บท 82: Questions and Answers -80
Natasha did indeed have many, many questions, so getting a chance to get some answers was very welcome indeed. She had only wished she would be getting them from someone whose face she could see. All her skills in reading facial expressions didn't do much when she couldn't see their face, and even the voice was changed in ways that didn't allow her to read changes in pitch.
This gave her no chance at all to determine whether or not she was told the truth, which meant she would have to ask a wide range of questions, including some she could possibly verify on her own.
"Who are you?" Natasha started with a question that was both easy and hard to answer.
The Overseer chuckled lightly at her questions. "I am O5-1 of the overseer council, often referred to as the O5 council."
"Tell me more about the structure of the Foundation." Natasha continued her questions without pause.
"The Foundation is headed by the O5 council at the top. To restrict our powers, there is the ethics committee, whose job is to ensure that the O5 doesn't act too cruelly. The motto for dealing with SCP objects is cold, not cruel."
"How long have you been part of the Foundation?"
"Since the very beginning."
"When did the Foundation get founded."
This question caused the Overseer to pause slightly. "Around… 330… BC"
"Bullshit!" Natasha shouted, not willing to believe even for a second that the person before her was that old. What she didn't know was that even the person himself was equally shocked.
"Miss Romanoff, I can assure you that we have been around for a very long time. The likes of Shield are mere babes compared to us. We have protected this world for a very, very long time, which is why we are so very good at it."
"Fine, next question then, what was Graves doing when Coulson ran into him?"
"Graves, you can answer this one," The Overseer said. He was happy to have a small moment to collect his thoughts.
"Yes, Overseer. Well Miss Romanoff, I was on a mission to secure an instance of SCP-204." He paused for a moment and looked towards the Overseer, who nodded at him.
"SCP objects are what we call, things we deal with. Such as SCP-204. A mysterious group of nano machines that seeks out children and bounds with them. They then, through some unknown means, make the children put themselves in danger, and the robots then deal with the danger, often by killing people, then eating them."
"And you just... contain these things?" Natasha asked, seeking clarification on the Foundation's approach to such phenomena.
"Yes," Graves replied. "Containment is our primary goal. Neutralization is a last resort, and only considered if containment is impossible or if the anomaly poses a direct, uncontainable threat to humanity."
Natasha pondered the implications of such a policy. It was a delicate balance, one that required a profound understanding of the anomalies they faced and the potential risks involved in containing them.
"How do you decide what becomes an SCP object? What criteria do you use?"
The Overseer answered this time, "Anomalies that defy the current understanding of natural laws, possess properties that are dangerous to humans or are capable of altering reality, are considered for SCP classification. Each potential SCP object undergoes a thorough investigation before it's classified and contained."
"What about the attacks on SHIELD? Were you behind the kidnapping of the two enhanced?"
"Yes, it was us who rescued SCP-053 from Hydra's hands and then secured SCP-11111 from another Shield facility," The Overseer answered.
Natasha frowned. "How do you decide the numbers? They seem, well, pretty random."
Nodding his head, the Overseer started to explain. "I assure you that there is a system to it. While I doubt you would fully understand some of it. Mostly, an object is given the first available number, but not always. So yes, we have quite a few thousands of objects in containment, or at least know of them."
The more Natasha heard, the more she wanted to know. She was well aware that plenty of these answers might be lies, but every lie had a bit of truth in it if only one knew where to look. Yet she was starting to struggle with what question to ask. She just has so many.
"What's the relationship between the Foundation and global governments? How do you operate so extensively without widespread public knowledge or interference?" Natasha queried, hoping to uncover more about how the Foundation navigated the complexities of international law and politics.
The Overseer's response was measured. "We work in the shadows, Miss Romanoff, but not without cooperation. We have some level of contact with the different governments around the world, but very different from Shield, we always act as we see fit, no matter how a government thinks."
Natasha was both relieved and curious when she heard that governments knew about the Foundation. If they knew, why support SHIELD? Why try to ask them for answers rather than the Foundation?
The Overseer seemed to read Natasha's unspoken questions. "The governments of the world appreciate the Foundation's work, but they also fear it. Our independence and the scope of our operations can be...unsettling. SHIELD operates under governmental oversight, providing a semblance of control and accountability. We, on the other hand, answer to no one but ourselves and the greater good as we see it."
"But why was SHIELD never informed? And why did you allow SHIELD to be formed? They seem to be getting in your way, no?"
The Overseer leaned forward slightly, the eerie glow of his eyes somehow intensifying. "Shield wasn't informed because they didn't need to be, and because we didn't want them to be. As for why Shield was formed, well, back in the world war, we remained neutral and worked hard to pick up every SCP Hitler was digging up."
"It was during that time that one object was missed by us; it ended up falling into the hands of Howard Stark, and from there, Shield was born. We were very busy, unable to act to stop it. By the time anyone realized that he had made a worse version of the Foundation, well, the governments rolled with it."
"So the only reason SHIELD exists is because you missed an object?"
