The SCP Experience - A Handy Shortcut | SCP-1130

Episode Date: June 28, 2024

Want to listen ad-free? Try it FREE for 7 days here: patreon.com/TheSCPExperience SCP Foundation SAFE class object, SCP-1130. This story was derived from https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-1130 and is released under Creative Commons Sharealike 3.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Author: Andrew E. * * * DISCLAIMER: This episode contains explicit content. Parental guidance is advised for children under the age of 18. Listen at your own discretion. #thescpexperience #scp #scpfoundation #scpencounters #securecontainprotect #scpstories Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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so they were resting more comfortably near my neck. This was it. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in. Then exhaled slowly, trying to dispel my nervousness. I did that a few more times before opening my eyes. I'd been readying myself for this for weeks now. I was prepared, over-prepared even. I was ready.

It started a few weeks ago when I was browsing the subreddit urban exploration. Ever since I was a little kid, I'd had a fascination with old, abandoned places. A 20-minute walk from my childhood home, there had been a decommissioned rail line that had fallen into disrepair. A little way along the track, there was a tunnel. It had some minor graffiti on the outside. I used to go there with friends, and we'd dare each other to spend longer and longer inside the dark tunnel. None of us had ever lasted very long. But the point was, ever since then, the idea of walking into a derelict hospital,

or a condemned house sent both a shiver and a thrill down my spine. The most popular explorers on the subreddit had major money behind them, so they could afford to travel to exotic and hard-to-get places, featuring some of the world's strangest and most unique examples of human architectural decay. The rest of us had to make do with the odd business that had gone bankrupt that now had poorly secured entrances, or maybe a waterway system that had been abandoned when the city had upgraded to a better one, if you were lucky.

Still, I liked to browse the posts every now and then and live vicariously through each photo, imagining what it would be like to walk through a decommissioned asylum in Germany, or did gingerly step through the remains of an Italian villa that had once been owned by a noble family, but now had been left to rot. A post came through as I was browsing. It was unusual because most posts on the subreddit were pretty basic.

They explained in a short sentence what kind of building the poster had explored, and then mentioned the city and country it was located in or near. Attached would be one, or maybe two, pictures of the site. Few, if any, contained any sort of additional description. If a viewer had questions, they could ask in the comments, and the explorer may or may not answer. This post was different. It was phrased as a question. Have you ever used this handy shortcut? It said.

Handy shortcut was capitalized. Instead of one or two pictures, they'd posted two dozen. Each of them appeared to be of different abandoned buildings with no central theme to connect them. Some were businesses, others were houses. One was an industrial factory. Underneath, the poster had written extensive instruments. instructions. Apparently, if you followed the directions given out by a certain kind of automated kiosk, your route would take you through an abandoned building, guaranteed, and you'd arrive at your

destination in record time, no matter how far away it was. The poster, who wasn't one I recognized on the subreddit, urged everyone to give it a try if they ever came across the kiosk. Honestly, it sounded more urban legend than urban exploration. The mods clearly agreed with me, because I noticed the post had been taken down a few minutes later. I might have been one of the only people to see it. Still, something about it had stuck with me because I found myself searching for metal kiosks online. It was a tough trail to follow, but wherever this urban legend had sprung up from, it had clearly since developed a cult following.

There were multiple niche message boards talking about it, theorizing that the same thing that, The kiosk occasionally changed locations. That made me roll my eyes. Sure, a magic teleporting kiosk. Why not? More likely, there was just a company that made a bunch of the same model in different cities. My interest was renewed, however, when I saw a recent message that claimed they'd seen the kiosk in Chicago on Hullstead Street, though they couldn't say exactly where. Chicago wasn't far from me.

I'd have to plan a trip, but I could knock out a couple of famous shytown urban exploration hotspots, like St. Boniface Church while I was there. Even if the kiosk thing was a total bust, the trip itself wouldn't be. Sure, it sounded fun. A few months later, I found myself starting from the south end of Haldstead Street and working my way north. The June's sun was brutal, and I hadn't done enough research ahead of time to realize that I'd be one. walking through some very rough areas. I stood out with my hiking gear and large backpack.

