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SCP-678 Safe ~ medium confidence
SCP-678
Expected annual
$2.6M
One-time setup
$1.3M
Annual recurring
$2.6M
Personnel
19
First-year (one-time setup + one year operations) costs are modest-to-moderate with primary drivers being 24/7 blind security staffing, research staffing/programs, and legal/cover contingencies; initial capital/setup ≈ $1.27M and steady-state annual operating costs ≈ $2.586M.
🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $1.3M
Contingency Reserve Fund $500K
[#25] Recommended one-time reserve fund for unexpected escalations, emergency research or containment contingencies.
Secure Detention Conversion $200K
[#24] Secure psych-detention ward conversion/placement costs for high-security detainees associated with SCP-678 (one-time conversion/setup).
Equipment $182K
[#2, #3, #7, #8, #9, #15, #22, #27] Lockbox (Level-2), remote-handling robotic manipulator and integrations, CCTV installation, backup-power hardware, transport container, data-storage setup, spare kit, and comms/hardened telephony setup (one-time hardware/install costs).
Initial Research And Lab Setup $125K
[#13, #14] Initial series of neuroimaging scans and consumables/assay runs for an initial research campaign (outsourced scans and startup reagents/sample prep).
Facilities $100K
[#1] Reinforced containment room construction/retrofit, biometric access, anti-tamper fittings and integration with site security.
Decommissioning Budget $100K
[#29] Budget for decommissioning/relocation planning (one-time planning/contingency for future removal/relocation).
Quarantine Conversion $35K
[#11] Dedicated quarantine/observation bed conversion(s) / isolation capability (one-time conversion estimate).
Sop Creation $20K
[#17] Initial SOP development and training materials creation (one-time writeup and initial training rollout).
Ppe Initial Stock $5K
[#4] Initial stock of PPE (gloves, gowns, face shields, disposal bags) to support safe handling and waste segregation.
Incident Response Kit $5K
[#19] On-site emergency containment kit and portable containment for accidental exposures (one-time kit purchase).
🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $2.6M/yr
Staff Wages $1.6M/yr
[#5, #6, #10, #11] 24/7 blind security staffing (8 FTEs at loaded ~$63k each ≈ $504k), blind-guard admin/training overhead (~$20k), security/OPSEC administrators (1–2; budgeted ~$120k), research staffing loaded (~$630k/yr), and clinical staffing/overhead (~$300k/yr) combined.
Research And Monitoring $525K/yr
[#12, #13, #14, #26] Ongoing research program funding and monitoring: recurring neuroimaging/scan costs, per-case forensic/pathology assay runs, consumables for molecular/proteomic assays, and multi-year research program funding (annualized).
Secure Detention Annual $300K/yr
[#24] Annual cost for secure high-security psych detainee(s) associated with SCP-678 (per-detainee loaded cost budgeted here for current detainee).
Cover Story And Legal $100K/yr
[#20] Baseline legal/cover-up/admin costs for record redaction, coordination with local authorities and low-level cover activities.
Amnestic Program $20K/yr
[#21] Budget for amnestic pharmaceuticals and clinician administration for necessary cases (noting SCP-678's own effect is lethal; Foundation amnestics are separate interventions).
Facilities Maintenance $18K/yr
[#7, #8, #15] CCTV/record-storage maintenance, backup-power fuel/maintenance, and secure data-hosting/maintenance costs.
Sop Drills $10K/yr
[#17] Annual refresher courses and drills to maintain SOP adherence and prevent accidental unshielded contact.
Psych Support $10K/yr
[#16] Employee assistance program costs, counseling and periodic screening for staff exposed to stressful containment duties.
Training Psychometric $10K/yr
[#28] Annual cost for development and administration of psychometric screening tools and periodic re-testing of staff.
Supplies And Consumables $8K/yr
[#4, #18] Ongoing PPE replenishment (~$5k/yr) and routine biohazard/medical waste disposal (~$2k/yr) and small consumables.
Communications Service $5K/yr
[#27] Annual service and maintenance for hardened communications, encrypted radios and secure lines.
Logistics And Transport $2K/yr
[#9] Per-move convoy/transport contingency averaged as an annual expected cost (occasional secure transfers).
Incident Readiness Training $2K/yr
[#19] Annual readiness training for incident response kit usage and brief refreshers.
Mortuary Per Case Annual $2K/yr
[#23] Expected annual average mortuary/cremation cost (per-case averaged into annual budget).
⚡ Cost Scenarios
📊 Baseline (baseline) $2.6M/yr
94.9% probability / year
Normal uneventful year with standard operations, routine research and no containment incidents.
no_incident routine_research_and_maintenance
🚨 Minor Incident $2.8M/yr
4.0% probability / year +$200K vs baseline
Isolated accidental unshielded contact or small containment lapse causing a single affected subject requiring ICU care, autopsy, and targeted legal/cover actions.
accidental_unshielded_contact single_fatality targeted_cover-up
🚨 Major Breach $4.6M/yr
1.0% probability / year +$2.0M vs baseline
Significant container rupture/multiple exposures or transport-incident leading to multiple fatalities, large public exposure and major legal settlements plus emergency research surge.
container_rupture multiple_casualties public_exposure_and_litigation
🚨 Litigation Event $3.6M/yr
0.1% probability / year +$1.0M vs baseline
Public incident (e.g., VA hospital exposure) triggers formal litigation, settlements and extensive legal/cover-up costs without catastrophic multiple fatalities.
public_incident formal_lawsuit large_settlement
👥 Personnel 19 total
Role Count Notes
Security Officer / MTF Agent 8 [#5] Two guards per shift, three shifts/day plus floaters (8 FTEs total for 24/7 blind guarding).
Security Supervisor / Administrator 2 [#6] 1–2 administrators for blind-posting, rotations, audits and OPSEC.
Research Scientist (Senior) 1 [#10] Senior researcher leading investigations and program design.
Neuropsychologist 1 [#10] Specialist for cognitive assessment and longitudinal subject monitoring.
Postdoctoral Researcher 1 [#10] Technical research staff supporting experiments and assays.
Laboratory Technician 2 [#10, #14] Lab techs for sample prep, assays, and equipment operation.
Medical Officer / Clinical Staff 2 [#11] Clinical staff for monitoring, quarantine bed coverage and emergency care coordination.
Forensic Pathologist 1 [#12] Pathologist for autopsies and specialized neuropathology assays (salary assumed in staffing estimates).
Administrative Staff 1 [#20] Administrative/legal liaison support for records handling, limited cover coordination and documentation.
📋 Confidence Notes
Analyst notes and article provide many specific line-item ranges allowing a defensible budget; remaining uncertainty arises from ranges in equipment choices (glovebox vs robotic), research ambition, and low-probability litigation/breach outcomes which drive wide tails.
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