One Trick Ponies

MTF-Lambda-9, later known as the Foundation Animal Assets Division, was established in 1924, reached peak performance in 1946, and has been significantly downsized since. As dissolution of the Foundation Animal Assets Division is currently under vote, a timeline of events, including excerpts from relevant documents, is assembled below.

Part One: Creation (1924) to peak performance (1946)

Alberts's Proposal | ██-023 | 01/07/1924 CONTAINMENT DIFFICULTIES: The anomalous effects of SCP-██ affect any human beings who set eyes on it, touch it (whether direct skin contact is established or not), or attempt to disturb its position. The compulsion effect is currently irreversible.

While containment is possible through the creation of a provisional site around SCP-██, it is a constant drain on the Foundation's resources. Storage in a standard containment locker would be ideal, both due to the SCP-██'s small size and the fact that it is rendered completely safe when not directly observed or interacted with. Transportation into a standard containment locker is currently impossible. OBSERVATION: Birds in the areas surrounding SCP-██ do not appear affected by it. Limited testing done with brown rat (R. norvegicus) and canine (C. l. familiaris) subjects shows no anomalous effects on these species. PROPOSAL: A temporary mobile team is to be assembled. This team is to consist of one personnel member with ██/2 clearance, one outside animal training specialist, and between one and three members of any trainable animal species (C. l. familiaris is suggested due to abundance and ease of training). This team is to train non-human assets to aid in retrieval of SCP-██. Proposal approved 02/03/1924 by Site Director ████. MTF-Lambda-9 ("One Trick Ponies") created 02/30/1924.

"So… pick up a ball, put it into a bag, and carry the bag?" Ace is a little small for a Border Collie. He's got a big smile with a tongue lolling out and a couple broken teeth. His handler, Rose Emerson, is a tall woman. Her hair is pulled back into a tight, thick bun, and the clothes she wears are meant to get dirty.

Agent Nelson isn't entirely sure about this. He still thinks a zoologist from the Foundation would have been better than a trainer. Aren't they supposed to know the behavioral stuff, anyways? Still, though, must be something either to the woman or the dog if she's the first one he's set to interview.

"Yes. Can he do that?" His tone is short, and he does his best to match her unimpressed expression.

"He's a stunt dog, honey. He's going to be in films." She cracks her knuckles. He doesn't call her bluff, just in case there's something to it. "He can pick up your ball, put it into your bag, and carry your bag."

"Just one more thing — he's got to do it without you looking at him." He adds, glancing down from the woman to the dog.

"That's just practice, then."

Nelson petition, 04/30/1924

Petition against action to retire MTF-Lambda-9 MTF-Lambda-9, which currently consists of Ms. Rose Emerson (animal handler), "Ace" (dog), and myself (Andrew Nelson, Foundation agent) can contribute more to the Foundation than we have already. There is a multitude of uses for Ms. Emerson and Ace in the Foundation. Many SCP objects do not affect animal subjects, and Ace could be an asset in transportation, testing, and even neutralization of these objects. I hereby petition to outline the purpose and members of MTF-Lambda-9 to individual project heads and Site Directors before any action to retire us is taken. If any requests for use of MTF-Lambda-9 are made, we should not be retired.

"I've got another audition with him tomorrow." She's brushing out his fur quickly and roughly, sending black and white wisps flying around the place.

Agent Nelson lights his cigarette and takes a deep breath, "They call you back about your last?"

"No. I think it's his teeth. It's because I let him chew on everything when he was younger." She leans back, taking a good look at him, and then gets back to brushing.

"Well, I wouldn't give up." He offers, "I think we might not be done here."

"Hm, I doubt it. I already got paid. And they were talking about giving me a… 'Class B?' You said that was paperwork?"

"Yeah, that's paperwork."

05/01/1924

MTF-Lambda-9 reassigned to Project ██████-04-██ ("Some Like It Cold"). Animal asset is useful in retrieval and containment of Anomalous Item-3244.

"You know, you boys never told me what it is you're doing."

"'Need to know,' Rose, we've been over this," Agent Nelson hasn't often been on a first name basis with a woman who wasn't his sister.

"I bet Ace knows. He gets this weird look in his eyes sometimes. I swear he'll start talking one day and spill all your government secrets. Butt me."

He lights her smoke. She's joking, but for everyone's sake, he hopes it doesn't happen. The look Ace gets sometimes — he's a smart dog, that's for sure.

07/03/1924

MTF-Lambda-9 reassigned to Project ██████-29-██ ("Noodle Juice"). Animal asset assists retrieval of SCP-██-1.

"He can limp on command?" Andrew can't help a laugh. "Hold on, make him do it again."

"You'll make my poor dog fat," Rose says, fondly, waving a piece of ham in the air. They've got an audience. Nearly the entire cafeteria, from Junior Researchers to Security Staff to the Site Director, are happy for the distraction. Ace is soaking it in — Andrew could bet he's performing for the attention nearly as much as for the meat.

"How does he know that?" Someone to the left of Rose asks, as the dog repeats the trick.

