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SCP-5046 Safe ~ medium confidence
SCP-5046
Expected annual
$380K
One-time setup
$784K
Annual recurring
$361K
Personnel
1.25
One-time setup costs are moderate (facility upgrades, dedicated test chamber and contingency reserves) while annual operating costs are dominated by staff wages, insurance/hush funds, incident readiness and legal/cover maintenance. Total up-front capital is driven by contingency/reserve allocations and test-chamber/equipment purchases.
🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $784K
Long Term Contingency Reserve $275K
[#20] Capital reserve for replacement/upgrades if containment compromised (search-and-recapture, facility upgrades, contractors).
Facilities $198K
[#1, #5] Secure storage locker and dedicated test chamber build-out (locker + installation + reinforced remotely operated chamber).
Contingency Fund $125K
[#15] Initial contingency pool for emergency retrieval/rapid response (transport/recovery ops).
Equipment $116K
[#2, #4, #17] Tamper sensors/CCTV integration, remote handling telemanipulator purchase, redundancy/upgrades (locks/UPS/battery backups).
Initial Research And Lab Setup $30K
[#10] Forensic/metallurgy imaging and initial instrument access or contracted analysis (SEM/TEM/XRD/time).
Cover Story Setup $18K
[#14] One-time setup for cover identity/shell paperwork and initial legal/PR infrastructure.
Sop Development And Initial Training $15K
[#9] SOP creation and initial staff training for remote handling and emergency procedures.
Transport Canister $3K
[#3] Tamper-evident transport canister (GPS, tamper switch, shock sensor).
Archival Preservation $3K
[#13] Conservation, digitization, and climate-controlled archival setup for recovered pamphlet.
Personnel Vetting $2K
[#8] One-time vetting/clearance costs for initial staff cleared to handle or enter locker.
🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $361K/yr
Insurance And Hush Payments $110K/yr
[#19] Reserved fund for settlements, whistleblower mitigation, or reputational risk management.
Staff Wages $95K/yr
[#6, #7] Research staffing (midpoint of suggested FTE split) plus incremental site security marginal monitoring (alternative: dedicated watch available as a scenario).
Incident Response And Medical $42K/yr
[#16] Medical readiness, ER-level care reserves, quarantine capacity and incident investigation budgets.
Facilities Maintenance $30K/yr
[#2, #4, #5, #17] Maintenance/calibration for sensors/CCTV, telemanipulator servicing, test chamber utilities and redundancy upkeep.
Cover Story And Legal $30K/yr
[#14] Ongoing legal, cover identity maintenance, PR and small local clerical costs.
Research And Monitoring $21K/yr
[#10, #18] Follow-up forensic analysis budget and expendables/test-object procurement for controlled testing.
Logistics And Transport $7K/yr
[#3, #15] Recurring transport costs for occasional authorized transfers and per-transport expenses.
Access Control And Vetting $6K/yr
[#8] Periodic rechecks, polygraphs/psych evals, background refreshes and administrative time to manage access lists.
Training And Drills $6K/yr
[#9] Refresher training, tabletop and full drills including simulated breaches.
Administrative Overhead $6K/yr
[#21] Site overhead allocation (HR, utilities, accounting) attributable to SCP-5046 operations.
It Data Storage $4K/yr
[#12] Video archive storage, backups and secure logging infrastructure for 24/7 CCTV and experiment logs.
Supplies And Consumables $3K/yr
[#11] PPE, tool tips, replacement seals, batteries, cleaning supplies and consumables.
Archival Storage $350/yr
[#13] Ongoing climate-controlled storage costs for conserved pamphlet/evidence.
⚡ Cost Scenarios
📊 Baseline (baseline) $361K/yr
85.0% probability / year
Normal, uneventful year using incremental monitoring and planned maintenance; no major incidents or security escalations.
standard_operations routine_testing no_incidents
🚨 Minor Incident $386K/yr
10.0% probability / year +$25K vs baseline
Unauthorized handling or limited accidental use on nonliving objects requiring incident response, investigation and modest legal/medical expenses.
unauthorized_handling minor_property_animation
🚨 Major Incident $661K/yr
3.0% probability / year +$300K vs baseline
Severe event (e.g., unauthorized use on a living person, civilian exposure) triggering large medical response, legal settlements, major investigation and rapid containment/upgrade costs.
unauthorized_use_on_person civilian_exposure large_medical_or_legal_actions
🚨 Security Scaleup $721K/yr
2.0% probability / year +$360K vs baseline
Administrative decision to convert from incremental monitoring to a dedicated 24/7 security/watch and expanded cover/legal operations.
policy_change regulatory_or_internal_audit required_dedicated_watch
👥 Personnel 1.25 total
Role Count Notes
Research Scientist 0.33 0.33 FTE senior researcher (assumed full-time salary ~120,000 scaled to FTE); covers oversight and approvals. Maps to [#6].
Laboratory Technician / Technical Operator 0.67 0.67 FTE lab technician for remote handling, monitoring and record-keeping (assumed full-time salary ~60,000 scaled to FTE). Maps to [#6].
Security Officer / MTF Agent (incremental) 0.25 Fractional incremental security monitoring FTE (marginal cost included in baseline staff_wages). Dedicated 24/7 watch (6 FTE) is modeled as a scenario rather than baseline. Maps to [#7].
📋 Confidence Notes
Estimates are based on analyst-provided ranges and common procurement/operational midpoints; known unknowns include frequency of incidents, legal/settlement variability, and chosen security posture (incremental vs dedicated), producing moderate confidence.
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