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dc81600 · 3 years

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SCP-REDD

In a dark room a bank of monitor screens illuminated a pale face. The rusted brown glow of the video feeds gave Roger Little more color than the sun had cared to give him in the past few months. Half a kilometer north and two hundred meters down, an automated surveillance drone slowly made its way through a series of corroded metal hallways.

It was oddly silent, beyond the whine of computers and the whir of fans. Roger fiddled with his volume before checking the system audio. Nothing but the noises of the drone itself. No groaning, no creaking, no screaming. Just the soft click clack of the drone.

Roger checked the timing. The drone should have reached it by now. He squinted into the glare and overrode the drone. Nothing but flakes of rusted metal scattered across a floor of rusted metal, fallen from the walls and ceiling of rusted metal.

After several minutes of searching, Roger rubbed his temples. He drummed his fingers on his little metal desk and took a few deep breaths. He reached over and picked up the bulky plastic phone sitting on the edge of his work space. He dialed the number and only had to wait a few seconds before it was answered.

"Sir? It's Roger Little, from Surveillance. We may have a problem."

In the cold reaches of space, a satellite continued to do what it had done for over a decade. It hung in the weaker clutches of the Earth's gravity and watched a man wander about.

The man it was watching, however, was doing something a ways away from his status quo. He was running. Through the sweltering heat of the American Southwest in the middle of its summer, over the scorched earth, under a blazing sun, Mister Lost ran.

In hot pursuit was a man with fiery red hair. His black jacket left unbuttoned, it snapped behind him like shadows cast by a fire, the red trimming a much duller affair than his hair. He was gaining on Lost, who continued to make the mistake of looking over his shoulder. Each glance seemed to give the red-haired man more speed.

The eventual collision left Lost sprawled on the ground for a moment before he tried crawling away. The second man was up in a near instant. He brushed himself off and waited a moment before continuing his pursuit. He walked just behind Lost for a time, until he tried to get up. The pursuer kicked his target back onto the ground. This repeated itself for some time, until the red-haired main simply grabbed the man in the green jacket and dragged him in the opposite direction.

They eventually came upon a third man, who had been sitting on a rock outcropping. Blood and rust clung to every inch of his body. With what seemed to be considerable effort, the man stood. He took two steps before falling.

The red man grabbed the rusted man by the shirt and hauled him up onto his shoulder in a way that was quick but not unkind. All the while Mister Lost remained gripped in his opposite hand. After what looked like a satisfied sigh, the red man walked east.

An O5 rolled an unlit cigar back and forth over the sleek top of his desk. In front of him, the video feed on his monitor ended. Beyond that, his secretary stood at attention.

The secretary took a brief glance at his clipboard. "As you can see, sir, the unknown humanoid has captured both 2933 and 920. Further surveillance from multiple sources show it is now heading for one of our facilities."

The Overseer idly flicked the cigar, sending it spinning. "Given the context, I'm guessing it can be safely assumed who the entity is?"

"It's attacked two of the three Little Mister anomalies we don't have properly contained and now seems to be heading for the Site where we contain the other seventeen. Combined with its general appearance, yes. The list's designation number fourteen, Mr. Redd."

"Lock the Site down. We don't know what Redd is capable of. Considering it was able to escape 2933-1 and has been able to transport 920 for over a hundred miles without stopping, it's not something we want to discover first hand in the midst of an active facility."

The secretary nodded and departed for his own desk. Left alone, the Overseer plucked the cigar up and spun it between his fingers. He replayed the submitted videos and quietly thought to himself.

Eventually his secretary returned, and after a brief wait hustled back out with a freshly stamped order. Alone again, O5-4 slid the silver lighter off his desk and thumbed it several times before it sparked.

A group of people sat in a room full of monitors. Not quite like the one previously described, which was merely a one man obligation simply for the principle of the thing. As the door so boldly claimed, reading Site-██1 Security, this was a security station for a Foundation site, full of attentive individuals, with live feeds covering nearly every hallway and the ability to stream feeds from various containment cells if forwarded from the cell's own containment team.

One attentive individual sat up in her chair, more so than her already perfect posture had allowed. She began squinting at one of the monitors showing a feed of a camera deep within the facility, well away from any of the entrances.

Within the frame was a trio of men. One was dressed in a black and red jacket, one in a coat of metal, and one in a green hoodie. The first was carrying the second and dragging the third, the former of which was groaning and screeching like rusted clockwork and the latter was attempting to crawl away despite appearing to be unconscious.

She wondered how they arrived in the site despite it being locked down, when no one else had made any sort of comment. The worker flagged down her superior as quick as she could and explained what she had seen. But when she pointed to the group of monitors of the area the men had just been spotted in, they were nowhere to be seen. Now one of her coworkers, who had been monitoring an entirely different Wing, was reporting about them.

By the time attention arrived on the monitor in question the men were nowhere to be seen, and further examination showed they had disappeared from surveillance entirely.

O5-4 snubbed out his cheap cigar in one hand and thumbed one of the buttons on his monitor with the other. A round woman with sharp eyes snapped into view.

After a smokey exhale the O5 sat up and meshed his fingers together, if only for himself. His outgoing calls only showed a generic silhouette. "Dziekan. I hope all is well."

The Site Director fidgeted. To her credit, it was only slightly. "Not as such, sir. Redd has somehow breached the site with both Lost and Scary. More than that, he broadcasted a video message from somewhere in the facility. And he's made demands."

The weight of the silence from her superior stayed Dziekan. After several seconds O5-4 took a slow breath and said, "Somewhere in the facility?"

"Well. Sir. I don't recognize the area. It appeared to be a medical bay, but it definitely isn't any I'm aware of. With him was a little girl with a swollen stomach. He called her Katherine but we don't have any subjects on file with that name."

The name pressed down on the Overseer's chest. He took slow, deep breaths in an effort to calm himself but every inhale became more and more difficult. On autopilot, his hands opened his cigar case. The lighter sparked on the first flick and he took a deep drag. On exhale he realized what he was doing, but decided he may as well enjoy it while he could. How in the world could Redd have known about 231—

"O5-4? Are you still there?"

He shifted out of his daze, if only slightly. "Dziekan. Right. Yes. What were his demands?"

"For you to personally come in to see him, or he would kill the girl."

The next pull turned half the cigar to ash. "And?"

"Nothing else. Just for you to see him in person."

O5-4 watched his hand shake, smoke from the cigar zigzagging. "What did you tell him?"

"That I would notify you."

"You didn't say anything about that being against protocol, it being unlikely of happening, anything like that?"

"Seemed unwise to do so, given the context."

He finished his cigar. "If we're both alive tomorrow, remind me to give you a pay raise."

"Sir?"

He terminated the connection.

One door creaked open only to reveal another. O5-4 stepped through and stared down at the man leaning against the wall, an IV sticking into his arm. Mister Scary looked at him and smiled. The contraction chipped away some rust and blood flowed from the edges of his mouth. Neither said anything as the Overseer stepped past the Little Mister, glanced at the bag of morphine, and went through the second door, this one rusted open.

He considered breaking into a run down the hallway and settled on a stiff jog. Some of the tiles cracked under his feet and when he arrived at the double doors they were open, the joints rusting them in place. "I: 1-7 Os: Ker" was all that was visible of the plaque beside the doors.

Rust began to cling to some of the machinery, but the video feed of SCP-231-7's room was still functioning. Overseer Four steeled himself before looking.

A little girl lay in a hospital bed, her pregnant belly covered by her surgical gown. She seemed quite calm given the circumstances, but given her general situation there likely wasn't much that would upset her anymore.

Next to her bed was a man in a red vest, his jacket draped over the back of his seat. In one hand he held the ankle of a rusting man who was attempting to crawl away, and in the other he held a children's book.

The only sounds in the room were Lost groaning as his body rusted as he scrabbled against the decaying tiles and Redd reading in a warm voice.

O5-4 found the intercom and pressed the button. Katherine winced at the squealing as the system turned on and Redd cocked his head at the noise.

"Alright, Mister Redd. I'm here."

Redd released Lost and slowly turned in his seat to reach into his jacket pocket, removing a piece of paper. He marked his place in the story and shut it, setting the book on the bed. As Redd looked into the camera O5-4 saw flakes of brown and black on Redd's skin, red lightning sparking against it and revealing smooth skin.

Redd smiled. "Please, no need for the 'Mister' formality. We're all friends here. I'm Redd open parenthesis discontinued closed parenthesis. My friends just call me Redd. How are you, Four?"

Geniality was not what O5-4 was expecting. A few moments passed, filled only with the sound of Lost banging on the door, before Redd tilted his head and waved at the camera. O5-4 cleared his throat and said, "I've been better, Redd. You've been causing a lot of problems lately. Now what is it you want?"

Redd shrugged theatrically, splaying his palms. "Sorry about that. Though I do believe I was clear with my video earlier. I'd like to see you, face to face. No cameras, no PA systems. No tricks, no body doubles."

Was that a knife in Redd's hand? No, nothing. A trick of the light, a video oddity.

"Before that, I have one question. How did you get here?"

"Walked."

"The site has been on lockdown and you were able to avoid surveillance for most of your trek despite us having a satellite meant to track Mister Lost. And you somehow not only knew of this Wing, but how to access it."

"Like I said, I walked. As for why I knew, call it insider information. Now, please do get in here."

