Into The Unknown Exploring Scp Foundation

This is a world, or rather a universe, where the so-called “SCP” and SCP Foundation exists. SCP is an abbreviation for the words “Secure. Contain. Protect.” that shields mankind from “anomalies,” harmful or not, that exists in the world, in the system, or in the universe. This foundation firmly ensures that the “Normal Life” is not disturbed among the masses. It is a (very) huge organization that is globally trusted to catalog thousands of artifacts, beings, phenomena, and many more. It is a major organization with a number of laboratories, facilities, and networks capable of securing, containing, or even destroying these anomalies that are individually named as “SCP” followed by a given coded number (such as SCP-173, SCP-049). SCPs are subjectively also called “Skips.”

Origins of the Foundation

Almost all of the entirety of the SCP universe was created during the age of “paranormal” /x/ forum in 4chan. 4chan is an anonymous English-based imageboard website where people, or users, can share and comment on topics that are under the sun. In short, it’s like an internet bulletin board where users can create topics, posts, forums, etc. SoundCloud The first-ever SCP posted in the said forum was SCP-173, along with its special containment procedures in the year 2007. Other details are well-written and well-versed in SCP’s narrative history essays. Many additional special containment procedures were created shortly after; new SCPs copied SCP-173’s style and were set within the same fictional universe. Paranormal /x/ is also the forum where the first Creepasta stories are born. Aside from the usual bland flash horror fiction or the one-way-of-scaring-people-by-writing-scary-stories method or posts created in the forum, the SCP universe was deemed somewhat unique because of its extensiveness and usage of terms and technicalities. The website for SCPs was soon launched in the year of 2008, followed by an array of new “anomalies” being created and flourished from time to time. Within its vast fictional and literary universe, the SCP Foundation organization was built before the 1900s. Soon, the organization gained global support because of the continuous and persistent anomalies that occurred (and still occurring) in corners of that world/universe.

Are SCPs and the Foundation a Real Thing?

Whether you’re asking if the said major foundation, a globally enforced organization, is either real or not — it’s not real. And thank everything that it is definitely not real. Although, it does exist as a collaborative wiki and cooperative writing hub on the internet where users can create their own SCPs by adding more SCPs, contribute additional lore and stories behind already existing SCPs, and even upload photos, videos, or even recorded media (most of which are edited or fan-made) that would enhance and expand the overall storytelling and experience of a certain SCP and the universe. Think of it as other information sites like Creepypasta, where stories are published by anonymous or non-anonymous horror, sci-fi, speculative fiction, and fantasy story writers. Or Wikipedia, where each article and material is contributed by comprehensive and well-collected research, studies, footnotes from digital media, and physical prints. Also, think of it as another massive blog catalog or website on the internet where users can write and publish their works. The SCP Foundation site accepts submissions from everyone, and once the article, or the story, is within their scope and terms or within the specific SCP’s lore, it will be accepted and will be added to their archives. The real-world website is community-based and includes elements of many genres such as horror, mystery, thriller, science fiction, and urban fantasy where the series has been praised for its ability to convey horror through its scientific and academic writing style, as well as for its high standards of quality. Individual wiki articles can continually prolong as long as users contribute more substance to their specific universe. These articles usually detail the manner of phenomenons, creatures, artifacts, etc. as well as the security measures and procedures to have them contained. A particular SCP may reference other web pages, as well, which somehow helps to control a manner of consistency within the vast universe. Most articles of this nature contain several features such as redactions, witnesses, testimonies, security protocols, object classification, name and description, and many such items. Many of these articles also come with project tapes, or “Addendum Editions,” which can be used for constructing a legitimate timeline of the events in the narrative.

SCP in the Real World

SCP can be almost anything: from the smallest of material like a coin or a doorknob, to even colossal underwater and extraterrestrial entities. Some are even quirky like the term “Memetics” or anomalies that exist in the digital world. A number are truly horrifying and terrifyingly well-written and well-built that readers may subconsciously think that the stories may be true. Artstation Each anomaly is unique, and each unique anomaly requires a special containment procedure because the bottom line is that almost all of them offer a wide range of spectrum of risks for harming mankind. If you look at the SCP Foundation website’s frequently asked question pages, all written materials and articles are pure works of fiction. Any suspected “SCP” in the real world are not really considered as SCPs. It is also said there that the Foundation itself is a work of collaborative fiction since the site, itself, is a creative writing website where people can join and submit their own versions of SCPs.

