Do everything for the love of it.
Item#: 9811
Level2
Containment Class:
euclid
Secondary Class:
none
Disruption Class:
ekhi
Risk Class:
caution
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-9811 is to be strictly cordoned off from unauthorized access. Knowledge of SCP-9811's existence is to be restricted to personnel with a minimum of five years of experience. Exceptions may be made on a need-to-know basis. Additionally, given the memetic effect that the facility has on those who enter it, personnel may not enter SCP-9811 under any circumstances without prior approval for research.
The logo featured on SCP-9811.
Description: SCP-9811 is the Foundation designation for the "Montanna [sic] Natural and Cultural History Museum." The building has three entrances: Visitors, Guests, and Staff. Only the Staff entrance appears to be inaccessible. Foundation personnel have yet to determine how to access this port; attempts to utilize other anomalies, including SCP-005, have been unsuccessful.
Inhabiting SCP-9811 are humanoids officially designated as SCP-9811-1. These humanoids act as employees within SCP-9811 and typically curate exhibits within the building. Blood, hair, and urine samples indicate that these anomalies appear to be standard members of the species Homo sapiens. None have been seen exiting or entering the building, and when questioned, they do not appear to remember specific details of how they arrived. SCP-9811-1 instances generally demonstrate a benign affect and are open to questioning. Through communicating with them, the Foundation has been able to construct a working map of SCP-9811.
Located within SCP-9811 are a series of artifacts (or "displays") officially designated as SCP-9811-2. These objects are organized into four exhibits:
- Montanna's [sic] Own Monsters
- The Wide and Whimsical World
- Who and Where we Come From
- From Lithographs, to Lenses, to Lasers! (Special exhibit; rotates quarterly.)
A fifth exhibit remains unfinished. There is also a small café located in the lobby.
An external view of SCP-9811 prior to shutdown, sourced from a review site.
Discovery: SCP-9811 was discovered after Foundation webcrawlers flagged a series of entries on a popular tourist attraction review site. Reviewers spoke of odd and unnatural occurrences within the facility, and a few complained about the apparently misspelled title. The following reviews were pulled directly from the website's Comments section:
Username
Rating
Comment
PassangerPrinciss
★★☆☆☆
I'm confused… what is this place even about? 'Montanna' isn't even real, SMH.
J3SUSS4V3S
★☆☆☆☆
PRAYING for everyone who runs this facility.
oaksicle
★★★☆☆
confusing but kind of a vibe. staff are really nice. a lot of weird things on display… not sure what the flamingo guy thing is about but if thats true its sick. #mingoman
Sk8rBuoy
★★★★☆
Worth it for the monsters, those are sick. Everything else is lowkey mid.
Foundation personnel elected to cordon off the building for initial review. After confirming the anomalous content of the facility, it was decided to cease public access under the guise of structural renovations.
Exploration: Based on the apparently low hazard level — determined by a lack of reported fatalities — it was decided that a lone surveyor was sufficient for facility exploration. Special Operative Tatya Mancy of the Department of Tactical Necromancy was selected due to her experience with archival work and her resurrective abilities. Her objectives were as follows:
- Confirm the anomalous nature of the structure.
- Document 9811-2 instances.
- Determine possible psychological effects, such as an unnatural lure (in the case of 9811-1 instance creation).
- Determine the purpose of the structure.
A series of two expeditions — carried out under the guise of journalistic interviews — were carried out over two days. Full footage and transcripts are available upon request. Included below are summary reports.
SURVEY REPORT 9811.I
Once more into the breach. I headed out at the crack of dawn to drive over. On the way, I received notice that I was being tasked to do a full survey of all four exhibits, including interviews of any present sentient anomalies. Looks like this report is going to be a long one.
It's fortunate that I've always liked museums. There's more than ever meets the surface, secrets behind every display. Also, a lot of them steal things. So every museum's got skeletons in the closet. And I love a good skeleton.
Checking in was easy. Wasn't like I had any weapons on me, unless you count pens as being mightier than swords. Despite the cordon, the 9811-1 instances (I'll be using "staff" for simplicity) were still in fairly good spirits.
On to the first exhibit: "Monsters of Montanna." The brochure advertised local horror stories as well as regional folklore.
Display
Visual Description
Plaque Text Summary
Those Who Walked Before
A handprint cast, fur samples, and a coprolite chunk.
