SCP-7867 - The Temporal Staircase
Item #: SCP-7867
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-7867 is located in a restricted area within the ████ Forest, near Stoney Lonesome Road, West Point, New York. The area is to be cordoned off and monitored by on-site security personnel, disguised as a military training zone. Unauthorized civilians attempting to enter the area are to be detained, questioned, and administered Class-B amnestics before being released.
A perimeter of infrared cameras and motion detectors is to be established around SCP-7867 to monitor any anomalous activity. All personnel must maintain a distance of at least 10 meters from SCP-7867 between sunset and sunrise. Time-sensitive experiments involving SCP-7867 must be approved by a Level 4 researcher or higher.
Description: SCP-7867 is a stone staircase consisting of 57 steps, partially embedded in the ground. The staircase leads to an elevated plateau. SCP-7867's anomalous properties manifest between sunset and sunrise. During this time, a dense fog appears around SCP-7867, accompanied by spectral figures resembling soldiers from various time periods in military history. The spectral figures march up the stairs in formation, emitting audible marching sounds.
Individuals who observe the spectral figures and marching sounds (hereafter referred to as victims) are compelled to follow the figures up SCP-7867. Upon reaching the top of the staircase, victims disappear and are transported to a different timeline and dimension within West Point. The victim's destination appears to be random, with no discernible pattern.
The SCP Foundation has conducted a series of tests using remote-controlled time capsules equipped with cameras and GPS tracking devices. Each test has resulted in the time capsule being transported to a different timeline and location in West Point. Recovered footage has shown various historical events, such as [REDACTED] and the construction of ██████ ████.
Addendum: Due to the unpredictable nature of SCP-7867, further experimentation with human subjects is prohibited without express permission from the Site Director. Research into the possible applications of SCP-7867 for temporal exploration is ongoing, with a focus on minimizing the risk of unintended consequences or alterations to the timeline. Additionally, investigations into the origin and purpose of the spectral figures are being conducted to determine if they pose a potential threat or have any further anomalous properties.
Interview Log SCP-7867-1
Date: 10/██/1999
Interviewed: Robert V█████ (12 years old) and Michael B█████████ (13 years old)
Interviewer: Dr. ███████
[Begin Log]
Dr. ███████: Good evening, Robert and Michael. I want to thank you both for agreeing to talk with me today. Can you please recount the events of October ██, 1999, when you encountered the staircase?
Robert V█████: We were just hanging out near the woods, you know, exploring and stuff. It was getting late, but we wanted to see what was up on that hill.
Michael B█████████: Yeah, and then we saw these old-looking stairs, and it was kind of foggy around them. It was spooky, but we wanted to check it out.
Dr. ███████: Can you describe what you saw on the staircase?
Robert V█████: There were these soldiers, like ghosts. They were marching up the stairs. We could hear their footsteps, like they were really there.
Michael B█████████: They looked like they were from different times, too. Some had old uniforms, like from those Revolutionary War movies, and others had, like, World War II gear.
Dr. ███████: What happened when you approached the staircase?
Robert V█████: We were scared, but we couldn't help it. We just started following the ghosts up the stairs. I don't know why, but it felt like we had to.
Michael B█████████: It was like we were being pulled by them. We couldn't resist.
Dr. ███████: How did you return to your own timeline?
Robert V█████: I don't remember everything, but one of the ghost soldiers, he looked at us, and it was like he knew we didn't belong there. He just walked us back down the stairs, and then we were back where we started.
Michael B█████████: Yeah, it was really weird. It felt like we were gone for hours, but when we looked at our watches, only a few minutes had passed.
Dr. ███████: Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Do you have any other observations or feelings about the event?
Robert V█████: It was scary, but also kind of cool. Like, we saw real ghosts, and they didn't hurt us or anything.
Michael B█████████: I just hope we didn't mess up anything by going there.
Dr. ███████: We appreciate your cooperation, and we will ensure that the area is secure to prevent any further incidents. Thank you, Robert and Michael.
[End Log]
Following the interview, Class-B amnestics were administered to Robert V█████ and Michael B█████████. The SCP Foundation has continued to monitor the area and the two individuals for any further anomalous activity or signs of lingering effects from their encounter with SCP-7867.