Building the Foundation

The SCP Foundation is a globally-led initiative. Its highest priority is the prevention of having humankind revert to the “dark ages,” a time where humans once came to be. As a result, most of the Foundation’s actions may seem cold and unapologetic since lives aren’t valued as much when they stand in the way of the Foundation’s objectives. SCP Wiki However, they do create a net positive effect on the world. Some of these major objectives are protecting humans and mankind by the use of containment, research and understanding, and even destruction of a particular anomaly. Keep in mind that the Foundation is also responsible for locating/relocating and containing/re-containing individuals, entities, locations, and objects that seem to otherwise violate natural laws and orders. Think of them as the mistakes created by an omnipotent being existing in a physical plane, but at the same time, these things shouldn’t exist in the first place.

SCPs Are Hidden

SCPs are covertly hidden to the public to avoid mass hysteria. When an SCP is discovered, agents from the Foundation will try to seek it and contain it in a facility. These facilities are built all over the world, hidden from the public eye. Only those who are working with the Foundation are capable of locating these facilities. These facilities are often built on land such as unexplored terrains and unexplored locations, underground tunnel networks, underwater or below the seabed, and even in outer space if needed. If an SCP is difficult to contain in a particular facility, the Foundation will try to contain it within the location of discovery. These contained SCP’s follow a specific set of containment procedures and are classified into six categories. Contained SCP’s are then researched for further understanding of the anomaly. If an SCP is left uncontained, it would pose a direct threat to human life and humanity’s perceptions of reality and normalcy.

Special Containment Procedures and Object Classes

All anomalous objects, entities, phenomena, and everything else requires Special Containment Procedures assigned by an Object Class. This catalogs these anomalies based on the degree of difficulty in handling and containing them as well as their degree of being a danger to humanity. And yes, even though an SCP is relatively classified as “Safe,” it does not mean that it is not dangerous. In the universe of SCP, these object classes also pertain to the purpose of identifying containment needs, budgeting, research priorities, and other consideration. Object classes are indicators of parts of the standard SCP template, the systematic way of writing an SCP, where, according to the site, it serves as a challenge to the substance contributor (and by my understanding, you can’t just write a particular SCP all willy nilly). There are six primary object classes and three non-standard object classes existing in the universe:

SCP Object Classes Within the Foundation

SCPs are classified into object classes. An object class determines the SCPs difficulty in procedures of procurement, containment, or disposition. It is also used to scale the dangers of any SCP. The Foundation’s personnel are also subjected to their own systematic classifications; each person within the Foundation, or in any existing Facility within the universe, is given a hierarchal form of clearance, management, and authorization. SCP Wiki The Foundation’s personnel classification determines the level of power of which has a specific and particular level of access for an object class. Hence, lower-class personnel handles safe-categorized SCPs, and those with higher clearance take care of the more dangerous (and more terrifying) SCPs that are usually Euclid to Thaumiel. And by “taking care,” I mean from discovery and containment procedures to researching and experimentation, neutralization, and other means of surveillance and maintenance.

D-Class Personnel

Another class within the facilities is the so-called “D-class” personnel or those people subjected to experiments with a particular SCP. The “D” in D-class is an acronym for “Disposable” since most of these anomalies are threats. D-Class personnel is collected prisoners around the globe with harrowing and unforgivable divine and moral cases, such as murder. In short, they are unwillingly recruited by the SCP Foundation worldwide and are usually death row inmates used for experiments together with a specific or particular SCP, especially SCPs with Keter object class.

Cultural Impacts

The year is 2000’s and internet pop culture is booming. Gamepedia When you type “SCP-” in your search engine’s search bar, it will often automatically suggest a search phrase for you to look at. The suggestions are sometimes worded “SCP-” followed by a random string of numbers. These numbers represent the SCPs item numbers whenever they are either discovered or contained or, in real-world’s term, whenever they are written gracefully and eloquently. You’ll find yourself looking with search results of that particular SCP if you managed to click and view it. The mere existence of SCPs inspired indie video games like “SCP — Containment Breach” released and developed by a Finnish developer in the year of 2012. Since then, it has become one of the most popular games that base its plot on the SCP Foundation. The indie game tells a story of an unarmed D-Class who attempts to escape the facility, whilst avoiding escaped SCPs and Foundation Guards. The game is followed by a multiplayer game based on Containment Breach. A readable print was also made based on the SCP Foundation. It follows a young boy kidnapped by the SCP Foundation with an escape strategy from the Foundation by cooperating with another SCP, a female SCP, that exists in every book he opens. The light novel series publication was released in Japan by the year 2018 and to North America by the year 2020. A stage-play was also conducted in the year of 2014 in Glasgow that focuses on the SCP Foundation’s unethical means of containment procedures.