"By the way, how should I address you?"
In the conference room, Adam paced slowly, his heavy steps creating a rhythmic, dull echo. He stopped and looked directly at the holographic images that were gradually becoming clear.
To Adam's surprise—or perhaps it was exactly what he should have expected—the holographic projection displayed only thirteen sigils of various shapes. No human figures appeared. It felt like a virtual online meeting where no one had their camera on.
So much for transparency, Adam complained inwardly before speaking: "Based on the number of sigils, I assume every member of the O5 Council is present? I'm truly flattered."
"Let us get straight to the point, uninvited guest."
A deep male voice spoke, and a corresponding sigil among the thirteen light-shadows flickered briefly. To be honest, Adam had no clue who the owner of that voice was. The thirteen different sigils only served to distinguish their identities; as for which one was which O5 number, he was equally in the dark.
The files of the O5 Council had always been a tangled web within the Foundation system, where truth and falsehood were indistinguishable, and multiple contradictory versions existed. Some said they were immortals, others said they were ordinary people, and some claimed the thirteen seats had long been replaced by anomalies. Even the conclusion that "there are only 13 members" might not be true. Adam knew that for each of these thirteen O5 members, there were at least five different versions of their identities, each representing a different origin for the Foundation.
This led Adam to simply stop guessing. It didn't matter who the owner of the voice was.
"I did arrive a bit unannounced," Adam shrugged, the shoulder plates of his armor letting out a faint mechanical whir. "But both sides must admit that you need my help right now. This is a turning point."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the sigils. "However, since you've made such a direct request, I will naturally cooperate. Where do we begin?"
Another calm female voice spoke: "Let us start by confirming the reliability of your identity."
"Is that really necessary?" Adam raised an eyebrow. "I thought I had already proven myself... or do you still suspect I am connected to that unknown entity?"
"This matter must be handled with caution. We hope you will cooperate." A high-pitched, child-like voice spoke as another sigil lit up on the projection.
"Oh?" Adam felt a spark of interest. "What do you plan to do?"
Just then, the sound of crackling electric arcs suddenly rang out. Brilliant bolts of lightning exploded and interlaced in the air, briefly tearing open a rift. The edges of the rift shimmered with unstable blue-white light, looking like a wound scorched into reality itself. Beyond the rift lay a dim, dark space.
And in that brief, fleeting glimpse—Adam saw something.
It was a massive reptilian creature; even a single corner of it was enough to convey its sheer scale. Its skin was bizarre, with a texture somewhere between rotting flesh and mineral, covered in irregular lumps and folds that gave off a sickly sheen under the electric light. It slowly opened an amber vertical pupil. The pupil constricted like the tip of a needle, containing both the ferocity of a beast and a profound wisdom that stood in stark contrast to its appearance.
Designation: 682.
The Hard-to-Destroy Reptile.
One of the Foundation's most famous anomalies, known for its extreme adaptability and absolute hostility toward humanity. Adam instantly understood their intent: they were using this terrifying anomaly, which detested "What Comes After" more than anything, to test his reliability.
He reached up and unlatched the helmet of the Hunting Rig. With a faint hiss of escaping air pressure, the helmet was removed. Adam revealed his face, looking directly into the massive eyes of the reptilian creature.
The moment their gazes met, the great beast seemed to pause slightly. It did not show its usual violent rage. The rift began to contract violently, and the electric light gradually dissipated. Finally, the rift closed as if it had never existed. Only the faint smell of ozone remained in the air, proving that what had just happened was not a hallucination.
"Well?" Adam asked.
"Very good," the first deep male voice spoke again. "682 believes that while your gaze displeases it, you are not 'disgusting'—this is enough to prove you have no connection to 'What Comes After'."
Adam nodded slightly and put his helmet back on. The metallic click of the latch was exceptionally clear in the silent room.
"Now, to the main topic," Adam said, pacing slowly. "Project Pneuma exists in our universe as well. However, as far as I know, our universe did not find that eerie entity within the human subconscious. Progress was quite smooth. But we did see a space—"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the sigils. "I call it... SCP-4000, The Cabin at the End of the Universe."
"You can think of it as anything: the origin of the human collective unconscious, the core of the Noosphere, the answer to everything, heaven... whatever. As for the technological development in this area, I have mature techniques in my possession."
"Combined with another mature mind-diving technology listed in this same file, an operator can accomplish many things once they enter this space. For example, my organization once conducted an experiment: even a D-class personnel whose memory had been erased by the highest-grade amnestics could be completely restored in that place."
Adam's tone became solemn: "I can give this technology to you. Through it, we can dive directly into the mental space and confront 'What Comes After' face-to-face."
The thirteen sigils seemed to dim simultaneously for a moment. After a long while, the female voice spoke again, her tone carrying obvious doubt:
"That sounds... extremely unlikely to be feasible." The corresponding sigil lit up as she continued: "There are two problems. First, we are not entirely ignorant of the collective unconscious. How do you intend for us to find a suitable vessel?"
"In any case, diving into the collective unconscious requires a path. Theoretically, everyone is connected to that unknown entity, but finding the right path is a completely different matter from wandering aimlessly in the Noosphere."
The child's voice took over: "Second, what method do you have to kill a god of the Noosphere?"
Adam nodded slowly, his gaze sweeping over the sigils. "I have a way."
He paused, repeating himself with absolute certainty: "Both problems—I have a way to solve them."