Dr. Jack Bright is one of the Foundation’s
most enigmatic and chaotic figures. Infamous for being the subject of a humorous
joke file passed between personnel titled “The Things Dr. Bright Is Not Allowed To
Do At The Foundation”, which describes… well, exactly that. By reading the list, you’d get the idea
that this Dr. Bright fellow is a pretty fun and goofy guy, certainly popular enough to
get an entire list that has himself as the sole punchline, but while that much is true,
it’s not the whole story. Sure, he’s a strange man with an even stranger
sense of humor, but a lot of that apparent weirdness comes from Jack Bright’s experiences
throughout his life. Or lives, we should say. We’ll explain. Needless to say, he has quite the story to
tell. For starters, Dr. Jack Bright is immortal. Not in the sense that he cannot die, but that
his soul itself is permanently affixed to an amulet, which has been given the designation
SCP-963-1. Originally, the amulet was in the possession
of the Foundation as a minor anomalous object that was incapable of being damaged. While Dr. Bright was transporting the amulet,
the deadly warrior, SCP-076-2, nicknamed Able, broke free from its resting coffin and went
on a murderous rampage throughout the facility. Dr. Bright, who was holding SCP-963-1, was
one of the first killed in action. Days later, after the chaos had subsided,
a Foundation rescue team recovered Bright’s body from the wreckage, with SCP-963-1 along
with it. When the D-Class operative who stumbled upon
the amulet put it on, he gained the memories, personality, and consciousness of Jack Bright. The mind of the D-Class was wiped entirely,
and only Bright remained. When the amulet was removed, the D-Class went
into a vegetative state, ceasing all brain activity. Thanks to SCP-963-1, Dr. Bright is immortal. His consciousness is stored in the amulet
itself, and transfers to whoever puts it on. After a 30 day period of wearing the amulet,
the new body’s brain will become a duplicate of the late Dr. Bright’s, even when the
amulet is removed from their person. This could effectively allow a whole number
of Dr. Brights to run wildly around the Foundation if left unchecked. Thankfully, the Foundation has many safety
measures in place to prevent exactly that from happening, such as limiting the current
Bright host body to one person and keeping an eye on which body Bright is presently occupying. Unfortunately, this hasn’t always worked. As you’ll see in today’s SCP briefing:
SCP-4498: The Plurality of Jack Bright. Being immortal has a few downsides. For one, Bright feels tied to the amulet,
unable to be released. He’s occupied countless bodies, and longs
for a way out. Deep down, he’s aware that he may never
truly die. Doomed to a fate of eternal body switching
until the universe burns out. Maybe that’s where Bright’s goofiness
comes from. He plays the act of a clown to hide the pain
and tragedy of his life. Regardless of how Bright may act, no one can
deny that his story isn’t tragic. But this particular event was a little less
than tragic. In fact, it was a Bright overload. The exact kind of scenario the Foundation
wanted to prevent through their containment procedures of SCP-963-, and the tracking of
which body Bright was currently occupying. In fact, that’s what SCP-4498 is. It’s the designation given to a group of
over 325 men, women, animals, and anomalous entities who were previously assigned to Foundation
facility Site-53 who now assume the consciousness of Dr. Jack Bright. But how did this happen? More importantly, how does the Foundation
keep such a wild array of characters contained? Well, since SCP-4498 makes up the entire personnel
of a former Site, the Foundation was able to establish a Quarantined Exclusion Zone
where Site-53 used to be. Interaction with the Bright instances was
limited to only necessary communications, and separation of an SCP-4498 instance from
the Quarantined Exclusion Zone was not permitted. In case any of the instances acted out of
line, as Dr. Bright tends to do this from time to time, an Applied Task Force, named
Bright-99 "Oh No You Don't", was created to subdue any rowdy Brights and keep them where
they belong through the use of nonlethal means. Until the Foundation is able to find a way
to neutralize the effects of SCP-4498, the former personnel of Site-53 are stuck in containment,
harboring the consciousness of Jack Bright. But again, how did this even happen? On May 9th, 2018, an unexpected interaction
between a now-neutralized anomaly and SCP-963-1 at Site-53 resulted in the creation of this
