SCP-5739 — SCP-5739 | Cost Breakdown

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SCP-5739 Neutralized ✓ high confidence

SCP-5739

Expected annual

$130K

One-time setup

$51K

Annual recurring

$128K

Personnel

1.25

Initial one-time setup is modest (~$51,300) driven mainly by forensic analyses, specialist testing, and a cover-story/legal one-time expense; recurring annual costs are approximately $127,823/year dominated by staff wages, storage utilities, monitoring, and administrative overhead.

🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $51K

Initial Research And Lab Setup $28K

[#11, #13, #14, #15, #16, #19, #22] Initial accessioning/high-res imaging, histology/pathology/basic forensic testing, DNA sequencing/forensic ID, specialist analyses (proteomics/SEM/etc.), linguistic/cryptanalysis fees, sample-duplication setup, and regulated decontamination/disposition if undertaken.

Cover Story One Time $20K

[#18] One-time redaction/legal/cover-up costs (PR, legal counsel, record management) as an upfront expense.

Equipment $3K

[#1, #5] Cryostorage kit (cryoboxes, vials, labels) and one-time alarm/temperature sensor installation.

Facilities $0

[]

🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $128K/yr

Staff Wages $85K/yr

[#6, #7] One full-time lab technician (accessioning/sampling/maintenance) and fractional PI oversight (10–25% FTE) salaries including benefits.

Administrative Overhead $17K/yr

[#23] Institutional/site-level overhead, audits, and compliance documentation (15% of direct recurring operational costs).

Facilities Maintenance $5K/yr

[#2, #20] Allocation/dedicated rack space in cryostorage and prorated freezer replacement/maintenance costs.

Emergency Response $5K/yr

[#21] Contracts/retainers for rapid LN2 suppliers, emergency transport, or contingency funds for recovery after power/failure events.

Electricity For Cryostorage $3K/yr

[#3] Incremental electricity and HVAC costs attributable to -80°C ULT freezer share.

Security And Clearance $3K/yr

[#8] Background reinvestigations, badge/access maintenance, and incremental access-control administration share.

Research And Monitoring $2K/yr

[#5, #12, #17] Ongoing monitoring/subscription fees for alarm system, digital archival storage/backups, and training/medical surveillance for personnel.

Cover Story And Legal $2K/yr

[#18] Ongoing monitoring and legal/PR expenses to maintain cover story and manage records.

Liquid Nitrogen Supply $2K/yr

[#4] LN2 refills or allocated share for vapor tank storage (if used).

Logistics And Transport $2K/yr

[#19, #24] Off-site storage fees for duplicate samples and miscellaneous cold-chain transport/courier costs.

Supplies And Consumables $1K/yr

[#9] PPE and routine consumables (gloves, disinfectant, biohazard bags).

Biohazard Disposal $800/yr

[#10] Biohazard waste handling, autoclave/disposal fees for contaminated disposables and inert tissue disposals.

⚡ Cost Scenarios

📊 Baseline (baseline) $128K/yr

92.0% probability / year

Normal year with routine monitoring, shared-site resources, and no major incidents.

routine_operations scheduled_maintenance no_incidents

🚨 Minor Incident $138K/yr

5.0% probability / year +$10K vs baseline

Temporary freezer/power issue causing partial sample access/recovery and emergency LN2/top-up actions.

partial_freezer_failure short_power_outage temporary_LN2_shortage

🚨 Major Breach $178K/yr

1.0% probability / year +$50K vs baseline

Significant containment failure or sample loss requiring broad decontamination, replacement testing, and substantial legal/PR response.

catastrophic_freezer_failure widespread_sample_loss public_exposure

🚨 Research Breakthrough Requiring Scale Up $188K/yr

2.0% probability / year +$60K vs baseline

Decision to pursue aggressive forensic and specialist research (proteomics, deep WGS, contracted mass-spec/SEM) and expanded redundancy.

forensic_investigation external_research_collaboration high-priority_identification_effort

👥 Personnel 1.25 total

Role	Count	Notes
Lab Technician	1	[#6] Full-time lab technician (accessioning, sampling, maintenance).
Research Scientist / PI (fractional)	0.25	[#7] Fractional PI oversight (10–25% FTE) responsible for protocols and periodic review.

📋 Confidence Notes

Analyst notes provide specific line-item ranges and a clear operational model (neutralized, cryostorage of small mass), allowing reasonably precise estimates for equipment, personnel, utilities, and testing; remaining uncertainty is primarily in discretionary research and cover-up scope.

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