CRM-114

Item Number: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: As the anomalous properties of SCP-XXXX require specialized equipment to detect, the existence of SCP-XXXX is common public knowledge, and containment of every SCP-XXXX instance is infeasible, containment procedures are focused on controlling research relating to SCP-XXXX. Foundation assets embedded in research organizations and grant agencies worldwide, especially in the Australian Research Council, are to review grant proposals relating to SCP-XXXX and prevent research that may discover the anomalous properties of SCP-XXXX from being funded.

Especially, proposals involving radiation detection equipment or radiographic analysis of SCP-XXXX instances are to be rejected. Dissection is also a strong indicator for rejection. If a proposal cannot be kept from being funded, a Foundation agent should be embedded in the research group in question. The agent should monitor the risk of an information breach, and, if necessary, engage in obstruction or sabotage. The head researcher assigned to SCP-XXXX may approve the usage of amnestics.

Foundation assets in zoos that keep SCP-XXXX specimens are to engage in similar obstruction.

If the potential for proposed or ongoing research to cause an information breach is unclear, agents should consult with the head researcher assigned to SCP-XXXX, currently (2008-07-16) Dr. M. Mayer.

The use of Class A amnestics is pre-authorized for Meltdown events, and prepared cover stories have been written, see Document XXXX-023.

Updated Containment Procedures, 1990.3: In addition to present procedures, Foundation media monitoring teams are to flag claims relating to "cold fusion". Disinformation campaigns aiming to discredit such claims as fraudulent or pseudoscientific to be undertaken as needed. Following the success of Operation YYYY, relatively little ongoing effort is needed in this regard from the Foundation; work done by the international scientific community and skeptical organisations is largely sufficient.

Description: SCP-XXXX is the metabolism of Phascolarctos cinereus, the koala. Contrary to public knowledge, Phascolarctos cinereus does not acquire all of its energy through eating eucalyptus; its primary energy source is deuterium-deuterium fusion reactions catalyzed by palladium (Pd). These reactions take place in an anomalous organ, classified as SCP-XXXX-1. SCP-XXXX-1 separates out naturally occuring semiheavy water (HDO) from blood plasma, providing the deuterium fuel. The palladium catalyst is obtained from eucalyptus leaves, having been absorbed by the deep roots of the eucalyptus tree.

SCP-XXXX-1 is surrounded by a thin (3-5 μm) membrane of unknown, anomalous composition. Testing has shown that this membrane stops the fast fusion productions (protons and neutrons) at rates exceeding those of lead or tungsten, thus preventing radiation poisoning. Outside the membrane is a layer of melanized tissue that absorbs the secondary gamma radiation generated in the membrane, making energy available to SCP-XXXX.

SCP-XXXX's habit of sleeping 18-22 hours per day is not primarily due to to a low-energy density diet, but because of a large autonomous nervous system involvment in controlling SCP-XXXX-1. Control failure can occur as a result of high cognitive stress, and manifests as a heightened reaction rate, and excessive production of heat. In extreme cases, dubbed Meltdown events, the SCP-XXXX instance becomes hot enough to ignite. Meltdown events are believed to be the cause of several eucalyptus forest fires.

The Foundation has been aware of the anomalous properties of SCP-XXXX since 1957. Foundation flights monitoring atmospheric content for products of nuclear weapons testing, nuclear safety incidents, and anomalies relating to radioactivity detected abnormal concentrations of Helium-31 over the east coast of Australia. Further investigation lead to the identification of SCP-XXXX as the source.

Addendum 1989.03: A recent press release claims to have observed anomalous heat in a palladium-heavy water system. The situation is being treated as a potential containment breach and efforts to obstruct and sabotage replications of the experiment have been approved by O5-█ and O5-██ under the codename of Operation YYYY. Head Researcher Dr. L. Spitz has recommended recruiting the researchers to work on SCP-XXXX as they may be useful to the Foundation; Dr. Spitz also believes this would also serve as compensation for Operation YYYY ruining their public reputation.

Addendum 2007.06: New research2 claims that melanized fungi growing on the destroyed Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Reactor No. 4 can harvest energy from gamma rays. An investigation into whether there is any relation to SCP-XXXX has been approved.