothing had changed. He was still alone.

Olivia didn't know how many hours she spent glaring at the panel, at the speaker, at the stupid logos plastered on the walls. But she remained silent. They flooded gas into the room, the same funny orange color the injections were, but she yielded nothing. And the gas was all they had. They weren't going to try electricity again. She would only bend it to her will – or did they know that? They had made so many blunders before.

Olivia was stone cold, stone silent. She was relentless in her resolve – so relentless that much of the panel had left. They had given up in mass exasperation and disbelief; how could a specimen hold out for so long? Dr. Montgomery had been the first to get up and leave. Olivia hoped it didn't cause any suspicion. But her exit was the one that initiated the chain reaction.

Now only three remained. And Hendricks was among them. Along with that nasty Dr. Winters. And another doctor with features she just couldn't make out.

Walter's voice had stopped ordering a few hours ago. The apathetic female had taken over, but she hadn't said much. It was a waiting game between the command and Olivia. And they were losing.

Olivia stared right in the direction of Hendricks, as if to taunt him. He squirmed under her gaze, causing her to smirk. 'That's it. Take the bait. Do something desperate. Make a mistake. You're getting sloppy, Hendricks; help me out, here.'

Hendricks soon addressed her, his voice now echoing in her hollow room. "What will it take to finally get you to talk, SCP-1428-2?"

Still with the formalities? Olivia raised an eyebrow at them, still taunting. 'I don't know, Hendricks; you tell me.'

Fifteen minutes or so passed. Now the only doctors that were left were Winters and Hendricks. Olivia was certain that the two of them were conspiring to try something. But she was ready. Any tactic designed to throw her off guard, to get her vulnerable and weak, would not work. Olivia was not going to lose. Olivia would never yield to the likes of them.

"It would be pointless to threaten you, SCP-1428-2, so we've decided to implement another strategy…" Dr. Hendricks pulled out a black remote. It had only one button. And it was red.

She didn't like where this was going, but she still wouldn't talk. Hendricks would spill his secrets for her. A man of his arrogance and hubris loved to hear himself talk, especially when he thought he was intimidating.

"SCP-1428-1 on the other hand…" He traced his long fingers over the button, almost sensually. Sick bastard. "What would happen if I were to torture him instead? Hmmm? What then?"

Olivia's eyes narrowed. The man couldn't possibly be serious, could he? Was he bluffing? He was going to risk pushing Nick? Pushing her? Just to toy with her? He hadn't even asked her a question. Where were those O5 members? Were they sanctioning this, or were the two doctors acting on their own?

"You think I'm bluffing, don't you, SCP-1428-2? You doubt me. Even a thing like you thinks they can sense weakness, thinks that they're superior to a man of my intellect and prowess. Well, SCP-1428-2…" He stood up, approached the glass, and pounded on it with both fists. Olivia could see ripples moving their way through the glass' surface from the force. His blue eyes were bloodshot and dilated. His nostrils were inflamed. She could see multiple individual blood vessels bursting from his forehead, his neck, his temples. "I – am – not – bluffing!" He pressed the button with a sick satisfaction, grinning when he got the immediate feedback – Nick's screams echoing through the speakers.

Olivia unsuccessfully lunged at him, held back by the chains tied around her wrists. They weren't made of ordinary metal. And they weren't going to give anytime soon. Damnit. She didn't want to show him emotion. She didn't want to show Hendricks that he had gotten under her skin… but she couldn't help it. And emotions weren't always a sign of weakness, especially in her case.

"Put – the remote – down," Olivia seethed, although still very collected. Even though her body continued to strain and struggle against the restraints, her voice did not waver. "What do you want, exactly?"

But Hendricks did the unthinkable; he hit the button again. Repeatedly. So much that Nick's cries for pain did not cease. They continued and they echoed around the room and hit her right in the face, full force.

"You're going to kill him!" Olivia roared at him. "Are you happy with that? Is your Foundation happy with killing a precious resource? What do you want from me? Are you just hoping for a response? Is it anger? Do you want anger? Because I will give you anger the likes of which you have never seen before." Already the lights were starting to flicker. Olivia could feel the energy from it. She could control it. She could bend the lights to her will. "You're a fool, Hendricks; you're nothing more but a fool."

That triggered him to hold down the button. To come right up against the glass and breathe against it, panting laboriously, sweating profusely, swearing continuously. The man had broken. But Olivia couldn't fixate on Dr. Hendricks' madness; she had to save Nick.

Olivia's mind raced to find a solution. 'Turn off all the power. That remote has to be getting energy from somewhere. And even if the remote is powered by something in this room, the power will shut off. Everyone will panic. And they'll send in the guards. They'll have to escort me back to my cell. Or they might take me to Nick.'

So she did. She closed her eyes and opened her mind to her "abilities," as much as she hated to use them. Because every time she had to use them or every time they activated, she felt a bitter burning creep at the back of her throat. She hated her herself right now, and she could taste the burning bile now, but she had to. For Nick. Even for her.

If she concentrated hard enough, she could feel the surging of the electricity in the room – maybe even in this whole side of the facility, but that wasn't necessary. If she concentrated hard enough, she could turn it all down. She breathed in deeply and she felt herself drawing the energy out. And she felt the energy drawing into her, like one energy source merely transferring to another. And the room dimmed – she couldn't see it dim, but she could hear the chaos unfolding outside. Doctors were screaming and the black guards were mobilizing. She could hear their feet contacting with the darkening ground, drawing closer and closer to her location.

And then with one final breath, one final push, the room plunged into darkness. And panic soared with the darkness.

She was getting out of there. And Hendricks… she couldn't see Hendricks through the darkness. But now, more than ever, she wanted to stare him down. She wanted to unravel him. She wanted to selfishly give him a taste of his own medicine.

Olivia flickered the power on long enough to give him the same smug glare he was accustomed to giving her. And when she went under, her last image was actually a treat.

The man was ruffled. The man was furious. But most of all, the man was scared.

A doctor in his position should never be scared – it always leads to mistakes.

Personal Log of Dr. Wallace Hendricks:

I'm done. I'm finished. I'm dead.

I lost it. I lost all control.

I just…

O5 Log 01428-1386WH-O2-1:

Dr. Hendricks has been emotionally compromised for the last time. The SCP Foundation cannot afford any more staff members to violate SCP neutrality. And the SCP Foundation cannot afford to lose any more doctors in the wake of SCP-1428-1 and SCP-1428-2's numerous fatal incidents.

But rather than terminate Dr. Hendricks, we have opted to restore him to his previous mental state. The Dr. Hendricks of the past followed the Foundation and only the Foundation; he did not succumb to petty feelings of revenge or hatred. Dr. Hendricks has been scarred by these subjects and we will simply remove those scars. We will remove the cancerous memories and urges driving him to such extremes.

After careful deliberation, all of O5 Command decided on [DATA EXPUNGED]. The effects of SCP-████'s on the recipient are quite remarkable. The process will be a test for Dr. Kwon's proposed substance, too.

After the emotional repurposing procedure, Dr. Hendricks will return to his previous self-calculating and removed self. But Dr. Hendricks will not return to the Cortexiphan Project. For Dr. Hendricks' safety [and for the safety of the entire Foundation], he will be reassigned to SCP-███. In his stead, Dr. Kwon will be promoted to the head of the project.

If complications should arise, the O5 will enact additional measures, but we are confident that this reassignment will be his last.