Interview with SCP-049 (The Plague Doctor)

Introduction

• Event: Mandatory interview with SCP-049
• Date: July 27, 2018
• Location: Bridge Facility

Participants

• Jacobs: Administrative oversight
• SCP-049: The Plague Doctor

Key Points from the Interview

Introduction and Setup

• Jacobs cautions that cooperation is mandatory, under penalty of privilege revocation.
• SCP-049 reminisces about past interactions and questions the validity of promises made.

Understanding the 'Pestilence'

• Origins: SCP-049 claims the 'pestilence' is older than can be understood; no clear origin or guide for treatment.
• Nature: Describes the pestilence as intertwined with life, possibly hereditary. Mutations would harm the virus' ecosystem.
• First Encounters: First significant patient was the prince's bride; the prince himself was a carrier but not the source.

Methodology and Ethics

• Treatment: Involves curing by necessity, often resulting in death or treatment rejection by patients (e.g., prince's court).
• Moral Dilemma: Discussion on morality and ethics in SCP-049’s methods. SCP-049 sees killing as a necessary evil.
• Historical Figures: Yolanda, a resilient child and promising assistant, ultimately succumbed to moral conflict.

Interaction with Other SCPs

• Questions on Immunity: SCP-049 has no clear answer on personal immunity but utilizes methods to protect himself.
• Other SCPs and the Pestilence: Tried to draw analogies with SCP-106, SCP-008, SCP-079, SCP-035, SCP-343, and SCP-001.
• Skepticism of Results: Foundation views methods as inhumane despite SCP-049’s confidence in his treatments' necessity and benefits.

Personal Reflections

• Failed Students: Most could not grasp SCP-049's perspective and mission.
• Regretful Cures: Reflects on patients who weren't worth curing but were necessary for research.
• Reluctance on Diagnosis: Confesses difficulty in assessing the pestilence's full impact due to continuous opposition.

End of Interview

• Jacobs' Fate: SCP-049 predicts a different fate for Jacobs, indicating the pestilence has receded.
• Message: Implicit solidarity in fighting larger threats if both parties understand their roles.

Concluding Notes

• Multiple references to past and ongoing conflicts within the SCP Foundation, the internal politics, and ethical dilemmas faced by the staff.
• SCP-049 provides unique insights despite the moral ambiguity surrounding his methods.

Quotes

• SCP-049: "I create life; it is not I who destroys what they do not understand."