After dealing with SCP-CN-420, regardless of its dubious benefits, Luoshu moved on to his next target—SCP-CN-604 (The Frame-Dropped Man), one of the Edita Project anomalies he was most eager to investigate.
SCP-CN-604 was a humanoid entity that spent most of its time in a constant state of flickering, disappearing for 1.3 seconds and reappearing for 0.32 seconds. To evade Foundation containment, it could extend its disappearance to over a minute. During these phases, it was optically invisible—no surveillance could detect it.
However, SCP-CN-604 was not an antimeme. Its invisibility was purely optical; other detection methods (like magnetic fields) could still track it. In fact, after 27 seconds of invisibility, its magnetic field would spike, disrupting compasses within 4 meters.
According to the Edita Project Committee, SCP-CN-604 was likely a normal human affected by the Edita Project, his body straddling multiple parallel universes, causing severe "frame drops" in his manifestation.
To visualize it: Motion pictures (like films) are just rapid sequences of static frames. If someone removed frames mid-playback, the footage would stutter and skip—this was SCP-CN-604's condition.
But Luoshu disagreed with the official explanation.
If SCP-CN-604 truly existed across parallel universes, his physical presence—not just his optical image—should "drop frames." Yet, only his visual form flickered; his tangible body remained consistently present on Earth.
His behavior resembled a corrupted antimeme more than a dimensional traveler.
Still, the Foundation's theory wasn't baseless. SCP-CN-604 was immune to all conventional attacks—only PWA grenades (Parallel World Attractors) could briefly restrain him. These grenades forced temporary overlaps between universes, suggesting SCP-CN-604's true form existed elsewhere.
The truth wouldn't come from speculation. The Foundation had studied this for years without answers.
But Luoshu had a shortcut: Logging SCP-CN-604 into The SCP Field Guide would reveal its secrets through its abilities.
There was just one problem:
SCP-CN-604 was violently hostile, attacking anyone who approached. Victims vanished from this world—reportedly sent to parallel universes.
But this theory also had flaws. If people were being transported, spatial rifts should be detectable. The Edita Project, which had once contained SCP-CN-146 (Parallel Universe Storm), would've noticed such anomalies.
There was more to this.
If Luoshu could befriend SCP-CN-604 and stop its attacks, he might uncover the truth.
Confrontation
Approaching SCP-CN-604's containment unit, Luoshu took a deep breath, bracing for an assault.
Through the observation window, he saw iron filings scattered across the floor—a dual-purpose measure:
Tracking SCP-CN-604's position when visible.
Sticking to its body during prolonged invisibility (due to its magnetic surge).
The moment Luoshu neared, footprints suddenly raced to the far wall, followed by prolonged invisibility.
After 27 seconds, the entity's magnetic field intensified, coating it in iron filings and revealing its outline.
Yet it refused to fully materialize.
Strangely, Luoshu noticed—SCP-CN-604 was trembling.
Is it… afraid of me?
Testing the theory, Luoshu opened the door and stepped inside.
SCP-CN-604 shuddered violently, curling into a corner.
"Why are you scared?"
"P-Please! Don't come closer! I'll disappear!" it begged.
Luoshu raised an eyebrow. "Fine. But tell me what's happening to you."
"I am a L█Z█X█S█C█D█T█Y█."
Familiar garbled speech. Familiar pattern.
Luoshu's eyes lit up. "Wait—you're an antimeme?"
SCP-CN-604 shook its head. "No. Just… my words are censored."
A realization struck Luoshu.
His mistake wasn't that antimemes were inaudible—it was that their truths were suppressed.
Like SCP-CN-604, their key revelations were blocked. The difference?
As Marion Wheeler said: Antimemes guard secrets, waiting for the Truth-Bringer.
SCP-CN-604's partial truths were accidental.
Pulling out The SCP Field Guide, Luoshu asked, "You think I'm your natural enemy, don't you?"
"Y-Yes! Please stay away!"
Huh?
If SCP-CN-604 acknowledged Luoshu as its counter, why hadn't it been logged under the Anomaly Buster Milestone?
No new page appeared.
Suspicious, Luoshu took another step forward.
SCP-CN-604's flickering intensified into a frenzied strobe. "NO! STOP!"
Still, the book remained unchanged.
Luoshu advanced again—
POP.
Like a soap bubble, SCP-CN-604 burst into glowing motes.
And at that moment—
The SCP Field Guide finally updated.