▞Wiki
▞Author Edmund Davids

Experiment Log: 7874/5

Subject(s): Agent Simon Franz, Doctor Milford Cogent

Foreword: Information gathered from Experiment 4 and observation allowed convincing copies to be made of SCP-7874-A uniforms. Rank structure proved more difficult to replicate, with similarities to mundane military organisations being utilized to account for gaps in knowledge. Nevertheless, the high risk and potential for failure led the planned experiment, in which Dr.Cogent would disguise himself as a superior officer in the 'O.I.S.', to be shut down. Despite this, Dr.Cogent gave an unauthorized greenlight for the experiment to proceed.

<BEGIN LOG>

The log opens nearly identically to Experiment Log 4, except Agent Franz is driving the vehicle. Doctor Cogent is seated in the rear.

Agent Franz: Sir, have you considered that if the same '-A' instances from last time are here now, we're as good as dead?

Dr.Cogent: You can hop out of the car right now, Simon. I won't stop you.

Agent Franz does not respond, instead driving the car to the checkpoint. As they approach, the three instances of SCP-7874-A salute.

Franz: Looks like they fell for the star plate¹.

Agent Franz steps out of the car, opens Dr.Cogent's door, and mimics the SCP-7874-A instances' salute. Dr.Cogent steps out of the car and walks towards the checkpoint. An instance of SCP-7874-A approaches.

SCP-7874-A-3: Sir. To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence here?

Cogent: Haven't you heard, officer? Surprise inspection. I've been up and down the country, checking every outpost and checkpoint from north to south. Now, let me see the state of your buildings.

Dr.Cogent heads for the closest building, while the visibly unsettled SCP-7874-A-3 follows.

The interior of the building is spotlessly arranged, except for a couple of used cups and pages scattered on the desks. Dr.Cogent slowly makes his way around the room, allowing ample time for his concealed camera to record everything visible.

On the wall is a map of the Australian continent, named as "New Holland"². Above it is the portrait of a middle-aged man in a military uniform, with an imperial-style mustache. The accompanying plaque reads: "Marshal Peter Broughton".

Cogent: Well… I suppose I can overlook some of the untidiness. How many officers are at this post, officer?

SCP-7874-A-3: Six, including myself, sir.

Cogent: Where are the others? I only saw three when we drove up.

SCP-7874-A-3: They are the second watch, sir. Off duty, sir.

Cogent: I see. When was your unit deployed here?

SCP-7874-A-3: Two months ago, sir. If I may speak freely, sir?

Cogent: Of course.

SCP-7874-A-3: I do not understand the purpose of these questions, sir.

Cogent: I am testing you, officer. I knew all this information already. I wanted to see how committed you were to this posting. Does that make sense?

SCP-7874-A-3: Yes sir.

Cogent: Good. This checkpoint is of passable quality, officer. Just so long as you focus on your assignment, there will be nothing to follow up with. Is that clear?

SCP-7874-A-3: Yes sir.

Dr.Cogent and SCP-7874-A-3 make their way outside. Dr.Cogent salutes the instance, before getting back into the car. Agent Franz, who has spent the last minutes making eye contact with the other SCP-7874-A instances, shuts the door. The two instances open the gate. Franz drives the car through, while the SCP-7874-A instances salute.

<END LOG>


For willful endangerment of Foundation assets, Doctor Cogent was reprimanded and transferred off the SCP-7874 project. Agent Franz received a similar disciplining for his part in aiding Doctor Cogent.

At the request of the project director, an investigation was launched into the identity of the male in the portrait discovered during Experiment 5. Peter Broughton was revealed to be a low-ranking storage clerk in the Australian Army, and possessed several minor differences in physical appearance to the portrait of him inside SCP-7874. When interrogated, Lance-Corporal Broughton (aged 59) claimed to have no knowledge of SCP-7874, the O.I.S., or any current political entity named New Holland. A further background check revealed a previous association with right-wing authoritarian political parties that had ended several months after joining the Australian Defense Force.

Lance-Corporal Peter Broughton is to be kept under Foundation surveillance for the foreseeable future.


▞ Footnotes
¹ An identification plate utilized by military forces to denote the vehicles of high-ranking officers. The plate attached to the car in the experiment log had a gold seven-pointed star on dark green.
² A colonial-era name for Australia, discarded c.1850 in favor of the current name.
