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SCP-5988 Safe ~ medium confidence
SCP-5988
Expected annual
$123K
One-time setup
$7.1M
Annual recurring
$40K
Personnel
1
One-time initial containment and investigative expenditures are estimated at several million USD driven by potential outpost construction, remote‑handling robotics, and specialized material analysis; a minimal passive containment posture costs roughly $40,000/year for remote monitoring and occasional logistics.
🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $7.1M
Facilities $3.5M
[#1, #4, #5, #12, #18] Repairs and structural concealment (#1), temporary field camp setup (#4), full seasonal/permanent outpost construction (#5), dedicated humanoid containment cell and suspension rig (#12), and potential remediation/demolition (#18) combined.
Equipment $1.3M
[#2, #7, #8, #14, #19] Remote monitoring hardware and installation (#2), remote handling/robotics and shielding (#7), initial PPE and decon gear (#8), secure data/acquisition hardware (#14), and specialized robotics/drones for shaft inspection (#19).
Initial Research And Lab Setup $900K
[#6, #10] Hazard/material analyses and protocol development (#6) plus initial controlled human/dreamscape research program setup (#10).
Emergency Reserve $600K
[#16] Liquid contingency fund for unexpected escalations (breach response, mass evacuation, urgent remediation).
Reconnaissance Expedition $500K
[#3] Single 2–3 week specialist reconnaissance expedition (transport, heavy lift, staging, personnel, survival logistics).
Hazardous Waste Disposal $125K
[#11] Safe decanting/containment, transport out of Antarctica, and final disposal/incineration or neutralization of sedatives/contaminated materials.
Permitting And Legal $100K
[#15] Environmental permitting, international liaison, legal fees and potential covert cover arrangements.
Training And Docs Setup $50K
[#20] Initial development of SOPs, decontamination procedures, psychological risk documentation and one‑time training materials.
Sealing One Time $3K
[#1, #22] One‑time cost to reseal and conceal the trapdoor (padlock/seal, floorboard refit) as a minimal immediate action.
🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $40K/yr
Remote Comms And Data $18K/yr
[#2, #14, #22] Recurring satellite/Iridium/Starlink uplink and cloud archival/storage costs for remote sensor and dreamscape data feeds.
Staff Wages $12K/yr
[#9, #13, #17] Minimal part‑time/contract staff for remote monitoring and administrative oversight; larger ongoing security/medic rotations are possible but not budgeted in the minimal posture.
Logistics And Transport $6K/yr
[#3, #22] Occasional overfly/inspection logistics and modest transport/resupply in a minimal posture.
Supplies And Consumables $2K/yr
[#21] Minimal consumables for remote sensor node upkeep and occasional small spares in a passive posture.
Cover Story And Legal $2K/yr
[#15] Ongoing liaison, permit renewals, and small legal/cover costs when working near Antarctic authorities in a minimal posture.
Facilities Maintenance $0/yr
[#4, #5] []
Research And Monitoring $0/yr
[#6, #10, #17] Long‑term research/monitoring and epidemiological surveillance are described but not funded in the minimal posture baseline.
Field Camp Operations $0/yr
[#4] []
Outpost Operations $0/yr
[#5] []
Security Staffing $0/yr
[#13] Security rotations are required for an occupied facility but are not part of the minimal passive monitoring baseline.
Medical Support $0/yr
[#9] Onsite medic salary/rotation and medevac standby are described but not funded in the minimal posture baseline.
Ppe Maintenance $0/yr
[#8] Recurring PPE replacement and revalidation costs are anticipated but not budgeted in the minimal posture baseline.
Training And Drills $0/yr
[#20] Recurring drills and refresher training are recommended but not funded under the minimal posture baseline.
⚡ Cost Scenarios
📊 Baseline (baseline) $40K/yr
94.0% probability / year
Passive containment: trapdoor sealed, remote sensor node active, occasional overfly/inspection; no on‑site permanent staff or active human research.
sealed_trapdoor remote_monitoring occasional_inspection
🚨 Minor Incident $600K/yr
5.0% probability / year +$560K vs baseline
Detected tampering or environmental anomaly prompting a rapid specialist field visit and limited repairs/forensics (no recovery of humanoid).
tamper_detected short_recon_mission field_repairs
🚨 Major Breach $5.5M/yr
1.0% probability / year +$5.5M vs baseline
Major containment escalation (discovery/recovery of humanoid or decision to actively investigate) requiring outpost construction, remote‑handling, large research program and remediation.
entity_recovery decision_to_occupy large_scale_remediation
👥 Personnel 1 total
Role Count Notes
Remote Monitoring Technician 1 Part‑time or contracted operator for sensor node monitoring and data triage; staffing cost included in staff_wages. Maps to #2, #14, #22.
📋 Confidence Notes
Analyst ranges and multiple operational postures produce wide uncertainty; many costs depend on a policy choice (passive monitoring vs active occupation) and unknown material hazards, so estimates are midrange approximations.
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