Long ago, giant apes walked the Earth. A mass extinction event — perhaps the dawn of the anthropocene — claimed most of their numbers. Still, Montanna locals claim to see large creatures lurking in the woods, always just out of view…
Hunting Season
A mounted pair of antlers over the static outline of a deer, surrounded by journal pages and newspaper clippings.
Respect and inspect the woods when going hunting. If the deer begin acting strangely, act like you don't notice a thing and turn tail. Many a life has been lost to these mimics in Montanna's woods.
The handprint cast.
Fairly standard cryptid affair, right down to an article about a local named "Bobby." I wondered if the things on display were legitimate or just sensational. I can tell if something's possessed, but I don't exactly have a built-in Hume reader. The handprint was impressive, though, as was the account of retrieving it from the woods with a suspected den nearby.
As I was reading through one of the journal entries, a museum staffer approached me and asked if I had any questions. I decided to turn our chat into my first interview.
....................................................................................................
EXCERPT: INTERVIEW 9811.A ("ALPHA")
ALPHA: …So, yes, to our knowledge, they were just sort of recovered after. I guess I haven't really thought about what goes into actually getting this stuff from the field before. Did you have any other questions?
MANCY: Yeah, actually, some more general ones. If that's alright.
ALPHA: Sure! I don't think we're expecting many guests today.
MANCY: Right. Well, first off— how did you come to work here? It seems like a fairly niche place.
ALPHA: Huh.
ALPHA appears to consider the question for a moment.
ALPHA: I think it sort of found me, actually. I don't know that I could pinpoint the exact moment I said, "Yeah, that's the place!" Let alone when I decided I wanted to work with the monster side of the house. I always sort of liked cryptids, but working directly with this stuff isn't something you really think you can do until you go for it, you know?
MANCY: Could you elaborate?
ALPHA: I mean, I don't think anyone wakes up one day and thinks, 'I want to work with monsters for the rest of my life.' It's the little things you hear about from someone that get you. You might think about it and go, "Maybe someone would be interested in a display about this guy." And then you just make it, and love it. And other people love it! Like…
ALPHA gestures to another set of displays.
ALPHA: These two are totally ridiculous, but they're some of my favorites. The ones you've seen are the classics. That's just, like, the tip of the iceberg. I think now any time someone comes to me like, 'Do you think this could work?' my default answer is 'Fuck yeah!' Why not give it a try, you know?
MANCY: I'd think you'd be more selective with a place like this. No offense— I'm just sort of surprised that people are apparently so into it.
ALPHA: But they totally are! Not everything has to be some grand thing, you know, or reflect some deep and dark part of where we're at. Sometimes it's just a guy that kills people with flamingos. And it's the sickest thing ever.
Display
Visual Description
Plaque Text Summary
The Mingo Man
A set of photographs, newspaper clippings, and pink feathers.
In the late 19th century, a witch was rumored to lurk around the towns of Montanna. The so-called 'Mingo Man' would descend upon his victims with an army of flamingos if he caught them polluting the local waters.
Something Fishy
A fly fishing lure alongside a gilded fishing rod.
A young man once created a lure so dazzling it caught the eye of a local deity. After proving himself to the 'fish god' in a contest of wits, he received a golden fishing rod. Some Montanna fishermen claim you can still encounter the deity if your kit's especially dazzling.
I did enjoy these. I am, in fact, a fan of the Mingo Man. I didn't quite feel like it fit in among what seemed to be a well-established museum, though. Did the Man really hold his own against his more refined counterparts?
Another staffer was setting up a display in the next room. I decided to do the same dance.
....................................................................................................
EXCERPT: INTERVIEW 9811.B ("BETA")
MANCY: …a little surprised you don't seem to like them.
BETA: I mean, okay. There's a place for everything here. Technically. But we should be more judicious.
MANCY: Is that why you took up work here?
BETA: Yes. I felt there were improvements to be made.
MANCY: Feels a little harsh.
BETA: Sometimes you need to be harsh. There was a lot that needed changing early on. Even the state we're in now… there's a lot of staff here who are focused on absolutely stupid things. They parrot each other's quotes, they blow up our reviews. It feels like we've lost the plot. I mean, do you feel like the whole 'fish god' thing fits in here?
MANCY: I've found some of the sillier stuff kind of… questionable, yeah.
BETA: That's putting it lightly. I'll read some of these displays and go, 'Well, that was pretty dumb, wasn't it?' And the problem is, the line isn't always obvious. You don't take yourself seriously, but does that mean you don't take any of this seriously? I'm putting in real work. I'm tackling issues that have affected us for decades. I'm trying to make things better. To have it all diminished feels like an insult.