Again, a glimpse of black in his palm. A jagged shadow that played hell with the lighting of the room.

With great trepidation O5-4 unlocked the blast door and dodged Lost as he darted past. After watching the Little Mister run down the hall, the Overseer stepped into the room. It smelled of disinfectant and lilac, thanks to the small aromatizer next to the bed. He felt his heart hammer away at his throat as he looked to Redd, and clench slightly when the child gave him a little wave.

Redd gestured to the armchair on the opposite side of the bed. Once they were both seated Redd cupped his hands together and sighed.

"So, this is it," Redd said. "The finale. The brief period after a long sentence that drips with the taste of freedom. How long have you been doing this job?"

The Overseer was silent.

Redd smiled. Four would have sworn the overhead lights took on a slightly bloody hue.

"I," Redd finally said, "have been a Little Mister for… what is it, almost twenty years? Something like that. It's been difficult, let me tell you."

Redd looked down at the dagger in his hand, which was now all too real. With something akin to reverence he lifted it up and dragged the shadow across his own throat, cutting so deep his exposed trachea whistled softly. Red ran down his shirt. But it clung at odd places, depicting runes that sat at the edge of the Overseer's memory. Lightning lanced out and into the damage, the blood draining as red sparks healed the wound.

The Little Mister took another breath, "And there's no getting away from it. It won't let me go. As long as this stupid dirt ball keeps spinning, I'm going to be here. Unchanging. Undying. Unable to feel much beyond blinding rage."

He smiled again. "But what if I stopped the spinning? What if I could stop it all? What if I could stop hurting? I'd have to try, right?"

"If that's your intention, why bring me here? Why drag the other two around?"

"I guess I needed some kind of... closure," Redd said, his eyes distant.

I walked. I don't know how long, but I did. I know that much. I somehow ended up at the Wonderworks, the place that had eluded me for so bloody long. And it was running. No old man, but the place was bustling all the same. It was the gods damned child! The oh, so lovely Isabel! But what could I do to her? She was in the same sort as me, in a way. She asked me why you pricks hadn't collected me yet. I didn't really have an answer, but I figured, why not? Not like I had anything else to do. Suicide wasn't the option, as you can plainly fucking see!

But as I got closer, I got this feeling. This itching, burning sensation digging into my soul— if I even have one anymore. There was a thing, locked deep in the hole my brothers were buried. It spoke to me in ways I'll never be able to convey to you. Just. Fuck. It felt good. And I knew. I knew! I always thought I was just subject to anger issues, but all along I was a subject to the King!

Did you know gods can't die? They just… fade, waiting for their time to come again. But they still leave corpses. Something to jam a spigot into and tap into whatever power might be left lying around. The old man must have gotten desperate. Brass wasn't enough, even as big as the corpse he got pulled from is. A Broken universe still yields a Broken power, and a sliver of a fragment isn't worth much of anything. So he tried something a bit more intact, and…

...

What was I talking about? …Wait. Wait, no…

...

I used to say I have these… lucid moments. It's like— Do you wear glasses? You look the type. That brief time when you put them on, when your eyes see both through and around the lens. And everything just seems to warp around you as the glass rushes forward, the world shifts as the filter expands. You wear them long enough and you stop seeing the frames in your vision, don't feel the arms on your ears anymore.

...

I can't tell if my humanity is the prescription or the astigmatism anymore.

And I don't care. I'm so, so sick of it all. My eyes are strained to the point of bleeding and I can't close them. But at least that means I get to watch the end.

Redd eventually stirred from his trance. "Here, I want you to have this." He removed the bookmark from its spot and unfolded it before handing it over.

O5-4 stared at the list. One line in particular drew his eye.

14. Mr. Redd (discontinued) ✔

The man stood there for a moment, eyes unfocused. Somewhere in his mind the twentieth slot was filled. He leaned to the right, his hand out as if ready for a cane to take the weight. After a moment he caught his balance and examined his right hand, then the left, flexing and clenching them. He straightened back up and examined the room.

The former body of O5-4 took a breath.

Mister Collector let it out.

Collector reached into his pocket and pulled out a crisp piece of paper, uncrumpled despite its confines.

He let out a small chuckle. The paper between his thumb and middle finger, he snapped, and a bubble formed around the parchment. It floated just above his palm, bounced when he tapped it. He gave the top of the bubble a light pat and it collapsed into itself, away for him to take out later.

"How you feeling?" Redd asked from his seat.

"Better than I have in years," Collector responded. When he spoke, Redd sat up. Squinted. "And yourself?"

"You—!" Redd flew forward, knife in hand.

Collector slapped it away into a bubble, which soared just out of Redd's flailing grasp. Redd drew another from his sleeve and threw it, only for it to be caught in another bubble. Red in the face, Redd swung a fist while simply producing a dagger from his palm. Collector caught the punch and a silky bubble wrapped itself around Redd's hand. He pulled and yanked and was only able to free himself when he released his grip on the third shadow knife.

"How?!" Redd demanded. "You should be dead! The girl said you were dead!"

"I likely am. The me you are speaking to is merely a copy, made prior to Mister Forgetful erasing 'me' from my old body. Whatever was left in the body of Isiah Crawford after that was Doctor Wondertainment, though with a bit too much Factory mixed in for my taste. I suppose I remember all that because Forgetful couldn't get to me as I was merely in potentia. You remember Mister Mad?"

"He was a fucking— were we all just tests? A fucking training ground?"

"Not all of you, no." Mister Collector, née Doctor Wondertainment smiled. It lacked its old rainbow glow but it shined all the same. "Forgetful and Stripes to cover my tracks, the latter's brother to get you all here…" The smile faded. "…Scary. Ahem. Truth be told, this whole Collector concept was done fairly late into the project's development. I mostly wanted to see how things would turn out. How is Isabel doing?"

Redd glowered. "So then why was I made?"

The old man narrowed the eyes that weren't really his. "Hmm. You were a gamble, I suppose. Of course, I made a grave error— as they say, always bet on black."

Redd grabbed Collector by the collar. "Do you think this is a fucking joke? That I am somehow funny?"

"Not as such. My apologies, I was trying to lighten the mood. What would you like me to say? That you were a defect? That I condensed a power that was much more destructive than I could have imagined and pumped it into some young man's veins? I tried to change you, but you just wouldn't take much. So Redd you became."

Redd released his grip, his face expressionless. "So I'm a mistake."

Collector straightened his tie. "I would more say… an unfortunate surprise. But who doesn't like surprises?"

"Ha…" Redd reeled back, smiling. It took another few seconds for his face to move again. "I'll show you a surprise."

"And what's that?"

The grin in Redd's mouth was almost as sharp as the knives in Collector's bubbles. "That would be telling, dear father. Can't spoil the surprise."

Redd sidled next to the child's bed and smiled down at her. Katherine smiled back up at him, her gaze occasionally edging toward the other Mister. Redd sat down, the impact bouncing the book up and off of the bed. A chuckle left him as he bent over to get it.

Redd set the book down in the center of the bed. He traced out a curved knife on the cover. A spark of red followed his fingertip, outlining the weapon. Once completed the red flickered and was filled with black. Redd slipped the knife off the book as one would a playing card and held it for Collector to see. When Redd turned it so that the blade faced Collector, it appeared to merely be a wispy black line flickering in the light.

"Are you ready?" Redd asked Katherine in a soft voice.

The child took a few breaths. "Are you sure you can? I don't want Him getting hurt."

Redd twirled the knife in one hand and brushed back her hair with the other. "These people may have locked him away, but I just so happen to have the key."

With trembling fingers she lifted up her gown to expose her belly. Brands marked the swollen skin, dull and dark. They crackled like coal when Redd touched them. Katherine laid flat and squeezed her eyes shut.

The twisted scalpel slipped into her, the blade so fine she didn't wince. But as Redd ran the knife across her, she began to scream. The runes on her skin sizzled as Redd cut through them, vapor rising into the air. Within the girl, red and purple pulsed and writhed, her womb mangled and distended. It squished and squelched as her yelling became racking sobs.

All the while, Collector stood impassively at the foot of the bed. He had seen as bad, caused worse, but a twinge of guilt struck him as he thought of Sweetie. Hopefully she would at least speak to him when he found her. Collector stirred from his thoughts when Redd cleared his throat, knife hanging over the mess.

"Don't lose focus, old man. You're about to witness the birth of a new era. Or, at least, the death of this one."

The knife dropped.

Rather than cut or tear into the tissue, the dagger simply sank into it. Black into a mottled red. But as it was swallowed, a pinprick of bright red showed itself. There was a moment of stillness, even within the girl, as the shadows cast across her intestines swirled to the red.

The room was suddenly all too full. The smell of iron was nearly palpable, a loud ripping sound the only thing accompanying Katherine's now-resumed screams. Hardened flesh that matched the color of a dying sun dripped with blood and placenta. It pressed everywhere within the room, on the walls, under the bed, even within the inhabitants. The ceiling began to crack, and then the tearing sound intensified enough to drown out the sobs.

The ceiling exploded. The earth and concrete above it was obliterated as the thing rose, level after level was leveled by the growing expanse. It grew as it rose, each rising floor destroyed in a greater capacity. Eventually Site-██ was exposed to the open air, where dark clouds were beat about by a pair of reverse wings. Eleven mouths creaked open to take their first breaths.

