The Edinburgh Incident (2023)

The last known CCTV footage from Waverley Mall showing the moment of mass no-clipping

The Edinburgh Incident refers to a catastrophic mass disappearance that occurred on November 12, 2023, at the Waverley Mall shopping center in Edinburgh's Old Town, Scotland. During this event, 47 shoppers and mall employees vanished simultaneously in what was later revealed to be a deliberately induced mass no-clipping event orchestrated by Dr. Arnold Malkinson. The incident gained international attention and played a crucial role in the events depicted in Wanderer (2024), serving as a pivotal plot point that connected the real world investigation to the mysteries of the Backrooms.

The Event

The incident took place at approximately 3:47 PM GMT during a busy Sunday afternoon at Waverley Mall. Security footage, later analyzed by both police and M.E.G. researchers, showed dozens of shoppers suddenly phasing through solid surfaces, primarily the mall's floor, in a manner consistent with known no-clipping phenomena. Among the disappeared was Cindy Reynolds, whose father James Reynolds would later become central to uncovering the truth behind the event.

The memorial wall at Waverley Mall featuring photos of the 47 victims who disappeared during the incident

Witnesses described seeing strange visual distortions and experiencing intense feelings of vertigo moments before the mass disappearance. Several survivors reported hearing a high-pitched frequency that seemed to emanate from the mall's central courtyard, where a temporary scientific equipment display had been set up as part of a public outreach program allegedly sponsored by the University of Edinburgh.

Investigation

The initial police investigation, led by Detective James Reynolds, focused on conventional explanations such as structural failure or mass hysteria. However, the discovery of sophisticated quantum measurement devices hidden throughout the mall pointed to a more sinister explanation. These devices were later linked to Dr. Arnold Malkinson through serial numbers and documentation found in his Edinburgh safe house.

The investigation revealed that Malkinson had been conducting unauthorized experiments attempting to manipulate the boundary between normal reality and the Backrooms. He had chosen Waverley Mall due to its unique architectural properties and its location above the medieval vaults of Edinburgh's Old Town, which he theorized created a natural weakness in the fabric of reality.

The Malkinson Connection

Evidence uncovered during the investigation showed that Dr. Malkinson had been operating in Edinburgh for months prior to the incident, establishing a network of safe houses and research facilities. His experiments culminated in the development of the Reality Anchor Device, a piece of technology capable of deliberately inducing no-clip events on a mass scale.

Documents recovered from Malkinson's safe house revealed his belief that controlled mass no-clipping events could create stable passages between the real world and the Backrooms. The Edinburgh Incident appears to have been his first large-scale test of this theory, though his true motivations remained unclear until the events depicted in Wanderer.

Aftermath and Impact

The Edinburgh Incident had far-reaching consequences for both the study of the Backrooms phenomenon and public awareness of its existence. The event marked the first documented instance of deliberately induced mass no-clipping, leading to increased scrutiny of scientific research related to spatial anomalies and dimensional physics.

The incident also sparked a series of governmental investigations into potential Backrooms-related phenomena, leading to the formation of the International Backrooms Research Coalition (IBRC), a civilian oversight committee dedicated to preventing similar events. The IBRC would later play a crucial role in coordinating with the M.E.G. to monitor potential weak points between dimensions.

In the years following the incident, Waverley Mall became a pilgrimage site for families of the disappeared and researchers studying the Backrooms phenomenon. A permanent memorial was established in 2025, featuring photographs and personal items belonging to the 47 victims. The site continues to be monitored for unusual spatial phenomena, with some researchers reporting intermittent readings similar to those recorded during the incident.

Cultural Impact

The Edinburgh Incident has had a lasting impact on popular culture and public understanding of the Backrooms phenomenon. The event has been referenced in numerous documentaries and fictional works, most notably serving as a major plot point in Wanderer. The incident has also inspired several books and academic studies examining the intersection of urban spaces and dimensional anomalies.

See Also

• Dr. Arnold Malkinson
• Reality Anchor Device
• International Backrooms Research Coalition
• Mass No-Clipping Events

References

1. "The Edinburgh Incident: A Technical Analysis" - Journal of Anomalous Phenomena, 2024
2. "Missing in the Mall: The Complete Investigation of the Edinburgh Incident" - The Guardian, 2024
3. "Understanding Mass No-Clipping Events" - International Backrooms Research Coalition, 2025
4. "The Edinburgh Incident and Its Impact on Modern Physics" - Scientific American, 2025