Addendum SCP-7867-2: Unexplained Ghost Manifestation of Hat Man
On October ██, 2003, four years after their encounter with SCP-7867, Robert V█████ and Michael B█████████, along with Michael's maternal cousins Evan K███████ and John K███████ and Michael's brother Patrick B█████████, reported experiencing a ghost manifestation at Michael's parents' home. The witnesses described the ghost as a man wearing a top hat, standing in the basement door window. During the event, the power went out in the house and neighboring homes. Shortly after the manifestation, Robert V█████ experienced a nosebleed.
It is unclear whether this event is connected to SCP-7867 or is a separate anomalous incident. The SCP Foundation has conducted an interview with the witnesses and administered Class-B amnestics to erase their memory of the interview. The memory of the ghost manifestation has not been erased.
Interview Log SCP-7867-2
Date: 10/██/2003
Interviewed: Robert V█████, Michael B█████████, Evan K███████, John K███████, and Patrick B█████████
Interviewer: Dr. ███████
[Begin Log]
Dr. ███████: Please recount the events of the ghost manifestation that occurred tonight on on October ██, 2003.
Michael B█████████: We were all hanging out at my house, and suddenly the power went out. We looked towards the basement door window, and there was this man with a brown derby hat or top hat just standing there, staring at us for about two seconds.
Evan K███████: It was really creepy. I mean, we've heard ghost stories before, but seeing one like that was just… I don't know, man. It was too real.
John K███████: And then the power went out in the neighbors' houses, too. It wasn't just our place.
Patrick B█████████: I saw the man flash up next to Michael and vanish. The room got very cold.
Dr. ███████: Robert, can you describe the nosebleed you experienced after the event?
Robert V█████: It just came out of nowhere. I've had nosebleeds before, but this one was really bad. It took a while to stop.
Dr. ███████: Thank you for your cooperation.
[End Log]
Following the interview, Class-B amnestics were administered to Robert V█████, Michael B█████████, Evan K███████, John K███████, and Patrick B█████████ to erase their memory of the interview. The memory of the ghost manifestation has been left intact. The SCP Foundation continues to monitor the individuals and the area for any further anomalous activity or signs of a connection to SCP-7867.
Addendum SCP-7867-3: Camping Incident
In October 2005, Robert V█████, Michael B█████████, and a friend named Bryan M█████, who attended the same high school as Robert and Michael (James I. O█████ High School), went camping in a nearby area on Lee Road, near Michael's family home on Bowman Loop. The campsite was located down a long winding path off the road, surrounded by a thick forested area.
While at the campsite, Michael used a Pentax Optio 330 camera to take long exposure photographs of his friends. One photo of Bryan M█████ revealed a large orb hovering near his face. Upon seeing the photo, Robert panicked, yelling and running away from the campsite. Michael and Bryan, confused, left everything behind except the camera, and pursued Robert.
They found Robert walking southbound on Lee Road, visibly distraught, with his nose bleeding profusely. Robert continued walking, eventually leading his friends near the location of SCP-7867. As he approached the site, Robert collapsed, but Michael and Bryan managed to catch him. SCP Foundation personnel stationed nearby intervened to assist.
Interview Log SCP-7867-3
Date: 10/██/2005
Interviewed: Robert V█████, Michael B█████████, and Bryan M█████
Interviewer: Dr. ███████
[Begin Log]
Dr. ███████: Can you describe the events leading up to Robert falling?
Michael B█████████: We were just hanging out at the campsite, taking photos. When we showed Robert the picture of Bryan with the orb, he freaked out and ran.
Bryan M█████: Yeah, we didn't know what was going on, so we just followed him.
Dr. ███████: Robert, can you explain your reaction to the photograph?
Robert V█████: I don't know... I saw the orb and just felt this overwhelming fear. I had to get away.
Dr. ███████: What do you remember after running from the campsite?
Robert V█████: I remember walking on Lee Road, then seeing a flash of a man's face wearing a hat. I heard what sounded like marching music, but everything was dark. The next thing I knew, I was waking up after falling.