"I was training him to be in films," Rose says. "He's still gonna be, once this is over. Now, Oliver Twist, show 'em your dance…"

01/10/1925:

Agent Andrew Nelson reassigned to Project 03-███ ("Bluenose"). It is believed that his skills are not being fully utilized on MTF-Lambda-9. Agent Peters is to take his place.

MTF-Lambda-9, now with Peters as its head, is to be transferred to Site-19, and to work with SCP-████.

"…I can't do that. He can't do that." Emerson glances down at her dog, and shakes her head again. "Look at him, what makes you think he can do that?"

Mike Peters is an old man. He's worked for the Foundation his whole life, and he remembers almost half of it. He doesn't have the patience for this. "He's done everything fine when Nelson was heading this thing, he'll do it fine now."

"Is this a joke? He's thirty pounds, at most. He's not some kind of guard dog, or police dog, or whatever it is you all want him to be doing… He can hop around on one foot or carry around a ball, but do you really think he's going to be knocking people down, you're…"

03/11/1925

MTF-Lambda-9 expanded: After failure in reaching mission objectives during work with SCP-████ due to size, breed, and temperament for animal asset, MTF-Lambda-9 is to be expanded to include multiple animal assets of larger size, taken from police animal stock. Due to unacceptable lapses in judgement during the project, Agent Peters is to be replaced with Agent McMillan. Emerson is to be reimbursed for costs of veterinary care and offered incentive to return to the team.

She's careful as she's picking out the puppies. McMillan isn't even sure what she's looking for — every time he suggests one, she shrugs him off.

"That one looks mean," He says, anyways, after a moment, "The big fat one on the bottom right."

"Doesn't have it," She rises, finally, "That one's insecure. We need the one up over there, with the least black on it?"

They'd wanted them to take all six, but Emerson insists that she isn't going to handle more than two at a time. She's trained a trick dog, and she's trained him well, but she's entirely out of her depth.

They take back Penny and Paco.

Ace doesn't like them, but she won't leave him at home. She says he gets anxious now, and that he'll be a help teaching them, anyways. He yelps every time they run over the stitches on his legs.

She seems satisfied, every night, to leave them and take him home.

05/08/1926:

MTF-Lambda-9 begins operation with two additional animal assets, trained to subdue humanoid threats. After successful work with SCP-████, personnel are trained to work with said assets, and they are permanently stationed at Site-19.

"She doesn't listen to me," McMillan complains. Penny is still hopping around, the little leather training toy firmly in her mouth, "Drop it. Out."

"It's out, not out," Emerson says, helpfully. Just her tone makes the dog drop it, immediately. "Pretend you're interrogating her. You boys do that, right?"

"It's been a while." He hasn't been in the field condition for a long time. That's probably the reason he's on this team, too.

05/24/1926

MTF-Lambda-9 assists in retrieval of SCP-████-02 and -04 through training of a fancy rat (R. norvegicus).

Prey instincts, Rose thinks, are kind of weird to work with.

She still doesn't understand what a government agency is doing trying to pull dolls out of a dollhouse, or what starts rattling inside whenever she sends a rat in, but she's learned to not to ask these things. She's got her own theories about what they're doing here, now.

Pearl is darling, eager to please and happy to be pet, fur pretty and soft like a white mink coat. Rose has got her bringing back balls and even little rag dolls they provided for her, but she'll dash out, squeaking, every time the noises start coming. Most she's ever brought back has been one strand of orange string, long and wiry.

Leave it up to Rose, and she'd let her have a litter and raise those rats around the little house, so they're used to the noise. Her bosses, though, seem to think that'll make them grow up weird, so she's shaking a tin of marbles by Pearl's ears.

She's good, now, at working around their demands. When they were running attempt-014 and she saw something moving in one of the dollhouse's windows, she didn't say anything. She hears more, this way. Knows that the lab coats think cutting open the house will 'kill it,' whatever that means.

It's not her job, she's learned, to pry. Her job is to make the rat come inside the dollhouse and pull the dolls out.

09/30/1926:

Another team similar to to that established for SCP-████ is requested. Three additional canine assets are purchased for this purpose.

10/01/1926:

MTF-Lambda-9 expanded: One additional trainer is hired, in order to ensure ability to establish canine teams without sacrificing work in other areas. Agent Harrison, who possesses limited animal training experience, also joins the team. MTF-Lambda-9 now consists of Agent McMillan, three animal trainers, six canines, and a rat.

"Well, we used a lot of dogs like that one," Harrison gestures over at Paco, "Little less well-bred. Had all kinds — sentry dogs, mercy dogs, messengers. And little ratters, of course, though that'd normally be some kinda terrier…"

"You worked with them?" Rose leans in, chin resting in her hand.

"After Jim got shot, yeah. Didn't know what I was doing, at first, but you learn. It threw me off how smart they can be. Had this one bitch, Topsy, sharp as a tack. I swear she could sniff it out when something was about to blow… Saved my life, once."

"Is that when," Rose pauses, awkwardly. "Um. The arm?"

"No, that was under the Foundation, already. Between that n' the war, I've got a lot a lot of stories."

"I'd like to hear them."

