MOTION PROPOSED: The following file is sufficient justification for the dismissal of CEO Borin De Ray for misappropriation of company resources.
PART II: My Way For The Highway
🕰️~6000 Words🕰️
The brochure for the PHLOX highway is severely out of date and requires an update to reflect pertinent newly discovered health hazards. If you have relevant experience and believe you can contribute, please reach out to the office of the registrar.
The previous memo is to be disregarded, and is suspected sabotage from hostile elements. There are no undisclosed hazards relevant to the PHLOX highway. The brochure is up to date.
If you believe you have encountered information to the contrary, contact BDeRay@phlox.org for correction.
Dimensional Development
An overview of spatial anchor technology.
Presented by Doctor Claire Somme, Department of Esoteric Construction, PHLOX Inc. Presented in 1999.
Preface
I'm going to start this off with a story. A few years ago, just before I joined Prometheus Labs, I was teaching an architecture class in Bauhaus 4.
It didn't go very well.
I had a few promising students, you don't know them because they didn't make it into our field. This story is not about one of the promising students.
This was a 101 class, rudimentary stuff. History of architecture, something you could pick up from Britannica if you were so motivated. This guy wasn't. Put the bare minimum in, got high C's on every test, turned in projects once in a blue moon, yet, he was absolutely convinced that he was to be a civil engineer.
One day he comes up to me and asks a question that's been kicking around my head ever since: "Are we more than what we build?". Well, I know he's gonna fail the class, and if not this one then the next. He doesn't have what it takes. So I tell him 'yes', who we are as people matters more, the works, he nods and leaves the room.
I found out from a colleague that he'd spent almost every free moment that semester building a popsicle stick model of the golden gate bridge in his dorm. He'd poured himself into it, and that morning he'd found broken, drunk roommate I think. That's why he'd asked.
I'm still glad I told him what I did, but here's the thing: I no longer agree. I think all that matters about a person is what they build.
He's a veterinarian now, in case you were wondering. Good one, I hear. Don't think he builds much anymore though.
So, with that in mind, I present the Somme Dimensional Anchor (SDA), a technology that will allow us to build taller, better, and safer than ever before.
Because if we are not more than what we build, we might as well build something great.
Overview
Dimensional construction has always been a bit taboo. We know it's possible, god knows how many strange dimensions the Foundation found before Poland happened and threw a wrench into that. The Free Ports themselves are a great example.
The problem, paradoxically, with spatial dimensions, is spatial constraints. What good is a building in a dimension that no-one can access? Dimensions need to be stabilized, their access points kept open. Even if they possess warped space, that space must be integrated into our reality for construction to be feasible. Try operating a backhoe in two dimensions, it doesn't work out very well. That's not even scratching the surface on material transport. In the last ten years, our department has lost more wood to spontaneous de-manifestation than to termites.
Here's the truth: that, all of that, is negligible compared to the safety issues. Every possible workplace hazard is dialed to eleven in unstable dimensions, and even if you account for that, there's the radiation.
Dimensional radiation is such a new discovery that we don't even have a term for it yet. The Free Ports hate us enough without us publishing that particular discovery. The good news is that the city proper is naturally immune, probably due to the raw stability of the dimension. The bad news is that no other dimensions we've found seem to be.
It is, coincidentally, the radiation that brings us to my solution. Anomalous radiation is subject to a concentration gradient, much like anything else. You can probably see where I'm going with this. If we emit our own anomalous radiation into a dimension, it will eventually overpower the dimensional radiation. There's a hundred items that could do it. That is effectively the schematic for the SDA.
All we do is pick a form of radiation that's harmless in small doses, produce it, and the dimension will be safe to build in.
It's not a permanent solution, of course. No radiation is safe forever, and I wouldn't recommend a stay greater than three weeks, but there are plenty of use cases. Shift-based sites, generalized industries, anything that prioritizes a short stay.
And, once we get our foot in the proverbial door, who knows what could happen?
There's a lot of work left to be done.
MOTION PROPOSED: The following file is out of date and should be revised.
MOTION SECONDED: The following file is out of date and should be revised.