Foundation personnel stared up in slack-jaw awe. At a distance, civilians who could spot at least the crown of horns began to panic. Down in the medical room, the trio remained. A thin umbilical cord connecting Katherine to her son. Redd cackled and pointed the monstrosity out to the spent child. Collector tapped the side of his head and a bubble formed around it.

The Seventh Son spoke. Clouds broke and the sky cracked under the weight of his words. The air itself tasted of blood. All those within the range of His mighty voice felt crimson run out their ears, with the exception of a single man standing in the center of it all. His bubble vibrated rainbows against the onslaught, but held.

"Do you see?!" Redd yelled, none hearing him over the din. He touched the blood coming from his ear and showed Collector. "It's over! I can finally be over!"

Once the bubble stopped shaking, Collector popped it. The world was silent, waiting for the Son's next words. He took the umbilical cord in his hand and proffered it to Redd. A crack of a smile broke Redd's face. From nowhere he produced another dagger and with no amount of ceremony separated mother and child.

Knowing this, the Seventh Son drew another breath. When He spoke again, His words fell on deaf ears. The air around him shimmered slightly, reflecting a rainbow in places.

Collector lowered his hand from where he had touched the Scarlet King's spawn. Something stuck to his hand, which he wiped off on the bed sheet. He cleared his throat and adjusted his tie again.

After a moment he turned to Redd, a small smile on his lips. "I'm so sorry, I'm afraid I couldn't hear you over all the noise. What were you saying?"

Redd said nothing. He did nothing, for a short time. Then his eye twitched. He looked at the shimmer of the bubble around the Seventh Son, at the stain on the bed sheet. Bony palms dug into his eyes as he tried to rub whatever nonsense was clouding his vision. When he looked again, the scene was the same.

"…No," Redd finally said, a full sword in his hand. He slashed at the bubble, the blade digging into the film. Then it flew out of his hand as the bubble pushed back. "No."

Collector watched Redd attack the bubble over and over again with a variety of shadow weapons. After a dozen or so weapons were embedded in the wall behind him, Redd slashed at his own hands and thrust the scarlet lightning into the bubble. It did nothing but catch the light.

"No!" Redd repeated, turning on Collector. "No."

"Sorry, is this distracting you?" Collector said. He raised a palm and snatched away the Seventh Son, now the size of a newt contained within the ball in the Little Mister's hand. "I'll put it away."

Redd watched his savior vanish with a whimsical pop! Mouth agape, he turned to his Queen. She couldn't look back, her eyes glazed over. Her breaths came in short, ragged bursts. Redd ground his teeth together and turned back to Collector.

With a mouth full of blood and darkness, Redd yelled, "No!"

He stumbled forward, knife in hand without the usual motion. It buried itself in Collector's chest.

"No!" Redd screamed, spraying blood in Collector's face. He pulled the knife out of his brother/father and continued stabbing him. "No. No! NO!"

Blood flew from the knife with each stab. Droplets froze in midair, catching other sprays and sloshing together into hovering bubbles of blood. Color drained from Collector's face as Redd's gained more and more.

"No…" Redd whispered, losing breath. His arm fell, opening a large gash across Collector's stomach. The knife fell and disintegrated, merging with the shadow cast by the last blood orb. A tear droplet met it. "No…"

Collector/Isiah hugged his brother/son. Redd sobbed against the offered shoulder. When the cries weakened in strength, Collector led Redd back to his seat. Redd fell into it and wrapped himself in his jacket. With a flick of his wrist Collector brought the crimson orbs into himself. By the time he finished collecting what shadow weapons remained he regained his color, though he moved slowly. He went about pop!ing the armaments away save for one. He took it out of its bubble and sat on the arm of the chair, between Redd and Katherine.

"I can't say this is how I envisioned the family reunion," Collector mused. "But I think I can afford you at least one gift."

Redd almost laughed. "What could you possibly give me?"

"Less give." Collector tapped Redd's forehead. "More take."

Redd blinked. He stared at the swirling hate bubbled in front of him. He winced when it vanished with a light tap from Collector. Emptiness filled him. Wonderful, calming emptiness. Tranquil, simple serenity.

Redd felt where Collector had prodded him. "It… it's gone?"

"Simply somewhere else."

Redd nearly sprang from his chair. "The girl! You could… take whatever they did to her out? Make her right?"

"I don't believe they made her wrong," Collector said, turning his gaze to Katherine. "If the Scarlet King could enter this world without humanity's help, he would have done it already. She chose this life for him. There is nothing for me to take from her, except…"

The black dagger seemed to try to catch the light in his hand.

"At least let me do it," Redd urged.

"I didn't wash your hands of blood just for you to dirty them again, Redd," Collector replied. "What's a few more drops on mine?"

He was silent for a moment, and then Redd said, "I don't think I really want that name anymore."

"Oh?"

He closed his eyes. The roiling red sea of his mind was now a calm blue. "I'm thinking Bluee."

"Blue?"

"With two E's."

Collector wheezed a laugh. "So be it. Excuse me one moment, Bluee."

It was over quick. Bluee found it hard to look at her, so he covered her up.

"So… what now?" Bluee asked.

"Now you enter one of the Foundation's little boxes, like your siblings," Collector said.

"What? That's it?" Bluee stood. "No, that isn't fair, it can't just end like-"

Collector held up a hand, and Bluee went silent. Collector reached into his pocket slowly, like the old man he looked to be. "You may be free of the Scarlet King's branding, but not of Wondertainment's. I'm in the body of a Foundation Overseer now. We have to act our parts."

Collector finally retrieved the paper he had pulled from his pocket earlier. He offered it to Bluee, who took it gingerly.

Wow! You've found them all and became Mr. Collector!!

But the fun isn't over yet, because now a whole new set of Misters will soon be in development, brought to you by our own Ms. Heir!

00. Mr. Collector ✔ 01. Mr. Chameleon ✔ 02. Mr. Headless ✔ 03. Mr. Laugh ✔ 04. Mr. Forgetful ✔ 05. Mr. Shapey ✔ 06. Mr. Soap ✔ 07. Mr. Hungry ✔ 08. Mr. Brass ✔ 09. Mr. Hot ✔ 10. Ms. Sweetie ✔ 11. Mr. Life and Mr. Death ✔ 12. Mr. Fish ✔ 13. Mr. Moon ✔ 14. Mr. Redd (discontinued) ✔ 15. Mr. Money ✔ 16. Mr. Lost ✔ 17. Mr. Lie ✔ 18. Mr. Mad ✔ 19. Mr. Scary ✔ 20. Mr. Stripes ✔

Bluee made a double take.

But the fun isn't over yet, because now a whole new set of Misters will soon be in development, brought to you by our own Ms. Heir!

Bluee looked up.

Collector's smile had more strength than the rest of his body combined. "Because we're not done yet."

#mr.Collector #scp redd #scp #Mr.redd #Mr.bluee #wondertainment #doctor wondertainment

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dc81600 · 4 years

Text

A note on O5-1.

Whatever the reason, O5-1 is often reported to be the most powerful O5 Council member, if reports suggest that there even is a most powerful O5 Council member. Given the amount of disinformation spread about the O5 Council, make of this what you will.

O5-1: "The Founder".

Male. European descent. American origin. Verified post-human lifespan; 148+ years of age. Varying appearance.

A holdover of the occult organizations preceding the Foundation, so he likely benefits from more preservation techniques than merely SCP-006, and he likely possess a large degree of anomalous protection. References have been made to "clad in rags and bones"; obvious occult significance.

One possible identity for the original Administrator.

Evidence strongly suggests that he was born Aaron Siegel in the late 1800s (possibly 1866). Certainly, one Aaron Siegel was a physicist studying at Cornell University in 1891, who disappears from the historical record after this year. This timeline doesn't match what we know of O5-1's activity, but given his position and the reality-restructuring events that have occurred, it's entirely possible.

Rumor has it that he's Gears' father. If true, this would make him the Black Queen's grandfather — my grandfather.

Two contradictory sightings stand out. Once in company of O5-2, appearing as an extremely old man. Once in what appears to be security footage of an underground bunker, appearing as a young teenager.

O5-1: "Eve".

Female. African descent. Ancient Sumerian origin. Verified post-human lifespan; claims to be 10,000-15,000 years old. Varying appearance.

Claims to be "Adam's third wife." Claims to be the mother of modern humanity. Possible mother of SCP-076-2 and SCP-073. Claims that she (and Adam) were not the first humans, but merely the leaders of the first agricultural humans (possibly; reported details vary), who brought humanity from the Garden.

Claims that Adam was (or became) a reality bender, but that she herself is not. Rather, she possesses protection from reality restructuring via "anchors" (like a few Foundation personnel, including the current Administrator and Dr. Alto Clef). Reference: SCP-1000, SCP-2932, and reality restructuring cascades.

O5-1 is a reluctant founding member of the SCP Foundation. As one of those who led humanity from the Garden, she felt responsibility for helping to guide humanity through the uncertain future ahead. Reports suggest she may often disagree with the rest of the O5 Council.

Despite that fact that they seem to share an O5 number, several reports that reference "Eve" also reference "The Founder" as existing together, and reference their acrimonious interactions.

She seems a curious character. If she's real, I'd like to meet her. Maybe befriend her. Maybe kill her.

O5-1: "The Dead Man".

Male. Unknown descent. Unknown origin. Rarely, if ever, directly seen.