MANCY: What keeps you here, then?
BETA: How much I love it. I love working on what matters to me. I love when it sparks conversations with the guests. And, listen, it's not that I hate everything that isn't like mine. It's just… I don't know that I can fully put words to it. It's frustrating here, sometimes, but it's also fun to be able to do what I do.
Display
Visual Description
Plaque Text Summary
By Its Cover
A set of demolished toys, a simple chapter book, and a set of recipe cards.
Not all monsters who lurk in our woods are what they seem. Legend speaks of a tamer — someone who, with careful work, coaxed a fearsome hunter into a music prodigy and cooking enthusiast.
Deerest Heart
A collection of religious tomes and artifacts alongside a set of antlers.
(I believe this plaque was recently updated by 9811-1.B.) Rumor has it that amidst a small convent in early Montanna, an antlered girl quietly roamed the halls. Nature smiled upon her, even as shadows crept in at the edges. Through continued support and patience, she came into her own — a benevolent being, powerful in her own right.
Definitely more nuance to these. The deer-girl had quite an extensive bit of folklore around her. It seems like she's a Montanna favorite.
I think, at the end, I just found the contrast interesting. Here were two curators, mere yards apart, and yet their ideas clashed like night and day. I wanted to press further — maybe even speak to both of them together — but I worried that outright pissing off the staffers might block me from excavating the rest of the space.
I moved on to the next exhibit: "The Wide and Whimsical World." The brochure boasted of spirited wildlife and fantastical experiences.
Display
Visual Description
Plaque Text Summary
Meet Our Critters!
A caged-off atrium filled with winged insects.
Montanna's wilderness speaks wisdom to all those willing to hear it. (There were additionally species names for all of the bugs within.)
Didn't quite get the deal here until I had my notepad facing the atrium.
....................................................................................................
EXCERPT: 9811-2 ENCOUNTER ("PHI" & "CHI")
PHI: That's incorrect semicolon usage. Sorry to be pedantic.
MANCY: Who— oh!
The camera turns to face the atrium. A butterfly is perched against the wire mesh screen, apparently the source of the dialogue.
A gathering of "critters."
MANCY: They weren't kidding. You talk.
PHI: You seemed to be struggling a little bit. I can back off and come back later, if you'd like. When you're further along.
MANCY: No, I— thank you?
A moth flutters over.
CHI: You can totally use a semicolon like that! What are you talking about?
PHI: Maybe technically, but it feels clunky. What sort of rhythm are you trying to get across here?
MANCY: Rhythm?
PHI: Like, how do you want this to read?
CHI: She's just jotting down notes. You don't need rhythm for that! But, yeah, using one of those is going to slow down your pace big-time. If you want to convey excitement, don't use a semicolon. Make it short and sweet.
PHI: Yep. Snappy.
CHI: That's a good word for it!
I was going to inquire further, but a staffer entered and rushed over to the atrium display. They began to speak fervently with the insects.
....................................................................................................
EXCERPT: 9811-1 & 9811-2 COMMUNICATION ("GAMMA" & "PHI"/"CHI")
GAMMA: It has to be perfect, though, you know? We can't make it basic. This is the big one!
PHI: Focus on something that resonates with all of you.
CHI: But also, don't overthink it! Sometimes the simplest things can be what hits home the most. Like… I don't know, Death. Or Sports.
MANCY: Sorry to snoop, but what are you talking about?
The three entities pause to look over.
GAMMA: Gosh, I'm sorry! I should've waited my turn. I've just been making myself sick over this. My atychiphobia is driving me crazy!
MANCY: Your atychi— right. Okay. Anyways, can you tell me more about what's going on?
GAMMA: Not that much. It's the last exhibit. We're starting to realize we need to plan towards it, since everything else is a bit full and we're having people chomp at the bit for more.
PHI: We're here for help if you need it. Don't panic.
GAMMA: I know, I know— look, I don't want to cut your experience short, but if you're done—?
MANCY: Not at all. I get it. I'll just keep browsing.
CHI: Let me know if you want me to look over whatever you're doing later! We don't seem to be very busy today.
I wanted to listen more, but it didn't exactly feel mission-critical to snoop on a panicking staffer. I also didn't have context for much of what they were saying.
Besides, there was plenty more to observe.
Display
Visual Description
Plaque Text Summary
Hubert!
An octopus in a large aquarium tank.
Unlike his winged friends, Hubert is more standoffish, only talking to those on his intellectual level. He's also a puzzle prodigy.