MOTION OVERRULED: The following file is up-to-date and should not be altered.
MOTION PROPOSED: The following file should be locked.
Motion reviewed per personal request from Mr. De Ray.
MOTION SECONDED: The following file should be locked.
File locked. Formal protest made by Registrar and subsequently denied by Mr. De Ray.
PHLOX INTERNATIONAL HIGHWAY
PHLOX Highway: The road to the world!
Offerings:
The PHLOX highway system is a short two hour drive that will allow YOU to access all parts of the Three Portlands, reach Europe or North America quickly and economically, and have a good time while doing it!
Built by the novel PHLOX company, a subset of the Prometheus Labs conglomerate, the PHLOX highway makes use of cutting edge paratechnology in order to offer the best in travel experiences!
Discounts:
Use discount code SCPetroleum for 20% at gas-stations on the PHLOX highway, courtesy of the SCP Foundation!
Use discount code FIRELANE for 15% off toll lanes, courtesy of Prometheus Labs!
Want to repay this generosity? Donate! The SCP Foundation accepts tax-deductible donations at SCP.net. Connect with Prometheus Labs at PROLAB.org!
Disclaimers:
Please note that entry to the PHLOX Highway system does not grant entry to the United States, United Kingdom, or Free Ports, please be prepared to go through the immigration process as normal.
Additional note: Due to a recent outbreak of radiation sickness, please get checked by your regular physician for acute radiation poisoning after traveling the PHLOX highway.
Safety information:
Obey all traffic laws while on the PHLOX highway. In the event of an emergency, please use the emergency line 905. For non-emergencies, please use your local non-emergency line or contact PHLOX engineers at PHLOX.org.
Landmarks:
Due to its extradimensional nature, the PHLOX highway system possesses few natural landmarks. To compensate for this, Shift-Based Sites -1 through -73 have been established along the road. Crewed by the brave engineers of the PHLOX corporation, these places are the lifeblood of the highway. Feel free to stop by and say hello, they'd love to show you around!
MOTION PROPOSED: The following file is sufficient justification for the update of the PHLOX highway brochure to indicate severe radioactive hazard.
MOTION OVERRULED: The brochure file is locked, change is not needed. The PHLOX highway is safe.
INCIDENT REPORT
Dimensional collapse of SBS-44
SBS-44, above ground section, pre-collapse.
Original file sourced from the SCP Foundation Department of Auditing, summarized by the Risk Analysis Section. Published May 2007.
Persons of Interest:
- Doctor Bella Stine, Chief of SBS-44, PHLOX Inc.
- Mister Mark Verner, Head of Security, PHLOX Inc.
- Missus Amy Younge, SDA Manager, PHLOX Inc.
- Doctor Cassandra Fore, Visiting Researcher, Department of Radiology, SCPF.
Investigator(s):
- Mister Titus Cristof, Department of Auditing, SCPF.
- Mixter Din Sparrow, Department of Auditing, SCPF.
Timeline reconstructed with limited information, deviation possible of up to 15 seconds.
03:44: Verner is the sole individual awake on-site, and is performing a routine patrol.
03:45: Verner enters the SDA room, he shortly after triggers the emergency alarm.
03:45:45: Stine awakens, proceeding towards the SDA room.
03:46: Fore awakens, proceeding towards the emergency exit (as is standard procedure for a visiting researcher).
03:47: Stine arrives at the SDA room. Stine attempts to enter, but finds that Verner has locked the doors.
03:47:12: Fore arrives at the emergency exit airlock. No further communication is heard from her.
Autopsy has since indicated that Fore was subjected to several hundred atmospheres of pressure, the source of which is unknown.
03:48: Younge awakens and begins to communicate with Stine . Younge receives orders from Stine to obtain a plasma cutter and breach the SDA room door.
03:50: Younge arrives at the SDA room and begins to use the plasma cutter.
03:53:15: The plasma cutter reaches the halfway point on the door.
03:53:16: The SDA detonates.
03:53:17: Younge is bisected by a piece of shrapnel.