The oldest surviving founding member of O5 Command, O5-1 is technically dead. He survives only due to anomalous alteration and sheer willpower; his body is a mummified corpse, and he should biologically be brain-dead.

Never appears in public. When public appearances are necessary sends a stand-in. Works exclusively through intermediaries. Has a somewhat frightening reputation; the other O5 Council members seem to be afraid of him.

O5-1: "The Man With The Infinity Gun".

Male. European descent. Spanish origin. Not seen since 03/22/1926.

Previously a high-ranking official in a pre-Foundation supernatural study organization, and former head of command research team Omega-5, assigned to the "Twins of God" top secret project at San Marco, Mexico. Participated in the construction of "The Children", a cosmic superweapon designed to eliminate the Group of Interest "Kingdom of Abbadon", a community of hostile reality altering entities located in North Africa.

Murdered the first Foundation Administrator and stole the trigger for the weapon before fleeing and disappearing along with a substantial number of high-ranking staff members. May have founded the Chaos Insurgency Group of Interest, though reports of his affiliation with the group are limited and unsubstantiated.

Not currently believed to be alive, though it is possible that he has discovered other means of prolonging his life. If alive, possesses the ability to immediately annihilate anything, anywhere in the universe, at any moment. Exceptionally dangerous.

O5-1: "The Visionary".

Male. European descent. British origin. Appears to be about 55. Formerly affiliated with Her Majesty's Foundation for the Secure Containment of the Paranormal. Signatory and initiator of the Forbidden City Convention.

A principle believer of the Foundation's formation "by God's will". Religious backing or disinformation?

May have strong-armed other precursors into forming the Foundation under threat of annihilation? But why those other organisations specifically? What do they possess?

A note on O5-2.

O5-2 is usually reported to possess certain… unique anomalous traits. As you will see from the following reports, there is an odd sort of consistency in between the vast contradiction. Consistency is unusual for O5 member reports. Possible sign of a disinformation campaign… or a very strange truth. Perhaps I know which, but I could not tell you.

O5-2: "The Gardener".

Female. European descent. American origin. Appears to be 80+ years old. Actual age unknown. No unusual appearance.

O5-2 is apparently a second version of Foundation Director Dr. Sophia Light, a holdover from an erased timeline (she seems to have had a hand in this erasure). She is very different from the current Sophia Light, Director of Site-41, who is unaware of her alternate's status or identity. Considered extremely dangerous, even compared to the other O5s. Known for making tough, pragmatic decisions.

Promotes research of SCP objects and the anomalous in general. Has consistently stuck to this despite regularly shifting Foundation attitudes towards containment versus research. Pushed for a reasonable degree of anomalous object cross-testing. Implemented higher standards of non-SCP anomalous item categorization by the Foundation. Strong believer in pragmatic research (or theoretical research that leads to pragmatic work), believing this to be most beneficial to the Foundation in the long run. Wishes to deconstruct the anomalous so that the Foundation understands it.

Rarely seen in public. Said to have a grandmotherly attitude.

Maintains several SCP objects considered key to O5 Command, notably SCP-006.

O5-2: "The Nazarene".

Female. Middle Eastern descent. Israeli origin. Varying appearance; often passes for male. Possesses injuries consistent with crucifixion (notably distinct scars at wrists and feet, marks of whipping, etc).

O5-2 is apparently a version of Foundation Doctor Sophia Light, either a holdover from an erased timeline, or, perhaps, the original version of Sophia Light (making the publicly known version a duplicate, or the same person). She appears to be similar to the publicly known Sophia Light in personality and appearance (with the exception of ethnicity), but otherwise differs due to extensively differing life experience. The publicly known Sophia Light is unaware of her alternate's status or identity.

O5-2 possesses various reality-bending capabilities, the extent of which is currently unknown. May have some claim to divine status.

Recovered Data File L246-A1780B23971C20987D091

O5-2: "The Way".

Male. European descent. American origin. Appears to be 50+ years old. Actual age unknown. No unusual appearance.

O5-2 is apparently a version of Foundation Doctor Sophia Light, either a holdover from an erased timeline, or an immigrant from an alternate timeline. He resembles the current Sophia Light in every way except his gender, age, and first name: "Stefan".

He travels everywhere with a similarly unusual secretary/bodyguard, who he seems to be in a romantic relationship with. She is named Tracy Lament, and appears to be a version of Foundation Agent Troy Lament, and coming from the same origin as O5-2.

Neither Dr. Light nor Agent Lament are aware of their doubles' identity or status.

O5-2 has pushed repeatedly for a particular sweeping change to Foundation policy: that anomalous objects which become fully understood by the Foundation be universally declassified and introduced to the non-anomalous scientific community (even those alien to current standards of normalcy and established scientific principles). So far, he has met with little success in this endeavor, due to strong opposition from other members of the O5 Council.

O5-2: "He Who Waits".

Male. European descent. French origin. Appears to be about 60. Formerly affiliated with Estate noir. Signatory of the Forbidden City Convention. DNA tests indicate that he is apparently an ancestor of Sophia Light.

Proposed an anomaly progression model based on the second law of thermodynamics, which was rejected by the other members of the O5 Council. Since their first known meeting, has usually voted 'Abstain'.

Coined the term 'Keter'. Contrary to the common translation of 'crown', "He Who Waits" coined 'Keter' in the context of 'wait'. Waiting for what?

An excerpt from a document authored by O5-2 is as follows:

…Until then, there will be chaos in the system. Once, I proposed that we guide the world back to its original state but the others disagreed in favour of establishing tyranny…

'disagreed in favour of… tyranny' –> insurgency

Possible Chaos Insurgency member/founder/sympathiser? More research needed.

O5-3: "The Kid".

Male (?). European descent (apparently). Unknown origin. Appears to be 17-19, despite being certainly much older. Always has long blond hair, glasses, patched jean jacket, and a single bone earring. Never seen in person; communicates via computer terminal.

Usually presents as male, sometimes as female, sometimes non-binary/other. Never explains this. An informant suggested to me that it's a computer error; I find it hard to believe it's not on purpose.

Original identity unknown. Various intelligence reports claim that he (?) is actually dead, and only exists in the computer matrices he created. Excessively friendly in personality. Usually. A relatively active O5 member at certain Sites.

Assorted rumors hold that O5-3 is the brother of SCP-2772 (perhaps likely), and may have helped invent the Internet in the 1960's (unknown).

O5-3: "The Philosopher Scientist".

Male. East Asian descent. Japanese origin. Appears to be 60+ years old. Actual age unknown. No unusual appearance.

Joined the O5 Council in in the 1930's, shortly after World War 1. Known for caring about the social ramifications of science; strongly opposed social Darwinism.

Generally a voice of caution; the "conscience" of the O5 Council, even if often overridden by other members, and even if often endorsing Foundation projects he does not fully agree with.

Helped found the Ethics Committee. Possibly still plays a lead role in the organization (if it even exists).

While already an O5 Council member, gained a PhD in clinical psychology. Was the original person responsible for implementing psychological checkups of Foundation personnel.

O5-3: "The Beacon".

Male. European descent. American origin. Appears to be 50+ years old. Actual age unknown. Varying appearance.

Made a lifelong study of various methods of controlling large groups of people. A particular fascination with religion and religious cults. Convinced by other O5 members to investigate making large groups of people profitable as well.

O5-3 is particularly shrouded in myth. He is presented as a literal supernatural figure in some reports, and as a perfectly ordinary man in others. Ordinarily, this could be chalked up to religiously related manipulation, but as an O5 member, some claim to divine status cannot be discounted.

Possibly connected to L. Ron Hubbard.

O5-3: "The Hermit".

Male. European descent. Russian origin. Appears to be about 80. Has a prominent beard. Formerly affiliated with the Tsars' Seers. Signatory of the Forbidden City Convention.

Bends to consensus decision easily, even if said consensus decision is not originally his choice.

Only directly interacts with other O5 Council members. Uses written messages to convey orders to subordinates. Known to consistently stay in Overwatch HQ. Potential secret-keeper?

O5-4: "The Ambassador".

Male. Australian (Koori) descent. Canadian origin. Mid-40s. No unusual appearance. Assigned female at birth.

Former Foundation field agent. Many recorded sightings; unlike all other members of O5 Command, commonly interacts with agents or representatives of outside anomalous groups of interest.

He also works with the Administrator in a more traditional ambassador role, privately meeting with heads of state and high-tier organizations such as the Global Occult Coalition/United Nations to negotiate such matters as Foundation access to countries. Has a sizable staff of diplomats working under him.

Pertinently: How does he keep finding me? And why doesn't he share that with the rest of the Foundation? Possibly bound to an esoteric/anomalous rule-set. Requires investigation.

Excerpt from intercepted communication:

A lot of fieldwork and being in the wrong place at the right time. Got to be a little bit of a diplomat, and ended up getting sent out to talk to various GOIs over the years. Got pretty good at it. Too good, really. Another of those who ended up being promoted because he's so damned good at his job, but not entirely trusted, because he walks places people shouldn't go, and keeps secrets. His loyalty isn't in doubt. Just the wisdom of his excursions.

O5-4: "The Martyr". [DECEASED]

Male. European descent. American origin. Early 40s. No unusual appearance.

Gained his position when forced to execute a prior O5-4 during an attempted hostile takeover of the Foundation. Held the position reluctantly. Later died under highly classified circumstances. Publicly, at least, said to have died a hero's death. I suspect otherwise, but the reports claim he was genuinely grieved, so perhaps true.