....................................................................................................
EXCERPT: 9811-2 ENCOUNTER ("HUBERT")
MANCY: Hi, Hubert—
HUBERT: Absolutely not.
MANCY: Fair enough.
Fantasy as a whole has always sort of gone over my head, but that one stung.
Display
Visual Description
Plaque Text Summary
Pitcher Perfect
A rainforest-themed enclosure with three pitcher plants.
These plants attract more than just flies. Their music can even lure in an unsuspecting guest. (There were instructions on how to report a guest falling into the enclosure.)
A staffer hurried over when I stopped to observe the plants' song for a little too long. After assuring them I was alright, I decided to strike up another interview.
....................................................................................................
EXCERPT: INTERVIEW 9811.D ("DELTA")
DELTA: …just making sure!
MANCY: Thank you! I'm pretty resistant to any kind of siren song. Or, plant song, I guess. I've got enough going on up here to drown all that out. While you're here, though, can I ask you a few things?
DELTA: Totally— I mean I don't mind! [laughs] What's up?
MANCY: How did you come to work here?
DELTA moves to sit on a bench near the enclosure.
DELTA: The museum's always just sort of called to me, I think. I loved places like this growing up. I loved all of the weird and wonderful things in them.
MANCY: Weird and wonderful, like… Hubert?
DELTA: [laughs] Oh, Hubert's too good for me, too. But that kind of fantastic quality… things larger than life. Bringing the past to the present. Experiencing all different worlds. I've always been kind of a daydreamer, if you couldn't tell. I think I just belong in a place like this.
MANCY: I have to admit, I don't quite get it. These displays, at least.
DELTA: In what sense? I can try to explain.
MANCY: I don't know. I don't always get the appeal. Talking animals, sentient plants, it's— it's fun! It's all fun. But it feels sort of fanciful, when you know how the world tends to be.
DELTA: I mean, it's all real here.
MANCY: Oh, no, I get that, I just… I mean, look at you. Do you ever frown?
DELTA: Hardly! I get that, though. This place, though, is my little… happy domain, I guess. There's a lot out there that's scary. But I can come here and escape from all of it. I can work on these silly little displays and chat with the critters and laugh with guests. It does suck when we have to pull someone out of the plants, but that's just part of how it is here. What's life without a little intrigue, you know?
MANCY: Do you ever find yourself focusing too much on things here, though? Like… shutting out the world. Shutting out your problems in favor of hanging out with your insect buddies.
DELTA: Sure, sometimes. But I also like to let what I work on here inform everything I do. Maybe some things in life are rough, and dark, and dismal, but adding a little whimsy to your world helps. And how else are you gonna keep going? Hope thrives off of your celebration of the joy she gives you. I mean, how do you keep yourself vested in the things you do?
Definitely need to up the hazard level for this place. Those plants are a force to be reckoned with.
I wasn't quite sure what I felt leaving this exhibit. On one hand, I had evidence that the museum was officially anomalous with a capital "A," but on the other, a new layer of complexity seemed evident. One of our questions going into this review was how the museum might "lure" its staffers in. I'm not wholly sure that it does, or that there's a danger worth a Keter designation. It sort of feels like anyone who works here was always going to end up here eventually.
My last stop of the day was the on-site café. It was a fairly run-of-the-mill coffee spot. I noticed they had an entire rack of syrups, so I placed a fairly meticulous coffee order: oat milk, two pumps caramel, one pump mocha, milk foam. I thought the barista might spit in it out of spite, but nothing seemed off. Besides, what was it going to do? Kill me?
I sipped away in silence, reviewing my notes, until a nearby table called me over.
....................................................................................................
EXCERPT: ENCOUNTER AT CAFÉ ("EPSILON" & "ZETA")
EPSILON: You're the one poking around, right?
MANCY: [laughs] Is it that obvious?
EPSILON: Have you looked in a mirror lately? Take a seat.
ZETA: Here? With us? Why?
EPSILON: I want her to ask the question. Sit down.
After a moment, MANCY takes a seat.
EPSILON: Go.
MANCY: You're gonna need to be more specific, sorry.
EPSILON: The one you keep asking. 'How did you come to work here?'
MANCY: [sighs] Alright. How did you come to work here?
EPSILON: Love it. [laughs] Here you go: I'm one of the originals. I've been here since the place was founded. Now I get to ask you: why are you here?
MANCY: Curiosity? Information gathering? Sorry if it's been—
ZETA: Do you even know how things like this work?
MANCY: Do I know how museums work?