03:53:20: The ambient temperature of SBS-44 reaches 170 degrees Celsius.
03:53:21: The emergency airlock door opens.
03:53:27: The ambient temperature returns to normal.
It is unknown if this measure was automated, or performed by the (potentially) still alive Verner. Verner's body was not recovered by either audit, though analysis suggests it is unlikely he survived the detonation.
04:06: Stine awakens. She crawls around gathering her bearings.
04:08: Stine discovers the (living) body of Younge.
04:09: Stine recovers the plasma cutter.
04:10: Stine uses the cutter to cauterize Younge's wounds.
04:11: Stine collapses, likely due to shock.
While both Younge and Stine suffered severe burns from the detonation (and cauterization in Younge's case), none of these damages are thought to have been fatal.
13:54: Stine awakens. Stine immediately performs a health check on Younge.
13:56: Stine carries Younge into the infirmary.
13:58: Stine injects Younge with adrenaline and morphine. Younge awakens.
14:03: Stine and Younge finish hugging.
14:05: Stine retrieves a television from her quarters, turning on Casino Royale, a spy thriller movie.
14:06: Stine lies down in the adjoining medical bed, and grabs Younge's hand.
14:39: Younge expires.
It was initially unclear why Stine jeopardized her own life by performing the above actions instead of recovery procedure. The second audit has since shown light onto Stine's decision, recovering information on the romantic relationship between Stine and Younge. Though the majority of these discoveries are considered out of scope for this summary, it should be noted that Stine's actions are not thought to have had negative consequences on SBS-44 as a whole.
16:06: Stine initializes recovery procedure. She quickly discovers that all automated procedures have already failed.
16:12: Stine declares the incident a CLASS-VI("LOST CAUSE") scenario.
16:14: Stine attempts to access the emergency exit airlock, but discovers it compromised.
This was likely due to the extreme heat it suffered venting the thermal refuse of the initial detonation.
16:16: Stine attempts to access the SDA room.
16:18: Stine reluctantly picks up the plasma cutter.
16:23: Stine breaches the room.
16:24: Stine takes a photograph.
This photograph is flagged for anti-memetic corruption, and as such has not been attached here. Regardless, metadata of the photograph indicates a large block of a single color. While nothing definitive is known, it must be noted that similar patterns emerge in the metadata of photographs that depict ways and portals.
16:53: Stine appears in the middle of a toll-lane on the PHLOX highway system, just outside SBS-44.
16:54: The car approaching her breaks swiftly and turns on its hazard lights.
16:55: Over 16 calls to 905 are registered within a 30 second period.
Conclusions:
Due to the near total loss of data regarding SBS-44, no definitive cause of its collapse can be determined. Nevertheless, the Risk Analysis Section has prepared several possible conclusions.
Proposal 1:
The preeminent explanation for the collapse (as well as the one still currently supported by the board of directors) is hostile attack. The purposeful detonation of an explosive device does explain all known occurrences, including but not limited to:
- The rapid nature with which Mark Verner triggered the emergency alarm.
- Verner's decision to seal the doors to the SDA room, despite this being against emergency protocol.
- Fore's failure to follow emergency escape procedure due to physical incapacitation.
- The minutes in which Younge slept through the emergency alarm. As the SDA Manager, it is reasonable that a hostile force may have desired to pharmaceutically incapacitate her during the minutes in which the detonation could have been abated.
This explanation has been ruled highly unlikely, however, due to the following:
- The existence of an explanation for all prior phenomenon.
- While Verner did trigger the alarm very quickly, it was easily accessible to him, and hazardous phenomenon may have been visible.
- The decision to seal the doors may have been made due to Verner's perception of the aforementioned phenomenon.
- Fore's death is inconsistent with any known weaponry, and was more likely a consequence of the dimensional hazards formed by the malfunction of SBS-44's SDA.
- No pharmaceuticals were found in Younge's body except adrenaline and morphine. Younge's prolonged incapacitation was more likely a factor caused by an unknown dimensional hazard.
