Per 
- Skip Zone 2: Electric Boogaloo
- Birds Stop Flying For Some Reason
- Mon Regis
- Drift Nets
- (SCP) 'Skip Zone'
- Iteration 1
- Iteration 2
- Iteration 3
- Ideas to-do
Trying to rewrite this idea, parts cut out for the sake of simplification.
Timeline
[x] by [x] zone is classified as an unexplained location due to anomalous seismic activity
After [x time period], regular seismic activity stops. Zone is kept under light surveillance for [x time period] during which no further activity is recorded. Unexplained location status is revoked, area reopened for public access.
SCP is first
- Retain all morphology that would otherwise allow them to fly
- Birds just can't fly?
- Ham up the ecological repercussions of this
- And then a flying ostrich crashes into the 5th floor of an office building
oof
It's a swirling wall of death bois
A hopefully not-convoluted summary: A forested area surrounding the now-defunct [x] research station that is a 'skip zone' - an area where radio transmissions cannot be sent or received. The area nullifies most forms of data transmission, most electronics cease functioning within it (though once removed, resume full functionality) and the few that do are unable to save data. People spending prolonged periods of time within the area suffer from symptoms consistent with abnormal brain activity.
The area is devoid of animal life, instead being populated by slime mold-like aggregates of cells and severely stunted vegetation. Analysis of the genetic information of these organisms reveals large swathes of 'junk' sequences that don't match with both coding and noncoding sequences. A majority of the original genome seems to be overwritten by these junk sequences, identifiable portions match with the genomes of native plant and animal species.
The anomalous area is affected by something that encodes electronic transmissions into DNA. I'm currently tossing around whether this 'something' was (a.) a phenomenon occurring in the vicinity of the research station originally investigated by the people there or (b.) some radio encoding technology gone wrong
(under the cut) There's sort of a narrative to this, let me lay out how the article would be structured
- Basic description: It's a data transmission deadzone with some strange wildlife, there's a research station in the middle that's fallen to disuse ((a.) it's identified using a satellite cam/ (b.)Foundation tracked their last transmissions a few years before anomalous properties were reported). Introduce initial gene sequencing results.
- Initial exploration attempts. Attempts using drones, live-feed cameras and other types of recording equipment don't work.
- A log about how personnel stationed within are feeling * really * woozy after the tests.
- Testing rules out that the wooziness is a result of cognitohazards in the forest (imagine a blindfolded guy stumbling around the trees)
- Testing continues. Radio signals are transmitted into the area over the period of a week or two, ranging from audio to morse code. More severe symptoms manifest, personnel are moved out of the area. Testing yields no immediate results, transmission/exploration tests are discontinued and a radio quiet zone is declared.
- Gene sequencing occurs periodically over the next few weeks. The amount of 'junk' has greatly increased. A researcher puts two and two together, requests a transmission test. Sends in a communication like an encoded "HELLO" or something in that vein
- Again, nothing happens for a couple weeks until the amount of 'junk' dramatically increases. This time, it's not quite junk. Previous sequencing could not be decoded due to the complexity of some transmissions and the fact that they're distributed randomly through the genetic information so it's impossible to really tell where they start and end. This time, one simple sequence recurs over and over, translating into "SOS"
An attempt to explain things: Direct quote from my conversation about this with minmin: "riffing off the fact that the brain is electric signals too". One or more people got trapped and absorbed and are in danger of being completely overwritten by radio transmissions. Yes, so many holes can be poked in this but I can't think of a better explanation/angle to take on the twist
Had the brief idea of including an investigation into the abandoned lab for more background details (which can be garnered through the "Foundation tracked their last transmissions a few years before anomalous properties were reported" route). Figured it wouldn't be possible due to the disorientation/nullification of data transmissions effect.
Anomalous area with a radius of approximately 4 kilometers surrounding the defunct main building of [] [] Reserve.
Organisms identified within this area appear to be species of local animals and vegetation consistent with nonanomalous instances. Most notable is the presence of a large colony of [], an endemic species of frog presumed extinct in 19[]. Closer to the ‘edge’ of the radius, organisms exhibit congenital abnormalities at a higher rate than their nonanomalous counterparts with the most visible manifestations being abnormalities in pigmentation (albinism, leucism, melanism), growth and development.
Examination of the genetic structure of individuals reveals that all organisms appearing to be separate species are actually nearly genetically identical with inconsistencies decreasing closer to the center of the area of effect.
Organisms can survive being removed from the area of effect for a short period of time (ranging from weeks to months) before accruing fatal errors during cell division
Organisms removed from the area are also sterile and unable to reproduce with nonanomalous instances as a result of their high chromosome count
Within a radius of 1.5 km from the center, additional forms of information are affected
Writing or typing information within this area instead results in the repetition of a single letter or sequence
Drones entering within 1 km of the center cease sending/receiving
Radio transmitters do this too
Staying within [] radius of center results in hallucinations/lack of motor control, sensors show abnormal brain activity
Within [], this is fatal
The only presence of life in the center of the radius is an approximately [] m clumping of homogenous cells undergoing rapid division and death
Attempted radio transmissions out of the close radius reappear in genome sequencing after [] months
…
Group of people tries to find a way to introduce controlled variation to an endangered species without the resources/knowledge to perform induced recombination. Lost control of the thing they made, failed original goals. Effect targeted all organisms within a certain radius and absorbed radio waves, attempts to communicate out of the area worsened the effect.
Radio transmission data reappears in genome sequencing after [x] weeks-months
Use transmission data for exposition on what happened?
There are no living cells throughout the entire area of effect save for homologous “colonies” of unidentifiable cells undergoing rapid division and death.
(Some more potential details in Tab0)
Summary: SCP-XXXX is an isolated, woodland area populated by colonies of anomalous cells in an [x] kilometer radius surrounding the main building of a defunct wildlife reserve. Electronic transmissions sent into or within the area are 'absorbed' within the radius.
Some stuff to scatter throughout the article in some particular order:
- At first the Foundation only really knows it's a radius where radio transmissions disappear with all these cell colonies in it. Alright
- Gene sequencing of cell colonies reveals what's essentially a garbled mess - some sections are identifiable and found to be consistent with parts of human DNA and, in some colonies, the DNA of [x], a [x] species endemic to the area and thought to have gone extinct in 19[x]. Colonies have different compositions so gene sequencing continues for some time
- Abnormalities within the gene sequence include repeating segments that don't appear to code for any protein/gene regulation interspersed amongst random sequences that don't repeat. One of the most common of these segments is found regularly 'earlier' in the sequence then slowly becomes more spread out (I swear this is relevant later)
- Foundation sends some people in to explore to find information within the main building. People with live radios/camera feeds lose communication within the radius, but come back pretty much fine. Drones sent in lose communication, but when manually retrieved, seem to be fine and able to transmit regularly.
- Gene sequencing a few months later reveals that the data from attempted transmissions during the exploration attempts has been encoded in the DNA of most colonies throughout the area
- Researcher goes back to decode prior garbled 'noise' in the genes from earlier sequencing attempts. Most of the noise is just various radio noise, there are however a few segments that appear to be transmissions from people within the reserve.
- That strange repeating sequence that slowly petered out? That was a help/panic signal from the people within.
Most exposition could come from decoding these help/panic signals, not sure how much further to go from here.
I sort of have an explanation/narrative behind this SCP idea but it's dependent on the details from the signals and is still being worked out
Pyrosomes
Those crab-barnacles
Flatworm frog parasites