ZETA: You're new. Have you curated anything before? Have you ever even drafted a placard?
EPSILON: Back off a little. But the point remains. What gives you the right to be here?
MANCY: Isn't anyone allowed to be here?
EPSILON: Sure. That's part of the problem, though. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about being able to join.
MANCY: Is that really a problem? I sort of think you'd want people contributing.
EPSILON: If they're good at it, yeah. If they prove they have what it takes to stick around. Here's your insider perspective: it's tougher to survive as a curator here than you think.
MANCY: [pauses] Fair enough. Alright. It just… I don't know, it feels odd to me to actively push out people who might be interested. How do you expect someone to prove themselves if you don't give them a chance to begin with? And— and do you do this with every guest who asks around too much?
EPSILON: It's vetting. And yeah. I do the quality control no one else wants to.
MANCY: Doesn't that get tiring?
ZETA: Don't you ever get tired of hearing your own voice?
EPSILON: All I'm saying is that not everyone understands how this place works. So here's some advice: get in, get what you need, and get out.
ZETA: And get lost.
A photo of Special Operative Mancy's coffee cup.
I finished my drink and decided to call it quits for the day. I'd made it through the east wing's offerings, anyhow.
My problem is, no, I don't totally understand this place. I've been trying to make sense of something that might just not ever make sense. It feels like no matter how many questions I ask, I'm never going to get to the center of it all. Every angle I approach feels like the wrong one, and then I'm back on my ass, endlessly trying to piece it all together.
What do I need from this place? What do I want from it? To understand it, sure, but that doesn't feel like the same as getting it. I can't tell what Montanna means to the people working here. I certainly don't know what it means to me.
NOTE: Special Operative Mancy reported no adverse effects after consuming her beverage. Testing of trace fluids from the cup revealed no significant chemical anomalies or substances of concern.
SURVEY REPORT 9811.II
I couldn't sleep the night before. I ended up trying to pick apart what I had so far. At one point I charted out the five W's:
- WHO: Staff. Displays. Historical figures. Me?
- WHAT: A museum. A trial. A creative space. Something else entirely?
- WHERE: Montanna. Montana. This place is technically on a map, but is it this place? It's a microcosm.
- WHY: Comedic retellings. Passion projects. Restorative justice. The love of the game. The thrill of the applause. Some inner calling. I can't rule out fate.
- HOW: Ideas to drafts to displays. Staff curate and create. How did it begin? How will it go on? Will it cease to exist because of what we've done? Is that good or bad?
It didn't help much. I still couldn't pin down the purpose for any of it.
The next exhibit held some promise for answers, though: "Who and Where we Come From." The brochure detailed it as being twofold: about both Montanna and the museum itself.
Display
Visual Description
Plaque Text Summary
Our Own Founding Fathers
A sepia photograph of several men in cowboy hats alongside a Labrador Retriever. In the display case was one of the hats, an old-fashioned revolver, and a journal.
Montanna's earliest pioneers were driven to establish their settlement out of a sheer, curious will to try. Old rumors of eccentric behaviors and romantic entanglements paint quite a colorful picture of some of its earliest key figures.
Montanna's Mothers
A black-and-white photograph of several women in eccentric, carnival-style outfits. In the display case was a megaphone, several old performance pamphlets, and a detailed butterfly mask.
Some of the most important figures in Montanna were overlooked for far too long. Their larger-than-life performances attracted a new wave of visitors and guests, greatly boosting numbers. Many of them also heralded a new wave of diversity into town, being open about their statuses as lesbians and other members of the queer community.
This time, I waved over the 9811-1 instance standing nearby.
....................................................................................................
EXCERPT: INTERVIEW 9811.G ("THETA")
MANCY: …to clarify, expanded by lesbian clowns?
THETA: That's one way to put it, I suppose.
MANCY: Holy shit. [pauses] Pardon my French.
THETA: You're fine.
MANCY: Thanks. [clears throat] Could I also ask— how did you come to work here? If you're alright with speaking about that.
THETA: Absolutely. I was drawn into it by a few of the women you see in that photo, actually. I knew I wanted to make a bigger space for us here. Somewhat literally, as far as real estate goes.
MANCY: Oh, I'm sorry if I totally diminished whatever—
THETA Not at all. Some of them would absolutely proudly call themselves 'lesbian clowns.' Some in a literal sense. Comedy draws in numbers. But others in the sense of performance. There was an expectation early on to be bigger than yourself if you were going to make it as a woman around here — not just as a curator, but in general. The metric's always a little harsher.