quirky anomaly. Bright had been assigned to the facility because
of his expertise regarding a certain anomaly they were studying, a small porcelain cat
statue that appeared to negate or depress the effects of nearby anomalies when its tail
was turned clockwise. But on that day, when Dr. Bright arrived at
work, he mishandled the object. Instead of turning the tail clockwise, he
turned it counterclockwise by accident. This resulted in the tail breaking off of
the statue and triggering a new, never before seen anomalous effect that amplified and engulfed
the entire Site once it interacted with SCP-963-1, the amulet hanging from Bright’s neck. Upon breaking the tail, the lights in Site-53
flickered and all personnel collapsed to the floor and the security cameras lost power. When the security cameras rebooted, all personnel
were standing straight up. There was immediate confusion, especially
among the research team who was observing Bright’s inspection of the anomaly. They weren’t sure what happened. One researcher suggested that they had all
swapped bodies. Another was confused as to why he was in his
current body. On the count of three, the researchers decided
to shout out their names, just to see who ended up in whose body. On three, they all yelled the same name: Jack
Bright. The implications of what happened were just
beginning to sink in. Dr. Bright then called his longtime friend
Dr. Sophia Light, Site Director of the famous Site-17. The phone call between Light and Bright was
panicked, as Jack described the emergency to his friend and attempted to find a solution. “We were working on that dumb little cat
thing that we were going to use in the anchor trials, right? Maybe two hours ago, I don't know. I was looking at it, and then I went to turn
the tail-” Dr. Light immediately knew what Bright was
talking about. “Clockwise, right?” “…yes, clockwise. When I turned it, uh… clockwise… it broke
in my hand. Just like that. Poof.” Dr. Light could sense that something had gone
majorly wrong, just from the way Bright emphasized the word ‘poof’. For a few moments, Bright danced around the
implication that he was responsible for breaking the cat, hoping instead to use a less incriminating
euphemism. Light finally got him to spit it out. “They're all me! Every single one of them, Sophia! I know I'm me, obviously- I'm wearing the
amulet, but-” Dr. Bright was cut off. Seconds later, he returned to the phone, clearly
relieved that he wasn’t seen by any of the Bright clones that were now patrolling Site-53. “They're out here storming around, throwing
stuff, writing naughty words on the whiteboards. They're mad, every single one of them. The site is in lockdown, I'm sitting here
in the bathroom trying to stay out of sight, and I need an evac, Sophia.” Dr. Light was unamused, and asked why these
wacky events always seemed to happen while she was busy. Bright begged and pleaded, asking her to send
a Task Force, or to check and see what Dr. Mann could do. Light shot down Bright’s request, saying
that Mann was at a conference off-site. When Bright asked where, Light informed him
that it was at Site-53, and that he had just gotten there a few minutes ago. Bright paused, shuddered, and struggled to
stay calm as he informed Light that he was at Site-53 too. This was the Site where the SCP-4498 anomaly
had taken effect! The security cameras showed utter chaos across
Site-53. The team Dr. Mann brought alongside him to
the conference was composed of the Foundation’s all-stars. Famous names like Dr. Gears, Agent Troy Lament,
Dr. Kain Pathos Crow, and even the infamous Dr. Clef. These Foundation superstars were on the run,
being pursued by a mob of angry Jack Bright SCP-4498 instances, who wielded broken furniture,
tires, and kitchen utensils in their pursuit of the conference-goers. Site-53 was put on lockdown, and after several
hours of radio silence, Mobile Task Force Rhea-7 "Gate Guns" arrived to infiltrate the
Site and deescalate the situation. When the Task Force operatives arrived, they
immediately began to search for Dr. Bright. Unsurprisingly, when they called out for him,
several voices responded. When the Task Force lead introduced himself
and informed the instances that they were sent to extract Dr. Bright, an SCP-4498 instance
that took over the body of Site-53 personnel Dr. Herman Donaldson brandished a rifle, and
informed the operatives that they were all Jack Bright. He told the Task Force to leave, and that
the situation was under control. As he was saying this, an explosion was heard