Dr. ███████: Thank you for sharing your experiences. We will investigate any potential connections to SCP-7867.
[End Log]
Following the interview, the memories of Robert V█████, Michael B█████████, and Bryan M█████ were altered to remember the incident as a panic attack caused by Robert's fear of the dark. They do not recall how they ended up waking up on the lawn of Michael's parents' home. It is unclear whether the SCP Foundation's memory alterations were flawed or if the inconsistencies are related to an unknown force connected to SCP-7867 or another anomalous phenomenon. The SCP Foundation continues to monitor the individuals and the area for any further anomalous activity or signs of a connection to SCP-7867.
SCP-████: The Anomalous Photograph
Object Class: Keter
Description:
SCP-████ is a digital photograph taken by Michael B█████████ during the 2005 camping incident mentioned in Addendum SCP-7867-3. The image depicts Bryan M█████, a dark-skinned male with short dreadlocks, sitting on a wooden picnic table. Bryan is wearing a black headband with the Michael Jordan jump logo and a black zip-down hoodie jacket. The photograph was taken in complete darkness, using a Pentax Optio 330 camera with a long exposure setting.
A prominent feature of SCP-████ is a large orb with a cluster of smaller orbs near Bryan's face. The anomalous properties of SCP-████ become apparent when an individual views the original, uncompressed version of the photograph.
In July 2006, the SCP Foundation confiscated a Pentax Optio 330 camera and an Iomega External Hard Drive (230 GB Model LDH250-U) belonging to Michael B█████████. The hard drive was believed to have crashed, but it was covertly taken into SCP Foundation custody and assigned its own item number. The hard drive contained a photograph taken by Michael during the camping incident with Robert V█████ and Bryan M█████. (File name: PENIMG04██████.JPEG)
The photograph's metadata contains information connected to another SCP item, currently classified as Keter. (SCP-████) Before the hard drive was seized, Michael had uploaded a compressed version of the photograph to MySpace. Due to the image compression, the uploaded photo is considered harmless.
However, Michael used the original photograph as a texture file in a custom Deathmatch map for Unreal Tournament 2004, titled DM-RobsFortressV2, created in April 2006. The map was distributed on various Unreal Tournament 2004 mod and map websites but was not as widely downloaded as Michael's popular map, DM-MikesRoom. The SCP Foundation has traced and removed all downloads and links to DM-RobsFortressV2.
The anomalous effect of the photograph does not manifest while playing the DM-RobsFortressV2 map. However, if an individual opens the map in Unreal Editor or uses a texture ripping tool on the map file, the effect may occur. It is currently unclear whether the photograph, the man with the hat, and SCP-5127 are connected.
DM-RobsFortressV2 should not be confused with DM-RobsFortress, an older version of the map without the anomalous photograph. However, if an individual renames DM-RobsFortressV2 to DM-RobsFortress or modifies DM-RobsFortressV2 in Unreal Editor, the photograph might still be present in the files.
Effects:
Upon viewing SCP-████, the individual will experience an overwhelming sense of fear, similar to that experienced by Robert V█████ during the camping incident. The victim will exhibit behaviors such as walking into dangerous situations like getting hit by a car, falling from a significant height, or continuing to walk until exhaustion. Each victim will also experience a nosebleed. To date, there have been eight recorded victims of SCP-████'s effects.
Containment Procedures:
SCP-████ is to be stored on a secure, isolated Foundation server, with access restricted to Level 3 personnel and above. Any physical copies or uncompressed digital copies of SCP-████ are to be confiscated and destroyed immediately.
The SCP Foundation is to continue monitoring the distribution and presence of SCP-████ in online forums, websites, and Unreal Tournament 2004 mod and map archives. All downloads and links to DM-RobsFortressV2, the custom Deathmatch map containing SCP-████, must be traced, removed, and destroyed.
Further investigation into the connections between SCP-████, the man with the hat, SCP-7867, and the Keter-class SCP item associated with the photograph's metadata is ongoing. Any new information or manifestations of SCP-████'s effects are to be reported immediately to Site-███ command.