MANCY: Yeah, kind of the case in… in any kind of institution.
THETA: For any diverse group, yeah. Some of our best curators here are transgender, for example, and getting their voices in was an uphill battle. We still have plenty of guests turn their noses at what they put together. And lots of folks prefer to talk about our Fathers more than our Mothers, but I put them right next to each other with intention. Some people frame it as a comparison, but I wanted to set them as clear equals. Not every guest feels that influence as strongly as we here at the museum do.
MANCY: I'm surprised by that. The perspective, I mean. You'd think by now people would sort of…
THETA: You'd think. But, uh, no. You'll see it in some of the foundational stuff for the museum. We started pretty humbly, but that's also what people latch onto, even around here. Things have changed a lot. They're going to keep changing, especially as we move into new exhibit territory. I think that scares folks sometimes.
MANCY: Does it scare you?
THETA: Not at all. It's important to know where we come from and the voices that have always been here. But around here, the change we've fought for is progress. I hope we keep moving forward.
Display
Visual Description
Plaque Text Summary
The Sculpture
A photograph of a misshapen, vaguely humanoid statue.
The Museum of Montanna began as a roadside attraction housing the famous Montanna Scupture— an oddity people found they just couldn't look away from.
Montanna Today
A slideshow of photographs of museum staff, the building itself, and a variety of featured displays.
The museum has grown quite a bit since its early days.
A few photos stood out to me:
- Living 9811-2 instances — the "Critters" — swarming a display.
- A photo of a display with a large, red ribbon.
- An image of two staffers posing together. One's face was blurred out.
Some of the remnant roadside energy was definitely still present as I walked around, but there was an added sense of pride and complexity. The photos felt like they hinted at even more than I'd seen thus far— more layers to the labyrinth.
A staffer came in to dust the display case. I felt bad about interrupting, but all the same— I had a job to do.
....................................................................................................
EXCERPT: INTERVIEW 9811.H ("IOTA")
IOTA: …when something's the first.
MANCY: What ever happened to it?
IOTA: It's… somewhere around here. The guests love it, but we've been working on polishing up the display for a little while.
MANCY: Huh. So— how did you come to work here? Was that it?
IOTA: Part of it. I'm kind of a history buff. I don't— [sighs] I don't love when we change things up around here, to be honest. I think it's important to keep in mind where we come from. The good, the bad, and the ugly of it all. Getting rid of any of these displays just feels disingenuous.
MANCY: One of the staffers mentioned she'd changed one up a short time ago.
IOTA: The content of it was less than agreeable, yeah. Well, let me just call it what it is: politically incorrect. There's a lot of that when you come from a place where your goal is to catch people's eye. I don't agree with it, of course, but pretending we haven't done things for shock value or what have you is just unfaithful.
MANCY: I'd imagine the guests don't take too kindly to it.
IOTA: Some of them. More of them, now. But others love it. They eat that shit up! They want things to be how they were before. We're best known for something we don't really even display anymore. It's like, who are we supposed to be if not that?
MANCY: So there's no way to make everyone happy.
IOTA: Yes. And just— outright erasing other people's work, getting rid of any trace of things they did, and saying 'No, we never approved of this!' is bullshit. [sighs] I don't really know what the best solution is. I just know we need to acknowledge what we've done wrong, and try the best we can to make things right.
I left feeling even more lost than before. It felt like even the staffers didn't agree on what the museum's true purpose was, other than housing their displays — which they also didn't fully agree on.
If going back to Montanna's origins didn't clue me in, what would?
I moved on to the next exhibit: "From Lithographs, to Lenses, to Lasers!" I didn't expect much in the way of answers, but Hope thrives off what she gives you, or something.
One of the special exhibit rooms.
This exhibit walked through different stages of image technology. A lot of what was there seemed perfectly normal. I'm specifically noting here instances that stuck out to me.
Display
Visual Description
Plaque Text Summary
Witchcraft or Wavelengths?
A self-animating lithograph. It repeats a loop of a man petting a dog.
This recovered work from early Montanna artists appears to move right on the page. It's debated whether or not it might be a trick of the light.
This Old Thing?
An old, Polaroid-brand camera. In the display case was a set of photos of complex shape arrangements and detailed scenes. One contained bloodstains.
The photographs in this set were taken by a prominent Montannan photographer. Rumor has it she could manipulate her scenes through the photos themselves.
The Talkies
A CRT TV with running static. Occasionally would blip between seemingly random TV shows.