Proposal 2:
Proposal 2 details a theoretical unrelated event causing the failure of SBS-44's SDA. Explanations for this event range from simple routine mechanical failure to direct intervention by an Akiva-based entity.
This explanation has been ruled unlikely, while there is little evidence to oppose it, there is also little evidence to support it.
Proposal 3:
Proposal 3 details the collapse being caused by a direct oversight in SDA design. Specifically, the emitted radiation of SBS-44's SDA having a disastrous reaction with the ambient dimensional radiation surrounding the PHLOX highway. While the specific radiation used by SBS-44's SDA is unknown, a number of possible contaminants provide an acceptable explanation for these events.
This explanation has been ruled highly likely. It is the preeminent opinion of the Department of Radiology, the Department of Esoteric Construction, and the Risk Analysis Section.
Additional Note:
It must be noted that this incident required the Department of Auditing to perform two separate audits. This is highly irregular. This behavior is due to the fact that first auditor sent, Titus Cristof, became intensely sick during his audit. He has since been diagnosed with acute radiation poisoning. Notably, this was not expressed by either Tom Watson, the ambulance driver who recovered Bella Stine, nor by Cristof's successor, Din Sparrow. While Watson, Sparrow, and Cristof all visited SBS-44, Cristof uniquely also visited SBS-43 and SBS-45 as well to interview their staff.
Additionally, initial study showed that while Stine's poisoning was clearly caused by anomalous radiation, Cristof's lacked the same symptoms. In fact, Cristof's symptoms were very similar with non-anomalous uranium poisoning.
Both Stine and Cristof have since disappeared, and the Departments of Radiology and Esoteric Construction have ceased communication with the Risk Analysis Section.
If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Stine and Cristof, or can provide a reasonable explanation for Cristof's condition, please contact the Risk Analysis Section or the Department of Auditing.
The following file is a record of the Registrar's communications with the Risk Analysis Section regarding the disappearance of Bella Stine and Titus Cristof.
File deleted per order of Mr. De Ray.
The following file is a summary of a meeting called by Borin De Ray between himself and the Departments of Radiology and Esoteric Construction to discuss altering the SDAs to prevent situations like the incident at SBS-44 from happening again.
The decision made in this meeting was never published. Notably, this meeting specifically excluded Doctor Claire Somme, the original creator of SDA technology.
This meeting occurred after the recovery of Bella Stine, but before the Department of Auditing's first audit of SBS-44. The decision made in meeting was pushed with highest priority by De Ray, and would have been implemented almost immediately.
File deleted per order of Mr. De Ray.
The following file details an interview between Dr. Stine and Dr. Somme. The Risk Analysis Section, in this report, is overly presumptive, and assumes that Stine and Cristof were held at PHLOX headquarters. There is no evidence of this beyond the testimony of Stine.
Parties present:
- Doctor Bella Stine, former chief of SBS-44, PHLOX Inc.
- Doctor Claire Somme, Department of Esoteric Engineering, PHLOX Inc.
Foreword: Stine arrived, driving a car, at Site 64 approximately 8 days since her first disappearance. She claimed that she had been kept in a holding cell at PHLOX headquarters and given minimal treatment. She believed that this was to facilitate a comparison between her poisoning and Cristof's. She was not aware at the time that Cristof's poisoning was non-anomalous. She refused to elaborate on how she had obtained her vehicle, but stressed that she had not 'escaped' and had been let go. Cristof was in her trunk.
It is the opinion of the Risk Analysis Section that Stine's release was an individual act of kindness by a low ranking personnel, and not a decision from a PHLOX headquarters authority, namely Borin De Ray.
Dr. Somme was invited to interview and examine Stine as she was the only available personnel knowledgeable about radiology. At time of interview, neither the Department of Esoteric Engineering or the Department of Radiology were in contact with the Risk Analysis Section. In response, the Section chose to go out on a limb and contact Somme, which was successful.
[BEGIN TRANSCRIPT]
Somme: So, Bella is it? Or do you prefer the formal?
Stine: Formal, please.
Somme: Understood. No problem.
Stine: Thank you, doctor.
Somme: Can you describe your symptoms for me?
