Exploring the Stairwell

Item No: SCP-087

Object Class: Euclid

Description: SCP-087, located on the [REDACTED] campus, is an unlit platform stairwell with 13 steps per level, descending at an angle of 38 degrees. Between the floors is a semicircular platform approximately 3 meters in diameter, which rotates 180 degrees in the direction of descent with each passing platform.

Since the design of SCP-087 limits the visible range to about 1.5 steps, and there are no lamps or windows inside, any object exploring SCP-087 must carry a light source. Light sources over 75 watts are less effective, as the SCP-087 appears to absorb too much light.

Reports and recordings from test subjects confirm the presence of painful cries, presumably emitted by children between the ages of █ and ██ years old. The source of the cries was estimated to be located 200 meters below the first platform. However, no attempts to descend the stairs could bring the subject closer to the source.

The depths calculated from the deepest exploration were well beyond the structural depths possible for the building and geological setting. Until now, it is still not known whether SCP-087 has an end.

SCP-087 has so far had four exploration videos taken by D-Class personnel, each of whom has encountered SCP-087-1, a face with no pupils, nostrils, or mouth. The nature of SCP-087-1 is entirely unknown, but it has been determined that it is not the source of the distress call. Explorers showed intense fear and terror when confronted with SCP-087-1, but it is difficult to determine whether this feeling is perverse or simply a natural reaction.

Addendum: Within two weeks of the end of Expedition IV, several staff and students from the [REDACTED] University reported hearing knocking sounds with a frequency every 1-2 seconds from the inside of SCP-087. After filling the door leading to SCP-087 with 6 cm thick industrial foam, all reports of knocking have been discontinued.

Special Containment Procedures: The doorway to SCP-087 was constructed of reinforced steel plates with an electrically controlled locking mechanism, the entrance had been camouflaged as a janitorial room consistent with the design of the building in which it was located, and the locking mechanism on the door handle would remain locked unless a voltage of ██ volt was simultaneously applied with counter-clockwise rotation of the key. The door is lined with a 6 cm thick industrial foam padding.

As a result of the last exploration, access to SCP-087 is now prohibited to any personnel.

----

SCP-087 can be considered a big name in the SCP Foundation and, like SCP-682, is one of the Foundation's legacy entries. To put it simply, it is a deep, bottomless stairwell with no lights and the distressing sounds of small children coming from below.

Each time the explorers would encounter SCP-087-1 - that is, a face without pupils, nostrils, and a mouth like a ghost. Put it this way, SCP-087 fits all the elements of a horror movie.

The Foundation has explored it four times. The deepest one has reached 2 km underground but still did not explore its bottom. The last time, the explorers saw a door and could confirm that the cry for help came from behind that door.

Then, there was no more. After that explorer was lost, the SCP Foundation sealed off the entrance to SCP-087 completely.

The Foundation thought it would be easy to determine it as a Euclid class, but to their surprise, years later, SCP-087 became active again.

The cause of the incident is because [DATA EXPUNGED] a case occurred on campus, four students after the evening study cleaning classroom for no reason missing, the school and police looking for them for a few days, and finally found a clue at the entrance of SCP-087.

--On That Old Iron Door--

The outline of several students' faces gradually became clear, with painful expressions. It was as if someone was inside, pressing their faces hard against the iron door. There was panic, and the campus was forced to close classes.

The police tried to break the door by force, and the SCP Field Agents learned about it and immediately passed the news to the headquarters because Site-14 was the closest to the [REDACTED] University, so the task was assigned to Yang Xue and the others.

Yang Xue said, "There is danger down there in SCP-087 if there weren't a few students in there, the Foundation wouldn't have agreed to re-explore it, the first few operations by D-Class personnel ended in failure, so this time we plan to send a Mobile Task Force team down there, and my uncle hopes you can be there to guide them."

For SCP-087, Zhang Jue didn't know any more than the Foundation, but he was now at least holding the title of advisor, so he couldn't refuse. Zhang Jue nodded and carefully recalled the relevant information.

Half an hour later, the two arrived at the [REDACTED] University in the Foundation's private vehicle. The entrance to SCP-087 was disguised as a dilapidated janitorial room on the first floor. When Zhang Jue and Yang Xue arrived, a team of heavily armed soldiers was already standing by outside the door.

A middle-aged man was giving them a lecture, "Cooperate with the researchers, no one is allowed to move, and shoot anyone who dares to disobey the order!"

Seeing that Yang Xue had arrived, he told the team to rest in place and greeted them: "Dr. Yang Xue, you're here." Noticing the strange man next to Yang Xue, he frowned slightly: "This is-"

Yang Xue introduced, "His name is Zhang Jue, a special advisor recently hired by the Foundation, currently working at Site 14." She then added to Zhang Jue, "This is one of the CN Region Mobile Task Force, the captain of 'Red Ying,' Guan Peng."

The left half of Guan Peng's face was severely burned, almost disfigured, and looked very scary. Zhang Jue knew that the person who could serve as the captain of the Mobile Task Force was by no means an idle one.

He extended his hand, "Good day, Captain Guan." He first heard that the Foundation had hired a special advisor because he belonged to the same CN district, but he didn't expect the other party to be such a young man.

His thoughts were somewhat similar to Zhang Jue's. Having reached this realm, he would never make the mistake of judging people by their appearance. He believed in the judgment of the Foundation's senior management, and since this young man could serve as a special advisor, he must have his merits.

Guan Peng said, "We're in time. Since you and Dr. Yang Xue are here, let's get started."

Yang Xue looked at Zhang Jue. According to the rules, this matter must have Zhang Jue's approval. Zhang Jue looked at the large iron door that had been closed and the four faces on the door. The current situation was unknown, and the only certain thing was that the four students must be inside.

No one knew what the situation was like inside without opening the door.

Zhang Jue nodded, "Let's move."

With a dull sound, the iron door that closed SCP-087 was opened. The staff was fully armed to prevent danger, but after the door opened, no strange things ran out from inside. The industrial foam that filled the door had long since disappeared, and only four strings of bloody footprints stretched down from the doorway.

Zhang Jue pinched up the blood on the ground, rubbed it in his hands, and put it under his nose, and sniffed it. "It's been no more than 24 hours, and with any luck, there might still be someone alive."

"So what now?" Yang Xue asked.

Zhang Jue glanced inside the stairwell. "Captain Guan, please inform your team members to prepare food, ropes, and lighting equipment. It's time for us to explore."