The emptied hallways of Site-85 echoed with steady steps. Researcher Vongvichit hurried through a cold hallway, passing under a looming Foundation logo as she reached the front desk. The receptionist offered a tired greeting, falling on distracted ears as the researcher passed by, turning into another winding corridor. She too was tired, but fascination filled her mind much more than the need for sleep. Between identical doors and signs, the studious scientist was lost in thoughts.

Her site director had recently been handed a file displaying statistics from the nearby forest as a sort of test. She couldn’t work on the SCP present there unless she identified the anomaly present in the data. Researcher Vong mentally recalled figures and charts as she marched swiftly to the office. All researchers with environmental science specialties had also received the same papers, but space was limited in the project. Of course, the threat of personal danger came with being accepted into it, but almost all of the researchers at Site 85 were desperate to get out of paperwork duty. Researcher Vong was no exception. It certainly seemed like a trivial process compared to just choosing researchers for the project, but it wasn’t her choice. The office had only a few researchers at this time of night, typing away at computers or reading papers as she pulled into her desk.

The familiar packet lay in front of her as she took her seat, facing her as if in opposition. She opened it again, peering through the neon yellow highlights and scratchy annotations. If there was an anomaly, it should be obvious. A blatant mistake. But there was nothing out of the ordinary here. Everything was predictably constant. Plant growth and animal populations barely even fluctuated. Researcher Vong sighed, pulling back from the report. She knew that there were researchers who had already cracked the packet hours after obtaining it, so it must have been obvious. She prepped herself for another comprehensive read-through, purposely oblivious to the other piles of paper that would have filled her schedule.

It was mundane stuff. Researcher Vong had to actively fight off the urge to sleep at this late hour. But persevering, she got through the whole document a third time. As usual, there was nothing. Feeling less hopeful than ever, she pushed the papers aside.

A thought popped into here head. She pulled the papers back. It was the footnotes. She hadn’t read the footnotes. Why didn’t she ever check the footnotes? She mentally berated herself as she flipped through to the last page. Minutes of careful reading ensued, until Researcher Vong saw the line:

27. Interference with local plant and animal life can also be attributed to human development. In 2012, a zone including one-third of the forest’s total area was demolished for housing.

Bingo. That had to be it. Throughout the reports, everything remained completely stable. If a third of the forest was destroyed, why wasn’t it reflected in any of the data? How could this forest act completely unchanged after such an event? This is where the anomaly was in the data. A small chuckle came from Researcher Vong’s mouth as she got up to report to the head scientist and, hopefully, get that spot in the project.

Dr. Adam was having a relatively easy day. He had just filled up his research project with talented new scientists, and all that was left to do in the day was complete the paperwork for it. Then the research would start and the fun begin. Somehow, he’d managed to gather some of the most important scientists in the whole area, all working on his discovery. In all honesty, Dr. Adam really did enjoy the discovery of a new SCP. The unexplainable marvels of the world were out there, waiting to be discovered and tested. It made for an interesting job, as long as they weren’t dangerous. Dr. Adam hated the dangerous ones.

The paperwork-filling and thinking was cut short by a knock on the door.

“Come in.” He saw the door open and a short, upright woman come through. She looked familiar, he’d definitely seen her around sight. What was her name?

“Hello Researcher Vin,” he said cautiously. He added in an uncertain smile.

“Hi Dr. Adam. It’s Vong, but that’s alright. I’ve read the packet and believe I’ve identified the anomalous data.” Dr. Vong excitedly stated.

Dr. Adam’s first thought was “Damn, did I forget to announce the project was filled?” His next thought was “Damn, do I have to tell this researcher she can’t work on the project?" Dr. Adam let out a sigh.

“I’m sorry, but the project’s been filled.” He could see her enthusiasm fall as he said the words.

“I see. Well, have a nice day.” Researcher Vong mustered up a little bit of warmth in the statement as she left the room.

Dr. Adam sighed again, pulling up the files on Researcher Vong on the nearby desktop. According to the files, she was good. A diligent scientist with a specialty in environmental sciences. If he didn’t already have so many other talented environmental scientists, she’d be great for the project. It was a shame, really.

Dr. Adam was surprised by a single beep from the small digital watch on his arm. Peering down, the current time flashed on and off across the tiny screen. He snapped away from the computer instantly, standing from his chair to lock to the door with careful rapidity. His face was grim and alert. He settled back down and took the watch off his arm onto the smooth oak desk. His fingers went to work tapping the corners of the rectangular device.

He clicked each corner with the preciseness of a machine. Top left. Bottom right. Top Left. Top Right. Top Right. Bottom right. And so on. In time, the screen transformed into a black and green grid. Dr. Adam pressed his finger onto the new scanner. Thick black words flashed onto the screen.

PROCEDURE PIZZICATO ACTIVATED. GLOBAL THREAT ENTITY ELIMINATING COMMUNICATION METHODS. SLEEPER AGENTS REMAIN ON ALERT. DO NOT REVEAL POSITIONS. REPORT BACK TO COALITION FREQUENTLY.

They flashed once. Twice. A third time, and they were gone, replaced by a simple black-and-white 10:46. Dr. Adam unlocked his door and left his office. He had all the best scientists under his wing now, but he couldn’t watch them alone.

Researcher Vong was on her way out of the facility when Dr. Adam intercepted her.

“Researcher Vong? I believe there may be a change in my project’s lineup.”

“Hm?” Researcher Vong looked at him quizzically. This was a fast turnaround.

“I’m saying you now have a spot. Welcome to the project. Here are some papers you should be familiarized with. Work starts tomorrow.” Dr. Adam handed her a short stack of documents.

“Wow. Thank you. I must say I wasn’t expecting such a quick change of mind.”

“Well, sometimes new situations can arise very quickly.”

The office was empty at this hour. Regardless, Dr. Adam pulled in close to Researcher Vong as he whispered the next words.

“Keep an eye on the others around you. Report back to me regularly. Stay vigilant.”

“Understood.” As Researcher Vong replied, she pulled up the sleeve of her coat just a tad. A small, black digital watch rested on her arm. The watch was identical to Dr. Adam’s.