Stine: Honestly, not really. You're here for a radiation exam, right?
Somme: Yes.
Stine: Well, the main thing I feel is the burns, and even then only barely.
Somme: I'm not surprised. I saw the list of stuff they gave you. Plus, if it's antimemetic radiation…
Stine: Hmm?
Somme: It's the best explanation for why Younge didn't wake up. She probably was trapped in a pocket of the stuff and failed to perceive the alarm. I think that exposure is what killed her more than anything else. Bad luck from the beginning.
Stine: I see.
Somme: I'm sorry, that's probably a sore spot. Me and my big mouth.
Stine: Mhm.
Several seconds of silence elapse.
Somme: So, did Cristof ever awaken when you were with him?
Stine: Yeah. It seemed like he was in a lot more pain than I was.
Somme: Really?
Stine: Well, he's had several Hemorrhages, I've had none.
Somme: That shouldn't be possible. The kind of radiation SDAs run on, you couldn't build a bomb with it. Even if it was possible, you were exposed more than he was! This is a tragedy, but it isn't Chernobyl.
Stine: I don't know what to tell you, doctor. You have his records.
Somme is silent for several seconds, thinking.
Somme: Did Cristof visit any other Shift-Based Sites before heading to 44?
Stine: Yeah.
Somme: Please excuse me a moment.
[END TRANSCRIPT]
The following emails were recovered from Dr. Somme's personal computer following her disappearance. Exclusively presented are communications between Somme and Borin De Ray.
It is believed a number of these emails were falsified and/or deleted by the Department of Outreach prior to the Registrar's recovery of the device. The veracity of the following information is not to be trusted.
To: BDeRay@phlox.org
From: CLSomme@phlox.org
Subject: did you know?
You were the one who approved the use of SDAs in the first place.
Did you know something like this could happen?
Did you care?
We skipped almost every test, beyond basic functionality. No stress-testing, nothing intensive. Only implemented basic safety measures.
Well, we arrived on time. And, thanks to our efforts, so does everyone else.
But what about the people that never make it there at all?
To: BDeRay@phlox.org
From: CLSomme@phlox.org
Subject: respond
Well, you chose not to respond to my first email. Second try's the charm I guess.
The Registrar told me that you decided to host a little meeting.
So, uranium, huh?
Is it because it's cheaper? Because it is. Or is it that radiation poisoning is a 'controlled variable', a constant chronic pain rather that a sudden sharp one. Is that better to you?
The road should be shut down. The Foundation can take that PR hit fine, Prometheus can too, if you quit while you're ahead.
The Foundation already burned through one Veil, let's not make it two.
To: BDeRay@phlox.org
From: CLSomme@phlox.org
Subject: yanking my chain
You are, right?
I know you read these emails, you're way too neurotic not too. So come on, respond.
I just want to hear your thoughts on this. To hear you justify it.
Still waiting,
Somme
To: BDeRay@phlox.org
From: CLSomme@phlox.org
Subject: [no subject]
what are you waiting for?
I'll whistleblow if I have to.
I'm trying to burn down my own life's work here. The least you can do is lend a match.
To: BDeRay@phlox.org
From: CLSomme@phlox.org
Subject: Are we more than what we build?
Alright, last call.
Either you shut down the road, or I do.
I learned what kind of radiation SDS-44 was using when it burst. I kept a backup of the installation logs.
Call it now, or there's gonna be a few more 44's.
To: CLSomme@phlox.org
From: BDeRay@phlox.org
Subject: Responding.
Dear Doctor Somme,
You've made your point. Kindly stop flooding my inbox.
I think I know what you really want. There is a solution that should be amicable to both of us. I reached out to the Foundation and they agree.
Hide (1) Attachment
Hide (1) Attachment Transcript
SCP Foundation Document.
Do not distribute without permission.
Site-64
Amnestics acquisition form.
Class Requested: IR (Identity Reconstruction)
Patient Information
Name: Claire Somme
Age: 36
Sex: F
Physician Information
Requester Signature: BDERAY.
Second Opinion Signature: O-5-11.