Still, I pushed on and walked for hours and hours along the street. It was actually a pretty good cross-section overview of Chicago, starting in the less well-off south side into the urbanized and wealthy center, before that drifted into a more suburb feel, with fewer apartment buildings and more detached houses and trees that lent the sidewalk their shade. That was where, after I was on the verge of packing it in, I found it. The kiosk was tucked into a vacant lot that had a chain-link fence surrounding it.

If I hadn't specifically been looking for it, I probably would have thought it was some kind of command hub for whatever construction work was going to take place on the lot. Although it was surrounded by a fence, the fence itself had a gate held together loosely with chains. I pulled the swinging parts open easily and the wall. slipped through. I then walked slowly and calmly towards the kiosk. I made sure to act confident. Acting confident was a common tip on the urban exploration message boards to avoid getting the

cops called on you. People tend to ignore you if you act like you know what you're doing. As I approached the kiosk, I was surprised at how basic the design was. It was simple sheet metal riveted together in a vague hexagon-like shape. There were no windows to speak of. On the lower right edge of one of the wall panels was a series of numbers, which I presumed was a product number. Attached to the kiosk and jutting out of it was a small LCD screen. It appeared to be some sort of map application. It showed Hullsted Street and the nearby surroundings. Finally getting somewhere, I put on my head-mounted video camera and turned it on.

An urban explorer is only as good as his recording equipment. All right, this is Marcus Brown, I said. I think I've tracked down this kiosk based off an underground urban legend. Apparently, anyone who follows the directions given by this kiosk ends up in an abandoned building. After they explore it, they find themselves at the destination they input. It sounds made up, but I wanted to try it while I was here in Chicago. So, here goes nothing. I tapped the touchscreen.

It immediately prompted me to input an address using the touch keys that popped up. On a whim, I put my childhood address. I figured if this thing was legit, which it definitely wasn't. It would be nice to have a quick ride back home. I heard some whirring and shuffling from inside the kiosk, then a piece of paper slid out of a small slot that I hadn't noticed. I grabbed it and scanned it quickly. It was a set of printed directions.

printed directions. Wow, printed directions. This kiosk really was spooky. It had just teleported me back to the late 90s. Jokes aside, it was a pretty normal set of directions, except that last one. It just said, walk through the arches. Weird. I felt that same addictive thrill of both fear and excitement that had drawn me to urban exploration in the first place. Yeah, as you can see, the directions are kind of weird. weird, I said. Seems like something strange is definitely going on here. Are you guys getting excited? I know I am. I hitched my backpack straps, took some deep, calming breaths, and that was it. I was ready. The directions were normal, but they would in no way leave me back to my

house, which was a three-hour train ride away, so I was skeptical to say the least. The directions were easy. They just directed me down a couple of nearby side streets. Nothing strange happened on the way, and no one paid me any mind. I kept up some half-hearted commentary in case I decided to post the video after I finished, but I was already starting to feel foolish. I turned down the last street, which was an alley between a music shop and a laundromat, and I stopped short. Huh, that wasn't supposed to be there. a map app on my phone and saw that, yeah, this alleyway was definitely supposed to let out into another street. Instead, there was an archway. The inside of it was completely cloaked

in darkness. It reminded me of the abandoned train tunnel I'd play chicken in as a boy. I could see that over and behind it, there were normal trees and buildings. I should have been able to see the end of the alleyway clearly through the arch, but I couldn't. It's never too early to plan summer story in Europe with WestJet from rolling countryside to cobblestone streets begin your next chapter book your seat at westjet.com or call your travel agent westjet where your story takes off it's something else here now something new from exclusively on paramount plus it's the series stephen king calls scary as hell everything here is impossible but it's also real sci-fi vision calls it the best show streaming right now We're running out of time and we still don't know the rules.

