[ CHAPTER I (1): "ANOTHER SCP CONTAINMENT MISSION" ]
The System was a useless tool overall. It hasn't shown any of its features aside for the fact that it can give Mission every twenty-four hours after a Mission gets completed.
Sure, the white, void-like room that he's stuck inside in that twenty-four hours could be said to be a creation of the System; and the infinite regeneration he experiences is one too.
But that isn't exclusively stated, so he doesn't count that. So for Alex, the System only has one feature and that would be the never-ending Containment Missions that he kept getting forced onto, whether he likes it or not.
And unless he contains an anomaly, an SCP, he wouldn't be able to unlock the other features available for him. As what he has at the moment is a trial; and the Contain 1 SCP Monster Mission is merely the introduction.
To whoever created the Containment System. The ROB, or whatever being exists out there that did so, accidentally or not. It must not have thought hard and properly before setting the prerequisites of fully unlocking the System.
As it had been seven days for Alex, and he hadn't yet unlocked the basic features that the normal, every day System Protagonist unlocks after seven seconds of acquiring their System.
And in that seven days, he either stared at the white dizzying walls in his "base", slept, or was busy fighting and trying to subdue nightmares that no sane person could even think of.
In comparison to the other stories he read, the Protagonist gets the female beauty, richest, and extraordinary superpowers that are broken; and could be considered to be a cheat, which makes their life easier.
Alex on the other hand is busy fighting for his dear life against a malevolent Santa Claus knockoff, a sentient ever-consuming hivemind, and an introvert... that kills whoever sees its face. That doesn't seem all that fair.
And truly, it isn't. He had woken up in the middle of the "night" countless times since his imprisonment, and had always said that what he got wasn't a gift... But it is instead a curse.
Added to that the inability to acquire food, drink water, or even need for such sustenance. Something that Alex as a normal, every day human had gotten used to; couldn't help but feel at odds sometimes.
As he knows the value of protein, the need for hydration, and without it his body wouldn't have the fuel to operate---but in his prison, since his death, he now doesn't need such things; either water or food.
On one hand he felt grateful that he doesn't need to eat anything anymore, as he always had problems with that, on what to eat for the day, or what to eat for tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after that.
But on the other, on the positive side. The one that he got used to. The feeling of being full, the action of eating itself, or the ability to bite into a crispy fried chicken---that is human.
And so, when he found out that he lost the need to do that. Or even the ability to do so; he felt complicated, as if, he lost a part of his humanity in the process.
And even, what makes him human---as in normal peoples' views, eating is sacred. It naturally brings people together, family, and friends. Now, Alex couldn't even do that simple act, as he doesn't have the need to do so.
He could, in theory, still eat. But he doesn't know what it'll do to his body, would it bloat him? Will his body be able to activate it's metabolism at will or automatically, and sustain it to a certain weight, or what?
He doesn't know. And he couldn't test the theory, as he doesn't have any way to get food. As the only way he could ever get out of the white void he's in is through the System's teleportation when sending him into Missions.
And the only way to send him back in was through completion, or death. And the former condition is something that he hadn't done, so, he doesn't know if that could be the way to bring items into his small, white prison.
Alex who's imprisoned most of the time these days, except for the few minutes whenever he gets deployed by the System on various Containment Missions; had only his mind to entertain himself.
And exercises too, like pushups. Which he does from time to time whenever he gets motivated; but most of the time, he either slept, or imagined himself in various scenarios.
No doubt, his delusional mind had been working overtime since his containment, in those seven days. And those scenarios are the world ending SCPs that he could remember.
He wrote an SCP Article, and was about to post one, but died before he could. So he normally has knowledge of other SCP Entries, which isn't all the SCPs, but enough.
At least he hopes, more than enough for his new life as a Containment Player, or whatever title he does have. In seven days he recognized seven different SCPs, so, that should be a yes.
While amusing himself using his thoughts, and swaying his feet gently side to side, while his back is on the wall; the white, same color as the floor and ceiling of his new home.
Alex received a text from the System, as it materializes in front of him, followed by it's voice; which is neither feminine or masculine, and is something in-between.
[ ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW CONTAINMENT MISSION WILL BE GIVEN TO PLAYER IN 60-SECONDS, PLEASE PREPARE ]
Previously he had received the same exact text from the System, but that one said it'll give him another Mission in 60-minutes, and not 60-seconds. So, that means it would have been exactly 59-minutes ago.
And that was actually the main reason why he woke up in the first place and had been restless since then. And in the other cases, seven in total. As it's some sort of an alarm for him, and something he had gotten used too.
"Finally..." Unmoving, he recognized the System text and merely gave a small chuckle; while then easing his strained neck. "I'm already getting tired of this place."
If sensory deprivation exists. Then Alex could confidentially say that this "home" of his is one specially designed for the eyes, and ears. As he had been going crazy for quite some time now due to this white hell.
Trying to ease himself, as he doesn't have anything else to prepare; as he doesn't have any equipment that could help in containing the anomalies that he'll face.