Requesting Department: Exempt.
Date: Exempt.
Request Reason (if applicable): Exempt.
Official PUBLIC-class Document.
Have a nice day,
Borin De Ray, PHLOX.
To: BDeRay@phlox.org
From: CLSomme@phlox.org
Subject: [no subject]
Dear Mr. De Ray,
Drugs, really?
You think that's what I want. To forget?
No, I'm gonna make this right.
I'm gonna be more than what I've built,
Doctor Claire Somme
Hide (1) Attachment
The following is a transcript of a meeting between Borin De Ray, the UNGOC, and Prometheus Labs. The representative from the United States Government declined to appear upon learning of the meeting's purpose, citing public image concerns in the wake of 9/11. The SCP Foundation had been consulted privately, and refused to appear.
This meeting was never officially initiated or recorded, and has been painstakingly reconstructed by a joint team from the office of the Registrar and the Department of Auditing.
Parties present:
- Borin De Ray, CEO, PHLOX.
- D.C.al Fine, UNGOC.
- D. De Ray, CEO, Prometheus Labs.
Foreword: Meeting called to address the wake of the SBS-44 disaster.
[BEGIN TRANSCRIPT]
Fine: Where is [United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice]?
De Ray: Not coming.
D. De Ray: Should we get started then? What's going on nephew?
De Ray: One of the SDA's, the one at SBS-44, had some sort of conflict with its radiation. The anomalous energies reacted with each-other, causing a detonation. Three dead. One in critical condition.
D. De Ray: Shit.
Fine: I don't see how this concerns us. You made a mistake, you pay for it.
De Ray: Are you sure? Who paid for the road? I know I did, but I recall you and Rice chipping in too. Also, if I recall correctly, uncle, isn't PHLOX the bedrock upon which you're building this 'new' Prometheus?
D. De Ray nods.
De Ray: If it comes out that the technology we've used to build the whole road is fundamentally unsafe, it causes problems for all of us. Think about it. Fine, you'll have to deal with a massive uptake in insurgency recruitment. Prometheus will be even worse off than it was seven years ago. Rice will have to deal with widespread protests, Unda 2.0 if you will. I can picture it now: "#CloseTheRoad", the bitter epitaph upon each of our tombstones.
Fine: Fearmongering. That's all you're doing.
De Ray: Do you earnestly believe the masses will be level-headed about a widespread nuclear disaster?
Fine: Point taken.
D. De Ray: What do you think we should do, nephew? I'm sure you're itching to tell us.
De Ray pauses for several seconds.
De Ray: Uranium. Non-anomalous radiation.
Fine: You're insane.
D. De Ray: Nephew…
De Ray: It has no chance of catastrophic reaction, it's a controlled variable. We know exactly what uranium poisoning does to people. There are cures, there are treatments.
Fine: What if they can't pay for those treatments?
De Ray: Then we do. PHLOX is hugely profitable. If a couple billion dollars a year have to get siphoned into paying hospital bills that's more than acceptable.
D. De Ray: It just seems reckless.
De Ray: In for a penny…
Upwards of 10 seconds of silence elapses.
Fine: Give me two weeks, okay? Just two weeks to think of something better. I'll send you an email.
De Ray: Take your time. I'm right, I'm sure it won't take you two weeks to see that.
[END TRANSCRIPT]
While Fine did not contact De Ray over the next two weeks, it should be noted that De Ray continued to implement his plan without Fine's explicit approval. Within 24 hours of this meeting, De Ray called the meeting with Radiology and Esoteric Construction.
MOTION PROPOSED: The following file is sufficient justification for the dismissal of CEO Borin De Ray for misappropriation of company resources.
MOTION SECONDED: The following file is sufficient justification for the dismissal of CEO Borin De Ray for misappropriation of company resources.
MOTION PASSED: 13-1-4.
Noting action taken in response to motion. Borin De Ray has been dismissed.
Parties present:
- James Pensa, Department of Outreach, PHLOX Inc.
- POI-8680-127.
Title: PHLOX Outreach Case 127.
Date: October, 2007.