O5-4: "Frost". [DECEASED]

Male. European descent. American origin. Early 40s. No unusual appearance.

A relaxed, gentle man, despite his stern reputation. Not shy about appearing in public, or publicizing his projects. Kept up impressive security measures to counter this. Known for traveling with a large, friendly mastiff named (almost comically) "Rover".

Did not reflect the mindset of his compatriots regarding use of anomalous objects. Strongly opposed the weaponization of SCP objects. One of several O5 Council members who strongly opposed cross-testing and in many cases general research on the anomalous as well.

Came into his own after the series of incidents that included SCP-076 causing the destruction of Area-25 and MTF Omega-7, Dr. Kondraki mostly destroying Site-19 by deliberation of breaching 682 in reaction to manipulation by O5 members, a researcher wiping himself and several sites from existence, and a string of serious accidents resulting from cross-testing SCP objects.

Following these incidents, O5-4 and his newfound allies within O5 Command found their position suddenly quite popular indeed. A great number of projects were outright ended, and a new policy came into effect: little research on anomalous objects should be done except that which is necessary for containment. Research was considered too dangerous. SCP objects would be examined mostly in isolation from each other. Cross-testing mostly ceased. This would be unofficial Foundation policy for the better part of the following decade.

O5-4's sway began to fail in more recent times, and then he was abruptly assassinated by operatives of the Chaos Insurgency. (In practice, this could mean almost anything, given the nature of the Insurgency.)

O5-4: "The Collector". [REMOVED]

Male. Descent unknown. Origin unknown. Age unknown. Appearance unknown.

O5-4 was the first to personally succeed in bringing a complete series of Little Misters into Foundation containment, and became Mr. Collector.

O5-4: "The Gangster". [DEFECTED]

Male. European descent. American origin. Appearance unknown.

O5-4 played a large role in Foundation manipulation of world governments and economic systems. Additionally, he had extensive ties to organized crime and domestic terrorism, ties which existed before his elevation to the O5 Council. He simply never let them go, and the obvious utility of crime connections during the Foundation's early years allowed him to justify these questionable continuing relationships. Most people who the Foundation 'disappeared' or assassinated during their formative years were targeted under the auspices of O5-4.

Helped design the first iteration of the Chaos Insurgency (as a Foundation black ops project) before defecting with the fully realized Chaos Insurgency during the Foundation Civil War. Although not a mastermind of the "true" Insurgency (better thought of as an alliance between then-O5-7 and then-O5-11), is likely significantly responsible for its success post-schism, for when he left, he took his connections with him.

When O5-4 defected, the Foundation wiped out all his operations and reassigned or terminated his remaining staff. Though this was likely a good choice for them long-term, this partially contributed to certain destabilizations in world economies of the time.

Rumored to have known Al Capone and number of other crime lords personally.

O5-4: "The Veteran".

Male. European descent. German origin. Appears to be about 50. Has prominent mustache. Formerly affiliated with the Imperial German Anomalous Matters Examination Agency. Signatory of the Forbidden City Convention.

Believed to have fought in the Fifth Occult War on behalf of the German Empire, and defeated the Militia United in Righteousness (a.k.a. the Boxers). Professes unusually detailed knowledge of Daevite and Mekhanist military tactics.

Claims to have met Napoleon Bonaparte in person, although he claims that the iteration of Bonaparte whom he met is anomalously enhanced.

Likes to join agents and Mobile Task Force members during field operations. Restless and does not like desktop jobs.

O5-5: "Blackbird".

Male. European/Middle Eastern descent. American origin. Appears to be mid-40s; almost certainly older. Favors tweed suits, usually worn with coat and a hat with a blackbird pin. Wears ties with birds. Unknown significance, if any.

Overly friendly and familiar in demeanor. Tends to be laid-back and jovial given the option. One of the more prominent O5s, relatively often seen in public. Little is known about his specific role, though he has been on the Council a long time.

An artist of some talent; known to sketch five blackbirds as a signature.

O5-5: "The Ordinary Man".

Male. European descent. American origin. Appears to be mid-40s. Appearance is thoroughly ordinary; prefers to appear average in almost every way. Exception: Almost always seen wearing tanned leather shoes.

Very little knowledge is available about O5-5. Has been known to occasionally travel with SCP-108 for unknown reasons. Given experimentation records on 108, I suspect he may intend to use her (either directly or via research) as some form of last-ditch escape route.

O5-5: "The Entrepreneur", or "The Treasurer".

Male. European/Middle Eastern descent. Western European origin. Mid-40s. No unusual appearance.

O5-5 oversees the Foundation's front organizations. He creates funding for almost all Foundation projects. Habitually manipulates economies to the Foundation's benefit. He doesn't accomplish this directly by anomalous means; yes, the Foundation could just make gold, but then injecting large amounts of gold into an economy would tend to destabilize it. O5-5 doesn't just run the front organizations, he makes them profitable. Others hire the workers, O5-5 pays them.

Never seen in public. Many reports identify him as the same person as O5-5 "Blackbird", and others call "Blackbird" a fiction or a false double.

O5-5: "Manifest Destiny".

Male. European descent. American origin. Appears to be about 50. Clean-shaven. Formerly affiliated with the American Secure Containment Initiative. Signatory of the Forbidden City Convention.

A firm believer in human mastery over Nature. Involved in the decimation of SCP-2750.

Makes frequent trips to Yellowstone Park. Purpose unknown.

O5-6: "Cowboy", or "The American".

Male. European descent. American origin. Mid-40s. Long hair kept in a ponytail. Nearly always dresses in white suits, with a white Stetson "Boss of the Plains" cowboy hat, and carries a white cane with the handle carved in the shape of a wolf's head. Unknown significance, if any.

Former top Foundation field agent; other details of prior identity unknown (probable wipe). Professional yet genial. Reputation for high competency. Plays something of a "jack of all trades" role within the Foundation, but focuses particularly on issues of Foundation security.

One of the O5s seen more often in public. Travels with two male bodyguards referred to as "Thompson" and "Black".

O5-6: "The Figurehead", or "The Elder".

Male. African descent. American origin. Verified post-human lifespan; likely 200+ years of age.

One of the founding members of the O5 Council, O5-6 was already old when he joined. He is now said to have aged beyond even the abilities of SCP-006 to rejuvenate him. He still survives, for now, but he rarely if ever takes any action on the O5 Council. His secretary runs things for him, up to and including voting according to his wishes on O5 Council matters.

O5-6: "The Puppet".

Male. European descent. American origin. Early 40s. Typically dresses in tasteful suits.

Rarely seen in public, but a very active member of O5 Command internally. What few are aware of is that he is a puppet inserted into the O5 Council by the Global Occult Coalition as a possible future attempt at hostile takeover, or perhaps a failsafe.

It seems possible that some or all of the other O5 Council members are aware of his status as a turncoat, and tolerate the situation for their own reasons. Perhaps they view him as a potential asset, or at least view the knowledge of his situation as a potential asset.

O5-6: "The Experimenter".

Male. European descent. Austrian origin. Appears to be about 65. Formerly affiliated with the Imperial Commission on Transgressive Occurrences. Signatory of the Forbidden City Convention.

Advocates for scientific methodology within the Foundation. Chiefly in charge of R&D. Coined the terms 'Euclid' and 'trans-reality memory retention'.

What exactly is trans-reality memory retention?

O5-7: "Green".

Female. South Asian descent. Unknown origin. Appears to be mid-40s; almost certainly older. Somewhat fat. Nearly always dresses in various shades of green clothing. Unknown significance, if any.

One of the longer-term members of the O5 Council. Described as not especially morally scrupulous with her power, although with her heart in the right place, or at least near the right place. A master tactician, charismatic, and fairly dangerous.

Does not often appear in public, and often works through intermediaries at first; a believer in private meetings over public speeches. Generally friendly in demeanor in personal interactions, right up until she's not.

Possibly an ex-university professor (surprisingly). Has implemented a number of training program in various areas across the Foundation.

Also notable for "adopting" Dr. Alto Clef and approving a number of his experimental (and sometimes unnecessarily dangerous) projects.

Takes an active interest in Foundation personnel; often plays a role in recruiting O5 Council general staff.

O5-7: "The Unlikely".

Male. European descent. American origin. Appears to be mid-40s; likely older. No unusual appearance.

Reputation for being somewhat dangerous to be around. Has survived a curious number of assassination attempts unscathed (with the assassins dead in the wake of the attempts); unusual that an O5 would both leave themselves vulnerable to so many attempts and also survive so many in such a manner. Possible anomalous protection.

Takes a special interest in SCP objects stolen or acquired by the Chaos Insurgency. Numerous reports indicate that O5-7 is, in fact, the current head of the Chaos Insurgency, despite this directly contradicting many other reports about the Chaos Insurgency's status as a splinter organization. Reports differ on whether the rest of the O5 Council is unaware of this, or knows and partially or fully endorses it.

O5-7: "The Professor", or "The Heretic". [DEFECTED]

Male. European descent. American origin. Appearance unknown.

A professor at a major university and a trained psychologist; held the former position even while a member of the O5 Council, before disappearing from both upon defection. Developed a large number of training programs across the Foundation, many of which are still in use today in some form.

One of the primary instigators of the Foundation Civil War. Defected from the Foundation along with the then-current O5-4, O5-11, and O5-12, as well as a number of Foundation generals and another O5 who was killed during the schism.

