Forgetfullness
Ali couldn't sleep. By the time the clock struck five in the morning, she decided to get up.
Ali's apartment had an access terminal to the site's Internet, Intranet, and SCiPNET. She opened a chat with HOUSTON.aic, Site 997's very own Artificially Intelligent Conscript.
A text bubble next to a stylized icon of an old man with red hair's face appeared, reading, "Hello Field Agent Ali Hanover, Clearance Level: 2. I am HOUSTON.aic, ver 1.2.1, Clearance Level: 2. How can I help you today?"
Ali typed a response, "Can you locate Emily Archer please?"
HOUSTON.aic responded almost instantly, "Certainly! Sr. Researcher Emily Archer, Clearance Level: 4, is currently located in her laboratory. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
When did Emily get level 4 clearance? Ali thought.
"No, thank you Houston." Ali said.
"No Problem! I'm always happy to help."
Emily had finally finished up her work, and was finally on her way out of her lab when Ali walked in.
"Hey Emily." Ali said meekly.
"You doing okay?" Emily asked, already knowing the answer.
"Can't sleep." Ali stated. "Oh uh, when did you get level 4 credentials?"
"Oh." Emily said, somewhat caught off-guard, "Like, an hour ago?" she hazarded a guess.
"Why?" Ali asked.
"I'm being assigned to researching a newly discovered anomaly." Emily explained.
"Oh, cool!" Ali said, "What is it?"
"An abandoned Affini ship with an anomalously low Hume reading, and an unusual but not anomalous fluctuation in Akiva radiation." Emily explained.
"Seems boring. See that's why I'm a Field Agent, I only deal with exciting things." Ali pointed out.
"I mean yeah, with our anomalous science its pretty normal, though It's an abandoned Affini ship, so we can get valuable intel about SCP-233464." Emily said.
"More info than Floral Skies, probably." Ali dejectedly pointed out.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Emily started.
"It's fine." Ali said.
Emily pulled Ali into her arms, and held her. "You better come home." Emily said .
A short time later, the two women walked to Emily's quarters. Unlike Ali, who's quarters were undecorated due to the fact that Ali only lived there between assignments, Emily's apartment was homely, decorated with various items and trinkets.
"Make yourself at home." Emily said, "Can I get you anything?"
"Oh uh." Ali said, sitting down, "Water's fine."
Emily nodded before pouring Ali a glass of water. "You know, if I had a nickel for every time the Foundation has delt with an anomaly that wanted to domesticate terrans, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but its weird that it happened twice."
"What?"
"SCP-1897. Luckily they're considered neutralized now, they only appeared in rural areas on Terra, and those don't exist anymore." Emily explained, "And, they seem less kind than the Affini do."
Ali nodded, "I don't want to die." she said.
"Hey... Ali, your going to be okay." Emily tried to console Ali.
"I mean, I won't die. Actually, considering I work for the Foundation, this mission has good survival odds, but I won't be me. I won't remember any of my life working here." Ali paused. "I won't remember you."
Emily broke, as if only now understanding the full weight of the situation. "Please tell me there's something I can do. I have level 4 now, I should be-"
Ali cut her friend off, "The order came straight from an 05."
Emily paused. "What?"
"I was ordered by 05 Command." Ali repeated.
Emily dropped the glass of water, it falling to the floor and shattering, "WHY THE FUCK IS 05 COMMAND INVOLVED?"
"I thought I told you that already." Ali commented.
"You told me you were recommended to the Council," Emily said, "not that an 05 personally sent you on this mission."
"What does it matter? I'm assigned to this either way." Ali said.
Emily sighed, "I just wish I could do something about it." She paused, "What's your CRV?"
"Uhh" Ali took a second to remember, "2.8"
If Emily had another glass, she would have dropped that one too. "WHY. THE. FUCK. ARE THEY SENDING SOMEONE WITH A LOW COGNITIVE RESISTANCE VALUE TO INVESTIGATE A HYPNOTIZING ANOMALY!"
"They're also using non-foundation personnel for it too." Ali said, "Actually, most of the agents aren't from the Foundation."
"MOTHERFU-"
Emily had excused herself to the bathroom, and, after returning, had found that Ali had fallen asleep on the couch in Emily's living room. She considered waking her, but given that it was now six o'clock, it was probably best to let her friend sleep. It was also probably best to get some rest herself.
Yeah... sleep sounds good.
Emily didn't bother changing into something else, she just got in bed and fell asleep.
Ali woke up at around one thirty in the afternoon.
Shit. Thirty minutes left of my life.
Ali left without saying goodbye. That would be too difficult. She didn't want to have that conversation. Instead she left Emily a note.
Ali returned to her own set of quarters, and changed into her uniform. It was mainly ceremonial, she wasn't actually going to need it for her mission, but she was technically on duty.
Ali made her way to the site's Medical Bay. She wanted to run, to try to escape her fate, but she knew it was no use. Security wouldn't allow her to, and even if she were to somehow escape the site, Foundation task forces would hunt her down.
Well, at least their pets seem happy.