Ever wished you had a visual aid for any conversation? This television will back up your dialogue with a relevant clip from any cable network show.
I tested three phrases:
- "And hmm-hmm was his name-o." => Clip of a game show where an elderly woman pops into frame and shouts, "Bingo!"
- "Life's a…" => Clip of an anime episode where the three main cast members yell, "Beach!"
- "He is not here! He is risen from the dead!" => Clip of an advertisement where a chocolate Easter bunny is shown, spliced in with a clip of an explosion.
What's That Racket?
A small laptop with an attached microphone.
Trying to figure out the source of a noise? This setup will identify exactly what's making a specific sound — accurate down to retrieving drivers license photos.
The laptop setup had a panel with sample sounds. When one played, the screen would display the corresponding image. Unfortunately, the included sound bytes were all orchestral clips, so the images were all of sheet music:
The selections provided for the 9811-2 demonstration.
Right On Sight!
A laser pointer set atop a model of a large-lens camera.
Struggling to line up the perfect shot? This attachment will focus on whatever you verbally instruct it to and help still your hands for the perfect photograph!
The last one left a bad taste in my mouth. I decided to ask the 9811-1 instance running the exhibit a few questions.
....................................................................................................
EXCERPT: INTERVIEW 9811.I ("NU")
NU: …no, I'm not aware of any military applications. I guess I can kind of see that angle, but I sure hope not.
MANCY: Generally not great to have that kind of thing floating around the public, just in case someone gets the wrong idea.
NU: I can't even imagine!
MANCY: I can. But, uh, let's not go down that route. How did you come to work here?
NU: I really like cameras. I wanted to do a display on it. That's, uh. [laughs] That's about it.
MANCY: That's it? No… no, like, deep thematic drive? No personal mission?
NU: Not really. The weird stuff is pretty fun to talk about, if that counts. My favorite is the section with the different types of lenses and how they work, though. It's basic, but I find it really interesting. Like, did you know that the specific type of glass used wasn't developed until the 1890s? It was called heavy crown glass, and…
There's going to be a point in that transcript where I just start saying "Mhm," repeatedly until the conversation ends. I tried to keep up, but I don't think my amateur appreciation of cameras can at all keep up with their sheer devotion.
At this point, I was at a dead end. I had one question remaining, and it was the most important one I'd been tasked to answer. I'd explored the exhibits. I'd interviewed the staff. I could've spent hours more speaking to every single living being there, but I had a sneaking suspicion that they'd only yield more contradictions. I also wasn't keen on incurring more hostility.
I thus decided to go to the last exhibit. Sure, it was empty. Devoid of anything Montanna or otherwise. But where else was there to go?
....................................................................................................
VIDEO LOG: EXCAVATION OF THE END
A long, dark hallway stretches past a sign bearing the text, 'Display Under Construction!'
MANCY proceeds past the sign and down a dark hallway. The walls are darkly-colored. Very little is visible in the frame.
Still frame from footage.
A single light flickers on. Then another, and another, in sequence.
MANCY: Okay, that's… [sighs] that's unsettling.
MANCY follows the path of lights. The space widens into a room. It appears more updated than the rest of the museum, but it remains empty.
MANCY: If something's lurking out there, let's get this over with. We can go out with a bang. At least I can say this place is completely evil and feel less bad about letting it die.
Ten seconds pass in silence.
MANCY: Die is sort of a pun, if you like that. Because of the necromancy thing.
Twelve seconds pass in silence.
MANCY: You know, I noticed about halfway in that I said it the same way every time. 'How did you come to work here? How did you come to work here?' I felt like a broken record. I don't know the right words to say. [sighs] They all know exactly why they're here. They all know exactly what this place is to them. So why can't I make up my mind? Why is it like a barrier I can't break past, it's just… just a mental wall.
Eight seconds pass in silence.
MANCY: Maybe I'm not cut out for this.
Five seconds pass in silence.
MANCY: [sighs] You could kill me, you know, and it wouldn't even matter. I mean, it's horrifying. Death absolutely sucks. It's the scariest thing I can think of. But it's not like I wouldn't come back. I'd come back, and I'd still be in the museum all the same.
A shadow casts over the ground. MANCY gasps and turns. Her breathing is shallow as GAMMA enters the frame and takes a seat.
GAMMA: [clears throat] I'm sorry if I interrupted something. It's a good thinking space, even when it's empty like this. Probably more so for it.
MANCY: I'm sorry for shouldering in here.