The grace period, which the System has given him in-between Containment Missions was all for nothing. A useless, and somewhat wasteful sentiment that he couldn't use.
Closing his eyes, Alex steadied his breathing as he then silently prayed to himself. "Please don't be the Immortal Lizard, I'm begging you~"
[ -----| SCENE BREAK |----- ]
Alex didn't feel anything amidst, as teleportation from the System was instantaneous, barely a hassle; unlike the world of Harry Potter where a cracking sound would be heard whenever they teleport, or the feeling of being sucked and spit out internally.
No, he didn't feel any of that. Instead, Alex only opened his eyes when he felt the breeze hit him; enveloping him in a comfortingly unfamiliar, yet familiar cold wind.
Which made him smile somewhat. At least in deployment, the few minutes of it at least before he gets gruesomely murdered by the monster of the day; at least then he felt human, as he could feel the air, and smell the place.
Speaking about feeling human. Alex was greeted by the sight of a spacious school in front of him, in the middle of the night, surrounded by trees in some places.
"Well... this is new." Which made him freeze slightly, as his brain worked over time, trying to imagine what SCP he would be encountering.
He had experienced Zombies, Skeletons, wild Dogs, and now... probably, with the eerie air around the place. Probably Ghost, or, if unlucky, a pack ton of them in one place.
"Are we playing hunted school next? I don't really like ghosts."
He humored, even adding a chuckle in the end, but in reality, he was already shaking in his shoes; and inside, he even wanted to abandon the mission all together.
As yes. Alex isn't scared of people transformed into mindless, brain-eating Zombies, or even spiky dogs with the ability to mimic human voices; instead, he is deeply scared of GHOSTS! And Poltergeists.
Even when reading Harry Potter, he would still feel creeped out by the Ghosts in that story, even if they are harmless, or kind. Or mischievous in the case of Peeves, the notorious best friend of the Prankster Twin.
A childish fear, really. But it was first caused by his brothers who had the habit of closing the lights whenever he is inside his room, and then locking the door, and leaving him there for hours and hours on end; alone.
You would have thought that Alex would have been immune to ghosts by now. But no, the so-called "strengthening experience" that his brothers gave him did the opposite; it only made him fear something he didn't fear in the first place, and developed it from there.
Add to the fact that his brothers loved telling stories relating to vengeful spirits, headless ghosts, and even, malicious ones. That, plus his already imaginative mind, it was a nightmare for one, little Alex.
And as the time goes, he was able to stop himself from outright crying, whimpering, and even banging on the door. And even, develop a strong facade, as if, he wasn't afraid at all.
Which stopped the "pranking" from time to time, which made him relieved. But in reality, he was still very much afraid of ghosts, and whatever lurks in the night; which explains why he hates dark places, and even the dark.
[ ANNOUNCEMENT: CONTAINMENT MISSION NO. 08 HAS STARTED ]
The System spoke in his head, followed by text which then appeared in his vision. Which caught his attention, distracted him away from his fear, and irrational thoughts.
"System, speak. What are we dealing with?" So, trying to remain calm, he first needs to gather as much information as he can.
As when starting each Mission, the System would seemingly be possessed and do a great thing for him, for once. And that would be to give a brief analysis on what he'll encounter.
In the case of The Shy Guy (SCP-096), it was, "weird crying sound in the mountains." And With Many Voices (SCP-939), it was, "voices of the deceased, and missing people heard..."
So on and so forth. And funnily enough, he thought the case about The Shy Guy was a ghost at first. Vengeful and all. So imagine how relieved, then terrified he was when he realized the anomaly wasn't about ghosts at all.
"Best not to remember it..." He mused, not wanting to imagine the face of SCP-096, in fear that it might suddenly appear in front of him and kill him, tearing him to shreds.
That is the thing's ability after all. No matter the media, as long as one sees the face of The Shy Guy, then he'll get chased and murdered by it no matter where the person may be.
Even if that person is across the planet, or even, in the Moon---from what Alex heard somewhere. But all in all, memory too is a media; luckily, his memory isn't great, so he can't remember the exact face of the thing.
Or... well, if he did miscalculate his capacity for memory. Then... he would have been dead, right? He could only muse, even though the possibility is there... And the chances are high.
He doesn't want to think about it, lest he actually jinxed himself. Instead, he focused on the information that the System is talking about in his head, while reading the text.
[ IN THE SMALL TOWN OF NOWHERE, KANSAS; IN THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL OF BEVERLY HIGH, CASE OF MISSING EARS HAD BEEN REPORTED BY STUDENTS WHO HAD TAKEN SHORT NAPS, OR SLEEP ]
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[ FUN FACT: "The SCP Foundation has no centrail canon, or single lead author. Anyone can contribute as long as their article passes community critique and voting on the Wikidot site. This explains why other characters can appear in other stories, article, die and be fine in another article. There is no canon." ]
[ 09/15/2026 ]
[ 09/16/2025 ]