A major thought leader in the Insurgency; possibly co-created the first iteration of the Insurgency, which seems to have been originally an organization used for covert Foundation operations under another (relatively nonsensical) name, and likely still exists in this form as well as the latter day article. Embraced the name "Chaos Insurgency" as legitimate during the schism; is likely the reason the Chaos Insurgency is called the Chaos Insurgency. Apparently still active in the Insurgency to this day.

Advocated for research into numerous venues the rest of the O5 Council deemed too dangerous to touch, including chaos magics and a reality warping god-engine (both in current use by the Chaos Insurgency today). Advocated for large-scale weaponization and active use of SCP objects. Spent an inordinate amount of time researching the brain structure of anomalous humanoids.

Foresaw the increase in anomalies that was only beginning to be experienced by the Foundation (and general anomalous community) of the time; expressed that to survive, the Foundation would need move from merely preserving normalcy to actively determining normalcy, and determining the future for the human race at large.

Accused of having a 'god complex'; took these accusations as a compliment. Took the position that God was missing or dead, and therefore the Foundation needed to take his place. A line often quoted by his supporters: "Heaven is empty, and all the angels are here."

O5-7: "Teeth".

Agendered. East Asian descent. Chinese origin. Verified post-human lifespan. Appears to be mid-40s; almost certainly older. Androgynous appearance (in normal form). Always wears two ivory hair-sticks. Reports claim these were fashioned from human teeth/bone; obvious occult significance.

Unusually for an O5 Council member, it seems unclear whether O5-7 was originally fully human. They possess the ability to shift between a human form, and a variety of difficult-to-describe eldritch beings. They are supposedly involved in the containment of (and maybe collaboration with) certain "extraplanar" entities beyond Lovecraft's weirdest dreams.

This is an unusual set of reports. This O5-7 is supposedly both very human (hard to get more specifically human than all those culturally specific details), and yet supernatural to an extreme degree. The consistency in the reports has disturbing implications about the Foundation's hidden activities, even if this O5-7 is a cover for someone or something else.

O5-7: "The Cardinal".

Male. European descent. Catholic. Appears to be about 70. Formerly affiliated with the Royal Office for Christian Artefacts, a splinter organisation from the Vatican Holy Office for Secrets and Prophecies. Signatory of the Forbidden City Convention.

Opposed Foundation attempts to enforce control over the Middle East during the early 20th century, citing that "it is already taken care of". Possible foreknowledge of ORIA or an equivalent organisation?

O5-7: "Harold Holt".

Male. Australian. Biologically 58 years old. Former Prime Minister of Australia. Currently contained as SCP-3477-3. Joined the O5 Council in 1967 as a ploy to gain access to SCP-006, in an attempt to achieve immortality. One of the only O5s to be directly recruited from the civil sector.

Attempt was successful until the sudden appearance of several more individuals claiming to be Harold Holt, at which point he was stripped of all authority and given an SCP designation. Was within containment for 46 years, until all Harold Holts staged a containment breach.

Evidence suggests there may be as many seventy seven different versions of Harold Holt, each with their own form of immortality. Reason for this unknown. Possibly a quantum collation of different outcomes, a deliberate attempt at creating many versions to guarantee at least one would survive, or an example of a multiverse collapse.

O5-8: "The Newbie", or "The Lesser".

Male. European descent. American origin. Mid-30s. No unusual appearance.

A former Foundation Site Director; a recent elevation to the O5 Council (between 6 and 9 years as of 2014).

One of his first actions as an O5 Council member was to approve of Dr. Kondraki's plan to neutralize the former SCP-083. This plan resulted in the breaching of multiple SCP objects, including Kondraki deliberately breaching SCP-682, and in the near destruction of Site-19. This incident appears to have lead to the O5-ordered assassination of Kondraki by Dr. Gears.

Though he was not removed from the O5 Council over this, O5-8 never recovered. Still shaken from the fallout of the incident, he continues to rely on support staff to accomplish all of his duties — including the hiring and replacing of support staff.

Thus far, O5-8 has avoided further serious incidents, but rumor has it that the situation with his current crop of staff is unstable and likely to cause further "mistakes".

Possibly assassinated. Has not appeared in public for some time.

O5-8: "Magnolia".

Female. European descent. Appears to be mid-50s; likely older. Deliberately not beautiful in appearance.

O5-8 is known for being brutal and harsh, though never arbitrarily; known for making hard decisions. Known to have played a deciding vote in the decision to nuke several significant Foundation Sites during a particularly deadly breach.

Her physical appearance is deliberate. Overseers certainly can alter their appearance if they wish. This seems to be due to an emotional state plagued by guilt. Considered vulnerable to assassination attempts due to rumors that she would welcome them.

Wears a ring of human sinew. Occult significance obvious.

Possibly assassinated. Has not appeared in public for some time.

O5-8: "Dogwood".

Male. European descent. American origin. Mid-30s. No unusual appearance.

O5-8 is one of several O5 members to focus on Foundation security. Notable in particular for expanding Mobile Task Force funding and recruitment; responsible for a general proliferation and expansion of MTFs after the destruction of Omega-7 initially resulted in cutbacks.

Said to have a relatively low-key personality, but prone to becoming slowly more aggressive as situations escalate; many underlings report that he is very pleasant to work with at first, but invariably sours relationships as they evolve over the years.

There are also reports that rumor that "Dogwood" is in fact associated with another O5 report, "The Newbie"/"The Lesser", and that in fact "Dogwood" is one of the actual O5-8's competing chiefs of staff, whose star is presently falling due to internal drama. Even more reports claim that "Dogwood" and O5-6 "Cowboy" are the same person, and that the negative attributes assigned to "Dogwood" are the result of disgruntled ex-staff members who couldn't live up to O5-6's standards. It is unclear if this is yet more disinformation.

Possibly assassinated. Has not appeared in public for some time.

O5-8: "The Terse".

Male. European descent. Dutch origin. Age unknown. Formerly affiliated with the Special Investigations Board, Dutch East Indies Company. Signatory of the Forbidden City Convention.

Does not speak much with others. Speech limited only by necessity. Another secret-keeper?

Coined the term 'Group of Interest', and strongly advocates for their dissolution by the Foundation. Appears to be indiscriminant towards various GoIs; no known vendetta against any known GoI.

Consistently vetoes any attempt for the Foundation to adopt a parliamentary leadership reminiscent of the Global Occult Coalition's Council of 108; advocatory for the O5 Council structure. Prevent dilution of his own authority?

O5-9: "The Outsider." / "The Ordinary."

Female. European/Pacific Islander descent. New Zealand origin. Appearance consistent with recorded age of 53. Carries a walking stick with jade inlays; item's purpose unclear, whether occult or practical.

O5-9 is one of the most unusual O5s, for an oddly mundane reason: she appears to have been inducted directly into the O5 Council from the public sector.

The reason for her recruitment is unknown, given her complete lack of previous Foundation experience. Formerly Donna Whetu Taylor, a noted geologist, she was inducted shortly after retracting a major publication and resigning in scandal. Stated reason for the retraction was scientific misconduct including fabrication of data, but the scandal was more likely a Foundation cover-up: the few available fragments of the retracted publication suggest that Taylor had discovered several geological and geophysical anomalies, and was developing a general theory of their function.

Strong advocate for research of anomalous phenomena, including those with SCP designations; possible ally of O5-2 ("The Gardener"). Apparently partially responsible for allowing the recent dramatic expansion of the Foundation's classified technical journals (a project apparently spearheaded by Regional Director Katherine McTiriss, if rumor is correct). Goals appear to include the development of a general explanatory theory for anomalous phenomena.

O5-9's unusual circumstances have led to a large number of contradictory reports. As far as I can tell, she replaced or superceded a prior O5-9 ("Misfortune").

It's said her appointment barely passed, with a Council vote of 7 to 6. At least three votes swung to her side at the last moment. Evidence of tension within Overwatch?

O5-9: "Misfortune".

Varying age, appearance, etc. Original unknown. Carries a bone-handled knife; obvious occult significance.

O5-9's personality is based in SCP-963-2. Original version attempted to replicate SCP-963 — successfully. However, SCP-963-2 only holds the memories, experiences, and personality of O5-9 up until his first death.

When O5-9 is killed — and he has been killed several times — he is "reset". After each death, he has to be informed of events that took place after the time of his first death.

Reputation for being extremely unlucky. Restricted to underwater Foundation facilities. May or may not still hold an O5 Council position, but certainly plays a role regardless.

Possibly replaced by another O5-9, "The Outsider". Reports that claim his removal state that it was not voluntary, and was caused by one or more of the following:

a series of repeated 'resets' rendering him useless

corruption or damage to SCP-963-2 causing personality damage

Resistance to any form of change after being reset repeatedly

Inability to change with the times due to being reset repeatedly

Refusal to make use of his vote during an incident in which it was vital post-reset

Which is most likely is unclear.

O5-9: "The Lovers," or "Willow".

Both: Male. European/African descent. American origin. Appear to be mid-30's; actual ages unknown. No unusual appearance, except that they are relatively similar in appearance (while apparently unrelated).

O5-9 is two people sharing the same position. They appear to be lovers. They change positions regularly, with one playing the role of bodyguard/"assistant" to the other.

