SCP - 036 "The Reincarnation Pilgrimage of the Yazidi (Kiras Guhorîn)"
Object Class - Safe
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The Control Room, Site-22A
The early morning silence is broken only by the flickering monitors and the distant hum of the facility. Dr. Malik studies the radar feed, eyes fixed on the approaching blip.
Dr. Malik: (murmuring) About thirty-five kilometers out… it's on schedule. The Arrival flight should be landing any minute now.
Sarah enters, holding a clipboard.
Sarah: Morning, Doctor. All quiet on the perimeter. No unusual activity.
Dr. Malik: Good. Keep an eye out for the plane. Remember, no unauthorized personnel are to approach the runway until we give the all-clear.
Sarah: Got it. The pilgrims are already in the terminal, right?
Dr. Malik: Yes. The Yazidi holy men have already begun their examinations. The pilgrims are... restless this year.
Suddenly, the radar beeps louder. A new blip appears, approaching rapidly.
Dr. Malik: That's it. The Arrival flight. Prepare containment protocols.
The plane appears on screen, descending rapidly toward the runway. It lands with a faint tremor, and the hatch opens. Pilgrims, clad in modest clothing and veiled, exit in silence, entering the terminal.
Sarah: No crew. Just the pilgrims. As usual.
Dr. Malik: And the masked pilot and co-pilot? Still nowhere to be seen.
Sarah: As always. It's like they vanish into thin air.
The pilgrims begin their examinations, their faces calm yet distant.
The Observation Deck, Later that Day
Dr. Malik and Sarah watch as the pilgrims prepare for departure.
Sarah: They seem... different this year. More eager, almost desperate.
Dr. Malik: The kiras guhorîn—their belief in reincarnation—might be influencing their behavior. Or perhaps something else.
Dr. Malik: (pausing) Have you noticed the heat distortion on the ground? It's worse than usual.
Sarah: Yeah. The ground's shimmering like a mirage. I've heard it's been like that for days.
The sound of a distant engine roars faintly. The Pilgrimage Flight's plane is approaching.
Dr. Malik: Here we go. The departure.
The plane's lights flicker, and it begins to ascend, disappearing from radar as it heads toward Site-22B.
The Observation Tower at Site-22B
The team is attempting to monitor the destination site. Cameras struggle with focus, and heat waves distort the view.
Sarah: Nothing so far. Just undeveloped land and those strange stone statues again.
Dr. Malik: And the heat haze. It's like the ground itself warps reality here. The plane's gone for a week, then reappears at sunrise.
Sarah: And no one's ever come back from trying to reach Site-22B. Remember the Task Force Sigma-4? They vanished without a trace.
Dr. Malik: We're not risking that again. The Foundation's protocols are clear. No exploration during the pilgrimage.
Suddenly, the monitor flickers.
Sarah: Did you see that? The heat distortion just... moved.
Dr. Malik: That's impossible. Or is it?
The ground beyond the camera begins to shimmer, and a faint outline of an ancient stone structure appears, flickering like a mirage.
The Aftermath, One Week Later
Back in the containment zone, Dr. Malik reviews data. The plane is expected to return at dawn.
Dr. Malik: (to Sarah) This year's pilgrimage feels different. The heat, the distortions, the disappearances… it's like the boundary between our world and something else is thinning.
Sarah: Do you think the pilgrims really believe they're reborn? Or is there something more… sinister?
Dr. Malik: The Foundation has always suspected the kiras guhorîn is a ritualized form of contact. Maybe these pilgrims are not just reincarnated souls—they're vessels.
The plane's radar blips again, approaching quickly.
Dr. Malik: Here it comes. Be ready.
The plane lands, and the pilgrims exit, silent as ever. They head into the terminal, eager, yet somehow vacant.
Sarah: We need to keep monitoring. If this keeps up, we might be witnessing something beyond our understanding.
Dr. Malik: Or opening a door we can't close.
As the pilgrims begin their preparations for departure, shadows flicker on the walls—distorted figures that seem to watch from the edges of perception.
Dr. Malik: This year's pilgrimage might be the last we observe from afar.
Sarah: Or the first step into something much darker.
The plane ascends into the sky, vanishing once more, leaving behind the shimmering ground and unanswered questions.
End.