Addendum SCP-7867-5: Timeline Alterations
An anomalous change in the timeline of events related to SCP-7867 was discovered in December 2010. While the original event detailed in SCP-7867-1 involving Robert V█████ and Michael B█████████ remains unchanged, the events described in SCP-7867-2 and SCP-7867-3 have been altered.
The event originally detailed in SCP-7867-2, which took place in October 2003, has been changed to October 2002. Similarly, the event originally described in SCP-7867-3, which occurred in October 2005, has been altered to March 2003. Despite the changes in the timeline, the same events and interviews unfolded, with only the dates being affected.
Unusually, the digital and printed records for SCP-7867-2 and SCP-7867-3 now show two separate logs for each event, one with the original date and another with the altered date. The SCP Foundation is currently unable to determine the cause of these timeline alterations or data entry discrepancies.
Further investigation into the timeline changes and their potential connections to SCP-7867 or other anomalous phenomena is ongoing. SCP Foundation personnel are advised to report any new information or manifestations related to the altered timeline immediately to Site-███ command.
Addendum SCP-7867-6: Incident at ██████████ Airport
In October 2014, Michael B█████████, now working for the TSA at ██████████ Airport, fainted and was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital in Queens for emergency treatment. Upon reviewing CCTV footage, it was discovered that an unidentified man in Army fatigues approached Michael and showed him a photo of Bryan M█████ on a mobile phone, which is now believed to be SCP-████. Michael fainted immediately after seeing the photo and fell to the ground.
The unidentified man observed Michael for a moment, recorded him falling, and then left the scene. SCP Foundation personnel believe that this individual may possess knowledge of SCP-7867 and SCP-████, but the motive behind the incident remains unclear.
Notably, the man's US Army fatigues appear to date back to 1999, which could suggest a connection to SCP-7867. Further investigation into the identity of the man and his potential involvement with SCP-7867 and SCP-████ is ongoing. SCP Foundation personnel are advised to report any new information or manifestations related to this incident immediately to Site-███ command.
Interview Log SCP-7867-6
Interviewer: Dr. ██████
Interviewee: Michael B█████████
[Begin Log]
Dr. ██████: Michael, can you recall the incident at ██████████ Airport when you fainted?
Michael B█████████: I don't really remember much. I just remember blacking out and briefly waking up in the ambulance. The strange thing is, I remember the EMTs all had red glowing eyes.
Dr. ██████: What about the man in Army fatigues? Do you remember him?
Michael B█████████: I don't remember any man like that. But now that you mentioned it, I can hear the marching in my head.
Michael pauses and remains silent for 22 minutes and 22 seconds.
Michael B█████████: (Angry Outburst) What did you do with my hard drive? I know everything about you and what you know!
Michael begins to bang on the table and yell at the interviewer. He then starts to speak in an accent that, when analyzed by an SCP dialect expert, is identified as a Chicago 1890s accent.
Michael B█████████: (Repeatedly, pointing at the interviewer) The rope didn't work. Try again.
Michael repeats the phrase 22 times. The interviewer asks Michael who he is.
Michael B█████████: (Sinisterly) I am the man in the hat.
Michael smiles and pats his head as if there is a hat on it.
Dr. ██████: Can you tell me about SCP-████?
Michael B█████████: I don't know anything about it other than what you already know.
Dr. ██████: Who is the man in the hat?
Michael B█████████: All I remember is my neck not snapping fast enough, and that I am only a passenger in this body.
The interviewer shows Michael the photo of SCP-████.
Michael B█████████: (Smiling) Fine, I'll go back to sleep again. You are so boring.
Michael appears to awaken, confused.
Dr. ██████: Michael, do you remember what just happened?
As Michael tries to recall the events, a black substance oozes out of his nose. The substance is later confirmed to be identical to SCP-035.
[End Log]
Due to the situation and Michael's job at the TSA, he was released with his memory of the events during the interview erased. Further investigation into Michael's connection to SCP-035 and the man in the hat is ongoing. SCP Foundation personnel are advised to report any new information or manifestations related to this incident immediately to Site-███ command.