O5-9 plays a "support" role within the Foundation. Primarily, O5-9 handles feeding the Foundation. They generally have a hand in procuring mass amounts of food via ordinary methods, and their staff cover it up. But they don't limit themselves to non-anomalous means. Reports also abound of vast anomalous fields growing food to feed Foundation personnel, and entire rivers created in certain remote areas of countries to produce water.

O5-9: "Out-of-Place".

Male. European descent. Fluent in English, French, Dutch, and Afrikaner. Appears to be about 50. Formerly affiliated with the Inner Africa Expeditionary Society, an organisation funded by King Leopold of Belgium. Signatory of the Forbidden City Convention.

Professes irritation towards his employment under King Leopold. Frequently rotates residence between multiple locations within Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Belgian Congo, British Kenya, and South Africa. Perhaps to deter spies?

Prompted the O5 Council to declassify a previous iteration of SCP-1851.

Holds great interest towards the concept of "anchoring reality". Sets aside a trust fund to research on counter-essokinetic stratagems, essentially leading to the discovery of Humes. Preparation against essokinetic threat?

O5-9: "The Secret Keeper".

Male. Caucasian descent. Switzerland origin. Confirmed to be between the age of 45 to 51. No unusual appearance.

The title of O5-9 is passed down to any personal who holds the title of the Director of the Intelligence Agency. It is unconfirmed how many personnel have held the title of O5-9. Records have indicated that the O5 council has indicted and removed at least one personnel from the title, from gathering too much information on the other council members.

O5-9 is tasked with keeping the Intelligence Agency in line and has been known to actively participate in mission regarding new or unknown GoI, specifically with the ‘The Mages Academy’.

O5-10: "The Archivist".

Female. African/European descent. American origin. Appears to be mid-40s. Tends to wear grey striped suits.

O5-10 plays the role of archivist and record-keeper. She acts as custodian of the records of previous iterations of the planet and associated timelines.

These records show how many times Earth (or the timeline associated with Earth) has been severely damaged and "reset", and how many "resets" the Foundation has allowed, or stopped. Additionally, O5-10's records include the full number of K-Class events that the Foundation has ever been aware of (including some information passed from prior timelines). Most of the O5 Council does not have access to this information, and only O5-10 has access to all of it.

O5-10 inherited her role from a prior O5-10, and therefore has been an O5 Council member for several years. However, she has only recently become publicly active within the Foundation. She has "adopted" a number of newer researchers, and taken special interest in SCP-1985 and similar SCP items related to major K-Class scenarios.

O5-10: "Stone". [DECEASED]

Male. European descent. Appeared to be mid-50s; likely older. Traditional in appearance.

Formerly played the role now held by "The Archivist". Professorial reputation.

Forcibly removed from the O5 Council between 2004 and 2011 for attempting to permanently activate SCP-003. Likely executed.

O5-10: "The Assassin".

Female. East Asian/European descent. Italian origin. Appears to be mid-30's; actual age 60+. No unusual appearance. Wears a necklace around her throat with a carved marble eyeball pendant; likely occult significance.

Former Foundation assassin. Originally was an exceptionally effective assassin, then taught assassination, then taught others how to teach assassination. Worked her way up head of Foundation's internal clandestine service, then elevated to O5 Command.

Though this is unconfirmed, she may be one of the few O5 Command members to retire; reports agree that her retirement (if it happened) was voluntary. Other circumstances unknown.

O5-10: "The Veteran", or "The Mad General".

Male. European descent. Unknown origin (American? European? Russian?). Unknown age; if reports are true, certain post-human lifespan. Varying appearance.

O5-10 is one of the first additions to the O5 Council. His specific identity has been extremely difficult to pin down.

Solidly backed rumors name him as US general or generals, possibly Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, a Confederate general who fought during the US Civil War.

Yet other reports name several Russian generals who disappeared in the aftermath of World War I (the Second Fatherland War). These reports tend to be more favorable towards the character of the generals themselves.

Perhaps there are multiple people holding this position. Though it mystifies me what would connect Confederate generals from the US Civil War and Russian generals from the first World War, generals with differing ideals and of different eras.

O5-10: "The Grand Master".

Male. Uncertain descent and origin (believed to be ethnically mixed). Appears to be 75. Catholic. Formerly affiliated with the Knights of the Military Order of Borja y Aragón. Signatory of the Forbidden City Convention.

Implied to have minimal direct experience with the anomalous, a common trait among the Borja Knights during the 19th century. Knowledge of the anomalous mainly derived from secondary sources from previous generations of the Borja Knights.

Displays significant apprehension towards the Church of the Broken God. Possible traumatic previous encounter with Broken God followers?

Successfully created a pension scheme for KIA Foundation members and other welfare schemes for Foundation personnel. Drafts eulogies for KIA Foundation members.

O5-11: "The Mailman".

Male. European descent. Eastern European origin. 80+. No unusual appearance.

Origin of nickname uncertain; possibly an actual mailman. Nickname is in common use; staff often joke about him "going postal", but admit he is one of the most even-tempered and kind people they've ever met. Grandfatherly in demeanor.

O5-11's most well-known role is to sign off on Termination Orders of Class D personnel, versus approving their transfer to another Site. Whether all Class D are terminated at Sites due to anomalous exposure, or merely transferred to another site, O5-11 makes the final decision.

Confirmed to have held at least one other O5 number, though the number itself is unknown. May be an indication of a standard number changeover process, or perhaps of unknown internal political maneuvering.

O5-11: "The Liar", or "Father of Lies".

Unknown descent. Unknown origin. Apparent age varies. Always attractive in appearance; tends to wear expensive clothing as any gender.

Gender appears to vary, either via anomalous means or due to multiple figures in the same position. Usually referred to as 'she', despite the nickname.

O5-11 is the Foundation's chief disinformation officer. She organizes cover ups, invents cover stories, and creates rumors to be spread both within the Foundation and without. This includes many erroneous reports about O5 Command (that is, assuming this report itself is not erroneous, which it may be). Not even her staff know what's true and what isn't; and in many cases, neither does she.

Very often referred to using different O5 numbers, including non-standard numbers such as O5-15. Naturally, there are also reports that O5-11 doesn't exist at all, and is a cover for an even deeper disinformation campaign.

Frankly, I find it rather likely that 11 is not actually the correct number, and it's possible that this "O5-11" is actually a separate figure, like the Administrator. Presently impossible to tell.

O5-11: "The Senator".

Male. European descent. American origin. Appears to be 70+; verified post-human lifespan. Varying appearance; usually dresses in respectable, immaculate tailored clothing.

O5-11 is a high-powered politician, who has been installed in the Senate by the O5 Council for direct control over certain political matters.

Notably associated with numerous secret societies. Said to be a high-ranking member of the Shriners, and to be the founder (or a founding member) of Skull and Bones. Reports say he maneuvered a great number of secret societies into place over the centuries, and now sits in Washington tugging on the strings.

O5-11: "Jings".

Male. European descent. Western European origin. Mid-40s. No unusual appearance, except that he wears a necklace made of human teeth; obvious occult significance.

Former Foundation field agent. Prior to being elevated to the O5 Council, claimed he would implement a number of changes and improvements to Foundation policy; most of these did not materialize after his elevation. Generally negative reputation; apparently few accomplishments. Not much seen in public since. Possibly assassinated.

O5-11: "The Keeper", or "The Warden". [DEFECTED]

Female. European descent. American origin. Appearance unknown.

Developed many of the Foundation's early containment procedures. Supported extensive research into the anomalous.

Opposed categorizing humanoids as SCPs. To her, an SCP was an object: a book or a ball or a car, not a child. Caused the the initial schism in the Council, which O5-7 would take rhetorical advantage of; when she was outvoted in the Council, she would not take no for an answer, and enacted the split. She saw the Chaos Insurgency as liberators; humanoid SCPs would work with SCP Foundation researchers, not be imprisoned by them.

Wife of then-O5-12. Strong-armed O5-12 into defecting with her (along with O5-4 and O5-7, and another O5 who was killed during the schism). Because of their positions, they were able to take many humanoid SCPs with them, along with a great deal of useful SCP items.

O5-11: "The Bureaucrat".

Male. East Asian descent. Japanese origin. Appears to be 80. Formerly affiliated with the Bureau of Onmyō (陰陽寮; onmyō ryō), a.k.a. the Holy Emperor's Council for Unearthly Matters (怪異なる事物についての聖帝評議会; kaii naru jibutsu ni tsuite no seitei hyōgikai). Signatory of the Forbidden City Convention.

Alleges that Japanese Emperor Kōmei died of anomaly-related causes. Once claimed to have observed multiple undocumented SCP-2863 instances throughout Kyushu, Shikoku, and western Honshu. Expresses problems with self-esteem. Mostly interacts with O5-3, O5-7, and O5-13.

O5-12: "The Accountant".

Male. African descent. African origin. Appears to be mid-40s; almost certainly older. Large-bodied. Always dresses in extremely expensive tailored clothing. Wears dark wrap-around glasses: smoked glass framed in ivory. May or may not be to hide his eyes. Likely occult significance.

O5-12 plays the role of accountant for the Overseer Council. A mathematical genius; ensures all the Foundation's numbers add up. Has access to certain data that no other Foundation member does, for this purpose.

Precise, calm, practical. A strong believer in order. Every part of his daily route, and indeed every action he takes, right down to his drinking habit, is strictly scheduled.