behind him, which the instance seemed completely unfazed by. When the Lead reiterated that they were just
there to extract Dr. Mann, his team, and the real Jack Bright, the instances got upset
at the implication that they were anything less than the genuine article. It was certain, SCP-4498 had taken over Site-53,
and they were the ones calling the shots. The Foundation’s quiet and kind Dr. Kiryu
then stood up, now affected by SCP-4498 and wearing a flashy jacket and hat. She introduced herself as the “Pirate Queen
Jack Bright” and spoke in a heavy pirate accent. When the Task Force attempted to breach the
site further, Dr. Kiryu and her devoted crewmates fired upon them, though since they were all
Jack Brights, they were actually horrible shots. In fact, the Task Force never really felt
like they were in danger, despite being fired on by several dozen SCP-4498 instances. Instead, they hid themselves and waited for
backup. But the personnel weren’t the only ones
affected by SCP-4498. Site-53 was also host to a number of sentient
humanoid anomalies, who were now harboring the consciousness of Jack Bright. In fact, in an incredible stroke of bad luck,
Site-53 happened to be containing one of the most famous murder monsters the Foundation
has ever faced. That’s right, SCP-096, the Shy Guy, had
been relocated from its original containment to Site-53, and now it possessed the mind
of Dr. Bright. Security footage showed an SCP-4498 instance
being lured to SCP-096’s containment chamber. SCP-096, now possessing the voice of Bright,
pretended to be a Bright instance locked inside the containment chamber and asked the onlooking
instance to free it. The instance suspected it was a trap, but
the Bright on the other side assured him that he was doing important… science things and that this was certainly,
absolutely not a trap. Convinced by SCP-096’s amazing acting, the
SCP-4498 instance opened the chamber door and let loose the SCP-4498-SCP-096 hybrid,
which threw the other Bright instance down the length of the entire hallway. SCP-096 was elated to run around the Site
and wreak havoc, just as the others were doing. Another Bright emerged from Site-53’s trash
receptacles, covered in waste and sewage. He spoke to a group of rats, encouraging them
to join him in the sewers below. The rat-Brights praised their new leader and
followed him into the dumpster. Back up front, the Brights led by Pirate Queen
Kiryu had constructed a wooden pirate ship over a Foundation issue M1-Abrams tank. Bound and tied to the mast was Agent Troy
Lament. Meanwhile, as the Brights ran rampant throughout
Site-53, Dr. Mann and his conference team were couped up in a storage closet, hiding
from the chaotic mob actively looking for them. Needless to say, they weren’t very happy. After a role call check, Dr. Mann smelled
something foul, and informed the scientist-turned Golden Retriever Kain Pathos Crow to remove
his dog-butt from his face. Dr. Crow then informed Mann that he was across
the closet, and that the behind belonged to someone else. In that moment, the real Dr. Jack Bright,
stinking butt and all, introduced himself, causing all of the closet-crew to jump back
in shock. Bright tried to reason with Mann’s crew
and begged them to let him hide. But the crew started debating whether or not
they should just throw Bright to the Pirate Crew for causing all of this ridiculous trouble
in the first place. Then Dr. Crow,in his infinite doggy wisdom,
came up with a solution. They could find the cat statue, repair it,
and get Dr. Bright to utilize SCP-963 on the cat statue, effectively freeing the Site-53
inhabitants from Bright’s consciousness. Bright liked the idea, well, until he realized
that it might break the amulet in the process. And with that, the crew set off. Meanwhile, the pirate crew was posting flyers
around the site that read: “TO THE COWARD JACK BRIGHT BY THE AUTHORITY OF HER SALTIEST MAJESTY JACK
BRIGHT, Pirate Queen, Raider of the High Seas, Mad Butterfly of the Rolling Waves, WE DO COMMAND YOU TO APPEAR BEFORE THE PIRATE
COUNCIL TO NEGOTIATE THE RELEASE OR BUTT-STABBING AND THEN EXECUTION OF ONE: TROY LAMENT HIS CRIMES ARE NUMEROUS: Lollygagging Saying Hurtful Things Criticizing Queen Bright's Very Good Hat THIS WON'T BE FORGIVEN APPEAR OR BE BUTT STABBED” Dr. Mann’s crew had no choice. They appeared before the group of Bright instances
that called themselves the high council, and began to negotiate for control of Site-53. Dr. Mann, Gears, Bright, and Crow spoke with
Pirate Queen Kiryu and a few other Bright instances, who all introduced themselves in