Case 127 has been selected for publication by the Risk Analysis Section due to exceptional CCTV clarity. Case 127 is standard form for the PHLOX outreach program, which was performed by the Department of Outreach and established by Mr. De Ray.
One day prior to this recording, POI-8680-127 had pulled off of the PHLOX highway into the parking lot of SBS-23. POI-8680-127 spent the night in their car. Upon awakening, they called 905. They were subsequently diagnosed with acute radiation poisoning. This recording takes place 6 hours after that diagnosis.
[BEGIN TRANSCRIPT]
Pensa: [POI-8680-127]?
-127: Who are you?
Pensa: Call me James. I'm a friend.
-127: You're not my friend.
Pensa: I will be. You see, I can make you very happy. Don't you want to be happy, [POI-8680-127]?
-127: I just want to rest, I feel like shit.
Pensa: You don't have much in the way of family, do you [POI-8680-127]?
-127: Leave me alone.
Pensa: Parents died in a car accident when you were seven. Lost your sister on 9/11. Does that sound about right?
POI-8680-127 presses the nurse call button.
Pensa: She can't help you right now, only I can.
-127: Are you here to kill me?
Pensa: What? No! I'm a friend, remember? I'm just here because you're in a bit of a pickle, aren't you?
POI-8680-127 remains silent.
Pensa: As I mentioned, you don't have much in the way of a family or other support structure. You work three jobs but you probably need four; that's why you were sleeping in your car instead of a hotel; and judging from your bank account, you can't exactly foot the bill for this luxurious treatment plan you're on.
-127: What do you want?
Pensa: I'm willing to cover your entire hospital bill, all the money you'll miss from work, ensure you keep your jobs, and offer a fifty-thousand dollar stipend on top of that. In exchange, the words 'I had acute radiation poisoning' never leave your mouth again. How does that sound?
POI-8680-127 noticeably stirs.
-127: Who do you work for?
Pensa: I can't tell you that.
POI-8680-127 ponders for several moments.
-127: Give me a minute to think about it.
Pensa: Of course, take all the time you need. I'm sure you'll come to the right decision.
[END TRANSCRIPT]
Additional Note:
POI-8680-127 took Pensa's offer, and was fully compensated.
It should be noted that Pensa refused to communicate with the Risk Analysis Section regarding the above content beyond a cursory email, and that subsequently all records pertaining to the PHLOX outreach program were deleted by the Department of Outreach. They have since been restored by the combined efforts of the Department of Auditing and the Registrar through the cross-referencing of both groups backup-storages.
It is the opinion of the Risk Analysis Section that the PHLOX outreach program represents a purposeful and harmful ethical violation as well as the unnecessary expenditure of company resources in service to an equally unnecessary coverup. While James Pensa has been personally reprimanded, the primary culpability falls to the creator of the program, Borin De Ray.
The following is an SCP Foundation file for the SDA, released internally to PHLOX personnel. A significant portion of the file was given a custom classification accessible only by the O5 council and De Ray himself. Following the dismissal of De Ray, these sections have been declassified.
These declassified portions are highlighted in blue.
Item#: SCP-8680
Level4
Containment Class:
archon
Secondary Class:
public
Disruption Class:
ekhi
Risk Class:
danger
Special Containment Procedures: Bella Stine and Titus Cristof are to be recovered as soon as possible and returned to PHLOX Headquarters.
The PHLOX Department of Outreach is solely permitted to handle the containment of SCP-8680. No other organizations are to know of this responsibility.
SCP-8680 is not currently feasible to contain due to its critical role in global infrastructure.
SCP-8680 may be contained at any time via the closure of the PHLOX highway and SCP-8680's consequent disuse. This outcome is undesirable and as such this information is not to be disclosed.
Currently, containment measures for SCP-8680 are focused on the mitigation of its effects in the public eye. A series of publications are to be made promoting the idea that radiation sickness is transmissible due to the nature of dimensional travel.
In the event radiation sickness is contracted and the above is not a reasonable explanation (for example due to the victim's isolation), the PHLOX outreach program is to be initiated by the Department of Outreach. This program will silence the victim and propagate the above disinformation.