Don't miss what the movie blog calls something you need to watch. Saving those children is how we all go home. From Binge All Episodes exclusively on Paramount Plus. Okay. So I'm thinking this is the archway from the directions, huh? Even though I wanted to seem cool and confident on camera, my steps were hesitant and slow. It was like some kind of magnetic force was repelling me away from the door. but I ignored the feeling and pushed forward.

I reached the archway and saw that it was perfectly aligned with the walls of the alleyway. The wooden frame even jutted in and out to accommodate imperfections and gaps in the walls. I couldn't feel anything coming from the door, which was strange, as it was a breezy day. I stuck my hand through it, and though it darkened, it didn't disappear or anything. It seemed like nothing bad had happened. The air on the other side was cool, too cool for summer. Okay, well, let's try it, I said. I glanced at my phone, 4.32 p.m.

All right, let's see how short this handy shortcut is. I stepped through the arch, out of the street, and into a church. It wasn't too large. It could seat maybe 200 parishioners. On the other hand, it had definitely been abandoned. The state of disrepair made that clear. On the other hand, it certainly wasn't St. Boniface Church, which I had seen in pictures. No, this had a more Gothic feel.

The columns that held up the building were carved with those thin lines, and they were intricate stone statues all along them. The windows had been boarded up, but cracks of light still seeped through. I turned to look back through the archway, but it was gone. You guys are seeing this, right? I asked, as if the invisible audience was going to confirm that I hadn't gone crazy. I walked through the arch, and then turned around and now? I trailed off. Instead of the arches, there was a huge, heavy wooden door behind me.

The same kind lots of churches had. I tried to open it, but it was blocked somehow. It wouldn't budge. figures. I turned back to the large empty expanse. My mom had forced me to go to church until I moved out, and some of the lectures I'd heard it stuck, a little. It felt a little wrong to be trespassing in a holy place, even if I knew it was just a place, same as any other. I saw a little door at the back, behind a statue of Mary that must lead somewhere. Before I tried it, though, it took a quick break. I pulled out a banana and a granola bar. I ate them, then chugged some water. It was just a short

break, since I didn't want to be stuck there come nightfall. The camera was turned off from my break, of course. No one wanted to see or hear me eat. I thought I heard something behind me, but when I whipped my head around, there was nothing there, which, yeah, of course there wasn't. It was an abandoned church. If there had been something, it would have been a rat at worst. You can't be afraid of rats if you're going to explore derelict buildings as a hobby. I poked around for a while, but I didn't find anything that caught my eye. Although its location through the arches was impossible, it appeared to be a normal church aside from that. Still, I felt something nagging in the back of my head, a sense that someone or something was

with me. Well, whatever. Maybe it was Jesus. I laughed at the thought and stood up, switching the camera back on. Okay. I've just taken a short break and now I'm ready to move on, I said. It would be cool to explore this building some more, but the main mission today is to figure out what's the deal with these directions. I can always come back later if I want to. I walked towards the little door at the back, careful not to trip over any loose wood and stone, that lay scattered across the aisles. I gripped the door handle,

which was intricately carved in white stone, maybe ivory, that curved and curled in an elegant swoosh. It had probably been custom-made for the church. I turned it and pulled the door open, stepping through it and into the next room. I had expected storage, or a meeting room for the church staff,

or maybe even some sort of room for Christian rights of worship, that were only conducted by the priests of the church. What I hadn't expected was to walk into a derelict fast food joint. I mean, it was in a horrible state of disrepair, but it was definitely a restaurant. It was painted in bright oranges and reds, though the colors were chipped and faded. It had cheerful yellow tiling on the floor,

though again most of it was cracked. There were chairs shaped like burger patties, lettuce, and tomato slices. The order counter was still standing, but the menu had been totaled. It was one of those old-school ones with the white backgrounds and black letters that stuck to it. It was impossible to tell what they'd served here, because only a few rogue letters were left stuck to the board. I'm not imagining things, right? I asked. I knew no one would answer, but it made me feel better to imagine that I was on a live feed,

with people listening in and commenting in real time. I walked back through the door and, yep, it was still the church. There was no earthly reason for these two buildings to be connected like this. I examined the door and saw that the church side was indeed the ornate one I'd come through. But on the other side was a standard wooden door, painted in the same bright colors as the rest of the restaurant. So, yeah, looks like the urban legend was true. There really is. What was that?

