SCP-5918 Safe ~ medium confidence
SCP-5918
Expected annual
$1.6M
One-time setup
$1.2M
Annual recurring
$1.5M
Personnel
8
Initial one-time setup is moderate-to-high due to laboratory retrofit and instrumentation; recurring annual costs are driven by staffing (security and researchers), medical/monitoring readiness, and ongoing research/containment consumables.
🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $1.2M
Initial Research And Lab Setup $375K
[#12, #15, #24] Autopsy/pathology equipment, initial forensic research budget, and specialized monitoring instruments (~$75k + $150k + $150k = ~$375k).
Facilities $315K
[#1, #11] Secure item locker installation and dedicated test containment chamber retrofit/new build (locker ~$15k; wet lab/retrofit ~$300k).
Containment Breach Reserve $250K
[#25] One-time reserve/fund set aside for large contingency (~$250k initial seed of $100k–$2M recommended range).
Cover Story And Legal Initial $100K
[#20] One-time legal/cover story budget for seizure, local contacts, and initial PR/legal work (~$100k median).
Witness Relocation And Cover Payments $50K
[#19] Initial witness relocation/cover and one-time payments (~$50k median of $10k–$200k range).
Sterilization Equipment $35K
[#14] High-capacity autoclave / caustic digestion setup (~$35k median).
Sop Development And Initial Training $25K
[#8] SOP writing, approval, and initial staff training (~$25k median).
Evidence Processing $20K
[#21] Initial forensic evidence processing and cataloging (~$20k median).
Redundant Offsite Storage $12K
[#6] Single off-site sealed backup container and initial setup (~$12.5k median).
Record Archiving Initial $12K
[#22] Secure record/database setup and redaction systems (~$12k median).
Disposal Campaign $10K
[#27] Optional one-time disposal campaign (secure transport and licensed incineration) (~$10k median).
Equipment $7K
[#3] Access control / CCTV/tamper sensor initial install (~$7k median).
Climate Control Initial $1K
[#2] Initial sealed-packaging / low-volume dehumidifier and particulate control hardware (~$1.25k median).
🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $1.5M/yr
Research And Monitoring $725K/yr
[#12, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #24] Ongoing forensic/research budgets, autopsy consumables, human-subject oversight and compensation, on-call medical/surgical readiness and reserved OR capacity, long-term staff health surveillance, counseling services, and equipment maintenance (~$725k/yr).
Staff Wages $650K/yr
[#4, #5] Security officers and site/admin/research staffing (e.g., 4 guards, 2 research scientists, 1 medical officer, 1 administrative staff = ~$650k/yr).
Containment Breach Reserve Annual $50K/yr
[#25] Annual contribution to contingency/disaster reserve (~$50k/yr).
Logistics And Transport $30K/yr
[#7, #13] Secure transport for sample transfers and outsourced hazardous disposal/transport (~$30k/yr).
Cover Story And Legal $30K/yr
[#20, #22] Ongoing legal/PR, cover paperwork, and record maintenance (~$30k/yr).
Supplies And Consumables $29K/yr
[#9, #10, #14, #23] PPE, sterile/distilled-water consumables, sterilization reagents, and per-test consumables (~$29.25k/yr).
Sop Refresher Training $10K/yr
[#8] Annual refresher training and drills for containment/testing SOPs (~$10k/yr).
Facilities Maintenance $7K/yr
[#2, #3, #6, #26] HVAC/dehumidifier electricity & filter replacement, CCTV/data retention, off-site storage maintenance, and basic locker area operations (~$7.125k/yr).
Cost Scenarios
📊 Baseline (baseline) $1.5M/yr
94.0% probability / year
Normal year with secure storage, routine testing within approved protocols, and no major incidents.
no unauthorized planting routine approved tests no public exposure
🚨 Minor Incident $1.7M/yr
5.0% probability / year +$150K vs baseline
Localized unauthorized planting or small containment lapse resulting in one medical/PR incident and investigation.
unauthorized planting small breach in locker area single test emergency OR usage
🚨 Major Breach $3.0M/yr
1.0% probability / year +$1.5M vs baseline
Significant unauthorized use or public exposure requiring large-scale remediation, legal action, mass amnesticization, and use of contingency funds.
mass unauthorized planting public exposure / media leak large-scale medical emergency
👥 Personnel 8 total
Role Count Notes
Security Officer / MTF Agent 4 [#4] Dedicated guard coverage / escorts for accesses; salaries included in staff_wages.
Research Scientist 2 [#15] Scientists to design and oversee testing and forensic analysis; salaries included in staff_wages.
Medical Officer 1 [#17] On-site clinical lead / liaison for tests and emergency response; salary included in staff_wages (on-call team budget is separate).
Administrative Staff 1 [#5] Chain-of-custody, access approvals, and inventory/audit tasks; salary included in staff_wages.
📋 Confidence Notes
Analyst notes provide detailed line-item ranges enabling mid-range estimates, but major discretionary decisions (incinerator vs outsourcing, building a BSL-3 suite, extent of human-subject trials) create substantial variance; estimates are medium-confidence.
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