equally ridiculous ways. One was representing the Culinary Jacks of
the Kitchens and Breakrooms, whose feasts were legendary and apparently very tasty! Another was representing the Sneaky Darkness
Jacks of the Parts Of The Site Where The Power Had Gone Out! They are sneaky and very mysterious, as the
representative pointed out. Another was MASTER JACK, Lord of the AquaJacks,
Protector of the Toilets and Sinks! Then you had the master of the rats, Filth
Jack, who asked the council to behold his many armies of trash and refuse. And with that, the almighty council of Jack
Brights had established themselves. The two groups began negotiations to rescue
Agent Troy Lament, who, as Kiryu pointed out earlier, was about to be subjected to a fierce
butt-stabbing. As Agent Lament was brought up into the court,
Pirate Queen Bright laid out her terms: SCP-963-1, the amulet that contained Bright's consciousness. Bright was confused, and asked why, to which
Kiryu replied that it was because they weren’t sure just how long the SCP-4498 Brights were
going to last. They didn’t want to suddenly die off, and
with the amulet they could guarantee their status as bodies of Dr. Bright forever. Bright refused, and tried to appeal to reason,
stating that since they were all him, he knew that deep down they were all sensible people,
known for their good instincts and controlled temperaments. This statement earned Bright some raised eyebrows
from Mann’s crew, who knew of the doctor’s ridiculous exploits all too well. Kiryu once again asked for the amulet. Bright agreed, but only if they gave them
the cat statue. The council of Brights reluctantly agreed,
and the exchange was made. The statue was tossed to Mann’s crew, who
in response, pushed Dr. Bright into the crowd of SCP-4498 instances, who promptly restrained
the Doctor. While Gears and the crew attempted to fix
the cat statue, Dr. Kiryu-Pirate-Queen-Bright had other plans for the captured Dr. Bright. Brandishing a comically large knife, she told
Bright that he was about to lose something VERY important to his dignity and manhood. Bright panicked, and started to plead with
Kiryu. Just in time, Gears tossed the cat statue
to Bright, who turned the tail back clockwise. The SCP-4498 instances jumped back, fell forward
again, and rubbed their heads. And for a brief moment, they were back to
normal! Dr. Kiryu questioned her flashy pirate outfit. But because things can never work out for
Jack Bright, it was only Dr. Kiryu and Clef who regained their original senses. The rest of the SCP-4498 instances were too
far out of range for the cat statue to work. And then to make matters worse, the statue
disintegrated seconds later. Now with a restored Clef and Kiryu and a rescued
Agent Lament, Dr. Bright and the rest of Mann’s team ran out of Site-53, being chased by a
horde of angry SCP-4498 instances once more. Following their escape, Site-53 was recontained
and the current containment procedures were established. Dr. Bright and the personnel who escaped that
day were subjected to a series of interviews. Dr. Mann, being the renowned greatest surgeon
in the Foundation, gave a bombastic account of the day’s events where he downplayed
the importance and the help the members of his conference team gave him during their
escape. Another member of the conference team, Dr.
Desei, was particularly upset at the apparent inefficiency of the Mobile Task Force squad
sent to reclaim Site-53, wondering why one of the hundreds of more competent Task Forces
couldn’t have been sent instead to save them all from the horror of having to listen
to Jack Bright talk to himself for over 12 hours. Dr. Sophia Light informed Dr. Bright, after
an awkward reunion between the two, that he was going back on Special Probation as a punishment
for his actions. A task involving something with a wombat,
the exact details of which are vague and nebulous. Whatever the case, Dr. Bright was certainly
displeased by this. Agent Lament was still recovering from his
capture by the pirate Brights, and from his shell shocked state, it seemed like it was
going to take him awhile to get over it. Dr. Clef, during his interview, admitted that
he was late to the site, and was only pretending to be a Bright instance because he thought
it’d be entertaining. After laughing to himself about beating the
captured Troy’s body with a trout, Clef concluded his interview with a single statement:
“I love the SCP Foundation.” Now go watch “SCP Immortal Dr. Bright Explained”
and “DR. BRIGHT FOR PRESIDENT SCP-4444 - Bush v. Gore”
for more on the anomalously quirky Dr. Jack Bright!