I thought I heard something. I tilted my head, trying to catch the sound better. It was a droning noise, or no, maybe a buzzing. Not quite like bees, but more like a crowd of people in a stadium, only really distant. It was soft. I wasn't sure if it was coming from far away, or if it was coming out of the fast food place. Can you guys hear that? I'm not sure if the camera is picking it up, but there's some sort of low humming.

I can't really tell where it's coming from. I waited for a minute, listening. It didn't go away. But then again, it didn't get louder either. It's probably nothing, I said. A shiver ran down my spine. There it was again. A feeling that something was here.

Something was drawing steadily closer. Sort of like in a horror movie where the music goes all quiet and the camera zooms in real close, and the character is looking around in confusion, sensing a presence, but unsure if they can trust their instincts. The last time I felt like this, it had faded away once I focused on something else.

No such luck this time. I was struck by a persistent sense that something was about to happen, even after I waited motionless for five minutes and nothing had changed. It must be something about this place. I mean, it was definitely creepy. What was that?

It had sounded kind of like a stone falling and then clattering against the ground. It hadn't come from the seating area, but further into the restaurant's interior, where I expected the kitchen would be. Pushing through the sense of foreboding, I walked through the restaurant, behind the counter, and into the room behind it.

As expected, it was the restaurant's kitchen, if you could call it that. It was missing every major appliance, and of course it had no food. There was some loose debris on the ground, but nothing to suggest it had moved recently. And of course there was nothing living that could have made that noise either. Towards the back there was a green door that looked like it should lead outside, probably to an employee parking lot. My skin was getting goosebumps just standing there, so I decided to press on.

I moved quickly, my skin tingling, and the excitement of the moment of the moment of the way. I usually felt from exploring abandoned spaces was slowly turning into fear. Bursting to the door, I found myself on an old subway platform. There were some signs in a kind of script language I didn't recognize, but I think it was Asian, maybe Chinese or Japanese. It had probably once been a high-tech, modern platform decked out in bright, clean whites and shiny stainless steel. It had seen better days.

The whites had faded and taken on that. and taken on that puke green and yellow staining, common in linoleum, from lack of care. The stainless steel was dull and rusted. The lights flickered ominously, and some bulbs had burned out entirely. The tracks themselves were corroded, probably not safe for trains to drive over. Even if I waited, I doubt it any would come. RBC Training Ground has discovered potential in over 20,000 Canadian athletes, and counting. Your story could be next. If you've got the drive, they'll help you find your path

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This time the sound had come from the left side tunnel. It was pitch black in there. Nothing seemed to be moving. I leaned over the edge of the platform to get a better look. Hello? I called. Is anyone there? That feeling of a presence coming closer.

The presence coming closer intensified. Something was in there. I couldn't see or smell or hear anything, but I just knew. Hands shaking, I took out my phone and fumbled with it until I managed to turn on the flashlight. I shined it down the tunnel, but once again, nothing was there. Fuck this, I said. I thought about turning right around through the door I'd just entered. Assuming there was something in the darkness,

I could run through the fast food place and then into the church, but I'd be trapped after that. Instead, I tried the stairs up from the subway platform that I thought might lead above ground. But as I started climbing, I saw that there was a metal grate blocking the way. I shook it and tried to lift it from the ground, but it was locked in place. The droning sound was back. It was louder this time, much louder. It seemed to vibrate the air, making my brain fuzzy the longer it went on.

The room was spinning, and I felt like I was floating out somewhere. my body, observing what was happening. Don't panic! Don't panic! Don't panic! I repeated those words until I came back to myself. Whatever the thing in the darkness was, it hadn't decided to attack me yet. I searched for another way out, but there wasn't one. Well, actually, there was the other side of the tunnel.