"That's correct; Stark was someone who knew the world needed to be kept safe from such objects; however, having no knowledge of us, he decided to make his own organization."
"And if Stark had known about the Foundation, SHIELD might never have existed," Natasha mused aloud, piecing together the historical threads. "Does that mean the Foundation has been observing and, when necessary, intervening in SHIELD's operations since its inception?"
The Overseer nodded his head. "Every time Shield gets an 84, it's because we failed our job, so yes, we try to stay ahead of Shield whenever possible."
Natasha processed this information, her mind swirling with the implications of the Foundation's extensive surveillance and intervention strategies. "So, in a way, SHIELD has been unknowingly working in your shadow, cleaning up the messes that slip through your fingers," she deduced, trying to understand the dynamics between the two organizations.
The Overseer's response was nonchalant yet revealing. "An oversimplification, but not entirely incorrect. Though we would have preferred Shield not being a thing, until recently, they didn't pose enough of an annoyance to bother us to the point of action."
Natasha could see that. A massive organization like the Foundation seemed to not care much about the smaller Shield as it grew up, something that had probably changed in the last few years, and finally, the assassination of Ricci pushed things over the edge.
Even she was starting to think something had to be done to SHIELD after learning how HYDRA had infiltrated them. So that this Foundation had now started to move against SHIELD wasn't much of a surprise.
"What's the Foundation's endgame here?" Natasha finally asked, her gaze fixed on the Overseer, searching for any hint of deception in the distorted voice. "If SHIELD is compromised, if there's a threat within, what are you planning to do about it?"
The Overseer seemed to contemplate her question carefully before answering. "Our primary goal remains the protection of humanity from anomalies that threaten our world's very fabric. As for Shield... If they cannot be salvaged, if the corruption runs too deep, then we must ensure that the protection of humanity does not suffer in their absence."
This was a diplomatic response, but Natasha understood the underlying message: the Foundation would act decisively to get rid of and replace SHIELD if they proved to be a problem, and she was fairly sure they already had.
"And what role do you see me playing in this future?" Natasha inquired, her voice steady despite the turmoil of thoughts and emotions swirling inside her. "You've made it clear you're not fans of SHIELD, but you've also shown a willingness to work with me. Why?"
The Overseer leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, it's true that I don't like Shield, but I doubt you are as deeply connected to Shield as many others. I believe instead that you are more loyal to doing good than to whom you do it for, and Shield. Well, they aren't in the business of doing good but to serve senators."
"If your assessment of my priorities is accurate," Natasha started, choosing her words carefully, "then my next steps would depend significantly on what you can offer in terms of making a tangible difference. How do you envision my involvement facilitating a positive outcome, especially if SHIELD's structure is as compromised as you suggest?"
Once more, she could have sworn she felt the Overseer smile behind his mask. "All I plan to offer you is a chance to work, and I know you will soon enough be serving me with the same dedication as Gaves here."
Natasha was only able to ask a few more questions before the Overseer called the meeting to an end. He was apparently busy and had other things to do. She did, however, ask one last question before he left.
"Was it you who took Dr Bruce Banner?"
The overseer paused, misstep, and turned back to look at her. "Banner works for me willingly, as does Pym and many, many others. They all believe in what we do, just as you will soon enough." With those parting words, one of the most powerful people in the entire world left the room.
Natasha was left with many questions still unanswered and many more still needed to be verified. She had, however, succeeded in her primary mission of collecting valuable information. Now she was just unsure about whatever she should and could ever deliver it to Fury and SHIELD.
"Well, agent Romanoff, welcome to the team," Agent Graves said with a smug smile.
"This for sure wasn't what I had expected to happen today." Natasha sighed.
"This is how pretty much everyone have it when they join the Foundation, to learn of the bigger world out there. its not easy, but it becomes more so with time." He tried to reassure her as he started to bring her back the same way they came in from.
"So what now Graves?"
"You will be working mostly with the Ricci family branch while mostly doing my type of work. No need to worry, you won't be in too much danger, most we will deal with is things on the level of 053 or 204." Graves explained.
"How about telling me more about those? Didn't feel like wasting time asking the big guy about those kinds of things." She asked, hoping for more information.
"SCP-053 is quite the anomaly," Graves started, his voice taking on a hint of caution. "She appears to be a young girl, no more than three years old. However, her presence induces a homicidal rage in adults, leading them to attempt to kill her. Strangely, after killing or attempting to kill SCP-053, individuals suffer massive heart attacks or seizures and die within minutes. SCP-053, however, remains unharmed and seems to heal at an accelerated rate."
Natasha absorbed the information, her mind racing at the implications. "And SCP-204?" she pressed on, curious about the other entity mentioned.
"SCP-204, or 'The Protector,' as it's sometimes called," Graves continued. "It's a collective of nanomachines, capable of forming a protective entity around a single host, typically a child. The Protector defends its host from threats, often lethally. However, the relationship is symbiotic; the nanomachines draw sustenance from the host's body, particularly from consuming external threats."
A/N
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