GAMMA: No, no! This place is sort of the museum at its realest. It's what we see when we all come in here. The blank slate.
MANCY: Pretty poetic view of it. You feel any better?
GAMMA nods.
Six seconds pass in silence.
GAMMA: Can I ask you a question?
MANCY: Sure.
GAMMA: How did you come to work here?
MANCY pauses before breaking out into laughter.
MANCY: Good one. Uh, well— there's a lot I can't say. I was just sort of the person to send.
GAMMA: And why's that?
MANCY: I'm okay at talking. And I used to do archival work. This kind of stuff was totally my dream. Maybe not Montanna, but curation. I've always liked all the stories museums told. I'd spend hours reading all the plaques.
GAMMA: So why did you switch paths? Was it just, like… intimidating? I can relate. I mean, you know why, but—
MANCY: No, no. I wish. Things just happened. You see something you shouldn't, when you shouldn't. You get pulled into things way bigger than you. And then— [sighs] I had an accident. I can't even really call it an accident. It was a fully intentional reckless attempt to do something good. And it worked, but something else really bad happened. And now I get sent to check out the spooky museums, and taste the coffee, and ask what all the problems are.
GAMMA: Gosh. I'm sorry.
MANCY: Yeah. Me, too.
Ten seconds pass in silence.
MANCY: Why is it called Montanna?
GAMMA: I couldn't tell you. It's always been that way. It's a real place, but it's not other people's real. It's our real.
Three seconds pass in silence.
GAMMA: Are you actually a journalist?
MANCY: [snorts] Not at all.
Five seconds pass in silence.
MANCY: Any ideas for this place? The exhibit.
GAMMA: Oh, tons. We might be shutting this all down, seeing as— [gestures] it's pretty empty around here right now. But I'm of the mindset that we keep pushing for it. Montanna's always gonna be here. The people that see it might change, but we're always here.
MANCY: Death or Sports?
GAMMA: The real question. [laughs] I don't know. I want to pick something that suits it. It's a whole new exhibit. It's this huge deal. If we blow it… then what? Who's gonna come back?
MANCY: If you nail it, who won't?
GAMMA: That feels like so much to hope for. I mean— okay, you're here. What's your perspective on things?
There's silence as MANCY considers the question.
MANCY: I don't know. I've been wracking my brain trying to answer as much. The one through-line I can think of is how much people seem to care. You're obviously half sick over it, the guy over at the special exhibit loves what he's doing, and the people over in the monster section are in some kind of cold war. There's a lot of devotion to this place. It's been impressive to see.
GAMMA: But what do I do with that?
MANCY: I don't know! Just— [pauses] Maybe it's just about the love.
GAMMA: The love?
MANCY: Yeah. Yeah! The love for all of this. The love is what makes a bunch of people dedicate their lives to making pieces about weird, niche shit in a place that doesn't exist. The love is what brings people back to see it again and again. The love is what set it all up in the first place. The love is what's going to guide you through the hours and days it takes to make all of this.
After a moment, MANCY sighs and pushes herself up.
MANCY: I'm probably projecting. But love is one of those things where— love's what brought me back in general. Love's why I keep running. Do everything for the love of it. And if you don't love it, find something you do. And keep doing it.
GAMMA: Do you love doing this?
MANCY: I do it for the people I love. That's the closest you can get sometimes.
GAMMA: I want do it for the Montanna I love.
GAMMA stands. They offer a hand to MANCY.
GAMMA: Maybe this is how it's supposed to be done. You've seen everything, you've formed your opinions… now you could help, if you chose to. Help us figure out where we're going next.
MANCY: It feels shitty to pretend to help. We're the reason it might not work out in the first place.
GAMMA: You might be the reason it does. We all wound up here for a reason. Maybe this one's yours.
MANCY: It was the luck of the draw.
GAMMA: Luck, fate, whatever you want to call it. You're here now, aren't you?
MANCY pauses. After a moment, she takes GAMMA'S hand.
MANCY: That I am.
I've requested that someone come by to pick up my materials. I know there's going to be a lot of frustration about this decision. It's what makes the most sense to me, though. What better way to gain the last bit of insight we need? How else do we keep this many people appeased after shutting their place down?
You could send in a team to retrieve me, but let's be real— just declare it another "Missing in Action." There are places I've caught a glimpse of that won't be on the map. I'm not sure they're even in the same dimension. It's not too bad, though. And if it is, well, we know what will happen. I'll be fine in the end.
Once more into the breach. If you need me, I'll be in Montanna.