It was just as poorly lit as the left side, but I hadn't heard any sounds coming from it. Yet, still, Still, running off blind seemed like a good way to get myself killed. Was that my only option? Again, it came from the left-hand tunnel, faster and louder this time. It was too rapid to be a stone falling from the ceiling. It sounded more like two things being knocked together. Not waiting to see what in the hell had made that sound,

I jumped down off the platform and sprinted to the right-side tunnel. My phone was still in flashlight mode, thankfully. It was enough to see by, but just barely. The second I entered the tunnel, I knew I was being pursued. Something was just behind me, catching up with every step. A part of me desperately wanted to stop and try to hide. But where would I hide in this thin space? And that thing had been coming after me from the second I'd entered the arches.

It knew where I was. It had known the whole time. No, hiding would just let it catch up to me, and I don't want to think about what it would do if that happened. I could do this. I'd spent my childhood playing chicken in the darkness. with my friends. I wasn't about to let my fear overwhelm me, even though I felt like I couldn't breathe, and my muscles were tearing, crying out for a break. It wasn't a stone. It was teeth, gnashing together.

I didn't give in to my body's pleas. I forced myself forward, faster and faster. The feeling was getting closer. A puff of something hit the back of my neck. The thing's breath? Or was I just imagining it? I forced myself not to look behind me to check. I couldn't afford to slow down even the tiniest fraction. Then I tripped. Maybe I stumbled over a loose stone, or maybe the thing chasing after me knocked me off balance. It was too dark to tell either way.

Immediately, my left ankle was on fire, like it had been caught in a bear trap. I kicked with my other leg and managed to dislodge whatever was on me. But the damage was done. I could barely move. I looked up ahead and saw, Light! A literal light at the end of the tunnel!

Spirits renewed by the sight, I dug deep, mustered my strength, and pulled myself up off the ground, and began to limp toward the light. It quickly grew brighter as I approached, what I hoped was the exit. The thing behind me wasn't going to just let me leave, though.

Something tugged on my backpack, making me stumble. Thinking fast, I wriggled out of the straps and left it on the ground behind me. I heard tearing, shredding, noises, presumably my backpack being destroyed. But I'd gotten away. It cried out in fury, a bat-like shriek, but I kept limping forward. Then it slammed into me, knocking me to the ground. It was scaly and wet, more like a fish than a reptile. It bit into my shoulder and I screamed. Reflexively, I writhed on the ground to try to throw it off me. But I felt it gripped me

with its claws all along my body. How many limbs did it have? It felt like it was grabbing me with 10 appendages at least. Please, please! I said, I was so close to the exit. I could see the light. If I could just make it there, I knew I'd be okay. Please! I felt sharp, hard teeth pierced my neck,

and then the light faded away. SCP 1130 is an interactive kiosk, providing free directions to any street address within city limits. It measures 50 centimeters by 50 centimeters by 175 centimeters. and is made of plain sheet metal with a touchscreen and a slot for dispensing directions. Despite lacking internal components, like a processing unit or power source, it functions normally. Labelled as an urban wayfinding unit by an unknown manufacturer, no records exist of its creation. The kiosk's anomalous property appears when directions are printed.

These directions always include a path through a door called Maintenance Portal 26 Sigma. SCP 1130-1, which appears only after directions are printed and never in the same location twice. Multiple subjects can use the door until it closes, after which it disappears. Copies of the directions won't make SCP-1130-1 appear. Subjects who enter SCP 1130-1 navigate through SCP 1130-2, a disordered space of interconnected halls, rooms, and tunnels, in severe, disrepair. They describe a persistent feeling of being pursued, which intensifies over time, potentially leading to psychological trauma. The duration inside SCP 1130-2 feels like several hours to

weeks, but outside, only 11 to 23 seconds pass. Subjects cannot communicate while in SCP 1130-2, and GPS signals remain fixed at the entry point. Audio and video recordings work, but cannot transmit data until subjects emerge. SCP 1130 was recovered after tourists went missing, leading to a foundation recovery operation. The kiosk was secured and the involved tourist was given amnestics.