15% of annual PHLOX profits are to be delegated to the PHLOX outreach program.
Individuals staffing Shift-Based Sites are not to leave their quarters at night.
Description: SCP-8680 is a device developed by Dr. Claire Somme known as a 'Somme Dimensional Anchor' (or SDA). SCP-8680 functions through the emission of pre-selected anomalous radiation, specifically chosen to be harmless. This emission, over time, overpowers and replaces the much more dangerous dimensional radiation naturally present.
Update: As of the dimensional collapse of SBS-44, the chosen emission source has been replaced with non-anomalous uranium. Dr. Somme is not to be informed of this change.
SCP-8680 represents a powerful advertising opportunity for the Foundation while doubly serving as protection for proprietary technology.
SCP-8680 primarily follows a nocturnal pattern, producing 90% of its daily emissions between 22:00 and 4:00.
Following the transition to a uranium source, traditional radiation shielding has been installed at all sleeping quarters across all Shift-Based Sites. It must be noted that any individuals in the proximity of a Shift-Based Site during these emission hours that are not in these shielded rooms will be exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. This danger extends to the above-ground section and parking lot. For these cases, the PHLOX outreach program is the preferred method of remediation.
An official apology.
December 2007.
We want to start off with some acknowledgements. First, we want to thank the Registar, The SCP Foundation Department of Auditing, and especially the Risk Analysis Section for their hard work in investigating the conspiracy created by Borin De Ray. We know how hard it can be to stand against authority, and you all did it bravely.
We want to formally apologize for the various ways in which De Ray used his power to manipulate documentation and conspire against the common good.
We want to reassure you all that justice has been served. De Ray has lost his seat on the board and now only serves in an advisory position. In addition, the Department of Outreach has been formally assigned the duty of performing an internal review, and will be additionally punished depending on its results.
We want to confirm that we have reached out to the UNGOC, Prometheus Labs, the United States Government, and the SCP Foundation for comment. While none were willing to codify their thoughts, they did offer an informal apology.
We are happy to announce the closure of SBS-44, which will now become a (private) museum exclusive to PHLOX personnel. This museum is dedicated to Doctor Bella Stine, Mr. Mark Verner, Ms. Amy Younge, and Doctor Cassandra Fore. Additionally, an extra dedication has been made to Doctor Claire Somme, in light of her disappearance.
As a token of our deep regret, please use the code "Apology" for 40% off on toll lanes, employees only.
Lastly, we want to promise that no program like the PHLOX outreach program will be made again. However, we must also note that while it's scope was abhorrent, it's methods and purpose were both prudent and necessary. The PHLOX highway system is of critical importance. Hence, the board has made the difficult decision to uphold a (stripped down) version of the program. Additionally, the radiation venting schedule has been changed to reduce the need for the program, now happening every Thursday, during which the entire PHLOX highway system will be closed and all SBSs evacuated.
Both the PHLOX highway brochure and SCP-8680 file are out of date, and we hereby request the Registrar to update them to reflect what we all now know. Please note that inclusion of De Ray's conspiracy is ultimately irrelevant to these files, and should not be included.
We hope these changes show our continued commitment to making the world a better place, and treating all people in it with care. We thank you again for your patience and strength through these difficult events.
We will continue to work dutifully on building a better tomorrow.
Signed,
The PHLOX board of directors.
The following is the last communication received from Doctor Claire Somme, sent to Borin De Ray before the latter was dismissed. This email was verifiably sent from a computer at SBS-44, and as such is the only confirmed communication between the two due to the (at the time) inaccessible nature of SBS-44.
To: BDeRay@phlox.org
From: CLSomme@phlox.org
Subject: [no subject]
Dear Mr. De Ray,
I decided to return to 44, lay the dead to rest.
The space itself never healed, the doors don't work, I can't leave.
I'm not sure I deserve to.
I know the answer now, in case you were wondering.
Are we more than what we build?
No.
But some of us come closer than others.
Sincerely, Doctor Claire Somme.
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