Ali sat in the waiting room, counting the seconds until the procedure. The room felt oppressive, it was the same bland sterilness of the rest of the site, white walls and a tiled floor.
1:54
...
Ali disliked waiting.
...
1:55
...
Even though it was only a few moments, it still felt like forever. I guess that makes sense when each minute counts down to your death.
...
1:56
...
Well, she wasn't actually dying, but... well she had already put it in words earlier.
...
1:57
...
I should have said goodbye to Emily...
...
There's a lot of things I should have said to Emily...
...
1:58
...
Emily swung open the door, and ran towards Ali.
"Emily! I-" Ali started, before being cut off.
"Ali." Emily said, placing her hands on Ali's shoulders. "Look me in the eyes."
Ali stared into Emily's burnt-sienna eyes, which matched the color of her long hair.
1:59
"I will fight for you. We'll get you back, we'll figure out a way. I'll figure out a way." Emily spoke clearly, as if she had prepared for this.
Ali nodded, I wish I could believe her.
She should have expected it, and yet, Ali was surprised when Emily wrapped her arms around her. She could feel Emily's heart beating, and her chest rising and falling as she breathed.
Finally, after a moment which felt like a forever, yet still too short a time, Ali pulled away.
"I have a part to play too." Ali smiled, "I'll get you that information. I'll get the intel; after all, I am an SCP Foundation Field Agent you know, Covert operations are my thing."
As if on cue, a nurse called Ali to one of the Amnesticization Rooms, and, after one last hug between friends, Ali followed her. She took one last look at her friend, and realized how cute Emily looked in her labcoat.
Shit. I have a crush on her.
Tamlin didn't care for the so-called 'Father of Lies.' For one, that title was one of her lies. She had picked up the moniker from the previous 05-11; a factthat only Tamlin, Blackbird, and 05s 1 and 2 knew (The current 05-11 predated the other council members). Oh, and The Administrator knew of course, but he had been missing for almost twenty years.
Tamlin also didn't care for Project 928-OAKTREE. It had been proposed at a council meeting a few weeks back. Tamlin had uncharacteristically decided to vote on it, on the side of Nay. Still, it had unfortunately passed.
"Rosalind?" Tamlin spoke out loud.
"What can I do for you Tamlin?" Rosalind.aic, 05-13's personnel .aic spoke over the speakers.
"Schedule a meeting with Blackbird and The Black Cat. I want to discuss SCP-233464, Operation Floral Skies, and Project 928-OAKTREE with them." Tamlin said. "Oh, and do it covertly, I don't want anyone who voted for OAKTREE to know about the meeting."
"Of Course." Rosalind.aic responded, "Scheduling a meeting with 05-5 and 05-8." Rosalind.aic paused, "When should I schedule it for?"
"As soon as possible."
"You are Field Agent Ali Hanover, correct?" The nurse asked.
Ali nodded.
"I'm Nurse Murcia. Your amnestitist will be Doctor Lancastor. I just need to take a quick physical, before she'll see you." Nurse Murcia explained.
Murcia walked Ali through the motions of the physical, before leaving and returning with the Doctor.
"Hello, I'm Doctor Lancastor, your Amnestitist. Don't worry, I've been doing this for 15 years and have yet to make a mistake." The Doctor said.
Ali nodded.
"We'll start with the Type 2 and the Type 4, as they don't require primers. Afterwards, we'll give you the primer for the first SCP, then we'll apply the second SCP before the actual injection of the first SCP." Doctor Lancaster said.
Ali nodded.
"Then we will finish with the Type 7, the Redacted one, and finally the Type 8. Got it?"
"Yes Doctor." Ali said.
Lancaster nodded. Murcia handed him a syringe.
"Slight pinch." The Doctor said, as he injected the amnestics.
Ow. Ali thought.
It took a while for the effects to set in, but gradually Ali started forgetting things.
Why was she here? What was she doing in a Doctor's Office? Right, Floral Skies, I talked with Emily, then... Did I talk with Emily? I don't remember talking with Emily since last night.
"Primer." The Man in the labcoat said. The women in a nurse's outfit handed him a syringe.
"Slight pinch, then I'll show you an image." The man said, probably a doctor. Ali felt the injection, ow, then the doctor, the nurse too, put on a blindfold, as a projector flicked on to the wall in front of Ali.
After a few seconds, the projector shut off.
"You are Ali Hanover. You work for the Terran Cosmic Navy. You want to sabotage the Navy and turn yourself over to the Affini. You want to collect information on the Affini. In three months, you'll go to the planet Zion-4, or you will be punished." Said the strange figure in front of her.
Ali Hanover felt a prick in her left arm.
"Where-" Ali started.
The Doctor cut her off, "Type 7 and Codeword: Professor"
The Nurse nodded and handed The Doctor a large syringe.
"Please don't..." Ali trailed off.
"You'll be fine." The Doctor said, injecting her with whatever was inside the syringe.
"What are you doing-" Ali started, but again was cut off.
"Type 8."
Ali felt another injection.
Ali remembered nothing.
For all intents and purposes, Ali was gone.