01/10/1927

In order to deactivate SCP-███ without engaging its effects, a single chimpanzee is temporarily acquired. After some coaching, it is able to perform the task with no injuries or loss of life.

04/03/1930:

After SCP-████ has lead to the sinking of four different Foundation submarines, use of a trained dolphin is suggested for retrieval.

Agent Nelson sees the bun before he sees the dog. Her back is to him as she's sitting in the cafeteria, absently shoveling food into her mouth. Some man sitting next to her reaches over to give Ace a pet on the head.

"Rose?" He takes the seat next to her. He's not expecting to be remembered, but, immediately, Ace is wagging his tail, jumping up on him with his front legs.

"Andrew?" She turns around, gives him a once over. He's surprised at how much she's aged. How long has it been? Let's see, must have been '24…

"What are you doing here?" His hands glide over Ace's head, over where his right eye had used to be. The fur still soft and silky, even if the dog looks so different.

"I'm training a dolphin. Queer thing, but bright." He had actually heard about that — they'd tried to build submarines that wouldn't need any personnel, first, but of course that hadn't worked out. "Where have you been, then, Andrew?"

His hands shake a lot these days, in ways he can't stop, but they keep perfectly still now, running behind Ace's ears and over his head. "'Need to know,' Rose. I think I've said that before. What's with Ace's eye?"

"Some thing you've got in here took it out. I never got the details. He can't do much work anymore, it's all those big hulking shepherds. I… mostly bring him around now 'cos he doesn't like to be alone. They like him here, too."

"No, the other eye." He tilts the dog's head up, a little, to show her.

"They get unfocused like that sometimes. When they get old. He sees fine with it, at least. It's the hearing, actually, that's going…" She sighs, "He'll be eleven soon. Missed our chance for films, I suppose."

Agent Nelson doesn't know what to say, so he just sits there, running his hands over Ace's fur.

05/15/1930:

McMillan's Proposal

Introduce animal assets to major Foundation sites as means to improve employee morale.

02/01/1931

MTF-Lambda-9 dissolved, and Foundation Animal Assets Division established. Headquartered at Site-19, the Animal Assets Division specializes in the following: creation of containment teams which involve use of canine units; retrieval and transportation of SCP items which affect humans to a larger degree than animals; training of service animals for injured or disabled personnel; and use of animal assets in order to improve employee morale. Currently, the division consists of three animal trainers, twelve canines, one rat, a chimpanzee, two miniature horses, and a dolphin.

06/07/1931

Agent Andrew Nelson, the first member of MTF-Lambda-9, is killed in action while working with SCP-███.

12/21/1931 - 01/03/1951

Two K-9 teams are created and trained by the Foundation Animal Assets Division in order to contain SCP-████.

There's nothing like watching Scout take down a bastard. The skip looks human from the outside, a young man with slicked back hair and the kind of smug expression Agent Harrison hates on these things. He's loved watching it realize that whatever ju-ju it was pulling over the staff isn't going to work on the dogs.

The war had given him a healthy love of shepherds. The Foundation had given him a healthy hatred of things that pretend to be human. He doesn't come near it himself, as much as he's tempted sometimes, since they're figuring it's got a fairly large range of effect. So it's nice to see Scout's back legs hit the thing's chest and hear the thump as it hits the ground.

"She won't bite hard if you don't try anything rash," Agent Harrison shouts through the megaphone. "You going to head back now, when you get up?" It is. Off, then, girl, walk it back to its cell.

He can see how they'd been herding dogs.

04/03/1932

Four animal assets, trained and deployed by the Animal Assets Division, are used for detection of anomalous narcotics created by SCP-███.

06/17/1939

After four members of MTF-██████-8 are stranded in the ██████ Mountains, presumed KIA or wounded, Animal Assets Division employs the first team of Search and Rescue canine assets used by the Foundation. The team, which initially consists for four canine assets of Newfoundland breed, is successful in recovering Agent M. Cooper and the body of Agent H. Fleming.

02/25/1942

After a proposal by Agent Keller, MTF-Gamma-██ briefly uses a messenger dog when engaging in ██████ warfare with ████████. [REDACTED], which occurs due to the effects of SCP-███. Later, [REDACTED] in Berlin, Germany. 06/01/1942 all members of MTF-Gamma-██ are summarily executed for [REDACTED]. As with multiple other divisions, information about involvement of Animal Assets Division in the event is suppressed until 01/05/1962.

"Do you ever feel like it can't touch you?"

"Excuse me?"

"The war." There's something oddly vulnerable to the way Rose is standing, her back to him, hair spilling out of the bun. It's thin and grey and it sticks out, brittle and ugly like straw. Been years, but it's still odd to see her without the dog. "You know, my brother's fighting it. I think some of our boys here are too. But you never hear anything real."

"I've got two nephews," Harrison doesn't get it. "And I knew Keller. It's just as real here as it is anywhere."

"Here isn't real," She says, shaking her head. "Or anywhere isn't. I don't know anymore. We're gonna live forever, you know? Here's gonna live forever."

That's the kind of talk that makes Harrison think she's going to have her dog back again real soon.

11/26/1943

Rose Emerson, the second member of MTF-Lambda-9, dies of ovarian cancer.