[Procedure 410-Cassini: (60°) Containment specialists wearing masks (Joy, Sorrow, Anger, Indifference, Fear, and Folly) shall perform Ritual Cassini-A.]
[Ritual Cassini-A is a farcical play depicting the follies and mutual insults of six characters, culminating in "Folly" outwitting the others in a riddle game and declaring itself king. Following the ritual, a dice game shall be played. The winner holds no significance to the procedure.]
As they read this,
An involuntary image formed in the audience's minds.
A strange, unsettling feeling crept over them.
But that wasn't all.
[Procedure 420-Perinaldo: (120°) Perform Holst's Op. 32, Fifth Movement using flutes, oboes, clarinets, French horns, timpani, and bass drums.]
[The performance must include specific physical gestures and vocalizations by the musicians, designated as Ritual Perinaldo-A. The piece must be performed live—recordings will not suffice.]
First, a ridiculous play,
And now a musical performance?
Some viewers couldn't help but wonder:
Could such bizarre rituals really help contain an anomaly?
Before their doubts could settle,
More details emerged.
[Procedure 430-Epimetheus: (180°) Containment specialists shall exchange gifts. The nature of the gifts is irrelevant, but each must not exceed $4.28 in value. Each gift must be accompanied by the recitation of Ritual Epimetheus-A and the scattering of grain around the containment chamber.]
[Procedure 440-Cassiel: (240°) Containment specialists shall bind their feet with wool, consume 60 mL of olive oil, and recite Ritual Cassiel-A. They shall then smash a stone weighing at least 20 kg with a hammer while reciting Ritual Cassiel-B throughout.]
By now,
The audience's reactions had dulled slightly.
Compared to the earlier absurdities, these at least seemed somewhat reasonable.
But just as they thought the madness had ended,
The final two procedures appeared—
And the multiverse realized they hadn't seen anything yet.
[Procedure 450-Cairo: (300°) Prepare a D-class subject. Draw a symbol (a circle around a dot, with an upward arrow at 90°) on their abdomen using a platinum-based solution. Clothe them in a blue robe, crown, and scepter. Bind the D-class to a chair and recite Ritual Cairo-A.]
[Upon completion, a containment specialist shall castrate the D-class using a hand sickle. The excised testicles shall then be discarded into a bowl of saline while reciting Ritual Cairo-B.]
[Procedure 460-Omphalos: (0°) Sacrifice one [DATA EXPUNGED].]
The moment these lines appeared,
The once-chatty audience fell deathly silent.
Countless people exchanged glances, their faces pale.
Though just a few short lines, the words carried an indescribable dread—a chill crawling down their spines.
The abrupt shift sent the chat group into chaos.
"WTF? Human… sacrifice?"
"Holy hell! Is this ritual for real?!"
"God, this is… utterly insane."
"I get that the sacrifices are probably death row inmates, but… this still feels wrong."
"Has anyone considered what happens if they DON'T do this? If they fail to contain the Deer?"
"K-Class end-of-the-world scenario. Apocalypse. Damn it… Let's just pray this ritual actually works."
Three-Body Universe
Earth
Luo Ji observed the screen calmly.
He had never been one for rigid morality.
In his view,
If sacrificing two people could save the world, he wouldn't hesitate.
And these were likely convicted criminals, no less.
The only thing that unsettled him was the ritual itself.
Hexagonal rings, farcical plays, orchestral performances, recitations, castration, sacrifice…
This wasn't a plea for divine mercy.
It was entertainment.
A grotesque, twisted performance—
To please a god.
Then,
One final line flashed on the screen.
Luo Ji's composure shattered instantly.
[In the event of containment failure, Site-100's nuclear device will detonate. All Foundation facilities will then enter lockdown, and Protocol 2845-XK1, "Shoot Down the Moon," shall commence.]
The multiverse collectively lost its mind.
Marvel Universe
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters
"WTF?!"
Natasha Romanoff rarely swore, but this deserved it.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Detonate a nuke? Shoot down the MOON? Jesus, isn't the Foundation overdoing it—just a little?!"
Nick Fury's expression was grim.
If the Foundation was willing to go this far,
It meant failure was worse than a nuclear strike.
Just as the audience reeled from the protocols,
The screen's content shifted abruptly.
The scene now showed a classified meeting room.
Dozens of representatives from various organizations sat in the high-tech chamber:
The Global Occult Coalition, Prometheus Labs, the UN Task Force "Blue Alpha," the U.S. National Guard, security ministries…
And at the center—
The SCP Foundation's delegation.
The chat group fell silent at the sheer scale of the assembly.
On screen,
The familiar faces of Dr. Gears and Dr. Kondraki sat at the head table.
Behind them were Dr. Bright and a new figure.
As the room's attention focused on him, the stranger stepped forward.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I am Dr. Clef. I've been assigned to brief you on SCP-2845's containment requirements."