O5-12: "Adam". [RETIRED]

Male. European/Jewish descent. American origin. Somewhere between 130 and 200 years old. Appearance unknown.

Very little information exists on O5-12's role within the Foundation, except that he was an exceptional researcher. Known primarily for fathering a stillborn child in the mid or late 1800s, and transforming her into SCP-321 in an ill-fated attempt to save her. Most information has been expunged from accessible Foundation records. Recovered information suggests a familial relation to Dr. Jack Bright. (Older brother? Father?)

"Adam" is one of the few O5 Command members to retire. His retirement, by all accounts, was voluntary, which came as a surprise to me given his history. It appears that he was, in fact, the first ever O5 Command member to retire.

Interestingly, it is unclear whether "Adam" was required to undergo the amnesic administration supposedly mandatory for retiring or removed O5 Command members. His location, unfortunately, is unknown to me.

O5-12: "The Contractor".

Male. African/European descent. American origin. Mid-40s. No unusual appearance.

O5-12 was an emergency appointment following a previous assassination (or assassination attempt) during an O5 Council issue that required either an O5-12 or an O5-1, and O5-1 was unavailable.

After this, he couldn't simply be demoted; therefore, he was assigned to side projects. He purchases land to build Foundation facilities on. He works with people who design Foundation facilities to make sure their needs are met; he works with local governments (often to request that military installations be built over actual Foundation sites as a cover); and he hires new Foundation personnel to implement such projects.

Additionally, O5-12 acts as an unofficial head of human services, requiring that Foundation personnel receive regular physical and mental checkups. Despite apparently caring a great deal about the average Foundation member, O5-12 is usually described as an obsessive, distrustful shut-in. His staff is very small, and they do very little.

O5-12: "The Trainman", or "The Conductor". [DEFECTED]

Male. European descent. American origin. Appearance unknown.

Assisted O5-11 in developing many of the Foundation's early containment procedures. Approved of weaponization of SCP objects. Supported extensive research into the anomalous.

One of O5-12's significant roles was overseeing the rotation of SCPs between Foundation facilities. This rotation was publicly aimed at getting new perspectives on SCP objects for research and effective containment purposes. Less public, but no less important, was the secondary purpose of preventing any group of researchers from working with humanoid SCPs for too long.

Initially resisted defecting from the Foundation, but was strong-armed into joining the Insurgency by his wife, O5-11. His position of control over SCP rotation and transportation allowed the Insurgency to make off with a very high number of SCPs (particularly humanoid SCPs) during the schism. Additionally, his popularity with Foundation generals who desired weaponization of SCP objects gave the Insurgency a significant power boost during the Foundation Civil War.

O5-12: "The Physician".

Male. East Asian descent. Chinese origin. Appears to be 70. Formerly affiliated with the Abnormality Institute (異學會; yì xué huì), sometimes called 'Chinese Abnormality Institute' (中華異學會; zhōng huá yì xué huì). Signatory of the Forbidden City Convention.

Believed to have been invited to join the O5 Council only due to his knowledge of a "memory-altering drug" (i.e. amnestics). Collaborated with the Chinese Nationalist Army to eliminate (betray?) the Meng clan; rationale is to monopolise amnestics for the Foundation.

Coined the term 'Safe'. Rudimentary knowledge of English.

Note: Amnestics might have undergone potentially radical advancements over the years. O5-12's statements regarding amnestics might not be applicable.

A note on O5-13.

A number of reports have indicated that the Foundation did not start with 13 O5 Council members. Most reports indicate that the original O5 Council numbered 12 (though some go higher, including mention of O5 council members being granted numbers and assigned to specific SCP-001 objects). Others indicate it still numbers only 12, with number 13 a work of disinformation.

Other reports indicate an O5-13 was added after the fact due to the number 13 gaining modern occult significance and therefore power. And in practical terms, a tiebreaker vote was required once too often.

Several of these options may be true. These reports reflect this lack of clarity.

O5-13: "The Tiebreaker".

O5-13 does not exist. Everyone outside the O5 Council is told he exists, and memos are created under O5-13's name, but O5-13 exists only as a tiebreaker vote.

O5-13's vote is rotated between each O5 Council member, starting at 1 and passed up a number each time a tiebreaker vote is required and used.

Holding O5-13's vote is required to access a few selected databases. This knowledge may be attached to O5-13's vote (and wiped from the holder's memory when the vote is passed on), or it may simply comprise access to 13's unique databases.

O5-13: "Tamlin".

Either male or gender-fluid (reports differ, may be relevant to anomalous traits). Unknown descent (reports differ, may be relevant to anomalous traits). Unknown origin. Age unknown. Tall, red-headed.

Per these reports, the "Tiebreaker" reports are accurate. However, O5-13 does exist, despite his vote not being held by himself. Original identity "Dr. Joseph Tamlin".

Holds only an advisory position by necessity. Is an anomalously altered human existing in a temporally destabilized state; partially "unstuck in time". Acts as a fail-safe for restoring 13's vote to its proper bearer, should it be compromised.

Some reports (not all) indicate drastic shifts in appearance, race, and gender, but the presence of red hair (whether natural or colored) remains consistent. Unknown relevance; possible perception alteration issues or literal shape-shifting.

Occupies a room (or rooms) in "Tamlin House", a hidden location related to SCP-1590. Appears to be bound to the location. Does not usually participate directly in O5 Council meetings, but observes most of them (not necessarily synchronously).

"Shows what you know."

O5-13: "The Meddler".

Male. European descent. American origin. Mid-30s. No unusual appearance.

Most reports of O5-13 result from the conflicts he starts or becomes involved in, due to inter-office gossip from other O5's personal staff. No one outside the O5 Council appears to be aware of this O5 member's role in the Foundation; the role he generally seems to play in practice is interfering with other O5 members' projects. Known for ranting about how other O5 members (and lower-ranked Foundation personnel) are not running operations correctly.

Not a particularly popular O5 Council member. Surprisingly, reports do not indicate many assassination attempts.

O5-13: "AI Complex".

[Personal traits not applicable]

O5-13 is an artificial intelligence construct. This AI construct (using a variety of anomalous technological and non-technological methods) is supposedly able to take all factors relevant to the Foundation's goals and make a recommendation on any major course of action.

Due to certain consequences (whether occult, resourced-based, or simply bureaucratic) of making use of this AI construct, it is only employed when the O5 Council must break a tie on a non-trivial matter.

Further details have been remarkably hard to attain even by esoteric methods. Whether or not this version of O5-13 exists, there are secrets behind this thing that the Foundation wishes especially to be kept.

O5-13: "Death".

Gender unknown. Descent unknown. Origin unknown. Age unknown. Appearance unknown.

One of the more outlandish reports on a possible O5-13; claims that Death itself was bound by the O5 Council in the early 19th century. Per these reports, the slot of O5-13 was created for Death in the first place. Euphemistically referred to as "The Other Overseer."

Death is both a member and a prisoner of the O5 Council; it can cast a vote as normal. However, it is imprisoned by the rest of the Council, and by a majority vote of the O5 Council, the Council can control it. Death apparently otherwise carries out its functions as normal.

SCP-006 does not exist; the longevity of O5s actually stems from O5-13. By majority vote, they can order O5-13 to stay its hand from any Council member — or indeed anyone in the world, though using this power for non-Council members seems to temporarily weaken Death's chains, and is therefore rarely used.

When used, it is typically on a mass scale — SCP-2000 and similar anomalous items also do not exist, and are used as cover for every time that Council has voted to utilized O5-13's power to return most of the world's population back to life.

Unknown connection, if any, to SCP-2935.

O5-13: "The Activist".

Male. South Asian descent. Sikh origin. Appears to be about 50. Formerly affiliated with 0th Anti-Cult Regiment, a colonial regiment in British India. Signatory of the Forbidden City Convention if "The Persian" is not present.

Major advocate for a meritocratic administration within the Foundation. Known to have formed an informal voting bloc with O5-11 and O5-12 to pursue racial equality within the Foundation.

Also known to have voted with O5-1 for many operational matters. Known O5-1 prior to the Forbidden City Convention. Perhaps a puppet for O5-1 to gain an additional vote in the O5 Council? Perhaps in exchange for said meritocratic administration?

O5-13: "The Persian".

Male. Middle Eastern descent. Iranian origin. Appears to be about 70. Shia Muslim. Formerly an independent consultant on anomalous matters for the Ottoman Empire. Signatory of the Forbidden City Convention, if "The Activist" is not present.

Knows O5-7 prior to the Forbidden City Convention. Holds strong suspicion towards O5-1.

In charge of the 'Autonomous Administration of the Greater Middle East', a sub-organisation of the Foundation based in the Middle East. Him and the AAGME do not exist in realities where "The Activist" exists. In fact, I can't seem to find ORIA or its equivalent in realities where "The Persian" takes up O5-13. AAGME and ORIA – counterparts???

Resembles ORIA founding member, Jibril Mani, in realities where "The Activist" is present instead.

O5-13: "The Pedestrian"

Male. Latin American descent. Late-50s. No unusual appearance.

O5-13's special connection to the anomalous gives him a perspective no other council member could begin to fathom. While Normalcy Confirmation meetings require eleven members for quorum, no meeting is allowed to proceed without O5-13's attendance.

Additionally, he is the only member of the original O5 council to survive the Caesar incident. Investigation into the nature of the incident and O5-13 is still ongoing.

#o5 council #SCP Foundation

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